Ethan is 2 years old today!
Mood:  silly
Let's hear it for my son Ethan, who turns 2 today.

Hip, hip hooray!

Belly Dancing
Seniors can dance off the pounds learning Middle Eastern belly dancing every Frday from 11am-noon. New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Allen Pavilion.
5141 Broadway at W. 220 St.
212-305-5587

Low Cost Breakfast for Seniors
The YM/YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood is now offering breakfast to seniors for 50 cents from 8:30-10:30am, Monday through Friday. Funded with a grant from America's Second Harvest. 54 Nagle Ave.
212-569-5600 ext 208

If your child is required to repeat 3rd grade....
Information taken from an article in the Manhattan Times Vol 5, No. 13 by Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda.

Due to the newly passed ruling by the NYC Panel for Educational Policy, children must repeat the third grade if they score lowin the April standardized reading and math tests.

However, some children have learning disabilities that will prevent them from passing these tests.

In order to determine what is interfering with your child's ability to pass the test, you can request an evaluation from the school-based support team.

When a child is required to repeat a grade, this evaluation is NOT automatically given, UNLESS A PARENT REQUESTS IT IN WRITING.

The schools are required to complete the evaluation within 60 days of the written request.

All you need to do is send a letter to the school, a sample letter is below:


Date:

I am requesting that my child _______ be evaluated by the school-based support team, since my child is having difficulty learning.

_______________

Your signature




Don't let your child repeat a grade without this important evaluation!

Cornerstone Chorale Auditions
The Cornerstone Chorale is auditioning for all voice parts.

call

212-795-5738


for info
https://www.angelfire.com/music/cornerstonechorale/

Volunteers needed to knit/crochet lap blankets
for Isabella residents.

Yarn is provided.
Call or email Leslie Foster to request yarn and more information
212-342-9324
LFoster@Isabella.org

Technical Difficulties
I apologize for the repeats and other problems with the blog at the moment.

I'm working on getting the bugs out.

Thanks for your patience.

Michelle

Sherman Creek Planning
Sherman Creek Planning (the area of Inwood, east of 10th Ave between Dyckman and W. 207th St.) has been ongoing. The city will release its summary of the recent workshop in a month or so and post it to
www.shermancreek.com. For additional information or to learn more about the planning advisory committee that meets every two weeks, email shermancreek@nyu.edc.com.

The Groundhog Says.....
6 more weeks of winter.

Elevate the Heights!!
In a longer than expected hiatus, Elevate the Heights is back. First of all thanks to all of the folks who involved themselves in trying to stop the MTA. The fight put Washington Heights on the map as a community that will not take things lying down. We were committed and willing to fight one of the biggest giants in this city and in the process built a large coalition representing much of our neighborhood.
Indeed we lost the battle to stop the MTA from cutting the 22 elevator operators but now is the time to put the MTA's "feet to the fire." Now is the time for the hard work. We need to keep our eyes on the elevators and report all of the problems to the MTA that they said would not happen and that Washington Heights was only overreacting. We are beginning to see signs that they have lied to us...again. Although we were told that the cuts would not go into effect until January 18, they went into effect even before the vote of December 18. Elevate the Heights have been getting reports of problems...people getting stuck in elevators, increased graffiti,
more people just hanging around near the elevators and more.
The Washington Heights community and Elevate the Heights need to respond to this situation. We need to set up a way for people to voice the problems they are experiencing, documenting these incidents and reporting them to the media, the MTA, our community
board and the "electeds" and any one who can influence and reverse this cut in service. It may be helpful to our cause that State Comptroller Hevesi is looking into the abuses of the MTA (and other
authorities).
Immediately what we need is:
People to be contacting Elevate the Heights about
problems they and their neighbors are having related to the elevators (on the elevators, waiting for them, in the area around the elevators).
Setting up a list of numbers for people to call to
make complaints to about the elevators, followed with a means of distributing this information.
Increase the number of people involved in this
coalition.
Setting up a coordinating group to work on these
issues and expanding the ideas of what can to be done.
Work on the web page to make it a functioning tool
for organizing.

There are NYCT and MTA meetings in the next few weeks and there are plans for some of us to go to that meeting to let the MTA know what is going on in Washington Heights and for us to express our concerns, annoyance, anger, etc. about what is going on. We look forward to hearing from you and you plans for being
involved further in this coalition. We want to know what is going on
with your elevator experiences and how you want to help in this
continued struggle against the elevator cuts. You can reach us at
riseup@elevatetheheights.org or 212-942-6910. Thank you.
Debra Klaber, Elevate the Heights