EDITORIAL
READERS WRITE
Remembering Mad Magazine days
The demise of Mad
Magazine is unfortunate. As
a teenager growing up in the
1960s, I looked forward to each
issue. “Spy vs. Spy” and “The
Lighter Side Of” were two of
my favorite regular features.
While other magazines
included fold-ins, Mad went
against the grain with foldouts.
Competitors such as
Cracked, Crazy, Sick and
others were also funny but not
in the same league.
The antics of Alfred
E. Neuman was someone
everyone could relate to.
Who could forget how we all
laughed to the free record
Mad Magazine added as a
bonus to one issue titled “It’s
a Gas”? The record predated
both Howard Stern’s Fart
Man and Mel Brooks “Blazing
Saddles” campfire beans and
f latulence scene.
Mad Magazine was ahead of
its time, not paying attention
to political correctness.
Their social satire took on
all comers, Democrats and
Republicans, liberals and
conservatives, young and
old, single or married, gay or
straight, religious or atheist,
drugs, sex and even the
Vietnam War. How refreshing
that there was no subject
that was taboo in each and
every issue.
Mad Magazine was a
national treasure that should
be remembered for decades
to come.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
EDITORIAL STAFF
Reporters: Bill Parry, Mark
Hallum, Carlotta Mohamed, Jenna
Bagcal, Emily Davenport,
Max Parrott
Photographers: Nat Valentine,
Ellis Kaplan, Robert Cole
Copy Editor: Katrina Medoff
Contributing Writers/Columnists:
Tammy Scileppi, Robert Cole
ART & PRODUCTION
Production Manager:
Deborah Cusick
Art Director: Nirmal Singh
Layout: Jenna Bagcal
Cartoonist: Tip Sempliner
ADVERTISING
Senior Account Executive:
Kathy Wenk
Account Executives:
David Strauss
Sherri Rossi
PROUD MEMBER OF NEW YORK PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHER
Brian Rice
EDITOR
Robert Pozarycki
V.P. OF ADVERTISING
Ralph D’onofrio
CIRCULATION
Robert Palacios
CLASSIFIED
Classified Director:
Celeste Alamin
Classified Sales
Manager:
Eugena Pechenaya
TWO LOST LEADERS
Two Queens men will be remembered as the
borough’s greatest labor leaders, who made
it their life’s work to befriend and empower
working people across America and especially
in the New York City metropolitan area.
They will also be remembered as two
passionate souls who the borough lost in the
same year.
Jackson Heights resident Héctor Figueroa,
president of 32BJ SEIU, the largest property
service union in the country with nearly 163,000
members in 11 states, suffered a fatal heart attack
last week at the age of 57, his death came four
months after Kevin Lynch, of Glen Oaks, passed
away following three decades as the director of
organizing and political action for major unions
in New York and New Jersey, bringing in 20,000
workers into the house of labor, providing their
families with the many benefits and protections
of a union contract.
Under Figueroa’s presidency, 32BJ grew by
more than 50,000 members at a time when union
organizing is in decline.
While they may have come from different
backgrounds, Figueroa moved to the U.S. from
Puerto Rico, Lynch was born of Irish immigrants
in the Bronx, both men walked the same road,
often times together. The two were prominent
figures in the years-long airport workers
campaign for fair wages and benefits.
Figueroa and Lynch believed in and loved
working people and their families and stopped
at nothing to improve as many of their lives as
possible. Both men honored and loves immigrants
and fought for their human rights.
State Senator James Sanders lauded Figueroa
as a true hero and champion for millions
of Americans.
“Not only did he stand up for all his union
brothers and sisters, he worked tirelessly for the
working class,” he said.
Figueroa had remembered Lynch as a
powerful champion for working people in Queens
and across New York. “He took so much joy in
organizing and helping workers build power,
especially in sectors and communities that were
historically overlooked by the labor movement,”
Figueroa said.
They were labor movement lions and they
walked the same road together and thousands of
Queens families live better lives today thanks to
Figueroa and Lynch’s life’s work.
With today’s changing climate towards labor,
we may not see their like again.
HOW TO REACH US
MAIL: 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361
PHONE: Display Advertising: (718) 260-4537
Editorial: (718) 260-4549
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Copyright©2019 Queens CNG LLC.
16 TIMESLEDGER, JULY 19-25, 2019 BT QNS.COM
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