Feb. 15, 2022 By Allie Griffin The city program that offers half-priced MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers is going to be made permanent, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. Fair Fares will be funded for years to come following an agreement reached by Adams and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. The pair agreed that funds would be… Read more »
Author: Allie Griffin
Council Members Williams and Lee Elected Co-Chairs of Queens Council Delegation
Feb. 8, 2022 By Allie Griffin Council Members Nantasha Williams and Linda Lee will be leading the Queens Council Delegation. Williams and Lee were elected co-chairs of the delegation by their Queens council colleagues Friday. As co-chairs, Williams and Lee will advocate for funding for Queens during the council’s discretionary budget negotiations. They will serve… Read more »
Bayside Lawyer Pleads Guilty for Swindling Dozens of Clients Out of $1.8 Million
Feb. 1, 2022 By Allie Griffin A disbarred Bayside lawyer has pleaded guilty to grand larceny for bilking dozens of clients out of more than $1.8 million over a five-year period. Yohan Choi, who ran a law practice on Northern Boulevard in Flushing, failed to hand over thousands of dollars to approximately 50 clients who… Read more »
Rep. Meng Introduces Legislation to Make Lunar New Year a Federal Holiday
Feb. 1, 2022 By Allie Griffin Queens Rep. Grace Meng introduced legislation last week to make Lunar New Year a federal holiday. Meng introduced the bill Friday and—if passed—it would add Lunar New Year to the list of federally recognized holidays in the U.S. The bill, called the Lunar New Year Day Act, would amend… Read more »
Queens Community Board 6 Elects New Chair, Executive Committee
Jan. 28, 2022 By Allie Griffin Queens Community Board 6 elected a new chairperson and executive committee earlier this month. Heather Beers-Dimitriadis, a community organizer and political consultant, was elected the new chairperson of CB6, which serves Rego Park and Forest Hills, at its Jan. 12 meeting. Beers-Dimitriadis, who has lived in Rego Park for… Read more »
Queens Legislators Split on Mayor Adams’ Plan to Combat Gun Violence
Jan. 25, 2022 By Allie Griffin Queens lawmakers are split on the mayor’s recently released plan to combat gun violence — with some applauding it while others denounce it. The 15-page plan titled “The Blueprint to End Gun Violence” was unveiled by Mayor Eric Adams Monday following a number of high-profile shootings this month, including… Read more »
Councilmember Schulman Reaches Agreement With Queens Boulevard Developer Over Affordable Housing
Jan. 21, 2022 By Allie Griffin Council Member Lynn Schulman appears to support a rezoning application that calls for a 15-story mixed-use development on Queens Boulevard—after an agreement was struck with the developer that would bring affordable housing to residents at lower incomes than what was initially proposed. Schulman said the development company, RJ Capital… Read more »
Several Queens Council Members Have Been Named Committee Chairs
Jan. 20, 2022 By Allie Griffin City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced new council committee appointments Thursday with more than a dozen committees to be chaired by Queens representatives. All but three Queens council members were named to lead committees, which focus on a vast array of issues such as land use, parks, the environment… Read more »
Animal Rescue Groups Save More Than a Dozen Ducks Neglected in the Yard of a Forest Hills Home
Jan. 18, 2021 By Allie Griffin A pair of animal rescue groups saved more than a dozen ducks last week that were allegedly neglected for years in the yard of a Forest Hills home. Long Island Orchestrating for Nature (LION) and New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) rescued 16 Muscovy and runner… Read more »
Flushing Shopping Center to Host Lunar New Year Celebration Later This Month
Jan. 18, 2022 By Allie Griffin A Flushing shopping center is hosting a Lunar New Year celebration later this month to ring in the Year of the Tiger. The Shops at Skyview, in partnership with the New York Chinese Cultural Center and the Queens Botanical Garden, is hosting the free celebration on Saturday, Jan. 29… Read more »