Category Archives: Rego Park
Police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for the rash of bank robberies along Queens Boulevard in February. Sidney Williams, a 43-year-old of Knickerbocker Avenue in Brooklyn, was charged this week with robbery in the third degree and attempted robbery in the third degree. Police believe Williams is responsible for hitting three Chase banks along Queens Boulevard. The attempted robbery was at a Sunnyside branch on Feb. 14 at 47-11 Queens Blvd. where he passed the teller a … Continue reading
Endorsements in Queens’ Democratic congressional primary for the 6th District began rolling out in earnest this week. Assemblyman Rory Lancman won support from former New York Mayor Ed Koch, two local unions and the Working Families Party. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley snagged the thumbs-up of the Uniformed Firefighters Association as well as the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 9. Assemblywoman Grace Meng, meanwhile, added EMILY’s List—a leading nationwide political resource for women—to her already sizable backing from … Continue reading
The New York Landmarks Conservancy has announced the winners of the 22nd Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards. Newtown High School in Elmhurst and the TWA Terminal at JFK International Airport are two of the recipients that will be recognized at an April 25 ceremony at the New York Historical Society. The coveted awards, called the “Preservation Oscars,” are named after dedicated New Yorker Lucy G. Moses. They recognize individual leadership and outstanding preservation work. This work provides jobs, promotes tourism, … Continue reading
The three Democrats lined up to fight for New York’s 6th Congressional District got a glimpse of their Republican challenger if they can make it through their primary. GOP Councilman Dan Halloran won the backing of his party and announced on Monday that he will take on whoever comes out of the Democratic race among Assemblywoman Grace Meng, Assemblyman Rory Lancman and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley. Ensconsed by supporters at Bowne Park in Flushing, Halloran came out swinging on national security. … Continue reading
After months of investigation and studies by the Department of Transportation (DOT), Community Board 6 voted overwhelmingly to approve a traffic calming plan that will bring changes to two major streets in Rego Park. The approved plan, which was presented by DOT at CB 6’s latest meeting on March 14, will see 62nd Drive and 63rd Road undergo changes that will slow down traffic for drivers and make it safer for pedestrians walking on those two streets, which serve the … Continue reading
It was a week of emocratic musical chairs for the newly official 6th Congressional District. After the unexpected retirement of Rep. Gary Ackerman, three Democratic challengers—including a local councilwoman—announced they will vie for his seat. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, Assemblyman Rory Lancman and Assemblywoman Grace Meng will fight for the nomination leading up to a June 26 primary. A day before candidates could start petitioning on Tuesday, a judicial panel put final lines in place for congressional redistricting that had been … Continue reading
As part of a legislative package pushed through with redistricting early Thursday morning, lawmakers made the first step toward legalizing full table gaming in New York. In the wee hours of March 15, both houses of the state legislature voted to support the constitutional amendment needed to create full-fledged casinos in the state. To be official, the amendment must also be passed by a newly elected legislature and be ratified by voters. The soonest this could happen is in 2013. … Continue reading
It’s official. Congressional and legislative districts both have final lines for the next 10 years despite taking two very different paths to get there. In a decision announced Monday in the Eastern District Court of New York, a judicial panel enacted congressional lines drawn by a magistrate they had appointed to the task. It did so reluctantly, though. The judges said repeatedly in the ruling that the state legislature shirked its responsibility and laid it on the federal government. “In … Continue reading
After the announcement that his congressional district could disappear, Rep. Bob Turner (R-Queens) is doubling down on his political future by announcing a United States Senate run. On Tuesday, March 13, Turner released a statement saying he would challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. “I will travel to the Republican State Convention in Rochester later this week and humbly ask for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate,” Turner said in a release. “I will respectfully ask for the Conservative nomination … Continue reading
This week, members of the State Legislature released a second and final draft of proposed redistricting lines that looked remarkably similar to their last draft. State Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) blasted them for being 98 percent the same as the previous draft, which he has called the most gerrymandered in New York’s history. It’s uncertain if Gov. Andrew Cuomo will let the maps stand if they are passed by the Legislature. He threatened to veto the first set of maps. … Continue reading
The race is already starting for a congressional district that doesn’t officially exist yet. In the past week, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D- Queens) and State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) took their case to the grassroots. Ackerman spoke to possible new constituents at the Forest Hills Civic Association on Tuesday, March 13, and Lancman introduced himself to the Juniper Park Civic Association (JPCA) on Thursday, March 8. They are vying for the proposed 6th Congressional District that stretches from Middle … Continue reading
A Queens grand jury charged a real estate investor and an attorney this week for stealing more than $65,000 in proceeds from a Queens couple after the sale of their house. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office identified the defendants as real estate investor Jose Toral, 28, of Oakdale, Long Island, and attorney Thomas Zacharia, 38, of Staten Island. Brown says the men took unfair advantage of a couple who were in financial distress and forced to sell their home. … Continue reading
Several local hospitals received low marks in safety ratings, according to a recent survey released by Consumer Reports. A nationwide magazine that rates and reviews consumer products and services, Consumer Reports releases a survey with data on over 4,000 hospitals nationwide each year. The survey—which grades hospitals on safety ratings in four areas: hospital infections, readmissions, discharge and medical instructions—collected data on 98 total hospitals in the New York City area and ranked 81 of them. Of the hospitals ranked, … Continue reading
Police are searching for two suspects who stole iPhones from a store on Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park. The 112th Precinct is asking for help identifying the suspects from surveillance footage. Police say that on Thursday, Feb. 9 the two men entered a Sprint store at 65-07 Woodhaven Boulevard at 12:15 p.m. While a salesperson showed them two iPhones, they grabbed them from the employee’s hands and fled. There were no injuries, and police are recording it as a grand … Continue reading
Queen’s 9th Congressional district has been dismantled and doled out in a redistricting map proposed by a special master appointed to draw nonpartisan lines. The Queens portion of the 9th, which previously covered a swath from Rego Park down to the Rockaways, would be absorbed into three neighboring districts. Stretching west from Middle Village, Maspeth, Ridgewood and Glendale through Flushing and east to Bayside, the new 6th District’s largest voting block would be Asian residents. Woodhaven and Cypress Hills would … Continue reading