The Lower East Side Ecology Center and Asian Americans for Equality will be hosting a workshop and holiday shopping night this evening at Green Depot (222 Bowery) from 6p – 8p. 10% of evening sales will benefit AAFE's Green Youth Program and the LES Ecology Center's EcoBizNYC Program. The EcoBizNYC Workshop is designed to teach strategies and techniques to increase
participation in green initiatives, involve neighbors and
community, increase awareness, and generate revenue through green
marketing. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served.
         
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The Lo-Down was kept busy yesterday afternoon and evening – and the week's just beginning. At the American Legion post on Canal Street we listened as the Chinatown Working Group, after months of deliberations, finally approved a set of guiding principles for future development of the neighborhood (see yesterday's preview). They also decided to seek approval through the city for a "197-a," community plan, a comprehensive proposal encompassing the rezoning of Chinatown, but including many other areas such as cultural issues, transportation and economic development. A short distance away, at the Cooper Union, a Community Board 3 committee passed a resolution supporting the Chinatown Working Group's efforts. Continue reading From Chinatown to the East Village, a Busy Day (and Week) Covering the Neighborhood
We recently visited the site for the Tenement Museum's new Visitor Center and were lucky enough to get a tour from Executive Vice President, Barry Roseman. The museum bought the building at 103 Orchard Street in 2007 (directly across from the current space they rent at 108 Orchard) and did selected demolition earlier this year. Barry told us that, after receiving a grant from the City, a loan from their bank and money from their Capital Campaign, they are ready to continue with the $13 million dollar project. Renovation was about to begin on the basement and ground floor. Have a look:
We last reported on the Chinatown Working Group back in June, after a well-attended town hall meeting in which concerned residents spoke out about a wide range of development, economic and cultural issues. Since that time, the organization, representing many segments of the community, has been working on a set of principles, action plans and strategies for the future of an endangered neighborhood. They'll be meeting today from 4-6pm at American Legion Post 1291, 2nd floor, 191-193 Canal Street. The members will vote on the principles and make plans for another town hall meeting, to be held February 1st. Continue reading Chinatown Working Group Meets This Afternoon
Top row: Chris Piccigallo, Leland Elson, Briana Martinez, Glen Price, Al Guerriero. Bottom row: Naomi Harrison Clay, Ava Friedlander, Julia Soldano, Baladine Pierce, Gabriella Freid, Hailey Coffey It's been a rough year for the newspaper business. But there's one place, right here in the neighborhood, where the impact of declining circulation and competition from online news are non-issues. The Manhattan School of Technology on Catherine Street is one of the few schools in all of New York City with a student-written newspaper. In this school year's first issue of "The Scoop," hot off the presses, you can read all about the New York Giants' visit to MAT, and their $50-thousand donation to the school's sports program. There's a report on whether students are being assigned too much homework. And "The Scoop's" food critic goes in search of Chinatown's best dumplings.
The Post's Frederic Dicker says Shelly Silver is fuming over Governor Paterson's wholesale indictment of the Legislature for failing to deal forcefully with the state's budget crisis. A source told Dicker Silver has already decided to back Andrew Cuomo for governor:
A look at the two families reeling, after the murder of 18-year old Nelson Pena on Hester Street late last month. Education Notes Online has plenty to say about yesterday's New York Times piece looking at the close ties (financial and otherwise) between hedge fund managers and charter schools. Charter school operators in other states are lobbying NYS to raise the charter school cap. Serious Eats has an enthusiastic endorsement of the Doughnut Plant's holiday creations.
A couple of weeks ago The New York Times reported the artist Kiki Smith and the architect Deborah Gans had been commissioned to design the new east window of the Museum at Eldridge Street's majestic 1887 synagogue. Recently I went over to the museum to find out more about the project. The new creation will replace tablet shaped, clear-glass panels installed in the mid- 1940's. While it's apparent the original window was badly damaged, no one's certain of the exact circumstances. Some theorize it was blown out in the hurricane of 1938, but there's no proof of that. Continue reading A Closer Look at the Museum at Eldridge Street’s East Window Project
A youth minister from the Mariners' Temple Baptist Church (on Henry Street) is accused of raping a 12-year old girl. Yeshiva World News has declared Shelly Silver "foe #4" for his support of gay marriage. The Daily News continues its war on Albany, saying Silver "talked a good game" on the budget but did not deliver. Meet the hedge fund manager behind the Girls Prep Charter School. Apparently feeling invigorated after a confrontation at this week's CUNY groundbreaking, Councilmember Charles Barron has decided he will challenge Christine Quinn for the speakership.
SPURA 42 years in the making: Hoping for more than parking lots A CB3 committee planning the redevelopment of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA) resumes deliberations Monday night with a "brainstorming" session about general design principles. This afternoon, David McWater, the committee chair, told The Lo-Down there will not, as some members hoped, be a briefing from city planners. In a phone conversation, Mcwater explained how he intends to get back on track after a tense exchange during last month's meeting of the Land Use, Housing and Zoning Committee. On November 17th, McWater threatened to suspend the SPURA talks, suggesting some members of the committee seemed more focused on agitating their constituencies than working together on a redevelopment proposal. He cited a vigil and protest where influential panel member Harvey Epstein urged affordable housing activists to start coming to community board meetings. McWater also referenced a flare-up at October's meeting, in which a group with ties to St. Mary's Church on Grand Street erupted in anger after learning a presentation by city planners had been Continue reading McWater: SPURA Panel to Resume Discussions Monday
A strong desire for fresh, regionally grown and sustainable food brought more than 60 Lower East Side residents to the Educational Alliance last night. They took part in an organizational meeting for a food cooperative, an idea initiated by Danny Rosenthal, an Educational Alliance vice president. Over the years, he's gotten an earful about the absence of quality fruits and vegetables in the neighborhood. Most of the people attending live in the Grand Street cooperatives, but residents of other buildings were represented, as well. In the past, members of Grand Street's fractious co-op developments have been only slightly more unified than, say, Israel and Iran. So, it was notable that the meeting took place at all. By the end of the evening, a steering committee had been formed to begin making preliminary plans.
The New Musuem's monthly series, Propositions, will feature installation artist Haegue Yang this weekend as she shares her research on the writings and life of Marguerite Duras. Ms. Yang recently published a Korean translation of The Malady of Death and is suggesting it might be developed for theater or film. The New Museum designed the series to explore ideas in development, and states on it's website: "Inspired by the scientific method of hypothesis, research, and The structure of Propositions is as follows:
The City Council is proposing new laws cracking down on gang recruiting. East Side Our Town sizes up the race between Carolyn Maloney and Reshma Saujani. Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh's statement on the failed gay marriage bill. The New York Times' "special gallery issue," includes a fairly lengthy feature on the Lower East Side. Ken Johnson says the neighborhood is "not the new Chelsea and never will be." For the most part, he opined, LES galleries feature "young and emerging artists, which means that you see much that The Tenement Museum updates progress on the rear yard. Huff Post has pics from this week's first anniversary celebration at Shang. Serious Eats takes another look at White Slab Palace: the food is mostly good – the service? Not so much.
This weekend's Midnight Movie at the Sunshine is director Wes Anderson's (Fantastic Mr. Fox) career-launching movie, Rushmore. The movies also marks the beginning of his ongoing collaboration with Bill Murray. The series is hosted by The Village Voice and WNYU's The Afternoon Show. Films are only $9.99 and start promptly at midnight every Friday and Saturday.
The event was created to heighten awareness around men's health issues. This year, the money raised in the U.S. will be split between the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Participants start the month of November clean shaven and grow their moustache all month long, turning it in to a walking symbol of awareness (sort of like the pink ribbon for breast cancer). The event ends with parties in major cities around the
Can’t we all just get along? David Garza, head of the Henry Street Settlement’s Workforce Development Center didn’t use those words in an appearance before a Community Board 3 committee this week. But in explaining his struggle to set up the Lower East Side Employment Network, it was clear some of the neighborhood’s non-profits have resisted the idea of teaming up to find LES residents jobs. In addition to Henry Street, the network includes five other groups including University Settlement, the Chinese American Planning Council, Chinatown Manpower and Good Old Lower East Side. The coalition has been operating without a formal budget up until now – in the near future they’ll be looking for funding to hire a small staff. The idea is simple – coordinating the efforts of multiple workforce centers – to train and place more workers in decent jobs. Continue reading Against All Odds: Finding Work for LES Residents in Spite of the Obstacles
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