Greenwich Village, Tribeca schools
earn National Blue Ribbon awards
BY ALEJANDRA O'CONNELLDOMENECH
Half a dozen New York City public
schools — including two in Lower
Manhattan — have been awarded the
National Blue Ribbon School award this year.
Up to 420 schools can be nominated for
the award every year and this year the U.S.
Department of Education granted 325 schools
across the country with the honor. Offi cials
select schools based on state assessments,
graduation rates and how well schools are
working to close achievement gaps between
different groups of students.
“This year’s cohort of honorees demonstrates
what is possible when committed
educators and school leaders create vibrant,
welcoming, and affi rming school cultures
where rich teaching and learning can fl ourish,”
said U.S. Department of Education Secretary
Miguel Cardona in a statement. “Blue Ribbon
REUTERS
Secretary of Education Miguel
Cardona announced the winners of
National Blue Ribbons from the U.S.
Department of Education, including
six public schools in New York City.
Schools have so much to offer and can serve as
a model for other schools and communities so
that we can truly build back better.”
Half of the city’s Blue Ribbon schools are in
Manhattan: P.S. 234 (Independence School)
in Tribeca; P.S. 290 (Manhattan New School)
in Yorkville; and P.S. 41 in Greenwich Village.
Two others are in Brooklyn: P.S. 249 (The
Caton School) in Flatbush and The School for
Future Leaders in Borough Park. The other
New York City Blue Ribbon went to M.S. 74
(the Nathaniel Hawthorne School) in Oakland
Gardens.
A total of 19 schools in New York state
received the award, according to the U.S.
Department of Education.
“Through perseverance to provide welcoming
environments for all students, these schools
are innovating the delivery of educational
opportunities and opening the door to even
greater teaching and learning,” said New York
State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa.
“These schools are working to engage and
empower students and serve as models for all
New York state schools.”
City Council passes slate of new construction codes
BY HAEVEN GIBBONS
The New York City Council passed a bill
updating New York City construction
codes Thursday.
The legislation, containing over 600 major
updates and thousands of smaller changes,
improves construction code safety and incorporates
the latest in building technologies.
The New York City Department of Buildings
marked the offi cial passage of major legislation
in the City Council on October 7, according
to a press release from the New York City
Department of Buildings.
“New York City should always strive to create
an environment that is safe and welcoming
to all – that includes ensuring our building
code refl ects the wide variety of challenges
New Yorkers face individually and collectively,”
said councilwoman Carlina Rivera
in a press release from the Department of
Buildings. “Department of Buildings’ updates
to local regulations enhance accessibility,
emergency preparedness, public safety, and
resiliency measures. I am pleased that our
City is moving in the right direction with these
policy changes.”
The code revisions are the fi rst holistic update
to the entire set of NYC Administrative,
Plumbing, Building, Mechanical and Fuel Gas
Codes since 2014, according to the release.
The codes set the framework for how buildings
are designed and maintained in the city.
“These updated Codes provide a solid foundation
on which the future of our city will be
built,” said buildings commissioner Melanie
E. La Rocca in the release. Adding, “Looking
further afi eld, it is my hope that these Codes
will also serve as a model for other cities,
looking to build their own more resilient and
sustainable future.”
The revisions included enhancements in
the areas of emergency response, fi re protection,
vehicle transportation and accessibility,
elevator and boiler, construction safety, building
system construction and inspection and
sustainability. The revisions also addressed
protections for tenants, streamlining building
occupancy and promoting increased affordable
housing.
“The new Codes use the highest international
standards for the design, construction
and maintenance of buildings as a baseline,
while continuing our city’s proud tradition
of implementing additional enhancements to
ensure we have among the strongest building
regulations anywhere in the world,” the
release said.
What these revisions
mean for New Yorkers
Some of the revisions will affect New Yorkers,
directly, especially homeowners, tenants
and pedestrians.
A new revision that promotes increased
affordable housing, reduces the required eightfoot
basement clearance height for two-family
homes to seven-feet, said Andrew Rudansky,
press secretary at NYC Department of Buildings.
This code change allows the same safety
standards for single-family homes to be applied
to two-family homes.
PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
Another major revision requires new
special inspection of buildings undergoing
construction to ensure the protection of tenants,
Rudansky said.
“This adds another layer of protection with
special inspection requirements to have more
people there, on the ground, looking at if the
tenant protection plan is being followed, ” Rudansky
said. “This makes sure the tenants are
adequately protected and looks at any negative
quality of life issues affecting tenants that need
to be resolved,” Rudansky said.
One construction safety revision enhances
the pedestrian experience. The change permits
the use of netting, low barriers, and chain link
fencing instead of requiring only solid fencing
that cause blind tunnels for pedestrians.
“This would create enhancements where
there is less of that tunnel effect without
reducing safety issues,” Rudansky said.
Other revisions are meant to enhance
sustainability and building safety.
The revised code requirements will go into
effect next year, with some regulations taking
effect on Jan. 1, 2022, according to the release.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NYPD
The suspect sought for an anti-gay
attack on a 31-year-old woman in
the East Village on Sept. 15, 2021.
Bigot attacks
woman in
East Village
as she
walked with
gal pal
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task
Force needs the public’s help in
fi nding the unhinged bigot who
attacked a 21-year-old woman in the
East Village last month after spotting
her holding hands with her girlfriend.
Police released video camera footage
on Sunday of the perpetrator behind the
assault, which took place at 9:55 p.m. on
the night of Sept. 15 near the corner of
East 14th Street and 3rd Avenue.
Sources familiar with the investigation
said the victim and her girlfriend
were walking hand-in-hand through
the area when the bigoted brute began
shouting anti-gay statements at her.
As the victim walked past the homophobe,
cops said, the suspect made more
hateful statements, then punched her in
the face.
Following the assault, the bigot took
off on foot in an unknown direction,
authorities said.
The incident was reported to the 13th
Precinct. The woman suffered minor
injuries and refused medical attention.
Cops described the attacker as a
man with a dark complexion with short
black hair, believed to stand about 6
feet, 1 inch tall and weighing about 165
pounds. He was last seen wearing allblack
clothing.
Anyone with information regarding
his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers
at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial
888-57-PISTA).
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