Comments on: She Has Heard Your Complaints, Upper West Side http://westsideindependent.com/2009/11/09/she-has-heard-your-complaints-upper-west-side/ News about the Upper West Side of New York Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:35:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Joseph Bolanos http://westsideindependent.com/2009/11/09/she-has-heard-your-complaints-upper-west-side/comment-page-1/#comment-386 Joseph Bolanos Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:39:26 +0000 http://westsideindependent.com/?p=2206#comment-386 Kudos to Helen! She brought a new, robust dynamic to the slow, crickity wheel of community advocacy. As a community advocate I often have dealings with, and attend meetings at, CB7 and its committees. And whereas no community body is perfect, many of the CB7 volunteers are outstanding, dedicated and deliberate West siders. I can personally attest to that. The biggest challenge to CB7 and other community boards are not the issues that face our neighborhoods today...and they are plentiful. The biggest problem facing community boards in recent years has been 311. Since its inception, 311 has taken the wind...and bite...out of community boards. This, by the way, is no accident. But I won't elaborate about that here and now. Moreover, Community boards were almost wiped out this past summer when City Hall was going to slash funding as a fiscal measure. Fortunately, that was never realized. So community boards survived, and they continue to play an advisory role representing the interests of our communities. How effective they are...or will be..in the next four years, is yet to be determined. Time will tell. Joseph Bolanos President Landmark 76 Upper West Side Kudos to Helen! She brought a new, robust dynamic to the slow, crickity wheel of community advocacy.
As a community advocate I often have dealings with, and attend meetings at, CB7 and its committees. And whereas no community body is perfect, many of the CB7 volunteers are outstanding, dedicated and deliberate West siders. I can personally attest to that.
The biggest challenge to CB7 and other community boards are not the issues that face our neighborhoods today…and they are plentiful. The biggest problem facing community boards in recent years has been 311. Since its inception, 311 has taken the wind…and bite…out of community boards. This, by the way, is no accident. But I won’t elaborate about that here and now.
Moreover, Community boards were almost wiped out this past summer when City Hall was going to slash funding as a fiscal measure.
Fortunately, that was never realized.
So community boards survived, and they continue to play an advisory role representing the interests of our communities.
How effective they are…or will be..in the next four years, is yet to be determined.
Time will tell.

Joseph Bolanos
President
Landmark 76
Upper West Side

]]> By: Marjorie Cohen http://westsideindependent.com/2009/11/09/she-has-heard-your-complaints-upper-west-side/comment-page-1/#comment-383 Marjorie Cohen Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:29:11 +0000 http://westsideindependent.com/?p=2206#comment-383 Kudos to Helen for a job well done. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Kudos to Helen for a job well done. Thanks, thanks, thanks.

]]> By: Deborah Gobble Lewine http://westsideindependent.com/2009/11/09/she-has-heard-your-complaints-upper-west-side/comment-page-1/#comment-382 Deborah Gobble Lewine Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:37:11 +0000 http://westsideindependent.com/?p=2206#comment-382 Most west siders probably don't realize how many thankless, countless hours Helen Rosenthal and the rest of the Community Board log on our behalf. CBs are the voice of local reason, often taking a much longer and broader view than the larger powers that be. Thanks, CB 7! Most west siders probably don’t realize how many thankless, countless hours Helen Rosenthal and the rest of the Community Board log on our behalf. CBs are the voice of local reason, often taking a much longer and broader view than the larger powers that be. Thanks, CB 7!

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