🌱 False Alarm Bomb Threat + Ridgewood Named Coolest NYC Neighborhood

Good morning, Queens! ⭐️

• 💣 A bomb threat, which turned out to be a false alarm, was made against a Long Island City school building on Tuesday morning.
• 🥂 Raise your glasses to Ridgewood -- it's officially the coolest neighborhood in NYC.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Former NYPD officer and recently retired judge George Grasso intends to run against incumbent Melinda Katz in next year's Democratic primary for Queens district attorney.

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🌬 Breezy in the afternoon. High: 70 Low: 60.

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Here are the top stories today in Queens:

1. A bomb threat was made against the Q404 Hunters Point campus building on Tuesday morning that forced around 1,000 students and staff members to be evacuated from the premises. The threat was made around 10:30 a.m. when an individual called the school's front desk and said there was a bomb in the building, which contains Hunters Point Community Middle School, the Academy for TV and Film, and the Riverview High School. By 12:45 p.m., the police had deemed the call to be a false alarm, and the situation to be safe, and all were allowed to re-enter the building, an NYPD spokesperson said.

Patch ; Astoria Post

2. Here's something cool: Ridgewood has been named the coolest neighborhood in NYC, and the fourth coolest neighborhood in the world (out of 51), in a recent poll by Time Out magazine. You might be wondering — how did Ridgewood earn this honorable distinction? Each year, Time Out surveys thousands of city-dwellers around the world, confers with a global network of local editors, and seeks input from experts to create a comprehensive ranking of the world's coolest neighborhoods. Things that make Ridgewood cool include: its diversity, enduring mom-and-pop stores, hip Brooklyn offerings, 10 historic districts, and "old-school-meets-trendy" atmosphere. This victory for Ridgewood marks the return of Queens to the Time Out coolness ranks — three years ago Astoria was named the eigth coolest neighborgood in the world.

Time Out

3. Former NYPD official and recently retired judge George Grasso intends to run against incumbent Melinda Katz in next year's Democratic primary for Queens district attorney. Grasso, a Queens native, made his pitch for the DA position at the NYPD's Columbia Association luncheon on Monday. "I'm not happy with the performance of the Queens district attorney. There has to be accountability there. Don't district attorneys take credit when crime goes down?" Grasso said."As far as I'm concerned it's a poor performance at this point. I don't think she's measuring up. I'm giving Democrats a real choice in the primary." When asked about the challenge from Grasso, Katz said she's ready to defend her record.

New York Post

4. On Tuesday afternoon, a federal jury convicted Queens resident Mustafa Goklu, also known as "Mustangy," of money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business for his role in a scheme that converted dirty Bitcoin ("BTC") into cash. As proven at trial, Goklu offered his customers the ability to convert their criminal proceeds of drug trafficking into U.S. currency for a fee. On several occassions, Goklu engaged in transactions with an undercover officer who transferred BTC to Goklu's cryptocurrency wallet, after which Goklu retained a commission fee, and provided the undercover officer with the remaining amount in cash. Goklu faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced.

Department of Justice

5. Fallen NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen was honored in a co-naming ceremony in Richmond Hill on Saturday, Oct. 8. Elected officials, NYPD staff, and family and friends of Simonsen gathered for the unveiling of a new street sign at the corner of 118th Street and Jamaica Avenue that reads "Brian Simonsen Way." Located just up the street from the 102nd Precinct where he served the entirety of his 19-year career, the sign memorializes Simonsen, who was tragically killed in the line of duty in February 2019. Simonsen was responding to a robbery at a T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill when he and another officer were struck by friendly fire. "Detective Simonsen dedicated his career to this community," said Councilwoman Lynn Schulman, who spearheaded the effort to rename the corner through the City Council. "I am so proud to have this street co-renaming in his honor, and to have the community he protected with so much pride show up for him today."

Queens Courier

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

• 81-year-old FDNY inspector dies from heart attack on the job at Queens mall (New York Daily News)
• Best Haunted Houses in NYC: Scariest Places to Visit This Halloween (Thrillist)
• Queens Night Market Hosts All-You-Can-Eat Festival (Patch)
• Queens Theatre Kicks off its 34th Season with The Acting Company's The Three Musketeers and Romeo & Juliet (AMNY)
• 17-Year-Old Queens Girl Shot Dead in Vacant Brooklyn Apartment (NBC New York)
• Poliovirus found in Brooklyn and Queens sewage, New York health officials say (CNBC)
• Queens Will Keep Flooding Without Federal Infrastructure Funds: Pols (Patch)

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🗓 To Do Today in Queens:

• Queens Botanical Garden Free Admission Wednesdays (9 a.m.)
• YWCA Food Pantry (10 a.m.)
• Toddler Time at South Jamaica Library (11 a.m.)
• Queens Farm Farmstand (11 a.m.)
• Culture Bridge: Celebrate Diwali Culture And Dance (3:30 p.m.)
• Children's Book Club (6 p.m.)
• Free Comedy Show in Astoria Park! (7 p.m.)
• Flushing Town Hall Jazz Jam with Carol Sudhalter (7 p.m.)

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🗣 Queens Chatter:

• 🍁 Fall Opening at the Queens Museum: "Our Fall Opening was filled with fun activities, delicious food, and the opening of our new exhibitions, "Xaviera Simmons: Crisis Makes a Book Club" and "Charisse Pearlina Weston: of [a] tomorrow: lighter than air, stronger than whiskey, cheaper than dust"A special thank you to Moon Man, Arepalicious, QNSY, and DJ Undocubougie for the great music, food, and refreshments.Learn more about our Fall 2022 exhibitions & book your free timed ticket today! Link: https://qnsmu.se/PlanYourVisit" (Queens Museum via Facebook)
• 🏳️‍🌈 Happy belated National Coming Out Day!: "We all deserve to be at peace in our own skin. To be respected and loved as humans. On this #NationalComingOutDay, we celebrate that humanity. We celebrate living our bold truth. That's what we did with the students of High School for Co..." (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
• 🚕 Queens Chamber of Commerce: "On October 6th, 2022, The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) hosted the TLC in your Borough Outdoor Resource fair.
  This was designated to help those navigate the licensing and taxi/car services system and at the same time educate on important pieces of information such as discrimination on drivers, accessibility of vehicles, and especially those who are struggling financially and how they can get back up on their feet. Located in the heart of Long Island City, residents from the neighborhood and across the Queens borough visited the many booths including The Queens Chamber of Commerce! We along with organizations such as Long Island City Partnership, Queens Public Library, NYC Department of Immigrant Affairs, and so much more interacted and networked with residents, business owners, and fellow city employees making this fair a successful and great turnout!" (Queens Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• 🎃 Pumpkin patch opens this weekend: "We're already looking forward to the weekend! QBG's Pumpkin Patch starts THIS WEEKEND! Come for harvest-themed photo opportunities, crafts, and more! Ticket includes admission to both the Patch AND the Garden. Tickets https://qbgpumpkinpatch2022.eventbrite.com/?aff=socialmedia" (Queens Botanical Garden via Twitter)
• 📚Get ready for Literary Thursday: "Our Literary Thursdays virtual author talks continue with @CarmenSense, whose memoir traces her search for understanding both family and identity. Join us on October 13 at 6PM. https://queenslib.org/3LlZSXR" (Queens Public Library via Twitter)

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More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• "Fence Your Best" Film Screening (October 12)
• 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)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll see you soon!

— Emma Radu Fighera

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