FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 26, 2019 • YEAR IN REVIEW • THE QUEENS COURIER 27
year in review
The top stories from October 2019
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
QUEENS BEER FESTIVAL IN
LONG ISLAND CITY OFFERS
UNLIMITED LOCAL BREWS
Th e fourth annual Queens Beer Festival, the only festival
in the borough that highlights the exploding craft
brewery scene in New York City, took place from Oct.
5 to 6. Th is year’s Fest included about 50 diff erent beers
from about 25 local craft breweries, including Coney
Island Brewery, Blue Point Brewery, Brookyn Brewery,
Big aLICe, Gun Hill Brewing Company, LIC Beer Project,
Montauk Brewing Company, and Mikkeller Brewing
NYC.Mark Goldberg
Festival attendees enjoyed live music and other activities.
Additionally, people were able to taste international
cuisine from entrepreneurial chefs as well as shopping
for handcraft ed and vintage items off ered by LIC Flea &
Food vendors.
NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING
COMPLEX OPENS IN
DOWNTOWN JAMAICA
A new 100 percent aff ordable housing complex opened
in Jamaica giving 89 families a new home close to the
neighborhoods transit hub.
City and elected offi cials joined Arker Companies to celebrate
the ribbon cutting of the 14-story tower at 92-61 165th
St., where the Archer Avenue Apartments became available
to households earning roughly $30,000 to $58,000 a year.
Th e building was already at 100 percent occupancy with
units ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments.
Residents have access to modern amenities including a
laundry facility, bike storage room and a recreational room.
“Aff ordable housing in a predominant community
of color is something we need to see more of,”
Assemblywoman and Queens Borough President candidate
Alicia Hyndman said. “With 100 percent aff ordability
we are easing the burden of the high cost of residing
in this city and at least a portion of our constituents
will have a little more to save and recycle into their communities.”
NATIONAL GRID VOWS TO END
NATURAL GAS MORATORIUM
AFTER GOVERNOR CUOMO
LAYS DOWN THE LAW
National Grid lift ed its moratorium and began connecting
more than 1,100 customers in Queens and Brooklyn
to natural gas service aft er Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered
the utility to comply or face millions of dollars in fi nes.
Th e company had denied service to new and returning
customers since May in response to continued
opposition to the $1 billion Williams pipeline project,
which was denied a permit by the state’s Department of
Environmental Prevention over concerns it would contaminate
New York Harbor. Cuomo announced on Friday
the Department of Public Service would expand its investigations
into National Grid’s conduct and whether it had
prepared properly for meeting the needs of its customers
given that the utility faces supply constraints this winter.
If the Williams pipeline were permitted to be constructed
under New York Harbor to bring fracked natural
gas from Pennsylvania to a terminus three miles off
the coast of Rockaway Beach, it would not be in service
until December 2020 at the earliest.
“It is the fundamental responsibility of our utilities to
provide reliable service,” Cuomo said. “National Grid
has acted in bad faith throughout this process — fi rst by
denying over 1,100 eligible customers with service and
now by failing to fulfi ll its core responsibility.”
LONG ISLAND CITY RESTAURANT
EARNS MICHELIN STAR FOR
SEVENTH YEAR, WHILE 17
OTHERS IN QUEENS GET BIB
GOURMAND AWARD
On Oct. 21, the renowned food authority announced
the 2020 Michelin Star awardees, which included Casa
Enrique in Long Island City. Th e Mexican restaurant
earned one Michelin Star for the seventh consecutive
year.
Michelin recognized 76 restaurants across New York
City and Westchester County, with Casa Enrique (5-48
49th Ave.) being the sole representative from Queens.
Fift y-seven restaurants earned one star, 14 earned two
stars and just fi ve earned the coveted three-star rating.
James Beard Award winner Cosme Aquilar opened
Casa Enrique in 2012. Th e chef came from Chiapas,
Mexico, to the United States in 1998 and learned to cook
his mother’s traditional Mexican recipes. “One can literally
taste the regions and cities that Chef Cosme Aguilar’s
menu explores, and many dishes honor his mother’s
memory with recipes from his childhood,” the Michelin
website says.
Michelin also named 17 Bib Gourmand restaurants in
Queens out of 133 total establishments in New York City
and Westchester County. Th e organization introduced
Bib Gourmand in 1997 and recognizes restaurants that
off er an “aff ordable and remarkable dining experience.”
Some of the Queens restaurants include Alley 41 on 136-
45 41st Ave., Flushing; Bellwether on 47-25 Vernon Blvd.,
LIC; and Houdini Kitchen Laboratory on 15-63 Decatur
St., Ridgewood.
ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY STUDENT
CUFFED FOR NEARLY GUTTING
HIS ROOMMATE DURING A FIGHT
IN FRESH MEADOWS: NYPD
A St. John’s University student faced assault charges for
allegedly stabbing his roommate at a Fresh Meadows frat
house on the morning of Oct. 22, according to authorities.
Police said 23-year-old Justin Corpolongo was involved
in a dispute with his roommate, 21-year-old Matthew
Stockfeder, at a home on 172nd Street at 12:30 a.m. on
Oct. 22. Th e dispute turned physical, with the two throwing
several punches at each other, but it escalated when
Stockfeder allegedly stabbed Corpolongo in the stomach
with a knife, cops said.
“Th e University is aware of an incident involving a student
and an alum that occurred at an off -campus location,
not owned by the University, and is fully cooperating
with the investigation by law enforcement offi cials.”
Brian Browne, a St. John’s University spokesperson, said.
According to the criminal complaint, Corpolongo had
Stockfeder on the ground and was holding him by his head
when Stockfeder, plunged the knife into Corpolongo’s
stomach. Corpolongo suff ered a 4- to 5-inch deep cut in
his stomach, which severed his small intestines. Surgery
was required to fi x Corpolongo’s injuries.
Police confi rmed that Corpolongo is expected to survive.
QUEENSBASED FILMMAKER
MARK GOLDBERG SEARCHES
FOR PEOPLE TO APPEAR IN HIS
NEW DOCUMENTARY ‘LIFE IS EL’
Filmmaker and Astoria resident Mark Goldberg is
working on a special New York City transit documentary
entitled “Life is EL.”
Th e documentary will explore the history of the city’s
elevated train tracks, and, most importantly, the way it
has impacted the lives of the people who own businesses
and live next to or underneath them. “Every borough
has elevated tracks, somewhere,” said Goldberg, who has
fi lmed Els all over the city.
“Life is EL” has been in the making since April 2018.
Goldberg was fi rst inspired to write the story aft er noticing
the news surrounding the renovations and closures of
subway stations across Queens. He said that while he had
no problem getting businesses to participate in the documentary,
getting individuals who live near elevated stations
to participate wasn’t as easy.
“It’s a people’s story. It’s not just about the wheels turning
on metal rails; it’s living and working under and
around the elevated train tracks,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Festival Media
Courtesy of Gerri Hernandez
Photo courtesy of Casa Enrique
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