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Brooklyn Bakes First Three Legal Cannabis Licenses

Brooklyn Star on April 5, 2023

Brooklyn Bakes First Three Legal Cannabis Licenses

Gabriel Poblete, The City

Logo for THE CITYThis article was originally published on by THE CITY

An example of the sign that will display on licensed cannabis shops in New York.
An example of the sign that will display on licensed cannabis shops in New York. | New York State Office of Cannabis Management

New York’s cannabis regulators issued a flurry of new dispensary licenses Monday, including the first three to individuals who will operate in Brooklyn, after a federal court lifted an injunction that had blocked licenses for the borough.

The Cannabis Control Board of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) met Monday at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights to issue 99 new licenses statewide, with 53 going to New York City applicants. In total, the state has issued 155 of the 300 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) business licenses, which are for people who have been impacted by cannabis-related convictions. Ten other licenses have gone to nonprofits.

“We’re absolutely thrilled that we’re able to expand the rollout of legalized cannabis across almost every region of this state, and that New Yorkers in these regions will soon have access to locally grown and tested, safe cannabis,” said Tremaine Wright, the board’s chair. 

The OCM was barred by a November injunction from issuing licenses in Brooklyn and four other regions elsewhere in the state due to a lawsuit by cannabis company Variscite NY One. The suit by majority owner Kenneth Gay, of Michigan, charged that the eligibility criteria is unconstitutional because it favors New York residents over out-of-state residents.

Initially applicants had ranked their top five regions — with each borough a region — when submitting their requests for licenses. After receiving over 900 applications, however, the Office of Cannabis Management stated the applicants would only be considered for their first choice.

Last week, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan lifted the injunction for Brooklyn and three other regions (though not yet for the Finger Lakes region, Variscite NY One’s top pick).

Misha Morse-Buch, one of the new Brooklyn licensees, was buzzing at the meeting. It wasn’t until Tuesday last week that he learned of the injunction being lifted, after expecting that the case could drag on through the year or longer. Two days later, he learned he would be receiving a CAURD license. 

Now, he was one of dozens in a second-floor room at Medgar Evers, celebrating another round of CAURD licenses. To add to the surrealness of the occasion, Morse-Buch’s company I Love My Pet Food and Supplies, which he’s been running for eight years, is located on Nostrand Avenue two blocks from the college, and he is a graduate of another CUNY school, Brooklyn College. 

“It almost feels not real, I still can’t almost comprehend that it’s happened the way that it’s happened,” he said. “Literally went from the people trying to lock me in a little box to here’s a life possibly.”

Few New Stores

Other Brooklyn applicants walked away disappointed, because other regions got far more licenses than the state’s most populous county, with more than 2.5 million residents. Manhattan got 21 new licenses, Queens 17 and Long Island 24 in the newest round. 

OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander told THE CITY that the reason his agency presented just three Brooklyn licenses to the board for a vote was because that’s where the agency was in the process of reviewing applications before the injunction. 

“We got a lot to do in terms of catching Brooklyn up, so we’re going to get on it,” Alexander said. “Hopefully by the May meeting we get a bunch more ready.”

Jessica Naissant, 29, confirmed to THE CITY via text that she was not one of three licensees. She has been hoping to open a dispensary in her native Brooklyn regardless.

“God forbid I don’t receive a CAURD license, I’m going to enter the market some way somehow,” Naissant said to THE CITY last week after the injunction was lifted but before Monday’s announcement.

Naissant said with the injunction forcing her to wait on the sidelines, she took the time to participate in cannabis incubator and mentorship programs. She previously operated a CBD store called Wake & Bake Cafe for four and a half years in Valley Stream in Nassau County, but she closed the store shortly after the village voted against allowing cannabis dispensaries in its jurisdiction. 

Even though the state has already issued dozens of licenses, stores have been slow to open. The OCM lists just seven legal recreational dispensaries on its website: three of which are in Manhattan, another in Queens, which had opened earlier this week, and the others upstate. 

Meanwhile, the illicit cannabis retail market has eclipsed the legal one, with city officials estimating 1,500 illegal cannabis stores are operating in the city. While enforcement agencies have had little recourse to rein in the stores, Gov. Kathy Hochul has introduced legislation that would allow for stricter financial and tax penalties. 

Only one legal store opened last year, and it is operated by nonprofit Housing Works, located in Greenwich Village. The first store to open that’s owned by an individual with a cannabis-related conviction was Smacked, also in the Village, which opened back in January. 

The Smacked store is supported by The Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund, a joint venture between a subsidiary of the state’s Dormitory Authority and private partner Social Equity Impact Ventures LLC, which counts former basketball player Chris Webber, entrepreneur Lavetta Willis and former city Comptroller William Thompson among its leaders. The fund is meant to secure retail spaces and build out dispensaries for the licensees, who will then pay back the loans.  

However, Social Equity Impact Ventures has yet to announce whether it’s generated any of the $150 million that it’s supposed to raise from the private sector. THE CITY reported the fund’s competitive practices to secure retail spots have thwarted efforts for license-holders who are seeking their own retail locations. 

The Variscite lawsuit isn’t the only one threatening the CAURD program. A group that includes medical cannabis companies sued the state earlier this month in the Albany County Supreme Court to force the state to open up retail dispensary licensing to all, which would effectively derail the CAURD program’s goal of putting those negatively affected by cannabis prohibition first in line for the state’s growing legal cannabis retail industry.

THE CITY is an independent, nonprofit news outlet dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.

BP Appoints Kimberly Council as Deputy

Matthew Fischetti on April 5, 2023

By Matthew Fischetti

mfischetti@queensledger.com

Last week Brooklyn Beep Antonio Reynoso appointed Reverend Kimberly Council as Deputy Borough President.

The Deputy will serve as a surrogate for the Borough President as well as leading faith-based work for the administration, according to a Friday announcement.

Prior to her appointment she served as Assistant Pastor of Greater Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Crown Heights since 2021.

“Rev. Council’s history of specialized community service and faith-based work in Brooklyn will bring the work our administration has been dedicated to for the past year to the next level,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said in a statement. “Our borough and this city are facing serious challenges right now – issues like undignified and unaffordable housing, food insecurity, and the looming fear of violence and loss. For many years, Kim has worked alongside our communities to address these inequities and invoke change that people can feel in their everyday lives.

The former Sunday School teacher has worked on issues such as building affordable housing, fighting hunger through food pantries and violence prevention programs as the Executive Director of the Berean Community Center in Crown Heights.

She has also served as the President of the East Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation and sits on the Executive Board of Women of Faith Advocating Change – a group of female pastors, elected officials and community service providers. In 2019, she was appointed to the HBCU International Task Force

“I’ve dedicated my career to the communities and people of Brooklyn, focusing on finding ways to better lives and strengthen opportunities for all. Being appointed Deputy Borough President gives me the opportunity to carry this work out at a larger, borough-wide level alongside a colleague I’ve long respected,” Reverend Kim Council said in a statement. “Agreeing with Borough President Reynoso’s approach, policy priorities, and general strategy to reach the strongest, most sustainable future for all Brooklynites, I look forward to building that vision for the millions of people who call this beautiful borough home.”

The appointment will be effective starting on April 17, 2023.

G. Esposito & Sons Pork Store to Close

Matthew Fischetti on April 5, 2023

Over a Century Old Institution Closing Doors on April 10

By Matthew Fischetti

mfischetti@queensledger.com

When George Esposito was eight-years-old, his first job at his Grandfather’s store was selling garlic by the pound for 25 cents. 55 years later, he’s now ready to close shop.

The over a century old and four generation family-owned G. Esposito & Sons Pork Store, located on Court Street in Carroll Gardens, will be closing its doors on April 10.

In an interview with the Brooklyn Star, Esposito said that he would have liked to keep the store open for the decades long customers who have enjoyed the store but buyers were intimidated.

“Lots of people were interested [in buying the business] but when they see what we do here – it scared them away. We make everything. You know this isn’t a Trader Joes,” he said. “This is a homemade family business that makes everything from scratch.”

Esposito’s & Sons Pork Store is known for a lot more than just their pork: they serve hot and cold sandwiches, are well-known for their sausage and rice balls, and offer everything from cavatelli to potato salad.

The store was originally founded by Esposito’s grandfather, Giovanni Esposito. Originally from Naples, Giovanni immigrated to the United States in 1922 and opened up shop on Columbia and Union Street the same year. The store moved over to the Court Street location in 1977 when the original location’s nabe started to get more dangerous, said Esposito.

Back then the menu was different: selling traditional Italian foods like lamb heads and calf lungs. Around the mid to late 80s is when the store started to sell more Italian-American dishes and added sandwiches to their menus, as the nabe changed.

G. Esposito & Sons Pork Store will close on April 10

 

“I’ll never eat sausage again anywhere. That’s a fact. I bought a shrink wrap machine just for myself,” Esposito said.

Since the announcement of the store’s closing, Esposito said he has been inundated with orders. For the first time in the store’s history they are running low on inventory.

“I have like 30 trays ordered. Whole trays that people are going to freeze. I don’t know if you like eggplant parmesan, but there’s okay and there’s bad and there’s great. Our’s is outstanding,” said Esposito.

“I was heartbroken,” Brian Geltner, a 20 year customer of G. Esposito & Sons Pork Store said in an interview while munching on an Italian combo.

Some of his favorite things to order over the years have been the sausage parm, the italian combo and the eggplant parm – “but it’s all good,” he said.

“Whenever I buy sausages here to make tomato sauce, the sauce always comes out better than any other place,” Geltner said. “I don’t know why, but I go out of my way to come here before work.”

National Grid Temporarily Withdraws Air Permits

Matthew Fischetti on April 5, 2023

By Matthew Fischetti

mfischetti@queensledger.com

National Grid submitted a letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation temporarily withdrawing their request for air permits, a necessary step in order to construct their controversial liquid natural gas vaporizers in Greenpoint.

As the Brooklyn Star has previously reported, the Public Service Commission, a state entity that regulates utilities throughout the state, previously denied National Grid’s request for rate hikes to cover the costs for their natural gas vaporizers based off of an independent consult’s report that said the project was not necessary until winter 2028/2029.

“Although National Grid disagrees with the analysis conducted by PA Consulting Group, INc. regarding the required in-service date for the Vaporizer 13/14 Project at the Greenpoint Energy Center (concluding the project is likely required by winter 2028/29) and the subsequent ORder issued by the Public Service Commission, The Brooklyn Union Gas company d/b/a National Grid NY is withdrawing the above-referenced permit application at this time,” the letter reads.

The letter continues to highlight that National Grid will resubmit an application at “some point in the future.”

The Department of Environmental Conservation previously delayed their decision regarding the air permits until the Public Service Commission issued their ruling.

National Grid Spokeswoman Karen Young declined to comment further on the decision.

During the public comment period, the Public Service commission noted the overwhelming community opposition to the proposed project.

“They’re welcome to try as much as they’d like,”Greenpoint Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher tweeted in response to the news. “Greenpoint won’t stop fighting them. And we’ll continue to win.”

DOT Hosts Redesign Workshop for North BK Streets

Iryna Shkurhan on April 5, 2023

A Department of Transportation representative facilitated the discussion in each group and answered logistical questions that arose.

By Iryna Shkurhan | ishkurhan@queensledger.com

With stickers, markers and post-its in hand, North Brooklyn residents set out to redesign some of the most widely used, and problematic, corridors in their neighborhood.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) hosted the revisioning event on Thursday evening at the Swinging Sixties Senior Center on Ainslie Street. With over a hundred community members in attendance, no seat was left empty. The strong turnout and vocal attendees reflected the desire for a long awaited redesign that prioritizes safety and accessibility in the community.

The conversation centered around three main roadways — Grand Street, Metropolitan Avenue and Morgan Avenue — which are heavily utilized by pedestrians, cars, bus commuters, bicyclists and trucks on a daily basis. The event directly showed that accommodating everyone’s interests is tricky, with several possible solutions to consider.

A presentation by Lauren Rennée, a DOT project manager, outlined the changes implemented at these three locations over the past decade to address usability, especially for the growing number of cyclists. A “toolbox” of possibilities to address the issues that remain included one-way car conversion, removing a lane of parking, reducing travel lanes and sheltering bike lanes with either parking or jersey barriers.

The area that encompasses Williamsburg and Greenpoint ranks in the top-third of high-crash corridors in Brooklyn, according to the DOT. On Grand Street, 22 people were seriously injured between 2016 and 2020. Since 2016, there have also been seven fatalities. The crash rates were only slightly lower on Metropolitan Ave and Morgan Ave.

“There are a lot of challenges with the current design,” said Jennifer Gutiérrez, Council Member of District 34 representing Bushwick and Williamsburg, in her opening remarks. “We’re also here because there have been very real collisions and deaths along these corridors. Our goal before anything is to prevent all of those deaths.”

The central complaint of the evening was that the majority of the time, the bike lanes in all three locations were unusable due to parked cars or trucks blocking them. With poor access and visibility, bicyclists are forced to either disturb pedestrians on the sidewalks or put themselves at risk by riding into car designated lanes. But some business owners countered that bike lanes pose curb access challenges for deliveries and limited parking for visitors.

“I bike on Grand St and it’s very problematic, depending on which way you’re going,” said Francesca Romana Caputo, a Williamsburg resident. “There is always something parked on the bike lane.”

Attendees were seperated into a dozen breakout groups where they spent 45 minutes discussing possibilities for solutions with a map of the area open between them. Using color coded stickers, they marked problematic areas with a corresponding note.

Each group had a DOT representative to guide the conversation, offer their expertise while another representative diligently took notes of popular solutions. It was suggested 15 minutes of discussion is allotted to each corridor, but Metropolitan Ave received the most attention, and complaints.

“We want to design streets that enforce themselves,” said Preston Johnson, a DOT Project Manager who led the discussion in one of the groups.

Metropolitan Ave’s current design bans parking on the peak direction side during rush hour west of the Metropolitan Ave Bridge. And over 1,700 vehicles cross that bridge during the morning rush, according to DOT data. And east of the bridge, the wider section of the road is separated by a median with just a standard bike lane in place.

A Department of Transportation representative delivered a presentation on the issues affecting all three corridors.

Cyclists are growing at a fast rate in the city and are a central population that will be considered in the redesign. According to DOT data, 1.8 million Citi bike trips originated in Brooklyn’s Community Board 1 in 2022, not including personal bikes. It is also the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

A popular solution was to implement protected bike lanes that provide a safer dedicated space for cyclists. According to the DOT it is the “most appropriate treatment in areas with commercial and industrial activity.” Pedestrian injuries decreased by 21 percent and motor vehicle occupant injuries went down by 15 percent when protected bike lanes were introduced.

Grand St, which connects western Queens and Bushwick to Brooklyn and Manhattan via bridges and the BQE, generates high truck volumes and loading demand by serving commercial and industrial areas. Much progress has been made since 2008, when travel lanes had no separation or designation for bike riders. The following year, standard bike lanes were added and in 2018 they became parking protected curbside bike lanes. Last year, jersey barrier protection was also added.

Some bus riders complained that buses are forced to operate at slower speeds due to traffic, which leads to longer commute times for riders. They also complained that there is no enforcement of people illegally parking on bike lanes or blocking bus stops and lanes.

High truck rates stem from North Brooklyn being a hub for Industrial Business Zones. On Grand St, a lack of designated loading zones for trucks is a strong contributor to blocked bike lanes.

Many attendees proposed converting one or more of the three corridors into one-way roads to create more space for bike lanes and reduce congestion created by cars and trucks. Some attendees worried that by redesigning a large street as a one-way, smaller side streets that are currently favorable to biking will receive an influx of truck traffic.

Morgan Ave is one of the few north-south streets in Williamsburg that intersects Grand St and Metropolitan Ave. While a curbside bike lane was installed from Grand St to Grattan St in 2018, there is currently a bike network gap north of Grand St to Meeker Ave, Queens via the Kosciuszko and Pulaski Bridges.

Physically narrower roadways, one example of self-enforcing design, tend to discourage speeding that is present in wider roadways. They will also shorten crossing distances for pedestrians, a significant challenge for seniors.

Seniors make up less than 15 percent of the city’s population but over 45 percent of pedestrian fatalities. And 90 percent of senior and non-senior adult injuries occur at intersections. A proposed solution with seniors in mind is to include a halfway pedestrian island to split up intersection crossing into two parts.

”The other thing that no one has mentioned during this presentation is the pollution,” said Caputo, who lives directly on Grand St. She said that every morning a thick layer of black residue accumulates on the windowsill in her bedroom. “It’s insane. This is what we’re breathing everyday.”

The DOT plans to unveil their redesign proposal, created with resident suggestions in mind, at an upcoming Community Board 1 meeting.

First Ramadan Holiday Lights on Atlantic Ave.

Matthew Fischetti on March 31, 2023

By Matthew Fischetti

mfischetti@queensledger.com

Growing up in downtown Brooklyn, Atlantic Ave. was the whole world to Jabr Zanta. And now, his stretch of the world represents him a little more.

That’s because the Brooklyn Avenue now sports Ramadan Holiday Lights for the first time. A week prior to Ramadan the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District hung up and illuminated lights celebrating the month-long Muslim holiday between Fourth and Third Avenue and between Court and Clinton Streets.

32-year-old Zanta first moved into the nabe when he was a year old, living on Atlantic Avenue. Today, he is the owner of Diwan Cafe, a Yemeni Coffee shop which sits on the same street.

“Now that I’m a merchant on Atlantic Avenue, it’s like a dream come true,” said Zanta. “It’s not only being recognized, It’s also being shown me the right light.”

Atlantic Avenue BID Executive Director Kelly Carroll said that the move was inspired by the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID, which hung Ramadan lights for the first time in 2021.

“To me it seemed to be an obvious choice to do this for Atlantic Avenue, and odd that it hadn’t been done before,” Caroll said at a Thursday March 23 press conference, announcing the new lights.

“It is my hope that we can begin to do this corridor-wide next year and years afterwards. And beyond that, it’s my hope that more bids in New York City or commercial corridors in general that celebrate with illuminations start celebrating the holy month of Ramadan to reflect our population of New York City,” Caroll continued.

In an interview with the Brooklyn Star, Caroll emphasized the long history of Arab and Muslim populations that first arrived to Brooklyn after being displaced by the construction of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Prior to the construction of the tunnel, many Arab immigrants lived in Manhattan in the nabe known as Little Syria’.

“That’s when Sahadi’s got here – Although they’re not a Muslim business. That’s when a lot of these Middle Eastern businesses started pouring into Atlantic Avenue,” Caroll explained, referencing the long standing Middle Eastern grocery store. “So we have a long history of representing this population, and this is just an obvious choice to celebrate them.”

This is a beautiful moment for us, a beautiful moment for Yemeni Americans and a beautiful moment for Muslims in general,” said Youseef Mubarez, the Public Relations Director for Yemeni Merchant Association.

Mubarez continued to emphasize the setting of the press conference, which was in front of Fertile Crescent,a muslim grocery store and Halal Butcher.

“Everyone comes here to their Ramadan food – their dates. I mean, it couldn’t have been more perfect. I’m telling you, right here’s the perfect spot.”

 

Members of the BID, Local Merchants and others celebrate the establishment of the Ramadan Lights

St. Joseph’s University Receives Grant for Summer Program

Matthew Fischetti on March 31, 2023

By Matthew Fischetti

mfischetti@queensledger.com

St. Joseph’s University New York announced on March 24 that they received a $230,000 grant to provide summer courses for high school students from Brooklyn.

The grant awarded by the Teagle Foundation will be a collaboration between SJNY and Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York, a group that helps disadvantaged students become community-minded leaders. The program will serve a total of 70 students over a three-year period starting this summer, according to SJNY.

“The Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York scholars come from historically underserved communities  with little access to higher education preparation,” Lysandra Hutchinson, director of college  access and collegian support for BHGHNY said in a statement. “Through extensive programming and assistance, our  scholars will be able to experience firsthand what it’s like to be a college student thanks to the  opportunity to form this partnership with St. Joseph’s.”

The three-week program, “The Citizen’s Path, A Knowledge for Freedom Program,” will be available for high school seniors who are participants of BHGHNY. The program will give students the opportunity to earn college credit while learning about civic engagement, government and human rights by reading classical thinkers and writers and through trips and cultural events.

“The Teagle Foundation and BHGHNY are devoted to cultivating the study of liberal arts and  fostering democratic citizenship,”  Michael Burke, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy said in a statement. “I  am honored to be part of the St. Joseph’s team that is working with the Teagle Foundation and  BHGHNY to provide local high school students with the opportunity to experience a liberal arts  education through The Citizen’s Path program.”

For more information visit sjny.edu

W’burg Nightclub Scrubs Chinese New Year Party

Brooklyn Star on March 24, 2023

Critics say planned event was ‘racist’

By Adam Manno

news@queensledger.com

A Brooklyn nightclub has scrubbed all evidence of an upcoming Chinese New Year-themed party after locals took issue with its orientalist overtones.

Avant Gardner, the sprawling complex in East Williamsburg that includes the Brooklyn Mirage, has removed all branding for a “Chinese Rowyear” party set to take place on July 22. A promotional video for the party, featuring white revelers dressed as a mish-mash of Asian caricatures, inspired swift backlash on Twitter and Reddit. In the ad, party-goers in costume as Fu Manchu and Japanese geishas pose for the camera amid a swirl of confetti and red paper dragons. In one scene, a woman takes a bite from a pair of chopsticks as thumping electronic music plays in the background.

A website for Elrow, the Barcelona-based entertainment company throwing the party, does little to ensure goodwill. The party is allegedly the brainchild of a promoter who went out to celebrate Chinese New Year in the Huan Province of China after a “serious dim-sum munchie session.” A crazy night ensued, and the anonymous promoter decided to organize his “own party” based on the holiday, the website states. Among the party’s performers are Fli-pao, described as “the most famous opium smoker in town and his sidekick, a chef with enough hot sauce on hand to keep the party burning forever.”

This is nothing new for Elrow. Its official Youtube is also home to an ad for a Bronx-themed event, where guests in comically large jewelry and afro wigs dance in front of backdrops mimicking graffiti-covered subway cars and basketball hoops. Inexplicably, fake unibrows and tooth gaps abound. Elrow did not respond to a request for comment about its themes or the upcoming party at Avant Gardner.

On February 2, Queens activist and WBAI radio host Rafael Shimunov took to Twitter with one simple question: “So what the colonizer hell is Elrow Chinese Rowyear?”

Shimunov found out about the Instagram ad for the party from a slew of Twitter messages. Outraged, he now plans to launch a website, including an online petition and a timeline of Elrow’s problematic past, in hopes of getting it shut down. “If New Yorkers knew about who they are and how they do this, we would never welcome them to this city,” he says.

On Avant Gardner’s website, the July event is now simply referred to as “Elrow.” No mention of a theme or specific DJs is available. The venue has also left the party out of its latest e-mail blasts. Avant Gardner did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Sandie Cheng, however, seems to be one of the few people who got an answer from the popular EDM haven. The Brooklyn-based content producer says a friend sent her the ad. “When I came across it, I was like, ‘Is this a joke?’” She posted about the party on her Instagram story and tagged Avant Gardner.

The venue responded on February 12, telling Cheng that it was “aware” of the theme and assuring her it had “expressed its concerns” to Elrow. “Avant Gardner does not condone any form of cultural appropriation, discrimination, or racism, and we understand the promoter is working on a new theme,” the message read.

As an occasional party girl, Cheng feels especially disappointed in the venue for allowing what, in her words, amounts to a “blatant” display of racism. “I’ll admit I love going to Brooklyn Mirage,” she says. “But after this, I don’t feel like I want to go to Brooklyn Mirage anymore.”

For Kristian Chao, a Korean-American DJ based in Philadelphia, “there’s nothing you can say. It’s just so blatant.” Chao got ads for the party delivered straight to his social media feed. “I thought it was hilarious. It was very absurd to me that this exists,” he says. Though he’s set to play at Bossa Nova Civic Club on Saturday, the 24-year-old is just getting his start in the New York City party scene, so he’s not too familiar with the venue or its motivations for hosting the party. But he knows how expensive it is to put together an event of that scale. “It’s probably a large investment out front. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it for financial reasons,” he says.

Until then, Chao, Cheng, Shimunov and others in the scene will be waiting for word from Avant Gardner over how it chooses its events, especially those from abroad that don’t bend to American sensibilities.

“We have enough hate in New York to deal with,” Shimunov says. “We don’t need to import it.

2023 Brooklyn Personal Injury Updates: Autonomous Cars, AI & More

webadmin on March 21, 2023

Personal injury law in New York City has seen many changes and advancements in recent years. With technological advancements and changing societal attitudes towards personal injury cases, the future of personal injury law in NYC is looking quite different from what it was just a few years ago. In this article, we will explore some of the developments and changes that are likely to shape the future of personal injury law in Brooklyn & NYC in 2023.

Autonomous Vehicles

One of the biggest changes that are likely to impact personal injury law in NYC in the coming years is the rise of autonomous vehicles. With more and more self-driving cars on the road, accidents involving autonomous vehicles are becoming more common. This presents a unique challenge for personal injury lawyers, as liability for car and traffic accidents involving autonomous vehicles is not always clear cut. Lawyers will need to stay up to date with the latest regulations and laws surrounding autonomous vehicles to ensure that they can provide the best possible representation for their clients.

Increased Focus On Mental Health

Personal injury law has traditionally focused on physical injuries sustained in accidents. However, there is a growing recognition of the impact that accidents can have on mental health as well. As a result, personal injury lawyers are increasingly incorporating mental health into their cases. This could involve seeking damages for emotional distress or PTSD resulting from an accident. Lawyers who can effectively advocate for their clients’ mental health needs are likely to be in high demand in the coming years.

Use Of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in many areas of the legal profession, and personal injury law is no exception. AI tools can help lawyers to process large amounts of data quickly and accurately, allowing them to build stronger cases for their clients. In addition, AI can help lawyers to identify patterns and trends in personal injury cases, allowing them to develop more effective strategies for representing their clients.

Changes To Liability Laws

Finally, we are likely to see changes to liability laws in the coming years. With more and more accidents occurring in public spaces, there is growing concern over who should be held liable for injuries sustained in these situations. This could lead to changes in the way that liability is determined in personal injury cases, with a greater focus on shared responsibility.

The future of personal injury law in NYC is looking very different from what it was just a few years ago. With changes in technology, societal attitudes, and liability laws, personal injury lawyers will need to adapt to stay ahead of the curve. Those who are able to do so will be well-positioned to provide the best possible representation for their clients in 2023 and beyond.

Contributed With Help From: Ribowsky Law 333 Stanley Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11207 (347) 292-7353 https://www.mrinjurylawyerny.com/.

Restler: Pass Permanent Open Restaurant Programs

Brooklyn Star on March 16, 2023

By Lincoln Restler, Councilman for District 33

 

Open restaurants emerged as one of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic. They served as a lifeline for small businesses and restaurant workers, made socializing safely possible for immunocompromised New Yorkers, and added dynamism to our streetscape. 

When he was a Council Member, now Borough President Antonio Reynoso sponsored and passed creative legislation to permit outdoor dining all across New York City and made it easy for neighborhood small businesses to participate. Based on the extraordinary response from New York restaurant goers, Antonio’s innovation for Open Restaurants demonstrated that this was exactly what New Yorkers had been waiting for.

I love taking breakfast meetings or meeting up with friends at any of the hundreds of outdoor dining structures in District 33. For example, the set up at beloved Boerum Hill neighborhood spot Rucola on Dean is just as lovely as the indoor space and has significantly expanded their seating capacity. It has been a boon for neighbors uneasy with indoor dining and a wonderful addition to the neighborhood.

However, City policies were hastily crafted on an emergency basis at the height of the pandemic and haphazard enforcement has led to numerous issues for restaurants and neighbors. We need clear, consistent regulations to ensure that the Open Restaurants program is accessible to all and bad actors are shuttered. It is time for the City Council to pass a permanent Open Restaurant program that smartly regulates outdoor dining by creating fewer guessing games for small business owners and putting forward regulations that reduce noise, improve sanitation conditions, and mitigate stormwater management issues. 

Open Restaurants and Open Streets have been a gift to expanding and rethinking our public spaces, generating new and exciting ways for neighbors to come together to create community. 

We are all familiar with the joy on the first day of spring when folks are filling our sidewalks to hang over a meal or coffee — but it isn’t reserved for the warm weather. Restaurant owners have found creative solutions to ensure that New Yorkers can take advantage of outdoor dining year round, and we should be doing everything we can to encourage that entrepreneurial spirit that makes New York so special. 

There’s no question that city agencies can and must better address sanitation issues, noise mitigation, and stormwater management to make Open Restaurants a permanent success in our neighborhoods. We’re committed to working together with City agencies and community members to ensure the program works for everyone and to remove sheds that are used for storage rather than dining.

Open Restaurants are repurposing  our streets by replacing parking spots with vital places for neighbors to come together and creating more jobs by expanding restaurant workforces. The City Council should swiftly pass legislation that  maintains a permanent Open Restaurant program that includes an option to operate year round, minimizes bureaucratic barriers for restaurants, mitigates quality of life issues, and allows our neighborhoods to continue benefiting from outdoor dining. 

 

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