Facebook Twitter Instagram
718 426 7200
Facebook Twitter Instagram

Mayor Adams Zoning Overhaul Sparks Debate on Affordability in Long Island City

glendaleregstg on April 3, 2024

Courtesy René Salazar

The Western Queens Community Land Trust provided attendees with resources and information
on housing and community projects.

By René Salazar, Freelancer

Community groups in Queens, including the Western Queens Community Land Trust, the Justice For All Coalition, and Racial Impact Study Coalition, convened a town hall meeting at P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell in Long Island City on March 23. The gathering aimed to delve into concerns surrounding the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, a zoning reform initiative geared towards alleviating the housing shortage in New York City neighborhoods.

During the meeting, organizers delivered a presentation elucidating the essence of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams, and its potential ramifications on the community. Attendees received informational materials and resources concerning housing and community initiatives.

In addition, organizers provided QR codes for attendees to scan, facilitating access to resources, and set up an interview station where individuals could share their thoughts in private.

Residents expressed apprehension about the swift transformations in the neighborhood, with many expressing fears that the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal’s approval could hasten gentrification in the locality and its environs.

Following the presentation, an open dialogue unfolded between attendees and organizers, focusing on community needs, deficiencies, and desired changes. Memo Salazar, co-chair of the Western Queens Community Land Trust, underscored the significance of community input, urging residents to voice their concerns to elected officials.

“We are trying to get the ball rolling and that starts with you and your thoughts and ideas. You know best because you live here,” Salazar said. “This is your home, so we need to hear. What do you need? And then we need to go to our elected officials and tell them that. That’s why we are here, we are here because this is home.”

After the discussion, attendees were prompted to share their perspectives on posters displayed throughout the school auditorium, addressing inquiries about necessary programs, educational resources, career training, and job opportunities.

Community members expressed apprehension regarding the neighborhood’s rapid transformation, with many fearing that the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal could exacerbate gentrification in the area. Christina Chaise, a long-time Queens resident, voiced concerns about the potential impact on the Queensbridge public housing development.

“No doubt Queensbridge will be the most impacted and literally we’ll be positioned to live in the shadows if this rezoning plan goes through” Chaise said. “When I think about what it means to build more affordable housing. I think, with the definitions that exist by the department of city planning, does not favor deeply affordable housing. I don’t think it’s real affordable housing”

The proposal primarily aims to modernize zoning regulations by implementing various initiatives, including the elimination of parking mandates, incentivizing up zoning, facilitating residential conversions, introducing town center zoning, and promoting small accessory dwelling units.

“We are here, we are voters just like the other people that are voters, but we vote long term. We are not leaving” Salazar said.

Attendees exhibited skepticism towards the credibility of Mayor Adams’ proposal, questioning its efficacy in addressing affordability issues. Mayor Adams, however, emphasized the proposal’s focus on permanent affordable housing, assuring that up zoning would be contingent upon the provision of affordable housing units.

“Affordable housing is what we need. We are going to allow buildings to get 20% bigger only if they use the new space to deliver permanent affordable housing” said Mayor Adams in his proposal announcement.

The town hall concluded with organizers urging community members to engage further by attending additional meetings and communicating with their representatives. Mayor Adams’ City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal is slated to undergo public review later in the spring of 2024.

Courtesy René Salazar

Community members write their thoughts on poster paper provided by event organizers.

New Animal Care Center Coming to Ridgewood

glendaleregstg on March 20, 2024

By Ana Borruto | news@queensledger.com

QACC RENDER-NO PEOPLE.jpg

A rendering of the facility. Courtesy of Animal Care Centers of NYC.

New York City’s largest animal shelter network is launching its first-ever Queens location in Ridgewood — further expanding its mission to end animal homelessness in the metropolitan area. 

Animal Care Centers of NYC — a nonprofit animal welfare organization with four other locations — will soon open a brand new, over 50,000 square-foot full-service care center at 1906 Flushing Ave. and Woodward Avenue. 

At a Community Board 5 meeting on Wednesday, March 13, Risa Weinstock, chief executive director of Animal Care Centers of NYC, presented the renderings and information to the audience about what they can expect from this premier facility. 

“This is the first borough to get a shelter like this,” said Weinstock. “For us to be here is such a privilege.” 

The building is in the final stages of construction and is expected to be completed sometime in the spring, Weinstock said. One notable feature is a retractable roof that will allow the sheltered animals to enjoy the outdoors, while remaining in the confines of the space. 

Weinstock said the center can hold up to 72 dogs and 110 cats, plus it has the capacity for group housing and space for other pets, such as rabbits and guinea pigs. 

To honor the life of a longtime public servant, the facility will be named the Paul A. Vallone Animal Care Center after the former Queens’ District 19 representative and City Council member who passed away unexpectedly in January. 

During her presentation, Weinstock described Vallone as a “great friend” to Animal Care Centers of NYC who pushed for the project’s funding. 

“He loved animals, he was an advocate of our work, and he was really instrumental in getting a shelter built in Queens,” Weinstock said. “We’re really honored to carry his name, he meant a lot to all of us.” 

Risa Weinstock, president of ACC. Credit: Ana Borruto

Paul Sanders, senior administrator of Governmental and Community Affairs for Animal Care Centers of NYC, said the organization is an open admission shelter with at least 60 animals coming in daily. 

Three of the ACC locations are full-service care centers and the nonprofit has a Bronx Resource Center, as well as its headquarters in Manhattan near City Hall. 

On average, the Animal Care Center cares for over 20,000 animals annually throughout the five boroughs and they accept all animals regardless of behavioral or medical condition. 

All of the care centers offer the option to adopt or foster and have an admissions department that not only takes in animals, but enforces a surrender prevention program that is geared towards individuals who feel they can no longer take care of their pet. 

Before beginning the surrendering procedure, the admissions team will suggest alternatives to owners such as rehoming their pet on their own, allowing the pet to remain in its home during the placement process or providing assistance to owners so they can keep their pets. 

Sanders said there were a total of 382 pet surrender preventions recorded in January this year. 

“ACC believes the best place for any animal is in the home it knows and loves,” Sanders said. “We want to work with that person, work to keep that animal in their home, and we’ve been very successful.” 

The new Queens shelter will employ nearly 100 people, Weinstock said, and the organization is currently looking for volunteers. Positions that are available include veterinarians, admissions counselors, licensed vet technicians, adoption supervisors and several other roles. 

For those interested in volunteering for Animal Care Centers NYC, visit nycacc.org for more information and details on orientation dates.

Evening of Fine Food Raises $160K for QCP

glendaleregstg on March 6, 2024

By Celia Bernhardt | cbernhardt@queensledger.com

Over 600 Queens residents came out on Feb. 27 to celebrate the Queens Center for Progress’s 28th annual Evening of Fine Food. 

Hosted at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows, the evening featured scores of local restaurants, caterers, bakeries and more, each with their own booth dolling out samples throughout the night. Attendees could also take part in a Silent Auction, casino games, and a photo booth. 

The night brought in over $160,000 to support QCP’s work of assisting individuals with developmental disabilities in leading more independent lives. 

QCP highlighted two “Chefs of the Year” who have made a difference and impact in their  community. Frank J. Quatela, Owner and Principal Architect at Frank J. Quatela Architect, P.C., and Hersh K. Parekh, Esq., Deputy Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey received the honors. The two served their community in a different way for the event, cooking up a family specialty to serve alongside other vendors. 

The Claire Shulman “Spirit of Community” award,, was presented to Lara Gregory, Esq., Queens Community Leader, QCP Board Member, and Principal Attorney at Lara Gregory and Associates.

“When we look for Chefs of the Year, we look for people who are engaged in the community, who have a lot of friends in the community and great contacts of the community, which helps us out in terms of raising money, of course,”  Wendy Phaff Gennaro, director of development at QCP, said. “But we’ve always focused on folks in Queens who make a difference in their personal and professional lives with people around them… then we started the Claire Shulman award about three years ago, and that is similar to the Chefs of the Year, but really just a merit based award for people who really are out there every day volunteering — sometimes it’s food related, sometimes it’s not — but people who really are out there giving time and their services to the community.”

Phaff Gennaro has helped organize the past fifteen Evenings of Fine Food. Still, she says, “it’s never old hat.”

“The word ‘elated’ came to mind this year,” Phaff Gennaro said. “We raised so much money, and when I look around the room, and I see people enjoying themselves and having a good time…it just makes me feel really good.”

Jiha again using the budget as a political weapon

glendaleregstg on March 6, 2024

In a hours-long budget meeting with councilmembers Monday, Adams’ budget director, Jacques Jiha, made some sweeping statements about the city’s bottom line.

The headlines from that meeting this week focused on Jiha’s assessment that closing Rikers Island jail by 2027, as mandated by law, is “not going to happen.” In his testimony on the city’s budget, Jiha claimed that the mandate to close Rikers and make way for borough-based jails throughout the city was interfering with his ability to provide space in the budget for popular infrastructure plans and city services. The comptroller disagrees with that assessment. Wait a minute, haven’t we heard this before?

Oh! That’s right! This fall, Jiha told us a $6.5 billion deficit, largely caused by asylum seekers, was responsible for closing library services and slashing education spending — only to quietly correct the record when discovering the city actually has a $2.8 billion surplus. In the same meeting Monday, Jiha told city council that the Biden administration has not delivered federal funding promised to the city when in fact, according to a federal official, it is the mayor’s office dragging its feet on the necessary paperwork holding up the money.

Jail reform and asylum seekers are easy scapegoats for austerity concerns — especially when you imagine billions of dollars in budget deficits to fuel it. We all know Adams is not a fan of the Rikers closure, he has publicly lambasted the plan and cast doubt on the jail’s documented inhumane and deadly conditions. But the law is the law and the mayor has a mandate to follow through on his duties, regardless of his feelings on the matter.

As for Jiha, we advise he take another stab at his assessment of the budget now that he’s got almost $10 billion more that we thought on hand and, in the words of his boss:

“Stay focused. No distractions. And grind.”

Electeds Need to Take Action to Protect Retail Workers

glendaleregstg on March 6, 2024

On Tuesday, retail workers, members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and allies rallied in Albany to push for the passage of the Retail Worker Safety Act. The bill, introduced by Sen. Jessica Ramos of Jackson Heights, seeks to protect workers from violent and dangerous incidents at retail stores.

Created in response to heightened rates of violence in stores across New York City and State since the pandemic — ranging from verbal harassment to threats to racially motivated assaults to shootings — the bill would create sensible measures to keep the workers who keep our city running every day safe. 

Retail employers with 10 employees or more would be required to create workplace violence prevention programs, including simple measures such as improving lighting, employee training, educating workers on de-escalation tactics and establishing emergency procedures, such as during active shooter drills. Employers would also be required to document any incidents of workplace violence and report them to a public database. Additionally, larger chain retail stores (those with 50 or more workers nationwide) would have to install panic buttons and some would be required to hire security guards.

As conversations of quality of life crime and shoplifting dominate political talking points, it’s time for politicians to take real action to support those most immediately affected by these incidents. The NYPD is not a private security force for large retail corporations and cannot be expected to operate as taxpayer-funded guards for giant chain retailers. Those employers need to start putting up the resources to take the most basic measures necessary to keep their employees safe in the workplace. It’s common sense, Albany needs to pass the Retail Worker Safety Act now!

Reticketing Signs Plaster Back Gate of Illegally Converted Building for Migrants in Richmond Hill

glendaleregstg on March 6, 2024

Credit: Christine Stoddard

By Christine Stoddard | cstoddard@queensledger.com

On Feb. 26, dozens of West African migrants were discovered living in an illegally converted furniture store in Richmond Hill. In this makeshift shelter in Saar’s Whole Furniture on Liberty Ave., men largely from Senegal paid owner Ebou Sarr, himself a Senegalese immigrant, up to $300 a month for accommodations.

As of March 1, the back gate of the store was covered in flyers explaining where migrants could obtain a ticket out of the city. Most of the flyers are written in French, the official language of Senegal, though it is not necessarily the native language of all Senegalese migrants. Flyers were also posted in Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Turkish, and Portuguese.

Under the city’s reticking program, new arrivals who have been discharged from the NYC asylum seeker shelter system may receive a one-way bus, train, or plane ticket out of New York City. The city’s reticketing center is located at:

St. Brigid

185 East 7th Street

New York, NY 10009

Open 7 days/9 AM to 7 PM

With the city’s 30-day shelter limit for adult asylum seekers, many people find themself without a place to go when the term expires. The migrant shelters maintain a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., making night work impossible for a population that has few employment options.

Complicating the issue of intaking asylum seekers in New York City is language. While the majority of migrants to the city are from Latin America, largely Venezuela, many are coming from West Africa, such as Senegal and Mauritania. More than 30 languages are spoken in Senegal, including Wolof, Serer, Fula, and Diola. Approximately 37% of the Senegalese population speaks French, mostly as a second language. The official language of Mauritania is Arabic; French was the official language until 1991.

Tech startup hopes to cut down NYC commutes with electric air travel

glendaleregstg on March 6, 2024

All photos credit: Charlie Finnerty

Joby Aviation, a tech startup that plans to bring electric short-distance air travel to New York City, welcomed visitors to take a ride in their flight simulator and learn about their ambitious reimagining of commuting at Vaughn College last week. Among those who visited throughout the week were high school faculty, transportation and environmental advocates, Vaugh college faculty and children from the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens.

The venture-backed aviation company plans to use electric vertical takeoff aircraft to create a service similar to Uber for short-haul flights, beginning with a direct route between the Downtown Manhattan/Wall St. Heliport and JFK International Airport. According to Joby’s East Policy Lead Lydon Sleeper, the flight will cut the commute — which can often take over an hour by car with traffic — down to seven minutes at a price point for customers that will be “competitive with Uber Black,” the luxury level Uber option. Sleeper puts that number around $140.

Joby started as a team of engineers based in Santa Cruz, California born out of the longtime dream of founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt who had been fascinated by engineering and electric air travel since his childhood.

“[Bevirt] doesn’t want it to be a service for rich people,” Sleeper said. “‘Save a billion people an hour a day’ is what he wants to do. You can’t do that charging $250.”

The aircraft borrows inspiration from several forms of air travel, using vertical takeoff that resembles that of a helicopter, forward-thrust gliding travel at speeds around 200 mph similar to a conventional airplane and a visual form factor that may remind many viewers of commercially available drones. The largest influence though, according to Sleeper, is the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, an aircraft first used by the American military in 2007 that combines the vertical takeoff and landing functionality of a helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. Both Joby and the Osprey accomplish this with articulating rotors that shift from vertically positioned for lift during takeoff to a frontwards-facing position during flight to achieve smoother and faster flight than a helicopter could ever achieve.

These flight mechanics, along with the use of electrical power, make the Joby both easy to pilot and quiet during flight. As part of the presentation, audio recordings of the Joby alongside other common aircraft that often populate New York City air traffic showed the dramatic reduction in noise pollution compared to conventional helicopters and planes.

According to Sleeper, Joby hopes to begin piloting its first commercial flights in New York City as early as next year.

All photos credit: Charlie Finnerty

From Legacy to Legal: First Bangladeshi-Owned NY Cannabis Dispensary Opens in Jamaica

glendaleregstg on February 28, 2024

By Ana Borruto | news@queensledger.com

Credit: Ana Borruto

Silk Road NYC celebrated multiple milestones at its grand opening at 166-30 Jamaica Ave in Queens, including being the first Bangladeshi-owned cannabis dispensary in New York and the 75th legal adult-use business to open in the state’s cannabis landscape. 

Dozens of family, friends and legal cannabis advocates gathered at 166-30 Jamaica Ave. on Friday, Feb. 23 to show support for owner and Jamaica, Queens native Sohan Bashar.

From sourcing cannabis through underground channels on the dark web to serving an eight-month lockup in Rikers Island Correctional Facility after being arrested in college, the road to success has not been an easy one for Bashar. 

However, the dispensary’s name serves as a reminder of his past in the legacy cannabis market and how far he has come to obtain his legal license. 

“I’ve always been dealt that kind of hand, and this is a restorative justice kind of feeling,” Bashar said. “It is a dream come true and for the laws that were changed, it will bring about a much better society — more accepting of cannabis, not criminalizing it.” 

Bashar said going from a full-time college student to a prison cell was a “brutal” experience. However, over a decade later, now with his wife Marina Gerard, their two-year-old daughter Sophie and another baby on the way, the business owner felt it was a crucial time to pivot to the legal cannabis market. 

The initial step was to begin the application process for a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries license — also known as CAURD — which is intended for individuals convicted of marijuana-related offenses before the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act passed in March 2021. These applicants also must have run a successful business for at least two years. 

In November 2022, the first round of approved CAURD licenses for retail dispensaries and at the end of that same year, the first legal sales of cannabis commenced. 

However, securing a CAURD license requires extensive documentation, so the overall process is a lengthy one. Additionally, an injunction imposed by the New York State Supreme Court in August 2023 derailed hundreds of licensees from opening their dispensaries. 

Even with this obstacle, Bashar remained optimistic, and with the help of cannabis attorney Jeffrey Hoffman, the Jamaica resident received his provisional license in January 2023 and his full license just a month ago. 

“The journey [Bashar has] been on over the last year is unparalleled,” said Damion Fagon, chief equity officer for the Office of Cannabis Management. “This is literally what the [Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act] was written for — for guys like Sohan to build stores in their own communities.” 

Since being licensed, Bashar has independently funded Silk Road NYC’s entire operation, negotiated his rent and completed the build out by himself. The dispensary also sells a variety of high-quality products, including pre-rolls, edibles, vapes, flowers and topicals — all of which Bashar said he tested out before putting them on the shelves. 

Both Bashar and his wife were adamant about opening their business in the neighborhood he grew up in. As a member of Jamaica’s Bangladeshi community, Bashar said Silk Road NYC will serve as a representation of his cultural heritage. 

It was also important to Bashar to hire knowledgeable staff and surround himself with like-minded advisors — like Amy Chin, Annette Fernandez and Kassia Graham of the High Exposure Consulting Agency — who believe in proper cannabis education, as well as challenging the negative connotations surrounding cannabis use. 

“We know in the Bangladeshi community, there is still a lot of stigma around cannabis,” Fernandez said. “I think Sohan is here to break that stigma and raise education and awareness around how important this plant is — that it’s medicinal and healing.” 

Gerard emphasized the importance of her and Bashar’s role in the local cannabis industry, not just as entrepreneurs, but as “advocates for diversity, inclusion and social justice.” 

She could not help but feel emotional talking about Bashar’s inspiring story, which she said is a testament to his resilience and hard work to establish a long-lasting legacy for his family. 

“Everyday, he exemplifies what it means to push boundaries, overcome challenges and strive for excellence,” Gerard said, through tears. “This man is literally a force of nature.” 

New Medical Center Comes to Atlas Park

glendaleregstg on February 22, 2024

Credit: Northwell Health

Glendale locals will have a centrally-located medical center in the new Northwell Health Physician Partners at Glendale, a multi-speciality practice that just opened in the Shops at Atlas Park.

The $5.1 million facility opened its doors Feb. 15. It features offices for primary care, behavioral health, cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonary medicine, urology, and multiple surgical specialities including general, vascular, colorectal, and otolaryngology surgery. The practice is located inside 80-40 Cooper Ave — the same building which houses Northwell’s STARS Rehabilitation, a physical therapy center that opened in 2023.

“Northwell Health Physician Partners has made the investment in Queens a priority and that’s been made clear by our expanding range of health care services and medical specialists in the region,” said Mark Talamini, senior vice president and executive director of Northwell Health Physician Partners. “We want to be where people live and work to make access to care and the delivery of quality medical services as seamless as possible.”

10 physicians and 27 support staff will man the new Atlas Park center. The offices include 16 exam rooms, an onsite clinical laboratory for point-of-care testing, a procedure room, and all the equipment needed to perform ultrasounds and echocardiogram/ stress tests. The site will see patients six days per week.

“In order to empower ever healthier communities, it’s important that Northwell provides a range of complex care beyond the walls of our hospitals,” said John D’Angelo, senior vice president and regional executive director of Northwell’s Central region. “We have a long history of service to Queens and we’re doing even more in Glendale by bringing ENTs, cardiologists and surgeons to the local community.”

Anyone who needs to make an appointment can contact the center by calling 718-887-3090 or visiting https://www.northwell.edu/doctors-offices/northwell-health- physician-partners-at-glendale.

Super Bowl Halftime Performance… for FREE?

glendaleregstg on February 20, 2024

Super Bowl LVIII, aka SB 58, set a record with a staggering 123.4 million viewers!  It was the most watched American television broadcast in a generation and the most watched Super Bowl in history!  The Kansas City Chiefs versus the San Francisco 49ers showdown in Las Vegas surpassed the record of 115 million viewers last year, when the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles.  It came close to the estimated 125-150 million viewers who watched the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.

The big game, which aired on CBS and the Paramount Plus streaming platform, was also simulcast in Spanish on Univision as well as telecasted on Nickelodeon.  Some are saying it was the “Taylor Swift Effect;” however, each year NFL games have made up the majority of “most watched” television programs per year.  This was way before Taylor Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

You might be asking yourself, what does this all mean?  It means it makes this event the most valuable to advertisers looking to reach the mass market.  In fact, companies shelled out approximately $7 million for each 30-second ad.  The ads have taken on a life of their own, as many non-football fans tune in just to see the new ads, many of which are now released ahead of time.

Because of this tremendous exposure, both the NFL and CBS are in a powerful position.  In addition, Apple Music pays the NFL $50 million per year to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show.  Did you know that Usher didn’t receive one penny of that money?

Many famous performing artists have graced the Super Bowl halftime stage, such as Prince, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez and the Rolling Stones!  Instead of getting paid, they receive an opportunity to leverage the honor of performing in front of over 115+ million people.   This results in a significant increase in concert ticket sales, followers gained and increases in their music streaming numbers!  When they accept the invitation, they are thinking long-term.

In my opinion, it is a fascinating system and here’s how it works.  The artist receives a $15 million promotional budget to work with.  The budget covers the massive number of 2000-3000 part-time workers which includes set design, security, marketing and dancers, etc.  The artist cannot pocket the money!

Sometimes, the $15 million budget isn’t sufficient to cover all of the show’s expenses.  For example, three years ago at Super Bowl 55, The Weeknd spent $7 million extra of his own money to subsidize the show and Dr. Dre spent similar money the following year at Super Bowl 56 in 2022.

The metrics data supports the theory that savvy marketing dollars spent yields big potential profits, meaning money makes money in the performing arts!

Take a look at the following post-performance numbers that have played out:

  1. Justin Timberlake saw a 534% increase in his music sales after Super Bowl 52.
  2. Travis Scott’s performance fees doubled from $500,000 to $1 million each from Super Bowl 53.
  3. Both Jennifer Lopez and Shakira gained 3 million Instagram followers each after their dual performance in Super Bowl 54.
  4. Rihanna’s performance had more viewers (118 million) than the game averaged (115 million) which includes YouTube views.
  5. The Weeknd sold 1 million concert tickets after his performance in Super Bowl 55.

This is why Usher was clever to accept the Super Bowl 58 invitation and he took it a step further by announcing his 24-city arena tour with tickets available as soon as he exited stage left!  He also appeared on several of the good morning America shows to promote his performance.

StubHub claims that artists typically see a 50% increase in concert ticket searches after performing at the Super Bowl! 

I always say the best deals are when everybody wins!  If you think about it, the NFL gets the top performers to jam for free and the musicians get a deeply discounted 13-minute commercial for a small fraction of what corporations must pay.

Bravissimo to Usher and the NFL!

© – All Rights Reserved – Queens Ledger
Facebook Twitter Instagram

Fill the Form for Events, Advertisement or Business Listing