Don't Leave The Leaves

With the first substantial rainfall of the season, it's a perfect time to get out the rakes.

Though the city suspended it's leaf composting collection, there may be other incentives to clean up after your yard.

Try a fine of up to $100.

Maybe nostalgia feels a bit forced now, but damn if Queens natives Simon and Garfunkel didn't say it best.

CitiField Revealed

The future home of the New York Mets looks to be well on its way to being ready for opening day April 13, 2009.

Historic Winners

The Queens Historical Society held its 12th annual 4th Grade Art & History Contest, where 4th graders from around the borough drew pictures of landmark structures and wrote an accompanying essay about the site. The winners on hand for the awards ceremony Saturday are pictured above. The winners are:
Honorable mention: PS 46, Yeon Jun Kim, Kelin Qu; PS 58, Angela Mae Rufo-Bueno; PS 108, Diljit Singh; PS 175, Lily Brickman, Henry Cheng, Maria Marginean; PS 188, Luis Ho Londono; PS 232, Tiffany Chi, Xavier Guadalupe, Jan Nowaczewski; Immaculate Conception, Alice Gomes; and St. Benedict Joseph Labre, Jaycee Chand, Navdeep Singh.

The first place winner, with her representation of the Reformed Church of Newtown, was Angela Mae Rufo-Bueno of PS 58 in Maspeth.

FHYAA Bantam Champions

Congratulations to the Bantam Girls Shalimar Diner team for winning their division's championship in the Forest Hills Youth Activities Association soccer league.

On The Set

Friday night, with holiday decorations tucked aside in anticipation of tomorrow's holiday kick-off, the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale was turned into a film set as a crew took over the entire ellipse portion of the shopping mall for a new film starring Natalie Portman, currently titled "Love and Other Impossible Pursuits." The film is directed by Don Roos, who directed 2000's "Bounce" and has a long career as a writer, director and producer. The film is due out in June 2009.