May 26th - June 1st, 2006

WTC Memorial Foundation Director Resigns

Friday, May 26^th: Gretchen Dykstra, president and CEO of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation (WTCMF), announced on May 26th that she is resigning from her post effective immediately. Joseph Daniels, WTCMF general counsel, has been named acting president. For more information, please click here.

 

River to River Festival Returns Downtown

Tuesday, May 30^th: This week marks the return of the Lower Manhattan River to River Festival, the largest free arts festival in New York City's history. Now in its fifth year, the festival will feature events at varying locations throughout Lower Manhattan, including 55 Water Street, Battery Park, Castle Clinton, City Hall Park, Rockefeller Park, the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, South Street Seaport, Wagner Park, and the World Financial Center. The festival kicks off on June 1^st with a "Boat, Bike & Buoy" parade, followed by concerts all weekend long with performances by Ricky Skaggs, Super Furry Animals, and Andy Votel. For more information, please click here.

Bill Proposed to Ease 9/11 Worker Claims

Thursday, June 1^st: Three Manhattan Democrats urged the state legislature yesterday to pass a bill that would make it easier for government workers who took part in the 9/11 rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts to claim workers' compensation because of illnesses that developed after the attack, the New York Times reported. The bill, put forth by Representative Carolyn Maloney, Assemblyman Jonathan Bing, and Borough President Scott Stringer , would ease the workers' burden of having to prove that the illnesses were directly caused by the attack, lift a two-year deadline for filing such claims that expired in 2003, and allow for previously rejected claims to be heard again, the paper reported. The bill was introduced by Bing in the Assembly and by State Senator John J. Marchi, a Republican, in the Senate. Politicians are worried that the legislative session will end late this month without a final vote, the paper said.