Senator Squadron and Senator Avella with Congresswoman Nydia Valazquez Press Conference Sat. Feb 18th

I spoke on behalf of Lin Sing Association and The Chinatown Community Young Lions at the press conference called by Senators Squadron and Avella, with Congresswoman Valazquez on Sat. Feb. 18th '12 .
The senators have introduced legislation that would force companies to the bargaining table so that an impasse like the one between MSG network, and Time Warner Cable doesn't happen again in New York.

Here is the video of the press conference.


I made the point that Chinatown was a catalyst in the decision making between the two companies as evidenced by the stalemate being broken less than 48 hrs after MSG, through Kaimen Company (which is presenting Chinatown Restaurant Week in March), organized a community briefing,  a much publicized press briefing, and Knicks game viewing party in Chinatown at Nom Wah Tea Parlor last Wednesday.

Senator Squadron on Retail Diversity in our district - Hearing on Friday

Senator Squadron, Chair of Senate Cities Committee, to host a hearing on Retail Diversity and Neighborhood Health
Posted by Daniel L. Squadron on Friday, August 28th, 2009

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SUBJECT: Retail Diversity and Neighborhood Health

PURPOSE: To identify and disseminate best practices for supporting and facilitating the preservation and revitalization of retail in urban neighborhoods.

DATE: Friday, September 18, 2009

LOCATION: Senate Hearing Room
250 Broadway, 19th Floor
New York, New York 10007

TIME: 10:00 A.M – 3:00 P.M.



SELECTED ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:


Healthy Retail Development

• How can New York promote and facilitate appropriate retail development? What “best practices” should be employed?
• What policies should New York be developing to support small business in this economic downturn?
• How can New York promote retail diversity in both affluent neighborhoods and low income neighborhoods?
• What new and innovative policies should the Empire State Development Corporation be advancing to promote, develop and grow diverse retail environments in cities across our state?
• The statute authorizing Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) saw its last major revision in 1989. Are BIDs functioning as intended?
• Should New York develop Community Improvement Districts and take a more holistic approach to neighborhood retail development?

________________________________________
YOU MAY TESTIFY AT THIS HEARING, here is how to do it:
Note:
Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committees at the joint public hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. THE FORM IS A .PDF File that you may download and print at THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation. Oral testimony will be limited to ten (10) minutes’ duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committees will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to the Committees’ staff as early as possible. Twenty (20) copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk.
The Committees would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements. In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committees’ interest in receiving testimony from all sources. In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Senate and Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Senate and Assembly facilities and activities.

Daniel Squadron and Scott Stringer present new legislation on City Hall Steps today

On the steps of City Hall today Borough President Scott Stringer and Senator Dan Squadron along with Transportation Alternatives Paul White announced newly authored legislation they would like to see passed. Many Chinatown community leaders were also present including CCRC.

According to the Borough President, "The proposed legislation - recognizing the increased risk of injury and death faced by cyclists, pedestrians and other road users traveling outside the protection of an automobile - requires drivers who kill or seriously injure "vulnerable" roadway users to appear before a judge in court, attend driver safety training, and perform up to 60 days of community service. If a convicted driver fails to complete the safety training course or the community service requirement, he or she may also face fines of up to $10,000 and the loss of his or her driver's license."

Some concerns over this legislation, which was not available in print at the press conference for review, are whether or not the motorist would be "run through the system". It was not clear at the press conference about exactly what was to take place in the event of an accident resulting in injury. While it is clear that the onus should not be on the policeman on the scene to determine a driver's guilt or innocence, we are reminded of possible abuses of one's rights if one is run through the system.
We need to have a reasonable balance. CCRC is waiting to see this legislation.

Fire in Chinatown - Community Finds refuge around the corner.

Although the buildings look relatively in good shape, only hours earlier flames were leaping out of the windows at the corner building at James St. (white building). NY Times photos shot from neighboring buildings show that the back of the building is in very bad shape.

A fire killed at least one person in Chinatown last night in an early morning blaze that ripped through a six story tenement building on James St. one block from Chatham Square.

Hamilton Madison House, one of NYC's oldest settlement houses located at 50 Madison Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, around the corner from the scene of the fire is acting as the disaster center for this tragedy. As of 4:pm displaced residents are still there waiting to hear the news about where they will end up tonight.

At about 7:15am Frank Modica, Executive Director of Hamilton Madison House was already at work when he was summoned to the entrance of the "house". First responders from the Office of Emergency Management told Frank that they needed to get about two hundred people off the street and into a warm safe place immediately. Frank instructed his two maintenance personnel, the only two other people in the building at the time, to start setting up tables and chairs in the auditorium inside Hamilton Madison House.

At about 7:45am the families from the scene of the fire started to come in escorted by O.E.M. and Red Cross personnel. Ricardo Elías Morales, Chairman of the NYC Housing Authority was also on hand to speak with Mr. Modica and insure that everything was going smoothly.

Within minutes a nearby classroom was commandeered to become an impromptu processing and command center.

As Hamilton Madison House staff and personnel started to roll in they immediately got to work translating in both Spanish and English. Frank greeted elected officials who came streaming in all morning.

At 12:pm around 150 or so people were waiting calmly and patiently as CCBA Chairman Justin Yu and his assistant Gary passed out blankets and food, and helped to keep order in an otherwise surreal environment. A faint smell of smoke could be detected in the room. Justin Yu's daughter Pauline was at Madison St. directing families to the Red Cross processing area. Reports say that at least 60 families are temporarily displaced.

Also on hand were Borough President Scott Stringer and his staff members, as well as staff from Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Council member Alan Gerson who, like the Borough President was personally on hand to assist.

Jimmy Yan of the Borough President's office was sure to reach out to community leaders as events unfolded to ensure that their office was available to assist in any way. In fact every single elected official representing Chinatown including the Mayor himself was present to offer their help and suppport. Some were seen with the families for hours on end.

Hamilton Madison House staff was sure to respect the privacy of the families who had just been displaced by keeping photographers and press at bay, while allowing for anyone the opportunity to speak to the press, outside of the gym.

Hamilton House reports that approx. 25 young children ages 2 - 18 were waiting in the auditorium, as well as some 20 seniors. One four year old girl was still in stocking feet while she waited to learn the news of where she would be that evening. The Red Cross provided her with shoes and someone brought her a toy bunny.

Some students actually made it to school as the smoke was still rising from the burned out building. I.S. 131, knowing that Hamilton Madison House was the holding center for the displaced families, called there to check on other students. Parents knew that as long as their kids were in school they were safe. In some ways it was more familiar and less traumatizing for the children than being sequestered in the auditorium for hours. A steady stream of individuals and families were moved from the auditorium to the makeshift processing center by Red Cross volunteers.

As of 3:pm Hamilton Madison House says that several van loads of people have been taken to the Red Cross headquarters at 49th street for final processing to determine where they will be spending the next few days. The condition of the buildings next to the scene of the fire is still being assessed, however it looks as though at least some families will be able to return to their apartments tonight.

Hamilton Madison House will remain open for as long as it takes to process every single individual. The care that Hamilton Madison House provides will continue long after today, however, as their newly appointed Dr. Paul Wong will be on hand for counseling. Dr. Wong is a specialist in child psychology. Peter Yee, Hamilton-Madison House’s Assistant Executive Director for Behavioral health Services will also be on hand for counseling and support.

Hamiton Madison House made sure each family received a flyer so they could contact HMH's Chinatown Resource Center to help them process the paper work in the days and weeks to follow this disaster.

As the families, about 90% of whom are Chinese and 10% are Hispanic, wait patiently Hamilton Madison House is already planning for their needs and support for the coming days, weeks and even years. As Frank Modica puts it "this is what we're here for".

Hamilton Madison House will be accepting donations of clothing and blankets as well as towels for the families in the coming days, please contact them at Hamilton-Madison House: 50 Madison Street, New York, NY 10038
Phone: (212) 349-3724
Fax: (212) 791-7540
Website: www.hmh100.com

The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
Chinese Community Center, Inc
62 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013
Tel: (212)226-6280 Email: ccbany@yahoo.com Fax: (212)431-5883


In addition Wellington Chen, Executive Director of the Chinatown Partnership which is located across the street from the fire is also accepting donations of clothing and supplies, they can be reached at The Chinatown Partnership 60 St. James Place
New York, NY 10038
Tel/Fax: 212-346-9288

Community Board One - REJECTS the DOT's Chatham Square Reconstruction Plan

On Dec.9th 08, Community Board One's Seaport / civic center committee voted to REJECT the DOT's plan for Chatham Square's reconstruction.
DOWNTOWN EXPRESS NEWSPAPER's Julie Shapiro Article :


Board backs Chinatown’s opposition to Chatham Square plan

By Julie Shapiro

Before Community Board 1 could decide what they thought about the proposed Chatham Square redesign, they had to make a more fundamental decision — whether to let the Department of Transportation even present the plan.

Paul Hovitz, a C.B. 1 member, said the plan sounded like a fait accompli.

“If that’s the case,” added John Fratta, chairperson of the Seaport/Civic Center Committee, “we don’t need a presentation. We’re sick and tired of the D.O.T. ramming plans down our throat and the hell with the community.”

After continuing in this vein for about 15 minutes, the committee ultimately decided to listen to the presentation. They then unanimously disapproved the plan.

The city wants to spend $50 million to reconfigure Chatham Square, a congested seven-way intersection. The plan would align St. James Pl. with the Bowery and Worth St. with E. Broadway, effectively cutting Park Row out of the intersection. Park Row was closed after 9/11 to protect One Police Plaza, and the new plan assumes that it will remain closed long-term.

Fratta mentioned the uniformly negative response the project received at a public forum in Chinatown last week as a main reason for opposing the plan. He is particularly concerned that the city is turning part of Park Row into a park and promenade, which he sees as “just a way to dress up keeping Park Row closed. It screams to the community, ‘We’re keeping Park Row closed whether you like it or not.’”

Hovitz questioned whether it even makes sense to turn Park Row into a park if it is supposedly a dangerous area. “You’re inviting people to picnic and hang out in a minefield that is a potential attack zone,” he said incredulously.

Jeanie Chin, from the Civic Center Residents Coalition, pointed out that Park Row is still open to buses, and under the new plan, buses traveling from the Bowery to Park Row will have to make two additional turns at traffic lights.

“That will jam up the traffic as the buses turn,” Chin said, adding that it is very hard for the new double-length buses to make turns. “It makes no sense.”

Josh Kraus, who works for the D.O.T. Lower Manhattan borough commissioner’s office, said only 10 to 20 buses per hour would be slowed down, while many more vehicles moving through the square would be speeded up.

Joe Lerner, a committee member, said the D.O.T. removed an M-21 bus stop at Frankfort and Pearl Sts., saying the double-length bus could not make a left turn. It is inconsistent for the city to now say a double-length bus can easily turn left onto Park Row, he said.

Community board members also criticized the city for not doing enough community outreach. Seth Myers, from the mayor’s office, countered that the city has been speaking to the community since 2004. After some back-and-forth on that fact with Chinatown residents in the audience, State Sen.-elect Daniel Squadron stepped in.

He diplomatically praised the D.O.T. and the city for doing community outreach at higher levels than in the past, but he also said the outreach “needs to be ramped up now.”

Squadron added that any plan that makes the Park Row closure permanent is unacceptable.

The committee initially wanted to pass a resolution encouraging the city to hold off on the project until they do more community outreach. But since Myers said the city was planning to put the current plan out to bid early next year, the committee decided to take a stronger stance and oppose the project.

During the presentation, Myers tried to highlight the city’s flexibility on some landscaping details. The plan for the Park Row promenade is to install cherry trees, but if people want other kinds of trees, the city is open to listening, Myers said.

Ann DeFalco, a committee member, shook her head. “That’s the least of our worries,” she said.


Julie@DowntownExpress.com