14 AUGUST 2, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES 110TH ANNIVERSARY WWW.QNS.COM
PROGRESS IN THE TIMES
Action and 'Agony'
Msgr. James Kelly, Maureen Walthers and Carl Clemens accept an award
for the Ridgewood Times' "The Agony of Bushwick" series, which documented
urban decay in the neighborhood.
Newspapers in general did not
fare well through the 1950s.
Modern technology had created
a series of labor problems which
focused several large dailies out
of business. The Ridgewood Times
witnessed the closing of the World
Telegram, the Journal-American, the
Daily Mirror, the Brooklyn Edge, and
several others.
The same technology caused a
revamping of the process used by
the Ridgewood Times, and the paper
eliminated its printing presses, and
switched to off set printing.
“It was a diffi cult decision, and could
have caused the demise of the Ridgewood
Times,” Clemens recalled in
1983. “We took a chance, feeling that
the paper had to keep up with the
times, or fold.”
As the 1950s gave way to the 1960s,
the area’s median age population
grew older, and there were fewer
school-aged children. The parochial
school system also expanded its facilities
at this time, and many parents
who were disgruntled with the public
schools shift ed their off spring into
parochial schools.
With fewer children in public
schools, Ridgewood became one of
the fi rst areas to feel the impact of
the Brown vs. Board of Education
Supreme Court decision on busing
minorities. The transition was fairly
smooth, and once again the Ridgewood
Times reported only the facts,
not the hysteric which come residents
expressed. The community proved
its resilience again, and absorbed
the busing issue without too much
diffi culty.
Joseph Schmidt’s death in June of
1963 ended his tenure of more than
40 years as editor. He was succeeded
briefl y by Charles DeMangin, and
then in 1964 by Dorsey Short, whose
editorial work earned him a dozen
national citations, most notably the
1975 “Golden Press” Award of the
American Legion Auxiliary and the
Journalistic Achievements Award
of the Equitable Savings and Loan
Association.
This only added to the prestige of
a paper which has won awards from
every conceivable source, including
the Freedom Foundation, the National
Newspaper Association, and the
Public Relations Society of America.
Publisher Clemens was also named
Commissioner of Public Events at this
time by Mayor John V. Lindsay.
During the 1960s, the senior citizen
population in the Greater Ridgewood
area had increased, rising by 1970 to
25% of the total. “Gray Power” was
on the move, and the seniors in the
Greater Ridgewood area were seeking
services and places of congregation
among their peers.
One of the many burned out Bushwick buildings during the 1970s.
The Ridgewood-Bushwick Senior
Citizens Center at 319 Stanhope St.
opened in 1971 under the direction
of Vito J. Lopez, who would later go
on to become an Assemblyman and,
for better or worse, one of the most
powerful politicians in the state. The
Center quickly became a focal point
for the elderly community.
The Ridgewood Times had worked
closely with the Ridgewood-Bushwick
Senior Center over the years, and was
instrumental in the creation of the
Intergenerational Program which
employs teenagers to assist elderly
residents on trips to the doctors, to
the stores and do minor repair in
senior citizens homes.
The Fire Department had a free
smoke detector installation program
for seniors, but had not the manpower
available for implementation. The
Ridgewood Times contacted the NYFD
and arrangements were made between
them and the Ridgewood-Bushwick
Center for installation. Over
2,000 free detectors were installed
before the Local Law was established
by the city council which called for the
mandatory installation of detectors in
multiple dwelling units.
Two other senior centers grew into
existence in the area. The Glenridge
Senior Center began in a catering hall
in Glendale. A few years later, they
were forced to relocate, and found
a home at a former Masonic lodge
on Summerfield Street in Ridgewood.
The Ridgewood Times helped
Glenridge fi nd its new home, as it called
upon the late Justice Charles Frosessel,
who was a member of the Tadmor
Lodge Masons, and he arranged for the
sub-lease of the property to the senior
center.
In 1975, the Ridgewood Times received
word that an abandoned house
on Flushing and Onderdonk Avenues
was slated for demolition. It was quickly
discovered that this building was the
last remaining stone farmhouse dating
back to the Dutch Settlement of the late
1600’s. A group of local residents which
included Carl Clemens, Philip Agusta,
Fred Haller, George Dumbach and
Emil Rucigay, pooled their talents and
stopped the imminent razing of this
building.
They created a Greater Ridgewood
Historical Society with the aim of
restoring the house to its original
form. The Historical Society grew in
numbers and decided to raise money by
running Oktoberfests in Victory Field
in Forest Park.
For six years, the Oktoberfests were
a source of income to the Society, and a
source of pleasure for the residents of
the area. While the theme of Oktoberfests
is usually Germanic, the Society
expanded the idea to include all the
ethic in the community.
Several ethnic backgrounds were
featured. There was a day set aside to
celebrate the heritages of the Irish, Italian,
Romanian, Balkan, Polish, Jewish,
and German.
The concept of blending all ethnic entertainment
into an Oktoberfest theme
was copied by many other communities.
However, The Oktoberfests run by the
Greater Ridgewood Historical Society
are still remembered as the best.
In 1982, the fi nal dedication of the
restoration of the Onderdonk House as
held. It was the culmination of years of
work, and the House is now a cultural
museum which is enjoyed by the
community.
All the way, the Ridgewood Times
was unstinting in the coverage which
was given to the almost impossible task
of restoring this Dutch farmhouse. It
supported the concept to the fullest
and is proud of its contribution to the
saving of this historic structure.
Mayor John Lindsey tours Queens following a snowstorm