Local Government

BP gas station on Eliot Avenue seeks extension

Middle Village, Queens Blog

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.

Ninth Queens Virtual Jobs Recruitment Fair set for next Wednesday

Middle Village, Queens Blog

Virtual Queens Jobs Recruitment Fair

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.

Middle Village’s Edward Grayson appointed as new sanitation commissioner

Middle Village, Queens Blog

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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.

We wish Grayson the best of luck!

CB5 September meeting (virtual) set for September 9

Middle Village, Queens Blog

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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.

Watch the meeting via YouTube or by visiting the website at nyc.gov/qnscb5.

St. Margaret’s youth volunteers participate in cleanup

Middle Village, Queens Blog
Image courtesy of Councilman Holden's office
Image courtesy of Councilman Holden’s office

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.”

Con Edison to Middle Village residents: conserve energy

Middle Village, Queens Blog

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Amid a days-long heat wave, Con Edison is asking customers in Middle Village, as well as in Forest Hills and Glendale, to conserve energy while company crews repair equipment.

Con Ed has also reduced voltage by 8 percent in the area, bounded by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and 51st Avenue, the Jackie Robinson Parkway, Queens Boulevard and the Brooklyn borough line, as a precaution to protect equipment and maintain service as crews make repairs.

This zone houses 116,300 Con Ed customers, many of whom have experienced blackouts since the utilities provider posted its request Monday night.

Customers have been asked “not to use energy-intensive appliances such as washers, dryers, microwaves and, if not needed for health or medical reasons, air conditioners, until the equipment problems are resolved.”

According to Con Ed, the number of power outages in Queens is recorded at 179 as of 3:15 p.m., down from nearly 900 this morning. As of the same hour, the company anticipates service to be restored to these households no later than 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.

New Yorkers can report outages, in addition to checking service restoration statuses, at ConEd.com/reportoutage, with the mobile app, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED.

New shuffleboard equipment comes to Juniper Valley Park

Middle Village, Queens Blog

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Earlier this week, Councilman Robert Holden delivered new shuffleboard equipment to a group of local seniors at Juniper Valley Park.

“It was truly gratifying to encourage our local seniors to get out and enjoy summer with some brand-new shuffleboard equipment,” Holden said. “Juniper Valley Park would practically be unrecognizable without seeing these longtime friends playing on these courts.

“It should give our community a great sense of normalcy and hope to see them back in action, especially after COVID-19 hit our seniors so hard,” he added. “We should all follow their example of getting back to doing the things we love while still wearing masks and protecting each other.”

Vincent Maltese, neighborhood activist, dies at 86

Middle Village, Queens Blog
Vincent Maltese, second from the left, at an event at Christ the King in 2013.
Vincent Maltese, second from the left, at an event at Christ the King in 2013.
Vincent Charles Maltese, a neighborhood activist who was a prominent member of the Conservative Party and the brother of former Republican State Senate Serf Maltese, died on Sunday. He was 86 years old. Born on the Lower East Side in June 1934, Maltese was accepted to Stuyvesant High School, and later completed his high school education at Seward Park High School. Maltese worked as a self-taught car mechanic, a salesman and a truck driver before working as a sales agent for Prudential Insurance for 14 years. He then entered a career in law enforcement. At the age of 38, Maltese took the test to become a court officer, and passed with a 99. He was quickly promoted from captain to lieutenant, and eventually to sergeant. While working, Maltese continued his college education at Adelphi, Hofstra and St. John’s University. Maltese ran for president of the Queens chapter of Parents & Taxpayers and won. He was elected district leader of the Conservative Party, which he helped co-found in 1962. The LES native served on the Ridgewood Community Board of Directors, which operated the Peter Cardella Senior Center. He was a member of the Italian Charities of America, serving as vice president for 30 years. He was also on the board of the Italo-American Federal Credit Union, and a member of First Avenue Boys, the Scafidi Belmonte Mezzagno Benevolent Society, and the Bella Italia Mia. Maltese was notably a founding member of the Triangle Fire Memorial Association and served as chairman of the board. He lost a grandmother and two aunts to the 1911 fire. Mass cards and notes of condolences may be sent to his family address at 199-05 33rd Avenue Bayside, NY 11358.

Free COVID-19 antibody testing event all day

Middle Village, Queens Blog

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Councilman Bob Holden and Community Board 9 Chair Kenichi Wilson are hosting a free COVID-19 antibody testing event in Middle Village today.

The event, with Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics, will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Juniper Boulevard South and 78th Street.

Please note that the antibody test is free with no co-pay, if you have insurance, you will be asked to show it.

Schedule your appointment here. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Addabbo opens Middle Village district office

Middle Village, Queens Blog

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On Monday, June 29, State Senator Joe Addabbo reopened his district offices in Middle Village and Howard Beach.

The Rockaway office, however, will remain closed as renovations continue on the building.

During the shutdown, Addabbo’s offices were open but ran at reduced hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., while staff had staggered schedules.

Since Monday, the offices has returned to operating full-time, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Although in-person services have resumed, all constituents are asked to wear a mask upon entering the offices.

The Middle Village office is located at 66-85 73rd Place. Their phone number is 718-497-1630.