New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fari�a announced on June 23 that New York City will become the second major urban school district in the nation, after San Francisco, to close on Lunar New Year in the official school calendar. In the coming 2015-16 school year, schools will close on February 8 for the Lunar New Year. New York City schools will maintain the same number of State-reimbursable instructional days as part of this change to the calendar.
 
In recent months, the Department of Education has worked through long-term school calendar planning to accommodate Lunar New Year in the years ahead, while still ensuring New York City can meet its commitment to educating students and meeting the State-mandated 180 days of instruction. The DOE facilitated the addition of Lunar New Year to the school calendar by consolidating two half-days previously designated for staff administrative work, of which neither could count toward the 180-day minimum, into just a single full day. This allowed room for the insertion of the Lunar New Year without any net loss in State aidable days. The DOE added Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official school holidays earlier this spring.
 
"The addition of Lunar New Year to the public school calendar champions our continued commitment to respecting and honoring the extraordinary diversity of our students," said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fari�a. "This new addition is also a welcome teachable moment in the classroom for our students to learn about the contributions of various cultures."
 
New York City joins San Francisco, California, and Tenafly, New Jersey school districts, which close its public schools on Lunar New Year. Under the Chancellor's regulations, students are allowed an excused absence from school for their religious and cultural observances.
 
According to New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, "Asian-Americans are the fastest growing community in New York City, with nearly 175,000 students of Asian descent enrolled in our public schools. With this change, thousands of families will no longer have to choose between honoring their heritage and receiving a full education."
 
"Asian-American students make up more than 12 percent of Manhattan's public school population and nearly a quarter of Community School Districts 1 and 2, and these students should be allowed to celebrate this major holiday with their families," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. "Moving forward, the Department of Education should institute flexible days off, so we can ensure students of all backgrounds can celebrate important holidays with their families, without lengthening the school year or eliminating total class days."

Several of the elected officials representing Lower Manhattan worked hard to get this legislation passed. Among them were U.S. Congressman Jerry Nadler, who represents the west side of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, New York State Sen. Daniel Squadron, and City Councilmember Margaret Chin.

Nadler, Squadron and Chin said they were "thrilled" by this development.

"For years, we pushed so that those who celebrate Lunar New Year are no longer forced to choose between class and their most important cultural holiday," Squadron said. "The Mayor's pledge and today's addition of Lunar New Year to the school calendar send a strong and meaningful message that as the city changes, the school calendar must change with it."

 Squadron said that absentee rates in some schools are up to 80 percent on Lunar New Year.

"I am thrilled that the Mayor is keeping his commitment to put Lunar New Year in the school calendar for next year," said Councilmember Chin, who represents District 1, which includes Chinatown. "Finally, students of Asian descent will not be forced to choose between observing the most important holiday of the year and missing important academic work. Lunar New Year is a deeply important cultural observance for some 15 percent of public school students, and this designation gives Lunar New Year the respect and recognition it has long deserved."
 

"New York City Moves to Ease Landmark Backlog," Wall Street Journal, 6/18/15.

"For Meenakshi Srinivasan, it seemed like a small step in an effort to make government more efficient," says the Wall Street Journal. "The new chairwoman of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission proposed six months ago to summarily wipe out a backlog of 95 pending landmark designations, some of which had been lingering for nearly half a century. But after howls from some elected officials and preservationists, Ms. Srinivasan has reversed herself and offered a new plan: Each potential landmark, from a wood-frame house on East 85th Street to a mammoth power station on West 59th Street, will now get a shot at bureaucratic glory. Public hearings for each application are now to be held this fall, and final decisions on most of the historic properties are due by the end of next year." For the complete article, click here.

"Sandy-ravaged 'tourist trap' is finally safe for real New Yorkers," New York Post, 6/18/15. "Long dissed as a salty tourist trap, and more recently ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, the South Street Seaport's ship has finally come in," the New York Post declares. "A fleet of vibrant new stores and restaurants have dropped anchor alongside such historic haunts as the Paris Cafe, a legendary watering hole on South Street for nearly 150 years. 'There's a rising-tide feeling down there that's really interesting right now,' says Eric Demby, co-founder of Smorgasburg food market, which set up in 2013 to help reinvigorate the area, post-Sandy. After skipping last summer, the Brooklyn-based foodie favorite has returned with some of its top-selling purveyors. While work continues on the Pier 17 shopping center, slated to reopen in 2017, design darlings such as William Okpo and Brother Vellies have opened shop on Fulton Street in the last few months. Seaport Studios - a highly anticipated pop-up shop featuring high-end designers - debuts Friday."  For the complete article, click here.

"Save Alexander Hamilton!" Politico.com, 6/18/15. "There is something sad and shockingly misguided in the spectacle of Treasury Secretary Jack Lew acting to belittle the significance of the foremost Treasury secretary in American history, Alexander Hamilton, by demoting him on the ten-dollar bill," says Ron Chernow, author of a best-selling biography of Hamilton. "In announcing the move Lew implied that Hamilton wouldn't disappear altogether from the bill, but would somehow share the space with an illustrious woman. Since the two would obviously look awkward side-by-side, the strong likelihood is that the female personage will be emblazoned on the front with Hamilton banished to the murky back side. The desire to elevate a woman into the select pantheon of Americans on our currency is altogether laudable and I, for one, would be thrilled to see Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, or Susan B. Anthony grace the twenty-dollar bill. But to pounce on Hamilton as the victim of this long-overdue change is to correct one historic injustice by committing another."  For the complete article, click here.

"Sheldon Silver, Unbowed by Charges, Adjusts to Life After the Speakership," New York Times, 6/21/15. "The last five months have not been kind to Sheldon Silver," says The New York Times. "Arrested in January, indicted in February and forced out as Assembly speaker in between, Mr. Silver has seen his influence in the Capitol wane. Some luxuries have been lost, like the office just off the Assembly floor. He now sits in the chamber, next to a freshman Democrat who was 14 years old when Mr. Silver was first elected to the Assembly. Yet in many ways, Mr. Silver remains a presence unbowed, tackling favored causes and displaying no obvious reluctance about appearing in public at the Capitol or elsewhere. At the Celebrate Israel parade in Manhattan last month, for instance, he marched up Fifth Avenue wearing a blue sash and holding up an Israeli flag. Outside City Hall in March, he voiced support for making the Lunar New Year a school holiday. At an April meeting of a task force he formed to address the issue of school overcrowding, those on hand greeted him with applause. 'These are my friends,' Mr. Silver said last week, recalling the warm reception. 'I've been doing this with them for 30 years. As far as they're concerned, nothing's changed.'" For the complete article, click here.

"So About That Sinking LES Sidewalk Next To The 80-Story Luxury Tower Construction Site...," Gothamist.com, 6/19/15. "Extell, the favorite developer of oligarchs worldwide, is having a complicated couple of days," says Gothamist.com. "First, they got served a stop-work order Wednesday because construction on their 80-story 250 South Street condominium tower was causing Cherry Street to collapse. Now, it looks like the developer is going to have to rip up all of Cherry Street and repave it." Gothamist says that, "Our source couldn't confirm when reconstruction would start on Cherry Street, though it's likely that it will begin soon, given the troubling amount of damage that's already visible along the block." For the complete article, click here.

Manhattan Yacht Club launch from Pier 25: The Manhattan Yacht Club's clubhouse, the Honorable William Wall, is anchored for the summer near Ellis Island. A launch service from Pier 25 to the Willy Wall will begin departing from Pier 25 near North Moore Street in Tribeca on Tuesday, June 23.  So far this spring, the launch has only departed from Jersey City making Manhattan Yacht Club's Clubhouse hard to reach. To celebrate, the Manhattan Yacht Club is offering half-price drinks on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 23 and 24. Everyone is welcome at the Willy Wall (you don't have to be a member of the Manhattan Yacht Club.) Enjoy the incredible views of the harbor. Watch the sailboat races. Bring a picnic. The launches depart at 5:25 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and then every 30 minutes from Pier 25. Return trips are also every half hour. The William Wall closes at 10 p.m. The first four launches from Pier 25 have reserved tickets. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. If tickets are sold out, visitors can still go standby. By 7 p.m., some guests start to come back and launch rides are available on a first-come basis. For more information about the Honorable William Wall, click here. 

River Project WetLab Look-ins: The River Project's WetLab at Pier 40 (at Houston and West Streets), provides an opportunity for the public to meet the underwater animals of New York Harbor. The Wetlab is on the south side of Pier 40 and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wetlab Look-ins are centered on a 3,000 gallon flow-through system of unfiltered river water. The animals in residence encounter the same temperature, salinity and microorganisms as they would if they were in the river. This estuarium houses a unique and important NY State Heritage Collection of locally caught fishes and invertebrates that represents the biodiversity of the Hudson River Park Estuarine Sanctuary, and it can include hundreds of animals. A special feature is the Living Oyster Reef Ecosystem Exhibit. Wetlab Look-ins are interactive. Visitors are encouraged to get their hands wet in touch tanks and to participate in hands-on activities set up on the south walkway of Pier 40. Special topic Look-ins are hosted by students participating in The River Project's Marine Biology Internship Program. Interns choose a topic of interest, do extra research and create their own hands-on activities for visitors. Topics can vary, as they depend on interest, and can be anything from sediment exploration, to water quality testing, to a specific estuarine species. The River Project's events calendar includes a list of Wetlab Look-ins so that guests can plan their visit around a topic of their interest, or come and be surprised. To see the events calendar, click here. 

Downtown Boathouse closures: Downtown Boathouse's free public kayaking will be closed on Sunday, June 28 for New York City Pride Day events. An email from the Downtown Boathouse said, "We are planning to be open on Saturday June 27, but the situation may change."

River to River Festival discounts: Several Merchants Hospitality restaurants are offering a 25 percent discount to festival audience members who mention "River To River" between June 18 and 28. The discounts apply at The Black Hound, Merchants River House and SouthWestNY in Battery Park City; Clinton Hall at 90 Washington St. (at the corner of Rector and Washington Streets); Industry Kitchen at 70 South St. and Watermark on Pier 15 at 78 South St. (in the South Street Seaport); and Pound & Pence at 55 Liberty St. (in the Financial District).

Open auditions for Downtown Voices: Trinity Wall Street is looking for experienced volunteer singers to join Downtown Voices, a new choir bringing together the best professional and non-professional singers in the New York metro area. The choir will rehearse once a week and perform Benjamin Britten's St. Nicholas, James MacMillan's Seven Last Words from the Cross, and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis in the 2015-2016 season. Stephen Sands will direct. If you have choral experience and are interested in singing alongside members of the Grammy-nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street, audition for Downtown Voices. Click here for more information on audition requirements.

Volunteer for the South Street Seaport Museum: The South Street Seaport Museum has a fleet of six historic ships and a workshop barge, all of which need constant upkeep. Schooner Pioneer and Lettie G Howard rely on volunteers to not only maintain them, but to sail them. Both are recipients of the Tall Ships America - Adventure and Education Under Sail "Sail Training Program of the Year" award (2012 and 2014 respectively). All are welcome to join the crew - no experience necessary! Training is provided as you go, and there are numerous possibilities for participating, learning and growing into a skilled maritime preservationist and traditional sailor. Email volunteercoordinator@seany.org for more information.
 
Get Low Tuesdays: The Downtown Alliance has launched "#GETLOW Tuesdays," a new summer promotional campaign that will provide a 20 percent discount at nearly three dozen Lower Manhattan restaurants. In addition, participants who share the program using social media will be entered to win a four-day, three night trip to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Created by the Downtown Alliance, the program will be driven by social media. Participants can utilize 11 social media platforms to spread the word about the campaign, using the hashtag #GETLOW. Available platforms include: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, Vine, Snapchat, Foursquare, Flickr, Pinterest and Tumblr.

Participating restaurants are: 121 Fulton Street; Atrio Wine Bar | Restaurant; Barbalu Restaurant; Bavaria Bierhaus; Beckett's; Blackhound Bar; Church & Dey; Cowgirl SeaHorse; Da Claudio Ristorante & Salumeria; Dina Rata; The Dubliner; Felice 15 Gold Street; Financier Patisserie; Fresh Salt; GRK; Harry's Caf� and Steak; Industry Kitchen; Lonestar Empire; Lumpia Shack; Mad Dog & Beans Mexican Cantina; Merchants River House; Nelson Blue; Pound & Pence; Ramen Burger; Red Hood Lobster Pound; St. George Tavern; Schnitz; Seaport Smorgasburg; Smorgas Chef; SouthwestNY Restaurant; Stone Street Tavern; and Watermark Bar & Lounge. The campaign is also receiving support from the Millennium Hilton and Hilton Amsterdam.

To learn more, click here.

July 4 fireworks: This year's Fourth of July fireworks display, presented by Macy's, will again take place over the East River. The best places to see the show will be from Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, and along the east side of Lower Manhattan. The light show starts at 9 p.m., but it would be best to arrive early. For more information, click here.

 
Downtown Post Portfolio: Downtown Post Portfolio is a regular feature in Downtown Post NYC, showcasing artists and photographers who live and/or work south of Canal Street or who create images (paintings, drawings, photographs) of Lower Manhattan.

To have your work considered for publication in Downtown Post Portfolio, send up to seven high-resolution jpeg files attached to an email to editor@downtownpostnyc.com. (One of the photos should be a picture of you.) Several of these photos will be published in Downtown Post NYC, along with a short artist bio and a statement about the work submitted, including whether or not it is for sale and how to purchase it.

Not all entries can be published. Copyright remains with the artist. Before publication, each contributor will be asked to sign a release stating that Downtown Post NYC has the right to publish the work in the emailed newsletter and in the Downtown Post archives, and that there is no payment.

Downtown Little League opening day photo gallery: The Downtown Little League kicked off its 2015 season on April 18. This year, there are just under 1,100 players on 81 teams. For photos of the opening day, click here.

Whitney Museum of American Art photo gallery: The Whitney Museum of American Art at 99 Gansevoort St. opened to the public on May 1. For photographs of the Whitney Museum's new building and of its opening exhibition, click here.

South Street Seaport Museum Opening Day: The South Street Seaport Museum opened its 2015 season on April 25 with events on Pier 16 and activities for kids and their families in the lobby of the museum's 12 Fulton St. building. For photographs of the museum's opening day, click here.

Downtown Post Portfolio: Jay Fine: Jay Fine is a New York City fine-art photographer and photojournalist, based in Lower Manhattan whose work was featured in Downtown Post Portfolio (DPNYC, 5/6/15). To see some more of Fine's work on the Downtown Post NYC website, click here.