By David McCabe
Volume 80, Number 6 | July 7 – 13, 2010
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933
Ave. D senior center evades ax
One of the two senior centers on Avenue D will stay open, despite major budget cuts to senior services throughout the city, after residents protested and elected officials intervened.
Up through the beginning of last week, when the budget passed the City Council, it was possible that both centers, in the Jacob Riis and Lillian Wald public housing complexes, would close.
Protesters were asking that at least the Wald center should be kept open, because it’s fully air conditioned, allowing seniors a cool place to spend hot days.
Elected representatives at the state and local level, including City Councilmember Rosie Mendez, state Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh and state Senator Daniel Squadron, asked Mayor Bloomberg to restore funding to the center. Mendez told The Villager that she was committed to saving at least one center.
Speaking two weeks ago, Kavanagh said that the Assembly had restored key state funds to the city, so he didn’t believe that the centers had to close. A letter obtained by The Villager, from state Senators Pedro Espada Jr. and Ruben Diaz Sr. to Mayor Bloomberg, said that the state Senate had provided $18 million to stop the closure of 50 senior centers, including the Wald and Riis locations.
“I am very grateful that the city and Ms. Mendez were able to work something out and advocate for us,” said Ricky Colon, who helped to organize the protests. “I’m so happy the senior citizens stood up with the younger people in the community and made their presence known.”
