BP Adams Host Dominican Day Parade Reception
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams will join the chair of the Dominican Day Parade, Inc., Maria M. Khury, and its board of directors in hosting a Dominican Day Parade reception at today.
The celebration, which will highlight the contributions and culture of the Dominican-American community in Brooklyn, will be held ahead of the citywide parade, bringing thousands of New Yorkers to celebrate their heritage along the Avenue of the Americas from 35th to 56th streets on Sunday, August 12th.
There are an estimated two million Dominican-Americans in the United States, comprising the fifth-largest Latino group in the country. In New York, there are over 750,000 Dominican-Americans, many of whom call the borough home in neighborhoods such as Bushwick, Sunset Park, and Williamsburg.
The Brooklyn Borough Hall festivities will include a special “Adopted Dominican” recognition to Helena A. Grant, a midwife practicing at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in Williamsburg, for her contributions to the betterment of the Dominican-American community in Brooklyn. Musical entertainment will be provided by Raíces Dance Troupe, a Latin dance group from Syracuse University, whose membership includes Michelle Martinez, a 2018 scholarship recipient and volunteer of the Dominican Day Parade.
The event is slated for 7 p.m., today, July 12, at Brooklyn Borough Hall- Rotunda, at 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Golden Demands Support For Legislation Establishing Shelters For Human Trafficking Survivors
State Senator Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Manhattan Beach) and Assembly member Andrew Hevesi (D-Queens) will call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign into law S.8305/A.9566, a bill aimed at creating culturally competent shelters for survivors of human trafficking today.
The bill establishes “culturally competent” short-term safe house residential facilities and long-term safe house residential facilities and services operated by not-for-profit agencies for survivors of human trafficking.
Specific services will include case management, health care, mental health counseling, drug addiction screening and treatment, language interpretation and translation services, English language instruction, job training and placement assistance, post-employment services for job retention, and services to assist the victim and their family members establish permanent residency.
For many survivors of human trafficking, their most immediate and essential need is a safe, supportive place to stay. In New York State, some survivors turn to a network of temporary shelters to meet this need.
Homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, and runaway and homeless youth shelters can all help, but only if the trafficking survivor meets each shelter system’s particular eligibility requirements. Because many trafficking survivors either may not meet these requirements or, even if they qualify, may not be able to find a vacant bed or unit, it’s clear that more shelter capacity – tailored to meet the particular, culturally competent needs of trafficking survivors – is necessary.
The event is slated for 2 p.m., today, July 12, at the Steps of City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
Menchaca, Levin Hold Joint Hearing On Impacts of Trump’s Separation Policy on New York City
City Council members Carlos Menchaca (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook), Chair of the Immigration Committee, and Stephen Levin (D-Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Boerum Hill), Chair of the General Welfare Committee, will hold a joint oversight committee hearing to examine the impacts of the Trump Administration’s separation policy on New York City residents today.
In June, Trump signed an executive order ending the controversial practice of separating migrant children from their parents at the southern border. The new order aims to “keep families together”, according to initial reports.
Additionally, the order instructs government officials to continue its “zero-tolerance” enforcement policy of criminal prosecution for every immigrant who crosses the border illegally, but says that officials will seek to “maintain family unity” by detaining parents and children together instead of separating them while their legal cases wind through a severely backlogged immigration court system.
At the hearing, the Committees will also hear a resolution, introduced by Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Carlina Rivera and Council Member Diana Ayala calling on the United States Congress to pass and the President to sign, the Keep Families Together Act (S. 3036) to immediately stop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from taking children from their parents at the U.S. Border, except with the express directive from a child welfare expert and for additional legislation that would end family detention as an unsafe and harmful alternative.
“New York City will not stand by and let Trump’s policies continue to inflict devastation and tear families apart. While our jurisdiction is limited, this does not mean we are powerless. By bringing together everyone who has worked tirelessly to protect the rights of children in our care and reunite families, we can respond with plans that are thoughtful, comprehensive, and effective,” said Menchaca.
“It should be a forgone conclusion that families belong together. For those families not yet unified, we need to better understand the procedures and services being provided at all levels of government. I’m proud to work together with my Council colleagues to make sure we understand all the facts and do right by our values to protect our most vulnerable,” said Levin.
The hearing is slated for 2 p.m., today, July 12, at City Hall-Council Chambers in Lower Manhattan.
Cornegy Hosts 7th Annual Senior Swim At Brooklyn Pool
City Council member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) will host the 7th Annual Senior Swim event today.
Each year Cornegy hosts the event to acknowledge and celebrate senior citizens in the community and to raise awareness of the dedicated senior hours at the Kosciuszko Pool.
The event will feature a Motown-themed day of fun including music, raffles, games and more for local seniors. Attendees will receive grab bags and prizes, including swimming caps, gift cards and coupons, and compete for the coveted “Best Swimsuit” award. Massages and yoga will also be offered courtesy of La Belle Boutique and EmergeSOUL Boutique, respectively.
Other sponsors include NYC Parks, Urban Standard Capital, United Healthcare, Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, McDonald’s, The YMCA, Starbucks, Bridge Street Development Corporation, NYPD 79th Precinct, and Fun-Bash.
The event is slated for 9 a.m. to 12-noon,today, July 12, at Kosciuszko Pool, at 670 Marcy Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Donovan Hosts Hearing On Strengthening School Safety
Congressman Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, and Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) hosted a hearing entitled Protecting Our Future: Addressing School Security Challenges In America this week.
The event brought together senior officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Education (DOE), Staten Island Community Education Council, New Jersey Association of School Resource Officers, and other agencies to discuss efforts to enhance school security and emergency preparedness efforts.
The federal, state, and local security and education stakeholders discussed strategies to better protect schools and students across the country. Much of the testimony centered around the importance of ensuring that school districts, state and local officials, and law enforcement officers have the resources needed to address the unique security challenges of their communities.
Additionally, there was an emphasis placed on identifying students who need additional support and counseling at the hearing too. Other topics of discussion included the importance of implementing smart security protocols and streamlining information sharing. DHS also highlighted its work to sponsor response/recovery tabletop exercises and workshops to assist school districts in planning to mitigate damage during and after an active shooter event, as well as create a guide on best practices for school-based threat assessments and violence prevention.
“Securing our schools and ensuring a safe, healthy, and productive learning environment for our kids is a priority for me and my colleagues in Congress. Our nation has seen too many incidents of violence this year alone. We must do everything necessary to strengthen school security by identifying challenges, prioritizing violence prevention, and ensuring resources reach our communities,” said Donovan.
Menchaca Announces Opening Of New 6th Avenue Sunset Park Greenmarket
City Council member Carlos Menchaca (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook) alongside GrowNYC will introduce a new Greenmarket in Sunset Park today.
Located at 6th Avenue and 44th Street, this new market will take place every Saturday through November 17th. Neighborhood residents are welcome and will be able to mingle, while procuring a variety of locally grown produce, eggs, orchard fruit, honey, breads and pastries.
Each Saturday at this market, Greenmarket staff will also provide fun, food-based activities in Spanish and English for children through the Farmers Markets for Kids program. These hands-on classes will engage children and their caregivers in exploring seasonal fruits and vegetables and tasting featured recipes. Each participating family will receive a $2 Health Buck to spend on fruits and vegetables at the market. GrowNYC received funding through the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to operate the Farmers Markets for Kids program this season
GrowNYC’s Greenmarkets work to preserve local farmland, while ensuring that New Yorkers across all five boroughs have access to fresh, healthy food grown locally. A central component of Greenmarket’s mission and operations is product integrity: everything sold at market is 100% farmer grown, produced, caught, or foraged. In addition to operating farmers markets, Greenmarket is working to improve the health of all New Yorkers with a suite of food access strategies aimed at getting the healthiest, freshest food into the hands that need it most.
“GrowNYC’s Greenmarkets are the stuff of legend. Somehow, in addition to ensuring access to fresh, affordable, and healthy food to local communities, they also manage to teach residents how to eat healthier and train the next generation of entrepreneurial farmers. In short, they make the communities they join better,” said Menchaca.
The event is slated for 9 a.m., Friday, July 14, at 6th Avenue and 44th Street in Sunset Park.
The Sunset Park Greenmarket hours are:
Open Saturdays, July 7 – November 17
Market Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Visit the 6th Avenue Sunset Park Greenmarket webpage for up-to-date information on at-market activities throughout the season.
