BY ED WENDELL
It was a crazy, amazing day on Sunday as a huge gathering of Woodhaven residents, past and present, came together to celebrate the centennial of Schmidt’s Candy and the unveiling of a street sign honoring this iconic institution.
There had been plenty of discussion about whether the celebration would go ahead given the Nor’easter we were expecting. Most of the speculation, however, took place online, where everyone seems to be an expert on weather patterns and Nor’easters.
Offline, we all knew the celebration was happening because Margie Schmidt said so. So many people were flying in or traveling from afar that rescheduling was not an option. We made sure everyone knew the event was happening “Rain or Shine.” Drizzle, hard rain, steady rain, torrential rain, it didn’t matter. Grab your rain gear because this celebration was happening, period.
In the end, the rain held off, and at one point, the sun even came out, prompting cheers from the crowd and several comments that even God loves Schmidt’s Candy.
By the time I arrived, a sizable crowd had already assembled. I did a quick, rough headcount and estimated that well over a hundred people were there, not including the mob inside the store buying candy, chocolates, and commemorative Schmidt’s Candy T-shirts.
People kept coming. By noon, the crowd looked as though it had doubled. Phyllis Inserillo, Chief of Staff to Council Member Joann Ariola, had printed 200 programs, and every single one was gone. In fact, plenty of people were saying they hadn’t gotten one. By my new estimate, we had somewhere between 250 and 300 people gathered on Jamaica Avenue.
There was just one problem. We didn’t have a microphone or speaker, and between the noise of people talking, the elevated train, and the traffic, no one could hear a single word. I told everyone that I had a big, fully charged speaker and microphone at home and that it would take only ten minutes to run home and get them.
So, Carmela Isabella and I headed to the car, parked two blocks away on 86th Road, and set off. Getting off that block took a few minutes because we were stuck behind a minivan trying to parallel park. Traffic on 96th Street was no better, and it took three changes of the traffic light before we finally made it back to Jamaica Avenue.
By the time we drove past Schmidt’s (still on our way to my house to pick up the speaker, mind you), fifteen minutes had already passed. But the crowd hadn’t gone anywhere. In fact, it looked even bigger.
We returned a few minutes later to cheers from the festive crowd. There were a few brief speeches from Council Member Joann Ariola and myself. Cathy Williams, Executive Director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District, presented Margie with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. And, of course, there was Margie herself. She offered a few words of thanks and appreciation before the entire crowd followed Margie (walking on a white carpet) to the corner for the unveiling of the street sign, which was greeted with tremendous applause and affection.
It was a big, crazy, chaotic, exhilarating, fun ceremony, full of love.
Not just a love of chocolate and candy. And not just a love of Margie Schmidt, though that was definitely a gigantic part of it, ninety percent or more. It was also a love of the community we all grew up in. A love and longing for our friends and loved ones who are long gone but would have been there if they could. It was a love of our shared past, our shared upbringing, and a celebration of our community by people whose DNA is full of Woodhaven.
And Schmidt’s Candy.
After the ceremony, we all made our way over to Neir’s Tavern for a party, which also marked the grand opening of its expanded party room in the back. A massive crowd moved easily throughout Neir’s, enjoying the great food and the extra space and additional seating. The extra bathroom came in handy, too.
Just as I was leaving the party, the torrential rain I had spoken about finally arrived. I sat down beneath the awning outside Neir’s and waited for it to let up. A crazy, loud, chaotic day had come to a quiet close.
I exhaled deeply and relaxed, enjoying the soothing rhythm of the raindrops pitter-pattering on the awning above my head. I thought about how this was a day I would never forget, a day that perfectly encapsulated everything I have always loved about life in Woodhaven. I closed my eyes and savored the moment just a little longer.
