|
Lower Manhattan’s Local News
|
|
|
The Broadsheet Inc. | 212-912-1106 | editor@ebroadsheet.com| ebroadsheet.com
|
|
|
|
Bionomics Begins at Home
BPCA Seeks Green Bond Designation for Upcoming Debt Issue and Plans for Carbon-Neutral Future
The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) is beginning to formulate a roadmap for shrinking the community’s environmental impact. At the May 21 meeting of the agency’s board of directors, Authority president Benjamin Jones explained that, “we’re now making a concerted effort, which we talked a little bit about at our last meeting, to further advance sustainable practices, both in our operations and throughout the neighborhood.”
This push is taking multiple forms. Geoff Proulx, a Morgan Stanley executive who is leading the team of underwriters for the BPCA’s upcoming bond issue (proceeds of which will be used, in part, to finance resiliency measures throughout the community) noted during the same meeting that this debt will be issued as “green bonds” — a new category of financial instruments reserved for infrastucture projects with environmental benefits.
“A good portion of that is going to go into the initial funding for the three main resiliency projects and the Ball Field remediation project as well,” Mr. Proulx said. “We’re very excited about that at Morgan Stanley, because of the positioning of it for a sustainability bond designation.”
He also noted that the offering plan for this debt issue will focus on, “all the positives about Battery Park City as a green place that has 36 acres of open space, has tons of social attributes. We’re parsing those out within a sustainability designation to talk about the resiliency side of things and everything that the Authority is doing to address climate change.”
At the same meeting, Mr. Jones announced that the BPCA has also, “formed a partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, otherwise known as NYSERDA, as well as the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, to help further develop strategies in this regard. As part of this effort we are going to pursue a number of State and City programs that will provide resources including technical assistance, energy management, and financial support.” Battery Park City’s record of environmental stewardship began in the 1980s, when the Authority’s Parks Conservancy committed to maintaining the community’s green spaces without the use of harmful pesticides or fertilizers. This impetus was broadened in the 1990s, when the BPCA began requiring developers to incorporate eco-friendly features into the designs of new building. In 2003, the Solaire, at 20 River Terrace, became the first residential high-rise building in the United States to earn certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Buildings Council.
More recently, the BPCA has launched a Zero Waste Program among its staff, and has expanded its longstanding composting program to include Gateway Plaza, the community’s largest residential complex. Mr. Jones said that the Authority plans to roll this program out among other residential buildings, as well, in the months to come.
Finally, he noted, “we are committing to having a formal sustainability plan,” which will be announced on the next Earth Day (in April, 2020), “which will provide a road map to get us closer to a carbon-neutral Battery Park City.”
Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
|
CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS
Swaps & Trades Respectable Employment
Lost and Found 212-912-1106
$99 Hypnosis Session
($247 value) Smoking Cessation, Weight Loss, Motivation, Sports Performance, Confidence, Stress, Insomnia…
Call Janine Today. Limited time offer! 917-830-6127
Situation Wanted:
Experienced Elder Care (12 years)
Able to prepare nutritious meals and light housekeeping
Excellent references 347 898 5804 Hope
NOTARY PUBLIC IN BPC
$2 per notarized signature
Text Paula at 917-836-8802
CLEANING SERVICES
Dishes, windows, floors, laundry, bathrooms.
You name it – I will clean it.
Call Elle at 929-600-4520
IT AND SECURITY SUPPORT
Experienced IT technician. Expertise in 1-on-1 tutoring for all ages.Computer upgrading & troubleshooting.
Knowledgeable in all software programs. James Kierstead james.f.kierstead@gmail.com 347-933-1362. Refs available
ELDER COMPANION
Experienced with BPC residents. Available nights, days, and weekends. Will cook, clean and administer medicine on time. Speaks French and English. Can start immediately. Please call or text 929-600-4520.
OLD WATCHES SOUGHT
PREFER NON-WORKING
Mechanical pocket and wristwatches sought and
sometimes repaired
212-912-1106
If you would like to place a listing, please contact editor@ebroadsheet.com
|
|
|
Today’s Calendar
Monday June 17, 2019
10:30AM
Senior Group Exercise
Battery Park City Parks
Strengthen the body through instructor-led rhythmic movement and aerobics, balance and coordination exercises, as well as strength training. Join this fun and vigorous session for a great workout! 6 River Terrace. FREE
4PM
Mend It Monday
Good Stuff
Join Remade in Brooklyn and learn to mend, darn, patch and LOVE your clothes! Bring a project and our team of experts will help you get started or unstuck to bring your garment back to (a better!) life. Examples: resewing hems, patching holes, fixing snags, de-pilling, as well as creative reuse techniques like visible mending, refashioning, and more. 205 Front Street FREE
7PM
Auschwitz At The Nuremberg Trials: The Early Evidence, The Start Of Holocaust Comprehension
Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
The 1945-1949 Nuremberg trials brought Nazi leaders to justice for their crimes, including World War II aggression and crimes against humanity. But as those trials began, the enormity of what we know as the Holocaust was barely understood by the prosecuting Allied nations. Professor John Q. Barrett (Professor of Law at St. John’s University, biographer of Nuremberg chief prosecutor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson) will discuss how the Nuremberg trials began to uncover and prove the Nazis’ systematic extermination of Jews. 36 Battery Place. FREE
|
|
|
36 Ebony, 52 Ivory, 28 Liberty
Sing for Hope Makes Music for the Eyes, Colors for the Ears
On June 3, the much-lauded public art project, Sing for Hope Pianos, returned to the streets as 50 artist-designed pianos were arrayed on Fosun Plaza, outside 28 Liberty Street.
Robert Simko
|
|
Letters
New Ferry Route Concerns
To the Editor,
Wednesday evening the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) held their required Environmental Scoping Meeting to hear community members’ concerns about the impact of their NYC Ferry route that will begin next year between St George, Staten Island, the BPC ferry dock and Pier 79 at W 39 th St.
While that route will add a transportation option for people with disabilities and will provide better access between the route stops, the new route will operate daily from 6:00 AM – Midnight.
Further, NYC Ferry is already considering new routes to add in the future; similar to what happened on the East River.
Only two residents showed up to speak at the poorly advertised meeting.
Graeme Birchall, from the Downtown Boathouse voiced his concern about wake damage to the pylons that support the BPC promenade from the increased ferry traffic and the boats that are likely to backup along the periphery of BPC during busy periods while they wait to dock.
Since BPC residents pay to maintain the shoreline this is a concern that warrants mention so the EDC has to investigate the impact.
I spoke about ferry noise, especially the ferry horn noise.
While new Tier 3 and 4 ferries will be purchased for this route, which should mean less engine noise, vibrations and fumes than the NY Waterway ferries and other boats that currently use the BPC dock, horn noise before backing is mandated by the US Coast Guard not the newness of the equipment. Horn noise is of special concern since it would start earlier and continue later than any current or past BPC dock activity so is worthy of impact assessment.
I urge anyone with any concerns about the addition of NYC ferry service in BPC to submit their comments to the EDC by emailing dpisani@cityhall.nyc.gov by July 1, 2019.
Betty Kay
|
|
|
|
Free Will
Shakespeare Downtown will stage an open-air production of “Hamlet” at Castle Clinton National Monument in the Battery, beginning June 20 to 23 starting at 6:30 pm each night.
Admission is free, on a first-come, first-served basis. Shows starts at 6:30 pm, but anyone wishing to attend should arrive by 6:00 pm, for the best chance of getting tickets. For more information, please browse: ShakespeareDowntown.org.
|
|
|
RiverWatch
Cruise Ships in the Harbor
Arrivals and Departures
Thursday, June 20
Anthem of the Seas
Inbound 6:30 am (Bayonne); outbound 4:00 pm; Bermuda/Eastern Caribbean
Carnival Sunrise
Inbound 7:15 am; outbound 4:30 pm; Bermuda
Saturday, June 22
Adventure of the Seas
Inbound 6:30 am (Bayonne); outbound 3:00 pm;
Bar Harbor, ME/Canadian Maritimes
Norwegian Dawn
Inbound 7:15 am; outbound 3:30 pm; Port Canaveral, FL/Bahamas
Sunday, June 23
Norwegian Escape
Inbound 6:15 am; outbound 4:30 pm; Bermuda
Many ships pass Lower Manhattan on their way to and from the Midtown Passenger Ship Terminal. Others may be seen on their way to or from piers in Brooklyn and Bayonne. Stated times, when appropriate, are for passing the Colgate clock in Jersey City, New Jersey, and are based on sighting histories, published schedules and intuition. They are also subject to tides, fog, winds, freak waves, hurricanes and the whims of upper management.
|
|
CB1 Wants to Contravene Convene
Local Leaders Raise Concerns about Traffic and Crowding from Planned Events Venue at Brookfield
The owners of Brookfield Place, are planning to launch an events venue that will host up to 1,000 people at a time, which has sparked concerns about traffic and crowding from community leaders. At the June 5 meeting of the Battery Park City Committee of Community Board 1 (CB1), Mark Kostic, Brookfield’s Vice President for Asset Management, explained that Convene, a firm that develops and markets meeting rooms, event venues and flexible workspaces (and is partially owned by Brookfield) will be taking over the 86,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Saks Fifth Avenue, at 225 Liberty Street. Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
Radical Cheek
Subvertising Campaign Shocks the Conscience, But Not for Long
On Wednesday morning, two dozen cages fashioned from chain-link fencing appeared on sidewalks at strategic locations around Manhattan and Brooklyn. A pair of these were placed in Lower Manhattan: one on Centre Street, opposite the Municipal Building and close by the Brooklyn Bridge; the other about two blocks away, near the intersection of Broadway and Vesey Streets.
Each one contained a lifelike mannequin, the size of a small child, wrapped in a foil blanket, which bore a disturbing resemblance to a shroud. From around the edges of these blankets, locks of hair and smalls pair of shoes were visible. Concealed within every cage was also a rudimentary audio system that repeatedly played a track of a small child sobbing. This was interspersed with the sound of a heartbeat.
Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
A Cenotaph for the Esplanade
Cuomo Announces List of Possible Locations in Battery Park City for Hurricane Maria Memorial
At Sunday’s Puerto Rican Day Parade, Governor Andrew Cuomoannounced that his administration is pushing ahead with plans for a memorial to Hurricane Maria — the cataclysmic storm that claimed more than 3,000 lives in Puerto Rico in September, 2017 — which will be located in Battery Park City.
Mr. Cuomo’s office also announced Sunday that his administration has narrowed the potential sites for such a memorial within Battery Park City down to six possibilities.
Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
|
|
Today in History
Monday June 17
1119 – Charles the Good becomes earl of Flanders
1462 – Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat from Wallachia.
1579 – Sir Francis Drake lands on coast of California at Drakes Bay, names it “New Albion”
1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal.
1824 – Bureau of Indian Affairs established
1837 – Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent
1882 – Tornado kills 130 in Iowa
1885 – Statue of Liberty arrives in New York aboard French ship `Isere‘
1916 – US troops under General Pershing march into Mexico
1928 – Amelia Earhart leaves Newfoundland to become first woman as a passenger to cross Atlantic in a plane piloted by Wilmer Stultz
1939 – Last public guillotining in France. Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is guillotined in Versailles outside the prison Saint-Pierre.
1950 – First kidney transplant takes place in Chicago
1967 – China becomes world’s fourth thermonuclear (H-bomb) power
1970 – Edwin Land patents Polaroid camera
1972 – Five arrested for burglarizing Democratic Party HQ at Watergate
1982 – President Reagan in his first UN General Assembly delivers his “evil empire” speech
1987 – With the death of the last individual, the Dusky Seaside Sparrowbecomes extinct. First discovered in 1872, the dusky seaside sparrow’s distinct song and dark coloration are what separates it as a subspecies of other seaside sparrows. It was first categorized as a species in 1873.
The Sparrow’s habitat were the marshes of Florida’s Atlantic coast on Merrit Island and the upper St. Johns River and isolated from other sparrow populations.
When Merritt Island was flooded with the goal of reducing the mosquito population around the Kennedy Space Center, the sparrows’ nesting grounds were devastated, and their numbers plummeted. Later, the marshes surrounding the river were drained to facilitate highway construction; this was a further blow. Eventually, pollution and pesticides took such a high toll that by 1979, only six dusky seaside sparrows were known to exist – all of whom were males; a female was last sighted in 1975.
In 1981, only five dusky seaside sparrows remained, all being males.
Conservation efforts were made by trying to breed the remaining duskies with Scott’s seaside sparrows in order to create half dusky hybrid offspring. “Unfortunately, although the Fish and Wildlife Service initially supported the crossbreeding program, it withdrew its support due to Interior’s hybrid policy”.
1994 – OJ Simpson doesn’t turn himself in on murder charges, LA cops chase his Ford Bronco for 1½ hours, eventually gives up
Birthdays
1704 – John Kay, English inventor (d. 1780)
1882 – Igor Stravinsky, Russia, composer (Rite of Spring)
1898 – Maurits C Escher, Dutch graphic artist
1943 – Newt L Gingrich, (Speaker of House 1995-97)
1943 – Barry Manilow, singer/pianist
1945 – Tommy Franks, American General
Deaths
1876 – Harriet Scott, American ex-slave, who with husband Dred Scott unsuccessfully sued for their freedom.
Edited from various internet sources
|
|
Let’s celebrate our graduates during the month of June.
Send us a picture and 100 words about your graduate or your own achievement.Pre-K through Ph.D
|
|
|
‘A Thumb in the Eye’
Local Leaders Don’t Want One Broadway to Get Any Bigger
Community Board 1 (CB1) is resisting plans to add two floors to a landmarked building in the Financial District. In a resolution laced with unusually harsh language, enacted at its May 28 meeting, the Board called upon the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) — which can veto alterations to legally protected historic structures — to reject a proposal by the building’s owner, Midtown Equities, to build a glass pavilion on top of One Broadway (also known as the International Mercantile Marine Company Building), located at the corner of Broadway and Battery Place, directly adjacent to Bowling Green. The resolution summarizes the developer’s proposal with the words, “to distill the very convoluted design’s description, and despite all the narrative hoopla, it is really a preposterous glass box with a mansard surround.” Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
EYES TO THE SKY
June 10 – 23, 2019
Jupiter shines all night. Sun’s longest day
On June days and into mid-July we find the king of the sky, our Sun, present for over 15 hours. The summer solstice occurs on June 21 at 11:54am. Sunset on the solstice is 8:30pm. Study the illustration for more about summer solstice.
Judy Isacoff naturesturn.org
|
|
|
Menhir for the Men and Women Who Came Here
A Stele for Survivors Honors Those Who Came Back, and Those Who Chose to Settle Downtown After the Dust Settled
On Thursday morning, the World Trade Center complex unveiled a new monument: the Memorial Glade, which honors people whose health (or whose lives) were taken from them not on September 11, 2001, but in the years that followed, because they were exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the Twin Towers’ collapse.
Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
‘To Make the Wounded Whole…’
Chin Pushes to Renew Victim Compensation Fund
City Council member Margaret Chin is mobilizing local support for an effort at the federal level to restore funding and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund, which offers financial awards to responders and survivors of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
This proposed federal measure would renew and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund that was created by a 2011 law, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was renewed in 2015.
Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
Letters
To the Editor:
I watched the transfer of the bridge spans in person on Wednesday, but seeing your video was AWESOME!
Thanks for sharing that!
Maryanne P. Braverman
|
|
|
Anthem of the Seas Spins About
|
|
Barging In
Local Elected Officials Say ‘Avast’ to Water-Borne Ads, But Company Claims City Is Out of Its Depth
The advertising barges that have become a pet bête noire for Lower Manhattan residents were the focus of a discussion at the April 23 meeting of Community Board 1 , where Paul Goldstein, who chairs that panel’s Waterfront, Parks, & Cultural Committee, offered an update, saying, “those floating billboards that you’ve seen on both the east and west sides — the good news is that the City is cracking down on them. Both the Mayor and the Council say they find it unacceptable. So they are imposing fines and enacting laws to restrict it.” To read more…
Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
|
This Sand Is Your Sand, This Sand Is Our Sand…
Although Not Yet a Shore Thing, Proposal for Brooklyn Bridge Beach Takes a Step Forward
After multiple rounds of funding since 2013, the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Beach — a project supported by elected officials, community leaders, and the public — may be inching closer to reality.
The plan, backed by all of these constituencies, aims to create a crescent-shaped wedge of sand along the East River waterfront, just north of the South Street Seaport, where park-goers could wade knee deep in tide. If built, it would become the sole access point at which Lower Manhattan residents could step into the water that surrounds them, rather than merely looking at it.
Matthew Fenton
|
|
|
Cass Gilbert and the Evolution of the New York Skyscraper
by John Simko
|
|
|
The Broadsheet Inc. | 212-912-1106 | editor@ebroadsheet.com| ebroadsheet.com
No part of this document may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher
© 2019
|