Libraries are not simply the repositories for reading and listening material in various formats. As I experienced when I discovered Artemus Ward, they are serendipitous portals to ideas and authors previously unknown. In addition, they provide essential services to millions of people. A New York Times article published on Jan. 11, 2023 described libraries as "a critical lifeline for people who do not have internet access at home or who need after-school tutoring and English language instruction."

The article states that "the city spends roughly $400 million annually on public libraries — a small fraction of its $100 billion budget." It continues by saying that "at a time when the city is seeing record homelessness, libraries serve an important role, often offering shelter during the day as well as internet access." If the Mayor insists on balancing the City budget by reducing funds for libraries, the Times article suggests that libraries "could respond to the trimmed budget by scaling back hours, workers or programming." ("Mayor's Proposed Cuts to Libraries Will Hurt New Yorkers, Leaders Say," New York Times, 1/11, 2023)

At the same time, the city's libraries attracted 37 million visitors. Just to be clear about this, the article stated that "the city's libraries have more users than major professional sports, performing arts, museums, gardens and zoos — combined. No one who has set foot in the libraries — crowded at all hours with adults learning languages, using computers, borrowing books, hunting for jobs, and schoolchildren researching projects or discovering stories — can mistake them for anything other than power plants of intellect and opportunity. They are distributed without regard to wealth.

"Over the last decade, they have not gotten anywhere near the kind of capital funding enjoyed by sports teams."

And while we're waiting for that to happen, there's something that we can do to help. An organization called Friends of the Library raises money from the public to support the New York Public Library's activities. For more information, click here.

PS — If you want to know more about Artemus Ward, I can tell you that his real name was Charles Farrar Browne. He was born in Waterford, Maine on April 26, 1834 and died of tuberculosis in London, England on March 6, 1867. In his writing, he affected the spelling and grammar of a rube, but his observations were usually shrewd and trenchantly funny (though not always politically correct from a 21st century point of view). Here are some examples that may amuse you. If they do and you want more, you can find some of Artemus Ward's books on line. Click here.

•   I am not a politician, and my other habits are good, also.

   ◦   Fourth of July Oration.

• I can't sing. As a singist I am not a success. I am saddest when I sing. So are those who hear me. They are sadder even than I am.

   ◦   Artemus Ward, His Travels, Lecture (1865).

• Yes; there was an oration. We have a passion for oratory in America—political oratory chiefly. Our political orators never lose a chance to "express their views." They will do it. You cannot stop them.

• Let's have the Union restored as it was, if we can; but if we can't, I'm in favor of the Union as it wasn't.

And for good measure, here's an early item from Artemus Ward's printed oeuvre. It's called ONE OF MR. WARD'S BUSINESS LETTERS. It begins:

To the Editor of the——

Sir—I'm movin along—slowly along—down tords your place. I want you should rite me a letter, sayin how is the show bizniss in your place. My show at present consists of three moral Bares, a Kangaroo (a amoozin little Raskal—t'would make you larf yerself to deth to see the little cuss jump up and squeal) wax figgers of G. Washington Gen. Tayler John Bunyan Capt Kidd and Dr. Webster in the act of killin Dr. Parkman, besides several miscellanyus moral wax statoots of celebrated piruts & murderers, &c., ekalled by few & exceld by none. Now Mr. Editor, scratch orf a few lines sayin how is the show bizniss down to your place. I shall hav my hanbills dun at your offiss. Depend upon it. I want you should git my hanbills up in flamin stile. Also git up a tremenjus excitemunt in yr. paper 'bowt my onparaleld Show. We must fetch the public sumhow. We must wurk on their feelins. Cum the moral on 'em strong. If it's a temperance community tell 'em I sined the pledge fifteen minits arter Ise born, but on the contery ef your peple take their tods, say Mister Ward is as Jenial a feller as we ever met, full of conwiviality, &the life an sole of the Soshul Bored. Take, don't you? If you say anythin abowt my show say my snaiks is as harmliss as the new-born Babe. What a interestin study it is to see a zewological animil like a snaik under perfeck subjecshun! My kangaroo is the most larfable little cuss I ever saw. All for 15 cents. I am anxyus to skewer your infloounce. I repeet in regard to them hanbills that I shall git 'em struck orf up to your printin office. My perlitercal sentiments agree with yourn exackly. I know thay do, becawz I never saw a man whoos didn't.

Respectively yures,

A. Ward.

P.S.—You scratch my back &Ile scratch your back.

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. Downtown Post NYC is largely supported by advertising revenue. In addition, some people have made contributions, which are much appreciated. For more information about how to contribute or advertise, email editor@downtownpostnyc.com.

Jan. 24: Philippe Petit’s crossing between the two towers of the World Trade Center on a wire strung 1,000 feet up in the air has inspired numerous films, books and articles, including the Academy Award-winning 2008 documentary "Man on Wire." On Jan. 24, the Downtown Alliance will host a special screening of the film followed by a conversation between Petit and groundbreaking choreographer and performer Elizabeth Streb. Place: Regal Cinema Battery Park Stadium 11 located at 102 North End Avenue. Time: 6 p.m. Tickets: $10 with all proceeds to be donated to the STREB organization. To buy tickets, click here. Attendees will be able to ask Petit about his legendary, death-defying crossing directly. Signed copies of his out-of-print book "To Reach the Clouds: My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers" will be for sale.

"We won!" Late in the afternoon of January 12, 2023 an email with this heading arrived, addressed to "friends, fellow allies and preservationists." It was from a member of the Seaport Coalition, a volunteer non-profit organization whose self-described mission is "to protect the Seaport Historic District, one of the City's most important historic sites, for the general public to learn from and enjoy."

The conflict referenced in the email was a legal fight that had to do with The Howard Hughes Corporation's plan to erect a 324-foot-tall building on a one-acre site — 250 Water Street in the South Street Seaport — with disregard for existing zoning regulations and for the surrounding low-rise historic district. The Seaport Coalition, comprised of Seaport residents, workers, school parents and maritime and historic preservation advocates, fought for years to keep this from happening. They devoted their time and their own money to this effort, which pitted them against The Howard Hughes Corporation's deep pockets and single-minded desire to earn as much as possible from the Water Street site, which HHC had purchased in 2018 for $180 million. This was just a prelude to ponying up more money for architects, site remediation and lobbyists, among other expenditures.

As of Dec. 31, 2021, it looked as though everything was in place for Howard Hughes to proceed. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) which had repeatedly denied previous requests for outsized buildings at 250 Water Street had granted a certificate of appropriateness (COA) for the project in May 2020. The Howard Hughes proposal for the site had made it through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which entailed reviews by Community Board 1, the Manhattan Borough President's Office, the New York City Planning Commission and the New York City Council. All was "go!" for Howard Hughes. And then it wasn't.

Although excavation on the site had begun in 2022, the Seaport Coalition had hired some good lawyers. The Seaport Coalition filed a lawsuit in July 2022 to halt the project. The case against the Landmarks Preservation Commission of the City of New York and 250 Seaport District, LLC ended up in the courtroom of New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur F. Engoron. On Oct. 6, 2022, he placed an injunction against further work on the site pending a hearing and a decision on the merits of the suit brought by the South Street Seaport Coalition and by four named petitioners who live in the South Street Seaport. Judge Engoron was swayed by the fact that after decades of having denied similar proposals for tall buildings, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had decided that this would be just fine and had granted a Certificate of Appropriateness to Howard Hughes. "LPC failed adequately to acknowledge, much less explain, its departure from its previous rulings," Judge Engoron noted. "Accordingly, on the record this Court has no way to determine whether LPC's departure was a result of a deliberate change in policy, or if it simply 'ignored its prior decision(s),' which, under controlling case law, would necessitate its reversal."

Judge Ergoron also took exception to the fact that "contrary to long-established proper practice, LPC considered approvals of the Tower and work on the South Street Seaport Museum in tandem, allegedly to provide 'political cover' for the Tower. This Court is all in favor of funding for museums, but not as a quid pro quo for approval of a massive skyscraper in an historic district that otherwise would be prohibited."

Oral arguments were scheduled for Dec. 1, 2022 before Judge Engoron. On January 11, 2023 he issued his decision in favor of the Seaport Coalition's lawsuit to halt the proposed 250 Water Street tower in the South Street Seaport Historic District. The decision invalidated the Certificate of Appropriateness that had been issued by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and stopped construction of the 324-foot tower inside the low-scale historic district.

NOTE: For more about what happened and about what might happen next, read the next issue of the Downtown Post NYC newsletter.

Traditional Lunar New Year snacks are an assortment of mostly nut candies and are meant to give the new year a fresh and auspicious start. Té Company has compiled an assortment of sweets that will do just that: six nutty and delicious treats that will bring joy and prosperity to your new year. For those looking to celebrate with a Lunar New Year tea service, Té Company recommends the Mount Ali. Gently roasted and a classic Taiwanese oolong, this tea is toasty and heartwarming. For more information about Lunar New Year snacks and tea gifts, click here.

For more information about Té Company, e-mail: hello@tecompanytea.com

Ice Skating in or near Lower Manhattan: When on Jan. 4, 2023 the website 6sqft.com listed "14 ice skating rinks in NYC to visit this winter," two of them were in Lower Manhattan and one was nearby on Governors Island.

The recommended rinks included the Ice Rink at the Seaport about which 6sqft.com said "The Seaport’s ice skating rink is the perfect destination for a winter outing. Skate underneath Aurora, an overhead light installation designed by Ithaca Studio that spans over the entire distance of the rink and features stunning light displays mimicking the Northern Lights. Rink admission is free, and skate rentals cost $23 on weekdays and $26 on weekends."

Also recommended was The Rink at Brookfield Place. This rink, according to 6sqft.com is "Situated on Lower Manhattan’s waterfront" and is "an upscale ice skating experience with activities for guests of all ages and skill levels, as well as skating lessons hosted by Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. Guests should be sure to take in the waterfront views and grab a bite to eat at Hudson Eats, Brookfield Place’s dining terrace with several fast-casual options. Weekday skating sessions are $15, with skate rentals costing $5."

Just a short ferry ride from Lower Manhattan, the Governors Island Winter Village Ice Skating Rink rated plaudits from 6sqft.com. "Enjoy a wide variety of winter festivities, including ice skating, at Governors Island’s Winter Village. In addition to enjoying the 7,500-square-foot rink, skaters can pick up some hot chocolate and food from Little Eva’s, rent bikes and sleds, play lawn games, and sit by a fire pit. Reser­va­tions for the rink are avail­able in 90-minute blocks. Tickets start at $12 and skate rentals cost $9. Rink admis­sion is free every Thurs­day." For the complete article on New York City's ice skating options, click here.

Restaurant Week 2023: Restaurant Week in New York City starts on Jan. 17 and runs through Feb. 12. Two-course lunches will cost $30 and three-course dinners will cost $45 or $60. Some restaurants are offering Sunday lunch/brunch for $30. Others are only offering Restaurant Week deals from Monday to Friday. Prices don't include beverages, tax or gratuities.

For more information, click here.

Many of the Downtown Post NYC bulletin board listings are now 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. Most events are free. For some, reservations are required.

Chinese Lunar New Year begins on Jan. 22, 2023 and concludes on Feb. 5. There are many ways to celebrate in Lower Manhattan. Here are some suggestions:

Jan. 21: Global Architecture: Picturesque Pagodas at the Skyscraper Museum. Poy Gum Lee, a Chinese-American architect who has designed buildings in NYC’s Chinatown and in China, is teaching museum guests about the “Chinese Art-Deco” style that he helped popularize in the 1950s. After the lesson, kids will be able to build and decorate their own pagoda towers. The event is free and recommended for guests ages seven to 12. Place: The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place
. Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Free

Jan. 23: Chinese New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival
. The Chinese New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival is returning to Chinatown’s Sara D. Roosevelt Park for its 25th year. Thousands of firecrackers will be set ablaze to ward off evil spirits and welcome in the Year of the Rabbit. There will also be a lion dance, decoration giveaways, craft vendors, and food booths. Place: Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Chrystie Street and Forsyth Street
. Time: 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Free.

Jan. 28 and Jan. 29: Welcome to Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Weekend Fair. Welcome to Chinatown is hosting a Lunar New Year fair in the East Broadway Mall. The celebration includes a selection of local vendors, workshops, a scavenger hunt, and more. The workshops will be hosted by Subtle Asian Baking, Anna Ye Tea, and Akki-Lab. Vendors include Butterboy Baking Co., Dawang, SUBLIMA Jewelry, Yu & Me Books, and many others. Place: East Broadway Mall, 88 East Broadway Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To RSVP, click here.

Feb. 12: Chinese New Year Parade
. Hosted by Better Chinatown, Chinatown’s annual Lunar New Year Parade returns to Lower Manhattan with traditional dragon dancing, captivating outfits, martial art performers, vendors, and much more. The parade sets off from the corner of Mott and Hester Street before traveling down to Chatham Square. The procession then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street before ending at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Time: 1 p.m.

For more places to celebrate Chinese New Year, click here.