Downtown Post NYC's website (www.DowntownPostNYC.com) is updated daily. That's the place to check for urgent messages, breaking news and reminders of interesting events in and around Lower Manhattan. So be sure to look at the website every day, especially if you want to know about breaking news.

HOW TO SUPPORT DOWNTOWN POST NYC: I made Downtown Post NYC free to subscribers so that no one who was interested in reading it would be excluded because of cost. In the past, Downtown Post NYC was largely supported by advertising revenue. In addition, some people made contributions, which were much appreciated. At the moment, however, I have no advertising revenue although I do have significant out-of-pocket expenses associated with Downtown Post NYC. My intention is to continue publishing Downtown Post NYC as long as I can. For more information about how to contribute or advertise, email https://www.downtownpostnyc.com/contact.html.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: OUR IMMIGRANTS

Trump, who with Elon Musk's help, has been eviscerating the federal government in order to save money that can then go to tax reductions for the rich, is planning on spending as much as $45 billion over the next two years to create new detention centers for immigrants, according to The New York Times. In the last fiscal year, the total amount of federal money allocated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was about $3.4 billion. The new facilities will be privately run and will operate with lower standards and with less oversight than current detention facilities.

The Trump Administration's hostility to immigrants perplexes and saddens me. It takes great courage and determination to be an immigrant, and I respect that. Also, I realize the numerous ways in which we, who are here already because of the courage and determination of our ancestors, depend on immigrants. They harvest our crops, they stock food in our grocery stores, they drive us around the city in taxi cabs or other for-hire vehicles. On bicycles or scooters they deliver food orders in all kinds of weather. They wash dishes in restaurants. They provide childcare for our toddlers. They assist our elderly with personal care and with shopping. They clean the buildings where we live. They work in construction, and more. They enrich our city with their culture and their perspectives. And eventually, when they've been here long enough to become proficient in English and to make connections, many of them embark on other kinds of work.

New York is an international city. At the present time, it's estimated that more than 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. From its earliest years under the Dutch, when it was called Nieuw Amsterdam and was confined to the area south of what is now Wall Street, it has been an international city in which 18 languages were spoken by its inhabitants. It was founded as a commercial venture, not for religious reasons as were most of the other early American settlements. Everyone was welcome here who could contribute to the city's prosperity.

For the most part, that is still true. Of course I can't speak for all New Yorkers but I think that we tend to open our hearts to newcomers. We are glad, and even proud that we are a "sanctuary city." That terminology has no clear legal definition but from a pragmatic point of view, it means that a city limits its cooperation with federal immigration authorities in order to protect undocumented immigrants from being deported. Since for years I've lived within sight of the iconic woman who presides over our harbor, I've seen again and again how much she means to people, both those who know her and those who are seeing her for the first time. When they enter our harbor on ships, they line the decks to catch a glimpse of her and to take her picture. We who live here never tire of honoring her, welcoming the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free — lifting her lamp beside the golden door.

— Terese Loeb Kreuzer

The Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park City commemorates the Irish immigration to the United States in the mid-19th century when millions of people fled from Ireland to escape a famine and political instability. By 1860, there were more than 200,000 Irish immigrants in New York City, representing more than one-quarter of the city's population. The Irish Hunger Memorial, which was dedicated in July 2002, overlooks the Hudson River and Ellis Island where 12 million immigrants first set foot in the United States. When Ellis Island opened on Jan. 1, 1892, an Irish teenager named Annie Moore was the first person to be processed.

(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

Indian dancers at the annual Battery Dance Festival, formerly staged in Wagner Park, saluting the Statue of Liberty. Aug. 15, 2021 (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

Persian New Year

A CELEBRATION WITH DANCING, MUSIC, FOOD, FLOWERS, PHOTOGRAPHY AND A 5,000-YEAR-OLD BOARD GAME

The Spring Equinox Festival at the Museum of Jewish Heritage included music and a Persian Dance Performance and Party. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

For the second year in a row, the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City staged what it billed as a "Spring Equinox Festival." The vernal equinox is when the Persian New Year begins. It's celebrated with special food, with music, with dancing and for those who left their homeland in 1979 when Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile and replaced by Islamic clerical opposition leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, by nostalgic memories of what life was like before April 1979 when the Islamic Republic of Iran was proclaimed following a referendum.

— Terese Loeb Kreuzer

The Spring Equinox Festival at the Museum of Jewish Heritage featured a "Persian Tea House" that offered a spread of sweets and fruit. On the platter in the foreground of this picture are bamieh soaked in saffron-rosewater syrup. These confections are common in Iran during the month of Ramadan and are usually served with tea during the evening meal.

(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

Ash Reshteh, a Persian noodle soup filled with fresh herbs, leafy greens, legumes and noodles, is traditionally eaten on Persian New Year. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

The Spring Equinox Festival included backgammon lessons and games with the US Backgammon Federation. Backgammon was invented in Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

The Spring Equinox Festival featured photographs by Rebecca Bidgoli that she took in 2000 of synagogues in Tehran. Her daughter, Tehila Soleimani, depicted in this picture, said that the photograph at which she was looking was one of her favorites. Jews have been living in what is now Iran for more than 2,700 years. At one time there were between 200,000 and 300,000 Jews in Iran. After the 1979 revolution during which Shah Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by the Islamic clerical opposition leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, many Jews left Iran. Now there are around 8,000 Jews in the country. This photograph depicts a room in a synagogue in Tehran that was full of prayer books and treasured objects that Jews left behind when they fled from Iran in 1979. Many of these books are antique and had belonged to Jewish families for generations. Eventually the room was forgotten and left as it was until this photo was taken nearly 20 years after most of Iran's Jewish population had left. (Photo: ©Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

Bits & Bytes

HEALTH CARE FOR 9/11 SURVIVORS AND FIRST RESPONDERS

People whose health was affected by 9/11 at a press conference on Sept. 8, 2014 promoting reauthorization of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

On April 3, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, received a letter written on letterhead that said "Congress of the United States, Washington, D.C." The letter was signed by 30 members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans. Most of those who signed this letter serve in the House of Representatives but some U.S. Senators signed it as well.

The letter began with these words: "The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) provides critical medical treatment, research and monitoring to over 137,000 responders and survivors of the September 11th terrorist attacks, living in every state and nearly every Congressional district....This vital program provides life-saving care to the heroes who answered the call to serve in one of our nation's darkest hours and the survivors who are forced to live with the health consequences from the attacks every single day. We were appalled at the recent announcement that the Department of Health and Human Services cut two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), under which the WTCHP operates. We understand that your plan is to ultimately eliminate all NIOSH staff in the next few days."

That was just the first salvo in this indignant and heartrending letter. It went on to state that since the World Trade Center Health Program was established in 2011, the number of program enrollees has more than doubled from 61,000 to 137,000. As the years pass, more and more responders and survivors have become ill with 9/11-related conditions.

In numerous ways that the letter spells out, NIOSH employees are essential to the functioning of the World Trade Center Health Program. Also essential to its success has been the leadership of Dr. John Howard, the administrator of the WTCHP. The letter notes that "his institutional knowledge is unmatched and allows the program to operate effectively and efficiently." But Dr. Howard has been fired. The staff at NIOSH's Office of Acquisition Services has also been fired. Their job was to oversee all contracts for the WTCHP's Nationwide Provider Network of contracted health providers throughout the country who monitor and treat program enrollees living outside the New York metropolitan area.

The letter went on to ask a series of trenchant questions about exactly how the Administration plans to proceed and also to ask "What was the justification for the termination of Dr. Howard?"

"Congress has continually reaffirmed its bipartisan commitment to the responders and survivors of the September 11th attacks," the letter says. "We stand ready to work with you to reverse these cuts and to ensure that current and future participants receive the coverage and care that Congress has continuously provided."

The letter asks for a reply by April 9, 2025.

A reply arrived.

On April 6, 2025, under a headline that read "Feds bow to pressure, reinstate head of WTC Health Program," the New York Daily News (along with other news outlets) reported that "Bowing to bipartisan political pressure, President Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have reinstated the head of the World Trade Center Health Program — yet 16 members of the pivotal program for 9/11 first responders and survivors still face the chopping block, legislators and advocates said.

"Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-L.I.) announced Saturday that the Health and Human Services Department had reversed its decision to terminate John Howard as it planned to lay off two-thirds of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health staffers.

Howard oversees the World Trade Center Health Program and certifies health conditions for 9/11 first responders and survivors. His departure would have brought the program to a virtual halt, advocates said."

"A group of New York legislators immediately reached out to the White House, demanding Howard’s reinstatement."

Dr. Howard has his job back but the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health" (NIOSH) has been decimated and the World Trade Center Health Program has been weakened.

— Terese Loeb Kreuzer

New York State Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in on this issue. On April 3, 2025, her office released a statement in response to "the Trump administration’s devastating cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)." The statement deplored the elimination of "critical staff for the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), which provides medical treatment for 9/11 survivors, first responders, and others affected by the attacks." Attorney General James continued as follows: “When our country was attacked, thousands of New Yorkers put their lives on the line to save others, and they deserve the care that we’ve fought for over these last 24 years. The Trump administration’s decision to continuously jeopardize the World Trade Center Health Program is a cruel betrayal of our heroes. These cuts must be reversed, and the World Trade Center Health Program must be protected.” To read the rest of Attorney General James' statement, click here.

People traveled to Washington, D.C. and lined up in front of the Capitol Building on Sept. 29, 2010 to support the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was up for a vote in the House of Representatives. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

Bulletin Board



BOOK CLUB TO DISCUSS 'WHEN THE ASTORS OWNED NEW YORK'

April 28: Meeting on the last Monday of almost every month, the South Street Seaport Museum hosts a maritime-themed book club in partnership with McNally Jackson Books. Seaport Museum staff and special guests lead the discussions. The fourth meeting for 2025 is scheduled for Monday, April 28 to discuss "When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age" by Justin Kaplan, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Mark Twain. Kaplan shares the history of cousins John Jacob Astor IV and William Waldorf Astor who were endowed with the largest private fortunes of the day. The book describes how each vied for primacy in New York society, producing the grandest hotels ever seen in a marriage of ostentation and efficiency that transformed American social behavior. The book can be purchased at most bookstores. Register for this meeting of the Seaport Museum Book Club to receive a 10% off discount code for online orders of the book from McNally Jackson Books. To register, click here. For book purchase information, click here. Place: 207 Water St. Time: 6:30 p.m. Free.

Some of the Downtown Post NYC bulletin board listings are on the Downtown Post NYC website. To see the bulletin board listings, click here.

To see the events and activities on the Battery Park City Authority's winter calendar, click here. The calendar lists events taking place through April. Most events are free. For some, reservations are required.

A black-crowned night heron in Battery Park City preened itself after awakening from a nap. May 3, 2014. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

April 1- April 30: Battery Park City Authority celebrates Earth Month 2025 with a variety of live events.

• Tuesday, April 15, Rector Park East
: Family Birding
. Numerous birds live in Battery Park City or show up during spring and fall migrations. This bird watching outing is for beginners, hobbyists and lifelong birders alike. Binoculars and field guides will be provided or bring your own. Time: 11 a.m.

• Wednesday, April 16, 75 Battery Place: Compost Tour
. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how BPCA processes the hundreds of pounds of food waste collected each day, that which is then turned into compost that goes back out into the gardens to support soil health. Registration recommended, please email registration@bpca.gov. Time: 1:45 p.m.

• Thursday, April 17, Rockefeller Park: Meet the Beekeeper. 
What birds live in your backyard? Learn the basics of bird watching in this fun outing for beginners, hobbyists, and lifelong birders alike. Together, we will explore the parks of Battery Park City and see what makes this spot a hang-out for resident urban birds and marvelous migrators! Binoculars and field guides provided, or bring your own. Time: 1:30 p.m.

• Thursday, April 24, Rockefeller Park: Nature Walk
.Take a stroll with outdoor educator Marieke Bender through Rockefeller Park and explore our connection to the great outdoors! See what makes our parks an important refuge for humans, animals, and plants, and search for signs of Spring along the Hudson River. Time: 10:30 a.m.

• Friday, April 25, Belvedere Plaza: City Nature Challenge Bioblitz
. Help conduct a bioblitz, where professional and citizen scientists work together to identify all the plant and animal specials in a specific area and contribute to building a catalog of Battery Park City’s biodiversity. Using the iNaturalist app, we’ll be taking pictures of pollinators in our gardens. Please meet in front of 6 River Terrace. You’ll be outside in the garden, so dress appropriately. Time: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

• Saturday, April 26, Rockefeller Basketball Court. S.T.E.A.M. DREAM
Kids are invited to pick up S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) at this special Earth Month themed open air fair. The event will feature a variety of engaging activities and a pop up lab with BioBus who help K-12 and college students discover, explore, and pursue science. Time: 10:30 a.m.

STEAM-DREAM tickets

Narcissus blooming in Battery Park City's Rockefeller Park. May 1, 2015

(Photo:© Terese Loeb Kreuzer)