Deutch Locks Down the Hatches For Hurricane Joaquin
Sheepshead Bay City Councilman Chaim Deutsch joined city and state officials today in warning residents to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst from the affects of Hurricane Jaoquin.
Deutsch, whose district was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, said he has been in constant communication with the Mayor’s Office of Recovery & Resiliency, the Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Transportation the Department of Environmental Protection, the MTA, Con Ed, National Grid and other pertinent NYC agencies discussing preparedness and inter-agency coordination for the possible upcoming storm.
Deutsch noted the following preparations are advisable:
• Stock up on necessities: canned goods, batteries, water, gas, etc.
• Check on elderly neighbors who may need assistance in preparing for the storm.
• Make sure your corner catch-basins are clear of debris. This is essential to minimizing flooding.
• Tie down outdoor furniture and trash bins in expectation of heavy winds.
• For those who have sukkahs, it is crucial to tightly secure the structure to prevent objects from flying away.
• During stormy weather, refrain from walking beneath trees and power lines.
• Report all emergencies to 911 immediately.
• 311 will also be monitored by NYC emergency storm operations.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said more than 30 city agencies are working together and at a high state of alert and readiness.
“The City will be communicating early and often – hour-to-hour, day-to-day, to ensure that New Yorkers have the information they need to be prepared and safe. Please stay informed, ‘know your zone,’ and sign up for updates at nyc.gov, or calling 311,” de Blasio said.
De Blasio also urged residents to sign up for Notify NYC at www.NYC.gov/notifynyc to receive the latest emergency information, including updates on Hurricane Joaquin.
AS this was posted weather forecasts has Joaquin missing New York City, but expect a rainy and windy weekend.
46th AD Race: Harris Gets 1199 Endorsement
Community Organizer Pamela Harris, the Democratic candidate for the 46th Assembly District special election race, received the powerful Healthcare Workers Union 1199 SEIU endorsement yesterday.
“Pamela Harris epitomizes everything that we look for in a candidate – strong community roots, a record of forcefully advocating for people, and the issues of importance to working families. The daughter of blue-collar workers and, as a retired union member, Pamela understands that the value of collective bargaining for living wages, safe working conditions and enhanced benefits improves the lives of our families and our communities,” said 1199 SEIEU Political Director, Kevin Finnegan.
” I am confident that Pamela will champion the cause of working New Yorkers, and will fight in Albany to ensure quality healthcare delivery and good jobs. We are proud to support Pamela Harris, and look forward to working with her in our efforts on behalf of our members,” he added.
The 46th Assembly District includes Coney Island, Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights with small slices of Brighton Beach, Bath Beach and Gravesend.
Harris faces Republican Lecretia Regina-Potter in the Nov. 3 special election to fill the vacant seat.
Adams Releases Bilingual Public Education Guidebooks
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams yesterday released English and Spanish versions of the Brooklyn Parent Guide to Public Education, a handbook compiled to help Brooklyn parents navigate City resources for students.
The guide addresses important educational issues such as pre-K enrollment, high school admissions, career and technical schools, special education, and charter schools. It also provides contact information for various offices in the New York City Department of Education as well as Community Education Councils representing families Brooklyn and citywide.
“I am a firm believer in the principle that the more Brooklyn parents are involved in their children’s education, the better the results are for our students and for our borough’s future,” wrote Adams in the guide’s introduction. “Whether you are looking for information on enrollment, finding your zoned school, getting safety or transportation services, or simply need to speak to someone about the many programs available for your child, just turn to the correct page in this guide and you will find the key you need to unlock the answer.”
The English version of the guide can be viewed on Borough President Adams’s website by visiting brooklyn-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Parents-Ed-Guide-September-10-2015_FINAL-.pdf; the Spanish version can be found atbrooklyn-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Parents-Ed-Guide-September-2015_UPDATE-spanish-FINAL.pdf .
Jeffries, Mosley, Cumbo Address NYCHA Resident Unemployment
On the heels of a triple homicide at the Ingersol Houses and a growing sense of hopelessness among residents, U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries, joined by Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley and Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo, today will call upon the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to aggressively address the crisis of public housing resident unemployment and lack of economic opportunity.
WHO: U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley and Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo
WHAT: Press conference to address NYCHA resident unemployment crisis
WHEN: 11 a.m., today, Oct. 2
WHERE: The Shirley Chisholm State Office Building, 55 Hanson Place, 6th Floor
Cymbrowitz Advocates Lady Moody House Be Landmarked
Sheepshead Bay/Gravesend Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz submitted written testimony to the Landmarks Preservation Commission advocating that the Lady Moody-Van Sicklen House in Gravesend be landmarked.
Locals believe Englishwoman Lady Moody built the house the house, 27 Gravesend Neck Road, although other believe it belonged to the Dutch Van Sicklen house – and in both cases was built in the mid-1660s. It is currently up for sale and locals fear that once sold it will be razed.
The Historic Districts Council has ruled that it is doubtful the standing house is the same house of Lady Moddy, but has acknowledged that John Van Sicklin lived their and dates back at least from the 1800s.
“It’s not critical that Lady Moody never lived in the house or that significant renovations were made over the years to alter the home’s appearance from what we think of as a classic Dutch-American farmhouse. The fact that the Lady Moody-Van Sicklen home has been standing since the early 18th century, that is was vital in the creation of Gravesend and figured closely in the lives of one of Brooklyn’s most prominent families, are reasons enough to protect it. The home’s status as the borough’s only extant stone farmhouse (rather than the typical wood construction) lends it additional importance,” wrote Cymbrowitz.
“Even the knowledge that slave labor quite possibly laid the original stonework for the home is cause for preservation. When children at P.S. 95, located across the street from the Lady Moody-Van Sicklen House, learn about the Civil War, they should be able to look out the window and see evidence of Brooklyn’s vibrant and shameful slave owning past. There is an ethical history to maintain as well as an historical one,” he added.
The house is part of the backlogged Brooklyn calendar items to be heard at an October 8 LPC hearing.
