RWNYC celebrating ten years in Queens
Milestone marked by opening of new 400-room hotel
Two months later, relief efforts from Ida continue
Roughly two months ago, Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc in Queens and New York City at large, flooding basements that in some instances left people dead.
Ragendra Shiuprasad, a resident on 183rd street in Hollis, had his basement destroyed due to the record rainfall. He estimates it will cost $50,000 to repair
The Showing Hearts Foundation, working in tandem several local groups and organizations and the 103rd Precinct, hosted a day of action in Hollis for residents still trying to recover from the storm.
“A lot of the residents here still need need PPE, food, and coats,” said the group’s founder, David Tanis. “We came together with the partnership of Resorts World Casino, which provided us with some resources to purchase heaters and cleaning supplies to make sure the residents here are supported.”
Jocelynn Ricard, senior manager of the Community of Faith Initiative, provided information on contractor needs and the group’s thrift store, which has inexpensive furniture items.
“We are also here to give out a limited amount of grants to the residents who have the most needs from the storm,” said Ricard.
Ricard’s group also partnered with Mattress Firm a couple of weeks ago to give away mattresses.
“Once it got televised, there were a number of people coming who didn’t necessarily have the same needs as others” Ricard said. “So this time we’re being more cautious at first, better identifying the needs and then distributing the grants.”
‘Momnibus’ aims to improve maternal health among minorities
Calling out a stark discrepancy in nationwide maternal care, Senator Chuck Schumer visited Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn to stress the importance of the Black Maternal Health “Momnibus” Act.
Speaking alongside the Olori Sisterhood, Schumer outlined a two-pronged plan to combat what he calls one of the greatest health crises the country faces.
Black and Native American women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die than white women from pregnancy-related causes, and black babies are twice as likely to die than white babies, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While 700 pregnancy deaths occur per year, two-thirds of them are considered preventable.
In New York City, black women have an eight times greater risk of pregnancy-related death than white women. They were also three times more likely than their white counterparts to experience severe maternal morbidity, which can include blood clots, kidney failure, stroke or heart attack.
“That should make every American hang their head in shame,” said Schumer. “We have to change it.”
Schumer says the Momnibus Act, tucked into the Build Back Better legislation, grows and diversifies the perinatal workforce, aiding hospitals with federally sponsored training on how to reduce maternal mortality.
A handful of community-based organizations will be funded under the legislation as well, Schumer added.
“It will expand on existing health legislation and address impacts of COVID and climate change on maternal health as well,” he said last week.
Additionally, Schumer and elected officials on hand called for permanent enhancements to Medicaid coverage for new mothers, including providing one year of postpartum coverage, up from the current 60 days required by federal law.
A temporary version of this policy was already passed as part of the American Rescue Plan, and Schumer says he hopes the yearlong postpartum coverage iwill be permanent. The senator is also pushing for Medicaid coverage for midwives and doulas.
“The Momnibus will deliberately address the needs of women, especially Black, Hispanic and Native women, who are more likely to live in poor health and die younger,” said Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. “These disparities are not inevitable, there are ways to reduce and even eliminate these disparities.”
Funding for access to no-cost drop-in childcare for pregnant and postpartum women will be included in the legislation, Clarke said. Grant opportunities will also be available to community-based organizations and public health departments to address the needs of each community.
“We must never forget that the time is always now to improve women’s lives, especially those unfairly and historically impacted by neglect and deliberate mistreatment,” she said.
India Sneed, the wife of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, spoke of her own personal birth experience, which she said included being subjected to an unnecessary C-section.
Last summer, Sneed suffered a miscarriage and was told she had cervical cancer. Now five months pregnant, Sneed recalled her emotional experience.
“Being ignored after a miscarriage, when my partner and I needed mental health resources, being pointed towards a hysterectomy after I routinely expressed interest in having more children, and being dismissed with respect to my request for fertility treatments, my story is not a unique one,” said Sneed. “It’s pretty routine to the Black community.”
Agreement with City Hall last hurdle for Gowanus rezoning
City Council expected to okay plan this month
Coney Island groups continue Thanksgiving tradition
On November 24, the Coney Island Gospel Assembly will once again partner with the Alliance for Coney Island and Gargiulo’s Restaurant, La Tombola Restaurant, and Luna Park to host its annual community Thanksgiving meal distribution.
“It is an honor to continue our tradition of over 60 years of serving Coney Island’s neediest,” said Pastor Constance Hulla. “The pandemic has made this event even more important, and we are glad to bring Coney Islanders a hot homemade meal for the holiday.”
With the generous donation of 100 turkeys from the Amazin’ Mets Foundation and the help of nearly three-dozen volunteers, over 1,000 ready-made Thanksgiving meals to-go will be distributed from La Tombola at 2102 Boardwalk West from noon to 3 p.m.
All food is on a first-come basis and attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
“Thanksgiving has always been a special day for me and my family,” said Nino Russo, co-owner of Gargiulo’s and La Tombola. “The Coney Island Gospel Assembly has taught us how to share all our gifts and extend them to our neighbors.”
In addition to curbside pick-up, Coney Island Gospel Assembly will also deliver family-portioned meals to anyone living in the 11224 zip code that is homebound or without transportation.
Other Sponsors include A&J Produce, Brooklyn Cyclones, Coney Island Starbucks, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, iStar, Kings Highway Bakery, Liberty Coca-Cola, Luna Park, PCS Security and the Rotary Club of Verrazano.
“Feeding those who need a meal for Thanksgiving is a tradition,” said Alexandra Silversmith, executive director of the Alliance for Coney Island. “We encourage anyone who might need a meal to attend and grab a delicious Thanksgiving meal.”
Celebrity Walk, A Forest Hills Mystery Partially Solved
Since 2015, a dedicated group of preservationists have been searching for long-vanished cement slabs featuring the handprints, footprints, and autographs of tennis and music stars that were once part of Celebrity Walk.
Celebrity Walk was located in front of Forest Hills Inn in Station Square. Before being converted to a co-op, the inn was the center of a classy social life, and Celebrity Walk was the local version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
When searches of the tunnel-like Forest Hills Inn basement turned up no results and with no known photos, some people assumed it was just an urban legend.
But rumors circulated that a sidewalk reconstruction led to their relocation. Some people recalled seeing them placed in the inn’s basement in a potentially concealed tunnel for safekeeping, possibly in the late 1970’s.
After intense networking, over a year ago this columnist discovered five Celebrity Walk slabs in a garage at a home near Puritan Avenue and Greenway North. The slabs were left behind by a previous homeowner.
Last Friday, Forest Hills Stadium concert manager Mike Luba and Mitch Cohen, president of the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, arrived at the home with a crew. They took the fragile concrete slabs to Forest Hills Stadium, where they will be restored and displayed.
The rescued slabs feature comedian Buddy Hackett, trumpeter Herb Alpert, actor Trini Lopez, director, Woody Allen, and Australian tennis player John Newcombe.
There are more slabs to be discovered, and the goal is to find the full collection. A few years ago, another homeowner donated a slab to the West Side Tennis Club featuring the signatures and handprints of tennis players Jack Kramer, Bill Talbert, and Manolo Santana.
“It’s a work in progress and I want to be part of it,” said crew member Wilson Brito. “We’ll get there. We’ll bring all the history back to where it belongs, and once we maintain that we can pass it on to the next generation and let them take care of it.”
Celebrity Walk originated in the mid-1960s and was the brainchild of Mark Fleischman, owner of the famed Studio 54 nightclub. From May 1965 to 1968, he also co-owned the 300-room Forest Hills Inn and adjoining apartments
“I loved coming up with press-generating ideas, including the creation of Celebrity Walk in front of the hotel’s sidewalk cafe,” he said. “Marketing seemed to come easily to me.”
At the time, the inn included cocktail lounges, a formal dining room known as the Windsor Room, sidewalk cafe, the Tea Garden, and four social rooms accommodating 400 guests.
“The Inn was a venerable hotel that looked like an English country manor,” said Fleischman. “It was a real coup when we got Frank Sinatra to put his handprints into a block of wet cement when he headlined the Forest Hills Music Festival at the nearby tennis stadium.
“As soon as other celebrities heard about Sinatra’s handprints and signature, they agreed to be included in our Celebrity Walk when they performed,” he added.
“The Forest Hills Inn has Frank Sinatra’s and Barbra Streisand’s handprints imbedded on their sidewalk pavement, but it had to get them the hard way,” read an article from 1965 in the Long Island Star-Journal. “Both stars agreed to make the imprint, but refused to do it at the sidewalk. So wet cement was sent to both stars, the imprints made, and the hardened blocks were then inserted in the pavement.”
West Side Tennis Club is always looking for items from the club’s long and storied history.
“These past few years, some wonderful items have been donated to the club, both solicited and unsolicited,” read a statement from the club.
If you have historic WSTC/Forest Hills items, email archives@thewestsidetennisclub.com.