Dec. 23 By Kristen Torres More New York City residents will be eligible for half-priced MetroCards under an expansion of the city’s Fair Fares program, officials announced Friday. Fair Fares offers half-priced MetroCards to low-income residents. The program was launched by Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson early this year. “We’re… Read more »
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. 23, 2019 By Allie Griffin Queens Public Library released its list Friday of the top books checked out to readers in 2019. The Library released lists for the most popular adult books, most popular children books and most popular eBooks for both adults and children. The results were calculated based on the number of… 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 The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Board approved the hiring of 500 additional transit police officers Wednesday, despite opposition from several local lawmakers. The board voted to approve the authority’s $17 billion budget for 2020, which included funding for the additional officers — an expected $249 million over the next… Read more »
Dec. 18, 2019 By Kristen Torres Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer has sponsored a commercial rent control bill that aims to protect small businesses from hefty rent hikes. Van Bramer held a press conference in support of the bill outside of the recently-closed Dave’s Bagels, located at 43-20 Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside, on Friday. “Saving… 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 »