May 19, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
LOCAL
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Queens pols work to save supermarket
Lawmakers turn up heat on landlord of 40-year-old Key Food that may soon close
BY MAX PARROTT
Astoria elected officials, labor
activists, grocery store employees
and community leaders
rallied on Friday, May 10, to save
the Astoria Key Food supermarket
from being pushed out of the
neighborhood after over 40 years
of business.
The building’s landlord Jenel
Management recently filed demolition
permits for the 22-15
31st St. property in order to
build a three-story Target at the
site. Speakers at the rally, led
by state Senator Jessica Ramos,
pressured Jenel to work with
Key Food on a lease that would
allow it to stay at the property
with the big-box store, retaining
the unions jobs that the store
provides.
“Target is not only trying to
open one but two stores in my
district, attempting to essentially
whitewash and do away without
mom-and-pop shops, including
a Key Food supermarket that
our neighborhood has depended
on for decades,” said Ramos.
Ramos argued her case on the
terms that Target’s two forthcoming
developments in the borough,
on the Astoria property as
well as in Elmhurst, hurt local
businesses and eliminate union
jobs. She added that Key Foods,
has worked with local stores in
the area.
State Senator Michael Gianaris,
who took the podium after
Ramos, said that the grocer was
uniquely situated to cater to the
neighborhood’s senior population
who won’t be able to walk to
other surrounding stores without
it.
“We understand your greed,
but you need to also think about
the community you hope to join,”
said Gianaris. “If you want us to
shop at your Target, you better
hope there is a Key Food in this
building as well.”
Upcoming
gun violence
town hall
BY BILL PARRY
Calling the gun violence epidemic
both a public health and safety
issue, Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz announced she
will co-host a town hall meeting
with Public Advocate Jumaane
Williams and several community
based organizations that are
on the front lines in the battle
against guns.
The meeting will take place
at Borough Hall in Kew Gardens
on Thursday, May 30, at 6 p.m.,
just two days before the start of
Gun Violence Awareness Month
in June. City agencies and law
enforcement will be on hand to
discuss how to disarm violence
in communities that continue to
torment youth and families with
devastating consequences.
“We cannot cure the epidemic
of gun violence through policing
and locking up those who
run afoul of the law,” Katz said.
“If we’re serious about ridding
our society of the scourge of gun
violence everywhere, we must deconstruct
NEW PITCH IN COLLEGE POINT
Councilmember Paul Vallone stands beside New York GAA Chairman Laurence McGrath and Deputy Consul
General of Ireland in New York Seán Ó hAodha on Saturday afternoon to cut the ribbon on the new Shannon Gaels
Athletic Field at Frank Golden Park. Photos courtesy of Councilman Vallone’s office.
Continued on Page 14 Continued on Page 12
Thief steals doors and
vents from cemetery
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Police have released a photo of a suspect that
they believe stolen thousands of dollars’ worth of
doors and air vents from a Jewish cemetery
Bumpy Bayside streets are ‘warzone’
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Residents are criticizing
the poor street conditions
in Bayside, as cars traveling
down local streets run
into potholes, large cracks
and uneven roads.
Some like Danielle
Chase, blame the ongoing
sewer and water
main replacement for the
pothole hell plaguing t
he neighborhood.
“Most of the poor street
conditions are due to the
never-ending construction
going on. 38th Avenue
from the service road to
217th Street is a warzone,”
Chase told QNS.
The Department of Design
and Construction
(DDC) broke ground on the
$62.5 million project
A portion of 38th Avenue in Bayside.
Continued on Page 12 Continued on Page 14
Photo by Jenna Bagcal/QNS
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