6
QUEENS WEEKLY, FEB. 10, 2019
Vallone, Johnson host roundtable in Bayside
Lawmakers talk issues with community leaders in hopes of connecting local Korean-Americans with resources
ASTORIA TIMES ■ BAYSIDE TIMES
FLUSHING TIMES ■ FOREST HILLS LEDGER
FRESH MEADOWS TIMES
JACKSON HEIGHTS TIMES ■ JAMAICA TIMES
LAURELTON TIMES ■ LITTLE NECK LEDGER
QUEENS VILLAGE TIMES ■ RIDGEWOOD LEDGER
WHITESTONE TIMES
38-15 Bell Boulevard
Bayside, New York 11361
Advertising: (718) 260-4537
Classifieds: (718) 260-4590
Editorial: (718) 260-4539
www.TimesLedger.com
PROUD MEMBER OF NEW YORK PRESS ASSOCIATION
BRIAN RICE
Publisher
ZACH GEWELB
Editor
RALPH D’ONOFRIO
V.P. of Advertising
ADVERTISING
Senior Account Executive:
Kathy Wenk
Account Executives:
David Strauss
Sherri Rossi
CIRCULATION
Roberto Palacios
CLASSIFIED
Classified Director:
Amanda Tarley
Classified Sales
Manager:
Eugena Pechenaya
EDITORIAL STAFF
Reporters: Bill Parry, Mark Hallum,
Carlotta Mohamed, Jenna Bagcal,
Emily Davenport, Alejandra
O’Connell-Domenech
Photographers: Nat Valentine,
Ellis Kaplan, Robert Cole
Copy Editors: Stephen Lepore,
Katrina Medoff
Contributing Writers/Columnists:
Tammy Scileppi, Robert Cole,
Robert Pozarycki
ART & PRODUCTION
Art Director: Leah Mitch
Designer: Connie Sulsenti
Layout: Zach Gewelb
Cartoonist: Tip Sempliner
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Two New York City
lawmakers remain steadfast
in their efforts to uplift
the Korean-American
community in Queens.
Continuing a series of
discussions with Korean
American leaders, City
Councilman Paul Vallone
and Council Speaker Corey
Johnson held a roundtable
at the Korean Community
Services’ (KCS) Bayside
headquarters in order to
connect the community to
vital resources and help
them to overcome barriers
they may face.
The Jan. 31 meeting
centered on obtaining City
Council contracts, discussing
obstacles in receiving
essential services, as well as
helping them work around
common issues they face
including language and
cultural barriers. Johnson
and Vallone expressed their
concerns about city agencies
lacking foreign language
speakers who could
communicate properly to
Korean-American businesses
and organizations.
“Since I was elected,
I have sought to create
bridges for the Korean-
American community
who make incredible contributions
to our city both
economically and culturally.
I thank Speaker
Johnson for joining us
today as we work to support
these organizations,”
said Vallone. “Continuing
the dialogue will be
critical as the combined
knowledge, experience,
and passion expressed
by all of the leaders present
today will benefit not
just the Korean-American
community but all of
northeast Queens.”
In the past, Vallone
has invited Johnson and
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz to
similar roundtable discussions
that produced
tangible results.
Over the past five years,
Vallone, Johnson and Katz
have been able to secure a
combined $11.5 million in
funding for the Korean-
American community.
Vallone has secured $7
million in funding to benefit
Korean-American organizations,
while Johnson
and Katz provided $4.5 million
for Korean Community
Services to renovate
their new Bayside offices.
“The Korean-American
community’s contributions
to New York make
our city a better place to
live and work. I am immensely
grateful for all
this community brings to
our economy, culture and
society, and I was inspired
and moved by our meeting
with Korean leaders in
Bayside, Queens. I thank
my friend and colleague,
Council member Paul
Vallone, for organizing
this wonderful event,”
said Johnson.
KCS was founded in 1973
and has worked to help Korean
American New Yorkers
and the wider Asian
community to “fully integrate
into society and overcome
any economic, health
and social barriers so that
they become independent
and thriving members of
the community.”
The organization provides
comprehensive
programs dealing with
aging, education, immigration,
workforce development,
public health and
mental health.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone
at (718) 224-5863 ext. 214.
City Councilman Paul Vallone and Speaker Corey Johnson held a roundtable to connect the community to vital resources and
help them to overcome barriers they may face. Courtesy of Vallone’s office
Johnson and Vallone meet with leaders of the Korean-American community in Bayside.
Courtesy of Vallone’s office
link
link
/www.TimesLedger.com
/www.TimesLedger.com
/qns.com
