Good Morning, Brooklyn: Wednesday, August 17, 2022

August 17, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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URBAN ASSEMBLY HARBOR SCHOOL WILL EXPAND: The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School on Governors Island will be expanding, with Mayor Eric Adams announcing plans to double the school’s footprint from two to four buildings — including one that will be newly constructed. The plans, which are a product of a partnership between the Trust for Governors Island, the New York City Department of Education (DOE), and the New York City School Construction Authority, will bring additional classroom space and new facilities, including a pool, gymnasium and lab space to support the school’s unique maritime and environmental curriculum. The school originally started in Brooklyn and then moved to Governors Island.

Read the full story here.

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WEST NILE VIRUS INFECTIONS IN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS: Two human cases of the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus have been reported in Brooklyn and Queens, leaving New Yorkers to deal with infection rates from multiple sources, including COVID, monkeypox and polio. The New York City Health Department yesterday reported also that a record number of WNV-infected mosquitoes have been detected in New York City, with a total of 1,068 positive mosquito pools across the five boroughs — the highest number ever recorded — compared to 779 positive pools detected at this time last year.

An average of 77 mosquitoes were caught in each trap per day, compared to 75 mosquitos per trap per day for the same period in 2021. Once trapped, a large number of mosquitoes are then tested in a single pooled sample or “pool.” West Nile virus was first detected in New York City 21 years ago.

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CRIME FAMILY MEMBERS IN COURT: Nine defendants from the Bonanno and Genovese crime families, part of La Casa Nostra, were charged in Brooklyn federal court yesterday with racketeering, illegal gambling, money laundering conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and related offenses. Eight defendants — one of whom is a Nassau County detective — were arrested yesterday morning, seven of whom were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho. The ninth person is still at large.

U.S. Attorney Breon Price rebuked a Nassau County law enforcement officer associated with the defendants, saying: “Even more disturbing is the shameful conduct of a detective who betrayed his oath of office and the honest men and women of the Nassau County Police Department when he allegedly aligned himself with criminals.”

Read the full story here.

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FDA MAKES IT EASIER TO OBTAIN HEARING AIDS: Millions of Americans will be able to obtain hearing aids over the counter, thanks to an executive order from President Joe Biden that takes effect in October. People will be able to purchase more affordable hearing aids over the counter at pharmacies and stores across the country.

Biden, who issued the order last year to increase competition in key industries and lower costs, stated that the Food & Drug Administration will begin implementing the policy in mid-October.

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DUMBO MOVING SPONSORS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: Dumbo Moving, considered one of NYC’s most popular moving companies, is sponsoring an After School Explorers Club for children and teens in low-income communities in Brooklyn. Managed by Bedrock for Communities, Inc., Dumbo has made a $7,500 dollar donation to help cover costs of the program, the space, equipment, uniforms, etc. for the After School Explorers Club, whose goals are engaging children and teens from the area by introducing them to new experiences in sports and the arts, offering basketball, archery, yoga, mindfulness and visits to theatre, concerts and art exhibits.

The current group of boys and teens, ranging from 7 to 17 years old, are from Crown Heights.

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HUMANITIES AWARDS TO BROOKLYN: The Brooklyn Children’s Museum and independent journalist Mosi Secret are among those who have won a total of $31.5 million in awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, in its third and last round of awards for 2022. Brooklyn Children’s Museum Corporation received $499,500 for its Brooklyn Time Machine project, an interactive exhibition exploring 400 years of Brooklyn history. As part of the Public Scholars category, Brooklyn-based in-depth journalist Mosi Secret was awarded a $60,000 grant for a book that chronicles an experiment conducted in the 1960s by the Stouffer Foundation, a North Carolina-based philanthropy, to desegregate all-white southern boarding schools.

The NEH’s Public Scholars program supports well-researched books in the humanities aimed at a broad public audience.

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MALLIOTAKIS CALLS FOR ‘COMMON SENSE’ IMMIGRATION POLICY: U.S. Representatives Nicole Malliotakis (R-11/southwestern Brooklyn) and Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-01), a candidate for governor, yesterday called on Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams to stop incentivizing illegal migration and join calls for President Biden to secure the southern border following an influx of migrants arriving in New York City. Malliotakis, defining herself as the daughter of immigrants who understands “the aspirations of those coming to our country in search of the American Dream,” nonetheless says that what is transpiring both along the nation’s southern border and now in New York City “is unacceptable and lacks common sense.”

Malliotakis added that her office helped 65 immigrants from 15 different countries in becoming United States citizens since last year.

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SALES TAX COLLECTIONS INCREASE: Local sales tax collections in New York state increased by 11.9 percent in July compared to the same month in 2021, according to an analysis released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Overall, local collections totaled $1.8 billion, up $188 million as compared to July of last year, with New York City’s collections totaling $776 million, an increase of 19.5 percent – or $127 million – over July of 2021.

Monthly sales tax distributions made to counties and tax-imposing cities are based on estimates by the Department of Taxation and Finance. In the third month of each calendar year quarter, these distributions are adjusted upward or downward, so that the quarter as a whole reflects reported sales by vendors.

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IMITATION WEAPONS FURTHER RESTRICTED: A new law that Governor Kathy Hochul signed on Monday strengthens restrictions on imitation weapons, which can be used to commit crimes. The new law clarifies that permissible imitation weapons must be easily identifiable: be colored white, bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue, bright pink, bright purple or be made entirely of transparent or translucent materials.

Imitation weapons cannot be black, blue, silver or aluminum.

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NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER HONORED: A New York Army National Guard soldier from Brooklyn has been awarded the Army Achievement Medal for his outstanding performance during pre-mobilization training at Fort Drum, NY, earlier this year. Sgt. Casimir Remond, a motor transport operator is assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, which has a distinguished history that includes service in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, the subject of the Irish folk song “The Fighting 69^th” and the 1940 movie “The Fighting 69^th” about its exploits in World War I. And during World War II the Soldiers of the 69^th invaded Makin Atoll in 1943 and fought on the Islands of Saipan and Okinawa.

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Day’Ron Sharpe in one-on-one with a future basketball star
Photo credit: BSE Global

BROOKLYN NETS STAR SURPRISE BASKETBALL CAMPERS: Brooklyn Nets players Day’Ron Sharpe and Kessler Edwards surprised more than 60 children who were attending a Brooklyn Nets Basketball Academy summer camp at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn. While at the camp, Sharpe and Edwards spoke to the group about their experience participating in basketball camps growing up, and also engaged with the kids in various basketball drills.

This summer, the Nets are hosting nine summer camps across the New York area for children ages 6-14 of all skill levels, with each camp focusing on player development on and off the court, and learning basketball fundamentals directly from BNBA coaches and certified athletic trainers.