FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Forest Hills bakery reopens after Health Dept. shutdown
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Aft er it was temporarily shut down by
the city Health Department for several
violations, Martha’s Country Bakery in
Forest Hills reopened its doors for business
on Wednesday, Aug. 25.
Th e city Health Department shuttered
the bakery, located at 70-28 Austin St.,
aft er racking up 66 points for sanitary
violations that included fl y infestations,
personal inadequate cleanliness and
contaminated surfaces. Patch was fi rst to
report the story.
Sanitary violations are issued when the
safety of the food being prepared and
served is threatened, according to the
Health Department. Th e Forest Hills bakery’s
sanitation violations are displayed
in red text, which cites the most critical
violations.
Th e health violations had prompted an
infl ux of reactions from neighbors on the
Forest Hills Facebook page, aft er a resident
posted a picture of the shuttered bakery
with a notice saying that Martha’s had
been ordered “closed” on Aug. 23.
Th e resident also posted a photo of a
sign that was placed by the owners that
said the store had been closed until further
notice “due to plumbing issues and
construction work.”
While some residents were questioning
the bakery’s closure, others had pointed
out the Health Department’s yellow
notice.
“Now they’ve boarded up the front of the
store with ‘under construction’ signs put
up so you can’t see the yellow Department
of Health citation that was slapped on the
door,” a resident wrote. “Pretty shady, and
probably illegal if you ask me.”
Another resident wrote, “Closed by
the Health Department…that ‘plumbing
issue’ letter is bull—-.”
“Martha’s shouldn’t lie and just own it
— admit the mistake and vow to correct
with deep cleaning. Th at way it wouldn’t
leave a bad taste in customers’ mouths,” a
resident said.
While some residents slammed the bakery
for making it appear that it was closed
for construction, others commented on
the venue’s lack of cleanliness.
“Th is place was so dirty the last time
I went there. I am surprised the health
department didn’t close it sooner,” a
resident said.
Another resident said they saw a staff
member “put icing from their hand onto a
cake,” and a “cook scratching his junk and
handling the food.”
“Although they are graded as A they
have had multiple violations in the past
— it’s just that this time they actually had
enough violations to issue a closure,” a
resident said.
Meanwhile, fans of the popular bakery
couldn’t wait for it to reopen.
“On occasions Martha’s Country Bakery
was giving all of us hope when most of
us were down aft er work, staying in long
lines just to get in and enjoy their sweets,
and as there were classic napoleon cakes
+ a cappuccino to go long with, to put a
smile on our faces…one of those days we
can all say hooray once again as it perhaps
reopens,” a resident said.
Th is isn’t the fi rst time the beloved
neighborhood bakery received health
inspection violations. According to city
Health Department records, Martha’s was
issued violations in December 2018 and
in November and December 2019.
Violations found during inspections
carry point values, and a restaurant’s score
corresponds to a letter grade. Th e pointgrade
cut-off s are the same as for mobile
food vending letter grading, with fewer
points corresponding to a better grade:
• “A” grade: 0-13 points for sanitary
violations
• “B” grade: 14 to 27 points for sanitary
violations
• “C” grade: 28 or more points for
sanitary violations
Th e Health Department may order a
restaurant to temporarily close to correct
a public health hazard that cannot be corrected
before the end of an inspection or
when the restaurant is operating without
a valid permit.
To reopen, the establishment must submit
a written statement to the Health
Department indicating that it has corrected
all the violations that led to its
being closed, according to the Health
Department.
Aft er re-opening, the establishment will
be inspected for compliance with the
Health Code. If it is in suffi cient compliance,
it may remain open and will be
inspected again in about three months.
Martha’s Country Bakery has other locations
in Bayside, Astoria and Brooklyn
that are open.
QNS contacted Martha’s in Forest Hills
for a statement regarding the health
inspection violations. The manager
declined to comment.
Vandals strike 9/11 Tribute Park in Rockaway
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Just weeks ahead of the 20th
anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks at the World Trade Center, police
from the 100th Precinct in Rockaway
Beach are looking for the suspects who
vandalized the memorial mosaic at the
Beach 116th Street 9/11 Tribute Park
earlier in August.
NYC Parks workers discovered that the
shrink wrapped cover had been ripped off
the monument, and many of the mosaic
tiles were removed and strewn about
at the northern end of Beach 116th Street
along Jamaica Bay.
“Vandalism has no place in our parks,”
NYC Parks Spokeswoman Meghan Lalor
said. “Th is act is disrespectful to the
Rockaway community, and to everyone
who was aff ected by the events of 9/11.
We will work with the NYPD to investigate
the incident.”
State Senator Joseph Addabbo vowed
to help in the search for the vandals for
desecrating the memorial to more than
75 Rockaway residents who perished in
the attacks.
“What an absolutely disgraceful act of
vandalism at Beach 116th Street’s 9/11
Tribute Park memorial,” Addabbo said. “A
crime like this would be horrifi c during
any time of the year, but being so close to
the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
makes this especially painful, not only for
the residents of the area, but for everyone
who lost a loved one that day. I off er
my support to the 100th Precinct and the
NYC Parks Department in their eff orts in
apprehending those responsible for this
disgraceful crime.”
Anyone with information is asked to
call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline
at 800-577-TIPS.
Tribute Park was an empty lot on Sept.
11, 2001. Th e Twin Towers were visible
from the spot, and hundreds of local residents
stood there and watched the tragedy
unfold. With help from the community,
this serene park was built to commemorate
the day. It includes a mosaic
centerpiece, a cupola and a granite rock
engraved with the names of all 343 fi refi
ghters who died on Sept. 11.
Th e mosaic had been compromised by
several storms and the marine environment.
NYC Parks and Friends of Tribute
Park are working toward replacing the
tribute design in more durable materials
that can withstand the elements.
Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
Workers from NYC Parks recently discovered the damage caused by vandals at the Rockaway 9/11
Tribute Park on Beach 116th Street.
Photo by Jenn McCarthy/Facebook
Martha’s Country Bakery, located at 70-28 Austin St. in Forest Hills, was ordered to shut down by the
city Health Department for several violations.
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