Please join us for the next virtual Java with Jo Anne next Thursday, July 28th from 9:30-11:00am. Is there a community issue or current event you’re passionate about? Come and talk with me about it! Join me and your neighbors for a cup of coffee at my next "Java with Jo Anne.” Join us virtually on Zoom as we discuss the recent Supreme Court decisions on Roe v. Wade and gun violence. We will also be joined by a representative of the NYC Department of Health to discuss New York’s response to the current Monkeypox outbreak. RSVP here. The Zoom link (or phone number if you don’t have zoom) will be emailed on the morning of the event to those who RSVP.
Sincerely,
Jo Anne Simon
Details and Resources on Monkeypox / Orthopoxvirus
What is Monkeypox? New York City is currently the epicenter of the outbreak of Monkeypox (MPX)/ Orthopoxvirus, a rare, viral infection that does not usually cause serious illness but can be dangerous and painful. MPX often spreads through close, physical contact between people. It can also spread through contact with clothing, bedding and other items used by a person with MPX or from respiratory droplets that can be passed through prolonged face-to-face contact.
Who does MPX Affect? Anyone can get the viral infection. Based on the current outbreak, certain populations are being affected by MPX more than others, including men who have sex with men (MSM). As of today, 839 people have tested positive for MPX in NYC. Symptoms of MPX usually start within 2 weeks of exposure & can include:
- Rashes, bumps, or blisters on or around the genitals or in other areas like your hands, feet, chest, or face.
- Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue. These symptoms may occur before or after the rash appears, or not at all.
How Can I Get a Vaccine? Vaccination appointments for certain populations can be made on the City’s vaccine portal: vax4nyc.nyc.gov/monkeypox and by calling 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692) beginning today, Friday, July 22nd at 6pm. Vaccines will be distributed via clinics, mass vaccination sites and community-based referrals. Brooklyn’s mass vaccination site will be at the Science Skills Center High School, 49 Flatbush Ave Ext., Brooklyn, NY 11201 on July 24, July 30, and July 31. More details.
How Can I Get Tested/Treated? Talk to your healthcare provider about testing, treatment options, & steps to protect yourself. If you need a health care provider, you can search for a provider using the City’s Health Map. You can find providers with a focus on LGBTQ+ care here. You can also call 311 to get connected to care through NYC Health + Hospitals.
Additional Resources: NYS Dept. of Health website has additional information. New Yorkers can sign-up for monkeypox text alerts from NY State by texting “MONKEYPOX” to 81336 or “MONKEYPOXESP” for texts in Spanish. By providing a zip code, New Yorkers can also opt-in for location-based messages, which may include information on testing, vaccines, and care near you.
New York has received another shipment of vaccine, yet we need much, much more from the federal government, as well as more testing and treatment. I joined with a number of other local elected officials in reaching out to the CDC to make sure New York gets resources, especially given the concentration of cases here in NYC. The CDC is working with FDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services to streamline the process for obtaining vaccines. My office participated in a meeting today with the Mayor’s office and health care and LGBTQ+ service providers and advocates, who made several recommendations and highlighted many of the problems surrounding lack of information and inadequate vaccines, testing and treatment, stigma, and equitable access, among other topics.
Holding Atlantic Yards Developers Accountable. I joined BrooklynSpeaks community members and groups and my colleagues to urge Governor Hochul and NYS Empire State Development (ESD) to hold developers at Atlantic Yards accountable for failing to deliver affordable housing and the promised Urban Room. This project isn’t a field of dreams - it’s a field of schemes.
The Urban Room was promised as a public amenity to accommodate the major flows of people to & from the subway, serve as a subway entrance to the Arena, & allow for public uses and programmed events. The project’s agreement between the developer and ESD provides for a penalty of $10 million if the deadline is missed. It's time for NYS to hold the developer accountable for their failure to deliver on their promises. In a recent letter I sent to ESD CEO Hope Knight, along with my colleagues, we highlighted this issue. If ESD can’t enforce its own Master Development agreement in the face of utter failure, how can the public count on them to enforce the delivery of over 877 units of affordable housing? Read news coverage:
Supreme Court Decision & Protecting Abortion Rights in NY. In 2019, we codified abortion rights into state law so this right would be protected regardless of what happened to Roe. And then our fears came true. In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and their actions to chip away at other civil rights, we also passed an equality amendment to protect New Yorkers from discrimination and enshrine the right to an abortion in our State Constitution.
The amendment to the State Constitution protects individuals against discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed, pregnancy, religion or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. To become law, the Legislature must pass the measure again in the next legislative session before it goes to you, the voters, as a ballot referendum.
We also passed a series of protections for abortion care providers and protections to ensure NY is a safe haven for those who come here seeking care from other states. Abortion is now banned in 17 states with several more states that have plans to do the same. I will never stop fighting for abortion rights for the people of NY and across the country.
Supreme Court’s Decision on NY’s Concealed Carry Gun Law: The Supreme Court recently overturned New York’s 1913 law governing the issuance of permits to carry a concealed handgun. I believe this decision is wrong, utterly irresponsible and will make New Yorkers less safe. Fortunately, the legislature responded quickly to convene an emergency session to keep New Yorkers safe. The bill we passed included criteria for the granting of a permit and also banned carrying firearms in many sensitive spaces, like subways and churches, to protect the public. I was pleased that my bill to ban firearms from sensitive spaces was incorporated into the comprehensive legislation that was passed in July.
NYC Heat Advisory Extended through Sunday, July 24. The city has opened cooling centers for anyone who needs relief. Public pool hours have also been extended at many locations. For more information and tips on how to beat the heat, visit here.
Election & Voter Deadlines. Due to redistricting and delays from the court cases around the new district lines, there are two primaries this summer - one took place in June, and the next one is in August. The August primary includes Senate and Congressional elections. You can view the new legislative maps here. Here are important dates for the upcoming August Primary Election:
- July 29: Voter Registration Deadline - Applications must be postmarked by July 29th and received by the board of elections (BOE) no later than August 3rd to be eligible to vote in the 8/23 Primary.
- August 3: Change of address form from registered voters must be received by the BOE.
- August 8: Last day to request an absentee ballot online.
- August 22: Last day to request an absentee ballot in-person at the BOE office.
- August 13 - 21: Early voting. See times & find your poll site here.
- August 23: Last day to drop off your absentee ballot at a poll site or postmark your absentee ballot (mailed ballots must be received to the BOE by August 30)
- August 23: Primary Election Day. Polls are open 6am-9pm.
- https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingDeadlines.html
Community Events:
- The 4th Street Plaza is now open on 4th St at 5th Ave in Park Slope every day through September 3! Enjoy picnic tables and community programming including Friday night movie nights.
- PortSide Park Sprinkler Fest on Sunday, July 24 from 2-5pm. Come celebrate the re-opening of PortSide Park (with new umbrellas), our free library, kids toy area, flowers and seating, AND the return of our ship cat Chiclet! Enjoy free ice cream (up to $400 from the local ice cream truck) and lots of sprinklers and fun inflatables for everyone! The Liz Rabson Trio will play ragtime “Prohibition jazz” music.
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Movies with a View Summer Series. Find the schedule and location here for free outdoor movies every Thursday through August.
- Open Streets on Smith Street is here! Saturdays through August 27th! 12noon-10pm. Carroll Gardens & Boerum Hill. I really enjoyed the opening launch - great music, food & community. Thanks to Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce & Smith Street Bid & all the volunteers.
Gowanus Canal 6/30 Town Hall. If you were unable to attend the June 30th Town Hall on the progress of the EPA’s Superfund cleanup of the Gowanus Canal, you can view a recording of the meeting on the CAG’s Vimeo page, here. I was so pleased to see ChristosTsiamis and Natalie Loney of EPA honored for their dedicated work. Congratulations!
Brownfield Cleanup Plans: Public Comment Period. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites the public to submit comments on TWO sites in the rezoned area: 251 Douglass Street, site ID #C224367; and 563 Sackett Street, site ID #C224222. The deadlines for comments are August 19th and August 26th, respectively. Site information can be viewed by entering the site IDs here. We encourage the community to sign up to DEC's Contaminated Sites Email List here.
BQE Updates. Mayor Eric Adams recently announced he intends to move away from his predecessor’s plan on the BQE and move forward more quickly with a yet-to-be-designed fix for the long-beleaguered roadway. Expediting the project will allow the city to apply for billions in federal infrastructure funding. This implies that a visionary solution with longevity, sound engineering and urban planning, sufficient community input and feedback, and within a reasonable budget can be fashioned and approved in order to break ground on construction five years from now. I’m skeptical of that timeline, but I appreciate his desire to tackle the entire corridor rather than piecemeal planning and his desire to move forward after so many starts and stops on this project for 20+ years from both the city and state.
However, I’m concerned that in the NYT article, city officials said that “longer-term repairs, like extensive work on bridge decks and joints, will no longer be necessary.” The triple cantilever has been on life support since 2018; the work on the bridge decks and joints is necessary for safety. At a recent meeting with NYC DOT, my colleagues and I expressed that moving forward with the plan to extend the crumbling triple cantilever roadway’s life and repairing the roadway to keep it safe, while simultaneously designing a 21st-century corridor-wide solution was necessary, and that the community’s input is a critical element no matter what.
I have also again urged the City DOT to move more quickly with the BQE corridor-wide community engagement process and to improve their communications with elected officials and the community. They have informed me that they are engaging with community stakeholders–beginning this summer, and planning extensive public forums and community-based feedback sessions in the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023.
The BQE project was my first request to the Governor when she assumed office last year. We need collaboration at all levels of government – and true community engagement throughout the corridor.
Summer Reading Challenge for Youth. I am once again sponsoring a Summer Reading Challenge, held in partnership with NYS Libraries, for elementary and middle school students. This year’s theme is “Oceans of Possibilities,” encouraging children to learn more about strange and new worlds through reading. Children can read on their own or with a partner or caregiver and mark off days on the calendar provided. Once they’ve completed 40 days or 20 days a month, they should submit the calendar to my office to receive an Excellence in Reading certificate recognizing their efforts.
Stop by my office at 341 Smith Street or email [email protected] to request a brochure, bookmarks, and a summer reading calendar; available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic and other languages upon request.
COVID Updates: NYC is experiencing another uptick in positive cases due to a new and more contagious variant. Health officials strongly urge everyone to wear masks indoors and get tested regularly. Stop by our office at 341 Smith St in Carroll Gardens Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm to pick up free at home rapid tests. Our youngest New Yorker’s are now eligible for Covid vaccines! You can learn more and find a location here.
