Author: Dan Rose

Continuing an annual tradition, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic honored four community leaders as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrated every May.

Here are the honorees this year:

• John Park, executive director, MinKwon Center for Community Action
• Clara Kang, principal, PS 376
• Karen Lin, SLT co-chair, Townsend Harris High School
• Joby Jacob, co-founder, Motor Parkway East

“Queens is enriched by those who have dedicated themselves to the tireless work of advocacy and engagement, and I am proud to recognize this year’s honorees for their leadership in our community,” Rozic says. “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month serves not only asa . reminder of the strength in our diversity, but the collective commitment to empowering others as we work towards leaving our community greater than we found it.”

Past honorees of this honor include representatives from Asian Americans for Equality, The Hindu Temple Society of North America, Korean American Family Services Center, and the South Asian Council for Social Services.

A Fresh Meadows student finished in third place in the Diocese of Brooklyn’s public speaking contest.

Kasmira Jeannot, an eighth grader from Holy Family Catholic Academy in Fresh Meadows, delivered Brittni Darras’ speech, “The Fight Against Teen Suicide,” at the 2019 Sister Peggie Merritt Memorial Oratorical Contest.

Jeannot was third among 18 students from Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens who participated in the annual public speaking contest.

Students delivered speeches by famous people, including Winston Churchill, Shirley Chisholm, Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana and Steve Jobs.

Speech topics included eating disorders, teen suicide, gun control, civil and equal rights, and March for Life.

The growing dessert scene in Flushing has welcomed its latest addition.

On Friday, Councilman Peter Koo, the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce and other business leaders welcomed Taiyaki NYC to the neighborhood.

Hundreds of people lined up on Friday to get their hands on the sweet treat.

The shop features Unicorn Floats and Japanese-style fish-shaped waffles. The popular Japanese street vendor snack contains red bean filling at the bottom, and ice cream on top.

Taiyaki NYC will operate a pop-up shop at Queens Crossing food court until October 21.

Last Saturday, Councilman Paul Vallone joined the leaders of the Shannon Gaels to cut the ribbon on the team’s new athletic field at Frank Golden Park.

Vallone allocated $500,000 to fund the two-phase Frank Golden Park renovation project.

The first phase consisted of a complete renovation of the field between 133rd Place and 135th Street.

Phase Two will involve a renovation of the field immediately to the west. A groundbreaking is slated for later this year.

This weekend, recycle your electronic waste for free at Kissena Park.

State Senator John Liu, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and Councilman Peter Koo are co-hosting this event on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kissena Park is located at 164th Street between Oak and Underhill avenues in Fresh Meadows.

Acceptable materials include: work and non-working computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mouse, cables, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, audio-visual equipment, cell phones and PDAs.

Flushing resident Amy Smith, a nurse practitioner at LIJ Forest Hills, was honored earlier this week by the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault for her work with sexual assault victims.

Smith has been a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) for 11 years, and helped lunch a SANE program at Lenox Hill Greenwich Village as well.

She also serves at the program coordinator of SANE training at Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. Twenty nurses are in the program’s inaugural class.

An exam by a SANE nurse could take up to six hours. It includes gaining the patient’s trust, asking questions and doing a physical exam to check for injury and forensic evidence.

The Asian American Center at Queens College will kick off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month on Wednesday, May 1 from 12:15 to 2 p.m. at the Q-Side Lounge.

The event will begin with the announcement of the AAC’s scholarship recipients for 2019, followed by Recognition Awards for Mr. David Ames and Mrs. Eugenia Ames, as well as Professor Yunzhong Shu.

The AAC’s Student Council Members will then make brief reflections on being Asian American.

The guest speaker for the event will be Carl Takei, Esq., a senior staff attorney at ACLU’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality. He will address broad issues on Asian Americans, people of color, race and white supremacy.

Lunch will be served. RSVP is required by April 29th.

Call 718-997-3050 or email QC.AAC@qc.cuny.edu.

After a record-high 8,500 votes in District 19’s participatory budgeting process, three projects emerged victorious.

Here are the results and winners of funding for Fiscal Year 2020:

• PS 129 Gymnasium Renovation – 2,009 votes
  • This project will fund a full renovation of the school’s existing gym space to enhance educational opportunities in the safest way possible for the P.S. 129 school community.
• Green Biome at Bayside High School – 1,807 votes
  • This project will fund a Green Biome, which will provides avenues for hands-on learning about hydroponics, solar energy, recycling and urban gardening.
• NYPD Security Cameras – 1,574 votes
  • This project will fund and install four NYPD security cameras in District 19, which are meant to enhance crime prevention.