Cymbrowitz Hearing To Establish Office For Community Living
Sheepshead Bay Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, Chair of the Aging Committee, will preside over a public hearing in Manhattan today with Assemblyman David Weprin, Chair of the Task Force on People with Disabilities, to hear testimony regarding the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) study to determine the feasibility of creating an Office of Community Living (OCL).
The enacted 2015-2016 state budget included the Executive’s proposal to study whether an Office of Community Living could provide value to older adults and persons with disabilities living in the community and recommend what form such an Office could take. As a condition of approving this exploratory endeavor, the Legislature required a series of public forums across the State to ensure that providers and consumers of services would have their voices heard. These forums, including one at Brooklyn Borough Hall, held on October 7.
The goal of today’s public hearing is to receive an update from NYSOFA on the status of the study process, seek testimony from impacted communities to better understand the level of public engagement thus far in NYSOFA’s Office of Community Living study, and learn more about the process being utilized to complete the study.
The hearing is slated for 10 a.m. today at 250 Broadway in Assembly Hearing Room, Room 1923, 19th Floor.
Gentile District Gets More Trash Pick-Ups
Bay Ridge City Councilman Vincent Gentile allocated almost $200,000,for twice-a-day daily trash pickups as a part of the NYC Cleanup Initiative in his district.
The money will allow trash pick-up service to increase from three to four days per week on all routes, including 3rd, 13th, 18th avenues.
Service will now take place on Mondays in addition to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and the 13th avenue pick-up route will now be expanded from 65th Street to 86th Street.
Additionally, Wildcat, a nonprofit organization that provides job opportunities and resources for New Yorkers to become economically independent, will sweep the streets and bag trash on all routes, 3 days a week.
Thus far, the expansion has resulted in and will continue to ensure improvement in quality of life and a significant decrease in the amount of trash that sits on the streets, benefitting local businesses, commuters, and community citizens of this great district alike.
Deutsch, Cornegy Hail Extended Library Services
Sheepshead Bay City Councilman Chaim Deutsch and Bedford-Stuyvesant City Councilman Robert Cornegy Jr. celebrated the recent increased service to library hours borough wide.
Deutsch announced effective yesterday, these additional hours provide children, students, and adults the ability to utilize the library after work and school hours. Evening and weekend hours make the library available to full-time students, workers, and others who cannot always make it to their branch during conventional hours.
The expanded hours throughout Brooklyn, are due to a $12 million dollar allocation from the New York City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio in the FY16 budget. With the increased funding, Homecrest Library, Kings Bay Library, Brighton Beach Library, and Sheepshead Bay Library are now able to better serve the people. The Kings Highway branch already has service 7 days a week.
The new hours include:
Brighton Beach Library: open 6 days a week, 2 additional hours on Thursday (now open until 6pm)
Homecrest Library: open 6 days a week, additional day (Monday), and added hours on Tuesday & Wednesdayevenings (now open until 8pm)
Kings Bay Library: open 6 days a week, additional hour on Wednesday (now open until 6pm)
Sheepshead Bay Library: open 6 days a week, additional 3 hours on Wednesday (now open until 8pm)
Meanwhile, Cornegy celebrated the extended hours yesterday with an event at Brower Park Library to celebrate and help promote the new Monday hours at the branch.
“Public libraries are one of the great equalizing forces of our society. Their availability sends a message that literacy, knowledge and advancement are possible for all. Expanding library access shows that our commitment to creating greater opportunities for the people of Brooklyn is stronger than ever. I’m extremely proud to share in announcing this expansion for the people of Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant and all of Brooklyn,” said Cornegy.
Brooklyn Public Library now offers universal six-day service, increased seven-day service and additional weekend and evening hours. Nineteen branches, including Brower Park, have expanded from five- to six-day service. BPL will provide an additional 217 hours of public service per week throughout the system, with average branch hours of operation increasing from 45 per week to 49.
Treyger Holds Sandy Recovery And Opportunity Resource Fair
Coney Island City Council Member Mark Treyger in conjunction with Mayor Bill de Blasio is hosting a Coney Island Sandy Recovery Opportunity & Resource Fair today.
The fair will explain recovery-related career opportunities and job training resources.
The fair is slated for 5 p.m., today at Liberation Diploma Plus High School 2865 West 19th Street in Coney Island. Please register at www.SandyRecovery Opportunities.com.
Mosley Warns Jewish Nabes About Whooping Cough Outbreak
Fort Greene Assemblyman Walter Mosley is putting out the word to Orthodox Jewish constituents that the city’s health department has notified all medical and health-related facilities of an outbreak of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is sweeping through Williamsburg, Crown Heights and Borough Park.
From Oct. 2014 to Oct. 2015, the health department has seen 109 cases of the disease reported in these areas, with 90 percent of the cases being for people younger than 19. Whooping cough, which can be controlled with vaccines and antibiotics can be series and possibly fatal, especially in infants, or adults over 65.
For more information on where you or your child can be vaccinated, call 311.
TJ Dem Club Dinner Dance Tickets Going Fast
The Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club‘s Dinner Dance is Sunday, November 1 and tickets are selling quickly.
Also, journal ads must be received ASAP. The club makes most of its income buy selling journal ad space. So please show your support and buy an ad.
To purchase an ad call Joel Cohen at 718-702-3584. To purchase tickets for the dinner dance call Jean Joseph at 347-234-3111. For more information email tjdemclub@gmail.com.
