☞ INTRODUCING: Dorothy Maynor Place

After almost closing last year and finally restructuring to become financially sound, the Harlem School of the Arts now appears to be moving forward for the future these days. Yesterday Mayor Bloomberg signed a bill making St. Nicholas Avenue between 141st and 145th Streets officially Dorothy Maynor Place. The school founded by African-American soprano Dorothy Maynor originally met at the basement of St. James Presbyterian Church at St. Nicholas and 141st  Street in 1964 and has since opened up a facility and theater just a few blocks north. By the time Ms. Maynor retired in 1979, the original class of 12 enrolled students grew to 1,000 total and the Harlem institution has since empowered many more local students through teaching of the arts. More details on the Harlem School of the Arts can be found on the organization's main site: www.HSAnyc.org