News, updates: Monday, June 3, 2023

THE CITY will launch free delivery lockers to end parcel theft

IN THE CITY – DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced Friday that the agency will launch a year-long pilot program this summer to allow New Yorkers to send and receive packages from secure lockers placed on public sidewalks. in an effort to reduce package thefts that have become a growing problem for the city as online shopping increased during the pandemic. The city says 90,000 packages are reported lost or missing every day in New York. The pilot will include 15 locations, offer free access 24/7, and will be available to anyone interested and through multiple carriers, including UPS, DHL and Pitney-Bowes; the DOT will collect anonymous data to study how to make the program more efficient.

The lockers are green: Other cities that tested them saw big drops in the distance traveled, idle time, emissions and congestion of delivery trucks; Centralizing drop-off points will also allow carriers to make fewer trips.

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DITUVIT YESHIVAS DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE RULES: CITY

ACROSS THE CITY: A long-delayed city investigation into the educational standards of yeshivas, the religiously oriented schools favored by some Hasidic Jewish families, has found that 18 of them do not provide adequate instruction in secular subjects. reports the New York Times, denying students the opportunity to learn math, English and other crucial skills. The city alleges four of the 18 schools are in violation of the law and has sent the results of the eight-year study to the state, with a recommendation that state education officials make the same determination about the other 14 ; now failing schools could be forced to pursue improvement plans or implement other measures to bring non-religious education up to par.

The city’s yeshivas have long faced criticism that their focus on religious education comes at the expense of teaching other subjects, and critics have long argued that they apply unfair standards to their community. ; advocates and supportive politicians, including Mayor Adams, have fought to stop the investigation for years, denouncing it as unnecessary.

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ALAN ARKIN, born in Brooklyn, dies at 89; HE ENJOYED AN EIGHT DECADE CAREER ON STAGE AND SCREEN

BROOKLYN, CALIFORNIA – Alan Arkin, whose eight-decade career on stage and screen won him numerous awards, including an Oscar for his role as a drug-addicted, gruff old man in “Little Miss Sunshine.” died Thursday, June 29 of natural causes, according to several news sources. Born to secular Jewish parents in an undisclosed neighborhood in Brooklyn, Arkin made his film debut in the 1966 comedy spoof, “The Russians Are Coming,” as Lt. Razanov, a Russian sailor who uses his wits to secure a ship in a sleepy New England. isolates and causes a local panic. Arkin, who noted his own penchant for playing foreigners, as a Puerto Rican widower in Popi, also showed a serious side, as the sensitive John Singer in “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.”

Arkin also sang and played guitar in a folk group, The Tarriers, which had hits that reached the Billboard Top Ten.

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BROOKLYN ARTISTS WILL EXHIBIT AT THE NATIONAL MALL

WASHINGTON – Two Brooklyn artists, Derrick Adams and Paul Ramirez Jonas, have been chosen for the upcoming “Beyond Granite: Pulling Together,” a temporary art exhibit on the National Mall in Washington, DC. to tell more of American history than traditional monuments are capable of, exploring questions of national identity and legacy. The works in the exhibition, by six prominent contemporary artists, are answers to the question: “What stories are left untold on the National Mall?” The project was inspired by renowned black opera singer Marian Anderson’s historic 1939 Easter Sunday performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, after she was barred from nearby Constitution Hall due to segregation.

Adams’ piece, “America’s Playground: DC,” is described as a monumental interactive playground that reflects the history of segregated public spaces in the nation’s capital, while Jonas’ piece, “Let Freedom Ring,” is a interactive bell tower where passers-by can ring a monumental bell and share their personal story of freedom; “Beyond the granite” can be seen from August 18 to September 18.

A rendering of “Let Freedom Ring,” an interactive bell tower by Brooklyn artist Paul Ramirez Jonas. Photo: Monument Lab.

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CITY TO SPRAY FOR MOSQUITOES IN MARINE PARK, FRESH CREEK BASIN

MARINE PARK – The Department of Health will conduct a helicopter larvicidal treatment next weekend in hard-to-access non-residential wetlands, including Marine Park and Fresh Creek Basin, on Friday, July 7, Monday, July 10 and on Tuesday, July 11. from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; in the event of bad weather, the application will be delayed until Wednesday, July 12 to Friday, July 14, at the same time. The larvicides used, intended to kill young mosquitoes and reduce the risk of West Nile virus, will be VectoBac GS and VectoPrime FG, which the Department of Health says contain natural bacteria and which have been approved by the EPA and the Department of Conservation of the Environment.

Because mosquitoes can breed in still water that has been standing for more than five days, the most effective way to control mosquitoes is to remove standing water and containers that can collect water; Other tips include using approved insect repellents and window screens, making sure roof gutters and pools are cleaned, drained and chlorinated if necessary, and wearing long pants and shirts light and light-colored in swampy areas. Report standing water or learn more about West Nile virus by calling 311 or visiting West Nile Department of Health website.

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GRAVESEND STUDENTS WIN ‘MINECRAFT’ GAME DESIGN TOURNAMENT

GRAVESEND – A team of five students from John Dewey High School in Gravesend took home gold in the town’s Minecraft Mayor’s Cup tournament earlier this month, reports the Brooklyn Paper, beating 400 teams from other districts in a live race at the Intrepid museum to design inclusive solutions to urban design and environmental issues in the popular video game Minecraft, which allows players to use interactive Lego-like blocks and pieces to create worlds and cities infinite imaginations. . Dewey’s winning players Brit Llanos, Esraa Luna, Jay Mallette, Enrique Hernandez and Jolin Jiang, who call themselves the Blockhamptons, challenged themselves to rehabilitate a “virtual wasteland” environment and wowed the judges with their eco-friendly proposal for in a public park. which featured solar panels that powered food vendors, battery chargers and a dance floor.

“Our public spaces must be cleaner, safer and easier to get to… What stood out mainly from our design was our idea of ​​integrating all cultures. We wanted to make sure everyone could feel like they were in a safe and wanted place,” Llanos told the Brooklyn Paper; the tournament is designed to spark children’s interest in both green urban planning and technology.

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THE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A PISTERO IN THE STREET AT NIGHT

VINEGAR HILL – Police are searching for an unknown man who shortly after midnight on Monday, June 19, got into a dispute with another man near the Navy Yard Wegmans.then fired a firearm at him, striking him in the foot before fleeing east on Nassau Street.

The gunman is described as about 5’5″ to 5’7″ and between 35 and 45 years old, with a fair complexion, medium build, gray beard and long hair in a bun; he was last seen wearing a gray and white t-shirt, blue pants and white sneakers.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) . The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org.

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MAYOR PUBLISHES STATEMENT ON FORMER COMMISSIONER SEWELL

IN THE CITY – Mayor Adams finally released a statement on Saturday about the resignation of Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell in early June, writing, “All New Yorkers owe him a debt of gratitude and we wish him the best as he embarks on the next chapter.” the mayor did not elaborate on the reason for Sewell’s abrupt departure, which has been speculated to be related to alleged pressure from the mayor to drop disciplinary charges against a high-ranking friend in the department. sources he said to the city that Sewell expected retaliation for going against the mayor on this issue and tendered his resignation in anticipation of being fired over the issue; one source claimed this was part of a pattern of Adams and other top city officials regularly undermining his decisions as commissioner.

Adams also named current First Deputy Eddie Caban as interim commissioner in the press release; Caban is close to the mayor, according to the Timeswhich reports that Caban was chosen by Adams for the deputy position, and not by Sewell, as he had claimed during the selection process.

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