Oct. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that the city will phase out the gifted and talented program at city public schools — sparking criticism from several elected officials in Queens. The highly competitive program, which requires kindergarteners to take a screening test, has been criticized by experts for exacerbating… Read more »
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DOE Faces Backlash for Not Releasing School Enrollment and Attendance Numbers
Oct. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin The New York City Department of Education is facing backlash for not releasing public school enrollment and attendance numbers for the school year thus far. City Council members along with the head of the city’s powerful teachers union criticized the DOE for what they say is a lack of… Read more »
Traffic Deaths on Track for Highest Record Under De Blasio, Report Finds
Oct. 7, 2021 By Max Parrott Traffic deaths across New York City hit a seasonal high under Mayor de Blasio’s tenure this summer with 77 killed in crashes over a three-month period, a new study found. The striking summer death toll is reflective of overall trends this year. The study by safe streets advocacy group… Read more »
E-Bike Rider Killed in Hit-And-Run on the Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park
Oct. 6, 2021 By Allie Griffin A man was killed in a hit-and-run collision while riding his e-bike on the Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park early Wednesday morning. The unidentified victim was riding an e-bike westbound on the Parkway when a driver of a 2019 Dodge Charger struck him from behind near Exit 18B… Read more »
Queens County Farm Museum Offering a Variety of Fall Activities for Families This Month
Oct. 5, 2021 By Allie Griffin The Queens County Farm Museum is offering a variety of fun fall activities for Queens families this month ahead of Halloween. Families visiting the farm can pick out a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch; munch on apple pies, donuts, cider and the fruit itself; take a hayride around the… Read more »
Queens Public Library Eliminates Late Fees
Oct. 5, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city’s three public library systems—Queens, Brooklyn and New York—are eliminating late fees and scraping all users’ existing balances. The libraries have suspended late fees since March 2020 due to the pandemic and announced Tuesday that they will permanently end late charges — which have been in place since… Read more »
Historic Woodhaven Bar, Neir’s Tavern, Honored with Street Co-Naming
Oct. 4, 2021 By Allie Griffin A street in Woodhaven has been co-named after historic neighborhood bar Neir’s Tavern. The corner of 78th Street and 88th Avenue was co-named “Neir’s Tavern Way” during a ceremony Saturday hosted by Council Member Robert Holden. The establishment, located at 87-48 78th St., is credited by some historians as… Read more »
Dozens of Queens Residents Rally for Reproductive Rights Outside Borough Hall
Oct. 4, 2021 By Allie Griffin Dozens of Queens residents rallied for reproductive rights outside Queens Borough Hall Saturday as part of a nationwide day of action for abortion justice. The rally — and more than 600 similar protests across the country — was organized in response to the recent Texas law that effectively bans… Read more »
Queens Student Fights to Make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha State Holidays
Oct. 4, 2021 By Allie Griffin A Queens college student and organizer is fighting for New York state to make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha public holidays. Tanbir Chowdhury, a 20-year-old Jamaica resident and John Jay College student, is calling on state legislators to sign onto to a bill to make the Muslim holidays —… Read more »
“Key to Queens” Awarded to Borough’s Olympic Gold Medalists
Oct. 1, 2021 By Michael Dorgan Two Olympians from Queens who won gold medals at the Tokyo Summer Games were honored at a ceremony in Kew Gardens Friday. Track and field athlete Dalilah Muhammad and basketball player Tina Charles were both presented with the “Key to Queens” by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in recognition… Read more »