Newsletter from the Local Hack, Levine

In my experience, this Mark Levine is the worst kind of political sleaze and hack imaginable--but, he obviously has people working for him who can produce a newsletter that WILL have some things of interest in it

Therefore I print it anyway, even though I have nothing but contempt for Levine and all he stands for

Lawrence --  New York City is the most multilingual city on earth, yet our young people learn in schools where foreign languages have been pushed to the margins. Today, only five percent of elementary school kids receive regular instruction in foreign languages. This should be a city where children of all backgrounds are exposed to different languages at an early age, like I was fortunate to experience. Foreign language instruction expands horizons, opens doors and can help teach our kids languages that will prepare them to join a diverse workforce. We need bold action to chart a new course for this city. I hope you’ll take a look at an op-ed I co-wrote with City Council Education Chair Daniel Dromm, calling for just that. Together, we can build a city that ensures all of our kids experience the power of learning another language. Sincerely, Mark P.S. We want to hear how learning another language helped you! If you have a story to tell, send us a note and share it with us, so we can feature it in our next newsletter.  Street Co-Naming Ceremony Honoring Dorothy Skinner Today Today, I’m excited to join family and friends of Dorothy Skinner, who was a long-time community activist in Harlem, at the southwest corner of West 140th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. That section will be officially co-named “Dorothy Skinner Way.” Dorothy Skinner was devoted to making Harlem safer, more stable, economically sound, well-educated and politically strong. She also helped form part of the Board of Directors of West Harlem Group Assistance, serving as President for over 20 years. The street co-naming will honor her life and legacy as a champion for Harlem. The event kicks off at 3pm and I hope you can come out and share in a celebration of a great woman and the Harlem community she loved. Serving Our Constituents: Holding a Landlord Accountable Rent stabilized tenants at 512 West 136th Street who were evacuated from their apartment more than a year ago after a devastating fire continue to be displaced from their homes due to the slow pace of repairs. The building owner has been ordered to complete these repairs within a strict timeline. To date, he has failed to comply with several deadlines. This delay could lead these tenants, who are currently living in homeless shelters, to find housing elsewhere, and ultimately allow the landlord to take these units to market-rate. Last week, I wrote a letter to HPD expressing my concern and urged the department to continue the push to make sure these repairs are completed expeditiously.Take a look at the most recent developments on the situation and our efforts to get these residents back home. Join Me at the SAGE Harlem Center Tomorrow, I will visit SAGE Harlem Center, an organization that offers innovative services and programs to LGBT older people throughout New York City to announce new funding and programmatic support I was pleased to allocate through my discretionary budget. After the announcement, I’ll participate in a question and answer session with attendees that will be followed by a jazz concert! This event is open to the public, and it would be great to see you there. Here are the details: When: Friday, September 25 at 3:00pm Where: SAGE Harlem Center, Oberia D. Dempsey Multi-Service Center 127 West 127th Street RSVP Here Pope Francis Visits NYC Pope Francis will be in New York City today, September 24 through Saturday morning, September 26. In anticipation of the Papal visit, the NYPD and NYC Emergency Management Agency, in accordance with other city, state and federal law enforcement agencies, have issued an advisory on street closings and expected traffic delays. The use of public transportation during the Papal Visit is highly encouraged. For more information on what streets will be affected and when, please see this press release. You can take a look at an itinerary of the Pope’s visit, here. Your Next Opportunity to Decide how to Spend $1M  Participatory budgeting is about engaging all stakeholders in the community to develop ideas to improve our neighborhoods. My office has scheduled several brainstorming sessions, known as “general assemblies” to gather ideas for project proposals that will be voted on by District 7 residents next spring. Our assemblies have focused on collaborating with seniors, youth and parents. And you can read about our most recent assembly we held with formerly incarcerated individuals at the Fortune Society, here. RSVP today Â for our next general assembly, so we can hear your ideas! WHAT: Participatory Budgeting General Assembly WHEN: Thursday, September 28from 6-7:30 pm WHERE: Riverstone Senior Center (99 Fort Washington Ave) A New Beach and Pool Season As Chair of the Parks Committee, I pushed hard for an extension of the beach and pool season past its usual end on Labor Day in this year’s budget. The budget agreement lengthened the beach season, but left the pool season unchanged. We’ve heard very positive feedback on the extension and next year, we will continue to push to get the pool season extended so there’s broader access in our neighborhoods for people to cool off. Take a look at a report on the beach and pool season in the New York Times. Free Fall Community Tennis Program Thanks to funding secured by my office and Council Speaker Mark-Viverito, the New York Junior Tennis and Learning, Inc., along with NYJTL, will hold a free fall tennis program at PS 125M, 425 West 123rd Street. New York, NY 10027. The program runs from September 8 through late October, Mondays-Thursdays 3-6pm. Registration is on-going and should be done in person at the program site. For more information and a complete list of NYJTL Community Tennis Programs, please visit www.nyjtl.org. Riverside Drive and Vicinity Safety Improvements After meetings held with our office and Community Board 9, DOT is ready to announce safety and access improvements on the Riverside Drive corridor between 116th st and 135th st. The improvements being made include: building sidewalks; installing pedestrian islands and median extensions; remarking the Riverside viaduct to be one lane southbound and two lanes northbound; and reducing the speed limit to 25 mph. Implementation of these improvements will begin in September. For additional information, please contact Josh Orzeck, Community Coordinator, DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner’s Office: jorzeck@dot.nyc.gov or 212-839-6218. Community Updates You can check our community calendar on our website for regular event updates LANDMARK WEST! President Kate Wood Discusses “Upper West Side Landmarks” The preservation group LANDMARK WEST! is holding a conversation open to the public about the history and current status of landmarks preservation on the Upper West Side, with special emphasis on buildings and historic districts between 96th and 110th Streets. The event will take place today, September 24 at 6:30pm at Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Ave at 103rd st. Straus Park: A Centennial Celebration Friends of Straus Park Celebrate the Centennial of the naming of Straus Park, named for Isidor and Ida Straus, both residents of the Upper West Side. Please enjoy the historic paintings and photographs, jewelry, clothing and food vendors, as well as live music. The celebration will take place on Saturday, October 3, from 10am to 5pm. Fascinating Medical History The Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group is producing a presentation on the history of the Pasteur Institute. The presentation will highlight the pioneering medical approaches and scientific breakthroughs of the Pasteur Institute as well as its grand building that once stood at 97th Street and Central Park West. The evening’s presenter is Dr. Bert Hansen, author of Picturing Medical Progress from Pasteur to Polio and professor of history at Baruch College, CUNY. The presentation will take place Monday, October 5 at 6:30pm at Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Ave. Lottery for The School at Columbia University The School at Columbia University'slottery for the 2016-2017 school year for children in Community School Districts 3 and 5 is now open. To see if you reside in Community School District 3 or 5, click here. The School at Columbia University is committed to offering an innovative curriculum that meets the needs of individual students within a diverse student body. To find out more about the School at Columbia University, please visit http://theschool.columbia.edu/mission. To apply, click here. The deadline to apply is October 15. Free Concerts at the Bloomingdale School of Music The Bloomingdale School of Music will hold 6 free concerts during the month of October, including one on each Friday evening of the month. Each concert will take place the Bloomingdale School of Music at 323 West 108th Street. Friday, October 2nd 7pm Faculty Focus: Roberto Hidalgo, “Beauty in Form” A solo piano concert of lyric beauty by three masters who found inspiration in the ever-malleable yet strict confines of the Sonata: Mozart, Schubert and Scriabin. Free and open to the public. Friday, October 9th 7pm Michael Cochrane Trio Plays the Music of Bud Powell Join the Michael Cochrane Trio in paying tribute to Bud Powell, the father of modern jazz piano, in a concert of his Bebop compositions. Free and open to the public. Friday, October 16th 7pm Mozart for Two Faculty artist Jeremy Blanden showcases Mozart's lyricism and love for the violin and viola with the Duo in G Major and Sinfonia Concertante. Free and open to the public. Tuesday, October 20th 7pm Faculty Focus: Kevin Farrell Faculty artist Kevin Farrell celebrates his latest trio recording "The Brooklyn Label Sessions," a mix of originals and jazz standards. Free and open to the public. Friday, October 23rd 7pm Koshka Piano Duo: Company of TwoFaculty artist Laurie Merchant and guest Mina Kusumoto demonstrate the piano's unrivaled ability to realize orchestral masterworks. Free and open to the public. Friday, October 30th 7pm Classic Forms, Romantic ExpressionJoin flautist Kaoru Hinata for iconic woodwind quintets by Felix Mendelssohn and Carl Nielsen balancing classical forms and personal, individual expression. Free and open to the public. Career Opportunity in the NYC Department of Education NYCDOE is seeking an administrative assistant to Community and Citywide Education Council 3 (Manhattan). The position serves as the key liaison between the Community Education Council and the DOE. For more information on the position and how to apply, please click here. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2015 at 3pm. Student Participation Sought The Community Education Council for District 3 is taking applications for a student member. Applicants must be a senior in high school, be a resident of Community School District 3 and must be a part of the high school student government. The applicant does not need to attend a high school within District 3 boundaries. The Council meets twice a month, student members are expected to attend and are provided travel and food stipends. Interested students should use this link to apply. Carnegie Hall Open House Open to teens 14-19, Carnegie Hall offers free afterschool programs three days a week October through June. All programs take place in the Resnick Education Wing, 154 W. 57th Street. Metrocards and meals are provided. To reserve a spot, click here. Concert Production and Design Tuesdays 4:00-6:30pm starting October 5 (20 students) Songwriting Wednesdays 4:00-6:30pm starting October 6 (20 students) Digital Music Production Thursdays 4:00-6:30pm starting October 7 (20 stude

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