FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com AUGUST 4, 2016 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 ASTORIA PARK TENNIS COURTS REOPEN WITH AN INVIGORATING MAKEOVER BY MICHAEL TABRIZI editorial@qns.com @QNS After three months of renovations, the tennis courts at Astoria Park offi - cially reopened last week to much fanfare, as many kids will have the chance to learn the sport of tennis in some of the nicest courts in the city. For years, the tennis courts in Astoria Park were in dire shape. The nets were in tatters and many cracks developed throughout the courts that proved to be trip hazards for the kids, according to the City Park Foundation. The paint was fading fast and the overall surface of the courts was grossly uneven. But now, the courts are unrecognizable. Renovations began last May and the City Parks Foundation conducted a major turnaround of the courts in a short three months. They got brandnew Astoria Park tennis courts have been restored with a reinvigorating new look nets and resurfaced every single court with the same fi nish that is used by Flushing Meadows Park, according to a spokesperson for the foundation. The renovations were paid for through a $750,000 grant from the Thompson Foundation. However, this grant was used for another park as well and a good Photo courtesy of Sylvester Zawadzki portion of the grant was set aside for maintenance over the next decade (10 years is the approximate lifespan of the fi nishing, according to a City Parks Foundation estimate). The actual cost of the renovation was $150,000. Around 50 people attended the ribbon-cutting, mostly kids and their parents as well as board members of the City Parks Foundation. The event also featured famous tennis player Virginia Wade, who is also a member of the board. The City Parks Foundation is a nonprofi t that provides public programs in NYC’s public parks for kids, ranging from sports to environmental programs. The foundation also provides tennis instruction to kids all across the city. The Astoria Park courts is by far one of the largest of these training camps, servicing about 200 kids. The goal of the program, according to a spokesperson for the foundation, is to encourage kids across the city to take up the sport of tennis as a lifelong passion. Great rates like ours are always in season. 1.25% 18-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit To qualify you must open a Flushing Bank Complete Checking Plus account. Get the complete access and control you desire with a competitive interest rate and banking on-the-go with our Flushing Bank Mobile2 app. For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. 1 New money only. APY effective July 5, 2016. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. A new Complete Checking Plus account with a $5,000 minimum initial deposit is required to receive the CD with the advertised rate. Certain fees and restrictions may apply. For new IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $5,000. A new checking account is not required for IRA accounts. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details. 2 Flushing Bank Mobile Banking is available to all Flushing Bank online banking users. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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