Southeast Queens has too many group homes and facilities within its boundaries, area clergy told state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer last week. Comment.

Blue and white Portuguese tiles, chair rail-high, are used throughout. This 19-year-old churrasqueira, founded by the family of Manuel Cardeso, is set in a small Portuguese community in Jamaica. Three tables for four and three tables seating six are in the dining room with shields and armor on display. A bottle of Portuguese wine was on each table. Caipirinha, a sugar rum drink with lime juice, seemed to be the alternative. Comment.

“I’m going... Comment.

“Too often the... Comment.

Borough President Helen Marshall met with borough heads of the Sanitation, Transportation and Parks departments last Thursday to coordinate efforts to clean up the medians along Queens Boulevard, which have become overgrown with tall weeds and littered with trash in some areas. Comment.

Saying it refuses to ride into the sunset, The Federation of Black Cowboys in Howard Beach is attempting to negotiate a deal with the city on a timetable to pay $60,000 in overdue funds or risk losing their barn, an official with the organization said. Comment.

George Delis, the district manager... Comment.

Trucks breeze down the bridge and rumble along the... Comment.

Meto Kolar, 17, was... Comment.

Officials from the DEP told Community Board... Comment.

Rita Stark, the woman who allegedly conspired to help former City Councilman Sheldon Leffler obtain matching campaign finance funds illegally, is also one of the largest real estate owners in southeast Queens, thanks to her father. Comment.

“They don’t have enough money for... Comment.

Joseph Massino, of 163-37 84th St. in Howard... Comment.

But on Tuesday night, the owners of the sprawling Glendale property told their neighbors... Comment.

City Councilman Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), joined by members of the Police and Fire departments, called on Howard Beach, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park residents and civic leaders last week to open a dialogue with state and city officials to better protect their communities from a terrorist attack near JFK. Comment.

A former Community School Board 27 administrative employee just seven months shy of 20 years of service is unable to get full retirement benefits because the city will not approve the board’s decision to transfer her to another internal position, the board president said. Comment.

The re-election party,... Comment.

A Forest Hills activist group is planning on raising money to support the Forest Hills branch of the Queens Borough Public Library by approaching local corporations and organizations such as community boards, immigrant groups, churches and synagogues. Comment.

Joseph Cornier, 26, was riding the subway with his girlfriend at 9:25 p.m. when... Comment.

State Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn (D-Fresh Meadows) has secured $75,000 from the state Legislature to remove trash and other debris from the closed Richmond Hill Long Island Rail Road station and install high security fencing, her chief of staff said. Comment.

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will hold a hearing in Queens next month on its plan to hike transit fares, shut down station booths and end the half-century run of that renowned New York City symbol, the subway token. Comment.

The family of the Springfield Gardens man who was killed during a test of the AirTrain at Kennedy Airport in September said he was a customer service representative and did not have the proper training to operate the train, the lawyer preparing a civil lawsuit on the family’s behalf said. Comment.

Supermarket chain Pathmark has agreed to shell out $400,000 for southeast Queens over the next 20 years in a settlement aimed at stimulating the local economic development at other community projects in the area, City Councilman James Sanders, Jr. (D-Laurelton) announced last week. Comment.

Mary Nuccio, who lived in the second-floor apartment at 84-04 266th St., was found dead on her couch in a blaze that started at about 3:19 p.m.,... Comment.

A $100,000... Comment.

Sutphin Boulevard business owners have a vision of their commercial strip, one where matching awnings and store signs invite visitors at two court buildings to window-shop along the well-lit street and a directory of stores greets airline passengers as they step off the AirTrain link from Kennedy Airport. Comment.

Carlos Holm, 26, died at Mary Immaculate Hospital after the 4 p.m. shooting at the corner of 191st... Comment.

Mark Investments, which owns the property at 14-01 College Point Blvd., needs a... Comment.

In a game aimed at raising money for the families... Comment.

“I’m absolutely thrilled the school board, as well as... Comment.

During 2002,... Comment.

A day after he masterminded the slaughter of five workers at a Flushing Wendy’s restaurant, John Taylor penned rap lyrics glorifying his deed, prosecutors revealed in court last week just before he was sentenced to death. Comment.

The hearing was the last one... Comment.

Tung Tung “Tommy” Lam, 30, was last seen about 10 p.m. on Dec. 24 leaving his aunt’s Bayside home, his... Comment.

Game Zone Café, a multi-player video game... Comment.

An additional 2 1/2 acres of land in the Udalls Cove ravine will be acquired by the city Parks Department, continuing a process of wetlands preservation begun by the late Douglaston environmentalist Aurora Gareiss, whose historic house on the cove is being sold. Comment.

“There is one Flushing for everybody here and one standard for all... Comment.

The... Comment.

A spokesman for Borough President Helen Marshall said she would... Comment.

The board members... Comment.

Louis Marando, 50,... Comment.

Perhaps the kindest thing to say about the new CBS series “Queens Supreme” is that it has a great theme song. Comment.

A former INS agent based out of Kennedy Airport accused of using his knowledge of the system to steal $1 million from immigrants seeking help to bring relatives into the United States from China was on trial in federal court in Brooklyn. Comment.

With sleet, snow, and wind chill factors to freeze your fanny, Queens residents can take comfort in the hustle and bustle going on in local theatres throughout the borough. While most of us are just struggling to get home each night after work without frostbite, the hardy thespians that make up this borough’s tremendously talented core of performers and directors are rushing to rehearsals in preparation for a promising winter season. Comment.

Never straying from its policy of “Only the best always for less,” Smiley’s yarn store, at 92-06 Jamaica Ave., has been selling quality products at discount prices to Queens’ residents for almost 70 years, its present owner said. Comment.

When one thinks of manufacturing, giant product-producing plants often come to mind. Attention is seldom directed to the many who depend on those jobs in their weekly quest to pay bills and put food on the table. Comment.

Jan. 16 - Bayside Business Association meeting North Fork Bank. 229-2277. Comment.

Two weeks before the end of the year, on Dec. 17, to be exact, the centennial of a historic event that changed the character of the human race forever will be celebrated. Comment.

“Let it ring,” my husband says, as he spoons gravy over his potatoes. Comment.

Most investors I meet with do not have sufficient exposure to international stocks and bonds. I believe this is a mistake. You can reduce your overall risk and increase your return potential by having the right allocation to international investments. Of course this allocation is different for everyone and depends on many variables such as your risk tolerance level, goals and time horizon. Comment.

FLUSHING — A 46-year-old California businessman was stabbed to death early Tuesday morning in Flushing, police said. Comment.

Minutes after Gov. Pataki finished his State of the State speech last week, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) was on television offering an opposing point of view. The contrast was stark. Although the state is facing difficult fiscal times, Pataki gave an upbeat, optimistic view of the year to come. Comment.

Pathmark has agreed to make a $400,000 payment to the “community” for being granted the right to open a badly needed supermarket at the corner of Springfield and Merrick boulevards three years ago. Comment.

As the city’s Campaign Finance Board and the Manhattan district attorney’s office began investigating the campaign finances of then-City Councilman Sheldon Leffler in August 2001, the candidate for Queens borough president choked back tears while talking about his father in an interview with the TimesLedger Newspapers. Comment.

Police arrested an 18-year-old Richmond Hill resident last week and charged him with using the Internet to steal more than $500,000 in credit and debit cards. It is alleged that Shiva Sharma set up a phony AOL Web site to send out e-mails that he used to get credit card numbers and other information from unsuspecting victims. Comment.

We will celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 20. Deservedly, he merits this honor. King was the most important public figure to emerge from the Deep South in the 20th century. He was not simply a regional figure, but a worldwide one as well. By destroying segregation in his home territory, he redefined the world’s approach to human rights. Comment.

Holding a party is by no means news, particularly on New Year’s Eve. What’s new is that the Flushing Mall invited scores of people to help it usher in the New Year. I was uninvited but went there anyway, on behalf of a guest. Comment.

District 29 Superintendent Michael Johnson’s moral and ethical principles, which recently appeared in a Queens weekly and which he encourages those at home to develop, are to be applauded. They are the same lessons and procedures our parents taught us, with the exception being we did not delve deeply into our cultural and familial heritage. Comment.

The Queens High Schools District Office has announced that Queens high school graduates of June 2002 have been offered $119 million in four-year scholarships. This $119 million is based on statistics submitted by 34 Queens high schools for the 2001-2002 school year. Comment.

Welcome to the Point. The Point being College Point. I hope that each and every one of you celebrated a very happy New Year which will continue throughout the year. Comment.

When Rafer Alston failed to get picked up by the Golden State Warriors prior to the start of this NBA season, I have to say I was a little concerned that the professional basketball career of the former Cardozo High School standout was all but over. Comment.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Rich Bradley slouched on the bench with his head resting on his hand, his eyes fixed on the field and just a few steps from the heart of professional soccer. The butterflies fluttered inside, but the former St. John’s midfielder never felt closer to a dream. Comment.

Shakia Woods’ steal and layup just capped a game-ending 14-2 run, but there were no smiles for the Bayside girls’ basketball team, despite defeating second-place Van Buren on its home court by 22 points Monday. Comment.

In a statement game, Cardozo’s Skyler Khaleel made perhaps the loudest statement of all, following Raynard Jones’ dunk with a thunderous two-handed jam of his own in the Judges’ convincing 83-65 win over Queens II-A rival Jamaica Friday afternoon at Cardozo High School. Comment.

The latest design proposals for the World Trade Center site brought mixed reactions from the handful of Queens residents who attended Monday’s public meeting at LaGuardia Community College. Comment.

Kevin Gill, the man credited with the revitalization of the Public School Athletic League, announced his retirement last week after 35 years in the Department of Education. Comment.

The Mary Louis Academy girls’ varsity basketball team dropped a 35-point loss to national powerhouse and league foe Christ the King, marking the second straight season the Hilltoppers have started the season 2-8. Comment.

Coming into this season, no one would have expected the short and not-so-athletic St. Francis Prep varsity boys’ basketball team to make a lot of noise in the CHSAA ‘A’ League. But 13 games into the team’s season, it’s time people started listening. Comment.

A day after suffering a tough 3-2 loss to Chaminade, the St. Francis Prep hockey team rebounded by playing its best game of the year in a 4-2 victory over perennial powerhouse Xaverian Saturday at Abe Stark Rink on Coney Island. Comment.

School: Cardozo High School Comment.

The Queens College men’s basketball team’s snide has reached four games following the Knights’ 76-72 loss to C.W. Post at Fitzgerald Gymnasium Saturday night. Comment.

The St. John’s University men’s basketball team got a much-needed win Saturday at Pauley Pavilion, soundly defeating the once-mighty, now struggling UCLA Bruins, 80-65. Comment.

A burst of energy Saturday signaled the return of the St. John’s women’s basketball team after a month of play on the road. The Red Storm, boosted by a brief pre-game ceremony honoring first-year coach Kim Barnes-Arico’s recent 100th career victory, caught Seton Hall off guard, opening an early lead against the Pirates. Comment.

In a tightly contested game, Stitches defeated Whitestone Diner 24-22. Steve Foley led Stitches in scoring with help from Derek Capponi and Logan Frankel. Dave Legaz and Vinay Chodha played very hard at the guard position. Daniel Acevedo also contributed for the Stitches team. Vinny Depperman excelled with tenacious play for the Whitestone Diner team. Comment.

The first meeting, for managers and coaches of Senior and Junior Division baseball and softball teams (ages 15-16 and 17-18), will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m.. Comment.

In 1970, private wetlands in northeast Queens were under a gray cloud. Udalls Cove wetlands were to be filled for the construction of a golf course between Douglaston and Great Neck. The ravine, partially owned by St. Anastasia Parish at the southern end and by private owners at the northern end, was under great pressure for development. In 1975 a major supermarket was planned for the St. Anastasia property directly across from the parish. Comment.

A contingent of activists stepped up to the microphone at last Thursday’s Community Board 2 meeting to demand that its members sign on to a resolution calling for the Indian Point nuclear power plant to shut down in light of the risks they say it poses to its neighbors. Comment.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has introduced the use of E-Z Pass-Plus at John F. Kennedy International Airport parking lots with plans to include LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports soon. Comment.