I also want to urge shoppers to patronize their local merchants. Small businesses employ area residents, offer a personal touch to the shopper, and are a stabilizing force in a community.

We had a lot of seniors last year and this season, we lost eight starters to graduation. I think that this team is very young, and we as a team and as individuals have a lot of room for improvement. They know that, and are looking forward to getting better each day.

We earn a good income and we negotiate pensions and health care in virtually every public and private sector of today's city economy, ... Those are all indicative a labor movement that is alive and kicking.

I put together a meeting with all of the disaffiliated principals and we reached an agreement that they will be marching in our Labor Day Parade, ... The unity that we have gives us a better opportunity to survive this. I look at the glass half full — this disaffiliation is temporary and its also a healthy debate for us to have.

The labor movement — especially in Queens County — is strong, as evidenced in the great strides that labor has made with future union members — new Americans, ... We're doing a great job of organizing and it's reflecting in our numbers. New York's union membership is actually up, despite the national membership shrinking.

With 10,000 construction jobs created, 2,000 permanent jobs, $250 million in annual economic impact projected to the region and $1.6 billion in new tax revenue over the next 30 years, I'd say, 'Jets, welcome home!'