Wave Hill Weekly Events (Aug 20 – Aug 27) | Story Time Awaits at Wave Hill!

 

Summer isn’t over yet! Find some shade under the tall trees of Wave Hill and appreciate the foliage that cools us off from the August sun. Escape the sticky air of the city and take respite in this oasis on the edge of the hustle and bustle. As you wander the paths of the gardens and notice the little things, the late season blooms complement the scenery, sway in a sweet warm breeze, and add depth to this natural picture. 

Stories in the Garden

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Join Wave Hill and Literacy in Community Educators for storytime in the garden! Stories will come to life through interactive book readings and related activities.

Nature & Wellness

Garden Highlights Walk

Sun, Aug 23, 1:00PM – 1:30PM 

Free with admission to the grounds    

Registration not required.   

Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide; each walk varies with the Guide leading it.

Art

Dots and Loops: Jen Chen-su Huang, Rita Maas, and Audra Wolowiec

Jul 21 — Jan 3 | All Day 

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.   

Dots and Loops brings together the work of multidisciplinary artists, Jen Chen-su Huang, Rita Maas, and Audra Wolowiec, who take up the musical score as a visual and conceptual framework to investigate questions around language, legibility, and perspective. Working site-specifically, the artists in Dots and Loops engage with themes relating to the natural world, presentness, and interpretation. 

Family

Family Art Project: Botanical Blueprints

Sat, Aug 22, 10:00AM – 1:00PM  

Sun, Aug 23, 10:00AM – 1:00PM   

Free with admission to the grounds

Registration not required. 

Discover the magic of cyanotypes, a photo process that uses sunlight to create beautiful blue-and-white art. We’ll make one-of-a-kind imprints that remind us of how plants can brighten our everyday spaces. 

Stories in the Garden

Thu, Aug 20, 10:15AM – 11:00AM

Thu, Aug 20, 11:15AM – 12:00PM  

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.

Join Wave Hill and Literacy in Community Educators for storytime in the garden! Stories will come to life through interactive book readings and related activities. Ideal for children ages three to six with an adult. Drop-in with limited capacity, first come first serve.

Special Events

Afternoon Tea 

Thu, Aug 20, 11:00AM – 2:00PM   

Tue, Aug 25, 11:00AM – 2:00PM    

7-day Advanced Registration required 

Enjoy delicious tea sandwiches and delectable pastries with a specialty tea selection every Tuesday and Thursday with seatings at 11AM or 2PM. Served on the Kate French Terrace or in our quaint Tea Room at historic Wave Hill House, Afternoon Teas are provided by our exclusive partner Great Performances whose menu uses local and seasonal ingredients, inspired from their own organic farm, Katchkie Farm.

HOURS STARTING MARCH 15: 10AM–4:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday  

Shuttle Service free from Subway and Metro-North, Saturday–Sunday

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

This Week: New York State Comptroller DiNapoli Issues NYC Adopted Budget Report

Comptroller DiNapoli Issues NYC Adopted Budget Report

New York City’s $127.8 billion fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget, inclusive of prepayments of certain expenses, is nearly $5.9 billion more than projected at the same point last year, a significant increase that includes addressing known costs that were left out of previous financial plans. While the city was able to achieve budgetary balance in FY 2027, it shows a structural imbalance that could worsen if sustainable solutions are not found, according to a report released by Comptroller DiNapoli.

Comptroller DiNapoli presented his findings at the August 12, 2026 meeting of the New York City Financial Control Board.

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Read Comptroller DiNapoli's Full Remarks

Audit Finds Improvements Needed in Oversight of Recycling Facilities

An audit by Comptroller DiNapoli found the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) lacks reliable information on how much material is recycled across New York State. Auditors found missing reports, inaccurate data and inconsistent oversight of recycling facilities are limiting the state’s ability to accurately measure recycling efforts and track progress toward its environmental and emissions reduction goals. According to DEC, solid waste accounts for about 12% of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions. The audit examined whether DEC’s monitoring, inspection, and enforcement actions provided adequate oversight of recycling facilities.

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S T A T E   A G E N C Y   A U D I T S

• Department of State – Office for New Americans: Connecting and Providing Immigrants With Legal Services

• New York City Administration for Children’s Services & New York City Department of Youth and Community Development – Identifying, Reporting, and Providing Services for Youth at Risk of Sexual Human Trafficking in New York City

• State Education Department – English Language Learners Programs (Follow-Up)

• State Education Department (Preschool Special Education Audit Initiative) – William T. Dillon Child Study Center at St. Joseph’s University, New York: Compliance With the Reimbursable Cost Manual

• Olympic Regional Development Authority – Security Over Critical Payment Systems

M U N I C I P A L  &  S C H O O L   A U D I T S

• Blue Point Fire District – Financial Management

• Moravia Joint Fire District – Procurement

• Big Flats Fire District No. 1 – Procurement

• Deansboro Fire District – Claims Auditing

• Holley Central School District – Building Access

• Red Hook Central School District – Building Access

• Batavia City School District – Building Access

• Central Square Central School District – Building Access

• North Collins Central School District – Building Access

• Orange-Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services – Building Access

• New York Mills Union Free School District – Building Access

A L S O  I N  T H E  N E W S

• Mamdani’s first NYC budget gets cheers for bookkeeping, jeers for big budget gaps, from state oversight board
• Report: New York has a solid waste management problem
• New York failed to maximize housing spending for veterans
• State Comptroller Report Reveals New Trends About NYC Business Costs
• Homelessness proving to be an intractable problem

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P O S T   O F   T H E   W E E K

Suspended Broker Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Defrauding Social Media Followers

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced that KENNETH THOM, a/k/a “K$,” a/k/a “K Money,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos to two years in prison for investment adviser fraud.  

“Kenneth Thom sold his social media followers the image of a successful trader when, in reality, he was a suspended broker,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald.  “He took nearly $800,000 from investors who believed he would invest their money and instead spent it on luxury goods for himself.  That deception ends with this federal prison sentence.” 

According to the Indictment and other information in the public record: 

In 2011, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) suspended THOM’s broker registration after he failed to pay an arbitration award to an investor.  THOM then reinvented himself online as a successful Wall Street trader.  Using the monikers “K$” and “K Money,” THOM described himself as a financial “luminary” and “beacon of knowledge.”  Through various social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch, THOM built an online following, to whom he sold trading lessons and daily text message alerts containing his trade suggestions. 

Beginning in late 2023, THOM invited members of his Facebook group to participate in “shared accounts” that THOM would manage in exchange for half of the trading profits.  THOM eventually raised nearly $800,000 from approximately 66 clients.  Of this sum, THOM invested only approximately $350,000, diverting most of the remainder for his own personal use, including international travel, dining, and luxury goods.  Of the $350,000 that THOM invested, he lost approximately 73% between approximately March 2024 and March 2025.  Despite these massive losses, THOM regularly published updates in his Facebook group purporting to show dramatic gains in the shared accounts. 

In January 2025, THOM changed the name of the Facebook group to “AYBABTU”—an acronym for the Internet meme “all your base are belong to us”—and stopped responding to his clients.  At the time of his sentencing, THOM still maintained three luxury vehicles: a Maserati and two Porsches.   

In addition to the prison term, THOM, 42, of Belleville, New Jersey, was sentenced to two years of supervised release.  THOM was also ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution to his victims, each in the amount of $724,756.09. 

Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Mr. McDonald also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance in the investigation. 

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.