Page 6 - qt edition #39 SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
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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)
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