The final revised district line maps from the Districting Commission don’t change Districts 1 and 2 too much. District 2, which includes the East Village, got some blocks at its northwest edge, while District 1, which includes Lower Manhattan, got some blocks on the western side of Washington Square extending to Sixth Ave. Both Councilmembers Rosie Mendez (District 2) and Margaret Chin (District 1) said it was unclear from this map whether Mendez got all of Vladeck Houses — which had been split between them — which is what they wanted to happen, and if Chin got the Gouverneur Gardens housing development. These will be the final lines unless the City Council opposes them, which would trigger a second round of public hearings to generate alternative lines. Either way, the plan will be submitted to the Justice Department for its review in March. As for District 3, which includes Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, its northeast section was shifted to the west after population gains in the district.
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[/media-credit]Occupy Wall Street protesters celebrated New Year’s Eve in their Financial District stomping ground. After spending several hours in Zuccotti Park, around 11 p.m., they decided to “retake” it, picking up the police barriers ringing the park and piling them in the middle of the place, then dancing on top of them with an “Occupy Wall Street” banner. Sixty-eight people were arrested and one person, Zachary Miller, 28, of Berkeley, Cal., was charged with assaulting a police officer after reportedly cutting the officer’s hand with scissors. Other charges included disorderly conduct, trespassing and obstruction of governmental administration. The sign in middle row, left, is from Evelyn Talarico, 67, the O.W.S. “Umbrella Artist,” who was profiled in The Villager’s Nov. 22 issue.
