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Lower Manhattan’s Local News
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The Broadsheet Inc. | 212-912-1106 | editor@ebroadsheet.com | ebroadsheet.com
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Agenda-Setting Opportunity
Assembly Member Niou to Host Constituent Symposium This Weekend
This Sunday (January 26), Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou will host her annual Legislative and Budgetary Town Hall to discuss priorities for the Albany lawmaking session that began earlier this month.
“Our annual legislative and budget Town Hall is one of our biggest events we hold every year. It’s another opportunity for our community to engage our government and play an active role in advocating for the changes we want to see in our state,” Ms. Niou says. “Inviting constituents to speak with me, our panelists, and each other is so important. The Town Hall promotes engagement and transparency in politics, which is critical in our political climate. We give our constituents information about the budget and our legislative plans and promote discussions on the issues that matter the most to them.”
Among the measures Ms. Niou is sponsoring during the current legislative session are tenant protections (including one that would allow renters to recover treble damages when they are forced to vacate an apartment because of a landlord’s willful neglect), consumer advocacy laws (featuring new rights for consumers in dealing with debt collectors and credit reporting agencies, plus new safeguards against robocalls), requirements for public schools to educate students about eating disorders, and safeguards for victims of sexual harassment (among them a measure that would make such conduct a crime, rather than just a civil complaint) and regulations for electric bikes.
“At the Town Hall, we will host six panels,” she adds, each one featuring multiple policy professionals and experts. The panels will include Housing and Senior Services, Economic Justice, Education, Civil Rights/Criminal Justice, Resiliency, and Transportation. Ms. Niou also notes that, “constituents will be able to ask the panelists or myself any questions that they might have on these topics and express their concerns. Hearing from constituents on these issues allows me to be able to fight for what our constituents need in the legislature before the start of session.”
The event will be held at the Manny Cantor Center (197 East Broadway, between Jefferson and Clinton Streets), from 11:30 am until 6:00 pm. Admission is free, and food will be served, but space is limited. For this reason, anyone planning to attend is asked to R.S.V.P. by calling 212-312-1420, or emailing info@yuhlineniou.org.
Matthew Fenton
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Calendar
Friday 1/24/20
11AM
Stretching the Canvas Exhibition Tour
National Museum of the American Indian The Art of Chinese New Year
China Institute The Art of Chinese New Year is a vibrant, interactive experience where visitors of all ages can explore the Chinese New Year holiday and the traditional visual and performing arts related to it. The installation captures the sights and sounds of the holiday through displays, artist workshops, and hands-on activities, leading visitors to a deeper experience, and a greater understanding, of traditional Chinese culture. In the visual arts, visitors will learn about nianhua (New Year pictures), spring couplets, and papercutting. A showcase on the art of shadow puppetry will feature antique puppets, a traditional shadow puppet theater, and a theater where children can create their own puppet shows. At a lion dance display, visitors can try on real lion dance costumes. 40 Rector Street. FREE
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Asking for the Millennium
City Announces Agreement to Expand FiDi’s Millennium High School
On January 15, jubilant elected officials, community leaders, and education officials toured the new space into which the Financial District’s Millennium High School will expand over the next two years. This was the culmination of a multi-year campaign to win approval and funding for the school’s growth.
To read more… Matthew Fenton
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PUBLIC NOTICE
The GPTA annual membership meeting
will take place at PS 276 – 55 Battery Place
on Thursday, February 6th – 6:45 PM
6:00 PM Doors Open – meeting ends promptly at 8:30 PM
The meeting is open to all Gateway residents.
* Update by GPTA Board * Introduction of our elected representatives
* Community discussion Q&A * Nominations and Elections of Board Members
(If you are interested in placing your name on the ballot send an email to GatewayPlazaTA@gmail.com stating why you want to serve. Maximum 100 words.) Only tenants who are current paid GPTA members may vote. Please note that dues are payable on a calendar basis, so the 2020 dues are payable now. Membership in GPTA is $25 per household Please note that the Board has approved a few changes to the GPTA By-Laws. Click here http://www.gpta.org/bylaws/ for a copy of the amended By-Laws; click here for a summary of the By-Laws changes. |
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Letters
Dear Editor:
I am so glad to see that the Governor has created the Friends of St. Nicholas (non-profit) to raise funds and complete the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. And I am happy to see that Dennis Mehiel, who served as chairman of the Battery Park City Authority from 2012 to 2018, has been appointed to lead this project.
It has been a disgrace and a sadness to see this unfinished and neglected building sitting at the edge of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza. Having a house of worship at this location creates a place for quiet reflection and peaceful observance. The new church can be a reminder of the generous spirit of the first-responders, residents and workers who helped others to survive and heal.
Mr. Mehiel showed himself to be a competent and responsive leader as BPCA chairman. Many important projects were completed and undertaken during his tenure. Further, he showed his open-mindedness to adapt and change.
Although initially resistant to having community members address the Board, he changed the rules. He listened and responded and acted on community input. This positive attitude has been continued in the Board and the Management of the Authority, and makes BPCA a wonderful place to live and work.
I am sure I am not the only local with high hopes for this new St. Nicholas Church.
Thank you,
Maryanne P. Braverman
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To the editor:
The folks trying to save the bridge (or improve the Albany St. crossing) might try to get their hands on the statistics from the recently installed speed camera clocking northbound West St traffic just north of the bridge (south of Albany).
It appears to be flashing once or more after almost every green light. It could possibly add weight to crossing risks.
Keith Rathman
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To the editor:
As of this moment, the only person who can save the Rector Street Bridge is New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.
If you want to act to save the bridge, you and your friends, children and associates are all encouraged to write our Governor Cuomo.
Please email his Manhattan representative at:
Yesterday, our District 1 Councilmember, Margaret Chin, sent the following letter to the governor. We applaud the Councilmember’s efforts on our behalf! .
Since the Rector Bridge is a New York State rather than a City issue, you are also encouraged to email our downtown State representatives, Senator Brian Kavanagh, kavanagh@nysenate.gov, and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, niouy@nyassembly.gov.
To date we have 3,620 petition signatures to save-the-bridge. If you haven’t signed a petition yet, here’s the link: http://chng.it/5Vyjt4dk.
The Bridge still has a chance.
It’s time for US to make a great noise to make a great difference!!!
Bob Schneck
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Vicinage with Vigor
Lower Manhattan Ranked Among Healthiest Districts in New York
Two Lower Manhattan neighborhoods rank among the healthiest communities anywhere in the five boroughs of New York City, according to new research by RentHop, an online listings database.
The analysis gauged overall healthy by three criteria: the proportion of overall space within each community set aside for parks, the number of gyms (and other fitness facilities) in each neighborhood, and the tally of vegetarian restaurants in each area (relative to its number of households).
Matthew Fenton
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CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS
Swaps & Trades ~ Respectable Employment ~ Lost & Found
212-912-1106 editor@ebroadsheet.com
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Available for weeknight and weekend baby-sitting and tutoring middle-schoolers in Math or Science. Please contact Emmett at 917.733.3572
IT AND SECURITY SUPPORT
Experienced IT technician. Expertise in 1-on-1 tutoring for all ages.Computer upgrading & troubleshooting. Knowledgeable in all software programs.
James Keirstead james.f.kierstead@gmail.com
347-933-1362 References available
CERTIFIED HOME HEALTH AIDE SEEKING
Full-Time Live-In Elder Care
I am loving, caring and hardworking with 12 years experience. References available. Marcia 347-737-5037 marmar196960@gmail.com
NOTARY PUBLIC IN BPC
$2 per notarized signature Text Paula at 917-836-8802
ELDER CARE NURSE AIDE with 17 years experience seeks PT/FT work. Refs available Call or text 718 496 6232 Dian
HOUSEKEEPING/NANNY/BABYSITTER
Available starting September for PT/FT.
Wonderful person, who is a great worker. Reference Available ELDERCARE
Available for PT/FT elder care. Experienced. References Angella
347-423-5169 angella.haye1@gmail.com
EXPERIENCED ELDER CARE
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Excellent references 12yrs experienced 347-898-5804 Call Hope anasirp@gmail.com
If you would like to place a listing, please contact editor@ebroadsheet.com
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Letters
To the editor: It’s true that the Battery Park City community has little connection to the people of Puerto Rico. It is also true that Battery Park City is located in one of the most iconic and visited locations in the world. If you wanted to call attention to an overlooked cause this would be the place to do it. Undoubtedly the people of Puerto Rico deserve a shout out to remind people that Puerto Ricans are American, that their suffering is real and that we should care! Jon Neiho
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To the editor:
RE: Compensation Dispensation (BroadsheetDAILY January 8)
I find this settlement untimely and quite depressing. My lease is up in April and I haven’t received a lease. I am becoming incredibly pessimistic at a continuation of stabilization much to my chagrin and disbelief.
I suspect that politicians will accept the 2 year 5% increase as a compromise.
Feet of clay. Those who have lived in Gateway for 15+ years and rebuilt the area after 9/11 know that it is not a good compromise.
I consider Gateway and Battery Park City my home.
I can barely afford the rent now. After 2 years of 5% increases and then skyrocketing rents, I will be forced to leave BPC and most likely NY (as many of my neighbors).
It is a kick in the teeth to those who supported the idea of a middle class in the city.
Peter Cooper Village, Stuyvesant, the Tribeca high rise, and Fulton Street apartments all now market rate.
The politicians have deserted us. There aren’t many stabilized people left. Sadly, we are an aging dying breed.
Debra Feinstein
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Eyes to the Sky
January 21 – February 2, 2020
Cygnus the Swan Soars as Summer Triangle sets
The Summer Triangle’s long season in the evening sky ends this week, although one of its remarkable stars, Deneb, lingers for another month. The Summer Triangle is a star pattern known as an asterism; three outstanding stars shape it, one from each of three constellations. It is a commanding sight from its emergence in the evening sky in May through summertime and autumn. Now, stretched out on the skyline from west to northwest as darkness gathers, the great triangle is particularly impressive, but fleeting.
To read more… |
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The Greek Calends
After Two-Year Hiatus, Work to Resume at St. Nicholas Church
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on January 2 that a newly formed non-profit organization will raise funds and underwrite the completion of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, within the World Trade Center Complex.
The building, designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava (who additionally created the nearby Oculus, also in the World Trade Center) is slated to replace the histo precious parish church that fell among the victims of September 11. To read more…
Matthew Fenton
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Chain Reaction
Hundreds of Local Storefronts Remain Rented to Corporate Brands
A new report from the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), a public policy think tank that uses data-driven research to bring attention to overlooked issues, documents that the proliferation of chain stores in Lower Manhattan has decreased slightly during the past 12 months, but at a slower rate than for the City as a whole.
Matthew Fenton
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Today in History
January 24
AD 41 – Roman Emperor Caligula, known for his eccentricity and sadistic despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. The Guard then proclaims Caligula’s uncle Claudius as Emperor
1848 – California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter’s Millnear Sacramento. 1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca. 1961 – Goldsboro B-52 crash: A bomber carrying two H-bombs breaks up in mid-air over North Carolina. The uranium core of one weapon remains lost. 1972 – Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II. 1978 – Soviet satellite Kosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor on board, burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada’s Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered. 1984 – Apple Computer places the Macintosh personal computer on sale in the United States. Births
76 – Hadrian, Roman emperor (d. 138)
1712 – Frederick the Great, Prussian king (d. 1786)
1862 – Edith Wharton, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1937) Deaths
1920 – Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1884) Photos and information culled from Wikipedia and other internet sources
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Ferklempt
Cuomo Announces Planned Expansion of Museum of Jewish Heritage
At his annual State of the State address, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo included on his list of dozens of proposals an announcement that he was directing the Battery Park City Authority to develop an expansion plan for the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, located within Wagner Park, on Battery Place.
Matthew Fenton
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They Didn’t Get the Memo…
Much-Touted Crackdown on Placard Parking Not All It Was Cracked Up to Be
Amid much fanfare, multiple City agencies recently announced that they would take part in a crackdown on illegal parking by government employees, whose personal vehicles bear placards that allow them to leave their cars blocking bus stops, crosswalks, fire hydrants, bike lanes, and lanes needed for use by fire trucks and ambulances. By Tuesday, it appeared that dozens of law enforcement personnel who work in Battery Park City hadn’t heard, or perhaps knew better. Matthew Fenton
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When a Deadline Becomes a Lifeline
Renewed Victims Compensation Fund Extends Cutoff Date for Registration
Following last summer’s passage of a new law that extends (and expands funding for) the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), the Fund will be accepting claims until it sunsets in 2090. Another benefit of passage is that the cutoff date by which current claimants must register for the VCF has been pushed back to July 29, 2021.
Kimberly Flynn, the director of 9/11 Environmental Action, a non-profit advocacy group whose mission is to ensure that those who were affected by September 11 (physically or emotionally) get the specialized health care they need, commented, “the best possible news is that on July 29, 2019, the ‘Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act’ was signed into law. Matthew Fenton
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Recalling Five Points
Epicenter of a Notorious Slum Proposed for Commemoration
In 1831, the City government considered a petition that warned, “that the place known as “Five points” has long been notorious… as being the nursery where every species of vice is conceived and matured; that it is infested by a class of the most abandoned and desperate character.”
A decade later, Charles Dickens, visiting New York, wrote of the same Lower Manhattan neighborhood that had inspired the petition, “what place is this, to which the squalid street conducts us? A kind of square of leprous houses, some of which are attainable only by crazy wooden stairs without. What lies behind this tottering flight of steps? Let us go on again, and plunge into the Five Points…. To read more…
Matthew Fenton
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RiverWatch
Cruise Ships in New York Harbor
Arrivals & Departures
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Sunday February 2
Norwegian Bliss
07:00 ~ 17:00
February 14
Norwegian Gem
10:00 ~ 16:00
February 16
Norwegian Bliss
07:00 ~ 17:00
February 23
Norwegian Bliss
07:00 ~ 17:00
February 24
Norwegian Gem
10:00 ~ 16:00
Many ships pass Lower Manhattan on their way to and from the Midtown Passenger Ship Terminal. Others may be seen on their way to or from piers in Brooklyn and Bayonne. Stated times, when appropriate, are for passing the Colgate clock in Jersey City, New Jersey, and are based on sighting histories, published schedules and intuition. They are also subject to passenger and propulsion problems, tides, fog, winds, freak waves, hurricanes and the whims of upper management.
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Death Came Calling at the Corner of Wall and Broad Streets, in Lower Manhattan’s First Major Terrorist Attack
As the noon hour approached on a fall Thursday morning in 1920, a horse-drawn wagon slowly made its way west down Wall Street toward “the Corner,” the high-powered intersection of Wall and Broad. Its driver came to a gentle stop in front of the Assay Office, where stockpiles of gold and silver were stored and tested for purity. But theft was not his motive.
John Simko
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Cass Gilbert and the Evolution of the New York Skyscraper
by John Simko
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The Broadsheet Inc. | 212-912-1106 | editor@ebroadsheet.com| ebroadsheet.com
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© 2020
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