The Aqueduct Blog

Two Queens officials want to bring immigration services back to Queens.

Borough President Melinda Katz and Southeast Queens Congressman Gregory Meeks are renewing calls for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to re-open its Queens Field Office.

In 2012, the federal agency opened up its Queens office at a 48,000-square foot space in Long Island City. The busy office processed 180 naturalization applications and 130 adjustment of status applications per day.

But in January 2015, the site closed down due to a massive flood. It was temporarily relocated to Lower Manhattan, where it has remained since.

Now that it’s been two years, both Katz and Meeks want USCIS to open a Queens Field Office in the Joseph F. Addabbo Federal Building in Jamaica, which is already hosting the Social Security Administration.

“My office has helped thousands of constituents with their immigration matters,” Meeks said. “Yet, never before have my constituents shown as much concern about their immigration status due to the incoming administration”

“Hearing their well-founded concerns, Borough President Katz and I are pressing USCIS to reopen its field office to fulfill this clear need,” he added. “We believe that families should be well-informed and they deserve comprehensive assistance so they have the best opportunity to keep their families together and whole.”

USCIS field offices handle non-asylum applications, such as citizenship and green card applications. It’s important to note they do not conduct immigration enforcement.

The two closest field officers are in Lower Manhattan and Holtsville, Long Island.

Katz formally recommended USCIS to move into the Addabbo Federal Building in April 2016. She noted that Queens is home to over 2.3 million residents, 48 percent of whom were born abroad.

“Many people – both citizens and non-citizens – are feeling tremendous uncertainty about the future,” Katz said. “I’ve long proposed the existing Addabbo Federal Building in Jamaica as an ideal, permanent location for the long-displaced Queens Field Office to enhance customer service and better meet demand.”

“Its optimal location already hosts a federal agency, has vacant space, and has abundant access to mass transit,” she added. “I urge USCIS to further consider Jamaica for a permanent Queens Field Office, and render my office ready to host or assist in facilitating further development of this viable option.”

Below is a map of where the former field office was in Long Island City.

Police are looking for a man who is accused of crashing his van into the front gate of a store and fleeing with $750 in cash along with cigarettes.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 4 a.m. on January 23. The individual crashed a white van into the front gate of 82-13 153rd Avenue then drove away. He then exited the vehicle and entered the store to take the cash and cigarettes.

The man is described as a hispanic male approximately 25-years-old, approximately 190 pounds, with black hair in cornrows. He was last seen wearing blue jeans.

See video of the incident below:

Celebration will feature award-winning Hong Kong TVB actor and singer Wayne Lai, lion dancers, live music and calligraphy exhibits.

Lunar New Year Promotions include the chance to win $8,888!

Resorts World Casino New York City (RWNY) is the place to be to celebrate the Lunar New Year! This weekend, RWNY will host a spectacular variety of entertainment including lion dancers and musical performances, offer exclusive gaming promotions, and provide an opportunity to view an extraordinary Chinese calligraphy art exhibit. Some lucky fans will also win a red envelope with great prizes inside.

RWNYC is also featuring special Lunar New Year promotions throughout the month:

• January 30^th from 12 – 4 p.m., guests who earn 50 points will receive the gift of the week which includes Asian themed household items. This promotion is limited to the first 1,000 guests.
• On January 28^th and 29^th from 4 – 8 p.m., guests have a chance to win $8,888. Forty guests will win $88-$8,888. In the Asian culture, 8 is a lucky number.

Detailed Schedule

• Saturday, January 28

o   11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Artists Liu, Yunqiang (劉雲強) and Sheng, Xinde (沈新德) will demonstrate calligraphy writing live and give away a spring scroll. Red Wall Gallery

o   11 a.m. Traditional Chinese market opens. Central Park Event Space

o   12 p.m. Lion dancers perform throughout the casino starting at the main entrance of the casino. Main Entrance

o   2 – 5:30 p.m. Vocal Performances. Central Park Event Space

o   2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Red envelope money giveaway. Central Park Event Space

• Sunday, January 29

o   11 a.m. Traditional Chinese market opens. Central Park Event Space

o   12:30 – 5:30pm. Vocal Performances. Central Park Event Space

o   2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Red envelope money giveaway. Central Park Event Space

• Saturday, February 4, 9 p.m. Wayne Lai performs. Central Park Event Space. Tickets beginning at $25. Tickets can be purchased online at www.rwnewyork.com.

Resorts World Casino New York is located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica.

 

Jamaica’s Tastiest Patties apparently had a little more than it promised.

On January 17, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport discovered $70,000-worth of cocaine stuffed inside a box for Jamaican beef patties.

The officers intercepted passenger Chantal Alecia Edward, a Jamaican citizen, who was arriving from Kingston, Jamaica.

Upon further inspection, the customs officers found the box and escorted Bedward to a private search room. When the box of beef patties was opened, officers found 12 duct-taped packages instead.

When the packages were probed, they produced a white powder that tested positive for cocaine. The approximate weight of the cocaine was 4 pounds.

“This seizure demonstrates the vigilance and dedication demonstrated daily by CBP officers at JFK, in keeping these prohibited and dangerous narcotics off the streets of our communities,” said Robert E. Perez, director of field operations in New York for CBP.

Bedward was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.

She faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District.

On Saturday, January 21 at 11:30 p.m., dancehall sensation Kevin Lyttle will perform at Resorts World New York City’s (RWNYC) Bar 360. Known for worldwide hit “Turn Me On,”  Lyttle has collaborated with dancehall artist Spragga Benz.

Lyttle, a Vincentian soca artist, studied music as a young child and has been performing since his teenage years. He recorded the hit “Turn Me On,” as a soca ballad in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2001. The song became a minor hit through the Caribbean. In 2003, Lyttle recorded a remix of “Turn Me On” with Atlantic Records, which was officially released as a single in the UK with Spragga Benz’s guest vocals. The song hit number two in the UK and became a worldwide hit in 2004.

Lyttle released a hit along with Mya, “Bum Bum” in 2015. Most recently, he released the Soca, R&B and dance fusion single “Slow Motion,” featuring provocative lyrics and an exciting collaboration with Grammy Award winner Shaggy.

Lyttle will also be doing a sold-out meet & greet before the performance. This will be his second time performing at Bar 360.

Resorts World Casino New York City is located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica

Last year marked a major milestone for John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In 2016, Terminal 4 – the first privately-operated terminal in the country – surpassed 20 million annual passengers. It’s home to 32 international and domestic airlines.

It first opened in 2001.

“The growth of our terminal has been remarkable to witness,” said Gert-Jan de Graaff, president and CEO of JFKIAT, LLC. “Beginning with less than 5 million when we began operations 15 years ago to now hosting 20 million annual is quite an incredible feat.”

“The credit for such success is undoubtably shared amongst our airlines, business partners, retail and food vendors – and most importantly – the 13,000 employees who work tirelessly to move the more than 70,000 daily visitors seamlessly through the terminal,” de Graaff added.

T4 accounts for roughly one-third of all traffic at JFK. If it was a standalone airport, it would be the 14th busiest in the country.

Last month, Terminal 4 employees celebrated the achievement with surprise gift bags, games and prizes for air travelers.

Singer and songwriter Brenda K. Starr returns to Resorts World for Performance and Meet & Greet on Friday, January 13th at Bar 360.  Starr will speak with fans for a meet and greet after her performance.

Starr is known for her hit song “I Still Believe,” which peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.  Originally, she is well known for her R&B, dance and pop music records. More recently Starr has transitioned into salsa and Latin pop music. Her cover of Chilean singer Myriam Hernandez’s “Herida” peaked at No. 16 in the Latin Pop Airplay and on the Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay chart.

Starr’s daughter, Gianna Isabella, recently appeared on American Idol as a top 10 contestant for its final season in 2016.

The entire event is free and open to the public!

Resorts World Casino New York City is located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica.

Chinese Calligraphy Exhibit Comes to Resorts World’s Red Wall Gallery

Exhibit to Open on January 9th; Artists to Demonstrate Calligraphy Writing on January 28th

Chinese Calligraphy Art Exhibit presented in collaboration with Jamaica Center for Art and Learning

To celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, a Chinese calligraphy exhibition by Chinese artists from the Ninegrid Culture Innovation will be shown at the Resorts World Casino Red Wall Art Gallery this month. The exhibit will open on Monday, January 9 at 10 a.m. and is presented in collaboration with Jamaica Center for Art and Learning.

On Saturday, January 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., artists Liu, Yunqiang (劉雲強) and Sheng, Xinde (沈新德) will demonstrate the calligraphy writing and give away the spring scroll, a Lunar New Year tradition.

The Red Wall Art Gallery is located on the Times Square and Fifth Avenue levels of Resorts World Casino New York, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica.

It’s a heartbreaking way to start to the new year for one St. Albans family.

Police say 52-year-old Thomas Bradley Jr. was fatally struck while crossing South Conduit Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard in Springfield Gardens.

After hitting Bradley on January 1, at approximately 2:34 a.m., the driver fled the scene.

EMS arrived at the scene to find Bradley unconscious and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead on arrival (DOA) at the scene.

There are no arrests and the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad is conducting an ongoing investigation.

The suspect’s vehicle is described as a red Ford Mustang with damage to the front passenger side and a missing passenger side mirror.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.