Community

For the first time since 2008, The New York Public Library will receive an increase in city operating funds. Thanks to Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and the New York City Council, the City's libraries will receive a $10 million increase in funding, of which $4.4 million will go to the NYPL. 

Thank you to the following elected officials who allocated capital funding for library projects in the FY15 budget.

• Mayor Bill de Blasio
• Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito
• Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
• Borough President Gale Brewer
• Borough President James Oddo
• Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo
• Council Member Margaret Chin
• Council Member Andrew Cohen
• Council Member Inez Dickens
• Council Member Corey Johnson
• Council Member Ben Kallos
• Council Member Andy King
• Council Member Mark Levine
• Council Member Steven Matteo
• Council Member James Vacca

On July 22, Council Member Ben Kallos visited the 67th Street Library to say hello to the children participating in the branch's Science Explorers program. Science Explorers is an afternoon of fun science exploration when children read stories and basic non-fiction text to learn about early science concepts. Following the reading, participants conduct experiments or create art relating to the week's topic. 

Before he was appointed to Community Board 4, Austin Ochoa said more of his peers would be applying to serve if they knew they had a shot at getting on the board.

Ochoa, age 19, was appointed by Borough President Gale Brewer in April. She’s been working for the past four years to pass a bill allowing 16 and 17 year olds to serve on the board, and last week that work paid off with the passage of a state bill allowing it.

“These 16- and 17-year-olds are so intelligent, so grown up, and I don’t know if it’s because they’re in New York, but they can really keep up with the adults,” said Brewer. “Not all, but many. And anybody that says otherwise just doesn’t know this group of 16- and 17-year-olds.”

The bill was sponsored and passed at the state level by Senator Andrew Lanza and Assembly member Nily Rozic. City Council member Ben Kallos joined forces with Brewer to introduce a resolution calling for the measure at the city level, and Brewer credited council member Mark Levine with pushing for teens to be allowed to serve on community board when he was still a district leader.

“We’ve been working on this for about four years,” said Brewer.

Reached for a comment, Council Member Ben Kallos told JP, “I am appalled by the attack that took place on the East Side. Violence, particularly if rooted in bias, is abhorrent and does not belong in our city. I am confident that the incident is receiving a swift and thorough investigation."