Budget Deal Keeps Queens Libraries Open

If you haven't heard the City Council and Mayor Bloomberg reached a budge deal on Tuesday, and the good news for Queens Library is that the agreement will forestall any layoffs and will keep all existing Queens library branches open at least 5 days a week.

Queens Library CEO and President Thomas Galante praised the deal remarking “Our City’s elected officials have continued to face tough choices. Library users owe a debt of gratitude to Mayor Michael Bloomberg; City Council Speaker Christine Quinn; Finance Chair Domenic Recchia, Jr.; Cultural Affairs & Libraries Chair Jimmy Van Bramer; Libraries Chair Vincent Gentile; Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie and the whole City Council for their leadership.”

I would add that anyone who made their voice heard on this issue should also give themselves a pat on the back, because I'm sure it helped strengthen the hand of library supporters including our Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.

The Budget Cut Threat to Queens Libraries

Nearly two weeks ago our councilman Jimmy Van Bramer led a demonstration to protest the proposed budget cuts to our libraries.  I've known they were bad, and if I hadn't had other obligations would have attended, but I thought I'd better find out more, and boy if the cuts go through as Bloomberg has proposed the effect will be drastic.

According to the fact sheet I got from the Queens Library.  18 Queens libraries would be closed and 30 libraries open 2 or 3 days a week, with only one open on Saturday.  All this at a time when because of the tough economy libraries are a valuable resource for jobseekers and others trying to keep up with new books and ideas.

Hats off to Jimmy Van Bramer for making this a priority, but he and the Queens Library needs your help.  If you haven't already done so make your voice heard by going to this link to register your support of the Queens Library and let officials know how you value libraries

Jimmy Van Bramer in Woodside on June 16

If you have not heard, our councilman Jimmy Van Bramer  and his staff will have their mobile office at the Child Center of NY at 60-02 Roosevelt Ave this Saturday June 16, 2012 between 12 noon and 3 pm.   If you have some business you need to discuss with him or have just never had the chance to meet him because of your work schedule, this will be a great chance.  I'd go, but in my case, Saturday is one of my work days.

Woodside's charm.

Tree-lined streets are commonplace in Queens, but so too are streets laid out on the grid.  With Sean Og's Pub at its northern end off of Woodside Avenue and the bend for no apparent reason on its way to Queens Boulevard, 60th Street is always a pleasure to walk down that is reminiscent of a hodgepodge street plan of an old world city.  I don't know the history of that jog, and I can't imagine there wasn't a logistical reason for the city planners to break out of the grid pattern for this one street, but it does break up the monotony.

Mr Chicken

In my last post I mentioned Mr. Chicken.  We have had their rotisserie chicken now twice, and finally had their fried chicken Sunday.  I was a bit concerned before ordering because one Yelp review said their fried chicken had been a bit burned, but ours wasn't.  It was crispy, fresh and delicious, and Mr. Chicken's Mac and Cheese, braised Kale, and roasted beets are wonderful.  If you haven't done so, check them out for delivery, they are the kind of small business Woodsiders should want to make sure becomes a fixture in our neighborhood.

Woodside Economy on the Upswing?

It is tricky pinpointing when an economy, even a local one, is improving.  When the Woodside Mini-Mall opened in the old restaurant space on 60-19 Roosevelt last summer and Pudgies chicken place two doors down at 60-29 Roosevelt I saw no broader significance.  Likewise when the Big Six 99 cent store opened it mostly brought a sigh of relief because that space in Big Six Shopping Center had been vacant so long.   Yet the opening of the Mr. Chicken takeaway at the corner of 53rd and Roosevelt, of the Ottomanelli's new Burger joint at 60-15 Woodside Ave, and now of Woodside's very own Polish store Bursztynek at 61-08 Woodside Ave. within the past four months suggests a trend that we in Woodside will all benefit from, hopefully for years to come.

Welcome to Woodsider Insider

Do you live in Woodside, NY? Thinking of moving here? Or just want to get to know more about this fine Queens neighborhood? Then this blog is for you.

I've lived in Woodside for just over two years, although I've been coming here regularly since moving to NYC in 1999. So I'm not going to pretend to be an insider in the sense that I grew up here and this is my life-long turf, but I am here now and I love it and don't anticipate leaving,

I'm happy to let other people know what's what in a vital neighborhood in Western Queens. Look here for information about Woodside life and community affairs, whether it has to do with the nice mix of restaurants, stores old and new that serve the community, the activities of local organizations or local quality of life concerns.

That said, while I hope people will come to see the Woodsider Insider as a great online source about Woodside, I write as an unaffiliated member of the community. I'm not a real estate agent looking for clients or the leader of a local organization, even as I recognize realtors, local businesses and organizations make this community what it is, so if I like something I'm going to shout about and if there is something going on that isn't right I'm going to let you know about that too.