CIVITAS to host annual gala, celebrate local businesses, and honor Jeanne Straus, publisher of Our Town newspaper

NEW YORK, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, May 2, at the House of the Redeemer on Manhattan's Upper East Side, CIVITAS will host its annual fundraising gala. In a departure from previous years, this year's event will celebrate 15 longstanding small businesses of the Upper East Side and East Harlem, some of which have been in operation for more than a century.

"The concern for disappearing mom-and-pop stores in our communities, and the vacant spaces left in their wake, is pervasive," said Mark Alexander, President of the CIVITAS Board of Directors.  "The merchants that operate dry cleaners, shoe repair shops, restaurants, bakeries, bookstores, and florists are vital to enhancing the fabric of our neighborhoods. CIVITAS and its members honor and support our local merchants, and we are committed to exploring ways to tackle the issues that are forcing so many to close their doors."

Also at Wednesday's event, CIVITAS will honor Jeanne Straus, Publisher of Our Town weekly magazine, with its August Heckscher Award for Community Service, named for the organization's founder.

The House of the Redeemer is located at 7 East 95^th Street.  The gala begins at 6:00 pm, with the presentation slated for 7:00.  For more information, please call or email Alexander Adams.

About CIVITAS
Founded in 1981, CIVITAS is dedicated to positively transforming the Upper East Side and East Harlem neighborhoods through civic engagement and advocacy for:

• The preservation of their character, culture, streetscape, historic landmarks, and public spaces.
• A reimagined waterfront that is structurally sound, aesthetically pleasing, and publicly accessible, with improved water quality via an ecological green edge shoreline;  
• Reinforcing height limits, including the East Harlem rezoning plan and the current challenge to the proposed 700+ foot project on 96^th St.;
• Redefining the city's building and zoning laws to stop loopholes and the ill-advised interpretations of laws.  

Alexander Adams
Executive Director
CIVITAS
(212)996-0745
[email protected]

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SOURCE CIVITAS

Related Links

http://www.civitasnyc.org