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GJDC’s Justin Rodgers Reimagines Jamaica Avenue

Alicia Venter on April 13, 2023

By Alicia Venter

aventer@queensledger.com

 

Justin Rodgers has been a part of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (GJDC) for 17 years — however, Jamaica has been a part of him for much longer, having grown up in the Southeast Queens neighborhood.

Justin Rodgers. Photo: GJDC

Margherita Pizza was the place to be growing up (and today, he noted, as the pizza parlor is still open) for now-President and CEO of the GJDC.

It’s this connection, Rodgers explained, that led the Board of Directors at GJDC to unanimously elevate him to President and CEO in June 2022 after he served as Interim President from November 2021. He is the third president of GJDC since it was formed 56 years ago.

“In the eight months that I was actually interim president, I was able to do a lot in a short period of time. I expanded our business service group and I was able to raise money for the corporation. I was able to really prove that I can run the corporation,” he shared. “That being said, I think that what I had over other candidates is that I’m personally invested in Jamaica. I’m from Jamaica. That’s one hundred percent why I am still here after 17 years.”

To develop Jamaica, Rodgers began his time at GJDC developing Jamaica Avenue, the neighborhood’s bustling shopping corridor.

The street grew in the 1920’s as Jamaica became a transportation hub. LIRR lines, subway lines and buses all converge near Jamaica Avenue, and major shopping centers began to appear.

In 1930, on the corner of 171st St. and Jamaica Avenue, the first King Kullen Grocery Company, which the Smithsonian Institute has deemed ‘America’s First Supermarket,’ was born. It has been home to department stores including Macy’s and Gertz, and now welcomes national brands such as Target, Aldi, Burlington, Old Navy and Primark.

Bringing national brands was Rodger’s project for 14 years, as concerned residents expressed to him how they were driving to Nassau County or hopping on the E train to the Queens Center to shop at those locations.

Now, Rodgers leads the effort to bring mom-and-pop shops back to Jamaica. The key, he explained, is to present real estate that is on the side streets to Jamaica Avenue.

“It’s not financially possible for mom and pop shops to open on Jamaica Avenue due to the high cost of rent. You just can’t make the numbers work. But you can make the numbers work on side streets,” said Rodgers. “So now we’re in the process of working with potential restaurant tours on some of the side streets.”

Retaining businesses was a point of concern during a recent meeting of the Sutphin Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) Annual Meeting, when the board of directors was elected for a newly consolidated BID emerging from the Sutphin Avenue BID, the 165th Street Special Assessment District and the Jamaica Center Special Assessment District. The question arose: What must be done to get businesses to stay open in Jamaica?

The issue with businesses retention, Rodgers described, has a considerable amount to do with the new busways along Jamaica Avenue. Implemented in October 2021, these busways allow only buses, trucks and emergency vehicles to make trips along Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Blvd. and 168th St. in both directions. This bus project was designed to increase bus speeds and reliability for 14 bus routes on Jamaica Avenue and 19 bus routes on Archer Ave.

On Jamaica Avenue, all other vehicles may make local trips to access the curb, the DOT stated on their website, but must make the next available turn off the busway.

Some businesses have seen a 40-50% drop in business, according to Rodgers, since this was implemented, and the GJDC is trying to work with elected officials and the DOT to try and find ways to modify the busways.

“The busways have really harmed businesses, not only along Jamaica Avenue, but also on the side streets. The reason why is because Queens is a driving community, specifically Southeast Queens,” he said. “It’s very difficult to navigate around Downtown Jamaica if you are driving. Some people just don’t want the headache and they don’t come anymore.”

Rodgers suggested that busways be limited only to peak hours.

The consolidated BID that is coming to Jamaica, Rodgers described, will “100% benefit the businesses,” because its $1.4 million assessment will allow them to provide additional services to the businesses and the community.

Those additional services must be voted on, but they can mean more vendors, security and additional cleaning days.

Crime is a major concern for those who are looking to shop on Jamaica Avenue, especially with the recent shooting of a 22-year-old cop along the street. However, Rodgers emphasized that the shooting was an “isolated incident,” and that efforts by the 103rd Precinct and their Commanding Officer Eric A. Robinson’s involvement in community events and presence have made Jamaica a safer place.

Since taking the helm at GJDC, Rodgers has been able to provide national retailers to the residents of Jamaica, and continues to work in order to ensure small businesses continue to feel supported. For more information, visit https://gjdc.org/.

Remembering the 1980s in Woodhaven

Ed Wendell on April 13, 2023

By Ed Wendell

projectwoodhaven@gmail.com

Rollback Days in 1980s Woodhaven with Phil’s Cheese and Cold Cuts, Jason’s Toys and Cards and Joseph’s across the street. The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society will present a look back at Woodhaven in the 1980s this Monday, April 17th at 7 p.m. at Neir’s Tavern (87-48 78th Street).

I was born in the 60s and grew up and went to school in the 70s. But it’s the Woodhaven of the 1980s that has my heart.

It was the 80s that shaped the rest of my life growing up here in Woodhaven. I graduated high school, had my first job, went to college, met a girl, the Mets won the World Series, I married that girl, I finished college and started a career – all within the 1980s.

As a result, the 1980s is my favorite period of time to look back on and it’s why I’m really looking forward to giving a slideshow presentation on behalf of the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society this Monday, April 17th at 7 p.m. at Neir’s Tavern (87-48 78th Street).

The slideshow is chock full of pictures of Woodhaven from the 1980s and that always produces a different reaction from people compared to, for instance, pictures from the 1930s and 40s.

With the pictures from that older era, very few of our members were around at that time in Woodhaven’s history. So while seeing the really old pictures are really nice, it’s more of a “Wow, so that’s what Woodhaven was like, my how’s it’s changed” kind of reaction.

But nearly everyone who attends our presentations lived here in Woodhaven during the 1980s. As a result, many of the pictures from that decade provoke “Wow, I remember that” and “Oh my God, I’d forgotten that” reactions.

And in some cases, especially crowd scenes at the Street Fairs, people will see some familiar faces and perhaps even their own, much younger, face. It truly is a walk down Woodhaven’s Memory Lane.

My first part-time job was at Phil’s Cheese and Cold Cuts, next to Jason’s Toys between 90th and 91st Street on Jamaica Avenue. I was just 13 when I started, making 2 dollars an hour off the books. I sliced cold cuts, took inventory, worked the cash register, and learned how to make salads.

But mostly, I remember us having a grand time, laughing and joking all day long, with my co-workers and with the hundreds of customers that were regulars in Phil’s. I can close my eyes and picture everything and hear everyone’s voices inside my head.

Eljay Drugs will be a familiar sight for anyone who lived in Woodhaven during the 1980s. Eljay was located in the space formerly occupied for decades by the Leader Observer. The paper’s name can be seen at the top of the building in this picture; it can still be viewed today at the top of 80-30 Jamaica Avenue.

But I wasn’t prepared for the memory overload I received when I saw a picture of Phil’s from the early 1980s. It was taken during Rollback Days and from the looks of the crowded avenue, it was a Saturday, which was a super busy day on the avenue at the time.

And looking closely at that picture, looking closely at Phil’s storefront, I can be pretty sure that I’m in there somewhere, behind the deli counter, wearing an apron and a deli cap, taking someone’s order.

After looking at that picture I started remembering things I hadn’t thought about for years: the wide variety of nuts that Phil had on display in the front window; using Windex and newspaper to clean the glass in the deli case, and wow did it shine!

And those pictures brought back memories of people I hadn’t thought about in years. There was Thelma, an older lady with a sharp tongue who bought 2 packs of Benson and Hedges every day and threw them back at me when they went up to 65 cents a pack. Mr. Backwards, a guy who got his nickname because of the way he’d order – sacaroni malad (instead of macaroni salad), for example. And Yellow Man, who once told me confidentially that he was writing a book about the CIA.

The impact that these pictures have on our memories is remarkable and I look forward to hearing everyone’s memories burst forth next Monday night at Neir’s Tavern.

On a side note, the Woodhaven Business Improvement District is coordinating a Community Cleanup this Saturday, April 15th from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The cleanup starts at 10 a.m. at Dunkin Donuts (92-17 Jamaica Avenue) and all brooms, shovels, etc. will be provided by the Department of Sanitation.

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association and Community Board 9 are partners in this cleanup, which should end around 11:30 a.m. at Forest Parkway.
After the cleanup, the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association will be hosting their monthly Town Hall meeting starting at 12 noon at Emanuel United Church of Christ, 91st Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard. Hope to see everyone at one of these upcoming events!

Remembering the History of Strack Pond

Ed Wendell on April 6, 2023

Private First Class Lawrence Strack Memorial Pond was named after the first local youth killed in Vietnam. At the time it was dedicated, the pond had been converted to ball fields, but was converted back to a pond in 2004.

By Ed Wendell

 

Now that spring is here, countless people will be taking advantage of the good weather to take walks through Forest Park.

And is there a more beautiful spot in town than Strack Pond? Since it’s not entirely visible from the road through the park (and completely hidden from Woodhaven Boulevard), you can be forgiven for not knowing where it is.

Strack Pond sits directly across (and below) the Bandshell and the Forest Park Carousel, at the bottom of a deep depression left behind by glacial movement over 20,000 years ago.

Over the course of our history, that spot has always been a pond – except for a brief period of time when it had been filled in an ill-fated attempt to create baseball fields.

So now you know where it is and a bit about its history. Where did the name Strack come from?

As a young boy during the early 1960s, Lawrence Strack played baseball for a lot of local little leagues including the Cypress Hills Bombers, the Little Fellers League and Rich-Haven Little League.

Lawrence joined the Army and went through basic and paratrooper training in Georgia. He returned home before shipping out to Vietnam to marry his childhood sweetheart, Theresa Shannon of Woodhaven.

He began his tour in Vietnam in November 1966 as a Private and died in combat on March 3, 1967.

When the city converted this pond (which was unnamed for all those many years) into a pair of ballfields, American Legion Post 118 in Woodhaven petitioned to get them named after Strack.

Although Strack never played on those ballfields, he did ice skate on the pond that was there.

“Lawrence Strack lived in the tradition of American Youth and was an avid sports fan and participant,” the resolution read. “In the true tradition of an American, Lawrence made the supreme sacrifice that any American can make for his Community and Country when he gave up his life in Vietnam.”

Much was made of the fact that Lawrence Strack played on local ballfields as a boy, but it was also noted that Private First Class Lawrence Strack was not far removed from being a boy himself when he was killed.

Lawrence Strack was only 18 years old.

Just before the second anniversary of his death, legislation passed through the City Council and the new field was dedicated as PFC Lawrence George E. Strack Memorial Field.

However, the fields themselves would be short-lived. They sat at the bottom of this natural depression in the ground, one that had housed a pond for many years, and it held on to any water it received. Even a small rain could cause the field to get muddy and after a heavy rainstorm, it could take days to recover.

During the late 1970s, the fields were badly damaged by vandals. Over the winter, some drove their automobiles over the field, through the mud. By the time teams showed up for their first practice a few months later, all of the deep grooves in the mud were rock solid.

Assemblyman Frederick D. Schmidt came up with a solution, arranging to have a fire truck at the top of the hill connect to a hydrant and soak the field. Once it was muddy again, the coaches and managers did their best to rake it smooth.

It was playable, but no one who ever played on that field trusted a ground ball.

The ballfields were eventually converted back to a natural pond in a project that took two years to complete. When PFC Lawrence Strack Memorial Pond was opened to the public in May 2004, his family attended the dedication.

Since then, Strack Pond has become one of the more beautiful and most photographed locations in Woodhaven. It is very popular with hikers and bird watchers.

It is a beautiful spot, a great place to enjoy nature and the steep hill is a small price to pay for that kind of peace and tranquility. For although Woodhaven Boulevard is just a stone’s throw away, you can hardly hear it.

Take a walk and enjoy the peace and quiet and remember the young man — a boy really — whose all too short life ended so violently.

Local Food Pantries to the Rescue

glendaleregstg on March 23, 2023

By Pamela Rider

news@queensledger.com

The people that work at food pantries are volunteers to help distribute food to the people in the community. Photo by Pamela Rider

The Jamaica area has an abundance of food pantries.

Deliverance Temple Food, Morris Brown AME Church-Helping Hand FoodPantries, Brooks Memorial United Methodist, Bethel Mission Church, Inc-Food, Bethel Gospel Tabernacle Church, Rush Temple AME Zion Church, are some of the sites that provide food weekly to the community.

Many local food pantries feed over 100,000 people in their community on a monthly basis.

Bethel Tabernacle runs their food pantry in the style of “grocery shopping.”

“I think that it’s important to make pantry service more of a grocery shopping experience,” Coordinator Jim Parsons shared with the Leader-Observer. “It adds warmth and flavor.”

“I am so thankful for these pantries,” said 87 year old Martha Wilson. She added, “I don’t know what I would do without them. I only receive social security, and we all know how that is.”

Many communities have a local food pantry. Most of these community food pantries are sponsored by local area churches or community coalitions. A food pantry is a distribution center where hungry families can receive food.

For many years, food pantries and soup kitchens have been a vital part of sustenance for many individuals that work for minimum wages, and require supplementary accommodations by their federal, city, and state governments.

These pantries are supplied with food from Food Banks, Grocery Store Overstock, Thrift Store Profits to Purchase Food, Community food collection/ donations, and Free from our Garden participants. A community food pantry’s mission is to directly serve local residents who suffer from hunger and food insecurities within a specific area.

Food banks receive food from federal programs. The USDA purchases food from farmers and delivers it to food banks for distribution in their communities. Presently, food pantries serve much more than soup and bread. Specifically, food pantries provide families with canned soup,

canned fruit, canned and fresh vegetables, canned stew, canned fish, canned beans, whole grain pasta, brown rice and dairy.

“City Harvest,” is the world’s first and largest food rescue organization established in 1980 that helped start the food rescue movement when a group of New Yorkers saw that New York City had an abundance of excess food, even while a number of residents struggled to feed themselves and their families. It is a Non-Profit Organization located at 150 52nd Street Brooklyn.

New York State recipients of the “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” (SNAP), have received a 15% boost in SNAP benefits since January 2021 due to the COVID crisis by “The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance” (OTDA). The increased benefits were intended to stop once the government declared an end to the Covid public health emergency.

Although the public health emergency has been extended until April, Congress passed the “Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023” in December 2022 that ended the supplemental “Emergency Assistance” benefits. February 2023 was the last month that supplemental benefits were issued to eligible recipients; nonetheless, food prices continue to rise due to deficits of natural reproduction.

Wilma Silks, a health care worker said, “You’d be surprised with the quality of the food that is given. Some of it is good name brand items, and many times the vegetables come from farms that donate to pantries. People used to think that pantries were for the poor and underprivileged, but now-a-days, many of us are considered underprivileged due to inflation.”

CBS News reported in Jan. 2023 that the cost of eggs is soaring as America’s eating habits change. A deadly disease “The Avian-flu,” wipes out millions of birds which has resulted with an inflation for the price of eggs.

On January 23, 2023, “The Economics Daily- Bureau of Labor Statistics” reported that consumer prices for all items rose 6.5 percent from December 2021 to December 2022. Food prices have increased 10.4 percent reflecting an 11.8 percent increase in prices for food at home, and an 8.3 percent increase in prices for food away from home.

Lawrence Walker, a 67 year old retired MTA worker said, “Even though I get money from my retirement and social security, I’m grateful that I can get some type of relief on my pocket by visiting my local food pantries!”

The history of food banks, pantries and soup kitchens in America can be traced back to the year 1929 with the effects of growing depression. When food pantries and soup kitchens first appeared, they were run by churches or private charities that served mostly soup and bread.

Local Food Pantries are used as a subsidy which accommodates many working individuals on a tight budget to put needed food on their table for themselves and their families.

For information about your community food pantry, go to https://www.foodpantries.org.

NYCFC Willets Point Stadium to Revolutionize Soccer in NYC, says C.O.O.

Alicia Venter on March 22, 2023

By Alicia Venter

aventer@queensledger.com

 

Jennifer O’Sullivan grew up in an extensively athletic home, spearheaded by her sports-loving father, and played three sports in her home of Clinton, New Jersey.

Soccer was not one of those sports.

However, O’Sullivan now finds herself sitting in a position that can change Major League Soccer (MLS) at its core — to her, there is no better place to do it than Queens.

“The diversity of Queens as a borough cannot be denied,” O’Sullivan, 48, said over a phone interview. “It’s a true example of how the global game of soccer can really be used as a catalyst to bring people together culturally within the community, but also an economic boom for the borough and the city.”

As the C.O.O/Chief Legal & Administrative Officer at New York City Football Club (NYCFC), O’Sullivan has prioritized helping her club find a permanent place in Queens. The Willets Point Stadium, announced by Mayor Adams on Nov. 16, is a privately financed facility set to offer 2,500 affordable homes, a 25,000 seat stadium and a 250-room hotel. It’s expected to be completed in 2024.

Jen O’Sullivan. Photo: Matthew McDermott

O’Sullivan joined NYCFC in April 2020. Her role broadly encompasses running the operational and administrative areas of the business — human resources, IT infrastructure and facilities, navigating some of the contractual relationships with partners and working closely with NYCFC II, the reserve team and minor league affiliate of NYCFC.

Currently, NYCFC has no permanent place to call home. The team has been bouncing around from venue to venue — including Yankees Stadium — for their matches, but with a permanent stadium for their matches, they will be able to focus on the fan experience, and developing the talent of their organization, which is coming off the heels of a championship.

“I think in New York, you have this melting pot of people, many of whom came from nationalities and other areas of the world where the global game of soccer is just a way of life,” O’Sullivan said. “We’re really trying to identify people who have this strong love and passion for the game and say, ‘It’s okay for you to have your Mexican home team that you follow, but we can be your time here in New York,’”

MLS is a relatively young league in the United States, founded in 1993. NYCFC joined the league eight years ago, and in O’Sullivan’s three years with the organization, she has seen the program grow throughout the five boroughs, with a youth program or organization in approximately 70% of the city. In her time within the industry, she has seen soccer grow in New York City exponentially — instead of wearing NBA jerseys exclusively, her children and her friends are seen boasting soccer jerseys.

The United States hosting the 2024 World Cups, along with the men’s and women’s teams performing well in their performances in the past world cup, will likely add to this excitement around the sport. She hopes that this, plus the hard work of NYCFC to be involved in the community and be a presence beyond on the field, will help turn the occasional fan to an avid one.This involvement includes adding programs to schools and distributing food.

O’Sullivan hopes that the next step for NYCFC will be to add a women’s team and a women’s academy to complement their male teams, as “we see real opportunity in the women’s game as well.”

Despite being so young, she doesn’t want NYCFC to settle in their victory with the stadium — as C.O.O, she expects to continue growing the organization as forward as she can.

“We’re really doing everything we can do to ensure that this stadium journey and the stadium process is successful. Not just for us, but for part of the larger development of Willets Point and the borough of Queens, and growing out what those community initiatives look like,” she said. “If we can be a real catalyst for growth and change on the women’s side of the game, we would welcome that opportunity as well.”

How Did We Get Here?

Ed Wendell on March 22, 2023

Saturday’s Smokeshop Murder Leaves Community in Shock

By Ed Wendell

It was the early 1980s when VCRs – video cassette recorders – became affordable and suddenly everyone had one.

Now you didn’t have to miss your favorite television programs, you could record them. At the same time it created a demand for renting movies to watch at home and as a result video stores began popping up all over.

The Video Connection. Captain Video. Video Maniacs. They were everywhere. It was a fun and exciting time and no one was hurt. For sure, no one was ever killed over a VHS tape.

Four decades later a new market has emerged with stores popping up all over the place. Smoke Palace. Kush Kings. Leaf Connection. As a result, because of the way New York mishandled it, a market for violent crime and mayhem was created.

This past Saturday afternoon, while most of us were out enjoying the day, a young man was shot and killed during a robbery of a smoke shop on Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill. He was just 20 years old, his entire life ahead of him, ended violently because of the gross stupidity of New York.

How did we get here?

After many years of debate, New York made it legal to possess and smoke and grow marijuana in your home. But they dragged their heels on rolling out licenses and as a result today there are only 3 places in New York where you can purchase pot legally, all within a few blocks of each other in Manhattan.

As a result, entrepreneurs across the city began opening up shops to capture a share of the market and the city made the decision to leave them be. As a result we have shops all over selling pot openly and illegally. And because they’re selling it illegally, it needs to remain a cash business.

To recap, because it’s really hard to believe how stupid New York handled this, they took an underground business that was connected to the criminal world; they dropped businesses flush with cash and drugs in our laps; and they told the police to stand down.

What did they expect would happen? Of course all of these stores would become rich targets for robbery. Thugs know these stores have drugs and cash and if they get robbed they can’t really go to the police. These robberies are becoming more frequent and brazen and violent and what happened Saturday is the result of stupid arrogant thinking on the part of New York State.

Last year, we took a wee trip to visit a friend in Massachusetts. As soon as we crossed the state line we saw a half-dozen shops open for business, but the difference was that they were all licensed and all operating legally.

We stopped into one of them on the way home and it was as safe an environment as you could ask for. Upon entering the store we were in a lobby where a receptionist asked to see some ID. We gave her our drivers licenses and they scanned them in.

We were buzzed through a door and entered a long hallway where we were buzzed in through another door. Once inside, we were greeted by name by a young man with an iPad who walked us around and answered any questions we had.

You would tell him what you wanted and he would enter it on the iPad and when you were done, you went to the counter and paid for it by credit card and walked out with a nice bag. It was all very well organized and very, very safe.

Compared to Massachusetts, our state is the wild, wild, west. We have created a rich environment for crime and violence and over time, the toll on our communities will surely mount.

This was so badly handled that I don’t think that any of us expect that New York will work out a solution to this massive problem that they’ve created any time soon.
There’s really only one explanation for why the State of New York decided to roll out this law this way – they must have been high. And being high and stupid is a deadly combination.

Woodhaven Celebrates A 60-Year Love Story

Ed Wendell on March 16, 2023

By Ed Wendell

March 1963. John F. Kennedy was President. A first class postage stamp was 5 cents. The #1 song was “Surfin’ U.S.A.” by The Beach Boys, the top grossing movie was “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” and Pam and Walter got married.

This past Sunday, Pam and Walter Steffens were joined by friends to celebrate their Diamond Anniversary – that’s a 60 year long love story that’s still going strong.

Pamela Washburn and Walter Steffens knew each other long before they went on their first date.

“We lived right around the corner from each other. We knew each other since we were kids, but Walter was 4 years older than me,” Pam told me.

It was when Walter came home from serving in our military, when Pam was 18, that Walter really took notice. When I asked Walter what attracted him to Pam, he didn’t hesitate.

“Her legs,” he says. “Every time she would walk up the block, oh boy!”

Walter fell in love with Pam’s legs and then the rest of her and in April 1962 the following notice appeared in the Leader-Observer:

“Pamela Washburn, daughter of Mr. Ruth Washburn of 7804 86th Avenue was engaged on April 6th to Walter Steffens of 8615 78th Street. The date was also marked by the celebration of Miss Washburn’s birthday.”

And in March of the following year, they tied the knot and the rest is history. A son, Scott, followed but not until 21 years after they were married.

“We wanted to make sure the marriage would last,” Pam says, laughing. “God has his own timetable.”

Since then, the family has expanded to include Scott’s partner Dexie and two grandchildren, Deniel and Emily.

“We are very blessed,” Pam says.

As for their secret to 60 years of happiness Pam said “patience” and Walter said “compromise,” two virtues that not only benefit marriages, but friendships as well.

In fact, life overall would be better for everyone if we could just all be a bit more like Pam and Walter and keep those two words in mind when dealing with each other, even strangers.

Patience and compromise. You can build a lot of very special relationships with those two alone. And those words describe our friends Pam and Walter perfectly.

This past Sunday, Pam and Walter were joined by friends for a celebration of their marriage at Emanuel United Church of Christ on Woodhaven Boulevard and 91st Avenue .Pastor Charles LoCasto brought Pam and Walter up to the altar and renewed their wedding vows, it was a lovely moment.

Afterwards, everyone gathered for coffee and cake and lots of celebrating. They were joined by Walter’s sister Doris and her husband Paul who were on the eve of their own wedding anniversary, 52 happy years for them. It was a great celebration and I had 2 pieces of cake.

These are the good times; this is what living in a community is all about.

It’s about people caring for each other. It’s about taking the time to pick up the phone to check in on someone you know might be lonely. It’s about sending someone a card on their birthday.

And it’s about showing someone you care through a kind word or thoughtful gesture. It’s about showing patience and being open to compromise.

We wish Pam and Walter the happiest of anniversaries and look forward to celebrating many more with them; they are without a doubt the nicest couple in Woodhaven.

Emergency SNAP Allocations End, concerning Queens Advocates

Alicia Venter on March 9, 2023

By Alicia Venter

aventer@queensledger.com

 

For the past two years, families that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been provided the maximum amount of monthly benefits that is available for their family size. These emergency SNAP allocations, designed to help families during the pandemic, expired on March 1, greatly impacting those who rely on these services in Queens.

In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Queens recorded a 48% increase in food insecurity, the highest increase among the five boroughs according to Jerome Nathaniel, the Director of Policy and Government Relations of City Harvest, one of New York City’s largest food rescue organizations. As for children, it increased by 60%

In response to the allocations ending, City Harvest is anticipating delivering roughly 75 million pounds of food free of charge to their network.

“For the past 40 years, we have never shied away from stepping up where there’s these sorts of emergencies, even if there’s low unemployment, high unemployment, man made disasters or natural disasters, City Harvest continues to work with our network to do our best to make sure that our pantries are stocked with the food they need to serve folks,” said Nathaniel.

During the pandemic, food insecurity rates drastically increased, as 14.3% of the Queens population faced food insecurity in 2021 compared to 9.7 in 2019.

“Queens was disproportionately hit hard by the pandemic — by job loss, by different low-income communities, low wage workers, immigrant communities, especially in Queens who may have not been eligible for a lot of these sort of government programs but were hit hard by economic impact by the pandemic,” Nathaniel said. “So it certainly had a disparate impact on Queens.”

Nathaniel described how the minimum benefit allowed for some households was $16 per month, and the Emergency SNAP allocations raised that to $281.

“Just imagine over three years benefiting from that, not as some sort of privilege but really as just a survival tool, and then suddenly it’s all pulled from underneath,” he said.

In December, it was made clear to SNAP recipients that the additional funding was set to end — a three month turnaround that Nathaniel shared was “simply not enough time.”

In a report from the New York City Comptroller on March 1, 2.9 million New York households were enrolled in the SNAP as of December 2022, and that approximately one in 10 New York Households experience food insecurity.

He reported that with the loss of maximum benefits, as well as the increased benefits provided by SNAP for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ending in October 2023, food insecurity could grow further. His office, among other suggestions, recommended that the federal government should extend temporary benefits related to SNAP and WIC until the increased cost of food due to inflation subsides. Many food organizations stand in agreement.

“To help make up for the loss of benefits, there should be a coordinated response that involves community organizations working with city and state legislative leaders and other key officeholders who should use their budgets to protect New Yorkers from cuts in SNAP benefits by increasing investment in programs that provide crucial food support,” United Way of New York City said in a statement. ‘On the federal level, Congress should act to increase SNAP supports and sufficiency through key changes to the Farm Bill. Acting together, we can help make sure fewer New Yorkers go hungry.”

He also recommended that eligibility levels for SNAP and WIC should be increased to at least 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and that the Federal Child Tax Credit be expanded.

Food pantries and food banks are reportedly drawing larger crowds across the city, as reported by the New York Daily News on Feb. 28. They reported that advocates warn the end of the emergency funds will have a devastating impact in the city.

‘To wake up on March 1, and knowing that you’re going to lose anywhere from $95 to $200 in grocery benefits, at a time when food is at an all time high inflation rate, is really devastating. Just to really drive home the point of how these past three years really showed us that SNAP needs to be more,” said Nathaniel.

Remembering Father Cyclone

glendaleregstg on March 9, 2023

By Ed Wendell

 

He was a tough Irish kid from Elderts Lane, one of 12 children born to a tough New York City fireman and his wife who emigrated from County Cavan in Ireland.

He was an altar boy at the Catholic Church of Saint Sylvester in Brooklyn, around the corner from his house. His name was Father Lawrence Edward Lynch and he was a hero.

When he was assigned to the 69th Infantry Regiment, he stepped into some mighty big shoes worn by the famous Father Duffy, who was immortalized on film by Pat O’Brien in “The Fighting 69th” starring James Cagney.

According to those who knew him well and had the chance to work alongside him, he filled those shoes admirably.

Brigadier General Julius Klein was his commanding officer in the Pacific during World War II and recalled Father Lynch’s zest for justice when he stormed into his office fighting for a Jewish soldier who he felt had been unfairly passed over for promotion.

“It never mattered to him whether a soul was white or black, Jew or Christian, or unbeliever,” General Klein said of his friend. “To him, each human being was simply a child of God.”

They were at each other’s side on a rescue ship when rushing to the SS Elihu Thompson, a Liberty ship that had struck a mine on September 25, 1944. Eleven young men were killed and 22 were missing. They were never found.

While Klein was directing the rescue, Father Lynch tended to the mortally wounded, offering comfort and holding their hands so the young men did not have to die alone.

“Ego te absolve,” the “absolution of sin,” he whispered quietly in the ears of young men who would never see their friends or families again.
One of the young dying sailors was Jewish and asked for a rabbi. None were available, so Father Lynch held his hand and whispered “Sh’mai, Israel, Adonai, Eloheno Adonai echad.”

The young soldier died just as Father Lynch finished the prayer. Klein was overcome with emotion and never forgot the incident, often referring to the priest as his favorite Irish rabbi.

Regardless of who you were or what you believed, Father Lynch would be at your side when you needed him most. He was a priest first but a soldier second, and like so many young men of that era he was unafraid of the hazards of war, receiving five citations for bravery.

And it was this bravery that led father Lynch and so many other young soldiers to the island of Okinawa, a strategic piece in the impending land invasion of Japan.

The battle on Okinawa raged for weeks, and Father Lynch repeatedly sought out the battalions and regiments that were expected to see the heaviest action.

It was grueling and dangerous, but Father Lynch kept pace with the action, comforting the wounded and giving last rites to hundreds and hundreds of the 20,000 American soldiers that would eventually lose their lives in that battle by the time it ended.

On April 25, 1945, the Japanese were shelling the battalion that Father Lynch was traveling with and a soldier nearby screamed as he was hit. The tough Irish priest from Elderts Lane ran to the young soldier’s side and began offering the last rites when a second shell struck, killing both of them instantly.
Father Lawrence Edward Lynch was 38 years old.

At the end of June, after victory had been secured, over 4,000 servicemen attended a mass at his graveside in Okinawa. Back home, a steady stream of servicemen visited his parents to pay their respects long after the war had ended.

A local youth football league was started and named in his honor, taking part of his name along with honoring the other veterans of war: Lynvets.
And a piece of land near the border of Woodhaven, Ozone Park and Brooklyn was set aside as a memorial. A triangle at Atlantic Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard was dedicated in his honor following a large parade on October 8, 1949.

But over time, the sign disappeared and people forgot about Father Lawrence Edward Lynch. On March 9th 2019, the triangle was rededicated in his name. Members of the Lynch family along with community leaders from Woodhaven and Ozone Park gathered at the memorial to the local Irish boy turned hero priest they nicknamed Father Cyclone.

‘Eat Good, Live Better:’ Supreme Empanadas Opens in Jamaica

glendaleregstg on March 9, 2023

By Pamela Rider

intern@queensledger.com

 

Supreme Empanadas is a new local restaurant in Jamaica (137-32 Rockaway Blvd) that has an array of cultural dishes. Opened in October 2022, it is owned by Tajsaun Douglas, a 33-year-old up and coming entrepreneur who has lived in the area since birth. He was raised by his mother, father, and grandmother, and has had his fair share of life’s ups and downs during his journey towards manhood.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business since I can remember. I just wasn’t sure what type of business that I wanted to pursue,” said Douglas.

Both of Douglas’ parents worked outside of the home, so most of his time was spent with his Nanna.

“She was always in the kitchen baking and cooking while she helped me with my homework,” he said. “Years went by and I became her best student of cooking creations, not to mention that I’m a foodie.”

Many local residents feel that Supreme Empanadas has an inviting ambiance which is quite inviting and magnetic to food lovers. Lamb empanadas are their specialty, and have attracted the attention of many.

Frequent customer Michelle Roberts said, “I just love their food. The lamb empanadas are my favorite. In this area, you can hardly find lamb in the supermarkets. I wish them all the best success!”

“Eat good, Live Better, is all about what we take in,” said Douglas.

He added, “The environment is all a part of living better. No one wants to feel slighted or uncomfortable when they visit any establishment. I do my best to cultivate my best and share it with others.”

“Soul food,” and “Chinese food” has monopolized most urban communities giving little to the imagination and to the palate of inner city residents. It serves its purpose, and has been prosperous for many years, and more than likely for many years to come.

Unlike many restaurants in the immediate area, this particular Supreme Empanadas in Jamaica advertises a daily special dish that is posted on their Instagram (@supremeempanadas). His menu has many diverse dishes that welcomes all to explore.

The reviews are outstanding from patrons that have posted their opinions on TikTok and other major platforms expressing their appreciation for the establishments cuisine. So many hashtags from so many customers. There are a handful of dissatisfied customers, but for the most part according to the reviews, Supreme Empanadas has been a smashing success.

These are just a few of the reviews and the daily specials that are shown on their Instagram.

Jacob Waters said, “I try to go there at least three times a week. The food is excellent and worth every penny!” Every time that I go, it seems like they have created a new dish,” added Waters.

“I’m just glad that I am doing well and pleasing my customers. As we all know, the customer is always right!, said Douglas. “I’m really thrilled with the outcome.”

This small restaurant affords the community with dishes that are usually out of their immediate reach, not to mention provides the comfortable atmosphere of love. The expression of love is not only expressed with the pleasure of the food and the desire for customers to climb on board the Supreme Empanada boat, but the love that is put into the meals that keep the customers happy and coming back for more.

“So far so good. Life is definitely looking up,” Douglas said.

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