STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Here's a look at what some of our local lawmakers have been up to recently.
FITNESS CHALLENGE
Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island) hosted a Bicycle Safety & Activity Day last week for over 20 Staten Island students in Pre-K through eighth-grade.
The event, part of the Total Fitness Challenge, took place Owl Hollow Fields at Freshkills Park.
Participants were instructed in biking and bike safety by Bike NYC. And some of the younger children learned how to ride a bike without training wheels.
Founded by Cusick in 2008, the Total Fitness Challenge is designed to get kids to exercise and stay in shape over the summer.
"This is the first time we tried a biking Activity Day and it was a lot of fun," said Cusick. "Biking is a great way to stay active, spend time with friends, and explore Staten Island, and I know that these kids learned a lot and had a ton of fun here today".
For more information, stay in touch with Cusick's Facebook page, and check the Total Fitness Challenge website.
Total Fitness Challenge: Here's what you need to know
Interested in participating in Assemblyman Michael Cusick's Summer Total Fitness Challenge? Here's what you need to know.
WATERFRONT PLANNING
The New York City Council approved a bill this week that will revitalize the Waterfront Management Advisory Board (WMAB).
Inactive since before the end of the Bloomberg administration, the WMAB provides a forum for cooperation among city, state, federal and civic partners to advance shared goals and initiatives for the optimal balance of waterfront and waterway uses.
The WMAB is currently supposed to consist of 12 mayoral appointees.
The bill, introduced by Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) and Councilman Ben Kallos, who represents the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, would add a council member, the commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and the commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development to the WMAB. It would also expand the number of public members of the board to 18, half to be appointed by the mayor and half to be appointed by the City Council speaker.
"When I was appointed chair of the Council's committee on waterfronts, I learned that this board had been inactive for so long," said Rose. "That was unacceptable to me, especially in light of all the new development taking place along our waterfronts. This bill will expand the size of the board to incorporate more community stakeholders, and to engage more city agencies. It is my hope that the expansion of the WMAB will help us better oversee development on our waterfronts and improve their overall upkeep."