Carlina Rivera Seeks Update on Anti-Semitic Incident
City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) was mortified to hear of anti-Semitic vandalism being discovered in the East River Park.
Late last week, an informational sign at the park was found to have been defaced with swastikas and the letters “KKK”, among other crude images. The culprit has yet to be found.
Rivera said that her office has requested an information update about the incident, and that she refuses to tolerate this sort of behavior going on in her district.
“Shameful it was done in a park & near a community synonymous with Jewish history & culture in America,” Rivera said in a tweet. “Thank you to our neighbors who sprang into action. The LES does not tolerate hate!”
Brewer Helps Feed Senior Citizens
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer posted a statement on her offical website celebrating the success of her Fresh Food for Seniors program.
The program, which began in 2012, was created to provide elderly New Yorkers with clean, healthy, affordable food by delivering bags of fresh produce to senior centers and apartments around the City. According to the statement, the program has grown to be more successful than she ever imagined. In a recent participant survey, 96.7% of participants said that they would “definitely” take part in the program again next year.
“We’re already looking forward to a record-breaking 2019 season and plan on expanding into more neighborhoods downtown and in Upper Manhattan,” said Brewer.
Levine Proposes Greener Options for New York Coffeeshop Goers
A new bill proposed by City Councilman Mark Levine (D-Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville) would allow New Yorkers to bring their own mugs to bodegas and coffee houses.
Last Wednesday, he introduced a bill to the Council that would require coffee houses to post a sign confirming that customers have a right to use their own cups in lieu of the store’s. Several coffee houses explicitly forbid customers from bringing in their own containers – thus contributing to the city’s sizable waste problem, Levine argued.
“Many coffee shops have policies that don’t allow environmentally conscious consumers to get their own reusable containers filled up,” said Levine. “This bill is a simple, cost-saving solution, that will empower New Yorkers to reduce their carbon footprint.”
O’Donnell Pledges to Use Public Advocate Office to Empower Small Businesses
Assemblyman and Public Advocate candidate Daniel O’Donnell made an announcement yesterday detailing his plans for an app that will enable small businesses in the City to compete with major chains.
If elected, O’Donnell will provide New Yorkers with an app that allows them to locate small businesses in their immediate area, making it easier for them to find alternatives to corporate chains and department stores.
“It’s time we get creative as we look to empower our local businesses,” said O’Donnell. “Amazon was not ready to do business in New York the right way, so it is imperative that we empower our local businesses who do right by our city every day,”
