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The Colorful, Controversial History of New York’s Presidents

BQE Admin on February 18, 2026

ROBERT HORNAK

FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE QUEENS REPUBLICAN PARTY

RAHORNAK@GMAIL.COM

Robert Hornak is a veteran political consultant who previously served as 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.

This week we celebrate President’s Day. With the very odd relationship New York has with the fifth president we sent to the White House, it’s worth looking back to see if this really is an unprecedented time and the grass was greener, or if this is just par for the course.

We tend to look back on our past leaders as if they were larger than life figures better than ordinary men. We celebrate them, naming monuments and schools after them. But people are just people, some polite and humble, others vulgar and venal, including those who served as president. Not all of them were George Washington.

Five American presidents have come from New York. The only states with more are Ohio with seven and Virginia with eight. The New Yorkers to serve were Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roos- evelt, and most recently, of course, Donald Trump. They all had their controversies.

Van Buren, from Kinderhook, was our 8th president, and the second Democrat to hold the office following Andrew Jackson. He was notable for being the first president actually born a United States citizen, the first not being of English decent (he was Dutch), and the first who didn’t speak English as his native language.

Van Buren was unpopular for his continuation of Indian removal policies, including what was called the trail of tears, and for the panic of 1837, a financial crisis that began under Jackson that led to a seven year depression known for bank failures, falling wages, deflation, rising unemployment and failing businesses. He was nicknamed Martin Van Ruin and lost his race for reelection.

Millard Fillmore, from Buffalo, was our 13th president, and the last of the four Whigs to hold the presidency. He was very controversial for his support of the Compromise of 1850, a set of bills intended to avoid conflict between the states, but wound up creating more disunity, especially over the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which empowered Federal Marshals and required ordinary citizens to capture, detain, and return escaped slaves. This was so controversial it led the dissolution of the Whig party, which declined to nominate him for reelection.

Possibly the most complicated and controversial New Yorker to hold the office was Theodore Roosevelt. Remembered more for his legacy of conservation, Roosevelt also had his controversies. He was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions in his 1904 reelection campaign, and of not paying NY property taxes in 1898. He expanded the Monroe Doctrine with the Roosevelt Corollary, which declared a U.S. right to intervene in Latin America to stabilize their economies and to block future European efforts at colonization. It established his “Big Stick” concept of diplomacy and the justification to use American military power to protect U.S. interests.

TR was also controversial for his belief in eugenics, supporting sterilization of “less desirable” people and considered Indians to be savages. While he was applauded for inviting Booker T. Washington the White House, he was also excoriated for the Brownsville Incident of 1906 where it was claimed he ordered the dishonorable discharge of an entire regiment of 167 Black soldiers without due process.

Then came Franklin Roosevelt, the only president to serve more than two terms. FDR was known for interning 120,000 Japanese Americans by executive order, considered by many to be one of the darkest moments in U.S. history. He also ordered the mass deportation of Mexican Americans and enforced strict immigration policies against Jews trying to escape the Holocaust.

When several of his New Deal policies were struck down by the Supreme Court, he tried to pack the court with Justices of his choosing, a move seen as violating the separation of powers. He also tried to have the Attorney General pursue sedition prosecutions against the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News, and the Hearst newspapers for opposing many of his policies.

As we celebrate Presidents Day let’s remember that every president was a human first. Many were course, vulgar, racist, and subject to the same temptations we all are. Looking back, even just at the New Yorkers who held the office, today’s controversies seem very par for the course.

Chela & Garnacha Says Goodbye

BQE Admin on February 17, 2026

The beloved Mexican restaurant closed its doors after 12 years due to high rents and declining sales. 

By COLE SINANIAN | news@queensledger.com 

ASTORIA  — Valentine’s Day, one of the busiest of the year for restaurant workers, is no match for Marlene Guinchard. 

The owner of Chela & Garnacha on 36th Ave does not miss a beat as she runs food from the kitchen, bartends, and greets the seemingly endless stream of eager young couples in the doorway vying for a table in the restaurant’s small, wood-paneled dining room. 

“Seems like everybody came in at the same time,” she says to a man in a baseball cap named Alex Papaioannou, who’s seated over a plate of masa and potato-filled fried tortillas piled high with guacamole, crema and shredded chicken, a family recipe that Guinchard calls Intricadas (“intricate things”). Papaioannou’s wife, meanwhile, whispers to their young daughter in Spanish as the girl uses the table as a runway for her pink plastic airplane. 

“The food is great, but also the ambiance, the charm,” said Papaioannou, a realtor from Flushing who’s been a loyal customer of Guinchard’s since the beginning. “I took my wife here before we were married. She’s probably stayed married to me an extra few years because of this place.”

But on this chilly February evening it’s not just love bringing Astorians out to Chela & Garnacha in droves. After 12 years, the beloved restaurant is saying goodbye. Valentine’s Day was the penultimate night of service. By the time this article runs, Guinchard will have shut the restaurant’s doors for good, with its last dinner service scheduled for Sunday, February 15. Her food will live on, however, at her taco truck, Casa Birria NYC, on the Upper East Side, and her upstate restaurant, Taco Turnpike, in Sloatsburg. 

Chela & Garnacha’s closure comes amid an increasingly competitive property market and soaring commercial rents that have led to high business turnover in Astoria. Other recent closures include the iconic Neptune Diner, which closed in 2024 after 40 years, and pizzeria Porto Bello, which shut its doors after 26 years in 2025. Guinchard, who said she can no longer afford to pay rent after recent hikes, also attributes the closures to a market that never recovered from the pandemic, declining drinking rates, and young peoples’ unwillingness to dish out for beers and gourmet finger food. 

“Right now, everything is dead,” Guinchard said. “New York City is dead. Before Covid this place was already dying, in the sense that there’s been so much gentrification in this area. It’s been so crazy.” 

Marlene Guinchard with her long-time customer, Alex Papaioannou.

Guinchard admits the menu at Chela & Garnacha might confuse some gringos. On Valentine’s day, one young man could be heard attempting to order an IPA— no such thing can be found on her menu. Here it’s chelas only, Mexico City slang for an easy-drinking Mexican beer like Modelo, Tecate, Pacifico or Corona. The phrase “Chela & Garnacha” comes from the song “Chilanga Banda” by Mexican alt rock band Cafe Tacvba, and refers to the popular Mexican practice of drinking beers, snacking on decadent finger foods, and drinking some more. 

Guinchard, who was born in Germany to a Mexican mother and Swiss father but spent much of her youth in Mexico City, says this tradition is best enjoyed with dishes like flautas, a fried, tightly rolled and stuffed tortilla;  volcanes, a kind of crispy corn tortilla topped with gooey cheese, meat and avocado; and of course birria, a dish of marinated beef tacos dipped in a flavorful consommé broth that needs no further explanation in New York, where the once niche Jaliscan specialty (it’s traditionally made with goat) went viral in the early 2020s and has since conquered the city’s taco trucks. For a taste of Guinchard’s birria, head to Casa Birria NYC, currently parked at 86th St and 2nd Ave. 

Her cebollitas,  or fire-roasted green onions, are somewhat of a rarity stateside though ubiquitous in some parts of Mexico, where Guinchard explained that barbecues are incomplete without a pile of the sweet alliums charred and caramelized atop the grill. The intricadas, meanwhile, are the menu’s rarest item, as they are the literal invention of Guinchard’s mother-in-law. Much of the menu was developed by her ex-husband, Jorge, who grew up eating his mother’s delectable creations. One day, she fried masa tortillas stuffed with mashed potato for added heft, piled them with guacamole and cheese and fed them to her children, who were enamored, Guinchard explained. 

“I love the people here, obviously,” Papaioannou said. “But the food— the intricadas…I’ve never found them anywhere else.”

Guinchard’s famous “intricadas.”

It was Guinchard’s son, Jordi Loaeza, who first moved to Astoria. He cut his teeth working as a cook under NYC celebrity chef  Tom Colicchio (Gramercy Tavern, Craft) at his Kips Bay restaurant, Riverpark. It was Loaeza and his father who took the lead on Chela & Garnacha’s menu, Guinchard said, adapting the flavors from their family kitchen to New York tastes, while Guinchard led the business’s financial side. 

They started in 2012 as a food truck called Mexico Blvd, though the goal was always to open a restaurant. A food truck was the best the family could do in the early years, as rents were steep and the commercial property market was highly competitive. Another issue was “key money,” or an added fee paid to the property’s prior tenants to expedite their departure. In Astoria, Guinchard said, these fees could top $70,000. 

“With restaurants, anything that would pop up, that day it would disappear,” she said. 

One day in 2014, the family got lucky; a hookah lounge on 36th Street was closing. They quickly signed the lease, handed over a comparatively modest $48,000 in key money, and began building by hand what was soon to become Chela & Garnacha. 

But now, Loaeza has since moved to Vermont, leaving Guinchard in charge of the business. The property’s lease is ending and the new landlord who’s taking over wants to raise the rent.  Not to mention, sales were already on the decline, Guinchard said, as the business never fully recovered from the pandemic. She also partially attributes the decline in sales to social factors. The neighborhood’s population turns over rapidly, she said, while commuters from New Jersey and Long Island aren’t coming into the city anymore now that they can work from home. 

“New people come, they like our food, then they leave,” she said. 

Guinchard is exploring options to reopen in a space nearby. In the meantime, loyal patrons can visit her at Casa Birria NYC, or take the train up to Sloatsburg to visit her restaurant, Taco Turnpike. Here, they’ll find many of the craveable “garnachas” Chela & Garnacha once offered. The intricadas, however, may be lost to history. 

 

ICE Detains 1 in Astoria Raid

BQE Admin on February 13, 2026

By COLE SINANIAN  | news@queensledger.com 

ASTORIA  — Five federal agents were spotted arresting a man outside a home on 47th Street between Broadway and 31st Ave at 5pm on Thursday. 

Eyewitness and local business owner Fares “Freddy” Zeideia was driving up 47th Street, on his way from his restaurant —  King of Falafel & Shawarma — to his home in East Elmhurst, when he saw the agents. 

“I knew they were ICE because it’s not NYPD, there was no police cars or anything, it was a regular private car,” Zeideia told the Queens Ledger. “And they wear masks. That’s the ICE trademark.” 

In a video posted to Zeideia’s Instagram, masked agents wearing hoodies, ski masks, jeans and vests marked “POLICE FEDERAL AGENT” can be seen guiding a handcuffed man. A different agent is wearing a vest marked “POLICE HSI.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) responsible for investigative work. 

According to Zeideia, the agents drove a black Ford Explorer, seen in the video with the license plate LTE 6313. Zeideia said one of the agents went behind Zeideia’s vehicle, took a picture, then appeared to write down his license plate number. 

“I’m not going to be able to stop them, but I’ll try, you know?” Zeideia said. “I mean, I’ll try to let everybody know. The only thing that I knew that I could do, especially in Astoria, is to post it right away, to tell everybody.” 

Unlike local police, federal agents wear acorn-shaped badges instead of the traditional, shield-shaped police badge of the NYPD. New Yorkers can report confirmed ICE sightings to the city’s official ICE hotline at 229-304-8720. 

On February 6, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order 13, which took effect immediately and prohibits, among other things, “non-city” law enforcement from using City-owned garages and parking lots, and from entering city-owned properties without a warrant. 

Governor Kathy Hochul announced her Local Cops, Local Crimes Act on January 30, which would prohibit collaboration between federal immigration enforcement and local police statewide. Currently, 14 local law enforcement agencies across nine New York counties have signed 287g agreements — a contract that allows federal immigration enforcement to use local and state police to help with immigration reconnaissance and raids. NYPD has not signed a 287g and is therefore cannot legally collaborate with federal agents. Police in neighboring Nassau County, however, do have 287g agreements with ICE.  

Should Hochul’s legislation pass, all collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents would be prohibited throughout New York, which would join Washington, Oregon, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut on the list of states to have outright banned 287g agreements. 

Businesses in the Dark Amid ICE Chaos

BQE Admin on February 13, 2026

By TAYLOR MACEWEN

SUNNYSIDE — Community Board 2 members discussed preparing local businesses for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) encounters at this Thursday’s meeting, but admitted confusion amid decentralized resources.

Early in the meeting, held at Sunnyside Community Services, multiple attendees requested the support of New York State Senator, Michael Gianaris in the passage of several bills aimed at limiting federal overreach regarding immigration enforcement and surveillance. Advocating for Senator Gianaris’ attention on three proposed bills which would ban the use of facial recognition and biometric surveillance of New York citizens by federal law enforcement, committee member Morry Galonoy said “(This) is especially needed in a time where we’re concerned about people’s safety, and exercising their rights to public assembly, and retribution against that.” As mentions of immigration enforcement turned quickly from assured requests to open-ended questions, the gaps in community preparedness became hard for the group to ignore.

In December, Captain Armani of the 108th Precinct reassured members of the board’s City Services / Public Safety committee that the NYPD’s job is to protect New Yorkers, not collaborate with ICE. Legislation announced on January 30 by Governor Kathy Hochul lended some substance to the Captain’s claims. The proposed ‘Local Cops, Local Crimes Act’ aims to limit ICE’s reach within the city, including barring federal agents from deputizing local law enforcement.

Still, the residents and community leaders at Thursday’s meeting expressed the need for specialized preparations for local businesses, highlighting the community’s need for clarity and centralization of educational resources for business owners. The general sense of uncertainty underlying the group’s discussion mirrored that of the city, as reports of ICE raids throughout the country detail the department’s audacity.

Throughout the evening ICE-related concerns were raised by members of nearly every committee from Transportation to Arts & Cultural Affairs. While most agenda items were rattled off by presenters at a rapid clip — so as to stay within the two minute per person limit — paces slowed as passionate bewilderment and frustrations were shared across the room. Frustration not with a lack of resources per se (also shared between attendees), but with an inability for the community to sufficiently prepare without a central source of information or support.

Leaning into the issues of practicality for local business owners in the face of potential confrontation with federal forces, the group questioned the Chair of the Small Business and Local Economy Committee, Morry Galonoy, on the committee’s prioritization of educational materials for small business owners regarding the matter. While some saw it as more of an issue of public safety, there was a very present awareness of the effect this lack of preparation could have on the local economy.

Acknowledging the lack of clarity on whose responsibility this advocacy really is, the Vice Chair of the City Services / Public Safety committee, Danielle Brecker, raised several questions regarding what local businesses should do if their employees are targeted by federal immigration agents.

“I know a lot of businesses in Long Island do have that and there is fear here,” she said. “I don’t think any employers want to lose employees.”

On Friday, February 6, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his signing of an executive order reifying protections for New Yorkers against federal immigration enforcement. Support for the sudden loss of staff, however, remains largely a grassroots endeavor.

Pockets of Empty Storefronts Irk Sunnysiders

BQE Admin on February 13, 2026

By MIRANDA NEUBAUER

SUNNYSIDE — Pockets of business vacancies persist in Sunnyside, even though the overall vacancy rate in the area remains low. One such space is the former Rite Aid store on Greenpoint Avenue between 46th Street and 47th Street, which closed in April 2022 and has not had a permanent tenant aside from a brief turn one year as a Spirit Halloween store.

“It’s very very frustrating because it makes the block dead and it hurts all the other merchants in the area because there’s nobody going to shop there, it’s not drawing anybody to the neighborhood,” said Dirk McCall de Paloma, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District. He said the landlord in question who owns the entire block is not one that communicates with him. “We always want everything to be occupied, if it’s occupied at least people are investing in the community, they are hiring local, they’re putting tax money back in … they have a better interest in keeping the street clean.”

“It’s a great location, it’s one block south of the subway. That area on Greenpoint Avenue has become a very interesting spot with Kora Doughnuts opening up,” said Ben Guttman, executive director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation.

The Greenpoint Ave property’s leasing company Solil Management did not return requests for comments.

McCall de Paloma said the BID had tried to make Greenpoint Avenue more attractive by putting up specialty lights. He stressed the importance of emphasizing the neighborhood’s strengths with data and seeking as much communication as possible with landlords.

The now-closed Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall on 45th Street and Greenpoint Avenue had drawn a lot of people, he said, but is now being developed after it did not get Landmark status under the Adams Administration. A possible performance space in the base of the new building would be a very positive neighborhood contribution, he said.

On the nearby corner of 47th Street and Queens Boulevard, McCall de Paloma praised the recent arrival of Shake Shack for keeping the corner very clean and bringing in lots of people. On the other hand, he said the new Chipotle at 40th Street and Queens Boulevard was getting multiple city fines for trash and snow removal violations, and he had been unable to speak to the manager. He said he always preferred individually owned businesses over the lately more frequent chains. “Individual places are local residents most of the time, they hire locally more, they put more money into the local economy,’ he said. “Sometimes [chains] can be decent … but for every Shake Shack you get a Chipotle.”

Some landlords, especially on Queens Boulevard, ask for “way too much” rent, McCall de Paloma said. He noted that while the concept of Commercial Rent Control had come up over the years, including in the City Council, it had never gone anywhere, and had also raised legal concerns for city lawyers.

Guttman praised Rockrose, a large property owner in Long Island City near Court Square, for making a concerted effort to seek out tenants to add value to the community.”He also praised the new Mamdani administration for an executive order to streamline fines, fees and regulations for small businesses. “That’s a great first step. A lot of these…requirements make sense, but the problem is sometimes they’re duplicative, sometimes they’re onerous.”

Diocese Announces Closure Of Six Queens, One Brooklyn School

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

St. Bartholomew in Elmhurst (Courtesy Facebook)

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced on February 10 that it will close seven Catholic elementary schools at the end of the 2025–2026 academic year, six of them located in Queens, after years of financial strain and declining enrollment.

Diocesan officials said the decision came after an extended review of school finances, enrollment patterns and future sustainability. Rising insurance and pension costs, combined with shrinking class sizes, left the schools operating with deficits totaling millions of dollars. Church leaders said that despite attempts to stabilize enrollment and cut costs, the schools could no longer continue in a financially responsible way.

“This is an extraordinarily difficult moment for our school communities,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack, Superintendent of Schools. “These schools have served generations of families with dedication and faith. The decision to close them was made only after careful consideration and with great sorrow.”

The six Queens schools slated for closure have all seen sharp enrollment declines since 2019. Sacred Heart in Cambria Heights fell from 225 students to 134, St. Bartholomew in Elmhurst dropped from 175 to 138, and St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Jamaica declined from 320 to 144. Incarnation in Queens Village decreased from 183 to 98, St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven fell from 182 to 105, and St. Elizabeth in Ozone Park dropped from 212 to 157. The six Queens schools slated for closure have all seen sharp enrollment declines since 2019. Sacred Heart in Cambria Heights fell from 225 students to 134, St. Bartholomew in Elmhurst dropped from 175 to 138, and St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Jamaica declined from 320 to 144. Incarnation in Queens Village decreased from 183 to 98, St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven fell from 182 to 105, and St. Elizabeth in Ozone Park dropped from 212 to 157.

St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven (www.stawoodhaven.org) 

The closures also include one Brooklyn campus, Our Lady of Trust in Canarsie, which saw a decline from 202 to 115 students over the same period, bringing the total number of affected schools across the diocese to seven.

Diocesan leaders said the sharpest losses occurred between 2024 and 2025, accelerating an already difficult trend. They said the closures mark the end of an era for many families but are necessary to preserve the broader Catholic school system.

The diocese said it will help families transition students to nearby Catholic academies and provide support to affected teachers and staff.

“Our responsibility is both pastoral and practical,” McCormack said. “We will walk with our families and employees through this process, while continuing to strengthen Catholic education throughout Brooklyn and Queens.”

All classes and school activities will continue through the end of the academic year. Church officials said expanding access to Catholic education in Queens remains a priority as students prepare to move to other diocesan schools.

From the Archives – August 26, 2021: “Former Christ the King Star Jose Alvarado Signs with Pelicans”

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

Plenty has changed from CTK to Georgia Tech and the Pelicans, but Alvarado’s tough style of play hasn’t. (Photos from D1Scout.com, ramblinwreck.com, & @PelicansNBA)

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Five years ago, Jose Alvarado was named CHSAA Player of the Year, turning heads at Christ the King High School in Middle Village. Now the Brooklyn native is on his way to an NBA career, recently signing a two-way contract with the Pelicans.

“When I first met him I thought he was a win at all cost player, the ones I love,” said Christ the King head coach Joe Arbitello. “I knew he would be successful at whatever he chose to do. It’s not a surprise to me he’s in the NBA.”

Alvarado was a four-star recruit out of high school, landing at Georgia Tech under head coach Josh Pastner. In his first year he averaged 12 points, the fourth most by a GT freshman.

By his senior year, Alvarado was averaging 15.2 points and 2.8 steals, a tough player on both sides of the ball. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year as Georgia Tech finished 4th in the conference before making a run for the ACC championship.

“Jose is a hard worker, a real hard-nosed individual,” said Pastner. “Coaches love guys like him. He does all the little things to help you win games, fights for every 50/50 ball. That’s what made him Defensive Player of the Year and back-to-back steals leader, the first in the ACC since Chris Paul.”

Up five in the final seconds of the championship game, Alvarado sealed the title with a steal and assist.

“This is why I work my butt off,” said an emotional Alvarado after the game. “A lot of people doubted me. I wasn’t supposed to be in the ACC, but coach took a chance on me,”

Not many players in his situation end up in the NBA, but on draft night, Alvarado knew he had a chance.

“I worked out for 17 different teams and honestly I didn’t know who was going to pick me,” said Alvarado. “I knew the chances of getting drafted were pretty low, but as the process went I started to feel that this might happen, I might get my name called. When I got the phone call it was a dream come true, like a number one pick for me.”

While he didn’t end up picked in the top 60, Alvarado was a part of the Pelicans’ draft day plans. They kept a keen eye on him as they dealt their final pick of the draft, later picking up the Yellow Jackets star.

New Orleans was one of the most comfortable pre-draft workouts for Alvarado, who kept busy in the months leading up to the draft.

“It felt really good,” he said. “They welcomed me with open arms and good energy. It was a good fit, not forced or anything, one of my best workouts easily.”

In the NBA Summer League, Jose took the floor looking to prove he belonged on the roster. In his five games, he did exactly that, leading the team in steals, blocks, and rebounds per game while finishing second in points and assists.

Alvarado’s energy was contagious and he remained confident as ever on the ball. While he has plenty of growth to do, he got valuable experience to learn the speed of the pro game.

With his NBA career on the horizon, Alvarado still looks back to his time hooping in his hometown.

“New York is always gonna be my home, when I go to Christ the King, they’re always gonna be my family. They show so much love because they know my story, they were there with me. My story’s different from a lot of others because not a lot of guys like me get a chance to make it. Where I’m from, that’s never happened.”

Alvarado’s stats may not pop off of the box score, but his effort, dedication, and heart certainly stand out on the court. He knows his role and he plays it well. Whether starting, coming off the bench, or training with the team, the Pelicans are lucky to have Alvarado on board.

“I’m 6-foot on a good day, don’t have the craziest length, I can’t jump up and jam, don’t have the best jump shot, but I give my heart out and I’ll give it my all every time,” he said. “I play like I’m 7-foot and I play like I’m jumping out of the gym.”

This article was originally published on August 26, 2021. Alvarado was traded to the New York Knicks on February 5, 2026.

Love, Brunch, and Slasher Horror

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

A Valentine’s Day brunch with the Astoria Horror Club. 

By MARYAM RAHAMAN 

ASTORIA — Love — and jumpscares — are in the air. Visitors in search of both made their way past the bar at Shillelagh Tavern through a set of dark curtains. On the other side, a back room filled with horror fans greeted them. Audience members voted to watch “The Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge,” a low-budget ’80s slasher loosely inspired by “The Phantom of the Opera”. The ambience was akin more to a very large friend group on a couch making quips and offering commentary than that of a movie theater.

The event was the Valentine’s Day themed “Horror Brunch on Sunday,” a movie marathon hosted by the Astoria Horror Club. Founded in 2021 by married couple Mary Snow and Tom Herrmann, the club regularly meets for movie screenings and book club meetings. Though the event was “BYOB,” or “bring your own brunch,” a table brimming with several kinds of cereal, coffee, and pastries was also available to all audience members.

The club was founded after Herrmann posted on the Astoria subreddit asking if anyone would like to watch horror movies at a bar. He was itching to expand his social circle as lockdown restrictions eased up. Though other meet-ups existed, they felt less personal.  His post gained over 100 comments, with people offering to volunteer time and venues right away. Even in record-low temperatures, the event brought out about two dozen people.

“It’s a niche right? Not everybody likes horror, but the people who like it typically love it,” Herrmann said. “We have a pretty strong queer community at the horror club community, and I think that has something to do with feeling misunderstood, out of place, different. I think that horror speaks to that.”

Outdoor screenings at Astoria’s Heart of Gold bar have produced such enticing laughter that non-horror buffs have converted. “We’ve also had people who’ve come, who said that they came even though they don’t like horror because they could hear us,” Snow added. “They’re like, ‘They’re having fun. I want to go have fun.’ And now they’re regulars.”

The first movie followed teenager Melody after the supposed death of her boyfriend Eric in a mysterious fire. The Valentine’s Day tie-in? While Eric is revealed to be alive and taking revenge against those responsible for his death, Melody is falling in love with Peter, the reporter investigating it. Chatter among attendees and commentary from a Liverpool match being played in the main bar spilled into the movie room. But the sound of the speakers soon drowned it out as the undead Eric took the life of his first victim. The sweet smell of nutella crepes, one viewer’s choice for brunch, accompanied the death scene .

Overall, the movie provoked more laughs than scares. The first time Eric took off his mask, an audience member jeered, “Leave it on!” The crowd responded with a collective “Ew” at Melody and Peter’s celebratory kiss at the end, after Eric and all other villains had been eliminated.

“Horror isn’t the first genre people associate with Valentine’s Day, but there are a lot of great horror movies that deal with romance, love, affection, loss of a loved one,” Herrmann said.

Married couple Mary Snow and Tom Herrmann bonded over their shared love of horror films. Photos by Maryam Rahaman.

Snow and Hermann themselves bonded over a Halloween theater reboot early in their relationship. The pair got married on Friday the 13th, in a wedding that included  references to slasher films.

On Sunday, Blaxploitation film “Sugar Hill,” followed the previous slasher. The main character Diana took vengeance against her fiancé’s killers with the help of a voodoo priestess. Unlike the bursting laughter the first film generated, the vibe during the second was more subdued. Nightmare Sisters,” a B-movie Herrmann described as “barely a movie” was the third and final edition of the screening.

Snow emphasized that Horror Club is a community space “open to everybody,” but that one of three main rules is to “let people watch the film.” Viewers are free to joke around during more fun films, but should be more respectful during serious ones. Viewers must also be good guests to the venues hosting, and are expected to hang out and talk to someone new every time. Though the last isn’t a hard-and-fast rule.

To learn more,  check out @astoriahorrorclub on Instagram. All Horror Clubs events are totally free, but the couple also hosts low-cost screenings under the banner Zero Vision Cinema to access venues with better facilities and to promote local artists and films.

In the upcoming weeks, Snow hopes that the group can contribute to community organizing. Currently, the pair is working on pairing with groups organizing against ICE. After Trump was inaugurated, they said they felt a sense of “hopelessness” in the community. As many movie theaters are struggling, the Astoria Horror Club hopes the bonds created laughing, screaming and crying together at screenings can offer some respite.

“We believe in the community of cinema,” Herrmann said. “To be able to create spaces where people can come together with a common interest in horror and be able to just interact with strangers or people they might not super well is a really great thing we can give to the community. And we feel very lucky to have such an excellent community around us.”

red Hot red Storm Take Down #3 Huskies at MSG

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

St. John’s soars to #17, beats Xavier in OT

St. John’s senior Bryce Hopkins drives from the perimeter against UConn. Photos: Noah Zimmerman

By Noah Zimmerman

Noah@queensledger.com

St. John’s were finally able to pick up their first ranked win of the season, and it came against their toughest opponent of the year. On Friday night, the Red Storm welcomed their rivals, the #3 UConn Huskies, to the world’s most famous arena.

On the back of an 8-game winning streak, St. John’s began their ascent back up the national rankings after an unceremonious plummet from the top-25. They were tabbed at #22 in the nation ahead of Friday’s matchup.

It was an electric night at the Garden, drawing by far the loudest crowd with a primetime sellout. Fans were involved in every play, both on offense and defense. Visiting UConn supporters were noisy as well, with trash talk aplenty between the rival fanbases.

Red Storm wing Joson Sanon plays tough defense on UConn’s Solo Ball. Huskies head coach Dan Hurley is animated on the sideline.

Zuby Ejiofor was unbelievable in Friday’s contest. The St. John’s captain recorded another double-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. He added a trio of blocks and a pair of steals on defense for a terrific all-around game. Ejiofor was named BIG EAST and MWPA Player of the Week for his dominance against DePaul and UConn, adding fuel to his push for conference Player of the Year.

Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell helped Zuby with 15 and 14 points, respectively. The trio combined for 17/26 shooting and 22 of the Red Storm’s 32 rebounds. Off the bench Dylan Darling continued to put together a remarkable second half of the year, adding an efficient 9.

Hopkins gets to the glass for a bucket. He finished with 15 points.

For the Huskies it was senior Alex Karaban who really impressed. The forward went up against one of the top frontcourts in the nation and picked up an efficient 17 points on 7/10 shooting (3/4 from downtown). Silas DeMary Jr. led the Huskies with 18 points, but the UConn guard was hounded all game, resulting in 9 turnovers.

While they got help from the other starters, UConn’s bench only managed to score six combined points, nine less than the Red Storm reserves.

In the final minutes the Red Storm were unable to gain significant ground. Karaban brought the Huskies within a pair of points, but St. John’s were just barely able to keep ahead thanks to terrific defense down the stretch.

It was a short turnaround, but on Monday night Rick Pitino welcomed his son Richard and the Xavier Musketeers to MSG.

Fatigue looked to play a role as the Red Storm couldn’t hold a significant lead through the opening half. Every score had an answer, with Xavier hitting big shots to level the game at multiple points, including a three right at halftime to make it 42-42.

A focal point of the Red Storm defense was limiting Musketeers forward Tre Carroll, who scored 31 in the first matchup against St. John’s. The FAU transfer was held to just four points in the opening frame.

St. John’s made sure to keep Tre Carroll off the board in the first half, limiting him to 4 points. The Musketeers star scored 31 in their first matchup.

Bryce Hopkins stepped into a critical defensive role late, helping contain Carroll and other Xavier bigs and prevent a 2nd half collapse. He made a few terrific stops, but St. John’s just couldn’t get the game squared away as Xavier forced OT.

In the extra period, Xavier’s foul trouble finally got to them. On consecutive defensive possessions Jovan Milicevic, Isaiah Walker, and Malik Messina-Moore picked up their 5th and final personal fouls. Carroll scored 17 in the 2nd half but was kept from attempting a single shot in OT.

Zuby and Hopkins bullied Xavier on defense and drew fouls on the other end before the game was finally punctuated by an Oziyah Sellers fastbreak to make it 87-82.

It was a tough battle but St. John’s were able to pick up the win in an overtime battle, 87-82.

Rick Pitino picked up win #904, passing Roy Williams for 3rd on the all-time NCAA Division I wins list. Still, with the game going to overtime, Pitino wasn’t fully pleased with the effort.

“I hate getting any milestone against him but I go away tonight saying my son is a hell of a coach,” said Pitino postgame. “To say my son is a great coach is much more pleasing than any number of victories.”

The Red Storm will hit the road for three of their next four matchups. On Valentine’s Day the Johnnies have a date in Providence with the Friars, looking to avenge their lone BIG EAST defeat. Then on the 18th they head to Milwaukee to take on the basement-dwelling Marquette.

St. John’s returns to Madison Square Garden on February 21 to finish their season set against the Creighton Bluejays.

JJ: “The Long And Winding Darnold Road To Glory”

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

New York, New York

By John Jastremski


 Super Bowl 60 has come and gone. Now that the dust has settled. Can you believe Sam Darnold is now a Super Bowl champion??

What a wild turn of events. 

Darnold’s career was well documented and under the spotlight from his time with the New York Jets.

Darnold was the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 draft. The hope was that he’d be the answer to Jets fans’ prayers at the most important position on the field.

Darnold’s Jets tenure was doomed to fail. The team was poorly built, poorly coached and Darnold could not rise above that adversity as a young quarterback.

He missed time with Mono, he famously saw ghosts on Monday Night Football against the Patriots, and never delivered on that draft day hope.

Now, the story of Sam Darnold doesn’t exactly go from leaving the Jets to the top of the mountain. Darnold struggled in his next stop with the Panthers and had to sit for a year in San Francisco to rehabilitate.

Last season, it appeared Darnold had finally found a home with the Vikings. He won double digit games and played brilliantly until the final 2 games of the season.

Those 2 games pushed Vikings brass into allowing Sam Darnold to leave for the Seahawks. And boy did the Seahawks hit the jackpot.

The Seahawks had the team. They needed their caretaker. Darnold delivered.

Consider this. The two teams that caused Darnold the most anguish, he sent both home.

The Rams embarrassed Darnold in his Vikings finale in 2024. Darnold beat them in the crucial Thursday night OT classic & in the NFC Championship game.

On Super Sunday, it was the Patriots. The team Darnold famously saw ghosts against.

Darnold was efficient, turnover free and a winner in his first Super Bowl.

What a ride for the Sam Darnold redemption tour.

Now, you have a trivia question for your friends for years to come:

Who was the first QB in the 2018 draft class to win a Super Bowl? 

Not Josh Allen, Not Lamar Jackson, Slingin’ Sam Darnold!

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on The Ringer Podcast Network every Sunday/Thursday on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. You can watch me nightly on Honda Sportsnite at 11 PM on SNY.

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