VOLUME 07, NUMBER 02 DEC. 04, 2014
THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL'S KITCHEN
Postal Service Air Rights Outreach a Dead Letter Effort BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC After spending much of 2013 involved in ultimately successful efforts to save Old Chelsea Station Post Office (on 18th St., btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.), community groups and elected officials were unpleasantly surprised to learn, last week, that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is once again considering the sale of air rights as well as portions of the historic building. Save Chelsea first heard about the sale when they received a letter two weeks ago, said Paul Groncki, the organization’s treasurer. Dated Nov. 5, the letter states that Save Chelsea, preservation groups and the Old Chelsea Station manager were notified of the possible sale in an Aug. 14 letter. “We never got that letter,” said Groncki in a phone interview. “So this was really the first time that we’re getting real information about them actually selling the air rights.” Groncki said the distribution lists of both letters were interesting, as it did not include Community Board 4 (CB4) or elected officials. CB4 chairperson Christine Berthet said in an email that the board was not informed. “If you look at the distribution list, we were the only local organization on it and we never even got it,” he said. In the Nov. 5 letter, the USPS states that a letter announcing the sale was placed in the post office lobby. A letter dated Nov. 26 was posted at the Old Chelsea station, which states that the USPS “is considering the sale of portions of its property at 217 West 18th St…together with associated air rights.” Continued on page 7
Photo by Zach Williams
Protesters, mostly high school students, followed a route from Union Square to Times Square, on Dec. 1, passing local high schools (including Professional Performing Arts High School at 328 W. 48th St.).
Demonstrators Demand Justice for Victims of Police Shootings BY ZACH WILLIAMS Organized through social media and galvanized by a shared concern for justice, high school students led a Dec. 1 protest against police brutality. They gathered at Union Square that afternoon, before marching along a meandering path to Times Square — where they sat in silence to honor Michael Brown, an 18-year-old from Ferguson, MO fatally shot on Aug. 9 by police officer Darren Wilson. The Nov. 24 decision by a
grand jury to not indict Wilson catalyzed protests across the country, including New York City. Following the announcement, thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets that day in Midtown and Downtown Brooklyn, blocking East River bridges and traffic. Action continued throughout the week including Black Friday, when demonstrators protested inside Macy’s at Herald Square.
‘Chelsea Now’
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