Stop signs, crosswalks added to intersection of Stanhope St. and Fairview Ave.

Safety signals approved by DOT following group’s activism

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

Residents rallied earlier this year to express their concerns of Stanhope Street and Fairview Avenue. Photo: Erik Augustine

Following residents’ months of advocacy and pleading with the DOT, new stop signs have been implemented at the intersection of Stanhope Street and Fairview Avenue in Ridgewood.

As of Dec. 1, crosswalks are now at the intersection.

Residents say the intersection, just steps away from Grover Cleveland Park, has been a danger to pedestrians and the community at large for as long as 20 years.

In late 2019, a man was hit by a car and killed at this intersection, and other residents have said they felt unsafe crossing the street due to the lack of safety signals.

In response, Ridgewood residents Nicole Galpern and Becca Kauffman co-founded Crosswalk Fantasy Committee early this year.

The goal of the organization is to raise awareness of the intersection, get the community involved and make requests to the DOT in hopes to achieve the goal of stop signs and crosswalks at the T-shaped intersection.

Crosswalk Fantasy Committee has been advocating for safety signals at the intersection since early this year.

“It just became this glaring, strange void in city infrastructure. You could just stand there for minutes upon end and never get any reprieve from drivers,” Kauffman said.

“We felt like it was going to be important to amplify the voices of the neighbors here and their experience of the street, because unlike someone sitting at an office at the Department of Transportation receiving a uniform request, these people are actually on the ground experiencing the dangers of being a pedestrian in their own area.”

Galpern shared that she and Kauffman both became passionate about making the intersection safer, and wanted to put in the work to get the safety signals implemented.

The team was in constant communication with the DOT since March, submitting requests, making phone calls and sending their petition — which garnered over 600 signatures following the rally they held at the intersection on March 19.

They also spoke with Community Board 5, who submitted a letter to the DOT on their behalf. They also received support from community leaders such as Juan Ardila, Councilman Robert Holden and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.

In addition to the standard bureaucratic, straightforward ways of getting the request off the ground, Crosswalk Fantasy Committee wanted to execute their mission in a creative and engaging way.

“I loved the idea of a more creative approach to this, doing something more colorful and not making a civic duty so dreary in our neighborhood. I thought it should be more engaging and I think we came over our desire of making this a more pleasant experience,” Galpern said.

Kauffman considers their initiative to be a socially engaged art project, as seen by the compilation of artwork, audio recordings, photos, postcards and more they’ve put together.

Inspired by the role of a crossing guard, Kauffman has a personal goal of being an Artist in Residence of the NYC DOT.

Becca Kauffman admires the role of crossing guards, and sees this project as a performance on the street in a public space. Photo: Erik Augustine

“I’m really intrigued by the crossing guard as a utilitarian role. It also is a performance on the street in public space, and I think of it choreographically like a dance…kind of like a mime act in a way,” they said.

“I wanted to perform as a crossing guard at the intersection. I think of it as a sort of like theatrical intervention at this rally and march that we organized together. We had a bunch of volunteers too, and we all donned high visibility workwear.”

Crosswalk Fantasy Committee received an email from the DOT on Aug. 4 saying that after “months of evaluation,” the stop signs and crosswalks were approved.

On Nov. 17, the new stop signs were implemented at the intersection of Stanhope Street and Fairview Avenue. The crosswalks were painted shortly after, following a “high priority” ranking by the DOT.

The crosswalks were painted on Dec. 1.

The pair feel that the crosswalks are essential, as cars appear to miss the new stop signs or are ignoring them.

In celebration of the new safety signals, Crosswalk Fantasy Committee plans to host a “Party at the Crosswalk” on Sunday, Dec. 18. The community at large is welcome to attend.

For more information and updates about Crosswalk Fantasy Committee’s activism and the status of the intersection, follow the group on Instagram @crosswalkfantasy.

Alleged animal abuser busted on Woodhaven Boulevard

Dog and seven puppies rescued by 104th Precinct

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

A dog and her seven puppies were rescued by police during a car stop.

Last Saturday, officers from the 104th Precinct rescued an adult great dane and her seven puppies during a car stop on Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park.

At around 4 p.m., Officers Kristen Candelaria and Stephen Sheehan of the 104 conducted a car stop after they observed 27-year-old Ravon Service of Philadelphia operating a vehicle with a loud exhaust southbound.

Officers Stephen Sheehan and Kristen Candelaria .

During the stop, the officers observed an emaciated female dog and her seven puppies inside the vehicle in a confined plastic container with no access to food, water or adequate space.

The dogs were transported to an animal hospital to receive treatment.

The adult great dane is so malnourished, her ribs are poking out.

Seven puppies were rescued along with their mother from known animal abuser Ravon Service.

Service was arrested and charged with eight counts of torture/injure/not feed animal, eight counts of neglect of impounded animal, seven counts of animal carried in cruel manner and unreasonable noise.

“Our Neighborhood Coordination Officers, Officer Kristen Candelaria and Officer Stephen Sheehan, did an outstanding job. They were out patrolling their sector, their neighborhood and addressing quality of life conditions when they found these poor puppies and their mother during a vehicle stop. The visible conditions of the dogs were immediate indicators that they were victims of a depraved indifference to animal life,” said Deputy Inspector Kevin Coleman, Commanding Officer of the 104th Precinct.

“Candelaria and Sheehan are indeed heroes — their proactive policing of the neighborhood ultimately led to the rescue of these defenseless puppies and their mother,” he continued. “We encourage all New Yorkers to report animal cruelty to 311, and active crimes in progress to 911.”

Councilman Robert Holden took to Twitter to applaud the officers on a job well done, and advocated for finding loving homes for the animals.

Shortly after his first tweet, Holden posted again that Service appears to be the same individual who was caught last year for abusing animals and assaulting a landlord, the New York Post reported.

“Throw the book at this individual,” Holden wrote Sunday. “People like this should never see the light of day, yet we release them back to the public to continue their crimes.”

Woodside local stars in ‘The Nutcracker’

“Dancing as much as I can for as long as I can”

By Alicia Venter

aventer@queensledger.com

Woodside local, Giulia Faria (right) stars in “The Nutcracker.”

Giulia Faria began dancing at age 3. Twenty years later, the Woodside local has propelled that passion towards her professional career, and will be starring in the New York Theatre Ballet’s seasonal performance of “The Nutcracker.”

Faria has been performing “The Nutcracker” since she was 10, playing multiple roles in the 1892, two-act ballet performance. This year, she is taking on the soloist roles of Coffee (or the Arabian Princess) the Mouse Queen, Spanish Dance and the Waltz of the Flowers.

“I’ve actually never danced the Arabian Princess before and it’s a very different type of role. It’s very slow and controlled and I’m more of a dynamic dancer,” Faria said. “This year is especially challenging for me because I’m stepping into a role that I’ve never done before and learning how to move in a different quality”

Faria’s dancing began at Callina Moaytis School of Classical Ballet, a since-closed school in Astoria.

Giulia Faria performing.

Taking ballet classes every Saturday until age 10, she joined the School of New York Theatre Ballet the following year. She was still in high school when she joined the New York Theatre Ballet, a 15 year old apprentice standing among established professionals.

“Overall, it just matured a little quicker than most 15-year-olds because of the environment I was in,” Faria said. “I don’t think I would have changed for anything. I feel like it made me a better dancer and a better professional overall.”

She eventually transitioned to home school in order to balance her responsibilities in the studio and the classroom.

“It was a little tricky, because I didn’t want to go to school — I wanted to dance,” she said with a laugh.”

Faria holds two homes close to her heart: her company and her Queens community. Both she described as intrinsically part of her — with no foreseeable future of leaving either.

One of Faria’s favorite places is Sri Praphai, located at 64-13 39th Ave in Woodside, which she describes as the best Thai restaurant in New York. She regularly attends Yoga Agora in Astoria and studied nutrition at LaGuardia Community College.

“I went to school in Queens. Now, as an adult, I don’t think I would even want to live in another borough,” she said.“It’s so versatile. You can crave whatever kind of food you want at 3:00 a.m. and you’ll definitely find something. There’s a really special place in my heart for Queens.”

The New York Theatre Ballet company has maintained her passion for dance, and it is a group she says “feels like home.” For that, she plans to stay with the company for the foreseeable future, and to keep “dancing as much as I can for as long as I can.”

“I don’t necessarily mind where I am dancing or where the career takes me, as long as I’m dancing. That’s what matters,” Faria said. “As long as I feel really passionate about what I’m doing and what I’m dancing. That’s mainly my goal — to feel fulfilled wherever I am.”

Performances begin Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey Street in Manhattan. For more information or to purchase tickets to see the New York Theatre Ballet performance of “The Nutcracker,” visit https://nytb.org.

Gaton Foundation gives back to families in need

Give & Go Delivery Project supplies food, necessities

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

The Gaton Foundation delivers fresh groceries to students and families in need.

Following her own personal humanitarian mission, Angela Gaton-Wiltshire dedicates much of her life to assisting those in need any way she can.

After a massive fire tore through various homes on Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill during 2020, Gaton-Wiltshire, 61, promptly started The Gaton Foundation and the Give & Go Delivery Project with her daughter, Kristen Wiltshire.

An employee of Richmond Hill High School for over 25 years, Gaton-Wiltshire works directly with students as a bilingual teacher of speech and hearing, special educator, general educator, deaf educator and developmental education evaluator.

Hosted with the support of Richmond Hill High School, the Give & Go Delivery Project strives to provide hand-delivered groceries and other essentials to students and their families in need in a stigma-free environment.

Flyers are posted throughout the school with a QR code that leads to the sign-up sheet for the service, so students can privately send their information.

After the fire, she knew that many of the students and their families would be impacted, and felt that she had to step in to help.

“I know the other side of what can happen when children are displaced. Part of the problem is going to be getting food…because if you’ve been displaced to a family member or relative, but you’re an extra mouth to feed, it becomes a challenge,” Gaton-Wiltshire said.

“To lessen the burden…I said, ‘Let’s deliver groceries,’” she continued. “It’s been a labor of love completely, because I have to buy everything and there’s so many resources, donations, everything.”

Gaton-Wiltshire said that the entire first floor of her St. Albans home has been designated for The Gaton Foundation and its operations.

She added that she and her daughter try their best to sort all the goods appropriately, sanitize everything and pack all the groceries appropriately in bags, as presentation is of utmost importance to her.

“The presentation is good so they know that we want to give this to them, and we would give it to them in the same way we would want to receive it,” Gaton-Wiltshire said.

Being Caribbean-American, the women behind The Gaton Foundation strive to be culturally aware, as they can relate with immigrants and children of immigrants.

The groceries provided by The Gaton Foundation take into account Halal, Kosher and other dietary restrictions, and the sign-up form is available in multiple languages.

“We are thrilled and proud that the work of the foundation and its projects, Give & Go Grocery specifically, is being recognized in this way. For nearly three years, this project has been organized to serve students, and their families across Queens, with our sight fixed devotedly on the impact we can have beyond the borough,” Wiltshire said.

“I’m genuinely in awe of what my mother began, and I’m entirely honored to represent my family foundation.”

Utilizing the skills gained from her culinary arts and nutrition education, Wiltshire also makes herself available to the families if they are unsure how to prepare or make a dish out of a certain item or ingredient.

Deliveries for the Give & Go Delivery Project go out on the first Friday of every month, to every applicant’s door — rain or shine. Gaton-Wiltshire said since its inception in 2020, they have not missed a month.

The Gaton Foundation always accepts donations and new volunteers.

Members of The Gaton Foundation along with its volunteers from Richmond Hill High School and beyond execute these deliveries in the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Whitestone, Jamaica, Ozone Park, Glendale and communities in Brooklyn where students have been displaced.

“It’s completely anonymous. We call and tell them the ETA, we get there, put the delivery on their doorstep and move onto the next person,” she said. “It’s to eliminate the stigma and embarrassment.”

At the time of publication, nearly 140 families have requested grocery delivery services from The Gaton Foundation.

“People won’t accept the help knowing full well that they need it, because they don’t want anybody to know,” Gaton-Wiltshire said. “Especially because this is an adolescent population, there’s nothing worse than kids being bullied.”

Gaton-Wiltshire attributes much of her humanitarian spirit and awareness to her father, who passed his values down to her.

She shared that her father marched with Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and studied psychology and social work for his PhD — however, he knows how it feels to grow up poor and need help.

“I always remember him telling me the story about when he was going to school, when he had to walk miles and the soles of his shoes were separated and he had to use rubber bands to keep them together. But because his parents were poor, they couldn’t afford new shoes,” she said. “I can understand that because it’s my dad’s experience, so it’s not generations away.”

The Gaton Foundation seeks to expand beyond Queens in the future, and is always accepting donations and additional volunteers.

To donate or get involved with The Gaton Foundation, visit their website thegatonfoundation.org to contact them as well as their Instagram, @thegatonfoundation.

Local McDonald’s employee participates in Thanksgiving parade

Dominican immigrant embraces New York tradition

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

Carlos Garcia (third from left) joined other nominated crew members to guide the Ronald McDonald balloon. (Photo: @goodmanmcdonalds on Instagram)

At one point in his life, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was something Dominican-born Carlos Garcia admired from afar as a New York tradition.

Now, he can proudly say he is one of the thousands of people responsible for helping to make the historic parade a reality for another year.

Hailing from the city of Santiago, Garcia, 44, first emigrated to New York City in 2003. He now resides in the Bronx with his wife and six-month-old baby girl.

He landed his first job as a McDonald’s crew member in 2004, working at the 5th Ave & W 34th St. location in Manhattan — in front of the Empire State Building.

Garcia started his first role in the kitchen of McDonald’s, and while he was excited for the new experience, he said that some people in his life looked down on the company at the time.

“My family didn’t want me working at McDonald’s, because I think a lot of people think that something is wrong with it,” he said. “The people talking from the outside probably never worked at McDonald’s, and they never see the opportunities we have working there.”

With his curiosity for learning new things each day, Garcia wanted more for his career, and eventually took classes to learn more about how the restaurant operates.

He took classes to learn about how to work and repair equipment, electricity and more essentials to build his knowledge and work his way up in the company.

Garcia quickly climbed the ranks, and now works as a facility maintenance supervisor — overseeing a total of six McDonald’s locations in Queens: 159-40 Cross Bay Blvd., Howard Beach; 106-15 71st Ave., Forest Hills; 75-50 101st Ave., Ozone Park; 33-80 Queens Blvd. and 32-55 31st St., Long Island City; and 72-69 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.

He took a break from working in the restaurant for a day on Thanksgiving last week, and helped guide the well-loved Ronald McDonald balloon throughout the heart of Manhattan during the parade.

Ronald McDonald soared through the streets of Manhattan on Thanksgiving Day. (Photo: @goodmanmcdonalds on Instagram)

Garcia and other nominated McDonald’s crew members participated in the once-in-a-lifetime experience, which is part of McDonald’s Thank You Crew initiative.

The initiative recognizes crew members and managers for their dedication to their local communities.

“The employees are the ones who make it happen at our restaurants, so this initiative is recognizing our people and appreciating everything they do for us to keep the arches shined and our customers receiving fast, healthy and great-tasting food,” said Paul Goodman, owner/operator of various McDonald’s restaurants in New York.

He described the Thanksgiving Day Parade experience as an honor and memorable experience — something that was made for hardworking employees such as Garcia.

“He is probably one of the most dedicated, loyal employees I’ve ever seen. From the day I met him until today, he just impresses me more and more with his dedication and skill level,” Goodman said of Garcia.

“He is a gentleman, and probably the only negative I could say about him is that he doesn’t have the ability to say ‘no,’” he said jokingly. “Carlos is amazing and I’m extremely lucky to have him working for my company.”

While Garcia is a proud New Yorker and feels very much at home, this was the first time he visited the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“I’m very excited. I never did it before and I wanted to see the rare experience of being in the parade,” Garcia said.

“I want this one to be my first, but not my last. If it’s possible, I would go every year.”

On The Record: Tom Padovano

Comedian/Comedy Writer

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

Tom Padovano of East Elmhurst loves nothing more than making people laugh.

When he’s not up on stage performing at a private gig or a local open mic night, Padovano spends much of his time writing jokes.

He began writing in the 1980s, and experienced the spotlight himself for the first time in 1985.

He’s sold his jokes to big name comedians such as Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller and Tom Dreesen. He’s even written material for the governor of a certain state years ago, at the expense of his rival.

Padovano said that he feels a great sense of satisfaction when a well-known comedian uses his joke and it gets a good laugh.

But nothing beats the feeling of delivering the joke himself.

“It’s a really great experience…when it doesn’t go well, it’s a little rougher, and some nights are better than others. But it’s nice, especially when someone comes over to you after the show and says, ‘I thought you were really good.’ That’s a nice feeling,” he said.

Padovano’s favorite topic to joke about is dating, since it always makes a good bit and it’s something everyone can relate to.

As for aspiring young comedians, he recommends reaching out to comedians and sending them sample jokes.

For live performance, he encourages people to get out there as much as possible.

“A lot of times, you find new gigs from other comedians, and as you get into it, you find more places to go,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of building up the material. Every time you go onstage, try at least one new joke.”

Celebrating traditions through vintage Thanksgiving postcards

Reviving forgotten postcard treasures

By Michael Perlman

mperlman@queensledger.com

An early 1900s gobble-producing mechanical postcard.

Historians consider the first Thanksgiving meal to date to 1621, where 53 Mayflower pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans at Plymouth shared an autumn feast for a three-day period.

Thanksgiving traditions came to life through highly stylized and vibrant hand-colored lithograph postcards.

Today, they are considered to be collectible works of art.

In 1873, the first American picture postcard was designed.

A significant number of postcards of the late 19th and early to mid-20th century exist in good to excellent condition and feature handwritten messages and one-cent and two-cent stamps.

Deltiology is the collection and study of postcards, which derives from “deltion,” a Greek term for a writing tablet or letter. Therefore, a postcard collector is known as a deltiologist.

Several decades ago, postcards could be found at a corner pharmacy, but today they can be purchased at postcard shows and estate sales or on eBay. Amazingly, the topics represent nearly every theme imaginable, capturing the history of hometowns and hobbies to holidays.

As a deltiologist, it is timely to explore the artistry and history associated with Thanksgiving postcards by pinpointing highlights.

Mechanical postcards are most interactive and were cleverly engineered, which is why such postcards continue to operate approximately 120 years later.

In one postcard, a collector lightly presses the stomach of one of two elaborately illustrated turkeys, and it produces a “gobble.”

Steps away is the Hudson River with lustrous rays from the Statue of Liberty in the background. The application of color evokes the feeling of a watercolor painting.

The “Macy Color Views of New York” postcard series captures the magic of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as of 1939, a year that is more recent than nearly all Thanksgiving postcards. This chrome postcard features a toy soldier float making its way alongside the Columbus Monument.

The 1939 Thanksgiving Parade, R.H. Macy & Co. series.

A caption reads, “Annual mile pageant of giant helium-filled balloons escorts Santa Claus to the world’s largest store at Broadway & 34th Street.” Since postcards are the catalyst for historic research, the viewer learns that the parade originated in 1924 and once featured animals from the Central Park Zoo.

Then floats were introduced and would be released into the air with a return address. If one was fortunate enough to find it after the parade ended, they would be a prize winner.

Some Thanksgiving postcards are embossed, adding an engaging feel to the realistic, yet dreamy hand-colored images, coupled with illustrations known as add-ons.

A divided back postcard from 1910 has “Thanksgiving Series Number 906” printed on the back, with the name A.S. Meeker, N.Y, granting insight on its publication.

It features a harvest theme with apples, grapes, corn, wheat and a pumpkin as part of a border formed by branches with Elm tree leaves.

It frames a river scene consisting of a rich autumn sky over a river with a farmhouse and a cow grazing. A turkey walks along the branches, overlooking the scene.

Other postcards in this series feature similar imagery and design details, hence telling a story.

A significant artist was Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle (1865 – 1934), whose style has drawn much admiration, making her the most prolific postcard and greeting card artist of her time.

In one of her signed postcards, children have big eyes on a pie after presumably baking it, considering their hats.

A product of the famed artist Ellen Clapsaddle.

The postcards offer a lesson within themselves when it comes to calligraphy, as each one is personalized.

Some of her postcards were accompanied by poetry: “Oh sing a song of pumpkin pies; And turkeys roasted brown; Thanksgiving Day is here again. And come this year to crown. Oh pray receive my wholesome wishes, For well-prepared Thanksgiving Dishes.”

This postcard was produced by International Art Publishing Company of New York and Philadelphia, as evident by a logo on the reverse featuring an eagle landing on a planet.

This subsidiary was founded by Wolf & Co. and Art Lithographic Publishing Co. to assume production of their souvenir and holiday postcards.

They were significant as a publisher of artist-signed cards and operated largely between 1895 and 1915.

Their firm was located at 3 and 5 Waverly Place in New York.

John Winsch (1865 – 1923) of Stapleton, New York was co-manager of the Art Lithographic Publishing Company.

He copyrighted his artist signed greeting cards, where many were published in sets, and produced approximately 4,000 designs between 1910 and 1915.

He was highly recognized for his Thanksgiving and Halloween postcards. He also used European artists who worked with his German printers.

His circa 1909 postcard, printed in Germany, consists of a black and white photographic window into nearly a few hundred years earlier, where pilgrims are preparing for their meal.

It is offset by a Victorian green, red and golden yellow color scheme, which dominates the large frame featuring ornate details, corn, a fall moon and triumphant instruments.

Some of Winsch’s cards feature poetry such as that of John Greenleaf Whittier (1807 – 1892).

An excerpt from his work, “Peace Autumn,” reads: “Thank God for rest, where none molest, And none can make afraid, for Peace that sits as Plenty’s guest, Beneath the homestead’s shade.”

Artist John Winsch & poet John Greenleaf Whittier: Significant art coming together.

He was noteworthy as an American Quaker poet, an advocate for abolishing slavery and a founder of “The Atlantic Monthly.”

His friends included Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass. His poetry reflected rural life, religion and nature.

The pilgrims’ arrival at Plymouth Rock was featured on a postcard by Raphael Tuck & Sons, where traditional colors, texture and emotions are brilliantly captured.

This firm was founded in London by Raphael Tuck (1821 – 1900) and operated from 1866 to 1959. Other locations included Paris, Berlin, Montreal, and 298 Broadway and 122 – 124 Fifth Avenue.

In 1894, his son, Adolph Tuck, created their first picture postcard.

Pilgrims’ arrival at Plymouth Rock by the significant firm, Raphael Tuck & Sons.

This prominent publisher was considered “Art publishers to their majesties the king and queen,” as noted on the reverse of their postcards, since Queen Victoria granted them the Royal Warrant of Appointment in 1883. These postcards are among the most desirable by collectors.

Certain postcards offer a lesson in patriotism, where at least one in the Gottschalk series exhibits a very rare 47-star American flag, symbolic of New Mexico’s addition in January 1912. The flag was active for only a month.

Victorian masterpiece, Gottschalk series with a rare 47-star American flag, 1912.

The colorful and highly stylized postcard series frequently says “Thanksgiving Greetings,” and this card also features an ornate gold embossed border, flowers and fruits marking a prosperous harvest, as well as a family of turkeys with teepees forming the backdrop.

Gottschalk, Dreyfuss & Davis Co. Ltd. was active from 1904 to 1915 and operated offices in New York, London and Munich.

Sometimes a menu was brought to the recipient; not always in the form of food, but a selection of blessings.

One such Gilded Age style postcard in this series features a pilgrim boy and girl, shoulder to shoulder, holding up graceful desserts, while a turkey, pumpkin and leaves add much character.

The entrée menu reads: “Health a la Wealth, Prosperity, Garnished with Joys, True Love, Happiness, Long Life.”

An E. Nash “Health a la Wealth” menu postcard.

Grapes are depicted on the menu as a symbol of abundance and good fortune.

This circa 1910 series was produced by New York publisher E. Nash.

Among the best Thanksgiving postcards highlights a Victorian-era family, ready for their cozy feast, marked by an elegant table setting under a gas lamp.

One artist brilliantly captured the anticipation between a husband and wife with a “Home Sweet Home” frame over the mantel, and a cat that is ready for the occasion, with a bowtie.

Embossed in gold leaf is “Welcome Thanksgiving Day.”

The design has a 1908 copyright by M.W. Taggart, a New York City-based firm from 1905 to 1910. Their specialty was holiday and greeting postcards with patriotic and humorous themes and a superb use of primary colors.

“Welcome Thanksgiving Day” by M.W. Taggart, 1908.

Many postcards feature handwritten messages, often with fine penmanship, either written with a fountain pen or in pencil.

It reads: “Dear Teacher, This card is from Carlie Strumguist. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. Good bye.” The recipient is Frances C. Smith.

Over a century later, the spirit of past generations has its way of communicating.

Car Accident & Traffic Death Breakdown For NYC in 21/22

Transportation Alternatives, a street safety group, has released new data on traffic in New York City and fatal accidents, and the news is bad. NYC has already seen a deadly year for motor vehicle accidents in 2022, one of the worst in the current decade. Safety advocates are demanding prompt action be taken to reverse this trend.

 Car Accident Traffic Statistics For New York City In 2021 And 2022

More NYC traffic deaths have occurred in the city during the first three months of 2022 compared to the first quarter of any year since 2014, NY Daily News said in its review of the Transportation Alternatives report. According to the data, 59 people have died in car accidents in NYC so far in 2022, compared to 41 people who died in the same quarter last year. If the numbers continue their current trajectory, 2022 could be the deadliest year for traffic deaths in the city in the decade, even surpassing the number in 2021, which had the highest number of traffic deaths since 2014.

Types Of NYC Traffic Deaths

The data shows the following grisly information for the first quarter of 2022:

29 pedestrians were killed in NYC car accidents

8 minors died in motor vehicle crashes

24 percent of the fatalities occurred on city streets with speed limits higher than 25 mph

An estimated 236 traffic fatalities are expected to occur if the current trends are not reversed during the year.

Advocates Demand Action

In 2014, former Mayor Bill de Blasio launched the Vision Zero Program, which hoped to prevent traffic fatalities across the five boroughs. However, advocates say that too many New Yorkers are senselessly dying in NYC traffic accidents while crossing the street, waiting for the bus, or riding in a car. The authors of the report are demanding the City Council pour $3.1 billion into the city’s budget to implement New York City’s Department of Transportation’s street plans, which would add bike lanes and redesign hundreds of intersections across the city to make streets safer for all road users.

Advocates are also demanding that the city pass a law that would give it control over the city’s street camera program. This would allow it to install more traffic cameras and end restrictions that limit when tickets can be issued to people speeding or running red lights.


Contributed by: Ribowsky Law- Queens Personal Injury & Accident Lawyer 109-12 Jamaica Ave, Queens, NY 11418 (718) 659-5333 https://www.mrinjurylawyerny.com/

 

Fill the Form for Events, Advertisement or Business Listing