The pattern of abuses by Vito Lopez towards women staffers is as disgusting as it is irrefutable, as the release of the JCOPE report proves.  However, despite the JCOPE report and the findings of the Special District Attorney, a loophole has thus far enabled him to escape criminal responsibility for repeatedly sexually harassing and abusing multiple former staffers.  

While we would all like to believe there have been exhaustive and comprehensive investigations into Lopez' wrongdoing, the fact is JCOPE only covered Lopez' actions since November 2010, and even then they only focused on violations of the Public Officers Law. JCOPE didn't even interview Lopez staffers hired before November 2008. This limited investigation leaves a 25 year gap in which Lopez' likely carried on his sex attacks. 

Special District Attorney Donovan, who carried out many of his interviews in cooperation with JCOPE only looked at the incidents in June & July 2012, and was careful to say he couldn't find "a chargeable crime was committed within the confines of Kings County" (emphasis added). 

Even with their limited investigation JCOPE found "Lopez engaged in a pervasive pattern of abuse of public office and resources, not for a personal financial gain but for his personal gratification and desires." Given this detailed pattern of Lopez' outrageous behavior, the amount of time and staff in Albany, and Lopez' taking female staff on overnight trips outside of Brooklyn (indeed, outside the United States), there were far more opportunities for Lopez to prey on staffers than have been investigated.  

At the beginning of these horrendous revelations the public cried out for a full investigation of Assemblyman Lopez' actions. But today, despite a documented pattern of abuses, we still do not have a complete investigation into Vito Lopez' actions. 

The overwhelming evidence of Lopez' attacks beg the question of what criminal conduct by Vito Lopez is still hiding in the shadows -- acts that deserve to be criminally prosecuted. 

Lopez refused to appear before JCOPE because his "counsel would advise him to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination." That's his right, but these reports have every appearance of having exposed only the tip of the iceberg as far as Vito Lopez' criminal wrongdoings.  The public is still waiting for a full investigation, and it's long overdue. 

Vito Lopez must resign.  No one should support him for election to the City Council or any other public office.

My comments are as follows:

To that end, I am generally supportive of the PRAP and its remedy preferences, but it is clear to me from the many community meetings and conversations that there remain unanswered questions and concerns regarding (a) opportunities for recontamination (as particularly seems to be the problem near the Manufactured Gas Plant sites and attendant the Fifth Street Basin); (b) the movement of Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (NAPLs) and those that are less dense than water (LNAPLs); (c) the maximization of community benefits including workforce development and the minimization of negative impacts such as disruptions to local businesses; (d) the improved coordination of the relevant agencies, responsible parties and stakeholders involved; (e) the increased opportunities for inclusion of diversity and greater participation of all the affected communities in the next steps (both design phase and actual clean-up) and (f) resource allocation decisions. Read more...

Below see my letter to the NYC Planning Commission regarding the Brooklyn Public Library's intention to sell the historic Pacific Branch library and use the money to fit out an expensive new library near the Brooklyn Academy of Music.The video of the testimony is here.

March 18, 2013

Amanda Burden, Chair

City Planning Commission

22 Reade Street

New York, NY 10007

Re:       BAM South Application: Special Permit for Use and Bulk Modifications for Cultural Use in Certain C6-2 Districts - Calendar Items 15, 16, 17 (C 130116 ZMK, N 130117 ZRK and C 130118 ZSK

Dear Commissioner Burden:

I write with regard to the three actions before the City Planning Commission on March 20, 2013 related to the "BAM South" site including a text amendment, a zoning map change and a special permit, which proposes the construction of a large, multi-use building across from the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

"Ethics Panel Report in Lopez's Harassment Case Is Withheld"

Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, the special prosecutor investigating the sexual harassment scandal involving Assemblyman Vito Lopez, has asked the Legislature not to release a state ethics commission report on Lopez, The New York Times writes so as to not conflict with his ongoing investigation.

"Gropez made women write him love notes"

The New York Post reports that Assemblymember Vito Lopez forced female staffers to write admiring notes about him to "cover his tracks" after harassment complaints against him began to pile up.  Not only that, he berated them if they were not sufficient glowing reports!

From the Carroll Gardens Patch:

Homeless tenants are worth more to New York City landlords than paying ones.

A report in Friday's New York Times exploring the business practices of Alan Lapes--owner of 165 West Ninth Street in Carroll Gardens, a proposed shelter, and approximately 20 other such facilities--revealed that the city pays him roughly $3,000 per body housed each month. But electeds challenging the emergency contract granted to the South Brooklyn location are calling to question the integrity of the project and whether this is the best use of taxpayer money.

There are "some significant problems with housing policy in New York City, among them the City's willingness to pay a bundle for shelters rather than moving people into permanent housing," District Leader Jo Anne Simon told Patch. "The ease with which certain property owners and service providers can skirt legal requirements to secure lucrative contracts," she added, is ripe for malfeasance.[Read more]

City Council Announcement

By BENJAMIN WEISER and WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM

The former longtime director of the network of social service agencies that for decades was controlled by Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez of Brooklyn pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal criminal contempt charge stemming from inaccurate documents that appeared to justify an outsize salary increase she received.  

The former director, Christiana M. Fisher, who was forced out of her post as chief executive of the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council at the beginning of the year, admitted that she had allowed inaccurate documents concerning her compensation to be produced in response to a grand jury subpoena received by her agency in September 2010. Read More

Around the City, Some Poll Sites Have Been Relocated Due to the Storm.  The Only Voters In the 52^nd Assembly District That Will be Voting at a Location Affected by Hurricane Sandy are those in the Following Election Districts in Red Hook:

ED        FROM              NEW SITE                    NEW ADDRESS

107      PS 15               PS 27                           27 Huntington Street

108      PS 15               PS 27                           27 Huntington Street

109      PS 15               PS 27                           27 Huntington Street

Local Initiatives through Whom You Can Volunteer Your Time and/or Money, Make Donations of Food and Supplies (batteries, flashlights, diapers, toilet paper, etc), and

Red Hook Initiative

FUREE

Brooklyn recovery Fund

Coats, Hats & Scarves will be needed for those who have lost their homes. 

Seniors at the Prospect Park Y at the Armory also need things like playing cards, magic markers, and art supplies for activities.

See other links below

Poll Site LoCator - confirm your poll site location here

ABSENTEE BALLOTS STILL AVAILABLE

You may still apply for and receive an absentee ballot, today Monday, November 5th. If you are unable to get to the Board of Elections offices, you can assign a designee to transport your ballot request and ballot to the BOE offices. The Brooklyn Board of Elections (345 Adams Street, 4^th Floor) is open 'til 6 PM tonight (Note: Confirm you are a registered voter first!)

Applications for NY Absentee Ballots

http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/Absentee06152010.pdf

For more information and applications in other languages: 

http://vote.nyc.ny.us/html/voters/absentee.shtml

2012 Deadlines:

·         Mon, Nov 5 - Last day to apply in-person for absentee ballot

·         Mon, Nov 5 - Last day to postmark ballot. Must be received by the local board of elections no later than Nov. 13th. Military Voter Ballots must be received no later than Nov. 19th.

·         Nov. 6 - Last day to deliver ballot IN-PERSON to the local board of elections.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!!  RE-ELECT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!

In the 52^nd AD, Re-Elect Assemblymember Joan L. Millman

Depending on your location, please vote for these progressive candidates:

U.S. Senate:           Kirsten Gillibrand

U. S. Congress:      Nydia M. Velazquez Cong. Dist. 7

                                Hakeem Jeffries- Cong Dist. 8

                                Yvette Clarke-Cong. Dist. 9

State Senate:        Velmanette Montgomery - Sen. Dist. 25

                                Daniel Squadron - Sen. Dist. 26

                                Kevin Parker - Sen. Dist. 21

Civil Court:            Richard J. Montelione - Municipal Dist. 1

Civil Court:            Robin Garson and Craig Walker - County-wide (vote for 2 candidates)

Supreme Court:   Cheryl E. Chambers

                                Barry Kamins

                                William Miller

                                (vote for 3 candidates)

Other Recovery links:

Food, blanket and water distribution sites
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/foodandwater.html

Daytime warming centers

http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/warming_ctr.html

Current list of overnight emergency shelters
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/hurricane_shelters.html

Bus pick up for overnight emergency shelters
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/overnight_shelter.html

Mobile Medical Care
http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2012b/pr393-12-static.html

American Red Cross Disaster Assistance, including shelter information
http://www.redcross.org/

NYC School closures
http://schools.nyc.gov/Home/InOurSchoolsToday/2012-2013/cancellations.htm#relocated

Interactive map shows locations providing emergency services and availability of supplies
http://www.google.org/crisismap/2012-sandy-nyc

Information regarding subway, bus and commuter rail availability
http://www.mta.info
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/ferrybus/ferintro.shtml
http://www.mta.info/lirr/
http://www.panynj.gov/alerts-advisories/inclement-weather.html

Power Outage Updates
http://www.governor.ny.gov/poweroutageinfo

Full-service locations to aid in applications for emergency social, economic and FEMA assistance
http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/dasc.html

FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance
www.disasterassistance.gov

More Poll workers are needed.  Training will occur today and tomorrow.  Tomorrow (Monday, Nov 5) at 9:30 AM, go to 401 Atlantic Ave (corner of Bond Street).  You can get an application form on-line here

http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/html/workers/positions.shtml  Poll workers must report at 5 AM on Election day and work through the polls' closing.

Some Poll sites will be changed because of the hurricane. Here is the list.. 

The sites in and near the 52^nd AD are confirmed.  The biggest changes are that voters assigned to PS 15 in Red Hook will be voting at PS 27, (27 Huntington Street) in Red Hook.  Voters from the 44^th AD who would vote at John Jay HS or the Park Slope YMCA will now vote at PS 282 (180 Sixth Ave), making it an enormous pollsite, and PS 154 (1625 11 Avenue).

1.         Check if you are registered to vote here

2.         Check your poll site here.  Then write down your new Election District number to save time when you get to the polls

If you're are volunteering at a shelter and have access to the internet, help the evacuee by:

1.         Check to see if they are registered voters

2.         Check the poll site where they would vote.  They might be able to get to the site on their own.  Efforts are being made to transport voters to poll sites in certain hard hit areas... Still others may be qualified because of temporary illness/inability to physically get to their regular site. Then you/they wilould need to walk those appluications to the BOE and get a ballot turned in for completion and drop off by end of day

--------

Here's the Red Hook Initiative schedule for today http://rhicenter.org/2012/11/03/

From Volunteer Bob Bland:

There was hundreds of volunteers out yesterday...your best bet is to come early! Also, check out redhook.recovers.org for immediate updates, and astoria.recovers.org for the Rockaways.

Any major coordination questions please contact info@rhicenter.org.  or check their website http://rhicenter.org/2012/11/03/from-the-sites-coordination-meeting-news-for-sunday/

Volunteers
Please report to 402 Van Brunt Street
10am - 5pm

Hot Meals
Hot meals should be delivered to 767 Hicks Street
11am - 6pm
Please tell us if you plan to deliver hot food and at what time. We'd like to try to make sure we have enough and that we don't get too much knowing other communities need the same.
If you plan to bring a meal, send an email to food@rhicenter.org

Cleaning Supplies / Water Pumps/Generators
Please deliver to 402 Van Brunt Street
10am - 5pm

Canned Food/ Non-perishables / Flashlights/ Candles/ Blankets/
Please deliver to Good Shepherd Services, 173 Conover Street OR
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 98 Richards Street/ Verona Street
10am - 5pm

Donate money
RHI is accepting contributions toward hurricane relief efforts in the community, click to donate here.

------

The Cobble Hill Think Tank is collecting...

"A Hill of Beans" for our neighbors in Red Hook
___________________________

PLEASE DONATE: 

- cans of beans
- bags of dried beans
- coffee beans (ground)

WE WILL ALSO ACCEPT:
- bags of rice
- canned fruits and vegetables
- blankets, coats, warm clothes

Bring donations to The Cobble Hill Think Tank, 274 Court Street (across from the Cobble Hill Cinema)
All donations will be distributed by The Red Hook Initiative, www.rhicenter.org  Hill of Beans expects to collect for the next 2 weeks.  Contact info below:

Lisa Bowstead

Lisa@CobbleHillThinkTank.com
The Cobble Hill Think Tank
274 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 222-9200

www.CobbleHillThinkTank.com

____

Brooklyn Tech Shelter -- Volunteers Needed

They are down to general population, not senior citizens/special needs.  Please come for early shifts.   Afternoon shifts have more than enough.   They may be clearing out to start school Monday.

 
Also there are tons of donated clothing shoes and books that need to be moved.   There outpouring of donations were so great that most of it hasn't been used.
Please come to Brooklyn Tech High School and pick up what you think is needed at your drop off.  Look for a volunteer in orange vest or head of volunteers in yellow vest.

I suggest coming by Sunday afternoon since we just don't know when its shutting down.   I'd hate to see all of this dumped.

Thanks.  Feel free to email me if you have questions.

ANNIE BASULTO <annieheartscoffey@gmail.com> 

Schools                                Schools                                Schools                Schools                Schools                                Schools

New York City schools are officially in session tomorrow, though some will be in different locations. Some are serving as emergency shelters, such as those housed in the John Jay High School building at 237 7th Avenue, and others around the city are without power or are otherwise unusable.  For up-to-date information on schools, please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Home/InOurSchoolsToday/2012-2013/cancellations, call 311 or text NYCSCHOOLS to 877-877.

Schools will be closed on Tuesday for Election Day.

Voting

Three polling sites have been relocated .

If you were scheduled to vote  at PS15 in Red Hook , you will now vote at PS 27 in Red Hook. 

Those of you who are in election districts that normally vote in the John Jay High School building at 237 7th Avenue will be voting at PS 282, which is located at 180 Sixth Avenue, between Lincoln Place and Berkeley Place.

Those of you who are in election districts that normally vote at the Park Slope Armory will be voting at PS 154, which is located at 1625 11th Avenue, between Sherman Street and Windsor Place in Windsor Terrace.

You can confirm your polling site by entering your address at the Board of Elections Poll Site Locator, which has been updated for relocated sites, here: http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm.

Helping our First Responders

A significant number of policemen, firemen and other first responders lost their homes in the hurricane.

I have heard this from all the precincts we work with in the 52ndAD. If their home wasn't lost, it was significantly damaged We will be calling on their organizations who will need our help.

Thank you to our elected officials, City Councilmembers Brad Lander and Steve Levin, who have worked tirelessly, Assemblymember Joan Millman and her staff who brought out the Army to Gowanus Houses, and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, and her staff held the fort at Red Hook Houses. Thanks to all you neighbors who just kept coming and coming with new ways to help.  You are all a wonder!

More Poll workers are needed.  Training will occur today and tomorrow.  Tomorrow at 9:30 AM, go to 401 Atlantic Ave (corner of Bond Street).  You can get an application form on-line here

http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/html/workers/positions.shtml  Poll workers must report at 5 AM on Election day and work through the polls' closing.

Some Poll sites will be changed because of the hurricane. Here is the list currently, although there MIGHT still be changes in the southern coastal areas of Brooklyn and Queens. 

The sites in and near the 52^nd AD are confirmed.  The biggest changes are that voters assigned to PS 15 in Red Hook will be voting at PS 27, (27 Huntington Street) in Red Hook.  Voters from the 44^th AD who would vote at John Jay HS or the Park Slope YMCA will now vote at PS 282, (180 Sixth Ave) and PS 154 (1625 11 Avenue).

1.         Check if you are registered to vote here

2.         Check your poll site here.

If you're are volunteering at a shelter and have access to the internet, help the evacuee by:

1.         Check to see if they are registered voters

2.         Check the poll site where they would vote.  They might be able to get to the site on their own.  Efforts are being made to transport voters to poll sites in certain hard hit areas...  More on that later.

------------

Here's the Red Hook Initiative schedule for today, Sunday, November 4

From Volunteer Bob Bland:

There was hundreds of volunteers out yesterday...your best bet is to come early! Also, check out redhook.recovers.org for immediate updates, and astoria.recovers.org for the Rockaways.

Any major coordination questions please contact info@rhicenter.org.  or check their website http://rhicenter.org/2012/11/03/from-the-sites-coordination-meeting-news-for-sunday/

Volunteers
Please report to 402 Van Brunt Street
10am - 5pm

Hot Meals
Hot meals should be delivered to 767 Hicks Street
11am - 6pm
Please tell us if you plan to deliver hot food and at what time. We'd like to try to make sure we have enough and that we don't get too much knowing other communities need the same.
If you plan to bring a meal, send an email to food@rhicenter.org

Cleaning Supplies / Water Pumps/Generators
Please deliver to 402 Van Brunt Street
10am - 5pm

Canned Food/ Non-perishables / Flashlights/ Candles/ Blankets/
Please deliver to Good Shepherd Services, 173 Conover Street OR
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 98 Richards Street/ Verona Street
10am - 5pm

Donate money
RHI is accepting contributions toward hurricane relief efforts in the community, click to donate here.

------

The Cobble Hill Think Tank  is collecting...

"A Hill of Beans" for our neighbors in Red Hook
___________________________

PLEASE DONATE: 

- cans of beans
- bags of dried beans
- coffee beans (ground)

WE WILL ALSO ACCEPT:
- bags of rice
- canned fruits and vegetables
- blankets, coats, warm clothes

Bring donations to The Cobble Hill Think Tank, 274 Court Street (across from the Cobble Hill Cinema)
All donations will be distributed by The Red Hook Initiative, www.rhicenter.org  Hill of Beans expects to collect for the next 2 weeks.  Contact info below:

Lisa Bowstead

Lisa@CobbleHillThinkTank.com
The Cobble Hill Think Tank
274 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 222-9200

www.CobbleHillThinkTank.com

____

Brooklyn Tech Shelter -- Volunteers Needed

They are down to general population, not senior citizens/special needs.  Please come for early shifts.   Afternoon shifts have more than enough.   They may be clearing out to start school Monday.

 
Also there are tons of donated clothing shoes and books that need to be moved.   There outpouring of donations were so great that most of it hasn't been used.
Please come to Brooklyn Tech High School and pick up what you think is needed at your drop off.  Look for a volunteer in orange vest or head of volunteers in yellow vest.

I suggest coming by Sunday afternoon since we just don't know when its shutting down.   I'd hate to see all of this dumped.

Thanks.  Feel free to email me if you have questions.

ANNIE BASULTO <annieheartscoffey@gmail.com> 

Emergency shelters have been consolidated

The NYC Marathon has been cancelled

How to help

http://www.bkbureau.org/where-get-and-where-give

http://brokelyn.com/where-to-volunteer-this-weekend/

http://www.heresparkslope.com/home/2012/11/2/a-round-up-of-local-ways-to-help-sandy-victims.html/

One of the most urgent needs is mental health assistance, particularly at the shelters and for so many people in public housing who have been left high and dry. Pass it on.

Keep track of who has electric power

A neighbor's daughter's friend came up with this handy map of relief efforts- I think this is really clever and helpful!

A neighbor is listing relief information on her blog
Thanks, Karen! You and GUMBO have enriched our communities in so many ways.

Brooklyn Community Foundation has launched a Brooklyn Recovery Fund. Donations will go to local recovery efforts in Brooklyn.

PS 29 PTA is organizing help to Red Hook.  Because Con Ed has estimates that the power won't be restored to Red Hook for another 10 days, the biggest, most urgent need is for -flashlights loaded with batteries and extra batteries.

Collection efforts will evolve from day to day as needed.  Once school is back in session efforts will transition to be more informational than collection. An automatic email will be sent every day outlining their efforts. For more information, email: PS29bkHealthandSafety@gmail.com  From a recent email, they also need:

-Candles  ▪ water ▪ powdered milk ▪ blankets ▪personal care items and toiletries ▪ hot/prepared food ▪ canned food ▪ candles that burn 6-12 hours ▪ Pull-ups and Diapers ▪ Mac & Cheese ▪ Brooms and mops ▪ Juice ▪ Ziploc Bags ▪ Batteries ▪ Feminine Products ▪ Blankets▪ Peanut Butter

-Medical Volunteers of all kinds are desperately needed. Anyone, Pediatricians, General Practitioners, Nurse Practitioners. Not a triage center, but one at a time in intermittent shifts...

Recovery House of Worship Brooklyn is also accepting donations for Sandy Relief in Red Hook.  Please feel free to deliver any of these items to its Church at 360 Schermerhorn St. (at 3rd Ave. 718-875-1858 ; 718-690-8349)

Park Slope Parents is organizing - Operation Underwear a huge success, for example. http://www.parkslopeparents.com/  

Legal Services NYC will help address storm related challenges. They have extensive experience, based on post-9/11 work and otherwise, helping families and individuals get emergency related services, including FEMA relief, access to food-related services, Medicaid, and other urgently needed help.

All of their direct service offices are now open, though phone access is limited because of the power outage at the downtown office where our servers are based. The numbers of their local directors are listed below and they are willing to help residents in need of legal services.

Bklyn: Meghan Faux 718.755.0701 & Betty Staton 718.809.9462
Bx: Jennifer Levy 646.717.3951
Man: Peggy Earisman 917.561.3910
Q: Jennifer Ching 917.721.9871
SI: Nancy Goldhill 917.657.6485

IMPORTANT HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSIONS UPDATE 

·         The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) scheduled for Saturday, November 3, has been rescheduled to Saturday, November 17. Accommodations will be made for students with conflicts.

·         High School interviews, assessments, and auditions scheduled for November 3-4 are canceled and will be rescheduled.

·         LaGuardia High School auditions scheduled for November 3-4 have been rescheduled to November 10-11.

·         Reminder: The SHSAT scheduled for Sunday, October 28, has been rescheduled for Sunday, November 18. Accommodations will be made for students with conflicts.

SAT exam cancelled in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy

Tuesday, November 6^th is Election Day. Because of Hurricane Sandy, many poll sites will have to be relocated.  I will try to keep you up to date on these developments.  If you have applied for an absentee ballot, it may be delivered in person through Monday, November 5^th.

Our communities have stood up and helped each other out. Keep it up!

Limited subway service restored.  Buses running usual routes; timing likely to be affected by traffic. Stay off the roads if you can!  http://www.mta.info/sites/default/files/pdf/HurricaneRecoveryMapOct312012.pdf

From Council member Brad Lander (Park Slope Armory shelter):

Please donate financially to help Masbia provide hot meals at Park Slope Armory: Yesterday, the Park Slope Armory got more than 500 evacuees from Adult Care Homes in flooded parts of the city. Everyone who is staying there needs special attention, including elderly people and many people with physical or mental disabilities. People came in cold, wet, and hungry - and the Armory had only limited cold food for them to eat. I put out a call to the wonderful Masbia soup kitchen, who cooked and delivered enough hot meals for everyone at the shelter. For people in wet socks who can't go home, you can imagine how important that was. I've asked him to do the same thing this evening, but it is a big expenditure for this small non-profit, so I am hoping we can raise some funds to help Masbia cover its costs.

Can you pitch in to help us provide a hot meal today for our 500 elderly and disabled neighbors who are sheltered at the Park Slope Armory? Please make a donation at the Masbia website.

From Assemblymember Millman:

Red Hook has been very badly affected.

Free packaged meals and drinking water will be given away at a distribution center at Coffey Park - 85 Richards Street in Red Hook. Distribution Center will be open TODAY from 3PM - 6PM, Friday from 7:30AM - 12:30PM, Saturday & Sunday 9AM - 1PM. Bring your own bag to carry food and water. Free packaged meals and drinking water will be distributed everyday until electricity is restored. Supplies are limited.

Donations will be collected in Park Slope at Congregation Beth Elohim (Garfield Place at 8^th Ave) 718 858-6782.  They are also preparing meals for distribution in conjunction with Red Hook Initiative (Donations will be accepted throughout the day at 767 Hicks Street. For more information on how to help Red Hook, call (347) 770-1528 or email redhookrecovers@gmail.com

Regarding the Shelter at Brooklyn Tech (entrance is on South Elliott off DeKalb):

If you want to volunteer there you need to sign up each day.  Meal times and overnight hours are most needed.  They need the basics - toiletries, batteries, flashlights, papers towels and toilet paper and regular bath towels of any size. I am walking over a bunch of donations later this evening. If possible, I can fit a few more things in the suitcase I am using to transport these items. 393 Pacific Street. Leaving by 7 PM.

The residents have now been in shelters for many days without TV, radio, or music. Many of them have been transported from nursing homes and adult care centers which means some of them do not have the ability to read the books and magazines that have been donated. If you are a musician or have some form of live entertainment you can offer, go to a shelter and see if you can help entertain.  Even just reading to the children and seniors is helpful. If you have an old radio or CD player you can donate.... you know what to do!

Shelter location at John Jay HS reports needing socks and underwear.  If you can get items to Sarah Leah Whitson's, 491 Pacific (3-4^th Ave), by 5:30 PM, she is driving over.

Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities is open again:

Please share this information with everybody whom you know! We can be reached by calling 212 788 2830.

Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
100 Gold Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10038
Main: 212.788.2830
TTY: 212.788.2838
Fax: 212.341.9843
URL: www.nyc.gov/mopd

Donations are being collected for Occupy Sandy Relief NYC
<http://www.facebook.com/OccupySandyReliefNyc> for distribution to
storm victims throughout NYC. The Nation Magazine
<http://www.thenation.com/blog/170933/occupy-sandy-occupy-wall-street-he\
lps-storm-victims> - Occupy Wall Street and 350.org have teamed up with
Recovers.org, <https://recovers.org/> a disaster relief platform, to
help coordinate response to Hurricane Sandy.

DUMBO has been hit hard

• Several DUMBO retailers have suffered devastating damage - including Governor, One Girl Cookies, Aegir Board Work, PowerHouse, Galapagos Art Space, Almondine, SmackMellon, 66 Water Street Restaurant and Punto Bianco.
• Several residential buildings had significant flooding and other complications from the storm, including 30 Main, 66 Water, 1 Main, 25 Washington. Many will have to rebuild substantial parts of their lobbies, basements, utilities and storage areas. 
• Some office buildings are open with full power, some with partial power and others, like 10 and 20 Jay remain closed.  At 10 Jay, the building is dry but without power.  At 20 Jay, the garage was flooded and is being cleaned up.
• Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Carousel took on a lot of water, as you likely saw on all national news broadcasts. Thanks to community cleaners, much of the debris has been collected, but there is still work to go. 

Additional details on the recovery in DUMBO can be found at Rebuilding.DUMBO.is.

Need temporary office space? Have temporary office space to share?

The DUMBO Improvement District is currently in the process of locating spaces in the buildings that are up and running for companies who are currently displaced to utilize. Many companies are already doing this for both DUMBO neighbors and Manhattanites suffering from lack of subway. Green Desk is taking folks in. DUMBO Startup Lab will host 8 through Friday, email contact@dumbostartuplab.com.  Small Planet also has a few desks, email info@smallplanet.com. And, Borough President Marty Markowitz is offering space to 24 displaced DUMBOnians at Borough Hall (seats, power and wifi included!) for the next two weeks. To book, reach out to cgreer@brooklynbp.nyc.gov.  Short-term "swing: office space at the Brooklyn Army Terminal is available free of charge for the next 30 days.  NYCEDC has approximately 40,000 square feet of warehouse space at the Terminal that can be used for this purpose.  Please click this link to contact an NYC Business Solutions Account Manager or call 311 and ask for NYC Business Solutions.  Please tweet to @DUMBOBID if you have space with #sandycoworking