March 31, 2021 By Allie Griffin The police are looking for two teenagers who beat and pepper-sprayed a 26-year-old man while making a sale on a street corner in Astoria Sunday. The two teenage boys and the 26-year-old had met up at around 5:40 p.m. on the corner of 29th Street and Newtown Avenue to… Read more »
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Lidl to Open in Astoria, Its First Store in Queens
March 31, 2021 By Christian Murray Lidl, the European discount grocery chain, is coming to Queens. The company will be opening a store in Astoria on April 7, which will offer a combination of American products as well as European specialty items ranging from hard-to-find cheeses to authentic specialty sauces, cured meats and more. The… Read more »
Council Member Constantinides to Leave Office to Take Job in Nonprofit Sector
March 31, 2021 By Allie Griffin Council Member Costa Constantinides announced today that he will be leaving office next month, about 8 months before his term in office was to officially end. Constantinides will resign on Friday, April 9 to take a job in the nonprofit sector as the Chief Executive Officer of the Variety… Read more »
NYC’s Congestion Pricing Plan a Step Closer to Becoming a Reality
March 30, 2021 By Allie Griffin New York City’s long-delayed plan to charge drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street is a step closer to becoming a reality. The Biden administration notified city and state officials Tuesday that they can move forward in conducting an environmental review of the congestion pricing plan– which is required before… Read more »
The Secret Theatre to Open Space in Sunnyside for Educational Programming
March 30, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Queens-based theater company that closed its performance space in Long Island City last year is opening a location in Sunnyside to offer performing arts classes. Richard Mazda, the owner and founder of the Secret Theatre, said he has found a venue in Sunnyside for his company’s educational programming… Read more »
Van Bramer and Council Candidates Call on Speaker Johnson to Release Findings of Sexual Harassment Audit
March 30, 2021 By Allie Griffin Jimmy Van Bramer and several candidates running for elected office are calling on Council Speaker Corey Johnson to release the findings of an audit of the City Council’s sexual harassment policies ordered nearly two years ago. Van Bramer, who represents the 26th council district and is running for Queens… Read more »
Queens DA’s Homicide Chief Resigns, Follows Revelation That He Withheld Evidence in 1996 Murder Case
March 30, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Queens prosecutor – who a judge said had “deliberately” withheld key evidence in a 1996 double murder case that ended with the wrongful conviction of three men – has stepped down from the Queens District Attorney’s office. Brad Leventhal, who was the DA’s long-time Homicide Bureau Chief, has… Read more »
Mayor Pledges to Provide Greater Support to Community Groups That Manage Open Streets
March 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) is now accepting applications for the second year of its Open Streets program that transforms roadways into pedestrian spaces and outdoor dining areas. Local businesses and community groups can apply online to designate a street near them as an Open Street…. Read more »
New Yorkers as Young as 30 Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine Starting Tuesday
March 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers as young as age 30 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today. All adults in the state — from age 16 and up — will be eligible for the vaccine a week later on April 6. Residents as young as… Read more »
Residents March to 114th Precinct in Astoria Sunday, Seek Justice for Woman Killed by Stray Bullet
March 29, 2021 By Christina Santucci Several dozen people marched through the streets of Astoria Sunday evening, demanding justice for a woman who was killed by a stray bullet near Woodside Houses two weeks earlier. The march, held in memory of Gudelia Vallinas, started at the corner of 50th Street and Broadway, where the fatal… Read more »