Forest Park Trust to Receive Training to Protect Park from Climate Change

I Am Yogi Studios (Felicia Robertson) blends yoga techniques, education, culture, and empowerment. Consumer Tech: Neuemoon Health (Michelle Ng) helps women treat endometriosis, fibroids, and other menstruation-related health issues. Enterprise Tech: TheraMotive (Lola Omishore) designs, builds, and delivers AI-powered physical therapy. Food & Beverage: Huwa (Bilal Othman) produces and distributes sustainably harvested olive oil from Palestine. Sustainability: Afterlife Ag Inc. (Winson Wong + Sierra Alea) upcycles food waste to grow fresh and sustainable mushrooms. The company strives to reduce landfill waste while also feeding populations. It currently works with more than 35 customers in NYC and supplies 15 types of mushrooms. QTIC continues the legacy of the Queens StartUP! Business Plan Competition, which was hosted annually by QEDC from 2006 to 2023 before being enhanced and rebranded in collaboration with the Borough President’s Office. This year's sponsors include Resorts World New York City, AT&T, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates, Tech NY, and JetBlue Ventures, all supporting the ongoing development and diversification of Queens' economic landscape.">

0

Queens Public Library at Forest Hills on May 16, during which Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott, union reps and library advocates called on Mayor Eric Adams to reverse the proposed $58.3 million budget cuts to the New York Public Library (NYPL), the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), and the Queens Public Library (QBL) for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins on July 1, 2024. [caption id="attachment_485063" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Library advocates demanded Mayor Adams restore budget cuts at a rally at Forest Hills Library. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] [caption id="attachment_485066" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] Mayor Adams already slashed the budget for New York City's public libraries by $22.1 million in November 2023, forcing the closure of virtually all neighborhood library branches on Sundays. The leaders of the city's three public library systems say further cuts would force them to cut services to five days a week, among other drastic measures. [caption id="attachment_485070" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Mayor Eric Adams' proposed Library budget cuts would cut hours and vital community programs. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] QBL alone faces nearly $17 million in budget cuts, 12% more than the library's operating budget. Besides cutting library services to five days a week, the cuts would also mean a delay in reopening three recently renovated Queens library branches due to staffing shortages, investments in new books and technology, vital programs like homework resources for students, workshops, English language classes and building repairs and maintenance. [caption id="attachment_485069" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] Since becoming Queens Borough President, Richards' office has allocated over $23 million to 20 library branches. Richards called libraries "the heart and soul of our communities" and stressed the importance of having libraries open seven days a week. [caption id="attachment_485072" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Queens Borough President Donovan Richards speaks at the rally, demanding Mayor Adams restore library budget cuts. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] "I often will say and remind people that you cannot criminalize your way out of poverty. And if you want to talk about making our streets safer, libraries are an intricate part of public safety," Richards said. [caption id="attachment_485071" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] Richards also called for baseline funding of the city's three library systems because he was "sick and tired" of having to do a "budget dance" around the library budget every year. Calling on the Mayor and the Speaker of the City Council, Councilwoman Adrienne Adams (D-28), Richards said, "So Mayor Adams, Speaker Adams, this is our opportunity to really get this right this year. [And] to make sure that we end this budget dance [and] that we no longer have to see or talk about closures to our libraries. And I know you both are true believers in libraries. So let's put our money where our mouth is, and I say Queens get the money; libraries get the money this year." In 2023, QBL welcomed over 5,300,000 visitors at its 66 locations, and more than 880,000 Queens residents visited QBL locations on Saturdays and Sundays. Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott pointed out that QBL serves the public. [caption id="attachment_485064" align="alignnone" width="1024"] QBL President Dennis Walcott speaks at the rally. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] "If there are fewer dollars in our budget, that means there are fewer services going to the public," Walcott said. "That means there are fewer books that are being ordered by the library. That means while we're not laying off people, our hiring has slowed down to a trickle because we can't fill those positions." Besides serving the educational and cultural needs of the community, libraries became vaccine centers during the COVID-19 crisis and act as cooling centers during heat waves. Walcott recalled an extremely hot 4th of July a few years back, when, on short notice, the city asked to open the libraries to New Yorkers seeking refuge from the scorcher. "What did we do? We opened our doors to serve the public. Flushing Library alone, with maybe 12 hours' notice, had 4,000 People come to their door to [cool off]. That's who we are as a library," Walcott said. John Hyslop, president of Queens Library Guild, Local 1321, said that between February 2020 and February 2024, the union lost close to 100 members, including librarians, clerks, custodians, IT workers and human resources. The Forest Hills Public Library has one custodian who takes care of the three-story building because QBL cannot hire additional staff. "It's very important that we, all of us, tell our mayor that he does need to support us; he does need to support our libraries; support our staff, who provide the excellent library services that we provide," Hyslop said. Wanda Best, vice president of Cambria Heights Library Friends, was filled with "heartfelt sadness" at the possibility that libraries might be closed on Saturdays because [libraries] are the "pillar of the community." Best advocates for young people who participate in programs at the Cambria Heights Library or women who attend "Circle of Transformation," an empowerment group that provides a safe space for women to network and exchange resources. [caption id="attachment_485068" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Wanda Best, vice president of Cambria Heights Library Friends, speaks at the rally, demanding Mayor Adams restore Library budget cuts. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann[/caption] "Sadness is that the libraries, in some situations, are sanctuaries for women living in abusive relationships," Best said. "They come to the library to get away from the home. So if the library's closed on Saturday, where would they go?" In a statement regarding the proposed Library budget cuts, a City Hall spokesperson said, "Facing an unprecedented $7.2 billion budget gap in November, the Adams administration balanced the budget and strengthened the city's recovery — without layoffs, tax hikes or major service disruptions. Thanks to our responsible, effective fiscal management, we have protected the city's library systems from multiple rounds of cuts and invested $15 million in their teen centers that are now opening across the five boroughs. We will continue to work with our partners in the City Council to support our libraries as we go through the budget process."">

0

A group of local high school students from Queens joined the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and non-profit Trout Unlimited on a trip to release juvenile trout into a river in Westchester County. Twenty-two High school students from John Bowne High School in Flushing took a trip to the Cross River to release nearly 230 juvenile trout that they had raised in their classrooms. The students had been taking care of the fingerlings since October of last year and cheered on their journey through the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Westchester County and the Cross River Reservoir.  In October 2023, over 125 classroom educators joined the "Trout in the Classroom" program’s Fall Teacher Conference and received trout eggs from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Thousands of students across the state worked on an eight-month-long program to incubate the trout eggs and raise them into fingerlings. The program concludes with field trips between March and June of this year, where the students have the opportunity to release the fingerlings into streams. Students also have the opportunity to share their experiences about raising the trout and participate in other environmental activities.   Since 2002, the DEP and Trout Unlimited have worked together to educate students across New York State about the importance of protecting shared water resources through the Trout in the Classroom program. The program teaches students from pre-K to 12th grade about connections between trout, the New York City water supply system and water quality. Trout Unlimited is a national non-profit organization that works to conserve and restore North America’s cold-water fisheries and their watershed.  The DEP manages the city’s water supply, providing about 1 billion gallons of drinking water daily to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. ">

0

Andrew Hevesi and State Senator Michael Gianaris, who, after extensive advocacy efforts, successfully secured $70 million from the New York State Budget for 2024-25 for Non-Public School Safety Equipment (NPSE) grants. Hevesi, who represents the neighborhoods of Forest Hills, Middle Village, Rego Park, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill and Glendale-- partnered with Gianaris last October to advocate for increased funding for school safety equipment. After engaging with Governor Kathy Hochul, their concerted efforts led to a significant boost in funding from the previous fiscal year. The two elected officials lobbied in support of the budget increase and called on the NPSE funds to double in size from $45 million to $90 million, officials said. However, the budget increase negotiations settled at $70 million, which had grown from the initial $5 million in the fiscal year 2023-2024. “Last year’s monumental NPSE allocation was a much welcome development,” Hevesi said. “But especially over the course of this past year, there were long ways to go in order to provide a better sense of security and to make sure we’re tangibly increasing protections.” Gianaris, who represents western Queens in the Senate, emphasized their ongoing commitment to advocating for additional resources amidst rising concerns over antisemitism linked to the Israel-Palestine conflict. “As we continue to see a rise in hate crimes at our religious schools, I am pleased my proposal to fund enhanced school security was enacted to the tune of $70 million,” said Gianaris. “Students deserve a safe environment to grow and learn, and families deserve the peace of knowing their children are safe while being educated.” The NPSE Grant program allows eligible institutions to seek reimbursement for specific safety and health-related expenditures, as outlined by the New York State Department of Education.">

0

Queens lawmakers are calling on the MTA to expand express bus service in the borough after it was excluded from a recently announced pilot program focused on Brooklyn and Staten Island.   Seventeen state elected officials collectively penned a letter to MTA Chief Janno Lieber on May 15, calling on his agency to expand service on express buses that take Queens residents to and from Manhattan. Their call comes as congestion pricing is set to go into effect on June 30.  While a massive overhaul of the Queens bus network is currently in the final stretch, the legislators pointed out that under the proposed plan, many bus routes will see a reduction in stops as a way to speed up service.  “It is unacceptable that Queens – one of the city’s largest transit deserts – was excluded from those express bus improvements,” read the letter. “Even more concerning is that instead of improving express bus service in Queens, the MTA has proposed a reduction in service for nearly every Queens express bus line as part of the Queens Bus Redesign.” On April 30, the MTA announced that they would provide more frequent and reliable bus service on the BM2, BM5, SIM1C, SIM4C, SIM23 and SIM24 to attract more frequent riders. The agency noted that these six routes were “strategically selected to grow ridership” since they cover peak service from Staten Island and Brooklyn into Manhattan.  At the time, many Queens officials celebrated the announcement as it was jointly shared with another pilot program that will offer a 10% discount on monthly LIRR and Metro-North passes for commuters traveling throughout the city. Both programs will be funded by the Outer Borough Transportation Account, which was created in 2018 following efforts by State Senator Leroy Comrie and Assemblymember Edward Braunstein.  While many elected officials, particularly those in Northeast Queens, celebrated the joint announcement at the time, now, they’re expressing their disappointment that Queens express buses will not see increased service like those in the other outer boroughs. “Queens bus riders deserve to be included in improved reliability and service. I'm deeply disappointed after all of the advocacy, particularly from Queens representatives like myself, that riders here were excluded and will be left with inadequate service as congestion pricing goes into effect,” stated State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, who represents Woodside and Maspeth.  Elected officials for Northeast Queens pointed out that their areas, in particular, rely more on express buses given the lack of subway access. They say it’s unfair to burden outer borough residents with the cost of congestion pricing without increasing alternative transportation options for commuters in the outer boroughs. “The MTA needs to be firing on all cylinders to make sure Queens residents have every available mass transit resource available before congestion pricing is implemented. That means more, not less, express bus service to take commuters into Manhattan,” said Bayside State Senator John Liu, who sits on the Transportation Committee.  “It's imperative that our transit system remain equitable and doesn't disproportionately burden outer-borough commuters,” said Fresh Meadows State Assemblymember Nily Rozic.  State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, who represents both Northern and Southeastern Queens, echoed a similar sentiment.  “We are asking our residents in northern and east Queens to pay for congestion pricing without providing the services promised to our community in return,” stated Stavisky. The letter was also signed by State Senators Kristen Gonzalez, Jessica Ramos, Joseph Addabbo Jr., Leroy Comrie, James Sanders Jr. and Assemblymembers Steven Raga, Catalina Cruz, Jennifer Rajkumar, Alicia Hyndman, Jessica González-Rojas and Edward Braunstein.  “Now is the time to expand express bus service in Queens, not cut it. With the imminent onset of long-awaited congestion pricing and in the absence of readily accessible subway lines, express buses will become even more important to workers, students, seniors, and many others,” stated State Senator Julia Salazar, whose district is mostly Brooklyn but includes Ridgewood as the sole Queens neighborhood. “The MTA has the opportunity to make the right choice, and we call on them to do so on behalf of our communities,” she added. ">

0

On the two-year anniversary of a racially motivated mass shooting that killed ten people in Buffalo, Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng reintroduced legislation to ban the body armor worn by the shooter.  The Aaron Salter Jr. Responsible Body Armor Possession Act would prohibit the possession, sale or transfer of enhanced body armor, which has high levels of ballistic resistance. Currently all levels of body armor can be legally purchased online.  It would specifically ban civilian use of armor that meets or exceeds Level 3 ballistic resistance, which protects against rifle ammunition. The proposed legislation only seeks to enforce civilian usage while allowing military and police personnel to use the armor.  “It should not be the case that anyone with internet access can purchase equipment designed to stop military-grade ammunition,” said Congresswoman Meng, who sits on the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.  The legislation is named after retired police officer Aaron Salter Jr., who served in the Buffalo Police Department for 30 years prior to working as a security guard in the supermarket where the mass shooting took place in 2022. Salter took action against the gunman, but the shot he fired was deflected on the gunman’s body armor and murdered him instead.  There have been 157 mass shootings in 2024 so far, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It has also recently become more common for gunmen to wear body armor, which has reportedly made mass shootings more lethal.  Several sellers of body armor reported increased sales in 2022 following mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo. While some states have their own regulations against the purchase, it is easily evaded and not heavily regulated.  “This is common sense legislation, which I am proud to lead with Rep. [Timothy] Kennedy for the Buffalo community and the far too many others throughout the United States that have experienced the terror and tragedy of gun violence,” said Rep. Meng. “We are not only honoring Aaron Salter Jr., who was a hero, but we are also taking action to protect law enforcement and first responders who will answer future calls.” "Aaron Salter Jr's courageous actions bought precious seconds for patrons and employees of Tops Markets to escape, undoubtedly saving lives at the expense of his own," said Buffalo Congressman Timothy Kennedy. "This type of body armor should not be for sale on store shelves or online.” Rep. Meng previously introduced the legislation in 2022 and in 2023 with former Buffalo Rep. Brian Higgins, but it has yet to pass.  “I'm grateful to Congresswoman Meng for her leadership on this issue," added Rep. Kennedy, who was elected to represent Buffalo earlier this month in a special election ">

0

The New York City Department of Transportation is inviting New Yorkers to ditch their rides and grab their bikes tomorrow, May 17, for a citywide Bike-to-Work Day.  DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who heads the citywide department, shared the invitation with city riders at the height of Bike Month. Earlier this month, various city-organized events, such as helmet distributions, group rides and additional educational activities, took place, with more expected to come in June.  The benefits of participating in the cycling day are meant to promote healthy living practices and other accessible environmentally-friendly forms of transportation in the city, according to Rodriguez.  “I hope more New Yorkers will continue to embrace cycling as a go-to way of getting around. It's good for your health and the planet, and it gets you where you're going faster,” Rodriguez said in the announcement on Wednesday. He also added that the city’s efforts to improve bike-friendly infrastructure are ongoing. The League of American Bicyclists, a grassroots organization devoted to sharing the joys of bicycling, first established "Bike-to-Work Day" as part of its efforts to showcase the benefits of cycling and encourage more Americans to try cycling, as listed on the official website. The first National Bike-to-Work Day was held in 1956. A multitude of upcoming bike-themed events from the DOT are listed on its website, which include giveaways for bike helmets, lights, children’s bike upgrades, educational programs, and free bike repairs. In Queens, there are five additional Bike Month events from this weekend until June. 

• A Helmet Fitting and Distribution sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee on Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bellerose Playground (248-05 85th Ave.) in Jamaica.
• A Get Pumped! Bike Repair and Bike Light Giveaway on Monday, May 20, from 4-7 p.m. along Queensboro Plaza North Bike Path in Queens. 
• A Helmet Fitting and Distribution sponsored by Council Member Sandra Ung on Saturday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kissena Park (164th Street and St. Litonia Avenue) in Flushing.
• A Delivery Worker Seminar on Tuesday, June 4, from 4-7 p.m. at Queens Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, in Jamaica. 
• A Bike the Block event on Saturday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rockaway Freeway (Beach 59th Street to Beach 54th Street) in Rockaway. 

Furthermore, the DOT plans to make the most of its network of 1,571 bike lanes, including its 689 protected bike lanes, which have paved a path for other city initiatives like Vision Zero. According to numbers shared by the agency, over 610,000 bike trips are taking place daily throughout the five boroughs.  Bike the Block events organized by the DOT are open-street events focused on bicycle programs and education in neighborhoods that have historically seen underinvestments in transportation infrastructure, transportation authorities said. These events include free learn-to-ride and bike-handling skill classes with Bike New York.  A NYC Bike Map, updated every year by the DOT, will also be updated with new ride paths through the Bike Month campaign, which provides city residents with a list of self-guided bike rides, the DOT shared.  Additional Bike events taking place this month and well into June for Manhattan neighborhoods include a mix of bike-centric seminars. 

• A Bike Bonanza, Sponsored by Council Member Gale Brewer, on Sunday, May 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Sol Bloom Playground (West 91st Street and Columbus Avenue). 
• A Bike Light Giveaway With Mt. Sinai Prevention Unit on Tuesday, May 21, from 4-7 p.m., at the 125th Street Greenway. 
• A Helmet Fitting and Distribution sponsored by HHC/Bellevue/NYC DOT, on Friday, May 31, from 12-2 p.m., at 462 First Ave. 
• A Delivery Worker Seminar on Wednesday, June 5, from 4-7 p.m., at West 178th Street and Wadsworth Avenue. 
• A Delivery Worker Seminar sponsored by Council Member Carmen De La Rosa on Monday, June 10, from 4-7 p.m. 
• A Helmet Fitting and Distribution sponsored by Council Member Diana Ayala on Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Thomas Jefferson Park (2180 1st Ave.)
• A Delivery Worker Seminar on Monday, June 24, from 4-7 p.m. at East 116th Street and 3rd Avenue. 
• A Bike Bonanza is sponsored by Council Member Carmen De La Rosa on Saturday, June 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jacob Javits Playground in Fort Tryon Park. 

The DOT says it has provided over 300,000 free bicycle helmets to New Yorkers since 2006 and partnered with organizations and council members, to host over 40 free helmet fittings and bike light giveaway events across the city in 2024. A list of bike events can be found at NYC DOT’s Bike Events page.">

0