SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Recchia

The following is a press release sent yesterday from the offices of City Councilman Domenic Recchia:

The City Council passed legislation today renewing and improving upon the J-51 tax abatement and exemption program. Sponsored by Council Member Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., Chair of the City Council’s Finance Committee, the legislation builds upon the State Assembly’s property tax relief bill passed earlier this year, which extended the previously expired program, offering tax exemption and abatement for qualified homeowners who undertake renovation and development projects. Passed unanimously, the exemption will be retroactive from December 31, 2011 and will last until June 30, 2015.

“The J-51 program revitalizes our neighborhoods and communities by incentivizing apartment owners to rehabilitate and improve their buildings. It has been a great success in the past and I’m proud to sponsor its renewal and improvement now to ensure that we remain committed to the betterment and beautification of our City for the future,” said Council Member Recchia. “I’m grateful for Speaker Quinn’s leadership in moving this legislation forward.”

A 2012 report noted that over 580,000 New Yorkers have directly benefitted from J-51. With this extension, improvements will be made to the program, restricting eligibility to developers focused on creating or preserving affordable housing. These changes will allow the City will both cut costs and ensure that needed housing rehabilitation continues in the future.

The following is a press release from the offices of State Senator Marty Golden:

State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C-I) today has announced a series  of  new  measures  his  office  is  taking  to assist residents and business  owners  who  suffered  damage due to Superstorm Sandy.  Following last  week’s announcement from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, creating the New York  City  Build  It Back Grant program, Senator Golden is teaming up with both  Neighborhood Improvement Association and The Mayor’s Housing Recovery Office  in  order  to give direct assistance in with grant applications and helping to provide more detailed information.

Starting this week and continuing throughout the application period,  State Senator  Golden and the Neighborhood Improvement Association are sponsoring office  hours  at  2738 Gerritsen Avenue to assist residents in filling out the City’s new Sandy grant program application “Build it Back.”  The office will be open:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday from 2pm – 5pm
Tuesday from 2pm – 7pm

On  Sunday,  June  23rd,  from  12pm to 4pm, Senator Golden and the Mayor’s Housing  Recovery  Office  are  hosting  a  Forum at PS 277 located at 2529 Gerritsen  Avenue.   Multiple agencies will be answering questions on Sandy grants and issues.

“The reason why I ran for public office was to be a public servant. Helping my  constituents is the most important part of my job as State Senator, and to be able to provide those most in need following the storm is not only my responsibility, but the right thing to do,” said Senator Golden.  “I invite all  who  have  been  effected  by  Sandy to visit my office, or attend the forum, to get more information and fill out a grant application.”

For  more  information  on  both the Forum and help with grant applications please call 718-238-6044.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The following is a press release issued last week by the offices of Senator Charles Schumer.

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand today announced over $1 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for Superstorm Sandy-related repairs to street lighting along the Coney Island Boardwalk.

“Coney Island’s much-loved boardwalk was seriously damaged by Superstorm Sandy, including its lighting system,” said Schumer. “This federal funding will get the lights back on, just in time for summer, and make sure that New York City residents are not on the hook entirely for these expenses.”

“The iconic Coney Island boardwalk was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, with its street lighting completely destroyed,” Gillibrand said. “This necessary reimbursement is an important step as we continue to meet New York’s needs to recover and rebuild.”

FEMA will provide $1,220,599 in federal funding to the NYC Department of Transportation for the repairs of the street lighting system serving the Coney Island Boardwalk involving 122 ornamental light poles.

Source: Weinstein’s office

The following is a press release received yesterday from the offices of Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein:

For years now, Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein has been bringing MTA personnel and the MTA reduced-fare program to her District office at 3520 Nostrand Avenue on the 3rd Thursday of every month. During today’s visit, although MTA staff was on hand to process new and lost/damaged card applications, the reduced-fare program van broke down and those who came to refill cards or check balance were unable to do so.

In order to accommodate people who were inconvenienced, the MTA has arranged for the van to park in front of the Assemblywoman’s district office this Sunday, the 21st of April, from 11am to 2pm. In addition to being able to refill and check balances, those who missed today’s visit will also be able to file new card applications and register their cards lost or damaged.

For more info please call the Assemblywoman’s office at (718) 648-4700.

The following is a press release from the offices of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz. It was issued yesterday.

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) is pleased to announce that his district office has returned to its longtime home at 1800 Sheepshead Bay Road.

The office, which was destroyed along with most of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue by Sandy, moved back to the Bay today from its temporary location on Coney Island Avenue.

“As Sheepshead Bay continues its slow but steady recovery from Sandy, we’re pleased to be back among our neighbors and I invite constituents to come in and visit,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said.

The district office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Fridays until 5 p.m. The phone number is (718) 743-4078. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz may also be reached by email at cymbros@assembly.state.ny.us.

Source: Gregory Maizous

The following is a press release from the Health and Hospitals Corporation:

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation announced today that for the first time since Hurricane Sandy flooded its basement and first floor, causing substantial damage to its emergency department, Coney Island Hospital is again receiving ambulances for most types of cases through the City’s 911 service.

“The restoration of ambulance service brings us one step closer to our goal of restoring all services in the facility and re-establishing ourselves as the primary health care source in southern Brooklyn,” said Arthur Wagner, the hospital’s Executive Director.

“Since the storm, Coney Island has been systematically restoring services to help meet the healthcare needs of the community,” said Dr. John Maese, Chief Medical Officer. “We are delighted to again expand our much-needed services to the community and accept 911 ambulances.”

Ambulances began arriving at Coney Island on Wednesday, February 20. The hospital is accepting most types of 911 patients, including heart attacks and stroke cases. Trauma care and labor and delivery remain closed.

Repairs are ongoing at Coney Island, and its emergency department continues to function at a reduced capacity due to storm damage. However, the hospital’s Tower Building has re-opened along with most of its inpatient beds and imaging and laboratory services, and the hospital has for several weeks been admitting walk-in patients from its emergency department and patients from other HHC facilities.

It has inpatient adult psychiatric beds available, operating rooms, as well as medical/surgical and intensive care beds. All primary and specialty outpatient clinics are open, and have been operating a fleet of mobile medical vans providing primary care services and flu shots in parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island affected by Sandy.

The following is a press release from FEMA:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, at the request of the State of New York, has approved a 14-day extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allows eligible survivors from Hurricane Sandy who cannot return to their homes to stay in participating hotels or motels.

The new checkout date for those in the TSA program is Feb. 24, 2013. FEMA will call applicants eligible for the extension to notify them of the new checkout date.

The temporary Transitional Sheltering Assistance program allows eligible Hurricane Sandy survivors whose houses have been severely damaged or destroyed to stay in a hotel or motel for a limited time and have the cost of the room and taxes paid directly to the hotel by FEMA.

The extension was approved to help those applicants still eligible for the program to remain in hotels as FEMA and its state and local partners work to identify longer-term housing solutions. All TSA applicants currently staying in hotels will be evaluated for continued eligibility.

FEMA continues to work in coordination with state, local and voluntary agency partners to assist applicants through outreach and comprehensive casework to identify and transition them to more suitable temporary or long-term housing.

Meals, telephone calls and other incidental charges are not covered, and applicants are responsible for any lodging costs above the authorized allowance. The program does not reimburse previously incurred hotel expenses.

Photo by Maria Danalakis

The following is a press release from Coney Island Hospital, which was been rolling out services after being shuttered by Superstorm Sandy:

Coney Island Hospital (CIH) today announced the re-opening of its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food and nutrition program made possible with a $50,000 grant from Public Health Solutions (PHS) and the Robin Hood Foundation (RHF). The two WIC offices run by Coney Island Hospital have been closed since Hurricane Sandy, affecting 5,000 participants. The grant funding will establish a temporary new WIC office in the community to serve clients from the center that was located inside the hospital campus and is now undergoing repairs, and a second center that operated out of the Ida G. Israel Community Health Center, which is permanently closed.

The new WIC temporary offices are located at Luna Park Senior Center, 2880 West 12th Street, Room 4, Brooklyn, and are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The new site was chosen for its easy access to public transportation and proximity to the former Ida G. Israel Community Health Center. The grant will cover the rent of the temporary location, new office furniture, supplies, and clinical equipment. The Public Health Solutions and the Robin Hood Foundation are also supporting the Coney Island Hospital WIC staff with client and community outreach, as well as client coordination in the clinic.

“We are pleased to welcome back our WIC program clients – the women and children who depend on this vital food and nutrition assistance to keep their families healthy,” said Isabel Diaz, Director of WIC programs at Coney Island Hospital. “The opening of our temporary site at Luna Park, thanks to Public Health Solutions and the Robin Hood Foundation, is a huge comfort to our patients and a major step towards our recovery after Hurricane Sandy.”

“Public Health Solutions and its Neighborhood WIC program have been glad to be a part of Hurricane Sandy recovery work,” said Louise Cohen, Vice President, Public Health Programs at PHS. “We have had a great collaboration with the Coney Island Hospital WIC program as well as with New York State Department of Health WIC, to get this program up and running again to serve families in Coney Island. We are grateful to the Robin Hood Foundation for funding this recovery work.”

The WIC Program is federally funded special supplemental nutrition program that serves to safeguard the health of low-income, nutritionally at-risk Women, Infants and Children (to age 5).

The WIC program provides:

• Nutritious foods to supplement diets of WIC eligible participants
• Nutrition assessment and education on healthy eating and physical activity
• Breastfeeding support and counseling
• Referrals for health care and other social services

Photo by Lenny Markh

The following is a press release from the offices of Councilman Lew Fidler:

City Councilman Lew Fidler is proud to announce that the City Council unanimously voted, at their Stated Meeting yesterday, to approve his bill requiring gas stations to clearly display, on roadside signs, all of the prices they charge – no matter if a customer uses cash or credit.

Under State law, gas stations are not allowed to charge extra when customers choose to pay by credit card rather than cash. Yet, throughout the City, gas stations have skirted this by instead offering a ‘cash discount.’ Even worse, the roadside signs used by these gas stations often displayed only the cash price. The higher price for credit card purchases, which most of their customers were likely paying, was generally left off the sign entirely. Only the word ‘cash,’ sometimes hidden in tiny letters, was there to warn drivers that they might end up paying more.

“This is a loophole the size of a truck,” said Councilman Fidler. “You can call this a legal fiction or a distinction without a difference, but either way, New Yorkers just call it absurd. By the time you park your car next to the pump it’s too late to be told what the actual price you’ll be paying is. Gas is too expensive already for us to allow gimmicks and tricks to make it cost even more. Drivers need to know what the price is when they’re driving by, so they can decide where to take their business. It’s basic transparency and it’s basic consumer protection.”

Councilman Fidler’s bill will now require that all gas stations in the City of New York display all of the gas prices they charge, on required roadside signs. Stations that charge the same price for all forms of payment would only have to display the one price, while those that differentiate prices would have to post every one of their different prices. The bill also requires that clear lettering and wording be used for these prices, so drivers with only a second to glance at the signs can easily read them.

“This bill will give drivers the information they need,” Fidler said. “And, with information comes power – the power to be an informed shopper and, hopefully, the power to create some small measure of price competition between gas stations. If gas stations want to offer discounts they still can – but it has to be done openly and without hiding the price that most of their customers will be paying.”

Councilman Fidler expressed his thanks to Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Dan Garodnick, Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs, as well as to all of his Council colleagues for their support for his bill.

“Sometimes you get an opportunity to do something about a problem that just gnaws at the innards of New Yorkers. I know this was one of those for many of us and I am sure that we will be happier to see this bait and switch tactic vanish once and for all,” Councilman Fidler added.

The Mayor is expected to sign the bill next week, and it will take effect 120 days after being signed into law.

The following is a press release from the offices of Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz:

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn), Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, warned today that Governor Cuomo’s proposal to add ‘Quick Draw’ to 780 new locations statewide and lower the minimum age to 18 “will spell big trouble” without an increase in prevention and treatment programs for compulsive gambling.

“They don’t call it ‘video crack’ for nothing,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said of the fast-paced and highly addictive game. “The extra $25 million the state stands to gain from putting Quick Draw in convenience stores will mean a lot less if you end up with a whole new crop of addicts, especially 18- or 19-year-olds, who can’t extricate themselves from the bright lights and instant gratification of the machines.”

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz has been vocal about the state’s responsibility to address the “dark side” of gambling amid the Governor’s push to expand the industry’s visibility upstate with new gaming venues. In December 2012, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz presided over a public hearing that examined programs and services for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling and the potential impact of increased gambling on communities.

There are already an estimated one million New Yorkers who have been identified as problem gamblers, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said. Data compiled by the Research Institute on Addictions in Buffalo shows that problem gambling increases in frequency during the teen years and continues to rise, reaching its highest levels in the 20s and 30s. To Assemblyman Cymbrowitz, this is precisely the audience that will find Quick Draw machines so tempting.

“This isn’t Russian Roulette. If we’re going to increase gambling opportunities, we have to do it responsibly and with a commitment to address the potential dangers,” he said.