BP Adams, Espinal Lead First-Ever March for Healthy School Food
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, Council Member Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, East New York) on Sunday will join The NYC Healthy School Food Alliance (NYCHSFA), a grass-roots parent-fueled initiative to lead the first ever March for Healthy School Food in New York City.
The march will happen because in New York City 1 in 5 kindergarten students, and 1 in 4 Head Start children, is obese. Children as young as 8 years old are on cholesterol-lowering and blood pressure-lowering medication.
Fifty percent of children under 15 have fatty streaks in their arteries, the beginning stages of heart disease. To give this city’s children a better chance at a healthy future, marchers are demanding the following holistic changes:
- Scratch-cooked, healthy, delicious and culturally-appropriate menus;
- Hands-on in-class nutrition and culinary education starting in Pre-K;
- Kitchen gardens at all schools; and
- More time for kids to eat their lunch and play at recess!
The march is slated for between 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Sunday, June 9 beginning in downtown Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza North, across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall for a rally and press conference beginning at 1 p.m.
Cuomo Directs Hate Crimes Task Force To Assist Investigation Of Anti-Semitic GRaffiti In Bay Ridge
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) yesterday directed the New York State Police Hate Crimes unit to assist the NYPD in the investigation of yet another disturbing incident of anti-Semitism, this time with the words “Kill All Jews,” “Israel” and “Mario Cuomo” written on a mailbox in Bay Ridge.
“Hate speech and threatening language has no place in our state, and the mailbox was immediately replaced with a new one after the graffiti was reported,” said Cuomo. “Enough is enough. We are reaching our breaking point and these despicable acts of violence must stop. We will not back down in this fight against intolerance and bigotry, and we will continue to stand up to those individuals who spew hateful language and attempt to spread fear across our state.
“In the face of these ongoing incidents that are ripping at the fabric of our State, we will do everything in our power to ensure the continued safety and equal treatment of all New Yorkers.”
Gounardes, Brannan Demand Action On Traffic Safety In Dyker Heights
Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights lawmakers State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and City Council Member Justin Brannan will join local community activist Denise Cangemi tomorrow at a press conference demanding action from the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) on traffic safety in the blocks of the high 70s to low 80s near 10th and 11th Avenues in Dyker Heights.
Their urgent call comes after last weekend saw three crashes in three hours in the vicinity. Given the dangerous situation, elected officials will emphasize the immediate need for DOT to complete their traffic studies of the area and provide the residents with speeding relief.
The press conference is slated for 1 p.m., tomorrow, June 8 at 78th Street and 10th Avenue in Bay Ridge.
Velazquez, Clarke Spearhead Letter To HUD Opposing Proposal To Evict Immigrant Families From Public Housing
U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-Queens), Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, Queens) and Yvette Clarke (D-Central Brooklyn) joined by several members of New York’s Congressional delegation, sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson calling for the withdrawal of a proposal that seeks to evict immigrant families from public housing, if any family member is undocumented – otherwise known as “mixed-status” families.
The lawmakers urged Carson to abandon the proposed HUD rule “Housing and Community Development Act of 1980: Verification of Eligible Status” which would prohibit more than 25,000 mixed-status families nationwide from living in subsidized housing. The letter also demands that HUD conduct an assessment of the impact this proposed rule would have on families. Before implementing policies and regulations that may affect families well-being, each agency, is mandated to assess the impact of such actions – but HUD neglected to do so.
“Calling this proposal callous and despicable would be an understatement,” said Meng. “It’s also shameful, heartless, un-American, and is yet another effort by the Trump Administration to demean and intimidate immigrants. Kicking thousands of New York City immigrant families, with half of them being children, out of public housing and throwing them on the street would destroy lives and devastate and displace families. That is unacceptable and we will continue to fight this horrible plan. Secretary Carson must abandon this proposal!”
“The American people overwhelmingly rejected Donald Trump’s cruel family separation policy at the border,” said Velázquez. “Now, it appears the Trump Administration’s HUD is pursuing a policy that would potentially separate mixed-status families who receive federal housing benefits. This is shameful and wrong and we’ll use every tool at our disposal to prevent this plan from being implemented.”
Others who signed the letter include New York Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Carolyn Maloney, Eliot Engel, José Serrano and Kathleen Rice.
Funeral Services For Kevin Peter Carroll
We at KCP mourn the loss of former Bay Democratic District Leader Kevin Peter Carroll, and express our heartfelt condolences and send our prayers to his family and friends.
We recall Carroll as a passionate public servant with an extremely kind heart and giving nature.
Funeral services are set for 11:15 a.m., Saturday, June 22 at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 245 Prospect Park West in Windsor Terrace.
