☁️ Cloudburst Management Plan + $2 Million In Mental Health Services

Good morning, Queens! 👀

🤫 You didn't hear this from me, but there's a rumor going around that tomorrow is Friday. Here are today's headlines:

• 🧽 In a bid to combat flooding during storms, the city's Cloudburst Management program recently proposed using gigantic sponges to absorb excess rainwater.
• ⛑ Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced a groundbreaking $2 million partnership with telehealth platform BetterHelp to provide Queens residents with free mental health services.
• 🗺 The updated draft of City Council maps was released last week, and many of the initial draft's contentious district line changes were revised in Queens.

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🌬Windy; heavy p.m. showers. High: 69 Low: 56.

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Here are the top stories in Queens today:

1. With all its concrete and pavement, approximately 72 percent of New York City's surface cannot absorb precipitation. This means that during severe storms most rainwater flows directly into the city's inadequate 150-year-old sewer and stormwater systems, leading to destructive and deadly flooding. To alleviate the burden on the city's sewers, last month, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposed an inventive way to combat flooding: gigantic sponges. A type of porous pavement designed to absorb, capture, and divert rainwater. This new technology was proposed under the DEP's ongoing Cloudburst Management plan, a program designed to pilot and test options for improving stormwater resiliency. The DEP has been planning Cloudburst since 2017, and will announce its first four project sites at the end of the year. A likely location for one Cloudburst hub is the New York Hall of Science in Queens, which suffered significant damage during Hurricane Ida.

Gothamist

2. One day after World Mental Health Day, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced a groundbreaking initiative on Oct. 11 that will provide free mental health services to Queens residents. The $2 million partnership with telehealth platform BetterHelp, the nation's leading virtual mental health therapy provider, will offer badly needed counseling services and expertise to 10 community-based organizations from across Queens -- including Life Camp in Jamaica, Urban Upbound in Long Island City, Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities in Corona and others. "The past few years have been extremely difficult for all of us in Queens, as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the crises around housing, an economic downturn, food insecurity, racial injustice and more," Richards said. "To all those struggling, you don't have to struggle alone. Now, more than ever, we need to support one another."

Queens Courier

3. In the latest draft of City Council maps released last week by the NYC Districting Commission, many of the contentious district line changes included in the commission's initial proposal were revised in reponse to numerous complaints. One of the proposed redistricting changes that drew major public outcry involved expanding Queens District 26, currently centered on Long Island City and Sunnyside, to include parts of the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island. Under the latest revision of the maps, District 26 has returned entirely to Northwest Queens, and the district's lines only shifted slightly to the Southeast.

Patch

4. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Forest Hills on Wednesday to speak with lawmakers and health care providers about the benefits of the Inflationary Reduction Act for New Yorkers. The act lowers prescription drug and health care costs by implementing a cap for out-of-pocket costs, establishing a $35 cap for a month's supply of insulin, and a $2,000 cap for a year's supply of prescription drugs for Medicare users. During a roundtable conversation at the Queens Community House, Pelosi heard testimonies about the many ways the bill has helped patients, especially people with diabetes and the elderly.

Patch

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🗓 To Do Today in Queens:

• Queens Hospital Center Farmers' Market (8 a.m.)
• Volunteer at 9 Million Reasons / Evangel Food Pantry (8:45 a.m.)
• Fantasy Forest Amusement Park (12 p.m.)
• Movie Night Under The Stars (5:30 p.m.)
• Bodyweight Circuit Training (6 p.m.)
• Familia Kitchen Cookbook: Reading and Tasting (6:30 p.m.)
• LIVE at Culture Lab LIC Free Outdoor Concerts! (7 p.m.)
• Queens Theatre Presents The Three Musketeers: A Production by The Acting Company (7:30 p.m.)

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🗣 Queens Chatter:

• 🔭 Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the NY Hall of Science: "We had a wonderful time
  celebrating #HispanicHeritageMonth at the beautiful New York Hall of Science last night! It's an honor to recognize our vibrant Latin communities, who contribute so much to the fabric of our city. We stand with you and support you now and always. Thank you to all who came to enjoy great food and awesome performances, and to our cosponsors for helping make it happen! ¡Feliz mes de la herencia hispana!" (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
• 🌏 Consider the Unisphere: "This week's World's Fair Wednesday, we're shining the spotlight on one of the most iconic pieces of the 1964-1965 World's Fair, the Unisphere! 🌐 You've seen it in movies (looking at you Men In Black), music videos (any Cyndi Lauper or The Notorious B.I.G. fans?) and more, the Unisphere stands the test of time as one of Queens and New York City's most recognizable landmarks. Did you know that the Unisphere is the largest representation of the earth ever made: 140 feet high, 120 feet in diameter. At the time of the Fair, the capitals of the major nations were marked by lights. According to the 1964 Official Guide Book of the Fair, the structure required the solution of mathematical problems so complex that without high-speed computers planning the Unisphere would have taken 10 years." (Queens Museum via Facebook)
• 🕷Spooky season draws ever closer: "🎃🎃🎃 Pumpkin Patch is just THREE DAYS away! Take your fall photos, pick pumpkins, meet costumed creatures, make crafts, & more! Ticket includes admission to both the Patch AND the Garden. Adults 21+ can enjoy harvest and pumpkin-themed..." (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)
• 🐣The joys of bird watching: "📣 🐤 Experience the joy of spotting creatures of flight in a walk with NYC Audubon @nycaudubon at the Garden! Upcoming dates: Saturdays, 10/15, 22 & 29, and 11/5 & 19, 9:30-10:30am. Included in Garden admission. 🎟 Register today: https://qbgfallbirdwalks.eventbrite.com" (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)

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More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Grand Opening of Love's Kitchen in Kew Gardens, Queens (October 15)
• Poppenhusen's Fall Festival (October 15)
• Hamish the Hedgehog book party (October 15)
• Add your event

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday off right! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with your next update.

— Emma Radu Fighera

About me: Emma Radu Fighera is a reporter born and raised in Queens, New York. She studied Literature and Studio Art at Hamilton College, where she helped run the only daily publication on campus, The Daily Bull newsletter. This past spring she earned her M.S. in Journalism from Columbia Journalism School.

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