City Councilmember Althea Stevens speaks alongside City Councilmember Rita Joseph on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Morris Heights City Hall.
Photo Camille Botero
Community groups and activists rallied with local police in the Bronx on Tuesday night to denounce proposed Department of Education (DOE) funding cuts for schools.
On March 5, a crowd of about 100 people, representing various school districts and educational institutions, gathered at City Hall at the Davidson Community Center in Morris Heights. Call to Action: Urge the New York City Council to conserve education programs and resources at the last minute.
“We are dealing with low-income black and brown families who are busy just trying to survive every day,” said the Bronx Community Education Council (CEC), who was elected to the citywide Education Policy Panel (PEP). ) Chairman Tom Shepard said. . “And when people who are just trying to survive every day are really excited about what education is going to be like for their kids, they're going to show up.”
The urgency comes after Mayor Eric Adams proposed a new citywide budget last November that included more than $570 million from the DOE over multiple years, according to a city report. Up to $18 million will be cut from community schools this year and next. Adams said that due to the economic burden brought on by the influx of immigrants into New York City, the proposed budget would also cut other citywide services, such as funding for sanitation, libraries, and the NYPD. He said that there is.
The City Council has sent two letters to persuade Albany members to pass the Growing Resilient and Energy Efficient New York (GREEN) Buildings Act, which will help New York City and New York State buildings meet standards. A coordinated effort by letter was initiated. Local Law 97 law requirements for residences in the Bronx, the five boroughs, and throughout the state.
The first letter, written by Brooklyn City Councilman Justin Brannan, was sent to Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker of the House Carl Heastie on February 21st, and was written by Brooklyn City Councilman Justin Brannan and sent to Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker of the House Carl Heastie on February 21st. The importance of achieving emissions reduction targets has been expressed.
The letter, which had 26 signatures as of Thursday, March 7, states that the Green Building Act (also known as A.5050/S.943-A) is an effective way to prevent building owners from paying high maintenance and It is explained that it will deal with the issue of bearing the burden of Reduces penalties by providing property tax relief to eligible New York City property owners.
“This bill would be a clear win for the environment, the economy, and voters,” the letter said. “I hope you will consider passing it as soon as possible so that we can achieve New York City and the state’s climate goals together.”
A second letter sent to Gov. Cathy Hochul's office on March 1 allows fellow New Yorker building owners to meet their emissions reduction goals, rather than imposing fines if they can't financially comply. He expressed the importance of providing support.
The Common Sense Letter, along with the A.5050/S.943-A Letter, will help approximately 15,000 property owners invest more than $15 billion by 2030, according to New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) data. He explains that he will be forced to do so. To comply with new emission standards imposed by Local Law 97.
New York-based photographer Zion Ozeri's work depicting the global Jewish diaspora is currently on display at Hostos Community College.
An opening reception held on March 5 celebrated the exhibit as part of CUNY's Anti-Hate Initiative, a multi-year program aimed at fostering mutual understanding and creative collaboration on campus. . The exhibit seems even more timely at a time when the war between Israel and Gaza is tearing many communities apart.
Over the past several decades, Ozeri's black-and-white photographs depict Jewish life not only in Israel but also in Argentina, India, Mexico, Uzbekistan, and other countries around the world. The photos are arranged by themes common to all cultures, such as generations, life cycles, and sacred spaces.
Ozeri told the audience that through his work, he wanted to portray the diversity of the Jewish people, while at the same time “affirming the unity of the Jewish people.”
The Bronx-based nonprofit Oyate Group has reopened applications for the recently restructured Brandon Hendricks Scholarship for up-and-coming college freshmen. This scholarship was established in memory of Brandon Hendricks, a local high school senior who was killed by a bullet shortly after graduating from high school and shortly before attending St. John's University on a Division I basketball scholarship.
The organization's CEO, founder, and chairman, Thomas Ramos, previously served as director of a local community center, where he met and frequently spent time with Brandon Hendricks. From there they got to know each other personally.
That summer was when Ramos started the Brandon Hendricks Scholarship.
“At the time, I was thinking: How can I carry on his legacy?” Ramos said. “How can we empower young people and ease their financial burden as they prepare for college?”
The scholarship has recently been restructured with this purpose in mind. Initially, the scholarship was awarded to a total of five recipients, with his one-time donation of $5,000 for tuition. But now, this scholarship has been awarded to her two recipients, and she will receive $5,000 for each semester of college over four years, for a total of $20,000 to be contributed towards her education costs. .
For 119 years, the Tremont Library has stood firmly on the corner of Washington Avenue and East 176th Street in the Bronx. On Tuesday, March 5, Tremont Library was designated a separate historic landmark by the Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC).
This will make it the fifth library in the Bronx, joining Morrisania Library, Woodstock Library, Hunts Point Library, and Mott Haven Library, and the fifth and final Carnegie-funded New York Public Library in the borough.
The brick library was built in the Classical Revival style in 1905 at the turn of the century, with funding from the famous businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, and was designed by Carrere and Hastings, the same firm that designed the New York Public Library. It is one of the 14 notable libraries built by. The historic main library building in Manhattan.
The Tremont Library's historic designation means the LPC must approve new alterations, demolition, and construction of the library and protect the site from “demolition by neglect.”
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