THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH
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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
REFLECTIONS ON MY YEARS IN OFFICE laptops, desktops, and interactive playgrounds are either completed When I was young, I never imag- garten center. The former site of the Mer- whiteboards. Other schools spent or will be finished within the next ined that I would be an elected official, but I have had the privilege rick Academy became a prekin- their capital dollars on upgrades to few years. Eastern Queens is also home of serving in the Assembly and, dergarten center as well, allowing the gym or auditorium or air condito one of the top cultural destifor the last six years, in the City three- and four-year-old children to tioning for those spaces. receive a high-quality early childThe district that I represented nations in the borough: Queens Council. hood education with- includes Cunningham Park and County Farm Museum. Though it When I ran for office out traveling across part of Alley Pond Park, two of welcomes over 400,000 visitors in 2015, I met resithe borough. Queens’s premier parks. But even a year, including school children dents who informed PS 221 used to in the most beautiful parks, play- from across the city, the farm does me of everyday have a simple piece of grounds need periodic refurbish- not have a place for students to go quality-of-life issues asphalt for a school- ment. on a rainy or snowy day. facing the residents yard, but through In conjunction with former BorI have secured $25 million for of eastern Queens, a partnership with ough President Melinda Katz and an education center so that the and during my time the Trust for Public current Borough President Don- children and families who visit the in office those same Land, I helped bring ovan Richards, Redwood Play- farm – one of the longest continuissues have constantly the school a brand- ground and Glen Oaks Oval have ally farmed sites in the state, which occupied my attennew, state-of-the-art been updated, Challenge Play- produces fresh, organic food for tion. I am proud of recreational space. ground is undergoing renovation, hungry New Yorkers – will have my record of nearly During my time in Bellerose Playground is nearly a place to learn, no matter the perfect attendance at the City Council, I complete, and the first section of weather. committee and stated BARRY visited every school the resurfaced Vanderbilt Long Over the past six years, my staff meetings, but I am GRODENCHIK in the district at least Island Motor Parkway officially and I have handled 7,000 constitueven prouder of the CITY COUNCIL MEMBER once every school opens this month. ent cases, distributed thousands improvements in the year and provided The rest of the historic walking of bicycle helmets, successfully local community that my advocacy has brought over the capital funding. The school princi- and bicycling path will be upgrad- advocated for the resurfacing of pals let me know what their needs ed as well, as the mayor fully Braddock Avenue (formerly known past six years. Eastern Queens has long been were, and most requested funds funded the project at my request. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 comprised of clean, safe, beautiful for technology, including tablets, All told, a dozen parks and school neighborhoods, and my team and I have strived to make them even better. For decades, new residents have flocked to eastern Queens for our outstanding public schools, but our schools became a victim of their own success, leading to overcrowding. Working with the School Construction Authority (SCA), I proposed locations where existing school buildings could expand, unused facilities could be repurposed, and new schools could open. At Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, which was built for about 2,500 students but at times has 4,000 students enrolled, a new wing is under construction that will add 800 seats. An extension to PS 46 will add 440 seats, and a planned addition to PS 26 will provide 460 seats. And SCA converted two former Roman Catholic schools into public schools. Saint Robert Bellarmine in Bayside Hills became PS Councilman Barry Grodenchik joins other city and elected officials in celebrating the first phase of the 390 and Our Lady of Lourdes in resurfacing of the Vanderbilt Long Island Motor Parkway. (Photo: Daniel Avila/NYC Parks) Queens Village is now a prekinder-
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