Newsday from New York, New York • 11

vi-gT-gr- All WTC Transit Work to Begin in realizing our vision for said Bloomberg of the $46 billion in federal emergency and transit funds in a statement The fends were designated for downtown to cover part of the construction costs Some civic leaders complain that transit agencies in 2008 and 2009 Pataki is asking for most of the bill to be covered by federal funds with expected Port Au- 0 thority insurance money to cover the rest The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is overseeing the $760 million Fulton Street Transit Center and the $400 million South Ferry Subway Terminal The Fulton Street center will modernize the complex maze of underground subways with an enacted completion date of 2007 It will extend one block west underneath Dy Street to Church via a new pedestrian passageway linking additional subway lines PAIR and the trade center site The South Ferry station is set to expand the single-track five-car station on the 19 subway line to a three-track two platform terminal It also is expected to be completed in 2007 By Katia Hetter STAFF WWTS Reconstruction oflower public transportation network will begin next year with work on a World Trade Center transit hub and the modernization of the Fulton Street subway station Gov George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Friday The Lower Manhattan Transportation Complex which would connect all of lower subway connections and the PATH train is key to the revitalization of lower Manhattan officials say It could eventually include access to the airports and the pedestrian passageways to Battery Pane City "While New transportation needs for lower Manhattan will clearly exceed the federal fending available these fends represent the first step toward have wiaHe decisions about those projects without collecting public opinion process has not yet been established for public input into going on below ground at the trade center said Beverly Willis co-chair of Rebuild Downtown Our Town a community group formed to influence the redevelopment oflower Manhattan Completion for the permanent PATH construction prqject which could cost $17 billion to $2 billion is estimated in late 2007 with some aspects finishing Prayers Plans On AIDS Day Black leaders make point at burial ground what we need to do to educate our community to keep them Fras-er-Howze said Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields added: "Being here looking out at these burial grounds we gain strength from our ancestors We gain strength in terms of our resolve to do all that we can to fight Despite some progress in treatment AIDS continues to devastate the black community both nationally and locally According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention although African-Americans make up 13 percent of the population they represent 52 percent of persons diagnosed with HIV the virus that causes AIDS In New York City there are more than 46000 people living with AIDS and nearly 45 percent are black according to the State Health Department Before the prayer service several local leaders spoke on developing a more aggressive plan to combat AIDS and encourage testing in the black community ThomasE Douglas executive director of the Harlem Group a faith-based advocacy group said more funding was needed for substance abuse treatment and housing for people with AIDS Other participants included Rep Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) and former Mayor David Dinkins By Margaret Ramirez STAFTWRITHI As light snow fell upon the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan dozens of politicians clergy and AIDS activists joined hands Friday and prayed for strength from their ancestors to fight HIV and AIDS in the black community The solemn commemoration near Federal Plaza was one of hundreds of events marking the third annual National Black HIV AIDS Awareness Day Nationwide more than 150 organizations in nearly 60 cities scheduled observances to focus attention on the disease with events ranging from a gospel concert in Detroit to a "spoken word night" in Washington DC At the African Burial Ground in Manhattan Debra Fraser-Howze president of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS cautioned black leaders against allowing casualties from HTV AIDS to fill another mass burial ground like that of the 17th century site that was discovered in 1991 "Today we came together at the African Burial Ground knowing that one day going to be met by our ancestors and asked one specific question And that question is: What have you done with your freedom? she said "Well doing with our freedom Dsbra Fraisr-Howzs center president of the Notional Black Leadership Commission on AIDS joins hands with other leaders dt a ceremony at the African Burial Ground City: No Money to Give Day Care Workers a Raise I 3 no available fend for day care raises The day care unions have worked without a new contract for almost two years They are seeking a 4 percent raise for union members and they want salary increases for the 1000 teachers to put them on par with public school teachers The starting salary fir a day care teacher is $30000 city school teachers start out at $39000 not asking fin: that much king for our fair said Karen Bell a teacher at the Audrey Johnson Day Care Center in Bushwick ACS officials asked the center direc- By Nick Chiles STAFF mum While day care directors and teachers on Friday pressed their threat of a one-day strike city officials said there enough money in the city budget to meet their needs The directors said 358 day care centers across the city would close down for business on Wednesday if the Bloomberg administration begun negotiations with them for a new contract The one-day job action would affect 50000 children and send parents on a frantic search for child care alterna-i tdves Day care center directors teachers and workers held a news conference at City Hall Friday morning joined by several sympathetic members of the City Council "After the walkout if we hear from the city with constructive talks within 10 days we will decide our next said Jill Levy president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators which represents the center directors In a prepared statement the Administration for Services said the ibudget crisis means workers walk out and also urged directors to advise parents to find alternative care for their children Council member Bill DiBlasio (D-Brooklyn) said the concerns are "absolutely "They are one of the lowest paid of public workers and they take care of the most important people: he said "The mayor must do everything he can to avert Members of District Council 1707 the union that represents day care workers will hand out fliers to parents at the centers on Monday and Tuesday explaining their position i i yn.