Bores Gives $150,000 to School, Praises Knickerbocker Greys
| 03 Feb 2025 | 04:56
A big crowd turned out to listen to Assembly member Alex Bores deliver his State of the District address at the High School of Art & Design, which received a $150,000 check for the school’s media labs. He also praised the Knickerbocker Greys, who were allowed back into the Park Avenue Armory. (
)
The Knickerbocker Greys, who are now allowed back into their historic home at the Park Avenue Armory, led a color guard presentation to start the State of the District address by Assembly member Alex Bores. He had sponsored legislation to let them back into the Armory. (
)
From the Dragon to the Snake—Just as the Chinese Zodiac calendar was leaving the Year of the Dragon and entering the Year of the Snake, the 73rd Assembly District’s Assembly member Alex Bores gave the annual State of the District speech.
Maximillian Re-Sugiura, principal of the High School of Art & Design, on East 56th Street between Second and Third avenues, where the address was held, introduced Bores. Not too surprisingly, Bores lauded the accomplishments of “Principal Max and the school’s teachers.” While they can do a lot by themselves, they couldn’t do it alone, he pointed out. He presented “Principal Max” with a check for $150,000 “to buy the students of the High School of Art & Design state-of-the-art tech for their media lab.”
Bores went on to speak glowingly of the Knickerbocker Greys, who participated in the opening ceremony. He talked about their being “the oldest after-school program in America and for over 120 years they have called the Park Avenue Armory home,” and how they were threatened with eviction. Bores credited Community Board 8’s passing of a resolution in support, and thanked Tai Borrero, chair of the committee; Russell Squire, CB8 chair at the time, and Valerie Mason, the current chair., for their advocacy. Governor Hochul has signed the bill that Bores and Senator Liz Krueger put forward. Said Bores, “The Greys will now be able to stay in their home with the Park Avenue Armory.”
The lower-level school auditorium was filled. Senator Chuck Schumer participated in the official ceremony. Electeds and candidates Council member Keith Powers (currently term-limited and running for Manhattan Borough President), Brad Lander (currently City Comptroller and running for Mayor) were there as were several of the CD4 candidates seeking to replace Powers.
Bores also ticked off some other district highlights.
Economically, he said, for the second year in a row, the district has the fourth-lowest unemployment rate in NYC, and the district continues to be the economic engine for New York, with more Fortune 500 companies headquartered in our district than in 36 states. And they’re expanding. An example: A new flagship project at 350 Park Ave. will house 6,000 ongoing jobs, and will be the largest presence of the firm Citadel, once headquartered in Chicago.
Investments made in speeding up the N, R and 6 trains last year continue to pay off, he said, noting that subway ridership increased 14 percent in the district and that the ridership surge came before congestion pricing began on Jan. 5.
Crime—Felonies in the 73rd District decreased 15 percent in the first nine months of 2024, and all seven of the trackable major felony categories fell as well.
Culture—The Frick will finally reopen this year. Cooper Hewitt is displaying brand-new exhibits, the 92Y hosts fantastic talks, and, “most importantly, Sutton Place Park Conservancy put on a rendition of Hello, Dolly! that was nominated for five Off-Off Broadway awards.”
Safety—The legislature passed six bills on lithium-ion battery safety, banning unsafe batteries and chargers. As a result of those laws and actions by the FDNY, deaths from e-bike fires were reduced by 67 percent in the city in 2024. Additionally, Bores passed two laws to regulate our streets. One requires an investigation any time an e-bike causes a death or serious accident. The other concerned mopeds. The law requiring mopeds to be registered in NYS wasn’t working. So Bores passed the bill requiring that all mopeds be registered at the point of sale. Also, app companies will be required to verify that the mopeds their drivers use are registered.
Since food-delivery apps tend to prioritize speed over safety—at least that’s the way it seems—Bores has introduced two bills: One will make the app companies liable for any tickets their delivery workers receive; another bill would require companies to change their algorithms for distributing work so that they weigh the biker-safety factor at least as much as they weigh on-time delivery, i.e., bikers who follow the law would get more routes.
Relief for restaurant-goers—Starting on Feb. 17, 2025, third-party marketplaces will be illegal in New York. With bots making reservations at popular establishments and selling them to the highest bidder, you may never get to go to a new hot spot. “With the cost of living as high as it is, New Yorkers do not need another fee just to go out to eat,” says Bores’ new law.
Telemarketers—A Bores-backed law increases the fines on telemarketers. Since its enactment in 2023, fines for telemarketers have skyrocketed. And he’s moving forward with legislation that ensures that you can cancel any service you want. Governor Hochul has introduced a similar proposal in her budget.
There are other bills in the offing that Bores is advocating for that include expanded tax credits for kids under 4 years old and for children ages 4 to 16.
Same time next year. Year of the Horse.