10 JANUARY 5, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM 2016 Year in Review SEPTEMBER Incumbent assemblywoman upset in Democratic primary Aft er failing to show up at several community meetings against the proposed homeless shelter at the Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth, the community was not behind then-Assemblywoman Margaret Markey when they went to the polls. Instead they backed newcomer Brian Barnwell who was at the daily protests outside the hotel and fought the shelter proposal since it was announced. Barnwell went on to win the Assembly District 30 election against Tony Nunziato. Honoring the victims of 9/11 at Queens memorial events The Courier and Ridgewood Times honored the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center on the 15th anniversary of the day of infamy. Neighborhoods across Queens held memorial events throughout the week to remember all those that were lost on that fateful day. The papers ran a “Lost List” of the names of those people from Queens who perished that day. Fighting to stay home in Ridgewood The residents of 1819 Cornelia St. got a surprise when their landlord died, leaving no benefi ciary to take over control of the building. According to state law, the building was to go to public auction. With the number of landlords using unscrupulous — and oft en times illegal — tactics to force long-term rent-regulated residents out of their homes, the residents joined together to try to purchase the building, unsuccessfully. They would not stop there, as they would go on to form a coalition and start raising awareness of gentrifi cation in Ridgewood. Maspeth brings the fi ght against shelter to Brooklyn The Maspeth shelter war raged on through September, as opponents took their fi ght on the road, protesting in front of Human Resources Administration (HRA) Commissioner Steven Banks’ home on Windsor Terrace in Brooklyn on Sept. 15. The protesters were not done there; they again took to the road and held a protest in front of the home of Harshad Patel, owner of the Holiday Inn Express at the center of the shelter controversy.
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