Golden Announces Brooklyn Senior Idol Auditions
Bay Ridge State Senator Martin J. Golden today is holding the Brooklyn Senior Idol Auditions at 4 p.m. in the auditorium at Xaverian High School, 7100 Shore Road.
More than forty participants have signed up to try out to compete in the annual Brooklyn Senior Idol show set for the first weekend in October. Members of the Xaverian High School Music Department will serve as the audition judges.
This is the seventh year Golden has held the singing contest. The Finals are slated for Oct. 2 at Xaverian High School. Tickets are available for purchase at the door and cost $10. For more information, contact Golden’s office at golden@nysenate.gov or (718) 238-6044.
Schumer, Squadron Condemn Ticket Reselling For Pope Visit
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Northern Brooklyn State Senator Daniel Squadron were among the lawmakers condemning news reports that ticket reselling began Friday after thousands won free ticket lotteries for Pope Francis’ Central Park Procession.
Tickets for the procession have reportedly been listed for sale for hundreds of dollars on sites including eBay and Craigslist. As of yesterday morning, multiple ticket listings were found.
Squadron and Staten Island Assemblyman Michael Cusick highlighted state legislation (S571) they have long pushed that would prohibit the practice of reselling tickets for more than their face value for charity or not-for-profit events.
“Pope Francis’ visit to the city is a chance for us to reflect on our values, not jump on the Internet to sell devotion to the highest bidder,” said Squadron. “It’s disappointing people would exploit this historic occasion to profiteer, in direct conflict with the message of this spiritual world leader. In the wake of this most recent, appalling display, I call on my colleagues to join me in saying enough is enough, and put an end to legal profiteering off of charity and not-for-profit events, as our bill does.”
“Tickets for events with Pope Francis are distributed free for a reason – to enable as many New Yorkers as possible, including those of modest means, to be able to participate in the Holy Father’s visit to New York,” said New York Archbishop Cardinal Dolan. “To attempt to resell the tickets and profit from his time in New York goes against everything Pope Francis stands for.”
“To think that any winner who received one of the lottery tickets to see the Pope would seek to make a fast buck off of the opportunity is really gut wrenching. I know I stand with the Church and the Diocese locally in denouncing any efforts to sell these tickets online,” said Schumer.
“My message to anyone thinking about doing that is to look deep into your heart. If you have a ticket you can’t use, do the right thing and let the office who gave it to you know. I know eBay has recently banned the sale of Pope tickets on its site and I am asking other online marketplace sellers, like Craigslist, to do the same. I’m hopeful they will heed the call.”
Donovan Reiterates Opposition To Iran Accord
“The House of Representatives will stand on the right side of history in rejecting this disastrous agreement. We need to ask ourselves: ‘What’s in it for America?’ $50 billion will be immediately released to a regime with a history of funding worldwide terrorism. Even after the deal, Iran said America remains its number one enemy. And this deal grants the regime flexibility to continue building an ICBM that might one day threaten our shores,” said Donovan, a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and House Committee on Homeland Security.
Jeffries, Clarke Call On Obama To Address Gun Violence
On the heels of an outbreak of gun violence throughout many parts of Brooklyn, including the tragic shooting of Carey Gabay, a 43-year-old counsel to Governor Cuomo, Brooklyn Congress Members Hakeem Jeffries and Yvette Clarke will hold a press conference today calling for an aggressive federal response.
Specifically, Jeffries and Clarke will discuss a letter recently sent to President Obama on the gun violence issue as well as community-based steps that must be taken to end the senseless violence.
WHEN: 1 p.m., today, Sept. 14
WHERE: Steps of City Hall
