Queens Lawmakers on the Move August 6, 2020

Holden Calls for Outside Reinforcements to Help ConEd Restore Power

Councilmember Robert Holden (D-Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, and parts of Woodside and Woodhaven) is calling on Con Edison to bring in more crews from outside the city and state to help restore electricity as quickly as possible in response to the damage and power outages caused by Hurricane Isaias in New York City, 

During a morning briefing with Con Edison, Holden learned that Queens is experiencing the most power outages of any city borough with more than 47,000 customers who lost power, and his district has seen the most outages in the city. Middle Village alone has been hit with more than 2,100 outages.

According to Con Edison, approximately 45 crews have been brought in from other less affected service areas in the city and other New York counties to help restore power in Queens and Brooklyn. Holden was also critical of the utility company for its abysmal emergency communications.

“I am extremely disappointed with the way Con Edison and City Hall have handled the preparation for, and response to, this huge storm,” said Holden. “My district has been dealing with outdated power infrastructure for many years now, and the city has failed to address it time and time again. We experience random power outages throughout the year even without the added stress of a hurricane or tropical storm. Con Edison must bring in as many additional crews from outside the city as possible to restore service before my constituents spend days without power during the middle of a pandemic and a heat wave.”

Grodenchik Gives Out Sanitizer and Face Masks 

Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik (D-Bayside, Queens, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Hollis Hills, Holliswood, Jamaica Estates, Little Neck Oakland Gardens and Queens Village) distributed a record number of free masks and hand sanitizer at a recent grab-and-go event in Queens Village.

All together, the council member, along with his staff and volunteers, provided over 3,000 packages, which contained five masks each, and nearly 500 two-ounce bottles of NYS sanitizer in front of the Key Food on Hillside Avenue. The grab-and-go drew hundreds of residents.

“Masks and hand sanitizer have been proven to help protect people from catching the virus,” said Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik, who recovered from COVID-19 in March. “The city and state have provided these supplies, which I am distributing to keep our community safe and healthy.”

The Queens Village giveaway is one of many the councilmember has done in an effort to keep local residents safe from the novel coronavirus. In July, he had similar events in Glen Oaks and Fresh Meadows.

BP Lee Announces “Queens Summer Seeds 2020” 

Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee, the Queens Botanical Garden and additional key partners will announce the launch of the “Queens Summer Seeds 2020” program — a cross-borough initiative to promote wellness, encourage healthy living and build a brighter future for our families through gardening — on Thursday.

To symbolize rebirth and recovery following the unprecedented challenges the borough has faced thus far in 2020 — while providing Queens residents with an educational, stress-releasing activity to enjoy in a summer where options for leisure are limited — a total of 2,020 seed planter kits will be distributed across more than a dozen organizations and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) communities throughout Queens with either active gardens or similar wellness initiatives.

Each partner will also receive personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizers along with the seed planter sets, as the borough’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic hinges on remaining vigilant to maximize safety.

Financial support for the program was provided by Borough President Lee, while the seed planter sets were secured by the Queens Botanical Garden, which opened its doors to the public on July 21 as part of Phase 4 of New York City’s reopening. 

The announcement and distribution will take place on Thursday, August 6 at 11 a.m. at the Queens Botanical Garden Farm in Flushing.