With prospects of a tough reelection ahead this fall (hey, when the Queens GOP backs a former City Councilman instead or when SF's punk mayor disses him having a half stance with gay marriage), Mayor Bloomberg made sure to win the hearts of people by posing with a puppy! Mayor B almost looks cute and cuddly enough to reelect, but Gothamist will wait to hear more about what he plans to do in the next four years (we know Mike wants to build lots of sports facilities, make sure it's less noisy and smoke-free, but what about the schools and subways?). The puppy was integral to a press conference earlier this week, when a $15.5 million grant from Maddie's Fund, The Pet Rescue Foundation, was announced, to help the city's shelters increase adoptions and hopefully become a no-kill city. [If you're considering getting a pet, check out Big Apple Pets for Adoption.]
And Mayor Bling issued his preliminary Mayor's Management Report. The NY Times says it's pretty positive (311 calls are up, crime dropped, fire fatalities are down), but there are definitely areas to improve (number of people on foodstamps is up, fire response time in Staten Island increased). If only the Mayor could pin his reelection on public art (this MMR icon at left is from the city website). He's totally psyched - and so is most of the city, for that matter - about The Gates; at his press conference, he proclaimed:
"The Gates - the largest artwork in our City's history - will draw thousands of tourists from around the globe and add immeasurably to New York City's rich history of public art. Innovative works of art provoke debate, spark our imaginations, and help us re-define the space we live in, and The Gates will bring that experience to those who come to see it. I would like to thank Christo and Jeanne-Claude for bringing this magnificent project to our City. I invite all New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to come to Central Park over the next sixteen days to experience this once-in-a-lifetime work of art."
And Gothamist finds this picture of the Mayor with Christo and Jeanne-Claude at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (via the AP) is hilarious.
The City has lots of offers for The Gates. Check them out at NYC Visit.
