March 2010 Juniper Berry Magazine

March 2010 Juniper Berry

The Juniper Berry magazine has a rich tradition in the communities of Middle Village, Maspeth and Elmhurst. It was first published in 1938. The quarterly magazine is an all-volunteer effort and contains articles on crime prevention, neighborhood issues, meeting reports and notices, neighborhood history and photographs, guest articles, editorials and more.

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Please Join Marge Markey in Celebrating 10 Years of Deadly Truck Traffic

On Friday March 5, 2010 six politicians gathered at the fork of Grand & Flushing Avenues in Maspeth for a grand photo op. The event was organized by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who was just starting her 14th month in office. She was acting on a request from the Juniper Park Civic Association to address the problem of "Through Truck Routes" in our community.

March 2010 letters to the editor

To the Editor: I thoroughly enjoyed the Return to Fairyland piece by Lorraine Sciulli. My Mother, who recently passed, used to tell me about Fairyland and I could only ever find minimal information (and pictures) about it on the Internet. When I saw the wonderful cover of the Juniper Berry at Pioneer Supermarket I smiled thinking of my Mom. I was born in 1970 and it was all gone by then.

Maspeth: The Way it Was ..and Where it's Going

This article is intended to provide a snapshot of Maspeth's history, demographics and its people. Most residents either don't know or have forgotten who we are and where we came from. This is a common trend in this country and it has led to a generation who has lost its national identity, is devoid of community loyalty and is oblivious to the lessons of history. So without too much grandstanding I would like to take this opportunity to fill you in on my take of who I am and where I came from.

For many Middle Village residents it's like Living in a Rail Yard!

Early Morning Noise and Pollution Bombards Neighbors as City Plans to Expand Garbage Hauling Through Maspeth, Middle Village & Glendale. Over the past few years, Middle Village has been bombarded with a markedly increased amount of railway activity. This is mostly due to the transportation of solid waste.

Memories of Fairyland

While many articles written in the Juniper Berry create interest and discussion, few resonated to the extent of "Return to Fairyland" in the December 2009 issue. It jogged everyone's memory with questions and curiosity. By popular demand, in this follow-up "Memories of Fairyland" we will attempt to give our readers the sense of impact the article had on our members. It is almost like we've awakened a "sleeping giant!"

New Business Spotlight Vertuccio's on the Park

When you first walk in, you are treated to a beautiful granite bar and brick oven. Behind this area is the dining area. Vertuccio's also has an outdoor patio which is open during warmer weather. There are 30-foot ceilings and hand-painted murals covering the walls, giving Vertuccio's an old-world charm.

The Legacy of the Trolley in Queens, both a Joy and a Necessity.

The trolleys that ran through Middle Village and Maspeth have a brief but rich history, one that left a lasting impression on those who still remember the sounds, colors, and textures of the original cars, as well as the tracks that have since been covered to make way for modernity and the new means of traveling that have followed.

Amazing Stories from Middle Village & Maspeth

Maspeth Post Office Robbed. $1,000 in Stamps and Money Taken ‒ Amateurs, Police Think.

Amazing Stories from Middle Village & Maspeth

Boys, 9 and 12, Break Through Ice in Old Excavation on Rothstein Estate Rescuer's Effort Futile District Attorney and Health Officer Open Inquiries ‒ Pool Drainage Urged. 2 Brothers Drown in Maspeth Pond

Amazing Stories from Middle Village & Maspeth

Steal 300-Pound Safe From Owner's Bedside Burglars Rig Up Tackle at Window- Also Ransack House, Blow it Open; No One Wakes Farmer Kinsey and his Family Discover Their Loss in the Morning; Bits of Safe in the Yard

Amazing Stories from Middle Village & Maspeth

A Nazi Past, a Queens Home Life, an Overlooked Death Hermine Braunsteiner Ryan was a (Maspeth) Queens homemaker in 1964 when The New York Times revealed her notorious past as a vicious Nazi death camp guard.

Civics look to Detour Rail Problems

Western Queens' civic associations united in November 2009 to work for the upgrade of freight rail transportation and the environment. The name of the new coalition is CURES: Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions.

London Lennie's: Fifty Years of Fish and Still Flippin'

Five decades of hard work, amazing service, and great food is a tough endeavor for many, but not for Leslie Barnes, owner and operator of London Lennie's seafood restaurant, whose childhood enabled him to develop a love for fish that has saturated all aspects of his life. Along with his father Leonard "Lennie" Barnes, Leslie has built an establishment based on family values and quality fish, serving the Queens community for an astonishing fifty years.

Killy's Korner March/April 2010

Killy's Korner contains information on the lighter moments in our neighborhood such as births, anniversaries, graduations, anything that is newsworthy or that we think people will like reading. John Killcommons, knows practically everyone in the neighborhood! Who is better to give this writing assignment to?

Business Spotlight: Kore Pilates Studio

Kore Pilates Studio is located on Eliot Avenue in Middle Village and opened in September, 2007. The owners, Josephine and Declan McErlean, are friendly and energetic professionals who have extensive experience, not just in "exercising" but in a wide range of professional areas, including sports conditioning, lymphatic therapy, physical therapy and pre-natal and post-partum conditioning, to name but a few of what Mr. & Mrs. McErlean are qualified to teach. They are experienced and licensed Pilates instructors both with extensive rehabilitation backgrounds.

Community Thanks Businesses for Christmas Raffle Donations

Once again the JPCA Christmas Raffle at our December Town Meeting was a huge success. We had great food from our new restaurant, La Bella Cucina, and the gifts were donated by our area businesses. Also once again Pioneer Supermarket of Maspeth donated four six foot heroes to the JPCA party.

Younger Voices: Fuzzy Karma

Karma is an ancient concept; a simple explanation is that if you do something good, then good will comes back to you. By adopting and caring for a pet, you can do something good for another living creature.

Business Spotlight: Ponticello Ristorante

Ponticello is owned by two friends, Pepi Honovic and Luigi Kucica, who met in 1969 and who came to America from Croatia. They both had thoughts of being in the restaurant business at early ages. They arrived in America and programmed themselves to realize their dreams knowing that hard work was the way to go.

Berry Book Review: One-on-One Baseball by Dom Scala

Let's play ball! It's almost time for baseball season to start. All you moms and dads who have kids who play baseball know what that means...buying uniforms and cleats, juggling schedules, running the kids to practice and games. One-on-One Baseball is a great book for those of you who want to learn more about the techniques of playing the game, and who want to understand just exactly what it is your kids are doing out on the field.

Killy's Korner June/July 2012

Send info and photos to: KillysKorner@aol.com or write: Juniper Berry PO Box 790275 Middle Village, NY 11379 deadline for next issue: August 25th

THE JUNIPER BERRY

The Juniper Berry magazine, first published in 1938 is an all-volunteer effort containing articles on crime prevention, neighborhood issues, meeting reports and notices, neighborhood history and photographs, guest articles, editorials and more.

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In The News

Mr. Mayor, Let's Not Have Another Maspeth

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Diner in Maspeth where 'Goodfellas' was filmed catches fire after closing for the day

Convicted bank robber out on parole is wanted for failed Ridgewood bank heist and other jobs: cops

Remembering the Slocum disaster and its link to Middle Village: Our Neighborhood, The Way it Was

Thieves steal safe containing $60K from Queens home: Police

Press Releases

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Maspeth-Middle Village Task Force's coalition strategy pays off

Mayor de Blasio announced a major policy shift on February 28th which will eventually end the City's use of hotels and cluster sites as homeless shelters. The City now plans to build shelters in individual communities sized to accommodate the number of homeless that originate from them. This means homeless families and individuals will be able to remain in their own familiar neighborhoods while they rebuild their lives.

MARKEY BILL DENIES JUSTICE FOR THE MAJORITY OF SEX ABUSE VICTIMS

(June 7, 2016) Assemblywoman Margaret Markey is pushing a bill in the State Assembly that would extend the statute of limitations for civil claims brought by sexual abuse victims. (Interestingly, it does not attempt to toughen criminal penalties for sexual abuse.) The bill has been promoted non-stop by media such as the Daily News, which has vilified anyone who has questions about it or opposes it outright. However, what is not being discussed by the media is that Markey's bill has fine print with major implications: it targets religious and private institutions while granting exemptions to public entities, such as the Department of Education, which runs the majority of schools in our city.