“Today’s announcement is a milestone for new housing models,” Steel said at the press conference announcing the decision.

AdAPT NYC was launched last July as a pilot program seeking to develop micro-units, a new model of housing that aims to be efficient and affordable in a time of rising population growth. A Request for Proposals was issued to find developers to design, build and operate NYC’s first-ever micro-unit apartment building at 335 E. 27th St.

“We’ve built market-rate and affordable housing in the five boroughs that has given people places to live and make memories, but this is an important opportunity to change the way we think about living space in an urban setting,” said Alphonse Lembo of Monadnock.

Because an entire building of micro-units does not meet NYC housing codes, Bloomberg has decided to waive the relevant zoning regulations during this testing period.

“The growth rate for one- and two-person households greatly exceeds that of households with three or more people, and addressing that housing challenge requires us to think creatively and beyond our current regulations,” Bloomberg said.

My Micro NY will be Manhattan’s first multi-unit building to use modular construction, a method that cuts cost and time. Sections will be pre-made at another location, in this case the Brooklyn Navy Yard, then transported and added to the already completed foundation, utilities and ground floor.

Features of this winning project include a multi-purpose ground floor used for “creative activities,” a rooftop garden, laundry room and fitness space. The housing units themselves, covering 250 to 370 square feet, will be divided into “toolbox” and “canvas” zones, featuring full-depth closet, compact kitchen, 9-foot, 10-inch ceilings and Juliette balconies.

Who is the target consumer for this revolutionary style of living? One or two people earning low to middle incomes looking to live in Manhattan. The city hopes it might attract young professionals trying to get their footing or a newlywed couple looking for their first shared home.

The Museum of the City of New York will be  featuring the winning proposal along with four other distinguished proposals in the exhibit “Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers.”
Museum director Susan Jones said, “With this exhibition, the Museum of the City of New York and the Citizens Housing & Planning Council are giving New Yorkers a glimpse into the future of housing in our city.”

Another Democratic Official Backs Lappin
State Sen. Brad Hoylman is the fifth elected Manhattan Democrat to endorse City Council Member Jessica Lappin in her run for Manhattan borough president. Noting Lappin’s past achievements that should prove beneficial for future issues, Hoylman said, “She’s fought to bring new schools to the borough and ease overcrowding. Her key role in bringing the Cornell-Technion applied sciences campus here will create thousands of good jobs. And she understands how critical preserving and expanding affordable housing is to the middle class.”

Hoylman went on to acclaim Lappin’s progressive efforts, particularly toward pro-choice, LGBT rights, civil rights and social justice.

“I’m incredibly proud and honored to have Brad’s support for borough president,” Lappin said. “He’s one of the exciting new voices in the Democratic Party—and someone who’s spent more than two decades as a West Side civic activist making a difference on so many issues important to his community.”

Nadler Ranks Again
Once again, Congressman Jerrold Nadler has been named the ranking Democrat on the newly renamed Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice of House Judiciary Committee. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over all proposed constitutional amendments as well as constitutional and civil rights and civil liberties (i.e., LGBT rights and abortion rights).

As a vehemently outspoken advocate of these rights and liberties, Nadler is honored to continue this role. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance critical constitutional and civil rights that continue to be under attack by a right-wing majority in the House and in the courts,” he said. I will do my very best to form a first line of defense against any and all attempts to limit or roll back protections.”

Compiled by Jessica Mastronardi

The congressman, whose district encompasses the Upper West Side, said in a statement that too many unstable people have accessed firearms in the country to commit terrible acts.
“If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don’t know when is,” he continued. “How many more Columbines and Newtowns must we live through? I am challenging President Obama, the Congress, and the American public to act on our outrage and, finally, do something about this.”

26 people were killed in the elementary school, including 20 children. The shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, also shot his mother in his nearby home before the mass murder, and took his own life in the school.

BROADWAY MALL ASSOCIATION SEEKS DONATIONS
The Broadway Mall Association (BMA), the organization that oversees landscape design and maintenance for the malls along Broadway from West 70th to 168th streets, is seeking private funding for capital improvements.

BMA has secured over $10 million in state and city funds in the past three decades, but now wants to expand its preservation efforts to maintain newly renovated malls at an annual cost of $10,000 per mall.

According to BMA, “If the new malls are to grow in successfully and thrive over time, the BMA will need to advocate as successfully with the private sector as it has with the public.” For more information and to donate, visit BMA’s website at www.broadwaymall.org.

CITY’S CREATIVE ECONOMY GROWING, BUT MINORITIES BEING LEFT BEHIND
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s office released a report last week on the city’s entrepreneurial economy. Titled “Start-Up City: Growing New York’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for All,” the report summarized recent growths in “entrepreneurial” industries like finance, fashion, marketing and technology, but also addressed these fields’ limited accessibility, citing census data that showed only 29 percent of employed Blacks and 20 percent of employed Latinos work in these “creative economies.”

“Too many working-class New Yorkers lack the resources and skills to share in this growth,” Stringer said in a statement, noting that annual salaries for jobs in this new tech economy often start at $65,000, well above the city’s median family income. “We need to turn this engine into a pipeline to the middle class for thousands of New Yorkers.”

To achieve this end, the report recommends increasing office and housing affordability, expanding computer science training in public schools and improving transportation to growing business districts, among other initiatives.

CONGRESS MEMBERS REQUEST POST-SANDY FOOD STAMP RELIEF
Members of Congress including Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler demanded easier access to federal food stamps for New Yorkers still suffering from Hurricane Sandy last week. The members wrote a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg requesting looser eligibility requirements and expanded eligibility zones for the U.S. Department of Agriculture-administered Disaster Supplemental Food Stamp (D-SNAP) program, which provides relief funding to help feed those who were hit hard by the October storm.

“Making it as easy as possible for those affected by Hurricane Sandy to have access to the resources they need to recover will also help our city rebuild,” the congress members wrote. “Allowing survivors better access to relief programs like D-SNAP will mean more people will be able to sign up, which will also translate into more profits for local small businesses such as grocery stores.”
The members noted that many New Yorkers whose homes were damaged by the storm’s extensive flooding were elderly or handicapped, so they would particularly benefit from easier access to the federal benefits.

Last Friday, a lone gunman, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot and killed his mother in her home, took her legally purchased firearms and proceeded to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he had once been a student. Lanza forced his way into the school and shot and killed six adults who worked at the school and 20 children, all ages 6 and 7, before committing suicide on the scene.
Later that day, Congressman Jerry Nadler issued a statement condemning the attacks and asserting that such unthinkable violence merits swift action on gun control laws.

“I am absolutely horrified by news of the cold-blooded shooting of dozens of children in Newtown. Yet another unstable person has gotten access to firearms and committed an unspeakable crime against innocent children,” Nadler said in the statement. “We cannot simply accept this as a routine product of modern American life. If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don’t know when is. How many more Columbines and Newtowns must we live through? I am challenging President Obama, the Congress and the American public to act on our outrage and, finally, do something about this.”
Fellow New York Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who represents the Upper East Side and parts of Queens and Brooklyn, echoed Nadler’s call for action.

“Our first thoughts must be with the families of those killed and injured today. But we can no longer allow tragedies—like Columbine, and Virginia Tech, and Tucson, and Aurora, and Newtown—to occur over and over without finally taking meaningful action to prevent them from happening again,” Maloney said in a statement. “Together as Americans, we must engage each other in a civil discourse about ways to deter would-be mass killers who are currently able to legally purchase guns and ammunition more easily than they could register an automobile.”

Mayor Bloomberg also spoke forcefully in support of stricter gun control laws, and on Monday announced the release of a series of videos produced by the Mayor’s Alliance Against Illegal Guns. The 34 videos (the same number of Americans who die every day due to guns), which can be viewed on DemandAPlan.org, all feature stories from people around the country who have been personally affected by gun violence.

“Gun violence is a national epidemic—and a national tragedy—that demands more than words. We are the only industrialized country that has this problem,” Bloomberg said at a press conference at City Hall. “That’s why we need immediate national action, from the president and from Congress. It should be at the top of their agenda because what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School was, sadly, no aberration.”

Hurricane Sandy has long since passed, but concern remains over lasting environmental hazards

Though the waters have receded after Hurricane Sandy, many downtown residents may be facing a yet-unseen but potentially hazardous problem as a result of the severe flooding. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who represents Lower Manhattan communities hit especially hard by the storm, has expressed concern over what he predicts will be a serious mold and contaminant problem in homes and workplaces that found themselves in the flood zone.

“We must not repeat the same mistakes of 9/11 by leaving people to their own devices to clean up complex toxins without proper guidance or assistance from the federal government,” Nadler said in a statement, urging federal oversight of mold and toxin cleanup following the storm.

Nadler has contacted both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to insist that comprehensive testing for mold and toxins be conducted in homes and workplaces affected by the storm.

David Frome, owner of the Air Cleaner Store and an expert in mold and toxins, said Nadler’s concern is justified.

“Sandy’s floods released toxic chemicals and biologic waste into the water,” said Frome. “Sheetrock and carpeting that was soaked by the storm’s water should be treated as hazardous waste. Removing it safely needs to be our first priority.”

Frome said everyone who experienced flooding is at risk for mold and mold spore exposure, which is “perhaps the largest of the immediate health problems.”

“The Federal government has not established safe levels of mold exposure,” Frome explained. “Each person has a different sensitivity. Some people can be exposed to high concentrations of mold without effect; others can develop a range of symptoms.”

According to Howland “Howdy” Russell, the spokesperson for Paul Davis National, a cleanup service that specializes in natural disasters, the complex cleanup process is already under way in badly affected areas of New York, where the group had been deployed following the storm.

“It’s quite a challenge, as the buildings are filled with sand, mud and debris,” Russell said. “A key priority is to contain and control any microbial growth right away, ensuring a healthy and safe environment for the property owners and families.”

Others insist there’s no reason for New Yorkers to panic about the issue. Ron Alford, a crisis management and recovery coach whose official website says he has “spent his lifetime helping other people in a crisis,” believes the issue of mold is exaggerated as a money-making scheme.

“The mold, asbestos, lead issues are overblown and are in my opinion scare tactics that the new mold industry uses to scare people out of their money,” Alford said.

“There is not one active kitchen or bathroom in NYC that does not have some form of mold,” he added.

While Alford believes the mold-related fear-mongering is hyperbolized in the wake of Sandy, he said he does not feel qualified to comment on the toxic after-effects of 9/11.

Bob Carlson, who has taught mold remediation for years and helped draft a textbook on the subject, echoed Alford, saying the important thing is not to overreact to the situation.

“People freak out when they don’t need to, and miss the insidious hazards that may be lurking,” said Carlson.

“There are many thousands of species of mold, and they come in all colors,” he said. “Aspergillus floats in the air easily, and is one of the most common genera of mold out there.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people breathe this mold’s spores on a regular basis.

Carlson said with some of the most dangerous molds, you would have to go out of your way to have them be of any consequence to your health.

His analysis of some of the unpredictable aspects of the environmental impact, however, was a bit on the ominous side.

“As far as toxins go, after disasters all kinds of stuff happens,” Carlson said. “Underground storage tanks pop out of the ground, aboveground tanks collapse, pipelines rupture, 55-gallon drums go floating downstream—you name it.”

It’s impossible to fully summarize Tom Duane’s political career, which has spanned over 23 years, but we’ve identified some of the most notable moments along the way.

1989- After working as a Wall Street broker, among other professions, Tom Duane starts to volunteer for his local community board and eventually starts working for City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman. Duane runs against incumbent candidate Carol Greitzer for City Council but is defeated; Greitzer secures the Democratic line.

1991- Duane runs again for the City Council. On Aug. 7, Duane announces he is HIV positive. He goes on to beat Liz Abzug and Victor Del Mastro, becoming the nation’s first openly HIV-positive person elected to office. He and Antonio Pagan become the first two openly gay New York City council members.

1993- Local Law 44, co-sponsored by Duane, becomes law. The legislation prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants and applicants receiving Section 8 aid or other government-funded housing assistance.

Photo Courtesy of Tom Duane's office.

1994- Duane challenges Rep. Jerrold Nadler in the Democratic congressional primary, but Nadler wins re-election.

1997- The City Council unanimously passes the Chelsea 197-A plan, a community-initiated land use plan, which Duane had worked on for over a decade.

1998- Duane wins election to the New York state senate, becoming its first openly gay and HIV-positive member.

1999- Duane and City Council Member Christine Quinn, his former chief of staff, get arrested after leading a gay contingent trying to join the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They were demonstrating against an Irish-American group that banned a gay Irish contingent from participating in the parade.

2001- Duane first proposes the Marriage Equality Act in the New York state Senate. Sen. David A. Paterson co-sponsors it. Eighteen Democrats sign on as co-sponsors in 2007. It was voted down that same year.

2002- Duane helps lead the successful passage of the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, known as SONDA.

2006- Duane helps lead the successful passage of Timothy’s Law, which includes the addition of mental health parity by insurance companies for all patients.

Duane at an Anti-Graffiti Rally in August 2009. Photo Courtesy of Tom Duane's office.

2009- Duane once again introduces the Marriage Equality Act to the Senate after it passes the Assembly, but the bill is defeated 38 to 24 that same year.

2011- After a decade of fighting for same sex marriage, the Marriage Equality Act was signed into law June 24, taking effect a month  later. “What this bill will do is say that we are family in a way that no other word can. And that word is marriage,” Duane reportedly said at the time.

2012- On June 4, Duane announces his retirement from the state senate. His last day in office will be Dec. 31.

Christopher Moore is a writer living in Manhattan. He’s available through email at ccmnj@aol.com and on Twitter @cmoorenyc.

Jerrold Nadler. Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.

The always outspoken Congressman Jerrold Nadler launched into a discussion on the “War on Women,” an intiative he says is being perpetrated by the GOP, last week at a Lower Manhattan Democrats meeting. The congressman, who represents the 8^th congressional district in New York City, raised the crowd’s vitriol by discussing a series of bills introduced by the GOP he has—and continues—to oppose on principle and in action. Highlighted below are five bills that drive Congressman Nadler most crazy:

1. The “Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act”

This bill makes it a crime for anyone other than a parent to accompany a minor out of state to receive an abortion. Under this act, a doctor who performs an abortion in this instance without parental consent is subject to prosecution. The only exception is when the minor’s life is endangered by not receiving the abortion. The bill makes no exception for rape victims or relatives other than parents transporting minors.

What Nadler has to say: The last time we employed the federal government to enforce laws between states was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

2. The “District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act”

This bill states that at twenty weeks after fertilization a fetus is capable of feeling pain, therefore abortion in the District of Columbia should be prohibited beginning in the sixth month of pregnancy.

What Nadler has to say: The Republicans have brought some quacks on board to say fetuses feel pain at twenty weeks. This “fact” has been consistently refuted by legitimate doctors who uphold a fetus cannot feel pain until at least the twenty-ninth week.

3. The “Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act”

Under this act, abortions would be prohibited in any case where termination is dependent on the sex of the child.

What Nadler has to say: Sex-selection abortions are rare—this bill is intended as another obstacle. As a tactic in scaring off doctors from performing abortions, this is merely another stepping-stone for Republicans in their aim to eradicate all abortions. Rhetoric is the main issue here; Republicans can twist it and claim anyone who opposes the bill is sexist.

4. “Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act” 

This proposed Republican bill amends current safeguards for immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence. This bill hinders these women’s access to the existing anonymity and possibility of acquiring residency when reporting an aggressor.

What Nadler has to say: The most dangerous period for a victim of domestic violence is immediately after reporting it. This proposed bill makes immigrant women significantly more vulnerable to violence by aggressors.

5. Several state bills criminalizing miscarriages.

These proposed bills would make any “human involvement” in a miscarriage punishable as a felony.

What Nadler has to say: This is one more foothold for Republicans in turning women into vessels for children, rather than human beings with their own rights. This bill is a distraction and further attempt at entrapment, serving as fodder for Republicans to accuse any opponents to the bill of being “terrible people.”

—Alissa Fleck

WEST SIDE LAWMAKER PROTECTS PREGNANT WORKERS
Last week, Upper West Side Rep. Jerrold Nadler joined three Democratic co-sponsors in introducing new federal legislation that would provide protections for pregnant woman against unfair job discrimination.

Nadler joined fellow New York City Rep. Carolyn Maloney and two others in presenting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The bill is supported by 119 advocacy groups from across the nation and has 63 original cosigners. The law would require employers to give reasonable working accommodations for pregnant women and prevent employers from forcing these women onto leave, paid or not, when a reasonable adjustment can be made to their workload.
The bill will also relinquish hiring discrimination toward women who are pregnant and in need of certain accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

“When American families are struggling to make ends meet, we must do everything we can to keep people in their jobs. This is especially true for pregnant women who are about to have another mouth to feed,” said Nadler. “Ensuring that a woman who needs minor and reasonable job adjustments to maintain a healthy pregnancy gets that accommodation should be central to our society’s support for strong and stable families.”

The bill follows the introduction of a similar measure at the state level from State Sen. Liz Krueger.
“When pregnant women cannot be provided reasonable accommodations at their workplace, they lose wages and opportunities for advancement, their newborns are disadvantaged and both their employers and the economy as a whole suffer unnecessary losses,” Krueger said.

The sponsors of the national bill cite recent examples of pregnant women losing their jobs after asking for minor accommodations, like carrying a water bottle or help with certain physical tasks, as the impetus for creating the protections.

LAWYERS HONORED BY STATE BAR
Two Upper West Side residents were recently recognized by the New York State Bar Association’s prestigious 2012 President’s Pro Bono Service Awards. The award recognizes lawyers who have provided their expertise and counsel to those who are unfortunate enough to be victim of crimes but cannot afford attorneys.

The Bar honored Caroline Heller, a lawyer at the firm Greenberg Traurig, and Natalie Fleming Nolen, who works at Morrison & Foerster, at the Law Day luncheon May 1 at the State Bar Center in Albany.
Heller was recognized for her free assistance to victims of domestic abuse in 2011. Nolen received the Young Lawyer award for leading a project within her firm that dealt with Humanitarian Parole for Haitian Women Project, a human rights initiative to assist post-earthquake victims of sexual violence.

“The work of pro bono service attorneys makes ‘justice for all’ a reality for New Yorkers. Whether they are a solo practitioner or work in a large law firm, every lawyer can help solve someone else’s problem,” said State Bar President Vincent E. Doyle III in a press release. “It is an honor to recognize such a distinguished group of recipients, including Ms. Heller and Ms. Fleming Nolen. They represent the best of our profession.”

HACKING INTO BREWER’S NEW LAW
The city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) is holding a Policy Hack day to collaborate on the technical aspects of the implementation of Local Law 11, the Open Data Law, which was sponsored by City Council Member Gale Brewer. The law mandates that the city publishes its databases online in machine-readable formats through a centralized, public website. The event this Saturday, May 19 at 11 a.m. is a day for anyone interested in the open government movement to discuss, plan, hack and draft the technical standards that will be used to execute the law. At Pivotal Labs, 841 Broadway, 8th floor. RSVP at nycopendatapolicyhack.eventbrite.com.

TOUCH-A-TRUCK DAY
The West Side YMCA is holding its seventh annual Touch-a-Truck Street Fair and Fundraiser this Saturday, May 19. Kids are invited to touch, climb on and sit in a collection of trucks that will gather on West 64th Street between Central Park West and Broadway. Last year’s festival attracted almost 2,000 children and had trucks from UPS and FreshDirect, fire trucks, construction machines and old-fashioned buses. There will also be face painting, crafts and activities for kids, food and entertainment. Kids can get unlimited access wristbands for $25 or pay $1 a ticket to access the activities. All proceeds benefit the West Side YMCA.

FLIP-FLOP FOR ESPAILLAT’S SEAT

City & State reports that as State Sen. Adriano Espaillat’s primary run against Rep. Charlie Rangel heats up, insiders have been whispering about the possibility of Northern Manhattan Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez jumping into the race for Senate. Last week, the councilman confirmed to City & State that he was indeed considering announcing a run—until he called back to rescind that statement.
If Espaillat prevails in the June 26 primary against Rangel, there will be a fierce battle for his empty Senate seat. Assemblyman Guillermo Linares has already announced his intention to run, as has Democratic district leader Mark Levine. Rodriguez confirmed that he will be supporting Levine in the race if Espaillat’s seat opens up.

EAST SIDE LAWMAKERS PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PREGNANT WORKERS
Last week, Upper East Side Rep. Carolyn Maloney joined three Democratic co-sponsors in introducing new federal legislation that would protect pregnant women against unfair job discrimination.

Maloney joined fellow New York City Rep. Jerrold Nadler and two others in presenting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The bill is supported by 119 advocacy groups from across the nation and has 63 original cosigners. The law would require employers to give reasonable working accommodations for pregnant women and prevent employers from forcing these women onto leave, paid or not, when a reasonable adjustment can be made to their workload.
The bill will also relinquish hiring discrimination toward women who are pregnant and in need of certain accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

“Women need to work during pregnancy and must not be penalized in the workplace for choosing to have a child,” Maloney said. “The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will give women the tools they need to fight ‘maternal profiling’ on the job.”

The bill follows the introduction of a similar measure at the state level from State Sen. Liz Krueger.
“When pregnant women cannot be provided reasonable accommodations at their workplace, they lose wages and opportunities for advancement, their newborns are disadvantaged and both their employers and the economy as a whole suffer unnecessary losses,” Krueger said.

The sponsors of the national bill cite recent examples of pregnant women losing their jobs after asking for minor accommodations, like carrying a water bottle or help with certain physical tasks, as the impetus for creating the protections.

UES RAPIST CONVICTED
Last summer, the Upper East Side was terrorized by several different perpetrators of sexual assaults, and early last week, a man arrested for two of those crimes pleaded guilty to rape and sexual abuse.

Jason Quinones, 22, who was 21 at the time of the attacks, admitted to raping a woman in her East 90th Street home last August. He climbed through the window of her ground floor apartment at 4:30 a.m. while she slept, grabbed her cell phone to keep her from calling the police and raped her.

Quinones was arrested several days later based on DNA evidence left at the scene, and was later charged with another sexual assault that had taken place in July on East 83rd Street. He told prosecutors that he approached his first victim from behind in her building and forced her into her apartment, where he pushed her onto a couch and sexually abused her.

District Attorney Cyrus Vance admonished Quinones for committing “atrocious sex crimes.”

“In both cases, he saw a chance to sexually assault a woman while she was vulnerable, and both times, he took it,” Vance said.

Quinones is scheduled to be sentenced June 20 and could face up to 25 years for the class B felony rape conviction, as well as up to 7 years for the sexual abuse conviction.

MORE DELAYS FOR EAST SIDE ACCESS
The Long Island Railroad is subject to delays and shuttle use, but if customers want to make use of the proposed Grand Central Terminal, they will have to invest in time travel.

Last week, MTA chairman Joe Lhota explained that the tunnel may not be completed until 2019—six years after the proposed completion date. An official from the MTA stated that construction is underway around the active tracks in Sunnyside, Queens, where Amtrak, LIRR and NJ Transit operate trains.

Lhota said the engineers and workers who are tunneling underground in Queens have encountered serious issues that will set back the construction of the connection.

The project was originally supposed to be finished in 2013, but a change in contractors, loose ground in Queens and aneed to keep trains running to meet the demands of a traveling workforce have repeatedly pushed back the completion date.

SLA HITS EAST SIDE RESTAURANT WHERE  IT HURTS
Local activists are finding creative ways to push back against rogue food delivery cyclists who flout the laws and endanger pedestrians. After the community rallied against the liquor license application for an Upper East Side Chinese restaurant because it allowed its delivery men to ride illegal motorized bikes, the State Liquor Authority denied the establishment’s application.

The New York Post reported on the hearing in Albany last week for Adam’s Chinese Restaurant (which does business as  Vicky’s Cottage) on East 91st Street, noting that this is the first time that the SLA has denied a license based on non-alcohol-related issues. When owner Denny Dong told the SLA that he couldn’t control what his delivery men did after they left the restaurant, they didn’t take kindly to the suggestion that he wasn’t responsible for his own workers.

“What else don’t you have control over, your employees selling to underage people?” an SLA official asked, according to the Post. “If you can’t control your employees, we can’t grant a license.”

Community Board 8 has been trying to get the restaurant to comply with traffic laws and prohibit its deliver workers from reckless driving and riding electric bikes, and members have been mulling ways to convince restaurants that the community is serious about cracking down on dangerous biking—a sentiment that the SLA is clearly backing.

We recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of the signing into law of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. With his signature on Jan 2 of last year, President Barack Obama helped us give a much-needed holiday gift to the thousands of Americans who are suffering ill health as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. While this was the sweetest of victories, we are continuing to work to ensure that everyone sick or injured from the attacks gets the care they need.

The collapse of the World Trade Center towers took 3,000 lives in an instant. Sadly, the giant plume of dust and debris that billowed so unforgettably through the streets of lower Manhattan ended up taking the health of more than 30,000 more in the months and years that followed. The Zadroga Act, which we authored, provides health care for those exposed to the toxic plume —which lingered over ground zero for months— and reopens the federal Victim Compensation Fund to provide economic relief to those harmed by the attacks.

Regrettably, it wasn’t easy to get Congress to help those suffering from the worst-ever attack on our shores. We introduced the first versions of the Zadroga Act in 2002, and none of us could have ever imagined how long the road to victory would be. Indeed, there were many times when it seemed like the Zadroga Act would never pass.

In the final hours of the last Congress, with the clock ticking down and many in Washington wanting to go home for the holidays, we finally had our “Christmas miracle” and passed the Zadroga Act through both the House and Senate.
Over the course of the last year, we have worked extensively with the Obama Administration to put into practice the health and compensation programs provided by the Zadroga Act, so that they can begin helping people.

On July 1, the health programs provided by the Zadroga Act went into effect and $1.5 billion in guaranteed federal funding began flowing to the WTC Centers of Excellence established at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital Center and other locations in the tri-state area, as well as at specialized clinics nationwide. The World Trade Center Health Program, which is headed by Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, provides medical monitoring and treatment for those who became ill as a result of the attacks, and conducts research into emerging 9/11-related health conditions.

In light of recent scientific studies linking certain types of cancers to the attacks, we have petitioned Dr. Howard to consider covering cancers under the Zadroga Act. Dr. Howard and his advisers are expected to reach a decision on our request in the next few months.  Definitive cancer studies may take years to complete. 9/11 responders and others exposed to the deadly toxins may not be able to wait that long. We know that they were exposed to deadly carcinogens, and we already have evidence that their cancer risk is increased. We urge Dr. Howard to follow the procedure included in the Act and add cancer as a covered condition.

On Oct. 3, the reopened 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which the Zadroga Act provided with $2.8 billion in federal funding, opened its doors for business and began informing potential beneficiaries of their rights under the law. In general, 9/11 responders and survivors have until Oct. 3, 2013, to file compensation claims.

We are proud of all those who worked with us —until, literally, the 11th hour— to do the right thing and pass this long-overdue assistance for the living victims of 9/11. We will be forever grateful to our colleagues in the New York congressional delegation, including New York’s senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, who worked diligently to strike the deal that got the bill through the Senate. And to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, members of New York’s labor community, John Feal of the FealGood Foundation and the hundreds of 9/11 responders and survivors who fought like hell to make sure the bill became law —thank you. We could never have passed the Zadroga Act without you.

But our work is not yet done. As part of the deal we struck to get the bill through the Senate, we reduced from 10 to five the number of years for which the bill would be authorized in law. Sadly, no one believes that those suffering as a result of 9/11 are suddenly going to get better four years from now. We and our partners in the fight to pass the Zadroga Act stand ready to work to make sure this lifesaving care is available for as long as the heroes, heroines, and survivors of 9/11 need it.

The Zadroga Act is historic, but not unprecedented, legislation. In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attacks, Congress passed the War Hazards Compensation Act of 1942, which provided health care and financial relief to civilians who helped recover the dead and salvage what remained of our Pacific fleet.

If you or someone you know would like more information about the World Trade Center Health Programs, you can call 1-888-982-4748 or visit www.wtcexams.org .  You may also contact the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund at 1-855-885-1555 or through the Fund’s website, www.vcf.gov.