FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com JUNE 6, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER 9 Summer staple satisfi es new generation of customers BY ROSA KIM editorial@queenscourier.com Lines formed quickly at the Lemon Ice King of Corona last week as temperatures soared and crowds of people from all over the county and beyond waited eagerly for their chilled, creamy scoops. “It’s the best place to go when it’s hot,” said Steve Maya, who biked from Forest Hills just for the ices. “It’s my favorite thing to do in the summer.” Located on 52-02 on 108th Street in Corona, the shop has been serving Italian ices for 69 years. It attracts both fi rst timers and life-long enthusiasts. There are 39 fl avors, including sugar-free options. Customer favorites range from the original lemon to mango, pistachio, peanut butter, coconut and chocolate. “We use a lot of fruits in our ices,” said manager Harry Melo. “Our fruit cocktail has assorted fruits, our cherry has pieces of cherry and we use freshly squeezed lemon to make our lemon ice.” The shop uses recipes that have been passed down from Nicola Benfaremo, who founded it in 1944, and his son, Peter, who expanded the menu from just two fl avors. “I love Italian ices, so when we go to other places, we try their versions of it and this is just the best one,” said Kirsten Negri of Corona. “We even come in the winter because it’s really good.” The Lemon Ice King is a popular pit stop for kids on their way to the New THE COURIER/ Photo by Rosa Kim Customers enjoyed chilled treats from Lemon Ice King of Corona during last week’s heat. York Hall of Science as well as crowds on their way to see the Mets and tennis games. Some customers come to reclaim a piece of childhood. “As a little girl, seven or eight years old, me, my sisters and brothers, we used to run up here to get our ices,” said Julie Lassus. “And the ices were like 10 cents. I wanted to get a little bit of the memory back.” Celebrating their 70th year in 2014, the Lemon Ice King of Corona is welcoming a new generation of fans every day. “Be a part of the family that everybody in Corona and elsewhere remembers and one of the top 10 places to go to in New York City,” Melo said. THE COURIER/Photo by Rosa Kim Fort Totten Pool, the only free pool in northeast Queens, may close because of budget issues. COUNCIL CONSIDERS CLOSING POOLS BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA ctumola@queenscourier.com Oswald Egas spent summers as a boy practicing to swim and escaping the heat at the Fort Totten Pool. He later took his own children to the same outdoor spot, telling them “that’s where I grew up.” But Egas’ kids may not be able to share the same sentiment with their children. If the City Council cannot restore $1.5 billion in funding, it will close the Fort Totten Pool and three other outdoor pools in the city. “Our decision was based on several factors, including attendance fi gures, proximity to other pools, access to public transit and the location of the pools relative to residential communities,” the Parks Department said in a statement. The budget issue could also force the department to end the outdoor pool season, which traditionally runs from June 27 to Labor Day, two weeks early this year. The pool “is a relief to many citizens. I think it’s terrible that they’re possibly not going re-open it,” Egas said. Other local residents were also disappointed by the news. “It’s a loss to the area,” said Joe Maron, who prefers the pool to the beach. “I just think it’s so sad that this pool is at risk because it’s such a great thing for this community.” City pools on the chopping block have been saved from a shut down in the past. “As we have done for the last three years, the New York City Council fully expects to fi nd the funds necessary to ensure that all of New York City’s families are able to enjoy a full season at all of the city’s pools again this year,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
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