Wishes for a Happy Diwali!
I want to extend my warmest wishes to all those celebrating Diwali. May the
light of the holiday fill your home with happiness and prosperity!
— IN THE PAST WEEK —
Vallone Celebrates $5.4 Million
Reconstruction of MacNeil Park Esplanade
On Thursday, Council Member Vallone joined NYC Parks Queens Borough
Commissioner Michael Dockett, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, New
York State Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal, Queens Community Board 7 Chair
Eugene Kelty Jr., and community members to cut the ribbon on the brand new
MacNeil Park Esplanade in College Point.
The $5.4 million project reconstructed over a quarter mile of the esplanade
to provide a new shoreline walkway for park visitors. This site now
features a stronger concrete retaining wall, an aluminum sea rail, a
fishing overlook, and a kayak launch to enhance users’ waterfront
experience. Funding for this project was provided by a $2.3 million
allocation from Borough President Melinda Katz, $1.7 million from Council
Member Paul Vallone, and $1.3 million from Mayor de Blasio.
A separate project to reconstruct the existing concrete stairs and
construct new granite stairs at the jetty is currently underway at MacNeil
Park. Additionally, new benches will be installed at the new granite stairs
to provide park goers with a space to sit and relax. This project is
currently in design.
"In Northeast Queens, our waterfronts have always been an important part of
daily life and the overall character of our great neighborhoods,” said
Council Member Paul Vallone. "With the dream of a vibrant MacNeil Park with
waterfront accessibility now realized, I know that these great new
amenities will be enjoyed by local families and park visitors for
generations to come."
Read Coverage:
[1]Flushing Post
[2]Queens Courier
_________________________________________________________________________
Vallone Unveils New "Joe Femenia Way"
Honoring the Late Civic Leader
The sun was shining down Saturday morning as we unveiled the new "Joe
Femenia Way" in College Point. If ever there was someone who perfectly
personified the neighborhood, it was Joe. He was a dear friend, an
outspoken civic leader and a great man. Joe will be dearly missed.
_________________________________________________________________________
Vallone Proposes Creation of an Office of
Interagency Tourism Affairs
On Wednesday, Council Member Paul A. Vallone chaired an Economic
Development Committee hearing focused on New York City tourism, where Chair
Vallone’s bill to create an Office of Interagency Tourism Affairs was
discussed by Committee members and the Mayor’s Administration. The Office
would be responsible for establishing a system to receive public comments
and questions regarding tourism, relay comments and questions to the
respective city agencies, and coordinate communications between agencies
and aid in the resolution of interagency matters, including transportation,
quality of life and other safety-related matters.
The Office would be led by an appointed director and be charged with
submitting a quarterly data report on the number of queries or comments
received and response time and efforts, as well as a five-year plan for
growth and sustainability of the tourism industry in the City of New York.
If passed, the bill would take effect in 120 days.
Currently, NYC & Company functions as the city’s tourism bureau and handles
marketing to maximize opportunities for travel and tourism in New York
City, build economic prosperity and spread the dynamic image of NYC around
the world. Both NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon and NYC Economic
Development Corporation (EDC) representative Sabrina Lippman said in
testimony that their respective organizations support the intent of the
bill.
“We do support the intent of the bill and we think there’s a lot of good
things in there,” said NYC EDC Vice President of Asset Management Sabrina
Lippman. “If we have those lines of communication with DOT, or with DCLA
with any of our cultural institutions, we’ll be able to connect with them
and field those [issues] to the appropriate agency.”
“From a hot restaurant on Astoria Boulevard, to the Brooklyn Museum, to
Aladdin on Broadway in Times Square, our local business owners and
entertainment centers should have a dedicated place to turn to when faced
with day-to-day city issues like reporting a lingering construction project
or navigating the city’s permitting process,” said Council Member Paul
Vallone. “While NYC & Company continues to do great work promoting New York
City from a large-scale advertising and marketing perspective, an Office of
Interagency Tourism Affairs would provide focused coordination between city
agencies and the business, arts and entertainment hubs that will contribute
to continued success in our city’s tourism sector, as well as sustained
quality of life for our New Yorkers.”
Read Coverage:
[3]Queens Courier
_________________________________________________________________________
— MORE NEWS —
_________________________________________________________________________
Commemorating 50 Years at I.S. 25
Congratulations to I.S. 25 on 50 years! Proud Thursday night to recognize
Principal MaryEllen Beirne and her staff for their dedication to continuing
this District 25 school's tradition of excellence!
_________________________________________________________________________
Envisioning the Future of Francis Lewis Park
Met Thursday with NYC Parks, Community Board 7 and Friends of Francis Lewis
Park to discuss upcoming upgrades to the park. Proud to have partnered with
Speaker Corey Johnson to allocate $2M in funding to improve this waterfront
gem in Whitestone!
_________________________________________________________________________
125 years of Service in Whitestone
Proud Wednesday to present the Immanuel Lutheran Church with a NYC Council
Proclamation marking 125 years of service. Since 1894, Immanuel has been an
integral part of the #Whitestone community. Congratulations on this
milestone!
_________________________________________________________________________
A Milestone at Auburndale LIbrary
Congratulations to the Auburndale Community Library on its 50th Anniversary
Celebration! Happy to join in on the festivities with QPLNYC President &
CEO Dennis M. Walcott and our Assemblyman Ed Braunstein!
_________________________________________________________________________
Visit to the Shield Institute
Wonderful visit to The Shield Institute in Bayside with Executive Director
Susan Provenzano to learn more about all of the great programs, services
and initiatives this nonprofit coordinates on a daily basis. Thank you for
inviting me for a tour!
_________________________________________________________________________
— IMPORTANT RESOURCES —
_______________________________
— UPCOMING EVENTS & COMMUNITY INFO —
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Thanks for reading! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do
not hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
Hon. Paul A. Vallone
New York City Council, District 19
42-40 Bell Boulevard, Suite 507
Bayside, New York 11361
718.619.8611
[email protected]
Follow me on [4]Facebook, [5]Twitter and [6]Instagram
References
1. [link removed]
2. [link removed]
3. [link removed]
4. [link removed]
5. [link removed]
6. [link removed]
This message was sent to
[email protected] from
[email protected]
Council Member Paul Vallone | Paul Vallone | 42-40 Bell Boulevard, Suite 507 | Bayside, New York 11361
Unsubscribe:
[link removed]
