Adams To Tour NYCHA Development In Brownsville
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams today will join with tenants to conduct a walk-through of Marcus Garvey Houses, a New York City Housing Authority development in Brownsville.
In July of this year, the development was thrust into the national spotlight after a viral video on social media showed New York Police Department officers getting doused with water at the location. Since then, Adams has heard from numerous tenants about poor conditions in Marcus Garvey Houses, including a broken sprinkler system and basketball courts that are long overdue for repairs.
Following the walk-through, the group will head over to Brownsville In, Violence Out (BIVO), a Cure Violence group that works to end gun violence in the neighborhood. There, they will speak about the importance of providing economic and educational opportunities to young people living in the community and urge the city to increase investment in the Crisis Management System.
Adams will meet with the tenants at 4:30 p.m., today, Sept. 10 at the Marcus Garvey Houses, 1400 East New York Ave in Brownsville.
Cuomo Takes Action Against Harmful Vaping Products
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) yesterday directed the State Department of Health (DOH) to take a series of measures to address two emerging public health crises: the increasing number of cases of vaping-associated respiratory illnesses and the increasing number of youth that are using vape products and developing lifelong nicotine addictions.
Specifically, Cuomo directed the DOH to issue subpoenas to companies marketing and selling “thickening agents” used in black market vaping products and to issue emergency regulations mandating that warning signs must be posted in all vape and smoke shops in the state. Additionally, the Governor announced that he will advance new legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes.
“Common sense says if you do not know what you are smoking, don’t smoke it, and right now we don’t know what you are smoking in a lot of these vaping substances,” said Cuomo. “The rise in vaping-associated illnesses is a frightening public health phenomenon and I am directing the Department of Health to take several actions to address this crisis, including starting an investigation into some of these companies that produce vaping substances to find out what’s in it and requiring that smoke and vape shops post a warning that lets people know that this is a risky activity. I am also going to propose new legislation that will ban flavored e-cigarettes. In the meantime our advice is quite simple: don’t do it because we don’t know if it’s safe.”
Rigorous testing also continues on all vape products currently authorized in the state’s highly regulated Medical Marijuana Program. There have been no adverse events related to vaping among certified patients in this program since this investigation began. However, out of an abundance of caution, the DOH is urging patients in the medical marijuana program to consult with their health care providers on potential alternatives to vaping products while the investigation continues. For additional information, patients can also contact the state’s Medical Marijuana Program at 844-863-9312.
Anyone experiencing symptoms who uses vape products should contact their healthcare provider immediately. Healthcare providers should report possible cases to the local poison control center (1-800-222-1222). If you are concerned at all with your vaping device or products or just want more information, call the DOH’s Vaping Hotline at 1-888-364-3046.
Cornegy, Adams, Montgomery Hold TPT Emergency Town Hall Meeting
City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams and State Senator Velmenette Montgomery (D-Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Red Hook, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, Gowanus, Park Slope) today will host an emergency town hall meeting to address the city’s alleged illegal seizures that target African-American-owned properties.
Residents and some elected officials have charged the city’s Housing & Preservation Department (HPD) as being the major agency improperly seizing the property of Black New Yorkers.
The elected officials will address these community concerns and explain the steps that each of them have recently taken to protect Black property owners against what is being called deed theft.
The town hall is slated for 6-8 p.m., today, Sept. 10 at the Historic First Church of God in Christ, 221 Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights.
Myrie Week Of Constituent Services Continues
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, and Sunset Park) this week is continuing his series of events aimed at outreach to constituents as part of his out-of-legislative-session work.
The first event is another of Myrie’s Senator on Your Block series where constituents can meet with him and discuss any concerns on their mind.
The event is slated for between 5 – 7 p.m., today, Sept. 10 at Mixteca, 245 23rd St #2 in Sunset Park.
The second event is Myrie’s First Annual Block Party, which will feature free food, raffles, music, bouncy house, face painting, and more. The event will also have a backpack with school supplies giveaway while supplies last. One backpack per child and the child must be present to receive the backpack.
The block party is slated for 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14 on LIncoln Road bwteeen New York and Nostrand avenues in Flatbush.
Menchaca, Johnson Announce City Funding For Detained Immigrants
City Council Member Carlos Menchaca (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook), chair of the council’s Immigration Committee, and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) today will announce legal help city funding for detained immigrants facing deportation.
The funding will go to the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, the nation’s first public defender system, which the City Council has funded since July 2014. NYIFUP service providers (The Bronx Defenders, Legal Aid Society, and Brooklyn Defender Services) provide free legal representation to eligible detained immigrants facing deportation.
The funding for Fiscal Year 2020 will help ensure detained immigrants continue to have access to legal representation and due process as the Trump administration continues to ramp up immigration enforcement.
At post time, the actual amount of funding is unknown.
The announcement is slated for 12 noon, today, Sept. 10 at 26 Federal Plaza (corner of Worth and Lafayette streets) in Lower Manhattan.
Velazquez To Speak At St. Francis College
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens, Lower Manhattan) is slated as the speaker in the inaugural St. Francis College series of events entitled Reflections of a Life in Public Service.
The series live discussion series features a discussion between St. Francis College President Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz with local elected officials and other leaders.
The hour-long conversation will focus on Velázquez’s early life in Puerto Rico and how it led her into politics, her motivations for becoming and remaining a public servant, and her advice to young people considering a similar path.
“We so often hear from our elected officials when they’re weighing in on the political fight of the day, or articulating a policy position, but their service involves so much more than that,” said Dr. Martinez-Saenz.
The event is slated for 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 16 at St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights. It is free & open to the public.
Bichotte, Frontus Spearhead Brooklyn Relief Effort For Hurricane Dorian Victims
Assembly Members Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush, Ditmas Park) and Mathylde Frontus (D-Coney Island, Bay Ridge) are the Brooklyn lawmakers heading the state Assembly Majority relief effort for those who have been impacted by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and regions devastated in the Caribbean and Eastern Coast of the United States.
“This disaster hit close to home for us all,” said Bichotte. “A community known as The ‘Mudd’ located on the island of Abaco was built over decades by thousands of Haitian immigrants in search of a better life. The residential environment has now been completely reduced to rumble by the storm, where many of its residents remain unaccounted for. We play a vital role for this group of people – our voices strongly resonate for those who have been silenced.”
“As extreme weather continues to have disastrous effects throughout the world, it has become more and more important to band together to help those most affected,” said Frontus.
Bichotte’s office will be collecting donations of canned goods and bottled water from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday throughout September at her district office, 1312 Flatbush Avenue (between Foster Avenue & East 26th Street) in Flatbush.
Brannan, Gentile Cut Ribbon On Fort Hamilton Athletic Field
City Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach) and his predecessor, former City Council Member Vincent Gentile, today will cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Fort Hamilton High School Athletic Field.
The ribbon-cutting is slated for 10 a.m., today, Sept. 10 at the Fort Hamilton Athletic Field, 85th Street & Narrows Avenue in Bay Ridge.
