This Is Queensborough: November 2023 Issue

this is...

November 2023 . Volume 19 . Issue 11

Queens Chamber Goes to Washington

INSIDE Preserving Queens History for Future Generations Queens Museum Hosts Panel on Night Markets 2024 Health Insurance State of The Union

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preserving Queens History for Future Generations................................................4

2nd Annual Fiber Fest Returns...........................................8

Vaughn College’s Aviation Program ............................. ...... 5

A Slice of Queens....................9

Queens Museum Hosts Panel on Night Markets....................................................6

Queens Condo/Coop Maintenance Tips to Prevent Future Damage.................... ............................ 10

2024 Health Insurance State of The Union.................................................. 7

Bay Terrace Celebrates Renovations ............................................................................................................... 11 Cover Story: Queens Chambner Goes to DC.................. ......................12,13

Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140 Jackson Heights, N.Y. 11370-1131 Entire Contents Copyright 2021 by Queensborough. All letters sent to the QUEENSBOROUGH should be brief and are subject to condensation. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of the QUEENSBOROUGH. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to the QUEENSBOROUGH within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. BQE Media assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold the QUEENSBOROUGH and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.

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Queens Tech Corner.................................................................................................. 14 The Road to a Renewable Ravenswood .................................................... 15 It’s in Queens...............................22 PUBLISHER Walter H. Sanchez MARKETING DIRECTOR John Sanchez `EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Fischetti BQE Media, 45-23 47th St., 2nd Floor, Woodside, NY 11377 Phone: (718) 426-7200 Fax: (347) 507-5827

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

A Very Eventful Fall looking at my calendar we’re almost through fall and December is right around the corner.

THOMAS J. GRECH PRESIDENT & CEO

It feels like summer was just yesterday, but as I sit here

We’ve had a very eventful fall, highlighted by our trip to our nation’s capital for the first ever Queens Day in DC. I want to thank everyone who came with us, and to Senator Chuck Schumer, Representative Gregory Meeks, Representative Grace Meng and Representative Jerry Nadler who took the time to hear our concerns. Queens is fortunate to have such strong advocates for our business community representing us in Congress.

On December 6 we’ll be hosting our annual Business Persons of the Year Awards Gala at Terrace on the Park.

I’m incredibly excited about this year’s honorees, who exemplify the very best of our borough.

We’ll be recognizing Kevin O’Toole, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners at The Port Authority who has led the organization through challenging times; Jen Hensley, part of the new generation of leadership at Con Edison as they celebrate their 200th year and transition to a cleaner, greener future; Eden Gebre Egziabher, a proud

New Yorker born in Ethiopia to parents of Eritrean descent and the founder of Makina Cafe; Jennifer Walden Weprin, who has revived our city’s largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland at the Queens County Farm; and the one and only Peter Vallone Sr., the first Speaker of the New York City Council who has made an immeasurable impact on our community.

I look forward to seeing you on December 6.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Expressing Gratidude my gratitude to our staff, members, and friends on behalf of the Queens Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. It is at this time of year that we reflect on what we are thankful for, and the accomplishments we have collectively achieved throughout the year.

HOWARD GRAF CHAIRPERSON

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, I want to take a moment and express

This year was not without challenges, but the opportunities were also vast. Your support and commitment to the Chamber have been the cornerstone of our success, and your dedication to our shared vision has been remarkable.

Together, we have accomplished numerous goals — fostering innovation in the Queens tech sector, supporting local businesses through a plethora of resources, and cultivating an environment where growth and collaboration thrive. Each member of this vibrant Queens Chamber community has played a role in shaping our journey in 2023.

While Thanksgiving may be a single day, the mindset of the holiday should be yearlong. We should continuously recognize the hard work and passion that each of us brings to the table, and adds to the

prosperity of our great borough. As you celebrate with family and friends this season, please continue to bring a sense of gratitude to your daily lives, and continue to uplift and support one another.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for all you do and I look forward to continued success in the new year. Have a wonderful, safe, and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving.

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

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QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS

Preserving Queens History for Future Generations

BY JASON D. ANTOS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Since 1968, the Queens Historical Society has been the borough’s leading authority on the historic preservation of Queens. The story of the society began with the coming together of three serendipitous events. In 1903, L. Bradford Prince, the last mayor of Flushing, started the Flushing Historical Society with President Theodore Roosevelt as its first honorary board member. After 65 years of dedicated service preserving historical artifacts and photographs of all the neighborhoods of Queens, some of which date back before the Civil War, the society became defunct in 1968. That very year a Flushing High School graduate named Abraham Wolfson took up the mantle and

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created the Queens Historical Society.

The first meetings were in his mother’s apartment on Kissena Boulevard. In September of 1968, the last standing British Colonial era farm house in Queens, The Kingsland Homestead (1735), was saved by a group of concerned citizens from the developer’s wrecking ball. The house was sold to the community group, the Society to Save Kingsland, for just $1 by Mayor John V. Lindsay. The homestead was then split up into three pieces and transported on a flatbed truck from 155th Street and Northern Boulevard to its current home at 143-35 37th Avenue at Weeping Beech Park in Flushing where it was reassembled and restored to its original glory.

In December, Wolfson approached the community group and asked if he could house his newly founded historical society inside the Kingsland Homestead. The answer was a resounding yes! In 1970, the Queens Historical Society at Kingsland Homestead officially opened its doors to the public. In 1971, Wolfson was killed in a plane crash just before his 21st birthday.

Now in its 55th year, we continue the legacy of so many local historians and community members who have kept the Queens Historical Society alive. I have had the honor of serving as the society’s Executive Director for the past two years.

I first joined the QHS as a member/docent in 2006 while researching my first book on local history entitled Images of America: Whitestone. In 2007, I published the first history book on Shea Stadium.

Next year I will publish my seventh book on Queens history about Sunnyside and Woodside. I spent five years as a board member and then two years as board president from 2019 until 2021. Since re-

opening the QHS in July of 2021, after a 15 month shut down due to COVID-19, I have successfully reintroduced in person programing and tours. My staff and I have also diversified our tour guide experience with the hiring of our first Mandarin speaking tour guide. We have also excelled with our CASA/SU-CASA art program in which we partner with Queens based seniors centers and beginning in the fall we will open our season with new gallery exhibits celebrating local artists, the history of Kingsland Homestead and the history of the Flushing waterfront. In December, we will have our 36th annual Holiday Historic House Tour which features a guided inside tour of Kingsland Homestead along with the Bowne House, the Volker-Orth Bird Sanctuary and the Quaker Meeting House, all centrally located in downtown Flushing. The society has also been successful in reestablishing an excellent social media presence which has caused a large increase in guests who are visiting our great city from abroad. We also offer quality lecture speakers who talk on a variety of topics. The QHS also provides educational programs and tours for students from area public schools. As a local historian and published author who has spent 20 years preserving and lecturing on Queens History it has been my honor to be part of a great team which has helped bring QHS out of the COVID era. We are back on the map and we are excited to share the amazing history of the borough of Queens through walking tours, exhibits, lectures and wonderful publications. You can visit our website at www.queenshistoricalsociety.org or contact us at info@ queenshistoricalsociety.org.

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS

Vaughn College’s Aviation Program

BY SHARON DEVIVO, EDD We are on the move. We might not be going as fast as the jets that fly so close to our campus that we could reach out and shake the pilots’ hands, but here at Vaughn College in Flushing, the pace is accelerating. And the trajectory is up.

If you’ve ever driven down the Grand Central Parkway near LaGuardia Airport – and I’m sure you have -- you’ve seen us: Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology.

(We’re to the right if you are driving East but please, keep your eyes on the road.)

We have a tower with a spectacular view, a hanger filled with aircraft and engines, state-of-the art flight simulators, an air traffic control simulator that fills an entire room, and roughly 1,200 of the most creative, hardworking, striving students you’ll find anywhere.

A high percentage of them live right here in Queens, which, I might add, is Aviation Central – we’ve got two major airports with opportunity always thundering overhead, and the borough president is a graduate of our college.

We’re on the move because the aviation industry is on the move. Maybe that makes you laugh because at some point recently you found yourself stranded in an airport, waiting for a plane that was delayed, or trying to rebook after a flight was canceled. You definitely weren’t on the move.

But there is a hiring frenzy in the aviation industry as the sector comes back from Covid and races to fill open jobs in everything from air traffic control to aviation maintenance. That’s good for Vaughn, and great for our

graduates.

We just got some exciting new numbers: Ninety-eight percent of our recent graduates are either continuing their education or employed within a year of graduation, 78-percent of them in their chosen fields. That’s up from last year, when the numbers were 92-percent and 76-percent.

That’s evidence that NYC is recovering from the pandemic.

Those aren’t just any jobs.

Those are solid-paying careers that last a lifetime, and which can easily boost someone from a low-income background right into the middle class. And beyond. That’s why Vaughn is listed as a top college for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report.

Honestly, in more than 20 years, I’ve never seen demand like this.

We are so confident that graduates will get jobs within one year that we’ll reimburse a year of Federal student loans if they don’t. We almost never have to honor this pledge.

Five years ago, a first officer with a regional airline would likely have a starting salary of around $30,000.

That’s with a degree and 1,300 hours in the air working as a flight instructor.

These days that same first officer can start at $60,000 or more. I’ve even heard of $100,000 sign-on bonuses.

(Of course, they pay out over several years.)

A captain of a jumbo jet – or a “heavy” in air traffic parlance – can make $600,000 these days at one of the legacy carriers like Delta.

Air traffic controllers have salaries in the six figures in the New York region.

Aviation mechanics start at roughly $33-38 an hour if they have an associate degree

under their belts, something that takes only 16 months.

These are high-tech, handson, mechanical roles – perfect for anyone who enjoys tinkering and fixing things and wants to move the needle for their family.

Boeing’s annual employment forecast estimated that 649,000 pilots, 690,000 technicians and 938,00 cabin crew members will be needed over the next 20 years.

This is the first time the annual forecast has seen a jump since the pandemic.

We also provide a full course of study in drone use, one of the fastest-growing segments of the aviation industry, one with incredible opportunities. Our engineering students know how to design, build and program drones.

We’ve been competing in national drone competitions for almost a decade. We also have a robotics lab and regularly send our students to compete in that realm, too, and their job offers generally start at $80,000.

You see, Vaughn isn’t all about aviation. Our students are enrolled in master’s, bachelor’s and associate degree programs in engineering, technology, management in addition to aviation because our education translates to many industries. We have two new bachelor’s degrees -one in computer science and one in computer engineering -- and certificates in supply chain management, composites, 3D printing, safety management systems, and CNC machining. Interested? Come visit: we have an open house for prospective students on November 11.

But college isn’t all about learning, it’s also – let’s face it – about connections, about meeting people who can get you started when you leave our classrooms.

Our industry partnerships are on the upswing – including more support for student scholarships – and include, most recently, Delta and Ventura Air Services in Farmingdale. Our summer internships this year included Boeing, Honeywell, Whirlpool and JetBlue. And all are paid.

Our programs and the industry’s hunger for our students have been getting our college tons of attention lately. More and more often, television reporters seem to be dropping by and trying out the flight simulator, or watching our students virtually land virtual passenger jets at our virtual airport.

We’ve been visited by reporters for WPIX-11 and WABC-7.

I also sat down with Joe Torres on Tiempo on WABC-7 to talk about opportunities at Vaughn especially during Hispanic Heritage Month.

So now I guess you could say Vaughn is having its close-up. And it’s about time!

We’ve been around since 1932, when commercial air travel was just getting started.

Now the elephant in the room: yes, it costs money to go to a private, non-profit college like ours, and some program – like flight training – will require additional costs to reach the flight deck as a pilot..

Expect to pay $70,000 to $80,000 to get your flight training certifications. That, on top of your tuition, concerns families. And this creates a paradox: those who’d most benefit, who’d find themselves launched into the middle class, are those who believe – wrongly – that they can’t swing it.

They can. There are many grants and loans to help, and they can be paid off quickly in today’s hot job environContinued on Page 7

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

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QUEENS NEWS

Queens Museum Hosts Panel on Night Markets

BY CHARLIE FINNERTY cfinnerty@queensledger.com

always tried to hire staff from their neighborhoods and communities they serve. 84 percent The Queens Museum hosted of customers surveyed also said panelists from the Queens Night that the night markets were the Market, Think!Chinatown, Citi- first setting where they made zens Bank and Epicenter-NYC purchases from the specific the evening of Nov. 9 to discuss vendors that drew them there.

John Wang, founder of a recent study on the impact Queens Night Market, and of local night markets in the economy of surrounding com- Amy Chin, board member munities. at Think!Chinatown, spoke According to the study, the alongside Citizen Bank’s busitop reasons businesses said ness banking sales head, Mike they participated in the night MacIntyre, about the unique markets were to launch a new ability of night markets to business, seek community and launch community-based food share family recipes or culture. businesses on a smaller scale The study also found that 77 with less overhead cost to venpercent of customers said they dors. would like to continue to shop During the panel, the group with the night market vendors discussed the unique ability outside of the market and 62 of hyper-local venues like the percent of newly-established night markets and communityQueens Night Market busi- level banks like Citizen to pronesses were already making vide bespoke and individualplans to expand their footprint. ized solutions to business ownNearly half of night market ers issues, rather than trying to businesses surveyed said they apply broad mandates to solve

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wide-scale problems that might not always be one-size-fits-all.

The smaller scale, they said, also requires less overhead of emerging entrepreneurs.

One key measure highlighted on the panel was Citizen subsidizing vendor fees, effectively cutting them in half in order to maintain Queens Night Market signature low price point for customers even as inflation adds more overhead cost for businesses.

“Affordability is foundational,” Wang said.

The event also included a vendor panel discussion in which Roseangela Arnold of Brazilicious, Wanda Chiu of Hong Kong Street Food, Hana Saber Tehra of Persian Eats NYC, Lenin Costas of Don Ceviche and Joey Batista of Joey Bats Cafe spoke about their experience as part of the night markets. According to Wang, nearly 400 businesses have seen their first transaction

at the Queens Night Market, making it an overwhelming success as a breeding ground for local businesses.

In the study survey, vendors and customers both overwhelmingly said the night markets were important not only for commercial dining opportunities, but also the engagement and preservation of the cultures and cuisines involved.

“Celebrating diversity is one of the chief goals of the Queens Night Market,” Wang said in a statement before the event. “We want to make sure what you’re selling is something that you grew up eating, and has personal significance to you, your family, and your cultural heritage. So far, we’ve represented about 95 countries through our vendors and their food at the Queens Night Market.”

Chin drew attention to the aftermath of Covid leaving its mark on Asian food businesses in the form of market xenophobia, an outgrowth of the spikes in anti-Asian sentiment that emerged in the earliest days of the pandemic. She said that events like the night markets are crucial to bridge cultural gaps and expose broader consumer markets to the vast array of dishes in Asian cuisine.

Looking to the future of Queens Night Market, Wang said his vision remains local.

While many other states and over a dozen countries have reached out to him asking for help launching similar programming in their own cities, Wang said his focus is on integrating the Queens Night Market into the infrastructure of the borough with more permanent installations rather than setting up and tearing down the entire market each week it’s put on.

“Queens Night Market was a love letter to New York City,” he said.

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS

2024 Health Insurance, State of the Union

BY ROBERT INTELLISANO I teach health insurance to clients, which is much different than selling products! Once my new client understands how the insurance company makes money, it’s amazing to see what I call “the Visine effect!”

This occurs when the eye-glazing lifts and it “gets the red out,” so to speak, meaning they get it!

Are you either unhappy with your agent or unhappy with your current health plan? If yes, keep reading as there are many upcoming 2024 health insurance changes ahead that your agent/broker should be telling you about!

There are 2 worlds, Traditional (Obamacare) and Non-traditional health insurance! In traditional, there are what I call the main 5. See below what’s in store for most of you for 2024: 1) Emblem Health: Used to be called GHI (Government Health Ins). They are removing ALL group policyholders from their “Prime Network” and forcing them into their, what we call SKINNY“Select Network” where it’s hard to find doctors. NO MORE BROKER Commissions! Good Luck getting service directly from Emblem from mostly non-licensed staff.

2) Health First: The least expensive of the main 5 in terms of monthly premium. They are forcing ALL group policyholders to take their platinum plan which is expensive

and NO MORE Broker commissions on new business. Good Luck getting advice and service from mostly non-licensed service persons!

3) Oxford: They are changing their prescription plan in the “Liberty Network” to Broad RX and rates are going up 4.7% over the current bloated premiums for their middle network.

4) Aetna: They are reclassifying many of their drugs (in a 12-page memo) to non-formulary or not accepted! What this means is if you have Aetna and are on prescriptions drugs every month, there’s a chance you will be paying a higher co-pay, or they might no longer be covered at all!

5) Empire Blue Cross: They have changed their name to “Anthem” after their parent company and are quietly raising co-pays on many of their plans which are going up 6.8% in January 2024!

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing (such as renewing your same health plan year after year) and expecting a different result!!!

There is a whole other world called “Non-Traditional” insurance which offers access to additional networks (through partnerships, associations, and unions) such as Cigna PPO, Empire “Blue Card” network, PHCS Multiplan network, Magnacare and HIP etc. on a discounted basis.

It is no secret that the U.S.

healthcare system is broken! See below for my top 6 reasons for this: 1)The USA spends over $12,000 per person per year on health-related issues: This is by far the most in the world. Other than Germany at $7,500 per person per year, the rest of the world is under $6,000, meaning we spend twice as much as the rest of the world!

2) Obamacare Rules and Regulations: Obamacare is “guaranteed issue” meaning everyone who applies is accepted. Many persons who had no health insurance for years (and accumulated health issues) were able to secure subsidized plans and “buy a claim!” Buying a claim is when one has no insurance, buys new insurance, and immediately gets that surgery they have needed for years.

3) Dependency on Prescription Drugs: Having been in the life, disability and long-term care insurance business for over 25 years, it is rare to find someone who is NOT taking prescription drugs. Because these drugs are expensive, there is a cost share between the insurance company and policyholder, further driving up costs.

4) The Juvenile Diabetes and Obesity Epidemic: A recent report from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) projects a 700% increase in Type 2 diabetes for juveniles under age 20 by 2060!

5) Processed Food Label Rules and Bad Habits: We have a national

problem with misleading food labels that must be remedied. There are more than 60 synonyms for sugar, which is found in most baby food starting the sugar addiction early. In fact, a NEWWARNING is out from the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) on ALL products labeled “Toddler Formula,” saying “Products MAY Contain Too Much Sugar and MAY NOT Provide Adequate Nutrition!” “Toddler Formula” labeled food sales are UP 158% in the last year!

6) No Market for Individuals: In the current state of health insurance, individuals are doomed! If one doesn’t work for a company that offers group insurance or owns a corporation themselves, there are VERY few options with traditional health insurance.

Because of these 6 reasons, health insurance premiums will continue to outpace inflation!

One potential solution is to look at Non-Traditional insurance offered through groups, associations, unions and partnerships!

Some of these plans are medically underwritten, meaning one needs to qualify to get onto the plan. The benefit is having a much healthier pool of policyholders; hence, reducing claims and future premium increases.

To learn more or get quotes, feel free to email me at Rob@InsuranceDoctor.us. Let’s hope you never need to use this insurance!

Vaughn College’s Aviation Program Continued from Page 5 ment. Roughly 90-percent of our students receive financial aid. Still, colleges have to be honest about the financial challenges.

To demonstrate that commitment, Vaughn joined the College Cost Transparency Initiative (CCT), a coalition of more than 360* institutions of higher education that

have voluntarily committed to follow a set of principles and standards that ensure transparency, clarity, and understanding around student financial aid offers.

Together, these institutions serve more than 3.5 million college students in the United States.

The evidence that a college education is worth the investment is overwhelming.

Research conducted by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU®) found evidence that a college degree significantly improves one’s employment prospects and earnings.

Additionally, bachelor’s degree holders are 50% less likely to be unemployed as compared with their peers who only have a high school degree and college graduates

make $1.2 million in additional earnings on average over their lifetime.

Queens – you’ve got an educational gem at the foot of the runway at LaGuardia.

Wave from the window when you come in for a landing, and most importantly, come visit with your kids and introduce them to in-demand fields that will create a lifetime of opportunity.

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QUEENS NEWS

2nd Annual Fiber Festival Returns

BY CELIA BERNHARDT

cbernhardt@queensledger.com

King Manor held their annual Fall Festival on a surprisingly warm, golden Saturday in Jamaica.

The Manor incorporated the second annual Queens Fiber Festival—where artisans specializing in crochet, rug making, yarn dying, and more are invited to set up shop and sell their goods—into their festivities. The Fall Festival also welcomed energy and nonprofit vendors, fiber artisans and entrepreneurs, a crochet workshop, a historic craft beer tasting, tours of the museum, free books, a pumpkin picking station and crafts.

Preserved in the center of a larger park, King Manor is the historic home of Rufus King, a founding father and early anti-slavery advocate. The Manor’s foundation hosts frequent community events, and describes itself as driven by King’s legacy to use education to “promote social change in today’s world.”

In the front yard of the manor, kids swarmed the tables where they were able to craft independently or follow directions to make historic crafts, such as corn husk doll making and Victorian pin making.

Other stations offered free books—many of them courtesy of the Black Resource Network, an organization the Manor partners with—as well as raffle tickets, vendors like Growing Up Green Charter Schools and an affordable pumpkin picking station.

“There’s no pumpkin patch near here,” said Kelsey Brow, Executive Director of King Manor. “So we will have a little one here for our community.”

“There’s a lot of Fall events, but not a

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whole lot in this community,” Brow continued. “Pretty much everything here is free.

“The pumpkins are $1 to help support the museum, but everything else is free. Because it’s our mission here to make sure that economic status isn’t the barrier to participation.”

In the backyard, fiber arts vendors—selling largely crochet, but also dyed yarn and related goods—set up their stands in a wide semi-circle to show off their colorful work.

Regina Sawyer, 42, founded the Queens Fiber Festival just last year. “Born and bred” in Queens, she currently lives in Briarwood.

“Last year, I came up with the idea of having a fiber festival in Queens,” she said.

“I reached out to the King Manor Museum and asked them if they’d be interested in having an event like this. They said yes… and they asked if it could be incorporated into the Fall Festival. And so we did it for the first time last year and everything just went together seamlessly: like the fall events that were happening for the Fall festival, and for the Fiber Festival, it all just came together really well. So here we are!”

“I thought it’d be a really great idea,” she added, “because there are other fiber festivals in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but nothing in Queens or any of the other boroughs.”

Among the fiber vendors was Hannah Villanueva (artist name Hannah Via), a Sunnyside resident who crafts colorful, handmade rugs and other tufted goods, working from her studio in Astoria. Villanueva said she appreciated the opportunity to sell her artwork in her own borough. “I usually do events that are, like in Manhattan or Brooklyn, you know, more central to the city,” she said. “It’s been very nice to be outside, kind of more in a community set-

ting out in the park and among greenery.”

Camryn Easley, a Bed-Stuy artist who founded a crochet club for Black women and nonbinary people called “Knot Okay,” said the event was a great way to make sales and foster connections with other artisans.

“I found out about this event last year I attended, and then this year, I’m a vendor.

So I feel like that’s really cool to have that full circle moment,” Easley said.

“It’s really nice to appreciate other people’s work and also have them, in turn, come and look at your booth. And there’s people who are, you know, dyeing yarn, and then [you can] talk to them about, you know, ‘if you dye the yarn, and then I can crochet something for it.’ So there’s partnerships that come out of it.”

Meanwhile, through a side entrance to the museum, Forest Hills resident Dan Olson, 70 offered a beer-tasting experience unlike any other. Along with two colleagues from his Astoria-based homebrew club “Brewstoria,” Olson offered tastings of historically accurate beer that Rufus King himself might have once enjoyed.

“The three of us are home brewers—we do this as a hobby, nothing commercial,” Olson explained. “And some of us like to go through original recipes or work with unusual non- beer ingredients.

Made faithfully from a recipe sourced directly from the King Manor archives, the dark, tangy beer served that day was produced with only ginger, molasses, hops, and yeast, lacking the typical base of grain that we associate with beer.

“The recipe was from here. It’s from around 1815…when you look at it, it looks like the wife of the house, who was also the brewer, probably clipped this out of the local magazine and said, ‘I’ll brew this,’ and kept the recipe,” Olson said.

Olson told the history of beer’s development to visitors, explaining that brewing was the woman of the house’s job until commercial production ramped up in the late 1800s.

Kids, parents, and young people circled around and through the manor throughout the afternoon, enjoying the many activities.

“We really want to have something really friendly and welcoming, showing local artists and diverse people with different racial, ethnic and sexual identities, just making it a really welcoming space for everybody here,” Brow said, “It’s just always a cozy environment in these events, so it’s always happy to see all different people here enjoying themselves.”

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

A SLICE OF QUEENS

Lillian Pizza, Forest Hills

BY ROBERT INTELISANO Back in early November of 2021, I wrote my weekly column for The Rockaway Wave Newspaper called “The Financial Wave.” My headline was “Inflation and Pizza!” At the time, the Biden administration forecasted a 2% inflation rate; however, the inflation rate was 6.2%, the highest in 30 years.

Since the 1960’s, the price of a regular New York Slice has almost matched the price of a subway token.

This was called the “Pizza Principle” or the “PizzaSubway Connection.” It was like that until the wave of artisanal pizzerias arrived several years ago.

Covid-19 was less than a year in and there was a trucker shortage and other supply-chain issues. I discussed what I call, “PizzaFlation,” meaning that the prices for pizza ingredients, such as dough, tomatoes,

basil, cheese and cardboard boxes had increased much higher than $6.2%, leaving pizzeria owners in a quandary about raising prices to maintain profit margins.

Tom Grech, the Queens Chamber President read that column and asked me if I would be open to writing a monthly “Queens Pizza Review Column” for “This is Queens Borough Magazine” and that was the birth of this column!

I did extensive research to develop a list of the top pizzerias in Queens and Lillian Pizza kept coming up, so it has been on my radar ever since. I reached out to my friend and local Forest Hills based foodie, Dan Olson, to join me; however, he had hiking plans and instead sent his daughter, Emily Frances Olson and her husband Ryan Measel, two knowledgeable foodies and pizza connoisseurs.

Lillian Pizza was the 10th pizzeria to open in Queens

in 1971, owned by Tony and named after his wife Lillian Calabrese! This type of family-owned business forms the backbone of what the USA is all about. The Calabrese’s ran a simple and successful business using family recipes until they retired in 2018.

Lenny Fernandes purchased the shop in June of 2018. Lenny wanted to both keep the integrity of the rich Lillian Pizza tradition and their recipes alive, while also modernizing the operation.

He smartly maintained and added to their limited menu at the time. Pizza wise Lenny added buffalo chicken, grandma and gluten free slices to their offerings. Lillian’s had only 1 type of salad (House Salad), so he added 3 different types, including a Caesar Salad, Mediterranean Salad and a Mozzarella, Tomato & Roasted Pepper Salad with Balsamic Glaze.

Lenny also added appetizers such as “Fried Ravioli,” “Mozzarella Sticks” (6

in an order) and their delicious “Rice Balls with Meat,” which we shared, (3 in an order) all of which provided excellent value priced under $10.

There are additional pasta dishes. “Pasta with Broccoli” and “Pasta Arrabbiata” (Spicy) were added as well as “Chicken Francese.” Lillian now has a formidable sit-down Italian food entrée choice of 9 combinations of Veal, Eggplant, Meatball, Chicken and Sausage Parmigiana, Bruschetta, Romana and Francese all served with a choice of house salad or pasta dish. A great value all priced under $20.

Lenny, who lives in Howard Beach, is part Neopolitan and part Barese (from Bari). He has a strong 25year background in the pizza and Italian food business.

He trained under Aldred DiScipio (of La Villa fame and who I featured in 2022) Continued on Page 30

9

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

QUEENS NEWS

Bay Terrace Celebrates Renovations

BY CELIA BERNHARDT

cbernhardt@queensledger.com

Cord Meyer announced a major investment in Bay Terrace Shopping Center with celebratory speeches and a ribbon cutting on Oct. 25. Several of Cord Meyer’s leadership spoke at the event, as well as Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and City Councilperson Vickie Paladino.

A crowd of about thirty attendees gathered in the shopping center’s parking lot to celebrate the plans.

10

“It’s about the future of not only the shopping center, but the future of the neighborhood,” Cord Meyer Vice President and Bay Terrace Project Lead Joe Forgione said to the crowd.

Forgione said that the renovations will include improving pedestrian walkways, building outdoor seating areas, prioritizing dining and recreational spaces and improving the connection between the upper and lower levels of the mall.

Richards celebrated the investment as a way to increase

jobs in the area, and as part of a wider upturn in economic development in the borough. “I’m so proud of where we’re headed in Queens County,” Richards said to the crowd. “And this is certainly more of an indication of how much more growth is coming—how we are really thinking strategically about how do we grow our economy.”

Paladino spoke affectionately about Cord Meyer to the crowd, identifying herself as part of the “Cord Meyer family.”

“You’re talking sixty years

ago—so I’m just a little older than that,” she said, recalling the shopping center’s past. “I remember coming here when it was just a simple bowling alley, and we had a few shoe stores, and whatever. But it was just small. We watched this grow, and we watched Cord Meyer turn this into a destination.”

Speakers throughout the event made reference to Cord Meyer’s over 100-year-long history in Queens as a developer.

Forgione reminded the crowd Continued on Page 11

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

QUEENS NEWS

Bay Terrace Celebrates Renovations Continued from Page 10 that “entire neighborhoods,” such as Elmhurst and Forest Hills, had been built by the corporation.

“To Cord Meyer, to Matt, to Joe, to Paul, to all of you: welcome, welcome, welcome,” Paladino said. “Bay Terrace is back.”

Framed as a response to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic posed to brick and mortar stores, the project is named “Moving Forward.”

Forgione explained that although the growing popularity of online shopping over recent decades was always a cause for concern, Bay Terrace retained a strong customer base until the pandemic hit. Along with plenty of other brick and mortar shopping centers around the nation, the outdoor mall en-

countered serious challenges.

“You have nationwide closures of stores, you have bankruptcies to deal with—things beyond our control,” Forgione said. “During the pandemic, the company gave away $7 million in rent relief to try to keep tenants going, and still, we ended up with a significant number of vacancies. So from that, we started to do our due diligence, we started researching what other shopping centers were doing across the country…And from that time, we began conversations with our own tenants [about] what we could do for them.

Making the mall both safer and more social and engaging for pedestrians will be a significant part of the development.

Prioritizing sectors which consistently draw in-person customers, like dining and athletic facilities, is a part of this, as

well as building more outdoor seating and designated spaces for community events.

“That’s really what’s going to tie up all the loose ends and get the tenants to finally lease the space, Forgione said. “So we’ve always had the interest, but this is going to put us over the top and really bring the shopping center back to what it always was.”

The development of the shopping center will take place in phases, according to a Cord Meyer press release. The first phase will involve a “total redesign” of the now-vacant Victoria’s Secret and Applebee’s locations, including the building of a second floor.

Paladino called Bay Terrace the “heartbeat” of Bayside, and said that making it more of a social destination would do well for the mental health and safety of young people in the

neighborhood.

“Our young people, they are wandering aimlessly a lot of times at night, sometimes getting into trouble,” Paladino said. “But they do come to Bay Terrace, and there’ll be more for them to do here.”

Cord Meyer CEO, Matthew Whalen, closed out the day’s speeches.

“You know what I love about today?” he asked the crowd. “I love trying to speak loudly over the construction noise of jobs, jobs, jobs.”

Whalen expressed his appreciation for Paladino and Richards for coming together to support the development.

“We don’t agree on everything; we agree on a lot of things,” he said. “But their door has always been open to Cord Meyer, and we appreciate that.”

11

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

COVER STORY

Queens Chamber Goes to Washington On Wednesday, October 25, dozens of business leaders from Queens visited our nation’s capital to meet with their federal representatives as the Queens Chamber of Commerce hosted its first ever Queens Day in Washington, D.C. The event gave local business leaders the opportunity to advocate for the interests of Queens’ diverse business community on Capitol Hill.

12

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer shared insights and his perspective on the current political landscape with Chamber members at a luncheon. After lunch, Chamber members toured the Library of Congress. Before heading home, elected officials including Rep. Gregory Meets and Rep. Grace Meng, Congressional staffers and Chamber members, enjoyed food from 12 Queens

restaurants at a Taste of Queens reception in the Rayburn House Office Building.

“Advocating for our members is an essential part of what we do and that includes meeting with our elected officials face to face, thanking them for their support and making sure they Continued on Page 13

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

COVER STORY

Q Chamber goes to Nation’s Capitol Continued from Page 12 understand the challenges small businesses face,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “I want to thank all the business leaders who took time out of their schedules to come with us today, and the

elected officials, including Sen. Schumer, Rep. Meeks and Rep. Meng who met with them and listened to their concerns. Queens is fortunate to be represented in Washington by some incredibly talented public servants, who fight to make sure we get our fair share.”

The Chamber received $2 million in federal appropriations as part of the 2023 government spending package. This Community Project Funding includes $1 million from Rep. Grace Meng for the Chambers Small Business Legal Desk support program, which assists immigrant and

small businesses in Queens with legal services; and $500,000 each from Sen. Charles Schumer and former Rep. Carolyn Maloney to invest in expanded incubator spaces and programming to tech businesses throughout Queens, and the establishment of the Queens Angel Fund.

13

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

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QUEENS TECH CORNER

Thomas Hu of Pongspace for free to help the community rebuild.

Can you tell us about your company and how you got your start?

This month’s featured tech entrepreneur is Thomas Hu, CEO and co-founder of Pongspace, a free site connecting “Pongers” to table tennis clubs. To learn more, go to https://pongspace.com.

Pongspace’s mission is to be the glue of table tennis in the U.S. We currently connect people to places to play. In the coming year, we will be rolling out features where people can connect with each other and other stakeholders in the sport such as equipment providers, coaches, and fans.

We started the idea during the pandemic when we saw many clubs closing due to lack of people playing. We followed the model of Opentable and applied that to table tennis, except we provide the service

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What is your latest project and what excites you about it?

Our latest project involves virtual coaching. We have installed the pilot version at Spin Midtown and are currently getting feedback. We look forward to announcing the launch soon. It will be a lot of hard work but we are super excited because it will solve a big problem in the U.S. because we will be able to provide expert Continued on Page 18

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

QUEENS NEWS

The Road to a Renewable Ravenswood

BY CELIA BERNHARDT

cbernhardt@queensledger.com

When Governor Hochul announced last month that Long Island City’s Ravenswood power plant had been selected to receive investment towards developing an offshore wind farm, Claudia Coger’s phone began ringing off the hook.

“I got so many calls from people, you know, ‘we got it, we got it!’” laughed Coger. “I was ecstatic about it.”

Coger, an 88-year-old resident of Astoria houses, former Tenants Association president and lifelong activist, admits she might have heard “a little whisper” of the news before it was made official to the public. She has been heavily involved with the process of advocating for a cleaner Ravenswood, working with Rise Light & Power, the company which owns the power plant, to create a shared vision of how a wind-powered Ravenswood could engage and benefit her community.

Flanked by multiple NYCHA campuses—Astoria, Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses—the Ravenswood power plant has been in operation since the early 1960s, marking the skyline with its three towering smoke stacks and emitting pollution that gave the neighborhood the nickname of “asthma alley.” Rates of asthma are higher among the public housing residents near Ravenswood than in the rest of Queens.

Ravenswood holds over 20 percent of the city’s generating capacity. Its transformation will involve building a wind farm in the Atlantic, 54 miles from the shore, connected to the plant through underwater cables, to replace one out of three of the plant’s fossil fuel generators.

Rise Light & Power has been poised for some time to invest in this massive transition to renewable energy, as well as in local community organizations providing education and workforce development services.

What’s in store for Ravenswood’s neighbors?

“It’s a slew of these investments,” said Costa Constantinides, CEO of the Variety Boys and Girls Club and former City Council member. “There are a number of nonprofits that are getting investment and job placement and job capacity

building.”

Rise Light & Power committed an investment of $1.5 million dollars towards the construction of a new teen center at the club, which Constantinides said will serve 16,000 youth and provide a safe space, recreation, and academic and career training resources.

LaGuardia Community College is another recipient of these funds. Attentive Energy One committed $10 million to the college for the purpose of building the proposed “Queens Offshore Wind Training Hub.” The hub is meant to offer both short-term certificate programs and academic degrees relevant to offshore wind development, as well as a business incubation program.

Attentive Energy One plans to build an Operations and Maintenance Hub directly on-site at Ravenswood—a locus of decent jobs engaging with the many moving parts of capturing wind power and transitioning the plant.

“Maintaining the infrastructure that’s here, managing the offshore wind facility, keeping a warehouse fully stocked with the spare parts and consumables needed by the offshore wind farm, and then crewing that vessel,” are all different roles that will be anchored to the O&M Hub, Rise Light & Power CEO Clint Plummer said. Building and maintaining the turbines themselves may involve week-long excursions out to sea, he explained.

“We’re basically we bring in a large number of folks, those folks will go on the vessel for a week at a time, go out to the wind farm, come back in, old crew goes off, new crew comes on.”

Attentive Energy One plans to retain and retrain union workers currently at the plant, as well as hiring new workers to expand the team. The potential of a hyperlocal talent pipeline and workforce for this new era of Ravenswood, with well-paying union jobs available to the communities hit the hardest by the plant’s negative health impacts thus far, is exciting for advocates.

Paul Lipson, a consultant with Barretto Bay, explained that very few residents of Ravenswood, Astoria, or Queensbridge NYCHA Houses are employed by Ravenswood as of now.

“We have this huge potential labor force directly across the street,” Lipson said. “Part of getting this right is this

transition has to be about creating opportunity hyperlocally.”

“The goal here is for us to be able to develop a workforce training program so that when other offshore wind projects that use Ravenswood need the workforce, that we have that workforce ready, and that that workforce to the greatest extent possible is coming from the local community,” Plummer said.

Coger said that she’s spoken with Rise Light leaders about job training programs specifically for residents from the surrounding NYCHA campuses.

“We haven’t come back to the table just yet,” Coger said. “But we’ll be getting to that, most certainly. If I’m at the table, it most certainly won’t leave the table.”

A timeline Plummer said that the company is “deep in the process” of finalizing their contracts with NYSERDA at the moment.

After they conclude that process, he said, they can begin to flesh out the specifics of a workforce training program.

Attentive Energy One’s timeline is more or less aligned with the state’s CLCPA deadline for 70 percent renewable energy by 2030. Plummer explained that the project is staring down a “complex regulatory regime,” and laid out the different steps that should unfold over the decade.

The company has submitted almost all of its major permit applications; the last of them should be submitted by the middle of next year. From that point, it will likely take two years until all permits necessary to build the project are approved. During these years, Plummer said, “there’s going to be a great deal of engineering surveys, community engagement, stakeholder meetings, getting feedback and adapting our construction plans to what we hear from all the project stakeholders.”

This phase should close out by the late end of 2026, at which point Attentive Energy will proceed with the actual construction of the wind farm—they expect this to be a three and a half year process, ending in late 2029 or 2030.

Continued on Page 20

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QUEENS NEWS

The Road to a Renewable Ravenswood Continued from Page 15

How long until a fully renewable Ravenswood?

Ravenswood currently uses two 400 megawatt generators and one 1000 megawatt generator (each with its own striped smokestack.)

Attentive Energy One’s wind farm will hold 1400 MW of generating capacity, and will replace one of the existing 400 MW generators.

Sid Nathan, Vice President of External Affairs at Rise Light & Power, explained that this wind-powered 1400 MW is what’s necessary to reliably replace 400 MW of capacity

in the system due to the intermittency of wind itself.

“You want to be able to overcompensate with the amount of renewables you’re injecting into the grid,” Nathan said.

To convert Ravenswood to fully renewable energy, completely removing the disproportionate burden of air pollution on its neighbors, Rise Light & Power would need to secure two more awards like the one they’ve now received from NYSERDA—and see through two more renewable energy development projects at the scale of Attentive Energy One. The state’s goal is to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2040, setting a de facto deadline.

Plummer is cautiously hopeful about Ravenswood’s

prospects of meeting it.

“I think to the extent the administration continues with its march on procuring these large scale resources, like offshore wind…I think that can be achievable,” Plummer said. “That’s not entirely in our hands, though, right? Because the only way Attentive Energy is going forward is because we received this award from the state. We put together a team, made a proposal to the state, they ran a competitive process, and we were selected in it. The state has all the institutions, it’s got the infrastructure necessary to undertake additional future procurements like this.

And we believe that they will, but until the state actually acts on those—you know, we can’t do it by ourselves.”

Coger is excited about what’s to come for future generations in her community, especially considering that youth have already been involved in rallies and other events promoting a renewable Ravenwood.

“This is something that will move on with history,” she said. “It won’t stop just with the seniors.”

She expressed deep gratitude for Rise Light & Power’s engagement in the community.

“I’m 88 years old, and I’ve seen a lot of different things in my life where we had to stand outside of the fence while decisions were being made for our lives,” Coger said. “But this has us included. And I think that is so important.”

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

IT’S IN QUEENS!

It’s In Queens! (November 2022) November is unique. The weather gets colder and colder as the month heads to the warmth-inducing Thanksgiving. It has bookend Christian observances–All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and the First Sunday of Advent on Nov. 28— along with special times to vote and honor veterans. As always, Queens is a hotbed of activity with poetry, paintings, and protests mixing with films, Jazz, debates, and the hottest sneakers. Please read on.

Nov. 11, Illuminate the Farm, Jan. 8, 2023. A luminescent display inspired by theme parks and Chinese myths and legends, along with illuminated tunnels, rideable swings, and more. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Glen Oaks.

Nov. 11, I Hate Models + Shlømo + Kyruh, 10 pm.

France’s I Hate Models is a marquee name in Neo-Rave sound. He deejays with his countryman Shlømo, a pillar of the thriving Techno Underground in Paris, and NY’s Kyruh. Knockdown Center, 52-19 Flushing Ave., Maspeth.

Nov. 11, Baldwin vs. Buck-

22

ley, Nov. 12. The 1965 televised debate between intellectual heavyweights James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr. is restaged in an intimate performance. Showtimes are Nov. 11 at 8 pm and Nov. 12 at 3 pm and 8 pm. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Nov. 12, NEA Jazz Masters: The Blues Feeling, 8 pm.

A one-of-its-kind concert featuring a very talented group of NEA Jazz Masters. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.

Nov. 12, Action Songs/Protest Dances, Nov. 13. The world premiere of a show conceived, directed, and choreographed

by Edisa Weeks. It features five songs commissioned by composers/musicians Taina Asili, Spirit McIntyre, and Martha Redbone. Three are inspired by the life, speeches, and writings of civil rights activist James Forman (1928-2005), whose personal archives are housed at the Queens College Rosenthal Library. The other two are about social justice. Shows are at 3 pm. LeFrak Concert Hall, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing.

Nov. 12, Retrospective on Noriaki Tsuchimoto, Nov. 27.

Watch works by Japanese documentarian Noriaki Tsuchimoto, whose Minamata films earned him a reputation as the preeminent chronicler of life in the wake of industrial disaster.

He also worked in Siberia and Afghanistan during a career

spanning the 1960s through 1980s. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.

Nov. 12, Devil Woman (Obeah Woman) Part 3, 8 pm.

Continued on Page 23

Fort Totten Fun Run.

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

IT’S IN QUEENS! Continued from Page 22 Dion TYGAPAW McKenzie presents this three-part opera using Techno as the main genre. The work forms a sonic narrative that draws from the island of Jamaica’s musical heritage, referencing national, patriotic, and traditional songs. It centers on the unsung national hero Queen Nanny of the Maroons. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Nov. 13, Vintage Car Show, 9 am. Ride back in time with the Bayside Historical Society’s classic car show. A variety of vintage and antique automobiles will be on the lawn. The Castle, 208 Totten Ave., Fort Totten, Bayside.

Nov. 13, Drip City Market Sneaker Convention, noon.

This sneaker-and-hat-convention features the hottest kicks, clothes, and accessories from more than 200 vendors. Resorts World New York City, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Jamaica.

Nov. 15, LIC Summit, 8:30 am. From mixed-income housing to world-class retail, LIC has become a quintessential live-work-play hub. This day-

long summit, organized by LIC Partnership, explores the investments in physical and social infrastructure needed to maintain momentum and how LIC can be a model for economic recovery. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.

Nov. 17, Studio Museum Artists in Residence 2021–22, Feb. 27, 2023. This exhibition marks the fourth year of a partnership between The Studio Museum in Harlem, the Museum of Modern Art, and MoMA PS1. It features new work by the 2021–22 cohort of Studio Museum’s Artist-in-Residence program: Cameron Granger;

Jacob Mason-Macklin; and Qualeasha Wood. MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City.

Nov. 18, The Murphy Beds, 7 pm. A night of tremendous Irish folk music with harmonies and deft instrumental arrangements on bouzouki, guitar, and mandolin. New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., Long Island City.

Nov. 19, Queens Hip-Hop, 1 pm. Celebrate National HipHop Month by celebrating several 1990s Queens artists with music, craft microphone-making, and take-home trading cards. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave. Nov. 19, NY Son Jarocho

Festival, 1 pm. A full day of performances concludes a week-long celebration of Son Jarocho, the music, dance, and culture of Veracruz, Mexico.

Caña Dulce Caña Brava is the headliner. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.

Nov. 19, An Evening of Chamber Music, 7:30 pm. Musica Reginae Artistic Director Barbara Podgurski plays works

by Fauré, Ravel, and Brahms on piano with Robert Burkhart on cello and Sarah Pratt Parsamian on violin. The Churchin-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills.

Nov. 20, Pre-Thanksgiving Nature Walk, 1 pm. A guided walk in Alley Pond Park with a seasoned staff member. Alley Pond Environmental Center, 224-65 76th Ave., Oakland Gardens.

Nov. 26, An Afternoon of Chinese Theater, 3 pm. The Chinese American Arts Council offers a program featuring Peking Opera, The Story of Song Jiang, and Yan Poxi, as well as a special performance

by Tong Xiao Ling Chinese Opera Ensemble: Peking Opera, Farewell My Concubine.

Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.

Nov. 27, Holiday Wreath Making Workshop, 11 am. Create a festive wreath using fresh cut pine, fir, and other evergreens. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.

More information is available at https://bit.ly/3JABukh.

23

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QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES 82ND STREET PARTNERSHIP

37-06 82nd Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Executive Director: Leslie Ramos 718.335.9421 82ndstreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of

$224,000 with more than 200 businesses under its umbrella.

The district is on 82nd Street from 37th Avenue to Baxter Avenue. The board meets quarterly with the annual meeting in June.

ASIAN AMERICAN FEDERATION

120 Wall Street, 9th Fl., New York, NY 10005 aafederation.org QUICK GLANCE: The Asian American Federation’s mission is to raise the influence and well-being of the pan-Asian American community through research, policy advocacy, public awareness and

organizational development.

Established in 1989, the Federation is a pan-Asian non-profit o rg a n i z a t i o n representing a network of community service agencies in the Northeast. These agencies work in the fields of health & human services, education, economic development, civic participation, and social justice.

BAYSIDE VILLAGE BID

213-33 39th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11361 Executive Director: Christine Siletti 718.423.2434 info@baysidevillagebid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of

$218,000 and over 350 members. Founded in 2007, the BID includes commercial property owners and residents on Bell Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, as well as a block east and west on 41st Avenue.

BAYSIDE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

41-16 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 President: Ed Probst Vice President: Judith Limpert 718.229.2277 info@baysideba.com baysideba.com QUICK GLANCE: Founded in

1997, the Bayside Business Association services all of Bayside business to address issues and concerns those businesses have with regards to running their businesses.

ACCOMPANY CAPITAL (FORMERLY BCNA)

78-27 37 Ave., Ste. 1 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Business Development: Tshering Gurung 347.730.6468 tgurung@accompanycapital.org QUICK GLANCE: Accompany

Capital is an award-winning C om mu n it y D evelopme nt Financial Institution (CDFI) and

Small Business Administration (SBA) micro lender that provides small and micro business owners in New York City with low-cost loans, access to business training & technical assistance, and one-on-one counseling.

Accompany Capital has disbursed over $34 million in loans and assisted over 10,000 immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in New York City since its founding as Business Center for New Americans (BCNA) in 1997, as well as provided workshops and one-on-one advice on business management and marketing to over 10,000 businesses.

BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER NETWORK (BOC, INC.) 85 S. Oxford Street #2 Brooklyn, NY 11217 718.624.9115 bocnet.org Continued on Page 26

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October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

QUEENSBOROUGH CALENDAR OF EVENTS QUEENS CHAMBER & QCC FOUNDATION ANNUAL GOLF OUTING AND DINNER Oct. 23 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

You are invited to the 2023 Queens Chamber & Queens Chamber Foundation Golf Outing and Dinner!

This is a fun event filled with food, drink, and professional networking.

You are welcome to attend the full day of golf or simply join us for the dinner/awards ceremony. You do not want to miss out on this once-a-year opportunity, so register now.

For Sponsorship Opportunities or questions, please contact Joanne Persad at 718.898.8500 x 123.

GARDEN CITY COUNTRY CLUB 206 STEWART AVENUE GARDEN CITY, NY 11530

LEGAL ESSENTIALS FOR SMALL BUSINESS - PART 1

Oct 25, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

This three-part webinar series will cover the essential legal issues that small business owners need to know.

Each webinar will focus on a different topic. Part 1 includes: Start Ups & Early Stage Businesses Legal Considerations for HomeBased Businesses When to incorporate & how to choose the right business entity for your business The legal requirements for forming and maintaining a business entity Regulatory Approvals Basic Contracts including Shareholder & Partnership Agreements Intro to Intellectual Property Financing basics including an introduction to secured transaction This webinar series is designed to be informative and interactive.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask general questions and get answers from an experienced lawyer.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar series is ideal for small business owners who want to learn more about the essential legal issues that they need to be aware of.

It is also a good resource for entrepreneurs who are just starting out and need to learn about the legal requirements for forming and operating a business. This course will help small business owners identify potential legal issues with their small business.

Don’t miss this valuable event!

Online Event. Visit https://queenschamber.org/events for event registration

FLUSHING BUSINESS RESOURCES DAY

Oct. 26 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Queens Chamber of Commerce, the NYC Small Business Administration, and the Queens Public Library are hosting a multilingual small business resource fair.

Business owners will have the opportunity to meet and greet representatives from city agencies and local organizations.

Meet and greet representatives from: SBS - NYC Small Business Administration DSNY - Department of Sanitation NYPD - Community Affairs NYC Police Department DCWP - Department of Consumer Affair and Worker Protection Accompany Capital Pursuit Fidelis Care TD Bank Queens Chamber of Commerce South Asian Women Project and more Event opens to the public at 2:00 pm. Complimentary admission to all. private foundations for funding.

QUEENS PUBLIC LIBRARY AT FLUSHING 41-17 MAIN STREET FLUSHING, NEW YORK , NY 11530 Celebration Hall 127-15 Kew Gardens Road Kew Gardens, New York

Get to Know Us! Preschool through Grade 12 2024 – 2025 Admission

ON-CAMPUS OPEN HOUSES LOWER SCHOOL Saturday, November 11 MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL Saturday, December 2 Register at kewforest.org/visit

+

100%

70

$3MM+

15+

recent graduates matriculated to four-year colleges and universities

awarded annually in tuition assistance to families with incomes from $40k to $300k+

nationalities

14

average class size

clubs, including signature programs in science research and Model UN

119 -17 U N I O N T U R N P I K E F O R E S T H I L L S , N Y 11375 718 . 26 8 . 4 6 67 W W W. K E W F O R E S T. O R G

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES

Business Outreach Center Network’s mission is to improve the economic prospects of traditionally underserved groups, with a focus on lowand moderate-income entrepreneurs and their communities, and thereby create genuinely brighter futures.

At the heart of our mission is the belief that whatever their differences, people and communities share a common goal: to achieve economic stability and growth.

Working in partnership with culturally diverse individuals and organizations in support of this shared goal is the hallmark of BOC. QUICK

GLANCE:

CHHAYA CDC

37-43 77th Street, #2 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718.478.3848 chhayacdc.org QUICK GLANCE: Core to our strategy is organizing and advocating for systemic changes that remove the barriers to wellbeing, housing stability, and economic mobility for our communities. For over 20 years, Chhaya has served tens of thousands of individuals and led the charge on key policy issues for immigrants, such as basement legalization, language access, tenants’ rights, and more.

CHINATOWN DISTRICT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (CHINATOWN PARTNERSHIP)

217 Park Row, 2nd Floor, Suite 9 New York, NY 10038 chinatownpartnership.org QUICK GLANCE: Chinatown Partnership, led by Wellington Chen, was formed in 2006 as new start-up from grounds up to bring residents, business owners and community groups together to rebuild Chinatown following 9/11, and to preserve the neighborhood’s unique culture while ensuring its vitality in the future through strategic positioning.

With the highly popular Weekend Walks street festive series, Mid-Autumn Festival, One Day in NYC, annual Beautification/ Earth Day, East West Parade with Little Italy, Double Valentine’s Day to promote the softer side of Chinatown and the Jewelry District and all the cafes, eateries in the area. Explore Chinatown marketing initiative, Lunar Stages outdoor film screenings, and Taste of Chinatown street events, Chinatown Partnership helps promote the area as a special destination to live, work, and visit.

FOREST HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 26

PO Box 751123, Forest Hills, NY 11375 President: Leslie Brown 718.268.6565 FHChamber11375@gmail.com FHChamber@aol.com QUICK GLANCE: Re-formed in 1995, the

group has over 225 members. Chamber meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. at the West Side Tennis Club, 1 Tennis Place, in Forest Hills.

GANYC – GUIDES ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK CITY

115 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10006 Associate Director: Harvey Davidson 908-499-3735 info@ganyc.org Ganyc.org QUICK GLANCE: GANYC was founded in

1974 by licensed tour guides for licensed tour guides. We are one of the oldest and most active tour guides associations in America. Founded originally as an association of multilingual guides, GANYC has grown greatly since, encompassing a wide variety of guides that ref lect the diversity of NYC’s tourism industry. We provide a number of services for locals and the visiting public as well as for our members including tour guide education, familiarization tours (FAM Tours), professional advice and workshops.

GATEWAYJFK

Interim Executive Director: Barbara J. Cohen 718.304.0119 info@GatewayJFK.org GatewayJFK.org QUICK GLANCE: GatewayJFK is a pub-

lic-private partnership providing neighborhood services, improvements and advocacy for the District’s off-airport cargo community and all who live, work or visit the area. A vital link in the global supply chain, GatewayJFK is a distinct and unique NYC neighborhood of major economic significance to the region, the nation, and the world.”

GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

90-04 161st Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 President: Hope Knight 718.291.0282 gjdc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1967, the

group has 75 members. GJDC’s work expands economic oppor t unit y and improves quality of life for the ethnically and economically diverse residents of Jamaica and for the region at large, which

benefits from rational, well-planned, and sustainable metropolitan growth.

GREATER WOODHAVEN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION - WOODHAVEN BID

84-01 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven NY 11421 718.805.0202 gwdcbid@hotmail.com woodhavenbid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $257,000 with

more than 350 businesses under its umbrella on Jamaica Avenue from Dexter Court to 100th Street. They are providing free benches for store owners along Jamaica Avenue. They also provide 2.5 and 5 percent home improvement loans.

JAMAICA CENTER BID

161-10 Jamaica Avenue, Suite 419 Jamaica, NY 11432 Executive Director: Jennifer Furioli 718.526.2422 jamaica.nyc @JamCenterBID (Twitter) @jamcenterbid (Instagram) @Jamaica Center BID (Facebook) QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1979, the

Jamaica Center BID serves over 400 businesses on Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 169th Street. With a budget of over $1 million, the BID’s goal is to promote and maintain Downtown Jamaica as a thriving business hub and an enjoyable destination to shop, work, live and visit.

JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. Box 300687, Jamaica, NY 11430 Executive Director: Clorinda Antonucci President: Al DePhillips Vice President: Joseph Morra JFKCoCExec@gmail.com jf kairportchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the

group has over 200 members. The chamber was chartered in 1978 by a group of business people in and around JFK Airport. It is the only airport in the nation to have its own Chamber of Commerce. The chamber seeks to create an environment in which members of the business community can work together to enhance the growth, well being and economic development of the airport community and its aviation industry.

LONG ISLAND CITY PARTNERSHIP

718.786.5300 longislandcityqueens.com QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1979, the

Long Island City Partnership advocates

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES for economic development that benefits LIC’s industrial, commercial, cultural and residential sectors. The goal is to attract new businesses to the neighborhood, retain those already here, welcome new residents and visitors, and promote a vibrant and authentic mixed-use community. The LIC Partnership operates the LIC Business Improvement District and the LIC Industrial Business Zone.

MASPETH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. Box 780265, Maspeth, NY 11378 President: David Daraio 718.335.1300 maspethchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1953, they

have 120 members and a budget of $115,000.

MASPETH INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (MIBA)

BOC: 96-11 40th Road, Corona, NY 11368 Coordinator: Quincy Ely-Cate 718.205.3773 qelycate@bocnet.org mibanyc.org QUICK GLANCE: Covering roughly 600

businesses with 30 active members, the Maspeth Industrial Business Association provides a collective voice in advocating the needs and interests of industrial and manufacturing businesses in Maspeth. They help companies in the Maspeth Industrial District in developing workforce, accessing tax credits, obtaining financing, navigating government regulations and, in some cases, finding real estate.

MIDDLE VILLAGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

79-47 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village, NY 11379 President: Salvatore Crifasi 718.894.8700 Sal@Crifasi.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $8,000 with

35 businesses under its umbrella. Formed in 1929. MVCC meets annually and focuses on the Metropolitan Avenue shopping district between 69 and 80 th streets. The mission is to improve the area and assist local businesses if they have any concerns or needs.

MYRTLE AVENUE BID

62-14 Myrtle Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385 Executive Director: Ted Renz 718.366.3806 QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $500,000 with

over 300 retail and service businesses under its purview. Board meetings are held

four times a year with the annual meeting in June. The district includes Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood between Fresh Pond Road and Wyckoff Avenue. Program support is provided by the Ridgewood LDC.

es all 300 business located on Steinway Street from 28th Avenue to 35th Avenue.

National chain stores such as Victoria’s Secret, The Gap, Benetton, and Express are side by side with local family-owned shops.

QUEENS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

SU NN YSIDE COMMERCE

12-55 Queens Boulevard, Room 309 Kew Gardens, NY 11424 Executive Director: Seth Bornstein 718.263.0546 queensny.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $1.5 million

and a resource for over 2,000 businesses in the borough of Queens. Register online for upcoming virtual events, including:

ROCKAWAY DEVELOPMENT & REVITALIZATION CORPORATION

1920 Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 President: Kevin Alexander 718.327.5300 www.rdrc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the

Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation (RDRC) was established to promote the revitalization of the Rockaway’s economic base and neighborhoods by creating long-standing partnerships with city and state agencies.

ROCKAWAY EAST MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION (REMA4US)

1032 Beach 20th Street Far Rockaway, NY 11691 rema4us.org QUICK GLANCE: REMA 4 US, Inc. seeks to engage in economic development and revitalization in the Rockaway Peninsula.

To strengthen our community revitalization programs and community development efforts in the Rockaway Peninsula REMA works alongside businesses, civic groups, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. REMA works to inform the public about opportunities that exist to strengthen the community, and to create a welcoming and safe environment to help expand economic opportunity in the Rockaway Peninsula.

STEINWAY ASTORIA PARTNERSHIP BID

25-69 38th Street, Suite 1C, Astoria 11103 Executive Director: Marie Torniali 718.728.7820 info@steinwaystreet.nyc steinwaystreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1991, the BID

has over 300 members. The Steinway Street Business Improvement District encompass-

CH AMBER

OF

PO Box 4399, Sunnyside, NY 11104 President: Vanessa Ceballos 718.729.4688 sunnyside-chamber.org QUICK GLANCE: With an annual bud-

get of $55,000, the chamber is an organization built around assisting and helping local business and professionals by providing resources to increase business, safety and historical preservation throughout the neighborhood.

SUNNYSIDE SHINES

45-56 43rd Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104 Executive Director: Jaime-Faye Beam 718.606.1800 director@sunnysideshines.org sunnysideshines.org QUICK GLANCE: The BID has a bud-

get of approximately $480,000 with more than 250 businesses under its umbrella. The mission of Sunnyside Shines is to invigorate and enrich the economic life of the neighborhood by creating a safe and dynamic commercial district.

SUTPHIN BOULEVARD BID

89-00 Sutphin Boulevard, Suite 204C Jamaica, NY 11435 Executive Director: Glen Greenridge 718.291.2110 sutphinblvdbid@verizon.net QUICK GLANCE: The BID was founded

in 2004 and represents 134 businesses, 56 properties and 39 property owners along Sutphin Boulevard between Hillside Ave. and 94th Ave.

URBAN UPBOUND

40th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 CEO & Co-Founder: Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor QUICK GLANCE: Urban Upbound, origi-

nally known as East River Development Alliance (ERDA), was co-founded in 2002

by Debra-Ellen Glickstein, a strong advocate of economic development inclusion, and Bishop Mitchell Taylor, a lifelong resident of Queensbridge Houses, with the intention to develop high-quality services that address resident-identified needs.

Since then, the organization has grown to serve thousands of youth and adults living in public housing and other low-and moderate-income neighborhoods annually

27

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH CORPORATE

Santander Bank 437 Madison Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10022 Contact Anthony J Wilkens anthony.wilkens@santander.us

Salz Group 1188 Alberston Ave. #707 Albertson, NY 11507 Contact Suhail Sitaf ssitaf@salzgroup.com

O & S Associates, Inc..

520 8th Avenue Suite 2004 New York, NY10018 Contact Charles Bilodeau cbilodeau@oandsassociates.com

Work Better Now 1120 Avenue of the Americas #4114 New York, NY 10036 Contact Robert Levin Rlevin@workbetternow.com

SpeakEasy Services 263 Lincoln Blvd Merrick, NY 11566 Contact Maria Goldberg mgoldberg@speakeasyservices.com

28

queenschamber.org

NEW MEMBERS SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERS

Rocco's of Roc Beach 115-10 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway 11694 Contact JoAnne Cotrone roccosco@lovenpizza.com

Doha Bar Lounge 3834 31st Street, Long Island City 11101 Contact Andria Caceres dohabarlounge@gmail.com

Empanadas Cafe 56-27 Van Doren Street, Corona 11368 Contact Patricia Bernard patriciabernard9@gmail.com

LandSkyAI, LLC 43-01 21st St Ste. 318A, Long Island City 11101 Contact Jake Shild jake@landsky.ai

Moves and Motions Dance Inc. 70-20 88th Street, Glendale New York 11385 Contact Jodi Fera jodifera@gmail.com Hankin & Mazel, PLLC 60 Cutter Mill Road Suite 505, Great Neck 11021 Contact Geoffrey Mazel gmazel@hankinmazel.com Hart Leo Balloons 4-75 48th ave, Long Island City 11109 Contact Eliana Zambrano hi@hartleo.com

Fluid Mechanics Corp 170-36 Douglas Ave Jamaica, NY 11433 Contact George Kiouzellis george@fluidmcorp.com

DO & CO New York Catering, Inc. 149-32 132 Street Jamaica, NY Contact Tino Wohlfahrt tino.wohlfahrt@doco.com

Fresh Fast Foods dbq Burgers, Tacos, Wings + Seafood 110-46 Merrick Blvd. Jamaica 11433 Contact Philip Armstrong power@btwnyc.com

MKC Threads 127 Albertson Avenue, Albertson 11507 Contact Kai Shum kai@mkcthreads.com MAJOR CORPORATE

Citi Bank 388 Greenwich St. New York, NY 10013 Contact Shimonah Israel shimonah.israel@citi.com

LaGuardia Gateway Partners LaGuardia Airport, Central Terminal B RM 3595 Flushing, NY 11371 Contact Tracy Sandford tracy.sandford@laguardiacentral.com

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8 EXECUTIVE COMMMITEE Howard Graf

Patrick Yu

Thomas J. Grech

Brendan Leavy

Richard Dzwlewicz

Michelle Stoddart

Joanne M. Persad

Jacqueline Donado

Chairperson

Associate Treasurer

Vice Chair

Associate Secretary

Treasurer

Immediate Past Chair

Patricia Mezeul Nash Roe

Thomas J. Santucci

Secretary

President & CEO

Business Development Manager

Chief of Operations

Strategic Program Coordinator

Arlene Diangkinay

Jef Gross

Financial Controller

Neil Wagner

Manager of Media Relations

Business Service Program Manager

Kenneth J. Buettner Patricia Ornst Charles E. Callahan, III Salvatore Crifasi David Diraio Steven DeClara Richard Dzwlewicz

Charles Everett, Jr. Joseph R. Ficalora Tamara Gavrielof Howard Graf Fran Gross Raymond Irrera Kenneth Koenig

A&L Cesspool Services Corp A+ Technology & Security AARP Abrams Fensterman ADS Engineers, DPC Advanced Technology Alliance AES Aetna Better Health of New York AFGO Mechanical Services, Inc Allegiant Home Care Allied Risk Management, Inc Andromeda Antun’s of Queens Village Approved General Contracting Inc., ARK Import Export Center, LLC At Your Side Home Care Service Avison Young Balkan Sewer and Water Main Service Barasch & McGarry Barn Truck Rental Barone Management LLC Bayside CJ LLC BedRock Real Estate Partners, LLC Berkshire HathawayHomeservices Laffey International Realty Bethpage Federal Credit Union Blumenfeld Development Group,

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Kelsey Brow King Manor Museum director@kingmanormuseum.org

BANKING & LAW John Renda Edward Jones John.Renda@edwardjones.com

COMMUNICATIONS Jake Oliver Anat Gerstein jake@anatgerstein.com Henry Ramos Dedline AV henry@dedlineav.com

HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS Prabhleen S. Virk Citrin Cooperman pvirk@citrincooperman.com

TRANSPORTATION Phil Jones LIME philip@li.me

SENIOR ADVISORY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE STAFF

William Blake Vincent L. Petraro, Esq. Dominick Ciampa George Rozansky Joseph Farber Gerard Thornton Louis D. Laurino Jeff Levine Joseph M. Mattone, Sr

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lorraine Chambers Lewis Bert Lurch Meredith Marshall Carl Mattone Patricia Mezeul Melinda Murray-Nyack Maria Odysseos

Stephen Preuss Nash Roe Jeffrey Rosenstock Juan Santiago Thomas Santucci Mark Scheinberg Sher Sparano

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Michelle Stoddart Terri Thomson Henry Wan Patrick Yu Daniel Zausner Patrick Jenkins John Mascialino

ConnectOne Bank Forest Hills Financial Group, Inc. Consigli Construction Co Inc Gatsons Electric Cornell Tech Giant Industrial Installations Cornerstone Land Abstract Gil-Bar Industries, Inc. Cort GOLDEN AGE HOME CARE INC CPower Energy Management Goodman Crescent Properties, Inc Goodwill Industries NYNJ Crown Castle Graf & Lewent Architects Crystal Window & Door Systems, Ltd Greater NY Automobiles Dealers AsDack Consulting Solutions sociation Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP Grubb Properties Dedline AV H2M architects + engineers Diehl & Sons Inc. D.b.a New York HANAC, Inc. Freightliner HE2PD, Inc. Direct Clean Service Solutions Healthy Corner Pharmacy Edward Jones Heatherwood Communities E-J Electric Installation Co. HOK EJ Stevens Group Hugh O’Kane Electric Co., Inc. Elite Builders and Management Hyatt Place Flushing EMCOR NY/NJ Hydro-Quebec Energy Services EMU Health IKEA Queens Exquisite Construction corp INDA, Association of Nonwoven Fabric Fenagh Engineering & Testing Industry First Central Savings Bank Inggroups First Choice Vending Innovo Property Group First National Bank of LI J Strategies, Inc Firstlight Cloud Xchange J.W. Hampton Jr. & Co., Inc. Flushing Bank Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas / Showcase Cinemas James E Fitzgerald COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP Jason Office Products JGM Construction Development, LLC ENERGY FOOD, BEVERAGE & JME Group LLC HOSPITALITY Kasirer, LLC Marshall Haimson Kaufman Astoria Studios, Inc. Kelair Inc. E-Capital Development Jim Quent K-Four Construction Corp. marshall@e-capitaldevelopment.com Statewide Public Affairs Koeppel Auto Group Jay Solly jquent@statewidepublicaffairs.com Laffey Real Estate Sol Strategies Rachel Kellner Legacy Contractors NYC LLC jaypsolly@gmail.com Aigner Chocolates Lenoblelumber Co rachel@aignerchocolates.com Liberty Ashes Inc. Loconsolo Paints Macerich Madison International Realty NOT FOR PROFIT ENTREPRENEURSHIP & Mayer Malbin Company, Inc. Mc Gowan INNOVATION Larry Grubler MD Squared Property Group LLC Media X Partners Inc. Transitional Services of NY Bill Staniford MedRite lgrubler@tsiny.org Rentigo Mega Contracting Group LLC Christine Deska bill@staniford.com Molloy College BellesBoard/Nonprofit Sector Ryan Letts Mr. T Carting Corp.

Strategies Cleonmaye Corporation christine@nonprofitsectorstrategies.org MSN Air Service Inc rletts@cleonmaye.com Netwolf Cyber Intelligence Advisers Neutron Holdings, Inc New York & Atlantic Railway FAMILY-OWNED New York State Energy Coalition, Inc. BUSINESSES REAL ESTATE Nonprofit Sector Strategies, PBC Northwell Go Health Urgent Care Chad Callahan Kevin Louie Northwell Health Plaza College RIPCO Notionwide Financial cec4@plazacollege.edu klouie@ripcony.com Omni Funding Corp. of America Michael Shoule Michael Wang On-trac Construction Associates JW Hampton Project Queens Oxford Harriman & Company/Haddad mikes@jwhampton.com michael@projectqueens.com & Co. Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates Ltd. Bonanza Contracting LLC Brooklyn Tile and Design BRP Companies BTX Global Logistics Bulovas Restorations Inc Capital One Bank Capitol Fire Sprinkler Carben Construction Inc. Carter Milchman and Frank Carter, DeLuca & Farrell LLP Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens Catholic Health CBIZ Marks Paneth CBRE CDS-Mestel Construction Center for Automotive Education and Training Century Development Group Cerini and Associates, LLP. Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP Cine Magic LIC Studios, LLC Cipico Construction, Inc. CitiQuiet Coastal Flooring Solutions Colliers Securities

QUEENSBOROUGH (ISSN0033-6068 is published 12 times a year for $12.50 annually by the Queens Chamber of Commerce of the borough of Queens. 75-20 Astoria Blvd, Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131.

Periodicals postage paid at Flushing NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Blvd., Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131.

Lindsay Haggerty Michael Sullivan Richard Siu

Paycor PBIPayroll & Workforce Technologies Perch Advisors LLC PGA Mechanical Contractors, Inc. Ponce Bank Praxis Public Relations Priority 1 Security LLC QSIDE Federal Credit Union Queens College CUNY Queens Garden Florist Inc Queensborough Community College Regal Heights Ripco Investment Sales Rock Brokerage Ronald Fatoullah & Associates Rosco Inc. Royal Waste Services Russo’s on the Bay Samaritan Daytop Village Securitech Group, Inc. Signature Bank SkyTrac Access Group, LLC SL Green Realty Corp.

SourceBlue Spectrum Reach Spoton Squad Security Inc. St. Francis Preparatory School St. John’s Episcopal Hospital St. John’s University Starbucks Corporation STARS Northwell Health Storm Marking LLC Structural Engineering Technologies, P.C. SUNation Solar Systems Superior Office Solutions Target The Astoria World Manor The Ideal Supply Company The L Grp The Liquidity Source The Sandhu Group Tristate Plumbing Services Corp Tristate Safety Triumvirate Environmental United Airlines United American Title Agency United Construction and Development Group Corp United Public Adjusters & Appraisers, Inc. Universal Healthcare USTA National Tennis Center, Inc. Valley National Bank Vassilaros & Sons Coffee Vensure HR Walsh Patel Group Consulting VOREA Waste Management of New York LLC Watch Guard 24/7 Waymo White Coffee Corp Wildlife Conservation Society XPOexpress Zara Realty

29

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

SLICE OF QUEENS

Lillian Pizza, Forest Hills Continued from Page 9 at their original Lindenwood location. He managed the Mill Basin La Villa Pizzeria and was a partner in their Park Slope shop. He also spent time at Nonna Rosa and DaVino Pizza before buying Lillian Pizza in the summer of 2018.

Lillian Pizza is known for their regular New York Style Slice. Their gas oven yields

consistency!

To me (and both Emily and Ryan agreed) their showstopper was the “Grandma Slice” and those Rice Balls, yum! Lenny has added scooped Italian Ices to the dessert options, which include Chocolate Mousse and Tiramisu. They now offer free delivery and accept all major credit cards. Orders can also now be made through Uber Eats, Door Dash, Grub Hub and Seam-

less.

Lillian Pizza is located at 96-01 69th Avenue (corner of 69th Ave. and Harrow Street) in the middle of a residential area. You could drive right past it and not notice. There is adequate street parking around the corner on both sides of the street.

Forest Hills is unique because the streets are named alphabetically.

Austin, Burns, Clyde, Dartmouth,

MAJOR CORPORATE MEMBERS

30

Exeter, Fleet, Groton then Harrow to name a few. For me, Lillian Pizza is the perfect spot to eat before seeing a show at Forest Hills Stadium! For shows, the streets are closed through Fleet Street. You can park by Harrow Street, enjoy very good Italian food and pizza, then take a short and easy walk directly to the stadium. Try it, trust me, you will thank me later!

October 2023 • Volume 19 • Issue 8 MAJOR CORPORATE MEMBERS

We hope you are enjoying the newly designed, expanded Queensborough, the monthly publication of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. We, the Chamber, direct and approve all content deciding what stories are covered in each issue, editing all copy and forwarding information that is contained in the publication. BQE Media produces it for the Chamber. We look forward to continuing to highlight the outstanding business persons, services and activities that make our borough unique. We welcome all your letters, manuscripts, etc. Please send all materials to the Queens Chamber of Commerce at 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140, Jackson Heights, NY 11370 or call 718.898.8500 for more information. We reserve the right to edit for space limitations. Your support of the magazine is critical to its success. We encourage you to include Queensborough in your advertising plans. To place your ad, please call BQE Media at 718.426.7200.

31

As a valued neighbor of the Holiday Inn Express Maspeth, we would like to offer you a 15% Local Loyalty discount.

Pick up a Local Loyalty card at a participating Maspeth business, and present it at our front desk to receive your special 15% OFF rate! Scan the barcode to see the list of participating businesses.