By The TimesLedger
Ten years ago it was easy to think of College Point as the land that time forgot. Isolated on a peninsula just a stone's throw from Rikers Island and LaGuardia Airport, College Point was not on the road to anywhere. But even then, College Point was not the land that crime forgot.
Before the onset of the Giuliani administration, crime was beginning to escalate. Car theft was an everyday occurrence. Car thieves could grab a car and within minutes cross the Whitestone Bridge to chop shops in the Bronx. Break-ins, burglaries, youth violence and drug dealing were all on the rise. While others complained, Sabina Cardali, whose column runs weekly in the Whitestone Times, and her husband Rocco decided to do something.
The College Point Security Patrol was born out of a sense of civic pride and the realization that the community had to do something to help itself. When a good friend's home was burglarized, Sabina got on the phone and asked her many friends to be on the lookout for a suspicious van that had been seen in the area. It wasn't long before the van was spotted and the police arrested men linked to as many as 30 home break-ins. And thus the security patrol was born.
Since that time, the College Point Security patrol has become part of the fabric of life in this “small town” tucked away on the edges of the world's busiest city. The Cardalis and their patrol are everywhere from the annual Dog Show and Ice Cream Social to the summer concerts at McNeil Park. The patrol works closely with the 109th Precinct to fight the uphill battle of protecting the quality of life in College Point.
On the occasion of their 10th anniversary, we salute Sabina, Rocco and the men and women who volunteer their time each week on the Security Patrol. Because of their effort, College Point is a better place to live.
Editorial: The ‘forgotten war’
Fifty-one years later, the Korean Conflict is still the “forgotten war.” Although the fighting was as fierce and devastating as any seen in World War I or World War II, the United States never officially declared war against North Korea. Nevertheless, 113 sons of Queens gave their lives to stop the onslaught of communism.
It's a safe bet that these brave young didn't have a clue where Korea was when they entered boot camp. And yet they courageously gave their lives for the cause of freedom and democracy. Until recently their sacrifice was not properly recognized in Queens. This borough has monuments to virtually every war fought by an American soldier. But there was no monument to the Korean War.
Thanks in large part to City Councilwoman Julia Harrison (D-Flushing) and her aide John Watts, that oversight will soon be corrected.
Last week, city and state officials unveiled a rendering of a monument that will be built on a grassy mall near Parsons Boulevard and Rose Avenue. The monument will consist of five life-size figures: an American soldier, a Korean soldier, a United Nations soldier, a woman and a child. The site may also include a meditation center.
Harrison announced that she has secured $50,000 in city funds for the project. State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) said the state will throw in another $10,000. It will take more to make the monument a reality.
We applaud those who are working to create this tribute to the men and women who fought on the Korean peninsula. It now appears that Korea is moving toward a lasting peace and reconciliation between the impoverished North and prospering South. It is fitting that we honor the brave men and women who made that peace possible.
