Dec. 23, 2019 By Allie Griffin Former gubernatorial candidate and “Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon formally endorsed Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer for Queens Borough President today. In a letter to supporters, Van Bramer’s campaign announced he received endorsements from both Nixon and Zephyr Teachout, a former state Attorney General candidate and Fordham… Read more »
Dec. 19, 2019 By Allie Griffin The Astoria Boulevard N/W subway station reopened to customers last night, while construction crews continue work to make it ADA accessible. After nine months of closure, the station reopened with a new mezzanine and greater vertical clearance to prevent trucks traveling beneath its overpass from striking the station structure…. Read more »
Dec. 19 By Michael Dorgan Students and teachers at an Astoria elementary school celebrated the opening of the school’s brand new hydroponic lab at a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday. P.S. 17 Henry David Thoreau, located at 28-37 29th St., became the fifth school to install a hydroponic lab as part of Council Member Costa Constantinides’ Science… Read more »
Dec. 18, 2019 By Allie Griffin A bill sponsored by State Sen. Michael Gianaris to increase the amount in dispute that small claims court can address in New York City was signed into a law by the governor Monday. The law increases the previous jurisdictional limit from $5,000 to $10,000 and only applies to courts… Read more »
Dec. 18, 2019 By Allie Griffin Queens community leaders broke ground on a new $1.5 million student-designed playground at P.S. 84Q in Astoria Monday. The new green playground, scheduled to open in the fall of 2020, has been designed by students who have learned skills like budgeting, negotiation and planning in the process. At the… Read more »
Dec. 17, 2019 By Allie Griffin Police are searching for a man who sexually assaulted multiple women in separate incidents in both Astoria and Jackson Heights. The suspect first assaulted two women at an Astoria massage parlor near Steinway Street and 25th Avenue on Nov. 8. At about 8:45 p.m., the unidentified man grabbed a… Read more »
Dec. 16, 2019 By Allie Griffin A 27-year-old man from Brooklyn was convicted of manslaughter for the 2016 shooting death of a man in Astoria, the Queens District Attorney’s Office announced Friday. Santiago Salcedo, of Madison Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree attempted assault and two counts of second-degree criminal possession… Read more »
Dec. 9, 2019 By Allie Griffin Assemblymember Aravella Simotas will face a liberal challenger in next year’s Democratic primary. Newcomer Zohran Mamdani, a 28-year-old foreclosure housing counselor, is running for the 5-term incumbent’s seat representing District 36 in the New York State Assembly. The district covers Astoria. The New York City chapter of the Democratic… Read more »
Dec. 4, 2019 By Allie Griffin New York City will pilot a six-month cargo bike program to reduce delivery truck congestion on Manhattan streets just in time for the holiday shopping season, the mayor announced today. The Commercial Cargo Bike Program will bring an estimated 100 cargo bikes from major delivery companies, including UPS, DHL… Read more »
Dec. 3, 2019 By Allie Griffin Council Member Costa Constantinides, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and transportation activists joined together Monday to call for an end to the city’s program that lessens parking fines for delivery trucks. On the steps of City Hall, the elected officials and activists demanded an end to the Stipulated Fine Program,… Read more »