Sanders Mourns Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
State Senator James Sanders Jr. released a statement about the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
“This week our nation mourned the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an incredible pioneer in the field of law and a champion of justice. She was nominated by then-president Bill Clinton in 1993 and served until her death on September 18, 2020 – an incredible 27 years. Justice Ginsburg spent her entire career working to eliminate gender-based stereotypes in legislation and regulations. She is only the second woman to sit on the bench of the United States Supreme Court in its 212 year history. Now, this mighty warrior has returned to her ancestors. Having fought a great fight, she earned the right to Rest In Power!”
Grodenchik Partners with MTA for Mask Giveaways Across Eastern Queens
Councilmember Barry S. Grodenchik joined forces with the MTA to help distribute free masks at local bus stops in an effort to keep residents safe from the novel coronavirus.
“Even as the number of cases of COVID-19 falls, we must continue to be vigilant when it comes to wearing face masks,” said Grodenchik, who recovered from COVID-19 in March. “Wearing face masks is an important component of our city’s efforts to combat the spread of the virus.”
The recent event, called “Operation Respect,” is part of an MTA campaign to promote mask-wearing on city buses, subways, and railroads. The councilmember handed out 200 masks at the bus stops near the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Springfield Boulevard in Queens Village.
This is the councilmember’s third time distributing masks to transit riders. Volunteers and staff joined the councilmember at all three events, handing out a total of 600 masks.
While MTA staff distribute masks in subway stations, there are no stations in the Eastern Queens district that Grodenchik represents. Local commuters rely heavily on buses, so the councilmember has been sure to provide masks along major bus routes in the district.
Masks on public transportation are mandatory under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.18.
De Blasio Announces Mentoring Program
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Mentors Matters Initiative to provide mentoring, tutoring and social-emotional support to thousands of students during the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday.
The Mentors Matter Initiative is a partnership between the Young Men’s Initiative (YMI) within the Office of the Mayor, One Hundred Black Men and CUNY’s Tutoring Corps.
“One of the things we can do for our young people during this pandemic is provide support and guidance to give them a sense of all of their greatness and their possibilities,” said Mayor de Blasio. “The Mentors Matter Initiative is going to be a difference maker in the lives of a lot of New York City youth by elevating them and giving them hope.”
The Mentors Matter initiative will strengthen community infrastructure – through funding local community-based organizations – and leverage successful black and brown mentors to assist their younger community members.
