The local paper for the Upper er East Side THE DEBATE OVER CENTRAL PARK’S C CARRIAGE HORSES < VOICES, P.8
WEEK OF MAY
8 2014
NYPRESS.COM
OurTownESide @OurTownNYC
CITIZEN-BACKED PROJECTS GET CITY COUNCIL FUNDS
A THRIFT STORE IN THE HEART OF THE EAST SIDE CHARITY
GOVERNMENT Councilman Ben Kallos completes first round of participatory budgeting
A clothing store for overflow donations made to the local Chabad BY MARY NEWMAN
BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
Councilman Ben Kallos’ $1 million participatory budgeting program were recently announced by his office, with money going toward upgrading senior centers, bus stops and schools on the Upper East Side. This is Kallos’ first foray into participatory budgeting, where constituents vote on how to spend a certain amount of money in the district. Under normal circumstances, constituents get seven months to hear and vote on proposals from the community. Because Kallos took office in January, however, the process was expedited, and only projects that received prior approval from the city were considered. Kallos’ office received 14 proposals from the parks, environmental protection, transportation, education, consumer affairs and health departments, as well as the city’s School Construction Authority, the New York Public Library and the New York City Housing Authority. District 5 residents were given five votes to use on different proposals. Winning projects were the ones which received the most votes until the $1 million was exhausted. Senior centers on the Upper East Side were awarded $250,000, with Kallos tacking on another $750,000 in discretionary funds for a total of almost $1 million. The money will be used for a new security system and door at Robbins Plaza, and a large grant to Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center. Crosstown bus stops heading to the west side received $300,000. Fifteen electronic signs will be installed
For years, the Chabad of the Upper East Side had a problem. People in the neighborhood would routinely drop off clothes and other household goods at its Upper East Side home, but there was nowhere for all of it to go. Now there is. Chanie Krasianski, wife of Chabad Rabbi Ben Krasianski, and Mussa Zakon late last year opened Solomon’s Wives, a thrift store that sells goods that have been donated to the center. All the clothing inside the quaint store on 89th street has been donated to the Chabad, and the proceeds earned go to different causes it supports, and their beautiful Jaques & Hanna Schwalbe Mikvah. “The community has been really excited about it, and we are slowly getting noticed by more and more people,” Zakon said. “We came up with this idea because people have been donating clothes to the Chabad forever, and we really didn’t have anywhere to put it all.” The store is filled with lots of vintage clothing, designer pieces for both men and women. On a recent Sunday afternoon, it was buzzing with new customers. A pair of friends was searching for some new items to bring with them on vacation, and found some fun vintage bathing suit cover-ups. Elyse Sosin volunteers her
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UPPER EAST SIDE The results of
In Brief ALBANY APPROVES MORE SPEED CAMERAS State legislators voted last week to allow New York City to install more speed cameras on city streets. The measure will add 120 cameras to the 20 that are now located throughout the five boroughs. The vote was applauded by Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose Vision Zero plan to reduce pedestrian fatalities includes adding more speed cameras to the city’s traffic enforcement arsenal. The law allows cameras to be installed within a quarter mile of schools and to only target speeders between 7 a.m. and 4:10 p.m. Speed cameras work in the city by automatically ticketing drivers $50 for going 10 mph over the speed limit. Failure to pay the fine results in an additional $25 fee. The current speed limit in most parts of the city is 30 mph, though some legislators and pedestrian safety advocates are calling for it to be reduced to 25 or 20 mph.
SCHUMER WARNS OF POWDERED ALCOHOL On Sunday, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to immediately halt Palcohol - a new powdered alcoholic product - from getting federal approval and hitting store shelves this fall. Palcohol is easily concealable, can be mixed with water and sprinkled onto food, and can even be snorted. Schumer said that the FDA should look into the obvious health concerns surrounding Palcohol so that the product does not ever reach store shelves. “Palcohol can be easily concealed and brought into concerts, school dances and sporting events, it can be sprinkled on food and can even be snorted,” Schumer said. “It’s clear the FDA must utilize their authority to intervene when alcohol products create significant health risks – as they did with Four Loko – and stop this potentially deadly product in its tracks.”