May. 8, 2024 By Anthony Medina A Middle Village deli led a community initiative to help support the family of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who tragically died in the line of duty in March. Through the sale of its specialty sandwich, the deli successfully raised and donated over $15,000. Mario’s Meat Market and Gourmet Deli,…
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Apr. 26, 2024 By Anthony Medina Queens Council Member Robert Holden has introduced a series of bills that aim to impose tougher penalties on lawbreakers and provide law enforcement with additional tools to make arrests. Holden, who serves as chair of the Veterans Committee in the city council and co-chair of the Common Sense Caucus,…
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Apr. 11, 2024 By Council Member Robert Holden In 2019, the State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo embarked on a controversial overhaul of New York’s criminal justice system by enacting several laws, including cashless bail and sweeping changes to discovery laws. Simultaneously, the New York City Council passed laws that compounded these challenges, notably the…
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Apr. 2, 2024 By Anthony Medina A local deli in Middle Village is raising funds for the family of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller by selling “The NYPD” sandwich, made in honor of the fallen cop who died in the line of duty. Mario’s Meat Market and Gourmet Deli, located at 75-55 Metropolitan Ave, is donating…
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Mar. 20, 2024 By Anthony Medina A dueling rally was held in Maspeth Saturday outside a synagogue turned migrant shelter where about 50 opponents and 20 supporters stood their ground on opposite sides of Grand Avenue. The Maspeth Jewish Center, located at 66-64 Grand Ave., which began operating as a 15-bed temporary housing facility for migrant men earlier this month, sparked controversy among some residents both in-person and through social media. Demonstrators at Saturday’s protest made their voices heard through chants and signage that clearly stated their stance on the migrant shelter and the crisis as a whole. Protesters against…
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Mar. 12, 2024 By Anthony Medina Maspeth Jewish Center, located at 66-64 Grand Ave., is the latest house of worship to join others in the city’s efforts to provide housing for migrants in Queens. The synagogue began operating as a 15-bed shelter for migrant men on Thursday, Mar. 7, according to information shared by Council Member Robert Holden. Holden, who represents the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, Elmhurst, Rego Park and parts of Ridgewood, made it clear on Facebook and X that he and the community he serves are against the site. “I find this completely unacceptable. The community should…
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Feb. 14, 2024 By Rachel Butler Recreational vehicles (RV’s) and mobile homes may soon be forcibly removed from residential streets at certain times if a new senate bill introduced by council members Robert Holden and Kamillah Hanks becomes law. Holden, who represents Ridgewood and surrounding areas and Hanks who represents Staten Island have introduced a new bill to combat the recent surge of RV’s and mobile homes permanently parked on streets in residential areas. Holden said that as New York’s housing crisis deepens, there has been an increase in people using RV’s and mobile homes as permanent housing, while paying…
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Jan. 31, 2024 By Rachel Butler A Queens council member is calling for live animal slaughter markets to be moved outside of New York City following unannounced visits to a market in Ridgewood and another one in Bushwick on Jan. 17. Council Member Robert Holden, who represents Glendale, Middle Village and surrounding areas, is pushing for the change after visiting the Tiba Live Poultry Slaughter market, located at 905 Wykoff Ave. in Ridgewood, and the Kikiriki Live Poultry market, located at 334 Linden St. in Bushwick, where he alleges the animals are being mistreated. He said that sheep and goats…
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Jan. 23, 2024 By Rachel Butler A Queens state Senator is encouraging the public to drop off Valentine’s Day cards and donations to his district offices that will be delivered to senior and disabled veterans at the New York State Veterans Home in St. Albans. State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. is partnering with community…
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Dec. 26, 2023 By Iryna Shkurhan Several pieces of legislation geared towards supporting veterans—two of which were introduced by Queens city council members—were passed by the council last week. The Council put forward the Mental Health Roadmap in April as part of an effort to expand prevention and support services to those in need of mental health resources. It also sought to increase interagency coordination, address the shortage of mental health workers and limit the intersection with the criminal justice system, all while increasing awareness. The second phase of the plan, unveiled in November, focused on the mental health needs…
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