New School Chancellor To The Editor: Many parents will be glad to see Joel Klein leave as chancellor, who had no respect for their views or priorities. In DOE’s own surveys, parents said that class size reduction was their greatest wish for their children, and yet class sizes have risen sharply under his leadership. He also showed very little regard […]
Voters Found Faults With Ballot, Council Says
A City Council survey of people who voted in the recent elections reveals that they cited issues such as ballot design, the size of type used to print instructions and lack of privacy among the problems encountered on Election Day, Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced. Nearly 1,200 New Yorkers from at least 300 different poll sites throughout the five boroughs […]
On the brief side…
Weprin: ‘Hold Public Hearings On Black’s Appointment’ Voicing further criticism of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s selection of Hearst Magazine’s former president and chairman Catherine Black as schools chancellor, on November 16 Assemblymember David Weprin called for public hearings in all five boroughs on the issue. In a letter to Commissioner David Steiner of the New York State Department of Education, Weprin […]
CB 4 Discusses DOT Proposal For One-Way Street In Elmhurst
On November 9, Community Board 4 met to discuss concerns related to traffic and street issues in the Elmhurst area. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing a conversion of 57th Avenue, running from 92nd Street to 90th Street, from a two way to a one-way westbound operation. “Anyone who has driven in the area, especially during the holidays, knows […]
Queens Writers Convene At Local Write-Ins
Every year, writers from across the country participate in a competition known as National Novel Writing Month, a personal challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. The point of the challenge is to help writers get past their “inner editors”, as the site calls them, and develop their stories before concentrating on the writing, itself. The site offers regional […]
Gianaris And Vallone Tour Amtrak Trestle For Safety Issues
On November 12, Assemblymember Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) toured work areas on the Amtrak train trestle above Astoria. Both Gianaris and Vallone had taken issue with Amtrak for allowing debris and rocks to fall from the Hell Gate Bridge shattering windshields and nearly striking pedestrians. “Hopefully they have finally got the message that […]
AARP Survey: New Yorkers Weigh In On Social Security
On November 12, AARP, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, released new research on New Yorkers’ perceptions of Social Security and its role in future retirement planning. A focus group, featuring a cross section of New Yorkers ages 40 to 70, was also conducted in conjunction with the survey as part of the national Social Security Voices and Values Project. […]
TD Foundation Donates $2 Million In Grants For Affordable Housing
The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, announced on November 4 in Portland, Maine the 42 winners of its annual Housing for Everyone grant competition. Award winners from Maine to Florida will receive a total of nearly $2 million in grants to support affordable housing initiatives. The Housing for Everyone grant competition drew hundreds of proposals […]
Rose Kryzak Senior Leadership Award Winners Honored
United Adult Ministries (UAM), the parent company of Flushing House, honored three outstanding persons with The Rose Kryzak Senior Leadership Award, during their annual gala fundraising dinner held on November 4 at Westbury Manor in Westbury. This year’s honorees were Sue Bouffier, Maria Cuadrado, PhD and Lucy Garcia, MSW. Bouffier has been program manager of the Franklin Square Senior Community […]