🌱 Marte Sworn In + Rally For Bodegas + Clinton Jeweler Robbed

Good morning, neighbors! I am your host, Patrick Murray here with 4 fresh headlines to get your day started.

First, today's weather:

Sunny and very cold with a high of 19 and a low of 17.

Here are the top stories in Lower East Side-Chinatown today:

1. Christopher Marte was sworn in as District 1’s City Council member, representing the Lower East Side and Chinatown, as well as much of Lower Manhattan. In an interview with WNYC, Marte said his top priority would be pushing through approval of the Chinatown Working Group Plan, which was opposed by the DeBlasio administration. Marte also vowed to revisit the SoHo/NoHo rezoning. (The Lo-Down)
2. A collection of elected officials, Lower East Side residents, and small businesses rallied outside of a Suffolk Street bodega to raise awareness of the threat from grocery delivery services. The New York City bodega, a pillar of the city's communities, are in danger of losing significant business to the rapid delivery apps which flourished during the pandemic. Many have compared this process to the way in which ride-sharing apps like Uber took business from local cab drivers. (AMNY)
3. A Clinton Street jeweler was robbed of $50,000 in merchandise. The suspect entered West Point Jewelry at 101 Clinton St. and asked to see a tray of the "thickest gold chains" in the store, before he snatched the jewelry and demanded that the store-owner buzz him out. The suspect then proceeded to kick the door and flee on foot. (Bowery Boogie)
4. A Manhattan sanitation worker was arrested for assaulting a co-worker. Brett Cohen, 41, allegedly shoved a female colleague to the ground at a sanitation garage near Clinton Street. Cohen will face a misdemeanor assault charge. (Yahoo News)

Today in Lower East Side-Chinatown:

• Earn While You Learn, career boot camp. (11 a.m.)
• 'Enrich Your Life Personally, Professionally and Financially,' NYU Public Events. (Noon)

From my notebook:

• Recognizing one of the Lower East Side Ecology Center's rockstar volunteers! (Facebook)
• Register for a virtual book talk presented by the Tenement Museum. (Facebook)
• Help the Grand St. Settlement raise money for their new mural. (Facebook)
• Browse the latest Lower East Side-Chinatown area job openings. (Lower East Side-Chinatown Patch)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update!

— Patrick Murray