Apr. 24, 2024 By Anthony Medina The St. Matthias Catholic Academy has launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $1 million in donations in order to eliminate its debt and prevent it from closing this June. Since learning last week of the school’s impending closure due to financial challenges, parents and faculty at St. Matthias have banded…
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Apr. 15, 2024 By Anthony Medina A street in Middle Village was renamed last week in honor of a 9/11 hero. The street co-naming ceremony of Hilda Vannata Way, on 77th Place and Juniper Valley Road, paid tribute to the first responder who championed a legacy of compassion and commitment to helping those she encountered….
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Mar. 21, 2024 By Anthony Medina Council Member Robert Holden has re-introduced legislation in a package that would provide military veterans support for their businesses and connect them to community boards if it passes in City Council. The slew of veteran-focused bills were introduced last year, but a lack of progression shifted Holden’s efforts to requesting swift collective approval of his legislation. The legislative package aims at assisting the operators of veteran-owned businesses by providing them with more time to address city agency-issued violations; requires community boards to establish a veterans committee; provides resources and protections to veterans who are…
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Mar. 15, 2024 By Anthony Medina A group of Ridgewood civic leaders have conducted a tree-planting survey and have identified nearly 2,400 locations in the neighborhood where additional trees should be planted. The results of the tree-planning survey—put together by Paul Kerzner, Luis Rodriguez, and Ted Renz—were delivered to Council Member Robert Holden earlier this week, with a tree-planting project expected to take place over the next two years. The survey results come at a time when Holden has been pushing for tree-planting initiatives. “Trees are incredibly important for our communities, offering numerous environmental and health benefits, and beautifying our neighborhoods,”…
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Mar. 12, 2024 By Anthony Medina A joint operation between Council Member Robert Holden and New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda has removed thousands of illegal cannabis and tobacco products from three smoke shops in Middle Village. The crackdown on Tuesday, Mar. 5, led to the arrest of three smoke shop employees after investigators found…
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Dec. 27, 2023 By Anthony Medina Council Member Robert Holden delivered 75 coats to former service members who are currently living at a homeless facility in Long Island City to help them keep warm this winter. The coats were delivered by Holden to the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence on Dec. 21. The coats were donated by veteran service organizations such as the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapters 32 and 126, as well as the public. “It’s a small gesture to those who bravely served our country, ensuring they stay warm this winter,” Holden said. Holden joined forces with NYC Veterans…
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Dec. 15, 2023 By Anthony Medina Queens legislators have taken decisive action to combat the sale of illegal cannabis products this year, and the New York State Office of Cannabis Management reports that it has taken steps to combat the issue in the wake of the pressure. The OCM, which issues licenses as well as…
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Dec. 1, 2023 By Anthony Medina While Queens Council Member Robert Holden commends NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ work on supporting New Yorkers living with untreated severe mental illness and experiencing homelessness, he is emphasizing a need for further action. Mayor Adams, on Nov. 29, announced that more than half of the hardest-to-reach New Yorkers — documented on a “Top 50” list by the Coordinated Behavioral Health Task Force — were moved from the streets and into the care of a hospital or similar institution a year after the city’s plan to tackle severe mental illness was announced. The mayor also…
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Nov. 29, 2023 By Anthony Medina City Council Member Robert Holden is hosting a coat collection drive in Maspeth to help homeless veterans stay warm this winter. Holden, along with the Institute for Community Living (ICL) and the Department of Veterans Services, will accept new coat donations at his district office, located on 58-38 69th St. in Maspeth, until Monday, Dec. 18. The coats will be distributed to the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence, located at 21-10 Borden Ave. in Long Island City, where 243 beds are made available to house veterans around the clock. “In partnership with the city and…
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Oct. 6, 2023 By Anthony Medina Councilman Robert Holden penned a letter to the Department of Transportation on Monday, Oct. 2, urging Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez to install adequate street signage for veteran affairs hospitals. In his letter, Holden asks the DOT to consider adding visible and clear signage on nearby highways and major roads to indicate where VA hospitals are located. The added benefit of the DOT’s approval for more signage would also provide veterans with the support and care rightfully earned, Holden expressed. “Considering the significant number of veterans traveling by car to reach their appointments, clear directional signage…
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