Moya helps bring new patrol to Corona park
BY BILL PARRY
In another step to improve
the quality of life in neighborhoods
that were impacted
during the COVID-19 pandemic,
Councilman Francisco
Moya and city agencies
unveiled a new Parks Enforcement
Patrol (PEP) substation
at Park of the Americas
in Corona.
Moya designated funding
that will include PEP officers
patrolling in and around the
parks in the neighborhood.
“The work to improve
quality of life continues and
I am incredibly proud to be
standing here in the very
playground where I grew up
to announce the funding I
am bringing to have a Parks
Enforcement Patrol unit
based here in Park of the
Americas,” Moya said. “The
PEP officers will now have a
presence in the community
to help us address qualityof
life issues, especially at a
time when we need our parks
the most as we recover from
COVID-19. We all deserve
safer and cleaner parks we
can enjoy and this is another
step towards that.”
PEP staff are uniformed,
Auburndale girls soccer team to compete in
prestigious youth tournament in New Jersey
BY JENNA BAGCAL
An all-girls soccer team
from Queens is headed to
New Jersey later this month
to compete in the country’s
most prestigious youth soccer
tournament.
Following a season of 29
consecutive winning games
for the Auburndale Soccer
Club’s G2008 Strikers, the
team was named the Champions
of the United States Youth
Soccer NY State Cup.
Their final premier bracket
win last week qualified the
Strikers to compete in the
USYS Regional Cup from June
25 to July 1, with the potential
of advancing to the National
Finals in July.
During their most recent
season, the G2008 Strikers tied
for the most points in the USYS
North Atlantic EDP Conference
Premier League.
City Councilman Francisco Moya funded a new Parks Enforcement Patrol sub-station at Corona’s Park of the Americas.
shielded with NYC special
patrolman and NYS peace
officer status, who provide
security and safety in city
parks as well as information
about Parks rules to patrons,
and safeguards Parks wildlife
and facilities. PEP officers
are also empowered to
enforce the NYS penal code,
NYC Health code and NYC
Parks Rules and Regulations.
The team was also named
the NYCSL Premier D1 Champions
and Champion of the
NYCSL Final Four Championship
for their performance
in the U11 category — players
under age 11 — in 2019. According
to the soccer club, the
G2008 Strikers are the first
girls team in Queens to earn
these titles.
The Auburndale Soccer
Club was founded in 1977 as a
nonprofit organization made
up of mostly Queens-based volunteers.
Today, the club serves over
1,000 youth soccer players for
children ages 3 to 19 years old
across several programs.
To learn more, visit
auburndalesoccerclub.org.
Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal
by e-mail at jbagcal@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260-2583.
TIMESLEDGER | Q 16 NS.COM | JUNE 25-JULY 1, 2021
“This new trailer will
help our Parks Enforcement
Patrol officers cover parks in
Council District 21 more efficiently,”
NYC Parks Queens
Commissioner Michael
Dockett said. “We’re grateful
to Council member Moya for
the continued support and
commitment to providing
residents with safe community
green spaces.”
The officers’ day-to-day focus
is on quality-of-life violations
and educating parkgoers
on the general park rules.
The new office trailer, based
in Park of the Americas at
103-8 42nd Ave., will house
the new PEP sub-station.
“Thank you to Queens
Parks Commissioner Michael
Dockett and the incredible
Queens Parks team, and
Photo courtesy of Moya’s offi ce
everyone in our community
that partners with me so we
can have neighborhoods we
can be proud of,” Moya said.
In addition to calling 311
and Moya’s district office at
718-651-1917, constituents will
have the opportunity to engage
and partner with PEP officers
to help address any concerns
or issues in the parks
and in the neighborhood.
Pictured from left to right: (Top) Florenz Curatolo, team manager, Philip Bannister, Auburndale
Strikers coach, Tom Claro, Auburndale Soccer Club president and director of girls. (Next Row) Brianna
Diminich, Taylor Gordon, McKenzie Capria, Mia Claro, Francesca Curatolo, Imogen Spence, Isabella
Pepe. (Bottom Row) Grayson Denihan, Penelope Pujol, Isabella Porrini-Fernandez, Julia Moss, Erica
Huang, Ava Staiano-Jimenez, Sydney Rhein.
/auburndalesoccerclub.org
/schnepsmedia.com
/NS.COM