Dear Editor
Regarding Larry Penner’s dispatch last week on the demise of the city’s diners, the Bel Aire Diner in Astoria is still open, and where Nevada was, that’s where Georgia Diner moved to.
I miss Shalimar though, but Georgia Diner has good food.
Sincerely,
Sherri Rosen
Forest Hills
Dear Editor,
Congestion pricing is a tale of the “haves” and “have-nots.”
The “haves” are people who have the money to pay $13 a day to go downtown and do whatever they want.
Most government offices are downtown. Our politicians get a free ride with their EZ Pass and pass the cost onto us. MTA board members of the MTA and FDNY and NYPD officials have free EZ Passes.
These people can use their EZ Passes to go to Broadway plays, hospitals that are downtown, enjoy a meal in Little Italy or Chinatown and get to the Lincoln and Holland tunnels for free. And they do not even have to think about paying the $13 to do it.
What about the rest of us New Yorkers who do not have the means? We are forced to take the subways. Will the fares on the buses and subway go up just as the “have-nots” are forced to use them to get to our jobs downtown?
The “have-nots” are working-class stiffs who cannot afford $13 a day to drive downtown. We will to forced to take the filthy and delayed subways with the homeless.
When the tunnels are under water, the working-class stiffs will have to sit there and wait, while the “haves” are driving in a car.
This is just another tax on the working class. Do not let this happen.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Schatz
Rego Park
Dear Editor,
We must not forget the 343 firefighters who died at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, trying to save lives. We must also remember those firefighters who survived, but died years later from various diseases, as well as those who are now ill from their rescue efforts at Ground Zero.
Please keep in your prayers these brave firefighters who go into danger with dedication, courage and a desire to save lives.
Sincerely,
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Bellerose
Dear Editor,
Last year, it was necessary to cancel many outdoor events due to the pandemic. But this year, even with three effective vaccines, parades are being cancelled again by our clueless mayor.
If the annual New York State Fair can go on, baseball stadiums are allowed full capacity with vaccinated fans, and the U.S. Open is taking place with spectators in the stands, why can’t the traditional parades be allowed to take place this year?
Does this mean no Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day or Thanksgiving Day parades will take place, as well as the annual Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting?
Mayor Bill de Blasio wanted to hold a concert in Central Park for 60,000 people. which due to heavy rain had to be cancelled. This year, Radio City Music Hall will be holding the annual Christmas Spectacular.
Will Times Square again be closed to the public on New Year’s Eve?
We have the power to stop this pandemic if everyone that can get vaccinated will get vaccinated.
Sincerely,
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
On August 29, the Queens West Division of Kiwanis International held a dinner at the West Side Tennis Club hosting Kiwanis International New York State Governor Brenda Leigh Johnson, the granddaughter of the late Dale Carnegie.
The Queens West Division consists of 17 Kiwanis Clubs, and guests consisted primarily of members of the Forest Hills and Glendale clubs.
Missouri native Dale Carnegie, who passed away in 1955, lived at 27 Wendover Road, a charming 1920 Forest Hills Gardens house.
He was a lecturer and writer who developed courses in public speaking, self-improvement, corporate training, and salesmanship. “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” published in 1936, is his signature book.
An underlying theme of his work was the potential for changing other people’s behavior by changing one’s behavior towards them. He founded the Dale Carnegie Institute in 1912, which today operates as a business training firm with over 200 locations in over 85 countries.
“Leadership is not something that we are born with, it’s a skill that needs to be practiced often,” Johnson, who founded the Long Island Alzheimer’s Association, told the crowd. “Leadership is not a job title, it is a way of thinking and we are all leaders in some way. Every day we make decisions, small or large, that affect people around us.”
Johnson’s mother Rosemary was Carnegie’s stepdaughter.
“Although I have no memories of Dale, he is alive through his books, letters, and photos, and I think he was a most humble man who loved Forest Hills and embraced all it had to offer,” said Johnson.
Carnegie enjoyed tending to rose gardens down the street from his Wendover home.
“As a child, it was a special place to walk to and was filled with varieties of roses,” she said.
Although the Wendover property was sold in the late 1960s, Johnson recalls visiting it often.
“There were always cocktail parties and lots of fun and laughter,” she said. “For Christmas dinner, there were lots of toasts and cheers.”
Her grandma added a sun room and maintained a home office overlooking a back garden.
“There seemed to be a robin singing every time I would go in there,” Johnson said. “It was filled with books and a couple of easy chairs, making creative thought something that was easy to do.”
Johnson began working for Dale Carnegie & Associates while in high school.
“I knew from the time I was a young child that I wanted to work for the family business,” she said. “During my breaks and after work, I would pour over files. I helped my sister-in-law create a room for the archives to be enjoyed by visitors.”
Today the international headquarters is in Melville.
“I created ‘Dale’s office,’ as if Dale just stepped away for a few minutes,” she said. “His desk, books, favorite pictures and, of course, the original manuscript, of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People,’ is there.”
Eleven years ago, Lieutenant Governor Kerrie Hansen was inducted into the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, along with her husband Steve, eventually serving as president before being elevated to her current position.
“Our Kiwanis family offered opportunities to do service and enjoy fellowship,” she said. “I found a global family, who wished to improve the world one child and one community at a time.”
Hansen called Johnson a hands-on governor and amazing leader, mentor, and navigator who traveled statewide during a very complicated time of the pandemic.
“She is akin to the Dale Carnegie legacy, but also as a leader teaching people how to use their skills to make their reach more powerful and impactful,” she said. “Even during challenging times, our 17 clubs commit their service, make generous donations, and fundraise for their communities.
“It may not have been in the traditional ways we accomplished these achievements, but each club, which has a different personality and spirit, succeeded with some creative thinking,” Hansen added.
Congresswoman Grace Meng of Queens announced that Natalie Huang, an 11th grade student from Bayside, has been selected as the winner of the congresswoman’s congressional district art contest.
“The COVID-19 crisis has allowed our youth to take the time to discover new skills and perfect others,” said Meng. “Natalie’s artwork is an exceptional piece that symbolizes the hope that spring beauty brings, a hope that we all need in order to get through this pandemic together.”
The competition, which consisted of entries from Queens high school students, is part of “An Artistic Discovery,” the national art contest held annually by the House of Representatives to showcase the artwork of all congressional district art contest winners from across the nation.
Huang’s winning artwork – along with the winning pieces from contests throughout the United States – will be displayed for one year within the halls of the U.S. Capitol.
“I’m glad that despite the pandemic, we were still able to hold the art contest for local students, so that we can continue to recognize their wonderful artistic talents,” Meng added.
Huang, who attends Friends Academy, won the competition for her watercolor painting entitled “Arrival of Spring.”
“The pandemic has provided me with the time and space to create art, and I am so happy that my artwork can be shared for all to see in the nation’s capital,” said Huang.
Meng announced her as the winner during a reception she hosted for students and their families, art teachers, principals and school administrators in the outdoor garden at Flushing Town Hall, where all of the submitted artwork had been on display.
In addition to Huang, Meng announced Kaitlyn Murphy, a recent senior at St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows won second place for her piece titled “Elmhurst 2020.”
Emilio Espinal-Santiago, a senior also at St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows won third place for “Loss and Renaissance.”
Meng presented all the students who entered with certificates of Congressional recognition.
Entries were submitted in several mediums including paintings, collages, drawings and prints.
The Artistic Discovery contest was launched in 1982 for Members of Congress to highlight the artistic work of high school students from around the nation. Since it began, more than 650,000 high school students from throughout the United States have participated in the competition.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) began its long-awaited renovation of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) on August 30.
The first portion of the project includes extensive repairs on a mile-long stretch between Atlantic Avenue and the Brooklyn Bridge, and will involve reducing the number of lanes from three to two in each direction.
The smaller number of lanes is a permanent change that will stay in place after work is completed.
In a public statement, DOT acknowledged that the lane-reduction will cause “substantial delays” during construction. However, the agency stands by its belief that the project will help to preserve and maintain the decaying road going forward.
“This lane remarking may be inconvenient for some, but it is essential to making the road safer immediately and for decades to come,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “During this necessary work on the BQE, we strongly encourage drivers to seek alternate routes and use public transportation.”
The repair work will most intensely affect truck drivers. The DOT is encouraging trucks to use alternative routes, such as the Hugh Carey Tunnel and New Jersey Turnpike, to bring goods into the city.
Reducing truck traffic and the weight of vehicles on the elevated roadway is one of the overarching goals of the BQE repair project. Announced last month by Mayor Bill de Blasio and DOT, the four-part repair plan is aimed at increasing the road’s lifespan by at least another 20 years through a series of repairs, new vehicle regulations, and continued maintenance.
In addition to the lane-reduction in Downtown Brooklyn, DOT will implement new water filtration systems to avoid further damage. In addition to changes on the BQE itself, the mayor is calling for investments in alternative forms of freight transportation to lessen the burden placed on the elevated roadway.
De Blasio has instructed city agencies to research supply chain solutions, including incentivised off-hour deliveries, freight consolidation, rail and boat transportation, and cargo bike deliveries.
Traffic along the road has been heavy since the work began, yet longtime advocates of the repair project remain optimistic about the long term good it can bring.
“Extending the useful life of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, while ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers of vehicles that use the roadway, will allow time for the city, state, and federal governments to develop a long-term approach to this critical route that reflects New York’s evolving transportation needs and better serves the communities along the BQE corridor,” said State Senator Brian Kavanaugh, who has been pushing for BQE renovations for close to a decade.
A spokesperson from community advocacy group Cobble Hill Association also sees the lane-reduction as a first step in making Brooklyn a safer and less-polluted borough.
“The transformation of the BQE, one of New York City’s most decrepit and polluting transportation corridors, is of critical importance to the future of our city,” the spokesperson said. “The planning to reverse the negative environmental, economic, and public health impacts of the BQE must begin now, and we will hold the city to its commitment to move forward immediately.”
All proceeds go to Hunters Point Parks Conservancy
On August 29, the Queens West Division of Kiwanis International held a dinner at the West Side Tennis Club hosting Kiwanis International New York State Governor Brenda Leigh Johnson, the granddaughter of the late Dale Carnegie.
The Queens West Division consists of 17 Kiwanis Clubs, and guests consisted primarily of members of the Forest Hills and Glendale clubs.
Missouri native Dale Carnegie, who passed away in 1955, lived at 27 Wendover Road, a charming 1920 Forest Hills Gardens house.
He was a lecturer and writer who developed courses in public speaking, self-improvement, corporate training, and salesmanship. “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” published in 1936, is his signature book.
An underlying theme of his work was the potential for changing other people’s behavior by changing one’s behavior towards them. He founded the Dale Carnegie Institute in 1912, which today operates as a business training firm with over 200 locations in over 85 countries.
“Leadership is not something that we are born with, it’s a skill that needs to be practiced often,” Johnson, who founded the Long Island Alzheimer’s Association, told the crowd. “Leadership is not a job title, it is a way of thinking and we are all leaders in some way. Every day we make decisions, small or large, that affect people around us.”
Johnson’s mother Rosemary was Carnegie’s stepdaughter.
“Although I have no memories of Dale, he is alive through his books, letters, and photos, and I think he was a most humble man who loved Forest Hills and embraced all it had to offer,” said Johnson.
Carnegie enjoyed tending to rose gardens down the street from his Wendover home.
“As a child, it was a special place to walk to and was filled with varieties of roses,” she said.
Although the Wendover property was sold in the late 1960s, Johnson recalls visiting it often.
“There were always cocktail parties and lots of fun and laughter,” she said. “For Christmas dinner, there were lots of toasts and cheers.”
Her grandma added a sun room and maintained a home office overlooking a back garden.
“There seemed to be a robin singing every time I would go in there,” Johnson said. “It was filled with books and a couple of easy chairs, making creative thought something that was easy to do.”
Johnson began working for Dale Carnegie & Associates while in high school.
“I knew from the time I was a young child that I wanted to work for the family business,” she said. “During my breaks and after work, I would pour over files. I helped my sister-in-law create a room for the archives to be enjoyed by visitors.”
Today the international headquarters is in Melville.
“I created ‘Dale’s office,’ as if Dale just stepped away for a few minutes,” she said. “His desk, books, favorite pictures and, of course, the original manuscript, of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People,’ is there.”
Eleven years ago, Lieutenant Governor Kerrie Hansen was inducted into the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, along with her husband Steve, eventually serving as president before being elevated to her current position.
“Our Kiwanis family offered opportunities to do service and enjoy fellowship,” she said. “I found a global family, who wished to improve the world one child and one community at a time.”
Hansen called Johnson a hands-on governor and amazing leader, mentor, and navigator who traveled statewide during a very complicated time of the pandemic.
“She is akin to the Dale Carnegie legacy, but also as a leader teaching people how to use their skills to make their reach more powerful and impactful,” she said. “Even during challenging times, our 17 clubs commit their service, make generous donations, and fundraise for their communities.
“It may not have been in the traditional ways we accomplished these achievements, but each club, which has a different personality and spirit, succeeded with some creative thinking,” Hansen added.
