UWS Coalition Newsletter: May 2023

UPPER WEST SIDE COALITION NEWSLETTER
May 2023

UWS COALITION UPDATE

Coalition Elects 2023 Board

The UWS Coalition held its third annual meeting on May 17 in a Zoom call that welcomed representatives from its member organizations. The group was joined by local elected and law enforcement leaders, including NYC Council Member Shaun Abreu (District 7), NYPD Deputy Inspector Neil Zuber from the 20th Precinct, and Captain Anthony Lavino, the newly installed commanding officer of the Central Park Precinct. The overall tenor of the meeting was upbeat with everyone looking forward to working together to strengthen our community and improve the quality of life on the UWS.

Welcome New Members of the Coalition
President Steve Anderson opened the annual meeting by noting that the Coalition has grown to include fifteen member organizations with several more groups in discussions about joining.

New Board Elected
The main order of business was to elect a board of directors for the 2023/2024 term. The vote was unanimously in favor of the six candidates on the ballot: Steve Anderson (TRPNA/West 81st St.), Aron Berlinger (West 83rd St.), Neil Berson (West 90s Neighborhood), Dale Brown (West 79th St.), Gary Pelton (West 70th St.), and Danielle Tandet (West 95th St.). The new board will meet in June to elect officers and chart a course for the next year.

Coalition Member Receives Goddard Riverside Good Neighbor Award

The UWS Coalition congratulates Melissa Elstein on being honored by Goddard Riverside with a Good Neighbor Award. Elstein was recognized for her many years of service as a community volunteer and environmental activist leading organizations that strive to make NYC a better place to live. She co-founded the West 80s Neighborhood Association and Love Your Street Tree Day. As Chair and Secretary of nonprofit Stop The Chop NY/NJ, she is instrumental in mobilizing a community, business, and political coalition seeking to ban nonessential helicopters over the New York metropolitan area. Melissa is one of 6 honorees this year, all of which happen to be women.

Melissa Elstein in her Stop the Chop NY/NJ gear

Interested in starting a block association?
If you want to learn more about starting a block association or strengthening your group, check out our website, upperwestsidecoalition.org where you'll find resource s and Coalition contacts who can help.

Thanks to member Gail Dubov of West 83rd St. for designing our new flyer!

A Message from CB7 Chair Beverly Donohue

"Well organized block associations, like so many on the West Side, enhance their neighborhood's sense of community engagement. The community board is indebted to them for bringing issues to our attention, providing support on constituent services, and getting the word out on so many issues, large and small."

BLOCK ASSOCIATION & COMMUNITY GROUP NEWS

Love Your Street Tree Day - Tuesday, May 23
The West 80s Neighborhood Assn. is co-sponsoring the Sixth Annual Love Your Street Tree Day in collaboration with Curb Allure and Goddard Riverside Greenkeepers on Tuesday, May 23. The event kicks off at 11:00 AM in front of Goddard Riverside (593 Columbus Ave. @ 88th Street), rain or shine. In addition to learning about the importance of street trees to our urban environment, there will be demonstrations of tree bed and soil care best practices. Enjoy bake sale treats and free coffee, too. Giveaways include a collapsible watering bucket, a Love Your Tree curb-your-dog sign, and mulch. Just remember to bring your own mug for the coffee and extra bags for extra mulch! See LoveYourStreetTreeDay.com for more information or send questions to west80sneighborhood@gmail.com.

Submitted by Melissa Elstein, Co-Founder and Secretary, West 80s Neighborhood Association

Join DOROT's Tech Coaching Team
During the pandemic, DOROT helped hundreds of seniors learn basic tech skills to get online, stay connected, and get what they needed. The need for Tech Coaches continues, and DOROT is seeking volunteers to help “late tech adopters" learn to use their cell phones, tablets or computers. As a tech coaching volunteer, you will meet weekly with a DOROT older adult (in-person or by Zoom) to help them build skills such as emailing, texting, using apps, taking photos, and getting online. You don’t need to be a tech guru, but you do need to be prepared for a 6-month commitment of your time. To learn more, please contact technologyhelp@dorotusa.org or click here to sign up for a Tech Training and Volunteer Orientation session. (Please Note: A background check is requested.)

DOROT is thrilled to be new members of the Upper West Side Coalition and looks forward to working more closely. Please reach out with any questions, ideas or if you need more information!

Submitted by Ellen Amstutz, Senior Program Officer, Community Based Programs & External Affairs, DOROT

Join West 95th St. BA for Coffee on the Curb - Saturday, June 3
Come say hello to the newest block association on the UWS! West 95th Street BA invites its neighbors to meet, socialize, and talk neighborhood-y stuff over a cuppa Joe on June 3 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. We'll gather in the outdoor dining shed in front of Busceo at 201 West 95th St.

Submitted by Danielle Tandet, Founder and President, West 95th Street Block Association

Celebrate Memorial Day at the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument
The West 90s Neighborhood Assn. invites you to celebrate Memorial Day by paying tribute to the soldiers and sailors of our American armed forces who gave the last measure of their devotion to defend and protect our Nation and the principles and democratic ideals on which it was founded.

Date: Monday, May 29, 2023
Time: Begins at 10:30 AM and concludes around noon
Place: Soldier’s and Sailor’s Monument located on Riverside Drive
and West 89th Street

This dignified and important event is being held in conjunction with Fleet Week. There will be a big military presence at the event, including the Navy or Marine Band. Taps will be played, wreaths will be laid, and there will be speeches given, including by one of the Fleet’s Admirals. Many of our local politicians will be present and we are hoping our Mayor will attend. There will be news media coverage as well.

Submitted by Neil Berson, Co-President, West 90s Neighborhood Association

West 79th Street Block Beautification a Success; Coffee on the Curb, Sunday, June 11
“We are happy to report that we had a beautiful day on Saturday, May 7th for our annual planting and tree care from Broadway to Columbus,” reports Dale Brown, President of the West 79th Street Block Association. “Our neighbors were out doing a fantastic job taking care of our trees and planting flowers. A special shout out to Steven Dougherty, our Beautification Chair who made sure each tree bed had the right amount of soil, mulch and flowers.”

W79BA’s next Coffee on the Curb social event is scheduled for Sunday, June 11, from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM; gather at 146 West 79th Street. This is a great opportunity to meet Dale Brown, who heads the Coalition's Membership Committee. She can answer any questions you might have about how to set up and sustain a thriving block association.

Our youngest volunteer says he had the best time planting and loved the gift of gardening gloves. He's looking forward to coming back next year!

Submitted by Dale Brown, President, West 79th Street Block Association

Gilder Center Opens
The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History has officially opened to all. TRPNA members Steve Anderson, Robyn Epstein, Jonathan Lipnick, and Gary Karp were given a sneak preview that included a visit to the Butterfly Conservatory. Visit the Gilder Center's website for more information about exhibits, children and family programs, and becoming a member.

Left to right: Anderson, Epstein, Lipnick, Karp

Submitted by Steve Anderson, President, Theodore Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association of West 81st Street

Summer Newsletter - Deadline is July 7
We welcome submissions about your block association or community group's meeting schedule, social activities, and advocacy work to be published in the Coalition's newsletter. For the Summer 2023 newsletter, the deadline for submitting content is Friday, July 7. Please email your copy to upperwestsidecoalition@gmail.com.

LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS

Abreu's Size Discrimination Bill Approved by City Council
On May 11, the NYC Council voted 44-5 to approve a bill introduced by Council Member Shaun Abreu that bans weight and height discrimination. The legislation amends the city’s administrative code to make perceived and actual weight and height discrimination illegal in employment, public accommodations, and housing. New York City is now the largest municipality in the country to ban size discrimination.

Brewer Offers OATH Pop-Up & Older Adult Tech Clinic; Co-sponsors Youth Green Market

Tuesday, June 6, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM: Learn more about the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) in a Pop-Up session to be held outside of Council Member Brewer’s District Office at 563 Columbus Ave. near 87th Street. Speak to OATH staff to get answers and more information about summonses and the administrative hearing process.
Thursdays, June 1 & June 15, 3:30-5:30 PM: The Youth Farm Stand of the Urban Assembly School for Green Careers is selling farm-fresh produce and accepting composting at the school’s teaching garden on 84th St. and Amsterdam Ave. Proceeds benefit the school. Council Member Brewer sponsors the program along with Green City Force, Jacob’s Pickles, and The Hort.
Tuesday, June 20, 1:00-4:00 PM: Neighborhood seniors can get one-on-one help with laptops, smart phones, tablets, and basic software at the Older Adult Technology Clinic to be held at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium on Broadway at 62nd St. Call the Council Member’s office to reserve a slot in one of the three hours available.

For additional information about these events, contact Council Member Gale Brewer’s District Office at (212) 873-0282 or district6 @council.nyc.gov.

Hoylman-Sigal Zoom for Rent Regulated Tenants - Thursday, June 29

While rent-regulated tenants enjoy more protections and rights than market-rate tenants, understanding exactly what those rights are and how to exercise them can be complicated. Senator Hoylman-Sigal is partnering with Mobilization for Justic e to provide a free, legal training session on common issues most rent-regulated tenants encounter, such as succession rights, rent reductions for decreased services, lease renewals, rent increases, and eviction. There will be a Q/A session after the presentation. Please RSVP for this zoom meeting at this link. If you have any questions, please call the office of Senator Hoylman-Sigal at 212-633-8052.

Rosenthal's Reproductive Privacy Bills Pass into Legislation
Two bills introduced by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal have been passed into legislation, strengthening data protections for patients seeking reproductive health care. One bans New York-based companies and organizations from sharing an individual’s personal data with law enforcement during an ongoing investigation related to abortion (Bill A.3310). The second prohibits advertisers from establishing a geofence around health care facilities, i.e., using mapping software to construct a virtual perimeter around a location, enabling organizations and companies to send targeted messages to cellular devices in that location. (Bill A.4920). Both passed as part of the Health & Mental Hygiene Bill enacted in the 2023-2024 New York State budget. Click here to read more.

COMMUNITY NEWS & RESOURCES

Open Streets Program Returns to Columbus Avenue This Fall
The Columbus Avenue BID advises that the 2023 Open Streets program will begin in September and run through October on Sundays from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM from West 68th Street to West 77th Street on Columbus Avenue. Learn more here.

DOT Launches Crowdsourcing Tool for Planning Loading Zones
NYC’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched a crowdsourcing tool to help the City determine where to build dedicated loading zones. The online tool lets you drop a virtual pin on a map where you see a double-parked delivery vehicle blocking traffic, including cars and bikes. The DOT will use the data to assess where they need to add designated loading zones and said the map will not be used for law enforcement. Click here to read the press release and here to access the online tool (screenshot below).

NYPD Crime Statistics - Upper West Side
NYPD provides weekly reports of crime-related statistics in seven major crime categories at the citywide, borough, and precinct levels. The links below will take you to the local precinct’s home page where you will find another link to download crime statistics reports as PDF and Excel files.

UWS Farmers Markets
There are four farmers markets held in our District on a weekly basis. Some offer composting services and clothing collection. See details below and follow the links for more information about vendors and services.

Tucker Square Greenmarket (more info)
Richard Tucker Park at West 66th St. & Broadway
Thursdays & Saturdays year-round
Market Hours, Thursday: 8am - 3pm
Market Hours, Saturday: 8am – 4pm
Compost Program: 8am - 11am (Thursdays only)
77th/79th Street Greenmarket (more info)
Columbus Avenue at West 77th St.
Sundays year-round
Market Hours: 9am – 4pm
Compost Program: 9am – 3pm
Clothing Collection Program: 9am-12pm
97th Street Greenmarket (more info)
West 97th St. between Amsterdam & Columbus
Fridays year-round
Market Hours: 8am-2pm
Compost Program: 8am-12:30pm
Morningside Park Winter 2023 Down to Earth Farmers Market
(more info)
West 110^th St. & Manhattan Ave.
Saturdays year-round
Market Hours: 9am - 2pm

Newsletter compiled by Liz DeVito
You can now find the Monthly Newsletters archived on the UWS Coalition website.
Please send submissions for the next Newsletter by Friday, July 7, 2023.

Thank you for participating!

You can learn more about UWS Coalition and follow us on the web and Twitte r.

Newsletter Contents

UWS Coalition Update

Block Association & Community Group News

Local Elected Officials

Community News & Resources