Corey Johnson Launches School Explorer
New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) released a School Explorer to the public yesterday.
The School Explorer, an interactive map that allows parents to browse and compare schools in their area, was launched in anticipation of the city’s kindergarten application deadline on Monday, Jan. 14. The Explorer provides parents with information on test scores, recreational spaces, demographic breakdowns, and other factors.
“It’s a lot of work being a parent, and navigating the city school system can feel like a second or third job,” said Johnson. “Of course you want to get it right, which means a ton of research. We put a lot of information all in one place here to make it easier for families. It’s a great resource, and I’m really proud of the work we put into it. There’s currently nothing like it.”
Mark Levine Proposes Putting Added Sugar Warnings in Fast Food Restaurants
City Councilman Mark Levine (D-Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville) introduced a new bill on Tuesday that would force chain restaurants in the city to add warning labels to menu items high in added sugar.
The bill, if passed, would make New York the first city in the United States to impose such a guideline on food vendors. Levine, who chairs the City Council’s Health Committee, said that restaurants need to be more transparent about the sugar content of their food, due to excess sugar intake being linked to obesity and diabetes, among other afflictions.
“No city has done this yet, but New York is backsliding in the fight against obesity and diabetes, and helping people improve their diet is key to getting those trends moving in the right direction,” Levine told the New York Post.
Gale Brewer and Helen Rosenthal to Host This Year’s Mulchfest
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) will be showing up to this year’s Mulchfest, an annual event that has New Yorkers bring in their old Christmas trees to be mulched and recycled.
Helen Rosenthal released a tweet yesterday revealing that she and Brewer will kick off the weekend-long event by putting the first tree into the wood chipper.
The event begins on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 10:00 a.m. at 83rd St. across from the River Run.
