Swearing in Ceremonies for 2 More Judges and Assemblyman Bores

All sworn in. First the Judicial. Twas a busy January for judicial swearing-in ceremonies since I last reported on the swearing in of Judge Sabrina Kraus as a Justice of the New York County Supreme Court. Later in the month Judges Dakota Ramseur and Hilary Gingold were sworn in. Mayor Eric Adams, Ramseur’s longtime friend, was in attendance at her New York Law School induction. Judge Gingold was sworn in as Surrogate in the court’s rotunda at 31 Chambers St. by fellow St. John’s University Law School alumna senior US District court judge of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Joanna Seybert. Gingold replaces recently retired Surrogate Nora Anderson who was at the induction. Manhattan’s other surrogate judge, Rita Mella, was also in attendance.

And then the Legislative - February came with the legislature’s swearing in ceremony of the 73rd Assembly District’s newly elected Assemblyman Alex Bores by Senator Chuck Schumer. The Inauguration Ceremony, held at Hunter College, was led by the Knickerbocker Greys Cadets Color Guard, and was introduced by Hunter College President Jennifer Raab. Included in the ceremony were the 5th District’s Council Member Julie Menin, former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and NY Attorney General Tish James, plus Council Member Keith Powers and the 12th CD’s Congressman Jerry Nadler.

An impressive cross section of the community came to cheer the new Assembly Member, including two of his opponents in the election, Community Board 8 Chair Russell Squire and former District Leader Adam Roberts, as well as community advocates Howard Teich, Andrew Fine, Jeff Goldus. Members of the judiciary were there as well including Judges Alex Tisch, David Cohen, James D’Auguste, Jim Clynes, Suzanne Adams, Nick Moyne, Matt Bondy, and candidates who came out of the judicial screening panel, including Andrea Krugman and Anna Mikhaleva.

Before being elected to the Assembly, Bores was district leader of the Four Freedoms Democratic Club which recently combined with the East River Democratic Club. FF’s female district leaders Kim Moscaritolo and Rebecca Weintraub were at the swearing-in as was Ben Wetzler who is stepping down as district leader as Ben Akselrod and Todd Stein are vying to replace himself. They were there, too. Everybody’s waiting for the results of the Four Freedoms endorsement for male district leader in the 76th AD, Part A. Stay tuned.

Can’t say goodbye

You’d think that it gets easier to accept when a business closes with all the closures that have taken place in the last few years. Pre-covid, it was usually the “rents too damn high.” Then it was “because of covid.” Well, here we go again. And it’s not easy. Back to the “rent’s too damn high.” Kings Pharmacy, that terrific user-friendly pharmacy, mini mart, which has been at the 90/91st and Third Avenue location since the mid-to-late 80s, is going out of business because, yes, the rent’s going up up up. Kings Pharmacy has been a great Yorkville neighbor and resource. It’s super-clean. Well run. Reuben, the manager, chief of staff, runs a great operation. Products are always in stock. Prices are right. Staff is efficient. And always on the job. Kings was there for the community for vaccines, supplies, and whatever was needed during the dark days of the pandemic. Doesn’t any of that count? Doesn’t any of that matter? C’mon, it has to. Please.

Reader readback on my 86th St column, gently edited - from Yorkville resident Frank Wilkinson: Excellent analysis. When I arrived in ‘68, we had a German bookstore on 86th, plus a dancehall, bakeries, and restaurants. Thanks. From a Village resident: I used to go to 86th Street with my mother for German-style food, but now it’s got the likes of H&M, PC Richard, Fairway and a bunch more unrecognizable names and structures. But it does lead you east to Gracie Mansion and Carl Schurz Park. Best.

And New York Post columnist Cindy Adams gave us a nice shout out in her Feb. 7th, “Manhattan’s 86th St. isn’t what it used to be” and told of some of the plans I detailed for revamping the Yorkville/Germantown area.