The results are in and Ellen's out

Grace Meng trounced incumbent Assemblywoman Ellen Young in the Democratic primary. The outcomes of the other races came as no surprise.

Ellen Young ready for her primary

Ms. Meng is trying to follow a time-honored tradition in New York politics by making elective office a family enterprise. Her father was the first Asian-American member of the Assembly. Mr. Meng served one term and declined to run for re-election, citing health reasons.

Accident Won’t Deter Queens Assemblywoman

This is his daughter’s second attempt to run for the Assembly. Her race two years ago was derailed when Ms. Young successfully challenged her residency. Since that time, Ms. Meng has acquired an apartment in the district and has emphasized her ties to the community center that she manages in the heart of the 22nd Assembly District.

Meng courting the Commie vote?

"Grace Meng is running for office in Flushing again, this time using PRC CHINA colors!

I have also included a photo of her 2006 campaign poster in which she lost to Ellen Young (note: these were Red, White and Blue).
As an Asian American who really values human rights, civil liberties, and press freedom, I don't think this is the kind of action a politician should take when running for AMERICAN office, especially considering the record of the PRC.
I find this appalling. What becomes of America this way?"

Sean Su
Flushing

17 hurt in Queens apartment explosion

2 of the injured are critical; 37 apartments left unlivable

QUEENS (WABC) -- Dozens of Queens residents are displaced this morning after a gas explosion at an apartment building that injured 17 people, two of them critically.

The incident happened at a six-story building located at 147-25 Sanford Avenue in Flushing.

Authorities say two of the victims are in critical condition. Eight civilians and six firefighters suffered minor injuries. Another civilian suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Preliminary reports were that a gas explosion preceeded a fire that burned on multiple floors of the 90-unit building.

Debris could be seen scattered on fire escapes and around the building.

As fire marshals investigated what caused the two-alarm blaze, City Councilman John Liu raised the possibility of calling for a criminal investigation.

The explosion came minutes after natural gas service was restored at the 1962 building, which had been largely without it for more than a month. State Assemblywoman Ellen Young called the blast an example of "neglect turned tragic."

In a Daily News article published just two weeks ago, residents of the building said a small kitchen fire in one of the apartments had knocked out gas service to the entire building.

Natural gas - which can be turned back on only after a licensed plumber certifies it's safe - was restored Wednesday to part of the building, and Friday to another, Con Ed spokesman Chris Olert said.

It's the landlord's responsibility to secure an OK from the plumber, he added.

"It's up to the property owner to make it safe," he said.

Everything appeared to be in order when Con Ed workers left shortly at 4:13 p.m., Olert said. The explosion rocked the building 11 minutes later, according to firefighters.

Liu described the damage as "devastating" and said he was interviewing residents to see whether "there may be negligence involved, possibly criminal."

The fire caused no structural damage, but charring, water damage, broken windows and collapsed interior partitions left 37 of the building's apartments uninhabitable, the Buildings Department said.

It wasn't clear when residents would be able to return. A junior high school across the street was opened as a shelter.

"After suffering for weeks with no hot water or gas, my constituents now find themselves having to live through an even worse nightmare," Liu said.

The utility shut-off spurred residents to start withholding rent earlier this month, the Daily News reported July 3. Alwall operations director Jeff Pace told the newspaper the landlord had spent tens of thousands of dollars on repairs to try to get the gas back on.

"I'm very sympathetic to the situation over there," Pace said. He said Con Edison had been slow to test a new gas line, which the utility denied.

The fire came nine months after a leaky kitchen gas hose in a Harlem apartment building fueled an explosion that hurt more than 20 people, including four badly burned girls.

Ouch!!

State Assemblywoman Ellen Young (D-Flushing) was recovering Thursday after being badly injured when she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle in Flushing earlier this week.

Assemblywoman Young recovering after serious cycling accident

Young was riding her bike near the corner of Booth Memorial Avenue and 138th Street shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday when she was clipped by a taxi cab as it swerved to avoid her. Young was smashed into the windshield of the cab before being thrown up and over the vehicle and into a nearby wall.

She was briefly knocked unconscious and sustained severe cuts and bruises all over her body — including a gash to her head that required three staples to close — and a dislocated toe.

The incident was ruled an accident and the driver of the taxi was not arrested. Young, an avid bicyclist, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

This avid cyclist doesn't own a helmet? I wish you a speedy recovery, but please lead by example (think of your daughter) and get yourself a helmet.

Liu ignores violence against Falun Gong

Falun Gong practitioners brought some challenging questions to New York City Council Member John Liu on July 2. The session was arranged by Liu's office and held at the Flushing, Queens branch of the New York library.

Council Member John Liu Dodges Questions from Beleaguered Community

The discussion lasted over 2 hours and was attended by about forty Falun Gong practitioners and some media. It was the result of repeated requests by Falun Gong practitioners to meet with Liu since violent attacks against them began happening frequently on May 17.

A video was played for Liu by Falun Gong practitioners which showed an overview of some of what had happened. Most of the footage took place on Main Street of Flushing near the library. In the video, people who were not Falun Gong practitioners waved Chinese Communist flags, and shouted death threats, physically attacked, spit on, and cursed at Falun Gong practitioners.

Liu watched the footage quietly, and dismissed it as not showing anything significant.

Calls Made for Investigation of NY Councilman and Assemblywoman

According to two reports by pro-communist newspapers Chinese Press (Qiaobao) and Ming Daily (Ming Pao) , on June 28 New York State assemblywoman Ellen Young granted an audience to several members of the pro-communist mobs who allegedly assisted the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in their assault against Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing, Queens.

Young, while listening to their "complaints" during the meeting, also said that she would be working with New York council member John Liu to restrict the New York Police Department (NYPD) 109th Precinct from issuing permits which allow Falun Gong practitioners to hold rallies in the downtown Flushing area.

Experts are currently appealing to the U.S. government to investigate these two pro-communist media outlets as well as these two U.S. elected officials for allegedly helping the Chinese communist regime to incite spies and accomplices to assault Falun Gong adherents.

Gioia in drag tomorrow night?

QTIP stages revue starring Queens politicians

An assortment of Queens elected officials will be performing, including congressional, state and city leaders such as Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, City Councilman Leroy Comrie, Councilman James Gennaro, state Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, Councilman Eric Gioia, Councilwoman Melinda Katz, Queens Deputy Borough President Karen Koslowitz, Assemblyman Rory Lancman, Councilman John Liu, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, state Sen. Serphin Maltese, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, Assemblyman Jose Peralta, Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Assemblyman William Scarborough, Councilwoman Helen Sears, state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, Councilman Peter F. Vallone, Jr., U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, Councilman David Weprin, Assemblyman Mark Weprin and Assemblywoman Ellen Young.

How about a barbershop quartet featuring the Weprins and Vallones? Or Toby Stavisky doing burlesque? The possibilities are endless...

Expanding Flushing

Responding to an outcry from local residents for more affordable housing, elected officials announced an initiative Monday that would potentially rezone and residentially develop a small swath of land in western Flushing to bolster affordable housing in the region.

Flushing site eyed for housing

City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing), State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) and a representative for Assemblywoman Ellen Young (D-Flushing) said at a press conference that they are currently conducting a feasibility study to determine whether a 28-acre parcel of land in southwestern Flushing would be fit for development.

Would one of these three please explain how simply building more housing means it will be "affordable" and why everyone thinks its perfectly fine to displace industrial businesses?

From the Trib:
Queens Eyes New Affordable Housing

In other Flushing rezoning news: City Council downzones sections of Flushing

Map from MapQuest