Joel Miele Sr., who served as chairman of Community Board 10 for 11 years and later was commissioner of the Department of Buildings and the Department of Environmental Protection under Mayor Giuliani, passed away Monday at the age of 78.

Miele, a resident of Old Howard Beach, was also a well-known engineer in private practice with a firm on Furmanville Avenue in Middle Village. His partner in that firm was Benjamin Leonardi, who served as chairman of Community Board 9 in the 1990s.

Frank Messano, chairman of the board of Italian Charities of America and a prominent figure in the Queens Republican Party and the Maspeth community, passed away Monday after a sudden illness at age 64.

“He was a presence at Republican conventions and had a great depth of knowledge of local and national politics,” former state Sen. Serphin Maltese said. “He was also my good friend.”

In honor of its 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee, Christ the King Regional High School celebrated with a gala dinner dance, a production of CK Musical Theatre’s “Beauty & the Beast” and a Sunday mass followed by a luncheon.

Students kicked off the celebrations with a large cake. above right.

Dear Editor:

You can judge a person’s character by the company they keep “Defending the chairman”(Serphin R. Maltese, Frank Padavan and Michael J. Abel, Letters, April 18) concerning current Queens County Republican Chairman Phil Ragusa.

The indictments of both GOP Councilmember Dan Halloran and Queens County Republican Party Vice Chairperson Vincent Tabone are just the latest chapter in the spiraling decline over the past three decades of the once-relevant Queens County GOP.

One way of judging the health of any political party is looking at the number of candidates who qualify for ballot status on their line.

Up until the 1980s, the GOP routinely qualified candidates for all Congressional, state Senate, Assembly and City Council seats.

After the 1982 reapportionment, Democrats eliminated the districts of Queens GOP Assembly members Rosemary Gunning, John LoPresto, John Flack, Al DelliBovi and John Esposito. Sen.Padavan voted for this plan as it protected both his and the late Sen. Martin Knorr’sown gerrymandered districts.

In 2012, there wereno GOP candidates on the ballot for one of six Congressional, three of seven state Senate and 13 out of 18 state Assembly races in the general election. Watch how many Democratic City Council members will geta free pass with no GOP opponent this year.

After being elected in 1972, Padavan listed Republican-Conservative affiliations on his headquarters’ storefront. In the 1990s the Padavan and Assemblyman Doug Prescott team proudly campaigned as your local Republican/Conservative team. But Republican and Tea Party activists in 2010 were disappointed by Padavan’s campaign headquarters. There was no literature, bumper stickers, posters or lawn signs for his fellow GOP running mates.

A party’s ticket is only strong when all the candidates, from top to bottom, work as a team. Republicans are in trouble when they are afraid to identify party affiliations and campaign on their own. Other Republicans were confused with Padavan’s standard campaign theme, “Nobody Cares Like Frank,” when he obviously didn’t care about them. Both Padavan andMaltese failed for decades to build a Republican brand name when they ran from it. No wonder Maltese lost in 2008 and Padavan lost in 2010.

Queens Republicans are on the way to political extinction like the dinosaurs of old! How disappointing that voters will have to look elsewhere for any alternatives to the Queens County Democratic Party machine monopoly.

The failure to build a viable Queens GOP is the inheritance the lastunderdog Republican City Council member,Eric Ulrich,has to live with.

Dear Editor:

As former elected officials from Queens County, we have had the opportunity to work very closely with Republican Party Chairman Phil Ragusa. We have known Phil for over 30 years and in our experience, he is one of the most honest, diligent, decent and forthright people we have had the pleasure to be associated with in our many years in public service.

Phil has led this Queens County organization for the last seven years and has been an exceptional leader. We admire how he has shown great vision in growing the Queens Republican Party, recruiting a new group of active and dedicated members to lead our party into the future, and attracting talented and qualified candidates to run for office.

It is always shocking when someone in the political arena betrays the public trust and is accused of corrupt activities. It is even more disturbing when those accused are individuals we’ve known for years. What is even more unfortunate and disappointing is when political opportunists use such circumstances to advance their own narrow agendas and personal aspirations for power.

The recent scandal involving two Queens Republicans is allegedly of their own making and now, they must face the consequences. No one should be so cynical as to make baseless charges as to the integrity and forthrightness of Phil Ragusa, or to attempt to use this scandal to tarnish his good name and reputation. No one should be accused of guilt by association.

We realize that there are some who have been trying to replace Chairman Ragusa almost from the minute he was elected chairman. We are appalled at their crass attempt to twist these unfortunate events into a tool to use to undermine Chairman Ragusa’s authority and to serve their own purposes and longstanding agenda.

If these people had more experience, maturity and a basic sense of decency they might instead use this as an opportunity to bring people together and to rally the Queens Republican Party behind their leader and their fellow Republican candidates instead of heading down a path that can only result in damaging the party and further eroding the public’s trust in their Republican elected officials, party leaders and candidates.

We continue to give our full and unqualified support to Phil Ragusa as chairman of the Queens Republican Party and stand ready to defend him against these transparent attacks from longstanding and predictable foes.

The West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 85th anniversary with a benefit dinner on Thursday, Jan. 31 at Russo’s On The Bay, 162-45 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach.

The department, which was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, will salute its Honorary fire commissioners, D. Majorie Centrone, Anthony Gurino and Frank Russo Jr.

For months it had been characterized as the closest, most expensive state legislative race in the country. The two-term Democratic state senator faced a challenge from a popular Republican city councilman in a newly redrawn district that is far more perilous for a Democrat. These two men shared the same political base and both served the same community in City Hall and in many cases, had the same supporters.

But in the end, the incumbent came out on top — and it was not even close.

For months it had been characterized as the closest, most expensive, state legislative race in the country. The two-term Democratic state senator facing a challenge from a popular Republican city councilman in a newly redrawn district that is far more perilous for a Democrat. These two men shared the same political base and both served the same community in City Hall and in many cases, had the same supporters.

Al Baldeo, the Democratic district leader in the 38th Assembly District and former candidate for City Council and state Senate, surrendered to the FBI on Wednesday on charges that he spearheaded a scheme to use straw donors to funnel multiple illegal campaign contributions to his City Council campaign.

In 2010, Baldeo, a Richmond Hill lawyer, ran in the special election to fill the 28th Council District seat left vacant by the death of former Councilman Tom White Jr. He lost the race to Councilman Ruben Wills (D-South Jamaica).

Al Baldeo, the Democratic district leader in the 38th Assembly District and former candidate for City Council and state Senate, surrendered to the FBI on Wednesday on charges that he spearheaded a scheme to use straw donors to funnel multiple illegal campaign contributions to his City Council campaign.

The Queens Chronicle will cohost a debate between incumbent state Senator Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and his opponent Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Our Lady of Grace Church, at 100-05 159 Ave. in Howard Beach.

The Forum newspaper and good government group Citizens Union join the Chronicle as cohosts of the debate, which will be held less than three weeks before voters go to the polls in what could be the tightest state legislative race in New York State.

The Queens Chronicle will co-host a debate between incumbent state Senator Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and his opponent Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Our Lady of Grace Church, at 100-05 159 Ave. in Howard Beach.

In the final weeks of the Republican primary for the 15th state Senate district, Forest Hills attorney Juan Reyes, backed by the Queens GOP leadership, whacked his opponent, Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), for being supported by the state Republicans, for often voting against the wishes of his party and even for being a devout Catholic with gay friends.

In the end, none of it appeared to have worked. If anything, it might have backfired.

In the final weeks of the Republican primary for the 15th state Senate district, Forest Hills attorney Juan Reyes, backed by the Queens GOP leadership, whacked his opponent, Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), for being supported by the State Republicans, for often voting against the wishes of his party and even for being a devout Catholic with gay friends.

President Obama and his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, have two very different visions for the future of Medicare, a program that affects millions of older adults — the question is whom do elders and their advocates side with?

The crux of the debate is this —Romney stresses that Obama’s plan would cut $716 billion from Medicare, making it unsustainable, while Obama says Romney’s idea of turning the program into a voucher system would be disastrous.

Prior to the destruction of the Twin Towers, New York’s costliest disaster in terms of human life took place on June 15, 1904, when the General Slocum, a passenger steamboat that had been chartered to transport a group to a church picnic, caught fire and sank in the East River, killing more than 1,000 of the German-Americans on board.

Vowing to help keep the historic event’s memory alive, several dozen individuals attended a special ceremony last Saturday at a cemetery in Middle Village.

Dear Editor:

I read with interest the letter to you regarding our Forest Park Carousel, which I so aptly named The Jewel of Forest Park in 1985. This was at a time during which an intense drive was being mounted to reopen this Jewel. In 1985 the reopening of our carousel was very important, for rumors abounded that it would be moved elsewhere, or the beautifully hand-carved wooden animals sold off individually. I remember when state Assemblyman and then Judge Frederick Schmidt, state Sen. Serphin Maltese, city Councilmen Arthur Katzman and Walter Ward and community representatives met with the Parks and Recreation Department to find a new concessionaire.

We were very fortunate to find a wonderful concessionaire in 1989, who reopened the carousel, after many years of its being closed, neglected and the object of vandalism and attempted arson. This concessionaire repaired the calliope, cleaned the carousel area, renovated the carousel, and added rides for the children, making it a magical showplace in Forest Park. Now again, after experiencing a neglected, uncaring concessionaire and being closed for several years, the Jewel of Forest Park is again shining.

Although it was open over Memorial Day, as last week’s writer stated, it is not fully operational yet, and there are many rough edges to be smoothed over. But I have faith in Parks’ choice of this concessionaire, and they have promised that as of July, all the amenities will be in place. So as the writer of this letter remembers, and I remember, we can once again “enjoy the afternoon and sometimes the evening while partaking of the food and drinks at the concession stand.” Then this Jewel of Forest Park will shine in this magical place to be enjoyed by young and old.

As a key Republican Party nomination battle for state Senate shapes up between Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Forest Hills attorney Juan Reyes, the Queens Conservative Party today gave Ulrich an ideological boost by throwing him its support.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) threw his hat into the race for the 15th Senate District seat held by state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) this week — a move that pits the Republican against a Democrat in a district redrawn to include more conservative neighborhoods and which has been known to be a political wildcard.

“For the past three years, I have been honored to serve the people of my community at City Hall,” Ulrich said in an announcement made Tuesday morning via a number of social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. “I am now ready to take the fight to Albany, where I will be an independent voice for the taxpayers of Queens County. I will be a state senator that never stops fighting for the middle class.”

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) announced today that he is challenging state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. for the 15th Senatorial District.

With Democrats greatly outnumbering Republicans in Queens, the one thing the GOP leadership doesn’t need is disunity. But that’s just what’s happening as one dissatisfied faction continues its attempt to take over the leadership.

Those supporting GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa say the attempt is illegal and will not be successful. They also point to an article in capitalnewyork.com about the possibility of Republican Councilman Peter Koo of Flushing defecting, saying it is not true and was another attempt to split the county party.

Newly minted alumni, family, community leaders, faculty and the board of trustees, including former state Sen. Serphin Maltese, filled the Hugh P. Kirwan Performing Arts Center at the Middle Village high school to toast a class that earned more than $14 million in scholarships from 111 colleges, according to Principal Peter Mannarino. Christ the King RHS is located at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave. For more information on the school, log onto ctkrhs.org.

For people in wheelchairs or other motorized mobility machines, crossing some streets in Ozone Park can be a bumpy ride.