🌱 Blood Drives + Street Vendor Scavenger Hunt​ + Subway Attack

Rise and shine, Queens! Here's everything you need to know to get this Friday started off right.

First, today's weather:

Mild with rain, some heavy. High: 63 Low: 46.

Here are the top stories today in Queens:

1. There are multiple blood drives taking place this week in northern Queens. On Nov. 14, both St. Anastasia Church in Douglaston and St. Kevin RC Church in Flushing will be hosting drives in the morning through the afternoon. The New York Blood Center asks donors to self-screen for Covid-19 and those with symptoms who have had close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected of having it in the last 14 days; or who have been diagnosed with or suspected of having it (until 28 days after the illness has resolved) are asked not to donate. (Queens Chronicle)
2. The head of a now-defunct panel that was tasked with coming up with ways to repair the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is now discussing the idea of tearing it down. New York Building Congress President & CEO Carlo Scissura said Wednesday that the city should seize the moment and reimagine the entire 11.7-mile corridor from the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge in Brooklyn to the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, in light of President Biden’s new $1.2-trillion federal infrastructure bill. The legislation includes funds for grants of as much as $2 million to “study the feasibility and impacts of removing, retro-fitting, or mitigating” a highway that “creates a barrier to community connectivity, including barriers to mobility, access, or economic development.”(Streetsblog New York)
3. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop announced it has signed two multi-unit franchise deals to expand the brand into Queens, as well as Staten Island. Jov and Jo Vanguard with The Execs Hospitality Group signed a deal with the shop which will bring five units to Queens. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is the nation’s fastest-growing dumpling automat concept and is on track to meet its target growth trajectory of 250 units in development within two years, after a year of rapid growth. (QSR magazine)
4. Street vendors have created the first NYC Street Vendor Scavenger Hunt as a way to raise awareness of the industry. People can register for the month-long competition and go on a citywide adventure to collect and submit pictures of places, items, and food. Throughout the city, it's estimated that more than 20,000 people are operating street vending businesses. (WPIX 11 New York)
5. Police are looking for a subway rider who fractured another man's jaw inside the Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights E subway station in Queens. Surveillance video shows the suspect pushing a 66-year-old victim to the ground on Oct. 31 in an unprovoked attack. The suspect is described as a male 5'6'' to 5'8'' and approximately 150 to 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue mask, blue headphones, a black jacket, black pants and pink sneakers. (WABC-TV)

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Today in Queens:

• The Glendale Comedy Night Returns to the Avenue (8:00 PM)
• Sidewalk Stargazing - William F. Moore Park (6:30 PM)

Queens Patch Notebook

• Queens Borough President Donovan Richards: "Please join us on Tuesday November 16 for our Transgender Day of Remembrance Ceremony to honor those who lost their lives due to anti-trans violence and standing in power to end anti-transgender hate. #TransIsBeautiful RSVP at queensbp.org/rsvp" (Facebook)
• Queens Chamber of Commerce: "Our long-time member, White Coffee Corporation, has just been awarded the highest certification for food safety and quality! Family-owned, the business has stood the test of time since 1939. #ShopSmall this holiday season. " (Facebook)
• Queens Botanical Garden: "📢 Announcing! Create your own festive holiday wreath using fresh cut pine, fir, and other evergreens! Our Holiday Wreath Making Workshop will be held outdoors on Sunday, 12/5 (two sessions available) and Saturday, 12/11 on the covered terrace at Queens Botanical Garden. Please dress for the weather. Recommended for adults and children ages 10+ (accompanied by participating adult).
  Register: https://qbgwreathmaking2021.eventbrite.com/" (Facebook)

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Events:

• The Glendale Comedy Night Returns to the Avenue (November 12)
• Free Community Concert for Kids: What is the Red Violin? (November 13)
• Musica Reginae Presents: The Red Violin (November 13)
• Home & Office Furniture Warehouse Liquidation Sale (November 14)
• "Unstoppable" Book & Author with Joshua M. Greene (November 14)
• Holiday Market at Sands Point Preserve (November 14)
• OPEN HOUSE!! Peace & Tranquility Perfectly Restored In Douglas Manor, NYC (November 14)
• Night of Art and dance (November 14)
• WEBINAR: Sleep Better, Move Better, Feel Better (November 16)
• WEBINAR: Foot & Ankle Pain (November 18)
• 2021 PathMakers to Peace Virtual Fundraising Gala (November 18)
• "Straight Out of Brooklyn" FilmShul Presentation (November 18)
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• African American & 60yrs +? Get paid for your opinions on surveys (Details)
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• Household Help Wanted (Details)
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• Behind The Scoreboard – Coach Helps Hockey Player Excel (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another update! If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.