Nursery Schools 101
A sane and sensible approach for applying
By Eric Messinger
1. Why Nursery School, Anyway?
Because if you don’t get into a good nursery school it’s quite likely that your child will never get into Harvard. Ok, here’s really why: because the majority of nursery school directors create comforting, fun worlds where little people learn to socialize while following their creative and intellectual urges. It’s also a chance for parents to get some informed feedback about their child while joining a community of families in which both children and parents will have a stable circle of friends. Read more
Double Decker Dads
Dano Rubin and Hudson Clavin get a bird’s eye view of Central Park as they ride piggyback on their dads Dan and Nick (left to right). Little brother Jake Rubin sticks to riding in the stroller. Photo by Andrew Schwartz
MTA NEEDS BETTER PROJECT MANAGEMENT
By Dan Rivoli
Residents and business owners affected by Second Avenue subway construction are exasperated by delayed completion dates, unannounced schedule changes and unexpected damage to buildings.
A report by the Citizens Budget Commission, a fiscal watchdog group, found that the MTA fails to give the public enough information to determine if projects are progressing on schedule. The commission says that several mega-projects, including the new subway line, have stalled and are costing more than expected.
Updates for Second Avenue subway work are compiled every three weeks by a representative from the construction company hired for the project. The estimated cost for the first phase of construction, the report found, has increased by 13 percent.
With the MTA drafting a new five-year plan this year, the group suggested that the authority improve public communication with an efficient system for tracking mega projects.
“The public should know how its money is being used,” the report says. “More information should be assembled centrally, it should be kept in a consistent format with clear milestones for assessing progress, and it should be made publicly available on the MTA’s website.”
The MTA said by the year’s end, there will be an online dashboard to give the public updated information on all capital projects, including the Second Avenue subway.
“For the first time, you’ll be able to search by project type, line or station to find out exactly where construction stands, why the work is necessary and whether it is on budget,” said Aaron Donovan, an MTA spokesperson.
GREEN ACRES
By Dan Rivoli
It’s easy being green on the Upper East Side. Residents who want to dine at vegan restaurants, shop at an organic market or recycle batteries can now get an Upper East Side Green Map.
The new “Eco Map,” designed by local environmental organization Upper Green Side, was unveiled at the 92nd Street Y greenmarket on Oct. 25. The map pinpoints all things green, from buildings with solar-power rooftops to bicycle shops.
“If we inform our neighbors about green opportunities and make these products and services accessible to them, they will make the best decisions,” said Council Member Dan Garodnick, who was at the event.
The maps will be distributed at greenmarkets, community group offices and stores featured in this survey.
SUPPORT FOR BIKE LANES
By Dan Rivoli
Community Board 8 is looking for new protected bike lanes amid a push to crack down on bicyclists who break traffic rules.
On Oct. 21, the board, by a vote of 38-1 in favor of the project, called for the Department of Transportation to create a plan for a “class 1” lane, which is separated from traffic by a barrier, usually by parked cars.
These lanes will likely run on First and Second avenues where there are dangerous intersections, such as the 59th Street Bridge exit.
“It’s definitely long overdue,” said Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives, a bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group. “To bike down First and Second avenues, you have to be well insured or deeply religious. These are two very dangerous streets.”
A reoccurring pedestrian complaint is that bicyclists illegally ride on the sidewalks. Protected bike lanes, Norvell said, would “virtually eliminate” sidewalk cycling.
2ND AVE. HALLOWEEN PARTY
By Emerald Gearing
The Second Avenue Business Association is holding its second annual Halloween celebration on Sunday, Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on E. 91st Street between Second and Third avenues. The group hopes to create awareness for the businesses on Second Avenue that have been impacted by construction of the Second Avenue subway.
Awards will be given for best Halloween costume, with the grand prize of two tickets to a Broadway production.
BP PROGRAM GOES CITYWIDE
By Dan Rivoli
A program started by Borough President Scott Stringer is going citywide, with support from the city and the City University of New York.
The program pairs urban planning students with understaffed Manhattan community boards to assist with land use applications. The students get a $5,000 stipend culled from philanthropic organizations.
Stringer’s fellowship will now be extended to the city’s community boards through Hunter College’s Department of Urban Affairs and Planning.
Stringer first announced the program’s expansion in his February State of the Borough address. The citywide fellowship will have a presence in all five boroughs. Each year, the program will grow to eventually place an urban planning fellow in each of the city’s 59 community boards.
Tips from Joan and Lidia
Uniting family generations is answer to youth violence plague
By Bette Dewing
Where have all the grandparents gone? Well, like the poignant song so movingly sung by Carole King at Clifton Maloney’s funeral, they’re “So Far Away,” surely off the radar screen of the custom- and view-shapers. Anyone hear about existing grandparents in the non-stop “Balloon Boy” coverage?
Grandparents tend to be a bit more, say, socially conservative than their adult offspring, and they worry about their “youngers” in an ever more dangerous world, and maybe in their home world, too. But they’re taught not to “interfere” or be off the radar screen permanently. Interventions or mediations are rarely arranged to bridge the family divides from which every generation potentially suffers. Read more
Central Park Love Song
Airy expanse of greenery is part of my home and life
By Susan Braudy
I love Central Park. As a very young person, I missed the spiritual lesson in the perennial beauty of blooming and dying flowers.
I’ve a long view from my living room of Central Park treetops to Harlem. Falcons glide on wind currents at my windows. Right now, fat leafy treetops look like bridal bouquets. Winters, I stare at naked branches edged with snow—and posed like dancers. Mornings, I smile as sunrises slowly color my white living room with intensifying pink light. When gray clouds settle down on distant trees, I photograph what look like mountains touching the sky. Read more
General Election Picks
Mayor: Michael Bloomberg
As we mentioned back in September, the key to governing the city at this critical juncture is nursing a more diverse economy back to health while maintaining and building on the gains of recent years in education, business, public safety and the vibrant culture that defines New York City. We think Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is running as a Republican and Independent, is best qualified for this job.
Throughout the past eight years, Bloomberg has advanced ambitious plans to overhaul the largest public school system in the country, mitigate traffic and congestion, increase and improve green space, foster arts and culture and rezone the city to fit the residential and business needs of tomorrow—all while driving crime to record lows and keeping a vigilant eye on a terrorist threat that still lingers. Read more
