🌱 Forest Hills Flooding Victim At President's Address + Missing Woman

Hello, friends! It's Wednesday in Queens and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

Breezy and not as cool. High: 52 Low: 35.

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Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. Rep. Grace Meng invited a Forest Hills flooding victim to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address yesterday, Feb. 7. Longtime resident Allison Sesso's story is similar to that of many Queens residents — her house was severely flooded during 2021's Hurricane Ida, costing her well over $100,000 in damages. "From tackling the impacts of climate change to upgrading local sewers and catch basins, this problem in our borough must be addressed, especially with the threat of more flooding in the future,” Meng said. (QNS)
2. Have you seen this woman? Police are looking for a 74-year-old woman from Woodside who has been missing since Monday. The NYPD stated that Manmaya Magar was last seen between 43 Street and Greenpoint Avenue in Long Island City. Magar is described as being four feet, five inches tall, weighing over 143 pounds, and only speaks Nepali. (Patch)
3. A New Jersey man has been identified as the hammer-wielding maniac who attacked multiple people in Woodside last week. Police are searching for 31-year-old Blake Sizer of Coleman Drive in Clayton, NJ in connection to two separate attacks that happened on Feb. 1. Sizer allegedly struck a 65-year-old man standing on the southbound platform of the Northern Boulevard M/R subway station with a hammer, and then later threatened employees and threw merchandise at the Peace & Plants shop at 53-17 Broadway before stealing their tip jar. Surveillance videos (available at the link) have been released by NYPD showing the suspect. (QNS)

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Today in Queens:

• Adult Basketball Open Play, At Sorrentino Recreation Center (6:00 AM)

Tomorrow, Feb. 9:

• Fitness Walk, At Fort Totten Park (9:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Permits have been filed for 45-07 45th Street in Sunnyside. (New York YIMBY)
• Gustavo Dudamel will become music director of the New York Philharmonic for the 2026-27 season, ending a heralded tenure with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. (Spectrum News NY1)
• On Feb. 21, the Ridgewood Walgreens, located at 5802 Metropolitan Ave., will permanently close its doors. (QNS)

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Events:

• Vampire Cirque Cabaret Dinner Show (February 11)
• Big Game Sunday at Bourbon Street (February 12)
• Transfer Open House (February 15)
• 3K & 4K Pre-k For All Registration is Now Open!! (February 17)
• Summer Camp Registration is Now Open!! (February 28)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday! I'll see you around.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.