BP Adams Awards Over 22K In Destination BK Mini-Grants
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams alongside Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) Executive Director Charlotte Cohen will announce $22,500 in new Destination>Brooklyn mini-grants today.
The grants will go toward advancing cultural tourism across the borough. The grant program, now in its third year of operation, supports the promotion of local artistic groups like Brooklyn Raga Massive, Fort Greene Park Conservancy, Fulton Art Fair, and Regina Opera Company in reaching a broader audience through the creation, production, and distribution of print promotional materials. The program is funded by the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President and NYC & Company Foundation.
The announcement will take place at Cora Dance, a critically-acclaimed dance company in Red Hook that offers five days a week of pay-what-you-can classes in ballet, composition, hip-hop, modern, and other dance forms led by an array of professional dance instructors. The event will also feature a performance from a group of children from the dance school.
The event is slated for 5 p.m., today, Feb. 26, at Cora Dance, at 72 Van dyke Street in Red Hook.
Donovan Honors Military Service Academy Nominees
Congressman Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) presented eighteen outstanding Staten Island and South Brooklyn students with certificates in honor of their nominations to the U.S. military service academies over the weekend.
Each student nominee underwent a demanding application process in which a local committee evaluated academic records, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and leadership skills. Donovan awarded seven nominations to the U.S. Military Academy, ten to the U.S. Naval Academy, one to the U.S. Air Force Academy, and two to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The nominees must still earn admission to the service academy for which they were nominated.
Congressman Donovan’s 2018 service academy nominees are:
U.S. Military Academy
· Erin Carey, Saint Joseph Hill Academy
· Katharine Carrion, Staten Island Academy
· Charles Crispi, Monsignor Farrell High School
· Abbey Gilman, Notre Dame Academy
· Menna Mohamed, High School for International Studies
· Patrick Perosi, Monsignor Farrell High School
· Evan Tedesco, Staten Island Technical High School
U.S. Naval Academy
· Shakim Douglas, St. Peter’s Boys High School
· Abbey Gilman, Notre Dame Academy
· Troy Gungor, Curtis High School
· Steven Jerome, Monsignor Farrell High School
· John Kelly III, Monsignor Farrell High School
· Joshua Maldonado, Xaverian High School
· Nathan Maleh, Abraham Joshua Heschel School
· Victor Marzano, Poly Prep Country Day School
· Ari Paloumbis, Xaverian High School
· Samuel Vagner, Brooklyn Technical High School
U.S. Air Force Academy
· Caleb Wong, Aviation Career & Technical Education High School
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
· Jocelyn Gambale, Curtis High School
· Patrick Perosi, Monsignor Farrell High School
“It’s a privilege to nominate hardworking and talented students from our district to the U.S. service academies. This year’s selection of candidates was truly exceptional. Each nominee displayed the principles expected of our service members: strength, respect, and determination. Their patriotism and commitment to serving our country is honorable, and I know their futures are without limit,” said Donovan.
Adams, Ampry-Samuel Urge Mayor For Real-Time NYCHA Project Statuses
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and City Council member Alicka Ampry-Samuel (D-East New York, Brownsville), Chair of the Committee on Public Housing alongside Council members Peter Koo (D-Queens), and Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) urged Mayor Bill de Blasio to provide New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents with real-time capital budget information last week.
The group specifically recommended using a digital dashboard for releasing the capital project information that includes but is not limited to, the provision of information as to project costs, status updates, as well as additional progress metrics such as completion timelines. The are currently about 40,000 public housing residents across the five boroughs who most recently have been experiencing heating and lead issues.
An analysis conducted by Adams’ office found that while a capital project dashboard exists within the Office of the Mayor, NYCHA is not listed as one of the agencies monitored, and there is no similar dashboard specifically for NYCHA capital projects beyond a list of whether a reported issue is in progress of being addressed or if it has been resolved. Adams first made the call for the creation of a publicly-accessible NYCHA capital project dashboard earlier this month outside the Gowanus Houses Community Center alongside tenants impacted by the heating crisis.
“We must empower our residents and tenants with information and view them as partners in improving living conditions across NYCHA complexes in addition to seeking their guidance as to how to implement projects in their backyards,” reads a letter from the coalition to the Mayor.
“We should utilize a ‘CompStat-esque’ model of tracking conditions and service delivery to restore confidence in NYCHA and improve the quality of life in our developments. In fact, I believe nearly every sector of our municipal government would be enhanced by a better utilization and activation of civic data, through real-time monitoring, enhanced public accountability, and dynamic agency response,” said Adams.
Carroll Hosts State Budget Town Hall
Assembly member Robert Carroll (D-Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Park Slope, Ditmas Park) will host the first of two budget town halls on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed $168.2 Billion executive budget this week.
Carroll will provide an overview of the budget including taking questions and concerns from local residents.
Earlier this year, Cuomo released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY’19) calling the budget outline an “economic transformation plan.” The plan includes a Congestion Pricing proposal for funding subway improvements that is expected to raise $1.5 billion annually, the amount the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) agrees must be raised to fix the ailing system. Carroll has been a leading proponent of subway funding and has been pushing for immediate action.
The event is slated for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 28, at PS 889/MS 890, at 21 Hinckley Place (between East 8th Street & Coney Island Avenue Ditmas Park.
Colton Declares Urgent Need for 100% Renewable Energy
Assembly member William Colton (D-Bath Beach, Bensonhurst) will rally for 100% renewable energy for New York State this week.
Colton alongside non-profits Green Education and Legal Fund (GELF) and Food and Water Watch (FWW) will look to garner bipartisan support from state legislators for their upcoming bill that will transition NYS to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030.
According to Colton’s office, scientists believe that the negative externalities of energy pollution can be given a numerical cost, and thus, they can be negated by the supposed cost savings from traditional utilities.
Colton aims to change the status quo by eliminating the negative externalities of environmental pollution from fossil fuels altogether. The transition to 100% solar, wind, or geothermal energy will greatly contribute to halting global warming, catastrophic weather, and climate change.
The event is slated for 12-noon, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, outside the Senate Chambers, at the Capitol Building in Albany.
