Officers at the 109th Precinct are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying two men for attempted burglary in a Flushing home on Wednesday.
A 61-year-old man was alerted by his alarm company regarding the two individuals who entered his home near 157th Street and Horace Harding Expressway. After entering through the rear door, the two men ransacked the residence and then fled through the rear door.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS 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 texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
Over the weekend, Fresh Meadows Assemblywoman Nily Rozic gave out 240 55-pound rain barrels with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Each barrel came with an installation kit, instructions and the DEP Homeowner’s Guide to Flood Preparedness. This is the fourth barrel giveaway Rozic has hosted.
“Rain barrels have proven to be an effective resource in Northeast Queens where homeowners are often burdened by costly repairs resulting from floor damage,” Rozic said. “I am glad to continue my partnership with DEP and expand access to a program that encourages water conservation while providing critical relief in flood prone neighborhoods.”
DEP said residents should be aware that rain barrels should only be used for non-potable purposes such as gardening and must be disconnected from the downspurt during the winter months to avoid freezing. Rain barrels are covered to avoid standing water issues. They’re not for re-sale, according to DEP.
With issues of crowd control, three-hour traffic delays and vendors running out of food fast, opening night for Queens International Night Market may have been a miss for thousands of people. However, contrary to many complaints on social media, the market was neither a one night nor one weekend affair. In fact, the night market will be running every Saturday night until August 20th.
During the second and third week of the market, crowds evened out and people were able to sample some of the world’s most bizarre and fascinating foods. With a price cap at $5, founder John Wang stressed the importance of setting a low price to attract a variety of New Yorkers while staying true to night markets from around the world.
“Local markets, especially when traveling outside the U.S., are seemingly affordable, you don’t really break the bank just trying to sample a couple of things,” Wang said. “That’s not necessarily true in New York City for other markets but 1.) it’s personal because I don’t want you to go to a market and feel like you spent too much money, and 2.) there’s no better equalizer than affordability when it comes to bring a cross-section of New Yorkers.”
While traveling, Wang found himself most drawn to markets rather than other cultural aspects such as museums and sightseeing.
“I like to emerge myself in the culture and cuisine, and the quickest way to do that is to go where all the locals go, whether it’s indoor, outdoor or open-air markets,” Wang said. “I thought that if I could create something similar in New York City, it would be a pretty cool thing.”
And as the market has expanded, the diversity of what visitors can purchase remains quite varied.
“Last year, people didn’t know what a night market was at first, so that’s why it started off predominantly Asian, because Asian vendors were the ones who were familiar with night markets,” Wang said.
With the success and popularity of the market last year, more vendors have applied to be involved in this cultural institution. The vendors of Treat Yourself Caribbean Flavors come from Yonkers to introduce Caribbean snacks such as pholourie and staples like jerk chicken. Wang and his team try to represent as many countries as possible. The last count had 40 countries featured at the market, from Trinidad and Tobago to Japan and Guatemala.
The first-time vendors of Hapagkainan sell Filipino street foods such as fish balls, crispy bicol express (pork belly with spicy coconut milk and shrimp paste) served with rice and pickled veggies as well as sisig tacos, which are crunchy tacos shelled filled with chicken sisig topped with lemon mayo. During the third week, they decided to debut balut, which are boiled 18-day duck eggs. You eat the duck with salt and spicy vinegar.
Hapagkainan sells Filipino street food at the Queens Night Market.
“The balut is really authentic, when you talk about street food, this is the number one thing in the Philippines,” Agnes, one of the five vendors for the tent, said. “It’s really recommended for people who are on a high protein diet.”
Agnes and her family cooked all of the homemade street food. They are currently in the process of trying to open a Filipino restaurant in Elmhurst or Forest Hills and decided to try out the night market for exposure and to sell their products while waiting for a storefront. Their name, Hapagkainan, is inspired by a dining table that families gather around to enjoy food and one another’s company.
“There’s no party without food or hapagkainan,” she added.
Kyle Wong, a Queens resident, volunteered to help Wang run the event as a way to give back to his community. Wong was actually Wang’s first enlisted volunteer for the market.
He assists vendors, sets up booths, provide information to customers and sells apparel during the market.
One of the new vendors that he’s been following is Sukkr, who specializes in a Mediterranean dessert with pistachios, coconut and orange blossom syrup.
And if you’re not in the mood for food, Queens Night Market also has over two dozen vendors who sell anything from jewelry, crafts, henna, body products, clothes and vintage goods. Miguel Fernandez of Arte Miguel, who creates cartoonish pop art, and Gabriella Bahena of Corazon Handcrafts & Gifts, who sells Mexican art and crafts, are two vendors worth checking out.
Miguel Fernandez and his mother, Maria, of Arte Miguel.
The Queens Night Market begins at 6 p.m. every Saturday. It’s located within the back parking lot of the New York Hall of Science at 47-01 111th Street in Corona. Vendors rotate so there’s always the chance of stumbling upon something new and falling for a culture’s cuisine or craft that you may have never heard of before.
Ginuwine will perform at this year’s “Only in Queens” concert. (Flickr/Ralph Arvesen)
Borough President Melinda Katz, the Parks Department and sponsors announced today the lineup for this year’s “Only in Queens” Summer Festival, set to take place on Sunday, June 26 from 1 to 8 p.m. at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Admission is free and open to the public.
R&B singer Ginuwine will headline the concert, which also includes performances by hip hop group Kid ‘N Play, singer/actor Tristan “Mack” Wilds from HBO’s The Wire and music by Hot 97’s DJ Camilo, a Queens native.
The daylong festival will also offer a wide range of activities, including:
Guided tours of the New York State Pavilion’s Tent of Tomorrow, the Queens Library Mobile Unit, the Queens Theatre and the Queens Museum;
Family-friendly fun including cultural performances, face painting, inflatable bounce houses, a Delta Air Lines Scavenger Hunt, activities run by the United States Tennis Association, and an appearance by Mr. Met;
Food and craft vendors offering a variety of international cuisine and merchandise for sale;
Exhibits of memorabilia from the original 1939-40 and 1964-65 World’s Fairs, classic cars and a boat from the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival;
Virtual reality demonstrations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the group People for the Pavilion and Queens-based RPGA Studio as part of the international ideas competition currently underway to solicit imaginative and creative public input for how the New York State Pavilion can best be adapted for public reuse.
“Music, food and fun in the park are what New York summers are made of, and we’re proud to bring it all together this June at the ‘Only in Queens’ Summer Festival,” Katz said. “Bring your entire family and friends to explore some of the very best of ‘The World’s Borough’ right at your fingertips.
Last week, Assemblwoman Nily Rozic hosted a community town hall at the Lowell School in Bayside.
She invited representatives from various city agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Buildings (DOB). They engaged in a question and answer (Q&A) session with local residents during the assembly.
At the end, members of the Fire Department gave away free smoke detectors for the attendees.
May is American Stroke Month, and to highlight the important need to care for those who suffer from strokes, The Grand Healthcare System is opening the Walter Strauss Stroke Center at 157-15 19th Avenue.
According to The Grand, about 800,000 Americans suffer from strokes each year. The new Walter Strauss center will house a professional nursing staff that specializes in stroke rehabilitation and recovery, with a focus on each patient’s ability to walk, eat, dress and communicate.
“Stroke has directly impacted our family, and we understand how overwhelming it can be for individuals and families,” said Jeremy Strauss, CEO of The Grand Healthcare System. “Our ultimate goal is to make The Walter Strauss Stroke Center the gold standard for stroke rehabilitation in New York City.”
Strauss, the grandson of the center’s namesake, said his grandfather suffered through a stroke, but he saw how important after-stroke care was. That played a role in his decision to open a new stroke center.
Samiya Fagun, a senior at Newtown High School, has won Congresswoman Grace Meng’s fourth annual congressional district art contest.
Starting this June, Fagun’s winning artwork, along with winning entries from districts across the country, will be displayed for a year at the Cannon Tunnel in the United States Capitol building.
Fagun and one of her parents will also be awarded roundtrip plane tickets to Washington, D.C. to join Meng at the opening ceremonies of the national art competition in June.
“I congratulate Samiya Fagun for winning this year’s art contest and look forward to her winning artwork representing our Congressional district in the nation’s capital,” Meng said.
Meng announced the winner at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Fagun is the first student of Bangladeshi descent to win the competition.
The first runner-up in the competition was Ashley No, a student at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside. The second runner-up was Ruotao Ma, a student at the Windsor School in Flushing. Lastly, Alexis Martinez, a student at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, was the third runner-up.
A total of 46 students from 13 schools, including Townsend Harris High School, Flushing High School and John Bowne High School, participated in the contest.
Fagun, an 18-year-old Elmhurst resident, won with a watercolor piece called “Moments of Life.” She plans to attend City College in the fall.
Police are looking for a suspect wanted for tasing a 23-year-old man and stealing his belongings.
Authorities say on the night of April 6, two men approached the 23-year-old victim in front of 31-50 137th Street. The two suspects tased him, and then stole the victim’s iPhone 6, Apple Watch and his wallet.
A little later, one of the suspects was caught by video making a purchase using the victim’s stolen credit card.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.
Authorities are looking for a man who reportedly stole a television.
The suspect in question entered Desired Taste Restaurant, located at 35-20 Farrington Street, removed a television and then fled the scene. Police say the man entered the restaurant at about 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 2.
Police describe the suspect as between 45 to 50 years old, male, black and wearing a light-colored jacket, light-colored jeans and black sneakers.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.
Over the weekend, Fresh Meadows Assemblywoman Nily Rozic gave out 240 55-pound rain barrels with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
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