The Ocean Avenue News - oceanavenuenews.comThe lectures will take place at gardens, bars, parks and cafes in various neighborhoods and include free refreshments.
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NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL Letitia James on Monday joined 11 other attorneys general to sue Paramount Skydance Corp. and Warner Bros.
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Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Tuesday imposing the country’s first statewide moratorium on hyperscale data centers.
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Five special education programs will expand into the city’s pre-K classrooms for the first this fall, city officials announced on Tuesday.
Through a $67.5 million investment, the expansion will make available the city’s Nest, Horizon, AIMS, Path and ACES programs in 14 school districts across the five boroughs.
“Making pre-K truly universal means that no family has to go without just because their child needs a little extra help. And it means that having an Individualized Education Plan [IEP] does not deny your child the same opportunities as their peers to get a strong start in life,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a July 14 press conference announcing the investment in Manhattan.
The expansion will help students with autism and developmental delays can attend school closer to their homes.
“It will bring new pre-school specialized education programs to families in every single borough,” the mayor said.
Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the five programs are popular and highly effective in improving student success.
“I am proud that right here in NYC public schools, we lead the nation in providing autistic learners with 97% of our Nest and Horizon students ultimately graduating high school,” Samuels said. “In our AIMS programs, our students with intensive communication needs are excited to come to school and boast much higher attendance rates when in community schools.”
The chancellor explained that ACES programs were initially launched as a direct response to families advocating for their children with significant intellectual disabilities to learn critical life skills alongside their peers in an inclusive school setting.
“Today, families are proud to share that their children are thriving and building meaningful with peers without disabilities as well,” Samuels said.
Meanwhile, Samuels said parents have seen “tremendous growth” from the Path program, which provides intensive social, emotional, and behavioral support for students with disabilities in specialized classrooms.
Samuels also said the multi-million-dollar investment will give younger children with autism and other disabilities the same “high-quality, specialized instruction that has delivered real results” for older students.
“This investment is about strengthening the foundation and when we get early childhood education right, we set children up for a lifetime of success,” Samuels said.
The programs will be held in both inclusive and specialized classroom settings, officials said.
Programs will be held in the following school districts:
Kaya Bliss is rolling out more Brooklyn locations this summer, expanding its cannabis retail footprint with new dispensaries in Kensington and Brighton Beach.
The company announced July 13 that it will open locations at 205 Church Ave. in Kensington and 301 Brighton Beach Ave. in Brighton Beach, bringing its total number of Brooklyn dispensaries to four, including existing stores in Bay Ridge and Brooklyn Heights.
The expansion comes about a year after Kaya Bliss celebrated the first anniversary of its Bay Ridge location and reflects the continued growth of New York’s legal cannabis market.
“We started Kaya Bliss with a simple goal: take the intimidation out of cannabis shopping and replace it with real expertise and genuine hospitality,” Edgar Kleydman, CEO of Kaya Bliss, said in a statement. “As we expand into more Brooklyn neighborhoods, that mission stays the same — we just get to share it with more of our neighbors.”
Founded in 2025, Kaya Bliss has focused on creating a retail environment centered on education and customer service. Rather than a traditional dispensary experience, the company says its stores emphasize personalized guidance from budtenders who help customers navigate a broad selection of cannabis products.
Those offerings include flower, pre-rolls, edibles, vape products, concentrates, tinctures and topicals from a variety of brands.
The company said it aims to make cannabis more approachable for both experienced consumers and first-time shoppers by pairing product expertise with a wellness-oriented atmosphere.
According to Kaya Bliss, its retail model is also designed to foster community while recognizing New York City’s longstanding cannabis culture. The company describes its stores as offering an elevated, spa-inspired environment where customers can learn about products and make informed purchasing decisions.
“Cannabis has greatly enhanced my life for many years, which is why I opened Kaya Bliss in 2025,” said Kleydman. “I strongly believe in the benefits of the plant for all walks of life and hope to make cannabis more accessible to those who need it most.”
With the addition of the Kensington and Brighton Beach locations, Kaya Bliss will operate four dispensaries throughout Brooklyn, expanding its footprint across South Brooklyn neighborhoods.
The company also offers a loyalty rewards program and says it plans to continue expanding access to legal cannabis products while maintaining its focus on education, hospitality and wellness.
Opening dates for the Kensington and Brighton Beach locations have not yet been announced.