40 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MARCH 18, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Richmond Hill-South Ozone Park Lion’s Club inducts its fi rst members
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
More than 25 members were inducted
to the newly founded the Richmond
Hill-South Ozone Park Lion’s Club at
the Ozone Park Deshi Senior Center on
Tuesday, March 9.
Th e club is the fi rst fraternal organization
in Ozone Park since 1958, and the
chapter will primarily focus on senior
services because seniors are underserved
in those communities.
Romeo Hitlall, president of the
Richmond Hill-South Ozone Park Lions
Club, was happy to see the support the
new chapter received from the community,
elected offi cials and the local precincts.
“I’m glad that they are focusing on
seniors. It doesn’t just have to be in
Ozone Park, Woodhaven or Howard
Beach. It can be in the surrounding area.
I’m very happy about that,” Hitlall said.
Mohammad Khan explained that the
senior services will include ESL classes
to remove language barriers, a senior
food delivery service and outdoor activities
once COVID-19 eases and people
are vaccinated.
“I’m sure a lot of them want to come
out, and they want to do something.
Th ey want to be part of the community,”
Khan said.
Before the induction ceremony, members
held a moment of silence for Donna
Maucere, one of the founding members
of the Ozone Park Residents Block
Association, who passed away a few days
before. Sam Esposito, president of Ozone
Park Howard Beach Woodhaven Lions
Club, announced that Donna Maucere
would be posthumously inducted as a
family member of the Lions.
“She supported us fi nancially. She supported
us emotionally. She supported us
endlessly, and anybody here who knows
her knows what she did,” Esposito said.
Following the moment of silence, four
young men were honored for their outstanding
volunteer service with the
Ozone Park Residents Block Association’s
food pantry during the pandemic. Daniel
Coff aro Hill, Sayed Hassan, and Pratyai
Dey received certifi cates of recognition
from Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar,
Queens Borough President Donovan
Richards, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NY State
Senators Joseph P. Addabbo and James
Sanders Jr, Assembly members Pheff er
Amato and Hevesi, Congresswoman
Nydia Velazquez and Councilwoman
Adrienne Adams. Th irteen-year-old
Michael Cheng received an award for
his exemplary work with the Ozone
Parks Residents Block Association from
former Assembly Member Mike Miller.
Richards and Rajkumar commended
the quartet for their dedication to the
community, ensuring that residents in
need are taken care of.
“We should encourage them to continue
to do what they are doing. You are an
inspiration to many of the young people,
whether you know it or not, and to our
community,” Richards said.
“Th e young people, you are our future.
It is so important to have young energy
in leadership. I have always believed
that,” added Rajkumar, who is a member
of the Richmond Hill Lions Club.
NYPD Deputy Chief John Clune, the
commanding offi cer of Queens South,
and NYPD Captain John W. Costello,
commanding offi cer of the 102nd
Precinct, presented the young men with
an award on behalf of de Blasio and
Addabbo, respectively.
“Without the civic organizations that
are there, we can’t do our job. It does
make it a lot easier. We are moving forward
with a lot of input from diff erent
communities. And these young men
here, they are the future of our city. Th ey
are here making all of our lives better,”
Clune said.
Captain Costello thanked them
on behalf of the 102nd Precinct and
praised them for their commitment:
“At a time where most of young people
are on social media, you guys are out
there during the pandemic. Observing
on your own the actual human condition
of what people are going through
and how difficult it is for a lot of us in
this country.”
Before moving on to the induction
and installation, Sam Esposito explained
how vital it was to honor the young volunteers
who work tirelessly to keep the
food pantry running.
“It is important that these young kids
who come here know that they are
appreciated, that they are loved, and
they are cared for. It’s a civic duty that we
all have to give back for the greater good.
And these four young men really do give
back every week,” Esposito elaborated.
He then went on to point out the cultural
diversity of the group that was
about to be inducted into the Lions clubhouse.
“If you look around, you have every
ethnicity and every religion sitting in
this room. Fourteen months ago, this
would have never happened in Ozone
Park,” Esposito said and thanked everyone
for putting their prejudices aside
and come together as a community.
More than 25 residents from Cityline,
Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond
Hill, South Ozone Park and Woodhaven
were sworn in by 1st Vice Governor
of District 20-K1V Anthony Cochran.
He expressed how inspiring it was to
see community members dedicate their
time to help others and make a diff erence.
“It’s coming from all segments of society,
so you have a lot to be proud of. I
personally want to thank you for what
you do and for what you are going to do,”
Cochran said.
City Acres Market opens
in Long Island City
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A new supermarket opened in
Queensboro Plaza following a series of
delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Located on the ground fl oor inside Th e
JACX, the 13,000-square-foot City Acres
Market opened its doors to the public
with a grand opening featuring an inhouse
cheesemonger with a large assortment
of gourmet cheeses, premium charcuterie
within a gourmet deli counter,
prepared foods, an in-house fi sh section,
a butcher counter, organic produce,
an imported and local grocery selection,
bulk goods and a beer section.
Dragonfl y and Korean restaurant
Madang will have a pop-up serving
jaeyook hokum and bulgogi within the
City Acres Long Island City location at
29-18 Queens Plaza South.
City Acres Market has other locations
in Manhattan’s fi nancial district as well as
a retail store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
“City Acres Market is a one-stop shopping
experience off ering the highest quality
fresh and readymade products at reasonable
prices,” City Acres Market General
Manager Jordan Elian said. “We are excited
to be able to off er the Long Island City
community an alternative market for specialty
goods as well as household products.”
City Acres Market will be open from 7
a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Sundays.
Photo by Gabrielle Holtermann
Twenty-fi ve members were sworn into the newly formed chapter of the Lions Club on March 9, 2021.
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