By Carolann Lowe
Steve Tannenbaum, 65, considers May 6, 2009 as the date of his rebirth.
Sandy Tannenbaum, left; Steve Tannenbaum, center, Melinda Murray, right. Credit; Robin Vitale
“In three weeks I will be turning 66 years old, but my real birthday is actually 2009. So I’m just about to be 10 years old.” He laughed.
The day he referenced was the day he was given another chance at life. Tannenbaum had been a victim of a cardiac arrest attack on a softball field in a New York City park. His life was spared when the police arrived with AEDs (automated external defibrillators).
If it had not been for the immediate assistance that time, Tannenbaum would not have been around to give testimony Thursday at the New York City Council hearing for on the city’s Parks and Recreation programs.
Testimony was about availability of AEDs in parks, pools, and other sports facilities. He said he “hopes kids can have a second chance at life and many more happy re-birthdays.”
Advocating also for an increase in accessibility to AEDS was Melinda Murray, who lost her son Dominic Murray to sudden cardiac arrest. His death could have been prevented if there had been immediate access to AEDs.
“His tragedy, my reality, is another example of how we should try to protect victims when they’re playing organized sports or unorganized sports,” Murray said.
“In the last nine years since Dominic’s sudden death, thousands of children have died and many of them could have been saved.”
Murray added, “October 5th it will be ten years since Dominic has been gone, but it feels more like ten seconds ago.”
At the New York City Council Committee on Parks and Recreation hearing, councilmembers discussed bills they plan to implement. These bills include Intro 0161-2018, which involves reporting on capital expenditures for parks. Then there’s Bill 1009-2018, which requires that there be defibrillators and trained employees at every New York City pool. Bill 1042-2018 provides automated external defibrillators for youth baseball, softball to other sports venues.
There are a total of 165 pools in the city’s parks program. In terms of the distribution of defibrillators, 34 pools have been covered. Legislators said there will be efforts also to assure every city sports facility employee receives training in the use of AEDs, as well as the ability to perform CPR.
Robin Vitale, Vice President of Health Strategies and American Heart Association, sat alongside Murray and Tannenbaum as they gave their testimonies. According to Vitale, the Heart Association encourages that AEDs be available at all times.
By Austin Santiago
On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the city’s budget for the next fiscal year.
The mayor made clear his uncertainty in the current economy, as for the first time in his mayoralty, he is requiring city agencies to cut their budgets.
“We well may have to limit some of our investments or slow down some of our investments or in fact cut some programs and some investments outright,” he said.
“We have some choices up ahead.”
Mayor de Blasio at Thursday’s press conference.
Despite the tough choices awaiting the city in the future, the budget has risen to $92.2 billion from last year’s $89 billion budget.
De Blasio made it clear that despite cuts coming to city programs, some will remain untouched, most notably public safety. “We are the safest big city in America,” he said.
Perhaps the most notable change in the budget will come in the form of $2.7 million being dedicated to the city’s buses.
“Buses are a critical link in our public transportation system, and we’re doubling down on improvements to help get New Yorkers moving.”
The plan is to coordinate traffic lights at 300 different intersections with the intention of making the city’s buses move 25 percent faster than they are currently.
However, despite the hoped-for progress of the city’s buses, it appears that the subways may not change as quickly. When asked if the new budget will increase funding for the MTA, the mayor answered simply, “No.” In a time of economic uncertainty, de Blasio and his team will be
forced to finally decide what is most important for New York City.
By Austin Santiago and Milette Millington
State legislators and activists made an appearance at Brooklyn Law School on Thursday to announce their support of the “Community Supervision Revocation reform Act.”
The act focuses on parole reform for incarcerated New Yorkers, upon their release. The bill was introduced by New York State Assemblyman Walter Mosley, who emphasized the importance of more lenient parole protocols when dealing with inmates looking to re-enter society.
“By incentivizing good behavior, preventing re-incarceration for technical violations, and creating a higher threshold for less serious offenses, our state can save money and reform our criminal justice system,” Mosley said.
Speakers at the ‘Less is More’ gathering held by legislators and others seeking parole system reform. Credit: Milette Millington.
The new legislation would reform the state’s parole system by shortening parole terms, allowing people to earn accelerated discharges, and requiring hearings before a judicial officer before jailing someone accused of a technical violation.
The new bill has gained support from various officials as well as former inmates. Mosley stressed the importance of that support at the press conference, saying: “Legislators are here to bring about social change, which leads to progress, with the intent to change lives.”
The bill would be an overhaul of the current New York State parole system.State Senator Brian Benjamin said the bill was an effort to “end mass incarceration in New York.” He added, “Those who are already out on parole are not safe because anything is being done to put them back in.”
Also present at the conference was Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who said the current state parole system lacked resources. “When you have 35,000 people under supervision here in New York State, with very limited resources,” he said, “it is clear that it is easier to send those people back to prison than to send them back to our communities to make sure that they succeed.”
Regardless of the reason for the social failures of the current system, many feel it is time for the parole system in New York to get a much needed change. State Senator Jamal Bailey said, “The justice system is supposed to be about fairness.”
By Charlene Carlies
On Thursday, New York City Councilmembers held a public hearing on a proposal to approve the construction of a new, approximately 676-seat primary school facility on property located in Brooklyn. The neighborhood is Dyker Heights.
Four members of the New York City Council were present: Adrienne Adams, Mark Treyger, Peter A. Koo, and I. Daneek Miller. They are members of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses, of which Adams is the chair.
Credit: Councilmember Adams’ website.
The hearing was held to vote on the selection of the above site. Adams read a statement from council member Carlos Menchaca, who represents that district (which includes the Gowanus neighborhood). In his statement, Menchaca said that many the schools in the district are overcrowded. This new school would improve access to good education for the community’s young residents, proponents maintained.
However, there were some concerns raised by the local Community Board, number 10. Community Boards have a say in the zoning and building proposals affecting their respective areas. Community Board 10 said it is concerned that:
The Angel Guardian Home in Dyker Heights. Credit: Credit: Mercyfirst, Creative Commons, BY-SA 4.0
Council member Kreyger said, regarding the school, that it “is a very much needed school project,” because of the issue of overcrowding of schools in the district. “It is my understanding that the need for seats in district 20 exceeds over 10,000,” he said.
By Edward King and Maya Dower-Johnson
Amid the frozen tundra sweeping New York City, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Secretary Ben Carson and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio had warm news. The pair held a joint press conference early Thursday afternoon, finalizing a legal settlement between HUD, the city, and the Southern District of New York federal court, after U.S. Judge William H. Pauley III effectively voided a previous settlement agreement this past November.
“I’m very excited for what we have agreed to here because it sets a great precedent for what can be done in other places around the country,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “Public housing, assisted housing – these are things we need to be concerned about, affordable housing, especially we need to be concerned about because the cost of rents are going up 20 percent faster than the cost of inflation and other things.”
The new settlement serves as the conclusion to a seven-month skirmish involving HUD, the New York City and Southern District, following ongoing reports of mismanagement, lead poisoning, vermin infestation, security risks, mold, and a host of other issues that have plagued the beleaguered city agency for nearly decades.
“This has been going on for many weeks and it’s taken a lot of work, a lot of focus,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The Secretary and I have met in person several times here and in Washington. We’ve spoken constantly on the phone, and the secretary has shown me a level of focus and concern that I deeply appreciate. Most importantly, the nearly 400,000 New Yorkers that live in public housing I know will appreciate because we were able to get to a cooperative constructive outcome.”
Part of the new agreement outlines that the city must initially invest $1 billion in its public housing and contribute an additional $ 200 million a year to its public housing agency. The city must also work with HUD and the Southern District to appoint a new chair of NYCHA (The New York City Housing Authority), in addition to an approved outside monitor that will oversee the day-to-day activities of the agency. The monitor will make quarterly reports that will be available to the public, in addition to the appropriate governing bodies. During the meeting, Secretary Carson stressed, “We are not going to try to micromanage what is going on here in New York City.”
The appointment of a new NYCHA boss comes in the wake of current Interim boss Stanley Brezenoff’s comments, saying, “I’ve been trying to get out of this job for months.”
Credit: Maya Dower-Johnson
For both the city and its NYCHA residents, the conclusion to the saga is long overdue, especially for longtime residents like Carl King of the Farragut Houses in downtown Brooklyn.
“Let me tell you something,” King said. “For three, four years now, the kitchen floor is mess up. In the bedroom, the floor mess up from the steam. I had to get my grandson to come and look at it to fix. Nobody else is gonna come and do it. Right now, there’s a line across the bottom of the wall. We had to get tile and break them in half in order to patch it up.”
By Alexander Parisel, Tywanna Webb and Austin Santiago
“If you don’t believe the cooperators who testified, then you can’t convict Mr. Guzman,” said Defense Attorney Jeffrey Lichtman in his closing arguments Thursday morning. Lichtman represents Joaquín Guzmán Loera, also known as El Chapo, in the United States of America vs. Joaquín Guzmán Loera, a trial that is taking place in the federal courthouse in Brooklyn.
Guzmán was charged in a 17-count indictment alleging that between January of 1989 and December of 2014 he led a criminal enterprise responsible for importing and distributing massive amounts of illegal narcotics into the United States, as well as conspiring to murder persons who posed threats to Loera’s alleged cartel.
According to the indictment and other court filings, El Chapo and Ismael Zambada García are said to have been the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is named after the Sinaloa region in Mexico and is suspected of having imported more than 200 metric tons of cocaine into the United States. Moreover, as one of the alleged leaders of the cartel, Guzmán is alleged to have overseen the cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana smuggling activities by the enterprise to wholesale distributors in New York, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles, as well as various locations in Arizona and elsewhere.
Lichtman argued in his closing speech that Zambada Garcia is the actual leader of the Sinaloa Cartel and not his client. In addition, the defense attorney made the point that Guzmán is simply the fall guy and that Zambada had bribed Mexican officials and thus was not targeted by law enforcement.
“Remember how the witnesses lied on the stand, remember how they’ve lied their entire lives,” said Lichtman, addressing the jury in his closing arguments. Moreover, the defense attorney argued that most of the 56 witnesses, brought in by the federal prosecution, are cooperating with law enforcement in order to receive lesser sentences for crimes they committed.
Lichtman went as far as to refer to the various testimonies that seem to incriminate his client as “a bunch of bull,” “garbage,” and “pathetic.”
If Guzmán is convicted, he might receive a life sentence in a maximum-security prison.
Daniel Marquardt is a young man who has been following the trial. When asked if he felt El Chapo warranted the attention he has been receiving, he said, “It is natural he’s receiving attention, but his conviction doesn’t affect the drug trade. He’s one fish in a big sea.”
Based on the evidence presented by the U.S. prosecution, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg, Guzmán is the biggest fish in the sea. But Marquardt might still be right in his assertion that El Chapo’s conviction will not affect drug trade.
As for its effect on U.S.-Mexican relations, one observer said the trial will have little to none. “I do not see any impact of the case on the U.S and Mexican relation,” said Professor Howard Abadinski, who is a Criminal Justice professor at St. John’s University. “Sure, it is a big case but in the end it is just a case.”
Early next week, the jury is expected to begin deliberations.
By Carolann Lowe and Millette Millington
December 31, 2009 was a day like any other, until the nine-year-old daughter of Roderick Covlin, Anna, went into the family apartment in Upper East Side Manhattan. She found her mother, Shele Danishefsky Covlin, lifeless in the tub in a bathroom.
Shele Covlin’s former attorney, Lance Howard Meyer, was questioned Thursday in the trial of Roderick Colvin, a month into the court proceeding.
Roderick Covlin in Queens County Criminal Court. Credit: Carolann Lowe
In March 2009, Shele Covlin met Meyer to discuss filing a divorce suit against her husband. Meyer claimed that her interest in doing so “derived from her intention of protecting her children and herself and to move on with her life.” In April, Shele Covlin and Meyer met again to discuss how they would go about the filing that would allege physical abuse on the part of the husband.
In May, Meyer received text messages from Shele Colvin, informing him that the husband was attempting to move back into the apartment they once shared. Because of this, Shele Covlin decided to change locks on her apartment door and to file a restraining order against him. On July 8, 2009, Roderick Colvin took their children and accused her of abusing their son Myles. She also claimed that he hacked her email account.
Roderick Covlin’s attorney, Robert Gottlieb, challenged Meyer’s testimony. The trial is continuing.
By María Venegas
After years of community planning and speculation related to Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, the administration of Bill de Blasio administration released its rezoning proposal on Thursday.
If the plan is approved, the proposal would trigger a series of building projects and other developments in the area. The mayor’s plan would recast around 80 blocks in the residential/industrial neighborhood and would allow for the building of more affordable and market-rate housing.
The Director of the Department of City Planning, Marisa Lago, says the planned use of land surrounding the canal will boost job creation and create, as well as preserve housing. Lago stressed the need to “grow smart and grow green.”
The Gowanus zoning proposal will be a part of a package of city initiatives created to achieve multiple goals outlined in the Gowanus Framework, which aims to transform the neighborhood into a resilient, sustainable, and more affordable Gowanus for residents and businesses.
The Framework is the first major step toward adopting a neighborhood plan that includes public investments in housing, parks, schools and transportation. “The Gowanus draft zoning proposal is a strong next step toward the sustainable, inclusive, mixed-use neighborhood that the community has been envisioning for many years” said City Council Member Brad Lander.
Lander said that the draft proposal addresses issues of environmental remediation and sustainability, a dynamic and resilient waterfront, significant new affordable and market-rate housing, public housing improvements, preservation of the “Gowanus mix” of arts, industry and manufacturing.
The discussion group was focusing on topics such as bail reform and parole reform. Judge Jonathan Lippman one of the main speakers had this to say about reform, “Liberty cannot be about the money in your pocket or the color of your skin.”
Marvin Mayfield, after being charged with drug possession, was sent to Rikers Island jail because he couldn’t afford to pay bail. Credit: Salamat Ellams.
By Brianna Mikes
Gwen Carr’s son, Eric Garner, was killed after being put in a chokehold by NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo, and Pantaleo is yet to be held accountable for his alleged crime that occurred over four years ago.
Rev. Kevin McCall (holding sign) shows up in support of Gwen Carr, protesting the killing of Carr’s son Eric Garner by police. Credit: Brianna Mikes.
“It’s been four and a half years, and I have been waiting with no results,” Carr said Thursday, in the frigid temperatures of New York City. She had just come out from the disciplinary hearing for Pantaleo, in which,
sources said, he didn’t show up to the hearing at all.
Carr added, “the trial on May 13th – I hope they go forward with this trial and don’t delay it any longer.”
In July of 2014, Garner died in custody of the police as video shows he was choked by Pantaleo. Garner had expressed irritation that police were, in his opinion, harassing him for selling “loosies” (individual cigarettes). Pantaleo had put his arms around Garner’s neck, applying force, choking him, though Garner had been shouting that he couldn’t breathe.
Towards the end of the Thursday protest gathering, Rev. Kevin McCall said, “We are not going to allow this to continue to happen. This process has taken long. Every day she gets up, and this officer is still receiving a check, and officers are still receiving money. It’s maybe cold on the outside, but on the inside we’re fired up.”
