Author: Dan Rose

The Health Department is conducting aerial larviciding treatment to parts of northeast and southeast Queens to reduce mosquito activity and reduce the risk of West Nile virus on Friday, July 10 from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.

The helicopter is treating only non-residential areas, the agency said.

To date, no human cases of West Nile virus have been reported this season.

Still, during the summer months, mosquitos can breed in any still water that has been standing for more than five days.

With hot and wet weather conditions, the targeted areas can be home to a rise in mosquito populations.

Here are the areas that will be sprayed:

• Alley Pond Park (Marsh areas inside Alley Pond Park – areas bounded by Douglaston Parkway and 240^th Street to the east; Northern Boulevard to the north; Cross Island Parkway and East Hampton Boulevard to the west; and Grand Central Parkway to the south)
• Linden Hill/College Point (Marsh areas bounded by Whitestone Expressway to the east; 20^th Avenue to the north; 130^th Avenue and Ulmer Street to the west; and Ulmer Street and 28^th Street to the south)
• Kissena Park (Marsh areas bounded by 164^th Street to the east; Oak Avenue and Rose Avenue to the north; and Kissena Boulevard to the west; and  Booth Memorial Avenue to the south)

Bell Boulevard in Bayside has been chosen as a business corridor to participate in the city’s new “Open Streets: Restaurants” program.

The initiative combined Open Streets, which closes roads to traffic, with Open Restaurants, which allows for outdoor dining, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The Bayside Village BID will facilitate the street closures. Bell Boulevard between 39th Avenue and 41st Avenue, as well as 41st Avenue between Bell Boulevard and 214th Place, will be closed on Friday evenings, Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m.

The expanded outdoor seating will last until Labor Day.

For those asking about emergency vehicle access, an emergency clear lane will be maintained down the middle of the street.

“Between our customers and our restaurant owners, it’s hard to tell who’s happier!” said Christine Silletti, executive director of the Bayside Village BID. “It was important to support all of our small businesses, so we discussed the options as a community, as well as block by block, in order to come up with a plan.”

Tuesday night’s contentious budget vote focused mainly on defunding the NYPD by $1 billion, but as many elected officials note, significant funding is coming back to their districts.

The City Council voted 37 to 12 in favor of the $88 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021.

Councilwoman Peter Koo, who voted ‘yes’ on the budget, said $30 million in budget victories was secured for his district.

“Once again, every school in my district has received funding so our children will have the best facilities available when they return to school,” Koo said.

“Securing these critical resources for our community will directly improve many of our neighborhood amenities and the overall quality of life in our communities.”

Here is a breakdown of funding coming to District 20:

• New community center for South Asian Council for Social Services ($1.15 million)
• Hospital equipment for Flushing Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens ($922,000)
• New playground equipment and ballfields at Kissena Corridor Park ($3.2 million for equipment, $2.775 million for fields)
• Library upgrades at Flushing Library, Queensboro Hill Library ($2.554 million)
• Tech and gym upgrades at schools ($3.109 million)
• Discretionary funding for 84 community-based organizations ($710,000)

After 16 years at Hostos Community College, including stints as provost and vice president, Dr. Christine Mangino has been appointed the new president of Queensborough Community College.

CUNY’s Board of Trustees appointed Mangino to the post effective August 17.

A first-generation college student, Dr. Mangino championed the mission of community colleges after her experience as a student at Nassau Community College.

She later earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Hofstra University, as well as a doctoral degree in instructional leadership at St. John’s University.

In her five years as provost at Hostos, she increased three-year graduation rates by nearly 15 percent. She also boosted the number of faculty of color by six percent.

A 32-year-old Long Island man has been charged with attempted kidnapping and other crimes, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

According to the DA, the defendant, identified as Pete Haughton, allegedly dragged a 7-year-old girl from her bed and out the front door of her Flushing home in a “brazen abduction attempt.”

The girl was luckily saved when family members heard her cries for helped and stopped the suspect.

“If not for her loved ones hearing her screams and acting to save her, this could have had a truly tragic outcome,” Katz said. “The defendant was quickly apprehended and the girl is safe with her family.”

Haughton was charged with burglary, attempted kidnapping, assault and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

After a combative primary race got personal, including charges of cyberbullying, an avalanche of insults and burner accounts on Twitter, Assemblyman Ron Kim cruised to victory against challenger Steven Lee.

With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Kim received 2,112 votes, representing nearly 70 percent of the vote. Lee, an NYPD sergeant running to the right of Kim, only got 923 votes, or 30 percent.

Though tens of thousands of absentee ballots still have to be counted before the results are official, Kim has a commanding lead, and is likely to emerge victorious in the race.

Another Flushing incumbent, Congresswoman Grace Meng, also won her primary contest against two challengers.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Meng received 15,181 votes, good for 61 percent.

Challenger Melquiades Gagarin, a progressive activist, won 5,261 votes, or 21 percent. Sandra Choi, another first-time candidate, received 4,318 votes, or 17 percent.

Though the district leans heavily Democratic, Meng will still face Republican nominee Thomas Zmich in the general election in November.

In the race for Queens borough president, Councilman Donovan Richards is leading all candidates with 41,915 votes, or 37.2 percent, with 96 percent of precincts reporting.

Trailing Donovan is former Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who has 31,781 votes, or 28 percent.

Councilman Costa Constantinides is coming in third, with 17,164 votes, or 15 percent. Closely behind him is Anthony Miranda, with 14.7 percent, and Dao Yin, with 4.5 percent.

Though Richards is ahead by a decent margin, this is a race that will be decided after absentee ballots are counted.

Earlier this week, the de Blasio administration announced the launch of new testing sites across the five boroughs.

The city is planning to expand its mobile testing apparatus to reach 10 trucks by July, bringing the total number of testing sites to over 200.

In Queens, the NYC Health + Hospitals testing site is at the Windsor Park Library, located at 79-50 Bell Boulevard.

Testing is available free of charge. Visit nyc.gov/covidtest to find the site closest to you.