A recent article in the Village Voice on Rivington House. Electeds sent letter to state urging them to allow Rivington House to operate as a nursing home especially for low-income neighbors who’ve already lost Cabrini and Bialystoker.

Michael Chavez Reilly who wrote a moving Op-Ed about his father’s experience in Rivington House standing with Bob Humber (Coordinator of the Elizabeth Hubbard Memorial Garden and Co-Head Gardener of M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden).

Community Board 3 passed a resolution in support of a nursing home facility (unanimously):

7. Update on Rivington House sale
VOTE: Title: Community Board 3 Resolution to Support Converting Rivington House to a General
Nursing Home with Maximum Beds, Accessible to All in the Community

WHEREAS, Community Board 3, Manhattan values its community facilities that serve our
community, especially the underserved who are most vulnerable, and

WHEREAS,in the last few years, CB 3 has lost its nursing homes, namely Cabrini with its 240
beds and Bialystoker with its 95 beds, comprising a total of 335 nursing home beds lost, and

WHEREAS, Community Board 3 appreciates Rivington House’s (“RH”) service to patients with
AIDS needing skilled nursing services in a skilled nursing facility, but has learned from RH that
it is closing its facility, which will result in the loss of an additional 219 beds in our community,
and

WHEREAS, Community Board 3 believes that people without the financial or other ability to
receive home care, and in need of both short term and long term care, should be able to
remain in their community, supported by friends and family, and

WHEREAS, CB 3 believes that nursing home care should be available to all in the community in
need of such care, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status or any other reason, so

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that CB 3 supports the conversion of RH beds to general nursing
home beds available to those needing nursing home care, including people with AIDS needing
skilled or specialized care, and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that CB 3 also supports allowing the maximum
number of nursing homes beds (219 beds) in the new nursing home facility that will replace
Rivington House, and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that CB 3 supports all nursing home beds being made available to all in the community in need of such services, regardless of their ability to pay,
insurance status, or any other reason.

“DRIVE 25”

The speed limit is changing to 25 MPH on November 7^th, 2014

Drivers who drive 25 MPH or slower are better able to avoid crashes.

 Pedestrians who are struck by vehicles traveling at 25 MPH are half as likely to die as those who are struck by vehicles going at thirty MPH.

BOWERY MISSION – FOOD DRIVE

The Mission is in urgent need of: pasta, rice, condiments, pasta sauce, canned vegetables, beans.

Food items above can be dropped off at

– CB3 Office 59th Street M-F 9am-6pm Nov. 3rd – 21st

or Bowery Mission 227 Bowery 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

DDC: Forsyth Streetscape and Plaza Reconstruction Project:

CB Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee

University Settlement/Houston Street Center 273 Bowery

November 6, 2014 6:30pm

Join the Sara Roosevelt Park Community Coalition and the M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden for
It’s My Park Day this Saturday from 12pm – 4pm. Meet at the Garden gate at Rivington Street (in the park)

Here is the list of things to do that we came up for IMPD:

IMPD 2014  Saturday 12pm -4pm on October 18th Jin Xiu, Bob, K

Activities and locations:

Rivington to Stanton:

Water and mulch newly planted trees

Aerate tree pit soil with a garden fork.

Garden:

Paint chairs in garden

Paint tables on west side of garden

Weed along west side of garden

Prune in garden

Sweep, rake and clean up garden

Hua Mei Bird Sanctuary (south of Delancey):

mulching, pruning, removing weeds and trash, planting bulbs.

Thanks all.

K

From the NYTimes:

Harlem’s Flower and Chess Man, Forced into an Unwanted Move

“Mr. Gibbs and his portable garden were such a presence that he was known as the Flower Man and residents still call the patch of concrete where he operated Sonny’s Corner. It was a bright spot in front of the Lincoln Houses, a public housing community where residents complain of mold in their apartments and the stench of urine in hallways.

But this spring, New York City told Mr. Gibbs that he had to pack up his roses, daisies and biggest sellers, his potted plants. As it turns out, for more than a decade, he had no legal right to be there. Mr. Gibbs — who is long on adages but short on paperwork, like a permit — got by for years with little trouble beyond the occasional summons. But the parks department began strictly enforcing a law prohibiting a business from operating on parkland without formal approval.”

Unbelievable.

We’ve removed entire parks so that stadiums filled with corporate boxes can be built in their place -all while giving huge tax breaks to wealthy owners. All ‘legal’. And please don’t speak of ‘lost revenue’ – it insults our intelligence.

Nike has entire offices filled with people who will file their permits and ensure their entree into our parks. Sonny Gibbs, being poor and Black may not have been afforded that  kind of wherewithal in this current society- but he does a hell of a lot more good with the wherewithal he has.

This man is bringing a bit of human goodness to that park. He is part of the resilient efforts we need more of in this city. Hands off.

Help The Bowery Mission Replenish It’s Pantry! From BoweryBoogie

UPDATE (as of 4:27pm September 22): We are still in need of pasta, rice, beans, grains, as well as canned vegetables, sauces, and condiments.

The Black Farmers and Urban Growers Conference! 

October 17th – 19th 2014 – Detroit

The Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference is a gathering to enhance the critical relationship between food and health in the Black community by empowering growers, chefs, eaters and activists.

The 2014 conference will be held October 17th – 19th at Western International High School in Detroit, Michigan.
1500 Scotten, Detroit, MI 48209

Many thanks to Janet Wong and the hard working and generous Deutsche Bank staff volunteers who cleaned, mulched, buried the chicken compost, swept, raked and picked up trash in the Garden on Thursday September 18th. They

It was a great day hosting other Climate Activists. Thank you everyone.

10:45-12:15pm People’s Movement Assemblies and the U.S. Social Forum

– Angela Vogel, Walda Katz-Fishman, Alfredo Lopez, Rob Robinson. The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. A space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis.

12:30-2pm    Climate Justice in the Workplace

“Balkan marching tunes, Brazilian sambas and klezmer dirges…“The Internationale,” “The Smash-a-Bank Polka,” and “Which Side Are You On?” A political project that supports groups working for social justice – such as: Make the Road by Walking and Picture the Homeless. – Mathew Plummer, 99 Pickets

4pm HUB: White Anti-Racist (Climate) Activists

Race is always used to divide social movements. A racially-segregated movement will not win. This Hub is a space for us white anti-racist activists to network, share our lessons and support one another in doing this work.

4pm HUB: Great March for Climate Action

People walking across the country, from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., to raise awareness and inspire action on the climate crisis.

Climate Change March -Workshops Here!

M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden (gate at Rivington between Chrystie and Forsyth Streets in the Sara Roosevelt Park)

Today Saturday Sept. 20

All welcome!

10:45-12:15pm People’s Movement Assemblies and the U.S. Social Forum

– Angela Vogel, Walda Katz-Fishman, Alfredo Lopez, Rob Robinson. The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the ?economic and ecological crisis.

12:30-2pm    Climate Justice in the Workplace

“Balkan marching tunes, Brazilian sambas and klezmer dirges…“The Internationale,” “The Smash-a-Bank Polka,” and “Which Side Are You On?” A political project that supports groups working for social justice – such as: Make the Road by Walking and Picture the Homeless. – Mathew Plummer, 99 Pickets

4pm HUB: White Anti-Racist (Climate) Activists

Race is always used to divide social movements. A racially-segregated movement will not win. This Hub is a space for us white anti-racist activists to network, share our lessons and support one another in doing this work.

4pm HUB: Great March for Climate Action

People walking across the country, from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., to raise awareness and inspire action on the climate crisis.