Congrats
Congratulations are in order to Neil O’Donnell from 77 Street who has become the chairman of the Queensboro Falcons Football team. His office is on Mazeau Street.

Our Lady of Hope student, Nicole Werner, celebrated her 8th Birthday recently with a big party in her backyard, tent and all! Nicole is the daughter of JPCA members, Kelly and Richard Werner of 60th Road in Middle Village. Happy Birthday, Nicole.

Andrew Mougis, Jr., grandson of Christina and Chris Mougis of 81 Street in Middle Village, recently graduated from Monmouth University in Long Branch, NJ and he also made the Dean’s List. Congratulations, Andrew. Good luck as you pursue your Masters!

When they’re not studying for tests or playing video games, this group of friends enjoys writing songs and playing music together. From left to right, meet Eric Kramer, Joseph Lume, Robert Betz, and Chris Vasile , all from Middle Village, and John Oliva from Howard Beach. They share in common their love for music, so the five formed a band, Children of the Healing Tree, a name as eclectic as they are. Practicing is fun for them, and it paid off recently when they had an opportunity to showcase their talents at the Knitting Factory in NYC where they performed live on stage for fans, friends, and family. On an exciting Saturday afternoon in SOHO, these guys showed that Queens has TALENT!

Congratulations to Middle Village scholars, Nicholas Lynaugh and Daniel Miller, students of Our Lady of Hope School who have been awarded scholarships to Regis High School.

A Field Day in Juniper
Public School 49 in Middle Village had a Field Day in Juniper Valley Park, on June 1st and June 2nd, complete with the PTA and PTA President, Debbie Tscherne and Co-President, Josephine Luizzi, along with an outdoor art show. Signs of local businesses that sponsored the event were hanging everywhere, and what looked like hundreds of boxes of pizza and soda drinks for the participants. Everyone was having a ball and it is great to see the local kids having so much fun in Juniper Valley Park.

Bash for OLH Monsignor
Parishioners and friends will gather to say a farewell and thanks to Monsignor Nicholas Sivillo on Sunday, June 28th. He has served OLH for over 20 years and will enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
Monsignor Sivillo will also receive the Juniper Park Civic’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the JPCA Town Meeting on Thursday, June 25th, 7:45pm at OLH School Auditorium, Eliot Avenue & 71st Street in Middle Village.

Eliot Avenue Loves Cats
Middle Village will have a cat clinic, Veterinary Medical Clinic, on Eliot Avenue and 80th Street. A veterinary hospital specializing in cat problems will open at the site. So, looks like Middle Village will have its first cat house right on Eliot Avenue! Stay tuned and we’ll have an article in the September Juniper Berry.

Middle Villagers Everywhere
At an Art Fair I attended in Montauk on Memorial Day, Middle Village residents seemed to be everywhere. Before long there were fourteen of us in the circle talking and exchanging stories and you can bet that talking about our hometown of Middle Village was high on our agenda!

Berry Good
Gunther Duy, who was also in Montauk on the Memorial Day Weekend, owns Gunral Service Center with his partner, Ralph Barone, a Juniper Berry advertiser and business in our neighborhood, told me how pleased he and Ralph were to get so many compliments from his customers on the article about their service station that was in the March 2009 Juniper Berry. He said it was a big hit with everyone who read it.

Good Deals
This came from Bob Holden:
An excellent Japanese & Chinese takeout opened on Dry Harbor Road (64-72) corner of 80th St and Furmanville Avenue. Jade Bamboo offers $1.00 Sushi & Sashimi and great tasting Chinese food too. And they have brown rice. Free Delivery 718.326.3998 or 718.326.3983.

As we all know, baseball games have become unaffordable for many families these days and it would be good to know that reduced unused tickets can be bought at Mets.com, stub.hub.com and fansnap.com

Andy’s Deli (87-17 Eliot Ave.,718.424.5260) owned by everyone’s favorite guy, Brian Victor was featured in a Daily News article on “Savings in Middle Village (May 26). The Daily News and their readership just found out what we knew all along.

Treemendous
Has anyone noticed the beautiful trees and evergreens planted recently in Juniper Valley Park? Take a walk in the park and admire the over three hundred new trees planted under the supervision of Jeffrey Karl, Parks & Recreation Manager and arborist. Good job, Jeff!

ACS Relay for Life
American Cancer Society's 7th Annual Relay for Life in Middle Village will be held in Juniper Valley Park on June 27-28th. For more info contact Leslie Orlovsky -718-263-2225, ext. 5526 pleslie.orlovsky@cancer.org

Army base in Juniper
Does anyone out there remember an Army base in what are now the upper ball fields of Juniper Park during WWII? If so, are there any pictures around? Let me know. Like to post them.

New Restaurant
Everyone is curious about the new restaurant, La Bella Cucina (Juniper Boulevard South) and when it will open. Can’t wait to taste that Southern Italian food served in a beautiful Italian setting, piano player and all. Middle Village is in for a treat with this one! We had a sneak peak at the inside and it’s a knockout! Countdown for the opening is sometime in August.

Volunteers
And finally, a word to all the great volunteers of the JPCA, recently, I was appointed to Community Board 5 and at the orientation meeting, a guest speaker remarked: “Remember, it was volunteers who built Noah’s Ark and expert professionals who built the Titanic, and we all know how that went!” Love that statement.