The unemployment rate fell substantially in Queens, along with the rest of the city, state and nation as a whole, in April, according to the state Department of Labor, marking a true improvement that was also reflected in the number of people actually working.

The jobless rate in Queens dropped to 6.9 percent in April from 7.8 percent in April 2012, according to figures the state released Tuesday. The new rate also showed an improvement over March’s 7.7 percent, but year-to-year comparisons are the most valid measure because of seasonal factors.

(NAPSI)--For many high school graduates, the path to a professional career will take them to technical schools and community colleges, where they can be trained for good-paying jobs in as little as two years.

Our lawns and gardens seem to be all about the “green.” We spend a lot of green on our lawns and gardens – nearly $30 billion a year. We grow a lot of greens – nearly a third of us grow food in our gardens. And many companies now make outdoor gardening products with recycled materials, such as plastics – which contribute to sustainability and make our lawns and gardens a bit greener.

It’s been 30 years since the New York Islanders won their last Stanley Cup, and frankly, they have been abysmal for most of the years between 1983 and now. During this labor-dispute-shortened National Hockey League season, the Islanders played respectably enough to earn their first playoff berth in seven years as they clinched the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Islanders drew the unenviable assignment of playing Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins, long an NHL powerhouse, in the first round. To their credit, the Isles showed that they weren’t merely happy to be there, as they battled hard to force the series to six games. Unfortunately for the Isles, they lost two overtime games at the Nassau Coliseum, including Saturday night’s finale.

From his office on Bell Boulevard and 73rd Avenue, City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) says he can hear his frustrated constituents at the former Q75 bus stop swearing, yelling, and literally crying out for someone to restore the cancelled bus route.

The Q75, which ran from Oakland Gardens to the F train stations in Jamaica, was eliminated along with 32 other bus routes, 570 bus stops and two subway lines on June 27, 2010, a $93 million service reduction.

The historic Forest Park Carousel, which has survived fire, closure and bad management in the past, may finally be heading into a safer position than the tenuous one it lived under for decades.

The carousel, built in 1903, will be considered for landmark status after the city Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to schedule a public hearing on the proposal.

The New York City Water Board voted on Friday, as expected, to increase water rates by 5.6 percent for the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

The average annual water bill for a single-family home will increase from $939 per year to $991. The average increase for a unit in a multifamily dwelling will go up from $610 to $644.

(BPT) - On average, working adults spend less than an hour per day socializing and relaxing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s American Time Use Survey. Yet a host of research – and common sense – tells us that spending time together in a social, relaxing way is essential to building and maintaining healthy relationships.

(BPT) - American women spend more time taking care of their families, homes and jobs than themselves. With so much time invested in caring for others, women can overlook the importance of their own health. Yet, neglecting their own health needs can make it much harder for women to also take care of those they love.

The New York City Water Board voted on Friday, as expected, to increase water rates by 5.6 percent for the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

The average annual water bill for a single-family home will increase from $939 per year to $991. The average increase for a unit in a multifamily dwelling will go up from $610 to $644.

The United States Tennis Association, three Queens elected officials and some parks advocates this week lauded a deal with the city that would have the nonprofit “replace” land it wants so it can expand its National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

The accord reached between the nonprofit and city represents a unique bargain: according to a press release sent by the USTA, it replaces the 0.68 acre of parkland needed for its expansion with 1.56 acres of what looks like, is used as and mapped as existing parkland already within Flushing Meadows.

Last year, approximately 21 million people were trafficked worldwide.

While the number is staggering, the process of human trafficking is full of misconceptions.

The reviews are in, and critics of Mayor Bloomberg’s final executive budget are saying they have seen this show before.

And, as per usual, there is likely to be a rousing closing dance number when City Council members restore funding for the same fire companies, after-school programs, senior centers and libraries that have been proposed for cuts by the mayor for years.

The jobless rate in Queens fell again in March as more people came off the unemployment rolls, but the number who are actually working barely changed from the year before, according to the latest report from the state Labor Department.

A similar trend was seen citywide and statewide, according to the figures, released in late April. Only nationally did the number of employed people rise at a rate nearly commensurate with the drop in joblessness.

(BPT) - Winter lingered far too long this year. It was cold, it was blustery, and many of us were left wondering if it would ever end. Now summer is here - and it’s time to get outdoors.

(NewsUSA) - The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported the addition of 165,000 jobs in April and a national unemployment average of 7.5 percent. Compared to the nine and 10 percent unemployment rates of 2010, the figure is promising. This May, however, could be a different story as employers typically increase hiring efforts in advance of the summer and holiday seasons.

Unionized meat department workers from the chain of Queens’ Trade Fair grocery stores, who have rallied against unfair labor practices for the last six weeks, were paid a visit by an important City Council politico last Friday.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) told ralliers outside the 37th Street store in Jackson Heights that she is on their side.

From 1975 to 1979 the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia.

Its leader, Pol Pot, envisioned a preindustrial society centered around small rural villages. He vacated the cities and forced everyone to move to the countryside where they were born. Artists, intellectuals, urbanites and anyone with even a hint of opposition were the first of the two million people out of a country with a population of eight million executed.

Residential windows are not complicated when you get down to it. In fact, they only fall into two categories:

1. New construction windows

(BPT) - The economy is starting to turn around, but competition for open jobs remains fierce. For job hunters, the mental and financial stresses mount every day they remain unemployed. To keep job-search momentum high and attitudes positive, it’s important to follow a few simple steps from the experts.

(BPT) - Fresh packets of seeds, the dirt between your fingers, and the smell of freshly churned earth – gardening season has officially begun. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or a newbie to home planting, gardening is a great activity that provides both physical and mental health benefits.

(BPT) - Most new parents are anxious when their infant has a fever, or is fussy, stuffy and simply not acting right. But how do you decide to call the pediatrician or to wait – especially in the middle of the night?

In the sleepy, almost suburban parts of Western Flushing, veteran painter Paul Franzetti, lives as an excellent example of the many selfless, altruistic-minded Queens artists making the most of their talents for others.

Franzetti, in addition to serving as a longtime English professor at Saint John’s University and as an AP literature teacher at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, is a man possessed with an artistic muse to help the less fortunate.

One group is looking to make the city “greener” with buckets of white paint.

The White Roof Project, a group that aims to cool Earth one tar covered roof at time, is looking for a nonprofit or housing development in Astoria to paint, according to Board Treasurer and Secretary Paul Davis.