Adams Hails Completion Of Columbus Park Reconstruction
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams this week hailed the completed reconstruction of Columbus Park, the popular public plaza in Downtown Brooklyn behind Brooklyn Borough Hall and in front of the Kings County Supreme Court.
Adams and Mayor Bill de Blasio funded the $11 million undertaking, which included replacing the cracked bluestone with granite pavers that can better withstand inclement weather, the high volume of foot traffic associated with cross access to the surrounding business district and nearby transit lines, as well as the park’s use as home to the Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket.
“We have built a solid foundation for the future of Downtown Brooklyn’s greatest open space,” said Adams. “Before I took office, I promised to take out the crumbling bluestone and replace it with a plaza we can all be proud of for years to come. With the support of City Hall, this dream became a reality. I look forward to the millions of Brooklynites and visitors who will use Columbus Park in the years ahead, and I hope it will be the foundation for our bold vision of the Brooklyn Strand, a plan to connect and transform the neighborhood’s disparate parks and greenways.”
“Thanks to the generous funding from Borough President Adams and the Mayor’s Office, the popular Columbus Park has been refurbished with materials that are both beautiful and resilient,” said Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Maher. “The new plaza preserves the rich history of Borough Hall and Columbus Park, and we will continue to care for it so the thousands that pass through commuting or visiting the farmer’s market have a wonderful park for years to come.”
Adams used this announcement as an opportunity to highlight more than $10 million in park allocations from his Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) capital budget that were dedicated to improving parks across Brooklyn.
Malliotakis: NYC Must End ‘Sanctuary City’ Policy
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C,I-Bay Ridge, Staten Island) is calling on the City to comply with President Donald Trump’s recently announced Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States.
A sanctuary city is a city that has adopted a policy of protecting undocumented immigrants by not prosecuting them for violating federal immigration laws in the country in which they are now living illegally. New York City is one of dozens of sanctuary cities across the nation.
Malliotakis noted that according to the NYPD’s Summary of Statistics on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainers from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016, the Department received 80 civil immigration detainers for undocumented individuals considered a threat to public safety. Of those only two detainers were honored and 78 were denied.
Malliotakis said that in 2014, the City passed two local laws significantly impede cooperation between the New York City Department of Correction (DOC), NYPD, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), by prohibiting DOC and NYPD from honoring immigration detainers unless accompanied by a federal warrant and the person has either been convicted of a violent or serious crime, or identified as a possible match on in the terrorist screening database.
Crimes not considered “violent or serious” include Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Aggravated Identity Theft, Criminal Diversion of Prescription Medications and Prescriptions in the First Degree, Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, and Aggravated Patronizing a Minor for Prostitution in the First Degree, among others, Malliotakis said.
“Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Homeland Security already limited the issuance of civil detainers to situations where the individual is considered dangerous or has already been convicted of breaking the law. Despite these restrictive criteria, from October 2014 to October 2015 the City honored only 6% of civil detainer requests from federal authorities. Over the subsequent year, that rate has fallen to just 2.5%,” said Malliotakis. “It’s truly frightening that our City refuses to treat criminals in accordance with federal law, and would jeopardize federal funding by harboring individuals who have committed crimes from deportation. It is time to restore New York City to a law-and-order city.”
Trump, who campaigned on rhetoric of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, also threatened in his executive order to withhold federal funding for sanctuary cities that do not comply with his stringent new guidelines.
Levin Calls For Comprehensive ACS Review
City Council Member Stephen Levin (Downton Brooklyn, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Boerum Hill) yesterday called for a comprehensive and rigorous review of the city’s Administration for Childrens Servics (ACS).
Levin’s call for the review comes in the wake of several child abuse deaths over the last four months including that of six year-old Zymere Perkins, three year-old Jaden Jordan, five year-old Michael Guzman, and four year-old Zamair Coombs. The constant in each is involvement with ACS that failed to save their lives. The system exists to protect the most vulnerable children in our City and the system is failing them, said Levin.
“While I appreciate Mayor De Blasio’s consistent attention to reforms, identifying and addressing the system’s failures has to be his highest priority. ACS must undergo an independent and comprehensive review of policies, procedure, and staffing at every level of the agency,” said Levin, who Chairs the Council’s Committee on General Welfare and has held two hearings on the issue.
“In addition to reforms that ACS has already instituted, I sincerely hope the City will implement new procedures to ensure robust managerial review of casework, require bi-annual training of ACS and contracted provider staff, and invest more deeply in proven preventive services models. I also believe that it is critical to enhance ChildStat casework review with participation by the highest level of ACS citywide and borough staff in order to ensure maximum casework accountability,” he added.
Levin also said it is unacceptable that in the Governor’s recent state budget proposal there are cuts to ACS received from the State for child welfare and foster care services.
“The tragic deaths of these very young children are intolerable. This is an agency that must continuously evolve and so reforms must be ongoing to ensure ACS can benefit from fresh opportunities and meet new challenges. It is essential that there be rigorous accountability at each and every level in the child welfare system,” said Levin.
Gilibrand Tabs Nominates Three Brooklynites For Top Military Academies
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday included three Brooklyn youths in her nominations of candidates from New York City to the nation’s leading service institutions – the United States Air Force, Military, Naval and Merchant Marine Academies.
A selection committee formed by Gillibrand chose the nominees from a large group of qualified applicants. Decisions were based on criteria including: academic record, leadership potential, and overall achievement. Final acceptance is determined solely by the service academies.
Among Gillibrand’s Brooklyn nominees included twin brothers Michael Lomask (U.S. Naval Academy) and John Lomask (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy) and Maria Palines (U.S. Naval Academy). The Lomask twins attend St. Ann’s High School in Brooklyn Heights and live in Ditmas Park. No information was available on Palines at post time.
“Our service academies train and mentor top-tier officers who are committed to serving our country,” said Gillibrand. “These talented New Yorkers have shown honor, dedication and unique skillsets that will make them great assets to our nation’s service academies and armed forces. I am always honored to nominate courageous men and women with the opportunity to live their dreams and serve in our country’s armed forces.”
Entrance into the country’s military academies are highly competitive. Among the requirements are recommendations of Congressional members. The U. S. service academies offer a first class education as well as a chance for young people to serve our country upon graduation, as commissioned officers in the United States Armed Services.
Ortiz On Passing of Former Congressman Robert Garcia
Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook) yesterday mourned the loss of former Bronx Congressman Robert Garcia, who died Jan 25 in San Juan, Puerto Roco at 84.
“He [Garcia] was one of the first New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage to be elected to the State Assembly, State Senate and United States Congress. During his career, he pioneered legislation to create free enterprise zones to attract businesses to high-poverty areas. As chair of the congressional Census Subcommittee, he fought to improve census counting and decrease the chronic under counting of minorities,” said Ortiz.
“My condolences to his wife Jane and family members,” he added.
