NYC Mayor's Community Affairs Unit Newsletter

 

Dear New Yorker,

October is National Domestic Violence month. The City's first lady said it best “In New York City, no one should suffer in silence.” The City offers resources for victims.  No one should hesitate to reach out or to encourage their friends, neighbors and family members to seek help. Connect with NYC’s DV Hotline for 24/7 support: 1-800-621-4673.  Call 911 in an emergency.

For information, or to connect to services, call 1-212-788-3156 and ask for NYC Family Justice Centers.

The Mayor’s Office to End Gender based violence will be hosting events throughout the month.You can find a list of the events here. 

 

In partnership,

Roberto Pérez,  

Commissioner, Mayor's Community Affairs Unit

Key Updates:

Making weekend plans? Make time for your flu shot.

As the flu and COVID-19 are expected to circulate at the same time this season, getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever. Although the flu vaccine will not prevent COVID-19, it will help decrease the risk of you and your family getting sick and needing flu-related medical care.

You can receive the flu vaccine at the same time as all other vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine.

FIND A FLU VACCINATION SITE ON THE NYC VACCINE FINDER

 

New York State Voter Registration Deadlines

The last day to register for the upcoming NYC elections is Friday, October 8th. Residents can register in person at any Board of Elections office.  Each of the Borough Offices in the City of New York will be open From 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM to accept in person Voter Registration Applications. Visit www.nycvotersearch.com to check your registration. For questions call 1-866-Vote-NYC (1-866-868-3692) or visit vote.nyc/page/register-vote. 

 

NYC Vaccine Updates

It has never been easier to get a COVID-19 vaccination in New York City. New Yorkers 12 years and older can now get the COVID-19 vaccine at sites across the five boroughs. To find out where to get vaccinated and to make an appointment, visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or you can also call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692).

 

Booster Shots

The following people are now eligible for a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine:

-People 65 or older

-People 18 to 64 and either have an underlying medical condition or a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure due to their job (for example, health care workers) or where they live or frequently visit (for example, a homeless shelter)

-People living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility

You will only be able to get a Pfizer booster shot if you received a second Pfizer dose at least six months ago.

 

Third Doses for People with Weakened Immune System

Separate from booster shots, people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised (meaning they have a weakened immune system) are eligible for a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, as part of their initial vaccination series. They can get a third dose 28 days after their second shot.

 

In-home COVID-19 vaccinations

NYC also offers in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to any city resident who requests one. You can also request whether you want the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Schedule your appointment today for your in-home vaccination by filling out this form: http://nyc.gov/homevaccine.

 

COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or need verification

If you are fully vaccinated but lost your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or need verification of your vaccine status, you can request a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination record. You cannot get a replacement COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card at this time, but you can get an official record noting you have been vaccinated. Go here for more information: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/cir-parents-guardians.page

 

Fall 2021 Academic Recovery Plan 

Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter Announce Academic Recovery Plan for Pivotal School Year Ahead. Follow the link for Chancellor Porter Message for Families for more info. 

NYC Emergency Management 

 The City of New York has developed a list of resources for those who were affected by this historic storm.

Please visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/resources/ida.page, information on FEMA, Red Cross and more. 

 

Department of Consumer and Protection

BEWARE of price gouging and report it. Under the declared state of emergency, businesses cannot excessively increase the price of any goods or services that are essential to health or safety, or are promoted this way. This includes home repair, plumbing, electrical services.  If you think a business increased the cost for repairs, file a complaint at nyc.gov/dcwp or call 311 and say “Overcharge.”

-ONLY use a home improvement contractor licensed by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). Call 311 or visit nyc.gov/dcwp to check license status.

- INSIST on more than one reference—and check them. Also call 311 to check any complaint history with DCWP.

·GET written estimates and contracts. Visit nyc.gov/dcwp to see what these documents should include.

·NEVER pay the full price upfront and NEVER pay cash.

· NEVER get a loan through a home improvement contractor—it’s illegal. Help is available at DisasterAssistance.gov

· ONLY use a plumber or electrician licensed by the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). Visit nyc.gov/buildings to check license status.

·ASK to see permits. All electrical work and most plumbing work require a permit from DOB.

Small Business Services

If your business is facing a real-time emergency, you may contact SBS by calling 311 or (212) 618-8810.

To connect with the SBS Emergency Response Unit & Intergovernmental Services, please e-mail ERU@sbs.nyc.gov 

 

Department of Environmental Protection

File a report with ponding/flooding report with DEP https://on.nyc.gov/2WFjW2J

 

Department of Housing Preservation & Development

The NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development has put together a list of resources for homeowners affected by this storm. View the PDF

 

GetFoodNYC: Get a map of food resources across the city

Use this map to find locations that offer free food (food pantries and soup kitchens), as well as grocery stores and farmers' markets.

Mayor's Office--Community Affairs
253 Broadway 4th Fl
New York, NY 10007

PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS RESPONDS TO THE GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM BEING ENDED AND REPLACED

 

"For years, my office has been advocating for an end to the practice of separating some children onto a ‘gifted and talented’ track as toddlers, in favor of incorporating subject-specific accelerated programming and the students receiving it into mixed level classrooms. The administration’s announcement today is a major step forward and a long time coming in the ongoing work toward educational equity – work that so many dedicated parent, student, and school staff advocates have engaged in for years in conjunction with the efforts of the School Diversity Advisory Group. I thank the Chancellor and Mayor for being willing to shake up the old system and create new opportunities in this area.

"I was a beneficiary of the gifted and talented program. I understand the trepidation and hesitancy that many parents may feel after today’s announcement. At the same time, I know that the best way to ensure each of our children has the best education is to remove harmful barriers in the classroom and the social, racial, and economic inequities they represent and perpetuate. Inertia is never a real reason to prevent progress. We can’t just rest and rely on the way things have been, we need to have the courage and drive to move forward. We must ensure the new system will still provide opportunity for accelerated learning and advanced instruction, without many of the detrimental effects of the program as it is currently constructed.

"The announcement itself is not enough – the city now needs to fully engage with parents and inform them about the new system, and ensure that schools have the resources to carry out the plan. I’m ready to make sure the implementation of this new program lives up to its promise of educational equity and advancement for our students."

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES $120 MILLION INVESTMENT IN GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT CENTER IN BROWNSVILLE

 

 Mayor de Blasio today announced a $120 million investment in the renovation of the Brownsville Multi-Service Center into a state-of-the-art girls’ empowerment center and community hub for east Brooklyn. The current building, which will undergo a complete demolition in 2023, will transform the site into a home for science, technology, art, dance, and cultural programming for young girls across the borough.

“There’s no better investment for our future than giving girls a safe, positive, and engaging place to learn and grow. I’m proud to deliver on that promise today,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This center will build the next generation of leaders in Brownsville and across our city, and it’s a powerful step toward building a recovery for all of us.”

 

"In the last year, we have seen the impact of women and girls of color being underrepresented in the healthcare and STEM fields, specifically, black and LatinX females. With the new Brownsville Girls Empowerment Center​, women and girls will be empowered to explore their passions and develop a 21st-century skill that will set them up for a lifetime of success and invest in the development of their whole self. The new facility will introduce our community to state-of-the-art spaces such as maker spaces, digital media labs, and design studios that will teach young girls how to think outside of the box and to become creators. This center will be an anchor institution where girls grow into women who are innovators of progress in their community,” said Deputy Mayor Phillip Thompson.

 

“We applaud this project that will bring new resources to the Brownsville community, focused on women’s empowerment,” said HRA Administrator Gary Jenkins. “For decades, HRA has worked with locally-based community providers to offer meaningful services to the Brownsville community – and we’re proud to be a part of the next phase of this effort, which will bring a reinvigorated service center to the neighborhood and women’s empowerment services to the next generation.”

 

The Brownsville Girls Empowerment Center will be modeled after the Lower East Side Girls Club of New York (LESGC). The City will partner with LESGC to support program implementation in the new site.

 

City officials will engage with the Brownsville community throughout the design-build process. Construction on the new site will begin in 2024.

 

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke will invest another $8 million in the facility.

82 Days and Counting, They loved Me in Morris Park Yesterday During the PAarade There

 

I marched in the 44th Annual Morris Park Columbus Day Parade, and they loved me there. As you can see I am waving my Italian flag they gave me at the crowd of naysayers in the next photo. 

I wonder why these few people on Morris Park Avenue didn't like me After all I put the bike lane on Morris Park Avenue for them. I brought all those Ecooters to their neighborhood first to test them out. What else do I have to do to make them like me, put a fourth homeless shelter in their area? It's a good thing I have to get back to work tomorrow, these four day weekends are taking its toll on me since I only really work Monday through Thursday.

NYC Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez - Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! / ¡Feliz Día De Los Pueblos Indígenas!

 

Office of Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez

Dear Friends and Neighbors,   Today we celebrate a history that is too often overlooked. We celebrate the people who have lived in this country for generations, long before the arrival of Columbus. Today we honor and recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day!   New York City is situated on land known to the indigenous people as the Lenapehoking Land. New York City is also home to the largest American Indian population among metropolitan areas, with over half a million indigenous people living in the City. This year, President Biden became the first U.S President to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I hope everyone enjoys and continues to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day! Sincerely,   Ydanis Rodriguez

Querido Amig@ y Vecin@,   Hoy celebramos la las personas que han vivido en este país durante generaciones, mucho antes de la llegada de Cristóbal Colón. ¡Hoy honramos y reconocemos el Día de los Pueblos Indígenas! La ciudad de Nueva York está situada en una tierra conocida por los indígenas como la Tierra Lenapehoking. La ciudad de Nueva York también alberga la mayor población de indígenas Americanos entre las áreas metropolitanas, con más de medio millón de indígenas viviendo en la ciudad. Este año, el presidente Biden se convirtió en el primer presidente de los Estados Unidos en reconocer el Día de los Pueblos Indígenas. ¡Espero que todos disfruten y sigan celebrando el Día de los Pueblos Indígenas! Atentamente, Ydanis Rodríguez

[Office Of Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez [618 West 177th street, NY, NY, 10033]  [917-521-2616]  [YRodriguez@Council.NYC.Gov] EDITOR'S NOTE: Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr., this came from City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez's city council office through an official New York City email, tgarita@council.nyc.gov. Is Councilman Rodriguez improperly using his official City Council email, and who knows whatever else he used during his failed run for the 15th Congressional seat?

Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr. - Bill de Blasio and Alan Hevesi Accused of the Same Thing

 

You should know that in 2006 Alan Hevesi, being the comptroller of the state of New York was forced to resign from his position and reimburse the government ( the taxpayers) $ 206,000 (Two hundred and six thousand dollars) for having used government vehicles and government employees (drivers) to transport his wife to and from her medical appointments. 

 

It is important for you to know that Alan Hevesi, before becoming State Comptroller, served as the NYC City Comptroller from 1994 to 2001.  In 2003 he was then elected New York State Comptroller.

 

When Alan Hevesi was Comptroller of the City his wife Carol Hevesi became ill and underwent knee surgery, it was during that period that Hevesi used a driver and city vehicle to transport his wife to different medical appointments and physical therapy.   The scandal exploded when Mr. Hevesi was a New York State Controller.   To avoid serving time in prison Hevesi plea bargained with the state prosecutor and pleaded guilty to defrauding the government, resigned from his position, and paid a total of $ 206,000.00 for having used government resources for personal purposes such as the government vehicles and drivers.

 

Then Alan Hevesi, after that resignation, (years later) Hevesi faced more legal problems when he was again accused of corruption on other charges.  In April 2011 he was sentenced to serve a prison term of 1-4 years.

 

You should know, that recently according to current events we have read about and seen that now the Honorable Mayor of New York City Bill DeBlasio; like Alan Hevesi, has been accused of using government employees and vehicles for personal, and family, use.

 

Mayor Bill DeblaSio is accused of using members of the NYPD for use in his political campaigns, to transport his wife, to help move his daughter and to drive his son to work. 

 

If these allegations against Mayor DeBlasio prove to be true, then Alan Hevesi was a "Saint” in comparison to Bill DeBlasio.  

 

Both these “servants of the people” violated the law, both used vehicles, employees, and government property for personal and family use.   The only difference was that Alan Hevesi did it to transport his wife to medical appointments and Bill Deblasio to transport his wife and serve as movers and provide taxi services to his children abusing authority and using the NYPD and its members. 

 

Mr. Alan Hevesi was made to pay $206,000.00 in restitution and resign for the use of government personnel and vehicles.     Will Mayor Bill Deblasio be measured with the same ruler.?   I wonder.

  

I am Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz and this is what you should know. 

Maryland Nuclear Engineer and Spouse Arrested on Espionage-Related Charges

 

 Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, both of Annapolis, Maryland, were arrested in Jefferson County, West Virginia by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) on Saturday, October 9, 2021.  They will have their initial appearances on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, in federal court in Martinsburg, West Virginia.  For almost a year, Jonathan Toebbe, 42, aided by his wife, Diana, 45, sold information known as Restricted Data concerning the design of nuclear powered warships to a person they believed was a representative of a foreign power.  In actuality, that person was an undercover FBI agent. The Toebbes have been charged in a criminal complaint alleging violations of the Atomic Energy Act.

“The complaint charges a plot to transmit information relating to the design of our nuclear submarines to a foreign nation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “The work of the FBI, Department of Justice prosecutors, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Energy was critical in thwarting the plot charged in the complaint and taking this first step in bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

Jonathan Toebbe is an employee of the Department of the Navy who served as a nuclear engineer and was assigned to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, also known as Naval Reactors. He held an active national security clearance through the U.S. Department of Defense, giving him access to Restricted Data. Toebbe worked with and had access to information concerning naval nuclear propulsion including information related to military sensitive design elements, operating parameters, and performance characteristics of the reactors for nuclear powered warships.

The complaint affidavit alleges that on April 1, 2020, Jonathan Toebbe sent a package to a foreign government, listing a return address in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, containing a sample of Restricted Data and instructions for establishing a covert relationship to purchase additional Restricted Data. The affidavit also alleges that, thereafter, Toebbe began corresponding via encrypted email with an individual whom he believed to be a representative of the foreign government. The individual was really an undercover FBI agent.  Jonathan Toebbe continued this correspondence for several months, which led to an agreement to sell Restricted Data in exchange for thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency. 

On June 8, 2021, the undercover agent sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Jonathan Toebbe as “good faith” payment.  Shortly afterwards, on June 26, 2021, Jonathan and Diana Toebbe traveled to a location in West Virginia.  There, with Diana Toebbe acting as a lookout, Jonathan Toebbe placed an SD card concealed within half a peanut butter sandwich at a pre-arranged “dead drop” location.  After retrieving the SD card, the undercover agent sent Jonathan Toebbe a $20,000 cryptocurrency payment.  In return, Jonathan Toebbe emailed the undercover agent a decryption key for the SD Card.  A review of the SD card revealed that it contained Restricted Data related to submarine nuclear reactors.  On August 28, 2021, Jonathan Toebbe made another “dead drop” of an SD card in eastern Virginia, this time concealing the card in a chewing gum package.  After making a payment to Toebbe of $70,000 in cryptocurrency, the FBI received a decryption key for the card.  It, too, contained Restricted Data related to submarine nuclear reactors.  The FBI arrested Jonathan and Diana Toebbe on October 9, after he placed yet another SD card at a pre-arranged “dead drop” at a second location in West Virginia.

A complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

FOLLOWING LAST MONTH’S VISIT TO MAMARONECK AND PERSONAL CALL TO OMB DIRECTOR, SCHUMER SECURES $1.5 BILLION FOR IDA-IMPACTED ARMY CORPS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN DISASTER SUPPLEMENTAL; SENATOR SAYS NEW FUNDING CAN MOVE MAMARONECK PROJECT TO CONSTRUCTION PHASE ASAP

 

Schumer Secured Funding Through The Disaster Supplemental, And Following Commitment Secured From Acting OMB Director, Clears The Way For Stalled Mamaroneck And Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project

Schumer Says Protecting The Safety Of Mamaroneck Residents And Property Must Be Top Priority For Feds And Fast Tracks Funding To Get Shovels In The Ground; Project Would Construct Flood Defenses For Westchester Community That Has Been Victim Of Severe Flooding, Lost Lives, & Suffered Hundreds Of Millions In Damages 

Schumer: After Yet Another Deadly Flood Year, Mamaroneck Deserves Flood Protection NOW

 After visiting Mamaroneck to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Ida and making a direct personal appeal to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Shalanda Young last month to urge the agency to greenlight the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project (the Project), U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that he has secured $1.5 billion in disaster supplemental aid to fast track Ida-impacted Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) construction projects. Schumer explained this means the Project could receive funding ASAP, bypassing several of the bureaucratic hiccups that have stalled construction for years.  The Project has been stalled for the past two years by the Trump administration based on faulty cost-benefit analysis, according to Schumer, despite strong support from the USACE, which would provide the boots on the ground necessary for construction.

“Following the horrible flooding in Mamaroneck last month, which caused millions of dollars in damage, terrorized the community, and claimed the life of one person, I’m proud to deliver funding for Ida-affected communities, and am also pleased about getting the feds to finally greenlight the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project,” said Senator Schumer. “The past administration bottled up this vital flood mitigation project in OMB bureaucratic jail based on faulty logic, and I’ve worked day and night for the last month to bust that logjam. The federal government is one step closer to moving forward with the flood-protection Project for Mamaroneck and nearby communities and finally protecting a community that has suffered for decades because of severe flooding.”

“I want to thank U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for recognizing that the residents of Mamaroneck, and the surrounding communities, need serious and immediate infrastructure help to combat the devastating flooding that has been plaguing the area for decades.  People have lost it all – time and time again – during Tropical Storm Ida a life was lost – this is beyond a minor water inconvenience of a 100 year storm.  Getting the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Flood Risk Management Project moving forward is a lifeline that is desperately needed,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

Schumer visited Mamaroneck the day after Hurricane Ida hit the region, where disadvantaged residents living in the USACE project zone reported 14-feet of water flooding the area forcing them to evacuate their homes and seek shelter in the dead of night. There were over 150 water rescues, 535 flooded homes, 1,000 people displaced, and 310 abandoned cars. The Village has reported over $18M in damages and over $75M in residential and commercial damage. Five Westchester residents also tragically lost their lives in the flooding, including one in Mamaroneck bringing the total number of people who have died in Mamaroneck as a result of the persistent flooding to three in the past 25 years.

The Project was first imagined in response to a 2007 Nor’easter storm, which produced record flooding in the Village of Mamaroneck, equivalent to a one percent flood event. Senator Schumer travelled to the area the day after the storm to personally survey the extent of the significant damage. The 2007 event caused over $50 million in damages and impacted over 50 percent of total structures within the study area. The storm resulted in floodwaters peaking on the Mamaroneck River in approximately four hours, and in approximately six hours on the Sheldrake River. As such, the evacuation time for approximately 19,000 residents in the Village of Mamaroneck was severely restricted and created a high-risk situation. Over 40 percent of Mamaroneck residents required evacuation assistance prior to floodwaters peaking, including a large population of children that attended a school located within the epicenter of the severe flooding.

Following this, in March of 2010, a Design Agreement was signed by the Army Corps, NYS Department of Conservation (NYSDEC), and Westchester County for a Preconstruction Engineering and Design study. During this time, severe flooding again occurred during Hurricanes Irene and Lee in 2011. The flooding extended several blocks on both sides of Mamaroneck Avenue. The repeated disasters, including shoreline flooding from Superstorm Sandy in 2012, caused extensive damage and severely impacted the local economy. Following a $4.7 million Schumer-secured study by the Army Corps, the project was recommended by the Chief of Engineers and Schumer successfully fought to authorize this project for construction in the 2018 America’s Water Infrastructure Act. However, in February of 2020 it was discovered that the Trump administration would not move forward with the construction of the project because of the Benefit-Cost Ratio used by OMB, sparking community concern and outrage.

Upon completion, the Project would reduce flood risk for the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake River Basins and protect residents and business owners by constructing retaining walls and a diversion culvert. The project would also enable the deepening and widening of river channels, elevate structures, and remove/replace 2 vehicular bridges that constrict flood flow. The plan is estimated to potentially reduce average annual damages by approximately 87 percent and help reduce the risk of loss of life.