; Whereas an array of small- and medium-size businesses in Washington Heights and Inwood continue to be fueled by Dominican entrepreneurs and loyal patrons, creating a sense of a prosperous people within the entire neighborhood; Whereas Dyckman Street restaurants have witnessed a renaissance creatively fusing Dominican cuisine with cuisines of different cultures, such as Japanese and Italian, and local staples, such as 809 Bar and Grill, Mamajuana, La Nueva España, and La Casa Del Mofongo, continue to attract patrons citywide to dine on the new-Dominican cuisine as they visit the neighborhood; Whereas the National Supermarket Association and the Bodega Association of the United States, the 2 largest Dominican food-retail businesses, have a strong presence in Washington Heights and Inwood, providing a vital service, but also creating jobs and contributing to the neighborhood economic progress; Whereas the National Supermarket Association distributes its scholarships, with awards from $1,000 to $5,000, only to college students who live in the neighborhoods where National Supermarket Association and the Bodega Association supermarkets are located; Whereas professional associations, such as Dominicans on Wall Street (DOWS), the Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators (ADASA), the New York Dominican Officers Organization (NYDO), the Dominican Bar Association (DBA), the Dominican Medical Association (DMA), and the Dominican Medical-Dental Society (DMDS), highlight the contributions of professional Dominicans nationwide to the development of their communities; Whereas the Dominican community was heavily involved in the advocacy and restoration efforts to bring local parks back to life in the 1990s from their state of neglect and vandalism, such as High Bridge Park, Inwood Hill Park, Riverside Park, and Fort Tryon Park