for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com october 31, 2013 • The Courier SUN 11 Woodhaven church celebrates new home BY JOHANN HAMILTON editorial@queenscourier.com A historic Woodhaven site has finally reopened its doors. All Saints Episcopal Church of Woodhaven officially moved into the former Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church at 85-45 96th Street in a reconsecration ceremony on Friday, October 25. “This is now All Saints Church,” said Reverend Canon John Betit, who attended the ceremony. “This is an exciting day for the Diocese of Long Island, for Woodhaven, for the parish and the parishioners here.” Saint Matthew’s closed its doors in 2011 due to declining membership and financial issues. The church, which is more than 100 years old, was beloved by the community and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Residents of Woodhaven were devastated when it closed down, and for a while, parishioners had to find somewhere else to congregate. “It’s great to be back in this building again,” said Beverly Johnson. “I don’t go to church as often anymore, but I grew up around here and this building has been here since before I was born. I will admit there were times I thought I might never see another Mass here again.” Although the church itself has reopened, there are still renovations going on inside and on the historic Wyckoff-Snediker Cemetery, which is located behind the main building. In addition to the entrance of the church being made handicap accessible, the floors, chandeliers and furniture are also being redone on the inside. More information can be found on the All Saints’ website, www.allsaintsnyc. org. Kids walk to ‘Beat the Street’ BY MAGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com Queens kids are hitting the pavement and “beating the street” in a worldwide competition. Ozone Park’s J.H.S. 210 is participating in the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Education (DOE) competition, “Beat the Street,” in which local students log walking trips to and from school and compete against youth from around the world. “The Beat the Street Program has been wonderful,” said J.H.S. 210 principal Rosalyn Allman-Manning. “There is increased awareness of the healthy benefits of walking to school and reciprocal caring for others, which is what we emphasize.” Ozone Park students and kids from I.S. 141 in Astoria have been logging miles and competing with students in England and China. Borough kids swipe a keycard at any “Beat Box” location, installed by the DOT at points along major pedestrian routes to each of the two schools. Students collect points based on the number of swipes. “Good habits can last a lifetime, and we’re teaching kids to put their best foot forward early by learning the importance that walking plays in a healthy lifestyle,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, DOT Commissioner. Manning said some of her students meet on the way to school, so there’s “safety in numbers” as they walk to the Beat Boxes. They also have begun to remind each other to swipe their cards. The program started October 15 and will go until November 8. Each participating school and students with top scores will receive prizes, and the winning school will receive $1,000. THE COURIER/Photo by Johann Hamilton All Saints Episcopal Church of Woodhaven celebrated moving into the former Saint Matthews with a reconsecration. WHAT D I D W E L EARN FROM THE LAST STORM OF THE CENTURY THAT WE CAN APPLY T O T H E N E X T O N E ? Every time we turn around, there seems to be another Storm of the Century. So we’re spending over $1 billion over the next four years on storm-protection improvements. We’re building higher fl ood barriers. We’re investing in utility poles that can withstand 110 mph wind gusts. And we’re installing submersible electrical equipment in fl ood-prone areas. We’re also doing more to keep you informed during severe weather. Check our outage map, report a power problem, get a restoration estimate and fi nd storm safety tips at conEd.com and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. E V E R Y T H I N G M AT T E R S
SC10312013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above