[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 150 (Monday, September 18, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF JONATHAN WILLIAMS PLAZA

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                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 18, 2017

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th 
Anniversary of Jonathan Williams Plaza, a New York City Public Housing 
Authority (NYCHA) development located in my district in Williamsburg, 
Brooklyn. This complex is home to more than 1,340 residents. Built at 
the height of the Civil Rights movement, and three decades after the 
New Deal and the 1934 Federal Housing Act, Williams Plaza's towering 
buildings have long symbolized innovation and hope.
  Williams Plaza has provided a sound foundation and pathway to self-
sufficiency for thousands of its residents. The stability it provides 
families is what helped launch the educational achievement and careers 
of former public housing residents like U.S. Supreme Court Sonia 
Sotomayor.
  Williams Plaza provides meaningful support and services for its 
residents. Under NYCHA's Family Partnerships initiative, residents are 
able to connect to critical resources that help support family 
stability and tenancy. It offers job training opportunities, on-site 
afterschool partnership and accessible childcare in addition to NYCHA's 
city-wide network of social services.
  On this special 50th year celebration, I also would like to recognize 
the Jonathan Williams Plaza Tenant Association for their volunteerism. 
The community service they provide improves the quality of life for 
their neighbors and surrounding community. They are a valuable asset to 
NYCHA and the resident stakeholders. I also want to recognize Mr. Juan 
Bello, Housing Manager and his team for their unwavering dedication to 
residents. I salute the following:
  Mr. Joel Gross--Tenant Association President
  Ben Zion Weiss--Vice-President
  Abraham Frankel--Treasurer
  Joanne Sanchez--Corresponding Secretary
  Joel Schwartz--Secretary
  Louise Sanon--Sergeant At Arms
  Housing Manager--Mr. Juan Bello
  Superintendent--Marian Polowcyk
  Housing Assistant--Nina Dinkevich
  Maintenance Staffer--Efrain Quintana
  Caretaker--Andrew Adams
  Resident Volunteer--Abraham Frankel
  Resident Volunteer--Pedro Roman

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