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Blind Staten Island man to detail struggle with Housing Authority at Bay Terrace forum  

 

News photos -- Friday, April 1, 2011Advance file photoJustin Williams of Concord will be the topic of a talk on Wednesday at Congregation Toras Emes of

Staten Island, Bay Terrace.

 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- "The Man Who Took the City to Court and Won" will be the topic of a talk on Wednesday at Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island,

Bay Terrace.

 

The discussion concerns Justin Williams of Concord, who is legally blind, and who, advocates say, through no fault of his own was unjustly

deprived by the New York City Housing Authority of his housing benefits

because of his inability to read a series of printed notices that were mailed to his home.

 

After Williams had exhausted every administrative recourse to restore his benefits, he turned to Staten Island Legal Services, which ultimately filed suit

under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act on his behalf, against the Housing Authority.

News photos -- Friday, April 1, 2011Panel members at Congregation Toras Emes will include attorney Nancy Goldhill.

News photos -- Friday, April 1, 2011Attorney Shelly Agarwala will also be on the panel at Congregation Toras Emes.

 

"That suit received front-page coverage in the Staten Island Advance, which had the effect of significantly hastening the city's capitulation due to the

widespread publicity of its ineptitude and callousness," said one of his attorneys, Nancy Goldhill.

 

"The case is still pending because Justin and his lawyers seek to compel the Housing Authority to establish a policy for giving proper notice to blind and

visually impaired people so that this does not happen again."

 

A panel discussion will include Williams and Ms. Goldhill, project director, and Shelly Agarwala, supervising attorney, and will run from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Refreshments will be served. Free-will offerings will be donated to the non-profit Staten Island Legal Services. Toras Emes is at 3151 Hylan Blvd. For

information, call 718- 667-5125 and ask for Binyamin or e-mail

rabbi at torasemesonline.com.

 

B'NAI ISRAEL 75TH

Congregation B'nai Israel, Bay Terrace, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a "From Generation to Generation" luncheon on Sunday.

 

Rabbi Judah Newberger will officiate at the event, chaired by Martin Eisenberg. The honorees are Ilene and Charles Greinsky, Michael and Cheryl Guterman,

Jaison and Marcie Guterman, Alvin and Sophia Cohen, Lillian Brosnick, Kevin and Michelle Brosnick, Arthur and Sandy Levy, Mikhail and Aleksandra Faynberg

and Ella Ligay.

 

A hot-and-cold dairy buffet lunch by Exclusive Catering by Kaplan will be served. The cost is $54 per person. The luncheon will be from 1-4 p.m. in the

social hall of the synagogue at 45 Twombly Ave., Bay Terrace. Call 718-948-4231 for information.

 

 

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/blind_staten_island_man_to_det.html