Weekend 7 train suspensions and more in the QNYC Evening Edition for Friday December 28, 2012

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    Weekend 7 train suspensions are coming… this weekend! 13 weekends total

    Just as a reminder, the weekend 7 train suspensions are starting all over again tonight at 11:45pm. We’ll be seeing them for the next 13 weekends, though a break might occur if the Flushing leaders convince the MTA to reinstate the 7 train on the weekends of the Lunar New Year celebrations. We’ll have to see about that. If you have to travel within LIC between Queensboro Plaza and Vernon-Jackson, the free shuttle bus will be running, and it’s really ok – we’ve taken it many times and never had a problem. And of course, you can get into the city via the N/Q (the Q will run during weekend daytimes) at Queensboro Plaza, the E/R at Queens Plaza, and the F at 21st/Queensbridge.

    Update on the beached finback whale at Breezy Point

    We learned yesterday that the endangered young adult finback whale that beached itself on the shore of Breezy Point in the Rockaways had died. The question was then, what to do with it? A decision has been made – it will be buried in the sand dunes at the beach on which it washed up on Wednesday morning. A spokeswoman from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service said that this makes the most logical sense. Four groups will work with the whale – the Riverhead Foundation, National Park Service, Department of Sanitation, and the Army Corps of Engineers. They will get the appropriate equipment to help them move the whale, and then bury it today or tomorrow. A necropsy will be performed at the burial site.

    The East River Ferry is on its way to becoming a permanent fixture in the NYC transit landscape

    Good news for those fond of the East River Ferry – local politicians want to keep it going for at least another 5 years after the 3 year trial is done (June 2014). They expected 1.3 million passengers during the three years – they’ve seen 1.6 million in the past year and a half! Impressive. A request for proposals (RFP) has gone out to entice companies to bid to run the ferry system. The submission deadline for proposals is March 1, 2013 at 4pm. The RFP can be accessed here.

    Tufino Pizzeria Napoletana, we’re glad you’re here

    Last night we checked out the new Ditmars Neapolitan pizzeria, Tufino, and really enjoyed the food. We tried a few things – wonderful arancini that were crisp on the outside and creamy inside; a Nonna pizza, which was topped with meatballs from the owner’s grandmother’s recipe, ricotta, Fior di Latte (like mozzarella), organic tomato sauce, and basil; and the Tirami Choux, which was a tiramisu inspired dessert of cream puffs filled with Kahlua flavored mascarpone sitting atop thin pools of espresso syrup. Everything was really tasty. We can’t wait to return to try other pizzas and snacks! The fried mozzarella caught our eye, too. Liquor license is forthcoming.

    Where to take the kids during Christmas/winter break? 

    The folks over at Patch have put together a short list of great places in Queens to take the kids during their winter break – the Queens Zoo in Flushing Meadows Corona Park (GMAP – and you can apply to volunteer, too), MOMI in Astoria (GMAP – they are running animated features on the weekends these days), Queens County Farm Museum in Glen Oaks (GMAP), NY Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park (GMAP), and Alley Pond Environmental Center in Douglaston (GMAP).

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