BIKEAWAY 12/31/06
Looking West for the Lower East Side
by
Noah Wildman
I moved to Grand Street in the late ‘90s, following my parents’ reverse-retiring here from Staten Island. In the past couple of years, they both passed away. During my mom’s last days, I put work on hold. After she passed I realized, with sadness fermenting into renewed inspiration, that now was the time: take a break, pick up and leave home, and see some of the country…by bicycle...
ZONE OUT 12/29/06
CB3's Response to City Planning's Zoning
by
Rob Hollander
The Community Board's zoning task force responded in December to the Department of City Planning's upzoning proposal. CB3 proposes to scale back the upzoning and even downzone parts of the neighborhood. To entice DCP to accept this downzoning that will help preserve our neighborhood, CB3 offers a major upzoning of Christie Street...
E-FREE 12/24/06
Free Computer Classes, Free Internet
by
Tibi Z. Singer
Paul Vandeyar and Edmund Allicock are Lab Managers at the Henry Street ATTAIN Lab. “We will be starting our new classes in January,” writes Vandeyar, “The Henry Street ATTAIN Computer Labs will offer FREE computer classes in the month of January...
SAFE HOUSING 12/22/06
Soviet Grandeur
by
Yori Yanover
The four co-op buildings at the tail end of Grand Street are not particularly pretty. They stand like heavy, intrusive blocks of bricks and cement in a neighborhood where, over the centuries, a great deal of effort had been invested in creating lovely facades and fancy entryways...
UNILATERAL TRAFFICKING 12/21/06
This Divider Will Cost Lives
by
Yori Yanover
We had told them it would be the wrong thing to do, as cars turning into the street from the highway chart a wide arc which would, inevitably, lead one of them, late on a rainy night and at highway speed, smack into the stupid thing...
DOG 12/20/06
Dog
by
Yori Yanover
My neighbor Felix’s chunky little fluffy dog is named Dog, which makes remembering it kind of easy. Dog is the smartest dog I’ve ever encountered, smarter than many humans. He won’t pander to anyone...
POWER MINYAN 12/20/06
Joyous Sound Gets Doubly Stronger
by
Yori Yanover
It seems that, since I’ve started telling the neighborhood about the pleasures, especially about our last Sunday morning service which was accompanied with musical instruments, a wave of curiosity and interest has washed through the community...
2 POWERFUL WOMEN 12/20/06
Maloney Named Vice Chair of Joint Economic Committee
by
Tibi Z. Singer
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, whose district includes the LES, has been named the Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee by House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi. The appointment adds one more position of power in the House to women representing the Lower East Side, the other being Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez who will chair the Small Business Committee. Way to go, ladies!
PRESS RELEASE 12/18/06
Stringer: Make Emergency Preparedness a Top Priority Before It's Too Late
by
Maibe Gonzalez-Fuentes
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer today released a study that finds the State Department of Health (DOH) is failing to adequately prepare nursing homes for evacuation in the case of a major emergency. As a result, thousands of New York City's elderly and disabled residents are at risk...
ELECTRIC PRAISE 12/18/06
Hallel with Electric Guitar and Pushka
by
Yori Yanover
Because most of the opportunities for Hallel fall on holidays on which it is forbidden to use musical instruments, electric and acoustic alike, it’s a rare thing to have your rabbi pull out his electric guitar (mercifully pre-tuned!) and leap into a melodious and sweeping strumming of some exciting Hallel tunes...
ROUND 1 12/12/06
Velázquez Kicks-off Discussion on NYC’s Housing Crisis
by
Kate Davis
We need to start addressing this issue by first preserving the affordable housing that already exists in our City. Today’s event will give us an opportunity to look at a variety of ways to preserve reasonable options by coordinating efforts at the city, state and federal level...
MESS HOLE 12/11/06
New Study: State Division Of Parole In Complete Dissaray
by
Eric Pugatch
A new study finds that Parole Officers are handling caseloads that are too high and that they lack sufficient training and resources. As a result, Parole Officers are unable to adequately supervise and provide services for people on parole as they re-enter society...
JAUNDICED ON ZONING 12/09/06
What Was Wrong with BP Stringer's Town Hall Meeting
by
Rob Hollander
Rather than present himself before a level playing field of community voices in the audience, he chose to allow select community voices sit on the dais with him. By having the Community Board and GOLES appear as his co-presenters and partners, he tilted the playing field, effectively marginalizing all the other community voices...
TRANS TRANSPORTATION 12/08/06
Bike Lanes Are Here to Stay, Live with It: DOT
by
Yori Yanover
CB3 Transportation Chairman David Crane betrayed his own bitterness at DOT’s penchant for unilateral action when he introduced the department’s presentation of the new Grand Street bike lanes, stretching from the FDR to Sixth Avenue...
CRISIS SOLVER 12/08/06
Velázquez to Host Roundtable Discussion on City's Housing Crisis
by
Susan E. Graham
With the recent changes in Congress, Representative Nydia M. Velázquez will host a roundtable discussion with local elected officials, scholars and policy experts on developing new priorities for dealing with New York's increasing housing problems...
SLAP IN THE FACE 12/07/06
Nadler Blasts EPA Sham WTC Testing & Cleanup Program
by
John Doty
"This new EPA plan is another slap in the face to the residents and workers of Lower Manhattan," said Rep. Nadler. "Even though this has been going on for five years, it is still shocking how callously the EPA ignores its own experts, and turns a blind eye to the victims of 9/11."
RESTLESS CO-OP 12/07/06
Stormy Night at East River Housing
by
Nancy J. Kramer
It was the most contentious meeting in recent memory, with a huge turnout—standing room only, with a couple of hundred people packed against the wall at the Lipman Auditorium, and every folding chair in the house taken...
BP ON LES 12/07/06
Town Hall Meeting Focuses on Public Service, Housing
by
Linda C. Jones
BP Scott Stringer, who emphasized that he was holding town meetings throughout Manhattan, said that he wanted to hear what community members had to say. Most questions from the audience focused on issues of affordable housing and the proposed rezoning of the Lower East Side...
IN THE ZONE 12/05/06
Zoning Forum and Disinformation
by
Rob Hollander
The CB3 Zoning Task Force will meet Mon. Dec. 18, 6:30PM, 51 Astor Place, (Cooper Union, Engineering Building). False information is being distributed about the LESRRD position on Inclusionary Zoning...
AIDS DAY 12/03/06
Eve Reaches Out to Lower East Side Teens
by
Henry Street Settlement
Hip Hop artist and M·A·C Viva Glam spokeswoman Eve paid a visit to Boys & Girls Republic (BGR), a program of Henry Street Settlement, in anticipation of World AIDS Day. She participated in an HIV education and prevention workshop with Lower East Side high school students and distributed safe sex kits in the neighborhood to teens and young adults...
MIDWIFE'S LESSON 12/01/06
On Lateral and Unilateral Thinking
by
Chana Frydman
Many years ago in a small village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter...
PARK AT LAST 12/01/06
So, You Say You Want to Park Here?
by
Yori Yanover
The Dept. of Transportation keeps some of its equipment there, but that accounts for about 10 percent of the space. Why not turn it into a money-making venture for the city, and a much needed relief for the local motorists?
