The Countdown: 'Gate of the Exonerated' honors Central Park 5
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- In this edition of 'The Countdown,' we talk to the woman behind the push to rename an entrance in Central Park in honor of the Central Park Five.
Cicely Harris, the chairperson of Community Board 10 in Harlem, described the efforts to shed light on the case.
The Central Park Five were the five teenagers falsely convicted of raping a jogger in Central Park in 1989.
The entrance will be named, "The Gate of the Exonerated." It will be located on 110th Street between Fifth Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard, and it will include an explanation of the Central Park Five's case.
The men were cleared in 2002 and were awarded a $41 million settlement from New York City.
The public design commission gave final approval Monday to the project, which will be unveiled on December 19.
Here are other headlines from Monday's show:
Jewish leaders meet in NYC
New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with Jewish leaders to discuss security and antisemitism ahead of the start of Hanukkah next week. He's calling for more dialogue across communities, saying we can and should learn from the past. The meeting with members of the Orthodox Union at the Lincoln Center Synagogue also included NY Sen. Chuck Schumer and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
NYC mayor's mental health plan
A hearing wrapped up Monday afternoon in Manhattan federal court to try to stop New York City Mayor Eric Adams' plan to forcibly hospitalize people who appear to be severely mentally ill. A motion for a temporary restraining order was filed on behalf of plaintiffs including the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They say the plan is unconstitutional and violates civil rights. The judge said he will issue a ruling soon.
NYC Council subway safety
The fear of crime is one of the biggest roadblocks to rebuilding New York City from the economic impact of the pandemic. It's nowhere near back to what it was.
The New York City Council is well aware of that and on Monday, held a big hearing on subway safety.
You can watch 'The Countdown' live Monday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7NY.com or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV.
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