By Brianna Mikes
There is hope on Long Island. But some believe that Nassau County residents and, indeed, the country, are living in dangerous times.
“Two thousand nineteen is the most dangerous time in the history of Jewish people since the end of the Holocaust,” asserted Steve Markowitz, Chairman of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County.
“What’s going on worldwide is beyond anything we could’ve anticipated. It’s not just the Jewish Community. What happened to the Muslims in New Zealand, what happened to the Catholic churches in Sri Lanka, what happens in black churches in the United States, and then what happened in Pittsburgh reminds us that the forces of evil are still with us.”
Left to right: Steve Markowitz (Chairman of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center), Helen Turner (Director of Youth Education at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center), Mireille Taub (Holocaust Survivor), County Legislator Ellen Birnbaum, Sage Gladstone (Junior Advisory Board Member at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center), and County Legislator Debra Mule. Credit: Brianna Mikes
On Thursday, Markowitz joined with Nassau County officials in a somber remembrance of the Holocaust.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island held a safety and security briefing, along with Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, and District Attorney Madeline Singas.
After a press conference, County Executive Curran and County Legislator Ellen Birnbaum hosted a Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) recognition ceremony.
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. Credit: Brianna Mikes
“What we want to do today is to reassure all of our residents that no matter how you worship, no matter who you worship, we’re doing everything we can to make sure it is safe to worship in Nassau County,” declared Curran. “Our police department has been very responsive and incredibly proactive. We have a very tight plan, if, God forbid, something should happen in one of our houses of worship.
“I understand the fear,” Curran added. “I hear it. And I want to make sure that we’re doing everything we possibly can to make sure it doesn’t happen here.”
“We have our Rave app in all 56 school districts, all 43o buildings,” said Commissioner Ryder. “We have been in more than half of our libraries already. We cannot stop and prevent every active shooter that wants to happen, but we can prepare better to make sure we take care of those and do what is right when the time does happen. We continue to watch and monitor social media for individuals that concern us, and we are continuing to stay on top of that to make sure that you continue to have the service you deserve.”
According to the Rave app’s website, it can “in seconds, clearly communicate an emergency to 9-1-1, on-site personnel, and first responders.”
The District Attorney stated that she felt a strong measure of peace, given what authorities are doing.
“As a mother, I feel safe in Nassau County knowing that there is someone like Commissioner Ryder and someone like our County Executive who is at the helm making sure that she’s responsive and making sure that she is communicative,” said Singas.
“Hate crimes are especially heinous because they attack not only a person and harm them physically, but try to harm their souls and their spirits, and they try to instill fear in communities. As communities, we should stand up strongly against that and fight against that.
“So, I ask everyone here to do something for someone else that they might not normally – open up your homes to someone who doesn’t look like you, introduce your children to someone different,” Singas added. “Let’s celebrate our differences. And, with these small steps, we can make a difference.”
County Legislat
or Birnbaum saudm “In the United States, Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is today, May 2nd, was first observed in 1979. It is now a day of commemoration for people worldwide. It memorializes the heroism of Jewish people and other faiths who died in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945.”
A few seconds of silence followed, showing respect for those whose lives were lost.
A Holocaust survivor by the name of Mireille Taub also told her personal story. She was born in Paris and was fortunate enough to have taken the last train out of the country, before France surrendered to the Nazis. Although her train was bombed, she and her family walked to safety and traveled across the Pyrenees, passing through Spain and Portugal, before arriving in New York on August 11, 1940. She was only two years old.
She now volunteers as a docent and educator at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center and participates in anti-bullying and tolerance programs.
“I actually grew up in Brooklyn a very happy child,” Taub said.
By Tywanna Webb
On Thursday, New Yorkers placed flowers on the tombstones in Washington Square Park to memorialize residents who have died in the city’s growing opioid overdose crisis.
“Fentanyl kills and it’s becoming a huge problem in our city,” said BAM staff, appropriately dressed in black suits fit for a funeral.
In Washington Square Park, Remembering Drug Deaths. Credit: Tywanna Webb
The mock gravesites were staged in the park to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic. Passing park visitors were given obituaries that included data about the rise of fentanyl-related deaths. Organizers included BAM and The Recovery Spot, a substance abuse treatment center.
Fentanyl, a prescribed pharmaceutical pain-killer, has contributed to the rise in the opioid overdose epidemic affecting the nation.
In the city, 1,487 New Yorkers were lost to fentanyl-related deaths in 2017, according to data collected by the New York City Health Department. This is a 175 percent increase since 2010. The statistics show that every six hours one New Yorker dies from an overdose. National statistics reflect a similar trend.
Dr. Ramesh Sawhney said that even those numbers do not reflect how big a problem it has become.
“Those numbers are grossly inaccurate because we know the number of deaths far exceed that,” said Dr. Sawhney, oo-director at The Recovery Spot. He says many deaths are reported as heart attacks or as the result of other medical complications. Last year, national data showed 60,000 to 90,000 opioid-related deaths. Dr. Sawhney believes the actual number of deaths exceeds 250,000.
“People don’t report because of the shame and the stigma,” said Eve Goldberg, founder of the Big Vision Foundation. “They don’t want to say my husband or my son died of an overdose.”
After losing her 23-year-old son Isaac to an overdose, Goldberg founded Big Vision to create a “community for young adults looking to have fun without substances.”
In recent years, dealers have begun mixing fentanyl with street drugs such as heroin, cocaine and xanax, resulting in deadly combinations. Buyers are often unaware of the dangers of mixing.
Thursday’s event featured speakers working to combat the crisis through activism and education. Ben Kimmel, a Certified Professional Life Coach, shared his story about his path to sobriety. Kimmel said he began using substances when he did not know how to cope with depression and anxiety.
“We’ve become a society that wants to treat symptoms, but what if we treat the problem? If we got to the problem, then maybe the symptoms will go away,” said Kimmel. This month makes 28 years that he has been sober. Now he strives to educate others about the resources available to fight the disease of addiction.
Ben Kimmel, paying tribute to victims of drug abuse. Credit: Tywanna Webb
In response to the crisis, New York City has begun offering free Opioid Overdose Prevention trainings. The training teaches residents how to identify an opioid overdose and how to administer Narcan to prevent death. Narcan is a medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose.
[CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF BEN KIMMEL SPEAKING]
Despite the city’s efforts, Dr.Sawhney warned that Narcan will not always save lives.
“In some cases, fentanyl will cause what we call a cardiac standstill and Narcan has no effect on it,” Dr. Sawhney cautioned.
Dr.Sawhney said there are ways other than opioids to treat pain, and those items methods are being used at The Recovery Spot. These treatments include Botox, which can successfully and safely be used as a pain reliever. Other alternative treatments include intravenous Ketamine or local anesthetics.
“The point through all of this is the need for education on really systematic and institutional level,” said Peter Grayson, CEO of The Recovery Spot.
“This is an very important issue,” said a Midtown resident who preferred not to be identified. “I almost lost a friend to an overdose just two days away.”
The middle aged woman said that her friend had to be rushed to the ER after using cocaine that had been cut with Fentanyl.
By Tywanna Webb
This Thursday, LaGuardia Community College hosted its fifth annual Black Lives Matter Summit, to discuss the importance of activism and reform.
“Words are a beginning but action has to happen,” said Dr. Gail Mellow, President at LCC. “Action is about coming together.”
The theme for this year’s summit was “Theory, Action and Expression for Today’s Student,” and the goal was urging students to be engaged in local activism. The summit included keynote addresses from civil rights activist and journalist Shaun King and hip hop artist and activist Talib Kweli.
Shaun King. Credit: Tywanna Webb
“We are in a desperate and problematic time in the history of this country,” King said, highlighting recent hate crimes such as the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting. The October attack was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the US, killing 11 people.
While speaking to the audience of college students, King discussed ways that young activists can bring about reform to combat inequality and injustice.
“We are masters of our pain and of our problems,” King said. “But knowing your problem is not the same as having a plan.”
Acknowledging the limited access to resources, King advised other ways that the students can cause change. He shared the importance of organizing highly energized people and devising a plan.
“When we talk about police brutality or when we talk about mass incarceration, those problems are enormously complex,” King said. “Our solutions to our problems have to be as nuanced and sophisticated as the problem itself.”
In February, King relaunched the historic newspaper The North Star. The North Star was an abolitionist paper founded in the nineteenth century by writer Frederick Douglass. King says he faced challenges in the relaunch but he did not allow those obstacles to discourage him.
“Don’t allow the possibility of failure convince you that you are not ready,” he said, hoping to inspire the room of students.
“The best companies and organizations that are going to change the world, you have not started yet.”
Kingsborough Community College student Hilary Brown said she was inspired by this year’s summit.
“Every day we see so many things wrong in this country, but we don’t know how to really help,” Brown said in an interview. “Being here today made me realize, I have to do more than just talk and tweet. I have to get involved.
By Carolann Lowe
Charles Cooper testified before the Campaign Finance Board (CFB) as he answered a long list of violations slapped on him after his unsuccessful run for a seat on the City Council two years ago.
He blamed a technology application used by his campaign and that app led to failure of transactions to be filed. He and his workers were unaware of the app’s shortcomings, he said.
“If I had knew that, we would have never used that app,” he said.
Left, Charles Cooper, charged with violations. Sitting, Campaign Finance Board Members Naomi Zauderer, Amy Loprest, Frederick Schaffer, and Marianne Spraggins. Credit: Carolann Lowe
Cooper ran in a New York City Council district covering upper Manhattan, including Harlem. Cooper’s ten alleged violations included failures to document outstanding liabilities, report transactions, demonstrate compliance with cash receipts reporting and other required actions.
In addition, he allegedly accepted contributions from corporations, accepted over the limit contributions, and had a petty cash fund greater than five hundred dollars.
The CFB held its meeting on Thursday so that Cooper could testify, answering the charges against him.
The CFB provides public funds to New York City Council candidates by using the matching funds program in which every $10 contribution from a New York City resident within the district that the candidate is running for will gain a $90 contribution for the candidate from the CFB.
Candidates taking part in a campaign are required to document their expenses and assure the CFB that candidates did not misuse funds.
Most of Cooper defenses had to do with asserted technological mishaps. He revealed that vendors such as UPS were unreliable in terms of the inaccuracy of their online tracking. When he looked for the tracking information, it had displayed the words “status not available,” he said.
He also said that his campaign staff failed to provide alternative and simple filing options. “It takes a while to adapt to technology,” he said.
Cooper said the fault was in his and his team’s inexperience and lack of knowledge about campaigning. “Plain and simple, this was our error,” he said. “Looking back in hindsight we will probably be better at this . . . ”
Following Cooper’s testimony, the board determined that he must pay a total penalty of $5,296.
Other candidates had been cited by the CFB. New York City Council candidate Alison Tan of Queens and Borough President candidate Everly Brown, also of Queens, did not appear at the board meeting. In the races two years ago, both candidates lost.
The board determined that they had committed violations and assessed penalties for those violations. The candidates will be required to pay those penalties, which amounts to $715 in total for Tan and $6,725 for Brown.
By Maya Dower-Johnson
The New York City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection held a hearing at City Hall on Thursday to vote on an agenda focusing on changing the New York City building and administrative codes in order to cut down on emissions.
The committee has been working with building owners, architects, building experts and climate scientists for at least the last two years to come up with solutions in order to assist buildings in going green. This is not including the work that began with the passing of green laws as far back as a decade ago. Through their research, they’ve found that buildings account for approximately 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
The passing of this significant piece of legislation is the single largest carbon reduction effort in any city and will, in fact, pave the way for a twenty-first century green economy, councilmembers say.
Single mother of six, Rachel Rivera and her daughters Marisol and Angelina told of their health struggles. Credit: Maya Dower-Johnson
Aside from creating good middle-class jobs for New Yorkers, the bill will take approximately one million cars off the road by 2030. It will also make for measurable decreases in nitro oxide, sulfur oxide and particulate matter that fouls the air and contributes to higher than average asthma rates. Starting with the biggest and dirtiest buildings will put the city on the path of meeting the 40 percent by 2030 (40 x 30) and 80 percent by 2050 (80 x 50) goal.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has created the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing for building owners that will allow them a low interest loan to help cover the cost of going green. The property owner voluntarily agrees to repay the financing through a special assessment or special tax charge placed on their annual property tax bill. This provides financing for these types of improvements over time without requiring the property owner to make a large upfront investment.
PACE financing is available through the Energy Improvement Corporation’s (EIC) Energize NY PACE program in participating municipalities. EIC is a local development corporation and a New York State nonprofit established specifically to assist local governments and property owners achieve long-term energy savings and/or generate renewable power for use on site.
Building owners who choose to go green will see a net gain through energy savings due to using newer, more efficient technology.
The city’s new legislation states that New York City will start phasing out use of fossil fuel power plants and allow wind turbines to be built more easily in the city. These two things alone send out strong signals in the clean energy market that New York City is ready to phase out fossil fuels and convert to a greener grid. The plan is to do it in a way to give New Yorkers flexibility as it takes into account everyone’s contributions to city emissions in order to reduce building emissions.
The climate emergency the city faces is leading legislators to say no to new fossil fuel infrastructure and new pipelines that will be operational for the next 30-40 years.
The committee has an opportunity to make sure that there is a sustainable New York for generations to come.
As time came to vote, the councilmembers were all too eager.
“I proudly vote ‘aye’,” said Councilmember Raphael L. Espinal, Jr.
“This is an important moment for all of us,” said Councilmember Carlos Menchaca. “This is the most aggressive, fast-forward moving piece of legislation. I vote ‘aye’ on all.”
“The climate change world has impacted our black and brown families, our workers on the waterfront so this is a proud moment for my district,” said Menchaca.
“Happily vote ‘aye’,” said Councilmember Donovan J. Richards.
Councilmember Kalman Yeger voted ‘aye’ on all but the unnumbered pre-considered resolution, to which he stated he was not for or against due to it not being introduced to the Council.
“We’re not in the position, in my estimation, today because we have not had the opportunity to duly deliberate on it,” said Councilmember Yeger. “For that reason and that reason alone, not on the merits, I abstain from the unnumbered pre-considered resolution and I vote ‘aye’ on the remainder.”
Councilmember Stephen T. Levin cheerfully voted ‘aye’ to all as he spoke about the Council’s “really extraordinary effort here to get the most far-reaching climate legislation out of a locality anywhere in the world.”
Levin continued, “I believe this is the most impactful legislation that we’ll be passing this term. It will stake New York City’s long term claim on doing our part to reduce carbon emissions and confront the global crisis of climate change. We owe it to our children and our children’s children to leave them a world that is, at the very least, no worse than the one that we inherited.”
Councilmember Eric A. Ulrich voted ‘aye’ on all without any additional commentary.
The hearing adjourned with a vote of six affirmative and zero negative.
By Brianna Mikes
His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Director of Public Relations of Goya Foods Rafael Toro were joined Thursday morning by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York at the annual Holy Thursday Food Distribution, providing food pantry meals at Saint Rose of Lima Church.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan With Crowd on Holy Thursday. Credit: Brianna Mikes
They were together to celebrate and to feed.
“We are celebrating this morning,” said Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of NY in Spanish, the language he chose to use. “Thank you for being here.”
“We are a working community,” said state Assemblymember Carmen De La Rosa. “And, with that, there is dignity. We would like to thank Catholic Charities, Cardinal Dolan — Goya for their dedication to our community, and the parish here, Saint Rose of Lima, for making sure that on this Holy Thursday, our community is not only able to nourish our spirit, but also be able to nourish our bodies with this food.”
Feeding the needy. Credit: Brianna Mikes
Director of PR Rafael Toro announced the donation of 300,000 pounds of food, which will provide nearly 500,000 meals to New Yorkers in need. Goya Foods has been a generous supporter of the Catholic Charities’ food pantries, donating over 1.5 million pounds of food to Catholic Charities of New York since the start of its support.
“No más palabras, tengo hambre (no more words, I am hungry),” said Cardinal Dolan.
“I love you, and it’s an honor and a joy for me to be with you. You don’t know how appropriate this is — Jesus had his last supper, and Jesus shared food with his apostles, and he continues to do that through this church and Catholic Charities, and through the generosity and contribution of the great people of Goya. I bless you and your families this Easter.”
The annual Holy Thursday food distribution with Goya reaffirms Catholic Charities’ partnerships with programs to provide more than 4 million meals to hungry New Yorkers. Community and parish–based food programs and pantries offer non–perishable food for families to bring home, while many locations provide hot meals on site. In 2018, Catholic Charities received 600,000 pounds of food, half of which Goya donated, translating to nearly 1 million meals that were re–distributed to their partner programs.
“I feel proud to be here,” said Marita Landaveri, Consul General of Peru. “And, I am happy to have been of help to Catholic Charities — it is an honor.”
By Joseph Leo
The confetti flew high at the theater at Madison Square Garden Thursday morning, as the NYPD held its spring 2019 graduation ceremony bringing 457 new officers onto the force.
In this class, 47 are military veterans. It is the biggest class since last July, when 726 graduates entered the department.
Christopher Messina, academy graduate and fourth-generation police officer
These new officers are joining the New York City Police Department at a time when, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the crime rate is the lowest since the 1950’s.
“The last time the crime rate was this low, the Dodgers were playing at Ebbets Field,” de Blasio said.
“This is the class that literally that has gotten the best training in the history of this department . . . to places that we’ve never been before.”
Commissioner James P. O’Neil said, “Our work has never been more meaningful.”
Both the mayor and commissioner stated impactful the work of police officers is to the city. O’Neil sought to sooth the spirits of civil servants who will have difficult experiences ahead of them, and to make them happy and proud.
“You will have some bad days, truthfully, but you will have many more good than bad days,” O’Neil said.
Class valedictorian Christopher Messina, who is a fourth generation NYPD officer and among 124 officers who have family members in the department, gave thanks to his father who was his main reason he decided to pursue the NYPD.
“My dad has said countless times, ‘I’ve never worked a day in my life.’” Messina gave a reason why his father felt that way. “When you’re a part of something bigger than yourself, it makes it easy.”
By Austin Santiago
The future of flight in New York and New Jersey is a bright one, according to Port Authority Executive Director Richard Cotton.
On Thursday, Cotton issued an official progress report of the Port Authority’s project to renovate the city’s airports and usher them into the twenty-first century.
Credit: Austin Santiago, courtesy, Port Authority
“Today’s discussion is not about planning, it’s about moving forward,” said Cotton, as he revealed the major renovations coming to the major New York and New Jersey airports.
One of these renovations comes in the form of a railway system that would connect directly to LaGuardia airport. “LaGuardia is the only major East Coast airport without a rail connection,” Cotton said. “The new air train would go from midtown to LaGuardia in 30 minutes or less.”
As for the airport itself, Cotton presented photos of a brand new concourse at Terminal B. The new concourse will be 250,000 square feet, hold 18 gates, as well as various concessions, and two airline lounges.
As for JFK, that historic airport has fallen on hard times in recent years, its once high reputation having diminished quite a bit, according to Cotton.
“JFK is ranked 69th out of the 100 busiest airports in the U.S.,” he said. “Our goal is to bring JFK into the twenty first century, and the top ten.”
In order to make that happen, JFK will finally make use of one of its long abandoned terminals. The TWA flight center was opened in 1962, but closed in 2001 because it could not support the size of modern aircrafts. Although the terminal got stuck in time, it will not stay that way for long, according to Cotton. Cotton spoke at an event hosted by the Association for a Better New York, held at The Mezzanine, on Broadway in Manhattan.
Port Authority Executive Director Richard Cotton. Credit: Austin Santiago
The Port Authority on Thursday revealed images for the TWA hotel, which is set to open on May 15. Not only will the new hotel increase public interest, but several changes to outdated terminals within the airport will increase productivity.
“These changes will increase JFK’s capacity by 15 million passengers,” Cotton said.
In New Jersey, Newark International airport is also due for a face lift, as three new terminals are planned to be added by 2022.
Although the major airports were the focal points of Thursday’s presentation, Cotton emphasized that the Port Authority is looking to improve more than just the airports. He said he wanted to transform the entire travel experience. A new emphasis on the customer experience includes free and fast WiFi, family friendly services and amenities, and even food delivery directly to airport gates.
After a presentation of groundbreaking innovations, Cotton reaffirmed the Port Authority’s primary ambition.
“Our goal is to transform our airports, and our customer service to best in class.”
By Jada May
The bright and colorful Channel Garden brightens the surrounding area, even on a gloomy day like Thursday at Rockefeller Center. The tourist attraction has a new installation for Easter, a 20-foot bird’s nest and large blue eggs that children can go inside and play with.
Credit: Jada May
The section is small with amazingly green soft grass and gold birds over the nest, adding to the beautiful scenery. Although it’s surrounded by buildings and stores, the garden still brings a sense of peace and nature for those wanting to escape reality for a moment.
The unique and beautiful garden is part of a tradition of celebrating Easter in the biggest and brightest way possible. Every season, the garden displays exotic plants with gushy designs. The garden brings tons of tourists adding it to the list of many things they have seen in the Big Apple.
A family of four from Brazil stood around on Thursday morning with their professional-looking camera, taking pictures of their children playing on the life-size eggs. Although there was a bit of a language barrier, the mother (Rauma) was able to give her opinion to this English-speaking reporter.
Credit: Jada May
“This is a beautiful place, and my kids like it a lot.”
The area doesn’t only attract tourists. Those who work the area also like to stop by. A woman named Maribel Cruz took pictures on her way to work nearby. “It’s prettier around this time because of the flowers, and the fountains are normally on when it’s warmer,” she said. “Sometimes they’ll put cute rubber ducks inside of them.”
Rockefeller Center was created by John D. Rockefeller (1839 – 1937), the founder of Standard Oil. He was the richest man in American during his era and he wanted to create a “city within a city,” which was Rockefeller Center. By 1940, the Channel Garden came into Rockefeller Center and it became a place where New Yorkers would congregate.
Not much has changed over the decades. Well, not a lot. There are many more tourists in these recent years. They join New Yorkers coming to look at the constantly changing garden to see what’s new and take in the ambiance.
