All posts by VirtualBoricua

A Walk in the Park: Community March/Rally To & At Randall’s Island

Sunday, February 24th – 1:00 PM
Meet at the Entrance to the Triborough Bridge Southeast Corner of 2nd Avenue @ 125th Street

VOICE YOUR CONCERNS AND DEMAND THAT THE CITY & PARKS DEPARTMENT:

• Stop the Construction! Go thru Land Review (ULURP) Process & Prepare Environmental Impact Statement
• Abolish the Private School Franchise Contract & Develop a More Open and Fair Permitting Process
• Develop a Community-Based Plan for Increased Access to Ball Fields for Local Schools and Organizations
•   Provide Adequate Park Maintenance Funding  & Open the 103rd Street Footbridge Year-Round
• Improve Safety and Public Transportation & Stop the Implementation of Artificial Turf
• End Private Parties That Prohibit Access to Public Park Land

PARTICIPANTS: Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito • East Harlem Preservation• Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer • Class Size Matters • Citywide Councils on High Schools • NYC Park Advocates • Friends of Brook Park • New York Environmental Law & Justice Project • East Harlem Little League • Puebla en Marcha • Urban Divers • No Spray Coalition• Community Association of East Harlem Triangle Inc.

Call (212) 828-9800 to Register Your School, Church or Community Organization.

Has Justice Been Served? A Town Hall Meeting on Randall’s Island

Wednesday, February 13th (6:30 pm), Alice Kornegay Senior Houses Community Center 2101 Lexington Avenue @ 127th Street

Come chare your thoughts on the recent decision to annul the private school franchise contract. Co-Sponsors: Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, East Harlem Preservation, Class Size Matters, and NYC Park Advocates. This Event is Free and Open to the General Public.  Click here to view flyer or call (212) 828-9800 to RSVP.

Words of Love – Poetry of Julia de Burgos with Carmen D. Lucca

Tuesday, February 12th, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (Free) @ The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, 110th Street between Fifth & Lenox Avenues

In the spirit of Valentines’ Day and to honor renown Puerto Rican poet, Julia de Burgos, on the 93rd anniversary of her birth, The Central Park Conservancy and El Museo del Barrio present an evening of poetry featuring Carmen D. Lucca – who will read from De Burgos work. Before the performance local poet and community advocate, Marina Ortiz, will introduce Julia de Burgos’ life to the audience. After the performance, the audience is encouraged to participate in an open mic session sharing their favorite poems. Free. For advance registration e-mail public_programs@elmuseo.org.

Fourth Annual Arts Festival, Saturday, August 18th

Join the Cultural Affairs Committee of Community Board 11 and the Office of NYS Senator José M. Serrano in “Celebrating East Harlem’s Culture and Legacy,” during the Fourth Annual Arts Festival. The event will be held on Saturday, August 18th along Julia de Burgos Boulevard/East 106th Street, and is free and open to the general public. Call (212) 831-8929 for details.

Get on the Bus! “New York Is Our Home” Rally Around Stuyvesant Town – May 23rd

Stuyvesant Town

Hope Community has joined an unprecedented coalition, “New York is Our Home Affordable Rent Campaign,” that is working to cover more housing under rent stabilization rules and to strengthen rent regulations. Among the issues to be addressed at the May 23rd rally are:

– Preserve Mitchell-Lama and Section 8 Housing
– Preserve Rent-Regulated Units
– Preserve State-Built Public Housing
– Limit Rental Payments for New Yorkers Living With AIDS

If you would like to join the East Harlem contingent to the May 23rd rally, please contact David Dodge from Community Voices Heard at (212) 860-6001.

View the flyer (PDF).

Fifth Annual Coquito Tasting Contest

Coquito Tasting Contest

Saturday, December 9 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm
@ El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue

Kick off the weekend with the traditional holiday drink of the Caribbean. The ingredients in this holiday eggnog are a blend of the cultural richness of the Puerto Rican identity. The fun is in the unique recipes that have been developed over the centuries by the people of different towns in Puerto Rico. The annual Coquito Tasting Contest is an experience in cultural pride and bonding. First, second, and third prizes will be awarded.

Memorial for Don Otilio Díaz, executive director of La Casa

Don Otilio Díaz, executive director of La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorriqueña, died peacefully on Monday, August 21, 2006. He was 75. Mr. Díaz had no children, but is survived here in New York by a sister and several nieces. A public memorial will be held from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Wednesday, August 30 and Thursday, August 31 in Room 103 of the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center, located at 1680 Lexington Avenue near 106 Street. Religious services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, September 1 at Saint Cecilia’s Church, located on East 106th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues. Mr. Diaz will then be buried in his hometown of Guayama, Puerto Rico. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to La Casa’s “Otilio Diaz Memorial Fund.” For more information, call (212) 722-2600 or visit http://www.lacasapr.org.