4 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 16, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
City celebrates completion of new Cunningham Park picnic area
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Councilman Barry Grodenchik and state
Senator John Liu joined Queens Borough
Parks Commissioner Michael Dockett and
Borough President Melinda Katz on May
10 to celebrate the reconstructed performance
space and picnic area in Fresh
Meadows’ Cunningham Park with a ribbon
cutting ceremony.
“Cunningham Park off ers everything
from ballfi elds to biking paths,” said
Dockett. “We’re thrilled to have upgraded
this picnic area, so that now visitors can
enjoy a better space to grab a bite in-between
activities, or catch a puppet show at
our new performance space. Many thanks
to Borough President Katz and Council
member Grodenchik for their support
of this treasured green space in eastern
Queens.”
Th e $2.6 million dollar project reconstructed
the picnic area in Cunningham
Park with new barbecue grills, accessible
picnic tables, paving, landscaping and
plantings to enhance the area. Th e walking
oval, which was previously deteriorated,
has been fully reconstructed with new
fi tness equipment and mile markers along
the pathway. Several staircases were also
reconstructed for safe access.
Th e performance space, sometimes used
as an outdoor classroom, was updated to
be an area of intimate performances and a
variety of outdoor activities.
Th e project was funded by allocations
Elected offi cials and local residents helped cut the ribbon on the new picnic area and performance space at Cunningham Park.
from the City Council ($875,000); Katz
($1,175 million); and Mayor Bill de Blasio
for a total of $2.6 million. Construction
of the performance space and picnic area
began in June 2017 and it was reopened to
the public in September 2018.
Grodenchik thanked Katz and de Blasio
for their contribution to the projects at
the park.
“It is a great pleasure to join Queens
Borough Melinda Katz, state Senator John
Liu, and Queens Parks Commissioner
Michael Dockett to cut the ribbon on the
performance space and reconstructed picnic
area in Cunningham Park,” said Grodenchik.
“Th ese long-awaited amenities only enhance
what is already a world-class park.”
Katz said the improvements at
Cunningham Park will greatly enhance the
experience of park visitors.
Photo via Twitter/City Council member Barry Grodenchik
“Th e reconstructed picnic area, performance
space and walking oval will make
Cunningham Park an even more attractive
place for families to see a show, enjoy
a picnic and get some exercise in the fresh
air,” said Katz.
Liu said he hopes this will be the fi rst
of many groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting
celebrations to come in northeastern
Queens parks.
Pair cuff ed after cops intercept $650K pot shipment to Flushing
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@qns.com
@robbpoz
A daring bust operation and some pot
luck helped police in Queens and Long
Island stop an illegal shipment of $650,000
in marijuana in Flushing this week, prosecutors
announced last week.
Two California men — Doobie Kim,
40, and Yeong Woo Choi, 35 — faced a
Queens Criminal Court judge on May 9
for arraignment on charges of operating
as a major traffi cker, second- and fi ft h-degree
conspiracy, criminal possession of
marijuana and criminal possession of a
controlled substance.
“Traffi cking in marijuana is still illegal
in New York,” acting Queens District
Attorney John Ryan said; California legalized
the recreational use of cannabis last
year. “Th e two men charged in this case
are alleged to have arrived at a designated
meeting spot to pick up nearly 150
pounds of marijuana with a value of
$650,000.”
Members of the Suff olk County Police
Department and the 109th Precinct
worked together on the case, authorities
said, which culminated in a bust operation.
Th e sting involved an undercover
offi cer posing as a delivery worker
bringing the pot to the two suspects in
Flushing — though the sting wound up
being delayed because one of the recipients
didn’t have his ID on him.
According to Ryan, the Suff olk County
Police Department received information
on May 6 about a shipment of boxes
being held at a commercial business in
Farmingdale. Offi cers responded to the
location and spotted numerous boxes,
some of which were damaged to the point
that the contents — vacuum-sealed bags
of pot — were clearly visible.
Police obtained the manifest which
included information about the sender
and receiver of the shipment, which was
slated for delivery to a Blossom Avenue
location in Flushing. Suff olk County cops
alerted the 109th Precinct, which took
over the investigation.
Th e cargo was scheduled for delivery to
the location on May 8 at noon. Ryan said
that an undercover NYPD offi cer posed
as a deliveryman and brought the cargo
to the Blossom Avenue location, where
he met Kim. Choi was near the location,
waiting inside a rented Chevrolet
Suburban.
Aft er providing Kim the cargo, authorities
said, the undercover offi cer asked to
see Kim’s identifi cation; Kim claimed he
did not have his identifi cation on him.
Th e boxes were then re-loaded into the
delivery vehicle, and Kim said he would
return with his ID.
Soon aft er, Kim returned with his ID,
but it did not match the name on the
manifest. Kim allegedly explained that
he was the actual shipper, and that his
Americanized name was on the ID; he
then requested that the “deliveryman”
contact the shipping company to verify.
Aft er Kim’s identity was verifi ed, prosecutors
noted, he and Choi took possession
of the pot-fi lled cargo — and were arrested
by cops.
Offi cers secured the rental vehicle at the
109th Precinct and recovered 20 boxes
labeled “Ghost,” inside of which contained
1000 THC-fi lled vaporizer cartridges. Th e
cargo also contained 144 pounds of marijuana,
valued at $650,000.
Kim and Choi were each ordered held
in custody on $100,000 bail and to return
to court on May 28. Th ey each face up to
24 years behind bars if convicted.
Photo courtesy of the Queens District Attorney’s offi ce
Police offi cers with piles of seized, vacuum-sealed marijuana bags at the 109th Precinct stationhouse
in Flushing last week.
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