Adams Welcomes Chinese Delegation, Celebrates Scholarship Winners
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams today will welcome to Brooklyn a delegation of leaders from Guizhou Province, an area home to nearly 35 million people in southwestern China, as part of a fact-finding mission about local government.
Brooklyn is home to one of the largest overseas Chinese populations outside of China, and Borough President Adams has established sister city agreements with the Chaoyang district of Beijing and Yiwu.
The event is slated for 2 p.m., today, Nov. 14, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Then, later in the day, Adams will celebrate the accomplishments of local student chefs that have won a cook-off competition, organized by Mapping Basilicata and the New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA), which will grant culinary scholarships to study and train in the Italian region of Basilicata.
The celebration is slated for 6 p.m., also at Borough Hall.
Velazquez, Menchaca Hail Brooklyn Cruise Terminal’s Use Of Shore Power
Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (Northern and Northwest Brooklyn) and City Council Member Carlos Menchaca (Sunset Park, Red Hook) Friday hailed the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announcement that shore power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is fully operational and ready for ships to connect.
Shore power, also known as “cold ironing,” enables ships to turn off their diesel engines while at port and connect to the local electrical grid in order to power all onboard services, including lighting, HVAC, and elevators/escalators.
By conserving fuel that would otherwise be used to power vessels while in port, the shore power system will reduce air pollution from cruise vessel emissions and eliminate 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide, 95 tons of nitrous oxide, and 6.5 tons of particulate matter annually. The health benefits associated with improved air quality will generate approximately $99 million in cumulative savings over 15 years.
“By reducing emissions, Shore Power will bring significant environmental and health benefits to our community. I am proud to see us taking this step – an important example of federal EPA dollars at work. This advancement will mean Brooklyn families and children can breathe a little easier,” said Velázquez.
“Shore power is a big win for the people of Red Hook. This improvement at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal sets three important examples. First, City agencies will respond when community advocacy is strong. Second, New York can have thriving maritime operations and be environmentally responsible. Third, investments in smart infrastructure create economic benefits for the entire City. I thank the EDC and Red Hook residents for setting an example we should follow in all maritime and manufacturing areas,” said Menchaca.
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is the second cruise terminal on the East coast to have shore power capability. The NYCEDC took over management of shore power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal from the Port Authority in September 2016. The next scheduled connection to the shore power system is the Queen Mary 2’s call at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on Saturday, November 12.
Schneiderman Bust Three-Quarter Housing Scammers
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman Friday announced the arrests of several people in connection with scams involving three-quarter homes in Kings County (Brooklyn).
Three-quarter homes in the city are private entities that provide housing to indigent, formerly homeless individuals and those transitioning out of periods of incarceration, and are largely funded from each resident’s monthly housing allowance provided by the New York City Human Resources Administration (“HRA”).
Arrested were attorney Anthony Cornachio, 74, of Garden City and charges against NRI Group, LLC (“NRI”) and Canarsie A.W.A.R.E., Inc. (“Canarsie”), which are Medicaid-enrolled drug treatment programs controlled by Cornachio.
The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“MFCU”) also charged three-quarter housing operators Yury Baumblit, 66, and Rimma Baumblit, 60, of Brooklyn, and their company Back on Track Group, Inc.
In papers filed in New York City Criminal Court, Kings County and New York State Supreme Court, Kings County, prosecutors allege that Yury Baumblit and Rimma Baumblit, in exchange for payments from Cornachio’s companies, forced residents of their “three-quarter” homes to either face eviction or attend NRI and Canarsie regardless of the residents’ actual need for drug treatment services.
All of the residences leased by Back on Track Group, Inc. and operated by Yury Baumblit and Rimma Baumblit as three-quarter homes were located in Kings County. During the course of this scheme, which dates back to at least 2013, Cornachio allegedly paid Back on Track Group, Inc. over $900,000.00 in illegal kickbacks. As a result of this kickback scheme, prosecutors allege that Cornachio, through NRI and Canarsie, submitted, and caused to be submitted, at least $1.7 Million in false claims for reimbursement to Medicaid. These claims, prosecutors allege, were fraudulent because they resulted from illegal kickbacks and were often medically unnecessary.
“We allege that the defendants engaged in a deliberate scheme to exploit those struggling with substance abuse in order to line their own pockets with millions,” said Schneiderman. “Medicaid cannot serve as a personal piggy bank for criminals and fraudsters who have little regard for the well-being of their fellow New Yorkers. My office will continue to uphold the integrity of the Medicaid program to ensure that our tax dollars are put towards helping our most vulnerable citizens.”
“Individuals who victimize the most vulnerable New Yorkers should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Department of Social Service Commissioner Steven Banks. “By forcing residents to submit themselves to medical tests and treatments that in many cases they didn’t even need, these defendants have shown not only a clear intention to defraud Medicaid but also an absolute disregard for human dignity.”
Caller To Hold Pro-Trump Rally
Republican District Leader R’ Nachman Carl Caller is sponsoring a Trump Support Rally to show President-Elect Donald J. Trump that he does not stand alone in New York.
Caller rallied for Mr. Trump during both the Primary and General Elections. His 48th Assembly District in Borough Park and Midwood produced 16,957 votes for Mr. Trump on November 8, which was the highest Trump vote in Brooklyn.
“Donald Trump won the race for President fair and square. Demonstrators should respect his win as the President-Elect. We would hope that they have the decency to give him the same honeymoon period that all presidents receive when they first get elected,” said Caller.
The Rally is slated for between 12 noon – 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20 in front of Trump Tower, 725 Fifth Avenue and East 57th Street in Manhattan.
Lander Mobilizes In Opposition To Trump Presidency
City Council Member Brad Lander (Park Slope, Kensington, Windsor Terrace), who held a solidarity rally with Bangladeshi Muslims on Friday to oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s stated harsh immigration intentions, is holding another community conversation tomorrow night on how to organize against the implications of the Trump Presidency.
“Many of us are still in shock and mourning from the election result. And it will take time, both to analyze what happened, and to deal with very real fears and such deep sadness, ” said Lander. “But we also have an obligation to roll up our sleeves and get to work: to do all we can to defend the things we know are right, to protect those who are vulnerable, to stand together in focused resistance, and to fight for the future we believe in.”
Lander said while the country must accept the election results, it must not accept or “normalize” attempts to gut the following core American ideals.
- Trump has proposed to deport the DREAMers and ban Muslims from entering the country. So we’ll start working with the New York Immigration Coalition on how we resist, to keep this a city and a nation that welcomes immigrants.
- He has announced his intention to defund Planned Parenthood, appoint Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, and gut women’s access to health care. So we’ll work with Planned Parenthood NYC on how we resist, to keep this a city and a nation that protects reproductive rights.
- He plans to repeal President Obama’s Executive Orders on climate change, a nightmare for the world we want to hand to our kids. So we’ll work with leaders of the climate change movement on how we resist, to keep this a city, a nation, and a planet we can live on.
The meeting is slated for 7 p.m., tomorrow, Nov. 15 at Congregation Beth Elohim, 274 Garfield Place in Park Slope.
Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, LLP Obtain $12.085 Million Settlement (Sponsored)
Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin attorney Kathleen Kettles recently obtained a court order approving the settlement of $12,085,000.
This is a case involving the failure to timely deliver an infant to a first-time mother and resulting in severe brain damage to the child who is now six-years-old. This child cannot speak, walk or talk and must be tube fed. Her parents are completely devoted, but their day to day existence is filled with dealing doctor’s appointments, emergency visits, outside therapies and managing or providing her child’s need for extensive nursing services.
“I am truly in awe of this family and despite the heartache of having a child this disabled, it has been a joy to work for them. This settlement will lessen the burden on this incredible family,” said Kettles, who heads the firm’s Medical Malpractice team. Though a practicing attorney for almost 28 years, she was an RN for ten years prior to going to law school.
During the litigation, Kathy worked extensively with well known, respected experts in the fields of obstetrics, maternal fetal medicine, neonatology, pediatric neurology, pediatric neuroradiology and a life care planner to prepare the case for trial. It is this attention to detail which results in an extremely favorable settlement for her clients.
“When I was a nurse, I often felt powerless to really help my patients, but as a nurse attorney, I get to help secure a child’s future and there is no greater feeling of satisfaction,” she said.
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.
