Richardson Sponsors Black History Month Essay Contest
Crown Heights/Lefferts Gardens Assembly Member Diana Richardson is sponsoring a National African American History Month Essay Contest for all Brooklyn Middle schoolers.
The topic of the contest is which African-American leader/innovator in the world of science, the arts, sports, business, etc do you admire most and why?
Essays can be emailed to Richardson at RichardsonD@assembly.state.ny.us
Parker Supports Cuomo Laguardia Redevelopment Plan
Flatbush/Midwood State Senator Kevin Parker yesterday threw his strong support behind Governor Cuomo’s recruitment initiative for the LaGuardia Redevelopment Project, which includes strong outreach to keep minority and women-owned businesses informed of opportunities.
“He (Cuomo) recently held four outreach events and a webinar to inform more MWBEs about how they can be a part of current contracting opportunities available within the LaGuardia Redevelopment Project,” said Parker. “This initiative ensures there is both diversity and fairness in contracting opportunities for MWBEs and is just one of many that showcase the Governor’s commitment to grow MWBEs. Supporting MWBEs will create more revenue and offer more job opportunities to constituents throughout my district and New York State as a whole.”
Malliotakis Bills Get Humane Society Support
Two pieces of legislation that Bay Ridge/Staten Island Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis authored toughening animal cruelty punishment laws received the support from the Humane Society of New York, an organization that has fought against animal cruelty for more than a century.
The bills are intended to close legal loopholes and increases penalties for committing cruelty toward animals and were introduced after consultation with then-District Attorney and now Southern Brooklyn Congressman Daniel Donovan. The legislative package was predicated on a November 2014 incident where a three year-old dog identified as “Charlotte” was found on the side of the road, physically injured after being thrown from a car window.
The first bill, A5505/S5116, would create an additional means to establish the crime of aggravated cruelty to animals where a person has been convicted of animal cruelty in the past. According to the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), it is well substantiated that those who have a history of repeated acts of intentional violence toward animals are at a higher risk of exhibiting similar violence toward human beings. APRI also cites a large and growing body of literature that has documented the co-occurrence of animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, particularly domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse.
The second bill, A5506/S5116, would broaden the existing statute regarding aggravated cruelty to animals to cover all animals, rather than just “companion animals”. Animals killed by hunters, animals killed in emergency situations, and livestock would not be affected by this legislation because the existing law only covers conduct “with no justifiable purpose” – language which is not altered by this legislation.
“I am so proud to have support from The Humane Society of New York on these bills. Their endorsement will hopefully go a long way toward enlisting the support of our colleagues in the legislature, and ultimately bring them to the floor for a successful vote,” said Malliotakis. “Animal cruelty is often evidence of deeper, more serious issues within the person committing the crime that have led to similar crimes against humans. We must do all that we can to ensure that those who commit such crimes are properly dealt with and prevented from moving on to similar action toward humans.”
Gentile On Hand For Kids Basketball Classic
Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights City Councilman Vincent Gentile will be on hand this Sunday for St. Ephrem’s 5th Annual Swish for Kids Basketball Classic.
The pre-Super Bowl game held at St. Ephrem parish in Dyker Heights benefits The Francesco Loccisano Memorial Foundation (Frankie’s Mission).St. Francis College and Mount St. Vincent men’s college basketball teams will host a fun and engaging basketball clinic with children and young adults who are cancer survivors, currently battling cancer, and in remission.
Frankie’s mission is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting families of children with cancer nationwide:http://www.frankiesmission.org/about-us/.
WHAT: St. Ephrem’s 5th Annual Swish for Kids Basketball Classic Benefiting The Francesco Loccisano Memorial Foundation (Frankie’s Mission). Lunch and awards ceremony to follow.
WHEN: Sunday, February 7th 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
WHERE: St. Ephrem Gym 924 74th Street Brooklyn, NY 11228
WHO: Councilman Vincent Gentile, players and coaches from the St. Francis and Mount St. Vincent men’s college basketball teams, St. Ephrem’s basketball program, and over 200 attendees.
Swish For Kids Basketball Classic: http://thetablet.org/swish-for-kids-classic-provides-needed-break/
De Blasio CleaNYC Initiative Will Start With Church Avenue
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday that Church Avenue would be one of the first commercial strips involved in his CleaNYC initiative.
The initiative is a holistic effort to keep communities clean in all five boroughs and will include a stepped up Graffiti-Free NYC effort and sidewalk power washing in commercial corridors, as well as the expansion of Sunday and holiday litter basket collection service and highway shoulder and ramp cleanup.
“New Yorkers want to see clean streets, sidewalks and public spaces – and they deserve no less,” said de Blasio. “Whether it’s the highway shoulders and ramps that provide the first impressions of our city, the residential neighborhoods New Yorkers call home, or the commercial corridors that are the heart of our local economy, CleaNYC will keep communities clean and improve quality of life, a priority for this administration.”
In total, CleaNYC will cost $4.2 million in expense funds in Fiscal Year 2017, and $2.5 million in capital funds.
