BP HOSTS FREE WEEKEND OF SUMMERSTAGE:
With the goal of continuing to make Queens an international hub of arts and culture at the top of mind, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. will host a two-day series of stellar free concerts and family-friendly events in Flushing Meadows Corona Park this weekend, headlined by Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group De La Soul.
“We’re turning Flushing Meadows into Feel Good, Inc. on Friday, July 17 when the legendary De La Soul takes the stage and shows why Queens is the cultural heartbeat of New York City. Along with DJ Rekha’s performance and the rest of Queens Day on July 18, this weekend will be one to remember all summer long,” said Borough President Richards. “Thank you to all our public and private sector partners for their work in making this action-packed weekend possible. I look forward to seeing everyone outside in Flushing Meadows celebrating our culture, our diversity and our spirit as a borough.”
A Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage production hosted in partnership with NYC Parks, the free De La Soul performance will take place on Friday, July 17 in front of the Fountain of the Planets, just east of the Unisphere. Opening for De La Soul will be Pete Rock, universally renowned as one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, as well as comedian, actor and musician Hannibal Buress with a DJ set. The show will begin at 6pm.
The free “Queens Day” festival will then return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturday, July 18, running from 10am to 8pm. Some of the free activities offered courtesy of Queens Day co-hosts NYC Parks, the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park and others include, but are not limited to:
•Dance performances by the Queens College School of Arts;
•A skate jam led by the Skatepark Project at the Maloof Skate Park;
•Canoeing led by NYC Parks’ Urban Park Rangers in Meadow Lake;
•Rowing lessons led by Row New York in Meadow Lake
•World’s Fair historical walking tours led by the Alliance;
•Zumba classes led by the Alliance’s Summer Fitness program;
•All-ages tennis clinics led by the United States Tennis Association at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center;
•Animal education and wildlife conservation info sessions led by the Queens Zoo;
•Cancer and chronic disease prevention info sessions led by representatives from NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst;
•Arts and crafts for kids led by NYC Parks’ Queens Recreation team.
Queens Day will culminate with a performance by critically acclaimed Queens-based artist DJ Rekha, who will bring their thrilling Basement Bhangra Beyond festival — meshing hip-hop, dancehall, jazz and electronic music — to Flushing Meadows Corona Park starting at 6pm.
Headlining the fourth annual festival will be DJ Rekha themselves, British-Indian singer Jaz Dhami, Indian electronic pop singer Mitika Kanwar and Punjabi-Canadian artist Babbulicious, who recently performed at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration ceremony.
SUMMER STREETS TO RETURN:
New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced that Summer Streets will return to all five boroughs. This year, more than 20 miles of Summer Streets corridors will be open to pedestrians and cyclists from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Manhattan and with adjusted, later hours in the outer boroughs based on local feedback. Summer Streets will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island to help more New Yorkers enjoy these locations.
“Summer Streets gives back our largest public space, our streets, so that all New Yorkers can walk, run, bike, play, dance, or simply connect with their neighbors,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “This year, we’re adjusting the hours of Summer Streets in the outer boroughs to help more New Yorkers enjoy these events later in the day. We thank our sister agencies, programming partners, elected officials, and advocates for their support behind New York’s biggest block party.”
Saturday, July 25: Queens Summer Streets will run along Vernon Boulevard, from 44th Drive to 30th Drive. The program will allow users to enjoy the entire Queens waterfront in Long Island City and Astoria.
More details on each Summer Streets route can be found on NYC DOT’s website: nyc.gov/SummerStreets
FDNY COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTIES IN ALL FIVE BOROUGHS:
The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) will hold a series of block party community events at firehouses and EMS stations in all five boroughs throughout the summer. In Queens, the event will be on Saturday, July 18: Engine 286/Ladder 135 – 66-44 Myrtle Avenue, Ridgewood. The summer block parties are made possible by the generous support of the FDNY Foundation. At each event, FDNY members will hold interactive demonstrations, offer free fire and life safety education, and conduct tours of FDNY apparatus. The neighborhood events include games, presentations, food, and educational outreach programs. The events also offer a chance to explore rewarding careers at the FDNY. All children who attend can meet the FDNY Fire and Life Safety Mascots, Hot Dog and Siren.
MENG AND MEEKS CALL ON CON ED TO COMPENSATE RESIDENTS:
U.S. Reps Grace Meng (D-Queens) and Gregory Meeks (D-Queens) today called on the head of Con Edison to compensate Queens residents who lost power last week during the heatwave that hit New York City. In a letter to Chief Executive Officer Timothy Cawley, the lawmakers urged the utility to consider issuing bill credits to those affected by prolonged outages and power shutoffs.
“Our impacted constituents deserve to be reimbursed for the hardships they endured from the outages and shutoffs that occurred through no fault of their own,” said Meng and Meeks. “We understand the extreme heat and heavy demand for power caused equipment issues. But those who suffered with no power during the heatwave have already been struggling with high electricity rates and other skyrocketing costs as families work to make ends meet. We hope Con Edison will do the right thing and quickly provide needed bill credits to people in our districts.”
LEE ON CITIZENS NYC:
Council Member Linda Lee reminds her constituents that CitizensNYC has announced that applications are now open for its 2026 Spring Grant Cycle, with $2 million in funding available to support community organizations and small businesses across all five boroughs. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to as many as 500 recipients through the Community Leaders Grant for small nonprofits, public schools, and volunteer-led organizations, as well as the Neighborhood Business Grant for small businesses making a positive impact in their communities. Applications are open now through July 27, 2026. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit CitizensNYC’s website www.citizensnyc.org/
KRISHNAN ON THE CITY BUDGET:
Council Member Shekar Krishnan on the City Budget: “This month, we voted to pass our City’s Budget. I’m proud to share that the budget includes a record $23.3 million in capital funding for our district, and millions more for organizations that help our neighbors every day. We secured funding for the first community pool in Elmhurst, invested in Newtown High School’s brand-new athletic field, and supported Elmhurst Hospital in building an outdoor therapeutic space for their inpatient psychiatric unit. We put money into renovating school auditoriums and creating sensory classrooms in Jackson Heights and upgrading the student and teacher bathrooms in Woodside. Appointments to the eye doctor are costly and hard to get without health insurance, so we are upgrading the ophthalmology equipment at H+H Gotham Health Roosevelt. These investments support our families and neighbors, building up the most diverse district in the world with better schools, hospitals, and public spaces … Budgets are reflections of our city’s priorities, and I’m proud that this budget says that here in NYC, we care about working families.”
ADDABBO ON AQUEDUCT:
Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. on Aqueduct: “Once in a lifetime opportunity? Maybe. An opportunity to address many issues? Definitely. The Aqueduct Racetrack property is more than a large plot of land; it is the site of a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the City’s, Queens’ and local communities’ future. As the state explores what should be developed at the 100-acre property, I believe we need to create not only housing, but also create sustainable jobs, an educational site, possibly retail stores, and green space. Aqueduct is at a critical crossroads. It sits on the doorstep of transit, close to vibrant communities and most visible from key corridors. It is also located in a flood-prone area which demands smart, multi-layer protection.
“To some individuals, converting the entire site into a sprawling housing complex would be ideal, but when we think practically it would be foolish given the terrible strain it would put on the city’s already overburdened infrastructure system and surrounding residential community. We need a stable, long-term value-creating, job-inducing balanced plan to make a positive impact for generations. A multi-use Aqueduct site could contain small businesses, healthcare buildings, educational institutions, and cultural venues in addition to housing. This mixture would bring in tax revenue, employment for the local community, and year-round activity which a housing only plan cannot provide.
“The neighborhoods of Ozone Park and South Ozone Park have one- to three-family homes, small streets and a feeling of togetherness. A plan that maintains that community spirit, while providing vital amenities, will seem like a natural addition to the area, not an uncharacteristic permanent eyesore. Critically important to any development plans at the Aqueduct site is local resident input. Current community residents will have to live with the daily impact of whatever is ultimately built to replace the racetrack. I urge my neighbors who live in the vicinity of Aqueduct to speak out to your elected officials before it’s too late.
“Yes, there is a need for new housing development, but it can’t ignore everything else. Let’s take this unique opportunity to work towards a commonsense plan for the Aqueduct property that includes generational benefits such as new schools, sustainable jobs, retail stores, parks and more for everyone to enjoy for decades.”
MAMDANI ANNOUNCES FREE CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS FOR HS STUDENTS AND OTHERS:
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei today announced that civil service exams are now free for New York City high school students and first-time test takers.
Each year, DCAS administers an average of 175 civil service exams to more than 110,000 candidates for careers ranging from scientist and forester to bridge operator, caseworker, blacksmith and physical therapist. With 80% of City jobs requiring candidates to pass a civil service exam, the new fee waivers will open the door to public service for hundreds of thousands of students and millions of New Yorkers.
“To serve New York is the privilege of a lifetime,” said Mayor Mamdani. “The people best equipped to build a city that works for everyone are the students in our classrooms, the people who walk our streets and the New Yorkers who call our city home. By making civil service exams free for high schoolers and first-time test takers, we’re opening the doors to millions more New Yorkers to serve the city they love.”
“We want all New Yorkers to have access to great careers in public service. By offering new fee waivers and sharing exam information in multiple languages, we are making it easier for more New Yorkers to get a job with the City of New York,” said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “Our mission is to remove barriers that may prevent qualified candidates from pursuing a job with the City in order to strengthen our workforce.”
BP RICHARDS VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE DONATION DRIVE:
In the wake of last month’s massive twin earthquakes that devastated northern Venezuela and killed thousands of residents, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. announced today that his office has launched a donation drive to support Venezuelan families impacted by the tremors. “The visuals of collapsed buildings and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble across wide swaths of Venezuela are shocking and heartbreaking. We know members of our proud Venezuelan community here in Queens, many of whom have had loved ones impacted by these earthquakes, are hurting too,” said Borough President Richards. “Now, it’s time for Queens to do what it does best and uplift those in their time of need. If you are able, I encourage you to donate whatever supplies you can spare so we can support our South American neighbors following this devastating disaster.”
Specifically, Borough President Richards’ office will accept critically-needed donations of canned nonperishable food, diapers, medical supplies, unexpired over-the-counter medication, feminine hygiene products, flashlights and tents, which will be transported and distributed to those in need in the weeks and months to come.
Donations will be accepted now through Friday, July 31 at Queens Borough Hall, located at 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens. Items can be dropped off in a box located on the first floor of Borough Hall next to the security desk in the lobby, which is just inside the building’s main entrance on Queens Boulevard. The lobby is open 24 hours a day.
Queens Borough Hall can be easily reached on public transportation via the Q10, Q37, Q45, Q46, Q48, Q60 or Q80 bus lines or by taking the E or F subway lines to the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station.
Organizations co-sponsoring Borough President Richards’ relief drive include Aid for Life, Iglesia Einsof Aprendiendo De Jesús, Lions Club International, New York City Clergy, the NYPD Hispanic Society and the Puerto Rican Bar Association.
In the afternoon of June 24, a pair of massive earthquakes struck northern and central Venezuela within one minute of each other — the first measuring a 7.2 on the Richter scale and the second being a 7.5-magnitude quake. Venezuela’s largest earthquakes in more than 100 years, the twin tremors inflicted catastrophic damage and caused hundreds of buildings to collapse, including in the capital of Caracas. As of this week, at least 3,300 people have been killed, while thousands more remain missing and tens of thousands of people have been left homeless.
JAMES URGES STRENGTHENED RULES TO STOP ROBOCALLS:
New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a bipartisan coalition of 48 other attorneys general in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt new measures to combat illegal robocalls. In March 2026, FCC released new proposals to strengthen existing regulations to crack down on the growing scourge of illegal robocalls. These calls deliver pre-recorded or artificial voice messages attempting to scam consumers, often by impersonating government agencies or financial companies. These scams cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars every year, including $789 million in 2024. In a letter to FCC, Attorney General James and the coalition express their support for the agency’s new measures and offer additional recommendations to close loopholes and more effectively stop illegal robocalls.
“New Yorkers are getting flooded with predatory robocalls day after day, putting their finances and personal information at risk,” said Attorney General James. “My office is committed to tackling the epidemic of robocalls to prevent scammers from taking advantage of working families. I am proud to join this bipartisan coalition providing the federal government with recommendations to help crack down on illegal robocalls.”
Rampant robocalls are a source of costly scams and fraud that affect tens of thousands of people every year. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released data showing that consumers reported losing over $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, including through fraudulent calls and texts. YouMail, a mobile service designed to protect users from unwanted calls, reported that in April 2026 alone, consumers in the U.S. received 4.2 billion robocalls, or roughly 1,600 calls per second.
NYS CONSERVATIVE PARTY ON PAY RAISES:
New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar issued the following statement on New York City Council and New York State Legislature pay raise plans: “Democrat-run New York is failing on every front and by every key metric. You don’t hand a bigger paycheck to the people running your city and state into the ground. Only New Yorkers can stop these Tammany-style pay raises from being machined through. The New York State Conservative Party urges New Yorkers to make some noise.”
MAMDANI LAUNCHES PIT CREW:
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Chief Technology Officer and Office of Technology & Innovation (OTI) Commissioner Lisa Gelobter today announced the launch of “Public Interest Technology (PIT) Crew,” a new initiative that will deploy teams of technologists alongside City agencies to tackle public problems with in-house digital solutions. The first PIT Crew will team up with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to build an online portal that allows New Yorkers to easily file complaints against companies that trap customers in hard-to- cancel, costly subscriptions. The tool will support the Mamdani administration’s implementation of the nation’s first “Click to Cancel” protections.
OTI will deploy a total of five PIT Crews: the first to support Click to Cancel, three more to advance Mayor Mamdani’s agenda of affordability and public excellence and an additional team developed with support from The Rockefeller Foundation to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. The Rockefeller Foundation has supported efforts to help governments harness the latest technologies to improve processes and systems for underserved communities across the United States.
*** CRIME BLOTTER ***
QUEENS RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY FOR FATAL SHOOTING:
Faces 24 Years in Prison at Sentencing
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Joseph Gilbert Stevens has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for fatally shooting Richard Carter outside a Jamaica church while a funeral was taking place inside in April.
District Attorney Katz said: “A sorrowful day turned even more tragic when this defendant made the cruel decision to shoot a mourner outside a funeral. He has pleaded guilty and will now be sentenced to a lengthy term in prison for his actions. Our thoughts are with Richard Carter’s loved ones as they continue to mourn his loss.”
Stevens, 34, of Jamaica, pleaded guilty on Thursday, July 2 to manslaughter in the first degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant set sentencing for August 14 when Stevens is expected to face 24 years in prison to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
DA Katz said that, according to the charges, on April 10, 2026, at approximately 2:12 p.m., Stevens arrived on a Citi Bike at the Shekinah Youth Chapel, which is located at the intersection of Merrick Boulevard and Sayres Avenue in Jamaica and is part of the Greater Allen AME Cathedral. He went inside to the funeral, approached the casket and then left. At approximately 2:17 p.m., Stevens ran toward 49-year-old Richard Carter of Valley Stream, who was walking toward the chapel on Sayres Avenue, and shot him four times. Carter was immediately transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. Stevens fled the scene. He was apprehended on April 11.
FIVE INDICTED FOR IDENTITY THEFT AND MORTGAGE FRAUD:
Defendants Charged in 26-count Indictment for Stealing more than $688,000 by Using Fake Drivers’ Licenses and Social Security Cards with Homeowners’ Personal Information
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that five defendants were indicted by a grand jury and variously charged with mortgage fraud, identity theft, forgery and other crimes for falsifying documents to obtain a “cash-out” mortgage of more than $688,000 on a Flushing home that they did not own. The scheme was allegedly orchestrated by a Queens real estate broker with two of the defendants pretending to be the actual homeowners at the closing. Three corporations were also named in the indictment, and a Jane Doe defendant, whose identity is not yet known.
District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the defendants stole the identities of husband-and-wife homeowners, impersonated them at a closing and used fraudulent drivers’ licenses and Social Security cards to take out a mortgage on the victims’ home. The scheme saddled the victims with a mortgage they did not authorize and allegedly cost a Queens lender more than $688,000. The defendants have been indicted on numerous charges for these alleged acts of mortgage fraud and identity theft and face possible prison time if convicted. I thank my Housing, Worker and Consumer Protection Bureau for their painstaking investigation into this case as we get justice for the homeowners and the mortgage lender that were harmed.”
Tony Wanyiu Cheng, 56, of Bayside; Chun Kong Lau, 46, of Staten Island; Jane Doe; and Gui Li, 45, of Flushing, were indicted on charges of residential mortgage fraud in the second degree, five counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, six counts of identity theft in the first degree, one count of forgery in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree and one count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. The defendants, along with Qiang Li, 59, of Flushing, were also charged with grand larceny in the second degree.
Cheng, Lau and Qiang Li were charged with two counts of money laundering in the second degree, two counts of money laundering in the fourth degree and one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree. Lau and Qiang Li were also charged with one count of forgery in the second degree, one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree and two counts of identity theft in the first degree. Three corporations associated with Cheng, CB Direct Store Inc., YW Capital LLC and MTR Development Co. LLC, were charged with two counts of money laundering in the second degree.
Cheng, Lau, Qiang Li and the corporations were arraigned yesterday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Leigh Cheng who ordered the defendants to return to court July 29. The defendants face up to 15 years in prison, if convicted. Gui Li and Jane Doe remain at large. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call Detective Erin Currie of the Queens District Attorney’s Office Squad at 929-364-6660.
District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, in November 2024, Gui Li and an unidentified woman allegedly impersonated a husband and wife who legitimately owned a Flushing property during a closing for a cash-out mortgage. Tony Wanyiu Cheng, a real estate broker who allegedly oversaw the scheme, and Chun Kong Lau were both allegedly also present during the closing. Gui Li and the unidentified woman presented the title closer with fraudulent Pennsylvania drivers’ licenses and Social Security cards with the victims’ personal information. Cheng was given two checks made out to the male homeowner.
One day later Lau and Qiang Li, who both allegedly impersonated the male homeowner by using a fake Maryland drivers’ license with the victims’ date of birth, opened a joint bank account in person at the South Flushing TD Bank. The mortgage checks totaling $688,403 were deposited into the bank account. After the mortgage check was deposited, some of the money was transferred by check into the three business bank accounts held by defendant Cheng. Some of the funds were then transferred electronically into Cheng’s personal bank account. Cheng’s personal and business accounts received more than $269,000 of the funds. The rest of the money was transferred into other bank accounts owned by people with unknown relationships to the defendants. Once all the money was transferred out, the defendants closed the TD Bank account in January 2025.
The legitimate homeowner reported the mortgage fraud to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
—With contributions by Augusta Luger
This column was originated by John A. Toscano.