Rely On Us
Hurricanes Have Helped For 100 Years
 Members of the Hillside Hurricanes show off the plaques marking the firehouse’s 100th anniversary . Tribune photo by Ira Cohen
|
By MICHAEL CUSENZA
The ladder truck and engine sparkled in the late-morning sunlight showering Hillside Avenue on a Thursday in June. The apparatus floor of the firehouse at 153-11 was instead occupied by white folding chairs, distinguished guests and neighborhood residents.
It was a big day for Jamaica’s Hillside Hurricanes.
Decked out in their dress blues on an oppressively humid day, the firefighters and officers of Engine 298/Ladder 127/Battalion 50 beamed with pride as they welcomed visitors gathering to help them celebrate their centennial anniversary and honor two fallen brothers.
Joining in the celebration were FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall.
“A hundred years is a helluva long time,” remarked Scoppetta as he spoke of how the country and firefighting equipment and techniques have changed over that span. “But some things haven’t changed – bravery, commitment, sacrifice. That is the essence of what it took to be a firefighter 100 years ago, and still is today.”
Marshall echoed Scoppetta’s sentiments and hailed the “quality and character of our firefighters” as the shining constant of the FDNY of the last century.
She also presented a proclamation to the house declaring June 28, 2007, “Engine 298/Ladder 127/Battalion 50 Day in Queens.”
Engine 298/Ladder 127/Battalion 50, through Special Order No. 82, was first established as Hose 5/Ladder 77 on July 5, 1907. Ladder 77 was reorganized on Jan. 1, 1913 and renamed as Ladder 127. Hose 5 became Engine 298 on Aug. 1, 1918. The companies have been at their current location serving Southeast Queens since April 5, 1965. It remains one of the busiest houses in the City.
“This is a great place for a young firefighter to learn how to become a good firefighter,” said Scoppetta.
In addition to the Centennial Plaque, a Line of Duty Plaque honoring Firefighter Garrett W. Langdon of Engine 298 who died on Dec. 6, 1953, and Firefighter George J. Murphy of Ladder 127 who died July 21, 1956, was unveiled and blessed by FDNY chaplain Monsignor Rev. John Delendick.
Cassano, chief of department since last year, said “deaths strengthen what the fire department is all about: Never forgetting your own, and protecting your family.”
Cassano also highlighted the companies’ steadfast role in the Southeast Queens community.
FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta (seated) and Borough President Helen Marshall listen as the history of the firehouse is explained. Tribune photo by Ira Cohen
|
“These companies have contributed to the character of this community for 100 years,” he said. “If there is a problem, this is where [the people] come. This house stands out as one of our best and will continue for years to come.”
As the FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums’ rendition of “America the Beautiful” filled the apparatus floor and spilled out onto the crowded sidewalk, the speeches resonated like the inescapable humidity of the day, perhaps none more than the words of Helen Marshall.
She looked at Commissioner Scoppetta and addressed his Department.
“You are our homeland security,” Marshall said.
Help Is Often Just A Phone Call Away
By Brian M. Rafferty
Finding help when you need it can be a challenge. Every day we face the horrible possibility that we may lose a job, our house or even a loved one. What do we do when times are tough and the cards seem stacked against us?
Queens has help available to those who need it – all you have to do is just ask.
How To Get Assistance
If you are low on funds and trying to stretch out what little you have, there are some ways to get back on your feet before you fall into despair. Help is available for families and single people in need of health insurance, rent assistance and food. The Human Resources Administration provides most of the above-mentioned services.
Health Insurance
Assistance:
For those whose jobs do not offer health insurance, cannot afford health insurance, or cannot obtain health insurance for any other reason there is Medicaid. In 2005 there were more than 4 million New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid. A number of different types of health insurance exist through Medicaid, such as Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus and Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities.
To find out if you qualify, or to set up an appointment, call the Human Resources Administration at (718) 557-1399 or (877) 472-8411.
Financial Assistance
From time to time, many New Yorkers fall on hard times or need a little help getting their monthly bills paid. If you have a job and are still not making ends meet, are suddenly unemployed, or if the major breadwinner in your family passes away or leaves, you could qualify for the Welfare to Work program through the Human Resources Administration.
This temporary solution helps those who qualify meet their financial needs and provides free job training. To see if you qualify, call or visit one of the four Queens offices listed below:
Family Service Call Center
33-28 Northern Blvd.
LIC, NY 11101
(718) 752-3937
Child cases only when the adult payee is not in receipt of public assistance.
No walk-in service
Jamaica Welfare Center
165- 08 88th Ave.
Jamaica, NY 11432
(718) 523-2146
Queens Job Center
32-20 Northern Blvd.
LIC, NY 11101
(718) 752-7019
Far Rockaway Food Stamp Center
219 Beach 59th St.
Rockaway, NY 11692
(718) 318-4720
Housing Assistance
If you cannot afford the ever-increasing rent payments of New York City apartments, you may qualify for free or reduced-cost public housing. To be considered you must first fill out an application. Queens residents can pick up an application at The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) located at 155-09 Jewel Ave., Flushing, NY 11367 or call (718) 969-9361. All applications must then be mailed to New York City Housing Authority, Post Office Box 1342, Church Street Station, NY, NY 10008.
The process includes a criminal background check. The Housing Authority will contact your old landlord and visits will be conducted by an outside contractor to your home.
Dumpling Stall’s Aura Lies In Its Simplicity
The Dumpling Stall is located off of Main Street in Flushing . Tribune photo by Liz Skalka
|
By Liz Skalka
It’s certainly a hole in the wall, but some say it makes the best dumplings in town.
The Dumpling Stall on 41st Street off of Main Street is most certainly a hidden treasure among Chinese food joints in Flushing.
Located right off of Main Street’s biggest intersections and blocks away from the Main Street stop on the 7 line, there’s nothing about the shop that makes it stand out among its many competitors in this busy neighborhood except the food.
Reviews on Web sites all indicate that their limited and cheap food selections – the most expensive item costs $3 – are a hit among customers.
The ellusive Hotdog man serves some long-time customers in Maspeth. Tribune photo by Brad Groznik
|
The Dumpling Stall serves dumplings, fried dumplings, vegetable pork buns, fried pork buns, meat rice cakes, tea eggs, scallion pancakes and spring rolls.
A word to the wise, however – the Dumpling Stall is not for amateurs. There’s no English on the outside of the shop, so look for a red awning when you turn down the street. The menu is also presented in Chinese and limited English.
The shop is also more of a take out joint rather than sit-down restaurant. Three bar stools located at small counter are just about it for seating and the shop feels more like a large kitchen rather than a storefront.
If you can handle the atmosphere, then great dumplings await you at Dumpling Stall.
Make The Connection With This Floral Icon
Commuters stop by to purchase flowers . Tribune photo by Juliet Werner
|
By Juliet Werner
Janine Marcus spends a lot of time at Rose Connection, the small flower shop on the Horace Harding Expressway in Flushing. It was her husband’s idea; he liked flowers and opened it as a roadside stand 15 years ago. Now, Marcus puts up with the long hours, greeting customers of all backgrounds who come in for the shop’s longstanding bargain: $6.99 for a dozen roses. She prefers tulips.
The flower business has changed a lot over the years and now delis and supermarkets sell them as well.
“They’re just a way to get you in,” Marcus said of deli and supermarket displays, adding that her flowers come directly from farms in Ecuador and Colombia.
At Rose Connection you can select from an array of flowers to make your own bouquet. Marcus provides assistance upon request. Although she was trained as a pharmacist, she has an eye for color, and always enjoys “creating something beautiful.”
The shop takes orders over the phone and arranges deliveries, but the majority of business comes from commuters on the LIE.
“We’re on the way home,” Marcus said.
Rose Connection is located at 130-38 Horace Harding Expressway. Open seven days a week: Mon. through Thurs, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sun. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (718) 529-ROSE.
Dishing Dirty Dogs Since Adam Met Eve
By BRAD GROZNIK
It has almost come to a point when writing about the venerable hotdog vendor in Maspeth the story should begin with “Once upon a time.”
Everyone in the neighborhood knows him, grew up with him, talked with him and eaten their frankfurter beside him, but no one knows anything definitive about him.
On any given sunny, cloudy, windy, rainy day, he sells his $1.50 dogs. While the competition on other street corners has raised the ante by offering sausages or kebabs, Maspeth’s Hotdog man continues selling the original American bun-length.
Ordering one of the originals, it’s abnormal to get more than a couple of words out of the old man as he fishes for floating frankfurter in the opaque water. Many customers enjoy the opportunity to speak with him although they must carry the conversation as the Hotdog man meticulously wipes down his outmoded cart.
The Hotdog man didn’t want the Queens Tribune to do an article on him. “No report, no thank you,” he said rising from his knee-high steel stool, where he sits hunched over from around 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. However, his presence in downtown Maspeth at the corner of Grand Avenue and Hamilton Place is nothing short of legendary.
When approached for the article and told that the story would be a positive take on everything he means to the community, he just shook his head and acted busy opening and shutting compartments on his cart but not really doing anything; from an outsider’s point of view at least.
No one is calling him a curmudgeon, but he sure is elusive.
Residents were not sure how long he has sold hotdogs on the corner since it was before most of the neighborhood was born.
“He’s been there as long as I can remember,” one resident said. “So that’s at least 35 years.”
Residents were also hesitant to talk to the Tribune because no one had any hard facts on the man. Rumors surround the vendor. “He’s a real estate mogul, I heard he’s bought half the town.” “He’s been around for at least 45 years.” “At least 55 years.” “He’s Greek, and just doesn’t like to talk.” “He’s just working to support his family.”
All of this could be true or complete absurdity but without knowing his name and history he remains a mystery in Maspeth with good hotdogs. Go get one.
Patriotic Fun:
Louie “The Flag Man” can often be seen on the entranceway to the Long Island Expressway via Queens Boulevard, double barreled with a pair of flags and catching the eyes of motorists in the mornings and evenings.
Support Groups Help A Wide Range
Meetings can be found in church basements throughout Queens.
|
By Juliet Werner
Even in the city as big as ours it is easy to feel alone. Fortunately there are countless support groups in our borough that strive to serve those in need. The term “support group” may conjure up the image of a church basement, a circle of folding chairs and the inevitable “Hello, my name is” introduction. Queens offers plenty of traditional support groups, but for those who feel alienated by such rituals, there are a variety of hotlines and email groups that provide comparable assistance.
Alcoholics Anonymous is the most widely known support group. AA participants enter a 12-step program, carried out with the guidance of a sponsor. One step is to become acquainted with a “higher power,” but agnostics and atheists are welcomed. There are 465 AA meeting groups in Queens alone. For more information, visit www.queensaa.org or call (718) 520-5021.
One would be hard-pressed to find a day of the week that a Narcotics Anonymous group isn’t meeting somewhere in Queens. To find a time and location that works for you, visit www.newyorkna.net or call (212) 929-NANA.
If a relative or friend suffers from a substance abuse problem, you might benefit from the services provided by Al-Anon and Alateen. Visit www.nycalanon.org or call (212) 941-0094.
Other support groups aim to facilitate coping with various life experiences. “Mother of Twins,” for example, offers an open forum for mothers raising twins and multiples. Monthly meetings are held at Flushing Hospital. For more information contact Chris Wessely, at president@motcqueens.org, (516) 695-1058 or visit www.motcqueens.org. Other parenting support groups include Mom’s Club of Forest Hills for stay at home moms, Mom’s Group in Great Neck for 35+ mothers and NY Metro Parents for expectant mothers.
Caretaking of any kind can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Those charged with the responsibility of looking after the elderly or disabled can find a safe space to vent frustrations at the Sunnyside Community Services caregivers support group. For more information call (718) 784-6173, Ext. 431 or go to www.scsny.org.
“Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays” provides support for those whose acceptance of loved ones is often threatened by a homophobic society. There is no religious or political affiliation. Visit www.pflagnyc.org or call (212) 463-0629. PLFAG also offers its services in Spanish. The Queens Pride House in Jackson Heights offers a variety of services as well. Call (718) 429-5309 or visit www.queenspridehouse.tripod.com.
Another major need exists among those suffering from a serious illness. CancerCare, a national non-profit organization, has online support and hotlines for patients, survivors and caregivers. SHAREing and CAREing, located in Astoria, caters directly to those affected by breast and ovarian cancers. Visit www.shareing-careing.org or call (718) 777-5766.
The American Cancer Society offers specialized programs such as “Man to Man,” “Look Good Feel Better” and “Reach to Recovery.” ACS has a Queens office, but you’re best off calling the 24-hour (800) ACS-2345 line.
Religious support groups exist as well. Celebrate Recovery offers a Christian perspective and meetings will be held every Friday at 7 p.m. at Colonial Church of Bayside at 54-02 217th St. The New York Jewish Healing Center offers support groups for caregivers and people in mourning, as well as a 9/11 bereavement support group and M’kom Shalom, a group for survivors of a loved one’s suicide. Meetings are held at Forest Hills Jewish Center (call Ruth Kobrin at (718) 263-7000 x223) and at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills (call Barbara Goldstein at (718) 261-2900). Flushing’s Muslim Center of New York sponsors counseling services for the community. Call (718) 460-3000 or (718) 445-2642.
