Author: schnepsrestagent

After losing primary race, George Grasso back on campaign trail in third-party bid for Queens district attorney

district attorney

Sep. 29, 2023 By Bill Parry The Breezy Point Republican who nearly shocked the Queens Democratic establishment in 2022, threw his support behind a third-party candidate for Queens District Attorney. Thomas Sullivan, a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, who came within 15 votes of upsetting incumbent Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, eschewed the GOP candidate Michael Mossa of Howard Beach and endorsed retired Judge George Grasso in his bid to unseat Queens DA Melinda Katz in the Nov. 7 general election. “Our public safety crisis has now become a public health crisis. Our current politicians are responsible for a man-made…
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Nominations open for FLAG Awards honoring top NYC teachers

Flag

Sep. 28, 2023 By Rachel Butler Nominations are now open for public school teachers in Queens for the FLAG Awards, which recognize teaching excellence in the borough and across New York City. The annual program, which is in its fifth year, is adding the new category of Top Elementary School Teacher in New York City,…
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National rent report shows median price of one-bedroom units in NYC are now over $4K

rent report

Sep. 27, 2023 By Ethan Marshall According to Zumper’s latest National Rent Report, the median rental price for one-bedroom units across New York City has risen above $4,000. New York City retained its rank as the most expensive city to pay rent among the 100 cities included in the study. One-bedroom units in New York City set a new record with the rent increasing 2.3% from August to September to $4,080. This also represented a 3.3% increase from September 2022. This rent is nearly 29% more than the next-highest on the list, Jersey City, which has a one-bedroom rent of…
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MTA providing shuttle from 7 train to traveling Vietnam War Memorial replica in Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Vietnam

Sep. 26, 2023 By Bill Parry The MTA is working with the NYC Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide shuttle bus service between the Mets-Willets Point 7 train station and Flushing Meadows Corona Park for all those wishing to visit the “The Wall that Heals,” a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that honors the more than three million Americans who served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam conflict. “We are excited to partner with the MTA while The Wall That Heals is on display in Flushing Meadows Corona Park,” Department of Veterans’ Services…
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In race to unseat Assemblyman Juan Ardila, DSA endorses Ridgewood resident Claire Valdez

Sep. 25, 2023 By bparry Sept. 25, 2023 By Bill Parry In the race to unseat embattled Assemblyman Juan Ardila, the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has endorsed Ridgewood’s Claire Valdez over Democratic Party district leader Émilia Decaudin, who announced she was suspending her campaign. The DSA electoral working group… Read more »

Rental competitivity report shows high demand in NYC

report

Sep. 25, 2023 By Ethan Marshall According to RentCafe’s latest rental competitivity report, New York City has been facing rising competition when it comes to apartments. This surge is due in large part to Manhattan and Brooklyn both placing among the report’s top 20 rental markets. In this report, 139 markets in the United States…
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Climate orgs promote initiatives at borough’s inaugural Climate Expo in Kew Gardens

BP Climate Expo

Sep. 22, 2023 By Iryna Shkurhan Queens’ first ever Climate Expo, sponsored by Borough President Donovan Richards, launched on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Queens Borough Hall as one of the many events scheduled for Climate Week NYC.  Over a dozen environmental organizations set up tables across the Helen Marshall Cultural Center’s atrium in Kew Gardens to share resources, spread environmental surveys and promote climate-related job opportunities – all with the goal of taking action to address the effects of climate change.  The expo was centered around an expert-led panel on Local Law 97, a law passed in 2019 with the…
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New York Junior Tennis and Learning brings ACES afterschool program to Queens

ACES

Sep. 20, 2023 By Ethan Marshall New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL) is bringing its ACES afterschool program to eight schools across Queens during the Fall 2023-24 school year. The program provides students with the opportunity to play tennis for free, as well as academic, enrichment and mental health services. The eight schools in…
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Crunching the Queens crime stats: Number of burglaries drop, assault cases increase

crime

Sep. 19, 2023 By Ethan Marshall The NYPD’s crime stats for northern and southern Queens precincts spanning Sept. 11 to Sept. 17 reveal that the number of burglaries throughout the borough has dropped, while felony assault cases increased. One thing that remained completely the same compared to last year was the fact that there wasn’t a single murder case across any of the precincts in northern and southern Queens. There wasn’t much of a drastic change in rape cases. Northern Queens saw the cases shrink from seven last year to four this year. After reporting just one case across each…
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