Category Archives: Maspeth
Police are combating a spike of at least nine burglaries in April within a few blocks of each other in Maspeth. The burst of crimes happened in the area of Maspeth surrounded by the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Long Island Expressway and Queens Boulevard. Eight of the nine were concentrated between 51st and 47th avenues and between 61st and 66th streets. Police say a suspect or group of suspects who knows the area is burgling houses, mostly in the afternoon. Officers … Continue reading
There’s been a “dramatic” spike in drunken driving arrests recently across Middle Village, Maspeth, Ridgewood and Glendale, police from the 104th Precinct reported this week. Precinct commanders say it’s due to proactively pulling drivers over. So far this year, officers in the precinct have arrested 78 motorists for driving under the influence, said Capt. John Travaglia, executive officer of the 104th, who focuses heavily on traffic in the area. Just during the last 28-day period of crime statistics, officers made … Continue reading
Sidewalks throughout Community Board 5 are getting substantial repairs recently as the Department of Transportation sweeps through to rectify problems. Sidewalk violations, tree damage and sidewalk issues in Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village are all getting attention right now, CB 5 District Manager Gary Giordano told the board at its meeting on May 10 at Christ the King Regional High School in Ridgewood. Giordano said most of the repairs are likely sidewalk violations the DOT has issued over the … Continue reading
The 104th Precinct believes it has a handle on the influx of robberies that’s plagued most of the city this year, and 15 newly assigned officers could help curb the trend even more, said the precinct’s commanding officer. So far this year, there have been 95 robberies compared to 68 last year in the precinct, which spans Middle Village, Maspeth, Glendale and Ridgewood. However, on May 7, Capt. Michael Cody told attendees of the Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together … Continue reading
Every year for the past five years, Queens fights for its libraries. Council members, the borough president, Queens Library employees— anyone who can read and wants a place to do it—take to the steps of their libraries and city hall. This year is no different, except there’s more on the line. Mayor Michael Bloomberg released his executive budget last week, and in it he proposed a $26.7 million cut to the Queens Library— a 31 percent reduction from last … Continue reading
Siblings of George Gibbons read tearful statements in court Monday, asking that the man who killed their brother remain in jail as long as possible. Peter Rodriguez, a 37-year-old Brooklyn man, had admitted to driving the car that killed George in a wrong-way collision in Maspeth. On May 7, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half to seven years in prison for negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a crime. George’s five siblings poured out their emotions for the record … Continue reading
As another way to drum up support for a possible new transportation option in Queens, one local legislator has turned to the internet to gather signatures. Asssemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway) recently launched a petition on his assembly website to get community support for restoring the Rockaway Beach Rail Line, which would stretch 3.5 miles starting from Rego Park and continuing through the Rockaways. The rail, which would come across the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) line, has been inactive since … Continue reading
Residents andpublic officials got their chance to speak up on Thursday, April 26 against a New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) plan, which would increase water rates 7 percent for the upcoming fiscal year. In one of five meetings it held throughout New York City, the DEP presented its water rate hike plan at Christ the King High School in Middle Village. Carter Strickland, commissioner of DEP, said that the main reason for the hike is to cover … Continue reading
Once again, lien day—the day the city can sell off property liens for delinquent tax and utility payers—is coming up this month. And once again, the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation (GRRC) is trying to let property owners in and around Ridgewood know that they’re at risk of losing their properties. Every year, the city’s Finance Department publishes a list of properties with unpaid taxes, water, sewer or other charges. After May 17, the city can sell a lien against those … Continue reading
The name of a Maspeth native and police detective who responded to the tragedy on 9/11 now graces an intersection near his former home. On Sunday, city officials hung an extra street sign on the southeast corner of 60th Street and 59th Road in Maspeth. It bore the name Detective Kevin Czartoryski Place. Czartoryski suffered from pulmonary fibrosis that he contracted while working at Ground Zero where he searched for remains and staffed the makeshift morgue. At 46 years old, … Continue reading
It’s been a decade of flavor for Queens Taste. The annual event lets attendees try a morsel of food from restaurants all around the borough. And this year, the Queens Economic Development Corporation marked the tenth year of the event’s existence at Citi Field. Business owners, community leaders, restaurateurs and foodies got a culinary tour of Queens with dozens of restaurants offering tasting. The event also celebrated the 35th anniversary of the corporation, which awarded StartUP awards to promising business … Continue reading
Peter Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that he killed Maspeth bar owner George Gibbons in a drunken, wrong-way collision on a Long Island Expressway service road in October. He will be sentenced on May 7 to three-and-a-half to seven years in prison for negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a crime without reporting it. Rodriguez, a 37-year-old Brooklyn resident, has been held without bail since his capture on Nov. 15—a month after the crash. He was … Continue reading
After getting no response from the Department of Education (DOE), Community Education Council 24 (CEC 24) is going rogue. The council is urging parents to put their kids on a bus that they are not authorized to ride. It’s an attempt to avoid a problem intersection at Laurel Hill Boulevard and 61st Street in Woodside that parents say is too dangerous to walk. But, after a walkthrough of that intersection, the DOE has been completely mum on the problem. “This … Continue reading
Police are asking for help identifying and finding the man who robbed and threatened to bomb a bank in Maspeth on the evening of Wednesday, April 18. According to police, a young man entered the Maspeth Federal Savings Bank at 56-18 69th St. at about 5:45 p.m. He walked up to a teller and handed over a note saying that he had a bomb and demanding money. The teller complied and handed the suspect an undisclosed amountof cash. The suspect … Continue reading
Residents who have long been complaining about spill over from the Fresh Pond Terminal and railway running through Queens are one step closer to getting a report to back up their objections to noise and pollution. A coalition of legislators has formed a partnership between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions (CURES) to conduct a baseline air quality study. Now, if the federal Environmental Protection Agency approves the needed funding, … Continue reading