Councilmember Kristy Marmorato's Weekly Newsletter

Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato

August 27, 2025

Dear Neighbors,

As we approach the start of the school year, we continue our backpack giveaways, are starting up our fresh food giveaways, and wrapped up with our last Movie Under the Stars. We celebrated one of our City Island legends, welcomed a state-of-the art school, and continue our work throughout District 13.

In this week's newsletter, you will find details about the district events that took place this week, along with information on various upcoming events we have planned.

It is an honor to represent you in the New York City Council and continue fighting to keep our community safe, healthy, and prosperous!

Sincerely,

Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato

District 13, Bronx

 

Happy Birthday to Councilwoman Marmorato!

On August 18th, we wished the happiest of birthdays to our fearless and wonderful councilwoman!

Thank you for always fighting for district 13 and showing us what fierce leadership looks like. We love you and wish you the happiest of days!

- From Team 13

New School Alert! August 20, 2025

Last week we attended the ribbon cutting for Haven Charter HS.

The school is leading the way in health sciences & giving students pathways to success

Students will graduate with certifications, job offers & real world experience! Welcome to District 13 and here's to continued success! 

Honoring Gerard "Skip" Giacco August 21, 2025

A beautiful street co-naming for beloved Gerard “Skip” Giacco  on Fordham St. and City Island Ave!  It’s always my honor to share these moments with the families  and those who share in celebrating the legacy!

Back to School Giveaways! August 21-22, 2o25 We had 2 district wide back to school giveaways  (Morris Park Community Association, below) And St. Frances de Chantal  More backpacks?? Absolutley! August 23rd, 2025 We partnered with a new group this past Saturday at Pelham  Parkway Houses! We joined the back to school extravaganza  put on by the New Life Church and provided fresh produce and  backpacks! This is what District 13 is all about -  community, togetherness, and uplifting our neighbors! We wrapped up that same Saturday at Throggs Neck Houses  with our back to school giveaway for our NYCHA neighbors! August 26th 2025 Yesterday, we had a successful backpack and produce giveaway  with our Edgewater constituents! Final Curtain for this Summer's Movie  Under the Stars August 26th, 2025 From set up, to serving fresh produce, to late night  clean up, our team nailed it in making last night’s  Movie Under the Stars a total success! We had an incredible movie season and look forward  to seeing what films and snacks will be available for  our next season! D13 Case Highlights Our quality of life depends on our ability to keep our streets safe,  clean, and graffiti free. This is why our funding go to organizations that help us do just that. Thank you to ACE New York for always stepping up and keeping  our district sparkling  What's Happening in D13? Veterans Services Let us Know! Illegal Smoke Shops Please let us know about illegal and unlicensed smoke  shops operating within District 13! Upcoming Events End of Summer Jam! Final Concert of the Summer! Pet Adoption Event COMMUNITY NOTICE District 13, this is the LAST chance at having your voice heard! Come out and speak up on behalf of your community 9/9 will be the last public hearing regarding the Bally’s  casino proposal! Details on time, place, and ways to submit testimony are  found ABOVE! Councilwoman Marmorato   718-931-1721 District13@council.nyc.gov

Councilmember Kristy Marmorato Invites YOU!

Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato 

 Celebrate With Us!

Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul

“One of the first things I raised with President Trump in January was the need to give New York City the beautiful Penn Station it deserves. Those conversations successfully secured federal funding in April to advance redevelopment, allowing us to reallocate over $1 billion for other critical projects. With Secretary Duffy now advancing this project and requesting design proposals, New Yorkers are one step closer to a station worthy of this great city.”

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES MAJOR EXPANSION OF BIG-RIG TRAINING PROGRAM FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED NEW YORKERS

 

Innovative Partnership Between MOCJ and Emerge Careers Produced Job Offers in High-Demand Trucking Industry for Every Graduate of Inaugural 2025 Program

Starting Salaries Range From $78,000 to $124,000 for Population That Typically Faces 60 Percent Unemployment Post-Incarceration

Newly Announced Expansion Will Increase Participation 15-Fold from Inaugural Class, Putting 300 More New Yorkers on Pathways to New Careers and Financial Stability

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) Director Deanna Logan today announced a massive expansion of its successful Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training program for justice-involved individuals. The multi-million-dollar investment with reentry workforce development partner Emerge Career will ensure hundreds of New Yorkers will benefit from the life-changing training, personalized coaching, and job placement offered through the program next year — a dramatic increase from 2025’s initial pilot program.

The innovative program addresses two critical needs: financial stability for individuals with a history of criminal justice involvement and filling workforce gaps in an industry facing significant labor shortages. The average unemployment rate for Americans getting out of incarceration is 60 percent — 12 times the overall national average. However, every single graduate of the 2025 program secured a full-time CDL job offer, with starting salaries ranging from $78,000.00 to $124,800, demonstrating both the program’s life-changing impact and its cost-effectiveness for the city’s workforce pipeline.

“One mistake should not destroy a person’s life because a bend in the road should not be the end of a road,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we are driving second chances in New York City by expanding our Commercial Driver’s License training program. This innovative program provides formerly justice-involved New Yorkers with the skills they need to earn a CDL and connects them with meaningful employment opportunities in an industry facing significant labor shortages. By providing upstream solutions to downstream problems, we are shifting up a gear to prevent recidivism, keep our city safe, and put justice-involved New Yorkers on a path to build their American Dream in the greatest city in the world.”

“Research has taught us that one of the easiest ways to improve community safety is to help New Yorkers find financial stability,” said MOCJ Director Logan.  “The data is also showing us that our investments in Emerge Career are paying immense dividends, in real second chances and wealth creation for some of our city’s most disadvantaged communities.”

“This partnership with the City of New York shows what’s possible when government embraces bold, human-centered technology to truly uplift its people,” said Zo Orchingwa, co-founder and co-CEO, Emerge Career. “We’re deeply grateful for the city’s trust in our vision and its commitment to those too often left behind. While this expansion marks a significant milestone, it’s only the start — our goal is to create lasting high-wage careers for every disadvantaged New Yorker and to transform reentry workforce development — establishing New York City as a leader in innovative, data-backed reentry workforce solutions.”

“What sets Emerge apart is our deep collaboration with the broader community,” said Gabriel Saruhashi, co-founder and co-CEO, Emerge Career. “Our all-in-one workforce development platform gives case workers, emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, and supervision agencies real-time visibility into participants’ journeys — which is how our participants succeed at rates 50 percent higher than national averages and earn nearly twice as much as the typical graduate. This expansion will bring in $24 million in new wealth for their communities and the city.”

According to the American Trucking Association, the U.S. is facing a shortage of more than 60,000 drivers. CDL training provides a fast, accessible path to high-wage, stable employment in a critical industry that urgently needs talent — making it especially well-suited for ideal justice-impacted individuals who are often excluded from licensed professions. 

After providing tuition-free training to 20 participants in 2025, MOCJ will expand the program to 300 participants in 2026, with additional expansions planned in the future.  The announcement builds on the Adams administration’s broader commitment to investing in upstream solutions to public safety and economic mobility.

MOCJ — and its Community Innovations team — relies on data to guide its outreach efforts. Research consistently shows that poverty and limited access to vocational training and education are major contributors to incarceration and recidivism. According to a 2018 Brookings study, more than 80 percent of incarcerated men were jobless and had no income in the year prior to their incarceration. After release, only 20 percent reported earning at least $15,000 in their first year back in the community. By contrast, newly employed graduates of the city’s CDL program have secured positions with starting salaries ranging from $78,000 to $124,800.  

Today’s announcement continues to build off Mayor Adams’ different investments in diversion programs and upstream solutions, including through recent investments in the city’s Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget, which continues Mayor Adams’ ‘Best Budget Ever.’ Investments include:

• Funding to invest in alternatives to incarceration services, including case management, substance abuse programming, group counseling, housing placement assistance, health care, and other services for adults charged with a crime ($7.6 million).
• Covering the indirect rate for non-profits that provide re-entry services, indigent defense, supervised release, and other criminal justice programming that was previously funded with stimulus dollars ($6.5 million).
• Helping to stabilize recently decarcerated individuals with re-entry services, including job readiness training; mental, physical, and behavioral health care; counseling; housing assistance; and mentoring ($4.7 million).
• Supporting “Project Restore,” a community-based gang violence intervention program that addresses barriers to personal growth, including economic insecurity, disconnection from education and employment, a lack of role models, and unhealed trauma ($2 million).
• Funding to create the South Bronx Community Justice Center, which will provide programming for gun violence prevention initiatives, crisis intervention, and high school equivalency education ($2 million).

City Unveils Greater Greenways Plan To Expand NYC’s Parks And Waterfront Access

 

The City of New York has released the Greater Greenways plan, a blueprint to expand and unify the city’s multi-use corridors designed for cycling, walking, and recreation. Announced along the East River esplanade in Manhattan, the plan is a collaboration between the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), NYC Parks, and the Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

The plan is the first of its kind in over three decades and fulfills a mandate from Local Law 115 of 2022. It documents the current state of greenways, over 500 miles citywide, and includes detailed maps of their routes, jurisdiction, and conditions. Spearheaded under the Adams administration, it identifies 15 systems under multiple agencies and offers transparency around closures and detours. Looking ahead, the plan prioritizes five goals: enhancing transportation, improving equity and accessibility, promoting health, supporting economic growth, and strengthening environmental resilience. Current efforts are focused on The Bronx and Queens, with more than 100 capital projects in progress or in development.

Greater Greenways builds on recent city initiatives including the Harlem River Greenway and the five outer-borough planning corridors introduced in 2023. The report includes design guidelines to ensure accessibility for all users and encourages integrating greenway planning into city transportation and resilience strategies.

“The release of the Greater Greenways Plan is a long-overdue and welcome step toward building a truly citywide greenway network that serves all New Yorkers,” said Adam Ganser, executive director, New Yorkers for Parks. “For the first time, the plan maps agency jurisdiction across hundreds of miles of greenway corridors and makes clear where city parks and other agencies share responsibility. That kind of transparency is essential for coordinated investment, long-term planning, and equitable maintenance.”

Law Enforcement Arrests Suspect Who Made Bomb Threat on ICE Dallas Facility

 

As ICE officers arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, they face a 1,000% increase in assaults against them.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released the following statement on the arrest of an individual who threatened U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Dallas, Texas.  

On Monday, August 25, 2025, the Federal Protective Service (FPS) reported a bomb threat against an ICE facility in Dallas. An unknown male subject, later identified as Bratton Dean Wilkinson, a 36-year-old U.S. citizen, arrived at the reporting entrance of the Dallas Field Office and claimed to have a bomb in his backpack at approximately 6:37 pm local time.  

The subject showed the security officer what he claimed to be a “detonator” on his wrist. A shelter-in-place was issued for the facility. The officer called 911 and local police responded with a bomb squad.  

“On Monday evening, law enforcement arrested a suspect who made bomb threats to a Dallas ICE facility. This incident comes just two weeks after a threatening letter with a white powdery substance was sent to an ICE office in New York City. Less than a week ago, a violent rioter was charged with assault in San Francisco after he threatened to stab an ICE officer and harm his family,” said a Senior DHS Official. “These incidents come after months of smears and rhetoric by activists, politicians, and the media comparing ICE law enforcement to the Nazi Gestapo, kidnappers, and the Secret Police. This shameful rhetoric has fueled a culture of hate against law enforcement resulting in a 1,000 percent increase in assaults against them. All sanctuary politicians, activists, and the media need to turn down their temperature.”

Wilkinson was taken into custody by local law enforcement and charged with making terroristic threats. At 7:19 pm local time, police issued an all-clear. The facility houses ICE’s Dallas Field Office as well as Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Every day, America’s brave ICE officers put their lives on the line to defend our homeland and keep Americans safe. Earlier this month, ICE responded to an emergency at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City involving a white powder which was found in ICE offices. Just days ago, DHS also arrested an individual in San Francisco who made repeated threats against law enforcement stating: “I’m going to fuck you up,” “I’m going to go after your family,” and “I’m going to stab you.” 

Secretary Kristi Noem has been clear: Anyone who lays a hand on law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Governor Hochul Signs Landmark Legislation to Protect Students Against Discrimination and Bolster Campus Safety

Title VI Coordinators Mandated on All New York College Campuses

In Coordination With New York State Anti-Hate in Education Center Launched in 2023

Governor Hochul signed landmark legislation to require Title VI anti-discrimination coordinators on every New York college campus. Coordinators will work hand-in-hand with students, faculty, and staff to confront discrimination on campus as part of the Governor’s longstanding commitment to promote a safe learning environment for all students in New York’s higher education institutions. This important step forward continues the Governor's ongoing efforts to combat racial bias, antisemitism and any form of bigotry on college campuses throughout New York.

“By placing Title VI coordinators on all college campuses, New York is combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination head-on,” Governor Hochul said. “No one should fear for their safety while trying to get an education. It’s my top priority to ensure every New York student feels safe at school, and I will continue to take action against campus discrimination and use every tool at my disposal to eliminate hate and bias from our school communities.”

By mandating Title VI coordinators on all New York college campuses, Governor Hochul is leading the nation in protecting students. The New York State Division of Human Rights will develop training to ensure colleges and universities have the tools they need to uphold the protections of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.

The Governor’s Title VI legislation is the latest in a string of actions she’s taken to foster an inclusive learning environment on campus. In 2023, she established the New York State Anti-Hate in Education Center to study, address, and eradicate all forms of campus discrimination. She also directed the state to bolster its hate crime data collection process, made record investments in physical security at vulnerable sites, established a domestic terrorism prevention unit, and conducted a thorough review of state-funded universities’ policies related to discrimination.

Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation into Civilian Death in Queens

 

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of a civilian who died on August 23, 2025 following a motor vehicle incident involving New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens County.

At approximately 4:37 p.m. on August 23, an NYPD officer was driving in a marked police car on United Nations Avenue South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park when the officer drove over a man who was allegedly lying on the roadway. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

These are preliminary facts and subject to change.