What a year it was! This past year, 2008, was a groundbreaking year for Queens and for The Courier. We reported on all Queens news ranging from heartbreaking stories of Queens soldiers losing their lives while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to a St. John’s fencer almost losing his life to a rare blood disease overcoming the odds to win an Olympic silver medal in Beijing. We covered all of the political stories surrounding the historic election of President-elect Barack Obama to the arrest of Queens elected officials Anthony Seminerio, Dennis Gallagher and Hiram Monserrate. We delivered a powerful five-part series on the Legacy of the Holocaust here in Queens and made children’s dreams come true through our Operation Santa program.
We reported on all of these stories and so much more in our print edition and on our award-winning website qns.com. Take some time, look back at our year-in-review section and recall all of the stories that made headlines in 2008. Happy New Year and get ready for another year of exciting news from The Courier.
JANUARY
During the first issue of 2008, The Queens Courier told the story of a young Richmond Hill man who served in the U.S. military for four years – including two tours in Iraq - receiving a long overdue present later this month when he officially would become a U.S. citizen. Twenty-two-year-old Sergeant Feyad Mohammed, who moved to Richmond Hill from Trinidad and Tobago with his parents and younger siblings eight years ago, passed his citizenship test on Thursday, December 20 after years of bungled paperwork and red tape had delayed one of his lifelong dreams. Mohammed was officially sworn in as a U.S. citizen, with other approved applicants, at a ceremony in Brooklyn on Friday, January 25.
“It was pretty much like finally,” said an exuberant Mohammed, shortly after he found out that he passed his test. “It was a good holiday gift to finally know that progress was made and to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Courier also continued to follow the story of four Elmhurst teenagers who saved the life of an abandoned newborn infant one cold night shortly before Christmas.
State Senator John Sabini presented citations to Christopher and Brian Moncada, Gabriel Mercedes and Luis Calderon, whose quick-thinking intuition and compassion helped save the life of a baby abandoned in a dumpster, who hospital staff eventually named Christina Noel in honor of the holiday season.
Police in Queens averted a potential tragedy as they arrested a man who was harboring an arsenal of weapons in a Flushing apartment including about a dozen handguns, one of which, a police-type Glock, was reported stolen, numerous other firearms, 40 large knives and close to 30,000 rounds of ammunition, including armor-piercing and hollow-point bullets. He also was in possession of at least six police radios, including an “encoder” which would enable him to monitor the “back frequencies” used by undercover and anti-terror cops.
Borough President Helen Marshall delivered what we all thought would be her penultimate State of the Borough Address (since then term limits have been extended allowing her to run again in 2009) where she spoke about making improvements in housing, education and healthcare as well as the many development projects going up across the borough. “Queens is about to see entirely new communities on its landscape with thousands of new housing units, new schools, shops and recreational space,” Marshall told an audience of local elected officials, community activists and borough residents at Queens College.
Towards the end of the month, The Courier came out with a five-page special report on the controversial congestion-pricing plan that Mayor Michael Bloomberg was trying to push through the city and state. Presenting a mix of news stories, opinion pieces from both sides of the issue, and an editorial, The Courier provided the most in-depth coverage, including an online video on the web site, of a very complicated issue and received praise for helping educate readers about the topic.
In the final issue of the month, The Courier went along exclusively with a group of volunteers on the Department of Homeless Services’ Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) survey. In addition, The Courier also caught up with New York Mets star third baseman David Wright as he visited children and families at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island - which serves as “home away from home” for families while their children are receiving serious medical treatment at local hospitals.
FEBRUARY
When the calendar turned to February - the month of love - The Courier covered the Super Tuesday Presidential primaries with Queens backing U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton who received nearly 60 percent of the vote from Queens during the primary. Clinton soundly defeated her Democratic rival Barack Obama on Super Tuesday, but as we all know, Obama would rebound and win the primary and Presidential election in November.
The Courier also profiled rookie police office Karolina Wierzchowska, who graduated at the very top of her class at the NYPD. The Maspeth resident, 27, earned 100 percent in five fields - all of her three trimesters, a final exam and a rigorous physical test. In her first month on the job working in Manhattan, she made five arrests including two for petty larceny and three for hauling in perps who had a warrant out for their arrest.
Later that month, the paper wrote another exclusive story about how the Hollywood writers strike, which lasted for more than four months, had a big impact in Queens. With two major film studios in Queens, Kaufman Astoria and Silvercup, many production hours were lost and the ripple effects were felt at many local establishments.
Near the end of February, The Courier reported the tragic story of Howard Beach resident Barbara Sheehan killing her husband, retired police Sergeant Raymond Sheehan, after years of alleged abuse. In that same issue, The Courier covered a story on The Shops at Atlas Park owner Damon Hemmerdinger, beginning a program called the Atlas Solution, where the mall gave away $20,000 to customers to help stimulate the economy. In addition, The Courier began its coverage of the 81st annual Golden Gloves boxing tournament. Stories and videos telling the stories of Queens boxers continued throughout the famed tournament.
MARCH
To kick off March, The Courier ran an exclusive front-page story about the Internet and its impact on the elections nationally and locally. The story also featured how the web would affect two Senate races, which ultimately played a big role in determining the Senate Majority. In addition, in the report, The Courier also found that some Assemblymember’s web sites had not been updated in years, and many others were updated infrequently.
When details began to emerge about the Eliot Spitzer scandal, The Courier reported on the “Eliot Mess” that forced the former governor to resign from office. During that period, The Courier also looked at the impact the scandal had on Queens politics as well as looking back on a number of other Queens elected officials embroiled in scandals. In the same issue, former Assemblymember Brian McLaughlin pleaded guilty to stealing more than $2 million in funds.
In an another exclusive front-page cover story, The Courier featured two students from Ozone Park and Howard Beach, who were chosen to greet Pope Benedict XVI when he landed at JFK Airport during his journey to the United States. In the same issue, former City Councilmember Dennis Gallagher copped a plea that compelled him to resign from office in exchange for avoiding jail time for sexually abusing a grandmother in his district.
The Courier also presented its annual Top Women in Business event honoring local women who have succeeded in business as well as legendary TV journalist Geraldo Rivera as the Man of the Year. The event attracted more than 800 people and was a wonderful night. To finish the month, The Courier reported that state legislators were working on laws that would allow parents to receive updated information about sex offenders in the neighborhood.
APRIL
April means the start of springtime, and everyone associates spring with America’s pastime - baseball. In order to honor the final season the Mets played at Shea Stadium, The Courier paid tribute to the ballpark the Mets called home for so many years while looking at their new home Citi Field. The Courier also honored veteran Fort Totten historian Jacob (Jack) Fein who died on March 28 at the age of 91.
The second week of April, The Courier brought to light a rise in prostitution that was taking place in areas of Ozone Park, which it dubbed the Hookers’ Hangout. During the day, a few prostitutes hung out in front of stores near the intersection of Rockaway Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, but during the night, sometimes up to a dozen women took over the corners.
That same week, The Courier reported on how the State Assembly killed Mayor Bloomberg’s controversial congestion pricing proposal by never bringing it for a vote before the legislative body. For months, The Courier followed the issue by reporting comprehensive articles about the plan and used its editorial space to rally support against the plan that would have cost drivers thousands of dollars in additional fees each year.
A few weeks after its exclusive front-page report on the two students meeting the Pope at the airport, The Courier reported on the St. Francis Prep Chamber Orchestra being selected to play for Pope Benedict XVI before he left New York and returned to Rome. The Courier also commemorated the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech Massacre that killed 32 students by spotlighting a Queens basketball star who was a freshman at Virginia Tech when the attacks occurred.
During the last issue of the month, The Courier told the story of Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to New York City through the eyes of Queens residents who had the opportunity to attend some of the historic celebrations with the Pope. The paper also reported on the Pope’s message during his visit to New York that inspired Catholics in Queens and around the world.
In addition, The Courier revisited the Electchester Little League, which became famous after former Assemblymember Brian McLaughlin bilked nearly $100,000 from the organization. The paper reported about the league’s progress since the disturbing revelation and its hope to recoup some of the stolen funds.
MAY
When the calendar moved into May, The Courier turned its attention to one of the biggest stories of the year that saw media from all over the country descend upon a Queens courtroom to hear the verdict in the Sean Bell trail. Bell had been shot and killed by a fusillade of police bullets outside a Jamaica strip club in November of 2006 - the night before he was supposed to get married. The judge returned a not guilty verdict for the three police officers on trial, for firing shots at Bell that night, and The Courier was inside the courtroom to hear the verdict and in the neighborhoods of Queens to cover the story as protests filled the streets the following days. The Courier sent out an updated story and a video on the web site that told the story outside the courtroom shortly after the verdict was announced and provided six pages of print edition coverage during the week.
During the second week of May, The Courier began what would become a five-part series that stretched over the next five weeks entitled “The Legacy of the Holocaust.”
Transformed by age, appearance, geography and experience, many Holocaust survivors are still here, still remembering, still living the pain of those years. All were forever scarred; many are still unable to speak about it; but some must shout the truth. Today, all survivors are senior citizens; the oldest were in their twenties during World War II. Tomorrow, many of them will no longer be around. In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah, which fell on May 1 this year, The Courier honored the legacy of the Holocaust with a weekly series of articles and videos.
During the series, The Courier transported you, our readers, back in time and across oceans, onto the streets ablaze with Nazi furor, into the ghettos of the oppressed and inside the death camps of the persecuted, enslaved and tortured. We escorted you across dangerous borders and into the hideouts that saved lives. We introduced you to survivors and historians, scientists and psychologists. The Courier dissected Nazi Germany and recreated Nuremberg; investigated the trajectory of the afflicted and elucidated the death and destruction, hope and endurance embodied by those who lived and breathed the Holocaust.
When Mother’s Day came around, The Courier came back to the story of Maria del Rosario Duran, whose son, Specialist Alex Jimenez, was missing for one year in Iraq. Every day, Duran along with family and friends, would pray the Rosary in her home hoping for the safe return of her son.
Later that month, The Courier went to the One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center where it reported on 32 students participating in the center’s videoconferencing program where they communicated with astronaut Garrett Reisman while he was in the International Space Station. The astronaut awed the students, who had the opportunity to ask the astronaut questions via the video conferencing.
During the final edition of May, The Courier paid homage to those members who served and those that are serving in the military with a three-page section covering the Memorial Day parades and remembrances taking place throughout the borough. The paper ran photos and stories from five different Memorial Day parades, including the Little Neck-Douglaston parade, which is the largest in the country. It also paid homage to all of the service members from Queens who lost their life while serving overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq.
JUNE
In June, The Courier shifted its focus to the airline industry and examined a recent report produced by the federal Joint Economic Committee (JEC) detailing 10 million flight records from 2007 and found that delays cost the U.S. economy nearly $41 billion. JFK and LaGuardia ranked fourth and 10th among the nation’s airports with 10,408,536 and 7,762,236 estimated ground-based passenger-delay-hours in 2007, according to the report. In addition, LaGuardia and Kennedy ranked as the worst two airports with more than 1 million passengers saddled by average delays per passenger at 29.66 and 26.83 minutes, respectively, according to the JEC report. The Courier sent a team of reporters to both airports to talk with passengers about the alarming report as well as legislators who called for action on the matter.
When the mercury soared above the 90-degree mark during consecutive days, The Courier covered the year’s first heat wave and the ramifications that resulted from the sky-high temperatures. In the same issue, the paper was one of the first media outlets to report that after recounts the City’s Board of Elections officially declared Republican Anthony Como the winner over Democrat Elizabeth Crowley in a special election to replace former City Councilmember Dennis Gallagher who resigned earlier in the year.
During the next issue, The Courier reported on actions that saved the Off Track Betting (OTB) Corporation from demolition as the state stepped in and took over the authority. During the same week, Governor David Paterson also tapped Queens State Senator John Sabini to Chair the state’s Racing and Wagering Board.
In the final issue of June, Queens lost another one of its brave military members as South Ozone Park Sergeant Andrew Seabrooks was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in southern Afghanistan killing him. Seabrooks, 36, had volunteered for a second tour of duty overseas because he desperately wanted to save his family’s home from foreclosure. His last words to his family members were, “I’m coming home. Don’t give up the house.”
JULY
The first week of July was a packed issue for The Courier. With the price of a pack of cigarettes rising to nearly $9 last month, storeowners may be more likely to sell cigarettes to minors. In an exclusive Courier report, interns visited nearly 50 locations spread across the entire borough and found that 40 percent of the stores were willing to sell cigarettes to young people without checking for identification. New York State Law requires that cashiers ID any customers that appear to be under the age of 25. They can legally sell tobacco products to anyone aged 18 or over. The paper also examined the team responsible for enforcing these laws, the tax hike driving people to Nassau County to buy cigarettes and programs designed to help people in the borough quit smoking.
During the same issue, The Courier also reported on another tragedy when Sergeant First Class Joseph McKay, of Cambria Heights, was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action badges after his death in Afghanistan on June 26. He was the second Queens service member to be killed in action overseas in less than a week. In addition, The Courier reported on the five hour, oftentimes contentious Community Board 7 public hearing, where the board ultimately approved the rezoning plans for the mega development Willets Point project.
In the second week of July, during the height of neighborhood festivals, The Courier came back with another exclusive cover story on the safety of amusement park rides throughout the borough. The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) granted The Courier exclusive access to accompany special officers as they inspected all of the rides at a site in Astoria.
For the third week in a row, The Courier reported another Queens military member losing his life serving overseas. When the nation celebrated Independence Day, First Lieutenant Daniel Farkas died in Afghanistan. Farkas, 42, was a veteran of the New York Police Department (NYPD) where he served as a Lieutenant in the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills. In addition, the newspaper began reporting on how the downturn in the economy and subsequent budget cuts began cutting deeply into the cultural groups in the borough. At the same time, candidates gearing up for runs for citywide offices in 2009 reported record fundraising efforts.
On Thursday, July 10, Maria del Rosario Duran heard the news that every parent hopes they will never have to hear, but something she had feared for 14 months - military officials found the remains of her son, Sergeant Alex Jimenez, in Iraq. Duran spoke exclusively with The Courier shortly after she heard the horrible news and shared exclusively with the paper a letter Jimenez had written to U.S. military officials while he was in high school in the Dominican Republic about his desire to join the armed forces.
Also in July, The Courier declared war on graffiti - a disgusting practice that is far too prevalent in many neighborhoods, and we asked our readers for help. We asked readers to look around their neighborhoods, take photographs of the graffiti and send them in to us. We began publishing the worst in our “Hall of Shame,” on the editorial pages of the paper. We also sent photos out to local precincts so that the New York Police Department (NYPD) could use the centralized intelligence graffiti database to try to identify known graffiti vandals by their tags. Queens welcomed back the popular TV show “Ugly Betty” and its star America Ferrera back to Queens. The hit ABC TV show, which is based in Queens but had been filming in California, returned to Jackson Heights for a block party to celebrate the show resuming its production in New York City.
During the final issue of July, Olympic fever gripped the entire country and Queens had a few of its own over in Beijing. Before the Olympics got underway, The Courier ran a two-page story and exciting video on its website focusing on the U.S. Olympic fencing team and men’s sabre team captain Keeth Smart. Smart, a St. John’s graduate who battled back from a rare blood disease that almost killed him earlier this year, along with current St. John’s fencing head coach and U.S. men’s coach Yury Gelman and current St. John’s sophomore Dagmara Wozniak all headed to Beijing to participate in the Olympics. That same week, The Courier also reported on a gas explosion in an apartment building in Flushing that killed one man and left 37 families homeless for days.
AUGUST
In August, The Courier continued its coverage of the tragedy of Alex Jimenez, the Corona soldier whose remains were found in Iraq after he was missing for 14 months. After funeral services in Massachusetts, his family returned his remains to the Corona area where he grew up for his final resting place. Loved ones, colleagues and the entire community turned out to give a final salute to an American hero. In that same issue, the paper reported on the NYPD’s efforts to track down a pair of rapists who were terrorizing the southeast Queens community. On a brighter note, it also covered the 18th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which drew crowds of more than 50,000 people for the weekend.
The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it targeted 33 public and private schools in Queens for far-reaching street safety enhancements under the department’s Safe Routes to Schools program. In addition, The Courier also reported on a disturbing trend where the murder rate in south Queens was seeing a big spike compared to the year before with more murders committed during the first seven months of 2008 than all of 2007.
Later that month, The Courier was happy to report that Queens fencer Keeth Smart brought home a silver medal from the Olympics. Smart, who corresponded with the newspaper from Beijing, propelled the U.S. men’s sabre team to a silver medal by staging two improbable come- from-behind victories. In addition, his sister Erinn Smart also earned a silver medal on the women’s fencing team.
During the final week of August, The Courier exposed a zoning shocker as a skyscraper built within zoning regulations stunned the neighborhood as it towered over the other buildings surrounding it. Also, in the issue, The Courier put out a special report entitled “Waist Watchers” on how the new calorie posting law in New York City was affecting eating habits. In addition, the report also detailed how restaurants were doing with abiding by the new law.
SEPTEMBER
In September, The Courier continued its “War on Graffiti” by spotlighting Ozone Park resident Scott Jordan, who caught notorious graffiti vandal “Sum Z” in the act and called police, which led to the arrest of Sum Z. Jordan’s action earned him the praise and admiration of his community along with other communities that were victims of Sum Z. Also in that first issue of the month, the newspaper reported on two more Queens soldiers who were killed in Iraq. Army Reserve Specialist Michael Luis Gonzalez and Specialist Jorge Feliz Nieves both died on August 28.
During the second issue of September, The Courier commemorated the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks with a tribute to Richard Allen Pearlman - an 18-year-old volunteer ambulance member from Howard Beach - who died during that fateful day trying to help people escape from the World Trade Center. The newspaper also covered a touching ceremony at St. Michael’s Cemetery as it unveiled a digital First Responders Monument for police and firefighters who lost their life on 9/11. In that same issue, The Courier also reported on the breaking news story that the FBI arrested longtime Queens Assemblymember Anthony Seminerio on charges that he accepted $500,000 in bribe money for actions he allegedly took as a member of the Assembly in exchange for actions he took as a New York State lawmaker.
Betty’s Back! That was the headline for the third week of September as The Courier filed an exclusive two-page story on the TV show “Ugly Betty.” The report included stories about the return of the show to its Queens roots, interviews with cast members, a look at the Jackson Heights family and their home where an episode was shot and a story about tax credits being a boon to the Queens economy. The Courier also continued to track the “Seminerio Scandal” as it became known locally and reported that his arrest could prompt an ethics change in state government.
For the final issue of September, The Courier reported on the opening of the brand new JetBlue terminal at JFK airport. Dignitaries including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Congressmember Gregory Meeks and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall joined JetBlue officials for the celebration. In that same issue, The Courier also reported on the Department of City Planning approving the Willets Point plan and sending the project onto the City Council where its approval was not so obvious.
OCTOBER
To kick off October, The Courier celebrated its 23rd anniversary by featuring 23 Stars of Queens who made big names for themselves during their careers. From John McEnroe to Nancy Davis Reagan to Rodney Dangerfield to Tony Bennett, Queens sure has some star power. In the same issue, The Courier also reported that Mayor Michael Bloomberg was poised to announce his intention to seek a third term as Mayor of New York City and overturn the statute of two term limits. In addition, one lucky Queens man hit it big as he won $14 million in the New York State Lottery.
As the economy continued to worsen, The Courier continued to deliver news on how the downturn is affecting Queens businesses. In addition, it also provided tips on how Queens could help residents weather the economic storm. In the same issue, The Courier debuted its inaugural Kings of Queens event, honoring business leaders from throughout the borough who have made an impact on the Queens business scene. This year Mayor Bloomberg was named King of Kings and actually attended the event on the same morning he announced to the world that he was seeking a third term as Mayor of New York City. On a much sadder note, another Queens soldier, Private First Class Jason von Zerneck was killed in Afghanistan.
The Courier also told the story of the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), an organization with which Howard Beach’s own Joseph Campisi, 67, has been volunteering for 12 years. A Deacon with Our Lady of Grace (OLG) for nearly 25 years, Campisi and his crew of three men - Jack Keenan and Bill Clemente of Howard Beach and James Majorana of Long Island - made the 16-hour trip to eastern Kentucky this year and helped families.
Later in the month, The Courier again covered a breaking news story this time involving a shootout in a crowded Astoria subway station where Police Officers Jason Maass and Shane Farina were shot while attempting to arrest an alleged fare-beater. The suspect got hold of one of the cops’ weapons after a struggle and was subsequently shot four times by another police officer. The suspect was then captured by the F-subway station near the Queensbridge section of the borough. The Courier also continued its coverage of the term limits battle, running opinion pieces from supporters of both sides of the issue as well as news stories that included breaking updates for the website.
During the last issue of October, the elections were taking center stage - on both a national and local level - and The Courier stepped up to the plate with an eight-page special Voters Guide issue. The paper gave its readers a mix of national and local politics focusing on important contests in the State Senate and Assembly as well as what local people in Queens were doing to help in the national election. In that same issue, The Courier followed up on its coverage of the term limits extension saga, and recapped Mayor Bloomberg’s victory getting a majority of the City Councilmembers to support his push to extend term limits from two to three terms.
NOVEMBER
Historic Changes. That was the headline of The Courier’s first edition of November talking about President-elect Barack Obama’s decisive victory on election night as well as State Senator-elect Joseph Addabbo’s victory over longtime Republican incumbent State Senator Serphin Maltese. The Courier went to the polls, spoke with voters, watched election night returns with Obama supporters and documented the thrill of victory and agony of defeat both in print and on video for the various races. During Election Day, The Courier started a new endeavor - providing live updates of the local races on its web site. Throughout the day, the paper posted a dozen updates on different races on the website - showing once again that The Courier is the best place to turn for news in Queens. Not only did Addabbo defeat a Senator who had represented the area for 20 years, but his victory also appeared to help give the Democrats a majority in the State Senate - something they had not held in decades. The apparent Senate Democratic victories seemed to put Queens State Senator Malcolm Smith in a position to become State Senate Majority leader, but some Democratic Senators are still withholding their support for Smith. While The Courier provided readers with results on all the local races, one Senate race remained too close to call on Election Night. Republican incumbent Frank Padavan held a miniscule lead over Democratic challenger Jim Gennaro, but after recounts, protests, and calls of voter disenfranchisement, that race is still tied up in the courts. There is a chance that the winner might not be declared until after all the other New York State Senators are sworn into office in January.
After the election buzz died down, Senator-elect Joseph Addabbo sat down with The Courier and spoke about how he wanted to help change the way Albany did business. Meanwhile, the economic outlook only grew dimmer as Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson announced that both governments were facing severe budget deficits and cuts were necessary immediately to help close the budget gaps. On a more positive note, The Courier received an award during a Kristallnacht remembrance night at Queensborough Community College for its extensive five-part series on the Legacy of the Holocaust.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, The Courier reported on the City Council’s approval of the sometimes controversial Willets Point project. The Council approved the $3 billion project, which will bring 1.7 million square feet of retail space, 500,000 square feet of office space, 5,500 units of housing, hotel, school and convention center, by a 42-2 vote. In addition to showing what the future of Willets Point will look like in its print edition, The Courier was the first to report the results of the Council’s vote on its website. That same day, the City Council also approved plans for the development of Hunters Point South, which will bring an additional 5,000 units of housing - many of which are designated for affordable housing - to the Long Island City area. That same week, The Courier sat down for an interview with State Senator Malcolm Smith - who could become the next Senate Majority Leader - and talked about his past, his current position on many important topics and also his view for the future of Queens and New York State.
During the last week of November, The Courier got into the holiday spirit by announcing its Operation Santa program. For the second year in a row, The Courier published letters that children had written to Santa Claus and asked its readers to help fill those letters and make a child’s Christmas dream come true. That same week, the newspaper reported on the possibility that bus and subway fares would likely skyrocket and that a longtime rebate residents in the Rockaways and Broad Channel received for the Cross Bay Bridge could also be out the window. The Courier also reported on Eric H. Holder Jr., a Queens product who Barack Obama tapped to become the next United States Attorney General.
DECEMBER
During the first issue of December, The Courier reported on how retailers in Queens and throughout the country reported strong sales during Black Friday - something forecasters were not predicting with the downturn in the economy. The Courier talked with small and large retailers and shoppers who were out on Black Friday to find out what they were and were not buying as well as how the economy was affecting their purchases. Unfortunately, during the Black Friday rush, a Queens security guard working at a Wal-Mart in Long Island became the victim of a tragedy when a crowd
