Good Morning, Brooklyn: Friday, July 2, 2021

July 2, 2021 By Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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ITALIAN FESTIVAL RETURNS TO WILLIAMSBURG: The Giglio and the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a more than 100-year tradition, returns next week to the streets of Williamsburg, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced on July 1. The 12-day festival running July 7-18, which is also religious and celebrates Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on N. 8^th St., has wide appeal for its quintessentially Italian flavor. Highlights, in addition to the Opening Mass and all the food stands, are the Dancing of the Giglio, and Boat Parade, and the Children’s Giglio, traditions that were transplanted to Brooklyn, New York by the Nolani immigrants from Italy.

The Giglio is a seven-story tower structure composed of aluminum, papier-mâché, and plastic painted and decorated with Gigli (flowers) and the image of St. Paulinus. A platform at the base of the tower supports an assemblage of a twelve-piece brass band and singer, all of which is hoisted and carried by 112 dancing and marching men, the lifters.

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TWO MTA PROJECTS AFFECT L TRAINS: MTA NYC Transit will be performing two projects along the L line in Brooklyn which will necessitate alternate service for our customers into early autumn. This work will take place during certain weeknight and weekend periods in 2021. The L line will be affected weeknights from 10:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. for track maintenance: July 6-9; July 12-16; August 23-27; and August 30-September 3. Trains will operate from 8th Avenue in Manhattan to Lorimer Street in Brooklyn, and from Broadway Junction to Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway

Fare-free shuttle buses will replace L service from Lorimer Street to Broadway Junction.

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CURBSIDE COMPOSTING THIS FALL: Here’s another reason to anticipate cooler weather: This fall, curbside composting will return to New York City, including portions of Brooklyn. The city will collect food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste and turn it into compost or renewable energy. Residents must first sign up for this voluntary service through a simple online form via nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting, or by calling 311, and will be notified when service will start in their neighborhoods.

At present, the coverage map includes central and eastern Brooklyn, ranging from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Canarsie, Mill Basin and Marine Park, as well as western parts of Kensington near McDonald Ave.

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NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT 45: Applications are now being accepted for a total of 254 newly constructed affordable housing units located in Flatbush at 800 Flatbush Avenue announced City Council Member Farah Louis, who represents the district encompassing the development. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development has partnered with community-based service providers in New York City such as NHS Brooklyn and the Flatbush Development Corporation to help applicants prepare and apply for Housing Connect affordable housing lotteries.

District 45 residents can call NHS Brooklyn at (718) 469-4679 or the Flatbush Development Corporation at (718) 859-3800 to schedule an appointment. To apply online, visit housingconnect.nyc.gov.

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ENSURING STARRETT CITY REMAINS AFFORDABLE: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday announced an agreement with the owners of Starrett City, also known as Spring Creek Towers, to ensure the 46-building, 5,881-apartment Mitchell-Lama housing community in Brooklyn remains affordable through 2069. The plan includes long-term protections for tenants and requires owners to make approximately $140 million in upgrades and repairs. The agreement, which was made under the leadership of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, includes the following repairs: new kitchen appliances for every resident, renovating all lobbies and corridors. replacing the building’s streetscapes and upgrading landscaping, playgrounds and outdoor sports areas.

The plan also creates a $10 million social services fund for residents to provide access to support services that may include educational, health and wellness, and job training; and a $10 million rent relief fund for residents facing financial hardship.

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CELEBRATE BROOKLYN RETURNS: BRIC, a Brooklyn-based leading arts and media institution, hosts its 43rd annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, at the Prospect Park bandshell with live, in-person performances. The RSVP portal, https://bit.ly/celebratebk is now open for this year’s performances. The 2021 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival will take place at full capacity, in accordance with New York State’s COVID-19 compliance policy and CDC guidelines.

While the Festival will remain free of charge, RSVPs are encouraged, however, attendees will no longer need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for admission. RSVPs do not guarantee entrance, and entry is first-come, first-served.

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CONGRESSIONAL BILL WOULD HELP BROOKLYN: Opening sentence boldface through name and keywords. As part of the INVEST in America Act, the U.S. House of Representatives today approved three amendments that a Brooklyn Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has authored. Her first amendment would guarantee that public housing residents and affordable housing programs are considered when outlining how federal infrastructure projects can impact the environment and the public health of disproportionately exposed communities; it would also require a Climate Resilient Transportation Infrastructure study. Velázquez’s second amendment will require the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) to detail the amount of resources law enforcement and transit agencies will save if they don’t enforce fare evasion policies when fare-free transit is made available.

Velázquez’s third amendment would help secure funding for New York City’s tree planting projects, making them eligible for the $7 billion investment that will be provided by the Transportation Alternatives Program under the bill.

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PIERRE TOUSSAINT’S SAINTHOOD JOURNEY: Pierre Toussaint, a slave from Haiti who became an entrepreneur in New York is being advocated for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Born into slavery in Haiti, Pierre Toussaint was later brought to New York City by his owners in 1787. While still enslaved he began working and earning money as a hairdresser, and soon became one of the most sought-after hairdressers in New York City, explained retired Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq during this week’s DeSales Media’s Currents program.

Toussaint used his prosperity to open orphanages, schools and employment offices; and instead of buying his own freedom, he purchased it for others.