4 JULY 29, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Mural by Queens-based artist to be unveiled early August
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
A 2,000-square-foot abstract mural
of the New York City skyline
will be unveiled in early August
at the Rego Center shopping plaza in
Rego Park.
The mural was created by Queensbased
artist Rob Anderson, who emphasizes
community involvement in
his art. His interactive paintings have
been featured in New York City, Los
Angeles and San Francisco.
The Rego Center mural will be seen
on the center’s south building at the
corner of Queens Boulevard and 63rd
Road. Anderson will be leaving space
in the accessible areas for members of
the community to contribute.
“For me, it’s a really practical way for
people in the community to get a sense
of ownership and appreciation and
joy for the new artwork that goes up
in their neighborhood,” Anderson said.
Anderson invites the public to come
together and paint in the “Kittizens”
mural from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on July
31 through Aug. 1.
Anderson describes the mural as
a refl ection of the city in an abstract
way that emotes joy and positivity.
The rough mockup draft will be used as a guide for the mural.
Photo courtesy of Rob Anderson
“I want my pieces to be experienced
as gift s of optimism and hope. I’ve
been told that community and empathy
are at the heart of my identity as a
person and an artist,” Anderson said.
“Though I am humbled to hear that,
I’m just really happy to paint in front
of people and off er them a chance to
join in.”
The mural, which will have taken
about 300 hours to complete, was
made possible by the partnership
between Anderson and Vornado Realty
Trust. Bob Ausburn, the general
manager of Vornado Realty Trust,
said that they are excited that the mural
will bring community members
together.
“Rego Center is the commercial
heart of central Queens and draws
millions of visitors annually,” Ausburn
said. “Rob’s mural speaks to
everything that the shopping center
strives to be for the communities it
serves — a vibrant gathering place
where people can work, shop, dine
and relax together.”
Borough president endorses COVID-19 testing mandate for city workers
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards endorsed
the city’s newly issued mandate
that all municipal employees receive
a COVID-19 vaccination or submit to
weekly COVID-19 testing ahead of the
start of the 2021-22 school year.
Mayor Bill de Blasio is also calling
on the private sector to enact vaccine
and test mandates at all offi ces, workplaces
and facilities.
“The science is clear: Getting vaccinated
against COVID-19 is the best
way to protect ourselves, our families
and our communities from a vicious
virus that has killed more than 8,600
of our fellow Queens residents and
delivered an unprecedented blow to
our borough,” Richards said.
Richards said the mayor’s announcement
on Monday, July 26, is
a “common-sense investment in the
overall safety and ultimate recovery of
our city, while also respecting reasonable
accommodations on an individual
basis.”
“We’ve come too far and lost too
much in the fi ght against COVID-19 to
not defeat this once and for all,” Richards
said. “The vaccines are safe, free
and eff ective.”
The de Blasio administration is
mandating that beginning on Sept. 13,
the fi rst day of school, approximately
340,000 city workers, including
teachers and police offi cers, will need
to be vaccinated, or submit to weekly
testing.
“We’re also going to reinforce for all
city government workers starting on
Monday, reinforcing clearly, if you
are unvaccinated and you are a city
employee, beginning on Monday, you
must either wear a mask indoors at
your work site at all times, or if you
would prefer not to, you have to immediately
go get vaccinated,” de Blasio
said. “This is very, very clear.”
De Blasio said they will “unfortunately,
be very tough” about the vaccine
requirement.
“If a city government employee does
not wear a mask indoors and they are
unvaccinated there, unfortunately,
there will have to be consequences
because we have to take it seriously,”
he said. “If someone’s unvaccinated,
unfortunately, they pose a threat to
themselves, but they also have a greater
chance of spreading the disease.”
While the city’s infection rate hit an
all-time low earlier in the summer as
the vaccination rate increased, it has
ticked upwards throughout July as
the more infectious delta variant has
become the dominant strain.
“These new requirements refl ect
our commitment to each other and
the people we serve,” Health Commissioner
Dr. Dave A. Chokshi said. “In the
tug of war between vaccines and the
variants, we should continue to bet on
the vaccines. But now is the time for
our whole city to pull together and
defeat delta.”
Approximately 4.9 million New
Yorkers have received at least one
dose of the vaccine. This includes
over 10,000 doses from mobile vaccination
sites, 280,000 doors knocked
by canvassers and 20,000 doses given
in-home to anyone who needs it. There
have also been more than $80,000 in
referral bonuses given to community
organizations.
“We’ve come a long way from once
being the ‘epicenter of the epicenter’
on COVID-19, but the pandemic is not
over yet,” said NYC Health + Hospitals
President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD.
“We have a moral responsibility to take
every precaution possible to ensure
we keep ourselves, our colleagues
and loved ones safe. Our city’s new
testing requirement for city workers
provides more peace of mind until
more people get their safe and eff ective
COVID-19 vaccine.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards (center) accompanied Mayor Bill
de Blasio at a College Point vaccination hub in January, and now backs the city’s
COVID-19 testing mandate for city workers. Photo courtesy of mayor’s offi ce
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