Community Corner

✈️ JFK's Terminal 8 Reopens + Rally Against Inmate Care Package Policy

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

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Good morning, Queens! 🧸

  • ✈️ The $400 million first phase of JFK International Airport's $18 billion redevelopment project is complete!
  • 📦 Elected officials joined advocates and family members of incarcerated individuals at a rally Tuesday to demand that care package deliveries be reinstated in prisons -- a new policy went into effect over the summer that prohibits incarcerated people from receiving packages.
  • 🚂🧼 Four subway stations in Queens — the 21 St (G line), Vernon Blvd (7 line), 104 St (J line), and Court Square (7 line) — are getting a much needed deep clean.

🍃 Winds becoming 💪 strong; ☔️ rain. High: 57 Low: 34.

Here are the top stories today in Queens:

1. The newly expanded Terminal 8 at JFK International Airport opened Tuesday, Nov. 29, marking the completion of the $400 million first phase of the airport's $18 billion redevelopment. The Terminal 8 expansion and modernization project will see British Airways move from its current location in Terminal 7 to co-locate with American Airlines in Terminal 8. Other operational improvements to the terminal include five new widebody gates, four new widebody parking positions, and an expanded and upgraded baggage handling system. The terminal will also see major concessions upgrades over the next 18 months that feature more locally-inspired food and beverage options. The enormous project involved the work of more than 115 unique minority- and women-owned businesses that were awarded over $161 million in contracts. The next phase of construction begins early next years when the 60-year-old Terminal 7 will be demolished to clear space for a new Terminal 6.

Queens Courier

2. Elected officials joined advocates and family members of incarcerated individuals at a rally Tuesday outside the Queensboro Correctional Facility to demand that care package deliveries be reinstated in prisons. Speakers denounced the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Directive #4911A — a new policy that went into effect over the summer that prohibits incarcerated people from receiving packages. "Who does this policy help? I don't get it. All you have done is squander the last bit of hope incarcerated persons have and dismantle the loving connection between them and their families. Rehabilitation cannot occur in isolation," Assembly Member David Weprin said. "Starving people of love and personal touch is not how you stop the violence." Weprin, along with Senator Julia Salazar, announced that they are developing legislation to end these practices. However, according to DOCCS findings, the Department has seen an 81% drop in the number of contraband items recovered since the program was implemented.

AM New York Metro ; Queens Courier

3. Four subway stations in Queens — the 21 St (G line), Vernon Blvd (7 line), 104 St (J line), and Court Square (7 line) — are getting a much needed deep clean next year as part of the "Station ReNEWvation Program." The program aims to increase customer satisfaction by working on cosmetic upgrades at stations — subway riders cited station cleanliness as one of the top qualities to increase satisfaction, according to MTA officials. "We want customers to feel proud of their home station, and this program aims to do just that," said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. The program will see MTA staff work on power washing the stations, removing gum from floors, benches, staircases or columns, repainting columns, or retiling platforms or walls.

Patch

4. A trio of ecologically minded designers have developed a program, called Testbeds, that repurposes construction waste, namely "architectural mock-up" structures, for practical uses in community gardens around New York. Testbeds recently completed its pilot project — a new shelter in the Garden by the Bay community garden in Far Rockaway, in part constructed from mock-ups, thus diverting them from landfills. Though few people are aware of it, the real estate and construction industries produce mountains of waste. "For every bag of garbage people put out on the curb, the construction industry is producing twice as much waste," said Felix Heisel, an assistant architecture professor at Cornell University and director of its Circular Construction Lab. Testbeds aims to solve this issue by reusing and repurposing materials destined for the dump and turning them into community assets. The innovative project has already garnered recognition — it will be part of an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art — but it remains to be seen whether Testbeds can overcome financial hurdles before it can be rolled out more broadly.

The New York Times

5. Queens State Assemblyman Ron Kim, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Aging, is speaking out against the fraud and disinvestment found at the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion, N.Y. "We can seize this moment to hold the industry accountable with more transparency, auditing requirement, while rebuilding the county and state governments administrative capacity," Kim told Capital Tonight. Kim also stated to Capital Tonight that he would support legislation to prohibit for-profit nursing homes, and instead hopes to explore the idea of having counties return to operating nursing homes. "About 35% of long-term care facilities are for-profits. Not only that, there is private equity and hedge funds and dark money that's invested from outside the state that's driving bad decisions in these facilities," Kim said.

Spectrum News NY1

🗞 Hungry for more news? 🍽 Snack on these headlines:

  • Freddie Roman, stand-up staple of Borscht Belt circuit, dies at 85 (The Washington Post)
  • Infamous LIC Waterfront Restaurant Listed For Auction By City (Patch)
  • International clothing retailer Primark set to open new store in Jamaica (Queens Courier)
  • Cat Found In JFK Luggage Snuck Inside Suitcase (Patch)

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🗓 To Do Today in Queens:

🗣 Queens Chatter:

  • 🎺 Huge support for the Louis Armstrong House Museum: "Louis Armstrong was one of the greatest residents of this borough, and the Louis Armstrong House Museum is one of #Queens' greatest cultural sites. Proud to support this critical piece of history and education at last night's fundraiser. Let the good times roll for years to come!" (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
  • 🧠 Common-sense gun laws: "Common-sense gun laws make our communities safer, and this Council will continue to enact policies and programs to protect New Yorkers from the scourge of gun violence. Thank you @GovKathyHochuland @NewYorkStateAG for all your work to defend the Concealed Carry Improvement Act." (Speaker Adrienne Adams via Twitter)
  • 🌱 Plant the seeds of diversity: "Each year, over 273,000 people come together at the Garden to celebrate #PeoplePlantsCultures! This #GivingTuesday, help us plant the seeds for celebrating diversity! Show how much you believe in the work we do and donate today:https://queensbotanical.org/give" (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)
  • ❄️ Donate to the Winter Coat Drive:"My office is hosting a Winter Coat Drive! Drop off your gently used or new coats at my office from 10AM-5:30PM. We are also collecting unwrapped toys in conjunction with PS22 of @NYCSchoolsD25 and IBPS that will be distributed to hospitals and needy families." (Council Member Sandra Ung via Twitter)
  • 🎄🔨 Wreathmaking Workshop alert: "This weekend, deck the halls with the help of our signature Wreathmaking Workshop! Craft your own custom holiday wreath, no experience necessary. We'll guide you through the process and provide the evergreen boughs, a wire wreath frame, floral wire, and red bow; just bring your own garden shears and any additional embellishments. Sessions available December 3, 4, 10, & 11. Queens Farm has been offering this festive workshop for over 30 years! Reserve your spot at https://www.queensfarm.org/wreathmaking-workshop/" (The Queens County Farm Museum via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another 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. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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

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