What’s News, Breaking: Monday, February 12, 2024

February 12, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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PARKS UNVEILS STATE-OF-THE-ART MEDIA LAB AT RED HOOK REC CENTER

RED HOOK — NYC PARKS COMMISSIONER SUE DONOGHUE WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM AMAZON and the community celebrated the opening of an enhanced media lab at Red Hook Recreation Center on Monday. The lab, which includes a sound isolation booth, studio speakers, animation technology and more, was made possible by a $100,000 donation from Amazon. Located near the NYCHA Red Hook East and West Houses, NYCHA’s largest Brooklyn development, the lab is open to the public, and city residents under 25 years old can use the lab for free.

The equipment can be used for making music and other audio production, editing videos and developing media skills using equipment including a WhisperRoom sound isolation booth, M2 Mac Minis, DSLR T8i cameras, iPads and computers. Amazon’s donation also enabled the hiring of a new Media Education Instructor.

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SOLAR ECLIPSE TO PASS THROUGH NY IN APRIL

STATEWIDE — GOVERNOR HOCHUL ON FRIDAY REMINDED NEW YORKERS THAT this April, large portions of the state will experience a total solar eclipse, reports NBC News, the first such event to happen in New York in nearly a century. The eclipse’s “path of totality,” in which the sun is fully obscured by the moon, will pass through western and northern New York state from 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 8, bringing darkness to Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, with the full event lasting more than two hours from start to finish; NYC will experience a partial eclipse, with the sun 89% obscured — although since even 11% of the sun’s power is enough to permanently damage eyes and vision, viewing the celestial event safely will still require the use of darkened eclipse glasses.

The state’s I Love NY tourism agency has launched a special eclipse webpage to help locals and visitors watch the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle; exact times and safety information are available online on its website.

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CANCELED: BK BP’S ‘STATE OF THE BORO’ ADDRESS, OUTDOOR EVENTS, DUE TO WINTER STORM LORRAINE

DOWNTOWN — BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ANTONIO REYNOSO has postponed his 2024 State of the Borough address, originally set for Tuesday, Feb. 13, in light of the rapidly developing snowy and hazardous travel conditions brought by what is now being called ‘Winter Storm Lorraine.’ The forecast calls for 5-8” and possibly more, Mayor Adams said in a press conference Monday. Residents are strongly encouraged to stay off the roads and use mass transit. However, MTA warns that trains with outside tracks will be taken out of service. NYC public schools and CUNY colleges have announced they are switching to remote learning for the day.

Con Edison is activating 250 mutual aid workers to augment company crews in restoring any outages caused by Storm Lorraine, the company said in a release.

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LPC TO CONSIDER LANDMARKING THE BROOKLYN EDISON BUILDING

DOWNTOWN — THE NYC LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION (LPC) is set to consider calendaring the Brooklyn Edison Building as an individual landmark, at its 9:30 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 1 Center St., 9th floor (or via LPC’s YouTube channel). Located at 345 Adams St. at Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn, the 13-story Brooklyn Edison Building is a Renaissance Revival style office building designed by McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin and constructed between 1922 and 1926. Calendaring is the first formal step in the designation process. Once calendared, LPC will hold a public hearing on the proposed designation at a future date, followed by a public meeting during which the Commission will vote on the designation.

The city acquired the 13-story building in 1989. Tenants include the Department of Finance, the Department of Probation, the Board of Elections and various other city agencies. The ground floor houses retail including Panera Bread and other food outlets.

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RECALL OF COTIJA CHEESE PRODUCTS
EXPANDS TO NATIONAL BRANDS, RETAILERS

NATIONWIDE — THE RECALL OF COTIJA CHEESE BEING ATTRIBUTED TO LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES, A TOXIC ORGANISM, HAS SPREAD to several salad kit brands, due to cross-contamination, reports the US Food & Drug Administration. The product is being recalled due to a sourced cheese ingredient having possible cross-contamination with recalled Cotija Cheese by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. with an active recall and outbreak investigation. The brands now under voluntary recall include: Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad Kit (by Braga Fresh), Bright Farms, Campesino, Casa Cardenas, Dole, Don Francisco, Don Pancho, Dos Ranchitos, El Huache, Food City, Fresh Express, H-E-B, La Ordena, Marketside, President’s Choice, Ready Pac Bistro, Rio Grande, Rizo Bros, Rojos, San Carlos, Santa Maria, Tio Francisco, Trader Joe’s, and 365 Whole Foods Market (including their ricotta cheese). More information on the brands and expiry dates can be found online.

Stores and the public are warned not to eat, sell or serve recalled brands of cheeses, sour creams (cremas) or yogurts manufactured by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc., or products made with recalled dairy products. Check your refrigerators and freezers for any recalled products.

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COLTON PRAISES LOCALS WHO STOPPED
WEEKEND, PERMIT-LESS CONSTRUCTION

BATH BEACH — HUNDREDS OF NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS JOINED ASSEMBLYMAN WILLIAM COLTON (D-47) AND COUNCILMEMBER SUSAN ZHUANG AT THE SITE OF A PROPOSED HOMELESS SHELTER at 86th Street and 25th Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 11, to voice their opposition to the project. Colton and Zhuang had convened an emergency press conference after neighborhood residents alerted them of a construction fence being erected on city property and the lack of a NYC-issued permit. The site’s developer, Tejpal Sandhu of 86th Street NY LLC, had commenced work on a construction fence on the city-owned sidewalk during a major New York holiday. Work stopped, however, when workers were unable to produce a permit for that particular construction. Colton expressed outrage that the work was begun on a weekend without the requisite special permission. While a demolition permit was approved, a subsequent permit was disallowed.

Colton said of the developer, “Even worse, they disrespected area residents by beginning construction on the first day of the Lunar New Year, when many Asian people are celebrating, which also happens to be the Jewish Sabbath.”

Assemblyman William Colton and Councilmember Susan Zhuang held a press conference about work being done at the site of the proposed homeless shelter that drew hundreds of local residents opposed to the project.
Photo courtesy Office of Assemblymember William Colton

Workers had started installing posts for a construction fence on the city sidewalk at the site of the proposed homeless shelter. The posts were removed when the workers failed to produce a permit, and the holes in the sidewalk filled in.
Photo courtesy Office of Assemblymember William Colton

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WINTER STORM EXPECTED TO BRING 5” OF SNOW;
SCHOOLS SWITCH TO REMOTE LEARNING FOR TUESDAY

CITYWIDE — A WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY, FEB. 13, has prompted the NYC Emergency Management Department to issue a Travel Advisory. The Winter Storm Watch, in effect from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, is forecast to bring 5 to 8 inches of snow at rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Commuters should prepare for hazardous travel and low visibility, especially for the morning commute, and are urged to remain off the roads to allow crews to operate and respond to weather conditions.

All New York City public schools, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Catholic schools and academies in the Diocese of Brooklyn were directed to pivot to remote learning. Monday afternoon, Deacon Kevin McCormack, the diocese’s superintendent of schools, issued the directive to Catholic school principals.

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NEW YORKERS GETTING REFUNDS FOR
WRONGFULLY-BILLED COVID-19 VACCINES

STATEWIDE — NEW YORKERS WHO WERE WRONGFULLY BILLED FOR GETTING COVID-19 VACCINES WILL BE REIMBURSED, thanks to an agreement that NY Attorney General Letitia James reached on Monday, Feb. 12, with Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care clinics. The Office of the Attorney General’s investigation found that Northwell-GoHealth wrongly charged up to 731 patients for COVID-19 vaccines, resulting in patients paying a total of $14,996.05 in improper fees. Northwell-GoHealth also sent 72 unpaid bills for COVID-19 vaccines to collections. As agreed, Northwell-GoHealth has reimbursed all the impacted New Yorkers.

The agreement also stipulates that Northwell-GoHealth strengthen employee compliance with applicable laws for COVID-19 vaccine billing, and pay a $25,000 penalty.

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FOUNDATION MEMORIALIZING BROOKLYN TEACHER
ANNOUNCES THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS

FLATBUSH/MARINE PARK — A NATIONAL FOUNDATION NAMED IN MEMORY OF BROOKLYN NATIVE Peggy Lillis, which advocates for awareness and education and policy-shaping for the illness Clostridioides difficile, has announced three new board members. Also known as C. diff, the illness is an inflammation of the colon, of which a major cause is antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Born in Brooklyn, Peggy Lillis raised sons Christian and Liam while working full time concurrently as a paraprofessional for the NYC Board of Education, and waitress; and later as a kindergarten teacher at PS 198. The new board members are Dr. David Shlaes, Ph.D., MD, who brings a 40-year career in anti-infectives and anti-virals as a physician, professor, pharmaceutics research and author; Paul Feuerstadt, MD, who brings to the board a deep medical knowledge of C. difficile infection and other infections of the bowels; and attorney Debbie Trinker, who has more than 26 years of domestic, international legal and regulatory experience with FDA-regulated products.

The non-profit was established in response to the April 2010 death of Peggy Lillis at age 56, an alumna of Brooklyn College and beloved schoolteacher.

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UNSTABLE BUILDING EVACUATED;
WORK BEING DONE WITHOUT PERMIT

BOROUGH PARK — EMERGENCY PERSONNEL EVACUATED AN UNSTABLE BOROUGH PARK BUILDING ON SUNDAY, Feb. 11, after its residents felt it shaking, according to News 12 Brooklyn and CBS News. The building has three storefronts with the addresses of 4113-4119 13th Avenue, including Wallach’s men’s clothing store and an orthodontics practice. Several upstairs tenant residents were evacuated. According to NYC Department of Buildings documents, the site had been issued a violation for construction work being done without a permit at the cellar level. Excavation had been done “throughout the entire cellar along with structural partition/walls compromised, causing the high potential of the internal collapse.” Shoring and steelwork were also being done. But “no structural documents [were] filed for the excavation.” A full vacate was issued.

The building’s owner of record is Kosher Mehadrin Operations USA LLC, with the contact person being Martin Rotter. The Sept. 6, 2023 sale and real-estate closing was well-publicized at the time.

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HE HIT AND LITERALLY RAN, ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE

BROOKLYN BRIDGE — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A DRIVER WHO REAR-ENDED ANOTHER CAR on the Brooklyn Bridge last week, injuring its 36-year-old driver — and instead of staying on the scene, abandoned his vehicle, climbed into the bike path and fled on foot. According to police, on Friday, Feb. 2, around 8:45 a.m., the suspect was driving a blue 2003 BMW sedan traveling westbound when he ran into the rear of a black 2020 Ford sedan. He then abandoned the BMW and climbed into the fenced-off bike path. He was last seen fleeing into Brooklyn. The victim suffered minor injuries and was transported by EMS to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in stable condition.

The suspect is described as approximately 5’8” tall and 20-years-old with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or visit Crime Stoppers online.

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MONDAY: SUNSET PARK TOWN HALL ON PIER 6 REDEVELOPMENT

SUNSET PARK — THE NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP IS HOLDING A PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION Monday on its planned redevelopment of Pier 6 in Sunset Park. NYCEDC says its vision is to transform the pier into a public amenity and create new waterfront access for visitors and the community. Pier 6 is adjacent to the Made in New York Campus (MiNY), a hub for creative and modern manufacturing that will open later this year.

The event takes place at Sunset Park High School Auditorium, 153 35th Street, from 6 – 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12. Those interested can register on Eventbrite and share suggestions online.

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FEB. 17 IS DEADLINE TO COMMENT ON NYC’S ‘GREEN FAST TRACK’ PLAN

CITYWIDE — FEB. 17 IS THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS on the city’s proposal to amend the city’s rules to exempt certain housing developments from environmental review. Known as the Green Fast Track, the purpose of the amendment is “to avoid unnecessary and time-consuming environmental analyses” on developments up to a certain size (and accompanying small commercial developments), where those developments are judged to have no significant adverse environmental impacts. “These environmental analyses can take six to eight months to complete and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, adding unnecessary costs and delay to the city’s ability to address its housing crisis,” the City Planning Commission said in a statement. Developers and building industry professionals have expressed support for the rules change.

Comments can be left on the city’s rules website, or via email to [email protected].

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ADAMS RECOMMENDS JOSHI, GARODNICK FOR MTA BOARD

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS UNVEILED TWO NEW RECOMMENDATIONS to represent the city on the MTA Board: Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. Joshi currently oversees the Adams administration’s transportation and infrastructure portfolio, including street safety work. Garodnick leads the city’s land use priorities, including neighborhood plans and three citywide zoning text amendments focusing on the environment, economic development and housing. All MTA board nominations are subject to New York State Senate confirmation.

Joshi is also an ex officio director of the board of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

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NYC LIFESPANS STILL TWO YEARS BELOW PRE-COVID LEVELS

CITYWIDE — FOLLOWING A HISTORIC DROP IN LIFE EXPECTANCY DUE TO COVID-19 in 2020, New York City residents have since regained some of those lost years. However, lifespans still remain two years below pre-COVID lengths, according to the city Health Department’s Summary of Vital Statistics for 2021. Before the pandemic, New Yorkers lived an average of 82.6 years — but that plunged to 78 years in 2020, according to NYCDOH. Lifespans increased to 80.7 years in 2021, the most recent year statistics are available. The largest decreases were among Black and Latinos. In November, NYCDOH launched HealthyNYC to extend the lives of New Yorkers.

“New Yorkers continue to lose life years and quality of life due to diabetes, heart disease, overdose, suicide, and a range of other issues that can be prevented,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in a release.

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NEW STOP ‘SIGN’ PAINTED ON HENRY STREET IN BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — NEIGHBORS ARE BUZZING ABOUT the new painted stop “sign” and crosswalk on Henry Street near Orange Street in Brooklyn Heights, which seemingly popped up overnight last week. The Brooklyn Heights Association revealed on Friday that the NYC Department of Transportation told the organization that this crossing will be updated to a traffic signal, “hopefully later this spring.” In addition, DOT is currently conducting a traffic study to examine the possibility of an all-way stop at Hicks and Orange streets. The agency expects the study to be complete by the beginning of May, according to DOT.

Last week DOT also installed three midblock crosswalks on Atlantic Avenue between Smith Street and Nevins Street, as a traffic calming measure on the dangerous strip.

The new, painted stop sign on Henry Street.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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ATTORNEYS GENERAL PUSH FOR RULES TO PROTECT WORKERS DURING EXTREMELY HOT WEATHER

NATIONWIDE — CONCERNED THAT THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) HAS NO POLICY ON PROTECTING WORKERS FROM EXTREME HEAT attributable to climate change, State Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 10 counterparts in other states to implement an Emergency Extreme Heat Standard before this summer. They aim to protect workers from the dangers of exposure to extreme heat in the workplace, particularly in outdoor locations like construction sites and farms. Attorney General James and the coalition on Friday, Feb. 9, petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and called on Congress to pass pending legislation directing OSHA to establish an interim heat standard while it continues its rulemaking for a permanent standard.

Extreme heat exposure affects millions of workers across the country and can cause a range of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Prolonged, repeated exposure to extreme heat can also cause chronic kidney disease, and negatively impact pre-existing medical conditions.

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AFTER MORE VICTIMS COME FORWARD, LAWSUIT IS EXPANDED AGAINST CRYPTOCURRENCY FIRM

STATEWIDE — NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES HAS EXPANDED A LAWSUIT AGAINST A CRYPTOCURRENCY COMPANY, DIGITAL CURRENCY GROUP, for defrauding investors. Attorney General James sued Digital Currency Group, Inc. (DCG), DCG’s CEO, Barry Silbert, and Genesis Global Capital, LLC and its affiliates’ (Genesis) former CEO, Soichiro Moro, for defrauding additional individuals and institutions of an additional $2 billion. Attorney General James amended the complaint after more investors came forward following an October 2023 suit against Gemini Trust Company Genesis and DCG, for misleading representations to investors about an investment program called Gemini Earn and causing over $1 billion in losses.

Attorney General James urges New Yorkers who have been affected by deceptive conduct in virtual asset markets to report these issues to her office. She also encourages workers in the cryptocurrency industry who may have witnessed misconduct or fraud to file an online whistleblower complaint, which can be done anonymously.

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NEW BILL WOULD REQUIRE EPIPEN EQUIPMENT IN PUBLIC VENUES WHERE FOOD IS SERVED

STATEWIDE — LEGISLATION THAT STATE ASSEMBLYMEMBER WILLIAM COLTON (D-47) IS CO-SPONSORING WOULD require all large public food service venues in New York State to have epinephrine auto-injectors such as EpiPens available for emergency use, with staff trained in how to use them. Epinephrine auto-injectors are used when someone suffering from an allergy has a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction; such reactions are often associated with allergies to foods such as shellfish and nuts. The auto-injectors work to lessen the body’s response to the allergen by relaxing muscles in the airways, stomach, intestines and bladder and by helping to reverse rapidly plummeting blood pressure. Assemblyman Colton represents Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. Another Brooklyn legislator, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-26), is a co-sponsor of the bill.

Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that anaphylaxis to food results in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths.

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BILLIE HOLIDAY THEATRE EXHIBIT FEATURES 9-FOOT STATUE OF BED-STUY’S OWN ‘BIGGIE’

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — THE BILLIE HOLIDAY THEATRE, ONE OF THE NATION’S PREEMINENT ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS, will commemorate Black History Month with the launch of “Sky’s The Limit: Music is My Resistance,” a unique visual art exhibition experience exploring the concept of Black resistance through music. Launching on Feb. 15, and open through May 30, the exhibition will have as its anchor work visual artist Sherwin Banfield’s larger-than-life sculpture of hip hop icon Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace (AKA Biggie). Originally unveiled in DUMBO in 2022 to much fanfare, the nine-foot statue — which is named “Sky’s the Limit in the County of Kings” — will take center stage in The Billie’s lobby and gallery hall on Fulton Street in Biggie’s own neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Founded in May 1972, the AUDELCO and Obie Award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre, named for the iconic jazz singer (1915-59), serves as artistic anchor to the largest African American community in the nation.

This statue by Sherwin Banfield of W. “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace (AKA Biggie) will grace the lobby of the Billie Holiday Theatre for through May 30.
Photo courtesy Billie-Holiday Theatre

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FDA: SOUTHWEST CHIPOTLE SALADS RECALLED AFTER LISTERIA CONTAMINATION IS FOUND

EASTERN US — BRIGHTFARMS IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING ITS SOUTHWEST CHIPOTLE SALAD KIT with best-by-dates between 12/31/23 and 2/22/24 due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes in the cotija cheese, an ingredient found in the salad kit, and which is also being recalled separately as part of a wide contamination discovery. The FDA reports the voluntary recall was initiated by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc., a producer and supplier of cheese products. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Consumers who have purchased the affected products should dispose of the “masterpack” containing the Cotija cheese or discard the full salad kit and present a photo of the product, receipt or reference their loyalty card history at their place of purchase for a full refund. Retailers have been instructed to remove all recalled products from store shelves.

The product was distributed along the East Coast from Maine to North Carolina, including New York.

The components of the Bright Farms Southwest Chipotle salad kit being recalled.
Photos courtesy US Food and Drug Administration

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REP. GOLDMAN AND OTHERS: PROTECT WOMEN’S PREGNANCY SITUATIONS FROM BEING CRIMINALIZED

CAPITOL HILL — U.S. REP. DAN GOLDMAN (NY-10) JOINED THE Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) White House Liaison Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and several of his colleagues from the New York Congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to protect Americans from the criminalization of their pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes. The letter follows a growing pattern of women facing criminal charges related to their pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes, including an Ohio woman, Brittany Watts. She was charged with a felony for experiencing a miscarriage, which is a deemed medical emergency. Last week Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Eastern Brooklyn) and a coalition of U.S. congressmembers signed the same letter, urging the Biden-Harris Administration to protect Americans from the criminalization of their pregnancies and pregnancy.

Other signers included Congressmembers Nydia Velázquez (D-Northern Brooklyn and Queens); Grace Meng (D-Queens); Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan and Bronx), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx-Queens) and Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx).

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MISSING GIRL IN BROWNSVILLE

BROWNSVILLE — POLICE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR HELP IN LOCATING MISSING TEEN Natasha Pinta Pallango, age 14, who was last seen leaving her residence at the Eastern Parkway Days Inn on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 7. Natasha is described as a female with a light complexion, weighing around 150 pounds and standing around 5′ 4″, and was last seen wearing a black sweater, black jeans and black sneakers.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Missing teen Natasha Pinta Pellango, last seen on Eastern Parkway. All calls are strictly confidential.

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RESTLER TO REINTRODUCE BIKE-LANE-BLOCKING BOUNTIES

CITYWIDE – COUNCILMEMBER LINCOLN RESTLER PLANS TO REINTRODUCE A BILL THAT would allow the city to pay out “bounties” to New Yorkers who report illegal idling in bus and bike lanes, reports Streetsblog; a similar bill from Restler failed to pass last year after objections from other councilmembers led to the bounty aspect being stripped from the reporting concept, despite support from a majority of the council. The new version would see the city pay out 25% of any fine levied on a vehicle ticketed for stopping or idling in a bus lane, bike lane, crosswalk or fire hydrant zone anywhere within a half-mile of a school – offering a hefty incentive to help in the crackdown on unsafe driving.

“I’m committed to push hard to get this legislation passed into law so we can increase safety for everyone: parents pushing strollers, wheelchair users, cyclists and all New Yorkers,” Restler told StreetsBlog.

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TV SHOW ‘ABBOTT ELEMENTARY’ SUPPLIES TEACHERS AT BK SCHOOLS

BROWNSVILLE – STAFF MEMBERS AT THREE BROOKLYN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS got a welcome surprise last week, reports ABC News: gift bags of teaching supplies and a complimentary lunch, courtesy of a promotional campaign for the third season of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” a comedy series about teachers at a fictional Philadelphia public school. A lunchbox-shaped truck rolled up midday on Feb. 2 at P.S. 298-Dr. Betty Shabazz, P.S. 284-The Gregory Jocko Jackson School of Sports, Art, and Technology, and P.S. 327-Dr. Rose B. English to hand out the bags to educators; the schools were chosen, along with several others nationwide, as part of the show’s initiative to distribute 10,000 supply items to underserved schools.

“[S]ometimes it can be challenging and a little bit discouraging when you push so hard, but to be celebrated and recognized in this way is definitely appreciated and boosts the morale for all of us,” P.S. 284 Principal Keva Pitts-Girard told ABC.