JAMAICA — A Jamaica man was charged with pulling out a gun and threatening to shoot up a neighborhood woman’s home, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

Doctors and elected officials cut the ribbon last Thursday on a state-of-the-art medical center in Cambria Heights they said would help fill the health care void in Queens after the closings of Mary Immaculate, St. John’s and Parkway hospitals. Comment.

A St. Albans senior citizen was allegedly victimized by a greedy contractor who took $140,000 for home repairs that were never made, the Queens district attorney said last week. Comment.

Marcia Smith said she has trouble determining if the commuter vans she takes each day to work as a patient care associate and to graduate courses at Long Island University are licensed or not. Comment.

There has been another security breach at John F. Kennedy International Airport. A man had been fortunate enough to escape the devastation in Haiti caused by a powerful earthquake but ignored a plainly marked warning sign on a door to stay out and walked right through. Comment.

A Long Island man was charged with insurance fraud, among other crimes, last week for allegedly bilking several insurance companies out of more than $150,000 in premiums by underinsuring nearly two dozen dollar vans operating in Far Rockaway as if they were vanpools, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

On Jan. 7, a public hearing was held with city Department of Education representatives, the city School Leadership Team and the community to discuss the DOE’s proposal to close Jamaica High School. A capacity crowd of parents, students, alumni, civic association members and representatives from other schools slated for closing filled the school’s auditorium. Comment.

BAYSIDE — A Long Island man was charged last week with assaulting a man inside a Bayside home, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

FLUSHING — A Flushing man allegedly broke a large, flat screen television at a neighborhood karaoke bar after chucking a remote control at the TV, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office said. Comment.

In the same week Gov. David Paterson proposed cutting aid to public schools by 5 percent, the state Legislature failed to take action that would have made it possible for the state to receive $700 million in federal “Race to the Top” education grants. Comment.

A Bayside furniture store has expanded its showroom along Bell Boulevard amid the closing of other stores along the strip more than three years after the business was heavily damaged by a suspicious three-alarm fire. Comment.

Burton Grebin, the longtime president and chief executive officer of Bayside’s St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children, died last weekend, a spokeswoman for the hospital said. He was 68. Comment.

Glen Oaks Village President Bob Friedrich, running in the special election for state Assembly against former City Councilman David Weprin, painted himself as an out-of-the-box thinking civic leader and a better alternative to Weprin, whom he characterized as “more of the same.” Comment.

A College Point man was found dead Monday morning in an Atlantic City motel room, according to the Atlantic City prosecutor’s office. Comment.

Bayside Republican Vince Tabone said he will draw from his long history of community service to seek improvements for district schools and fight overdevelopment in his bid to challenge state Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) this fall for her seat. Comment.

Queensborough Community College has been awarded $132,000 in grants from a national government agency to provide scholarships for 22 graduating high school seniors who are interested in scientific fields. Comment.

The state Department of Education announced last Thursday that Flushing High School is one of the state’s 57 persistently lowest achieving schools, a designation that means an uncertain future for the self-described oldest public school in the city. Comment.

The Department of City Planning has begun a public review for the Flushing Commons project, which will allow for input on the development effort from community leaders, area residents and elected officials, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday. Comment.

A Flushing gang member who murdered a 15-year-old boy because of a mistaken identity on Christmas Eve in 2006 was sentenced to 38 years in prison for the crime in Brooklyn federal court Friday. Comment.

When St. Francis Preparatory School senior Solange Beckles, of Jamaica, walks down her school’s hallways these days, she is bombarded with students’ offers to donate to relief efforts in Haiti. Comment.

State Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said that in her second year in Albany she hopes to shift the focus of her legislative efforts from statewide concerns to ones rooted in the community she serves. Comment.

Flushing has been graced by a little touch of class with the arrival of Area, a new lounge and pool hall that provides a respite from the industrial scene that surrounds it at 32-03 Farrington St. Comment.

Community Board 13 adopted two resolutions Monday night in opposition to the planned eliminations of the Q79 and Q84 buses. Comment.

Former City Councilman David Weprin, who is running against Glen Oaks Village President Bob Friedrich in the special election for the state Assembly, said he would be able to hit the ground running in Albany since his years in city politics allowed him to form longstanding relationships with state leaders and prepared him to tackle New York’s significant financial woes. Comment.

The national census is around the corner and the state Senate wants to make sure everyone in southeast Queens is counted. Comment.

St. John’s University is celebrating its 16th annual Founder’s Week with a packed calendar of events at the Fresh Meadows campus that includes a speech by Archbishop of New York the Rev. Timothy M. Dolan, a ceremony honoring a Long Island City nonprofit and a talk by “Three Cups of Tea” author Greg Mortenson. Comment.

WOODHAVEN — The owner of a Woodhaven pet store was charged last week with failing to feed a parakeet and a canary in the shop, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

BROAD CHANNEL — A Broad Chanel woman was charged with ruining 25 of her boyfriend’s shirts by staining them with bleach after an argument over the telephone, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

ARVERNE — An Arverne woman was charged with stabbing her boyfriend in the thigh after they had an argument over the TV remote, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

CORONA — A Far Rockaway man was charged with stealing more than $1,000 worth of allergy medication from a Corona Rite Aid, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

SOUTH RICHMOND HILL — A man from Elmhurst and another from Corona were charged last week with stripping the passenger side mirror off a BMW in South Richmond Hill, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

With the recent near-tragedy on Christmas Day involving that young man who came close to blowing up an airliner, I wonder if we as Americans are really safe anywhere anymore. Comment.

Thanks to everyone who joined our petition to Gov. David Paterson to restore the education funding to our schools. Our collective actions have forced the governor to repay school districts and local governments the money he withheld last month. We objected to this plan because it meant balancing the budget on the backs of our children. Comment.

The health care reform bill is truly historic. But if it is so necessary and crucial to our survival, why do the provisions take effect in 2014? Why have selected groups been exempted, some until 2018, in order to get them to support and vote for it? Comment.

With the North Flushing rezoning recently completed and the Auburndale rezoning underway, one big problem continues to plague our area. It seems now more than ever community facilities continue to proliferate at an alarming rate. Comment.

Jamaica High School is a magnificent building — a beacon on a hill that stands out in a distinctly middle-class neighborhood in Queens. It is majestic and elegant — a landmark that exudes history. Comment.

Hardly a day goes by where there is not news of someone in the state Senate calling for the expulsion or censorship of Sen. Hiram Monserrate. The senator who was convicted of misdemeanor assault last October has become an embarrassment and a distraction. The Senate has more important business to worry about. Comment.

On Dec. 15, 2009, U.S. Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) introduced a bill into Congress that could open the door for millions of immigrants currently living in this country to become lawful, permanent residents. Comment.

The Queens Republican Party Executive Committee has begun 2010 with three important candidate endorsements. Comment.

The Queens Three, the state senators who helped make the legislative scene in Albany one of total chaos and irresponsibility and gave rise to former Mayor Ed Koch’s comment that Albany had become a “banana republic,” are two Democrats and one Republican. Comment.

This week, for the first time in a long time, seemed to be rather slow at least as far my sphere is concerned. Comment.

A people without knowledge of its history is like a tree without roots. — Marcus Garvey Comment.

On Jan. 31, 1904, the Long Island Rail Road made public the largest expansion program in its history. In an era of ambitious programs that revolutionized travel in and about the city — the subway was about to open and three bridges were planned for the East River — the railroad was determined to position itself to handle traffic for the newly expanded city of New York, which sprawled over five counties. Comment.

Packs of city residents combed sections of Queens early Tuesday morning, pens and clipboards in hand, in search of the borough’s homeless population. Comment.

Borough President Helen Marshall struck an optimistic tone despite the harsh economy and the loss of two borough hospitals last year as she addressed the crowd assembled for her ceremonial swearing-in ceremony Tuesday at York College. Comment.

Queens has more adults working at low-wage jobs than any other borough in what an urban research agency called an illustration that “an alarming number” of city residents lack the education and skills to get better-paying jobs. Comment.

Although crime dropped significantly last year in Queens, District Attorney Richard Brown said his office would work harder to keep borough streets safe. Comment.

The declining price of homes in Queens helped to spur property sales at the end of 2009, a report released last week showed. Comment.

The federal government is lending a hand to Haitian immigrants who need help to remain legally in the United States and U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) wants to make sure interested people receive assistance with as little hassle as possible. Comment.

Amtrak began taking down scaffolding from its train overpass on 31st Street in Astoria following a two-year maintenance and repair project that drew numerous complaints from community residents, City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) said. Comment.

Dr. Jamie Ullman was addressing surgeons, police, emergency rescue crews, traffic experts and educators who had spent the day talking about how dangerous it is to be a pedestrian in Queens and what can be done about it. Comment.

JetBlue representatives said they will announce in March whether they will remain in Queens or move the company’s headquarters from Forest Hills to Floridaand elected officials are crossing their fingers the airline will stay put in order to retain 800 jobs in the borough. Comment.

The drunk driver who mowed down two people in a stolen car in Middle Village last year has pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Comment.

A 41-year-old sanitation worker from Astoria was killed Tuesday morning after he was struck by a tractor-trailer truck and pinned under the vehicle at the corner of 35th Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard, the city’s sanitation commissioner said. Comment.

Gov. David Paterson is taking aim at the state’s education, health care and even its soda sales to fix New York state’s $7.4 billion budget deficit, but the mayor and city Comptroller John Liu say he may be going too far. Comment.

Freshman City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) spent his first week in office adjusting, learning — and dusting. Comment.

The smoldering struggle between Dutch Kills residents and a hotel builder flared anew Tuesday as the factions clashed over a variance request that could set the stage for further development in the neighborhood. Comment.

Queens City Council members picked up a bevy of committee chairmanships last Thursday as the 2010 legislative year began in earnest. Comment.

Nearly 5,000 more Queens residents were out of work between November and last month, leading to a slight increase in the borough’s unemployment numbers, according to data released last week by the state Department of Labor. Comment.

The Queens Council on the Arts awarded grants last week to 43 borough arts organizations and 17 individual artists as part of its annual community awards despite a weak economy, which has prevented many city cultural institutions from obtaining funds this year. Comment.

Following on the heels of last year’s opening of a bank branch nearby, the East River Development Alliance is preparing to open a landmark credit union to serve public housing residents in Long Island City. Comment.

Jamaica resident Victoria Milord remembers everything shaking, the bricks falling and being pulled out of her house in Haiti by her grandmother. Comment.

A 28-year-old Richmond Hill man was stabbed to death last week over an argument about the volume of a television in an apartment he was visiting, the building’s superintendent and the man’s landlord said. Comment.

January is here again and for Hunters Point that means the MTA will shut down the Vernon Boulevard No. 7 train station for nearly two months as it has done for several years, causing hassles for residents and lost revenue for businesses. Comment.

The MTA, clinging to the edge of a financial abyss, has adjusted its doomsday plan of service cuts to try to ease some of its worst aspects, although two subways and many bus lines would still be gone. Comment.

A Flushing grandfather died after being hit by a car in Fresh Meadows in a tragic week during which three other pedestrians lost their lives in Queens. Comment.

Consistently low graduation rates at Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood and Long Island City High School and Newtown High School in Elmhurst have placed all three institutions on the list for state and federal funding that would either completely make over the schools or close them entirely. Comment.

The exact location of the Simpsons’ hometown has never been revealed on the long-running animated sitcom, but there is a good chance it could be located in Jeremy Wilcox’s Fresh Meadows apartment. Comment.

With about 100 supporters surrounding him, state Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D-East Elmhurst) denounced the Senate report that may lead to his expulsion from the body and introduced his new legal team Sunday at a Jackson Heights restaurant. Comment.

Forest Hills resident Edward Fitzgerald, who died in a skiing accident in Wyoming last week, always seemed to know he was going places. Comment.

When Johnny DeCarlo tried out for MTV’s reality show “Jersey Shore,” he did so because he wanted to portray Italian Americans in a positive light. Comment.

State lawmakers drew criticism last week after they failed to raise the cap on charter schools, causing them to miss the deadline to apply for $700 million in federal aid. Comment.

For more than 50 years, Doris Glier has been treating patients at Aqueduct Race Track and Belmont Park with ailments ranging from a splinter to a heart attack. And the 84-year-old Long Island resident is showing no signs of slowing down. Comment.

Job creation and thrift were the two foremost topics on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s mind as he laid out his State of the City address last week at Astoria’s Frank Sinatra High School for the Performing Arts. Comment.

The public review process began this week for a plan to rezone sections of Astoria for the first time in 49 years that includes height limits for buildings in the community as well as allowing for new commercial development. Comment.

A Corona man pleaded guilty to raping two women over three months between 2007 and 2008, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Friday. Comment.

A Jackson Heights-based nonprofit is the latest group to offer a major incentive to homebuyers through the city Housing Preservation and Development Department. Comment.