Before and after: fancy new signs going up today at the East River Co-op, at the far end of Grand Street. Thanks to photographer Joel Raskin for sending these images along.

The New York Times picks up on the charter school space debate, which erupted on the Lower East Side two weeks ago.  They followed up on the spirited public meeting, in which parents rebelled against the Department of Education's plan to carve out more classroom space in traditional public schools for the Girls Prep Charter School.

None of the schools, it seemed, had the more than 20 classrooms that
Girls Prep needed. “Nobody wants to give up the space we have fought so
hard for,” said Ann Lupardi, a Shuang Wen parent. “These are science
labs and art rooms that we helped find the money to get because we
think they are essential.” Miriam Lewis Raccah, who oversees
Girls Prep, said charter operators are not looking for fights but are
enthusiastically trying to create successful schools in areas that have
lagged for years. “Nobody wants to give up a school that’s part
of a neighborhood’s identity,” she said. “The reality is that there is
still a need for better schools, and the question is: Where are we
going to go? It’s not as if we’re creating new kids.”

Continue reading Girls Prep Redux, Gang Tweets, the LES Rat Shoot

An 81-year old resident of the Hillman Co-op, 500 Grand Street, is hospitalized in critical condition this morning, after a fire broke out in her 7th floor apartment last night. A neighbor told the New York Post the woman usually lit Shabbos candles and left her window slightly open. Last night, of course, there were strong gusts. A resident on the 12th floor of the building said, "I normally walk with her to see her husband in the nursing home every
day… She's such a nice lady." The woman was taken to Beth Israel Hospital.

How dire is New York's budget crisis? The Times has a reality check.

Via Life, Police Chief Ray Kelly and Rep. Nydia Velazquez helping to serve Thanksgiving dinner at the Bowery Mission. Channel 2 also filed a story from the Mission. 

No more weekend service stoppages on the F train this year.

Racked surveys Black Friday deals below 14th Street.

Checking up on LES activist Michael Rosen, on the road in Louisville, promoting his book, "What Else But Home."

State lawmakers have gone home for the holiday, putting budget negotiations on hold until next week. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says a new proposal from the governor (trimming the amount that would be cut from education) indicates Albany is getting closer to a deal.

New York City's Education Department will not approve any more charter schools until the statewide 200-school cap is raised. 

The Robin Hood Foundation has awarded the Urban Arts Partnership a grant for an innovative "arts-based approach" to raising student achievement at New Design High School (part of the Seward Park campus).

A police officer shot by accident in the 7th Precinct has been cleared to sue the city.

Streetsblog has an overview of NYC's proposed zoning changes that would keep cars off of sidewalks and requires developers to provide additional parking in new buildings.