By Bob Harris
In mid-December, Larry Mottola, his staff and numerous volunteers and neighbors provided free beauty care for developmentally disabled children and young adults from the community and a couple of special schools in Queens at the LP Salon and Spa on Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows.
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve members brought toys from the Toys For Tots program. Since 1983, these volunteers have been providing haircuts, styling, pedicures and manicures to these special children.
All the people involved are volunteers. Some of the volunteers’ children help out. Some of the children being given special treatment have neurological problems, so they require a special beautician. This is the only time during the year when these children can be made up by professionals.
Marine Corps Reserve Chief Warrant Officer Nick D’Andrea and Lance Cpl. Andrew Thony looked resplendent in their uniforms. They stayed all day giving out toys and posing with the children for photos, which their parents took.
About 20 children came from PS 811 in Elmhurst and PS 721 OTC, a citywide school, and about 20 other children and young adults came from the community. Some young adults who have finished school come back to receive a beauty treatment. A few return to help with the younger schoolchildren.
The salon had a holiday feeling with lively voices, happy children and adults, smiles, toys and everyone taking photos. Many of the children are confined to wheelchairs. There was juice, coffee, muffins and bagels. The baked goods were donated by LULU’s Bakery. The money for the decorations, food and toys came from the patrons of LP who buy raffles.
The staff members who volunteered were Victoria, Angela, Karen, Denise, Marina, Olga, Brad, Michael, Joan, Marina, Irena, Lana, Elena, Zena and Seeta. Larry, his wife Anna and son Ryan were there. Larry’s neighbor, Anthony Galeatti, dressed as Santa Claus. The children of staff members and volunteers dressed up as cartoon characters. The costumes were provided free by CHAZZAM.
Friends of Larry from other beauty salons, such as Micael, donated their time. Joan, a beauty sales rep from P & G, volunteered. John Mucera took photos of all the events taking place for Larry. Lydia Rosenbaum from OTC told of a graduate who lives in a group home and comes by each year to help. Lydia said former graduates bring their own children because of the wonderful experience they receive. Assistant Principals Roeina Demarco and Marcia Pitt came by to greet the children and parents.
LP goes beyond this one special day a year. A special needs young lady is hired to work on weekends and keep the salon neat and clean. A couple of other students come in as volunteers. They are being given training so they can progress to a paid job when they finish school.
Larry said, “Everybody involved has the biggest hearts.” A nice comment from the man with the biggest heart of all.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: Please be aware there are now two new traffic cameras in the Fresh Meadows area. Both were installed this past week.
The first is on the service road of the Long Island Expressway, aka the Horace Harding Expressway, going eastbound toward Long Island. Some call it the south side of the LIE. It is about 20 feet before the intersection of Utopia Parkway near the Shell gas station and Arby’s. It looks like another street lamppost. Both are well-camouflaged.
It was requested through the Community Board 8 Transportation Committee as a result of a tragic accident a few years ago when a car went barreling trough the Arby’s and a local senior citizen was killed while at the service counter.
The second is on the north side of the LIE. It is on the service road of the LIE going westbound toward Manhattan. It is about 20 feet before the intersection of Utopia Parkway next to the Mobile gas station. It is next to a fire hydrant.
Both locations are busy during the weekdays with heavy pedestrian traffic. On one side there is Francis Lewis High School and its 4,300-plus students only a block away and on the south side is MS 216 with 1,100-plus students. Also, five bus lines — the Q17, Q17 Limited, Q30, Q31 and Q88 — frequently traverse through that intersection where there is heavy truck traffic.
