Assemblyman William Colton Reports to the People

Assemblyman
William
COLTON
Reports to the
People

Winter 2007

Get Help At Colton’s Community Office


Assemblyman Colton’s Community Office is open five days a week to serve you. The office staff has helped thousands of people with a wide variety of problems and issues. No issue is too big or too small for the staff.

Quality of Life

Michael Andronico helps with quality of life concerns ranging from potholes to rat infestations. Organizing blocks and community groups is handled by Charles Ragusa and Stephanie Wong. Ginger Bivona and Terry Chung help community organizations with their funding. Recently, dangerous intersections in our community have been made safer with traffic lights and signage secured by Colton’s staff.

Children and Families

Assemblyman Colton’s staff is available to help families with issues such as school safety, housing, food stamps and so much more. Hundreds of people, with the help of Colton’s staff, have received help paying for utilities through the HeartShare program and HEAP. Svetlana Perelmuter and Stephanie Wong help families through the sometimes difficult immigration process.

Healthcare

Lack of health insurance is a major concern for many people. Assemblyman Colton’s staff works to ensure that anyone eligible for state health care coverage programs gets enrolled. Stephanie Wong, Svetlana Perelmuter and Larisa Magali can tell you about the various programs available, such as Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, EPIC and Medicaid, and help with the application process.

Seniors

Jeanette Givant, Svetlana Perelmuter, Nino Magali and Stephanie Wong can help seniors access programs such as Food Stamps, Medicare, Meals-on-Wheels, Access-a-Ride, SCRIE, IT214 Senior Tax Credits, and more. In addition to applying for programs, Colton’s staff is available to help seniors with any problems they may have. One senior had a credit card bill that stated that they owed over $16,000 that they didn’t charge. Jeanette Givant resolved the problem.

Other Constituent Services

Constituents can get help with almost any problem at Colton’s Community Office. Jeanette Givant has successfully helped people recover their money through the State’s Unclaimed Funds. Svetlana Perelmuter has been helping Holocaust Survivors receive reparations from Germany. Stephanie Wong helps small businesses comply with City regulations. Should you have any concerns, do not hesitate to call Assemblyman Colton’s office. Colton’s staff is ready to assist you. The office is located at:

155 Kings Highway (Between West 12th & West 13th Streets) (718) 236-1598
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday: 10am-4pm Thursday: Noon-8pm Friday: 10am-Noon

TELL ME OF YOUR CONCERNS Please take the time to make me aware of those issues which concern you and our community by outlining them below. Please return your comments to: Assemblyman Colton’s office, 155 Kings Highway, Brooklyn, NY 11223 Click here for a printable view
Name:
Phone:
Address:	Apt#:	Zip Code:
E-mail:
Comments:
Please let me know when the Hearing about the Transfer Station is scheduled. I want to attend.

COLTON 2007 PHOTO ALBUM

IMPROVING EDUCATION
Assemblyman Colton addresses a class of Seth Low Intermediate School students on the opening day of school, while Principal Barry Fein and Senator Carl Kruger look on. Assemblyman Colton has long fought to correct a history of inequitable funding for NYC school children. This year, he succeeded in passing a State Budget that increased funding for NYC schools by some 750 million dollars, correcting years of inequitable and unfair school funding.

RECOGNIZING NEIGHBORHOOD HEROES
At the end of 2006, a tragic fire occurred at a private house on Bay 49th Street. Photo to the right shows Assemblyman Colton presenting Hero Citations at one of the firehouses where the heroic quick response of firefighters rescued a mother and child trapped in the burning house. The Assemblyman, together with Kiwanis State Governor Joe Corrace, also presented Hero Citations to the neighborhood residents who rushed out in the middle of night to catch the other trapped children, as their mother tossed them from a window. The neighborhood Kiwanis clubs also presented donations to the family, who lost nearly all their possessions in the fire.

KEEPING OUR SENIOR CENTERS STRONG
Assemblyman Colton is committed to supporting our neighborhood senior centers. He has obtained funding for many senior centers including, among others, Contello Senior Club, House of Jacob Center, Marlboro Senior Center, Most Precious Blood Golden Age Club, Our Lady of Grace Golden Age Club, Sephardic Senior Center, Shore Parkway Jewish Center, Regina Pacis Senior Club, Sons of Israel Bensonhurst Center, Sons of Italy Senior Club, St. Athanasius Golden Age Club, St. Dominic Senior Center, St. Mary’s Mother of Jesus Happy Go Lucky Club, Sts. Simon & Jude Golden Age Club, and Waterview Senior Club.

KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHODD SAFE
Assemblyman Colton, shown together with 60th Precinct Deputy Inspector Johnsen and staff members Stephanie Wong and Mark Treyger, was a sponsor of 2007 Night-Out Against Crime at the 60th and 62nd Precincts. Assemblyman Colton has sponsored legislation to increase penalties against violent sex offenders and to expand the DNA database of those convicted of crimes.

IMPROVING HEALTH CARE
Assemblyman Colton is shown with nurses from the Visiting Nurses Service of New York, who recently provided free flu shots to some 150 seniors at the Community Office of Assemblyman Colton. He has also introduced legislation to give consumers in health plans freedom of choice of pharmacies. Thousands of constituents have received help from the Assemblyman’s office, with problems in such programs as EPIC, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance issues, and many other health related matters.

FIGHTING PROPOSED WASTE TRANSFER STATION
Shown right, Assemblyman Colton leads a Flotilla Rally, which he organized this past summer. The rally was attended by hundreds of residents, together with Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny (46th AD), Senator Diane Savino (23rd SD) environmentalists Kerry Sullivan, Ida Sanoff and Victoria Goldfedib, and numerous other community leaders, who were there to join Colton in leading neighborhood opposition to the waste transfer station. The Assemblyman has collected over two thousand letters in opposition for submission to the Department of Environmental Conservation. Currently, Assemblyman Colton is working with community leaders and environmental lawyers in preparing to defeat the City’s plan at the Public Hearings, which DEC is scheduling, probably for January 15, 2008 at the Shore Parkway Jewish Center 8885-26th Avenue. Call for the latest information.

HELPING NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH PROGRAMS
Shown left are officers of the Grace Gravesend Athletic Association at their 2007 Opening Day Ceremonies, recognizing Assemblyman Colton for obtaining funds to renovate their ball field. Assemblyman Colton has provided state funding for many youth and community groups, including Agudath Israel of America Community Services, Alma Toorock Memorial for Cancer Research, ASU of New York, Bensonhurst COJO, Brooklyn Italia Soccer, Eastern NY Youth Soccer Association, FIAO, Grace Gravesend Athletic Association, HIAS Inc., Most Precious Blood Youth Center, NY Junior Tennis League, Ryan Repertory Company, St. Athanasius Youth Program, Sts. Simon & Jude Athletic Program and the Sports Veterans Association.

METROCARD ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE AT COLTON’S COMMUNITY OFFICE
Assemblyman Bill Colton makes available Reduced Fare MetroCard assistance for seniors and those with disabilities. Paul S. Lipton schedules this service on the last Friday of each month at the Community Office. NYCTA staff are available to help people apply for their reduced fare MetroCards. Call for details.

BENSONHURST BUSINESS CLUB AWARDS ASSEMBLYMAN COLTON FOR HIS ASSISTANCE TO NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

Bensonhurst Business Club Event Chair Felix Filler and Mark’s JCH Program Director Lyubov Mikityansky present an award to Assemblyman Bill Colton for his work in assisting neighborhood business owners and in sponsoring the Business to Business Expo and Trade Show held at the Jewish Community House. The Assemblyman has also assisted business owners in cutting through bureaucratic red tape and in fighting against unfair summonses from city agencies. The Assemblyman also sponsored the Lion Dance Festivities, organized by the UCA and its President, Steve Chung, and the 86th Street Festival, organized by the 86th Street Board of Trade. Assemblyman Colton has fought for a legislative package to help small neighborhood businesses because he understands their vital role in providing jobs and adding to our quality of life.

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM BROUGHT TO OUR SCHOOLS BY ASSEMBLYMAN COLTON

Assemblyman Colton is shown with PS 95 Principal Carolyn Telesmanich after an Assembly program,which was presented by Sima Butman, a Holocaust Survivor and former principal, together with a group from the New York Association of Holocaust Survivors. The Assemblyman has promoted this educational program to all schools as a means of educating children of the meaning of the holocaust and the terrible consequences of hatred and intolerance. The Assemblyman first organized this program as a response to a series of swastikas that appeared in the neighborhood. Assemblyman Colton also introduced legislation that has now become law, making it a felony to harass or intimidate others by vandalizing property with the hated symbol of a swastika or a burning cross. Anyone who would like this educational program presented at their school can contact Larisa Magali or Paul S. Lipton at (718) 236-1598.

Assemblyman
William Colton

DISTRICT OFFICE: 155 Kings Highway • Brooklyn, New York 11223 • (718) 236-1598
ALBANY OFFICE: Room 733 LOB • Albany, New York 12248 • (518) 455-5828
coltonw@assembly.state.ny.us

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