Brennan At Forum On Fighting Corruption In Albany
Assembly Member James Brennan (Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington) will be among the panelists as the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats are hosting a forum Thursday about Corruption in Albany and How to Fight It.
Other panelists include Prudence Katz from Common Cause and Wendy Weiser from the Brennan Center for Justice. Bobby Carroll, a candidate for the upcoming 44 Assembly District Democratic leadership race will moderate.
The forum is slated for between 7-9 p.m., Thursday, April 7 at the Park Slope Methodist Church, 410 6th Avenue.
Lander Supports DOE View On Testing
In an emailed letter to constituents yesterday City Council Member Brad Lander (Park Slope, Kensington, Windsor Terrace) noted that his two children will be among the students in public schools taking the New York State tests – English Language Arts (ELA) this week, and Math next week.
In his letter, however, Lander noted the changes taking place on the role of these tests in public education.
‘Thanks to strong advocacy, we are making progress in the effort to reduce the over-reliance on high-stakes testing, and the negative consequences it has – not only stressed-out kids, but “teaching to the test,” incidences of cheating, erratic teacher evaluations, and a loss of time and focus on arts and music and creativity and teamwork,” Lander wrote.
“Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a real shift in attitudes. We elected a Mayor committed to more holistic education. He and Chancellor Fariña replaced the single, mostly test-based letter-grade that schools used to receive, with the “Framework for Great Schools” – that considers trust, supportive environment, community-family ties, and other non-traditional metrics (if you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to look at your school’s Quality Report under the new framework). DOE has also reduced the use of State tests for grade promotion decisions in favor of an approach using multiple measures and professional judgment.
“Both President Obama and Governor Cuomo, who once pushed policies reliant on high-stakes testing, have adjusted their views, and education policies are shifting. New York State law no longer permits middle and high schools to use state tests as the sole or primary criteria in admissions decisions. New NYS Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia and Chancellor Betty Rosa seem open to working on a new framework for testing and evaluation in our schools.
In the meantime: you have the right to make the decision about whether your child will take the NYS tests or opt out.”
Adams Sets Rules, Venues To Find Brooklyn’s Best Karaoke Singer
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams yesterday announced the rules and venues for the launch of BK Sings, his first-of-its-kind borough-wide karaoke competition to find Brooklyn’s best amateur singers.
Bars and restaurants across the borough will offer Brooklynites the opportunity to perform their favorite songs and compete to represent their neighborhood, leading into a final musical showdown that will crown the best karaoke singer in Brooklyn. Adams announced the rules at The Way Station, a popular Prospect Heights hangout that will serve as one of the local sites for BK Sings.
“So you think you can sing…well, we’re about to find out!” said Adams. “Karaoke gives amateur singers near and far a shot at stardom; a few have even become famous through American Idol, The Voice, and YouTube. More than anything, karaoke is a community — a chance to gather at a neighborhood joint and cheer on friends old and new as they take on the greats. Here in Brooklyn, we sing with many voices — we are the home of Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond, of Maxwell and Norah Jones. I look forward to crowning the first champion of BK Sings and adding their name to our borough’s first-rate musical marquee.”
Participants must be Brooklyn residents who are 18 years of age or older and are not engaged in a professional singing career. Judges will evaluate based on their execution of the song, which cannot contain any explicit lyrical content, as well as their stage presence and audience appeal. Champions at local contests will move on to compete in regional semifinals, which will determine the singers for the final round that will be held at Hill Country Barbecue Market in Downtown Brooklyn on Sunday, May 1.
The first prize winner will receive a karaoke machine as well as the opportunity to sing at an upcoming public event at MCU Park in Coney Island. Additionally, the second prize winner will win a tablet computer, and the third prize winner will earn a gift card good for dinner for two at Suede Restaurant in East Flatbush.
Other participating locations in the inaugural run of BK Sings include Three Jolly Pigeons in Bay Ridge; Brooklyn Beso and Therapy Wine Bar in Bedford-Stuyvesant; Blue Agave Restaurant Bar in Bensonhurst; Mi Sueno Restaurant in Bushwick; Chloe’s Restaurant and Lounge in Canarsie; Brooklyn Wine Yard, Rustik Tavern, and Two Steps Down in Clinton Hill; 40 Knots Bar on the Columbia Street Waterfront; Essence Bar & Restaurant in Crown Heights; Footprints Café in Coney Island; Amarachi Restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn; Footprints Café and Round 2 Café in East Flatbush; Fusion East in East New York; D’Savannah Bar & Lounge in Flatbush; Lagos Lounge and NY Tracks Café in Flatlands; Mo’s Fort Greene in Fort Greene; Saint Vitus Bar in Greenpoint; Shenanigans in Kensington; Ooh La La Lounge and Bar in Ocean Hill; Woodland Bar and Grill in Park Slope; Eve’s Lounge in Prospect Heights; Red Karaoke Lounge in Sheepshead Bay, Freddy’s Bar and Backroom in South Slope; and Alligator Lounge in Williamsburg.
Reynoso Gives Strong Thumbs Down To Jail In District
City Council Member Antonio Reynoso (Bushwick, Williamsburg, Green[point) yesterday denounced a report in DNAInfo that sited sources saying a Greenpoint site is being looked at to house a jail if Rikers Island is closed.
“I have been in contact with both the Mayor’s office and the Speaker’s office, and both deny that they are considering the National Grid site in my district as a possible location for a jail,” said Reynoso.
“Even if it were true, the proposal would need to go through public land use review, and I would never allow it to pass. Both the Mayor and the Speaker share my commitment to preserving our manufacturing zones and to a fair share framework for facility siting. My district is already overburdened with waste transfer stations and homeless shelters; siting a jail in this community is simply a non-starter,” he said.
Brooklyn GOP Club Gains Statewide Honors
The New York State Federation of Republican Women yesterday announced that the Kings County Women’s Republican Club (WRC) will be recognized as the state’s top Republican club of the year at their upcoming 2016 NYSFRW Conference.
Criteria for highly competitive award includes an “increase in Federated club and NYSFRW membership; type and number of educational/informative meetings for the membership and the public; participation in local political campaigns: hours and types of volunteer service; volunteer participation in NYSERW-endorsed campaigns: hours and types of volunteer service; types of fundraising initiatives for the betterment and promotion of the Federated club; and community projects and charitable giving by the Federated club and by individual members.”
“King’s County represents the ‘best of the best’ in New York State. We are proud to recognize and highlight their achievements. We thank them for their tremendous service to our communities and state,” said Jo-Ann Clear, NYSFRW President.
The 2016 NYSFRW Conference is slated from Sunday, April 10 to Tuesday April 12 at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany. Dignitaries from across the state and nation will be attending. The evening’s speakers will include Republican National Co-Chair Sharon Day, New York State Republican Committee Chair Ed Cox and National Federation President Carrie Almond. All Presidential GOP hopefuls have been invited. For details, contact events@nysfrw.com.
Malliotakis Warns Of MTA Fiscal Responsibility
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (Bay Ridge, Staten Island) yesterday expressed concern that the State Budget adopted on Friday strikes a fatal blow to efforts to bring fiscal responsibility to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
The budget authorizes the agency to increase its debt limit from $37.2 billion to an unsustainable $55 billion. Malliotakis warned that such a reckless action makes the MTA a runaway train and will certainly lead to even more unaffordable toll and fare hikes and service cuts in the future. Perhaps more alarming is the fact that this increase allows a single state authority to issue more debt than the entire State of New York (the state’s debt cap is an estimated $47 billion).
“The MTA is already the fifth-largest municipal debtor in the nation with $36 million in debt. Instead of being responsible and using the state’s surplus or court settlement funds to pay down this debt, legislators took the unconscionable action of allowing the mismanaged agency to issue more bonds, take on more debt, and kick the can so far down the road that it can never be brought back,” said Malliotakis. “This misguided move puts a nail in the coffin, making it impossible to ever bring fiscal responsibility to this troubled agency and will certainly lead to more unaffordable toll hikes, fare hikes and service cuts.”
