CB 5 Parks Chair: Proposal For Fencing Falls Short by Patrick Clark - www.timesnewsweekly.com | Times Newsweekly

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Hopes Study Scuttles Reservoir Project Bids

The Parks Department has agreed to include historical replica fencing in its design for the Ridgewood Reservoir project, but the chairman of Community Board 5’s Parks Committee does not think that the city agency is going far enough.


Parks’ design for $7.6 million Phase 1 of the project oringally called for standard, 4’-high wrought iron or chain-link fencing throughout the reservoir, a fact which did not sit well with many community members, including Board 5 Parks Chair Steven Fiedler.


In a telephone interview with the Times Newsweekly, Fiedler said that the 4’ fencing would do little to deter would-be tresspassers, and replacing the historical fencing amounted to “throwing away our heritage.”


In a letter dated May 28, City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley took up the cause, imploring Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewendowski to preserve the architectural feel of the original fencing.


Noting that in the past, the city has used examples from the Ridgewood Reservoir to model replica fencing, Crowley asked Lewendowski to “ensure that a fence much like the one that was installed in Central Park in 2003 is placed along the main basin at the Ridgewood Reservoir.”


In reponse, Lewendowski assured Crowley, in a letter dated July 15, that “replicated fence will be used at the overlook areas between basins 2 and 3 to maintain the historical integrity of the site.”


Fiedler, however, is not satisfied.


“It’s nothing,” he said. “We have 3,000’ of historical fencing. They want to throw it all out and put in a few feet of replica.”


“All I’m asking them to do is give us a price assessment on taking it out,” Fiedler continued, “sandblasting it, and putting it back in. If the cost turns out to be prohbitive, I can accept that.”


Fiedler also expressed hope that a state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) study currently underway would prevent Parks from getting started on Phase 1 of the project.


Speaking to residents at the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood meeting on Monday, July 26, Fieldler expressed his belief that Parks would hold off on awarding the contract until the DEC had determined whether the reservoir would be designated as a wetlands.


“That changes the whole scheme of things for the city,” Fiedler said. “If it’s declared a wetland, the city can’t design anything without state approval.”


Parks spokesperson Trish Bertuccio told the Times Newsweekly that the department is currently reviewing proposals for the project, and that Phase 1 is unaffected by the state’s wetlands study.

CB5 Parks Chair: Proposal for Fencing Falls Short by Patrick Clark, Times Newsweekly...

The Parks Dept has agreed to include historical replica fencing in its design for the Ridgewood Reservoir project, but the chairman of Community Board 5's Parks Committee does not think that the city agency is going far enough.

Parks' design for $7.6 million Phase 1 of the project originally called for standard 4'-high wrought iron or chain-link fencing throughout the reservoir, a fact which does not sit well with many community members, including Board 5 Parks Chair Steven Fiedler.

In a telephone interview with the Times Newsweekly, Fiedler said that the 4' fencing would do little to deter would-be trespassers, and replacing the historical fencing amounted to "throwing away our heritage."

In a letter dated May 28, City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley took up the cause, imploring Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski to preserve the architectural feel of the original fencing.

Noting that in the past, the city has used examples from the Ridgewood Reservoir to model replica fencing, Crowley asked Lewandowski to "ensure that a fence much like the one that was installed in Central Park in 2003 is placed along the main basin at the Ridgewood Reservoir."

In response, Lewandowski assured Crowley, in a letter dated July 15, that "replicated fence will be used at the overlook areas between basins 2 and 3 to maintain the historical integrity of the site."

Fiedler, however, is not satisfied.

"It's nothing," he said. "We have 3,000 ft of historical fencing. They want to throw it all out and put in a few feet of replica."

"All I'm asking them to do is give us a price assessment on taking it out," Fiedler continued, "sandblasting it, and putting it back in. If the cost turns out to be prohibitive, I can accept that."

Fiedler also expressed hope that a state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) study currently underway would prevent Parks from getting started on Phase 1 of the project.

Speaking to residents at the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood meeting on Monday, July 26, Fiedler expressed his belief that Parks would hold off on awarding the contract until the DEC had determined whether the reservoir would be designated as a wetlands.

"That changes the whole scheme of things for the city," Fiedler said. "If it's declared a wetland, the city can't design anything without state approval."

Parks spokesperson Trish Bertuccio told the Times Newsweekly that the department is currently reviewing proposals for the project, and that Phase 1 is unaffected by the State's wetlands study.

Our Neighborhood - Times Newsweekly

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The building of the Ridgewood Reservoir at present-day Highland Park—and the many celebrations in the City of Brooklyn when the new water supply began delivering, in the late 1850s—spread the name of Ridgewood throughout America’s fourth largest city. In fact, glasses of water in the parts of Brooklyn tied in to the new distribution system were soon known to all as “Ridgewood highballs.”

Mathews Flats Of Ridgewood - Are ‘Homes With Conscience’Civic Learns History Of Landmark Apts. by Robert Pozarycki - Times Newsweekly

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When Gustave Mathews began developing apartment houses in Ridgewood that would become landmarks nearly a century later, many working-class New Yorkers lived in rundown tenements devoid of light, proper ventilation and modern utilities.

Coming to a neighborhood that was then a farming village, Mathews set out to build homes “with a conscience” that were affordable, wellconstructed and instilled a sense of community among its owners, historian Debbie Van Cura told residents at last Thursday’s Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association (RPOCA) meeting at I.S. 93.

Photo caption: Debbie Van Cura of the Greater Astoria Historical Society is shown reviewing the blueprints for apartment houses built in Ridgewood by Gustave Mathews during her presentation at the Mar. 4 meeting of the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association at I.S. 93. (photo: Robert Pozarycki)

This photo taken in May 2008 shows a block of Mathews flats along Palmetto Street near Forest Avenue in Ridgewood. The apartment houses are in an area of the neighborhood recently declared a landmark district by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. (photo: Sam Goldman) Van Cura, a member of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, gave a presentation at the Mar. 4 session focused on the Mathews flats—multifamily brick apartment houses lining many Ridgewood streets which were also developed in other Queens neighborhoods during the first half of the 20th century—as well as the life of the German immigrant behind their creation.

Facing a growing population of immigrants from Europe, New York found itself in the middle of a housing crisis in the early 1900s, Van Cura stated. Most were forced to live in overcrowded and squalid conditions within tenements in Manhattan neighborhoods.

The moldings above the front doors of each apartment building developed by Gustave Mathews have different designs reflecting, in part, the life experiences of the builder. Shown at top is a molding of a home on Palmetto Street with a cherub; the photo at bottom depicts a molding with a full cornucopia atop a Mathews flat on Woodbine Street. (photos: Robert Pozarycki)

Many of these tenements had no windows, offering no way to provide natural light or fresh air into the buildings. Bathrooms were shared among tenants. The lack of ventilation also led to the spread of contagious diseases such as tuberculosis.

The impoverished conditions of tenement life were eventually exposed by muckrakers such as Jacob Riis, spurring a movement to improve the housing stock for all New Yorkers. Gustave Mathews then came into the picture, Van Cura said, with an idea of building new apartment houses with all the proper amenities and affordable to working-class residents.

“These were homes built for typical working-class people,” Van Cura told residents, noting that Mathews marketed the six-family homes to families who would live in one of the apartments and rent out the remaining units as supplemental income. This helped making owning a Mathews apartment house affordable to the point where the company boasted in its advertisements that none of their owners had fallen into foreclosure.

Mathews came to the United States in 1886 and originally lived on the Lower East Side. After spending many years working as a salesman, he eventually got into real estate and formed his own company along with his two brothers, William and Alfred.

The development of the Mathews flats permanently altered the look of Ridgewood and transformed it from a “sleepy little haven” on the Brooklyn/ Queens border into a vibrant urban community, Van Cura said. More than 25,000 new residents came into the neighborhood to live in the new buildings, which sold for about $6,500 a piece.

A new kind of home

The first apartment houses built by Mathews were constructed along Bleecker Street between St. Nicholas and Cypress avenues. Later on, he purchased part of the former Meyerrose farm in the vicinity of Woodward and Catalpa avenues near St. Matthias Church.

Unlike the tenements of Manhattan, the Mathews flats of Ridgewood were solidly constructed with materials and fixtures produced locally, the historian noted. The gold and brown exterior bricks were produced from an area of southern Staten Island known as Kreischerville (now called Charleston); the wrought iron railings and bannisters were made by companies based in Ridgewood which no longer exist.

Every room of every Mathews flat “railroad apartment” had access to fresh air and natural sunlight, as the buildings were designed like dumbbells with air shafts running through the center of each structure. The apartments were equipped with full kitchens and bathrooms.

Working with a number of architects, Van Cura noted, Mathews designed homes that were artistically pleasing as well as sound. Bricks and cornices in contrasting colors were placed on the exteriors in a variety of patterns depending on the location of the building.

“When you put those little touches into a home, people start to feel good about where they live,” Van Cura stated. “You get a sense of place and a feeling that you belong there.”

Impact on Queens

As the years went on, Mathews build his apartment houses in other communities around Queens including Astoria, Long Island City and Sunnyside. By 1911, Van Cura stated, he held about 25 percent of all of the building permits in Queens.

Mathews’ influence on development in New York was so great that the “Mathews model flat” was one of three New York architectural marvels put on display at the Panamerican Pacific Expo in San Francisco in 1915; the other two exhibits were Grand Central Station and the Williamsburg Bridge.

“These homes were so important that they were sent out to represent the best that New York had to offer for its time,” Van Cura said.

Though the structures were similar in nature to those built in Ridgewood, the historian noted that Mathews made changes to the exterior designs in each neighborhood. For example, apartment houses in Astoria had different brickwork patterns and iron front doors; the Mathews flats of Ridgewood featured French doors made of glass and wood.

Changing times also altered the way Mathews flats were constructed around Queens, Van Cura observed. After World War I broke out, Mathews stopped installing cornices atop each building since the material was needed for the war effort.

As the Great Depression hit, Mathews constructed one- to two-family homes in the vicinity of 79th Street and Grand Avenue in Elmhurst. These buildings, the historian pointed out, had an “art deco feel” with light brick patterns and a sleek design.

Despite the new construction, the tough economic times made it difficult for Mathews to sell these new homes. In response, he formed the Mathews Bond and Trust Company, which held all the bonds for the homes he constructed and made them affordable for residents to own.

Following the depression, Van Cura noted, Mathews sought to develop homes in upstate New York, but the plans proved unsuccessful. He lived in his final years in a Mathews home in Sunnyside before dying in 1958; his real estate company would be dissolved 11 years later.

A century after Mathews broke ground in Ridgewood, Queens is continuing to experience development, though Van Cura lamented that the spirit of construction that Gustave Mathews brought to the borough has been lost.

“What you see in development today is the idea of developers building high rises” and constructing affordable housing elsewhere to receive tax breaks, she noted. By contrast, the historian observed, Mathews offered buildings that provided a sense of pride to all who lived in the community.

Tom White Leads Race by Six Votes Over Lynn Nunes in 28th City Council District by Ivan Pereira - YourNabe.com

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Council Incumbent Faces Stiff Challenge from Upstart Lynn Nunes

Councilman Thomas White beat Lynn Nunes in Tuesday’s primary by six votes, but the challenger said he is not conceding until final results are in. Photo by Christina Santucci/file

With City Councilman Thomas White (D-South Ozone Park) holding a razor thin lead of only six votes in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, his main challenger said he will continue to fight for a chance to be the leader of the 28th Council district.

The incumbent, who was running for his second term, beat out second place candidate, Lynn Nunes, with a total of 1,849 votes, or 31.85 percent, according to preliminary results from the city Board of Elections. Nunes, a small business owner from Richmond hill, received 1,843 votes, or 31.75 percent, the Board said.

Nunes said he would wait until all votes were counted and would not concede.

“We’re still have to go to the absentee. It’s six votes. We’re going to see what happens once we count the absentee,” Nunes said following the results Tuesday night.

White could not be reached for comment by press time late Tuesday night. The one-term councilman served as the councilman for the district from 1994-2002 and was term limited out but retook the seat from his successor, Allen Jennings, during the 2005 Democratic primary.

Other challengers who vied for White’s seat included community activist Stephen Jones, Ruben Wills, a former chief of staff for state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), and Jennings.

Jennings received 16.22 percent of the vote, with 942 people voting for him, followed by Wills who had 9.08 percent of the vote with 527 votes, Hogan received 379 votes, which was 6.53 percent of the total, followed by Jones. who received 4.57 percent of the vote, with 265 people voting for him.

None of the other candidates could be reached for comment as of Tuesday night.

The primary did not bring out a large number of southeast Queens voters, but those who turned out said they wanted to have their voice heard in the Council, mayoral, public advocate and comptroller races.

Although White may have won the election for a second term, several voters said they chose his opponents because the incumbent haddone little for the community during the last four years.

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“Every once in a while, you need a change in blood,” said Henry Lyons, who said he did not vote for White.

BREAKING — Tape Shows Monserrate Pulling Girlfriend’s Hair: Sources by Stephen Stirling— YourNabe.com

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Authorities have obtained video surveillance that allegedly shows embattled City Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-East Elmhurst) pulling his girlfriend’s hair outside his apartment early Friday morning just hours before he was charged with assaulting her, sources told the TimesLedger.

City Councilman Hiram Monserrate is led into a police squad car after he was booked at the 105th Precinct on assault, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment charges Friday. Photo by Ellis Kaplan

Monserrate, who was elected to the state Senate in November, was arraigned on assault and criminal possession of a weapon charges Friday evening after authorities said he allegedly broke a drinking glass in his hand and stabbed his girlfriend, 30-year-old Karla Giraldo, in the face. The lacerations required 20 stitches to close, according to the criminal complaint filed by the Queens district attorney.

Monserrate pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment late Friday evening at Queens Criminal Court and released a statement proclaiming his innocence shortly thereafter.

“I have been charged with offenses that I did not commit and am not capable of committing,” he said. “As a son, a brother and a father, these accusations are offensive, and they are crushing on a personal level. Nonetheless, I wholeheartedly look forward to all of the facts being brought to light during this legal process.”

But sources, who declined to be identified, said surveillance footage taken from Monserrate’s apartment building allegedly shows the senator-elect pulling his girlfriend’s hair outside the door of his apartment shortly before he took her to North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Authorities said Monserrate drove Giraldo, an entertainment writer for a Queens Spanish-language newspaper, to North Shore LIJ — located on the Nassau County border — shortly before 4 a.m. where she received treatment for two lacerations in the vicinity of her left eye.

A doctor at the hospital called police, as is required by state law if domestic violence is suspected, and Monserrate was arrested shortly before 5 a.m.

According to the criminal complaint, Giraldo allegedly told police that after an argument in his apartment between 1 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Monserrate broke a drinking glass in his hand and struck her in the face. Since Monserrate was released on $5,000 bail Friday, both he and Giraldo have stated publicly that the incident was an accident and there were no violent intentions on the part of the councilman.

If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.

Monserrate, who planned to give up his Council seat, ran unopposed for former state Sen. John Sabini’s seat in November. He gave a parting speech at City Hall last Thursday during his last day as a councilman and was lauded by his colleagues, including Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan).

During his political career, Monserrate has been an opponent of domestic violence. In 2006, the councilman secured $100,000 to create programs specifically designed to end domestic violence in Queens immigrant communities.

“Today we begin the countdown to the end of domestic violence in our families and communities,” Monserrate said while announcing the funding in November 2006.

He was scheduled to return to court on Jan. 16.

Reporters Nathan Duke, Anna Gustafson, Ivan Pereira and Jeremy Walsh contributed to this article.

Community Board 9 Rejects Parking Meters - Merchants' Proposal Is Not Approved by Ralph Mancini - Times Newsweekly

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A request on the part of local merchants for the endorsement of parking meters in a residential neighborhood in Ozone Park fell on deaf ears as Community Board 9 narrowly voted against it at their Wednesday, Nov. 12 session held at the Royal Indian Palace and Restaurant in Richmond Hill.

Presented with a petition from local business owners in favor of the installation of parking meters on both sides of 98th Street between 97th and 101st avenues and one from community residents opposed to it, Public Safety Chair Thomas Chiofolo recommended that the Board vote to approve the proposal.

"If you don't put in the meters," argued Chiofolo, "people will park there all day, discouraging others from shopping in the area."

Dr. Vincent Evangelista, who operates his practice at 97-15 101st Ave., stated his case for the addition of eight parking meters on his block to generate car turnover resulting in more customers for local businesses.

"You can still park there from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Plus, the city gets more revenue," he stated.

In addition, the doctor informed that metered parking wouldn't impact most residents since the majority of them have their own driveways to pull into.

A nearby community member, however, pointed out that most of her neighbors on the block in question don't use their driveways, which would force her to park her vehicle two to three blocks away.

South Queens activist David M. Quintana, a 39-year resident of Ozone Park, supported her claims by adding, "This is not a thriving business community. Parking meters are ridiculous and would only be a burden on the people of Ozone Park."

Board member Evelyn Baron took issue with the 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. schedule, declaring that she would only give her approval if the daily time restriction were reduced by one hour so that it wouldn't infringe on people returning from work.

Fellow Board member John Carter was of the same opinion and didn't agree with forcing residents coming home at 5 p.m. to spend their quarters on parking everyday.

"I can't see how eight spots is going to make a difference," said Nick Comaianni prior to the Board's roll-call vote. "To me, metered parking is just another way for the city to make money."

The proposal was defeated by a 16-to-12 tally.

Land use

Land Use Committee Chair Sherman Kane spoke of the Board's opposition to the paving over of land on the part of the Korean Presbyterian Church, located at 80- 10 Lefferts Blvd. in Kew Gardens.

District Manager Mary Ann Carey noted that an inspection of the area was completed by the Department of Buildings, but she never heard back from the city agency.

A "giant" yellow backhoe has already been seen there, according to Board 9 Chairperson Andrea Crawford, who was worried that work may commence there before any action can be taken to stop it from taking place.

Changes in ULURP process

Those in attendance were made privy to a part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's charter revision proposal, which would strip community boards from having a say in the Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure.

Since 1976, the charter's intent in requiring ULURP was to establish a standardized procedure that would give community boards (and other commissions) the right to publicly review the applications of land use in the city.

"It's a dismantling of our community boards," said Crawford. "We are the front lines of what happens our community. Contact your local Council members about this."

Cell tower

In his Parks, Recreation and Environment Committee report, J. Richard Smith alerted Board members to the upcoming installation of a cell communications tower at 117- 01 Park Lane South in Richmond Hill.

The tower, he said, will help apprise first responders of emergency situations.

Local crime report

P.O. Christopher Gonzales of the 102nd Precinct updated the Board of a recent murder in which one individual allegedly killed another by hitting the victim with a crowbar.

The incident reportedly occurred in the area of Metropolitan Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard in Kew Gardens.

The suspect and victim were both residents of Kew Gardens, said the officer.

Remembering Nancy Cataldi

During her District Manager's report, Carey remembered the late Nancy Cataldi, former president of the Richmond Hill Historical Society, who died in October.

"She was an inspiration to our community. She was a wonderful friend and a very active community leader," she said.

Carey mentioned her many efforts in trying to preserve the history of Richmond Hill, such as her work in the attempted restoration of the Richmond Hill Republican Club.

RHHS Founding President and Board 9 First Vice Chairperson Ivan Mrakovcic reported that Cataldi's group would not disband, but he also added that she would not be replaced as the historical organization's actual president.

Liquor licenses

The Board endorsed on-premise liquor license renewals for Las Nuevas Delicias De Acapulco Corporation, located at 76-15 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven; and Altiff Corporation (d.b.a. Cherry Blue), located at 107-12 101st Ave. in Ozone Park.

An on-premise beer license renewal request was also approved for Baba Supermarket, located at 124-12 Jamaica Ave. in Richmond Hill.

Community Board 9 typically meets on the second Tuesday of the month at various locations in Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Ozone Park.

For further details on the next meeting, call 1-718-286-2689.

Professor President by Sam Goldman - www.timesnewsweekly.com | Times Newsweekly

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Bill Clinton Talks To Large Crowd At Queens College

Former President Bill Clinton speaks to a packed crowd at Queens College, as Rep. Anthony Weiner looks on.

Queens College's student union became a classroom for the 42nd President of the United States, as Bill Clinton spoke to students at a Democratic Party rally sponsored by Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Hundreds of students waited outside in the chilly Flushing air for a chance to meet Clinton, who, along with Weiner and several local politicians, would speak to a crowd of over 750.

Weiner's aide Lydon Sleeper functioned as the event's emcee, calling Assembly members Rory Lancman, Nettie Mayersohn and Mark Weprin, City Council Members David Weprin and James Gennaro, and Queens College President James L. Muyskens up to speak.

"For some students, a president may seem something like only slightly more than a medieval king or queen," Muyskens stated, adding that the event demonstrates that "presidents are definitely flesh and blood."

The featured attraction, however, was Clinton, who told the crowd that it was "my great honor to be supported by the people of Queens."

"This is, I think, the most ethnically, racially and religiously diverse county in the United States and we should be proud of that," he stated.

The borough has a special place in his heart, he said, noting that when he was still the Arkansas governor beginning his presidental run in 1992, former Queens Democratic Party Chairman Thomas Manton invited him to speak before the committee, which ended up giving Clinton his first-ever endorsement for president.

He also claimed Weiner as a friend; "I wish every American could be represented by someone in Congress as intelligent and as tough and as committed" as Weiner, Clinton told the crowd.

What the election means

Residents packed the Queens College student union auditorium to hear Clinton and several local officials, including Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn (shown with mic at left).

Clinton told the Queens college crowd that the next president has three important issues to tackle.

The first one is to "fix this financial mess." Clinton noted that over two million homes were foreclosed on so far in 2008; there were 1.5 million foreclosures in all of 2007.

This is a problem, he said, that Congress must tackle: "If you want this economy to come back quicker, you cannot have another 2.5 million people lose their homes."

Each foreclosure costs taxpayers $250,000; in Queens, this number can reach as high as $350,000, said Clinton. In addition, he stated, foreclosures hurt the values of adjoining properties, "and for most Americans, the only savings they have anymore is in their homes."

The second issue is growing the economy. According to the ex-president, the economy's growth between 2000 and 2005 left many with a surplus of money and no place to spend it except the housing market.

"No matter how mad you are at Wall Street, think about this: what would you have done if you had been a 30-year-old employee at one of these investment banks, and Anthony (Weiner) and I said, 'We want to open an account. We'll give you $50,000 each, and you invest it and earn good money for us,'" he asked. "And you looked around and you saw nothing was growing in the American economy but housing. You might have tried to find some funny way to keep putting it into housing too."

"America has had no job strategy," Clinton argued, claiming that presidents should come up with platforms that create a source of new jobs approximately every five years.

Clinton also noted that 16 percent of the average household income is spent on healthcare costs, more than any other country.

One of every eight cancer patients are unable to afford their medication, he claimed; before the recent financial collapse, healthcare costs was the leading cause of bankruptcy.

The third issue is America's standing in the world, which he claimed has been damaged.

"We have a staggering unmet set of obligations to our veterans," he said. "There are thousands of them with injuries that will require longterm care."

When finding solutions to these issues, Clinton emphasized cooperation.

"There is still plenty of room for a conservative-liberal debate among options," Clinton stated, "as long as we're going forward together."

"This country needs a two-party system," he added. "We need the right debate."

Clinton refused to give a prediction for the future. "I wish I could tell you exactly what's going to happen," he said. But he would note that the United Stated has gone through some low points in its history.

"You ought to read the history: 'This George Washington couldn't win a military battle if his life depended on it. He can't give a speech that will inspire the troops. His false teeth are wooden and he looks awkward and he just loses,'" Clinton joked. "Then in 1814: 'Oh, we burned the White House today; they're toast.''"

"'Abraham Lincoln is a baboon', an editor in Springfield said. 'Somebody will get rid of him before he can do too much damage,'" he continued.

Finally, according to Clinton, in World War II, Winston Churchill told the British press, "'The United States always does the right thing, after exhausting every other alternative.'"

"In 232 years, everyone who bet against the United States lost money," the ex-president reminded the crowd.

Weiner, in his introduction, emphasized the historic nature of this election.

"Every so often, we enter this period in American civic life when all eyes are on the future," he said. "Every so often we have this moment when all of our neighbors are not talking about themselves and their families but they're talking about their community and their country."