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Good Morning, Brooklyn: Friday, July 9, 2021

July 9, 2021 By Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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TROPICAL STORM SUSPENDS MOBILE VACCINE SITES: Due to Tropical Storm Elsa, mobile vaccination sites suspended operations on Thursday at noon, remain suspended through today, Friday, July 9, and will re-open on Saturday morning, July 10. Full details and schedule are available at nyc.gov/nycmobilevax.

The New York City Dept. of Health reported on July 8 that 9.5 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered city-wide, and more than 4.3 million people have been fully vaccinated. 

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BRACING FOR TROPICAL STORM ELSA: Consolidated Edison on Thursday afternoon was preparing for the remnants of Tropical Storm Elsa, which barreled through North Carolina on Thursday, heading north to the NYC Metro Area. The power utility has secured 578 mutual aid crews, who will supplement the Con Edison overhead crews if necessary. Con Edison on Thursday sent 1.7 million customers a text message to enable them to report their outage by replying OUT to the message and providing customers who respond with updates on restoration timeframes.

Customers can sign up for text alerts at coned.com/text. Customers can also report outages and check service restoration status at conEd.com/reportoutage or with Con Edison’s mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).

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RENT ASSISTANCE CONTINUES: The NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program can assist those New Yorkers who are unable to pay rent due to ongoing COVID-19 difficulties: Visit: otda.ny.gov/erap or call 844-691-7368

Applications can be made online 24/7 for this program, which took effect on June 1, 2021.

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR VETERANS: The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development has teamed with the Dept. of Veterans Services to help veterans find affordable housing and other resources, starting this week, with a two-week application drive that will assist and educate veterans applying to affordable housing lotteries through NYC Housing Connect and the city’s Mitchell-Lama program. A series of educational events will also highlight the resources available to help veterans access affordable housing opportunities in this latest initiative to expanding the types of housing, education and other assistance.

“Veterans risk all defending the freedoms that we enjoy, and when they come back, they don’t always receive the help that they need to lead a successful life. Affordable housing is a cornerstone to assisting Veterans as they reenter society and build a stronger and more secure future,” said DVS Commissioner James Hendon. 

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MORE FUNDING FOR CHILD CARE PROGRAMS: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a $35 million expansion of the QUALITYstarsNY five-star quality rating system that will support up to a thousand additional childcare programs in providing quality care. Early childhood programs volunteer to participate in this statewide initiative, led by the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. They receive individualized support from a designated quality improvement specialist and access to professional and career development opportunities, classroom materials and furnishings and a wide range of resources to build and sustain quality programming.

There are currently 127 childcare organizations and sites in Brooklyn participating in the QUALITYstarsNY program, plus more in the other boroughs and parts of the state.

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LEGALIZING PUBLIC DRINKING:  On the tails of Gov. Cuomo’s signing a bill into law that allows sidewalks and streets to be used for outdoor dining, two of Brooklyn’s elected officials have introduced legislation to permit the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages in a public place.  The new bill that State Sen. Julia Salazar proposes would make it lawful for those age 21 and older to drink alcoholic beverages in public spaces. Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon is a sponsor of a corresponding bill in her legislative branch.

This COVID-related practice of allowing take-out alcoholic beverages was in place until recently to help bars and restaurants survive.

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8th ANNUAL ART CRAWL: STooPS Bed-Stuy, an annual celebration of creativity in Brooklyn, returns to Bedford-Stuyvesant for an afternoon of dance, music, spoken word, theater, visual art, conversations, workshops and more on July 24 from 1-5 p.m. at several venues. Celebrating its 8th year, STooPS uses art as a catalyst for community building by fostering meaningful interactions between neighbors, artists, businesses, organizations and attendees. America’s Next Top Model Winner Naima Mora will host this free family-friendly event that includes a Kiddie Korner, offering an array of youth-based arts activities.

This year STooPS is taking a hybrid approach, inviting the larger global community outside of Bed-Stuy and NYC to join via livestream on Instagram Live and Zoom. Register to attend in person or via livestream, via https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stoops-annual-art-crawl-2021-tickets-159912543723.

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OYSTERS IN THE GOWANUS: Restoring a sustainable oyster population in the Gowanus Canal is just one of the projects that are presented this Saturday, July 10 during City of Water Day. The Waterfront Alliance and its partners have organized this region-wide event to raise awareness about the risks that New Yorkers face sea-level rise and climate change and champion a climate resilient New York and New Jersey harbor. Dozens of organizations will be hosting “In Your Neighborhood” events at their local waterfronts, among them: the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Oyster Check, in which participants will examine the size, health and growth of a colony of oysters at the Gowanus Canal as well as discovering additional marine creatures here.

Another event at Kaiser Park in Coney Island will introduce attendees to the Coney Island Beautification Project, Inc. as they demonstrate how the Coney Island peninsula connects with the 520 miles of regional shoreline, all while remaining socially distanced. For more information on events, visit https://www.hudsonriver.org/article/city-of-water-day-2021

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TIE-DYE EVENT FOR KIDS: Youths ages 5-14 with adult supervision are welcome to participate at Amersfort Park on East 38th Street and Avenue I on Saturday, July 10 at 1:30 p.m. to kick off summer with a splash of color utilizing dyes of choice to a mask or T-shirt. Refreshments and material items including t-shirts, caps and cloth masks will be provided, thanks to co-sponsors City Councilmember Farah Louis and Assemblymember Helene Weinstein.

Register via. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/district-45-summer-tie-dye-party-tickets-161234808653

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