A Word from Our Electeds
dear friends, on behalf of all new yorkers, i am proud to join in celebrating the 25th anniversary of west side spirit.
for a quarter of a century, west side spirit has captured the pulse of manhattan's west side, informing readers of what's happening from clinton to columbia university, from riverside drive to central park west. year after year, west side spirit endures as an invaluable resource for residents and businesses looking for first-hand, exclusive coverage of their local neighborhoods.
i congratulate everyone affiliated with west side spirit on this milestone anniversary and extend my appreciation for your history of contributions to the west side community and the empire state.
with warmest regards, and best wishes for many more years of success.
sincerely, david a. paterson governor
dear friends, i write today to congratulate west side spirit on 25 years of outstanding journalism. on the occasion of today's anniversary, i send you my warmest regards and thank you for your service to the community.
since 1985, west side spirit has upheld the highest standards of professional journalism, reporting local issues not always covered in other media outlets. ranging from politics to sports to education, the weekly publication reports the breadth of new york news, and a broad base of west side residents depend upon its local news coverage. i am certain that west side spirit will continue to grow in the years to come as we improve our community together.
on behalf of my constituents, i wish you a successful 25th birthday as we look forward to another successful year.
sincerely, jerrold nadler member of congress
dear friends, on behalf of all new yorkers, i congratulate the west side spirit on 25 years of outstanding news reporting!
with so many different neighborhoods and communities to be served, it's no surprise that new york is the world's journalism capital. for 25 years, the west side spirit has been dedicated to helping west siders keep up with community events, local politics, education, and other important issues. from clinton to morningside heights, from riverside drive to central park west, manhattan's west side residents have come to expect the best from the west side spirit, and this community newspaper certainly delivers.
owned and operated by manhattan media, the west side spirit has earned acclaim for its high standards of thorough news reporting from the new york press association. what's more, new yorkers know that whether they're reading about vital local law enforcement efforts or a thrilling victory by neighborhood little leaguers, they're getting the whole story from a staff committed to making a difference in their community. in fact, each year the west side spirit celebrates new york city schools with the blackboard awards, honoring exemplary local schools and teachers-and cultivating a strong sense of community and support throughout this thriving neighborhood.
community newspapers help to ensure that each area of our city remains distinctive and that our residents are well-informed-the west side spirit has done just that for the past quarter-century. congratulations again to staff and contributors, and my best wishes for many years of continued success.
sincerely, mayor michael r. bloomberg
dear friends, congratulations to the west side spirit on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. for a quarter-century, the spirit has been covering manhattan's west side up close and in detail.
special congratulations are due to the west siders who are being honored at the spirit's 25th anniversary gala on june 28, 2010: the breslin-eldridge, durst, paterson, sheffer, wright, zabar, zagat and zeckendorf families. their contributions to the community are truly worthy of your recognition.
as a free weekly, the west side spirit meets a special need for news and stories which keep area residents and businesses in touch with their neighborhoods. the spirit reports on politics, community developments, education, cultural events and a wide range of other issues, nurturing the connections among west siders. in keeping with the spirit's long-standing commitment to the community, the anniversary gala dinner will benefit the west side campaign against hunger. the dedicated journalists, staff and publishers of the west side spirit are providing a strong and lively voice for the people of the west side.
best wishes for a joyful celebration and continued success.
sincerely, thomas p. dinapoli state comptroller
dear friends, it is my great pleasure to congratulate the publishers of manhattan media and their dedicated staff on the west side spirit's 25th anniversary. i wish you continued success on the occasion of this milestone.
for the past 25 years, the west side spirit has provided unique local news to west siders, capturing the neighborhood's strong sense of community within an otherwise large and overwhelming city. through its award ceremonies, such as the westys, the blackboard awards, and the building service workers of the year awards, the west side spirit publicly acknowledges the commitment of those who would otherwise go unrecognized.
these efforts entail time and a dedication to the spirit of the west side, and a tradition of a vibrant local press.
sincerely, gale a. brewer council member dear friends, congratulations to the west side spirit on your 25th anniversary!
as speaker of the new york city council, i'm so happy to send my heartiest congratulations to you on this special occasion.
for 25 years you've been an excellent source of news and information for residents and businesses on the upper west side, providing them quality news coverage on a wide range of issues, events and special interests of concern to the local community. local newspapers like yours have been good not only for our neighborhoods and communities but for our entire city as well. the more informed residents are, the more involved they are in their community and local government, and the stronger we are as a city.
congratulations once again on reaching this historic milestone. i wish you all the best for another 25 successful years of reporting to the upper west side community.
sincerely, christine c. quinn council speaker
dear friends, it is an honor to celebrate 25 years of topnotch reporting from the west side spirit. for over a quarter century, the spirit has provided a vital service to our neighborhood by making sure that the community stays informed on issues of fundamental importance to its residents. in an age where questionable digital media and online news sources dominate the public discourse, the west side spirit has retained its superior level of honesty and journalistic integrity in writing that remains an invaluable resource for the west side, manhattan, and this city.
as a west sider myself, i know the significance of this accomplishment and the resonance it has with the west side community. i trust that the spirit will remain a city-wide institution of community-based journalism for years to come.
congratulations again on 25 years of success! best wishes for a successful event and year ahead.
sincerely, scott m. stringer manhattan borough president
dear readers, i am pleased and proud to extend my congratulations to west side spirit for delivering in-depth local coverage to west side residents for 25 years.
i would also like to thank west side spirit for their support. together, i believe we can help keep new yorkers engaged and informed.
i wish west side spirit many more years of success.
warm regards, bill de blasio public advocate
dear neighbors: since 1985, the west side spirit has provided the upper west side community with a standard of journalistic excellence in news reporting. much has changed in our neighborhood over the past 25 years, but the west side spirit has held true to its mission throughout. its presence has allowed for residents to stay confidently informed of breaking news while also providing information to members outside of our community about the many transformations and progressive actions on the west side.
the west side spirit has seen and reported on developments and events from the establishment of jazz at lincoln center, the dozens of internationally acclaimed performances by the metropolitan opera, the new york philharmonic, and the new york city ballet, to the filming of the beloved comedy you've got mail in 1997 and the rise of gourmet dining with the arrival of ouest in 2001. the west side spirit has provided comprehensive coverage on past political issues from donald trump's failed "television city" proposal in 1985 to the zoning ordinances enabling the preservation and historic designation of the signature architecture found throughout the neighborhood. the coverage provided by the west side spirit over the past quarter of a century has helped establish the upper west side as a premier cultural ambassador for new york city while simultaneously providing a uniquely local perspective for a very discerning audience.
today, the west side spirit strives to provide the most accurate and relevant information on issues that truly impact our community. for example, the paper's coverage of the current debate regarding school overcrowding and affordable housing-all extremely important issues to both me and the community-has proved invaluable in ensuring the continued involvement of the community and has enabled the public to hold accountable the appropriate elected and appointed officials.
i would like to both acknowledge and thank the owners, editors and reporters for the contributions made by the west side spirit to the community i represent. no one can say what the upper west side will look like 25 years from now, but by covering our diverse community through the good and bad times, the west side spirit continues to offer journalistic stability to the upper west side with the independent and authoritative coverage it demands. it has been a pleasure to work with the spirit during my time in office, and i hope to continue this relationship for years to come.
sincerely, linda b. rosenthal member of assembly
dear friends, please accept my heartfelt congratulations as the west side spirit celebrates its 25th anniversary. the newspaper's weekly coverage is crucial to keeping west siders informed about the local news, events and opinions that shape their daily lives.
more than just a printed paper, the west side spirit builds community by encouraging thoughtful dialogue and honoring our community's unsung heroes at its annual westy awards.
the west side spirit should be commended for its quality reporting and commitment to local news. once again, congratulations on this tremendous milestone.
very truly yours, daniel o'donnell assembly member
dear friends, it is my pleasure to extend greetings to the west side spirit on the milestone occasion of its 25th anniversary issue.
for the past 25 years, the west side spirit has provided extensive coverage of manhattan's west side from clinton to columbia university and riverside drive to central park west. an informed community is not without an independent community news source, and west siders are fortunate that the west side spirit has kept its finger on the pulse of the community for the last 25 years.
once again, congratulations to the west side spirit for 25 years of invaluable local coverage for west siders. please accept my best wishes for continued success.
sincerely, john c. liu city comptroller
dear friends, congratulations to the west side spirit for 25 years of delivering invaluable local coverage for upper west siders!
under the guidance of tom allon and the superb instincts of charlotte eichna, the west side spirit has proven that it understands the unique character of the upper west side and its residents by consistently providing accurate and relevant news. as a longtime resident of the upper west side, i am proud to say that i look forward picking up my copy of the west side spirit every thursday morning.
congratulations and best wishes for many years to come!
sincerely, eric schneiderman state senator
dear friends, it is with great pleasure thet i congratulate the west side spirit on its 25th anniversary.
i commend the west side spirit for providing independent community journalism to our west side neighborhoods. such local high quality reporting is eesential as our media environment rapidly evolves.
i salute tom allon and the staff for their professionalism and integrity and for ensuring the continued success of this vital publication.
it has been my great pleasure to support the efforts of the west side spirit and i look forward to reading the paper for many years to come!
best wishes, thomas k. duane nys senator, 29th district
dear friends, congratulations to the west side spirit for 25 years of exemplary community journalism. communities need quality newspapers to keep us abreast of the neighborhood news.
i am pleased to join manhattan media in thanking the illustrious and accomplished families you are honoring-paterson, breslin-eldridge, durst, greengrass, wright, sheffer, zabar, zagat, and zeckendorf-for their longstanding commitment and service to the upper west side.
again, thank you for recounting so well our community events, congratulations on your 25 years of service, and best wishes for many more.
very truly yours, richard n. gottfried assembly member
dear friends, on behalf of myself and the 30th senatorial district community, congratulations on the occasion of your 25th anniversary. the west side spirit's weekly coverage has been a central point of reference for not only the west side of manhattan but all of new york city.
the west side spirit has supported and uplifted the community with local news, events, opinions and thoughtful dialogue and acknowledgement of local heroes at the annual westy, blackboard and building services workers of the year awards ceremonies.
i commend you for 25 years of quality reporting and commitment.
again congratulations.
sincerely, bill perkins, senator 30th senatorial district