A coaltion of immigrant groups last week celebrated securing veto-proof support for a City Council bill that would expand the right to vote in local elections to immigrant New Yorkers with legal permanent residence status or work authorization.
“As we enter the recovery from the pandemic, the City Council must expand the right to vote in municipal elections to enable more New Yorkers to have a say in how their tax dollars are spent, how stimulus funds are distributed, and how new public policies will impact their families and communities,” said Susan Stamler, executive director of United Neighborhood Houses, during a rally in Corona Plaza.
A recent poll showed that 65 percent of likely Democratic Primary voters support the Our City, Our Vote legislation. Advocates called on the City Council to hold a hearing on the bill so it can be brought to the floor for a vote.
“As a lifelong advocate for immigrants and as a representative of one of the largest immigrant communities in the city, I know the incredible impact Intro 1867 will have for countless New Yorkers,” said Councilman Francisco Moya. “I am proud to support a historic piece of legislation that will give a voice to nearly a million New Yorkers.”

Borough President Donovan Richards last week opened an Immigrant Welcome Center at Borough Hall.
The new facility fulfills one of Richards’ campaign promises and offers new resources to the more than one-million immigrants who live throughout the borough.
“Every day, families from all corners of the globe come here to Queens to start businesses in our neighborhoods, send their children to our schools, and be integral parts of our thriving communities,” Richards said. “We could not be prouder to open the first-ever Immigrant Welcome Center at Queens Borough Hall to better serve our immigrant families and provide a vast array of critical services.”
The Immigrant Welcome Center began servicing the community after its soft launch last June, and offers legal assistance, language resources, and a variety of other services to immigrants living in Queens.
Volunteers from a variety of community-based organizations will work and contribute at the welcome center. Partnerships with other service providers, as well as city and state agencies, are expected as the center’s operations expand in the future.
“As the daughter of immigrants from our borough, I know firsthand how crucial it is to provide needed resources to our local immigrant communities, such as legal assistance and referrals to community-based organizations and city services,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng. “We must do all we can to empower immigrants and help them thrive.”
“Immigrant New Yorkers have been resilient leaders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to be key to New York City’s recovery,” explained May Malik from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “We look forward to partnering with the center to empower and advocate for immigrant communities across Queens.”
Daniel Dromm, chair of the City Council Budget Committee, mentioned the possibility of promoting similar initiatives across the city.
“This is a major step forward for our community to receive services by collaborating with well-rounded organizations to easily find assistance, education and emergency relief,” Dromm said. “A center like this will bring transparency, better data, and research on immigrant groups and collective sense of community.”
The Immigrant Welcome Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Due to the pandemic, the center is not accepting any walk-in appointments, though there are plans to accept them in the future.
The center can be contacted at (718) 286-0644 or welcome@queensbp.org.

Photos courtesy of Donovan Richards on Flickr

Young volunteers and their parents are determined to improve Forest Hills and Rego Park, one flower and bush at a time.
On June 18, approximately 50 volunteers helped landscape The Howard Apartments, a complex with large lawns and curved paths at at 66th Road and 102nd Street, reviving the concept of the community garden, which was once prevalent in the neighborhood.
“Young people in our community proved that civic pride is not passé,” said Elsie Stark, board president of The Howard Apartments. “After a dark year of COVID-19, these flowers really brighten up our spirits.”
Students will receive service credit, and come from JHS 157, PS 196, 144, 101, and 303, Forest Hills High School, and the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School.
Wendy Medina attended with her nine-year-old daughter, Lexa Ocasio.
“The part I loved the most was when a woman who lived at The Howard Apartments thanked me and mentioned how happy the flowers made her feel,” said Medina. “It was fun and exciting to see the beautiful flowers and meet so many new people.”
“Volunteering makes you realize how lucky we are to be able to give back,” said Ocasio. “After Hurricane Sandy, my family and I drove around Howard Beach giving out water. During the holidays, we buy hot food and feed the homeless.”
Evan Yee, 16, explained that it felt good to participate in an event people can admire and feel good about.
“It feels good to accomplish something,” he said. “Maybe we can get a donation truck and gather things people were going to throw out and give them to the needy. I see so many items go to waste.”
“Volunteers outnumbered the plants, which spoke a lot to the community’s willingness,” said his mother, Amyrose Yee. “I was very thankful the kids had a chance to help. Greening opportunities remind people of outdoor beauty and to respect the land and greenery within a concrete jungle.”
The community gardening initiative was founded by this columnist in partnership with members of the Facebook groups “Rego-Forest Preservation Council” and “Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens – Our Communities.” It was supported by The Home Depot in Glendale.
“When you do things that impact the community and leave a lasting positive change, it changes you personally,” said operations manager Christina Strongilos. “We are honored to help as a partner to beautify and unite our community.”
Consuelo Garcia attended with her seven-year-old son Manuel López-Garcia and her ten-year-old daughter Consuelo López-Garcia.
“It felt exciting to volunteer at the gardening event,” she said. “It is very important to volunteer because it helps our community in many ways.”
It was the first time Oi Shan-Chi volunteered with her children, eight-year-old Logan Fung and six-year-old Katie.
“It feels great to give back and work with others to beautify our community,” she said. “Children need to know that they have the power to improve our community, and if everyone does a little weekly, the world will be better.”

Volunteers will be at the 66th Road Community Garden on June 25 at 3:30 p.m. To volunteer, email mperlman@queensledger.com.

Mafera Park’s makeover is underway.
A new area designated for skateboarders and an official dog run are among the possibilities elected officials offered when they met with concerned residents, parents and homeowners last week to assess the need and cost for upgrading the Ridgewood green space.
“The park needs to be redone, but there are a number of things to consider,” said Councilman Robert Holden, who was joined at the Shaler Avenue site by representatives from the offices of Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi and State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr.
“We need to start with the scope of the community’s wants and come up with a plan that will be done in phases,” Holden added.
The Friends of Mafera Park, a group of nearly 100 parents, say the space is no longer safe for their children. Park goers have been complaining about broken equipment, cracked pavement, unsanitary conditions, and the need for an official dog run for several years.
“We had a lot of issues with this park and it seems every other park gets attention” said Marta Martinez, a local mother of two who founded the parent group in 2016.
Martinez said they had the attention of then-councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, but potential funds were shifted elsewhere when she was voted out of office.
“We have restarted the conversation that will hopefully result in a safe, clean environment for our children and residents,” said Connie Altamirano, a community activist who joined the movement to better the neighborhood park.
Community Board 5 district manager Gary Giordano said the price tag for immediate repairs to torn playground padding and the removal of graffiti are nominal, but larger-scale projects that require ripping up the surface can cost tens of millions of dollars.
“Everything is obscenely expensive,” admits Holden, who noted that turf replacement for a 90-foot baseball diamond at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village was recently estimated at $14 million – a fraction of the cost to replace the astroturf on Mafera’s football field.
“I can fund what I can for this park within reason, but an agreement will have to be worked out with other officials like the borough president,” he added.
That said, Holden acknowledged the need for the same type of amenities at Mafera that other parks in the district already have.
“I think there is room here for a new skatepark, like the one in Forest Park, which is very popular,” he said. “And we can fund the dog run as well.”
Once complete, the park will require volunteers to take care of it, he added.
“We had a group of 75 volunteers who adopted Juniper Valley Park after it was renovated,” he said. “They kept up with the maintenance because the Parks Department simply doesn’t have the staff.”
Ridgewood resident Carol-Ann Kurdziel said she and others have been maintaining the unofficial dog run that currently occupies an abandoned garden next to the park playground.
“We have already built an amazing community of dog owners here and have installed chicken wire, screening and solar lights,” she said. “But it’s something we are hoping the city will now fund.”
The location of the dog run, however, remains a point of contention for some parents and residents, who say it’s too close to the children’s swings and nearby homes.
“There will need to be compromise because no one is going to agree on everything,” Holden stressed, “which is why it’s important to get input from everyone involved.”
To that end, Giordano has committed to work with Linda Byszynski, who heads The Friends of Mafera Park, and other community stakeholders to prioritize and price the repairs and potential upgrades.
“We are realistic, we don’t think that one person is going to create a miracle,” said Byszynski. “It’s going to take a big community effort to get this park fixed. But we’re ready.”

City representatives and local officials gathered in a dirt lot outside Citi Field last week to break ground on the long-anticipated redevelopment of Willet’s point.
The initial phase will focus on environmental cleanup on what is now six acres of undeveloped land.
“We are going to bring in 1,100 units of affordable housing with zero market-rate units, and units that are going to be set aside for older New Yorkers and those transitioning out of the shelter system,” said Councilman Francisco Moya.
Officials touted the creation of a new school as the project’s crown jewel, which will alleviate overcrowding in the district.
“This represents an opportunity for 650 children in the district to not go into any more crowded schools,” Moya added.
Since Moya took office in 2018, he’s worked closely with Mayor Bill de Blasio to make the project, which got underway during the Bloomberg administration, a reality.
“We needed to be persistent to get this done, and we needed to make sure that it had the maximum impact for the community,” de Blasio said. “We’ve really gotten back to what matters, which is making sure that people can live in this community.”
The cleanup will last into 2022, when the project will shift its focus to creating infrastructure for the redevelopment. The city will begin construction on the housing, school and other amenities in 2024.
The project will include two acres of public open space and 680,000 square feet of retail space.
“Image right here where we’re standing, we’re going to see a thriving neighborhood with affordable homes and a public school and open space for families to enjoy,” said Rachel Loeb president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation.
“It’s not often that we get the opportunity to start from scratch, but with this project we are going to build an entire community from the ground up,” said Councilman Peter Koo of Flushing. “I look forward to the day when Flushing, Willets point, and Corona will share a seamless, integrated community.”
The mayor said the project is part of the “rebirth” of New York and a future that will have impacts for generations.
“We talk about affordable, but sometimes we forget what it means on a very human level,” de Blasio said. “It means a family that will for decades know they will have a place to lay their head. This is the kind of thing that really makes a difference.”

A day like Monday was sorely needed. It was good to see old friends again, it was good to hear music, and it felt really good to hear laughter again.
Monday was the Make Music festival, which is held citywide each year on the Summer Solstice, but brought to our community for the first time by Raquel Olivares, executive director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District.
Forest Parkway was closed off for a few hours, chairs were placed in the street, and three different acts filled the streets of Woodhaven with wonderful music for three hours.
Across the street, a handful of local artists dubbed The Woodhaven Art Circle gave an exhibition of paintings, collages and quilts, a beautiful sight to see on such a beautiful sunny day.
For the first 30 minutes or so, the street was empty and I overheard someone wondering if people were still too nervous to come out. And I had to wonder myself. It’s been a long 15 months and everyone may have lost the habit of public gatherings.
But slowly, over time, people began to arrive. One by one, we started seeing more and more old friends and familiar faces.
Faces, for the most part, not masks. It was nice to see some smiling faces.
Initial greetings with people you haven’t seen in a while were a bit awkward. Do we fist bump? Do we bump elbows? There were still a few of those.
But I’m happy to report that there were lots of handshakes and hugs. And it felt so good.
At one point, I found myself in a small group of friends and we were making silly jokes and having a laugh. And it felt so good.
There was even some gossiping and intrigue and catching up on all the local controversies.
And it felt so, so good.
It felt good to hear live music and see people dancing in the middle of Forest Parkway. It felt good to see passersby stop and stare and wonder what was happening, and then joining the party.
I saw one old friend that I hadn’t seen much over the past 15 months, and after giving each other a warm greeting we sat down and caught up with each other’s lives. It turned out that all was good with both of us. We are the lucky ones.
For just below the surface was a layer of sadness for those who could not be there with us; those we lost to COVID or other reasons. We all went into the COVID storm together, but not everyone came out.
And it was wonderful to see all the lovely work by our talented artists. During the day, a few more artists came forward and will be joining us in the very near future. We’ll introduce you to them.
And there was lots of excitement about this Saturday’s Art Exhibit of Woodhaven Art Circle member Mahfuza Shammy Rahman (MSR).
MSR’s work will be on exhibit at Geordie’s Joint on the corner of 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue starting Saturday, June 26, at 3 p.m. There will be a brief ceremony at 4 p.m., and if you miss the opening, MSR’s work will be on display at Geordie’s Joint through July 3.
It feels good to be busy again, it feels good to have events to look forward to, and it feels so good to see so many happy faces on the streets of Woodhaven again. It’s been a long, long time, and a day like Monday was badly needed.
It was good to feel normal again. At last.

After a year-long hiatus, the popular Smorgasburg food festival returns to Williamsburg on June 26. The event’s return is an inspiring sign of the city’s COVID-19 recovery, yet the news does not come without its fair share of controversy.
Since it launched in 2011, Smorgasburg has grown into the largest open-air food market in the entire country, attracting New Yorkers from across the five boroughs and tourists from throughout the U.S. and world.
The festival’s large crowds were a nonstarter last year during the pandemic, yet the Smorgasburg team is excited to be bringing back the event this year and possibly even attracting new patrons.
“Reopening Smorgasburg feels like a culmination of months of collective action, by us and our vendors, but also by all New Yorkers to get the city back to this point where we can feel comfortable holding an event with so many people,” said Smorgasburg co-founder Eric Demby. “It feels so good to be moving in a positive direction after all the loss and grief and anxiety and boredom.”
Demby said that many of the longtime vendors at Smorgasburg won’t be there for the reopening as COVID-19 forced them to close permanently.
“We encourage anyone who’s interested to apply through our website,” he said. “This is a golden opportunity to launch your business during a busy summer at the markets. We are especially seeking folks of color and from the LGBTQ+ community, but of course all are welcome.”
In addition to COVID-19, Smorgasburg has had to contend with the redesign of Marsha P. Johnson State Park, the waterfront site where the festival is held.
Throughout the pandemic, the state Parks Department has struggled to compromise with community activists on a design for the park that properly honors its namesake, a notable LGBTQ+ activist and 1969 Stonewall Uprising leader.
Some activists have suggested adding more greenspace to the park, a proposition that might affect the concrete slabs where Smorgasburg vendors set up. During a series of public hearings, multiple Smorgasburg vendors expressed their concerns about the proposition of changing the festival’s location.
“The size of platform B [one of the concrete slabs currently in the park] is very important to Smorgasburg,” argued Susan Povich, founder and owner of the Red Hook Lobster Pound, at a public hearing last month. “Especially in the post-COVID world, if we shrink the size of platform B we will have to shrink the number of vendors at Smorgasburg.”
Charles Carlotti, a wood-fire pizza vendor at Smorgasburg, expressed a similar sentiment.
“The way the market is set up, all the vendors have an equal opportunity to make money,” he explained. “The other spots where we do Smorgasburg don’t even come close to comparing to that spot.”
In addition to its famous Williamsburg festival, Smorgasburg organizes events in DUMBO, Chelsea, and the Lower East Side. In 2016, Smorgasburg also launched a weekly summer market in Los Angeles, much like the one in Williamsburg.

Photos courtesy of Smorgasburg.