Adams to Hold Ceremony for Shooting Victim
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and clergy leaders will hold a ceremony outside Brooklyn Borough Hall recognizing two New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers from the 81st Precinct in Brooklyn who responded to the shooting incident that took the life of Edward James, a 62-year-old Bedford-Stuyvesant resident who was a caretaker at The Glorious Church of God in Christ.
The officers responded to a 911 call on August 31st at 5:00 PM at the church to find Mr. James with gunshot wounds and performed CPR on the victim before he expired. The following day, in an unrelated operation, they arrested a man with a loaded firearm in his vehicle, safely removing a gun from the streets.
Adams will highlight the actions of these officers as a model for proactive policing and thank them for their steadfast commitment to making their precinct and borough safer for all residents.
This event is slated to take place at 3 p.m. today, Sep. 15, at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Steps, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Gounardes, Carroll Bill to Help Businesses after Century 21 Bankruptcy
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park) and Assemblymember Robert Carroll (D-Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Ditmas Park) called for the urgent passage of the Business Interruption Insurance Bill, S.8211A/A.10226, in the wake of the news that Century 21 has declared bankruptcy and will close its retail stores.
The legislation mandates that insurance companies honor business interruption insurance claims during the COVID-19 state of emergency in New York.
“If a pandemic does not constitute a legitimate business interruption, what does? It’s time for insurance companies to stop turning their backs on businesses in their moment of need,” said Gounardes. “Now New Yorkers are left to deal with the consequences of insurance companies’ decisions to deny beloved businesses billions of dollars in relief. This corporate greed will have a direct negative impact on our communities and our small businesses, and we need to hold insurance companies accountable to their promises.”
“Sadly, the bankruptcy of Century 21 is just the latest casualty caused by the Insurance industry’s refusal to work with policyholders to pay legitimate claims on business interruption policies. Businesses like Century 21 have been paying business interruption premiums for decades, which is why the insurance industry has nearly $1 Trillion in reserves,” said Carroll. “Insurance companies have been denying claims of policyholders based on businesses receiving PPP loans, vaguely written clauses that exempt virus’ and any other reason to limit their responsibility to provide legitimate insurance coverage to businesses who desperately need it. If we want to save the businesses that make New York a great and unique place to live, the legislature needs to step up and make sure insurance companies do their part and payout legitimate claims based on COVID-19,” added Carroll.
More than 1,000 business interruption insurance lawsuits have been filed across the country due to the failure of insurance companies to honor any claims related to the pandemic. Thousands of businesses across the country continue to close, and it is estimated that New York could lose up to one-third of its small businesses.
Persaud to host Town Hall on Gun Violence
State Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D- Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Old Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) will be hosting a virtual Town Hall Community Conversation on the Causalities & Casualties of Gun Violence.
Panelists will include Rabbi Avrohom Hecht, Canarsie JCC, Rev. Timothy Taylor, Sr., Hebron Baptist Church, Dr. Jeffrey R. Gardere, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Brother Paul Muhammad, Community Board 5, Camara Jackson, Elite Learners and others.
This event is slated to take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16 at www.facebook.com/sd19senatorpersaud.
Myrie on Rosh Hashana & Updates
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, Sunset Park) wishes his Jewish constituents a Shana Tovah and other updates.
“Many in our community will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, at the end of this week. This year’s celebrations may look and feel different, but I wish everyone observing a happy, healthy 5781. Shana tovah,” he said.
Other Updates:
- Sign up to be a poll worker: The New York City Board of Elections is actively seeking poll workers for the upcoming election. You can earn up to $2800 by working up to ten days during early voting and on Election Day. To apply to be a poll worker, click here.
- Request your ballot now: Recently, Governor Cuomo signed several important election changes into law, including my bill to allow voters to request an absentee ballot earlier. With reports of mail slowdowns on the rise, I encourage you to request an absentee ballot now by clicking here. New this year, you may also track your ballot application throughout the process and confirm it was mailed and received.
- FRESH FOOD BOXES IN BROWNSVILLE: Brownsville community members can now receive a weekly supply of cooking greens, salad greens, and popular herbs alongside a unique assortment of locally sourced seasonal fruit and vegetables and shelf-stable items from GrowNYC, Ace Endico, Bowery Farming and local partner Brooklyn Packers. Brownsville Fresh Food Box distributions take place every Saturday from 10:00am – 4:00pm at Collective Fare at the BCCC (located at 69 Belmont Ave). Each Fresh Food Box contains over $30 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables plus grocery basics that can feed 1-2 people for an entire week for just $7 when paying with SNAP/EBT or $10 with cash. Distributions will also feature on-site pre-screening support for SNAP registration from Hunger-Free America trained staff to help more residents easily access healthy food throughout their community. Customers can sign up in advance at bit.ly//brownsvillefoodbox, or can walk in during any distribution.
- YOUTH LEADERS WANTED. The NYC Department of Education Office of Sustainability’s Youth Leadership Council, a diverse group of NYC youth focused on citywide environmental sustainability advocacy, is currently accepting applications for public high school students to join us for the 2020-2021 school year. As members of the office’s Youth Leadership Council, high school students will be empowered to increase inclusive and impactful sustainability action across NYC schools and communities. Students can reach the application here: bit.ly/DOE_SustainabilityYLC.
- RE-ENTRY HOTLINE OPEN: The Community Service Society and Youth Represent have launched a Reentry Legal Hotline, linking New Yorkers to experienced legal staff who can help resolve conviction history-related employment, licensing, job clearance, work conditions, and other issues – through advice, brief service, administrative advocacy or litigation, depending on what is needed. They also advise on conviction history-related matters, represent eligible individuals in records-sealing applications, and assist in obtaining Certificates of Relief from Disabilities and Certificates of Good Conduct. All services are provided free of charge. Please call (646) 759-8088.
- LIVE IN SUNSET PARK? HELP GATHER DATA ON CLIMATE AND HEALTH: We encourage constituents to take the Climate & Community Health Vulnerability Assessment, a survey developed by UPROSE and members of the community which will help gather data on the intersection between climate and health. As sea level rises, the survey will collect data regarding experiences of residents when it comes to extreme weather events, heat, emergency preparedness, and other types of vulnerabilities especially under COVID-19. The results from the survey will help UPROSE advocate for the community and direct resources to vulnerable populations. It is confidential, about 10 minutes long, and available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.
Parker Provides Supplies, PPE For Brooklyn Students
State Kevin Parker (D-East Flatbush, Flatbush, Midwood, Kensington, Park Slope) teamed up with Target and National Grid to do a Back-To-School / PPE Giveaway at Cornerstone Baptist Church, in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn.
The Senator distributed over 200 bags filled with school supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to students who attend Cornerstone Baptist Church and live in the surrounding area.
“Cornerstone Baptist has been and continues to be a resource to their congregation and those who live in the community. I wanted to do my part and make sure students can return to school this fall feeling confident and prepared to return back to the classroom. With the help of community partners, we were able to make sure parents and teachers felt secure by their students having both proper academic supplies and PPE to start off a successful school year.” said Parker.
