April 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced sweeping changes to the city’s COVID-19 closure policies for New York City public schools. The city has doubled the number of coronavirus cases that requires the Department of Education to close a school for 10 days. Beginning Monday, schools will close for in-person instruction… Read more »
April 7, 2021 By Michael Dorgan A plan to transform a gritty area under the Queensboro Bridge ramps into a vibrant public space is starting to take shape–with an architect considering designs that would include a basketball court, a dog run and a large seating area. The plan, called the “Long Island City Ramps” project,… Read more »
April 6, 2021 By Allie Griffin Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Tuesday his community board appointments as well as a number of new reforms that aim to raise board standards. Richards appointed 373 members across Queens’ 14 community boards out of a pool of more than 900 applicants — a record number of applications… Read more »
April 6, 2021 By Ryan Songalia New Yorkers as young as 16 years of age became eligible Tuesday to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, a week after the minimum age to receive the shot was dropped to 30. The move comes two weeks ahead of President Joe Biden’s April 19 date to make all adults eligible… Read more »
April 6, 2021 By Christina Santucci More than a dozen Queens political candidates joined mayoral hopeful Andrew Yang and community leaders in Manhattan Monday to speak out against anti-Asian violence. Following remarks at the Canal Street subway station, the group rode the subway together to Times Square in a show of solidarity. Yang posted on… Read more »
April 6, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city plans to employ 10,000 New Yorkers to remove graffiti and clean city parks, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The city will hire 10,000 people by July and will post the first 1,000 job openings this month as part of its new “City Cleanup Corps” initiative. De… Read more »
April 6, 2021 By Ryan Songalia Two online job fairs will take place in April as the borough looks to rebound from the economic devastation– and job losses–brought on by the pandemic. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz will co-host a job fair on Friday, April 9 from 11 a.m. to 12:30… Read more »
April 5, 2021 Op-Ed By Denise Keehan-Smith I’m a third-generation Woodside resident and my family has lived in Woodside for over 85 years. The Woodside, Sunnyside, and Long Island City community is our home, and like many families, it’s getting more and more expensive for people to stay here. The reason is simple: affordable housing… Read more »
April 5, 2021 By Christina Santucci A documentary series highlighting nonprofits in the borough – and how they have fared during the pandemic – debuted last week. The series, which was created by the Astoria Film Festival, showcases seven organizations and is being screened on Queens Public Television (QPTV), as well as on YouTube and… Read more »
April 5, 2021 By Christina Santucci Sunnyside Shines is holding its annual Restaurant Week later this month—the first time it will be held in spring. More than 40 restaurants are slated to participate in the event, scheduled to take place April 14 through April 20. As part of Sunnyside Restaurant Week, each business will offer… Read more »