Category Archives: Ridgewood
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
Police in the 104th Precinct are warning residents about a robbery pattern near the boarder of Middle Village and Rego Park. Captain Michael Cody, commanding officer of the 104th, said that this month near 80th Street and 60th Road in Middle Village, two robberies took place at around 5:30 p.m. The first was on April 5 and the second was just a week later. Speaking at the COP 104 meeting on Thursday, April 19, Cody said police believe a group … 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
Community Board 5 welcomed a new board member at its April 11 meeting. Luis Rodriguez right introduced himself, saying he’s a resident of Ridgewood and a member of the Ridgewood Property Owners Association and the Ridgewood branch of Friends of the Library. “I’m very happy to be a member of the community board, and hopefully I’ll have some input,” he said.
The School Construction Authority (SCA) is considering tearing down the building that used to house the St. Aloysius parochial school in Ridgewood and building a new 444-seat primary school. The building, which was constructed in 1966, has been unused since the Catholic school closed in 2009. Now the Department of Education wants to turn the lot at 360 Seneca Avenue into a public primary school. Because the building is so old, it would have to be completely demolished. As … 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
Police arrested an off-duty school safety agent in his Ridgewood apartment on April 5 for allegedly raping a woman at gunpoint in Brooklyn. Tommy Johnson, a 28-year-old NYPD employee, is charged with rape, burglary, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and a laundry list of other offenses that stem from an alleged incident with his ex girlfriend. School safety officers are peace officers employed by the NYPD, but neither the NYPD or Department of Education (DOE) have released what school … 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
Grover Cleveland High School got a glimpse of hope that they might be able to save their school Monday, and during a public hearing in the school’s auditorium that night, it showed. That day, the Department of Education (DOE) announced it was taking seven schools off the list of those scheduled to be closed and reopened under the turnaround plan. Grover Cleveland remained one of 26 that would replace their names and half their teachers under the plan, but … 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 Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions (CURES) learned last week that they each won a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2012 Environmental Quality Award. A personal call came in from Congressman Bob Turner (R-Queens) to let them know. “These are two extremely deserving groups who do important work on behalf of our community,” Turner said in a statement. “I was proud to have nominated them, and am even prouder that they have been recognized for their … 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