14
April 15, 2022 • Schneps Media
Powering the future
Schneps Media to host New York Energy Conference this month
BY AIDAN SEIDEN
As global energy consumption
continues to increase,
the question regarding
energy usage and how we might
transition to more sustainable resources
has swiftly become an immediate
worldwide priority.
On Wednesday, April 27,
Schneps Media will be hosting the
“New York Energy Conference” at
The Theater at City Tech in Downtown
Brooklyn, from 8 to 10:30
a.m. in an effort to educate and inform
the public on this critical issue.
The event features an array of
expert panelists, including government
officials, members of the energy
industry, researchers, labor leaders
and more, who plan to address
the future of New York’s energy and
how they envision us getting there.
“The future of our city is dependent
on having a strong strategy
in place for our use of energy,”
said Chief Executive Officer and
Co-Publisher at Schneps Media,
Joshua Schneps. “This event
LOCAL NEWS
brings together great minds to
discuss what needs to happen for
us to have a green and prosperous
energy future.”
The conference comes at an
extremely critical time, as deliberations
concerning cleaner, more
sustainable energy have begun to
progressively make its way into our
daily lives. This is largely due to the
fact that in recent years, researchers
and environmental specialists have
observed the dramatic impacts that
renewable energy sources— such
as solar energy, wind energy and
hydropower from flowing water—
have on energy consumption, and
how they may be one of the greatest
solutions to the crisis.
Just last week, during a White
House press conference, the Biden
administration commented on the
matter, where they announced their
plans to use the Defense Production
Act (DPA) to strengthen the mining
and processing of minerals used in
batteries for renewable energy and
electric vehicles.
And in the latest study conducted
by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate
and Environmental Justice, on
average, New York City uses 8,000
megawatts of power, while in the
summer months, when New Yorkers
switch on their air conditioners,
citywide demand can reach as high
as 11,500 megawatts.
This conference will explore
these findings, as well as others,
giving guests the unique opportunity
to ask questions, learn about
the ways they can improve their
energy habits, and hear about
the steps they can take to help
make the city’s energy cleaner,
and more sustainable.
Admission to reserve a spot is
$10, and includes a light breakfast.
Register for the conference
at schnepsmedia.com/events/
energy-conference.
The Justice System 101: Inside the Surrogate Courts
BY AIDAN SEIDEN
Towering over the northwest
corner of Chambers Street,
between Centre and Elk
Streets, sits the historical New York
County Surrogate Courthouse.
The seven-story, steel-framed
edifice features 54 hand-carved
statues with a granite facade and
intricate marble interior— and was
also the home of New York City’s
Hall of Records until 1962. Now it
is the official site for the managing
of probates and estate proceedings
(among other duties) in the New
York State Unified Court System.
Every county in the state of New
York has a Surrogate Court— each
with the purpose of adjudicating
cases involving the affairs of decedents,
which includes the validation
of wills, estate administration
for New Yorkers who died without
a will, as well as adoption proceedings.
Alongside the Surrogate
Courts, the Family and Supreme
Courts have equal power over
guardianships of infants.
Each of New York’s 62 counties
has one elected surrogate judge,
with the exception of New York
County (Manhattan) and Kings
County, which each have two. In
New York County, the Surrogate
judges are Hon. Nora S. Anderson
and Hon. Rita Mella.
Both judges oversee a variety of
complex cases on a daily basis, answering
the court’s most commonly
asked questions, which are: What
happens if my loved one dies without
a will? Who may be appointed
to handle an estate proceeding? I
am the Executor of a will, how do
I get the will admitted to probate?
All of these inquiries can also be
answered at the Surrogate Court’s
Help Center in Room 302, which is
available as a source of information
from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to
noon and from 2 to 4 p.m.
In addition, the Records Room
remains open to the public (by appointment
only), giving visitors
access to records dating back as
late as 1674, including documents
signed by Alexander Hamilton
and Aaron Burr.
In fact, The New York Times reported
in January 2017 that a substantial
set of records were being
transferred to the New York County
Surrogate Courthouse Hall of Records,
however upon the box’s arrival,
they merely accounted for about
10% of the total collection.
While full access to the Hall of
Records has been restored, a few
other areas of the courthouse were
subject to COVID-19 related restrictions.
In recent months, safety
precautions have been implemented
to protect the health of employees
as well as court users. Current in
person visitors are now serviced
one at a time, and are required to
wear a mask and submit to temperature
screening and questioning
upon arrival.
Similarly, proceedings have been
modified to where most trials and
hearings have continued, however
they are now conducted remotely,
with individuals appearing virtually
using Microsoft Teams.
With the court’s staff having returned
to work in person on a fulltime
basis, it appears as though the
Surrogate Courthouse is once again
continuing to affect public good.
And according to Chief Judge
Janet Difiore, “the New York State
Court System provides essential
justice services to the people of the
State of New York.”
PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
/
