As everyone is probably aware, there is a special election in the 27th Assembly District to complete the term of Daniel Rosenthal, who resigned to take a position with the UJA. I will not address the quality of the candidates or who to vote for. There are plenty of people already doing that. Instead, I will focus on why for this race it is even more important than usual to have a strong showing by the Orthodox Jewish community.
Both candidates are Orthodox Jews. There is no guarantee that this will happen in the next election for this seat. The district not only covers the Jewish community in Kew Gardens Hills but also covers other parts of Flushing and College Point. It is reasonable to conclude that no matter who wins this election, in the next election there could be a primary challenge from an individual in these other communities.
The reason why it did not happen this time is one of the quirks of a special election. There was no primary. The candidates were chosen by the county party apparatus. In the old days, it was referred to as a few men in a smoke-filled room. In a regular reelection, even if the party leaders select a particular candidate, there can be other candidates who gather enough signatures to get on the ballot. Insurgent candidates have won in a contested primary. If the Jewish community votes in record numbers in this special election, it may scare off potential challengers next time. This way the seat can definitely remain Orthodox. There is early voting from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m. until September 10 at Queens College, and then 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on September 12 at your regular polling site.
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On a totally unrelated topic, my wife and I went on a short vacation with two of our daughters and our granddaughter, who is almost five years old. Our final destination was the New York State Fair in Syracuse. On the way up, we stopped off at Legoland in Goshen. I was unable to join them there since I had to look at three files for work in the Goshen courthouse. Despite the chance of rain, the weather went well in Goshen. Syracuse was iffy. I convinced them to take a chance and go up to Syracuse for the fair.
I couldn’t help but compare the two trips. My wife and I had gone last year and had a good time, despite a wind-swept rainstorm that began just as the outdoor concert was ending. It caused a shutdown of all outdoor activities as well as the circus show. This year, it rained a few times, but each bout of rain was relatively short. It even became sunny later in the afternoon. Although the admission prices and parking fees were raised from last year, it was still a bargain. It cost $6 a person for the fair, which included all of the activities such as the shows and concerts. As one of the performers stated, it was like 1967 prices. I saw another fair that charged $50 per person for the same performer.
Last year, we did not go on any rides. This year, I still did not go on any rides. However, my granddaughter ended up going on a bunch of rides. My wife and my daughters also went on a few rides. Originally, we were going to buy a block of tickets and split it four ways. While we were talking about how many tickets to buy, a person came over and said that they had bought an unlimited ride ticket for one member of the family who at the last minute was unable to go. They wanted to give it to a young child, which ended up being my granddaughter. She ended up going on a lot of rides, including some that twirled around and went up and down. She also went on a kid-sized roller coaster. Some rides she went on her own and others she went with either my wife or daughters. Basically, a lot of time was spent on the rides.
There was still time for us to see a circus show, a sea lion show, and a horse show. There were plenty of animals to see. I did not see the carriage display, but I was able to see REO Speedwagon. This year, we did not have time to visit the cow birthing tent to see a live birth. I didn’t get upset missing that opportunity. I had already been at four deliveries; I did not need to see any more.
This year in Syracuse, I checked out some of the local stores recommended by the local shul. One of them, Wegman’s, had a kosher section including raw chicken, deli, smoked fish, and herring, etc. We may not have been able to eat anything more than kosher ice cream at the fair, but we didn’t go hungry.
On the way back to New Yorkk City, we stopped at a waterfall about 45 minutes south of Syracuse. The interesting part was that you could walk behind the water, which presented an unusual view. The rocks that we had to climb up to get there were slick, which also made it an adventure going down. Baruch Hashem, we all made it down in one piece.
Then we stopped off in Monticello and picked up some Danishes at Fialkoff’s. I have not been there in many years, since we stopped spending summers in the country. The first thing I noticed was there were so many vacation homes that were constructed and are still in the process of being built. Bungalows are becoming a relic. Now you can only build winterized structures, which exclude the traditional bungalow.
One thing that did not change is that the last week in August is usually the quietest time of the summer. It was always my favorite week. I liked to stay until Labor Day or the day before and then on the way home stop off at West Point for the annual music and fireworks show. Although we are no longer in the country, we have still continued with the West Point tradition. It was a good way to end what most people consider the unofficial end of summer.
I have been asked how the new guinea pig Squeaky is getting along with Squirrel. After we came home from the trip, I put them together in the corral for about 30 minutes, twice within three days. They are not yet ready to stay together, but I see a significant difference between the interaction of these two and how Squirrel interacted with Slinky. I am hopeful that these guys will overcome male territorial battles and will get along. I will keep you updated.
Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
