PRAISE: Received a phone call from Marty Tolchin. Marty is editor and publisher of The Hill, our sister paper in DC that covers Congress. Marty was a star with the NY Times for 40 years. His journalistic credentials and background are as impressive as anyone I’ve ever met — except maybe Marty’s friend Bill Safire. Bill threw a party in Marty’s honor at his Washington home several years ago and I had the privilege of being a guest. I’m impressed with Safire’s wordsmithing. I’m impressed with Tolchin’s journalistic expertise especially as it is applied to politics. These are two of the masters.

So, Marty called to say he read my column and enjoyed it. He thought I wrote well — light, humorous, easy to read. Marty Tolchin enjoyed my writing. He made my day. Thanx, Marty!

Moral of the story: praise is good we thrive on it. Try it; praise a friend.

And, this writer thrives on feedback.

Feed me: MSchenkler@Queenstribune.com.

STYLE MANUAL: Consistency in writing is critical to its ease of understanding. Therefore, style manuals are maintained to guide the writers. Following the Tribune style manual will ensure clearly written presentations. Below find 25 rules compiled from various online sources on how to write well:

1. Always avoid awkward, affected alliterations.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid clichés like the plague.
4. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
8. Contractions aren’t necessary.
9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
10. One should never generalize.
11. No sentence fragments.
12. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
13. Never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
14. Profanity sucks.
15. Be more or less specific.
16. Be careful to use apostrophe’s correctly.
17. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be avoided.
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
22. Proofread carefully to see whether you any words out.
23. While a transcendent vocabulary is laudable, one must nevertheless keep incessant surveillance against such loquacious, effusive, voluble verbosity that the calculated objective of communication becomes ensconced in obscurity.
24. Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read and what you really should be doing is using commas and semicolons and even periods to break the sentence up into more digestible chunks.
25. And never start a sentence with a conjunction.

C’MON: Corey Bearak, former hoohah to City Councilman Sheldon Leffler, is now on the staff of Bronx Beep Freddy Ferrer. They seem to teach a new math in the Bronx. Bearak told this columnist that the numbers are clear; Alan [Hevesi] and Peter [Vallone] don’t have a chance. The next Mayor — with the help of Dov Hikind will be his boss Ferrer. Sure!

We’ve seen the Bronx’s math test scores, but is there also something in the air?

No, Freddy is a fine candidate, who barring a clearly unbalanced ethnic battle in 2001, will drop down and become the leading candidate for Comptroller or Public Advocate.

Bearak hasn’t changed, but his math has gotten worse.

DISSED: Talk about being dissed!

You may have noticed the recent flood of TV, radio and print media ads for Kohl’s Department Stores – a midwest chain that is opening on the east coast for the first time to fill some of the gaps left by retailers who have gone bust, or just gone – from the metro area.

When questioned about sites within New York City for the new stores, a chain spokeswoman said Kohl’s would "open in New Jersey, Westchester – and maybe Manhattan." But the chain would "never, ever" open for business in Queens.

It seems that officials at Kohl’s don’t exactly agree with "economic predictions based on countywide demographics." Translation: they don’t think the people of Queens are financially solid enough to support the store.

Officials at Kohl’s did not return our calls for comment. Perhaps they have to check with John Rocker first.

Former Trib photographer Clark Overton emails us from Plattsburgh, NY. Clark is one of many former Queensites who now reads the Tribune online (www.queenstribune.com). Clark sent us a number of his photos. This one, from the late ‘70s, is of State Senate candidate Gary Ackerman (right) and his campaign chairman Mike Schenkler.

EMAIL: Another response to our comments on the potential challenge to frosh Congressman Joe Crowley, from a NYC political consultant agreed that Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan wouldn’t make the race. His email added, "Nolan also voted to repeal the Commuter Tax (costing the City hundreds of millions a year) and then went on NY 1 to defend her vote (her performance was awful). A lot of people bought (or will buy) the tape if she runs for Congress - parts will make a wonderful cable ad and mailing against her."

Sorry, but that’s how the game is played.