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A Midwestern Girl At Home In Queens
Crystal
Johnson After
twenty-something years in a small town in Minnesota, Crystal Johnson has
found a new address in Kew Gardens.
“New
York is so exciting,” said the 26-year-old, who added that she prefers
Queens to Manhattan because, “there are trees and grass and birds here.”
Johnson,
a modeling and acting teacher at a John Casablanca's Forest Hills model
training studio, said that modeling agencies are looking for print ad work
for her, but her ultimate career goal is to act in feature films.
In her spare time, Johnson said she frequents Danny’s Pizza in Kew
Gardens for dollar pizza days.
When asked, however, of anyone in the world whom she would take to dinner and where, Johnson responded, “There’s a great rib joint at the Mall of America. I’d have dinner with my fiancee or Jimi Hendrix because his music makes me feel really good.”
The camera may love City Councilman David Weprin’s new image, but
its affection doesn’t even come close to matching the love that David
Weprin has for the camera.
The
joke amongst council-members across the City is that Weprin is a
photographaholic who makes sure to get into every picture humanly possible
and always makes sure his staff members have cameras . . . just in case.
Because
of his love affair with camera lenses, Weprin’s mug is featured in a
phenomenal number of photos and, as a result, occasionally finds his face in
odd publications or strange places. It’s sort of like a game – you’ve
heard of “Where’s Waldo?” Let’s play “Where’s Weprin?” Let’s
find the esteemed Finance Committee chair in strange photos that you would
never imagine him being in.
And
let’s start on the back cover of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s
“Annual Report 2002.” The back of the non-profit’s magazine-like
report featured a color photo of Bronx Zoo employees, New York City
Firefighters, and Society members standing around a hand-carved totem pole
that was donated to the Zoo in the months after Sept. 11 as a show of
solidarity.
The
event took place in the Bronx, it had nothing to do with politics or Queens,
and was just one Sept. 11 donation in a sea of hundreds across the City.
Would you expect Weprin to be there?
Well,
guess who ended up in the photo? That’s right, Weprin himself.
Weprin
explained to QConf that he had been invited to the event as
City Council Finance Chair so he decided to attend.
C’mon,
he heard there would be cameras.
Where
will he show up next?
Stay
tuned.
St.
John’s Hoopla
The St. John’s University men’s basketball team put Jamaica, Queens on the national map this week with the announcement of finalists for the country’s best college basketball player.
Marcus
Hatten,
a senior guard with the Red Storm, was one of 30 player-athletes selected
for the finalists.
The
announcement came from the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Feb. 4 and the
Wooden award for the nation’s top player will be presented on April 12.
If Hatten is selected as one of the five finalists invited to Los
Angeles, a $15,000 donation will be made to the St. John’s general
scholarship fund.
While
Hatten was a first team, all-Big East Conference player last season, he is
now second in the conference in scoring.
If Hatten keeps burying shots at Alumni Hall and Madison Square
Garden, students eligible for scholarships in Queens could have reason to
smile.
Jennings
As Jesus?
Pray
for Jamaica-based City Council member Allan Jennings. He
never fails to entertain.
Sometimes there are outspoken salvos against the political
establishment, like his open letter to the mayor that asks, “Are we now
living in an era where New York City will be run by a dictatorship and where
council members will fear voting for what is right?” Then
there are his maverick actions against the establishment, like his voting
against the property tax hike.
But
when Jennings got a chance to address the entire City Council about being
stripped from his financial committee post on Feb. 12 – a move made by
Speaker Giff Miller in retaliation for his anti-group voting – Jennings
really stole the show. The
nearly seven-foot-tall Jennings raised his arms in a crucifix position,
according to published reports, and likened himself to Jesus. “Two
thousand years ago,” Jennings said, “there was a man from Galilee who
did not agree with Caesar and he too was sacrificed and punished.” Later,
Jennings reportedly turned to Miller and said, “I love you my brother, and
I forgive you.” God
bless Allan Jennings. Another
On Queens Acting Roster
QConf has learned that up and coming actor Jason Patric adds one more to the roster of Queensites in Hollywood.
In
theatres, Patric stars opposite Ray Liotta in “Narc,” a film
about a gritty look at undercover cops.
Patric plays a recovering drug addict who is teamed up with a
hard-edged partner, played by Liotta, to hit the streets of Detroit on drug
busts.
Patric,
36, was born in Queens and is the son of actor-playwright Jason Miller and
actress Linda Miller (daughter of the comic legend Jackie Gleason).
But unlike his roots, he is a tad bit on the serious side, and has
been “smug” at times, according to reports.
But the same reports praise him for intelligence and
straight-forwardness. The
Queens actor is said to choose his roles carefully and has a compelling
sense of his own motivation to act.
Patric
said in an interview, “I think you’re not only bringing out the best
parts of yourself but you’re investigating parts that would make that guy
real — fear, self-loathing, confusion, moral ambiguity — and to make
that real, you have to find those places in your life where you felt
that.” Typical
Queens!
E-MAIL your items to: conf@queenstribune.com
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