🌱 Vote On Sunset Park Wellness Projects + 11th District Map?

Good day, people of Sunset Park! I'm Nicole Fallon-Peek, and I'll be taking over as your new host of the Sunset Park Daily. Now, here's what's happening around town today, in five minutes or less! — Nicole

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First, today's weather:

Not as cold. High: 40 Low: 29.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Sunset Park today:

1. Residents in the 11220 and 11232 zip codes have until Jan. 24 to vote on the neighborhood health and wellness projects they want to fund with participatory budgeting. Sunset Park community projects on the docket include "Empowering Providers, Strengthening Communities," a project to train frontline social services groups and community leaders to address mental health issues; "Mental Health and Social Service Resource Guide," a multilingual directory of organizations and private practitioners offering mental health services; and "Sunset Park Wellness Month," a month-long series of mental health, wellness, and educational programming from Academy of Mental and Public Health Services. (Brooklyn Paper)
2. On Monday, the New York State Legislature has rejected the proposed maps that would redraw state and federal district lines, including the 11th Congressional District that encompasses parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn. This district was a point of contention among legislators: A Democratic-drawn map would have brought the Brooklyn part of the district into largely liberal Sunset Park, while the Republican-associated map tried to encompass more politically-diverse areas like Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. The New York Independent Redistricting Commission (NYIRC) will have one more opportunity to redraw the maps and submit them to State Legislature. (SILive.com)
3. As COVID-19 cases surge in New York City, some teachers are rallying for remote learning to combat the large number of quarantine-related absences. Annie Tan, a special education teacher in Sunset Park, told WPIX 11 that there are multiple COVID cases among her students, and half the class has been absent because of it. "Most of my kids are at home and getting no education, no support from me, live in person," Tan said. (WPIX 11 New York)

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Today in Sunset Park:

• Comedy Wednesday At Freddy's Bar & Backroom (7:30 PM)

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From my notebook:

• The Fifth Avenue Committee reminds Sunset Park residents to help stop the spread of the omicron variant by getting tested. Visit NYC.Gov/COVIDTest or text "COVID TEST" to 855-48 to find a test site near you. (Facebook)
• Looking to buy in the Sunset Park area? Here's our latest local real estate roundup. (Sunset Park Patch)
• Tonight from 6 to 9 p.m., stop by Industry City for a live R&B jam session with a rotating cast of musicians curated by ArBuzz and Sharla! (Industry City)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with another update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.