St. Mel’s Catholic Academy’s graduation celebration was more than a send-off for 11 eighth graders — it was a milestone six years in the making, marking not only the students’ next step to high school but also a major step in the school’s comeback story.
A vote taken by gaming officials on Dec. 1 is the “second-to-last step” to award licensing for three downstate gambling venues, including the $8 billion entertainment complex next to Citi Field.
A new casino planned for a parking lot next to Citi Field could be the next economic boon for Queens or a generator of societal ills, according to neighborhood Catholics.
