Hollywood Comes To Ridgewood
     Film crews and some big names in show business took over streets in Ridgewood last Friday, June 19, and Monday and Tuesday, June 22-23, to shoot a new comedy film titled A Couple of Cops. As noted, the picture is directed by Kevin Smith and stars Bruce Willis, Seann William Scott and Tracy Morgan. Willis was on the set last Friday as crews captured scenes along Grandview Avenue off Metropolitan Avenue, as pictured above. On Monday and Tuesday, scenes were filmed along Myrtle Avenue between St. Nicholas and Wyckoff avenues. The movie is set for release in 2010. (photo: Allen Epstein)
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Lunched With Local Clergy
     The Kiwanis Club of Glendale held its annual Clergy Day last Thursday, June 18, honoring local clergy for their dedication to community with a lunch at Zum Stammtisch restaurant in Glendale. The honored guests included Fr. George Schiop, Romanian Orthodox Church; Fr. John Fullum, Sacred Heart Church; Rev. Mike Ross, Convenant Lutheran Church; Rev. Philip Hardt, Glendale United Methodist Church; Rev. Henry Fury, United Presbyterian Church; Msgr. Gregory Wielunski, St. Pancras Church; Deacon Rafael Castillo, Christ Tabernacle; Msgr. Edward Ryan, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church, Rev. Tom Goodhart, Trinity Reformed Church, Rev. Frank Lorenzo, Christ Tabernacle; and Lt. Eduardo Turbanos, Salvation Army. Shown above are Monsignor Wielunski, the new pastor at St. Pancras (left) and Robert Kueber, president-elect of the Glendale Kiwanis. (photo: Patrick Clark)
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Preached Safety First To Web Users
     State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo sent a representative to Elmhurst's Newtown High School to speak with students and families about Internet safety, specifically on how they can best protect themselves against cyber-bullying and sexual predators. Shown above (left to right) are Dorothy Baker, incoming PTA president; Joseph Pahl, PTA president; Griselda Zapata, parent coordinator; Robert Pompey- Goodman, law department investigator; and Nancy King Wang, assistant principal of the Elmhurst school.
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Honoring Old Glory
     Honoring Old Glory Queens Borough Elks Lodge No. 878 hosted Flag Day ceremonies at its Elmhurst facility on June 10. Featuring an Armed Forces Color Guard Presentation and an acapella rendition of the national anthem, and hosted by Lodge Chaplain and Flag Day Chairman Michael Palermo, the event drew a crowd of 50. (photo: Allen Epstein)
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Anniversary Block Party Moved Inside
     Anniversary Block Party Moved Inside While block parties throughout the area were cancelled due to rain last Saturday, June 20, one such event—a celebration of St. Margaret's Church's 150th anniversary planned for 79th Place between Juniper Valley Road and Metropolitan Avenue—simply moved inside to the church's Parish Hall in Middle Village. As shown, these attendees were happy to enjoy the food and fun inside. (photo: Allen Epstein)
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Home Of The Golden Pi
     Home Of The Golden Pi I.S. 73 was well represented at the Pi 5 Citywide Invitational Math Tournament held in the Bronx last month. Competing against teams from 46 other schools, the Maspeth students made an impressive showing with four out of six I.S. 73 teams bringing home medals: sixth grade varsity and eighth grade junior varsity both took silver, while eighth grade varsity won bronze and seventh grade varsity won a gold medal and a $500 prize. As shown above, some of the competitors showed off the Golden Pi Trophy in front of their 54th Avenue schoolhouse.
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Three New Eucharistic Ministers
     Three New Eucharistic Ministers Saint Pancras Church commissioned three new Eucharistic Ministers on the June 13 Feast of Corpus Christi, it was reported. The new ministers—Gary Jannazzo, Hilary Smith and Sharon Vincent— are lay men and women who, after special training and instruction, distribute the Holy Eucharist at the Liturgy and bring the Body of Christ to infirm and homebound parishioners. Shown above: (back row, left to right) Jannazzo, Rev. Liju Augustine, Smith and Vincent with some young parishioners. (photo: F. Kotnik)
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Daisy Scouts Thank Glendale Club
     Daisy Scouts Thank Glendale Club Daisy Troop 4868 from Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal bestowed certificates of appreciation upon the Kiwanis Club of Glendale earlier this month. Shown above are (back row, left to right) club president Job Aiello, troop leaders Carla O'Malley and Siobhan McEntee, and Kiwanian Keneth Dunn.
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Key Clubbers Develop Green Thumbs
     Key Clubbers Develop Green Thumbs Key Club members from the Queens West Division dedicated some free time to gardening and site cleanup at the Onderdonk House on May 30. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Maspeth, the volunteers are shown above at the end of a hard day's work.
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Cub Scouts Win Badges
     Cub Scouts Win Badges Cubs from Pack 390 on the Sunnyside/Woodside border received various awards—including Bob Cat Badges, Tiger Cub Badges, Webelos Badges, Tiger Cub Immediate Recognition Emblems, Bicycle Belt Loops, Basketball Belt Loops, Physical Fitness Belt Loops and Astronomy Belt Loops— from special guest speaker William "Guadalcanal Bill" Clausman, PPC, of the John V. Daniels Jr. VFW Post No. 2813 their sponsoring organization. Among those shown above are Joe Mennicucci, Daniel Carlson, Ryan Lopez, Eric Moy, Xavier Fernandez, Xavier Morales, Joe Nero, Javier Enriquez, Nathaniel Tortorelli, Tom Callahan, Tony Jeffcoat, Clausman and Marvin R. Jeffcoat.
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Dressed To Impress
     Dressed To Impress Second graders from St. Matthias School presented projects on community servants, and came to school dressed up for the careers— including doctor, teacher, postal worker and detective—that they led class discussions on. Shown above : (left to right) Maya Oledzka, Andrada Iorgulescu, Ehab Garas, Frank Wiederhold, Fersen Laroche, Anna Puma, Christopher Lucik, Bryan Cordova and Enzo LaSala.
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Remembered Ladder 146 Hero
     Remembered Ladder 146 Hero A crowd of over 200 was in attendance at St. Cecilia's Church on Saturday, June 20 for a memorial Mass in honor of Firefighter Daniel F. Pujdak of Ladder 146 in Greenpoint, who died from injuries incurred when he fell from the roof of a burning building on June 21, 2007. Shown above, family, friends and off-duty FDNY personnel remembered Pujdak. (photo: Joseph Epstein)
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Didn't Let It Rain On Their Bazaar
     Didn't Let It Rain On Their Bazaar St. Helen's Church Bazaar went off on Saturday evening, June 20 in spite of inclement weather. As shown above, the Howard Beach affair featured food, rides and games. (photo: Allen Epstein)
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St. Pancras, OLMM Graduates Donned Gowns
     The month of June brought graduation festivities to area schools and allowed youngsters the opportunity to reflect back on happy memories while looking forward to exciting times ahead. Shown above are a group of girls from St. Pancras School, who posed in front of their Glendale schoolhouse before a June 12 ceremony. Shown below are eighth graders from Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal School at their "Night with the Class of 2009" event on June 4, which featured dinner, a slideshow, singing and dancing for parents, faculty and the soon-to-be graduates.
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As Fitting Cap On Their Middle School Careers
     Shown above on June 7 is OLMM's Class of 2009. Students graduating from the Ridgewood institution posed for a photo after Mass along with Msgr. Edward Ryan (back row, left), Principal Margaret Baxter and teacher Veronica Lindemann (back row, first and second, respectively, from right). Shown below are boys from St. Pancras. The Times Newsweekly congratulates the graduates of St. Pancras and OLMM, as well as graduates from other schools throughout the area.
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Sun Shined On P.S. 49's 8th Annual Field Day
     Public School 49 held its eighth annual field day in Juniper Valley Park, it was reported, and the end of the school year treat featured food, arts & crafts, whiffle ball, relay races and all manner of outdoor fun and games, as well as a magician and even—a rarity this June—some sunshine and blue sky. Faculty, staff, students and parents from the Middle Village school thanked Principal Larry Licitra (shown in left photo next to man on stilts) as well as the local individuals and businesses (for complete listing, see below) who made the event possible with their sponsorship. All in all, the field day was a fine way to cap the 2008-2009 school year.
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