Chelsea Now, January 25, 2012 by Schneps Media

Steampunked, p. 23

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 37

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

JANUARY NUARY 25 - FEBRUARY 7 7, 2012

Chelsea Hotel tenants back in court BY BONNIE ROSENSTOCK On January 19, the Chelsea Hotel tenants association returned to Housing Court for the next round of their case against Chelsea Dynasty LLC, the Chetrit Group, Chelsea Management LLC, Joseph and Meyer Chetrit, Michael Butler and Lilly Sirkin. Representing the tenants association were Janet Ray Kalson and Ron Languedoc of Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue &

Joseph. Of the 35 tenants named in the Order to Show Cause, eight attended the proceedings. Fred Daniels of Daniels, Norelli, Scully and Cecere PC — a firm that specializes in debt collection — represented the respondentsowners. Butler, an executive with the Chetrit Group and named in the lawsuit, sat on the opposite side of the courtroom from the tenants. Valentine Moretti was the

Continued on page 7

OTDA grants final permit to Bowery Residents’ Committee

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Christopher P. Moore (commissioner of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission) speaks at Jan. 15’s official landmarking of the Lamartine Place Historic District.

Marker honors Manhattan’s only documented Underground Railroad station BY SCOTT STIFFLER A crowd of well-insulated locals, historic preservationists and elected officials — whose ranks far exceeded the number of degrees Fahrenheit — attended an outdoor ceremony on the afternoon of Sunday, January 15. Such events would normally be peppered with grumblings about having to “brave the cold” and complaints about

the “bitter chill.” But more than one speaker alluded to how fortunate those in attendance were to be free, safe and generally comfortable — considering the dangers and indignities endured by those whom the gathering sought to honor. The ceremony, held to officially landmark the Lamartine Place Historic District, bestowed some hard-won and

BY WINNIE McCROY Five months after the Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) began to move clients into its 127 West 25th Street facility, the facility is operating at full capacity. Despite the possibility that a long-standing lawsuit mounted against the BRC may undergo a final appeal, state agencies seemingly found no further reasons for withholding the certificate for the BRC’s

long-sought respect upon a row of mid-19th century antebellum Greek Revival houses standing from 333 to 359 West 29th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. “For years, the community worked to designate this area as an historic district,” noted Assembly Member

96-bed Reception Center (which serves homeless men with one or more diagnosed mental illnesses). “BRC’s programs in Chelsea and throughout New York City, are successfully helping the people we serve,” said BRC Executive Director, Muzzy Rosenblatt. “Our programs at West 25th Street have already helped hundreds

Continued on page 5

EDITORIAL, LETTERS PAGE 8

REMEMBERING BOB BERGERON PAGE 3

Continued on page 15

January 25 - February 7, 2012

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January 25 - February 7, 2012

‘Has anyone heard from Bob?’ BY CHRISTOPHER MURRAY On January 6, in the way things happen now, a post popped up on the Facebook page of gay Manhattan psychotherapist Bob Bergeron: “Has anyone heard from Bob?” For the previous several days, a parade of regular clients had gone to his apartment in North Chelsea, out of which he worked, rang the bell and…nothing. Thursday evening — the night before the Facebook post — a neighbor heard the instantly recognizable, though mercifully rare, tromp of firemen’s boots coming up the stairs. They left sometime later with a body, leaving a trail of unanswered questions behind them, scattered like breadcrumbs for the unnerved residents of the building, the devastated clients, bewildered colleagues, a grief-stricken family back in Arizona and those in a whisper chain in the more-villagethan-you’d-think-still-possible community of midlife gay men in New York. I knew Bob back in the old days when we were both staffers at Gay Men’s Health Crisis. He seemed impossibly glamorous and unapproachable to me — tall, surfer blond, flashing a lupine smile. But then he’d just say a chipper “Hi!” unexpectedly and it just didn’t compute. Wait, this was the kind of guy who had it all, who could have anyone, who scorned and spurned and danced with his shirt off. Or so I thought. But the casual and authentic “Hi!” overturned the brittle but unquestioned pecking order of the urban gay male: you got the pecs, you get to pick. Bob was something different, kind of like the perpetually single Mary Richards in the newsroom at WJM. You noticed her because she was just so luminous with that smile and that figure, but then this cascade of insecuri-

warmth and his optimism. All suicides are shocking things. Another’s hidden life of “quiet desperation” is suddenly revealed in stark relief. But when the person who takes their own life seems from the outside to have so much going for them, it strikes a sort of cold terror of “there but for the grace of God go I.” Scheduled for a February, 2012 release, Bob’s first book, “The Right Side of Forty: The Complete Guide to Happiness for Gay Men at Midlife and Beyond,” from Magnus Books has now been delayed as the publishers wrestle with how to market an “aging well” book whose author killed himself. As a therapist who also works mainly with the gay male community in Manhattan, I am aware of the rarely stated but often hovering question in new clients’ eyes, “What can you offer me? Have you figured this out? Can tell me how you did it, or are you just pretending?” A romantic relationship ended for Bob about a year and a half ago, according to a close friend. Was he lonely? Didn’t he love himself? Weren’t looks and success and friends and family enough? I don’t subscribe to the if-you-haven’tfigured-something-out-then-shut-up-about-it school. I try to position myself a fellow traveler with my clients, gay and straight alike. We are all trying to figure it out. I have particular counseling skills to help a person on that journey, regardless of where I am today in the seesaw of “love myself or hate myself,” “single or coupled,” “feast or famine.” People used to say that all male homosexuals would wind up drunks or suicides. In the past few decades, that has transformed into all gays will become drug addicts or get AIDS, which

Good for you, Bob. You tried. You were ambitious, proud, sunny, affable, troubled, insecure and 49 years old when you died. I am so, so sorry for whatever pain drove you to this end.

ties tumbled out of her mouth, making you laugh and fall a little bit in love with her right then. Bob committed suicide sometime in the first week of January. After having spent 20 years on the frontlines of the HIV epidemic among gay men, first at AIDS Project Los Angeles and then at “the Crisis,” as we staffers sometimes jokingly called GMHC, where he rose to become the director of prevention and helped create truly innovative programs to stem the tide of HIV and to build gay men’s sense of self-worth at the same time. He went on to open a private practice as a therapist, heading to the gym most mornings for the ritual exercise-cum-coffee klatch, then back to the office to listen, engage, question, cry and laugh with members of his tribe. He was beloved by many for his

implies the same thing — a self-hatred and disgust that becomes self-destruction. Well, listen to me: Fuck. That. I am more than my challenges. Bob was more than the title of his book or the way his life ended, for whatever concatenation of reasons that we can never know. Was he just a late-breaking victim of the AIDS crisis or some demon of internalized homophobia? Had he wandered too far down some dark path of obsession? In the end, what matters to me most about Bob is that he said his bright “Hi!” first. He broke down the concrete wall between gay men that seeks to have us treat each other as, let’s face it, our fathers all too often treated us — as rejectable. Good for you, Bob. You tried. You were ambitious, proud, sunny, affable, troubled, insecure

Facebook.com

Bob Bergeron in the photo he chose for his Facebook timeline.

and 49 years old when you died. I am so, so sorry for whatever pain drove you to this end. I am sorry for you as a gay man and as

a human being. Bob’s words from his upcoming book: In all my years of clinical work, I have never encountered a fifty-year-old gay-male client complain that he feels invisible in nongay environments in his life, such as in his work or with his parents or family. But I consistently hear fifty-year-old men say that they feel invisible in the all gay-male environments where much of their lives unfold. No matter how successful and rewarding their lives, even gay men who have created meaningful friendships and romantic relationships with other men still become confused because other gay men treat them differently as they enter their forties and beyond. In my clinical practice, I have seen that until men resolve their confusion and unhappiness about how other gay men relate to them now that they are older, the sense of loss and isolation they feel leaves them ill-equipped to deal with these other issues of aging common for all older men and women. We usually only quote the first half of Thoreau’s statement and not the whole thing. “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Bob sang his song. It echoes down Eighth Avenue today. Christopher Murray, LCSW, can be reached at christophermurray.org. The family requests that donations in honor of Bob Bergeron, LCSW, be made to Gay Men’s Health Crisis at gmhc.org.

January 25 - February 7, 2012

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

NYPD continues to target Chelsea’s minority youth BY DONATHAN SALKALN At a community forum airing the repercussions of NYPD’s “stop and frisk” policies (held on January 19th at Hudson Guild Elliot Center, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer presented a strong argument that the NYPD is using racial profiling in it’s efforts to fight crime in Chelsea. “Of the 2,760 stops in Chelsea, 80 percent were non-white, with force used 28 percent of the time.” Stringer exclaimed. “During just one year, Eighth Avenue and Twenty-Third Street had 148 stop and frisk confrontations of which 131 were non-white. There were only 6 arrests. You know the corner. You do the math!” The “stop and frisk” term refers to a law enforcement officer right to detain an individual or individuals with specific facts that a crime has or will be committed and, or, that officer has reasonable suspicion that the individual is in possession of a gun. The officer may conduct a pat down of the suspect’s clothes, and may seize contraband discovered. In 2011, New York City had 600,000 stops. Blacks and Latinos accounted for 85 percent of those stops — and 500,000 were found to be innocent. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union, the practice is used at twice the rate of anywhere else. The vast majority of those stopped are minority males, in their teens or early twenties.

‘It’s come to a mother to think twice about sending her kid to the store to get a quart of milk. The mother worries whether her son will be stopped by police and not come back home.’—Miguel Acevedo, president, Robert Fulton Tenants Association Photo by Donathan Salkaln

Bronx Defenders attorney Desiree Lassiter discusses the consequences of an unanswered summons.

The NYPD — who were invited to our Chelsea Reform Democratic Club’s sponsored forum, but chose to not attend — are on the public record in pointing out that escalated use of stop and frisk tactics has helped reduce the number of violent crimes in the city to historic lows as well as helping

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keep guns off the streets. Statistics show that with every 500 stops, one gun is recovered. Stringer, a possible mayoral candidate in 2013, counters that the stop and frisk program is creating community discord. “It has created a wall of distrust between people of color and the police that makes it harder,

not easier to solve crimes. It also condemns too many of our young to minor records that become major problems when it comes to obtaining a job.” Desiree Lassiter, an attorney with Bronx Defenders, a non-profit organization providing free legal representation to those charged

Continued on page 19

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Permit granted, BRC at capacity Continued from page 1 find stability, sobriety and housing.” On December 19, the NYS Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) granted the final operating certificate to the BRC’s 96-bed Reception Center, one of the three shelter bed programs in the BRC’s new building at 127 West 25th Street. The Reception Center now occupies floors 4 and 5 of the 12-story facility. Along with the 200-bed Jack Ryan Residence and the 32-bed Chemical Dependency Crisis Center, this puts the BRC is now at full occupancy. Mark Kaplan, director of public information at OTDA, said in a January 19 phone interview that the agency “Can’t comment on the situation, because litigation is still going on around it.” “Obviously we’re disappointed with the court’s decision,” said CFC attorney Daniel Connolly in a November interview, adding that, “We are currently evaluating our options in terms of an appeal or other actions.” City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn’s representative also noted at the January 4 CB4 meeting at Fulton Auditorium that the BRC had received their third and final certificate necessary to operate. The speaker had been vocal in her opposition to the size of the 328-bed facility since the project was introduced, but did not intervene on behalf of local residents

and business owners until the city lawyers challenged the city’s Administrative Code § 21-312, limiting the number of beds in homeless shelters to 200. During a July 22 appeal hearing for the CFC, city lawyers Sheryl Neufeld and Amanda Goad attempted to pre-empt this argument by noting 1997 state law amending the 200-bed cap because of the homeless crisis in the city.

an amicus brief in the case of Chelsea Business & Property Owners Assoc. v. City of New York. Council Member Gale A. Brewer, who sat in for Welfare Chair Council Member Anabel Palmer at the July 26, 2011, Council’s General Welfare Committee hearing, said then that she too believed that even 200 beds was too large. “Despite Muzzy’s efforts, we don’t need that many people in a shelter,” said

‘BRC’s programs in Chelsea and throughout New York City, are successfully helping the people we serve,’ said BRC Executive Director, Muzzy Rosenblatt. ‘Our programs at West 25th Street have already helped hundreds find stability, sobriety and housing.’

“The city is not permitted to ban conduct that the state approves, as long as it’s safe and effective,” said Goad at that hearing. “There is a need for flexibility in New York City. It’s likely to be impossible to meet the need if we don’t exceed 200 beds.” With that challenge, Speaker Quinn, with the support of the City Council, decided in late July 2011 to intervene and file

Brewer. “They are not going to bounce off each other with all of their problems and make a good life from it…[BRC Executive Director] Muzzy Rosenblatt should know better.” These comments were echoed by Speaker Quinn in her July 2011 statement that, “While we are not opposed to a Chelsea homeless shelter, as it stands, this proposed

facility exceeds the legal limit of beds. A super-sized warehouse style shelter is a disservice to both the homeless and the community-at-large.” Quinn did write several letters to public entities, including the OTDA, asking them to withhold support for the project’s 96-bed Reception Center and 200-bed shelter for homeless men with mental health issues and chemical dependency until the lawsuit was resolved. Apparently, OTDA did not comply with that request. At that time, the Mayor had come out in opposition of the City Council’s move, saying that, “The city’s actions with respect to the shelter here are proper and lawful in all respects. The City Council’s limits on shelter capacity are in direct conflict with state regulations.” On August 19, 2011, the OTDA released the operating certificate for the Jack Ryan Residence, with Kaplan saying, “We reviewed the BRC and found that they met the regulatory requirements, so we issued the certificate. The application for the 96-bed Reception Center is still under review.” Exactly four months later, the OTDA signed off on the operating certificate for the Reception Center, bringing the shelter to its full capacity of 328 beds, despite the vocal opposition from the City Council Speaker.

Continued on page 21

January 25 - February 7, 2012

ss F

World-Cla

Photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

January 5: Robert Trentlyon (a public member of Community Board 4), makes a presentation to Community Board 1â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee about the sea-level rise and storm surge threats to New York City and the need for storm surge barriers.

Coming to grips with storm surge realities

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BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER For the last three years, Robert Trentlyon, a public member of Community Board 4 (CB4) and the former publisher of Downtown Express, has been a man with a mission. He has been preoccupied with the implications of a sea level rise for New York Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 520 miles of coastline and the possibility of a disastrous storm surge that could wreck large parts of the city and cost billions to clean up.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Storm surge barriers are not a new concept,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Trentlyon said, and added that in the United States, a monster hurricane in 1938 that passed over Long Island on its way to New England, killing more than 700 people and leaving a swath of destruction, was the wake-up call. On January 5, Trentlyon spoke about the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vulnerability to the Community Board 1 (CB1) Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee, hoping that the committee would join CB2 and CB4 in framing a resolution asking the Army Corps of Engineers to study preventive measures against disaster. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a lot of trouble here,â&#x20AC;? Trentlyon told the committee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As we know, the sea

level is going to be going higher and the storms are going to get more severe.â&#x20AC;? Trentlyon noted that the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s present mitigation policy is to create a â&#x20AC;&#x153;soft edgeâ&#x20AC;? of marshes on the circumference in order to lessen the effects of flooding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This makes a lot of sense if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re living on Long Island,â&#x20AC;? Trentlyon said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re living in Manhattan, which is really hard edge, with giant buildings that go to the waterfront, what you really need are sea barriers.â&#x20AC;? Trentlyon readily admits that he is not an expert on climate change, sea level rise or storm surge technology, but he consulted engineers and oceanographers who have studied these matters for years and who recommend storm surge barriers as the most effective means of defense. A storm surge barrier is essentially a wall with a gate that remains open unless it is needed to deflect a rush of water. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Storm surge barriers are not a new concept,â&#x20AC;? Trentlyon said, and added that in the United States, a monster hurricane in 1938 that passed over Long Island on its way to New England, killing more than 700 people and leaving a swath of destruction, was the wake-up call. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 1938 after the hurricane hit, three cities â&#x20AC;&#x201D; New Bedford, Providence and Stamford â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all built storm surge barriers,â&#x20AC;? Trentlyon said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is that by the time they built them, 30 years had passed. London has them. Rotterdam has them. Venice is building them.â&#x20AC;? Trentlyon said that two of the experts he had spoken to â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Douglas Hill, a consulting engineer and an adjunct lecturer at Stony Brook Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Malcolm J.

Continued on page 11

January 25 - February 7, 2012

At Chelsea Hotel, mold problems persist Continued from page 1 legal counsel for the Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), the city agency also named as respondent. HPD appears at each housing court case to represent tenants in general, explained Mary Anne Rose, one of the tenants. “It’s less critical if tenants already have representation, but since there are so many violations at the hotel, it behooves him to deal with these,” Rose said. At the December 16 hearing, Judge Peter Wendt stipulated that the owners adhere to a tenant safety plan and follow applicable laws and regulations regarding construction and demolition — and provide heat and hot water to residents of the renowned West 23rd Street hotel. At the January 19 hearing, Judge Wendt asked a series of questions following up on these issues. Both sides concurred that at present there was adequate heat and hot water, with Daniels noting that the landlord is going to inspect and confirm repair issues along the way. Moretti said he doubted HPD had trained people for mold inspection; Daniels stated that the owners want to participate in obtaining a cost estimate for mold remediation as a means of comparison and within the next two weeks they will pick a contractor. The judge adjourned the case until February 14, at which time Kalson told Chelsea Now, “We are going to have an

agreement or very close to it, or we are going to set up for a trial.” Any ruling (whether from an agreement or from the outcome of a trial) is only enforceable among petitioners.

‘This is the hardest issue in this case because mold remediation is more complicated than getting other repairs made. If we can remediate this, we should be able to come to an agreement on fixing all the other conditions in the apartments, such as peeling paint and plaster and run of the mill stuff.’—Janet Ray Kalson, of Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue & Joseph “Someone who is not named in the lawsuit doesn’t have the right to come in and say we didn’t notify you,” Languedoc explained. “The judge reminded all sides that a trial is an expensive enterprise — and time consuming,” said Zoe Pappas, a spokesperson for the tenants association. “It’s not beneficial for the landlord to keep this lawsuit forever. It will work against him.” Rose added that it isn’t to his advantage “to have a hotel filled with mold.” The hotel has been closed to the public since demolition and construction began in September — but 100 or so tenants still reside there. After the adjournment, as Butler and

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Daniels were passing through the hallway towards the elevators, Chelsea Now asked Daniels for a statement about the day’s proceedings. He excused himself, and moved off

212.962.1800

to the side to consult with Butler. When they came back, Daniels requested this reporter’s business card and said Chetrit’s press office would be in contact. When asked for a statement, Butler said, “No comment,” and he entered the elevator, along with Daniels. Kalson explained there were two goals on this day. One related to notification. “The good news is that we have an order that tenants have to be notified of any construction 72 hours in advance,” she said. “That is something we had talked to the landlord’s attorney about and brought it up again in court.” Daniels stated before the judge that right now, there was no major demolition

going on. But the most important goal was to ascertain if the landlord and tenants could come to an agreement to have a competent contractor remediate the mold. “We want to get the mold done and done right, pursuant to New York City Department of Health guidelines,” said Kalson. “This is the hardest issue in this case because mold remediation is more complicated than getting other repairs made. If we can remediate this, we should be able to come to an agreement on fixing all the other conditions in the apartments, such as peeling paint and plaster and run of the mill stuff.” When the Chetrit Group, et al. closed on the hotel on August 1, 2011, they bought it with all its defects — which they are responsible for repairing. “Given the lack of rehabilitation and proper maintenance, we have always had spit and polish and a little Scotch Tape maintenance,” said Rose. On January 12, the landlord and his contractor were given access to the 14 apartments that the HPD form said had mold. Olmstead Environmental Services, the company hired by the tenants, returned on January 16 to retest those same apartments. The company originally tested for complaints of dampness, water leaks, mold growth and dust as well as other safety and health hazards related to the demolition work and issued a comprehensive report on

Continued on page 12

January 25 - February 7, 2012

EDITORIAL Bloomberg should hold his horses Lower Manhattan is growing in ways that only a decade ago seemed not just improbable, but impossible. Who would have thought that in the wake of 9/11, the neighborhood would rebound and rebuild so strongly that it would end up serving as a beacon, as a model for rebirth and as an example of a community dedicated to healing, to exhibiting hope and resilience in the face of adversity? Lower Manhattan needs many things right now to support and balance this rapid growth, including more school seats and affordable housing. These pressing needs provide a context for our endorsement of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s pledge to fight Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan, verbalized in his State of the City address given last week, to sell off three publicly owned Lower Manhattan buildings in a one-shot deal all in the name of closing a budget gap that exists in the upcoming fiscal year. The buildings in question are 49-51 Chambers, 22 Reade, and 346 Broadway. If we have one message for Mayor Bloomberg, it’s “hold your horses.” By no means are we against the city shedding certain assets in the name of streamlining government and saving taxpayers’ dollars. But the city needs to ensure essential services are provided to its residents that make this city so great. In 2009 in Lower Manhattan, 970 children were born; in 2011, that number rose to 1,086. There is a desperate need that everyone recognizes Downtown’s necessity for new school seats, and great difficulty, as we have seen, in finding them. Selling three publicly owned buildings without first investigating whether they can be used to address the school seat shortage is irresponsible and shortsighted. And the same investigation is needed to see if these buildings can be developed residentially as part of an affordable housing program or incentive. However if the city wants to put these buildings on the auction block, there is still the question of public review and input, and the need for the city to follow its Unified Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP. All buildings disposed of by the city must go through the ULURP process — key participants in the ULURP process are the Department of City Planning and the City Planning Commission, local community boards, borough presidents, the City Council and the Mayor. Only one of the three buildings included in the mayor’s proposal has been subjected to the ULURP process: 346 Broadway. The Mayor made no mention of a ULURP process for the other two buildings on Reade and Chambers Streets in his speech last week, which has led many to believe that neither property will be converted for residential use — specifically affordable housing — an essential need in the eyes of a majority of Community Board 1 members and Lower Manhattan residents. The mayor’s one shot proposal has given rise to fears that there is a sweetheart private developer deal in the making, one that may result in yet more hotel development in an already dense tourist destination. We hope the Mayor uses this opportunity to detract from that perception. We strongly support the borough president’s call for transparency in the overall process and for the allowance of public input. What is clearly necessary is a full public review, where residents, stakeholders and local elected officials can voice their opinions on what’s best for these three properties.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Not all ‘progress’ is improvement To The Editor: Many proposed re-zonings seek to overturn prior community zoning agreements. These requests are done in the name of progress but not all things termed progress are improvements. This is particularly true for the impact on people who live in our neighborhoods and communities. Whether it’s the West Chelsea Special District or the NYU’s Super Blocks, New Yorkers should be able to count on prior agreements as binding. Our successful mixed use neighborhood cannot continue to be discarded for commercial interest. Sincerely, Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick

Here’s to a High Line bridge To The Editor: Re “Full-length High Line park rolling toward finish” (by Robert Hammond, December 28): Making the third segment of the High Line into part of the park, which now seems likely, will be a wonderful achievement. This part not only extends the park and expands its riches, but enhances the first two sections and the neighborhood far beyond what might seem like just a “one-third” addition. Longer continuity and more access points will surely more than double the High Line’s value in the near future and in the long run. But it’s not too early to start building interest and momentum toward a natural next step beyond the current goal of “finishing” the park. Once the High Line runs along 12th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets, it will be possible to erect a lightweight and elegant aerial pedestrian bridge over the highway, creating a natural flow of human movement between two remarkable presentations of natural beauty, unimpeded by the need to deal with streets and traffic. Of course, the two parks are quite different in character and will remain so. Bicycles and skateboards, rightly popular in Hudson River Park, do not belong on the quieter and more contemplative High Line. But walkers, wanderers, tourists and nature lovers will all benefit from a chance to continue their pleasures from one part to the other without facing six lanes of intimidating West Side Highway traffic. Such a connection will be a groundbreaking achievement, enhancing both parks, and it will be one further step in overcoming the barriers the highway currently places between pedestrians and the natural beauty of the Hudson and its creatively landscaped linear park. Let us all hope that High Line supporters will see such a connection as a unique opportunity rather than as a threat to the elevated park’s exclusivity.

navigator and instructor, I have questions concerning the grounding of the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy. Was the captain on the bridge exercising control of the ship? If so, why was the ship so close to the rocks? If not, who was on the bridge conning the ship? What were their qualifications? Was there a maritime pilot on the bridge? The most dangerous period in peacetime for a ship underway is when it is leaving and entering port or traversing in close proximity to land. This is when you have to be on full alert. Why did the Costa Concordia only hold emergency evacuation drills once every 15 days? During a 15-day period the ship would normally visit a number of ports and embark new passengers. A drill should be held prior to leaving every port. The maritime industry should evaluate the viability of lifeboat systems, which fail when a ship takes on a significant list that makes it very difficult or impossible to launch lifeboats. More attention must be paid to the safety of passengers and crew. Donald A. Moskowitz

Can’t Con Edison afford sandbags? To The Editor: Re: “Tide of concern rising over risk of storm surges” (January 11). Hurricane Irene hit Manhattan on August 28, 2011, and with the exception of some residents experiencing phone outages for a few days, this time we got away with little damage. John Ost, who serves on the Board of Directors at Southbridge Towers with me, walked by the Con Edison Peck Slip Substation, and saw that there were no sandbags or preparation to shield the building from water damage. As this building provides SBT and the Seaport area with electricity, is there any reason why Con Edison didn’t shore up the building, or did they think the structure is waterproof? The water surge from the storm came up, under the FDR. It could have easily travelled another 25 feet to the Con Edison building. As the article by Terese Loeb Kreuzer explains, “hurricanes of Categories 1, 2 and 3 will strike the NY region on an average of every 17, 39 and 68 years respectively.” She also points out that sea gates have been built in London, Rotterdam an are being built in Venice to protect those cities. Those cities have and are taking action. If we don’t insist on the construction of storm surge barriers for NYC harbor, 16 years from now, downtown Manhattan could easily be sunk. Robin Warshay

Bert Hansen

Cruise ship safety To The Editor: As a former naval officer, officer-of-the deck underway, independent and formation steaming and qualified marine

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January 25 - February 7, 2012

COMMUNITY CONTACTS (To be listed, email info to scott@chelseanow.com.)

THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER

COMMUNITY BOARD 4 (CB4)

At 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th and 8th Aves.). Visit gaycenter. org or call 212-620-7310.

CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Its boundaries are 14th St. on the south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on the west, 6th Ave. on the east (south of 26th St.) and 8th Ave. on the east (north of 26th St.). Call 212-736-4536. Visit manhattancb4.org or email them at info@manhattanCB4. org. The board meeting, open to the public, happens on the first Wednesday of the month, at 6:30pm. The next one takes place on Feb. 1, 6:30pm, at Roosevelt Hospital (59th St., btw. 9th & 10th Aves.). Visit nyc.gov/mcb4.

COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (CB5) CB5 represents the central business district of New York City. It includes midtown Manhattan, the Fashion, Flower, Flatiron and Diamond districts, as well as Bryant Park and Union Square Park. The district is at the center of New York’s tourism industry. The Theatre District, Times Square, Carnegie Hall, the Empire State Building and two of the region’s transportation hubs (Grand Central Station and Penn Station) fall within CB5. Call 212-4650907. Visit cb5.org or email them at office@cb5.org. CB5’s board meeting, open to the public, happens on the second Thursday of the month, at 6pm. The next one takes place on Feb.9, at Xavier High School (30 W. 16th St., 2nd fl.).

THE 300 WEST 23RD, 22ND & 21ST STREETS BLOCK ASSOCIATION

Contact them at w400ba@gmail.com.

HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUST Visit hudsonriverpark.org or call 212-627-2020.

Their mission is to help homeless LGBT youth be safe and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. Main headquarters: 224 W. 35th St., Suite 1102. Call 212-222-3427. The Ali Forney Day Center is located at 527 W. 22nd St., 1st floor. Call 212-206-0574 or visit aliforneycenter.org.

SAVE CHELSEA

GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS (GMHC)

CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRISTINE QUINN

At 446 W. 33rd St. btw. 9th and 10th Aves. Visit gmhc.org. Call 212-367-1000.

Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml

HUDSON GUILD

STATE SENATOR TOM DUANE

Founded in 1895, Hudson Guild is a multi-service, multigenerational community serving approximately 14,000 people annually with daycare, hot meals for senior citizens, low-cost professional counseling, community arts programs and recreational programming for teens. Visit them at hudsonguild.org. Email them at info@hudsonguild.org. For the John Lovejoy Elliott Center (441 W. 26th St.), call 212760-9800. For the Children’s Center (459 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9830. For the Education Center (447 W. 25th St.), call 212-760-9843. For the Fulton Center for Adult Services (119 9th Ave.), call 212-924-6710.

Call 212-633-8052 or visit tomduane.com.

This organization promotes the well-being of individuals 60 and older through direct social services and volunteer programs oriented to individual, family and community needs. Call 212-879-7400 or visit burdencenter.org.

THE WEST 400 BLOCK ASSOCIATION

Visit fohrp.org or call 212-757-0981.

THE ALI FORNEY CENTER

THE CARTER BURDEN CENTER FOR THE AGING

Contact them at 300westblockassoc@prodigy.net.

FRIENDS OF HUDSON RIVER PARK

LOWER CHELSEA ALLIANCE (LoCal)

Contact them at savechelseanyc@gmail.com.

MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT SCOTT STRINGER Call 212-669-8300 or visit mbpo.org.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER RICHARD GOTTFRIED Call 212-807-7900 or email GottfriedR@assembly.state. ny.us.

CHELSEA REFORM DEMOCRATIC CLUB The CRDC (the home club of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, State Senator Tom Duane and Assemblymember Richard Gottfried) meets monthly to exchange political ideas in protecting the rights and improving the lives of those residing in Chelsea. Visit crdcnyc.org or email them at info@ crdcnyc.org.

At 147 W. 24th Street (btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) THE SYLVIA RIVERA LAW PROJECT works to guarantee

This group is committed to protecting the residential blocks of Chelsea from overscale development. Contact them at LowerChelseaAlliance@gmail.com.

THE GREENWICH VILLAGE-CHELSEA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PENN SOUTH Visit pennsouth.coop. The Penn South Program for Seniors provides recreation, education and social services — and welcomes volunteers. For info, call 212-243-3670.

that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression without facing harassment, discrimination or violence. Visit srlp.org.

FIERCE (Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for FULTON YOUTH OF THE FUTURE

Call 212-337-5912 or visit villagechelsea.com.

Email them at fultonyouth@gmail.com or contact Miguel Acevedo, 646-671-0310.

Community Empowerment) builds the leadership and power of bisexual, transgender and queer youth of color in NYC. Visit fiercenyc.org.

WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE

QUEERS FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE is a progressive

Visit westsidenyc.org or call 212-956-2573. Email them at wsna@hcc-nyc.org.

organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. Visit q4ej.org.

CHELSEA COALITION ON HOUSING

THE AUDRE LORDE PROJECT is a lesbian, gay, bisexual,

Tenant assistance every Thursday night, at 7pm; at Hudson Guild (119 Ninth Ave.). Email them at chelseacoalition. cch@gmail.com\.

two spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people of color center for community organizing. Visit alp.org.

THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT INITIATIVE Visit meatpacking-district.com or call 212-633-0185.

THE BOWERY RESIDENTS’ COMMITTEE: HOMELESS HELPLINE If you know of anyone who is in need of their services, call the Homeless Helpline at 212-533-5151, and the BRC will send someone to make contact. This number is staffed by outreach team leaders 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous. For more info, visit brc.org.

Member of the New York Press Association

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Published by COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC

Gay City

NEWS

Member of the National Newspaper Association Chelsea Now is published biweekly by Community Media LLC, 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York, N.Y. 10013 (212) 229-1890. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $75. Single copy price at office and newsstands is 50 cents. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2010 Community Media LLC, Postmaster: Send address changes to Chelsea Now, 145 Sixth Ave., First Fl., New York, N.Y. 10013.

PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR

The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR John W. Sutter ASSOCIATE EDITOR / ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Lincoln Anderson Albert Amateau John Bayles Aline Reynolds EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Latima Stephens Nikki Tucker

BUSINESS MANAGER/CONTROLLER

Vera Musa PUBLISHER EMERITUS Elizabeth Butson SR. V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING Francesco Regini ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Allison Greaker Colin Gregory Julius Harrison Bryan Kinney Alex Morris Julio Tumbaco

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters ART DIRECTOR Mark Hasselberger GRAPHIC DESIGNER Vince Joy CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. Marvin Rock DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Cheryl Williamson

CONTRIBUTORS Stephanie Buhmann Winnie McCroy Bonnie Rosenstock Jerry Tallmer Trav S. D. Stephen Wolf PHOTOGRAPHERS Jefferson Siegel Milo Hess J. B. Nicholas

January 25 - February 7, 2012

POLICE BLOTTER BAR TABS: Keeping an eye on club crimes GRAND LARCENY: Jostled, at Eagle A 31-year-old resident of Brooklyn told police that in the early morning hours of Sun., Jan. 15, he was at the Eagle Bar (554 W. 28th St.). While standing at the bar, the man was, as he describes it, “bumped” and “jostled” — then discovered that his iPhone 4S (valued at $649) had been taken from his right rear pocket.

LOST PROPERTY: Bumped, at Barracuda A male resident of New Jersey was attending a birthday party at Barracuda (275 W. 22nd St.). When he left (at approximately 2:30am on Sun., Jan. 15), his black Patagonia shoulder bag (valued at $100) was not on him. The man, who was intoxicated at the time he left the club, told police he could not recall everything that happened — then stated that, according to report filed, “he thinks he put the bag down at some point in the night, but that he didn’t notice the bag missing until he was leaving the club approximately two hours after he entered.” With no evidence of criminality, it is possible that the man may have simply left the bag in the club, then lost it. Among the other items lost: a pair of prescription eye glasses ($200) and an iPhone charger ($30).

PETTY LARCENY: Items jacked from jacket, at G An ill-advised transfer of belongings to an unattended jacket cost a bar patron dearly — to the tune of $740. A 47-year-old male told police that while at G Lounge (225 W. 19th St.) on Tues., Jan. 17, he placed his iPhone 4G (valued at $700) as well as $40 cash in his jacket pocket — then left the jacket on the chair next to him. He got up to buy a drink and, upon returning, discovered the jacket was missing. At the time of the report, the victim’s missing phone had not been used.

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BURGLARY: Cold cash, in freezer, not ‘safe’ Workers who left a boat docked at Pier 66 Maritime (375 S. End Ave., btw. W. 26th & 27th Sts.) told police that on Tues., Jan. 10, they left work at approximately 7pm. When they returned on Mon., Jan. 16, they noticed that the lock of the freezer door had been broken off. The safe, which was inside the freezer, had been sawed into. Missing: $45,976 in cash. The workers noted that numerous construction projects were taking place around the freezer locker area.

PETTY LARCENY: Thief meant to pry On the morning of Mon., Jan. 16, a 32-year-old male parked his 2011 Hyundai (with New Jersey plates) opposite of 231 W. 25th St. — then returned approximately three hours later to discover that the driver side door had been pried open. Taken from the car: an iPhone 3GS valued at $200; a cell phone charger ($10) and a TomTom GPS navigation system ($100).

GRAND LARCENCY: He split, with her laptop A 36-year-old female from Illinois reported to police that while staying at The GEM Hotel (449 W. 36 St.), she met a man at a nearby Irish pub, then invited him to her room. After an unspecified period of time, and unspecified activities, the man left — but not without leaving a number. Upon his departure, the woman (who says she “was tipsy and cannot really remember anything”) discovered that her Samsung laptop (valued at $2,100) was missing.

PETTY LARCENY: Subway platform phone swipe Police arrested a 27-year-old man for

CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun; up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.

CRIME STOPPERS If you have info regarding a crime committed or a wanted person, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, text “TIP577” (plus your message) to “CRIMES” (274637) or submit a tip online at nypdcrimestoppers.com.

swiping a phone from a woman on the northbound Seventh Ave. subway station platform at 14th St. shortly before 10am on Sat., Jan. 14. A witness chased and caught the suspect, then held him for police. The suspect was characterized as a “transit recidivist,” with multiple convictions of offenses in the system.

ID THEFT: $1 million up in ‘smoke’ Three brothers who owned Greenwich Village smoke shops were arrested Thurs., Jan. 12, for taking part in a scheme with three other men and a woman to steal identities in order to steal more than $1 million in merchandise and store credits. The shop owners (ages 33, 27 and 22) are charged with making counterfeit drivers’ licenses that were used in the ID theft. They sold the fake IDs out of Smoke Express (29 W. Eighth St.), until the store was closed in 2010 for selling a fake ID to an undercover officer. The brothers also operated out of a Thompson St. shop, according to the complaint. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are conducting the investigation.

—Alber t Amateau and Scott Stiffler

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Elisa Cokkinos. Main number: 212-7418211. Community Affairs: 212-7418226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council Meeting takes place at 7pm on the last Wed. of the month. The next meeting is February 28.

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Ted Bernsted. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212-477-3863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council Meeting takes place at 6:30pm on the third Tues. of the month. The next meeting is February 21.

January 25 - February 7, 2012

CB1 contemplates storm surge scenarios Continued from page 6 Bowman, a distinguished professor of oceanography at the University’s School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences — recommended two alternative placements for storm surge barriers to protect New York City. One idea would be to have three barriers: at the Narrows, a tidal strait separating Staten Island and Brooklyn, below the Throgs Neck Bridge, and at the Arthur Kill strait at the far end of Staten Island. Another proposal would be to have a single storm surge barrier between Rockaway and Sandy Hook. “That’s a long distance,” Trentlyon said, “but most of the water level there is fairly shallow at about 20 feet. The Ambrose Channel — the main shipping channel — is in the middle of it.” Either way, Trentlyon said that the estimated cost for the barriers would be around $10 billion, with half the money going to feasibility studies and design and half allocated to construction. Trentlyon’s presentation was initially met with skepticism. “What do we know already about the risk?” asked Jeff Galloway, chairman of the Planning committee. “New Orleans, Rotterdam, Venice — all those places are under sea level already. That was the problem with New Orleans. Once you’ve breached the levees, you’re in a disaster zone. We’re not below sea level. We’re above

sea level, though people like me who live in Battery Park City are very close to sea level. But I see the $5 billion price tag in the study, which probably translates into $10 billion before it’s actually built.” Trentlyon replied that if New York City experienced a Category 3 hurricane, the estimated loss would be $200 billion between property damage and loss of time going to work. “I would imagine a good chunk of that would be wind damage,” said Galloway. “Part of it would be wind damage,” Trentlyon replied, “but if you have a 20-foot-

system would be covered with at least four feet [of water] within 40 minutes. You’re talking about salt water coming in. That means that everything’s damaged. All the machinery would have to be taken apart and cleaned. The estimate by the Federal Transit Administration is that that would take threeto-four weeks and, some engineers say, threeto-four months.” Committee member Ro Sheffe wanted to know where Trentlyon got his data. “I was a meteorologist for the U.S. Navy,” Sheffe said, “and I’m curious about the source for this climatology information. First of all, has

In the end, the committee was convinced that something had to be done. It passed a resolution asking the Army Corps of Engineers to ‘expeditiously conduct a study about the feasibility of installing storm surge barriers to protect New York City.’ high storm coming ashore, a lot of damage would be [from water]. Another study, which came out in August of 2011, was done by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). They say a 20-foot storm surge would go into the subway system and except where the subways were elevated, the entire

there ever been a 20-foot storm surge here? There have been records kept in New York City for 148 years.” “I believe it was in 1821 the East River and the Hudson River rose up and they covered the entire island from Canal Street south,” replied Trentlyon. “In 1893, a

Category 1 hurricane destroyed Hog Island, a resort island off the Rockaways in southern Queens. The storm hit. The island disappeared. It never came back. In 1938, a hurricane hit here. It was called the Long Island Express. It came up through Brooklyn and Queens and demolished a lot of the frame houses.” While this conversation was proceeding, Galloway was reading the FTA study. “It’s talking about an eight-foot storm surge,” he said. “It says at that level, the subways would be flooded, and they estimated $58 billion in damage from just the flooding of the subways alone from an eight-foot storm surge at the current sea level height. And if sea levels rise, it’s going to go up to $84 billion so, based on this study, a relatively modest storm surge could have catastrophic consequences.” In the end, the committee was convinced that something had to be done. It passed a resolution asking the Army Corps of Engineers to “expeditiously conduct a study about the feasibility of installing storm surge barriers to protect New York City.” It also asked that elected officials at the city, state and federal levels support such a study. The resolution was scheduled to go in front of CB 1’s full board on January 24. Trentlyon’s mission is far from finished — but at least he was able to go home that night knowing that a few more people had come to grips with the perils on New York’s horizon.

January 25 - February 7, 2012

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November 2, 2011. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ed Olmstead found mold everywhere he did before and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find it where he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find it before,â&#x20AC;? said Pappas. The ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contractorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report and the January 16 Olmstead findings will be compared by both parties. Pappas told Chelsea Now, â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the first time today [on January 19],â&#x20AC;? Butler volunteered to her that his contractor found mold, too. Kalson, however, is unhappy they had to adjourn the case again. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I certainly donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to adjourn it endlessly,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the meantime, the owners are going to come up with a third name for a contractor, give it to us and we will run it by Olmstead, who has submitted two names, and let the landlords know whether or not we think their contractor is acceptable.â&#x20AC;? The owners had already proposed two contractors that were unacceptable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If mold remediation is done properly, it is eliminated. A bad contractor ends up screwing up the mold, and then it comes back and becomes worse,â&#x20AC;? Kalson said. Chelsea Hotel resident Faye Lane has first-hand knowledge of inadequate mold abatement. Her apartment was flooded due to construction on the floor above, as water leaked through the ceiling for a number of days. There was damage everywhere, and no effort was made by the construction contractor or the landlord to dry the apartment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This apartment has heavy water damage and mold growth and is uninhabitable,â&#x20AC;? concluded the November 2 Olmstead report. Lane, a 20-year resident of the hotel, has been displaced by the toxic, carcinogenic mold and is without her belongings â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which were contaminated by mold spores from the original mold and from Chelsea Dynastyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous â&#x20AC;&#x153;remediation,â&#x20AC;? done without regard to EPA or New York State mold remediation guidelines. She works as a flight attendant, but is better known as the writer/performer of the 2011 New York Fringe Festival favorite, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Faye Laneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beauty Shop Stories.â&#x20AC;? She is staying in Astoria, Queens, which has made her commute to the airport difficult. More importantly, she canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t access her contaminated book notes and has missed two deadlines with her literary agent. Her show is on hiatus from SoHo Playhouse, where Lane has been offered another yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residency beginning at any time â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but due in part to ill health and the contamination of props and costumes used in the show, she lost her prestigious Friday night time slot to another production. Lane has asthma as a result of the mold. Although her breathing has improved since leaving the apartment (she no longer uses an inhaler), Lane is still hoarse and unable to sing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and has been advised to see an environmental physician specializing in mold. Lane is a member of the Chelsea Hotel tenants association. However, she is not part of the current litigation because she com-

menced her own lawsuit, which was settled on January 20, before the group was formed on October 7, 2011. But not everyone is on board with the association, even though they are experiencing the same environmental hazards and threat of eviction. Rose noted that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some people are just too busy doing their art. Also, there are such different personalities here, and not everyone knows each other.â&#x20AC;? As a case in point, Rose said that just last week they got a new member, whose name appeared on the case. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know who she was,â&#x20AC;? Rose admitted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a miracle that we have been able to collectively build what we have. It would be a nightmare if people had to go to court independently.â&#x20AC;? Evictions are on a case-by-case basis. There is litigation about whether people are rent stabilized, which thus far, the landlord has been unable to prove. There is also litigation stemming from refusal to accept checks, especially if the tenant is living with somebody. Currently, the owners will only accept checks from the tenant they acknowledge, and then start an eviction proceeding while warehousing the paid rent. This was the case with an elderly couple, longtime residents of the hotel. They received an eviction notice on November 7 because the landlord wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accept checks not signed by the woman. (Owners retained their rent checks for September 15 and October 15, 2011, which they cashed on November 28.) â&#x20AC;&#x153;We realized they would be out on the street before Christmas,â&#x20AC;? said Pappas. So members of the association donated money and hired Kalson, who worked at cost. The case was settled in the tenantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are an association but also dealing with emergency situations that have to be addressed,â&#x20AC;? said Rose. The day after the hearing, Chelsea Now called Danielsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; office to ask him if he now had a statement regarding the proceedings. He replied that he gave this reporterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal business card to Butler, who was going to pass it on to the main office, and that any statement would come directly from the owners. Daniels said he would contact Butler and remind him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contact you, that is his statement and mine, too,â&#x20AC;? said Daniels. As of publication, there has been no statement forthcoming. Recently, however, the owners have been issuing statements about creating an Artist in Residence Program and making the hotel an art destination again. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new people running the hotel donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to understand the difference between entertainment and creativity,â&#x20AC;? said tenant Judith Childs, widow of artist Bernard Childs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The nurturing atmosphere for creativity is what the place has always been.â&#x20AC;? As for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;artist in residence,â&#x20AC;? Lane declared, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are actively evicting artists already in residence. I just want to live in my home and create art.â&#x20AC;? For more information, visit chelseanow. com and search for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chelsea Hotel residents air grievances.â&#x20AC;?

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Winter foods to help you get, or stay, slim BY CARLYE WAXMAN RD Is the cold weather starting to get you down? After long and busy days, it’s so easy to pick up comfort food on the way home. Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, hot Mexican food, fried chicken and pizza hit the spot — but what happens the next day? All of our resolutions seem to have gone out the window, and now we’re too tired to go to the gym after eating all these comfort foods. Lets face it. The “comfort” part lasts as long as you eat it. These are my favorite winter foods. They’re easy to find, they’ll help you beat the flu and will give you energy. These recipes are a great way to keep your New Year’s resolutions to slim down and eat healthy foods. All calories listed below are approximations, depending on the size of the fruit or vegetable.

Tip: When nuking at work, keep some skim milk on hand, add a drop to make it extra creamy when microwaving. Calories = 210

PUMPKIN My favorite vegetable. It’s not only high in cold-fighting vitamin C, but also packed with the feel good mineral potassium. It’s a high source of iron, magnesium, niacin and vitamin A. Pumpkins get a reputation for being a powerhouse vegetable. Try to incorporate it into a dish this winter. Nutrition: 1 cup raw = 30 calories

WINTER CITRUS FRUIT

Besides vitamin C and potassium, they provide 428 percent of your daily value of vitamin A in just one cup. Vitamin A helps to protect the surface lining of your eyes and skin. Nutrition: 1 cup chopped = 52 calories

RECIPE: SPICY PUMPKIN CARROT SOUP

POMEGRANATE

CARROTS

Ingredients: 2 medium onions chopped 2 medium carrots chopped (Tip: Both can be found at many supermarkets, prechopped.) 2 tsp ginger 2 garlic cloves chopped (garlic powder works as well) ½ tsp allspice (No allspice? Try cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice to bring out the flavor.) 1 tbsp butter 1 can of chicken or vegetable broth 1 15oz can of pumpkin puree 1 cup 2 % milk

Photo by Carlye Waxman, RD

In a casserole dish, combine all ingredients except lemon. Toss in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven on 400 degrees, for about 30 minutes. Squeeze lemon when finished for added flavor.

The citrus fruits in season for winter are mandarin oranges, tangerines, blood oranges and clementines. It’s natural for us to choose clementines — they’re easy to tote for a snack. These fruits are very high in cold-fighting vitamin C. Try a different citrus fruit this winter, like a blood orange. When they are in season, they taste the best! Nutrition: 1 clementine = 30 calories; blood orange = 60-80 calories

Makes 4 servings / Calories: 110

Carrots are great for your skin! Pick them up for roasting or as a starter for soups.

salt and pepper to taste ½ lemon

These fruits are a real pain to cut and seed. Buy them already seeded if you can (not the juice which may contain sugar). There are antioxidants in pomegranates, and vitamin C. There is thought that pomegranate can protect against heart disease. Nutrition: ½ cup of seeds = 80 calories

SWEET POTATOES Rich in potassium and bursting with vitamin A. This potato is clearly healthy. It regulates your heart, and just might help you see better! This potato can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. Consider this a starch more than a vegetable. Nutrition: 1 medium sweet potato = 100 calories

Continued on page 21

Coat a large saucepan with butter, on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, ginger, garlic and allspice. Wait about 10 minutes until the veggies look tender. Stir once or twice. Let it cool, then blend with ½ cup of broth. Don’t have a blender? Skip this part (your soup may be a little chunky). Add the broth to the soup. Add the pumpkin, milk and the rest of the broth to a pot (if you had your food blended). Transfer the vegetable mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Heat for one minute on low heat and serve. Though a great soup, it’s not going to be filling enough and serves best as a side (accompanying a salad, or half of a BLT sandwich on whole grain bread).

OATMEAL The most important meal of the day needs to be acknowledged. Make a large batch of it, keep it in Tupperware and bring it to the office to quickly nuke. It contains 13-16 percent of your daily fiber needs. Your body burns 30 percent more calories digesting fiber than other nutrients because the roughage takes a long time to break down. Nutrition: 1 cup = 150 calories.

CAULIFLOWER Though not as pretty as its brother broccoli, cauliflower has a more versatile flavor. It’s high in fiber, just two cups of this is 20 percent of your whole day’s worth. It’s also lower in calories and can be a great snack for those who are dieting. Nutrition: 1 cup = 25 calories

BUTTERNUT SQUASH APPLES High in vitamin C and dietary fiber, they are an easy way to get full with few calories. The vitamin C helps to keep us from getting sick. Nutrition: 1 apple (the size of your fist) = 72 calories

RECIPE: APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL 1 batch serves 5 days of the week Prepare 2 ½ cups of oatmeal (directions on quick cooking oats package) with 2 ½ cups of skim milk, 2 ½ cups of water, 2 tbsp cinnamon and 2 chopped apples. Once cooled, serve into 5 Tupperware containers and add 1 tbsp chopped walnuts at the end to each container.

Its deep orange tone gives away that its rich in vitamin A. Along with this, its also high in C. Just two cups of this will be 25 percent of your day’s worth of fiber. Nutrition: 1 cup raw = 63 calories

RECIPE: ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & BUTTERNUT SQUASH Servings 4 / Calories: 135 Ingredients: 4 cups of raw cauliflower 4 cups of butternut squash (Buy these items pre-cut at the supermarket.) 1 tbsp olive oil

Photo by Carlye Waxman, RD

Also known as cauliflower’s brother: Broccoli (seen here at the summer 2011 Fulton Youth of the Future greenmarket) can be cooked in a pan with chopped black garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Toss with linguini and Parmesan cheese for a hot, healthy, comforting meal.

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Photo by Scott Stiffler

No respect from the owner, but a little satisfaction on the part of the people: Hopper Gibbons House.

Julie Finch garnered applause when she praised Hopper Gibbons House, but criticized the addition of the fifth floor.

Ceremony honors Lamartine Place Historic District Continued from page 1 Richard N. Gottfried. “The marker we’re unveiling today will remind all those who pass this way of this period’s importance in America’s fight for human rights.” Gottfried’s observation resonated with the crowd, who were keenly aware that the timing of the ceremony was no accident. “On the day before Martin Luther King’s birthday, it is fitting that we are here,” said Julie Finch — a longtime preservationist and co-chair of Friends of Hopper Gibbons House. “This is a happy day, as we celebrate the spirit of survival of the freedom-seeking slaves of the 1840s and 50s who found shelter in this building, 339.” “This is a great old story and a great new story of American brotherhood, compassion and fairness,” stated Christopher P. Moore — Historian and Curator at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and Commissioner of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. “Landmarking today on West 29th Street,

this community is restoring a neighborhood and memorializing great acts of courage. It is profoundly important for understanding the type of people that we were, and who we are today.” Even in a city where so many buildings can legitimately claim historical significance, Lamartine Place is unique. The houses are associated with several prominent abolitionists families, and 339 West 29th is among the few documented surviving structures

Friends of Hopper Gibbons House cochair Fern Luskin — a professor of art and architectural history at LaGuardia Community College who discovered the history of the building — collaborated with Finch to achieve the block’s designation. Referring to 339 West 29 Street, Luskin noted, “It was at this site, now known as the Hopper Gibbons House, that the Quaker abolitionists James Sloan Gibbons and Abby Hopper Gibbons heroically provided shelter

‘This is a great old story and a great new story of American brotherhood, compassion and fairness.’ —Christopher P. Moore associated with the Civil War Draft Riots of 1863. It is also the location of Manhattan’s only documented Underground Railroad station.

to African-American slaves running for their lives towards freedom in Canada, at a time when it was illegal to do so. The Gibbons family and African-American abolitionists

such as Frederick Douglass, who had stayed at the Gibbons home on 14th Street, were trailblazers.” Luskin and Finch’s efforts began in 2007, when Luskin observed construction work being done on two of the historic building’s rooftops. They soon found themselves simultaneously assuming the duties of historians and preservationists — ultimately winning landmark status for Lamartine Place, but failing to prevent the contested addition of a fifth floor to the Hopper Gibbons House. Draped in construction materials, dissatisfaction with the building’s owner cast a pall over the celebratory event. “We doubt that the owner will give permission to place it [the marker] on the building, so we will probably have to put it on a lamppost, ” speculated Finch in a Chelsea Now article published on January 12, 2011. Minutes before the marker was unveiled (unceremoniously affixed to a pole, as predicted), Luskin made a heartfelt appeal. “It is time to honor these outspoken

Continued on page 16

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Community hopes to reverse addition to historic house Continued from page 15 and courageous anti-slavery activists,” she said, “not only by unveiling this historic district sign, but by mandating the demolition of the illegal and hideously ugly fifth story addition to their home. By doing so, we would restore not only the architectural integrity of

Street to remove the illegal addition,” the installation of the marker was still a cause for celebration. “The long battle for recognition has been achieved,” said Mr. Gottfried. Also among those in attendance: State Senator Tom Duane, Christina Davis (Chair of NY Landmarks Preservation Foundation), Ed Kirkland (of Community

The Lamartine Place Historic District is comprised of 12 remaining houses from a block-long row of Greek Revival style brick homes developed in the mid-19th century by Cyrus Mason and William Torrey. Noted Quaker abolitionists Abby Hopper Gibbons and James Sloan Gibbons lived at 18 and later 19 Lamartine Place (now 337 and 339 West 29th Street). Their home was a documented stop on the Underground Railroad, which helped freedom-seeking slaves on their journey to Canada, and served as a meeting place for abolitionists before the Civil War. The house was vandalized after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and was ransacked and torched when the Draft Riots of July 1863 set off four days of looting, arson and lynching in New York City. The Gibbons’ daughters escaped the mob by fleeing over the rooftops of adjoining houses to a carriage waiting below. The district has survived as a rare extant physical reminder of this violent chapter in the city’s and nation’s history.

Gottfried noted that while he and others, ‘continue to work with the Department of Buildings to enforce the order for the owner of 339 West 29th Street to remove the illegal addition,’ the installation of the marker was still a cause for celebration.

this block of four story row houses, but the rooftops over which the Gibbons family escaped to safety from the mob which was angry at their abolitionist stance.” Gottfried noted that while he and others, “continue to work with the Department of Buildings to enforce the order for the owner of 339 West 29th

Board 4’s Landmarks Committee), Simeon Bankoff (Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council), Corey Johnson (Chair, Community Board 4) and Andrew Berman (Executive Director of Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation). For more information, visit saveabolitionisthome339w29stnyc.blogspot.com.

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January 25 - February 7, 2012

Authorities still unable to bag army of knockoff vendors BY ALINE REYNOLDS On a recent weekday afternoon, about 30 men displaying counterfeit handbags, watches and other illicit merchandise lined Canal Street between Mercer Street and Broadway. As pedestrians passed, some of the vendors gestured to pocket-sized catalogues, featuring photos of the knockoff goods, while others whispered, “Gucci,” “Louis Vuitton” or simply “handbag.” One of them succeeded in hooking Calvin Morley, 18, of Bradenton, Florida. “They were trying to sell us G-Shock watches, which are normally about $120 new. I bought this one off a guy for $20,” Morley said as he pointed to the new watch on his wrist. Psyched about his purchase, Morley sought out another watch from a different vendor. “He was sketchy about it — he was about to open his briefcase, and then he said, ‘Hold on, the cops are coming.’ I didn’t end up getting it,” Morley noted. Thanks to Morley and scores of other Canal Street shoppers like him, selling illegal, counterfiet merchandise is a $23 billion industry in New York City, according to the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition. The organization says research shows this money “often supports organized crime, drug trafficking, child labor and terrorist activity.” Continued on page 20

Photo by Aline Reynolds

A knockoff vendor, with handbags on display on Canal Street, says not to take his photo. The fake-bag trade traditionally has been run by Chinese, but African immigrants are also making inroads into this lucrative black market business.

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January 25 - February 7, 2012

Forum challenges NYPD’s stop and frisk practices Continued from page 4 with crimes, gave a view from inside the courtroom. “Teens that are found to have contraband, often small amounts of marijuana, are given misdemeanor tickets which they often crumple up and toss, like one might do with a parking ticket. They’re too young to know that an unanswered summons becomes a much more serious charge later. To the teen it becomes a justice system that’s not always just.” Lassiter also related a particular case of just how ugly a stop and frisk can turn. “I have one client, a short skinny 15 year old that was stopped, thrown down to the

Stringer sums it up. ‘There is no question that stop and frisk has succeeded in subjecting innocent New Yorkers to frequent and unnecessary harassment. If you are an 18 or 19 year old, black or Latino, the chances that you’ve been stopped by police are over 80 percent and probably not just once.’

ground and beaten from head to toe. No gun or knife was recovered, and yet the police claim he was a threat to them...a little 15 year old.” Lobi RedHawk (of Gray Panthers) added, “It is a system that criminalizes our youth. It is a system that traumatizes our youth.” For Miguel Acevedo, President of Chelsea’s Robert Fulton Tenants Association, the problem of stop and frisk is much closer to home. “Our kids that often hang at 17th Street and Ninth Avenue are stopped and frisked on almost a daily basis. With 85 percent of those in Fulton Housing living in poverty, the kids have nowhere else to be. There are no programs available to lift them off the streets. And with new million-dollar condos across the street, complaints to the police of noise and trouble are only raising in number,” Acevedo continues, “It’s come to a mother to think twice about sending her kid to the store to get a quart of milk. The mother worries whether her son will be stopped by police and not come back home.” Stringer sums it up. “There is no question that stop and frisk has succeeded in subjecting innocent New Yorkers to frequent and unnecessary harassment. If you are an 18 or 19 year old, black or Latino, the chances that you’ve been stopped by police are over 80 percent and probably not just once.” On another invasive but positive move towards removing the need to frisk, the NYPD recently revealed plans on scanning pedestrians (from as far away as 20 feet) by using heat imagery to detect concealed guns. Commissioner Raymond Kelly wants to increase that distance to 75 feet.

Photo by Donathan Salkaln

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer says stop and frisk subjects innocents to unnecessary harassment.

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On Canal, knockoff vendors thrive Continued from page 17 With the passing of yet another touristpacked holiday season Downtown, the black market trade in fake designer goods is continuing to thrive. Local residents, meanwhile, are growing increasingly fed up with the congestion the illegal business is causing on their streets. The illicit activity on Canal Street, in particular, is more prevalent than ever, some say, despite stepped-up enforcement by local police precincts. “It’s been a zoo. They’re everywhere,” said Paul Cantor, a Lispenard Street resident and Community Board 1 member, who often has to contend with car traffic along Canal Street when the sidewalk is inundated with vendors, forcing him off the pavement to walk in the gutter. “I don’t see any reason why I should walk in the street to try to get home,” he complained. “We’re unable to enter our doorway at certain times because there are counterfeit peddlers encroaching on our property, trying to take over our threshold,” said David Kapp, the co-op president at 305 Canal Street. “These are not people that respect the fact that we live there — because there is so little enforcement by the NYPD” The police, however, contend they have increased enforcement. In spring 2010, the Police Department launched a Canal Street initiative to crack down more forcefully on the criminal sales. One approach the department has explored is having more eyes on the street to catch the vendors in the act. This is needed because mere possession of the goods isn’t a crime, unless the vendors have warehouses full of them, according to Sergeant Gregory LeRoy, a member of the Manhattan South Peddlers Task Force. “I’d say between the First and Fifth precincts, there is a continuous presence down there at all times,” LeRoy said. Another strategy is the collaboration with brand-name companies to identify the knockoff merchandise, since the sale of imitation goods is allowed so long as they aren’t direct knockoffs. Merchandise is considered illegal when there is an actual logo signifying a specific brand. “When we’re looking to do certain enforcements, companies would come with us Downtown and do undercover purchasing to identify merchandise,” LeRoy explained. “The goal for their own company is to see how counterfeit manufacturers are reproducing their products. They also train us on how to identify the real accessories compared to the counterfeits.” But these enforcement tactics only go so far. While officers have handcuffed 2,764 sidewalk vendors since the Canal Street initiative began, 85 percent of the arrests led only to misdemeanor charges, according to NYPD statistics. “The charges are not sticking in court,

and the vendors often get a small amount of community service,” LeRoy noted of the penalties. “No repeat offenders are being put in jail. You arrest them one day, and they’ll be out the next day.” City Councilmember Maragaret Chin believes that to successfully tackle the problem the city needs to target demand by educating and even penalizing the purchasers. She

‘We’re unable to enter our doorway at certain times because there are counterfeit peddlers encroaching on our property, trying to take over our threshold.’ —David Kapp introduced a bill in the Council last year that, if passed, would fine buyers up to $1,000 and sentence them to up to a year in jail. “This is really the smart and cost-effective way to lessen the demand,” Chin said of her bill. “It gives officers another tool when they see this kind of activity going on.” However, Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., who chairs the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, has reservations about the proposal. He nevertheless plans to schedule a hearing for the bill in the early spring. “I agree with her that this is a serious problem and that we need to do some oversight on this topic,” Vallone said of Chin’s bill. “But as a former prosecutor, I can tell you it would be a very, very difficult law to enforce. You would need proof beyond reasonable doubt, and I’m not sure that’s the best use of our undercover officers in New York City. “It seems easy enough to make arrests of the sellers based on what’s going on,” Vallone added. Both Cantor and Kapp support Chin’s bill and believe it could lessen the demand for fake merchandise. Kapp said he often sees Canal Street vendors getting away with the sales by playing “cat and mouse” with the cops. “The cops swing by, the knockoff guys fold up the blankets, and then they stand there,” Kapp said. “The cops go down the street, the vendors open up the blankets, and they put them back out on the sidewalk.” For now, though, shoppers can continue to buy phony merchandise without any penalty — just like Alex Vasquez from Essex County, NJ, was doing the other day. “I bought some colognes, some earrings and a chain for a total of $80,” Vasquez said. Asked about the counterfeit activity, he said, “I’m guessing if it’s going on, someone must have noticed and is allowing it.”

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Opposition to BRC continues, Recipes for sticking to that despite final certification ‘eat right’ resolution Continued from page 5 “We continue to feel that a 328-bed facility is too large to effectively serve the needs of the homeless and the surrounding community and brings NYC in the direction of the bad-old days when homeless people were warehoused in unsafe, unhealthy conditions,” said Speaker Quinn’s press officer, Zoe Tobin, in a January 19 email. “That said, the court has ruled that BRC can open the facility. Unless, and until, that ruling is overturned on appeal, we will work with both BRC and the community to ensure that the facility is as successful as possible.” Speaker Quinn vowed to remain proactive and vigilant, and encouraged commu-

nity members to bring any grievances to the BRC’s monthly Community Advisory Committee meetings, at 5:30pm on the first Tuesday of each month at the shelter — to which Rosenblatt has also invited community participation. “I am particularly grateful for the support of so many in the community, including those who have joined our Community Advisory Committee, volunteered their time in service to our clients, and have attended graduations and other events,” said Rosenblatt. “We look forward to a continuing to working with our neighbors while successfully supporting our clients on their path to housing and stability.” For more information about the facility, visit brc.org.

‘Obviously we’re disappointed with the court’s decision,’ said CFC attorney Daniel Connolly in a November interview, adding that, ‘We are currently evaluating our options in terms of an appeal or other actions.’

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RECIPE: ROASTED SWEET POTATO, BLOOD ORANGE, POMEGRANATE SALAD Servings: 3 / Calories: 225 Ingredients (Salad): 1 package of baby spinach 2 blood oranges, sliced without white parts 1 red onion sliced 1 cup pomegranate seeds 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cloves of garlic 2 tsp olive oil 2 tsp rosemary Directions: Combine sweet potato, garlic, oil and rosemary in a baking dish. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes Ingredients (dressing): 3 tbsp orange juice 2 tsp olive oil 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp honey salt and pepper to taste

While potatoes are roasting in a large bowl add onion, spinach, pomegranate seeds and whisk together dressing. Once potatoes are cooled, add them and toss all together. Serve as a side dish with a roasted pork chop or throw on steamed or cocktail shrimp for a complete meal.

RECIPE: COLORFUL TASTY TREES This versatile, hearty and delicious winter dish can be combined with shrimp or grilled chicken — and makes an excellent low calorie optioned dinner (it tastes best if you throw it in a wok!). Servings: 2 / Calories: 95 2 cups raw broccoli 2 cups raw cauliflower 1 package of whole white button mushrooms, cut in half ½ sweet onion, sliced 1 tbsp of tumeric In a wok on medium heat, throw the sliced onion in first (with a tiny bit of water). After the onion turns translucent, add the other ingredients. Incorporate ¼ cup of water, turmeric, salt and black pepper. Keep on medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Serve hot!

January 25 - February 7, 2012

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CHELSEA: ARTS &ENTERTAINMENT Steampunk: The Victorian future is now Guitars, phones, workstations function — in good form ART MOBILIS IN MOBILI: AN EXHIBITION OF STEAMPUNK ART AND APPLIANCE On view daily, from 12-9pm, through Feb. 3 At the Wooster Street Social Club (43 Wooster St.) Free admission Work from the exhibit is for sale through woosterstreetsocialclub.com Visit woostersocial.com, modvic.com and steampuffin.com Closing Reception: 8pm, Jan. 28 (for tickets, brownpapertickets.com)

BY SCOTT STIFFLER You know how it is. Your electric guitar emits a righteous sound — but it doesn’t have an antique pressure gauge. Your computer workstation is in desperate need of an aesthetic reboot by way of a tabletop crafted from an 1870s cast iron buzz saw. Your submarine is a sweet ride at 20,000 leagues — but it lacks a dirigible for aerial warfare. That perfectly functional tattoo machine you work with every day…why isn’t it housed in a casing shaped like a mosquito poised to draw blood? Such thoroughly modern dilemmas (which most of us will face at some point) require the services of a forward-thinking designer capable of dipping into the past — or, more accurately, an alternate timeline — for inspiration. Bruce Rosenbaum is your man. His work, and that of over a dozen likeminded artists, is featured in “Mobilis in Mobili: An Exhibition of Steampunk Art and Appliance” — on display through February 3 at the Wooster Street Social Club. A dynamic work of art in its own right, the SoHo tattoo parlor (location of TLC channel’s reality show “NY Ink”) is a fitting environment for the Rosenbaum-curated exhibit. Like the steampunk movement itself, tattooing requires imagination and ballsy acts of hybrid reinvention. On Wooster Street, dermal augmentation is committed with the help of machines whose whirling, droning and buzzing recalls our industrial past. Done right by a skilled practitioner, the object that emerges from this declaration of permanence invites stares and sparks conversation.

STEAMPUNK: ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES Traced all the way back to the steam powered science fiction of Jules Verne and

H.G. Wells (and, more recently, the work of cyberpunk daddy William Gibson), the term “steampunk” is used rather liberally these days. No longer a mere literary reference, it can refer to anything from cinematic art direction (think “City of Lost Children”) to music (Thomas Dolby’s recent CD and online game for “A Map of the Floating City”) to lifestyle (see steampunk.com) to immersive environments (2011’s Abrons Arts Center haunted house had a steampunkish Alice in Wonderland theme). What all these variations have in common, more or less, is an alternate universe/timeline narrative that marries science fiction’s love of futuristic technology with the fashion, architecture, gear and zeal for exploration found during Britain’s Victorian era. But no matter who’s doing the steampunking, and for what purpose, Rosenbaum says it’s author K. W. Jeter who gets credit for coining the term. Back in the late 1980s, he tossed it off to describe an emerging genre of literature he and a few others were exploring. Instead of setting their science fiction tales in the future, Rosenbaum notes, “They were going into the industrial past and imagining what kind of innovations people would come up with if they had the technology that we have today. With steampunk, there is this functionality, a practical use for these objects.” So when the ray gun of science fiction gets a steampunk twist, Rosenbaum speculates, “It might have these beautiful Victorian components made of brass and copper — but it would still be able to stun people.”

Photo by Scott Stiffler

This might sting a bit: Christopher Conte’s Dermbot (aka “Skin Crawler”) was created specifically for the exhibit at Wooster Street Social Club. Constructed from steel, bronze and brass, the biomechanical object is a fully functional miniature tattoo machine. For more info on the artist, visit microbotic.org.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Rosenbaum’s own take on the genre, he says, comes at it from a practical creative design perspective. His company, ModVic, is known for restoring Victorian homes (1850s to early 1900s) back to their original beauty while giving a steampunk makeover to everything from the layout to the home entertainment system. Even though it’s how he makes his living these days, Rosenbaum didn’t realize he was a champion of the steampunk aesthetic until somebody outed him. “My wife and I have always been into architecture, history and salvaging gadgets,” he explains. After purchasing their own 1901 Victorian home just over a decade ago, the Rosenbaums embarked on a number of restoration projects. “We came up with this idea to bring in period objects,” he recalls, “but give them a modern use. Years later, when we finished, a friend came in and told us we were steampunking because we were mashing these time periods and making appliances that were also functional art. At that point, we got obsessive about it. Everything that came into the house had to have this idea of being beautiful and functional.”

Continued on page 26

Photo by Steve Brook

This 1964 Norma Guitar (reimagined by Steve Brook) features vintage gold foil pickups, gages, working gears, gold leaf filigree and a turn of the century noodle cutter handle. The controls cover is a solid brass door plate from the Book Cadillac Building in Detroit.

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Laughs and lust, once a month Get some on a regular basis BY SCOTT STIFFLER

HOMO COMICUS Years and years before Marriage Equality came to New York, “Homo Comicus” was delivering punchlines about everything from inequality to promiscuity. For the first of 12 editions spanning 2012, Bob Montgomery’s enduring monthly showcase of gay, gay-friendly and gay-aspiring comedians promises the usual body count of upset apple carts and slain sacred cows. This time around, amiable host Montgomery takes the leash (and muzzle) off of Judy Gold, Sherry Davey, Jackson Ross Best, Jr. and Dana Goldberg. Wed. Feb. 1 (and the first Wed. of the month, ad infinitum), at 8:30pm. At Gotham Comedy Club (208 W. 23rd St., btw. 8th & 9th Aves.). Cover: $20, plus two-drink minimum. For reservations, call 212-367-9000 or visit gothamcomedyclub.com. Also visit homocomicus.com.

STRIPPED STORIES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY According to a shocking internal report compiled by top (and bottom, and versatile) number crunchers at the Centers For Disease Control, it’s been five years since Giulia Rozzi and Margot Leitman began spreading, and sharing, the love. Now, their monthly sex-themed storytelling show (“Stripped Stories”) is poised for a major blowout, so to speak. This time up, Rozzi and Leitman are joined by special guests Mike Daisey (of “This American Life”) and the reliably funny Ophira Eisenberg (as seen on Comedy Central), with music from Philly favorite Johnny Showcase (check out his album, “Love Is The Message”). When the show’s over, you don’t have to go home right

Do the math, honey: Homosexual + comical = HomoComicus.

away — and you might not have to go home alone. What we assume will be a very cruisy after party is sure to produce a few love connections and more than one story that will make its way to the stage in a future installment of “Stripped Stories.” Thurs., Feb. 9, at 9:30pm. At The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (307 W. 26th At., at 8th Ave.). For tickets ($5), visit newyork.ucbtheatre.com. Also visit strippedstories.com.

Photo by Anya Garrett

Dirty gals Giulia Rozzi (left) and Margot Leitman host “Stripped Stories.”

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Fluffer’s ‘Miss Twin Peaks Contest’ tweaks Lynch BY SCOTT STIFFLER First the Year of the Dragon, now this: January provides us with two more reasons to celebrate, what with it being the birth month of impenetrable filmmaker David Lynch and irrepressible burlesque gal about town Franny Fluffer. Back in those seemingly innocent (but in fact, deeply troubled) halcyon days of 2011, Fluffer and friends debuted “The Pink Room” — a monthly reinterpretation of works from the files of filmmaker, artist and musician David Lynch (director of big screen efforts including “Blue Velvet”

and “Mulholland Drive” — and co-producer of the landmark TV show “Twin Peaks”). Equal parts tribute and satire, The Pink Room dipped into a specific cinematic weapon from the Lynch arsenal and forced it through its own strange, burlesque-infused prism. The result: a standing room only oddity that has earned a cult following that daddy David would be proud of. This month, they’re staging “The Miss Twin Peaks Contest” — a nod to the beauty pageant that marked the beginning of a swift and lasting season 2 down-

ward spiral. But why dwell on such disappointments, when you can schmooze with all your favorite characters? Rub elbows, and other body parts, with The Log Lady, Nadine Hurley and more. Specialty cocktails will be served all night and “Peaks” will play on the screens in the front lounge (and yes, we’re told, there will be donuts). Schaffer the Darklord (as Special Agent Gordon Cole) hosts. Performances by Amelia Bareparts, Gemini Rising, Foxy Vermouth, Francine, Iris Explosion, Satanica, Victoria Privates & Doctor Flux PhD.

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Sat., Jan. 28, at 11pm. At The Parkside Lounge (317 E. Houston St., at Attorney St.). For advance tickets ($15), visit

brownpapertickets.com. At the door, $20; 21+, 2-drink minimum. Visit frannyfluffer.com and parksidelounge.net.

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Wooster Street Social Club hosts artful steampunk exhibit Continued from page 23 Their company, ModVic (modern Victorian), was founded in 2007. What began as a way to add a few whimsical home furnishings to their restoration project has unexpectedly morphed into a career. The ModVic clientele no longer includes just those who want to give the old Victorian a bit of futuristic sprucing up. Their designs, he says, appeal to all kinds of people who love the beauty and craftsmanship that came out of objects made during the industrial age. “These things were meant to last forever,” Rosenbaum notes. “There was no such thing as planned obsolescence back then.” So Rosenbaum takes those durable objects and works them until they possess all the traits of fully functional modern housewares. “A great example of that would be what we did for a patent attorney in Boston. He wanted a computer workstation that had a story to tell, so he could use it as an example for his clients. He gave us a conference table that was his uncle’s. His father was a woodworker. So I found an incredible seven-foot cast iron band saw from the 1870s. It had two 36-inch wooden wheels with steel spokes; a beautiful sculptural form.” The computer now sits on that

restored band saw — which, Rosenbaum points out, has been modified in a way that would allow the owner to bring it back to its original wood-cutting purpose. No such flexible fate seems to have befallen the works in “Mobilis in Mobili: An Exhibition of Steampunk Art and Appliance.” Rosenbaum tasked himself and his contributors with developing a range of artistic works that incorporate authentic vintage elements and salvage components with modern functioning devices. The result: bicycles, cell phones, guitars, timepieces and entertainment systems that look as if they’ve been left behind by a time traveling Victorian with a knack for accessorizing. Rosenbaum got a taste of his own edict recently when he was approached by the Revolving Museum (at the University of Massachusetts Lowell). Their proposal: take the latest hearing aids, wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs and give them the steampunk treatment. Says Rosenbaum (with gears in his head already churning), “They want to celebrate the technology, not hide it, and also give people who are disabled a comfort level. If you see someone in a wheelchair, sometimes you don’t know what to say.” But if it’s a tricked out steampunk device, he reasons, “Instead of asking them how they lost the use of their legs, you’re asking them where they got that cool wheelchair.”

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Roger Wood’s assemblage art takes Victorian hardware parts and pieces, then constructs an object that looks as if it’s more than the sum of its parts. Above: Three clocks which tell time and look as if they might also be able to transport you into the future. Visit klockwerks.com.

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Iron and steel worker Sam Olstroff created this object that reminds curator Bruce Rosenbaum of something out of the film “City of Lost Children.” It does NOT electrocute people (we asked).

Photo courtesy of ModVic, LLC

Bruce Rosenbaum’s “totally modern stove housed in a gorgeous 1890s cast iron stove.”

January 25 - February 7, 2012

Bring on the funk, groove and thunder Essential dates for your dance card BY SCOTT STIFFLER

THUNDERBIRD AMERICAN INDIAN DANCERS In 1963, a small group of likeminded Native American men and women from the Mohawk, Hopi, Winnebago and San Blas tribes came together to form what would become the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers. They were all “first generation” — meaning their parents had been born on reservations. Founded as a way to keep the songs, dances, music and traditions of their predecessors alive, their annual Dance Concert and Pow Wow at Theater for the New City has become a tradition of its own (this is their 37th year at TNC). Nearly two dozen members from over ten tribes will be on hand — with storytelling by the Coatlique Theatre (from the Chichimec tribe), a Hoop Dance by Marie McKinney (Cherokee), a Caribou Dance (from the Inuit people of Alaska), a Buffalo Dance (from the Hopi people), a Grass Dance and Jingle Dress Dance (from the Northern Plains people), a Stomp Dance (from the Southeastern tribes) and a Shawl Dance (from the Oklahoma tribes). The audience is invited to join in the Round Dance (a friendship dance) at the end of the program. The origin, meaning and significance of each performance will be explained through introductions by Thunderbird Dancers director and emcee, Louis Mofsie (Hopi/ Winnebago). The matinees, which are shorter in length (90 minutes), have been designed for younger audiences. After the performance, the cast will be available to meet, greet and have their photos taken.

Photo by Eve Jegou

Storyteller Elvira Colorado (Chichimec). Photo by Lee Wexler/Images for Innovation

L to R: Carlos Ponce/Eagle Feather (Mayan) and Alan Browne/ Shooting Star (Delaware/Dutch).

Fri., Jan. 27 through Sun. Feb. 5. Fri. at 8pm; Sat. at 3pm & 8pm; Sun. at 3pm. $10 general admission to all evening shows (running time, 2 hours). At matinees, children under 12 accompanied by a ticket-bearing adult are admitted for $1. Native American craft items will be displayed in the TNC lobby. All box office proceeds go to the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Scholarship Fund. For tickets and info, call 212-2541109 or visit theaterforthenewcity. net. Access blog entries and video

Photo by Matt Karas

Been there, done that: Juel D. Lane and Camille A. Brown as a 1950s dancing duo.

clips at thunderbirdamericanindiandancers.wordpress.com.

CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS Queens native Camille A. Brown brings her troupe back to The Joyce for the first time since 2010. Blending modern dance techniques with elements of West African dance and hip-hop, the program by Camille A. Brown & Dancers (three performances only) will include “Been There, Done That.” Commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow in 2010, the character-driven piece eavesdrops on the lives of a dancing duo fro the 1950s. Set to the music of Ray Charles and Brandon McCune, 2007’s “The Groove to Nobody’s Business” imagines the meeting of two strangers (guest artists Christopher Huggins and Matthew Rushing) on the subway. “The Evolution of a Secured Feminine” (from 2007) features Brown in a performance whose taunt gestures and fast footwork celebrate the “limitless gift of being a woman.” Also scheduled are excerpts from “Mr. TOL E. RAncE” (a work in development) and a new solo performed by Carmen de Lavallade. Fri., Jan. 27 at 8pm; Sat., Jan. 28 at 2pm; Sun., Jan. 29 at 7:30pm. At The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St.). Tickets

Photo by Christopher Duggan

Deep thought: David Dorfman Dance’s “Prophets of Funk” asks some big questions.

are $10-$39; call 212-242-0800, in purchase at the Box Office (Mon.Fri., 12-6pm), or at Joyce.org. Visit camilleabrown.org.

DAVID DORFMAN DANCE: PROPHETS OF FUNK Since its founding in 1985, David Dorfman Dance’s community projects have been presented over 30 times in 18 states and two foreign countries. “Out of Season” and “Familiar Movements” invite athletes and family members to rehearse and perform with the company. “No Roles Barred” challenges groups ranging from corporate executives and “at-risk” youths to college administrators, doctors and carpenters to contemplate identity and social constructs. This

performance at The Joyce (their first since 2005) continues the company’s long tradition of asking big questions while shaking their groove things. Set to the music of kindred spirits Sly and The Family Stone, “Prophets of Funk” has its cast of eight exploring the power of dance to help everyday people draw strength from (and find joy in) the muck and the mess — the “funk” — of everyday life. Wed., Jan. 25 at 7:30pm; Thurs., Jan. 26 and Sat., Jan. 28 at 8pm; Sun., Jan. 29 at 2pm. At The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St.). For tickets ($10-$39), call 212-242-0800, purchase at the Box Office (Mon.-Fri., 12-6pm), or visit Joyce.org. Also visit daviddorfmandance.org.

EA MAR K

January 25 - February 7, 2012

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