Category Archives: Rego Park
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
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
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
Crime is a mixed bag in Forest Hills and Rego Park, with two crimes on the rise and two others seeing a decrease, according to the latest crime statistics from the 112th Precinct announced at April’s 112th Precinct Community Council meeting. Deputy Inspector Christopher Tamola, commanding officer of the 112th, first spoke about two anti-semitic graffiti incidents that happened over the past month. The most recent one occurred on Friday, April 13, when police found a spray-painted swastika and racial … 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
In a shocking announcement at 10 this morning, Republican City Councilman Eric Ulrich posted a video saying he will challenge Democrat Joe Addabbo for his New York State Senate seat. Just this week, City and State reported that Ulrich, a second-term councilman, was unlikely to run for senate. He is, however, a top choice of Queens GOP officials. The 27-year-old is viewed as a rising star on the Republican horizon. Addabbo and Ulrich will battle for the 15th District, … Continue reading
Almost 70 years passed between the time Anton Dietrich Jr. was wounded during a battle in North Africa and when he received a Purple Heart for his bravery just last week. Dietrich is a 93-year-old WWII Army veteran who lives in Richmond Hill. He fought in Tunisia, landed in Sicily as well as Normandy, and spent 32 months at Walter Reed Medical Center when a mortar shell tore into his legs, arm and back. Dietrich was awarded a host of … Continue reading
An off-duty NYPD recruit was arrested in his Rego Park home Saturday night after an alleged assault on his fiancé that left her bruised and with a broken nose. Police took 27-year-old Alexandru Baiasu into custody after they responded to a call at the Saunders Street home where the two live. There, his fiancé told officers that Baiasu had menaced her with his baton, threatened her repeatedly and physically abused her in front of their daughter and her own child. … Continue reading
As another Queens hospital closes, concern is growing on Community Board 5 that there’s an epidemic lack of beds in the borough. At CB 5’s meeting last week, the chairman of the board’s Health and Human Services Committee introduced a resolution urging local politicians to find a fix. Bob Cermeli, the committee chair, said he’s seen too many bankrupt or shuttered hospitals leading to a systemic crisis of space. “We’re always in constant threat of disasters, man-made, natural, and if … Continue reading
The Queens Public Library is introducing a pilot program that will allow people to rent e-readers from its central branch in Jamaica. The program, which started on April 12, has 50 e-readers available and allows people with a library card and a photo ID to take out the device for free. They can rent it for seven days and have the option of renewing it twice before returning it. The e-readers have books on five different themes: best sellers, romances, … Continue reading
Residents who attended last week’s Community Board 6 meeting got to see a presentation about a citywide plan that will also affect the neighborhoods of Forest Hills and Rego Park. The presentation was regarding eliminating the use of heating oil numbers 4 and 6, or “heavy oils,” in order to improve the air quality in homes and in New York City overall. The use of those kinds of oils releases an air pollutant called fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), which … Continue reading
Concerns revolving around a project proposing the building of a pipeline from Brooklyn to Queens within Jamaica Bay were among some of the issues that came up at the latest meeting of the Jamaica Bay Task Force last week. The project, known the Rockaway/Gateway gas pipeline project, is designed to tap into the Transco Williams Pipeline via a proposed three-mile pipeline running under Jamaica Bay and connecting Brooklyn and Queens. The pipeline project is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC … Continue reading
In a move that will save tax payers millions of dollars, New York State will remove the four percent sales tax on clothing, footwear and related items that are sold for less than $110 dollars. The sales tax exemption, which started on April 1, applies to all of those goods that are bought in person, online, by telephone or by mail. It’s the second straight year for the program. The qualifying amount for this year’s program has doubled. Last year, … Continue reading
New Yorkers might not have to wait months past the deadline to see their budget this year. Governor Andrew Cuomo, along with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, announced on Monday, April 9, the early passage of the 2012-2013 New York State Budget. The new NYS budget totals $132.6 billion, which is a reduction of $135 million from last year. According to a statement from the New York State Senate, This budget eliminates a $2 billion … Continue reading