Elaine Sanders
Journalist & Photographer
Nov. 6, 2024
Incumbent Candidate Oyster set on winning park presidency on his clean water policies
Community gathers to teach future voters the importance of civic engagement.
ROCKEFELLER PARK HOUSE: With the presidential election in full swing, families gather in Roosevelt Park for a slightly different election this afternoon.
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“We [will] have an animal president in Battery Park City as a result of our vote today,” Vice President of Parks Programming and Community Engagement Craig Hudon said, “we’re stuffing the ballot boxes and spreading the word about our favorite animals.”
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Today is Election Day Art and Play, put on by the Battery Park City Authority, which aims to teach future young voters the importance of being a responsible citizen.
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With rising political tensions and divisions, the event is a creative way to remind both parents and kids about the civic duty of voting. In a 2023 Pew research poll, it was found that, “Nearly three-in-ten (28%) [of respondents] express unfavorable views of both parties, the highest share in three decades of polling.” Despite major policy differences between the park’s four campaigns, enthusiastic voters from all sides collaborated peacefully on art projects and games with no political vitriol.
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“We're all citizens of this planet, of this city and…patrons of this park,” Director of Parks Programming Maril Ortiz said, “and things like this are just a really fun way to kind of, you know, draw those lines together and let people understand that we're all in it together.”
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The event has made an appearance at the park for the past few years and has been a major success. The chess tables and coloring stations were filled with children before the event officially started at 2:30pm today. Toddlers to teens learn about each of the campaigns and cast their ballot.
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This year’s candidates include the incumbent candidate Fin the Oyster, who has been publicly endorsed by Vice President Huron. Challengers include Pippin the Pigeon advocating for art in public spaces, Luce the Goose running on safe migration, and Pearl the Squirrel.
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After voting, kids engage in all sorts of activities ranging from games learning about composting, crafting an ‘I Voted’ sticker, and physical field games.
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“We live in the neighborhood, and we do this every year. And it's important to execute the civil rights as a kid and vote,” said Stella Ampatzi with her daughter Martina by her side, “it's important to teach [kids] that they have…the power to choose the right person that they believe should be in charge.”
Sept. 19, 2024
Gotta Pee?
Pressure mounts on the city to open more restrooms to the public.
NEW YORK CITY HALL: This morning, council members and community activists rallied to fight for expansion of the number of publicly accessible bathrooms in NYC, ahead of today’s oversight hearing for two bathroom bills.
"Bathroom access is critically important - as an accessibility issue, a disability justice issue, and a quality of life issue for every single New Yorker," said council member Lincoln Restler.
The rally's mission is to help those who need access to bathrooms, particularly those who have children, are homeless, work in food delivery, people who menstruate, and those who struggle with physical disabilities.
Mayor Eric Adams launched his program “Ur In Luck” back in June of this year, promising New Yorkers to expand public restrooms by renovating 36 old facilities and opening 46 new ones. Even with the Mayor’s goal, there are currently 931 operational public restrooms throughout the five boroughs making about one restroom per 7,500 residents in NYC. Most of these facilities are only operational during the day. Urban Design Forum research found that only two bathrooms are operational 24/7, one in Penn Station and the other in Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Part of the solution: two pieces of legislation Int 267 and Int 694 being discussed in the oversight hearing after the rally.
“Our bill, Intro 267, will open existing restrooms in city-run facilities across New York City, expanding the number of public bathrooms New Yorkers can access quickly and cost effectively," said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
Int 694 will establish a citywide public bathroom network with the goal of reaching one public bathroom per 2000 residents by 2035.
Representatives from Coalition for Homelessness, Workers Justice Project, Los Deliveristas Unidos, VOCAL-NY, Open Hearts Initiative, Columbia University School of Public Health, and more took the podium to give insight into how the lack of public restrooms directly affects the communities they represent. After the rally, leaders from these groups filed into city hall to share their voice in the public hearing.