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Hospital Mural by Jamaica Artist Unveiled

glendaleregstg on November 29, 2023

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com

A new mural featuring soft colors and detailed flowers stretches along the main atrium of NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens.

The mural was designed by artist Zeehan Wazed, and brought to life through a community painting party in the hospital. Wazed developed the design with the help of multiple focus groups where community members, patients, and hospital staff gave their input. Named Roots of Medicine, the painting was unveiled on Nov. 15.

The mural is one of nine painted in NYC Health + Hospitals locations just this year. It is part of the Community Mural Project, powered by the hospitals’ Arts in Medicine department. 26 murals were already created in a previous wave of the initiative. According to NYC Health + Hospitals, The Community Mural Project is the nation’s largest public hospital mural program since the Great Depression’s Works Progress Administration worked to commission murals in public buildings.

Wazed himself hails from Jamaica, Queens—he grew up just a few blocks away from the hospital that now sports his artwork. His parents still live there, though Wazed now resides in Astoria.

“I have a personal story with Queens hospital,” Wazed said. “When I was young, my dad took me [because] I broke my fingers. So using the same fingers to paint that mural—it kind of felt like it came in full circle.”

Roots of Medicine speaks to the long history of healing in different human societies, depicting eight flowers used in traditional homeopathic treatments: calendula, lavender, chamomile, echinacea, flax seeds, rose petals, St. John’s Wort, and nasturtium.

A great deal of thought went into the design. Although Wazed himself is not involved in the medical field, his sister is, and he said that his conversations both with her and with the hospital board were critical.

“Speaking to my sister, who’s pretty blunt with me—she was like, we deal with a lot of patients and sickness. To have something that reflects another aspect of recovery or medicine would be great. And also Dr. Stein, on the board of the hospitals, she wanted something that really represented not sickness, but rather life. And jubilance of life, you know? I think flowers are a great symbol of that. I think they’re very welcoming as well.”

Wazed mentioned that the flowers evoke the diversity of communities in Queens, and pointed out the green, vine-like patterned lines criss-crossing through the mural.

“There’s lines that intertwine to represent our communities, and how we’re all kind of connected.”

Wazed is appreciative of his upbringing in Jamaica’s tight-knit Bangladeshi population. “It’s an amazing community,” he said. “You can see this kind of support system that people find within their communities, at their mosque, at their library.”

“I think it’s pretty fitting that, you know, I come back to do something at Queens Hospital where there’s a lot of Bangladeshi staff as well,” he added.

Wazed has been working as an artist for about a decade. Though some of his work is in the world of canvas and galleries, he dove headfirst into public works during the pandemic.

“It’s definitely been a more humbling experience,” he reflected. “We don’t really have galleries out in Queens…but for the time being, it’s been amazing, creating public art for people who would never walk into a gallery, who just happened to walk by it and connect with it in that sense.”

Wazed’s next project is a mural in JFK. Beyond that, he plans to continue painting vibrant, public murals throughout his home borough. “I feel like I have some sort of mission here to help try to beautify Queens.”

Wazed is invested in the bigger picture of the borough’s relationship with the arts.

“I think there’s somewhat of a dearth of art in Queens,” he said, pointing out that there seem to be fewer gallery and museum spaces.

“There’s so much culture here. And I feel like it should be reflected with vibrant art.”

Vape Store Owners Hope to Sell Cannabis

glendaleregstg on November 8, 2023

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com

Community Board 10 heard from a new cannabis license applicant last Thursday night during their general board meeting.

Kishan Mahipath stood next to his wife, Jennifer Mahipath, as he presented to the board. The couple live in the district with their two sons, and work together as business partners. Mahipath already owns the location he hopes to obtain a cannabis license for: 124-20 Liberty Avenue in South Richmond Hill. Currently, the couple operate a licensed vape shop, Vaporize Inc, at the storefront. Mahipath said he had also obtained a hemp license for the business in 2017.

“Our intent is now to go forward after all the other licenses I’ve mentioned to obtain an adult use [cannabis] retail license for the location,” Mahipath said. “With our past, since 2016, I feel that we’ve been very good custodians of these licenses for our community.”

With no comments from the public that night, the board posed a handful of brief questions after Mahipath’s initial presentation.

Mahipath said that with the adult use retail license, there would be no on-site consumption permitted. “I do not want the extra liability of my patrons, if we ever do get the license, to sit there and consume. I feel as though that might kind of push the boundaries on liability, whether it’s with my insurance or just also for the community.”

He also addressed the subject of security, mentioning his use of two different camera systems—one cloud-based, and one that uploads footage to a private, localized server. He said that he plans to continue contracting Elite Security, a New York-based company that he has used for his other shops, to provide door security. “We like them because they follow directions. We also like them because they don’t know anyone from the neighborhood, so there’s no favoritism,” Mahipath said.

Describing the interior of the store, Mahipath explained that the customer area would be separate from the retail and employee area of the store, with products protected by plexiglass. He also described “dusk-till-dawn” lighting on the exterior of the building.

Regarding hours of operation, Mahipath said he planned to keep the store closed on Mondays and open from 11:00 AM- 6:00 PM on all other days.

“I have a family,” he said. “I have kids that go to school, I got dogs to feed, I need to get home and get them ready for bed, you know, cook dinner.”

“It’s after dark,” Jennifer said. “We don’t really want to be out there either.”

Mahipath said that in 2019, due to the implementation of vaporizer regulations, “we lost a large volume of our business to nothing.”

“The reason we stayed open,” he continued, “was because we knew that the marijuana license was going to be a thing for retail. And the reason we didn’t start selling marijuana for the last two years was because we wanted to go the legal route, like we always did—even though, as was discussed, you probably have over 99% of any [marijuana stores], none of them hold a license.”

State Senator Joe Addabbo spoke directly after the Mahipaths, giving general updates before addressing the ongoing process of cannabis license applications.

“I voted no for legalizing marijuana. We weren’t ready for it, and I think it’s shown that we were not ready for this,” he said. “But now, I have no problem with somebody doing a legal business, I have no problem with somebody trying to make a living. But I have a serious problem when you do even the legal cannabis shops in front of children, in front of a school.”

Addabbo mentioned the turmoil in nearby Community District 5, which has seen intense outcry from Glendale residents about an application for a location next to a McDonalds that school children often gather at.

“I hope to work with OCM, I hope to work with the Community Boards in my district as they each face this issue,” Addabbo said. “I hope we can work a balance.”

With regard to Mahipath’s application, no one at the meeting mentioned any concerns about proximity to schools, churches, or local spots popular with kids.

Later in the meeting, Chairperson Betty Braton explained how the application process would move forward for the three applications in process. The Board plans to put together a questionnaire for the applicants, who will have a week to complete and submit it. Then, the Land Use Committee and Public Safety Committee will discuss the questionnaires and any potential issues in a joint meeting, before the Board finally votes on the applications at their December meeting.

Two other applications—one for 94-24 Liberty Ave from Michael Elias, and another for 135-35 Lefferts boulevard from Roberto Carro—were already discussed by the Board at their October 5th meeting, and were subject to a public hearing where community members asked questions on October 24th.

Community Remembers Krystyna Naprawa

glendaleregstg on October 26, 2023

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com

A candlelight vigil was held on Monday night for Krystyna Naprawa, a beloved NYPD school crossing guard who was killed on the job after being struck by a dump truck in Woodhaven. 

The tragedy took place on Friday morning at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard. The vigil was held at a gas location at the same intersection. 

39-year-old Hector Yepes was operating the truck, and has been arrested and charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian. Naprawa was 63 years old. 

Community members, friends, family, and colleagues gathered at the gas station, holding electric candles. The sounds of cars and trucks on the busy roads surrounding the event was ever present. Mayor Adams was in attendance at the vigil, along with numerous police officers and local representatives. 

Mayor Adams addresses the crowd. Photo credit: Celia Bernhardt

“My heart goes out to the family. Words cannot really take away the pain,” Adams said to the crowd. “But our presence can do a lot to give the assurance that we celebrate a life that was committed…a life that was well-respected.”

A staffer representing Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez also spoke to the crowd.

“She’s been a community fixture since she began her job in 2010, making sure students were safe here at this intersection,” the staffer said. “For 13 years, young students and their families, including myself, crossed this intersection to get to P.S. 210, CTEA, or any other school. And they were safe because of Ms. Naprawa. For that, the Woodhaven and the Ozone Park community will forever be grateful.”

“The Congresswoman knows and she believes that we have to do more to secure the safety of pedestrians at this intersection,” he continued. “So she’s personally reaching out to the Department of Transportation.”

Adams and Naprawa’s loved ones. Photo credit: Celia Bernhardt

Two of Naprawa’s colleagues, Shahana Chowdhury and Jahanara Islam, remember her as a very kind person. They are shaken by her passing. 

“Now that Krystyna passed away, I’m really scared too,” Chowdhury said. “Sometimes I say I’m going to quit the job. I don’t want to live my life like this…when I think like this, it’s very scary. Then I feel crazy, so sometimes I try to forget.” 

“She was so sweet,” Islam said. 

After the speeches and a moment of silence, the crowd crossed the street, with the help of multiple NYPD offices and crossing guards, to lay down flowers and candles on the corner. 

Photo credit: Celia Bernhardt

 

NYPD officers stand in the back of the vigil. Photo credit: Celia Bernhardt

Richards’ Office Distributes Flood Mitigation Supplies

glendaleregstg on October 11, 2023

By Charlie Finnerty | cfinnerty@queensledger.com

Borough President Donovan Richards’ office distributed flood barriers and water pumps 11 a.m. Oct. 6 at Borough Hall following significant flooding across the city a week earlier Sept. 29 and in preparation of any late storms in New York City’s 2023 hurricane season. 

Residents lined up as early as 10:30 a.m., according to Special Advisor on Strategic Initiatives Katherine Damiani-Brezler, with supplies only lasting roughly 20 minutes. 

Richard’s staff distribute supplies. Photo credit: Charlie Finnerty

Michael Ferraro, a resident of Flushing for over 30 years, received equipment at the distribution event and said he felt the borough president was noticing the needs of Queens communities that live in fear of flooding.

“I think it’s a great start in the right direction. This is something that has been needed,” he said. “I think the borough is realizing that this is a situation that can be harmful to many people and endanger lives. This is something that we need to get done and situated right away.”

Ferraro said that even more moderate storms are often seriously concerning for residents in his neighborhood.

“For us, even a little bit of rain is still going to be major,” Ferraro said. “I’m always on guard. If I know it’s going to be rain or torrential downpours, I know for a fact that I’m not going to be sleeping, I’ll be looking out my window making sure I don’t get any water coming up.”

With limited supplies, Damiani-Brezler said the distribution aimed to serve the communities most at risk of flooding.

“It was directed at folks that I’ve been in contact with since Ida,” Damiani-Brezler said. “So we were sure these were going to home owners that we know regularly have feet of water in their homes.” 

Dinu Ahmed is a resident of East Elmhurst, one of the areas most at risk of flooding where President Joe Biden visited to survey the damage of Hurricane Ida in 2021. The Sept. 29 floods endangered Ahmed’s neighbors, many of whom are elderly and live with chronic illnesses.

“I think people are trying to find ways to mitigate the effects after it happens, but we don’t have anything preventative right now. We want a more robust response.” Ahmed said. “This is New York City in 2023, we can’t live like this.”

Empty boxes of flood equipment after the event. Photo credit: Charlie Finnerty

Ahmed was told the supplies offered at the distribution would not be effective for the sewage waste and extreme flooding in her neighborhood. Damiani-Brezler said the supplies distributed Friday were a bandaid for residents dealing with less severe flash flooding, but that major weather events like the flooding seen Sept. 29 will require large-scale, city-wide investments in flood protection to protect residents of high-risk areas like East Elmhurst.

“This is the bare minimum of mitigation,” Damiani-Brezler said. “[These supplies] will benefit you if you’re getting less than two inches of rain. It will not benefit you in a situation where you’re getting five inches of rain in less than two hours.”

Howard Beach Eagle Scout Replaces Tattered American Flags

glendaleregstg on October 11, 2023

By Charlie Finnerty | cfinnerty@queensledger.com

16-year-old Eagle Scout Solomon Schneider of America Troop 139 is replacing old American flags for community members throughout Howard Beach, Woodhaven, Ozone Park and Glendale for his Eagle Scout project. Reaching out to community members primarily through Facebook, Schneider has worked with residents and business owners to collect old flags in preparation for a retirement ceremony October 29 at the Broad Channel American Legion Post 1404.

“I got the motivation from going down Cross Bay and Metropolitan and noticed people were hanging a lot of old flags,” Schneider said. “And the government has a lot of flags up that they didn’t take down once they were ripped or torn, leaving these flags that are torn on poles on the streets. They didn’t take them down so I thought we should replace it for them.”

Solomon’s father, Scoutmaster Jason Schneider, helped Solomon distribute fliers to the community advertising the project. Howard Beach resident Laura Riley, whose flag the Schneiders replaced, said she was moved by the patriotism of the project.

“I worked in public service for the US government for 32 years and for me it’s important to demonstrate pride in our country by flying an American flag on my house,” Riley said. “The scout project supports that pride.”

Riley was planning to replace her old flag soon and said she was glad for an opportunity to ensure the proper flag retirement ceremony. She also said she was inspired to see a member of a younger generation with national pride.

“It’s a very very good project they’re doing,” Riley said. “It’s nice to see young kids involved in patriotic things for their country.”

Schneider said difficulties emerged in funding the project and communicating the opportunity to the community. 

“Funding was kinda hard, there were not a lot of people to fund it,” Schneider said. “Spreading the word was also hard. Most responses have come from social media.”

For more information, please call Jason Schneider at (917) 929-5438 or email schneider_jason@verizon.net.

 

Courtesy of Jason Schneider

The Woodhaven Beat: Remembering Maria Thomson at Neir’s Tavern

glendaleregstg on October 11, 2023

By Ed Wendell | projectwoodhaven@gmail.com

This past weekend I had the honor of accepting a “Lifetime Ambassador Award” on behalf of Maria Thomson at Neir’s Tavern’s 194th Anniversary Block Party. It says a lot about Maria and her impact on our community that 5 years after her passing she is still remembered and winning awards.

I first met Maria at my first Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association meeting, back in March 2009 and within a few months I would be working alongside her, when I joined the WRBA as a board member.

Besides the WRBA, she served as Executive Director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District (WBID), Executive Director of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation (GWDC), and President of the 102nd Precinct Community Council.

She was also a board member on Community Board 9 and served on the board of Jamaica Hospital. And, for many years, she wrote a column in the pages of the very paper you are reading right now, the Leader-Observer. To say she was a busy woman is definitely an understatement!

Maria Thomson, who served on the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association; she was also Executive Director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District (WBID), Executive Director of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation (GWDC), and President of the 102nd Precinct Community Council, a board member on Community Board 9 and for many years wrote a column in the pages of the very paper you are reading right now, the Leader-Observer.

We bumped heads a lot, we had different ideas on how to approach some things, but we never lost respect for each other and we always got along well. And when we did work together on a problem we made a formidable team.

One battle we fought together was when the Department of Transportation (DOT) wanted to flip 84th Street around to be a one-way street heading south, which would have made getting into Woodhaven very difficult.

We spoke almost daily as we both worked to our strengths and gathered support. By the time of the first public hearing, we had packed the room with residents who were loud and informed. It was quite a night and was the beginning of the end for DOT’s plan, which was eventually voted down unanimously.

Another battle we fought together was on behalf of the Forest Park Carousel. By the time I got involved, Maria had been fighting to landmark the carousel for over 25 years. When a very reliable source told me that the Parks Department was considering a plan to dismantle and sell the carousel, we had to step up that battle.

We were like a two-headed monster, both of us writing articles about it and raising awareness that there was a very real possibility that Woodhaven could lose what she always called “the jewel of Forest Park.”

Eventually, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission agreed and on October 28th, 2013 (almost 10 years ago) we stood side-by-side at a ceremony at the Forest Park Carousel as it was officially made a landmark.

Something that was so close to being lost forever was suddenly being protected forever and that was a real testament to the power of working together.

Maria could be a giant pain in the neck and I mean that in the most generous way possible. She was a tremendous fighter for Woodhaven; and when she saw something wrong she would be a pain in the neck until it got fixed.

Whenever a new captain came into the 102 Precinct, I think one of the things the outgoing Captain would tell the new one was that you are going to hear from Maria – a lot!

I remember one time I was on the avenue and I saw a situation that needed immediate attention. I called her from my car and let her know and before I had finished my shopping, the police had arrived and the problem was solved.

Maria Thomson and myself on October 28th, 2013 (almost 10 years ago) at the ceremony at the Forest Park Carousel as it was officially made a New York City Landmark.

Maria Thomson had the respect of a lot of people in a lot of positions of power and she was never afraid to wield that power on behalf of the community that she loved. She was always thinking about what was best for Woodhaven. It was what she thought of when she woke up each morning and it was what she was thinking of as she worked late into each night.

And so, I found myself very honored to accept this award from Neir’s Tavern on behalf of Maria Thomson and join all of Woodhaven in letting her husband Bob (one of the nicest men ever to live in Woodhaven) and daughter Alena know that 5 years on, Maria is still remembered and is very much missed.

A Chance Encounter At Love, 35 Years Later

glendaleregstg on August 30, 2023

On our wedding day in August 1988, with Maid of Honor Cathy DeSalvo, Best Man Kimberly D. Lane, Ring Bearer Daniel DeSalvo and Flower Girl Julie English.

By Ed Wendell | projectwoodhaven@gmail.com

It was 35 years ago this month that my wife and I walked down the aisle at St. Thomas the Apostle, vowing to remain together forever and ever. Time has passed by so quickly that it’s hard to fathom that it was that long ago.

Long before I got married, I worked behind the counter at Phil’s Cheese and Cold Cuts, right next door to Jason’s Toy Store. I was about 16 at the time and this young lady came in and asked for a pound of liverwurst, with wax paper between each slice.

People asked for wax paper so the liverwurst wouldn’t stick together, making it difficult to use. But since it took extra time and since I had the patience of a 16-year old, I just sliced the liverwurst and said ‘the heck with the wax paper.’

Well, about twenty minutes later, Phil’s phone rang and shortly afterwards I was called into the back kitchen. The Liverwurst Girl’s mother was in a rage. Phil made me slice another pound and deliver it personally and took the cost of the liverwurst out of my pay.

I would have been quite happy if I never saw The Liverwurst Girl again. As an aside, later on I found out that the liverwurst with the paper in between was actually for their dog.

Phil’s Cheese and Cold Cuts closed for good about 15 years ago, but it is remembered by many residents of Woodhaven.

A few years later, in 1984, I was a young man in my first year of college. I was now driving, had my own car (a green 1967 Mercury Montego).

One day, I found a parking spot in front of my house, but couldn’t get the car to go into reverse; the transmission had gone. I drove around for a while looking for a spot I could just pull into without having to go into backwards.

I finally found a spot I could drive into just a few blocks away. I returned to the car the next day and looked under the hood. I put in some transmission fluid; I put in more oil, more windshield washer, etc. Basically, I did all the things that people who know nothing about cars do when something’s wrong.

I slammed the hood down and went home, totally discouraged. Nothing good was coming of this day, or so I thought. It turns out that I had parked my car in front of The Liverwurst Girl’s house.

In my frustration, I left my dipstick out and The Liverwurst Girl grabbed ahold of it. The next day she gave it back to me and we both saw stars. You ever see those scenes in cartoons where people fall in love and their eyes turn into hearts? That was us.

A few days later we went on our first date, to see Purple Rain, starring Prince. It was August 31st, 1984. And at the end of August four years later, The Liverwurst Girl and I made it official at St. Thomas, followed up with a reception at Le Cordon Bleu.

It was lucky that my car broke down where it did. It was towed away a few days later. My wife Josephine still has the dipstick, though. She never let go of that.

My wife Josephine with the dipstick that led to our meeting in August of 1984.

It’s hard to believe that the years have passed by so quickly. 35 years can pass by as quickly as a two-week vacation and in the meantime, your life can change immensely. On the eve of our anniversary, we brought out the old wedding album and looked back on that day so long ago.

We were 24 and 25 years old that day and surrounded by so many members of our family who are no longer with us. We’re older and slower these days, older now than our elders were on the day we got married.

Words of advice to any young readers out there – don’t squander any of it, don’t waste a single day. Because it will pass just as quickly for you as it did for everyone else that came before you.

The older you get, anniversaries and birthdays are subtle reminders that we have more days behind us than up ahead, and we better make every one of them count. And make sure when you get to our age, the memories you have to look back on are happy ones. This way, when you say Happy Anniversary to each other, you’ll really mean it.

This Retired Jockey Has Many Stories To Tell

Ed Wendell on August 23, 2023

Woodhaven native and longtime jockey Alfred J. “Rocky” Hanan (white shirt, center) and fans gathered at Neir’s Tavern this week for a celebration of the sport of horse racing. Rocky entertained the crowd with tales on and off the track, including a memorable encounter with the legendary Mae West.

By Ed Wendell | projectwoodhaven@gmail.com

Woodhaven has a wonderful pedigree in horse racing dating back to 1821, when the Union Course racetrack opened (after 2 decades of horse racing being illegal in New York State). Within 2 years, a crowd of over 60,000 people came to Woodhaven to view and bet on the outcome of the race between American Eclipse and Sir Henry.

The hero of that story was the jockey who rode Eclipse to victory, a man named Samuel Purdy. He took over the reins for the 2nd and 3rd heat that day and his maneuver during the last lap of the second heat to take the lead was discussed and praised by horse racing fans for decades.

This week, Woodhaven’s grand history of horse racing gained another chapter, and another character, when Alfred J. “Rocky” Hanan came to Neir’s Tavern for a “Night at the Races.” Hanan, a Woodhaven native who was a jockey for many decades, entertained the crowd with tales on and off the track.

Rocky was a small lad for 13 years old, just 80 pounds soaking wet. He was on the street with some pals, smoking, when two men told him to get rid of the cigarette. Rocky was a bit of a wiseguy and told them where to get off.

The two men, brothers as it turned out, sized the young man up and saw potential. They spoke to young Rocky’s mother and confirmed that he was only 13.

“We have connections with people at the race track,” they told her, “and we might be able to get him a spot with a good outfit.”

By the time Rocky was 14 he was riding for Greentree Stud and Stable, a very successful thoroughbred racing and breeding stable. And that was what Rocky did for decades, before retiring and becoming a horse trainer, something he still does now in his 80s.

Woodhaven native and longtime jockey Alfred J. “Rocky” Hanan (white shirt, center) and fans gathered at Neir’s Tavern this week for a celebration of the sport of horse racing. Rocky entertained the crowd with tales on and off the track, including a memorable encounter with the legendary Mae West.

Rocky spoke to the crowd at Neir’s about the thrill of riding a horse and his affection for the sport. “”It was a love that you can’t beat,” he said. “It was never a job, it was fun; it was wonderful!”

Rocky brought along a suitcase full of racing memories, including his racing cap, colors, a whip and goggles, which was a necessity when it rained.

“When it rained hard, you’d wear 4 or 5 pairs of goggles at once. And as you’re going round those turns, and the horses in front of you are kicking up that mud, you had to reach up with one finger and pull down one pair, leaving you with a few more clean pairs covering your eyes. And you’re doing this with your hands full, in the pouring rain, on a horse running at full speed!”
Rocky spoke lovingly of horses, but none more than Secretariat, who he never rode, but said was the nicest, classiest and smartest horse he’d ever witnessed.

“I’ve never seen a horse in my entire life like Secretariat. I would have given anything just to sit on him! And he was a smart horse; he watched everything around him. He’d be grazing and a plane would fly high overhead, and he’d pick his head up and follow the plane with his eyes!”

As a longtime resident of Woodhaven, Rocky had the pleasure of meeting one of its most famous residents, though he didn’t know it at the time.

“I was 8 years old and on Saturdays I’d go door to door collecting for the Long Island Press. One day, I’m at a house on 88th Street and a lady opens the door and tells me to come in. Turns out she had a house full of people and she brought me in and said to them ‘Ooh, isn’t he cute, look at the size of him!”

Alfred J. “Rocky” Hanan and Loycent Gordon, owner of Neir’s Tavern, celebrating the sport of horse racing in Woodhaven, right across the street from where the famed Union Course Racetrack used to sit (1821-1870).

As he was leaving the house, the woman paid the bill and gave him a dollar tip, which was a lot of money for a kid back then. “I thought I was a millionaire!” he said.

Only later on, did he find out whose house that was, and who gave him the dollar, it was none other than Mae West!

Life is like a horse race, you never know what’s going to happen. A chance encounter on the street led to a lifetime of love and thrills for a local boy from Woodhaven and he has no regrets.
“If I had to live ten more lifetimes I’d do it all over again!” Rocky said.

The Unconventional Boxing Instructor

glendaleregstg on August 16, 2023

Professor Yoerger with Trixie – “the dog with the mind of a child” and Skippy.

By Ed Wendell | projectwoodhaven@gmail.com 

George Yoerger’s future was set when a muscular stranger with a handlebar mustache walked on to his farm in East Norwalk, Connecticut and inquired about renting the family’s barn.

“I’m John L. Sullivan,” the man said, introducing himself. “I’m champion of the world.” The legendary Sullivan, aka The Boston Strong Boy, was the first heavyweight champ. He spent the next few months training on the Yoerger farm, and young George soon knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Inside the ring he was a tough fighter, but his true calling was outside the ring, where he became a well-respected boxing and self-defense instructor. At the turn of the century, he moved to Brooklyn with his wife Minnie and opened a gymnasium at Broadway and Myrtle which was an almost immediate success. Dubbing himself “Professor” Yoerger, he lured in customers with the promise:  “Six lessons free if you hit me on the nose!”

But while he was busy training pupils how to box, Minnie began to get cozy with one of his friends and the neighbors began to talk. One approached Yoerger with these suspicions and one night he and two private detectives burst into their apartment and found his friend hiding in the bedroom.

Yoerger sued his friend for $100,000 for alienation of affection and the trial made scandalous headlines for several months.

He returned to the headlines several years later when a small gang of thugs tried to rough him up for some money and a blue diamond he had in his possession. They failed to see the flaw in their plan and the Professor of boxing whipped the bunch of them and called the police. Another public trial followed, and Professor Yoerger was hailed a hero.

Professor Yoerger Ad for his services (with his picture).

Later in life he met a much younger woman and they fell in love. The woman was Florence Lott, whose family was among some of the earliest residents of Woodhaven, many of whom are still buried in the Colonial Era Wyckoff-Snedicker Family Cemetery (on 96th Street in Woodhaven).

They moved into Lott’s family home on Lott Avenue (named for the family, and today known as 76th Street), a few hundred feet south of Jamaica Avenue, where it still stands today.

Yoerger semi-retired from the boxing profession and closed the gym in Brooklyn (though he opened a small private gymnasium in the backyard of his home in Woodhaven). Since training was still in his blood, he embarked on a second career – training dogs. He started his training with his own dog, Trixie, who he would take out for paid exhibitions.

Trixie’s most popular trick was to sit at a table, open a menu, select a meal, go through the motions of eating and when finished, wiping her face with her paw.

Trixie was advertised as the dog “with the mind of a child,” and with each public appearance, his renown as a dog trainer grew, and this business flourished as well. He was commissioned to write several newspaper articles giving owners advice with their dogs and his fame was such that he and Trixie were asked to take part in a dog show at the Jamaica Arena to help raise funds for the Helen Keller Free Clinic.

Helen Keller herself attended the show and it was said that she affectionately pet many of the hundreds of children and their dogs that took part in the show. She told one reporter that if she was to be granted but a single split-second of sight that she would choose to see “a child and its dog.”

Florence Lott, the Professor’s 2nd wife and a member of one of Woodhaven’s most prominent early families.

In his later years, Yoerger added fencing, trick pistol shooting, and diamond appraising to his activities, also finding time to found the Long Island Society of Magicians. In 1949, Professor Yoerger (by now in his 80s) appeared on television, providing commentary for live bouts being broadcast from the boxing arena at Ridgewood Grove.

Professor George Yoerger would pass away in 1951 shortly after his 84th birthday (his young wife Florence would outlive him by over twenty years, passing away in late 1973).  He had a long, remarkable life, and it’s even more remarkable when you discover the fact that he was deaf his entire life.

Professor George Yoerger was a colorful character and you can learn more about him and other interesting people from our community’s rich history at twice monthly meetings of the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society (at Neir’s Tavern, 78th Street and 88th Avenue, at 7 p.m. on the 3rd Monday of every month and on Zoom at 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month. Email us at woodhavenhistory@gmail.com for more information and to get on our mailing list.

It’s Not Just An Ice Cream Truck

Ed Wendell on August 9, 2023

When 60s rock and roll star Brian Hyland visited Woodhaven, he was thrilled to see a Mister Softee truck, something he hadn’t seen since his childhood. The Mister Softee truck was just one of many things that adults today can bond over as it was part of their shared experience growing up in Woodhaven.

By Ed Wendell | projectwoodhaven@gmail.com

A city councilman in Brooklyn has introduced legislation that would require ice cream trucks to modify their trucks to power their soft-serve machines with solar or electric, instead of fuel. While the intent is good (it will benefit the environment) the estimated cost of upgrading each truck is so prohibitive (at least $5,000 each) that many vendors may just go out of business.

This could forever silence a welcome sound of summer, that being the Mister Softee jingle that let kids everywhere know that the ice cream man is coming.

Looking back at our own childhoods, I see so very little in common with the experiences that children grow up with today. We were so blessed to grow up in an era where kids were allowed to be kids.

We played outside from early in the morning until the light faded and our mothers called us in. We chased each other and played games like Tag and Ringolevio and Red Light, Green Light 1-2-3. And when we ran out of games to play, we made up new ones.

When was the last time you saw kids playing games in the streets? Last year, I was happy to see a Skully board on the street around the corner from me. A few days later I saw who was using it, a few middle-aged old-timers like me trying to relive their youth, not a kid in sight.

Whenever you do see kids in the street, their faces are glued to their phones, playing games online or looking at who knows what.

Years ago, we looked forward to Saturday mornings as the channels would be full of cartoons and shows geared towards children. We all loved Scooby Doo and Josie and the Pussycats and Bugs Bunny and dozens of other shows that were always entertaining.

When we saw each other we would talk about the latest episodes we had just all seen and we would imitate the characters and re-tell the jokes and share the laughter with each other.

These days, Saturday mornings are no longer known for cartoons; instead, you get infomercials and news programs. Sure, there are dozens of cable channels and shows for kids but the entertainment is so scattered and diffused that they’re often watching different shows from each other.

We all had plenty of local penny candy stores to visit and they brought us so much joy. I remember going into Reap’s on 95th Street and Jamaica Avenue and the owner, Tillie, helping us get the most value for our nickels. We’d run out of there with our candies and share them with each other.

Stores like that just don’t exist anymore. Jamaica Avenue is littered with stores that sell paraphernalia for smoking pot. Not only do we have all the illegal weed stores but even the newsstands and bodegas sell bongs. Heck, the one toy and game store in the neighborhood even has bongs in the front window.

What kind of childhoods are we creating for today’s young kids and future generations? They appear to be devoid of fun and imagination and any time I read about the rise of depression in young kids, I’m so unsurprised.

We’re raising them to be isolated from one another, to become more introverted than sociable and then we pump their brains full of ‘entertainment’ that is full of horrible violence. Can we really be surprised that young people are rioting over video games, like we saw in the city this past week?

There’s an old expression that says, Garbage In, Garbage Out. And if we keep giving our young people a steady diet of garbage we shouldn’t be surprised when they turn out badly. We shouldn’t be surprised when they turn out isolated, depressed and inclined to believe that violence is a solution.

And so, Mister Softee might seem like just an ice cream truck, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s another good piece of childhood being threatened with extinction, like playing games in the streets or Saturday morning cartoons or innocent penny candy stores.

As a result, we’re going to end up with a generation that we will have almost nothing in common with. And I don’t think anyone can save us from that fate. Not even Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse.

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