I know this newsletter can be unwieldy; click on these anchor links to go straight to a section you’re interested in: News & Information // Useful items // Events 
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(This edition was originally sent on Thursday, 1/12 and the email software says you didn't open it then; I thought you might welcome the chance to read it on a slower day...)

Friends,

It’s Thursday, January 12, 2023. This Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 

Katelyn Jetelina reports (in her latest “Your Local Epidemiologist”) that the Moderna mRNA vaccine is holding up a bit better than the Pfizer mRNA vaccine over time. There’s a new study which confirms Moderna induced better protection against infection and generated a larger T-cell response than Pfizer. That argues for a preferential recommendation for those over age 50 to get Moderna, she says. 

Another study (published in the Lancet) showed that hybrid immunity—derived from both vaccination and a COVID infection—was stable for up to 35 weeks. While that doesn’t prevent re-infections in that period, “on average, there is a significant pattern.”

This was confirmed by a new study from Nature that examined prisons’ transmission networks. A COVID vaccine alone reduced infectiousness by 22% and a prior COVID infection alone reduced infectiousness by 23%. Having both the shot and the infection—hybrid immunity—reduced infectiousness by 40%, and those most recently vaccinated were the least infectious. 

Finally, Jetelina relays the results of a study of 29 airplanes’ wastewater—fully 28 of them tested positive for COVID. The COVID-infected passengers likely weren’t all contagious at the time, but that’s a 96% positive rate (albeit on a very small sample). Keep a really good mask on when you travel!

Three news items: Helen Branswell at StatNews.com reports on the science of new vaccines in this video: Why isn’t there a nasal vaccine for Covid-19 yet? (StatNews.com). How to Get Help for Long COVID in NYC (TheCity.nyc). And How has the Pandemic Changed You? (NY Times Coronavirus newsletter’s questionnaire box is toward the bottom of story)

Boosters, tests and masks: Use this pre-built search (at vaccines.gov) for bivalent booster availability here in the 6th Council District. We still have plenty of free test kits and masks available for pickup during business hours at my district office: 563 Columbus Ave. at 87th St., from 10 am – 5:30 pm. To order a free set of four test kits mailed to you, visit COVIDTests.gov.

CHOICE

CVS and Walgreens Plan to Offer Abortion Pills Where Abortion Is Legal (NY Times)

Talk of prosecuting women for abortion pills roils antiabortion movement (Washington Post)

News & information.

Next Wednesday, 1/18 at 10 am there will be a hearing on “Proliferation of Unlicensed Smoke Shops in NYC” held jointly with my Oversight and Investigations Committee, the Health Committee (chaired by Council Member Lynn Schulman), and the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection (chaired by Council Member Marjorie Velázquez). Click the link for more.

(Here’s a NY1 video report on the NYC Sheriff’s raids on unlicensed cannabis shops I accompanied last week: Riding along with NYC Sheriff's Office).

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We need volunteers to help with our Participatory Budgeting process! We’ve received feedback from city agencies on dozens of funding suggestions, and we need help now to formalize the final ballot of ten or so choices in February, and then to manage the balloting come March. Please email district6@council.nyc.gov with “PB volunteer” in the subject line. 

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Volunteers are also needed from 10 pm – 4 am on the night of Tuesday, 1/24, for the City’s annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate Survey, a point-in-time measurement taken each winter that helps identify the number of unsheltered New Yorkers living on the street on what’s historically one of the coldest nights of the year. Visit the link to learn more and register to help.

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NYC Comptroller Brad Lander audited over 1,000 buildings with chronic lack of heat in the last five years and discovered that the City failed to enforce heat regulations in 250 of those buildings!  It’s simply unconscionable to find such a large number over such a long period—it shows that something structural is wrong. I passed Local Law 6 in 2013, which enabled HPD to issue administrative orders to landlords to fix leaks and mold with steep fines for noncompliance. Now I’ll be introducing an amendment to Local Law 6 that gives HPD authority to issue orders and fines about heat violations, too. 

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The Council’s finance office has scheduled a Budget Workshop for Nonprofits for the fiscal year 2024 budget. It will be held virtually on Tuesday, 1/24, from 10 am–1 pm. It will cover 

• FY24 Expense Discretionary Application
• Overview of the Discretionary Budget and Contracting Process
• Capital Requests and Guidelines

RSVP at the link to receive the Zoom information. 

Also, don’t forget next Wednesday, 1/18, at 5 pm: I’m cosponsoring a Grant Information Session with Council Member Shaun Abreu and the Citizens Committee for New York City. Small businesses or community based organizations (for-profit or non-profit) can apply for micro-grants from CCNYC of up to $10,000. For questions about small business grants, email businessgrants@citizensnyc.org;  for community action grants, email grants@citizensnyc.org. Click the first, title link to register.

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Save the date: Borough President Mark Levine’s State of The Borough will be held Tuesday, 1/31 at 6 pm at The City College of New York. And he has opened the 2023 Manhattan Community Board application period, now through 3/17/23. Current members who wish to serve another term must reapply. Community Boards provide New Yorkers with an opportunity to participate in local democracy and decision making, helping to shape the future of Manhattan. Community Boards touch every aspect of life: parks, sanitation, education, land use, and public health. (I recommend it! I served on Community Board 7 myself back in the 1990s.)

MEDIA ROUNDUP:

Hochul’s Vision for New York: Fighting Crime and Building Housing (NY Times)

Queens compost program lightens NYC landfills' load by 12 million pounds (Gothamist)

Experts warn people not to put Amazon Echo Alexa devices in their bedrooms (msn.com)

What you need to know about NYC retirees’ health care fight (City & State)

15 reasons you should be hopeful for 2023 (Washington Post Opinion)

Gas Stoves Contribute to Nearly 19% of NY’s Child Asthma Cases, Analysis Estimates (City Limits)

Why You Should Enable Apple’s New Security Feature in iOS 16.2 Right Now (NY Times Wirecutter)

The FDA has approved a new Alzheimer’s drug, but wide access may depend on CMS easing restrictions (StatNews.com)

Bike New York Offers Used Bicycles to Asylum Seekers (NY Times) “Bikes can be donated from Thursday through Feb. 2 at three Manhattan locations of the bicycle-rental company Unlimited Biking; at Recycle-a-Bicycle at 858 Fulton Street in Brooklyn; and at a city warehouse at 66-26 Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village, Queens.”

Useful items.

The Nurses' strike with has been settled today: NYC nurses strike ends after two tentative agreements reached. 
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Mulchfest is over but DSNY will continue to collect Christmas trees curbside until this Saturday (1/14). Also, be aware that this Monday’s (1/16) Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday means there’s no DSNY trash, recycling, or composting pickups; instead of putting out your bins and bags on Sunday night, put them out Monday night. 

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A recording of Monday’s hearing (1/9) before the Civil Service and Labor Committee (ably chaired by Council Member Carmen de la Rosa) on Intro 874, “in relation to health insurance coverage for city employees, city retirees, and their dependents” can be viewed at the “video” link at this page. 

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The Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement held a second public hearing this week on new rules implementing Local Law 18, passed by the Council earlier this year, which governs short-term rentals from services like VRBO and AirBnB. Here’s Crain’s coverage: Airbnb hosts share futile final pleas as registration law looms.

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The New York Public Library will soon introduce a new and improved online catalog, hopefully making it easier to search for materials, request items for pick-up, manage accounts, and discover new reads. Take this chance to test it out and let them know what you think: https://www.nypl.org/get-help/new-catalog/guide.  

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There’s another Lower East Side Ecology Center E-Waste recycling event (with the support of Con Edison and the NY City Council) this Saturday 1/14, 10 am – 2 pm, at Church of the Holy Name of Jesus/St. Gregory the Great (Amsterdam and W. 96th St).

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The NYC Economic Development Corporation has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a license agreement or lease or other agreement to operate one or more Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCs) with at least 60,000 usable sq ft. The RFP and Q&As are available to download at this link. Responses are due no later than 11:59 pm, Friday, 1/27. 

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My district office has a trained volunteer to assist with Senior Citizen and Disabled Rent Increase Exemption applications and renewals for those in rent-regulated units every Monday from 2–6 pm, and we also have a representative from the City Dept. of Finance in the District Office on the second Tuesday of each month who is also able to assist. We take requests for appointments at (212)873-0282. Last Tuesday (1/10), eight people were assisted!

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The NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection’s 37th annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest has begun, with an entry deadline of Friday, 3/3. Second through 12th-grade students in the New York City watershed are invited to create original art and compose poetry that reflects an appreciation for our shared water resources on one of five central themes of the contest:

• Water, a Precious Resource; 
• NYC Drinking Water; 
• NYC Wastewater Treatment; 
• Harbor Water Quality & Healthy Marine Ecosystems; and 
• Water Stewardship and Climate Change. 

For questions, contact artandpoetry@dep.nyc.gov.

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The NYPL has opened applications for a free Small Biz Growth Accelerator course; the deadline to apply here is Tuesday, 1/17, and the course itself starts Tuesday,1/24/23, 5 – 8 pm, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (455 Fifth Avenue, Fifth Floor) and is led by instructor Jimmy Newson, and includes  

• Two 3-hour in-person workshop-style classes
• Two additional virtual sessions for Q&A, workshop accountability, and peer networking
• Strategic Planning Template
• 5 Action Plan Workbooks
• Financial Literacy Program
• Accessibility Training Program
• In-Depth Software demos

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Applications are open to run for a community or citywide education council; applications are due and are due by 2/13. Learn more at the links.

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The Dept. of Education is “Boldly Reimagining Special Education” by creating an Advisory Council; complete this survey by 1/15 to be considered. Members will be selected on a rolling basis.  

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These are the remaining DOE virtual information sessions covering 3-K, pre-K, kindergarten, and gifted and talented programs at NYC public schools: 

• Tonight, 1/12/23, 6 – 7 pm | Arabic, Haitian Creole, Russian 
• 1/26/23, 6 – 7 pm | Chinese (Mandarin), French, Urdu 
• 2/1/23, 2 – 3 pm | Arabic, Haitian Creole, Russian 
• 2/15/23, 6 – 7 pm | Bangla, Korean, Spanish  

The only difference among events is the interpretation languages provided. Each event will be hosted live online; check your email or visit schools.nyc.gov/ESEvents the day before the event to find the password and any other information you’ll need to join, as well as how to receive interpretation. Log onto Zoom at the event’s start time here. 

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The 2023 Open Streets application, if your plan is to launch on or before 6/30/23, is due 1/31/23. If you plan to launch on or after 7/1/23, or for a school applying for next fall’s 2023-24 academic year, apply by 4/14/23. Visit www.nyc.gov/openstreets#apply to access the application and to learn more about the program.

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Saturdays, from 10:30 am – 3:30 pm at the JCC on W. 76th St at Amsterdam: Sparkidz is in its tenth year of serving children with autism, learning or developmental differences with Saturday classes in sports, art, dance, theater, music, cooking, yoga, day trips and special events—all taught by professional teachers and artists. The classes (not free) are designed to facilitate friendship and promote social interaction while participating in enriching activities that are both fun and creative. Registration forms are available at the link. 

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Last week, we linked to news of a security breach at LastPass, a commercial password keeper. Here’s a bit more analysis from TidBits, a longstanding news site for Apple users: 

“...most users shouldn’t be at significant risk because the company’s Zero Knowledge security architecture prevents it from having access to or knowledge of a user’s master password—the stolen data doesn’t contain any master passwords. This safeguard should prevent the attackers from decrypting the stolen usernames and passwords… As long as you used your LastPass master password only at LastPass and retained the company’s default settings, LastPass does not recommend any actions at this time…. A brute-force decryption might be successful against your master password if you reused it on another site that had been compromised, [or] set one that’s fewer than 12 characters (never do that!)...”

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Tomorrow, Friday 1/13 is the deadline for applying to NYFA’s Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants, 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 creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography…” Funds may be requested for emergencies occurring 4/1/22 and later. Grants may be requested for expenses already paid, pending, or for treatment the artist is putting off due to lack of funds. 

And the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is a $8,000 unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State (and/or an Indian Nation within state boundaries). They are currently accepting applications in the categories of Craft/Sculpture, Digital/Electronic Arts, Nonfiction Literature, Poetry, and Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts. Visit this link at New York Foundation for the Arts to learn more. Application Deadline is Wednesday, 1/25 and successful applicants will be notified Summer, 2023. 

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The Sanitation Foundation’s upcoming Rat Academy sessions for building owners, tenants, and maintenance staff:

• Thursday, 1/26, 6 – 8 pm
• Tuesday, 1/ 31, 5 – 7 pm
• Thursday, 2/9, 5 – 7 pm

Applications are now open for Rise!—a global initiative that finds brilliant people who need opportunity and supports them for life as they work to serve others and build a better world. An initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, Rise is the anchor program of a $1 billion commitment from Eric and Wendy Schmidt to find and support global talent. The program starts at ages 15–17 and offers those chosen access to need-based scholarships, a fully-funded residential summit, mentorship, career development, and potential funding. Applications are open until 1/25; learn more at https://www.risefortheworld.org/

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The applications are open for NYCHA's Resident Training Academy (NRTA), which provides employment-linked training opportunities to NYCHA residents, on three tracks:  Construction: Janitorial; and Pest Control. A collaboration between NYCHA, the Robin Hood Foundation, and employment training providers across the city, the NRTA provides residents with technical training. Click the title link to learn more and click here to learn more about the entrance exam, prescreening appointment, and interview process. Applicants must have valid working documentation, be able to lift 50 lbs or more, and 100% available during the work week to participate. 

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The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is available to New Yorkers facing high home utility bills. Eligibility and benefits are based on income, household size, the primary heating source and the age and ability of household members. Click the title link to learn more or click here for application details—apply online, in person or in writing.

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The deadline to file co-op or condo property tax abatement renewals is 2/15. Most properties must also submit a prevailing wage affidavit to qualify for the abatement. 

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Friday, 1/27, 10:45 am–1pm, 86th St.: Volunteer with the JCC at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger. Help distribute bags of healthy food and fresh produce to WSCAH’s customers on the sidewalk of 86th Street. Volunteers will be standing outside on concrete under tents in the same general spot for the entire shift, and should feel comfortable interacting with the public and lifting roughly 15 pounds. Spanish proficiency is helpful, but not necessary. Sign up at the link.  

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Registration has begun for the NYPL’s free English classes which start 1/30 and run through April. They have all kinds:  

• ESOL (for non-native speakers seeking to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing)
• Adult Basic Education Classes (for those who already speak English but want to improve their reading and writing)
• English for Work (for intermediate and advanced speakers looking for work or who want a better job), and
• Informal English Conversation Classes where intermediate and advanced English language learners practice by watching We Speak NYC videos and talking about them. Held both in person (often at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in midtown) and online. In January, no sign-up is needed for in-person classes—just drop in. View the schedule here (being careful to note which are in person and which are online). 

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A reminder: If you have a library card, you qualify for Culture Pass, which gets you free admission to dozens of NYC cultural institutions ranging from the Asia Society and the Frick to the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Museum (and the AKC Museum of the Dog!). Click the link to apply, via library cards from the New York, Brooklyn, or the Queens public libraries. 

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As you may know, last November the NYS Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) issued proposed regulations for adult-use recreational licenses, and those regulations are now in the public comment period. OCM is hosting a Regulations Forum in Washington Heights Thursday, 1/19, at 6 pm (doors 5:30), at 530 W. 166th St (2nd floor). It’s an opportunity for the public to provide comments directly to OCM. Here are the proposed regulations: Proposed Adult-Use Cannabis Regulations 11-21-22. Comments can also be filed directly by emailing regulations@ocm.ny.gov.  

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Preserve New York (PNY) grants provide funding to eligible nonprofits and municipalities in New York State for projects that identify, document, and preserve New York’s cultural and historic buildings, structures, and landscapes. Pre-applications for the 2023 PNY grant cycle are due Friday, 3/31. Learn more about eligibility requirements, types of projects funded, and how to apply at either a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, January 25, 12:00-1:30 pm, or a drop-in help session for personalized assistance:

• Wednesday, February 8, 12:00-1:00 pm, Click here to register
• Thursday, February 23, 10:00-11:00 am, Click here to register
• Wednesday, March 15, 12:00-1:00 pm, Click here to register
• Monday, March 27, 9:30-10:30 am, Click here to register

Events.

This Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and I know of a handful of events:

• Sunday, 1/15, 3 pm, Apollo Theater, Harlem: “Uptown Hall: MLK—Blueprint for the Culture” The Apollo & WNYC’s celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. explores Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s as the template for modern social and civil justice movements. Hosted by WNYC’s Kai Wright along with music, spoken word and other forms of creative expression with WQXR’s Terrance McKnight. Free tickets at the link. (Following the in-person Uptown Hall program, tune in at 5 pm for “Young Changemakers,” a panel discussion on the pivotal role of young voices effecting change within their communities, curated by the Apollo Young Producers) Click the title link for instructions on how to watch on Facebook, YouTube, or Apollo's Digital Stage. 
• Monday, 1/16, 9:30–11:30 am, Congregation Beth Beit Simchat Torah (130 W 30th St.): Volunteer with the JCC and help repair the World. Help package school supply kits to be donated to the East Harlem Tutorial Program. EHTP aims to serve as an agent of change and thoughtfully contribute to the national fight for racial equity and education justice. Volunteers will also engage in service learning & reflection, exploring Jewish values & the words of Dr. King to honor MLK Weekend of Service. Open to adults and families w/ kids of all ages (children under 15 must be accompanied at all times). Sign up at the link.
• Monday, 1/16, 1:30 pm, Broadway Presbyterian Church (601 W 114th St): Every Voice Choir’s Annual Concert for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• UJA-Federation’s Day of Service volunteer options.
• Day of Service options with the NYC Parks Dept.
• Monday 1/16, Annual MLK Day Interfaith Peace Walk starts at 2 pm, at the Holy Name Church of Jesus & St Gregory the Great Church (meet at W. 96 St. and Amsterdam Avenue).

At the NYPL’s main Stephen A. Schwarzman Building: “Virginia Woolf: A Modern Mind” uncovers the real Virginia Woolf through intimate diary entries, unpublished letters, and more in the first major exhibition of her work at the Library in 30 years. Hear new readings from her work and listen to conversations between authors Francesca Wade and Brandon Taylor about her life and legacy on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app. Timed tickets at the title link. 

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Juilliard has many concerts this January:

• Saturday, 1/14, 7:30 pm, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra | The Ever Fonky Lowdown; Click this link to view the free live-stream at the time indicated.
• Thursday, 1/19 at 7:30 pm: The New Series: “A Fiddler's Tale” with students from the Dance, Drama, and Music Divisions; Click this link to view the free live-stream at the time indicated.

• Monday, 1/23, 4:00 pm, Morse Recital Hall: String Quartet Haydn-a-thon
• Wednesday, 1/25, 6:00 pm, Paul Hall: Sonatenabend
• Tuesday, 1/31, 8:00 pm, Paul Hall: Ziggy and Miles Johnston, Guitar Duo

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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, Assembly Member-elect Tony Simone, and Council Members Shawn Abreu and Erik Bottcher. 

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Thursday 1/12, 8:15 pm, Lincoln Center: The New York Jewish Film Festival opens with “America” by Ofir Raul Graizer, in Hebrew with English subtitles; Q&A with Ofir Raul Graizer after the screening. The festival continues through 1/23. Complete schedule at the festival link above. 

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The American Folk Art Museum (2 Lincoln Square) has a number of upcoming events, including:

• Free Music Fridays concert tomorrow, 1/13, 6 – 7:30 pm, Facebook Live. Enjoy new performances by Chris Michael (Lyrically dense songs), Jessi Robertson (Otherworldly indie rock), and Ruby Rae (Indie rock Americana). Register at this link. 
• “Closer-Look Exhibition Tours” on 1/15, 1/19 and 1/22 (at 1 pm each date), which will offer new perspectives on the work of Morris Hirshfield. To register, email education@folkartmuseum.org. 
• Wednesday, 1/18, 1 pm, Delight in jazz standards from the American Songbook with guitarist Bill Wurtzel and Jay Leonhart. Limited seating and advance registration for museum admission is required. 
• Friday, 1/27 from 11 am – 5 pm: “Unexpected Partners: Self-Taught Art and Modernism in Interwar America” a full-day virtual symposium where panelists will revisit a vital moment of American cultural history and highlight the important contributions that unconventional artists such as Morris Hirshfield made to the development of modern art. Click the link for a full list of speakers and schedule.

Recordings of past events are at this Vimeo link. 

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Friday 1/13 (5 pm) is the deadline for applying to NYFA’s Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants, 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 creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography…” Funds may be requested for emergencies occurring 4/1/22 and later. Grants may be requested for expenses already paid, pending, or for treatment the artist is putting off due to lack of funds.
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Tuesday, 1/17, 1 pm, Rutgers Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (236 W 73rd St): Creating Your Best LIfe: Setting Health Goals that Stick with longtime Health and Wellness Coach Lynn Crimando. Register at the link. 

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Wednesday, 1/18, 5 pm: Grant Information Session for small businesses or community based organizations (whether for-profit and non-profit) to apply for micro-grants from CCNYC of up to $10,000. Click the link to register. For questions about small business grants, email businessgrants@citizensnyc.org; for community action grants, email grants@citizensnyc.org. Co-sponsored by my office with Council Member Shaun Abreu and the Citizens Committee for New York City. 

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Saturday, 1/21, York College (Academic Core Building, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Queens): Saturday Citizenship Event. Free screening for citizenship eligibility and help completing applications. Call (646) 664-9400 or (212) 652-2071 to register.

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Monday, 1/ 23, 11 am, in person at the Kips Bay Branch of the NYPL: Weill Cornell College of Medicine’s Wellness Series: Parkinson's Disease with Dr. Harini Sarva, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine. Parkinson's Disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's, with approximately 60,000 Americans diagnosed each year. Learn more by RSVPing for this seminar at the link.

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Tuesday 1/24, noon–12:30 pm, virtual: Rabbi Joanna Samuels Interviews the Interviewers: Antisemitism + Journalism Today Hear from top Jewish journalists exploring how they cover the important issue of antisemitism through the lens of journalism. Click the link to register.

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Tuesday, 1/24, 4 – 5:30 pm, virtual: Fundraising Energy: Using Events to Engage Donors. Kimberly Goodis, former Senior Program Officer of Individual Giving at New York Foundation for the Arts, will share key strategies for artists planning fundraising events this year. Learn tips for planning in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, and discover tools that can work in tandem with your project development to maximize its reach and impact. 

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Tuesday, 1/24, 6–7:30 pm, online: “The Little Ice Age in the Dutch North Atlantic” A panel on how periods of severe cold and drought in the 17th century led the Netherlands and New Netherland to deal with profound environmental change more effectively than most other countries. Moderated by Manhattan Borough Historian Rob Snyder with historical geologist Chelsea Teale and environmental historian Dagomar Degroot. Click the title above to register and be sent a viewing link; learn more about the sponsor, the New Amsterdam History Center, here.

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Sunday, 2/5, 12 – 3 pm, Congregation Rodeph Sholom (7 W. 83rd St): At Family Fun Day & Camp Fair, kids can play and participate in fun activities—games, raffles, arts & crafts, face painting, balloon animals, and music—and parents can meet day, sleepaway and specialty camp exhibitors all in one place, in one afternoon.
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Thursday, 2/9, 7–8:30 pm, in person, Marlene Meyerson JCC (334 Amsterdam Ave at 76th St): Banned Books Panel with PEN America (part of the Books That Changed My Life Festival). PEN America champions the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Join Jonathan Friedman for a timely panel discussion with banned authors and topic experts, including YA author David Levithan (Boy Meets Boy, Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist, Dash & Lily) and additional guests TBA.

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Thursday, 2/16, 4 – 5 pm, online: Weill Cornell Medicine Wellness Series: Heart Health Practical, effective tools to avoid, reduce and manage heart health will be discussed by Tracy K. Paul, MD, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Click the link to register. 

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Quirk of the week: Bring Yourself Recurring Joy with Apple’s New Lock Screen Photo Shuffle “...My favorite thing each morning is to see what photo appears in the Photos widget on my Home Screen. That widget shows entries from the For You section in Photos. You might see an entry from Memories, the AI-generated oddball collections that might include ‘Exploring Pittsburgh over the years’ or ‘On this date.’...” (via Tidbits)