AM Grace Meng Wants Explanation for Allegations That Apple Store Employees are Discriminating Against Chinese by Rich Shapiro - NY Daily News

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The Apple store in SoHo. M. Roberts for News

A Queens assemblywoman is demanding an explanation from Apple over allegations that employees at its SoHo store are discriminating against Chinese people.

Grace Meng (D-Flushing) fired off a letter to the tech giant after she was approached by a handful of disgruntled customers claiming Apple staffers denied them iPads, demanded to see their passports or asked inappropriate questions.

"One person was asked why they wanted one since their English was not so good," Meng said. "I want to get an explanation."

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment.

A 33-year-old Queens man told the Daily News a SoHo worker initially told him the store was out of iPads. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said when he asked an Asian staffer, she found one for him. The man said a manager later asked him if he was planning to buy the iPad and resell it. "I'm just so upset," the man said. "This is racial profiling."

Meng said she suspects Apple is concerned about Chinese people selling the gadgets in their homeland.

Atlas Park: Struggle and Hope in Glendale - QueensLedgerTV

As Atlas Park Mall faces an upcoming auction, storeowners express their experiences at the shopping center.

The Stink Train by Robert Pozarycki - www.timesnewsweekly.com - Times Newsweekly

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Civic Coalition Calls For End To Rail Noise, Odors

More than 100 residents and civic activists took part in a march through Glendale and Ridgewood last Saturday, Apr. 24, organized by Civics United for Railroad and Environmental Solutions (CURES) in an effort to call attention to quality-of-life problems caused by local freight rail traffic. The march started at the corner of 69th Street and Otto Road and proceeded to Mafera Park in Ridgewood, where a press conference was held regarding legislation aimed at forcing rail companies to seal container cars filled with rotting trash.

Fed up with loud noise and noxious fumes emanated by local freight rail traffic, scores of residents took to the streets of Ridgewood and Glendale last Saturday morning, Apr. 24, calling for train reforms which they hope will improve their quality of life.

More than 100 residents, civic leaders and elected officials turned out for the event organized by Civics United for Railroad and Environmental Solutions (CURES) to support efforts to reform freight operations along rail lines running through both neighborhoods as well as Maspeth and Middle Village.

Starting with a march from the intersection of 69th Street and Otto Road in Glendale to Mafera Park in Ridgewood and ending with a press conference and cleanup, participants carried banners and offered chants urging local rail companies to change the way they operate in the area, including ending noisy overnight operations, sealing container cars full of rotting garbage and retrofitting diesel locomotives with fuel-efficient hybrid engines.

The CURES coalition, which is comprised of more than a dozen community groups in the Community Board 5 area, was formed late last year in response to numerous complaints that arose from residents around Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village regarding local train lines in each neighborhood.

Among the civic groups taking part in CURES which were represented at the rally include the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood, Farmers Oval Civic Association, Glendale Civic Association, Glendale Property Owners Association, Juniper Park Civic Association, Liberty Park Home Owners Association and the Maspeth West End Block Association.

Leading the charge was Glendale resident Mary Parisen, who co-chairs CURES along with her neighbor Mary Arnold. Parisen spoke of a host of problems related to the hauling of container cars full of rotting household garbage through local communities along lines operated by the New York and Atlantic Railway (NYA) and CSX.

As previously reported in this newspaper, local residents have complained over recent months about the unpleasant aroma of putrefying garbage in cars stored—sometimes for many hours—along the CSX line heading northbound from the Fresh Pond Railyard in Glendale through Middle Village. The noxious odors, neighbors living near the tracks claimed, have made it nearly impossible to leave their windows open during warm weather or stand outside without feeling nauseated.

Arnold told the Times Newsweekly the quality of life problems related to train traffic are also forcing residents to leave the community. She noted that some landlords have a difficult time renting their properties to prospective tenants since they are located close to local rail lines.

Changing the locomotives

Following last Saturday’s rally, CURES members were informed by the New York and Atlantic Railway (NYA), which operates out of the Fresh Pond Railyard in Glendale, will upgrade its fleet of 11 locomotives with equipment designed to reduce their emissions. The $1 million effort will reportedly be funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program.

“It’s an improvement,” according to a CURES statement regarding the NYA plan, which noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) “has gone on record to say that locomotive repowering is what we need to reduce diesel emissions.” Locomotive repowering would require the current diesel engines used by each locomotive to be replaced with engine designs that are more fuel efficient.

Click on images to enlarge...

“The NYA announcement is a very small step in addressing the quality of life problems of people living near the railroad tracks,” added Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, which is part of the CURES coalition. “Lowering emissions on NYA locomotives by one-third is fine, but what about CSX locomotives which are the ones causing the problems in Middle Village? CSX and NYA are currently using the railroad track area in Middle Village as a rail yard and crews work on trains at 4 and 5 a.m.”

“Finding a quick solution to this unbearable air and noise pollution problem is our number one concern,” Holden concluded. “Middle Village residents finally getting a good night’s sleep would be a cause for a celebration.”

Sealing the stink train

Among those in attendance were Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, who informed residents during the press conference that he has introduced several bills in the state legislature aimed at requiring freight operators to put hard lids atop cars containing putrescible waste, which would block foul odors from spreading to nearby homes.

Joining Hevesi at the conference were several other elected officials including Assemblyman Mike Miller, State Sen. Joseph Addabbo and City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

Hevesi touted the legislation he introduced into the State Assembly as a possible solution to the problem. In addition to a bill requiring all train companies to apply hard, impenetrable seals atop cars containing putrescible waste, he also authored a bill that would increase penalties against companies which ignore this requirement.

The assemblyman previously described the legislation at the JPCA’s Mar. 25 meeting in Middle Village. During the session, he informed residents that the proposed bills would force shipping companies to install the solid lids at waste management facilities, which are under state jurisdiction. Train yards and tracks fall under federal oversight and are exempt from state regulation under the Interstate Commerce Clause in the Constitution.

Arnold noted that the proposed legislation is “a step in the right direction,” adding that CURES would continue to work with local lawmakers and railroad operators to ensure that other reforms are implemented in the weeks and months ahead.

Probe into Aqueduct Racino Deal Focuses Heavily on State Senators by Kenneth Lovett - NY Daily News

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Senate President Malcolm Smith (l.) and Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson have already spoken to Inspector General's Office probers about the controversial Aqueduct racino deal.

A probe into the controversial Aqueduct racino deal is focusing heavily on the state Senate, the Daily News has learned.

In addition to Senate President Malcolm Smith and Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, the Inspector General's Office has asked to speak to three other senators.

The three are Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Senate Racing and Wagering Committee Chairman Eric Adams and Sen. Joe Addabbo, who represents the district Aqueduct is in.

"I'm willing to talk about whatever the IG wants to know," Adams (D-Brooklyn) said.

He said he does not believe the IG will find anything improper.

"We think everything was done fairly," he said.

Also being called in to testify is a key Racing and Wagering committee staffer, sources said.

Senate Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran said the meetings, which will be done under oath, are in the process of being scheduled.

In addition, Shafran said Senate lawyers are "voluntarily" compiling information sought by the IG's office, including internal e-mails about the Aqueduct project.

But Shafran wouldn't say if all the e-mails and other documents the IG's office demanded in subpoenas will be turned over.

State leaders in January selected Aqueduct Entertainment Group as the winning bidder, but the deal fell apart in March.

It was the Senate that for months held out for AEG over rival bidders.

A one-time key AEG investor, Queens Rev. Floyd Flake, has close ties with Smith, who denies any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, former senator-turned-lobbyist, Carl Andrews, filed legal papers to quash a subpoena for testimony and information after abruptly ending a recent informal meeting with the IG's office, sources said.

Andrews lobbied the Senate on behalf of AEG.

Ribbon Cutting at Locust Grove Triangle - Forum News

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Doris Peterson- Vice president of the Locust Civic Association; Helen Ogrinz- Park Designer; Mr. M. Shah- CMC Construction,Contractor; Donna Gilmartin- President of the Locust Civic Association; Eric Ulrich- Council Member; Dorothy Lewandowski- Queens Parks Commissioner; Karyn Peterson- District manager, CB 10; Peter Delucia- Aide to Senator Addabbo

Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski joined City Council Member Eric Ulrich and members of the Locust Grove Civic Association on Monday morning to cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Locust Grove Civic Triangle in South Ozone Park. The project to redo the triangle, located at Lefferts Boulevard and North Conduit Avenue, has been on the books for years.

Thanks to $200,000 in capital funding allocated during the term of former Councilmember Joe Addabbo, the project has finally been seen through to fruition. The renovation includes a new guard rail, electrical service, the rebuilding of planters, repair of the existing fountain, as well as the planting of a new lawn and shrubs. A new sidewalk, timber barriers and a concrete barrier planter have been installed to improve the overall quality of the triangle.

Councilman Eric Ulrich told a crowd of spectators that he was thrilled to be part of the long awaited completion of the project. “Since I took office last February this project has been a priority. Looking at what’s been done, it was worth the wait.”

Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski praised civic President, Donna Gilmartin, for her personal dedication to seeing the job through and also commended civic members for their attention to the triangle. As for the freshman councilman, Lewandowski said, “You’ll be seeing many parks projects come to pass in this area. Councilmember Ulrich has committed money to many of these projects in his district. He is young and vibrant and has a long future ahead.”

“Everyone said not to even try to get this done,” said Gilmartin, “but thanks to Doris Peterson and her vision, we kept this plan alive. Today represents a great achievement and we are all so proud of what’s been done.” Gilmartin also said that the triangle represents the first of such civic undertakings but that it has been implemented throughout the community by other civics that have followed suit and taken on triangle projects. “They add a lot to the community,” she said, “the triangles have a great positive influence.”

The Locust Grove Triangle has dramatically improved through the unrelenting efforts of the Locust Grove Civic Association,” said Lewandowski. “Parks applauds the dedication of the association and is pleased to have coordinated with them on this improvement project.”

Ridgewood Dems Discuss Hot Issues by Michael Cusenza - Queens Chronicle

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The Ridgewood Democratic Club held its monthly meeting last Friday. Photo by Michael Cusenza

Piping hot coffee and opinions last Friday evening flowed during the Ridgewood Democratic Club’s monthly meeting at its historic headquarters on Putnam Avenue.

Approximately 25 members, elected officials and guests gathered in the club’s hall to discuss state and city budget issues, possible firehouse and school closures, borough healthcare concerns and more.

After an hour-long board meeting, City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) kicked off the membership assemblage with a plea for community support in preventing the proposed closure of 62 fire companies across the city due to cuts in state and city funding.

“I’m optimistic, because last year we were able to save 16 companies,” said Crowley, chairperson of the city Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services. “But things are tough right now. It’s up to us, because our safety will be jeopardized.”

She also decried the possible closure of Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood. The 80-year-old institution on Himrod Street appeared on the State Education Department’s “Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools” list in January.

Crowley’s concern was echoed by members and Cleveland alum and chairperson of the Assembly Education Committee, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (D-Ridgewood).

“We want to see [the school] restore some programs,” Nolan said, adding that she mentioned to schools Chancellor Joel Klein that Cleveland should be designated a “global studies school.”

Nolan addressed state budget questions and how it will continue to affect the community. She recognized that “there’s a lot of bad feeling right now about a lot of issues” and expressed her own frustration.

“I believe there is waste and fraud in state government,” she said. “Pensioners are suddenly responsible for the fiscal crisis of our state? I don’t think so.”

After a couple of club members voiced concerns over the state of shuttered borough hospitals like St. John’s and Parkway, Nolan said she’s “very committed to doing more with healthcare. We’ve got to preserve our hospitals and our clinics.”

Nolan, a 26-year veteran of the Assembly who is running for reelection in the fall, added that while she empathized with all affected by the recent closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, “I think it’s more of a shame that nothing was done for St. John’s.”

In an upbeat note, the club voted unanimously to install several “Welcome to Ridgewood” signs at key community locations. Some proposed sites include the intersections of Fresh Pond Road and Metropolitan Avenue, and Myrtle Avenue and Wyckoff Avenue.

Artists Fight Public Hearing on Vendor Restrictions in Parks with Freedom of Expression by Adam Lisberg - NY Daily News

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Artists selling their works in Union Square Park as they face proposed limits where they can set up an art display in a park and how many artists can set up in each park. Smith for News

Hundreds of angry artists crammed into a Chelsea gym Friday to jeer a plan limiting how many of them could sell their work in crowded city parks.

The Parks Department says vendors selling paintings, photographs and other "expressive matter" have clogged park sidewalks, creating a hazard and nuisance.

Every previous attempt to curb them, though, has been shut down by artists who claimed their First Amendment rights were violated - and won in the courts.

The city is proposing new rules that would allow only 18 artists in Union Square, 24 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, nine in Battery Park and four at Columbus Circle.

At a five-hour public hearing on those rules, several community boards and neighborhood groups said the move would bring order to a chaotic scene.

Artists, though, cheered wildly when painter Robert Lederman - who has led the battle against regulation - said the real crowding comes from special events that pay money to the Parks Department for the privilege of using the space.

"What about your giant greenmarket? What about your giant holiday market?" Lederman asked. "And yet you want to eliminate us under the guise of protecting public safety!"

City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan), who is chairwoman of the committee that oversees the parks, said she has serious reservations about the plan because it would allow just 81 artists to sell their work in places where 300 or more now make their living.

"The city needs to find a better way to balance these interests," she said.

The Parks Department is expected to decide within a week how to proceed, but any final rule is likely to face a legal challenge - which Mayor Bloomberg said he expected the city will win.

"There are places where there are so many vendors that you can't get down the sidewalk," Bloomberg said on his WOR-AM radio show. ""We think the courts will be sympathetic in some parks and narrow places where people come together."

Donna Caltabiano Candidate for Assembly District 38 by Holly Tsang - Leader-Observer

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Donna Caltabiano has spent over 30 years working within her community, and now she’s ready to do even more as she campaigns for the chance to represent the 38th Assembly District.

For the past 15 years, she has served as the executive director of Forest Park Senior Center, and every year the center has fought to stay open, it’s taught Caltabiano a thing or two about stretching dollars.

"I’ve been able to run this senior center on less money than when I first got here,” said Caltabiano. “In Albany, they need to go on a budget and streamline their expenses, and I think I can bring the perspective that I've had over the last 30 years to this position."

Three decades of service include 12 years spent on the former Community School Board 27; 15 years on Community Board 9; and, for the last two years, as State Committee Woman of the 38th Assembly District.

If that isn’t proof enough of how hard she works, if elected, Caltabiano would propose that state legislators spend more time in Albany. She pointed to this year’s legislative schedule, noting that the total number of days lawmakers will be in Albany from January through June total up to little more than a month.

"The way it is now, we need them up there more,” she said. “How in the world can they do a multi-billion dollar budget in 31 days?"

While Caltabiano served as chairperson of CB9’s Transportation Committee, she noticed that a street she often drove on to connect to Woodhaven Boulevard was dangerous because it was on an incline and drivers would often speed down the street trying to beat the traffic lights. She proposed that it be converted into a one-way street coming from Woodhaven Boulevard, and although it was an unpopular decision that inconvenienced many drivers including herself, it was the safest option.

“As a mother you put your things off to the side and you put your children ahead of yourself,” she said. “That's what our elected officials need to do, put their constituents ahead of themselves, and they don't."

Caltabiano realizes that running as a Republican has its drawbacks, but she remains confident that it’s her record that defines her, not her party.

“If they remember the things I've done or see the things that I'm doing now, they're the people that are going to go across the lines,” said Caltabiano. “Once they meet me I think they're going to like me. That's the impression I have."

Albany Charter Cash Cow: Big Banks Making a Bundle on New Construction as Schools Bear the Cost by Juan Gonzalez - NY Daily News

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Wealthy investors and major banks have been making windfall profits by using a little-known federal tax break to finance new charter-school construction.

The program, the New Markets Tax Credit, is so lucrative that a lender who uses it can almost double his money in seven years.

In Albany, which boasts the state's highest percentage of charter school enrollments, a nonprofit called the Brighter Choice Foundation has employed the New Markets Tax Credit to arrange private financing for five of the city's nine charter schools.

But many of those same schools are now straining to pay escalating rents, which are going toward the debt service that Brighter Choice incurred during construction.

The Henry Johnson Charter School, for example, saw the rent for its 31,000-square-foot building skyrocket from $170,000 in 2008 to $560,000 last year.

The Albany Community School's rent jumped from $195,000 to $350,000.

Green Tech High Charter School rents went from $443,000 to $487,000.

Meanwhile, all the Albany charter schools haven't achieved the enrollment levels their founders expected, even after recruiting hundreds of students from suburban school districts to fill their seats.

The result has been less money in per-pupil state aid to pay operating costs, including those big rent bills.

Several charters have fallen into additional debt to the Brighter Choice Foundation.

You'd think these financial problems would raise eyebrows among state regulators - or at least worry those charter school boards.

But the powerful charter lobby has so far successfully battled to prevent independent government audits of how its schools spend their state aid.

And key officers of Albany's charter school boards are themselves board members, employees or former employees of the Brighter Choice Foundation or its affiliates.

Christian Bender, for example, executive director of the foundation, is chairman or vice chairman of four of the Albany charters.

Tom Carroll, the foundation's vice chairman and one of the authors of the state's charter law when he was in the Pataki administration, was a founding board member of Albany Community Charter School and is currently chairman of two other charters, Brighter Choice School for Boys and Brighter Choice School for Girls.

Carroll also sits on the board of directors of NCB Capital Impact, a Virginia organization that used New Market Credits to pull together investors for all the Albany building loans.

A Brighter Choice official confirmed Thursday that the Virginia organization gets "a 3% originating and management fee" for all school construction deals that Brighter Choice arranges.

Under the New Markets program, a bank or private equity firm that lends money to a nonprofit to build a charter school can receive a 39% federal tax credit over seven years.

The credit can even be piggybacked on other tax breaks for historic preservation or job creation.

By combining the various credits with the interest from the loan itself, a lender can almost double his investment over the seven-year period.

No wonder JPMorgan Chase announced this week it was creating a new $325 million pool to invest in charter schools and take advantage of the New Markets Tax Credit.

So does Carroll see any problem with being simultaneously part of the landlord, tenant and lending bodies for Albany charter-school construction?

"I sit on the nonprofit NCB Capital Impact board as a volunteer," he said this week. "On that board, I have never voted on any of the deals that Brighter Choice Foundation has been a party to."

Albany is exhibit A in the web of potential conflicts that keep popping up in the charter school movement. It's one reason the state Legislature should refuse to lift the current cap on charter schools unless it also adopts stringent new government auditing rules.

If wealthy investors and banks can double their money simply by building charter schools, taxpayers deserve to know exactly who arranged those deals, who will benefit and what they will ultimately cost each school.

Gillibrand Sponsors Legislation To Protect NYers From Dirty Bombs - 1010WINS.com

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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is sponsoring legislation she says will help protect New Yorkers from so-called dirty bombs.

The bill would provide long-term funding for the Securing the Cities initiative, which is designed to help protect the New York metropolitan area against the threat of a radiological or nuclear attack. The program is focused on the threat of dirty bombs, which combine radioactive material with conventional explosives to disperse radioactive material.

Senator Gillibrand's bill is the Senate version of legislation that passed in the House this year to permanently authorize the program. That legislation was sponsored by Long Island Congressman Peter King, a Republican who had considered challenging Gillibrand for her seat this year

Comaianni Supporter Calls Miller Racially Insensitive - YourNabe.com...

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Ex-Candidate Samaroo Says Assemblyman's Staff Lacks Minorities, But Miller Denies the Charge

An Indo-Guyanese supporter of a candidate hoping to oust state Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) is claiming Miller is insensitive to minority communities in part because he alleged the assemblyman has no minorities working in his office.

But Miller said those assertions are outright false, saying two of his eight staffers are not white and that the claims by Farouk Samaroo were made out of bitterness that the freshman legislator won the election to replace disgraced ex-Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio in September.

Samaroo is the co-founder of the Southwest Queens Democratic Club with Nick Comaianni, who intends to challenge Miller in September’s Democratic primary.

Samaroo, a former staffer to ex-Flushing Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, was a candidate in the race to replace Seminerio until Gov. David Paterson called for a special election for the seat.

Under special election rules, only candidates supported by the borough’s political parties are guaranteed a spot on the ballot and Miller gained the support of the Democratic and Conservative parties. Others looking to get on the ballot had to amass 1,500 signatures within six days of Paterson calling the special election. Samaroo dropped his candidacy because he believed the petition process was too difficult.

“All [Samaroo is] trying to do is make an issue out of last year,” said Miller, noting he has a Latino and a black staffer in his office.

Miller said he also works with Latchman Buddhai, an Indo-Guyanese civic leader in Richmond Hill.

“I don’t exclude anybody,” the assemblyman said.

Samaroo said Miller does not have an Indian American on his staff and said it was insulting the assemblyman has a staffer with the title “envoy to the Hispanic community.”

“It shows the degree of contempt and that he’s obviously out of his element,” Samaroo said.

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But Miller spokesman Nick Roloson said there is no such title.

“They’re trying to make an issue out of things that aren’t an issue,” Roloson said.

Samaroo also criticized Miller for choosing not to retain Seminerio’s Richmond Hill office, which he said the state is still paying rent on, and moving the district space to Glendale, out of the South Asian community, but the assemblyman said that is also false.

Miller said the state has a one-month buyout of every lease it holds and that he notified the state he would not be keeping Seminerio’s Richmond Hill office as soon as he took office.

He said he then moved temporarily to Seminerio’s Glendale office, but then relocated the district office to Woodhaven.

“I wanted to make sure that my district office is in the middle of the district,” Miller said. “I knew there’d be people like Farouk making comments like that.”

The district encompasses Glendale, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Woodhaven and Ridgewood.

“If anyone has any questions about anything, please contact my office and we’ll tell you the truth,” Miller said.

Debate Over Wetlands Stalls Ridgewood Reservoir Fixup by Lisa M. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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William C. Thompson walks through the Ridgewood Reservoir with preservation community member Rob Jett, talking about the importance of preserving and maintain the area. Koester for News

Plans to redevelop the Ridgewood Reservoir site are on hold while state officials decide whether it should be designated a wetlands area.

The city Parks Department had been poised to unveil three potential redesigns for the site. But officials said that won't happen until the state Department of Environmental Conservation makes its decision.

"The DEC has received letters of concern about the Ridgewood Reservoir over the past couple of years, including a request to designate the area as a wetland," said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren.

"More information is being gathered to determine whether or not it meets criteria for state mapping as a wetland," she said.

The decommissioned reservoir, which straddles the Brooklyn-Queens border, is made up of three basins on 50 acres of land.

Nature has reclaimed the site and the basins are filled with various trees, mosses and wetland plants.

The city has been mulling plans to transform the area into a park and possibly place much-needed sports fields on the grounds.

But local residents and elected officials have been lobbying to keep the reservoir a wild nature preserve.

"The community has said all along that this is wetlands and it should be protected," said David Quintana, a local activist. "The money they are wasting on designs and other things should go toward renovating the fields that exist at Highland Park."

Parks officials said this week they are pushing ahead with plans to fix perimeter paths and lighting around the reservoir.

"We're working closely with the city Department of Environmental Protection and state Department of Environmental Conservation to investigate conditions on the site," the Parks Department said in a statement. "The environmental considerations at this site have been taken into account since the start of the project."

Rally and March To Save Our Firehouses in Woodhaven on May 10, 2010...

Click on Image to Enlarge

What:

March and Rally to Save Our Firehouses

When:

May 10th, 2010

Time:

9:30am (March) and 10:00am (Rally)

Where:

March: Engine Co. 293 - 87th Street and 89th Avenue, Woodhaven (9:30am)
Rally: Engine 294 - 101st Street and Jamaica Avenue, Richmond Hill (10 am)

Any questions: Contact Councilmember: Elizabeth Crowley 718-366-3900

Bird Watchers Mobilized to Monitor Impact of Gulf Leak

As Oil Spreads, Citizen-Science Network Keeps Tabs on Birds

High-tech eBird website tracks numbers in real-time

As oil continues to gush into the ocean from the Deepwater Horizon well, Gulf Coast bird watchers are now taking action by surveying beaches and marshes for birds. By entering their counts at www.ebird.org, they are helping scientists track hundreds of species that could be affected as the oil spreads toward land.

“No one knows what the impact on birds will be, but bird watchers have a key role in helping us to find out,” said Chris Wood, co-leader of eBird, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. “We’re asking birders to survey the coastline for Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, American Oystercatchers, and other birds to help us understand the spill’s impacts—and guide the region’s clean-up and recovery efforts.”

Anyone can view maps showing where each species is and how many are being reported up to the hour by visiting www.ebird.org. The new eBird Gulf Coast Oil Spill Bird Tracker on the site enables people to gain quick access to interactive maps showing the latest bird reports.

Launched in 2002, eBird gathers data on all North American bird species, amassing more than 1.5 million bird observations per month, Wood said. Scientists analyze these data with landscape information such as climate, human population, and habitat to see how birds are affected by environmental changes, not just during disasters, but all the time.

“It’s inspiring to see how bird watchers use their passion to help the birds,” said eBird co-leader Brian Sullivan. “They’re out there watching birds for fun, but at the same time they’re providing scientific data needed to understand the consequences of environmental damage and to aid recovery efforts.”

Audubon will use the data as part of its on-the-scene recovery response, including volunteer recruitment and coordination, and to help in its ongoing habitat restoration initiative across the Gulf region. “This area is vital to the well-being of birds, other wildlife, and human communities too,” says Tom Bancroft, chief scientist for Audubon. “The eBird effort will give birders across the area a way to help bring it back.”

Statement from Public Advocate Bill De Blasio on the Mayor's Executive Budget...

The Times Square bomb attempt and recent reports of rising crime have emphasized the need to keep New Yorkers safe and protect our City. I am gratified that Mayor Bloomberg has restored previously proposed cuts to our police force. However, the Mayor should show the same commitment to protecting our communities from fires. I am disappointed that the administration has instead decided to eliminate twenty fire companies, a move that puts neighborhoods throughout our City at tremendous risk.

In addition, taking almost 7,000 teachers out of the classroom will leave far too many students without the support they need. This should be a wake up call for Albany that our City is being forced to pay the price for their inaction.

I am also very concerned about proposals to plug our budget gaps by closing child care centers and senior centers. As we recover from the national recession we cannot put crucial services for working families, children and seniors on the chopping block.

This budget also continues the disturbing pattern of draining the ability of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to do its job. The CCRB is already woefully underfunded and now does not have the resources to perform its mission.

Fixing our budget problems will be a serious challenge but I look forward to working with the Mayor and the Council to come up with productive solutions for all New Yorkers.