Vol. 36, No. 10 www.nyc.gov/nycha OCTOBER 2006 IT’S STILL HURRICANE SEASON! Helpful Information If A Hurricane Hits HURRICANE SEASON BEGAN ON JUNE 1ST AND WON’T BE OVER UNTIL NOVEMBER 30TH. ACCORDING TO NEW YORK CITY’S OFFICE OF EMER- GENCY MANAGEMENT (OEM), THE CITY’S DENSELY POPULATED AND HIGHLY DEVELOPED COASTLINE MAKES IT AMONG THE AREAS MOST VULNERA- BLE TO HURRICANE DAMAGE. OEM predicts that in a major hurri- cane, storm surge could put some parts of New York City under more than 30 feet of water! Although no major distur- bances are predicted for the remainder of the 2006 Hurri- cane Season, the New York A HEALTHY START Approximately 1600 young NYCHA residents City Housing Authority (NYCHA) from 36 Community Centers around the City participated in the Fifth is working with OEM to make Annual Kids Walk at Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island on August sure that NYCHA staff and res- 16th. The purpose of the walk was to promote exercise and idents know what to do if a hur- educate participants about fighting obesity. Many of the Community ricane hits. Centers sported colorful banners at the start of the 2.5 mile walk, EYE OF THE STORM (Photo Courtesy of New York City’s Office of like Williamsburg’s shown above. (Continued on page 4) Emergency Management) UNIVERSAL PICTURES FILMS ‘AMERICAN REGISTER TO VOTE! Election Day is November 7th and the New York City Housing Authority GANGSTER’ AT MARLBORO HOUSES (NYCHA) encourages all residents to play a role in the democratic process By Eileen Elliott by exercising your right to vote. However, in order to vote, you must IT WAS ANYTHING BUT BUSINESS AS USUAL AT NYCHA’S MARLBORO HOUSES IN THE GRAVESEND SECTION OF BROOKLYN ON register by October 13th if you aren’t registered already. THE WEEK OF AUGUST 14TH. AFTER UNDERGOING SOME SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS, A FEW OF THE MOSTLY UNOCCUPIED To quality to vote in New York City, you must: HIGH-RISES IN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVED AS THE SET FOR A NEW FEATURE FILM BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES, “AMERICAN GANG- STER.” Based on the life of the infamous 1970s kingpin, Frank Lucas, who sold drugs from his beat up • Be a citizen of the United States (Includes those persons born in old Chevrolet on 116th Street in Harlem, the film features Denzel Washington as Lucas and Russell Crowe Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands) as Richie Roberts, the courageous undercover Newark detective who brought him down. • Be a New York City resident for at least 30 days As reported in the Journal ear- • Be 18 years of age before the next election lier this year, there’s nothing new • Not be serving a jail sentence or be on parole for a about filming on NYCHA property. felony conviction The “Law and Order” television series frequently uses NYCHA • Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court locations, and last year Manhat- • Not claim the right to vote elsewhere tan’s Fulton Houses served as a (outside the City of New York) setting for the film “The Inter- preter,” starring Sean Penn and Although you can register any time during the year, your form must be Nicole Kidman. But according to delivered or mailed at least 25 days before the next election for it to be NYCHA’s Media Services Tech- effective for that election. nician Andy Nagy, who together with Maryetta Johnson serve as Registration forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and the liaisons between the movie Korean atwww.nyc.gov/html/vac/html/register/register_to_vote.shtml studios and the Housing Author- You can also call the Board of Elections at (866) VOTE-NYC ity, “There’s never been anything (866-868-3692) to receive a registration form in the mail. on a scale like this.” MAKING THE SCENE A crowd gathers at the entrance of a Newark Nagy said that, according to Call 311 to find out about Voter Awareness Month events. housing development in one of the scenes of “American Gangster,” the production crew, the film’s which was filmed at Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn. (Continued on page 6) PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 5 FIRST HOUSES CELEBRATES SPECIAL HALLOWEEN TIPS FROM ATTEND A DOMESTIC ITS 70TH ANNIVERSARY! POLICE CHIEF JOANNE JAFFE VIOLENCE CONFERENCE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 2 OCTOBER 2006 MAYOR’S MESSAGE BRONX RESIDENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT HOSTS ‘DISASTER DAY’ The Fight Against Illegal Guns Continues Tenant Participation Activity Funds Used For Emergency Preparedness By Deborah Williams PUBLIC SAFETY IS AN ISSUE THAT IS A IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, WOULD YOU KNOW HOW TO PROTECT TOP PRIORITY IN EVERY CITY IN YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY? AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS WHO AMERICA. TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ISSUE, MAY HAVE COME TO DEPEND ON YOU? These were the types of questions ON SEPTEMBER 7TH I TOOK THE FIGHT that weighed heavily on the mind of Clay Avenue Resident Association AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS TO THE CON- President Maria Forbes of Claremont Consolidated, in the Morrisania GRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS IN section of the Bronx. WASHINGTON, D.C. I’D LIKE TO TAKE With the horrific events of President were a great benefit, as THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME September 11th, the Hurricane she had many “Resident Associa- EXCERPTS OF MY REMARKS THERE Katrina disaster, and the constant tion connections” in the commu- WITH YOU. threat of terrorist attacks on New nity that helped her spread the Last year, 322 people were killed York City, compounded by what word about emergency prepared- by guns in New York City and 3,951 she described as her community’s ness. guns were seized during arrests. “lack of preparedness” during the “I called a resident meeting that Still, New York is the safest big city 2003 Blackout, Ms. Forbes said she included the other three Resident in the nation. Today, crime is at a became “obsessed” with the idea of Association Presidents who repre- 40-year low. emergency preparedness. sent Claremont Consolidated,” If the laws of our nation were vigorously enforced, illegal guns That obsession manifested itself said Ms Forbes. Those Resident would not flow freely onto our streets and innocent people would not on August 17, 2006, when Ms. Association Presidents — Elsie die as a result. This is not just the case in New York. Across the country, Forbes hosted Clay Avenue Houses’ Deans of 110 Teller Avenue, Mar- illegal guns are the common denominator of urban crime. It’s a national Emergency Disaster Awareness cella Brown of 1162 Washington problem that requires a national response, but Congress has been Day, at Clay Avenue and 169th Avenue and Fraennie Pollock of mostly silent. Street, in lieu of the traditional sum- the 1020 College Avenue Senior NYCHA Emergency Services And so if Congress will not lead the charge against illegal guns, then mer Family Day Celebration. Rep- Building — were all more than Department Deputy Director the mayors of America’s cities must — and we are. In New York, we resentatives were available to eager to join Ms. Forbes in the task Barry Jennings with Clay Avenue have developed a three-pronged strategy for fighting illegal guns: distribute information and answer of preparing for emergencies. Resident Association President tougher enforcement, new legislation, and innovative litigation. Let me questions about emergency pre- Maria Forbes on “Disaster Day.” briefly touch on each. paredness from the Community Funding And Supplies which had collaborated on the Through Operation Impact – a program that identifies areas of the Emergency Response Teams The six resident leaders decided ATN training, Richard Brouil- city with the highest incidences of shootings, we’ve been able to reduce (CERTs), the American Red Cross, to pool their federally allocated lette. Mr. Brouillette was able to crime by flooding the area with teams of veteran and rookie police New York City’s Office of Emer- Tenant Participation Activity obtain another $3,000 in funding officers. The program has been an enormous success, but it is only part gency Management (OEM), the (TPA) funds, giving them a total through a NYC 1 grant to be used of our strategy to take illegal guns off the street. FDNY, NYPD, NYCHA’s Emer- of $34,000 to purchase emergen- for additional supplies for the Four years ago, many of those arrested for illegal possession of a gency Services Department, the cy equipment. That equipment Claremont Consolidated resident loaded firearm were getting off with probation, even though the law Alzheimer’s Association, Neigh- included six generators, 150 cots, leaders. He presented each Resi- called for a minimum jail sentence of one year. To change this, we cre- borhood Health Providers, and 150 blankets, 50 emergency “Go dent Association President with a ated specialized Gun Courts, with prosecutors and judges specially World Vision, an international relief Bags” from the American Red check for $500 in a ceremony on trained to handle gun cases. The Gun Courts have been an enormous organization. Cross and office equipment. June 19, 2006. success — increasing sentences and, together with Operation Impact, (See page 4 for more on Go Bags.) leading to a significant reduction in crime. How It Began Knowing that the supplies they CERT Training The second part of our strategy has been to push for new legislation It all began in May 2005, when purchased weren’t nearly enough Shortly thereafter, at another that further increases the risk of possessing an illegal weapon, and that Bronx Borough President Adolfo for the entire community, Ms. Community Board planning meet- will strengthen our ability to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Carrion introduced the issue of Forbes reached out to the Director ing, Ms.