Author: admin

Fueling LGBTQ+ business growth: 2023 Queens LGBTQ+ Business Convening coming to La Guardia Community College May 31

May 25, 2023 By Czarinna Andres The 2023 Queens LGBTQ+ Business Convening is set to bring together over 600 business professionals and entrepreneurs from across New York City at LaGuardia Community College on Wednesday, May 31.  The highly anticipated event, now in its third year, aims to provide diverse workforce development opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs…. Read more »

Sunnyside Shines hosting its first ever ‘Get Fit Sunnyside’ event

May 18, 2023 By Czarinna Andres The Sunnyside Shines BID is hosting it’s first ever ‘Get Fit Sunnyside’, a two-week long event that will be running from Thursday, May 18, to Saturday, June 3. This event is designed to promote the gyms, pharmacies, fitness classes and personal trainers of Sunnyside and encourage community members to… Read more »

“Why are you refusing to resign?” Controversial Queens Assemblymember accused of sexual assault lampooned at Community Board meeting

May 5, 2023 By Christian Murray If he thought it was business as usual—he was very much mistaken. Controversial Assemblymember Juan Ardila, who was accused earlier this year by two women of sexual assault, addressed Community Board 2 via Zoom Thursday night. He initially began by discussing his “victories” in Albany and the work he… Read more »

Persona non grata: Scandal-scarred Queens Assemblymember blasted for social media posts following uninvited appearance at community event

April 26, 2023 By Christian Murray Juan Ardila, the Queens assemblymember who has been accused by two women of sexual assault and refused to step down from office, has come under fire for posting photos of himself at a community event without the permission of the attendees and the organizers. Ardila attended an Earth Day gardening… Read more »

‘He preys on vulnerable women’: Queens Assemblyman Ardila accused of sexual assault, issues apology

March 14, 2023 By Christian Murray Freshman Assemblyman Juan Ardila, who represents western Queens, faced political fallout Tuesday after being accused of sexual assault by two women—allegations that the lawmaker did not refute when asked for comment. Ardila, who first took office in January after winning a vacant 37th District assembly seat last year, allegedly… Read more »

Big Crowds and Big Names Turned out for St. Pats For All Parade Sunday

March 6, 2023 By Kathleen Warnock On the first Sunday in March, the start of St. Patrick’s season, a poet and a rocker were the Grand Marshals of St. Pat’s for All, the inclusive parade through Sunnyside and Woodside, Queens. Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon and musician Caít O’Riordan grandly marshaled the gathering, begun in 2000, which… Read more »

John Vogt, chairman of Sunnyside BID and longtime Queens champion, passes away

Feb. 20, 2023 By Christian Murray John Vogt, chairman of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (Sunnyside Shines BID) and long-time neighborhood champion, died last week. He was 66. Vogt, who was born and raised in Jackson Heights, played a significant role in promoting Sunnyside as a business and restaurant destination for several decades. For… Read more »

Op-Ed: This Year’s State Budget Must Prioritize Climate, Jobs, and Justice for New York

Op-Ed, Jan. 30, By Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas In a time of rampant economic inequality and environmental injustice, it is easy to feel defeated.  Here in Queens and across New York State, however, communities are organizing for a better future. New Yorkers from different backgrounds and with different lived experiences are proving that we can build… Read more »