34 The Queens Courier • january 23, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com SIT & EAT Truce reached with Flushing McDonald’s patrons BY MELISSA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com A group of Korean seniors and the owner of an embattled Flushing McDonald’s have come to a truce, Assemblymember Ron Kim announced this week. The feud between the two parties was a “cultural miscommunication,” said Kim, the state’s first Korean-American elected official. It began when a cluster of about 20 seniors made the corner eatery on Parsons and Northern Boulevards their favorite hangout, taking up seats for about eight hours every day, according to published reports. The extended stays have kept others from patronizing the McDonald’s, franchisee Jack Bert said. “I’m sure you can imagine any business would find this situation to be difficult,” he said in a statement. As part of the compromise, Bert agreed to hire Koreanspeaking staff members and extend the 20-minute sitting limit to one hour, except from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “I’ve been proud to serve this community for nearly 20 years, and my restaurant has been happy to welcome these customers for years,” Bert said. “I was confident that once we were able to sit together and talk, we would come to a positive resolution that would create an environment where all customers who wish to enjoy this restaurant would have the ability to do so.” The seniors agreed to abide by the new sitting hours and be transported by the Korean Community Services to meet at local senior centers, during the fast-food restaurant’s busy hours. The dispute, at its peak, led to four police interventions since November, according to the New York Times. David Choe, 76, one of the group’s regulars, told The Courier he was “insulted” to be asked to leave. Assemblymember Ron Kim (center) helped broker a truce at an embattled Flushing McDonald’s. “This is my town,” he said. “I’m happy people are taking us seriously now. Before, nobody really cared about this matter.” It even sparked a boycott last week amongst a trio of Korean activists. Outraged, they called for a worldwide boycott of McDonald’s throughout February. “Senior citizens have been working hard their whole lives. They should be respected,” said Christine Colligan, co-chair of the Korean American Parents Association of Greater New York, who led the protest. “This is the core of Koreatown. I cannot believe this is happening here.” Kim said the culture clash also stemmed from a lack of resources for seniors. “What we’ve done over the last few days is make sure both parties understand where each other is coming from and have some compassion,” he said. THE COURIER/Photo by Melissa Chan “This was a small business owner trying to survive and a small group of seniors trying to find a social space.” State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said the compromise represents Flushing’s tradition of respect. “It goes back hundreds of years,” she said. “It’s a peaceful community, and it’s going to continue to be a peaceful community.” OBTAIN A FAST DIVORCE IN AS LITTLE AS 24 HOURS WE ARE HERE TO HELP! Visit us online or Call Now! SERVING THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 50 YEARS! A leader in the fast divorce business has been Divorcefast.com of Massachusetts, a company that has been providing speedy, low-cost foreign divorces for 50 years. The company provides divorces that can be completed in as little as one day in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the U.S. offshore island of Guam. According to Alan Alford, proprietor of Divorcefast.com, some of the divorces offered require travel to the court, while some can be done without any travel or court appearance. Some require both parties to sign the court petition for divorce, while others can be achieved with only one party signing. All of the divorces happen very quickly and with a minimal amount of paperwork. The divorces are valid and recognized everywhere, and Alford reports that he processes several thousand of them every year, particularly for New Yorkers. The total cost for fast divorces starts at $995, raising the price to as high as $1,500. All of the divorces, Alford says, are completed within a few days and the clients are then free to remarry or otherwise continue with their lives as single persons. Anyone interested in more details about the Divorcefast offerings can access the company web site at www.divorcefast.com. The forms and instructions can be printed out from there and submitted to the company. For those lacking Internet access, Alford and his staff are prepared to discuss foreign divorces on the phone, at 978-443-8387, or by mail directed to Divorcefast.com, 365 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.. THE PROCESS IS QUICK, EASY, LEGAL & AFFORDABLE 978.443.8387 WWW.DIVORCEFAST.COM
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