Jimmy Sinisi spent the last few hours of his life talking, telling jokes, hysterically laughing and watching the HBO show Eastbound and Down with three of his good buddies. That’s what his friend of 15 years, Sean Donnelly, told The Forum in an interview about the tragic accident that claimed the life of the gregarious and well loved 38-year-old Sinisi in the Howard Beach crash around 1 a.m. this past Saturday morning. Sinisi had left Donnelly’s house with another buddy, … Continue reading
A flood mitigation project in Broad Channel is, after years of water-weary residents and legislators advocating for it, going to become a reality, city officials confirmed this week. The city Office of Management and Budget gave its stamp of approval Dec. 2 on the capital project, which will bring bulkheads to West 11th, 12th and 13th roads in Broad Channel. As part of the project, for which residents have fought for years, the same streets’ elevation will be raised. Both … Continue reading
Resorts World Casino New York City welcomed the community as they brought holiday cheer with its annual Christmas tree lighting at the South Ozone Park facility last Tuesday. The night kicked off with carolers singing Christmas favorites, such as “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Santa Claus himself came out to thank all the community members, casino workers and carolers in attendance for coming. He then asked children what they wanted for Christmas and gave a big “Ho, ho, … Continue reading
In response to increasing calls from councilmembers and city politicians alike, the Bloomberg Administration launched on Monday the Sandy Funding Tracker website, just prior to a City Council hearing to call for greater detail on how Sandy-related expenditures are reported. City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton), who sponsored the “Sandy Tracker Bill,” designed to create an online database of expenditures of Hurricane Sandy recovery and rebuilding funds coming to the city, hailed the site’s launch as a victory. “I am elated … Continue reading
While Howard Beach residents welcomed Gov. Cuomo’s announcement last Friday that $50 million in federal funding has been approved for a resiliency project along a 150-acre span along Spring Creek and Jamaica Bay, they stressed that flood mitigation efforts need to be implemented in additional vulnerable areas in the neighborhood. The project, which aims to better protect homes and businesses from destructive storm surges, such as the one that occurred during Hurricane Sandy, will use an initial $3 million for … Continue reading
Carjackings, robberies, home invasions—these are, after all, the things we read about in the newspaper right? Things we see on TV news. Those things don’t happen here—not in Howard Beach. Well at least they didn’t use to… But the violent attack just last week, on a local businessman as he walked to his car at 10:30 at night, steps off Cross Bay Boulevard, across the street from a well-lit Kentucky Fried Chicken, doors down from the Hess station at the … Continue reading
Many people are surprised when I tell them that they don’t necessarily have to lose time from work in order to collect Workers’ Compensation benefits. While many people know about the medical coverage through their employer’s Workers’ Compensation carrier, and that they will be paid Workers’ Compensation benefits while they are unable to work, they are very unfamiliar with some of the other benefits they may be entitled to despite returning to work. These benefits are not advertised by the … Continue reading
For the parents, school representatives and other education officials gathered at Queens Borough Hall Tuesday evening, the message for the incoming mayoral administration was simple: It’s time for change. Year after year, members of Queens Borough President Helen Marshall’s Parent Advisory Board said, parents, teachers and civic leaders have routinely been snubbed by City Hall – and have witnessed art, music and foreign language programs being wiped from schools, an overemphasis on standardized testing decimate learning, a preoccupation with data … Continue reading
Thanksgiving week brought a greater security presence to LaGuardia Airport, but not for obvious reasons. More than 700 airport workers rallied throughout the day at the Queens transportation hub last Tuesday, demanding better working conditions through a raucous public rally during one of the busiest travel weeks of the entire year. The workers’ voices were heard so clearly that they were barred from protesting in the following days after LaGuardia brought in more security officers to keep the peace. “The … Continue reading
Following a series of contentious meetings about plans for an abandoned railroad line running from Rockaway to Rego Park, one faction of residents is standing up to demand a stronger voice at the negotiating table. Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, has serious concerns about a plan that would revitalize an old Rockaway Beach rail line that runs along 98th Street. But those in support of the plan have seemingly drowned his voice out without providing an … Continue reading
After the chairman of Community Board 9 said his organization would hold another vote on whether or not to retain member Sam Esposito as part of the group, the board’s executive committee decided there would not be another round of yeas or nays on the matter. “They removed it from the agenda – it’s over,” said Esposito, whose potential removal had been voted on at the past meeting after a couple board members told CB 9 Chairman Jim Coccovillo that … Continue reading
Can the abiding rift between Muslims and Jews ever be repaired? That’s one of the key questions to be answered at an upcoming author’s forum in Forest Hills featuring both a distinguished rabbi and a prominent imam. Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali, co-authors of the book “Sons of Abraham,” are hoping to challenge Jews and Muslims to get beyond the rhetoric and connect on common ground while confronting important theological and political issues that have all too often … Continue reading
For Queens residents whose food stamps were just cut, some relief could be coming their way after Gov. Cuomo announced last week that the state is allocating $4.5 million in emergency food assistance grants during the holiday season. The funds will aid 2,600 emergency food providers throughout New York, including in Queens, that work with individuals impacted by the federal government’s cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps. The recent reduction to SNAP has impacted … Continue reading
Borough President-elect Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that she has appointed her former rival, Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), as the next deputy borough president. Additionally, the incoming borough president tapped Jay Bond, who spent nearly a decade serving as senior policy advisor to Katz while she was in the City Council, as her chief of staff. Katz lauded Comrie – who ran against her for borough president in the past election – and Bond, who most recently worked as policy … Continue reading
A 54-year-old bicyclist was killed after police said he was struck by a commercial truck while crossing Borden Avenue in Maspeth Wednesday night, devastating his family who had been preparing to spend their Thanksgiving with a loving father. Pedro Lopez was hit by a white truck making a right from Maurice Avenue by the Long Island Expressway around 5 p.m., according to the NYPD. The driver fled the scene, and police are continuing to look for the individual. Lopez was … Continue reading