by Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Grand Knight of St. Anastasia Knights of Columbus Council #5911
This Memorial Day, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no Little Neck/Douglaston parade, which I find sad. There will however be a dedication by the American Legion Post #103 at St. Anastasia Parish where there is a monument dedicated to the military services and there is also a American Flag on the corner of Alameda and Northern Blvd in Douglaston. There will be a wreath laying at the Veterans Memorial on site. This will be on Monday, May 31st and the start time will be at 11:30 am. I myself have served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam era and am a member of the American Legion Post # 103, and Grand Knight of St. Anastasia Knights of Columbus Council #5911 in Douglaston. This Memorial Day being there will be no parade but we can still say a prayer for those serving our country today-the brave men and women in the military. We should also offer prayers for those in our communities like doctors, nurses, EMS, firefighters, and those in our police departments serving and protecting us in our communities.. We can also offer a moment of silence for all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives to keep us free. Remember this also: Let’s not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day and fly the American Flag if you can.
Visit Oasis Cafe, 196-30 Northern Blvd. Bayside NY 11358, for delectable desserts, pastries, cheesecakes, pies, ba ba rum, dark chocolate mousse, you name it, as well as a tasty dinner menu and special brunch on weekends. “Paradise Found” is the largest outdoor patio café in New York City! Support our local small businesses and restaurants!
Loved by all and motivated by the principles and values of the Republican party, we want to congratulate the owner Mike Amvros, our 2020 Lincoln Dinner Businessman of the Year, and honor his loyalty in the Republican Party.
Mike Amvrosiatos was born in Greece and moved to the United States in 1975. He has always had a passion for history, politics, government, law, and entrepreneurship from his earlier years. He was exposed to the restaurant business from a young age and after he moved to the United States, he spent his early years working in restaurants and building up experience. As a result, his natural talent as a businessman and an industry leader arose.
His spirit for entrepreneurship inspired him to open his first business in 1986 in Bayside, New York, The Oasis Cafe Bakery. Since then the café, which features the largest outdoor garden seating in the New York City regional area, has earned the reputation as one of the highly popular attractions in the city, a favorite for all ages. The café has the distinct honor of having served the Trump family, who would often come in for coffee and dessert in an intimate atmosphere, when they lived nearby in Jamaica Estates. For the last few years Oasis Cafe Bakery has been catering cakes for Trump Towers. His belief is that President Trump is a gift to the American people at this historical juncture since he speaks out boldly on many controversial but obvious and self-evident truths to the American people in order to awaken us all. The future depends on what we do today, advises Mike, who confidently asserts his support for President Trump and the Republican Party to unify America and create a better tomorrow for all of us.
Anita Uppal and I are running for Republican State Committee District Leaders in the 24th Assembly District, the birthplace of President Trump, and as our extraordinary former president often says, we believe “our best days are yet to come.”
I was the previous District Leader of the 24th Assembly District and I feel it’s essential that with your support, Anita and I must win back this seat at the Republican Primary Election on June 22nd. Originally, our past president of the Queens Village Republican Club, Reverend Philip Sica held the seat as Republican State Committeeman for many years, and I followed in his honorable footsteps for several years. Now it’s important that we win back this district leadership seat for the sake of our club and the Republican Party.
Besides campaigning to build a strong grassroots Republican Party, we have been fighting for ballot access, since both Anita and I, along with nearly 30 other Republican candidates were thrown off the ballot because of “innocent and inconsequential” technicalities, after meeting all the petitioning and legal requirements to be on the primary ballot. It’s an important piece of the puzzle that the voting public, notably registered Republicans, know that they have been disenfranchised by the collusion of the establishment party organization, the New York City Board of Elections, and the lower courts of New York State, in order to protect the status quo, the incumbent leadership, and keep “outsiders” out.
We have been fighting this ongoing legal battle with faith in our American system of justice, and on appeal, we were restored to the ballot with a unanimous 4-0 ruling in NY State Appellate Court which reversed the New York City Board of Elections and lower court rulings.
Despite the stunning Appellate Court judge’s decision, the establishment Queens County Republican Party organization tried to drag us through New York State’s highest court, the New York Court of Appeals in Albany, and continue the legal wrangling to prevent us from being on the ballot, but they were defeated again! Now Republican voters of Queens get a chance to hold a Republican primary and select the candidates of their choice.
A word about ourselves first, and why we are running for State Committee positions in the Republican Party. Anita Uppal is a frontline healthcare worker, who with compassion and self-sacrifice, has been treating patients with kidney disease and chronic illness since immigrating from India, as well as caring for infected patients at the height of the pandemic. Her positive energy and infinite kindness stems from her practice and membership at Gurdwara Sant Sagar in Bellerose and Hanuman Mandir Hindu Temple. Enjoying the glorious freedom and opportunities America offers, she became an active member of the Queens Village Republican Club, and board member, and is now enthusiastically giving back to the community and country she loves.
I am honored to be president of the Queens Village Republican Club, America’s oldest GOP club, and since I became active in the club, I and a handful of enthusiastic board members, built it up from a small group of Republican stalwarts to the vibrant and renowned club it is today, one of the strongest clubs in New York State. Our club boasts exciting monthly meetings, informative newsletters and publications, a popular club website, and the annual gala Lincoln Dinners with over 350 excited guests and fellow patriots. I retired from my career in manufacturing several years ago, and took on the leadership of the club full time, as well as activities to build the Republican Party in Queens, city and statewide. Currently I am busy supporting political campaigns, and active in the community as a board member of the Bellerose Jewish Center, Coop board member, as well as a member of the Queens Village Civic Association, Bayside Kiwanis Club, and Community Board #13.
I got involved in politics to make difference, to let the people have a voice and control their own destinies, rather than the current top-down authoritarian control of a few “commissioners” in a room dictating the fate of us all. I believe in a bottom-up grassroots movement of the people fighting for America and for a united party that will save our city, state, and nation.
We are proud to be running on the same Republican slate as Curtis Sliwa for Mayor, Danniel Maio for Queens Boro President, and other great Republican Patriots. These are the people who genuinely care about our city and our communities, and not for the benefit of themselves politically or otherwise.
We cherish God, family, and country, love our hometown communities, and above all strive to keep them safe. Amid last summer’s violent rioting and lawlessness, and calls to defund and abolish the police, we knocked on 1000’s of fellow Republican’s doors to raise awareness and collect signatures to support our local police, oppose the bail reform laws, and stand against defunding the police.
We also advocate for lower property taxes, protecting the interests of small businesses, and for a merit-based education system in NYC. We have been in the forefront fighting the bureaucracy of the city school system, and countering the political indoctrination in our schools. We’ve held fundraisers for restaurants during the lockdown, held rallies and press conferences, released position papers and press releases on the top issues. You can follow it all on our website www.QVGOP.org.
We are the legitimate Republican force in Queens. We are the real Republicans, the Republican Patriots! We are at the forefront, fighting for a better quality of life, working on the issues that matter for the citizens of Queens County, and for the revival of a great grassroots Republican Party.
By Shabsie Saphirstein, as published in May 20, 2021 edition of Queens Jewish Link
In the hours before Shavuos this past Sunday afternoon, May 16, Republican Mayoral Candidate Curtis Sliwa joined a contingent of the Queens County Republican Patriots at Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens to announce their 4-0 win in the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division: Second Judicial Department. The Queens County Republican Patriots is a New York State-registered multi-candidate committee dedicated to building a strong grassroots Republican Party organization for the 130,000 Queens Republicans.
The stunning win and a decision of the New York State Court of Appeals to not hear the case now allows 18 Republican candidates to appear on the primary ballot for the upcoming June 22 Primary election. In essence, this decision creates a Republican Primary in areas where a race had not been expected. Previously, New York City Board of Elections, the establishment known as the Queens County Republican Party, and a lower court ruling had thrown off the candidates citing an “innocent and inconsequential” technicality.
On Sunday, Joe Concannon, Republican Patriots leader and male State Committee candidate for the 33rd district, applauded the diverse group of assembled candidates: “Here are hardworking American citizens who have the wonderful right and privilege to vote here in America and Queens County, and we will fight for every one of them to have their day, whether it’s to run for State Committee, County Committee, City Council, or Mayor of NYC.”
Curtis Sliwa declared, “People should have an opportunity to run for office at the lowest levels to the highest levels. and there should not be all these impediments.” Sliwa placed blame on the Haggerty brothers “and their minions” for denying Sara Tirschwell, a Republican mayoral candidate, and comptroller candidate John Tabacco, a ballot spot. In the case of Tabacco, Sliwa recounted that one small, misplaced number on a cover sheet was the reason 17,000 signatures and his candidacy were rejected.
Sliwa urged, “If you don’t have deep pockets, or you do, you’ve got to contribute to their legal defense fund, because they’ve had to dig deep into their personal resources to fight the good fight.” The upholding of these candidates’ rights has cost upwards of $20,000, according to insiders. Sliwa continued, “I’m hoping that they and I are able to win this primary on June 22 and send a message to the Queens Republican County machine. But more importantly, it will open up the process for everyone else who wants to make a difference.”
Sliwa also shared a memory of his good friend former Congressman Bob Turner, who was removed from a Queens GOP chair amid a takeover, “I will never forgive, I will never forget, and I will use the power of the mayoralty to try to find out what kind of indiscretions have been going on, the same way I want Thrive investigated, de Blasio and his wife, we’re going to be investigating the Queens County Republican Party.”
In speaking with the various candidates on behalf of the Queens Jewish Link, I felt a strong passion resonate in each – a desire to be granted the opportunity to run in a primary.
Concannon saluted this premise, “They should be unimpeded by a bureaucracy that seems to be hell-bent to never sup- port anybody other than the incumbent.” His words were echoed by those gathered, many proud Orthodox Jewish members of our communities.
“It is a great victory, but we must continue to fight and unite the Republican Party in Queens,” remarked Daniel Noble, a male State Committee candidate for the 27th District, on the win. “We need a united Republican Party to fight for our rights.”
“I believe that it is time for a big change here in Queens and in New York City politics. We, the Republican Patriots, have assembled an extraordinary group of Patriots who will work hard and with passion to take back our party, our government, and our schools,” said Phil Orenstein to the QJL, a male State Committee candidate for the 24th District. “People are yearning for a real American grassroots movement of people in Queens with core conservative values and that’s the Republican Patriots!”
The excitement in David Abraham, a male State Committee candidate for District 28, is quite palpable. Abraham has taken on this plight with full fervor. “We have to be taking on the Democrats, not challenging each other,” adding, “It’s time to replace.” Abraham’s statement came as he showed those assembled the court filing financed by taxpayer monies.
With military ballots and some absentee ballots already in the mail, the 18 candidates are now requesting new ones be is- sued. Queens Borough President candidate Danniel Maio wrote to the BOE, “Aggrieved- and-restored, my name should appear on all the Queens Republican Primary ballots starting today, May 13. We do reserve the right to challenge all mailed-in ballots that do not have our names printed.”
