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NEW 3D MAMMOGRAPHY MACHINE AT GOTHAM HEALTH
HELPS FIGHT INEQUITIES IN MEDICAL CARE

EAST NEW YORK — NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM HEALTH HAS ACQUIRED A STATE-OF-THE-ART 3D MAMMOGRAM MACHINE, which provides the latest innovation in breast cancer detection and a more comfortable experience for patients. While traditional two-dimensional mammograms provide flat images of breast tissue, this sometimes leads to false positives or the need for additional tests. By contrast, 3D mammography, also known as breast tomosynthesis, captures multiple images of the breast from different angles, creating a more detailed and accurate representation of the breast tissue. It features an innovative paddle designed for comfort, conforming to the breast’s shape with rounded corners for the most comfortable compression with higher quality 3D images for radiologists, enhanced comfort for patients and improved workflow for technologists. This system delivers sharper images and smarter technologies to detect invasive cancers regardless of age or breast density.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said, “Residents of East New York face some of the worst health inequities… Gotham Health is doing critical work to address these disparities.”

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REP. CLARKE DIRECTS $963K TO ‘GODSQUAD’ TEAM

EAST FLATBUSH — THE ‘GODSQUAD,’ ALSO KNOWN AS THE 67TH PRECINCT CLERGY COUNCIL, WILL RECEIVE $963K in federal funds, thanks to an investment that U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-09) has directed to the advocacy group. The investment underscores Cong. Clarke’s commitment to uplifting communities in Central Brooklyn by addressing underlying issues that stem from gun violence, and fostering positive change. The funding will bolster Project ECHO, a community-driven initiative aimed at tackling unresolved trauma and resource disparities. Project ECHO focuses on grassroots solutions and aims to provide vital support and opportunities for individuals deemed “at risk,” equipping them with essential skills and pathways to personal growth.

Moreover, Project ECHO addresses the pressing need for trauma counseling, mentorship, and mental health services within the community, as well as engagement activities, to empower residents and mitigate the impact of violence, particularly among young men, in the East Flatbush area.

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MIAMI-BASED FOOD PRODUCER RECALLS ORGANIC BASIL

EAST COAST — A RECALL OF ORGANIC BASIL SOLD AT TRADER JOE’S STORES HAS EXPANDED as the producer as well as the supermarket chain that have now removed certain batches of organic basil from stock, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced on April 18. Infinite Herbs LLC of Miami, Florida, has voluntarily recalled 2.5-ounce packages of Infinite Herbs fresh organic basil, imported from the South American country of Colombia, and sold between Feb. 1 and April 6, 2024, and bearing the UPC 8 18042 02147 7 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalls (covered in the Eagle on Thursday) were initiated after 12 illnesses were reported. The affected product was shipped directly to Trade Joe’s retail distribution centers from Connecticut to Florida. This recall does not include or impact non-organic basil in any package and other package sizes of organic basil.

Although the recalled product is out-of-date and no longer being sold, consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and freezers.

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EAST FLATBUSH COMMUNITY RALLIES
TO SAVE EMBATTLED HOSPITAL

EAST NEW YORK — AN ORGANIZED MARCH ON THURSDAY WITH GODSQUAD/67TH PRECINCT CLERGY COUNCIL and other faith-based groups may have been instrumental in saving Downstate Medical Center. GodSquad, a liaison group between the  NYPD and the East Flatbush community that Downstate Medical Center serves, helped organize the April 18 Prayer Rally and March with the group Concerned Clergy of NYC, SUNY employees, unions and business owners. The march, with the slogan, “Brooklyn Needs Downstate,” began at Lenox Road Baptist Church near Nostrand Ave. and proceeded to SUNY Downstate to oppose what was then the hospital’s imminent risk of closure. The state’s initial plan was a reorganization that would have involved transferring medical services to other hospitals, including neighboring Kings County Medical Center (which is one of the city’s public hospitals). However, that met fierce resistance from hospital workers as well as faith and other community leaders.

State Sen. Myrie told Crain’s on Friday that the agreement to appoint an advisory panel will include community members in a “robust conversation” about how to sustain Downstate.

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AGREEMENT REACHED TO KEEP SUNY DOWNSTATE OPEN

EAST FLATBUSH — SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER IS OFF THE CHOPPING BLOCK, after state legislators, hearing protests from their constituents, reached a deal to keep the financially troubled hospital open. Crain’s New York Business reports that state lawmakers, including State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D-20) whose district includes SUNY Downstate, have reached an agreement with Gov. Kathy Hochul to halt the closure of the East Flatbush teaching hospital while officials appoint an advisory commission to examine the hospital’s services and financial status. Meanwhile, SUNY Downstate, which has been running an annual deficit of about $100 million, will continue to receive funding. The agreement will prohibit SUNY Downstate from cutting any of its inpatient services or submitting service reduction plans to state health officials until the commission releases recommendations.

Moreover, the commission will be required to work with the public’s input and to convene at least three public hearings.

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CITY WILL HAVE AUTHORITY TO LOWER SPEED LIMIT

CITYWIDE — GOVERNOR HOCHUL ON THURSDAY ANNOUNCED that as part of this year’s state budget agreement, New York City will be granted the authority to vote to lower its speed limit below the current 25 miles per hour, reports Gothamist. Streets with three or more lanes of traffic in one direction are exempted. Street safety advocates and city politicians have long championed a bill that would set the speed limit at 20 miles per hour, known as “Sammy’s Law,” in honor of 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was struck and killed by a speeding van in 2013 near his Park Slope home; his mother, Amy Cohen, welcomed the news, telling Gothamist, “It’s been 10 years since Sammy died, and every day is hard, but days like this, when we are fighting for change in the name of those we have lost, is huge.”

The Adams administration and City Council, who will have to sign off on speed limit changes, have both expressed strong support for Sammy’s Law; a spokesperson for City Hall wrote in an email, “No family should have to suffer through the loss of a loved one due to traffic violence… New York City needs the tools to keep everyone safe on our streets.”

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MCCARREN PARK LEAD LEVELS WORRY NEIGHBORS

WILLIAMSBURG — CERTAIN AREAS OF MCCARREN PARK HAVE been found to have high levels of lead in testing conducted by local group North Brooklyn Neighbors, particularly in the western and southern corners of the park near the intersection of Driggs Avenue and North 12th Street, reports Greenpointers. Soil sampling revealed lead levels of up to 2190 parts per million, more than five times the 400 ppm the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation considers the limit. City Councilmember Lincoln Restler told Greenpointers that he had been unable to discuss remediation plans with the Parks Department after being “rebuffed” by City Hall, but warned that current Parks efforts to control the lead by pouring mulch on top of the affected spots were likely inadequate: “We are continuing to push Parks and Health to properly mitigate potential risk.”

A 2019 WNYC investigation also found elevated lead levels at McCarren, averaging 201 parts per million across areas tested; the park was at one point bordered by a lead paint factory.

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THIEF STOLE SENIOR’S BELOVED SHIH TSU PUP ‘ROMEO RIVERA’

EAST NEW YORK — A THIEF STOLE A SHIH TSU DOG BELONGING TO A 74-YEAR-OLD WOMAN from her yard in East New York last month, and police hope to get it back. On Monday, March 18,  around 9:30 a.m., the woman allowed her pup Romeo Rivera to go outside for a bathroom break at her residence in the vicinity of Jerome Street and Pitkin Avenue. Video shows an unknown man approach the house, watch the pup playing behind a fence and then take it, fleeing southbound on Jerome Street toward Pitkin. The man is described as having a light complexion and medium build. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, black sneakers and a red baseball hat.

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 by visiting Crime Stoppers online.

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ADAMS & NYPD BRASS TOUT ‘GHOST PLATE’ OPERATION

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS AND CHIEF OF PATROL JOHN CHELL touted a program to crack down on vehicle “ghost plates” — paper covers meant to obscure actual license plate numbers — at a Community Conversation event on Wednesday. “The paper plates that you’re talking about that we call ghost vehicles, they’re being used in robberies, they try to cross the bridges. We have put a whole apprehension plan in place,” Chell said. Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry let out that the NYPD would be doing “a huge operation” Thursday night. “I’m not going to say where it’s at in regards to ghost cars, paper plates.”

Chell told the audience a true-life story. “About 25 minutes before we got here tonight, myself and Commissioner Daughtry engaged a plate cover with Jersey plates on the FDR that just tried to stab someone in Brooklyn. That’s why we got here just in time because we had to chase his car all over Queens and we lost them, but we gave it a valiant effort. That’s how dangerous these cars are.”

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HOCHUL: CRACKDOWN ON ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT INCLUDED IN BUDGET AGREEMENT

STATEWIDE — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL ON THURSDAY announced new initiatives in the 2025 budget agreement to crack down on organized retail theft. “Sophisticated organized retail theft operations are putting frontline retail workers at risk and reselling stolen goods on online marketplaces, and we’re taking new steps to end this chaos,” Hochul said. The plan includes making assault on a retail worker a felony; allowing prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods when they file charges; making it illegal to sell stolen goods to third-party sellers; budgeting $40.2 million for dedicated Retail Theft Teams within law enforcement offices; and a tax credit to help small businesses invest in security measures.

“This legislation marks an important step in our ongoing efforts to ensure safety and security for New Yorkers,” and includes funding to build on successful anti-theft programs such as the trespass affidavit program to stop repeat offenders, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

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ONE QUEENS-BOUND LANE OF BQE CLOSED UNTIL MAY 10

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — THE RIGHT LANE OF THE QUEENS-BOUND BROOKLYN-QUEENS EXPRESSWAY will continue to be closed from midnight to 5 a.m. from Atlantic Avenue to Clark Street until May 10. The Atlantic Avenue entrance ramp to Queens-bound BQE will also be closed. These closures are required for core extraction and testing along the BQE and for removal of plates and placement of asphalt for interim repairs, and are dependent on weather and field conditions. NYC DOT will continue to close the Pearl Street Ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge on weeknights from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. from April 22 to May 3.

The ramp closure is necessary for continued masonry repair on the walls of the approach arches, according to DOT.

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TRADER JOE’S RECALLS ORGANIC BASIL PRODUCT FOLLOWING SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

NATIONWIDE — A MULTISTATE OUTBREAK OF SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM INFECTIONS is prompting the recall of a popular organic basil product sold in Trader Joe’s Supermarkets throughout the East Coast and Midwest. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating illnesses linked to Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil packed in 2.5-oz clamshell packages that were sold at Trader Joe’s stores in New York, the tri-state area and across half the U.S. CDC reported that 12 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from seven states. Seven of eight cases reported exposure to fresh organic basil purchased from Trader Joe’s before becoming ill. Additionally, the FDA’s traceback data determined that Infinite Herbs, LLC, in Miami, FL, was the supplier of this particular product.

Trader Joe’s, responding to this investigation, has voluntarily removed all Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil packed in 2.5-oz clamshell packaging from their stores and this product should no longer be available for sale. Anyone who purchased it should return or discard the product.

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NY’S STATE PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES SYSTEM MARKS ITS CENTENNIAL

ALBANY — GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL ON THURSDAY CELEBRATED THE CENTENNIAL of the State Council of Parks being established on April 18, 1924. New York’s modern State Parks and Historic Sites system was created when Governor Alfred E. Smith and the State Legislature established the New York State Council of Parks. The creation of the Council was built on state actions begun in the late 19th Century to protect places of natural significance. In 1970, the year that Earth Day was launched, state legislation that created the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also upgraded the former Division of Parks into an independent agency known as the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation. There are currently two locations listed on the State Parks’ website: Shirley Chisholm State Park, at Fountain Avenue in East New York on the shoreline of Jamaica Bay, and Marsha P. Johnson State Park, at Kent Avenue and North 7th  Street in Williamsburg.

Landmarks across the state will be illuminated in Parks green and centennial gold and a special centennial flag will be raised at parks and historic sites across the state to commemorate the day.

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PEDESTRIAN DIES AFTER FALLING ON CURB, THEN BEING RUN OVER

FLATBUSH/EAST FLATBUSH — A RAISED RUBBER CURB used in traffic control contributed to the death of a 74-year-old woman on Tuesday, April 16. According to the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad, the elderly pedestrian was within the designated crosswalk at the intersection of New York Avenue and Ave. D. in East Flatbush when she tripped over the rubber curb on the center yellow double line, lost her balance and fell to the ground. A 28-year-old woman driving a 2023 Honda Accord simultaneously made a left turn onto eastbound Avenue D, running over the pedestrian who was lying in the roadway. The pedestrian, whom police have since identified as Pauline V. Paton of  Snyder Avenue, sustained severe head trauma and was transported to NYC Health and Hospital/Kings County, where she was pronounced dead.

The Honda’s driver was uninjured and remained on the scene. As of press time, no arrests had been made and the investigation remains ongoing.

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ASSEMBLY’S NOVAKHOV PROTESTS RUSSIAN DANCERS AT LINCOLN CENTER

BRIGHTON BEACH — ASSEMBLYMEMBER MICHAEL NOVAKHOV, WHOSE District 45 includes Brighton Beach, on Thursday authored a letter to the president of Lincoln Center expressing outrage at a Wednesday announcement that three ballet dancers from Russia’s Mariinsky Theater will participate in a youth ballet gala at the center on Friday night. Novhakov called the inclusion of representatives of the theater, which is headed by conductor Valery Gergiev, a strong ally of Russian President Putin, “totally unacceptable” in light of alleged fundraising and open support for the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine. Also signed by colleagues Alec Brook-Krasny and Lester Chang, the letter suggested that the late announcement was intended to soften protests against the dancers’ inclusion, citing a similar performance in South Korea that was halted after public outcry earlier this week; Novhakov also expressed concerns that the event could violate sanctions against Russia.  

“This seems to be a part of Putin’s latest propaganda campaign, using Russia’s top ballet performers to promote his fascist regime… I strongly believe that this performance by the Mariinsky Theater is totally inappropriate, and demand that Vladimir Putin’s representatives be prohibited from performing at New York’s iconic Lincoln Center,” Novhakov wrote.

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EARTH DAY FUN IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — CITY POINT AND ALBEE SQUARE WILL HOST twin parties celebrating Earth Day this weekend, with activities for families and adults to enjoy. Inside the mall, kids can build wind turbine sculptures and decorate turbine cookies at a wind energy-themed celebration presented by the Community Offshore Wind project. Outside on Albee Square Plaza, the Downtown Brooklyn Car-Free Earth Day bash will offer recycled craft workshops, dance and bike classes, eco-themed music performances and an Earth Day Wheel of Fortune giveaway on the Fulton Mall.

The Wind Party will take place inside City Point next to Rumi’s on Saturday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the Earth Day bash at Albee Square Plaza will take place from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with registration required for some events.

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO OPEN MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ADAMS AND NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS on Wednesday announced that 16 public school-based mental health clinics will open within the next six months, providing services to over 6,000 students across the Bronx and central Brooklyn. Offerings will include individual, family and group therapy, as well as connections to outpatient clinics and telehealth services. Teachers and school staff will also have access to consultation, training and workshops in student well-being, while schools will receive support in responding to student mental health crises, lightening the load on 911 resources and avoiding hospital visits; the clinics are funded by $3.6 million from the city, as well as $700,000 in grants from the state.

The Brooklyn schools chosen, identified as being in high need, are All City Leadership Secondary School, Brighter Choice Community School, Evergreen Middle School for Urban Exploration, Kappa V: Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy, MS K394, Parkside Preparatory Academy, PS 04, PS/IS 384, and the Brooklyn Green School. An additional 34 schools, for a total of 20,000 students, will have access to rapid referrals to city outpatient mental health clinics.

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COUNCIL VOTES FOR BRANNAN’S PILOT: PARKING LOT SOLAR CANOPIES

CITYWIDE — THE CITY COUNCIL ON THURSDAY VOTED IN FAVOR of a bill sponsored by Councilmember Justin Brannan establishing a pilot program for installing solar panel-equipped canopies and electric vehicle chargers in city-controlled parking lots, building on previous legislation aimed at expanding electric vehicle infrastructure. The program will see canopies installed over parking spaces in at least one lot per borough, selected for cost efficiency, as well as at least five electric vehicle chargers for each lot. After the conclusion of the pilot, the city will produce a report on the lots involved, analyze the financial soundness of the program, and recommend whether and how the program can be expanded and made permanent.

“My solar canopies bill will push our city to make new, inventive use of open spaces like parking lots in service of generating green energy. Electric cars will drive us to a sustainable future but we can’t expect drivers to make the switch from fossil fuel-powered to electric vehicles if our city is not built out to support them,” Brannan said in a press statement.

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CELEBRATE EARTH DAY WITH THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY

BROOKLYN – THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY’S BRANCHES ARE hosting a bevy of events this weekend for Earth Day: on Friday, April 19, the Brooklyn Heights branch will offer a notebook-making class for adults at 1 p.m. and the DeKalb Library will have a kids’ craft hour at 3:30 p.m., while on Saturday, April 20, the Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza will stage a “Climate Warriors” kids’ puppet show at 1 p.m. as well as a presentation by naturalist Lisa Nett at 2 p.m. The Flatbush Library will host a kids’ storytime and craft session at 11 a.m. On Monday, April 22 – Earth Day itself –  all ages can get their hands dirty at the Macon Library’s flower scavenger hunt at 3 p.m., while the Brownsville Library will hold a storytime and craft event at 3 p.m. The Saratoga Library will offer a DIY terrarium event for teens at 4 p.m., the Sunset Park branch will host a Lorax-inspired craft time at 4 p.m., and the Rugby Library will have kids’ crafts at 4 p.m. The Adams Street Library will close out the eco-celebrations on Tuesday, April 23 at 3:30 p.m. with the Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s traveling “Earth Rocks!” exhibit, offering a hands-on look at geology and a make-your-own fossil activity.

The East Flatbush Library, Bay Ridge Library and New Lots Library will all have eco-themed grab-and-go kits on April 22, while supplies last; a full listing of events can be found online on the BPL’s website.

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EARTH DAY AT SALT MARSH NATURE CENTER

MARINE PARK — MARINE PARK’S SALT MARSH NATURE CENTER is celebrating New York’s wetlands ecosystems this Sunday, April 21, for Earth Day, kicking things off with a marsh nature hike at noon with the urban park rangers, focused on its unique plants and animals, as well as on the history and significance of Earth Day. At 2 p.m., the Nature Center will host the Brooklyn Dance Ensemble for a performance inspired by the salt marsh and other natural environments, sponsored by the Salt Marsh Alliance.

The Alliance will also be hosting a garden-tending meetup from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 20.

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EARTH DAY AT THE WYCKOFF-BOND GARDEN

GOWANUS — THE WYCKOFF-BOND GARDEN IS HOSTING AN EARTH Day celebration this weekend: on Saturday, April 20. Kids can join a song-filled garden storytime presented by the Brooklyn Public Library’s Miss Sarah, while at 3 p.m. meditation teacher Kadam Kyle Davis will lead a meditation session; the Brooklyn Book Bodega will be giving kids’ books away from noon to 4 p.m., while garden members will be on hand to educate about composting and street tree care. On Sunday, April 21, visitors can catch musical performances by the Zakir Rothstein Quartet at 1 p.m., folk artist Victor V. Gurbo at 2:30 p.m. and singing aerialist ELee Pink at 4 p.m.

Members of the public can also find out information on how to become a member of the community garden at the Earth Day celebration.

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NEW RENDERINGS RELEASED FOR ‘GOWANUS GREEN’ MEGA-PROJECT

GOWANUS — GOWANUS GREEN PARTNERS RECENTLY RELEASED UPDATED RENDERINGS of “Gowanus Green,” the 5.8-acre mega-project along the Gowanus Canal consisting of roughly 955 units of housing, plus retail and community space, a site for a school, and a 1.5-acre public park. Designed by Marvel, the project will feature six residential buildings for a range of incomes, with half for low/very-low incomes, and roughly 40% for households with incomes averaging between 80% – 120% AMI, plus some for seniors earning under 60% AMI and households earning up to 130% AMI. (The 2023 AMI for the NYC region was $127,100 for a three-person family.)

While developers say Phase I of the controversial project is anticipated to begin construction in 2025, at a March 28 Gowanus Oversight Task Force meeting, DEC lawyer Patrick Foster noted that construction could be delayed, since National Grid is protesting a Jan. 19 letter from DEC and EPA requesting additional remedial work to clean up lingering toxins at the site, Red Hook Star Review reported. 

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