FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 24, 2020 • 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW • THE QUEENS COURIER 9
2020 year in review
Here are out top photos of the year
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
It has been a messy and tragic
2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic,
we’ve seen a glimmer of
hope and resiliency, as frontline
workers and communities came
together to help others during
this unprecedented time in our
history.
As we say goodbye to 2020,
QNS is taking a month-bymonth
look at a year we will
never forget, with photos ranging
from scenes of the pandemic
to protests throughout the borough
and everything in between.
January: A celebration
at Neir’s Tavern
Photo by Dean Moses
Mayor Bill de Blasio raises a glass
with Neir’s Tavern owner Loycent
Gordon on Jan. 10. The mayor stopped
by the historic 190-year-old pub in
Woodhaven and announced a deal
keeping it in business. Neir’s, located
at 87-48 78th St., was nearly forced to
close its doors to unaff ordable rents
and insuffi cient sales, according to
Gordon. The “handshake” agreement
was made possible by the Queens
Chamber of Commerce, along with
de Blasio, Councilman Robert Holden
and Assemblyman Mike Miller.
February: Coronavirus
fears emerge in Flushing
Photo by Dean Moses
A Flushing resident on Main Street
wears a face mask to protect himself
from the novel coronavirus that has
caused panic and fear in the community.
The virus, which originated
in Wuhan, China, led to cancellations
of the festive Chinese Lunar
New Year celebrations. Following the
coronavirus outbreak, many businesses
and restaurants in Chinatown,
Flushing and Sunset Park suff ered.
Despite there being no known cases
in the city, restaurants and shops
in Flushing experienced a 40 percent
decline in business, according
to Peter Tu, of the Flushing Chinese
Business Association.
March: St. Pat’s for All
Parade held in Woodside
Photo by Dean Moses
Before the COVID-19 spread in the
second half of the month, a massive
crowd celebrated St. Patrick’s Day
early on March 2 in Woodside. The
annual St. Pat’s for All Parade, which
touts “inclusiveness” for all, brought
out several city leaders, including
Mayor Bill de Blasio, Senator Charles
Schumer, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez and Carolyn Maloney, among
others on the city, state and federal
levels.
April: A ‘thank you’ to
healthcare workers
When COVID-19 hit Queens, hospitals
across the borough were overfl
owing with patients. In appreciation
of their tireless eff orts to save
lives, Jamaica Hospital staff workers
received a sweet treat from a local
restaurant. At the forefront of the
pandemic, healthcare workers were
referred to as heroes, as community
organizations and volunteers
thanked them through deliveries of
meal donations, cards and letters.
May: Black Lives
Matter protests
Photo by Angélica Acevedo
Following the death of George Floyd
at the hands of Minneapolis police
offi cers, nearly a thousand Queens
protestors gathered at Diversity
Plaza in Jackson Heights and took
to the streets protesting “Black
Lives Matter,” calling for an end to
injustice. The protest was organized
by the People’s Power Assemblies.
Queens had joined the nation in a
wave of protests after video footage
surfaced of Police Offi cer Derek
Chauvin allegedly kneeling on Floyd’s
neck for several minutes, killing him.
June: Blue Lives
Matter demonstrations
counter Black
Lives Matter protests
Photo by Dean Moses
While people all over the world were
protesting against police brutality
demanding both justice and police
defunding, hundreds of demonstrators
in Middle Village led a march
in support of the NYPD. The crowd
had gathered in the Juniper Valley
Park’s basketball court located on
80th Street and Juniper Boulevard
North chanting “Blue Lives Matter.”
The exhibition commenced with a
fl eet of motorcyclists leading those
on foot to Juniper Valley Park in the
twilight.
July: Hitting the beach
Photo by Dean Moses
It wasn’t a typical summer season
at Rockaway Beach, as city beaches
were not open to swimmers on
Memorial Day Weekend. However,
the best part of summer wasn’t canceled
amid the COVID-19 pandemic,
as beaches began to open on July
1, welcoming crowds for swimming
and sunbathing, at a social distance,
of course.
August: The loss
of a legend
Former Queens Borough President
Claire Shulman, a true “trailblazer”
for the borough, died on Aug. 16,
after battling lung cancer and pancreatic
cancer. Shulman was the
fi rst woman to be elected as Queens
borough president, a position she
held for 16 years from 1986 until
2002. During her tenure, dozens of
neighborhoods were rezoned, generating
development which led to
the economic revitalization of downtown
Jamaica, Flushing and Long
Island City. Shulman had also secured
35,000 additional school seats and
the completion of Queens Hospital
Center, the largest healthcare provider
in the borough.
September: Teachers
rally for help
Photo by William Artuso
Teachers held a rally outside of
Bayside’s Benjamin Cardozo High
School on Sept. 17 calling on the DOE
to address their staffi ng needs before
the start of the school year, which was
set for Sept. 21 after it was delayed
from Sept. 10. They were joined by
Senator John Liu and Councilman
Barry Grodenchik. While staffi ng was
one of their worries, the teachers
said they were also concerned about
students without tech at home, the
Wi-Fi capability at the school and
having to share a room with fellow
teachers during live instructions due
to classroom ventilation.
October: A ‘spooktacular’
Halloween
Photo by Dean Moses
The Vanbrunt family dressed to
impress as horror movie all-stars at
the socially distanced Halloween celebration
for children at the Queens
County Farm Museum’s trick-or-treating
event on Oct. 31. Parents and
their children were transformed into
monsters, superheroes and even fi rst
responders. In addition to collecting
candy, visitors enjoyed exploring
a spooky corn maze, hayrides on
large tractors, feasting on roasted
corn shish kabobs, and taking selfi es
in a fl ower garden housing animalshaped
plants and walls overgrown
with vivid fl owers.
November: Thanksgiving
donations
Photo by Dean Moses
Throughout the pandemic, there
were long lines at food pantries
throughout Queens, as residents
lined up to pick up a bag of groceries.
For the Thanksgiving holiday, La
Jornada Food Pantry and the Food
Bank of NYC donated 4,000 turkeys
to Corona residents. Dozens of volunteers
handed out bananas, chips,
milk and other materials for daily use
and special treats for Thanksgiving.
The pantry has been working tirelessly
to help feed food insecure
families suff ering during the COVID-
19 pandemic.
December: A new
borough president
Photo by Mark Hallum
Former Councilman Donovan
Richards became the fi rst Black man
to serve as Queens borough president.
Richards was sworn in on Dec.
2 after the results of the November
general election for the Queens borough
president race were certifi ed by
the New York City Board of Elections.
Richards beat out Republican challenger
Joann Ariola in the election,
receiving 518,840 votes to Ariola’s
205,893 votes. The former southeast
Queens councilman takes over the
offi ce from Sharon Lee, who served
as acting borough president since
January 2020, when former Borough
President Melinda Katz was sworn in
as Queens district attorney.
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