MULCHFEST STARTS DEC. 26
There are three ways to mulch the tree: The Department of Sanitation will pick up NAKED trees curbside (one big pet peeve for me is people who put their trees in plastic bags. Why?? I load mine in the super’s giant trash hauler) starting Thursday, Jan. 6, through Saturday, Jan. 15. Trees are chipped, mixed with leaves and recycled into rich compost for NYC’s parks, institutions, and community gardens. Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, stands and plastic bags from your tree.

BPCA is also running its annual tree recycling this year again now through Jan. 28, with curbside collection. Same rules apply. More info here.

And if you can’t wait that long, the Parks Department starts Mulchfest on Dec. 26 through Jan. 9 during park hours. Our closest location is The Battery.

WORKING GROUP ESTABLISHED FOR 250 WATER
Local state, city and federal electeds along with CB1 are convening a working group on the environmental cleanup and construction proposed for 250 Water to ensure transparency, public awareness, community input, and environmental safety at the site. It sounds to me like it is invitation only: “The Working Group will include representatives of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Howard Hughes Corporation, Langan Environmental, independent community monitor Lawra Dodge of Excel Environmental Resources, Tom Fusillo of the Ramboll Group, the Peck Slip School, the Blue School, the groups that comprise the Seaport Coalition (Southbridge Towers, Save Our Seaport, Children First, and Friends of the South Street Seaport), and the South Street Seaport Museum.”

NEW PRESIDENT FOR HUDSON SQUARE BID
The Hudson Square BID, which supports the area just north of Canal on the Westside, has hired Samara Karasyk as its new president and CEO. Karasyk started in city government at the Parks Department in 1999 and over the past 20 years has worked at several agencies: constituent affairs at the Taxi & Limousine Commission; the Department of Transportation as director of intergovernmental relations; Department of Finance as assistant commissioner of external affairs and most recently chief of staff at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. She also sits on the Executive Board of the Brooklyn Arts Council and is a member of the Chief Women’s Leadership Network. Samara resides in Brooklyn with her family.