District Attorney Hynes to Honor Centenarian Brooklynite
Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes will honor Brooklyn-born journalist and humanitarian Ruth Gruber on Tuesday, May 17, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at a documentary screening. Ms. Gruber, who turns 100 this year, was the youngest doctoral recipient at age 20 in 1931. In 1944, Ms. Gruber was chosen by the Roosevelt administration to escort Holocaust survivors to the United States. She documented the Nuremberg trials in 1946 and also photographed and documented the perils aboard the ship Exodus 1947, where she witnessed the escorting of 4,500 Jewish refugees from Europe to America. Ms. Gruber has published 19 books. Her newest book, “Witness,” illustrates through essays and photos her firsthand experience of people and cultures in the 21st century. She has also received numerous Lifetime Achievement awards.
Mayor Bloomberg Signs Pedicab Regulation Legislation
Mayor Bloomberg signed legislation to enhance regulations for the pedicab industry Monday. The legislation extends the cap on the number of pedicab plates, currently 850, with a provision for the Consumer Affairs commissioner to issue additional plates should more than 10 plates become inactive. It also renews a 30-plate cap on the number of registrations per pedicab business. Additional legislation applied “No Stopping, No Standing, and No Parking” regulations to pedicabs, to preserve the safety of all transportation users and to keep pedicabs out of crosswalks, loading zones, and other spaces. A final bit of legislation sets mandatory penalties, including driver’s license suspensions and revocations or pedicab confiscations, for drivers operating without licenses or with unsafe vehicles.
Medgar Evers College Students Hold Sunshine Rally
Though it wasn’t sunny at all, students at Medgar Evers College (MEC) held a Sunshine Rally Monday morning to publicize a student-generated petition for more transparency in the current college administration. The rally also called for the dismissal of college President William Pollard and Provost Howard Johnson. Reportedly, the number of signatures on the petition has reached almost 1,000 yet the students’ request for answers and recognition has not been met. The students suggest that the current administration is insensitive to black students’ concerns and demands. Some of those demands include restoration of the direct enrollment policy at MEC, gender equity in the president’s cabinet and top-level administrative positions, and support for the college’s centers and community programs, among others. The president’s office did not return a request for comment as of press time.
MCNY Hosts Emergency and Disaster Reporting Forum
Monday morning, Metropolitan College of New York professors and local journalists discussed the topic Helping Media Effectively Cover Emergencies & Disasters in New York City and Beyond. The goal of the event was to help equip media professionals with tools to enhance their coverage of emergencies and disasters. Invited guests, including moderator, Dean Meminger, a reporter with NY1 News, John Keefe, executive producer, News & Information, WNYC New York Public Radio, Ali Gheith, director, MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management Program, and other media professionals, also sought to open a dialogue between media and Emergency and Disaster Management professionals on how to best work together during a disaster.
