Bronxworks Produce Market, a community non-profit, continues to keep the food farm stand affordable as the worldwide prices of goods rise.

This will be the farm stand’s eighth season in the Bronx. The stand, located on the  Grand Concourse near Yankee Stadium, is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m from July to Thanksgiving. 

 The Bronxworks provides seasonal fresh regional produce, including yams, spinach, pumpkin, beets, apples, and more. The market keeps a price range between one to three dollars for each item of produce or by pound. The produce market accepts cash, EBT cash or food cards; they also provide health incentive coupons from four to ten dollars to customers who participate in their nutrition education workshops.

“The food market produce is more fresh than the produce at the supermarket, and is cheaper as well,” said local shopper Maria Soto. “I’m always here to buy what I can while it lasts.”

As farm stands attempt to maintain a low price on their produce, experts estimated that the overall imported food prices could rise by around 2.6% to 3.4% after President Trump’s tariffs rise. About 40,000 products in the supermarkets will be affected, whether it is the produce or ingredients that contain produce, according to Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit.

“Tariffs affect imported products. Our produce is regional, tariffs do not affect local farm stands so we keep the prices as affordable as we can,” said program specialist Raymond Schwabacher.

The price of an imported apple in chain supermarkets such as Walmart is a dollar to two dollars each, compared to the farm stand, where you can get two apples for three dollars. Also, a bag of organic carrots costs three dollars in Walmart, whereas the market sells them for two dollars a bunch. 

“The farm stand focuses on health, with how the prices of food are going up people might forget the importance of eating healthy, keeping the prices low on fresh food, we help the community stay healthy,” said worker Micheal Williams. 

The Bronxworks Produce Market does not throw away its unsold produce. “If the produce doesn’t sell, we give it to the kitchen or if it’s good for another week we resell it,” said worker Davis. 

   The Muslim Center of New York in Flushing opened its doors on October 19 to Queens residents protesting the possible construction of a casino at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Earlier this year, Queens state Senator John Liu explained that he would introduce the bill to the Legislature about the casino, which would take over 50 acres of land from Flushing Meadows Corona Park, leaving locals furious.

   “We at the Muslim Center are completely against this regime; it will hurt us, our families, our children, our friends, and our faith,” said Abdel Ghani, a member of the Muslim Center’s board. 

   Over 250 individuals came to the protest, many hailing from Flushing, Bayside, Jackson Heights, and Jamaica.

   “Left and right, communities across New York City are rejecting a casino in their neighborhood. All three casino proposals in Manhattan were the first to reject theirs. Coney Island as well, and shockingly, last week, even Yonkers, pulled their casino project,” said Sarah Ahn, organizer with Flushing Workers Center.

   Ahn explained that there are three more proposed casinos all within “a 14-mile radius of each other. Even the Bronx Casino is actually extremely close to Flushing. And the other proposal is in Jamaica, where they already have the Resource World,” a casino opened in 2011. 

   Baojin Qiu, a Flushing resident and home attendant, said, “My husband, my son are both gamblers. Our family is broken because of this. We sold our house, we sold our business, and now a casino in our own home. John Liu, you are breaking my family, shame on you!” 

    Lifelong Flushingite Jack Hu explained to the audience that before John Liu spoke with Steve Cohen, the billionaire Mets owner hoping to build the casino, Liu was against it. Then, in March, Liu met with Cohen and decided to support the Flushing casino. 

   “He drafted a bill to alienate the parkland and pushed it through the New York State Legislature in a record speed of three months,” Hu said. “Senator John Liu works harder and faster for a billionaire’s predatory casino than he has ever worked for you.” 

    Hu added, “We plan to turn out over 2,000 people at Flushing Library, and we’re going to demand that Senator John Liu, Governor Kathy Hochul, and the gaming facility location board strike down this casino.”

  Former Queens state senator Tony Avella also expressed disagreement with the casino plan. “Unfortunately, this has not come up enough in the media,” he said. “Once you lose parkland, you never get it back. Parkland is here. And in my opinion, shame on any elected official who’s allowing parkland to be lost.”

   The state is planning to award three downstate casino licenses. The Gaming Facility Location Board will evaluate each application and base its approval on the projected revenues, number of jobs, variety of amenities, and the development of the financial aspect of the gaming facility. 

   If approved, the casino will be built near Citi-Field with a casino, hotel, a theater, over 100,000 square feet of conference space, and other amenities. The lawmakers within Albany have already approved the use of the land within the Flushing area.

Salsa played throughout Books Are Magic, a downtown Brooklyn bookstore, as readers gathered for Puerto Rican author Jaquira Díaz to discuss her new novel, This Is the Only Kingdom. 

The event, moderated by writers Lupita Aquino and Angie Cruz, marked a homecoming of sorts for Díaz, whose work often explores belonging, migration, and the blurred lines between the island and its diaspora. 

Before the talk, Díaz reflected on what it meant to lose her first language after moving from Puerto Rico to Miami as a child. “I felt like I was forcibly removed,” she said. “The things that were important to me were taken away,  most importantly, language.” At first she wrote in Spanish, she said, “ and then I had to come to the U.S. and learn a whole other language and write in English. It felt like I was translating myself, my memories, my culture.” 

On stage, Díaz compared her novel’s structure to an old-school salsa album, where each chapter carries its own rhythm and story. “Those albums told stories and were really political and anti-colonial,” she said. One chapter was inspired by Ismael Rivera’s “Las Caras Lindas,” which celebrates Black Puerto Rican beauty. Another draws from Héctor Lavoe’s  “Juanito Alemania,” a song about an outlaw she reimagined to explore moral duality. Díaz also spoke about the influence of “El Gran Barón,” calling it a groundbreaking queer salsa song that inspired themes of acceptance and chosen family. Omar Alfanno wrote the song, which Willie Colón performed. 

During the audience Q&A, a reader asked about the striking cover featuring a hawk. Díaz explained that a guarahau is a red-tailed hawk and serves as a symbol throughout the book. “In the story, it’s kind of a harbinger, a messenger. When I was a girl in El Castillo, guarahaus were always in the sky,” she said. “They’d swoop down and grab chicks and fly away. They were majestic and beautiful, but also dangerous.” Díaz said she worked closely with designer Greg Kulik to get the cover right. 

Díaz’s work frequently returns to questions of language and identity. “Even if you don’t speak Spanish and you only speak English, there’s still a strong connection to Puerto Rico,” she said. “Spanish is a colonial language as much as English is.” No matter which language people use,  “we’re still Puerto Rican. We still have a connection, not just to the culture but also to the land.” 

She also spoke about a new sense of optimism among Puerto Rican youth, particularly around independence and decolonization. “College students are thinking about Puerto Rico as potentially having a different future,” Díaz said. “During Hurricane Maria, we didn’t have help from the U.S. government, we just had each other. There’s an optimism and a resilience.” 

This Is the Only Kingdom arrives six years after Díaz’s award-winning memoir Ordinary Girls, which earned her a Whiting Award, the Florida Book Awards Gold Medal, and a Lambda Literary Award nomination. Her essays and fiction have appeared in The Guardian, The Atlantic, and The Best American Essays. 

While Díaz has not yet published a book in Spanish, she often speaks about the role of language, translation, and cultural memory in her writing, bridging the gap between island and diaspora voices. 

After the talk, Díaz signed copies for attendees who thanked her for giving voice to shared experiences. For Díaz, whose work moves between English and Spanish worlds, the evening reflected what her fiction captures best: the resilience and rhythm of a people still writing themselves home. 

The path to affordable housing is more clear for the Rockaways, as the New York City Council passed a new amendment to an existing project that would strengthen the waterfront community. On Wednesday, Oct. 8, the New York City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, and Dispositions voted to pass land use applications that refer to the Arvene East Project, which will “transform a 116-acre vacant, oceanfront site within the Arverne and Edgemere neighborhoods of Queens.” 

The project is located right on the Rockaway Peninsula and was described as “one of the most environmentally conscious developments in the United States,” in a press release by nyc.gov in December of 2021. 

“Arverne East is a true community-first and environmentally-friendly project that will bring much-needed housing, stores, community space and other amenities to a long-neglected neighborhood,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr in the press release. 

According to the city, the project will see the creation of new affordable housing units, a nature preserve, and an urban farm across the waterfront. The project also sets out to create better storm resiliency for the Rockaways as new developments will be built “three to eight feet above the existing grade” and include storm buffers for the area. The project’s first phase in 2021 focused on the nature preserve, which will take up about 35 acres between Beach 44th Street and Beach 56th Place. The preserve will include a community center that is owned and operated by RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity), a non-profit organization that promotes civic engagement and hosts youth development programs. 

While the project was first given approval by the Committee on Land Use on March 25, 2021, these new applications were presented to the subcommittee on Tuesday, Sept. 30. District 37 Councilmember Sandy Nurse served as the acting chair for the portion, with Councilmember Selvena N. Brooks Powers, who oversees District 31, which includes Arvene East. Testimony was given by Kevin Parris, the director of Queens & Staten Island Planning at New York City Housing Preservation and Developments Project (HPD), and Justin Donlon, a project manager at HPD. HPD is involved in the project and submitted the new applications. 

The new applications look to expand homeownership on Arvene East. Where the original project designated that 5 percent of the units were to be cooperative homeownership units, the new proposal would increase that to 7 percent “with the remaining units to be rental units,” according to Parris. Cooperative homeownership units (or co-ops for short) are units where tenants own and share responsibility for the buildings. 

“Residents looking to purchase a unit within a co-op will own shares of the overall corporation rather than owning the walls-in unit itself. The number of shares a resident owns pertains to the size of the unit itself,” said Brian Shahwan, vice president and mortgage banker at William Raveis Mortgage to Architectural Digest. 

A co-op isn’t the same as if someone were to buy property themselves, rather they would be entitled to a share of the building. The idea of co-ops on Arvene East contributes to the ideas of community and collaboration outlined in the project, while giving community members a chance at homeownership. According to Parris, the project is set to be closed by the end of the calendar year. 

“Pathways to homeownership are critical in my district and across the city,” said Brooks Powers. “That is why I’m excited to see that there’s movement on homeownership units for the Arvene East development.” 

Gathering at the edge of the Amazon property line in Maspeth, Queens, Teamsters and community members rallied on September 8th to demand justice after 105 unionized drivers were fired. The union is also pressuring Amazon to negotiate a contract that would include higher wages and workplace safety protections. 

“At night, we came to drop off the truck, and they told us, do not come. No reason for why Amazon cut the contract. No nothing. Just go home,” said Kalid, who declined to give his last name, a terminated driver who had been with Amazon since December. “They do not even wish us luck.” 

Amazon maintains that because the drivers had been subcontracted under the Delivery Service Provider (DSP) Cornucopia, they were not officially employed by Amazon and therefore were not fired by the megacorporation when the contract was abruptly cut – a “scam” tactic that the Teamsters say Amazon employs to deny culpability for the firings. 

In 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that Amazon is a joint employer of DSP drivers, and has a legal obligation to recognize and bargain with the union. An Amazon spokesperson refuted the claims in a statement to Mashable, saying that the Teamsters were using misinformation to spread their agenda and that the NLRB had never told them they must bargain with the union. In an attempt to block a case alleging the company unfairly retaliated against workers who voted to unionize, Amazon has claimed that NLRB proceedings deny the company a trial by jury, violating its Fifth Amendment rights to due process. Amazon asked for a temporary restraining order until its claims could be reviewed, which was denied. 

After President Trump took office in January 2025, he fired NLRB Board Chair Gwynne Wilcox, leaving the board without the three-member quorum needed to make rulings on cases regarding unlawful labor practices or union representation. “Unless an employer is willing to go along with what the board says, the employer can stall a case indefinitely right now,” Lauren McFerran, who served as chair of the board during the Biden administration, told The Guardian. 

In 2024, workers at the Maspeth facility voted to join  the Teamsters union, which represents almost 10,000 Amazon employees across the country. The union gave Amazon a deadline of December 15, 2024, to begin the collective bargaining process nationwide. Amazon failed to do so, triggering strikes at multiple facilities across the country, including Maspeth. Amazon still refuses to come to the bargaining table, instead using scare tactics and misinformation to dissuade workers from joining the union, according to warehouse employee Tristan Martinez. 

“For seven years, all I’ve seen is Amazon care less and less and get away with more, and more and more. There is no reason somebody working 40 hours a week should not be able to make their rent. There is no reason why 105 people should be fired, and then people should say, oh, you don’t want to work,” said Martinez. He added that while the terminated drivers would be happy to have their jobs back, they would “not work for scraps. We will not work for the bare minimum. We will not work for a company that will step right over us if we fall.” 

While passing drivers honked in solidarity, several politicians stood to support the Teamsters and their struggle for labor rights amidst the Trump administration’s continued attacks on workers. We must “remind the corporations and the billionaires that they did not get there alone. That they became rich off the blood, sweat, and tears of your neighbors,” said Brooklyn Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes. “And while the 1% feels emboldened with this administration, we’re here to say we are standing with our union brothers and sisters and remind you that we are the 99%.” Other politicians present included Queens Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas and City Council Members Sandy Nurse and Amanda Farías. 

The Teamsters’ demands have yet to be recognized. But union leaders assured members that the fight was not over, chanting, “Because when we fight – WE WIN!” 

On Tuesday, Oct. 29th, Future of Fifth invited the public to an open house at the CUNY Graduate Center on proposed changes to Fifth Avenue between Bryant Park and Central Park. Future of Fifth is a partnership between New York City Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu and multiple city agencies to transform and improve the space for visitors. 

“Fifth Avenue is one of the most famous streets in the world, and yet there has not been a public investment in over 120 years,” said Madelyn Wils, Interim President of the Fifth Avenue Association and co-chair of a future Fifth Avenue ste​​ering committee.

 “It [Fifth Avenue] also generates over 3.9 billion dollars in taxes and what that means is that 4.5% of those taxes actually go back to the city to fund our city improvements,” said Isabel Castilla, an Associate Partner for Field Operations. “So it is really important that we continue supporting Fifth Avenue as an economic engine, which eventually does impact the entire city at large.” 

Home to iconic attractions, including Bryant Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue is used by approximately 5,477 pedestrians every day. But, recent survey data presented during the open house shows they typically spend less than two hours on the street, and 75% of people use negative words to describe their experiences. The $350 Million facelift aims to change this by creating more greenspace, wider sidewalks, and design elements that highlight key attractions. 

 “Pedestrians are the number one transportation mode on Fifth Avenue and it’s important to keep people wanting to come to Fifth for a variety of reasons,” said Wils. 

The plan aims to make Fifth Avenue more pedestrian-centered, but there will still be car and bus lanes on the boulevard. The proposal illustrates a three-lane system, with a bus lane in the center, and two lanes for other vehicles. 

There was little mention of bikes throughout the open house presentation. The DOT is studying different bike lane options, including converting an existing bike lane on Sixth Avenue into a two-way bike lane, as well as developing a connection on 59th Street to Grand Army Plaza and Fifth Avenue. But there was no definitive statement on what the future of bikes on Fifth will look like. 

According to an Oct. 17th, 2024 press release,“Fifth Avenue has long been an economic powerhouse for New York City. The avenue is responsible for 313,000 direct and indirect jobs, which in turn generate $44.1 billion in total wages and $111.5 billion in total economic output each year.” 

This is a joint project across multiple city agencies, including The Fifth Avenue Association, New York City Department of Transportation (DOT,) NYC Parks, the Central Park Conservancy, Bryant Park Corporation, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC.) While the project is pedestrian-focused, it also aims to continue to feed the economy of New York. 

Some of the major changes for pedestrians coming to Fifth Avenue include enlarging sidewalks to 33.5 feet wide and shortening crosswalks by more than a third of their current length. Crosswalks will also be raised to sidewalk level.

“What this historically has shown us, as we look at this strategy across the world, is that it slows down vehicles and gives way to pedestrians, creating a much more safer environment,” said Castilla. 

During the open house, Future of Fifth showed recent images of people sitting in front of storefronts because of a lack of benches, and described bright lights that are jarring to visitors. The proposal aims to increase seating space and to control lighting across the boulevard, encouraging people to spend more time exploring the street. 

“We also have a lot of lack of character in this space. The street just feels like a regular street as opposed to our big destination within the city,” said Castilla. “So this is when we see a lot of opportunities to improve that public realm by adding street trees, by adding greenery, by adding social spaces, some seating, that again not only accommodate that large number of pedestrians, but there is also a much more pleasant experience for those on Fifth Avenue.” 

 According to NYC Parks Vital Parks Explorer, only 9% of people living in this area, Community District 05, live on a block “fully stocked” with street trees, and only 4% of the land has a tree canopy cover. These are the lowest data points across all five boroughs of New York. The proposed design includes 231 new trees that will be planted across the avenue.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to really right size and balance the street to center pedestrians,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “Time and time and time again, in all global cities, the data bears out.  Beyond a shadow of a doubt, when you focus and yield space, and create space for vibrant pedestrian traffic, it does wonders for the public space, the quality of life, and it also is an economic development tool, and quite a powerful one.”

On Tuesday, March 21, the Brooklyn College Women’s Center hosted an event empowering women entrepreneurs to connect with one another. This event gave entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet inspiring women entrepreneurs. 

Recognizing the success of women in a male-dominated job market is relevant and important in this day and age. As the women set up their pop-up shops, the exchange of friendly banter lightened the atmosphere. This was a safe environment for these women to connect with one another and understand their plight and sacrifice that the entrepreneurial journey entails.

Sixty-seven-year old Brooklynite Edith Barnes, a Jamaican immigrant, finds herself styling hair on Flatbush and Church Avenues.  

After 33 years at her parlor Barnes reminisces while finishing up her clients hair. 

“My family and friends question why I haven’t retired, ” said Barnes. “My work gives me a sense of purpose and I look forward to getting ready to go to work everyday.” 

Barnes’ success  story is a goal many entrepreneurs aspire to tell someday. Although Barnes has been successful with her hair styling business, she has faced many hardships along her career path. 

Brooklyn College junior Tabitha Brown finds herself juggling school and her hand-made soy candle business. The 22-year old aspires to use her Business Administration degree as a guide post to reaching the success she wants to see for “Scented by Tabitha.”  

“Entrepreneurship is a full time job, I make it look good but sometimes I have sleepless nights,” says Brown. 

In a report by Hello Alice, “Standing in the Gaps: A Roadmap to Redesign the Capital Continuum for Women Tech Founders,” 2,000 tech entrepreneurs were interviewed about their entrepreneurship.  . 

“Fifty-three percent of women business owners say they have unmet financing needs, with loans and credit cards cited as the most common forms of financing sought,” the report states. 

Brown, along with many other women entrepreneurs, are struggling financially and are swimming in debt despite the myriad of loans available to women entrepreneurs.

“These scholarships and grants give a lot of us false hope, they’re extremely selective and difficult to receive,” Brown responded.”

Her transparency about her struggling to keep her business afloat is a testimony to challenges many women entrepreneurs face. 

It’s a struggle Brooklyn College Professor Tequila White is also familiar with. 

White runs a PR company, while also teaching public relations at Brooklyn College. Understanding how she juggles being a professor and entrepreneur brings a lot of insight and inspiration for those considering taking a similar path as White.

“The future of Black women in entrepreneurship has shifted over these past few years. There has been a push for more support of small black- businesses. We just have to keep that trend going,” said White.

Two former York College graduates discussed their journeys in journalism and provided vital information to undergraduate journalism students on Wednesday afternoon.

Levar Alonzo and Janae Hunter were invited to give their first-hand experiences during professor Thomas Moore’s class on Zoom. Moore was both Alonzo’s and Hunter’s professor during their time at York College.

Hunter’s advice for students was to “Get a head start on collecting clips and bylines.” She wishes that she would have got it done earlier for her portfolio.

Alonzo, who now works for CNN+, graduated in 2017. On his way there he worked for four local papers such as Amsterdam News. After he got laid off from one of them he went to New York University graduate school of journalism and received his master’s in 2019. He later went on to intern at “60 Minutes.”

“Experience is a big thing,” Alonzo said when he was asked about how difficult was it to break into mainstream media. “Have all of your articles in a row to show internships,” he continued “Lead with your best shot first.” He took two internships during his last two semesters.

A black student asked him for advice from one person of color to another. “Just be heard and don’t be scared to talk about black issues,” Alonzo said, “You’re there cause you want to be heard and stand out.”

Hunter, who is now a segment producer for the 7 p.m. news at CBS, graduated in 2015 and went to Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. She then worked for NY1 for three years.

She mainly wanted to get into broadcasting and told the class that “It’s different to write for the eye than the ear.”

Another student asked Hunter if they should have print articles because they wanted to focus on broadcasting too, she said “It doesn’t hurt to have text articles cause if you don’t know how to write you won’t make it in this business.”

Hunter told the class when setting up a pitch make sure that it is something “that can be visually told and always have guests or voices in mind.”

CNN+ starts streaming on Mar. 29. Alonzo’s show on the streaming service is “The Interview Club” where they will conduct interviews in a more relaxed manner opposed to a more formal television style. They want to present it differently from cable TV in order to engage younger people more into news.

While companies such as Apple, Tesla and Amazon have been profiting despite the pandemic, many New York City small businesses have closed due to the lockdowns and lack of business because of COVID-19.

In an effort to prevent the closure of local small businesses, The Citizens Committee for New York City (CitizensNY) is offering grants up to $10,000 to small business owners that are facing scarcity because of COVID-19. CitizensNYC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “help New Yorkers—especially those in low-income communities—come together and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.” It held a virtual information session on Feb. 3 about the grants.

Gina Ramcharan, Neighborhood Business Grants Consultant of CitizensNY, explained that businesses that are owned by women, people of color, immigrants including “undocumented immigrants that were prohibited to apply for PPP” (Paycheck Protection Program) are prioritized for the business grant.

The PPP, a federal program, “provided small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.” It ran out last May.

Ramcharan gave examples of the kinds of businesses that CitizensNY has already helped. She mentioned Figure 8 Studio, located in South Ozone Park, Queens, a business with a focus on teaching diverse dances from different cultures, was one of the many recipients that benefited from a small business grant.

The studio was forced to close during the peak of the pandemic, but with grant it was able to install HVAC filters, adapt their space to adhere to the city guidelines and purchased additional PPE (personal protective equipment).

Another grant recipient that was facing closure of his business was the owner of Enoch’s Bike Shop, Enoch Cooper, a Panamanian immigrant. Cooper sells to his community highly customizable bike parts for an affordable price.  He was able to change his business infrastructure to “allow proper social distancing. Better ventilation and sanitation. We’re proud to say we put the brakes on closing Enoch’s bicycle shop,” said Ramcharan.

“We also amplify voices across the five boroughs,” she said, explaining that the non-profit also helps the communities by conducting surveys, creating forums for the citizens who want to voice what is affecting them. “[We] bring people across our city together to generate solutions for though problems,” she said.

To be eligible for a grant, the business must have 10 or less employees and located within the five boroughs of New York City. Applicants must provide business records for the years of 2019, 2020 and 2021 and a grant spending plan, along with a snapshot of their current monthly budget.

The requirement that holds the most weight, said Ramcharan, is how their business engages the community where they are located. “How is your business a game changer in your surrounding community?”

Frankellys Sanchez had his first payday planned when he worked as an intern for CBS and decided to run to Footlocker to get his hands on a pair of the Air Jordan 1 Retro High “Bred” as soon as his workday ended. That’s when his sneaker collection sprouted to where it’s at today at 24 pairs.

“Once you get your first pair, you wear it so much that you get tired of it and want to switch it up,” he said.

Many sneakerheads have that one pair of sneakers that propels them to want more and it gets to a point where enough is enough as other responsibilities become significant.

Sanchez, 17, is a senior at Cristo Rey, a New York City high school, and he’s gearing up for life as a college student.

“I plan on going to college, and things have to change. I need to be more selective with what I waste my money on,” said Sanchez.

Though his hobby began when he was able to afford it, Sanchez received a pair of the Nike LeBron Soldier 7 as a gift from his parents when he was in middle school, and that gave him the feeling of being a big shot.
Sanchez admits that his parents have become fed up with his fetish for sneakers, which led to his mom giving away quite a few pairs to family in the Dominican Republic.

“We’ve had that talk,: he conceded. “My father is a smart man, and he told me that if I would’ve saved the money that I spent on sneakers, I could’ve had a car. But I’m 17 and I don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

Two years after buying the Air Jordan 1 with his hard-earned money, he hasn’t quite lost his taste for collecting.

However, he has two problems as he keeps more than half of his collection at his grandmother’s house and isn’t allowed to wear any of them to school due to a dress code that his school enforces.Cristo Rey is a Catholic high school, after all.
“I only wear my sneakers when my school has dress down day or on weekends,” he said.

As he prepares for life as a young adult, Sanchez is focused on finishing high school strong with hopes of being accepted into John Jay College of Criminal Justice to study Forensic Science.

Sanchez keeps his 24 pairs and counting inside of translucent containers. He named the Air Jordan 1 Retro High “Court Purple” and adidas Yeezy 700 V3 “Azael” his favorite sneakers released this year.

The mania lives!

Ventura Air Services announced the addition of four new aircraft to their fleet at an event at Republic Airport on Thursday, as the Farmingdale-based flight chartering service attempts to continue to develop while being one of the many small businesses trying to function in the current economy.

“Private aviation is an important sector on Long Island and a vital part of the regional economy,” said Nick Tarascio, CEO of Ventura. “I am very optimistic about the industry’s growth, as well as our vision for expansion and providing more options to our customers.”

Ventura’s fleet showcased two Bombardier Challenger 604 10-passenger, twin-engine jets and two Cessna Citation Excel 560 series two-engine jets. The company can accommodate up to ten guests on these aircraft, with plans by the end of the year to expand their 8 aircraft fleet to serve both domestically and internationally over the majority of the western hemisphere.

“With the investment in our fleet and infrastructure, we are positioning the company as a leading air services provider in the New York region and beyond,” said Tarascio.

As the company operates flights that ship organs for immediate donation around New York State hospitals, Ventura has continued to operate throughout the pandemic at some capacity.  However its private charter service has taken a significant hit with the lack of travel.

“Commercial aviation is on life support,” said Tarascio.

With a staff of 52 employees, Ventura is one of many small businesses who are finding ways to conduct business and grow in unprecedented economic adversity. They’re promoting cash flow by offering incentives for customers who wish to charter that would be unheard of by big name airlines, such as pre-payment plans that allow customers to fly tax-free in 2021.

The pandemic-induced damage of the commercial airline industry has created business opportunities for companies like Ventura to make chartering flights more accessible to everyday travelers.

As the country continues to resort to limiting contact to immediate friends and family due to COVID, those who wish to travel for work or pleasure may find chartering a flight not only safer, but now competitively priced.

If two families of four can fly from Republic Airport to Florida on a private plane for a competitive price without restrictions imposed on commercial flights like beverage and container size requirements, more freedom and comfort while traveling safely and exclusively seems like a no-brainer.

The well known mega airlines like American and United have made their struggles well known in the pandemic, and the way all flights in the United States function have completely changed. Airlines have furloughed thousands of employees, and have seen their busiest quarter utterly evaporate with the lingering pandemic.

Commercial Flights in the United States no longer have alcohol or beverage service, and future limitations of capacity in enclosed spaces may result in flights not being able to be sold to capacity. The only way the airline industry may be able to survive a post-pandemic world is by using smaller planes to fly small groups of people, some industry observers say.

Production of large aircraft has come to a halt in the decline of travel, as Boeing reported net losses of $2.4 billion in the second quarter of 2020. The world’s largest aircraft producer last year didn’t even receive a single order for an airplane from a major commercial airline in September, subsequently announcing on Wednesday that they will lay off another 7,000 employees; bringing their job cuts to 30,000 this year.

Through these signs however, the industry continues to go with the notion of large jets being the safest and most convenient way to travel. In an announcement Wednesday that shows no plan on downsizing the size of their aircraft, the FAA lifted the ban placed on the Boeing 737 MAX jet after two horrendously fatal crashes due to software malfunctions last Fall.

If private flights on smaller airplanes were affordable, sanitary, and safe, it would create competition between companies like Ventura and the airline industry tycoons to offer better services and flight experiences, something that is primarily absent in an industry that is generally associated with poor customer service and high prices.

Ventura will continue to expand its number of workers, as the company plans to add 25  employees to its workforce over the next year, as pilots, mechanics, and logistics staff.

companies like Ventura may be able to seize an opportunity to succeed while offering a better product and service than what is currently offered.

A 75 foot-tall, 45-foot-wide Norway Spruce from Oneonta, New York was hauled to its destination in Rockefeller Center on Thursday but with a dangerous new surge of COVID-19 in full swing,
there will be no public access to this year’s tree lighting ceremony.

That was the word from ceremony organizers while decisions on what visitors can see besides the and how they will see the tree were still being planned. In fact, the mere trickle of tourists into the city portends a gloomy holiday season in general.

“We don’t have any updated figures quite yet but will be issuing our holiday release next week,” said Christopher Heywood of NYC & Company. With no international tourists, and many locals staying indoors, Christmas in New York will be like no other.

Local businesses were expected to struggle to gain the much needed funds. The holidays are an essential time for businesses, especially many small businesses. With the lack of foot traffic from tourists, and no sign of a stimulus bill before the end of 2020, New York City businesses will have trouble during “the most wonderful time of the year.”

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was scheduled to be held mostly virtually this year, with a one-block parade near Herald Square and so will Macy’s Santa Claus visit, the retailer announced.

It got so bad that some Grinch trolls of the internet panned the tree itself.

“Could the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree look any worse?” one social media Scrooge wrote about the tree that was noticeably missing foliage and branches on much of its lower half.

Others compared the tree to the scraggly one in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

Ho-h0-ho.

When Independent Bookstore Day kicked off on the last Saturday of April, the shop owners were hoping to ring in large crowds.

Independent Bookstore Day is a yearly event in which indie bookstores around the country are encouraged to celebrate authors, illustrators and publishers in their own ways.

Greenlight Bookstore, located at 686 Fulton St. in Fort Greene, had events slated for the day to celebrate local talent.

In 2007, Rebecca Fitting and Jessica Bagnulo, both veterans of the publishing industry, had the idea to open a bookstore. Coincidentally, at the same time, the Fort Greene Association ran a survey that asked residents what they would want to see the most in their neighborhood. Their number one answer: a bookstore.

The one-day celebration offered an immediate boost. “We would make about 20 percent more than an average Saturday,” Fitting said.

And bookstores need help.

For the last decade, independent bookstores appeared to have been in a slow decline. Battling major online retailers like Amazon. The market shrank significantly for them. Indie sellers struggled with creating their social media footprint and the prevalence of e-books.

This, along with the 2008 recession, has slashed into their profits. Bookstore sales were $17 billion as recently as 2007 and were at $11 billion in 2015, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

There is no marked improvement this year so far. Sales are estimated to be around $1.4 billion in January, $690 million in February, and $725 million in March this year, a number that has been stagnant since 2013, says another study done by the U.S. Census Bureau.

However, residents have high hopes to turn this trend around, not wanting to see their beloved indie bookstores disappear. Thanks to the downsizing of larger book chains like Barnes & Noble, and emphasis on locally sourced products in cities, there is revitalized interest in indie bookstores.

In 2016, according to the American Booksellers Association, 87 new bookstores  opened in the U.S., translating into a 42.6 percent increase from 2015 — defying the lukewarm sales.

Communities have come to love indie bookstore not just for their novelty, but for their contributions back to a community. Local bookstores donate and contribute to local charities and events, and also host their own events for the community.

At the Greenlight Bookstore event, a photo booth off to the side let customers talk and take photos with featured local authors. Near the register, shirts and totes with the shop’s name on it were offered for a price to anyone checking out. At the back of the store, a table was set up for children’s activities.

The yellow finish of the wood floors was scratched and worn to a dull gray in between the narrow aisles of filled bookshelves that reach to the ceiling. Customers placed their umbrellas in a small bucket next to the door, knowing that the would still be there when they return. Parents left their baby strollers by the entrance unattended to browse while their children ran off to a booth set up for arts and crafts.

For Casey O’Rourke, 30, a resident of Fort Greene, this was his first time to a store hosting Independent Bookstore Day. “It’s great to see the predicted death of the physical book is an exaggeration.”

“I think they’re fantastic” said Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Jeremy Sitnick, 40, who loves the idea of an indie bookstore in his area. “It’s great being exposed to new books.”

In Queens, Astoria Bookshop had set up its own plans for the evening. Tucked underneath the overhead train tracks, Astoria Bookshop is a small bookstore located at 31-29 31st St. Launched almost four years ago, Astoria Bookshop has been doing Independent Bookstore Day for the last three years.

This year, the staff set up its own service called “Book Prescription Booth,”  a staff recommendation based on a customer’s preference, with a 10 percent discount tacked on. The store also invited a local illustrator to come in to run a drawing table for kids.

In partnership with another bookstore, customers can bring their receipt to Housing Works, a Manhattan-based charity that provides services to people affected by HIV/AIDS, for an additional 10 percent at Astoria Bookshop or a free drink at Housing Works’ line of stores.

Described by the store’s events manager, Kisky Holwerda, as “Astoria’s only general interest bookstore,” the Astoria Bookshop is one of the last vestiges of an industry that has disappeared recently in Queens. Just last year, Barnes & Noble closed both of its stores in Queens , leaving residents fewer options.

Seated at a small children’s table, Dana Wulfekotte, an animator and illustrator living in Astoria, drew colorful cartoon characters on a sheet of paper as part of the children’s event. There  “I believe it’s a great day to celebrate books,” said Wulfekotte, “it is important especially as [Astoria Bookshop] is one of the last in Queens.”

Astoria Bookshop’s owner, Lexi Beach, a publishing veteran, hurried around the store assisting customers and manning the register. This event in particular can expect a big turnout for the store. “I would not be surprised if we did twice as good as we do on a typical Saturday,” Beach said.

“It is sort of an all-day extravaganza,” said Holwerda. “Independent Bookstore Day has been one our biggest days of the year. It is really wonderful to see so many people turn out to support independent bookstores and everyone is so excited, it’s just a great mood, it’s a great day, so we expect a lot of people to come in.”

Jackson Heights resident Bill Bruno, a regular customer, is very supportive of the store. “Independent bookstores are responsive to local needs and trends,” he said.

“I think they’re an important business, with one role among many,” said Astoria resident Amanda Writh, yelling as the N train came thundering through.

“I think they’re incredibly important,” said David Kirtley, freelance author, host of the podcast  “Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy” for Wired magazine, and occasional shopper at Astoria Bookstore. “There was a period of time where it seemed like independent bookstores were dying out, – but it seems to have basically flattened out.”

“With bookstores I think it is becoming more of a thing,” added Stephanie Grossman, publishing industry veteran and marketing associate at JSTOR, and also Kirtley’s companion. “Especially since people are moving into that local mindset where it is better to get produce that was farmed in a farm right outside the city than in other countries. I think it is the same mindset with bookstores, we want more mom and pop bookstores.”

Photo, top: Rebecca Fitting, co-owner of Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene.

When writer Benjamin Ludwig raised his autistic daughter, he never expected how much he would delve into the lives of children like her. What he learned inspired him to write his debut novel “Ginny Moon.”

Ludwig is a 42-year-old former public school teacher from New Hampshire and father of three who spent many years teaching English in both middle school and high school before moving on to writing. Last year, he signed a book deal with Park Row Books to publish his upcoming young adult novel.

“Ginny Moon is a 14-year-old who is adopted from the foster care system, and as soon she is adopted, she immediately begins plotting her own kidnapping,” said Ludwig. “She wants to get back to her birth mother for a, one would call, a mysterious reason.”

Ludwig’s daughter, who is now 17 years old, was not the basis for his novel, he said, but caring for her exposed Ludwig to the lives of other autistic children. He crafted his protagonist and story around his experiences in meeting and talking to parents who also have special needs children.

“When my wife and I adopted our daughter, that really became our world,” Ludwig said. “We met tons and tons of kids in care and also foster parents, therapists, social workers. So hearing all of their stories really is what inspired the book.”

His publisher, Park Row Books, is a new imprint of Harlequin Books that will specialize in literary fiction. It marks the continued expansion of a New York-based company long known for its romance novels.

The Park Row imprint is named after the lower Manhattan street nicknamed “Newspaper Row” because of a hub of newspaper offices there in the beginning of the 20th century. Aside from “Ginny Moon,” Park Row Books plans to release titles of two unannounced books by New York Times bestselling authors Mary Kubica and Heather Gudenkauf.

For a first-time novelist like Ludwig, it’s a coup to be a major part of such a launch.

While not his first published work, “Ginny Moon” will be his debut novel, which he said does not pressure him.

Ludwig said he was surprised that his book would launch the new imprint, but said the challenge didn’t worry him. He said he felt he had a “good handle” on the publishing industry after dealing with Park Row Books and with the release of his novella “Sourdough,” by Texas Review Press in 2014. Before that, he published in education journals and small literary magazines.

“When I initially signed the contract with my agent, Jeff Kleinman, and the publisher, we were just another title,” Ludwig said. “`Ginny Moon’ was just another book that Park Row had acquired. It took about six months … that’s when they decided to make it the inaugural title.”

The book got off to a good start with Publishers Weekly and Booklist giving it starred reviews. “Ludwig’s excellent debut is both a unique coming-of-age tale and a powerful affirmation of the fragility and strength of families,” Publishers Weekly said.

Ludwig’s advises a would-be author to find an agent, whom you have to pitch your idea to, with some samples and a summary. If the agent likes your idea, you’ll be offered a contract, he said. From there, the agent will take the book and submit it to the publishers.

To amateur writers, he believes that reaching the end of a project is the most important part of writing. To aspiring writers, he stresses that completing the project is the most important step. “You have to see the end of your works, so you can see how you could have improved the beginning … which is unfortunate because novels are so darn long,” he said,

“You have to [write] a whole bunch of books before you become comfortable in that form… but you learn from them, and that’s what is really important.”

“Ginny Moon” is set to release on May 2.

Nassau Coliseum is set to reopen its doors on April 5 with a performance by Long Island native Billie Joel after a renovation that has been in the works since November 2015.

Joel, who performed at the final event at the old coliseum in August 2015, will be followed during the opening week by artists ranging from Stevie Nicks to Marc Anthony. The arena will host the final  show of the fabled Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus on May 21.

After that though?

That is the $89 million question–the amount it cost taxpayers to renovate the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

At the same time, fans no longer have the New York Islanders hockey team to cheer for—they’ve played in Barclays Center since 2015. They are left with the Long Island Nets, the Brooklyn Nets’ development team that plays in the recently re-branded G-League (the “G” coming from the league’s new sponsor, Gatorade).

The Long Island Nets have been playing home games at Barclays Center so far this season and the attendance has been underwhelming. to say the least. The team’s home opener game saw just 1,298 fans, while its Nov. 27  contest against the Grand Rapids Drive saw the most fans ever in attendance–1,377.

The new Nassau Coliseum will hold approximately 13,000 people, raising the prospect of an empty arena. Still, team officials say they believe the Coliseum will draw fans for the Long Island Nets.

“Once word of mouth gets around about how affordable and family friendly Long Island Nets games are people will be filling up the stands,” said Mandy Gutmann, senior director at Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, which controls the two teams and markets Barclays Center and the Coliseum.

Having the inaugural season for the Long Island Nets in Brooklyn may have been a questionable move, but team Vice President Alton Byrd sounded a little more optimistic.

“While we are moving to Long Island, we are delighted to have developed our fan base in Brooklyn and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to play at Barclays Center,” said Byrd.

A general admission ticket to the Long Island Nets games at Barclays Center costs just $15, but even so, the “fan base” appears to be a small one.

Long Island and Queens fans can reach Barclays Center via the he Long Island Rail Road, but the LIRR does not have a stop in Uniondale, where the Coliseum is located. Plans for one were canceled.

That did not stop customers from going to the Coliseum before, generally by car. While the Long Island Nets seem unlikely to draw large crowds, the arena should be able to draw people on the strength of an impressive schedule of musical acts.

Metallica will be playing there despite the fact that the rest of the shows on its tour will be held in large football stadiums.

But without the presence of a major professional sports team, it will be an uphill climb for the new Coliseum to make a profit. In 2015, the Nassau Coliseum’s operator owed $6 million to the county. That was with a professional sports team able to fill up at least half of the arena. The new arena will hold fewer seats for concerts. The Coliseum will be open once again, but the question to be answered is: To whom?

Photo: The new Nassau Coliseum is set to open April 5. (NassauCountyNY.gov)