Queens Chamber’s Real Estate Committee to host networking event

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The Queens Chamber of Commerce’s Real Estate Committee is kicking off 2020 with its first networking event of the season.

The event will take place on Thursday, February 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. at The One Boutique Moon Bar, located at 137-72 Northern Boulevard.

The committee will be discussing upcoming real estate events for the year, and will take feedback on any topics that should be discussed further.

It’s also an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues in the industry.

For more information on the event, see here.

State Senator Liu hosts Earth Day Poster Celebration

2020 Earth Day Poster - John Liu

State Senator John Liu is calling for local students to submit entries for the New York State Senate Earth Day Poster Celebration.

The contest is a statewide event encouraging awareness of environmental issues in recognition and honor of Earth Day.

The poster celebration is for students in grades K-6. This year’s theme is: Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle.

The posters will be displayed online, and participants will receive a certificate.

Schools wishing to participate in the event must submit their entry by April 20, 2020 via the senator’s website here.

Students are encouraged not only to be creative in this project, but also to convey a “deep commitment” to making the environment a better place.

Queens bus network redesign workshop in Flushing

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The MTA is redesigning the entire bus network in Queens, and they want the public to chime in on the changes.

Specifically, the redesign will result in fewer turns, fewer bus miles and better, more direct connections to subways.

There will be longer distances between bus stops and straighter paths for each route.

You can see examples of the changes in the map above for northeast Queens, a transit-starved area that relies heavily on buses to get around.

The new routes will run along highly-used thoroughfares like Northern Boulevard, Francis Lewis Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway. Most of the routes run east-west, but a few will go north-south, connecting to southeast Queens.

To get a better sense of how your current bus line will be rerouted, check out the MTA’s route profiles here.

As part of their effort to solicit feedback from the public, the MTA is hosting a series of public workshops with tabletop maps for attendees to pinpoint their routes.

Flushing Library will host a workshop tonight from 6 to 8 p.m.

If you’re a regular bus rider and your commute will be changed by the redesign, be sure to attend the workshop to give your feedback on the proposed routes.

AAFE to host Queens Borough President candidate forum today

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Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) is hosting a nonpartisan forum for Queens borough president candidates tonight at the Glow Community Center, located at One Flushing (133-29 41st Avenue) from 6 to 9 p.m.

The forum is co-hosted by other Asian American groups, including APA VOICE, a coalition of 20 nonprofits dedicated to voter engagement and education.

It will be moderated by veteran journalist Ti-Hua Chang. Translations will be provided in Mandarin, Korean and Bengali.

Although eight candidates previously agreed to participate, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer just announced this morning he is dropping out of the race, so seven candidates are expected to attend.

Sign up for the free event by visiting the link here.

Rep. Grace Meng hosts supply drive for Puerto Rico

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From January 15 until February 5, Congresswoman Grace Meng is hosting an emergency supply drive to help the people of Puerto Rico following the devastating earthquake that recently struck the island.

Meng is collecting basic necessities such as water, first aid kits, flashlights, non-perishable foods, batteries, baby formula, diapers and feminine hygiene products.

Supplies can be dropped off at her Flushing district office at 40-13 159th Street, Suite C. Drop-off hours at Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico have been devastated by the earthquakes that have hit the island, and my heart aches for all who have been impacted,” Meng said. “Even more heartbreaking is that these earthquakes have struck as many residents continue to recover from Hurricane Maria.”

“We must not sit by and allow our fellow Americans to suffer,” she added. “We must assist them in their time of need.”

Whitestone street to be co-named for WWII veteran

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It’s official: 156th Street between 14th Avenue and Cryders Lane in Whitestone will officially be co-named “CPL. John McHugh Way.”

McHugh, born on March 6, 1924, was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in the First Infantry Division in World War II.

He fought in the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge.

He would later receive the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the European Theater of Operations Ribbon, two Presidential Unit Citations and more.

McHugh was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame in 2014, and was honored at the Little Neck – Douglaston Memorial Day Parade.

He passed away on July 21, 2019 at the age of 95.

He lived in Whitestone for over 25 years, which makes the street co-naming a fitting tribute.

The official ceremony for the co-naming will take place in the spring.

Queens College Choral Society to perform “Carmina Burana”

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At Queens College’s 79th annual Winter Concert on December 14 at 8 p.m., the QC Choral Society will perform the celebrated cantana “Carmina Burana.”

The performance will take place in the Colden Auditorium.

Based on medieval texts, “Carmina Burana” is one of the most popular choral works of all time. Its opening chorus, “O Fortuna,” has permeated pop culture as background music for movies such as “The Doors,” “The Messenger,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Excalibur.”

The performance will feature pianists Max Midroit and Sarang Kim, percussion students from the Aaron Copland School of Music, professional soloists Stefanie Izzo (soprano), Sungwon Jin (tenor) and Sidney Outlaw (baritone).

James John, a professor of conducting at the Aaron Copland School of Music and music director of the choral society, will conduct.

For more details, including ticket information, see here.

Tour six historic Queens houses during #HollyTour2019

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Wikimedia Commons

Here’s your chance to visit six Flushing landmarks all in one day.

Sunday, December 8 is #HollyTour2019, when the doors for these historic sites will be open to the public: Bowne House, Flushing Town Hall, Quaker Meeting House, Kingsland Homestead, Lewis Latimer House Museum and Voelker Orth House.

There will be family-friend activities, performances, displays and refreshments throughout the tour from 1 to 5 p.m.

All-inclusive tickets are $15 in advance, but $20 at the door. Children under 12 years old can attend for $5 each.

The tour is organized by the Queens Historical Society.

For more information, visit www.queenshistoricalsociety.org or contact Jeran Halfpap at 718-939-0647 ext. 14 or at jeranh@queenshistoricalsociety.org.

Kim, AREAA host Thanksgiving turkey giveaway

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On Tuesday, November 26, Assemblyman Ron Kim is teaming up with the New York East Chapter of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) and Flushing Town Hall for a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway.

The event will be held at the Garden of Flushing Town Hall, located at 137-35 Northern Boulevard at 1 p.m.

All those who are interested in receiving a free turkey and live in Flushing can pick up a voucher ticket at Assemblyman Kim’s office, located at 136-20 28th Avenue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

AREAA sponsored 275 turkeys this year. The giveaway is limited to one turkey per family.

The priority will be given to local residents, especially those living in Flushing.

Flushing Chamber to present marketing workshop for local buinesses

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On Wednesday, November 20, the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce will host a mobile marketing workshop called “5 Easy Ways to Use Your Phone for Marketing.”

The workshop for local business owners will take place at Kenvic Training Center, located at 36-57 Main Street, 2nd floor, from noon to 2 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration required here.

The workshop will be led by Giovanna Sun, a marketing expert with a decade of experience as a Google-certified search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search strategist.

Sun co-founded Sosokan Technology and is a minority and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE)-certified entrepreneur. Sun’s expertise includes digital media planning and buying, graphic design, project management, brand identity and social media.

At the end of the workshop, small business owners will understand how to use their phones for mobile app promotions, photography, videos and social media.

The workshop is organized by the Greater Flushing Chamber as part of its Flushing Fantastic digital marketing campaign, funded by the Department of Small Business Service’s Neighborhood 360° program.