Category Archives: Feature
“I heard the speed coming from behind me.” That’s how eyewitness Adam Pedroza described the seconds before a 45-year-old woman was struck and killed as she stepped off the sidewalk on Thursday evening. Estella Peralta had just stepped off the curb onto Rockaway Boulevard, according to Pedroza. “It was less than three seconds before she was up in the air,” he said. The woman was about to cross Rockaway Boulevard from the corner of Nissan of Queens over to P.C. … Continue reading
Firefighters discovered the badly burned body of a man when they responded to a brush fire in Forest Park early on Saturday morning. Police are now investigating the death and an autopsy is being performed to determine how the man died and why the body was involved in the grisly incident. Minutes before 6 a.m., police and fire officials responded to the small area of brush that was aflame a few dozen feet into the park near the corner … Continue reading
Police will continue investigating a shooting in a South Ozone Park hotel on May 10 that the District Attorney is calling a murder suicide. At 12:30 p.m., 47-year-old Gary Zalevsky shot 31-year-old Brian Weiss before turning the gun on himself, police said. The victim and shooter were eating with four other men in the cafeteria of the Hilton Garden Inn at 148-30 134th St. not far from John F. Kennedy International Airport. Police sources said they have video of the … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that to find the breeding ground for future college, NBA, and WNBA stars—and even Olympians—one doesn’t need to look much further than a Middle Village school hidden in an alcove of trees on Metropolitan Avenue. For the last 49 years, Christ the King Regional High School has earned a reputation as an athletic powerhouse, producing a virtual Who’s Who list among basketball players that have played for and won championships at nearly every athletic level available. … Continue reading
Residents are up in arms about upcoming service changes proposed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) for routes serving Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach. The agency says it is eyeing other changes as well. MTA officials at the May meeting of Community Board 10 (CB 10) announced that starting on July 1, there will be modifications along the routes of the Q11, Q21 and Q41. In the Lindenwood section, riders traveling to and from the south, namely Broad Channel … Continue reading
Siblings of George Gibbons read tearful statements in court Monday, asking that the man who killed their brother remain in jail as long as possible. Peter Rodriguez, a 37-year-old Brooklyn man, had admitted to driving the car that killed George in a wrong-way collision in Maspeth. On May 7, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half to seven years in prison for negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a crime. George’s five siblings poured out their emotions for the record … Continue reading
Forest Park Carousel will open by Memorial Day weekend thanks to the Department of Parks and Recreation settling on an operator. This week, Parks announced New York Carousel Entertainment won the bid to operate the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Carousel and the long-shuttered Forest Park Carousel. Parks and New York Carousel are now inking the final details of the agreement, but the company was granted a work permit to get the carousels ready for an opening this month, a Parks … Continue reading
Glendale residents got their second look at a proposed pedestrian plaza, which would give the neighborhood a different look if it goes through. The city Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the Ridgewood Local Development Corporation hosted a public hearing on Wednesday, May 2 at the Redeemer Lutheran School about the pedestrian plaza in Glendale, which would close off a small slice of 70th Street between Cooper and Myrtle avenues and turn it into … Continue reading
Students, teachers and school leaders at John Adams High School in Ozone Park squeezed in some final words last week about the turnaround program before a vote scheduled for Thursday, April 26. Like the seven other Queens high schools on the list, John Adams took the cathartic moment to blast the plan that could replace half the teachers and rename the school to claim grant funding. The bottom level of John Adams auditorium was packed with hundreds of students … Continue reading
On March 27, Sparky the dog earned a new name and found a new life. The 8-pound Yorkshire Terrier–Maltese mix is a survivor. He escaped a three-alarm fire in his house and is looking for a new home to match his new name—he used to be called Pee Wee. In the meantime, he’s thanking the firefighters who saved him. Sparky was in a house at 65-55 Maurice Ave. in Maspeth when the blaze broke out around 8 p.m. on March … Continue reading
Almost 70 years passed between the time Anton Dietrich Jr. was wounded during a battle in North Africa and when he received a Purple Heart for his bravery just last week. Dietrich is a 93-year-old WWII Army veteran who lives in Richmond Hill. He fought in Tunisia, landed in Sicily as well as Normandy, and spent 32 months at Walter Reed Medical Center when a mortar shell tore into his legs, arm and back. Dietrich was awarded a host of … Continue reading
Sub-standard conditions at the Waldbaum’s store on Cross Bay Boulevard have reared their ugly head again despite a report card issued by The Forum in last weeks issue, which actually informed our readers of some improvements at the store. The last two months have seen articles in this newspaper detailing conditions at the store: rodent droppings on the shelves, outdated meat and dairy products, spoiled produce and the lack of merchandise, especially sale items. Within two weeks of the first … Continue reading
It was no ordinary Saturday morning in the basement hall of St. Barnabas Church in Howard Beach this past weekend when more than 100 local hoofers gathered together to do what they love best—dance. Only this time it wasn’t just their feet moving to the music—it was their hearts. Students from at least two area dance schools, Fazio and Steps Ahead, donated at least $50 each to participate in the First Annual Dancing Toward a Cure, to benefit the upcoming … Continue reading
The International Society of SS. Cosma & Damiano hosted a capacity crowd in celebration of their 20th Annual Dinner Dance at Roma View Catering on Saturday evening D. Marjorie Centrone and John Gurino, Sr. were honored as the Italian-American Businesswoman and Businessman of 2012. Both honorees were presented with proclamations and citations from City Councilman Eric Ulrich, Sen. Joe Addabbo and Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder. The evening was punctuated by a surprise visit from Howard Beach American Idol star Pia Toscano, … Continue reading
Last Wednesday, April 12, at approximately 11 a.m., two police officers observed a 1998 Honda being driven in a reckless manner northbound on Cross Bay Boulevard near 164th Avenue. After following the vehicle several blocks down to 159th Avenue, the officers pulled the vehicle over. As the officers prepared to approach the car, the operator opened the door and fled across the boulevard. Additional officers in the vicinity observed the action taking place and after a short pursuit were able … Continue reading