Adams Celebrates Lunar New Year
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams (D) today will host an educational exchange program meet-and-greet between 80 students studying Chinese language and culture at Medgar Evers College Preparatory School in Crown Heights and about 40 students from multiple schools across China.
The event is the kick off a series of cultural events he is hosting in celebration of the Lunar New Year.
Among those on hand will be Li Liyan, consul and director of the Cultural Office of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York. The students will display an exhibition showcasing artwork focusing on the 24 solar terms of the lunisolar calendar, which match particular astronomical events or signify natural phenomena.
The Lunar New Year is celebrated by a number of Asian cultures with deep roots in the borough, including Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. In particular, Brooklyn is home to a large and growing Chinese population. According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 7.8 percent of the borough identifies as Chinese, a population largely with origins in the Fujian province that now resides in neighborhoods such as Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay, and Sunset Park.
The event is slated for 12 noon, today, Feb. 2 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Deutsch Invites Residents To Join Local Community Boards
City Council Member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) is putting out the call to residents and in his district and boroughwide that now is the time to join their local community boards.
Community Boards play an important advisory role in local neighborhood matters, such as advising on land use and zoning, whether a new restaurant should be granted a liquor license, preserving public spaces, planning safer streets, libraries, affordable housing, and other matters relating to the communities’ welfare.
For the politically ambitious, community boards are also one way to kick off a political career as a number of elected officials got their start serving on local community boards.
In order serve on a Community Board, you must be live, work in, or have a significant interest in that board’s district. A term is two years, and each Board has 50 members. The deadline id Feb. 15. To apply go to http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/community-board-membership-application/.
Cuomo Funds Maimonides To Help Fight Breast Cancer
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (D) yesterday announced that Maimonides Medical Center is one of 42 hospitals and medical facilities statewide to receive $37.7 million in total funding as part of the “Get Screened, No Excuses” initiative to improve access to breast cancer screening for New Yorkers.
Funds are being used to support peer educators in community settings, make patient navigators available to help women as they undergo screening and other necessary follow-up care, and operate mobile mammography vans in underserved neighborhoods to bring health services to New Yorkers.
“This administration continues the most aggressive action in the nation to break down any barriers to breast cancer screening because early detection is the best possible treatment,” said Cuomo. “By providing information on the importance of mammograms and expanding access to cutting-edge screening options, these programs will address the needs of thousands of New Yorkers and help establish healthier, stronger communities in every corner of this great state.”
Maimonides Medical Center is located at 4802 10th Avenue in Borough Park.
Cymbrowitz Commends City’s New Boiler Investment at NYCHA Developments
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach), yesterday commended Mayor de Blasio’s announcement of a $200 million investment to replace boilers and upgrade heating systems at 20 NYCHA developments.
“As the Assembly Housing Committee Chair, I’ve been proud to work in partnership with Mayor de Blasio and NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye to bring significant improvements to NYCHA developments across the city,” said Cymbrowitz.
The funding will go toward replacing outdated boilers, and modernizing heating system controls and hot water-making technology at developments that have been experiencing chronic outages. The renovations will be finished by 2022 and will benefit approximately 45,000 residents. The upgrades will also help NYCHA save approximately $5 million per year in energy costs.
“This investment in new boilers and upgraded heating systems reflects the city’s deep, forward-thinking commitment to improving the health and quality of life of all NYCHA residents,” said Cymbrowitz.
Treyger, James Urge FCC to Reject Proposals Defunding Lifeline Program
Council Member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) joined Public Advocate Letitia James, elected officials, and local residents yesterday to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject proposals that would significantly defund the Lifeline Program, potentially leaving millions of low-income Americans without access to basic telephone and internet services.
The Lifeline program gives more than 1.2 million New Yorkers affordable access to telephone and internet services. Program participants rely on Lifeline for communication during emergency circumstances, access to job-seeking resources, scheduling medical appointments or refilling prescriptions, schoolwork-related study and research, and to stay in touch with family members.
The average annual income of Lifeline participants is just $14,000. Lifeline service could be cut for three-quarters of the program’s participants should the FCC pass recently proposed changes to funding structure.
“A decision to defund the Lifeline program is an assault on our most vulnerable, marginalized community members,” said Treyger. “I am proud to represent a district with one of the city’s highest density senior populations. I know that many of the seniors in our community rely on Lifeline, and so do many immigrants and working families. I call on the FCC to reject these proposals and ensure that phone and internet services remain accessible for over a million New Yorkers.”
“Access to basic phone and internet is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said James. “The Lifeline program gives millions of American families an affordable way to communicate with their loved ones, find a job, speak with their doctors, or do schoolwork. Defunding this program is an attack on some of our country’s most vulnerable families, and I urge the FCC to reject these proposals.”
Ampry-Samuel To Hold Inaugural Celebration
City Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel (D-Brownsville, East Flatbush, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights) will hold her inauguration celebration tomorrow.
Ampry-Samuel, born and raised in Brownsville. obtained a degree in psychology from North Carolina A&T State University, and then came home to work as a child protective specialist with the NYC Administration for Children Services.
She went on to graduate with a Juris Doctor from CUNY Law School in 2005 before moving to Ghana, West Africa to work in the US Embassy; managing a Human Rights and Community Development portfolio.
Her most recent work stints were as chief of staff for Assemblywoman Latrice Walker (D-Brownsville) and as a senior advisor for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). She currently is chair of the City Council Public Housing Committee.
The inauguration is slated for 3 p.m., tomorrow, Feb. 3 at God’s Battalion of Prayer, 661 Linden Boulevard in Brownsville. If you have any questions or to RSVP, please contact Jennifer Joseph at jenjoe727@gmail.com.
Cornegy Celebrates Reopening of Brooklyn Public Library Marcy Branch
City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights), along with Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and city officials will celebrate the official reopening of the Marcy Branch of the BPL.
The branch closed on July 31, 2016 to replace the HVAC system and to make interior improvements, including new paint, furniture, equipment and technology. The re-opening ceremony will include Council Member Cornegy reading a story to kindergarten and first grade classes from PS 54.
The reopening is slated for 10 a.m., Monday, Feb. 5 at 617 DeKalb Avenue in Bed-Stuy.
Jeffries, Wright To Give Updates At VIDA Meeting
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Central Brooklyn, Coney Island) and Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright (D-Bed-Stuy, Northern Crown Heights) tomorrow will give updates on their work in the federal and state government before members of the Vanguard Independent Democratic Association (VIDA) political club.
