Kim Secures $30,000 In Community Projects Funding
Assemblymember Ron Kim (D-Whitestone, Flushing Murray Hill) on Friday announced the following allocations for community funding in Flushing, which total $30,000:
The Flushing Council on Arts and Culture received $10,000 in funding to support its family and school programming, serving 18,000 students, seniors and families annually. Flushing Town Hall’s community programs introduce Queens residents, including those from traditionally underserved immigrant and minority populations, to enriching and culturally diverse artistic experiences.
The Flushing YMCA received $10,000 for its Government & Youth programing. Government & Youth enables younger generations to experience our nation’s democratic institutions from the inside out. Teens learn to debate public policy, write legislation and simulate state government. In years past, proposed legislation originating from the Youth & Government program was presented before the state legislature and successfully signed into law.
Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) received $10,000 in support of its Flushing Office Programming. With a variety of multilingual counseling services, AAFE empowers underserved and immigrant communities, providing educational and financial assistance to small businesses and individuals throughout Queens.
“These three organizations highlight the rich community programming available to the public here in our district. As a representative of this community it is my pleasure to help them secure funding they need to continue to provide such amazing services to the people of Flushing. I encourage the public to visit and support these wonderful institutions; they embody the best of what Flushing has to offer,” said Kim.
Avella Demands City Reveal Plans For College Point Corporate Park?
State Senator Tony Avella (D-College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Flushing, Jamaica Estates, Fresh Meadows, Bellerose, Floral Park, Jamaica, Douglaston, Little Neck, Auburndale, Kissena Park, Briarwood) on Friday sent a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to a number of city agencies after learning the city is secretly planning to build thousands of units of affordable housing in the College Point Corporate Park.
The FOIL request concerns, “the future development of College Point Corporate Park for any purpose, including but not limited to studies, reviews, reports or other analysis regarding the development of affordable housing within the Corporate Park from 2013 to the present.”
The list of agencies are; Mayor’s Office, Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Department of Housing and Preservation Development (HPD), Department of Buildings (DOB), Human Resources Administration (HRA), Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and Department of Design and Construction (DDC)
Avella alleged the city is doing what it did similar to what is happening at Fort Totten where it is said to be bringing in a Department of Corrections training center without any community input.
“What is the City secretly trying to do to the residents of College Point, Malba, Whitestone, and Mitchell-Linden, who are already overburdened by traffic from the College Point Corporate Park? Building thousands of additional housing units here is simply unacceptable. Yet again I am forced to ask the question what is the City hiding?” said Avella.
Vanel Demands Civil Rights For Haitian Immigrants
Assembly member Clyde Vanel (D-Cambria Heights, St. Albans, Hollis, Queens Village, Bellerose) alongside Haitian American elected officials from across the U.S. demanded that the civil rights for Haitian immigrants across the country be honored over the weekend.
On Friday and Saturday, the coalition held discussions on strategic planning and various legislative issues including making a call to action at the National Retreat of the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON) to protect Haitian immigrants in the US.
Last November, President Donald Trump decided to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 59,000 Haitians living and working in the country. The program, which allowed Haitians escaping the devastation of the 2010 earthquake to stay in the United States, will be officially terminated July 2019.
Supporters of the program argue that as Haiti is still recovering from the damage of the earthquake, the country would be unable to provide for the influx of returning citizens.
“Now, more than ever, we must work collectively across the nation to foster the much-needed change for Haitians in the United States. I am proud to work along side other talented Haitian-American public officials from across the country to address these matters,” said Vanel.
Koo, Grodenchik, Vallone Celebrate Winter Olympics in Korea
Democratic City Council Members Peter Koo, Barry Grodenchik and Paul Vallone today will join with Korean American groups to present a City Council Citation celebrating the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The citation is slated for presentation at 1:30 p.m., today, Jan. 29 at the Korean American Association of Queens, 159-15 Northern Boulevard, Suite 109, Flushing.
