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56th annual Maspeth tree lighting awakens holiday spirit

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

L to R: Grace Meng, Kristen Sapienza, Maryanna Zero, David Daraio, Michael Terry, Robert Holden, Tom Rudzewick. (Photo: Zachary Simonetti)

Last Friday, the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce brought holiday cheer to the neighborhood with its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Held in Maspeth Memorial Square, a sentimental corner of the neighborhood, locals gathered with their loved ones to sing Christmas carols, watch live performances and wait patiently to meet Santa.

Musician Robert Laucella serenaded the crowd with classic Christmas songs, including “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Michael Terry, president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce thanked the audience for their enthusiasm as well as the event’s sponsors: 69th Street Beer Distributor, Barbara Pryor, Blossom Nails, Croce Entertainment, Duffy’s Floor Service, Jim Von Eiff Insurance Agents, Maspeth Federal Savings, Maspeth Town Hall, Michael Falco, O’Kane Realty, Papavero Funeral Home and this newspaper, the Queens Ledger.

Congresswoman Grace Meng spoke at the event, feeling gratitude for the district she represents, along with the holiday season being back in full swing.

“Thank you so much to the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, Maspeth Federal Savings and all the sponsors for making this event possible. Every year, our community gets to come together and watch this amazing Christmas tree get lit,” she said. “You can’t get a better view of the Manhattan skyline than from right here in Maspeth, so I’m proud to represent Maspeth and other parts of Queens.”

Councilman Robert Holden wished the crowd an enjoyable holiday season and encouraged folks to shop locally on Grand Avenue.

He also shared his plan, along with the help of Meng, to cap the Long Island Expressway to “unite Maspeth like the old days.”

“It would be one Grand Avenue — not upper, not lower, but one continuous shopping area and maybe a park or a parking area for cars to help the storekeepers,” he explained.

To add to the Christmas spirit and sense of community, dancers from The Queens Movement Studios performed an upbeat hip-hop routine for the audience.

The St. Stan’s Players followed shortly thereafter, singing and dancing to “We Need a Little Christmas.”

In the spirit of giving, two raffles were held, and two lucky winners got to go home with a brand new bicycle and a VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch.

The highlight of the evening was when Santa Claus arrived, greeting all the children with gifts and a warm smile.

Santa came for a visit at the end of Maspeth’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. (Photo: Zachary Simonetti)

Although the tree lighting ceremony occurs annually, a Middle Village resident named Angelina said events like the tree lighting are essential to the community.

“They really put a lot of effort into it year after year,” she said. “With all the craziness going on in the world, this is something that is done for the children in our community to bring them happiness and spread holiday cheer. I am thankful to be a local and be able to go to these events every year.”

Influencer eats her way through New York

Bria Braithwaite engages 100K+ audience, supports restaurant industry

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

Braithwaite recently hit 100,000 followers on her Instagram page, @goodeatsonlynyc.

With her iPhone, ring light and zest for life, Brooklyn-based influencer, Bria Braithwaite, strives to engage her audience and support the local restaurant industry.

Braithwaite, 29, who’s a resident of Bed-Stuy, runs @goodeatsonlynyc on Instagram and @briotchhh on TikTok, where she has 102k and 31.8k followers, respectively.

Originally from Wisconsin, Braithwaite relocated to Jamaica, Queens to attend St. John’s University, where she studied communication with a focus on marketing and business.

Braithwaite works in finance full-time, but says that her lifelong passion for food made her decision to become an influencer fairly easy.

“I’m not just a foodie, I do work full time, too…so being able to take my hobby and kind of put it on such a pedestal has been super exciting,” she said. “I basically eat my way through New York and offer recommendations to anybody in the tri-state area or looking to visit and have some good food.”

Braithwaite’s account, @goodeatsonlynyc, has a colorful and engaging feed.

One of the things she loves the most about being a foodie is the fact that she’s always on her toes, ready to try a new cuisine or restaurant and share that sentiment with her audience.

Braithwaite visits a variety of community staples throughout Brooklyn and Queens, as well as the Bronx, Manhattan and New Jersey, to name a few, to highlight small businesses and hidden gems.

“I would definitely say that I like to seek out new experiences in flavor. My end goal is to always find new, innovative or emerging restaurants that I feel would pair well with my audience. I’m always trying to think outside the box or go to places that I would 100 percent recommend…places that I would go to on the daily,” she said.

Braithwaite also understands that many people are picky eaters, and she strives to make her content accessible and enjoyable for everyone. She also adores the fact that this career allows her to be adventurous.

“I do try to find some simple eats in conjunction with some things that maybe people don’t eat on a regular basis…so kind of bridging the gap between people who are looking to explore, but may not be as adventurous, so they can kind of dip their feet in a little bit,” she said.

Braithwaite definitely feels the support of her large audience, as she grew quickly since she started her Instagram account in February of this year.

“I remember when I first posted, I just thought it might be a little bit challenging to kind of conquer Instagram, understand the algorithm and how things work,” she recalled. “But everything kind of worked in my favor, and it just took off.”

In fact, she actually started her influencing journey on TikTok, which began with casual posting and something just for fun. However, one of her first TikTok videos went viral, inspiring her to keep going.

Braithwaite strongly feels that local restaurants are the heart and soul of our communities, and said that she takes pride in being able to give many restaurant owners and small businesses exposure through her content.

“Throughout the journey, I’ve met so many other foodies, and so many different restaurant owners and businesses within that realm. My focus in finding a lot of hidden gems that are small businesses now is more of paying it forward, because I’m so appreciative of their support,” she said. “Because those are the restaurants that I would frequent in my neighborhood or that I always wanted to try, and then I got the opportunity to put them on a platform, giving them more visibility and exposure, is just really nice,” she continued.

Three-alarm fire at Metro Deli shocks community

Over 100 firefighters battled the flames. Photo: FDNY via Facebook.

Residents of Middle Village and travelers on Metropolitan Avenue watched in awe as flames tore through Metro Deli last Wednesday.

The fire began at 67-30 Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village at around 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 30. According to New York City Fire Department (FDNY) officials, the fire was classified as a two-alarm fire originally, but was reclassified as a three-alarm fire at about 8:20 a.m.

Within four minutes, units arrived at the deli and were able to respond quickly, keeping the fire contained.

FDNY officials say over 100 firefighters battled the flames, which left the deli and the now-closed Juniper Tavern directly beside it damaged.

“This morning at approximately 7:30 we received a phone call reporting a fire at 67-30 Metropolitan Avenue. Our units arrived within four minutes and made quick work containing the fire considering how much fire we had on arrival in the rear of the Deli. Units were able to contain the fire to the Deli and the adjoining exposure building,” said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb from the scene. “This fire went to a 3rd alarm assignment. There are currently no injuries reported. The fire is now under control and the cause is under investigation by our FDNY Fire Marshals.”

As a result of the fire, Metropolitan Avenue from 65th Place to 69th Street was closed off due to emergency response. Additionally, M train service was limited and buses that stopped near the location had to be detoured temporarily.

Various agencies, including the NYPD, DOB, DOHMH, MTA, Con Edison, NYC Emergency Management and SBS were notified and responded to the incident, according to a Facebook post from local Councilman Robert Holden.

“The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has placed the incident as ‘under control’ as of 9:30 AM, and my office will continue to monitor the situation,” he wrote in the post.

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