Constantinides Announces $4.6 Million Renovation to Gorman Playground
City Council Member Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria, Woodside, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights) yesterday joined with the Parks Department to announce a $4.6 million renovation to the play area at Gorman Playground — a full-block New York City park in Jackson Heights.
Gorman Playground runs from 25th to 30th Avenue, north to south, and from 84th to 85th Streets, west to east. It was officially renamed after Denis P. Gorman shortly after his passing in August 1963, in honor of his work to secure the land as a park. Gorman was a dedicated civic leader who ran the Elmjack Little League for a decade, brought franchised bus service to Jackson Heights, and was active in several local organizations.
“Gorman Playground, like so many parks in our district, is a lynchpin of the Jackson Heights community,” said Constantinides. “I want to thank Speaker Corey Johnson for his vision, partnership, and support to renovate the play area, so our children have a constructive place to grow and learn. This will be a state-of-the-art playground that will serve Jackson Heights for generations.”
Funding for the play area overhaul was secured through City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) in partnership with Constantinides under the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, which took effect earlier this summer.
Parks yesterday also announced it will host a scoping hearing on the evening of October 3 at the Lexington School for the Deaf, where officials will collect community feedback on what they envision for the new Gorman Playground.
Addabbo’s Job Fair Returns To Resorts World
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth and parts of South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside, The Rockaways) yesterday announced that Resorts World Casino NYC in Ozone Park will once again host his annual large-scale, free Job Fair for those looking for employment.
Some of the companies that will be at the job fair include Avon, the FDNY, Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, MTA NYC Transit, New York State Park Police, and many more. The Senator’s office can provide a full listing of job fair vendors days before the event.
“Trying to find work in today’s economic times can become difficult and overwhelming, which is why I always enjoy hosting this Job Fair each year,” Addabbo said. “Helping individuals obtain sustainable and satisfying work is one of the most important things I can do as an elected official. My staff and I get great satisfaction when we hear an individual found employment from one of my Job Fairs. I would like to thank our host Resorts World for once again opening their facility for this event, all of the vendors for their participation, and to my staff for helping organize this great job fair to assist others.”
It is recommended that job seekers come to the Job Fair dressed in business attire and have plenty of copies of their resumes with them to give out to the companies in attendance.
Resorts World has a free parking lot for prospective job seekers in the lot directly across from the casino entrance, and the building is wheelchair accessible to accommodate everyone.
The job fair is slated for between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Tuesday, October 1 at Resorts World Casino NYC in Ozone Park. For more information about this event or a complete list of vendors, contact Addabbo’s office at 718-738-1111.
Maloney Highlights Staggering Cost of Gun Violence
U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Greenpoint, Western Queens, East Manhattan), Vice-Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), this week called on members of the Senate to find “the courage to act” to address the nation’s gun violence epidemic.
She spoke at a JEC hearing today, which came shortly after the Committee published a state-by-state analysis of gun violence that found the crisis imposes more than $200 billion in total annual costs on the country, which is about 1.4 percent of GDP.
“There is no way to estimate the ‘cost of human’ life. The loss is incalculable,” Maloney said in her opening statement. “But there is also economic cost – a lost breadwinner’s income, astronomical medical costs, costs to employers, schools, police, hospitals and the criminal justice system.
“In the United States, there are more guns in civilian hands than any other country in the world. An American is nearly seven times more likely than someone in Canada to die by a gun, eight times more likely than someone in France, almost twenty times more likely than a person in Germany and almost forty times more likely than someone in the UK, Australia or New Zealand,” she added.
The Congresswoman noted the JEC report finds rural states have the highest costs of gun violence as a percent of GDP, and states with high rates of gun ownership have the highest rates of gun suicide.
“In contrast, my state of New York, which has stricter gun laws including an assault weapons ban, has one of the three lowest costs of gun violence as a share of its economy, along with Hawaii and Massachusetts,” she said.
Koo, Liu Cut Ribbon On Flushing Creek’s First Public Waterfront Esplanade
City Council Member Peter Koo (D-Bayside, College Point, Flushing, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Fresh Meadows, Whitestone) will join State Sen. John Liu (D-Northeast Queens) today will cut the ribbon on Flushing Creek’s first public waterfront esplanade.
Also on hand will be ONEX Real, the Shops at Skyview Center, and community advocates. View the evite here.
The event is slated for 12 noon, today, Sept. 19 at the Flushing Creek esplanade, opposite 131-04 40th Road, Flushing on the west end of 40th Road.
