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Dear John
This is a pivotal election year for New York City, with elections for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council. With the Mayor and two-thirds of the City Council facing term limits, these elections will truly shape the future of our city.
For the first time, New York City will use “Ranked Choice Voting” (aka RCV) in this election. In a 2019 ballot measure, 73% of New Yorkers elected to implement Ranked Choice Voting, to give voters more say in determining who represents you. You can rank up to 5 candidates in every race (though you’re still welcome to vote for just one candidate if you prefer).
Do you have questions about RCV? In partnership with Rank the Vote NYC, our office is hosting a virtual tutorial on how to navigate the new Ranked Choice Voting system on Thursday, June 3 at 5:30 pm. Register here!
Can’t make it to the tutorial? Rank the Vote NYC has a mock ballot and FAQ about RCV here.
Like last year, there will be three Covid-safe ways to vote this year:
Democracy is all about making good choices. So please help spread the word about Ranked Choice Voting, and about this year’s election in general, so more of our neighbors participate.
Brad
Covid-19 Updates and Resources
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Latest Virus Data: In NYC, 237 new COVID cases were reported May 31st, for a total of 949,390 cases since the start of the pandemic. We have lost 33,222 people in NYC from the virus, including sadly 9 reported on May 31st. The number of new cases and the positivity rate have been declining; the average daily number of cases has dropped 48% over the past two weeks. The citywide 7-day rolling average of people testing positive is now 0.83%-- the lowest since the City began keeping track of this data.
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Vaccine Data: As of today 9,293,275 vaccine doses have been delivered to New York City, and 8,289,469 have been administered. For more information on vaccine eligibility, locations, and data, visit the NYC Vaccine Command Center’s Website. (And you can review our office’s Vaccine FAQ here).
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Get Vaccinated at home: NYC is providing in-home COVID-19 vaccinations (Johnson and Johnson) to eligible New Yorkers who either are 75+, have a disability, or are fully homebound. If you or a loved one think you may be eligible for an in home vaccination you can sign up here,
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Senior Centers reopening June 14: Outdoor activities will resume immediately. Indoor and congregate activities will resume on June 14. Participants will maintain social distancing
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Beware of COVID Vaccine Scams: Please ignore any individual or organization claiming to be able to provide a vaccine in exchange for payment. No vaccine distributors will ask you for Social Security, credit card, or bank account information. The vaccine is completely free, regardless of whether you have health insurance. If you suspect any fraudulent activity relating to COVID-19, please call the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Action Center Hotline at 718-250-2340.
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Get Tested: Even with these new vaccines in circulation it is still so important to keep up our social distancing, wear masks, and get tested. For information about testing sites around the city, visit New York City’s Covid-19 testing website.
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Self Senior Sign up: If you are a senior or know a senior who would benefit from free friendly calls from the Neighbor Network during this isolating time, you can now sign up here by filling out this form or calling 914-572-5526.
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Sign up for Neighbor Network Vaccination phone banking: My office helped to launch Neighbor Network last March, in partnership with Heights and Hills and Greenwich House, to combat social isolation for home-bound older adults and help address food, medicine and other needs as the pandemic hit. The neighbor network has now also pivoted to vaccine outreach. Do you want to help? Join the Neighbor Network to phone-bank with vaccine information, become a “vaccine navigator,” or make wellness calls.
Education Updates and Resources
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DOE Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter parent town hall series: Chancellor Porter is hosting a series of borough-wide town halls with parents. The Brooklyn event is June 7, 6:30-8 PM. The Chancellor wants to hear questions that families may have and get your feedback on school reopening. Share your own experiences of back to school for you and your family. Registration is here. DOE has also announced that schools will be hosting open houses starting in June so parents can get a sense of the safety measures in place for in person learning. Look out for more information on that from your school.
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Summer Rising registration is now open: DOE’s new universal program Summer Rising, free and open to all K-12 NYC residents. For more information about the program, a list of school locations, as well as program dates and the link to register visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer. K-8 registration does not operate using your MySchools or NYC Schools accounts. Be prepared to set up an NYC account if you do not already have one.
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Dancewave is inviting high school students to come to take a FREE class with The DynamiteExperience, the instructor for our Advanced Summer Dance Intensive. Dancewave will offer two different in-person class opportunities and one virtual class to accommodate students' comfort levels and ability to travel to our home studio in Gowanus. These classes double as auditions for the summer program and for scholarship opportunities for our company program.
Other Updates and Resources
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Gowanus public hearing 6/3 3:30 PM: Thursday, June 3 at 3:30 PM, a joint public hearing will be held with CB6/CB2, remotely through Zoom, and in person at Washington Park (J. J. Byrne Park) on the turf. More information, as well as details on registration and testifying can be found here: bit.ly/CB6CB2GowanusHearingNotice
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Emergency broadband program: The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households. For more information on the benefits, whether you qualify, and how to apply visit https://getemergencybroadband.org/. If your household is eligible, you can receive:
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Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
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A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
- Upcoming Kensington events courtesy of The Singing Winds: Saturday mornings in Albemarle Playground through June 26, 10 am - 1 pm
- Playground Games, Tai Chi & Qi Gong 10 - 11 am
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Arts & Crafts, Gardening 11 am - 1 pm
Music in the Plaza, Kensington Plaza Sundays at 3:00 pm
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June 13 - Famoro Diaboute - Balafon, Kevin Nathaniel - Mbira, Shekere
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June 20 - Paul Mueller and Son, from Mecca Bodega - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion
The Singing Winds will be partnering with Artbuilt Mobile Studio and members of the Kensington Cultural Council on Avenue C Plaza
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June 6 - Hudson Horns
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June 26 - Kite-Making and Kite-Flying with ArtBuilt and The Singing Winds
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June 27 - Celebrating Immigrant Culture Concert
- Park Slope Library is closed until July: The Park Slope Library is closed for floor replacement. It is anticipated to reopen in July. For library services, you may visit any open nearby branches including the Central Library, Pacific Library, Red Hook Library, or Kensington Library. For current information on library services you can visit BPL online at https://www.bklynlibrary.org.
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Legal Services Hotline: NYC Financial Justice Hotline is a free legal hotline for low-income NYC residents. The hotline is staffed in English and Spanish, provides free legal information, advice, and referrals on a wide range of financial justice issues--from discriminatory banking practices to predatory debt collection. You can find more information.
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Access Benefits Helpline through Legal Aid: Anyone having trouble with an application to apply for or recertify for HRA cash assistance, SNAP, or Medicaid benefits, can all the Legal Aid Society’s Access to Benefits Helpline at 888-663-6880 M-F 10 AM-3 PM.
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Support Gowanus and West Brooklyn Mutual Aid Produce: Community mutual aid groups West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid (WBWMA) and Gowanus Mutual Aid (GMA) are partnering with GrowNYC to launch a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program: Gowanus and West Brooklyn Mutual Aid Produce. For just $11 a week, you can provide a household in need with a bag of fresh produce. Make a monthly or one-time contribution. Or purchase a WBWMA tote bag here for $23 and after the cost to make the bag ($12), $11 will go directly towards this new food initiative and help to fund one week of fresh produce for a Brooklyn family. Interested in volunteering? Contact WBWMA and GMA about Gowanus and West Brooklyn Mutual Aid Produce.
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We are redirecting our Fresh Direct Bag Program: After collecting and redistributing more than 50,000 bags, we are transitioning our Fresh Direct bag donation effort now that Fresh Direct has established its own program to connect bag donors with nearby food pantries. A couple of our partners, Masbia and People in Need, are now signed up for direct bag drop off through Fresh Direct’s program. You can find the complete list of partners with times and locations here. Thank you to the many constituents who have continued to collect and donate their extra bags over the course of the pandemic. This has provided a much needed supply of durable bags to food providers, and helped reduce the number of these bags entering our waste stream. We hope you will continue to donate directly through this new program.
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