Aug. 27, 2020 By Allie Griffin State Sen. Jessica Ramos penned a letter to the State Liquor Authority (SLA) Wednesday calling on the agency to stop hitting small restaurant owners with hefty fines. The lawmaker claims that the agency’s fines and “harassment tactics” are unfair, and come at a time when many business owners are… Read more »
Author: Allie Griffin
Queens Legislators Introduce Bill to Postpone Tax Lien Sale to Help Struggling New Yorkers
Aug. 27, 2020 By Allie Griffin Two Queens lawmakers have introduced legislation that aims to block the de Blasio administration from holding its up-coming lien sale to help struggling homeowners at risk of losing their homes. The administration’s annual lien sale is set for Sept. 4, after being postponed from its original May date due… Read more »
Tower Diner and Synagogue in Danger of Being Demolished, Developer Files Rezoning Application for 16-Story Building
Aug. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin A development company has filed a land use application to construct a 16-story mixed-use building on a large triangular lot in Rego Park that includes a synagogue and the Tower Diner. RJ Capital Holdings, under the name Trylon LLC, filed the application in June for the triangular plot at… Read more »
MTA Warns 40 Percent Service Reductions, Fare Hikes and Mass Layoffs Without Federal Aid
Aug. 29, 2020 By Allie Griffin The MTA warned of huge service reductions, fare hikes and mass layoffs if the federal government doesn’t step in and provide aid to the cash-strapped agency. The MTA needs $12 billion in federal funding immediately to avoid “draconian” and “unthinkable” measures to alleviate its massive deficit caused by the… Read more »
City Inspecting Ventilation Systems at Classrooms Ahead of Schools Reopening
Aug. 26, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city began inspecting air ventilation systems at classrooms Tuesday, with less than three weeks before public schools reopen, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday. Every classroom and space inside a school building will be inspected by a team of independent engineers, joined by the Department of Buildings and… Read more »
Rep. Maloney Urges CUNY to Reverse Layoffs of Nearly 3,000 Employees
Aug. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney penned a letter to the City University of New York (CUNY) urging the administration to reverse its decision to layoff nearly 3,000 employees. CUNY decided to not renew the contracts of about 2,800 employees — mostly adjunct professors and part time staff members — across its… Read more »
Mayor Announces Schools Can Utilize Outdoor Space for Classes, Including Streets and Parks
Aug. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that schools can apply to the City to hold classes outside in schoolyards, local parks and closed streets to limit the spread of coronavirus. Schools that don’t have usable outdoor space within their campuses, as well as schools in neighborhoods that were hit… Read more »
FAA Releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement on LGA AirTrain
Aug. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed $2 billion LaGuardia AirTrain plan Friday and has opened the public comment period. The FAA posted the draft review for the proposed 1.5-mile AirTrain from Willets Point to LaGuardia Airport online and concluded that the… Read more »
MTA Offering a $10,000 Reward for Tips on 7-Train Window Smasher
Aug. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a serial 7-train window smasher. There have been more than 70 incidents involving broken subway windows since May, according to MTA and NYPD officials. The damage totals more than $300,000, MTA Chairman… Read more »
Nearly 30 Percent of Queens Residents Tested Have COVID-19 Antibodies
Aug. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin Nearly 30 percent of Queens residents who have been tested for coronavirus antibodies appear to have been infected with the deadly virus at some point, new data shows. The NYC Health Dept released data today that revealed that 28 percent of the 477,450 Queens residents who have been tested… Read more »