Nov. 26, 2024 By Ethan Marshall The Queens Public Library announced that the Bay Terrace branch is scheduled to reopen for public service on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m., following approximately two years of renovation work. The Bay Terrace Library, located at 18-36 Bell Blvd., had undergone a full interior renovation. This work…
Tag: assemblymember-edward-braunstein
‘Why people don’t trust politicians,’ Queens pols react to Hochul’s congestion pricing snafu
Jun. 7, 2024 By Iryna Shkurhan Governor Kathy Hochul surprised everyone on Wednesday when she announced that congestion pricing would be paused indefinitely. “Circumstances have changed and we must respond to the facts on the ground — not from the rhetoric from five years ago. So, after careful consideration, I have come to the difficult…
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Northeast Queens officials push forward legislative solutions to the ‘unfunded mandate’ of Local Law 97
Apr. 2, 2024 By Iryna Shkurhan Beech Hills co-op owners in Douglaston gathered on Monday morning to hear how northeast Queens lawmakers are working to shield them from bearing the brunt of the cost of the city’s ambitious climate law. Local Law 97 went into effect in 2019 with the goal of net zero carbon…
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Queens communities gather at Borough Hall for festive Diwali celebration
Nov. 9, 2023 By Ethan Marshall Around 100 members of Queens’ Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain communities, along with local leaders, gathered together to celebrate Diwali at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center in Queens Borough Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Several Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain individuals and organizations were honored at the celebration as well. The celebration kicked off with the lighting of the Diya lamp, which is meant to symbolize the holiday’s message of the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Those honored at the Diwali celebration with citations included Ram Hardowar, Harish Chander Puri,…
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Queens lawmakers’ affordable housing legislation signed into law
Oct. 27, 2023 By Ethan Marshall Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into a law a legislation authorizing a tax abatement program to provide improvements to affordable housing on Monday, Oct. 23. The legislation was sponsored by Queens state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky and Assemblymember Edward Braunstein. This legislation is meant to improve upon the J-51 Tax Abatement Program, which provided a property tax discount for co-ops and condos that needed to make certain capital improvements, while also helping to offset costs. The J-51 Program expired on June 29, 2022. The J-51 Affordable Housing Rehabilitation Legislation improves upon the program by increasing…
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