nlike some elected officials who don't really like getting out and mixing with their constituents, even when he's not campaigning for office it's a common occurrence to see Councilman Allan Jennings at community events in his District 28 in Queens greeting people and joining in the fun. And we do mean joining, for he doesn't just stand on the sidelines and smile; he becomes an active participant. As he does, he exhibits talents most people never knew he had.

For example, on a recent Saturday, the Dunton Presbyterian Church in South Ozone Park, Queens, celebrated its annual Family and Friends Day in nearby Lincoln Park. There many people enjoyed horseback riding, singing, and hotdogs. At this event the Councilman was actually spotted riding a horse! Much to everyone’s astonishment, he rode with the expertise of a cowboy.

Then there was the 20th Korean Harvest & Folklore Festival, which, with its many attractions and events, drew thousands of people from the New York City area. The event that attracted the most attention was the talent show, especially the singing contest. The surprise contestant was - you guessed it - Councilman Jennings! Who knew that this tall African American man can sing in Korean?

His rendition of a Korean love song brought the large crowd to its feet with shouts of approval. He was asked to do an encore and sang another love song in flawless Korean. The final result: he was awarded the second place prize!

When asked how he learned to sing in Korean, Jennings revealed that he's a multi-linguist: he reads and writes in Korean and German and also speaks Mandarin Chinese. Further, he's in the process of learning Hindi and Urdu.

The message of all this? That it's always great to see Council Members who really care about the entire spectrum of people they represent and are unafraid to show it in the street as well as inside the walls of City Hall where they fight for the rights of the people. Jennings is one such Council Member. When they went into the voting booths last November and pulled the lever for him, the people of District 28 in Southeast Queens chose well.