Central/Mid Queens News

• Breaking

Winter’s back! But you’re not going to let the chill get in the way of your weekend plans, now are ya? If the answer’s no, but you’re still formulating those plans, here’s our weekly installment of “Five things to do in Queens this weekend!” to give you some possible ideas. And don’t forget you can always find plenty more here and here.

• Breaking

Mayor de Blasio on Thursday released a $95.3 billion executive budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning on July 1.

The figure would represent a $2.5 billion increase over the budget approved by the mayor and City Council last June, or nearly 3 percent.

The increase comes even as de Blasio, in an accompanying statement, warned that the state, facing massive deficits, may be looking to pass off costs to municipalities and counties, particularly for Medicaid.

• Featured

Multiple MS-13 graffiti tags were found sprinkled throughout a half-mile radius in Bayside early Sunday morning, including on the front doors of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and its accompanying school.

The Jan. 12 vandalism referenced the international criminal gang Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, that is notorious for extreme violence. The gang, mostly made up of Central American members, is spread throughout the country, committed a 2017 murder in nearby Alley Pond Park in Oakland Gardens.

• Featured

An update on continuing government studies of the proposed LaGuardia AirTrain drew well over 100 people to the LaGuardia Airport Marriott hotel on Tuesday — but it did little or nothing to change the views of East Elmhurst homeowners and environmental groups opposed to the project.

The Federal Aviation Administration is studying the transportation, infrastructure and environmental impacts of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s proposal to build a $2 billion rail link between Willets Point and the airport.

Just when officials with the Queens Library probably thought the situation with its Hunters Point branch couldn’t get any worse, it has.

The Chronicle has confirmed that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating the lack of handicapped access to portions of the $41.5 million library on a rise overlooking the East River near the Long Island City gantries.

Gov. Cuomo is promising to dedicate more than $25 million in state resources to help residents and business owners in low- and middle-income neighborhoods who are deemed unserved or underserved by traditional banks.

In the book prepared for last week’s State of the State address, Cuomo is calling for creation of the Excelsior Banking Network, “which will increase access to safe, affordable bank accounts and small dollar loans in underserved low-income communities all across the state.”

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stopped by to speak at Community Board 7 on Jan. 13, but was derailed by a group protesting the Special Flushing Waterfront District, a topic that wasn’t on the meeting agenda.

Protesters silently waved signs reading “We need affordable housing” and “No more luxury apartments or hotels” as Katz spoke on her goals in her new DA role, her support of bail reform and the recent cases she has faced, such as the murder and possible rape of an elderly South Richmond Hill woman. Katz was responding to a board member’s question regarding the two infants who died in an East Elmhurst homeless shelter on Jan. 10 when the protestors began shouting, “Stop Flushing West.”

Candidates for the office of Queens borough president are being invited to a debate scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center in St. Albans.

Members of the public are invited to attend to hear a discussion of matters of importance to the Southeast Queens community. The moderator will be NY1 anchor Cheryl Wills. The center is located at 172-17 Linden Blvd.