Adams, Electeds, Public Health Officials Coordinate Borough-Wide Coronavirus Response
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams today will host an emergency briefing at Brooklyn Borough Hall on COVID-19, highlighting the steps the city is taking to contain the disease.
The event comes after the City confirmed several cases of coronavirus in Brooklyn.
The Commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Dr. Oxiris Barbot, will chair this briefing on the City’s response for elected officials and clergy leaders.
Following the briefing, Adams will discuss how he is coordinating a borough-wide response to the spread of coronavirus to ensure all Brooklynites remain safe.
The briefing is slated for 2:30 p.m., today, March 9 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Levin Unveils Street Co-Naming For Ida B. Wells
City Council Member Stephen Levin (D-Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg) and Brooklyn elected officials Saturday hosted a Street Co-naming and Plaque Unveiling Ceremony in Downtown Brooklyn for Ida B. Wells to honor her time lived in Brooklyn.
Ida B. Wells was a groundbreaking investigative journalist, civil rights activist, and feminist. During her years living in Brooklyn, she published editorials exposing lynching in America and worked with prominent African-American women to co-found the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in 1896.
A building plaque for Ida B. Wells was unveiled on the facade of JP Morgan Chase at 4 Metrotech in addition to the street co-naming. The plaque was funded through a discretionary allocation from Levin to the Harlem Historical Society, the organization that designed the plaque.
“Ida B. Wells was an investigative journalist, civil rights activist, educator, newspaper owner, feminist, and NAACP founder. And in everything that she did, she spoke truth to power and was uncompromising in her fight for racial justice. Her time in Brooklyn is an important part of our borough’s history of resistance and perseverance and this street co-naming and plaque unveiling is an important recognition of the role black women have played in shaping our city’s history. The informational plaque will contribute to the education of future generations about Wells’ life and impact on our country. I am honored to be able to help continue her legacy here in Brooklyn,” said Levin.
Rose Unveils New Legislation to Provide Toll Relief to Commuters
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island) on Saturday unveiled new legislation to provide much-needed financial relief to commuters paying tolls on the Verrazano Bridge.
Rose’s Tax Relief for Bridge Tolls Act would save Staten Islanders and South Brooklynites hundreds to even thousands of dollars each year.
“If you want to see the money you’re spending on tolls go down, not up, then this bill is for you—and I am going to be doing everything I can to build support across the United States so that this bill can become law,” said Rose.
Rose’s legislation applies to any commuter who spends more than $1,000 per year on any bridge with a regular peak-hour toll fee of $11.00 or higher, which includes the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Under Rose’s legislation, a typical Staten Island commuter who takes the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with an E-ZPass and resident discount who spends $1,430 annually on bridge tolls could claim a $215 credit under this bill, while a typical Brooklyn commuter who commutes over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and pays $3182.40 annually could claim a $1,091.20 credit.
Frontus Wants Health & Census Officials To Work Together
Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus (D-Coney Island, Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach), citing the need to confront the coronavirus crisis in the midst of New York’s census outreach, on Friday called for public health authorities to coordinate their efforts with census officials.
“We cannot afford to let a climate of fear deter people from being counted,” Frontus said. “The census will affect New York’s planning for a generation. Everything from schools and infrastructure to resiliency efforts hinges on getting a complete count. This is a time for preparation, not panic.”
The census begins on March 12. Frontus, whose district includes many seniors and nursing homes, suggested that a more aggressive telephone outreach could be helpful for older respondents who may be more vulnerable to illness and lack internet access. In addition, hand sanitizer should be available near public computers that will be used to complete the census survey, Frontus said.
But making sure canvassers and respondents take appropriate precautions and have accurate information about the risks of coronavirus transmission is the most important to ensuring that the virus does not disrupt the count, Frontus said.
Treyger Delivers Huge Allocation to Liberation Diploma Plus High School
City Council Member Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend) secured $3.7 million in capital funding in the budget during fiscal years 2018, 2019 and 2020 for renovations to Coney Island’s Liberation Diploma Plus High School.
The school sustained heavy damage during Superstorm Sandy. This multi-million dollar investment will help further the school’s revitalization, enabling new scholastic and extracurricular opportunities that promote active learning.
The new enhancements to the school include the installation of basketball hoops in the auditorium/gymnasium; repairing and painting walls in the auditorium/gymnasium; installation of a flood zone appropriate athletic floor in the auditorium/gymnasium; installation of new athletic wall pads, installation of new stage lighting, curtains and drapery; installation of a new projector, screen and local sound system; installation of clocks and a new PA system throughout the building.
The project also incorporated new assembly signage; 443 new stackable chairs, installation of (4) four new exterior doors leading to auditorium/gymnasium; upgrading the emergency lighting in the auditorium/gymnasium; and a new ramp for disabled access.
“I am thrilled to be able to further support Liberation High School’s revival, by investing in resilient, cutting edge facilities that will help prepare our students to thrive academically. This school has suffered from disinvestment historically, and was devastatingly impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Many students and families face serious challenges outside the classroom, and we owe it to them to make sure that Liberation Diploma Plus High School scholars have access to every opportunity,” said Treyger.
Persaud, Kavanagh Hold Hearing on Homelessness and Housing Insecurity
State Senators Roxanne J. Persaud (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill) chair of the Senate Social Services Committee and Brian Kavanagh (D-Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan), chair of the Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development, last week held a joint public hearing entitled, “Examining Issues Related to Homelessness, Housing Insecurity and Affordable Housing, and Identifying Potential Legislative Remedies.”
The senators received oral and written testimony from nearly 30 community-based organizations including civil legal service providers, housing advocates, tenant and landlord organizations, as well as individuals with direct personal experience navigating housing and homeless services.
“As we are in full swing with the FY 2020-2021 State budget negotiations, the invaluable testimony provided by these organizations and advocates will help the Senate work to address the housing crisis across our entire state,” said Persaud. “We cannot wait any longer as affordable housing dwindles and New York families are forced into shelters or the streets.”
“As the testimony demonstrated, far too many New Yorkers experience homelessness, and the consequences of housing instability for individuals, families, and society as a whole are far-reaching. Fortunately, we also heard about workable solutions that could promptly begin to improve the situation, including support for bills our Committees are considering to provide rental subsidies to get people into stable, permanent housing,” said Kavanagh.
