18 THE QUEENS COURIER • YEAR IN REVIEW • DECEMBER 30, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
year in review
Queens’ top stories from July 2021
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
As 2021 comes to an end, QNS has
compiled a list of the biggest stories,
events and people of Queens that
grabbed our attention this year.
Here’s a look back at the top stories
for the month of July.
Queens Night Market
reopens to the public
The Queens Night Market at Flushing
Meadows Corona Park opened in July
with free and open entry to the public.
In June, the open-air market returned
for its sixth season at reduced capacity
for its fi rst three weekends and required
that patrons purchase tickets in advance
or at the door. Th e event pledged 20% of
net ticket proceeds to initiatives promoting
racial equity and to COVID-19 relief
and recovery eff orts. In three weeks, the
pledge yielded nearly $10,000.
On its opening night, Queens Borough
President Donovan Richards issued a
proclamation declaring June 19 “Queens
Night Market Day.” Over the fi rst fi ve
seasons, the market welcomed over 1
million visitors, helped launch over 300
new businesses in New York and represented
over 90 countries through its
diverse vendors and their food.
Maspeth High School
principal investigated for
grade fraud scandal
Th e city’s Department of Education
(DOE) in July removed Maspeth High
School’s principal aft er substantiating
venue, developed in partnership with
Oak View Group (OVG), the New
York Islanders and Sterling Project
Development (SPD), is also a worldclass
claims of his involvement in a grade
fraud scandal.
Principal Khurshid Abdul-
Mutakabbir was accused of changing
incomplete grades to passing
grades and awarding undeserved
credits to students. Following the
DOE’s investigation, Mutakabbir
was served with disciplinary charges
and removed from payroll while
the department pursued his termination
pursuant to state law.
Councilman Robert Holden, who
had brought the scandal to light
two years ago, criticized the DOE
for moving slowly on investigations.
“It has taken far too long, because
neither the administration nor the
DOE was in any hurry to investigate.
I brought this disgrace to
the attention of the chancellor and
mayor directly and there was no
action taken,” Holden said.
Off -duty police offi cer
arrested in Queens over
parking spot dispute
An off -duty NYPD offi cer was
arrested over a parking dispute in
Queens, according to authorities.
According to police, Aaron Cooper
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
got into a dispute with another man over a
parking spot. Cooper then allegedly started
to insult the victim, causing the victim
to be alarmed, before pulling out a small
black fi rearm from his front pocket.
Cooper then allegedly held the gun to
his side and walked back to his car. Th e
victim, fearing for his safety, then notifi
ed the police.
Cooper was taken into custody and
charged with criminal possession of a
weapon, menacing, criminal mischief and
harassment.
Cops arrest suspect for
brazen kidnapping attempt
in Richmond Hill
A quick-thinking mom rescued her
5-year-old son from an attempted kidnapping
in Richmond Hill when a driver
jumped out of the car and sprinted toward
the sidewalk, where he grabbed the boy
and threw him into the car.
Th e young boy’s mother, with the help of
her two children, pulled the boy through
the open front passenger window.
Police had identifi ed the suspect as
24-year-old James McGonagle who was
arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping,
reckless endangerment and acting
in a manner injurious to a child less than 17.
Two teens arrested
for beating
man in Middle
Village: NYPD
Two teenage boys
were arrested on gang
assault charges for violently
beating a 44-yearold
man at Juniper Valley
Park in July.
The 14-year-old
and 15-year-old were
charged aft er their parents
brought them to the
104th Precinct station in
Ridgewood.
While the man was
out walking his dog,
he saw a group of kids
lighting fi reworks and
confronted the group
over the noise, which
led to a violent beating.
According to police,
the man was able to get
away and only had cuts
and bruises.
Following the incident,
Councilman Robert
Construction of new UBS Arena
in Elmont is in its fi nal stretch
Th e newly constructed $1.1 billion
UBS Arena, located at Belmont Park
in Elmont, was nearing completion in
July in time for the Islanders’ 2021-2022
NHL season.
The 19,000-seat, state-of-the-art
Holden had demanded
immediate action from
the NYPD and Parks
Department.
home for the more than 150 concerts
and festivals the arena plans to host
every year.
Th e arena’s design is inspired by iconic
New York landmarks, including Central
Park, Ebbets Field, Grand Central
Terminal, Park Avenue Armory and the
Prospect Park Boathouse. Th ere are two
outdoor terraces open to all guests, eight
bars with a full view of the action on the
ice, and more restrooms per person than
any area in Metro New York.
A view of USB arena and the music stage.
Photo courtesy of NYPD
Police arrested two teens for allegedly beating up a man at Juniper
Valley Park last weekend.
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