April 16, 2025 By Shane O’Brien State Senator Jessica Ramos presented a $2.5 million check to Costa Constantinides, CEO of the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens (VBGCQ), to support the construction of a new aquatic center as part of the organization’s ambitious $293 million redevelopment project in Astoria. The funding will go toward… Read more »
April 16, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Connected Chef, a LIC-based nonprofit that provides fresh produce to families in Queens, held a press conference last week to announce that it is being “evicted” from its current location and seeks support from elected officials and the local community to find a new home. The organization, founded by… Read more »
April 15, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Council Member Julie Won and State Sen. Mike Gianaris joined Transportation Alternatives Saturday for a “people’s ribbon-cutting” at the Queensboro Bridge to demand that Mayor Eric Adams opens the now-completed Pedestrian Path across the bridge. Gianaris, Won and Transportation Alternatives representatives raised concerns Saturday that pedestrians and cyclists are still… Read more »
April 15, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Vernon Boulevard was a cacophony of horns, bells, and whistles Saturday morning as a group of Astoria residents staged a six-hour “honk to reopen Rainey Park Protest.” The park, located at 34-24 Vernon Blvd., has been shuttered since September 2023 for extensive $8.5 million renovations, including improvements to the park’s… Read more »
April 14, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar joined a number of Astoria residents and business owners Sunday for a rally against a proposed protected bike lane under the elevated N/W subway tracks on 31st Street. More than 2,500 people have signed a petition against the bike lane, which would install eight-foot-wide bike… Read more »
April 11, 2025 By Shane O’Brien There’s a new flavor in town — and it’s Albanian. Astoria is now home to ALBmini, a new Mediterranean market offering a wide selection of imported goods from Albania and the greater Balkan region. Located at 31-04 35th St., the specialty store celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, March… Read more »
April 10, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Elected officials in Queens and Manhattan have penned an open letter to Mayor Eric Adams and Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez to express concerns over delays in opening a dedicated pedestrian walkway across the Queensboro Bridge. State Senators Mike Gianaris, Kristen Gonzalez and Liz Krueger, Assembly Members Zohran Mamdani and… Read more »
April 9, 2025 By Shane O’Brien More than 2,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to scrap a proposed bike lane underneath the elevated N/W subway tracks on 31st Street in Astoria, arguing that a bike lane would pose significant safety risks for road users while causing “irreversible”… Read more »
April 9, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Community Education Council 30 (CEC 30) is set to introduce a resolution calling for more opportunities for communities in local school districts to push back against planned charter schools. CEC 30 co-presidents Whitney Thomas Toussaint and Victoria Medelius signaled that they will introduce the resolution at an upcoming CEC… Read more »
April 7, 2025 By Shane O’Brien LaGuardia Community College has formalized a partnership with Queens College, aiming to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students pursuing STEM majors. The partnership, formalized by LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams and Queens College President Frank Wu on Wednesday morning, promotes the Queens STEM Academy (Q-STEM), which enhances STEM… Read more »