Peralta defeats Monserrate in Special Election

Marilyn Golub single-handedly kicked off Armory Arts Week in New York City on Tuesday, March 2 – two days before the massive four-day-long spectacle officially began.

Booking on ‘The Big Read’ program

With the odds stacked against them, books are making a cultural comeback.

A truly Special Election in Queens

Special Elections are usually under-the-radar, low-turnout races that only receive a small amount of attention in the days leading up to the election.

March 4th, 2010

A new ‘Century’ of shopping in Queens

Rego Park just entered a new century of shopping.

Art Shuttle connecting to LIC hotspots

Marilyn Golub single-handedly kicked off Armory Arts Week in New York City on Tuesday, March 2 – two days before the massive four-day-long spectacle officially began.

Booking on ‘The Big Read’ program

With the odds stacked against them, books are making a cultural comeback.

A truly Special Election in Queens

Special Elections are usually under-the-radar, low-turnout races that only receive a small amount of attention in the days leading up to the election.

March 3rd, 2010

Special Election Profile: Robert Beltrani

Name: Robert Beltrani

Comptroller audits DOE school ratings

In the wake of the city Department of Education’s (DOE) decision to shutter 19 public schools, Comptroller John Liu has initiated an audit of the very measuring stick that led to those schools’ demise.

Art Shuttle connecting to LIC hotspots

Marilyn Golub single-handedly kicked off Armory Arts Week in New York City on Tuesday, March 2 – two days before the massive four-day-long spectacle officially began.

Here we SNOW again!

This harsh season of storms and blizzards has done more than just snow-in the city’s winter-weary population. It has spurred the public to stay informed about coming weather emergencies.

Douglaston Fairway expected by summer

Shoppers in the Douglaston area are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new Fairway supermarket in the Douglaston Plaza Mall, now that the Waldbaums that occupied the space since 1975 has closed down.

Booking on ‘The Big Read’ program

With the odds stacked against them, books are making a cultural comeback.

Special Election Profile: Hiram Monserrate

NAME: Hiram Monserrate

CHECK OUT THE NEW QUEENS COURIER POLITICAL BLOG

Read about all the day's political news on our new blog by clicking here

March 2nd, 2010

Trial ferry program sinks under costs

Sixteen days and counting.

Paterson runs out of support

Will he stay or will he go?

Cross Bay Bridge rebate targeted

And the fight continues.

Queens Chileans seek news after 8.8 quake

Clustered around the television at the San Antonio Bakery in Astoria, dozens of anxious people watched National Television of Chile’s 24-hour coverage of the earthquake that struck the highly seismic nation at 3:34 a.m. local time on Saturday, February 27 – rattling millions out of bed.

How to handle delays

With the closure of the main runway at John F. Kennedy Airport, travelers can expect a large number of delays, not only in New York, but across the nation.

Runway repairs means long waits at JFK

Traveling soon? Get ready for longer waits at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

YWCA holding 13th music contest

Attention, calling all classical music prodigies!

Seek stronger no texting driving ban

Governor Paterson has introduced a bill which would make New York State’s law against using a cell phone or texting while driving a primary offense.

Paint ‘Mother Nature’ at Maple Grove

Has Mother Nature ever inspired you to pick up a brush and put paint to canvas?

Swap old appliances for new plus a rebate

Looking to replace your old appliances with new, energy-efficient ones?

More erosion = more money at Rockaway beaches

Rockaway beaches are facing rocky times, as inadequate funding could affect the areas most severely hit by recent storms.

Punks burgle chalice, cash from church

Father Robert Keighron thought the chalice – a special gift from his parents, in keeping with tradition – would be something he’d have for the rest of his life, but thieves apparently thought otherwise.

Pols cry ‘not fare!’ over student MetroCards

The image of schoolchildren standing with their thumbs in the air, hitchhiking along a busy thoroughfare raises quite a few red flags. Yet that is just the sad and dangerous scenario City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley described at a recent rally in protest of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plan to eliminate free MetroCards for students.

Helpful by nature, she wants helpful career

Sumaya Shoaib tries to lend a helping hand to those in need whenever she can.

Special Election Profile: Jose Peralta

Name: Jose R. Peralta

Give the gift of life at Mercy Medical Center

Despite the lingering snow and chilly temperatures, spring is almost here – when life awakens. You can give the gift of life by donating blood at Mercy Medical Center on Tuesday, March 30, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.

A truly Special Election in Queens

Special Elections are usually under-the-radar, low-turnout races that only receive a small amount of attention in the days leading up to the election.

Fireworks fly in muddy political bout

Get ready for some down and dirty politics.

Special Election Profile: Hiram Monserrate

NAME: Hiram Monserrate

Special Election Profile: Robert Beltrani

Name: Robert Beltrani

Probe may delay Aqueduct Racino deal

With subpoenas expected from the state’s Inspector General and daily calls for his resignation, Governor David Paterson is hedging his bets on the $300 million down payment Aqueduct Racino deal for this year’s budget.

March 1st, 2010

Queens Poet Laureate search begins again

The search has begun to find Queens’ fifth Poet Laureate.

Top cop honors ‘Cops of Month’

Chief James Secreto, Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Queens South (PBQS), was the special guest of the Jamaica Rotary, where his men and women are honored monthly for a job well done.

City pours $115 M into Jamaica Bay projects

A total of $115 million in new investments – and improvements – will be coming to Jamaica Bay.

February 26th, 2010

Governor Paterson won’t seek reelection

New York State Governor David Paterson will not seek reelection.

HERE WE SNOW AGAIN!

Spring seems like an impossible dream as Old Man Winter walloped the city with yet another storm nightmare on Thursday, February 25.

House of the Week

Woodhaven, once known as Woodville is a middle-class neighborhood, tucked away south of the Forest Park Golf Course. The name came from the fact that it is one of the more thoroughly wooded areas of the borough, with many streets lined with towering sycamore trees.

Student MetroCards hot topic at RHBA meeting

A local meeting got heated when someone asked about student MetroCards.

McFadden’s comes to Citi Field

In what may mark the dawning of a new day in the “Iron Triangle,” the midtown Irish pub that has grown into a nationwide chain of party oases – McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon – will open its newest location to the general public at Citi Field.

Haiti’s little ones learn to cope

Fourth grader Victoria “Vicky” Milord loves Sacred Heart School in Cambria Heights, the school she enrolled in after the earthquake in Haiti.

February 25th, 2010

Yolanda Vega always welcomed in Queens

Throughout the years, Queens residents have felt like a million bucks, thanks to Yolanda Vega.

We celebrate, and you can celebrate too

You can win great prizes as we celebrate our 25th anniversary.

Top 10 most popular dogs

Courtesy of StatePoint Media

Vets heal owl, return her to wild

The Alley Pond Environmental Center has an extra pair of wings in its skies, thanks to the caring work provided by one Queens- and Nassau- based veterinary center.

American Airlines expands JFK flights

Travelers, prepare for takeoff!

Guilty plea in shaken baby case

A child’s life will never be the same, and the man responsible has pleaded guilty.

February 24th, 2010

Guilty plea in shaken baby case

A child’s life will never be the same, and the man responsible has pleaded guilty.

Tietz celebrates Chinese New Year

A lion prowling the halls of any establishment would usually be cause for concern, but at a local nursing home, it was an opportunity to celebrate.

Yolanda Vega always welcomed in Queens

Throughout the years, Queens residents have felt like a million bucks, thanks to Yolanda Vega.

Graffitied post office cleaned again

It’s like a never-ending battle.

Lost Dog

Please help Harley’s family find her. She is an eight-year-old miniature Schnauzer, “salt and pepper” colored. Harley, who weighs 19 pounds, was wearing a red collar with tags on it when she was lost in the vicinity of Northern Boulevard and 220th Street in Bayside. Please call 718-428-9701 if you have seen her or know where she is.

Physicians aid economy – need help too

In addition to treating people, private physicians are also doing their part to keep the economy from flat lining, according to a study released by the Medical Society of the County of Queens.

Queens boy is 8,000th Make-A-Wish recipient

A milestone wish came true when a local Queens boy became a Broadway star for a day.

City schools absorb hundreds of Haitian students

Danny Kanner was clear in his assertion about the New York City public school system: “Every student has a right to go to school.”

Rotary honors public advocate and editor

Joe Iaboni realizes that any organization is only as strong as its members.

D.A. to headline ‘Top Women’ event

The Queens Courier and Queens Business Today are bringing in a big gun for the eighth annual Top Women in Business Networking Awards Dinner.

Flushing hosts New Year’s parade

Photos Courtesy various sources

2009 Haiti tax deductions ending

If you donated to Haitian relief efforts but have not yet filed your 2009 taxes, the IRS wants to remind taxpayers that they can deduct their contributions on their 2009 return – but only for donations made by midnight Sunday, February 28.

After devastating fire, storeowner perseveres

Years of dreams and hard work went up in smoke for the owners and employees after an accidental fire destroyed several Jackson Heights businesses the day before Valentine’s Day.

Woodhaven VAC forced to charge

It has been nearly a year to the day that Caritas shuttered two hospitals – St. John’s Queens and Mary Immaculate – and yet the fallout continues.

MTA under fire by LIC residents

Western Queens and Long Island City residents turned the heat on MTA officials as they voiced their discontent about the ongoing service disruptions of the No. 7 train, which has bypassed all the stops in their neighborhoods on consecutive weekends.

‘Mud’ slows Aqueduct VLT race in the stretch

Local officials are defending Governor David A. Paterson’s decision to award the Racino franchise to local business group Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG), despite a virtual river of mud in tabloid reports following the announcement.

Haiti’s little ones learn to cope

Fourth grader Victoria “Vicky” Milord loves Sacred Heart School in Cambria Heights, the school she enrolled in after the earthquake in Haiti.

Pols take swipe at credit cards

New legislation that took effect Monday, February 22 takes more than a few swipes at the credit card industry, homing in on controversial practices ranging from sneaky interest rate hikes to college campus card-hawkers.

MTA to cut jobs, student MetroCards

A worsening budget situation has forced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to announce a round of 1,000 layoffs as well as an end to free MetroCards for city students.

MASSACRE: Bus driver kills family, self

Even though his wife had reportedly moved out for a while – and family members said she was “scared” – neighbors say there were no signs that Mark Bailey would do what he did.

Judge throws out Monserrate suit, Hiram appeals

Let the race begin!

Flushing bomb plotter admits guilt

Former Flushing resident Najibullah Zazi has pleaded guilty to charges that he brought explosives to New York from his home in Aurora, Colorado – to be a suicide bomber in the city’s subway system.

February 23rd, 2010

Hiram and Jose showdown set

Residents of Senate District 13 start your engines.

Sears nixes GOP Special Election nod

First she was out. Then she was in. But, in the end, former Queens City Councilmember Helen Sears decided not to run in the Special Election for Senate District 13.

February 22nd, 2010

Source: Helen Sears will not run in Special Election

Sears is out!

February 19th, 2010

Judge throws out Monserrate suit

Let the race begin!

February 18th, 2010

Top 10 most popular dogs

It is a good time to have four furry legs. Pet ownership has surged over the past 20 years, and dogs in particular are enjoying major popularity.

Vets heal owl, return her to wild

The Alley Pond Environmental Center has an extra pair of wings in its skies, thanks to the caring work provided by one Queens- and Nassau- based veterinary center.

AAH Awards ceremony held in Corona

The African-American Heritage (AAH) Awards Ceremony, honoring those who received both achievement and scholarship awards, will be held on Saturday, February 20 at 12:30 p.m. in the Langston Hughes Library in Corona.

Astoria singer makes top 24 on ‘American Idol’

One of Astoria’s own has made it to a place that few people do – the top 24 of “American Idol.”

Haiti: Long road towards healing

More than a month after the quake, on the island and abroad, the mental health of Haitians needs help too.

Amid Haiti devastation, Carnival is quiet

Two Styrofoam airplanes dangle from the ceiling inside Duch Travel Agency, propelled into slow orbit every time the front door swings open. But customers are few and far between these days, so the model planes remain largely motionless. As if Philippe Charlot needed an extra reminder.

February 17th, 2010

Case of multiple missed medals

Last September, Dr. Neil Tonnesen called Congressmember Gary Ackerman’s office with a little problem. It seems his 85-year-old father-in-law, Mauro Mariani of Auburndale, had lost the Purple Heart he was awarded for a wound received in World War II.

Using space heaters safely

As the frigid winter season maintains its hold on the city and the snow continues to pile up, residents are urged to monitor their home heating systems closely and to practice caution with space heaters.

Mets to host job fairs

The New York Mets announced they are holding job fairs and accepting applications for more than 700 open positions for the 2010 season at Citi Field. These part-time jobs are in a variety of areas including parking, entertainment, concessions and guest experience.

Report shows crime down, streets cleaner

The Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 is out and there were both highs and lows regarding how city agencies performed during the first four months of the fiscal year.

Designer brings new runway to Queens

When you think of the world’s iconic fashion hubs, cities like Paris, Milan and London spring to mind. Of course, New York also tops that list, though it’s more a testament to the heavyweight shows in Manhattan than any outer-borough couture culture.

‘Failing school’ has serious science side

One area school has perfected the science of proving education officials wrong.

Graffitied post office cleaned again

It’s like a never-ending battle.

Peruvian arts program inspires all

After five months of hard work, students of Pachamama Peruvian Arts finally had the opportunity to display their hard work to the Jackson Heights community.

NST offers amazing amenities

North Shore Towers and Country Club (NST) is easy to spot from various points in Queens and on Long Island. It’s hard to miss the three 33-story buildings on 110 acres of land in Floral Park that seem to tower over the rest of the area.

Help find ‘Harley’

Fires don’t care about budgets

A massive fire that tore through a commercial building in Jackson Heights prompted City Councilmember Daniel Dromm and Assemblymember Jose Peralta to publically question whether the result of the blaze would have been more tragic, had a proposed closure of city fire houses been in effect.

Blaze hurts local business

As the remnants of the six stores ravaged by a four-alarm fire in Jackson Heights were razed, neighbors and other business owners reflected on the loss to the local economy.

MONSERRATE FALLOUT

People in western Queens should get used to seeing Hiram Monserrate versus Jose Peralta at the ballot box.

MONSERRATE REACTION

After seven years in public office, former State Senator Hiram Monserrate no longer represents one of the most diverse communities in the borough, and that same community has very diverse viewpoints about his recent expulsion from the New York State Senate.

Hold - That - Tiger

The Wang family of Elmhurst celebrated the start of the Year of the Tiger with a new addition. Their as-yet unnamed boy was the first delivery of the Lunar New Year, delivered at New York Hospital Queens at 4:38 a.m., by attending obstetrician Dr. Weimin Qu.