April 2010 102nd Pct. Community Council Meeting. Almost every month, at the 102nd Precinct Community Council meeting, Captain Armando DeLeon presents the "Cop of the Month."  This is an award presented by the Times Newsweekly.  This month's awardee is Officer Robert Townsend, who apprehended some burglars.  These burglars would scope out a home -- and strike.

Bingo!  St. Thomas held a night of "Supermarket Bingo" at Monsignor Mulz Hall and they had a very nice turnout.  It was our first time at Bingo ever, and we had a terrific time.  And judging by everyone else's take on the evening, there are a lot of people hoping that they'll do it again. 

Biography Fair.  PS 97 celebrates Black History Month with a Biography Fair!

Addabbo-Vision.  On Thursday April 22, 2010 NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., brought his once-a-month series of free eye exams by Pearle Vision's Ozone Park staff to the Forest Park Senior Center

Senior Center Finds a Home.  The Woodhaven Adult Senior Center was housed at St. Thomas the Apostle for 35 years.  That relationship ended last year and the senior center found themselves looking for a new home.  Unfortunately, the necessary space was hard to come by in Woodhaven and, in the interim, the seniors had to shuttle back and forth to a center in Richmond Hill.  Last week, a call went out to the seniors of Woodhaven to gather at the Ambulance Corps for a press conference, and they hoped they would hear some good news.

WORKS 2010 Parade.  It's a yearly Woodhaven tradition -- the little league parade down Jamaica Avenue (click here to see last year's parade).  WORKS Little League (formerly Rich Haven) had their parade last weekend, but it's understandable if you missed it -- they were forced to take a little detour this year.  The original marching route was long.  Very long! 

Beautiful Minds.  Over the past 18 months, we've spent a lot of time at Project Woodhaven looking at Woodhaven's past.  This weekend, we spent some time looking at Woodhaven's future.  At Public School 97 - The Forest Park School - their motto is "We grow beautiful minds."  But beautiful minds need room to grow, room to run around and play -- and this weekend, PS 97 unveiled their newly re-constructed playground areas for the children to enjoy.  

Sunrise.  Here's the first in a series of photographic experiments.  We took these photos this morning (Sunday, April 11, 2010) on the steps into Forest Park at Forest Parkway and Park Lane South.  

Changes - Spring 2010 Edition.  We're living through rough economic times, so one would expect a number of closures. But in a good sign that our business district is pretty resilient, many of these locations do not appear to be vacant for too long. Here's what we saw on our most recent tour down Jamaica Avenue.

Track Work.  The MTA has began repairs on the J Line that runs through Woodhaven resulting in congestion and limited parking on certain areas of Jamaica Avenue.

March 2010 

Wheelies.  On a drive through the park last weekend, we came across a young fellow riding his bike through Forest Park, in and around the bandshell parking lot.  He had more than a few spectators watching as he sped back and forth, popping wheelies. 

Remembering Jimmy Young.  Woodhaven remembers one of its own -- resident, businessowner, and friend to many -- Firefighter Jimmy Young.  On Saturday, March 27th 2010 the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association along with St. Thomas the Apostle commemorated "Jimmy Young Day" by hanging a wreath at the corner of 87th Street and 88th Avenue directly after the 4:30 Mass.

March 2010 102nd Pct. Community Council Meeting.  There are a number of community meetings each month -- and this one is usually very interesting.  The 102nd Precinct Community Council meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 8:00 PM at the Moose Hall (across the street from the 102nd) at 87-34 118th Street. All are invited to attend. 

More Storm Pics.  More pictures from the powerful storm that slammed Woodhaven.

Stormy Weather.  Remember the saying from that old commercial?  Don't mess with Mother Nature, or something like that.  A weekend like this reminds us all how powerful a force nature can be.  And this is small scale compared to what we see on the national news -- but even a small disaster is huge when it happens in your front yard.  4 days of high winds and rain, that's what they predicted -- and they were right.

Oscar Flashback! Adrien Brody.

What a View!  Some gorgeous shots of Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, as seen from Forest Park on a lovely day.

February 2010

Mardi Gras.  Coverage of St. Thomas the Apostle's 6th Annual Mardi Gras event. 

Fourteen Hours.  This 1951 film was the screen debut of Grace Kelly and is the real-life story of Woodhaven resident Officer Charles Glasco. 

Snow.  The snow started in Woodhaven around 2 AM.  And by the morning's commute, the snow was falling heavily.

Revisiting the Dome.  One a recent evening trip around town, we found ourselves up at Forest Park, at the Seuffert Bandshell -- or as it was popularly known as back in the day -- The Dome.  I'm not sure if the kids today still call it that.  Great old pics.

Woodhaven's February Town Hall - Coverage from Woodhaven's monthly meeting.  Historically, the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association would pack it up for the winter, and not meet during the months of November through February.  This past winter, the WRBA broke that tradition, and held Winter meetings on Saturdays -- and the turnout for each meeting was really good

January 2010

Schmidt's Candies.  Whenever folks from Woodhaven are reminiscing about their youth, or the old days, one thing you can guarantee is that someone will mention Schmidt's Candy Store.  Located at 94-15 Jamaica Avenue, Schmidt's is dear to all of our hearts because it has been around all of our lives.  Founded in 1925, and entering its 85th year, Schmidt's Candies is still going strong -- and it's still got that classic old-fashioned look.  

Our Transit Lines Saved - For Now.

A Lost Cat Finds a Home - PW tries to help a lost cat.

Walking Up Forest Parkway.  Forest Parkway is one of the more interesting streets of Woodhaven.  Only six blocks long, but instantly recognizable, this broad street stretches from a T-Junction at Jamaica Avenue up to the mouth of Forest Park Drive.  

Theater Returns to Woodhaven.  Theater returned to Woodhaven in the form of the classic macabre comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace," as performed by The First String Players at St. Luke’s Church in Woodhaven. 

Predators.  Woodhaven's Adrien Brody is currently filming Predators, an entirely new chapter in the Predator series.  It's a nice catch for Predator, getting an actor of Brody's stature -- and it's a nice treat for Woodhaven sci-fi fans.  Clearly, Mr. Brody was born for this role, having been raised a mere stone's throw from the jungles of Forest Park :-)