Council Member Mark Levine

Lawrence -- Over the past two years, the mayor and City Council have funded an unprecedented ten-fold increase in legal assistance to tenants in housing court.  And now we have seen the results--the number of evictions in New York City dropped by more than 18 percent in 2015.   The conclusion from this is unmistakable: when we level the playing field for tenants in housing court, we keep families in their homes. Today, the single leading cause of homelessness is not drug addiction or mental illness--it’s eviction. Dramatically scaling up legal services is critical in the fight against homelessness and offers huge cost savings in our shelter system. We have much more work to do.  The vast majority of tenants in New York City still face the threat of an eviction without the assistance of an attorney.  I will continue fighting until every tenant gets a fair shake in housing court. In the meantime I am proud that New York City is showing the rest of the nation that investing in civil justice yields real dividends for real families. Sincerely, Mark Preventing the Next Tragedy Council Member Levine speaks at a press conference in Washington Heights on illegal gas hook-ups in uptown buildings In recent years, the risks associated with gas work in New York City have been all too apparent. From East Harlem to the East Village, New Yorkers have seen buildings damaged or demolished and tenants displaced from their homes in the aftermath of gas explosions. With the number of illegal gas hook-ups potentially higher than previously thought, I was proud to co-sponsor a bill with Council Member Rafael Espinal that would require regular inspection of the city’s gas piping systems. The bill follows up on my proposal with Council Member Liz Crowley from a year ago that would beef up testing standards for journeyman plumbers seeking to perform sensitive gas work. These proposals are part of a comprehensive legislative package designed to protect the city’s gas infrastructure and prevent future tragedies through more pro-active measures. The danger posed by the status quo has already touched all corners of the city,including here in upper Manhattan. The stakes are simply too high to wait. Now we must push ahead and ensure our city is safe for every New Yorker. Join us For an Immigration Info Session! Our office is partnering with CUNY Law to host an immigration info session that will help attendees navigate the citizenship process and more. See below for additional details! WHAT: Immigration Info Session WHEN: Saturday, March 5 from 12-6pm WHERE: Fortune Society (The Castle) 630 Riverside Drive RSVP HERE You must meet the following requirements: Reside in the United States as a permanent resident for five years (three years if living with and married to the same U.S. citizen) • Live in the United States for half of the five- or three-year period • You are at least 18. What to bring:   Green card and all passports since becoming a permanent resident • Home addresses for the last five or three years • Parent’s naturalization information • School/employment history for the last five or three years • Children’s information (date of birth, A#, addresses) • Marital history • Certified dispositions for any arrests, tickets, citations, and MTA disposition letter Pre-K Deadline EXTENDED--March 9 Universal pre-k supports the needs of all pre-K children by building a close school community and positive classroom culture. I recently toured a pre-k program at PS 153 in Harlem with New York City Deputy Mayor Richard Buery and the benefits for our youngest students were on full display. It's essential that young children are able to socialize and participate in hands-on activities, and that's exactly what's happening at PS 153 and pre-k programs throughout the city. Now in its second year, free, full-day, high-quality pre-k serves more than 68,500 4-year-olds citywide — up from about 50,000 at the start of the last school-year and 20,000 the year before the program launched. There's still time to apply for a September pre-K seat! Visit NYC.gov/prek or call 311 before the March 9 deadline. West Side High School Students Celebrate Bill Signing Not many would have thought that the artist most recognized for his portrayals of life in small town America has roots in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Thanks to students at West Side High School who helped develop the bill to co-name West 103rd Street and Broadway “Norman Rockwell Place,” Rockwell’s Upper West Side connection will be brought to the attention of the world. You can read about the bill signing ceremony where Mayor de Blasio officially signed Norman Rockwell Place into law here. Participatory Budget Vote Week! Mark your calendars! Participatory Budget Vote Week is fast approaching. From March 26- April 3rd residents in District 7 can let us know what neighborhood improvements they would like to see funded. Help let your neighbors know we need their input and sign up to volunteer, by contacting Kyshia Smith in my office by email at ksmith2@council.nyc.gov or by phone at 212-928-6814. Stay tuned for future updates, and visit our website for more details at marklevine.nyc/participatorybudgeting. Community Updates Community Parks Initiative Partnerships for Parks is pleased to announce the launch of the Community Parks Initiative Task Force with the goal of bringing together community parks stewards to support CPI sites that will be reconstructed. The first iteration of this program will be geared toward the first 35 sites to be completed by 2017. We are searching for ambassadors to represent the initiative locally and help to facilitate engagement between community stakeholders and NYC Parks. Ambassadors will play an important role in communicating information about opportunities to their respective Friends groups and broader communities. If you’re interested in learning more, or want to nominate yourself as an ambassador to the Task Force, please complete this form or contact your Outreach Coordinator, Basia Nikonorow (212-408-0282 / Barbara.nikonorow@parks.nyc.gov. Time commitment will involve estimated four meetings. Networking benefits and community service will be priceless. Columbia University’s Community Scholars Program The program is seeking nominations and applications for its next class; the deadline is Friday, April 29, 2016.  The program, one of the benefits associated with the Manhattanville Campus Expansion, offers independent, community-based scholars from Northern Manhattan access to a suite of Columbia University services and resources in order to work toward the completion of a particular project or to attain skill in a particular area. We hope you will share the link with people you think would make great candidates. Please click here to view an informational video about the Columbia Community Scholars Program  For those with questions regarding the application, we are hosting a Columbia Community Scholars Program Information Session on Thursday, March 17th from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the Burden Room of Columbia University's Low Library (Room 206). Please RSVP to Phoebe-Sade Arnold at pa2461@columbia.edu at your earliest convenience if you plan to attend.   Bloomingdale Neighborhood History GroupMonday, March 7, 6:30Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Avenue (at 103rd Street) Join us for a presentation on Eliza Jumel by Margaret Oppenheimer, author of the book "The Remarkable Rise of Eliza Jumel." The event is free and all are welcome. Learn more about the Bloomindale Neighborhood History Group, here. Creative Arts Works Annual Benefit for KidsApril 20th, 2016 6:00 – 8:30 PM Atrium Shops & Cafés153 East 53rd Street (at Lexington) For 30 years, it has been our mission to improve the lives of young people through the power of art. To learn more about our annual benefit, visit here. Celebrate LENT (“Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking”) this seasonSundays at 2pm, through March 13th 4140 Broadway @ W. 175th St The United Palace House of Inspiration invites you to participate in our Lenten class, “Keep a True Lent,” starting February 14. During this time, you will abstain from negative thinking and meditate on Spiritual Truth to bring you into a state of higher good. This class will use Charles Fillmore’s book “Keep a True Lent” as a Lenten guide. FREE, but donations are appreciated. For more info, click here: https://unitedpalace.org/…/…/keep-a-true-lent-lenten-program. Fitness Walking in Fort Tryon ParkMeet at the entrance to the Heather Garden at Margaret Corbin Circle. Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7:30am; Saturdays at 8:30am Stick to your New Year’s resolution for a healthier, happier you with fitness walking in “the Big Green Gym” otherwise known as Fort Tryon Park. The fitness walk includes brisk walking and a variety of exercises using park features such as benches and retaining walls to work every muscle group and provide both bursts of cardio, strength training and healthful stretching. The workout can be modified to suit any/all levels of fitness, strength and flexibility. Severe rain/snow/ice/col/heat cancels; otherwise it’s rain-or-shine, 3 days a week, 52 weeks a year! These walks are free and each workout lasts an hour. FREE showing of Disney's 'FROZEN' at United PalaceUnited Palace of Cultural Arts, 4140 Broadway at W. 175th Street Sunday March 6th at 4:30pm The United Palace of Cultural Arts will screen Disney's "FROZEN." This is our first movie of 2016 and we want all to enjoy. Please join us for a pre-show magic show with Elsa and Olaf followed by the full movie. For more details, please visit www.unitedpalacearts.org. Expressions: A Teen Writing and Spoken Word ProgramTuesdays 4:30–5:30pm, February 23rd – April 19th (9 sessions) 2113 Amsterdam Ave. @ W. 165th Calling all teens! Word Up has teamed up with Word at 4F—the traveling open mic and spoken word series—to create EXPRESSIONS, a teen writing and spoken word program. Sign up for nine weekly workshops led by veteran spoken word artist and poet Roya Marsh. After each session, teens will have the opportunity to perform their work in front of their peers and a general audience. At the program’s end, the teens’ work will be published in a book. For ages 13–19. Questions? Email Wordat4FTeen@gmail.com; register at https://wordupbooks.wordpress.com/teens At Word Up Community Bookshop, St. (This venue is accessible.) Washington Heights Neighborhood Transportation Study The NYC Department of Transportation invites all who live, work, and play in Northern Manhattan to be a part of the Washington Heights Neighborhood Transportation Study, an in-depth effort to improve safety, mobility, and quality of life in the area between W. 155th & W. 182nd Streets. Help improve our neighborhood’s streets! Your local knowledge is an important part of this project. Tell DoT about transportation issues that matter to you. From pedestrian safety to traffic to bus reliability to parking and deliveries: if it involves streets, DoT wants to know! Use our interactive feedback map and here and tell us about your concerns and ideas about transportation in Washington Heights. Manhattan Youth Leadership Council Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer recently hosted two listening sessions with over 150 Manhattanites aged 14 to 18. We heard about issues ranging from school discipline, LGBTQ topics, expanding in-school opportunities, police-minority youth relations, and civic engagement. As a result, my office is creating a permanent Manhattan Youth Leadership Council, which will meet periodically to advise me—and help inform city policy—on issues like these. If you know of a Manhattan teen who’s interested in improving our city, please have them consider applying! Email andrewlombardi@manhattanbp.nyc.gov for an application, more info, or with any questions. The People Storm the PalaceTuesday, June 21stUnited Palace Theatre, 4140 Broadway @ W. 175th St. Join the People’s Theatre Project for their annual fundraiser, a fun evening of theatre, entertainment, getting-to-know your neighbors, and honoring Junot Diaz! Check them out at www.PTP.nyc. At the Tickets are available here Bloomingdale School of Music Events in MarchAll events located at 323 West 108th Street New York, NY 10025 Saturday, March 5th @ 1:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, & 7:30pm  Piano Project, "The Piano of the 19th Century: Romanticism and Beyond" Join us for Bloomingdale's 9th Annual Piano Project Concerts. This event will feature over 80 BSM piano students and faculty. Free and open to the public. Bloomingdale School of Music. Tuesday, March 8th @ 7pm New York, New York Series: Crossing Over - American Song and Opera Join sopranos Christine Browning, Katie Copland, and pianist Marc Peloquin for songs from from the Upper West Side and across the USA. Free and open to the public. Bloomingdale School of Music. Friday, March 11th @ 7pm Los Dos Amigos Guitar duos from across the globe spanning three centuries--from the German Baroque of Telemann's suite to the modern Argentine Cardoso. Free and open to the public. Bloomingdale School of Music. Friday, March 18th @ 7pm Determinate Indeterminacy An exciting program of music by 20th- and 21st-century composers, rich in color and variety. Music by Herndler, Skrzypczak, and many others. Free and open to the public. Bloomingdale School of Music.     Visit our website to find out more:  About |  Newsroom |  City Council |  The District |  Resources |  Contact Follow us! Keep up with CM Mark Levine:        Council Member Mark Levine - 500 West 141st Street, New York, NY 10031