VCJC News & Notes 4/19/24

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Reminders

2. Shabbos
   
   
   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 4/19/24 @ 7:22 pm
   Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely. 
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 4/20/24 @ 8:26 pm
   If you require an aliyah or would like to lead services, read from the torah or haftorah please speak to one of the gabbaim.
    

3. Prepare for Passover
   4/21: Bedikat Chametz (search for Chametz) after 8:27PM
   4/22:
   Fast of the First Born starts 4:37AM
   Last time to eat chametz: 10:19AM

   Last time to annul chametz: 11:37AM

   Last time to burn chametz: 11:41AM
   

4. Passover, First Days
   4/22: Candles, First Seder 7:25PM
   4/23:
   Morning Services 8:40AM
   Candles, after 8:29PM
   Second Seder, 8:29PM
   4/24:
   Morning Services 8:40AM
   Yom Tov ends 8:30PM

5. Shabbos & Second Days of Passover
   4/26: Shabbos Candles 7:20PM
   4/27:
   Morning Services 8:40AM
   Shabbos ends 8:33PM
   4/28: Candles 7:31PM
   4/29:
   Morning Services 8:40AM
   Candles after 8:35PM
   4/30:
   Morning Services 8:40AM
   Yizkor approximately 9:40AM
   Yom Tov ends 8:36PM

   
   

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Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

3880 Sedgwick Ave

Bronx, NY 10463

ASSEMBLYWOMAN JENIFER RAJKUMAR’S STATEMENT ON “SMOKEOUT ACT” PASSING IN THE STATE BUDGET

 

I am proud to announce that we have achieved victory. Today, after weeks of negotiations, my SMOKEOUT Act will pass in the state budget. The law will be effective immediately, and will allow us to quickly close the approximately 36,000 illegal smoke shops that have ballooned across our state.

These past few months, I launched “Operation: SMOKEOUT” that brought New Yorkers together across all 5 boroughs and backgrounds with the common cause of shutting down these illegal shops. Today is a historic victory for public safety, common sense, and the health of our children. The people have spoken, and Albany has listened.

The SMOKEOUT Act calls for local control and for the power to shut down shops to be put in the hands of the cities and municipalities. I am proud to say that New York City and all localities will now have the power to shut down illegal cannabis shops on their own, without waiting for the State Office of Cannabis Management. In New York City, the Office of the Sheriff will now be able to deputize the NYPD and all agencies to help padlock the shops. This means New York City can use its full manpower to get the job done.

The next few weeks, I will be raiding illegal smoke shops across New York City with Sheriff Anthony Miranda, padlocking and shutting them down for good.

Additional details of the provisions in the budget include the following:  

Localities can padlock a shop immediately provided that the shop is an “egregious actor,” defined as falling into any one of four categories: 1. Selling cannabis to children 2. Operating next to a school 3. Selling unregulated cannabis 4. Having the presence of illegal firearms.

Illegal shops that do not fall into one of the above categories can be closed upon a second inspection. Any previous inspection conducted before the passage of this law counts for the purposes of padlocking.

Violating a padlock order is now a Class A misdemeanor.

In the interests of fairness, there are due process provisions that give violators a chance to cure and be heard. Violators can file an appeal within 7 days. They are entitled to a hearing on the appeal within 3 days of filing. A decision on the appeal must be rendered 4 days after the hearing. Failure to appeal leads to a default judgment against the violator.

Municipalities outside New York City will have the power to create their own cannabis enforcement schemes by passing new local laws.

I would like to thank Governor Hochul, Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Mayor Eric Adams for their partnership in making the SMOKEOUT Act the law of the land.  

Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr., Hails Budget Victory over Illegal Smoke Shops

 

Final Budget will include power to revoke tobacco, liquor, or lottery licenses of businesses for possessing or selling illegal cannabis

Assemblymember Zaccaro, advocates from New York’s Cannabis Industry and a bipartisan group of lawmakers rallied in Albany in support of A9520. 

Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr., announces that the final state budget includes new enforcement powers to revoke the tobacco, liquor or lottery licenses of businesses that possess or sell illegal cannabis. 

Assemblymember Zaccaro hails this budget victory over the illegal smoke shops that have been pervasive across New York City and New York State. These illegal stores know they have faced minimal consequences for their actions, resulting in decreased quality of life for surrounding communities. Assemblymember Zaccaro, Jr., has partnered with the New York City Sheriff's Office on multiple targetted inspections throughout the 80th Assembly District to stem the tide of illegal cannabis in the Bronx. 

Under the final state budget is a violation of the cannabis law by a holder of a license that has been issued by the State Liquor Authority, a registration issued by the Commissioner of Taxation and Finance to sell cigarettes, tobacco products, or vapor products at retail, or a lottery sales agent license issued by the division of lottery, the Office of Cannabis Management shall issue a notice of violation to the owner or their agent that clearly states that the holder's state licenses, permits, or registrations may be at risk of revocation or suspension. 

This notice must also clearly state that the holder's business may be subject to an order to seal if upon a subsequent violation that the Office of Cannabis Management finds that the violation has not been abated. The Office of Cannabis Management will be required to notify the agency that issued the authorization that the holder is in violation. 

This new enforcement power to provide New York with the ability to revoke or suspend cigarette, alcohol and lottery licenses was first proposed by Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr., in bill A9520, gaining significant bipartisan support in the legislature. The bill was also strongly supported by prominent cannabis industry associations like the Empire Cannabis Manufacturers Association, the Cannabis Association of New York and Dutchie. 

"When I was elected to office, I made a promise to hear my community and focus legislation on issues that would best benefit them. Targeting businesses that break the law and brazenly sell illegal cannabis has been a top priority for my office and this victory is the result of our hard work,” said Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr. “Revoking tobacco, liquor, and lottery licenses for bad actors is a critical tool to stem the tide of illegal and unregulated cannabis in our communities – but our work continues. I commend my colleagues in the legislature for their bipartisan support of A9520 and I deeply thank all the advocates representing New York’s cannabis industry for making their voices heard in Albany.” 

In order to combat the growing epidemic of businesses circumventing the state's cannabis laws, the Assemblymember along with his colleagues in the New York State Legislature have taken further steps to strengthen enforcement. The expanded enforcement powers in the final FY24/25 State Budget include:

• The Office of Cannabis Management may issue an immediate order to seal with an immediate effective date if such order is based upon a finding by the office of an imminent threat to public health, safety and welfare. 
• The factors that will determine an imminent threat to public health, safety and welfare are 
  • (1) documented sales to minors, 
  • (2) unlicensed processing of cannabis at a building or premises, 
  • (3) orders issued following an inspection wherein a person engaged in the unlicensed activity engaged in violent, tumultuous, or other behaviors indicating expressed intent to not comply with the Office's order to cease the unlicensed activity, 
  • (4) documented presence of unlawful firearms at the building or premises, 
  • (5) proximity of the business or premises to schools, houses of worship or public youth facilities;
  • (6) presence of products deemed unsafe based on reports of illness or hospitalizations; or 
  • (7) sales of, or offers to sell, cannabis products not tested or labeled lawfully in accordance with cannabis law.
• The Office of the City Sheriff shall have the authority to conduct regularity inspections of any place of business, including a vehicle used as a business, where cannabis, cannabis products, or any products marketed or labeled as such, or sold, or offered to be sold, where no registration, license, or permit has been issued pursuant to cannabis law.
• Require that a landlord or owner make an application for the removal of a commercial tenant involving the unlicensed sale of cannabis or products marketed for labeled as such. 
• If the landlord or owners does not make such application in five days or does not act in good faith to make application an enforcement agency is authorized to bring petition and impose a civil penalty on the responded not exceeding five times the rent charged or a civil penalty of $50,000 if in New York City. 
• Increased civil penalties for refusal to allow a regulatory inspection of up to $8,000 for the first refusal and up to $15,000 for a second or subsequent refusal within three years of a prior refusal. 
• Include within Obstructing Governmental Administration law with intent to violate a closing order, order to seal, or temporary order to seal issued by a governmental entity to address a public health or safety concern, a person damages or removes any padlock or other device. 

The new enforcement powers will yield serious, long-term financial consequences for business that blatantly circumvent the law and will break this ongoing cycle of criminality. 

"Today, we are taking steps in establishing a fair and equitable cannabis market in New York State. Businesses engaging in illegal cannabis sales not only undermine the legal cannabis market but also put the health and safety of our communities at risk. This legislation is an important step in holding these unethical businesses accountable and protecting the well-being of our communities. By allowing for the revocation of licenses for businesses involved in illegal cannabis sales, this legislation will strengthen the enforcement of New York's cannabis laws and ensure a level playing field for all businesses,” said Senator Jamaal T. Bailey, “I appreciate my colleagues in the legislature for their support and give thanks to the advocates representing the New York cannabis industry.”

“New York’s cannabis processors, who employ hundreds of workers and have invested tens of millions of dollars into communities across the state, are battling against the illicit market that traffics in untested cannabis products from out-of-state while paying no taxes. Thanks to Assemblymember Zaccaro, Senator Jamaal Bailey, legislative leaders, and Governor Hochul – the State has now been armed with new tools in this battle. A9520/S8847 will serve as a powerful deterrent against selling illicit cannabis while rightfully punishing those stores that choose to subvert the New York-built legal market,” said Mack Hueber, President of the Empire Cannabis Manufacturers Association.

To date in the Bronx, the task force has conducted more than 280 inspections, levied fines of more than $11 million, seized more than $4 million of illicit products, made 57 arrests, seized 409 pounds of cannabis flower/pre-rolls, 7, 353 packages of THC edibles, and 14 edged and other weapons. 

These new enforcement tools in the final state budget are the change needed to prevent the continued undermining of the adult-use cannabis market in New York. Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr., will continue to champion commonsense policies that improve public safety and uplift the quality of life for all. 

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIP TO REDUCE FOOD-RELATED CARBON EMISSIONS ACROSS NYC

 

Leading New York City-Based Institutions Commit to Administration’s Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge to Reduce Food-Related Carbon Emissions by 25 Percent by 2030

Administration to Provide Tools to Track Emissions and Share Best Practices on Shifting Towards Plant-Forward Menus 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced a partnership with several leading national and New York City-based institutions to reduce food-related carbon emissions. The city’s integrated greenhouse gas inventory found that 20 percent of New York City’s overall emissions comes from the production and consumption of food. As the city has committed to reduce its emissions by a third by 2030, the Adams administration’s Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge is a leadership initiative for New York City’s private sector to join this mission by reducing food-related carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2030. To reach this ambitious climate target, Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge partners are committing to procuring and serving more plant-based foods, which have a significantly lower carbon footprint than animal-sourced foods. The commitments made by Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge partners have the potential to reduce emissions by nearly 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year — the equivalent of removing approximately 100 million car miles from New York City streets or planting 45 thousand acres of forest. The Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP), in partnership with nonprofit Greener by Default will assist partners in tracking emissions and sharing best practices on shifting towards plant-forward menus. New York City is the only city with a cross-sector initiative of this size focused on greenhouse gas reduction.

“In order to tackle the climate crisis, we need to take control of our plates,” said Mayor Adams. “We’re committed to doing our part as a city, but we can’t do it alone. Our Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge partners are stepping up to cut down on their food-related emissions, create a more sustainable food system, deliver nutritional equity and food justice for all, and make New York City healthier and greener. New York City is leading the way in reimagining our food system, and we’re grateful to our partners for taking a leading role in building a more sustainable future.”

“The Adams administration has put forth bold commitments to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from the food we serve,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana J. Almanzar. “By serving more plant-based foods in our agencies, we have made remarkable progress in reducing our carbon footprint. I’m proud to recognize our first year’s signatories to the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge. Having the private sector working alongside the city in serving plant-powered meals that are good for New Yorkers, as well as good for our environment, is a strategic win for everyone.”

“With the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge and New York City’s new, consumption-based emissions inventory, which shows the impact of food consumption on greenhouse gas emissions, the Adams administration is leading the globe in effective climate partnerships,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “Our city’s private sector has long been a catalyst of climate action, and we look forward to our successful collaboration with the Plant-Powered participants.” 

“Our consumption-based greenhouse gas inventory, which incorporates emissions from producing and consuming food, shows food is the third highest source of emissions after buildings and transportation,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “This public-private partnership helps incentivize participants to reduce meat and dairy and works in tandem with our PlaNYC goal to reduce emissions from city agency food purchases 33 percent by 2030.”

“Last Earth Day, when we launched the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, we could not imagine all the creative ways that institutions would work plant-powered foods into their menus and programming,” said Mayor's Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “It is so inspiring to see this inaugural team of signatories. We applaud them for taking the leap and helping us reduce greenhouse gas emissions by offering more plant-powered foods.”

The Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge harnesses the power of the private sector to reduce the city’s overall emissions and set the bar for plant-powered climate action. In December, Columbia University became the first official signatory of the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge. Students participating in a capstone project in the undergraduate Sustainable Development Program found that ruminant meat products, while just 13 percent by weight of a dining hall’s procurement, accounted for 72 percent of its carbon footprint. Since signing on to the challenge, Columbia Dining has already begun to incorporate changes to its operations, like offering plant-based menus at the main action station two to three times a week, rather than restricting them to the vegan station. Recent menu highlights include mushroom bolognese pasta, shitake mushroom and roasted sweet potato quesadillas, and red bean curry served over rice. For the first time in the school’s history, Columbia showcased an entirely plant-based menu at the “Battle of the Dining Halls,” a spring competition between the five student dining halls to produce the tastiest signature dish judged by students and celebrity chefs.

The following organizations have signed on to the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge:

• Aramark
• Columbia University
• Fordham University
• Great Performances
• Harvest
• Morrison Healthcare
• The Good Eating Company
• The New York Botanical Garden
• The Rockefeller Foundation
• The Rockefeller University
• Thomas Preti Events to Savor
• Wildlife Conservation Society/ Bronx Zoo

Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city has made significant investments and enacted policies to become a global leader in combatting climate change. The city has made tremendous progress in reducing its carbon footprint through serving more plant-based foods. Between Fiscal Year 2019 and Fiscal Year 2022, the total greenhouse gas emissions from food served in city agencies decreased by 26.7 percent, ahead of schedule to reduce emissions by 33 percent by 2030. Mayor Adams joined New York City Health + Hospitals to announce culturally diverse, sustainable, and plant-based meals at multiple hospitals. New training for culinary professionals at the New York City Department of Correction and the New York City Administration of Children’s Services, made possible through a grant with Carbon Neutral Cities’ Alliance, also contribute to the city’s efforts to reduce food-related emissions.

“Aramark is committed to reducing emissions across our business through the foods we serve, the suppliers we engage, the vehicles we drive, and the kitchens and facilities we operate,” said Alan Horowitz, vice president of sustainability, Aramark. “We’re proud to join Mayor Adams and the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge as an extension of our existing Coolfood Pledge and a continuation of our journey to reduce our food emissions through expanded plant-forward consumer choice, procurement, and culinary innovation.”

“Columbia University is proud to be the first institution to sign on to New York City’s Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge,” said Cas Holloway, chief operating officer, Columbia University. “We know that scope 3 emissions, including food procurement, have a critical role to play in achieving our Plan 2030 goals. The Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge provides a framework to accelerate the work already underway to create more sustainable dining options on campus. We are excited to join the mayor's office and our fellow partners in setting a new standard for climate-smart food service in New York City."

“The Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge is a great example of how cities can promote a more sustainable food future,” said Edwina Hughes, head of Coolfood, World Resources Institute (WRI). “We at WRI are excited to continue working with the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy though Coolfood to collaborate on tools and expertise to guide organizations in the city.”

“At the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo café, we are focused on offering menu choices that benefit our local community and our planet,” said John Calvelli, executive vice president of public affairs, Wildlife Conservation Society. “We offer sustainable choices, buy local when we can, and educate our visitors about sustainable food systems and the carbon footprint of various menu items. We are proud to be a Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association and to join Mayor Adams and his administration to incorporate more plant-based items into our offerings and cut our food-based carbon footprint by 25 percent by 2030.”

Long Island Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Prescription Drug Diversion Scheme

 

Hempstead Man Used Forged Paper Prescriptions to Illegally Obtain Oxycodone and Other Drugs That Were Resold at Street Level

At the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Trevor Lawry was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 96 months in prison for orchestrating a yearslong conspiracy to divert Oxycodone and other prescription medications from a Hempstead pharmacy into the illicit market. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Regional Office, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, announced the sentence.

“While communities across the country reeled from an opioid epidemic, this defendant operated an elaborate scheme that illegally diverted huge quantities of prescription medications into the hands of drug users, including people struggling with addiction,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office will continue doing its part to find and hold responsible individuals at all levels of the illegal supply chain who contribute to the scourge of opioids in this District.” 

United States Attorney Peace thanked the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the New York City Human Resources Administration, the New York Police Department, and the Nassau County Police Department for their significant contributions to the investigation.

DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino stated “For two years, Lawry spearheaded a diverted prescription drug trafficking conspiracy using forged prescriptions, putting profits above public health. This sentencing stands as a testament to our commitment in combatting the scourge of opioids being sold on the street, and those responsible for selling them.”

“HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat the illegal distribution of controlled substances to patients enrolled in HHS programs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The defendants in this drug trafficking organization are being held responsible for wantonly disregarding responsible prescribing practices, seemingly exploiting the opioid epidemic affecting our communities.”

As set forth in court filings, between February 2018 and March 2020, Lawry headed a drug trafficking organization that used forged paper prescription forms—sourced from stolen prescription pads—to obtain large quantities of several controlled substances that are commonly diverted for recreational use:  Oxycodone, Adderall, Alprazolam (also known as “Xanax”), and Promethazine with Codeine syrup.  During the relevant time period, more than 500 fraudulent prescriptions for these medications were filled at D.R.A. Pharmakon, Inc. d/b/a D’s Pharmacy (D’s Pharmacy) in Hempstead, where one of Lawry’s co-conspirators worked as a pharmacist.  In total, the conspiracy involved nearly a kilogram’s worth of stolen prescription medication, which Lawry and his co-conspirators then advertised for sale on social media and eventually sold at street level. 

BRONX WOMAN INDICTED FOR 1st DEGREE MURDER IN DEATHS OF HER 5-YEAR-OLD TWINS

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that a Bronx woman has been indicted for first-degree Murder and related charges in the deaths of her five-year-old twins last December. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This tragedy, occurring right before the holidays, was incredibly devastating. The young brother and sister were discovered lying together, lifeless, in their apartment. Their mother allegedly killed these children and will be held accountable.” 

District Attorney Clark said Gloria Asamoah, 42, of 240 East 175th Street has been indicted on first-degree Murder (for causing the death of more than one person in a single incident), two counts of second-degree Murder, two counts of first-degree Manslaughter, and two counts of second-degree Manslaughter. She was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Brenda Rivera and was remanded. The defendant is due back in court on July 17, 2024. 

According to the investigation, the defendant, on or about December 18, 2023, in the apartment she shared with her children and their father, with the intent to cause the death of another person, caused the death of George Kantanka, and as part of the same criminal transaction and with the intent to cause serious physical injury to or the death of an additional person, caused the death of Gianna Kantanka. Initially, the defendant blamed illness for the children’s deaths, however the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death was homicide and the cause was asphyxiation by smothering, by covering their mouths and noses, leaving visible physical injuries.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Nadine Burgos from the 46th Precinct Detective Squad and Detective Anthony Caltabiano from the Bronx Homicide Squad for their work in the investigation. District Attorney Clark also thanked all of the emergency medical personnel from the FDNY and BronxCare Hospital Center for their assistance. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.