May 31-June 6, 2012 Your Neighborhood - Your News® 75 cents THE NEWSPAPER OF FLUSHING, AUBURNDALE, KEW GARDENS HILLS & FRESH MEADOWS Flushing rabbi honored by Catholics for work Page 3 Pages 4, 5, 32 City greenlights WWII vet still raising funds at 90 spa application in College Point Whitestone resident spends last 45 years selling red poppies to benefi t soldiers estone resident Jack Lombardi a small table there, bringing a Navy for three years during World BY JOE ANUTA BY JOE ANUTA has been pedaling the flowers for packed lunch. War II, where he was stationed in about half his life. “I know I’m doing it for a the Pacific Theater aboard the re- The city Board of Standards Red poppies are sold by vet- The World War II vet is a fix- good cause,” Lombardi said. “But pair vessel USS Jason. and Appeals has approved plans erans to commemorate all the sol- ture at the Whitestone Shopping I’m also doing it for my buddies. Many of his friends have not for another spa in College Point, diers who have died since World Center, where for 45 years he has That’s the main thing.” enjoyed the longevity the spright- bucking opposition from both War I, and at 90 years old Whit- consistently parked himself at Lombardi served in the U.S. Continued on Page 17 Community Board 7 and Borough President Helen Marshall as it granted the wishes of the develop- ers. BABY BOOT CAMP The board issued its decision May 15, which gives the green light for owner Kwang Nam Park to build his two-story spa with rooftop pool in place of the ware- Continued on Page 17 MAILING ADDRESS GOES HERE Flushing resident Abel Sanxhaktri, 2 1/2, gets a lesson in looking into a scope from Marine 2nd Lcpl. Adrian Guerrero who landed with fellow soldiers in Flushing Meadows Park as Abel’s father Jimmy looks on. See coverage on Pages 3, 40. Photo by Christina Santucci A CNG Publication • Vol. 21, No. 22 52 total pages 2 FT Boro rabbi gets Catholic nod Wife survives hubby’s COM . Free Synagogue’s Michael Weisser recognized for interfaith work alleged cleaver attack lice said. TIMESLEDGER BY JOE ANUTA The fight began in the A 52-year-old woman couple’s apartment at about was recovering at a Queens 5:45 a.m., where after the 6, 2012 6, 2012 hospital after her husband initial attack Liu ran out UNE allegedly attacked her with onto Parsons Boulevard 31-J a meat cleaver last week, leaving a trail of blood AY police and hospital workers drops in her wake. , M said. Wang continued to hit Huizhen Liu was ini- Liu with the meat cleaver EDGER L tially listed in critical on the sidewalk until he IMES T condition after the bloody was subdued by his son confrontation, but was and a Good Samaritan moved to another room in walking by, who grabbed the hospital for non-critical an ice scraper to knock the patients, according to New cutting tool out of Wang’s York Hospital Queens. hand, police said. Early May 23 near the A pool of blood was corner of Parsons Boule- still visible the afternoon of vard and Ash Avenue, her the attack on the sidewalk husband, 53-year-old Kang down the street from the Wang, is accused of strik- family’s home. ing Liu about a dozen times Neighbors said the in the torso and head with a family had recently moved A Catholic organization is set to present Rabbi Michael Weisser with a peacemaker award. Photo by Joe Anuta meat cleaver after an argu- into the apartment, but ment got out of control, ac- several people heard argu- BY JOE ANUTA times that of Lincoln, and an annual stroll through describing the galaxy as cording to police. ing coming from the apart- the rabbi came to the most the borough with stops at one of hundreds of billions Cops believe Wang ment at about 5:30 a.m. that Next month a Catho- diverse area in the entire houses of worship of many of such galaxies in the may have recently been morning. lic organization is giving world from a city that is 86 religions. Out of that walk, known universe. A beam released from psychiatric Other neighbors were out a National Peacemaker percent white, according to Weisser had the idea of cre- of light traveling at 186,000 care, a source said. He shocked that the gruesome Award to a Queens rabbi the 2010 Census. ating an interfaith council miles per second would was booked at the 109th scene played out in their who might have seemed But with Weisser’s life- of Queens, a body that ex- take 120,000 years to cross Precinct and charged with building. like an odd pick when he long propensity to reach ists in other boroughs. it at its narrowest point. attempted criminally negli- “You see this stuff was hired from Nebraska out to people of different “I thought it would be “Part of these religions gent homicide and criminal all the time on the news, to take the helm of the Free faiths, it is actually a won- nice if we could do some- is believing in a god who possession of a weapon, po- Continued on Page 17 Synagogue of Flushing in der it took him so long to thing more than once a created that,” he said. “How 2008. get here. year,” he said. could that creator possibly On June 3, Pax Christi, “All religions, in my The council is still in be Jewish, Christian, Mus- a national Catholic organi- view, are aspects of one re- its planning stages, but in- lim, Hindu, etc.? How could zation dedicated to promot- ligion,” Weisser said in a terfaith outreach is some- that possibly be?” ing peace and nonviolence, recent interview, an opin- thing that has always come Weisser believes that will dole out its National ion that has attracted criti- naturally to Weisser. God is so enormous that Peacemaker Award to Rab- cism as well as accolades. The rabbi recalls the there are myriad ways to bi Michael Weisser, who “I think it’s just common day his views on interfaith try and comprehend what was selected by the Flush- sense. None of us have all relations were solidified: is going on. Weisser accepts ing synagogue from a vast- the answers.” He was sitting in a plan- nearly all faiths as valid ly different work environ- Weisser attracted the etarium as a picture of the forms of worship, provided ment in Lincoln, Neb. eye of Pax Christi for his Milky Way appeared over- that they do not cause phys- NYPD officers enter the apartment building where a 53-year-old For instance, the help in planning the Inter- head. ical or mental harm to any- man allegedly chopped his wife with a meat cleaver last week. population of Queens is 10 faith Unity Walk in Queens, A voice filled the room, Continued on Page 17 Photo by Joe Anuta IN THIS ISSUE HOW TO REACH US Police Blotter ........................................................8 QGuide ............................................................35-39 MAIL: 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 Editorials & Letters .......................................10-11 Business .................................................................41 PHONE: Display Advertising: (718) 260-4521 — Editorial: (718) 260-4545 FAX: Editorial (718) 224-2934 — Display: (718) 224-5821 People in the News.................................... 28-29 Sports ............................................................43-44 Classified: (718) 260-2549 Focus on Queens ................................................32 Classified ....................................................... 45-51 E-MAIL: Editorial: [email protected] Display Advertising: [email protected] Classified: [email protected] TO SUBSCRIBE: Call (718) 260-4521 Copyright©2011 Queens Publishing Corp. FLUSHING TIMES (USPS#03925) is published weekly by News Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY.11361, (718) 229-0300. The entire contents of this publication are copyright 2011. All rights reserved. The newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in any advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the FLUSHING TIMES C/O News Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. 41-02 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, N.Y. 11361 3 Community turns out in droves for Memorial Day Parade F T T IMES L Hundreds line streets in College Point as offi cials march with vets to celebrate American heroes EDGER , M BY STEVE MOSCO time to honor veterans, crowd see that and it hits AY but it is also a time to raise home with them — they see 31-J Residents of College awareness of the many that people who serve this UNE Point lined the streets to hardships faced by the na- country are close to them in 6, 2012 honor the men and women tion’s returning veterans age. It gives them a greater of the U.S. armed forces at of war. appreciation.” the annual Memorial Day “One of the issues Evan Waters, a recent Parade Sunday. we’re facing is the num- Queens College graduate, TIMESLEDGER Cheering the bands ber of homeless vets in our said he hopes the younger and the veterans were country,” he said. “There is generation looks at Memo- . hundreds of onlookers, one shelter in Long Island rial Day as more than just COM including residents of the City, but we need more. a day off from school. Cliffside Rehabilitation & Many veterans are disabled “As A mericans, we re - Residential Health Care and need a level of attention ally can’t do enough to hon- Center, at 119-19 Graham that is different than other or our military,” he said.