Good Morning, Brooklyn: Thursday, June 24, 2021

June 24, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Share this:

Today is the 175^th day of the year. We’re approaching the halfway mark to 2022, which will be July 1, when we STILL won’t know final election results for NYC primary. Perhaps one of our favorite lines about this primary comes from Tuesday’s New York Times article: ‘Ready or not, voters will make history in primary elections on Tuesday when New York becomes the largest place in the country to use ranked choice voting…’

Absentee ballots are expected to be a huge factor, and the time-frame to finalize ranked-choice ballots is a factor. But the ‘speculation time’ in delayed results will probably force media to do more analysis and explainer coverage of the whole election process as it happens.

Bklyner’s Billy Richling provided some interesting background on the primary, noting that 750,000 Democrats and 51,000 Republicans voted across the city, including the nine days of early voting. The turnout was higher than the Democratic primary for Mayor in 2013, when ballots cast by Democrats totalled 691,801.

Due to increased interest in the dynamics of ranked choice, readers will no doubt follow more closely their favorite social media for instant updating.

✰✰✰

NON-CAMPAIGN BIZ: Later today at 2 p.m., Borough President Eric Adams and Councilman Brad Lander will re-name a Park Slope intersection in honor of the late, great Pete Hamill. Assemblyman Robert Carroll and civil rights attorney Normal Siegel, along with some surprise celebrities and many Pete Hamill fans, will join them at 7th Avenue and 12th Street.

Hamill grew up in Park Slope and used it as an affectionate setting for his rich human interest stories.

✰✰✰

MTA NOW SAYS ‘NO CASH’ at toll booths, as of yesterday. Clerks will not accept cash payments or swap damaged cards. Hand-to-hand transactions were banned at booths as of March, 2020, due to COVID-19, a policy that has been made permanent. Metrocard vending machines will still accept cash.

Observers note this may be a key cutback strategy for future.

✰✰✰

BILL TO PROVIDE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WITH PAID LEAVE: Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who represents Greenpoint, and parts of Queens and Manhattan will hold a hearing tomorrow, June 24 on her legislation to provide comprehensive paid family and medical leave to all federal employees. The bill under consideration, H.R. 564, will give all federal employees up to 12 weeks paid leave for any 12-month period to care for an ill spouse, child, or parent; to care for a serious personal medical condition; or any qualifying circumstance resulting from a spouse, child, or parent who is designated or soon to be designated to be active-duty military. H.R. 564 builds on the Congresswoman’s landmark legislation, the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, (signed into law in 2019 and implemented last year).

That law guarantees paid parental leave to the 2.1 million employees of the federal government.

✰✰✰

PROGRAM TO PROVIDE CLIMATE-FRIENDLY MEALS TO SCHOOLS Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D (D-NY) on Wednesday introduced the Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act, a bill that would create a voluntary grant program for school districts to help schools provide healthier, climate friendly, and culturally appropriate plant-based entrée options to students. The funds would provide for culinary training and technical assistance for school foodservice operators and staff; procurement costs of plant-based sources of protein and milk from socially disadvantaged producers, local producers, and women, veteran, and beginning farmers; marketing and student engagement, It would also underwrite taste tests and nutrition education; and would partner with small to medium sized plant-based food businesses and producers for professional development and training.

School districts who serve a high population of food insecure students would be prioritized under the new pilot program.

✰✰✰

LIBRARY CARD CELEBRATES BLACK-AMERICAN HISTORY The Brooklyn Public Library on Juneteenth released a limited-edition library card celebrating Black American history, contributions and culture, in partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Brooklyn’s Community Boards. The Black American Library Card is now available at neighborhood libraries throughout Brooklyn.

Designed by Jneyde “Nehemiah” Williams, the limited-edition card honors the history, contributions and culture of Black Americans.

✰✰✰

SAVOR FLAVORS AND SUCCESS OF BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES Brooklyn eateries Charm Bar & Restaurant, Kelewele NYC, The Real Motherschuckers, Jammit Bistro, Sugar Bomb Sweet, Pelah Kitchen, Lips Café, Sweet Brooklyn Bar are among those participating in Black Restaurant Week, LLC – New York joins the No Crumb Left Behind campaign. This nationwide tour and palate-pleasing showcase, which runs Friday, June 25 through July 4, celebrates the flavors of African American, African and Caribbean cuisine, with the goal of breaking systemic barriers that Black-owned restaurants face. bringing awareness of ways to help them succeed.

Examples of obstacles are disproportionate access to business loans, and finding affordable real estate and rental leases.

✰✰✰

WOODHULL HOSPITAL CELEBRATES PRIDE: The Bushwick community is invited to this year’s Woodhull Pride Parade and Celebration, next Wednesday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as a thank you to those who have supported Woodhull Hospital. Featured will be several performances such as singers, dancers, drag queens, a parade, Woodhull Hospital Pride Parade and Celebration will be held on Marcus Garvey Blvd.; and social distancing procedures and temperature checks are still in place.

Those wishing to attend should RSVP no later than Monday, June 28^th to Jessica Arocho, director of community affairs, at 718-963-8140.

✰✰✰

TOWARD A 21^st-CENTURY PARK SYSTEM: NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, joined elected leaders and community members earlier this week to officially unveil the designs for two planned projects at Commodore Barry Park, with the goal of creating a more equitable 21st century park system. The projects, one of which is already funded, will completely re-imagine the greenspace by reconstructing a major portion of the park, including the addition of new baseball and football fields, sports lighting, new pathways, landscaping, security lighting, fences and a new more accessible entrance from Navy Street.

The second project, while not yet funded, but will reconstruct the Multi-Purpose Play Area of the park, including playgrounds, basketball courts and picnic area.

✰✰✰

HUMAN BODY AS ARCHIVE OF ETHNIC EXPERIENCE: “Baseera Khan: I Am an Archive” debuts six new artworks that explore Khan’s body as a site of accumulations of experiences, histories, and traumas. The art employs a variety of multimedia collage techniques to visualize the lived experiences of people at the intersections of Muslim and American identities, both today and throughout history. Khan is the recipient of the UOVO Prize, given for an artist living or working in Brooklyn. As part of the prize, Khan was awarded an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum as well as a commission for a large-scale public art installation.

That installation is now on public view — on the façade of UOVO’s Brooklyn facility, in Bushwick.

✰✰✰

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: The Phoenix NYC on Wednesday announced its partnership with Brooklyn Community Services Prospect Plaza Community Center, at 1835 Sterling Place between Saratoga and Howard avenues. The Phoenix NYC will be at Prospect Plaza every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for Wellness Wednesdays. Among the offerings: stretch and breathe class open for all 18 and over seniors. A crochet club and a community open chat are also offered.

Sobriety for the previous 48 hours is required.

✰✰✰

STAND-UP COMEDY FOR KIDS—WITH A TWIST. This summer, the Brooklyn Children’s Theatre is hosting “Goof, Gather and Grow,” a small stand-up comedy workshop for girls, trans and nonbinary youth ages 10-13. The in-person workshop will offer a diverse group of young people a focus on stand-up comedy, social justice, and connecting with each other Comics Fareeha Khan and Tessa Skara will co-facilitate the weeklong workshop, to will be held at the Cottonwood Community Center (203 Driggs Ave) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn from August 2-6.

Those interested should register through the BCT website ASAP, as the workshop is limited to 12 participants.

✰✰✰

GRADUATING STUDENTS HONORED AT MAIMONIDES PARK CYCLONES GAME: The Roman Diocese of Brooklyn honored the academic achievements of its graduating students at Maimonides Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, in Coney Island, on Tuesday. Braving rainy weather, valedictorians and salutatorians from the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Catholic academies and parish schools were honored on the diamond prior to the Cyclones taking the field against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, as part of the annual diocesan Catholic Schools Night event.

Gina Krainchich, director of educational media services for DeSales Media, the parent company of The Tablet, said the 55 honorees comprised the highest number of invited eighth graders in Catholic Schools Night history.