Community Corner

🌱Anti-Solitary Confinement Bill Proposed + 🌊The Rockaways Recovering

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Queens.

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(Patch Media)

Good morning, Queens! 😆

This Tuesday just be wouldn't be right without some headlines, now would it? Here we go:

  • 👏 Speaker Adams supports bill that would ban solitary confinement in jails.
  • ☀️ An economic report suggests blue skies ahead for the Rockaways after a stormy past decade.
  • 🤝 Presidents of Queens and Brooklyn join forces to bring "Summer Streets" to the outer boroughs.

🚿 Showers, mainly early; humid. High: 81 Low: 64.

Here are the top stories today in Queens:

1. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced her support for a bill that would ban solitary confinement in city jails. On Monday, she told Errol Louis on "Inside City Hall" that "New York is better than solitary confinement. We have got to find a better way to handle disruption in our jail." After failing to pass in previous years, the bill was reintroduced in June by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and mandates a maximum of eight hours per night and two hours per day that the Department of Correction would be allowed to confine inmates, unless determined otherwise.

Spectrum News NY1


2. An economic report released yesterday by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli suggests that there may finally be blue skies ahead for the Rockaways after a stormy past decade. "After the devastation of Superstorm Sandy and massive efforts to rebuild, The Rockaways was battered by the pandemic. Now there's good reason to be optimistic about the Rockaways' recovery from the COVID-19 setback," DiNapoli said. Despite encouraging signs regarding its improving economic trajectory, the Rockaways community still faces longstanding struggles with unemployment, poverty, food insecurity, transportation, and affordable housing.

Office of the New York State Comptroller


3. The presidents of Queens and Brooklyn have joined forces in an effort to bring the popular, Manhattan-only "Summer Streets" program to the outer boroughs. Summer Streets runs a miles-long car-free corridor down the length of Manhattan on three Saturdays in August, and has been a hit since its inception 14 years ago. Now, Donovan Richards and Antonio Reynoso want to bring the wildly popular program to their respective boroughs. In a letter they jointly wrote to Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez last week, the officials proposed the program's expansion as a matter of fairness and equity. The Department of Transportation said it would review the request, and discuss possible expansion plans.

Streetsblog New York City


4. The Queens Night Market is back this Saturday for another fall season at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The market, which will take place every Saturday through Oct. 29 from 5 p.m. to midnight, features nearly 60 food vendors from all across the world who sell their native cuisines at fair prices — vendors are not permitted to sell food items for more than $5-$6. Despite the price cap, the vendors have still been breaking sales records said John Wang, the founder of the event. "I know the price caps we impose on vendors are challenging for them, especially these days, but that's also why we haven't raised vendor fees in two years and why we continue to pass along any and all of our operational saving directly to them," Wang said. "If it's not affordable for vendors, it's certainly not going to be affordable for visitors." Since its debut in 2015, Wang says that approximately 2 million people have visited the market, more than 350 New York City business have participated, and food from more than 90 countries has been represented. Some of the new dishes on offer this fall season will include Trinidadian curry crab & dumplings, Thai boiled whelk, and Ethiopian sega wat.

Astoria Post


5. Though her pursuit of an affordable Queens apartment was bad enough to warrant her the title of "unluckiest winner of New York City's housing lottery," Claudinne Feliciano's problems with tenant screening reports are hardly unqiue. In July 2015, Feliciano was selected for a brand new, rent-stabilized, waterfront apartment at Hunter's Point South Commons, a city-backed development in Queens. It seemed too good to be true — and then it was. Hunter's Point rejected her application because of a mistake on her tenant screening report. Then it happened again, another incorrect report, and Feliciano lost another apartment in Queens, leaving her to move back in with her parents. Feliciano's story is just one example of many in which an erroneous report wreaks havoc.

The Real Deal


🗞 Hankering for more headlines? 👀 Look no further:

  • Rental prices in Queens up 16.5 percent from a year ago (Astoria Post)
  • Queens man wins $3 million from New York Lottery scratch-off ticket — after claiming his prize he told NY Lottery "Now I can do things I enjoy" (Suffolk Daily Voice)
  • FCC hunts down pirate radio stations on East Coast, shuts down Queens station (Inside Radio)
  • Power Women of Queens celebrate over 25 years of honoring extraordinary women (Queens Courier)

To Do Today in Queens:

  • Elmhurst Greenmarket (8 a.m.)
  • Veteran Business Expo (9 a.m.)
  • Queens Botanical Garden Free Admission Tuesdays (9 a.m.)
  • Kids in Motion Program (10 a.m.)
  • Volunteering with Hour Children (10:15 a.m.)
  • Video Skills: Getting Started with iMovie (12:45 p.m.)
  • Karaoke at Friend's Tavern (6 p.m.)
  • Solo Piano Recital by Niklas Sivelöv (7:30 p.m.)
  • Legends of Vinyl New York 2022 Music Hall of Fame Awards (8 p.m.)

🗣 Queens Chatter:

  • Upcoming exhibition by Mexican artist Frieda Toranzo Jaeger: "The future is queer joy soaking in a resplendent pool amidst the wreckage of a plane crash. At least it could be. And it is in the paintings of Mexican artist Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, whose exhibition, "Autonomous Drive" opens on 9/22! Learn more at http://mo.ma/frieda" (MoMA PS1 via Twitter)
  • Dual language learning!: "Thank you to @NYCComptroller Brad Lander for joining myself, Principal Marsaggi and @nycschoolsD25 Superintendent DiMango at PS 163 to learn about the school's dual language program. We visited two classrooms and made paper lanterns as part of a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration." (Councilmember Sandra Ung via Twitter)
  • Progress in the Rockaways: "A pleasure to join many elected officials and community leaders for today's release of @NYSComptroller DiNapoli's economic snapshot of the Rockaways. His report lays a strong foundation for us to build upon our efforts to bring greater prosperity to all Rockaways residents." (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Twitter)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update!

— Emma Radu Fighera

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Queens Daily? Contact me at queens@patch.com

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