"He's been a good dog," said Thomas Prasso Sr., 77, as his 8-year-old black Labrador-German shepherd mix lay on the floor of McLaughlin's office in Flushing, panting excitedly. Comment.

They used adjectives such as “lethargic” and “lackadaisical” to describe their play in the first half. Comment.

The parade "will highlight the cultural value of the Asian communities," Che-Tsao Huang, of the Council of Chinese-American Associations, said at a Lunar New Year parade press conference. "Lunar New Year is the most important event in the Asian culture." Comment.

The Flushing Airport, which has been defunct for at least 20 years, is "close" to being sold to the city and developed as a non-retail property, Avella said in an interview this week. He said Liu's comment in the TimesLedger last week that profits from that sale be invested in Flushing was innappropriate and that the city should contribute to College Point and Whitestone with additional soccer fields. Comment.

Apart from being neighbors, these companies have another thing in common - they are all new additions (pending approvals) to the burgeoning College Point Corporate Park, a pet project of the city's Economic Development Corp. Comment.

Adele Freedman and Tobb Dell'Oro were two Americans staying in the Iranian city of Bam when a devastating earthquake hit on Dec. 26, claiming the lives of more than 30,000 people. Comment.

The Queens College women’s basketball team went into the locker room Saturday night at halftime an angry group. Coming off an emotional win over Adelphi, the Lady Knights struggled in the first half and trailed Molloy by 10. Comment.

"When we met the first time, we said this was something we wanted to deal with in a rational and sober manner," Assemblyman Barry Grodenchik (D-Flushing) said at a press conference held by the signage task force at St. Andrew Avelino parish center, 35-60 158th St. in Flushing. "When you look at the results of this study, we've exploded a myth that has existed for a very long time." Comment.

In a battle of defenses, Whitestone Pet Center defeated the Donnelly Home for Adults, 33-31. Whitestone Pet Center was led to victory behind the strong end-to-end play of Andrew Lehr and Glen Barker Jr. Donnelly was led in scoring by Adam Breidbart, Jonathan Lee and Keith Lippert with eight points, eight points and seven points, respectively. Comment.

Two Queens Councilmen railed against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week because of recent service shutdowns on the No. 7 line that have left many of their constituents without transportation. Comment.

A Laurelton man was shot and killed as he tried to escape an ambush after he stepped out of his car in front of his 134th Road home last week, police said. Comment.

First-term Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg left very few Queens neighborhoods unmentioned during his State of the City address last Thursday at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, where he said he wants to give tax rebates to city property owners, a majority of whom live in the borough. Comment.

The City Council was scheduled to vote next week on committee assignments for the lawmakers, and some insiders say Jamaica Councilman Allan Jennings may be on the list for a new assignment. Comment.

Two prominent Bayside restaurateurs will take over Douglaston Manor, the catering facility on the Douglaston Golf Course, in an agreement with the city that also awards management of the Douglaston and Clearview golf courses to companies that will substantially upgrade the facilities. Comment.

Former City Councilman Sheldon Leffler escaped jail time and was sentenced to five years probation and community service Friday for his conviction on campaign finance fraud charges. Comment.

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) and Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) blasted President George W. Bush’s new illegal immigrant policy last Thursday as an election-year ploy that would eventually lead to deportations of Queens residents. Comment.

Three brothers convicted of dumping illegal construction waste on the College Point ballfields were sentenced to pay $250,000 in restitution last Thursday. Comment.

Firefighter Eddie Murray does not remember much from the afternoon of Jan. 2, when he was knocked unconscious fighting a fire in Douglaston and had to be rescued from the burning building by his colleagues. Comment.

The installation of parking meters on Bell Boulevard, a plan promoted by doctors who want to keep spaces open throughout the day for their businesses, was being stalled by the Department of Transportation as of Tuesday. Comment.

A crowd gathered in front of a century-old Douglaston Hill home Monday to send a message to the city Landmarks Preservation Commission: Stop the destruction. Comment.

With temperatures in the borough dropping to single digits on Saturday, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development received a record number of calls from tenants who said they did not have enough heat in their building. Comment.

An ongoing study by the Department of Transportation and a traffic consultant group found that only 9 percent of truckers polled said they are familiar with New York City truck route regulations and identified problem areas in the borough where trucks routinely go down residential streets. Comment.

While often linked to concentration and behavioral difficulties in the classroom, ADHD doesn’t end with the school day. The condition also affects a child’s ability to participate in extracurricular activities, complete homework assignments, sit through family meals or participate in other family activities without disruption — all leading to increased stress not just on the child with ADHD, but on the whole family. Comment.

That selectivity has its advantages, said Ken Faffler, director of recruitment and admissions at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn. “Not only are colleges articulating what kind of student they want, they are standing by it. As a result, the quality of students and academics increases, which produces a better quality graduate.” Comment.

Sorting, counting and estimating: Buttons, bottle caps, beans, macaroni, etc. Comment.

It is hard to believe that four months have passed since we welcomed students back in September. It’s been an exciting time, and I hope you agree that our Children First reform agenda is taking root and making positive change in our schools. We’re not there yet, but we’re on our way. Comment.

Organization is particularly important with long-term reading and writing projects like research or book reports. Comment.

Before the Meeting Comment.

“Raising Nuestros Ninos: Bringing up Latino Children in a Bicultural World” by Gloria Rodriguez contains great advice for parents of children from birth through age 12. Although it is written with a special focus on Latino families, the suggestions would be useful to parents of every cultural background. Comment.

A new chief executive officer took the helm at Ridgewood Savings Bank this month, replacing William McKenna Jr. who retired from the position after 12 years. Comment.

Do you remember the story of “Chicken Little”? It’s the story of this chicken that felt a drop of rain and ran all over town yelling that the sky is falling. Comment.

Fellow Republicans Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg used their addresses to the state and city to discuss a host of topics impacting Queens, such as reviving the economy and decreasing crime — but the elected officials took different approaches in discussing education. Comment.

World-noted architect Robert A.M. Stern wrote, “Jackson Heights established a model urban suburbia that demonstrates as none have since what high-density housing in the city could be.” Comment.

Jan. 20- Jackson Lewis Law Breakfast Series – Queens Chamber Board Room – Navigating the New Wage/Hour Landscape: How the US DOL’s Revised Regulations Will Affect Your Company. Queens Chamber of Commerce, 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140 Jackson Heights. 718-898-8500. Comment.

Thurs., Feb. 26 - New York Families for Autistic Children holds an annual dinner danace and awards celebration at 6:30 p.m. at Russo’s on the Bay. The honor dinner chairman is Pat LaFontaine, 2003 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Comment.

Two Queens high schools have the dubious distinction of being listed among the 12 most violent schools in the city. Moms and dads of children attending Franklin K. Lane High School in Woodhaven and Far Rockaway High School in Far Rockaway will be less than proud to know that their children’s schools are considered to be among the city’s most dangerous. Comment.

In June 1997, my friend and civic colleague Jim Trent complained about practices waged by the Mayor’s Office of Contract, with the appropriate acronym, MOC. A landscape architect in the procurement office at the city’s Department of Design and Construction, Jim was concerned that the MOC sought to renegotiate bids for such professional services as the design of construction projects. Comment.

“Do your work so well that no one could do it better. Do it so well that all the hosts of Heaven and Earth will have to say, ‘Here lived a man who did his job as if God Almighty called him at this particular time in history to do it.’” -Martin Luther King Jr. Comment.

Here’s hoping everyone enjoyed a happy New Year’s Eve as well as an equally joyous New Year’s Day. Whether you were partying or spending quiet time at home with family or friends, it gave you some time for a change of pace and the chance to recharge your batteries and perhaps even to do a little reflecting. Now that we are off with the old and on with the new, it seems that the new year promises to be an interesting one. Comment.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Bayside and the surrounding villages were rural entities vastly different than the bustling communities they have become. Farms and horticultural businesses were prominent and dated back to the historic interests of our early settlers the Dutch and the Huguenots, especially, who had an avid interest in developing nurseries such as the famous Prince nursery visited by President George Washington in the 18th century. Comment.

Several weeks before the holidays I busied myself with helping one of our friends move from her home to a much smaller place. Downsizing is not always easy. She and her husband, daughter and son had moved to Laurelton many years ago. They were always good neighbors, a multi-talented family. Comment.

Soon after a police officer showed up at Councilman David Weprin’s (D-Hollis) town hall meeting on zoning, building violations and enforcement, Department of Buildings Deputy Commissioner Corrine Lindo said the DOB has penalized 10 builders and forbidden them to do certain activities. Comment.

Queens civic leaders criticized parts of a proposal restricting the ability of community facilities to expand in residential areas at a Department of City Planning meeting in Manhattan Tuesday, saying it does not go far enough to protect neighborhoods from the facilities’ impacts. Comment.

KEW GARDENS — A Far Rockaway woman arrested in connection with the triple shooting of a Cambria Heights family in June was scheduled to be arraigned on formal charges Friday, a spokeswoman for the Queens district attorney said. Comment.

Acting Seniors Comment.

Through dance, the spoken word, music, audio-visual enhancements and the delightful tradition of Griot storytelling, the Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn will take the audience back in time to witness the struggles, hardships, and triumphs of the African experience in this country. Comment.

“I cannot remember when I didn’t take a camera wherever I went,” Jaklitsch said. “A nice hobby became my passion, and resulted in a well-documented life. Yet, I’ve found that some of my best pictures are taken within a mile of where I live — you just have to keep your eyes open.” Comment.

With color, cultural flair and international appeal, the Lunar New Year will ring in the Year of the Monkey in Flushing, two weeks after renditions of “Auld Lang Syne” are put to rest. Comment.

In both plays, the Greek tragic poet forces his characters to confront personal issues. “Medea” portrays a woman’s solitary battle with hypocrisy and prejudice, while “The Bacchae” deals with religious fanaticism and puritanical repression. Comment.

Alzheimer’s Disease Comment.

The performance will feature legendary saxophonist James Moody, virtuoso pianist Cedar Walton, veteran trumpet master Randy Brecker, saxophone aficionado James Carter, guitar virtuoso Howard Alden, one of the most widely recorded bassists of his generation, Peter Washington, and “Rhythm is my Business” drummer Lewis Nash. Comment.

“Oh, these are kids,” I thought as I checked out the program for Tomorrow’s Artists Today, the concert held on the blisteringly cold evening of Jan. 11 at Flushing Town Hall. Comment.

Queens and Baruch colleges will honor one school sports program and one individual in the coming weeks, both equally deserving yet linked only through the sports pages of this and other newspapers. Comment.

Queens officials and civic leaders reacted with cautious optimism to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal for a $400 property tax rebate in his State of the City address, welcoming the one-time relief but questioning how much it could help people in the long run. Comment.

On the same night Stephon Marbury returned home to make his Madison Square Garden debut as a New York Knick, a Flushing native celebrated a homecoming of her own at Alumni Hall. Comment.

Larry Davis Jr. usually does pretty well in tests — he holds a 98 average and is third in his class — so when he asked Bob Olivia for a test, the Christ the King boys’ basketball coach had a tough one for him. Comment.

Shanay Freeman and Katie Driscoll said they heard the chatter after the last meeting between two of the top PSAL girls’ basketball teams in Queens. Comment.

The result was the same, but this time the post-game reaction was far different. Comment.

The gymnasium at St. Francis Prep was turned into a laboratory Sunday afternoon when the school’s varsity girls’ basketball team played host to Brooklyn’s Bishop Kearney in what was expected to be a close and hard-fought Catholic league contest. Comment.

35-01 Ditmars Blvd. Comment.

Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Astoria) last month urged Spitzer to investigate the legality of the bidding process that was involved in granting the Astoria Energy company a contract with Con Edison to build the plant, which will be located at 17-19 Steinway St. Comment.

Elisa Hyman, a spokeswoman for the group Advocates for Children of New York which brought the lawsuit on the plaintiffs' behalf, said the city will now have to follow certain steps before discharging students following a decision by Judge Jack Weinstein of the Eastern District of New York last Thursday. Comment.

If the IOC selects New York as the location of the 2012 Olympic Games, it would be a boon for Western Queens, the proposed location of the Olympic Village, officials say. Comment.

The mayor made the announcement at a news conference held at the 104th Precinct Monday. Comment.

"I thought the goal of this project was to take trucks off our streets," Borough President Helen Marshall said. "We cannot have more trucks on our roads. Our roads aren't meant to carry them." Comment.

Judge Roger Rosengarten sentenced Anthony "Tony" Piccolo, 58, whose past businesses were proven to have links to organized crime, to serve a term of 2-3/4 to 8-1/4 years in prison and pay more than $500,000, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Piccolo's daughter, Toni-Lynn Piccolo, 32, was sentenced to serve six months in jail and a five-year probation term, the district attorney said. Comment.

He’s been quietly consistent for the Academy of American Studies boys’ basketball team, and Monday’s league game against Renaissance was no different. Comment.

Ronny Seigle, now a real estate broker for Kingsview Realty Corp. in Brooklyn, was charged with e-mailing digital camera photos of his private parts via America Online to an undercover detective from the New York City Police Department who was posing as a 13-year-old girl in an ongoing online child pornography sting operation, District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

Sister Kay Crumlisch, executive director of Mercy Home, the non-profit agency proposing the residence for eight men at 149-26 123rd St., stood before angry neighbors last Thursday in South Ozone Park who said they fear the group home would increase traffic and put children in the area at risk. The South Ozone Park homeowners also claimed their property values would be affected if the home were allowed. Comment.

An Amber Alert was issued for the disappearance of 5-year-old Destiny Mitchell after her father, Jeff Mitchell, 46, allegedly pulled her from the mini-van she was in with her 3-year-old sister, Diamond Mitchell. Her mother was also at the scene. Comment.

The program, called Music Masters, was started four years ago as a way for School District 28 students to learn how to play musical instruments without having to pay for private lessons. Children were loaned an instrument of their choice that they took home to practice, and a team of music professionals instructed them on Saturdays for 3-1/2 hours in both small group lessons and as part of a band. Comment.

School: Bryant Comment.

"The police officers and the community are great," said Philbin, 42, an 18-year veteran of the New York Police Department who replaced Capt. Charles Stravalle on Dec. 8. "I'm learning something new, and I find it very rewarding." Comment.

"The defendant intentionally devised a scheme, an artifice to defraud a person known to the FBI, and obtained money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses," said a clerk at the U.S. District court house in Central Islip, L.I., where Irakli Janashvili, 23, was arraigned before Magistrate E. Thomas Boyle. Comment.

Jennings, a Democrat who was removed from the powerful Finance Committee last year in a move he says was retribution for voting against the property tax hike, could be removed as chairman of the Council's Civil Service and Labor Committee when the council members vote on the posts Jan. 21, a council source said. Comment.

Gurpreet Oberoi, of 116-11 91st Ave., was charged by the Manhattan District Attorney with leaving the scene of an accident, unauthorized use of a vehicle and driving with a suspended license, police said. The victim was Peter Hornbeck, 26, of 1392 Madison Avenue, cops said. Comment.

It’s late afternoon Friday and Jerry Ingenito is exactly where he wants to be, sitting on a cold metal folding chair in drafty Fitzgerald Gymnasium running the first hour of practice for the Queens College men’s basketball team. Comment.

DA Richard Brown said at a press conference in Kew Gardens that an investigation into the scheme, allegedly orchestrated with the help of the Genovese organized crime family, began in April 2003 and documented more than $200,000 in losses from 10 different waste disposal operators. Comment.

"I think my time is up here," said Perkins, speaking from his wheelchair with his right hand tied in bandages and left fingers clenched in a claw position. "Now it's just my hands. After my hands are better, I'll have better balance and I'll be good. They say within two years I could be 90 percent back to normal." Comment.

During the Jan. 7 speech Pataki also pledged to develop a "new job hub" at the Jamaica station of the AirTrain rail link, which connects the commercial district and mass transportation routes at the Sutphin Boulevard and 94th Avenue terminal to Kennedy Airport. Comment.

A Queens judge ruled this week that the panel would be allowed to hear excited statements the sister made to neighbors after the 2001 attack, a spokeswoman for the district attorney said. Comment.

Watching the first half between St. John’s and Seton Hall Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the 8,059 in attendance must have been wondering if the two basketball teams held their pre-game warm-ups on 33rd Street and 8th Avenue in the blistering cold. Comment.

The influential group composed of religious leaders from around the region is planning its 20th anniversary celebration this fall as the organization reflects on its past and outlines its future. Comment.

It’s been a hectic month for Chris Wingert, from playing in the national championship game with the St. John’s men’s soccer team to training with the Under-23 national team to graduating a semester early from St. John’s. Comment.

Craig Godineaux, the accomplice and shooter convicted of killing five people in the 2000 Flushing Wendy’s massacre, lost his appeal last week and will spend the rest of his life in prison, a spokesman for the Queens County district attorney said. Comment.

When Isabel Jiminez came to Queens from Mexico 10 years ago, she was seeking the American dream. Comment.

Three Queens schools were taken off the state’s registration review list while another four remained under Albany’s supervision following a review of the sites’ standardized test scores. Comment.