Before making a decision, the City Council referred the application to Community Board 1, whose jurisdiction includes Astoria, for a recommendation.

George Delis, district manager of the community board that includes Astoria, said that as many as 70 percent of the two-family houses in the area had illegally finished basements.

To avoid Mexican ports of call during the Swine Flu outbreak of 2009, many cruises were re-routed to include Astoria.

A STREET pitchman for one of those double-decker tourist buses that clog Manhattan traffic far more than Giulianiville's whipping boy, the jaywalker, was asked if the itinerary included Astoria.

He is a Democrat who ran unopposed for reelection last week in the 36th District in Queens, which includes Astoria and Long Island City.

Peter F. Vallone, the City Council Speaker, whose district includes Astoria and who attended the planting of some of the cut trees 20 years ago, railed at "the arrogance of this guy."

According to Census figures, in 1980, more than 12 percent of the population of 185,000 in Community Board 1, which includes Astoria, claimed Greek ancestry.

Appearances included Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Astoria, Washington DC, Vancouver, Boston, and Tampa.

Settlements on the estuary include Astoria and Warrenton in Oregon, and Ilwaco in Washington.

"It's a hot sheets hotel," said Fran McDonald, a spokeswoman for the City Council Speaker, Peter F. Vallone, whose district includes Astoria.