Sept. 28, 2020 By Allie Griffin Cyclists and pedestrians took over the south outer roadway of the Queensboro Bridge Sunday to demand that it be converted from a car lane into a pedestrian pathway. Bike advocates and several elected officials are calling on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to convert the lane into a pedestrian-only… Read more »
Sept. 28, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng has received a barrage of racist and anti-Asian voicemails after passing a resolution in the House of Representatives earlier this month condemning such behavior. Meng introduced the resolution to denounce anti-Asian sentiment related to the coronavirus pandemic in March and the House passed it on… Read more »
Sept. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City’s popular outdoor dining initiative will now be year-round and permanent, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The “Open Restaurants” program, where restaurants can set up outdoor dining on sidewalks and streets, will continue into the fall and winter months, de Blasio said. The “Open Streets: Restaurants”… Read more »
Sept. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens State Sen. Jessica Ramos and City Comptroller Scott Stringer are calling on the city to make its Open Streets program a year-round initiative. The officials penned a letter to the mayor Thursday asking him to extend the program that turns specific streets over to pedestrians and restaurants beyond… Read more »
Sept. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Queens Memory Project, an ongoing community archiving program supported by the Queens Public Library and Queens College Library, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary next week with a Facebook Live event. The project, in which volunteers record interviews with Queens residents, has collected more than 600 oral histories of… Read more »
Sept. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin More than 9,000 city employees will be furloughed as the city faces a major budget deficit spurred by the coronavirus shutdown, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. Thousands of managerial and non-union city employees must take five days of furlough between October and March, which will save the city… Read more »
Sept. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin Parents with children in western Queens public schools are less likely to keep their kids at home to learn remotely than the rest of the city. The percentage of students in western Queens school districts learning remotely is significantly lower than the rest of the city, according to… Read more »
Sept. 22, 2020 By Allie Griffin An acclaimed sculpture created in the 1920s will find a new home in Long Island City this week. ‘Floating Woman’ by Gaston Lachaise will be installed inside Hunters Point South Park on Thursday, with a brief unveiling ceremony at 3 p.m. that will include a performance by members of the… Read more »
Sept. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin A community-based organization is leading a peace march from the Astoria Houses to the Queensbridge Houses tomorrow to show the unity of neighbors against violence. Fathers Alive In The Hood (FAITH) is organizing the march after a tumultuous summer that saw a surge in gun violence across the city,… Read more »
Sept. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin Community compost and food scraps drop-off sites are back up and running in Queens after the sites were shuttered for months due to pandemic-related budget cuts. The sites were reopened after the city’s executive budget restored $2.8 million to community composting for Fiscal Year 2021 last minute, the Department… Read more »