Astoria and Long Island City Waterfront Community Group

Welcome to the Astoria-LIC Waterfront

Shore is clean

CityParks Seniors Fitness Fall 2008

What: Have fun getting fit in the parks. Learn a new activity and make new friends. Exercise, even in moderate amounts, can help us feel and look better, maintain or lose weight, reduce our risk for heart disease and diabetes, and minimize symptoms of arthritis. If you are age 60 or over, CityParks Seniors Fitness provides a fun, FREE way this fall to get started.

When: 6 week season begins September 22nd.

Tennis M/W 10 AM
Yoga T/Th 9 AM
Walking M/W 10 AM
Where: Astoria Park at the tennis courts by 21 Street and Hoyt Avenue South
Sponsored by: City Parks Foundation and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.
For registration or more info: Contact 718-760-6999 or visit www.CityParksFoundation.org

Paddle by Canoe or Kayak in the Cove!

What: Free canoe and kayak rides are offered by Long Island City Community Boathouse for the community with the support of Socrates Sculpture Park and Partnerships for Parks. Volunteers are also needed to help clean up the beach while waiting for their turn to paddle!

When: Sunday, September 28th.
This event will be ongoing every Sunday from May 18th through October 12th 1-4pm.
Where: Socrates Sculpture Park's beach at Hallets Cove. 31st Avenue at Vernon Blvd.
Who: All are welcome. Minors must be accompanied by a guardian.
Why: Learn to paddle, enjoy the East River, and help keep our waterfront clean and open to the public.

More info: Visit licboathouse.org or call 718-228-9214.

Much Ado About Nothing at Queensbridge Park

What: The Curious Frog Theatre invites you to Shakespeare in Queensbridge Park.
Curious Frog's mission is to present new, modern and classical works with the goal of showing a new, multicultural perspective through non-traditional casting that does not hinder understanding or believing a work, but rather enhances the work in an innovative manner and fosters fresh perceptions.

When: Sunday, September 28, 4pm - 5:30pm.
Where: Queensbridge Park at Vernon Boulevard and 41st Avenue.
Who: FREE!
More info: Visit www.curiousfrog.org

Queens Green Drinks

What: Join us for Green Drinks at QBG with local beer and wine on the Queens Botanical Garden's terrace and learn about our new Visitor and Administration Center's LEEDR platinum certification. Free tours of the building and green roof will be available.

When: Wednesday, October 1, 6pm-9pm Fee: 15 dollars
Where: 43-50 Main Street, Flushing
More Info: Visithttp://www.queensbotanical.org/or call 718-886-3800.

Capacity Fund Grants Program

What: The Partnerships for Parks Capacity Fund provides grants to groups working in parks across the five boroughs of New York City. The Capacity Fund supports projects that help build a community group's capacity to care for their local park. Grants range from $250 to $5,000. Strong applications will improve a group's ability to care for their park, put on programs and events, or expand collaborations with other neighborhood groups. We fund new groups seeking funds for startup costs (setting up a mailbox or voicemail, paying postage for a mailing, etc.), as well as established organizations taking on new projects (bulletin boards, outreach events or activities, fundraisers, mailings, or brochures).

Examples of potential projects include, but are not limited to:

Website, newsletter, letterhead or other outreach efforts;
Special events or plantings, if the group can show how this support would be a sustainable investment in their stewardship efforts; or
An outreach publication produced by Partnerships for Parks.

Deadline: October 1st, 2008. Applications must be received (not postmarked) by June 1st. Please visit www.partnershipsforparks.org to find an application form and guidelines.
More Info: For more information, call Kate Louis at (212) 227-3626 or email kate.louis@parks.nyc.gov.

Bike Tour of the Astoria/LIC Waterfront Parks

What: Take a leisurely ride along the new greenway route, visit the waterfront parks and learn about the fascinating history of Long Island City and Astoria. The tour last 3 hours and follows 4 miles of beautiful river views.
Bring your own bike, water and snacks. Helmets are advised.

When: Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 11 am.
Where: Meet at Gantry Plaza State Park, 48th Avenue and the East River.
RSVP: Call 718-278-0700 or call 917-902-9165 on the day of the tour.

Street Tree Care & Pruning

What: Help care and protect your neighborhood trees. We will meet at Brasil Coffee House where participants will be treated to coffee and snack. At 10:00am, we’ll head out to the surrounding blocks for 2 hours of pruning (Raising the Crown), cleaning tree pits, and fertilizing.

When: Saturday, October 4th at 9:30 am.
Updoming dates: 11/2
Where: Brasil Coffee House at corner of Vernon Boulevard and 49th Avenue.
Sponsored by: Friends of Gantry and Neighborhood Parks at Hunters Point.
More Info: GantryParkFriend@aol.com

RACCOON Community Fair

What: Join Raccoon, Inc. on Saturday, Oct. 4th for our Community Fair in ASTORIA PARK!
Come enjoy a day in the sun ?FOOD, DANCE, MUSIC, GAMES and more - while learning about the amazing programs offered in Astoria. Meet organizations and individuals who are doing fun, interesting work! Help us celebrate Raccoon’s successes and shape our future community work!

When: Saturday October 4th, 1 PM - 5PM
Where: Astoria Park, 2 St. East River/26th Avenue
Who: FREE for everyone!
Please RSVP (718) 784.9121
Sponsors: The Astoria/Long Island City Catalyst Project of Partnerships for Parks, a joint program of CityParks Foundation and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.

More Info: Visit www.balkansnet.org

Astoria Park Alliance Monthly Meeting

What: Join members of the Astoria Park Alliance as they plan this year's events and activities: park clean-ups, butterfly garden and a Try-Athalon.
Mission: The Astoria Park Alliance is a volunteer groups whose missionis to beautify, enhance and encourage greater community involvement in Astoria Park.

When: Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 6:30pm
Upcoming schedule: 11/4
Where: Reformed Steinway Church, corner of Ditmars Blvd and 41st Street.
Who: Everyone is welcome!
More info: astoria-park-alliance@googlegroups.com or visit www.astoriaparkalliance.com

Transportation Alternatives' Queens Committee Meeting

What: Join your fellow cyclists and pedestrians to help change the NYC street landscapes and make it safer for everyone! There are a variety of activities to get involved, so come and find out!

When: Monday, October 20th from 6:30 - 8 PM.
Where: Greater Astoria Historical Society located in the Quinn Building on 35-20 Broadway, 4th Floor (between 35th & 36th St.)
Who: All are welcome!
More info: Contact Chairperson, Mike at heffronmike@gmail.com
or TAWQ@googlegroup.com

Halloween Harvest Festival & The Red Door Theatre

What: Come to the 8th annual Halloween Harvest Festival with your friends and family to make a costume with Socrates Sculpture Park artists; listen to live music; enjoy a special artmaking workshop with Materials for the Arts; transform your face with face painting by agostino Arts; enter your dog in the 4th annal Canine Costume contests or just watcha parade of creatively clad dogs; paint a pumpkin and try harvest foods from a local restaurant; and see a special performance by the Red Door Theatre.

When: Saturday, 10/20/08, 11AM - 2PM (rain or shine)
The Red Door Theatre performance at 2PM
Where: Socrates Sculpture Park at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard and Broadway.
Subway directions: Take N Train to Broadway in Queens / Walk 8 blocks west to the intersection of Vernon Boulevard
More about the Park: Socrates Sculpture Park is dedicated to providing artists with the opportunity to create and exhibit large-scale sculpture and multi-media installations in a unique outdoor environment that encourages interaction between artists, artworks and the public. The Park is open 365 days a year from 10 am to sunset and is located at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, New York.

Directions: Monday through Friday take the N or W trains to the Broadway stop in Queens and walk eight blocks along Broadway toward the East River. On Saturday and Sunday take the N train to the Broadway stop. For driving, cycling or walking directions, please visit our website: www.socratessculpturepark.org.
For more info: Visit www.socratessculpturepark.org.

Queens Green Drinks

What: Queens Green Drinks will be hosted by Build It Green! NYC - the best place in the City to buy or donate low cost salvage surplus building materials.

What's Queens Green Drinks again?

Very simply, it's an informal social gathering/networking event for folks that are environmentally minded. Come and we'll introduce you to some of the other like minded folks in and around Queens. If we're lucky (which is likely) we'll cross pollinate make new friends, catch up with old ones, and maybe even sprout an idea or three.

Since this is a new little experiment for our borough, please help get the word out and tell your friends about it! Heck, why don't you bring them?

Just to let you know, we'll have a different host each month selecting the venue of their choice. If you are interested in helping to get the word out, if you have suggestions for hosts, or if you'd like to donate your skills in building a website please let me know at helen@queensgreendrinks.org.

When: October 25th, 4-6PM
Where: 3-17 26th Avenue, Astoria, New York
Sponsored by: This month's Green Drinks is hosted by Build It Green.
More info: Contact queensisgreen@gmail.com or www.bignyc.org

2008 Waterfront Conference for the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Region

What: Join the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance in welcoming more than 500 people from hundreds of organizations all working on waterfront issues. There will be a boat tour, presentations and plenty of opportunity for one-on-one discussions and valuable networking receptions. The Conference will include:

? A boat tour of the Lower Hudson and Upper Bay narrated by well-known area experts
? Key note Speeches by a prominent New York and New Jersey speaker
? Candidate forums where candidates for elected office will be invited to express their thoughts on waterfront issues
? A series of topical workshops on issues such as:
o Increasing on- and in-water education for students and young people drawing on successful models such as the New York Harbor School.
o Cleaning up environmental contamination in the Harbor and along the waterfront by dredging toxic hot spots as the new study of the Hudson River Foundation and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recommends.
o Creating a vibrant, region-wide water transit system that builds upon NYC’s newly subsidized routes connecting Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan.
o Restoring habitat and improving water quality through the new Comprehensive Restoration Plan developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program.
o And others

The goals of this conference are extensive:

? Share information on important issues, including the results of our year-long Task Force initiative which explored waterfront challenges and is proposing a range of solutions which can be implemented over the next four years.

? Bring together people working on a variety of waterfront issues to discover common interests, share knowledge and skills, develop relationships, improve existing projects and build collaborative and innovative new initiatives for the future.

? Introduce vital issues of the waterfront to activist and experts already involved and to policy makers who could be influential in critical waterfront issues in the future.

? Advance the MWA Action Agenda for the Waterfront for a Healthy, Shared and Vibrant Harbor

When: Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Where: the National Museum of the American Indian
One Bowling Green New York, NY 10004
RSVP: Contact the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance.