Frightful delight with HBL Civic

Rain didn’t stop the Howard Beach community from turning out to the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic’s Halloween Haunt and Treat event last Sunday.

Attendees strolled down Cross Bay Boulevard to collect candy and other goodies from tables set up by businesses, organizations and families.

On Facebook, the civic group thanked the public for attending even in the “wacky weather” and went on to write, “Thank you to all of the businesses and groups who braved the ‘storm.’ We loved seeing all of the costumes and kiddies! Looking forward to the holiday season with all of you!”

— Kristen Guglielmo

Additionally, Hochul gave $25 million to the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grant program. She directed the DCJS to develop innovations and strategies to incorporate within the SCAHC program, such as increases to the maximum reward and evaluations of deployed protective equipment and technology.

To combat hate crimes in city colleges, Hochul asked retired Judge Jonathan Lippman to conduct reviews of CUNY policies and procedures. The review will include recommended actions for the CUNY Board of Trustees to bolster its antidiscrimination policies to help protect Jewish students and faculty.

State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), chair of the Higher Education Committee, told the Chronicle the reviews are a good step to “investigate allegations and clear the air,” also noting that “Lippman has a good, fair reputation.”

Stavisky mentioned having raised the issue with CUNY on numerous occasions in the past, recalling that in February of this year, she asked CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez what was being done about the anti-Semitism on various campuses.

“He pointed out a program at Queens College called the Center for Racial and Religious Understanding,” she said.

Hochul also gave $700,000 to expand police social media analysis to identify threats and criminal activity, and announced that the Division of Human Rights Hate and Bias Prevention Unit will be offering “community circles” to discuss how neighbors have been affected by such events, and to help each other cope and heal. Q