66 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 17, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
vschneps@gmail.com
Sweet Victory!
After seven weeks away at sleep away camp, Blake, Morgan and Jonah
returned to big hugs and the smothering of kisses as their parents and grandma
welcomed them home. They all looked so much bigger and more mature
compared to when we sent them off to Tyler Hill Camp.
My heart burst with pride when I heard that Blake had been chosen as Camper
of the Year for sophomore boys. A true leader has been born.
Dynamic
SAME DAY
$1500 off
$500 off
PORCELAIN
Lumineers
Invisalign
DENTAL WORK
CROWNS
SOME EXCLUSIONS
FREE WHITENING
APPLY
INCLUDED
Third Generation Dentist
175-15 Jamaica avenue, Jamaica 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
tweet me @vschneps
New Beginnings
The phrase new beginnings
seems appropriate as we
approach the relaunch of the
historic Long Island Press, in recent
years a website but once a daily
newspaper published for 156 years
and once based in Jamaica, Queens.
It seems like the history of
the paper has come full circle as
we bring back the printed version
under our ownership aft er
having gone from a weekly to a
bi-weekly to a monthly to a digital
and now again a printed edition.
I’m so proud to carry on
such a treasured brand.
It began its “life” as the Long
Island Farmer, a weekly newspaper.
Ironically, in the 1880s,
a farmer and printer who had
been in charge of the Brooklyn
Eagle’s Long Island department
took over ownership. Th e publisher’s
offi ce was on 161st Street
in Jamaica. John Kennehan was
editor when Queens was partitioned
and the western part
became a part of New York City
and the eastern part became
present day Nassau County.
Aft er his death, the paper had
diff erent owners but in 1920 a
lawyer from Jamaica Benjamin
Marvin became the sole owner
of what was renamed the Long
Island Press.
In 1932, the paper was acquired
by Samuel Newhouse who also
owned the Staten Island Advance.
He expanded the paper’s coverage
from Queens and Nassau
to Suff olk County. Th e newspaper
fl ourished as the areas developed
and circulation grew from
30,000 to 445,000 uniquely covering
local news.
Sadly, through the economic
downturn of the 1970s, the
paper lost advertising and circulation
declined. Adding to its
death was an extended strike by
printing pressmen and the owners
ceased publishing March 25,
1977. Sadly its building stayed
vacant until 2005 when it was
torn down and a Home Depot
built on the site.
For decades, the Long Island
Press was lost to the community
until Jed Morey of Morey
Publishing brought the name
back in 2003 and created a
weekly newspaper known for its
investigative articles and coverage
of the Island.
It became a monthly publication
and then a digital platform,
LongIslandPress.com. My son
Josh and I acquired the company
this past May and planned
to put it back to print. With
the help of a new team -- John
Kominicki, the former publisher
of the Long Island Business
News, leading as co-publisher
and executive editor, Tim
Bolger as editor and Joanna
Austin as vice president of sales
-- we are launching the Long
Island Press newspaper as a
monthly news magazine.
Our mission will be to give
our readers insightful reporting
on politics, business, entertainment
and lifestyle plus opinion,
commentary and debate. It will
be a true celebration of Long
Island and its rich history and
natural resources, and the people
who inspire us.
I feel so privileged to bring
back the proud history of the
Long Island Press.
When I told my friends about
the acquisition, I was amazed at
the smiles on their faces as they
shared their memories of the
legendary newspaper.
Geraldo Rivera recalled how
59 years ago he carried the
newspaper on his bicycle when
he moved to Babylon. “I was
broke. At 14, it was my fi rst job.
It taught me business acumen
but also when I sold subscriptions,
I got as a bonus tickets to
Coney Island and Steeplechase.
It opened my world,” he
declared with a broad smile.
Maria Grasso, senior executive
vice president and COO
of Flushing Bank said bluntly,
“I learned everything I know
about business from selling subscriptions
to the Long Island
Press. Collecting the money
each week and keeping records
was a unique education as a
teenager.”
Peter Meyer, president of the
New York City market for TD
Bank, honestly said, “I made
so much money from tips and
subscriptions that I think I had
more money in the bank than
my parents!”
And there are more memories
to be shared.
Now we will build our memories.
Enjoy our fi rst issue coming
out September 1.
John Kominicki (left) and Joanna Austin are leading the Long Island Press’
print revival.
Congratulations!
I off er my best wishes to Carl Mattone and Demetra Plagakis,
one of our former employees, who were recently married.