Schumer: We Must Stay Vigilant After Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Raid
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) yesterday lauded President Trump’s announcement that U.S. special forces carried a raid in Northwestern Syria, resulting in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but said the U.S. must remain vigilant.
“The death of al-Baghdadi is great victory for the safety of our country and the safety of our allies and partners abroad. All Americans especially salute the special operations forces who executed this mission, the intelligence community whose work helped make this mission possible, and our foreign allies and partners, particularly the Syrian Kurds.
“Despite this great victory, we must not confuse the death of this evil man with the total defeat of ISIS. There are still potentially hundreds of ISIS prisoners and sympathizers who have escaped in recent weeks. We still need a plan for how we will deal with the escaped prisoners and ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.
“New Yorkers know all too well the destruction a small group of terrorists thousands of miles overseas can cause from so far away. I look forward to receiving a briefing about this raid and the plan to deal with the escaped ISIS prisoners,” said Schumer.
Vallone Unveils “Joe Femenia Way” in College Point
City Council Member Paul A. Vallone (D-Alley Pond Park, Bay Terrace, Bayside, College Point, Douglaston, East Elmhurst, Flushing, Fresh Meadows, Little Neck, Whitestone) on Saturday joined the Femenia family and area leaders to unveil the new “Joe Femenia Way” in College Point.
Joe Femenia was a beloved civic president and activist in the neighborhood who passed away in January 2019.
The southeast corner of 130th Street and 23rd Avenue was named for Femenia.
Constantinides Honors Birthsite Of Modern Photocopying
Council Member Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria, parts of Woodside, East Elmhurst,Jackson Heights) this weekend co-named the historic corner of 37th Street and Broadway as “Chester Carlson Way” in honor of the legendary Xerox co-founder who innovated modern photocopying in Astoria.
“The technology revolution started right here in Queens, when Chester Carlson made the first modern photocopy right here in Astoria,” said Constantinides. “Astoria may have changed in the 81 years since it was Xeroxed into history, but today we paid permanent tribute to the transformation that started right here in western Queens.”
Despite Xerox’s deeper ties to Rochester, N.Y., and California’s Silicon Valley, the innovative “xerography” technology was first developed at a since-demolished corner house at 37th Street and Broadway. It was here that Carlson in the late 1930s first developed the process of dry photocopying, which for the first didn’t rely on liquid chemicals to make a duplicate.
The physicist rented a room from his mother-in-law at 32-05 37th Street, which he turned into a makeshift laboratory. On October 22, 1938, Carlson successfully photocopied the words “10.-22.-38 ASTORIA” using his new technology.
Carlson’s innovative process eventually led to the game-changing Xerox 914, which in 1959 became the first commercial photocopier. Carlson, who died in 1968, didn’t remain in Astoria, but perhaps the world’s most famous photocopy has immortalized his stamp on the neighborhood.
Addabbo, Pheffer Amato Paper Shredding Event Rescheduled
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth, parts of South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside, The Rockaways) and Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato rescheduled their free paper shredding event in the Rockaways – slated for this past weekend – for November due to this weekend’s rain.
“With the great success of the recycling event I recently co-hosted at Forest Park — especially the paper shredding aspect — I wanted to give my constituents another chance to come and have their personal documents shredded safely and securely,” Addabbo said. “It is important to know that your documents, or your clients documents, with sensitive personal information like social security numbers and account numbers have been properly shredded and recycled.”
“I am so excited to bring this event to Rockaway. Finding a place to dispose of personal and confidential documents is very challenging,” said Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Beach).
The event is now slated for 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 10 at the St. Camillus parking lot, 99-15 Rockaway Beach Boulevard (residents are asked to enter on Beach 99th Street) in Rockaway.
Katz, Boro Board To Hear JFK Redevelopment Update
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and the Queens Borough Board today will hear a presentation from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey concerning the first in a series of initiatives to benefit the local communities around John F. Kennedy International Airport as part of the airport’s $13 billion redevelopment program.
The initiatives were developed by the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council, co-chaired by Katz and U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks. They cover three of the Council’s main areas of focus: creating jobs in construction and airport operations for local residents in Southeast Queens, creating business opportunities for local businesses in Queens, and developing job training programs and educational opportunities for the community.
The initiatives include:
- A job recruiting program to match job seekers in the local community with jobs in construction and airport operations
- A second chance employment initiative targeted on providing jobs to formerly incarcerated individuals and others with past involvement in the criminal justice system
- A new science and technology education program for 300 local students in grades 1-12 in Queens to encourage them to seek out jobs in aviation
- A two-part initiative focused on providing concession opportunities to local retailers and restaurants
The presentation is slated for 5:30 p.m., today. Oct. 28 at Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens.
Meng To Hold State of the District Town Hall
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Bayside, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park) will something akin to a state of the district town hall next Saturday.
The event, to be held in conjunction with One Queens Indivisible
“I am excited to hold this upcoming town hall meeting and I encourage my constituents to attend,” said Meng. “I look forward to talking about my work in Congress and discussing the issues that concern the residents of the sixth congressional district.”
The town hall is slated for 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2 at Queens College in the auditorium of the Benjamin Rosenthal Library building, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard in Flushing. Those planning to attend must RSVP to https://meng.house.gov/rsvp. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. It is suggested that individuals enter at gate 3 – for closer access to parking – which is located at Reeves Avenue and 153rd Street.
