"And despite a growing state population, New York State's congressional delegation will lose a seat in the House of Representatives next year, having fallen an equally unprecedented 89 responses short of continuity. So much of our state's recovery, revitalization and resilience is dependent on having our voice heard in Washington, and we won't allow Trump and his cronies to use one of our greatest attributes — our diversity — as an impediment. I'm calling on the Attorney General to review all legal options available to ensure the voice of every New Yorker is fairly and wholly represented in the halls of Congress."

Thus far, New York State Attorney General Letitia James does not seem to have responded to Gov. Cuomo's plea. But she did go on record on Dec. 18, 2020 after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a lower court order blocking the Trump Administration’s plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment base depending on what the 2020 Decennial Census actually turned up. The Supreme Court said that it wouldn't bar a hypothetical situation and needed to wait to see what actions the Trump Administration would take when the Census count was complete.

Attorney General James said at that time, “President Trump’s efforts to pick and choose who to include in the apportionment base of the Census is as illegal today as it was when he made this announcement. All today’s decision does is kick the can down the road until this lame-duck president knows whether he will receive the data he needs to violate the Constitution and the Census Act with the few weeks he has left in office. The law is clear — every person residing in the U.S. during the Census, regardless of legal status, must be counted — and any further efforts by the president or his administration to violate the law will be met with fierce opposition, and we are confident we will win. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to stop the president from putting politics above the law.”

What will happen now? I don't know. But I do know that in October 2020, Gov. Cuomo pleaded with New Yorkers to fill out the Census forms. "The Census can be completed from home in less than 10 minutes online, by phone or mail," he said.

"Once every decade, the nation conducts the Census, which is a constitutionally mandated count of every American, regardless of their citizenship status. The decennial Census is one of the nation's most important programs. New Yorkers' fair share of federal funds for programs essential to health care, education, emergency planning, housing, economic development and transportation, as well as our congressional representation in Washington, all depends on an accurate and fully counted census response."

If you ever think that your voice in civic processes doesn't matter, think again. We have an election coming up on June 22. Whatever else you plan to do between now and then, get informed about the candidates and show up. Your vote counts.

Downtown Post NYC's website (www.DowntownPostNYC.com) is updated daily. That's the place to check for urgent messages, breaking news and reminders of interesting events in and around Lower Manhattan. So be sure to look at the website every day, especially if you want to know about breaking news.

Downtown Post NYC on Facebook: On its Facebook page, Downtown Post NYC has been providing information about the time of Governor Andrew Cuomo's daily press briefings and how to access them. DPNYC has also been highlighting some of Gov. Cuomo's announcements concerning COVID-19 statistics, reopening of various parts of the state for business and executive orders. Go to Downtown Post NYC's Facebook page by clicking here.

HOW TO SUPPORT DOWNTOWN POST NYC: I made Downtown Post NYC free to subscribers so that no one who was interested in reading it would be excluded because of cost. Downtown Post NYC is largely supported by advertising revenue. In addition, some people have made contributions, which are much appreciated. For more information about how to contribute or advertise, email editor@downtownpostnyc.com.

On April 9, 2021, a notorious volcano erupted on the small Caribbean island of St. Vincent, covering the island in ash and spreading ash and fumes to the neighboring islands of Barbados and the Grenadines. The eruption left around 20,000 people homeless, without clean drinking water, electricity, food, sanitation, transportation, shelter or medical care.

News of the disaster reached as far as Battery Park City. Twelve 6th grade girls, members of Girl Scout troop 3140 and most of them students at PS 276, heard what had happened.

"One of the Girl Scouts (Kenzie Cohen) has a long standing babysitter/now friend from St. Vincent and she was concerned for her family," explained Joanne Clark, a Battery Park City resident and co-leader of the troop. "Then last week, our troop zoomed directly with people in St. Vincent who had to flee the eruptions and were now living in shelters. Their stories were very powerful and the girls wanted to help. We partnered with community leaders in Brooklyn who are organizing donations and shipments."

The girls decided to ask people to donate vital supplies that they could ship to St. Vincent. They scheduled their collection activity for April 29 and April 30 in front of PS 276. One of the Girl Scouts, 6th grader Mira Matthews, wrote an article for the school newsletter to advertise the event.

The people of St. Vincent, she wrote, "are currently facing [an] apocalyptic reality.

Combined with the Covid-19 pandemic and the approaching hurricane season, the situation in St. Vincent is insufferable and as Didier Trebucq, U.N. Resident Coordinator for Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean, described it in a recent press release 'a crisis that will require a humanitarian response but also a response in terms of rehabilitation' for months to come. The coming weeks are a critical time to save lives and provide food, shelter and basic needs to those who have lost so much."

Troop 3140's effort to help the people of St. Vincent was not their first charitable undertaking. "Last year we made tie-dye face masks to raise money for a New York City food bank," said Clark. "Last year we also sorted and packaged PPE into 70 individual bags for the employees of a New York City non-profit, ‘Sheltering Arms.’ Also, we have raised money for the Guillain-Barre Syndrome Foundation by making and selling bracelets in GBS colors and selling cookies. We did this after one of our Girl Scouts developed this horrible syndrome and was in intensive care for months."

Clark and another Battery Park City mother, Megan Smyser, started Girl Scout troop 3140 in 2016 with the help of Mara Sonnenschein, who works for the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Battery Park City.

"We set up Girl Scouts when my daughter had to move from PS 276 to attend The Windward School — a dyslexic specialist school," said Clark. "I wanted her to maintain her links with kids in our local neighborhood. Neither Megan nor I are former Girl Scouts but we were both excited to set up an organization for our girls with female empowerment and community service at its heart."

Clark said that in the few years since the troop was founded, she has "seen the girls grow significantly. They think nothing of standing up to speak publicly about their take-action projects or to interact with people in the local community. They have worked with many people from all walks of life — from a judge, to the head of the New York census, from Broadway stars to people living in shelters in St. Vincent — and this has not only given them confidence but an awareness of the possibilities life has to offer. Megan and I are constantly and consistently inspired by them.

"I think these girls will most certainly be future leaders in whatever field or life choices they make. They stand up for what is right and take action in a confident and positive way. They are learning that they can make a difference in this world, especially when they work together."

Girl Scout Troop 3140's collection drive for St. Vincent continues on April 30 from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and from 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. in front of PS/IS 276 at 55 Battery Place. The goods will be brought to a Brooklyn-based St. Vincentian community group and shipped directly to St. Vincent in the next few days.

Needed donations include the following: Toothpaste; soap; toilet paper; period products; toothbrushes; underwear; clothing (all sizes, new or in very good condition); shoes (all sizes, new or in very good condition); socks (all sizes, new or in very good condition); diapers; baby wipes; blankets; cooking oil; rice; noodles; pasta and non-perishable snacks.

452 Washington St. in Tribeca

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It's never too late to give someone (or yourself?) a gift. Té Company's tearoom at 163 West 10th St. is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for tea and snacks to go. In addition, you can order tea and cookies (plus other gifts) online, For more information on Té Company, click here.

Governors Island, a short ferry ride from Manhattan and Brooklyn, invites New Yorkers to let the weariness and isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic drop away. Here are places to sit on the grass, perhaps with a picnic, and hammocks in which to rest. There are hills to climb with views of the harbor. On seven miles of car-free paths, there are bicycles to ride (or bring your own on the ferry) and surreys to peddle that will accommodate a family. There are vertiginous sliding boards, an adventure playground for the kids and an urban farm with rows of crops, greenhouses and a composting center.

This summer, there will also be sheep on the island. They usually live near Albany but have been brought to Governors Island for the summer because they like to eat the island's invasive plants.

Art lovers will find exhibitions housed in some of the historic houses surrounding Nolan Park. In addition, the Arts Center at Governors Island, which is curated and programmed by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), will reopen to the public on June 12 with two large-scale, site-specific solo exhibitions, a participatory sculpture and the return of the Take Care public programs series. Admission will be free but timed-entry tickets will be required. Reservations for tickets are now being accepted. (For more information and to reserve, click here.)

Thrill seekers can experience a 300-foot zipline, challenge themselves on a climbing wall or puzzle their way through a problem-solving maze. For a more sedate challenge, there's mini-golf just steps from Liggett Terrace.

Visitors can take guided tours of the Island with Friends of Governors Island volunteer docents, leaving from Soissons Landing on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Self-guided tours are also available utilizing Urban Archive's app with its stunning archival photographs.

This year, as in the past, Governors Island offers many food and drink options. At Soissons Landing, visitors will find Island Oyster’s summer fare and tropically inspired cocktails, and Taco Vista’s tacos and cool drinks with a view. Pizza Yard dishes out wood-fried Neapolitan-style pizzas at the south end of Colonels Row. On the western shore, small plates and drinks can be purchased at Sea Biscuit or stop by Three Peaks Lodge at Collective Retreats for cocktails and takeaway options.

Liggett Terrace is the island's culinary hub with Fauzia’s Heavenly Delights’ Jamaican fusion cuisine; coffee, tea and treats from Joe Coffee; Korean-inspired tacos, bowls and snacks at Kimchi Taco; eclectic takes on classic grill fare at Little Eva’s; Makina Café’s modern Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine; Melt Bakery’s artisanal ice cream sandwiches; Terry and Yaki’s teriyaki bowls with vegan and halal options; and Threes Brewing’s tasty brews and The Meat Hook’s satisfying sandwiches in a shared shaded garden.

The island's peripatetic food vendors include People’s Pops’ which serves up flavored pops and shaved ice and Mai Bpen Rai’s Thai-style green papaya salad.

If you’d rather cook your own meal, grills are available by reservation. Reservations are required, with grilling stations available at Picnic Point and near Nolan Park. For more information about reserving a grill, click here.

Access to Governors Island is by ferry, with timed ticket reservations required. May dates are available now. Tickets for June will be available starting Saturday, May 1.

Governors Island's Brooklyn ferries will serve two locations on weekends in 2021:

Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Atlantic Basin in Red Hook. (Enter near the corner of Pioneer and Conover Streets and enjoy PortSide NY's Pandemic Pop-Up Park near the landing.)

Ferries will run daily from Lower Manhattan. The ferries are always free for kids 12 and under, for seniors 65 and up, for residents of NYCHA housing, for military servicemembers, Governors Island members, and for everyone on weekends before noon. Learn more about Governors Island ferries and book tickets by clicking here.