■NEWS LIC Flea vendor to open natural tea shop in Astoria BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO After looking around for the perfect spot to open their first shop, the owners of LIC Flea & Food vendor Tea and Milk have chosen Astoria, where they plan on opening their doors this month. The decision to open shop in the western Queens neighborhood came after experiencing positive customer input during the LIC Flea & Food and Astoria Flea & Food at Kaufman Astoria Studios, according to Mathew Wong, one of the co-owners of Tea and Milk. “This is it, we’re ready and we’re going to do it,” said Wong, who co-owns Tea and Milk with Wilson Ng and Kendy Ng. “Customers have been asking if we are going to open a storefront. We hear that and feel very proud and people have actually been pushing for it.” On Dec. 2, Wong, along with his partners, signed the lease for a 400-square-foot shop on 34th Avenue, within the Kaufman Arts District. The exact address is still being kept secret until construction is complete; however the group plans to hold a soft opening by the end of January. “It feels amazing,” Wong said. “It’s good to be able to add to what Astoria already has. The variety is great and we want to contribute to it.” At the shop, Tea and Milk plans to serve its customers artisan teas with a menu consisting of a wide range of unconventional teas that include aromatic flowers, fruits and bubbles. Wong emphasized that their teas are made with natural ingredients such a real fruits, chia seeds and real taro. The shop, which will have seating for about 10 people, will also include coffee and pastries, and may have food from other chefs and vendors. “The design won’t look like a typical tea shop,” Wong said. “We want people to stay.” Between the soft opening and the grand opening, the group plans to test hours of operation, looking to open at 7 a.m. and close around 8 or 9 p.m. According to Wong, in the next five years they would like to expand to have two or three more shops. Photos courtesy of Tea and Milk Tea and Milk owners Mathew Wong, Wilson Ng and Kendy Ng, signed the lease on Dec. 2 for their first shop in Astoria. POLICE OFFICERS SAVE MAN’S LIFE IN LIC By Angy Altamirano For two police officers, a routine patrol in Long Island City on Dec. 16 turned into a moment of heroism. Officers William Caldarera and Corey Sarro of the 108th Precinct saw a crowd of people gathering around a man lying motionless on the sidewalk in front of LaGuardia Community College, located at 29-10 Thomson Ave., cops said. Caldarera approached the 66-year-old man and discovered he did not have a heartbeat and was not breathing. Sarro then began to conduct chest compressions, while an ambulance had been requested. Using a defibrillator provided by a public safety officer, Caldarera and Sarro attached the machine to the man’s chest, according to police. After a second shock, the man’s heartbeat returned and he resumed breathing. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and the man was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in critical but stable condition. Although both Caldarera and Sarro had experience with CPR while off duty, this incident was their first time having to use a defibrillator. Both officers said it felt great once they were able to revive the man and get him to breathe again. “There is really no feeling to describe it,” Sarro said. “It was a relief to be able to save him.” Photo courtesy of NYPD
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