Meng Meets with Middle Village Family of Murdered Food Delivery Worker
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) yesterday met with the family of 45-year-old Zhiwen Yan, the food delivery worker from Middle Village who was shot and killed Saturday night while on his scooter in Forest Hills.
According to media reports Yan worked at a Queens Chinese restaurant called ‘The Great Wall’ and was making deliveries on his scooter Saturday, when after finishing a delivery in Forest Hills around 9:30 p.m. he was shot in the chest and killed.
“This is a terrible and horrific tragedy and my heart aches for the victim’s loved ones,” said Meng. “This delivery worker was working hard, trying to earn a living to support his family when he was senselessly shot and killed. The incident underscores the need to combat gun violence throughout our city, and am confident that the perpetrator will be apprehended. The person responsible must face justice. My office will remain in touch with the 112th Precinct, and I will continue to be there for the family to provide any assistance they need.”
CM Eric Dinowitz, AM Jeffrey Dinowitz Meet with City Agencies to Address Mobile Car Washes On Webster Avenue
City Council Member Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx) and Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz (D-Bronx) visited Webster Avenue with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), and the 47th Precinct of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to see firsthand the escalating situation of increased presence of Mobile Car Washes on the avenue.
The Council Member and the Assemblyman discussed how this multi-agency issue can best be remedied after it has raised significant concerns from the local communities surrounding the area. Bronx Community Board 12 District Manager George Torres attended the walkthrough as well.
Concerns attributed to this situation include an increase of trash and illegal dumping from the shops. Additionally, many of these car wash operators open fire hydrants and leave water running. Since then, it has been found that several of these hydrants are now empty. In the warmer months, which are fast approaching, practices such as this breeds mosquitoes and poses dangers to the community.
“The mobile car washes we see on Webster Avenue are certainly a display of entrepreneurship, and are an important source of income for the operators,” said Council Member Dinowitz. “The expansion of them has raised concerns for some neighbors, and poses questions about car washes as a regulated industry. I believe we made great strides in addressing some of the concerns during our walkthrough, and gained a greater sense of the roles each agency plays in regulating operations, as well as the side effects of the car washes, such as trash accumulation and excessive use of water. We are now counting on our agencies to take action and mitigate the problems while allowing operators to conduct business.”
“We have a vibrant city, full of entrepreneurial spirit and I wholeheartedly support our ambitious neighbors who take the initiative to start their own businesses. However, we live in a city with eight and a half million people in it and in a metropolitan region with nearly twenty million people,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “It is necessary to have rules about how and where businesses can operate safely and in a way that is respectful of neighbors and nearby businesses. We need the City to step up and address the proliferation of unregulated, mobile car washes along Webster Avenue.”
Williams Statement in Observance of Eid Al-Fitr
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined the city’s Muslim community in celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
“Eid Mubarak to all New Yorkers celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Across our city, members of the Muslim community break the fast this evening. I was honored to be able to share in several observances over the last month, including by hosting our inaugural Iftar as an office, and I have been invigorated by the spirit of compassion and community that I know will extend beyond today’s celebrations,” said Williams.
“As New York’s recovery continues – and as we continue to confront new variants and waves of the virus – Eid al-Fitr is a reminder of our obligation to serve and support one another in this shared struggle, through shared strength. The messages of Ramadan extend beyond the month itself, regardless of personal creed, and the principles of cooperation, charity, self-reformation, and community service guide our lives and our leaders.
“I hope that Ramadan has been a powerful time for all who practice Islam, and I pray that peace, blessings, and light are granted to all on this holy day and beyond.”
