ASTORIA HOMEOWNERS MEETING TONIGHT:
The Astoria Homeowners, Tenants & Business Civic Association will meet TONIGHT, March 18 at 7:00 pm at Pistilli Grand Manor, 45- 02 Ditmars Blvd. Entrance on 45th Street. Guest speakers will be Melinda Katz, District Attorney and a representative from the 114th Precinct.
CB3 MEETING:
Community Board 3 will hold its Monthly Board Meeting IN-PERSON on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7:00pm at I.S 227Q Louis Armstrong School Auditorium 32-02 Junction Blvd. in East Elmhurst.
Live-Streaming access: https://www.youtube.com/@queenscommunityboard3virtu695/streams
114th PRECINCT CMTY COUNCIL MEETING:
The monthly meeting of the 114th Precinct Community Council will be at The Marquee Astoria at 25-22 Astoria Blvd. on Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 PM. There will be a guest speaker, Mr. Bill Jorgenson, Queens District Attorney regarding Deed Theft Prevention.
MAMDANI ANNOUNCES 15 MPH SLOW ZONES AT ALL ELIGIBLE NYC SCHOOLS:
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner (NYC DOT) Mike Flynn today announced that NYC DOT will reduce the speed limit to 15 MPH at every eligible school location across the five boroughs by the end of Mayor Mamdani’s first term. The move is designed to protect children and their families on city streets and represents the largest increase to date in the city’s use of Sammy’s Law to reduce speed limits across the city.
More than 800 additional school locations will see speed limits reduced to 15 MPH this year, bringing the total school locations with 15 MPH speed limits to 1,300 by the end of the calendar year. The administration plans to expand 15 MPH School Slow Zones where eligible at all 2,300 school locations across the five boroughs by the end of Mayor Mamdani’s first term. These 2,300 school locations house 3,200 schools citywide, with some schools co-located. Implementation will be prioritized based on available safety data and other planned street safety improvements. Mayor Mamdani announced the news at Flushing International High School, which is co-located with J.H.S. 189 Daniel Carter Beard, where NYC DOT will today install a new 15 MPH speed limit for its School Slow Zone on 147th Street between Barclay Avenue and Sanford Avenue.
“Families spoke up after unimaginable loss to fight for Sammy’s Law and deliver our city the power to make our streets safer for New Yorkers,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Today’s expansion of Slow Zones for schools across all five boroughs is just the beginning. Lower speeds save lives, and we will use every tool at our disposal to protect our neighbors as they move about our city.”
“Our school children and their families should feel safe and comfortable as they travel to and from class. Speeding is the leading cause of traffic deaths, and even a small speed reduction can mean the difference between life and death in a crash,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “These speed limit reductions will follow our data-driven Vision Zero approach to deliver the greatest safety impact.”
“Sammy’s Law is an incredibly effective tool for making the streets near our schools safer for our children and their families,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I am thrilled we will be using Sammy’s Law to reduce speed limits to 15 MPH at so many locations across Queens and the rest of the city. We need to do everything we can to make our schools and the streets around them a safe environment for everyone.”
“Expanding Sammy’s Law is a historic step toward making our streets safer for children and families,” said City Council Deputy Leader Sandra Ung. “Around schools, we see students walking, parents pushing strollers, and families crossing busy streets during the most hectic times of the day. Lowering speed limits to 15 miles per hour will help ensure that the streets surrounding our schools reflect that reality and create an environment where parents can feel confident that their children can get to and from school safely. I commend Mayor Mamdani for taking this important step to protect students and families in communities across the five boroughs.”
WONG ON PROPOSED NINEDOT BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY:
New York City Council Member Phil Wong (D) issued the following statement regarding the proposed NineDot Energy battery storage facility at 64-30 69th Place in Middle Village:
“In the last two days, NineDot Energy has been circulating a letter to media outlets that contains serious inaccuracies about how this proposal came to light and how the community has responded. This company’s tactics and PR smear campaign are frankly ridiculous. Instead of working honestly with the community, they are trying to rewrite the record.”
Wong noted that a broad coalition including Congresswoman Grace Meng, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi, the Juniper Park Civic Association, the Middle Village Chamber of Commerce, and the United Federation of Teachers has raised serious concerns about the proposed location across from PS/IS 128 and next to an animal hospital, a children’s funhouse, a daycare center, residential homes, and a School District 24 Teachers Center.
“This coalition has made it clear that this is the wrong location for this type of facility,” Wong added.
MAMDANI ON ONE-HOUSE BUDGET RESOLUTIONS:
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani released the following statement in response to the One- House Budget Resolutions:
“The legislature and I agree: we cannot bridge this budget deficit on the backs of working class New Yorkers. I’m grateful that the Assembly and Senate One-House Budgets recognize the scale of the fiscal crisis facing New York City. I want to thank Speaker Heastie, Leader Stewart-Cousins and the Assembly and Senate Democratic conferences for having taken meaningful steps toward closing the deficit we inherited, including by asking more from the wealthiest New Yorkers and by creating a fairer balance in the city’s fiscal relationship with the state.
“I’m also grateful to the legislature for extending the fare free bus pilot program in both One-Houses; as one in five New Yorkers struggle to pay for public transportation, it is essential we take bold action and build a transit system all New Yorkers can afford.
“The State’s support has also been integral to advancing universal child care, and I deeply appreciate Governor Hochul and the State legislature’s partnership to that end. However, we would not have been able to launch 2-K or begin to fix the issues plaguing 3-K without mayoral control. Mayoral control is key to delivering our affordability agenda, and I look forward to continuing to work with leaders in Albany to secure its extension.
“New York City is the economic engine of our state — restoring our city’s fiscal health is an investment in the state’s economic wellbeing. I am encouraged and heartened by the relationship that we have built with Governor Hochul and the State legislature, and I look forward to continuing to review their proposals and build upon the work we have done together throughout this budget process.”
CBC STATEMENT ON ONE HOUSE BUDGETS:
Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein’s full statement on the One House budgets:
“It’s good that the Legislature, like the Governor, wants to help New York City close its budget gap. But hiking our nation-leading taxes and making our State less competitive to prop up inefficient, often ineffective programs is the wrong prescription for what ails us.
“The State faces fierce competition for residents and businesses, looming federal cuts, a $20 billion structural budget gap and an increasingly shaky economic outlook. Adding billions of dollars of recurring spending destabilizes the State’s budget and puts at risk the services New Yorkers need. Simply: The State should spend less, not more, than the executive budget proposed.
“The City is the State’s main economic engine, and the State may well provide it more relief. At the same time, the State must ensure its own fiscal stability, and any one-time aid should serve as a bridge with the condition that the City is accountable for bringing spending in line with its current revenue base.
“Finally, once again, both houses chose not to publish basic multi-year budget tables, which would show New Yorkers the implications of what they have proposed.
“On SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act):
“SEQRA reform is a winning proposal, but may well be contentious—with the Assembly omitting it entirely and the Senate dropping non-housing uses, including for parks, childcare, water and sewer infrastructure, and energy efficiency upgrades. We applaud the Senate for supporting an expanded exemption of environmental review for housing development, as well as time limits on environmental review and litigation. It’s important that the State continue to have a broad, ambitious program for delivering needed infrastructure to New York, omitting a source of delay and obstruction across building types crucial for New York’s future.
“On auto insurance reform:
“It is disappointing that neither house supported the Governor’s smart proposal to reform New York’s auto insurance laws. The status quo fails both drivers and insurers; these common-sense reforms can help rationalize the system, saving New York residents and businesses as much as $2 billion a year without any increase in State spending. Insurance reform has been shown to lower premiums by 10 percent to 15 percent in other states; even a 10 percent savings would put $200 per vehicle back into New Yorkers’ pockets.
“On taxes:
“New York State and its localities are already top of the charts, collecting 78 percent more taxes per capita than the national average, 40 percent more than California and 37 percent more than New Jersey. Raising taxes risks losing residents who fund critical services and businesses that employ New Yorkers.
“On proposed rebate checks:
“The Assembly proposes a $500 rebate check to offset energy costs for households earning below $150,000 and $300 for those earning from $150,000 to $300,000. Rather than sending checks to New Yorkers who may not need them, the State should be saving these resources as a hedge against the looming risks of economic uncertainty and federal cuts.”
WONG ON MOODY’S REVISION OF NYC’S CREDIT OUTLOOK:
Council Member Phil Wong (D-Queens), a member of the New York City Council Finance Committee, issued the following statement in response to news that Moody’s has revised New York City’s credit outlook to negative:
“Moody’s decision to place New York City on a negative outlook is a clear warning sign that our spending trajectory is unsustainable. As a member of the Finance Committee, I believe we must take this seriously by identifying waste, slowing spending growth, and restoring structural balance before asking taxpayers for more.”
BP TOURED PROGRESS AT ETIHAD PARK:
Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. toured the progress being made at Etihad Park, the future full-time home of Major League Soccer’s New York City Football Club. When the 25,000-seat stadium opens in 2027, it will be New York City’s first-ever professional soccer stadium and the first all-electric stadium in Major League Soccer. Etihad Park isn’t just for Queens, though. It’s also by Queens, as the majority of its early 500-person union workforce is made up of Queens residents. Once Etihad Park is open, it will be a true anchor of Willets Point, where we’re building 2,500 units of affordable housing, a 650-seat school and more.
“In what F. Scott Fitzgerald once called the ‘Valley of Ashes’ is rising one of Queens’ most triumphant victories, in the form of Etihad Park. The World’s Game belongs in The World’s Borough, and I couldn’t be prouder of the history we’re making in Willets Point to bring it here. Etihad Park represents endless possibilities not only for NYCFC, but for the thousands of borough residents who will earn a living wage or grow their business there. The goal at Willets Point is to create a community where its residents thrive, elevating all of Queens in the process, and we are closer to doing just that.”
ADDABBO BRINGS ART THERAPY TO PS 60 IN WOODHAVEN:
Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. brought a fine art therapy class to about 60 students in the 5th grade at PS 60 in Woodhaven on March 13, 2026. The two sessions were taught by instructor Gennaro Kravitz, a gifted local artist who is skilled in using basic shapes and inexpensive art tools to create joyous, yet simple designs.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be a cartoonist,” Addabbo said. “I love to draw. It’s not always artwork but it’s therapy. It’s also a way of releasing stress and not thinking about an upcoming test and how you studied so hard. You can calm yourself down, so you do a little drawing. It’s a good way of having a little peace. I hope you enjoy it.”
Kravitz gave each student sheets of cardstock paper and a box of crayons (to keep) which were provided by the Co-Cathedral of St, Joseph – St. Teresa of Avila, located in Brooklyn, where Kravitz is the resident artist and art instructor. He is VIRTUS-certified by the Diocese of Brooklyn as a youth instructor. Kravitz’s artistic style is modeled after the 1970s “Pattern and Decoration” (P&D) movement. During the two 45-minute classes, the students were encouraged to explore their own creative intuitions. Kravitz encouraged drawing and coloring to relax and unwind after a busy day of school classes, homework and chores and as a great alternative to using cell phones and other electronic devices for recreation. He also suggested drawing pictures to create their own custom greeting cards for family members.
Senator Addabbo would like to thank PS 60 and its Interim Acting Principal, Lisa Kelly for supporting and hosting the program. “It’s so important to engage young people in the arts and challenge their creativity,” Addabbo said. “It has numerous benefits and serves as a reminder to take a break from electronic devices and nurture the mind and spirit.”
LIU CELEBRATES CIVICS WEEK IN NE QUEENS SCHOOLS:
In recognition of NYC’s Annual Civics Week, Senator John Liu, chairperson of the NYC Education Committee, visited schools in northeast Queens to speak with students about the importance of being engaged in their communities. Throughout Civics Week, elected officials visit public school students in K-12 throughout the city where they participate in classroom activities and events aimed at empowering students to become proactive contributors to their community. This year, students engaged in various activities celebrating youth voice, civic empowerment, and the importance of registering to vote. Activities include Student Voter Registration Drives, Civics for All Poster Contests, and more.
During Civics Week, Senator Liu visited P.S. 159Q in Bayside. Senator Liu spoke to students in grades 3 to 5 about civic engagement and the democratic process. He also visited I.S. 25Q Adrien Block in Flushing. Senator Liu spoke with the student council about politics and the election process, local, state, and federal government, immigration and ICE, education, and youth engagement.
State Senator John Liu stated, “Talking to our young people here in northeast Queens about government, politics, and civic engagement is always a humbling and exciting experience. Our kids pulled no punches and asked the tough questions about everything from Trump’s ICE raids to how to improve our schools. The youth of today are more engaged and curious about the world around them, and how they can make a difference than ever before. They understand that our democracy works best when more voices are heard, especially those of our young people, so it’s important that they learn to think critically about their politics and be empathetic with their opinions in order to engage in healthy civic debate. Many thanks to our schoolteachers, leadership, and staff here in Queens who are going above and beyond to make sure our next generation are active and informed.”
—With contributions by Augusta Luger
This column was originated by John A. Toscano.
For more I on Pols, visit this week’s QGazette.com.