FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 18, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 21
A TRIP DOWN
MEMORY LANE
My wife Eva and I were recently over
for dinner with our close friends Dave
and Marion in Bellerose.
My friend Dave and I have known
each other for more than 50 years, since
we were 13 years old and lived in Queens
Village.
Our conversation centered on our
memories of the past living in Queens
Village. I lived there in the ‘50s, ‘60s
and ‘70s.
Th e house I lived in on 213th Street
and 102nd Avenue was bought by my
grandfather Frederick Williams in 1924.
I was told by my father Frederick
Bedell Sr. that a large part of Queens
Village was farmland. I remember my
father taking me down to 99th Avenue,
where there was a chicken farm. Now, in
that same spot are two junkyards where I
would take used newspapers and collect
extra money for my trouble.
A few blocks over on 212th Street,
there was a deli known as Yugo’s, and I
thought it made the best food and sandwiches
in Queens Village. And right
next door was a stationary store named
Scotty’s where you could get candy for a
penny and pick up newspapers for anywhere
between 5 to 10 cents.
I also remember a diner on 212th
Street and Jamaica Avenue, where my
father would take me on Saturdays so my
mother could clean the house without
interruptions. A few years later it became
a car wash. What a shame, because they
made the best pancakes!
Let me also point out that we had
three bowling alleys. One was on 213th
Street, and you had to walk down a fl ight
of stairs where it was located. We also
had two movie theaters. One was called
Century Queens Th eater, where in later
years I served as an usher. Th e other theater
was called the Community Th eater,
and get this: you could watch two movies
and a cartoon for just 35 cents!
We also had a clothing store called
Wilson’s, where my friends and I would
not only buy clothes, but also our Boy
Scouts uniforms.
I had attended, with my parents, Grace
Lutheran Church on 100th Avenue and
Springfi eld Boulevard. Th e church is
now 100 years old. I also sang in the
choir and attended Grace Lutheran Day
School, an elementary school, for eight
years with my friend Harry Weymer,
whom I reconnected with aft er 50 years.
Th e school closed due to lack of enrollment
a few years ago.
When I was 41, I had converted to the
Catholic faith and am now Grand Knight
of St. Anastasia Knights of Columbus
Council # 5911 in Douglaston. I
also serve at St. Anastasia Parish in
Douglaston and at Our Lady of the
Snows in Floral Park. But I digress.
Queens Village had a lot to off er the
youth of that era, with several parks
where you could play baseball. I even
belonged to the YMCA where we took
trips, including many to Alley Pond
Park, where we learned to respect and
love nature. In the YMCA, we learned
how to swim.
I also belonged to Boy Scout Troop
#114, which met in the basement of
Grace Lutheran Church.
We had many diff erent stores, including
a hardware store called Megans.
Th is was a place where you walked in
on wooden fl oors. It was an old-fashioned
hardware store where, if you needed
screws or nails and you didn’t need a
whole box, the clerk would open these
small bins and sell you what you actually
needed.
My friend Dave told me, “You can
never go home.” Well, I said that while
that is technically true, maybe one can,
in their mind, travel back and forth and
relive the old days.
Aft er all, I am 72 years old and still
remember my time in Queens Village
with fondness.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Bellerose
LACKING CRITICAL FACTS
Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent ride
on a test train to the new Long Island
Rail Road Grand Central Terminal was a
great photo op, but omitted critical facts.
Since 2001, costs have grown from
$3.5 billion to $11.2 billion today. Th is
does not include $4 billion more for
“readiness projects” carried off line from
the offi cial project budget.
Th e opening service date slipped from
2009 to December 2022.
In our post COVID-19 world, it’s doubtful
that the projected 60,000 new LIRR
riders will use the train by the December
2022 opening. It’s said that riders could
save 40 minutes by using this terminal,
but that depends upon how long it takes
to exit, followed by how many blocks riders
must walk to transfer to a subway or
bus before reaching their fi nal destination.
Travel time from Jamaica to Grand
Central Terminal was 27 minutes, versus
20 minutes to Penn Station. Th e onestop
subway from Penn Station to Times
Square transferring to the 42nd Street
Shuttle arriving in GCT is seven minutes
or less.
Many will continue telecommuting
from home part or full time. Th ere will
be fewer face-to-face meetings and conferences,
with increased usage of teleconference
technologies.
Manhattan-based corporations continue
downsizing. Others are relocating
employees to suburban offi ces closer
to home.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
oped letters & comments
KEEPING CLEAN IN FOREST HILLS // PHOTO BY JOE ABATE
Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper!
To submit them to us, tag @qnsgram on Instagram, visit our Facebook page,
tweet @QNS or email editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps).
What to know
about COVID-19
vaccine boosters
BY DR. DAVE A.
CHOKSHI
Recently, important
updates about the
COVID-19 vaccine were
announced — that certain
people are now eligible for a “booster”
dose. Since the beginning of COVID-
19, our scientifi c understanding of the
virus has constantly evolved, and many
New Yorkers understandably have questions
about this new development.
I would like to provide the “who, why
and where” about boosters.
Who should get a booster? All three
brands of booster shots are available for
many New Yorkers — Pfi zer, Moderna
and Johnson & Johnson — and “mixing
and matching” of the vaccines is safe. But
who is eligible for a booster depends on
the vaccine you originally received.
At this time, the Pfi zer and Moderna
boosters are approved for certain people
vaccinated at least six months ago — specifi
cally, people who are aged 65 or older;
adults with underlying medical conditions
(like diabetes); and adults at higher
risk of exposure due to their job (like
health care workers) or due to where they
live (like nursing home residents).
Th e Johnson & Johnson booster is
approved for anyone ages 18 or older who
received it at least two months ago — as I
did. Since “mixing and matching” is now
authorized, Johnson & Johnson recipients
can get a booster of any of the three
authorized vaccines (Moderna, Pfi zer or
Johnson & Johnson). Th ere is limited data
showing that Moderna or Pfi zer vaccines
could result in higher antibody levels.
Why get a booster? Th e science continues
to show that all three of the authorized
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and save lives.
Th at’s why getting more New Yorkers vaccinated
with their fi rst and second doses
remains the most important thing. Th e
booster adds another layer of protection —
it is meant to “boost” your immunity. Th is
is particularly important for people who
are most at risk for severe illness.
Where can New Yorkers get a booster?
In New York City, booster shots are available
at sites in all fi ve boroughs and for
in-home vaccination. To fi nd a location
near you, go to nyc.gov/vaccinefi nder. Th e
vaccines are free at city sites to all New
Yorkers, regardless of immigration status.
Already, over 250,000 New Yorkers have
received a booster shot. Th at means thousands
of New Yorkers will have stronger
protection from COVID-19. Th ey
will be able to gather with friends, family
and loved ones more safely. And for
any New Yorkers who are still unvaccinated,
I urge you to take the fi rst step today
— join 6 million other New Yorkers and
get vaccinated. It is our single best way
out of this pandemic and a return to normal
life again.
Dr. Chokshi is New York City’s
Health Commissioner.
/vaccinefi
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
