Iryna Shkurhan
Iryna Shkurhan
Congresswoman Meng Presents Solutions to Thwart Mail Theft
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com To combat a surge in mail theft, Congresswoman Grace Meng was joined by NYPD’s 104th Precinct and the United States
Astoria Bookshop Turns Page on 10 Years
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Astoria Bookshop celebrated their 10 Year Anniversary on Monday, as well as a grand reopening in a new location, with
Meng Awards 1 Million for Small Business Legal Desk
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Small businesses in Queens will soon have access to free legal advice in five different languages through a new pilot program
Spiritual Center Regrounds in LIC
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com On 50th Avenue in Long Island City, just off Vernon Boulevard, the smell of incense spills onto the sidewalk. At
Boys and Girls Club Celebrates Hip-Hop’s 50th
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, hundreds of kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens
New Law Targets Landlords of Unlicensed Smoke Shops
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com New legislation passed by the city council last month is seeking to hold landlords, not business owners, accountable for the
Pols Rally Against Corona Vendor Crackdown
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com The vendors who normally fill up Corona Plaza by selling some of the city’s top ranked food were forced to
LIJ Forest Hills Celebrates 70 Years With Special Guests
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com In honor of 70 years of treating the Forest Hills community, staff at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital celebrated with
Expecting Queens Mothers Can Now Apply For Unconditional Cash
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com A philanthropic program that gives unconditional cash to expectant mothers for the first 1,000 days of their child’s life is expanding
Organizers Push Ardila to Resign With Sit-In
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Three community members held a sit-in for over ten hours in Assemblyman Juan Ardila’s Sunnyside office last week, in an effort
Shower Power Addresses Lack of Hygiene Resources for Migrants
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com While many organizations are tackling food insecurity, Shower Power is one of the few providing proper hygiene resources to the
Carpenters Union Slams City For False Willets Point Promise
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Over a hundred carpenter union members rallied at City Hall on July 13 for what they say are false promises
BP Secures $17 Million For Queens Parks and Libraries
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. ended the city’s 2023 fiscal year with securing $10 million for parks across the
Meng Awards 100 Suits With Funding For Youth Employment Program
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Kevin Livingston started 100 Suits for 100 Men in 2011 after seeing underprivileged men in his community lack business attire
311 Launches Portal to Report Obscured License Plates
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com New Yorkers can now report delinquent drivers for obscuring their license plates through a simple 311 online portal. More and more
Schulman Will Represent District 29 in Second Term
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com City Councilmember Lynn C. Schulman secured just over fifty percent of the vote in the democratic primary on July 27, landing
Smoke Shop Where Murder Occurred Closed Permanently
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com An illegal smoke shop on Jamaica Ave in Richmond Hill, where an employee was murdered during a daytime robbery in
U.S Health Secretary Visits Flushing to Discuss Culturally Competent Healthcare
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com The U.S Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, visited Flushing on June 30 to join Congresswoman Grace Meng and
Julie Won Secures Second Term
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com In District 26, incumbent City Councilmember Julie Won secured a second term in office following a Democratic primary election victory on
More Protesters Than Kids Show Up to Drag Story Hour
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Outside of the Long Island City branch of the Queens Public Library, two antagonistic groups gathered during a drag story
Cornell and Salvation Army Join Forces to Bring Nutrition to Families
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com For the first time ever, the Salvation Army partnered with Cornell and Cornell University Cooperative Extension- New York City (CUCE-NYC)
Glendale Residents Celebrate Passage of Train Waste Bill
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com In a victory for local residents who reside by train tracks, a bill requiring waste being transported by rail to
Kiwanis Club Celebrates Scholarship Recipients
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Maspeth’s Kiwanis Club celebrated its annual scholarship recipients, alongside parents and community members, at a luncheon at Maspeth Town Hall on
Borough Hall Farmstand Returns With Locally Grown Produce
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com For the third year in a row, the Queens Borough Hall Farmstand will give local residents access to a variety
Asian-American Advocacy Groups Endorse Grasso for DA
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Two significant Asian-American advocacy groups – New York City Residents Alliance and Asian Wave Alliance – endorsed former Judge George
Speaker Adams Joins Schulman on Forest Hills Small Business Tour
By Iryna Shkurhan |ishkurhan@queensledger.com City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams joined City Councilmember Lynn Schulman on a tour of small businesses in Forest Hills on Thursday,
Center for Gay Seniors Celebrates Pride
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Dozens of gay seniors, with some allies sprinkled in, gathered for a Pride Month social at the Kew Gardens Community
DA Katz Receives Slew of Endorsements Ahead of Vote
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Current Queens District Attorney Melina Katz collected a wide range of endorsements weeks out from election day. Most notably, Mayor
Students Beautify Benches With Social Justice Messages
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Students from 11 public schools in Queens painted benches in Cunningham Park with underlying social justice themed messages through a nonprofit
Fuoco Music Center to Celebrate 50 with Concert
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Walking inside Joe Fuoco’s Music Center is asking to be transported back in time to the days when music was
Rain Didn’t Stop Sunnyside Pride
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Rain and thunder didn’t stop Sunnyside from kicking off LGBT Pride Month with the second annual SunnyPride on June 2.
Queens Leaders Push for Federal Recognition of Diwali
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Congresswoman Grace Meng was joined by local Queens pols and advocacy leaders on May 26 to announce her introduction of
Maspeth’s Candlelight Vigil Honors All Vets
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com At the intersection of Grand Ave and 69th Street, dozens of Maspeth residents paid their respects to all veterans at
Middle Village 8th Grader Wins Gold at MathCon in Chicago
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Mark Primak, an 8th grader from P.S./I.S. 49 in Middle Village, was one of the gold medalists at this year’s MathCon
Bus Brings Free Mammograms to Glen Oaks Women
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com A free mammogram screening bus stood on Union Turnpike in Glen Oaks on Friday, May 19 to give women the
Psychiatric Nurses Balance Their Own Mental Health
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Referred to by many as the backbone of healthcare, nurses are indispensable to the public health system and the wellness
Julie Won Talks Misogyny, Housing and Education
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Julie Won isn’t scared of conflict and confrontation, in her own words – she thrives in it. Since assuming office
CB2 Demands Response from Ardila
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Western Queens pols and Community Board 2 members pressed Assemblyman Juan Ardila to acknowledge sweeping calls to resign at their
Senior Job Fair Returns to Kew Gardens
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Clad in professional attire with a surplus of printed resumes on hand, over a hundred older adults arrived at the
5 Community Fridges For Giving and Taking
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com In an effort to address food insecurity during the pandemic, community fridges started by regular New Yorkers popped up across the
Councilman Proposes Rich Pay More For Parking Tickets
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com What if your income determined how much you would pay for a parking ticket in NYC? South Brooklyn City Councilman
“Hitchhiking” Lanternfly Makes Early Appearance This Spring
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com The invasive spotted lanternfly is back for the season. In past years the species emerged from their egg masses in May,
Tunnel to Towers Tees Off For Vets
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Stephen Siller, a Brooklyn firefighter, was heading to play a round of golf after his shift when he heard that a
Artists Use NYCHA Scaffolding as Canvas
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com A city-wide art program that gave artists the opportunity to transform scaffolding at public housing sites into community-specific murals came
A Free Tree on Earth Day
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com For Earth Day on April 22, Queens locals lined up at the Queens Botanical Garden parking lot in Flushing to secure
Mental Health Center Revamped in Woodside
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com The Child Center of NY in Woodside was renamed the Cohen Family Wellness Center after a philanthropic couple donated
Eviction as Retaliation: ‘Good Cause’ Could’ve Protected This Fresh Meadows Family
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com After years of moving around between Pakistan, Canada and Texas, Sumra Sajid and her family were finally able to call a
AOC Rallies for Progressive Priorities in State Budget
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com “Welcome to the People’s Republic of Astoria,” declared Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the April 12 rally for progressive legislation to
Queens BP Announces New Community Board Members
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Younger, less white and more reliant on public transportation. This is what the newly appointed members of community boards across
Seven Spots to See the Bloom in Queens
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com With each unfurled petal and new splash of color, we settle into the new spring season. All across the city,
Remaining Outdoor Dining Sheds ‘Eyesore’ to Some Residents
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com What started off as a lifeline for restaurants during the pandemic is now becoming a nuisance for residents and businesses
State’s First Woman-Owned Marijuana Dispensary Opens in Jamaica
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com With a line of eager customers stretched around the block, the first legal adult-use cannabis dispensary in Queens opened its
Community is Therapy at Venture House
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Venture House stands unassuming on Hillside Ave in Jamaica, Queens with its yellow brick exterior and arched windows. To a
Astoria Starbucks Workers Strike, Again
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com Workers at two unionized Starbucks in Astoria joined over a hundred stores across the country to strike for fair labor
Recognizing 50 Years on Community Board 5
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com For over 50 years, Paul Kerzner has devoted his life to taking care of Ridgewood and surrounding neighborhoods. In
Queens Native Climbs the Alvin Ailey Ladder
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com At five years old Patrick Gamble put on his first pair of ballet shoes, and has since danced his
Townsend Student Codes App for Good Posture
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com What started off as nudges from his mother to sit up straight, turned into a congressional contest win for Vincent Yip
Eats in Queens Restaurant Month Tackles Food Insecurity
By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com This March, Eats In Queens Restaurant Month partnered with over 200 diverse eateries across the borough — and raised thousands
