The Aqueduct Blog

Police are looking for a man who disappeared in Wave Crest.

Alfred Hatfield, from 431 Beach 20 Street, was last seen on Tuesday at approximately 11 p.m. He was caught on camera leaving his residence, a senior living facility, according to authorities.

Cops describe Hatfield as 5’10”, 230 pounds, light complexion, heavy build, short, gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a tan jacket, white-striped shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information about this missing person is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.

 

Three Queens libraries, including the Arverne Library and the Far Rockaway Library, are among the ten finalists for the third annual NYC Neighborhood Library Award.

The award recognizes libraries that are the “unsung heroes” of their communities. The top five winners will receive a $20,000 prize, while the remaining five will each get $10,000.

“Arverne Library goes out of their way to make us feel comfortable and the kids love going there after school,” said John, a neighborhood resident. “It means a lot to us that we can send our kids somewhere we feel they are safe and the staff knows them.”

Betty, a Far Rockaway resident, said after Hurricane Sandy, the library became a “beam of light” for the public.

“We held meetings there, we looked for jobs there, we consoled each other there, we used the internet and so many more things that others took for granted,” she said. “Since Hurricane Sandy, it has become more relevant because the employees embraced the public and a “Work Force Center” had been established at this site.”

The Glen Oaks Library rounded out the finalists from Queens.

Authorities are looking for 20-year-old Brandon Ford, who is wanted in connection to a shooting that occurred on Friday, March 11.

Police say that at approximately 9:18 a.m., in front of of 150-15 Yates Road in Jamaica, Ford approached a 19-year-old man from behind and shot him once in the back of the neck. Ford then fled Yates Road, and the victim was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he is in critical condition.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.

Resorts World Casino will install 1,000 new video lottery terminals (VLTs), according to Ozone Park Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder.

Goldfeder said the 2016 state budget, which passed last Friday in Albany, includes language authorizing the State Gaming Commission to license new VLTs at the casino. By adding 1,000 new terminals to the 5,000 already at Resorts World, the facility’s gaming capacity will increase by almost 20 percent.

“The revenues generated at Aqueduct provide hundreds of millions in funding for our local schools, and drive economic development throughout Queens,” Goldfeder said. “The addition of 1,000 new gaming slots is a major victory for our families that will ensure the casino and the racetrack’s success for years to come.”

No deadline was given for the installation of the VLTs, but the budget gives incentives to add new slots as soon as possible, Goldfeder said.

Do you love checking out the art of tattoos?

Well, from Friday, April 1 to Sunday, April 3, Resorts World Casino will be hosting the United Ink No Limits Tattoo Expo! Join tons of music, art and tattoo lovers as they check out international artists from places such as Russia, Italy, Portugal, France and the United Kingdom. Besides artists, visitors can mingle with reality TV stars. tattoo collectors, tattoo models and more. There will be 250 booths featuring 400 of the world’s best tattoo artists. You can also get tattooed and pierced on the spot — only if you’re interested, of course.

Entertainment will feature Skindicate Suspension, erotic art by Filipa Silva and performances by burlesque dancer Raquel Reed. Visitors can sign up for numerous tattoo contests as well as contests such as the “Ms. Vixen Pin-Up Contest” and the “Beard and Mustache Contest.”

Additionally, following Friday and Saturday’s activities, there will be after parties at Bar 360 at Resorts World Casino.

Friday, April 1
11pm – 2am
Tattoo Convention After Party with:
DJ GOZZI and live performance by KID AND PLAY AT 11:30PM
Bar 360- Resort World Casino

Saturday, April 2
11pm – 2am
Tattoo Convention After Party with:
DJ SKRIBBLE and live performance by DJ AREO AND TOMMY LEE
Bar 360- Resort World Casino

Proceeds from entering any artwork or buying from the United Ink Art Gallery will go towards either the Michael’s HOPE charity for heroin and opiate prevention or the Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York.

For more information and directions to the United Ink No Limits Tattoo Festival, please visit http://www.newyorktattooshow.com call 631-584-3858 or email  booking@newyorktattooshow.com. Advance Tickets may be purchased via etix.com or at the Resorts World Casino Gift Shop and above price is all inclusive!

Middle school students at the Susan B. Anthony Academy in Hollis wrote letters to prominent women of color in government, including First Lady Michelle Obama and Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The event was hosted by Congresswoman Grace Meng and Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman for Women’s History Month, which is celebrated annually in March.

The students researched the impact of these women on a multitude of issues and thanked them for their service.

They also wrote letters addressed to White House National Security Advisor Susan Rice, State Senator Andrea-Stewart Cousins, Assemblywoman Vivian Cook and New York State NAACP President Hazel Dukes.

From April 1 to 3, Resorts World is hosting the United Ink No Limits Tattoo Expo. The weekend event will bring international artists from Russia, Portugal, Italy and other parts of the world for a convening of the 400 best tattoo artists.

Open to the public ages 18 and older, the expo will allow attendees to even get a tattoo on the spot. Those who already have tattoos can enter contests to win a variety of prizes. Here is a list of artists expected to attend.

The cost is $25 for adults, and a weekend pass is $55. For more information, visit http://www.newyorktattooshow.com.

Students from High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Ozone Park attended Monday’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC)’s “Introduce a Girl to Architecture, Engineering and Construction” Day in Long Island City.

The daylong program was designed to spark interests in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, architecture, math) fields among women. According to the National Science Foundation, women make up only 34 percent of workers in those fields.

“These young women will be the inventors and entrepreneurs of the future,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Pena-Mora. “Our goal is to expose them to the world of the built environment and the tools and framework to not only understands how things work, but also how best to make them work to the benefit of our society.”

The students learned to use an architect’s scale to create blueprints, translated blueprints to models and constructed scale models of theBrooklyn Bridge and One World Trade Center. They also observed the interior designs of public buildings in the city.

The 20 participants also listened to a panel of four women who hold positions in architecture and engineering. Lee Llambelis, DDC’s deputy commissioner for community partnerships and STEAM initiatives, said educating girls in those professions will put them on a path to success.

“STEAM careers are the jobs of the future and young men need to be prepared if they are to succeed and compete in the 21st century global economy,” she said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at JFK Airport seized seven pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $126,000, on February 23.

They found the cocaine inside a package at an express cargo facility. Officers became suspicious of the package because of its weight, and after conducting a probe, they discovered a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.

“This seizure is another example of our CBP officers being ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of these illicit drugs,” said Robert E. Perez, director of CBP’s New York field operations.

There have been no arrests so far and the investigation is ongoing.

After canceling the first parade in 27 years in 2015, it seems like the Phagwah Parade is back on.

The spring parade is known for its colorful powders that are sprinkled upon people. The holiday celebrates the triumph of good over evil in the Hindu religion.

Last year, there was a feud regarding the control of an organization in the parade as well as the occurrence of two parade organizers filing for the same permit for the parade. The result was the 106th Precinct’s then Commanding Officer Jeffrey Schiff only approving one of the organizers. Still, feuds continue and the parade never happened.

Herman Singh of the Arya Spiritual Center, Inc. — whose permit for the parade had also been rejected for 2016 parade — launched a lawsuit claiming Schiff was on the side of his “rival” Romeo Hitlall of The Federation of Hindu Mandirs. Schiff, who recently moved to the 105th Precinct, claimed Hitlall’s application was approved because he applied on behalf of the “consistent” applicant of The Federation of Hindu Mandirs.

However, this year, Judge Allan Weiss told the parade organizers that they must work together.

This year’s parade will be on Sunday, March 26, and will take off from Liberty Avenue and 133rd Street. The parade is a big occasion for the borough’s West Indian population, but especially for those living in nearby Richmond Hill and Ozone Park.