Crystal Johnson
Home: Kew Gardens
Height: 5’8”
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Green
Stats: 33-28-36

After twenty-something years in a small town in Minnesota, Crystal Johnson has found a new address in Kew Gardens. 

“New York is so exciting,” said the 26-year-old, who added that she prefers Queens to Manhattan because, “there are trees and grass and birds here.” 

Johnson, a modeling and acting teacher at a John Casablanca's Forest Hills model training studio, said that modeling agencies are looking for print ad work for her, but her ultimate career goal is to act in feature films.

  In her spare time, Johnson said she frequents Danny’s Pizza in Kew Gardens for dollar pizza days. 

When asked, however, of anyone in the world whom she would take to dinner and where, Johnson responded, “There’s a great rib joint at the Mall of America.  I’d have dinner with my fiancee or Jimi Hendrix because his music makes me feel really good.”

    The camera may love City Councilman David Weprin’s new image, but its affection doesn’t even come close to matching the love that David Weprin has for the camera.

    The joke amongst council-members across the City is that Weprin is a photographaholic who makes sure to get into every picture humanly possible and always makes sure his staff members have cameras . . . just in case.

    Because of his love affair with camera lenses, Weprin’s mug is featured in a phenomenal number of photos and, as a result, occasionally finds his face in odd publications or strange places. It’s sort of like a game – you’ve heard of “Where’s Waldo?” Let’s play “Where’s Weprin?” Let’s find the esteemed Finance Committee chair in strange photos that you would never imagine him being in.

    And let’s start on the back cover of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s “Annual Report 2002.” The back of the non-profit’s magazine-like report featured a color photo of Bronx Zoo employees, New York City Firefighters, and Society members standing around a hand-carved totem pole that was donated to the Zoo in the months after Sept. 11 as a show of solidarity.

    The event took place in the Bronx, it had nothing to do with politics or Queens, and was just one Sept. 11 donation in a sea of hundreds across the City. Would you expect Weprin to be there?

Well, guess who ended up in the photo? That’s right, Weprin himself.

    Weprin explained to QConf that he had been invited to the event as City Council Finance Chair so he decided to attend.

    C’mon, he heard there would be cameras.

    Where will he show up next?

    Stay tuned.

St. John’s Hoopla

    The St. John’s University men’s basketball team put Jamaica, Queens on the national map this week with the announcement of finalists for the country’s best college basketball player.

    Marcus Hatten, a senior guard with the Red Storm, was one of 30 player-athletes selected for the finalists.

    The announcement came from the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Feb. 4 and the Wooden award for the nation’s top player will be presented on April 12.  If Hatten is selected as one of the five finalists invited to Los Angeles, a $15,000 donation will be made to the St. John’s general scholarship fund.

    While Hatten was a first team, all-Big East Conference player last season, he is now second in the conference in scoring.  If Hatten keeps burying shots at Alumni Hall and Madison Square Garden, students eligible for scholarships in Queens could have reason to smile.

Jennings As Jesus?

Pray for Jamaica-based City Council member Allan Jennings.

He never fails to entertain.  Sometimes there are outspoken salvos against the political establishment, like his open letter to the mayor that asks, “Are we now living in an era where New York City will be run by a dictatorship and where council members will fear voting for what is right?”

Then there are his maverick actions against the establishment, like his voting against the property tax hike. 

But when Jennings got a chance to address the entire City Council about being stripped from his financial committee post on Feb. 12 – a move made by Speaker Giff Miller in retaliation for his anti-group voting – Jennings really stole the show.

The nearly seven-foot-tall Jennings raised his arms in a crucifix position, according to published reports, and likened himself to Jesus.

“Two thousand years ago,” Jennings said, “there was a man from Galilee who did not agree with Caesar and he too was sacrificed and punished.”

Later, Jennings reportedly turned to Miller and said, “I love you my brother, and I forgive you.”

God bless Allan Jennings.

Another On Queens Acting Roster

QConf has learned that up and coming actor Jason Patric adds one more to the roster of Queensites in Hollywood.

In theatres, Patric stars opposite Ray Liotta in “Narc,” a film about a gritty look at undercover cops.  Patric plays a recovering drug addict who is teamed up with a hard-edged partner, played by Liotta, to hit the streets of Detroit on drug busts.   

Patric, 36, was born in Queens and is the son of actor-playwright Jason Miller and actress Linda Miller (daughter of the comic legend Jackie Gleason).  But unlike his roots, he is a tad bit on the serious side, and has been “smug” at times, according to reports.  But the same reports praise him for intelligence and straight-forwardness.

The Queens actor is said to choose his roles carefully and has a compelling sense of his own motivation to act. 

Patric said in an interview, “I think you’re not only bringing out the best parts of yourself but you’re investigating parts that would make that guy real — fear, self-loathing, confusion, moral ambiguity — and to make that real, you have to find those places in your life where you felt that.”

Typical Queens!