Assemblyman Colton thanks you for the thousands of petitions that you sent to his district office in an effort to prevent the Highlawn Post Office from closing. This is a big victory for our community and a great example of how we can all pull together and unite around a great cause. Through community organizations and individuals, the Assemblyman’s office sent several thousand signatures to the US Postal Service, which was considering closing this post office as a cost saving measure. Together we have raised awareness of the importance of the Highlawn Post Office, and in the process saved jobs, and preserved convenience to the thousands of patrons, including many seniors, who use the Highlawn Post Office. Once again, thank you!

Assemblyman Colton has once again rallied the community to speak up and oppose the governor’s proposed cuts to education. Assemblyman Colton has labeled the $686 million mid-year cuts to school aid as devastating and a serious step-backward for achieving the mandated aid increases under the decades long Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) court case.

Under the CFE court ruling, the state is required to restructure school aid formulas to compensate for inadequate funding for high needs school districts such as New York City, and to increase funding over a period of five years. Assemblyman Colton recently held a breakfast with parents, teachers, community leaders, children’s advocates and District 21 UFT to organize action for opposing these unfair cuts to education.

Assemblyman Colton believes there are better ways to address the state’s deficit other than deep mid-year school aid cuts that will have a profound effect on children’s education, which has been underfunded for far too long. The Assemblyman’s office collected some 5,000 letters to the governor opposing these cuts. Recently, the Assembly and Senate passed a $2.8 billion dollar deficit reduction plan, which rejected mid-year cuts to education and reduced proposed cuts to healthcare and higher education.

Assemblyman Colton is seen here alongside Principal Gregg Korrol, interacting with some children at P.S. 101.

The Assemblyman had the privilege to be a honorary principal at P.S. 97 as well. Pictured here with him is Principal Kristine Mustillo.

Colton Gets Grant for Enviromedia Mobile

Assemblyman Colton obtained a $100,000 grant for the Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy group for a traveling environmental center and micro-maritime museum on wheels. The Enviromedia Mobile Tour will provide weekend family fun-filled days of environmental education and maritime cultural enrichment activities. Parents, children, and visitors will be inspired by the various exhibits that define and illustrate the living nature of our NYC urban estuary and watershed. The goal is to bring awareness to the variety of aquatic life living in our local waterfront and to become educated on the best practices for preserving our biodiversity and natural resources. For news and bookings on upcoming events please contact Executive Director Ludgar Balan at (347) 224-5828 or e-mail enviromediamobile.udec@gmail.com

Assemblyman Colton is seen here with local volunteers from the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn (UCA), U.S. Navy Neighborhood Recruiting Center, Chase Bank, TD Bank and Chanwan Supermarket for a cleanup of Bay Parkway. This cleanup represents the third cleanup the Assemblyman has sponsored. The other two were at MacDonald Ave. and 86th Street. More community cleanups are currently being planned across the district.

Assemblyman Colton is pictured here with New York City Comptroller-elect John Liu, visiting the Sephardic Senior Center for a multi-cultural entertainment event. This lively event gives a chance for seniors to showcase their singing and dancing talents from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.

Assemblyman Colton has been leading a community-wide fight to stop the NYS Department of Sanitation from placing a garbage waste transfer station at the site of the now closed South West Brooklyn Incinerator at Shore Parkway and Bay 41st Street.

Assemblyman Colton is seen here with Congressman Weiner and, from left to right, community activists Ida Sanoff, Adeline Michaels, and Charles Ragusa.

Releasing Old Toxins into Waters

The city plans to dredge or dig up the water bottom at the site to make it deep enough for waste barges to enter and exit. This will release 30 years of toxins buried there from the former incinerator and could do irreparable harm to the wildlife that uses the area as their habitat. Samples taken from the bottom of the bay revealed levels of mercury and other poisonous metals.

Appealing DEC
Administrative Law Judge Ruling

At a hearing held in January 2008, over a thousand people voiced their strong concerns about the negative environmental and health effects that would be brought about by the city’s poorly thought out plan.

Nonetheless, a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Administrative Law Judge ruled that there was no justification for any further hearings regarding the potential environmental and health problems, because the DEC lacked the power to deny a permit based upon health and safety concerns.

Letter Writing Campaign to the Governor

Since this outrageous ruling undermines the very statutory role of the NYS DEC to protect public health, safety and the environment from such concerns, Assemblyman Colton, together with community organizations and individuals, has sent some 12,000 letters to Governor Paterson, demanding that his appointed commissioner affirm DEC’s statutory duty to protect public health and overturn the ruling.

The community and many environmentalists are prepared to take their concerns to court if the DEC refuses to review the impact of dredging in an already contaminated and environmentally sensitive area. Assemblyman Colton insists that the DEC will commit a gross dereliction of duty and responsibility if it allows the permits to be approved.