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Wendell: The Great Woodhaven Yard Sale

Ed Wendell on May 17, 2022

The Great Woodhaven Yard Sale returns on Saturday June 11th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date Sunday, June 12th, same times). Sponsored by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, the community-wide yard sale usually sees 40 to 50 participating households.

If you’d like to be one of those households, you can register for free by emailing the WRBA at [email protected] or calling and leaving a message at 718-296-3735.

For those of you not familiar with the Great Woodhaven Yard Sale, here’s how it works: instead of scattered households all over the neighborhood holding their yard sales by themselves on different dates, a large organized group holds their yard sales collectively, on the same exact day.

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association advertises the yard sale far and wide, and distributes maps of Woodhaven with little flags indicating all of the yard sale locations. And for those who are interested in taking it to another level, they encourage members advertise some of the items they plan to be selling on the WRBA’s Facebook page.

The maps encourage people to come to Woodhaven because they know that there are going to be plenty of yard sales to check out. In previous years, we received reports of people coming from New Jersey and Connecticut to browse the goods put up for sale by residents. In one case we had a person come from Maspeth by bus, bring all the stuff he bought home, and come back on the bus to check out other houses.

Another advantage of the Great Woodhaven Yard Sale is that you don’t have to walk around town, illegally putting up flyers advertising your individual sale. The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association will advertise your sale for you by including it on their map and distributing it to many interested parties.

One year, my wife and I visited about 3 dozen different yard sales and found some great stuff. We looked for clusters of flags on the map, indicating concentrated areas where we could hit 5 or 6 houses on the same block. We heard the same thing from other shoppers, so if you want to boost your potential for sales, try to create your own cluster by asking your neighbors to join.

And it’s always interesting to see some of the old gems that people have stored away for years, taking up space in their basement. If you’re a frequent watcher of shows like Antiques Roadshow you know that people don’t always know the value of their own belongings. It could be that the $5 item you just purchased is worth hundreds of dollars or more!

Now that you’re sold on the idea, let’s repeat how you can become part of the Great Woodhaven Yard Sale (Saturday, 6/11; rain date the next day). You can register by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling and leaving a message at 718-296-3735.

There is no fee for registering, but you are required to give the WRBA your name and phone number (in case they need to reach you) and the address where you will be hosting your yard sale (must be in 11421). Here is an important point: they will put a flag on the map indicating your location, but they do not put your address or any other information on the map.

Now, even if you’re not planning on being a participating household we hope that you’ll help advertise this event by word of mouth. Tell your neighbors, tell your family. And tell your friends in Richmond Hill and Glendale and Ozone Park and beyond to come to Woodhaven for the biggest yard sale of 2022.

Wendell: Remembering Woodhaven’s Lt. Harry Joseph Schmitt

Ed Wendell on May 10, 2022

He was a Woodhaven boy. He lived on Jamaica Avenue. He attended PS 97 and Franklin K. Lane High School and picked up a few bucks delivering The Leader-Observer.

As a young man, he went to Queens College where he excelled in the classroom and on the baseball diamond. He was honored as a distinguished military graduate and received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force, where he trained to be a pilot.

He was just 23 years old and his future was bright, but Woodhaven was still close to his heart. While stationed at an Air Force base in Dover, Delaware, as a radar observer, he kept an old postcard of Forest Parkway in his locker.

He kept in touch with his folks regularly and they spoke about his next visit to his old hometown. In fact, his bags were already packed and he was ready to go on leave.

And he would be bringing home a surprise for his family, the young woman who he was planning to make his wife.

But Harry Schmitt never came home. In July 1958, he was killed while on a routine flight over the Atlantic off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey

As with any accident, the details of what happened are as murky as the waters Harry Schmitt’s plane crashed into. It appears that the pilot did not realize how low he was flying. In fact, he may have even skipped the jet across the top of the ocean.

The pilot ordered Harry Schmitt to bail, but because the plane was so low when he ejected, his parachute never opened. The Air Force speculated that he was killed instantly but we’ll never know for certain as the young man from Woodhaven was never found.

It was front page news here in Woodhaven. Lt. Harry Joseph Schmitt was remembered at a Solemn High Mass of Requiem at St. Thomas the Apostle Church.

The Leader-Observer expressed their grief and fondly remembered the boy who delivered this newspaper.

“From the first day when he took his papers out on his route, his spirit of affable friendliness endeared him to everyone,” the paper recalled in an editorial.

They remembered his cheery greetings whenever he entered the newspaper’s office on Jamaica Avenue, and they shared how friendly Harry was to all of the customers on his paper route.

“The memory of Harry Schmitt’s grin and exuberant ‘Hi!’ will never be forgotten,” the Leader wrote.

But as the years went by, it would appear that the memory of young Harry Schmitt began to fade away in Woodhaven, but he was never forgotten, certainly not by American Legion Post 118.

Starting in 1961, our local American Legion has been honoring its members in their Garden of Remembrance, which was planned to be a “miniature Arlington Cemetery,” with a marker honoring residents of Woodhaven who died in service or afterwards.

It is a beautiful sight, a field of crosses filling the front yard of the post, each marker representing someone who is no longer with us. A ceremony is held every year in honor of those that the markers represent.

And every year since 1961, Harry Schmitt has been part of that Garden of Remembrance; a cross bearing his name has been on display, with all the others, every Memorial Day.

The Schmitt family left Woodhaven just a year after young Harry perished and they were unaware that the Post had continued to honor Harry in their garden each year. It touched them deeply that their Harry had never been forgotten.

In 2018, 60 years after Harry was lost, the Schmitt family returned to Woodhaven for Memorial Day services at the Post. Harry’s sister Margaret was presented with a memorial flag while everyone observed a moment of silence.

During the ceremony, Commander John Lawless asked everyone to look at the Garden of Remembrance. “Sadly, each year, our garden grows,” he said.

Each new marker is a new name that will forever be remembered and honored by American Legion Post 118 and the residents of Woodhaven.

Please note that American Legion Post 118 will be hosting a Memorial Day Observance at Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue on Thursday, May 26th starting at 6:30 p.m. And on Memorial Day itself, resident will begin gathering at 10:30 for the annual Memorial Day Observance outside the post, in front of the Garden of Remembrance.

Holiday season officially arrives in Woodhaven

glendaleregstg on December 8, 2021

The 2021 Holiday Season was officially welcomed to Woodhaven Friday night with a wonderful celebration capped by the annual lighting of the Holiday Tree at Forest Parkway.
Sponsored by the Woodhaven Business Improvement District, this year’s celebration included pictures with Santa, hot cocoa and balloons for the kids.
“What better way to start the holiday season than with one of Woodhaven’s favorite traditions, the Christmas tree lighting,” said WBID executive director Raquel Olivares. “It was so great to see so many people from the neighborhood coming together, especially children, to remind us why Woodhaven is a special place.”
It was a welcome return to normal. It was good to see so many people come out for this tradition, including the Color Guard from the Franklin K. Lane ROTC. But as much as I think they came out for the tree and the cocoa and the pictures with Santa, I think a lot of people came out to see each other.
Both of our representatives in the City Council were on hand for the celebration, Robert Holden and recently elected Joann Ariola. And Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar came by to wish everyone well.
We were happy to see them and appreciated them taking the time to visit Woodhaven, especially when they have so many other special celebrations in their districts to attend.
The students of PS 97, under the leadership of Ms. Caceres, did a wonderful job singing different holiday songs celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, wrapping up with “Feliz Navidad.” I used to go to PS 97 when I was a little kid more than a few years ago, and as an alumnus I was very proud of these bright young kids.
The highlight of the night was, of course, Santa Claus. He came in, riding down Forest Parkway in a convertible driven by its owner, Community Board 9 chair Kenichi Wilson. Santa waved at the crowd and the kids cheered as loud as the train roaring into the Forest Parkway station.
There’s a nice story behind this year’s Santa, who was played this year by Officer Nick Salamone of the 102nd Precinct. This was his first time as Santa, and besides having the perfect first name to play St. Nick, he turned out to be a natural.
After a few tentative waves and getting a great response from the kids, our St. Nick let loose with a few booming “Ho Ho Ho’s” and everyone at Forest Parkway knew for certain that Santa had arrived. A few minutes later, Santa led the crowd in a countdown to lighting the tree.
Afterwards, children and their parents lined up to take pictures with St. Nick, while everyone else gathered in small groups and caught up with friends they hadn’t seen in a while. The temps were low that night, but we all got through it due to all the warmth generated by the people of Woodhaven.
It will be a memorable December for Forest Parkway Plaza. This coming Saturday at noon, the WBID will be presenting Frostbite Follies featuring the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus.
The Frostbite Follies consists of jugglers and clowns and various acrobats, as well as live music. They are currently barnstorming their way around New York City giving free outdoor performances.
There will be limited seating, so get there early to get a good view. The WBID will be providing popcorn and candy to all guests.
Congratulations to Raquel Olivares and Katty Garces and the entire Woodhaven Business Improvement District for their great work on this year’s tree lighting and for bringing the circus here to Woodhaven. It was great seeing everyone Friday night, and I hope to see you all again on Forest Parkway this Saturday.

We’ll all be gone, let’s not be forgotten

glendaleregstg on November 30, 2021

THE WOODHAVEN BEAT

Wildflower inspires new work of art in Woodhaven

glendaleregstg on November 24, 2021

THE WOODHAVEN BEAT

Jamaica Avenue eyesore finally coming down

glendaleregstg on November 17, 2021

THE WOODHAVEN BEAT

Forgotten memorial uncovered in time for Vets Day

glendaleregstg on November 9, 2021

Thursday is Veterans Day, which was first recognized by Congress 95 years ago and has been a national holiday since 1938. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans, whether they are still with us or not.
If you know someone who has served, thank them for their service. Or better still, ask them where they served and what it was like. You’ll hear some very interesting stories.
I bring some exciting news about a newly discovered memorial in Woodhaven, one that’s been sitting in plain view for many years.
To begin, let’s review the memorials that we all know about, starting with the large granite monument and plaque dedicated to the young men who lost their lives in World War I in the front yard of American Legion Post 118 on 91st Street and 89th Avenue.
This large monument once sat in Forest Park where Memorial Day parades used to conclude, but it was moved to the American Legion when the new post was built in the early 40s.
A second Woodhaven monument, Lieutenant Clinton L. Whiting Square, is on 84th Street and 91st Avenue and is sometimes referred to locally as “The Rock.” Erected in the late 1920s, it memorializes a local lad who died in World War I.
The third monument sits on Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue and was erected in the early 1950s to honor local youth killed in World War II. For many years, this was an important stop for Memorial Day parades. A 21-gun salute was often performed at this location.
A fourth monument, brass plaques with the names of young men from the parish who died in both World Wars, sits inside the back lobby of St. Thomas the Apostle Church.
A fifth monument sits just to the east of the trees along Forest Park Drive. Private First Class Lawrence Strack Memorial Pond was named after the first local youth killed in Vietnam. At the time it was dedicated, the pond had been converted to ballfields.
A sixth monument is a location we’re all familiar with, but might not realize it was dedicated to the war dead. Victory Field was built and dedicated to “the unknown soldier of World War I.”
The next three memorials had been lost to history until the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society (WCHS) discovered them. The first was the Memorial Trees of Woodhaven, which run along Forest Park Drive from Park Lane South past Oak Ridge and towards the Forest Park Carousel.
These trees were planted for local soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Families used to decorate them on Memorial Day, a tribute that the WCHS revived in 2015. In 2017, the City of New York co-named the road through the park as “Forest Park Memorial Drive” in honor of the trees.
The next rediscovered memorial was the triangle at Rockaway Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue dedicated to Father Lawrence Lynch, the tough Irish chaplain who heroically served in World War II and lost his life at the Battle of Okinawa while comforting and giving Last Rites to a dying soldier.
The triangle was dedicated in 1949, but over time the sign disappeared and people forgot about it until WCHS uncovered it and brought it to everyone’s attention. Seventy years after it was originally dedicated, the triangle was rededicated to Father Lynch in 2019.
And now we have one more memorial that has been long forgotten and sitting mostly unrecognized for decades.
Legion Square is an area of Woodhaven at Rockaway Boulevard and Elderts Lane surrounded by homes and stores, with a grass-covered triangle in the middle. It was dedicated for American Legion Post 118 in June 1930.
At one time, there were three cannons on the triangle. For many years, Flag Day ceremonies were held here and many Memorial Day parades started at this beautiful spot.
So well regarded was the location that it was selected as one spot for a Welcome to Woodhaven sign, as well as a sign proclaiming it as “The Gateway to Queens.”
The triangle itself is still there and well maintained by the Parks Department. They even have a small sign identifying it as Legion Triangle, but you really need to look closely to see it. We can improve on that.