FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 9, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3 Weddings cost more in Queens: report If you’re a couple in Queens looking to tie the knot in the “World’s Borough,” you’d better be ready to spend some big money for that special day. Th e 2016 Real Weddings Study from Th e Knot reported that it costs an average of $59,027 to get married in the outer boroughs of New York City — placing fi ft h on the list of the most expensive places to wed in the country. Th e report found that wedding festivities in Queens cost $23,698 more than the national average, which clocks in at $35,329. Th ere is some good news for couples looking to host their big day in Queens: it is still substantially cheaper to wed in the outer boroughs than it is in Manhattan or Long Island. In 2016, the average wedding held in Long Island cost $67,831, and in Manhattan, a remarkable $78,464. Suzanne Monteverdi Nail salon scam clipped in Flushing Th e operator of a Flushing beauty school allegedly off ered prospective nail salon workers and stylists a shortcut in securing state licenses, and it cost them dearly, prosecutors announced. Yuk Fung Lam Chan, 54, of 58th Avenue in Flushing, who operates the New Century Beauty Center located at 135-27 40th Rd., is accused of duping aspiring salon workers out of thousands of dollars by selling them fake state license applications over a three-year period. Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said the charges fi led against Chan were the result of a lengthy investigation that his offi ce conducted at the request of the owners of the Grace International Beauty School (GIBS), located at 136-31 41st Ave. Th e inquiry revealed that Chan allegedly charged individuals between $1,300 and $2,000 to provide them with completed training certifi cates as part of their application for state cosmetology licenses. Prosecutors said she used the ID code for GIBS on the applications and signed each of them with the name of the GIBS director. Chan was charged with multiple counts including grand larceny, off ering a false instrument for fi ling, scheme to defraud, identity theft and criminal impersonation. She faces up to four years behind bars if convicted; her next court date is Tuesday, Feb. 14. Robert Pozarycki Wing Fest comes to LIC A food festival will give residents the opportunity to try one meal from Queens eateries in a variety of ways: wings. Time Out New York’s Wing Fest will take place on Feb. 25 at Studio Square NYC, located at 35-33 36th St. Several local restaurants will be serving their take on wings including Austin’s Ale House, Munch, Mokja Korean Eatery, Th e Brewery Bar and Kitchen and more. In addition to a tasting from each restaurant, Bronx Brewery and Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey will be on site to serve “D.E.W. & a Brew” boilermakers to wash down the wings. Th ere are two sessions to choose from: the fi rst will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the second will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $35 and you can purchase them at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wingfest queens-tickets-31415492584#tickets. Angela Matua Coff ee chain coming to former diner site in Little Neck BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 A coff eehouse is preparing to move into the former site of a popular diner in Little Neck. Bean & Bean Coff ee has posted signage Whitestone works to help young girl battling brain tumor BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 Whitestone is “United for Sofi a.” Sofi a Rabello, a sixth-grade student at Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. “Sofi a loves arts & craft s,” wrote her mother, Dione Rabello. “She can’t wait to be back home playing with her friends. She was admitted into the hospital with a brain tumor and is going through many tests to determine treatment.” While insurance is covering most of the treatment, Rabello also wrote, the family is caring for Sofi a fulltime and has had to stop working. In an eff ort to reach out for fi nancial assistance for Sofi a’s treatment, Rabello launched a crowdfunding campaign. To help spread the word, family friend Lina Lodico took to the We Love Whitestone civic association Facebook group to inform the community about the family’s situation. Th e response was immediate. In mere days, the online campaign has collected an astounding $28,980 out of its $50,000 goal and has been shared 2,100 times on social media platforms. “Th e Whitestone community has been amazing, as usual,” said Alfredo Centola, president of the civic association. “Checks and donations have been pouring in, and within a 24-hour period, the donations have doubled.” On Lodico’s Facebook post, members began to off er both fi nancial and emotional support to the family. In order to make donating possible for those who did not wish to go through the website, Centola off ered the civic association’s post offi ce box as a place for interested parties to send their donations to the family. Th e checks will be personally delivered to the family by Lodico. Th ose interested in donating can do so through the online crowdfunding campaign AT www.youcaring.com or by sending a check made out to Dione Rabello to We Love Whitestone, P.O. Box 29, Whitestone, NY 11357. “We Love Whitestone is very proud of our members and our community at large,” Centola said. “We always step up and help our neighbors, and this is one more shining example.” at 252-29 Northern Blvd., which is the previous home of the Scobee Diner. Th e new Little Neck location is listed on the Bean & Bean company website as “coming soon.” Bean & Bean has currently has two locations in the Chelsea and Financial District neighborhoods of Manhattan. Th e organic coff eehouse off ers a variety of hot, iced and specialty coff ee and tea-based beverages, as well as small bites to eat. Th e Scobee Diner offi cially closed in 2010 aft er the restaurant owners failed to reach an agreement to purchase the property from the landowners. Shortly aft er, the lot, located at the corner of Northern Boulevard and Little Neck Parkway, was redeveloped into a two-story commercial building by its new owner, Lion Bee Equities. In 2014, the new owners also received permission from Community Board 11 and the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) to move the site’s parking lot from the front of the space to the back, which they argued would improve safety and decrease traffi c around the location. Signage posted at the location also indicated that space on the second fl oor is still available for rent. Photo via YouCaring/Dione Rabello Sofi a Rabello Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS The new Bean & Bean location on Northern Boulevard in Little Neck.
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