A thousand reasons to love Long Island City. Tips: Editor@LICtalk.com
The Star Chamber of Long Island City has passed down through their disciples that the LIC Halloween Parade on Vernon Boulevard will occur on Sunday, October 28 this year. You know the drill: kids wear costumes and get candy from the local merchants. In addition, [Read more…] about HALLOWEEN PARADE AND FALL FESTIVAL WILL BE ON OCTOBER 28
What’s up in LIC? School, [Read more…] about SCHOOL’S UP IN LIC
RIDES, games, food and entertainment, the tradition continues as the 10th Annual PS78Q Spring Fair comes to Center Boulevard this Saturday from 11am – 3pm. No need to schlep your 6-year old 100-200 miles to Great Adventure or Hershey Park, all these things are brought to you, plus you get to support a good cause: your kid’s welfare (via the PS78Q PTA). We’ll throw in the carnies for free. [Read more…] about 10TH ANNUAL PS78Q SPRING FAIR THIS SATURDAY ON CENTER BLVD
When a problem comes along
You must whip it
Before the cream sits out too long
You must whip it
When something’s going wrong
You must whip it
DON’T let anyone tell you that incubation is bad/dirty/will make your child go blind. It’s not and is perfectly natural and normal. Now that we have that out of the way, we are happy to report that next year every child in LIC will be able to incubate in LIC. That’s because after much brainstorming and jawboning by an ardent group of local advocates, the DOE has decided to convert the large Pre-K center at 27-35 Jackson Avenue in Court Square into a new K-2 location called 30Q384 to incubate the brand new elementary school coming to 54th Avenue in Hunters Point. Therefore the lucky parents of the class of 2032 will have two local options as to where to send their kids for elementary school as opposed to all previous classes who were relegated to a sole choice.. That’s a 100% increase, and as every teacher knows 100 is perfect. In addition, it now gives parents in Court Square (of which there will soon be many more – see below) a much closer option than PS78Q. Finally, we hear that the trailer pre-school on 49th Avenue, which was slated for closure, will now remain open.
//RENT War Breaks Out in LIC – that should have been the title of a story below in the WSJ, as it relates to how [Read more…] about NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO BE INCUBATED IN LIC, NOT WOODSIDE
The battle for increased school capacity has been waged by parents for several years now, many of whom won’t be the beneficiaries of the new schools. Though most ultimately were unscathed by the controversy, inasmuch as their child eventually received a seat in PS78, the uncertainty was unsettling, and may have motivated others to move out or not move to LIC in the first place. Also, in the question-mark that is truncation, it was a factor in prompting some recent middle school parents to opt for the new middle school instead of sticking it out at 78.
In viewing the current situation, I can’t help but think that for every action there is at first a delayed response, and then inevitably an overreaction. Since it’s been primarily parents along the waterfront who have been demanding schools now, that is where the schools have been going. Yet any chess player can see that the next big need is closer to Court Square. The powers that be completely screwed up in not insisting a school be placed in the base of 5Pointz. In addition to being extremely well-situated to accommodate children from all parts of LIC, it would have been available in time for the school year beginning in 2018. Instead the community received baubles in return for granting the developers a zoning variance allowing them to build an additional 28 stories.
The words above were written here in LICtalk almost two years ago. They are especially prescient given the specifics surrounding the current battle for seating capacity/location in local elementary schools. [Read more…] about #LICUnited