What’s News, Breaking: Tuesday, April 16, 2024

April 16, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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IN MEMORIAM: CARL ERSKINE, 97, CAREER PITCHER
WITH BROOKLYN DODGERS

EBBETS FIELD TO INDIANAPOLIS — Carl Erskine, whose entire baseball career was with the Brooklyn Dodgers, died on Tuesday, April 16, in his home state of Indiana, according to the Washington Post and other media. Erskine, who was considered one of major league baseball’s classiest players, was with the Dodgers from 1948-59, finishing with a 127-78 record. During his career, he pitched no-hitters against the Chicago Cubs (June 19, 1952) and the Giants (May 12, 1956) as well as a World Series. The last of the ‘Boys of Summer,’ Erskine played alongside other Hall of Famers: outfielder Duke Snider, infielders Gil Hodges and Pee Wee Reese, catcher Roy Campanella, and, of course, Jackie Robinson, and the major leagues’ first Black player of the 20th century.

Erskine’s death was confirmed by Ted Green, a filmmaker who directed a 2022 documentary on Mr. Erskine titled “The Best We’ve Got.”

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NEW WORKING GROUP FORMED TO SOLVE ISSUES
RELATED TO CHILD CARE FUNDING SHORTAGE

STATEWIDE — U.S. SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND ON MONDAY, APRIL 15, CONVENED HER NEWLY-CREATED CHILDCARE WORKING GROUP to promote childcare as a public good, expand access to high-quality, affordable childcare for all New York families, and support the childcare workforce. The workgroup’s members are advocacy organizations, elected officials, and government agencies across New York. Last September’s lapse of pandemic-era federal funding means that over 5,700 New York childcare centers were at risk of closure. Over 251,000 children in New York were set to lose care, according to an analysis by The Century Foundation, which also projects that New York parents would lose $846 million in earnings as a result of being forced to cut work hours or leave the workforce, and an additional 19,156 childcare jobs would be lost across the state. The Childcare Working Group is committed to a layered, multidisciplinary approach that crosses all levels of government and advocacy to find solutions to these urgent issues.

The working group comprises non-profits, unions, government agencies, and elected officials, including the governor, Mayor Eric Adams, and Brooklyn Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn.

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FDA ALERT: CERTAIN OYSTER BATCHES FROM KOREA
CONTAMINATED WITH NOROVIRUS

NATIONWIDE — SHELLFISH LOVERS ARE BEING URGED TO AVOID EATING CERTAIN BATCHES OF FROZEN, RAW, HALF-SHELL OYSTERS coming from the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration warned on Tuesday, April 16. Restaurants and retailers are being advised not to serve or sell frozen, raw, half-shell oysters from Lots B231126 and B240103, harvested from Designated Area No. 1 and Lot B240214, harvested from Designated Area No. 2, processed by JBR (KR 15 SP) in Tongyeongsi, Republic of Korea on 11/27/2023, 1/4/2024 and 2/15/2024. The California Department of Public Health has notified the FDA of an outbreak of norovirus illnesses associated with the consumption of these oysters. Authorities at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in the Republic of Korea on Monday, April 15, advised the firm to voluntarily initiate a recall of these oysters.

Although the impacted oysters were distributed predominantly in California, health officials are concerned that they might have been shipped to other states or that New Yorkers visiting the West Coast may have eaten oysters from this batch and become ill.

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HOME HEALTH AIDE WORKFORCE WOULD EXPAND
UNDER BILL THAT SEN. GILLIBRAND WILL INTRODUCE

CAPITOL HILL — A SHORTAGE OF HOME HEALTH AIDES IS PROMPTING U.S. SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND TO HOLD A VIRTUAL PRESS conference on Wednesday, April 17, when she will announce legislation to mitigate the problem. Gillibrand cites low wages, understaffing and poor working conditions in the field as having led to an acute shortage of long-term care workers, including certified nursing assistants, personal care aides and home health aides. While these workers have enabled senior citizens to age with dignity, the shortage means that the elderly must wait months or even years before getting needed assistance. Gillibrand’s legislation would make major federal investments to strengthen and expand the long-term care workforce, including in rural and underserved communities.

Long-term care workers help seniors eat, bathe, and perform other basic daily tasks.

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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR AIR CONDITIONING
AVAILABLE TO ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS

STATEWIDE — NEW YORKERS WILL BE ABLE TO STAY COOL THIS SUMMER THANKS TO $22 million being made available through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday, April 16. The funds through HEAP, which the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance oversees, can provide an air conditioning unit to eligible low-income households that include someone with a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat or households with young children or older adults. Applications are now being accepted and will continue to be accepted through Saturday, Aug. 31, or until funding runs out. The program covers the cost of an air conditioning unit or fan and installation.

More than 27,000 households are expected to receive cooling assistance this year.

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CONEY ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL RUNS
FIRST WEEKEND IN MAY

CONEY ISLAND — THE 24TH ANNUAL CONEY ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS LINEUP OF 97 FILMS in a jam-packed weekend, May 3-5, 2024. This Brooklyn tradition, which MovieMaker Magazine has named as one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals,” is a ticketed program with different viewing packages available. The festival kicks off Friday, May 3, in the Coney Island Museum with the Brooklyn premiere of the documentary feature, “Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between,” directed by Claire Jeffreys. Highlights include a restored version of the Documentary Feature “Brighton Beach” (1980) on Saturday and, as part of the tradition, the 1979 Coney Island cult classic “The Warriors” at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. Wrapping up the festival’s last screening block on Sunday evening is “Coney Island Films,” featuring films centered and themed around this iconic part of Brooklyn.

Coney Island USA, established in 1980, has developed and produced a range of different programs — such as the Mermaid Parade and the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. Coney Island USA also operates the Coney Island Museum.

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DIOCESE RESPONDS TO POINTS IN THE AGREEMENT
WITH STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN, IN ITS OWN RESPONSE to the newly-signed agreement with NY Attorney General Letitia James’ office, commits to “improve on its two-decade child protection effort since the passage of the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (Dallas Charter) by the U.S. Bishops.” The Diocese points out that “All allegations that came to the diocese were immediately sent to the appropriate district attorney and that it worked with the NYPD Special Victims Unit on many of the cases. Bishop DiMarzio, who at the time led the diocese, also established the Diocesan Review Board, consisting of former law enforcement officers, lawyers with experience in family law and child abuse, and mental health professionals, manages child sexual abuse allegations and investigations and makes personnel recommendations to the bishop based on their findings.

Over time, the diocese recognized the need to improve communications internally and to the faithful. During much of Bishop DiMarzio’s tenure, public statements were released about the outcome of (DRB) investigations that led to the removal of 27 priests from ministry.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL, DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN REACH AGREEMENT ON MANAGING CLERGY SEX ABUSE CASES

ALBANY — NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES ON TUESDAY, APRIL 16, RELEASED AN AGREEMENT with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, to address what the Attorney General’s Office says are years of mismanaging clergy sexual abuse cases and for failing to uphold the policies and procedures it adopted for investigating and responding to abuse complaints. However, the diocese, in a statement also released on Tuesday, asserted its cooperation throughout the investigation. The actual 71-page Assurance of Discontinuance agreement that the OAG provided does acknowledge that “The Diocese and its leaders, including Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and Bishop Robert J. Brennan, have fully cooperated with the Investigation and, both prior to and after its commencement, have: voluntarily undertaken a number of important changes to the Diocese’s policies and procedures to help address the concerns that led to the Investigation and to prevent their recurrence.”

But the new agreement requires the diocese to take significant action to prevent and address allegations of clergy sexual abuse and reform past policies, including hiring a Clergy Monitor with law enforcement or counseling experience to develop and oversee abuse prevention plans for priests who have been accused of sexual abuse.

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ALLINBKLYN, BROOKLYN WOMEN’S GIVING CIRCLE, ANNOUNCES 2024 GRANTEES

BOROUGHWIDE — ALLINBKLYN, A WOMAN’S GIVING CIRCLE committed to strengthening Brooklyn nonprofits, has announced its 2024 grantees. The group includes The Brave House, CHiPS, Documented NY, Emma’s Torch, Meals for Good and Ruth’s Refuge. Each will receive three years of funding, beginning with $20,000 in the first year. Allinbklyn, which marks its 10th year this month, started with seven women and has grown into a community of 60 that grants more than $300,000 in unrestricted awards each year.

“Receiving a grant from Allinbklyn is like getting the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval,” said Julie Stein Brockway, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, a 2022 grantee. “It acknowledges that you are doing the best work possible to meet the needs of the people of Brooklyn.”

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NYC PAID OUT ALMOST $1.5B IN LEGAL SETTLEMENTS IN 2023

CITYWIDE — NYC PAID OUT $1.45 BILLION IN LEGAL SETTLEMENTS last year, Comptroller Brad Lander said Tuesday in his Fiscal Year 2023 Claims Report. Key findings: claims against NYPD doubled, and the amount the city paid out — $266.7 million — increased 12% from 2022. Claims against the Department of Education increased 17% and settlements totaled $92.8 million, a 12% increase. Vehicle crashes caused by city employees jumped to 1,693 claims, a 14% increase, and settlement payouts jumped to $173.7 million, a 23% increase. While the number of claims overall increased in 2023 (13,227 vs. 12,188 in 2022), the amount the city paid out was down 7% from the $1.56 billion paid in 2022.

“The $1.5 billion in taxpayer funds we paid last year to settle claims against the city is $1.5 billion we could have spent in our schools and neighborhoods,” Lander said. He wants to shift responsibility for claims payments from the city’s general fund to agency budgets to hold agencies accountable and encourage reforms.

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LATEST ROUND OF ARTISTS CHOSEN
FOR HOSPITALS’ COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT

FLATBUSH AND BED-STUY — NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS’ ARTS IN MEDICINE DEPARTMENT TODAY HAS SELECTED SIX ARTISTS to create new murals at its facilities, including two in Brooklyn, in the latest round of its expanding Community Mural Project. The artists will design the murals through focus groups with hospital staff and the community, followed by “paint parties” to create the mural. Fitgi Saint-Louis, who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from, and teaches at, the School of Visual Arts, has been selected for a mural at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County in Flatbush. Ms. Saint-Louis explores the African diaspora and her Haitian heritage across various mediums, and is a respected dancer and educator who has taught at prestigious institutions like the Alvin Ailey Extension Program and Peridance Capezio Studio. Artist Ebony Bolt will work on NYC H+H’s mural at Woodhull Hospital in Bed-Stuy. She brings a background as a CAD Print Designer in the fashion industry to create vibrant prints and patterns inspired by the city’s energy.

The new murals will build on the 35 murals already created through the Community Mural Project, made possible with a grant from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

Artist Fitgi Saint-Louis, one of the new artists for the Community Mural Project, shown here in front of her mural Our Matriarchs (2022).
Photo courtesy NYC Health + Hospitals

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STATE TAX COLLECTIONS FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR
CAME IN MORE THAN $2B HIGHER THAN FORECAST

ALBANY — TAX COLLECTIONS FOR STATE FISCAL YEAR 2023-24 TOTALED $106.4 BILLION, over $2 billion higher than the Division of the Budget had forecast in the most recent financial plan, according to the latest March State Cash Report from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Tax receipts also exceeded the projection in the Consensus Economic and Revenue Forecast Report, which estimated $1.35 billion in additional receipts above Division of Budget estimates through the end of SFY 2024-25. Consumption and use taxes, which includes sales tax, totaled $21.9 billion, exceeding the prior year total by $1.3 billion or 6.2%.

But tax collections for SFY 2023-24 were $5.2 billion lower than the previous year, due, in part, to a decline in Personal Income Tax receipts resulting from lower middle-class tax rates and lower payments related to tax year 2022 annual returns.

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GOVERNOR’S OFFICE SENDS OUT LETTERS TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, PRINCIPALS ON FINANCIAL AID PROCESS

ALBANY — LETTERS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED to HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS to provide them with helpful tips and resources to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Monday, April 15. Letters will also be sent to high school principals urging them to make sure each senior student has the resources needed to access financial aid. The mailings are a part of Financial Aid Awareness Month, which Governor Hochul launched at the beginning of April. Moreover, the state and city public university systems, SUNY and CUNY, have taken several steps to assist students and their families in applying for financial aid to make college more affordable, by delaying deposit deadlines at state operated campuses until no earlier than May 15 and June 1 for commitment day at CUNY campuses, so that families have time to make an informed decision with their financial aid offers. SUNY AND CUNY are also holding information sessions across the state.

Last year, New York’s high school students left over $200 million in federal aid unclaimed by not filling out the FAFSA, which is free. FAFSA opens the door to federal and state aid, including Tuition Assistance Program and Excelsior Scholarship, as well as other college funding awards.

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NO JURORS YET IMPANELED FOR HISTORIC
CRIMINAL TRIAL AGAINST FORMER US PRESIDENT

MANHATTAN — NO JURORS WERE SELECTED YET IN THE HISTORIC hush-money trial case against former President Donald J. Trump, reports the Associated Press and other media. The trial’s first day was focused on the often challenging process of selecting a jury for a case in which the defendant is world-famous and a current front-runner in the 2024 Presidential campaign. New York County State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan presided over the selection of jurists, known as voire dire. The central issues in this particular jury selection are whether prospective jurists have strong opinions about Trump and whether they believe they could be impartial in hearing evidence presented during trial. More than half of this jury pool was dismissed after acknowledging to Judge Merchan that they could not be fair and impartial.

Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers insist that the jury pool in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan is biased against the former President, and had pushed to have the trial moved to another jurisdiction.

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MAIMONIDES DESIGNATED AS A CARE PARTNER HOSPITAL

BOROUGH PARK — MAIMONIDES MEDICAL CENTER HAS BEEN DESIGNATED as a Care Partner Hospital, the only hospital in Brooklyn to receive this prestigious accreditation from the Eastern U.S. Quality Improvement Collaborative, and one of five in New York State to be so recognized. As a Care Partner Hospital, Maimonides aligns with the New York State CARE Act’s mandate for hospitals to allow patients to designate a caregiver who serves as a compassionate companion for patients. As a Care Partner Hospital, MMC staff helps patients designate an appropriate person, such as a family member, friend, neighbor, or paid assistant, to support the patient during and after a hospital stay. These partners become integral members of the healthcare team, working with the patient to ensure they receive their desired care, and helping ensure a smooth transition out of the hospital.

The benefits of the care partner model include decreases in hospital readmissions, improvement in patient health and wellness, safer care environments, a reduction in time responding to patient’s requests, and an improvement in pain management.

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ELECTEDS DEBUNK ADAMS’ CLAIM THAT PEOPLE NEED APPOINTMENT TO TALK TO THEM

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS OUTRAGED LAWMAKERS TWICE in the past week: First by saying he would require elected officials to fill out a new three-page online form before his administration would meet with them, then by falsely claiming that constituents can’t just walk into their council member’s offices without an appointment. In a Friday interview on Pix11, Adams tried to justify his controversial new meeting policy. “You don’t just walk into a councilperson’s office, there’s a process that they have in place to meet with them,” the mayor said. After an amNewYork reporter posted Adams’ comments on Twitter/X, more than a dozen council members reacted angrily, most pointing out their offices are open for walk-ins four to five days a week.

Brooklyn Councilmember Sandy Nurse (D-Bushwick, East New York) called Adams’ comments “ridiculous,” amNewYork reported. “I get calls at 7 a.m. and after 10 p.m. They walk in without appointments all the time and we engage them. Communication is part of the job.”

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PROTEST DISRUPTS BROOKLYN BRIDGE TRAFFIC

BROOKLYN BRIDGE — A PROTEST ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, April 15, was causing widespread traffic delays on that East River span and a heavy presence of emergency personnel. Notify NYC, the city’s emergency notification system, indicated that the protest was on the bridge itself, between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Commuters were advised to use alternate routes. One witness living in Brooklyn told the Eagle that there was no visible Manhattan-bound traffic and that a helicopter was circling the area.

The NYPD’s X (formerly Twitter) feed video shows a group of pro-Palestinian protesters rushing onto the bridge, as of 4 p.m. Stay tuned for updates.

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13-YEAR-OLD BROOKLYN GIRL MISSING SINCE FRIDAY

NEW LOTS — POLICE SEEK HELP IN LOCATING A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL who was last seen at roughly 6:50 p.m. Friday, April 12, leaving her home on New Jersey Avenue in New Lots, Brooklyn. Kyasia Devon is described as approximately 5’1″ inches tall, 110 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair and braces. She was last seen wearing a purple hooded sweatshirt, red and black pajama pants and white sneakers.

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). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website.

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NYPD UPS SECURITY FOR JEWISH SITES FOLLOWING IRAN STRIKE ON ISRAEL

CITYWIDE — NEW YORK CITY’S JEWISH COMMUNITIES AND SYNAGOGUES are receiving additional NYPD attention following Iran’s retaliatory drone strike on Israel, Mayor Eric Adams announced Saturday night. “While there is no direct or imminent threat to NYC at this time, we have directed the NYPD to deploy additional resources to Jewish communities and houses of worship citywide out of abundance of caution,” Adams said in a statement. Roughly 300 projectiles were downed by Israel, the U.S., U.K., France and Jordan on Saturday, BBC reported. Iran said it has achieved its objective of retaliation for Israel’s assassination of an Iranian senior commander in Damascus and has concluded the operation. An Israeli war cabinet minister, however, says the country will “exact a price” from Iran.

President Joe Biden reaffirmed America’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security, but told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would not participate in any Israeli escalation, Reuters reported.

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CITY TO TRANSFORM BOERUM HILL PARKING LOTS INTO ‘DEEPLY’ AFFORDABLE HOUSING

BOERUM HILL — THE CITY PLANS TO TRANSFORM two nearby parking lots in Boerum Hill into deeply affordable housing, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced Monday. The agency called for developers and service providers to submit proposals for each site: 153 Nevins St. for rental housing, and 108-114 Third Ave, for affordable senior housing. Anticipating roughly 60 homes per site, HPD will select the most promising proposals by 2025. “We don’t need more parking lots for a handful of private cars on city owned land, but we certainly do need more affordable homes in Boerum Hill,” HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr. said in a statement. The deadline for submissions to the RFP is July 19, 2024.

Formerly in Councilmember Lincoln Restler’s district, the sites were recently redistricted into Councilmember Shahana Hanif’s district. Both council members support the plan, which will also include amenities such as a grocery store with fresh produce.