GrowNYC brings farm-fresh produce to South Bronx

 

As GrowNYC prepares to open our Food Hub, we are committed to forging community partnerships in Hunts Point to ensure that residents benefit from the abundance of fresh food flowing through their neighborhood. Read on to learn more!

 Free farm-fresh produce for Hunts Point

Pictured: Bags of free fresh produce repacked by Graham and ready for pick-up

What’s new: Starting this fall, GrowNYC will distribute free, farm-fresh produce to deeply rooted community-based organizations serving the Hunts Points community and beyond.

Today, we’re spotlighting our community distribution partner O.U.R. Place, Family Enrichment Center led by Graham, a co-designed and co-facilitated community space located on the peninsula where Hunts Point/Longwood neighbors connect, contribute, and support one another with resources to continue to thrive.

Why it matters:

• GrowNYC will support local and historically underrepresented farmers and producers in New York State by establishing new free food distribution sites in partnership with community-based organizations in underserved areas.

• With the free locally-produced fruits, vegetables, eggs, and grains, the O.U.R. Place community members will continue their nutrition education and community kitchen offerings with free weekly produce distribution and practical cooking demonstrations, focusing on healthy, low-sodium, and sugar-free meal options!

This work is made possible thanks to the generosity of a New York State Ag & Markets ‘New York Food for New York Families’ grant.

• What’s next: As part of this work, GrowNYC’s Food Hub will be distributing free local produce to a total of 20 community-based organizations and nonprofits serving high-need communities across New York City.

• In the News: The Bronx Times joined us and our community partners to learn more about this critical work.

• Stay tuned for more on this abundant collaboration between New State officials, farmers, and communities in the coming months!

Support Our Work 

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Support us by making a one time tax-deductible donation or becoming a monthly member.

or visit www.grownyc.org/donate

Brooklyn District Attorney Shuts Down 40 Domains Associated With NFT Crypto Scam Targeting Artists, After Brooklyn Painter Lost Over $135,000

 

Victim Was Contacted with Offer to Sell His Artwork in NFT Marketplace Through Website That Turned Out to be Bogus; Lost Life Savings Trying to Access Purported Bitcoin Earning

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that his Virtual Currency Unit successfully disrupted a cryptocurrency scam that was targeting artists throughout the country. An 85-year-old Brooklyn resident was scammed out of his life savings, sparking an investigation that traced the money he paid back to Nigeria and identified 40 scam NFT art marketplace sites that appeared like legitimate marketplaces. Those domains have now been seized, preventing future victimizations. 

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Cryptocurrency scams can take many forms but have similar characteristics, such as preying on vulnerable victims and requesting fees to redeem purported earnings. These were the tactics used in this case, leading our investigators to a network of fraudulent websites that specifically scammed artists. It is my hope that by shutting these domains and raising awareness about this scheme, we will prevent others from falling victim to this scam.” 

The District Attorney said that in May his office received a report by the children of an 85-year-old professional painter from Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, relating that their father was deceived by an online scammer posing as an art dealer. He was contacted via LinkedIn by a purported dealer for “OpenSea/Private Mint,” a company whose website closely resembles that of OpenSea, a legitimate NFT marketplace headquartered in New York City. (NFTs, or non-fungible tokens are digital assets that are stored on the blockchain and can represent content, such as digital artwork, that can be sold or traded.) 

The so-called art dealer told the victim that she wanted to convert his art into NFTs and sell them, convincing him to sign a contract on the fake site. She later told him that he had earned over $300,000 in bitcoin and that he needed to first pay a fee to access those proceeds. To get the bitcoin he sent “OpenSea/Private Mint” over $135,000 by liquidating his entire IRA account, making payments from his credit card and securing a loan. He used online services to convert his money into cryptocurrency to pay the fees. The fraud unraveled when he eventually realized that he was not getting the promised $300,000, leaving him emotionally and financially devastated. 

The District Attorney’s Virtual Currency Unit traced the cryptocurrency that the victim sent to “OpenSea/Private Mint” and found it had been transferred to different accounts at an exchange and primarily cashed out for Nigerian currency — foreclosing the ability for recovery. The OpenSea/Private Mint website appeared to be controlled and paid for from Nigeria. The investigation identified two other senior artists from Georgia and California who had fallen for the same scheme and a network of scam NFT marketplaces that appeared to be targeting artists. Some of the websites required a user to input their cryptocurrency wallet seed phrase, which would give scammers the ability to completely drain the contents of users’ online wallet. 

While unable to recover the stolen money that was outside U.S. jurisdiction, investigators were able to identify over 40 scam NFT art marketplace sites for which they submitted seizure orders. These domains have now been seized and redirected to a KCDA seizure page with a warning message. Many of them appeared to be spoofing legitimate NFT marketplaces. 

The District Attorney shared the following warning signs and tips to avoid this type of NFT art cryptocurrency scam: 

•   An artist may receive a direct message via an online account from someone purporting to be an art dealer or a representative of a legitimate NFT marketplace. It is important to verify the authenticity of any online art and NFT dealers before engaging.
•   Only use established and trusted NFT marketplaces to sell your work. Be alert for phishing attempts via email or phishing websites that appear to resemble well known NFT marketplaces. Phishing websites are often designed to steal credentials and fraudulently gain access to cryptocurrency assets.  Legitimate NFT marketplaces do not ask for exorbitant fees upfront to sell NFTs.
•   Protect your cryptocurrency wallet. No legitimate NFT marketplace will ask you to supply your seed phrase. Inputting your seed phrase on a website can lead to a scammer instantaneously draining the contents of your entire wallet.
•   If it seems too good to be true, it likely is. Do your own research and seek opinions from fellow artists.  

Justice Department Statements on U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Ruling in TikTok, et al. v. Garland

 

Friday, December 6, 2024

The Justice Department issued the following statements from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in TikTok, et al. v. Garland:

“This decision is an important step in blocking the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to collect sensitive information about millions of Americans, to covertly manipulate the content delivered to American audiences, and to undermine our national security,” said Attorney General Garland. “As the D.C. Circuit recognized, this Act protects the national security of the United States in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution. The Justice Department is committed to defending Americans’ sensitive data from authoritarian regimes that seek to exploit companies under their control.”

“We welcome this decision,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “This ruling confirms that the law Congress passed — and the Justice Department’s work to defend it — have never been about restricting free speech but rather breaking the ties that bind TikTok to the regime in Beijing. This law protects Americans from the national security risks posed by the current ownership of TikTok in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution.”

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES INITIAL $150 MILLION+ INVESTMENT IN TRANSFORMATION OF FIFTH AVENUE INTO WORLD-CLASS, PEDESTRIAN-CENTERED BOULEVARD

 

Plan Includes Widened, Greened Sidewalks, Prioritizing Pedestrians, and Expanded Public Space 

Investment Will Strengthen Historic Corridor’s Economic Engine and Job Creation, Making New York City More Affordable by Providing Good-Paying Jobs for Working-Class New Yorkers 

Fifth Avenue is Responsible for 313,000 Jobs, $44.1 Billion in Wages, $111.5 Billion in Economic Output 

Since 2022 Project Launch, Corridor Has Seen Nearly $4 Billion in Real Estate Sales, Showing Significant Enthusiasm in Future of Fifth

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an initial $152.7 million city investment in the city and the Future of Fifth Partnership’s plan to transform Fifth Avenue between Bryant Park and Central Park into a world-class, pedestrian-centered boulevard —  bolstering the iconic corridor’s status as a catalyst for economic growth and job creator for New York City. The proposed design expands sidewalks by 46 percent, shortens pedestrian crossings by a third, reduces the number of traffic lanes from five to three, and adds plantings and lighting to make for a more walkable, greener, and safer boulevard. This initial investment will cover the entire design and the beginning of construction. It will also include much-needed underground sewer and water main upgrades, which will enable underground and aboveground work to be done concurrently and efficiently. The Fifth Avenue Association will continue this public-private partnership with additional investments in this project.

Once complete, this project — the first major redesign in the avenue’s 200-year history — is projected to pay for itself in less than five years through increased property and sales tax revenue. It will also bolster Fifth Avenue’s status as a job and wealth creator for all five boroughs. Mayor Adams made the announcement as he concludes “Affordability Week,” a week where he highlighted numerous generational projects that will make life more affordable for working-class New Yorkers and put money back into the pockets of working-class New Yorkers.

“Fifth Avenue is an economic powerhouse for New York City — it fuels more than 300,000 jobs and $44 billion in wages,” said Mayor Adams. “That’s well-earned money in working peoples’ pockets — and with the $150 million initial investment that we’re announcing today, we’re supercharging that. Our transformation of Fifth Avenue will double pedestrian space, add more trees and seating, and do so much more — and it’ll pay for itself within five years of completion through increased tax revenues. Fifth Avenue isn’t just about the people shopping at the stores — it’s about the people who work there, too, and this investment will put money in their pockets, making this city more affordable for hard-working New Yorkers. This is a huge win for New York City, and I’m grateful to the Fifth Avenue Association, Grand Central Partnership, Central Park Conservancy, and Bryant Park Corporation, as well as our local elected officials, for their partnership throughout this generational project.”

“Fifth Avenue is the very heart of the holiday season. As we kick off the third annual holiday streets and the iconic boulevard’s 200^th birthday, we also celebrate the commitment of over $150 million to make improvements above and below ground,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “I want to thank all the groups along the corridor that came together to help design the Future of Fifth.”

Renderings of the Future of Fifth Avenue. Credit: City Hall

Fifth Avenue is currently 100 feet wide, comprised of five lanes of vehicular traffic and two 23-foot sidewalks. Even though pedestrians make up 70 percent of all traffic on the corridor, sidewalks account for only 46 percent of the space. Each block serves approximately 5,500 pedestrians an hour on an average day and up to 23,000 people an hour during the holidays — the equivalent of a full Madison Square Garden plus 4,000 additional people. The current configuration can no longer accommodate this volume of foot traffic, especially given that only 15 feet on either side is unobstructed for walking; the rest is occupied by street infrastructure like signage, bus stops, lighting, and trash cans.

The new design nearly doubles the width of the sidewalks to 33.5 feet each, expanding clear pedestrian space to 25 feet on each side and adding another 8.5-foot-wide section for trees, planters, and an alternative pedestrian path. These changes will reduce crossing lengths by more than a third, boosting pedestrian safety along the avenue. Beyond rebalancing Fifth Avenue’s space to reflect its usage, the new design also greens the corridor with more than 230 new trees and 20,000 square feet of planters, new seating and activation space, better lighting, and more. Greening Fifth Avenue will create additional shade cover to protect against heat and innovative stormwater infrastructure to prevent flooding. The design draws inspiration from Fifth Avenue’s historic landmarks and art deco influences, heightening the iconic architectural features integral to the avenue’s visual identity. It is also inspired by other iconic shopping street redesigns, including the Champs Elysees in Paris; Calle Serrano in Madrid; Bond, Oxford, and Regent Streets in London; and Ginza in Tokyo. The effort builds on the core tenets of the “New” New York action plan, which identified public space as a key force for the city’s economic recovery.

Mayor Adams’ $152.7 million investment has been fueled by the project and its anticipated economic impact. Fifth Avenue has long been a major driver of economic opportunity for New York City. The avenue is responsible for 313,000 direct and indirect jobs, which, in turn, generate $44.1 billion in total wages and $111.5 billion in total economic output each year. Moreover, since Mayor Adams announced this project in December 2022, Fifth Avenue has experienced an unprecedented wave of investment in commercial renovations, record-breaking sales, and leasing activity. Since 2023, there have been more than 10 commercial real estate sales on Fifth Avenue, totaling $3.9 billion. And while the street has made huge strides in rebounding from the pandemic, with 80 percent of foot traffic having returned, this project will help propel this growth and attract more people back to this vital stretch of Fifth Avenue for decades to come.

Last year, the Adams administration launched the Future of Fifth public-private partnership, which brings city agencies together with the Fifth Avenue Association, Grand Central Partnership, Central Park Conservancy, and Bryant Park Corporation to further this project. The group selected firms Sam Schwartz and Field Operations to lead the design and study, and schematic design is underway and slated for completion by the summer of 2025.

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATOR RIVERA IN THE COMMUNITY

SENATOR RIVERA VISITS

P.S.8 ISAAC VARIAN

Senator Rivera toured P.S 8 Isaac Varian with school officials, where they discussed the school’s financial projects. The Senator also took a moment to speak with the Student Council, where young students shared the changes they want to see in their school and in the community. Thank you to Principal Claudia Tahiraj-Sadrija for the kind invitation!

SENATOR RIVERA TOURS THE

MID-BRONX ENDOSCOPY CENTER

This week, Senator Rivera also visited the Mid-Bronx Endoscopy Center, an Ambulatory Surgical Center specializing in gastroenterology and committed to addressing the disparity in healthcare access for minority communities. This center serves a predominantly Medicaid population, with 75% of its patients being Medicaid recipients from the Bronx. The services offered include colonoscopies, a critical procedure according to the American Cancer Society guidelines.

Thank you to the New York State Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers for the invitation, and a special thanks to the staff of the Mid-Bronx Endoscopy Center for their warm welcome!

SENATOR RIVERA IN CITY & STATE LEGISLATORS' RETREAT 2024

Senator Rivera along with distinguished speakers, fellow elected officials and public policy leaders participated in City & State's 2024 State Legislators Retreat.

During the event, Senator Rivera participated in a panel where he discussed key health issues and highlighted the importance of the New York Health Act. This marquee legislation would guarantee healthcare for every New Yorker, regardless of age, wealth, employment, or immigration status, and would create a single-payer, universal healthcare system based on New Yorkers' ability to pay while ensuring quality care for all.

He was joined by Louise Cohen, CEO of the Primary Care Development Corporation; Assembly Member Amy Paulin, Chair of the Health Committee; Todd M. Rogow, President & CEO of Healthix, Inc.; and John Celock, Special Projects Editor, who served as moderator. Thank you to City & State for inviting Senator Rivera!

SENATOR RIVERA HONORS MS. STRONCZER FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND STATE

Senator Rivera was proud to present a proclamation to Barbara Stronczer in recognition of her exemplary service to both her community and the state.

Throughout her life, Ms. Stronczer has made significant contributions to her community. She is the president of the Bedford Mosholu Community Association, which she co-founded with her neighbors in 1975. Additionally, she also serves on Bronx Community Board 7 and chairs the Parks Committee.

In addition, Ms. Stronczer led the effort to prevent the closure of the 52nd Precinct amid citywide service cuts in 1975, and she has been at the forefront of community garden initiatives, organizing regular cleanups and plantings to beautify the neighborhood. Congratulations to Ms. Stronczer for her lifelong commitment to good citizenship!

APPLY NOW FOR THE HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP)

BOROUGH LISTENING TOUR WITH CHANCELLOR MELISSA AVILES-RAMOS

FREE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FROM NAMI-NYC

DROUGHT WATCH IN NEW YORK STATE:

SIMPLE TIPS TO SAVE WATER

SIGN UP FOR CONGESTION RELIEF ZONE TOLLING WEBINARS

Starting January 5, 2025, vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan—local streets and avenues at or below 60 St—will be charged a toll. The program will reduce traffic, improve air quality, and fund better public transit.

 

The MTA is hosting eight public webinars in December where people can learn about Congestion Relief Zone tolling. Webinars will explain why New York needs congestion pricing, how the Congestion Relief Zone works, what the toll rates are, who is entitled to discounts and exemptions, and other things people need to know before tolling begins on Sunday, January 5. The sessions will feature a brief presentation, followed by Q&A.

 

Learn more about the sessions and register to attend here.

 

For more information, visit congestionreliefzone.mta.info.