Community Magazine May 2013

Mayor Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Smoking Ban On Wednesday, March 27, Mayor Michael Bloomberg marked the 10 th anniversary of his ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, reported Reuters. The Smoke-Free Air Act, which went into effect in 2003, prohibited smoking inside bars, restaurants and most public indoor areas. A year later, in 2004, the city began providing free nicotine replacement therapy. Health officials issued a report estimating that the ban has prevented 10,000 premature deaths. The number of smokers has dropped by approximately 500,000 in the past decade, and the proportion of adult smokers dropped from 21.5 percent in 2002 to 15 percent in 2011. “Ten years ago when New York City prohibited smoking in restaurants and bars, many predicted the end of the hospitality, restaurant and tourism industries,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “Yet 10 years later, fewer New Yorkers are smoking, we are living longer, our industries are thriving and nobody longs for a return to smoke- filled bars and restaurants.” Despite fears that the ban would hurt the industry, there are now 6,000 more restaurants and bars in the city than there were 10 years ago. Unattended Valuables Left in Parked Cars to be photographed by the NYPD Police in Brooklyn will now be taking pictures of valuables left unattended in parked vehicles, the NewYork Post reported. The program was started the week of April 8, as part of the NYPD’s effort to reduce grand larcenies. Officers in the 76th Precinct in Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill will be paroling streets that have struggled with theft, and will photograph valuables to warn the owners about their vulnerability. The officers will run the license plate and mail the owner a flyer with the picture that says: “If we spot it, so can thieves.” Captain of the 76th Precinct Jeffrey Schiff said grand larcenies occur most frequently on weekdays between 10am and 6pm. Major crime in that precinct has dropped almost 40 percent during the past 28 days, and cops hope that the additional police presence on streets will further discourage theft. Agudath Israel Hails Landmark NY Transportation Bill For years, Agudath Israel of America has pressed New York State lawmakers to address the inequitable and dangerous denial of transportation services for New York City’s schoolchildren – including many yeshiva students – who are dismissed from school in the late afternoon. The failure to provide bussing for such children, requiring them instead to use public transportation, posed significant safety concerns, especially during the winter months when dismissal takes place after nightfall. The only alternative to public bussing was for parents to pay out of pocket for private transportation services or personally carpool their children, which created significant expense or hardship. Agudath Israel’s advocacy led to a number of stop- gap measures that partially addressed the problem over the past several years, but serious gaps of service remained. Those gaps were finally closed last week, when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed off on a new budget bill that once and for all addresses this serious problem. The new law does three things: It guarantees transportation from New York City public or private schools for all children from kindergarten to sixth grade, even those dismissed after 4pm; it mandates that all bus stops be no more than 600 feet from a child’s house; and it authorizes families with two or more school-age children attending more than one school to choose one bus stop for all children involved. Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, Agudath Israel’s Vice President for Community Services, said getting these changes approved is an outstanding achievement for long-suffering families, and demonstrates the State legislature’s sensitivity for the safety of our children. State Senator Simcha Felder made this an issue of high priority, and worked closely with veteran community activists Shimon and Shiya Ostreicher to identify the core issues, draft the wording of the bill, and generate support. “Senator Felder’s stature, and his recent appointment by Senator Skelos as the Chairman of the Senate NewYork City Education Subcommittee, proved critical in driving this forward,” said Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Agudath Israel’s Executive Vice President. “We could not have done this without him.” -Judith Dinowitz New York City Municipal Schedule Occasion Day Date Alt Side Garbage Collection Parking Banks & Post Offices Observance Thursday May 2 Suspended Normal Normal Open Observance Friday May 3 Suspended Normal Normal Open Observance Thursday May 9 Suspended Normal Normal Open Shavuot Wednesday, Thursday May 15 - 16 Suspended Normal Normal Open Memorial Day Monday May 27 Suspended Suspended Holiday Closed Life in the Big City *Alternate Side Parking: For snow and other emergencies call 311 to get an update of parking rules for a particular day **Garbage: Residents who are normally scheduled for collection on the day of a holiday should place their trash out at curbside on the holiday evening for collection. Some residents will experience a disruption of on-time household collection service. Recycling: Residents who are normally scheduled for recycling collection on the day of the holiday will not receive service that week. They should place their recyclables out at curbside the following week on their regular day of service. 108 Community magazine