Dear John
My first term as your Council Member is coming to an end. Every day of this term has been an opportunity to strengthen local democracy and work towards building a City rooted in anti-racist, feminist values. I’ve gotten to walk, ride the bus and train, and eat my way across our lively district, always finding something I hadn’t seen the last time. I’ve felt empowered to take on some of the toughest fights as Immigration Committee Chair and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus because of the support of our community. Connecting with the diversity of neighbors I represent has truly fueled me. I know at times, we’ve had differences or challenging conversations, but know that my team and I want to foster safety and compassion.
It is an honor to represent a district with so many passionate community organizations, parent leaders, and advocacy groups that daily add collective people power and strength to our office’s vision for this City. I look forward to working together to protect renters, expand arts and cultural programming, support every student, and win a just budget. Our team will continue to open up local government by demystifying everything from complicated oversight hearings to land use applications.
We’ve celebrated many victories in-district and citywide. It’s a joy coming into Kensington and being welcomed by the Little Bangladesh street sign. We also permanently expanded Kensington Plaza, and what a difference it has made for neighbors and businesses alike. After the tragic death of Sarah Schick, I held the Department of Transportation accountable to deliver a fully protected bike lane on 9th Street between 2nd Avenue and Smith Street. We also celebrated the finally complete elevator on the 7th Avenue F/G station!
Leading months-long initiatives like Participatory Budgeting (PB) and our very own Youth Fellowship program were powerful opportunities to invite more of our constituents into the fold of local politics and cut the red tape of bureaucracy. It was meaningful to theme one cycle of PB on environmental justice projects as we geared up to get my legislation to mandate universal composting to the finish line. Our Fellows are young people from all corners of the 39th District and care deeply about climate reparations, immigrant rights, gender equity, education, and more.
I’ll end on a delicious note! Some of my favorite eats around the 39th District include the mango and cream ice cream at Malai Ice Cream, pappardelle with crispy duck skin at Al Di La Trattoria, chicken samosa from Radhuni, Cilbir at Rana Fifteen, ribeye on the bone from Olivier Bistro, and the famous dosa at Lore. Eat local!
I look forward to the new year and new term. Thank you for your support.
With Love,
Shahana
P.S. Our office will be closed starting today through January 2nd for the Winter Holidays! If you need assistance in the meantime, please leave us a message at (718) 499-1090 or email us at [email protected], and we'll get back to you when we've returned. We’ll also be taking a break from our newsletter next weekend. I hope everyone is spending the holidays with people they love.
