Hamilton Officially Opens The Campus
Central Brooklyn State Sen. Jesse Hamilton today will officially cut the ribbon on the “Campus” alongside colleagues, community-based groups, and educators.
Modeled on a college campus, the Campus aims to empower youth and help meet an array of community needs. The offerings of the Campus are aligned along five tracks: Technology, Coding and App Development; Career Development & Entrepreneurship; Health and Wellness; Violence Prevention; Cultural, Media, and Performing Arts.
The Campus is the first technology hub of its kind in the nation to be located in public housing. It opens one month after the September 21st shooting death of Rysheen Ervin, just minutes before and steps away from a Campus stakeholders meeting at Howard Houses Community Center. Ervin’s death only strengthened the resolve of the stakeholders to the mission of the Campus.
The ribbon cutting is slated for 1 p.m., today at P.S. 298/Brownsville Collaborative Middle School, Auditorium, 85 Watkins St, Brooklyn in Brownsville.
Bichotte Celebrates Release of Kidnaped Nigerian Girls
Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte yesterday celebrated the release of 21 of the 276 Chibok girls that were kidnapped in Nigeria by the radical Islamist organization Boko Haram.
It has been reported that the release of the girls was negotiated between the Nigerian government and the leadership of Boko Haram. Mr. Garba Shehu, a spokesperson for the Nigerian government said that the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Swiss government acted as mediators, and that the negotiations are ongoing.
Also, although Boko Haram would not disclose what they received in return for their release BBC reported that several imprisoned militants were handed over. However, the Nigerian government denies this. Also according to the BBC, Information Minister Lai Mohammed, stated that this is a “credible first step” and that he was confident that it would lead to the eventual release of the remaining girls.
“I am overjoyed to hear this news and I hold out hope that the remaining girls will be reunited with their families,” said Bichotte. “It is so important that the international community continue to keep the kidnapping of the Chibok girls out front and in the minds of people and not let up until all the girls are home.”
In June of this year, Bichotte introduced a resolution Condemning Boko Haram for its violent attacks, particularly the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, especially women and girls.
Golden Wants Clinton To Apologize
Republican State Senator Martin J. Golden (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach) yesterday urged Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to apologize for the email communications of senior campaign officials, including John Podesta and Jennifer Plamieri, which allegedly spoke of Catholism and the Catholic Church in a hostile and condescending manner.
He urged her to apologize at last night’s Al Smith Dinner, which is one of the prime Catholic Church charitable events of the year, attended by countless dignitaries, including the two major party candidates for President. Both Clinton and her Republican rival Donal Trump attended the event.
“Instead of using tonight’s (last night’s) remarks to light-heartedly discuss current events, Secretary Clinton should seize the moment as she stands before many leaders of the Church, business, charitable and media, to accept responsibility for their poorly chosen words. Secretary Clinton will help to clear the air if she shows an understanding of the inappropriateness of her staff’s comments and affirms how she will make sure it will not happen again,” said Golden.
Clinton did not apologize for the email communications. Trump was roundly booed at the event, in what is proving to be the most abrasive Presidential campaigns in recent history..
Adams Recommends Enhanced Safety & Bike Lanes For Newtown Creek
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams yesterday recommended an emergency call box and the installation of a new bike lane as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), in which the city wants to change the zoning regarding the site selection of a portion of the street located between the Whale Creek Canal and Kingsland Avenue in Greenpoint for use as a waterfront nature walk.
This proposed land transfer, along with the accompanying amendment to the City Map, would enable the expansion of the Newtown Creek Nature Walk, a quarter-mile public walkway built and managed by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that gives visitors a unique perspective of the surrounding environment as well as historical and modern industrial uses of the area.
His response was issued after dialogue with local stakeholders and community activists, including a public hearing he held in the community room of Brooklyn Borough Hall on Monday, September 26.
“Our land use process is an ideal opportunity to explore ways we can help make Brooklyn a safer place to raise healthy children and families,” said Adams. “As a former police officer in the 94th Precinct, patrolling the streets of Greenpoint, I feel a continued duty to seek out any and every opportunity to make this community more secure. The expansion of Newtown Creek Nature Walk into a more isolated area necessitates an investigation of the need for an emergency call box at the proposed entrance on Kingsland Avenue, just as the City installed on Paidge Avenue.
“As an avid cyclist, I feel an ongoing responsibility to explore suitable placement for new routes that are safe for cycling. The increased traffic that an expanded nature walk will likely bring to our waterfront compels a deeper look, by all interested parties, of the incorporation of a new bike lane spur connected to the existing route along Greenpoint Avenue. I look forward to seeing how this meaningful project will advance for the betterment of residents in Greenpoint and all across our borough.”
Adams’ recommendations in full can be accessed online by visiting brooklyn-usa.org/ulurp,
Cymbrowitz Urges Residents To Bring In Expired Drugs
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach) is encouraging residents with unused or expired prescription drugs to bring them to the 61st Precinct from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., tomorrow, Oct. 22 for safe disposal.
The precinct, located at 2575 Coney Island Avenue, is a local collection site for the 12th Annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.
The initiative is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Agency. The service is free and anonymous; no questions are asked when you drop off the drugs.
“Take-Back Day addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said Cymbrowitz, who is at the forefront of the fight to stem the prescription drug abuse epidemic in New York State. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.”
Studies show that most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Gonzales Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and Acting DA Eric Gonzalez will join the Dominican Bar Association and the Puerto Rican Bar Association on Monday for a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration: “Celebrating Our Past While Building Towards Our Future.”
The Honorees for the event include:
- Wilma Guzman, New York State Supreme Court Judge, New York County
- Evelyn Laporte, New York State Supreme Court Judge, Kings County
- Rosevelie Márquez Morales, East Coast Diversity Director at Sidley Austin
- Onida Mayers, Director, Voter Assistance, NYC Votes
The event is slated for 6-8 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24 at St. Ann’s and The Holy Trinity Church Hall, 157 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. RSVP at communityaffairs@brooklynda.
Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, LLP Obtain $2.43 Million Verdict (Sponsored)
WRSH attorneys Robert Bellinson and Joseph Stoduto obtained a verdict in the amount of $2.43 million on behalf of a twenty-five year old nursing student from the Bronx.
The woman was driving her vehicle along a local roadway in the Bronx when a New York City Transit Authority bus struck her vehicle, causing a serious collision. As a result of the accident, the client suffered injuries to her lower back requiring surgery. During the course of the litigation, Joseph won a decision from the Court that the defendants were 100% responsible for the collision, despite the defendants contention that they did nothing wrong.
The defendants took the position that the client’s damages were minimal and they refused to make a settlement offer. Robert conducted a full and complete jury trial on the issue of damages, which was fiercely contested by the defendants and by the doctors which they had hired to examine our client and testify in Court against us.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury awarded the client the total sum of $2,43 million for her damages.
The law firm of Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, LLP is one of the city’s top accident and medical malpractice firms in the city and is there to represent you. To get a free consultation click Here.
