NEWS YOU CAN USE
Tax Day April 18
Due to a legal holiday in the District of Columbia the deadline for filing taxes this year is April 18, not April 15.
Also, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has released a video “Avoiding Common Income Tax Error.” The video provides tips on identifying and avoiding common errors on tax returns that can delay your return and refund.
The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/user/NYSTaxDepartment#p/u/0/E-MVjnCE5gE
U.S. adds 200,000+ jobs
March saw the unemployment rate drop as the United States add over 200,000 jobs.
Last month the unemployment rate fell to 8.8 percent, still high, but a modest gain that surpassed forecasts.
The 216,000 new jobs beat the forecast by 23,000 jobs. The unemployment rate also fell .1 percent since February’s numbers. Unemployment claims have also continued to fall to under 400,000 from the mid-400,000s.
Job Expo at York College
Councilmember Leroy Comrie and Assemblymember William Scarborough are sponsoring the annual Queens Job Expo on Friday, April 8, at York College.
The college is located at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, and the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Representatives from the healthcare, retail, banking, insurance, aviation, transportation, non-profit sector, administration, utility maintenance, law enforcement and government fields will be present.
For more information, call Comrie’s office at 718-776-3700.
A twist of fate wins office workers $319M
A lucky group of seven office workers won the Mega Millions jackpot of $319 million on Monday, March 28, by the "fickle finger of fate."
Standing in line to purchase a ticket, one of the workers, Mike Barth, reached down to buy a chocolate bar when someone cut in line to purchase a ticket.
"I thought about saying something, but decided to just let it slide. I bought the next ticket…the winning ticket," said Barth.
The group chose the lump sum option, and will be receiving $19,129,571 each after taxes.
MTA Service Advisory
Weekend Subway Changes Affecting Service on the 1 2 4 5 6 7 A C D F G J Q S
Because of capital construction work on the NYC Transit subway system, the following changes will be in place over the weekend. This work is part of NYC Transit’s ongoing $11.2 billion Capital Rebuilding Program aimed at upgrading and maintaining our tracks, stations and signal systems in order to continue to provide our customers with safe and reliable service.
7
From 4 a.m. Saturday, April 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday, April 3, free shuttle buses replace 7 trains between Flushing-Main Street and Mets-Willets Point due to switch renewal work south of Mets-Willets Point. Customers may transfer between the 7 and free shuttle bus at Mets-Willets Point.
A
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, April 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 4, free shuttle buses replace A trains between Beach 90th Street and Far Rockaway due to station rehabilitations. Note: At all times until early summer, Manhattan-bound A platforms at Beach 36th and Beach 60th Streets are closed for station rehabilitation.
F
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 2 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 4, Queens-bound F trains run on the M line from 47th-50th Sts. to Queens Plaza due to track replacement south of 57th Street-6th Avenue.
F
At all times until May 2011, Manhattan-bound F trains skip Smith-9th Sts, Ft. Hamilton Parkway and 15th Street-Prospect Park due to the Culver Viaduct Rehabilitation Project.
G
At all times until May 2011, Queens-bound G trains skip Ft. Hamilton Parkway and 15th Street-Prospect Park due to the Culver Viaduct Rehabilitation Project.
J
From 3:30 a.m. Saturday, April 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday, April 3, J service is suspended between Jamaica Center and Crescent Street due to track work between Woodhaven Blvd. and 111th Street. Customers should take the E to Jamaica-Van Wyck. Free shuttle buses are available between Jamaica-Van Wyck E station and the Crescent Street J station.
S
From 11 p.m. Friday, April 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 4, A trains replace the Rockaway Park S shuttle between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park due to station rehabilitations.
Customers who rely on these lines should allow for additional travel time. For further information, customers should consult the Weekend Service Change notices posted in subway stations. Customers may also call NYC Transit’s Travel Information Center at 718-330-1234 or log on at www.mta.info.
St. John’s raising Autism awareness
St. John’s University will be joining countless organizations throughout the world this week when they “Light it up Blue” for Autism awareness. This is the second annual “Light it up Blue” campaign. It was launched by by Autism Speaks, North America’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, and help raise funds and awareness of autism.
The D’Angelo Center and St. Thomas More Church on the St. John’s campus will shine a bright blue on April 1 to help kickoff Autism Awareness Month.
St. John’s will host several education and support events, which began on Wednesday, March 30:
Light it Up Blue Commuter BreakfastInformation session and viewing of Temple Grandin (an HBO film about a young women’s perseverance while struggling with the challenges of autism – when the disease was relatively unknown)
Thursday, March 31 – 8 a.m./D’Angelo Center
Light it Up Blue with PS 177The School of Education will sponsor Funtime Sessions, where education majors will engage with students from PS 177 in arts and crafts, story time, coloring, snack time, and a special light it up blue egg hunt
Thursday, March 31 – 11 a.m./D’Angelo Center
Light it Up Blue Fun Soccer ClinicSt. John’s Red Storm Women’s Soccer Team will host a fun soccer clinic
Thursday, March 31 – 5 p.m./Great Lawn
Inside of Their World: Candlelight Vigil of HopeThe University community will gather in prayer and hope. Mothers of Autistic children will share stories
Thursday, March 31 – 8 p.m./D’Angelo Center
Light it Up Blue Sibling EventA group for brothers and sisters of people with disabilities, who can meet with others who understand what is means to be the sibling of a person with a disability
Friday, April 1 – 1 p.m.
No. 7 subway weekend work scheduled
Due to switch replacement work, the No. 7 line will be out of service between the Mets-Willets Point and Flushing-Main Street stations during four weekends over the next two months, the MTA announced.
The No. 7 line will not be running between the times of 4 a.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday on the weekends of March 26 – 27, April 2 – 3, April 16 – 17 and May 14 – 15.
Free shuttle buses will be available to carry passengers between the Mets-Willets Point and Flushing-Main Street stations on these weekends.
Also, from March 23 to May 13, the last Manhattan-bound express train will leave Flushing-Main Street at 9 a.m. rather 9:55 a.m.
Transit personnel will be on hand during the weekends to provide assistance for those using the shuttle buses.
The No.7 line was also out of service on the weekend of March 11 due to heavy rains on the night before that damaged the signal system in the tunnel.
For more information, visit www.mta.info and click on “Planned Service Changes.”
Schedule changes on Metro-North
The Metro-North Railroad will implement minor changes to certain train schedule beginning Sunday, April 3.
Changes to the schedules are planned for Hudson, Harlem and New Haven line customers to accommodate various construction projects, to better reflect actual running times and to improve operational reliability.
A new Friday-only train will also be added to the New Haven line.
For more information and the schedule adjustments visit https://mta.info/mnr/html/serviceupdates.htm?story=685 and pick up a new timetable at Info Booths or ticket windows.
Get 10 free trees for spring
With spring about to bloom, the Arbor Day Foundation is offering ten free trees for you to plant.
The dogwoods will be sent to you between March 1 and 31, the optimal time for planting these trees, with instructions on how to plant the them enclosed. These white-flowering trees that will grow to between 6-12 inches are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced for free.
It is just $10 to become a member of the foundation and receive trees that “have showy spring flowers, scarlet autumn foliage, and red berries which attract songbirds all winter,” according to John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation
This is part of the non-profit foundation’s Trees for America campaign.
To become a member and receive your ten trees join online at www.arborday.org/March or send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE DOGWOOD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by March 31, 2011
