Robinson Pitches For Vida Membership, Poll Workers
Assembly Member Annette Robinson (Bedford-Stuyvesant) is inviting members of the community to sign up as Vanguard Independent Democratic Association members and to work the polls during the coming primary and general elections.
Robinson is also a VIDA Executive Member and female Democratic District Leader.
Inspectors, Poll Clerks, and Information Clerks earn $200 for working an Election Day, in addition to earning $100 for successfully completing a training and exam. You must reside in in the city and be at least 18.
The cost to becoming a VIDA member is $25 for a regular membership and $100 for a professional membership.
Local residents interested in either joining VIDA or working the polls should show up tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon at 401 Tomkins Avenue between Jefferson and Hancock streets in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Gillibrand Visits Brooklyn To Promote Manufacturing Legislation
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will come to Brooklyn next week to tour Manufacture New York, a woman-owned fashion design and production incubator for independent designers, and to announce her bipartisan Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act legislation.
The proposed measure would help grow the apparel, textile, and wearable tech manufacturing industry in Brooklyn by creating a permanent program that designates local regions as “Manufacturing Communities,” which would put them in the front of the line to receive federal economic development funding specifically for the purpose of investing in manufacturing.
The manufacturing sector in New York City has stabilized and is beginning to grow again after a decade of decline, according to the Center for an Urban Future. However, the number of apparel manufacturing jobs in New York City declined from 57,178 jobs in 2000 to 15,657 jobs in 2014.
Gillibrand’s bill would help create apparel and textile manufacturing jobs in Brooklyn by creating a permanent program to competitively award regions with the “Manufacturing Community” designation.
This designation would give these communities preferred consideration when applying for up to $1.3 billion in currently available federal economic development funding for manufacturing.
Gillibrand will be in Brooklyn to promote the legislation at 12:40 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Manufacture New York, 850 3rd Avenue in Sunset Park.
Dilan, Davila, Reynoso, Torres Hosts Bushwick Votes!
Bushwick lawmakers including State Sen. Martin Dilan, Assembly Member Maritza Davila, Antonio Reynoso and Democratic District Leader Tommy Torres, together with the DOE Fund next week are holding a voter registration drive targeting the formerly incarcerated and those hiostorically disenfranchised from the voting process.
Dubbed Bushwick Votes!, the event will offer residents the chance to meet with local elected officials, mingle with neighbors, and enjoy music and BBQ prepared by The Doe Fund’s Culinary Arts team, including dishes featuring produce from the facility’s urban garden.
The Doe Fund is extremely grateful for food donations from two neighborhood businesses. Guests will enjoy high quality meats and produce from the Bushwick Food Coop, and local, grass-fed beef from Foster Sundry.
The event is slated for between 5-8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9 at the Peter Jay Sharp Center for Opportunity, home to hundreds of trainees in The Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing & Able transitional work program. The majority of the trainees have experience with the criminal justice system.
Deutsch Holds Forum To Address District Flooding
City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest), whose district has seen quite a bot of flooding in recent heavy rainfalls, will hold a community forum on the issue next week.
Deutsch will come in tow with officials from the City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the office of City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and the Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS). DEP representatives will talk about how to take preventive measures and remedy problems with flooding and sewer backups, the Comptroller’s Office will discuss how to file a claim against the City if you incurred damage during a rainstorm, and the NHS will discuss the importance of obtaining flood insurance.
“I encourage you to attend this forum to learn how to better protect your home and your property. In the meantime, if you had any damage during one of our recent storms, please call or email my office with your 311 reference number. I am here to help,” said Deutsch.
The forum is slated for 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 10 at Madison High School, 3787 Bedford Avenue, on the corner of Avenue P (parking will be available).
Cuomo Signs Bill Legalizing Fantasy Sports
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo this week signed legislation to legalize interactive fantasy sports in New York State.
The bill (S.8153/A.10736) requires that fantasy sports companies must register with, and operate under regulations issued by, the New York State Gaming Commission. It is expected that once fully implemented, the legislation will generate approximately $4 million in revenue to fund state education aid.
“Daily fantasy sports have proven to be popular in New York, but until now have operated with no supervision and no protections for players,” Cuomo said. “This legislation strikes the right balance that allows this activity to continue with oversight from state regulators, new consumer protections, and more funding for education.”
Interactive fantasy sports are games of skill in which contestants assemble a roster of athletes in a given sport and use the actual performance statistics of those athletes to determine the contest’s winner. Contestants pay fees to enter the contest and, if successful in performing against their opponent, win prizes.
