Columbia U. Goes Remote + Reasons To Be Hopeful About 2022

Gus Saltonstall
·7 min read

Welcome back, Upper West Side! Let's get you all caught up to start this day off on an informed note. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening today in town.

First, today's weather:

Rain and drizzle in the a.m.. High: 46 Low: 36.

Here are the top stories today in Upper West Side:

  1. Columbia will move to remote learning for first two weeks of spring semester (Columbia Daily Spectator)

  2. West Side Rag » For What It's Worth: 'There Are Legitimate Reasons To Be Hopeful About 2022' (westsiderag.com)

  3. City Schools Are ‘Staying Open,’ Mayor Eric Adams Says (The New York Times)

  4. Manhattan District Attorney's Office: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Announces Leadership Team To Deliver Safety And Justice Fo ... (Press Release Desk)

  5. Helen Rosenthal, Council Rep, Bids Farewell To UWS After 8 Years (Upper West Side Patch)

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Today in Upper West Side:

From my notebook:

  • American Museum of Natural History: "Welcome to Trilobite Tuesday! Pictured is a 2-inch- (5.08-centimeter-) long example of the Lower Cambrian species Bristolia insolens. It’s easily distinguished by the uniquely angled spines that emerge from the sides of its head. While t..." (Facebook)

  • American Museum of Natural History: "Did you know? The Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero (Sphaerodactylus parthenopion) is one of the smallest living squamates in the world! Squamates are a diverse group of nearly 8,000 legged and legless reptile species, including snakes. The V..." (Facebook)

  • American Museum of Natural History: "It’s time for the first Mineral Monday of 2022! Pictured is the 21,327-carat topaz crystal known as the Brazilian Princess. In the 1950s, a 75-pound (34-kg), light-blue, gem-quality crystal was discovered in Brazil. The technology for cu..." (Facebook)

  • Central Park: "Central Park has been the inspiration and setting for so many great books—including fun reads for children. 📚 Discover the many stories of the Park with these book recommendations by the NYPL The New York Public Library: https://bit.ly/..." (Facebook)

  • Council Member Gale A. Brewer: "Day 1 back in the City Council is a wrap! My team and I are thrilled to represent District 6 and are here to be of assistance. While my district office is not accepting walk-ins, we’re here to help via phone and email. You can reach us a..." (Facebook)

  • Central Park: "Join us for a walk in the one section of the Park that remains green year-round—the Pinetum, a four-acre arboretum northwest of the Great Lawn. Its collection of 17 pine tree species is particularly impressive in the winter when the smal..." (Facebook)

  • Columbia University in the City of New York: "In The New York Times: “The experience of the pandemic has shown we are more resilient than conventional wisdom would suggest,” said Teachers College, Columbia University Clinical Psychology Professor George A. Bonanno, who recently auth..." (Facebook)

  • Central Park: "A warm, welcoming sight during a New York City winter, the newly restored Dairy—originally designed to resemble a Victorian country cottage—glows against the twilight sky. The building’s charming, ornate architecture offers its own “wint..." (Facebook)

  • American Folk Art Museum: "Join exhibition curators Valérie Rousseau and Emelie Gevalt online on January 25 at 1pm ET for an introduction to our upcoming MULTITUDES exhibition and learn more about themes, artworks, and artists such as William Edmondson, Henry Darg..." (Facebook)

  • Columbia University in the City of New York: "⭐ Hope everyone's first Monday of 2022 is off to a great start ⭐ Photo By: Vahe Hovhannisyan (GS'09)" (Facebook)

  • Council Member Gale A. Brewer: "If you attended gatherings over the holidays or were around people whose vax status you don’t know, it’s important to get tested for Covid-19. Manhattan testing sites for the week and for other boroughs below." (Facebook)

  • I Love The Upper West Side: "When a rock 'n' roll wife stands up to a real estate developer." (Facebook)

  • Riverside Park Conservancy: "Please make sure you drop off your tree any where alongside Riverside Drive before this Saturday so it can be tree-cycled. ...And join us to volunteer at Riverside Park’s location this Saturday, 1/8 from 10am - 2pm! Capacity is limited, ..." (Facebook)

  • Council Member Gale A. Brewer: "Hot off the presses: my first City Council newsletter! Read it here: https://mailchi.mp/manhattanbp... Sign up (if you haven’t done so already!): https://us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=bf27f3da34498cc55bd5e1da4&id=1..." (Facebook)

  • West Side Campaign Against Hunger: "Doing what we do best - ensuring our community has high-quality, fresh, healthy food to make balanced meals for themselves and their families." (Facebook)

  • The Beacon Theatre: "JUST ANNOUNCED: Allman Brothers Band Presents The 50th Anniversary Celebration of Eat A Peach performed by Trouble No More in their debut performance which includes Brandon "Taz" Niederauer, Daniel Donato, Dylan Niederauer, Jack Ryan and..." (Facebook)

  • Riverside Park Conservancy: "It will cost $36.5 million to fully renovate the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, and we will continue advocating for a public allocation for the funding in the City budget. This is one of several monuments in the City that has fallen in..." (Facebook)

  • Council Member Gale A. Brewer: "I’m proud to announce that District 6 is conducting Participatory Budgeting! Idea submissions can be made until January 23 online at https://www.participate.nyc.gov/processes/ccdistrict6." (Facebook)

  • New York Institute of Technology: "Kickstart your New Year by discovering new artists and songs. Listen to Executive Vice President Jerry Balentine's Tech Tracks playlist, live on Spotify. https://buff.ly/33MK6DO" (Facebook)

  • Bloomingdale Branch Library: "We're back! We will be open again on Tuesday, January 4th from 10am to 7pm. Any items on hold that were due to expire between December 30th and January 3rd will still be available for pick-up. Our librarian in charge of social media is h..." (Facebook)

  • Symphony Space: "Even though our relationship to touch right now is, uh, tense, it can power something like a kiss with even more intimacy and intention. This is the thought that came to mind while listening to Selected Shorts: Too Hot for Radio as Jin H..." (Facebook)

  • West Side Campaign Against Hunger: "Are you a resident of a TRIE (NYC Taskforce for Racial Inclusion and Equity) neighborhood? Vote TODAY on The People's Money. Your choice will determine how the winning $40K proposal is spent in your neighborhood. Poll closes on January 1..." (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday off right. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update!

— Gus Saltonstall

About me: Hi Patch readers!I'm a Patch reporter covering the Manhattan neighborhoods of the West Village, Upper West Side, and Washington Heights/Inwood. If you like my writing please sign up for Patch's newsletters. Dickinson College alum. Upper West Side of Manhattan-born and raised. Send any tips to gus.saltonstall@patch.com

This article originally appeared on the Upper West Side Patch