BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT

ERIC L. ADAMS’MESSAGE MONTHOF THE

Borough President Adams co-host-ed two community town halls with Mayor Bill de Blasio in the month of October. On Monday, October 2nd, he welcomed the Mayor at PS 13 Roberto Clemente in East New York, and on Tuesday, October 24th, they co-hosted a gathering of hundreds at PS 327 Dr. Rose B. English in Brownsville. At both public fourms, Borough President Adams directed a wide-ranging dialogue on a variety of topics including a�ordable housing, education, public health, and home-lessness.

Partnering with Mi Casa es Pubela, Borough President Adams hosted a family reunification event at Brook-lyn Borough Hall on Monday, Octo-ber 2nd that connected immigrant

families who live in the Tri-State area with 100 elderly relatives from the Mexican state of Puebla, who have been separated for more than two decades. The seniors, all over the age of 60, had the opportunity to live with their children and grandchildren for three weeks before returning home.

Mourning those killed in the Las Vegas mass shooting, Borough Pres-ident Adams hosted an interfaith community vigil on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall on Tuesday, October 3rd. He joined anti-violence advocates, community leaders, and local clergy to remember those killed in the worst mass shooting in modern American history. Borough Presi-dent Adams led a moment of silence

and renewed his longstanding call for common-sense gun reform.

It’s playtime. On Wednesday, Octo-ber 4th, the ribbon was cut for a new recreational space at Seth Low Play-ground in Bensonhurst, a project including new turf fields and adult fitness equipment. Borough Presi-dent Adams celebrated how Brook-lyn Borough Hall, in partnership with Council Member David Greenfield and NYC Parks, was able to secure the $1.9 million in funding for the improvements.

We’re building Brooklyn right! Bor-ough President Adams’ groundbreak-ing Faith-Based Development Initia-tive, which has resulted in hundreds

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On Thursday, October 12th, the City’s Indepen-dent Budget O�ce (IBO) released a study detail-ing how commuters are a�ected by the often delayed and deteriorating subway system. The analysis found that subway delays are costing New Yorkers roughly $864,000 a day in lost work time, and the average number of passenger hours lost to delays system-wide during the weekday morning rush has increased by 45 percent in the last five years, from just over 24,000 hours to nearly 35,000 hours. Borough President Adams called for this report in May 2017, and responded to the findings by stating “our city’s annual loss of $307 million to preventable subway delays is a critical derailment of the economic lives of many businesses and New Yorkers, particularly those from economically challenged communities who feel any hit to their wallet harder than those with access to alternate commuting options.” He called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to immediately address the issues by reprioritizing the modernization of the subway’s antiquated signal system.

As part of the City’s formal proposal for Amazon’s second headquarters, it was announced on Wednesday, October 18th that the bid was inclusive of the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Downtown Brooklyn, and DUMBO. Borough President Adams stated that “this community has proven to be an incredible incubator for innovation and a generator for thousands of good-paying jobs, factors that should be important to any forward-thinking venture. Our ‘Brooklyn Prime’ campaign, without a doubt, has been an energizing catalyst for this bid. Its message rings loud and clear that Brooklyn is a

LATEST INITIATIVESprime destination for Amazon and any other enterprise looking to invest in their future, as well as the future of inclusive economic development that benefits all in our borough.” A final decision by Amazon will be made in 2018.

On Monday, October 23rd, Borough President Adams joined Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chan-cellor Fariña in announcing the start of “Meatless Mondays” at 15 schools across Brooklyn in Spring 2018. The event, part of the first day of City Hall in Your Borough, took place at PS 1 Bergen Elementary School in Sunset Park, which was the first school in Brooklyn to go all-vegetarian this school year. The announcement was the culmina-tion of advocacy by Borough President Adams and his administration to reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods among young Brooklynites. Poor diet has been scientifically proven to lead to diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and obesity, while a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been proven to improve children’s test scores, attention spans, and energy levels. One in every three children in the United States is overweight or obese, which lays the foundation for long term health problems in the future. This initiative is part of an e�ort to encourage young people to eat and live healthy at as young an age as possible.

On the first day of City Hall in Your Borough, Borough President Adams joined Deputy Mayors Alicia Glen and Miguel Gamino Jr. at Osborn Plaza in Brownsville to kick o� the NYCx Brownsville Co-Lab. The initiative will bring together entrepre-neurs from around the world, startup companies, and leading experts with new technologies and

groundbreaking ideas to spearhead Brownsville as the epicenter of a technological revolution in Brooklyn. Brownsville is one of the poorest communities in the entire city, and is the base for the largest concentration of public housing in the country. It is a community where 8 out of every 1,000 infants die before their first birthday, and in which a third of residents are obese. This collabora-tion will seek out innovative solutions to local community challenges such as enhancing the use of public spaces and increasing nighttime activity and safety, while spurring economic and cultural development, as well as testing innovating recycling and waste solutions. The area of focus will be the Belmont Avenue Business Corridor, which serves as a commercial hub for this histori-cally underprivileged community. Borough President Adams allocated $2.2 million in capital budget investment in the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook, which was announced onboard the Regal Princess on Thurs-day, October 26th. He joined representatives from Carnival Cruise Line, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and Ports America in touring the terminal and the cruise ship to celebrate the new investment and modernization e�orts that the funding will develop. The investment will fund the expansion of the terminal’s capacity for larger, more modern and sustainable ships, such as the Regal Princess, which is one of the most sustain-able large-scale cruise ships in operation world-wide. The improvements will also help design and develop a 500 foot apron and a passenger viaduct, as well as two new gangways to accommodate larger vessels to dock at the port.

If you have an interest in any of these events, please contact us by visiting brooklyn-usa.org for more information or by calling our event hotline at (718) 802-2328. Additionally, to stay up-to-date with the o�ce, visit brooklyn-usa.org to sign up for Borough President Adams’ paperless notifications, like his Facebook page, and follow @BPEricAdams on Twitter.

VARIOUS DAYSVARIOUS TIMES

Brooklyn Borough Hall – Room G-80FREE Legal Services for All

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Kings TheatreCelebration of Praise and Thanksgiving

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Brooklyn Borough Hall – Community RoomPlant-Based/Vegan Meeting

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Brooklyn Borough Hall – Community RoomBrooklyn Borough Board Meeting

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH2:00 PM – 3:00 PMBeyond at Liberty View

BP Cooking Demonstration

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Corner of Marcy and Division avenuesFree Flu Shots

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Brooklyn Law School – Room 501Building a Better PA/PTA Leadership Training

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Brooklyn Borough Hall – Community RoomTransgiving Celebration

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Brooklyn Borough Hall – CourtroomNYC Agency Forum for Houses of Worship

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Brooklyn Borough Hall – Community RoomUniform Land Use Review Procedure Public Meeting

UPCOMING EVENTS

WHAT’S UP AT BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL?

Borough President Adams flipped through “Cooking with Nonna,” authored by web series cooking sensation and Bensonhurst native Rossella Rago, one of the honorees at his annual Italian-American Heritage Celebration. Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s O�ce

COMMUNITY ALERTS

Our Constituent Assistance Center is here to serve all of Brooklyn. If you or someone you know are having any issues, or if you have questions about topics such as alternate side parking, sidewalk pickup, or other community matters, including the topics in this month’s update, call the Center at (718) 802-3700.

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of new a�ordable housing units being created through partnerships with houses of worship, hosted informational forums on Thursday, October 5th at Brooklyn Borough Hall and on Friday, October 26th, in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preser-vation and Development (HPD), at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.

Access YOUR resources! On Tuesday, October 10th, Borough President Adams hosted his annual One Brooklyn Resource Fair, where attendees were able to meet with City agencies and non-profits Brooklyn Borough Hall to have their questions answered. On Wednesday, October 25th, he co-sponsored the ‘City Hall in Your Borough’s’ Resource Fair at Brooklyn College in Flatbush, followed by the Brooklyn Resource Fair at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Flatbush branch on Thursday, October 26th, in partnership with the New York City Depart-ment of Finance (DOF). Borough President Adams closed out the month by teaming up with the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) on a ReSet and Refresh Career and Resource Fair at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Tuesday, October 31st.

“In Our Backyard,” a documentary on sex tra�cking in Brooklyn, was screened at the

Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Branch on Friday, October 20th. Borough President Adams, who appears in the film directed by Danielle Rose, partnered on the screening and panel discussion.

Viva Italia! Hundreds of Italian-American Brooklynites came to Brooklyn Borough Hall on Monday, October 23rd to celebrate their heritage. The festivities, co-hosted by Borough President Adams and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, featured recognition of local Italian-Americans and a reception highlighted by a taste of Italy from over a dozen restaurants across the borough.

As part of City Hall in Your Borough, Borough President Adams invited Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to a distillery walkthrough at Van Brunt Stillhouse in Red Hook on Wednesday, October 25th. He also helped facilitate a discussion on how to assist the growing craft beverage indus-try in Brooklyn, an economic development focus of his administration, through greater promo-tion and more common-sense regulations.

In memory of slain NYPD Detective Miosotis Familia, Borough President Adams joined Bay Ridge Hyundai in presenting a donated Hyundai

Elantra lease to her daughter Genesis Villela. Detective Familia was gunned down while sitting in her police vehicle on-duty on the night of Wednesday, July 5th. The Thursday, October 26th ceremony coincided with the one-year anniversary of the dealership.

In commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, local artist Anita Glesta launched “Watershed” on Thursday, October 24th, a large-scale video installation that trans-formed the sidewalk of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Red Hook Branch into a virtual seascape. The public art project, supported by Borough President Adams, was envisioned to encourage a dialogue on climate change issues that are particularly impactful to coastal communities like Red Hook.

Surviving and thriving is the theme of Borough President Adams’ annual domestic violence awareness event of empowerment, held this year on Monday, October 30th in the Commu-nity Room and Rotunda at Brooklyn Borough Hall. The gathering was a celebration of courage, resilience, and strength from survivors and organizations working to combat domestic violence. Participants enjoyed mini-makeovers, spa relaxation techniques, and dance perfor-mances, as well as a panel discussion with survivors and anti-violence activists.

Following the Las Vegas shooting massacre, Borough President Adams hosted an interfaith community vigil with anti-violence advocates, community leaders, and local clergy to call for an end to senseless gun violence. Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s O�ce

Borough President Adams rode alongside local cyclists at Grand Army Plaza in celebration of the news that Prospect Park will be permanently car-free starting next January. Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s O�ce

Borough President Adams tested out the innovations of local youth at Osborn Plaza during the kicko� of the NYCx Brownsville Co-Lab. Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s O�ce

Borough President Adams took in a demonstration of the mechanics of the Regal Princess, a ship docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s O�ce

In response to the devastation that Hurricanes Irma and Maria wrought on the US Virgin Islands, Borough President Adams co-organized a donation drive for victims of the natural disasters with donation drop-o�s made available at Brooklyn Borough Hall, Mount Zion Church of God 7th Day in East Flatbush, and the o�ce of Assembly Member Diana Richardson in Prospect-Le�erts Gardens from Monday, Septem-ber 25th through Monday, October 2nd. Items such as personal and feminine hygiene products, toiletries, non-perishable food items, and clothing were accept-ed. If you would like to know more about the ongoing relief e�ort, please call Pastor Gilford Monrose from Borough President Adams’ O�ce of Faith-Based and Clergy Initiatives by calling (718) 802-3761 or emailing gmonrose@brooklynbp.nyc.gov.

A Columbia University study announced on Monday, October 9th found potentially harmful levels of lead in many backyard soil samples in Greenpoint. Some yards in the neighborhood were found to have contained seven or eight times the normal level. Borough President Adams expressed his concerns with the statistics, which found that children in Greenpoint are four times more likely to have lead poisoning than others in the city, with one in 20 kids having lead levels requiring immediate action. He stated that “we must do better for Brooklyn’s children and create safeguards to protect them from environ-mental pollutants that are in our air, soil, and water.” He urged both New York City Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) leadership, as well as that of any additionally relevant agencies, to prioritize the sensible testing of neighborhood soil samples as well as the proactive and robust dissemination of information that ensures families are aware of the facts. If you would like to

have your soil tested by the study group, please visit blogs.cuit.columbia.edu/leadstudy.

As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, First Lady Chirlane McCray announced the expansion of support programming to prevent and combat domes-tic violence across New York City. The new support will include an additional $3.9 million of investment from the City to prevent and reduce domestic violence, including healthy relationship education in 128 middle schools, a new comprehensive web-based portal and public awareness campaign, and provision of new resources to help survivors stay in their homes. An estimated one in 10 teens in a dating relationship report experienced physical dating violence in the past year, and that number is double for LGBTQ-identified youth and triple for pregnant or parenting teens. The Monday, October 23rd announcement at Brooklyn Law School in Downtown Brooklyn emanated from the work of the City’s Domestic Violence Task Force, which Borough President Adams took part in alongside community activists, health care practitioners, and survivors to find tangible solutions to the abuse and to root out its causes. More information is available at nyc.gov/domesticviolence.

Starting on January 2nd, 2018, Prospect Park will be permanently car-free. The change, long called for by Borough President Adams, was announced at a celebration in Grand Army Plaza on Monday, October 23rd. The City permanently closed the park’s West Drive to tra�c in 2015, and the East Drive was closed to vehicular tra�c for an eight-week trial period this summer to gauge community input. When the road reopened after the Labor Day weekend, more than 1,100 signatures were collected by local residents calling for a return of full-time car-free hours for the entire park. The policy change will encourage safer

streets and walkways for both cyclists and pedestrians within the park, as well as help preserve the natural greenery of Brooklyn’s largest park. For more informa-tion on Prospect Park, please visit prospectpark.org. Borough President Adams joined Mayor de Blasio at Ryerson Towers in Clinton Hill on Thursday, October 26th to announce the new Mitchell-Lama Reinvest-ment Program, which will o�er low-cost, long-term financing needed to anchor the a�ordability of the remaining Mitchell-Lama housing portfolio across the city. Brooklyn is home to 35 such developments, with more than 18,000 housing units. Since 2005, New York City has lost nearly 33,000 of its Mitchell-Lama rental stock and, since 1990, eight developments in Brooklyn alone, totaling almost 4,300 units of a�ord-able housing, have left the at-risk program. The initiative will leverage various financing tools including restructuring the projects’ existing debt, providing long-term tax benefits, funding critical repairs, and locking in the a�ordability of the housing stock for at least an additional 20 years. All Mitchell-Lama homes will also receive extensions to their property tax exemptions. This development follows the recommen-dations of Borough President Adams’ Mitchell-Lama Task Force, which has advocated for these much-need-ed reforms over the past two years. To learn more, visit nyc.gov/hpd.