FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com JANUARY 23, 2014 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25 HALL OF SHAME BY KATELYN DI SALVO The shuttered Parkway Hospital, at 70-35 113th Street What are your plans for the Super Bowl? Unfortunately, I’ll be working for the Super Bowl. Brad Crandell I’ll be staying home watching the game with some appetizers, beer and friends. Bridget Cronin I plan on throwing a party at my house. Erick Alvarado I’m going to my friend’s house in Brooklyn for a party to watch the Super Bowl as well as celebrate my 60th birthday. Lou Gittler I will be staying home with my family and watching the game. Ryan Arboleda I plan on throwing a party and having some drinks with by boys. Wilfredo Zelaya oped street talk I’m going to a local bar with some friends Manny Lalonde My plans are not too exciting. I’m going to be on a concert gig. Jeremy Arnold From a lifetime of war to a fi nal search for peace BY STATE SENATOR TOBY STAVISKY On January 11, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon passed away at the age of 85. Although he could be a polarizing political fi gure and his policies have had many critics, I found Henry Kissinger’s remembrance of Sharon in the January 13 issue of The Washington Post to be an accurate and fair representation of Sharon’s legacy. Kissinger described him as a fi erce warrior. From a young age, Sharon was made famous by his talent for an unfortunate fact of Israeli life—war. He is credited for commanding the battle that turned the tide of the 1973 war, earning a reputation as a hawk. But like many of his peers, Sharon came to understand that the best way for Israel to become a secure state was to work toward establishing a lasting peace. In 2002, I was invited by the Israeli government to join Jewish legislators from around the world in Israel for the Sixth International Conference of Jewish Ministers and Members of Parliament. The conference included 55 legislators from 23 different countries and I was asked to serve on a panel on education. We met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in his offi ce on January 8, 2002. I took extensive notes during my week in Israel. Describing Sharon, I wrote: “He is a jovial, grandfatherly general who spent 28 years in the army. Mr. Sharon spent about 45 minutes talking about the millions of people who came to Israel to build the country with a plow in one hand and a sword in the other. He told us that he grew up on a farm and is looking forward to spending more time riding his horses and that his only ambition is to bring security and peace to the people of Israel. As one who has seen the horror of war, he understands, more than many politicians, the importance of peace. He described his beloved nation as one consisting of people from 102 countries speaking 82 languages. I was thinking that Flushing is still more diverse.” Several years later in 2005, Sharon presided over the withdrawal of Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip, an operation that was hailed by leaders worldwide as a remarkable act of diplomacy. As I refl ect on his life, I fi nd myself admiring Sharon not only for his political and military prowess, but also for his unwavering dedication to serving his people. I mourn along with the people of Israel the passing of leader whose life and work shaped a nation, a region, and the world and hope that his great ambition for peace can soon be realized. Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, the fi rst woman from Queens County elected to the State Senate and the fi rst woman to Chair the Senate Committee on Higher Education, represents District 16. VISIT QueensCourier.com FOR MORE STORIES Incidents of graffi ti have risen. The Courier invites you, our readers, to submit photos of vandalism — or addresses where you see graffi ti — for our “Hall of Shame.” Conversely, if a home or business has “cleaned up their act,” submit them for induction into our “Hall of Fame.” Send all high resolution JPG images (300 DPI) to editorial@queenscourier.com with a location and a contact number. Otherwise, contact us at 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361. Help us take our borough back from the vandals!
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