Around The Town With Lou: December 7, 2012

Written by Lou Sanders, lsanders@antonnews.co Friday, 07 December 2012 00:00

Editor’s Note: Lou Sanders, who has his journalism degree from NYU, and his wife, Grace, founded the Mineola American in 1952, giving the village its first successful newspaper. Lou and Grace have lived in Mineola for 58 years, and his popular column is a signature feature of this paper.

* * * *

Local business wins battle. Twenty-three years ago Bed Quarters opened their mattress business on Jericho Turnpike. They built a good little business with personal service and friendly people. Then a huge Sleepy’s opened up right across the street. Sleepy’s had a huge parking area in a shopping center backed by a big ad campaign with TV, radio and print in papers like The New York Times and Newsday. Everybody figured that’s the end for Bed Quarters, but the Sleepy’s has given up the fight and closed their store while Bed Quarters is still here. Nov. 24 was “Support Local Business Day.” Forget the shopping centers and big box stores. Keep money right here at home. The success of Bed Quarters is a case in point. Jim and Bill Canell own the store. Jim lives on Elderberry Road and Bill on Linden Road. Their dad, Greg, is a professor of business at Adelphi. The sons are big hockey fans of the Islanders.

* * * *

Remember Cinelli’s Italian restaurant on Hillside Avenue? They had great pizzas. John and Indina Cassisi who owned that place dined at the Davenport. They still have a restaurant with the same name in Franklin Square. John is also a lawyer.

* * * *

Dick and Joanne Ueland were also having dinner at another table at the Davenport.

* * * *

Corpus Christi Pastor Msgr. Robert Coyle devoted his homily to a tribute to Vets on Veterans Day. He himself spent 28 years in the Navy as a chaplain. He also mentioned that his parents were celebrating their 51st.

* * * *

With no local hockey I actually watched a game between two Russian teams playing in St. Petersburg. Their game is much less exciting than ours. The rink is 15 feet wider so that there is less body contact and there is little checking. Our hockey is far superior.

* * * *

Vincent and Kathleen Stempel lunched at Manny Carvalho’s wonderful Portuguese restaurant, Bairraida. He is a divorce attorney.

* * * *

Third precinct detective Ray Cote helped in the arrest of a robbery suspect in New Hyde Park.

* * * *

Sal Massa now works at CVS. This summer he worked at the Mineola pool.

* * * *

You can’t beat Café Sport at Hillside Avenue and Foch Boulevard for their tender juicy filet mignon for only $23.

* * * *

Florence Lee of Mineola used to be on the staff of Bishop Fulton Sheen.

* * * *

Deacon Brian Mannix, a longtime Islander season ticket holder, says he will not be traveling to Brooklyn’s Berkley Center.

* * * *

Our daughter, Sister Ann Marie, visits about 60 different cities in U.S. over the years and always flies Southwest Airlines – lowest fares, friendly people, no extra charge for baggage and they even give you a snack. Forget Delta and United.

* * * *

Lisa Adamo is a volunteer at NSLIJ. She also is a Eucharistic minister at St. Aidan’s.

* * * *

Senator Jack Martins spoke for an hour at the last meeting of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce. He was peppered with questions and President Bill Greene had to finally break in and give Jack a chance to go to his next meeting.

* * * *

Jay Leno saw this used car ad: “Guaranteed for 12 months or 12 miles. Wow, 12 whole miles!