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6 times • JULY 23, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com Bushwick poet brings his life into his poetry Stop & Shop to buy out Pathmark, Waldbaum’s supermarkets in Queens BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@ridgewoodtimes.com @robbpoz Stop & Shop is looking to grab six Queens supermarkets off the clearance rack. The company announced Monday it is acquiring local Pathmark and Waldbaum’s supermarkets from the struggling Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P), which filed for bankruptcy. In all, Stop & Shop is purchasing 25 Pathmark, Waldbaum’s and A&P locations in the tri-state area from the grocery giant for $146 million. The deal is subject to court approval, but is expected to be finalized before the end of this calendar year. On July 19, A&P announced it was filing for federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, its second such filing in five years, according to The Wall Street Journal. A&P reportedly racked up $2.3 billion in debts versus $1.6 billion in assets, according to its bankruptcy filing. Reportedly, the company lost $300 million between February 2014 and February 2015. A Stop & Shop spokesperson said the acquired locations will remain open and become integrated into the national supermarket chain, and all of its employees would be retained. “Stop & Shop is always looking for convenient locations to better serve our customers,” said Don Sussman, president of the company’s New York Metro Division. “We are very happy to have the opportunity to expand our presence in greater New York and serve new customers.” Stop & Shop currently has five locations in Queens, including on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale; on Union Turnpike on the Glendale/ Forest Hills border; on Northern Boulevard in Little Neck; and on 48th Street in Long Island City. The chain will more than double its presence in the “World’s Borough” with the addition of three Waldbaum’s stores on 26th Avenue in Bayside, Beach Channel Drive in Belle Harbor and Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach, as well as three Pathmark locations on Farrington Street in Flushing, Atlantic Avenue in Ozone Park and Springfield Boulevard in Springfield Gardens. The 19 other Waldbaum’s and Pathmark locations that Stop & Shop purchased are in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx and New Jersey. The 25 stores Stop & Shop acquired represent about 10 percent of A&P’s 296 stores nationwide. As part of the bankruptcy filing, A&P put up 120 supermarkets for sale at a combined $600 million, which will be tested at an upcoming auction. The company is closing 25 other locations immediately. Stop & Shop has 395 stores from New Jersey to Massachusetts employing over 59,000 workers. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Having grown up in Bushwick during the 1980s, Axel Garcia used his experiences and time spent at Bushwick High School to overcome the challenges placed in front of him and develop a love of poetry that he has turned into a career. While attending Bushwick High School, Garcia was surrounded by gangs and drug dealers and even heard gunshots. “Back then it was a little rough,” Garcia said. “It was very different back then than it is now. It’s definitely evolved in many ways, which is good.” Amid these dangers and turmoil, Garcia was unexpectedly introduced to poetry by two teachers at Bushwick High School. “I had two major influences in high school,” Garcia explained. “I had two teachers, Mr. Ragusa…was the band teacher…he was heavily into classical music and poetry so he used to always mention poems and he was always a very calm teacher.” “But I didn’t get into poetry because of him, I got into poetry because of another teacher, my English teacher, Mr. Broiles,” he continued. “I remember being in the class and he would try to teach us poetry…I remember in particular the poem ‘After Apple-Picking’ by Robert Frost. I decided to look at it…and it kind of drew me in that you can say so much without really saying it.” Once Garcia discovered poetry he started to weave his newfound creative process into his life, writing his own poems and making songs for his band. As a beginning poet he would go to the men that introduced him to this new art form for advice and guidance. “I used to bring my poems to Mr. Broiles. I was so happy and as horrible as they were, he would never put me down. He always encouraged me, and it was the same with Mr. Ragusa when I started showing him,” Garcia said. “And to me it opened up another world for me and the thinking process and the making music process. It made me see things differently.” As Garcia grew older, he began entertaining the thought of performing his poetry. “I wanted to do it, but I was scared,” Garcia said. “At this point I was writing for years and people would always tell me that I should publish myself, and I never knew how to go about it.” After seeing some of Garcia’s poems on Facebook, Juan “PaPo” Santiago, director and curator for the Capicu Cultural Showcase, invited Garcia to read some of his poetry at his venue. “So eventually I got the courage to go…so I finally go up and I do a poem and I felt like I was embraced,” “It was like a family atmosphere, no one judged,” Garcia said. “People encourage you there as well, so I enjoyed it. I loved it.” It was also at the Capicu Cultural Showcase that Garcia met James McClory, who assisted him in self-publishing his book of poetry. The guidance he received from McClory helped Garcia publish his first book titled “In Life and Love” in April 2014. “It was a major accomplishment for me,” Garcia said. “Losing my dad Ulberto Orta Garcia in 2013… it was a major blow to me and the family in general. So recollecting myself, getting my poems together and then releasing it in April, basically a few months after, I felt like I needed to do it. I wanted him to be proud.” Garcia’s second book, “Through Different Eyes (Poetic Verses),” was published this year and reflects more on his life and experiences, drawing inspiration from his mother Gladys, brother Will, and children Caitlin, Axel Shane and Amaya. “I want to show my children that it is possible that no matter how down you may be, how bleak the situation may look, you can stay positive and you can accomplish things,” Garcia said. “That’s what I want to leave behind.” Photo courtesy Axel Garcia Bushwick poet Axel Garcia recently released his second book of poetry, called “Through Different Eyes (Poetic Verses),” capturing aspects of his life. RIDGEWOOD TIMES/File photo The Ozone Park Pathmark on Atlantic Avenue is one of six local supermarkets being purchased by Stop & Shop.


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