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Meng Secures $2M for 60 Outdoor Dining Structures in Queens

Celia Bernhardt on June 26, 2024

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com 

A new outdoor dining structure for Mojitos Restaurant Bar in Jackson Heights. Credit: Celia Bernhardt

Thanks to $2 million in federal funding secured by Congresswoman Grace Meng, 60 restaurants in Queens are getting an outdoor dining makeover to bring them into compliance with new city rules. 

The Congresswoman celebrated the funding at a press conference with other local representatives and officials from the Adams administration in front of Mojitos Restaurant Bar in Jackson Heights, one of the establishments to receive the funding. 

“I believe that we must provide our restaurants with the tools that they need to succeed, and that’s why I’m thrilled to have fought for and secured this vital funding totaling $2 million,” Meng said to the crowd. “These free dining setups will help dozens of restaurants in my congressional district here in Queens grow and thrive, and just in time for summer.”

The event was also an opportunity for officials from the Adams administration to show off a real-life example of the kind outdoor dining structures they hope businesses will adopt as they crack down on the sheds that were built during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“For the city of New York, we are going to take over from Paris and become the global destination for outdoor dining because of this.” Small Business Services commissioner Kevin Kim said. 

The outdoor dining sheds that popped up throughout the city during the COVID-19 pandemic have been a subject of hot debate. Some call them “eyesores,” arguing that they attract rats and aren’t worth the lost parking; others emphasize that they have served as an economic boost to restaurants and are a positive example of street space being used for dining and socializing.

The city released a final set of rules for a permanent, standardized outdoor dining program in February. Among those rules: the structures must be completely open-air and include a drainage system; they must close down by midnight and cannot take up metered parking spots (but can use loading zones); and they can only stand between April and November. Restaurant owners must put them in storage during the winter months. 

Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi told the crowd that the structure set up for Mojitos and other establishments included water-filled barriers in order to ward away rats.

“This is a real advancement. Don’t sleep on this detail. The other ones were soil-filled. So, you know who likes to live in soil? They don’t like to live in water, so it makes a big difference in terms of hygiene and making sure that these are sanitary,” Joshi said. 

Though Mojitos and other restaurants in Meng’s district may be lucky to receive the assistance, most restaurant owners will have to pay their own way to implement the changes. A spokesperson for SBS said that restaurant owners would likely need to spend about as much on the new structures as they did to set up their original sheds, as the city aims to make them comparable in cost. 

“The Dining Out NYC website is a marketplace that has a whole list of different kinds of setups,” SBS representative Joseph Jordan said. “Some cheaper, some are more expensive.”

“In general we’re saying $15,000 to $25,000 that these business owners are getting in benefit by having a setup like this,” another representative for the agency said. 

When asked whether she was concerned for other restaurants throughout the city that might not get the same support as the 60 she sponsored in her district, Meng said her “solution is not necessarily a long term one.” 

“It was just a way to get these kits for free for my restaurants. Obviously, I wish I could leave a magic wand and the city could provide them for free for all the restaurants,” Meng said. 

Restaurant owners must apply online by August 3 to participate in the city’s outdoor dining program — otherwise, they forfeit their outdoor spaces entirely.

González-Rojas Boosts Senior Transportation with $40,000 Funding in Queens

BQE Admin on June 26, 2024

By MOHAMED FARGHALY | mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas has allocated $40,000 in district initiative
funding to bolster subsidized transportation services for seniors through the
Selfhelp Community Services Northridge/Brulene/Southridge NORC Program. The
funding, presented on June 20 in Jackson Heights, aims to assist older adults who
struggle with the costs of traveling to crucial medical appointments and other
essential care services.

The initiative stems from community feedback received by González-Rojas, where
residents expressed their challenges in affording transportation for necessary
healthcare visits. This financial support is part of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 New
York State Budget, which allocated $1 million specifically for Naturally Occurring
Retirement Communities (NORC), an advocacy area championed by González-Rojas.

In addition to this targeted funding, the Assembly Member secured $100,000 in
general operating funds for SelfHelp Community Services, underscoring her
commitment to enhancing services for older adults across the state. Her legislative
efforts during the 2024 session also led to the elimination of insulin co-payments for
New Yorkers under state-regulated insurance plans, and initiatives to shield aging
communities from medical debt.

“I am so delighted to bring resources to NORC programs in my district. Aging in
place with grace and dignity is critical to the longevity and vibrancy of our
community,”  Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas said. “As a member of both
the Committee on Health and on Social Services, I recognize the incredible impact
investing in our aging population has on ensuring that our older adults are able to
safely and easily gain access to critical resources to support their independence as
thriving residents of New York. I’m grateful that this year we were able to secure
these funds for important services like these, to strengthen our older adult

population. When we invest in services like these, we are investing in all of our
futures.”

Karen Taylor, Program Director of Selfhelp Northridge/Brulene/Southridge NORC,
expressed gratitude for González-Rojas’ support, highlighting the critical role of
subsidized transportation in ensuring seniors receive necessary medical care.

“The Selfhelp Northridge/Southridge/Brulene NORC thanks Assemblymember
González-Rojas for support," Taylor said. “One of most frequently used services our
NORC provides is subsidized car service to medical appointments. We arrange over
1,000 trips each year to ensure that NORC members get the care they need to stay
healthy and independent. From cancer treatments to cardiology follow-ups, we
ensure that no older adult is forced to skip an essential medical appointment
because of the rising costs related to transportation.”

González-Rojas’ advocacy underscores a broader commitment to supporting aging
populations and enhancing their quality of life through targeted legislative efforts
and community-focused initiatives.

Juneteenth at the MoMI; Astoria Museum Celebrates its Own, and Pushes for a Broader and More Meaningful Observance of Emancipation Holiday

BQE Admin on June 26, 2024

 

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom

 

by Alexander Bernhardt Bloom | alex@queensledger.com

 

For the Museum of the Moving Image, Juneteenth is not a day off. This month marked the third year since the holiday was adopted as a federally-observed one, and while banks and post offices and public schools on its neighboring Astoria avenues and in the rest of the city closed their doors, the Museum of the Moving Image flung them open wider than usual.

It was the third edition of the museum’s special event on the holiday, which commemorates a key moment in the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans and the end of slavery in the US, and the staff there used the opportunity to continue to explore ways to best celebrate and observe the United States’ most recently declared national holiday.

On Wednesday, visitors watched performances of traditional African dance and expressive contemporary ballet. They listened to traditional African drumming and danced to an R&B-focused vinyl session from a Bronx DJ collective. They screened historical films and heard from panels of scholars and created digital artworks and ate empanadas.

For Tiffany Joy Butler, Associate Curator of Public Programs for the Museum, the diverse medley of programming makes sense for a holiday which draws on many traditions and has several layers of meaning.

“It is important to remember that this is a cultural celebration of our African heritage,” she said, explaining the inclusion of the traditional drums and dancing in Wednesday’s events, and pointing out also that these kinds of performing arts traditions have often comprised a part of Juneteenth celebrations in Black communities in the American South, where Juneteenth has been celebrated for generations without federal endorsement. Including them here today is “a way to remember our roots, to remember that we are descendents of Africa.”

As head of programming for the Juneteenth celebration, Butler was determined to include other parts of the Black American experience too, and examine the way they have been portrayed in American movies historically. For this, she cued up two films from the 1940’s from Director Spencer Williams, both shot in Texas – where the Juneteenth holiday has its origins – and produced independently with all Black casts and crews to be viewed, essentially, by all-Black audiences in the segregated South. The choice of the films was a departure from selections from the past two years which included the cult-classic, The Wiz, and a Disney animated film, this year’s emphasis on bringing forward undertold stories which are a part of our national history very much in line with the spirit of the holiday in observance. 

This is a mission for the MoMI which exists beyond the Juneteenth celebrations, explains Education Director Leonardo Santana-Zubieta: “Museums tend to portray dominant stories curated by a very specific curatorial lens. With events like these, the focus is to give visibility and to amplify certain legacies and culture and background and voices.”

Part of how MoMI is doing that is by welcoming residents from the surrounding neighborhoods in the city’s most diverse borough into the museum in ways that should make them feel seen and at home.

“MLK Day, Welcome Ramadan, Juneteenth, Day of the Dead,” explained Santana-Zubieta, are some of the many family and community engagement events, “meant to bring the communities together and also celebrate the space of the museum in a way that is not a traditional museum experience.”

Movies were screening in the adjacent auditorium and visitors continued to stream in and out of the museum’s open doors, and a few floors up, children with virtual reality goggles affixed to their faces used digital wands to design objects in an imagined landscape. Their prompt was: “What does a free world look like in the future?”

There are plenty of federal holidays when the right thing to do is to take off, enjoy a moment of repose, barbecue or watch blockbusters. The Juneteenth programming at the MoMI was, finally, a good reminder that some of our nation’s honored days are better spent on.

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom
Contemporary Ballet in the MoMI rotunda.

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom

 

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom
Edge School of the Arts with LIFE Camp drummers, in partnership with Eagle Academy, perform traditional dance and drumming in the MoMI courtyard.

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom
Tiffany Joy Butler, Associate Curator of Public Programs, introduces the event’s film screening.

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom
Inside the MoMI Media Lab.

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom
MoMI Education Director Leonardo Santana-Zubieta: Holiday events, “meant to bring the communities together and also celebrate the space in a way that is not a traditional museum experience.”

 

Photo Credit: Alexander Bernhardt Bloom

 

City Launches Let’s Swim NYC Program with Historic Budget

BQE Admin on June 26, 2024

By MOHAMED FARGHALY | mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a sweeping $1 billion initiative on June 19 aimed at
overhauling New York City’s public pools, a historic investment designed to
safeguard residents from increasingly severe heat waves and bolster water safety
education.

Dubbed Let’s Swim NYC, the initiative represents the city’s largest commitment to
its swimming infrastructure since the 1970s. Over the next five years, the plan will
funnel funds into 39 pools across all five boroughs, including the construction of two
new indoor pools and the complete renovation of three others.

The announcement comes amid growing concerns over climate change, which has
intensified heat waves and underscored the need for accessible cooling centers in
densely populated urban areas like New York City. The upgrades are expected to
expand safe water access and equip New Yorkers with crucial water safety skills

As part of the initiative, the New York City Department of Education also debuted
two state-of-the-art pools at the Harry S. Truman High School campus in the Bronx.
These additions are part of a broader effort to update aquatic facilities across city
schools, ensuring safe and modern spaces for student use and community
engagement.

“New York City’s pools and beaches are incredible places for New Yorkers to come
together, learn to swim, and beat the heat — and as climate change makes heat
waves like this week’s more common and more severe, the need for pools has never
been greater,” Mayor Adams said. “We’re making a splash with our billion-dollar
investment over five years, which will open up more, better pools in all five
boroughs for working-class New Yorkers to freely use. That’s how we make New

York City a more livable place for everyone lucky enough to call the greatest city in
the world home.”

The initiative received praise from various city officials and community leaders,
highlighting its potential to improve public health and community well-being.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi noted the dual purpose of the
infrastructure upgrades, emphasizing their role in enhancing safety and recreation
for residents.

“This week’s heat surge reminds us that we need to use every tool to beat the heat
— sometimes that’s as simple as suiting up and jumping in,”  Deputy Mayor for
Operations Meera Joshi said. “We take real pleasure in delivering infrastructure that
does double duty, delivering both safety and joy. We’ll see you poolside!”

According to NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue, the investment will include
critical repairs to aging infrastructure and the implementation of advanced filtration
and ventilation systems across multiple pool sites. This, she said, will ensure these
facilities remain operational and accessible for generations to come.

“At our free public pools across the city, New Yorkers of all backgrounds can relax,
get exercise, and cool off on hot summer days,”   Donoghue said. “But public pools
are more than a luxury — they’re a vital public resource that promotes public health
and makes our communities safer from extreme heat. With these ambitious projects
amounting to more than $1 billion, we’re proud to be part of an administration that
is investing in our public pool network to ensure all New Yorkers can access the
safe, well-maintained public spaces they deserve.”

The initiative is part of a broader strategy outlined in NYC Parks’ forthcoming Vital
Parks for All plan, which aims to strengthen the city’s health and environment
through its park system. The plan focuses on equitable investments in public spaces,
including parks, pools, and recreation centers.

In addition to the pool renovations, the city is tackling a nationwide lifeguard
shortage, with recent agreements aimed at recruiting and retaining lifeguards to
staff its expanded pool network this summer and beyond.

Local organizations and advocates have lauded the initiative’s potential to
transform community access to swimming and water-based activities. Sharon
Greenberger, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York, emphasized the
importance of ensuring water safety and accessibility for all city residents.

“I commend Mayor Adams for this important investment and making swim access
and equity a top priority for the city,” Greenberger said. “The YMCA looks forward
to continuing our work to support water safety and ensuring every child in New
York City can safely enjoy the city’s pools and beaches.”

As the city prepares to implement Let’s Swim NYC, officials anticipate that these
enhancements will not only provide relief during hot summer months but also
foster a sense of community and promote physical fitness among New Yorkers.

Eileen Reilly Steps Down as Maspeth Town Hall Executive Director After 30 Years

BQE Admin on June 26, 2024

By MOHAMED FARGHALY; JEAN BRANNUM | mfarghaly@queensledger.com

After three decades of transformative leadership, Eileen Reilly, who has been a
guiding light at the Maspeth Town Hall Community Center, is stepping down. Her
tenure has seen the Center flourish into a vital community hub, renowned for its
innovative programming in education, recreation, the arts, and health awareness, all
under her visionary stewardship.

A lifelong Queens resident who grew up in Woodside as one of 13 children, Reilly
has played an instrumental role in transforming Maspeth Town Hall into a
cornerstone of the community. Under her leadership, the Center has flourished,
offering innovative programming in education, recreation, the arts, and health
awareness.

Reilly’s sense of community, shaped by her upbringing, has guided her exceptional
work at Maspeth Town Hall. Since joining the organization, she has overseen the
expansion of its budget from $150,000 to over $4.5 million, facilitated a $3 million

renovation of the building, and increased staffing to 285 employees, 75 percent of
whom are college students. The Center now serves 500 clients weekly.

Her initiatives include the development of a toddler program that assists 125
children and parents each week and successful collaborations with local public
schools, private foundations, and the New York City Department of Education to
provide Pre-K and after-school programs.

“Im always proud every morning when I wake up to represent this county, 360
languages and dialects are spoken across Queens County,” Reilly said. “We
understand that our diversity is our strength, and this institution has always been
an institution open to everyone in the community.”

Reilly’s efforts have also extended to forming valuable partnerships with local
entities such as the Maspeth Federal Savings Bank, the Chamber of Commerce, and
the Maspeth Kiwanis Club. Her community service beyond Maspeth Town Hall
includes two decades as the coordinator of the St. Adalbert’s Ladies Guild, where she
has helped raise over $200,000 for the school.

Reflecting on her retirement, Reilly expressed mixed emotions.

“I was very fortunate to have a job that never felt like a job. I was happy to come to
work every day and I’ve met so many people over the 30 years who made me a
better person, a better director,” she said.

Reilly’s departure was marked by accolades from colleagues and community
leaders. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards commended her dedication
during the celebration.

Her successor, Mary Casey, has been trained by Reilly and is set to continue her
legacy at Maspeth Town Hall.

Reilly’s retirement plans include spending more time with her family. Married to her
husband, Robert, since May 1970, Reilly met him while volunteering at a hospital
where he was recovering from Vietnam War injuries. They have three children,
Michael, Amanda, and Thomas, and are proud grandparents of Darrah Kate and
Sydney Grace Reilly.

As Reilly steps down, the community she has served so diligently celebrates her
legacy and the lasting improvements she brought to Maspeth Town Hall. Her
commitment to the greater good has set a high standard for community service,
ensuring that the Center will continue to thrive under new leadership.

Forte Prep Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art High School in Queens

BQE Admin on June 26, 2024

By MOHAMED FARGHALY | mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Forte Preparatory Academy marked a milestone in its educational journey within
the Queens community with the groundbreaking of a new high school building on
June 17. Located at 78-06 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, Queens, the ceremony
heralded the commencement of construction on a sprawling 60,000-square-foot lot.

The event, attended by Forte Prep students, parents, staff, and local officials
including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, showcased plans for a six-
story standalone facility slated to open its doors in 2026. Spearheaded by Apex
Development, the innovative design promises a host of amenities tailored to
enhance the student experience.

“This represents an opportunity for the vision of our program and our facility to be
in sync with one another,” said Graham Browne, Founder and Chief Executive
Officer at Fort Preparatory Academy. “Just like our long-term home at Reeder Street,
the Queens Boulevard High School will serve as a beacon for the potential and
promise of public education in our corner of Queens. I’m so excited to be able to
deliver our long-term high school home to our current Forte Prep freshmen who
will complete their high school journey in the new building.”

Among the features outlined are a full-size basketball court, dedicated science labs,
specialized art and music rooms, a media center and library, and a rooftop terrace
designed for outdoor recreation and relaxation. The building will also boast a 3,000-
square-foot cafeteria and multipurpose room, catering to both academic and
communal needs.

Founded in 2017, Forte Prep has operated as a middle school at 51-35 Reeder Street
in Elmhurst, with a temporary high school location in Glendale since 2023. The new
high school facility aims to consolidate their educational offerings, fostering greater
collaboration and resource sharing between the middle and high school divisions.

Browne acknowledged the extensive effort required to bring the project to fruition,
expressing gratitude to Forte Prep’s leadership team, legal advisors, architects,
funders, and consultants. He emphasized the significance of the new facility in
providing a permanent home for Forte Prep’s growing student body, enabling them
to flourish in a purpose-built environment.

“This is a grand undertaking,” Browne said. “It’s not easy to get to this point, with all
the work that goes into developing and designing and building, not to mention
negotiating a lease, and so I’d like to thank Forte Prep’s Senior Leadership Team, our
legal team, architects, funders and consultants in helping to get us to this point.”

Forte Preparatory Academy, a tuition-free institution located in Elmhurst is
dedicated to empowering students from diverse backgrounds through rigorous
academics, creative enrichment, and leadership development. Founded on the belief
in the transformative power of education, Forte Prep prepares students to excel in
college preparatory high schools and beyond.

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