Good Morning, Brooklyn: Friday, June 24, 2022

June 24, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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COVID VACCINATION PROGRAM OPENS FOR SMALL CHILDREN: NYC Health + Hospitals yesterday administered the first COVID-19 vaccines for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, following the CDC’s recommendation earlier this week. The city’s public health care system will offer Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children under the age of 5, and as young as 6 months, in the pediatric practices at all its 11 hospitals. The Pfizer-BioNTech primary series for babies and toddlers is three doses.

The first two shots are given three to eight weeks apart. The third is given at least eight weeks after the second. The three-dose vaccine is one-tenth the dose of its adult dose counterpart.

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CLINIC TO ADMINISTER VACCINE AGAINST MONKEYPOX: The Health Department has opened a temporary clinic to administer the two-dose JYNNEOSTM vaccine to eligible people who may have had a recent exposure to monkeypox. The vaccine clinic will be located at the Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic (303 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan). The clinic operates on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Medical investigations have found that anyone can get and spread monkeypox, but most cases in the current outbreak are among gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men. The Health Department in collaboration with NYC Health + Hospitals are already offering vaccine to people identified as close contacts to someone suspected or confirmed with monkeypox.

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TRAFFIC STOPPAGES ON BQE FOR BRIDGE MAINTENANCE: The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is advising motorists of overnight, intermittent 15-minute traffic stoppages on eastbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278) in the vicinity of Exit 33 (McGuinness Boulevard/Humboldt Street) and westbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in the vicinity of Exit 34 (Meeker Avenue/Morgan Avenue) in Williamsburg and Greenpoint on or about Friday, June 24, at 11 p.m. The work stoppage, which will continue through Saturday, June 25, at approximately 5 a.m. is needed to facilitate work on NYSDOT’s $13 million bridge maintenance repairs project taking place throughout New York City.

Inclement weather, of course, might cause these traffic stoppages to be rescheduled.

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GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AGAINST GANG MEMBERS: A federal grand jury sitting in Brooklyn returned a 14-count superseding indictment charging Marcus Ricketts, also known as “Blaise,” and Mark Goulbourne, also known as “Short Man,” with causing death through the use of firearms in connection with the December 3, 2021 murder of an individual in Brighton Beach. The superseding indictment, which was unsealed Wednesday night, also charges Ricketts, Mark Goulbourne and four additional defendants —Jonathan Goulbourne, also known as “Bobcat,” Romeo Desmond Jonas, also known as “Tee,” Chevonne Williams, also known as “Chevy,” and Amari Webber, also known as “Smooth”— with Hobbs Act robbery, drug trafficking and firearms offenses, and one defendant, Juvanie Crossgill, also known as “Geo,” with serving as an accessory to the murder.

According to court filings, the defendants are members and associates of an armed robbery crew, operating since at least July 2020 and targeting marijuana trafficking businesses in Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx.

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VINTAGE REDBIRD SUBWAY CARS UP FOR AUCTION: The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) has listed Redbird subway car #9075 – the last of its kind – for public auction, with an opening price of $6,500, less than a month’s rent in some places. The 50-foot, 40-ton subway car, built between 1959 and 1963, is among the last train cars to feature the tear-drop shaped metal hand grips, that inspired the term straphanger for subways riders.

The iconic, scarlet red subway car that formerly transported visitors to and from the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, was retired from service in 2003.

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BIG APPLE AWARD FELLOWS ANNOUNCED: Schools Chancellor David C. Banks today announced the winners of the tenth annual Big Apple Awards, honoring 20 exemplary educators for their leadership, demonstrated dedication to their students, and contributions to their school community. The Big Apple Awards is a citywide recognition program celebrating New York City public school teachers, who were directly nominated by district leaders and principals, with the 2022 outstanding award winners including 13 classroom teachers, 4 arts teachers, a pre-K teacher, a physical education teacher, and a charter school recipient.

Next school year, the 20 recipients will serve as Big Apple Fellows, and will have the opportunity to meet with one another, becoming leaders and ambassadors for their profession. Winners will also be invited to serve on the Chancellor’s Teacher Advisory Council.

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BROOKLYN TEACHERS WHO WON BIG APPLE AWARDS: Brooklyn’s winners from this year’s Big Apple Awards, announced above, were: Jarisa Santiago, teaching Elementary, Common Branches at P.S. 132 – The Conselyea School (14K132) in Williamsburg; James Haggerty, who teaches 7th and 8th grade Visual Arts at J.H.S. 383 – Philippa Schuyler (32K383) in Bushwick, Michael Pantone, teaching 12th grade Theater and Special Education at P.S. K721 – Brooklyn Occupational Training Center in the Gravesend and Coney Island area; Sherwin Perreira, who teaches Elementary, Common Branches at P.S. 208 – Elsa Ebeling (18K208) in East Flatbush; Joseph Nunez, teaching Early Childhood at P.S. 108 – Sal Abbracciamento (19K108) in Cypress Hills (near the Queens border); and Cindy Wang, who teaches 11th grade and English As a Second Language at International High School at Lafayette (21K337) in Gravesend/Bath Beach.

For a second year the DOE and The Fund have partnered with the Jody and John Arnhold Foundation to sponsor the Dance Education Award, the Arthur Miller Foundation to sponsor the Theater Education Award, and Studio in a School to sponsor the Visual Arts Education Award.

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FREE WORKOUTS THROUGH SUMMER PASS PROGRAM: Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David C. Banks joined Planet Fitness at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn to promote their High School Summer Pass Program. The program gives high school students ages 14-19 the opportunity to work out for FREE at any of the 41 Planet Fitness locations in NYC, and throughout the entire U.S. and Canada, until August 31.

High School Summer Pass offers a solution for teenagers eager to stay active when school sports programs, gym classes and after-school activities wind down.

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CARIBBEAN PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION: New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli will host an event at a Flatbush restaurant in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month in Brooklyn. Event honorees include Roxanne Persaud, New York State Senator; Michele Voltaire Marcelin, poet, painter, actress; Angela Yee, host of Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club; and the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival.

The event will celebrate the rich and diverse history and culture of the Caribbean, while honoring Caribbeans and Caribbean Americans who have contributed greatly to the state and nation.

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IPS NEWS: ENDORSEMENTS FOR THE LGBTQI+ DATA INCLUSION ACT: More than 200 advocacy organizations — including the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, the Human Rights Campaign, the Center for American Progress, the National Center for Transgender Equality, interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, the Whitman-Walker Institute, The Trevor Project, GLSEN, and more — have endorsed the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, announced Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12) on Thursday. The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act would expand the collection of data pertaining to America’s LGBTQI+ communities by requiring that federal agencies incorporate methods to gather demographic information on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics into data collection efforts.

Under the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, on which the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote this week in honor of Pride Month, responses to inquiries would be voluntary, and data would be subject to robust confidentiality and privacy standards.