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Wednesday, December 18 , 2013 Dear Neighbor, Its impossible to list everything in the district, but here are 34 ways

to get informed, inspired +/or entertained! Lots of holiday celebrations, important meetings, and ways to help your neighbors. Please note in particular: Its A Wonderful Life at the United Palace on Sunday, a protest of LGs proposed development on the Palisades on Sunday, the Senators meeting with Presbyterian Hospital tenants & workers on Monday, st an important Dec. 31 tax deadline for residents who own their homes (ie., co-op, condo or private house) and many holiday parties. Scroll down for information about things happening: Tonight, Tomorrow & Friday (8 items) This weekend (6 items) Next week (3 items) Next weekend (2 items) Looking to January (5 items) How You Can Help (5 items): help your neighbors with your time, your money, your stuff News, information, opportunities & ongoing events (5 items) Feel free to share this e-mail with friends/neighbors. If you know someone whod like to subscribe, have the m Liz Ritter at elritter@adrianoespaillat.org with their ZIP code.

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***TONIGHT , TOMORROW & FRIDAY*** (8 items) Living Liberally Holiday Party: Living Liberally is hosting a holiday party with DFNYC tonight from 6:30-9:30pm at Colors on 417 Lafayette St. RSVP on Facebook for additional information. 33 Precinct Community Council: meeting and holiday party at the Morris-Jumel Mansion. Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 6pm. For more information call 212-927-3891. 34 Precinct Community Council: On behalf of Inspector Barry Buzzetti, we would like to remind you that the next th th 34th Precinct Community Council meeting will be on Wednesday, December 18 at 7pm at the 34 Precinct rd located at 4295 Broadway, @ W. 183 Street. As in previous December meetings, there will be no public session. However, this is an opportunity for you to meet the Commanding Officer and hear his report on recent events. Inspector Buzzetti will make himself available after the meeting for those persons who wish to speak to him confidentially. In addition, you don't have to wait for a meeting to have your concerns heard; you are encouraged to contact Inspector Buzzetti directly (212-927-9445 / 34precinctco@gmail.com). For more information, contact th the 34 Precincts Community Affairs office at 212-927-0576. Carols and Cookies: Sing carols and other holiday favorites around the piano, with food, at Second Presbyterian th th Church, 6 West 96 Street. Free and open to the public, Wednesday, December 18 , from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. CFD Holiday Party: The Community Free Democrats are hosting a Holiday Party at The Bromley, 225 West 83rd Street, 2nd Floor. Admission is free with festivities and food with club members and their families. Thursday, th December 19 from 7:30pm 9:30pm.
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DL21C Holiday Party: Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century (DL21C) is hosting their annual holiday party at R Bar, located at 218 Bowery. Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century is an independent organization of young, progressive New Yorkers. Since 1993, DL21C has been dedicated to increasing the political awareness and participation of a new generation of New Yorkers. DL21C is the premier political group for young people in New th York and serves as a model for grassroots organizing nationwide. Thursday, December 19 , beginning at 7pm. Ethics in Film - Twelve Angry Men: Join the New York Society for Ethical Culture (2 West 64 Street, Ceremonial Hall) for a showing of this classic film with moderator Chris Everett. Eleven jurors are convinced that the defendant is guilty of murder. The twelfth has no doubt of his innocence. How can this one man steer the others toward the same conclusion? It's a case of seemingly overwhelming evidence against a teenager accused of killing his father in "one of the best pictures ever made" (The Hollywood Reporter). Starring Henry Fonda, Lee Cobb, Martin Balsam, th John Feidler, and E.G. Marshall. Suggested donation: $5, includes snacks and beverages. Friday, December 20 at 7pm. Northern Manhattan Democrats for Change: Join Upper Manhattan, Bronx, and Citywide elected officials at the th Northern Manhattan Democrats for Change holiday party at the American Legion (3035 Corlear Ave., btw 230 & st th 231 Streets). Club Members: $25 Guest: $50. Open Bar, Buffet, Raffles & Music all night! Friday, December 20 beginning at 7pm. RSVP to Jose Louis at 646-200-2101 or nmdcclub@gmail.com.
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***THIS WEEKEND*** (6 items) Casablanca: One of the most memorable of all film experiences, Casablanca is a true Hollywood legend. All the elements of the production story, cast, photography, direction, and music are woven expertly together to create a motion picture monument. Wartime refugees gather in Morocco to obtain scarce exit visas to Lisbon. The final airport sequence is an event not to be forgotten. St. Agnes Library, 444 Amsterdam st nd st Avenue (between 81 & 82 Streets), Saturday, December 21 at 2pm. Free and open to the public. The Washington Heights Film Class is proud to show excellent films by local artists and provide the opportunity for you to meet the filmmaker in a Q&A following the show. In December, see Across Three Wildernesses, Mary Ellen Wills documentary about a Cambodian poet who survived the Khmer Rouge killings. Shot in Cambodia, st Washington Heights and the Bronx. Saturday, December 21 , 7:30 p.m. In the Social Hall at the Hebrew th Tabernacle, 551 Ft. Washington Ave., @ W. 185 St. Open to the public; admission is $15 (free if you join the Film Class). For more information email wahifilmclass@gmail.com or visit www.wahifilmclass.com. NYS Young Democrats Holiday Party Toy Drive: The New York State Young Democrats are organizing a toy drive at Becketts, located at 81 Pearl Street. Admission is one unwrapped toy. RSVP on Facebook for st additional info. Saturday, December 21 from 8pm to 11pm. Help get the word out about LGs proposed development which will ruin the Palisades: See the How You Can rd th Help section below for details on a protest at 23 Street & 6 Avenue, Manhattan (SE corner, outside of Best nd Buy). Sunday, December 22 at 12:45pm to 2pm (We'll meet at 12:45pm and start at 1pm.) To RSVP or for more info, contact Joe at jgrappaport@rocketmail.com. (Please be sure to RSVP. We need a good crowd. Also, it will allow us to contact you if we need to change our plans.) Bloomingdale Walking Tour: Meet at Straus Park on 106 and Broadway on Sunday, December 22 at 1pm for a free neighborhood walking tour led by Jim Mackin. Please call 212-666-9774 to RSVP and receive additional information. Its a Wonderful Life Special screening at the United Palace Theatre (4140 Broadway @ W. 175 St.) with introduction by Mary Owen (Donna Reeds daughter), holiday carols & sing -along, and more! Guests who bring an unwrapped toy for the annual Three Kings Day celebration in January can purchase discount tickets: $5 online, or
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$10 at the door. Sunday, December 22 . Doors open at 5pm (box office opens at 4pm); program begins at 5:30pm; film begins at 6pm. For more information visit: http://www.unitedpalace.org/index.php/events/376-it-s-awonderful-life-with-intro-by-mary-owen.

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***NEXT WEEK*** (3 items) NY Presbyterian Hospital Tenants & Workers Meeting: NYS Senator Adriano Espaillat invites you to a meeting with Assemblywoman Gabriela Rosa and Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez to discuss tenant/landlord issues with NYPH th employees living in hospital-owned buildings. At the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center, 534 W. 166 St. (btw. St. nd rd Nicholas & Wadsworth Aves.), 2 floor. Monday, December 23 at 6:30pm. No RSVP required, but you may contact msmith@adrianoespaillat.org for more information. Christmas Dinner at the Gaddard Riverside Community Center . Wednesday, December 25 from noon to 3pm. th 593 Columbus Ave (@ W. 88 St.). All are welcome. Kwanzaa Celebration / Regeneration Night: The Apollo celebrates Kwanzaa with its popular annual show, featuring the renowned New York-based dance company Forces of Nature Dance Theatre and guest performances by Michael Wimberly, Yacouba Sissoko, and F the Elemental. Hosted by Imhotep Gary Byrd. Tickets for this show range from $12-$18 each at our Box Office and are currently available. Tickets may also be purchased via th TicketMaster, though a $3.75/ticket service fee will apply. Friday, December 27 at 7:30pm.
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***NEXT WEEKEND & THE END OF DECEMBER*** (2 items) Experiencing a Time of War and Beyond: Portraits of Spirited Holocaust Survivors Closing reception for this th moving exhibit will take place following Sabbath morning services on Saturday, December 28 (about 11:45am) at th the Hebrew Tabernacle, 551 Ft. Washington Ave. @ W. 185 St. All are invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served. Kids Science-in-the-Park: What's Still Green in Fort Tryon? Search for evergreens and learn how to identify them. This children's naturalist program takes place in Fort Tryon Park with educator Julia Attaway. This workshop for kids 4-7 years old will explore the green trees in the park and question why they stay green in the winter. Children th must be accompanied by adults. Sunday, December 29 , 1pm - 1:45pm. Meet at the entrance to the Heather Garden at Margaret Corbin Circle in Fort Tryon Park.

***LOOKING TO JANUARY *** (5 items) FREE Computer Classes at the NYPL: at the Inwood Branch Library, 4790 Broadway, near Dyckman Street. nd th Thursdays in January, from 3pm-5pm. Subjects include Internet for Beginners (Jan 2 ), App/Vice (Jan. 9 ), Cell th rd th phone buying guide/basics (Jan 16 ), Exploring websites for 50+ (Jan 23 ) and FaceBook Basics (Jan 30 ). All classes include hands-on computer training. RSVP strongly encouraged as classes are limited to 15 people. For more information call 212-942-2445 or visit http://www.nypl.org/locations/Inwood. Application Deadline for Broadway Housing Communities / Sugar Hill Apartments is Jan. 3 ; see details in the News/Information/Opportunities Section below. SAVE THE DATE: Hearing on DoEs Capital Budget: The District 6 Community Education Council invites you to a public hearing on the Department of Educations Capital Budget Plan Amendment. Principals, teachers and parents
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will provide updated information on school overcrowding; the lack of science, art music and physical education rooms; and the need for repair/replacement/upgrade of electrical wiring, HVAC, plumbing, and school yards/playgrounds. Monday, January 6; time/venue TBA. Come and mobilize our community for adequate school funding! Housing Workshop on Harassment: Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Goddard Riverside's SRO Law Project, and The Urban Justice Center host a monthly housing clinic. There will be a presentation, followed by a question and answer session, and an opportunity to meet with a staff attorney to provide free, bilingual legal advice on specific issues. The event is free and open to the public. At the Goddard Riverside Community Center, th th th 593 Columbus Avenue (between W. 88 & W. 89 Streets), Monday, January 8 from 6pm to 8pm. For questions, call the Urban Justice Center at (646) 459-3017. Treecycle / MulchFest in January! Once again, the NYC Parks will host the annual MulchFest the second weekend in January at locations citywide. Bring your holiday tree to one of over 80 designated parks to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city or your own garden! This year, be one of thousands of New York households to help the environment and the community by bringing your tree to our nearest collection site. There will be 36 chipping sites and 45 drop-off sites throughout the five boroughs. Free mulch available at the chipping th th sites! And this year, you can bring your tree to a drop-off site beginning Saturday, January 4 , through the 12 . th The Department of Sanitation also will be having special curbside collections beginning December 30 . Remember to remove all lights and decorations before dropping off your tree. MulchFest drop-off sites in our district include Bennett, Highbridge, Inwood Hill, J. Hood Wrights and Jackie Robinson Parks. Chipping locations include th th Morningside and Sherman Creek Parks. Saturday, January 11 & Sunday, January 12 , 10am-2pm. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov and search for MulchFest 2014.

***HOW YOU CAN HELP*** (5 items) Knit/crochet for Homeless LGBT youth: During the 2 annual Mitzvah Day with two uptown congregations, Beth th Am, The Peoples Temple & the Hebrew Tabernacle of WH, on January 12 . Projects will include making brown bagged lunches for Inwoods Love Kitchen, making get-well cards for kids at NY Presbyterians Childrens Hospital , writing letters with Amnesty International to support prisoners of conscience, assemblilng toiletry kits for homelss LGBT youth, and yes, knitting and crocheting, too. Get a jump start on your donated hats, scarves +/or mittens by th pick up yarn and needles (or hooks) Wednesday afternoon, December 18 at the Hebrew Tabernacle, 551 Ft. th Washington Ave. @ W. 185 St., between 4pm-6pm. NYPD Coat & Food Drive: The 34 Precinct is a designated site for the 25 Annual New York Care's Coat Drive, running through February 7, 2014. Anyone can drop off coats at the Precinct any time during the day. (Anyone is in th need of a coat can call the Coat Drive Hotline: 646-801-4022.) The 34 Precinct also is a designated site for this year's City Harvest Food Drive, running through January 10, 2014. Anyone can drop off food items at the 34th Precinct any time during the day; the most helpful items are canned fruit, canned vegetables, peanut butter th (plastic jars), packaged mac-and-cheese, packaged hot or cold cereals. The 34 Precinct is located at 4295 th th Broadway near W. 184 St. If you have any questions, please call the 34 Precinct Community Affairs office at 212927-0576 or 212-927-0287. Literacy Across Harlem Holiday Book Drive: Over the next three weeks, Harlemites (including you?) will fill them st with hundreds of (like-)new reading gifts. The drive runs through December 21 , and all of the high-quality books we collect will be delivered to families in homeless shelters, women involved in the criminal justice system who are rebuilding their (and their childrens) lives, foster-care organizations serving Harlem families, adult learners striving to improve their literacy skills, and havens for victims of domestic violence. Last year, you made the holidays brighter by donating almost a thousand new and like-new books. This year, we've asked each of our eleven partners to rally customers, employees, and/or students to collect at least 150 reading treasures. For more
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information and a list of collection sites, email Jaye Jones at Books4Harlem@TotalEquityNowHarlem.org. Thank you in advance for your generosity and for helping us to give the gift of reading. Holiday Cards for Ft. Tryon Park: Thanks to last years Winter Photo Contest we have beautiful holiday cards featuring the work of local photographers. These full color note cards display the splendors of Fort Tryon Park in her winter beauty. Each packet contains six different images. Buy two or more and save on shipping. $20 per packet of 10 note cards; available at www.forttryonparktrust.org.All proceeds from these cards go to supporting free programming in the park and restoring Fort Tryon Park for future generations. Help get the word out about LGs proposed development which will ruin the Palisades: We're getting the word out to holiday shoppers and we need you! Join us on Sunday in front of a Best Buy in Manhattan, where well tell consumers about LG's plans to spoil the Palisades. Here are the details: When: Sunday, December 22 at 12:45pm to 2pm (We'll meet at 12:45pm and start at 1pm.) rd th Where: 23 Street & 6 Avenue, Manhattan (SE corner, outside of Best Buy) Who: You and as many people as you can bring. What: Inform the shopping public about LG's plans and how shoppers can help save the Palisades. How: Hand out leaflets, hold signs, talk to shoppers and otherwise make our views known. RSVP: Contact Joe at jgrappaport@rocketmail.com. Please be sure to RSVP we need a good crowd. (Also, it will allow us to contact you if we need to change our plans.) Please note, this is NOT a boycott! But we do want people to know that if they buy LG products their dollars will help a company intent on forever spoiling one of the great natural landmarks in the country. We have no beef with Best Buy, but they sell LG products so it's a good place to get our message out.
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***NEWS, INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES & ONGOING EVENTS*** (5 items) Join your Community Board: The Manhattan Borough President's Office is currently accepting applications for community board membership. Community boards represent their neighborhoods on crucial issues such as development, land use, historic preservation and city service delivery. Serving on a board is an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of sound community-based planning. To find out more about Manhattan's community boards, learn how to apply for membership, or download an application, go to st http://mbpo.org/free_details.asp?id=64. Applications are due by February 1 . Learn more about your City! Since 1956, the Municipal Arts Society has been offering walking tours of New Yorks cityscape, led by architectural, urban and art historians, preservationists, urban geographers, architects, teachers and writers. Theres a wide range of tours, in all 5 boroughs. From the Grand Concourse to Dyker Heights to nd Uptowns own Trinity Church Cemetery (on December 22 @ 1pm), theres something for everyone. Tours sell out quickly; alas they are not free. ($20; $15 for MAS members.) Most tours last approximately two hours unless otherwise noted, and proceed rain or shine. For more information, email info@mas.org or visit their website: www.mas.org and click on tours. Free English Classes through the New York Public Library: The New York Public Library is beginning a new session of English classes in January. Choose from 28 locations in Manhattan, the Bronx & Staten Island, including the Harlem, Inwood & Riverside Branch Libraries. New students MUST come to an informational session first. The th closest one to our district is the Harlem Branch NYPL at 9 W. 124 St. There are two sessions, both on Wednesday, th January 15 , at 1pm sharp and at 6pm, sharp. Space is limited; you must pre-register. For more information, visit www.nypl.org/english or call 212-369-2714. Broadway Housing Communities / Sugar Hill Apartments is accepting applications for 98 affordable housing rental th units under construction at 404-414 W. 155 St. in Manhattans Sugar Hill section. The development includes 124

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apartments, 98 available through an online lottery; the Sugar Hill Museum Preschool, an onsite early childhood education center; Sugar Hill Childrens Museum of Art * Storytelling; not -for-profit rental space and underground parking. To submit a lottery application online, go to www.nyc.gov/housingconnect. To receive a paper application by mail, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope (66 postage) to Sugar Hill Apartments, c/o Broadway Housing Communities, 10 Ft. Washington Ave., PH, New York, NY 10032. To download a paper application, go to our rd website, www.bhc.org. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JANUARY 3 . STAR Property Tax Abatement Registration Deadline is December 31 ! This year, New York State began requiring new registration by all recipients of the basic STAR property tax exemption , effective FY 2015. If you own your home (co-op, condo or private home), it is your primary residence, and your annual household income is less than $500,000, you now MUST (re-)register for this benefit every year. The NYS Department of Taxation & Finance sent letters in September to each individual property owner currently receiving basic STAR as a reminder, but to date many people have not yet responded. , explaining the need to register to continue to receive this exemption in fiscal 2015, which begins on July 1, 2014. Registration is simple and fast and can be done online at www.tax.ny.gov st or by calling 518-457-2036. IF YOU DO NOT REGISTER BY DECEMBER 31 , YOU WILL LOSE THIS TAX BENEFIT beginning 7/1/14!
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-------Elizabeth Lorris Ritter Community Liaison st State Senator Adriano Espaillat, 31 SD 5030 Broadway, Suite 701 NYC 10034 (212) 544-0173 (ph) (212) 544-0256 (fx)

Contact Liz Ritter at elritter@adrianoespaillat.org to receive updates via email

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