Fifty-five years ago I graduated from P.S. 147 in Cambria Heights and went on to Andrew Jackson High School. While I knew then that I wanted to study law, I never dreamed that one day I would serve on the second highest court of our state – the Appellate Division – and then go on to become our county’s chief law enforcement officer.

District Attorney Richard Brown remembers his school days at Andrew Jackson High School.

While Queens has seen a great deal of change over the years, much remains the same. We continue to be a county of neighborhoods bound together by tradition and ethnic similarities. And while the District Attorney’s office continues to be rooted in a commitment to lowering the level of violence within the county and improving the quality of life of its residents, we are each day exploring new ways to pursue criminals just as criminals have found new ways to commit crimes. For example, our newly established Computer and Advanced Technology Bureau is now responsible for the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving computers and the use of advanced technology and serves as a focal point for training of office personnel to assist them in understanding and utilizing the latest technologies in fighting crime.

And as we move into the new millennium, I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Queens and to read their stories each week in the Tribune.

My family moved to our corner of Queens - Douglaston - just about the time the Queens Tribune was born. Douglaston at that time felt like a sleepy New England town.

I could walk my little ones to the local public school. Stores, churches and the railroad station were not far and traffic was light. It had a warm, wonderful neighborhood feel to it. I was delighted with my new home. And then I stopped to think. As a newlywed, I had lived in a small apartment in Briarwood.

As a new mother, I had moved to a larger place in Queens Village and then to a rental house in Hollis, where my husband grew up. It struck me that all of these areas - each with its own name and unique characteristics - was a true neighborhood where people felt a sense of community, cared about each other and kept an eye on one another’s children. Have things changed? Perhaps - but not as much as one would fear. As I have visited the schools and the neighborhoods of Queens over the last ten years, I have seen the same quality of caring and community over and over again. We’re lucky to live in this wonderful borough.

I remember moving to Queens from Brooklyn as a youngster. In those days Queens was practically unrecognizable from what it is today, as the borough was nearly all countryside. There was nothing close to some of the high rises we have today, and in their place were trees and open land. There was only a couple of houses on Queens Boulevard at the time.

Always an activist, Congressman Gary Ackerman (shown in his early campaigning days) enjoyed exploring Queens as a boy.

Growing up in Queens was a wonderful experience. I remember going exploring in Kissena and Cunningham Parks, and what was once a golf course and country club across from Queens College. On a good day, we would actually find arrowheads buried in the dirt. It was a very simple, exciting time.

I remember the controversy surrounding the construction of the Horace Harding Expressway service road, and the original houses and developments built in areas of Flushing, Forest Hills, and Fresh Meadows. There was no bowling lanes nearby where I lived, so me and my friends would have to take the bus to Jamaica.

Queens was not nearly as densely populated when I was growing up as it is now. The first real wave of immigration, as well as large numbers of people moving to Queens from Brooklyn came when affordable housing was commonplace in the borough following World War II.

Queens has been discovered by people from all over the world-Asia, South America, and just about every point on the globe. There is excellent housing, transportation, colleges, and two of the top school districts in the city- School Districts 25 and 26. What makes Queens what is, though, is the people, who give Queens such strong character.

Queens is where I grew up, and where I belong. It is such a part of me I don’t consider Queens where I’m from, but rather my nationality. I am both extremely lucky, and happy to have had the experience of growing up in this great borough.

The Lemon Ice King of Corona has faithfully served Queens since 1944. On the corner of 108th St. and 52nd Ave., the Ice King, also known as Peter Benfaremo, has literally cornered the ice market in Queens. During the summer, lines form around the corner and New Yorkers wait for the cool treat that has become a part of Queens lore.

"People line up just like at the beach," said Benfaremo. "People like good ices. It’s easy to be the best, but it takes effort to stay the best."

The Ice King started the business with his father, and in the beginning there were only two flavors: lemon and pineapple. Today, 29 flavors — all homemade — grace the shelves and please the tastebuds.

He indicated that the Corona neighborhood is quiet and peaceful, and has been since he can remember. When asked how ices are made, the Ice King smiled, and said, "With love."