Hi everyone, time for another Killy’s Korner and we start this one with great news. Our JPCA President Bob Holden received a special award this year at the Queens Civic Congress Luncheon in Antun’s Restaurant. Is there a better honoree out there than Bob who seems to spend every one of his waking hours working for our community? He never stops! Congratulations Bob. We hope you’re around for many years to come.

We also congratulate JPCA First VP Lorraine Sciulli for receiving the Woman of Distinction Award from our State Senator Joe Addabbo. Lorraine has been a constant neighborhood advocate in the Juniper Park Civic Association and throughout our community including Community Board 5 for many years and her achievements were recognized with this award. She is indeed a Woman of Distinction!

Lorraine Sciulli gave this report to the Korner – What a welcome sight at TD Bank recently. I heard the honk of a car horn and who’s at the wheel ? None other than a smiling Monsignor Nicholas Sivillo, looking great. I told him how we were concerned about his health and he told me he was in a car accident in April. His car was totaled and he was seriously injured, woke up in the hospital after losing consciousness. His injury was to his neck but he is coming along well and as I said, “looking great!” He told me how much he loves the Juniper Berry and particularly the cover on the March 2012 Berry with airplanes flying in unison. He asked if I could please make sure he always gets a copy in the mail. I responded with a “no problem” and Monsignor Sivillo will be a lifelong member of the JPCA. I always tell him “come back, we miss you!”

JPCA Executive Board member and owner of Ace Wines & Liquors on Grand
Avenue, Dave Lichtenstein celebrated a milestone birthday recently with his wife Jacqueline and other JPCA Board members at Abbracciamento’s Restaurant.

I want to welcome home my wife Betty who went across the pond with her sister Rose Shea and both their two oldest daughters, Laurie Killcommons and Christie Shea. They spent time on the Amalfi Coast and toured Rome.

The Our Lady of Hope Drama Club performed “Alice In Wonderland, Jr.” on May 21st at the school auditorium to rave reviews. All of the kids played their parts like stage stars. Congratulations to all!

The Scouts, Leaders and Committee Members of St. Margaret’s Boy Scout Troop 119 announced that Christopher Magnowski, after having been examined by an Eagle Scout Board of Review was found worthy of the rank of Eagle Scout. We congratulate Christopher and wish him the best of luck in his future with the Boy Scouts.

This in to the Korner from JPCA Executive Board member, Len Santoro – There was a Park Clean-Up Day for the Juniper Juniors on Saturday, May 5th. All Juniors and adult volunteers showed up as usual and did their clean-up very efficiently. It’s the “little guys” in our neighborhoods who keep everything in order. Being a Juniper Junior grooms these kids as great role models for other kids and no question, they will carry the message of giving back to the community into their adult years! As usual, we thank them all – Nicholas Ambio, Giuseppe Vicino, Richard Polgar, Lorrie Dooley, Peter Ilse, Jennifer Gammone, Joe Termine, Lydon Sleeper, Angelo Raneri, Barbara Santoro, Len Santoro, Bob Holden.

Not everyone who visits our beautiful Juniper Valley Park has its best interest at heart. Recently, vandals attacked some trees in the park leaving them without limbs and they also vandalized the north steps into the park by removing the handrail that is so necessary for everyone to navigate the steps safely. The idiots who do these things do not realize that at the end of the day, they along with everyone else have to pay to replace the trees and of course the handrails.

The JPCA has always stated that if we find the vandals who do these things, via cameras or other devices, we will pay a reward to the person or persons who step forward with valid information leading to their arrest.

After a recent downpour did you happen to see the massive flooding in the tennis courts at Juniper Valley Park? We have a photo posted and it gives you the sense of the seriousness of the terrible conditions on the tennis courts in Juniper. This neglect is magnified by the fact that $750,000 of our tax dollars was recently allocated to reconstruct the handball courts and totally rehab the bocci courts with weather shields and all. Ridiculous to not pay attention to the tennis courts where participants pay hefty fees just for the “privilege” to use the courts. The flooding was so deep we couldn’t get inside the courts to take our pictures.

Beginning on July 11th, the “Gracercise” gals at Juniper Valley Park will again meet at 9:30 AM near 75th Street and Juniper Blvd. North. Moderate stretching, dancing and relaxation exercises set to music are led by Grace Kusen of Maspeth. All are welcome.

A film crew took aver Eliot Avenue and 80th Street in Middle Village in front of the Village Gourmet Deli the week of April 16th. The crew was shooting a film named “The Last I Heard,” starring Michael Rappaport, best known for his roles on the television series Boston Public, Prison Break, and The War at Home. Also in the movie is Mario Ruffo, an up and coming actor and the owner of the Village Gourmet who is thrilled that they’ve chosen his deli as the site for filming a portion of the movie. Another star in the film is Paul Sorvino who plays “Mr. Joe” and whose daughter in real life is Academy Award winning actress, Mira Sorvino. The director is David Rodriguez. We have posted a picture of Michael Rappaport in this article. The film crew stayed in Middle Village filming in Juniper Park and some of our other Middle Village streets.

Great to see long time Middle Village resident and JPCA member Bill Gobler up and around after his recent back surgery. With his wife Ilse taking such good care of him, Bill will surely be fit and ready to run the NYC Marathon this year.

OLH Parishioners Margaret and Santino Vicino were “bee-side” themselves when their son Giuseppe took 2nd place in the OLH Math Bee. Congratulations Giuseppe Vicino, you make your family and friends proud.

Nice to see that the Forest Park Carousel is ready for prime time after being closed since 2008. The scheduled reopening will be Memorial Day Weekend 2012.

Did you know what has been described as “The Greatest Play in Baseball?” On April 25, 1976, in Dodger Stadium, two men darted from the stands, ran out onto the field with the American Flag and quickly attempted to burn the flag. Very quickly Chicago Cubs’ centerfielder Rick Monday ran out and grabbed the flag and saved it from burning. The Crowd applauded wildly and spontaneously in unison sang “God Bless America.” It is said that there wasn’t a dry eye in Dodger stadium after that heroic display of patriotism.
To this day, Rick Monday states that he never tires of being asked about the event and feeling proud that the flag rescue is still regarded as one of the greatest 100 moments in baseball history!

Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve under the tongue. They work much faster than the tablets. Why keep aspirin by your bedside? There are other symptoms of an heart attack besides the pain on the left arm.
One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating, however these symptoms may also occur less frequently. Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack. The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep, did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep. If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

In closing I’ll leave you with a couple of jokes I recently heard…
Two blonds were sipping their Starbucks when a truck went past loaded with rolls of sod. “I’m going to do that when I win the lottery,” announced Blond #1. Do what? Asked Blond #2. “Send my lawn out to be mowed.”

Here’s another one…
A tour bus driver is driving with a bus load of retirees when he is tapped on the shoulder by a little old lady. She offers him a handful of peanuts, which he gratefully munches up. After about 15 minutes, she taps him on the shoulder again and hands him another handful of peanuts. When she is about to hand him another batch he asks her: “Why don’t you eat the peanuts yourself?” “We can’t chew them because we have no teeth,” she replies. “We just love the chocolate coating on them.”