Good Morning, Brooklyn: Wednesday, March 16, 2022

March 16, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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DiNAPOLI: NURSING HOME DEATHS WERE UNDERREPORTED: The Department of Health DOH misrepresented the true number of deaths that occurred at nursing homes, declares NY State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s audit of the New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) response to COVID. According to Attorney General Letitia James, the State Comptroller’s statement confirms some of her findings from a January 2021 nursing homes report. “…The former governor undercounted the number of deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50 percent,” said AG James, who thanked DiNapoli for bringing “much needed transparency to this critical issue,” and pledged that her office will continue to monitor nursing home conditions.

AG James urges anyone with information or concerns about nursing home conditions to file confidential complaints online or by calling 833-249-8499.

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FORUM ON DETENTION CENTER DEMOLITION SCHEDULE: The imminent dismantling of the Brooklyn Detention Center has raised concerns from constituents of City Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-33), who will hold a presentation on Thursday, March 31 regarding the demolition timeline and efforts that the contractor is taking to mitigate impact on the neighborhood. Councilmember Restler invites the community to submit questions in advance or to ask them at the community forum, being held on Zoom: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pfuihrTwuEtfakCdODLliNDMLRKn3d_u0

Although at one point, the existing 162,000 sq ft. complex on Atlantic Avenue was proposed as the replacement for Rikers Island, talk about demolishing the Brooklyn Detention Center and replacing it with a larger facility began about five years ago.

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PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON NY CLIMATE GOALS: New York City College of Technology in MetroTech will hold one of ten public hearings being scheduled across the State to Provide Public Opportunities to Share Input on Draft Scoping Plan, under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. New York State’s 22-member Climate Action Council released the Draft Scoping Plan on Dec. 30, 2021, and is accepting public comments on the draft through June 10, after having extended the comment period beyond 120 days to allow for additional public input.

The hearing at City Tech, scheduled for May 3 at 4 p.m. will cover and advance the work on a Final Scoping Plan to guide the implementation of the State’s nation-leading climate goals.

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BROOKLYN MUSEUM GALA HONOREES: The art of fashion takes center stage at the 2022 Brooklyn Artists Ball next month, as the Brooklyn Museum honors Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Dior Women’s Collections, and longtime Trustee Saundra Williams-Cornwell and her partner, W. Don Cornwell, for their outstanding contributions to the Museum and leadership in the fine arts and fashion. Since Williams-Cornwell joined the Board of Trustees in 2002, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the Museum, beginning with her work advocating for First Amendment rights following the Brooklyn Museum exhibition ‘Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection’ (1999).

Guests of this year’s Ball (https://my.brooklynmuseum.org/events/61077566-c5fb-3416-92c6-2556cb240556) are encouraged to draw inspiration from the Museum’s recent blockbuster exhibition Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams and dress “like a star,” playing with the designer’s lucky symbol — the star — and related fascination with astrology, as well as the House of Dior’s history of dressing the red carpet’s most notable celebrities.

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VIDEO OF NYPD ENCOUNTER RELEASED: Video footage, with a warning about its graphic nature, has been released that chronicles the death of a Brooklyn man after an encounter with members of the NYPD at the Utica Ave. subway station in Crown Heights. The Office of State Attorney General Letitia James released videos from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and other video footage, which her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Eudes Pierre, who died on December 20, 2021

The videos’ release follows Attorney General James’ directive that such media obtained by her office in the course of investigations conducted by the Office of Special Investigation (OSI) be shared with the public in order to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

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BUDGETING BRIDGE AND TUNNEL REPAIRS: A Public Comment period begins today for several transportation and bridge and tunnel repair, capital construction work, accessible pedestrian signals at intersections and preventive maintenance. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) opens the Public Comment period, which ends on March 25, for proposed amendments to the Federal Fiscal Years 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

Comments are due in writing BY EMAIL ONLY to [email protected] no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Details of these actions and all the proposed changes to the TIP are available at: https://bit.ly/3KBLg54.

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FORUM ON CHINATOWNS’ RESILIENCE: Paul Mak of the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association will participate in a discussion with Open House New York on New York City’s Chinatown communities, including in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, their needs and aspirations in a post-pandemic future, after being hard-hit during the COVID-19 pandemic As they recover from the impacts of the pandemic and citywide spikes in xenophobia and anti-Asian violence, Chinatowns have drawn on a legacy of self-reliance and community-driven efforts.

The March 23 conversation will explore what New York City can learn from Chinatown as we emerge from the latest pandemic lockdown, and how these enclaves provide a symbol of the city’s resilience, from 9/11 to COVID-19 and #StopAAPIHate.

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CANNABIS-PRODUCTION APPLICATION PORTAL OPENS: The web-based application portal has opened for hemp farmers seeking to obtain a conditional license to grow adult-use cannabis in the 2022 growing season, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday, following a law she signed last month. The web portal’s opening advances the Governor’s first-in-the-nation Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which positions individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses to make the first adult-use cannabis sales with products grown by New York hemp farmers.

Under the law, conditionally licensed cannabis farmers must meet certain requirements, including safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly cultivation practices; participation in a social equity mentorship program; and enter into a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization.

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ASSEMBLYMEMBER JO ANNE SIMON ENDORSEMENT: Former Congressmember and combat veteran Max Rose received the endorsement of Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (AD52) in the race for New York’s 11th Congressional District. The former Representative of New York’s 11th Congressional District (Southern Brooklyn and Staten Island), Mr. Rose seeks to regain his seat.

Said Assemblymember Simon, “In the race for Congress, no one is better prepared to move our city and nation forward than Max Rose. He has a distinguished record serving our country, championing access to health care, coordinating a robust response to COVID, and advocating for our communities. He has the integrity, the determination and the leadership we need right now to move us forward.

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RE-INVEST IN SMALL BUSINESS: The city must invest in small businesses, the backbone of New York City’s character and economy, in the FY2023 city budget, said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams during testimony submitted to a hearing of the Committee on Small Business on Monday. The Public Advocate stressed the need to support small businesses after so many were devastated and forced to close over the past two years.

He called making significant investments in, not cuts to, the Department of Small Business Services, especially in light of Mayor Eric Adams’ ‘Rebuild, Renew, Re-invent’ report, which articulates the city’s commitment to them, including launching a small business opportunity fund, investing in Business Improvement Districts, reforming and expanding the city’s M/WBE program, and ensuring small businesses face fewer unnecessary fines and penalties, amongst others.