14 The QUEE NS Courier • NOVEMBER 6, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com 9/11 MEMORIAL POSTER OF FIREFIGHTER TORN DOWN, LEAVING FIANCÉE PUZZLED BY SALVATORE LICATA slicata@queenscourier.com/@Sal_Licata1 Every year, on the anniversary of 9/11, Tanya Villanueva Tepper hangs a brand-new poster on a tree in Jackson Heights in memory of her fiancé Sergio Villanueva, a firefighter who perished during the terrorist attack. Normally, the poster remains affixed to the tree until Tepper replaces it. But this year, she had to replace it early as it was torn down from its spot in the beginning of October. “I don’t know or understand why people would do that,” said Tepper. “It hurts my heart.” Tepper decided to hang the poster in front of the gift shop Inner Peace, located at 79-24 37th Ave., which she once owned with Villanueva, because she wanted people to remember the 33-year-old firefighter as a person and not just a name. The poster, filled with pictures of Villanueva and his family along with a few words describing the type of man he was, was tied down with rope and string to prevent it being dislodged by strong winds. But the poster was apparently torn down once several years ago and again last month. “I’ve never heard any backlash from the community,” said Tepper. “I just want to ask the person who is doing it, ‘Does it make you uncomfortable?’” The current owner of the store, Marisol Dittmer, who was also a close friend of Villanueva, said she welcomes the poster and loves having Tepper come and put it up. “I don’t understand why someone would do this,” Dittmer said. “He was such a great man, always loving, and this poster is meant to show that.” THE COURIER/Photo by Salvatore Licata In front of the tree, there is also a plaque dedicated to Villanueva. Hanging the poster there made it a “little sanctuary” for Tepper during the tender times of the anniversary. “Life goes by so fast sometimes,” Tepper said. “I want people to see this poster and plaque and just slow down and think about life and how special it is.” Even though it was taken down, Tepper did not hesitate to replace the poster. Over the weekend, she hung it up to keep Sergio’s memory alive. She said that she just hopes this would be the last time she would have to replace it until next year on the anniversary. “I have no malice when putting the poster up, but it’s all malice when they rip it down,” Tepper said. “I just want people to walk by it and realize how precious life is and that the best life you can live is being the best person you can be for others.” Poster courtesy of Tanya Villanueva Tepper NEW GREATER FLUSHING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AIMS TO UNIFY BUSINESSES BY ERIC JANKIEWICZ ejankiewicz@queenscourier.com/@ericjankiewicz Downtown Flushing bristles with businesses. Yet for all its economic activity, the area doesn’t have a Chamber of Commerce to advocate for the businesses’ needs in government. But that’s about to change. John Choe is the executive director for the new Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. The organization is being put together and Choe plans on having a launch party for the organization in December. “The chamber will look at making sure we not only have policies that benefit businesses,” Choe said, “but we also get the same level of attention that reflects the level of economic taxes that we generate for the government.” Flushing’s previous chamber of commerce dissolved in 2012 after 80 years of operation, according to earlier reports. The previous organization, the Flushing Chamber of Commerce, began to recede in importance as a new wave of Asian immigrants moved to the area, bringing with them their own business groups. Choe is hoping to not share his predecessor’s fate by bringing the various business interest groups under one flag and “creating a multicultural chamber at its core.” “We want to create a chamber of commerce that will reflect the diversity of the greater Flushing area,” he said. The area’s business groups include the Flushing Business Improvement District, Korean American Small Business Service Center of New York, Flushing Chinese Business Association, Taiwan Merchants Association, One Flushing and the Flushing Development Center. “It’s a complicated task,” Choe said. News of the chamber’s creation was welcomed by many in the community. “The creation of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce is a good idea because it will help small business owners by providing them with a resource that is dedicated to expanding their business opportunities and financial growth,” Councilman Peter Koo said. “We are still living in a climate of overregulation that remains challenging for many small business owners, so the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce will be a welcomed addition to the diverse business community here.” Dian Yu, executive director of the Flushing Business Improvement District, said that his organization would be willing to work with Choe and the chamber. “Anybody who is willing to pitch in for the Flushing community is always a good thing,” Yu said. “We work with everybody. We welcome everybody to fight for the community.” FILE PHOTO
QC11062014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above