First off here’s an important announcement to the Korner The Our Lady of Hope Drama Club will be performing “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.,” Monday, May 21st at 7:30 pm. Our Lady of Hope Auditorium (Eliot Ave. and 71 Street). Tickets will cost $10.00 for Adults and $5.00 for Children 14 and under and can be purchased in the school office beginning Monday, April 30, 2012.
Carl Berner celebrated his 110th Birthday on January 27, 2012. Yes, you read it right, his 110th! About 15 of us went to his house and watched Carl blow out the candles on his beautiful 110th Birthday Cake. Carl always attributed his long life to eating oatmeal. We know, there are some of us who would rather take a shorter stay on planet earth than eat oatmeal but you have to hand it to Carl, a real trouper and, when he can, he still walks around the neighborhood picking up litter. Carl Berner, another Middle Village ROCK STAR!
Have you noticed the knockout windows in Artis Drug Store on the corner of Eliot Avenue and 80th Street in Middle Village? While we have a few businesses that have morphed into pretty messy stores it is great to feast our eyes on the beautiful themed windows of Artis Drug Store. We commend owner, Michael Somma, for continuing the great window dressing that he has been showing over the years and we also want to remind you that Artis Drug is a proud advertiser in the Juniper Berry with a full page ad. Please continue to patronize this neighborhood staple that is certainly high tech but still as neat and orderly as it was years ago. Some of the other stores on our business strip should take notice and learn some good grooming from Artis Drugs and clean up their act!
The picture you see here needs no introduction. Yes, that’s Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning with Michael Killcommons and Michael’s young son, Jack, at a party celebrating the victory in Indianapolis.
Chase Bank has introduced Military Banking with a commitment to all our veterans of all wars. Military Banking includes Chase Premier Plus Checking with Military Direct Deposit, which offers no monthly Service Fees on many of the services involved with checking accounts. Any veteran interested is encouraged to go into any Chase branch and talk to a banker. He or she will fill you in on how to get started. Chase’s announcement states “You give this country your best, now Chase is proud to give you ours.” We commend Chase Bank for stepping up and giving back to the communities that they serve by recognizing the great contribution to our country made by our military veterans. Chase Bank should make an effort to publicize Military Banking because most people don’t know about it.
Consistent with giving back to our veterans the Home Depot also gives a 10% discount to all veterans with every purchase, any day of the week. To qualify you have to show your veteran’s card or discharge papers at the courtesy desk and you will agree, 10% on all purchases is not a bad deal. The problem is that Home Depot doesn’t publicize this little known discount but the Korner just has!
Something I discovered on how to get tickets to Broadway shows at a discount is to call the box office and see if there are cancellations because original cast members may not be in any particular shows for a variety of reasons. If that occurs seats become available because there are some theatergoers who only want to see a Broadway show with the original cast. If a key cast member is not available on any given day that usually translates into returned tickets at the box office ready for resale at discount rates. I recently got to see Anything Goes and I have to tell you it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen on Broadway. Don’t miss it if you have the opportunity to go to the theater.
The JPCA Officers and Executive Board had their Holiday Christmas Party at LaBella Cucina Restaurant with owner Joe Passanante and his friendly staff, including his assistant, Caroline Connor, filling the room with music from DJ, Walter Curella and romantic songs sung by the talented, Enzo Venuto, all topped off with the best food in town. Walter Curella had the room literally rocking with everyone up and boogying! This guy is great and really knows how to get everyone involved! It doesn’t get much better than La Bella Cucina when it comes to having a friendly night on the town in Middle Village. Can’t wait for another reason to party!
JPCA Executive Board members Theresa Riley and Mary Ann Ricevuto made their annual Christmas collection for needy families. Participating in the drive were Silver Barn with a $200 donation on their own, then there was Met Food in Middle Village, Harry’s Hardware, Phillies Restaurant, all from Middle Village, Stop & Shop Super Market in Maspeth and the Knights of Columbus, all part of the drive to collect a whopping $2,300! The money was donated to Fr. Michael Carrano, Pastor of Our Lady of Hope RC Church in Middle Village for distribution in the neighborhood. What a great effort by Theresa Riley and Mary Ann Ricevuto and all the participants. Definitely neighborhood good guys!
Middle school student Jefferson Koutsantanou Grandson of Manny and Lillian Caruana scored in the top five percent nationally in the American mathematics competition. Congratulations goes out to Jefferson.
Middle Village residents Mary and Ed Jackowski celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary recently. Ed is a retired firefighter and Mary has been a Middle Villager since childhood. Congratulations on your 50 years together! Nowadays that’s quite an accomplishment!
Congressman Bob Turner opened his Middle Village office at 82-20A Eliot Avenue with a ribbon cutting ceremony. We welcome our new Congressman to our town and hope all his constituents will find the time to drop in and say hello to his friendly staff. Some of the staff includes Bob Capano, District Director, Amanda Kohut, Constituent Liaison for Middle Village, Glendale, Maspeth, Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Michael Tracey, Congressional Aide who is Bob Turner’s liaison for CURES (Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions). It’s great to have our Congressman so visible and ready to serve right here in our own neighborhood. In the recent past we have been underserved in the 9th CD with a Congressman who ended up having to resign in humiliation with disgraceful personal problems. We’re ready for some meaningful representation on issues that relate to us, the people paying all the bills!
The Lume Family is so proud of their son, Nick Lume, who graduates Our Lady of Hope this June. Nick scored in the 99th percentile on the TACHS exam and was awarded two full scholarships for high school. Nick’s Mom, Dad, Joe, Cathy and Duchess send their love!

This announcement was recently sent to the Korner, “We would like to wish our daughter Kylie Wieworka of Middle Village a happy first birthday.  Thanks very much, Keith & Jeanette Wieworka”

We would like to give special mention to all the workers in Bill Fani’s, Met Super Market on Eliot Avenue in Middle Village and a Juniper Berry advertiser. The Met employees are always courteous and friendly to the neighborhood customers and the store is well stocked and kept clean, a rare exception in the super market field where many of the stores are unkempt and downright dirty. The women at the cash registers, college students, young mothers and neighborhood residents who want to make some extra money, go out of their way to help everyone. Rita Bordone in particular does the shopping for the delivery customers most of whom are the elderly and homebound and she has even brought food over to nearby shut-ins who need the food quickly. Of course, you know Joanne Ruvolo who recently saved a choking baby by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. You will see their picture in this article. Take a bow – Ladies at the Met from left to right, Pilar, Christine, Jennifer, Rita, Giuseppina and Joanne.
The following was sent to us by JPCA Executive Board Member, Joyce Beaudoin, “a wonderful time was had at LaBella Cucina Restaurant celebrating Middle Village resident’s Winnie Matson’s 85th Birthday. Family & friends came from near & far to wish Winnie good cheer.”
Friends and Family celebrated Mike O'Shaughnessey's birthday at Stella's
Restaurant recently. Mike's grandchildren, Michael and Katie, helped him blow
out the candles.

The St. Margaret’s Class of 1970 is looking to reconnect with friends and relive the good old days in late spring or early summer. Please contact Karen (Frisbie) Colletti at 718-639-8265 or email at ajcdon23@aol.com

Daniel Phelan of Maspeth has received quite an honor from the IAABO
International Association
of Approved Basketball Officials. It was just announced he will become a Lifetime Member of the prestigious referee organization.

As we sign off another Killy’s Korner here’s a thought – don’t patronize stores in our area that are dirty or that do not remove their graffiti QUICKLY! We have enough neighborhood stores that deserve our hard earned money. Tell the owners of the filthy, messy stores that you won’t patronize them with your precious money until they clean up their act. Trust me, they’ll pay attention! If we don’t take a stand it won’t be long before we experience “ghettofication” and end up looking like some of the outer area business strips that resemble ghetto neighborhoods.
Now here’s a Killy’s Korner sobering thought –
They sent my Tax Return back AGAIN because of my response
to the question: “List all dependents?” I replied –
“12 million illegal immigrants
“3 million crack heads
“42 million unemployable people on food stamps
“2 million criminals in over 243 prisons
“535 fools in the U.S. House and Senate.”

Apparently there was a problem at the IRS with this response from me! No question, those guys over at the IRS need a dose of reality!