De Blasio’s open streets program to start up on Monday
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s open streets program for socially distant outdoor spaces will begin opening up on Monday, he announced at his daily press conference today.
“The open streets are going to be another way to help encourage social distancing because the warmer weather tells us we’re going to have a new challenge,” de Blasio said.
The city tried this program out on a smaller scale during March, but it was found that pedestrians weren’t using it enough to warrant all of the police presence it required to ensure social distancing was happening.
De Blasio announced recently that the city would be trying the program again, this time with 40 miles of blocked-off roads for people to take walks or jogs in. Eventually, it will be expanded to 100 miles.
“That’s the beginning and we’re going to build out from here,” de Blasio said. “This is going to help people to have some more space but also with vigilant eyes to make sure there’s no gatherings, there are no attempts by people to create sports or group activities.”
People utilizing the open streets will have to wear face masks and stay at least six feet from other pedestrians on the block, unless they’re with their family.
Starting on Monday, 2.7 miles of streets adjacent to parks will open, including Williamsbridge Oval, Prospect Park, Court Square, Stapleton Waterfront Park, Carl Schurz Park, Lt. William Tighe Triangle and Highbridge Park.
There will also be 4.5 miles inside parks open for this program, including in Fort Tryon Park, Callahan-Kelly Park, Flushing Meadows, Grant Park, Forest Hill Park and Silver Lake Park.
Read more about this in these articles: CNBC, Eyewitness News
NYPD breaks up another large funeral, takes one participant into custody
The New York Police Department yesterday had to break up yet another mass gathering from a Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish funeral.
The funeral service was being held along 15th Avenue and 43rd Street in Borough Park, and one participant was actually taken into custody by the NYPD for pushing an officer.
This teenager was then given a summons for disorderly conduct. No arrests were made, but 11 summons were issued yesterday at two synagogues in WIlliamsburg, three of which were given for failing to cooperate with social distancing mandates.
These incidents come just two days after police had to break up another large Jewish funeral, which prompted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to order the NYPD to issue summons to anyone caught violating social distancing orders, even if it is for religious purposes.
Read more about this in this article: New York 1
Brooklyn man steals over $12,000 in stimulus checks and credit cards from the the mail
A Brooklyn man was found to be stealing peoples’ stimulus checks right out of the mail that add up to over $12,000, along with mailed credit cards.
Two New York Police Department officers caught Feng Chen, 31, red-handed as he was going from building to building and rummaging through the mail boxes, with envelopes sticking out of his pockets in Sunset Park on Tuesday.
The officers had been sitting in an unmarked car on the street when they noticed him, but didn’t quite realize what was happening until Chen dropped one of the envelopes and one of the agents — who happens to be a former financial services representative — recognized it as the kind that held credit cards.
Chen went to two residential buildings and a closed medical office before the officers confronted him. They then found that he had an open warrant for identity theft.
Stimulus checks, like the ones Chen stole, are being sent out by the government to provide financial aid to those whose livelihoods have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
“For many families, these stimulus checks are a lifeline in these difficult times and anyone who tries to cut that lifeline will face the full weight of the law,” U. S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement. “This Office will vigorously prosecute all those who seek to take advantage of the public health crisis.”
Read more about this in this article: Patch
Half of all Queens restaurants might not make it through the pandemic
Queens Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Grech said Wednesday that around half of all of the borough’s restaurants may not survive the coronavirus pandemic.
The grim prediction came out during a panel discussion Grech held with the City Council. He believes that without intervention, half of Queens’ restaurants won’t make it through.
“If we dither over semantics, we won’t have much of an economy left over,” Grech said.
Queens has around 6,000 restaurants, and retail stores and restaurants make up around 19% of the borough’s economy.
Read more about this in this article: Queens Daily Eagle
