POPULAR PROMENADE GARDENER ANIL CHANDRAKUMAR PROMOTED TO PARKS SUPERVISORY POSITION
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — POPULAR NYC PARKS DEPARTMENT GARDENER Anil Chandrakumar, who has inspired the volunteer gardeners of the Brooklyn Heights Association’s Promenade Garden Conservancy to horticultural heights, has received a promotion to Brooklyn Horticulture Supervisor. The Promenade gardeners and their friends at the Cadman Park Conservancy have given Chandrakumar rave reviews, calling him a treasure for their volunteers who come out weekly to pull weeds, trim and plant while learning about all things green.
Jessica Kulig will become the next Promenade Gardener and volunteer coordinator for the PGC, and will also lead the Wednesday Gardening Circle at Cadman Plaza Park.
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BROOKLYN’S LONE CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICAN VOTES TWICE TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
BAY RIDGE & FORT HAMILTON — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-11/southwestern Brooklyn), the lone Republican in the Congressional delegation from New York City, said on Saturday afternoon, “For the second day in a row, I voted to temporarily fund the government and avert a shutdown to keep necessary programs running and allow our service members and federal employees to be paid.” Malliotakis, whose district encompasses the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Hamilton — a history-rich military base that was the fourth, in 1831, to be established in the nation’s history; she has fought to keep the Veterans Administration hospital open.
Rep. Malliotakis’ statement on Saturday afternoon also addressed the city’s migrant crisis, urging her bicameral colleagues “to secure our border to stop the unsustainable and unsafe flow of border crossers who have made their way to New York City,” and promised to halt “the unsustainable flow of individuals that Mayor Adams says is ‘destroying’ our city.”
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COMPOST COLLECTION STARTS THIS WEEK IN BROOKLYN
BROOKLYN — THE DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION IS SET TO BEGIN PROVIDING CURBSIDE COMPOST pickup service in Brooklyn Monday, according to a joint statement from Mayor Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch, in a scheduled expansion of the mayor’s signature citywide food waste collection program. Brooklynites will now be able to set out compostable trash, which includes food waste, food-soiled paper products like napkins and paper towels, and dried leaves and other garden debris for weekly pickup; the city says that the program, which began last year in Queens, has already proven successful in diverting waste from landfills, as well as reducing feeding opportunities for rats.
Residents can use any bins that are clearly labeled and have secure lids, or can order free compost decals and brown bins from the Department of Sanitation’s website until Oct. 13; full participation will not be mandatory until service is expanded to Manhattan and Staten Island in 2024.
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VELAZQUEZ SLAMS GOP OVER BUDGET SHOWDOWN
WASHINGTON – U.S. REP. NYDIA VELAZQUEZ ON SATURDAY SHARPLY CRITICIZED her GOP colleagues over inaction in the face of a federal government shutdown narrowly averted by the last-minute passage of a 45-day funding extension Saturday night. Velazquez wrote in a statement that “[t]his episode has made it clear that Republicans cannot govern. Though a shutdown has been avoided for now, we will likely face the same predicament if Republicans continue to allow their most extreme members to drive the appropriations process;” leaders in Washington now have until the middle of November to reach a deal on the federal budget, a process that is expected to be contentious due to demands from right-wing representatives for sharp funding cuts and from the White House for increased aid for Ukraine.
The disarray in the Capitol exposed divisions between the moderate and right-wing elements of the GOP, with center-leaning Republicans also criticizing the process, such as Rockland County Rep. Mike Lawler, who described resistance to the funding extension as “just throwing a temper tantrum and stomping your feet” and “pathetic,” according to the AP.
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GOLDMAN PRAISES BUDGET COMPROMISE
WASHINGTON — U.S. REP. DAN GOLDMAN ON SATURDAY OFFERED MEASURED PRAISE FOR a 45-day funding measure passed with bipartisan support by Congress, which NBC reports was signed by President Biden on Saturday night just three hours before a government shutdown would have taken effect. Goldman, who voted in favor of the measure, wrote in a press statement that the legislation’s passage, which omitted additions originally demanded by Republicans related to abortion and schools and Social Security funding, “was a victory for New Yorkers and the American people,” but also stressed the need for additional funding for Ukraine, which was left out of the package after pushback from right-wing Congressmembers.
The measure passed with widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans, with 335 House members voting in favor and only 91 opposed, but doubts have been raised over GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ability to unite his party after opposition from far-right legislators threatened to scuttle the bill.
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SAHADI’S, LONG A BROOKLYN MAINSTAY, OPENS ‘SIBLING’ STORE AT MANHATTAN’S PIER 57
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — SAHADI’s, the beloved Middle Eastern grocery and specialty store on Atlantic Avenue, is opening an additional store in Manhattan, reports Eater New York. Sahadi’s, which was first established in Manhattan in 1895, according to the store’s website, moved to Brooklyn Heights in 1948. Now, almost 130 years after its founding, the fourth generation of Sahadi’s in the business is both celebrating its roots in Manhattan and its success in Brooklyn, with the launch of a store at Market57, the James Beard food hall, which opened a few months ago at Pier 57.
Sahadi’s opened its Industry City location in 2019; an earlier warehouse and roastery had opened in Sunset Park in 2001. The Industry City store features one of the city’s few operating Saj stations, named for a specialty Lebanese bread and sandwich.
Photo courtesy Municipal Archives, City of New York
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ASSEMBLYMEMBER COLTON ANNOUNCES SPECIAL HOTLINE ON STREET FLOODING
BATH BEACH TO DYKER HTS. — ASSEMBLYMEMBER WILLIAM COLTON (D-47) HAS SET UP A DEDICATED PHONE NUMBER where his constituents can report street flooding conditions in their neighborhoods. Colton, who represents Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Gravesend, is sending the reports to the mayor’s office and to the city’s Office of Emergency Management, which deploys teams that will assess and correct the flooding situations. That special number is 718-376-3645. Colton is in direct contact with Deputy Commissioner Christina Farrell, and with Mayoral Liaison Jasper Diaz.
Assemblyman Colton added that Susan Zhuang, his chief of staff who is currently on unpaid leave, has been driving around the neighborhood looking for flood conditions and informing him of what she observes. The National Weather Service reported that 5.97 inches of rain had fallen in Brooklyn by 9:25 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 29.
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BERGEN BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EVACUATED AMID FLOODING
SOUTHERN BROOKLYN — P.S. 312 IN BERGEN BEACH WAS EVACUATED on Friday, and at least 150 school buildings flooded, reports the Daily News, which pointed out that students had to contend with flash flooding and transportation delays to reach their classes. P.S. 312, which serves preschoolers and elementary school students, had to evacuate before noon to I.S. 78 Roy H. Mann, approximately three blocks away. Schools Chancellor David Banks, speaking at a virtual press conference, said water had gotten into the boiler; and, he seemed to downplay any danger to the school, saying, “Our kids are safe.” Other affected schools included the David A. Boody School/I.S. 228 on Avenue S in Gravesend, whose principal reportedly sent a message to parents to pick up their children, an action that Banks called “premature.”
Banks made the decision to not shift to remote learning for the day, citing the need for children to have access to nourishing school meals. Mayor Adams defended Banks’ action.
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IN MEMORIAM: SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN DIES AT 90, WAS OLDEST SERVING U.S. SENATOR
NATIONWIDE — U.S. SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CA), WHO WAS THE OLDEST ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SENATE, died Thursday night at her home, reports the Associated Press and other news agencies. She had been on medical leave earlier this year with a bout of shingles, and had already announced that she would not run for re-election in 2024. Although a centrist who often found consensus with her Senate colleagues across the aisle, Sen. Feinstein advocated fiercely for liberal priorities that were important to California, environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control among them, and she gained a reputation as an indomitable debater. Feinstein was one of California’s first two female U.S. Senators serving concurrently with fellow Democrat, Sen. Barbara Boxer, for 24 years. (Originally from Brooklyn, Boxer retired in 2017.) Sen. Feinstein was also the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday as he opened the Senate floor, “Earlier this morning, we lost a giant in the Senate.” Likewise, Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, calling her his friend, said, “Dianne was a trailblazer.”
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STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFERS TIP FOR NEW YORKERS WITH FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS
STATEWIDE — NEW YORKERS WITH FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS will have some tips on coping with the fact that the payment pause has ended, thanks to state Attorney General Letitia James. Following a three-year pause due to the pandemic, interest on federal student loans resumed accruing in September and payments are again due starting this month. Attorney General James advises people to make sure their contact information is updated on your loan servicer’s website, and to be aware that student loans have switched to new servicers during the pause. The Department of Education’s (DOE) Federal Student Aid (FSA) website https://studentaid.gov/ contains loan servicer information.
One can also check eligibility for the Biden Administration’s new SAVE Plan, which will cut monthly payments to $0 for millions of borrowers making $32,800 or less, or $67,500 for a family of four, and save all other borrowers at least $1,000 per year.
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