44 The Queens Courier • september 5, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Rendering Courtesy of The RBA Group The Corona community got its first look into the future of Corona Plaza on August 24, during the second outreach and public meeting with the Department of Transportation. “DANCE MOMS” COMING TO ASTORIA BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] The glitz, glamour, dancing and drama are coming to Astoria. On Saturday, September 7 the cast of Lifetime’s “Dance Moms” will take the runway at Studio Square, located at 35-33 36th Street. Together with their moms and other models, dancers Chloe Lukasiak, Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler and Paige Hyland will model international VISION FOR CORONA Potential Plaza plans released BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Corona residents and business owners got a first look into the future of Corona Plaza. Before 2012, Corona Plaza, located on Roosevelt Avenue between National and 104th Street, was a busy area filled with trucks, traffic and no open space. After the Queens Economic Development Corporation (EDC) partnered with the Queens Museum, Councilmember Julissa Ferreras and other local groups, the plaza became an open public space allowing residents and visitors to sit down and relax. Although the public space was expected to be temporary, in March the Department of Transportation (DOT) met with the community to introduce first plans and designs for keeping and improving Corona Plaza as a public space. During this meeting the public gave its input as to what they wanted to add MORE FUNDING FOR SENIOR CENTER BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Sunnyside Community Services is getting a much needed change to continue helping local and city-wide seniors. Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer surprised the seniors at Sunnyside Community Services, located at 43-31 39th Street, during their lunch on August 30 to announce that he has secured $2.6 million in capital funding for the expansion and complete renovation of the organization’s senior center. “Sunnyside Community Services is a borough wide institution that each and every single day gives seniors the opportunity to enjoy life through quality recreational activities, inspirational programming and interactive services that keeps them active and engaged,” said Van Bramer. “This is the place where our seniors are taken care of and nothing is more important than taking care of our senior citizens.” The plans, which are expected to begin within one year, will include the expansion of the Sunnyside Community Service’s Adult Day Services program by opening the space and increasing it by 1,000 square feet to serve close to 20 more seniors. The program will also be relocated to the front of the second floor in order to be easily accessible and safer for seniors. The funding will also feature the installation of new fixtures, flooring and equipment. The expansion will also double the capability of the Home Health Aide Training program at the center and provide home care for more seniors. It will also allow the Case Management Services to be upgraded and increase the number of caregivers providing therapy for seniors throughout the city. “We all want you to consider this your second home,” said Judy Zangwill, executive director of Sunnyside Community Services, to the seniors. “We feel all these improvements will make for a much more welcoming environment and greatly improve the experience for seniors.” The Sunnyside Community Services began almost 40 years ago as a senior center, said Zangwill, and now continues to offer different programs to seniors from all over the borough. Each week the center offers 53,000 hours of health and home care services to 1,500 homebound western Queens residents and serves 15,000 people annually. fashion couture in the Stargazer Celebrity Runway Parade. “Dance Moms” made its debut on Lifetime in 2011 as a reality series based on upcoming child dancers attending the Abby Lee Dance Company in Pennsylvania. The show follows these dancers and their moms during practices and competitions, and the drama that ensues between parents and choreographer. Before the runway show begins, guests will enjoy additional entertainment featuring live performances by “American Idol’s” Courtney Calle, “America’s Got Talent’s” Staten Island Hip Hop dance crew Struck Boyz, pop artist Frankie Zulferino and six-year-old Isabella Barrett from “Toddlers and Tiaras.” Doors open at 9 a.m., with entertainment beginning at 10:30 a.m. and the “Dance Moms” cast will hit the runway at noon followed by a Q & A session. Tickets are available online for $40 and $50 the day of the event. You can purchase tickets at dancemomsparade. eventbrite.com. Photo by Scott Gries to the plaza and picked the best initial design from three options. “We want the community to feel like this is their spot and they helped build it,” said David Strauss, director of external Affairs and Capital Projects of the Queens Museum, which has been working close with the community to receive continuous, direct input. The DOT and design firm The RBA Group met with the community for a second time on August 24, during the plaza’s one year celebration, to debut two options of the first renderings of the future Corona Plaza. “We really wanted that second meeting to be outside and allow the people to come up and give their input,” said Prerana Reddy, director of public events at the Queens Museum. “I feel like we’re hearing the same things over and over, so it feels like we got it. People were excited about it.” Some of the ideas that were included in the renderings were plaza seating, bicycle racks and corrals, a stage for cultural performances, green area, benches, additional trash cans, signage, improved lighting for security, utilizing the space under the No. 7 train for storage, an information/storage kiosk and a drinking fountain. “Corona Plaza is a vision that the community and I had shared for several years,” said Ferreras. “Since its creation, it has only continued to attract more and more visitors who are seeking a place to meet friends, enjoy a cup of coffee and take in the rich diversity that is our district. As additional plans for the plaza continue to unfold, it is my hope that Corona continues to thrive and becomes a must-see destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike.” The DOT and design firm will now present the renderings to the city’s Public Design Commission in the next couple of months. According to Reddy, the earliest the community will see the new plaza would be by 2015.
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