Jan. 13, 2021 By Christina Santucci Congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she feared for her life last Wednesday when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and forced her and fellow lawmakers into hiding. She recounted her experience in an hour-long video posted to Instagram late Tuesday night. Ocasio-Cortez said that she worried that… Read more »
Jan. 13, 2021 By Christina Santucci Workers at a popular Colombian restaurant in Jackson Heights are crediting an unidentified passerby with putting out a small fire in the eatery’s outdoor dining space. “Thankfully the guy came in and stopped the fire,” said Brandon Klinger, who has worked at Arepa Lady for about two to three… Read more »
Jan. 13, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Queens resident has tested positive for the highly-transmissible variant of COVID-19, city officials announced Wednesday. Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a news conference that the variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, had been detected in two New York City residents. One resident is from… Read more »
Jan. 13, 2021 By Christina Santucci The Queens borough president’s office has launched its first-ever online application for seats on the borough’s 14 community boards. Those interested in serving on a Queens community board must submit their application by Feb 19. The appointments are for two-year terms that begin on April 1. This year the… Read more »
Jan. 12, 2021 By Christina Santucci The site of the famed Astoria catering hall Riccardo’s by the Bridge has been sold for $6.4 million, according to Alexander Pereira, a real estate broker with Douglas Elliman. The deal closed on Dec. 30, Pereira said, less than three months since the banquet hall shut down. “It was… Read more »
Jan. 12, 2021 By Christian Murray U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on residents to lobby President-elect Joe Biden for student loan forgiveness. Schumer, who spoke to Community Board 2 members via Zoom Thursday, said that he and Senator Elizabeth Warren have proposed that the first $50,000 of student loan debt be forgiven by the… Read more »
Jan. 12, 2021 By Christina Santucci Organizers of the Queens Night Market have announced plans to return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring after last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19. “In order to open in April, we have to start the process now. We are going to target April 17 and keep… Read more »
Jan. 11, 2021 By Michael Dorgan State Sen. Michael Gianaris has introduced a bill aimed at protecting employees from contracting COVID-19 by improving workplace safety standards. The bill, called the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO), would require businesses to implement a range of safety standards in order to reduce the spread of… Read more »
Jan. 7, 2021 By Christian Murray Just hours after he called for President Donald Trump’s ousting, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer appeared before members of community board 2 via Zoom. The 75 people on the Zoom call Thursday night were surprised, given that it was less than a day since the Capitol building was in turmoil…. Read more »
Jan. 8, 2021 By Michael Dorgan Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to legalize online and mobile sports betting as well as the sale of recreational marijuana as he looks to generate revenue in the cash-strapped state. Online betting would bring an estimated $500 million dollars a year while marijuana would net the state around $300 million,… Read more »