July 17, 2013 Chelsea Now by Schneps Media

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 23

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

JULY 17 - 30, 2013

Candidates Make Their Case for Being Borough President By Terese LoeB KreUZer Three city councilmembers and one former community board chairperson want to be the next Manhattan borough president. At a forum convened by the Lower Manhattan Marketing Association on June 27, they told the audience why they are running for this office, summarizing their credentials and indicating what they would like to do as borough president if elected. Councilmember Gale Brewer said that she has been working 40 years as a teacher at Barnard and CUNY colleges, in the private sector and in government. She has been on the City Council since 2002. She said that these experiences have taught her how to create new jobs and foster development that works for the community. She also said that she had “learned how

to strengthen community boards” and make them “incredibly important to the neighborhood.” Julie Menin cited her seven years as chairperson of Community Board 1, her background as a small business owner and the founder of a major nonprofit organization in Lower Manhattan and her experience as a regulatory attorney as the calling cards for her borough president aspirations. “I have taken on the tough battles and won,” Menin said, “whether it was winning a $200 million victory against Con Edison for this community or whether it was getting the 9/11 terror trials moved out of the neighborhood, which no one thought was possible.”

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Fulton Houses Residents Rise Up Against Playground-To-Parking Plan Photo by Heather Dubin

Sad State of Affairs

July 14: Shelia Dartley of the East Village joined thousands of demonstrators in Union Square to protest the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin. Protesters then made their way uptown, stopping in front of Penn Station and occupying Times Square for over an hour, in an act of non-violent civil disobedience. For an account of the evening, visit chelseanow.com.

By eiLeen sTUKAne Young, old, able-bodied and disabled, the residents of West Chelsea’s Fulton Houses presented a united front, ready to face down the developers who came to the Fulton Houses’ Community Center on the evening of Wednesday, July 10 to present their plans to the community. The residents had received prior word that Artimus Construction, along with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) and the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) had changed the agreed-upon plans for construction of affordable housing on the north side of West 18th Street near 10th Avenue, and they did not like what they had learned.

Originally, plans called for a building of 100 units of affordable housing, with underground parking. The revised plans were for 158 units without underground parking, but with outdoor lots. New parking lots were going to be built, on space that would be made by demolishing a large children’s playground of sprinklers, slides and climbing equipment, as well as a flower garden and a vegetable garden on the north side of West 17th Street and a smaller playground on the south side of West 17th Street. This, in a part of the city, which according to Matt Weiss of Friends of 20th Street Park, is “last out of 12 districts in

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July 17 - 30, 2013

Electeds, Residents: Stop ULURP Clock on Fulton Plan Continued from page 1 Manhattan when it comes to number of parks” and has not seen a new playground built “in over 45 years.” The simmering anger of the approximately 150 people in the room was palpable as they looked upon a panel that included Gbenga Dawodu, representing NYCHA, Robert Ezrapour of Artimus Construction, Beatriz de la Torre, assistant commissioner of planning for HPD, Richard Gottfried, NY State Assemblymember and Brad Hoylman, NY State Senator.

POSTER BOARD PRESENTATION LACKS POWER TO MAKE POINT

Torre of HPD started by saying that the West 17th Street playground would not be displaced and that they (the project managers) were meeting with the community as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process to get feedback from the people. She was unclear about which playground she was referring to, an issue that despite further questioning was not clarified or resolved to the satisfaction of those in attendance. At the end of the meeting Torre again said that the West 17th Street playground would not be touched — but the lack of clarity had everyone confused. Representatives of Artimus and their architects, Gerner Kronick & Valcarcel, attempted to present poster board renditions of architectural drawings to the audience, but these were impossible to see. Shouts rang out: “Don’t you have this material in handouts?,” “Where are the handouts?” and “Why are there no screen projections, PowerPoint presentations?” Roberto Rodriguez, a member of the audience, stood to say, “I’m surprised that you would have such a complicated dia-

Photos by Eileen Stukane

Squinting won’t help: Artimus Construction’s poorly received presentation lacked handouts, projections.

gram that makes it hard for us to envision anything at all. That’s a lack of respect for these people. What I should be hearing from you if you were honest and respectful of anybody here in this audience is ‘I’m sorry that we didn’t make this a little better presentation.’ This is unprofessional as far as I’m concerned.” Applause echoed within the walls. The developers’ presentation was going nowhere. Especially irritating to the residents was the fact that without any notice to the community or elected officials, the construction project, with its changes, had received a ULURP certification from the Department of City Planning (DCP) on Monday, July 8 — just two days before the meeting was called. This meant that Community Board 4 (CB4) was on the clock, and within 60 days had to hold

public hearings and make any recommendations for changes to the City Planning Commission (CPC), or lose the right to be effective. After CB4 weighs in, the borough president has 30 days to respond, and the CPC, 60 days after that — at which point it goes before the City Council for a final vote (subject only to mayoral override, which is rarely invoked)

Clearly, the early planning stages of the project has passed. CB4, the borough president, CPC — all are now on deadline, during a summertime period when many residents are away, and not around to attend CB4 meetings for comment. Miguel Acevedo, president of the Fulton Tenants Association, moderated the evening and gave the floor Assemblymember Gottfried, who spoke with conviction. “I think a developer who comes before a community with such an outrageous proposal, that was proposed in such an outrageous way, where you go back on what was promised and instead propose without any prior notification, you go straight to ULURP so the clock starts running,” Gottfried paused, “the idea that a developer like that would be tolerated in this community is unacceptable.” After loud applause, Gottfried went on to say that he felt that the demolition of the playgrounds was typical developer behavior — create an issue that takes center stage, ultimately elicits a compromise, and deflects focus from other aspects of the construction. “At least to show some thread of good faith, the certification should be withdrawn,” said Gottfried, and added, “apologies to the community for the way you have treated us and the total disrespect with which you have treated us, and I think it may be time

Continued on page 17

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July 17 - 30, 2013

Borough President Candidates Make Their Case at Forum

Photo by Yoon Seo Nam

Julie Menin, left and Jessica Lappin, were two of the Democratic candidates for borough president to appear at a June 27 forum at New York Law School.

Continued from page 1 She said that her vision for the Borough President’s Office is “to do a comprehensive, borough-wide master plan, which cities all across the United States have. We are one of the few major American cities that does not have a master plan.” Menin said this plan would provide a blueprint for building more affordable housing, school seats and open space. Councilmember Jessica Lappin introduced herself as a lifelong New Yorker and a lifelong Democrat, raised by a single mom. She mentioned that she had graduated from Stuyvesant High School and is raising two boys in the city. “I understand many of the concerns and challenges that middle-class families are facing,” she said. “I’m running for borough president because we need a fighter for middle-class and working people in this city — somebody who understands that we need to be focusing on housing, on public education, on creating jobs — and I intend to use the Borough President’s Office, if I’m fortunate enough to be elected, to tackle those issues.” Councilmember Robert Jackson said he was born and raised in Manhattan. “I’ve been an advocate for our children and a fighter for our community,” he said. “I want to continue to be an energetic leader on behalf of Manhattanites and all New Yorkers.” The candidates agreed that the Borough President’s Office was important because of its ability to affect land use and its role in appointing community board members and members of other influential boards. “There is a lot of power in this office, in

particular, to help people,” said Lappin. “You have, through the land use process, a real, meaningful effect on what gets built in this city and where.” She said the borough president could “demand and create more affordable housing and public school seats and daycare centers and senior centers, and really make sure that we are growing and evolving in the right way. You also have the power to appoint community boards where a lot of the local interaction with government happens in this city.” Lappin, Brewer and Jackson mentioned legislation that they had sponsored or worked on in the City Council, indicating what issues and positions might be important to them if they were elected Manhattan borough president. “I wrote a landmark law to regulate the state health clinics that are set up by anti-abortion extremists to deceive women into thinking that they’re getting medical care when they’re not,” Lappin said. “I chaired the Committee on Aging in the City Council, and when the mayor wanted to close 100 senior centers and cut funding for programs like Meals on Wheels, I led the charge to keep those centers and those programs alive.” She said she was running “to continue to fight for tenants, for working families, to add classroom space, to protect our seniors.” Jackson talked about his lawsuit against New York State, filed because “we felt that they were not providing our children with the opportunity for a sound, basic education. After 13 years of litigation, we won $16 billion for the children of New York City,” he said. Brewer said that she had authored the groundbreaking New York City paid sick leave law, overriding the mayor’s veto. “Starting in April 2014, one million workers who don’t have a day off if they’re ill or if their child is ill will get paid sick days,” she said. She said she had always been focused on schools and quality-of-life issues, such as graffiti and getting rid of bedbugs, which had even started to infest the city’s movie theaters. “I swear to God, I’m the one who did it,” she said. “I put in 28 agencies to meet on a regular basis and now we can go to the movies again.” The audience laughed. Brewer also mentioned starting a composting program in the schools in her Upper West Side neighborhood that is now going citywide. When it came time for questions from the audience, Barry Skolnick, a former Community Board 1 member, asked about the development projects that have been approved by the City Council over the years. “I don’t know that the City Council has ever rejected even one of them,” he said. “I wonder if you could comment on if that concerns you and what you could try to do to improve the Council’s backbone in dealing with some of these development projects?” Brewer replied that she hadn’t voted for the recent South Street Seaport Pier 17 redevelopment and zoning change. “I was the only councilmember not to,” she said. Josh Rogers, editor of Downtown Express, our sister publication, moderated the forum. The Democratic primary election in which the four candidates will appear on the ballot takes place on Tuesday, September 10.

July 17 - 30, 2013

As BP, Lappin Envisions CB Uniformity, Term Limits By scoTT sTiFFLer Citing experience and perspective gained during nearly eight years in elected office — and addressing matters including the ULURP process, community board reform and term limits — District 5 City Councilmember Jessica Lappin (Democrat) met with NYC Community Media on July 10, to outline her agenda if elected to the position of Manhattan Borough President. The newspaper group — comprised of Chelsea Now, The Villager, The East Villager, Downtown Express and Gay City News — is in the process of speaking with candidates for mayor, borough president and the District 3 city council seat currently held by Speaker Christine Quinn. Our endorsements will be announced several weeks before the September 10 primary, and may not necessarily be consistent across all publications. Along with publisher Jennifer Goodstein, our editors will be asking candidates to detail their position on issues of concern to the general electorate as well as each paper’s specific readership. In addition to this ongoing series of dialogues, NYC Community Media is sponsoring or co-sponsoring several public forums and debates — among them, an August 7 Manhattan Borough President debate (in partnership with Citizens Union and NYU).

borough president should play a central role” in shepherding ULURP applications while they’re at the community board level, before it reaches the BP’s desk. “Whatever it is they need to be heard through the process, I think the borough president should be helping make sure that happens — and that’s something that I don’t think [current borough president] Scott [Stringer] has done as much as I would do.” Lappin specified that as BP, she’d make sure “that a community has the resources. I don’t just mean money, but also the expertise, the support and the access to professionals such as architects — even help with putting a PowerPoint presentation together.” Recalling her work on the two million-square-foot Cornell/Technion project, Lappin cited the formation of the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition as a way to ensure that “there is a coalition of people who are actively engaged.” Armed with a list of design and use scenarios detailed in a seven-page document produced by the coalition, Lappin “worked with Cornell to make sure that it wasn’t sort of an eleventhhour, here are the things we’re giving you. Because I do think it’s helpful for people to really know what’s being discussed… so that by the time it’s at the community board, there is a coalition of people who are actively engaged.”

COMMUNITy NEEDS SAVVy ORGANIZING, RESOURCES TO NAVIGAGTE ULURP PROCESS

TECH UPGRADES AND TERM LIMITS?

Regarding local dissatisfaction with the vetting period that ultimately allowed Jamestown Properties to vertically expand Chelsea Market, Lappin was asked what, if any, changes she’d bring to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process. Lappin noted that although “At the end of the day, a developer has to have an economically feasible project,” negotiation for alterations in project size as well as benefits to the surrounding community is “a process. I would like to think that each developer comes in willing to make concessions.” Adding that she would like to see applicants “commit upfront, early on, to as much as they can,” Lappin also asserted that, “The

Lappin would also use her position as borough president to facilitate better city planning at the community board level. “The land use process is so reactive by definition,” she observes, “and if we’re not doing the proactive planning that we need, and identifying those needs community board by community board, then we’re not always taking advantage of the opportunities that come up through a rezoning.” The establishment of a Community Stat database analogous to that used by the City Council would (according to a campaign policy paper) “enable district managers to log, track and map license and land use applications across the district.” Other technology upgrades would

include online surveys, crowd-sourcing maps and the live streaming of monthly full board meetings. Lappin also envisions “a more business-friendly model” which would make the application process for liquor licenses and sidewalk cafes uniform from board to board, allowing bar or restaurant owners to expand to locations in other board jurisdictions without having to navigate unfamiliar rules and regulations. Lappin would accelerate the creation of new businesses by establishing “a regulatory review panel, within the borough president’s office, and take a look at some of the outdated regulations. I would also have an in-house expediter to help businesses deal with different agencies.” Lappin is also calling for term length adjustments and consecutive term limits for community board committee chairs. Length currently varies from one to two years, with term limits anywhere from two (as is the case with CB4) to four (CB5) to none (CB3). Invoking details from her campaign’s policy paper (“Recommendations for Retooling and Reform”), Lappin noted that although she’s not advocating a specific time frame for limits (“I would want to have that discussion with the boards”), she does want to facilitate an atmosphere that serves the fact that community board committees are “supposed to be forums for the public to be heard, and to be part of civic life in the city. And that’s hard when you have these

factions develop.” Committee chairs, she points out, “are elected by their boards and not the public. Rotating leadership would help depoliticize boards,” promote fairness and broaden community participation. “You know, I think they’ve gotten too political,” she says, noting that in addition to limits for chairs, “I don’t think you should appointed to the board for life.” Lappin also favors term limits for the police commissioner. “Twelve years,” she said, referring to Ray Kelly’s tenure, “is long enough for somebody to run a powerful agency like the New York Police Department…I think it’s time for us to have some new leadership.” Although community boards — like the BP — wield largely advisory powers, Lappin vowed to be more aggressive in using her ability to introduce legislation and increase the viability of Manhattan to attract and retain the middle class. In addition to the preservation and creation of affordable housing, Lappin would “establish a middle school task force on day one.” Further subject matter covered during Lappin’s July 10 meeting with NYC Community Media will be featured in future issues of Chelsea Now, alongside policies, goals and strategies articulated by other candidates we’ll be meeting with in the coming weeks (including mayoral candidate Christine Quinn and city council candidate Corey Johnson).

July 17 - 30, 2013

Former Hospital Carved Up, Will Become Greenwich Lane Condos By Lincoln Anderson A gaping space is all that remains where some of the largest towers of the former St. Vincent’s Hospital, on Seventh Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets, once stood, following the demolition of a huge swath of the medical complex. What’s left — with the addition of new construction — will be developed by The Rudin Organization/Global Holdings into The Greenwich Lane, 200 high-end condo residences, including five buildings, plus five single-family townhouses on 11th Street. In March 2012, the number of planned units dropped by 100 — from 450 to 350 — and has since dropped by another 150 residences. As for why the amount of apartments keeps decreasing, a spokesperson said, “In the end, they opted to go for bigger apartments — which reflects the current market.” State Senator Brad Hoylman was chairperson of Community Board 2 when the board reviewed the Rudin project application for the former hospital site. Asked his thoughts on the number of apartments having plunged to 200, he told our sister publication, The Villager, “It means that there will be fewer, wealthier people who will be paying for larger apartments. Fewer people will mean possibly less impact on schools and infrastructure — but it’s basically a wash. Maybe it will mean fewer cars, less pressure on infrastructure.”

Photo by Lincoln Anderson

A huge swath of the former St. Vincent’s Hospital has been demolished and will be redeveloped with new infill construction.

However, he said, it’s hard to gauge right now exactly what the impact of fewer apartments will be. There will be 10 separate addresses. The buildings will all be connected by a “lush, private, central garden.” The complex’s name refers to what Greenwich Avenue — one of Manhattan’s oldest streets — was known as until 1843. According to a press release, “each building in The Greenwich Lane will have its own unique identity and address, as well as slightly different finishes, reflective of the individual character of the particular building and setting.” Thomas O’Brien of Aero Studios, named by Architectural Digest as one of the top 100 designers in the world, is

designing the interiors, creating each property’s unique style and feel. The project’s architects, FXFowle, are targeting a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group will launch sales at The Greenwich Lane this fall. Inquiries can be made through the pre-launch Web site at www.thegreenwichlane.com. It’s expected that people will begin moving into the buildings toward the end of 2015. Pricing of the units hasn’t been finalized yet. However, the spokesperson said, “It will be comparable to other recent new luxury projects Downtown, such as 150 Charles Street [the Witkoff project at the former Whitehall storage site] and 56 Leonard Street.”

July 17 - 30, 2013

Longtime Lumber Location Transitions to Tower By yAnAn WAnG The Prince is donning a glass crown. The current site of the longtime Meatpacking District resident Prince Lumber Company (at the corner of West 15th Street and Ninth Avenue) will be transformed into a modern-style office tower. Working with real estate firm Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF), company president Guy Apicella told Chelsea Now that he is excited to oversee the new development, which will be called Prince Tower.

“I don’t think it will fit in [with the rest of the neighborhood],” Apicella remarked. “I think it’s going to stand out: especially because we lie outside of the historic district. It will be a positive thing for us to have a building that is completely different.” After reviewing a few different candidates, Apicella selected architectural firm Kohn Pendersen Fox Associates (KPF) to undertake the project. He had been immediately taken by the design team’s idea of using curved glass to not only mirror the

Photo by Yanan Wang

Prince Lumber will abdicate, and Prince Tower will take its place.

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waves of the nearby Hudson River, but also the emerging generation of artists and innovators in the neighborhood. For a firm that has historically managed larger building projects such as Hudson Yards, the relatively small size of the Prince Tower site will offer the architects an opportunity to experiment with intricacies in the design. Jamie von Klemperer, a KPF architect, said it is a pleasure to deal with “the more intimate aspects of the craft.” Klemperer said the design team would be taking advantage of the building’s location just outside of the historic district by presenting it as a counterpoint to the older structures around it. “In a way, it’s really an alternative to the straight, pinstriped, boxed architecture of midtown Manhattan,” he noted. “This is a part of town that sponsors a lot of creative industries. You have fashion, you have media, you have graphic designers. Why not do something freer, looser here?” A selection of high-end retail stores and offices will occupy the inside of Prince Tower’s sleek exterior. According to NGKF Vice President Jeffrey Roseman, the building will house approximately three levels of retail space, totaling around 60,000 square feet. So far, Roseman said, there has been a large demand for the space because of its loca-

tion near Chelsea Market and adjacent to the Apple store. Apicella said the relocation of the lumber company has been a long time coming. When Prince Lumber was first established in 1982, the area was very different, he pointed out. “It used to be one of the highest crime areas in Manhattan, so we’ve seen a big transformation,” Apicella recalled, adding that the bustling streets have become too busy for the lumber trucks to easily maneuver in and out. “I knew the area didn’t want a lumber company anymore,” he said. “The neighborhood has changed, and it’s changed for the better.” Apicella spent two years working with Justin DiMare of NGKF seeking a new location for the business, which will move to 612-18 West 47th Street sometime in the coming year. Due to rezoning, the allocation of manufacturing zones has decreased significantly, and Apicella said it was difficult to find an affordable site in Manhattan. According to Apicella, the estimated cost of construction will be $80 million. The company may not have to worry about finances after Prince Tower is constructed, though. Located in one of the most coveted and bustling areas of the Meatpacking District, rental space in the building will likely go for high price values.

July 17 - 30, 2013

editorial

The Trayvon Verdict Amid the ongoing concern about racial profiling in America, last Saturday evening’s verdict in the Trayvon Martin killing came as stunning news. Protests erupted across the country, with the one Sunday in Times Square reportedly having been the largest of all. At Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village, worshipers this past Sunday, once again — as they did after Martin’s killing in February 2012 — donned hoodies during their service. The gesture is intended as a protest against racial profiling and also in the hope that we, as a society, will be able to transcend the racial injustice that still plagues our country. It is also a call for justice for Trayvon Martin. Mayor Bloomberg, probably the country’s most high-profile advocate for gun control, put it correctly when he said this case makes it “crystal clear” why the so-called Stand Your Ground laws, like Florida’s, must be rolled back. In a statement, Bloomberg said, “Sadly, all the facts in this tragic case will probably never be known. But one fact has long been crystal clear: ‘Shoot first’ laws like those in Florida can inspire dangerous vigilantism and protect those who act recklessly with guns. Such laws — drafted by gun lobby extremists in Washington — encourage deadly confrontations by enabling people to shoot first and argue ‘justifiable homicide’ later.” The Department of Justice (DOJ) is being called on to continue its investigation into whether the shooter, George Zimmerman, violated Martin’s civil rights. That investigation had been suspended with the start of the Florida court case. Many legal experts, however, think it highly unlikely that the DOJ will find against Zimmerman at this point, after the Florida court cleared him of murder, as well as manslaughter. Clearly, Zimmerman — a wannabe cop who was merely a so-called neighborhood watch patrolman — never should be allowed to carry a firearm again. He has already taken one innocent life, and that is too many. In fact, he never even should have been permitted to carry a gun while patrolling as a volunteer watchman. All he needed was a cell phone or a walkie-talkie — and, in fact, that’s all any volunteer patroller needs. Having a guy like this armed and out looking for teens — or “punks,” as Zimmerman sneeringly described Martin — was an accident waiting to happen, and, tragically, it did. Zimmerman never would have been as quick to get out of his car and tail Martin — expressly violating police orders — had he not been packing a handgun. Without the gun, after initiating a scuffle with Martin, Zimmerman maybe just would have gotten beaten up — maybe even badly beaten — and maybe he would have then given more thought in the future to confronting teens merely committing the “offense” of WWB (Walking While Black). Furthermore, Zimmerman definitely should have been wearing a bright-colored windbreaker — like the Guardian Angels — or security-type vest that was clearly marked “Neighborhood Watch,” or something to that effect. This would have at least let Martin know what he was dealing with, and might well have helped the situation from escalating. Even with a concealed handgun, wearing this kind of identifying garment lets people know that this person is presenting himself as some sort of pseudo-authority. Regardless of whether or not the person in the vest is a nutcase, at least the other party can grasp the situation, and has more information to help decide how to respond. Local police — such as in Sanford, Florida — surely know who the neighborhood watch people are in their jurisdictions, and they certainly know if these individuals are armed. There should be greater oversight and training of them by police, and this could at least start with making them wear mandatory identifying garments or patches, badges, etc. Zimmerman should never be allowed to carry a firearm again — though, legally, he will get his gun back. But the issues of Stand Your Ground laws and armed vigilante watchmen who profile our youth must be addressed. Reforms are needed, or more innocent youths will lose their lives.

letters to the editor What became of the Bayview women? To The Editor: Re: “From Prison to Prime Real Estate: Bayview’s Future in Flux” (news, June 12): It has been eight months since the population of Bayview Womens’ Prison, [Correctional Facility] at 20th Street and 11th Avenue, was evacuated by the State just before Superstorm Sandy. The 153 women were moved overnight to various upstate prisons. It was understood — by them, and by the Chelsea community — that they would return when the damaged heating and other systems were restored. Tens [hundreds?] of thousands of our dollars were speedily spent to make the repairs. The women waited in their scattered locations, with every expectation of return…to their jobs, their classes, their family visits, their advisors and therapists. Months went by, and then the Governor announced that the facility would be closed, decommissioned and put on the block. I want to know what became of these women. I want to know where they are. I want to know what happened to their educational credits. I want to know what happened to their children, their jobs, their husbands, their families, their hopes and their chances for a real life on the outside. There is tragedy here that has gone ignored — by the government, by the press, the elected officialsand by us, the people of this neighborhood, who have lived side by side for decades with this population in near complete ignorance of their presence. We now know that this plan was in place long before the storm, with the excuse that Bayview cost too much to operate compared to other prisons in the state. The fact that it was a much more successful facility than those others didn’t factor in. The governor short-cut the public process, and took advantage of the emergency relocation to do the deed with no community input, and with great stealth. The fact that funds identified in the state’s next fiscal budget as proceeds from the sale of Bayview makes it clear that the plan to close Bayview was made in the dark, long before Sandy. This property belongs to us, the citizens of this State. Our tax dollars purchased it in 1967, and have maintained it over the decades. We have the right to participate in decisions made about its fate. Pamela Wolff

No need for NID now To The Editor: Madelyn Wils and the Hudson River Park Trust should be very happy. In the dead of night, our legislators in Albany gave them pretty much everything on their wish list, most notably, the potential sale of air rights. Given this sweet deal, it’s puzzling that Friends of Hudson River Park is still pushing for the controversial neighborhood improvement district, or NID. Friends’ new line is that the legislation only helps with capital funding and, therefore, the NID is still needed for operating and maintenance funds. However, that is inaccurate. By broadening the definition of accepted commercial activities within the park, allowing the Trust to levy a fee on commercial ship passengers that use the park’s terminals, passing the cost of insurance to city and state taxpayers and

allowing longer commercial leases, the revised park act does a considerable amount to reduce the park’s operating costs and increase its operating revenues. Friends may have a cash flow problem, but it makes no sense to solve that short-term problem with the imposition of a permanent tax on selected nearby residents. Especially since, as Douglas Durst argues, those residents’ property values may well suffer from the increased density that will result from a wall of taller buildings. Instead, Friends should be advocating that a portion of the additional property tax revenue that will accrue to New York City’s coffers from the air rights transfer bonanza be earmarked for Hudson River Park maintenance. And Friends should be encouraging the Trust to live within its means, just as the rest of us have to do. Sarah Bartlett, Nicole Vianna and Amy Johannes Bartlett, Vianna and Johannes are members, Neighbors Against the NID

Inmates need to be near to families To The Editor: Re: “From Prison to Prime Real Estate: Bayview’s Future in Flux” (news, June 12): Thank you for Winnie McCroy’s article on Bayview, the severely Hurricane Sandy-damaged landmark building on West 25th Street, between High Line Park and Chelsea Piers. Before Sandy, it was a women’s correctional facility. After Sandy, its inmates had to be dispersed to three different upstate facilities, away from the crucial supports of family, friends, and nearby agencies. Of course, as McCroy said, the state wants to sell this valuable building in a valued location to the highest bidder. Just look at the price the state could get for it and the tax revenue it could generate if converted to yet another luxury apartment building! Very likely to happen. And what money the State could save by not having to maintain this facility! McCroy also told the community and inmates’ side of the story. The surrounding community has never shown the typical NIMBY (not in my back yard) response to this particular correction facility. After all, these are not extremely violent prisoners. But keeping them away from the supports of their families and the various counseling and educational services they had from nearby agencies might lower their resistance to the very behaviors that got them incarcerated in the first place. Then they would become unwelcome in any community and an additional expense to the city. That is the main argument for trying to keep these women in or near Bayview, not supporting the jobs of the correction officers and the businesses they patronized. The latter is a secondary benefit. Bayview is primarily a correctional facility, not a jobs program. Fortunately, State Senator Hoylman and Community Board 4 are looking at all these sides of the story. Carol Weinstein E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@chelseanow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal St., Suite 1C, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.

July 17 - 30, 2013

To Weather Superstorms, ‘Tough’ is Not Enough talKiNG PoiNt By BOB TRENTLyON

More and more people ask me why Mayor Bloomberg won’t look at building storm surge barriers from the Rockaways to Sandy Hook and at Throgs Neck. I say, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Why we are committed to building more new buildings in the flood plain. Is this a King Canute complex?” One friend whose business is on Warren Street told me he is spending $4 million to make his building secure from flooding. The new Whitney Museum west of the High Line in Greenwich Village will be spending $40 million more due to fear of storms and flooding. A photographer I know who lives west of 10th Avenue lost a lifetime of work in his basement, and is busy spending money to try to seal his building. On the first two pages of the new opus, “A Stronger,

More Resilient NY,” the authors give a definition of “resilient” — and there is a statement by the Mayor saying New Yorkers are TOUGH. I believe that, but then I asked myself, “Are they smart?” If they were smart, then they would realize that they will be spending their own money to shore up their buildings. If they rent, their landlords will raise their rent to cover the cost of making their residences more resilient. If storm surge barriers were to be built then the federal government, the state government, and the city government would be paying the tab and getting a much better result. What is so wonderful about being tough and year after year suffering from higher tides and more violent storms? The people of London were certainly very tough when the Germans were bombing them every night during the Second World War and they had to sleep in the subways — but when they had a major storm in the last century, they decided to build storm surge barriers across the Thames to safeguard

Central London. No water has come into Central London since. The London Environment Agency is constantly strengthening London’s embankments with their 50-year plans. You want smart? For every one pound of cost, there is a cost benefit ratio of 164. How about the people of St. Petersburg, which was named Leningrad during World War II? They certainly were tough. They fought off the Germans at unimaginable losses to the civilian population. Last year they completed their storm surge barriers across the Neva River Delta and the North Sea. This year was the first in over 300 years with no flooding in St. Petersburg. We are using the Army Corps of Engineers consistently on small projects. Let us stop the patchwork that we are engaged in and adapt a regional plan. I can see us slowly using up all the $60 billion that the federal government has promised us after Sandy, and not doing the major projects that will protect us for the next 50 to 100 years.

Sold Down The River For A Walk In The Park? talKiNG PoiNt By Bill Borock (President, council of chelsea Block Associations) and Lesley doyel (co-President, save chelsea) Given the barrage of sweeping zoning changes, pro-development green lights and the wholesale privatization of formerly public space that have become the weft of our daily existence in Chelsea (and throughout Manhattan), one might think it almost impossible for a single piece of legislation to exert any degree of “shock and awe” over a neighborhood that was just beginning to think it had seen it all. One would be wrong. The Council of Chelsea Block Associations and Save Chelsea recently co-signed a letter (along with the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and Greenwich Village Community Task Force) in response to the Hudson River Park Bill — Bill A8031 — which we only learned about following its approval by both the State Assembly and Bill 5824, passed by the State Senate on June 21st at around 5am after an all-night session.

While this legislation is extensive and complex, our letter focuses on “the provision allowing for the first time the transfer of development rights from piers in the Hudson River Park to neighborhoods one block inland” and expresses deep concern “about the speed with which this bill moved, the lack of consultation with affected com-

Developers, even before the passage of the revised HRP Act, are already constructing a virtual canyon of tall buildings all along 10th and 11th Avenues, surrounding the High Line, and increasingly blocking sky and views of the waterfront. munities and the lack of available information about the broad potential impact this bill would have on increasing allowable development in our neighborhoods.” On Monday, June 15, Madelyn Wils,

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

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Director of the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT), made a presentation about the revised HRP legislation at a joint meeting of CB4’s Chelsea Land Use and Waterfront, Park and Environment Committees. Despite Ms. Wils’ candor, not much became clear except that plans for the transfer of air rights (potentially 1.6 million square feet of them)

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from piers in the park to receiving sites one block inland between Chambers and 59th Streets are still very unclear. Unbelievably unclear, considering that this sweeping legislation has already been passed.

PUBLISHER Jennifer Goodstein ASSOCIATE EDITOR / ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Lincoln Anderson EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Sean Egan Maeve Gately Michael Vaughan PUBLISHER EMERITUS John W. Sutter

The Hudson River Park, a shining achievement, is especially beloved as it provides visual and actual access to the Hudson River. But everyone knows, “shining achievements” like this are often incredibly expensive, and, once complete, need substantial revenue streams for perpetual maintenance now and in the future. According to their website, the HRPT “employs a focused, diverse staff with experience in parks, design, finance, public policy, operations and maintenance.” With so much experience and expertise, we assume there was a comprehensive business and financial plan, and therefore wonder how and why the current insolvency was allowed to become so critical. To build first and seek revenue streams later is very risky, and fiscal panic is always a dangerous incubator in which to draft legislation. The financial crises did not emerge from storm damage, and the meeting revealed that extensive repairs following Irene and Sandy are finally being reimbursed by the both the city and state.

Continued on page 18

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July 17 - 30, 2013

Police BLOTTER Grand Larceny: Pickpockets lurk as fireworks fly Maybe they should stick to watching it on TV. Four people, at four different locations, had their belongings liberated from them — as they gazed skyward to enjoy the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration. The first incident, at the corner of 12th Ave. and 42nd St., cost the 30-year-old Lebanon, OH resident $150 in cash as well as the loss of two credit cards and his driver’s license. The victim told police that while he was watching the fireworks, he noticed his wallet was missing and could not pinpoint the exact point at which it was taken. A similar lack of vigilance on the part of a 16-year-old visitor from Columbia resulted in the theft of his $700 black Apple iPhone — taken from him on 11th Ave., btw. W. 33rd & W. 34th Sts. The young man reported that although he felt the phone being removed from his pocket, he didn’t actually see the perpetrator (who had quickly disappeared into the crowd). On the northwest corner of

11th Ave & W. 28th St., another tourist, this time from Las Vegas, had her $549 iPhone taken from her front right pocket. The 30-year-old told police she was standing, and felt somebody jostle her. In a final insult to out-of-towners, a Valley Stream, NY resident who was on the northwest corner of 11th Ave. & W. 24th St. was entranced by the colorful display (and perhaps the music of Usher) when she suddenly noticed that her wallet was missing. The woman did not see or feel anyone remove it. Gone the way of colonial rule from the British crown: $20 cash and three credit cards.

Grand Larceny: Joint ‘cased’ for hot pants He brought a suitcase into the store, and took $1,698.25 worth of clothes on an unauthorized trip. An employee of The Gap (258 Eighth Ave.) told police that at around 11am on Fri., July 5, a man entered the store with a suitcase, walked over to the men’s section and proceeded to put 25 pairs of blue jeans and 10 T-shirts into the makeshift shopping bag. He then fled the

Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance Three buds, green bud and tall Buds

Uniformed officers of the 10th Precinct arrested three men, ages 22, 23 and 22, at 2:30am on Sun., July 7 — after observing them in a vehicle parked outside of 501 W. 20th St. The initial visible offense (drinking 12 oz. Budweisers) was enough to arouse suspicion—but the actual arrest charge stemmed from a small amount of marijuana discovered on the person of one of the men. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the pot-pocketed perp’s other two “buds” were in possession of “alleged ecstasy.”

COULDN’T stay in the ‘white lines’

A 37-year-old man was arrested in front of 344 W. 17th St. on Sat., July 6 — when police observed him “operating a Mini Cooper in a reckless manner, causing public alarm.” The man was found to be in possession of cocaine.

store on foot, southbound on Eighth Ave. Surveillance video captured the incident, and the police are now on the lookout for a man who — if decked out in his ill-gotten gains — could be described as “casually dressed.”

Robbery: Defiant victim follows perp, flags police A brazen crime committed close to last call was the final straw for a 26-yearold East Village resident, who was approached while walking on the West 200 block of 28th St. at around 3:50am on Sun., July 7. When a 19-year-old female asked the woman for money, she refused. The perp left, but soon returned — this time, with a request to use the woman’s cell phone (an iPhone 5S valued at $200). The victim again refused — at which point the perp pushed her, pulled her hair, took the cell phone out of her hand and fled westbound on 28th St. The victim gave chase and, at the corner of Eighth Ave. & 28th, flagged down the police — who arrested the perp and returned the phone to its owner.

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Commander: Captain David S. Miller. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212741-8245. The Community Council meeting, open to the public, takes place at 7pm on the last Wed. of the month. The Council is currently on summer hiatus, and resumes on Sept. 25.

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Ted Bernsted. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212477-3863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meeting takes place at 6:30pm on the third Tues. of the month. The Council is on hiatus, and resumes Sept. 17.

Robbery: Friend’s call helps nab ‘chain’ fool While filing a complaint at the 10th Precinct several days after he was robbed, an elderly victim received a phone call from a friend notifying him that the perp was lurking around his West Chelsea building. Police escorted the victim back to the area, where he positively identified the man — who, on July 4, had put a knife to the victim’s neck and demanded he hand over his watch (valued at $300), gold chains (worth $200) and cash ($240).

—Scott Stiffler

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

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

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July 17 - 30, 2013

chelsea: arts & ENTERTAINMENT Elephant Run parks Brecht in ‘Central’ location Director Todoroff, on fusing physical and political theater THEATER BRECHT IN THE PARK: THREE ONE-ACTS BY BERTOLT BRECHT

An Elephant Run District production Directed by Aimee Todoroff Translation by Eric Bentley Mask & Additional Design by Joe Osheroff Every Sat. & and Sun. at 4pm Through July 28 Great Hill in Central Park (West Side, from 103rd to 107th Sts.), near the southeast corner Additional performance at the Brecht Forum (corner of West & Bank Sts. on Tues., July 23 at 7:30 pm Free (donations accepted) For info, visit elephantrundistrict.org

BY MARTIN DENTON (of nytheatre.com) To shake up the usual outdoor theater fare offered in NYC, Elephant Run District is presenting three rarely performed short plays by Bertolt Brecht — two of which required the creation of a special contract from the publishing company Samuel French, because they had never been performed in New York City. This production will feature masks and puppets created by Joe Osheroff, winner of three New York Innovative Theatre Awards in 2012 for his choreography and movement, mask design and direction of “Homunculus: Reloaded.” Our Downtown theater columnist, Martin Denton, recently spoke with director Aimee Todoroff about the challenges of producing work in New York, and bringing Brecht to the great outdoors. What is your job on this show? Director. What is your show about? “Brecht in the Park” will present three

Photos by Chris Harcum

Jenny Tibbels-Jordan and Ron Dizon in “The Elephant Calf” (mask by Joe Osheroff).

rarely performed one-act plays: “The Elephant Calf” (1926), “In Search of Justice” (1938) and “The Exception and the Rule” (1929) — fusing physical and political theater, and bringing these early 20th century works into the contemporary world of the Occupy Movement, Citizens United, Stop and Frisk actions and Stand Your Ground laws. Where were you born? Where were you raised? Where did you go to school? I was born in Dayton, Ohio, a little city famous for many things including the Wright Brothers, Paul Laurence Dunbar and being featured in the opening lines of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” in a not-so-flattering comparison to Post-War Dresden. It was there that I discovered theater. I saw my first play in high school, and didn’t see another until I auditioned for my first play at the age of 20. It was a Polish pantomime play, and there were no lines. I got the part. After Dayton, I spent a few years in Philadelphia, always considering it my “transition” city, and then I moved up to New York. In between directing, running ERD and my day job, I’m also pursuing my MFA at Southampton Arts and (with fingers crossed) will graduate in 2014. Are audiences in New York City different from audiences in other cities/countries where you’ve performed? If so, how? A while back, I took a road trip to see a show at a nearby regional theatre. The set was meticulously detailed and realistic, but I found it stifling — it didn’t reveal anything about the play’s inner tension or hit any deeper levels. When I said I wished it could have been articulated in a more abstract way, my companion said, “Well, this isn’t New York theatre, that wouldn’t work here.” That took me back,

Ethan Angelica in “In Search of Justice” (stick puppets by Joe Osheroff).

but it occurred to me that because New York has almost an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the variety of theatre available, the audiences here are more willing to take a chance on alternate modes of expression. However, New York audiences (in my experience) tend to try to quantify performances in a very polarizing way. A show is either good or bad. They tend to love a show, or they hate it — rarely is the discussion about what was interesting or successful within a particular play. When visiting the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland last year (in preparation for taking “American Gun Show” this year) I kept hearing the phrase “It’s worth seeing.” Never did I hear a play dismissed outright, nor blindly praised. This simple phrasing seemed to open up the subject to discussion, and I hope this is a trend that New York audiences can adopt. Why did you want to write/direct/produce/act in/work on this show? I’ve always wanted to direct Brecht in a way that is accessible to as wide an audience as possible. It’s something that has been simmering in me for over a decade, and I’ve often talked about doing it in a park. When Chris found a gorgeous clearing in Central Park — a little bit off the main path but still easy to get to, wide enough for a large audience but with good sight-lines, almost completely enclosed — he took me there and showed the space to me like he was giving me a present. It was the perfect spot for Brecht. In choosing the three one-acts to present for our first production, I specifically wanted pieces that were lesser known. The themes that are recurring in these three plays are so current, it felt like they had to be done now. The parallels to Stop and Frisk, Citizens United

and Stand Your Ground Laws were so active within these plays, yet we knew we could stage them in a way that was funny, entertaining and accessible to an audience of all ages. Which character from a Shakespeare play would like your show the best: King Lear, Puck, Rosalind or Lady Macbeth — and why? Rosalind, absolutely. These plays have a sense of humor about them, but would appeal to her intellect and sense of fairness. Also, I think she’d dig the park setting. It would remind her of Arden. How important is diversity to you in the theater you see/make? The more types of theatre an artist can see, the stronger their own work will become. Every time I go to the theatre, I walk away with new ideas about what is possible or a new appreciation for a well-placed nuance. Many times, I have forced myself to go see a play that I wasn’t particularly interested in or drawn to — maybe the subject matter or style didn't really appeal to me or I just wasn't in the mood — and it is those shows that always surprise me the most, catch me off guard and blow me away. This is part of why I love reviewing and think it is such an important tool for artists who are starting out and might not have the extra cash to see a show. I get to go see a play I might not have otherwise known about, much less seen, and then get to further the discussion around it. There is so much excellent work happening in our community right now, and I’m extremely grateful for every moment I have had the good fortune to experience. Note: This Q&A originally appeared on Martin Denton’s website, nytheatre.com.

July 17 - 30, 2013

Prospero, on our island NY Classical Theatre brings the Bard to Battery Park THEATER

SHAKESPEARE’S THE TEMPEST A NEW YORK CLASSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

Directed by Sean Hagerty Production Design by Mike Floyd Free At Battery Park (meet in front of Castle Clinton Through Aug. 4 Tues.-Sun., at 7pm Family Workshops: July 20, 21, 27 & 28 at 5pm For info: 212-252-4531 or newyorkclassical.org

BY SCOTT STIFFLER Making dramatic use of Battery Park’s most spectacular set pieces (Castle Clinton, the Statue of Liberty and the sun setting behind the harbor), New York Classical Theatre’s tip-of-the-island production of “The Tempest” brings both thematic relevance and geographic resonance to Shakespeare’s tale of an exiled magician, his daughter and a very uneasy family reunion — courtesy of a shipwreck manufactured by the revenge-minded Prospero. “Half surrounded by water and steeped in history, Battery Park is the perfect setting for Shakespeare’s most magical, otherworldly play,” declares New York Classical Theatre founder and artistic director Stephen Burdman of the company’s bold, roving production — the first Off-Broadway endeavor to take place at (and around) Castle Clinton since the historic site’s re-opening following Superstorm Sandy. Will the castaways of Prospero’s island be so lucky when it comes to reinvention and redemption? New York Classical Theatre isn’t saying, but the troupe of roving players does note that their interpretation sets the action in the Victorian era, “when the onset of the Industrial Revolution inspired a countervailing renaissance in spiritualism and a penchant for all things occult.” For younger audience members who may be new to the play, free educational workshops before selected performances will guide children ages 7-11 and their families through games and exercises designed to help them better understand the action as it unfolds on a stage — which, in this case, is all the world (of Lower Manhattan).

Photos courtesy of NY Classical Theatre

Before Sandy stormed Castle Clinton: New York Classical Theatre’s 2010 Battery Park production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Crowds surround the cast, at the 2010 Central Park production of “Richard III.”

July 17 - 30, 2013

Just Do Art! BY SCOTT STIFFLER

THE CAPABLES

“This is a typical case of hoarding,” says social worker and reality TV talking head Jenny Bragg Marcus, MSW — speaking to us from a pristine white room after the camera has panned the floor-to-ceiling belongings of a defensive southern matriarch. “But all typical cases are atypically sad,” the condescending Bragg notes, as she squints her eyes to deliver a hushed final verdict: “It’s so sad.” Sad, yes, but not true…at least not in this case. Playing now on indiegogo.com, the clip is sneak peek at “Hoard Wars” — a new program on the nonexistent A&B network, whose fakebut-plausible programming mantra is “Real Strife. Trauma.” Bragg and her crew have descended upon the home of prolific pack rat Anna Capable, who regards the fire hazard as a “collection” of meaningful and necessary things. Not so, says daughter Jessy — who enlists the TV show to remove her mother’s mess. Is it a hoard or a collection? Like the search for walls or carpeting, finding the answer will require diving into the mess and peeling back multiple layers — and even then, what you see isn’t nec-

essarily what you’re expecting to get. That seems to be the case with the world premiere of Jay Stull’s play “The Capables.” Although the fake TV show clip delivers on the promise of “hoards and collections,” nowhere is there any indication of what the actual theatrical production means when it promises to explore “the dirty business of radical inclusion.” Elsewhere on that indiegogo page, the playwright’s own assessment of “The Capables” seems to indicate that the work is less concerned with the act of obsessive accumulation and more focused on exploring the void it serves to fill. “It’s also about a family that is missing a son who has, as they used to say, lighted out for the territories,” says Stull. “Ultimately this play is about two worlds in which I feel equally rooted — the cosmopolitan city and the rural but developing Southern town. At a time when the positions of these two worlds seem primed to be invariably at odds, I wanted to explore how they hang together — or don’t — how they exploit each other, and how they are symbiotically and inextricably related.”

Continued on page 14

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Just Do Art! Continued from page 13 Dale Soules, who appeared very recently on Broadway in the musical “Hands on a Hardbody,” stars as Anna Capable (with Dana Berger in flashbacks as her younger self). Jessie Barr, as the MSW with an attitude and an agenda, has seen her character evolve alongside the work itself (she was at the play’s first reading two years ago). In a recent interview on the blog Visible Soul, she zeroed in on what gives “The Capables” its sting — lauding the playwright’s capacity for writing dialogue that’s “heartfelt and human without being saccharine…like something you heard at a Thanksgiving dinner gone awry — cutting and hilarious.” Through Aug. 3. Tues. and Wed. at 7pm, Thurs.-Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 7pm. At The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson St., at Washington Square South). For tickets ($18), 212-8684444 or smarttix.com. For a preview, visit indiegogo.com/projects/the-capables.

THE ART OF DRINKING

Photography has been around for a mere fraction of the 10,000 years that alcohol has been with us — but what a team they make. Whether it’s quiet contemplation, boisterous revelry or morning-after regrets, booze as muse never seems to disappoint. “The Art of Drinking” pays homage to the passion and skill we bring to drinking — and document-

ing the process of imbibing. “This exhibition,” the curators note, “is intended to offer a glimpse of the role that drinking has played in the making of photographs, both as subject and inspiration. Beyond the stereotypes of the drunk artist (apt as they sometimes are!) these pictures playfully, sometimes seriously, depict the relationship between drinkers and the drink, each other and the world around them.” As seen on the walls of Sasha Wolf Gallery, that world includes watering holes that are swanky (NYC’s Top of the Standard), sparse (Western Nebraska) and foreboding (Marilyn Monroe, with glass in hand, watching “The Misfits” rushes). Far from encouraging sober contemplation, the curators strongly recommend viewing this selection “with a bit of a buzz on.” Free. Through Aug. 16. Hours: Wed.Sun., 12-6pm. At Sasha Wolf Gallery (70 Orchard St., Broome & Grand). For info: 212-925-0025 or sashawolf.com.

SOHO PHOTO GALLERY’S 18th ANNUAL NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

top honors, the M’s have it (photographers from Massachusetts, Michigan and Maine ranked first, second and third, respectively). The work of all 39 winners is on view through July 27 — along with two other exhibitions. “Beyond the Road to Mandalay: Hill Tribes of Northern Myanmar” is the latest portfolio from New York-based photographer Michael Schenker, who traveled there in January 2013 as part of his ongoing commitment to document the values, customs and unique characteristics of ethnic minorities and hill tribes found in China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Bhutan, Thailand and Burma. Elsewhere in the gallery, George Grubb also has disappearing and/or evolving culture on his mind and in the frame. “Pigeon Forge” is a collection of 12 images taken along the parkway in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Grubb captures the Great Smoky Mountains amusement resort town’s struggle to balance economic and environmental vitality by using exaggerated colors and distorted neon signage — then infuses those images into a glossy metal surface (rath-

er than on it) to enhance their luminescence. All three shows run through July 27, at Soho Photo (15 White St., three blocks south of Canal, btw. W. Broadway & Sixth Ave.). Hours: Wed.-Sun., 1-6pm. For info: 212-226-8571 or sohophoto.com.

History through beer goggles? Get lightly lit, head over to Sasha Wolf Gallery and see Marilyn Monroe, watching the rushes of “The Misfits” (Elliot Erwitt’s “New, Nevada” (1960) — on view through Aug. 16 (part of “The Art of Drinking”).

Behind the winning images in Soho Photo Gallery’s 18th annual juried National Photography Competition are some impressive numbers. A total of 152 photographers from 35 states submitted over 1,000 photographs. The winners were chosen by juror Laura Paterson, (VP and Photography Department Specialist at Christie’s). As for

Noah David Bau’s “15, 103 lbs.” — which took first prize in Soho Photo Gallery’s annual national photography competition — is on view, along with other winners, through July 27.

July 17 - 30, 2013

Decidedly Smart and Strange, ‘Chess’ is One of the Year’s Best When man and machine face off, audience wins FILM COMPUTER CHESS

Written & Directed by Andrew Bujalski 2013, 92 minutes Not Rated July 17-31 At Film Forum 209 West Houston St., btw. Sixth Ave. & Varick St. Call 212-727-8110 Visit ﬁlmforum.org Photo courtesy of Kino Lorber, Inc.

Wiley Wiggins as Martin Beuscher and Patrick Riester as Peter Bishton, in “Computer Chess.”

By seAn eGAn A film about a computer based chess tournament certainly doesn’t seem to be particularly cinematic or entertaining in theory — but somehow Andrew Bujalski’s latest directorial effort takes this premise and turns it into something memorable and highly engaging. “In some ways, the fantasy of making this movie was born of frustration with trying to figure out how to crack the market, and how to produce things that were quote-unquote ‘accessible,’” says Bujalski, the critically acclaimed director of indie films such as “Funny Ha Ha” and “Beeswax.” “And when I got tired of thinking of doing that, I would retreat off into my fantasy, going ‘Well what’s the least commercially viable thing I could do?’ ” The film that resulted from this train of thought is “Computer Chess” — which is one of the strangest, smartest and best films of the year thus far. Though “Computer Chess” bears many similarities to Bujalski’s past directorial efforts — particularly in its distinctive, naturalistic performances and dialogue and its understated, homemade vibe — it also marks a significant departure for the director in many ways. While his other films mainly focused on the small scale, personal trials and tribulations of modern twentysomethings, “Computer Chess” is a period piece. Set in the early 1980s, the movie concerns a group of programmers competing to see who has designed the best chess-playing computer software at a convention — one of which will eventually play against a human chess master. This framework, while certainly interesting, is mainly used to hang a series of humorous and increasingly weird and unsettling vignettes around a cast of colorful, real-

istically drawn characters. While Bujalski admits to having trouble settling on an edit because “there was no obvious thing to compare it to tonally,” one could possibly summarize the tone as being some kind of bizarro blend of Christopher Guest mockumentary, Cronenberg-esque themes and Lynchian imagery and dread — all acted and filmed in as low-key a manner as possible. “This was in every sense, an experimental project,” Bujalski asserts. “I didn’t want this movie to feel like any particular other thing I had ever seen,” he continues. A sense of over-familiarity is certainly not a criticism that could be leveled at “Computer Chess.” Its distinct, lo-fi black and white visuals come courtesy of the rare, unwieldy 1970s video cameras used to shoot the movie. This was a first for Bujalski, who had previously only used 16mm in his features. Though he says the cameras produced “very specific challenges and headaches” while making the film, including “all kinds of technological woes” inherent in using such old technology with modern computers and editing software (digital editing was another first for the director), Bujalski found using the cameras contributed greatly to the film. The troubles then became “in some strange way part of the fun,” and he embraced the quirks of the cameras, allowing “a lot of room to let error be our friend,” — which is reflected in the effective pseudo-cinema veríté documentary style of the film. Furthermore, for the first time, Bujalski worked without a full screenplay, instead relying on an eight-page treatment to guide production, in order to “approach the project with a feeling of looseness,

as if anything was possible.” He found though, that this method of working “required us to be all the better prepared

on a daily basis,” and ultimately “was similar to working from the script.” To aid in expanding on the premise outlined in the treatment, Bujalski says he got “a lot of computer programmers to act in the movie, and advise on the movie, and tell me how it should sound,” which helped contribute to the sense of authenticity created by the film. He even eployed non-diegetic music for the first time — a unique mix of acoustic folk-type songs and ambient synthesized sounds. In the past, Bujalski forewent this kind of music in his small personal dramas, for fear of “telling an audience how to feel at a given moment,” but felt at though “Computer Chess” “had a lot more room for playfulness. It had a lot more room for me to, you know, shove you around as a director and ask you to enjoy it.” For such an offbeat, experimental movie however, “Computer Chess” remains a highly enjoyable and never feels like a chore to watch. It has been received warmly by critics since it started making rounds at festival screenings earlier this year — including receiving the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prize at Sundance (awarded to the best film using science and technology as a theme, with science

Continued on page 21

July 17 - 30, 2013

Fulton Residents: Above Ground Parking Lot Switch Underhanded Continued from page 3 to think about finding a new developer for this project.” Hoylman reaffirmed Gottfried’s stand, “You should stop the clock immediately, get your act together, come back and treat us with some respect.” He also felt that because this was a NYCHA project, the developer was not using the same standards that he would for a private development deal. Letters from CB4 and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to Matthew Wambua, Commissioner at HPD, also expressed outrage over the plans. Speaker Quinn wrote, “I want to be clear — I do not, and will not support a development plan that displaces a playground to make up for lost parking.” Yetta Kurland and Corey Johnson, candidates for Quinn’s District 3 City Council seat, also spoke in solidarity with the community. Johnson, as chair of CB4, pledged the community board’s support.

SITE’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUT OF REACH FOR FULTON RESIDENTS

Years ago, CB4 had been in on the negotiations for affordable housing construction in Chelsea. The building is only being undertaken as a result of the city’s commitment to the community for the 2005 rezoning of West Chelsea and Hudson Yards. The city promised that in return for the rezoning and the influx of new luxury housing, 100 units of affordable housing for moderate-tomiddle income families would be built on West 18th Street (between Ninth and 10th Avenues) on a parking lot on Fulton Houses, property owned by NYCHA. Artimus Construction was chosen as the developer in 2007 in this public/private partnership with NYCHA and HPD. This project has been in process for years — and in that time, what is considered “affordable” has changed along with the plans. While salaries of incoming policemen and firefighters have recently dropped to the range of $25,000 to $30,000, the 2013 Area Median Income (AMI) for New York City, as calculated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is $85,900. Moans and groans rose up from the community as the availability of apartments in this moderate-to-middle income “affordable” rental housing was outlined by Torre. The mixed income development of the proposed 158 apartments would have 20 percent of the units available at 50 percent of AMI, which is based on income between $30,100 for a one-person household to $42,900 for a four-person household; 20 percent at 80 percent of AMI, or income between $48,100 for a one-person household to $68,700 for a four-person household and 20 percent at 130 percent of AMI, or income between $78,000 for a one-person household to $110,000 for a four-person household. The remaining 40 percent at 160 percent of AMI, or income between

Gone Garden, Gone? The Fulton Houses’ flower garden is on the chopping block, as part of the plans for 158 units of housing that would also require the demolishment of other amenities.

$98,000 for a one-person household to $140,000 for a four-person household. Torre also said that 20 percent of the apartments would be designated for NYCHA, but since she had already accounted for 100 percent of the apartments, the NYCHA availability was unclear. The project is designed to bring in what is being called “moderate-to-middle class” dwellers based on the AMI. There are no “low income” apartments factored in. The Fulton Houses residents, many getting by on social security checks, did not relate to the “affordability” of the housing that was to emerge in their midst. There was sardonic laughter and remarks made aloud about how the affordable bodegas are gone, the affordable Associated supermarket. The mom-and-pop stores that used to make life in the Fulton Houses easier were gone due to stratospheric rent increases, and replaced by those businesses that could afford to pay — upscale fashion designers like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen (who have ironically fled the Meatpacking District as big name chains such as Patagonia have arrived). “There’s more than one way to push us out,” cried a voice in the crowd.

WHY WAS UNDERGROUND PARKING PLAN ABANDONED?

Martin, a resident who only wanted to be identified by his first name, asked the reason why the original plan which included underground parking was changed. Torre replied that the original plan was “financially unfeasible” and asked the developer to elaborate. Robert Ezrapour of Artimus explained, “In our original proposal we suggested 112 parking spaces to make it economically viable. We were told that CB4 would not be receptive to any additional parking spaces. The original proposal was 104 apartments. We made it 158 apartments

Photos by Eileen Stukane

July 10’s presentation left many wondering which of the two playgrounds in question would become a parking lot, if current plans for affordable housing are approved.

but with underground parking, it did not make economic sense.” Then he digressed, “Nothing is going to be built until we go through the process, the ULURP process. It’s unfortunate that the ULURP is certified. I think in the history of the agency, a ULURP has never been certified in six weeks, and that’s because there’s pressure. Sorry folks, but in an election year there’s pressure that doesn’t normally come into play. We’re going to come back, give you more details, and rest assured, nothing will get built until you get a good flavor.” Gottfried asked “What pressure are you talking about?” but his question went unanswered, leaving room for speculation. Among the residents gathered, several wondered whether political pressure was being asserted by an outgoing administration or by those who hoped to be elected. Martin then asked whether the developer would consider removing the certification. “Pull the ULURP. Stop the clock,” said a resident named Rosario. Torre answered with, “I know that this is not what you want to hear, but I cannot say that right now.” Gottfried took the microphone and said, “To the developer, I don’t know that you listened to the question from the gentleman here. He was very careful. He didn’t ask if you would withdraw the certification, he asked if you would consider it and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t immediately say, ‘We will give you the decency and respect of promising that we will consider that.’ ” Ezrapour responded with, “HPD and NYCHA are the applicants. In the ULURP process you have many opportunities to voice your concerns. This application has to go through several approval processes. This is just a start.” Acevedo put the question of withdraw-

ing certification to Gbenga Dawodu of NYCHA who responded with “I’m not in a position to answer that right now...We are open to all the input you guys gave us and we can go back to the drawing table and present modifications that we discussed today.” Fulton resident Irene O’Connell voiced what others were probably thinking. “What is interesting is that no one is in a position to do anything. This is great, tell us what is going to happen but don’t give us anything that’s concrete because ‘We can’t say.’ You knew about this before you came today and it was okay.” The meeting drew to a close with Acevedo assuring the community that the Fulton Tenants Association was now working with a lawyer. Assemblymember Richard Gottfried forcefully reiterated his belief that the ULURP certification should be withdrawn, and speaking to the developers said, “I think you need go back to square one with this community. Come to us and say, ‘Here’s what we’re thinking of proposing, what do you think about it,’ not with a clock running. Then develop a proposal that you can submit to ULURP. Until you withdraw the proposal from ULURP you’re going to have an awful lot of angry people here.” NOTE: The day after the meeting, on July 11th, Gottfried wrote a letter to Matthew Wambua, Commissioner of HPD. The letter begins: “The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) should immediately withdraw its plan to build housing on the grounds of the NYCHA Fulton Houses development and remove a playground and community garden and replace them with a parking lot, certified with the City Planning Commission earlier this week.” The letter goes on to refer to the events at the meeting.

July 17 - 30, 2013

Sold Down the River Continued from page 9

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As our joint letter also points out, “the current zoning in our neighborhoods already allows a tremendous amount of new development, and has in many cases recently been changed to allow even more additional development.” And, although this aspect of the HRP Act was, in part, designed to prevent and preclude commercial and residential development within the Hudson River Park — which we understand and support — we fear that this solution exchanges one problem for another. Won’t this become an irresistible incentive for mega-development, providing huge financial windfalls for real estate developers? Developers, even before the passage of the revised HRP Act, are already constructing a virtual canyon of tall buildings all along 10th and 11th Avenues, surrounding the High Line, and increasingly blocking sky and views of the waterfront. From experience, we simply don’t see the required Uniform Land Review Procedures (ULURP) as effective protective measures to control hyper-development, as suggested at Monday’s joint committee meeting. On its very own website, the Hudson River Park Trust describes itself as a public benefit corporation. As members of that

public, we urge the HRPT to provide not only the communities straddling the park in targeted areas, but the larger public, with clear information about the impact this legislation will have. Throughout Monday’s joint committee meeting we were assured that HRP would, in future, work closely with NYC City Planning, local officials, affected community boards and members of the public, as plans for the transfer of air rights more forward. As our joint letter also says, “It is essential that the public be informed of how the development rights transfers enabled by this legislation would work, what the process would be for their utilization, which piers have transferable development rights and how much, the locations to which those development rights can potentially be transferred and used and how much additional development rights can be used at each location and the scope and scale of development which would be allowable if those development rights are utilized at each location.” It is imperative at this time for the HRPT — especially being a public benefit corporation — to be open and transparent with the public, and welcome public input. In so doing, we will once again be able to put our full trust in the Trust.

July 17 - 30, 2013

Glick and Meadows Both Endorse Johnson for Council By Lincoln Anderson Citing “personal and family reasons,” Alexander Meadows dropped out of the City Council District 3 race on Monday, July 8. He then promptly endorsed Corey Johnson over Yetta Kurland for the seat, which is currently held by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. The following day, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, New York State’s first openly gay legislator, told our sister publication, The Villager, that she, too, is throwing her support behind the Community Board 4 (CB4) chairperson. “I am endorsing Corey,” Glick told the newspaper. “I think that his experience chairing the community board — which has many diverse personalities, as all community boards do — has been a great training ground. When you work with the community board, you work with a lot of people with different interests and different perspectives, and that is what you have to do in the Council,” she noted. “I think that he has done a good job [on CB4]. “I have faith in his ability to work with people and work in a positive fashion — which may set him apart from his opponent,” Glick added, putting the stress on “positive.” “I’ve made a decision that I’d like somebody who could be effective in government,” Glick added, pausing for emphasis, which highlighted her choice of the word “effective.” “And I think that person is Corey,” she said. Asked if it was a tough choice for her, she said no. “I’ve watched him over the last year or so,” she said. “You don’t pay that much attention to political races until they really get into full swing,” she noted. “Two years ago, people thought it was going to be a very different race — Brad Hoylman, and discussions of Andrew Berman. ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ — Hamlet on the Hudson,” she quipped. Asked directly for her thoughts on Kurland, Glick said, “I’m not sure she could be effective or work in a collaborative fashion. There’s no evidence that leads me to believe she would be a good councilmember.” Asked about Kurland’s signature issue, protesting the closure and then the loss of St. Vincent’s Hospital, Glick charged that the way Kurland hammered elected officials on the issue “borders on demagoguery.” She accused Kurland of blaming local politicians “who worked very hard to turn that around [i.e., tried to save St. Vincent’s],” but ultimately failed. “You’re playing on people’s reasonable concern and fear of not having a hospital, but don’t offer any solution,” Glick charged of Kurland’s M.O. on St. Vincent’s. On July 8, Meadows endorsed Johnson in a statement, saying, “After much thought and consideration, I have decided to end my campaign for City Council in the Third District. While it was a difficult decision, I believe the best way for me to serve the community right now is to continue my

Alexander Meadows, left, shaking on it with Corey Jonson, says he will be “working hard in the trenches” to get Johnson elected.

work on Community Board 2 (CB2)and as a local Democratic activist — and to help elect Corey Johnson to the Council. “I am endorsing Corey today because, over the course of the campaign, I have seen him really listen to voters and show a deep understanding of the issues,” Meadows said. “He is intensely committed to our community — and I know he’ll deliver real results for us. I will be working hard in the trenches to ensure he is elected to the City Council.” Meadows could not be reached by telephone at the time our sister publication went to press (July 10), but he did send an e-mail response, saying, “I am confirming my quote about ending my campaign and endorsing Corey.” Regarding Meadows backing him, Johnson said in a statement, “I am honored to have the support of former Council candidate Alex Meadows. He has been an advocate for the progressive causes that inspired my campaign, and I look forward to partnering with Alex in our community and on the City Council.” Meadows, a first-generation CubanAmerican and gay rights activist, has lived in District 3 for seven years and been a member of CB2 since 2010. He’s also a member of the Village Independent Democrats, and is an officer of the political club, corresponding secretary. Johnson has chaired CB4, which covers Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, for close to two years, and has been on the board since 2005. He has been a resident of Chelsea for the past 10 years. Kurland, now his lone opponent in the race, is an activist and civil rights attorney. Johnson has already racked up an impressive list of political endorsements, including Congressmember Jerrold Nadler, former state Senator Tom Duane, Assemblymembers Richard Gottfried and Linda Rosenthal, state Senator Brad Hoylman and the Working Families Party. He has also been endorsed by about 10 political clubs, among them, Village

Independent Democrats, Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, Lower Manhattan Democrats, Village Reform Democratic Club, Downtown Independent Democrats, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats and Stonewall Democrats. Johnson has heavy union support, as well, including the United Federation of Teachers, 1199 SEIU, 32BJ SEIU, the American Federation of Musicians Local 802, Teamsters Joint Council 16, the Retail Wholesale Department Store Workers Union and about half a dozen others. Kurland’s endorsements include a number of New York City ex-politicians, including former Mayor David Dinkins, former Borough President C. Virginia Fields and former Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, plus Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez and state Senator Eric Adams, among others. Former CB3 Chairperson Harvey Epstein has also reportedly endorsed her. Like Johnson, she also has support of unions, including District Council 37 and Transport Workers Union Local 100. As for political clubs, the McManus Democratic Club and Chelsea-Midtown Democratic Club are among the organizations backing her. In February, The Villager first reported that Meadows, who currently lives in the West Village, was entering the field for District 3. The Third Council District covers the West Side from Canal Street up to 63rd St., including Hudson Square, Soho, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, part of the Flatiron District and Hell’s Kitchen. In recent years it’s been known as the Council’s “gay seat” and is currently represented by openly lesbian Council Speaker Quinn, who faces term limits at the end of this year, and is running for mayor in a crowded field of Democratic candidates. Speaking this week, Glick said it would be hard to gauge the impact of Meadows leaving the race. “He’s a nice young man,” she said, “but I don’t think he had a strong candidate pro-

file at this point. I didn’t hear of anybody supporting him. So it’s hard to say if he was drawing from one candidate or another.” Kurland’s campaign was asked for comment on Meadows’s endorsement of Johnson, as well as on Glick’s remarks about Kurland — namely, that Kurland wouldn’t be positive, effective or collaborative in the Council and that she has been a borderline demagogue on St. Vincent’s. Kurland spokesperson Rodd McLeod responded to Johnson’s endorsements by going on the attack on a different subject: “No matter which politician endorses him, Corey Johnson owes New Yorkers an explanation of why he worked for real estate developer GFI, a shady company whose principal executives have close ties to [Assemblymember] Dov Hikind and other anti-LGBT politicians,” McLeod said. “GFI was sued for housing discrimination by the U.S. Department of Justice. West Siders deserve an honest explanation from Johnson, and they’re still waiting.” As for Glick’s criticisms of Kurland’s character and the candidate’s position on St. Vincent’s, McLeod countered, “Yetta is a coalition builder who had the courage to stand up for the community when St. Vincent’s Hospital was closed.” However, Glick characterized the recent focus on Johnson’s having worked for GFI as “an odd act of desperation.” Johnson’s position with the company, as Glick understood it, was as an “intergovernmental representative.” “It’s like blaming someone who is working at NYU as a department administrator or student affairs coordinator for the policy of the university,” she said. “It’s ridiculous.” In response to Kurland’s comments about Johnson, RJ Jordan, his campaign manager, called them “a hollow smear attempt.” “Voters in the Third District know well Corey’s history as a role model and tireless activist for LGBT rights,” Jordan said, “as well as his record of accomplishment as a progressive community leader, and they won’t be fooled by absurd suggestions to the contrary. He has a strong record of standing up to overzealous developers — whether in opposing the NYU land grab or the Chelsea Market expansion or the Rudin plan at St. Vincent’s — as CB4 chairperson. These are among the reasons why Corey has been endorsed by leaders who symbolize the values of the West Side, like Jerry Nadler, Deborah Glick, Tom Duane and now Alex Meadows. “This is a hollow smear attempt, with no basis in truth, by a desperate candidate, and frankly, West Siders deserve better,” Jordan said of Kurland’s accusations. “Corey’s opponent has given bizarre reasons for owning a handgun — saying that [her school was licensed] by the Department of Homeland Security [and that she had] to protect students at an English as a Second Language school, and also because she’s an attorney. Come on — we’ll put Corey’s record of results up against Yetta’s rhetoric any day of the week.”

July 17 - 30, 2013

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Chelsea www.chelseanow.com

July 17 - 30, 2013

Director Bujalski, on His Boldly Original, Thoroughly Odd Feature character's arc simultaneously hilarious and very sympathetic and relatable. Though it is certainly accessible, “Computer Chess” is not at all a simple, light film. It plays around with some seriously heavy themes, and (especially towards the end) embraces a sense of darkness and dread previously unseen in Bujalski’s films, but excellently executed here. As the film progresses, it finds the characters having to grapple with some serious existential questions and confront some dark truths and situations — not all of which are resolved by the last reel. This only serves to make the film all the more memorable, causing viewers to seriously consider what they just watched and the implications of what is presented on screen. In particular, the meeting of man and technology, and sex and the mechanical are juxtaposed in ways that provoke both strong laughs and a most serious sense of unease. “There’s a lot of sexual anxiety in the movie, and you know, you could certainly make the case that that’s one of the big subtextual or textual, I guess, things that are going on,” says Bujalski. Making the film caused him to spend a lot of time thinking about artificial intelligence, and its relationship with mankind — which plays a major role in the film. “The idea of artificial intelligence is just such a strange pursuit,” Bujalski marvels, and while appreciating the work of those developing it, asserts “It comes from a most peculiar place.” To the director, “The desire to create an artificial intelligence on some level has to come from a desire to understand our own intelligence. And that’s the constant problem or challenge in artificial intelligence, I think is that it’s hard to say what artificial intelligence is or should be until we can define exactly what the thing is we are trying to recreate.” On how this existential struggle plays out in the film, Bujalski says, “I think that in some ways these guy that are building the computer and trying to get it to play chess at the highest level, is in a very roundabout, strange way meant to be a journey of self

Continued from page 15 professionals as main characters). Critics are also quick to note that the film is quite accessible — maybe the most accessible in Bujalski’s oeuvre thus far. “It’s been kind of almost a perverse irony that the movie has apparently received as accessible,” laughs Bujalski, marveling at the film’s warm reception from critics and audiences. “I really had no clue until the day we premiered. Before we premiered I thought ‘Okay, this could be, you know, I might have to spend the next few years apologizing for this.’ And then after we premiered I thought, ‘Oh God what if they ask me to do this again? I’d have no idea how!’ ” One of the biggest draws of the film is its sense of humor, derived from a ragtag group of characters, vividly brought to life by great performances by a cast of mostly non-professionals. “I have massive respect and admiration and appreciation for the actors who were able to go there,” comments Bujalski, asserting, “I think there was some extraordinary work amongst the cast.” Indeed, some of the actors disappear so totally into their roles, it is hard to remember that this isn’t actually a found-footage film from the 80s. “Ultimately the acting is up to the actors, and I give all credit to everyone involved to bringing that period alive,” Bujalski insists. A performance of particular note is Patrick Riester as Peter, the shy, socially maladroit young programming apprentice, who strikes up a tenuous relationship with another young programmer (Bujalski comments on his penchant for fractured romances: “I like love stories, and I’d like to write a good one. And I guess I also like broken love stories.”) In addition, Myles Paige, previously seen in Bujalski’s debut, “Funny Ha Ha,” nearly steals the show as Michael Papageorge, the down on his luck bad-boy independent programmer of the computer chess world. Paige plays Papageorge with a potent mix of misplaced rock star-like swagger and pathetic vulnerability, which makes watching the

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discovery and a way of understanding our own minds.” “And,” he adds, laughing, “its a hop, skip and a jump from there to sex and trying to kind of understand another human being through intimacy.” Bujalski, for his part seems to be a talented, intelligent, if unassuming guy, ready to praise others for their work on the film, while downplaying his own role. “I feel like more than ever in the past, that my work on this movie largely happened in my subconscious,” he muses. He says, half jokingly with a laugh that “To be a director is a really strange job because generally speaking everybody else on the set has some very specific talents that they bring there — and you don’t necessarily have any talent, you know,” noting that a director’s only responsibilities is “to hold the whole thing in your head” and “set the tone, somehow.” “It’s kind of an ineffable thing. It’s hard to talk about what that is or how you succeed or fail at it, and I certainly don’t know really,” he continued quickly. From “Computer Chess,” it is safe to say though that Andrew Bujalski has succeeded in creating a boldly original and thoroughly odd film that is funny and thought provoking in equal measure — and deserves to find a wide and appreciative audience, and be considered amongst the best films of the year.

Photo courtesy of Kino Lorber, Inc.

Andrew Bujalski, director of “Computer Chess.”

July 17 - 30, 2013

ing establishment. In this hallowed hall, it is certainly not appropriate to let loose with a sinus-clearing snort once the last crumb of dessert has been gobbled up. In fact, as I believe you already suspect, the only “culturally correct” place for this germy mealtime coda is at your own family’s dinner table. All other places are, as they say, off the table. Outside the confines of our own homes, what qualifies as appropriate varies wildly, from clubs to colleges to cultures and to countries. That’s why, when breaking bread with strangers, it’s best to tread lightly before we let our family freak flag fly at full staff. So just dial it back a few notches until you’ve sussed out the likes, dislikes, customs and quirks of the company you’re keeping — and defer to what makes them comfortable. That’s the only ingredient you’ll need to ace Aunt Chelsea’s own personal recipe for being the perfect guest, or host. Good luck, hon, and keep a big jug of antibacterial on hand for others who might make the same illadvised faux pas as you and your pa!

Dear Aunt Chelsea, I grew up with a very proper upstate New York Mom, and she worked very hard on my backwoods Vermont Dad to improve his manners. Of course, all us kids were brought up to know how to set the table, what not to say around certain guests and so forth. My mother never corrected my dad when he blew his nose at the table after a meal. And, boy, does he let out a loud honking blow! So, naturally, I always thought that it was no faux pas to blow my nose at the table. Recently, at the dining hall (I’m a college freshman), I blew my nose after eating and my friend hissed at me to stop, insisting that I was being rude. So, Aunt Chelsea...is it okay or not to blow my nose at the table? Is it culturally correct in some places and not in others? Conflicted Honker

Dear Honker: What we have here is a thoroughly befuddled adult child suffering from a classic case of mixed signals. As Aunt Chelsea’s wise old Uncle Jimmy used to say, the only constant in human nature is our lack of consistency. “Pobody’s Nerfect,” he also often said — and boy, was he right. Even your upstate NY mum, who sounds like a heavenly soul hell-bent on raising polite children, is not immune to muddying the clear waters of proper etiquette with her own toxic loopholes. What good is a properly set table if the meal is capped off by a nasal salvo across the bow? What good is sparkling dinner conversation tailored to the temperament of your guests when pop’s rogue honker is sure to be the number one take-away topic of the night? It’s no wonder you’ve grown up, moved away and been called out for behavior that simply doesn’t pass muster in the very public (and diverse) setting of a college din-

c o s r H o o pe s

Aries A wool garment worn on a humid day serves as a sweaty reminder that your laundry should have been done days ago. Stop procrastinating, pokey Aires!

Taurus A midnight stroll taken to escape your stuffy apartment leads you into a bar where you will become obsessed with guessing the drink special’s secret ingredient. A stubborn bartender resists your bribery attempts.

Mystico Predicts July 4 Crime Wave

Gemini Impulsive Geminis should emulate their more structured

Regular readers of Chelsea Now’s horoscope column know that Mystico’s “Eerily Accurate” advice to the dozen or so signs of the Zodiac is just that: spot on, and guaranteed to save you immeasurable time and trouble in matters of the head, heart and wallet. But to benefit from his vast knowledge of future events, one must “read and heed” — a wise and catchy mantra the great astrologer is fond of saying as he roams America in astral form, dispensing vital insights and occasionally becoming embroiled in murder mysteries. Keep your eyes peeled for chelseanow. com short films based on these compelling episodic adventures. For now, though, skeptics need only consult this week’s Police Blotter (page 10) to see what happened to four unfortunates who ignored the Aquarius horoscope from our July 3 issue (“Beware of pickpockets who ply their trade as you’re entranced by fireworks.”). Go ahead, read the Blotter. Back? Good. Now read this issue’s entry for your sign, confident that Mystico already has the answers to questions you’ve yet to ask.

Cancer Overconfidence stemming from your enjoyment of

Zodiac brethren. Making a plan, and sticking to it, is the only way to conquer this week’s daunting challenges.

that “Sharknado” movie leads to a wasted weekend of viewing horrendous videos devoid of camp value. Cancel your cable and read a good book!

Leo Resist the urge to cease going through your day with a kind word and a smile for petty tyrants. Your sunny disposition is about to pay spectacular dividends. Reinvest half of it in a Roth IRA! Virgo Memories dredged up during dinner with an old friend will give you the confidence to stick the landing on a leap of faith. Others will be inspired by your bold move.

Libra Your novel use of an infomercial product, which comes to you in a dream, will cure a physical ailment that would normally require expensive outpatient care. Scorpio Pins and needles make for a lousy perch this weekend, as you scan social media for reactions to an ill-advised tweet. Maintain a low profile for the next five days. Sagittarius The third person you see boarding the next subway car you take will be reading a newspaper whose headline harbors the solution to a most vexing problem. Capricorn A family heirloom you’ve taken in for appraisal turns out to be worthless…but a window display across the street contains an object essential to your happiness this weekend.

Do you have a personal problem at work, the gym, the bar or the corner coffee shop? Is there a domestic dispute that needs the sage counsel of an uninvolved third party? Then Ask Aunt Chelsea! Contact her via askauntchelsea@chelseanow.com, and feel free to end your pensive missive with a clever, anonymous moniker (aka “Troubled on 23rd Street,” or “Ferklempt in the Fashion District”).

Aquarius Stop filling the empty suitcase of a new relationship with baggage from an old one. Nobody wants a traveling companion still bitter from ancient betrayals. Pisces Answer the ring of a payphone, meek Pisces, and intercept an ominous message meant for an absent other. The ensuing adventure is worth the risk.

July 17 - 30, 2013

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July 17 - 30, 2013

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