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Jamaica Street Renamed for FDNY Trailblazer

glendaleregstg on July 7, 2023

By Pamela Rider
news@queensledger.com

The weather was gloomy at 11 a.m. on June 22, 2023. However the light of trailblazer, firefighter and community activist Cecelia Owens Cox was illuminating during the process of recognition for being the first female firefighter at Ladder Company 9 / Engine Company 33 in NoHo Manhattan. Owens-Cox was the first woman assigned to a ladder company, and the first to be a ladder company chauffeur.
At the intersection of the Van Wyck Expressway and Sutter Avenue in Jamaica, Owens Cox received a “Street Sign Unveiling” renaming that intersection in her name’s honor. Owens Cox was born in 1951 and due to health issues passed away in 2019. Not only was her celebration of life a big union of family, friends, and loved ones, but also this remarkable unveiling to commemorate her life’s work in the community and with the FDNY an equally acknowledged gesture of her importance to all of the individuals that she touched
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards expressed his love for Owens Cox and how much she was missed by him and the community.
“She was a brainchild who became a trailblazer for black women in 1982 as one of 41 female firefighters for the FDNY.” Richards laughed saying, “She put something in the water and explained how it’s a small world with their relationship.”
The Owens family lived in their home since 1956. Richards explained that they were childhood friends, went to the same church, played together and broke bread together with her family growing up. Richards found it to be amazing to be a part of this ground breaking ceremony and added, “I’m proud and honored to be a part of this.”
FDNY Fire Academy Chief Charles Downey spoke very fondly of Owens Cox, noting how much she was missed, and how she was an inspiration to all firefighters worldwide.
“While many of our team members were going through an emotional rollercoaster when the bell rang, Cox was the first to get on the truck,” Downing said. “She was a dedicated member of the team and loved her job.
Regina Wilson, a 24-year veteran of the FDNY and past president of the United Women Firefighters (UWF) group also spoke about the impact Owens-Cox had on her.When she joined the FDNY in 1999, she was only the 12th African American woman to do so. Today she is serving in her second term as president of the Vulcan Society, an organization that advocates for Black firefighters. She is also the first woman to hold the position in the organization’s history “[Owens-Cox] was not just a coworker, but a friend. An epiphany of what we as black women stand for,” Wilson said.
She’s also in her second term as president of the Vulcan Society, an organization that advocates for Black firefighters, and the first woman to hold that position in the organization’s 83 year history.
Owens-Cox did her best to remind the women that even though they were firefighters, they were to be recognized as not only females, but as ladies. Wilson added, “Owens-Cox taught [women] to be [their’ authentic self. Cox displayed a poised statuesque, always carrying and wearing her ruby red lipstick showing her femininity.”
Cox’s Husband and daughter were very emotional as they gave their thanks for the recognition of their beloved. The now retired Andre r shared the way his wife teased him about being a ‘probe.’ Cox became a firefighter two years after his wife. While in training she loved to tease him about being on probation. At that time Owens would say, “Remember you’re still on probation. I’m your boss.”
Cox said, “She teased me like that throughout our life together and I got a kick out of it. We worked so well together on and off the job.” Cox emotionally expressed his gratitude for the recognition of the Queens Council and the Community leaders for their acknowledgement of his wife’s accomplishments.

Happy Birthday: Woodhaven Turns 188

glendaleregstg on July 5, 2023

Woodhaven’s Permanent Residents. The Wyckoff-Snedicker cemetery on 96th Street in Woodhaven, behind All Saints Episcopal Church, where many of Woodhaven earliest settlers were laid to rest.

By Ed Wendell | news@queensledger.com

This week, we will celebrate this great nation’s birthday. Let’s hope that your Fourth of July is full of good food and fun times with friends and neighbors. But did you know that this week also marks another birthday? One that’s a little closer to home.

For it was on July 1st, 1935 that the first papers were filed and the first piece of land was purchased in the Village of Woodville, which would later be renamed to Woodhaven. And so, while the rest of the nation celebrates America’s 247th birthday, closer to home we can also celebrate our own 188th birthday.

Can you imagine? Woodhaven is 12 years away from its bicentennial. We’d better start planning!

The area was well developed already by 1835, particularly around the Union Course Race Track. But the rest of Woodville was wide open. Before John R. Pitkin founded the Village of Woodville, this land was part of one giant farm, owned by Stephen Lott.

The Lott family was very prominent in our community’s early history, and many of them never left town, as they are resting peacefully in the northeast corner of the Wyckoff-Snedeker Cemetery on 96th Street, behind All Saints Church.

The community retained the name Woodville until the 1850s when, due to the growth in population, villagers applied for its own Post Office. However, this application was rejected due to the fact that there was already a Post Office for a Woodville in New York, some 325 miles north of here.

And so, we were forced to come up with a new name for our community. For a while, Edgewood was a popular suggestion for a new name. But John R. Pitkin suggested Woodhaven, and seeing as how he had gotten the whole thing off the ground, his opinion held a lot more sway.

John R. Pitkin left home at the age of 12 to seek his fortune and ended up establishing the neighborhood of Woodville on July 1st, 1835. Woodville would eventually be renamed Woodhaven and it celebrates its 188th birthday this month.

And so, in 1853, the Village of Woodhaven was officially established meaning that, if you want to get really technical, this year marks the 170th birthday or anniversary of the name Woodhaven.

Keep in mind that the map of Woodhaven back then was quite different than it is today. The village used to stretch far south, deep into what is known today as Ozone Park. Back in those days, the village of Woodhaven was partitioned into several sections, with names such as Columbia Park (near 91st Street and Jamaica) Eldert Park (near Eldert Lane), Equity Park (near PS 60 – in fact, the playground on 88th Avenue still retains that name).

These names were created for a few reasons, but mainly they were designed by real estate agents to help sell properties in this growing community. And one of the small sections of Woodhaven was a four-block parcel called Ozone Park.

Legend has it that the name Ozone was chosen to reflect the fresh breezes and healthy air that residents could expect to breathe in off the nearby water. And the name of Ozone Park may have faded into obscurity had it not been for the fact that the Long Island Railroad set up a station with that name on Broadway (now 101st Avenue).

Over time, as the section names faded, the name of Ozone Park remained and, in time, became a full community in its own right. So, not only is it Woodhaven’s birthday, it’s really Ozone Park’s birthday as well. We have a shared history, these two communities, so we might as well celebrate together.

The big celebration lays ahead, the bicentennial in 2035. Back in 1935, Woodhaven had a giant celebration. The highlight of Woodhaven’s Centennial was a procession from Dexter Court to the Willard Theater on 96th Street (later the Cordon Bleu and today the Woodhaven Manor).

Residents carried a gigantic cake down Jamaica Avenue and into the theater, which accommodated close to 3,000 people. On this night, according to news clippings at the time, the theater was overflowing with residents, with crowds waiting in the streets to get inside. During the celebration inside the Willard, a celebratory telegram from Mae West was read aloud to cheers from one and all.

And so, as you enjoy your hot dogs and your parties, please remind your friends and neighbors that it’s not just America’s birthday they are celebrating, they are celebrating our birthday as well.

Happy birthday Woodhaven and Ozone Park!

Dexter Park and Max Rosner to be Honored in Street Renaming

Ed Wendell on June 28, 2023

 

 

The stadium at Dexter Park was built in 1923 and played host to many of the greatest players in Major League Baseball and the Negro Leagues, and was the site of the first night game in baseball, 5 years before the Major Leagues. It also played host to Boxing, Wrestling, Football, Soccer, Polo and in the 1950s it was home of Stock Car racing. 

By Ed Wendell
From playing host to many of the greatest players in Major League Baseball and the Negro Leagues, to being the birthplace of the great innovation of Night Baseball, there is a lot for residents of Woodhaven in to be proud of when it comes to Max Rosner and Dexter Park.
Both will be remembered fondly this Saturday, July 1st, at 11 a.m. when the corner of Dexter Court and 86th Road, where the box office of the old stadium used to sit, will be renamed in Max Rosner’s honor, with the Rosner family in attendance.
In 1892, a young man named Max Rosner immigrated to the United States from Hungary. He eventually settled down in Woodhaven, opening a Cigar Store on Jamaica Avenue near Forest Parkway that would operate very profitably for many years. He also became a resident of Woodhaven when he bought a home on 76th Street.
If that was all that Max Rosner ever did, it would be an American success story. But Rosner was no ordinary man, and his success story was far from ordinary.
As a newcomer to this country, Rosner became enamored with baseball, which was a relatively new sport at the time. He watched the local teams and eventually tried out and played shortstop for a semi-pro team.
In time, Max Rosner took over as manager of the Bushwicks, a Brooklyn-based team that played frequently at Dexter Park in Woodhaven, Queens.

Shortly after immigrating from Hungary, Max Rosner became a fan of baseball, playing shortstop for a local team and then becoming a manager. Here he is (top center) with the Paramounts in 1903; they played at Morgan and Metropolitan Avenues in Brooklyn. He would soon become manager of the Bushwicks, who played at Dexter Park here in Woodhaven.

In October of 1922 Max Rosner and partner Nat Strong purchased Dexter Park and the Bushwicks from the Ulmer Brewery for $200,000. Ulmer Brewery had been forced to cease operations due to prohibition.
Dexter Park became the home field for the Bushwicks and for the Brooklyn Royal Giants, one of the top teams in the Negro Leagues.
They began immediately to improve the ballpark, building a new concrete grandstand which increased the capacity to 13,000 (6 thousand individual seats and bleachers which accommodated 7 thousand people).
The playing field itself was one of the largest in the United States. The distance from home plate to the centerfield fence was a whopping 450 feet and only the legendary Hall of Famer Josh Gibson was able to hit one over it.
The newly remodeled stadium opened nearly 100 years ago, on April 15, 1923.
Over the years, Rosner was also well known in Woodhaven for his charitable contributions.  Numerous times, Rosner donated the use of Dexter Park for benefit games to raise funds for charities, including a series of games which helped construct a new building for Jamaica Hospital.
Rosner was famous for being the first one at the ballpark every morning, often to the chagrin of his groundskeepers. He was such a beloved figure to the residents of Woodhaven that he soon became known, even in the press, as Uncle Max.
Under his ownership, Dexter Park was a prime source of entertainment for residents in Woodhaven and the neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens that surrounded it. Dexter Park wasn’t just a home for baseball; Dexter Park also hosted Boxing, Soccer, Football, Polo (with horses) and in later years, Stock Car racing.
Every year, once the Major League Baseball season was over, legendary ballplayers such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Dizzy Dean would come to Woodhaven to play ball.
And over the years, legendary players from the Negro Leagues like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige played right here in Woodhaven, years before the color barrier would be broken in Major League Baseball by Jackie Robinson.
Dexter Park was also famous for the introduction of night games, a full 8 years before it was adopted in the Major Leagues.
Although it was initially seen as a fad or a novelty, night baseball proved to be so popular with fans that in years to come, day games became far less frequent. Today, the majority of baseball games are played at night.
Major League baseball on television hurt many semi pro teams, the Bushwicks included. Rosner shifted gears and converted Dexter Park for Stock Car Racing. Eventually, the crowds dwindled and after Rosner passed away, the park was sold and demolished, and new homes were built on the land.
These days, many residents of Woodhaven (themselves immigrants to this country like Rosner himself) are unaware of the existence or history of Woodhaven’s stadium. We hope you will come out to honor this important piece of Woodhaven’s history.

Reflecting on Anniversaries, Love and ‘Jaws’

Ed Wendell on June 22, 2023

By Ed Wendell

It was June 22, 1975, my parent’s 12th wedding anniversary. I was 10 years old and very excited because we were going to see the movie Jaws, which had just opened in theaters a few days earlier.

It was already a huge sensation and all the kids at school were talking about it, though no one had seen it yet. I knew it was going to be a real scary movie and that was something to consider, you see, because my mom was a screamer.

She would get very excited when watching television shows, especially thrillers, shouting out warnings to the characters and yelling at them when they did something stupid, like going into a dark basement to investigate a creepy noise.

If she yelled at the television during programs as tame as Barnaby Jones or Cannon, how was she going to fare against a 25 foot shark, three tons of him?

So we drove out to a theater in Valley Stream and I was so excited the whole way there. All I knew about the story were a few little snippets I had read from my dad’s paperback copy of Peter Benchley’s novel. The opening of the book is pretty scary and goes into some real gory detail about what a shark’s teeth do to a young lady swimming alone at night.

I couldn’t wait to see it, but what about mom?

So the movie opens and the now iconic theme by John Williams starts and the audience breaks out in some nervous laughter. Pretty soon, a young woman ventures into the water where, alone in the dark, she is swimming peacefully.

“Oh, no,” Mom burst out loud. “Get out of the water!” The people around us laughed for a second – and then the shark struck. The poor girl was attacked from below and in the middle of all this my mom screamed again, even louder, and everyone around us jumped!

Ed Wendell with his mother.

The next 2 hours were a rollercoaster ride, switching between regular scenes of the town and the Sherriff and his family and scenes of bloody mayhem involving the shark.

There’s a scene where two guys are trying to catch the shark by throwing a roast into the water, attached to a pier by a chain and a hook. Well, when the shark took the bait and half the pier with him, my mom was screaming and pleading with the man to swim faster before the shark got him.

And when one character dives into the ocean to see what happened to the owner of a small boat drifting alone at night, my mom was shouting at him to stay in the bigger boat. And when the boat owner’s head floated out of a hole in the hull, she screamed so loud the whole theater jumped.

Me and my dad were used to this. But I wonder how the people around us felt. Not only did they have to worry about when the shark was going to jump up and scare them, they had to worry about this Scottish lunatic screaming.

Finally, at the end, when one of the characters climbs into a cage, and the cage is lowered into the water where our shark is swimming, she’d had enough. She got up and ran up the aisle, grabbing my shirt (and a handful of my chest), dragging me with her. The audience around us was cheering as we ran!

And so, the very first time I saw Jaws, I missed the ending. I sat in the lobby with my mom while the drama played out inside. She said she was sorry and told me to go back but I couldn’t leave her. I sat with her and pretty soon we were laughing about it.

When my dad came out he was all excited and told me about the (SPOILER ALERT) shark blowing up and I died a little inside. But at least the next day at school, when the kids talked about how cool the ending was, I enthusiastically agreed as if I had seen every second of it.

My parents had many happy anniversaries together, but I can’t ever get through the month of June without thinking of that one particular anniversary outing spent with my Dad, My Mom, and a giant man-eating shark.

Youth Celebrate 100th Birthday of Mary Whalen Playground + Summer Events

Ed Wendell on June 22, 2023

A wonderful time was had by the children of Woodhaven at the 100th Birthday Party for Mary Whalen Playground at 79th Street and Park Lane South, which opened on June 17th 1923.

By Ed Wendell

This past weekend, the kids of Woodhaven came out to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mary Whalen Playground, at 79th Street and Park Lane South. Children brought an amazing number of beautiful birthday cards for the playground and at 12 noon, 100 years to the moment that it opened, everyone joined together for a chorus of Happy Birthday.

Special thanks to Portia Dyrenforth, Administrator of Forest Park, and her amazing team who helped make this a spectacular party. And a big thank you to the Forest Park Golf Course, for loaning us a golf cart for the kids to take pictures on, and the Forest Park Carousel, for donating a birthday party package as the main raffle prize.

And a special word of thanks to Woodhaven’s Jennifer Lambert, our local artist who did an amazing job putting together this party and making sure all the local schools knew all about it. It was truly a special day in Woodhaven.

It was truly a significant day in Woodhaven history for this marked the anniversary of when the Forest park we all know and love began to take shape. Originally, almost all of what we know of Forest Park used to be the golf course.

Two of the many beautiful birthday cards created by the children of Woodhaven in honor of Mary Whalen Playground’s 100th Birthday this past Saturday.

But residents complained and the Parks Department and the City of New York redesigned the course to give lots of land back to the people of Woodhaven for recreation. Within a year of the playground opening, two other local icons would open for business: The Forest Park Carousel and the Seuffert Bandshell.

And so, plans are already underway to have a big party next year celebrating the 100th Birthday for these two places which are hard to imagine growing up in Woodhaven without.

How many rides have residents of Woodhaven taken on the Carousel? How many people have attended wonderful concerts over the last century at the bandshell? We look forward to paying tribute to both in 2024.

And speaking of the bandshell, here is the schedule of shows and concerts coming to you this summer courtesy of The Forest Park Trust and Maspeth Federal Savings:

  • Thursday June 29th, 7:30 p.m. Queens Symphony Orchestra. Celebrate Queens Symphony Orchestra’s 70th Anniversary with a concert of blockbuster, patriotic tunes paying tribute to the birth of our great nation.
  • Thursday July 6th, 7:30 p.m. Billy Joel Tribute. Captain Jack, the ultimate Billy Joel Tribute Band, returns to Forest Park. The last time they were here it was a great show that was unfortunately interrupted by a downpour. This year, we’re looking forward to seeing the entire show.
  • Thursday July 13th, 7:30 p.m. Rent. Plaza Theatrical Productions presents “Rent,” winner of the Tony Award for Best musical. What a wonderful opportunity to see live theater right here in Forest Park.
  • Thursday July 20th, 7:30 p.m. Elvis Presley Tribute. Jesse Garron’s tribute to Elvis Presley has been called “The Closest Thing to the King.” Come to the bandshell as he takes the audience on a musical journey covering hits through Elvis’ long and outstanding musical career.
  • Thursday July 27th, 7:30 p.m. Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute. Shining Star brings the legendary sounds of one of the best-selling bands of all time to Forest Park.
  • Thursday August 3rd, 7:30 p.m. Tina Turner Tribute. This is going to be a special night as we are treated to a high-energy tribute to the legendary Tina Turner, who recently passed away.
  • Thursday August 10th, 7:30 p.m. Paul McCartney Tribute. We’re in for a treat as we’re presented with a selection of Sir Paul’s solo work, his work with Wings and his work with a little band called The Beatles.
  • Thursday August 17th, 7:00 p.m. Queensboro Dance Festival. Celebrate the Queensboro Dance Festival’s 10th Anniversary showcasing an incredible diverse lineup of Queens-based dance companies. Please note the start time for this show is a bit earlier than the others, starting at 7 p.m.
  • Friday, August 18th, 7:30 p.m. Movies Under The Stars – School of Rock. Jack Black stars as a substitute teacher who turns his private school pupils into a classic-rock band in this entertaining comedy.

It’s going to be a great 2023 at the Forest Park Bandshell and a terrific year of centennial celebrations for Forest Park in 2024!

Throwing A Birthday Party for Mary Whalen Playground

Ed Wendell on June 1, 2023

By Ed Wendell

For 100 years, children have been having a great time at the playground at 79th Street and Park Lane South. On Saturday, June 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – 100 years to the day it officially opened – the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society and Forest Park are throwing a Birthday Party for Mary Whalen Playground, and everyone’s invited.

There will be arts and crafts activities for the kids including the return of our very popular coloring table, where kids can color pages depicting local history. And there will be music and pizza and special guests to help celebrate this playground reaching its century milestone.

Every child that brings a handmade birthday card for the playground will be entered into our raffle for prizes and we will have plenty of other small prizes so that no kid walks away empty-handed.

And if a child doesn’t bring a birthday card, they can create one at our coloring table.

One of our wonderful local artists, Jennifer Lambert, will be creating works of art with kids by coloring golf balls. And kids can sit in a golf cart in front of a golf course backdrop to have their pictures taken on this historic day.

Why is there a golf theme at the 100th birthday for Mary Whalen Playground?

When Forest Park officially launched in 1895, an eighteen-hole golf course was opened to the public. The Forest Park Golf Course was massive, stretching south all the way to Ashland Avenue (Park Lane South), where residential homes marked the start of Woodhaven proper.

This means that many of the things you love in Forest Park – the Seuffert Bandshell, the Forest Park Carousel, Strack Pond, the Tennis Courts – all of that land used to be a part of the Golf Course.

The first four holes of the golf course ran along Park Lane South right to what is now Woodhaven Boulevard. The next time you are in that playground, remember that you are at the original first tee of the golf course. Look up at the golf clubhouse and picture golfers coming down those long steps to start their game.

After a few years of negotiation, the Parks Department agreed to shift four holes of the golf course directly off of Ashland and extend the course northward, picking up the land to build four replacement holes near the Myrtle Avenue side of the park.

Development of the playground was delayed by World War I, but finally opened at 12 Noon on June 17, 1923. Originally it was called the Lott Avenue Playground, named after a local prominent family who owned much of the land that Forest Park was built upon.

Today, Lott Avenue is 76th Street and the Lott Avenue Playground is named after Mary Whalen, a longtime community activist who was President of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association and the Vice-President of Community Board 9.

Mary Whalen was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 118, the Catholic Veterans Group and a member of the Woodhaven Women’s Democratic Club. One of Mary Whalen’s crowning achievements was the founding of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation. She not only founded the organization, she served as its first President.

“There wasn’t anything she couldn’t accomplish once she set her mind to it,” said Maryann Keller, daughter of Mary Whalen. “She was well known for her determination and her love for her community.”

Keller remembers fondly some of the traditions that her mother helped start in Woodhaven, many of them still part of the community’s fabric to this day. “I remember the Christmas Tree lighting and the parade and the street fair.”

“A lot of the improvements she brought to Woodhaven helped make it the community it is to this day,” she says.

And on June 17, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Woodhaven will celebrate this playground’s centennial with a fun celebration and we hope everyone can make it.

Senior Job Fair Returns to Kew Gardens

glendaleregstg on May 12, 2023

By Iryna Shkurhan

ishkurhan@queensledger.com

Clad in professional attire with a surplus of printed resumes on hand, over a hundred older adults arrived at the senior job fair in Kew Gardens on May 5 in search of their next opportunity.

After a pandemic hiatus, the yearly job fair for adults 55 and older hosted by State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. since 2011 is back in person. Close to a dozen companies, including New York Life Insurance, Council for Airport Opportunity and Personal Touch Home Care, were present looking to fill vacant roles for a range of positions that they believe seniors are especially suited for.

“Seniors are a valuable part of our population, and we need to ensure that they have the necessary tools to find the work they need in order to sustain independent and healthy lives,” said Addabbo, who represents much of central Queens.

One in four U.S. workers will be 55 or older by 2030, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. The trend has seen steady growth in the past two decades, due to an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in fertility rates in younger generations.

Wilda Collado spent 34 years in a travel-heavy role managing accounts in the jewelry business before the pandemic turned the industry upside down. In 2022, she was able to secure a job as a Health and Wellness Coach at Jenny Craig, but her entire team was laid off without notice earlier this month.

“It’s been really tough,” said Collado, a 55-year-old longtime Jackson Heights resident. “Every time you click on a job on Indeed, it’s like 500 people applied for this job already, or even 1000.”

Adapting to the job hunt in the digital world can be difficult for seniors who first entered the workforce when searching through the classified section of a newspaper was commonplace. Now, there are a slew of job boards online that often require digital savviness to navigate, which many seniors feel they lack.

At Queens Community Center, which has five older adult care centers across the borough, computer literacy classes are in high demand. A weekly class is held at the Kew Gardens location where seniors have learned how to copy and paste, send emails or search for something on their cell phone, according to the staff.

“I think it’s crucial to show older adults that we know that they still have things to contribute, and experiences from which they have crucial knowledge,” said Anne Foerg, Associate Executive Director of Older Adult Services at Queens Community House. “Someone who’s an older adult, with experience, can still offer a lot in 20 hours a week. It gives them an opportunity to stay engaged and to stay connected.”

A recruiter for New York Life Insurance Company was seeking sales agents for a hybrid commission based role that includes full-benefits and hefty training. At another table, a representative for New York State Agencies informed attendees about the Emergency Limited Placement (HELP) program which removes the civil service exam requirement for various direct care, health and safety jobs. Various roles are available at the NYS Office of Addiction, as well as a slew of Departments of Health across the city and SUNY schools.

“We want people who are hard workers, and it’s always a positive, I think I have a wealth of experience, especially in an industry that has a lot of customer service,” said Aaron Miner, a recruiter for the Council for Airport Opportunity, who was seeking applicants for security and customer service roles at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark.

Some recruiters also had nontraditional roles available for jobseekers. A recruiter for Jzanus Home Care Inc. informed attendees of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) which pays individuals to take care of an elderly family member or friend. They also offered people interested in working in the homecare industry the chance to get paid to complete training and get certified.

“It would be nice if something comes around, and I can get into it, either at home, or go someplace else to do it, like part time or even full time, whatever it works out to be,” said Chuck, a Fresh Meadows resident, who attended the job fair curious about the options for him as a 74-year old retiree.

Previously, he worked for Verizon as a Switch Technician for 46 years until he retired two years ago. Now, he spends most of his time running a cat sanctuary out of his house, while also attending various events and classes at the center.

Celebrating Woodhaven’s Sporting World Contributions

Ed Wendell on May 11, 2023

By Ed Wendell

 

American Eclipse painted by Alvan Fischer in 1823. Standing with Eclipse is Samuel Purdy, the jockey, and owner Cornelius Van Ranst.

The Union Course Racetrack operated from the 1820s through the early 1870s and Dexter Park ran from around the turn of the century to the mid-50s.

Combined they were only open for a little over 100 years but they left a lasting impact and a legacy that will be honored this year by the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society – and both are celebrating big milestone anniversaries this year!

First up is the Union Course Racetrack, which officially opened in October of 1821 but really hit the big time 200 years ago this month when 60,000 people came to see the matchup between American Eclipse (from the North) versus Sir Henry (representing the South).

These match races were a new phenomenon largely due to the recent availability of steamship travel.

Before their arrival, a horse from one region would need to walk a few hundred miles before reaching its destination where it would be expected to race. And races in those days could run anywhere from 12 to 20 miles in a single day!

This also resulted in more people traveling great distances to see these highly anticipated races. Previously, big races would attract crowds of six to eight thousand people.

The race that took place on Tuesday, May 27, 1823 brought 60,000 to our community (which wouldn’t be called Woodhaven for quite some time yet).

Just two decades after the demise of the Union Course, people began playing loosely organized games of baseball in a nearby park. Pretty soon, semi-professional teams from all over were brought here to play and in 1922 the local team, the Bushwicks, were purchased by Max Rosner, a former player/manager with the team. The next year, in 1923, a new expanded baseball stadium was opened.

Dexter Park made a few wonderful contributions to baseball. First up, it was the site of many contests featuring the greatest baseball players of all time.

Hall of Fame sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were just a few among the many famous ballplayers that would come to Woodhaven for exhibitions.

Dexter Park also played host to many of the Negro League teams and some of the great players of that era including Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige, both of whom would end up in Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

It was common for the Negro League teams to come into Woodhaven to face off against the Bushwicks and fans would flock to see these contests, decades before Jackie Robinson would break the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947.

Josh Gibson was reportedly the only player to smack a homerun over the centerfield fence which was 30 feet high and 418 feet away from home plate! Once known as “the Black Babe Ruth,” fans at Dexter Park became so impressed with his power that they began calling Ruth “the White Josh Gibson.”

And finally, Dexter Park introduced night baseball in 1930 (which wouldn’t be used in the major leagues for another half-decade).

The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society will honor both sporting achievements this year starting next Monday, May 15, with a visual presentation on the famed race between Eclipse and Sir Henry.

This will take place at historic Neir’s Tavern (87-48 78th Street) and starts at 7 p.m.

Come out and hear all about the fascinating circumstances that led to this race. Please note that everyone who attends will receive a commemorative racing sheet featuring all of the main characters of this dramatic story.

Legendary Yankees Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig flank Max Rosner and his grandson here in Woodhaven, at Dexter Park. Many Hall of Famers played baseball here in Woodhaven during the off-season.

And on Saturday May 27, starting at 10 a.m., the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society will be leading a brief walking tour around the Union Course racetrack and telling the story of the great race that took place exactly 200 years ago that day.

And commemorative racing sheets will be given to the first 60,000 fans that show up for the walking tour!

And Max Rosner, owner of Dexter Park and the Bushwicks, will be honored with the unveiling of a street sign in his honor on Woodhaven’s birthday!

Come to Dexter Ct. and 86th Road on July 1 at noon to pay honor to this beloved figure in Woodhaven’s History and celebrate our community’s founding!

And please tell your neighbors and help spread the word about Woodhaven’s substantive contributions to the sporting world.

Keeping Tradition Alive: Forest Park’s Memorial Trees

Ed Wendell on May 4, 2023

By Ed Wendell

 

A hundred and three years ago, a beautiful tradition was launched in Forest Park, the creation of a living, breathing memorial to 70 young men from Woodhaven who lost their lives in World War 1.

Although our country’s time in the war was brief, we suffered many casualties and Woodhaven was hit very hard. Week after week, the front page of the Leader-Observer announced the names of the newly dead and wounded.

It was a dramatic turnaround from the early days of our involvement in the war when the newspapers and the public were quite enthusiastic, seeing our young men off with rousing cheers and festive parades.

In the days and months after the war ended, residents of Woodhaven wanted to create a unique monument to the young men whose lives were lost. The idea they finally settled upon was original indeed, and the press stated that it was the first of its kind in the United States.

In May of 1919, fifty-three trees were planted along the road entering Forest Park at Park Lane South and Forest Parkway, each in the name of a soldier that perished. Over time, as more names were added to the Honor Roll, the number of trees grew to approximately 70.

And every Decoration Day (as Memorial Day was originally known) families would gather in Forest Park and decorate their loved one’s tree. The annual parade would end amongst the memorial trees, right outside the golf clubhouse that sat on the hill high above Woodhaven.

Up until the late 1930s, the annual Memorial Day Parade in Woodhaven ended outside that clubhouse, which today is known as Oak Ridge, and is the headquarters of the Forest Park Administration Office.

Chairs would be set out on the lawn in front of the clubhouse and hundreds and hundreds of veterans, family members and residents would march up that hill to pay tribute to the dead.

The Woodhaven community held a number of yard sales to raise the money for a large granite monument with a plaque listing the names of the dead and it was erected atop that hill, among the trees planted for those young men.

It was a beautiful tradition that faded away due to a series of events triggered by the widening of Woodhaven Boulevard in the late 30s early 1940s.

You see, the old American Legion headquarters sat on Woodhaven Boulevard, which back then was still called an Avenue as it was a sleepy single-lane dirt road. But the rise of the automobile required more roadway and so Woodhaven Boulevard went from 1 to 10 lanes.

That meant that the old Legion building was torn down by the city and money granted to build a new headquarters, which they did, at 88th Avenue and 91st Street, behind PS 60, where it sits today.

And since they had a nice new building with a lovely front yard, they decided to move the monument from Forest Park to its current location. If you’ve ever been to a WRBA meeting or at the Senior Center, then you’ve seen this monument. It’s still there, listing the names of these young heroes.

But once the monument was moved, the parade route was switched and as families moved away or died off or just plain forgot, the tradition of decorating the trees disappeared.

But the trees are still there.

Sure enough, time has been harsh to the trees and many of them have fallen. In fact, one of the original trees came down a few weeks ago, having never recovered from being struck by a car last year. But quite a few of these trees have passed the century mark and they still stand on that hill, high above Woodhaven.

The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society and American Legion Post 118 worked together to revive this tradition in 2015 and each year a group of volunteers gather to decorate the trees. This year, we are scheduling the decorating for Friday May 19th starting at 6 p.m. If you’d like to participate, email us at woodhavenhistory@gmail.com for more information.

Woodhaven Remembers Fallen Soldiers

Ed Wendell on April 28, 2023

By Ed Wendell

 

Memorial Day, recognized on the last Monday in May, pays honor to the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the military. Woodhaven has always been a patriotic neighborhood and there are several monuments around Woodhaven dedicated to soldiers. The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society will be recounting all of these memorials and the history behind them in a special Zoom presentation this Tuesday, May 2nd at 8 p.m. If you are not already on our mailing list, email us at woodhavenhistory@gmail.com for a free invite to this presentation.

Let’s begin a quick review with the large granite monument sitting in the front yard of American Legion Post 118. The plaque contains names of young men who lost their lives in World War I. In front of it is a second monument dedicated to those who lost their lives in World War II.

American Legion Post 118 on 91st Street and 89th Avenue is one of seven memorials in Woodhaven to those who lost their lives defending our country. The large monument in front of Post 118 once sat in Forest Park where Memorial Day parades used to finish, but it was moved to the American Legion’s front yard when the new post building was built in the early 40s.

A second monument to the war dead is on 84th Street and 91st Avenue in Lieutenant Clinton L. Whiting Square, also known as “The Rock.”

Erected in the late 20s in memory of a local lad who died in World War I, the local VFW, which was just a few houses away on 91st Avenue, was also named after Lieutenant Whiting.

The third monument sits on Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue and was erected in the early 1950s to honor local youth killed in World War II. For many years, this was an important stop for Memorial Day parades, and they even used to perform 21-gun salutes at this location.

The GWDC and the American Legion have held Memorial Day observances at this monument for decades.

A fourth monument is the rediscovered Memorial Trees of Woodhaven, which run along Forest Park Drive from Park Lane South past Oak Ridge and towards the Forest Park Carousel. These trees were planted for local soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.

Family members and residents used to decorate the trees with wreaths and patriotic ribbons on Memorial Day, a tradition that faded away once the granite monument was moved and Memorial Day parades no longer ended in the park.

The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society and American Legion Post 118 Auxiliary revived the act of decorating the trees back in 2015 and it has remained a yearly tradition since then. If you would like to help decorate the trees this year, please email us.

A fifth monument sits just to the east of the trees along Forest Park Drive. Private First Class Lawrence Strack Memorial Pond was named after the first local youth killed in Vietnam. At the time it was dedicated, the pond had been converted to ballfields.

The Memorial Trees of Woodhaven, which run along Forest Park Drive from Park Lane South past Oak Ridge and towards the Forest Park Carousel. These trees were planted for local soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.

American Legion Post 118 adopted a resolution asking the city to dedicate the fields to the local young man who played for Rich Haven Little League and was only 18 years old when he was killed in 1967.

The ballfields never took; they were always prone to flooding. And so in 2004 the Parks Department finished a project converting the fields back to a pond and rededicated it to PFC Strack.

Private First Class Lawrence Strack Memorial Pond was named after the first local youth killed in Vietnam. At the time it was dedicated, the pond had been converted to ballfields but was converted back into a pond in 2004.

A sixth monument is a location we’re all familiar with, but might not realize it was dedicated to the war dead. Victory Field was built and dedicated to “the unknown soldier of World War I.”

And finally, a seventh monument sits inside St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Brass plaques with the names of young men from the parish who died in both World Wars used to be outside on the church wall, but when one of the plaques was stolen the other was moved inside.

The missing plaque was recreated through the efforts of Woodhaven resident and veteran Joe Virgona and returned to the church in 2009.

And there you have the seven Woodhaven monuments to soldiers that lost their lives serving their country. Did we miss any? Drop us a line at woodhavenhistory@gmail.com.

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