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Wendell: Caps off to this year’s grad class and teachers

As we hurtle into June I want to offer congratulations to all graduating students of the Class of 2022. The past few years have been unlike any other years and you will have plenty of stories to tell years from now.

And what a badge of honor – to complete so much of your work from home, under duress and all kinds of stress; not only are congratulations in order, you deserve a hearty well done!

And thank you to all the teachers that stuck with it, especially in those early days as the bugs were being ironed out. Thank you for being there for these students during these difficult times.

Miss Roth, Miss Beckerman, and Miss Linser of PS 60 as they appeared in the Leader-Observer upon winning awards as Outstanding Teachers.

It’s amazing how the names of your teachers stick with you. Someday I’ll be a very old man, but if someone were to ask I would be able to rattle off their names as if they were lifelong friends instead of grade school teachers that I haven’t laid eyes on in decades.

Epstein, Vogel, Werber, Beckerman, Linser and Roth…my grade school teachers from first through sixth grade at P.S. 60.

Epstein, Vogel, Werber, Beckerman, Linser and Roth. Their names come as easily to me as the everyday lineup of the 1986 Mets. The memories of those six ladies, my first teachers, are still with me more than 40 years later.

Miss Epstein was my first grade teacher, and the way I remember it she was a kind old lady who taught us how to sing “Do Re Mi.” But when I look at our class picture, she couldn’t have been more than 30 at the time.

But to a six year old, 30 seems really old. And to a scared little kid who didn’t want to leave home, Miss Epstein taught me that school was a fun place to be.

Miss Vogel was my first crush. She wore mini-skirts and had long black hair. She was the teacher that said I needed “extra work writing original sentences and compositions.” As a result, my parents encouraged me to write every day; what started as an exercise turned into a career.

Miss Werber frightened me. I always seemed to be on the wrong side of discipline in third grade. Every time I acted up, Miss Werber was there to scold me. If she taught me one lesson, it was that there are consequences for your actions, especially when you get caught sticking paste in a classmate’s hair.

Miss Beckerman introduced me to an entirely different world when she encouraged me to expand my reading. At her recommendation, I bought my very first “non-children’s” book through the Scholastic Books program, a World War II novel called “The Survivor” by Robb White.

Children’s books never interested me again, and I now own thousands of paperbacks. Over 45 years later, that first book is still in my collection.

Miss Linser helped me learn math. Up until fifth Grade, mathematics was a dirty word to me. Math lessons frightened me.

She took the time, keeping me and a few other kids after school, and took all of the fear out of math. To this day when I have to multiply something, I can hear Miss Linser doing the “times table.”

And then there was Miss Eleanor Roth. We had moved away from Woodhaven in the middle of sixth grade when I was 11, and I didn’t handle the move well.

I was lonely in my new neighborhood and I felt scared and alone, and as a result my work suffered.

They let me finish out the year at P.S. 60 even though I had to be dropped off and picked up every day. In the afternoons, Miss Roth sat with me on a bench in the playground. She didn’t have to; I was old enough to wait on my own. But she did it to be kind.

And on that bench she would just talk to me. Not so much about school, but about the things I liked to do, such as reading and drawing and playing baseball.

And so she ended my education at P.S. 60 by tying up all the other lessons I learned there. And when I left P.S. 60 for the last time, on Graduation Day in June 1976, I never saw the inside of that building, nor Miss Roth, again.

But they are all still with me. Epstein, Vogel, Werber, Beckerman, Linser and Roth. It may be overdue, and in some cases too late, but I want to let them know that they made a difference. The lessons they taught a little boy over nearly half a century later are still paying dividends, and for that I am forever grateful.

Wendell: Dominick Brienza, Woodhaven fixture, dead at 73

Woodhaven is mourning a terrible loss this week. Dominick Brienza, a longtime fixture on Jamaica Avenue, owner of Sal’s Pizza for the last 2 decades, passed away after a brief illness.

“Our hearts are broken,” said Raquel Olivares, executive director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District. “Dominic was a kind and generous man and we are all better off having known him.”

“Dominick was a great man whose commitment to our community ran deep,” said Martin Colberg, President of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

Dominic was a very familiar face in Woodhaven, having done business on Jamaica Avenue for over 50 years. But his familiarity with Jamaica Avenue went back even further, to his early childhood when he moved here from Brooklyn at 9 years old. He not only went to St. Thomas the Apostle but he went to PS 97 and as a young man he worked as a busboy at Le Cordon Bleu.

Dominick went to Edison High School and then went to City College where he studied to be an engineer but he was looking for something a little bit more hands-on so he switched to education with plans of becoming a teacher.

But it was the 70s and New York City was bankrupt and not hiring any more teachers, so Dominick Brienza took a different path – and we are forever grateful that he did.

He purchased and operated “Dom’s Deli” near the corner of 90th Street and Jamaica Avenue and that was a fixture in Woodhaven for nearly 19 years.

Eventually, the deli itself grew old and needed a complete overhaul so Dominick gutted it out and instead of a new deli he opened a laundromat, which he ran for the next 10 years.

After the laundromat, Dominick was able to put his Education degree to use as a social worker for Catholic Charities, specializing in criminal victim assistance for seniors, an experience he found very rewarding.

But Jamaica Avenue came calling again and he bought Sal’s Pizza, which he owned for the last 17 years. Sal’s was the kind of business that was often the first stop for former residents of Woodhaven whenever they came back to town.

The pizza from Sal’s always reminded folks of the pizza from the old days. But it wasn’t just the tasty food that kept people coming back time and time again. Dominic was a big part of that.

He was a good man, the kind of person you were always happy to see, the kind of man we need more of in the world these days.

Last fall, Dominick was honored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center for Women, presented with their Commitment of Service Award.

“He holds a special place in his heart for the education that we continue to offer in this neighborhood,” Sister Cathy Feeney said when announcing this honor.

“An entrepreneur extraordinaire, Dominick has fed generations at his deli and most recently at Sal’s Pizza. Dominick is never outdone in generosity,” Sr. Feeney said.

As word spread around town and on social media, people began to share their thoughts about Dominick and the words kind and generous were frequently used.

People shared memories of Dominick, many of them stretching all the way back to their childhood when he ran Dom’s Deli, which is when I first met him. As a kid, I always admired how friendly and funny he was. Dominick had a great smile and a terrific sense of humor, which is what I will miss most about him.

He was a kind and decent man and he will be deeply missed in Woodhaven and on Jamaica Avenue. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Andrea and all of his family and friends.

Friends and residents will gather this Thursday evening, June 2nd, at 8 PM in front of Sal’s Pizza at 85-07 Jamaica Avenue to pay tribute to Dominick. Please join us for this Woodhaven tribute to a man most of us knew and loved, a good man who will never be forgotten.

Wendell: The Great Woodhaven Yard Sale

The Great Woodhaven Yard Sale returns on Saturday June 11th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date Sunday, June 12th, same times). Sponsored by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, the community-wide yard sale usually sees 40 to 50 participating households.

If you’d like to be one of those households, you can register for free by emailing the WRBA at info@woodhaven-nyc.org or calling and leaving a message at 718-296-3735.

For those of you not familiar with the Great Woodhaven Yard Sale, here’s how it works: instead of scattered households all over the neighborhood holding their yard sales by themselves on different dates, a large organized group holds their yard sales collectively, on the same exact day.

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association advertises the yard sale far and wide, and distributes maps of Woodhaven with little flags indicating all of the yard sale locations. And for those who are interested in taking it to another level, they encourage members advertise some of the items they plan to be selling on the WRBA’s Facebook page.

The maps encourage people to come to Woodhaven because they know that there are going to be plenty of yard sales to check out. In previous years, we received reports of people coming from New Jersey and Connecticut to browse the goods put up for sale by residents. In one case we had a person come from Maspeth by bus, bring all the stuff he bought home, and come back on the bus to check out other houses.

Another advantage of the Great Woodhaven Yard Sale is that you don’t have to walk around town, illegally putting up flyers advertising your individual sale. The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association will advertise your sale for you by including it on their map and distributing it to many interested parties.

One year, my wife and I visited about 3 dozen different yard sales and found some great stuff. We looked for clusters of flags on the map, indicating concentrated areas where we could hit 5 or 6 houses on the same block. We heard the same thing from other shoppers, so if you want to boost your potential for sales, try to create your own cluster by asking your neighbors to join.

And it’s always interesting to see some of the old gems that people have stored away for years, taking up space in their basement. If you’re a frequent watcher of shows like Antiques Roadshow you know that people don’t always know the value of their own belongings. It could be that the $5 item you just purchased is worth hundreds of dollars or more!

Now that you’re sold on the idea, let’s repeat how you can become part of the Great Woodhaven Yard Sale (Saturday, 6/11; rain date the next day). You can register by sending an email to info@woodhaven-nyc.org or by calling and leaving a message at 718-296-3735.

There is no fee for registering, but you are required to give the WRBA your name and phone number (in case they need to reach you) and the address where you will be hosting your yard sale (must be in 11421). Here is an important point: they will put a flag on the map indicating your location, but they do not put your address or any other information on the map.

Now, even if you’re not planning on being a participating household we hope that you’ll help advertise this event by word of mouth. Tell your neighbors, tell your family. And tell your friends in Richmond Hill and Glendale and Ozone Park and beyond to come to Woodhaven for the biggest yard sale of 2022.

“Borough Boxing” brings fight night to St. John’s

People filled the Carnesecca Arena at St. John’s University on Saturday night, to watch and cheer as some of the toughest professional boxers from NYC stepped into the ring. Hosted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, “Borough Boxing,” featured five back-to-back match-ups, including the main event between Woodhaven local Danny “El Gallo” Gonzalez (20-4-1 7 KO’s) and Brazilian welterweight Paulo Galdino (12-5 8 KO’s).

Danny “El Gallo” Gonzalez went the distance in an 8 round bout against Brazilian welterweight Paulo Galdino

Gonzalez came out the gate early, landing a flurry of punches, keeping Galdino unsteady on his feet. Gonzalez was looking to close the show early, but Galdino managed to survive the round. The thrilling action continued throughout the entire bout. Gonzalez appeared to have Galdino’s number several times throughout the match, picking his spot and unleashing strong bursts of jabs against the southpaw Galdino, who managed to hold his own through all eight rounds. The fight was a memorable one, as the two fighters went back and forth, exchanging impressive and brutal blows to the body of their opponent.

In the end, it all came down to the final bell, as ringside judges were left with a difficult decision to make. In the end, it was Galdino who pulled it off, winning in a razor-thin split decision upset right in Gonzalez’s own backyard.

Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea wins her bout.

Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea (30-2-1 13 KO’s) extended her win streak in a super bantamweight showdown against Calista “Cali” Silgado (19-14-1 13 KO’s), who showed remarkable resolve, trading blows and body shots with the heavy-handed Bronx-native. But in the end, it would be Shea’s superior boxing ability that would prove the difference, winning by unanimous decision. She is now poised to make a title run at 118-122 lbs.

The undercard matches were just as thrilling as the Bronx-based “The Nigerian Nightmare” Afunwa King (4-1 1 KO) won in the cross-borough matchup, besting Brooklyn-born and raised Kamron Humphrey (3-1 2 KO’s). King managed to knock down Humphrey in the second round, to go on to win in a unanimous decision.

Glendale’s own Mat “The Future” Castro wins his bout against Angelo Thompson

Glendale’s own Mat “The Future” Castro got hometown fans riled up in his match-up against Angelo Thompson (0-3), as they went the full 4-rounds in this super welterweight fight. Thompson kept Castro on his toes, but in the end, it was not enough to triumph over Castro’s boxing skills, which made all the difference. Castro won by unanimous decision.

The opening bout of the night got fans out of their seats to see NYPD officer Emmanuel Etienne (2-0 1 KO) face off against Tunde Fatiregun (0-2) from Elizabeth, NJ. The first two rounds were intense as both fighters switched up from the body to the head. However, in the third round, Fatiregun was deducted a point for two separate occasions where he pressed down on the head and held Etienne. In the end, the referee called the fight off for the same reason, giving Etienne the win by DQ in the fourth round.

“What an excellent night of boxing for the first-ever show in Carnesecca Arena history,” Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing, said. “The fights emulated the grit and determination of the history and quality of Borough Boxing. Maureen Shea bit down against a tough opponent and got the job done. Paulo Galdino and Danny Gonzalez put on a thrilling fight for the fans, as did all combatants. Thank you to everyone involved in the show and the fans who came out to support their fighters and the show. We look forward to returning to St. John’s University and will announce our future events schedule soon.”

Afunwa King of The Bronx and Kamron Humphrey of Brooklyn step into the ring for an interborough match-up.

Woodhaven BID hosts community cleanup

A community cleanup in the heart of Woodhaven brought out over 30 volunteers to help beautify their neighborhood this past weekend.

The community event, organized by the Woodhaven Business Improvement District, saw sidewalks get swept, graffiti get painted over, and a sense of pride return to longtime residents.

Starting at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, community members from the local BID, as well as the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, Community Board 9 and youth from the NYPD’s Law Enforcement Explorers program, all pitched in to the efforts on the morning of Saturday, April 9.

The city’s Department of Sanitation lended brooms and dustpans to the community cleanup effort.

John Ziegler, a former resident of Woodhaven, collected sidewalk trash along Jamaica Avenue while reminiscing of the neighborhood he once called home.

“I think it’s about trying to keep the sense of community, like I experienced as a kid here,” said Ziegler, who now resides in Long Island. “It’s so future generations can experience what I did. It means so much.”

On the other side of Woodhaven’s busiest street, the tag-team of Martin Coburg and Kenichi Wilson painted over graffiti markings underneath the subway tracks.

“We try to come support and to let the community know what they’re doing,” Coburg, president of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association, said. “It’s more than just helping the businesses, we also want to have a nice, clean district.”

The two said a common problem along the store-lined streets of Woodhaven includes the ongoing issue of trash placed on the sidewalks.

Wilson, the first vice-chair of Community Board 9, noted that with many residential dwellings sitting above storefronts, businesses often receive tickets for trash being thrown out by tenants.

With residents, businesses and even third-party landlords involved in the issue, Wilson commended the work that both the Woodhaven BID and the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association have done for its community members and businesses.

“I feel that this is one of the biggest, best run business improvement districts in all of Queens,” Wilson said.

Holiday season officially arrives in Woodhaven

The 2021 Holiday Season was officially welcomed to Woodhaven Friday night with a wonderful celebration capped by the annual lighting of the Holiday Tree at Forest Parkway.
Sponsored by the Woodhaven Business Improvement District, this year’s celebration included pictures with Santa, hot cocoa and balloons for the kids.
“What better way to start the holiday season than with one of Woodhaven’s favorite traditions, the Christmas tree lighting,” said WBID executive director Raquel Olivares. “It was so great to see so many people from the neighborhood coming together, especially children, to remind us why Woodhaven is a special place.”
It was a welcome return to normal. It was good to see so many people come out for this tradition, including the Color Guard from the Franklin K. Lane ROTC. But as much as I think they came out for the tree and the cocoa and the pictures with Santa, I think a lot of people came out to see each other.
Both of our representatives in the City Council were on hand for the celebration, Robert Holden and recently elected Joann Ariola. And Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar came by to wish everyone well.
We were happy to see them and appreciated them taking the time to visit Woodhaven, especially when they have so many other special celebrations in their districts to attend.
The students of PS 97, under the leadership of Ms. Caceres, did a wonderful job singing different holiday songs celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, wrapping up with “Feliz Navidad.” I used to go to PS 97 when I was a little kid more than a few years ago, and as an alumnus I was very proud of these bright young kids.
The highlight of the night was, of course, Santa Claus. He came in, riding down Forest Parkway in a convertible driven by its owner, Community Board 9 chair Kenichi Wilson. Santa waved at the crowd and the kids cheered as loud as the train roaring into the Forest Parkway station.
There’s a nice story behind this year’s Santa, who was played this year by Officer Nick Salamone of the 102nd Precinct. This was his first time as Santa, and besides having the perfect first name to play St. Nick, he turned out to be a natural.
After a few tentative waves and getting a great response from the kids, our St. Nick let loose with a few booming “Ho Ho Ho’s” and everyone at Forest Parkway knew for certain that Santa had arrived. A few minutes later, Santa led the crowd in a countdown to lighting the tree.
Afterwards, children and their parents lined up to take pictures with St. Nick, while everyone else gathered in small groups and caught up with friends they hadn’t seen in a while. The temps were low that night, but we all got through it due to all the warmth generated by the people of Woodhaven.
It will be a memorable December for Forest Parkway Plaza. This coming Saturday at noon, the WBID will be presenting Frostbite Follies featuring the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus.
The Frostbite Follies consists of jugglers and clowns and various acrobats, as well as live music. They are currently barnstorming their way around New York City giving free outdoor performances.
There will be limited seating, so get there early to get a good view. The WBID will be providing popcorn and candy to all guests.
Congratulations to Raquel Olivares and Katty Garces and the entire Woodhaven Business Improvement District for their great work on this year’s tree lighting and for bringing the circus here to Woodhaven. It was great seeing everyone Friday night, and I hope to see you all again on Forest Parkway this Saturday.

Forgotten memorial uncovered in time for Vets Day

Thursday is Veterans Day, which was first recognized by Congress 95 years ago and has been a national holiday since 1938. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans, whether they are still with us or not.
If you know someone who has served, thank them for their service. Or better still, ask them where they served and what it was like. You’ll hear some very interesting stories.
I bring some exciting news about a newly discovered memorial in Woodhaven, one that’s been sitting in plain view for many years.
To begin, let’s review the memorials that we all know about, starting with the large granite monument and plaque dedicated to the young men who lost their lives in World War I in the front yard of American Legion Post 118 on 91st Street and 89th Avenue.
This large monument once sat in Forest Park where Memorial Day parades used to conclude, but it was moved to the American Legion when the new post was built in the early 40s.
A second Woodhaven monument, Lieutenant Clinton L. Whiting Square, is on 84th Street and 91st Avenue and is sometimes referred to locally as “The Rock.” Erected in the late 1920s, it memorializes a local lad who died in World War I.
The third monument sits on Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue and was erected in the early 1950s to honor local youth killed in World War II. For many years, this was an important stop for Memorial Day parades. A 21-gun salute was often performed at this location.
A fourth monument, brass plaques with the names of young men from the parish who died in both World Wars, sits inside the back lobby of St. Thomas the Apostle Church.
A fifth monument sits just to the east of the trees along Forest Park Drive. Private First Class Lawrence Strack Memorial Pond was named after the first local youth killed in Vietnam. At the time it was dedicated, the pond had been converted to ballfields.
A sixth monument is a location we’re all familiar with, but might not realize it was dedicated to the war dead. Victory Field was built and dedicated to “the unknown soldier of World War I.”
The next three memorials had been lost to history until the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society (WCHS) discovered them. The first was the Memorial Trees of Woodhaven, which run along Forest Park Drive from Park Lane South past Oak Ridge and towards the Forest Park Carousel.
These trees were planted for local soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Families used to decorate them on Memorial Day, a tribute that the WCHS revived in 2015. In 2017, the City of New York co-named the road through the park as “Forest Park Memorial Drive” in honor of the trees.
The next rediscovered memorial was the triangle at Rockaway Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue dedicated to Father Lawrence Lynch, the tough Irish chaplain who heroically served in World War II and lost his life at the Battle of Okinawa while comforting and giving Last Rites to a dying soldier.
The triangle was dedicated in 1949, but over time the sign disappeared and people forgot about it until WCHS uncovered it and brought it to everyone’s attention. Seventy years after it was originally dedicated, the triangle was rededicated to Father Lynch in 2019.
And now we have one more memorial that has been long forgotten and sitting mostly unrecognized for decades.
Legion Square is an area of Woodhaven at Rockaway Boulevard and Elderts Lane surrounded by homes and stores, with a grass-covered triangle in the middle. It was dedicated for American Legion Post 118 in June 1930.
At one time, there were three cannons on the triangle. For many years, Flag Day ceremonies were held here and many Memorial Day parades started at this beautiful spot.
So well regarded was the location that it was selected as one spot for a Welcome to Woodhaven sign, as well as a sign proclaiming it as “The Gateway to Queens.”
The triangle itself is still there and well maintained by the Parks Department. They even have a small sign identifying it as Legion Triangle, but you really need to look closely to see it. We can improve on that.

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