Four Ladies In A Room
The emergence of Brooklyn women of color as lawmakers was celebrated last night at a Crown Heights fundraiser for Assembly Member Diana Richardson.
Among Richardson’s colleagues that showed up included Public Advocate Letitia James, and Assembly Members Latrice Walker and Rodneyse Bichotte.
Richardson, known for being outspoken, didn’t disappoint, and the night featured something of a good-natured roast among the lawmakers. All also paid homage to James as a pioneering lawmaker and first woman of color elected to a citywide office.
Both Richardson and Bichotte spoke of affordable housing being the main issue in their district.
Hamilton Joins Light The World Foundation
Central Brooklyn Senator Jesse Hamilton, tomorrow night, will join with the Light the World Foundation for their Fifth Annual Music and Arts Festival.
Light the World Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in November 2009 with a mission to educate, inspire and empower children in Haiti and provide youth in communities in the New York area with opportunities for personal, educational, and professional development.
“Light the World Foundation’s work uplifts important values, both here and in Haiti. Supporting education and the arts, giving young people opportunities, and bringing our community together – that is uniting our neighborhood for the common good,” said Hamilton. “Indeed, Light the World’s innovative scholarship-mentorship program promises to develop young minds in our community for years to come. It will be my pleasure to join in celebrating the achievements of these young scholars.”
The event also serves to honor the 2015 Light the World Scholarship Awards recipients – the first recipients of these awards.
The event is slated for 6 p.m., tomorrow, August 1 at the Waverly School of the Arts (P.S. 156), 104 Sutter Avenue and the corner of Legion Street).
Treyger Applauds Meng For Bill Aiding Houses of Worship
Coney Island City Council Member Mark Treyger, yesterday, strongly applauded members of Congress, including Rep. Grace Meng of Queens, for reintroducing the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act (H.R. 3066), which would allow houses of worship to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid.
Current FEMA regulations exclude houses of worship from eligibility for disaster relief, even though there is no federal law specifically prohibiting congregations from receiving FEMA aid.
In February, Treyger introduced a City Council resolution calling on Congress to pass this legislation, which would “amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to make houses of worship eligible, as private nonprofit facilities, to receive financial assistance from the federal government for the repair, restoration and replacement of facilities damaged or destroyed by major disasters, including Superstorm Sandy.”
The Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act was approved by the House of Representatives in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but failed to clear the Senate. It was recently reintroduced by U.S. Representatives Meng (D-NY), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Peter King (R-NY).
Following Hurricane Sandy, many local churches and congregations of all faiths were on the front lines in terms of assisting residents in the hours, days and weeks after the storm hit. At the same time, a number of churches across Coney Island and southern Brooklyn sustained serious damage that has impacted their services and other programs in the nearly three years since the storm. Despite the damage their buildings sustained, these houses of worship did not stop in their efforts to provide the community with water, food, clothing, shelter and other necessities during the long rebuilding effort following Hurricane Sandy.
“There is no question that houses of worship of all denominations played a vital role in helping residents and the entire community recover from Hurricane Sandy. At the same time, these congregations sustained damage to their buildings and properties that continues to impact their ability to serve the public nearly three years later. Houses of worship are on the front lines any time a disaster or tragedy impacts our community, so government must be there to help reimburse for services provided and assist with their own rebuilding efforts. I applaud Representatives Meng, Smith and King for taking this step towards equity and fairness when it comes to disaster relief for religious institutions, and I will continue to find ways to assist our local houses of worship as the long recovery from Sandy continues,” said Treyger.
Adams To Raise Cuban Flag Over Borough Hall
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, at 1:30 p.m., today, will raise the Cuban flag over Brooklyn Borough Hall and hail the power of global goodwill, in advance of his second annual celebration of International Day of Friendship this Sunday.
Representatives from Cuba’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, as well as several local Cuban-Americans and participants in Sunday’s festivities will join in the ceremony.
The announcement will be flanked by an array of international flags, which will be part of Sunday’s unity parade featuring the colors of all the member states of the United Nations. Adams will outline this display as well as the other activities which will take place in Cadman Plaza Park at this announcement.
International Day of Friendship is a holiday which is formally recognized worldwide, during which the United Nations encourages events and initiatives that promote a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding, and reconciliation.
Last year’s event attracted hundreds of Brooklynites and showcased Brooklyn’s diversity where 47 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home.
Nadler Introduces Bill To Keep Families Together on Flights
Western Brooklyn Congressman Jerrod Nadler and U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), yesterday, announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation to help keep families seated together on commercial flights.
H.R. 3334, The Families Flying Together Act of 2015, would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to direct each airline carrier to notify passengers traveling with minors if seats are not available together at the initial booking stage and for each carrier to establish a policy to ensure, to the extent practicable, that a family is seated together during flight.
“Air travel is complicated and expensive enough for families without adding new stresses,” said Nadler. “Families should not be stuck paying hidden fees, or buying ‘premium’ seats, simply because they wish to be seated together on crowded flights. It is positively absurd to expect a two or three-year-old to sit unattended, next to strangers, on an airplane. It is up to air carriers to make their seating policies clear and easily accessible to the public.”
The current bill to authorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expires at the end of September. Davis and Nadler are working with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to get these provisions included in the upcoming reauthorization.
