🌱 Drought In NYC + Saints And Sinners ​Closing + Tommie Lee Agee Day

Hello, neighbors! I'm back with your new edition of the Queens Daily, fresh off the presses. Come along to find out everything you need to know about what's going on in town...

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First, today's weather:

A thunderstorm in the p.m. High: 85 Low: 72.

Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. On Thursday, the New York branch of the National Weather Service warned that parts of NYC — including Queens — are facing "severe" drought conditions. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, parts of southern Brooklyn and southern Queens, and all of Staten Island, are experiencing “severe” drought conditions, while the Bronx, Manhattan, and other parts of Queens and Brooklyn are seeing “moderate drought” conditions. While no water restrictions are currently in place across the five boroughs, New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation is encouraging homeowners to voluntarily reduce outdoor water use. (Spectrum News NY1)
2. A beloved Irish bar in Woodside is closing today, Aug. 27. After a 21-year run, neighborhood staple Saints and Sinners Irish Pub — known for its pints of Guinness, friendly atmosphere, and food — will close its doors today. The owner of the pub located at 59-21 Roosevelt Ave. released a statement via social media on Wednesday to share the sad news. Although the post did not specify the reason for the closure, it alluded to extenuating circumstances. (Flushing Post)
3. On Friday, several elected officials joined members of the 1969 Mets and the family of their late teammate Tommie Agee to celebrate the opening of the new East Elmhurst school named after the former star. The opening of the Tommie L. Agee Educational Campus brought with it some notable speakers, including Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, 1969 Mets outfielder Cleon Jones, and Agee’s widow, Maxcine, and daughter J'nelle Agee. The new school's location is notable, as it previously occupied a nightclub and restaurant that Agee ran, where he eventually met his future wife Maxcine. At the end of a speech by Mayor Adams, he proclaimed Aug. 26 “Tommie Lee Agee Day.” (QNS.com)

Today in Queens:

• QBG Farm Open Hours & Farm Stand, At Queens Botanical Garden (10:00 AM)
• Socrates x Noguchi Field Guide: Shibori Dyeing, At Socrates Sculpture Park (11:00 AM)
• Queensboro Dance Festival Pop-up Performance, At Queensbridge Park (6:00 PM)
• ODESZA, At Forest Hills Stadium (6:30 PM)
• "The Maids" By Jean Genet, At Greek Cultural Center (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Today at 5:00 p.m., head to Culture Lab LIC for some free outdoor music! (Patch)
• During the borough president's town hall held at St. Albans Congregational Church, residents and city agency representatives discussed issues pertaining to illegally parked trucks, public safety, composting, and flooding in neighborhoods. (Twitter)
• On Friday, an East Elmhurst man admitted that he planned to commit a terrorist attack in Queens on behalf of ISIS in August 2019. (Twitter)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• A 50s and 60s Garden Concert! (August 28)
• A 50s & 60s Garden Concert at the College Point Cultural Center & Museum at Poppenhusen Institute (August 28)
• Limited Seats Available for FREE Pre-K For All Program (4 Year Old) 2022-2023 (September 2)
• Walk for WORC Force (September 18)
• Brown Skin Brunchin (September 18)
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Announcements:

• Brown Skin Brunchin (Details)
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That's it for today. I'll see you around!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.