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Bronx Politics and Community events
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Department of Motor Vehicles Investigators will Check for Fake IDs at Popular Concert Venues
Enforcement Efforts Help Promote Healthier Choices Among Young New Yorkers and Enhance Safety on Roadways
Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that state Department of Motor Vehicles investigators are conducting enforcement initiatives to stop the use of fake IDs for purchasing alcohol at summer concerts. Known as Operation Prevent, the effort also includes investigators from the State Liquor Authority, State Police, State Parks Police, and local law enforcement. During the campaign, enforcement sweeps are being conducted at venues across the state.
"Seeing live music is a wonderful experience, and New York has so many great venues all across our state, but I urge everyone to celebrate responsibly," Governor Hochul said. "We want New Yorkers to enjoy these events safely, and this enforcement effort will be crucial to helping prevent underage concertgoers from purchasing alcohol and potentially getting behind the wheel."
Operation Prevent enforcement sweeps will be conducted at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, CMAC in Canandaigua, and the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, as well as other locations where underage concertgoers are likely to gather.
Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder said, "Our investigators are experts at detecting fake IDs. It may look realistic to you, but they know how to spot the telltale signs of a fraudulent document. We are not trying to ruin anyone's fun. We are trying to keep everyone safe."
State Liquor Authority Chairman Vincent Bradley said, "As underage drinking leads to reckless behavior that can result in dangerous, lifelong consequences, the SLA remains committed to working with our partners in the DMV and in local law enforcement to keep alcohol out of the hands of underage youth. Working collaboratively, we can discourage both businesses from selling to minors as well as young New Yorkers attempting to purchase alcohol using fake IDs."
New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, "Underage drinking and the use of fake IDs by minors to purchase alcohol will not be tolerated. Safety is our top priority, and the New York State Police will be diligent in working to discourage, detect and apprehend underage users. I want to thank our partners for their shared commitment in putting a stop to underage drinking and the tragic impact that it can have."
Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham said, "Alcohol consumption by youth and young adults can have negative effects on their mental and physical health, and ability to make safe decisions. When it comes to underage alcohol use, parents and other caring adults are the most important influence. Make a plan together to help your family celebrate summer safely."
Customers under the age of 21 found to be using fake or another individual's IDs to buy alcohol can be ticketed and their licenses can be revoked for a minimum of 90 days or up to one year.
Operation Prevent is supported by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. The committee coordinates traffic safety activities in New York, and it awards federal highway safety grant funds to local, state, and not-for-profit agencies for projects to improve highway safety and reduce deaths and serious injuries due to crashes.
"Living with COVID doesn’t mean ignoring it. As cases are rising, the city must reinstate a color-coded COVID threat assessment system to better inform and guide people trying to protect themselves and their families amid an ongoing pandemic. Our office pushed for the creation of such a system for months. When this administration created one, it was already out of compliance with its own system – then ignored that system when the alert level was raised. While it’s true that our tools and strategies must evolve with the virus, those methods and metrics must be clear to New Yorkers.
"In line with those adapting approaches, it is past time for the city to support hybrid models of work wherever possible. My office is working remotely currently, and when we return in person, it will be on a hybrid schedule.
"Private companies are recognizing the new reality and offering hybrid options to prospective employees, and the city should be leading as a model, not lagging behind and losing valuable talent by creating unnecessary barriers and risks. Employees and employers alike know that hybrid work systems are possible. While clearly not all municipal jobs have the potential for hybrid work, exploring and enabling hybrid systems wherever possible is essential for a safer city and stronger workforce.
"For New York City to best serve its residents, it must hire and retain the best employees. Right now, the administration is chasing them away."
"DEC applauds the work of these six communities helping address the climate crisis by acting locally and bolstering New York State's climate leadership," Commissioner Seggos said. "We look forward to working with our Climate Smart Communities and other local leaders who are ramping up clean energy, improving climate resiliency, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, among other actions, to benefit quality of life and advance the State’s climate goals."
The town of New Castle achieved silver certification, which is the highest level currently available. New York's new bronze-certified Climate Smart Communities are the towns of Ancram, North East, Wawarsing, and Yorktown. The town of Huntington was recertified at the bronze level and increased its total points by completing additional climate actions.
Established in 2009, the interagency Climate Smart Communities program provides guidance and technical support to local governments to take locally driven climate action. The first step to becoming a Climate Smart Community is to register by pledging to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. To date, 356 local governments representing more than 9.4 million New Yorkers adopted the Climate Smart Communities pledge.
The certification program launched in 2014 to document and celebrate the accomplishments of communities taking climate action. There are now 94 total certified Climate Smart Communities in New York State, nine silver and 85 bronze. To be certified, communities must demonstrate an active climate change task force that includes residents and municipal representatives. Most certified communities complete greenhouse gas inventories that calculate emissions at the local level and help local leaders identify how best to help New York State meet its ambitious greenhouse gas reductions mandates.
New York's newest certified Climate Smart Communities:
Mid-Hudson
Town of New Castle
The town of New Castle has newly achieved silver level certification, having received bronze in 2021. New Castle was also the state’s first municipality to take the pledge and register as a Climate Smart Community. New Castle’s continued commitment to local climate action enabled the town to achieve its silver-level certification, including actions such as converting all of the town’s 531 streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs, installing electric vehicle charging stations for public use, and developing a climate vulnerability assessment to identify and reduce risks to the community from climate change.
Towns of North East, Wawarsing, and Yorktown
These municipalities demonstrated climate leadership through actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience to climate change, earning them all bronze-level certification. The town of North East’s actions included launching waste reduction and climate change education programs to inform and inspire the public. Wawarsing updated its zoning codes to preserve natural areas like wetlands and stream buffer zones, which offer protection from flooding. Yorktown streamlined the permitting process for battery energy storage systems to help drive the decarbonization of energy supply and reduce energy demand and power outages.
Long Island
Town of Huntington
The town of Huntington carries on its commitment to climate action by recertifying its bronze-level designation, achieved in March 2022. Huntington’s accomplishments include installing solar panels at Town Hall and electric vehicle charging stations at the town’s train station, as well as implementing a bike share program at parks and beaches.
For more information, see the online certification reports that describe all the actions each certified community took to achieve certification.
All six of the newly awarded communities also participate in the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities program, which assists local governments to implement clean energy actions and save on energy costs. Ancram, Huntington, New Castle, North East, and Yorktown completed a least four high-impact actions and are designated as Clean Energy Communities. The town of Wawarsing completed three high-impact actions under the program.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “It is up to all of us to ensure a healthier, more sustainable New York, and continued local action to combat climate change is an essential piece of these efforts. Congratulations to these six communities for furthering their commitments to energy efficiency and renewable energy, improving air quality for residents and stewarding our environment for generations to come.”
Climate Smart Communities Coordinators
On Earth Day this year, DEC announced a new initiative, called Climate Smart Communities Coordinators, which brings three regional partners serving as technical support providers and strategic planners to guide local governments in the development of successful local climate action initiatives in three territories covering New York State.
Climate Smart Communities Coordinators will use the New York State Climate Smart Communities Certification program as a roadmap for providing technical support to communities to help reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to climate change, and thrive in the new green economy.
Municipalities can learn more and connect with the Climate Smart Communities Coordinator for their territory by visiting this webpage: https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/
Climate Smart Communities Funding Programs
In May, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $14 million is available through the Climate Smart Communities Grant program. Three of the communities certified today received funding through the DEC Climate Smart Communities Grant program - the towns of New Castle, North East, and Huntington. Established in 2016, this 50/50 matching grant program supports municipalities in completing certification actions and implementing projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to extreme weather.
DEC is currently accepting applications for the Climate Smart Communities Grant program through 4 p.m. on July 29, 2022. Visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan