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VOLUME 24, NUMBER 49
P.S. 276 STUDENTS HAVE THEIR DAY IN COURT, P. 5
express ss THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN
APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2012
O.W.S. preps for May Day strike BY ZACH WILLIAMS As union leaders, immigration activists and Occupy Wall Street organizers finish preparations for May Day demonstrations, ‘occupiers’ remain on the steps of Federal Hall, poised to make their presence felt on the traditional labor holiday. About two dozen ‘occupiers’ remain on the steps of Federal Hall on Wall Street, attempting to draw attention to the movement for social and economic justice. While the NYPD continues to enforce a ban against sleeping at the site, the demonstration is continuing within “a first amendment zone” in front of the building, first set up early last week following a showdown between police Downtown Express photo by Therese Loeb Kreuzer
Lower Manhattan’s kids of summer
and the demonstrators. The ‘occupiers’ have declined to seek a permit from the National Park Service that would allow more than 25 people to be within the metal barriers demarcating the zone. Some said they see the situation as an opportunity to see whether the federal government would crack down on their presence. According to National Park Service Spokesperson Daphne Yun, the decision to keep the demonstration to one side of the front steps was predetermined. “Each (national) park has a First Amendment Area set up specifically so these exercises of First Amendment rights don’t disrupt the park’s operation,” said Yun. “This
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Former MLB great Willie Randolph greets Downtown Little League players on Saturday. See page 14.
City, Albany reaches agreement on intercity tour bus issue BY JOHN BAYLES It has been referred to as the “wild west” of the tour bus industry. Bus company operators that pull up to random curbs throughout Chinatown and Lower Manhattan and transport passengers to places such as Philadelphia, P.A. or to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, at a cut-rate, have been under scrutiny since a rash of crashes in 2010. After a year of negotiations between the city and the state, con-
cerning how to govern the industry, it was announced on Monday that an agreement had been met to create a system that would require permits, institute stiff fines and better regulate the increasingly popular mode of transportation. The impetus for the legislation announced at the April 23 press conference, held at 250 Broadway, the office of the NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, was a March 12, 2011 crash of a motor coach operated by World Wide Tours on I-95
in the Bronx. The accident resulted in 15 deaths and 18 injuries. When the crash happened, World Wide Tours was running up to 14 buses daily, making roundtrips between NYC and Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. “We have agreed with the city on legislation to regulate the private intercity bus industry,” said Silver. “For too long the streets of Lower Manhattan, particularly Chinatown,
Continued on page 12
Tribeca Film Fest final picks. Page 27.
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downtown express
Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Sheldon Silver’s office
Spruce Street honors Silver with plaque On Monday the Spruce Street School / P.S. 397 held a special tour celebrating its first year in their new building. Last year the school incubated at the Tweed Courthouse. New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (left) was instrumental in getting the new school built and on Monday Spruce Street Principal Nancy Harris (right) unveiled a plague in his honor. The plaque recognizes Speaker Silver for “his commitment and support” of the school and was presented “on behalf of the Spruce Street community, parents, families and staff.”
Photo by Tequila Minsky
O.W.S. wants to ‘chase’ out bank N.Y.U. 4 Occupy Wall Street members protested outside Bobst Library last Thursday, calling for N.Y.U. to cut financial ties with JP Morgan Chase and evict its Chase bank branch from its property. The group delivered a letter to John Sexton two weeks earlier asking him to sever N.Y.U.’s relationship with the company. The school president didn’t respond by their April 12 deadline, so they responded with a street-theater skit in which they delivered an eviction letter to a fake Sexton — with white paper beard, above — asking him to boot the bank. N.Y.U. 4 O.W.S. charges that JP Morgan Chase, as a leading financier of subprime mortgage lenders, played a major role in the housing crisis. In a statement, the protesters said, in part, “Even now, despite public outrage and resistance from organized communities, JP Morgan Chase continues to be the leader in home foreclosures in New York, with nearly $20 billion worth of foreclosed homes on its books — more than any other bank in the country.”
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NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9, 12-20 EDITORIAL PAGES . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
DIGEST
SILVER CHAMPIONS FAIR ELECTIONS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Election Law Committee Chairman Michael Cusick have introduced legislation to bring fair elections to New York by reforming the state’s antiquated campaign finance laws and creating a public financing system for all state offices, shifting the focus of elections to the substance of the issues and candidates – not the money used to fund them. “Fair elections go to the heart of our democracy and are essential to preserving good government,� said Speaker Silver. “In light of the devastating effects the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has had on federal elections, we in New York should be leading the way in reducing the influence of money in our own elections. Let us be the model for the rest of the nation in establishing and preserving fair elections.� The legislation reforms the system by allowing candidates for state office who meet the necessary requirements and reach the eligibility threshold in their fundraising to receive matching contributions of $6 for every $1 they raise on contributions of up to $250. The bill requires candidates to have a broad array of contributors by requiring a certain number of small-dollar donors – natural persons from a candidate’s district – to ensure that large-dollar donors do not have undue influence. Public funds would be capped at a specific limit
YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
depending on the office being sought. Underscoring the importance of the substance of campaigns and not the money that funds them, candidates receiving public financing who are running opposed would be required to participate in at least one debate before the primary election and one debate before the general election. These debates would be open to all candidates, regardless of funding. The bill also provides mechanisms for funding, including an income tax check-off of $5 that would be deposited into the newly-created “New York State Campaign Finance Fund� and an additional 10 percent surcharge on recoveries from fraudulent practices relating to stocks, bonds and other securities.
DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE DONATES COMPUTERS After upgrading its computer network this past spring, the Downtown Alliance donated 60 of its previously owned computers to nine not-for-profit organizations in the major metropolitan area. “Guided by David Rockefeller’s 50-year-old tradition of civic activism, our organization has a long history of collaboration and commitment to community,� said Elizabeth H. Berger, president of the Downtown Alliance. “We are excited to continue building on his vision with the donation of these computers.� The Downtown Alliance staff sought not-for-profit
ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22-24, 26-27 CLASSIFIEDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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A schedule of upcoming Community Board 1 committee meetings and agendas for the month of April is available at www.nyc.gov/html/mancb1/ html/home/home.shtml.
organizations in need of additional computers, and these organizations accepted the donations. Approximately four years old, each Intel HP Convertible minitower computer has been reinstalled with Windows XP. Restored to initial settings, the units also come with rewriteable DVD drives and keyboards.
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POLICE BLOTTER Beekman St. fatal A UPS employee, struck at 4:39p.m.Tues., April 17 by a car that jumped the sidewalk while he was making his rounds on Beekman St., died of his injuries in Bellevue Hospital on Sunday night April 22. The victim, Michael Rogalle, 58, of Teaneck, N.J. was hit from behind and pinned against a wall after the driver, with three passengers –two of them children, lost control of his car. The driver and passengers were taken to New York Downtown Hospital and treated for non-life threatening injures. There was no criminality in the incident, police said. Rogalle, whose daily route included Beekman St. had been a UPS employee for 39 years.
Subway sleeper’s phone A man who fell asleep while listening to his iPhone on a Manhattan-bound R train was awakened at 6:30 a.m. Sun., April 22 at the Whitehall St. station by passengers who told him a thief had just snatched the phone and fled with it.
An arm appears A Queens woman, 57, told police she went to the ladies’ room in the South Ferry terminal around 5 p.m. Wed., April 18 and hung her bag on a hook inside the stall door. An arm appeared over the door and lifted the bag with credit cards and $100 in cash. The thief fled before the victim was able to come out and see her.
Locker room rip-offs A Manhasset woman told police she locked her wallet in a locker at the New
York Sports Club at 30 Wall St. at 4:15 p.m. Fri., April 20 and returned at 6:50 p.m. to find the lock broken and her wallet, with her cell phone and Long Island Railroad pass, was gone. A Brooklyn man, 59, told police he locked his clothes with his wallet in his pants pocket at the New York Sports Club at 160 Water St. at 11 a.m. Fri., April 20 and returned a half hour later to find that the wallet, with credit cards and $100 in Polish currency, was gone.
Wall St. menacing Police responded to complaints about a man acting aggressively and shouting at Wall and Broad Sts. around 9:50 p.m. Mon., April 16. Michael A. Garcia, 21, a homeless man, was charged with injuring one of the arresting officers when he flailed his arms trying to avoid being handcuffed.
Phone snatch A Briarwood, N.Y. woman was walking on Spring and Wooster Sts. around 10:40 p.m. Wed., April 18 while talking on her cell phone when a stranger cornered her, snatched her phone and fled with it north on Wooster St.
Gold St. burglar A maintenance man working in an apartment at 2 Gold St, at 9:48 p.m. Sat., April 14 heard a noise and discovered an intruder hiding in a closet. He chased the suspect down into the lobby and security guards arrested Corey Jacobs, 35, a block away for burglary. The suspect was clutching mail addressed to several tenants in the Gold St. building, police said.
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Left bags A Fairfax, Conn. patron of Nancy Whiskey, 1 Lispenard St., put her bag at her feet around 6 p.m. Fri., April 13 and discovered it was gone a short time later along with a camera valued at $1,500 and prescription eyeglasses worth $400. A patron of Sequoia, the Seaport bar at 80 South St. left her bag at her table while she went to the ladies’ room around midnight Sat., April 14 and found it was gone by the time she got back a short time later. A thief made off with the bag of an employee of the Sephora branch at 89 South St. on Saturday night April 14, police said. A Sephora supervisor paid a visit to the branch at 555 Broadway, between Spring and Prince Sts. at 8:45 p.m. Wed., April14, put his computer bag on a counter where he usually did, and returned 10 minutes later to find it hand been stolen.
downtown express
Credit card surprise A resident of 75 West St. at Carlisle St. told police that a credit card company phoned him on Wednesday night April 5 and told him that $2,381 had just been charged to his account. He then discovered a credit card was missing and told police he last used it that night at Playwright’s Tavern in the Theater District.
Pocket picked A woman learned that a charge of $1,800 was made on her credit card at Bloomingdale’s without her knowledge around 5:45p.m. Sun., April 22 and told police she remembered being bumped earlier by a man and a woman while she was in the Apple store at 72 Greene St.
Soho bicycle theft Jewelry stolen A thief was able to steal a platinum diamond ring valued at $3,000 and a 14-carat white gold jewelry mount valued at $1,200 from a display case at Atelier Minyon, 155 Spring St. around 3p.m. Fri., April 13.
A woman, 35, chained her bicycle to a “no Parking” sign on the northeast corner of W. Broadway and Spring St. around 2:30 p.m. Sun., April 15and returned a half hour later to find it had been stolen.
— Alber t Amateau
Motorcycles stolen A New Jersey man parked his motorcycle opposite 125 Broad St. around 9 a.m. Fri., April 20 and returned at 4 p.m. to find it stolen. A man parked his motorcycle on the southeast corner of Greenwich and Spring Sts. at 9:30 a.m. Thurs., April, went to work in the area and returned at 5:45 p.m. to find the bike, valued at $5,000, gone.
downtown n
express ss Your paper.
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
Chinatown B.I.D. billing dispute remains BY ALINE REYNOLDS Though a billing snafu in Chinatown has been resolved, it has reawakened a long-standing debate over the neighborhood’s newly formed Business Improvement District and caused angst among some property owners about being overcharged in the future. The B.I.D.’s interim board of directors voted in favor of retroactively charging property owners the mandatory payments starting last October, when Mayor Mike Bloomberg signed the B.I.D. into effect. However, a group of property owners contended that the fees should begin once State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli signed off on the entity at the end of January. The property owners, backed by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (A.A.L.D.E.F.), claimed the charging of fees prior to February was illegal and threatened to file a law suit against the city to contest the charges. “As we have noted to the city, the B.I.D. did not exist at that point, and the B.I.D. has not yet contracted with any entity to perform its services,” said Bethany Li, a staff attorney at A.A.L.D.E.F. “We will work with small property and business owners in Chinatown to monitor the B.I.D. to ensure that it does
not run afoul of the law again.” Andrew Schwartz, first deputy commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services (S.B.S.), which oversees the B.I.D. payments, said the start of the assessment fees has varied from B.I.D. to B.I.D. since there isn’t a hard-and-fast policy in the books. “In light of the confusion, we basically said, ‘Let’s just go with Feb. 1 as the start date,” said Schwartz. “We didn’t want people to think they were going to be penalized or foreclosed, so we reached a quick and reasonable accommodation.” All Chinatown property owners that had retroactively paid the fees beginning last fall will be credited for four months’ worth of payment up until February and, from now on, billing for future B.I.D.s will begin upon the State Comptroller’s approval, according to the S.B.S. By July 1, Chinatown property owners will be responsible for paying five months’ worth of Fiscal Year 2012-13 assessment fees, between February and June. Fees for Fiscal Year 2013-14, meanwhile, must be paid in accordance with the property owners’ regular real estate tax bill schedule, which
Photo by Tequila Minsky
With the extra-warm spring weather, it was time for one pedestrian, walking in Soho at Spring and Thompson Sts., to break out her zebra heels. (In London’s Soho, where there are crosswalks known as “zebra crossings,” the shoes would be even more apropos.)
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P.S. 276 field trip lands students in court BY ALINE REYNOLDS The boys were decked out in suits, and the girls sported flowery shirts and dresses. Knock knock. “All rise,” Honorable Judge Shelley Chapman called, prompting the P.S. 276 children to shuffle themselves out of seats twice their size to stand before the judge. The second grade class’s field trip last week to the Southern District of New York’s U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Bowling Green was far from a standard mock trial; the session quickly morphed into an openended discussion about everything from modern-day segregation and capital punishment to the pilfering of potato chips. The trip was the outgrowth of several classes on the civil rights movement. The class began with a reenactment of the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case, in which the second graders acted out plaintiff Oliver Brown’s attorneys by reciting compelling opening and closing arguments before Judge Chapman. People of different races shouldn’t have to go to separate schools, and “just because people aren’t white, doesn’t mean we have to get treated unfairly,” said second-grader Miles Avery. “It is good to have people from different backgrounds at the same school, because that school can turn into a big world with a lot of countries in it, because that school is
filled up with a bunch of kids from 310 beautiful countries in the world,” said Avery. Several of Avery’s spunky classmates successively spoke before the judge and convinced her to issue a mock ruling in favor of the young prosecutors. “These were excellent arguments — even better than many of the arguments I hear every day,” said Chapman. The judge then gave the class a history lesson on the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case, which authorized racial segregation in public facilities under the “separate but equal” principle. Brown v. Board of Education later overturned that ruling, Chapman explained to the students. During an interview with Downtown Express while the children were on break, she elaborated on the relevance of the Brown v. Board of Education case in contemporary society. It was recently used, for example, to defend underprivileged Czechoslovakians’ rights to non-discriminatory access to education. “We’re still not equal, and there are still people in the U.S. who don’t treat people equally,” Chapman told the students. “I’m sure you’ll all grow up to be people who understand this… and do good things to make sure people are treated fairly.” The second graders then fired off impressive questions to the judge, who spoke about her upbringing, her passion for her work
Photo courtesy of Anthony Rodriguez
P.S. 276 second graders awaited a turn to make their arguments before Judge Shelley Chapman in Bowling Green’s U.S. Bankruptcy Court during a school field trip last week.
and the ins and outs of the U.S. judiciary system. Chapman then put Michael McCormack, the father of second grader Tim McCormack, on the witness stand to talk about his career as a capital markets lawyer. McCormack shed light on how legal cases can take years
to resolve, citing a longstanding dispute between a bank and an insurance company that he’s litigating. Chapman chimed in, telling the students, “Yesterday, I had a case that started before
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C.B. 1 proposes pre-K center to ease school overcrowding BY ALINE REYNOLDS As the wait lists at Downtown’s zoned elementary schools persist, frustrated education activists and neighborhood families have been brainstorming, trying to find a way to tackle school overcrowding. One of the proposed solutions is taking the pre-kindergartners out of the area’s public schools and centralizing the program for local children at a single Downtown venue. Half-day pre-K programs are currently available at P.S. 89, P.S. 276 and the Spruce Street School (P.S. 397). The goal would be to free up much-needed classrooms in the elementary schools, so that children wait-listed for seats in the schools’ 2012-13 kindergarten classes would be offered a spot at their neighborhood school, according to Paul Hovitz, chair of Community Board 1’s Youth and Education committee. Removing the pre-k programs from the zoned schools could also create more room for the packed upper elementary grades, he said. The committee, Hovitz said, has a dozen possible sites in mind to house the pre-K center, including 40 Wall St., the Syms Building at 42 Trinity Place and Asphalt Green in Battery Park City. In addition to opening up space in the zoned schools, the idea behind the center is that it “also continues to provide the pre-K
programs for parents in our community, as we oppose the simple, complete elimination of those programs,” said Hovitz. Otherwise, Hovitz said, “People that can’t afford private pre-K school would be
“I’m not looking just to kill [pre-K]… but now it’s come down to a point where the D.O.E. has to provide seats for zoned kids in kindergarten.” — Kara Da Silva
left out. That would be awful.” Public school pre-kindergarten was established by New York State in the late 1990s. The city subsequently phased in the program around the city over a four-year period starting in 1998. The C.B. 1 Youth and Education Committee unanimously passed a resolu-
tion at its April 10 meeting asking that the Dept. of Education temporarily house the pre-K center at the Tweed Courthouse starting next fall, until the D.O.E. decides on a long-term venue. “There is plenty of classroom space there,” said Hovitz, who partook in a group tour of Tweed’s classrooms in February. Tweed is a particularly good short-term venue because it would eliminate additional operation costs — namely, the leasing of classroom space. “It’s simply a matter of occupying space that the Department already owns,” said Hovitz. D.O.E. spokesperson Frank Thomas declined to comment on the proposal for a Downtown pre-K center. The Department has occasionally removed individual pre-K sections to make room for zoned students when necessary, he said, but it hasn’t yet entertained that option to accommodate the neighborhood’s current wait-listed kindergarteners. “If we do that, we’d attempt to locate a pre-K section at a [school] nearby,” said Thomas. “The location would be subject to each individual case.” Many neighborhood parents are on board with the idea, including Kara Da Silva, whose five-year-old son, Joaquin, is currently number 15 on the wait list at P.S. 89.
Though Da Silva also has a three-yearold to put through elementary school, her first order of business is to make sure Joaquin gets into kindergarten at the elementary school that’s a block-and-a-half away from her home. “I’m not looking just to kill [pre-K]… but now it’s come down to a point where the D.O.E. has to provide seats for zoned kids in kindergarten,” said Da Silva. “I do think those kids should get priority over those seats.” “I would be in favor of it, just being selfish,” said Rob Cristofaro, whose P.S. 276 pre-kindergartener, Kiki, has been wait-listed for the school’s kindergarten class. Cristofaro is disturbed that Kiki might not be offered a seat at the same school she attends pre-K. “Anything that would help in regard to keeping here where she is, I’m for it,” he said. Eliminating the zoned schools’ pre-K programs is the optimal solution, echoed Alex Yawata, whose daughter, Naomi, is number 18 on the P.S. 89 wait list. “I’m not heartless,” said Yawata. “If they can keep pre-K in the zoned schools and still make room for the kindergarten kids, that’s awesome. But the stand-alone center, to me, is a solution that serves everyone.”
Continued on page 19
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
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Bike-Share to roll on East Side with up to 60 stations this July BY LESLEY SUSSMAN The Department of Transportation continued its extensive community outreach last week to win solid support for a new program to create 600 Bike-Share stations throughout the city. Between 50 and 60 of these would be located in the East Village and Lower East Side. On Wed., April 11, D.O.T. officials appeared before Community Board 3’s Transportation and Public Safety/ Environmental Committee to present its tentative list of Bike-Share stations. The presentation was warmly greeted by committee members. Next, C.B. 3’s full board must approve the program and locations and is scheduled to do so at its May monthly meeting. The New York City Bike-Share program is a revolutionary new way to try and make it easier for people to get around town. The 24/7 program will be privately operated, with no public funding, by Alta Bicycle Share, Inc. and the city will oversee the quality of service. Under Bike-Share, people will be able to buy an annual membership for roughly $100, a weekly pass for about $25 or a daily pass at an estimated $10, either at kiosks using their credit cards or online. The city is also working on a system that would allow residents without credit cards to use the program.
Participants could pick up the bikes at any of the solar-powered stations that will dot the city landscape from the Upper East Side and Upper West Side down through Lower Manhattan and into northwest Brooklyn. Ten thousand sturdy bikes will be made available throughout the city. The project is expected to begin operating this summer in July. At the 6:30 p.m. committee meeting which was held at C.B. 3’s district office, 59 E. Fourth St., D.O.T. staff presented a map that showed tentative Bike-Share stations in an area roughly bordered by 14th St. on the north, Canal St. on the south, Bowery on the west and the East River on the east. Jon Orcutt, D.O.T.’s senior policy adviser, said that final site selections are still a month or two away because the city wants to make certain “that people have plenty of time to comment on the choices.” He said that the stations could partially cover subway grates, be placed in park entrances as long as they don’t block pedestrians and be located on wide sidewalks. They also can go in parking lanes and be put in privately owned public plazas, if the owners so choose. Orcutt added that there will be 40 to 50 bike share locations in a one-square-mile area of the Lower East Side and East Village. Some of the largest Bike-Share hubs will go near the district’s subway stations, including a 55-dock station next to the uptown 6 train
Fighting to make Lower Manhattan the greatest place to live, work, and raise a family.
Assemblyman Shelly Silver If you need assistance, please contact my office at (212) 312-1420 or email silver@assembly.state.ny.us.
entrance at Astor Place. “Astor Place will have a large station,” Orcutt said, “and there will be stations along the East River, Avenues C and D and sites close to public housing. The New York City Housing Authority is very much interested in the program.” He told committee members that one Bike-Share station is being planned for the north side of Tompkins Square Park. “We’re also looking for space around the Essex St. Market,” he said. The D.O.T. official explained that the stations will be installed in a way to allow flexibility. “They can be moved quickly if there are any problems, and there will be different station types because no one size fits all,” he explained. He added that no digging or roadwork would be involved with the program. C.B. 3 District Manager Susan Stetzer told Orcutt that she preferred stations that were located in the street along curbs rather than on sidewalks. “Our sidewalks get crowded — especially on the weekends,” she said. “Ninety-nine percent of the sites will be along curbs,” Orcutt replied. The plan was well received by committee members. “All these sites look good to me,” committee member John Leo said. “It’s a great project.”
His sentiments were echoed by David Crane, the committee’s chairperson and an avid biker. “This is another step toward finalizing their plan,” Crane said. “And I think it’s going to be a great program for the city. They’ve spent a lot of time qualifying these sites and getting feedback from residents.” If approved, the Bike-Share system would create more than 200 new jobs in the city, and include operating staff, such as mechanics and monitors. Additionally, the system would support existing bike shops. Experience in other cities has shown that private bike ridership and sales actually increased with the advent of bicycle-sharing programs. In Minneapolis, for example, independent bike shops saw sales and rental revenues increase by as much as 10 percent to 15 percent with the introduction of its Nice Ride bike-share program. Under the New York City Bike-Share program, users would check a bike out using their membership or credit card, ride to a docking station near their destination and leave the bike there. In other cities where the program is in operation, many people use bicycle-sharing systems to connect to public transportation. The city hopes the program here can extend the reach of public transit into areas that don’t have great subway coverage, like neighborhoods along the East River.
April 25 - May 1, 2012
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downtown express
After riotous anarchist march, police raid book fair after-party and Trayvon Martin, shot dead two months ago in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer. As the demonstration, which began shortly after 8 p.m., moved across the East Village, police ordered everyone out of Tompkins Square Park and closed it, and also closed E. Sixth St. between Avenues B and C, where the community center is located. Alexander Penley, 41, an Upper West Side resident and lawyer, was arrested at the Sixth St. center and charged with inciting to riot, second-degree assault, menacing, fourth-degree weapons possession and resisting arrest. He was freed on his own recognizance pending an April 20 court appearance. Arrested on the same charges was Nicholas Thommen, 30, of Salem, Oregon. Bail was set at $1,000 cash or $5,000 bond, also pending an April 20 court date. Eric Marchese, 24, of Brentwood, N.Y., was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct and freed on his own recognizance pending a May 24 court appearance. Seth Tobocman, an East Village radical comic book artist, had been selling his books at the Anarchist Book Fair. He witnessed the police arrests outside the community center, where the book fair’s after-party was being held. Tobocman said he didn’t — and couldn’t — participate in the march through the Village because he had three big crates of books that he and some friends lugged from the church to
Trinity Wall Street SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2pm Trinity Youth Chorus Spring Concert The Trinity Youth Chorus performs accompanied by the InterSchool Concert Orchestra and conducted by Eric Dudley. Free and open to all. St. Paul’s Chapel
SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 10am Virtual Pilgrimages: The Holy Land of Paul and John Otherworldly Journeys: Abraham and Paul. Led by Dr. Deirdre Good, General Theological Seminary. 74 Trinity Pl, 2nd Fl, Parish Hall
All Are Welcome All events are free, unless noted. 212.602.0800
the community center. “It was not the book vendors who were marching around,” he said. “The only incident at Judson Church was that the police kept trying to get in and question people.” Police maintained a presence all weekend outside this year’s book fair, which was never done in previous years, he said. “I would probably attribute that to Occupy,” the cartoonist said. At the Sixth Street Community Center, he said, undercover officers were among those who went after Penley and a second man whose name Tobocman didn’t know, apparently Thommen. “It was like a big wrestling match,” the cartoonist said. “There was a pile of bodies on the front step of the building.” Tobocman said everyone had just been sitting on the steps in front of the place, and that the police didn’t identify themselves and just “bum-rushed” them. “It was pretty freaky,” he said. “It certainly seemed unprovoked to me.” When the two men got up, they looked in bad shape, he said. “They unquestionably had been beaten,” Tobocman said. “They looked totally f----- up. They’d been on the ground with a bunch of guys on top of them for about 10 to 15 minutes. They got beat up. You would not want to be them.” (Tobocman illustrated what he wit-
Let’s do something together
SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 10am Send a Smile: A Family Volunteer Activity Decorate lunch bags for Trinity’s Brown Bag lunch ministry. Charlotte’s Place MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1pm Bach at One The Trinity Choir and Trinity Baroque Orchestra present J.S. Bach’s cantatas. St. Paul’s Chapel TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2-6pm Occupy: A May Day Teach-In Speakers include: The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Joyce Carol Oates, James Carroll, Robert Jay Lifton, Blanche Cook, the Rev. Dr. James Cooper, the Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr., and others. Trinity Church TUESDAY, MAY 1, 6pm If I Forget You O Jerusalem An exploration of Jerusalem from different viewpoints. Led by Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, Advisor to the Mayor of Newark 74 Trinity Pl, 2nd Fl, Parish Hall
nessed during the arrests at the Sixth Street Community Center in a two-page cartoon in this week’s issue. See Pages 6-7.) Tobocman said Penley — who is not related to well-known East Village activist John Penley — has been very active in Occupy Wall Street. He speculated that’s why police targeted him. Plus, he was told Penley was on the march, and he assumes that was true “because Penley is the type of guy who goes on things like that.” “My personal opinion, [they jumped him] because he’s a visible leader and has been since the first day of Occupy Wall Street,” Tobocman said. He also said he heard from a man who was with Penley that police were angry with Penley for pointing out the undercover officers — but Tobocman said that could just be hearsay. Penley reportedly grew up in the neighborhood. Tobocman said he knows this from an interaction Penley had at an event in Tompkins Square in February called “Occupy Town Square.” “A woman said, ‘We don’t want you in the neighborhood,’ ” Tobocman recalled. “He responded that he grew up in the Lower East Side and went to Stuyvesant High School.” According to Tobocman, radical lawyer Stanley Cohen spoke with Penley at the Ninth Precinct. Tobocman said, according to Cohen, Penley is licensed to practice law in California.
trinitywallstreet.org
worship SUNDAY, 8am and 10am St. Paul’s Chapel Holy Eucharist SUNDAY, 9am and 11:15am Trinity Church Preaching, music, and Eucharist Sunday school and child care available MONDAY – FRIDAY, 12:05pm Trinity Church Holy Eucharist MONDAY – FRIDAY, 5:15pm All Saints’ Chapel, in Trinity Church Evening Prayer, Evensong (Thurs.) Watch online webcast
TRINITY CHURCH Broadway at Wall Street 74 Trinity Place is located in the office building behind Trinity Church.
Leah Reddy
BY ALBERT AMATEAU AND LINCOLN ANDERSON Black-clad anarchists, some of them wearing masks, marched across the Village Saturday evening, shouting anti-police epithets, overturning trash cans, spray-painting graffiti and banging windows. The march, which began after an Anarchist Book Fair at Judson Church on Washington Square, ended at an after-party in the E. Sixth Street Community Center. Three men were arrested at the community center, two for assault and inciting to riot and one for criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Police said that a group of about 25 demonstrators attacked officers with bottles and pipes during a scuffle near Starbucks on Lafayette St. and Astor Place. Two officers were injured at the location. Witnesses said demonstrators tried to enter the Starbucks but were locked out. Patrons of the coffeehouse ducked under tables as demonstrators banged on the windows with 9-foot-long galvanized metal pipes, police said. No Starbucks windows were broken. But when the demonstration, numbering about 150 people, reached St. Mark’s Place a couple of blocks east, they left a storefront window cracked. Epithets including “Cops are murderers,” “All pigs must die,” “F--- N.Y.P.D.,” were heard, as well as the names of Sean Bell, shot to death by police in Queens six years ago,
The Trinity Youth Chorus performs works by Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach on Sunday at St. Paul’s Chapel.
ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL Broadway and Fulton Street CHARLOTTE’S PLACE 107 Greenwich St, btwn Rector & Carlisle The Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector The Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, Vicar
an Episcopal parish in the city of New York
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
Board 2 begins its design review of AIDS memorial BY ALBERT AMATEAU The first of three design sessions for the proposed triangle park and AIDS memorial across from the Rudin redevelopment of the former St. Vincent’s Hospital property takes place on April 25. The public session, sponsored by the Parks Committee of Community Board 2, with Rudin Management and the AIDS Memorial Park coalition, will consider designs for a 16,000-square-foot park, including a 1,600-square-foot commemoration of the AIDS epidemic and the nowshuttered hospital that pioneered in care for AIDS patients. “We’re collaborating as members of a single team on the charrette,” said Tobi Bergman, chairperson of the C.B. 2 Parks Committee. The word, “charrette” is an architect’s term for the handcart of plans that architects take to design sessions. “A charrette is a wonderful chance to bring together a variety of ideas and public voices. I’m looking forward to it,” said Michael Seltzer, a member of AIDS Memorial Park a.k.a. AMP, adding that the coalition’s architect, Studio a + i, of Brooklyn, has been working on park designs with Richard Parisi, of MPFP, Rudin’s landscape architect. “It’s a very important issue for us and we’re excited about this opportunity to contribute to the park design,” said Brad
Hoylman, chairperson of Board 2. The session next Wednesday in the St. Anthony’s Church basement hall, 155 Sullivan St., will be followed by one on May 30 and another on June 27, Hoylman said. “The first meeting will concentrate on getting community input to set the stage
On March 28, the City Council approved a revised Rudin plan for the entire redevelopment, brokered by Council Speaker Christine Quinn. The revised plan included an agreement resolving a conflict between an AIDS Memorial Park-sponsored design for the triangle and a design by Rudin’s
“The goal of the charrette will be to marry the two designs, making sure they comply with the parameters of the agreement,” Brad Holyman
for the May and June charrettes,” Hoylman said. On July 9, a joint meeting of the C.B.2 Landmarks and Parks committees will consider designs that emerge from the three charrettes and make a recommendation to the full board, which will vote on a final design on July 19.
designer, Parisi, which the community board had approved. The agreement, the basis for the current collaboration, called for removing the oxygen tanks on the northwest corner of the triangle at W. 12th St. and Greenwich Ave. to make room for the 1,600-square-foot AIDS memorial. But the agreement eliminated a
10,000-square-foot underground space that formerly led to a tunnel that connected the triangle to the now-shuttered hospital on the east side of Seventh Ave. Removal of the underground space allows for a park at street level with an open view. “The goal of the charrette will be to marry the two designs, making sure they comply with the parameters of the agreement,” Hoylman said. “We’re disappointed that the underground space is off the table,” said Seltzer. “We wanted it for exhibition and educational space. But we’re excited about getting to this point and working with Parisi on a beautiful neighborhood park with a more conventional memorial to the AIDS epidemic,” Seltzer said. Chris Tepper, a founder of AMP with Paul Kelterborn, said, “We’re thrilled to be involved in what will be a significant memorial integrated into a truly public park once it is built out. It’s what we want, what Rudin wants and what neighbors want.” As part of the St. Vincent’s redevelopment project, Rudin agrees to pay for construction of the triangle park on the west side of Seventh Ave., across W. 12th St. from the former hospital’s O’Toole Pavilion. North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System will convert the pavilion into a $110 million community health center
Continued on page 19
ATTENTION:
Commercial Property Owners, Commercial Tenants and Residents of Lower Manhattan
The Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc. invites you to join us for our
2012 ANNUAL MEETING Monday, May 21, 2012 at 4 P.M. AIG’s Café Rooms, 180 Maiden Lane, Third Floor
The meeting is open to the public and all registered members are eligible to vote. 120 Broadway, Suite 3340 New York, NY 10271 (212) 566-6700 www.DowntownNY.com
April 25 - May 1, 2012
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EDITORIAL PUBLISHER & EDITOR John W. Sutter
The kids of summer
ASSOCIATE EDITOR John Bayles ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Aline Reynolds Albert Amateau Lincoln Anderson SR. V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING Francesco Regini RETAIL ADVERTISING MANAGER Colin Gregory ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Allison Greaker Julius Harrison Alex Morris Julio Tumbaco BUSINESS MANAGER / CONTROLLER Vera Musa ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters SR. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Vince Joy GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christina Entcheva CONTRIBUTORS Helaina N. Hovitz • Terese Loeb Kreuzer • Jerry Tallmer PHOTOGRAPHERS Milo Hess • Jefferson Siegel • Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Downtown Express is published every week by Community Media LLC, 515 Canal St., Unit 1C, New York, N.Y. 10013 (212) 229-1890. The entire contents of the newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2012 Community Media LLC. 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.
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Last Saturday saw over 2,000 kids, coaches and parents march from City Hall to the ball fields in Battery Park City in the early morning hours. The occasion was a celebration of the 2012 Downtown Little League season. The event marked more than the beginning of the D.L.L. season; it signaled the spirit of rebirth and reinvigoration that has come to define Lower Manhattan post 9/11. Since 1993 the D.L.L. has expanded to more than 1,300 kids playing baseball and softball. This in itself is a testament to how far the Lower Manhattan community has come in terms of redefining itself as a neighborhood. From the Tri-Battery Pops performing on the upper deck to the speeches delivered by local politicians like NYS Sen. Daniel Squadron, the day marked not only the opening of the D.L.L. but also the resurgence of Lower Manhattan. “Take me out to the ballgame,” might as well have been changed to “take me out to Lower Manhattan.” The fields alone are a remarkable achievement. The Astroturf, never in need of a tarp, funnels rainwater into a system that turns the drain-off into nourishing water for Battery Park City’s gardens and parks. The entire complex is a testament to the buzzword of the last few years: sustainability. Another point worthy of praise, is the dedication on the part of people like Bill Martino, president of the D.L.L. and Mark Costello, a long-time ambassador of the league and a promoter of the need for more ball fields in Downtown. Everyone who has devoted time to ensuring that the children in Lower Manhattan have a league unto themselves and an avenue to express their talents, skills and ambition are worthy of praise. And with last Saturday as a backdrop, the neighborhood is once again forced to stare down budget cuts, which come at the hand of a mayor who relates more to the corporations that bare names like his, Bloomberg, and that could ultimately decrease the vitality of organizations like the D.L.L. True, a little league does not fall within the purview of the city budget, but the after-school programs that might foster the development of the next Carmelo Anthony or Alex Rodriguez, is what are ultimately at stake in this debate. The current mayor, and his successor, should think about this when they put the pen to the paper and sign off on a fiscal year budget that places more importance on government entities and government funding surpluses, rather than acknowledging the critical component that childcare services and after school programming provide to the city and its constituents. The parents that paraded from City Hall to the Battery Park City ball fields on Saturday could care less about a “low-line” or a “high-line” park that doesn’t serve the needs of their kids. They want more ball fields, more open space and more acknowledgement and assurance from their elected officials that their kids’ concerns and needs are being taken into account and being considered. This is what communities are all about: Examining the present, learning from the past and adjusting for the future.
downtown express
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR There are more greeters out there To the Editor: Re “Not your typical tour, or guide” (news, April 17, 2012) Big Apple Greeters have their purpose. New York City has a lagging lingering reputation for unfriendliness, especially from 20 years ago at the peak of NYC’s violent crime rates. BAG helps address that, and that is wonderful. Before, during the Crack Crime Epidemic, and now, NYC’s world- renowned Tour Guides serve myriad purposes beyond Big Apple Greeters. I put heart, passion, and thought into all my tours. Whether I serve one guest or 700 in a day, I have never been called boring since I went pro in 2005. I have been giving free tours for 20 years before that on my own, without BAG. A tour I wrote, “Heroes of the World Trade Center,” that has served thousands of visitors, includes the Guides’ personal perspectives as New Yorkers then and now, as well as stories gleaned from Downtown Express. These are not rote tales. We have had to choke back tears or cry while giving this tour. Often, on the fly, I have to customize a tour that has along a toddler and an Emeritus Professor, or go on a completely different route than what was on the itinerary. I am in a service business. BAG does not offer this speed or flexibility. If I am doing a tour for Engineers, then that tour will be more technical. Sorry, BAG, but that is what this audience wants. Even so, If I can, most of my tours include brief references to pop culture and personal anecdotes to liven things up with humor or something resonant. Good NYC Tour Guides do this. Each tour guide is different, and the good ones are fun and informative. I have hundreds of unsolicited good reviews that people sent to my clients or posted online. I have open invitations to visit homes across the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Malaysia, among others. BAG’s volunteers are compelling, too. BAG, which was battling bankruptcy, has a budget of $1.8 million. This serves 7000 guests per year at a rate of $257 per guest. Assuming their average group size is 3, then that is $771 per free tour conducted by free guides. BAG takes local money and swaps it around, with much of it going to overhead. A five-hour private tour booked directly through a Tour Guide could bring in about $325 into our local economy. Booked through an agency that hires locals, this tour would bring in $1000. I bring money into NYC. I spend some of this revenue supporting local vendors to grow my business. I do my work at no expense to New York City government, which I pay taxes to. Nor do I appeal to corporations or foundations for support. NYC provides BAG with overhead, such as rent , equipment, and phones, as well as cash support. Local corporations and
foundations are donating funds to BAG, too. These funds could be supporting local economic development, not volunteer services to tourists who could afford to get here. I would imagine that for $40,000 BAG could get a website that matches tourists who want free experiences with local volunteers. Maybe this website can connect New Yorkers to such friendly generous people elsewhere, as well. Maybe for $100,000 a year BAG could have someone run their website, provide support, and do advertising that does not insult NYC’s professional Tour Guides who are hard-working small businesspeople. Ironically, B.A.G. has professional Tour Guides as volunteers. Ironically, sponsors of B.A.G. employ professional NYC Tour Guides to conduct tours on their tour buses and their harbor tour boats. NYC Tour Guides, and our Association, are members of NYC&Co, another B.A.G. supporter. Who are NYC’s professional Tour Guides? We are actors, teachers, office workers, dancers, veterans, church-leaders, retirees, urban spelunkers, and community volunteers (including for BAG). We are the smallest of small businesses. We are the face of NYC. We passed a three-hour, 150 question Department of Consumer Affairs licensing exam that covers the five boroughs. Some of our licensing requirements includes include traffic regulations and safety. Many of us buy our own insurance to protect tourists. We voluntarily work with Community Board 1, and other local bodies, to improve both neighborhoods and tourism. We work with Downtown Traffic Commissioner Sanchez about getting tour buses moving off the streets of Downtown. We meet with the MTA to get tourists’ buses and cabs away from Downtown streets. We do much more. We serve millions of diverse tourists who want diverse things, often with little to no advance notice. BAG requires weeks’ notice. Tour Guides are as good as our last tour. We scrape to get and keep business, and keep costs low. We don’t have political connections who have industry connections to provide free funds, overhead, staff, and advertising. I don’t understand why the Big Apple Greeters insult NYC’s tour guides both locally in your paper and in advertisements around the world. The best Guides and Greeters let our personalities shine through and across the Big Apple. Sincerely, Jared the NYC Tour Guide Goldstein
Politics, or truth? It is unfortunate that politics brings out the negative side of people running for office as was obvious in Paul Hovitz’s letter about
Continued on page 20
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
TALKING POINT N.Y.U. freshmen need a campus — on Governors Island BY DEBORAH J. GLICK New York University has always yearned for a true campus experience for its students. This goal has eluded N.Y.U. as it has struggled to expand within the confines of the Village neighborhood. Now the university’s aggressive and extremely overreaching development plans, as currently designed, would wall off Washington Square Village with two new buildings, effectively closing off the open rectangle between the two existing buildings and destroying the award-winning and much-beloved Sasaki Garden as a way of creating a central quad. The southern superblock, with much open space in front of the I.M. Pei buildings, is likewise scheduled to be dramatically altered by two buildings, one which would overshadow and destroy the community gardens on the corner of Bleecker St. and LaGuardia Place, while a building replacing the Coles gym on Mercer St. would have varying heights, all of which are significantly higher than the current building. Unfortunately, the loss of a play space and the existing dog run are collateral damage in this part of the plan.
There is an alternative to much of this development, which N.Y.U. is totally unwilling to consider. The city has granted Cornell University a significant part of the southern section of Roosevelt Island for the creation of a new applied science campus. In addition, the city has provided tens of millions of dollars of support to construct this campus. The city has done this because of the importance of this facility to the future of New York. Similarly, the city has claimed the N.Y.U. expansion is not only important to N.Y.U., but also to the future of New York City. If one reviews the material presented to incoming freshmen, they are encouraged to pursue core study courses, known as the Morse Academic Plan. These requirements cover what is generally referred to as general education required courses for a broad liberal arts education. It is highly recommended that students complete these requirements by the end of their sophomore year. Therefore, the following proposal provides N.Y.U. with the ability to expand, while preserving the historic and vitally important Village neighborhood.
Governors Island has a significant amount of open space intended to be used for recreational purposes. However, there is also sufficient space for a proper campus environment with academic buildings and student housing, as well as readymade recreational opportunities. Just as
Governors Island has space for a college campus, as well as ready-made recreational opportunities.
the city provided Cornell with land on Roosevelt Island, so could the city provide N.Y.U. land to create a campus for its entering class. N.Y.U.’s freshman class has consistently numbered just under 5,000 students.
By assigning them to the Governors Island campus, not only would these students have the best of both worlds — a true campus experience right in the middle of New York City — but the space opened up in the immediate Village area would reduce the need for much of the proposed overdevelopment that threatens to disrupt and potentially destroy a hugely successful neighborhood that is an important economic engine for New York’s tourist and film trade. This is the true win-win option that one always seeks when there are competing concerns. Too often people state that it’s a great compromise when both sides are equally disappointed. I reject the notion that misery in equal parts is the best we can do. I call on the city administration, N.Y.U., the City Planning Commission and the City Council to work out the necessary details in order to address N.Y.U.’s needs and those of New Yorkers committed to preserving our historic communities. Glick is assemblymember for the 66th District
Transit Sam
The Answer man
Alternate Side Parking regulations remain in effect for the next two weeks. POTUS alert! President Obama will swoop into town to speak at Barnard College’s commencement ceremony 12:30 p.m. Monday, May 14th. While details remain unconfirmed, it’s likely the President will helicopter from JFK or LaGuardia over to Randall’s Island around 11:30 a.m., crossing the RFKTriborough Bridge and freezing traffic in both directions around noon. He will likely go west taking 125th St., which will freeze in both directions as he travels towards the south lawn of Columbia’s campus. Expect major disruptions uptown and extended closures on Broadway and Amsterdam Ave. between 125th and 110th Sts. during the twohour ceremony. Barring additional stops, he’ll likely reverse his route around 2:30 p.m., freezing 125th St. and the RFKTriborough Bridge in both directions. The Queensboro Bridge and West Side Highway will be the safer options for drivers Monday. The Tribeca Film Festival is in full
swing, and its Family Festival will close down multiple streets in the area 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 28th. Avoid Greenwich St. between Chambers and Hubert Sts. and Harrison St. between West and Hudson Sts. Closing night will screen “The Avengers” at Tribeca’s Performing Arts Center on 199 Chambers St. at the West Side Highway 6 p.m. Sunday, April 29th. Expect big names (Scar-Jo and Robert Downey Jr. will surely be there) and traffic jams from limos and rubberneckers along Chambers St. possibly extending to the northbound side of the West Side Highway. The Cures Not Wars Parade will freeze most of the West Village 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5th, as it marches west along 14th St. from Fourth to Sixth Aves., south down Sixth Ave. to Waverly Pl., and disperses at Washington Sq. Park. The Five Borough Bike Tour rolls through town Sunday May 6th. Lower Manhattan will feel the effects, with about 30,000 cyclists gathering in Battery Park City for the 8 a.m. kick-off on a route that will shut down most of the city’s
main thoroughfares, including all five of its major bridges until it wraps at 6:30 p.m. in Staten Island. Route closures to avoid include Church Ave./Sixth Ave. from Franklin to W. 59th Sts., White St. between Sixth Ave. and Trinity Pl., between Greenwich and Cedar Sts. Other major closures include the east-
bound Queensboro Bridge, the southbound FDR Dr. from 116th to 63rd Sts., the westbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway from Atlantic Ave. to the Verrazano Bridge and the Staten Island-bound lower level of the Verrazano Bridge. For a complete list of closures, visit http://www.bikenewyork.org/.
Got a problem on the street? EMAIL YOUR TRAFFIC AND SUBWAY QUESTIONS TO TRANSIT SAM TO SEE THE ANSWERS EVERY OTHER WEEK IN DOWNTOWN EXPRESS.
transitsam@downtownexpress.com
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
downtown express
Rent board a rubber stamp, needs real reform, pols say BY ANDY HUMM The U.S. Supreme Court put off until at least April 23 a decision on whether to hear a constitutional challenge to New York City’s longstanding rent regulations. The prospect of a complete end to rent protections has tenants on edge and landlords salivating at the prospect of 1.1 million deregulated apartments. Meanwhile, tenant activists and their supporters in government are plowing ahead with a proposal to reform the city’s Rent Guidelines Board — but not in time to affect the setting of this year’s annual rent hikes. That process begins with a preliminary vote on May 1 at The Cooper Union. Last year, the board voted 3.75 percent increases on oneyear leases and 7.25 percent for two-year leases. All nine members of the R.G.B. are appointed by the mayor. The proposed state bill would not change that but would make the mayor get City Council approval for the appointees. And while the board would continue to have two tenant and two landlord representatives, under the proposed reforms, the five “public members” — who rarely speak at meetings and invariably do the bidding of the mayor — could be drawn from more diverse backgrounds than those who fulfill the current requirement of having five years experience in “finance, economics or housing.” The bill, unveiled at a press conference on April 16 at City Hall, will likely be passed by the Democrat-led state Assembly,
where Brian Kavanagh is the chief sponsor, but will be a tougher sell in the state Senate, which has a thin Republican majority. Daniel Squadron is the bill’s lead state Senate sponsor. Governor Andrew Cuomo has not weighed in on the proposal. Squadron said the fate of 2 million tenants was “too important to leave in one person,” the mayor. Kavanagh said the rent board’s members should be allowed to include people with experience in “social services, social sciences and philanthropy.” Council Speaker Christine Quinn called the current R.G.B. “a kangaroo court.” “The rents go up every year regardless of the data,” she said. The data can allow the board to lower or freeze rents, but that’s something that has never happened. Attorney Adriene Holder, a longtime tenant member of the board, called for “accountability.” “A majority of rent-stabilized tenants are not able to afford their apartments based on the HUD benchmark for housing affordability,” she said, referring to the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. Maggie Russell-Ciardi, executive director of Tenants & Neighbors, complained that public members of the board vote down tenant proposals “without discussion. We want them engaged in the issues,” she said. Sponsors of the bill are not pushing for the City Council to be able to make their
Downtown Express photo by John Bayles
Christine Quinn (left) joined NYS Sen. Daniel Squadron last Monday on the steps of City Hall to call for new Rent Guidelines Board laws.
own appointments to the board. Speaker Quinn demurred on the question of Council appointees. “It’s a state bill,” she said, “but I’ve never said no to power.” Councilmember Jumaane Williams, a former director of Tenants & Neighbors,
promised a lively tenant presence at the guidelines board hearings and meetings over the next two months. “We’re going to go down with Occupy people and shout them down again” until the board becomes more responsive to tenants, Williams said.
City and state draft bill for intercity buses Continued from page 1
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (left), with NYS Sen. Daniel Squadron (right) and Janette Sadik-Khan (center), the NYC Department of Transportation commissioner, at a press conference on Monday.
have been over run by private intercity buses, which have no clear rules for where and how they’re allowed to operate. ” Silver pointed out that a “lack of information” about the cut-rate tour bus companies and “where they are supposed to be has caused confusion and raised serious safety concerns and negatively impacted responsible bus owners who are striving to be good neighbors.” “New Yorkers have had to contend with traffic congestion, pollution caused by idling busses and dangerous conditions for pedestrians,” said Speaker Silver. New York State Senator Daniel Squadron, NYC Councilmember Margaret Chin and Janette Sadik-Khan, the NYC Department of Transportation commissioner, joined Speaker Silver to announce the landmark legislation.
“This is new — the idea that New York City has the ability to regulate their curb space, regulate intercity buses in this way,” said Sen. Squadron. “This was the first attempt at it and many, many hours went into crafting legislation that is appropriate, makes sense and will achieve its goal.” “This legislation is an important first step in closing the door on the chaos that has reigned at the curbsides [in Lower Manhattan] and allow us to better regulate our streets,” said Sadik-Khan. Under the proposed legislation, bus operators will have to apply for permits, which will last up to three years and will cost $275 per year. Sadik-Khan noted that more importantly the permitting system would allow the Dept. of Transportation to “deal with operators that don’t do the right thing.” Fines of up to $1,000 for a first offense and $2,500 for subsequent offenses would in theory keep the bus operators from disobeying the law.
downtown express
April 25 - May 1, 2012
Photo by Tequila Minsky
End business as usual The group N.Y.U. 4 O.W.S. protested outside Bobst Library, calling for the university to evict Chase bank.
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IN-KIND DONORS: "MBO (SFFO t #BMVDIJ T t #BSCBSJOJ "MJNFOUBSJ t $IBNCFST 4USFFU 8JOFT t %FBO T 1J[[B t %PXOUPXO &YQSFTT %VBOF 1BSL 1BUJTTFSJF t 'SBOLMZ 8JOFT t (FF 8IJ[ %JOFS t 'JHBSP t )VETPO 8JOF 4QJSJUT t ,JUDIFOFUUF t $IFG ,VSU (VUFOCSVOOFS t 1VòZ T t 3VCFO T &NQBOBEBT t +BDRVFT 5PSSFT $IPDPMBUF t .BY 3FTUBVSBOU t /BOPPTI t 3FBEF 4USFFU 1VC t 4BSBCFUI T 5SJCFDB t 4PVUI T t 5SJCFDB 5BQ )PVTF t 5SJCFDB 5SFBUT t 5SJCFDB 8JOF .FSDIBOU t 30$ 3FTUBVSBOU t 5IF -PCTUFS 1MBDF 7FTUSZ 8JOFT t 8"5 "") UNDERWRITING DONORS: "OESFBT (JOB #BSBD #BVFS t "OJLB 1SBUU t "OOBCFM 7FSFE :PTTJ #VSTUFJO t $ISJTUJF &XFO t $SBJH +VEZ #JUNBO t %BWJE -FJHI #JTIPQ 5BVC t %VMDJF -JO +PDL +POFT t +BOJOF 4IFMòP 4UFWF .D(SBUI t +FOOJGFS )BM 4IBGUFM t +JMMJBO .BUUIFX 4DIXBN t ,JN 4UFWF #JFIMF t -JOEB .PVUJOIP %BWJE %POJHJBO t .BIB 0NBS t .BSD +VMJF 4JEFO t /FMTPO -J t 1SPKFLU /FX :PSL t 3BDIFM (SFHH .PTLPXJU[ t 3BQIBFMMF 3JDP 3PCFSU ,SJTUFO 4UBSMJOH t 3POBME 3PMGF 4BSB %BSFITIPSJ t 4IBSPO &SJL .PPEZ t 5SBDFZ )BOOBGPSE (SBOU 8JMTPO AUCTION DONORS: 1IJMMJQ -JN t "CEFMSFIJN 'BSBI "CPV[FJE t "FTUIFUJD 4VSHJDBM %FSNBUPMPHZ PG /: t "HBUIB 3VJ[ EF -B 1SBEB t "HOFT +PO $IBQTLJ t "MFYBOEFS 3PTT 4VTBO +FOOJOHT t "MJDF )BSUNBO 5VUPSJOH t "MMFHSB ,PDINBO "SDIJUFDUVSF "NBS -BMWBOJ t "NFSJDBO (JSM t "NJOBI FU MFT "NJT t "NZ #POPNJ t "NZ "TUMFZ 5FFO 7PHVF t "OBTUBTJB 7BTJMBLJT "OEZ 4UFQIBOJF )VCCBSE t "OOB 1BMNB 1IPUPHSBQIZ t "OOF 8BULJOT t " /6 6 )FBMUI 'JUOFTT t "QSJM %JFHP 6DIJUFM "3$ "UIMFUJDT t "UFMJFS $PMPHOF t "VUSF $PVUVSF CZ .BSJOF 1FOWFSO t #"#&45" t #BMMPPO 4BMPPO t #BSJ 4UVEJP t #FBUSJDF $SJTUJO #VJDJVD t #FODINBSD 3FTUBVSBOUT t #JMMZ T #BLFSZ t #JTDVJUT #BUI t #.$$ 5SJCFDB 1FSGPSNJOH "SUT $FOUFS t #PPNFSBOH 5PZT t #PXFSZ 7JOF t #SBOEZ -JCSBSZ t #SBWP -JGF $PBDIJOH t #SFX)FJTUFS t #SJBO 8PPE 4BSB "SNFOUB t #SPPLMZO #PUBOJD (BSEFO t #SPPLT #SPUIFST t $ 8POEFS t $BMMBNBSJ 'JOF "SU t $BNJMMF #FDFSSB t $BOJT .JOPS t 5SJCFDB $BUIFSJOF -FWFTRVF 1IJMJQQF 8BSOFSZ t $FOUVSZ %FQBSUNFOU 4UPSF t $IBNCFST 1PUUFSZ t $IBNCFST 4U 0SUIPEPOUJDT $IJMESFO T .VTFVN PG UIF "SUT t $ISJTUJOB -FIS t $IVSDI 4U 4DIPPM GPS .VTJD "SU t $JOEZ 4IFSNBO t $JUZ #BLFSZ #JSE #BUI t $JUZ 8JOFSZ t $MBTTJD $BS $MVC t $MBTTJD ,JET 1IPUPHSBQIZ t $PDP .BTVEB 4UVEJP t $PMFUUF .BMPVG t $PNQFUJUJWF "EWBOUBHF t $PSOFS 5BCMF 3FTUBVSBOUT t $SBJH +VEZ #JUNBO t $SZTUBM 4NJUI t %BJTZ %PH 4UVEJP t %BNPO -JTT t %BOJFMMF 5POZ 3FJMMZ t %BQIOB )BSWFZ ,FJUFM t %BWJE . ,BVGNBO t %BWJE 4QFBST t %FFS .PVOUBJO %BZ $BNQ t %JBOB #SPVTTBSE %JBOF )PòNBO t %JFHP 6DIJUFM 1IPUPHSBQIZ t %,/: t %PNJOJRVF &SJO "SJFT t %POOB 'VNPTP t %PXOUPXO #PPLXPSLT t %PXOUPXO %BODF 'BDUPSZ t %PXOUPXO 6OJUFE 4PDDFS $MVC t %S ,FO $IV %%4 t %ST (PUUMJFC 4BOUPSF 5SJCFDB %FOUBM $FOUFS t %VOLJO %POVUT %VMDJF +PDL +POFT t &EJEJ t &'/: t &EXBSE T 3FTUBVSBOU t &JTOFS %FTJHO t &MBO 'MPXFST t &MFOB #BSSJPMP 3BQIBFM 3VCJOTUFJO t &RVJOPY t &SJD $PMCZ t &TUBODJB t &VQIPSJB 4QB t &WB %PMQI 5PLBSD[ZL t &YFSCMBTU t ' *MMJ 1POUF t 'BCJP %PUJ 4BMPO t '%/: &OHJOF -BEEFS t '&* /:$ --$ t 'SBODFT +BOJTDI 1IPUPHSBQIZ t 'SBODJOF $PSOFMJVT t 'SFODI $POOFDUJPO (BCBZ 3BöZ #PXMFS --1 t (BCSJFMMF 3VCJOTLZ t (BSZ (SBIBN $PMMFDUJPOT t (BVHF /:$ t (IJTMBJOF 7JOBT *OUFSJPS %FTJHO (JHJOP 5SBUUPSJB t (JMM -BHPEJDI 'SBNF (BMMFSZ t (JSFMMP t (, 'SBNJOH t (MBNPVS .BHB[JOF t (SBNFSDZ 5BWFSO t (SBOEBJTZ #BLFSZ t (3"/5 FOHJOFFSJOH t (SBTTIPQQFS 1JMBUFT %PXOUPXO t (SFFOXJDI (SJMM t (SFFOXJDI 4U 5BWFSO t (SFHPJSF (BOUFS 1IPUPHSBQIZ t (SFHPSZ #BSSFUU t (VJMMBVNF "TUSJE )FSCFUUF t )BMMB 5PNBTEPUUJS t )BOET 0O " .VTJDBM &YQFSJFODF )BSUTIPSO 1PSUSBJUVSF t )FMNVU -BOH t )PNF $BSF 7FUFSJOBSZ 1 $ t )PTQJUBMJUZ 2VPUJFOU t *GBU ,OBBO ,PTUNBO %BWJE ,PTUNBO t *M #BHBUUP 5SBUPSJB #BS t *M #VDP t *MFHBM .F[DBM t *NBHJOF 4XJNNJOH t *NQFDDBCMF 0SEFS t */5&3.*9 t *SFOF %FNFUSJ (BOJBSJT t + 3 +S t + $SFX t +BEF T 5PZ #PY t +BNJF 1FUFS )PSU t +BZ "DLFSNBO 1IPUPHSBQIZ t +FòSFZ #FMJOEB %POOFMMZ +&. 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April 25 - May 1, 2012
downtown express
Kids of summer celebrate season’s opening Last Saturday, the weather was perfect and the enthusiasm was infectious. It was a perfect day for the opening celebration for the 2012 Downtown Little League season. The kids were thrilled by the appearance of Willie Randolph who had an 18-year career as a big league player, including 13 years with the Yankees, and a more recent career as a manager with the Mets and the Baltimore Orioles. He was in six World Series he told the crowd — twice as a player and four times as a manager. He looked admiringly at the Battery Park City ball fields, now covered with artificial turf, and recalled the motley lots he played on as a kid in Brownsville. “This looks like a living room!” he said as he urged the kids to work hard, have fun and get an education above all else. The artificial turf has proven to be a big success said Mark Costello, former president of the D.L.L. and one of those who fought hard for the new playing surface. He said that the turf has enabled the teams to have a longer season and that fears about the turf overheating had not materialized because of the way it is constructed. “It’s made of coco-
nut shells instead of rubber tires,” he said. The field drains well, he added, so that it is playable again soon after storms that would have turned grass fields to mud. The one drawback may be that balls bounce differently on the artificial turf surface than they would on grass, which has more irregularities. This means that when D.L.L. teams play away games at places like Central Park or Randall’s Island, they have to recalibrate their play, Costello said. On opening day, viewing stands on the west side of the ball fields made their debut. They are equipped with benches but onlookers stood against the railings for a better view. Ten games were played on the two fields. The league is growing. There are now just fewer than 1,000 players on 74 teams said D.L.L. president Bill Martino. Last year there were 890 players. Martino attributed the growth to a growing community plus the addition of some new divisions for younger players. The league season continues through the end of June.
— Terese Loeb Kreuzer
downtown express
April 25 - May 1, 2012
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
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downtown express
P.S. 276 students go before the judge Continued from page 5 you were born, in 1999. In the real world, things take a long time.” Then came perhaps the gravest question of the day. “What do you think of the death penalty?” asked second grader Riley Keenan. After Chapman opined on the controversial subject, Keenan offered her view. “If I were them, I’d just really put them in jail for a long time,” said the youngster. The case of the missing potato chips The class’s teacher, Dawn Panebianco, sensed the need for some comic relief. “This might not be as sophisticated as my students’ questions,” she said, “but what if snacks in the classrooms started disappearing?” referring to the vanishing of a bag of potato chips in homeroom last week. Chapman nicknamed it the “case of the missing potato chips” and swiftly assigned a handful of the zealous second graders to the judge’s seat and the witness stand. McCormack and another witness disclosed possible evidence of the crime and its alleged culprit — the discovery of potato chip crumbs following the theft, for example, and the color of the suspect’s hair. Ultimately, however, conflicting testimony prompted Chapman to dismiss the case. She told Panebianco that, in the event of
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
Judge Shelley Chapman talks to the P.S. 276 second graders about the U.S. judiciary system.
future potato chip bag disappearances, the teacher could file a motion with the court asking that each of the students be interrogated under oath. The court also issued a mock caution against accusations between
the classmates unless they’re backed with evidence. “This is unbelievable,” Chapman said, chuckling and adding that she was wowed by the children’s perspicacity.
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“I just found the sophistication of their questions and their understanding of the issues to be remarkable.” she said. “I know some lawyers that could use some junior law clerks!”
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DESIGN: THINK STUDIO, NYC
MAY
downtown express
BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER
BLOCK PARTY PLANNING: At last year’s 10th annual Battery Park City Block Party, Rosalie Joseph and Anthony Notaro who have led the block party planning for the last decade announced that they were retiring from that job. It turns out that they were sort of retiring. On April 19, both were present at a block party planning session held at North Cove Marina in the Manhattan Sailing Club’s handsome, floating clubhouse, the William Wall, to discuss this year’s block party. The evening was enhanced with an open bar courtesy of the Manhattan Yacht Club’s commodore, Michael Fortenbaugh, and with an array of food from Merchants River House courtesy of Merchants Hospitality. Then, after some schmoozing, the group of around 25 people got down to business. “We wouldn’t let the block party die,” Joseph said, “but it needs new people. If we had strong committees to do the work, it would be easier. There are always lots of great ideas. We need people to do them.”
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
The group broke up into two circles to toss some ideas around. The business owners sat at one end of the room and Battery Park City residents at the other – though it turned out that some residents are also small business owners offering a variety of services, and some business owners such as Abraham Merchant are also Battery Park City residents. One idea was to make it possible for the small business owners to have a presence at the block party – maybe a directory or a table where their wares and business cards could be displayed. Other ideas revolved around the possibility of extending the block party hours and venues so that the activities would not be mostly oriented toward kids. Anthony Notaro discussed block party finances. He said that money is needed to pay for such things as insurance, a D.J. or a band, printing costs and decorations. “Whatever we decide we want to spend, I can usually raise the money,” he said — which didn’t sound like a comment from someone who had retired from the block party. But Notaro reiterated Joseph’s plea for fresh faces. He said that anyone who
On April 19, around 25 Battery Park City residents and business owners gathered at the Manhattan Yacht Club’s clubhouse, the William Wall, in North Cove Marina to discuss B.P.C.’s annual block party.
Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Martha Gallo, Battery Park City resident and head of global compliance and regulatory management for JPMorgan Chase, on April 24 at her first meeting as a member of the Battery Park City Authority Board of Directors. She was flanked by Board member Frank Branchini and by Gayle Horwitz, president of the B.P.C.A.
wanted to work on the block party should get in touch with him or with Joseph. Her email is rosaliebpc@gmail.com. His email is Anthony.notaro@gmail.com.
BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY BOARD CHANGES: At the Battery Park City Authority Board of Directors meeting on April 24, chairman William C. Thompson, Jr. opened by announcing that Robert Mueller had resigned from the board and had moved away. He then welcomed Battery Park City resident Martha Gallo to the board. Gallo, who is head of global compliance and regulatory management for JPMorgan Chase, arrived on the B.P.C.A. board of directors in time to weigh in on the selection of a new insurance broker of record for the Authority, the selection of a contractor to repave Murray Street between West Street and North End Avenue and the selection of a firm to install plumbing and heating in Pier A. Pier A is a perennially fascinating topic at the Authority. The questions of when the work will be finished, who will do it and how much it will cost have occupied many hours of staff and management time. The latest development, B.P.C.A. president Gayle Horwitz revealed at the meeting, has been that Delmar Plumbing, the firm originally engaged to do the plumbing and heating work at the pier, had informed the Authority in March that it was no longer in a position to complete the work because of construction delays. A new R.F.P. was issued and on April 12, two proposals were received for core and shell plumbing. The two were approximately half a million dollars apart in their bids and when asked to look at the numbers again, one of the firms, Olympic Plumbing and Heating, came in even lower than its original estimate of $1,022,200 with a bid of $999,000 to do the work. “These numbers don’t make sense to me,” said board member Fernando
Mateo. Horwitz said that Olympic’s numbers were in line with what Delmar had charged. She also said that Delmar hadn’t started the bulk of the work when it pulled out. Board member Don Capoccia, who is a real estate developer, suggested that it would be a good idea to sit down with both contractors to see where the differences lie and to make sure that Olympic hadn’t missed something. The contract with Olympic was approved by the board pending the results of that meeting.
BATTERY PARK CITY PARKS CONSERVANCY PROGRAMS: May 1 marks the official beginning of the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy’s programming season, which continues through Oct. 31. Starting the week of May 1-May 8, there will be pre-school play, Young Sprouts gardening, soccer for children from ages 5 to 11, wiffle ball, elements of nature drawing, figure drawing, tai chi, basketball for ages 5 and 6 and for ages 7 and up, and Explorers Club. Most of these programs are free, though pre-registration is required for some of them. In addition to classes and recurring programs such as these (and the list above is only partial) the B.P.C. Conservancy schedules a multitude of special programs throughout the summer and fall. They include family dances with ethnic music, concerts, garden tours, fishing clinics, storytelling, birdwatching and more. You don’t have to be a Battery Park City resident to participate in these programs but it is certainly a great joy to the people who live in Battery Park City to have all this on the doorstep. For more information, call (212) 267-9700 or go to www. bpcparks.org. To comment on Battery Park City Beat or to suggest article ideas, email TereseLoeb@ mac.com
April 25 - May 1, 2012
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downtown express
B.I.D. billing debate Continued from page 5 varies among property owners, according to S.B.S. Last week, property owners in the B.I.D.’s catchment area received letters both in English and Chinese explaining the changes. Wellington Chen, executive director of the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation (C.P.L.D.C.), the B.I.D.’s initiator, said the delay in collecting fees is depriving the town of vital resources. C.P.L.D.C. has wholly financed some $300,000 in cleaning, holiday lighting and other B.I.D.-like services since last July, he said, and the B.I.D.’s interim board of directors has passed a motion requesting that C.P.L.D.C. be reimbursed. “We’ve been saving every nickel and dime, but that cannot last,” said Chen. “Regardless of when the B.I.D. clock starts, the fact is, services are being rendered.” David Louie, chairman of the B.I.D.’s interim board, believed the B.I.D. was “morally obligated” to reimburse C.P.L.D.C., particularly since Lower Manhattan Development Corporation funds previously provided to the Partnership have dried up. “They did all this cleaning without even knowing where this money was going to come from,” said Louie. Property owners such as Jan Lee, however, deem the charges premature and arbitrary and say they have lost all potential trust in the B.I.D.’s actions moving forward. Lee and others who were suspicious of the October start date of the assessment fees refused to pay when they received the bill in late February. “I don’t understand how this could have happened — it’s very disappointing,” said Lee. “The B.I.D. board was advised to say, ‘Someone has put money into cleaning that started last July, and someone should be reimbursed for that. Let’s use tax money guaranteed from the Department of Finance.’ It’s completely contrary to what the B.I.D. law says.” Dean Fong, who will owe the B.I.D. $800 annually for his two commercial condominium units at 210 Canal St., also found
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Downtown Express?
Photo courtesy of AALDEF
Bethany Li, an attorney for AALDEF, accompanied by property owner Jan Lee at an April 10 press conference held in an empty storefront on Mott St. in Chinatown.
the charges to be unlawful. “It was very negligent on the part of the B.I.D. board who, we were told by elected officials, would be very careful and have great oversight into making sure that monies assessed to property owners would be proper,” said Fong. Fong said he feels far from relieved by the city’s reversal of its initial decision. “I knew they had to or they would face a law suit, which would be so embarrassing for them,” he said. Council Member Margaret Chin denied the allegations by Fong and others by saying she reached out to S.B.S. for clarification
Battery Dance Company presents...
Perceptual Motion
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would have been more than willing to fund the services starting last fall, which for him amounts to $1,500 per year. “I always support them, because they do the job,” said Lam. “Somebody has to pay these workers.” James Tsang, whose real estate company Prosperity Enterprises owns 185 Canal St., said the C.P.L.D.C. deserves to be reimbursed. “They continue to do the work and clean Chinatown. I think they deserve to get more support,” said Tsang. “Without financing, how can they hire people to do cleaning or anything else?”
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as soon as she got wind of the objection to the fees. “Property owners have raised their concerns with the Department of Small Business Services, and their concerns are being addressed,” said Chin. “Like other elected officials, including the Mayor, I have a mandated seat on the B.I.D. Board. As a board member, I will continue to represent the needs of small business owners and residents while supporting the B.I.D. in their efforts to improve the Chinatown community.” Philip Lam, who owns a residential and office building at 38 Market St., said he
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
Pre-K center proposed for Downtown C.B. 2 begins discussion Continued from page 6 Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who heads Downtown’s school overcrowding task force, said he would back the community’s proposal. “Parents must be able to send their children to their zoned schools, and it is essential that the Department of Education continue to look for ways to eliminate kindergarten wait lists, including the possibility of creating pre-kindergarten centers as a way to free up additional seats,” said Silver. However, other sources cautioned against the proposal as a means of solving Downtown school overcrowding. NYU business professor Eric Greenleaf, who has done extensive research on Downtown school overcrowding, said the strategy would be a temporary solution at best to secure additional space for next year’s kindergarteners. “It’s not a good permanent solution, but we have to find a solution for next year,” said Greenleaf. “So if it’s something that works well for the kids, the teachers and the principals, then it’s something that we should consider.” Greenleaf added, “But you still can’t take in more kids than you can hold in the long-run.” Community Education Council District
Two President Shino Tanikawa also criticized the proposal, calling it a band-aid fix. “It’s not creating capacity in the school,” said Tanikawa. “More capacity is what we need, not getting rid of programs.” Maggie Siena, the future principal of the Peck Slip School, also warned that opening up new kindergarten sections in the local schools would cause a ripple effect of overcrowding in the older elementary school grades. Under the proposed setup, the school is supposed to offer a pre-k program once it opens at One Peck Slip, its permanent home, in 2015. “You can open up another kindergarten class, but when they are first graders, you have that many more kids that’ll be in first grade,” said Siena. “So it’s not necessarily practical in terms of space once the kids get a bit older.” In the event that pre-K is removed from the zoned elementary schools, Siena said the Department might consider carving out some classroom space at Tweed for a temporary pre-K center. However, the amount of partitioning and other alterations that can be made to the classrooms is limited, Siena noted, since Tweed is a landmarked building. “I’m not quite sure how that would work, but I certainly understand the need for pre-K Downtown,” said Siena. “It’s certainly something to look into.”
on AIDS memorial design Continued from page 9 and 24/7 emergency department, including a $10 million contribution from Rudin. The revised redevelopment plan also calls for residential conversion of the existing Reiss building on W. 12th St. on the main east campus of the former hospital. In the original redevelopment plan submitted in 2009, Reiss was to be demolished and replaced with a new 12-story residential building. At a C.B. 2 Landmarks Committee meeting on Monday, Dan Kaplan of FXFOWLE, architects for the Rudin project, outlined plans for converting Reiss, built for St. Vincent’s in 1955, to residential use. Because the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission had approved the entire Rudin project in 2009, including the Reiss replacement, the conversion of the old building and its inclusion in the residential project must also get Landmarks approval. Kaplan said the converted Reiss building would be 5 percent smaller — 3,500 square feet less — than the previously planned replacement. Moreover, an underground
garage for 152 parking spaces planned for the replacement will be reduced to 95 spaces in the garage to be built under the converted Reiss building. “We’re delighted to see that Reiss will be adapted. We’re very supportive of this,” said Trevor Stewart, a resident of W. 12th St. and a member of Protect the Village Historic District, a group that has been critical of the Rudin project. Plans for adapting Reiss call for replacing the central portion of the building’s brick facade. Paul Ullman, another resident of W. 12th St., demanded to know about contingency plans in case the facade collapses during the replacement. John Gilbert, chief operating officer of Rudin Management, acknowledged that there are no such plans. “It’s our job to see that doesn’t happen,” Gilbert said of a facade collapse. He noted that Reiss has steel-frame construction. “As a risk manager, I know that bad things can happen,” Ullman said. “We’re concerned about a change in plans [to preserve Reiss] should a disaster occur,” he added. Gilbert said he would look into the issue and respond to Ullman.
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
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Not working, just striking on May Day Continued from page 1 has not just been created; this has always been our First Amendment Area.” Robert Reiss, a resident of nearby Rector Street, said Monday that the controls imposed on the demonstration are “abridgements of the Bill of Rights” an original copy of which is stored inside the historic building. The barricades though have not placed limits on his ability to share the message of Occupy Wall Street with passersby, he said. “The conversations are very inspiring,” said Reiss. “People from China, Paris, Argentina, Japan — they tell of the struggles in their own country. These conversations are occasions of solidarity.” The activists went to Federal Hall April 16 after NYPD officers swept demonstrators from Wall Street where they had slept each night since April 9 across from the New York Stock Exchange. Activists said the move violated a 2000 court decision upholding sleeping on sidewalks as a form of political protest. Though the crowd was small at Federal Hall in the last week, the number of people in Lower Manhattan protesting corporate greed and alleged government malfeasance is expected to swell as next month nears. Activists aim to have a total of 99 picket lines ready in time for May 1 in order to symbolically represent the “99 percent.” About
40 of the planned pickets were organized as of Monday night. Tens of thousands are expected to gather May 1 at Union Square for a rally that has secured a permit from the city. Scheduled speakers will be joined by musicians Tom Morello, Dan Deacon, Immortal Technique, Das Racist and Bobby Sanabria as well as other performers.
“They feel a level of discomfort knowing that they are dealing with something which they don’t control.” — Chris Silvera
A march to the Financial District, scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., will shut down Broadway, organizers said. The march will end at the MTA Headquarters where union members will rally in support of transit workers currently in contract negotiations. More than 100 activist groups, labor
unions and other progressive organizations have pledged to participate in the rally and march. Rhadames Rivera, vice president of SEIU Local 1199, said Monday that more than 12,000 union members are already signed up to participate. That number will likely grow dramatically this week, he added. The inclusion of Occupy Wall Street in this year’s May Day activities has required that a certain balance be struck between the leaderless movement and more traditional organizations such as the labor unions. Representatives of the movement stressed at aN organizing meeting Monday that ‘occupiers’ should resist any efforts to regiment them. Chris Silvera, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 808, said at the meeting that labor leaders “fear” the potential for “anarchist” disruption to May Day plans. “They feel a level of discomfort knowing that they are dealing with something which they don’t control,” said Silvera in an interview. “You know what I’m saying? And I think for the first time, labor is going to make a step to do something in which it is not in complete control. That’s huge.” But he added that the time is ripe for activists from a wide spectrum of society to come out and demonstrate against a political system seen by activists as unresponsive to the needs of working and middle-class Americans. “I want everybody to come out,” said Silvera. “I want everybody who is concerned
about tomorrow… we need to have an America that is not based on war. We need to have an America based on people having good jobs, good education.” While the planned May Day events will bring progressive organizations together in an organized fashion. It remains to be seen how successful Occupy Wall Street activists will be in orchestrating a general strike aimed at disrupting commercial activities in lower Manhattan. The activists are calling for “a day without the 99 percent” where supporters will refrain from working, banking, shopping and school. As part of the effort, ‘occupiers’ have put out calls online to block “one or more” bridges or tunnels going into Manhattan. A “wildcat” march is planned to leave Sara D. Roosevelt Park the afternoon of May 1 before the Union Square rally. An online announcement of the action made April 20 underscored the determination of some segments of the Occupy Wall Street movement to resist outside influence, as well as the potential for May 1 to see fresh clashes between NYPD and ‘occupiers’. “We were told by bosses, by activists, by union leaders we couldn’t strike. Perhaps they suggested, if we wanted to protest we could carry a sign and walk within police barricades, safely cordoned off in a free speech zone,” the statement read. “On May 1st, we aren’t working and we aren’t protesting. We are striking.”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Continued from page 10 “Abuse of Power..” He took this period prior to the election of five new members of the board at Southbridge Towers in which he is a candidate to insidiously attack the five current members of the board who are running for re-election. He has done this by omissions, distortions, and promoting partisanly the issue of privatization that is current at SBT. His arguments surround the issue that was recently voted on by the board whether to allow an activist group in this privatization struggle to use the community room for a discussion.The board legally voted after the five candidates were EXCUSED, which he didn’t mention. The reason given for the vote by the voting member majority was that there was legally in place a board gag order and since all the parties could not participate in the public discussion, it would unfair to bar the board members until the gag order is lifted when the Black Book is issued. I noticed Mr. Hovitz did not mention previous times when the Mitchell/Lama group was allowed to use the community room. Of course, if they really need a space at this time when everything is quiet awaiting the next step in the privatization,
they could rent one. What becomes obvious in Mr.Hovitz’s letter is to promote himself as a watchdog, paint a corrupt board needing a change, subtly supporting the opposition to cooperators owning their own apartments all of which could not be further from the truth. The current board took over after voting out a clique who rarely ran open meetings, treated anyone who disagreed with impolite abruptness, was opaque and secretive about negotiations and finances some of whom were investigated by the district attorney for corrupt dealings. To attack our current board is an insult to everyone living at Southbridge who has seen wonderful improvements inside and out. These include state of the art new windows, top security system, new intercoms, painted halls and new floor tiles, beautiful landscaping of plantings and borders, renovated play areas and child service places,a totally newly renovated ,clean garage with polite efficient service that costs more but is worth it in what I save by not having to wash my car almost every time I take it out and ease of access. Mr Hovitz’s timing and grossly distorted content and unfounded complaints should draw a picture of how to judge him. Sy Schleimer
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
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ARTS FOR ALL SPRING BENEFIT
HOUSE OF GHOSTLY HAUNTS Canal Park Playhouse is extending their run of Cardone The Magician’s spook show. The vaudeville-style act features razor swallowing and spirit conjuring — and ends in 10 minutes of complete darkness. Appropriate for ages 7 and up. Through May 22, Tuesdays, 7pm, at Canal Park Playhouse (508 Canal St., btw. Greenwich & West Sts.). For tickets ($20), visit ovationtix.com or call 866-811-4111. For more info, visit canalparkplayhouse.com. UP TO YOU TADA! Youth Theater presents this not so ordinary high school musical by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart, directed by Janine Nina Trevens. Appropriate for ages 5 and up, it takes place in 1977 during Student Council elections at Hamilton High. The narrator, Eric, is bullied because of rumors about his sexuality and soon learns who his real friends are. Performances run every Sat. & Sun., from April 27-May 20 (except May 13) at 2pm & 4pm; additional performances, Fri., April 27 & May 18 at 7pm. For tickets ($15, $8 for children; premium tickets $25, $15 for children) and more info, visit tadatheater.com. Group rates and birthday party packages are also available. CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS Explore painting, collage and sculpture through self-guided arts projects at this museum dedicated to inspiring the artist within. Open art stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon — giving children the opportunity to exper-
iment with materials such as paint, clay, fabric, paper and found objects. The CMA’s spring benefit (“Imagined Worlds”) is inspired by Japanese artist Misaki Kawai’s current exhibition, “Love from Mt. Pom Pom” (an interactive art exhibit running through June 10). The benefit will feature hands-on art projects, face painting and music by the Raya Brass Band and Americana Family Jamboree. Catering is provided, and guests are invited to Saatchi & Saatchi (375 Hudson St.) after the event. A silent auction featuring everything from sports tickets to fashion packages will be running through May 9, at biddingforgood.com/cma. The Spring Benefit is Sun., May 6, 12-6pm. Tickets are $125 per adult, $45 per child. Ticket packages are available. Regular museum hours: Mon. and Wed., 12-5pm; Thurs.-Fri., 12-6pm; Sat.-Sun., 10am-6pm. Admission: $10; free for seniors and infants (0-12 months). Pay as you wish on Thurs., 4-6pm. At 103 Charlton St. (btw. Hudson and Greenwich Sts.). Call 212-274-0986 or visit cmany.org. For group tours, call 212-274-0986, ext. 31. POETS HOUSE The Poets House Children’s Room gives children and their parents a gateway to enter the world of rhyme — through readings, group activities and interactive performances. For children ages 1-3, the Children’s Room offers “Tiny Poets Time” readings on Thursdays at 10am; for those ages 4-10, “Weekly Poetry Readings” on Saturdays at 11am. Filled with poetry
Help support Arts For All — a nonprofit that matches professional artists with youth organizations to reach children ages 4-19 who have little means, or opportunity, to explore the arts due to economic disadvantages, physical and mental disabilities, hospitalization, socialization issues or emotional trauma. Their 4th Annual Spring Benefit (“Growing Up, Reaching Out”) features a reception, a silent auction and a cabaret performance. Sun., April 29. Reception and auction, 6pm; performance, 7pm. At The Kitchen Performance Space (512 W.19th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). For tickets ($30 to $100), visit arts-for-all. org or call 212-591-6108.
books, old-fashioned typewriters and a card catalogue packed with poetic objects to trigger inspiration, the Children’s Room is open Thurs.-Sat., 11am-5pm. Free admission. At 10 River Terrace. Call 212-431-7920 or visit poetshouse.org. THE SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM The Skyscraper Museum’s “Saturday Family Program” series features workshops designed to introduce children and their families to the principles of architecture and engineering — through hands-on activities. On May 12, children o f a l l a g e s a r e i n v i t e d t o t h e “ M o t h e r ’s D a y C a r d Workshop” to craft their own architecturally themed cards for mom. On May 26, the new exhibit “News PAPER Spires” lets kids ages 8-13 create paper towers like those that housed the newspaper industry at the turn of the 20th century (as seen in Broadway’s
Photo by Steven Barall
Arts For All’s benefit promises a good time, for a good cause.
“Newsies”). All workshops take place from 10:3011:45am, at The Skyscraper Museum (39 Battery Place). Registration required. Call 212-945-6324 or e-mail education@skyscraper.org. Admission: $5 per child, free for members. Museum Hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-6pm. Museum admission: $5, $2.50 for students/ seniors. For info, call 212-945-6324, visit skyscraper. org or email education@skyscraper.org. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR EVENT LISTED IN THE DOWNTOWN EXPRESS? P l e a s e p r o v i d e t h e d a t e , time, location, price and a description of the event. Send to scott@chelseanow.com or mail to 515 Canal S t . , U n i t 1 C , N e w Yo r k C i t y, N Y 1 0 0 1 3 . R e q u e s t s must be received at least three weeks before the event. For more info, call 646-452-2497.
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
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DOWNTOWNEXPRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT They made the final cut
ALL IN
Worthy flicks to see before the Tribeca Film Fest closes
Feature Narrative Directed by Daniel Burman
BY RANIA RICHARDSON The intimate relationship dramas of Argentine director Daniel Burman (“Family Law,� “Lost Embrace�) go straight to the heart. He focuses on family, friends and Jewish heritage without following predictable storylines. “All In� revolves around the quotidian life of Uriel, a poker player and divorced father of two. To what extent can he impact his fate? The Spanish-language title of the film, “La Suerte en Tus Manos,� directly translates as “Luck is in Your Hands.� Uriel is first seen in a doctor’s office, while having a consultation for a vasectomy. This conversation allows him to muse on his life, and to consider the effect the operation would have on his identity as a parent. He reconnects with an old flame, Gloria — but their awkward past intrudes on their present relationship. To appear more attractive to her, he pretends to be a music promoter, not the owner of his father’s finance company. Extending the deception, he jumps through hoops to associate himself with a concert to reunite La Trova Rosarina, a
Screenplay by Daniel Burman & Sergio Dubcovsky In Spanish with English subtitles Runtime: 107 Minutes Thurs. 4/26, 9:30pm & Fri. 4/27, 9:30pm at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea
Photo courtesy of the filmmakers and Tribeca Film Festival
Love in an elevator? Gloria (Valeria Bertuccelli) and Uriel (Jorge Drexler) are “All In.�
real-life group of musicians who were popular in Argentina in the 1980s. Through a contact he meets at a casino, he uses the “international
rabbi connection� to complete the ruse. With its playbook of rules, poker becomes a laboratory for Uriel’s life. Without risk
there is no reward, and fear of failure has no place at the card table. In his big screen acting debut, musician Jorge Drexler makes a charismatic Uriel. (He won an Oscar in 2004 for a song he composed for “The Motorcycle Diaries�.) Valeria Bertuccelli, a wellknown South American actress, is fine as Gloria — but her odd, heavy eyebrows are a distraction. Playing Gloria’s mother, Norma Aleandro, grande dame of Argentine theater and cinema, is a wise and elegant presence as an author on a book tour, who counsels her daughter.
Continued on page 23
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
Continued from page 22
JOURNEY TO PLANET X Feature Documentary Directed by Myles Kane & Josh Koury Runtime: 78 Minutes Sat. 4/28, 1pm at AMC Loews Village
BY TRAV S.D. One layer removed from the science fiction vehicle suggested by its title, this documentary is actually about the earnest effort of two amateur Floridian filmmakers to bring their grandiose sci-fi vision to the big screen on the proverbial shoestring. Scientists by day (one is a geologist, the other a civil engineer), they spend every weekend wrangling friends, relatives and a few professionals onto their improvised green screen studio in a family garage and putting them at the wheel of imaginary spaceships (while wearing street clothes and spray painted bicycle helmets). That the result resembles nothing so much as an Atari era video game doesn’t discourage them in the slightest. The guys who made “Journey to Planet X,� Myles Kane and Josh Koury (co-founders of the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival) have the beginnings of something amazing here — but I feel like that they stopped shooting in the middle of the story. There’s a potentially more interesting film here than the one they’ve given us, which has more than a little in common
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Photo courtesy of the filmmakers and Tribeca Film Festival
Eric Swain crafts an epic journey, on a shoestring budget.
with “American Movie,� “It Came from Kuchar� and the copiously documented “Raiders: The Adaptation.� The real story is not the “crazy visionaries make a laughably bad movie but really love what they’re doing� motif. It’s the tense relationship between the two partners, who seem to represent two poles. Eric is the pure visionary, the founder, who makes his films for the love of it and no other reason. He doesn’t seem to care if two people see them or two million. Troy, on the other hand, is ambitious, driven and insistent upon improvements. In time, he becomes downright arrogant. Though Eric started the whole proj-
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ect and is its main underwriter, Troy names and trademarks their production company (the unpronounceable “Ginnungagap FilmWerks�), licenses merchandise, and submits the film to festivals — essentially hijacking Eric’s hobby in a bid to become a Grade Z Spielberg. We leave the duo as they are riding high on their first film festival acceptance. One strongly suspects, however, that the duo is heading for either a fall or a split — and neither one is going to be pretty.
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Contact Rabbi David Kalb at DKalb@92Y.org, call 212.415.5767 or visit 92Y.org/Connect 92Y Connect After-School programming receives major funding from The Samuel Bronfman Foundation; generous scholarship support is provided by the Stacey and Matthew Bronfman Scholarship Fund.
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TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 29 To order tickets, visit tribecafilm.com or call 646-502-5296
5 Tribeca Cinemas (TC), 54 Varick St. (at Laight St.). 6 Apple Store, SoHo, 103 Prince St. (at Greene St.). 7 Chanel Art Awards Gallery at NYAA, 111 Franklin St. 8 Barnes & Noble Union Square, 33 E. 17th St. 9 Tribeca Film Center (TFC), 375 Greenwich St. (2nd floor, btw. N. Moore & Franklin Sts.). 10 Tribeca Drive-In, at the World Financial Center Plaza, West St. (btw. Vesey & Liberty Sts.). 11 Apple Store, 401 West 14th St. (at 9th Ave.). 12 Hudson River Park’s Pier 40, 353 West St. (Houston at West Side Highway). 13 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. (btw. Canal & Vestry Sts.).
TICKET PACKAGES:
SINGLE TICKETS: VENUES: Evening & Weekend screenings (after 6pm, Mon.-Fri. and Sat./Sun. prior to 11pm) are $16. Matinee & Late Night screenings (prior to 6pm, Mon.-Fri. or after 11pm daily) are $8. Tribeca Talks are $25.
1 Clearview Cinemas Chelsea (CCC), 260 W. 23rd St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). 2 AMC Loews Village 7 (AV7), 66 Third Ave. (at 11th St.). 3 SVA Theater (SVA), 333 W. 23rd St. (btw. 8th & 9th Aves.). 4 BMCC Tribeca PAC (BMCC), 199 Chambers St. (btw. Greenwich & West Sts.).
Junior & Teen Sailing Camps These week-long programs inspire kids and develop self-confidence. Each week includes lots of fresh air, sunshine and healthy activity. Ages 8 to 18 Tuition ranges from $390 to $690 per week Full details & color pictures at www.sailmanhattan.com or call Manhattan Sailing School At 212-786-0400.
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DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE for students, seniors and select Downtown Manhattan residents (ticket outlet locations only). Service charges and fulfillment fees may apply. CHELSEA TICKET PACKAGE is $75 for six general screening tickets to films showing at SVA Theater and
downtown express
Clearview Cinemas Chelsea (two per screening).
DOCUMENTARY FILM FAN PACKAGE is $75 for six general screening tickets (two per screening).
MATINEE FILMS TICKET PACKAGE is $39 for six matinee screening tickets (two per screening).
LATE NIGHT/MATINEE SINGLE TICKET PACKAGE is $39 for six single late night or matinee screening tickets (one per screening).
EVENING/WEEKEND SINGLE TICKET PACKAGE is $75 for six single evening or weekend screening tickets (one per screening).
RUSH TICKETS: Screenings and panels that have no more advance tickets available will be listed as Rush Tickets. Rush ticket lines will form approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled event times at the venue. Admission will begin approximately 15 minutes before program start time based on availability. Rush tickets are priced as noted above, except at the BMCC Tribeca PAC Theater, where all Rush tickets will be $8 and Tribeca Talks will be $15. No discounts apply and admission is not guaranteed.
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
26 Continued from page 23 BY SCOTT STIFFLER Don’t you hate it when scruffy, selfabsorbed, seemingly unemployed creative types rage against society for not supporting the arts? Don’t you just want to hit them…really hard…repeatedly? If so, a void has been filled by this overbearing yet engaging love letter to the merits of “pure cinema” over the piffle of multiplex diversions. In a world where suit and tie drones rush to work without giving any thought whatsoever to the soul-nourishing output of John Ford, Akira Kurosawa and Buster Keaton, Japanese filmmaker Shuji keeps their flame alive by holding public screenings on the rooftop of his apartment — when not busy working on his own money pit masterpieces. Forcibly extracted from one of those picturesque screenings, Shuji soon finds himself in the office of some very bad Yakuza (organized crime) men. There, he’s handed his brother’s head on a platter — actually, in a tastefully wrapped box. Life in the big city may be cheap, but making art isn’t. So he’s given a bill for his late brother’s outstanding loan of 12,540,000 yen. Wracked by guilt (that money went to pay for his films) and given a deadline (pay up in two weeks or else), Shuji comes to an arrangement whereby he can clear his debt — and maybe his guilty conscience. Those weights and boxing equipment littering the gangster’s hangout? They aren’t cutting it as way for enforcers to sharpen their skills — so Shuji hires him-
BY BONNIE ROSENSTOCK Ah, the southern Spanish city of Seville. This beautiful and captivating land of magnificent Moorish monuments is also the soul-searing heartland of flamenco cante and baile, and home to nightlife that doesn’t get going until way after midnight. You will find none of this in “Unit 7.” Several years before and up to the opening of the 1992 Seville World Expo, which is to give the city prestige and an important economic boost, the four cops in the autonomous unit have been given free rein — unofficially and by any means necessary, it seems — to rid the city of rampant drug trafficking (Barcelona hosted the Olympics that year). The two main characters are the aptnamed Angel, the baby-faced rookie who aspires to make detective but can’t pass the grueling physical because of his diabetes — and Rafael, a world-weary cop with a penchant for brutal, but successful, tactics in his takedowns. During the course of the years, the two will reverse roles, as Angel transforms into a loose cannon and Rafael searches for a modicum of peace in his cheerless life. The fast-paced, taut police drama — not your formulaic Hollywood cop-buddy flick — takes us on a vertiginous ride through
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CUT Feature Narrative Directed by Amir Naderi Screenplay by Amir Naderi, Abou Farman, Shinji Aoyama & Yuichi Tazawa In Japanese with English subtitles Runtime: 120 Minutes Thurs. 4/26, 6:3pm and Fri. 4/27, 10pm at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea
self out as a human punching bag. Apparently he’s too proud to take out a bank loan…or maybe he’s just too big of a credit risk in the eyes of the mainstream culture he loves to rail against (in the street, or on his rooftop, often with the help of a megaphone). No matter. Our hero is determined to meet his obligations the hard way — by serving as the main attraction in a one-sided fight club, which meets in the very room where his brother was murdered. There’s a fine line between acts of moral fortitude and showy martyrdom. Bruised and bloody, Shuji becomes a rather extreme symbol for the noble sacrifices artists must make in order to create. As the beatings increase in intensity, the young man with a flair for the dramatic recuperates at night by projecting classic films across his battered (and surprisingly buff!) naked chest and torso.
Photo courtesy of CUT LLC 2011
Shuji (Hidetoshi Nishijima) gets creative, the hard way.
These beautifully rendered scenes have more to say about the healing power of cinema than all of Shuji’s poser rants combined. Is that this film’s fatal flaw, or its most clever conceit? Hard to say. One thing’s for sure: The final reel will either inspire you to seek out the work of celluloid masters or reinforce the notion that film scholarship is an insular world best left to pasty,
self-satisfied screening room nerds. Either way, as Shuji can tell you, it sure beats a kick in the head (or a punch to the gut). Moody and cerebral — yet bloody and violent — “Cut” doesn’t quite, well, cut it when it comes to broad appeal. But if you don’t mind being preached to about the virtues of art as a gateway to truth, you’ll probably exit the theater as a member of the choir.
UNIT 7 Feature Narrative Directed by Alberto Rodriguez Screenplay by Rafael Cobos & Alberto Rodriguez In Spanish with English subtitles Runtime: 92 Minutes Wed. 4/25, 10pm at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea
the underbelly of Seville. Except for the thrilling rooftop chases, where the centuries-old domes, cupolas and pediments are unavoidable in the frames, this earthy shoot-’em-up (with a low body count) travels through the broken alleyways and trashstrewn plazas and streets with crumbling building facades. Even the mighty Guadalquivir, which runs through the city, is used for nefarious purposes — the junkies and small-time dealers are made to strip and jump into the river until they agree to change their
Photo by Julio Vergne
Taking crime for a one-way ride: The dirty cops of “Unit 7.”
wanton ways or become snitches. “Each junkie is a snitch,” says one of the cops… but sometimes, even junkies strike back. Co-writer and director Alberto Rodriguez knows how to provide ambience and mold offbeat anti-heroes — the cops, and yes,
the sympathetic madam, who is enmeshed in their downward spiral into corruption. Seville has always been a city of shadows. This movie brings them into the light.
Continued on page 27
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
DOWNEAST Feature Documentary Directed by David Redmon & Ashley Sabin Runtime: 76 Minutes Sat. 4/28, 9:45pm at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea
Continued from page 26 BY RANIA RICHARDSON At a time when manufacturing jobs are moving out of the U.S. or disappearing altogether, the entrepreneur who attempts to open a local plant is a hero. In “Downeast,” a new documentary by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin (“Mardi Gras: Made in China,” “Kamp Katrina”), that hero is Antonio Bussone — an Italian immigrant who envisions a former Maine sardine cannery reconfigured as a lobster processing plant. In 2010 the last sardine was packed in the U.S., in that very space. Now the work is done across the border in Canada or overseas. By rehiring the workers who were laid off from the cannery, Bussone brings hope to the small coastal town of Gouldsboro, Maine, where many of the elderly citizens can’t afford to retire. In hairnets, white coats and rubber boots, senior workers stand all day at factory tables picking meat out of lobster claws and knuck-
BABYGIRL Feature Narrative Written & Directed by Macdara Vallely In English & Spanish with English subtitles Runtime: 77 Minutes Fri. 4/27, 9:00pm at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea. Also available at the Tribeca Online Film Festival (visit tribecafilm.com).
BY ALINE REYNOLDS Irish filmmaker and director Macdara Vallely’s mesmerizing slice of everyday life cleverly takes a mundane plot and turns it into a dramatic, heartfelt story. Lena grapples with the challenges of navigating life as a Bronx teenager while watching her troubled mother, Lucy, get physically and emotionally involved with a succession of men. Neither melodramatic nor farcical, the film strikes a near-perfect balance between seriousness and humor — beginning from the first frame, as the credits roll against a backdrop of neatly synchronized urban sketches.
Photo by Meghan Brosnan
Out with the sardines, in with the lobster: “Downeast” chronicles the transition from cannery to processing plant.
les quickly and efficiently, with the expertise that comes from 30 or more years in the seafood industry. Bussone sees his orders increase and customers report that the lobster is “the best they’ve ever had.” But it’s not all smooth sailing. Bussone has a rival by the name of Dana Rice, a competing lobster-
Engaging right through its poignant ending, when Lena’s bond with Lucy is put to the test and their vulnerabilities are brashly exposed, “Babygirl” draws its strength from the mother and daughter’s underlying devotion to each other — despite their flaws and conflicting agendas. Expertly played by Yainis Ynoa, Lena is captivating throughout. She is unflaggingly protective — exposing the questionable behavior of her mother’s latest boy toy, Victor, and showing spunk as she pushes away potential boyfriends for herself. Her soft side manifests when she reciprocates Victor’s affection and lets her guard down with her crush, Xavier — making Lena at once credible and relatable. Lucy’s character is also intriguing, but she is more predictable and stereotypical. Vallely’s infusion of subtleties keeps you continuously in suspense or otherwise entertained — as when Lena, carrying a knife, approaches the front door of her mother’s apartment to let Victor in, and when she, Victor and Lucy are frantically calling one another to divulge secrets and vent. Although peppered with witty dialogue that invigorates its often predictable scenes, the film lacks essential bits of context. We never find out about Lena’s absent father, or how Lucy makes enough of a living to keep food on the table for her two children. We’re also left to speculate about
man and a selectman in the town. Rice opposes a federal grant that will keep the plant operational, despite a unanimous vote in favor, by the community. With a New England accent out of an old Pepperidge Farm commercial, Rice holds his ground against the critical relief fund.
Who will win the battle? Bussone sees business as a form of self-expression, and takes the clash personally. No doubt that Rice has similar feelings. In the last decade, millions of U.S. manufacturers have shuttered, and without a lifeline in the form of financing, this will be one of them.
Photo by Ryan Muir
Lena (Yainis Ynoa) navigates the Bronx — and young adulthood.
whether Lena, who works at a grocery store, dropped out of school. These details would have given viewers a broader understanding of the characters, their lifestyle and the motivation for their choices.
These flaws, as notable as they are, can’t detract from the gritty, powerful world that Vallely has created — in which the flaws of a mother and daughter are no match for the strength of their enduring bond.
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April 25 - May 1, 2012
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Saturday, May 12, 2012 | 10 AM – Noon | Wall Street Park – BETWEEN WATER AND SOUTH STREETS –
The Downtown Alliance invites you to Spring Community Day, a day to spruce up Wall Street Park and enjoy family-friendly activities. Bring family and friends and volunteer to keep your community clean, enjoy light snacks, and meet your neighbors.
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To stay up-to-date on all Lower Manhattan events, scan the 2-D bar code, visit www.DowntownNY.com or download our Downtown NY iPhone App from the App Store.