September 3, 2010 | Posted by Sunnyside Post 
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Another Pawn Shop comes to Sunnyside
September 3, 2010 | Posted by Sunnyside Post 
George Burles, a frequent contributor to the Sunnyside Post, took a photo of a new pawn shop that is about to open on Greenpoint Ave. between 46th and 47th Streets (on the northern side). According to a local resident, the store owner put the signage up yesterday.
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Residents to bar owners: “Shut it Down”
September 2, 2010 | Posted by Sunnyside Post A group of 50 concerned residents joined political leaders at a rally outside Casa Romana today and shouted: “Shut it down.”
The group–led by Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and Community Board 2 Chair Joseph Conley–called for the closure of the Sunnyside bar following last Friday night’s brawl, which resulted in two minors being stabbed and a total of 14 arrests.
The participants at the rally, which was located at the bar at 39-20 Queens Blvd., were particularly concerned that 12 of the 14 individuals who were arrested were minors–after the “Teen Night” event hosted by the establishment went awry. The bar owners were also arrested – related to serving alcohol to minors.
At the rally, Community Board 2 Chair Conley said: “Today we are calling for Casa Romana to be closed and padlocked,” adding that “Places like this, promoting ‘teen nights’ are a haven for trouble – Casa Romana must be shutdown before a life is lost.”
Casa Romana has been cited 10 times for various infractions in the past, including “disorderly premises”, where the bar loses control of its patrons.
With these incidents, “it is time that we crack down on violence and underage drinking at this and other establishments,” Nolan said.
The owners of Casa Romana were not on the premises when the 2:30 pm rally took place.
Van Bramer said after the event that there is a strong chance that they will be able to close the bar. He said that they are working with the state liquor authority and police to make sure this happens. “There is an increasing body of support for this.”
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Rally to Shut down Casa Romana
September 1, 2010 | Posted by Sunnyside Post Sunnyside’s leading representatives are holding a rally at Casa Romana Bar this Thursday demanding its closure.
The bar, located at 39-20 Queens Blvd, was the site of a bloody brawl this past weekend, which resulted in the stabbings of two minors and 14 arrests, according to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer’s office. The location has a history of violations and has been cited for serving alcohol to minors in the past.
In light of the latest brawl Councilman Van Bramer, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and Community Board 2 chairman Joseph Conley are holding a rally calling for Casa Romana to close. They will also be calling for increased inspections of clubs and bars to prevent and deter acts of violence like what was seen at Casa Romana.
The rally will take place on Thursday, September 2 at 2:30 pm on the corner of 39th Place and Queens Blvd.
All concerned residents are urged to participate.
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From Blackout comes idea for green oasis
August 31, 2010 | Posted by Sunnyside Post NYDAILY NEWS
A DEVASTATING blackout that hit western Queens could be the spark to energize a green oasis under a proposal to build a unique community garden.
Astoria-based Cidadao Global wants to build a garden on property that also would double as a community center for recent immigrants. It would be funded by a chunk of a $7.9 million initiative that came out of a settlement with Con Edison after the 2006 power outage.
“There’s nothing like it in Queens,” said Ramona Ortega, founder of the nonprofit group – one of many submitting proposals to get a piece of the settlement for “greening” projects.
“It would be a garden space where many organizations can share the immigrant experience,” she said of the project, which she estimates would cost $500,000 during the next three to four years.
Cidadao Global, which serves mostly Brazilian immigrants, will submit its proposal to the Greening Western Queens Fund next month. That fund will be used for projects to benefit Long Island City, Woodside, Sunnyside and Astoria, which were affected by the 2006 blackout.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” said Ortega, 35, who wants to create a garden run with the cooperation of different immigrant groups in the neighborhood.
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Stabbing and slashing at Casa Romana
August 30, 2010 | Posted by Sunnyside Post One person was stabbed and four others were slashed during the Friday night brawl at Casa Romana, police said.
The owners and operators of Casa Romana–located at 39-20 Queens Blvd–have both been charged with selling alcohol to minors. Enid Nieves, 49, was arrested for “criminal nuisance 2″ , for selling alcohol to minors that resulted in one stabbing and four slashings. However, no one died during Friday night’s chaos.
Wilfred Nieves, 25, was also arrested on the same charges, police said.
At this point, the Sunnyside Post is still trying to ascertain whether arrests have been made as a result of the stabbing and slashings themselves. The police press office did not have this information at hand.
Many nearby business owners — who operate between 39th and 40th on Queens Blvd — were victims of Friday night’s fight as well. Some had their windows smashed when the big brawl spilled out onto the street.
“Our [front]window was shattered in this latest incident Friday night and one of our customers…received minor injuries from the glass and was very shaken up,” said Corinne Padavano, who co-owns Sunnyside Tattoo.
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