St. Thomas the Apostle’s Annual Rummage Sale

Rummage Sale at Msgr. Mulz Hall (88-08 Jamaica Avenue)

Sale Dates:

Saturday August 3rd – 9am to 5pm

Sunday August 4th – 10am to 4pm

 

 

They are still accepting donations — donation can only be accepted at the gym this week, Monday through Friday – 10am to 3pm & 6pm to 8pm  – call 718-847-1353 with questions.

Please note that they will not accept Computers (cpus or monitors), Mattresses, Large pieces of furniture, Magazines, Televisions, Encyclopedias, Large exercise equipment, Medical equipment, or Readers Digests.

 

 

Credit Card Fraud

Credit Card Fraud is a serious criminal matter that impacts millions of consumers around the world. What can we do to help make sure we are not victimized.

Stores and credit card companies don’t always require a consumer to show photo identification when making purchases with credit or debit cards, criminals depend on this.

The NYPD Crime Prevention Section recommends the following tip:  Never sign the white strip on the back of the credit/debit card, instead write “Please Request Photo ID.” By doing this it allows the cashier to verify that you are the person whom the card belongs to.

Some merchants will ask you to sign the back of the card in pencil and present your ID; once your identity is verified you can erase the signature on the back of the card.

It only takes a few extra seconds to show photo ID, but it will help protect you from becoming a victim of credit card fraud.

 

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For more information on all of the programs we offer, or for crime prevention and personal safety tips visit our website: www.nypdcommunityaffairs.org  (JK:cc)(td)

Forest Park Carousel Alzheimer’s Fundraiser – Friday August 9th

New York Carousel Entertainment and the New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association are teaming up to fight Alzheimer’s disease with a special event at our Forest Park Carousel on Friday, August 9th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

During those hours, a $10 ticket purchase will buy a rider unlimited rides on the Carousel, which was recently designated as a NYC landmark.  Individual rides will cost $3.  NY Carousel will generously donate 100% of the ride ticket proceeds to the Alzheimer’s Association, New York Chapter.

There will be a Magic Show for the children, Face Painting, raffles and more — it’s a great night out at our favorite historic carousel — and it all benefits a good cause.  We hope to see you on the 9th.

 

Toy Drive for Muslim Children in Woodhaven

Assemblyman Mike Miller and the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association are sponsoring a TOY DRIVE to help children from families in need celebrate Eid al-Fitr – the Festival of Breaking the Fast, a holiday celebrated by Muslims that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Eid al-Fitr 2013 begins in the evening of Wednesday, August 7 and ends in the evening of Thursday, August 8.

Suggested toys: Trucks, Legos, Cars for boys and girls ages: 5 and up.

The deadline to donate a new toy is August 1st.

You can bring your unwrapped toy to:

The WRBA’s next Town Hall meeting – July 20th from 1 to 3 PM at St. Luke’s (87-34 85th St)

or

Assemblyman Mike Miller’s Office
83-91 Woodhaven Boulevard
Woodhaven, NY 11421
718-805-0950

Woodhaven’s Grapevine – Volume # 91

In this issue of The Grapevine:

• Our Next Town Hall: 7/20, 1 p.m., St. Luke’s (87-34 85th St)
• Our Annual Fundraiser
• Discussion on Radio Free Woodhaven About Carousel Landmarking
• Tonight’s Radio Free Woodhaven
• Queens Tabernacle Free Events
• Unpleasant Smell in the Neighborhood?
• Rock Awareness for Autism Concert
• NYPD Tip – ATM Skimming
• Collection of NYPD Tips
• Bylaws Amendment

** Our next Town Hall will be on Saturday, July 20, 1 p.m., at St. Luke’s Church (87-34 85th Street).  Please note the location.  One of the agenda items will be a discussion of a new NYPD surveillance camera system that is expected to be installed at an intersection on Jamaica Avenue, courtesy of funding from Council Member Eric Ulrich.  A representative from the manufacturer of the system will be on hand to showcase this cutting-edge technology.

** Our Annual Fundraiser will be held on the evening of Friday, September 20, at Joe Abbracciamento Restaurant.  Please save the date!

** Discussion on Radio Free Woodhaven About Carousel Landmarking:  On last Friday’s Radio Free Woodhaven program, WRBA President Ed Wendell spoke with  two guests about the landmarking of the Forest Park Carousel: Ami Abramson of NY Carousel Entertainment, which operates the carousel; and Lisa Colangelo of the New York Daily News.  Click here to listen to the conversations.

** Tonight’s Radio Free Woodhaven will feature Joe Moretti of Clean Up Jamaica, and Queens Borough President candidate Everly Brown.  Click here tonight at 10 p.m. to listen.

** Our friends at Queens Tabernacle are sponsoring two free events.  The first is a free basketball camp in Forest Park on July 22-26; click here for more information.  The second is a children’s street fair, featuring food, games, gifts, face-painting, and more.  It will be held July 27, 10 a.m to 2 p.m., on 96th Street near 86th Avenue.

** Have you noticed an unpleasant smell in the neighborhood recently?  A couple of Woodhaven residents and some folks in Glendale have.  Click here to see a likely explanation involving our sewers.  One resident logged a 311 request about the smell from a nearby sewer and received a very fast response from the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.  So if this is a problem near where you live, click the link to get informed, and then log that 311 request!

** Rock Awareness for Autism will host a concert in Forest Park on July 20 from noon to 6 p.m.  It’s a free event to raise awareness and donations for autism causes.  Click here for more information.

** NYPD Tip – ATM Skimming:  This is a way of stealing your account information when you use the ATM.  Click here to find out about it and how to avoid it.

** Collection of NYPD Tips:  Most of our recent Grapevines have featured tips from the NYPD, like the one above.  Click here to see a compilation of them, and keep that link bookmarked if you want to see more of them in the future.

** Bylaws Amendment:  The WRBA is looking to update and revise its bylaws.  To facilitate this, it is proposing a change to the amendment process.  This amendment will be voted on at the next two Town Halls.  To learn more, click here.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July!

Your friends and neighbors at the
Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association

woodhaven-nyc.org
718-296-3735

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Crime Tip: ATM “Skimming”

ATM “Skimming” Tips

 

ATM “Skimming” is an illegal activity that involves the installation of a device, usually undetectable by ATM users, that secretly records bank account data when the us er inserts an ATM card into the machine.  Criminals can then encode the stolen data onto a blank card and use it to steal money from the customer’s bank account.

 

HOW IT WORKS:

 

The criminal places the skimmer, which is usually made from plastic or plaster and looks very much like the original card reader, directly over the ATM  card reader undetectable to the customer.  As the customers insert their ATM cards into the false skimmer, their bank account information on the cards magnetic strip is “skimmed” or stolen and usually stored on some electronic device.   A hidden camera is used in conjunction with the skimming device in order to record the customer’s Personal Identification Number.  In lieu of a hidden camera,  a keypad overlay, placed directly over the installed keypad,  is sometimes used to record the user punching in their PIN. The skimmer device is placed over the ATM card reader, undetectable to the customer.

 

HOW TO AVOID BEING SKIMMED:

• Inspect the ATM, gas pump, or credit card reader before using it.  Be suspicious if you see anything loose crooked or damaged, or if you notice scratches or adhesive tape/residue.  The original card reader is usually concave in shape (curving inward), while the skimmer is more convex (curving outward).
• When entering your PIN, block the keypad with your other hand to prevent possible hidden cameras from recording your number.
• If possible, use an ATM at an inside location (less access for criminals installing skimmers)
• Be careful of ATMs in tourist areas – they are a popular target of skimmers
• If your card isn’t returned after the transaction or after hitting “cancel”, immediately contact the financial institution that issued the card.
• Be aware of “Money Trapping”, where the criminal attaches a device to the cash dispenser “trapping” the customer’s money and retrieves it after the customer leaves the ATM area.