OneBrooklyn by Design2Pro

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

ONEBROOKLYN ONEBROOKLYN

A TOUGH COP...

THIS IS NOT A HOME Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office

Tens of Thousands of Homeless Children are Counting on Us

...A TENDER BOROUGH PRESIDENT

OneBrooklyn is published by Brooklyn Media Group, 9733 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209

POSTAL CUSTOMER BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL 209 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

Brooklyn, NY Permit No. 2350 U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PRSRT STD

FREE Legal Services for All Presented by Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams

at “The People’s House” Brooklyn Borough Hall 209 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 Housing Discrimination For Individuals with Disabilities

Veterans’ Issues

Second Friday of every month from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Partner: New York Lawyers for the Public Interest

Every Tuesday from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM - Housing - VA Claims - Beneﬁts - Discharge Upgrades Partner: Veteran Advocacy Project (Urban Justice Center)

Foreclosure Intervention and Prevention Second Wednesday of every month from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Partner: Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project Inc.

Domestic Violence Third Monday from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Housing Matters, Trusts and Estates, Elder Law, and Government Beneﬁts

Partner: Domestic Violence Project (Urban Justice Center)

Every second Thursday from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Family Law

- Advanced directives (power of attorney, health care proxies) - Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, and Social Security Disability Partner: Brooklyn Legal Services

Wednesdays from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM - Custody - Visitation - Child Support Partner: LIFT (Legal Information for Families Today)

Please call (718) 802-3777 to make an appointment for this FREE legal service. Appointments are required.

Eric L. Adams

Brooklyn Borough President TRANSPORTATION TO BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

BUSES: B25, B26, B38, B41, B52, and B103 Brooklyn Borough Hall is ADA-accessible and breastfeeding-friendly

Eric Adams

@BPEricAdams

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

MESSAGE FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT ADAMS

“LET’S GET INVOLVED.”

When Mayor de Blasio released his plans to open more than 90 homeless shelters, it sent shockwaves throughout the city. Frankly, I felt that shock. Immediately after his announcement, many residents from the communities of Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts-Gardens came out to an emergency meeting in order to voice their outrage over another shelter being placed in their area. I shared that concern. When I was a state senator representing the area, I actively fought to ensure the burden of homeless shelters would be carried by all communities. A short time after the meeting, I received a call from a woman who told me that throughout her life she had been on the verge of homelessness move in front of throughout her life. She talked about her son keeping a bag of clothing near his bed out of fear that the City marshal would come during the middle of the night to throw them out of their home and he would lack clothing to wear to school. She expressed to me the challenges of not having a home and the traumatizing fear that comes with it. It was her belief that the trauma is compounded when homeless people hear their former neighbors state that they don’t want them around. After hanging up the phone with that woman – my mother Dorothy – I was reminded how much a mom can give you the proper perspective on life. Her phone call, and her recollection of how I kept a bag of clothing by my bed, brought the homeless fight full circle for me. It brought up old feelings of being teased at school for wearing clothing that was too big, or having to use Tide laundry detergent to bathe because we couldn’t afford to buy fancy bar soap. It also made me reflect on the role that the Salvation Army and other community groups played in assisting our family with making it through those challenging years. I got the message from my mother loud and clear. Although I still believe that the City should have opened the first of its new shelters in communities that don’t currently have any, my mom has assisted me in amending my thinking on this issue. As a former police officer, I have long advocated that it is not only the job of the NYPD to make our communities safe. I have also stated that it is not solely the role of ACS to fight child abuse. The community at large must do its share in these important initiatives. This also is true for the homeless issue. City Hall has its part to play, but we, the community, are also charged with a critical role. We must come up with a supportive plan, and throwing a “rock” of disagreement is not a plan. The elder who was forced out of her home due to increased rents, and in some cases bad-acting landlords, was the woman who used to babysit our children. The unemployed male who stands on the corner at Bedford and Atlantic avenues was the same child that once played Little League baseball alongside us. The woman with three children who can’t find a landlord to take her Section 8 voucher was once the Photo Credit: Yamilky Crisostomo/Brooklyn BP’s Office cute little girl with ribbons in her hair who attended our Borough President Adams addressed an audience gathered inside Kings Theatre in Flatbush for Counchurch service. These are not strangers in our midst; cil Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s State of the City address. these are our brothers and sisters who have fallen on hard times. I want to use this as a moment to change the conversation on homelessness. Instead of saying “we don’t want them here,” I want to move toward “adopting” shelters. My call is for people of faith to invite homeless families to our houses of worship. High school and college students can show shelter residents how to fill out the forms to get their Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, and other documents needed for education and employment. Block associations and civic groups can embrace these sites and help integrate them into the activities of an inviting community. Those of us who have professional skills can assist and instruct. For our way-too-large population of homeless children, we can provide tutoring services so they can be ready for college. Our neighbors who have fallen on hard times can use basic sanitary items, such as feminine hygiene products, soaps, and undergarments; when we go shopping for ourselves, how about adding an extra item for someone in need? Brooklyn Borough Hall will be gathering local stakeholders to talk about how we can come together and have a community response to homelessness. The goal is not to replace the Mayor’s plan, but to complement it in the same manner that we have successfully addressed crime in our city. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel: sites like The Kensington, a temporary family homeless shelter on McDonald Avenue, exemplifies the shared benefit that can arise from community engagement and support. We are a safer city because everyday people stood up and said, “Let’s get involved.” People did this for my family as a child and, as my mother reminded me, I must do it for others as an adult.

BROOKLYN AND BEYOND

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams took a fighter’s stance in the Rotunda of BrookPhoto Caption: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office lyn Borough Hall alongside staff from Champions Sports Center in Brighton Borough President Adams surveyed the Red Hook Container Terminal on a Beach, including former world karate champion Sensei Meral Olmez (left), af- tour he took as part of his ongoing efforts to advance economic development ter he received an honorary black belt for his support of young athletes. along Brooklyn’s working waterfront.

BROOKLYN AND BEYOND With Borough President Adams

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams held a rally with City University of New York (CUNY) student leaders outside the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Courthouse in Downtown Brooklyn in support of Saira Rafiee, a Prospect-Lefferts Gardens resiPhoto Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office dent enrolled at the CUNY Graduate Center who was denied reentry into the Borough President Adams gave a friendly greeting to a lion dancer performing United States due to President Donald J. Trump’s executive order banning the at his Lunar New Year celebration in the Rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall. migration of citizens from several Muslim-majority countries.

Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams rallied against hate with hundreds of concerned Brooklynites inside Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn Heights following the painting of swastikas on playground equipment.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams held up a keyboard with missing keys inside the computer lab at MS 577 Conselyea Preparatory School in Williamsburg, emblematic of the findings in his report that he released during Computer Science Education Week that graded the technology capabilities of Brooklyn schools.

E H IT OK C S O LI R BR B U EF S P IV LO N A IO

AMBULATORY CARE CALL CENTER (718) 270-8270

SUNY Downstate Medical Center

H N LT A Y LY

E NT U PI SS T Y S E A R O O F H O UT R D LA P AU E B R YN R G AM CAKL

FIND A PHYSICIAN (888) 270-SUNY www.downstate.edu/find-a-physician.html

Brooklyn’s Only Academic Medical Center

More New York City physicians have graduated from Downstate than from any other medical school. We offer a full array of services, with 17 clinical departments and over 150 specialties and subspecialties,and provide care to over 300,000 patients annually. Some of Our Areas of Expertise:

• Advanced Endoscopy • Allergy & Immunology • Alzheimer's Disease/Memory Disorders • Anesthesiology & Subspecialties • Cardiovascular Medicine • Dermatology • Dialysis Center (Adult & Pediatric) • Emergency Medicine • Endocrinology/Metabolism/Diabetes • Epilepsy Center • Family Medicine • Digestive Disease Center • Geriatric Medicine • Hematology & Oncology • Infectious Diseases/HIV Center • Interventional Pain Management • Laser Vision Correction Center • Minimally Invasive Surgery • Neurology • Obstetrics & Gynecology • Ophthalmology • Orthopaedics • Otolaryngology • Pathology • Pediatrics & Pediatric Subspecialties • Primary Care • Psychiatry • Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine • Radiation Oncology • Radiology • Rehabilitation Medicine/Physiatry • Renal Diseases • Rheumatology • Sleep Disorders Center • Sports Medicine • Stroke Center • Surgery • Transplantation • Urology & Male Fertility

University Hospital of Brooklyn 445 Lenox Road Brooklyn, NY 11203 Phone (718) 270-1000 SUNY Downstate Bay Ridge 9036 7th Avenue @ 92nd Street Brooklyn, NY 11228 Phone (718) 567-1234 Please visit our website for details about our many satellite locations throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. www.downstate.edu

SUNY Downstate Bay Ridge features: • Urgent Care Center 10am - 9pm / 365 days a year / no appt. necessary

• Ambulatory Surgery Center • Endoscopy • Laser Vision Correction Center • Medical Specialty Offices • Onsite Lab & Diagnostic Radiology

FINANCIAL EDUCATION: DOLLARS AND $EN$E

ERIC L. ADAMS Brooklyn Borough President

BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ERIC L. ADAMS and THE FINANCIAL EDUCATION EMPOWERMENT PARTNERS INVITE YOU TO WORKSHOPS AIMED AT REDUCING CONSUMER DEBT

DOLLARS AND $EN$E Wednesday, April 5, 2017 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Financial Planning and Budgeting Wednesday, April 12, 2017 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Credit, Credit Cards, and Credit Reporting Wednesday, April 19, 2017 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Home Ownership and Affordable Rental All workshops take place at Brooklyn Borough Hall RSVP at: brooklyn-usa.org/2017fe For questions, email programs@brooklynbp.nyc.gov or call (718) 802-3717 TRANSPORTATION TO BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

BUSES: B25, B26, B38, B41, B52, and B103 Brooklyn Borough Hall is ADA-accessible and breastfeeding-friendly

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG Eric Adams

@BPEricAdams @BPEricAdams

Complete access. Complete control. Complete Banking.

Complete Banking gives you even more freedom and time to do the things you love. Plus, get up to $200 when you open a new Complete Checking Plus account.*

earn interest

Complete Checking Plus.

ATM fee rebates mobile check deposit

Visit one of our convenient Brooklyn locations today. 1402 Avenue J Brooklyn, NY 11230 718.951.6105

217 Havemeyer Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 347.382.7740

4616 13th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 347.410.8068

7106 3rd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11209 718.836.8088

186 Montague Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 718.855.3555

For more information, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or go to www.FlushingBank.com. *New Complete Checking Plus account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. This offer is limited to one Complete Checking Plus account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new Complete Checking Plus account is $100. No minimum balance required to be eligible for the Bonus. Direct Deposit – You will receive $100 for signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 90 days after the account is opened. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $50 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments – You will receive $50 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Debit Card Purchases and Online Bill-payments must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $200. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about the end of the month following the completion of the above qualifying transactions within the required time after account opening. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. All offers are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark

BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

Community Board Q & A

Borough President Adams fulfills an essential role in the most local representative bodies of government in Brooklyn, appointing members to the 18 community boards that are responsible for addressing community concerns, assessing neighborhood needs, and helping to manage land use issues. Working in partnership, they tackle many of the obstacles and opportunities facing Brooklynites. Below are some questions that Borough President Adams posed to leadership from Community Boards (CBs) 3 and 16, with the answers provided by CB 3 District Manager Henry Butler and CB 16 Chair Genese Morgan, respectively (future issues will explore additional CBs). CB 3 BP: Access to gifted and talented education has long been an issue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, with the first programs only arriving in local schools this year. In what ways should these efforts be expanded or improved to ensure as many qualified students as possible are able to receive these opportunities? CB: The gifted and talented program should be expanded to kindergarten and junior high school. We have to make sure that the teachers in all the classes are certified. We must also make sure our school buildings are career technical education ready. The New York City Department of Education (DOE) must have a marketing plan to promote the new gifted and talented program in the district. BP: Bedford-Stuyvesant has some of the highest rates of diabetes and obesity citywide, as well as associated challenges with access to fresh produce. How can the public and private sector work together to increase the availability of healthy food options? CB: It is true we have high rates of diabetes and obesity, but I disagree with the reason given. It has more to do with individual decisions made by people when it comes to the foods they choose to eat. Another reason is household incomes. I disagree with the idea that Bedford-Stuyvesant is a food desert when it comes to healthy food choices. DOE and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) should put resources in their budgets to promote healthy living but use community-based organizations in the district to spread the word. BP: CB 3 has a long and storied artistic legacy, with a variety of individuals and institutions making immeasurable impacts locally and globally. As the community evolves, what investments should be prioritized to preserve this cultural history? CB: The renovation of the Billie Holiday Theater is almost completed and long overdue. We are still waiting for

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams and Deputy Borough President Reyna joined Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation President and CEO Colvin W. Grannum (right), as well as its Center of Arts & Culture’s Executive Director Dr. Indira Etwaroo, in viewing an artifact at the historic Billie Holiday Theater in Bedford-Stuyvesant; they gathered in celebration of the $200,000 that Borough President Adams invested for the venue’s first-ever major renovation. velopments and what should be the top funding priority? CB: Public housing is housing in the simplest term, and many developments in the neighborhood continue to experience challenges with decaying infrastructure due to aging of the buildings. Funding priorities should include updating public housing buildings and infrastructure, installing proper garbage disposal areas, as well as including intergenerational resident education to inform residents of ways in which they can assist with maintaining the grounds and buildings. Furthermore, safety due to gang affiliation continues to incite public concern and lead to resident disengagement. FundPhoto Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office ing to ensure adequate public safety is Borough President Adams led former Democratic presidential candidate Ber- important and should include both law nie Sanders on a tour of Howard Houses in Brownsville to draw greater na- enforcement and resident employment tional attention to the neighborhood; they were joined by local leaders such as to encourage residents to help keep the Council Members Ritchie Torres (center-left) and Jumaane D. Williams (right). neighborhood safe. the New York City Department of Parks ucation in Brooklyn Community District BP: Unreliable or low-quality In& Recreation (NYC Parks) to start reno- 16 (CD 16) compared to other districts ternet access is seen as a barrier to vation on the Herbert Von King Cultural in the borough and city. We solve the progress for many CB 16 residents and Arts Center’s theater. This theater can disconnect by consistently conducting businesses. What obstacles and opporbe a vehicle for all of our district’s artis- targeted outreach to parents to better tunities do you see locally to addressing tic children to realize their full potential. understand the household composition this infrastructure issue? We need to form a relationship between and needs of families that might affect CB: One of the biggest obstacles in CD the local public schools and the the- their decision on where to enroll a pre-k 16 is that there is a lack of options for caraters. When you invest into the arts, you aged child. As we improve our commu- riers, and residents and businesses are are investing in a community’s future. nication, quality of education, and coor- unwilling to invest in service expansions CB 16 dination of our community resources with carriers that are not capable of deBP: There are a significant number such as after-school and/or extended- livering sufficient bandwidth. Internet acof open seats in CB 16 for early child- day programs, parents will see an in- cess is now an economic motivator when hood development programs and pre-k creased benefit to enrolling their chil- deciding where residents spend their time classes. How do we solve the disconnect dren in pre-k programs in CD 16. and money to additional carriers. Investand best reach local families in need of BP: Brownsville has the highest ment into infrastructure and equipment these services? concentration of public housing in the that give residents the same options as CB: It’s important that parents feel United States. What common issues do other communities is important to our that their children can get the same ed- you see across the neighborhood’s de- quality of life and local economy.

SMART CHOICE

•

MORE THAN

66 percent

FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATES ATTEND

JANELLE WALKER HER STORY A top math student in Jamaica, Walker enrolled in Medgar Evers College when she arrived in the U.S. in 2013 and expects to graduate in December 2016. Nominated by her professor for the National Alliance for Doctoral Students in Mathematical Sciences, she is at Harvard’s School of Public Health this summer for a program in Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Epidemiology, using applied mathematics.

AWARD 2016 Field of Dreams Scholar.

GOAL To use mathematics to solve disease and other problems confronting science.

very year, hundreds of thousands of students choose The City University of New York for a multitude of reasons that can be summed up as one: opportunity. Providing a quality, accessible education regardless of background or means has been CUNY’s mission since 1847. The University’s unwavering commitment to that principle is a source of enormous pride. CUNY colleges offer a seemingly infinite array of academic programs taught by award-winning faculty, as well as the arts, sports, internships, scholarships and community service opportunities. The powerful combination of quality academics, remarkable affordability, financial support and the convenience of 24 modern campuses spanning the five boroughs of New York – the most exciting city in the world – makes CUNY a singular value in higher education today. The wise choice for smart students: That’s the CUNY Value.

— James B. Milliken CHANCELLOR

cuny.edu/value

TUITIONFREE • •

8 10 in

GRADUATE

DEBTFREE •

10 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

Building By Faith Two issues close to Borough President Adams’ heart are expanding affordable housing and ensuring the vitality of Brooklyn’s religious institutions. Thousands of Brooklynites struggle to pay rent amid the increasing cost of living and the challenging housing market for low-income individuals and families. Locating adequate land to build this much-needed housing is no easy feat. At the same time, houses of worship feel financially squeezed, as they work to attract and retain worshippers while providing the necessary services that their local communities need. In an innovative public-private partnership, Borough President Adams has established the Faith-Based Development Initiative, which aims to spearhead the construction of affordable housing on underutilized land owned by religious organizations across Brooklyn. The effort focuses on opportunities such as a church partnering with a developer to build low-income apartments on its land under existing development rights. This creates new affordable homes for parishioners and local community members, and establishes funds for houses of worship to use for missions like expanding a food pantry or hosting senior activities. Borough President

Adams has convened faith leaders at Brooklyn Borough Hall for various forums and workshops to have them learn from industry experts about how they could work with the City to develop affordable housing and generate revenue for their institutions. “We want to stop the hemorrhaging of affordable housing in Brooklyn,” said Borough President Adams. “Our dollars will go a long way when we partner with local organizations and developers.” Borough President Adams announced the first $1 million allocated to this initiative in October 2016 at Calvary Community Church in Crown Heights, which will build 154 affordable units for low-income seniors and middle-class families, working in partnership with a regional non-profit group as well as a local developer. The project will also include 11,000 square feet of groundfloor retail space and a 17,000 squarefoot multi-use community facility to be operated by the church. The funds from his Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) capital budget also supported the creation of Ebenezer Plaza, a 481-unit mixeduse affordable housing development in Brownsville. The project, located on vacant land owned by the Church of God of East Flatbush and inclusive of

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams presented honorary checks in the lot of Calvary Community Church in Crown Heights as he unveiled his affordable housing capital budget for FY17. new ground-floor retail space as well involvement. as sanctuary space for the existing con“This is the first time I have used the gregation, will ensure that 100 percent ULURP process to advance this initiaof all units will comprise renters under tive, and I am excited to do so in a com60 percent of area median income (AMI). munity like Ocean Hill,” said Borough “What we believe is that the people President Adams. “This project promwho lived here before Starbucks came ises to create critically-needed housing in should be able to stay and buy one af- for dozens of our very low- and lowter it comes in,” said Borough President income neighbors, including formerly Adams. homeless veterans.” Borough President Adams’ FaithTo date, Borough President Adams Based Development Initiative has also has identified more than 2,700 tax lots been advanced through his role in the across Brooklyn associated with houses Uniform Land Use Review Procedure of worship, with hundreds estimated (ULURP). This March, responding to a to have corresponding property rights land use application in Ocean Hill, he that may align with this initiative. He has called for zoning map amendments ‘faith’ that the early success of the prothat would facilitate construction of gram will lead to more community-oria mixed-use residential building with ented opportunities in the near future, 67 affordable housing units and new creating hundreds of additional affordchurch space on the site of the existing able housing units. True Holy Church. This development is “It is my mission to ensure Brooklyn proposed to meet Passive House de- remains a place where everyone can afsign and sustainability standards and ford to call it home,” said Borough Presiinclude significant minority- and wom- dent Adams. “I hope this initiative sets en-owned business enterprise (MWBE) the standard for the whole city.”

Bank Anywhere You See NYCB! For more information, call (877) 786-6560 or visit myNYCB.com Equal Opportunity Lender

All services not available at all locations.

TECHNOLOGY

WHERE

CAN

TAKE

YOU? NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

CITY TECH

City Tech (New York City College of Technology) is the largest public college of technology in the Northeast and ranked #1 in the nation in producing the highest paid associate-degree earning graduates (PayScale.com).

718.260.5500

WWW.CITYTECH.CUNY.EDU

12 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

BROOKLYN:

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

Tops in Civic Tech!

Winning NYC BigApps is no small feat; just ask the hundreds of academics, designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and New Yorkers at large who have competed with technology solutions to some of the city’s greatest civic challenges. Two of the biggest recent winners hail from Brooklyn, and Borough President Adams has taken notice, plugging their civic tech innovations into his agenda for better connected communities. In 2014, Heat Seek NYC was awarded top prize by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in their competition’s Live and Best Connected Device Categories for their solution to remotely track the temperature in homes during the winter months. Their technology, using sensor hardware and web applications, helps ensure that heat levels in apartments fall within the legal range, while providing data-based evidence to verify heating code abuse claims in housing court. Borough President Adams first forged connections back in 2014 between this locally-based non-profit and a number of properties managed by good-acting landlords such as Fifth Avenue Committee, which agreed to use Heat Seek NYC on a proactive monitoring basis. Last December, as part of his larger focus on combating tenant harassment, he detailed $5,000 in new funding his office has allocated to build additional monitoring hardware at several buildings across the borough. This included 178 Rockaway Parkway in Brownsville, where sensor data served as the basis for a lawsuit by tenants due to the landlord’s failure to provide adequate heat. “My message to landlords across Brooklyn is that we’re watching; don’t harm your tenants’ quality of life all because of greed,” said Borough President Adams. “We are using cool technology to warm the homes of Brooklynites, while putting bad-acting landlords on the hot seat for their harassing behavior.” The buildings selected for the expansion of this partnership were chosen through a combination of variables, including the number of 311 complaints, community input to identify bad actors, and an analysis of the 200 landlords not currently enrolled in the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)’s Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP). Borough President Adams explained that he is only identifying 178 Rockaway Parkway as a recipient in order to put all landlords in the borough “on notice.” Going forward, he announced he is working with the City Council on legislative action to expand the utilization of heat sensors to combat tenant harassment, as well as with New York City Housing Court to train judges on how to interpret data collected by these monitors. “Heat Seek is grateful for the support of Borough President Adams, and is excited to partner with his office and community advocates throughout the borough to target landlords who abuse their tenants by withholding heat,” said Noelle Francois, executive director of Heat Seek NYC. “With Borough President Adams’ support, we’re eager to build on this work and get more sensors where they’re needed most in our city.” In January, Borough President Adams rolled out a

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Holding up a heat sensor deployed by Heat Seek NYC, Borough President Adams joined impacted tenants and housing lawyers outside 178 Rockaway Parkway in Brownsville as they announced a lawsuit based on data from an expanding technology partnership to monitor heating-related harassment in Brooklyn apartment buildings. such as one’s name or Social Security number. “More energy has been put into the soundbite of saying the benefits are available than the sound policy of connecting the people who are in need with the benefits they can receive,” said Borough President Adams. “Many people in need don’t know how to go about addressing those needs, and that’s what Benefit Kitchen does. When it comes to helping the working poor and others in need, we can now say, ‘There’s an app for that!’” Resources that Benefit Kitchen screens for include Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid eligibility and copay; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) eligibilPhoto Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office ity and copay; school- or state-based child care eligiBorough President Adams spoke with Melanie bility and copay; Headstart and school meals eligibility; Lavelle, co-creator of Benefit Kitchen, as they HEAP and Lifeline eligibility, and tax credits such as the screened local families at St. John’s Bread and Life, child care tax credit (CCTC), child tax credit (CTC), and a food pantry in Bedford-Stuyvesant that is one of a earned income tax credit (EITC). Borough President Adnumber of locations where less tech-savvy Brook- ams has allotted a $5,000 grant to support trainings on lynites will be able to get assistance through their the platform across the borough, as well as bringing partnership; in the background is a screenshot of screenings to his office’s Constituent Assistance Centhe financial literacy tool. ter (CAC), community board offices, child care centers, partnership with another NYC BigApps champ, focused schools, senior centers, and social service agencies. on the challenge of ensuring Brooklynites receive the “As a working mom without benefits living in Brookresources that are continually ‘left on the table’ due lyn, I know the fear of not being able to provide housto gaps in access and information. Benefit Kitchen, a ing, food, child care, and health insurance for your famfinancial literacy tool that uses state-of-the-art algo- ily,” said Melanie Lavelle, co-creator of Benefit Kitchen. rithms to determine the eligibility and estimated dol- “We created Benefit Kitchen to simplify the rules of lar amounts for more than a dozen federal, state, and these complex systems and give families a chance to local benefits, won the contest’s Civic Engagement plan their own financial futures.” Challenge in 2015. To date, the app has identified an So, got a big idea in civic tech? Try designing a bigaverage of $13,000 per household in annual benefits, time app — you might make it big at Brooklyn Borough without asking any personally identifiable information Hall!

BROOKLYN NEWS

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

There’s A Map(p) For That

Maps show us where we are and where we need to go. In Brooklyn Borough Hall’s Topography Bureau, known affectionately in-house as “Topo,” tens of thousands of maps serve as a direct link to our past and bring history to life. The New York City Charter mandates that each of the five borough presidents maintain a topographical bureau and borough engineer. Topo’s primary function is maintaining the official borough map for street improvements. Additionally, if an alteration is made by the City Planning Commission’s ULURP (Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure) mappings, Topo is required to review the map change to ensure that it conforms to office standards. In fact, if you’ve ever wondered how Brooklyn’s buildings and homes acquired their addresses; how its avenues, streets, and various thoroughfares got their names; or what on Earth ever happened to Avenue G or Avenue Q — those are all functions of Topo, too. “Maps are serious business at Brooklyn Borough Hall,” said Borough President Adams. “Every sidewalk and street you walk on, every address that you pass in your daily travels, every backyard you toss a football around in —

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams checked out a couple of maps within the vast collection housed in Brooklyn Borough Hall’s Topographical Bureau. there is not a single inch of our borough that Topo has not carefully examined and surveyed.” In addition to helping 400-500 constituents each month, including architects, businesses, homeowners, surveyors, and tenants, Borough President Adams’ Topo has charted some new territory, so to speak. The office has verified more than 150 Build It Back applications for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency (ORR) to rebuild homes decimated by Superstorm Sandy in Brighton Beach, Canarsie, Co-

ney Island, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sea Gate, and Sheepshead Bay. It has de-mapped and re-mapped Coney Island streets in order to create new parkland for the famed amusement district, and it has advanced waterfront access in Greenpoint through new mapping. Its work has helped make possible herculean efforts such as the expansion of Bushwick Inlet Park, which Borough President Adams was key in championing alongside community advocates. Borough President Adams, an enthusiastic champion of the digital age,

decided at the onset of his administration that he would catapult the archaic maps of Topo into the 21st century by digitizing each one while preserving our borough’s unique and storied history. For a bureau that oversees more than 30,000 cartographic records dating back prior to the onset of the Civil War, this was no small feat, but one in which he and his dedicated Topo team saw through to completion. This project is continually updated as the number of maps increase due to the ever-changing vicissitudes of the official City map. Topo has also branched out into fields of education. Since 2014, Topo has been working with students from the Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, teaching them how to read maps and, with staff supervision, update them accordingly. Borough President Adams instituted the internship program as an opportunity to create new career paths for local youth, providing them with invaluable access to tools in fields such as construction and engineering. Topo is where all of Brooklyn’s roads — and maps — lead, figuratively speaking. Its office hours are Mondays to Fridays from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

Banking for insomniacs. Live Customer Service 24/7 at Kate’s Most Convenient Bank. Stop by one of our convenient locations in Brooklyn today, visit us at tdbank.com or call 1-888-751-9000.

14 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

WELLNESS at WORK

The battle against diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses has grown into a public health crisis in Brooklyn. There are hundreds of thousands of people in the borough struggling with diseases that can be averted or reversed with shifts in the way we look at food and physical activity. “More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and one in four do not even know it; I was one of them,” said Borough President Adams. “Diabetes can have a devastating impact on your body and can lead to blindness, heart disorder, kidney failure, limb amputation, and possible dialysis.” Borough President Adams understands both how difficult it is to receive life-endangering news and how to look at it as an opportunity for self-reflection and positive change. In response to his own Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, Borough President Adams completely transformed his diet by becoming a vegan, bolstering his exercise routine, and beginning a journey toward better holistic health. His office refrigerator is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, with which he prepares meals during the workday, and he frequently uses a stationary bike or a mini-stepper to keep up his heart rate while conducting business. One year later, his diagnosis has been reversed and he has lost 30 pounds in the process. “After I learned of my diagnosis, I changed my eating habits to include fresh produce, and I eliminated processed foods and sugar,” said Borough President Adams. “I have never felt better and am now in more control of my health. Brooklynites also have the power to control their wellness, at home and in the workplace.” With that spirit, Borough President Adams capped American Heart Month in February with the launch of the Brooklyn Healthy Workplace Challenge in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA), aimed at changing the dietary and exercise habits at businesses across the borough. Both Borough President Adams and the AHA have recognized the important role that the environments in which Brooklynites live, work, study, play, and pray impact their health. By addressing these settings directly, their shared mission of the Brooklyn Healthy Workplace Challenge is to make the healthy choice the default choice through a “culture of health,” starting with the food and beverage options inside and outside of one’s place of employment. “To make the necessary changes in our daily lives, we need to look at the little things that we do every day to make

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams launched the Brooklyn Healthy Workplace Challenge in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA), aimed at changing the dietary and exercise habits at businesses across the borough; the announcement took place in the Brooklyn Navy Yard at 1776, a global innovation network and startup incubator participating in the challenge.

Workplace Wellness Tips from BP Adams • • • • • •

Bike or walk to and/or from work, preferably with a group. Dedicate part of your work break to light exercise, or utilize a ministepper while working. Improve vending machine beverage choices by reducing the number of sugar-sweetened drinks, providing milk alternatives, and plenty of water. Offer at least one fruit or vegetable with every meal. Serve whole-grain starches and foods prepared through healthier cooking methods than frying. Use a standing desk; a do-it-yourself version could involve items such as a converted music stand.

a difference in our health,” said Borough President Adams. “A large part of daily life is spent at work, and the things we eat at work shape our dietary habits at home.” Putting words to action, Borough President Adams implemented a new food policy at Brooklyn Borough Hall last year, encouraging outside organizations that utilize the People’s House and provide food for their events to use rec-

ommended guidelines for healthier options. He has also stripped the building’s beverage machine of sugary drinks and the snack machine of unnaturally sweetened or deep-fried products. Now, the offerings include diet soda, dried fruit, nuts, protein bars, sparkling water, and whole-grain baked potato chips. Borough President Adams is encouraging businesses across Brooklyn to implement similar practices, which can

earn them points through the Brooklyn Healthy Workplace Challenge. Companies can earn a Bronze Heart, Silver Heart, or Golden Heart designation through their progress. Participants in this initiative include 1776, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, DUMBO Business Improvement District (BID), Forest City Ratner Companies, IMPACCT Brooklyn, Industry City, Motivate, and the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID. Businesses interested in participating in the Brooklyn Healthy Workplace Challenge can register at heart.org/ foodwhereur. For the 2017-2018 edition of the challenge, the deadline to register is Friday, September 1st. Borough President Adams and AHA will announce the winners at next year’s launch during American Heart Month in February. “I ask you to join me as we make Brooklyn the healthiest borough to work in, a model for our entire nation and its workforce,” said Borough President Adams. “Together, we can improve Brooklyn’s health and wellness.”

16 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

OPERATION C.A.R.E.

“Nothing can be more basic to the function of a society than protecting the welfare of its most vulnerable, our children. We have no future if our children can’t see tomorrow.” Those words from Borough President Adams came following a number of shocking cases of child abuse last year that shook the foundations of the child protection system in New York City. Three-year-old Jaden Jordan of Gravesend was allegedly found not breathing, badly beaten, and covered in feces; he suffered a severe brain injury and was taken in a comatose state to New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia where he later died from his injuries. A few months before, Zymere Perkins, a six-year-old from Harlem, suffered similar abuse and subsequently died from a fatal beating allegedly by his mother and her boyfriend. Four children died at the hands of abuse this past January alone. Borough President Adams believes that combatting child abuse requires us to invest time and resources in community engagement, utilizing the expertise, resources, and trust of faith-based organizations, social workers, nuclear and extended families, friends, schoolteachers, and all other members of the community who interact with children. With this philosophy in mind, he launched Operation C.A.R.E. (Child Abuse Response and Engagement) last December alongside Ama Dwimoh, Esq., former chief and founder of the Crimes Against Children Bureau in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. This multilingual outreach campaign educates and empowers residents across Brooklyn on identifying signs of child abuse and neglect in their communities. Trainings are presented by Ms. Dwimoh, who currently serves as special counsel to Borough President Adams, at civic organizations, houses of worship, schools, and senior centers across Brooklyn. “We are bringing an expert eye, ear, and voice to the crisis of child abuse, and we will educate and empower as many Brooklynites and New Yorkers as we can to be effective community guardians of our children,” said Borough President Adams. “Child welfare can never be the sole responsibility of one person, one organization, one agency. Every single one of us needs to look inward. I am responsible. You are responsible. We are responsible. We are all part of C.A.R.E.” According to the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), between July and September of 2016, there were 10,056 total reports to the New York State Central Register (SCR) of suspected child abuse and/or neglect citywide. Brooklyn had 3,042 re-

Signs of Child Abuse • • • • • • • • • • • • • Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and his special counsel Ama Dwimoh, Esq., founder and former chief of the Crimes Against Children Bureau in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, presented the logo for Operation C.A.R.E. (Child Abuse Response and Engagement) inside Brooklyn Borough Hall. ports during that period, 30 percent of the total figure. At least one-third of the reports had one prior complaint connected to them. Operation C.A.R.E. has received the support of advocates of child abuse survivors, including Safe Horizon, along with Social Services Employees Union (SSEU) Local 371, which represents ACS workers. In recent weeks, the program has been featured at houses of worship across Brooklyn about recognizing and responding to child abuse. For instance, Ms. Dwimoh delivered a presentation at the International Conference of ChabadLubavitch Shluchos, an annual gathering attended by 4,500 Jewish female community leaders from 91 countries – a first-of-its-kind address for this assembly. “We, each and every one of us, has a call to action; the action is we must remain vigilant in protecting our children,” said Ms. Dwimoh. “Children have to come first; there’s no second, third, or fourth. We’ve got children who are living in home-grown terrorism within their homes, where they sleep at night.” Borough President Adams urges all Brooklynites to be vigilant and take heed of the resources available to report child abuse cases. Those who see something should say something, calling 911 in case of emergency. For all suspected child abuse cases, individuals should either call the state Central Registry Mandated Reporter line for mandated reporters at (800) 635-1522 or the public hotline at (800) 342-3720. A number of trainings have been

planned across Brooklyn in the months ahead, including at Mount Ararat Baptist

Aggressive behavior or behavioral extremes Constant hunger Depressed or listless behavior Eating disorders Failure to thrive Fear of going home Inappropriate dress Loss of interest Poor hygiene Poor peer relationships Sexually inappropriate behavior Sleep disturbances Unexplained home absences

Church in Ocean Hill and at the Brownsville Collaborative Middle School, an event held in special commemoration of Child Abuse Awareness Month in April. To learn more about Operation C.A.R.E., please call (718) 802-4042 or email operationcare@brooklynbp.nyc.gov.

There’s a new school opening in District 21!

HLA2 Opens this fall with K & 1st grades

Your child can enroll in one of New York’s truly unique public schools! APPLY for ADMISSION and learn more at:

hla2.org

Our curriculum includes: • Daily instruction in English Language Arts and math, with individualized approach to meet the needs of all learners. • Daily instruction in Modern Hebrew studies, with emphasis on language proficiency. • Social Studies & science instruction twice a week. • Introduction to technology. • Israel Studies curriculum including the study of geography, culture and history of Israel and its people. • Chess • Physical education • Performing arts

A p p l y by A p r. 1 s t . L o t te r y, A p r. 2 0 Contact us:

212-792-6236

admission@hebrewpublic.org Exact school location to be announced soon.

We are a public school and as such, do not teach religion.

+ Check In Online + Walk-ins Welcome + In Network With Many Major Insurance Plans + Open 365 Days a Year + X-Ray and Lab On Site

ST RY

AV E

AV E H

4 TH

7 TH

Mon-Fri: 7am-7pm Sat: 8am-1pm

B32 Bus

East River Ferry

Directly in front of site

0.1 mi, 2 min walk

B62 Bus N 5th St

0.3 mi, 6 min walk

5 TH

8 TH

9 TH

6 TH ST

AV E

3 RD

10 T

145 Kent Avenue 347.801.2136

N 6th St N

1 ST

7 TH

Williamsburg

8 TH

N ST

9 TH

11 TH

AV E

BE R

AV E E

4 TH

10 T

W YT

5 TH

BE R

KE N

AV E

6 TH

DF O

7 TH

- A. Z., Google Review for Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care

8 TH

12 T

W YT H

N ST

9 TH

“Awesome service, friendly staff and quick service.. they’ve mastered the art of great health care.”

AV E

10 T

Check-in now at

11 TH

W YT HE

AV E

Urgent Care That Puts You First

N 6th St/N Williamsburg

L Train

Bedford Ave

0.4 mi, 7 min walk

GoHealthUC.com

18 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

The New Faces of Public Safety

Borough President Adams has dedicated his career to advancing community-police relations, dating back to his days serving as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) captain while working for institutional reform as head of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care. In recent years, his efforts have been critical to ending the City’s abuses of stop and frisk as well as ushering in a new era of neighborhood policing focused on building mutual trust and collaboration. In partnership with innovative non-profit NYC Together, he is now helping to write this next bright chapter of this relationship. Launched as a partnership between the NYPD’s 90th Precinct, which spans East Williamsburg and Williamsburg, and two local schools — Grand Street Campus and Greenpoint Art and Technical High School— this comprehensive alternative-to-suspension program pairs police officers with students facing school disciplinary action. In lieu of traditional corrective measures, participants engage in skill-building sessions and community service projects that are culturally varied and challenging, all supported by police officers who act as mentors and tutors. Healthy dialogue is centered around the daily challenges they are facing, building conflict-resolution skills and emotional intelligence. Barriers are broken down, and oftentimes the root causes of a young person’s disciplinary issues emerge. “It was because of close contact I had with police officers when I was young that I was able to turn my life around and get on the right track,” said Borough President Adams. “We have young people that have not had the opportunity to use their full personhood to achieve great things. Through NYC Together, our police officers are empowering them to do that.” Last November, Borough President Adams visited the 90th Precinct stationhouse in Williamsburg to announce a $37,000 capital allocation for the outfitting of a multimedia learning center for use inside the precinct. NYC Together will use this new technology for their program so students can complete homework and other school responsibilities, as well as to engage in greater depth with the program curriculum by watching videos, taking surveys, and responding to issues addressed online in real-time. “Because of Borough President Adams’ commitment to forward-thinking programming that engages the community and tackles problems that others deem too tough — like disengagement from school and the achievement gap — NYC Together is implementing state-ofthe-art technology to bolster its alternative-to-suspension intervention,” said

Dana Rachlin, founder of NYC Together. “Coupled with our unique collaboration with the NYPD in Brooklyn, there is no other precinct in the city that will have a program like this or technology integrated in this manner, and we firmly believe that this should be the model for the rest of the city.” According to data from NYC Together’s pilot program, participant grade averages rose 3.1 percent across all subjects, while school absences dropped 36.5 percent. Additionally, there are a number of success stories that highlight the depth of the change that is taking place. For example, a young man’s home in Williamsburg was burglarized several months ago. Responding police officers tried to question him, but he was hesitant to cooperate. They then recognized that he was a participant in NYC Together. After the responding police officers called their colleague who volunteers in the program, the young man was relieved and eager to assist in efforts to apprehend the person who stole his mother’s rent money. In addition to improving mutual trust, this relationship prevented the youth from taking on the problem himself. NYC Together has expanded to work in three additional precincts across Brooklyn, pairing local cops with youth who live in the neighborhoods they serve. In the 73rd Precinct, which covers Brownsville and Ocean Hill, police officers are teaming up with students who commute to William E. Grady Career and Technical High School in Brighton Beach. Teens attending W.E.B. Dubois Academic High School in Crown Heights have been paired with members of the 77th Precinct, which serves Crown Heights and Prospect Heights. Additionally, cops from the 79th Precinct, based in Bedford-Stuyvesant, are working with young people who study at Northside Charter High School in Williamsburg. It is Borough President Adams’ hope that this approach is replicated citywide as a cost-effective way to enhance the broader approach to combating the roots of crime and inequality, as well as a supplement to academy training for police officers that gives them firsthand knowledge of community issues. “NYC Together holds young people accountable, but does so in the most supportive manner possible,” said Borough President Adams. “Police officers have an opportunity to intervene before handcuffs are necessary. It makes perfect sense to train and utilize New York’s Finest to fill this more robust, holistic role. This is a transformational method that changes the way we look at policing for the better, while building lasting relationships that make a lasting impact on public safety.”

Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams meets with young participants of the NYC Together program inside the 90th Precinct stationhouse in Williamsburg.

EXPERIENCE SPRING AT

Green-Wood’s 478 spectacular acres offer a peaceful oasis to visitors, as well as to its 560,000 permanent residents, including Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed, Charles Ebbetts, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Civil War generals, baseball legends, inventors and many more. Join us for guided tours on Green-Wood’s historic trolley; try Green-Wood Discover, our mobile app; or just wander on your own. We’re open 365 days a year and admission is always free. Green-Wood is located at 500 25th Street, (at 5th Avenue) in Brooklyn. Take the R train to the 25th Street station.

LOANS AVAILABLE $ 5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000

Replace your car Expand a Business Educate a Child Improve a Store Furnish a Home Help a Relative Build a Future

Applications available 24/7.

1750 86th Street Brooklyn, N Y 112 14

718-680-2121

1609 Avenue Z Brooklyn, NY 11235

718-934-6809

www.brfcu.org

20 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams hosted dozens of fellow domestic violence advocates and survivors, including Assembly Members Amy Paulin and Jamie Williams, for a candlelight empowerment rally outside Brooklyn Borough Hall that commemorated the anniversary of the reauthorization of the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

SURVIVING and THRIVING

When walking down the streets of Brooklyn, it may not be apparent that many people passing by are silent sufferers of domestic violence. Women and men, young and old, too many Brooklynites from every part of the borough are subjected to cruel acts of abuse from their husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, and/or another family member or guardian. The constant fear of abuse that victims deal with is only exacerbated by an all-too-often unwillingness to report family members to the appropriate authorities. For those impacted by domestic violence, the challenge is turning pain into purpose. “Oftentimes, people think that the physical abuse is the only aspect of domestic violence — when it is not,” said Borough President Adams. “The physical scars heal, but the emotional scars can last a lifetime. It has nothing to do with you. It has to do with the person who’s the abuser.” A disproportionate number of domestic violence incidents and related deaths occur in Brooklyn, with higher rates occurring in communities at or below the poverty line. In fact, more than 35 percent of fatalities between 2002 and 2014 (325 out of 914), and 32

percent of reports of domestic violence in 2015 (10,770 of 33,803) occurred in Brooklyn. Borough President Adams’ personal experience with domestic violence, coupled with more than 20 years of policing New York City’s streets, instilled in him a commitment to advocacy, awareness, and action, leading to the launch of Surviving and Thriving in October of 2015. This initiative, to support families impacted by domestic violence and to focus on successfully moving forward from abuse, is anchored by an annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month event that Borough President Adams hosts at Brooklyn Borough Hall; the day-long gathering features demonstrations of self-defense and yoga, mini-makeovers, pampering sessions, performances of modern dance and poetry, as well as panel discussions with survivors. Additionally, his FREE Legal Services for All program includes assistance related to domestic violence cases, through a partnership with the Urban Justice Center’s Domestic Violence Project; appointments are required and can be made by calling (718) 802-3777. To build on existing efforts to combat

domestic violence, Borough President Adams has proposed a range of Surviving and Thriving recommendations that would enact tangible changes in policy and practice across City and State services. Locally, he has called for offenders to have mandated domestic violence training on anger management and healthy relationships, as well as for increased trainings for first responders and court officers, who regularly interact with survivors. Additionally, he has emphasized the need to expand the information available for survivors to learn how to renew orders of protection, to be aware of the criteria for order renewal, as well as the agencies and organizations available to assist them. “Living the life of a survivor means you pass every day with feelings of fear, isolation, and uncertainty,” said Borough President Adams. “I want to make sure victims of abuse know where to go if they need help. I want them to know that we are here and we are listening.” On the State level, Borough President Adams has teamed up with Assembly Members Amy Paulin and Jamie Williams, both fellow survivors, on a legislative proposal that would allow residents of domestic violence shelters

the ability to vote in their current districts, so those impacted by abuse can still participate safely in elections. In addition, he has expressed support for legislation that would allow domestic violence survivors to terminate leases upon written notice to landlords. Surviving and Thriving has already made some significant strides. In February, Borough President Adams hailed a settlement between the City and the State to expand the Family Eviction Prevention Supplement (FEPS) housing subsidy to include New Yorkers forced to leave their homes as a result of domestic violence, an issue he and advocates had pushed for in previous budgets. His efforts have also ensured that City Hall’s Domestic Violence Task Force has actively engaged the voices of survivors in a leadership capacity, in order for this personal perspective to be amplified; this has included Kathleen Daniel, his director of outreach. “Our survivors must be empowered to be strivers, striving to thrive in society while bringing hope to so many,” said Borough President Adams. “I deeply appreciate the strength of those stepping out of their personal darkness and living their lives to the fullest.”

BROOKLYN AND BEYOND

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Standing with community volunteers, Borough President Adams thanked local businesses, clergy, and non-profits supporting the borough’s less fortunate at his Thanksgiving turkey distribution outside Brooklyn Borough Hall; his office dispersed over 1,000 turkeys with accompanying healthy trimmings, including fresh carrots, green beans, and yams, to more than 125 local food pantries and houses of worship serving Brooklynites in need last holiday season.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams took in a performance of young Irish step dancers in the Courtroom of Brooklyn Borough Hall during a cultural heritage breakfast he held on St. Patrick’s Day.

BROOKLYN AND BEYOND With Borough President Adams

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams checked out the finalists in the One Book, One New York contest — holding his selection, the classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn written by Williamsburg author Betty Smith — during a visit to Unnameable Books in Prospect Heights.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams, joined by community advocates and civic leaders, addressed the media in Greenpoint on the feared environmental and public health harm that may result from the State’s planned implosion of the Kosciuszko Bridge.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams passed out dreidels to local Jewish youth in Park Slope Playground, as he lit the menorah for the fifth night of Hanukkah at a community gathering held in the wake of menorahs being vandalized in Park Slope and Prospect Heights.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams held a hijab and a yarmulke as examples of symbols showcasing Brooklyn’s diversity during a press conference supporting NYPD Officer Aml Elsokary (right), a resident of Bay Ridge who was the victim of a hate crime along with her son; Borough President Adams urged the City’s district attorneys not to allow anyone to plea bargain to a lesser charge if they have been arrested for a hate crime involving violence.

22 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

HEROES of the Month

NOVEMBER 2016: GOOD SAMARITANS ANTONIO PIÑA AND LUIS RUIZ

Ruiz, a 46-year-old martial arts master, and Piña, his 28-year-old stepson and a fellow karate instructor, were heading for their apartment in East Williamsburg on Monday, October 17th when they heard strange sounds coming from behind a van nearby. They found a man on top of and aggressively shaking 27-yearold Miriam Braverman. Ruiz told Piña to follow the attacker while he stayed with the victim. Piña, an auxiliary police officer for seven years for the nearby 90th Precinct, got cops on the phone and told them exactly where the man was headed. When a police vehicle pulled up, Piña helped identify him for arrest.

DECEMBER 2016: GOOD SAMARITAN AHMED KHALIFA

Khalifa, a 17-year-old senior at Midwood High School, was on a Coney Island-bound Q train on Tuesday, December 27th, coming home after working a shift at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, when he saw a man slam his open hand into the face of an Orthodox Jewish woman, who was simply reading her book. When the assailant ran off, Khalifa held the subway doors and yelled at the conductor to stay in the station and call for help. Along with members of the Flatbush Shomrim, Khalifa spotted the attacker at a bus stop and the group waited quietly until cops arrived. Additionally, seven months prior, Khalifa helped pull a suicidal homeless man away from jumping onto the tracks from a train.

JANUARY 2017: NYPD DETECTIVE STEVEN FRANZEL

Detective Franzel of Narcotics Bureau Brooklyn South was the lead investigator of Operation Rose Garden, which was taken down the Fri-

day before Labor Day in an attempt to curb gun violence that holiday weekend. The indictments in this effort were finished up in January by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Forty-one individuals, which included members and associates of the Crips street gang, were apprehended and charged with crimes of conspiracy, criminal sale of a controlled substance, and criminal possession of a weapon.

FEBRUARY 2017: NYPD LIEUTENANT DETECTIVE JOHN RUSSO On Saturday, February 4th, the man responsible for the murder of Karina Vetrano, a 30-year-old resident of Howard Beach who was slain last August while jogging, was arrested. After months of searching for the killer with little hope in sight, Williamsburg-born Lieutenant Detective Russo, a current resident of Howard Beach, followed up on a memory he had of seeing a man being apprehended for suspicious activity in the neighborhood. That suspicion led to further investigations until finally a name came up. His DNA samples matched the samples left on Vetrano’s fingernails.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams announced that Ahmed Khalifa, a Muslim high school student from Midwood who helped cops arrest the assailant of an Orthodox Jewish woman on the subway, was named his “Hero of the Month” for December 2016; the declaration was made during a ceremony in the Rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall.

SAVE THE DATE 05.03.17

MARCH 2017: FIREFIGHTERS TODD BRENNER AND ANDREW SCHARF

On Sunday, March 5th, a fire broke out at Zion House of Faith Church in Ocean Hill. The only way for Ubeaka McKinney, a third-floor resident, to escape was through his window. Firefighters Brenner and Scharf of Ladder Company 176 in BedfordStuyvesant responded to the emergency and arrived at the scene of the fire. Quickly thinking on his feet, Firefighter Scharf decided to use a rare and risky technique of connecting a rope from the roof of the building to the third-floor window. He lowered himself down, grabbed McKinney from the window, and held him tight as Firefighter Brenner lowered them both safely down to the ground.

WEYLIN 175 BROADWAY, BROOKLYN, NY 11211

REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE2017 LEARN FROM BROOKLYN’S RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET LEADERS

BREAKFAST & NETWORKING 8:00AM-9:00AM

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

JAMES PATCHETT President, NYCEDC 9:00AM-9:15AM

TICKETS $95 EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $85 10 TICKETS $800

9:15AM-11:00AM

EXPIRES APRIL 1, 2017

For more information on Sponsorships: Christine Latorre at 718 238 6600 ext. 123 or email: CLatorre@BrooklynReporter.com

IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

BROOKLYN AND BEYOND

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams accepted the Greatest Generation Service Award from the Cadman Park Conservancy at a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony in the Courtroom of Brooklyn Borough Hall; he was presented with the honor by Jack and Roy Vanasco, Brooklyn-born brothers and veterans who served in World War II.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams rang in 2017 with family, friends, and thousands of revelers at his One Brooklyn New Year’s Eve celebration along the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island.

BROOKLYN AND BEYOND With Borough President Adams

Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams passed out presents at Brooklyn Borough Hall to young Brooklynites, several of the many children who benefited from the thousands of toys his office delivered to underserved youth this holiday season.

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams joined Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Diana Reyna, business leaders, community advocates, and a class of pre-kindergarten students dressed in lab coats at BioBAT, a non-profit science and technology center at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, as he announced more than $6 million in funding from his FY17 capital budget that he is investing to advance economic development across Brooklyn.

Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams celebrated Dominican-American Heritage Month in Borough President Adams dined on a plant-based lunch at Whole Foods in the Rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall, flanked by a group of local Dominican- Gowanus with retired NFL defensive end David Carter, former firefighter Rip Esseltyn, and ex-UFC fighter James Wilks. American volunteers.

24 0 BROOKLYN NEWS

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

The STRONGEST START

Family Friendly Brooklyn, an initiative launched by Borough President Adams in early 2015, is committed to caring for Brooklynites from cradle to college and beyond, supporting young families from the moment of childbirth with the tools to provide a path to a bright and healthy future. In addition to his groundbreaking work to advance breastfeeding, his administration has focused deeply on the factors surrounding early childhood development. “To end the tale of two cities, we need to start at the very beginning,” said Borough President Adams. “The critical first moments of life are where the lasting divides between the haves and the have nots already begin. For example, New York City has made great strides in enrolling children in pre-k, but to ensure the success of that program, we need to engage parents before their kids are born and through the formative years.” In neighborhoods across the borough, many children face difficulties developing their emotional, intellectual, and social capabilities to excel in school, get along with their peers, and become successful adults in modern society. Oftentimes, this is because parents lack the mentorship and resources they need to be strong role models for their kids. These challenges are particularly visible in low-income households, in parts of Brooklyn that have faced decades of failing schools, joblessness, and systemic poverty affecting not only the child and their parents, but also their extended families, teachers, and community members. With turning the tide in mind, Borough President Adams partnered with State Senator Daniel Squadron to form the Early Childhood Development Task Force in September 2015, made up of evidence-based practitioners as well as advocates, community stakeholders, and local hospitals. The group conducted an extensive investigation into the services available for Brooklyn’s children and their parents, as well as focused on policies that address family risk factors for impaired early childhood development, such as illiteracy, mental illness, and poverty. This February, their findings were unveiled in a report that showcased statistical evidence for greater financial investment in early childhood development, in particular on growth between ages birth and three years. Specific policy recommendations included increasing funding for evidence-based early childhood development programs; expanding access to evidence-based early childhood development programs by empowering communities through increased infor-

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams met a toddler coloring at Magical Years Early Childhood Development Center in Sunset Park, as he and State Senator Daniel Squadron presented a report from the Early Childhood Development Task Force. mation, and forming partnerships with community-based networks and organizations to increase awareness about the importance of early childhood interventions and services. The task force has committed to creating and disseminating a resource guide of early childhood services available in Brooklyn. Additional recommendations include the City and State creating online maps providing data on early childhood programs, including seat availability, a workshop specifically for Brooklyn clergy members to engage and educate leaders, and lobbying the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) to create lending institutions for books, educational materials, puzzles, and toys for early childhood development programs. On top of these efforts, Borough President Adams has built partnerships with a variety of organizations to educate and empower families. For instance, in teaming up with Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT), he hosted a 12-week parenting course at Brooklyn Borough Hall this winter that covered a range of issues including

Benefits of Early Childhood Development • • • • •

70 percent increase in likelihood of scoring above grade level in first grade on three behaviors that promote learning 67 percent reduction in behavioral/intellectual problems in children at age six 67 percent reduction in 12-year-old children’s use of alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana 59 percent reduction in arrests of children at age 15 39 percent fewer health care encounters for injuries or ingestions in the first two years

Early Childhood Development Task Force (February 2017), Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and State Senator Daniel Squadron communication and parenting styles, money management, emotional management, and positive discipline. The 25 graduates of the inaugural class completed their studies in late March. “Parenting is hard and there is no handbook,” said Borough President Adams. “Understanding how to manage your emotions, your wallet, and the ways you interact with others helps with

more than just your children — it can help with loved ones, family members, and co-workers.” Evidence shows that the strongest start for a new life comes from a dedicated investment in early childhood development. Borough President Adams wants to begin every Brooklynite’s young life with the benefits of that support.

A DON’T MISS EVENT! FRIDAY • APRIL 28 Senior HEALTH FINANCIAL FITNESS

& EXPO • FREE Coffee & Cake • FREE Screenings • FREE Parking • FREE Giveaways • Approximately 40

Exhibitors will be on hand to answer your health-related questions Plus a discussion panel of expert speakers in Urgent Care, Health Insurance, Reverse Mortgages, Home Care, Medicare, and so much more.

FREE ADMISSION April 28, 2017

10:00am-12:00pm Dyker Beach Golf Course

The Grand Ballroom 1030 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11228 SPACE IS LIMITED. RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW!

Live Entertainment by Russell Craig

WIN PRIZES

RequestAnything.com

For Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities or to attend call 718.238-6600 or email clatorre@brooklyneporter.com

26 0 RESOURCE GUIDE

WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG BROOKLYN-USA.ORG

BOROUGH HALL SERVICES General Inquiries askeric@brooklynbp.nyc.gov brooklyn-usa.org (718) 802-3700 Constituent Assistance Center (CAC) Brooklyn Borough Hall 209 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 Tel: (718) 802-3700 Fax: (718) 802-3881 brooklyn-usa.org/ constituent-assistancecenter FREE Legal Services for All RSVP: (718) 802-3777 brooklyn-usa.org Event and Meeting Requests brooklyn-usa.org/ meetingrequest Citation and Proclamation Requests brooklyn-usa.org/ proclamationrequest

Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photo Office Borough President Adams and Mayor Bill de Blasio met a police officer from the 71st Precinct as they visited small businesses along a stretch of Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights.

SCORE NYC Small Business Mentoring RSVP: (212) 264-4507 newyorkcity.score.org

Education Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center (CUNY) (718) 802-3358 otto.citytech.cuny.edu/BEOC

COMMON 311-RELATED ISSUES Abandoned Vehicles Animal Control Construction Sites Downed Trees Garbage Pickup Graffiti Removal Heat and Hot Water Concerns Illegally-Parked Vehicles Noise Concerns Pest Control Pre-Kindergarten Vouchers Potholes and Sinkholes Sewer Backup Street Lights Street Signs Traffic Signals

CITY, STATE, AND OTHER SERVICES Domestic Violence New York City Family Justice Center â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Brooklyn (718) 250-5111 nyc.gov/domesticviolence Safe Horizon (800) 621-4673 safehorizon.org

Family Welcome Centers (NYC DOE) (718) 935-3500 schools.nyc.gov Government Benefits NYC Human Resources Administration (SNAP) (718) 557-1399 nyc.gov/snap NYS Department of Health (Medicaid) (855) 355-5777 health.ny.gov Social Security Administration (Medicare and Social Security) (800) 772-1213 ssa.gov

Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center 585 Schenectady Avenue (718) 604-5000

SUNY Downstate Medical Center 450 Clarkson Avenue (718) 270-1000

Maimonides Medical Center 4802 10th Avenue (718) 283-6000

Wyckoff Heights Medical Center 374 Stockholm Street (718) 963-7272

Mount Sinai Brooklyn 3201 Kings Highway (718) 252-3000 New York Community Hospital 2525 Kings Highway (718) 692-5300 New York Methodist Hospital 506 Sixth Street (718) 780-3000 NYC Health + Hospitals/ Coney Island 2601 Ocean Parkway (718) 616-3000

Housing NYC Housing Connect (212) 863-5610 (English) (212) 863-8961 (Arabic) (212) 863-8925 (Cantonese) (212) 863-8939 (Haitian Creole) (212) 863-8979 (Korean) (212) 863-8924 (Mandarin) (212) 863-8936 (Russian) (212) 863-5620 (Spanish) nyc.gov/housingconnect New York City Housing Authority (718) 707-7771 nyc.gov/nycha

Hospitals The Brooklyn Hospital Center 121 DeKalb Avenue (718) 250-8000

NYC Health + Hospitals/ Kings County 451 Clarkson Avenue (718) 245-3131

Eviction Intervention Services Housing Resource Center (212) 308-2210 eisny.org

Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center 1 Brookdale Plaza (718) 240-5000

NYC Health + Hospitals/ Woodhull 760 Broadway (718) 963-8000

NYS Homes and Community Renewal (718) 739-6400 nyshcr.org

Jobs Brooklyn Job Corps (US DOL) (718) 623-4000 brooklyn.jobcorps.gov Brooklyn Workforce1 Career Center (NYC SBS) (718) 246-5219 nyc.gov/sbs Miscellaneous Citizens Committee For New York City (Block Associations) (212) 822-9580 citizensnyc.org Food Pantries brooklyn-usa.org/foodpantries National Do Not Call Registry (888) 382-1222 donotcall.gov NYC Board of Elections (718) 797-8800 vote.nyc.ny.us NYC Department of Small Business Services (347) 296-8021 nyc.gov/sbs

RESOURCE GUIDE 27

BROOKLYN-USA.ORG NYC Department of Finance (Vehicle Booting) (877) 207-2134 nyc.gov/dof NYC Office of Vital Records (Birth and Death Certificates) (212) 788-4520 nyc.gov/vitalrecords NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (518) 473-5595 dmv.ny.gov Sheriff of the City of New York (718) 488-3545 nyc.gov/sheriff US Department of State (Passports) (877) 487-2778 travel.state.gov Personal Finance Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (718) 636-6994 restorationplaza.org Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union (212) 487-4583 brooklyn.coop Brooklyn Public Library (718) 230-2100 bklynlibrary.org/locations/ central Brownsville Multi-Service Center (212) 487-4583 bmsfhc.wix.com/bms-familyhealth CAMBA (212) 487-4583 camba.org Utilities Con Edison (212) 243-1900 coned.com National Grid (718) 643-4050 nationalgridus.com

BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARDS Community Board 1 435 Graham Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 389-0009 Community Board 2 350 Jay Street, Eighth Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 596-5410 Community Board 3 1360 Fulton Street, Room 202, Brooklyn, NY 11216 (718) 622-6601 Community Board 4 1420 Bushwick Avenue, Suite 370 Brooklyn, NY 11207 (718) 628-8400 Community Board 5 404 Pine Street, Third Floor Brooklyn, NY 11208 (929) 221-8261

Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office Borough President Adams checked out some old high school class photos inside Erasmus Hall Academy in Flatbush; he has committed to provide funding to the restoration of the historic building, built in 1787 and financed in part by Founding Fathers such as Alexander Hamilton and John Jay.

Community Board 6 250 Baltic Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 643-3027

Brooklyn, NY 11235 (718) 332-3008

Community Board 7 4201 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1E Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718) 854-0003

Community Board 16 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street, Room 103 Brooklyn, NY 11212 (718) 385-0323

Community Board 8 1291 St. Marks Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11213 (718) 467-5574

Community Board 17 4112 Farragut Road Brooklyn, NY 11210 (718) 434-3072

Community Board 9 890 Nostrand Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225 (718) 778-9279

Community Board 18 5715 Avenue H, Suite 1D Brooklyn, NY 11234 (718) 241-0422

Community Board 10 8115 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11209 (718) 745-6827 Community Board 11 2214 Bath Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11214 (718) 266-8800

67th Precinct 2820 Snyder Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11226 (718) 287-3211

77th Precinct 127 Utica Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11213 (718) 735-0611

68th Precinct 333 65th Street Brooklyn, NY 11220 (718) 439-4211

78th Precinct 65 Sixth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 (718) 636-6411

69th Precinct 9720 Foster Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11236 (718) 257-6211

79th Precinct 263 Tompkins Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 (718) 636-6611

70th Precinct 154 Lawrence Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11230 (718) 851-5511

81st Precinct 30 Ralph Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11221 (718) 574-0411

71st Precinct 421 Empire Boulevard Brooklyn, NY 11225 (718) 735-0511

83rd Precinct 480 Knickerbocker Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11237 (718) 574-1605

72nd Precinct 830 Fourth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718) 965-6311

84th Precinct 301 Gold Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 875-6811

73rd Precinct 1470 East New York Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11212 (718) 495-5411

88th Precinct 298 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205 (718) 636-6511

63rd Precinct 1844 Brooklyn Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11210 (718) 258-4411

75th Precinct 1000 Sutter Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11208 (718) 827-3511

90th Precinct 211 Union Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 963-5311

66th Precinct 5822 16th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11204 (718) 851-5611

76th Precinct 191 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 (718) 834-3211

94th Precinct 100 Meserole Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222 (718) 383-3879

BROOKLYN POLICE PRECINCTS 60th Precinct 2951 West Eighth Street Brooklyn, NY 11224 (718) 946-3311 61st Precinct

Community Board 12 5910 13th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 (718) 851-0800 Community Board 13 1201 Surf Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11224 (718) 266-3001 Community Board 14 810 East 16th Street Brooklyn, NY 11230 (718) 859-6357 Community Board 15 2001 Oriental Boulevard Room C124

2575 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11223 (718) 627-6611 62nd Precinct 1925 Bath Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11214 (718) 236-2611

BROOKLYN. home of THE BRIDGE, CONEY ISLAND, AND NOW one amazing hospital. New York Methodist Hospital is now NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. T:11.5”

We’re bringing the people of Brooklyn the type of care that comes from being part of NewYork-Presbyterian. We’ve expanded our services and added more world-class specialists from Weill Cornell Medicine. They join the skilled doctors already here serving the community. Learn more at nyp.org/brooklyn