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Phish to Rock the Iconic Forest Hills Stadium

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Extravagant stage settings with dramatic lighting at Phish concerts, MSG New Year’s Eve 2024 photo by Scott Harris

Phish will Add to Longtime Music & Tennis Tradition

By Michael Perlman

Forest Hills history will be taken to new heights when Phish comes to town, to the delight of everyone from longtime fans to fans-in-the-making, traveling from far and near. The stage of the historic horseshoe, arched colonnade, eagle-adorned Forest Hills Stadium, which offers premier sightlines and acoustics, as well as a balance of intimacy and monumentality, awaits Phish’s footsteps. The band’s distinctive jams, musical improvisation, and memorable harmonies will take place in a rare surviving outdoor venue, where an audience’s chorus under a crisp blue sky often transitions to a brilliant sunset and starlit sky, casting a relationship with lighting and special effects. After-parties are bound to be held at nearby restaurants centered around Station Square and Austin Street.

A two-day extravaganza on July 22 and July 23 at 6 PM will signify Phish’s first concert in Queens, nicknamed “The World’s Borough.” Forest Hills will feel like a storied destination on their 30-gig “Summer Tour 2025,” which began on June 20 in Manchester, New Hampshire, and concludes on September 21 in Hampton, Virginia. The band consolidates multiple genres, spanning experimental rock, jazz fusion, alternative rock, progressive rock, bluegrass, country, funk, reggae, and psychedelic rock. The repertoire of no two shows is predictable.

 

Danny Clinch photographing Phish in New York City on March 26, 2024.

Forest Hills Stadium became America’s first tennis stadium as of August 11, 1923. There is a native debate as to whether tennis placed Forest Hills on the map, or if Forest Hills Stadium placed tennis on the map. On a similar note, music came into a league of its own in New York, thanks to the Forest Hills Music Festival at the Stadium as of 1960, and placed Forest Hills into a neon lights league. Now Phish will be further diversifying the Stadium’s timeline of unique achievements.

Phish’s history originated in 1983 in the city of Burlington, Vermont. Today’s members are guitarist and primary lead vocalist Trey Anastasio, drummer Jon Fishman, keyboardist Page McConnell, and bassist Mike Gordon. Each member is a vocalist, and their music at large is co-written by lyricist Tom Marshall and Anastasio. An original guitarist was Jeff Holdsworth (along with Anastasio), who pursued other horizons as of 1986.

A series of firsts transpired on the Stadium’s hallowed grounds. Among the standouts were Maureen Connolly Brinker being the first woman to win a Grand Slam in 1953. This was also the U.S. Open’s birthplace. Since tennis was a segregated sport, racial color barriers were broken when Althea Gibson was the first African American to win a U.S. National Tennis title in 1957, and Arthur Ashe was the first African American man to achieve the U.S. Open title in 1968. Singles and National Championships, and the Davis Cup made history. The nearby storybook style Tudor clubhouse features an extensive tennis player “wall of fame” with portraits of Bill Tilden, Helen Jacobs, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Andre Agassi, Billie Jean King, and John McEnroe.

The “who’s who” in music entertained fans from the 1960s into the mid-1980s, and briefly in the late 1990s. An extensive list includes “Ol’ Blue Eyes” Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, Tony Bennett, Donna Summer, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, “Peter, Paul and Mary,” The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Barry Manilow, Sammy Davis, Jr, Count Basie, and Trini Lopez. One of the most dramatic moments was The Beatles’ helicopter landing on grass courts before performing in 1964. The Stadium also became a cinematic backdrop of Alfred Hitchcock’s film, “Strangers on a Train” (1951) and “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001).

Phish in NYC, 2024, Photo by Danny Clinch Photography

After the West Side Tennis Club faced financial challenges, an unoccupied Forest Hills Stadium, which resembled a Colosseum amidst lush greenery, was on the verge of being sold in 2010 for a condo. It underwent a rebirth after this columnist spearheaded a PR and preservation campaign, encompassing creative reuse and economic benefits to rescue an icon that was no match for the landfill, but rather a chapter of continued rackets and high notes. The Club rejected the redevelopment proposal. Then Mumford & Sons launched a new era of Stadium concerts with their concert on August 28, 2013. To this day, dynamic concert manager Mike Luba, a partner with Tiebreaker Productions, works around the clock year-round.

Since the Stadium’s rebirth, a miniscule percentage of the legends that graced and rocked its new stage consist of Bette Midler, The Village People, Ed Sheeran, Robert Plant, Santana, Hall & Oates, Tears For Fears, Roger Daltrey performing The Who’s “Tommy” with The New York Pops, Sutton Foster and Pink Martini with The New York Pops, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, David Byrne, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Peter Wolf, Van Morrison and Tom Jones, Jethro Tull, Zac Brown Band, Pitbull and T-Pain, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and Hozier.

There is no shortage of bonding and creative opportunities when it comes to ecstatic Phish fans, who become an extended family. Brian Weinstein, who resides with his wife in Forest Hills since 2019, is the host of “Attendance Bias,” a popular Phish fans podcast: www.linktree.com/attendancebias

He discovered Phish in 1996 at age 13, and was a fan ever since. He reminisced the launch of his podcast during the pandemic. “At the time, there were a few good ones available for Phish, but none contained what I wanted to hear; stories from fans about their favorite shows. Phish’s summer tour was canceled, and I had no one to talk to about my favorite band. As I walked through Forest Park, I listened to a podcast on podcasting, polished my idea, got in touch with people who loved the idea of telling their favorite stories, and I launched the first episode in August 2020.”

1964 Music Festival poster, Courtesy of Michael Perlman

Weinstein feels the magic behind the Stadium can be attributed to its rich history. “It has seen athletic greatness, as well as some of the greatest musical artists of the past 100+ years. It feels modern, yet classic,” he said. Its quality as a music venue is another draw. “The concourse is wide and comfortable, the concessions are mostly local businesses, and the sound is outstanding in every seat.” As for Phish’s first gig at the Stadium, it is a dream come true for Weinstein among fans. “When I saw my first show at the Stadium in 2018 (David Byrne), I thought, ‘Phish would never play here; it’s too small, local, and intimate. Phish made its NYC home at Madison Square Garden, but they’re not big enough for Citi Field, so Queens seems out of the question.’ These will be special shows.”

Weinstein values Phish’s rapport, which is somehow stronger than mostly any other bands that he has seen live, considering that they play large arenas and stadiums. He also praises how they do not step on stage with a pre-determined setlist. He explained, “They communicate with the audience through their song choices, the styles of music they choose to play that night, and the pacing of the concert. The band rarely speaks directly to the audience, and yet an attentive fan can formulate an entire narrative from the show. As a fanbase, we are excellent listeners, and the band responds to the crowd’s enthusiasm and attention.”

Phish undoubtedly represents distinction. Weinstein continued, “They maintain their ‘cult’ status while simultaneously being able to draw 40,000 to a festival, or selling out four consecutive nights at MSG. They can do something as typical as playing a 22-gig summer tour, or they can play 13 nights at Madison Square Garden without once repeating a song. They have accomplished what extremely few other musical artists have; creating their world in tandem with their audience, and continuing to challenge themselves and their audience creatively for four decades, without settling for anything less than the best.”

America’s Tennis Stadium ad, MIT’s The Technology Review, November 1922

Rego Park resident Patrick Owens, a fan for over 25 years, attended countless Phish concerts through his teens and twenties. “It is exciting that Phish will see our neighborhood. I hope they like it so much, they decide to move here,” said Owens, who embraces their jam band and is drawn to their psychedelic rock. “Like with the Grateful Dead, there is a pseudo-spiritual happy-go-lucky subculture that follows Phish. Their performances are typically enhanced by elaborate light shows.”

“Phish’s iconic jam band melodies usually have me twirling in whatever stadium or venue they’re at,” said Rego Park resident Lisa Hakim, who has been a fan since living in Arizona in the early 1990s. “The Forest Hills Stadium news takes me back to my college days.”

“Phish is a journey, musically and geographically, and I’m thrilled that everyone is traveling to this national gem in Forest Hills,” said Setauket, NY fan Tedd Kanakaris, who owns Sandpiper Wealth LLC, a financial planning and advisory group named after two Phish songs. He has likely attended 80 shows since August 1998.

Kanakaris explained a unique Phish culture, where longtime fans love to see them at various venues along tour, and the venues are consistently part of the show and that show’s history. “The band will often have a notable song and improvisational section/jam on a given night, and then we will forever refer to that specific performance as ‘The Tahoe Tweezer’ (played on 7/31/2013 at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys in NV) or ‘Riverport Gin’ (played on 7/29/1998 at the Riverport Amphitheater in MO). The venues are hallowed grounds where history occurs, so there’s always our pilgrimage near and afar. They become meeting places; a temporary Phish metropolis, which also includes the town with its restaurants, hotels and Airbnbs.” He provided the analogy of a show to a keynote conference speaker, since much unfolds day and night.

Phish friends Gotta JiBrew Traveling Brewery Club, Top row, Tedd Kanakaris on left & Phish Lyricist Tom Marshall, 3rd person, & Musician Peter Cottone, bottom, 2nd person, played in jam bands with Tom in 1990s & is mentioned in Phish song ‘Wilson’

Throughout his upbringing, he would hop on the train to Manhattan from Port Jefferson, which meant passing by Forest Hills station. He would get glimpses of the Tudor-style Forest Hills Gardens and the unique Forest Hills Stadium. “I always wondered what that magical European oasis was. Years later, I sponsored a women’s challenger series tournament at WSTC, and finally saw the Stadium up close. I played in it, and while the echoes of our shots pinged around the decaying seats, I kept thinking, ‘The Beatles played here.’” He recalls the Stadium’s endangerment in 2010.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Nectar’s in Burlington, VT, a bar which hosted Phish’s earliest gig in 1984, is endangered due to an ongoing municipal construction project on Main Street, leading to its closure, at least for now. Kanakaris has high hopes that fans among preservationists will “save the day” along the lines of the Stadium campaign. Nectar’s seemed like a second home for Phish in the mid-1980s, since they would perform regularly, and even the band’s 1992 album, “A Picture of Nectar” is named in its honor. He explained, “When historical places close, much history dies alongside it, and when economics is at the root, cultural institutions are often replaced by commercial business opportunities. People can make a difference through learning and sharing with others that an important cultural institution has shut down. This builds the community that wishes to rescue it, followed by the donors that invest to make it a reality.”

Author Andy Smith in center among Phish fans at Mondegreen, 2024

“I’m so excited for this hometown show! I love it that Phish is playing a new venue, and is still interested in trying new things,” said Andy P. Smith, an author and longtime fan from Brooklyn. He wrote a book, “100 Things Phish Should Know & Do Before They Die” with co-author Jason Gershuny. “It was an amazing opportunity to fully immerse myself into the world of Phish, consisting of the history, the lore, the nuances of their performances across a 40-year career, and interviewing other fans, collaborating with illustrators and photographers,” said Smith. They were fortunate to release an updated second edition last year. “As a writer and a Phish fan, this is the intersection of my two largest passions, and it resonated with the fans. I’m proud to say that we’ve now sold over 10,000 copies.”

Smith can vividly relive his earliest Phish performance from when he was a teen in 1998, and is forever grateful to his mother, who drove him and three friends from Seattle to The Gorge. “It was truly a magical experience. While the band was playing, the sun was setting behind the stage. For the last minute of the sun descending behind the horizon, Fishman played a drum roll, and the whole crowd roared.” Now Forest Hills leaves much to be desired.

He references Phish as “the most generous band in the world.” “From a fan’s perspective, the more you invest in Phish, the more you’re rewarded. I met Trey for the first time this summer, and he was so kind and engaged in our conversation. It was an incredible experience to meet one of my heroes and be overjoyed,” said Smith.

In an elated manner, he asked, “What band plays from midnight to sunrise to ring in the new year in a swamp with 80,000 people? Even Mondegreen… What a rich experience! Phish doesn’t have to play multiple sets across multiple nights in an environment they build from the ground up to support 50,000 fans… The Baker’s Dozen? Thirteen shows without a single song repeated? It’s not that other bands don’t do that, but that other bands can’t. Phish is constantly pushing the envelope… Gamehendge on New Year’s?”

Jumping to Vermont, but universally serving fans in honor of Phish is resident Lauren Pinto, who tirelessly dedicates her time. “Girltour,” a collective of creative female friends was born in 2016, in response to encountering a male dominated scene. “We piece together tours with opportunities set up by others. We create and sell our merchandise on the road to cross-promote and support each other. It became a full-time gig for a number of us,” she said.

Pinto’s relationship with Phish began in 2011 while attending their gig at PNC Banks Arts Center in New Jersey. Reflecting upon the past 14 years, she attributes her nights seeing Phish to some of her best life moments. “I wasn’t an artist or creator before I started seeing Phish. I discovered this community, and learned from other amazing creators that I could be on tour and make a living. I owe everything to my predecessors and to Phish. Most of the people I know and love I met on the road. My life was saved by rock ‘n’ roll,” she said.

She feels inspired by Phish as a community conscious band. “They don’t just play a rock concert and leave. They make a positive impact wherever they go,” said Pinto. “I joined ‘Green Crew’ in 2013, a club of fans who pickup recycling after each concert. I joined volunteer efforts with ‘The WaterWheel Foundation.’ At each tour stop, they partner with a local foundation, raise funds, and participate. I painted NYC schools, bagged lunches, weeded community gardens, and blazed trails in whatever community we visit for that weekend.”

Some members of Girltour under a rainbow, Broomfield, CO, Courtney Westerkamp, Amanda Burgess, Sara Shabany, Lauren Pinto, Claire Christenson, Photo by Michelle Carnella

 

Fans were polled on their favorite Phish songs:

 

Brian Weinstein: “Glide” demonstrates their musical prowess juxtaposed with their trademark wordplay and silliness. “Tweezer” is their strongest improvisational song.

 

Tedd Kanakaris: “Sneaking Sally Through The Alley” ~ Phish famously performs covers, but given their improvisational nature, will make them their own with jam sections. It’s the first song that I heard Phish play, which sparked my interest in them.

 

Lauren Pinto: “Harry Hood” covers much range. It’s light and floating, and dark and grimy. It features crowd involvement with a sing-along. You can feel good!

 

Andy P. Smith: “The Squirming Coil” ~ The theme, melody, potential for a jam, and of course, Page’s piano outro. There’s nothing that hits me in the feels harder than that!

 

Patrick Owens: “Guyute” is a bright tune and the music sounds happy, but the story is really terrifying. It is a reminder to cultivate positive energy, even in dire circumstances.

 

Lisa Hakim: “Hoist” is my favorite album. I love the endless riffs and extended jams. “Divided Sky” is at the top of my song list.

Joseph Hernandez Launches Bid for Mayor

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Joseph Hernandez stopped by the Ledger’s offices last week to talk about his mayoral campaign.

By JACK DELANEY | jdelaney@queensledger.com

New York City’s mayoral brawl has another boxer.

Joseph Hernandez, a hyper-educated scientist and prolific investor, is running for mayor as an independent on a centrist platform that includes hiring more police officers, raising salaries for teachers, and integrating artificial intelligence into the fabric of the city.

Though Hernandez’s campaign started only a month ago, it’s already gained a surprising amount of traction: his team aimed for 4,000 petitions and ended up with over 15,000, plus endorsements from industry associations for bodegas, small businesses, and supermarkets.

Hernandez, a late entrant to a field of buzzy names — Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa, and Zohran Mamdani — is still a long shot. But he likes it that way, at least for now: “I was born an underdog,” he told the Ledger.

In Hernandez’s case, that’s no hyperbole. Born in Camagüey, the third-largest city in Cuba, much of his family fled in 1959 when Fidel Castro came to power. Yet his dad, a businessman, stayed, a decision that proved fateful when he ran afoul of the regime and fell into an encephalitis-induced coma for six months while in prison. 

The family joined a mass exodus to the U.S. in 1980, but had to start from scratch. His father recovered enough to wash dishes, while his mother cleaned homes. Only a few decades later, however, their son would be a successful biotech financier with five degrees — and in contention for NYC’s top job.

“[My parents] taught us to work hard, to have faith, to get educated, and to love our adopted country,” recalled Hernandez. “That, they said, would change the course of my life. And they were right.”

More Police, Cheaper Housing

To this day, Hernandez expresses an unshaken belief in the American Dream. But in an echo of Cuomo’s messaging, his current assessment of New York is grim: “We think the city is unsafe,” he said, highlighting what he viewed as lenient sentences for violent crimes. “There’s no law and order.”

If elected, Hernandez plans to hire an additional 10,000 police officers — the NYPD currently has about 35,000 uniformed employees — and foot the bill by reforming the department’s overtime pay, a hot-button issue. 

If Hernandez views public safety as mostly doom, the affordability crisis is all gloom. Like Mamdani — who has campaigned on a promise to freeze rents — he stressed the urgent need to lower housing costs, though he disagreed over the fix. 

“He’s not wrong,” Hernandez said of Mamdani. “This city is expensive. [Especially] if you’re a young person — no question about that. But I don’t think it’s a rent control issue. It’s a supply issue; it’s a very basic economic question.”

As mayor, Hernandez’s strategy would be to speed up the conversion of empty offices into apartments, while reducing the length of time that affordable units distributed through the city’s online portal sit unoccupied. 

All-In On AI

Nuances aside, Hernandez’s positions on policing and housing are unlikely to turn heads in a campaign cycle saturated with similar platforms. What might is his heavy focus on tech, and the resume he brings to back it up.

Hernandez received three degrees from the University of Florida — a bachelor’s in neuroscience, and graduate diplomas in molecular genetics and finance — before studying epidemiology at Yale and public health at Oxford.

From there, Hernandez worked at the pharmaceutical giant Merck, and would go on to found at least eight companies tackling a range of diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Covid. (In 2020, he also helped fund an early attempt to sequence the genome of the dodo bird, in hopes of reviving the species.)

Those experiences help inform Hernandez’s sense that New York City could benefit from a more high-tech approach to government. Since moving to the city in 2011, he’s observed a wide array of possible applications for artificial intelligence, some of which have been adopted by metropolises like Dubai and Singapore: traffic light synchronization, garbage pickup, pothole management, and predicting crime, among others.

Beyond city services, Hernandez aims to make NYC a global hub for AI. “New York City has some of the cheapest power, because of Niagara Falls,” he noted. “We can compete better than any other city for AI and high-energy consumption technology. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be a center of excellence: create jobs, create opportunities, and create the next generation of AI kids who live in Queens and Harlem.”

As cities around the world rush to cash in on the AI boom, many have been forced to confront an uncomfortable fact: the technology requires data centers that guzzle water and energy on a massive scale. Consider Ireland, where “dozens of massive data centers humming at the outskirts of Dublin are consuming more electricity than all of the [country’s] urban homes,” wrote the AP last December, and are “starting to wear out the warm welcome that brought them here.”

But Hernandez argues that issues such as water usage will eventually be solved, and that data centers and server farms are net positives, despite concerns. The same goes for AI itself, which he maintains would reduce inefficiency: “On the privacy side, you have to be sensitive. You have to listen to people about this,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a technology you have to embrace.”

Suing the City for Ranked Choice

While Hernandez is confident that there’s still time to reach voters with his message, last week his campaign upped the ante by suing the city over what it views as an unfair impediment to independent candidates: the lack of ranked choice voting (RCV) in the general election.

In 2019, New Yorkers voted to adopt a new system for primaries, which allows residents to rank up to five candidates rather than choosing only one. Supporters of the change said that it would boost turnout and reduce attack ads, as candidates could benefit from forming alliances. Others asserted that it would diversify voters’ options, by giving them the peace of mind to vote for the candidate they truly wanted, not just the one they believed had a chance to win.

However, the system was not extended to the general election, a decision Hernandez said violates both state and federal law. 

“A two-tiered election system is fundamentally unfair,” he expanded. “Every New Yorker deserves a vote that counts, and every candidate deserves a level playing field—regardless of party affiliation. RCV ensures majority support and real choice. Without it, the system is rigged in favor of political insiders.”

The general election will take place on November 4. The last day to apply online or by mail is October 25 — early voting starts that day, and continues through November 2. For more information, visit vote.nyc.

Queens Rallies for Rails Over Trails in Transit-Starved Borough


BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

“Transit Deserts” in Queens Spark Student-Led Fight for Subway Line

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Student organizers, transportation advocates, and local elected officials gathered on July 16 beneath the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) bridge at 63rd Drive and Austin Street in Rego Park to call on Mayor Eric Adams and city leaders to support the QueensLink project, a proposed subway expansion that would reactivate a long-abandoned rail line in Queens.

The event highlighted the delivery of a petition bearing nearly 1,500 student signatures to a representative from the Mayor’s office, urging the city to fund and prioritize reactivating the Rockaway Beach Branch rail corridor for transit use rather than converting it exclusively into parkland. The rally coincided with the release of the student-led QueensLink Report, which lays out the urgent need for expanded transit options in Queens and outlines the potential benefits the project could bring to the borough.

Before the rally began, two supporters in the crowd joked with each other, “I’m a little late—I would’ve been here faster if only there was a train that would’ve gotten me here quicker,” a nod to the very project they were here to support.

The QueensLink proposal calls for converting the 3.5-mile stretch of the unused Rockaway Beach Branch, which has been dormant for over 60 years, into a modern subway corridor that would extend the M train south from Rego Park through underserved neighborhoods, eventually reaching the Rockaways. Advocates say this would create a vital north-south connection, easing some of the longest and most burdensome commutes in New York City.

Matthew Paolucci, a recent Queens College graduate and organizer of the rally, emphasized that the QueensLink project is fundamentally about improving the lives of students and everyday commuters in Queens. Standing alongside fellow advocates, elected officials, and students, he described the project as an opportunity to “absolutely revolutionize transportation in Queens.” He pointed to the abandoned Branch just behind the rally site, stressing that it’s not just in need of a park but also a subway line to connect residents more efficiently.

Paolucci noted that the QueensLink Report includes personal stories from students who face commutes of over an hour to travel just a few miles, calling that “unacceptable in the world’s borough.” He outlined five future-facing recommendations, including stronger community outreach and a push to include the project in the MTA’s 2025–2034 Capital Plan. He also linked the project to broader infrastructure developments like the JFK Airport expansion and Van Wyck Expressway widening, warning that without investment in public transit, traffic and inequity will worsen. “We need mass transit that is not just going to meet the present needs, but it’s going to meet the future needs,” he said, ending with a rallying cry: “We want QueensLink, and we want it now.”

QueensLink supporters stress that the transit expansion would not only reduce commute times but also boost economic development, improve quality of life, and help reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. The project aligns with broader goals to build a more sustainable, equitable transit system across New York City.

Yet the QueensLink proposal faces stiff competition from the city-backed QueensWay plan, which would transform the same rail corridor into a linear park with walking trails, bike lanes, and green space. QueensWay has received significant funding, including $117 million in federal grants secured last year and $35 million from the Adams administration.

Kashif Hussain, Deputy Public Advocate for Infrastructure and Environmental Justice, spoke from his background in grassroots organizing, highlighting the Office of the Public Advocate’s longstanding support for QueensLink. “It just makes sense,” he said, noting that the project doesn’t force a choice between a park and transit. “The beautiful piece of this plan is you don’t have to choose one or the other.”

He emphasized the decades-long neglect of South and Central Queens, calling them “the largest transit desert” in the city. Hussain stressed that new transit investments deliver “economic growth, social benefits, equity and opportunity to uplift communities,” including easier access to jobs, schools, and family for residents and students.

Referencing a report from his office published in May, he said, “This project would make a significant impact on every Everyday Lives for the people of Queens,” arguing it would shift commuter habits away from cars and toward transit. He warned that building only a park now could block future transit options. “Mark my word on this one,” he said. “Losing this opportunity will do a major disservice to our most vulnerable communities.”

Hussain closed by urging the MTA to begin with an environmental impact study and to take “a deeper, more serious and more objective look at this plan,” framing QueensLink as a critical step toward “a more equitable New York.”

The QueensLink campaign has also faced financial hurdles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), responsible for overseeing such expansions, has cited high cost estimates as a barrier to reactivating the line. A 2018 MTA study pegged the price tag at $8.1 billion, though later revised it downward to $5.9 billion. QueensLink supporters argue those figures are inflated, with their own transportation consultants estimating the cost at $3.5 billion.

Rick Horan, Executive Director of QueensLink, opened by expressing surprise that such an obviously needed project still requires advocacy. “You would think that reactivating a rail line in the middle of a transit desert would be a no brainer. Unfortunately, it’s not,” he said. Horan emphasized the importance of collective involvement, saying, “We have to get involved in everything if we’re going to even make the obvious happen.”

He thanked attendees for showing up to support the project and especially acknowledged the efforts of students at Queens College and NYPIRG, who, along with QueensLink, stand to benefit most from improved transit. Horan praised the student-led QueensLink Report, calling it a strong contribution to the movement: “It just lends credibility to the fact that, you know, we may not need better transit in the future. We needed it yesterday.” He closed by affirming the group’s commitment to the cause: “We look forward to continuing the fight with you.”

 

The initiative received a boost earlier this year when the New York State Senate included $10 million in its 2025 budget proposal to fund an environmental review of QueensLink. This move followed a sustained grassroots campaign led by QueensLink organizers, who mobilized supporters to send thousands of letters to elected officials urging support. Six state senators and seven assemblymembers signed on in favor of the project.

Still, the Assembly budget did not include funding for QueensLink, a disappointment to backers who say the plan has broad legislative support and a clear community mandate.

City officials and MTA representatives have emphasized that the QueensWay park plan does not preclude future transit use, but QueensLink advocates note that the MTA’s most recent 20-Year Needs Assessment gave the QueensLink proposal a low priority, citing QueensWay as a competing interest.

Edward, known online as the creator behind the YouTube page Joint Transit Association, voiced enthusiastic support for QueensLink, calling it “a good project” and making clear there is “absolutely no way with QueensWay.” Citing his own successful advocacy that helped push the MTA to consider swapping the F and M trains between the 63rd and 53rd Street tunnels, he highlighted the power of public pressure and grassroots organizing.

Edward criticized the lack of transit infrastructure in Queens, saying, “We only have the equivalent of, like, what, two and a half train lines, maybe three on a good day when the N or W aren’t shutting down.” He argued that QueensLink would provide the critical north-south service the borough is missing and could cut travel times by 15 to 30 minutes for riders throughout Queens.

He emphasized that the project is a necessary, scalable transit solution for a growing borough, saying, “We need National Transit solutions, not a Walmart High Line that will block trains on the route.” He pushed back on the idea that rail and park space are mutually exclusive: “We can do both rails and trails,” he said. Ending on a hopeful note, he praised the report released at the event for backing up what transit advocates have long claimed, and declared, “I am proud to support this transit revolution.”

The rally drew a diverse crowd of students, community leaders, and transportation experts who stressed that expanding transit options in Queens is critical to addressing the borough’s growth and longstanding inequities.

QCP Celebrates 75 Years With Debut of Theater Program

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Courtesy Ellen Arrocho

MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

As Queens Centers for Progress (QCP) marked its 75th year of service, a new chapter in creativity and inclusion unfolded with the debut of The QCP Players Theater Program. Over the past 12 weeks, more than 100 participants from QCP’s Day Habilitation program rehearsed Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Kids, culminating in two free public performances on June 27 at QCP’s Adult Center in Jamaica, Queens.

The initiative, launched just days before Disability Pride Month, integrates individuals with developmental disabilities not only on stage but also behind the scenes. Participants took part in acting, singing, dancing, set design, costuming, ushering, and concessions, bringing the production to life with passion and pride.

The theater program was created through a partnership with AhHa!Broadway, a nonprofit organization focused on inclusive performing arts. Under the guidance of professional Teaching Artists and a full design team, QCP participants developed new skills and boosted self-esteem while experiencing the transformative power of storytelling.

Josie Davide, director of QCP’s 164th Street Day Services, described the program’s focus on joy. “From day one, this program has been about joy,” she said. “We wanted our participants to have a space where they could express themselves, try something new, and shine in every sense of the word.”

Davide, who has worked with QCP since 1989, shared insights on her long career in the field. “I started out with Queens Centers for Progress in our children’s center, and I’ve actually worked my way up to the director of the day program that I currently have now,” she said. Growing up in Corona, Queens, and now living in East Meadows, Long Island, Davide recounted how her family experience inspired her path: “My father had had a stroke when we were younger… he was paralyzed. So I got into physical therapy, and I worked at the hospital, and I kind of worked my way from there. I always, all my life, I loved helping people.”

Reflecting on the evolution of QCP’s day habilitation program, Davide noted, “We started with eight individuals, and now we have over 162 enrolled. We worked with individuals… many of the people that we support, all adults 21 and over, we have gotten many of them jobs. They volunteer throughout Queens.”

The theatrical element grew organically from participants’ love for performing. “They love to act, they love to perform, they love to sing, they love to do all this giving this fun stuff that they see on TV,” Davide said. “We’ve done fashion shows, open mics, musical numbers, and always wanted to do a theater program.”

Choosing Willy Wonka Kids was a natural fit. “We picked Willy Wonka, because Willy Wonka has some of the individuals who auditioned fit the parts of Willy Wonka perfectly,” Davide explained. After 12 weeks of twice-weekly rehearsals, 27 performers embraced their roles. “I was in tears the whole time. They really, really did a great job.”

The backstage crew also contributed, working on set painting and design with guidance from AhHa!Broadway artists. “The collaboration between the individuals and my staff and the director and the set design was just amazing,” Davide said.

The performances drew enthusiastic audiences. “They were in shock,” Davide said. “They didn’t think they can do as well as they did, memorizing everything and learning all the lines and singing and just being happy and really bringing to life Willy Wonka.”

Following the success of the debut, QCP plans to continue offering creative opportunities. “We’ll be doing open mics on Fridays, probably in a month or two,” Davide said. “Next year, we’re gonna put on another production. It’ll be a musical number coming next year… We find that the individuals love to sing, and they sing their lines so great, so that we want to do it more, more musical than line.”

Davide encouraged community support for QCP’s mission. “Donations are always accepted,” she said. “You can come and support the shows when we have them, that’s wonderful. And just if there are any volunteer sites in the community that need volunteers, let us know. They could even contact me directly.”

The QCP Players Theater Program’s inaugural performances at 81-15 164th Street in Jamaica offered a glimpse of the power of inclusion and the joy of artistic expression, highlighting the organization’s enduring commitment to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities.

Courtesy Lorraine Heaney

 

Elmcor, a Black-Led Nonprofit, Will Build $51.5M Affordable Housing Development in Sunnyside

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Christian Spencer

Sunnyside is in desperate need of affordable housing, according to local community members.

On Monday, July 7, one of New York City’s most established Black-led nonprofits broke ground on a new development to help meet that need.

Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities is leading the construction of a $51.5 million affordable housing project aimed at addressing displacement and structural inequality.

This latest effort reflects Elmcor’s commitment to pairing housing with dignity, particularly for Black and Brown New Yorkers disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity.

The six-story building will include 55 permanently affordable apartments—studios through three-bedrooms—and feature a community space and embedded services such as job readiness, mental health support, and youth programming.

“This is stability for 55 families that will have permanent affordable housing right here in Queens,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said. “We think about 55 units, but there are 55 stories behind every unit count that’s going to be built here.”

“This is a really smart way that Elmcor is building this project because it’s not just about physical infrastructure,” said U.S. Representative Grace Meng, who was present at the event. “It also comes with the backing of wraparound services for families—from youth to the seniors who are going to be living in these buildings. And it’s close to public transportation.”

The outdoor event, held at 43-12 50th Street near the 46th Street–Bliss Street station on the 7 line, brought together nonprofit leaders, elected officials, architects, and city housing officials in a show of support for Elmcor’s model of nonprofit-led development.

The project is a joint development between Elmcor, Lemle & Wolff Companies, and Sarana Development Group, with public financing from city agencies and contributions from lending partners such as Webster Bank.

Meng, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, noted the federal role in supporting projects like this.

“Every year, we allocate funding to New York State, New York City, and we are actually trying to get more,” she said. “I have legislation that would allocate billions of dollars more to build projects like these.”

The project is about more than delivering affordable housing; it is rooted in a community-led vision that prioritizes design integrity and neighborhood identity.

Officials involved in the development, including Acting HPD Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, emphasized the importance of architectural continuity, noting that the building was deliberately designed to echo Sunnyside’s historic Art Deco housing stock from the 1920s and ’30s.

“Having affordable housing built here in Sunnyside not only aligns with the city’s promise to address this issue in every borough—it also means investing in an incredibly rich, diverse, and culturally important neighborhood,” Tigani said. “Delivering 55 units here is very important to HPD, and I’m excited to see it happen.”

Tigani also outlined the city’s financial commitment: “We contributed tens of millions of dollars to make sure we could meet the affordability requirements. That includes city capital, Council and Borough President RESO-A funds, and support from partners like Webster Bank and a Community Development Financial Institution.”

He described the agency’s rigorous vetting process for developers: “We evaluate proposals based on our term sheets, sustainability goals, broadband access, unit mix, and other requirements that address both housing and broader city policy needs.”

While subtle to outsiders, this design choice carries deep significance for longtime residents. It honors the neighborhood’s architectural legacy and ensures that affordability does not come at the expense of quality or character, reflecting the same level of care typically reserved for market-rate developments.

“Queens has one of the longest waitlists of any borough to get affordable housing,” Meng said. “And so we need more housing.”

She also connected the project to her broader legislative goals, saying, “This organization is providing a lot of wraparound services to the families who are living here, so it’ll be great.”

Queens Man Charged in Double Homicide of Family

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Courtesy Freepik

Murder-Suicide Attempt Leaves Mother, Child Dead in NYC

A Queens man has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing his wife and 2-year-old daughter to death in what authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide attempt carried out during a video call with a relative, police said.

Officers responded to a 911 call just after 7 p.m. Saturday reporting an assault in progress inside an apartment on Forest Avenue near Menahan Street in Ridgewood. Police said the call came from a relative who was on FaceTime with the suspect at the time of the attack.

Inside the apartment, officers found 41-year-old Ana Pilatagsi-Moposita and her daughter, Analiz Cruz, with multiple stab wounds to their necks and chests. The Mother was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, while Anila was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center where they were both pronounced dead.

The alleged attacker, 54-year-old Ernesto Cruz, was found with a stab wound to his chest. He was also taken to Elmhurst, where he remained in critical condition as of Sunday. Police say the stabbing appears to be a domestic violence incident and are investigating it as an attempted murder-suicide.

Cruz was charged Sunday with two counts of murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, the New York Police Department said.

According to investigators, the FaceTime call was placed to Cruz’s nephew during the incident. The nephew contacted authorities immediately after witnessing what appeared to be the stabbing of the child and her mother.

According to Channel 7, Neighbors described the scene as chaotic and horrifying.

Investigators say Pilatagsi-Moposita was stabbed approximately 18 times, and the toddler nine times. The couple and child reportedly kept to themselves, and no prior domestic disturbances had been reported at the residence, police said.

Officials said the motive for the attack remains under investigation.

The Ridgewood community, a quiet residential area in northwest Queens, is reeling from the violence. Outside the building Sunday, a small memorial of flowers and candles began to take shape as neighbors mourned.

The investigation is ongoing.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org.

Courtesy NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst

Attention New York City: ICE is Here to Stay

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Robert Hornak

Robert Hornak is a veteran political consultant who has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Republican Assembly Leader’s NYC office and as Executive Director of the Queens Republican Party. He can be reached at rahornak@gmail. com and @roberthornak on X.

The shooting this past week- end of an off-duty Border Patrol agent during a robbery in upper Manhattan has increased tensions over what the American people want done about the millions of illegal immigrants that entered the country during the four years the Biden administration disregarded our immigration laws.

Donald Trump won the election on a platform that led with securing the border and getting rid of illegals that came here and are committing crime. Securing the border was the easy part – and without any of the new laws that Biden and many Democrats insisted was needed to make that happen. The farcical claim that massive illegal immigration was due to a broken immigration system was exposed as yet another lie.

But the second part is turning out to be a little more complicated as state and local elected Democrats are actively trying to impede and undermine these efforts, even going so far as to be complicit in the doxxing of federal agents who just do their job and take illegals into custody.

In a rare display of common sense, embattled mayor Eric Ad- ams backed an executive order to allow ICE to set up an office on Rikers Island, to make the process of taking illegals into custody an uneventful process.

But Democrats in the city council refused to allow this to be a safe, easy process. They went to court to block the deal, getting the judge to rule that this deal looked like payback for Adams’ favorable treatment from the U.S. Attorney’s office in his pending federal corruption trial.

The result of the left’s obstruction is that now ICE must go out into the communities where these illegals are likely to be found and do what they can to apprehend them. And since there is no law that says if you are not committing crime you can stay, potentially otherwise law-abiding illegals of- ten get swept up in these actions. And, yes, they too will now be at risk of deportation or if they have an outstanding deportation order they will likely have their deportation expedited.

As they say, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. And Democrats are certainly get- ting it.

In a post-shooting press conference in NYC on Monday, border czar Tom Homan said, “You don’t want to let us in the jails

to arrest a bad guy in the safety and security of a jail.” and went on to say, “So what are we gonna do? We’re gonna put more agents in New York City to look for that bad guy. So, sanctuary cities get exactly what they don’t want: more agents in the community.”

And, of course, Adams passed the buck, saying, “I have nothing to do with the rules that are put in place. I just carry out the rules.”

This as New York is trying to pass a bill to make it illegal for law enforcement to wear masks, as ICE has been doing to make it harder for the obstructionists to doxx them. A move that will be both inflammatory and likely un- constitutional as no city or state can regulate the federal government. Something that was made very clear in the recent confrontation between Trump and California Gov Newsome over control of the national guard.

The bottom line is clear. Many Americans want criminal illegal aliens deported. And ICE will be conducting these operations for as long as the country has leadership willing to enforce our immigration laws.

If the Democrats want the fo- cus to be primarily on criminals and want to make these apprehensions safe for all concerned, they need to cooperate instead of obstructing. But, sadly, it appears as if they want to allow even the worst criminals who have com- mitted the most heinous crimes to remain in this country with impu- nity.

All Faiths Cemetery Moves Forward With New Board and Renewed Vision

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

Sofia Montagna

News@Queensledger.com

All Faiths Cemetery, located in Middle Village, NY in Queens, is entering a new chapter.

Once the subject of a state investigation into financial misconduct on behalf of the cemetery’s previous board, the 501(c)(13) nonprofit cemetery is now under new leadership. The cemetery’s new board members say they’re working to restore the cemetery’s grounds and be “good neighbors” for the community.

The shift followed the New York State Attorney General’s 2019 lawsuit against several board members of the cemetery after an investigation revealed financial misconduct. The previous board was consequently replaced with a new leadership team.

When asked about the state investigation, James McClelland – the cemetery board’s treasurer and a longtime resident of the area – commented, “The state attorney general did come in. They did an investigation. They did find wrongdoing. Restitution was made to the cemetery, and we took over. There were some forensic financial audits [the new board dealt with] that went back from 1999 onwards.”

“The new board was constituted in 2021, so it started off with three people,” McClelland further noted. There are currently four board members.

When the new board was appointed, the cemetery was in need of repairs. Since stepping in, they have launched several projects, including reconstructing multiple blocks of sidewalk along Metropolitan Avenue in front of the cemetery, paving the roads inside the cemetery, and large-scale landscaping and repairs inside the cemetery.

According to McClelland and the cemetery’s co-president, Brian Chavanne, the stretch of crumbling sidewalk that the board had reconstructed (an approximately $500,000 project) had been in need of repairs since at least 1987. McClelland explained that prior to the repairs, “If you had a wheelchair or had a shopping cart, you couldn’t walk on this side [of the sidewalk].”

Much of the restoration work, McClelland and Chavanne explained, was driven by safety concerns. Crumbling sidewalks and interior paths created a safety and accessibility issue, making it difficult for visitors to visit their departed loved ones in the cemetery.

The board is also looking to strengthen ties with the surrounding community. Hopes for the cemetery’s future include offering historical tours of the cemetery, having community events, and engaging the Boy Scouts and veteran groups to make sure that on holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, the cemetery recognizes the men and women of the service who are buried in its grounds.

“We want to make sure that we are good neighbors, that we are responsible neighbors, and that we provide a safe environment,” McClelland noted.

Pol Position: Referendums In Play

BQE Admin on July 24, 2025

There are two charter revision commissions, one through the mayor’s office and one through the city council. The mayor’s commission floated the idea that all registered voters, no matter what party affiliation, can vote in the primary. Council member deference is cultural understanding in the city council for generations. Partiality to the opinion of a project in the councilperson’s district is respected through the other council members. The determination on the outcome of the passing of a project is deferred to the local representative. Much like in the State Senate, Senator Jessica Ramos seemed to be the only person who was against the Metropolitan Park Project, turning Willets Point into a Casino. That stalled the project from going forward as a bid to be one of the three casino licenses given in the State. In the past, neighboring Senator would never publicly come out against, his colleague. Senator John Liu did indeed come out in favor of the Casino, and that was quite rare. Member deference has been a breeding ground for some of the more ugly happenings in politics. Making it a law seems trite.

Being appointed means you are not in charge

Was Adams running the police force like a criminal enterprise? An ex-chief accused the mayor of actually having control of the police department.

Memo to anyone who is appointed to a post …… You are not in charge! You are appointed to represent that person who appointed you, and you can be removed. Former Police Commissioner Tom Donlon, who was police commissioner for two months in 2024, has filed lawsuits of corruption. One of his complaints, which really spoils his suit is claiming that he wasn’t really in charge of the force. The mayor still ran the department. 

Well no kidding…

The other charges in the suit are quite jarring. Buying promotions to looking the other way. It was among almost a half dozen lawsuits against the mayor in recent months. Some in high places claim these suits come about so Adams will drop out of the race, leaving Cuomo with a path to victory. Adams maintains that he will stay in the race until the end.

Mayoral Candidate Joe Hernandez Came By

Few people have talked about this independent mayoral candidate. Read about Joe Hernandez on our front pages this week. What makes him quite interesting is his explanation about how the use of AI can streamline everything in the city from transit to public safety to easing traffic. It’s kind of a fascinating story about a guy who came from Cuba at age 7. A scientist who went to Yale and Oxford, this guy made something of himself, financially. And now he’s running to be mayor.

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