COVID-19 update: Turning the page: Sunset Park Library and Menchaca to host virtual story time for young readers

May 26, 2020 Editorial Staff

Councilmember Carlos Menchaca. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP

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On the front lines of the war on COVID-19, there are many civilian heroes going out of their way, as volunteers and contributors. Also, many who are elected to serve are going the extra mile. In this column the Eagle hopes to give our readers an ongoing update on those fighting in the front lines.

New York City Councilmember Carlos Menchaca shared the joy of books with the Brooklyn Public Library’s youngest patrons on Tuesday, on the Sunset Park Library Facebook page. He read Toma Toma Toma written by Verónica Carbajal with illustrations by Xitlhali Treviño. “I know that during this story time the next councilmember of this district, the next mayor of this city, is finding their voice,” said Menchaca. “I cannot wait to follow their lead one day.”

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday, urging the City to restart the New York City capital program with a focus on priority projects that will enhance the state of good repair of city buildings, infrastructure and equipment. “These are unprecedented and challenging times, but they represent a generational opportunity to reimagine how our City approaches capital investment and to harness our capital program as an economic engine,” wrote Stringer.

Speaker Corey Johnson and the New York City Council Women’s Caucus are demanding an apology from SBA President Ed Mullins for his use of derogatory and misogynistic language in referring to Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot, who has publicly apologized for her words during a private conversation in March with Chief Of Department Terence Monahan. The group penned a letter of support for Barbot, which read, “If we cannot ensure that women in the highest levels of city government will be able to do their jobs without experiencing misogynistic attacks from peers, how can we support any woman facing workplace harassment?”

The librarians of Brooklyn Public Library‘s BookMatch program have created a special book list to commemorate Memorial Day and encourage reading about U.S. history. The selections include fiction and nonfiction books spanning generations of conflict from the Civil War to Iraq and Afghanistan, telling the stories of soldiers and their families back home. All the books are available to download as readers stay home this holiday weekend and reflect on the sacrifices of so many brave men and women.

The MTA on Friday announced that it had received a donation of 100,000 cloth face masks from the New York Mets. The MTA is distributing the masks to workers at all agencies. “Providing masks is our way of saying thank you to these brave individuals for all they are doing during the pandemic,” said Mets COO Jeff Wilpon. The mask donation was coordinated by MTA board member Haeda B. Mihaltses, who is vice president of external affairs for the Mets. The masks are the Mets colors of blue and orange, and read “New York Tough.”