This Is Queensborough - February 2109

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February 2019 . Volume 15 . Issue 2

C’EST LYE VIE

FLUSHING BUSINESSMAN ENTERS THE WORLD OF FRENCH CUISINE

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• KATZ LAYS OUT VISION FOR QUEENS • POLS DEBATE PROS & CONS OF CONGESTION PRICING • BIZ LEADERS SHOW SUPPORT FOR AMAZON

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February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

AN ENGAGED MEMBER IS A PROSPEROUS MEMBER As Chairman of the Board of We continue to add and support Directors of the Queens Cham- a diverse team of leaders and adviber of Commerce, I have sors to our Board. This the unique honor and year, we look to see responsibility to engage the fruit of our labor the business and thought in the area of member leaders of the Borough of retention. To that end, Queens. we have ten Member Today, our Board conCommittee’s consistsists of a unique and ing of: diverse blend of small • Healthcare/Wellbusinesses and large; ness from sole practitioners TOM SANTUCCI • Restaurant/Hospito Fortune 100 corpora- CHAIRPERSON tality tions, nonprofits, educa• Entrepreneurship tion leaders, and health & Innovation care organizations.

• Communications

• Energy/Environmental • Transportation • Not-for-Profit • Manufacturing • Real Estate • Technology Each of these Committees plan events year round. There is much cross-pollination going on in order to make sure we connect the right Members to the right opportunity, for not only business development purposes but also for educating each other on the latest and greatest innovations.

We believe that an engaged and active Member is a happy long

term Member. To get involved on any of these Member Committees, call the office at (718) 898-8500 for a warm welcome and engagement.

Finally, as we move into 2019, I want to urge our Members to take advantage of all benefits and services offered by the Queens Chamber. It is imperative to be proactive in reaching out to Chamber staff to ensure you are kept apprised of upcoming events, development strategies, and business information.

Thanks again for being a Member or supporter of the Queens Chamber of Commerce!

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

CONNECT WITH THE CHAMBER IN FEBRUARY February is action-packed 100-33 Ditmars Boulevard in East services. access or need assistance, don’t here at the Queens Elmhurst, across One area that we have been hesitate to call us.

Chamber of from LaGuardia extremely active with is advocacy We also have developed a terCommerce. We are Airport. for our members. Whether at City rific rapport with all our electrunning a series of • February 27: Hall, Borough Hall, Albany or ed officials, whether they be in events and want to The Chamber will Washington, DC, your Chamber is the City Council, State Senate make sure you are host a New Member at the forefront of issues that affect or Assembly. The Queens delegataking full advanOrientation at the businesses large and small. tions are dedicated to their constittage of all the serBulova Corporate In many quarters, small business uents. Make sure you know your vices we have to Center. It is open to is under attack. Onerous regula- representatives. You will get the offer. all members, new tions, duplicative rules, excessive opportunity to meet many of them Be sure to engage and current. Come fees and red tape are all issues we at a number of our events. with our staff THOMAS J. GRECH get a refresher address head on. If you or your As always, we are here for you. and always keep course on all of our organization are struggling to get Thank you to all of our Members!

PRESIDENT & CEO apprised of opportunities by visiting our website at queenschamber.org Here is some of what’s going on in February: • February 6: Learn how to use social media to grow your audience, promote your brand and convert followers into customers. The event will take place at the Business Center For New Americans in Jackson Heights.

• February 13: Annual Breakfast with the Honorable Melinda Katz and the Queens Borough Cabinet. Meet the district managers and members of the 14 community boards of Queens County.

Hundreds are expected at this must-attend event.

• February 20: Join us for our first networking event of 2019 at The Queens Chamber will hold its annual Breakfast with the Borough President event this month. the Metro Lounge at the Ibis Hotel

3

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

QUEENS QUICKLY

SBS ACCEPTING NEW N360 FELLOWS

Applications are now open for paid, full-time fellowship positions supporting commercial revitalization projects.

The fellowship program is part of Neighborhood 360, a Department of Small Business Services (SBS) initiative that strengthens com-

mercial districts that anchor neighborhoods.

The fellowship program pairs future neighborhood development professionals with selected community-based organizations (CBOs) to launch projects related to business attraction and retention, placemaking, and merchant organizing.

“New York City works best when New Yorkers work together,” said SBS Commissioner Gregg Bishop. “With the Neighborhood 360

DOB COMMISH ADDRESSES LIC PARTNERSHIP

On January 29, Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler spoke at the Long Island City Partnership’s Business Breakfast. He discussed the new DOB NOW portal that standardizes processes for filing various applications and permits online. DOB NOW will increase transparency by providing up-to-date information on status, with new functions expected to be rolled out over the next few years.

Fellows program, we’ve created opportunities for future neighborhood development professionals to use their talents to support community-based organizations and build vibrant communities across the city.”

Since the program began in 2016, a total of 30 New Yorkers have been connected to fellowships at CBOs citywide. Applications to join the fellowship program’s fourth cohort will be open through Sunday, March 3. Selected participants will begin a ten-month fellowship in June 2019.

In Queens, fellowships are available at the GatewayJFK Business Improvement District, Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, and the Woodhaven Business Improvement District.

“Many of our business districts have benefited from creative programming and management assistance,” said Borough President Melinda Katz. “The N360 is a program that allows communities to grow, it builds capacity for small organizations, and it provides hands-on experience for student fellows.”

Uriah Johnson was part of the first cohort of Neighborhood 360 Fellows. She worked with the Westchester Square Business Improvement District (BID) to develop a strategic plan for marketing and outreach that engaged area stakeholders including merchants, residents, property owners, schools, and local government.

“Through the BID’s partnership with Lehman High School, we brought education beyond the school’s walls and introduced students to the ways they can contribute to the community as active stakeholders,” said Johnson.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our city, said Councilwoman Adrienne Adams. “Through this valuable program the NYC Department of Small Business Services is responding to community needs by uplifting local talent while supporting small business growth and building more vibrant neighborhoods for all New Yorkers.”

For more information or to apply to join the Neighborhood 360 Fellows program, visit nyc.gov/360fellows.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Promotions, Announcements & Appointments .......................................6

Partners & Affiliates News and Happenings ........................................................22

Small Cell Tech and the Borough of Queens, Part Two ........................7

NEW IN THE HOOD: C-Town & Snapology .....................................................28

POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Congestion Pricing .....................................8

Chamber Welcomes New Members .........................................................................29

Business Leaders Show Support for Amazon at City Hall .................10 Katz Delivers Annual State of the Borough ............................................12 COVER STORY: Danny Lye of Danny’s French Cuisine ..................14 Queens Chamber of Commerce November Events ..............................21 4

PUBLISHER Walter H. Sanchez

MANAGING EDITOR Shane Miller

MARKETING DIRECTOR John Sanchez BQE Media, 45-23 47th St., 2nd Floor, Woodside, NY 11377 Phone: (718) 426-7200 Fax: (347) 507-5827

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

QUEENS QUICKLY TECH COMPANY FINDS HOME AT QC NewtonX, an artificial intelligence-powered knowledge search engine that matches clients to the world’s leading investors, consultants, and technology experts, was looking to open an office in New York City.

Sascha Eder, co-founder and operations manager, found everything he needed at the Queens College Tech Incubator.

As a member of the incubator, Eder has access to college facilities and to QC’s biggest asset—its people.

“Queens College students and faculty are a great resource for us,” he says, “whether it’s talent in software engineering or a business professor’s expertise.”

In turn, Eder has involved himself deeply in campus and community life by sharing his specialized knowledge with aspiring entrepreneurs.

The mutually beneficial relationship between Queens College and Eder, a German native, results from the International Innovators Initiative (IN2NYC). Inaugurated in 2016 by the Economic Development Corporation in collaboration with several CUNY colleges, IN2NYC is designed to attract foreign-born entrepreneurs to the city.

Applicants who meet the qualifications receive the coveted capexempt H-1B visa to work in the United States while building their businesses in tech incubators at participating CUNY campuses and New York University.

Additionally, they serve as mentors to students, create internships and job opportunities, and contribute to academic research and curricula.

“When we established our Tech Incubator in 2016, we had in mind a rich partnership between techfocused entrepreneurs, our students, faculty, and staff and the borough,” says Queens College President Félix Matos Rodriguez.

After arriving at QC, Eder launched a speakers series open to students and the larger community, in which he spoke about artificial

Zara Realty Donates New Technology Lab to Cardozo HS Thanks to a donation from a local philanthropic foundation, students at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens now have access to the latest technology.

Last Friday, the school community unveiled its new technology lab, which is equipped with 35 new touch-screen computers, a Promethean board, smart pens and other tools.

Funding for the $35,000 lab was donated by the George Subraj Family Foundation, which was started by the late Zara Realty co-founder George Subraj, who passed away in 2016. His son, Tony, is now the director of the foundation and vice president of the company.

According to the younger Subraj, his father began his philanthropic endeavors to give back to the Queens community that supported his business for three decades. The family foundation has also donated to projects in India, Africa and Guyana, the Subraj family’s country of origin.

“Honestly, the community is where it all starts,” he said. “The community made us who we are.”

SASCHA EDER

intelligence and other technology subjects.

These no-cost, one-hour events will begin again in 2019. Eder also held a full-day weekend workshop focusing on the steps needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.

To receive notifications of upcoming events, visit techincubatorqc.com. Scroll down to “Subscribe to Our Mailing List” and fill out the online form.

Using a unique algorithm, Eder is now discovering pertinent information about QC alumni that is being shared with the college’s Alumni Office and Center for Career Engagement and Internships.

“We’ve been looking at the data on recent graduates,” Eder said.

“What kinds of jobs are they getting? Where are they working geographically? What’s the correlation with their major?”

For Media Studies Professor Douglas Rushkoff’s Tech Development Lab class, Eder gave a talk, provided feedback on the students’ work, and was a judge for their final presentations.

“I enjoy mentoring and teaching students and helping them to become the next generation of entrepreneurs,” says Eder. They will come up with the ideas that will at some point change the way we do things.”

Along with his uncle’s family foundation, Subraj said their extended family has donated more than 10 technology labs to educational institutions throughout Queens and Guyana.

Subraj’s wife, Vibha Lakhani, has been an English teacher at Cardozo High School for the last 15 years.

“Technology can’t just be considered an addition to education, it’s more a necessity,” he said. “It integrates and enhances the formal learning process.”

The family foundation is in talk to donate another technology lab to Thomas Edison High School, which Subraj hopes to open later this year.

“There’s no end in sight,” he said.

After his father’s passing two years ago, Subraj said he wanted the foundation to focus on education. George Subraj did not have a formal education, but he was a self-taught man and a voracious reader, his son said.

Cardozo principal Meagan Colby said students have already been making good use of the lab for the last few months. Science and technology students use it for robotics and engineering, while journalism and media students have used it for the newspaper.

“There just never seems to be enough that we can do for our students,” she said. “There’s only so much we can do every year in terms of upgrades, additional computers and more modern technology.”

When a class walked into those labs, not every student had access to a functioning computer and keyboard, she said.

Local elected officials including State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, Assemblyman David Weprin and Councilman Barry Grodenchik also attended the ceremony.

The councilman noted that Cardozo is currently building a $70 million addition that will have features like a new courtroom and field facilities.

“These 35 computers send a message to our students that we care about you,” Grodenchik said. “We want the very best for you.”

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org Email your announcement or promotion to info@thisisqueensborough.com

PROMOTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & APPOINTMENTS Balrup in new post at FCSB

First Central Savings Bank has appointed a 30-year veteran of the banking industry as Vice-President Market Manager.

In her new role, Usha Balrup will oversee the business development team and expansion of lending efforts. She will also set the direction for the bank’s brand of personal banking and reputation in the business community.

“It is a privilege to be working for a BALRUP dynamic and growing organization at First Central Savings and supporting the efforts of its high-quality team of development professionals,” she said. “I look forward to making a greater impact to the success of the bank and its clients in this new role.”

Balrup joined FCSB in 2017 as Vice President Business Development Officer.

“Usha is a passionate advocate for the FCSB brand and is committed to building and enhancing our presence in every market we reach,” said Michael Serao, FCSB first senior vice president and chief administrative officer. “Usha has made a tremendous impact on our bank since joining FCSB and will be a remarkable leader in this new capacity.”

McAllister joins Bond team

Astoria resident Aisling M. McAllister has joined the firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, giving Bond 21 labor and employment attorneys in New York City.

McAllister is a prominent, management-side labor and employment lawyer, and a former partner

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of Martin Clearwater & Bell.

McAllister represents employers exclusively on topics from discrimination and harassment to violations of state and federal wage and hour laws across multiple industries such as health care, MCALLISTER hospitality, staffing, accounting and retail.

McAllister received her B.A. with honors from Rutgers College (1999) and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law (2008).

“We are thrilled that Aisling has joined our office and our labor and employment group,” said Louis DiLorenz, managing member of Bond’s New York City office. “She has not only provided valuable counsel and advice over the years, but backed it when necessary by successfully litigating on clients’ behalf.”

ment maintenance. Aside from working full time with the Queens Village-based Donnelly, she will also be attending school to further her training in refrigeration and air conditioning.

Prior to Donnelly Mechanical, Brittany worked at Petroleum Tank Cleaners as an assistant estimator where she cleaned, removed and installed oil tanks. She also assisted with plumbing, tank testing and proposal creation.

Before Petroleum Tank Cleaners, she worked as a helper at Fahrenheit Mechanical where she placed material orders for all HVAC construction and service jobs. While there, Brittany also assisted service fitters with compressor changes, motor replacements and other related tasks.

“Having Brittany as our first female field employee is a major milestone for Donnelly Mechanical,” said John Fallon, executive vice president of Service. “Her previous experience and skills make her the perfect person for the job.”

Lara a first for Donnelly

James McClelland was named new District manager of Community Board 9, which includes the neighborhoods of Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill and Ozone Park McClelland has been involved with local politics for much of his career following a stint in the Army. He first served as an intern for then-councilwoman Melinda Katz, joking that he was the oldest intern in City Council history at the age of 35.

He also served as chief of staff to State Senator Simcha Felder, Councilman Peter Koo and former councilman Anthony Como.

He most recently worked as an advisor to State Senator Marty Goldman of Brooklyn, as well as serving as a political consultant for various elected officials.

McClelland, who grew up in Richmond Hill, attended P.S. 62 and Richmond Hill High School, eventually marrying his high school sweetheart. The couple now

Brittany Lara has joined the team of Donnelly Mechanical as a field service helper.

“I look forward to working with the Donnelly team to gain valuable experience in the field,” said Brittany. “I am excited and honored to be the first female field employee of the company.

It gives me even more LARA motivation to succeed.”

Lara will be assisting the field technicians with all HVAC service repairs, installs and equip-

McClelland new DM at CB9

lives in Middle Village.

“I’m a Queens boy,” he said. “I live on a block where there’s a crematorium on the corner and a cemetery in my backyard, so I figured I’m not going anywhere.”

Before his political career, McClelland worked in construction project MCCLELLAND m a n a g e ment. He was working downtown during the 9/11 attacks.

Some of the issues that McClelland hopes to tackle in his new position include helping small businesses who are facing unfair fines, battling overdevelopment, and fighting the planned community jail in Kew Gardens.

“Hopefully I can bring my political knowledge and drive to serve the community board,” said McClelland.

Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140 Jackson Heights, N.Y. 11370-1131 Entire Contents Copyright 2019 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.

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February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

TECHNOLOGY

HOW SMALL CELL TECH WILL BENEFIT QUEENS

SMALL CELL TECHNOLOGY WILL TRANSFORM TRANSPORTATION Editor’s Note: This is Part Two of a three-part series on how small cell technology will benefit Queens. Part One (The Benefits of Small Cell Technology in Queens’ Education System) was published in the January issue, and can be read at thisisqueensborough.com.

Technology innovates our lives – no city knows this better than New York where our wireless devices are vital in our everyday lives. 5G networks are expected to enhance mobile connectivity by offering unbelievably fast speeds no other network has offered before.

Except, Queens will need small cell networks to provide these reliable connections. Typically installed on pre-existing

Borough on the Go • Almost 43 percent of Americans have used ride share applications such as Uber, Lyft, and Curb. Also, over 50 percent of Americans use GPS to navigate to their destinations.

• In 2017, Uber rides increased in St. Albans from 1,870 to 6,370, because ride share applications are helpful to people who live far away from subway stations. By December 2017, ride-share applications generated 65 percent more rides than taxi drivers in New York City.

• Depending on which apps they are using, the average driver is expected to use over two gigabytes of data per month while in their cars.

• The MTA’s mobile apps provide real-time resources for commuters to track their buses and subways, which is essential to individuals who use public transportation to get to their classes, or commute around the borough.

infrastructure, like light posts or telephone poles, small cell technology is wireless infrastructure that transfers data to and from our wireless devices. Small cells quickly provide reliable wireless connectivity that families and businesses need every day.

As a borough that is increasingly reliable on mobile applications to get to and from our destinations, we need improvements in our wireless infrastructure to get us from Point A to be Point B. Lagging connections makes for overall dissatisfaction, and we want commuters to travel throughout the borough without wireless hassles. Whether we are taking public transportation, or using our airports, mobile applications that provide the MTA’s schedule, ride sharing, GPS navigation or mobile boarding passes are drastically changing how travel.

Effective transportation is the linchpin of an efficient city. Fifty percent of Queens residents use public transportation and 31 percent drive their own vehicles, and the average commute to work takes almost 45 minutes.

As we depend on our devices more for our commutes, there is more of a demand for reliable connectivity. A more reliable network will provide a smoother, faster connection for commuters who are using mobile applications like Uber or Lyft, GPS, or accessing the MTA schedule on smart devices.

With the influx of travelers using LaGuardia and JFK, our airports need sufficient wireless connectivity to handle the capacity of mobile devices. The last inconvenience travelers need while in a new location is a bad network connection.

Small cells will support reliable connectivity and capacity abilities that our travelers deserve when

arriving to Queens.

Since people are consistently traveling to our borough, capitalizing on wireless infrastructure will improve transportation in Queens and enhance satisfaction when using mobile applications to get around the borough.

We want commuters, travelers, drivers and passengers to have a great experience in the borough,

so they will keep returning to our stores, restaurants and tourist attractions.

Our devices are essential to getting around the borough. Small cell infrastructure will increase reliable connectivity for mobile transportation applications and networks that can withstand the capacity of travelers coming to Queens’ airports.

Queens Takes Flight • In 2017, John F. Kennedy International Airport recorded 59 million passengers, while LaGuardia had a record of 26.7 million passengers in 2015.

• Almost every major airline provides mobile boarding passes, and it is expected that by the end of 2019, one-third of boarding passes will be provided through mobile airline applications. Juniper Research predicts that 1.5 million mobile boarding passes will be used while traveling in 2019.

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

POINT

QUEENS CAN’T AFFORD CONGESTION PRICING Just this month, Governor across the city have already seen Andrew Cuomo included conges- their property taxes, residential tion pricing in his proposed 2019- rents, and commercial rents rise 20 executive budget. The plan is with no end in sight. neither progressive nor compreAdvocates say that the congeshensive. tion pricing plan will generate The congestion nearly $1 billion, pricing plan that which will come is being proposed from the pockets in the executive of our hardworking budget delegates and already cashunilateral authorstrapped residents. ity to an unelectWe cannot coned bureaucratic tinue to allow the body, the Triborcosts of doing busiough Bridge and ness and the costs Tunnel Authority of living in our (TBTA), which is already expensive a subsidiary of the city to increase maligned MTA. when small busiAstonishingly, nesses and people the plan actually are struggling to sets no benchlive their daily marks for success, DAVID WEPRIN lives. such as reducing ASSEMBLY MEMBER In order to gencongestion, and erate new revenue, does not guarantee we should look to congestion will be reduced at all. tax those who are responsible for We need a better solution to reduce creating the congestion and procongestion, fund public transporta- pose taxes that mainly affect those tion, and reduce pollution. with disposable income.

The first problem with the conI currently have a bill in the gestion pricing plan is that the Assembly THAT would allow New TBTA, a politically insulated body, York City to enact an earnings tax is given wide authority to set not on nonresidents. Suburban comonly the tolls and their increases, muters come into our city and use but the boundaries of the conges- our services every day and don’t tion zone, as well for the purposes pay towards upkeep. of funding the MTA. They need to pay their fair share Elected officials representing the before we start looking to our own voice of the people will be power- residents. less to stop the MTA from picking Additionally, I’m in support of the pockets of daily commuters for increasing fees on for-hire vehicles. operating funds or to stop them App-based for-hire vehicles, such from expanding boundaries of the as those working for Uber and Lyft, congestion zone far beyond what have proliferated in recent years, was ever imagined. clogging our roads with cars that Secondly, the plan is complete- remain empty most of the time as ly focused on revenue generation they scavenge for passengers. rather than solving the issue it These services, which are responmeant to tackle: traffic. This alone sible for the congestion, must be should at the very least invite sus- made to pay. picion and perhaps be grounds for On the other hand, we also need the defeat of the plan. to explore taxing those who benefit Congestion pricing is not equi- most from the capital we put into table to outer-borough residents infrastructure development, and I or low-income residents. Residents am supportive of value capture,

8

which would tax building owners whose properties increase in value as a result of being near mass transit.

Value capture has worked in Hong Kong and Tokyo, both large cities that rely heavily on mass transit.

We can also look at smart solutions to fund our transportation system that will not burden the already struggling middle class at all.

I am supportive of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to regulate delivery hours. This proposal would ban deliveries between 7 and 10 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. in Midtown, along Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, and on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens.

By moving delivery times to offpeak hours, our city can free up precious road space during rush hour without charging our city resi-

dents a dime.

The legislature cannot grant the TBTA and the governor the ability to unilaterally raise tolls on New Yorkers. We have seen the regressive results of toll taxes for decades, and cannot afford another tax on the middle class.

There does not need to be just one solution to solve the congestion issue. I have proposed some solutions and I am sure there are more that we can propose that will keep out city moving without burdening our middle class.

Assemblyman David Weprin is the chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Correction and represents District 24 in Queens, which encompasses Richmond Hill, Jamaica Estates, Oakland Gardens and Glen Oaks.

COUNTERPOINT YES TO CONGESTION PRICING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

next decade.

After a generation of disinvestment in transit that led to the current crisis, the state government that runs the subway must find new revenue to pay for the MTA’s essential upgrade costs. Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed congestion pricing and it must get done this session, because New Yorkers cannot wait any longer for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Congestion pricing is just the beginning of a new era in accountable, modern public transit that reaches the whole city. A reliable transit system can open up economic opportunities and improve social inclusion for every community.

New revenue means better transit and more options. Additionally, following up on Governor Cuomo signing a new law creating a lockbox for MTA funding, we need to ensure there are proper reporting

mechanisms to keep a close eye on how and where the money is spent.

In addition to adopting congestion pricing to fix the subway, state leaders should lower LIRR tickets for city residents, include Far Rockaway in its Atlantic Ticket program while also expanding it to include Penn Station trips, reactivate the Rockaway Beach Rail Line, reduce express bus fares, and increase service to outer borough communities.

With congestion pricing now a part of budget negotiations in Albany, our governor and legislators should seize this generational opportunity to invest, not only in New York’s infrastructure, but in New Yorkers and all of our diverse communities.

Councilman Donovan Richards is the chair of the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety and represents District 31 in Queens, which encompasses Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens and Far Rockaway.

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

COUNTERPOINT

CONGESTION PRICING IS GOOD FOR QUEENS When people think subway, they the free East River crossings lead think Manhattan. When they think to bridge shopping, which causes gridlock, they think Manhattan. mass congestion on the 59th Street But that’s just wrong. bridge from everyone avoiding the People don’t Midtown Tunnel or often realize that the RFK bridge. our broken transit Tolling all crosssystem and bad ings at an affordtraffic conditions able rate would have at least as boost revenue and much impact on create more orgaQueens.

That’s nized traffic patwhy I’m proud, terns where drivers as an elected repuse the route that’s resentative from most convenient.

Queens, to support My constituents congestion pricing who commute to to fix public tranManhattan have sit. some of the lonEveryone knows gest trips to work our transit system in the city. We are is in crisis. Sub- DONOVAN RICHARDS among those most way delays tripled CITY COUNCIL MEMBER vulnerable to poor in five years. public transit serTrains reach the end of the line on vice. Residents I know take buses time barely 65 percent of the time. for miles to reach a subway station.

A recent analysis by the Riders Others get on the very end of the Alliance found that 92 percent of A train and wait an hour before morning rush hours in 2018 were reaching Manhattan - on a good marred by subway signal delays. day.

Meanwhile, local buses are spotUnfortunately, there’s not much ty and slow; our system is the chance of an easy commute these slowest among any big city in days. With commutes as long as the country. The Long Island Rail ours, delays pile up and hit us Road is expensive and infrequent. hard. Though Manhattan has more Express buses are expensive and subway stops, Queens riders lose slow. more from lousy service.

Yet more than four out of every That’s why fixing the subway five of my constituents who work is especially important to families in Manhattan take public transit. and communities in Queens, who What choice do we have? face long commutes and few transFor the few in Queens who do portation options. drive (or ride the express bus), trafFor us, fixing the subway is fic is terrible. The Partnership for not an option, it’s an imperative.

New York City estimates slow traf- New subway signals to replace fic costs our city $20 billion each the 1930s technology that keeps year in extra travel time and gas breaking down, new subway cars for families and higher expenses to replace the old ones with stuck and lost revenue for businesses. doors and broken systems, and People blame traffic on cabs, hundreds of new station elevators Ubers, trucks, construction work... to make the subway accessible for but however you look at it, some- people with disabilities will cost thing has to give. There are too tens of billions of dollars over the many vehicles on the road for them all to move smoothly, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

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UNIONS, BUSINESS GROUP RALLY FOR AMAZON

BY BENJAMIN FANG A coalition of labor unions, business groups and community organizations rallied at City Hall on January 30 in support of Amazon’s HQ2 deal.

Leading the way was Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council, who argued that the deal represents thousands of good-paying, union construction jobs, as well as union jobs for the service employees at 32BJ SEIU. “There is no reason for anyone in the City Council to oppose this,” he said.

LaBarbera said he’s close to both the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the Teamsters, and insisted they are not opposed to Amazon’s arrival.

“They want an opportunity to sit down with Amazon, I believe that Amazon recognizes where they are,” he said. “Amazon has shown good faith to the unions.”

The deal would bring at least 25,000 jobs to Queens, with an average salary of $150,000. The waterfront campus could be as large as 8 million square feet.

Alison Hirsch, political director for 32BJ, added that the union is keeping its eyes on the prize, which are good-paying jobs.

“Amazon is not stupid, they know that New York City is the strongest union town in the United States of America,” she said. “They’re going to come here and be part of the civic fabric of this community and take on all of the responsibilities that come with that.”

Other union supporters at that rally included unions representing

Building and Construction Trades Council President Gary LaBarbera voices his support for Amazon.

steamfitters, ironworkers and sheet metal workers.

Elizabeth Lusskin, president of the Long Island City Partnership, said HQ2 was the culmination of three decades of work to make the neighborhood a live-work-play space that companies want come to.

“Amazon chose Long Island City because they wanted to be in a great neighborhood,” she said, “but also because they wanted to help shape their future home in a way that’s good for everybody.”

Lusskin added that, in addition to their investment in computer science education and workforce development, Amazon designs their facilities to encourage employees to get out into the neighborhood.

She believes this will generate more

revenue for small businesses in the area.

Queens Chamber president and CEO Thomas Grech said Amazon coming to western Queens marks a shift of the tech scene from the West to the East Coast. He said the borough has become a “hotbed for further development.”

He added that he hopes the young people who work in those Amazon jobs will have their own startup firms and open them in the borough.

“They’ll do it right here in Queens County,” Grech said, “and that will spawn a whole bunch of other jobs and development as well.”

City and state officials have said the deal would generate $27 billion in tax revenue over 25 years.

At the City Council hearing, Economic Development Corporation president James Patchett said the $13.5 billion in taxes could be spent on programs like 3-K For All, almost ALISON HIRSCH OF 32BJ 300,000 units of affordable hous-

“AMAZON IS NOT STUPID, THEY KNOW

THAT NEW YORK CITY IS THE STRONGEST UNION TOWN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

10

”

ing, or pay for 5,600 new public school teachers.

“With this additional revenue, some of our boldest, most progressive ideals can become policies and our greatest needs are more likely to be met,” he said.

Amazon vice president of public policy Brian Huseman also announced new concessions to the community.

The company will hire public housing residents for their customer service department, and will begin taking applications next quarter.

The tech giant has also enrolled 130 New York City high schools in their “Amazon Future Engineer” program, which provides funding and instruction for computer science education. One in four Queens high schools are now enrolled.

Finally, Huseman said, Amazon is teaming up with CUNY and SUNY to launch a new certificate program for cloud computer, a growing field in the technology industry. LaGuardia Community College will introduce the program this fall.

“We are in favor of the positive economic impact this project will bring to this city,” he said.

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Dr. O’Dwyer was educated in the New York City public school system and graduated from the High School of Music and Art, now known as LaGuardia High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from The George Washington University and a Masters of Arts degree from Middlebury College in Madrid. He has Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University and a Masters degree in Law from The George Washington University. In July 2013 he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Dublin City University.

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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

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KATZ STRESSES UNITY IN STATE OF THE BORO

BY BENJAMIN FANG In the age of Donald Trump, Queens needs to not only be tough, but united in diversity, Borough President Melinda Katz said in her fifth annual State of the Borough address.

Speaking to a standing room-only audience last Friday at LaGuardia Community College, Katz touted the borough’s famous diversity, noting that Queens residents come from 190 countries and speak more than 200 languages.

Since 2010, the borough has welcomed more than 145,000 new immigrants, she said.

But as hate crimes continue to terrorize the nation, and the federal government pushes policies that harm immigrants, Katz said Queens is better because of its diversity and unity.

“We are thriving because we work to make room for everyone at the table,” she said. “It may not always be convenient, in fact it Borough President Melinda Katz delivers her annual State of the Borough speech in Long Island City. takes effort. And it requires Queens tough.

“Here in Queens, we’ve got to Katz, one of several candidates crowding. According to the bor“At our core, we value decency have each other’s backs,” she said. running for Queens district attorney, ough president, Queens schools are and have respect for basic human On the upcoming 2020 Census, spoke about crime and criminal jus- at 106 percent capacity, compared dignity,” Katz added. “Because the Katz said she fulfilled a pledge she tice reform. She reiterated her support to just 85 percent for Brooklyn and true measure of our borough, our made last year to create a “Queens for closing Rikers Island and over- Manhattan schools. society, is how we treat the most Complete County Committee.” hauling the city’s jails system.

While the borough ranks first in vulnerable among us.”

The bipartisan and diverse group But she also criticized the city’s overcrowding, it ranks last in fundThe borough president blasted now has more than 70 members plan to modernize community- ing, she said. the public charge proposal, chiding reaching out to their respective based jails for the “absence of com“If we’re serious about givit as “vicious and immoral.” She communities about the impor- munity input” and engagement. ing our kids better lives than we said it imposes on families tance of having an accu- She called on the city to start anew, dreamed of having for ourselves,” impossible choices like rate count. and urged officials to treat the com- she said, “we cannot afford to be legal residency or The borough munity as partners to reform. shortchanged.” “ food on the table, president also “I am deeply disturbed by the She devoted time in her speech to “We are thriving or health care verblasted the pro- lack of opportunity thereof for the address the growth of technology in because we work sus a home for the posed citizen- proposal to erect a 1.9 million- Long Island City, the need for more to make room for family. ship question square-foot facility on 82nd Ave- public transit in eastern Queens and everyone at the She noted that that is now being nue,” she said. “And that’s from a the new Vietnam Veterans Memotable...It requires 68,000 kids in decided in fed- supporter of closing Rikers.” rial at Elmhurst Park. Notably, she Queens tough.”

Queens lived in eral courts. She Reflecting on her stewardship did not mention Amazon’s HQ2 mixed-status housecalled it unneces- of the borough, Katz highlighted planned for the waterfront. holds. The public sary, discriminatory the $21 million spent on upgrading Concluding her hour-long charge proposal would and designed to “skew technology in every public school address, Katz said more work force them to go “either the count,” adding that she in Queens. needs to be done to have fairness, deeper into the shadows or deeper hopes the lawsuit against the quesShe also mentioned $46 million inclusion, equal opportunity and into poverty,” she said. tion wins. for improvements at 23 library shared prosperity. While the work Katz highlighted the “Know If the question does appear on branches, $105 million in parks will be tough, she pledged to help Your Rights” weeks and resource the survey, Katz pledged to abstain. upgrades and hundreds of afford- “fulfill the promise of Queens.” fairs she has hosted to provide “I will refuse to answer that able housing units coming online.

“Even when we fight, I always information and services to those question,” she said. “Sure, you can But Queens schools are also fight for you,” she said, “and I am in need. call it a boycott.” “feeling the squeeze” from over- always on your side.”

12

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

SEEN AT THE STATE OF THE BOROUGH

CB5 CHAIR VINCENT ARCURI, CHRISTIAN CASSAGNOL, CB5 DISTRICT MANAGER GARY GIORDANO & WALTER CLAYTON

TOM GRECH & COUNCILMAN DANIEL DROMM

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DENISE CERMANSKI & ANDY RODRIGUEZ

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COVER STORY

FLUSHING ENTREPRENEUR DABBLES IN FOOD WORLD

BY BENJAMIN FANG

for him, he said.

“I travel around the world, I eat Danny’s French Cuisine is the and I’m a whiskey ambassador,” newest fine-dining experience in Lye said. “But I wouldn’t do this Queens. full-time. I want to be comfortable Located at 13-46 127th Street in and I want to enjoy the food.”

College Point and formerly known He knew that switching the menu as Danny’s Steakhouse & Oyster from American to French would be Bar, owner Danny Lye was keen a gamble, but Lye said it’s a risk on changing the menu to classic he’s willing to take. When he first French cuisine. opened his restaurant in the neighLye’s passion for the culinary borhood five years ago, he was told world stems from his experiences by many that it would probably working as a barshut down within tender and chef. three months due And although Lye to its College owns several resPoint location. taurants, including “I made it If I opened this restaurant the luxurious Japabecause I believe in the city or in Flushnese omakase resquality and sining, it would’ve killed taurant Kakurega cerity is what me because the rent is Sushi in Flushing, people apprecithree to five times more. it’s all just a hobby ate,” he said.

In other restaurants, you for him.

“And over the may pay $100 for one He runs several years, people meal but only $20 to $30 other businesses, have thanked me is for the food, the rest including pointfor opening a resis for rent, utilities and of-sale company taurant in their labor. Here, you’re paying POS OneStop and neighborhood. for real food, not my rent.

Opala Payment “High-quality System, which food doesn’t have provides secure to mean expenpayment solutions. sive,” he added.

He has offices in “Our French cuiFlushing, Downtown Manhattan, sine includes meals for $15 or $25, Chicago and China. which isn’t bad. It’s the same cost Leaving his businesses behind as a place like Applebee’s.” and concentrating on running resIn College Point, Lye noted the taurants full-time wouldn’t be ideal rent was affordable, which allows

“

”

Danny Lye with Chef Segundo Guaman and Manager Karim Aallali. him to keep the meals on the menu affordable as well.

“If I opened this restaurant in the city or in Flushing, it would’ve killed me because the rent is three to five times more,” he said. “In other restaurants, you may pay $100 for one meal but only $20 to $30 is for the food, the rest is for rent, utilities and labor. Here, you’re paying for real food, not my rent.”

As a member of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, Lye has used his connections to organize several holiday dinners for the needy in the community.

On Christmas Eve, Lye provide

ESCARGOT WITH GARLIC & PARSLEY IN A BUTTER SAUCE AND CROSTINI

SEA SCALLOPS WITH A CREAMY RISOTTO

16

anywhere from 300 to 500 meals.

“One of things that is great about Danny is that he isn’t just thinking of himself as a business person, but more about community and how he can improve the community,” said chamber executive director John Choe. “For him, it’s not just about making money, it’s a social mission of educating people.”

As for his goals for the new French restaurant, Lye hopes to bring a world-class dining experience to the community.

“I don’t care how smart you are, how rich you are, how famous you CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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CHEF: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS PARAMOUNT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

are,” he said. “We would really like to educate the community in food.”

While changing the menu had been on Lye’s mind, the move seemed right when his chef retired at the same time new head chef, Segundo Guaman, became available.

Guaman was executive chef at eateries such as Le Gamin and has worked with many renowned French chefs, including Chef Jean Michel Diot at the three-star Michelin-rated Park Bistro, Chef Daniel Boulud of Café Boulud, Chef Philippe Bertineau at Payard Bistro and Chef Philippe Schmit at La Goulue Bistro.

The 40-year-old chef, a native of Ecuador, met Lye through Lye’s longtime manager, Karim Aallali.

“I don’t like too much sugar or too much salt, and this chef has a similar thought to mine,” Lye said.

“Our chicken is organic, our beef is all prime beef, the sea scallops are from the sea, not farm-raised.

“French cuisine, for us, is number one in the world,” he added. “The food is more complicated, more detailed and has more variety.”

With respect to the chef, Lye allowed Guaman free reign over

Diners try the new menu at Danny’s French Cuisine during an invite-only tasting event.

the menu. Guaman, along with two others, crafted each dish on the menu.

Danny’s French Cuisine offers comforting French onion soup, rich escargot, tender steak au poivre, creamy pan seared foie gras and a succulent roasted duck breast with

a butternut squash puree.

Guaman also creates the fresh desserts, which includes everything from a decadent chocolate lava cake to a smooth creme brulee.

“The experience of the customer is what’s most important to me,” Guaman said. “If the customer is

happy, then I feel like I’ve done a good job.”

Danny’s French Cuisine is located at 13-46 127th Street in College Point. To view the menu or make a reservation, visit dannysfrenchcuisine.com.

CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKE

PAN-SEARED FOIE GRAS WITH BRIOCHE

18

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

this is...

July 2018 . Volume 14 . Issue 7

MASPETH FEDERAL

BANKING IN ...AND ON...

COMMUNITIES

MARKETING THE EXPERIENCE AT QUEENS CENTER MALL “We’re really a community company that happens to do some banking.”

PRESIDENT & CEO THOMAS RUDZEWICK

5

PAGES OF COVERAGE OF THE QUEENS CHAMBER BUSINESS EXPO

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August 2018 . Volume 14 . Issue 8

SCRAP

METTLE

THE WOMAN BREAKING GENDER STEREOTYPES AT CITY SCRAP METAL IN LONG ISLAND CITY CHAMBER TAKES TO THE SEAS FOR ANNUAL NETWORKING EVENT

OWNER AND PRESIDENT MICHELE ROTHMAN

Profiling Queens’ Most Dynamic People.

They read it.... so should you!

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To subscribe to this monthly, glossy magazine, visit thisisqueensborough.com or call BQE Media at 718-426-7200. To place an ad, call BQE Media at 718-426-7200 19

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SHORTEST MONTH LONG ON EVENTS IN QUEENS Be happy for geography. In Finland, February is called “helmikuu,” which translates to “month of the pearl” because snow melts on tree branches then. In Queens, the 28-day period is characterized by great food, theater, dance, film, circus, world traditions, and even greenery. Here’s the ten best borough activities in the year’s shortest month.

10. Jan. 31-Feb 16, Queen. The Astoria Performing Arts Center presents this play about two female scientists who have spent seven years researching vanishing bee populations. Just as they’re about to publish a careerdefining paper, one finds an error that could damage their reputations, careers, and friendship. Shows are Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm and Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm. The Black Box at the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, 21-12 30th Rd. Astoria, bit.ly/2QZ1rgw.

9. Feb. 24, The Beauty of Ballet, 1 pm & 3 pm. How do ballerinas dance on their toes? How do they spin and turn without getting dizzy? The School of American Ballet answers these questions and performs moments from Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Swan

Lake. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, queenstheatre. org.

8. Feb. 24, Cirque Zuma Zuma, 3 pm. A Kenyan circus with such acts as hula hoops, human pyramids, Zulu dance, chair balancing, comedy, foot juggling, contortion, and tumbling. Queens College’s Colden Auditorium, 15349 Reeves Ave., Flushing, kupferbergcenter.org.

7. Feb. 8-Feb. 17, Cyrano.

Titan Theatre Company presents a 70-minute tour de force play with romance, sword fighting, and quick changes. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, titantheatrecompany.com.

6. Feb. 2-Feb. 9, Lunar Year Plant Sale. The Queens Botanical Garden offers auspicious greenery, everything from jades to peace lilies. 43-50 Main St., Flushing, queensbotanical.org.

5. Feb. 15, Victor Manuelle, 8 pm. Known as “El Sonero de la Juventud,” this Puerto Rican singer has been nominated for a Latin Grammy. He specializes in Romantic Salsa. Queens College’s Colden

LUNAR NEW YEAR PLANT SALE

Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing, kupferbergcenter.org.

4. Feb. 17, Chinese New Year Temple Bazaar, 11 am & 2 pm.

For centuries, the Chinese have celebrated Lunar New Year in temple fairs. Flushing Town Hall fests the moment with performances, art making, lantern making, and food to celebrate the Year of the Pig. 137-35 Northern Blvd., flushingtownhall.org.

3. Feb. 23, Charcuterie Masters, 6 pm. This annual FlushVIVA MOMIX

ing Town Hall feast features more than 60 varieties of charcuterie, such as ham, salami, paté, and sausage. 137-35 Northern Blvd., bit. ly/2RBuQCD. 2. Feb. 9, Viva Momix, Feb. 10. Queens Theatre hosts dancerillusionists and their surreal, wondrous, and massively creative choreography on Feb. 9 at 2 pm and 8 pm and Feb. 10 at 3 pm. 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, queenstheatre. org.

1. Feb. 1-Feb. 22 Black History Month Celebration. The Museum of the Moving Image presents screenings every Friday at 7:30 pm with the following schedule: Body Games: Capoeira and Ancestry, a documentary on a Brazilian Capoeira master’s search for the martial art’s African roots on Feb. 1; A conversation with actressturned-filmmaker Karyn Parsons and The Bessie Coleman Story, a short animated film about the first African American female aviator on Feb. 8; short films with social justice themes in the hybrid form of filmmaking called ScreenDance on Feb. 15; and the world premiere of And I Danced, a documentary about back-up hip-hop dancers followed by a celebrity panel discussion on Feb. 22. 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District, movingimage.us.

More info at itsinqueens.com.

20

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

QUEENSBOROUGH CALENDAR OF EVENTS FEBRUARY

2/20, 6 PM

Professionals and company representatives are invited to network with one another, learn about Energy Tech High School, and meet students that will comprise the future workforce.

Energy Tech High School 36-41 28th Street Long Island City, NY 11106

A fantastic opportunity to meet fellow business owners and Members of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Metro Lounge at Ibis Styles 100-33 Ditmars Boulevard East Elmhurst, NY 11369

NETWORKING FAIR

2/6, 10 AM

USING FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS

Learn how to use Instagram AND Facebook to grow your audience, promote your brand and convert followers into customers with Catherine Ventura of Venn Diagram.

FREE Register at queenschamber.org Business Center for New Americans 78-27 37th Ave., Ste. 1 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 2/7, 10 AM

BUSINESS RESOURCES MEETING

2/12, 8 AM

Learn about financing, as well as new city regulations that may affect your small business, including the new styrofoam ban.

FREE Register at queenschamber.org Ponce De Leon Federal Bank 3760 82nd Street, 2nd Floor Jackson Heights, NY, 11372

2/13, 8 AM

ANNUAL BREAKFAST WITH BOROUGH PRESIDENT MELINDA KATZ AND THE QUEENS BOROUGH BOARD

Hear about our thriving borough’s top economic priorities, initiatives and milestones. Take this opportunity to personally meet key administrators and members of the Borough President’s team as well as members of the 14 Community Boards of Queens.

Register at queenschamber.org Antun’s 96-43 Springfield Blvd.

Queens, Village, NY 11429

NETWORKING EVENT

2/27, 8:30 AM

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION

A quarterly event where members who joined in the previous quarter will attend a basic meet-and-greet and training seminar.

Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Blvd.

Jackson Heights, NY 11372

MARCH 3/5, 5 PM

FIRST-HAND BUSINESS RESOURCES

Learn about special assistance to nonprofit organizations, Small business owners, home and commercial buyers, as well as finance

fundamentals for your small business in Queens.

Register at queenschamber.org Investors Bank 103-42 Lefferts Boulevard Richmond Hill, NY 11419 3/13, 11:30 AM

2019 ST. PATRICK’S DAY LUNCHEON

Celebrate Celtic traditions in New York City with keynote speaker Brian O’Dwyer.

Register at queenschamber.org Antun’s 96-43 Springfield Blvd.

Queens, Village, NY 11429 3/19, ALL DAY

QUEENS DAY IN ALBANY

A meet-and-greet with the Queens Assembly and Senate delegation, tours of the Capitol and Chambers, and a cocktail reception/food sampling of the finest Queens’ food and drink purveyors.

Register at queenschamber.org State Street Downtown Albany

The Queens Chamber’s annual trip to Albany this year will take place on March 19.

For any registration or more information on these events or any other events please call us at 718.898.8500 or visit us on the web queenschamber.org

21

THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH

queenschamber.org

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES

FLUSHING CHAMBER OFFERS MARKETING SUPPORT

BY BENJAMIN FANG A new initiative spearheaded by the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce is offering free marketing help for small businesses in the neighborhood.

Last month, the chamber officially launched “Made in Flushing,” which will connect participating shops with Sixty First Productions, a Flushing-based company. They will provide website development, professional photos, video marketing, social media strategy and brand consulting The free program has opened up the application process and will accept up to eight businesses on a rolling basis.

According to John Choe, executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber, applicants have to be based in Flushing, employ 10 or fewer workers and cannot be a franchise.

“The underlying motivation is really to show the pride we have in these businesses,” he said.

The chamber and Sixty First Productions has already conducted a pilot program with three local businesses: New Asian Food, a South Asian vegetarian restaurant, Joe’s Steam Rice Roll, a popular Chinese-American spot, and Rim’s Fine Jewelry, a Korean-American jewelry shop and manufacturer.

22

“Some of these businesses are doing very well,” Choe said. “But we want to bump up and boost their prominence and promotions.”

Ikhwan Rim, the owner of Rim’s Fine Jewelry on Union Street, said the e-commerce part of his business requires high-quality photos. But he didn’t have much knowledge about professional photography until he participated in the program.

The team behind Sixty First Productions also set up the shop’s social media accounts, including an Instagram, to showcase his products.

“They train you how to do it and set it up too,” Rim said.

The third-generation jeweler added that small business owners are typically busy everyday, and don’t have time to think about social media. But his shop has already seen the effects of better online marketing.

“It did boost my sales,” he said.

Councilman Peter Koo, who owned a chain of pharmacies, said doing business is becoming more difficult in the technology age. He said small businesses are already saddled with many requirements, like the minimum wage increase and paid holidays.

Most traditional business owners see advertising as just newspapers or other types of print media, he added.

“We have to let owners know about the new way of doing business with social media,” Koo said.

Daniel Nalladurai, who along with partner Helena Kincaid-Nalladurai, run Sixty First Productions. He said his company will provide “focused, unique assistance” tailored to each business.

The goal is to then make it a “turnkey operation,” giving the participating businesses the tools and knowledge to continue the marketing themselves.

“We can set up social media accounts,” Kincaid-Nalladurai said. “But they need something to put on those accounts.

“You can create a website, but if the content on your website is not attractive or appealing or unified in a brand image, folks are not going to connect to it,” Kincaid-Nalladurai added.

The Sixty First Productions team plans to focus on one business per month. They will work closely with the business owners to “help them tell their story.”

“That’s what good marketing is at the end of the day,” Nalladurai said, “telling someone’s story.”

The program will run until June, according to Choe. The Greater Flushing Chamber has one CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

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.

There are free immigration services every Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 71-29 Roosevelt Avenue. All services are free, confidential and open to any member of the community. Some of the services include DACA, TPS and document replacement and renewal. Call (212) 652-2071 with any questions.

Recently, Queens Council on The Arts commissioned eight Queens-based artists to create temporary public artworks throughout Jackson Heights through their first ever, public art commissioning program, ArtSite (see page 27).

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.

BUSINESS CENTER FOR NEW AMERICANS (BCNA)

78-27 37 Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Business Development: Tshering Gurung 347.730.6468 tgurung@nycbcna.org QUICK GLANCE: Since 1997, BCNA has been serving New York City entrepreneurs.

BCNA is an approved Small Business Administration Intermediary Lender and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). BCNA’s Microloan program is the cornerstone of its services.

They provide small business loans and microloans to business owners who are not able to obtain loans from traditional lenders.

The Business Center for New Americans is hosting a social media workshop focused on using Facebook and Instagram in conjunction with the Queens Chamber this month. See page 21 for more information.

FOREST HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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. This month’s meeting will take place on January 27.

GATEWAY JFK

Executive Director: Scott Grimm-Lyon info@GatewayJFK.org GatewayJFK.org QUICK GLANCE: Formerly the Greater JFK Industrial BID and founded in 2016, the group seeks to provide support to the off-airport air cargo and services district through supplemental services and improvements, technical and professional services for its members, and advocacy and administration.

In December, GatewayJFK joined United Neighbors Civic Association and the Spring Jam Civic Association to host a tree-lighting event at

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QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES Burger King on Jamaica Boulevard. Over 60 people braced the cold for photos with Santa and a toy-collection to be donated to families residing in local homeless shelters.

In January, members of the Queens Community Board 13 Economic Development Committee took a tour of GatewayJFK. Topics discussed included beautification efforts and the new sanitation contract. In January, GatewayJFK partnered with engineering firm Philip Habib & Associates to being work on Phase 1 in the development of a comprehensive transportation plan. The plan will evaluate the ways in which businesses, employees and residents use local streets then will make recommendations on how to improve mobility, alleviate traffic congestion, improve safety, find solutions for truck circulation and overnight parking and develop more parking for employees and residents.

This month, the firm will conduct a survey to gain input from people who live, work and own businesses around the area.

GatewayJFK is seeking sponsors for banners on Rockaway Boulevard. Participating sponsors will have their logo displayed on the lower portion of the banners for one full-year. Sponsoring the banner will cost $1,000, but sponsoring three or more banners costs $750 per banner.

Sponsors have the chance to make 57,000-plus daily impressions if located in the southern section of the district, and 24,000-plus in the northern section. If interested, contact GatewayJFK at 516-730-3400 or scott@gatewayjfk.org.

GREATER FLUSHING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

39-01 Main Street, Suite 511, Flushing NY 11354 Executive Director: John Choe john@flushingchamber.nyc 646.783.8985 flushingchamber.nyc QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 2014 and representing over 200 businesses.

On Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Chamberorganized Greenmarket returns to Maple Playground at 136-50 Maple Avenue.

The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce invites anyone who is interested to march with them in the 2019 Lunar New Year Parade on Saturday, February 9, at 11 a.m. Chamber members will gather at historic St. George’s Church, 135-32 38th Avenue, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. to connect and stay warm with hot coffee, refreshments and performances featuring Queens Fencing Club and band EPIC 88 before heading to the parade site together.

GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 90-04 161st Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 President: Hope Knight 718.291.0282 gjdc.org

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QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1967, the group has 75 members.

GJDC’s work expands economic opportunity and improves quality of life for the ethnically and economically diverse residents of Jamaica and for the region at large, which benefits from rational, wellplanned, 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, the BID features six supermarkets. 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: Whitney Barrat 718.526.2422 jamaica.nyc @JamCenterBID (Twitter) @jamcenterbid (Instagram) @Jamaica Center BID (Facebook) QUICK GLANCE: Budget of over $1 million.

Founded in 1979, the Jamaica Center BID serves over 400 businesses on Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 169th Street.

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.

The BID’s sanitation team is out on Jamaica Avenue 360 days a year. The BID offers marketing and promotion for the district, including a value card program, banner and rubbish bin sponsorship opportunities, and supports business owners in opening or expanding their operations.

The BID is the proud recipient of a three-year, $300,000 Avenue NYC grant and is currently conducting a Commercial District Needs Assessment (CDNA), which will inform future programing.

JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

616 Duke Street, Westbury, NY 11590 Executive Director: Mercedes Altman 516.492.0513 jfkairportchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the group has over 200 members.

JFK Airport is the only airport in the country to have its own chamber of commerce wholly dedicated to the airport business community, which

employs 35,000 people. The airport handles more than 50 million passengers a year, using almost a half-million square feet of warehouse space to handle more than a million tons of air freight cargo a year.

Upcoming events include: • Wednesday, February 13, at 8:30 a.m. - The JFKCoC Directors General Monthly Meeting at JFK International Airport, Building 14 Conference Room A. Guests are welcome but must RSVP. Light breakfast will be served.

LONG ISLAND CITY PARTNERSHIP

President: Elizabeth Lusskin 718.786.5300 longislandcityqueens.com Founded in 1979, the Long Island City Partnership advocates 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 mixeduse community. The LIC Partnership operates the LIC Business Improvement District and the LIC Industrial Business Zone.

The Partnership is already planning its Annual Real Estate Breakfast. This year’s event will take place on April 4 and will be moderated by David Brause of Brause Realty.

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.

Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 12 p.m. - Maspeth Chamber of Commerce’s monthly meeting will take place at Connolly’s Corner at 71-15 Grand Avenue.

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: Roughly 600 businesses with 30 active members.

The Maspeth Industrial Business Association, a project of the Business Outreach Center Network, 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 govern-

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES ment 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 80th streets. Annual membership fee is $150, and they are looking to gain momentum through attracting new members. 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. One of the longest running BIDs is also one of the more innovative in its approach to helping maintain an active business corridor by helping landlords rent vacant properties. The website ridge-

wood-ny.com shows properties that are currently for rent in the district.

The BID has also been involved in a zoning initiative for Myrtle Avenue. Executive Director Ted Renz is working with, and has the approval of the community board, to preserve the integrity of the business feel of Myrtle Avenue by making it a special zoning district. City Planning is looking at the request now. The plan seeks to keep the look of the two- and three-story commercial infrastructure in tact.

From Thursday, February 14, to Monday, February 18, the BID will host the Valentine’s/ President’s Day Sidewalk Sale Days. Merchants in the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District will display merchandise in front of their businesses on Myrtle Avenue and adjacent side streets from Fresh Pond Road to Wyckoff Avenue.

QUEENS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

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.

Funded by Department of Small Business Services, they strive to create and retain jobs via programs that grow neighborhoods and assist small businesses. QEDC assists by providing one-on-one consultations, hosting workshops, operating training courses and networking events.

Upcoming events include: • Monday, February 4, 6 p.m. – New Idea to New Venture: Workshop helping participants develop their business ideas, organize their start-up process and create a strategy to launch their business in

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QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES addition to financing, business registration, and tax related issues. Borough Hall, Room G110, 120-55 Queens Blvd.

• Wednesday, February 27, 6:30 p.m.– I’ve Got a Food Product. Now What? The first of a six-part series. This debut workshop will focus on ‘Defining Your Brand Identity’ by covering the true definition of brand, the secret to creating an elevator pitch, the importance of a development statement and steps to creating a visual brand identity. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th Street.

• Thursday, February 28, 10 a.m. – Doing Business with the Government: Getting M/WBE Certified with NYC & NYS. A workshop on how to get certified as a minority/ woman business enterprise with the city and state including how to obtain government contracts and how to leverage certification to get more business. The Entrepreneur Space, 36-46 37th Street.

ROCKAWAY BUSINESS ALLIANCE

info@rockawaybusinessalliance.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $40,000 and a resource for over 200 businesses.

The Rockaway Business Alliance was founded in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. RBA’s vision is to create business corridors that are clean, safe, and welcoming, with shopping, dining, attractions, and engagement for the local community and the visitors drawn to Rockaway’s beaches and open spaces. RBA seeks to create and curate an inviting atmosphere for all to enjoy year round.

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 group has 30 members.

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 longstanding partnerships with city and state agencies.

RDRC is governed by a twelve-member board of directors and a five-member merchant advisory board.

RDRC’s current city and state collaborations include the Downtown Far Rockaway Storefront Improvement Program, The Downtown Far Rockaway Public Wi-Fi Project, The Rockaway East Workforce Development Program and most recently, the planned $288,000,000 Downtown Far Rockaway Redevelopment Project.

With over 250 businesses and 61,000 or 53 percent of the Rockaway’s entire population living within 2 miles of downtown Far Rockaway, one of RDRC’s goals is to reduce the over $91 million in market leakage to neighboring downtown shopping districts.

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To address this challenge, in 2014 RDRC rejuvenated the Rockaway East Merchants Association (REMA). Today with RDRC as its administrator, REMA membership now includes 40-plus local businesses with an active calendar of events

that includes an annual merchant’s fair, talent show, fashion event, holiday tree lighting and live concerts.

REMA membership meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month at 1 p.m. at RDRC, located at 1920 Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway.

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.

Board meetings are held seven times a year.

The BID’s vision is to make Steinway Street user friendly, while highlighting the local businesses on the street and bringing together the Astoria community in a positive way.

SUNNYSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PO Box 4399, Sunnyside, NY 11104 President: Patricia Dorfman 718.729.4688 www.sunnyside-chamber.org QUICK GLANCE: Annual budget 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.

SUNNYSIDE SHINES

45-56 43rd Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104 Executive Director: Jaime-Faye Beam 718.606.1800 director@sunnysideshines.org sunnysideshines.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $480,000 with more than 250 businesses under its umbrella.

The BID is still looking for sponsors for Sunnyside Street Banners along Queens Boulevard and Greenpoint Avenue. There are still a number of locations still available, call the office for more

info. Companies that are not located in Sunnyside are invited to participate as well. Sponsorships start at $350 and last for one year.

Upcoming events include: • February 19, 10 a.m. - NYC Compliance Workshop for Small Businesses. During the free workshop, you will be provided with information and customized guidance to ensure your storefront business is compliant to avoid common violations and fines. After the overview, there will be time for Questions & Answers with a representative from the NYC Department of Small Business Services. Sunnyside Library, 43-06 Greenpoint Ave. • March 7, 5:30 p.m. - Building Your Own Business Website with NYC Business Solution Center. According to Forbes, 97% of people turn to the internet to find the products and services that they need. If you’re not showing up online, you’re not an option for them to consider. You will learn proven techniques for reaching your ideal clients online and driving more traffic to your website in order to increase leads and sales. Sunnyside Library, 43-06 Greenpoint Ave. • March 21, 5:30 p.m. - Creating a Business Idea That Works with NYC Business Solution Center. The goal of this course is to provide you with the tools to analyze your customers, industry, and competitors. You will leave the course with an action plan that can determine if your idea is the right market opportunity. Sunnyside Library, 43-06 Greenpoint Ave.

MADE IN FLUSHING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 year left in its contract with the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), which is funding this effort.

“We’re seeing if there’s interest or demand for it,” he said. “If there’s a lot of demand for it, we want to continue doing it in the next fiscal year.”

Choe said it “took a lot of effort” just to get the three pilot businesses on board with the program. He said many small businesses are skeptical of programs that often promise help, but often don’t provide a service that helps their bottom line.

He wants Flushing businesses to know that social media and digital marketing are a necessity in today’s age, where Amazon is dominating local retail because of their online reach.

“It’s the future, if you’re not part of it you’re going to be left behind,” Choe said.

“If you want to survive, you have to find a way to use technology.”

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES

PARTNERSHIP BRINGS ART TO JACKSON HEIGHTS

BY AUSTIN HAVENS-BOWEN If you look around Jackson Heights, you will see more art than ever before.

The 82nd Street Partnership has partnered with Queens Council on The Arts for their first public art program, ArtSite. The program connects local artists with local businesses and organizations to develop culturally significant art installations.

“ArtSite has brought together talented artists and local business owners to gift the community with visual expressions of their multicultural journeys,” said Leslie Ramos, executive director of the 82nd Street Partnership.

A total of eight artists have been commissioned for various art installations in both Jackson Heights and Jamaica. Four of the artists, Yvonne Shortt, Chemin Hsiao, Jimmy Ferguson and Annabelle Popa have installations in Jackson Heights.

The winners were chosen out of 91 artists that applied by a panel of local art administrators and professionals that have a connection to the borough.

Considering Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the nation, ArtSite wanted to ensure that all of the installations reflected the diverse cultural stories specific to the neighborhood.

By partnering the artists with local businesses, both sides of the spectrum were able to collaborate in order to retell the external perceptions of the communities thriving in Jackson Heights.

“As a small kid walking around Jackson Heights, my brother and I would go play and pretend to see different creatures as we explored the many gardens around the neighborhood,” said Annabelle Popa, who was raised in Jackson Heights. “I wanted to take my fantastical view of the neighborhood and make something fun.”

Popa decided to paint a mural incorporating the different creatures that she imagined as a child, but with a significant twist.

“I incorporated creatures from the folklore of different cultures,” she said, while also considered the architecture of the surrounding buildings.

The finished piece is a 10-by-40-foot mural on the side of Image Heights Pharmacy on 37th Avenue titled “Guardians of Jackson Heights.”

Popa’s mural will be on display until the end of May, unless the landlord decides to keep it up longer.

A short walk down to Roosevelt Avenue, and a different work explores what connects all New Yorkers most: the daily train commute.

Filmmaker Jimmy Ferguson shot endless hours of commuters on the 7, E, M, F and R

Annabelle Popa works on her mural “Guardians of Jackson Heights.” trains that stop at the Jackson Heights subway station, resulting in his short-film “Between Neighbors.”

“This could be a way to get people to consider our interactions,” explained Ferguson, who was raised between Belgium and Connecticut but has lived in Jackson Heights for two years. “A lot of my shots are of people back-to-back on the train, with their heads barely apart, but they are looking in completely different directions.

“Most often it’s people who are completely different, but are trying to respect each other’s space,” he added.

The short-film is projected above the 7 train platform on top Pollos a la Brasa Mario at 81-01 Roosevelt Ave. Ferguson partnered with Rooftop Films to construct the box-installation that is climate-controlled and set to timers that play the 65 minute film on a loop daily from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. through the end of January.

Ferguson stood in the middle of crowded trains, at times forcing people to walk around him, during rush hour and pointed the camera directly at commuters.

“I think art shapes the mentality of the people, and it is a really important element in society as a whole,” he said. “It’s not about a museum, it’s about the public and putting it out so it starts to shift the mentality of the whole neighborhood.”

On the other side of Jackson Heights, you can find Yvonne Shortt’s ongoing installation “What We Carry” in Dunningham Triangle. A multi-

colored sculpture made from wood, aluminum and steel depicts a woman holding a bowl, but the closer you look, the more you will discover.

“It is to celebrate the many different ways people come to New York, specifically Queens, whether it’s by plane, water or land,” said Shortt, who was born in Jamaica and resides in Forest Hills. “No matter where we come from, people connect us.”

An ongoing element of Shortt’s installation is the flowers hung on the fence around Dunningham Circle. The artist collaborates with locals that she meets in the park by taking their drawings of flowers back to her studio and turning them into steel cut-outs.

She encourages anyone interested to reach out to collaborate on a flower. The sculpture will be on display through the end of June.

A quick walk down the street from Dunningham Circle, Chemin Hsiao’s mural “My Journey to the West III: Playground” can be seen at Zaytoun’s Restaurant at 40-13 82nd Street.

The artist painted a detailed mural of various animals, from a sloth to dancing pigs and turtles, captivating the diversity of the neighborhood through something everyone can relate to despite their culture: animals.

Hsiao used his own journey from his native Taiwan to Queens as his inspiration for the mural. The mural is the third of a series of large CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

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NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

MASPETH WELCOMES NEW C-TOWN ON 65TH DRIVE

BY BENJAMIN FANG Three months ago, Bay Ridge resident Chris Aziz was passing by 65th Place in Maspeth.

He was picking up his friend, but stopped to get a coffee while he waited. He walked into a supermarket that he said looked like a “disaster.”

But Aziz suddenly had an idea — he was going to open his own store at the site. The very next day, Aziz came back and made a deal.

Last Friday, after three months of renovations, including painting and installing new refrigerators, Aziz opened up a new C-Town at 52-65 65th Place, just down the street from O’Neill’s.

“It feels good, after a couple of months working hard, putting stuff together,” he said. “It was not easy at all. I just want to do the best for the neighborhood, something nice and clean.”

Aziz owns other businesses in Brooklyn, including a linen store. But he’s always wanted to open a supermarket that has quality products, serves the community and has good people to talk to.

Already on his first day, the store owner said the reactions from customers were positive.

“C-Town, I feel, is like a family store,” he said. “You find the things that the neighborhood needs.

“They’re not like other supermarkets that just copy the supermarket anywhere they go,” Aziz added. “They see what the neighborhood needs and they put the right stuff in.”

Aziz said he hopes the supermarket will be a convenient option for residents, and that it will be a successful store.

“Sometimes it’s not about the money,” he said. “It’s about you doing something and you know that you did it.”

CHRIS AZIZ

SNAPOLOGY ENCOURAGES LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

BY JEN KHEDAROO While looking for activity programs for their own children, Natalie and Jean Laraque found that there weren’t many available that offered a balance between playtime and education. So to create that balance, the couple decided to open up Snapology in Forest Hills.

Snapology offers interactive and hands-on learning activities through which kids learn to build anything from roller coasters, helicopters and truck to pirate ships and drones.

“We know the importance of exposing children to opportunities that will help them succeed in college and the modern workforce,” Natalie said. “Research has shown that children who are exposed to STEM at a young age have greater academic success than those who are introduced later in life.

“While the children are having fun with familiar toys, laptops and iPads, we sneak in the learning,” she added. “Shh, don’t tell them it’s educational!”

The company is mobile, which allows them to operate in libraries, play spaces, schools, churches and private residences.

“We intentionally created an inclusive mobile company so that we can bridge the gap in access to STEM education in communities that need resources most,” Jean said. “It has been an amazing experience to engage in work that is community centered, supports teachers and increases the access all students have to STEM enrichment no matter their zip code or academic needs.”

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Natalie and Jean Laraque of the Forest Hills-based Snapology.

After about ten minutes of instruction, each project is led by the children. They work in pairs, and at the end of the course parents are invited to see all of the projects in a setting

similar to a science fair.

For more information, visit foresthill.snapology.com

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2

NEW MEMBERS CORPORATE

A. Giannopoulos Architects Edge Auto, Inc. JGM Construction Development, LLC Marriott New York LaGuardia INTRODUCTORY

Bolton St. John’s Creative Touch Doppler Innovations Extreme Kids & Crew Jeri Lim Larry Associates, Inc. Metropolitan Airport News PrimeMed Pharmacy The Nourish Spot, Inc. STUDENTS & YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Rivkin Radler, LLP Statement required by the Act of August 12, 1970, section 3685. Title 39, United States Code, showing the ownership, management and circulation of Queensborough magazine, published 12 times per year, and owned by the Chamber of Commerce of the Borough of Queens, 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140, Jackson Heights, New York 11370. Statement filed September 1, 2018. Publisher: Chamber of Commerce of the Borough of Queens Editor: Thomas Grech Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities, none. Extent & nature of circulation: Avg. each issue, Actual single issue, Preceding 13 mos., (Nearest to filing date). Total number of copies 3,110 (3,009). Paid and/or requested circulation: Dealer, carrier sales 579 (607), Mail subscriptions, 1,937 (2,002), Total 2,516 (2,609). Free Distribution By mail 0 (400), By other means 198 (200), Total 198 (200). Total distribution 2,714 (2,809), Office Use, leftover, spoiled 396 ( 2 0 0 ) , Return from news agents 0 (0), Total 3,110 (3,009), Percent paid 92.70 (92.88).

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Thomas J. Grech, Editor

A. Giannopoulos Architects

23-24 Steinway Street Astoria, NY 11105 ag-architecture.net Anastasios Giannopoulos Architects was founded fourteen years ago working with a diverse expertise in the design of buildings and community development to create social and economic impact. We are renowned for our commitment to design excellence, innovation and sustainability. Our open-minded philosophy and collaboration with our clients allows us to effectively address a broad range of issues in our work from initial concepts, to next-generation fabrication and delivery techniques. Our integrated practice brings together architecture, interiors, exteriors and urban planning to create innovative solutions. Our collaborations range from small scale interventions, new construction, community buildings and adaptive reuse.

Edge Auto, Inc.

460 Kingsland Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222 edgeautorental.com As a major player behind the scenes, Edge provides the vehicles to get crew and equipment transported reliably for any type of production.

JGM Construction Development, LLC

16 W. 36th Street, Suite 601 New York, NY 10018 jgmconstructiondevelopment.com JGM is a premier general contractor/construction management company that understands the critical aspects of our projects for our clients. This allows us to ensure continuity of the construction process, and to assure the quality and timely completion of our work with our pre-qualified sub-contractors. We specialize in preconstruction, cost control, project management, and keeping an eye towards the quality of our work in every scope and size.

Marriott New York LaGuardia

102-05 Ditmars Boulevard East Elmhurst, NY 11369 marriott.com At Marriott, we never stop searching for inventive ways to serve our customers, provide opportunities for our associates, and grow our business. The company that began as a nineseat A&W root beer stand is recognized today as a top employer and for its superior business operations, which it conducts based on five core values: put people first, pursue excellence, embrace change, act with integrity, and serve our world.

ARTSITE IN JACKSON HEIGHTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

works that the artist completes every couple of years incorporating the changes in his life.

“When I think of Jackson Heights, I think of the diversity of the people who live here,” said Hsiao. “All of these different animals whether you’re a sea creature or a land animal, just like whether you’re a child or teenager, all play around here.

“There’s kind of an unspoken rule that we can all live here peacefully,” he added.

Hsiao’s mural will be on display through the end of May, although like Popa’s work the landlord could choose to keep it up longer.

Although this is the first year for the ArtSite project, all of the participating artists are hopeful that it will become an annual tradition to bring more art to the borough they call home.

“I am thrilled to begin seeing the work of these talented artists emerge throughout the neighborhood,” said Hoong Yee Krakauer, executive director of Queens Council on the Arts. “We are proud to be working with our local partners in bringing more public art to the people of Jackson Heights.”

“WHAT WE CARRY”BY YVONNE SHORTT

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EXECUTIVE COMMMITEE

CHAIRPERSON’S ADVISORY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Thomas Santucci

Richard Dzwlewicz

Thomas J. Grech

Brendan Leavy

Howard Graf

Fran Biderman-Gross

Joanne M. Persad

Jacqueline Donado

Chairperson

Associate Treasurer

Vice Chairperson

Associate Secretary

Treasurer

Immediate Past Chair

Patrick Yu Nash Roe

Mayra DiRico

President & CEO

Chief of Operations

Alejandra Espejo Financial Controller

Secretary

Business Development Manager Strategic Program Coordinator

Jef Gross

Committee Development & Member Engagement Manager

William Blake Dominick Ciampa Joseph Farber Louis D. Laurino

Joseph M. Mattone, Sr John E. Roe, Sr. George Rozansky Gerard Thornton

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.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Fran Biderman-Gross Joshua E. Bienstock Michael Billia Susan Browning Kenneth J. Buettner Charles E. Callahan KY Chow

Carol Conslato Sal Crifasi Mayra DiRico Richard Dzwlewicz Thomas Eagar Joseph R. Ficalora Tamara Gavrielof

Howard Graf Raymond Irrera Peter Klein Kenneth Koenig Henry Kuykendall Neil Levin Jeffery E. Levine

Carl Mattone Patricia Mezeul Michael Moran Jeffrey Owens Nayan Parikh Albert F. Pennisi Vincent L. Petraro Esq

Adam Reece-Cohen Nash Roe Jeffrey Rosenstock Juan Santiago Thomas Santucci Mark Scheinberg Caryn Schwab

Sher Sparano Michelle Stoddart Terri Thomson Henry Wan Swain Weiner Patrick Yu Daniel Zausner

CORPORATE MEMBERS A & L Cesspool Services Corp.

AAA Northeast AARP ADP Major Accounts Ackman-Ziff Adria Hotel and Conference Center Aflac Airlogix AKI Development Alcott HR Alma Bank American Lions, LLC Amna Construction Corp.

AmTrust Title Andromeda Antun’s of Queens Village Apple Bank for Savings Ashnu International, Inc. Atco Properties Accounts Payable Aurora Contractors, Inc. Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Bank of America Merrill Lynch Bank of Hope BankUnited, N.A Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy & Fenchel Bethpage Federal Credit Union Borchert & LaSpina, P.C. Boyce Technologies Inc. Bridgehampton National Bank Broadway Stages Cactus Holdings Inc. Capital One Bank CareConnect Insurance Company, Inc. Cathay Bank CDS-Mestel Construction Center for Automotive Education & Training Cerini and Associates, LLP. Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Charney Construction & Development Ciampa Organization CityMD Complete Orthopedic Services, Inc. Conference Associates, Inc. Cord Meyer Development, LLC Cornell NYC Tech Corporate Development Systems, Inc. Court 16 Courtyard by Marriott CPEX Real Estate Crescent Properties, Inc. Crown Castle Curaleaf Cushman & Wakefield Daniels, Norelli, Scully & Cecere P.C. DGC Capital Contracting Corp.

Douglas Elliman Real Estate DY Realty Services, LLC E Central Medical Management East Coast Energy Group ELE Sleep Disorder Center Elite Palace Emigrant Mortgage Company EMU Health Services ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP Enterprise Fleet Management Enterprise Holdings Exit Realty New York Metro Fabiani Cohen & Hall, LLP Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) Fantasy Forest Amusement Park Farrell Fritz Financial Resources Group Investment Services, LLC First American International Bank Flushing Bank Forest Hills Financial Group Inc. GF55 Partners

Goodwill Industries of New York & New Jersey, Inc. Grand Rehabilitation & Nursing at Queens Grassi & Co. Greater NY Automobiles Dealers Association Greenberg Traurig Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center (GMDC) Greiner-Maltz Company of NY Gum Studios HAKS Hampton Inn by Hilton JFK Airport Hanover Community Bank Healthy Corner Pharmacy Inc. Heart Vein NYC – Dr. Back Kim HF Management Services HighTower Advisors HiLine Construction HK Capital Holiday Inn LaGuardia Airport Home2Suites Long Island City/Manhattan View HSBC Bank Hyatt Place Flushing Hyatt Place Long Island City/NYC INDA, Association of Nonwoven Fabric Industry Innovative Lending Platform Association Innovo Property Group International Asbestos Removal Inc. James F. Capalino & Assoc.

Jaros, Baum & Bolles JetBlue Airways Corporation Jetro/ Restaurant Depot JFA Insurance Brokerage & Associates Inc. JRT Realty Group Inc.

COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS Joshua Bienstock NYIT bienlaw@aol.com

ENERGY

Marshall Haimson E-Capital Development marshall@e-capitaldevelopment.com James Sheuchenko PM Advisors js@pmadvisors.co

HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS

Susan Browning Long Island Jewish Forest Hills sbrowning1@northwell.edu Evangeline Rosado-Tripp Queens County Medical Society ertripp@queensmedicalsociety.org

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HOSPITALITY

REAL ESTATE

Jim Quent Statewide Public Affairs jquent@statewidepublicaffairs.com Michael Zayas Real Hospitality Group michael.zayas@rhgcorp.com

Martin Cottingham Avison Young martin.cottingham@avisonyoung.com Michael Wang G8 Real Estate / Flushing Chamber mwang121@gmail.com

MANUFACTURING

TECHNOLOGY

Geoffrey Smith NY Grant Company Geoffrey@nygrants.com Thomas Powell Boyce Technologies tpowell@boycetechnologies.com

Bobby Giurintano TGI Office Automation bgiurintano@tgioa.com Eugene Erichsen Connect Me Voice Eugene@connectmevoice.com

NONPROFIT

TRANSPORTATION

Larry Grubler Transitional Services of NY lgrubler@tsiny.org Maria Odysseus Investors Bank modysseus@myinvestorsbank.com

Kris Amato TD Bank Kristin.amato@td.com Tammy Petsios VHB tpetsios@vhb.com

Justworks Kasirer Consulting Kimco Realty Corporation LaSalle Solutions Lee & Associates Lessing’s Food Service Management Levine Builders LimeBike Lockman Inc. Luna Park in Coney Island Lyons Mortgage Services, Inc. M & T Bank M & V Provision Company Madison Realty Capital Main Street Radiology Mazars USA, LLP McBride Consulting & Business Media Press MedPlex Mega Contracting Group, LLC MetroPlus Health Plan Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade Mikkeller Brewing NYC Molloy College Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens Mr. T Carting Corp.

MTA Long Island Rail Road Muss Development Company New York + Atlantic Railway New York Building Congress New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott New York Oil Heating Association New York Racing Assn. Inc. New York Safety and Training New York Times Next Wave Safety North Shore-LIJ Health System Northfield Bank OneGroup OTJ Architects Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates Petro Home Services Plastic Surgery of New York Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl & Associates, Inc. Premier Payroll Solutions Prime Storage Progressive Waste Solutions/IESI NY Corp.

QSIDE Federal Credit Union Quadlogic Controls Corporation Queens Center Mall Queens Public Communications Corp.

Queensborough Community College Quontic Bank Radisson Hotel JFK Register Abstract Co. Inc.

Related Retail Corporation Royal Waste Russo’s On The Bay Sabre Real Estate Group Samuel Goldstein & Co., PC Santander Seagis Property Group, LP Shiftpixy Signature Bank Silvercup Studios Simon Baron Development Skyline Risk Management, Inc. SL Green Realty Corp.

Solomon Agency Corp.

St. Francis Preparatory School St. John’s University Staples Sterling Risk Structural Engineering Technologies, P.C. SUNation Solar Systems Sutton Alliance Teachers Federal Credit Union TGI Office Automation Thales USA Inc. The ALLCOT Group, LLC The Durst Organization The First National Bank of Long Island The Heskel Group The Parc Hotel The Sweet Construction Group Treasure Island Storage Triangle Equities TSC Training Academy, LLC Ultrasound Solutions Corp.

United Airlines United Nations Federal Credit Union United Public Adjusters & Appraisers, Inc. USTA National Tennis Center, Inc. Valley National Bank Vanguard Insurance Agency Venture House Vic Kessler Signs, LTD Villa Russo Vornado Realty Trust Waste Management of New York, LLC WATCH GUARD 24/7, LLC Welby, Brady & Greenblatt, LLP Wells Fargo WeWork Windstream Enterprise York College - CUNY Zara Realty

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.

February 2019 • Volume 15 • Issue 2 MAJOR CORPORATE MEMBERS

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