A.G. Schneiderman Moves To Intervene In Lawsuit Against NYC Board Of Elections Regarding Voter Registration Purges

A.G.'s Complaint Follows His Investigation Into Brooklyn Voter Purge After the 2016 Presidential Primary, Showing Widespread Violations By NYCBOE

Schneiderman: The Right To Vote Is Sacred -- Yet NYCBOE Knowingly Disenfranchised Over 200,000 New Yorkers, Violating Federal And State Laws

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that his office would seek to intervene in a federal lawsuit against the New York City Board of Elections (“NYCBOE”), alleging that widespread policies and practices used by the NYCBOE to cancel voter registrations violate federal and state laws. Specifically, Attorney General Schneiderman’s lawsuit alleges that since 2014 the NYCBOE improperly purged over 200,000 voters’ registrations and, as a result, disenfranchised many voters during the 2016 Presidential Primary. 

“The right to vote is sacred, protecting all other rights. Yet the NYC Board of Elections’ practices were directly responsible for disenfranchising over 200,000 voters – violating federal and state laws, and undermining New Yorkers’ trust in the institutions meant to protect their rights,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “That’s why we’re moving to join this lawsuit – and I won’t stop fighting for the reforms we need to protect and expand voting rights across New York.”

The Attorney General filed papers in federal court – including a proposed complaint– to request that the Attorney General be allowed to join in a pending lawsuit against the NYCBOE, brought by the organization Common Cause on behalf of purged voters.  The Obama Administration’s U.S. Department of Justice recently entered the lawsuit as well. 

Read the motion to intervene here. Read the proposed complaint here.

The Attorney General’s complaint makes new allegations that go beyond the prior two complaints, detailing three separate voter purges that removed 200,000 people from the rolls (one purge in 2014 related to changes of addresses, one in 2015 related to changes of addresses, and one in 2015 related to the “Brooklyn Project,” all detailed below) and new evidence that shows both explicit violations of the law and that high-level officials at NYCBOE had knowledge of these violations.

The Attorney General’s action stems from its ongoing nine-month investigation into policies and practices for purging voter registrations. During the Presidential Primary on April 19, 2016, the Attorney General’s Office operated a hotline to troubleshoot problems voters encountered at their polling place. That day, the Attorney General’s Office received more than 1,500 complaints from citizens across New York State, including many regarding cancelled registrations in Brooklyn. 

Last month, the Attorney General released a comprehensive report on the unprecedented number of statewide voter complaints the hotline received during the April Presidential Primary and General Election. The Attorney General proposed a series of comprehensive legislative and administrative reforms to simplify the voting process, boost voter registration, and expand voter turnout.

In April, the Attorney General also opened a separate investigation into the policies and practices of the NYCBOE after reports that the Brooklyn Board of Elections improperly purged over one hundred thousand of voters from its registration roll. The Attorney General’s investigation involved interviewing over a dozen current and former NYCBOE officials, reviewing tens of thousands of pages of documents, and examining over one hundred individual voter files. Based on this investigation, the Attorney General’s complaint alleges, in great detail, that the NYCBOE violated federal and state election laws in two clear ways:

• First, the NYCBOE violated clear federal and state law prohibitions against canceling a voter solely for not voting. Beginning in early 2014, officials in the Brooklyn Office of the NYCBOE put together a plan to cancel the registrations of voters who had not voted since 2008, and who had not made themselves known to the NYCBOE in any other way, such as by submitting a change of address, name, or party affiliation.  This plan, known in the NYCBOE as the “Brooklyn Project,” was developed in response to a report by the New York City Department of Investigation, which criticized the NYCBOE’s voter roll maintenance practices and alleged that ineligible voters remained on the NYCBOE’s registration roll. 

The Brooklyn Project was illegal under both the National Voter Registration Act (“NVRA”), 52 U.S.C. § 20507(b)(2), and the New York Election Law, N.Y. Elec. Law § 5-400, which prohibit cancellations of voters’ registration solely because they have not voted.  In spite of this clear prohibition, the NYCBOE proceeded with the Brooklyn Project, and for several months in 2014, more than 20 employees worked diligently to flag voters for cancellation based on the illegal criterion of not having voted.  Ultimately, in 2015, NYCBOE sent intent to cancel ("ITC") notices and then purged nearly 117,000 voters.  A timeline for the Brooklyn Project is provided below. 

Additionally, officials at the Queens Borough Office illegally used the genealogy website Ancestry.com in an attempt to determine whether voters had died, and had notified senior NYCBOE officials about the practice, which still continued.

The Attorney General alleges that senior officials at the NYCBOE had sufficient opportunity to recognize the illegal criteria and reinstate the illegally cancelled voters prior to the April 2016 Presidential Primary.  For instance, in August 2015, in response to a complaint received from a voter cancelled by this illegal purge, senior level officials at the NYCBOE were informed that the Brooklyn Borough Office of the NYCBOE had flagged voters for cancellation based on a history of not voting. Despite this notice, the NYCBOE failed to take immediate steps to reinstate the voters. Instead, the voters purged as part of the Brooklyn Project remained cancelled up to and during the 2016 Presidential Primary.

• Second, the complaint filed by the Attorney General alleges that the NYCBOE violated federal and state laws by not following proper procedures for cancelling voters based on a change of address. The NYCBOE regularly receives information from the United States Postal Service’s National Change of Address (“NCOA”) database regarding individuals who may have changed their address.  If that information suggests that a voter moved outside New York City, the NYCBOE can initiate a cancellation process described in federal and state law.  Specifically, under the NVRA, 52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)-(d), and New York State Election Law § 5-708(5)(c), the NYCBOE must send that voter a notice stating that it suspects the voter has moved and that it is seeking confirmation of the voter’s address.  If the voter does not respond to the notice, and does not vote or confirm his or her address in any other way over a timeframe consisting of two federal general elections, the NYCBOE can only then cancel that voter’s registration.

In contrast to this multiyear cancellation process mandated by law, in 2014 and 2015 the NYCBOE waited just 14 days after providing such notice to voters before purging them from the registration roll.  The illegal shortcut, devised and implemented at the Central Office of the NYCBOE, resulted in the cancellation of over 100,000 voter registrations throughout New York City.  Moreover, many voters, including several that contacted the Attorney General’s Office during the 2016 Presidential Primary, were disenfranchised by this illegal project.  Timelines for the purges are provided below. 

The Attorney General further alleges that inadequate oversight failed to prevent these purges. Staff at the Borough Offices received almost no training to prepare them for the task of handling voter registrations, and several former officials from the Brooklyn Office reported that they were not aware that the NYCBOE had written policies regarding voter registration, even when given a copy of those policies. Moreover, in interviews with the Attorney General’s Office, several former officials at the Brooklyn Office incorrectly maintained that they had the authority to cancel voter’s registrations based on a failure to vote. 

The lawsuit alleges violations of the National Voter Registration Act (“NVRA”), 52 U.S.C. § 20507(b)(2), and 52 U.S.C. § 20507(d), as well as violations of New York State Election Law § 5-400, and §§ 5-708(5)(c). 

Among other relief requested in the complaint, the Attorney General asks the court to order NYCBOE to:

• audit the cancellation of every New York City voter sent an ITC letter since January 1, 2014 and require reinstatement of any person removed in violation of federal or state election law;
• ensure that a process for cancelling voters is implemented in compliance with federal and state election law;
• create a training program, with the approval of the Attorney General’s Office, regarding the maintenance of registration rolls and the removal of voters from the rolls;
• create oversight policies to ensure Borough Offices’ compliance with federal and state law regarding cancellations;
• appoint a new head of Voter Registration to provide oversight of cancellation processes and ensure that those processes comply with federal and state law;
• and no longer use cancellation letters to cancel registrations without documentation or evidence that a voter is ineligible.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Ajay Saini, Diane Lucas, and Sania Khan of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau, which is led by Bureau Chief Lourdes Rosado. The Civil Rights Bureau is part of the Social Justice Division, which is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice Alvin Bragg. 

The Attorney General’s Office thanks the New York City Board of Elections for its cooperation with the investigation.

The Attorney General's Office is committed to the voting rights protecting all eligible New Yorkers. To file a civil rights complaint, contact the Attorney General’s Office at (212) 416-8250, civil.rights@ag.NY.gov or visit www.ag.NY.gov.

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Settlement With Computer Manufacturer After Data Breach Exposed More Than 35,000 Credit Card Numbers

Acer Service Corporation Must Pay $115,000 In Penalties And Reform Data Security Practices

    Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a settlement with Acer Service Corporation (“Acer”), a computer manufacturer based in Taiwan, after a data breach of its website exposed over 35,000 credit card numbers.  An investigation by the A.G.’s office  revealed that sensitive Acer customer information was not protected by Acer for almost a full calendar year. Acer has agreed to pay $115,000 in penalties and to shore up its data security practices.

“Businesses have a duty to protect their customers’ personal information as securely as possible,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Lax security practices like those we uncovered at Acer put New Yorkers’ credit card information and other personal data at serious risk. That’s unacceptable, and will change under the terms of our settlement today. My office will continue to hold businesses accountable for protecting their customers’ private information.”

Acer manufactures computers and other electronics and sells them through various channels including through its website http://us-store.acer.com (“acer.com”).  In January 2016, Discover Card analyzed hundreds of fraudulent credit card transactions on the website and determined that Acer was the last merchant where a legitimate transaction took place.  This is known as a “common point of purchase” and indicates that Acer was the target of a cyber-attack resulting in a compromise of credit card information. 

The subsequent investigation revealed that at least one attacker exploited Acer website vulnerabilities to view and ex-filtrate sensitive customer data. Between November 11, 2015 and April 28, 2016, the attacker(s) made hundreds of electronic requests for customer data.  In all, sensitive data related to 35,071 people, including 2,250 New York residents, was stolen. 

Acer’s website contained numerous vulnerabilities. For example, between July 4, 2015 and April 28, 2016, an Acer employee enabled debugging mode on Acer’s e-commerce platform.  Debugging mode is a setting that stores all data transferred through a website into a log file in plain text format to troubleshoot the website prior to launch, or otherwise when it is offline and not processing customer transactions.

During this time, the website saved all the information provided by the customers in unencrypted plain text form to a log file.  This information included first and last name; credit card number, expiration date and verification number (CVN); website user name and password; email address; and street address including city, state and zip code.

Additionally, Acer misconfigured its website to allow directory browsing by unauthorized users.  This misconfiguration allowed the attacker(s) to view and access subdirectories on the website using a simple web browser.

As a result of the security vulnerabilities described above, significant amounts of sensitive Acer customer information was not protected for almost a full calendar year.

The settlement requires Acer to maintain reasonable security policies designed to protect consumer personal information including:

1. Designation of an employee(s) to coordinate and supervise its program designed to protect the privacy and security of personal information;
2. Designation of an employee(s) to be notified whenever any personal information is saved to, or stored on, Acer’s file system in unencrypted form;
3. Annual employee training to at a minimum inform employees who are responsible for handling personal information about data security, the importance of consumer privacy and their duty to help maintain its integrity;
4. Responding to events involving unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of personal information including training all staff who are responsible for inputting, entering, maintaining, storing or transferring personal information on data breach notification law;
5. Identifying material risks to the security and confidentiality of personal information that are reasonably likely to result in the unauthorized disclosure, misuse, copying, alteration, destruction, or other compromise of such information, including through the regular review of security industry news sources for newly identified security vulnerabilities;
6. Designing and implementing reasonable safeguards to control the risks identified through risk assessment, including use of multi-factor authentication for remote access to Acer computer systems; implementation of an intrusion detection system; and penetration testing (at least annually) and vulnerability assessments (at least quarterly);
7. Regular testing of the effectiveness of the safeguards’ key controls, systems, and procedures; and
8. Developing and using reasonable steps to select and retain service providers capable of maintaining security practices consistent with the agreement and requiring service providers by contract to implement and maintain appropriate safeguards.

Acer has also agreed to maintain the data security standards required by the credit card industry.

Statement from Comptroller Scott M. Stringer on the Department of Investigation’s ACS Report

“We, as a city, are defined by how we treat our kids. We aren’t living in a fair city when my kids come home to a safe household every night while thousands of others, in the greatest city on the planet, are living in some of the most deplorable, dangerous conditions imaginable.

“Through our audits and investigations, we have uncovered ACS has repeatedly violated its own requirements on how it investigates allegations of abuse and neglect. In even the most serious “high priority” cases, we have found that ACS hasn’t completed the necessary number of supervisor or manager reviews required by its own rules.  We’ve discovered poor oversight and ineffective management. Yet, the agency has vehemently resisted calls for change.

“At ACS, tragic failures are known; major successes are not. Let there be no doubt that this is likely the toughest job in government. But report after report shows there are persistent problems at this agency. Today’s DOI investigation, once again, validates the concerns voiced by many regarding ACS. This should be — and must be — a wake-up call. It’s time to face the facts. ACS and City government must come to the realization that the agency needs a dramatic overhaul. There are systemic challenges placing children at risk, and we have a moral obligation not just as government officials, but as New Yorkers, to fix them. The stakes are simply too high.”

Statement from City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer on the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget

“The uncertainty surrounding future policy decisions by the Trump administration and the Republican Congress presents real risks to our City budget. My office conducted an analysis outlining potential Federal cuts—and I’m concerned many critical areas could be affected. From affordable housing to programs that support at-risk children, our social safety net could be fundamentally changed by backwards policies from Washington. We believe that whatever the White House and the Republican Congress do, our City must protect its most vulnerable residents.

“Over the coming months, we must enact a budget that secures the safety net, prepares our children for the future, and helps our city compete in a 21st century economy.  We also must be smart about spending in good times so we are prepared for when tougher times arrive. I look forward to working with the Mayor and the City Council to ensure we have a budget that accomplishes these goals and gives every New Yorker a fair shot to make it here. My office is currently reviewing the preliminary budget and will release a comprehensive analysis in the coming weeks.”

Comptroller Stringer previously released an analysis of how federal aid to New York City, which often impacts New Yorkers who need support most, could be at risk under the Trump Administration and the Republican Congress.

It's Not Every Day You Get to See This - Remnants of the Old Drive Ins

  This 1961 Cadillac Sedan De Ville Complete with its famous tail fins in excellent shape is a vision from the 1960's, especially since it is parked in front of 'Yo Burger" a well known Burger place just like the old drive ins.  The owner went in for a delicious burger, fries, and soda. The only thing missing is the waitress on roller skates.

Another Television Shoot in Riverdale

   Last week scenes the television show Madame Secretary were filmed in the North Riverdale area around the Skyview Towers. This week in the Skyview Shopping Center the television shoe the Blacklist was filming as you see in the photos below, The Riverdale area of the Bronx has been a favorite place to film with its scenic views and historic estates. Past shows which have filmed in Riverdale include Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Smash, and many others. 

Above - Several parking spaces are taken up by film equipment.

Below - The Riverdale Pharmacy in the Skyview Shopping Center was a closed set as filming took place. One woman watching what was going on remarked 'That is my pharmacy".

When filming was done the curtain came down and the pharmacy returned to regular business.

FREE RAT ACADEMY: RESIDENTS LEARN HOW TO RID NEIGHBORHOODS OF CITY’S MOST PESKY RODENT

  Senator Jeff Klein, along with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Councilman Andrew Cohen,  sponsored a special city Department of Health workshop Thursday night at Van Cortlandt Jewish Senior Center that offered safe and effective methods for rat prevention to community members.

The unique class was organized after residents voiced their concerns over numerous rat disturbances in the area, including on Stevenson Place, just a block away from where the Rat Academy was held. The rodents are attracted to the retaining wall on that street, which provides a good place for them to burrow, a DOH representative explained at the class. Other locations visited and occupied by rats could be found online at www.nyc.gov/rats. The DOH encouraged the participants to visit the website’s “Rat Information Portal” to learn where the animals are active in their neighborhood.  

“It’s time to tackle our rat problem head on by educating everyone about the best ways to keep these rodents away from our homes and neighborhoods. I’m thrilled to have co-sponsored a Free Rat Academy with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Council Member Cohen. Rats don’t belong in our houses, apartments, or backyards. The city Department of Health is well versed in rat prevention and I’m thankful they offered free training to our community members,” said Senator Klein.     

“I am pleased to partner with my colleagues Senator Klein and Council Member Cohen in order to address this problem. Rats are here, there’s no ignoring it, but they aren’t welcome to stay and they don’t have to. We can drastically reduce rat populations and keep our homes clean by educating ourselves and following simple rules that can prevent rats from infesting buildings and houses. If everyone learns about what they can do to protect themselves and their garbage from rats, we can get these rodents out of our neighborhoods,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.

“I am pleased to be co-sponsoring a Rat Academy in my Council District, with the New York City Health Department and fellow elected officials.  Rats are a huge public health hazard, particularly if they enter the buildings where we live and work.  The Health Department has great expertise in how to keep rodents out of buildings.   Rat Academy is an opportunity for them to share that knowledge with tenants and buildings managers in my district, so we can all be partners in improving the quality of life in our community,” said Council Member Cohen.

The DOH provided tips and pointers on how to prevent an infestation, as well as how to best manage an existing rat problem during the two hour workshop. Removing potential food, water and shelter sources is a simple solution  to combat the four-legged critters. A DOH representative also encouraged the community members to not feed pigeons or feral cats, as these food sources also attract rats.

The city agency sent the audience home with free rodent-resistant garbage cans. During the Rat Academy, the DOH highlighted how garbage is a major attraction to rats. The rodents usually burrow and live within close proximity to waste.  Because of this, the participants were told to make sure their garbage is always 100 percent contained.

Wave Hill Events Feb 10–Feb 17

Time Out New York readers recently voted Wave Hill their most loved cultural venue, and that makes us especially happy to welcome all our valentines this year. May we recommend combining our blissfully peaceful oasis with the activity of your choice: Brush up on the language of flowers, heart the manatee at a family card-making project, decorate your own cookies, and cap the visit off with a browse in the Shop for sweet gifts—and take advantage of a sale on some of our most handsome jewelry.

The second speaker in our horticultural lecture series for 2017, David Fried, has some passions of his own, namely getting us all into growing organic fruit and nut trees. Some tickets are still available for this lively and engaging talk!

SAT, FEBRUARY 11    FAMILY ART PROJECT: HEARTS FOR FLOWERS, LOVE FOR MANATEES

As we look ahead to Valentine’s Day, let’s spread the love like the petals of a bursting flower. Layer an abundance of hearts in circular formations to create joyful and rapturous flowery cards and gifts. Today, we also give some love to the majestic manatees. Their populations at record lows, these wonderful “sea cows” need our support. Hear touching tales about these marine creatures and make a stuffed-manatee valentine gift or card.  Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Valentine’s Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 11   VALENTINE’S DAY IN THE SHOP

With Valentine's Day in mind, The Shop at Wave Hill is opening its cases of quality jewelry to a 30% off sale on a wide selection. Combine a browse with a quiet walk through the gardens for a perfect winter outing. The sale continues through Valentine’s Day, February 14. Purchases over $100 in The Shop on Valentine’s Weekend receive a gift of chocolate!

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 11    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

SAT, FEBRUARY 11    LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS DROP-IN TOUR

Stop by the Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory for a drop-in tour of the fragrant plants currently in bloom and learn the language of flowers. Free with admission to the grounds.

MARCO POLO STUFANO CONSERVATORY, NOON–2PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 11    WINTER WORKSPACE SESSION 1 OPEN HOUSE

This winter, Glyndor Gallery is transformed again into studio spaces for artists to develop new work and offer opportunities for public interaction in the context of the garden. Individual artists share their studio practice with the public on this open studio day. This year’s Session 1artists are Dahlia Elsayed, Rosemarie Fiore, Crystal Gregory, Yeon Jin Kim, Summer McCorkle and Anne Percoco & Ellie Irons. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, NOON‒3:30PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 11    HEARTS AND FLOWERS COOKIE DECORATING WORKSHOP 

Roses are red, violets are blue, cookies are colorful, and sprinkles are, too! Bring your sweethearts to Wave Hill this Valentine’s Day for a special cookie decorating event. Use sanding sugars, cookie icing and a variety of sprinkles to design your own cookies. Fill a box with your creations to show that certain someone how much you love them. Perfect for families and crafty visitors of all ages. $20/$10 Wave Hill Member per project. No registration required for this drop-in workshop. Valentine’s Weekend event.

ARMOR HALL, 12‒2PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 12    WINTER BIRDING

The Hudson River Valley hosts an impressive diversity of bird species, even during the winter months. Explore Wave Hill’s tranquil gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe birds in their winter habitats. Birders of all levels welcome. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds. NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 9:30AM

SUN, FEBRUARY 12    FAMILY ART PROJECT: HEARTS FOR FLOWERS, LOVE FOR MANATEES

As we look ahead to Valentine’s Day, let’s spread the love like the petals of a bursting flower. Layer an abundance of hearts in circular formations to create joyful and rapturous flowery cards and gifts. Today, we also give some love to the majestic manatees. Their populations at record lows, these wonderful “sea cows” need our support. Hear touching tales about these marine creatures and make a stuffed-manatee valentine gift or card.  Free with admission to the grounds.Valentine’s Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 12   VALENTINE’S DAY IN THE SHOP

With Valentine's Day in mind, The Shop at Wave Hill is opening its cases of quality jewelry to a 30% off sale on a wide selection. Combine a browse with a quiet walk through the gardens for a perfect winter outing. The sale continues through Valentine’s Day, February 14. Purchases over $100 in The Shop on Valentine’s Weekend receive a gift of chocolate!

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 12    HEARTS AND FLOWERS COOKIE DECORATING WORKSHOP 

Roses are red, violets are blue, cookies are colorful, and sprinkles are, too! Bring your sweethearts to Wave Hill this Valentine’s Day for a special cookie decorating event. Use sanding sugars, cookie icing and a variety of sprinkles to design your own cookies. Fill a box with your creations to show that certain someone how much you love them. Perfect for families and crafty visitors of all ages. $20/$10 Wave Hill Member per project. No registration required for this drop-in workshop. Valentine’s Weekend event.

ARMOR HALL, 12‒2PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 12    FAMILY NATURE WALK

Join naturalist and educator Gabriel Willow on a family-friendly walk through the gardens or woodlands. Ages six and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT WAVE HILL HOUSE, 12:30PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 12    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

MON, FEBRUARY 13    

Closed to the public

TUE, FEBRUARY 14   VALENTINE’S DAY IN THE SHOP

With Valentine's Day in mind, The Shop at Wave Hill is opening its cases of quality jewelry to a 30% off sale on a wide selection. Combine a browse with a quiet walk through the gardens for a perfect winter outing. The sale end today. 

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

WED, FEBRUARY 15    FRUITS YOU ONLY DREAMED YOU COULD GROW—A HORTICULTURAL LECTURE BY DAVID FRIED

Every yard and patio can be a small universe of edibles. Flowering, ripening, with exotic aromas and splashes of color, nothing inspires and satisfies like your own home fruit grove. Described as a pioneer in propagating and nurturing certified organic fruit and nut trees, David Fried founded Elmore Roots Nursery—in Vermont just south of the Canadian border—more than 30 years ago. Elmore Roots is a small farm that grows apples, plums, northern kiwis and pears, as well as black walnut and hazelnut and other nut trees. Wave Hill’s annual horticultural lecture series is held at the New York School of Interior Design. Three-lecture series: $60/$50 Wave Hill Member or student. Individual tickets: $25/$20 Wave Hill Member or student. Seating is limited, and advanced reservations are recommended, online at wavehill.org beginning November 16. The last lecture of the series takes place on March 15, when Jack Staub will speak about Hortulus Farm.

NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, 6‒7:30PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–4:30PM.  Closes 5:30PM, March 15–October 31.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.