Felder’s No-Cost Mammogram’s Are Saving Lives

At least one neighborhood resident has detected breast cancer in time, thanks to Senator Simcha Felder’s no-cost mammogram screening.

Since taking office, Senator Felder has sponsored regular opportunities—as many as two per month—for women to receive no-cost mammogram screenings. Working with the American-Italian Cancer Foundation, the Senator is making it possible for residents to visit convenient locations within the community and receive private, no-cost screenings that have proven to save lives with early cancer detection.

The American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s mobile care clinic recently spent the entire day in front of the Senator’s Flatbush office on Thursday, March 10 where 30 neighborhood women were screened. Many more women are expected to take advantage of the no-cost screenings when the mobile unit returns to the Senator’s Boro Park office on Thursday, March 17.

“Last year, 250 of my constituents took advantage of these no-cost mammograms,” said Senator Felder. “A total of 22 women that were screened by the American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s mobile care clinic in NY City in 2015 were subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. Four of these women were Brooklyn residents, and one was from my district.

“If we have saved only one life—one family’s wife, mother or daughter—then I don’t need to elaborate on how important these screenings are,” continued Senator Felder. “Being proactive when it comes to your health is vital. So I urge women to please take advantage of these opportunities.”

Ribbon Cutting at NY Community Hospital

Senator Felder visited NY Community Hospital to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony as the hospital announced the expansion of of emergency treatment area.

Barry Stern (CEO, NY Community Hospital), NYC Councilman Chaim Deutsch, George Weinberger (Chairman of the Board of Trustees, NY Community Hospital) and Senator Felder.

Big Changes Coming to Flatbush...

Felder’s Pilot Sanitation Program Victorious

Senator Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) thanked NY City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia for switching many morning garbage pickups in Boro Park to late evenings and Saturdays. The Mayor unveiled the vital modifications to the sanitation collections and recognized Senator Felder for his decade of hard work in pushing through these changes.

“It's been 10 years since I first began hammering at this issue,” said Senator Felder, who was the first elected official to address the problem in 2006 during the Bloomberg administration. Senator Felder helped the Department of Sanitation initiate a pilot program to restrict garbage pick-ups on certain blocks during the busy morning hours.

“Sanitation pick-ups have made the traffic situation in Boro Park nightmarish for drivers and school children,” said Felder. “It’s taken time but working together with my colleagues Assemblyman Dov Hikind and NY City Councilman David Greenfield, we were able to make a difference. These significant changes are a solid example of government working with the community to enhance quality of life.”

The new Sanitation pick-ups are planned to go into effect around April 4th. Plan components include rescheduling recycling trucks from current day shifts to night shifts (12am-8am), and switching collection days from Mondays and Thursdays to Wednesdays and Saturdays. The result will be a 79% reduction in sanitation trucks in the areas between 42nd to 59th Streets and 12th to 20th Avenues. While the new plan may not fully eliminate refuse trucks in the area (as the garage is located on 19th Avenue), all trucks will try to clear the area by 8 am.

“Getting government to do anything is almost like winning the lottery,” said Senator Felder. “But, sometimes you win, which is what just occurred. Our community doesn’t ask for much—just to be able to get our kids to school without being driven crazy. This was also a safety issue because emergency vehicles couldn’t get through. So I’m very happy with the city’s renewed commitment to alleviating traffic congestion. We hope to see even greater improvements in the future but this is a great victory we can be proud of.”

Felder Says Don’t Miss Tax Credit Opportunity

Senator Simcha Felder (Brooklyn) is reminding New York City residents not to let the deadline pass for potential property tax credits.

If you are a property owner and either you or your co-owner turn 65 years of age by Dec. 31, 2016, you may be eligible for Enhanced STAR (School Tax Relief). Your total household income cannot exceed $84,550. Applications must be postmarked by March 15, 2016.

If you believe you are eligible for this tax credit or would like more information, call Senator Felder’s office at 718-253-2015.

Senator Felder Presents Proclamation to Centenarian

Senator Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) presented Samuel “Sandy” Saunders with a proclamation from the NY State Senate congratulating Mr. Saunders on his milestone 100^th birthday. The Senator was joined by NYC Councilman Chaim Deutsch at the celebration at the Senior League of Flatbush.

Senator Felder Addresses the Kleinman Holocaust Education Center

On Tuesday, February 23, Senator Felder addressed a crowd at the Kleinman Holocaust Education Center (KHEC), which held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil a new exhibition space that features 40 artifacts from the Holocaust.

The event also included a special ceremony to present tefillin to Menachem Kleinman, the great-grandchild of 91-year-old Auschwitz survivor Ethel Kleinman. Mrs. Kleinman is the mother of Mr. Elly Kleinman, the founder and president of the museum and education center, and grandmother of Mr. Yossie Kleinman, who is Menachem’s father and a KHEC board member and lecturer. Menachem, who turns 13 on March 23rd, is a student of Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway.

A significant crowd attended the event, including KHEC donors, acclaimed singer Lipa Schmeltzer, and more than two dozen classmates of Menachem from Yeshiva Darchei Torah.