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....August 8, 11:42 AM |
| In Love With Astoria
A lot of people want to break out of their cubicles. Mona Shay did it.
After years of a grinding 9-to-5 job, Mona said enough is enough and decided to pursue her dream of acting and modeling. The 28 year old emigrated from Pakistan when she was 15 to move in with her big brothers in Manhattan who already made the trip. After finishing school, Mona took jobs in the financial field to pay the bills, but it never felt right to her. “I had to get out,” she said. “I just got sick of it.” So, about three months ago, Mona packed up her desk, moved to Astoria and started pursuing acting and modeling with surprising success. Mona has already landed modeling gigs with Vista and Getty Images, as well as commercials for Cablevision, Deutsche Bank and interestingly, Taj Tunes, a singing telegram business in India. “I had to sing in the commercial with an Indian accent,” Mona said. “It was a lot of fun.” Still settling into Astoria, Mona said she’s already in love with the neighborhood. “I live just off 30th Avenue, in one block – I’m in the heart of it,” she said. Wanting to get away from the busy Manhattan scene, Mona said she’s found Queens to be quite interesting. “I love how there are so many cultures living together in Astoria.” Mona Shay Home: Astoria Age: 28 Height: 5’8" Weight: 134 Stats: 36-29-37 |
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| Trump And The Scots
Mega-developer Donald Trump is pushing another billion dollar project – only this time it’s not in New York – he’s got designs on building a mega golf course across the Atlantic in Scotland, in the birthplace of the game.
The property mogul and Jamaica Estates native is urging Scottish officials to let him build a $2 billion golf resort in Aberdeen, insisting failing to do so would be a “terrible blow” to the country. The American tycoon is currently in the Scottish city to argue his case after coming up against opposition from environmental protesters. The campaigners claim Trump’s luxury 18-hole golf course, which will include a 450-room five star hotel, 900 vacation homes and 500 luxury homes costing up to $2 million each on the north-east coast of Scotland will cause significant damage to the environment. But Trump denies this is the case: “People won’t play a course if it is environmentally harmful,” he said. “They don’t like it, they don’t feel good about it, and they won’t play it.” |
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| Bad Recipe
Queens residents have been inundated with metal objects baked into their food. Well, maybe that’s a bit strong, but for the second time this month a borough resident found an unpleasant surprise in some fast food.
First Astorian Joseph Agnesini found a knife allegedly baked into his Subway sandwich. Then, just last week, 25-year-old Queens mom bit into her McDonald’s apple pie and got a mouth full of metal instead of caramelized fruit. “I was like, ‘What the heck is this?’” Julisa Caba told the Daily News. “I started freaking out.” Coincidentally, the McDonalds she visited was also located in Astoria. Hey, if you eat fast food in Queens, you may want to inspect that double cheese burger, chicken sandwich or burrito a bit closer. unless you are excited by the chance of a shiny surprise. |
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| Paying More For Less
Is anyone afraid of flying? From escalating ticket prices, checked baggage fees and paying for airplane food, the airline industry is in shambles. Add its growing safety issues: a plane bound for Australia had to land prematurely because of a gaping hole in its side; another plane leaving JFK International had to return because it had blown a tire.
If that isn’t enough to get you a wee bit scared, how about the prospect of lost luggage? A glitch in the American Airlines automated baggage system at JFK brought things to a screeching halt as employees tried to sort luggage by hand. If we are paying more, shouldn’t we get more? |
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| DNA Search For Vallone Roots
As first reported in these very same Tribune pages, National Geographic came to Astoria to gather DNA samples for its Genographic Project during the recent 30th Avenue Street Fair. Astoria City Councilman and man-about-town Peter Vallone Jr. participated in the project by donating a sample.
Now he awaits the results. Who are Vallone’s ancient ancestors? They could be nearly anyone, according to the man himself. “My family comes from Sicily, which means I could have decedents from nearly anywhere,” Vallone said. “I am very excited to see the origins of my family. It may be as diverse as the community I live in.” |
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| Tough Game For Hometown Kid
Maybe it was the glare of Yankee Stadium with flashbulbs exploding every nanosecond, but Queens native Dennis Sarfate just couldn’t quiet Yankee bats. Faced with the prospect of helping the Baltimore Orioles sweep the Bronx Bombers, Sarfate lasted four innings, giving up five runs in a 13-3 loss. To his credit, he only gave up three earned runs. Welcome home!
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