Queens
Architecture

For those who think New York Architecture is limited only to Manhattan, think again. The October 2000 issue of Architectural Record features a four-page color spread on the Queens Borough Public Library in Flushing, an award- winning building designed by Polshek Partnership Architects, completed in 1998 for the NYC Dept. of Design & Construction.

The interior of the award-winning Flushing Library, from www.architecturalrecord.com

Architect James Stewart Polshek’s office also designed the colorful
New York Times Printing Plant in College Point, visible from the Van Wyck Expressway, and is now working on the Clinton Library in Little Rock with the Prez, and an addition to the Queens Museum with Beep
Claire Shulman.

But the Queens connection does not stop there. Queens architect and 2001 American Institute of Architects National Vice President Barbara A. Nadel of Forest Hills is nominating Polshek for the 2001 AIA Gold Medal, the Institute’s highest honor given to an architect.

She recently presented a slide show on
Polshek’s lifetime work to an international audience in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada, with images of both award-winning Queens projects. Polshek was then shortlisted from five to three finalists. The AIA Gold Medallist will be announced in December.

If Polshek wins the gold, he will have several folks in Queens to thank.

Boss Plays Hardball

Yankee manager Joe Torre’s delay in naming a World Series Game 4 hurler to face the Mets "was a typical page out of the George Steinbrenner era in the Bronx Zoo," according to a baseball insider.

At issue was naming the pitcher who would match up best against the Mets. At stake was millions of dollars, employment for some, induction into the Hall of Fame for some, Torre’s own legacy, and the series for all.

Southpaw Denny Neagle, who pitched twice in the American League Championship with mixed results, becomes a free agent looking for a $20-million contract after the series.

"Steinbrenner considers $20 million too high for a second-line pitcher and the next coming of Kenny Rogers." The source indicated that The Boss called a summit of his advisers and declared: "If Neagle pitched well he would have to ante up the money, and we’d rather not pay him, save the money, release David Cone and make a run at the Mets’ free agent-to-be Mike Hampton."

Steinbrenner’s plan was for Torre to name the struggling ex-Met Cone, or Doc Gooden, to start Game 4. "Steinbrenner’s rational was that both were right-handers, and Cone and Gooden were pitching to get into the Hall of Fame."

Neagle got the nod. Is there any doubt that Torre’s in charge?

Yankee Doodle Diddy

When it comes to being a Yankee or Met fan there is no gray area – no way in which these hardy fans sway from their allegiances based on a 30 second TV smear campaign. You’re either a Yankee fan or a Met fan.

The Senate race is another thing, but Rick Lazio can rest assured that he has the support of one prominent New Yorker. According to one Lazio campaign aide, Yankee boss George Steinbrenner "is already on the Lazio team. When George isn’t signing million dollar checks for Bernie Williams, he’s quietly signing over checks to the Republican Party. Giulani can thank George Steinbrenner for helping bankroll his rise.

Lazio by association is a benefactor of that relationship. If he loses to Hillary, it won’t be George Steinbrenner’s fault. Also, George can’t stand the Clintons. He has said ‘Hillary Clinton a Yankee fan, that’s laughable. She’s a Cub (Chicago) turncoat, and her wearing the Yankee cap is an insult to the Yankee Organization.’

Hillary winning the November election would be a close second in terms of humiliation for George to the Yankees getting beaten by the Mets in the World Series."

Provacative Ads On The 7-Train

October is Domestic Violence Month and to promote awareness the Commission to Combat Family Violence has posted advertisements in the City’s subways, including the 7-train to Flushing.

QConfidential first spotted the signs last week on a 6 p.m. 7-train to Manhattan (see above). Unlike previous ads — and there are a lot of bizarre ones — these were the most unusual.

Each ad pictured a different smiling girl no older than 17. The pictures looked like yearbook photos and each giant grin and carefree expression symbolized youth, happiness, and a zeal for life.

But what overshadowed their overall radiance were lines below each pretty face. Words like "Most Likely To Be Killed By Her Boyfriend" underneath the images turned perceptions of honor students, class presidents, and varsity soccer stars into victims of domestic violence.

"Most Excuses For A Black Eye, Worst Skull Fracture" were some of the strange messages on the 7-train.

The advertisements came about from an "Art Against Abuse" poster contest sponsored the Mayor. The winner, Dara Goodman, attended Townsend Harris High School in Queens. Out of 170 participants finalists from Queens were: Johanna Diaz from Forest Hills HS, Victoria Caro from LIC HS and Melissa Hom from Cardozo.

The program includes a hotline that has received a tremendous response. In 1999, over 95,000 calls were logged.

The new subway signs — a response to the 4,000 calls made by teenagers in 1999 — combine gripping imagery with the important message that domestic violence is a crime that impacts young women, regardless of marital status, and that help is available.

As a young female QConffer was looking over the ads, an unidentified man stepped onto the train. Although the ads are odd, they were certainly not as funny as the man found them.

His sad reaction to the intensity of the message was sad commentary about some men’s reaction to domestic violence. Our QConffer was relieved when he got off at 82nd Street. The rest of the trip was silent.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, please call the toll free help line 800-621-HOPE (4673). For more information on the Commission, call 212-788-3156 or go to their website www.nyc.gov

Confidentially New York . . .

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