Pat Connolly, one of the main organizers behind Howard Beach’s annual Memorial Day parade, said it is more difficult this year for him to reach out to prospective marchers.

“The last few years, its been growing and growing, but we lost all our contacts during Hurricane Sandy,” Connolly said. “I’m just so worried about this year.”

(BPT) - Parents have never been more crunched for time. Balancing work demands with parental duties is complex – 56 percent of working moms and 50 percent of working dads say they find it very or somewhat difficult to balance these responsibilities, according to a 2013 report about modern parenthood from the Pew Research Center. But just because you’re time strapped doesn’t mean you need to stress when it comes time to host after-school activities or weekend gatherings with friends and family. With a few key strategies, even impromptu parties are a snap to pull together.

There’s a nostalgic breed roaming the streets of Queens.

After a long winter indoors, it’s fairly common that a bad case of cabin fever will set in.

But never fear, no matter where you are in Queens, you’re not too far from the shore. And the communities on the oceanfront want everyone to know that they are back in business — or at least close to it — after the devastating blow they took from Hurricane Sandy.

(NAPSI)—From “The Sound of Music” to the Vienna Boys Choir to a movie star turned California governor, Austria has many famed exports. Fortunately for the U.S., that now includes its premium quality wines as well.

Great Mission, Year of Faith will be held at Raymond O’Connor Park, at the corner of 210th Street and 33rd Avenue, Bayside, on Sunday, April 7 at 4:30 p.m.

The First Presbyterian Church of Newton, corner of Queens Boulevard and 54th Avenue, Elmhurst, is giving a concert of sacred choral music on Maundy Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Free.

Chabad of Rego Park brought a community seder to Far Rockaway for residents in the area, including families affected by the Superstorm Sandy.

“We want to give them something to celebrate, give them more reasons to be a part of something larger,” Rabbi Eli Blokh said before the Passover dinner. “Bringing a seder here will hopefully let people know, boy or girl, whatever their age or wherever they are ,that there are people who care for them.”

Supporters of restoring rail service to the long abandoned Rockaway LIRR line may be about to get a major break in their favor.

A source familiar with the plan to bring transit back to the line, which runs from Rego Park to the Rockaways and has been abandoned since 1962, said it will get the backing of the two Congressmen representing southern Queens.

The JCC-Chabad of LIC holds a seder on Monday, March 25 at 10-31 Jackson Ave. Also, Passover necessities will be delivered to homebound seniors and financially challenged residents in West Queens. Visit JewishLIC.com or contact (718) 609-0066.

Los Angeles has always had an appealing fantasy image. It has long been the home of the film industry, as well as a large chunk of the rest of showbiz. The carefree image of its sun, sea and surf were promulgated in pop music by the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, the Mamas & Papas and many others.

Of course no place is Nirvana and LA’s seamy underside that came along with its post-World War II growth spurt has been detailed in Raymond Chandler’s detective novels and in films such as “Chinatown,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Bugsy” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” The latest entrant in the modern-day film noir look at the City of Angels is “Gangster Squad.”

The Amish have become a part of reality television thanks to popular series such as “Breaking Amish” and “The Amish Mafia.” Before that, most Americans got their first glimpse into Amish culture by seeing the well-received 1985 Harrison Ford movie, “Witness.”

It is understandable why those of us who routinely use modern appliances and have come to rely on the latest technology for practically every aspect of our lives would be fascinated by a segment of society that has tried their best to keep their lives as unchanged as possible since the 18th century. Lancaster County, Pa., has the largest population of Amish and Mennonite families in North America.

This year in Southeast Queens, there were plenty of highs and lows, accomplishments and disappointments, most involving crime and politics.

In an effort to curb violence, two gun buybacks were held, resulting in 564 weapons being taken off the street. But there were still several shootings, including a triple homicide involving an AK-47 and another in which a Nassau County cop was killed.

Queens politics in 2012 brought new districts, a historic election in the 6th Congressional District and enough cloak-and-dagger intrigue to fill a Robert Ludlum novel.

But when Hurricane Sandy struck in October, killing 12 people in Queens and more than 40 in the city, devastating the Rockaways, Howard Beach, lower Manhattan and Staten Island, the people of central Queens, who were largely spared the storm’s wrath, rallied to the cause of those worst hit.

Politics in middle and southwestern Queens was the favorite sport outside of Citi Field in 2012, and the worst storm to hit the region in 74 years devastated some while causing others just a few flickers of their lights.

JANUARY

As the year began, the city filed an appeal of a ruling by federal Judge Nicholas Garaufus that found discrimination on the part of the FDNY against African-American firefighters in the testing and hiring process.

Vincent Sorrentino was born to be a butcher.

By the age of 12, he had a job as cleanup boy in a butcher shop where his brother worked. Before his 18th birthday, he had opened a shop of his own, N & V Meat Market, in Glendale.

If you’ve been procrastinating about what to get the special people in your life or simply want to reward yourself, here are some last-minute ideas.

Electronics have long been the consumer goods holiday marquee item. The good news is that the combination of competition and advances in technology have reduced the prices of some once very pricy gizmos.

David Wright’s productive season was a rare bright spot for Mets fans in 2012. With one year remaining in his contract, David picked a good time to finally feel at home at Citi Field, a place where he had struggled for the first three years of its existence.

Mets owner Fred Wilpon was quoted in New York magazine as saying that Wright, while a good player, was not a superstar. Wilpon may have been right, but the reality is that his woebegone organization had no choice but to re-sign Wright to the most lucrative contract in Mets history. Had the Mets traded him, Citi Field would have resembled the ghost town that Shea Stadium was in the late 1970s following Tom Seaver’s departure.

“Prince from Another Planet” (RCA/Legacy)

“The Classic Christmas Album” (RCA/Legacy)

Parents call it the “Jewel of Bayside,” or perhaps more specifically, it’s a sapphire.

The pale brick building on the east side of Springfield Boulevard, blends in with the college and high school it sits adjacent to, but inside the structure is an institution of learning that has gotten the attention of education officials right up to those in Washington, DC, who awarded it a prestigious honor this year.

Dressed in a messy pair of sweatpants, a construction shirt and a worn down Old Navy baseball cap, Deborah Camp meticulously blotted her paintbrush on the cartoon body of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer being merry with a snowman and a Santa Claus that she had just finished painting. She turned to acknowledge passers-by who recognized the work.

“Nice job,” one man said walking by with a shopping cart.

Just as the fall general manager meetings got under way in the Palm Springs area, the Mets announced that they were going to buy the remaining year on outfielder Jason Bay’s contract. It’s estimated the overall cost to the team is in the range of $21 million.

It’s debatable which expensive free agent signing was more disastrous for the Mets: the three-year, $36 million contract given to pitcher Oliver Perez or the four-year, $66 million pact with Bay. But it should be pointed out that while there was some concern over Perez’s work ethic, Bay literally, to borrow a phrase Mitt Romney used in his concession speech, left it all on the field as he suffered concussions by running into walls and fences chasing after long fly balls as well as getting nailed by a fastball into his batting helmet.

Long before Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), ran to unseat Democratic incumbent state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), received nearly $900,000 in campaign contributions, before Addabbo was endorsed by Gov. Cuomo, and before their district was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, Addabbo and Ulrich were just Eric and Joe, two parishioners at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church in Ozone Park.

Addabbo and Ulrich faced off Tuesday in what has been described as “the most closely watched and possibly most expensive state legislative race in the country,” for the 15th State Senate District which includes this neighborhood. Addabbo won by a wide margin.

Art Garfunkel “The Singer” (Columbia/Legacy)