As an advocate for affordable housing, anti-gun violence measures, fair policing, equity, and social justice, Jumaane Williams is serving his third term on the NY City Council representing the 45th district in Brooklyn. Williams wants to see the Lt. Governor have a more active role in state policy and advocacy, more like a public advocate at the state level. GSD members endorsed his campaign at their May 15 meeting. [jumaanewilliams.com]
Monday, May 7, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
PS 41, 116 W. 11th Street
Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Location TBD (on Grand Street)
Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
New School Johnson Hall, 66 W. 12th Street
Wednesday, May 16, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Seward Park High School, 5th floor cafeteria
Enter on Ludlow between Grand and Broome
Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Tenement Museum, 103 Orchard Street
Join a conversation with legendary preservationist Kent Barwick as part of LES History Month.
RSVP required due to space constraints: info@LESPI-nyc.org
Monday, May 14, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Rectory of St. Mary’s, 28 Attorney Street
For almost 200 years, St. Mary’s has been serving the immigrant populations of the Lower East Side. The event will include a presentation on the church’s and area’s history, a tour of the church, and ringing of St. Mary’s Bell. Tickets required, $10 for GSD members. Purchase here.
At last night’s regular meeting, Grand Street Democrats voted overwhelmingly in support of Brian Kavanagh’s re-election to the New York State Senate.
At last night’s regular meeting, Grand Street Democrats voted overwhelmingly in support of Yuh-Line Niou’s re-election to the New York State Assembly.
At last night’s regular meeting, Grand Street Democrats approved the following resolution:
The L Train East River Tunnel requires extensive repairs that will disrupt the commute of thousands of New Yorkers for 18 months or more. These repairs are necessary, and the disruption is unavoidable. However, the current MTA contingency plans fail to adequately address the challenge. For example, with the current plan, non-HOV cars will be forced off Delancey onto smaller streets that already suffer from congestion and unsafe conditions for pedestrians. We urge the MTA to consider several important changes to its plans and approach.
We support the lawsuit brought by community groups, individuals, and organizations representing the disabled which would require the MTA and NYC DOT to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and prepare an environmental impact statement.
We urge our city council members and state representatives to officially support these efforts to improve the existing L Train contingency plan.
At last night’s regular meeting, GSD members initiated the process for determining this year’s slate of judicial delegates and alternates from Assembly District 65. Four members were nominated to join the slate of delegates, and the executive committee was authorized to negotiate the final make-up of the slate with other Democratic District Leaders from AD65.
The GSD nominees are Ian Rosenberg, Diego Segalini, Hariette Skidelski, and Peter Herb. Since members ranked nominees when voting, these nominees will be considered for the final slate in this order.
GSD members also approved a resolution to give the executive committee authorized to negotiate a full slate of judicial delegates (5) and alternates (5) with the other Democratic District Leaders from AD 65. The delegates endorsed last night by GSD members will make up AD65 Part A’s contribution to that slate.
This past year we’ve petitioned for District Leaders, County Committee Members, and been part of the district convention to choose a nominee for our State Senate special election. On a democracy scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is Tammany-style selection by party bosses and 10 is Quaker town-hall consensus, each of these selection procedures gets a different grade somewhere in the middle.
Learning how all that works has been like sitting through Civics 101. And with a year of elections under our belt, we’re ready for Civics 102: electing judges to the New York State Supreme Court.
The NY Supreme Court is the state’s major trial court (not the state’s highest court, which is confusingly called the Court of Appeals). Candidates for Supreme Court appear on the November general election ballot. Before that, in late September, each major party nominates judicial candidates at a party convention. And before that, delegates to that convention are selected by voters on the primary ballot on September 13.
Any New York State resident who is an enrolled member of a political party can run for judicial delegate, but generally district leaders, local political clubs, and even elected officials in each assembly district endorse a slate of delegates and help them qualify for the primary. That’s where Grand Street Democrats — and you — come in. At our May 3 spring meeting we will ask the club to endorse 2 or 3 members who are interested in being judicial delegates and alternate delegates for 2018.
The responsibilities of judicial delegates include getting to know the people running for NY Supreme Court and attending the judicial convention (likely this year between September 18-24). At the convention, delegates will cast their votes for those candidates they believe would be the best choices for the Democratic Party’s nominees in the general election.
We’d also like you to commit to getting at least 50 signatures in June on the designating petitions that you (and all candidates for party or public office) need to have to qualify for the primary. Also: you must be a member of Grand Street Democrats to be considered for our endorsement as a judicial delegate.
Please let us know if you have questions about the role. And let us know if you’re interested, so we know before May 3 how much discussion time we need to set aside. And then please prepare a resume we can share and a brief statement about why you are interested in this role.
For more information on this position and process, you can review this helpful guide from the New York City Bar Association (particularly pages 25-27): https://www2.nycbar.org/pdf/report/uploads/20072672-GuidetoJudicialSelectionMethodsinNewYork.pdf.
Saturday, May 12
8:30 am – 2:00 pm
Corlears Hook Park
Cherry Street & Jackson Street
RSVP by May 4
Join the New York Junior League’s Playground Improvement Project to help beautify and improve Corlears Hook Park.
Lunch provided if you RSVP by May 4.
Corlears Hook Park — our neighborhood’s entryway to East River Park — has undergone significant upgrades over the past five years thanks to local organizing by Friends of Corlears Hook Park.
This year, the park has been selected as the subject of an intense month-long volunteer project by New York Junior League’s Playground Improvement Project. Working weekends since April 14, volunteers are gardening, landscaping, and renovating the park and playground.
We will join them during the final weekend of park improvements, on Saturday, May 12. Volunteers should be ready to start working at 8:30 am. Lunch will be provided only if you RSVP below.
Corlears Hook Park is a vital outdoor space for our community, with playground, outdoor grills, baseball and soccer field, a dog run, and one of the most vibrant displays of Chinese magnolias in New York City. It’s important that we do our part to make sure this park has the local resources necessary to keep it looking its best.
Monday, May 7
Doors open 6:30 pm
First speaker 6:45 pm
PS 41
116 W. 11th Street
This year’s state primary is heating up! Hear from Democratic candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller. Open to the public.
We are grateful to Village Independent Democrats for arranging the event. GSD and other downtown clubs are co-sponsoring the event to make sure members of our community have a chance to hear directly from all these Democratic campaigns.
PS 41 is close to the West 4th Street subway stop (D, B, F, A, C). From our neighborhood you can also take the M14A to 6th Ave. and walk down just three blocks.
Thursday, May 3
6:30 – 9:00 pm
Seward Park Coop Meeting Room
387 Grand Street
At our next regular meeting we will:
The meeting is open to the public. Only members with voting privileges* will be allowed to vote on endorsements and resolutions. (Members with voting privileges who cannot make the meeting may designate in writing any other member to vote on their behalf.)
* A member has voting privileges if they meet the following conditions:
If you are unsure if you meet these requirements, please email hello@grandstreetdems.nyc.
