Good Morning, Brooklyn: Thursday, June 23, 2022

June 23, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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WOMEN’S EXCHANGE MOVES TO 137 MONTAGUE THIS FALL: The Brooklyn Women’s Exchange (BWE) has signed a lease for the store-front space at 137 Montague Street, formerly occupied by a dry-cleaning business. After an extensive search, BWE was connected to the Calfa brothers, owners of Lassen and Hennigs and the space at 137 Montague, by Erika Belsey Worth of the BHA. The space’s extensive renovations are expected to be completed by early September for the Opening Celebration.

While discussing possible retailers for the space with Ms. Worth, Tom Calfa said, “What I really want is the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange.”

The Brooklyn Women’s Exchange has made its home at 55 Pierrepont St. for many years, but will soon be moving back to Montague Street.
Brooklyn Eagle Photo by Mary Frost

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GRANTS TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE: No Kid Hungry New York has awarded more than $740,000 in grants to organizations across the Empire State to provide healthy meals for kids and help struggling families put food on the table. Thirty-nine school districts and nonprofit organizations from every corner of the state, including Bedford-Stuyvesant here in Brooklyn, are receiving funds that directly support their daily programming, kitchen equipment, and food purchases so they can feed families throughout the year.

No Kid Hungry’s recent poll found that 62 percent of families are finding it harder to afford groceries.

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NY LABOR DEPT. REPORT: BROOKLYN TOPS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: In addition to food insecurity, Brooklyn has highest rate of unemployment, at 5.8 percent, in the entire state, according to the NYS Department of Labor’s just-released preliminary local area unemployment rates for May 2022. However, Kings County also experienced an increase of 29.6 percent in the number of employed persons, compared to a year ago.

The data in the preceding table are not seasonally adjusted, which means they reflect seasonal influences (e.g., holiday and summer hires, certain categories of employment, such as the self-employed, agricultural workers and domestic help who work for private households.

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PRINCIPALS VS. PRIESTS IN BASEBALL OUTING: The Scholars beat the Collars by a score of 9-6 on Catholic Schools Night at Maimonides Park — the Diocese of Brooklyn’s annual baseball outing tradition. For his first time as diocesan prelate, Bishop Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, joined in the celebration, which included an on-field ceremony honoring Catholic elementary school valedictorians and salutatorians.

Diocesan priests were on the Collars team that faced off against the Scholars — principals/school administrators.

Left to right: Incoming Superintendent of Schools Kevin McCormack, Bishop Robert Brennan, Monsignor David Cassato, and Dr. Thomas Chadzutko (retiring Diocesan Superintendent) and Brooklyn Cyclones mascot “Sandy the Seagull”.
Photo courtesy of DeSales Media

The Collars (priests) played the Scholars (Catholic School principals) at Maimonides Park on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of DeSales Media

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NEW STRATEGY AND FUNDING TO FIGHT GUN VIOLENCE: Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez has announced a comprehensive strategy to fight gun violence in Brooklyn and dedicated unprecedented new resources to enhance the office’s analytics, investigative and technological capacity to prevent violence and to hold accountable those who commit gun crimes. Named the Strategic Team Operation to Prevent Violence through Intelligence, Organization, Law Enforcement, Neighborhood and Community Engagement, the strategy has received investments, which include a $2 million Digital Evidence Lab, a new Ghost Gun Unit and an executive position focusing on gun violence reduction, gang violence prevention programs and youth engagement.

District Attorney Gonzalez will personally lead the new (STOP VIOLENCE) initiative, with day-to-day collaboration facilitated by Kevin Aulbach, who has been promoted to the newly created role of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Strategic Enforcement.

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SILVER STARS PROGRAM FOR CITY RETIREES: The New York City Department for the Aging has launched Silver Stars, a new symbiotic work program for retired city employees to return to work at city agencies and support city business needs. Silver Stars employees work part-time and are assigned projects that are typically a year long, based on the agency’s needs. Silver Stars also support organizational growth by sharing their knowledge and experience with newer employees.

Silver Star employees may earn up to $35,000 per year and will continue to receive benefits from the city pension system. Participants must be fully retired from city employment, receiving a pension from a city retirement system, have no remaining sick or vacation time balance and unless the job posting specifies otherwise, a resident of New York City.

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SUMMER JOB OPPORTUNITIES OPEN: A record number of summer job opportunities are available to New Yorkers in a variety of industries, in every region of the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday. The New York State Department of Labor’s Seasonal Job Bank already has more than 15,000 jobs posted — from amusement parks and restaurants to farms and summer camps — with more to come this summer.

New Yorkers can access the Seasonal Job Bank via https://seasonalworks.labor.ny.gov/

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DEATH OF STRANDED WHALE UNDER INVESTIGATION: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement is investigating the death of a Pygmy Sperm Whale in waters off Kings County. Earlier this month, ECO received reports of a possible dolphin in distress in Plumb Beach on Jamaica Bay. Officers Currey and Veloski responded to the area, determined it was a pygmy sperm whale (not much larger than most dolphins). Despite multiple attempts to save the whale, it became stranded and died, with the cause of death still pending.

Readers who witness a marine mammal in distress are urged to call New York State’s 24-hour stranding hotline at 1-(631)-369-9829 or contact the DEC’s 24-hour Law Enforcement Dispatch Center at 1-(844)-332-3267.

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REVEL BRINGS RIDESHARE SERVICE TO BROOKLYN: Revel, the rapidly-growing electric mobility and infrastructure company founded in Brooklyn, is bringing its all-electric, all-employee rideshare service to its home borough. Revel’s initial rideshare service area, the first step of a broader expansion into the borough, will include Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fort Greene, Greenpoint, the Navy Yard, Prospect Heights and parts of Williamsburg.

Revel first launched its electric rideshare service in August 2021 with a fleet of Tesla Model Ys. As part of this expansion, Revel now employs 400 drivers with stable wages and access to benefits.

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MAMMOGRAM BUS THIS WEEKEND: Senator Andrew Gounardes and Councilmember Justin Brannan will be hosting the American Italian Cancer Foundation Mammogram Bus this Saturday, June 25 at the Muslim American Society, 1933 Bath Ave. Women aged 40-79 years, who currently reside in NYC, and have not had a mammogram in the past 12 months can schedule a no-cost mammogram.

Call 718-238-6044 or 1-877-628-9090 to schedule.

D TRAIN SUSPENSION THIS WEEKEND: D train service is suspended this weekend between Stillwell Avenue and Bay 50th Street, as NYC Transit will be working on signal improvements on the D Line. The suspension lasts June 24-27, Friday at 11:45 p.m. – Monday at 5 a.m.

D trains operate to Bay 50th Street, with free shuttle buses running between Bay 50th Street and Stillwell Avenue.