NY1: Class Size Remains A Heated Issue At Education Budget Hearing

From NY1: By Lindsey Christ

During a preliminary budget hearing Tuesday, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said while the Department of Education has endured five years of grueling budget cuts, the worst may now be over.

"Our goal is to have a flat budget and so that way the schools don't have to take cuts," said Walcott.

City Council members said they are still concerned about class size.

"Are we looking at the impact of having so many more kids in classes of 30 or more?" said Brooklyn Councilman Brad Lander.

Although the city has avoided teacher layoffs, thousands who have retired or resigned have not been replaced. While the city had 79,000 teachers in 2009, now the city has only 73,700.

Walcott said he hopes the number will not go down again this year and DOE officials said they believe teacher quality matters more than class size.

"It is preferable from a parent's perspective to have smaller classes, it doesn't necessarily correlate to achievement, though," said DOE Chief Academic Officer Shael Polakow-Suransky.

Walcott said he hopes to eventually award bonuses to teachers with high ratings. City Council members also took issue with that.

"I am willing to bet that teachers in the field right now would rather have small class size than have a $20,000 raise," said Queens Councilman Daniel Dromm.

Another big concern was the $4.5 billion the DOE plans to spend on more than 5,000 different contracts, especially after a few scandals last year involving contractors.

"We need to really investigate these contracts because somebody is getting rich. Somebody is making a lot of money off of education," said Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron.

"The message from the council is loud and clear. We need the DOE to be a lean, mean, fighting machine when it comes to contracts," said Manhattan Councilman Robert Jackson.

Walcott said most of the contracts provide key services for students, like special education therapies and transportation.

"We are doing things internally to try to draw down the price of contracts," said the chancellor.

The testimony from the teachers' union was no surprise. It agreed with council members that the budget will not be good news until the number of teachers starts going up and class sizes begin going back down.

The Irish Emigrant: Dromm joins Arts Center for book drive

From The Irish Emigrant:

NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm (center) recently joined volunteers from the Irish Arts Center to give away free books by Irish authors in front of the Jackson Heights Post Office on 37th Avenue.

Great works of fiction found their way into the hands and hearts of hundreds of passersby on the second annual Irish Arts Center Book Day, with over 10,000 books distributed across eight different locations throughout the city, including works by Joyce, Wilde and many others.

In addition to the City Council, Irish Arts Center Book Day is supported by the Irish Literature Exchange, the New York State American Irish Legislators Society, and Imagine Ireland, the Culture Ireland arts initiative.

The Queens Courier: Garden school lot to become green space

From The Queens Courier: By Michael Pantelidis

Jackson Heights recently received the best medicine to cure its congestion – open space.

The city announced its long-awaited purchase of the Garden School’s athletic field on March 21, providing the community – which has one of the worst ratios of persons-to-park-space in the five boroughs – with much needed recreational room.

“This is a great deal for both the residents of Jackson Heights and the Garden School,” said Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson. “All sides worked together to ensure that this land will be preserved as open space that both neighborhood residents and the school can use.”

Combined with Travers Park, located across the street from the Garden School on 78th Street between 34th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, the athletic field will supply Jackson Heights with a sublime duo of adjacent destinations.

“Every New Yorker should have access to adequate parks and recreational opportunities, and Jackson Heights was in dire need of additional park space,” said Councilmember Daniel Dromm, who championed the sale. “The opportunity to preserve this open space and expand Travers Park was simply too great to pass up. The residents of our neighborhood deserve this.”

The lot, which is 25,000-square-feet, was put up for sale over a year ago by the cash-strapped Garden School. Community residents were peeved when the private school rejected an offer from the city last year in favor of holding out for a private developer who could potentially pay more quickly.

The land was ultimately purchased by the city for $6 million – $4 million of which was secured by Dromm, combined with $1 million contributions from both Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Borough President Helen Marshall. Under the terms of the agreement, the Garden School will also receive $800,000 in interest-free bridge loans from the J. M. Kaplan Fund and The Fund for the City of New York until they receive the payment.

“This was a wonderful collaboration between the city, community members and our private school,” said Garden School Headmaster Dr. Richard Marotta. “Everyone wins with this arrangement and it is a perfect example of what can happen when the public and private sectors work together.”

The field will be open to the public on weeknights and weekends, while the school will have exclusive rights to the space from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Dromm and community advocates have also received approval from Community Board 3 to permanently close the section of 78th Street slotted between the neighboring fields, creating a public play street for residents.

Park advocates, such as the Jackson Heights Green Alliance, will attempt to secure additional funding to perform renovations on the field. The lot will be opened to the public once the restorations are completed, which will not be for over a year.

“Getting the whole community involved is what made this park expansion a reality. Thousands of Jackson Heights residents banded together to encourage the Garden School to sell this land to the city,” said Will Sweeney of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance. “We are ecstatic to be getting more parkland in our neighborhood. This cherished space will be enjoyed by generations of Jackson Heights residents and families to come.”

Women's Rights: Progress and Challenges

From the Queens Ledger: By Daniel Dromm

As we celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month this March, we should reflect on the progress of women in the United States and here in Queens. Many groups and individuals throughout the borough have dedicated themselves to working for women’s rights. One important element of this movement is ensuring that women are free from violence because of their gender.

Over the past generation, this country has made great strides addressing gender-based violence. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), first passed in 1994, was one groundbreaking step. With the passage of my resolution this past Wednesday, the City Council has joined the chorus of voices across the country calling for the reauthorization of VAWA.

Significantly for Queens, the proposed version that Congress is now debating strengthens protections for immigrants who have survived gender-based violence. Much work remains, and we must continue to address retrogressive practices such as blaming the victim.

Another serious issue facing many immigrant women is sex trafficking in which criminals and their networks illegally trade or sell individuals into commercial sexual exploitation. Traffickers exploit the vulnerability of their victims, such as their youth, gender, or sexual orientation, and benefit from the language and cultural barriers that prevent them from reaching out for help.

In 2007, an anti-trafficking statute was passed by the New York State Legislature. Despite its laudable intent, the current law must be revised and strengthened to ensure that tough measures are in place against traffickers and that survivors have access to the services they need.

I have joined with advocates to introduce a City Council resolution calling on Albany to improve the way New York addresses sex trafficking.

One important way to improve the law is to address the connection and the distinction between the crime of prostitution and the scourge of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking, which is akin to slavery, should not be conflated with prostitution, which encompasses individuals who choose to engage in commercial sex work.

The result of such conflation is that survivors of trafficking are being arrested and prosecuted for prostitution. Treating trafficking survivors as prostitutes is a deplorable practice of police and prosecutors looking for easy, cosmetic salves for a complex problem. Calling for stronger laws to combat prostitution in the name of combating sex trafficking is similarly misguided.

The psychological, physical, and sexual torture endured by these survivors is devastating enough. For our government to arrest, fine, and imprison them is unconscionable.

Effectively combating trafficking requires an approach that targets the traffickers and their criminal networks, no matter how far they reach. Most important, efforts need to be centered on empowering and rehabilitating survivors. As a crucial first step, publicity campaigns should be aimed at reaching those ensnared in trafficking.

Another key component is improving how the police address the issue. The police department needs to draft, with the input of experts in trafficking, and promulgate regulations that officers must follow when they make an arrest for prostitution.

When an arrest for prostitution is made, officers should be required to ask if the person is a victim of sex trafficking. I continue to explore ways to work with the police to ensure sex trafficking survivors are not labeled as criminals.

As invaluable and equal members of our community, women deserve to have their voices heard and their concerns addressed. March gives us time not only to consider the contributions of women to our great country but also to reflect on ways to advance women’s rights.

Daniel Dromm represents the 25th District in the City Council.

NY1: Jackson Heights School Sells Athletic Field To City

From NY1: By CeFaan Kim

After nearly two years of negotiations, city officials have finally reached an agreement with the Garden School to sell their athletic field to the city, to give Jackson Heights new green space.

Deputy Mayor Wolfson, Borough President Marshall, Council Member Dromm, Garden School, and Park Advocates Announce Purchase of Athletic Field in Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights, NY, March 22, 2012 -- In what is a major success for the neighborhood of Jackson Heights, a deal was reached to preserve the last remaining open space in a congested community which has one of the worst ratios of persons to park space acreage in the City. Seizing a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring more parkland to the area, City officials quickly began negotiations with the Garden School as soon as their athletic field was put up for sale over a year ago. The agreement reached with the City is a win-win for Jackson Heights and the Garden School, who negotiated in good faith to ensure that the lot remained an open space for the area. At 25,000 square feet, the Garden School athletic field is a significant addition to neighboring Travers Park. The lot was purchased for $6 million of which $4 million was secured by Council Member Dromm. The Mayor’s office and the Queens Borough President’s office contributed $1 million each.

"This is a great deal for both the residents of Jackson Heights and the Garden School,” said Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson. “All sides worked together to ensure that this land will be preserved as open space that both neighborhood residents and the school can use. This is an outstanding example of how government and the community can collaborate to achieve the best possible result."

“Every New Yorker should have access to adequate parks and recreational opportunities and Jackson Heights was in dire need of additional park space,” said Dromm (D-Queens). “The opportunity to preserve this open space and expand Travers Park was simply too great to pass up. I commend Deputy Mayor Wolfson, the Garden School board members and Borough President Marshall for their commitment to the Jackson Heights community and their extraordinary effort in making this deal come to fruition. The residents of our neighborhood deserve this.”

“This was a wonderful collaboration between the City, community members and our private school,” said Garden School Headmaster Dr. Richard Marotta. “Everyone wins with this arrangement and it is a perfect example of what can happen when the public and private sectors work together.” 

“When Councilman Dromm approached me with this proposal I immediately saw the benefit and was happy to provide $1 million in capital funding to help make this project become a reality,” said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. “This deal will benefit both the Garden School and the public and provide much-needed open space in this community.”

“Today, we’ve set in motion the acquisition of an important addition to the adjacent Travers Park and a vital piece of recreational space.” said NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Jackson Heights needs additional open space, and I want to thank the neighborhood park advocates, local elected and community officials, the Garden School, Mayor Bloomberg and our colleagues in City Hall who all worked together to move the process forward.”

"Getting the whole community involved is what made this park expansion a reality. Thousands of Jackson Heights residents banded together to encourage the Garden School to sell this land to the City. Thank you to Council Member Dromm for his vision and leadership. And thank you to Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Wolfson, and all the City employees who worked on this deal, for their dedication and perseverance,” said Will Sweeney of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance. "We are ecstatic to be getting more parkland in our neighborhood. This cherished space will be enjoyed by generations of Jackson Heights residents and families to come."

The environmental consulting firm AKRF provided pro bono services that will help expedite the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) at a cost savings to the City. The ULURP process is required when the City acquires private land.

“In 1965 my grandfather – Jack Kaplan – teamed with the City of New York to create this town’s first vest-pocket park, on West 128th Street in Harlem. So I’m particularly pleased today to celebrate another public/private partnership to bring open space to neighborhoods that need it most,” said Peter Davidson, Chair, J. M. Kaplan Fund.

“The Fund for the City of New York is delighted to be able to help the Garden School and the New York City Parks Department preserve this important space for the public,” says Mary McCormick, President of the Fund for the City of New York. This is a great example of collaboration and innovation on the part of the City and an important nonprofit.”

Dromm and community advocates, with the approval of Queens Community Board 3, have already secured permission to permanently close the adjacent street (78th Street). When combined with the purchase of the Garden School lot, the existing parkland will almost double in size.

ABC7: Group fights for immigrants' eligibility of financial aid

Art McFarland reports that the clock is ticking for leaders in Albany to consider a bill.

NY1: Transit, Elected Officials Discuss New LIRR Station For Elmhurst

From NY1: By Tina Redwine

Should the Long Island Rail Road build a new station in Elmhurst, Queens? Some residents hope so.

"It's just so much faster than a subway. If you can afford it, it's definitely the way to go," said Elmhurst resident Andrew Ruf.

There was a station in the neighborhood until about 25 years ago, when the LIRR demolished it because few riders used it.

On Thursday, area Congressman Joseph Crowley and City Councilman Daniel Dromm toured the old site with the railroad's president, Helena Williams.

Crowley said the station would allow a shorter commute and more family time for residents.

"It’s not just about getting to and from work. It’s about a better standard of living and a better quality of life," said Crowley.

Census figures show there are 40 percent more people living in Elmhurst than there were when the station closed. Dromm said locals are not happy with the subway service.

"The subway stops are crowded, that often times they have some delays on the subway. they'd like to have another option," said Dromm.

Williams said an Elmhurst station is a possibility.

"We are doing things along the line that gives us the opportunity to add trains, by adding trains it becomes once again feasible to stop trains in the outer boroughs," said Williams.

She said Elmhurst is the only new station the LIRR is considering.

The decision to build the station depends largely on how many riders will use it, so the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is doing a survey to see how many bus, subway and vans riders here would pay more to take the LIRR.

A full-fare ticket from Elmhurst would be $7.25 cents, $5 more than the subway. But the LIRR would get riders into Manhattan 25 minutes faster and eventually all the way to Grand Central Terminal, once the East Side Access project is completed.

"It's worth it because time is money," said an Elmhurst resident.

MTA officials say the new station would cost between $20 million to $30 million.

Times Ledger: The Pot Bust Trick

From Times Ledger:

City Councilman Daniel Dromm is locking horns with the mayor over the NYPD’s handling of marijuana arrests.

According to data that he cited, 50,683 people in the city were arrested for the lowest level of marijuana possession in 2011. More people have been arrested under Bloomberg’s administration than under Mayors Koch, Dinkins and Giuliani combined. More than 86 percent of those arrested were black or Latino.

In 1977, the state classified marijuana possession of 25 grams or less for personal use as a violation. That means the person in possession of the pot does not get a criminal record.

But there is a catch. If the marijuana is in public view, it becomes a misdemeanor. When a police officer orders a suspect to empty his or her pockets, a violation can become a misdemeanor.

There are strong arguments on both sides on the marijuana debate. But Dromm is right: Police should not be using a trick to turn a violation into a misdemeanor.

Queens Chronicle: Dromm touts park deal, 7 train lease

From Queens Chronicle: By Paula Neudorf

In a wide-ranging conversation with the Chronicle’s editorial staff last Friday, Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) highlighted the expansion of Jackson Heights’ Travers Park, the leasing of an empty commercial space at a nearby 7 Train terminal, and the creation of the 37th Road Plaza — which some Bangladeshi groups have opposed — as highlights of his accomplishments to date.

He also weighed in on a number of issues relating to the city at large, including his ongoing support of the living wage bill, his distaste for some of the NYPD’s practices, and why he strongly supports the removal of churches from the city’s schools.

When asked if he would be running for reelection in 2013, Dromm, who beat out incumbent Councilwoman Helen Sears in September 2009, answered, “Absolutely.”

“It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” he said. Looking back at his administration to date, he said, “the biggest thing we’ve done is to preserve open space.”

This includes his efforts to expand Travers Park, on 34th Avenue between 77th and 78th streets — one of Jackson Heights’ lone green spaces — by acquiring land from the Garden School, a private institution across the street, which Dromm said would nearly double the park’s size.

Negotiations to buy the school’s yard first began in August 2010, he said. The councilman eventually secured $4 million — $1 million from his funds and $3 million from the City Council’s Queens delegation — along with an additional $1 million from Borough President Helen Marshall, to buy the land. And despite a competing bid for the yard from a developer early last year, Dromm said the “signing on the dotted line” for the green space would take place soon.

Turning to the creation of the 37th Road Plaza — the stretch of the road between 73rd and 74th streets was closed to traffic last September — Dromm emphasized he continues to believe the space and related traffic changes are a boon for the community, despite the much-publicized discontent of a group of Bangladeshi businesses located on or near the plaza.

“They’re too late to the table,” he said of the dissenters. “They’re going to have to adjust.”

The process that led to the creation of the plaza took three years, Dromm said. A Department of Transportation study on the area had input from “close to 500 people,” but all six businesses on the particular stretch of 37th Road affected “chose not to participate.”

One of the factors hurting businesses there, Dromm added, was moving a bus route from 73rd Street to 75th Street, something he said has reduced travel time by eight minutes.

Increased congestion as the result of a new grocery store that may open on the plaza, however, has Dromm concerned. A part of the marquee of the old Eagle Theater on the plaza has already come down, even as Dromm continues to hope the owner of the building can be convinced not to allow the store.

“My hope is that the business owners will work with us,” Dromm said. The store would not be a small one, but would sell “50-pound bags of rice” and other goods in large quantities.

“It’s effectively like putting a Costco in the middle of a residential area,” he said.

Turning to development nearby that he was pleased with, Dromm noted that Italian chain restaurant Famous Famiglia will be renting a two-story, 4,000-square-foot space in the 7 train terminal on 75th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, which has been empty for eight years. He said he began looking for people to lease the space as early as December 2009, before he had even taken office, and that the restaurant was a key component of the area’s overall economic development.

But he did not mince words when it came to the MTA.

“They basically are our worst enemies in terms of economic development,” he said, referring not only to the agency’s seeming inability to rent the space in the past, but also to the persistent pigeon poop problem around the 7 train’s Jackson Heights station.

Dromm went on to address citywide concerns, including his ongoing support for the living wage bill, a compromise version of which was recently proposed by Council Speaker Christine Quinn. The bill would raise the wages of workers in developments that have received subsidies to $10 an hour with benefits, or $11.50 without. But with Quinn’s compromise, the raised wages would only apply to building service employees at such projects, and not necessarily the employees of any businesses that rent space from them.

“I believe in paying workers well,” Dromm said simply. “Especially where you’re giving tax abatements, then I think the city should be an advocate” for workers, he added.

Referring to the Queens Center Mall, where some tenants, such as J.C. Penney’s, have nonunionized employees, Dromm said he is for the workers.

“What we’re asking from Macerich [the Mall’s owner] is only neutrality,” he said.

Beyond the living wage bill, citywide issues Dromm addressed included the police practice of stop and frisk and the NYPD’s widespread surveillance of Muslim communities.

“I think Ray Kelly is very popular,” Dromm said, adding he’s “surprised at how teflon [Kelly] is,” referring to the commisioner’s seeming invicibility.

“We’ve seen police corruption all over the place.” Surveilling Muslim civilians is, to Dromm, the beginning of a “slippery slope.”

Rounding up the meeting, Dromm turned to the issue of the separation of church and schools, as churches continue to battle a Department of Education order banning any religious organization from renting space in city schools.

Dromm strongly supports the separation, by and large because of what he characterized as insidious attempts on the parts of churches and other organizations to “evangelize” to public school students.

“They are calling this church planting,” he said. Some of the churches in the city aren’t just in a school “every Sunday,” he said, “but week after week after week.”

Dromm said he had previously supported efforts to remove the Boy Scouts from schools by and large because of the organization’s refusal to accept gay members or leaders.

When asked whether his holding the occasional public meeting in a church or synagogue was at all hypocritical, the councilman answered that he pays full rent for such spaces, while religious organizations get a subsidized rent in the schools they occupy.

At the meeting’s end, Dromm proudly identified himself as one of the City Council’s most “progressive” members, adding that treading the “middle of the road” was not the reason he had taken up office. “I enjoy being a progressive voice on these issues,” he said.

Queens Ledger: Dromm, Mulgrew blast DOE, Mayor at education town hall

From Queens Ledger: By Lisa Fraser


Former public school teacher turned city councilman, Daniel Dromm, lambasted the mayor's actions in handling the Department of Education at a town hall he hosted last Wednesday night in Jackson Heights with United Federation of Teachers (UFT) president Michael Mulgrew.

The town hall was set up to invite parents and teachers to hear what the UFT president and Dromm had to say about the myriad of issues affecting the New York City public school system, ranging from school closures to the teacher evaluation controversy to a reluctance to reduce class size. 

Both Dromm and Mulgrew chided the mayor on what they called failing actions on behalf of the children in the public school system.

“The number one thing that I learned in my 25 years of public school teaching is this: education is not a business,” Dromm said, as a boisterous crowd of parents, teachers and UFT representatives who filled P.S. 69's auditorium cheered and applauded. “Children are not a market.”

“Business is a focus on profit, education is about the public good,” said Dromm. “Business is about corporate ownership, control; education is about community engagement. Business is aimed at competition and education should be about equality.”

Dromm said that in the ongoing debate between the mayor and public school teachers, the mission and goal of public education has been lost. 

“The goal is to prepare students for challenges that they will face for the rest of their lives,” he said. “Corporate forces have now teamed up with billionaires and misguided politicians to privatize education.”

Dromm said the mayor was determined to bring a corporate mindset to the classroom and that 10 years later, he sees little to no evidence that any progress has been made.

“A signature objective of Mayor Bloomberg has been to create corporate policies in city schools,” Dromm said, referring to the huge emphasis on standardized testing.

He called it a corporate policy that doesn't understand the individual needs of children. 

“The focus on testing is madness,” he said. “We need to stop the obsession with testing, it is harmful to children. It will incentivize cheating and narrow curriculum.”

Dromm and Mulgrew pushed the need for smaller class sizes, which was backed with applause from the audience. They also called for expanded curriculum and expanding early childhood education.

Mulgrew said that as he went around to various schools across the city after the mayor released the public grades for teachers, he was overwhelmed by the amount of support from parents.

“Parents have no choice in education anymore,” Mulgrew said. “The communities are very upset and ignored and that's caused a lot of frustration. The school system will never move forward until you solve that fundamental problem where you push the parents out of the educational process.”

He blasted the co-locations and the PEP meetings, saying that the panel never listens to anyone.

“School buildings are owned by the communities that live around them,” Mulgrew said. “And if I were a teacher, I would bring my kids to one of these things and say this is what democracy should never look like.”

P.S. 69 is located in District 30 and is the most overcrowded district in the city. Dromm and Mulgrew blamed the mayor for the rise in class size over the past decade, contributing to the overcrowded Jackson Heights district.

“Why haven't we been constructing the seats that we need,” Mulgrew asked. “It can't work anymore when it's this overcrowded.”

Overall, Mulgrew said he has faith in the system and that the UFT will always be working with community, parents and elected officials. 

“I look forward to seeing where we are four years from now, because I do believe we are going to do great things in this school system,” he said. “I do believe the community will again be the most important part of education in this city.”

Parents Sandra and Felipe Rivera and their daughter Kassandra attended the town hall even though they live in Astoria. Kassandra attends P.S. 234 and came with a message for the mayor: “the effort you put into closing our schools could probably fix our schools.” 

“I'm hoping that the UFT could take control of public education instead of the mayor taking control of all of this,” said Sandra. “The biggest issue is the testing. Anything that the kids are learning is just for whatever is done on that test and my concern is that she's learning for this test now. I don't know if it'll stay with her.”

Kassandra, a fifth-grader, wants the mayor to stop the budget cuts. She said she lost one of her gym classes and teachers at P.S. 234 because of a loss of funding. “We don't have any more gym,” she said. “We can't play all the sports, but luckily I have a teacher that teaches me privately.”

She asked if she as a public school student has a future with this mayor. Mulgrew told her that with the support of her parents and teachers, she does.

El Diario: Trabajan por más espacios públicos

From El Diario: By Gloria Medina

Las familias hispanas de Jackson Heights en Queens tendrán más espacio para actividades recreacionales durante este verano.

Esta es la principal meta de los miembros de la organización Green Alliance de Jackson Heights que presentaron sus proyectos de trabajo anoche, durante la reunión del ayuntamiento que se realizó en el Jewish Center de Jackson Heights.

La organización Green Alliance es conocida por haber establecido "La calle recreativa" en la calle 78, seguida al parque Travers, ubicado entre las calles 77 y 78 y la avenida 34 y la Northern Boulevard. En 2008 obtuvieron el permiso para cerrar la calle al tráfico durante los fines de semana del verano y, desde el 2011, toda la temporada veraniega.

Ahora, con el apoyo del concejal Daniel Dromm, una de las principales metas de Green Alliance es conseguir que la Ciudad amplíe ese espacio para beneficio de los residentes de Jackson Heights.

La calle 78 divide el parque Travers y la escuela privada Garden School. Los dueños de la escuela están vendiendo el patio del plantel y están en negociaciones con la Ciudad para que lo compre y de esta forma unir el espacio del parque, la calle 78 y el patio de la escuela y hacer un gran espacio público.

"No se ha llegado a una conclusión, pero las dos partes están comprometidas a llegar a un acuerdo", dijo el concejal Dromm. "La compra fomentaría la actividad física para los niños y el gran beneficio para la comunidad latina es que al mismo tiempo se combate el amplio porcentaje de obesidad infantil", acentuó el funcionario electo, quien agregó que su prioridad es encontrar maneras creativas de ampliar las zonas verdes del distrito que representa.

De la misma forma, Anthony Ng, miembro de Green Alliance indicó que la comunidad latina sería una de las más beneficiadas, ya que en Jackson Heights hay un gran porcentaje de familias hispanas.

"Muchas familias salen para compartir", dijo Ng. "Cuando se cierra la calle 78 lo que más se ven son niños jugando en la calle, las personas de tercera edad salen a recrearse, grupos salen a hacer ejercicio. Es un beneficio gigante para todos y en general para la comunidad latina", agregó.

Para información más detallada acerca de los otros proyectos, puede visitar la página de Internet www.jhgreen.org.