Information from Catherine Nolan Helping Our Community Winter 2018 ALBANY UPDATE Health Education, Mental Health and Physical Health Education Hearing As Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, I held a well-attended hearing to examine the current state of school health, mental health, and Dear physical education programs, services, and instruction in New York State’s Neighbor: schools. My bill A.3887B, Chapter 390 of 2016 makes our state the first I am happy to be sharing in the nation to study best practices in continuing to support our student’s my latest newsletter wellbeing. Schools play an integral role in teaching students the skills with you; please find they need to lead a safe and healthy lifestyle. Research has shown that within it the most recent comprehensive, quality health and physical education programs can lower updates from Albany risky behaviors among young people and have a positive impact on their and our community. It academic achievement. Health education, physical education, and other is an honor, once again to be able represent programs help students establish positive attitudes and behaviors about and serve the 37th their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being. I look forward Assembly District for to continuing this discussion regarding the well-being of our students. another term in the NYS Assembly. I have included a questionnaire and would appreciate your input. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call, drop by our office, or send me an email at nolanc@ nyassembly.gov. Wishing a wonderful happy new year to you and your family. Sincerely, Catherine Nolan Member of Assembly Celebrating advances in mental health education with colleagues Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffe, Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman and Advocate Sylvia Lask. Smart School Bond Act brings $400 million to NYC Schools DISTRICT OFFICE: 47-40 21st Street Last month, the Smart Schools Bond Act Review Board approved $400 million Room 810 in expenditures for New York City to replace Transportable Classroom Units, Long Island City, NY 11101 and to modernize kindergarten classrooms, marking a great step in our efforts to 718-784-3194 alleviate overcrowding and substandard conditions in our community schools. EMAIL: This is wonderful news, as our district has been terribly overcrowded for many [email protected] years. Improving these outdated, dangerous classrooms thousands of New York City students attend has been my goal as chair of the Education Committee. I am delighted and grateful. I look forward to our continued successes in securing funding, to the benefit of all of our students. AROUND THE DISTRICT Hour Children Long Island City I had a wonderful time visiting Hour Children! Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan with Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Hour Children, and several members of the organization. Ridgewood Stroll I was happy to stop by the wonderful annual event of the Ridgewood Stroll that brings all of our community together. Thank you to Ted Renz of the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District, Toni Binanti of Rudy’s Bakery and all of the businesses, residents and community members that participated and organized this wonderful event. Toni Binanti, Owner, Rudy’s Bakery; Boris Santos, Councilman Antonio Reynoso’s office; Angela Mirabile, Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation; Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan; Ted Renz, Executive Director, Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District; Paul Kerzner, President, Eddie Lettau, Queens Community Board 5; Fred Ridgewood Property Owners & Civic Association; and Vincent Arcuri, Chair Hoefferle, Queens Community Board 5; and of Queens Community Board 5. Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan. Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan Honored by the Irish American Heritage and Cultural Committee I was truly honored to be recognized at this year’s Irish American Heritage and Cultural Committee Ceremony. Thank you to Program Committee Chair Tom Murphy and the organization for including me in this wonderful annual ceremony. Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan was awarded the Thomas J. Cuite Award and recognized alongside fellow honorees which included John Samuelson, Maura Mulligan and the Rory Staunton Foundation at their 39th Annual Awards Ceremony at Brooklyn Borough Hall. (L to R): Kathleen Snow; Tom Murphy, Program Committee Chair, Irish American Heritage and Cultural Committee; Ciaran & Orlaith Staunton; Maura Mulligan; Marie Reilly; and several members of the organization. 37TH Assembly District Questionnaire 1. Do you support a single payer (Medicare-for-All) healthcare system? YES o NO o If yes, do you support mandatory participation in such a system? If no, what are your reasons for not supporting single payer healthcare? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Funding for public transportation is currently derived from several revenue streams; would you support the establishment of additional tolls or taxes to increase public transportation funding? YES o NO o ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Do you receive health care services within Queens, or travel outside of the borough to visit your doctor or hospital? Answers: o All of my providers are in Queens o Most are in Queens o Some are in Queens o I always leave Queens to receive health care services ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Historical industrial pollution combined with strained water and sewer infrastructure has had a severely negative impact upon the water quality of Newtown Creek. Do you use any of New York City’s waterways recreationally? YES o NO o a. if yes, how do you rate the availability of clean water for recreation in Queens? o readily available/accessible o somewhat available/accessible o unavailable/inaccessible to me b. if no, would you be more likely to engage in recreational waterway activities if they were made available on Newtown Creek? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. The Department of Education in New York City is managed under a mayoral control system, allowing the Mayor, rather than school boards, to have direct authority over schools. In the past few legislative sessions, mayoral control has been renewed for 2 years at a time. Do you support mayoral control, and would you support a longer renewal term for mayoral control in New York City? o If yes, for how long should mayoral control be renewed: o 2 – 3 years; o 3 – 5 years; o 5 or more years o If no, what are your reasons for not supporting mayoral control? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What is your greatest concern regarding public education in New York? _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 7. What are your thoughts on development projects in Queens, including residential, mixed use, and commercial? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Please mail back to 47-40 21 Street Room 810 Long Island City, NY 11101 or complete online at https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Catherine-Nolan/story/83887 AROUND THE DISTRICT Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan with Neighborhood Police Officers in Sunnyside Assemblywoman Nolan with new police officers on the beat in Sunnyside. NYC Kids Rise Press Conference at P.S. 76 Ravenswood Always happy to stop by P.S. 76 and NYC Kids Rise to help promote this wonderful program that helps students save for their college education. Thank you to Debra Ellen Glickstein of Kids Rise for organizing this wonderful event. New York State Assembly, Albany, New York 12248 PRSRT STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Albany, New York Assemblywoman Permit No. 75 Catherine NOLAN Helping Our Community Winter 2018 MetroCard Bus As always, please know that my office will continue to arrange for the MTA MetroCard Bus to be present for our community. The bus is available on the second Thursday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, and parks near the intersection of 41st Street and Queens Blvd. The bus provides many services, among them: help filling out the application for, or help refilling, Reduced-Fare MetroCards; buying or refilling regular MetroCards; and answering your MetroCard related questions. For more information, please contact our district office at 718-784-3194..