The 2021 Juniper Valley Park concert series will feature performances every Tuesday in July at 7. The performances will take place on 80th street and Juniper Boulevard South.
The series kicks off with a performance from The History of Rock & Roll Band on the first Tuesday of the month, July 6th.
The concert series is sponsored by The Juniper Park Civic Association and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
“I really appreciate these free performances in the beautiful park with my family and friends,” said Kathleen Connell, a resident of Middle Village for over 50 years. “Thank you to the sponsors for making this happen,” she added.
Though snow blanketed many New York City fields in February, Queensboro FC is almost ready to take the field for their inaugural academy season. Under the cover of the Sports Underdome in Mount Vernon, the incoming USL Championship club held their first team practices.
QBFC trains in the Sports Underdome in Mt. Vernon (From @QueensboroFC on Instagram)
Early in February, QBFC announced their first three signings: Leo Guarino of East Rockaway, Maspeth native Piero Elias, and Spanish goalkeeper Pol Rodriguez Subirats. The trio were the first officially named to the academy’s 23-player roster, and the coaching staff are thrilled to get working.
Guarino spent time with multiple US Soccer Development Academy teams, playing for the NY Red Bulls and NYCFC. After NYC discontinued some of their academy teams, the attacking midfielder joined the NY Cosmos, who were forced to make a tough decision to indefinitely suspend play.
“I saw a talented player in a special situation,” said Gutierrez. “There were many players who couldn’t find a team, and we want to put him in a good spot because we think he’s a player for the future.”
Defensive midfielder Piero Elias was the second signee, and the first to come from the club’s home borough. A native of Peru, the defensive midfielder found a home in Queens, spending time with the Met Oval Academy, with a brief stint with NYCFC.
Piero Elias during a QBFC training session (Provided by Queensboro FC)
For Gutierrez, Elias marks an important first step in bringing out the brightest in local talent.
“We are very focused on the community here, we believe there is a lot of talent in Queens we have to discover.,” he said. “The local academies and clubs will play a big role for us.”
The club’s first foreign signing is goalkeeper Pol Rodriguez Subirats, who joins from Spanish third-division side Gimnástic de Tarragona. In the club’s first attempt to fuse international and local talent, coaches have faith in the young keeper’s ability to play Gombau’s game.
With time ticking down before they take the field for the first time, players and coaches alike recognize that there is plenty of work to be done.
“The players are dying for it,” said Juan Cruz, a former Bayside High School goalkeeper who tried out for the club. “The coaches bring a lot of intensity and the players bring a lot of emotion. “Everybody goes 1000 percent for every ball and they know that nobody’s places are there.”
“I think the hardest part right now is building a roster and bringing in players during the season,” said Gutierrez. “It’s a new team so it will be difficult, but it will be a great experience. For most of the players, I think it’ll be a privilege.”
For Gutierrez, the hard and endless work still rewards him and his fellow coaches. QBFC’s short history has had its fair share of setbacks, and in the face of adversity, the young club has set strong goals for community involvement and the creation of a truly great Queens soccer club.
“We’re creating everything from scratch and the process is amazing,” said Gutierrez. “Every day you have to find a new solution and you’re learning every day. That’s the beautiful part of creating a new club.”
At this month’s virtual meeting of Community Board 5, the board will host a hearing of an application for extending the use of a British Petroleum (BP) gas station in Middle Village.
The application before the Board of Standards and Appeals will be presented by Eric Palatnik, P.C., which is seeking what’s called an “extension of variance term.”
The owners of the BP at 69-05 Eliot Avenue are seeking the board’s approval of another 10-year term at the site, which is zoned R4-1. Their previous variance term expired in 2015.
Those who want to submit testimony for the public hearing is asked to pre-register by calling the CB5 office at 718-366-1834 or emailing qn05@cb.ny.gov.
Watch the CB5 meeting on YouTube by clicking this link.
The next installment of the virtual Queens jobs recruitment fair will take place on Wednesday, October 7, the Queens borough president’s office announced.
More than a dozen employers and recruiters will participate, including The Child Center of New York, the Council of Airport Opportunity, MetroPlus Health Plan, the New York City Children’s Center, New York Life, Services for the Autism Community, Queens Centers for Progress, the U.S. Census Bureau, Workforce1 and the Young Adult Institute.
This month, the FDNY will be the newest organization joining the fair.
The online event will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. RSVP by Tuesday, October 6 to be on the Zoom call.
The jobs recruitment fair will also be livestreamed on this link.
One of Middle Village’s own has taken the helm at the Department of Sanitation.
Last week, Mayor de Blasio appointed Edward Grayson as the Acting Commissioner of DSNY. Grayson, who was raised in Middle Village, was the agency’s director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection.
The four-star chief first joined the sanitation department in 1999. He has held a range of positions, including operations chief.
As Director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection, Grayson oversaw day-to-day operations, including the collection, recycling and disposal of more than 1,200 tons of waste per day.
Grayson’s father was a lifelong sanitation worker and supervisor. His mother was a recycling outreach coordinator during the rollout of the city’s citywide recycling program in the 1990s.
The Health Department is conducting aerial larviciding treatment to parts of Queens to reduce mosquito activity and reduce the risk of West Nile virus on Thursday, September 17 from 8:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.
In case of bad weather, the application will be delayed for Monday, September 21.
The department will use very low concentrations of DeltaGard or Anvil. The risks of the pesticides for mosquito control are low to people and pets.
Some people who are sensitive to spray ingredients may experience short-term eye or throat irritation or a rash.
To stay safe during spraying, residents are advised to stay indoors whenever possible. Air conditioners can remain on.
That area that will be sprayed is bordered byDutch Kills to the West; 47th Avenue, 43rd Street, Long Island Expressway, Woodhaven Boulevard, Metropolitan Avenue, Union Turnpike, Grand Central Parkway to the North; 164th Street to the East; and, Hillside Avenue, Myrtle Avenue, 69th Street, LIRR, Grand Avenue, Newtown Creek to the South.
After a brief summer break, community board meetings are back!
The next meeting of Community Board 5, which will be conducted over Zoom, is on Wednesday, September 9th at 7:30 p.m.
On the agenda is the FY 2022 Capital and Expense Budget, followed by the public forum.
Anyone wishing to submit testimony for the public hearing or public forum, for three minutes or less, can pre-register by calling the CB5 office at 718-366-1834 or emailing qn05@cb.nyc.gov.
This year’s 9/11 candlelight vigil at Juniper Valley Park will go virtual due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 911 Candlelight Vigil Committee of Queens, a group of volunteers whose mission is to ensure the memories of those killed on that tragic day are kept alive, announced that they will take the annual event online.
You can watch the ceremony online at 911vigil.org.
The annual vigil usually takes place on the fields of Juniper Valley Park, where hundreds of residents take part in remembering the lives lost on that day.
Earlier this summer, young volunteers from St. Margaret’s Parish cleaned up garbage along Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village.
They were joined and celebrated for their volunteerism by Councilman Bob Holden and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
Here’s what Holden had to say about the cleanup:
“We went through the 70s and 80s, and I remember the days of trash all over the cities, you couldn’t go on the subway without graffiti everywhere. We’re getting back to that and it’s unfortunate so our young people are now stepping up and saying we’re going to help out.”
The Health Department is conducting aerial larviciding treatment to parts of central Queens to reduce mosquito activity and reduce the risk of West Nile virus on Tuesday, August 18 from 8:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.
In case of bad weather, the application will be delayed for Wednesday, August 19.
The department will use very low concentrations of DeltaGard or Anvil. The risks of the pesticides for mosquito control are low to people and pets.
Some people who are sensitive to spray ingredients may experience short-term eye or throat irritation or a rash.
To stay safe during spraying, residents are advised to stay indoors whenever possible. Air conditioners can remain on.
That area that will be sprayed is bordered by 64th Street, Mount Olivet Circle, Metropolitan Avenue, LIRR, 78th Place, Myrtle Avenue, Forest Park Drive, and Forest Parkway to the West; Long Island Expressway, Queens Boulevard, 63rd Drive, Woodhaven Boulevard, Metropolitan Avenue, and Union Turnpike to the North; Van Wyck Expressway to the East; and, Jamaica Avenue, 107th Street, Atlantic Avenue, Woodhaven Boulevard, and Jamaica Avenue to the South.
