MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES 10,000 FREE TICKETS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC FOR MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS

 

Nation’s Largest Independence Day Celebration to Return to Hudson River for 48^th Annual Fireworks Show

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced 10,000 free tickets to the general public to view the Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks from Hudson River Park’s Pier 45 or Pier 84 in Manhattan. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit  www.nycjuly4.com. Tickets will go live on Wednesday, June 26^th at 10:00AM and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Each member of the public will be limited to two tickets. The fireworks show will be visible all along the West Side Highway for those who do not receive a ticket. Entry points for the general public are:

• Christopher Street and Washington Street
• West 11^th Street and Washington Street
• West 12^th Street and Washington Street
• West 29^th Street and 11^th Avenue
• West 40^th Street and 11^th Avenue

 ADA accessible viewing locations will be located at Christopher Street and Washington Street and West 41^st Street and 11^th Avenue.

“While all New Yorkers will be able to take part in the illumination of our sky at the Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks, our administration is making sure that 10,000 lucky New Yorkers have an opportunity to enjoy the show with a front row seat,” said Mayor Adams. “We’re making sure everyone has a fair shot at attending one of the city’s most exciting and iconic events. I look forward to joining the thousands of viewers celebrating America’s birthday right here in the Big Apple.”

 

“New York City has gone above and beyond to make sure that New Yorkers are able to safely view the spectacular Macy’s fireworks this year,” said Noreen Doyle, president and CEO, Hudson River Park Trust. “We appreciate all Mayor Adams and his team have done to support this celebratory event, along with the New York City Police Department, Fire Department, and many other agencies, for their careful planning, and we look forward to celebrating with thousands of people on July 4.”

 

For the first time in over a decade, the Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks will launch from barges along the Hudson River, lighting up the New York City skyline and providing miles of prime viewing along the West Side of Manhattan. This year’s display will feature thousands of shells, with an array of effects and vibrant colors, shapes, light, and sounds. 

Justice Department Secures Agreement with Georgia School District to Protect Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities

 

The Justice Department announced a settlement agreement with Fulton County Schools in Georgia to resolve the department’s investigation of the district’s response to an escalating series of student-on-student sexual assaults on a school bus serving students with special needs. The department conducted its investigation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974.

“A school district’s responsibility is to protect its students from sexual assault and harassment, particularly students whose disabilities make them vulnerable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Schools have a responsibility to address obstacles in reporting sexual assault and to take into account the special needs or vulnerabilities of any affected students and their families. The Justice Department will continue working to ensure that our schools are safe learning environments free from sexual harassment and equitable for students with disabilities.”

“Children with disabilities can be especially vulnerable and deserve to thrive in a learning environment free of violence of any kind, including when traveling to and from school aboard buses,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “We applaud the school district’s willingness to cooperate with our investigation and to amicably resolve this matter to ensure the protection and safety of these children.” 

The department’s investigation found that the district lacked adequate procedures and failed to train employees in the proper reporting of and response to student-on-student sexual harassment and assault; failed to appropriately accommodate the special needs of students with disabilities in preventing and responding to sexual assault; and failed to make educational and school communications, particularly those related to the complaint reporting and investigation process, accessible for parents and guardians with limited English proficiency. The agreement will strengthen the district’s policies and procedures for responding to student-on-student sexual assault and ensure that the district’s response accounts for the unique needs of students with disabilities and Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents.

The district cooperated with the department throughout the investigation. Among other actions, under the settlement agreement, the district will:

• Revise its policies for responding to complaints of sexual misconduct;

• Provide district staff with trainings on student-on-student sexual misconduct;

• Ensure it provides students with disabilities the accommodations they need to participate in the district’s educational programs, particularly accommodations that support the communication needs of students with disabilities; and

• Provide appropriate language assistance services to LEP parents and guardians.

The enforcement of Title IX, Title II and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act are top priorities for the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the Educational Opportunities Section’s work is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia worked in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/about.

Assemblyman Zaccaro Family Fun Day

 

Assemblyman Zaccaro Family Fun Day

By Robert Press

While the sun was out at the beginning of the Assemblyman John Zaccaro Family Fun Day Saturday the sky opened up not once but twice during the event. Four large inflatables were set up for the children to enjoy, there was a free cotton candy/popcorn unit, several community organization tables, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, slushii,and ices, and several local 49th Precinct police officers who helped man game and building tables for children. The Bronx Zoo/New York Aquarium, NYFD, Bronx House and other organizations were on hand.

Williamsbridge Road was closed for several hours, while traffic including city MTA buses were rerouted around the block of Williamsbridge Road in front of Assemblyman Zaccaro's office for everyone to enjoy Family Fun Day.

The new commanding officer of the 49th Precinct stopped by the combined Morris Park Community Association, Allerton Homeowners, and Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association tables. 

Large inflatables were set up for children to enjoy.

Here police officers from the 49th Precinct work with children on various projects.

Assemblyman Zaccaro tried to stop by every table to see how things were going. 

Unfortunately heavy rain came down not once, but twice while the family fun day event was going on.

 

SUBWAY ATTACKER SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF COMMUTER AT HOWARD BEACH-JFK AIRPORT STATION

 

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Waheed Foster was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for the violent, unprovoked attempted murder of a commuter at the Howard Beach – JFK Airport subway station in September 2022. The victim, who was on her way to work at the time of the attack, was so badly injured that she later lost her right eye.

District Attorney Katz said: “A 33-year-old woman was simply on her way to work when Waheed Foster, without any warning, smashed her in the head with an object, pummeled her in the head with his fists, and kicked her in the face repeatedly. A good Samaritan attempted to intervene during the attack but was chased by the assailant, who then resumed his vicious onslaught. It’s a miracle she’s alive today after the brutal assault she endured.”

Foster, 43, undomiciled at the time of the attack, was sentenced today by Judge Ira Margulis to 22 years in prison, followed by five years post-release supervision. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the second degree on June 6.

According to the charges:

• On September 20, 2022, at approximately 5:30 a.m., Foster followed 33-year-old Elizabeth Gomes as she got off a train at the Howard Beach/JFK Airport subway station on her way to work.
• While Gomes was walking up the stairs to reach the main platform, Foster ran up from behind and struck her in the head with a hard object without any provocation.
• As observed on video surveillance footage, Gomes fled, running through the station.
• Foster caught up to the victim and threw her to the ground, punching her repeatedly as she laid on the floor.
• Several moments later, when Gomes began to get up off the ground, Foster kicked her in the face multiple times, knocking the victim back down, and continued the attack.
• A good Samaritan seen in the video attempting to intervene was chased away by Foster.
• Gomes was taken to a local hospital where she underwent emergency eye surgery. As a result of her injuries, she lost her right eye.

Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Michael Whitney, Bureau Chief and Roni C. Piplani, Deputy Chief, under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Major Crimes Division Shawn Clark.

D.A. Bragg Announces Indictment Of Man For Upper East Side Subway Shooting

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced the indictment of STEVEN SYLVESTER, 34, for attempting to shoot a 35-year-old Good Samaritan and shooting a 32-year-old man on a crowded train at an Upper East Side station in June 2024. SYLVESTER is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count each of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Assault in the First Degree and Assault in the Second Degree. He is additionally charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. [1]

“As alleged, Steven Sylvester carried a loaded firearm onto a public, crowded train and intended to use it against a Good Samaritan, shooting an innocent bystander in the process,” said District Attorney Bragg. “This alleged conduct is very serious and put fellow subway riders at risk of being injured. We will continue holding people accountable who misuse our transit system as a hub for dangerous weapons and violence and I wish the victim a speedy recovery.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on June 2, 2024, at approximately 2:25 a.m., SYLVESTER got into a physical altercation with his girlfriend while onboard a crowded, northbound 4 train. Noticing the incident, a Good Samaritan intervened by grabbing SYLVESTER from behind and a struggle ensued.

As the train entered the 86th Street and Lexington Avenue station and the doors opened, SYLVESTER pulled out a firearm and fired a shot towards the Good Samaritan, who was a few feet away, missing him. The bullet hit the train door, denting it, and hit the window of the train car. The bullet ricocheted off the window, striking a man as he entered the train car. The man suffered a gunshot wound to the left hand and graze wounds to the torso.

SYLVESTER fled the station and was eventually arrested on June 6, 2024. The next day, pursuant to a search warrant of his apartment, officers recovered clothing and accessories SYLVESTER was seen wearing at the time of the incident. They also recovered a magazine and bullets.

Assistant D.A. Michael Kelley is handling the prosecution of this case, under the supervision of Assistant D.A. David Hammer (Chief of Trial Bureau 70), Christopher Prevost (Deputy Chief of the Trial Division), Shawn McMahon (Deputy Chief of the Trial Division), and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Paralegal Alexa Grayson (Trial Bureau 70), Investigative Analyst Mihir Sardesai (Trial Bureau 70), Senior Investigator Lou Capolupo, and Investigators Noah Dent, Luis Chuquiralao, and Steven Mariscal are providing valuable assistance in this case. Former Paralegal Henry Brody also provided valuable assistance.

D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Arresting Officer Michael Valdez (19th Precinct Detective Squad).

Leader and Two Members of Brooklyn-Based Real Ryte Gang Each Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Prison for Violent Racketeering Offenses

 

In federal court in Brooklyn, Semaj Smith, also known as “Bam Bam” and “Real Ryte Sport,” a member of the Brooklyn-based street gang Real Ryte, was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 132 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Last month, co-defendants Dajahn McBean, also known as “Jeezy Mula,” who is the leader of Real Ryte, and Real Ryte member Mark Waiters, also known as “Telly,” were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of 150 months and 149 months, respectively.  All three defendants pleaded guilty in September and October 2023 to charges in a superseding indictment stemming from Real Ryte’s gang war with the Breadgang crew of the 5-9 Brims, a subset of the Bloods. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.

“The defendants have dedicated themselves to committing violent crimes on behalf of their gang without any regard for endangering the public,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “We will not tolerate our communities being turned into scenes out of video games with gang warfare, reckless shootings and car chases.  This sentence shows that individuals, like these defendants, who don’t get that message will be punished with significant time in prison.”

Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department and to the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations New York for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation.

According to court filings and facts presented during the defendants’ guilty plea proceedings, Real Ryte was a violent street gang that operated in, among other places, Brooklyn, New York.  Members of Real Ryte have committed acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, and engaged in bank fraud, wire fraud and other crimes.  Between at least 2015 and 2018, members of Real Ryte committed serious crimes to further the interests of the gang, including earning money for the gang’s members through illicit means, and committing acts of violence to enhance the gang’s position with respect to rival criminal organizations. 

During the charged period, Real Ryte was engaged in a violent conflict with members of a rival crew known as the “Breadgang,” whose members also operated in Brooklyn.  The gang war led to a series of shootings between Real Ryte and Breadgang, including the murder of Sean Peart, a Real Ryte member, a crime for which Marvin Pippins, a Breadgang member, was convicted following a trial in this District.  In response to Peart’s death, the defendants and other members of Real Ryte retaliated against Pippins and other Breadgang members.  On January 3, 2017, the defendants learned that a Breadgang member could be found in lower Manhattan, and, at McBean’s direction, Smith, Waiters and a co-conspirator traveled to the location to shoot and kill him.  However, during a chase with vehicles speeding through the streets of Manhattan in the wrong direction, the defendants mistakenly shot an innocent person they mistook for their intended target, seriously injuring the victim before fleeing.

U.S. Attorney Announces Consent Decree With Westchester Drinking Water Provider And Three Municipalities For Violating The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act

 

Defendants to Construct $138 Million Drinking Water Filtration Plant, Take Steps to Protect Source Water Quality, and Pay a Total of $1.25 Million in Civil

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Todd Kim, the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department; David M. Uhlmann, the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”); and Lisa F. Garcia, the Regional Administrator for Region 2 of the EPA, announced that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against the WESTCHESTER JOINT WATER WORKS (“WJWW”), the TOWN/VILLAGE OF HARRISON, the VILLAGE OF MAMARONECK, and the TOWN OF MAMARONECK (collectively, “the defendants”), along with a Consent Decree resolving the case.  The lawsuit alleges that the defendants violated the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”) in 2019 due to the presence of contaminants in the public water system in excess of the level set by EPA, and thereafter WJWW violated an EPA administrative order requiring the construction of a water filtration plant by specified deadlines.  The Consent Decree requires the defendants to construct a drinking water filtration plant projected to cost $138 million, take steps to protect source water quality, and pay a $600,000 civil penalty to the United States. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Public water systems have the critical responsibility of ensuring that our communities have safe drinking water.  Thanks to today’s settlement, Westchester Joint Water Works will finally construct a long-delayed drinking water filtration facility to protect the Westchester County communities it serves.” 

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim said: “This agreement kickstarts a path to ensuring a reliable and healthy source of water for 120,000 residents of Westchester County.  The building of a much-needed water filtration plant will address the source of the Safe Drinking Water Act violations and will help secure the area’s long-term needs.”

EPA Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann said: “Everyone living in the United States deserves safe drinking water.  Today’s agreement requires Westchester Joint Water Works to construct a new filtration system to prevent contaminated drinking water and to protect the quality of the water for a water system that serves multiple communities, including at least one that has been overburdened by environmental impacts.  Westchester residents should expect nothing less.”

EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said: “WJWW will build a drinking water filtration plant that will ensure clean and safe drinking water for 120,000 people in Westchester County, immediately pay a $600,000 civil penalty to the federal government and implement a $900,000 Supplemental Environmental Project to improve source water quality through decreased stormwater discharge into the Kensico Reservoir.  We are happy to partner with the State of New York to address this long-standing violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act and protect public health.”

According to the allegations of the Complaint, the Consent Decree filed with the Court, and other public records:

The defendants failed to ensure that the drinking water they supply to approximately 120,000 Westchester County residents complies with federal limits on potentially cancer-causing disinfection byproducts resulting from water treatment.  Specifically, the defendants own and/or operate a public water system (the “WJWW Water System”).  During the first, second, and third quarters of 2019, the WJWW Water System violated the SDWA and its Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (“Stage 2 DBPR”) because it supplied water exceeding legal limits for certain chemicals resulting from the disinfection process — specifically, five regulated haloacetic acids known as “HAA5.”  Although the WJWW Water System has taken certain short-term measures to mitigate risk to its consumers, defendants have failed to implement necessary corrective actions — including WJWW’s failure to construct and operate a filtration plant required by an EPA administrative order. 

Compliance with the SDWA is not only a public health necessity but also a matter of environmental justice.  At least one of the municipalities relying on defendants’ drinking water is overburdened and underserved, facing disproportionate environmental and other burdens.

The United States’ lawsuit seeks an injunction compelling defendants to comply with the SDWA and EPA’s administrative order, including by constructing a filtration plant, and civil monetary penalties.  The State of New York is contemporaneously joining the lawsuit to assert its own claims under state law and a previously entered state court judgment requiring the construction and operation of a filtration plant.

In the Consent Decree, the defendants admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following, among other matters:

• WJWW directly supplies water to approximately 60,000 individuals in the Town/Village of Harrison, the Village of Mamaroneck, and the Town of Mamaroneck, as well as portions of the City of Rye and the City of New Rochelle, and indirectly supplies drinking water to an additional approximately 60,000 residents of the Village of Larchmont, the City of Rye, the Village of Rye Brook, and the Village of Port Chester.
• EPA has set the “maximum contaminant level” for the five regulated disinfectant byproducts known as HAA5 at the level of 0.060 mg/L.
• In the first, second, and third quarters of 2019, the WJWW Water System contained water with levels of HAA5 in excess of 0.060 mg/L, as determined by testing performed by WJWW and reported to EPA.
• EPA issued an administrative order dated November 26, 2019, which required, among other things, that WJWW ensure the WJWW Water System’s compliance with the Stage 2 DBPR by constructing and operating a filtration plant by certain milestone dates.  The administrative order required construction to commence by January 1, 2022.
• WJWW has not yet commenced construction of, and does not operate, a filtration plant.

The Consent Decree requires defendants to build and commence operation of a filtration plant by July 1, 2029.  WJWW has publicly estimated the cost of the project to be $138 million.  The Consent Decree also establishes various interim deadlines for the construction project and requires WJWW to continue to implement measures to ensure the safety of its water supply until the filtration plant is operational.

The Consent Decree also requires WJWW to pay a $600,000 civil penalty to the United States and to spend at least $900,000 on a supplemental environmental project to modify an extended detention basin in the Rye Lake portion of the Kensico Reservoir and manage invasive species in the area.  This supplemental environmental project is expected to improve source water quality in the Reservoir by decreasing natural organic material and turbidity.

The Consent Decree resolves claims by New York to enforce a previous state judgment against WJWW for violating separate regulations requiring the implementation of filtration.  In addition to the construction of the filtration facility, the defendants will pay New York a $650,000 civil penalty and spend at least $6,800,000 on two state water quality benefit projects.

The Consent Decree is subject to public comment and approval by the Court.  Notice of the proposed Consent Decree will be published in the Federal Register, and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments on the Consent Decree for a period of at least 30 days before the parties seek the Court’s approval.

Mr. Williams thanked the attorneys and enforcement staff at EPA Region 2 for their critical work on this matter.  He also thanked the New York State Department of Health and the New York Attorney General’s Office for their collaboration.

Governor Hochul Announces Funding for SUNY Community Colleges to Prepare the Health Care Workforce, Meet Student Mental Health Needs

$8 Million Operating Increase in Enacted State Budget is First in Nine Years

SUNY Chancellor King Joined Broome and Binghamton Leaders, Students, Faculty, Elected Officials, and Business Partners to Address the Significant Investment

Governor Kathy Hochul announced $8 million in recurring annual funding for the State University of New York’s 30 community colleges — the first increase in nearly a decade — to advance health care and mental health goals for New York State and the SUNY system. $5 million will be used to support investments by community colleges to increase enrollment in and completion of health care educational programs, supporting the Governor’s goal of increasing the State’s health care workforce by 20 percent over the next 5 years. The remaining $3 million will be used to expand mental health support for SUNY students, which is consistently identified as a critical campus need.

“This investment in our community colleges is another massive step to building the best public education institution in the country, meeting the needs of our students to succeed in high demand jobs across our state,” Governor Hochul said. “Leading in health care is critical for New Yorkers, and this funding is setting up more students to succeed with strong academic programs and resources for their own mental health and wellbeing.”

Healthcare Workforce Investments

To meet Governor Hochul’s ambitious goal and work to find solutions to address the shortage of health care professionals, SUNY convened the "Future of Health Care Workforce Task Force," which focused on expanding SUNY's educational capacity in health care professions, strengthening the pathways and pipelines for students interested in health care, and innovating and aligning education with health care industry needs.

Each campus will receive a maximum of $350,000 with a minimum award of $75,000 from the $5 million recurring health care workforce investments, which will help SUNY’s community colleges:

• Hire faculty and expand or establish new healthcare programs;
• Enhance simulation spaces;
• Establish new partnerships/pathways with other SUNY campus health programs; and
• Create partnerships between the campuses and the communities they serve, including high schools, local organizations, BOCES and campus-employer partnerships.

Mental Health Investments

Mental health is a significant challenge for many college students across the nation and SUNY. The 2023 annual national Healthy Minds Survey, which surveys college students, reported students deal with depression and anxiety at a rate of 41 percent and 36 percent respectively. About two-thirds of SUNY community colleges currently have counseling centers and some use tele-counseling services to break down barriers to mental health care and address local shortages of mental health professionals.

Each community college will receive $100,000 annually from the $3 million mental health investments to:

• Hire new mental health professionals and staff;
• Provide new or expand on virtual tele-health counseling efforts;
• Provide wellness initiatives embedded in workforce development and/or college-to career transition programming; and
• Develop or enhancing initiatives to destigmatize seeking mental health support.

About The State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.