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Looking back on 2018 in Queens
SINGING AT ST. MARY’S
BY ZACH GEWELB
We’ve certainly had an interesting
year in Queens.
In 2018, we’ve seen some high
profile people die, shocking upsets
in the political world, young
sports stars realize their dreams
and celebrities perform in the
borough.
We had to say goodbye to
state Sen. Jose Peralta after his
sudden passing right before
Thanksgiving.
Peralta had just been defeated
by Jessica Ramos in the Nov. 6
midterm election, but his strong
presence in his district and
throughout Queens was clear,
given the thousands of people
who mourned the senator after
his death. Peralta is survived by
his wife, Evelyn, and sons Matthew
and Myles.
Queens also mourned the
death of former state Sen. Frank
Padavan.
Padavan served as the senator
for State Senate District 11
from 1973 to 2010, the second-longest
serving state senator in New
York history. He was unseated in
2010 in a close race won by Tony
Avella.
Flushing-born former First
Lady Barbara Bush died in
April following a battle with an
unspecified illness. She was 92.
Bush — whose maiden name
was Barbara Pierce — was born
in 1925 at Booth Memorial Hospital
in Flushing.
Santa sings along with the Bayside High School choir to help spread holiday cheer at St. Mary’s
Hospital for Children. Photo by Nat Valentine
She became the first lady
during the presidency of George
H.W. Bush and was the mother
of the 43rd president, George W.
Bush.
The ever-changing business
landscape in Queens took no
time to rest in 2018, with several
high profile establishments closing
its doors, making way for
new businesses in the borough.
The owners of the familyowned
theater MovieWorld
announced that they would be
showing their last film on July
3, much to the disappointment of
loyal patrons.
Meanwhile, news broke in
July that Lowe’s Home Improvement
would be moving into
Douglaston Plaza after MovieWorld
and Macy’s shut their
doors at the shopping center.
In the western part of northeast
Queens, Flushing residents
welcomed a popular fast-food establishment
to the neighborhood.
A new Sonic Drive-In celebrated
the grand opening of
its Roosevelt Avenue location in
September to much fanfare.
As for education, Queens
College was named one of the
nation’s best colleges by the
U.S. News and World Report’s
2019 Best Colleges edition.
The college – located in Flushing
– ranked 14th out of the 47
schools on the list that featured
several City University of New
York institutions.
A Far Rockaway resident was
determined to open a charter
high school in time for the 2019-
2020 school year.
Regina Glover had announced
her plans for Legacy Academy on
New Year’s Eve with the hopes of
revitalizing urban education in
the Far Rockaway area with a
comprehensive program.
Two Bayside elected officials
were proposing to keep school
doors locked at all times.
City Councilman Paul Vallone
and state Assemblyman
Edward Braunstein said the city
Department of Education policy
keeping front doors unlocked is a
safety issue.
Braunstein said granting
public school principals the
authority to confirm whether
or not an individual represents
a threat before allowing
them into the school could
prevent a dangerous incident
from taking place.
As 2018 comes to a close, we at
TimesLedger want to say we are
honored to have played a part in
delivering the news throughout
the year and are looking forward
to continue doing so in 2019 and
beyond.
Vol. 84 No. 52 52 total pages
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