Category: Politics

Van Bramer Gets it Done

New York 1 News reported that with 100% of the vote counted, Jimmy Van Bramer has generated 46% of the vote and is the Democratic nominee for District 26, which covers Woodside, Sunnyside and Long Island City. Deidre Feerick, the other leading candidate,…

A Dedicated Man

Passengers on the No.7 train were startled Tuesday evening by this deep voice. Most riders, who had just finished work, thought “Oh, no, a loud, aggressive panhandler….”  Instead, it was this tall, thin, 20-something man with black-framed glasses and thick sideburns.…

Sunnyside/Woodside Council Race: Down to the Wire

Jimmy Van Bramer’s and Deidre Feerick’s volunteers were out in force this morning, as they bombarded residents with campaign literature on the streets near the voting booths. Both candidates had reason to be so determined, since it’s clear that either candidate could win the seat by a mere vote or two. …

NY Times Endorses Van Bramer, Opposes Queens Machine

District 26, Queens (Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Maspeth): Two candidates dominate the contest to fill the seat being vacated by Eric Gioia. Deirdre Feerick’s energetic community service is overshadowed by her excessive loyalty to the Queens Democratic machine. James Van Bramer has done good work for the borough’s enviable library system and has the independence and energy the Council needs.…

Bloomberg Opens Sunnyside Campaign Office

Mike Bloomberg has set up a campaign office on Greenpoint Ave. (btw 45th and 46th) in the heart of Sunnyside. Just two weeks ago, this site was a cheesy, clothing store, called “10 Express” (I think). Mike, obviously, was very quick to move in!!…

Who is Deirdre Feerick?

I have started to see posters endorsing Deirdre Feerick as the best Democrat candidate for the District 26 New York City council seat. This seat is being vacated by Eric Gioia who is seeking higher office as New York’s public advocate.…

Sunnyside Local Seeks Borough President Job

Marc Leavitt, a Sunnyside local, has lofty plans to wrest the Queens Borough Council presidency away from Helen Marshall (D) this year. Leavitt (D), an attorney who has just set up his campaign office in Woodside, has to collect about 15,000 signatures before he can get on the ballot and force Marshall into a Sept.…

Jimmy Van Bramer Leads Visible Campaign

Political signs calling on voters to elect Jimmy Van Bramer as Sunnyside/Woodside’s city council member  have been popping up in windows throughout the neighborhood recently. Van Bramer and three other Democrats will do battle in the Democratic primary this September as they vie for the seat that is being vacated by Eric Gioia,…

One Mile of Queens Blvd is Renamed

Twenty blocks along Queens Boulevard that run through Sunnyside and Woodside have been renamed after the late Congressman Thomas J. Manton Boulevard. Local officials have renamed the blocks between 38th Street through 58th Street for Manton. Manton represented parts of Queens in Congress from 1986 to 1998 and served as head of the Queens  Democratic Organization from 1986 through to his death in 2006.…

Gioia to Set Fast Food Boundaries

Councilman Eric Gioia (Sunnyside) announced last week a proposal to ban fast food restaurants within 0.1 miles, or about 500 feet, of schools.  The move is yet another indication of his disire to be New York City public advocate. A study released by the University of California and Columbia University,…