maspeth Archives - Page 4 of 5

Maspeth Federal Savings Celebrates 75 Years of Serving the Community

webadmin on April 13, 2022

Maspeth Federal Savings is excited to start the celebration of our 75th anniversary.

Founded in 1947, Maspeth Federal Savings continues to be a financially viable, independent mutual savings institution that is committed to building multiple, mutually beneficial and lasting relationships with consumers, businesses and organizations within the communities we serve and to demonstrate behavior that focuses on the customer.

“We are proud that throughout our 75 years, we have stayed true to the mission of our founders by putting our customers, communities and employees at the forefront of everything we do” Thomas Rudzewick, president and CEO, said. “We look forward to the next 75 years by remaining focused on delivering a more diverse, sustainable and innovative bank for the future”.

To commemorate their 75-year anniversary, the bank invites customers, friends, and neighbors to stop by on Wednesday, April 20th at 12 p.m. at our Main Office in Maspeth. Coffee and cake will be served and customers can be a part of the bank’s history in celebrating this special occasion.

The bank will also host a “75 Days of Giving” initiative, slated to begin on April 25th, which will consist of a series of events, giveaways and “random acts of kindness,” culminating with rewarding a grand prize of a brand new electric 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E.

“We sincerely thank our customers who have been loyal to us over the years and allowed Maspeth Federal Savings to be a part of our wonderful community, and this celebration is our way of expressing our thanks.” David Daraio, chief operating officer, said.

All are encouraged to enter the raffle by filling out a digital entry on the bank’s website at https://www.maspethfederal.com.

Two-alarm fire on Grand Avenue in Maspeth

webadmin on March 24, 2022

FDNY responded to a two-alarm fire along Grand Avenue in Maspeth, on March 16, which left three injured.

The blaze broke out around 10 a.m. inside the three-story commercial building at 65-50 Grand Avenue spreading from Lafyes Jewelry store.

Twenty-five units were dispatched to fight the blaze, and more than 100 firefighters and EMS were at the scene. FDNY were able to have the fire under control around 11:30 a.m.

According to an FDNY spokesperson, two civilians and one firefighter were injured and transported to Elmhurst Hospital Center.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Vaccine clinic at Maspeth High School

webadmin on March 9, 2022

Almost 80 percent of students fully vaccinated

By Evan Triantafilidis

evant@queensledger.com

Maspeth High School held an all-day COVID-19 clinic, offering vaccines, boosters, and both rapid and PCR tests for students and community members.

The mobile vaccine van, operated by the New York City Department of Health, was parked outside the school last Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with students voluntarily lining up after school to receive their first, second, or booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine.

Recently released data from the health department shows that 82.5 percent of students at Maspeth High have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 78 percent are considered fully vaccinated.

The school reported only six cases of COVID-19 during the month of February, which is a 97 percent reduction in cases compared to January.

Justin Spiro, a social worker at Maspeth High, said that the vaccine clinic was an opportunity to increase accessibility to the free shots.

“It’s not just about servicing the school, but the community as well,” Spiro said.

For Jakub Sulinski, a senior at Maspeth High, nearly half of his high school experience has been during the pandemic. He says that his school has done an adequate job of providing students with resources, even when remote learning was the only option.

“A lot of people didn’t like Zoom and stuff like that, but I feel like people would have gone mad if it wasn’t for it,” Sulinski said. “The socializing keeps us sane.”

He said that the cancellation of the Regents exam in January added to the craziness of his last year of high school.

“Two years just disappeared,” Spiro said. “But we have to do what we have to do to help society as a whole.”

55th annual Maspeth tree lighting awakens holiday spirit

glendaleregstg on December 8, 2021

Last Friday, the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce brought holiday cheer to the neighborhood with its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Held in Maspeth Memorial Square, a sentimental corner of the neighborhood, residents gathered on the chilly night to sing Christmas carols, watch performances and spend time with their kids.
Assemblyman Brian Barnwell spoke at the event, thanking the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce and Maspeth Federal Savings Bank for making the tree lighting possible every year.
“Without you guys, we’d be in big trouble,” he said. “In the beginning of the pandemic, they bought and distributed masks to all the first responders that we had. They do so much behind the scenes, and they might not even be aware of their impact.”
The crowd watched the children of “A Song and a Dance” on Grand Avenue perform their holiday-themed routines, with tunes ranging from “Jingle Bell Rock” to Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me.”
Maspeth music icons Liz and Bill Huisman brought their folk inspired sound to the crowd, encouraging everyone to sing along and enjoy the music.
When the tree and all the hanging lights lit up after a ten-second countdown, the scene felt like a winter wonderland in the middle of Maspeth.
Bill Huisman called all the children in attendance to join him in singing classic Christmas carols while he played his guitar.
In the spirit of giving, two raffles were held, and two lucky winners got to go home with an Amazon Echo and a brand new bicycle from local business Grand Bicycle.
The highlight of the evening was when Santa Claus arrived. Even though it happens annually, Maspeth resident Tammy Sanchez said events like the tree lighting are essential to the community, especially now.
“They really put a lot of effort into it year after year,” she said. “With all the craziness going on in the world, this is the one thing that they can do for the community to bring happiness and get everyone into the holiday spirit. I am thankful that they do this for the neighborhood.”

Families of fallen NYPD members gather for holiday party

glendaleregstg on December 8, 2021

Line-of-duty families continue tradition at O’Neill’s

Mickalauskas, 60, of Maspeth Press passes away

glendaleregstg on November 17, 2021

Anthony J. Mickalauskas, 60, the CEO of Maspeth Press, passed away on Tuesday, November 9.
The husband of Donna Mickalauskas and father of Anthony Mickalauskas and Alyssa Mickalauskas, was laid to rest on Monday, November 15.
Mickalauskas worked his entire adult life at Maspeth Press, a local printing company in the tight-knit Queens neighborhood. Maspeth Press was founded in 1928, and Anthony was hired in 1982. He took over the business in 2009.
His wife Donna said he modernized and expanded the printing business into the digital age.
“He loved his family and he loved his printing press,” she said. “He took that business from a small print company and built it up tremendously. He would help everybody as much as he could.”
In its 90 years of business, Maspeth Press strived to be a one-stop mom-and-pop complete printing facility. In his time with the company, Mickalauskas saw the rise of the internet and made the appropriate business changes to keep up, such as hiring a team of graphic designers and purchasing new equipment.

Maspeth plaza named for WWII hero

glendaleregstg on November 9, 2021

Captured device that helped U.S. decipher German messages

Maspeth honors Squad 288/Hazmat 1 20 years later

glendaleregstg on September 15, 2021

There was a distinct emotional feeling among attendees at Maspeth Federal Savings’ annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony this year as the community marked the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
As it is annually, the ceremony was held in front of a 9/11 monument in Maspeth Memorial Park dedicated to the 19 firefighters from Squad 288/HazMat 1 and others from the community who lost their lives on that morning.
The Squad 288/Hazmat 1 firehouse, which is located just off the memorial park, had the single largest loss of firefighters of any FDNY firehouse on September 11.
But this year’s ceremony looked a bit different, with the gate surrounding Memorial Square behind the monument adorned with banners displaying the names of the firefighters from Squad 288/HazMat 1.
Each name was read aloud at the event.
Kenneth Rudzewick, host of the event, cited the importance of holding memorial ceremonies like this one every year.
“This is a 20-year journey that has affected most of our lives, remembering the attack and marking it is vital,” he said. “There is no better way to honor the lives of those heroes taken in 2001 than to protect and honor their fellow rescuers of today.”
The ceremony included words from Vincent Tomeo, a retired high school teacher and poet; music from husband-and-wife duo Bill and Liz Huisman, and the singing of the National Anthem by Kathleen Nealon.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to sit here for the last 20 years,” said Nealon. “I keep all of those who died on 9/11 and their families in my prayers always, as well as those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses and continue to suffer from that day.”
In addition to the 343 firefighters killed directly in the attack, 253 later died due to complications from their rescue work at Ground Zero.
Maspeth Federal Savings continues to honor them and add them to the memorial, including Firefighter Thomas Oelkers, who died just this May from a World Trade Center-related illness.
Congresswoman Grace Meng and Councilman Robert Holden discussed the importance of not only remembering and honoring the lives lost, but also how to carry out justice on their behalf in the present day.
Meng said that Congress is working on a resolution to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to ensure that New York’s future generations never forget the events of that day.
“We are also working on a bipartisan basis to make sure that we are fully funding the health programs that will benefit so many of the victims’ families and to take care of those who are still with us,” she said.
Holden, alongside the Juniper Park Civic Association, has fought to have the Maspeth firehouse recognized as a landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission turned down their request because it was constructed too recently.
“The Landmarks Preservation Commission will have to landmark this,” he said “We’re not going to wait 30 years.”