[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                   IN HONOR OF THE LATE JULIAN WAGER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 15, 2010

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to Julian 
Wager, the legendary civic activist and community leader in the 
communities of western Queens, who passed away this month. Aptly 
honored as the ``Honorary Mayor of Long Island City'' for his 
extraordinary character and dedication to the neighborhoods of the city 
he loved, Julie Wager was a uniquely beloved figure who provided 
lifelong service to others.
  Over the course of six decades, Mr. Wager sought tirelessly to expand 
and improve professional, financial and networking opportunities for 
businesses and residents in the Borough of Queens. He provided both 
entrepreneurial and philanthropic services to the people of his beloved 
community of Astoria. His family's business, Genius Shop, has been an 
integral part of the fabric of the vibrant Astoria community for more 
than half a century. Among his many notable contributions to the 
resilient Astoria neighborhood, Julie Wager helped ensure the 
commercial vibrance of Steinway Street for future generations.
  Mr. Wager was once memorably quoted as saying, ``We work together 
within the communities, and we appreciate the values of the residents 
and the merchants. These are the people that support the myriad of 
charities that exist out there, not the trendy franchised stores who 
just take the bucks and get out.'' True to those precepts, Julie Wager 
was one of the foremost reasons why the business and commercial 
communities of western Queens remain a thriving hub of commercial 
activity while also serving as livable communities for tens of 
thousands of New Yorkers.
  Among his extensive contributions to the civic and commercial life of 
western Queens, Julie Wager served as president of the Steinway Street 
Merchants Association for more than a quarter century. In 1979, he 
founded the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition and has served 
as its president for more than two decades. In 1991, he established the 
Steinway Street Business Improvement District, serving as its president 
and executive vice president.
  Having suffered a serious spinal injury in 2000 that left him a 
paraplegic, Julie Wager remained undaunted in his valiant perseverance 
and undeterred from his determination to volunteer his energies on 
behalf of others. He served as vice president of the Walter Kaner 
Foundation; former chairperson of A Way Out; and as a member of Queens 
Community Board 1 for more than three decades. He was also an 
enterprising and dedicated advertising director for the Queens Gazette, 
an institutional pillar of the communities he knew and loved so well. 
He leaves six daughters and nine grandchildren. Like them, the 
residents and communities of western Queens know that we shall not see 
the likes of Julie Wager again, and we are all the poorer for it.
  Madam Speaker, I salute the life and work of Mr. Julian Wager and I 
ask that my distinguished colleagues in this House join me in 
recognizing his extraordinary service and contributions to the civic 
and business life of our nation's greatest city.

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