Downtown Local

Mayor Mike Bloomberg read with a third grader at P.S. 126 last Monday at a public appearance to highlight his controversial new promotion policy for third graders. Schools chancellor Joel Klein and his new deputy chancellor, Carmen Farina, also came to the Catherine St. school.

Rev. Pat Bumgardner, pastor of MCC/NY officiated as Bradley Curry, left, married Mel Bryant March 18 at City Hall to protest laws against same-sex marriage. Councilmember Margarita Lopez, who is a lesbian, center, joined the ceremony.

Federal dollars

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has added more than $43 million in transportation funds for New York City to the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU). Funds allocated for Downtown and the Community Board 1 area include the following: $ 4 million for Governors Island, $4.6 million for New York Water Taxi Docks, $2 million for Battery Park City bikeway, and $600,000 for the Lower Manhattan Public Awareness Program.

Among the water taxi docks that will get improvements are the Battery Park dock, the Grand St. dock, and the Pier 25 dock in Tribeca.

The funding for the Battery Park City bikeway is to repair the perimeter and to create orientation points for the four million people who visit the Battery annually to see its memorials and monuments. The funding will also allow for a redesign and construction of connections to the Battery from the Hudson River Park, Pier A, and Battery Park City.

The Lower Manhattan Public Awareness Program monies will go toward documenting the events of Sept. 11, 2001 for educational and historical purposes.

Imagine an Emmy

The Municipal Art Society has been nominated for a New York Emmy for a public service announcement it created for its Imagine New York project. Featuring New York celebrities such as Bebe Neuwirth and Yoko Ono, who donated the use of the John Lennon song “Imagine,” the commercial encouraged New Yorkers to share their thoughts on the 9/11 memorial design finalists.

“This nomination is a tribute to all those who care about the future of our City—from the thousands of people who participated in public workshops, to the top-notch members of New York’s film community who volunteered time and services to create the p.s.a.,” said Micaela Birmingham, director of the Municipal Art Society’s Planning Center, in a statement.

The Imagine New York project conducted public forums and online surveys to solicit public feedback on the rebuilding process.

The New York Chapter of the National Television Academy will hold its Emmy awards program on March 28 at the Waldorf Astoria.

C.B. 1 meetings

The upcoming week’s schedule of Community Board 1 meetings is as follows:

On Tuesday, March 30, there will be a public hearing on the proposed 35-story 5C development on Chambers St. at 6 p.m. in the P.S./I.S. 89 auditorium at 201 Warren St. in Battery Park City.

On Wednesday, March 31, the art and entertainment task force will meet at 6 p.m. in room 709 of 49-51 Chambers St. to hear a presentation from City Councilmember Alan Gerson’s office on creating an art strategy for Lower Manhattan.

Free play readings

The Metropolitan College of New York will present a series of five play readings from April 1st through 4th, which are free and open to the public.

The readings are a project of the college and its partners, Woodie King, Jr’s New Federal Theatre, the Caribbean American Repertory Theatre Company and Audrey Cohen School of Human Services and Education. Woodie King Jr, who is most well know for producing “For Colored Girls Who have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf”, will be co-producing the program.

The works to be presented are written by playwrights from the Caribbean American Repertory Theatre; one of the plays is written by the college’s Human Services Faculty member, Dr Vanda Wark.

The reading schedule is as follows: Thursday, April 1, 7 p.m.: ”Screaming in the Wilderness” by Vanda; Friday, April 2, 7 p.m.: “Currying Favor” by Al Hendric; Saturday, April 3, 3 p.m.: “Changes” by Olivier Stephenson, and 7 p.m. “General’s Inn” by Anthony Wisdom; Sunday, April 4, 3 p.m.: “Moon on a Rainbow Shawl” by Erroll John. They will be held at 75 Varick St. For more information, call (212) 343-1234, ext. 3204/3205.

Small business info

There will be a small business assistance forum at the Pace University Small Business Development Center on March 29 from 7 p.m. -9 p.m. hosted by Councilmeber Alan Gerson, the Downtown Alliance, the Tribeca Organization, Seedco and From the Ground Up. The forum will cover issues such as loans, grants, and wage subsidies. The forum is at 1 Pace Plaza, Lecture hall North – 2nd Floor. For more information call 212 788 7722 or email gerson@council.nyc.ny.us .

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