Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Forest Hills block will close to traffic daily so restaurants in the area can expand their outdoor seating onto the roadway each day of the week. A stretch of 70th Road, between Austin Street and Queens Boulevard will be turned over to diners seven days a week —… Read more »
Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin Staffers at 10 Queens public schools have tested positive for COVID-19 since teachers and administrators returned to schools across the city on Sept. 8. The 10 schools are among 56 citywide, where positive coronavirus cases have been confirmed, according to a list the Department of Education provided from Sept…. Read more »
Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city will ramp up its sanitation efforts to keep streets trash-free after having cut the Department of Sanitation’s budget by $106 million. Residents have been complaining of overflowing trash bins since the Sanitation budget took a hit and the department’s commissioner Kathryn Garcia even resigned over the cuts…. Read more »
Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Queens civic group traveled to a developer’s Jamaica Estates home Sunday to protest a 17-story luxury tower he is building in Ridgewood. Members the Ridgewood Tenants Union, a local anti-gentrification and tenants right group, protested outside the upscale home of Meir Babaev, president of AB Capstone, at around… Read more »
Fire on First Floor @CitizenApp 2407 19th St Yesterday 1:59:34 PM EDT Sept. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin An Astoria man was arrested after his home erupted in flames Tuesday and investigators found suspicious bomb-making materials in the rubble. Police arrested 37-year-old Marak Squires and charged him with one count of reckless endangerment. Squires’ home… Read more »
Sept. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Northeast Queens council member is pushing for accountability from Con Edison after the company took a week to restore power to several Queens neighborhoods in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias last month. Council Member Paul Vallone introduced two resolutions at a City Council hearing on the company’s… Read more »
Sept. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City launches a special multi-agency team to address COVID-19 cases at city schools, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. De Blasio unveiled the “DOE COVID Response Situation Room” that brings together the Department of Education, the Department of Health and the Test & Trace Corps to create… Read more »
Sept. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Queens resident launched a petition Sunday to protect a Rego Park synagogue, a diner and a group of small businesses from the wrecking ball. A developer who owns the triangular lot at 98-81 Queens Blvd. that includes Ohr Natan Synagogue, the Tower Diner and several small businesses wants… Read more »
Sept. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin The public review process of the contentious Flushing waterfront rezoning project will resume Wednesday after it was postponed several months due to the pandemic. The City Planning Commission will host a virtual meeting on the Special Flushing Waterfront District project (SFWD) on Wednesday at 10 a.m. A consortium of… Read more »
Sept. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Forest Hills chocolate shop celebrated its 90th anniversary Sunday, which was made even sweeter after surviving the economic fallout of the pandemic. Aigner Chocolates, at 103-02 Metropolitan Ave., celebrated nine decades in business with local elected officials and neighbors Sunday afternoon. The shop opened in 1930 as Krauses… Read more »