8 NOVEMBER 19, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Queens StartUP! Competition returns to
help entrepreneurs launch businesses
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
If you’re a Queens entrepreneur
who is seeking to start a business
or grow an existing business,
the Queens Economic Development
Corporation is offering free
instruction, and one-on-one consultations
with experienced advisers
through its latest StartUP! Business
Competition.
The StartUP! Business Competition
will run from November to March
2021, thanks to the Queens Economic
Development Corporation, Resorts
World Casino New York City, Queens
Public Library and the Srivastava
Technology fund.
Now in its 15th year, StartUP! is a
four-month program for solo entrepreneurs
and teams who are in the
early stages of developing or growing
their businesses.
The instruction is online this year,
and participants must attend four
free, one-hour workshops on the
following topics: Identify and Validate
Customer Needs and Problems;
Develop and Test Your Business
Model; Branding Strategies for Startups;
and Financial Statement Basics
for Startups. The sessions will be
recorded and shared by request.
At the same time, participants will
The 2019 QEDC winners of the Queens StartUP! Business Competition. Courtesy of QEDC
have access to a diverse peer-to-peer
networking community and technical
support from QEDC advisors,
who offer free, 30-minute phone
consultations.
After attending a fourth session,
applicants have until March 1, 2021,
to complete and submit an online application
to enter StartUP! in any of
four categories – Technology, Community,
Food and Sustainability.
Three finalists from each category
will present their plans to a panel
of judges. Then, the judges will select
one $10,000 winner in each
category.
Since it began in 2006, StartUP! has
awarded a total of $450,000 in grants
to 71 winners chosen from a combined
pool of 4,300 participants.
QEDC believes that inclusion is an
economic imperative and entrepreneurship
is open to everyone, regardless
of gender, race or birthplace.
For more info on these
programs and other services, visit
www.queensny.org.
New York again suspends jury trials
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@QNS.COM
@ROBBPOZ
Jury trials across New York state
were suspended once again as the
second wave of COVID-19 takes
hold, state Chief Judge Janet DiFiore
announced Monday, Nov. 16.
Courts resumed jury trials in
September after many months of
suspension due to capacity restrictions
and fears of the virus’ spread
in confined settings such as courtrooms.
While the state has brought
47 trials to verdict since September,
and another 12 in New York City over
the last month, DiFiore said the latest
outbreak of COVID-19 has forced the
state courts to again put scheduling
new jury trials on ice.
“Effective today, and until further
notice, we are temporarily postponing
the scheduling of new jury
trials, and temporarily postponing
the summoning of new trial jurors,”
DiFiore said on Nov. 16. “Jury trials
and bench trials that are now in
progress will be allowed to proceed
to completion.”
The summoning of new prospective
grand jurors has also been
suspended.
Any newly-commenced bench
trials and hearings will now move
forward through virtual hearings
“unless authorized by our deputy
chief administrative judges,” the
chief judge noted.
“We are taking these steps in
response to the increasing COVID
positivity rate, the growing number
of communities experiencing
COVID-19 clusters, the advice of our
epidemiologist who has reviewed
our relevant data, and the governor’s
latest directive restricting in-person
gatherings in commercial and residential
settings,” DiFiore added.
The state court system will continue
to monitor the progress of
COVID-19 across New York state
before making any “necessary adjustments”
to the schedule. All grand
jury and petit jury operations will
resume once the courts deem it safe
to do so.
“As we’ve said all along, our number
one priority is the health and safety
of our judges, our professional staff
and the public we serve,” DiFiore
said. “We will not put anyone’s
health and well-being at risk, and
we will do everything in our power
to help prevent the further spread
and resurgence of COVID-19.”
New York state Chief Judge Janet DiFiore announced on Nov. 16, 2020 that
jury trials are being suspended again due to the resurgence of COVID-19.
REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
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