What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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MISSING BOY IN WILLIAMSBURG

WILLIAMSBURG — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR MISSING BOY Emanuel Rodriguez Dominguez, age 11, who was last seen at the corner of Keap Street and Broadway in Williamsburg on the afternoon of Monday, March 25. Emanuel is described as 5’2”, 100-120 pounds, with a medium complexion, black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a dark colored jacket, khaki pants, 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 their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Missing boy Emanuel Rodriguez Dominguez. All calls are strictly confidential.

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LONGTIME FLATBUSH BAKERY CLOSES

FLATBUSH — FLATBUSH INSTITUTION LORDS BAKERY, LOVED BY LOCALS FOR ITS red velvet cakes, abruptly shut its doors this week, reports Eater NY, shocking neighbors, who said the old-school shop has been an iconic part of the neighborhood for more than 40 years. Lords’ last day in business was Monday, when employees took carts of baked goods out onto the sidewalk to give them away for free; although its original owner once also owned the building, it was sold to a realty corporation in 2019, leading to speculation that the closure was related to rent hikes.

The bakery on its Facebook page announced a GoFundMe that it says will help cover expenses; the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID issued a warning that others may be running fraudulent fundraisers posing as the bakery, and advised donors to verify that they’re donating to the right campaign before giving money.

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GREENE: ‘NOT RESPONSIBLE’ IF JEFFRIES WINS HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP

WASHINGTON — U.S. REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ON TUESDAY DEFLECTED BLAME from conservative critics over speculation that ongoing G.O.P. infighting in Congress could see current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ascend to the Speaker of the House position despite the Republicans’ narrow majority, reports Politico. Greene last week filed a motion to kick current Speaker Mike Johnson from the top spot just months after the ouster of former speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was elected in January after days of debate, held the position for ten months and subsequently has left politics; in an interview with the Real America’s Voice channel as well as in posts on X (Twitter,) Greene argued that she would not be responsible if her motion resulted in some colleagues voting with the Democrats to seat Jeffries to end the procedural paralysis, blaming instead “selfish Republicans” like McCarthy and departing Reps. Ken Buck and Mike Gallagher for quitting Congress.

After Gallagher resigns next month, Republicans will have a 217-213 majority in the House, meaning that just two G.O.P. members would need to cross the aisle for Democrats to be able to win votes.

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FOUR MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO TRAFFIC FIREARMS INTO BROOKLYN

DOWNTOWN — FOUR MEN HAVE PLEADED GUILTY to conspiring to traffic more than 50 semi-automatic handguns, ghost guns and guns with defaced serial numbers into Brooklyn, according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Two of the defendants — David McCann, 29, and Calvin Tabron, 26 — pleaded guilty Thursday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz, II. McCann also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Co-defendants Raymond Minaya, 27, and Tajhai Jones, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic firearms earlier this month.

The defendants brought the arms in from Virginia and conducted their sales to undercover agents in broad daylight in a public park, in shopping center parking lots, and in vehicles in and around the New York City Housing Authority’s Breukelen Houses complex in Canarsie — blocks away from a preschool and grade school, Peace said.

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AS AUTO SHOW LAUNCHES, GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES
PLANNED INSTALLATION OF 100 FAST CHARGERS

STATEWIDE — THE STATE PLANS TO INSTALL 100 NEW FAST CHARGERS HERE IN NYC AS THE 2024 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW KICKS OFF, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on March 28. The NYC Dept. of Transportation and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) have partnered to build more than 100 new fast chargers within the city. This includes 76 high-speed chargers at thirteen new EVolve NY hubs, 20 fast chargers owned by the City and currently in design, and 12 chargers at LaGuardia Airport, with construction slated to begin next year. Most sites currently in design will be completed in 2025, with all online by 2026.

The International Auto Show, which runs March 29 through April 7 at the Javits Center, invites people to take a test ride in eight EV models on the Level 1 EV test track and to stop by the state’s Charge NY exhibit to learn about incentives for purchasing EVs and programs that support charger growth throughout New York.

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EGG HUNTS IN BROOKLYN & GOVERNORS ISLAND THIS SATURDAY

BROOKLYN/GOVERNORS ISLAND — THE BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL SPRING EGG HUNT takes place at Pierrepont Playground on Saturday, March 30, starting at 11 a.m. sharp. BHA asks that each child take only three eggs so there is plenty to share. There will also be a bake sale and plenty of adorable photo ops. Another fun and free egg hunt takes place at ENY Oasis Community Garden at 2539 Pitkin Ave. on Saturday from 1-2 p.m. Free but register online with the Parks Department. In addition, the Easter bunny will be appearing at Atlantic Terminal Mall from 12:30-1 p.m., where a free hip hop class (get it?) from Dancewave will be available for everyone who wants to dance like a bunny.

A giant egg hunt also takes place on Governors Island on Saturday, with 50,000 candy-filled eggs spread across several areas, plus a scavenger hunt (and an additional hunt for children ages 5 and under). Events take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in Colonels Row. Reserve ferry tickets in advance as it is sure to be crowded, Governors Island advises on its website.

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CORRECTIONS OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
RATIFIES 3-YEAR-CONTRACT WITH NY STATE

STATEWIDE — A THREE-YEAR LABOR AGREEMENT WITH THE NEW YORK STATE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS & POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, HAS BEEN RATIFIED, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday, March 28. The agreement, which covers more than 17,000 members of the Security Services bargaining unit, and which lasts until March 31, 2026, won the approval of 73% of NYSCOPBA members who cast ballots. The ratified contract includes raises in each year of the agreement consistent with other recently negotiated agreements. In addition, the contract includes other increases in compensation such as a lump sum bonus and up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave. The contract also includes changes in the health insurance program that will encourage in-network employee utilization and help control health insurance costs.

The NYSCOPBA’s Security Services bargaining unit includes staff in roles of correction officers, correction sergeants, and secure hospital treatment assistants.

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NYPD’S ‘BUILD THE BLOCK’ NEIGHBORHOOD
SAFETY MEETING IN BAY RIDGE IS TONIGHT

BAY RIDGE — BROOKLYNITES WITHIN THE NYPD’S 68TH PRECINCT AND COMMUNITY BOARD 10 will have a chance to participate in “Build the Block,” this Thursday night, March 28, Community Board 10 announced. Build the Block gives the public an opportunity to meet one’s Neighborhood Coordination Officers and to discuss public safety concerns. The 68th Precinct NCO Sector C’s Build-The-Block Meeting will convene in person at Knights of Columbus, 8122 5th Avenue at 7 p.m. Sector C covers the area of Shore Road to 7th Avenue southbound, between Bay Ridge Parkway and 86th St. Police Officers Djonbalaj and Papamichalakis will answer questions, listen to concerns, give updates, and offer crime prevention tips during the meeting.

The NYPD aims to improve trust, collaboration, and safety through neighborhood policing, to “close the divide between cops and community,” according to its website.

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NYC WILL TEST CONTROVERSIAL GUN DETECTION TECH IN SUBWAYS

CITYWIDE — NYC WILL SOON begin testing controversial technology designed to detect weapons carried by subway riders, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. NYPD has started the clock on a mandatory 90-day waiting period before new technology can be tested and used. The Legal Aid Society immediately hit back against the surveillance plan, calling the “dystopian” gun detection systems costly, with the potential for triggering false alarms leading to panic or the death of innocent riders.

“This Administration’s headstrong reliance on technology as a panacea to further public safety is misguided, costly, and creates significant invasions of privacy,” said Legal Aid’s digital forensics expert Jerome Greco, who urged New Yorkers to voice their concerns. “New York City should not serve as a testing ground for surveillance corporations; the public has not consented to be a part of these experiments.” See Premium Content for more lengthy discussion on this issue. Premium Content allows readers full 24-hour access to full scope of website.

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NY, NJ GOVERNORS PLEDGE ASSISTANCE
WITH CARGO SUPPLY AFTER MD BRIDGE TRAGEDY

ALBANY AND TRENTON — FOLLOWING TUESDAY’S TRAGIC COLLAPSE OF THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE IN BALTIMORE HARBOR, THE GOVERNORS OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY have jointly pledged their states’ support in minimizing supply chain disruptions. NY Governor Kathy Hochul and NJ Governor Phil Murphy on Thursday, March 28, issued a joint statement: “The tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has touched every corner of the nation, and we are ready to support Governor Moore and the people of Maryland in any way. We have seen over the past several years that indefinite port closures can impact national and global supply chains, which hurt everyday consumers the hardest.” The governors affirmed that “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey can take on additional cargo, and we have directed the Authority to further evaluate all available resources to minimize supply chain disruptions.”

As of Thursday, recovery workers pulled two bodies from the Patapsco River; six others are missing and presumed dead.

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MAYOR URGES LIFTING OF DENSITY RATIO
FOR NEW AFFORDABLE-HOUSING CONSTRUCTION

CITYWIDE — THE LATEST NEW INITIATIVE FROM CITY HALL AIMS TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOMES IN AREAS that many working-class New Yorkers cannot afford. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, March 28, urged the state legislature to lift the floor-to-area-ratio (FAR) cap that currently limits the number of new homes that can be built in certain high-demand areas of the city. The mayor also proposed a new zoning tool that will allow for even more density of residential buildings and simultaneously mandate the creation of permanently affordable housing across the city. Once the cap is lifted, the proposal would need City Council approval of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan. New residential projects undergoing a rezoning could then benefit from this new tool — which would enable residential projects to build up to 15 or 18 times their lot size — and build significantly more housing on their site.

The administration’s proposal would also require new housing projects to build permanently affordable residences through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing.

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BROOKLYN DIOCESE USHERS IN EASTER TRIDUUM
TONIGHT WITH HOLY THURSDAY MASS

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — AS LATIN-RITE AND PROTESTANT CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD BEGIN THE EASTER TRIDUUM ON THURSDAY NIGHT, March 28, Brooklyn Diocesan Bishop Robert Brennan will preside at a 7:30 p.m. Holy Thursday Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights. During the Mass, Bishop Brennan will wash the feet of twelve people, symbolic of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples during the Last Supper. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is a memorial to the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood. For those who cannot attend or who are homebound, the Mass will be live-streamed on the Diocesan cable network NET-TV and online at www.netny.tv.

Maronite (Eastern Rite) Catholics also observe the Easter Triduum this weekend. However, the Eastern Orthodox Churches observe Holy Week and Easter more than a month later this year (May 5), because of different criteria linking Easter and Passover that are used in determining the date of Easter.

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GOV. HOCHUL PROPOSES BUDGET DEADLINE EXTENSION
TO PREVENT SCHEDULE CLASH WITH RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

STATEWIDE — THE STATE BUDGET DEADLINE MAY BE EXTENDED TO NEXT THURSDAY, APRIL 4, after Governor Kathy Hochul expressed concern that in order to meet the standard annual April 1 budget deadline, lawmakers would have to work through the upcoming religious holiday weekend. Gov. Hochul on Thursday, March 28, said that she has been negotiating for weeks with the state legislature “on a budget that makes record investments for New Yorkers while putting the State on a fiscally stable path into the future,” and that a final budget agreement is “within reach.” But she recognizes “that many New Yorkers would like to spend the holiday weekend with family and loved ones.”

The period of Thursday, March 28, through Sunday, March 31, marks the Easter Triduum, the most solemn and significant time of the Christian liturgical year. Gov. Hochul delivered a proposal on Thursday requesting the state legislature extend the deadline.

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IN MEMORIAM
FORMER SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN DIES AT 82,
WAS PANELIST AT 2011 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL

MANHATTAN — FORMER U.S. SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN, WHO BECAME THE FIRST JEWISH VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, DIED IN MANHATTAN after complications from a fall on Wednesday, March 27, at age 82, according to several news reports. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988 after having held other offices, Lieberman switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Independent after losing the 2006 primary in Connecticut but then won the general election that year and continued to caucus with Democrats. An observant Jew and staunch defender of Israel, Lieberman in 2011 wrote “The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath” (Howard Books/Simon & Schuster). During the Brooklyn Book Festival that year, Sen. Lieberman participated in a panel discussion on the Sabbath, with Rabbi Joseph Potasnik and Pastor A.R. Bernard of the Christian Cultural Center.

Then-Borough President Marty Markowitz hosted the panel discussion at Borough Hall where Sen. Lieberman explained that the need to save or protect a life — if such an emergency arises during Shabbat — takes precedence over observance.

Senator Joe Lieberman and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik (foreground) discuss Lieberman’s book, “The Gift of Rest,” at a Borough Hall panel discussion of the 2011 Brooklyn Book Festival.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Francesca N. Tate

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MTA GIVES OFFICIAL GREEN LIGHT TO ITS CONGESTION PRICING PLAN

CITYWIDE — THE MTA BOARD ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, GAVE ITS FINAL OFFICIAL APPROVAL OF CONGESTION PRICING, the latest step in the transit agency’s plan to charge drivers a $15 daytime toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street, reports Gothamist. The approval process, which stretched five years from the original proposal, incorporated exemptions granted earlier this week to school buses, certain commuter buses and city-owned fleet vehicles. The MTA’s goal is to fund needed repairs and upgrades to the subway system, but the plan still faces hurdles, including some active class-action lawsuits, one of which the NAACP filed just last week.

Taxi drivers objected to the tolls during the meeting as they face a $1.25 surcharge that the board approved on taxi trips entering the congestion zone; however, yellow and green cab drivers won’t have to pay the $15 toll, an issue that MTA Chair Janno Lieber addressed in a press conference following the vote, according to Spectrum News New York 1.

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NYC IS GIVING PREPAID DEBIT CARDS TO MIGRANT FAMILIES

CITYWIDE — NEW YORK CITY HAS STARTED handing out prepaid debit cards to migrant families as a pilot program, NY1 reports. Giving migrants the funds for food and baby supplies directly makes it cheaper to feed them and generates income for local businesses, the city said. A family of four with two children under five will receive about $350 each week. The program is expected to expand to roughly 115 families.

Adams fended off accusations published in the New York Post that he had a prior relationship with the founder of Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi), the company that got the $50-plus million contract for the debit cards. “There’s no relationship. We don’t hang out and go [to] the Hamptons together. We don’t go to the baseball game together,” Adams said, according to Politico.

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CITY AUTHORIZES E-CARGO BIKES, EXPANDING SAFETY RULES FOR STREETS

CITYWIDE — THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS AUTHORIZED THE USE OF E-CARGO BIKES ON CITY STREETS and has established key safety standards. New rules that DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced on Wednesday, March 27, are designed to make deliveries safer and more sustainable by reducing the number of large delivery trucks on New York City streets. The rules expand the legal definition of “bicycle” to include “pedal-assist bicycle” and define “commercial bicycle” as a bicycle used to transport commercial goods, and they establish a “Commercial Bicycle Loading Only” zone — dedicated space at the curb for pedestrian safety. The e-cargo bike speed limit was reduced from the proposed 20 miles per hour to 15 mph, and e-cargo bikes must not be parked or be left unattended on a sidewalk for any reason — even temporarily.

The finalized rules also increase low- or no-emission options for freight deliveries — including packages and groceries — by allowing the use of pedal-assist electric cargo bicycles that may be up to 48 inches wide and have up to four wheels.

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BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD FACILITATE CO-OP HOME PURCHASES FOR VETERANS

CAPITOL HILL — A BIPARTISAN BILL IN CONGRESS AIMS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR VETERANS IN NEW YORK CITY AND ACROSS THE NATION to purchase co-ops. The Fair Access to Co-Ops for Veterans Act (H.R.7703), which Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-11) and Grace Meng (D-06) introduced on Wednesday, March 27, would expand the Veterans Home Loan Guarantee program to include co-ops, allowing the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to guarantee co-op loans to eligible veterans. The bill would also direct the VA to advertise this co-op program to eligible veterans, participating lenders, and interested realtors. Rep. Malliotakis pointed out that co-ops account for roughly a quarter of NYC’s housing market.

In 2006, Congress passed a bill creating a five-year pilot program allowing veterans to purchase cooperative housing. Prior to this legislation, the VA Home Loans program could not be used for co-ops. However, the pilot program expired in 2011 and was never renewed.

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CITY LAUNCHES ENGLISH LEARNING AND SUPPORT CENTER PROGRAM FOR IMMIGRANTS

CITYWIDE — THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS on Wednesday, March 27, launched its (MOIA) English Learning and Support Centers located across the city to support longtime and recently arrived immigrant New Yorkers to learn English and get connected to city resources. More than 60 library branches — including Brooklyn Public Library — and other nonprofit organizations will receive more than $1 million in city funding to launch the centers. The MOIA English Learning and Support Centers (including Life of Hope in East Flatbush and Mixteca in southern Park Slope) will connect immigrant New Yorkers to beginner and intermediate-level English classes, using “We Speak NYC,” an award-winning curriculum that the city developed as a tool to teach English and educate New Yorkers on city resources and services.

MOIA has also provided subtitles for We Speak NYC episodes in the following languages: Arabic, Bengali, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Russian, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Urdu and Wolof.

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ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS PROPOSE THAT CRIMINAL TRESPASSING LAW INCLUDE SQUATTERS

ALBANY STATEHOUSE — A NEW PROPOSAL WITHIN THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY WOULD REDEFINE CRIMINAL TRESPASSING TO INCLUDE “SQUATTING,” the practice that allows a person to enter and take shelter in a home to which they have no legal rights or permission. Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R,C/-64-Brooklyn and Staten Island) and his colleagues in the Assembly Minority Conference on Wednesday, March 27, announced the bill (which fellow Brooklyn Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny /R-46) is cosponsoring), has moved to committees in both houses of state legislature. New York laws currently allow a person to enter and reside in a home they do not own without the owner’s permission, paying rent or utility bills for 30 days. The homeowner must then take that individual to landlord-tenant court to have that person removed to evict him/her, a lengthy process.

Tannousis reported that recent social media videos show migrants instructing each other on how to take possession of vacant homes to which they have no rights including homes for sale or homes from which the owners are away for a short period.

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REVITALIZATION OF S. BROOKLYN MARINE TERMINAL MOVES FORWARD WITH PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT

SUNSET PARK WATERFRONT — A NEW PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT SIGNED ON WEDNESDAY WILL MOVE FORWARD CONSTRUCTION for a revitalized South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and New York City’s first offshore wind hub. Empire Wind and the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Vicinity signed the Project Labor Agreement, which covers contracts with Skanska, GE-BOND and Nexans. The agreement is the first-of-its-kind PLA for Equinor, and a commitment to building the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal responsibly, with the help of New York’s highly skilled union construction workforce. The agreement will establish working standards, industry-leading safety practices and equity in the construction of the terminal, creating over 1,000 union construction jobs and apprenticeships in local New York communities, as well as thousands of indirect jobs in manufacturing, shipping and logistics.

Construction is expected to begin as early as next week, starting with the demolition of existing outbuildings, excavation of the site, and bulkhead preparation work.

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FRAUDSTER GETS UP TO 7 YEARS FOR STEALING ALMOST $1M IN REAL ESTATE AUCTION SCHEME

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A WOMAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 3½ TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STEALING ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS IN A FRAUDULENT REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT SCHEME involving more a dozen Brooklyn properties. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun presided at the sentencing of Regine Norman, a.k.a., Regine Ellis, 69, as identified by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Ellis pleaded guilty on January 31 to six counts of second-degree grand larceny and three counts of third-degree grand larceny, for stealing approximately $959,000 from nine victims, falsely representing herself as a member of a private real estate auction with access to buy discounted properties in Brooklyn. She then convinced her victims to wire her money for down payments on the properties; however, no properties were ever purchased. After obtaining the down payment, the defendant provided her victims with fraudulent contracts of sale, which often included the forged signature of the actual property owners.

As part of her sentence, Ellis is ordered to pay restitution totaling $842,000.

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ALLEGED BKLYN MIRAGE KIDNAP CHARGES DROPPED

WILLIAMSBURG – CHARGES AGAINST TWO MEN SUSPECTED OF KIDNAPPING A CONNECTICUT doctor from the Brooklyn Mirage nightclub last year will be dropped after the doctor stopped cooperating with prosecutors, reports the New York Post; the case against Anthony Benjamin, 42, and Steve Daley, 50, reportedly hinged on ophthalmologist Michael Bautista’s testimony. The Mirage was at the center of a possible crime spike last summer including the suspicious deaths of at least two people; in Bautista’s case, he was allegedly tricked by Benjamin and Daley into entering a fake taxi before being held at gunpoint and forced to purchase items and withdraw cash from an ATM for the pair.

The club is notorious for its controversies: an investigation by Gothamist in September revealed that the 2021 death of a customer by drug overdose in one of its bathrooms had gone unreported to state authorities, in addition to two prior similar deaths known to the state.

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GOWANUS OVERSIGHT TASK FORCE MEETING

GOWANUS – THE FIFTH AVENUE COMMITTEE’S GOWANUS OVERSIGHT Task Force is holding its quarterly meeting on Thursday, open to the public; the task force is community-led and focused on collaborating with city government and tracking progress on the neighborhood’s rezoning and improvement goals. The meeting will feature presentations from the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Department of Conservation on the Gowanus Green sustainable affordable housing plan, which aims to construct 940 units of housing surrounded by parks, gardens and commercial and community spaces. The NYC School Construction Authority and Department of Parks and Recreation will also present on related plans for a public school and park attached to the project.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 28 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at P.S. 133 on Baltic Street; attendees are asked to RSVP online on EventBrite.

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VETS, GOLD STAR FAMILIES GET FREE ACCESS TO STATE PARKS AND LANDS

STATEWIDE – GOV. KATHY HOCHUL ON WEDNESDAY ANNOUNCED THAT thanks to legislation passed in September 2023, beginning on Monday, April 1, all New York veterans and many Gold Star families will be able to apply to join New York’s Lifetime Liberty Pass program, which was previously open only to disabled veterans and gives holders free access and discounts at state parks, historic sites and other state lands. Benefits for passholders include free vehicle entry to state parks, campgrounds, boat launches, historic sites and arboretums; free greens fees at state golf courses; free swimming pool entrance at state pools; and discounts on some cabin and campsite rentals.

Veterans can access these benefits at parks with a state ID with Veteran status designation or apply for the free Lifetime Liberty Pass online on the state Parks Department’s website; Gold Star parents, spouses or children will need to submit applications for the Pass online.