UPDATE: 'Flights of Fancy' Soars Beyond Expectation

Correction, Feb. 15, 10:48 a.m.: The 'Flights of Fancy' exhibit was sponsored by the Douglaston-Little Neck Historical Society in cooperation with the Douglaston Local Development Corporation, not the Douglas Manor Association as indicated in our story.

Also, we misspelled the name of the treasurer for the DLNHS, Jeannette Segal.

Patch regrets the errors.

It was a veritable 'who's who' among local community members Saturday night as hundreds came out to attend 'Flights of Fancy,' an exhibition featuring taken during the 1920s and 30s.

The fundraising event, which was co-sponsored by the Douglaston-Little Neck Historical Society and Douglas Manor Association was the next big step towards seeing the Visioning Project — the plan to rejuvenate the Douglaston Village —become a reality.  

And while much of the talk Saturday night centered on the historic photos of Douglaston-Little Neck's past, the focus for the evening was definitely on the future.

 "All the money we generate tonight will go towards developing a 'Master Plan' for the restoration of the Douglaston Village," said Lisa Lempel-Sander, chair of Saturday's event.

With the goal of collecting $30,000 dollars in mind, which will go towards commissioning a Master Plan for the Visioning Project, organizers for the event felt confident they had reached their objective.  

"We haven't done an actually accounting yet, but based on tonight's turnout, which far exceeded what we had hope, I think we made that number and then some," said Jeanette Segal, treasurer for the Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society who was please to call Saturday's gala a big success.

"The electricity in the air here tonight proves just how energized our community is about seeing the restoration of the Douglaston Village happen," Segal said.

Also excited about the potential in the Visioning Project was Meluva Miller, Director of Economic Development in Helen Marshall's office at Borough Hall.

"We're intent on working with The Douglaston Local Development Corporation to see this project through," Miller said. "Imagine a Douglaston Village that's more pedestrian friendly... bike paths and a market... there's some incredible potential here."

Another local official with his eyes wide to the enormous opportunity in the revitalization of Douglaston Village was Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, D-Bayside.

"Douglaston is a community that puts a great deal of thought into what's best for the area... They've come up with a very ambitious plan for their future and that's exciting." Braunstein said.

Perhaps it was the words of Mike Gannon, researcher for the Douglaston Little Neck Historical society that summed up Saturday Night’s event the best.

“We’re fortunate to live in such beautiful community, surrounded by neighbors who really care about the place they live,” Gannon said. "But tonight is only the beginning to a very big project."

The Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society will be selling prints of the Aerial Photos that were on display at the Flights of Fancy Exhibit. To find out how you can purchase a part of history, email info@dlnhs.org.