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Good Morning, Brooklyn: Tuesday, November 2, 2021

November 2, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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BROOKLYN FEDERAL JUDGE UPHOLDS SCHOOLS’ MASK MANDATE: Senior U.S. District Judge Frederic Block of the Eastern District of New York has upheld New York’s statewide mask mandate for public schools. Denying a motion from the plaintiff, the parent of a 10-year-old girl with severe asthma, Judge Block found that rational basis was the appropriate standard for review in the case, rejecting the plaintiff’s arguments that the school district’s rejection violated their fundamental rights. “While the Mask Mandate was obviously intended as a health measure, it no more requires a ‘medical treatment’ than laws requiring shoes in public places … or helmets while riding a motorcycle,” the veteran jurist wrote.

Quoting at length from national and state public health guidance, including the state’s guidance for schools, Judge Block did express his “displeasure” with “the complexities and uncertainties” of the school guidance.

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PAID FAMILY LEAVE LAW EXPANDED: Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law on Monday an expansion of New York State’s Paid Family Leave legislation to allow caring for siblings. Under the current law, employees cannot take leave to care for a sibling with a serious health condition.  Legislation S.2928-A/A.06098-A expands the definition of “family members” to include biological siblings, adopted siblings, step-siblings and half-siblings. These family members can live outside of New York State, and even outside of the United States.

The bill’s effective date of January 1, 2023 is still more than a year away.

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PAID SICK LEAVE RIGHTS RESTORED TO AIRLINE WORKERS: A settlement agreement has been reached between the City of New York and American Airlines to resolve violations of the NYC Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Peter A. Hatch announced on Monday. As part of the settlement, American Airlines dropped its federal lawsuit, arguing that the NYC Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law —just expanded — does not apply to airport workers.

The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection’s workplace-wide investigation found that American Airlines, which must now pay $220,000 to 598 ground crew workers whose rights had been violated, had illegally disciplined ground crew workers for each sick day used—essentially illegally retaliating against employees for using sick leave — failed to pay employees for sick leave at the required rate, and failed to allow employees to use accrued sick leave, among other labor violations.

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HONORING EIGHT WOMEN WHO REBUILD BUSINESSES: The New York Christian Times and Carver Bank are set to honor eight women leaders this Wednesday at a luncheon themed, “Women Building Back Businesses.” The honorees are Hope Banschick, owner of Abundance Boutique; Darnell Benoit, founder of the Flambwayan Haitian Literacy Project; Wendy Jules and Carla Nelson, co-owners of Fleur de Lis Beauty & Esthetics; Gale Lazare-Barry, owner of ITG Printing and Graphics; Wendy McClinton, founder of Black Veterans for Social Justice; Venetta McIntosh, owner of Vee’s Jamaican Restaurant; and Michaela Blissett Williams, Owner of Salon 718.

New York Christian Times Publisher Dennis Dillon, who is a widely-respected faith and business leader in Central Brooklyn, has joined forces with attorney Camille Joseph Varlack of Bradford Edwards and Varlack, LLP; Michael Pugh, president and CEO of Carver Bank (named for agricultural scientist and inventor George Washington Carver, 1864–1943); and Marion Philips, senior vice president of the Empire State Development Corp. to present this luncheon.

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MEXICAN TRADITION HONORS THE DECEASED: Observe El Dia de los Muertos by visiting A Public Art Installation at the Brooklyn Army Terminal concluding at 6 p.m. this evening, November 2. Free, but with registration required. The exhibit includes a 5 p.m. performance of traditional Mariachi Music by Mariachi Nuevo Sol

Cynthia Fortozo, a community-based artist with deep Brooklyn ties and a long history of publicly-engaged art projects, has been producing increasingly spectacular Day of the Dead celebrations for her Kensington neighbors since 2016. This installation at The Brooklyn Army Terminal is Ms. Fortozo’s largest to date.

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Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is presented a gift of a small-scale replica of the “Angels Unawares” sculpture that Pope Francis inaugurated in St. Peter’s Square in 2019. The gift will be permanently placed outside the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in recognition of the Diocese of Immigrants, and in prayerful tribute to Bishop DiMarzio’s life’s work for immigrants and refugees.
Photo courtesy of The Tablet/Jeffrey Bruno.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS AS A BISHOP: The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, celebrated Mass on Saturday, Oct. 30, in honor of the 25th Anniversary of his Episcopal Ordination. Joining him in this concelebrated Mass, held at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, were Cardinal Timothy Dolan and 18 fellow bishops, including the Most Reverends Edward Scharfenberger of the Diocese of Albany (and previously a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn), John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, James Checchio of the Diocese of Metuchen, Kevin Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson, and Bishop Gregory Mansour of the Maronite Rite Catholic Church. Bishop DiMarzio, who marked his 50th year of service as a priest last year, and is set to retire at the end of November, was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1970.

Pope John Paul II named DiMarzio a prelate of honor. In 1996, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the rank of Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. DiMarzio was then appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Camden in 1999, and then the Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2003, where he has served for the past 18 years.

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Madison Garrett stands next to a statue of the Marquis de Lafayette.
Photo courtesy of Madison Garrett.

SAVIOUR STUDENT WINS GIRL SCOUT AWARD: Girl Scouts of Greater New York (GSGNY) is honoring 17-year-old Madison Garrett from Girl Scout Troop 2261 in Brooklyn as the 2021 Future Woman of Distinction for her exemplary leadership and advocacy. Each year, GSGNY recognizes a Future Woman of Distinction as part of a celebration of powerful women leaders in New York City who exemplify Girl Scout values. Madison, a student at St. Saviour High School in Park Slope, is an Ambassador-level Girl Scout and recipient of the Gold Award, which she earned for a project raising awareness about Black mental health, specifically the rising suicide rate among African American adolescents. As part of her project, she conducted research on the topic and hosted an all-ages virtual seminar on Black mental health. She also founded a new Afro-Caribbean Student Association at her high school so that Black students would have an outlet to express themselves more fully. She most recently extended the impact of her project by filming a documentary on Black adolescent mental health.

Madison serves as president of the National Council of Negro Women Midwood Vicinity, for which she regularly organizes service projects. She leads her school’s Mock Trial Association as President and also participates in the High School Law institute at Columbia University.

 Madison tells the Eagle that some of her most memorable experiences in Scouting were at Camp Kaufmann age 10. “As a girl from Brooklyn, exploring nature and getting to see wildlife was incredible. To this day, camp is one of my favorite parts of Girl Scouting.”

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