Page 6 - qt edition #39 SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

PAGE 6 THE QUEENS TIMES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

Council Member Won Designates $12,550,000 For Scholar And Peace Activist

District 26 Parks, Including $7.15 Million For Lou Lodati Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi

On Friday, September 22, Recognized at Queens College
Council Member Julie Won cel-
ebrated $12,550,000 in capital
funding for District 26 parks at
a funding announcement at Lou
Lodati/Torsney Playground. In
Fiscal Year ‘24, Council Member
Won secured a commitment of
$7.15 million for improvements
to the park, including $6 million
to reconstruct Lou Lodati’s play-
ground area and $1.15 million to
expand and reconstruct the park’s
dog run. In Fiscal Year ‘23, the
Council Member secured a total of
$6.96 million for improvements to
Lou Lodati, including $5.5 million
to reconstruct the multipurpose
playground area, $850,000 for the
handball courts, and $610,000 for
drainage and electrical utilities.
This fiscal year, the Council our local parks to ensure that our SUDS. “The SUDS community
Member also allocated $3,400,000 neighbors have access to green works really hard on a daily basis
in capital funding for Wind- space and up-to-date facilities at in taking care of the dog run and Jerusalem-born Palestin- Daoudi holds a doctorate in gov-
muller Park’s Swimming Pool and our parks,” said Council Member garden around it, and the run was ian scholar and peace activist ernment from the University of
$2,000,000 to repair a sinkhole at Julie Won. “Thanks to our com- voted one of the best in the city. Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi South Carolina and one in politi-
Queensbridge Park Playground. munity’s advocacy, our office People come from all over the presented the lecture “A Personal cal economy from the University
In Fiscal Year ‘23, the Council secured capital funding for much- city to our dog run because it is Journey from Extremism to Mod- of Texas at Austin. At the event,
Member secured $13,247,000 in needed improvements at three safe, clean, and people are ac- eration” to the Queens College President Frank H. Wu, at left
capital funding for improvements parks in our district, including tively participating in their dogs’ community on Wednesday, Sep- in the attached photo, presented
to Big Bush Athletic Field, Wind- $7.15 million for the playground experiences there. As hard as we tember 20. Daoudi discussed the Daoudi with the Queens College
muller Playground, and Murray and dog run at Lou Lodati. Thank work, there are some things we range of teachings he experienced Excellence in Leadership award
Park Athletic Field and Dog Run. you to the Parks Department and cannot take care of, for example, on multiple levels that helped to for his outstanding contribu-
At the announcement, Council our neighbors for ensuring that the surface cracking. Huge thank shift his belief system from the tions to education and service to
Member Won was joined by the we are keeping our green spaces you to Councilwoman Won and periphery to the center, inspiring humanity. Photo by Andy Poon,
Sunnyside United Dog Society modern, safe, and beautiful for our her staff for meeting with us to moderation and reconciliation. Queens College.
(SUDS) to celebrate the $7.15 community.” figure out how we could get the
million in funding for Lou Lodati. “The Sunnyside United Dog run resurfaced. We hope that the
SUDS was formed in 2001 and is Society has been taking care contractor that eventually wins the
made up of Sunnyside residents of, and advocating for, Lodati bid for the project does a better job
who frequent the park. The group Park for over 20 years. When we than the last one, as it started to
advocated for the park and the dog were pushing for the dog run in crack within weeks of it opening
run, which opened in 2013. the mid-2000s we made sure to in 2013. The SUDS community is
“This fiscal year, I allocated advocate for funding to improve very excited about this next chap-
$12,550,000 in capital funding for the entire park,” said Rick Duro, ter in the history of Lodati Park.”
Public Safety Town Hall in Woodhaven

Assembly Member Jenifer
Rajkumar hosted an important
town hall in Woodhaven last week
on the topic of public safety, with a
keynote speech from NYPD Com-
missioner Edward Caban.
The event provided an opportu-
nity for local residents to connect
directly with law enforcement
officials about crime prevention,
emergency preparedness, and
community policing. Together, we
will continue to create real solu-
tions to public safety concerns that
will strengthen our communities.

October on the Farm at Queens County Farm Museum

Fall is Just Steps Away with an
Action-Packed Month of Farm
Fun

From the sprawling 3-acre
Amazing Maize Maze to the
iconic Pumpkin Patch, and apple
cider donuts to a 47-acre Hallow-
een party, NYC’s only farm is fall
fun for the whole family
Families and visitors can expe-
rience everything the Fall season
has to offer, all in one vibrant
location right in New York City at
the historic Queens County Farm
Museum.
With so many fall happenings,
the experience is truly unbe- Starting Saturday, September 30th Pumpkins will be available for sale
LEAF-able! Admission to the and open daily through October and priced according to size. (The
historic site is free and accessible. 31st, Queens County Farm Muse- Pumpkin Patch will also be avail-
GOURDness gracious, Pump- um’s iconic Pumpkin Patch is free
kin Patch is here! admission October 1-28 and 30-31. (Continued on page 9)