Logo
Monthly Newsletter
In This Issue

President's Report

Our Endorsed Candidates for the
June 22 Primary

Campaign Crunch Time! Help Support Our Endorsed Candidates

Help Re-elect District Leaders
Bob Botfeld and Cynthia Doty
Join the Campaign for City Council
Candidate Dan Cohen

Refresher: How Ranked-Choice Voting Will Work in the June Primary

Watch Three Parks Video "We Did It"

Three Parks Supports the
New York Health Act

Three Parks Opposes Spot Re-zoning
on Broadway

SWEAT Update: Help Get Protection Against Wage Theft Passed This Legislative Session
STAY HEALTHY!
STAY SAFE!
For the latest official information from NYC
on the coronavirus, click here
or text COVID to 692-692
To see the percentage of the residents in our area who have been vaccinated, click here. (data updated daily)
ONLINE CLUB MEETING
Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 8:00 pm
Thoughts on the Primary
Jumaane Williams (invited)
NYC Public Advocate

New York City's Next Budget: Can It
Deliver an Economic Recovery?
Director of City Studies
Citizens Budget Commission

Primary Campaign Activities:
The Home Stretch
Members of the Three Parks Board
Join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. 

Click here

You may also either click on the link below or paste it
into your browser:


If you are asked for a PASSWORD, enter:
670811
You may also join by using your phone to dial in.

Meeting ID: 810 4454 7400
AGENDA
7:45--8:00 pm: Log On / Dial in
8:00 pm: Call to Order
Speaker: Jumaane Williams
Questions and Answers
Speaker: Ana Champeny
Questions and Answers
Speakers: Members of the Three Parks Board
Adjourn
By Lorraine Zamora

As I write on this rainy Memorial Day weekend, the year 2021 is flying by, summer is almost here, and Three Parks is in the home stretch of this year’s Primary campaign. Since January we’ve been on the move, endorsing candidates for municipal offices across the city and supporting them via phone banks, letters, postcards, and tabling on Broadway—while at the same time, handing out absentee ballots and voter registration forms and urging people to vote early, or most certainly, on Primary Day, June 22. Once the election is finally over, we can all look forward to a well-deserved rest.  

We also held Three Parks’ 46th annual fundraising benefit, via zoom, and honored Senator Chuck Schumer with the Ted Weiss Public Service Award and the United Food Workers of Local 1500 with the Jesse Crawford Community Service Award.  It turned out to be one of Three Parks’ most successful fundraising events. 

A list of all Three Parks endorsed candidates appears below this report. Though we try to promote all our endorsed candidates equally, Three Parks is particularly committed to ensuring the success of our local, Upper West Side representatives—Dan Cohen running for Council District 7, Gale Brewer running for Council District 6, and Bob Botfeld and Cynthia Doty in their efforts to continue as our District Leaders. Later in this newsletter you will find a Dear Neighbor letter urging local voters to vote for these eminently qualified candidates. If possible, I hope you will make copies of the letter and send it to your neighbors in your building, and family and friends residing in our district. 

Our Endorsed Candidates for the
June 22 Primary
Here are the candidates that Three Parks supports for the June 22 primary:

  • Scott Stringer: Mayor
  • Gale Brewer: City Council Member, District 6
  • Jumaane Williams: Public Advocate
  • Brian Benjamin: Comptroller
  • Mark Levine: Manhattan Borough President
  • Daniel Marks Cohen: City Council Member, District 7
  • Alvin Bragg: Manhattan District Attorney
  • Hasa Kingo: Civil Court Judge
  • Cynthia Doty: Female District Leader
  • Bob Botfeld: Male District Leader

Endorsed Candidates for Manhattan Judicial Delegate
Delegates

Alan Flacks 
Audrey Isaac 
Elizabeth Kellner 
Josh Pepper
Al Placeres 
Deborah Thomas
Alternate Delegates

Robert Bardin
Sam Bartos
Elaine Hazzard 
Stephanie Tegnazian
Campaign Crunch Time! Help Support Our
Endorsed Candidates
Primary day, June 22, is now just weeks away, and early voting starts on June 12. So campaign crunch time is here! Three Parks is doing sidewalk tables and other local events, and we expect to be joined at times by the candidates. Watch your email for dates, times, locations, and other details and join us whenever you can. Here are some upcoming activities:

Weekend Sidewalk Tabling
  • Saturday June 5, 12:00 -- 2:00 PM. 104th St. & B'way
  • Sunday June 6, 2:00 -- 4:00 PM. 104th St. & B'way
  • Saturday and Sunday June 12-13, 19-20: Check the Three Parks website for locations and times

Early Voting June 12 - June 20
  • Join us to campaign for Three Parks-endorsed candidates on Broadway and outside West Side High School. Check the website for dates, locations, and times.

Note that these events are weather permitting. Check the Three Parks website for updates.

To find your own early voting poll site and times, click here

Here are some photos of our current campaign activities.
Above: Rallying with Rep. Jerry Nadler and Zephyr Teachout for Manhattan District Attorney candidate Alvin Bragg (at right in blue shirt).
Above: Campaigning with City Council candidate Gale Brewer (in white jacket) on Broadway.
Above: Campaigning with City Council candidate Dan Cohen (second from right) and Civil Court Judge candidate Hasa Kingo (right) on Broadway.
Help Re-elect District Leaders
Bob Botfeld and Cynthia Doty

Bob Botfeld and Cynthia Doty are up for re-election for Male and Female Democratic District Leaders, and they need your vote.

With Three Parks, Bob and Cynthia have worked tirelessly for many years to elect progressive Democrats and advocate for our local community. As club members, you know what they have accomplished over the years. For biographical information and a record about who they are individually and what they have done as District Leaders, click here and here.

You can help re-elect Bob and Cynthia.

  • Email, text, and talk to your friends and neighbors about the work that Bob and Cynthia have done. Don't let their District Leader candidacies get lost among the dozens of candidates for other offices on the ballot.
  • Reach out to your friends and neighbors with a "Dear Neighbor" letter urging them to vote for Bob and Cynthia. You can download the letter here. Make copies, sign it, and distribute it in your building.
  • When you vote, look for Bob (Robert) and Cynthia on page 2 of the ballot, next to the District Attorney candidates.

To let them know that you can help, please email: CynthiaandBob@aol.com, cldoty@aol.com or bobbotfeld@aol.com
Join the Campaign for City Council Candidate Dan Cohen
You can help TPID-endorsed City Council candidate Dan Cohen! Join phone banks or take part in street canvassing to reach out to voters in the 7th Council District. Here is a list of upcoming events.

Wednesday, June 2
Supermarket canvassing @ Central Market 110th/CPW 4:00-5:00 pm
Subway entrance @ 109th/CPW canvassing 5:00-6:00 pm
Phone Banking 5:00-7:00 pm
 
Thursday, June 3
Subway entrance @ 110th/Broadway canvassing 8:00-9:00 am
Farmers Market @ 114th/Broadway 9:00-11:00 am
Supermarket canvassing @ Key Food 97th/Amsterdam 4:00-5:00 pm
Subway entrance @ 97th/CPW canvassing 5:00-6:00 pm
Phone Banking 5:00-7:00 pm
 
Friday, June 4
Greeting parents at PS 165 dropoff @ 109th/Broadway 8:00-9:00 am
Farmers Market @ 97th/Amsterdam Avenue 9:00-11:00 am
Supermarket canvassing @ 123rd/FoodTown 4:00-5:00 pm
Subway entrance @ 125th/Broadway canvassing 5:00-6:00 pm
 
Saturday, June 5
Central Park Dog Run @ 106th/CPW 7:30-9:00 am
Farmers Market @ 110th/Manhattan Avenue 9:00-11:00 am
Campaign Kickoff Rally! @ Amity Hall 109th/Amsterdam Avenue 4:00-5:00 pm
 
Sunday, June 6
Farmers Market @ 114th/Broadway 9:00-11:00 am
Street tabling @ Silver Moon Bakery 105th/Broadway with Three Parks 2:00-4:00 pm

To register for phone banks: click here.
For more information: email campaign manager Chloe Armstrong at Chloe@Cohen2021.com
Refresher: How Ranked-Choice Voting Will Work in the June Primary
At our March Club meeting, Amanda Melillo from the NYC Campaign Finance Board provided a clear, concise explanation of ranked-choice voting, the system that will be used in the June primary.

In case you missed her presentation, you can watch the complete video by clicking here.
Watch Three Parks Video
"We Did It"
At the Club's 46th Annual Benefit on May 2, members and friends were treated to a short video called "We Did It" about our 2020 campaign accomplishments, The video is now on YouTube. To watch it, click here.
Three Parks Supports
the New York Health Act

The Three Parks membership has voted to support the New York Health Act. 


To read the resolution click here

What Is the New York Health Act?
The New York Health Act would replace all private and public health insurance coverage with state-sponsored Single Payer healthcare coverage for all New York State residents. 

For more information, visit the Campaign For New York Health here.
Write to our legislative leaders.
Tell them to bring the New York
Health Act to a vote.

Write to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie here

Write to Senate Majority Leader 
Andrea Stewart-Cousins here
Rallying for the NY Health Act at the State Office Building on 125th Street
Three Parks Opposes Spot Re-Zoning on Broadway

In a statement to Community Board 7, Three Parks is urging rejection of a plan currently under consideration by Community Board 9 that would re-zone two sites on Broadway between 109th Street and 110th Street to permit construction of luxury apartment towers up to 23 stories tall. 

The two sites are under the jurisdiction of Community Board 7. Three Parks fought and won a lengthy campaign in the Board 7 area in order to, in the words of the statement, “preserve what affordable housing remains and to protect the character of our community from irresponsible development.”
According to the statement, re-zoning specific building sites “sets a dangerous precedent for spot zoning in our area and violates the sound principle of contextual zoning for an entire neighborhood that we currently enjoy.”

To read the entire statement, click here.
SWEAT Update: Help Get Protection Against Wage Theft Passed This Legislative Session

The current New York State legislative session ends on June 10, so little time is left to work for passage of SWEAT (Securing Wages Earned Against Theft) legislation that would counter wage theft. Opposition from the Hospitality Alliance, a membership organization of restaurant and bar owners, now threatens passage of this important legislation that would give workers tools to discourage wage theft.  

The most important actions to take now are: 
  • Call Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins at (518) 455-2585 and House Speaker Carl Heastie at (518) 455-2585 to urge them to pass the SWEAT legislation by June 10 without weakening the tools it gives workers subjected to wage theft. If you prefer to contact them via e-mail, write to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie here. Write to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins here
  • Join State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (chief sponsor in the Assembly), State Senator Jessica Ramos (chief sponsor in the Senate), workers and advocates on Wednesday June 2 at 5:30 at the SWEAT press conference in front of Gov. Cuomo’s office at 633 3rd Avenue between 40th and 41st streets. You may RSVP by calling (212) 358-0295.
                   
Wage theft, as explained in previous articles of this newsletter, is the illegal withholding of wages from workers, for example when employers do not pay workers for all the hours that they have worked or do not pay overtime as required by law.

Don't Miss Out!
Renew Your Three Parks Membership Now for 2021
  • Renew online by clicking here.
  • Renew by mail by printing out and returning the 2021 membership form at the end of this newsletter.
 Upcoming Meetings
Wednesday, June 9, 8:00 PM
Three Parks Club Meeting

Wednesday, June 23, 8:00 PM
Three Parks Board Meeting
Wednesday, August 25, 8:00 PM
Three Parks Board Meeting

Wednesday, September 8, 8:00 PM
Three Parks Club Meeting
The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors of the articles and are not necessarily representative of Three Parks.
Logo
Print, cut out, and mail this form.

2021 MEMBERSHIP FORM

New Member __________    Renewal __________

Membership Category(check one)

Individual ($25) __________

Family: two adults in the same household ($40) __________

Low Income ($15) __________     Low Income Family ($20) __________

Sponsor ($50) __________          Patron ($100) __________

Name _____________________________________________  Date __________________________

Address ____________________________________________________  Apt. # _______________

City _______________________________________  State ____________ ZIP _________________

Phone (Home) ________________________________   (Cell) ____________________________

Email _______________________________________________________________________________

Check here ______ if you prefer to receive the newsletter solely by email.

Please pay your dues with a check, money order or via PayPal by following this link to the Three Parks website. Please make out all checks to Three Parks Independent Democrats.

Mail to:  Three Parks Independent Democrats
                Cathedral Station, P.O. Box 1316
                 New York, NY 10025
                Attention: Treasurer