🌱 Flushing Library Reopens Today + Woodside Restaurant Fire

Good morning, Queens! Let's get you all caught up to start this day off on an informed note. These are the most important things happening today in town.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 57 Low: 51.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Queens today:

1. For the first time since March 2020, the Flushing branch of the Queens Public Library will reopen in full today. The branch had been used as a COVID vaccination site through June 2021, at which time its heating and cooling system failed amid ongoing construction. In preparation for the grand reopening, a temporary HVAC system has been installed, and elevator construction will only continue at night. (Spectrum News NY1)
2. Just after midnight Sunday morning, a fast-moving fire destroyed at least one Woodside store before spreading to two others. The blaze, which started in the basement of a Texas Chicken and Pizza restaurant, destroyed the eatery before spreading to two attached businesses. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. (WABC-TV)
3. A man was shot in the neck outside a Queens bar early Sunday morning. The 37-year-old victim, whose name has not been revealed, was shot after a dispute outside the bar and was taken to Jamaica Hospital. According to police, it is not clear whether the victim was the intended target, nor is it known how many suspects were involved in the incident. (WABC-TV)

Today in Queens:

• DIY: Entering The Labyrinth At Queens Village Branch Library (10:00 AM)
• Zumba Gold At North Hills Branch Library (10:00 AM)
• Crosswords At Astoria Branch Library (10:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• On Saturday, May 21, create your own rainforest with miniature tropical plants in an outdoor workshop at the Queens Botanical Garden. Get your tickets on Eventbrite. (Facebook)
• Miss any headlines in Queens this week? Patch's week in review has you covered for the neighborhood's top news, from a protest outside a development town hall to a soon-to-open, "futuristic" ping pong venue. (Patch)
• The Queens Night Market returned for the season with a sneak preview this past Saturday. If you missed it, don't worry — the market is opening to the public for free beginning on May 7, running every Saturday through the end of August. (FOX 5 New York)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update.

— 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.