Squadron, Electeds Call For L Train Interagency Working Group
State Senator Daniel Squadron (Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan) yesterday and 32 elected officials, urged creation of a collaborative interagency working group to mitigate the impact of repairs to the L train’s Canarsie tubes.
The call for the agency comes after MTA officials announced that the Manhattan portion of the subway line, which in Brooklyn runs from Williamsburg through Bushwick and to Canarsie, will close for 18 months starting in January 2019 to repair serious damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy.
“As you know, the L train is a transit lifeline for many of the communities we represent,” wrote Squadron and the electeds in a letter to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and MTA Chair Prendergast. “It is clear that mitigating the impacts of the closure requires bold action within and outside the MTA and significant interagency coordination. A working group should be convened to facilitate collaboration and planning among relevant agencies.”
Squadron and the electeds said the working group to be comprised of City, State and Federal agencies, and include engagement with electeds, the L train Coalition, community boards, advocates, and other stakeholders. The MTA has announced L line service will be suspended between Manhattan and Brooklyn 18-months for Hurricane Sandy-related repairs, beginning in 2019.
Among the Brooklyn lawmakers signing the letter includes Congressmembers Yevette Clarke, Hakeem Jeffries, Jerry Nadler, and Nydia Velázquez; State Senators Martin Dilan, Jesse Hamilton, Kevin Parker and Roxanne Persaud; Assemblymembers Maritza Davila, Joe Lentol, Nick Perry, and Latrice Walker; City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams; Brewer, and City Councilmembers Inez Barron, Rafael Espinal, Stephen Levin, Alan Maisel and Antonio Reynoso.
Lander, Carroll Kick Off Bangladeshi Voter Registration Drive
City Council Member Brad Lander, 44th Assembly District Candidate Robert “Bobby” Carroll and Community Board 12 Executive Committee Member Mamnunul Haq today today will be in Kensington to circulate bilingual (Bengali/English) voter registration forms, and urge people to register to vote before the August 19 deadline for the state legislative primary.
The drive will kick off this evening and continue on Friday afternoons after Jumma prayers on July 29 and August 5.
The Bangladeshi community has grown substantially in Kensington in recent years – the community includes many small businesses, restaurants, and mosques. There are Bangladeshi community board members, precinct community council members, PTA and parent leaders, community, cultural, and religious organizations.
“The Bangladeshi community shows a tremendous spirit of leadership and involvement in Kensington – on the community board, precinct council, local schools, mosques and cultural groups,” said Lander. “They’ve been leaders in making participatory budgeting and the new Avenue C plaza a success. But with know-nothing Donald Trump spreading hate and Islamophobia, it is more important than ever that people register and vote.”
The voter registration drive will kick off at 7: 30 p.m. tonight at Kensington Plaza (in front of Walgreens), Church Avenue and Beverley Road.
Adams Promotes 2016 Dine In Brooklyn
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams today will launch the 2016 edition of Dine In Brooklyn, the borough’s premiere restaurant week celebrating and promoting the local foodie culture, with tastings from a variety of local participating restaurants in the rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Dine In Brooklyn will start Thursday, August 11 and run until Monday, August 22, with dozens of establishments offering three-course dinner menus at $28 per person, two-course lunch menus at $15 per person, and weekend brunch menus at $12 per person.
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carlo Scissura will also be on hand to speak about the contributions of Brooklyn’s restaurants to its economy and culture as well as congratulate Jeffrey Rosenkrantz, a Park Slope resident who won a contest to design the new logo for Dine in Brooklyn.
The event is slated for 1:30 p.m., today, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Richardson Fundraiser Tonight
Assemblywoman Diana C. Richardson will hold a fundraiser tonight for her re-election campaign to represent the 43rd Assembly District and the neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens.
Attendees will be joined by leaders, business owners, and residents of the 43rd Assembly District, who are working to collectively implement progress in the community.
The fundraiser is slated for between 6:30-8:30 p.m., tonight at the The Bridge MCP, 1894 Flatbush Avenue. RSVP to Dominick at 917-816-8327 or email Dominick.dale@gmail.com.
TJ Club Kicks Off Campaign Mailing Season
The Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club will kick off its campaign mailing season tomorrow night with a small mailing project.
Ian Gaynor, the club’s secretary, said the mailing shouldn’t take too long to complete, depending on how many volunteers show up. The campaign will continue every Thursday until the September 13 primary.
“For those of you who missed last Thursday’s major announcement, Roberta Sherman, the TJ Club’s female district leader since 1998, has retired from that position. The TJ Club wishes nothing but the best for her and her family. She will continue to be a valuable member of our club,” said Gaynor in an email.
“We also announced the selection of Sue Ann Partnow as the female Democratic leader for the 59th Assembly District, filling the vacancy created by Roberta’s departure. Sue Ann has been an active member of our club for decades, serving on the club’s Board of Directors and coordinating our poll inspectors for every election. She has also served in the traditional Lucy Schwartz role as the TJ Club stage sentry, maintaining the sign-in sheet and keeping impatient and determined visitors from storming the stage to see the county chairman out of turn.
“As a youth, she met at the club and eventually married then Young Dem president, Mark Partnow, who is now a Justice of the Supreme Court in Kings County. They have two sons, Mitchell and Brandon, and a daughter-in-law, Mitchell’s wife, Miri. Mitchell is our current Young Dem president. Best of luck to Sue Ann as she assumes her new role and runs for election this fall.”
The mailing kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m., tomorrow, July 28 at the TJ Club, 77 Conklin Avenue in Canarsie.
