Elizabeth Crowley was born and raised in Queens, where she attended St. Agnes High School. Her religious education was an important foundation in her life. Both of her parents served on the City Council. Her cousin, Joe Crowley, served as a US Congressman from New York for many years. She earned a BA in Restoration and Preservation from SUNY’s Fashion Institute of Technology and an MS in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute’s Graduate School of Architecture. Crowley did historic preservation work, and was a proud union member of District Council 9 (International Union of Painters and Allied Trade). She worked on various major landmarks in New York City, including Radio City Music Hall and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. As a union member, she was an early advocate for better wages and benefits. Crowley also worked in education.

How to stay positive and busy during this challenging time

In 20 years, what will your child remember? Yearbooks often ask graduates where they hope to be two decades later. In just a few months, we as a nation will reflect on the 20-year mark following the September 11 attacks. How do we want our children to recall the era of the 2020 coronavirus? Do we want them to reflect on the ordeal as a horrible experience where they were climbing the walls, or one where they made arts and crafts and bonded with their siblings?

Many of the elderly from our community have been secluded in local nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, patients participated in daily activities all geared to keep their moods upbeat and their smiles forever widening. The onset of the virus left many unanswered questions, many that persist today. A devastating coronavirus outbreak at a Washington State nursing home in the beginning of our nation’s struggles shed light on the need to ensure the safety at institutions that house our vulnerable aging population, considering their close living quarters.

In a cavernous conference hall at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Downtown DC last week, over 18,000 delegates from across the US and Israel and around the world thundered with cheers over highly partisan addresses by an all-star roster of Trump administration-affiliated speakers, including Vice President Mike Pence, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. During their speeches and others, the crowd gave standing ovations for mentions of President Donald Trump, while references to leading Democrats like Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Representative Ilhan Omar, and former President Barack Obama drew resounding boos.