BY KIM GILL
Despite a scandal plaguing his administration, Mayor Adams was cool as a cucumber as he triumphantly commanded a town hall meeting with residents of East New York on October 21st.
The basketball court of Junior High School 218 was transformed into a miniature City Hall with a conference table and microphones for Adams, many members of his administration, and Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas (D-NY). Still, the red carpet treatment was reserved for the community residents. “I’ve never seen an event of this magnitude with so many government officials coming to East New York,” Essence Maraldo, a long-time resident, stated.
Mayor Adams has a rich history with the community of East New York; not only was he born and raised nearby in Brownsville, but during his 2021 election, he got 60% of the vote in the district. As the mayor, Adams has invested billions into the community, such as the redevelopment and renovations to Broadway Junction, which is anticipated to create new homes, jobs, and community recreation activities.
“I don’t believe East New York has found this redefinition yet, and it should be done from community residents. We don’t need to wait for folks to gentrify the community and all of a sudden turn it into a hip, cool artist environment,” said Mayor Adams
Despite some of the improvements that were made, there were still unresolved issues raised by some residents. Orisa Cameron, a member of Community Board 5 as well as the Vice President of Community Council for the 75th precinct, raised concerns about the lack of permanent lighting in the neighborhood and, more importantly, how it impacts school sports and neighborhood sports programs. She spoke in-depth about how practices had to be cut short because of street lights going off too early and the parks being too dark to continue.
“We need access to better lighting for these programs to be run during the evening time for our youth,” she said. Mayor Adams then connected Cameron with Brooklyn Parks Commissioner, Martin Maher to see how this issue could be resolved.
The lighting issue also brought up other concerns by residents, mainly prostitution occurring on Pennsylvania and Louisiana Avenues. According to the Mayor, “Pennsylvania Avenue is nationally known for its prostitution. Nationally known.” The Adams administration partnered with advocacy groups to help combat the issue and give resources to the women being trafficked. Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtery spoke about a rescue mission he went on last year where they saved six to seven women who had been trafficked. More importantly, he addressed the need to get the pimps off the street and emphasized the need to continue this work.
However, one of the main issues addressed at the meeting was mental health. Shantisha Edwards, an educator with District 75 – the district that explicitly services children with special needs – was concerned with the lack of programs within the NYC Department of Education to service this demographic. “A lot of the programs around here don’t tend to the needs of our kids. I say our kids because that’s how they look at us, like we are different because they have different types of functions or disabilities.”
Mayor Adams connected her with newly appointed School Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos who also attended the town hall. She stressed the importance of her three commitments: “That is teacher support and development. That is an overall sense of safety and wellness for all of our children. That is family empowerment, not engagement.” Mayor Adams also provided Edwards with information for My Time Inc., an advocacy group that supports parents and caregivers of people with disabilities.
Many were curious if there would be tension in the room due to Adams’ recent indictment and Councilman Chris Banks’ attendance after publicly calling for the mayor to resign. According to Essence Moraldo, “One of the things that I did acknowledge was that Mayor Eric Adams and Councilman Chris Banks were supporting each other at the town hall meeting. A lot of the time, you would hear the mayor mention the councilman, you would hear the councilman acknowledge Mayor Adams, so it was very important for everybody to come and hear the mayor speak.”
What the future holds for Eric Adams’ political future remains unclear. But to the residents of East New York in attendance, Mayor Adams maintains overwhelming support. Adams stated, “My job is to make sure that the city functions. My lawyers will take care of any legal matters. I’m going to stay focused on running the city, which I committed to and which I was elected to do.”