NYC Council Member Gale Brewer Update

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Friends,

I sent this on Thursday, July 14, 2022; I thought those of you who didn’t get a chance to read it on Thursday might welcome the chance to see it.

It’s sort of like Groundhog Day. There are three simultaneous public health crises right now: COVID, choice, and monkeypox. 

The new Omicron subvariant of COVID, known as BA.5, is yet another reminder (if one is needed) that the pandemic is not over. The national daily average of new cases as of yesterday (7/13) was 123,365 according to CDC data. But with plenty of home tests whose results don’t get reported, experts think the actual numbers are significantly higher. 

As a result, RE-infections are more and more frequent; according to Washington Post reporting, “Some epidemiologists think there could be as many as 1 million new cases a day, and [Dr. Eric Topol] called BA.5 ‘the worst version of the virus that we’ve seen.’” 

What does that mean in practice? Wear good masks. As epidemiologist Maimuna Majumder recently noted to NPR, “The more transmissible a variant is indoors, the more transmissible it is in outdoor settings, too.” Because BA.5 has spikes that antibodies don’t recognize, it can infect you faster than previous COVID strains: “...activities that once seemed pretty safe are potentially riskier…”.

(We have plenty of free test kits and masks available for pickup during business hours at my district office: 563 Columbus Ave. at 87th St. 212-873-0282.)

The collapse in Washington on COVID policy (Republicans in Congress refusing to fund new vaccine purchases, the lackadaisical FDA bureaucracy is taking longer to approve new vaccine strains than they did the *original* vaccines) and the problems dealing with the emerging Monkeypox virus are, again, exposing the massive flaws in our public health bureaucracies. (FDA officials took months to inspect a Monkeypox vaccine plant in Europe.)

I’ll try to be cogent and clear. Unvaccinated people (of any age) present three risks:

• That they themselves get significantly ill, even hospitalized, with COVID
• That they infect others (whether they have symptoms or not) 
• That their bodies incubate a new variant of COVID 

Not enough children are getting vaccinated nationwide. Since 6/18, less than 300,000 children under five have received their first coronavirus shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 300,000—out of the 19 million children in that age group now eligible to receive the vaccine. Why do kids’ vaccines matter? Here’s a thread from the director of Maine’s state CDC. 

Is there an end to any of this? Patrick Collison in the “Slow Boring” newsletter: “COVID will very likely continue to mutate and cause problems until we create vaccines that inhibit transmission (which probably means nasal/mucosal membrane vaccines) and vaccines that confer better overall immunity across all COVID-19 variants.”

There’s a new state COVID hotline number set up by Gov. Hochul: 888-TREAT-NY. If you test positive, there’s Paxlovid and other useful treatment options available. Insured patients will pay a co-pay based on their plan and the NYS Dept. of Health will cover the costs for those without health care coverage. 

NYC residents who test positive are eligible to be evaluated for treatment by calling the City’s hotline, 212-COVID-19 or completing an evaluation on the New York State COVID-19 ExpressCare Therapeutics Access website, which includes a telemedicine visit. The hotline is available 24/7 and is operated by experienced professionals who have the clinical training to prescribe treatment and referrals, if needed. 


CHOICE

By now you may have heard the tragic story of the 10 year old Ohio girl who was raped, got pregnant, and had to travel to Indiana for an abortion (because there is a flat abortion ban with no rape exception in Ohio). You may even be aware that many right wing commentators cast doubt on the story. The Ohio Attorney General went on Fox and said there was “not a whisper” of any evidence the crime took place; U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan—a Member of Congress—even tweeted, “Another Lie. Anyone surprised?” 

On Tuesday, 7/12, a man was arrested for the rape in Columbus, Ohio. 

I write not because of the gruesomeness of the story or the irresponsible on-the-record remarks from men who should know better. It’s what was buried in the Columbus Dispatch's coverage of the alleged rapist’s arraignment: 

“An analysis of Columbus police reports filed since May 9 found 50 reports of rape or sexual abuse involving girls 15 years or younger. That number of reports may also be underreported because of restrictions on public records related to reports initiated by mandated reporters. The report involving the 10-year-old girl falls into that category.” 

Keep in mind, that’s only two months’ worth of under-15 rapes in just one major city—almost one per day.

Jim Bopp, a top official of the National Right to Life Committee told Politico the 10-year-old should have carried her pregnancy to term. “She would have had the baby, and as many women who have had babies as a result of rape, we would hope that she would understand the reason and ultimately the benefit of having the child,” Bopp said; “...we don’t think we should devalue the life of the baby because of the sins of the father.”. 

If, as the Supreme Court argues, we must use legislative means (not judicial ones) to address abortion, we must be able to communicate extraordinarily sad cases like this. And we must persuade anti-choice absolutists that the women they govern—women across America—face these situations every day. And they need help.

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The Alan Guttmacher Institute estimates that the annual number of abortion procedures will increase in New York State from the current 7,000 a year to about 32,000 a year with incoming patients from just Ohio and Pennsylvania. 

The new City budget included $250,000 to support the New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF) nonprofit (212-252-4757), which provides funding directly to clinics on behalf of people who need assistance accessing an abortion in New York. According to NYAAF, requests for assistance have spiked 20% since Roe’s repeal.

Gov. Hochul directed the NYS Department of Health to create a $25 million Abortion Provider Support Fund in May, and this week she announced $10 million in its first round of grants: 13 programs, covering 63 sites. The second phase will see $15 million awarded to an array of programs, including independent clinics. The Governor also instructed the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services to administer $10 million in funding for security grants for abortion providers and reproductive health centers. 

Today, the Council's Committee on Women and Gender Equity approved a package of bills and resolutions about women's health, including a resolution of mine calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, “The Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program” (S.9078/A.10148A), which would establish a grant program to provide funding to New York abortion providers and non-profit organizations to increase access to abortion care. The bill will likely be reintroduced and taken up in January 2023. 

Here’s more from Katelyn Jetelina, “Limited access to abortion is a public health issue: How you can help.”


MONKEYPOX

Borough President Mark Levine lays it out in this tweet: “Monkeypox cases so far in NYC: 336 (32% of nat'l total); Vax the feds are sending NYC later this week: 14,500 doses (10% of nat'l total). What's wrong with this picture?”.

The U.S. May Be Losing the Fight Against Monkeypox, Scientists Say (NY Times, 7/8). More information about how you can prevent monkeypox. And Monkeypox 101 here. The DOHMH posts Monkeypox updates here.

News & information.

I joined Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and almost 40 of my Council colleagues in writing to the Mayor about the dysfunctional way the Dept. of Education is administering individual school budget cuts which were made in the city budget for the fiscal year that started 7/1/22—even after we’ve called for them to be restored.

Inexplicably, the Administration and the DOE continue to defend these decisions; yet as every day goes by this summer, individual school principals must make hiring and purchasing decisions based on them—even in the face of large amounts (hundreds of millions) in unspent education funds from the COVID stimulus identified by the Independent Budget Office and the NYC Comptroller. As we write in the letter: 

“The DOE’s school budget policies are disrupting school communities in every borough, and we cannot afford for them to continue. The response we have received from you thus far—to wait until the school year to address this issue—is unacceptable, because it will be too late to avoid the negative impact on students.”

I will keep you posted if and when this fight gets resolved. Read more in this Gothamist story or these NY Post stories here and here. 

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Too many parts of our district have become overrun with trash—and trash begets rats and reduced quality of life. The budget year just begun has restored DSNY pickups of street trash cans, but residential and commercial waste also causes problems. That’s why I conducted a tour of some of the UWS rat and garbage hotspots reported by constituents with DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch last Thursday (7/7). 

Our route started at 10 pm at 95th and Broadway, then over to Columbus and down to W. 71st; then we crossed over to Amsterdam and went back up to 95th St. We saw dozens of hotspots: piles of garbage in bags (some torn open), windblown litter, unkempt restaurant sheds, and overfilled cans and dumpsters. We also saw properly cared-for blocks, trash bags filled by Goddard Riverside's Greenskeepers, Doe Fund and OneBlock workers, and building staff taking the time to follow best sanitation practices. The Commissioner and I discussed possible ways to help, including containerization, better outreach and instruction to businesses, and a different timeframe for garbage pick-ups. 

POSTSCRIPT: The corner we encountered on 72nd and Amsterdam with the overflowing baskets from Grey’s Papaya has been power-washed by DSNY and it now looks fantastic!

 At the end of our hotspot tour, DSNY Commissioner Tisch and I happened upon Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board member Anna Sacks, who has developed a TikTok account (@thetrashwalker) that advocates against waste. She records “trash walks,” where she opens trash bags and trashcans at businesses and even NYC public schools and demonstrates the unused items that expand our solid waste burden. Her message (and mine): Throw out less, people!

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The Landmark Preservation Commission has announced a public meeting regarding the West Park Presbyterian Church’s hardship application to allow the sale and demolition of the Church for this Tuesday, 7/19, at 9:30 am. Members of the public may submit written testimony in support of the preservation of the building by close of business tomorrow, Friday, 7/15 to testimony@lpc.nyc.gov—something I urge you to do. 

Located at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue for 132 years, the Church has served as a refuge in its role as a house of worship and an inspiration for historically important social movements that reflect the values of our community. View my 6/14 testimony to the LPC here.

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A recent study by nonprofits A Better Balance and the Community Service Society revealed a significant percentage of working women did not know about the City’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave law—even 9 years after this law passed. Clearly, there are barriers of education and access in city workplaces, and some managers and owners who do not follow their responsibilities. 

That’s why I introduced Int 563 at the 7/14 Council meeting (building on Local Law 46, my Paid Sick Leave law, which I sponsored and passed in 2013) which allows employees to use accrued sick time to take care of themselves or family members. If passed, this bill would still allow employees to file a complaint with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection—but would add the right to file a private lawsuit.

Useful items.

Hospitality Pathways, a startup nonprofit which trains young people from disenfranchised communities for front-of-house restaurant jobs, has started recruiting for their next cohort of trainees which is beginning Monday 8/1 and runs for four weeks 9 am – 1 pm (ending 8/26). Students are required to attend all classes as each day new skills are covered. Students must be age 18 or over, live in New York City, be authorized to work in the US, be fully vaccinated, and be able to communicate (read, write, speak) in basic English. Students are paid a weekly stipend, a Metrocard, a daily meal and uniform. Interested applicants should complete this google form. Once the form is received and reviewed the applicants will be sent a link to schedule an in-person interview. 

Speaking of restaurants, it’s NYC Restaurant Week from 7/18 to 8/21— a 30-day week, to commemorate its 30th anniversary. You'll find prix-fixe menus at hundreds of the city’s best restaurants in neighborhoods across the five boroughs; here’s a list of those on the UWS. Mastercard is running a promotion where you get $10 back on each of three dining transactions of $45+. As with everything, terms apply. You must register with Mastercard before paying for a meal.

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Manhattan Community Board 7's Senior Task Force is sponsoring a virtual housing education series for older adults. Register for any of these events here. 

• Session I: Obtaining Housing - watch at this video link. Learn how to navigate the housing search process, including waitlists, housing lotteries, income verifications, and types of affordable housing.
• Session II: Maintaining Housing - 2 pm, 7/20. Resources to help tenants maintain housing, including rental assistance, benefits and entitlements, and basic human rights.
• Session III: Thriving in Housing - 2 pm, 7/27. Community resources and organizations working in CB7 that can help tenants thrive in their housing.

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Next Thursday, 7/21, is another “Pickup Thursday” for my Fresh Food for Seniors program (in partnership with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine). That’s when you can pay $10 and order a bag of fresh local produce (a $15+ value) for pickup on 8/4. Stop by between 1 – 3 pm at Goddard Riverside Older Adult Center. (Click here for details on our other locations.) Call my district office at 212-873-0282 or email district6@council.nyc.gov with any questions.

Goddard 2022 Pickup Thursdays:

• July 21 
• August 4 (You must sign up July 21)
• August 18 (Sign up Aug. 4)
• September 1 (Sign up Aug. 18)
• September 15 (Sign up Sept. 1)
• September 29 (Sign up Sept. 15)
• October 13 (Sign up Sept. 29)
• October 27 (Sign up Oct. 13)
• November 10 (Sign up Oct. 27)

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AARP Senior Planet is offering virtual, 1-on-1 tech tutoring sessions over Zoom. Volunteers from Verizon will individually help you with any technology-related questions you might have. You do NOT need to own a Verizon device to take advantage of this free opportunity!

To register for personalized assistance, please visit seniorplanet.org/tech-tutoring. Select your preferred language, and fill out a sign-up form. Need assistance? Email Rebecca Altneu at raltneu@oats.org. (Senior Planet offers much more than this: exercise classes, book clubs, social media and smart phone tutoring; see them all and sign up for their newsletter here.)

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There’s a letter-writing campaign mounted by the National LGBTQ Task Force to create a commemorative postage stamp honoring LGBTQ rights activist Urvashi Vaid, who died earlier this year. For additional information and a sample letter, please contact National Coordinator Nathan Page. Send a letter to: Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, c/o Stamp Development, US Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300, Washington, DC 20260-3501.

Meanwhile, first class letter and postcard postage rates increased this week. The new rates are as follows:

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ConEd is conducting work six days a week on W. 71st St between Broadway and Columbus from now until the end of August, blocking parking and temporarily closing traffic and bike lanes. 

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Don’t forget that construction of the Boat Basin’s Rotunda Complex has begun, which means the majority of the Traffic Circle will be closed as well as the southbound Henry Hudson Entrance Ramp from the rotary. There’s no westbound traffic on W. 79th Street past the Henry Hudson Parkway northbound entrance ramp. Finally, the parks/marina garage is closed. Here’s a map of the temporary routes for cyclists, pedestrians, and drives. (Here’s one for the buses). 

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New York City’s speed cameras will begin operating 24/7 on Monday, 8/1. The city’s 2,000 automated speed cameras were previously authorized by the state to operate only on weekdays, between 6 am – 10 pm, and thus missed 59% of traffic fatalities that occurred in the downtime. 

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CitiBike just launched a poster contest for 17 bike stations’ advertising panels that are co-located near (or on) NYCHA properties. The top prize for winners in each borough is $500 and will get their art posted. (People who live in NYCHA or receive SNAP benefits are eligible for CitiBike’s Reduced Fare Bike Share $5/month program.) Here’s how to enter: Create art that shows how taking a Citi Bike ride moves you and connects to your community in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, or the Bronx. How it feels to breeze through town, to ride around while laughing with friends. Capture ride-a-bike joy! 

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The West Side Rag is sponsoring a call for essays from NYCHA residents of any age using the prompt: "The Upper West Side through my eyes." Carol Tannenhauser, one of the WSR editors, knows there must be hidden writers within NYCHA walls! Submit 500 words (or less), and the top three winners are awarded $50 each and published in the West Side Rag—along with the opportunity to write further articles. Email ctannenhauser@gmail.com with your submission by 8/1.

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Lower Manhattan Cultural Council announced the launch of its three 2023 grant programs: Creative Engagement, Creative Learning, and UMEZ Arts Engagement. All three have one deadline: Tuesday, 8/3. (Which doesn’t explain the information sessions occurring after that deadline, ahem!) The grants offer Manhattan-based artists and arts organizations access to up to four sources of funding, opportunities to combine multiple grants for a single project, and one of LMCC’s largest overall regrant budgets in recent years. Information sessions about the programs are on the following dates; RSVP at the links. 

CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT & CREATIVE LEARNING:

• Wednesday, 7/20, 6 – 8 pm: Hosted in partnership with FABnyc.
• Monday, 8/1, 3 – 5 pm: Hosted in partnership with Chinese American Arts Council. Chatham Square Library, 33 East Broadway: Presented in Mandarin Chinese.
• Wednesday, 9/7, 6 – 8 pm: Hosted in partnership with The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York. 
• Tuesday, 8/30, 4 – 6 pm: Hosted in partnership with Community Word Project & NYC Arts in Education Roundtable. ASL interpretation available. 

CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT & UMEZ ARTS ENGAGEMENT:

• Thursday, 7/28, 6 – 8 pm: Hosted in partnership with the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Esta sesión será en ingles y español. This session presented in English and Spanish
• Tuesday, August 16, 4 – 6 pm: Hosted in partnership with Harlem Arts Alliance. ASL interpretation available.

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Have a construction project to start or complete? A violation to resolve? Want to learn more about a property’s zoning? The City Dept. of Buildings’ “Buildings After Hours” every Tuesday from 4 – 7 pm provides the chance for anyone to ask DOB staff any question at each borough office of the DOB (Manhattan’s office is at 280 Broadway). No appointment needed. Learn more by clicking on the link.

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Central Park’s dog rules are simple: all dogs must be leashed between 9 am and 9 pm. During the worst of COVID – and especially because of all the new dog owners – those lines blurred, so the Central Park Conservancy is rolling out more notifications and releasing this new dog owner’s guide.

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The lottery for 53 affordable apartments at 117 W. 79th St. is open. Apply online here or request an application via mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to: Fairstead Management c/o: Park 79, 560 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than Friday, 8/5.

The Times published a guide to various other affordable housing lotteries in “Looking for Affordable Housing in New York? Here’s Where to Find It.”

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City Parks Foundation’s free summer sports programs are kicking off soon, including Youth Tennis in Central Park. Partnerships for Parks’ It’s My Park program is open year-round for community members and organizations to host or participate in a service project to help care for parks and playgrounds.

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The New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) launched the nomination period for the Small Business Advisory Commission is open from now until 7/29. Chaired by SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim, the Commission will consist of at least 30 members appointed by the mayor.

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On 7/31, the Sanitation Department will start to enforce the City’s food waste law, passed in 2020, which requires commercial food establishments to separate and process their organic waste. Offenders could be fined between $250 and $1,000.

There are seven Community Districts in NYC currently being served with curbside organics residential pickups—and the Upper West Side is one of them! But after a 2020 pandemic-era budget pause, our pickup tonnage has yet to reach pre-COVID levels; other Community Districts in Brooklyn and Queens are beating us. So, please, sign up here to be added to a current route at and get a free brown bin. Organics comprise over 30% of city solid waste, and it decomposes into methane, a potent gas that contributes to the climate crisis. Composting is something you can do RIGHT NOW to help address climate change!

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Applications are open for the Object Movement Puppetry Residency, in which a diverse cohort of artists will meet with curators Maiko Kikuchi, Rowan Magee, Marcella Murray, and Justin Perkins over eight months to share progress and receive feedback. Completed pieces will be presented as part of the 2023 Object Movement Puppetry Festival next spring. Applications are due by 5 pm Monday, 7/18. BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA artists, and artists with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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The New York Foundation for the Arts, a fantastic resource for creative people, administers the Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants (funded by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation) which provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need who are practicing in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography. This is a competitive grant program; review eligibility requirements before applying. The grants are not for lost wages, living expenses or medical care for individuals other than the artist. Cycle 14 is now open, with a deadline of Tuesday, August 2, 11:59 PM ET, for emergencies occurring December 1, 2021 and later. Learn more at the link.

NYFA also offers the Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants, providing professional dancers who are struggling financially because of COVID with one-time grants of up to $5000. Funds may be requested for emergency expenses for up to a three-month period between March 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Applicants must be in “dire financial emergency,” which includes (but is not limited to) the lack or impending lack of medicare/healthcare, food, housing, and utilities. Grant Cycle 4 will open on 7/19, and continue through 8/19; Cycle 5 will begin on September 13th and end on October 14th. Please click the link for more information.

Questions regarding either grant may be sent to the Rauschenberg Grants Coordinator at emergencyfunds@nyfa.org, or 212-366-6900 x 239.

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The Samaritans of New York's suicide prevention hotline needs volunteers—they’re at the lowest volunteer level in 40 years—even in the face of increased COVID related anxiety and depression. (The CDC reports that suicide ideation has doubled in the US since COVID, and the Wall St. Journal reported this week that “One in Six Calls to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline End Without Reaching a Counselor”). Sign up here to start the volunteer training process.

JOBS

The Horticultural Society of New York has new jobs posted here, including listings for gardeners, a greenhouse/garden manager at their facility in Harlem, field supervisors and managers, and therapeutic horticulture staff. (All links are job description PDFs.)

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Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development seeks a Campaign Organizer/Senior Campaign Organizer. Apply Here.

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NYPD is recruiting, too. Registration for the NYPD Police Officer exam is open until tomorrow, Friday, 7/15. Potential test takers can register at www.NYC.GOV/oasys or under the "Police Officer Title Page" on www.nypdrecruit.com.   

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I helped found the Urban Advantage Elementary & Middle School Science Initiative in 2004, which gathered eight of NYC’s leading cultural institutions — the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York Botanical Garden, New York Hall of Science, Queens Botanical Garden, Staten Island Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo, and New York Aquarium— to collaborate with the Department of Education in supporting cutting edge science instruction in our city’s schools.

Teacher applications for the Urban Advantage (UA) program are now open. Although application deadline is Monday, 8/22, seats are limited and UA practices rolling admissions so it is best to apply as early as possible. Click here for more information, and apply with this link (Use the “contact us” option at that link to request assistance). Don’t ask me why, but they require the use of Chrome or Firefox web browsers.

Events.

The West Side Rag has a consistently great weekly events listing here. 

Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City programming continues; check this link for calendar. Every Wednesday from 8 – 10pm on Jaffe Drive, Comedy Underground presents new standup comedians. Film at Lincoln Center screens several movies outdoors each week. 

NYC Parks and the Riverside Park Conservancy sponsor hundreds of free events in the park all summer (PDF). Follow them on Twitter, especially for cancellations due to weather: @summeronhudson.

Hudson River Park events can be found here; sign up at the top of their webpage to receive their weekly newsletter with dozens of free events listed. 

Battery Park Conservancy also sponsors lots of events; view their calendar here.

The Drilling Company will present a two-week run of “The Winter’s Tale” at 7 pm every day from Wednesday, 7/13, to Friday, 7/15, as well as from Thursday, 7/21, to Saturday, 7/23, in the parking lot of The Clemente (114 Norfolk Street). Admission is free; chairs are provided on a first come, first serve basis and you’re welcome to bring your own. Call (212) 877-0099 for rainouts. 

The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s “Afrofuturistic” production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” starring Kara Young (a 2022 Tony nominee for her performance in “Clyde's”) continues through 7/29 at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. Reserve free tickets here.

This year’s first production of Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park is Richard III (through 7/17), followed by As You Like It (playing from 8/10 - 9/11). Not only is it back, but all ticketing options are as well: in-person distribution in Central Park; in-person lottery at The Public Theater; in-person distribution in the boroughs; a digital lottery with TodayTix; and in-person standby line in Central Park.

7/16-17, 7/23-24, 6 pm, West Side Community Garden: Stag & Lion Theater Company’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing”—the original rom-com. 

The Hudson Classical Theater Company is performing “Emma” at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, 89th St at Riverside Park, Thurs. – Sun, at 6:15 pm.

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The American-Italian Cancer Foundation is sponsoring a mobile, cost-free breast cancer screening program, offering mammograms and clinical breast exams to uninsured and medically underserved NYC women between 40 to 79 years of age, and not have undergone a mammogram in the past year. Look for their “Mammogram Bus” at:

• Thursday, 8/25, 9 am – 4:30 pm, 155 W. 145th Street

You can also schedule a free mammogram by calling 212-281-1349 or 1-877-628-9090. Click the link for more information.

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Waterfront Alliance’s City of Water Day, is taking place today, Saturday, 7/16, featuring a pop-up climate art exhibit in the Seaport District and 60+ neighborhood City of Water Day events across NYC.

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Saturday, 7/16, 11 am - 1 pm, at the West 104th St Community Garden: DSNY and Big Reuse are hosting a compost distribution event. Stop by to learn more about the Curbside Composting program. Residents can take home up to three (3) 40-lb bags of free, high-quality New York City compost made from NYC food scraps and yard waste. Supplies are limited and registration is required. Be prepared to transport the bags of compost without assistance!

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Saturday, 7/16, 12 - 7 pm, basketball courts on W. 92nd St. btw Central Park West and Columbus Aves: 92nd Street Annual Neighborhood Reunion (Walter Baptiste).

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The Riverside Clay Tennis Association's 2022 Sunset Concert Series continues this Saturday 7/16 at 7 pm with CCB Reggae All Stars. Future concert dates (hosted every Saturday) are below:

• 7/23, 7 pm: Gentlemen of Soul
• 7/30, 7 pm: Gilad Bloom Band
• 8/6, 7 pm: Mimi & The Podd Brothers
• 8/13, 7 pm: Jacob Varmus Quintet
• 8/20, 7 pm: Cynthia Sayer
• 8/27, 7 pm: Leon & The Peoples

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Sunday, 7/17, Noon – 4 pm, in person at Naumberg Bandshell in Central Park, and online at DisabilityUnite.org: “A Future of Inclusion,” part of the third annual Disability Unite festival, celebrating Disability Pride Month and the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Performing & visual artists include John Bramblitt, Blessing Offor, Lachi, Gaelynn Lea, Wheelchair Sports Camp.

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Sunday, 7/17, 10 am – 6 pm: Street fair sponsored by Project Open at Lincoln Towers, west side of Broadway between 65th and 72nd Streets. This stretch of Broadway will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the event.

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Tuesday, 7/9, NY Foundation for the Arts is hosting the first of two online workshops in their series Demystifying NFTs. “Fundamentals of NFTs” runs all day, 10 am – 4 pm. Tuesday, 7/26, “Learn How to Create NFTs” also runs all day, 10 am – 4 pm.

These workshops are also available through an online learning portal where you can go at your own pace. All participants of the live workshops will also have access to the online portal after registration. Free to all artists, creatives, cultural workers, and non-profit professionals. Have questions? Please email NFT@nyfa.org.

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​Tuesday, 7/19 via zoom: Citizens Union sponsors a Redistricting Workshop on the new districts coming to the NY City Council. Register here.

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Wednesday, 7/20, Noon: Lincoln Square BID’s free lunchtime summer concert series on Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 pm, running all summer until 8/31. Performances will be held at Dante Park, on Broadway between W. 63rd & 64th Streets. Click here for more information and the full lineup. 7/20’s concert is the Darrell Green Quartet.

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Thursday, 7/21, 7 – 8:15 pm, Senator Liz Krueger sponsors a virtual Town Hall: “Sharing Our Streets: How Better Design Can Make Streets Safer And More User Friendly For Everyone” with panelists Ed Pincar, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for NYC DOT; Captain Butler, Sergeant Palaguachi, and Officer Aribas, NYPD 19th Precinct; Paul Krikler, Community Board 8 Transportation Committee. Click the lnk for registration information (viewable on Zoom, Facebook, or audio call-in). 

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Monday, 7/25, 6 pm, virtual: Citizens Committee for NYC (CCNYC) presents “Manhattan Huddle” with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. 

CCNYC also is hosting their CEO, Dr. Rahsaan Harris, in virtual sessions for grantees and the public to learn how to connect with local elected officials, get more funds for your group, and strengthen your social media presence! Register for upcoming sessions by clicking these links: Tuesday, 7/26 and Tuesday, 8/2. Click the first link above for additional time slots

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 Saturday, 7/30 will be the 75th Anniversary celebration of NYCHA’s Amsterdam Houses on 64th St. between Amsterdam and West End. From noon to 6 pm, residents will party with New York Salsa band Los Hacheros, DJ Ritchie, children’s activities (balloon art, clowns, jugglers, magicians, and rock climbing), a free fun photo booth (1 – 4 pm), basketball with the Positive Influence Old Timers, souvenir T-shirts, refreshments (and a special luncheon for Amsterdam resident seniors 62+).

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Sunday, 7/31, 11 am - 12:15 pm: Domestic violence advocate Stephanie McGraw will host a hybrid event to introduce her organization, We All Really Matter (W.A.R.M.), and discuss community strategies to end domestic violence. The event will be held on the Ethical Culture Society's Ceremonial Hall (2 West 64th Street). More information about W.A.R.M. can be found by clicking on the link above.

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Saturday, 8/13, 11:30 am – 7 pm, E. 120th Street & Harlem Art Park (Between Lexington & 3rd Ave.): The Afribembé Festival, an all-day Pan-African celebration of the African Diaspora's creativity, musicality, intellectuality, and artistry, sponsored by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute. The festival's Bembé Stage will feature live DJ sets and artists representing various regions.
 

Stay Safe,

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P.P.S. If you have a problem or concern going forward, please contact me at gbrewer@council.nyc.gov, or call (917) 685-8657, or contact my Council district office at (212) 873-0282 and District6@council.nyc.gov.