On the historic election night of Nov. 4, Queens was expected to reliably carry the vote for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Following an unpopular war, and a struggling economy, the Republican Party in Queens fought hard with a list of determined candidates for city and state offices. Among the neighborhoods, the most competitive in the election was Maspeth, where the two major parties competed for the State Senate, Assembly, and City Council.
The Off Track Betting parlor on Maspeth’s Grand Avenue feels like an extension of the senior center next door. Most of its patrons are white, elderly, and have the time and funds to spare on gambling. They also appear to be leaning in favor of John McCain for president. While the economy appears to be an important concern, comments about Barack Obama’s race and economic policy indicate the patrons’ fear of an Obama presidency.
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And then there were two… The Transfiguration Roman Catholic Church is tucked on a midblock slope in Maspeth named after Monsignor Frank Bulovas. Parked on the sidewalk outside the church an Acura license plate reads Siauliai, and a Benz reads Lietuva. That’s the native name for Lithuania, a West Virginia-sized Baltic state represented by the church. With the 2007 closing of Our Lady of Vilnius in the West Village, only Transfiguration and the Annunciation Church in Williamsburg remain as the city’s sole outposts of Lithuanian Catholic traditions. (more…)
Maspeth Playground Opens in an audio piece.
The voices behind the images and quotes are in the story below. They include the principal, students, and officials from the Trust for Public Land.