Schumer, Gillibrand, Maloney Announce Renaming of Post Office in Honor of Joe Lentol
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn) yesterday announced that legislation to rename the Greenpoint post office in Brooklyn after former State Assemblymember Joseph Lentol has passed in the Senate.
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Carolyn Maloney and passed in October of 2021. The bill now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.
“Assemblyman Joseph Lentol dedicated his life to serving the Brooklyn communities in his district,” said Schumer. “He worked tirelessly to pass a criminal justice reform bill and to save the East River waterfront from harmful industrial uses, among many other valiant efforts. I was proud to work with Assemblyman Lentol on a number of issues—from saving JELLY Pool Parties, to solving widespread mail delivery issues throughout Williamsburg and Greenpoint—all for the betterment of the borough we are both lucky to call home. I’m so glad we can honor Assemblyman Lentol and his decades of dedicated service by renaming Brooklyn’s Greenpoint Post Office in his honor.”
“Joe Lentol was a public servant ahead of his time and devoted his life to serving Brooklyn’s most disadvantaged communities,” said Gillibrand. “During his nearly 50 years of public service, Joe was a fierce advocate for progressive criminal justice and environmental reform. Today, he has continued his unwavering commitment to the people of New York by serving as a member of the board of the NYS Defenders Association. This post office designation will be a fitting tribute to his many years of unparalleled service.”
“I’ve known Joe Lentol since he was a young Assemblyman and I was working in the State Legislature for the Cities Committee,” said Maloney. “He has always been a wonderful public servant. Joe was a true champion for criminal justice reform, environmental protections, fair labor practices, and many other policies throughout his career. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of working with Joe on some of those issues, including preventing gun violence, building the Kosciuszko Bridge, and fighting for Bushwick Inlet Park. I am delighted that both the House and Senate have passed the bill to rename the Greenpoint Post Office as the Joseph R. Lentol Post Office – so that we can truly honor Joe’s contributions to Brooklyn in a way that will live for as long as the impact he has had on this community.”
Lentol represented Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, and parts of Clinton Hill in the New York State Assembly for nearly fifty years.
Kaplan Blasts Antisemitic Stunt on Long Island
State Sen. Anna M. Kaplan (D-Long Island) yesterday decried an incident where a video advertising truck displaying offensive images of Nazi soldiers saluting Hitler was seen driving around Long Island communities.
In addition to the disturbing visuals, the video included misinformation about masks and compared public health measures to the Holocaust.
“As a reminder for anyone who missed it: the Nazis murdered 6 million Jews in a systematic effort to wipe Jewish people off the face of the earth. In no way is this the same thing as a public health measure that’s scientifically proven to keep people safe,” said Kaplan.
“Comparing mask-wearing to the Holocaust is as offensive and antisemitic as it is outrageous, but unfortunately this is just the latest example of extremists on the right amplifying a dangerous misinformation campaign that’s emanating from many Republican leaders.
“We cannot stay silent while extremism is infecting our community–I’m calling on all elected leaders in Nassau County to strongly condemn this vile stunt, because silence in the face of extremism is complicity.”
Sanders Honors Veterans on Valentine’s Day
State Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-Queens), a Marine Corps veteran, recently delivered Valentine’s Day cards and special gifts to residents at the New York State Veterans Home at St. Albans.
Although visitation with the veterans is prohibited due to COVID-19 regulations, Sanders still dropped off the items to be distributed by the VA staff.
“Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and affection, a golden opportunity to let our veterans know that we care about them and that they are not forgotten,” Sanders said. “It is always a great joy for me to thank them for their service to our country and to offer them a small token of our appreciation.”
Sanders donated greeting cards and inspirational books, which were collected from community members, organizations, and schools. Some of the items were store-bought, while others were handmade. Since COVID has limited the ability for the veterans to interact with others, Sanders believes it is especially important to continue this annual program because a little joy is needed now more than ever.
The patients at the New York State Veterans Home at St. Albans have served in either World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, or Gulf War and have suffered a service-related injury that requires skilled nursing care. Others are dependents of military personnel, who receive medical or rehabilitative care. Residents range in age from 45 to 100 years old, and their stay can last anywhere from 6-8 weeks to the rest of their lives.
Colton Calls for Additional Funding Directed Towards Students’ Individual Needs
Assemblyman William Colton (D-Brooklyn) said yesterday that a $2.1billion increase in public education funds proposed by Governor Hochul must be directed toward the individual needs of all students.
“The additional funds must be used to develop and implement a unique remedial program for all their underperforming children so they can meet the standards. Also, for the children who are performing well above the standard, the monies must be used to expand Gifted and Talented programs in every school district in order to challenge these students’ highest academic achievements. For special education children these monies must be directed for the resources needed to meet the (IEP) individual education plans for each child,” said Colton.
“These goals can be accomplished by reduced class size, by providing necessary resources to teachers to meet the individual needs of all their students or by additional funds for community schools in advancing their holistic approach to meeting the needs of their students and their families,” the lawmaker added.
Walker Continues Fight to Protect Bail Reform
Assemblywoman Latrice Walker (D-Brooklyn) appeared at a rally on Monday, Feb. 14 with other lawmakers and hardworking activists to fight for the protection of bail reform.
Walker said there’s a lot of misinformation out there about bail reform, but the facts are the facts. Bail reform is not responsible for the recent spate of gun violence in the city. The state’s own data shows that only 2 percent of the cases that would fall under the bail reform law led to a rearrest for a violent felony. Even fewer were rearrested for crimes involving a gun, she said.
“What we need are targeted investments in violence prevention, including housing, mental health care, drug treatment and harm reduction services — not more Black and brown bodies in jail,” Walker said.
