Author: Dan Rose

Cops are investigating the death of a young boy in College Point over the weekend.

Authorities say that on Saturday, February 18, police found a 7-month-old boy unconscious and unresponsive inside 18-01 College Point Boulevard.

He was later identified as Simon Naula-Cabrera. He had no visible signs of trauma, authorities say.

The toddler was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

An investigation is now ongoing. The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine his cause of death.

Earlier this week, the Queens Ledger & Queens Examiner Newspapers released their list of top wedding venues in Queens.

Terrace on the Park is that “T” shaped building found in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and it happens to be one of the most sought after wedding venues in the city!

It offers stunning views, and your wedding celebration will feel like you’re partying in the sky! Immediately surrounded by trees, your guests will be also be able to spot famous Queens attractions like the Unisphere, the Queens Museum and Citi Field.  Essentially, the venue works best for couples who are proud to be living in Queens.  In warmer months, couples could even have their ceremony on the rooftop.

Terrace on the Park is located at 52-11 111th Street, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona.  Call 718-592-5000 to make your reservations today!

A dispute inside the Main Street train station led to an assault that left one man unconscious.

Police say that on Sunday, January 22, at approximately 1:50 p.m., a 43-year-old man was standing in line to add money to his MetroCard.

He stepped off the line to check the balance of his card using the self-service swipe balance-checking device.

When he tried to resume his position on line, he got into an argument with two unidentified men.

The men pushed the victim toward the station stairs, then brutally beat him until he was unconscious, authorities say.

The suspects then fled the subway station.

The victim suffered lacerations to his face. He was taken by EMS to New York Presbyterian-Queens.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

You can soon get your own municipal identification card at Selfhelp Innovative Center in Flushing.

On Thursday, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky will join the Assistant Commissioner Kavita Pawria-Sanchez of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to open an enrollment pop-up site at that location.

Members of the IDNYC team will be on-site to enroll applicants until March 2nd.

Its hours are: Monday through Friday, 8:40 a.m. to 4 p.m. The site is closed daily from 1 to 2 p.m. and will be closed all day on Friday, February 20.

Those interested in applying for an IDNYC card can make an appointment by visiting www.nyc.gov/idnyc or calling 311. Both have free translation and interpretation capabilities.

The city will not ask applicants for information about their immigration status.

 

Police are investigating a possible crime after they found a badly decomposed body inside the woods near Kissena Park.

Authorities found the body last Wednesday at about 1:13 p.m. near 164th Street between Underhill Avenue and Booth Memorial Avenue.

No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police have yet to identify the victim.

The New York City Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.

The Queens County Young Democrats are hosting its general meeting and trivia night on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The event will be at the Coop Restaurant and Bar, located at 39-16 Prince Street #103 in Flushing.

You can compete with fellow young Democrats on your local political knowledge while enjoying a two-hour open bar. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams.

The price is $10 for members in good standing for 2017, $30 for non-members and $15 for students with student ID.

Note: The special guest at the event will be State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, the ranking member on the Senate’s Committee on Higher Education.

For more information, check out their Facebook event here and RSVP here.

Congresswoman Grace Meng wants to bring the U.S. voting system “into the 21st century.”

Meng announced legislation that she said would “modernize and streamline” the voting process. The bill would also make Election Day a national holiday.

Called the “21st Century Voting Act” (H.R. 893), the legislation would create a Commission on Voting tasked with proposing legislation to accomplish these goals:

• Make Election Day a national holiday
• Initiate automatic voter registration
• Restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated persons
• Make voter registration portable
• Allow voting information, such as polling place and registration status, to be available online
• Strengthen and streamline voting cybersecurity procedures
• Provide additional federal resources to state and local election boards
• Establish a quadrennial review of voting in America

“It is way past time that Congress pass meaningful voting reform,” Meng said. “It is ridiculous that in this day and age such troublesome hurdles exist that restrict access to the ballot box.”

The Commission would be comprised of 15 members appointed, in equal number by: the President, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, the House Speaker, and the House Minority Leader.

H.R. 893 has been referring to the Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Rules.

“These commonsense reforms would allow every American the opportunity to participate in our electoral process, which is one of the hallmarks of our democracy,” Meng said. “We must finally overhaul our disparate and complicated voting systems.”

To see the full text of the bill, click here.

 

Borough President Melinda Katz is hosting a photo contest in celebration of the Lunar New Year.

Individuals are invited to submit photos that best encapsulate the holiday and the Year of the Rooster.

“Lunar New Year is a joyous event in which hundreds of thousands of Queens residents recognize their heritage and celebrate with friends and family,” Katz said. “It is therefore most fitting for us to offer people a chance to participate in a photo contest that will encourage people to capture their celebration experience.”

The contest is co-sponsored by Sinovision, the Flushing Chinese Business Association and the Forest Hills Asian Association.

The photo contest is open to anyone of high school age or older. The theme is: “What does Lunar New Year mean in Queens?”

For example, you can submit a personal Lunar New Year experience, a parade, a meal or other decorations in your neighborhood.

The contest will be divided into two categories – one for high school students and other for adults. The winner of each category will win $100 in cash on Monday, February 27 at 6 p.m. at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall.

The deadline for submissions is February 15 at 5 p.m. Contest winners will be notified by February 21.

Contestants can submit their entries and fill out the entry form by visiting: www.queensbp.org\lnyphotocontest.

Here are the rules to apply:

• Each entrant is only allowed to submit one photo
• Each entrant must be the actual photographer of the photo being entered
• Each entry must include an appropriate caption
• The submitted photos cannot include any text on them

PS 31 is finally getting improvements to its auditorium.

Last week, Councilman Paul Vallone announced that the Bayside school is getting new chairs, new flooring and a renovation auditorium as part of a $145,000 investment.

Nearly $100,000 had already been allocated by the councilman. That brings the grand total to $245,000 to the school.

“The kids at PS 31 are great and are very involved, so it’s exciting to be able to share such good news,” Vallone said. “Their faces lit up with joy as we announced that they would be getting a brand new auditorium.”

PS 31 Principal Terri Graybow said the school is looking forward to using the auditorium for many activities and events.

“The auditorium is where parents come to watch their students perform,” Graybow said. “It’s where our entire student body comes together, where we do our graduations and right now there are so many broken seats.”

Queens College is celebrating the Year of the Rooster with a dance, music, aerobics and martial arts performance event this Wednesday.

The performers include 66 members of the Art Troupe of students from the high school affiliated with Renmin University of China.

Based in Beijing, the troupe is now making its 11th tour of the United States.

“On behalf of Queens College, I am delighted to welcome the Art Troupe of Students from the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China,” says Queens College President Felix V. Matos Rodriguez. “Presenting these talented students in performance on our campus is a wonderful way to celebrate the Year of the Rooster.”

The event will take place in Colden Auditorium on Wednesday, February 8 at 12:15 p.m.

Admission is free and open to the public.