Dear New Yorkers, After last weekend’s heavy rainfall, residents at the Borinquen Plaza housing complex encountered a familiar scene: brown gloop laid strewn across the ground as the odor of human feces hung in the lobby air. Days later, standing water and a lingering odor remained as maintenance crews mopped up. Residents of the NYCHA-owned East Williamsburg housing development, which thousands of people call home, say that it’s a constant issue. Two buildings have chronic indoor floods. Rain or shine, vents in some buildings leak raw sewage onto the sidewalk — so frequently that the pavement is permanently stained brown. People often detour into the street, and oncoming traffic, to avoid it. NYCHA, which owns the development, says there is “no current funding” for upgrades that would fully fix the problem. For now, the agency sends maintenance crews. “They put a Band-Aid on everything,” says Borinquen Plaza tenant association president Eloisa Rowe, 69. Borinquen Plaza isn’t alone. Gurgling sewage backups have plagued and disgusted tenants at NYCHA developments across the city, from the East Village to Harlem, Brownsville and Jamaica. With NYCHA desperate for funding, and flooding in the city expected to get worse due to climate change, it’s unclear how or when a permanent solution will be found. Read more here. Some other items of note: One New York City building debuted a company’s carbon capture technology — even before the city approves it to count toward climate law mandates. The system is made up of pipes and vessels that slurp up most of a building’s carbon dioxide, then liquifies it and transforms it into cement for construction. As nifty as that sounds, some question whether carbon capture is a long-term solution to the city’s emissions woes. Ever dreamed of a gig that lets you put your city trivia to good use? We put together a handy explainer on how to become a licensed tour guide in the city we love best, with information on study prep, average hourly pay, and more. The MTA announced yesterday it will resume tweeting service updates, a reversal of its decision last week to stop using Twitter due to a change in pricing that would’ve cost the agency $50,000 per month. In the end, Twitter waived the charge for the MTA and other public agencies — so you can go back to checking @NYCTSubway, @NYCTBus, @LIRR and @MetroNorth when your bus or train is delayed. On Thursday, May 11, join THE CITY at an Open Newsroom session addressing mental health resources in New York City public schools, and how to get appropriate support for kids. The event will take place at the Central Library in Brooklyn at 6 p.m. in partnership with Chalkbeat, ProPublica and the Brooklyn Public Library. The event is free with an RSVP. This week, our MISSING THEM COVID-19 memorial project launched a display at Greenwood Cemetery featuring The Fletcher family who lost their father and husband: MTA worker Joseph Trevor Fletcher, to COVID. Visit “The Many Losses From COVID” a community art memorial organized by Naming The Lost and City Lore any time from now until May 29. You can also see our ongoing exhibit with Photoville featuring obituaries and photos from the project at two locations in The Bronx and Queens until May 31. For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 hospitalizations, positivity rates and more, check our coronavirus tracker.
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