52 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Douglaston-Little Neck library improvements on the way BY ALINA SURIEL asuriel@queenscourier.com/@alinangelica Queens Library offi cials and Councilman Paul Vallone hosted a meeting at the Douglaston-Little Neck branch this week to discuss upgrades funded through a $1.03 million allocation from the councilman s kids & education and Borough President Melinda Katz. The funds will provide upgrades to the air conditioning and heating systems for $750,000, upgrades to the security system for $65,000, and $215,000 for improvements to the meeting room and the installation of additional restrooms. Vallone said that he was overwhelmed by the lack of fi nancial support he feels his district’s libraries have faced for years. He expressed regret that so much of the allocation had to be used for structural upgrades such as air conditioning, saying that city hall should be paying for such capital projects. “My funding allocation will go a long way to improve and modernize the Douglaston-Little Neck library so that the community can enjoy it for years to come,” he said. “Our libraries provide us with an invaluable resource and this project refl ects my commitment to support our libraries, which is an investment for our entire community.” Arline Abdalian, president of the Friends of Queens Library at Douglaston/Little Neck, observed that improvements to expand the meeting room space would ensure that no one would be turned away from arts and cultural events. “It will mean a lot to us,” Abdalian said. “We consistently draw large audiences to our events, so this will be a huge step forward.” P.S. 98 Principal Lena Kim commented that her young students will appreciate not having to wait as long for restrooms with the addition of new facilities, Councilman Paul Vallone and library supporters hold up an oversized check for the amount allocated for library improvements. and that the library was important to their lives in the early learning years. “The library is where our children dream and hope,” Kim said. “It’s where they expand their minds and their thinking, so I think you on behalf of P.S. 98.” Although the upgrade is greatly welcomed by the community, many at the meeting felt more could be done to improve the library. According to Abdalian, the Friends of Queens THE COURIER/Photo by Alina Suriel Library at Douglaston/Little Neck are advocating for $28,000,000 for a complete rebuilding or renovation of the library in the coming years. According to library offi cials, these plans are still in the early stages of proposal and nothing is certain other than the most immediate plans for renovation. “With the money that we have, this is what we can do now for you,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, interim president and chief executive offi cer of the Queens Library. WALKING ASKING LEARNING HASC subsidiary Is your child on track? If your child isn’t doing what other kids the same age are doing, ask questions…and get answers! MKSA can answer your questions and guide you about your child’s development! 718-631-1110 or 888-239-0468 (Queens & Brooklyn) www.mksallc.com info@mksallc.com Pediatric therapists wanted! Apply online at www.mksallc.com Reference WEB ID QC8 EATING IMITATING PLAYING TALKING BEHAVING EXPLORING SHARING SLEEPING MOVING LISTENING POINTING The Early Intervention Program is funded and regulated by the NYS Department of Health and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Services are provided at no out-of-pocket cost to families for children birth to age 3 who meet eligibility guidelines. Garvies Point Museum & Preserve “Held Annually Weekend Before Thanksgiving” NATIVE AMERICAN FEAST Saturday & Sunday November 21st & 22nd, 2015 *Hands on activities* Open- re cooking Spear throwing- Use the atlatl Tool Technology: Corn grinding, Fire-making & Drill in stone Face Painting *10am-4pm* Sample native foods Native food display Pottery making Interactive woodland village ALL OF THIS FOR ONLY $5.00 per person Under 5 Free with adult Friends of Garvies members get free entry Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation & Museums EDWARD MANGANO County Executive BRIAN NUGENT Commissioner Garvies Point Museum & Preserve 50 Barry Drive, Glen Cove, NY 11542 • 516-571-8010 Visit www.GarviesPointMuseum.com for details
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