4 OCTOBER 6 - OCTOBER 12, 2017 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
NEW UTRECHT LIBRARY
SNAGS ANNUAL LIBRARY
AWARD
New Utrecht Library was one of five local branches
that took home the top prize of $20,000 at the fourth
annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards, on Sunday,
October 1.
The awards – an initiative of the Stavros Niarchos
and the Charles H. Revson Foundations – honor libraries
for being “irreplaceable pillars of their communities,
offering a welcoming and safe environment,
and free programs and services – all while on a tight
budget.”
The New Utrecht Library is located at 1743 86th
Street.
45,000 SUNY, CUNY STUDENTS
ATTENDING TUITION-FREE
Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday, October
1 announced that more than half of all full-time
SUNY and CUNY in-state students are going to be
receiving full rides with help from the Excelsior
Scholarship.
So far, approximately 45,000 students will attend
SUNY or CUNY tuition-free this year, including
more than 23,000 who will have their tuition covered
through the New York State Tuition Assistance Program
(TAP), Pell and other financial aid, and nearly
22,000 who will have their remaining tuition costs
covered by the scholarship.
According to state officials, the number of students
eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship will rise each
year until fully implemented (it is being phased in over
three years).
For the 2017-18 academic year full-time students
with household incomes up to $100,000 are eligible,
increasing to $110,000 in 2018-19, and reaching $125,000
in 2019-20.
NEW NOTIFY NYC APP
LAUNCHED
The New York City Emergency Management Department
and the Department of Information Technology
and Telecommunications have launched the Notify
NYC app – the city’s first emergency notification mobile
app.
With the app – available for free download for
Apple and Android devices – New Yorkers can get
information about emergency events and important
city services, based on their location. It also offers
real-time emergency updates on events from hurricanes
and blizzards to major traffic and mass transit
disruptions, public health hazards, school closings and
unscheduled parking rule suspensions.
The Notify NYC app is the latest upgrade to the Notify
NYC program – the city’s free, official source for
information about emergency events and important
city services.
—Meaghan McGoldrick
Photo courtesy of the NYPD
The 62nd Precinct in Bensonhurst,
Bath Beach welcomes a new top cop
BY HELEN KLEIN
HKLEIN@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
There’s been a changing
of the guard at the 62nd
Precinct.
The new commanding officer
is Captain Anthony Longobardi,
who has taken over the
reins from Deputy Inspector
Anthony Sanseverino, who
has been transferred after a
little more than two years at
the helm of the 62 to Patrol
Borough Brooklyn South
(where, he said, he would be
“broadening” his “horizons,
overseeing the 13 precincts”
that make it up).
Longobardi’s first day at the
62nd Precinct was September
24, and he told this paper he’s
excited to be at the precinct
— which covers Bensonhurst,
Bath Beach and Gravesend.
“I love it — being a precinct
commander,” he said. “It’s
something I’ve always wanted
to do, and I’m super excited to
be here. I’ve been meeting
people from the community
and everyone is greeting me
with open arms. The cops
seem to be great cops and I’m
looking forward to working
with everyone to make the 62
a better place.”
But, this is not his first time
serving the community.
Rather, said Longobardi,
he served as conditions and
field training sergeant at the
precinct between December,
2006 and November, 2007.
Longobardi — who joined
the force in 1999 — served as
well in the neighboring precinct,
the 68, where he started
his career as a cop, patrolling
the neighborhoods of Bay
Ridge and Dyker Heights from
February, 2000 through November,
2002, and snagging
Cop of the Year honors during
his time there.
Subsequently, he worked
undercover for the Vice
Squad in both Manhattan
and Brooklyn before being
assigned as a detective to the
Organized Crime Task Force,
and then to the 120th Precinct
Detective Squad in Staten
Island before beginning his
first tour at the 62.
After that, he was transferred
to the Detective Bureau,
and worked at the 67th
Precinct in East Flatbush,
the 60th Precinct in Coney
Island and the 81st Precinct in
Bedford-Stuyvesant before returning
to the 120th Precinct
as a platoon commander.
From there, Longobardi
served a brief stint with
the Staten Island Task Force
before being promoted to
captain and becoming the
executive officer at the 67th
Precinct, where he served
from February, 2015 till
being appointed the commanding
officer of the 62nd
Precinct.
He is, he acknowledged,
living his dream. “I always
had two goals — to become
a detective and to become a
precinct commander,” he said.
For residents of the neighborhoods
that the 62nd
Precinct serves, Longobardi
has one clear message — “The
members of the 62 are here to
serve and protect you. If you
ever need anything, feel free
to stop in.”
Captain Anthony Longobardi.
SPECIAL PULLOUT:
NEW YORK CONSTITUTION
This week’s issue features a 12-page special advertorial
supplement on the upcoming New York State Constitutional
Convention referendum.
It was produced and paid for by EffectiveNY, a nonprofit
organization seeking passage of the referendum, which is on
the November 7 general election ballot.
The supplement does include a reprint of The Spectator
editorial endorsement of the Constitutional Convention that
was published on September 22. However, it should be noted
that the contents of the advertorial contain opinions that may
not necessarily be those of this publication or its staff.