But then when I came back from my vacation, I found a thrift shop in the middle of the block. Not a sign of a thriving neighborhood.  Perhaps I’m being a snob/jerk!

She has done a lot of good in the House of Representatives and would do even better in the US Senate. She helped frame the legislation that clamped down on the credit card industry’s greedy fees and poorly disclosed interest payments. She also asked some tough (and educated) questions of some of the nation’s leading banking CEOs following the bailouts and excessive bonuses.

Gillibrand Rival Reportedly Won’t Run in Primary

The policy makes sense on one level and causes problems on another. I have visited the projects in the past and have been intimidated by large, half-starved and untrained dogs. I would hate to think what it would be like for children.

But here’s the problem. I bought a puppy and was promised it would weigh no more than 15lbs. The “male” dog just didn’t stop growing– a Kobe Byrant of dogs. Its 27lbs and lean. I guess I would have to starve it to make sure it got in below the 25lb weight limit. 

ASPCA fears NYCHA dog ban in city housing will fill animal shelters

A tougher city Housing Authority pet policy is causing confusion among dog owners and concern among rescuers who fear more homeless animals will linger in shelters.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation out there,” said Debora Bresch, a lawyer in the ASPCA’s government relations department.

As of May 1, tenants who live in New York City Housing Authority buildings are barred from owning pit bulls, Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers. In addition, the new policy bans any dog that weighs more than 25 pounds.

NYCHA residents who already have dogs can keep them – as long as they weigh under 40 pounds, which was the previous weight limit.

In addition, all current owners now have to register their dogs with NYCHA management.

Confused? So are the dozens of people who have called the ASPCA for advice in recent weeks, unsure about whether they can keep their beloved dogs.

“One woman who has a lovely pit bull that weighs under 40 pounds said she was having trouble registering her dog,” said Bresch. “We had to get involved and speak with the manager.”

NYCHA spokesman Howard Marder said the managers were well-informed about which dogs are allowed and which are not.

“All the managers are aware of the policy and the need to enforce the policy,” Marder said. “This policy change was requested by the tenants.”

But at the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City, pet owners still weren’t sure which dogs were covered by the new policy.

Ivory Simpson was surprised to hear his 2-year-old dog Nemo, a Chihuahua/poodle mix, would not be allowed if he were getting the dog today because the pooch weighs more than 25 pounds.

The longtime resident and Nemo are grandfathered in under the new policy, but Simpson still thought the agency was barking up the wrong tree.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” said Simpson, 52. “You should be able to keep your dog if it has a license and had its shots.”

But another resident, Marthy Best, said there are some dangerous dogs that do not belong in the buildings.

“They are training them to fight,” Best, 57, said of some dog owners, as she walked Chase, her 5-year-old poodle.

Bresch countered that the NYCHA ban is too sweeping. The ASPCA believes weight and breed do not reflect a dog’s temperament, she said.

Other advocates agreed.

“This is a wrongheaded policy that doesn’t get into the root problem,” said Jane Hoffman of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, which rescues animals from shelters. “You need to go after the reckless owners who don’t treat their dogs like family members.”

NYCHA controls 8% of all rental housing in the city. About 5% of the city’s population live in those properties.

In the weeks leading up to the policy change, more than 170 dogs from New York City Animal Care and Control shelters were adopted out to NYCHA tenants. According to Bresch, who obtained the statistics, more than 100 of these dogs would no longer be allowed into those homes because of the new weight and breed restrictions.

“That’s a whole population of potential owners foreclosed to us,” said Hoffman. “Hundreds of dogs will be dying in shelters because of this policy.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2009/07/05/2009-07-05_aspca_fears_nycha_dog_ban_in_city_housing_will_fill_animal_shelters.html#ixzz0KVnbaMa1&C

Parents are raising questions about the safety of portable classrooms at a school in Woodside, Queens.

Click on video.

The one in the Gardens was filled with face-painters, BBQs, and delicious baked goods. Kids were playing games and it reminded me of something out of Little House on the Praire.

But this was the day to be on the southern side of the boulevard, where some real fun was being had.  I bought a Hector Lavoe salsa CD and ate some good old fashion empanadas (not cheap). There were some real characters at that one.

Take a look at the photos. 

Sunnyside Gardens

Greenpoint Ave.

http://wcbstv.com/local/school.closings.h1n1.2.1013484.html