Brooklyn Boro

Good Morning, Brooklyn: Friday, August 12, 2022

August 12, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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NEW WAY OF SAFELY DISPOSING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: A new partnership will bring to New York State an innovative safe way of disposing expired prescription drugs. The New York State Office for the Aging, New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), have joined forces to ship 100,000 Deterra Drug Deactivation and Disposal Pouches for distribution and delivery to older adults. Deterra Pouches are designed to destroy unwanted or expired medications safely and permanently, making them unavailable for misuse and accidental ingestion. Once activated, the pouches can be disposed in the normal trash.

The effort is underway, with 69,000 pouches being shipped statewide. The remainder will be distributed in future rounds as requested by providers in need of resupply.

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ELECTEDS: PUBLIC LAND SHOULD GO TO NON-PROFITS, NOT DEVELOPERS: The City of New York should be required to dispose of publicly owned land to non-profit entities before for-profit developers, says a coalition of elected officials who rallied yesterday on legislation to ensure that genuinely affordable housing is built on publicly-owned land. Leading the rally was City Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-33/Brooklyn Heights/Downtown Brooklyn/Williamsburg/Greenpoint.) This legislation prioritizes the selection of Community Land Trusts, community development corporations, or other nonprofit organizations to be the responsible developers that will effectively meet the needs of communities, whether for housing or economic development purposes. This bill builds on years of organizing by local community groups, who stood alongside Council Members at the rally, and who have been calling on the city to turn over public land set for disposition to community land trusts and nonprofit developers to ensure community control and deep affordability.

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The legislation, building on years of community organized was initially introduced in 2021 by then-Councilmember Brad Lander, who served the 39th District in Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Park Slope, and parts of Windsor Terrace and Kensington.

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ROUNDTABLE SPOTLIGHTS REPORT ON ELECTION DISINFORMATION: A report on disinformation surrounding the 2020 Presidential Election was the topic of a roundtable that U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12) convened yesterday. Maloney, who chairs the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Reform, presented the report from an investigation conducted earlier this year about the threats and impacts of election misinformation. The report uncovered that coordinated campaigns of election disinformation are disrupting the crucial work of local election officials, subjecting these Americans to violent threats, and overwhelming the limited resources available to provide accurate information to voters and protect the integrity of the democratic system.

The findings indicate that strong federal leadership is needed to support the state and local officials responsible for running our elections.

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LEGAL AID SOCIETY DEMANDS PROBE ON SHELTER SYSTEM: The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless have responded to a report from a local broadcast news affiliate in response to an alleged cover-up involving potential violations of law at the city’s shelter intake facilities, and are demanding that the New York City Department of Investigation conduct an immediate probe. The core of the investigation centers around the treatment of families with children who were forced to stay overnight in the city’s homeless intake office in the Bronx, known as PATH. A 2008 court settlement between the Legal Aid Society and the City of New York expressly forbids this practice.

The investigation is also looking into the firing of a Department of Social Services spokesperson who had pushed back on efforts by department leadership to conceal legal violations in the shelter system.

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COMPENSATION DEADLINE FOR GROUND ZERO VOLUNTEERS: A critical compensation deadline was announced yesterday for response and recovery workers who volunteered at ground zero in the days, weeks, and months that followed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Individuals who volunteered with the World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations at ground zero must file with the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board by Sept. 11, 2022, the 21st anniversary of the attacks, to be qualified for future benefits. Visit compensation deadline for response and recovery workers who volunteered at ground zero in the days, weeks, and months that followed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Visit https://www.nycers.org/nycers-notice-participation-form-622

This is unrelated to the World Trade Center Victims Compensation Fund and has different requirements for those who have, or may develop, exposure-related illness.

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COURT: CITY MUST COMPENSATE THOSE DENIED MEDICAL CARE WHILE IN JAIL: A New York State Supreme Court ruling orders the New York City Department of Correction (DOC) to pay fines to New Yorkers who were denied access to medical treatment in local jails, with The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and Milbank, LLP hailing this decision. This decision follows an earlier (May 2022) order, which found the Dept. of Correction in contempt for violating a requirement that incarcerated persons be given access to basic medical services.

The court found that the Dept. of Correction had not shown significant compliance even though the agency claimed in an affidavit having done so. The Dept. of Correction must now pay roughly $200,000 in fines to the affected people, plus plaintiff’s attorney fees and costs.

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PILOT PROGRAM LAUNCHES SPEED REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY: A new pilot program to reduce speed limits and save lives, will involve the implementation of active intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology in 50 city fleet vehicles, Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock announced yesterday. ISA technology restricts a vehicle’s maximum speed, preventing it from exceeding local speed limits.

The pilot program is expected to offer an important tool to regulate and standardize safe driving among city employees and is the latest safety initiative to be implemented as part of the DCAS Safe Fleet Transition Plan for city fleet units.

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MAYOR HAS NEW PLAN TO END YOUTH HOMELESSNESS: New York City Mayor Eric Adams this announced the release of “Opportunity Starts with a Home: New York City’s Plan to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness.” Powered by a $15 million Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the plan details city, federally, and privately-funded initiatives to serve youth experiencing homelessness comprehensively and compassionately.

Developed in partnership with nonprofit partners and youth with lived experience, this plan also includes policy proposals to cut through city bureaucracy and better serve youth experiencing homelessness.

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FAN APPRECIATION DAY WITH THE LIBERTY: The New York Liberty will host its annual Fan Appreciation Weekend and game this weekend, August 13-14 at Barclays Center. The Liberty will also welcome more than 75 youth between ages 8-14 to Barclays Center on Saturday for the first-ever New York Liberty Fan Appreciation Basketball Clinic presented by HSS.

The Liberty will partner with CorePower Yoga to host its first-ever “Find Your Center” yoga class, presented by Withings, at Barclays Center on Saturday, August 13 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. (registration via https://nyliberty.group/NYLYOGA) and will receive one ticket to the August 14 game against the Atlanta Dream, and a custom Liberty x Withings yoga mat for $35.

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CENSUS BUREAU’S MATH PROJECT CELEBRATES NATIONAL ROLLER COASTER DAY: The 95-year-old landmark Brooklyn Cyclone, which is both a New York City Landmark and a National Register of Historic Places ride, may very well be added to the lists and ambitions of students participating in the U.S. Census Bureau National Roller Coaster Day, this coming Tuesday, August 16.  Students taking part in this activity, titled “Using Fractions to Compare Amusement Parks by States,” will create a visual model of fractional data that is designed to help discover how many amusement parks and roller coasters are in their state.

The activity, geared for elementary school students, will also have them analyzing census data on the numbers of amusement parks in all 50 states in 2019. Perhaps a field trip to Coney Island’s Luna Park will be a prize.

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NYC GREENWAY NETWORK TO GET $7.3 MILLION: The City of New York will receive nearly $7.3 million from the Biden-Harris administration to enable a major expansion of the NYC greenway network, with a focus on underdeveloped greenway sections. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Thursday announced the project, whose goals are to reduce crashes and injuries by installing dedicated bike lanes to help protect cyclists, increase transportation options and reduce vehicle miles traveled, and incorporate innovative recycled pavement materials into construction.

The project, which is part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, will help fill the gaps between existing greenway paths which will reduce the burden of commuting to employment centers and provide access to more transit stations.

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