Author: Dan Rose

Councilman Paul Vallone has introduced a bill to establish a Director of Ferry Operations under the Department of Transportation.

“Delegating a Director of Ferry Services to manage our waterways will ensure that we chart a smart, fiscally responsible course to an expanded and reliable ferry system,” Vallone says.

The position would be appointed by the DOT commissioner. The responsibilities would include operation and maintenance of ferries, ferry route development and evaluation, and identifying potential expansion sites for ferry service.

EDC officials have told Vallone they are open to conversations about the position. NYC Ferry is currently run by EDC, not DOT.

On Saturday, April 20, from 4 to 6 p.m., Cody Ann Herrmann of FlushingBayandCreep will be hosting a walking tour of Flushing Creek.

Here’s a description of the event:

This walk takes place in ‘the valley of ashes,’ as referenced in the novel ‘The Great Gatsby,’ and will trace City owned property under the Van Wyck Expressway. We will discuss water quality, local history, and plans for new development in Willets Point and downtown Flushing. We will also demystify parts of Willets Point and Flushing Creek.

Herrmann is an artist and community organizer. She has created a series of projects critiquing policy related to land use and environmental planning for the areas surrounding Flushing Bay and Creek.

The tour begins at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and 126th Street, under the Mets-Willets Point 7 train station.

RSVP for the event here.

Later this afternoon, author Jeff Kinney, who wrote the bestselling series “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” will speak at two branches of the Queens Public Library.

Kinney will visit the Flushing Library branch at 2:30 p.m., and then stop by the Bellerose Library Knitting Club at 4:15 p.m.

The author is also promoting a new book during these visits: “Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal.”

The book is written from the perspective of Rowley Jefferson the best friend of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” protagonist Greg Heffley.

According to QPL, the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series is among the most popular books in the library system, taking the first nine stops among the top 10 children’s books in 2018.

More than 200 million copies of the books in his series have been sold globally.

Transit improvements are coming to Northeast Queens commuters, according to two state lawmakers.

Assembly members Nily Rozic and Ed Braunstein announced that as part of the 2019-2020 NYS budget, LIRR riders from NE Queens will receive a 20% reduction for their monthly pass.

That will include commuters traveling to and from these stations: Auburndale, Bayside, Broadway, Douglaston, Flushing-Main St, Little Neck and Murray Hill.

The funding for this fare discount was allocated from the Outer Borough Transit Fund, which was created by the State Legislature to assist those living in areas with limited transit options.

A $3 million boost in funding has also been added to express bus service, and $6 million will go to first mile-last mile connections.

“Relief in the outer boroughs is long overdue for Northeast Queens transit riders who are far too familiar with increasing fares and travel times,” Rozic says. “As part of this year’s state budget, it was critical for us to ensure that the needs of our communities were not neglected and that our transit system is fully funded.”

Queens College is hosting the first-ever New York State Veterans Resource Fair on Tuesday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Student Union Ballroom.

The sponsors of the event include the Department of Veterans Services, the Vet Center and the NYS Division of Veterans Affairs. They will offer assistance with housing, health, education, legal matters, jobs opportunities, mental health and LGBT resources.

This free event will include complementary refreshments. It is open to all New York State veterans, service members and their families.

Until April 7, residents ages 14 and over in District 19 can vote for their favorite capital projects in the participatory budgeting process.

In previous years, up to 5,000 votes were cast for projects that totaled nearly $2 million.

Here are the following 21 projects that made it to the final ballot:

Residents can vote online at pbnyc.org/vote, OR cast their ballot at the following locations:

On Thursday, May 30, Queens College alumnus Matt Higgins will be the keynote speaker at the college’s 95th commencement ceremony.

Higgins, who grew up in Bayside, graduated from Queens College with a B.A. in political science in 1998.

He is the co-founder and CEO of the private investment firm RSE Ventures, as well as the vice chairman of the Miami Dophins football team.

You may know him from the popular ABC show “Shark Tank,” for which he made his debut in 2018.

Higgins has been a benefactor to college, supporting single mothers who are taking classes at QC through the Linda Higgins Empowerment Scholarship. He established the scholarship in honor of his late mother, who was also a QC aluma.

Five recipients of the scholarship are among the graduating class of 2019.

MinKwon Center for Community Action is continuing its “Know Your Rights” housing workshop series in April.

On April 1, the topic is Grassroots Organizing and Landlord Harassment. That’s followed by a Know Your Housing Rights workshop on April 15.

Both events take place at MinKwon Center (136-19 41st Avenue, 3rd floor) from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Seonae Byeon at seonae.byeon@minkwon.org.

The Renaissance Hotel, a four-star hotel from Marriott International, is making its way to Flushing.

SCG and G&T Group announced last week that the 208-key Renaissance will anchor Tangram, a 1.2-million-square-foot mixed-use development.

Tangram is currently under construction, and is scheduled to open in 2020.It will offer residential and commercial units, wellness and entertainment, a food hall and beer garden, and a 4DX movie theater.

With Renaissance, Tangram has included a luxury hotel with a signature restaurant, two bars, a massive terrace and more.

“Our goal from day one was to build the best hotel for the world-class destination we are creating at Tangram,” says Winfred Zhang, president and CEO of SCG America. “Renaissance Hotels is an impressive global lifestyle brand and could not have been a better fit for us.”

The Renaissance will market itself as “minutes from LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.” It will be a perfect fit for international travelers who end up in Flushing.

Renaissance hotels has more than 160 locations in 35 countries around the world.

Queens College has opened its doors for the second year to offer free tax preparation to students, staff, faculty and the general public.

The program is part of the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or VITA.

The initiative runs through April 15 and is open for people who make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and taxpayers whose first language is not English.

An IRS-certified volunteer will assist with electronic filing.

Consultations with VITA staff are by appointment only on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Make an appoint by email at qcvita@qc.cuny.edu or by phone at 718-997-2980.

Clients should bring these documents with them for the consultation:

• Current year’s tax package, including all W-2s and 1099s
• Last year’s return information
• Information on other income and deductions/credits
• Proof of checking account for direct deposit (like a voided check)
• Proof of identity
• Social Security or individual taxpayer ID cards