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Three shelters from the storm
wellness schedule.jpgOver the past week, we wrapped up operations at one hurricane evacuation shelter (John Jay High School campus), continued to provide an incredible level of compassion and support...
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Behind the Scenes of Participatory Budgeting in District 39
youthideas.jpgBy Rachel Fine of the Participatory Budgeting District Committee As a District Committee member, I have been focusing on getting the word out about participatory budgeting and engaging...
View ArticleGowanus: Cleaning up and looking forward
When I visited Gowanus as Hurricane Sandy first made landfall, I saw the canal rising over its banks, flooding neighboring streets, and approaching businesses and homes.Like many of you, I was very...
View ArticleSigns of recovery
It took more than two weeks, but most of our neighbors in Red Hook finally have power, and more and more public housing buildings are getting their heat restored each day. Residents are rightfully...
View ArticleGiving thanks for "courtesy, gentleness and goodness beyond description"
Over the past month, we’ve had stark reminders of how much most of us have to be grateful for. Our homes and our health. Our families and our neighborhoods. Heat and power and food to eat. Our safety,...
View ArticleLast night's meeting approving Park Slope school rezonings
Last night the District 15 Community Education Council voted to implement the Department of Education’s proposed rezoning of some Park Slope elementary schools.While the final plan does not accommodate...
View ArticleRemembering Jon Kest, a lifelong fighter for justice
I’m thinking very powerfully today about Jon Kest, who passed away last night after a months-long battle with cancer (and just a month after the heart-rending loss of his daughter Jessie Streich-Kest...
View ArticleHeartbroken ... and lending our voices for change now
There’s little to add to what’s been said so far about the unthinkable tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School yesterday. Like every parent, my thoughts yesterday raced first to my two kids, in their...
View ArticleDespair into hope
“What would it mean to live in a city whose people were changing each other’s despair into hope?” – Adrienne Rich (1929 – 2012) I can’t remember a year I was so ready to see in the rear-view...
View ArticleTaking the dream forward
Tomorrow we commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama’s second term as President. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I...
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Join me at the EPA's Gowanus Canal cleanup meeting tonight (or tomorrow)
epaatgowanusemail.jpgCleaning up the deeply polluted Gowanus Canal has long been a priority of this community, and I am pleased to report that we are getting closer to that goal. The canal was...
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The Participation Doesn't End at the Vote
Parks Committee.jpgParticipatory Budgeting Update from Alix Fellman of the Parks & Recreation CommitteeThis time last year the people of our district came together for our first Participatory...
View ArticleWhat starts in PB doesn't always end in PB
Participatory Budgeting update from Neil Reilly, District Committee Member and former Transit Committee DelegateThrough patience and persistence, bringing real change to our neighborhoods is possible...
View ArticleUnveiling the PB ballot
Which projects will get your vote? The 2013 Participatory Budgeting ballot is here, with great projects that will invest in building a better neighborhood for us to share.And next week, we will be...
View ArticleU.S. District Court Upholds Key Provisions of NYC's Campaign Finance Laws
Thanks so much to our wonderful pro bono attorneys from Jenner & Block LLP, for their excellent work on an amicus brief defending NYC's campaign finance laws, and for providing this helpful summary...
View ArticlePaid sick days for a million more New Yorkers
Taking a day off when you are sick. It is something that is easy to take for granted, but many low-wage New Yorkers have no paid sick days and even put their job at risk if they stay home sick without...
View ArticleMore Steps Toward a Greener NYC
A cleaner environment starts at home – by reducing waste and saving electricity – but it also requires taking action together.Environmental sustainability has been a priority for me at the City Council...
View ArticleLet's do something about violence this Father's Day
Father’s Day is a reminder of the deeply important role that my father played in my life and the important values he instilled in me. My dad is one of those rare people who treats everyone he meets...
View ArticleIt's not a crime to be who you are
Early Thursday morning, well past midnight, the New York City Council passed landmark legislation – known as the Community Safety Act – to establish long-needed independent oversight of the NYPD (an...
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