Downtown Express, Week of July 11, 2012 by Schneps Media

W.T.C. WORKER’S FALL WAS WAITING TO HAPPEN VOLUME 25, NUMBER 3

JULY 11-24, 2012

Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer. Turn to page 12 to see more.

CRUISING THE HUDSON ON INDEPENDENCE DAY

B.M.C.C. gears up for new Fiterman Hall grand opening BY A L I N E R E Y NO L D S fter more than a decade, a brand new building named after the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s famed Fiterman Hall, which was irreparably damaged on 9/11, is reopening to students and teachers in August. The building’s opening marks the culmination of close to three years of construction work on the $325 million building, which is approximately 15,000 square feet more spacious than the original. The former building was demolished in 2009 following years of financial- and construction-related impasses.

The new Fiterman Hall will house 80 classrooms equipped with technologically advanced equipment along with individual offices for staff and soundproof music rooms. With an enrollment of approximately 24,500 students — roughly 8,500 more than it had in 2001 — B.M.C.C. claims the title of the largest undergraduate institution in New York City, according to college president Antonio Perez. The president, along with administration and planning vice president Scott Anderson and a representative of Hunter Roberts Construction, the building’s contractor, recently gave the

Downtown Express a private tour of the new building. Though the brick-and-glass building, situated on Greenwich Street between Barclay Street and Park Place, boasts 10 more classrooms than its predecessor and increases B.M.C.C.’s classroom capacity by a third, B.M.C.C. is still considerably short of adequate space for its students. Currently, the school offers classes at the college’s main building at 199 Chambers St. and at a building at 70 Murray St., in addition to locations in Upper Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Continued on page 20

B Y SAM SPOKONY n Tues., June 26, a construction worker at 4 World Trade Center fell from a height of about six feet and was hospitalized for his injuries. While the worker has since been released from the hospital and the incident hasn’t appeared to disrupt construction, the Downtown Express has gained access to federal records revealing that a lack of safeguards has resulted in major safety hazards at the W.T.C. in recent years. According to documents from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.), an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor (D.O.L.), four different contractors on the W.T.C. site have been slammed with violations resulting from inadequate fall protection since October 2010. Three of the four violations were categorized as “serious.” According to O.S.H.A. regulations, a serious citation is given when death or physical harm is likely to result from a safety hazard uncovered by inspectors. The most recent of the four violations was issued in June 2011 to the Laquila Group, a contractor at the time for 3 W.T.C. The situation, deemed serious, was described by O.S.H.A. safety inspectors as one in which a construction worker “stood on top of uncapped rebar up to six feet high, exposing himself to a fall to the cement foundation below.” In the 4 W.T.C. incident, which took place on June 26, the worker injured himself on a piece of rebar, according to a statement released by John Gallagher, a spokesperson for Tishman Construction, construction manager for Towers 1, 3 and 4. A spokesperson for Laquila said that his company no longer has workers at the W.T.C. site. Tishman declined a request for comment. Two O.S.H.A. violations were issued in February 2011 — to two different contractors — for inad-

Continued on page 16

“CLYBOURNE PARK” PROVOKES. TURN TO ARTS , PAGE 26.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Your company insurance changed again? Downtown Express photo by Sam Spokony

Another reason to call.

Big Onion Walking Tours guide Jessamyn Conrad leads a group past St. Paul’s Chapel (in the background) and elsewhere in Downtown to learn about some of New York’s most influential Revolution-era sites.

Tracing Downtown’s revolutionary roots by foot B Y SAM SPOKONY group of local residents and tourists from around the nation gathered Downtown on the afternoon of the 4th of July to kick off their Independence Day celebrations — but they weren’t there just to prep for the fireworks. This was a journey into the history of the American Revolution, taken amid a stroll through streets with timeless stories to tell. It was Big Onion Walking Tours’ “Revolutionary New York” tour, which began just outside City Hall at the intersection of Broadway and Murray Street. Tour guide Jessamyn Conrad, a nonfiction author and a graduate student at Columbia University, began by introducing the crowd to a little-known reminder of the revolution. Inside City Hall Park, and in plain sight while walking down Broadway, stands a replica of the Liberty Pole that was erected near the same spot about a decade before the American Revolutionary War began. Liberty Poles were built out of ship masts taken from the port cities and placed throughout the colonies in order to show support for the growing tide of independence, said Conrad. But Conrad quickly noted that the site of the Liberty Pole revealed what she called “a great irony of the American Revolution.” During the 18th century, the grounds beneath the pole — a symbol of freedom from the British crown — also held a massive burial ground for black slaves, she said. Although slaves made up a sizable proportion of the population of the colonies at that time, members of that group were not included in the Patriots’ call for freedom.

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From there, Conrad took the group to St. Paul’s Chapel at Broadway and Vesey Street. The chapel, which first opened in 1766, is known by some as Manhattan’s oldest public building that is still in use. But many people don’t realize what a stroke of luck that is, she explained, because it was one of the only Lower Manhattan buildings to survive the Great Fire of New York, which took place in 1776. Since the British quickly captured New York City at the start of the Revolutionary War to use as a base of operations, Patriots started the Great Fire in order to burn down anything that might have been useful to their enemies. The chapel’s survival likely disappointed revolutionaries seeking to raze the entire area, but it served another historic role after the war. St. Paul’s was, in fact, the place where George Washington attended services on April 30, 1789, the morning of his presidential inauguration. Another stop on the tour was the monument to Revolutionary War prisoners, located in the Trinity Wall Street churchyard on Broadway and Pine Street. The monument, built in 1856, honored the Americans who died in New York’s British prisons during the war. Only about 29 percent of American deaths in the Revolutionary War occurred in combat, according to Conrad, and most of the other 71 percent of deaths actually occurred in British prisons. She added that, of the prisoners, an extremely high number — between 30 and 40 percent — died on the ships that, docked in New Continued on page 21

July 11 - 24, 2012

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9, 12-21 EDITORIAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11 YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-24, 26-27 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUIT FENCED-IN CHASE PLAZA

OVER

Financial District residents are up in arms over the fact that Chase Manhattan Plaza, the two-acre space between Pine, Liberty, Nassau and William Streets, is still fenced off and under constant security watch. Although the plaza, owned by JPMorgan Chase, had once been open to the public for decades, it was closed off in midSeptember of last year and has remained so ever since. “After having some discussions, we’ve agreed that a valuable resource has been taken away from our community,” said Ro Sheffe, chair of Community Board 1’s Financial District Committee. “Thousands of people once crossed that plaza, and it featured beautiful artwork. Its abrupt withdrawal, in an area that has so few open spaces, has been devastating.” Now, a lawsuit by city resident Richard Nagan has sparked questions about Chase’s refusal to disclose the reasons for the fence around the plaza, according to the New York Times. Many people originally believed that the bank closed the space in order to prevent Occupy Wall Street protesters from entering, according to the Times, but when the protests died down, it was unclear why the fence stayed up. Chase said it was for renovations, but it refused to publicly release the overhaul plans. Nagan subsequently sued the city Department of Buildings in order to challenge Chase’s refusal. The suit is still ongoing, according to the Times. Meanwhile, Sheffe said the board’s Financial District, Quality of Life and Urban Planning committees will be crafting a joint resolution in the coming weeks, calling on Chase to explain its reasons for keeping the plaza bordered up.

BLOOMBERG OPPOSES PORT AUTHORITY’S PROPOSAL FOR 9/11 MEMORIAL Mayor Michael Bloomberg has rejected the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s recent attempt to gain more oversight of the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum. In an announcement made Mon., July 2, the mayor said he wants to keep the memorial out of the “political process,” according to the New York Post. Bloomberg chairs the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Foundation, the non-profit organization that runs the memorial. The Port Authority, which is overseen by the governors of New York and New Jersey, owns the World Trade Center site. Construction on the memorial has slowed drastically over the past year due to multiple disputes between the foundation and the Port Authority. A spokesman for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo seemed to make a jab at Bloomberg by telling the Wall Street Journal that the museum shouldn’t be politicized — but noted that the mayor and the governors are political officials themselves. The Port Authority didn’t return calls for comment by press time.

POTENTIAL G.S.A. LEASE AT 1 W.T.C. IS STALLED IN CONGRESS Although the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have approved a plan for the U.S. General Services Administration (G.S.A.) to take five floors at 1 World Trade Center, the agreement is now stalled in a U.S. congressional committee, according to the New York Post. House Representative John Mica, a Republican from Florida, has halted the deal due to issues unrelated to the W.T.C. site, including a feud with the G.S.A. over building space in Washington, D.C., the Post article said. Mica is the chairman of

the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which must approve the deal before the lease is finalized. The Port Authority as well as a U.S. Senate committee have already approved the lease. The 20-year lease, were it to be sealed, would make the G.S.A. the third tenant of 1 W.T.C. after Condé Nast and Beijing Vantone Real Estate Co., a Chinese property firm. The G.S.A. would receive close to 300,000 square feet of space in the deal, paying a total of $351.4 million in rent over the first 20 years, with as many as four 15-year renewal options, according to an article on bloomberg.com. The G.S.A. didn’t return a request for comment by press time. One W.T.C., which is owned by both the Port Authority and the Durst Organization, is expected to open sometime in 2014.

C. B. 1 A schedule of upcoming Community Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless otherwise noted, all committee meetings are held at the board office, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709 at 6 p.m.

ON WED., JULY 11: The Tribeca and Waterfront committees will host a joint meeting.

ON THURS., JULY 12:

PORT DIRECTOR SAYS 9/11 MEMORIAL SHOULD INCLUDE THE SPHERE While the Fritz Koenig Sphere sculpture still sits in Battery Park, those who advocate moving it onto the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum have gained a powerful voice of support. On Thurs., June 28, Pat Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said he believes that the Sphere should be a part of the 9/11 Memorial, according to the Associated Press. “This is an artifact that survived and was affected by the horrors of 9/11, and placing it on the Memorial Plaza, we think, is entirely appropriate,” Foye said at the Port Authority’s June 28 monthly board meeting, as quoted by the A.P. The Sphere, which is 25 feet tall, has been in Battery Park for over a decade since its removal from the W.T.C. site after the 9/11 attacks. Due to the renovations set to begin in the park later this month, the sculpture will have be moved somewhere soon — whether it’s back to Ground Zero or into storage at John F. Kennedy Airport. Foye’s comments will likely boost the spirits of those who’ve pushed for installing the Sphere at the Memorial — but it may create tension between the Port Authority and 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels, who has publicly turned down the prospect of the Sphere’s relocation to the Memorial Plaza. As quoted in a Downtown Express article from May, Daniels told Community Board 1’s World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee, “We fully, 100 percent support the Sphere being kept outside in a way the public can experience whenever they want to, but it’s not going to be incorporated in the eight-acre Memorial Plaza.”

C.B. 1 OFFICIALLY APPOINTS NEW HEADS It’s now official: Community Board 1 has a new team of chiefs. Tribeca resident Julie Menin, who served as the board’s chair for seven years, passed the torch last week to former vice chair Catherine McVay Hughes, who ran for the position uncontested. Battery Park City resident Anthony Notaro won the seat of vice chair, while Adam Malitz beat Marc Ameruso for the board’s secretary position. C.B. 1 member Dennis Gault ran uncontested for assistant secretary, while John Fratta, chair of the board’s Seaport-Civic Center Committee, won over Housing Committee chair Tom Goodkind for the treasurer’s seat. Hughes, a longtime resident of the Financial District, expressed excitement to take the helm and plans to institute a few key changes to the board from the get-go. “It’s a lot of work — a lot happens Downtown!” she told the Downtown Express just after her first staff meeting as chair. The board, under Hughes’ direction, will also be combining

The Landmarks Committee will meet.

ON TUES., JULY 17: The Seaport-Civic Center Committee will meet.

ON THURS., JULY 19: The Quality of Life Committee will meet.

ON MON., JULY 23: The Housing Committee will meet.

ON TUES., JULY 24: The Executive Committee will meet.

the World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee with the Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee. The new committee, Hughes said, will be renamed the Urban Planning Committee. “It’s very important to reincorporate the W.T.C. into the surrounding area once again,” explained Hughes. “We’re looking at reincorporating it into the fabric of Lower Manhattan.”

C.B. 1 URGES COPS TO UNBLOCK WALL STREET’S BULL Community Board 1 has passed a resolution urging the New York Police Department to remove the barricades surrounding the Wall Street Charging Bull statue, which is located in the north plaza of Bowling Green Park. The resolution, which passed unanimously at C.B. 1’s June 26 full-board meeting, cites a “potential hazard” currently faced by the statue’s visitors, who are forced to stand in the street — rather than more safely within the plaza — while admiring and photographing the iconic bull. The barricades steer tourists into the path of vehicular traffic and “detract significantly from the appeal of the sculpture,” according to the resolution. The N.Y.P.D. first placed barriers around the bull on Sept. 17, 2011 to prevent Occupy Wall Street protesters from tampering with it, and the metal guard rails have remained there ever since. In addition to asking for the barricades’ removal, the C.B. 1 resolution calls for an end to other “severe security measures,” including the constant presence of a police car in front of the Charging Bull.

CHINATOWN LEADER PICKED TO HELP REDRAW THE CITY’S DISTRICTS Justin Yu, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York, which is headquartered in Chinatown, was Continued on page 17

July 11 - 24, 2012

STUYVESANT CHEATERS

GAME TIME THEFT

Seventy-one Stuyvesant High School students involved in the cheating scandal discovered in June will have to take their state Regents exams over again. Six of them face suspension from the elite school. On Mon., July 9, NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott announced the preliminary findings of the investigation into the cheating incidents. Sixteen-year-old Nayeem Ahsan, a Stuyvesant junior, was expelled from the school for using a cell phone to send photos of Regents exams to several friends. Five of the six students facing suspension had ties to Ahsan, and the sixth is in trouble regarding a different cheating incident, according to a Daily News item. Most of the 71 students who have to re-take the tests, which could be as early as August, are juniors.

A man who hid his bag among the weeds in front of Pier 25 at North Moore and West Streets while he joined a sports game on the afternoon of Wed., July 4, caught a glimpse of three strangers who found the bag around 3 p.m., took its contents and fled. The victim was too late to stop the thieves.

BILLY SET IT UP Two women were severely beaten shortly before midnight on Sat., July 7 by four men who fled at Canal and Washington Streets from a limousine in which they were all riding, police said. The victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital with severe but non-fatal injuries. One of the suspects was described as 5’10” and weighing 200 pounds. The victims told police the ride was organized by a man named Billy.

BAGS STOLEN A woman shopping at the Food Emporium, at 316 Greenwich St. near Reade Street around 1 p.m. on Thurs., July 5, put her bag on her shopping cart and left it for a while to get some items. The bag, which contained her prescription medication and $240, was gone when she returned. A Queens woman, 27, was spending the evening of Fri., June 22 at Beekman Beer Garden, 89 South St. in the South Street Seaport, and discovered at 11 p.m. that her bag, which she had placed on the bar, was gone. A woman patron of Stella, at 213 Front St. in the Seaport, placed her bag on a hook under the bar while she went to dance with a friend shortly before midnight on Sat., June 30 and discovered it was gone when she returned.

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An unidentified man was electrocuted when he fell from the platform of the Grand Street ‘B’ and ‘D’ subway station platform at 12:35 a.m. on Sun., July 8. The victim, 28, was apparently drunk when he fell and was declared dead at the scene.

Three suspects were arrested in S.O.B.’s, the club at 204 Varick St., around 12:45 a.m. Fri., July 6 for punching a victim and hitting him over the head with a bottle. Harvendee Singh, 32, Bhanwar Nayyar, 26, and Milan Singh, 22, were all charged with assault.

CLINTON STREET STABBING

A woman told police she parked her car in front of 95 Vandam St. around 10:40 a.m. on Sat., July 7, left her bag and locked the car. She returned at 3 a.m. the next day to find the car still locked, but her bag with her iPhone was gone.

AUTO BREAK-IN Police responded to a stabbing at LaGuardia Houses (250 Clinton St., at Cherry Street) shortly before 6 a.m. on Tues., July 10. The victim, who didn’t immediately cooperate with the cops that were investigating the incident, was taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No one was arrested, and police are investigating the case.

BICYCLE TRUCK CRASH A rider of a motorbike, who was observed weaving in and out of traffic on Mon., July 9, crashed into a truck at the corner of Rivington and Clinton Streets around 2:25 p.m., police said. The victim, who wasn’t identified, was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a broken leg.

BURGLARS TAKE THE RSVP Burglars who broke into RSVP, the club at 15 Watts St. near Broome Street, sometime after 2:30 a.m. on Sun., July 8, made off with a safe holding about $800 and computer equipment valued at $3,600, police said. An employee had locked up and set the alarm when he left the club and discovered the next morning that the alarm was off but that the door remained locked. Police said there was evidence that a rear Thompson Street entry had been forced open.

SHOPLIFTERS The management at the Chanel boutique, at 139 Spring St., discovered around 12:33 p.m. on Sat., June 30 that a silver Chanel bag valued at $5,100 had been stolen from a display table. Two suspects entered the True Religion boutique, at 132 Prince St., around 4:28 p.m. on Wed., July 4, stuffed six pairs of jeans collectively valued at $1,710 into a shopping bag and managed to leave the place — one at a time — without paying for the items.

THE HUNT FOR THE COP SHOOTER Police are seeking the gunman who shot a fellow police officer while he was on a vertical patrol of the Lower East Side’s Seward Park Houses, at 64-66 Essex St., around 3:45 a.m. on Thurs., July 5. Officer Brian Groves, 30, a seven-year New York Police Department veteran and the father of two children, was saved by his bulletproof vest, which stopped a bullet that was fired from about eight feet away, police said. Groves fired four shots at the suspect before he realized he had been hit; it isn’t known if the gunman sustained any injury before he fled. Groves later collapsed from the pain of the impact of the bullet, estimated to be between .25 and .32 caliber. Groves and his partner, Erick Corneil, both Housing Bureau police, were responding to suspected narcotics activity in the Seward Park Houses stairwells. Such vertical patrols start at the top-floor staircase of a building and end at the ground floor. Groves saw the suspect with a silver handgun when he opened the stairwell door on the 22nd floor of the Essex Street building, shouted “Gun!” and began chasing the suspect, who turned between the 19th and 18th floors and fired at least one shot. The bullet imbedded itself in the Kevlar vest, less that an inch from Groves’ heart, police said. In the investigation that followed, two men were seen being led away in handcuffs, but no charges have been filed as yet, police said.

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Rocky ride for bike-share program in Battery Park City B Y T E RE SE L O E B K R E U Z E R ew York City’s bike-share program, with 10,000 bikes and 600 stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, is supposed to debut this month in Lower Manhattan. Once it’s up and running, the initiative will be the largest of its kind in North America, according to the NYC Department of Transportation. But some people in Battery Park City aren’t happy with where the bikes will be placed. The bikes will be available to anyone ages 16 or older and will be rentable by the day, the week or on an annual basis. An access card will allow users to pick up a bike in one location and return it to another using an unlocking code to remove the bikes from the docks. Four racks holding 124 bikes will be located in Battery Park City — in the center of West Thames Street near South End Avenue, on the east side of South End Avenue near Albany Street, on the south side of Vesey Street near North End Avenue and at West and Chambers Streets. The West Thames Street location is drawing the most fire from B.P.C. residents. “West Thames is a real dangerous road between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. — more so than any other time, because you have kids crossing and buses and everything else,” according to Tammy Meltzer, a member of Community Board 1’s B.P.C. Committee. “My concern is that there’s a U-turn over there, because it’s a wide location [and] there are no crosswalks.” Percy Corcoran, a public member of the committee, echoed Meltzer’s concern. She said that the middle of the road, where the proposed rack would be placed, was designed as an emergency vehicle lane and for large vehicles such as flatbed trucks. “It’s important to have that clear,” she said, noting as Meltzer did that many buses come around that corner. “Just put the bike rack on the South Cove cul-desac, where the bike path is, or on West Street,” she suggested. In a letter addressed to Luis Sanchez, the D.O.T.’s Manhattan Borough Commissioner, the Battery Park City Authority also asked that the West Thames Street and Vesey Street bike rack locations be reconsidered, according to B.P.C.A. spokesperson Matthew Monahan. The B.P.C.A. has also asked for the principal of Stuyvesant High School to be brought into the discussion over the proposed location on Chambers Street. “There seems to have been an underinvolvement of the broader community and the community board,” Monahan commented. “That was also expressed to Commissioner Sanchez.” According to the D.O.T.’s website describing the bike-share program, prior to releasing a map that shows the proposed sites for the bike racks, the

Department held approximately 35 public bike-share demonstrations and open houses that were offered in three languages and upwards of 50 presentations to community boards. The D.O.T. also met with other stakeholders, institutions and business improvement districts and collected nearly 10,000 station location suggestions, according to the site. Jeff Galloway, chair of C.B. 1’s newly named Urban Planning Committee, said the D.O.T. indeed presented the bikeshare program to the Downtown community board, whose membership includes residents of Battery Park City, Tribeca and the Financial District. He also said that there was a public meeting held at Pace University in the spring to discuss where the bike-share stands should be sited. “I’m sure that what we’re seeing in Battery Park City is occurring in various neighborhoods in the five boroughs, where there may have been similar outreach to local communities and, all of a sudden, the site shows up on somebody’s doorstep and they say, ‘wait a second. I didn’t hear about this,’” Galloway observed. “Certainly, in terms of the community board itself, it was well publicized.” He said he’d reserve judgment on the West Thames Street bike rack location until he sees the D.O.T.’s actual plans, which was to be presented to C.B. 1 on July 11. “One of the main problems with West Thames Street is that it’s too wide,” he said. “Anything that serves to effectively narrow the street is likely to improve the traffic situation.” George Calderaro, vice chair of C.B. 1’s B.P.C. Committee, noted that the bike racks aren’t permanent structures and can be moved if the sites initially selected turn out to create problems. Galloway was optimistic that the D.O.T. would work things out in a way that would satisfy the community. “The experience we’ve had with them so far is that they’ve been very responsive to community input,” he said. The bike-share program is being underwritten with a $41 million grant from Citibank. It is being run and operated by NYC Bike Share, whose parent company, Alta Bicycle Share, runs similar systems in Boston and Washington, D.C. Bikes will be available 24 hours a day throughout the year, unless weather conditions make cycling hazardous, according to the D.O.T. website. An annual membership in Citi Bike costs $95. Seven-day memberships can be purchased for $25 and 24-hour memberships are $9.95. The offers don’t include helmets, which cyclists are encouraged to use. Bikers can make unlimited trips within the purchased time frame, but each trip is limited to 30 minutes for seven-day and 24-hour cardholders and 45 minutes for annual members. For more information, visit http:// a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/bikeshare.

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July 11 - 24, 2012

Dept. of Health visits Downtown properties to get rid of rats BY A L I N E R E Y N O LD S hough Community District 1 is ranked low on the list of Manhattan districts whose properties are infested with rats, Downtown residents are up in arms about the presence of rodents in their neighborhood. That was the main topic of discussion at June’s Community Board 1 Quality of Life Committee meeting, where officials from the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spoke to the strategies the agency is undertaking to curb the rat population in Lower Manhattan. Specifically, the D.O.H. is undertaking a new program, in which renowned city rodentologist Dr. Robert Corrigan and his team will be scrutinizing catch basins Downtown and elsewhere for rat nests and hideouts, according to Carla Toro, a research scientist for the D.O.H. Downtown has a modest amount of green space, making the area’s parks all the more vulnerable to rat infestations, she noted. “Rats are unfortunately looked at as a nuisance, not as a health hazard,” according to Toro’s colleague, Rick Simeone, director of the D.O.H.’s Pest Control Services. “I wish I had a magic pellet to kill them all,” he said. “We’ll probably always have to deal with this issue…but we have found success through proactive [solutions].” Though the D.O.H. responds to each of the thousands of rodent-related 311 complaints it receives annually, “We brought in the scientific

Downtown Express photo by Lorenzo Ligato

Downtown residents are complaining about the prevalence of the Norwegian rat — the only species of rat in New York City — in their neighborhoods.

method…because we figured that 311 wasn’t being effective enough,” explained Toro. The new initiative follows a series of D.O.H.-led inspections of properties, both private and public, in Downtown. Over the past year, a team of inspectors identified rat-infested lots, examined the causes of the infestations and digitally recorded the data they collected. The D.O.H.’s latest count of Downtown

properties with rat sightings dropped to five percent, down from the initial inspection’s count of 11 percent, according to Toro. If a given lot is infested with rats, the property owner will be issued a warning, she explained. If the inspector, upon a second examination, fails to see progress, the owner will be slammed with a violation. Despite the D.O.H.’s efforts, residents in Tribeca and the South Street Seaport alike com-

plained that they continue to see rats scurrying around the neighborhood’s streets and parks. Paul Cantor, who lives on Lispenard Street between Broadway and Church Street, has futilely phoned the city hotline numerous times after spotting rats. “We have four active construction sites and one empty building on the corner of Broadway, Canal and Lispenard,” he said. “When you call 311, they’re like, ‘What address?’” Shimon Zlotnikov, a public member of C.B. 1, said he often sees rats in the vicinity of P.S. 234, at 292 Greenwich St. in Tribeca. “The [school has] the worst sanitation habits,” he said. An official at the elementary school, which is on summer break, wasn’t available for comment. The nesting problem is particularly prevalent in DeLury Square, at the intersection of Fulton and Gold Streets, according to South Street Seaport residents Paul Hovitz and John Fratta. The city Department of Parks and Recreation refused to lay down steel mesh — a rat deterrent — prior to filling out the square in preparation for its fall 2010 opening, according to Hovitz. “It’s supposed to be a tremendous deterrent for the rats being able to gnaw through and nest…[but] they said it wasn’t cost-effective, and they didn’t do it,” he said. Simeone said that the D.O.H. is experimentContinued on page 19

July 11 - 24, 2012

Resident artists reﬂect on family, food and history B Y T E RE SE L O E B K R E U Z E R hen the National Park Service and New Jersey City University announced in the spring a jointly sponsored artist-in-residence program this summer on Liberty and Ellis Islands, applications poured in from across the U.S. and from other nations such as Spain, the U.K. and Australia. There were 16 finalists. A jury made up of National Park Service staff and members of the N.J.C.U. art department selected three women for the unpaid, month-long residency: artist Debra Scacco and the video team of Theresa Loong and Laura Nova. Their award gives them unparalleled access to the park’s museums, library, oral histories, archives and behind-the-scenes collections. Each artist is to create artworks from this experience and is also to present hour-long public programming during their residencies. Scacco, a 36-year-old painter and sculptor, was born on Staten Island but has lived in London for the last 16 years. Her great-grandmother, Vittoria Morano, came through Ellis Island in 1921 as a widow with two young sons. In 1949, her father, Santo Scacco, emigrated to the U.S. from Sicily at the age of 14. As Scacco is especially interested in the role of women in the early 1920s, she’s focusing her residency project on female Italian immigrants from that era. The artist is presently listening to some of the thousands of interviews in the Ellis Island archives, seeking to gain a better understanding of her own background as an Italian-American. “This is an amazing opportunity to be able to delve into this history within the context of my history — but also in the context of immigrants in general and, in particular, women immigrants,” she said. Theresa Loong, 39, and Laura Nova, 38 — both native New Yorkers — are using food as the impetus for their research. Since the two joined forces in 2010, they’ve found that asking people about what they ate in their childhoods often evokes a raft of memories. Last summer, Nova was an artist-in-residence on Governors Island under a grant provided by the Lower Manhattan Cultural

Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Debra Scacco (left) and Theresa Loong, two of three recipients of a new artist-in-residence program, on Ellis Island. For the month of July, Scacco and Loong, along with artist Laura Nova (not pictured) will have access to archives and collections on Liberty Island and Ellis Island that are closed to the public.

Council. During that residency, Nova and Loong created “Feed Me a Story,” which has since evolved into a series of videos shot in various locations. Long said they give away cookies in exchange for people’s stories. “We’re looking for stories about food, and we’re looking to engage the public,” said Loong. “Of course, the stories are about food or drink, initially, but they end up being about love or memory or homeland.” In terms of field work, Loong and Nova plan to rely on both archival material about Ellis Island and conversations with people who visit the island and Liberty Island. They’ll be assisted by two other people as they conduct their interviews on the islands and will likely shoot video, as they’ve done in the past. The duo will leave the residency with videos, photographs and audio recordings. Loong’s father, Paul, a merchant seaman, was briefly detained on Ellis Island in 1950. “We are ethnically Chinese,” Loong explained, “but he was born and raised in Malaysia. In

1950, he wasn’t yet an American citizen — he was called a ‘British protected person.’” Nova’s mother’s family arrived on Ellis Island from Russia and settled in Jersey City. Her great-uncle had polio, which nearly prompted the whole clan to return to their homeland, the artist recalled. Her paternal grandmother, whose last name was Einhorn, also came through Ellis Island shortly after World War I. “Both Theresa and I have families that continually tell us stories about their immigrant experiences,” Nova said. “I grew up hearing stories from my parents and my grandparents, and Theresa made a film about her father’s immigrant experience.” “When I think about younger generations now,” Scacco chimed in, “I think it’s very important that they understand the weight of where these people came from and what they had been through.” All three artists-in-residence have weighty resumés with significant achievements in their fields. Loong is an award-winning multimedia artist, filmmaker, interactive media

professional and educator. She graduated from Harvard University, where she majored in anthropology. Nova, an assistant professor in the Creative Art and Technology program at Bloomfield College in New Jersey, is a multi-disciplinary artist working in sculpture, video, sound, performance and installation. She has received grants for her work from the Henry Street Settlement, the L.M.C.C.’s Workspace program and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Scacco, a graduate of Richmond University in London, has been exhibiting her work in the U.S. and Europe for the last 12 years. She’s currently represented by Marine Contemporary gallery in Los Angeles, which recently mounted a large solo show of her work. The Liberty Island/Ellis Island residencies started on July 2 and will run through the end of the month. The National Park Service and New Jersey City University will use this year’s experience to plan other similar artist residencies.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Op-Ed

Three cheers for the Affordable Care Act B Y B IL L L O V E A N D ROB IN F O R S T Members of the Lower Manhattan Democrats (L.M.D.) were thrilled by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act — the centerpiece legislation of Barack Obama’s first term as president. Supporters of the new health care law have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of the Supreme Court case, while opponents have been having a field day denouncing the Act, which has colloquially become known as “Obamacare.” Now that the Supreme Court has issued a ruling, the L.M.D. believes the time has come for the law’s supporters to reset the terms of the debate. We’d like to inform voters of what we deem are substantive benefits that will be gained through this legislation — ones that could quickly be taken from us by Mitt Romney and his fellow Republicans should they prevail in the November elections. Among the major benefi ts of the Affordable Care Act, insurers will no longer be able to deny health care coverage to people with preexisting medical conditions, and millions of low-income people who don’t have health insurance will be

covered by Medicaid. In addition, people who aren’t covered by an insurance plan at work or through government subsidies will be able to shop around for affordable health care policies through exchanges to be set up by the states. Based on data compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (H.H.S.), the Affordable Care Act will increase the funding available to community health centers in all 50 states, including the 565 existing community health centers in New York State. These health centers have received more than $157 million for multiple purposes, including the creation of new health services in medically underserved areas. According to the H.H.S.,160,000 young adults in New York have gained coverage as a result of the health care law as of last December; as of April this year, 3,320 uninsured residents statewide who were previously locked out of coverage due to preexisting conditions are now insured under the Act.

Closer to home, based on early forecasts of the new law’s impact, Congressman Jerrold Nadler — who represents New York City’s 8th Congressional District — has noted that an estimated 18,000 people in the district currently lacking health insurance could receive coverage under the new law. Further, up to 26,200 small businesses in the district may be able to qualify for tax credits of up to 50 percent of the

Congressman Jerrold Nadler has noted that an estimated 18,000 people in the district currently lacking health insurance could receive coverage under the new law. cost of health insurance for their employees. In addition, relief could come to the approximately 7,100 Medicare recipients in the district who fall into the “doughnut hole” for coverage of prescription drugs, and thousands of young adults will be able to choose to remain on their parents’ policies until they turn 26 years of age.

Some 6,100 young adults have already gained health care coverage because they’ve been able to remain on their parents’ policies, according to Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who represents the city’s 14th Congressional District. And since the phase-in of the “doughnut hole” provision, 10,200 seniors have saved $7.7 million in drug costs. Allowing coverage to both adults and children with preexisting conditions could protect more than 120,000 individuals in Maloney’s district. Finally, an estimated 66,000 Medicare recipients in that district have already benefited from the requirement that preventive care and services be offered free of charge, and an additional 130,000 adults and 18,000 children now have health insurance for preventive care. The bottom line is that the Affordable Care Act will, by expanding both the private market and Medicaid, help move the U.S. in the direction of universal, affordable health care and help to end our status as one of the world’s few affluent nations with such large numbers of uninsured citizens. Bill Love is the founding president of the Lower Manhattan Democrats, and Robin Forst is the L.M.D.’s current president.

familyfriday Relax with your kids and meet other downtown families for free pizza, children’s movies, es, and community. Everyone is welcome. FRIDAY, July 20 · 6-7:30PM Charlotte’s Place Dreamworks’ Shrek The ogre Shrek makes a deal with a scheming lord to reclaim his swamp by rescuing a princess. He’s joined on his journey by a talkative donkey.

FRIDAY, August 17 · 6-7:30PM Charlotte’s Place Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast After a Beast imprisons her father, Belle bargains to take his place. Although she doesn’t like the Beast at ﬁrst, she soon discovers he’s under an enchanted spell.

FRIDAY, September 21 · 6-7:30PM -7:30PM Charlotte’s Place Universal’s Babe ream A young pig has an ambitious dream of herding sheep with a farmer, a job s. normally reserved for sheepdogs.

Family Friday is sponsored by Trinity Wall Street, an Episcopal parish in Lower Manhattan, but you do not have to be part of the parish to attend. Donations to support Family Friday are welcome. Directions by subway: 4 Wall Street station Rector Street station Charlotte’s Place 107 Greenwich Street, between Rector & Carlisle Streets

212.602.0800 · trinitywallstreet.org

an Episcopal parish in the city of New York

July 11 - 24, 2012

Downtown Express photo by Sam Spokony

The Renew recycling bin, the first of its kind in New York, is already malfunctioning a month after its installation.

High-tech recycling bin goes bust B Y SA M S P O K O NY owling Green had the honor of receiving the nation’s first high-tech recycling bin last month, which is equipped with a bomb-proof exterior and two liquid crystal display (L.C.D.) screens streaming media content. The problem is, the bin may already be falling apart at the seams. On Tues., July 10, both screens of the Renew recycling bin, which is located at Water and Whitehall Streets, were out of service. A worker for J.M. Ornstein, the bin’s owner, was busy tinkering with the machine’s electrical wiring but was unable to reactivate the power. When asked if he could figure out what the problem was, the employee, Steve Kohn, simply said, “No.” Along with faulty mechanics, the bin itself also seems to be in poor shape. When Kohn was reinstalling the bin’s front panel after failing to restart the screens, he placed several pieces of black duct tape over the sides. Asked about the need for the tape, Kohn explained that the bottom edge of the panel had begun to pull away from the frame of the bin. “We’re going to have it functioning as soon as possible,” said Jason Ornstein, president of J.M. Ornstein. “It’s also our commitment to present this in a more picturesque way, so the front panel is going to be resoldered.” The bin, placed on June 7, is operated by the Downtown Alliance, which partnered with Ornstein to launch the initiative. Renew bins are manufactured by the British company Media Metrica, which has installed more than 50 bins in London’s financial district since the start of 2012. The Downtown bin only takes paper products, but Media Metrica also produces bins for other recyclable materials. Joseph Timpone, senior vice president of operations at the Downtown Alliance, said

that the failure of the screens was likely the outcome of a blown fuse, according to information given to him by Media Metrica. Regardless of the current difficulties, Ornstein explained that he hopes to place 200 to 300 Renew bins throughout New York City within the coming year, and that he’s planning to reach out to the City Council and various city agencies in order to meet that goal. Timpone was skeptical about that figure, saying that he believes 25 to 50 bins is a more realistic goal for the next year, but added that he remains optimistic about the project. “People were curious about it at first,” he said, “but I think they’ll embrace it, because it gives them a chance to become more involved in recycling while also gaining information [from the bin’s screens].” He also said that, on average, the bin is currently being filled to about 50 percent capacity. Renew bins cost tens of thousands of dollars to produce — depending on how many are manufactured at a time — but, according to Ornstein, they’ll be provided at no cost to the respective communities around the city. Media Metrica makes a profit from the Renew program by gaining corporate sponsors, which supply the media content for the bins’ screens. Ornstein explained that, in addition to news and entertainment media, the Downtown bin’s two screens will eventually be used to broadcast subway information provided by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, as well as any emergency alerts that come from the New York Police Department. But for now — once power is restored to the bin — its screens will primarily feature a Downtown Alliance-sponsored map of Lower Manhattan, according to Timpone. “It’s a small operation so far, and it’s unfortunate that we’re having this electrical trouble right now,” said Ornstein. “But it’s still a pretty unique project.”

July 11 - 24, 2012

Editorial PUBLISHER & EDITOR

John W. Sutter ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Aline Reynolds ARTS EDITOR

Scott Stiﬄer REPORTERS

Albert Amateau Lincoln Anderson EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Bonnie Rosenstock Sam Spokony SR. V.P. OF SALES & MARKETING

Francesco Regini RETAIL AD MANAGER

Colin Gregory ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Allison Greaker Julius Harrison Gary Lacinski Alex Morris Julio Tumbaco BUSINESS MANAGER / CONTROLLER

Vera Musa ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Troy Masters

9/11 Museum dispute: Time for leadership, not egos IT WILL HAVE BEEN 11 YEARS

in September since the day in which terrorists killed nearly 3,000 innocent civilians at the World Trade Center, and we still won’t have a museum to commemorate their deaths. The reason for the delay in completing and opening the 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero — what boils down to inflated egos clashing over a money dispute — is disgraceful. The museum’s opening in time for the 11th anniversary was a crucial step toward solidifying Downtown’s post-9/11 regrowth and healing. In the current fi nancial stand-off, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is demanding $156 million from the 9/11 Memorial Foundation, while the Foundation is claiming some $150 million for expenses largely resulting from construction delays. The Foundation blames the Port for instigating the delays, and the Port faults the Foundation for not coming up with adequate funding for cost overruns tied to the museum. As a result, construction at the site has practically ground to a halt. The hold-up in the museum’s opening is all the more troublesome, because the targeted completion date for the National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum was originally 2009. What’s

more, neither the Port nor the Foundation has announced a new deadline for opening the museum. It’s deceptive of the Port Authority to continue to assure the public that a resolution is in sight without offering any indication of when an agreement will be reached. Former Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin has rightly told the Downtown Express that the leaders of the city and the states should convene a meeting with all the relevant players and demand that no one leave the room until a consensus is reached. Indeed, the Port and the Foundation must be willing to reach a compromise on financing the remainder of the museum’s build-out. Otherwise, both sides risk undergoing a formal mediation process that could prove costly, lengthy and potentially unsuccessful. And if mediation fails, the dispute could go to the courts, and the museum’s opening would be stalled even further. The museum’s upkeep shouldn’t even be discussed until a hard-and-fast deadline is set for the site’s completion. Governors Cuomo and Christie have dropped the ball on the project thus far. The governors’ recent press statements on the issue — spe-

cifically, their proposal to create a new governing board to run the memorial — show that they’re not thinking constructively about the issue at hand. On this latest diversion, Mayor Bloomberg is right that the 9/11 Memorial and Museum should be overseen by the Foundation in order to help insulate the site from the political process. Gov. Cuomo has offered no possible solution to the conflict, and dismissively told a reporter in January that the Port Authority was on the verge of litigation against the Memorial Foundation. Mayor Bloomberg has a strong track record on the project to date, having revived the Foundation when it was practically dead in the water. In his capacity as chairman of the Foundation, a position he’s held since late 2006, he has raised more than $430 million for the memorial — $15 million of which came from his own pocket — and has been helping to oversee its day-to-day operations. It’s high time for all three officials to end the paralysis and to lead. They need to cut a deal, set a new deadline for opening — and meet it. The longer we wait, the harder it will be for our community and our nation to recover from the trauma of Sept. 11, 2001.

Letters to the Editor

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Christina Entcheva

WHO WOULD JESUS EVICT?

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To the Editor: Re “O.W.S. protesters convicted of trespassing vow to appeal” (news article, June 27): It is disappointing, but not surprising, to read that Trinity Church chose to prosecute Occupy Wall Street activists — with one protester, Mark Adams, being sentenced to 45 days at Rikers — for “trespassing” on a vacant lot that Trinity got for free and is not currently using. Episcopal Bishop George Packard, who was the first to scale the fence and was arrested on the preposterous charge of “trespassing” on his own denomination’s property, got it right when he addressed the court, saying, “Is [Trinity] a corporation worried about fiduciary interest or a portion of the Body of Christ?” Let’s reflect on the bishop’s homily for a moment. Jesus taught us that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” as well as, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land.” Well, it seems that they don’t preach that part of the Gospel at Trinity. In fact, here we have a real

estate enterprise cynically named after one of the most profound Mysteries of Christianity — the Trinity — behaving more like the Sadducees than like Jesus. Further, in the early part of the 20th century, Trinity cruelly evicted thousands of impoverished tenants living in its residential properties on the Lower West Side in order to pave way for the many commercial buildings that are there now — the basis of Trinity’s enormous wealth. At one time, Trinity provided several houses of charity Downtown to provide aid to the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed. Now, it has none. Trinity gives back only a fraction of the tens of millions in profits that it earns annually from its vast real estate holdings in Lower Manhattan to charity, and most of that goes to projects affiliated with Trinity. Has Trinity never heard of the word “tithe” or “sharing the wealth”? I guess they believe that charity begins at home. Trinity has now shown its true colors with its dispossession of the Occupy Wall Street folk, who are fighting for social and economic justice, for the “crime” of occupying a vacant lot that Trinity got for free. We wonder where Jesus will be

this Sunday: in the front pew of Trinity or in the Rikers Island jail cell with Mark Adams? Sean Sweeney, director of Soho Alliance

WE NEED MORE HOME PLAY! To the Editor: Re “Millennium High gets funding for phys ed, but soccer team still struggles” (news article, June 27): As a former high school teacher and college varsity volleyball player back in the day, I sympathize with the Millennium soccer “club” efforts to gain accreditation from the NYC Public Schools Athletic League by securing a home field. The P.S.A.L. should show more flexibility. What’s more outrageous, though, is that Millennium and other neighborhood schools don’t even have a “home court” for basketball, New York’s iconic sport. Out in the cold are many high school students with varsity interest who are willing to put in strenuous after-school hours for a semester while trying to maintain their grades. This issue

has been only partially addressed by way of small donations from local nonprofit youth programs, such as Urban Dove, that are earmarked for the rental of private gyms as “home courts” and then gifted to schools lacking these resources. Our Downtown students deserve a more dependable solution than the kindness of strangers. I know what the varsity team experience gave me. My intramural varsity play introduced me not just to teammates from many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but to players from other schools who differed from us. It was a real eye opener. Rehashing games — not just plays, but players — demanded serious thought and the exchange of opinions on visceral topics. It was galvanizing and had a lifelong influence on my collegial activities. Varsity sports foster discipline, respect for knowledgegiving by coaches and teammates and the importance of being a team player. Yet most of our underserved high schoolers don’t have the opportunity to experience these invaluable gifts of varsity play. No public city high school Continued on page 18

July 11 - 24, 2012

On The Spot with

Colin McEvoy As of this month, Colin McEvoy has taken the helm at Millennium High School — replacing Robert Rhodes, who served as principal of the school since its founding in 2002. In a phone interview with the Downtown Express, McEvoy spoke to his past work experience at Millennium, recent changes at the school and its continual need for more classrooms and sports fields.

BY A L I N E R E Y N NO O L DS DS You’ve worked at Millennium High in a different capacity, right? Yes. I’ve been a history ory teacher for the past nine years rs — first global studies, then U.S. S. history — and for the past two years, rs, I served as assistant principal. How and when did you get involved with th Millennium High? I’ve worked with h Robert at Millennium m since its founding. Hee

told me he was starting a school when I met him by chance near the city Department of Education headquarters on Centre Street. I’ve watched the school gradually grow to three floors…and we had successively larger student bodies. How has the school evolved since its founding? I don’t think the program has changed. There’s a longstanding commitment to academic rigor and creating opportunities for students, despite withering budget cuts. It’s only this past year that we saw the first really major shift in terms of what students experienced. For nine years, we had advisory groups, in which groups of students were assigned to a single tea teacher for all four years of their time at Millennium. Budget cuts forced us to t compress that from five periods a week to three periods a week. What we lost is two W days of supervised reading sessions. superv Reading has a tremendous emotional pull for me — I’m a little nostalgic about it, but I’m also a realist. But it’s very hard h to make people read for pleasure. So, we think the pleas overall program was actually strengthened. streng Former principal Robert Rhodes told us R the school has been t operating at 120

percent capacity for several years now. Is there a solution in sight to this overcrowding problem? If you’ve seen our space, we have no cause for complaint or criticism…we have a certain responsibility to serve as many students as we can, but there’s also a certain reality that, if you want to offer programs, you need to fund them. Creating additional classrooms would require getting additional floor space, and I’m under no illusion that those are realistic or even possible solutions. The school’s soccer team is still in need of a home field for practice and games. How do you hope to solve this problem? The competition for educational space is equally valid and maybe more combative when it comes to sports! We’re going to try and explore options and develop partnerships. We’d like to have an outdoor space to play in reliably. We’re also trying to develop girls’ softball and a dedicated girls’ soccer team: each time one of those programs crops up, we’re increasing our need for practice space. And what about the school’s need for a gymnasium? Well, there’s also an issue with the indoor teams like girls’ and boys’ basketball, since we don’t have a gym of our own, and the efforts to get a dedicated gym space are not coming to fruition. We don’t want to

stop running programs and saying to our students, ‘Guess what, we’re not having sports.’ So now, we have to focus on building the relationships. This past season, we used the Chinatown YMCA for some basketball games and had some indoor practice at P.S. 276. We also have benefited from Pace University High School and M.S. 131. Where do you live? I’m based in Greenwich, Connecticut. It’s funny — I ride the train with a lot of my neighbors, and a lot of them go to Wall Street. The irony is, they’re going to their financial institutions or their law firms. When I say there’s a school here, they don’t believe me! Did you go to a public school as a kid? Yeah — through the eighth grade. What’s the public school situation in Greenwich compared to Lower Manhattan? I think suburban education and urban education has always been profoundly different — in terms of funding, staffing and physical resources. In Connecticut, if they need more space, they can expand within their lot. And if it becomes that big of an issue, they can pursue an adjacent piece of property through eminent domain, and the schools could be increased with additions or annexes. I don’t think stakeholders in the city think education is less important — we just run up against the reality that space is limited.

Talking Point

Budget wrap-up B Y CO U N CI L ME M B E R MA R G A R E T C H IN

ON JUNE 28, THE NEW YORK

City Council passed the city’s budget for Fiscal Year 2013. This year’s budget was unique in many respects. In my three years serving as the City Council representative for Lower Manhattan, I have never seen so many community members raise their voices against Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s cuts to child care, after-school programs and essential services for our city. With your help, the Council was able to restore nearly $130 million to children’s services and after-school programs. In fact, Lower Manhattan actually gained an after-school program that will serve the Lower Manhattan Community Middle School. I would like to update Downtown residents on the exciting capital projects and programs that I was able to fund in this year’s budget. Downtown is fortunate to have some of the best public schools in New York City. I firmly believe that a quality public education is a right, not a privilege. I am happy to announce several large capital grants meant to improve our neighborhood schools. This year, the number one request from our public schools was for upgrades to existing technology, including student laptops, new computer software and Bluetooth keyboards. This year, P.S. 89, the Lower Manhattan Arts Academy, the Lower Manhattan Middle School and the Richard R. Green High School of Teaching will each receive grants ranging from $35,000 to $50,000 to help better integrate technology into their classrooms. In addition, P.S. 150 in Tribeca will receive $100,000 for a portable Mac lab and upgrades to existing hardware. Improving access to technology, interactive media and the latest research are ways that we can ensure our stu-

dents remain engaged and competitive in the classroom. In addition, P.S. 397 — the Spruce Street School — will receive $95,000 to renovate a 5,000-square-foot paved play area. This grant will allow for the play space to be resurfaced with recycled rubber and thus make it safer for our children. The layout will allow for space for structured games, such as soccer and hopscotch, and will help prevent injuries. I also secured funding for the Battery Conservancy’s Urban Farm at Battery Park, which is a favorite destination for many Downtown students. The Harbor School on Governors Island, meanwhile, will receive $100,000 toward the Marine Science and Technology Center. This center will house the school’s commercial diving program, as well as aquaculture facilities to raise native New York species including oysters, mussels, lobsters and blackfish. Enrollment at the Harbor School has been steadily expanding in the last few years: this year, the school received more applications from Lower Manhattan than any other neighborhood in the city. Over the last decade, Lower Manhattan has developed into a leading cultural destination that is home to some of the most unique museums, art and technology centers in our city. This year, I allocated funding for the New York City Police Museum to replace an old boiler with a more energy-efficient model, and for 3-Legged Dog, which received a $40,000 grant from my office in support of emerging artists. One of my major accomplishments this past fiscal year was to secure funding for the newly renovated South Street Seaport Museum. Two hundred thousand dollars was allocated to the Seaport Museum for the deck repair and renovation of the Lightship Ambrose — a ship that once served as a beacon for New York Harbor. In addition, I was able to designate $1.3 million for the museum with the help of my colleagues in the Manhattan delegation.

But that’s not all. I’m thrilled to announce that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn allocated $10.3 million toward the continued renovation and growth of the Seaport Museum — bringing the total funding for the museum in this year’s budget to $11.8 million. In order to maintain world-class programs and exhibits at our local cultural institutions, discretionary grants from my office will support local programs at the Anne Frank Center, the Children’s Museum of the Arts, Poets House, the Richard Allen Center for Culture and Art, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Tribeca Film Institute and Tribecarts Inc. This year, I continued funding for Downtown senior programs, including the senior choir at the Church Street School of Music and Art, Hamilton Madison House’s senior services in Battery Park City and Greenwich House’s senior program at Independence Plaza North. Several other important improvements were made to our neighborhood thanks to City Council funds. The Alliance for Downtown New York, for example, will receive a new power washing vehicle; Bogardus Plaza in Tribeca will receive funds for a historic clock tower; the Battery Conservancy will receive $500,000 to turn an existing building into a much-needed comfort station; and the New Amsterdam Library will receive $500,000 for a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (H.V.A.C.) system. In addition, Edgar Street Plaza in the Financial District received $1.25 million for renovations and improvements Year in and year out, I remain dedicated to fighting for the resources to support the projects and programs that keep Lower Manhattan strong and vibrant. I look forward to serving you in the year ahead. Margaret Chin represents City Council’s District One.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Celebrating America’s birthday by sea

With several hundred guests aboard, Hornblower Cruises and Events’ environmentally-friendly Hybrid vessel took a spin around New York Harbor on Wed., July 4 to celebrate the red, white and blue. The energy-efficient Hybrid joined a flotilla of other boats on the Hudson River for a viewing spot of the annual Macy’s 4th of July fireworks. The outing was a prelude to the Hybrid’s hour-long Liberty Harbor Cruises that start in mid-July and occur daily through Sept. 3, weekends through Oct. 8 and thereafter on major holidays through the end of the year.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Do Allergies Keep You From Doing All You Want? Why let allergies prevent you from living a full life? If you are allergic to food or environmental allergens, there are solutions.

DR. LIN SPECIALIZES IN:

Downtown Express photo by Janel Bladow

Steve Okhravi (right), a physician at Emergency Medical Care, and nurse director Stacey Schoenweiss review a patient’s blood work.

When you need a doc STAT! B Y J A NE L B L A D O W y eight in the morning, Dr. Steve Okhravi had already seen, treated and sent six patients on their merry way. One, a five-year-old girl, whose elbow was accidently dislocated while getting ready for day care, came in screaming. She left smiling. Another patient, an attorney doubled over in pain, had an important trial that morning and had to be in top form. Dr. Okhravi examined her, did blood work and filled a prescription. “She was out of here in 20 minutes and so happy,” said the proud physician. For most New Yorkers, time is money and time spent waiting at a hospital emergency room is not only painful but wasteful. The staff at Emergency Medical Care (E.M.C., located on Chambers Street between Greenwich and West Streets) guarantees to get patients in to see a physician in 15 minutes. Walk-ins are welcome, and most insurance plans are accepted. “People think we aren’t doing a lot of business, because our waiting room lobby is often empty,” said Okhravi, who founded the 24-7 emergency medical clinic. “We want to take the emergency room experience and make it efficient within a neighborhood practice.” E.M.C. — a modern, well-lit facility — opened in late 2010 to fill a void created by the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital, leaving Lower Manhattan’s west side without a round-theclock emergency room. The six-room clinic can do blood work and electrocardiograms on the spot. Their 64-slice computed axial tomography (C.A.T.) scan is state-of-the-art and is used to stitch wounds and set bones. It has an after-hours mini-pharmacy. The E.M.C. has shaved off the bureaucracy that results in an average wait of 290 minutes — close to five hours — at a hospital, Okhravi said. “We want to be a facility that accommodates people who don’t have time,” he said. “Their time is valuable to them.” While walk-in clinics are not a new concept, he said, they’re fairly novel to New York City. “The concept of urgent care is growing in Manhattan and everywhere in the country,”

said Okhravi, who has spent the last 12 years working in New York and New Jersey hospital emergency rooms, where he logged more than 40,000 hours. “We can do everything a hospital emergency room can,” he said, “And if we can’t, we have relationships with hospitals and specialists and can quickly get you the care you need.” E.M.C. operates on a three-shift cycle with seven staff members per rotation, including a physician, a nurse and technicians. They can treat just about any emergency, Okhravi noted — from common colds to broken bones to heart attacks. Patients’ blood work and paperwork are quickly processed, their medication is prescribed and follow-up consultations are made, including appointments with specialists. “We’ve treated appendicitis and life-anddeath situations such as heart attacks,” said Okhravi. In one instance, he recalled, E.M.C. saw a patient with 100 percent artery blockage in his heart and arranged for the cardiologist to meet the ambulance at the hospital. “We have an agreement with Beth Israel and, since all his work-up was already done here, he was taken directly to the floor, [bypassing the wait at the emergency room],” said the doctor. E.M.C. is also developing ties with Downtown Hospital and other Manhattanbased medical facilities. Stacey Schoenweiss, director of nursing at E.M.C., said the facility’s main concern is the patient. “We can spend the time and talk to them and calm them,” she said. E.M.C. has plans to open a second walk-in clinic later this month at 521 West 42nd St. near Times Square, that will have the same facilities and resources. “Efficiency is the name of the game,” said Okhravi, noting that only four percent of people visiting an E.R. need to be admitted to the hospital. “The rest is defensive medicine,” he said. “We make an emergency medical situation convenient and comfortable.”

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July 11 - 24, 2012

ARTWORK IN AND AROUND W.F.C.:

B Y TERESE LOEB KREUZER

B.P.C.A.’S ASPHALT GREEN UPDATE DEEMED INADEQUATE: At Community Board 1’s Battery Park City Committee meeting on July 3, Matthew Monahan, a spokesperson for the Battery Park City Authority, gave a status report on B.P.C.A. activities but neglected to mention Asphalt Green Battery Park City. C.B. 1 public member Fran Dickson decided to bring it up. “I’m concerned about the recreation center,” she said, alluding to the fact that it hadn’t yet opened. “We’ve been hearing it’s a permitting issue. I called the City Department of Buildings. It appears that there are six things that are outstanding objections. I wanted to find out the status of these. Dickson added, “I’d like to know when this thing is going to open.” Anne Fenton, special assistant to B.P.C.A. president Gayle Horwitz, replied, “This is a building within a building,” referring to the Milstein-owned Liberty Luxe and Liberty Green condominiums. “We have a completely different architect and construction manager,” she said. “The information on [the D.O.B.] website is incorrect, and that’s one of the issues we’ve been having.” Fenton said that every open space in a building has to be fireproofed and firestopped. “We’re continuing to firestop, and we’re doing our sprinkler inspection,” she said, noting that the center has to tie in its standpipe to the building’s standpipe. “While we have separate boilers,” Fenton explained, “there are points in the building where our ducts hit [condominiums’] ducts, so we have to coordinate with them. We’re

Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Mark O’Connor and his group, Hot Swing, opened this year’s River & Blues Festival in Battery Park City’s Wagner Park. A different blues group will perform every Thursday night during July.

working with several contractors.” Fenton said that she could not provide a date as to when the inspections would be finished, and noted that the building wasn’t losing money. “We’re still under budget,” she said. Dickson countered this claim saying, “But you’re not making money on the center being open, because they’d be making money.” Committee member Tom Goodkind proceeded to ask about Asphalt Green as well. “Are they still going to be the people who are operating this?” he inquired. Fenton replied in the affirmative, saying, “They’re still our partner.” In an e-mail following the meeting, Dickson was disappointed that a date for the center’s opening hadn’t yet been publicly announced. “There doesn’t seem to be any urgency with this project,” she said.

A mural by Molly Dilworth now decorates the 85-foot-long wall facing North Cove Marina that Brookfield Office Properties erected amid construction work at 2 W.F.C.

RIVER & BLUES: Blues lovers have a dilemma. On July 11 and 12, the free Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival comes to the World Financial Center plaza from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with top blues performers Buddy Guy and Neko Case. And on July 12, Shemekia Copeland, winner of DownBeat Magazine’s “Rising Star – Blues Artist” award, is giving a free concert in Wagner Park as the second installment in the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy’s annual River & Blues Festival. The concert starts at 7 p.m. and runs until 8:30 p.m., so theoretically it would be possible to hear some of both. River & Blues has been going on for at least 15 years, according to Abby Ehrlich, the B.P.C. Parks Conservancy’s programming director. The concerts take place on Thursday nights throughout the month of July. Blues violinist and composer Mark O’Connor and his group, Hot Swing, led off the series this year with a virtuoso performance on July 5. O’Connor, who has won a couple of Grammy Awards and has been lauded as the Country Music Association’s Musician of the Year for six consecutive years, played affecting solo renditions of “We Shall Overcome” and “America the Beautiful,” and was joined by his group for “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “As Time Goes By” and other favorites. Tamar Korn, Hot Swing’s vocalist, demonstrated her uncanny ability to imitate a trumpet and a violin. Julian Lage, 25, a child prodigy who began performing in public at age six, came on stage from the audience and borrowed a guitar to play a few songs with O’Connor and the band. It was a hot night in more ways than one. O’Connor observed that the heat was causing the glue on his violin to begin to melt, but by the time the sun set over Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the air had cooled off some and fireflies danced on the esplanade as the audience wended its happy way home. On July 19, River & Blues will feature Jim Campilongo, and on July 26, there will be a double-header with “The 13th Amendment?” — which draws from African-American spirituals — and the Eli Yamin Blues Band.

Construction at 2 World Financial Center, which will continue for the next two years, has not staunched the stream of free arts programs produced by Brookfield Office Properties. In fact, the construction gave Brookfield an opportunity to commission a young artist, Molly Dilworth, to paint a mural on the 85-foot-long wall across from North Cove Marina. The site-specific commission, called “36°30,” went up at the end of June and will be there for several months. The name of the piece refers to the Mason-Dixon Line that divides the north from the south. Dilworth said that she was thinking about global trade when she created the mural and was also influenced by the African Burial Ground and by the quilt patterns used as signals on the Underground Railroad. The art wall will be redecorated once later this year and two or three times in 2013. “For as long as the wall is up, we will have artwork there,” according to Debra Simon, who runs Brookfield’s arts programs in North America. Brookfield’s U.S. arts programs are in 19 venues — three of which are in Lower Manhattan at the W.F.C., One New York Plaza and One Liberty Plaza. “We run the largest privately funded arts program in the country,” said Simon, noting that Brookfield’s arts department will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next year. “We have recorded over 10,000 performances and exhibitions to millions of spectators.” The annual budget for arts programming at the W.F.C. is more than a million dollars and is underwritten by Brookfield, Bank of America and American Express, she said. “We want to build a strong sense of community in the markets in which we operate,” explained Simon. “We see this as an opportunity to have artists and new audiences meet each other.” For information on upcoming programs at the W.F.C., visit www.artsbrookfield.com/new_york/world_financial_center/.

CITY TO CALM B.P.C. TRAFFIC WITH NEW SIGNALS: By the summer’s end, it should be safer to cross Murray Street between West Street and North End Avenue than it has been. The NYC Department of Transportation is about to install a traffic light at North End Avenue and Murray Street. At the same time, the Battery Park City Authority is reconstructing Murray Street from West Street to North End Avenue with a new concrete roadbed, an asphalt top and a reinforced bus pad. A traffi c signal, meanwhile, will be placed between the ball fields and Goldman Sachs alley to help regulate traffic. According to B.P.C.A. spokesman Matthew Monahan, the work should be finished and in service before Labor Day, barring any unforeseen snags. To comment on Battery Park City Beat or to suggest article ideas, email TereseLoeb@ mac.com

July 11 - 24, 2012

Festival features tricky balance of fun The fourth annual North River Historic Ship Festival went down at Pier 25 on Sun., July 1. Among the highlights of the festival was the circus performance aboard the Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge No. 79. Family entertainment aboard the century-old wooden barge included juggler extraordinaire Will

Downtown Express photos by Milo Hess

Shaw, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been featured on the David Letterman and Jon Stewart shows; showboat captain David Sharps performing Chinese vase manipulation; and renowned comedienne Hilary Chaplain. The John J. Harvey historic fireboat and Tug Pegasus tugboat were offering free rides that weekend as well.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Safety hazards at W.T.C. are rampant, feds discover Continued from page 1

equate fall protection at 4 W.T.C. Both were categorized as serious, and one was a repeat violation, the records reveal. According to one of those citations, which was handed down to D.C.M. Erectors, O.S.H.A. safety inspectors saw a construction worker “walking on a steel beam approximately 27 feet high [with] no fall protection of any kind.” This was D.C.M.’s second violation resulting from that type of hazard, the first of which was issued in August 2008. The O.S.H.A. documents didn’t specify whether the 2008 violation took place on the W.T.C. site or on another property. The second citation, issued in February 2011, was given to Solera/D.C.M. J.V. According to the document, safety inspectors observed employees working in a controlled decking zone without proper safety gear. A controlled decking zone is an area in which metal decking is installed at any height between 15 to 30 feet above a lower level. Neither D.C.M. nor Solera responded to requests for comment. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the site’s landlord, countered that the bi-state agency is proud of its “remarkable” safety record at one of the world’s most com-

plex construction projects. “The Port Authority’s safety team proactively monitors and learns from the experiences at other construction sites in New York, as well as nationally, to utilize best practices to ensure the safety of every worker on our site,” according to Port Authority spokesperson Steve Coleman. Dara McQuillan, a spokesperson for Silverstein Properties, developer of Towers 2, 3 and 4, echoed that Silverstein works constantly with W.T.C. contractors, unions, outside consultants and the government to ensure best safety practices. “The ongoing safety and security of our workers and the Downtown community is of paramount importance to the Silverstein organization,” said McQuillan. The fourth O.S.H.A. violation was issued in October 2010, at 1 W.T.C., to Collavino Construction Company. There, safety inspectors saw a worker who was “exposed to falling approximately 30 feet to the ground below while installing steel scaffold ties,” adding that, while fall protection gear was appropriate, it wasn’t provided by the employer. Collavino didn’t respond to requests for comment. The four violations resulted in a total of more than $22,000 in fines between the four contractors, all of which have been paid in full, according to D.O.L. spokes-

Downtown Express photo by Sam Spokony

Construction workers take their lunch break on a recent weekday outside the 4 W.T.C. site, where a worker was badly injured from a fall late last month.

person Mike Wald. Kay Gee, a director at O.S.H.A.’s Manhattan office, said that it’s been difficult to track any positive or negative progress of fall prevention at the W.T.C. site over the past two years, because of the large number of contractors at work there. But of the 28 safety inspections at the site in 2011, more than a third have been tied to potential accidents, she noted. “We’ve always placed a great emphasis on fall protection, but [the lack of it] is still the number one violation we cite,” said Gee. “It’s even harder to deal with [the W.T.C. site] from an educational standpoint, because it’s difficult to keep all the contractors adequately trained.” O.S.H.A. is currently investigating the June 26 incident. Gee wouldn’t comment on the inspection, since it’s ongoing.

Construction worker Jay Kinsman, who has worked at 1 W.T.C. for about a year, said he believes that fall protection training and enforcement on the site are extremely strict, but that rules can only go so far. “If things were 100 percent safe all the time, nothing would actually get done,” said Kinsman, adding that he has never been injured on the site. Kinsman also noted that, in his experience, responsibility for falls lies as much with the individual worker as with the contractor or site supervisor. According to Kinsman, rumors were floating around the site after a worker fell at 1 W.T.C. several weeks ago — rumors that placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the worker. “I heard that he’d had a few drinks during his lunch break,” said Kinsman.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Continued from page 3

one of seven people appointed to the City Council’s Districting Commission by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thurs., June 14. The commission, whose members are appointed every ten years, is charged with redrawing the City Council’s district lines so as to address population shifts within the five boroughs. After a series of public hearings and meetings, the Districting Commission will develop a final plan, based on 2010 census data, to submit to the City Council — and ultimately to the U.S. Department of Justice — in advance of the 2013 Council elections. “I feel honored to be appointed by the mayor and to gain this new responsibility in serving the citizens of New York,” said Yu, 67, who has lived in Chinatown for nearly four decades. “It’s great that Asian-Americans are becoming much more active than ever before in the city’s political process, and I’m looking forward to contributing.” Yu, who was born in China and also lived in Taiwan before moving to New York, is a former president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent

Association of New York. In addition to the mayor’s seven appointments to the Districting Commission, eight are made by the City Council. Appointees include representatives of every borough.

You don’t have to go too far to relax.

D.O.T CITYBENCH INITIATIVE HITS THE STREETS The city Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) is encouraging residents to take part in its new CityBench initiative, which allows people to send requests for benches to be constructed on any public sidewalk in the city. The initiative — which is funded by a $2.4 million Bus Livability Grant from the Federal Transit Administration — seeks to provide more comfortable streets, especially in areas by bus stops, senior centers and shopping districts, according to the D.O.T. website. The new benches can be requested as either backed or backless, and residents can ask for up to two benches at a single site. The D.O.T. plans to install 1,000 new benches by 2015, according to its website. Members of the public can request a CityBench installation by visiting www. nyc.gov/html/dot/html/sidewalks/citybench.shtml.

With Long Island Rail Road’s Deals & Getaways, you’ll have fun in the sun, save money and avoid the hassle of driving. Enjoy Long Beach, Jones Beach (including the Concert Series, where connecting bus service is back!), The Pines and Cherry Grove on Fire Island. Most Getaways include round-trip rail fare, beach or ferry admission, and taxi fare where applicable. Visit Deals & Getaways at mta.info/lirr or call 511. And have a great summer.

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To the Editor: Re â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saving pier and parkâ&#x20AC;? (editorial, June 21): This editorial expresses the belief that, to address Hudson River Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial problems, we all have to accept residential development on Pier 40. While we all share the same concern about the Pier 40 playing fields and the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial stability, pinning our hopes on an environmentally inappropriate and increasingly risky, huge construction plan is a poor choice. Two different reports were published in recent weeks that should give us pause. First, there was the report by Joe Lhota, chairperson and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, publicized by WNYC, that the walls of the renovated South Ferry subway station are leaking. Lhota attributed the problem to poorly sealed walls and â&#x20AC;&#x153;a rising water table.â&#x20AC;? The second report, issued by the U.S. Geological Survey on June 25, indicated that the East Coast from Boston to North Carolina was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hot spotâ&#x20AC;? for climbing sea levels from global warming. Water-level increases are also happening at a faster pace. Oceanographer Asbury Sallenger Jr. said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where that kind of thing becomes important is during a storm.â&#x20AC;? Margaret Davidson, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coastal Services Center, stated in the same report that the implications of this new research are â&#x20AC;&#x153;huge when you think about it. Somewhere between Maryland and Massachusetts, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got bodaciously expensive property at risk.â&#x20AC;? Building along the Hudson River always has been a bad idea, but now it is even more environmentally and financially dangerous. Not only has little consideration been given to the inevitable downtime when the playing fields wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be available during major construction, scant attention has been paid to the fact that potential damage to extremely expensive residential development could bankrupt the park. We must find solutions that generate revenue from small-scale development and other programs that raise money through heightened property taxes of development surrounding the park. Deborah Glick Assembly Member for New York Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 66th District

SAVE TRACES OF LITTLE SYRIA! To the Editor: Re â&#x20AC;&#x153;Worries Over Demolition in Historic Little Syriaâ&#x20AC;? (Downtown Digest item, June 27): This news brief shed light on how the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission is refusing to recognize the importance of two buildings on Washington Street between Rector and Carlisle Streets. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;architectural and historical significanceâ&#x20AC;? of the Downtown Community House at 105-07 Washington St., and the adjoining tenement at 109 Washington St. with the already landmarked former Syrian church, tell the complete story of a destroyed neighborhood. Side by side, they represent the religious, social and residential aspects of a unique community that was twice forced out by eminent domain to build the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and then to construct the World Trade Center. A 1917 survey counted 27 nationalities living together in this small Lower West Side area. These last three surviving buildings, which adjoin one another, are a testament to the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diversity and to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mother Colonyâ&#x20AC;? of Arab settlement in the U.S. Many of the immigrants â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Syrians and Lebanese, for example, in addition to the Greeks, Turks and Armenians â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were from the Middle East. Mixed in this â&#x20AC;&#x153;Little Syriaâ&#x20AC;? neighborhood were various Slavic people: predominately Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Ruthenians and Moravians. The Lower West Side, which also represented Irish and other nationalities, was a true melting pot. Together, noted preservationists, community leaders and organizations agree that the buildings along Washington Street represent this lost neighborhood better than just the church alone. The groups are among 1,500-plus signers of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Save Washington Streetâ&#x20AC;? petition submitted to the L.P.C. requesting a public hearing. Much architectural and historical documentation has been presented to the L.P.C. The question remains as to why they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t schedule a hearing. Joe Svehlak Friends of the Lower West Side

E-mail letters, not longer than 300 words in length, to aline@downtownexpress.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Downtown Express, Letters to the E d i t o r, 5 1 5 C a n a l S t . , S u i t e 1 C , N Y, N Y 1 0 0 1 3 . P l e a s e i n c l u d e phone number for confirmation purposes. Downtown Express reserves the right to edit letters f o r s p a c e , g r a m m a r, c l a r i t y a n d libel. Downtown Express does not publish anonymous letters.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Local rez rat out rodents Continued from page 6

ing with the technique, which requires carefully planned labor. At one site, he explained, “we had to have 15 people from the Parks Department…dig four inches and put plywood around it. It was a tremendous amount of work, but it actually worked.” Simeone noted that the mesh material consists of fibers that “cut up” the rat when they gnaw at it. The D.O.H. has already begun work on area catch basins by distributing poisoned bait that, he promised, isn’t toxic to the environment. However, Kristen Simon, who works in the cruelty investigations department of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (P.E.T.A.), a national animal rights organization, cautioned that these techniques are cruel to animals and could counter the city’s overall mission of diminishing the rat population in Downtown. Contrary to popular belief, lethal methods used toward rodents could actually cause a surge, rather than a decrease, in rats, according to Simon. “When you remove animals from the surrounding area, more will just move in, and there will be a spike in the food supply — more food left for the ones who are behind,” she explained.

More food remnants also cause female rats to breed at an accelerated rate, Simon added, “so you end up with more rats.” If the D.O.H. insists on killing the rodents, Simon suggested using less painful techniques than poison, such as electronic traps or even the traditional snap traps. The New York Police Department, she noted, stopped using glue traps — which can rip rodents’ bones and flesh as they struggle to escape the traps — back in 2010. The best way to deter rats from a given neighborhood, Simon said, is for the city to regularly pick up the trash bags that accumulate on the street. The rats indeed feast on a buffet of garbage until the wee hours of the morning, as city sanitation workers don’t pick up the trash until around 4 a.m., according to Simeone, who noted that trash pick-up schedules aren’t in the D.O.H.’s purview. Several other city agencies in addition to the Parks Department, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, have their own systems for combating the rat population, according to Simeone. “The truth of the matter is,” he said, “we can’t go underground.” Restaurants, however, are in the agency’s jurisdiction. Simeone said they undergo “rigorous” inspections more than once a year, and, if they’re breaking the law, they can incur penalties ranging from a lowering of their grade to a shutdown.

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New Fiterman Hall to open in August Continued from page 1

Bronx. Even after Fiterman Hall opens next month, the school will still be half-amillion square feet short of the amount of space recommended for higher education institutions, according to Perez. The building stands 17 stories high, two stories taller, than the old Fiterman Hall — three of which will be devoted to mechanical equipment, according to Anderson. Floors 11 through 14 aren’t slated to open until the second semester of the 2012-13 school year, Anderson noted. “[The former] building was built in the ’50s,” he explained. “When you build now, you really have to subscribe to all of the regulations of the city and the state… that includes how you cast a shadow, even.” Due to the new building’s floor-area ratio, Anderson added, “we couldn’t build higher than our footprint on the ground [allowed].” The new Fiterman Hall will surpass its predecessor with respect to public amenities by offering passers-by and invitees access to a café, a fine arts gallery and a rooftop conference center. Its ground floor will offer students storage

space for close to 70 bikes, according to Anderson. As soon as B.M.C.C. gets its temporary certificate of occupancy — presumably in time for the start of the fall semester next month — professors will be able to begin unpacking their boxes and settling into their new offices. Mahatapa Palit, who teaches business management at the college, feels bittersweet about the move, which will

‘It’s going with the overall vision of what B.M.C.C. wants to be in the future…which is sort of a more global institution with connections.’ — Mahatapa Palit B.M.C.C. business professor involve teaching two classes in the new building starting in August and switching from a shared office to an individual office. While she said she’ll miss having her office mate as a companion, Palit is

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eager to work in a new, state-of-the-art building. “It’s convenient to have an office where you can have the students coming in without bothering another professor who may be working,” she said. Palit hopes that Fiterman Hall’s reopening will lead to the formation of new alliances between B.M.C.C. and area businesses and organizations that are located in the immediate vicinity.

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Music and Art, is looking forward to carrying out his program in piano labs that can fit full-sized keyboards. The school’s current music room at its main building, at 199 Chambers St., is “strangely shaped,” according to Meltzer, and can only accommodate 15 or so students at a time. “I sometimes wonder what the original purpose of our piano lab was,” he said. “It really looks like an oversized closet.” Meltzer, along with colleague Sarah Haviland, a visual arts professor, won’t begin teaching in Fiterman Hall until the spring semester. “I’m very excited about moving to the new building and having a new sculpture studio to teach in,” said Haviland. The new studio, she said, is supposed to have skylights and an interior staircase connecting rooms on two different floors. The double-height studio, which will be located in the building’s upper half, will be large enough to conduct two classes simultaneously, according to Haviland. “We’re going to be close to the top of the building… so we’re going to have lots of natural light,” she said. “To have that feeling of space up high is going to be terrific!”

July 11 - 24, 2012

Downtown tour recalls revolutionary scenes Continued from page 2

York City’s ports, which had been converted into prisons. “It’s important to remember those people,” said Conrad, “but we don’t usually hear about them anymore because it just wasn’t a glorious aspect of the war.” After taking the group to several other sites, including the tombstone of founding father Alexander Hamilton, which is also located in the Trinity Church graveyard, and Fraunces Tavern — the reconstructed site of the famous Patriot gathering place, located at Pearl and Broad Streets — Conrad ended the tour at Bowling Green Park, leaving participants with an insightful connection to one of New York’s present-day memorials. After the Declaration of Independence was first read in New York on July 9, 1776, at what was once City Hall — and what is now Federal Hall, at Broad and Nassau Streets — Patriots rushed to tear down the statue of King George III that had stood within Bowling Green since 1770. But, Conrad noted, directing the crowd’s attention to the middle of the

UP TO

park, that the British statue was replaced by a fountain rather than an Americanthemed statue. She threw out a question to the tour group: Why was that choice made? Once they had completely reconquered Manhattan after the war ended in 1783, why didn’t the Patriots turn what was once a symbol of British victory and dominance into a statue proclaiming their own liberty? Conrad told the group that today’s historians don’t quite know the answer to that question, but that she has her own theory behind the Patriots’ possible thought process. “What I find really interesting is a connection one might make between Bowling Green and the 9/11 Memorial,” said Conrad. “We’re remembering the World Trade Center attacks by placing reflecting pools in the footprints of the original sites, rather than identical towers. Here, the early Americans did something very similar by replacing the statue with a fountain.” She concluded, “It’s as if we have retained that feeling from them, of gaining strength through a sense of absence rather than presence.”

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July 11 - 24, 2012

BOOKS AHOY!

SARAZAD AND THE MONSTER-KING This reimagining of Scheherazade and “1001 Arabian Nights,” written by E. J. C. Calvert and directed by Justin Lauro, introduces 9-year-old Sarazad — who escapes bullying at school by retreating into Storyland. There, she meets the grouchy Monster-King and wins his friendship by telling him fantastic stories. When Sarazad returns to school, her experiences with the Monster-King (and her newfound confidence) help her triumph over adversity. Through Sun., July 15, on Sat. and Sun. at 1 & 4pm. At Canal Park Playhouse (508 Canal St., btw. Greenwich and West Sts.). For tickets ($18) or more info, call 866811-4111 or visit canalparkplayhouse.com. NEW YORK CITY FIRE MUSEUM Kids will learn about fire through group tours led by former NYC prevention and safety firefighters. The program — which lasts approximately 75 minutes — includes classroom training and a simulated event in a mock apartment, where a firefighter shows how fires can s t a r t i n d i f f e r e n t r o o m s i n t h e h o m e . F i n a l l y, s t u d e n t s a r e g u i d e d o n a t o u r o f t h e m u s e u m ’s f i r s t floor. Tours (for groups of 20 or more) are offered Tu e s . - F r i . a t 1 0 : 3 0 a m , 1 1 : 3 0 a m & 1 2 : 3 0 p m . Ti c k ets are $3 for children and $5 for adults — but for every 10 kids, admission is free for one adult. The museum offers a $700 Junior Firefighter Birthday Party package, for children 3-6 years old. The birth-

All aboard, little mermaids and pirates ages 3-10! The historic steamship Lilac is about to set sail. “Books Ahoy!” is a free festival sponsored by the Pen Parentis literary salon. Noteworthy authors will be reading, Bluestockings Bookstore (located at 172 Allen St.) will be selling books and kids can get their faces painted or work at an art table. The Lilac also offers free tours of the engine room (complete with a wooden captain’s wheel). Free. From 2-5pm on Sat., July 28. The Lilac is moored to Pier 25 in Tribeca (at North Moore St.). For more info, visit penparentis.org or email info@penparentis.org.

day child and 15 guests will be treated to story time, show and tell, a coloring activity, a scavenger hunt and the opportunity to speak to a real firefighter (the museum provides a fire-themed birthday cake, juice boxes and other favors and decorations). The NYC Fire Museum is located at 278 Spring St. (btw. Varick and Hudson). For info, call 212-691-1303 or visit nycfiremuseum.org. CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS Explore painting, collage and sculpture through self-guided a r t p r o j e c t s a t t h i s m u s e u m d e d i c a t e d t o i n s p i ring the artist within. Open art stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon, giving children the opportunity to experiment with materials such as paint, c l a y, f a b r i c , p a p e r a n d f o u n d o b j e c t s . C M A’s n e w exhibit, “Art Forms: 75 Years of Arts Education,” displays children’s artwork from the collections of celebrated arts educators Leon Bibel, Henry SchaeferSimmern and Sona Kludjian. The works, dating from the 1930s and 1960s, are juxtaposed with contemporary creations by NYC public school students. “Art Forms” runs through Sept. 30. Throughout the summer, Governors Island joins CMA to present the Free Art Island Outpost — where kids ages 1-12 can participate in a variety of activities (everything from craft stations to sound design). Every Sat. & Sun., through Sept. 16, from 11am-3pm (at buildings 11 & 14 — in Nolan Park, on Governors Island). CMA

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.

i s l o c a t e d a t 1 0 3 C h a r l t o n S t . , ( b t w. H u d s o n a n d Greenwich Sts.). Museum hours are 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. For group tours, call 212-274-0986, ext. 31. Call 212-274-0986 or visit cmany.org for more info. THE SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM The Skyscraper M u s e u m ’s “ S a t u r d a y F a m i l y P r o g r a m ” s e r i e s f e a tures workshops designed to introduce children and their families to the principles of architecture and engineering — through hands-on activities. On July 14, “Trash Factory” will talk about how architects recycle old warehouses into new buildings. On July 28, kids ages 8-12 are invited to learn about the science behind the structures in “Skyscraper Physics,” complete with demonstrations from the educators at the museum. During “So Sew Tall,” on August 12, children will design factories to manufacture their own product, like those in the Garment District, in conjunction with the museum’s exhibit “Urban Fabric.” All workshops take place from 10:30-11:45am, at The Skyscraper Museum (39 Battery Place). Registration required. Call 212-945-6324 or e-mail education@skyscraper.org. Admission: $5 per child, free f o r m e m b e r s . M u s e u m h o u r s : We d . - S u n . , 1 2 - 6 p m . Museum admission: $5, $2.50 for students/seniors. For info, call 212-945-6324, visit skyscraper.org or email education@skyscraper.org. 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, “ We e k l y P o e t r y R e a d i n g s ” o n S a t u r d a y s a t 1 1 a m . Filled with poetry 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. CREATURES OF LIGHT Descend into the depths of the ocean and explore the caves of New Zealand — without ever leaving Manhattan. Just visit the American Museum of Natural History’s new exhibit on bioluminescence (organisms that produce light through chemical reactions). Kids will eagerly soak up this interactive twilight world where huge models of everything from fireflies to alien-like fish illuminate the dark. Through Jan. 6, 2013 at the American Museum of Natural History (79th St. and Central Park West). Open daily, 10am–5:45pm. Admission is $25, $14.50 for children, $19 for students/ seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the museum or at amnh.org. For more information, call 212-769-5100.

HOUSE OF GHOSTLY HAUNTS Cardone The Magic i a n ’s s p o o k s h o w w i l l c o n t i n u e t o e l e c t r i f y a u d i ences as Canal Park Playhouse once again extends its run, now through July 31. The vaudeville-style act features razor swallowing and spirit conjuring — and ends in 10 minutes of complete darkness. A p p r o p r i a t e f o r a g e s 7 a n d u p . Tu e s d a y s , 7 p m , a t Canal Park Playhouse (508 Canal St., btw. Greenwich & West Sts.). For tickets ($20), call 866-811-4111 or visit canalparkplayhouse.com. P O T T E D P O T T E R : T H E U N A U T H O R I Z E D H A R RY E X P E R I E N C E — A PA R O D Y B Y D A N A N D JEFF Former BBC hosts Daniel Clarkson and J e f f e r s o n Tu r n e r c r e a t e c o m e d i c m a g i c a s t h e y attempt to “pot,” or condense, all seven Harry Potter books into a 70-minute, family-friendly s h o w. A n O l i v i e r a w a r d n o m i n e e f o r B e s t E n t e rt a i n m e n t a n d F a m i l y S h o w, t h i s c h a o t i c m u s i c a l tribute directed by Richard Hurst has charmed a u d i e n c e s o f a l l a g e s o n L o n d o n ’s We s t E n d a n d i s n o w m a k i n g i t s N e w Yo r k d e b u t . T h r o u g h A u g . 1 2 , Tu e s . , 7 p m ; We d . , 2 & 7 p m ; T h u r s . , 7 p m ; F r i . , 8pm; Sat., 2, 5 & 8pm; and Sun., 2 & 5pm. At the L i t t l e S h u b e r t T h e a t r e ( 4 2 2 W. 4 2 n d S t . , b t w. 9 t h & 10th Aves.). For tickets ($40-$100), call 212239-6200 or visit telecharge.com. For more info: pottedpotter.com or facebook.com/pottedpotter. T H E N E W Y O R K C I T Y P O L I C E M U S E U M D u ring regular Museum hours (Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm and Sun., 12-5pm), visit the Junior Officers Discovery Zone, designed for ages 3-10. It is divided into four areas (Police Academy, Park and Precinct, Emergency Services Unit and a Multi-Purpose Area). Each has interactive play experiences for children to understand the role of police officers in our comm u n i t y. F o r o l d e r c h i l d r e n , t h e r e ’s a c r i m e s c e n e observation activity, a physical challenge similar to those at the Police Academy and a model Emergency Services Unit vehicle where children can climb in, use the steering wheel and lights, hear radio calls with police codes and see some of the actual equipment carried by the Emergency Services Unit. At 100 Old Slip (btw. Front and South Sts.). For info, call 212-480-3100 or visit nycpm.org. Admission: $8 ($5 for students, seniors and children; free for children under two). W O U L D Y O U L I K E T O S E E Y O U R E V E N T L I S TED IN THE DOWNTOWN EXPRESS? Please provide the date, time, location, price and a description of the event. Send to scott@chelsea n o w. c o m o r m a i l t o 5 1 5 C a n a l 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 m u s t b e r e c e i v e d at least three weeks before the event. For more info, call 646-452-2497.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Downtown theater fest goes over the bridge, across the world Fifth edition of undergroundzero is first collective effort THEATER THE 2012 UNDERGROUNDZERO FESTIVAL

Through July 29, at these four venues: The Living Theatre 21 Clinton St., btw. Houston & Stanton Sts. Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center: Flamboyan Theater and Los Kabayitos 107 Suffolk St., at Rivington St. Photo by Rick Kim Photography

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“Little West 12th Night” takes you on a site-specific tour of the Meatpacking District.

Scapegrace 20 Wyckoff Ave., Bushwick, Brooklyn For tickets ($20-$25), visit undergroundzeronyc.org or call 866-811-4111 Photo by Erica Min

B Y SCO T T S T IF F L E R Theater companies from all over the world dream of producing their work in Manhattan — while theater companies from the island set their sights on… Brooklyn. Times change, rents rise and venues close — and those who can’t evolve are on the fast track to extinction. The 11-member cooperative of independent dance, performance and theater artists who are producing this year’s undergroundzero festival have banded together for the purposes of longevity and creativity — and they’ve invited several international theater companies along for the fest’s 2012 reboot. Created originally as an annual guest artist festival, undergroundzero has evolved into a resident coalition model for independent companies producing in New York City. Artistic Director Paul Bargetto notes that it was an adapt or die situation. The fest’s first incarnation happened at the Lower East Side’s Collective Unconscious. Don’t look for it — it’s not there anymore. Neither, he points out, is the original Ohio Theater…and with PS122 closed for renovations, undergroundzero turned to a few new LES cultural institutions for this year’s festival — then branched

“Cho H Cho,” presented by OneEighth.

out to Brooklyn (where more than a few Downtown theater companies have moved in search of larger spaces and more reasonable leases). Bargetto notes that two members of the undergroundzero collective (Hoi Polloi and Dangerous Ground) “are both really committed Downtown artists who are out in Brooklyn now. They’ve made the decision to move outside for financial reasons. So there’s a huge wave of Downtown people who are spreading out to the boroughs. I heard someone saying the other day that the city has gone from a cultural center to a cultural ring, where artists are pushed out from the center and into the perimeter, where real estate is affordable.” The festival’s NYC core group is also setting its sights beyond Brooklyn by inviting guest artists from around the world. “What we’re looking to do,” says Bargetto of the fest’s long-term exchange program plan, “is leverage something for us as a cooperative, so everybody in the world wants to come and perform in New York. It’s unbelievable the amount of email I get from international artists. This is an opportunity for us to invite people, create relationships and find

Photo courtesy of B-Floor Theatre Company

“Oxygen,” presented by Bangkok, Thailand’s B-Floor Theatre Company.

reciprocal arrangements where the work of the local artists here in New York can find touring opportunities overseas.” At least one undergroundzero production will be particularly difficult to transfer out of town. Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant’s incredibly site-specific “Little West 12th Night” is a modern-language riff on “Twelfth Night.” Conceived by Rachel Murdy and written by Peter

Lettre, the farcical mistaken identity plot remains, with the contemporary spin coming from a cast of characters including former meatpackers, displaced club kids, personal assistants, artists and a wealthy hotel heiress. They’ll be your guides on a tour of local establishments that gives you a little neighborhood history along with your supercharged Shakespeare. For more info, visit avantgarderestaurant.com.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Missing this one would be a true travesty Trav S.D.’s Vaudeville show gives variety back its good name THEATER THE NY MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL PRESENTS: “TRAVESTIES OF 2012”

Thurs., July 19 at 9:30pm; Fri., July 20 at 7pm & 9:30pm; Sat., July 21 at 6pm; Thurs., July 26 at 9:30pm; Fri., July 27 at 7pm & 9:30pm; and Sat., July 28 at 6pm At the 45th St. Theatre Upstairs (354 45th St., btw. 8th & 9th Aves.) For tickets ($25), call 212-352-3101 or visit nymf.org Also visit travsd.wordpress.com

B Y S C O T T S T IF F L E R Long before television — when the masses packed Lower East Side theaters yearning to be entertained on the cheap — they used to call it “Vaudeville.” By the time Ed Sullivan was brining us plate spinners and the Beatles, it was called “variety.” Decades later, modern day torture sessions such as “The X Factor” and “America’s Got Talent” are trite travesties that make one long for the sophisticated

stylings of Sonny & Cher or Donny & Marie. Thank your lucky stars, then, for this fine publication’s very own Downtown theater columnist. Long before he landed that plumb gig, Trav S.D.’s American Vaudeville Theatre (AVT) was helping the format reclaim its rightful function as a source of diverse, high quality entertainment served in short bursts and at a breakneck pace. As host of the proceedings, Mr. S.D. often employs the overinflated carnival barker banter of P.T. Barnum — but that’s where his clever ruse begins and ends. A typical AVT show delivers surreal comedy, music and a cavalcade of world-class (and irony-free) vaudeville, circus and burlesque performers who seem as if they’ve emerged from a 1920s Coney Island kinescope. As part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), “Travesties of 2012” promises a diverse mashup of American entertainment styles in a revue format that’s both naughty and nostalgic. The cast, drawn from what Trav S.D. describes as “the cream of New York’s Vaudeville Aristocracy,” includes ventriloquist Carla Rhodes, clowns Jennifer Harder and Glen Heroy, operatic comedians Jenny Lee Mitchell & Dandy Darkly, rodeo rope artist AJ Silver, contortionist The Amazing Amy, mentalist/mind reader Rory Raven and performers from other NYMF musicals. Trav S.D.’s next monthly Downtown theater column (a preview of August events) will appear in the July 25 edition of this publication. For more info on the history of Vaudeville, kindly consider purchasing Trav S.D.’s excellent book: “No Applause — Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous.”

Photo by Carolyn Raship

Ukin’ ‘bout My Generation? Slightly insane impresario Trav S.D. brings the best of NY vaudeville aristocracy to the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

July 11 - 24, 2012

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July 11 - 24, 2012

What happens to a raisin in the sun? At ‘Clybourne,’ it dries into algebra THEATER CLYBOURNE PARK

Written by Bruce Norris Directed by Pam MacKinnon Through Sept. 2 At the Walter Kerr Theatre 219 W. 48th St. (btw. Broadway & Eighth Ave.) For tickets ($30-$127), call 212-239-6200 or visit telecharge.com

B Y J E R RY TA L L ME R On the evening of March 11, 1959 (at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway) an actor named Sidney Poitier leaped down from the stage to lift a brown, skinny brand-new playwright named Lorraine Hansberry — a Greenwich Village waitress then two months short of her 30th birthday — over the footlights amidst the roar of "Author! Author!" that had exploded as the curtain descended on opening night of her breathtaking “A Raisin in the Sun.” In a Houston, Texas suburb one year and two months later — May 16, 1960 — a boy named Bruce Norris was born. He would grow up to be an actor-turnedplaywright whose Pulitzer- and Tony-winning “Clybourne Park” is umbilically and purposefully connected to Lorraine Hansberry's half-century-earlier “Raisin in the Sun.” “I was fixated on that play,” Norris has said, “because it had that great slapping scene where Lena [the powerhouse Mama Younger] slaps Beneatha [the rebellious Hansberrylike 20-year-old daughter] and makes her say: ‘In my mother's house there is still God.’ ” The link between the two plays is a meachy little white man named Karl Lindner — a white man who comes to try to bribe a black family not to move into the house they've just bought in the white Chicago suburb of Clybourne Park — only to be reborn as a sort of doppelganger called just plain Karl in the first half of the Norris play. This Karl is a grouchy, bitterly disgruntled white homeowner in Clybourne Park who is selling his house to a black family (the unnamed “Raisin” family) come hell or high water — not for idealistic reasons, but quite the opposite. The plot gets even more complicated (though clear enough on stage) when the actor (the excellent — but they're all excellent — Jeremy Shamos), whom we've just seen as Karl, now appears as a hard-bitten cynic named Steve who smokes out the racism (including black anti-white racism) of a long since gentrified interracial Clybourne Park. The issue now is the height of the rooflines in that tight-knit community. But underneath that crisis is — you guessed it — what somebody might speak of as “enlightened racism.” Pam MacKinnon, the 44-year-old director of “Clybourne Park,” may know Bruce Norris as well as anyone on earth. “He went to an ostensibly desegregated but de facto segregated Houston high school,” says MacKinnon. “He thought the film of ‘Raisin’ was fantastic, and then learned it had been made from a play. “As a white boy and man-to-be and aspiring actor, he realized the only role in ‘Raisin’ he’d ever get to play was Karl Lindner. And he saw his parents and his parents' friends in Karl Lindner. So he hooked into [Lindner] in two different ways.” “I identified with Karl and I identified with all of my culture”

Photo by Nathan Johnson

L-R: Frank Wood, Annie Parisse, Christina Kirk, Jeremy Shamos, Damon Gupton and Crystal A. Dickinson.

— white suburban culture — Norris has revealed. What took the scales off the future playwright's eyes was reaching maturity in a big city called Chicago. This playgoer hates to say it, but Lorraine Hansberry's Karl Lindner (vividly remembered from that Barrymore Theatre over all these years and preserved forever on film by John Fiedler) is a great deal more discreet and therefore more insidious — more dangerous — than Bruce Norris's purely angry armchair-anchored Karl. But then discreet is hardly the word for this hard-bitten drama that has men and women, some white, some black, throwing the ugliest words in the language at one another by way of racism in disguise, only to bring down the house — not a dwelling place but the howling ha-ha-ing audience — with the ugliest word of all, spoken in the play by a pissed-off young black woman. Frank Rich, drama critic gone politico-socio essayist, did an endless piece in New York Magazine heralding “Clybourne Park” for telling us fellow Americans in theatrical code what one thought was already plain as day — or dark as night. Night in a gated community, for instance, at somewhere called Sanford, Florida, or almost anywhere in the great state of Arizona, or along hundreds of the frisky sidewalks of good old New York, or anywhere and everywhere the ultimate object of all that hatred is a Negro president of the United States that Mama Younger — and Lorraine Hansberry — never lived to see. My question — one of my questions: Does laughing at this so-called comedy's exposures of racist and economic and social hypocrisies remove the poison of racism from one's own innards? Which is a point within a point, if you see what I mean. I made a big mistake in the run-up to this dispatch. An unfair mistake. I reread "A Raisin in the Sun." Virtually every line set emotions afire in a way a hundred "Clybourne Parks" could never do (or, to be fair, would never want to do). Try this for size: MAMA YOUNGER: No…something has changed. You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about

not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too. Or this: KARL LINDNER: You see in the face of all the things I have said, we are prepared to make your family a very generous offer… BENEATHA: Thirty pieces and not a coin less! Or this: BENEATHA (vis-à-vis her wrecked brother, Walter Lee Younger): Love him? There is nothing left to love. MAMA: There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing. Pam MacKinnon of Evanston, Illinois and Buffalo, New York, has been good friends with Bruce Norris (of Houston and Chicago) ever since they each moved to New York City 16 or 17 years ago and their careers began to take off. “Clybourne Park” may be built like an algebraic equation — the same seven actors of Act I gerrymandered into precisely seven other roles 50 Pirandellesque years later — but if you listen hard you may also catch some phrases in Act II borrowed from the above-mentioned president's 2008 election campaign. “All I knew about ‘Clybourne Park’ until about three years ago,” the director says, “was that it was loosely, loosely, loosely based on ‘Raisin in the Sun.’ ” So, Ms. MacKinnon, does “Clybourne Park” leave you feeling more pessimistic or optimistic? “Oh, it depends. Each time I watch it I bring something of myself to it. Some days I come away with lots of hope. Other days I certainly do not have that feeling. I think it's interesting that at the end of the play, Bruce brings together its most optimistic and most pessimistic characters.” Fifty-three years ago I walked out of the Barrymore Theatre at the end of the performance as if in a trance. The girl who was with me said four words: “I'm all shook up.” I think it will be a good long time before “Clybourne Park” shakes me up like that.

July 11 - 24, 2012

Just Do Art! B Y SCO T T S T IFF L E R

EXHIBITION: “STEAMPUNKINETICS” The last time Bruce Rosenbaum descended upon Gotham’s cobblestone streets, it was that bygone era known as winter 2012 — when he curated an exhibition at Soho’s Wooster Street Social Club. Tricked out with all manner of gauges and gears, the highly stylized collection of cell phones, chairs, bicycles and desktop workspaces made perfect sense among the tattoo parlor’s buzzing metal machinery. Now, the prolific and visionary Rosenbaum returns (this time to Tribeca) to once again push the envelope of the already boundary-shattering world of Steampunk. “Steampunkinetics” is an exhibition of over 40 kinetic sculptures by 18 artists inspired by (and entrenched in) the Steampunk aesthetic. The still-evolving genre — which has grown from a literary device to a rich subculture encompassing everything from fashion to visual art to home design — mashes the Victorian industrial aesthetic with elements of contemporary technology and futurism. The result, as seen in “Steampunkinetics,” is a forward-thinking yet retro-informed take on everything from the functional (lighting and musical instruments) to the fantastical (time machines and airships). Free. Through Sept. 2: Mon.-Sat., 10am-7pm & Sun., 11am-6pm. At AFA (54 Greene St., at Broome St.). For info, call 212-226-7374 or visit modvic.com, afanyc.com and steampuffin.com.

Photo by Katy Ru

Photo by Seth Kushner

Theatre of the Oppressed performs at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, on July 24.

July 17: Dennis O’Neil, with collaborator Neal Adams, discusses the social relevancy of comic books.

On Mon., July 23, “A Decade of Fluxblog Live: 10 Years of Perfect Tunes” features Rob Sheffield (Rolling Stone Magazine), Au Revoir Simone singer Heather D’Angelo and others talking about one song from the decade 2002–12 as a way to mark the tenth year of Floxblog (the first mp3 blog). On Tues., July 24, Theatre of the Oppressed presents “Stigma and the City” — based on real events expe-

rienced by performers from Housing Works’ 13 Theatre Troupe (an ensemble of NYC artists living with, or affected by, HIV). All events happen at 7pm (free unless otherwise noted), at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby St., btw. Prince & Houston Sts.). Hours: Mon– Fri., 10am–9pm and Sat.–Sun., 10am– 5pm. For info, call 212-334-3324 or visit housingworksbookstore.org.

HAPPENINGS — AT HOUSING WORKS BOOKSTORE CAFE

Photo by Gary Sullivan

Compelling form, forward-thinking function: Bruce Rosenbaum and Gary Sullivan’s Steampunk Wedding Time Capsule unlocks its mementos at a future point of your choosing. Until then, a countdown feature on the antique grandfather clock chips away at the due date.

Photo by Gary Sullivan

In the lower portion of the clock, letters and small mementos can be deposited and stored.

A fine selection of books (the kind with hundreds of pages instead of one screen) is just the tip of the iceberg that keeps Housing Works Bookstore Cafe afloat. Lingering, socializing and contemplation are encouraged by a series of events offering everything from author meet and greets to lit-themed performances. Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, 100 percent of the profits support the Housing Works mission to fight homelessness and AIDS. On Tues., July 17, a panel addresses the social relevancy of comic books. On hand will be writer and former crime reporter Dennis O’Neil and photorealistic artist Neal Adams — whose collaborative efforts returned Batman to his brooding roots. Also on hand will be writer Christopher Irving and photographer Seth Kushner — whose “Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics” outlines the genre’s history through Irving’s interview-based essays and Kushner’s photography. On Wed., July 18, “Copyright & Punishment in the Digital Age” has online entrepreneurs Drew Curtis (Fark. com), Erik Martin (Reddit) and Ken Fisher (Ars Technica) discussing intellectual property and fair use online. Rob Reid, whose new novel “Year Zero” brings an intergalactic perspective to these issues, moderates. On Thurs., July 19 ($8 cover), the ongoing Moth StorySLAM series features 10 stories addressing the theme of “Show Tunes.” The best tale wins.

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Treasures of traditional and contemporary folk art inspired by the spirit of the Seaport District. ORGANIZED BY THE AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM

OPEN DAILY: 10AM–6PM General Admission to the Museum + Ambrose: $10 Students/Seniors: $6 Children under 9: FREE 12 FULTON STREET | WWW.SEANY.ORG

July 11 - 24, 2012

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CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL SPONSORS, COACHES AND ESPECIALLY THE PLAYERS OF THE DOWNTOWN LITTLE LEAGUE ON A GREAT SEASON FROM SHELDON SILVER, DANIEL SQUADRON, JOE DANIELS OF THE 9/11 MEMORIAL, DEBORAH GLICK, JULIE MENIN, MARGARET CHIN, GAYLE HORWITZ OF THE HUGH L. CAREY BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY, BOB TOWNLEY OF MANHATTAN YOUTH, JOE WIGHTMAN OF MAILBOXES ETC. AND DOWNTOWN EXPRESS.

HERE’S TO ANOTHER SEASON PLAYING ON YOUR “FIELD OF DREAMS”

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