Chelsea Now, March 6, 2013 by Schneps Media

Katie caps Deevy project, p. 11

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 13

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

MARCH 6 - 19, 2013

Preparatory Work for Con Ed Pipeline Underway BY EILEEn STUkAnE The first natural gas transmission pipeline to be constructed in New York City in 40 years has arrived, in the form of the Spectra Energy Pipeline. This 30-inch pipeline makes its way for 15.2 miles from Staten Island, through Bayonne, New Jersey and Jersey City, before it travels under the Hudson River and arrives at its destination at

the Gansevoort Peninsula at the edge of the Meatpacking District — and at the doorstep of the soon-to-be completed Whitney Museum. It is here, at approximately Tenth Avenue and Gansevoort Street, that Con Edison is currently excavating to begin a dig that will make a Con Ed pipeline connection with the 30-inch

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Schooled in Scams, at the 10th Precinct Photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Superstorm Sandy caused millions of dollars in damage to Chelsea Piers, which had to close for a month to make repairs. According to new (preliminary) maps, this area of Chelsea is in the highest risk ﬂood zone.

FEMA Flood Risk Map puts West Chelsea in Danger Zones

BY TERESE LOEB kREUZER FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has just released a preliminary flood risk map for New York City showing the vulnerability of the Manhattan waterfront. The perimeter of the west side of Manhattan along the Hudson River is in Flood Zone V according to the Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFE) shown in the new FEMA map. All of Chelsea Piers would be in this flood zone, subject to the most serious

flooding. Large sections of the western part of Chelsea are designated as being in Flood Zone A, where they have a lesser, though still substantial, risk of flooding. West Street and 11th and 12th Avenues are in this flood zone. Just south of 23rd Street, Flood Zone A reaches almost as far east as 9th Avenue, where many Chelsea art galleries are located. Frank Gehry’s IAC building is in Zone A. So is Jean Nouvel’s building at

100 11th Avenue. Between 30th Street and 33rd Street, Zone A reaches to 10th Avenue. Just north of there, the Jacob Javits Convention Center would be partially flooded in another major storm, according to the Advisory map. So would the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) for many communities in New York

BY SCOTT STIFFLER On the last Wednesday of February, nearly two dozen locals packed the first floor meeting room of Chelsea’s 10th Precinct — for the latest installment of their monthly Community Council Meeting. Before opening the floor to questions, Deputy Inspector Elisa Cokkinos began by citing the latest crime index statistics — noting that, “As a command, we’re up 12 percent in arrests” compared to the first two months of 2012.

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A significant amount of that uptick, she said, did not pose a danger to the general public. “It’s felony assault,” Cokkinos said in reference to a spat of domestic violence incidents “whose nature ranges from severe injury to getting hit with a belt.” Sixteen such incidents have occurred so far this year, up from only four by this point in 2012 (the precinct tracks their statistics in the form of 28-day periods).

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editorial, letters PAGE 8

reMeMBeriNG dorothea PAGE 6

March 6 - 19, 2013

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Jamestown Properties and the James Beard Foundation host the fifth annual installment of the epic edible event known as Sunday Supper. This 250-person, family-style dinner is prepared by 19 renowned chefs — who, like those seated at tables that extend through Chelsea Market’s 400-foot concourse, come together in the spirit of raising funds for the James Beard Foundation’s scholarship for Fulton Youth of the Future at Robert Fulton Houses. This year, for the first time, Wellness in the Schools (which promotes healthy eating, environmental awareness and fitness) will also benefit from the fundraiser. The

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specialty menu features artful selections from the likes of Francesco Berardinelli (Giovanni Rana), Mary Cleaver (The Green Table), Yang Huang and Brian Ray (Buddakan), Amy Scherber (Amy’s Bread) and other distinguished chefs. Sun., March 24, at Chelsea Market (75 Ninth Ave., btw. 15th & 16th Sts.). The cocktail reception begins at 6pm, followed by a multicourse dinner at 7pm. Reservations ($240 per person) are required. Call 212-6272308 or visit jamesbeard.org/chelseamarket. Twitter: #JBFSundaySupper.

March 6 - 19, 2013

Despite Assurances, Pipeline Concerns Continued from page 1 Spectra Pipeline and move the natural gas uptown to its link with the Con Ed distribution system at West 15th Street. West Village and Chelsea residents, along with Community Boards 2 and 4 (CB2, CB4) are concerned that the presence of a Spectra Pipeline in the area will present danger to public safety and further encourage the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, of the Earth’s shale — a method known to leave cancer-causing chemicals in water supplies near hydrofracked sites. Environmental activists have had good reason to resist its construction. Looking at the bigger picture, groups such as the Sane Energy Project and Occupy The Pipeline are working to move the planet away from dependence on fossil fuel — acquired in ways harmful to the environment — and toward renewable forms of energy. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is the result of the prehistoric settlement of marine sediment. It is especially present in the Marcellus Shale that exists thousands of feet below ground from West Virginia, through Pennsylvania, a bit of Ohio and along the west side of the Hudson River in New York. While New York City itself will not be hydrofracked, residents of Chelsea have joined West Villagers in their concern about the safety of both the Spectra Pipeline and the Con Ed connector pipeline, the pressure of the traveling gas, and the gas’s potentially cancer-causing radon content. Radon — a tasteless, odorless, colorless gas — is a component of natural gas produced during the radioactive decay of minerals that are present in shale (minerals that are particularly high in Marcellus Shale). Inhalation of radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and the second leading cause among smokers. “Our position is that pipeline oversight in general is inadequate and even if there was proper oversight, which we don’t believe is being applied in this case, it still doesn’t obviate the radon risks nor the spreading of the demand for hydrofracked gas,” says Patrick Robbins of Occupy The Pipeline.

HOW SAFE IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

Although Mayor Bloomberg has not spoken directly to Manhattanites to explain the need for another natural gas pipeline into New York City, the Spectra Pipeline was constructed as part of his PlanNYC — a program initiated in 2007 to combat climate change by creating a greener New York City, which would in turn have a stronger economy. PlanNYC requires that the dirtiest type of heating oil, Number 6, and a slightly less dirty, Number 4, be phased out. By 2015 Number 6 must be eliminated — and by 2030, all buildings must convert to boilers that use a cleaner fuel (such as natural gas, which currently costs less than fuel oil). To encourage gas conversion, utility companies have created incentive programs and cityadministrated grants are available to cover

Note: This Notice was issued by Con Edison on February 20, 2013. Preparatory work at the site is underway.

Public Notice From Con Edison Gas Infrastructure Upgrades

Know-how

gives you more for your money.

Tenth Avenue between Gansevoort and West 16th Streets

As early as Monday, February 25, 2013 to mid-March, 2013, Con Edison will be doing work in preparation for the installation of new gas facilities in connection to a new gas pipeline to Tenth Avenue between Gansevoort and West 15th Streets. The project is necessary to meet the energy needs of our customers. We are planning to work at the following locations: 1. 1 0th Avenue (service road), Gansevoort Street to West 14th Street (5 locations) 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday 9am to 7pm Saturday and Sunday 2. 1 0th Avenue, West 15th to West 16th Streets 9am to 3pm Daily (Weekdays and Weekends) Schedule subject to change. This work to expand our gas intrastructure is part of our partnership with building owners and the City of New York to reduce emissions and improve air quality by converting buildings burning #4 and #6 oil to cleaner-burning natural gas. We apologize for any inconvenience this work may cause. For more information, please contact Public Affairs at 212460-6427, or email ManhattanPA@ conEd.com.

costs. And so the bureaucratic groundwork was laid for an increased need for natural gas and the Spectra Pipeline arrived. Worry set in early on when, after receiving $2.75 million from Spectra Energy, the Hudson River Park Trust granted access for Spectra Pipeline construction on the Gansevoort Peninsula — only 300 feet from a children’s playground. A watchdog group, naturalgaswatch.org, reported that in 2012, Texas Eastern Transmission (a division of Spectra Energy) received $134,000 in fines when it was cited by the Pipeline and

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March 6 - 19, 2013

Con Ed Preps for Pipeline

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Con Edison has begun work in preparation for the installation of new gas facilities in connection to a gas pipeline to 10th Ave., btw. Gansevoort & W. 15th Sts.

Continued from page 3 Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for failing to monitor and control for pipeline corrosion. This news, plus recent pipeline explosions in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the 2010 San Bruno, California explosion that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes, have made residents very nervous. At a CB2 meeting in October 2011, Ed Gonzales, Project Director of Spectra, was questioned about Spectra’s safety record and the San Bruno explosion. He spoke about the pipeline having a “higher strength and wall thickness than required by federal regulations,” about the fact that the San Bruno pipeline “was not an interstate pipeline” and how Spectra has “levels and layers of protection” and “robotics that would be run through the pipeline to inspect it.” At a February 14 CB4 meeting about the Con Ed connection, Anthony Leto, Con Ed’s section manager in gas engineering, reiterated what he had said at a previous CB2 meeting — that the pipeline connection to Spectra and its extension up Tenth Avenue would be inspected daily, and that safety features to prevent catastrophe were built into the hydraulic operations with remotely operated valves, battery backups and phone monitoring. However the high pressure of

the gas within the pipeline remains a concern. The Spectra Pipeline transmits the natural gas interstate at a pressure of at least 1000 psi (pounds per square inch). However, as Mr. Leto reported, that pressure gets “stepped down” in Bayonne, New Jersey to 350 psi — which is how it arrives at the Gansevoort Peninsula. The question then is at what pressure is it traveling up Tenth Avenue. There are 16 underground regulating stations (which in the utility business can be referred to as “vaults”) in Manhattan that reduce the pressure down from the 350 psi system to 99 psi, 15 psi, or lower. Chelsea Now repeatedly asked a spokesperson for Con Edison exactly where the pressure was reduced from 350 psi in the system, and the answer was always the nonspecific “at the 16 regulating stations” (which are beneath those vented manhole covers you see on the street). If there is some comfort to be had, it may be that there has been natural gas delivered to Manhattan, both Midtown and Uptown, in 350 psi since the 1950s. One pipeline is a 30-inch pipeline and the other is a double pipeline of 24 inches each. We are living over an 88-mile network of pipelines in New York City (14 miles in Manhattan) and so far, no major explosions. The explosion at

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March 6 - 19, 2013

villager Joins Corey, Yetta in Council Race BY LInCOLn AnDERSOn Shaking things up in the campaign for the City Council’s Third District, a third candidate is entering the race. Alexander Meadows, a member of Community Board 2 (CB2) for the past three years who lives in the far West Village, said he wanted to break the news first in his neighborhood newspaper, The Villager — and did so in our sister publication’s February 21 issue. The Third Council District covers the West Side from Canal Street up to 63rd Street, including Hudson Square, Soho, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, part of the Flatiron District and Hell’s Kitchen. In recent years it’s been known as the Council’s “gay seat” and is currently represented by openly lesbian Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who faces term limits and is running for mayor. The other candidates in the race include Corey Johnson, chairperson of Community Board 4, and activist and civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland. Meadows, 36, has lived in the district for seven years, two of those in Hell’s Kitchen and the last five in the Village. A first-generation, openly gay Cuban American, he grew up in Florida. He’s forthright about having been raised in a dysfunctional family environment with an abusive father, and about having to overcome hardship.

“He’s held guns to our heads — he’s threatened our lives,” he said of his father’s tormenting him and his family members. When his mother finally divorced her husband, the family found themselves struggling to get by on food stamps. Meadows volunteered on Quinn’s reelection campaign in 2009. Prior to that, his main political experience was running for student council at his Florida high school, a race he won. He was also a student senator at the University of Florida. Diabetes runs on both sides of his family — his father died of the disease at age 53 — which compelled Meadows to enter the healthcare field, specializing in the disease. But he lost his job in the economic downturn a few years ago, which is how he wound up volunteering with Quinn. Now he is in estate management, overseeing a handful of real estate holdings. Given his family background, health is an important campaign issue for him. Others include education and school safety; caring for seniors; improving public transportation; preserving and expanding affordable housing; fighting for civil rights — especially for the transgender community; and also ensuring quality, accessible healthcare. “The closing of St. Vincent’s Hospital was a tragic loss for our entire district,”

Alexander Meadows is running for City Council.

he said. An animal lover, he said, if elected, he would work to ban the use of horse-drawn carriages in the city. “And we should not allow residential development on Pier 40 or in any public parks,” he added. Meadows is a member of several

local political clubs, including Village Independent Democrats — in which he is corresponding secretary, making him a member of the club’s executive committee — and Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, as well as Stonewall Democrats and Chelsea Reform Democratic Club. Some CB2 members, however, have sniffed that Meadows “isn’t a serious candidate,” mainly because he’s newer to the local political scene and doesn’t have as extensive a network of supporters as Kurland or Johnson. Meadows claims to have already raised $100,000 when public matching funds are factored in, though he still has a way to go to catch up to the other two candidates. Yet, Sean Sweeney, a leader of the Downtown Independent Democrats club and a fellow CB2 member, said not to count Meadows out, though he’ll face a challenge against two strong candidates. “Alexander’s a rising star on the community board and the local political scene,” Sweeney said. “He works well with people and applies himself. However, Corey and Yetta have laid a strong foundation over the past couple years and Alexander will have to work hard to catch up.” Meanwhile, fiery preservationist Andrew Berman still hasn’t announced if he’s decided to enter the race or not.

March 6 - 19, 2013

Always Active, Perfectly Quaffed: Dorothea Angela McElduff, 86 residents can lay claim to having been a part of. She was among a handful of locals approached by StoryCorps — an awardwinning nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve the stories of our lives. Dorothea’s StoryCorps recollection was filmed in collaboration with another longtime Chelsea resident. “By my earnest request,” recalls Pamela Wolff, “Dorothea was my StoryCorps partner. Our interview was filmed on March 20, 2010, providing me with one of the most delightful and rewarding experiences I could have imagined. She and I spent two afternoons having tea in a back booth at Moonstruck Diner, talking about our lives in Chelsea — hers from birth, mine from 1956.” Their conversation is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress — but in an email to Chelsea Now, Wolff had another way to keep Dorothea’s legacy alive: “Please say something wonderful,” she implored, “about her always-perfect hair. It was her tradePhoto courtesy of StoryCorps mark.” Pamela Wolff smooches Dorothea Angela McElduff, upon their 2010 participation in That distinctive quaff placed a very the StoryCorps project. close second on Dorothea’s list of priorities — but was always trumped by her service, Dorothea played a major role as a Trustee, a Lector and a Eucharistic sense of duty to others. West 300 Block in Guardian Angel Church — serving Minister. She was active in the daily func- Association co-chair Andra Gabrielle tioning of the parish, having volunteered noted, “After a day of cleaning up, when there for her entire lifetime. Dorothea Sandy flooded the Guardian Angel Church continued her education at Cathedral High and Dorothea’s house, she wanted to School and the College of Mount Saint make a call — as she needed to confirm Vincent in Riverdale, NY. Upon graduat- a hairdresser’s appointment was still posing from college, she worked for 40 years, sible. She never left her responsibilities as an actuary, at the Metropolitan Life unfinished, or things a mess. She did it all Insurance Company. before she rested.” Dorothea was very proud of her Many benefitted from Dorothea’s willMcElduff name and heritage. She ingness to devote the necessary amount of would often tell stories of the history of time and attention to anyone who needed Chelsea, peppering those accounts with help, guidance or assistance. She would For more than 25 years, we have cooked and delivered nutritious, vivid experiences of growing up in the work continuously for causes she believed “old neighborhood.” A wealth of infor- in, the majority of which had to do with individually-tailored meals to the New York City metropolitan mation, she was well-known among com- preserving the integrity of Chelsea and munity activists and organizations as the ensuring the community she loved would area’s most vulnerable - those too sick to shop or cook for go-to person for verifying historical facts remain a source of strength and inspiraand acquiring little-known information tion for others. themselves. Being sick and hungry is an emergency on aspects of Chelsea that few current Her funeral was held at Guardian Angel no one needs to face. Church (at 10th Avenue and 22nd Street), a church Thank you for helping us be there. BROADWAY PANHANDLER she helped build. The family requests that those who Family Owned & Operated Since 1976 wish to honor Dorothea’s In-store Everyday Low Prices • Expert Staff • NYC’s Largest Selection life and legacy make donations to the Guardian Angel School (visit guardianan8” Forged Classic Chef’s Knife gelschool-nyc.org or call with FREE Shears and Sharpener 212-989-8280). $99.98* Dorothea is survived by Sugg Retail $205 her nieces and nephews, *While Supplies Last Made in Germany Edward (Virginia), Kathleen Mar 23rd - 24th (11 AM - 5 PM) (widow of Kenneth), Maureen, Robert (Patricia), Knife Sharpening for Charity Eileen, Kevin, John, Joseph, $12 fee for every 3 knives 100% of proceeds to be donated to James, Thomas, ten grandnieces and grandnephews 65 East 8th Street 212-966-3434 and three great-grandnieces Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm • Thurs 11am-8pm • Sun 11am-6pm godslovewedeliver.org www.broadwaypanhandler.com and nephews.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER Described by relatives, collaborators, friends and admirers as the “Matriarch of West 21st Street” as well as “one of the last of the old time Irish who had run Chelsea” and an all-around “lovely lady,” Dorothea Angela McElduff died suddenly on the evening of Sunday, January 27, at the age of 86. In addition to earning those affectionate (albeit informal) titles, she was a Dame of Malta, a Lady of Charity and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre — as well as an active participant in her parish and the Archdiocese of New York, the Chelsea Waterside Park Association, the West 400 Block Association, the Council of Chelsea Block Associations and Save Chelsea. Dorothea was proud of the fact that she was born, raised and lived in the same home her entire life. The McElduffs moved to the 400 block of West 21st Street in the mid-1890s and purchased the building in 1904 — where generations would grow up, alongside Dorothea and an extended family. Her love and devotion to family was endless. She was always with her nieces and nephews, who were born and raised (and still live) on 21st Street. The Guardian Angel School graduate kept a strong bond to both her school and church. A woman of great faith and

NUTRITI O N IS OUR SIGNATURE

DIFFERENCE

March 6 - 19, 2013

Preliminary FEMA Flood Risk Map Shows Waterfront vulnerability Continued from page 1 and New Jersey were last drawn up 30 years ago based on then-current information about the probability of flooding. The newly released maps are preliminary as FEMA sorts through an extensive amount of new data. The new maps are based on studies that were already under way before Superstorm Sandy. Until finalized maps are available, Advisory Base Flood Elevations can help communities, home and apartment owners and businesses better understand flood risks so that buildings can be modified and constructed to reflect the new reality. Buildings with reduced flood risk because they have been elevated or otherwise modified will have significantly lower insurance premiums. The maps show the probability of a flood in any given year. Advisory Zone V could be flooded by high velocity, breaking waves of three feet or more. Buildings in this zone must be elevated over an open foundation so that waves can break under them. In Zone A, flooding from storm surges can be expected. The lowest floors of buildings in this zone should be used for parking and building access, with utilities raised above the base floor elevation or otherwise floodproofed. Every flood zone on the FEMA maps has a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) assigned to it which identifies the level to which floodproofing is required by FEMA guidelines. For each location, the guidelines describe a 1 percent chance of water rising above the coastal water surface elevation in any given year, and a 0.2 percent chance. The elevations that would be protective in the event of a flood are expressed in feet. Between West 18th and West 22nd Streets, for instance, in Flood Zone V, structures would have to be elevated by 15 to 20 feet above sea level to be safe from anticipated flooding. In Flood Zone A, they would have to be 12 to 16 feet above sea level. The protective elevations vary from building to building and block to block. Flood damage is not covered by most homeowners’ insurance policies, however the federal government has set up a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is available from private insurers, but which the federal government backs and supervises. This insurance can protect homes, businesses and belongings. A home can be insured with NFIP for up to $250,000 for the building. Renters and homeowners can take out up to $100,000 worth of insurance on contents. Up to a total of $1 million is available for non-residential buildings. This coverage would consist of $500,000 for the building and $500,000 for its contents. There is usually a 30-day waiting period before coverage goes into effect. Regardless of flood risk, most people can buy NFIP coverage if they live in a community that participates in the program. All five boroughs of New York City partici-

Photo courtesy of FEMA

In the Zone: FEMA’s Flood Risk Map puts West Chelsea in Zones A and V.

pate. Policies are available to homeowners, condo owners, apartment owners, renters and business owners. Adopting standards based on Advisory information will not change current flood insurance rates within a community. Flood insurance policies are rated using the zones and flood elevations on the current effective FIRM. These rates will not change until local governments have had a chance to review, comment on and adopt the revised base flood elevations. However, according to Howard Slatkin, director of sustainability for the New York City Department of City Planning, “Premiums for many properties in New York City are expected to increase substantially until they reach market rate. Buildings that once had preferential rates because they were built before FEMA’s current flood elevation maps and were grandfathered in, will no longer be eligible for those rates. So if you’re constructing a building today, it’s important to use [the new] information in order to prevent being hit by increased flood insurance rates.” To see the new FEMA flood maps and to check on the status of any given building or neighborhood, go to region2coastal.com/ sandy/abfe/. For more information about the NFIP and flood insurance, call 800-427-4661 or go to floodsmart.gov. This is an amended version of an article which posted February 25, 2013, on the website of our sister publication, NYC Reconnects (nycreconnects.com).

March 6 - 19, 2013

editorial

Quinn’s Middle Way It’s become de rigeur for our top city officials to all give annual State of the City addresses. As it turns out, these speeches are about more than simply raising one’s profile, and, in fact, offer many good ideas. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, in her State of the City address on February 11, laid out an ambitious proposal for preserving and increasing the city’s stock of affordable and middle-class housing. Under her plan, 40,000 new middle-income apartments would be built over the next 10 years. The money for this, Quinn said, would come from finding “increased efficiencies” in city government, basically reallocating money from wasteful programs. It’s not as if nothing is being done now on the affordablehousing front: Under Mayor Bloomberg, 4,000 low-income units are being created per year. Yet, it was refreshing to hear an official of Quinn’s caliber speaking forthrightly about helping keep this city a place where the middle class can still live. Despite his creation of low-income units, Bloomberg is thought of as a mayor who has focused on big-ticket development projects, such as the Hudson Yards. Under his administration, there’s finally been movement forward on the long-dormant Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA). Of course, these mega-projects are essential for the city to move forward and keep pace. And Bloomberg deserves credit for jumpstarting them — and, let’s not forget, SPURA will have a healthy amount of affordable housing. Admittedly, Quinn has, in fact, often been criticized for being cozy with big developers. Nevertheless, her promise not to forget the middle class and New Yorkers of even less means was heartening and refreshing — and needed. She noted that the Mitchell-Lama program created 100,000 middle-income rentals and co-ops in the 1960s and ’70s, but that many of these have been lost as Mitchell-Lama owners have converted to market rate. So, Quinn said, her plan would create a Permanent Affordability Act to give property owners new tax incentives for not converting their units to market rate. What’s more, Quinn added, her plan could be applied to existing affordable units. The Council speaker said, while some neighborhoods around the city have already gotten out of reach of the middle class, “we’re not giving up on any communities.” She cited Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Throgs Neck as places on the tipping point of becoming fully gentrified, though, surprisingly, not any areas right in her own Third Council District. (Then again, she is, after all, running for mayor.) Of course, the proof will be in the pudding as to how many of her ambitious proposals come to fruition. But it was uplifting to hear her focus so exclusively on the middle class and affordability. People of lesser economic means strive to rise to become a part of the middle class; so it’s also about ensuring that those who work hard and improve their lot in life will have a place here, as well. The late Mayor Ed Koch produced more affordable housing — 180,000 units — than anyone, and it was one of his proudest achievements. It’s an achievement not lost on Quinn. “The dream and promise of the middle class — that’s the dream that Mayor Koch was thinking about,” the speaker said. She ended with a pledge to the middle class: “New York was — New York is — and New York always will be your city.” Let’s hope so, that the Big Apple won’t increasingly be a heartless place of empty pied-à-terres, but a place with a healthy mix of income levels with strong middle-class backbone.

letters to the editor His bid for HRP NID To The Editor, I am a residential property owner in Chelsea and a board member of the Caledonia. I am writing to support the proposed Hudson River Park Neighborhood Improvement District (NID). The Park is a significant neighborhood asset for all of us to enjoy: for exercise, play or relaxation. It is important to quality of life and neighborhood values, and I want to make sure it is maintained. Many people in the neighborhood do not realize that Hudson River Park is neither a city nor state park, and receives no government money for its operations and maintenance. I have become aware of its serious financial situation and believe something must be done to help immediately. None of us want a park with deferred maintenance and the inevitable deterioration of conditions and safety. The proposed NID is a creative solution to a very serious problem and I feel the assessment is fair, and relatively modest — a good investment in our quality of life in Chelsea and the surrounding area. I am also very pleased that the NID proposal includes projects in our neighborhood and adjacent ones. These include the maintenance of the 9A (West Side Highway) landscaping. The medians and bikeway are seen by thousands every day and are the face to the world of our neighborhood. It pained me to see how decrepit they looked this year. In contrast to previous years there were weeds six feet high and uncollected trash everywhere. The HRP NID will maintain this corridor so that it is the beautiful park boulevard it was intended to be. I am a gardener and I know it’s hard or impossible to bring a garden back once maintenance has been ignored or deferred too long. With the Hudson River Park the hard work is done already. The park EXISTS. It is beautiful and just needs to be maintained. The people living around Central Park know how important their park’s maintenance is to their quality of life and property values. We have the same type of asset on our shores. Please, let’s make sure we support the Hudson River Park Neighborhood Improvement District so we don’t lose our Park! Adam Derrick

Brain Injury Awareness To The Editor: March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Since 1997, I’ve tackled the ongoing daily ups and downs of my own wholly life-altering traumatic brain injury, caused by Con Edison’s now so-called stray voltage. Much of the media’s limited focus when the cover the more sensational incidents emphasize remarkable recoveries, exceptional care and vast support. The typical brain injury story, actually, is usually a very complex, erratic, gritty and lasting one — with less inspiring or heroic elements than the media models. Each one is also replete with a dire need for better understanding, support, respect and covered or affordable services and therapies. Many of the injury’s symptoms are often recognized only by its survivors or the most sensitive care providers — who themselves are likely to be baffled by the overwhelming and even contradictory array of systemic challenges. Professionals and the public at large need to more carefully educate themselves about these injuries, so as to improve prevention and care for this devastating, yet often preventable, menace that, statistics show,

hurts more lives than any other health threat, and for which everyone is at risk. Improved awareness and care may begin by obtaining information from organizations like the Brain Injury Association of America, and by encouraging more in-depth representation in the media. Phil Vanaria

CORRECTION

An article in our February 20 issue (“Fate of Hopper Gibbons House Now in Hands of LPC”) incorrectly implied that “All parties involved” in the contentious debate over the construction of a fifth floor “acknowledge that the DOB’s 2005 action renders the added level exempt from landmark protection given in 2010.” That is the position of the owner, and not that of the opposition. We regret the error.

Reader Comment from Chelseanow.com Re “Con Ed Feeling the Pressure from Pipeline Opponents” (news, Feb. 20), MariCW wrote: Thanks to Eileen Stukane for an informative article. One would hope that a “natural” gas distributor such as Con Edison would consider making their own Environmental Impact Report to ensure the residents of the areas affected by the distribution pipeline but that is asking too much. Mr. Leto repeatedly informed us that everything Con Edison is doing regarding the pipeline is good and safe with absolutely no backup for this than his word. We are to believe the only possible problems would be from third party workers not taking care digging near the pipeline. Con Ed appears to have no concern about radioactive radon being delivered through their pipeline to our kitchens. And it is no concern to Con Edison or Spectra Energy that there is now a lack of a hospital in the area serviced by this high pressure pipeline. If you are concerned about the pipeline, please call Mayor Bloomberg and members of the City Council. Let your voice be heard.

The New & Improved

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March 6 - 19, 2013

Community Contacts To be listed, email info to scott@chelseanow.com. COMMUNITY BOARD 4 (CB4) 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.). The board meeting, open to the public, is the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting is Wed., April 3, 6:30pm, at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, 1000 10th Avenue (btw. 58th & 59th Sts.). Call 212-736-4536, visit nyc. gov/mcb4 or email them at info@ manhattancb4.org. 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. The board meeting, open to the public, happens on the second Thursday of the month. The next meeting is Thurs., March 14, 6pm, at Xavier High School (30 W. 16th St., btw. 5th and 6th Aves., 2nd fl.). Call 212-465-0907, visit cb5.org or email them at office@cb5.org. THE 300 WEST 23RD, 22ND & 21ST STREETS BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at 300westblockassoc@prodigy.net. THE WEST 400 BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at w400ba@gmail.com.

CHELSEA GARDEN CLUB Chelsea Garden Club cares for the bike lane tree pits in Chelsea. If you want to adopt a tree pit or join the group, please contact them at cgc.nyc@gmail.com or like them on Facebook. Also visit chelseagardenclub.blogspot.com. LOWER CHELSEA ALLIANCE (LoCal) 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 Call 212-337-5912 or visit villagechelsea.com. THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT INITIATIvE Visit meatpacking-district.com or call 212-633-0185. PENN SOUTH The Penn South Program for Seniors provides recreation, education and social services — and welcomes volunteers. For info, call 212-2433670 or visit pennsouthlive.com. 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. THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER At 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Visit gaycenter.org or call 212620-7310. GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS (GMHC) At 446 W. 33rd St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves. Visit gmhc.org. Call 212-367-1000. Member of the New York Press Association

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Published by NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC WWW.GAYCITYNEWS.COM

14–20 FEB 2003

YOUR FREE � MARRIAGE PUSH WEEKLY NY advocates step NEWSPAPER up pressure P.4

� LOU HARRISON DIES AT 85

� SUNDANCE PIX

Contemporary composer, Eastern music pioneer

Queer flicks worth waiting for

Gay City P.5

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NEWS

� CATEGORY

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515 Canal St., Unit 1C, New York, NY 10013 Phone: (212) 229-1890 • Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.chelseanow.com E-mail: scott@chelseanow.com head

BY DUNCAN OSBORNE

BY PAUL SCHINDLER

he 2004 federal budget proposed by the Bush administration on February 3 is drawing both praise and criticism from gay and AIDS groups. “Generally, we have a mixed reaction to it,” said Winnie Stachelberg, political director at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), even as some leading AIDS groups, including the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), were more critical. The proposal includes a $100 million increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a $5 million dollar increase in the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS

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� BOOKSHOP SHUFFLE Oscar Wilde up, Bluestockings down

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� SIGNORILE There’s a place for us

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� THEATER Jews and Muslims work together � 32 ——————————————

CREDIT

� BOOKS Gay spaghetti western

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Member of the National Newspaper Association Chelsea Now is published biweekly by NYC Community Media LLC, 515 Canal St., Unit 1C, New York, NY 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 NYC 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.

HUDSON GUILD Founded in 1895, Hudson Guild is a multi-service, multi-generational 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 212-760-9800. For the Children’s Center (459 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9830. For the Education Center (447 W. 25th St.), call 212760-9843. For the Fulton Center for Adult Services (119 9th Ave.), call 212-924-6710.

CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRISTINE QUINN Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc. gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml.

THE CARTER BURDEN CENTER FOR THE AGING This organization promotes the wellbeing 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 SAGE CENTER New York City’s first LGBT senior center offers hot meals, counseling and a cyber-center — as well as programs on arts and culture, fitness, nutrition, health and wellness. At 305 Seventh Ave. (15th floor, btw. 27th & 28th Sts.). Call 646-576-8669 or visit sageusa.org/ thesagecenter for menus and a calendar of programs.

FULTON YOUTH OF THE FUTURE Email them at fultonyouth@gmail. com or contact Miguel Acevedo, 646-671-0310. WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE Visit westsidenyc.org or call 212956-2573. Email them at wsna@ hcc-nyc.org. CHELSEA COALITION ON HOUSING Tenant assistance every Thursday night at 7pm, at Hudson Guild (119 9th Ave.). Email them at chelseacoalition.cch@gmail.com. FRIENDS OF HUDSON RIvER PARK Visit fohrp.org or call 212-757-0981. HUDSON RIvER PARK TRUST Visit hudsonriverpark.org or call 212627-2020. SAvE CHELSEA Contact them at savechelseanyc@ gmail.com.

PUBLISHER Jennifer Goodstein

STATE SENATOR BRAD HOYLMAN Call 212-633-8052 or visit bradhoylman.com. CHELSEA REFORM DEMOCRATIC CLUB The CRDC (the home club of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried) meets monthly to exchange political ideas on 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 St. (btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) THE SYLvIA RIvERA LAW PROJECT

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

QUEERS FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE is a progressive organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. Visit q4ej.org. THE AUDRE LORDE PROJECT is a les-

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

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters

Kaitlyn Meade Rania Richardson

SR. V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING Francesco Regini RETAIL AD MANAGER Colin Gregory ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Allison Greaker Julius Harrison Alex Morris Julio Tumbaco

PUBLISHER EMERITUS John W. Sutter

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Ross Garnick

DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Cheryl Williamson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR / ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Lincoln Anderson EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

SENIOR DESIGNER Michael Shirey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Arnold Rozon CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. Marvin Rock

CONTRIBUTORS Ryan Buxton Martin Denton Lakshmi Gandhi Terese Loeb Kreuzer Kaitlyn Meade Duncan Osborne Paul Schindler Jerry Tallmer Maxine Wally PHOTOGRAPHERS Milo Hess J. B. Nicholas Jefferson Siegel

March 6 - 19, 2013

Police BLOTTER Community Gets Schooled in Scams Continued from page 1 Officers are close to making arrests in 12 of the 16 felony assault cases. Of the 16 robberies so far this year, Cokkinos noted, “We’re close to making 7 arrests.” That distinction references the moment a person is taken into custody and charged with a crime, following the filing of a complaint. Recalling a lengthy conversation between precinct representatives and the public during the last Community Council meeting, Cokkinos reported that in the last 28-day period, officers wrote 63 bus stop summonses. Several members of the public had attended January’s meeting to request that more be done to discourage cars, delivery trucks and pedestrians from blocking bus pick-up zones as well as nearby curbs (which hinder wheelchair access to MTA service). Audible expressions of relief greeted Cokkinos’ announcement that Club Shadow (on 229 West 28th St., btw. 7th & 8th Aves.) was shuttered by the Civil Enforcement Unit on the evening of Thurs., Feb. 21. The NYPD’s decisive, and perhaps final, visit to the popular nightlife establishment happened after years of complaints from nearby residents (many of them regular Council attendees) who have voiced displeasure about late night/ early morning quality of life infractions — including double parking, excessive noise and inebriated club patrons. “They’ll be closed for a while,” said Cokkinos, noting that the owners plan to come before Community Board 5 to “plead their case.” Officer Mike Petrillo, who can often be reached by calling the precinct’s Community Affairs and Crime Prevention Office (212-741-8226), told Chelsea Now that the future of the club is now in the hands of a judge (who may or may not be swayed by any promises made at the CB5 level). “After we serve them with papers,” said Petrillo in reference to the Feb. 21 action, “the Civil Enforcement attorneys and Shadow’s attorneys have to go to court. The judge makes a determination of what goes on from there.” During the public Q&A session, an exasperated resident of 19th St. (btw. 8th & 9th Aves.) reminded officers that her street “is not a truck route.” Traffic of this nature, and its accompanying noise, is a constant problem, she noted — despite a sign clearly posted on Eighth Ave. sporting a silhouette of a truck with a red line drawn through it (reading “Except Deliveries This Block”). “Golden Touch buses are coming three times a day, at 11am, 3pm and 7pm,” she said. “I live on the same block,” added another woman who acknowledged that, “There is a sign, but it’s small, and there’s no enforcement.” Cokkinos promised to “send my summons guys out there. We’ll take another look at it.”

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Assistant District Attorney Daniel Brody gives a presentation on cybercrime and identity theft, at the 10th Precinct’s Feb. 27 Community Council Meeting.

Over the next 15 minutes, Assistant District Attorney Daniel Brody (of Trial Bureau 60) spoke about identity theft — a crime that’s particularly robust in Chelsea, given its high density of bars, restaurants and clubs. Brody, who handles the prosecution of cybercrime/ID theft cases (often under the supervision of Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau chiefs), echoed precautions heard many times at Community Council meetings — when he advised diners not to hang purses on the backs of chairs, and implored common sense practices in clubs (don’t leave belongings unattended while on the dance floor). Within minutes, a wallet or purse provides thieves with a well-rounded profile, and a deep well from which to make unauthorized credit card charges and bank withdrawals. Such opportunistic crimes, Brody said, can impact your credit rating and take years to fully resolve. In addition to crimes in clubland, Brody warned against two types of skimming devices — the first of which thieves attach to ATMs, often along with a small nearby camera. The device reads your bank card’s magnetic strip, and the camera records you while entering the PIN number. “Jiggle the ATM,” Brody advised. “It might fall off.” You should also make a habit of placing one hand over the keypad as you enter your access code. A second skimming device, referred to as a “black box,” is a palmsized reader of credit card data — and is often employed by parking garage attendants or restaurant workers who misdirect victims long enough for their credit cards

to be run through this easily concealed device. “A cash diet is always the safest thing,” Brody said, qualifying that statement with an admission that, “I use my credit and debit cards all the time.” Brody emphasized the importance of frequently viewing your online bank and credit card statements, shredding financial documents and making passwords as sophisticated as possible. He also advised those who become victims of identity theft to file a complaint at the local precinct, soon after discovering the crime — and not just because it’s an exercise in good citizenry (such reports help police compile statistics, recognize trends and assign resources accordingly). Fraudulent bank and credit card activity reported to the police, Brody noted, gives the victim documentation that will help absolve them of any financial liability. For more information, visit manhattanda.org or call the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau Hotline (212-335-9600). A brochure passed out by Brody (“Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft”) can be accessed by visiting manhattanda.org/sites/ default/files/Protecting%20Yourself%20 from%20Identity%20Theft.pdf. The morning after ADA Brody’s presentation, Chelsea Now returned to the 10th Precinct and found the following items among three days’ worth of complaints:

Grand Larceny: Declined card clued her to crime In the early evening of Wed., Feb. 20, when attempting to make several purchases at Best Buy (on Sixth Ave. & 23rd St.), a local woman’s Amalgamated Bank debit card was declined. Later that night, she accessed her online bank account from home — and discovered that five checking account withdrawals (for a total of $2,455) had been made in Woodside, Queens. When filing a complaint at the 10th Precinct on

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.

Feb. 23, the victim noted that she had been in possession of her debit card while the unauthorized withdrawals took place.

Grand Larceny: Where’s wallet? While exiting a cab on the northeast corner of 23rd St. & 9th Ave. in the late morning of Sat., Feb. 23, a West Chelsea resident noticed that her wallet was missing from her pocketbook — later telling police she last recalled using her wallet while paying for another cab earlier, at W. 9th St. & 6th Ave. Shortly after becoming aware of the missing wallet (a purple Smythson valued at $150, whose contents included an Apple gift card worth $140), she was informed that her Chase Visa card had been used to buy gas in Long Island City.

Petty Larceny: Early outreach a real wake-up call At 9am on Sun., Feb. 17, a woman received a call from HSBC Bank, informing her of two unauthorized transactions on her checking account debit card. An unknown perpetrator withdrew $800 and $200 from the 333 Park Ave. location of Citibank. Several days later, when filling out a complaint at the 10th Precinct, the victim told police that she had been, and still was, in possession of her debit card.

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: 212-7418226. Domestic Violence: 212-7418216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meeting, open to the public, takes place at 7pm on the last Wed. of the month.

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.

March 6 - 19, 2013

chelsea: arts & ENTERTAINMENT ‘Katie Roche’ Caps Three-Year Project

Mint Theater champions rediscovery of playwright Teresa Deevy THEATER KATIE ROCHE

Written by Teresa Deevy Directed by Jonathan Bank Through March 31 Tues.-Thurs. at 7pm, Fri. & Sat. at 8pm Sat. & Sun. at 2pm Special 2pm matinee Wed., March 20th at 2pm No performance March 19 Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes At the Mint Theater 311 West 43rd St., 3rd floor (btw. 8th & 9th Aves.) For tickets ($55), call 866-811-4111 or visit theatermania.com Also visit minttheater.org

BY JERRY TALLMER For Teresa Deevy, playwright, born 1894, the sounds of silence were everywhere. For Katie Roche, house worker, not yet twenty years old — lovely, impatient, illegitimate Katie of little Lower Ballygar, Ireland — the temptations to greatness, particularly the call of the convent, were everywhere. But none of it went anywhere. The youngest of thirteen children, Teresa Deevy of Waterford, Ireland, on course to become a teacher, had been walloped by Ménière’s disease while at University College, Dublin — a turn of affairs that left her stone deaf for life. She went to London to study lip reading because of her deafness — and instead fell into the clutches of Theater, also for life. Indeed, not starting until her mid-30s, she became a most prolific playwright in a land of such phenomena, and though periodically dropping out of sight, or overlooked, she was always rediscovered through the years — including one stretch, 1930-1936, in which the Abbey, Dublin’s revered National Theater, mounted six of her works (including the one that New York’s own superb little Mint Theater Company is bringing to 311 West 43rd Street through March 31).

Photos by: Richard Termine

Wrenn Schmidt (as Katie Roche) and Margaret Daly (as Amelia Gregg).

Margaret Daly as Amelia Gregg and Patrick Fitzgerald as Stanislaus Gregg.

It caps the Mint’s three-year Teresa Deevy project, the two previous entries being her “Wife to James Whelan” (2010) followed by “Temporal Powers” (2011), a drama that stirs together poverty, peasantry, crime, bad marriage and — a favorite Irish subject — the rights and wrongs, or wrongs and wrongs, of being an informer. An actress named Wrenn Schmidt, who first worked at the Mint in that exploration of “Temporal Powers” — after breaking in with Charlotte Moore and Ciaran O’Reilly’s great little Irish Rep on West 22nd Street — is the exquisite but ultra-confused Katie Roche of this one. Should she go into that convent to care for abandoned children and thus seal off her life — her dreams of grandeur — forever?

Should she give in — give herself in marriage — to Stanislaus Gregg (Patrick Fitzgerald), the buttoned-up, buttoned-down home-grown village architect more than twice her own age and stuffiness? STANISLAUS: Would you think of marrying me? KATIE: Now, is it? Or then? STANISLAUS: Now. So she does. But in due course: STANISLAUS; There’s a good child. KATIE: Child? I am your wife that you married. STANISLAUS: Then do what you’re told! Keep out!

Okay, then — should she fool around with dashing young Michael Maguire (John Fletcher), who sneaks a kiss onto her whenever Stanislaus isn’t in the room? And once too often when he is? Worse yet, should she spend her life in repentance for all the sins nailed onto her by weird old Holy Reuben (Jamie Jackson) — the staff-clomping cross-country walker from Dublin who reads the riot act to any and all mankind (even more so, womankind)? Or should she say the deuce with all of them and go for the grandeur that is in her blood, as the out-of-wedlock daughter of the late and dashing Maurice Fitzsimon, seducer of Katie’s beautiful mother who died in childbirth bearing her? “The world is a very flat place” is what Katie finally, bitterly concludes — although neither actress Wrenn Schmidt, who speaks those words, nor Jonathan Bank, the Mint Theater and this show’s director, will agree with me. About the bitterness, I mean. They see hope. All of this is — as Hemingway taught us — not in, but between the lines; the silences between the tears and cheers and jests of a tiny rural community rooting for their own lads in the annual Regatta, or river-rowing contest. A whole worrisome scene spins on the borrowing of a long wooden bench to stand on to watch the race. Teresa Deevy left us in 1963. This month, the Mint is bringing out a printed edition of the three plays of hers that it has now mounted, plus some other, shorter, works. To Jonathan Bank, Katie at the end “has hit rock bottom in suffering” as she’s dragged off, terrified, to the big city, Dublin, but is also elated, excited, exultant to leave the place where she was born. “I’ve had my own illusions of grandeur since I was seven or eight,” says slim, finespun Wrenn Schmidt, who was born on a February 18 of some year or other, and arrived in New York from Lexington, South Carolina in 2005, to work at the Bond Street Theatre on Bond Street in the East Village. For Irish Rep, she did John B. Keane’s “Sive” and Eugene O’Neill’s “Beyond the Horizon.” In between and since, a lot of television. Both she and Bank have, yes, been to Ireland — she to study at Trinity College, he to meet with some grand-nieces and nephews of Teresa Deevy. They brought forth for his benefit a suitcase full of Deevy’s unpublished manuscripts. The Abbey’s most famous female playwright and story-teller, was James Joyce’s angel, Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (1852-1932). “I was just curious,” says Jonathan Bank, “as to why there were not many female Irish playwrights in Lady Gregory’s footsteps.” And found Teresa Deevy. “She was not an unknown person at all,” says Bank, “but by the time she died she was pretty much forgotten.” The Mint Theater Company remembers.

March 6 - 19, 2013

Dear Aunt Chelsea, My co-worker has had a string of bad luck. All in one week, he caught a virus and got a huge cut on his bald head when he went to pick something off the ﬂoor — bumping his head on his girlfriend’s jewelry stand. Then, after doing his yoga stretches, he went to scold his cat who was acting out against the other cat and slammed his toe against the steps — breaking his toe! What do you prescribe to put him back on track and get some good luck? Concerned on 23rd Street Dear Concerned: Right off the bat, Aunt Chelsea’s got a prescription — for you. Take two doses of reality and stop blaming your chrome-domed, accident-prone klutz of a co-worker’s misfortunes on that old overused scapegoat called “luck.” Good, bad or ugly as a stubbed toe, there’s simply no such thing as an intangible force that pulls our strings and pushes our buttons. Quite the opposite, in fact. From your brief note of concern, a picture of this supposedly unlucky fellow begins to emerge — one of a dual pet owner with a girlfriend, a job, a home with steps, an interest in yoga, a co-worker who cares about him and a shopping list bereft of expensive creature comforts such as shampoo. If there were such a thing as luck, I’d say this guy has quite a bit of it. Viruses come and go, broken toes mend and cuts heal. Over time, even two warring cats can learn to get along (I’ve seen it happen…once!). So tell him to count his blessings…you even have my blessing to tell him to consider himself, um, lucky.

BLIND ITEM ADVICE Dear Aunt Chelsea, My wife can suck the life out of a box of batteries faster than eating a bag of pretzels. Between her iPod sound dock and chargers for the iPhone and iPod, we have piles of dead batteries buried in our apartment. I would feel so guilty if I threw them out in the regular garbage. What can I do? Ever Ready Flatiron Freddy Dear Ever Ready: Ever heard of this thing called electricity? Apparently, it’s cheaper — and leaves a somewhat more dainty carbon footprint — than the reckless, pretzel-like consumption of batteries. Now, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate their reliability and versatility. Some of the best children’s toys would cease to function without them — and a trusty pack of flashlight Ds or transistor radio 9 volts pulled more than one Chelsea resident’s bacon out of the fire during the unwelcome post-Sandy blackout…but it sounds to me like the Mrs. (and maybe her Mr.?) are relying on batteries far more out of convenience than necessity. Hence, the telling pangs of guilt every time the regular garbage gets the business end of your wasteful ways. So reacquaint yourself with Reddy Kilowatt and bid a fond farewell to the Energizer Bunny. Ready, Freddy? Go!

To a certain third-term billionaire elected who shall remain nameless…no, I don’t recommend banning a certain thing that after-hours Eighth Avenue denizens prowl those 24-hour establishments for…just tax it a bit more, and leave our fine Chelsea boys alone! You’ve taken away their soda buzz — anything more constrictive to the thrill-centric lifestyle will surely hurt tourism (or at least bridge and tunnel traffic). Also, in reference to those sore footsies, I recommend a hearty square of shag carpeting placed discreetly behind the press conference podium. If one must suffer slings, arrows and silly questions from my less esteemed print media colleagues, you’ll at least be able to stand your ground in relative comfort!

Ho r osc o p e s Aries Somebody’s attractive sibling will delight you with a moderately salty joke. Lucky late comedian: Phyllis Diller. Taurus Ominous winds and unkind words from the north won’t be enough to bend your will, when tested, at 7:43pm this Thursday. Lucky turn: Left. Gemini A missing pair of gloves will suddenly materialize — leaving you confident, confident, dry and secure. Lucky soap scent: Mountain fresh. Cancer A co-worker’s overheard quip will set you on the path to a hobby quite atypical of your temperament. Lucky palindrome: Bob. Leo Conflict-prone Leos should take a page from the March playbook, by coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb. Lucky pie: Rhubarb. Virgo Territorial instincts will protect you from harm but leave you vulnerable to public opinion. Lucky furniture: Patio.

Libra A strong craving distracts you, as the clock strikes one. Obey it! Lucky snack icon: Little Debbie. Scorpio Those prone to melancholy will get a lump in the throat upon hearing a Barry Manilow song. Lucky color: Magenta.

Sagittarius Even skeptical Sagittarians will marvel at this weekend’s confluence of fortunate events. Lucky borough: Queens.

Capricorn Baked goods and thoughts of revenge, both delicious, will tempt you on the way home from work. Resist the urge! Lucky cute animal: Duckling. Do you have a personal problem at work, the gym, the bar or the corner coffee shop? Is there a domestic dispute that needs the sage counsel of an uninvolved third party? Then Ask Aunt Chelsea! Contact her via askauntchelsea@chelseanow.com, and feel free to end your pensive missive with a clever, anonymous moniker (aka “Troubled on 23rd Street,” or “Ferklempt in the Fashion District”).

Aquarius Like mismatched cops who somehow make it work, you’ll be paired with an opposite, then assigned a difficult task. Lucky season: Fall. Pisces Storm clouds are gathering, and that dollar store umbrella offers you little protection. Time to upgrade! Lucky accessory: Glitter.

March 6 - 19, 2013

Tours Take You Up Stairs and Through NoHo Get to know Irish servants, monied merchants

Your doctor spent 5 minutes?

Another reason to call. Photo courtesy of Merchant’s House Museum

See how the Irish half lived, when you visit the servants’ quarters of Merchant’s House Museum.

A TRIBUTE TO THE TREDWELLS’ IRISH SERVANTS

Sun., March 17 at 12pm, 2pm & 4pm Included with regular admission; reservations not required

GLAMOUR & GREED, MONEY & MURDER TOUR OF NoHo

Sundays at 1pm $15 ($20 includes museum admission)

At Merchant’s House Museum 29 E. Fourth St., btw. Lafayette& Bowery Regular Museum Hours: Thurs.-Mon., 12-5pm Admission: $10, $5 for students/seniors For info, call 212-777-1089 Visit merchantshouse.org

BY SCOTT STIFFLER On St. Patrick’s Day, climb the deep and very narrow stairway of the Merchant’s House Museum — to find a faithfully restored fourth floor servant’ quarters and hear how its Irish inhabitants lived and worked. As it turns out, domestic life in New York City from 1835-1865 as lived by the Tredwells and their servants was every bit as complex and fraught with class distinction dynamics as their “Downton Abbey” counterparts. Merchant’s House has more bygone intrigue to serve up, every Sunday, in the form of their new walking tour of 19th century NoHo (which harkens back to a time gloriously bereft of such snazzy monikers). “Glamour & Greed, Money & Murder” takes you on a journey back in time to the elite Bond Street stomping grounds of the wealthy mercantile families whose grand Federal mansions once lined the area’s tranquil cobblestone streets. The well-known homes of the Astors, Vanderbilts and Delanos may be gone — but the Tredwell home still stands, frozen in time, waiting for you to explore. That can be done at your leisure, once the NoHo tour has given you the historical skinny on Colonnade Row, the Public Theater, The Cooper Union, Astor Place (site of 1849’s bloody Opera House riot) and the site of the scandalous, still-unsolved 1857 Bond Street murder of Harvey Burdell. The Irish Servants tribute is included with regular admission. The NoHo “Glamour & Greed” walking tour is approximately 50 minutes. Promenaders will return to the museum in time to take the 2pm Guided Tour, if they wish. For both events, reservations are not necessary.

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March 6 - 19, 2013

Just Do Art! BY SCOTT STIFFLER

BIG ROAD IN CHELSEA’S MULTICULTUREAL MINI-FESTIvAL

Building on the success of its opening night in January, Big Road in Chelsea — an affordable music performance space/coffeehouse devoted to celebrating diverse cultures and musical styles — hosts a Multicultural MiniFestival featuring the blues, boogie-woogie, stride and New Orleans piano-style stylings of David Bennett Cohen (a name discerning aficionados will recognize from their Country Joe and the Fish albums). Also on the bill: Plena Sin Fronteras (a New York-based bomba and plena ensemble dedicated to preserving the Afro Boricua roots music of Puerto Rico), Big Road Blues (a pre-war blues and ragtime-blues ensemble) and — from North Mississippi Hill country — the regional fife and druminfluenced Pork Chop Willie. Sat., March 16, at 7pm. At Big Road in Chelsea (2 floor of 235 W. 23rd St., btw. 8th & 9th Aves.). Inexpensive refreshments available, suggested admission contribution of $10, ample space for dancing — which is highly encouraged. For info, visit bigroadinchelsea. org. Podcast: podfour@bigroadbluesband.com. Facebook: facebook.com/bigroadinchelsea. For info on the featured artists, visit davidbennettcohen.com, facebook.com/plenasin.fronteras, culturaplenera.com/grupos/psf.htm, porkchopwillie.com and bigroadbluesband.com.

Photo by Manuel Elias

Go, Fish! David Bennett Cohen (keyboardist and guitarist with Country Joe and the… you know) appears as part of Big Road in Chelsea’s Multicultural Mini-Fest.

Manhattan Chamber of Commerce LGBT-2-B Committee Presents…

Managing Your Business Are you an effective driver of your business? Join Manhattan Chamber of Commerce on March 11th for part two of three of its Business Accelerator Series and network over cocktails as you hear from a panel of experts and experienced business owners as they discuss: • • • •

MUSIC: LIAISONS II: REIMAGINING SONDHEIM FROM THE PIANO

He lives in Chelsea with a partner, an adorable dog and a 1908 Steinway grand piano. But don’t hate him because he’s

bountiful — love him because he’s talented (and on amiable speaking terms with Stephen Sondheim). After a long period of touring, pianist Anthony de Mare sets up temporary shop at Symphony Space, to perform a new collection of Sondheim songs. “Liaisons II: Reimagining Sondheim From the Piano” is the latest installment in de Mare’s Liaisons Project — a unique piano repertory developed by commissioning leading contemporary composers from the classical, jazz, theater and film worlds to write short solo piano pieces inspired by Sondheim’s music. De Mare encouraged the composers to choose whichever song most compelled them, with the singular guideline of keeping it under 10 minutes and adhering to the selection’s basic melodic material. “Each piece represents a totally unique union of the composer’s individual style with Sondheim’s underlying substance,” notes de Mare. “These aren’t songs without words. They are complete musical compositions in their own right that reveal Sondheim’s unparalleled capacity for melody and musical architecture.” A full recording of the project will be released in spring 2014. Sat., March 9, at 7pm. At the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway, at 95th St.). This one-nightonly incarnation of “Liaisons” includes a live on-stage interview with Sondheim. What are you waiting for? For tickets ($55, $15 for those under 30), call 212864-5400 or visit symphonyspace.org. For more info, visit liaisonsproject.com and anthonydemare.com.

Business protection against the unexpected Key considerations in leasing office/retail space Marketing essentials Key legal considerations in hiring and managing employees

WHEN:

Monday, March 11, 2013 6:00pm –8:00pm (Panel discussion and Q&A @6:30pm)

WHERE:

Heartland Brewery at Times Square 127 W. 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036

RSVP:

Email events@manhattancc.org, call 212-473-7875 or visit http://bit.ly/Ug6t9c

COST:

Free for members of Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Free for members of StartOut $15 for non-members (non-refundable) $20 for walk-ins

Photo courtesy of the artist

Anthony de Mare plays Sondheim and talks to the master, March 9.

Solar-Powered Microgrids Touted, at Climate Change Forum

Photo by Donathan Salkaln

The NRDC’s Daniel Lashof fields questions and suggests solutions, at the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club’s “Climate Change is Now” forum.

BY DOnAThAn SALkALn What if Chelsea were to be struck by another Sandy-like storm? Would we be better prepared, or would many be trapped with no water or electricity for days on end, and nowhere to go for help? According to Daniel Lashof — director of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund’s Climate & Clean Air Program — if Chelsea were to experience a future power failure, all elevator and water service could be restored to public housing’s highrises, and community centers and schools could be powered to open up as emergency shelters and help centers at a minimal cost. “There is an opportunity to build resilient solar-powered microgrids into our neighborhood that can isolate themselves from the power grid. If this Community Center had solar power on its roof with battery back-up, it could provide basic electricity for people [to use it as an emergency shelter]. The costs of solar power have come down in huge amounts over the last few years. The technology and economics are there,” said Lashof at Hudson Guild’s Elliott Center while addressing the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club’s February 21 “Climate Change is Now” forum. “We have dumped unlimited quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for decades by burning coal, oil and natural gas,” Lashof explained. “CO2 traps heat and heat is the fuel that amplifies the extreme weather; not just storms, but heat waves and devastating droughts.” The NRDC has charted over 3,500 monthly extreme weather records set in 2012 alone for heat, rain and snow. Lashof, who holds a BA in physics and math from Harvard and a doctorate from Berkeley, not only forecasted more storms, but also point-

ed his finger at fossil-fueled power plants as the biggest culprit. He did note, however, that the auto industry has made giant strides (prodding by the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] and President Obama has led to preparations for carbon and fuel efficiency). Lashof also offered updates and solutions at the individual, city, state and national levels. “As individuals, the choices

‘The costs of solar power have come down in huge amounts over the last few years. The technology and economics are there,’ said Lashof. we make in transportation, using Energy Star appliances, sealing of windows and instillation, they all add up,” he said. On local and state levels Lashof brought positive reports — hailing the Bloomberg administration for creating “one of the greenest cities in the world. The NRCD is trying to replicate the successful programs that New York City has implemented, in other big cities around the country. On the state level, Governor Cuomo and New York State is a participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a nine state group that sets

Continued on page 21

March 6 - 19, 2013

With New M12 Bus, Plaza Redesign, We’re on a Roll By Corey Johnson I want to thank Chelsea Now for allowing us the space to report on what Community Board 4 continues to advocate for on behalf of residents and business in the Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen and Clinton neighborhoods. To start, we applaud the MTA’s proposed new bus route on the Far West Side of Manhattan from West 59th Street to Spring Street, referred to as the M12. Board 4 has long been on record asking for such a route to service the thousands of new residents that have settled in this corridor since the 2005 Hudson Yards and West Chelsea rezoning. The M12 would run between West 59th and West 24th Streets on 11th and 12th Avenues. From West 24th to West 14th Streets, buses would use West Street (the West Side Highway) for both northbound and southbound services. From West 14th to Spring Street, the buses would use Washington and Greenwich Streets. The buses would run every 30 minutes, from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week. The stops would be spaced and provide easy transfer to other major cross-town buses and subway connections. However, there are a few issues that should be addressed. First, bus shelters are critical because of the long wait between buses and the windy conditions on 11th and 12th Avenues. Shelters should be installed at all bus stops along the route in CB4. Second, CB4 is disappointed that the service will be limited to every 30 minutes. We have requested — without changing the overall number of buses — that the service be every 15 minutes in the morning and evening peak hours and less frequent in between. We also recommend that the service be extended to 1am in the morning to accommodate cultural events on the piers. Most important, we strongly requested that all the M12 buses be hybrid-electric or CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles with a lower floor, for easy access. On another issue, CB4 was asked to review and respond to the Manhattan borough president’s Good Jobs and Responsible Development Resolution. Board 4 has always required that all developers, property owners, and employers allow all workers the right to seek fair and just compensation for their services — including family-sustaining wages with affordable healthcare and retirement benefits — and allow all workers the right to collectively bargain with employers to seek such compensation, without fear of reprisals. In connection with these principles, CB.4 will require that developers, among other things, support a community jobs program for their projects and work with the community board to implement the program. CB4 also requests that developers and/or property owners hold periodic job fairs in coordination with the community board, place a link to job openings on our website, and work with current and future commercial tenants to identify and hire employees from within the

Corey Johnson.

local community. Board 4 also supports efforts by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to redesign the Gansevoort Plaza — Chelsea Triangle (aka Chelsea Plaza) to improve access and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in order to create a more rational traffic pattern. There are several elements of DOT’s initial proposal we found appealing and hope can be pursued. These include the extension of the Chelsea Triangle along W. 14th Street, and the proposal — which I understand CB2 endorses, too — to ban right turns onto West 14th Street from northbound Ninth Avenue. There are several other recommendations we asked DOT to integrate into the new design, such as, planting as many trees and greenery on the Chelsea Triangle as feasible. We also support including some fixed, city benches, though maintaining a majority of space for movable chairs and tables. We also called for “No Honking” signs along Ninth Avenue near West 15th Street to encourage increased ticketing and enforcement. Finally, all intersections should include accessible, audible street signals for handicapped accessibility. Board 4 looks forward to engaging with residents, community groups, small businesses and our local elected officials on these and other important issues in 2013. Feel free to send us your concerns, at negonzalez@cb.nyc.gov. We look forward to hearing from you. Corey Johnson is chairperson of Community Board 4 (nyc.gov/mcb4).

March 6 - 19, 2013

NYU’s Perry N. Halkitis charts ‘The AIDS Generation’ BY SCOTT STIFFLER Since 2010, Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, has been a regular contributor to Chelsea Now — writing on matters surrounding gay men’s health. Past articles have focused on topics such as post-9/11 behaviors (September 7, 2011’s “HIV Researcher Charts ‘Terror Sex’ in Aftermath of 9/11”) and February 22, 2012’s “Mythologies and Misunderstandings of HIV-Negative Test Results.” Many of his writings are available on chelseanow.com, by accessing his name as one of the tags (on the left side of our home page). Recently, Halkitis returned from a four-month sabbatical — his first in the 15 years he’s been with New York University, where he works as Associate Dean for Research and Doctoral Studies and Professor of Applied Psychology, Public Health and Population Health, as well as Director of CHIBPS — the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies (visit chibps.org). Follow him on Twitter: @DrPNHalkitis. In the November 30, 2011 issue of Chelsea Now, Halkitis wrote the article “Reflecting on the AIDS Generation” — exploring many issues that would form the basis of his upcoming book, “The AIDS Generation.” Published by Oxford, it’s expected to be released on World AIDS Day (Saturday, December 1, 2013).

and tragedy, and they’re still here 30 years later. They’re contemporaries of the figures we see in “How to Survive a Plague.” The book specifically focuses on fifteen men who’ve been living with HIV their entire adult lives and were infected prior to 1996…which was the turning point of the epidemic. In what way? Because of the development of highly effective antiretroviral therapy. So this book documents the life experiences, over the last thirty years, of these men who became infected at a time when there was little hope. It also delineates the various strategies they used to survive the epidemic.

Photo by Daniel Siconolfi

Dr. Perry N. Halkitis’ upcoming book chronicles “The AIDS Generation.”

Chelsea Now: What is The AIDS Generation? Perry N. Halkitis: It’s the generation of men who came of age in the late 70s

IMPACT DRIVEN ADVOCACY

and in the 80s, who are men in my age group. Today, they’re in their late 40s and into their 50s. They know no adult life without AIDS. These men came of age during a time of great loss and confusion

Where did you find the participants? They are all New York City-based men who were born and raised in various parts of the country. They’re different races and ethnicities, so it’s not a homogenous group. It’s fifteen interesting and distinct voices. I love “How to Survive a Plague,” but that’s one voice of the men of the AIDS Generation, and it's an important voice — that of those who were involved in ACT UP [AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power] and TAG [Treatment

Continued on page 20

Village Activist Arthur Schwartz named one of New York City’s Top Lawyers in the December Issue of New York Magazine.

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March 6 - 19, 2013

CB4 Requests Radon Testing Continued from page 4 the Con Ed substation at East 14th Street and Avenue C during Superstorm Sandy was not natural gas, but an electrical blowout. CB4 has drafted a letter (expected to be approved by the full board on March 6) to the President/CEOs of both Con Edison and Spectra Energy requesting “periodic official reporting of safety tests on the Con Edison gas distribution system” as well as “assurances that the gas flowing at any pressure does not pose a high explosion risk.”

RADON IN THE KITCHEN?

Natural gas hydrofracked from the Marcellus Shale has a potentially higher content of radon than natural gas from other parts of the country. While Governor Cuomo has delayed his decision on allowing further fracking of the Marcellus Shale in the state of New York, there is still Marcellus Shale gas being hydrofracked in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The story of radon — which is an intrinsic component of natural gas — is that while it is radioactive, it has a relatively short half-life of 3.8 days, after which its concentration is halved. After another 3.8 days, it’s a fourth of the original. It dissipates quickly and since the natural gas the city has been receiving has taken a six to eight-day trip from the Texas-Louisiana Coast, it is

fairly diluted on arrival. Natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania or New York headed to New York City travels an estimated 10 miles per hour to arrive in less than a day. This gives radon’s radioactivity little time to diminish. Although the possibility that storage tanks could be constructed to hold the gas and allow time for the radon to dissipate, Spectra has no plans to do so. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Environmental Impact Statement did not consider radon to be a safety issue. The Environmental Protection Agency cites 4 picocuries per liter as the safe level in homes. In its draft letter, CB4 has also requested from Con Ed and Spectra, “a periodic statement by an independent body reporting the test results for radon, and a list of other impurities potentially found in the gas we use to cook.” In order to get a baseline reading for homes in Manhattan, Sane Energy Project has undertaken the NYC Citizen’s Radon Testing Program. Anyone who lives in the five boroughs and cooks with a gas stove can sign up to receive a testing kit from Sane Energy, by mail, for $18. For info, visit saneenergyproject.org/2013/02/23/announcing-the-nyccitizen-radon-testing-program/. Readings from the test will be compared to readings taken after the natural gas from the Spectra Pipeline arrives.

March 6 - 19, 2013

At Manor Community Church, Food Ministry Feeds Body & Soul BY RYAN BUXTON A spiritual buffet is being served in Chelsea. Outside, the wind is ferocious and the ground is dusted with the previous night’s snow. But inside, the Manor Community Church is an oasis for people in need. They are at the church, located at 350 West 26th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, for a food ministry that has become a regular event in the neighborhood. Each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the church welcomes a host of patrons who come, grocery carts in tow, for free food items and a short religious service. The food is donated by Trader Joe’s, and the sermon is delivered by the New York Gospel Mission (NYGM). On a recent Saturday, more than 70 people were on hand. The mission’s volunteers and its director, Bill Jones, kept things running like clockwork. Everyone neatly lined up carts labeled with their names and took a seat inside the church — where they heard a 25-minute sermon before pushing their carts down an assembly line that distributes bread, fruit and a dessert. On this day, each person also took home a package of frozen meat — and on the way out, the edible goods were topped off with a handful of flowers or a plant. Jones’ mission picks up the items from Trader Joe’s multiple times each day, and the donation goes a long way. After distributing some of it to eight other ministries in Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx, NYGM gears up for the food distribution at Manor Community Church — which takes place at 3pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and at 5pm on Thursdays (with a Chinese language service that day, at 3pm). “Trader Joe’s doesn’t get the credit they really deserve,” Jones said. “People have no idea the effort and expense that Trader Joe’s goes through to scan and donate and sort this food instead of it being thrown out.” Jones said the volunteers in his mission feed patrons both physically and spiritually. “There is a text in Philippians

that invites believing people to have the mind of Christ, the thinking of Christ. Though he existed in the form of God, he came down here and took the form of a servant,” he said. “He loved people… more than in just word, but in deed.” After moving to Chelsea from the East Village in October, the ministry has attracted a large turnout that reaches as many as 150 people on some days, Jones said. At first glance, those people don’t have much in common. They’re different races, they speak different languages and some need the food more than others. Another thing that separates the patrons is their religious beliefs. Some of them are Christian, but others admit they aren’t religious at all. NYGM’s sermons, which are typically delivered by Kevin Vigneault, focus primarily on scripture. “We preach a nondenominational view because of the difficulties of the city,” Vigneault said, in reference to a wide variety of faiths. The presence of nonbelievers doesn’t make a difference to the NYGM volunteers. Some of them are not religious themselves, like Raymond Grafal — a volunteer from Washington Heights who takes in the service despite his own views. “I don’t knock other people’s religions,” he said. And even if patrons show up for the food and listen to the sermon only as a courtesy, that’s fine by the ministry. Mason Trumble, who is interning at the church, said he knows that not everyone finds spiritual fulfillment from the service. “Some do, some don’t. We’re supposed to pass on Christ’s love even if they don’t take the religious benefits,” he said. Despite the diversity among the people NYGM serves, they have one thing in common — gratitude. For most, their need is great and their appreciation is palpable. “Almost anybody who comes in is depending on this,” Vigneault said. That is the case for patrons like Karen Carreras, who traveled all the way from the Bronx to get food for herself, her husband and her three sons. Or Shere Marcus, who is a caretaker for a 60-year-

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On March 2, boxes of food await distribution following a 3pm service at Manor Community Church.

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old man in Chelsea. Her client is on a fixed income, she said, and without grocery supplements from NYGM, she wouldn’t be able to stretch the money far enough to stock the pantry. A local resident noted that she comes to pick up food about twice a week, for her family of three. “It’s a great help, since I’m not working. It’s very important,” she said. Money is short for most of them, and the same is true for NYGM. The costs for gas for food pickups, vehicle maintenance and other expenditures reaches about $1,500 a week, Jones said, and he’s never sure where the money will come from. Most of the funding is supplied by donors around the country. The ministry does take a collection from its patrons, but it’s never much. On this Saturday, Jones expected to collect about $30 from the 70 people in attendance. But the financial uncertainty doesn’t faze him. Jones said NYGM is like the people it serves in that sometimes they aren’t sure where the next payment is coming from. To Jones, that’s a lesson in how the Lord works. “The prayer says, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ You may be worried about what God will do a month from now, but God will meet your needs today.” For more information, visit nygm.org.

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March 6 - 19, 2013

Stories of Survival and Resilience y’s t i n u m m o C T B The LG ratic

c o m e 2013 D m u r o F l a r o y a M ar from: e h d e n a eet Albanes l a S n Come m a m Council r io e m r o •F l de Blas l i B e t a Advoc • Public iu r John L n e l l o r t p ine Quin t s i • Com r h C er mpson il Speak o c h n T u l l o i C B • r mptrolle o C r e m • For

The fight for equal rights for the LGBT community has witnessed triumphs and progress on marriage equality, adoption, funding for LGBT homeless youth, and more. How will a Democratic mayor continue that progress as well as address the broader community issues facing LGBT New Yorkers? The debate’s sponsors are the Gay & Lesbian Independent Democrats, the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens, and the Stonewall Democrats of NYC, with Gay City News as the media sponsor and GCN editor Paul Schindler as moderator.

Baruch College’s Mason Hall 17 Lexington Ave. at 23rd St. (entrance on 23rd)

Wednesday, March 20 • 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 • Free and open to the public

RSVP at Facebook: NYC Mayor Candidate Forum 2013 Democratic Primary, LGBT Forum

Continued from page 17 Action Group]. There's one such man in my book, and there are fourteen others different voices of men who were directly not part of those movements. What are their differences and similarities? None of the men I’ve spoken with let the epidemic, let the disease, define him — and each of them spoke about different ways that they tried to “outsmart” the virus, which included not only physical and medical strategies, but social and emotional strategies that they used to keep their lives viable and on track. I interviewed all of these guys and kept interviewing them, and went back and forth. It was pretty powerful. In early September [2012], I brought them all together to meet each other, and it was like a band of brothers was formed. Did any of them know each other before that meeting? No. A couple of them knew me, but they didn’t know each other. To me, that was one of the most beautiful experiences of this book — watching these men in this room talking to each other, crying with each other, supporting each other after living their whole lives fighting this disease. Does the book have any takeaway strategies for those newly diagnosed with HIV? The subtitle of the book is “Stories of Survival and Resilience.” The last chapter is about what we’ve gleaned from the experiences of these men that informs those who are newly infected how to confront this disease and manage it in their lives. The last chapter focuses on this model on resilience. I’m saying to you that it’s more than just the medical. I talk with equal conviction about the medical approaches and the psychological approaches as well as the social strategies these men used in their lives to remain viable. I’ll give you one example of that. If we

think about the community organizations that were formed at the beginning of the epidemic, like GMHC [Gay Men’s Health Crisis] or ACT UP, we tend to consider these as social contexts where people who were infected went to either for services or to fight for the development of effective treatments. They were either activist or social support organizations — and I’m not denying that. But what I’m saying is there’s another way to think about those organizations, around issues of social capital and social cohesion. Explain those terms and how they figure into your observations. What I argue is those organizations absolutely had a purpose and delivered effectively on their missions. But at the same time, what they provided was a context for those who were living with HIV to engage with others like themselves to create greater social cohesion in this community which creates empowerment in one’s life, which is a form of social capital. There’s pretty clear evidence in the public health literature that higher levels of social capital leads to better health outcomes. The literature, the research, shows us that people who are empowered are going to demonstrate better outcomes than people who are disenfranchised. In the book, I talk about these organizations as a way of enhancing social capital for gay men who are living with HIV. What we learned is, they are beneficial to one’s health, these social structures — and it saddens me that they’re not there at the same level anymore. Why do you think that is? Because after 1996, people thought the epidemic was under control — and because we started to think about this diseases in a purely medical way instead of what I refer to as a biopsychosocial way. The whole movement to PrEP [PreExposure Prophylaxis] is another example of the biomedicalization of the epidemic.

Continued on page 21

March 6 - 19, 2013

Some Sandy Solutions are Over the Roof Continued from page 15 overall limits on power plant emissions. They recently released plans to reduce the allowed carbon pollution by 40 percent of what the cap used to be.” It was at the federal level of fighting climate change where Lashof spoke the most passionately, emphasizing that the United States needs to set an example to the world (specifically, China and India) when participating in global climate talks. “There are over 1,500 U.S. fossil power plants, coal, natural gas and a little of oil. They contribute over 40 percent of carbon pollution,” said Lashof, noting that legislative solutions are hindered by an immovable wall of U.S. Senators who continue to support what industry and jobs they still have in their states. Environmental groups like the NRDC have chosen, instead, to lobby the existing laws — in particular, the Clean Air Act (a law that was confirmed by the Supreme Court). Their efforts have focused in demanding the EPA uphold its duty in enforcing the law and, hence, lowering the emissions of fossil-fueled power plants. Lashof reported progress has been

Continued from page 20

made, as the EPA is currently negotiating eco-friendly and attainable power plant standards on a state-by-state basis. He also expressed his opposition to the proposed Keystone Pipeline. “It will unlock a huge store of fossil fuels in Canada that are dirty and dangerous to produce,” Lashof stated. After CRDC moderator Judy Richheimer and forum organizer John Johnson opened the floor to questions, CRDC member Leathea Vanadore asked Lashof what she could do to help the cause. Among his suggestions, including attending demonstrations in Washington, was to join the NRDC. “It only costs $10,” he said. Donathan Salkaln is Vice President of the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club (the home club of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried). The CRDC meets monthly to exchange political ideas on protecting the rights and improving the lives of those residing in Chelsea. Visit crdcnyc.org or email them at info@crdcnyc.org. The Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund is located at 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011. For more info, visit nrdc.org.

Very Best & Largest Career Fair!

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sCheDule

City of New York Proclaims 13th Annual

D i v e r s i t y e m p lo y m e n

C a r e e r F a i D i v e r s i t y e m p l o y m e ntuesday, t D Ay march 10,

C A R E E R

FA I R

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 •

embassy suites – laX

North 9801 Airport Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 9 11 am - 3 pm Show Hours: 11am to 4pm

Holiday Inn Conference Center - Midtown 57th Street, 440 West 57th Street,Diversity New York NY 10019& Continental Breakfast 9:30am Roundtable

Featured Industry Pavilions: Women’s

Government

Diversity Awards Ceremony 10:30am to 11:00

Diversity Spirit Achievement Aw

Veterans Bilingual

Americans with Disabilities

Recognizing:

Education / Non-Profit

Finance

the Diversity recruiters netwo Kinecta Federal Credit union & pit