Matthew Fischetti
Matthew Fischetti
Community Editor of Brooklyn Downtown Star and Greenpoint Star

Exclusive: 1-year-interview with Joann Ariola
New district lines include slivers of Glendale By Matthew Fischetti [email protected] Last year, Joann Ariola comfortably sailed to victory to represent City Council District 32

Mayor unveils ‘working people’s agenda’
Mayor announces new policies at Queens Theatre during State of the City By Matthew Fischetti [email protected] Mayor Eric Adams returned to his home borough of

Subway crime down, officials say
By Matthew Fischetti Major subway crime has dropped by 16 percent since last October, city and state officials announced last week. At a press conference

Fifth migrant center coming to Red Hook, BK
Pol criticizes migrant center rollout By Matthew Fischetti [email protected] As the influx of asylum seekers keeps increasing, Hizzoner announced on Saturday that the city will

Six Queens and Brooklyn firehouses receive solar roofing
By Matthew Fischetti [email protected] Six FDNY firehouses across Queens and Brooklyn have finished their solar roof installations. The new panels are solar photovoltaic systems which

Shootings decreased in Queens and Brooklyn: police
By Matthew Fischetti [email protected] Citywide shootings have decreased due to drops in Queens and Brooklyn, according to the most recent data from the NYPD. Recent

Exclusive: Moya’s Moment for Queens
Sealing the Deal on Willets Point Stadium By Matthew Fischetti [email protected] In the 1920s, F. Scott Fitzgerald looked at the industrial section of Queens

Brooklyn, Queens Pols sound off on redistricting
The New York City Districting Commission released its preliminary maps for the 51 city council districts across the five boroughs—and not everyone is happy about

Council scrambles to stop education cuts
Education advocates, public school teachers and parents have filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that New York lawmakers improperly approved the controversial education budget.

New murals at Fort Greene school
Students at Fort Greene Preparatory Academy and P.S. 46 unveiled a new set of murals at their school on Friday afternoon. 20 students from the

Remembering Brooklyn poet Wynne Henry
[email protected] Wynne Henry always had dreams of moving back to Brooklyn. The Flatbush-bred poet and writer would often talk about it on the phone with

New Brooklyn Heights Library opens
By Matthew Fischetti [email protected] The second largest library in Brooklyn opened its doors to the general public this past Wednesday. The new Brooklyn Heights library,

Shootings down, major crime up, cops say
Mayor Eric Adams credited the anti-gun crime unit he brought back earlier this year for a downturn in gun crime at a press conference in

2022 Election Profile: Assembly Candidate Johanna Carmona
Johanna Carmona, a Sunnyside native and former Hispanic community liaison for outgoing Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, announced her bid for the New York State Assembly’s 37th

NYC goes ‘BIG’ for Biggie’s 50th Birthday
Biggie Smalls always repped Brooklyn to the fullest. And now his city is doing the same for him. This past Saturday would have been the

School bus idling crackdown
Attorney General Letitia James announced a new lawsuit on Thursday against three bus companies that have allegedly violated idling laws, predominantly in low-income neighborhoods in

Brooklyn debate league raises $1.3M after viral post
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” This quote is how coach K.M. DiColandrea would begin almost every debate

City votes to raise rents for thousands
The Rent Guidelines Board, the city regulatory agency that decides the prices of rent-stabilized units, preliminarily voted to increase rents in their largest single-year jump

Queens firefighter killed in blaze
FDNY Firefighter Timothy Klein, 31, died in the line of duty while fighting a residential fire in Brooklyn that killed two people. FDNY responded to

Raised crosswalk proposal moves forward
A new raised crosswalk may be coming to an intersection near you. Community Board 1 voted on Thursday to send a letter to study the

Gifted and Talented programs given new life under revamped plan
By Matthew Fischetti and Evan Triantafilidis Education Chancellor David Banks and Mayor Eric Adams announced an expansion of the Gifted and Talented programs to every
Public Advocate testifies about flood resiliency
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Councilwoman Carline Rivera have introduced legislation that would require the city to have more emergency planning in relation to flash

City agencies clear out homeless camp under BQE
As part of the mayor’s clampdown on homeless encampments, one under the BQE was recently cleared First, it was the subway. Now, it’s the encampments.

McGuinness’s taps into spirit of St. Paddy’s Day
Even a muggy St. Patrick’s day couldn’t keep Sunnyside regulars out of McGuinness’s Saloon. At the corner of Queens Boulevard and 45th place sits McGuiness’s

Progressives call for the end of 421-a
Progressive politicians have a new rallying cry: “421-a , let it die!” The little-known abbreviation is a major property tax break for developers that is