Clint McMahon

Good morning, East Village.

We begin the week with some sad news. The East Village suffered a loss this weekend when Ricardo León Peña Villa, the Colombian-born poet known as El Poe, died Friday at Beth Israel Hospital after being in the intensive care unit for the last few weeks. According to EV Grieve, there’s a small memorial set up for El Poe, honoring his memory, outside the Umbrella House on Avenue C where he had not only lived but also helped manage the building with other tenants.

In other neighborhood news, Tompkins Square Park will welcome a new permanent fixture this weekend – a ping-pong table. DNAInfo reports that the table will arrive on March 19, and be placed between the park’s flagpole and center lawn. And if you’re worried about a little rain and wind getting in the way of your table tennis match, the table will reportedly be made of polished concrete and will include a steel net, so players can compete no matter the conditions.

Amid the continuing debate about preserving historical buildings in the neighborhood such as 35 Cooper Square, The Local today will begin a new occasional feature that describes the histories of neighborhood buildings, both well-known and anonymous.

As for the weather, expect a partly cloudy day with a high of 48 degrees.