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Friends,
It’s Monday, December 12, 2022.
This morning at 11 am, I’ll be speaking at the dedication of the “Gate of the Exonerated” on 110th Street between 5th Ave. and Lenox Ave. This is the first “gate-naming” in over 100 years, and follows in a tradition of honoring New Yorkers in the park. In this case, it memorializes the wrongful arrest and incarceration of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, and celebrates the 20th Anniversary of their exoneration in the attack on a woman jogging in Central Park. As Borough President, I helped encourage Manhattan Community Board 10’s Exonerated 5 Task Force, which worked with the Exonerated 5, Justice 4 the Wrongfully Incarcerated, NYCParks, the Central Park Conservancy and members of the community.
Today and tomorrow (12/19–20), the Council’s Committee of the Whole will examine the City’s response and delivery of services to migrants. (I joined with four Council colleagues (CMs Ayala, Brannan, Won, and Hanif) in asking the Mayor for an accounting of the now-deactivated Randall’s Island HERRC—the “Humanitarian Emergency Relief and Recovery Center.” The City's Independent Budget Office issued this response to queries about costs of serving asylum seekers (PDF).
The Biden administration is restarting the federal program that provides four free COVID tests to US households (it had paused in September to prevent a winter shortage). To order free at-home tests, go to COVIDTests.gov. Don’t forget we have plenty of free test kits available for pickup during business hours at my district office: 563 Columbus Ave. at 87th St., from 10 am – 5:30 pm. We’ve run very low on N95 masks, not surprisingly—we’re working on getting more—but we have plenty of the blue surgical kind.
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Wednesday, 12/21, 5 pm, 1886 Broadway (between 62nd and 63rd St): Ring in the winter solstice by joining the Lincoln Square BID’s WinteRamble—an illuminated community procession of Frost Giant puppets and icicle lanterns (led by Processional Arts Workshop). The procession meanders through the Lincoln Square neighborhood until 6 pm, and there are 3 options to participate at this RSVP link:
- Volunteer to carry a crystalline icicle lantern,
- Create your own mini-lantern for the procession in the pop-up workshop (3:00 – 5:00 pm), or
- Join the Kalimbascope, an ensemble of amateur music-makers (no experience required).
Everyone is welcome to take part in this family-friendly event, solo or with a group, or watch and follow along as they celebrate winter’s arrival. Presented by the Lincoln Square BID and part of their Lights Up series on Lincoln Square.
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Wednesday, 12/21, 6 pm, Richard Tucker Park (W 66th St. and Broadway): Chanukah Menorah Lighting and Celebration, with live music and free donuts, latkes, and dreidels, organized by Chabad of the West Sixties.
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Wednesday, 12/21, 12 – 2 pm, Adler Hall at the New York Society for Ethical Culture (2 W 64th St.): Christopher Bradshaw and Nelson Ojeda Valdés: Tchaikowsky’s Nutcracker Suite in Four-Hand Piano, part of the Music at Noon Concert Free Series. Hot chocolate and snacks; proof of vaccination and mask are required to attend.
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Wednesday, 12/21, 3 pm, Zoom: “Pathways to Social Housing,” from Housing Court Answers, presents a new report from Community Service Society on policies that can encourage conversions from for-profit to social housing models. Presented by Oksana Mironova, Samuel Stein, Celeste Hornbach, and Jacob Udell of CSS.
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Saturday, 12/24, National Action Network’s House of Justice Auditorium located at: 106 W. 145th St.: National Action Network’s Annual Christmas Dinner. Free hot buffet, toy giveaway and festivities. All guests should confirm their attendance with Derek Perkinson at dperkinson@nationalactionnetwork.net or (646) 659-9850.
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Christmas Day, Sunday, 12/25: Goddard Riverside (593 Columbus Ave. at 88th St.) will be hosting Holiday Meals, available for pick up from 12 pm to 3 pm at 593 Columbus Avenue (at 88th Street) and open to anyone. They will also have limited indoor seating available for guests to eat their meals after picking them up. One meal per person.
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Wednesday, 12/28, 12 – 2 pm, Adler Hall at the New York Society for Ethical Culture (2 W 64th St.): Caitlin Caruso Dobbs and Alana Murphy Perform Songs From the American Songbook, part of the “Music at Noon” free concert series. Hot chocolate and snacks; proof of vaccination and mask are required to attend.
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Thursday, 1/5/23, 4 – 5:30 pm, virtual: educator training session for City Parks Foundation’s “Green Girls Empowered by ING” curriculum. Intended for educators and community programmers, this training will explain the lesson format and how the curriculum integrates STEM, experiential learning and youth development concepts into each lesson.
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Tuesday, 1/10/23, 12 noon – 1 pm, virtual: Storytelling Workshop: “Shark Tank” Style. In part two of this webinar series, three volunteers will pitch their stories in a “Shark Tank”-style session. Communications experts from the NonProfit Help Desk will provide real-time feedback, helping participants refine their key messages to tell stories that are differentiated, compelling and consistent. The experts will offer practical advice on how to apply storytelling strategies to each organization’s communications channels as well as possible media targets for their stories. Listen in to be inspired and see how the advice might apply to your organization.
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Wednesday, 1/11, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, in person at Harlem Hospital Center Auditorium (506 Lenox Ave) and virtual via Webex (you can register only on a computer, don't ask me why): January Board Meeting of the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
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Thursday, 1/12, 6 – 7:30 pm, virtual: “What to know about RSV” presented by Lenox Hill Greenwich Village and cosponsored by State Sen. Brad Hoylman, Rep. Jerry Nadler, B.P. Mark Levine, and me, along with Assembly Members Deborah Glick, Danny O'Donnell, Linda Rosenthal, and Council Members Shawn Abreu, Erik Bottcher.
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