Sunnyside & Woodside News Briefs
These are a number of short reports from around the neighborhood.
Sunnyside & Woodside News 2012
'Winged Fist' Has Its 'Way'
Inclusive 20th Century Irish American Athletic Club Celebrated
March 10, 2012 / Sunnyside / Sunnyside NewsBriefs / Queens Buzz. On Saturday, March 10th, the corner of 43rd Street and 48th Avenue in Sunnyside was renamed 'Winged Fist Way'.
Ian McGowan [see photo below] was the driving force behind the effort to honor and celebrate the historical legacy of the Irish American Athletic Club [IAAC]. The IAAC is a legacy that dates back over a century, and apparently of which little remains, except its memory.
The Winged Fist emblem, as shown in the photo to your left, was the mark of the Irish American Athletic Club [IAAC] which had its athletic facilities and clubhouse in Sunnyside, a corner of which was at 43rd Street and 48th Avenue. The club was created in 1898, and over the course of the next 32 years, its member athletes went on to win over 50 Olympic medals.
While the club was predominantly Irish, club members included John Baxter Taylor Jr., the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal; as well as Myer Prinstein, a Polish Jewish American who won three gold medals in three Olympic games. Indian American Jim Thorpe was qualified by the Irish American Athletic Club for the 1912 Olympics [he was not a member], where he went on to win two gold medals.
In attendance at the street renaming were Winged First Organization Founder Ian McGowan, Community Board Two President Joseph Connolly, City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, Congressman Joseph Crowley, State Senator Michael Giannaris and City Councilmember Danny Dromm. A crowd of over 100 people came out to honor the club and its legacy on March 10th, 2012.
The Winged Fist Organization is also seeking Celtic Park Board approval to have a plaque added to the building wall, in the same manner as has been done for Bix Beiderbecke, to commemorate this Sunnyside historical legend.
Attempted Bank Robbery In Sunnyside
February 14, 2012 / Sunnyside / Queens Buzz. According to police sources there was an attempted bank robbery at 3 pm at the Chase bank on Queens Blvd near 47th Street in Sunnyside.
Preliminary reports stated that the robber passed a note to the teller. What ensued was not reported, but the report said that the robber left the bank empty-handed and headed west along Queens Blvd. As of 4.40 pm the bank was still under police custody and surveillance and we understand that nobody was injured.
Sunnyside & Woodside News 2011
Bix Beiderbecke Concert In Sunnyside
August 6, 2011 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. Things were done a bit differently this year at the annual Bix Beiderbecke Concert in Sunnyside. In past years the Bix Memorial Orchestra, which was first organized by Paul Maringelli of Sunnyside, played Bix tunes for a couple of hours in remembrance of Bix who was once a resident of Sunnyside in the 1920’s.
This year the Sunnyside BID, sponsors of the event, extended the play to include four musical groups, a cartooning workshop and a Summer Stock For Kids event. I dropped in on the afternoon-long event twice, seeing the first act and probably the last. While I was there The Brandee Younger Band played a few jazz tunes. The Brandee Younger Band is shown in the photo.
Click here to view a report on the Bix Beiderbecke Concert history which we published a couple of years ago. And click here for additional Sunnyside newsbriefs.
Farmers Markets In Full Swing
All Around The Borough The Farmers Markets Are Open
July 2, 2011 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Food & Wine / Queens Buzz. I sauntered over to the Sunnyside Farmers Market Saturday morning to see what I might see. The market provides an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, jams and dairy, and a number of garnishes.
The Sunnyside Farmers Market is one of the GrowNYC markets. Grow NYC manages most of the Queens farmers markets but three are managed by another agricultural organization - Community Markets. Both organizations appear to sign up reliable, high quality food vendors.
Click this link for a listing of the farmers markets in Queens.
Sunnyside & Woodside News 2010
Christmas Lights Hit The Streets In Sunnyside
November 17, 2010 / Sunnyside / Queens Buzz. It was a damp night, with the occasional sprinkles, intermittently coming down. Nonetheless a crowd of about one hundred Sunnysiders joined together to watch a street lighting ceremony on Greenpoint Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets.
Sunnyside Shines, the Business Improvement District Office, sponsored the event which included hot drinks and a few remarks by local officials. The Sunnyside Drum Corps joined in the festivities, providing musical entertainment to round out the evening. We'll post a link to a photo album and slide show later in the week.
Bix Delights Crowd
August 8, 2010 / Sunnyside / Queens Buzz. Bix Beiderbecke, legendary jazz musician, reappeared in Sunnyside on Saturday afternoon. A group of musicians, drawn together by Sunnyside musician / artist Paul Maringelli, played a number of classic pieces from the 1920's to the delight of a large crowd which had gathered on 46th Street just off Queens Blvd. Canvas tent tops were set up to shield the audience from the hot sun and to good effect, as many stayed for the entire three hour concert.
A Weekend To Remember
Enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend In Queens
June 1, 2010 / Sunnyside & Woodside / Queens Buzz.This past weekend the weather was near perfect and everyone was out. There were parades and street fairs, dining and shopping, theater and arts. The memory of soldiers fighting to defend us appears to have faded some, as most WWII veterans are now deceased, and American losses and involvement in the wars since - Korea, Vietnam and most recently the Middle East - were far smaller in comparison.
We stopped by Calvary Cemetery on Memorial Day to find some of those who had died in the line of duty 
defending our country. There were bouquets of flowers at various graves, and during our visit lasting near an hour, we encountered only one other party.
It was peaceful walking through there among the gravestones. The cemetary had a certain stillness to it, amidst the green and natural beauty: a sort of enclave amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. Some headstones told a brief story, but most just noted - Born & Died - the two most important dates in the cycle of life.
Sunnyside & Woodside News 2009
Queens Blvd In Sunnyside Gets Facelift
Sunnyisde / July 28, 2009. The inbound lanes of Queens Blvd from 50th Street to the Queensboro Bridge were repaved between 6 pm yesterday to 6 am today. The outbound lanes are next, having been scraped and prepped for the new blacktop. As you can see from the photo it looks pretty good.
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