Boys like Burlington, p. 18
Volume 82, Number 17 $1.00
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Hudson Square, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933
September 27 - October 3, 2012
11 groups file suit against N.Y.U. plan for its superblocks BY LINCOLN ANDERSON A broad coalition of groups — including both local community associations and citywide organizations — filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court Tuesday to stop N.Y.U.’s massive 2031 development plan. The suit alleges violations of the public trust doctrine; illegal manipulation of restrictive deeds;
Photo by Tequila Minsky
Chanting “Whose park? Our park!” Bob Townley of Manhattan Youth, right, local parents, Councilmembers Christine Quinn and Margaret Chin and other community leaders marched along the waterfront Monday morning.
Park rape and looming cuts to police heighten safety fears BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER In Hudson River Park, near where a 21-year-old actress was raped early on Sat., Sept. 22, city councilmembers, Park Enforcement Patrol officers, community leaders and Downtown residents gathered on Monday to express their determination that nothing like that will happen again.
After a brief press conference, around 50 people marched north along the waterfront chanting, “Whose park? Our park!” “We won’t yield one blade of grass, one street corner to the perpetrators,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who led the rally. She alluded to another rape that had taken place on Sept. 12 in Central Park and said
that women should not be afraid to enjoy New York City’s parks. Both alleged rapists have been apprehended. Both have previous records as sexual offenders. The rapes have occurred at a time of proposed budget cuts for the New York Police Department and the Park
destruction of parkland, playgrounds and historic preservation sites; failure to adequately consider environmental impacts; and failure to adhere to an open and transparent process. The 11 groups include N.Y.U. Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Historic
Continued on page 2
L.E.S. BID push to expand has strong support BY SAM SPOKONY The Lower East Side Business Improvement District is weeks away from sending a proposal to city officials for the long-planned expansion that would triple the BID’s size. There appears to be relatively smooth sailing ahead, as the proposed expansion — first developed more than two years ago — has garnered overwhelming support from local
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businesses and stakeholders. Proposals for new BIDs in the Downtown area have been met with heated resistance recently, including in Soho and Chinatown. While the Chinatown BID was ultimately approved, the Soho proposal continues to sit in limbo. However, of the owners and tenants within the proposed
Continued on page 16
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
Suit filed against N.Y.U. plan Continued from page 1
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Districts Council, Washington Square Village Tenants’ Association, East Village Community Coalition, Friends of Petrosino Square, LaGuardia Corner Gardens, Inc., Lower Manhattan Neighbors Organization, Soho Alliance, Bowery Alliance of Neighbors and Noho Neighborhood Association. In addition, 11 individuals also signed onto the Article 78 lawsuit, which is filed against multiple city and state commissioners and agencies for their approval of New York University’s expansion plan, which the plaintiffs charge is unlawful. Among those named in the Article 78 filing are City Council Speaker Christine Quinn; Amanda Burden, chairperson of the city’s City Planning Commission; Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the city’s Department of Transportation; the City Council; and the City of New York. The suit challenges decisions by the city and the state to approve the nearly 2-million-square-foot construction plan on the university’s two South Village superblocks. Among other things, the petition alleges that the plan illegally alienates parkland, illegally ignores deed restrictions, and will have a significant impact on N.Y.U.’s Village neighbors, including the several thousand who reside at the site and “would be forced to live in a construction zone for the next two decades.” The lawsuit argues that government decision-makers, including both the City Planning Commission and the City Council, largely deferred to N.Y.U.’s wishes and illegally turned over public land to facilitate N.Y.U.’s project, despite less intrusive alternatives. The suit also claims that government decision-makers conducted a process with a preordained outcome that lacked the transparency required by law under ULURP and effectively denied the public meaningful input. The suit alleges that government decision-makers refused to consider the adverse impacts on the most affected group — N.Y.U.’s faculty, 40 percent of whom reside at the site — “rendering their ultimate decisions irrational, and arbitrary and capricious, as a matter of law.” Thirty-seven N.Y.U. departments and three N.Y.U. schools, including the Stern School of Business, have passed resolutions opposing the project. “The C.P.C. and the City Council bought N.Y.U.’s premise that they needed to expand in its core in the Village community in order to become a so-called world class university,” said Mark Crispin Miller, N.Y.U. professor of media and culture and a member of N.Y.U. FASP. “But the fact is that N.Y.U. uses buildings all over New York City. N.Y.U. was never required by the city to prove that the expansion was really needed in the Village. We, the faculty, know that this bloated expansion isn’t necessary and that’s why so many of us have voted to oppose it. The Sexton Plan has nothing to do with education; it’s a land grab and noth-
ing more, and the city failed to hold N.Y.U. accountable.” The suit notes that about half of the planned development project would be dedicated to nonacademic purposes, such as a performing arts center, a gym, student housing and retail uses. “The city and state made a series of erroneous and irrational decisions to overhaul local zoning…and green-light N.Y.U.’s project, despite the unanimous objection of the local community board, the affected communities, historic preservationists and much of N.Y.U.’s own faculty,” said Randy Mastro, a partner in the international law firm Gibson Dunn and Crutcher, who are representing the petitioners pro bono. “Indeed, in bending over backward to accommodate N.Y.U.’s wishes, these government decisionmakers have abrogated their legal responsibility to protect communities from the very harms being inflicted here. We hope that the court will agree with us and put a stop to this project.” The suit asks the court to reverse the city’s approval by enjoining the city from removing parkland or making any other changes asked for under the university plan and by also enjoining N.Y.U. from starting any construction. The approved plan would destroy the Key Park, a treasured children’s playground, would remove 300 mature trees, and would take over part of a city-owned green strip along Mercer St., according to the suit. Under the law, public parkland cannot be “alienated” without prior approval by the state Legislature. “In approving the N.Y.U. 2031 plan, the city failed to follow the law, consider public input, and serve the best interests of the people of New York City,” stated Andrew Berman, executive director of G.V.S.H.P. “Dire negative potential environmental and financial impacts of the plan were ignored, as were feasible alternatives which would have been greener and more beneficial long term to the Village, the city as a whole, and even the university.” Added Bo Riccobono, vice president of the Soho Alliance, “The N.YU. plan will alter the ambiance of Soho in the small streets that are the heart of the cast-iron historic district. Dignified and stylish furniture and clothing stores will give way to the mass-market drugstores and food shops that serve college communities. As the neighborhood becomes homogenized, more of the unique character of the city will suffer.” A university spokesperson sent a statement in response to the lawsuit: “N.Y.U.’s proposal to build new academic facilities, student dormitories and faculty housing went through a five-year planning and consultation process. The City Planning Commission and City Council overwhelmingly approved N.Y.U.’s proposal after holding extensive public hearings and engaging in a thorough and rigorous public review process as required by law. We are confident that we will prevail in court against any claims that are made.”
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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Photos by Sam Spokony
Nuns of the Sisters of Charity and former Gibmargia; Charlie Mirisola, St. Joseph’s Sister Miriam Helen; Mark Cunningham, Wentmore; Sister Patrick Regina Sullivan;
students reunite, from left: Sister Kathleen Academy class of ’70; Vivian Cardia, ’66; ’66; Sister Nora Hearty; Sister Genevieve and Sister Connie Brennan.
From left, Gerry Robilotti, St. Joseph’s Academy class of ’54; Vincent Lupiano, ’54; Paula Lupiano, ’59; Carole Bartone, ’57; Angela Pietropinto, ’57; John Chimera, ’54; Valarie Santopietro, ’57; and Christine Esposito, ’58.
Nuns and students make pilgrimage for school reunion BY SAM SPOKONY It wasn’t your run of the mill reunion. Charlie Mirisola, a lifelong Greenwich Village resident, organized the gathering last Saturday of around 100 former students of St. Joseph’s Academy School, which taught kindergarten through eighth grade before closing in 1974. Now the building, at 20 Washington Square North, is rented by a senior center for the Greenwich House community service organization, but the space is still owned by the Riverdale-
based Sisters of Charity convent, which staffed the St. Joseph’s grammar school all those years ago. When Mirisola, who graduated in 1970, found out that the nuns still own the place, he took a trip up to the Bronx, he said, in order to ask for their permission to hold a reunion for students who had graduated between 1954 and 1974. After taking some time to think it over, the nuns didn’t just give the O.K. for a party — some of them agreed to travel down to the Village and join in.
SCOOPY’S
NOTEBOOK MEDIA SHAKEUPS: The New York Times is ending its three-year partnership with New York University under which they collaborated to produce The Local East Village community news site. The Times is also backing out of its other “hyperlocal” operation with CUNY in Brooklyn. Oh well, there goes all that free student labor! Meanwhile, the Village Voice’s parent company is selling the flagship alternative weekly along with its other papers, and — bowing to political pressure — is spinning off the raunchy Backpage.com classified site as a separate entity. THE CASE OF THE 9/11 TILES: This could be one of his toughest assignments yet, but as usual, Detective Jimmy Alberici, Sixth
Mirisola was also proud to say that, although he and many other former students are still New Yorkers, some reunion attendees had come from as far away as Seattle and Southern California to reconnect with familiar faces and recall treasured memories of the school. “It’s fantastic,” Mirisola said on Saturday after chatting with some old friends. “It’s the first time we’ve all been back in all these years. And right after we got here, a bunch of us walked straight in to find the first-grade class-
Precinct community affairs officer, was cool and collected as he spoke with us this week about the Tiles for America situation. Alberici is attempting to mediate the dispute. Dusty Berke and Andretti Mullens recently removed the tiles from the Greenwich Ave. chain-link fence on which they hung, and are reportedly storing them in Berke’s apartment. However, Alberici said he can’t say for certain exactly where the tiles are. The other side, which includes the Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association and another local who recently broke with Berke, is fighting to regain possession of the iconic tiles. Alberici has been speaking with Berke and Dena Pearlman, C.C.S.A.’s executive director. He said Berke came to the precinct Monday asking to see the criminal complaint that she believed had been filed against her by the other side — but there was none. “Nobody’s stolen anything,” Alberici said. “There’s really no crime. It’s more of a civil case.” He noted that Berke has a letter from C.C.S.A. saying they were giving her ownership of the tiles. However, C.C.S.A. subsequently sent Berke another letter saying they wanted the tiles back. But Alberici said the second letter is a bit iffy, given that Berke was already given ownership. At any rate, he said, he’s hoping for a resolution by this Friday, adding, “I think I’m two-thirds of the way there.” A suitable storage facility — Crown
room, just to see it again.” Outside the front door, Mirisola also joked about some of the more embarrassing memories — like when the nuns used to make him stay for detention after class. “Remember, the gate that used to open over there?” he asked a group of former classmates, laughing and pointing toward the sidewalk. “My poor grandmother had to wait so long for me, on all those days when Sister Monica kept me late.”
Relocation — has been found for the tiles, and “they both agree that’s a good place for them,” Alberici said. The plan, at least for now, the detective said, is to park the patriotic painted squares there for six months, “and then I guess we’ll pick it up then.” For more on the tiles tumult, see the talking point by C.C.S.A.’s Pearlman on Page 21. HOPING FOR HOLIDAY SALES: We were buying a couple of books at St. Mark’s Bookshop the other day — helping the cause and also because we needed some good stuff to put in our head — and got the latest word from a staffer there. The bookstore’s owners are reportedly hashing out a deal with some new investors that will allow them to restock the place’s shelves to last at least through the end of the year. That will let the bookstore make it through the lucrative holiday season, after which the owners still plan to relocate, hopefully somewhere nearby in the East Village. TASTY HARVEST HAUL: The Union Square Partnership’s 17th annual Harvest in the Square raked in more than $347,000 last Thursday evening, making it the most successful Harvest in history.
Continued on page 17
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
Park rape and looming police cuts raise safety fears Continued from page 1 Enforcement Patrol. On Sept. 23, Quinn and several other city councilmembers wrote to Mayor Bloomberg, saying, “In light of the recent disturbing events in our parks, it has become evident to us that we cannot afford any further cuts to the budgets of the N.Y.P.D. and to Park Enforcement personnel.” The letter called on the mayor and on the Office of Management and Budget “to rescind any proposed cuts in the upcoming November Financial Plan that would result in reductions in public safety in our parks or anywhere in our city.” At the Hudson River Park rally, Quinn commended Park Enforcement Patrol Officers Daniel Murphy and Luis Cabezas, who pursued the alleged Tribeca rapist. The officers said that when they came on duty shortly after 5 a.m. on Saturday, the naked victim came running toward them, screaming. As Murphy cared for the victim, Cabezas chased the suspect, who he found cowering in the West St. median near North Moore St., two blocks north of where the attack occurred. Police officers summoned by the Park Enforcement Patrol, arrested Jonathan Stewart, 25, and charged him with rape, sex abuse, a criminal sex act, assault and forcible touching. Madelyn Wils, president and C.E.O.
Photo by Tequila Minsky
Madelyn Wils, the Hudson River Park Trust’s president, encouraged people to use the park when it’s open, from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Listening to her comments were Council Speaker Christine Quinn, to the right of her, and Councilmember Margaret Chin and Julie Menin of Community Board 1 to her left, along with Park Enforcement Patrol officers and other local leaders.
of the Hudson River Park Trust, which administers the 5-mile-long waterfront park, said that 24 PEP officers guard the park 24 hours a day. The park runs
NOTICE OF DISTRICTING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARINGS FROM OCTOBER 2, 2012 TO OCTOBER 11, 2012 The NYC Districting Commission will hold five public hearings from October 2, 2012 to October 11, 2012. These hearings are open to the public. Individuals wishing to pre-register for speaking time or to submit written testimony in advance may do so by signing up online at http://www.nyc.gov/districting. Individuals wishing to speak at any hearing will be provided up to three minutes of speaking time. BRONX Tuesday, October 2nd 5:30PM – 9:00PM
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from Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan to 59th Street. It is officially open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. The Hudson River Park Trust pays for its PEP officers. However, the Trust is financially strapped and cannot afford to add to the policing staff. The rape took place around 5 a.m. “We encourage people to come to the park after 6 a.m. when the park opens and it’s fully daylight,” Wils said, “but the victim didn’t deserve what happened to her.” Wils and Quinn both said that New York City’s parks are generally safe. The Tribeca rape was the first to have occurred in Hudson River Park, which opened in stages after it was officially created as a New York State and City partnership in 1998.
Nevertheless, Bob Townley, executive director of Manhattan Youth and a member of the Hudson River Park Advisory Council, said that more police are needed. “This is not a local park anymore,” he remarked. During the day, he said, the park “polices itself” because there are so many people coming and going, but at night, the park is deserted. He said that he was not surprised at the rape. “I went on record a year and a half ago that this could happen,” he said. Democratic District Leader Jean Grillo said, “For years I’ve talked to the First Precinct Community Council for increased police protection.” She cited an increase in the local population and also in the numbers of homeless as creating a need for greater vigilance. “This is a park used by a lot of women,” she stated. Julie Menin, former Community Board 1 chairperson, who lives two blocks from the site of the assault, added, “We’ve seen five rapes south of 59th St. recently in Manhattan. This is a great concern for women throughout the city. Given this,” she stressed, “there should not be budget cuts that would affect security in our parks.” The city offers free self-defense classes given by the Center for Anti-Violence Education (C.A.E.). In response to the Central Park rape, there will be a class at 2 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 7, at the North Meadow Recreation Center on 97th St. A class will also be held in Tribeca at a date to be announced. Although C.A.E.’s programs focus on women, girls and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, the citysponsored self-defense programs are open to everyone. To sign up or for more information, e-mail Events@council.nyc.gov or call (212) 788-6871.
With reporting by Tequila Minsky
Prior to the hearings, you may submit written comments to the NYC Districting Commission by mail to: NYC Districting Commission, Attn: Jonathan Ettricks, 253 Broadway, 7th Fl., NY, NY 10007, or by email to: hearings@districting.nyc.gov on or before 5:00 P.M. on the date of the hearing. Please indicate in your correspondence the date of the hearing for which you are submitting your comments. NOTE: The hearing locations are accessible to those with physical disabilities. Individuals requesting an interpreter for sign language or any other language at any hearing should contact the NYC Districting Commission at hearings@districting.nyc.gov or by calling 212-442-0256 five days in advance of the hearing, and reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate such requests.
Photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
On Monday morning, a woman jogged along the esplanade near where the rape occurred. Someone had chalked a pink heart on the ground in contrast to the violent crime.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
POLICE BLOTTER Two-on-one assault
Cuffed for Reese’s Cups
Police arrested two men after they punched out another man after a street argument in the West Village early on Sat., Sept. 22. Ramil Akhmedov and Stanislav Savitsky, both 22, got into a heated verbal dispute with a 32-year-old man around 3 a.m. that morning on the corner of Thompson and W. Third Sts. After exchanging one too many words, the two aggressors started repeatedly punching their victim in the face, leaving him with cuts and bruises, according to the report. Officers quickly arrived on the scene, arrested both men for assault and had the victim trucked off to Beth Israel Medical Center with minor injuries. Once they had Akhmedov and Savitsky in custody, officers searched their car parked down the street, and also busted them for an allegedly marijuana-filled cigar that was found in the vehicle.
You could say it was a bittersweet arrest. Mikal Bell, 32, was nabbed for attempted petty larceny outside a candy store at Sixth Ave. and W. Fourth St. on Thurs., Sept. 20, after trying to make off with $30 worth of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, police said. The officers who arrested Bell around 1 p.m. also found a stolen wallet in his possession, which was quickly identified as belonging to a woman who had recently reported it missing. The woman’s two credit cards were recovered, but Bell had made a pricey purchase with one of them, spending more than $350 at a store on W. 14th St. He was also charged with criminal possession of stolen property.
Chased with butcher knife
Police nailed two of the suspects in a vicious subway robbery on Thurs., Sept. 20, but the third slipped away in the heat of the moment. The victim, a 35-year-old woman, was sitting on a platform bench at the Christopher St.-Sheridan Square No. 1 train station around 6:30 p.m. when the trio of thugs — Jonathan Rodriguez, 21, Tataina Awer, 19, and an unknown member — aggressively approached. The victim told police that Rodriguez punched her several times, and while she was down, the female, Awer, snatched her wallet. The third suspect, she said, tried to grab her cell phone, and smashed it in the process. The lucky member of the trio apparently escaped while cops were apprehending Rodriguez and Awer in the station, and hasn’t been identified.
Forget about the treadmill — you can always get in some good cardio by sprinting away from a disgruntled knifewielding restaurant employee in the West Village. That’s just what one man, 28, did early on Sat., Sept. 22, outside the Fatty Crab, at 643 Hudson St. The encounter began when the man walked past the restaurant around 4 a.m. and exchanged insults with Javid Dore, 25, an employee who was apparently hanging around long after the place had closed at midnight, police said. When the dispute heated up, Dore walked into the restaurant, took a butcher knife from the kitchen and stepped back outside. After brandishing the knife, according to the report, Dore began chasing the unsuspecting man, and the two eventually took a few laps around the block before cops showed up and halted the incident. Dore was arrested for menacing.
Club dropping A teenager trying to sneak into a trendy Meatpacking District nightclub on Fri., Sept. 21, got a rude awakening when he crashed through an awning and ended the night in cuffs. Andres Munoz, 19, was trying to scale the scaffolding outside Cielo, at 18 Little W. 12th St., around midnight in order to get in through the back entrance, police said. But he slipped and fell, breaking the club’s awning before smashing into a 21-year-old woman who was walking out of the club. Neither Munoz nor the unsuspecting victim was seriously injured, but Munoz was collared for criminal mischief.
Sheridan subway attack
Murder suspect pleads The man charged with brutally murdering his younger girlfriend last April pleaded guilty on Mon., Sept. 24, and will receive between 15 years to life in prison. Raul Barrera, 34, who made his name as a high profile fashion publicist, had been accused of repeatedly stabbing Sarah Coit, 23, until she died in agony, leaving her partially beheaded and with her internal organs exposed. The killing took place in the couple’s apartment on Clinton St. Coit was the daughter of Lynde Coit, a millionaire lawyer and senior advisor to the C.E.O. at Plasco Energy Group, Inc. Barrera will be sentenced after a Manhattan Supreme Court judge hears evidence from both sides in the coming weeks.
5
Anti-gay slash attack
Brut-al shoplifters
The man who sliced the boyfriend of a transgender woman with a boxcutter in the West Village last week turned himself in to police on Mon., Sept. 24. Keith Patron, 44, started hurling insults at his 22-year-old victim inside the McDonald’s at Sixth Ave. and W. Third St. on Sept. 19, after the man’s transgender girlfriend walked into the women’s bathroom, police said. The two men then stepped outside onto the sidewalk, where Patron slashed him with the razor blade. Patron confessed to the crime after turning himself in at the 42nd Precinct station in the Bronx, the New York Post reported. He has been charged with assault.
Two young men who went on a fivemonth theft spree, targeting four different Duane Reade drugstores and racking up $11,000 worth of stolen cologne, have finally been caught. Christophe Santos, 18, and Luis Jiminez, 21, were arrested on Wed., Sept. 19, the New York Post reported. Police were able to identify the crooks using video surveillance images captured during each one of their heists. The scented crime escapade began with a May 18 incident at the Duane Reade on Bowery near Canal St., when the duo walked out with about $1,600 worth of perfume, according to court records. Santos and Jiminez’s biggest haul came on Aug. 23, when they escaped with $3,500 worth of cologne from the Duane Reade on Third Ave and E. 14th St. They later headed uptown to rob a branch of the chain at 773 Lexington Ave. on July 24. After that, the duo struck two times at the store’s W. 51st St. location, the second of which was their last fragrance filching, taking place on Sept. 12. Santos and Jiminez were both charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, the records state.
Punched her for purse Cops are looking for a suspect who allegedly punched and robbed a woman on the Lower East last week. The suspect is believed to have followed the 25-year-old victim into a building on Allen St. near Hester St. around 4:30 p.m. on Tues., Sept. 18, where he hit her twice in the face, police said. While the woman was down, he then grabbed her purse and took off running down Allen St. Police described the wanted man as in his late 30s. He was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
Pols, students and Ranger Rick raise the (green) roof BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER Last Friday, some P.S. 41 students sat patiently on the floor of the gym waiting for their turn to open the celebration of the school’s new green roof with the song, “Together We Can Change the World.” “Will anyone famous be here?” one third-grader asked a nearby adult. The credentials of Borough President Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and state Senator Tom Duane had to be explained, but when Ranger Rick appeared, he was immediately recognized and greeted with outstretched hands. Ranger Rick is the mascot of the National Wildlife Federation, one of the funders of the 15,000-square-foot roof planted with sedum and other vegetation that now tops the Greenwich Village school, on W. 11th St. at Sixth Ave. Stringer and Quinn contributed $650,000 each through their respective offices, and Duane kicked in another $200,000 to make the green roof possible. The rest of the funding came from corporations, local businesses, educational institutions and individuals. The project cost just under $2 million and took six years to bring to fruition. The roof is being used by science classes and will be integrated into other parts of the curriculum. At the ribbon cutting, Quinn spoke about her sister, a geologist, who learned her love of science through classes they took as children. She noted that two women at P.S. 41 spearheaded the green roof project — Principal Kelly Shannon and parent and teacher Vicki Sando. Quinn found that to be “incredibly important as we struggle with math and science not being embraced as much by women as we know it should be.” The Council speaker called the green roof “a feminist project” and said that she hoped it would excite a love of science “and bring us great male and female scientists.” Duane said the roof would teach more than science. “This was a lesson in civics — how to fight for something. Things like that don’t happen unless people advocate for them,” he said. The roof has been planted primarily with varieties of drought-tolerant sedum
Photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
At the ribbon cutting for P.S. 41’s green roof on Sept. 21, the scissors were wielded by, from left, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Principal Kelly Shannon, Borough President Scott Stringer, teacher and green roof point person Vicki Sando, state Senator Tom Duane and Daniel O’Gorman, project manager for the School Construction Authority.
that can withstand harsh summer heat and winter snow and winds. An herb garden at one end of the roof planted with lavender, rosemary and sage has already attracted bees to pollinate the flowers. Birdhouses attached to a fence surrounding the garden await winged residents. In addition to its educational value, the green roof has environmental benefi ts. Buildings covered with a green roof are significantly cooler in summer and warmer in winter. They also absorb rainwater that, during heavy rains, could otherwise contribute to flooding the city’s sewers, in turn, emptying sewage into New York’s waterways. “I think this is very significant for the city of New York,” said Stringer at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Children are going to learn in a way that our generation never thought possible.” He said that he hoped that P.S. 41’s green roof would be replicated in other boroughs.
Third graders got to high-five Ranger Rick before the ribbon cutting.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
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New health clinic to groove above Jimi’s Electric Lady BY LINCOLN ANDERSON A health clinic will be sharing a building on W. Eighth St. with Jimi Hendrix’s famed Electric Lady Studios — but the new facility won’t be for rehabbing rock stars. Doris Diether, co-chairperson of Community Board 2’s Landmarks Committee, said a representative from Beth Israel Medical Group/Continuum Health Partners attended the committee’s Monday night meeting to announce the plan. Committee members — mistakenly believing the whole building was going to be given over for medical use — were thrown into a “purple haze.” “They said they’re going to put up a big sign saying ‘Beth Israel Medical Group’,” Diether said. “I think everybody was just stunned. I think we were all bewildered by it.” The three-story building at 52 W. Eighth St. is within the Greenwich Village Historic District, so any exterior changes will need approval by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. The Beth Israel representative told the C.B. 2 meeting that, beyond the signage, they only plan some minor exterior changes, and the committee gave its unanimous approval, according to Diether. The building previously had a stucco guitar sculpture that projected onto the sidewalk, but it has been gone for some years now. Diether said that on Tuesday, as she
was walking through Washington Square Park, she mentioned the news to some acquaintances and they practically went into a “manic depression.” “Several people said, ‘What? You can’t do that!’” she said. “They said the ghosts of the musicians will come back and haunt the place.” However, in a telephone interview on Wednesday, Tom Poole, vice president for Continuum Medical Groups, said the health facility — slated to open February 2013 — would only lease 4,000 square feet on the building’s first floor. The recording studio is in the basement, and will stay there, along with the studio’s administrative offices on the second and third floors, he said. The space the clinic will be in was the city’s first silver-screen movie theater in the early 1920s, he said. The clinic will start with six doctors and offer internal medicine and a family medical practice. It will also have a small radiology center, giving it walk-in, urgent-care capacity — for chest X-rays or to check out broken ankles and the like. The clinic will operate seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Architects at WASA/Studio A, which is handling the exterior changes, have designed a new canopy for the medical center’s entrance. A woman who answered the phone at Electric Lady this week confirmed they aren’t going anywhere.
The building with Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios will soon also include a medical facility.
A narrow, 4-foot-wide, ground-floor head shop at the property’s western end will also be staying, since it has a long lease. Hendrix is widely considered the greatest rock guitarist of all time, ranked No. 1 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the top 100 rock ax players. He lived for a time on W. Eighth St.
According to Electric Lady’s Web site, in 1968, the guitarist and his manager, Michael Jeffery, bought the Generation Club, but due to mafia pressure to pay fees to compete in the neighborhood, they instead converted it into a highly specialized, custom-built recording facility. “Designed specifically for Hendrix, the studio had round windows and a machine capable of generating ambient lighting in colors to fit any mood,” the Web site says. “The studio provided a creative space for Jimi to draft and perfect his songs.” The recording studio’s opening party was held Aug. 26, 1970. Before flying to London to perform at the Isle of Wight, Hendrix created his last-ever studio recording at Electric Lady — an instrumental known only as “Slow Blues.” Less than a month later, on Sept. 18, 1970, he died in England after overdosing on sleeping pills and choking on his own vomit. He was 27. Albums that have been recorded or mixed, either fully or in part, at Electric Lady include Patti Smith’s “Horses,” AC/ DC’s “Back in Black,” David Bowie’s “Young Americans,” the Rolling Stones’ “Some Girls,” The Clash’s “Combat Rock” and Stevie Wonder’s “Talking Book.” Other clients of the W. Eighth St. studios have ranged from Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, Guns N’ Roses, Lou Reed and Prince, to The Roots, Arctic Monkeys and N.E.R.D.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
Report on NYCHA security failures is a ‘cry for help’ BY SAM SPOKONY Nearly two-thirds of public housing tenants on the Lower East Side do not feel safe in their homes, according to a report released by elected officials on Friday. The report, compiled by Borough President Scott Stringer, state Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, also found that nearly half of New York City Housing Authority buildings in the area lack functioning intercom systems and front doors that lock securely. “This is a cry for help, and it shows that the most basic security measures, which other tenants across the city take for granted, just aren’t happening in NYCHA,” Stringer said. “It’s time to fix the damn doors and intercoms. You don’t need a bureaucracy to understand that.” The data was based on an August survey of 520 residents living in Lower East Side and East Village NYCHA developments. Of the 10 buildings surveyed, six lacked security cameras. The report calls for the agency to install cameras in 80 buildings citywide by the end of 2013. Tenant leaders from some of those developments voiced their concerns alongside the politicians at Friday’s press conference outside the Seward Park Extension on Essex St. “It’s unacceptable for us to have people who are afraid to come out of their
Photo by Sam Spokony
Luther Stubblefield, a tenant leader at NYCHA’s Baruch Houses, joined state Senator Daniel Squadron, left, Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, right, and Borough President Scott Stringer, behind Stubblefield, as the politicians released a report revealing the lack of security measures in NYCHA buildings on the Lower East Side.
homes,” said Dereese Huff, the tenant association president at Campos Plaza on E. 13th St. “A 5-year-old kid could open the locks on our lobby doors.” Huff added that because of her build-
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ing’s lack of safety, she carries a hammer for self-defense whenever she walks the hallways or takes the elevator. NYCHA’s security standards recently came under fire when Police Officer Brian Groves was shot in the chest in July while on patrol at the Seward Park Extension, which does not currently have security cameras. While his bulletproof vest saved Groves’s life, the gunman has not yet been apprehended. According to the report, 80 percent of public housing tenants whose buildings are without security cameras said they would feel safer if cameras were installed. NYCHA immediately responded to the report in a statement, saying that it has had a strategy in place since the beginning of the year that will include improved key technology — using wireless key cards that can’t be duplicated — and modern intercom systems. The agency also stated that 85 developments, 12 of which are on the Lower East Side, will receive cameras and “enhanced security features” by the end of next year. NYCHA then tried to blame Stringer, Squadron and Kavanagh for the lack of cameras up to this point. “NYCHA can only install these security measures in developments where elected officials have allocated discretionary funding,” the statement read. “Neither Assemblyman Kavanagh nor state Senator Squadron has allocated funding for this. Borough President Stringer has allocated only marginal funding for the Baruch Houses.” Stringer shot back by slamming the agency for trying to change the subject. “NYCHA needs to stop blaming others for its failures,” he said. “There should be nothing ‘discretionary’ about providing front doors and intercoms that work.”
Amy Spitalnick, a spokesperson for Squadron, stressed that the politicians’ report, in calling for the installation of cameras, doesn’t refer to discretionary funding. It instead refers to $42 million of taxpayer money — specifically earmarked for security upgrades — that the agency has been sitting on for years. She added that Squadron has in fact supported an allocation of $750,000 for security camera installation, but that the state Senate’s Republican majority has blocked the funding for the past two years. Some tenant leaders also believe that NYCHA’s slowness in providing securityrelated repairs and upgrades may be due to negative perceptions of people who live in public housing. Luther Stubblefield, the tenant association president for the Baruch Houses, which run from Delancey St. to Houston St. along the F.D.R. Drive, said the tenants have diverse needs. “There are stereotypes about public housing tenants that say that we’re all criminals, and that we must be the cause of our own problems,” he said. “But we have retired families, we have senior citizens, we have disabled people.” Another tenant, who came from his home on Henry St. to hear Friday’s press conference, was convinced that, despite the outcry, changes would never actually take place due to the reasons Stubblefield highlighted. “It’s considered shameful for people to live in these developments,” said the man, Robert, who declined to give his last name. “Society sees us only as poor and lazy, and not as real human beings. But these security measures really are a matter of life and death.” The vast majority of public housing tenants are not white. In their report, Stringer, Squadron and Kavanagh also decried the fact that NYCHA is forced to pay the Police Department more than $70 million each year in order to maintain police services on its property. The officials called for renegotiating a 1994 memorandum of understanding, between NYCHA and the Police Department, which has since resulted in roughly $1.2 billion of public housing money being diverted into the city’s coffers, according to the report. “NYCHA is the only landlord in the city that’s required to pay for policing,” Squadron said. “So if you’re a public housing resident, your tax dollars literally aren’t good enough to get you those services.” Nearly half of those surveyed in the report thought that the police presence in their buildings were inadequate, and more than 40 percent reported that they rarely or never see police officers during a typical week. NYCHA is the city’s largest landlord, housing more than 400,000 residents. More than 30,000 of those people —about 8 percent — live in developments on the Lower East Side.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
Another music shop closes, but co-owner is looking up BY BOB KRASNER If there is one thing that we hate to see, it’s a music shop shutting its doors. They’ve been dropping like flies in the East Village, a neighborhood that once had so many music stores one could spend the whole day shopping for nothing but vinyl and CDs. After a year of declining sales and a rent increase to “an unsustainable amount,” according to co-owner Jared Boxx, Big City Records made its last sale on Aug. 31 after six years on E. 12th St. Collectors, dealers, DJs and friends spent the day saying goodbye to the tiny shop, where Boxx (center, in blue shirt, in photo at right) didn’t just mind the store. He said that, during his years as a record dealer and DJ, he felt his business was about more than just sales. “I tried to help others around me cope with the stress and strain of this difficult world through the medium of music,” he said. After a total of 15 years at Big City and two other vinyl outlets, A-1 Records and The Sound Library, he said he’s now “taking the spiritual path to work.” He didn’t elaborate, stating just that he’ll be “working for God, who never raises the rent.” The remaining stock will move to their Garden State location located, at 2181 Springfield Ave., Vauxhall, N.J., 07088. Call 908-688-1402 for more information.
Photo by Bob Krasner
N.Y.U. plan foes bash Bloomberg and Sexton at panel BY JESSICA GOODMAN N.Y.U. faculty members are still fighting the university’s 2031 mega-development plan, even though it was approved by the City Council by a 44-to-1 vote in late July. N.Y.U. Faculty Against the Sexton Plan — a group made up mostly of tenured professors — filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to try to stop the development scheme. On Mon., Sept. 17, Professor Adam Becker, a tenured professor in N.Y.U.’s classics department and a member of N.Y.U. FASP, moderated a panel discussion at Soho’s McNally Jackson bookstore. Four political pundits on the panel and about two dozen guests considered the question, “Is New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s or ours?” They decided it was Bloomberg’s.
The panelists included Julian Brash, the author of “Bloomberg’s New York: Class and Governance in the Luxury City.” “Bloomberg tried to run the city as if he were a C.E.O. mayor. He tied two groups together in political alliance,” Brash said. “People came into city government because of Bloomberg — architects, M.B.A.s, former McKinsey-ists.” Brash said Bloomberg’s vision of what New York could be was “ambitious and transformative” but that it didn’t translate to governance. Another panelist, Neil Fabricant, author of “Mike! Wall Street’s Mayor,” was more hard-hitting in his comments. “Bloomberg is the most corrupt and most dominant figure in New York City history,” Fabricant said. He criticized Bloomberg for running for a third term, adding, “Bloomberg is everything Occupy Wall Street is fighting against. It’s not the wealthy influencing government — that’s happened forever — it’s the wealthiest man virtually controlling the policy and politics of the entire city.” Jeanne Wilcke, a familiar face in Downtown politics, and another panelist, agreed that this applied to N.Y.U.’s Downtown spread. “Land approvals are coming down the pipe so fast. They want to get plans in before Bloomberg is out,” she said. Wilcke is a former chairperson of Community Board 2’s Zoning Committee and is president of the Downtown Independent Democrats
political club. “I like to call him a benevolent dictator,” she said of the mayor. In Brash’s book, he calls Bloomberg’s New York the “luxury city.” On Monday he said, “Bloomberg tried to market the city like a luxury product, but projects like the Hudson Yards didn’t really work that way.” The panel coincided with the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street. Karen Livecchia, 50, participated in the Zuccotti Park protests last year and attended the discussion at McNally Jackson. Livecchia asked the panelists if Occupiers should join their community boards and local governments. Wilcke nodded, saying, “Well, they have to occupy something.” Regarding N.Y.U.’s expansion, Livecchia said, “The flavor of the neighborhood will be pushed out. It sets an economic divide in the community. It creates an eminent domain.” Though she lives in Upper Manhattan, she said the issue is citywide, noting, “If I wasn’t rent-stabilized, I couldn’t afford to live where I do.” Becker was arrested during the Occupy protests last fall. Thirty-four faculty departments at N.Y.U. have passed resolutions, many unanimously, opposing the 2031 plan. The argument against the plan has been well-publicized: expected tuition hikes, community backlash and heavy construction till 2031. On the day the Council voted on the N.Y.U. plan, E.L. Doctorow wrote in the Daily News, “An expanded N.Y.U. should not be carved out of the Village heart.” After the bookstore event, Bo Riccobono, vice chairperson of C.B. 2 and an N.Y.U. adjunct professor, and Becker discussed the impending lawsuit. “I think we’ll win,” Riccobono said. “The process was arbitrary and capricious. If we can prove that…,” he trailed off. Becker chimed in. “The administration is saying, ‘Stop being such a problem. Stop questioning things.’ Sexton is like a miniBloomberg.”
September 27 - October 3, 2012
D.O.T. backs off Essex St. bus stop, at least for now BY SAM SPOKONY In a surprising turn of events, the Department of Transportation has reversed its controversial decision to place a Greyhound intercity bus stop near a Lower East Side park, drawing cheers from residents and politicians who spent weeks arguing against the proposal. But a source said it’s likely that the sidewalk location outside 3 Essex St. — just outside Seward Park, which houses the city’s oldest playground — will still be considered for a bus stop at some point in the future. The move to deny the stop was announced on Tuesday, just days after D.O.T. initially approved Greyhound’s proposal, in a joint statement released by state Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Councilwoman Margaret Chin and confirmed by D.O.T. Squadron, Silver and Chin wrote a letter to D.O.T. on Sept. 21 urging the agency to deny the application, which would have given Greyhound a permit to launch its new YO! Bus service, between New York City and Philadelphia, for a six-month period at the Essex. St. location. The permit would have granted eight round trips per day, transporting around 800 passengers at $12 per ticket. Community Board 3’s Transportation Committee had unanimously voted to deny Greyhound’s application several weeks ago. Local residents also created an Internet petition
against the proposal, which gained more than 1,300 electronic signatures. Although D.O.T.’s reversal was immediately celebrated by many in the community, a source close to the situation told this newspaper it’s likely that the agency is keeping the Essex St. location on the table as a potential bus stop. “I don’t think anybody was actually given the indication that this won’t ever happen there,” said the source, who needed to remain anonymous for professional reasons. The source added that they believe D.O.T. will simply wait until new intercity bus permit legislation — authored by Squadron, Silver and Chin — goes into effect sometime in the next several months, before offering 3 Essex St. as a bus stop location. This may prove difficult anyway, since the new legislation requires a more stringent community review process — including a 45-day notice and comment period, and mandatory community board consultation — before permit approval. A vague statement sent by a D.O.T. spokesperson seemed to further imply that the agency still considers 3 Essex St. to be a viable bus stop choice. “We will continue to review this [3 Essex St.] and other potential bus stop locations in coordination with the community,” the statement read. When asked repeatedly to clarify the agency’s statement, the spokesperson refused to respond, and then stopped returning e-mails once this reporter asked whether or not D.O.T. is still considering the Essex. St. location.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
Tony Goldman, 68, developer with a flair for the arts OBITUARY BY GARY SHAPIRO Tony Goldman, a developer with a knack for resuscitating urban neighborhoods, died on Sept. 11. He was 68. Where others saw dilapidated buildings, Goldman envisioned busy clubs, art galleries, and hotels. Soho, Miami’s South Beach and Philadelphia were all beneficiaries of his touch. “He had a keen eye for preservation,” said Sean Sweeney, director of the Soho Alliance community organization. “He restored rundown buildings to their original glory. He did not simply tear buildings down and put up ugly ones in their place.” Author and scholar Anthony C. Wood said Goldman understood that preservation made good business sense. In the 1970s, Goldman was one of those whose gaze alighted upon the lofts and cast-iron buildings in Soho and saw potential for boutiques, restaurants and retail stores. As with real estate, he kept his ear to the ground for talented artists. Jeffrey Deitch, now the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, recalled how Goldman was open to his idea for reusing a wall on Goldman’s property, which has gone on to become a major urban “art wall.” “During one of Tony’s visits to my gallery, I was talking about my interest in re-creating Keith Haring’s famous Houston St. and Bowery mural on the 50th anniversary of his birth,” he said. “I told Tony how great it would be if we could get access to that strange, distended section of wall on the northwest corner of Houston and Bowery and repaint Keith’s mural using the new digital technology.” Deitch continued, “To my astonishment Tony answered, ‘I own that wall!’ ” The project garnered acclaim, and the pair made the wall an ongoing endeavor. They went on to enlist the skills of the best street artists around. Since reviving the Keith Haring mural, the collaborative project has drawn on the talent of Kenny Scharf, Shepard Fairey, JR, Barry McGee, RETNA, Os Gemeos, AIKO and others. Marlo Courtney, managing director of Goldman Properties in Miami, said it gave Goldman great pleasure to know the Houston St. wall has touched untold thousands who have seen it. “He married art and architecture and infused his love of art into his buildings,” said Courtney, a close friend who worked with Goldman since 1982 and knew him even longer. In the 1980s, Goldman put into the sidewalk in front of his headquarters at 110 Greene St. a replica of the Manhattan subway lines, taken from the M.T.A. map. “The subway lines were thin metal bands and the stations were represented by glass lenses like what is found on the steel plates in front of many Soho buildings,” Sweeney said. In a Noho project at 25 Bond St., Goldman had Japanese artist Ken Hiratsuka etch nonrepresentation designs into the stone sidewalk. Not all of Goldman’s projects were greeted with favor. Members of the Soho Artists Association filed a complaint with the city Board of Standards and Appeals about Goldman’s breaking down the partition wall between two separate buildings that he owned in order to try to combine them to have restaurant floor space larger than what zoning allowed. Sometimes feathers were ruffled over noise. Photographer Bonnie Lynn said Spy Bar at 101 Greene
Photo by Clayton Patterson
Tony Goldman.
St., popular with celebrities, was “a mess” for the neighborhood. When Goldman proposed the idea of putting a bar on top of 110 Greene St., Lynn recalled exclaiming at a large community meeting, “Do you want to have a Spy in the sky?” Sweeney of the Soho Alliance said he was taken aback by the proposal to have the British-imported Soho House on Greene St. When one Englishman told him his establishment overseas attracted the most important people in British theater and letters, Sweeney recalled saying: “I don’t care who you have as clientele. You can have the pope as one of your members, but when the pope gets out of the popemobile at 3 a.m. in the morning, and a taxi driver behind him starts honking, I’m the one who’s going to be awakened.” Soho House left New York’s Soho behind and planted itself in the Meatpacking District instead. Goldman’s Greene Street Cafe, a jazz supper club that opened in 1979, was well received. So was Soho Kitchen and Bar, at 103 Greene St., opened in 1984, which drew praise for its myriad varieties of wines offered by the glass. One Soho resident believed Goldman offered bar tabs to some artists to pay at least in part for artwork. The developer collaborated with the neighborhood on various matters. Several years ago, he worked with the Soho Alliance in defeating a proposal by the Department of Transportation to have a pedestrian mall on Prince St. In the Wall St. area, Goldman opened the Wall Street Kitchen & Bar in 1997 in the American Bank Note Building, and opened the Stone Street Tavern in 2002. As with cast-iron structures in Soho, Goldman saw the potential for Art Deco buildings in Miami’s South Beach area, after a trip there in 1985. Considering it the “American Riviera,” the developer and hotelier bought 18 buildings, one per month. Among the properties he restored included the Park Central Hotel, one of the tallest buildings on Ocean Drive, originally built in 1937. More than a decade later, Goldman reopened the Hotel of South Beach, formerly known as the Tiffany Hotel, on which he collaborated with Todd Oldham, the fashion designer. Goldman more recently focused on the Wynwood area
across the bay in Miami with its abundant warehouse space. Deitch and Goldman again artistically collaborated there. “Goldman became one of the most important patrons of street art,” Deitch said. “We came up with the concept of an outdoor museum of street art.” Goldman labeled it Wynwood Walls, a project that currently displays 20 or more wall paintings by leading artists. “He invested in lighting, wall preparation and landscaping to enhance the visitor experience and to support the artists to achieve their vision,” Deitch said. Goldman continued the popular project. Gallerist Kathy Grayson, who curated the 2010 expansion of Wynwood Walls, adding four murals, said of Goldman, “I loved his really out-there outfits, crazy cowboy hats, rainbow berets, all kinds of awesome accessories.” She said Goldman enjoyed interacting with street artists, who are “often are the first colonizers revitalizing neighborhoods.” In 2008, his son, Joey Goldman, started an Italian restaurant called Joey’s in the Wynwood Arts District. The elder Goldman used to say, “Feed the neighborhood, and the neighborhood will feed you.” Goldman grew up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He graduated from Emerson College in Boston, and began his company in 1968 with one sole employee. He met his wife, Janet, at college. She currently owns a company called Fragments, which sells fine accessories and jewelry. What is Goldman’s legacy in Soho? Roberta Brandes Gratz, author of “The Battle For Gotham: New York in the Shadow of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs,” may have said it best: “Tony Goldman was a rare developer who cared about the neighborhood he developed.” She added that he “appreciated the value of existing buildings and never tried to develop in a way that overwhelmed the organic context.” Goldman’s work was recognized with the Louise Du Pont Crowninshield Award, the top honor given by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Until this March, William Leroy ran Billy’s Antiques & Props under a green tarp at 76 Houston St., a store under previous ownership named Lot 76. Goldman didn’t care to see the credit report Leroy brought along for Goldman to review when Leroy was taking over the business. Instead, according to Leroy, the developer looked him in the eye and said, “I’ve got a good feeling about you,” saying that he just pay the rent on time and “you’re in.” “He was anything but your typical landlord. He was the kind of guy you could approach with crazy and fun ideas,” Leroy said. Goldman surprised Leroy by paying for the premiere of “Dirty Old Town,” a dark comedy based on Leroy’s store, held at the nearby Landmark Sunshine Cinema. In March, Goldman also payed for an unusual closing party for the antiques tent, which ended with punk rock bands, a casket and a funeral. Leroy said he went and finally took down the iconic sign to his antiques tent this Sept. 11, only learning later that Goldman had died that same date. Upstairs at Greene Street was the name of the entertainment and cabaret room that was an extension of Goldman’s Greene Street Cafe. It featured the likes of Chris Rock, Joy Behar, Dennis Leary, Tina Fabrique, David Peaston and many others. Goldman was not averse to taking the microphone himself and singing for the audience. He therefore not only lent his time and experience to the area, but his voice as well. In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by a daughter, Jessica Goldman Srebnick, a brother, Mark Goldman, a sister, Pam Skerker, and four grandchildren.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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Lew Todd, fierce but diplomatic activist, dead at 82 OBITUARY BY NATHAN RILEY The gay rights movement changed history, and it changed Lew Todd from a private person into a public servant who helped integrate L.G.B.T. New Yorkers into the city’s political life, as well as the inner workings of its government. Todd, decisive, pragmatic and amiable, left his mark on New York City, and when he died on Sept. 3 at 82 after an extended hospitalization, he left behind friends from all walks of life. In addition to gay New Yorkers who will miss him, there are undoubtedly fellow Navy shipmates from his Korean War service and members of the Fire Department, where he had administrative responsibilities for the last 10 years of his work life, who fondly recall the deep impression he left on them. Todd was a small businessman approaching middle age when Stonewall mobilized the gay community. Still, he threw himself into the flurry of largely youthful and ebullient energy that the 1969 Christopher St. riots spawned. Activists challenged the general public while scrambling to organize their fellow gays. Ending shame and reflexive timidity was a recurring preoccupation of the lengthy meetings the fledgling Gay Activists Alliance held in the Firehouse on Wooster St. in Soho. Politics galvanized pride. G.A.A. was perhaps most famous for its “zaps,” unexpectedly sudden and militant demonstrations that took direct aim at the sources of pervasive antigay policies that persisted well into the 1970s. One zap attacked the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission for its requirement that any gay applicant for a hack license furnish a psychiatrist’s note attesting to his mental stability. Todd jumped into the gay liberation movement with both feet. The owner of a Mr. Softee ice cream route, he sold his business to help pay for his activist pursuits. Todd was a pragmatist, and funneled his energies into organizing gays around the country. He and Morty Manford, a lawyer and gay activist whose life was cut short by AIDS, took to the road over a six-month period to encourage new G.A.A. chapters across the U.S. Hitting gay bars at peak hour on Wednesday nights, they would ask the bartender to turn off the music so they could explain the organization to patrons. The new chapter would then meet on Friday or Saturday evening to elect officers. At each venue, they would leave copies of “20 Questions About Homosexuality: A Political Primer,” the foundational G.A.A. pamphlet, and hope for the best. At the Firehouse, Todd and Manford’s efforts were dubbed the Johnny Appleseed Project. At home in New York, Todd had a knack for mentoring. Allen Roskoff, a lifelong activist who now heads the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, was a close friend who learned lobbying and public relations skills from him. They put their know-how to practical use. One evening, Todd, Roskoff and a few friends visited the Rainbow Room,
the swank nightclub atop Rockefeller Center, and started dancing together. The venue flunked that test. Earl Wilson, a gossip columnist for the then-liberal New York Post, was on hand to record their expulsion. Steve-Shlomo Ashkinazy, one of Todd’s lovers and a lifelong friend and fellow activist, said the zap provided evidence of the city’s pervasive public-accommodations discrimination and strengthened the argument for a local gay rights law. Gay marriage was a demand in those early glory days of activism, as was the call for an end to mob control of gay bars. In 1973, Todd, Ashkinazy and others invested in the Ballroom, a restaurant and nightclub that would serve a homosexual clientele on West Broadway in Soho. The group chose the location for the low rents then available in the neighborhood, but knew they were running up against the State Liquor Authority’s regulation against serving homosexuals in bars. Todd and his partners never went to court, instead simply filing an application with the S.L.A., which gave in rather than fight the issue. The Ballroom became the city’s first club operated by and for gays. A practical approach toward government became a Lew Todd trademark. The Ballroom was widely praised for its food, and Todd and Ashkinazy soon became friends with Joe Papp, the founder of the Public Theater. When Papp’s son Anthony, who also died young of AIDS, came out, Joe Papp asked them to offer him a job and mentor him. The elder Papp, in turn, gave the Ballroom the catering contract for the Public, which later led to a similar deal with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Ballroom became fundraising central for the movement –– at a time before finding money to support political and social causes became the professionalized pursuit it is today. For many groups, fundraising had largely been a matter of passing the hat, so the Ballroom parties represented a big step forward; countless groups reached out to Todd for help in staging benefits. Todd’s commitment to providing space for gay community fundraising continued when he and others opened Chez Stadium on Greenwich Ave. After Ed Koch was elected mayor in 1977, he quickly became a lighting rod for criticism within the gay community. Though the former Silk Stocking District congressman was more responsive than his predecessors, many activists lambasted him for not doing enough, especially when AIDS emerged in 1981 and 1982. Koch was equally ferocious toward his critics. It was at this point that Todd made a decision that defined his public life as the community moved toward the ACT UP era of militancy –– he supported the mayor. Todd brought his Koch loyalties to his role as a founding member of the city’s Stonewall Democratic Club. Todd leveraged his ties to the mayor and his role at Stonewall to keep open the lines of communication between the city and the gay community, even during the tensest days of the AIDS crisis. In the early ’80s, the leadership of a nascent community center, where
Lew Todd at about age 35.
many L.G.B.T. groups had offices, wanted to purchase the former school on W. 13th St. where they had been tenants for several years. The onslaught of AIDS made the need more pressing, but among the center’s board members were some of Koch’s harshest and most vocal critics. The mayor threatened to block the purchase by putting the building up for sale at a public auction, a move that would have priced out the community center. Todd quietly offered advice and assistance to the center’s board in identifying recruits
who could help them make the case to Koch that he should ignore his adversaries for the greater good of the L.G.B.T. community. Over time, voices trusted by the mayor persuaded him to back off from plans for an auction and instead negotiate a sale of the building to what is now known as the L.G.B.T. Community Center. Todd spent the last decades of his life as a shrewd conciliator in difficult circumstances. A member of the city’s Loft Board, he helped pave the way for large spaces Downtown to be opened up to residential uses against the business community’s determination to retain industrial zoning there. On behalf of the L.G.B.T. community, he was an ambassador to Democratic leaders with religious and other constituents whose demands and priorities clashed with the needs of gay New Yorkers. Todd became widely regarded as a man of discretion who could smooth troubled waters. Perhaps most remarkable was Todd’s success in steering through mainstream politics –– he was a big supporter of Alan Gerson’s successful 2001 run for the City Council in Lower Manhattan. It was Lew Todd’s gift to the gay cause that he could reconcile its unprecedented flowering with the conservative temperament of New York society’s more conventional pillars. Funeral services for Lew Todd were held Sept. 13 at Greenwich Village Funeral Home, at 199 Bleecker St.
Firestone ‘feminist apartment’ idea BY LINCOLN ANDERSON A memorial for radical feminist Shulamith Firestone drew 100 to 150 people to St. Mark’s Church on E. 10th St. on Sunday. Along with Firestone’s family members, many prominent figures in the women’s movement from the 1960s and ’70s were in attendance. “Feminists flew in from all over the country,” said a local feminist, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the invitation-only event. Firestone, 67, died toward the end of August. Her body was discovered in her East Village apartment possibly about a week after her death. In 1970 at age 25, she had shot to fame with her best-selling book, “The Dialectic of Sex,” which advocated for producing babies cybernetically in labs to free women from their oppressive gender role. However, she later descended into mental illness, shutting herself off from the world. She ping-ponged between hospital stays and periods living back at home. According to the source, the idea was broached at the memorial of making Firestone’s fifth-floor apartment at 213 E. 10th St. a dedicated, affordable residence for an older feminist from the East Village. Firestone had lived in the rent-stabilized unit since 1992 and was reportedly paying a very low rent. “The idea would be to earmark it
for feminists who could not otherwise afford to stay in the neighborhood,” the woman said, adding the rent should not exceed $1,100. She said they plan to reach out to Bob Perl, the building’s landlord, to see if an agreement can be reached. If Perl declines, she said, they’ll start a petition drive for the cause. Perl, however, was not sold on the idea. “For older feminists, living on the fifth floor of a walk-up house is not sensible,” he said. “It’s not really well thought-out. And who’s going to decide who gets to live there? “In New York, a lot of famous and important people have died and shrines aren’t erected in their apartments,” Perl noted. “If there was a shrine set up for every significant figure who lived in Manhattan, there’d be a lot fewer apartments available.” Perl said he was a good landlord to Firestone, implying that her living there wasn’t always easy on neighbors, though not stating that directly. “You can ask her family if I treated her well,” he said. “I went out of my way to work with her and her family so that she could have as comfortable a life as possible.” Perl said advocates for the feminist apartment can contact him at his business, Tower Brokerage.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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David Berk, 80, performer with a long, varied career OBITUARIES BY ADAM BERK David Berk, a lifelong West Villager and entertainer, died on Aug. 28 at age 80. Berk was born in the Bronx to Chaim and Frances Berk, and moved to Sheridan Square at the age of 2 1/2. As a youngster, he frequently could be found playing football or stoopball in Washington Square Park or handball at the courts on W. Third St. and Sixth Ave. He went to the Little Red School House, graduating in the same class as Victor Navasky, the former editor of The Nation. After completing his studies at the High School of Music and Art, he briefly studied business at the University of Miami before returning to New York City to complete his bachelor’s and master’s in voice at the Manhattan School of Music. Berk’s musical career was vast and varied. Though well versed in opera and classical music, he began his profession as a folk singer and guitarist. He teamed up with future wife, Phyllis Berk, nĂŠe Kallner, as a duo, performing at various clubs and hotels in the Village and Catskills in the 1950s and early ’60s. He also earned his education degree and began teaching music at a Bronx public school, where he produced shows with elementary students, such as “The Sound of Music.â€? By this time, he was also playing club dates and parties as a bassist. Berk had heard a larger
David Berk started out as a folk singer and guitarist.
calling, and devoted his future energies to the study of acting and musical theater. He studied at HB Studio with Uta Hagen and Charles Nelson Reilly, took dance classes with Frank Wagner and TV training with Bill Mahoney. He would begin a stage career spanning three decades. He appeared at
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Judson Church in “San Francisco’s Burning,� and summer and regional theaters in Lake Placid (CRMD), Philadelphia (Walnut Street Theatre), Ft. Lauderdale (Caldwell Playhouse) and the Theatre of Living Arts. His Off Broadway shows included “June Moon� (Manhattan Punch Line), “Time of the Cuckoo� (Equity Library Theatre), “Anyone Can Whistle� (York Players) and “Applause� (An Evening Dinner Theatre). He would also tour with Robert Goulet in “Kiss Me Kate,� Julius La Rosa in “Guys and Dolls� and Julie Wilson in “Pal Joey.� David Berk also appeared on Broadway in “So Long 174th Street� with Robert Morse, and in “Carnival� as Grobert. He would later join the National Company tour of “Zorba,� with John Raitt and Chita Rivera. As a singer-pianist, Berk was best known for his “composer� reviews. He had performed and/or directed at such cabaret venues as Danny’s Skylight Room, ’88’s, St. Peter’s and Jan Wallman’s. Some of the songwriters he covered in these shows include Ralph Rainger, Walter Donaldson, Revel/ Gordon and Johnny Burke. He was nominated for two MAC awards and won the prestigious Bistro Award for his direction of “The Walter Donaldson Songbook.� Later, he would write the musical memoir of his youth, “Back When the Village Was the Village,� which also received critical acclaim. Berk sang in several languages, and was especially fond of Italian love songs. It is rumored
that he appeared at a Queens supper club as “Enzo Rossi� to complete the transformation. In addition to regularly appearing at Village clubs like the Duplex and The Yellow Brick Road, he found time to play at Cafe Cartier in Tel Aviv, Israel, and entertained on Cunard cruises in Alaska and the Caribbean. He would complete his restaurant entertaining well into his 70s at Astoria’s Tutto Bene, where Ray Romano was a regular customer. After retiring, Berk continued to play at open mic nights at Cleopatra’s Needle, Trudie Mann’s and The Path Cafe with fellow singer Debra Skoff. He also performed at nursing homes, including the Jewish Home Lifecare on W. 106th St. Berk was an avid boxing fan, his letters to the editor on the sport often appearing in New York newspapers. He collected books on the subject, many signed by their writers or subjects. He was a New York Giants baseball fan, but had a sentimental soft spot for Lou Gehrig. He played bridge in Greenwich Village clubs and preferred “pink ball� when playing singles or doubles handball at “The Cage,� with partners with names like “Lefty� or “Stretch.� He was a regular at Li-Lac Chocolates, and knew where to find the city’s best egg creams. He is survived by his brother, Arthur, his son, Adam, and a granddaughter, Katherine. He will be greatly missed by many. Greenwich Village Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker St., was in charge of arrangements. A memorial took place on Sept. 16.
Matthew Ianniello, 92, mobster said to own Stonewall Inn in ’69 BY LINCOLN ANDERSON Former Genovese crime family mob boss Matthew Ianniello, a.k.a. Matty the Horse, died on Aug. 15 at his home in Old Westbury, Long Island. He was 92. Ianniello was born in 1920 in Little Italy. Legend has it, he earned his nickname by knocking down an older, opposing pitcher at a youth baseball game after he threw a pitch in his teammate’s face. “That boy is strong as a horse,� someone said, and a nickname was born. Ianniello served in the Army in World War II and received a purple heart. He later got hearts racing when, with a business partner in the 1960s and ’70s, he owned clubs and bars for both gay and straight men, as well as topless clubs for straight men. He controlled the sex club and bar business in Times Square and Midtown, and reputedly controlled the Stonewall Inn in 1969 when rioting there sparked by police harassment famously launched the gay rights movement. Because the State Liquor Authority didn’t allow gay bars back then, the mafia had moved in to operate them illegally. In 1972, Joey Gallo, a.k.a. “Crazy Joey Gallo,� was murdered at Umberto’s restaurant in Little Italy, which was owned by Matty the Horse. However, Ianniello, who
Matty the Horse.
was supposedly in the eatery’s kitchen at the time, denied prior knowledge of the hit. From 1988 to 1995 Ianniello served time in prison on racketeering charges. He later served another two-to-three-year term for racketeering and was released in 2009. When 6-year-old Etan Patz went missing in Soho in May 1979, Matty the Horse assisted the authorities, putting them in touch with a former employee of his whom they wanted to question.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
L.E.S. is one place BIDs aren’t facing opposition Continued from page 1 enlarged coverage area for the Lower East Side BID who have responded to an ongoing ballot survey, more than 99 percent voted in favor of the expansion, according to Bob Zuckerman, the BID’s executive director. “We’re very hopeful about this,” Zuckerman said in an interview on Monday, “and we think it’s going to be a very worthwhile investment for property owners and small businesses.” Zuckerman added that he is optimistic about gaining final approval for the expansion by the start of next summer. The BID currently covers about 400 properties along the length of Orchard and Allen Sts., as well as a few blocks on Delancey, Broome and Grand Sts. The proposed expansion would increase the coverage to roughly 1,200 properties, stretching the district’s boundaries west to Bowery, east to Clinton and Attorney Sts. and south to East Broadway. That amount of growth would also triple the BID’s annual budget to nearly $1 million. Along with providing supplemental sanitation services for participating properties, including graffiti removal and trash pickup, the BID actively promotes the businesses within its district through advertising and events. It also offers grants to businesses for storefront improvements, Web site development and security cameras. In exchange for the services, landlords pay an annual fee that varies depending on the type and size of the property. Typically, Zuckerman said, referring to “average” buildings with three or four stories and strorefronts of around 25 feet, the fee is about $1,000 per year. The BID held two public meetings in July to explain the proposal to neighborhood property owners, business owners and residents — a required step in the government approval process. The response at the meetings was largely positive. The next step is to send the plans to the city Department of Small Business Services, which Zuckerman said he expects to do by mid-October.
A map showing the proposed boundaries to which the Lower East BID hopes to expand.
Approval from S.B.S. would be a major step forward for the expansion plans, which would then be referred the Department of City Planning. Before going into effect, the proposal would need to be approved by City Planning — which would consider a recommendation from Community Board 3 — and the City Council.
Councilmember Margaret Chin, who attended one of the public meetings in July, has expressed support for the expansion, citing a need to create a more positive environment for small businesses on the Lower East Side. “I look forward to seeing the BID’s plans for expansion continue in coming months,” Chin said. “We must encourage the development of affordable commercial and office space to bring a daytime presence to the Lower East Side. We have enough bars and nightlife. It is time to focus our efforts on building spaces for small businesses and start-ups so they can plant their roots in the Lower East Side.” David Bensinger, who owns The Little Laptop Shop, a computer repair shop on Clinton St. that is within the BID’s proposed new boundaries, said that he is keeping his fingers crossed that the expansion is approved. The shop opened in 2009, and during that time it was included in a BID expansion pilot program that has since ended. “The pilot program was a fantastic thing for me and the neighborhood,” Bensinger said. “It meant that our streets were cleaned on a daily basis, and the BID office helped all interested local businesses with marketing and promotions.” Staff members of Dixon Place, a nonprofit arts organization based on Chrystie St. — within the proposed new boundaries — were also vocal about their wishes for the expansion to go through. “We support it 100 percent,” said Tim Ranney, Dixon Place’s director of marketing. “We need the BID as a partner in all the services that they offer.” The few small business owners in the area that are against the expansion generally believe that the BID’s annual fee will be an unnecessary burden — one they can’t really afford — and that the BID won’t provide enough added value. “I don’t see how it could actually generate more business for us,” said Alex Young, a manager at Freeman’s Sporting Club, on Rivington St., which sells high-quality menswear. “I mean, as it is, we’re two blocks away from Soho. So we don’t really need any help.”
SPURA project is nearing final vote in City Council BY LESLEY SUSSMAN A massive redevelopment plan for the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, delayed for nearly a half century because of lack of community consensus, is expected to come up for a vote by the City Council early next month. If passed, it would then need approval from the mayor. SPURA is a 1.65-million-square-foot swath of land at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. The site essentially consists of five undeveloped lots just south of Delancey St. and is the largest city-owned, undeveloped site in Manhattan south of 96th St. The sprawling property is currently home to several open-air parking lots. The current plan for SPURA calls for 900 units of housing — 50 percent of them permanently affordable — and a large amount of commercial space for stores, community facilities, a small park, a luxury hotel and a new Essex Street Market on the south side of Delancey St. The proposal has won the approval of both Community Board 3 and the City Planning Commission. The City Council vote is expected to take place the second week of October, possibly on Thurs., Oct. 11, after the Council receives the recommendations of its subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions. The subcommittee held the last public hearing on SPURA last Wednesday as part of the
city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). At Wednesday’s lengthy, four-hour subcommittee hearing, held in the City Council Chambers and co-chaired by Brooklyn Councilmember Stephen Levin and Margaret Chin, whose district contains SPURA, about 200 residents from the Lower East Side and Chinatown packed the room. Also in attendance were officials from various city agencies involved in the planning process. Activists from several grassroots community organizations spoke out strongly against the proposal. Many of them wore T-shirts that read, “Say No to SPURA. Schools and Small Stores for Our Neighborhood.” Meanwhile, C.B. 3 and other SPURA supporters wearing bright yellow T-shirts that read, “Yes to SPURA,” tried to sway subcommittee members to their side. Each speaker was given two minutes to testify. Opening the hearing was Councilmember Chin, who gave an impassioned speech in favor of the proposal. “The value of the Seward Park Urban Renewal site cannot be measured in dollars,” Chin said. “The value can only be measured in how much affordable housing it can provide a community that has some of the worst overcrowding in the city. The value can only
be measured in how many homes for seniors it can provide a community that is rapidly aging in place. And the value can only be measured in how much affordable incubator space it can provide for start-up businesses for a new gen-
‘This plan represents a responsible and balanced approach to development.’ Gigi Li eration of creative minds in the tech, fashion and art industries.” Chin also said that she was strongly opposed to any new hotels on the site. “There is no need for it,” she stated. “Our hotel market is already oversaturated with several uncompleted hotels standing there. We need commercial office buildings to bring people here during the day.” At a press conference held the day before
the hearing, Chin had come under sharp attack by the Coalition to Protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side. The coalition criticized Chin’s decision not to push for 100 percent affordable housing on SPURA but instead support a 50 percent affordable/50 percent market-rate housing compromise worked out between the city and C.B. 3. However, during her remarks before the subcommittee, Chin said, “I remain committed to maximizing the number of affordable housing units on the SPURA site and I will find ways to increase the number of affordable units and make smarter use of our space.” The councilmember commended the plan’s inclusion of permanent affordable housing for 50 percent of the 900 units on the site, but added that she wanted to see the city “give priority” to developers who want to build even more affordable housing there. Meanwhile, another grassroots organization, the L.E.S. United Against Walmart — a coalition of community-based organizations and labor unions —said it has been trying to convince Chin to add language to the proposal that would ensure that big-box stores, notably Walmart, are not allowed to do business on the site.
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with a chortle. “A guy in the Netherlands said I had inherited some money, but he needed cash to transfer it. I caught him on tape. They closed him down, too.” When will these losers give up? “You would think by now I’d be on an ‘A’ list,” Diether said, “like a ‘Don’t Call’ list.”
Continued from page 3 Nearly 1,200 people attended the food-and-winetasting event. More than 50 restaurants and nearly 20 wineries participated. In the last 16 years, Harvest in the Square has raised a total of nearly $2.5 million. The funds pay for a range of park initiatives, including plantings and programming for all ages, plus a full-time playground associate for the park’s new playground. INSPECTOR DIETHER, WE PRESUME: When will scammers learn that Doris Diether simply cannot be conned? The long-serving member of Community Board 2, now in her 80s, said she recently discovered in her checking statement that a check was made out from her to a company called Alliance for $29.50. It didn’t even have her signature but was cashed. She reported it to the Sixth Precinct, but it turns out police don’t investigate check fraud under $30. There was a phone number on the check with an untraceable 877 area code. Diether called it and demanded her money back, and apparently put a scare into “Alliance.” “They decided I was going to be trouble,” she said, “so they decided to refund the money.” She has previously caught someone who stole $650 from her on her credit card, and also outfoxed an attempted postal fraud — “They closed his postal box in Arizona” — and even busted an international hoaxer. “That was fun,” she recalled
ROSIE’S CRUSTY CRACKDOWN: Councilmember Rosie Mendez is getting tough on the crusties. The East Village councilmember’s handout report to C.B. 2 last week said she’s aware of the complaints about the transient youths over the past summer. There were several high-profile incidents. First, crusties graffitied obscenities on St. Mark’s Church’s portico with white latex paint. Next, a crusty threatened and then stomped on the sunglasses of a senior citizen who complained after the drifter’s dog peed in the Washington Square fountain. Soon after that, a crusty was cuffed in Washington Square after he spat in the face of a Park Enforcement Patrol officer who was responding because the crusties’ canines were off leash. “Rosie’s office is working with outreach teams that provide services to homeless people to reach out to these youth in an effort to get them off the street,” Mendez’s report said. “The challenge in removing them is that people have the right to refuse services and to live in the street. Rosie is researching the laws that protect such transients with the intent of tightening up loopholes, so that in the future, these individuals will not have the opportunity to take over the sidewalks in the East Village and Lower East Side and thereby reduce the quality of life of residents.” The reported noted, “Adjusting the law will take some time. However it will soon get cold, too cold to live in the street, and the crusties will leave.”
Photo by Toni Dalton
O.K., cut! That’s a wrap! It seemingly took forever, but Julian Schnabel’s Palazzo Chupi is finally sporting a new coat of Pompeii Red paint. A year ago, scaffolding was erected around the whimsical tower, on W. 11th St. between Washington and West Sts., causing speculation that a repainting job was in the works. When the black construction netting first came off the film director/artist’s new building in 2007, its vivid color sent a shock through the historic West Village. Commenting back then, Andrew Berman, director of the Greenwich Village Society for
Historic Preservation, raised Schnabel’s hackles by calling the hue “hot pink,” to which the famous painter and film director retorted it was, in fact, “Pompeii red.” But by 2011, the color had faded drastically to a very faint dusty rose. This time around, however, it appeared that a sandstone-colored primer was added first, so perhaps the newly applied Pompeii red will persevere a bit longer. The Venetian retro-style residence involved adding an 11-story addition to a three-story former stable.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
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At Burlington Coat Factory’s ribbon cutting, from left: Russell Schaller, the company’s senior vice president; Colleen Galvin, Department of Small Business Services assistant commissioner; Gail Garramone, executive director of Fashion Delivers; and Thomas Kingsbury and Fred Hand, Burlington’s C.E.O. and executive vice president, respectively.
Coat Factory rocks the clothes racks at 14th St. grand opening BY SAM SPOKONY Union Square welcomed a major new chain store tenant on Friday, as the off-price retailer Burlington Coat Factory opened its flagship location — which clocks in at three stories and 92,000 square feet — two doors over from the Whole Foods Market on Union Square South. At a ribboncutting ceremony before the grand opening, Burlington C.E.O. Thomas Kingsbury proudly announced that the store employs more than 500 area residents, many of whom were on hand that morning to cheer about their new jobs. The company, which offers brand-name clothing for men, women and kids at up
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to 65 percent off department store prices, celebrated its new flagship with high-profile philanthropy and entertainment. First, in collaboration with the nonprofit Fashion Delivers, Burlington ceremoniously trucked out clothing donations to local charities like Latinos Against Domestic Violence, the Lower East Side Service Center and the Bowery Residents’ Committee. And later that day the store hosted an acoustic concert by pop-rock band Boys Like Girls, which drew a swarm of screaming teenage girls. The events were apparently good for business, as the Union Square Burlington enjoyed a packed crowd of consumers all day, to go with its fresh-faced staff of locals.
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Later that day, Martin Johnson, right, and Paul DiGiovanni, teen heartthrobs of the pop-rock band Boys Like Girls, performed inside the new store to celebrate its grand opening.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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Hard to put a name on how much Bob Fass has meant CLAYTON BY CLAYTON PATTERSON I am troubled and saddened by the fact that America is losing its middle class and becoming a country divided into the rich and the poor. Romney certainly made that point clear with his recent statement, saying 47 percent of the population is basically made up of non-taxpaying freeloaders seeking a handout — deadbeats that even the president should not be concerned with. It seems the 1 percent has forgotten that so much of America’s greatness was built on the backs of those who had less. It wasn’t the rich and powerful coming to America looking for a better life who made the majority of the contributions and achievements that made the U.S.A. more powerful than the countries the newcomers were leaving. The Lower East Side has had more than its share of poverty, human suffering, hardship and political dissidents. Yet, there are also many examples of struggling immigrants and displaced, creative types who have made tremendous contributions to what makes America great. Thankfully, there are a few dedicated people who have worked hard to save the history of the Downtown, underground, creative and political, struggling class. Bob Fass, for no monetary gain, selflessly spent his life working on one such project. He did much more than just save the history. He was also a vital force in making things happen. Bob Fass’s contribution is very unique. He is multitalented, historically significant, creative, an activist, but most of all, a radio journalist who changed the style, direction, meaning of time on the air and type of programming a radio talk show program followed. He was
Photo by Clayton Patterson
Bob Fass hosting his “Radio Unnameable” show at WBAI in 1991.
How a child learns to learn will impact his or her life forever. Progressive Education for Two-Year-Olds – 8th Grade
Open House | City and Country Wednesday, November 7, 2012 from 6-8pm Please visit www.cityandcountry.org for information and application materials. 146 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212.242.7802
instrumental in starting free-form radio. And now a documentary movie called “Radio Unnameable,” produced and directed by Paul Lovelace and Jessica Wolfson, has just been released. The movie does a good job of opening up how important Bob’s contribution is to the history of underground culture and alternative politics. Bob cleverly developed his form of radio in the least competitive time slot — on the overnight airwaves. He appreciated how many people work and prowl the city at night. In 1965 there were few choices on overnight radio and TV. Not much of a selection for the night shift, the insomniacs, to fill the lost and lonely spaces listeners find themselves in at 3 a.m. Bob’s voice is smooth and steady, like listening to an intimate friend keeping you company. If the listener feels the urge to tell the world something, Bob is a good listener, and his program serves as a vehicle for the normally voiceless to have a voice. His politics are not party based, but based on the idea that what’s good for the people is good for him. The direction his midnight-to-5 a.m. WBAI show always takes is dictated by his sense of what’s important at the moment rather than a planned-out set, or what will get him the best ratings. If a riot was going on, he had people on the street phoning in the action. If a musician showed up, he or she could play a set. If radical social activists came by, Bob let them talk. The only real rule and limit was to avoid using the roughly seven profane words that, if used, could give the Federal Communications Commission the right to shut down the station. In the 1960s a number of the underground musicians
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August 30 - September 5
EDITORIAL A better BID process Since its inception in 1992, the Lower East Side Business Improvement District has been a boon to businesses on and around Orchard and Allen Sts., by keeping the streets clean and drawing in crowds of patrons through creative promotional efforts. The BID’s DayLife events, which began in June and will continue this Sun., Sept. 30, have been successful in filling a three-block stretch of Orchard St. with food and clothing vendors, high-profile DJs, games and, most importantly, foot traffic for small businesses. The BID has also hosted its much-loved annual Pickle Day event for the past decade, which celebrates the rich history of pickle vendors on the Lower East Side. The BID will soon seek the city’s approval for an expansion proposal that would triple its size. The planned expansion would stretch its boundaries west to Bowery, east to Clinton St. and south to East Broadway, covering a total of around 1,200 properties. We think the BID, under the leadership of Executive Director Bob Zuckerman, has done an excellent job of reaching out to small businesses, residents and community leaders over the past several years in order to build a solid base of support for the expansion. And it’s certainly paid off, as Zuckerman recently told us that, of the property owners and tenants who have replied to the BID’s ongoing ballot survey, more than 99 percent have voted “Yes” to the expansion. When Zuckerman sends out that proposal to the Department of Small Business Services in October — beginning the long process that, if greenlighted, would eventually end in the hands of the City Council — the city should take that diligence into account, along with all the great work the BID has already done to help businesses on the Lower East Side.
Onboard with Lowline New York City has been home to some of the world’s most cutting-edge developments in urban planning. James Ramsey and Dan Barasch, the two bright minds behind the Lowline project — which seeks to construct the world’s first underground park in a former M.T.A. trolley terminal beneath Delancey and Essex Sts. — are now continuing that tradition of creativity. We think the Lowline is a great idea, and one that the city should actively support, for several reasons. First, it would incorporate groundbreaking solar-power technology in order to sustain a uniquely attractive park in a city that could always use a few more green spaces. A stunning sample of that “remote skylight” design was recently on display at the Lowline’s public exhibit on Essex St., and it drew plenty of well-deserved nods of approval from community members. Second, the world’s first underground park would provide an innovative setting in which Lower East Side businesses and arts organizations could spread their wings and engage consumers in exciting new ways. And finally, the Lowline would be a complement to the upcoming SPURA development in that area. The park could provide a valuable public space to go alongside the new residential and commercial properties that will rise, giving local families as well as workers and tourists a great place to relax. Barasch and Ramsey have a long way to go, as they try to raise millions of dollars and drum up political support for a project that will take years to complete if the city O.K.’s it. But we think they deserve the encouragement needed to push the Lowline forward.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Tiles belong to all America
privately owned Chelsea Piers, and leave Pier 40 as the public park and community sports facilities it was intended to be?
To The Editor: Re “Activists take down 9/11 tiles to block Albany move” (news article, Sept. 20): Well-intentioned, but terribly self-important. If Berke or anyone else considers themselves the “rightful owner” of this living and ongoing work, they are sadly, possibly even criminally, mistaken. The tiles are clearly of the public domain, represent a unity of mission and grieving, and belong to the American people. If anything, each individual tile creator is the owner of his or her work. A sampling should be placed at the Greenwich Village site in the best possible manner. Maybe a sampling at the Ground Zero 9/11 Museum and/or Saint Paul’s Church. They all should be curated responsibly. Maybe some would tour the country’s museums on a chain-link fence exhibit permanently, with a long-term home to protect them, perhaps the new Whitney. Self-appointed guardian types have a habit of taking things that don’t belong to them, and putting them where they can’t be itemized. “Caretaking equals ownership” is the stuff of bogus last will and testament codicils, and is no different here. We can also understand the original ceramic contributor’s intent and ideal, but the public embrace of this art has made the ownership of its meaning and preservation nationally collective. The site is changing necessarily, and they are trying to enforce the impossibility of an exact re-creation.
A. S. Evans
Patrick Shields
Hospital help for Pier 40’s ills To The Editor: Has anyone considered the development airspace above the St. John’s Center building on West St. as a possible location for a hospital (hello N.Y.U. Medical Center), so desperately needed in this part of Manhattan? Pier 40 could fulfill a critical role providing much-needed parking for medical personnel, staffers and visitors with access to the hospital via covered walkways across West St. With greater demand for parking on Pier 40 wouldn’t increased revenue ease the demand for funds to complete repairs on the pier? Resident parking and a hospital are both needed. Dean Whetzel
Chelsea Piers Apartments To The Editor: Re “It’s mutiny on the waterfront as Durst pitches Pier 40 plan” (news article, Sept. 6): Has the Hudson River Park Trust forgotten about Chelsea Piers? Why not build luxury apartments and retail around the
EVAN FORSCH
Pier squeeze play won’t work To The Editor: Re “It’s mutiny on the waterfront as Durst pitches Pier 40 plan” (news article, Sept. 6): They might as well have built Westway. There is only so much that can be gotten out of Pier 40. Leave it for ball fields and parking, but remove the side walls to improve the sightlines. Charlie Walker
Sodas? How about St. Vincent’s? To The Editor: If Mayor Bloomberg and his rubber-stamping Department of Health actually cared about the health of this city’s citizenry, then pushing through a half-baked law that will never pass the constitutional test, banning large-sized sugary drinks is hardly the solution. It seems like just another attempt to levy fines against retailers, and I’m sure the mayor realizes that it will do little or nothing to curb the obesity problem. I realize there are many who agree with him. But is taking away yet another constitutionally guaranteed freedom a wise decision? History has proven that prohibition never works. The people who are cheering this law seem to forget what happens when they deny others their civil liberties. Aside from the legal issue, I find the mayor’s stance rather disingenuous. If he cared so much about the health of the citizens who put him in office, where was he when St. Vincent’s and Cabrini hospitals closed? I can’t remember him uttering one word to help save those badly needed institutions. I do remember those sites being grabbed up by his friends, the developers. Honestly, will the miniscule amount of people who become less obese because of this law balance out the need for growing healthcare in this city? It seems that our outspoken mayor only speaks out when it lines his pockets and those of his friends. During the worst economic downturn since the Depression, he somehow managed to become even wealthier. Personally, I worry about the obesity of his bank account. Jay Matlick E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to lincoln@ thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal St., Suite 1C, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. The Villager does not publish anonymous letters.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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People’s 9/11 memorial vanishes in broad daylight TALKING POINT BY DENA PEARLMAN As some news media have reported, the Tiles for America Memorial has been taken down. But the fact that they have been taken without authority by a grassroots, self-serving group led by misinformation created by Village resident Dusty Berke and Andretti Mullens seems to be absent. During a meeting with the Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association in August, Berke told the C.C.S.A.’s board of directors that she had established a nonprofit, 501c3 organization, secured a home for the tiles as 62 Greenwich Ave. and was in a good financial situation. Based on this information and contingent on these items being factual, the C.C.S.A. board approved the transfer of ownership to Tiles for America Preservation Society. The C.C.S.A. then sent me, the association’s executive director, to New York to help with the transition of removing the tiles, support fundraising efforts and set up the new memorial location. On Mon., Sept. 10, 2012, I revealed that the Tiles for America Preservation Society had not been productive in securing a location, nor obtaining their nonprofit filing status, nor did they have a plan to remove the tiles in a timely manner prior to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s deadline to break ground on its subwayfan vent facility at Greenwich Ave. and Seventh Ave. South. The organization was actually a sole proprietorship, owned by Berke — Tiles for America Preservation Project. The intended location for the tiles’ new home, at 62 Greenwich Ave., was only an intent letter and no lease had been signed. No bank account with deposited funds existed. M.T.A. construction was to begin on Mon., Sept. 17, which meant the tiles needed to be removed by Fri., Sept. 14. Seeing that the leaders, Berke and Mullens, were ill prepared, I made a backup plan to ensure the tiles were properly packed and stored if Berke and Mullens did not succeed to protect the public interest.
Berke and Mullens were sent a letter stating that they no longer had any rights to the tiles since they were unable to adhere to the deadline. Also, the C.C.S.A. was skeptical of their ability to safeguard the tiles and their financial stability. In the letter to Berke and Mullens, I clearly indicated that the tiles would indeed be turned back over to the community when they could provide proof that a nonprofit, 501c3 was formed, a board of advisers was installed, bylaws were voted on and accepted, a five-year plan was developed and they were fiscally sound. Ignoring calls and e-mails from the C.C.S.A., Berke and Mullens embarked on a personally driven crusade to remove the tiles without permission.
At this time, the C.C.S.A. has received word that the tiles are located in Berke’s apartment and realizes they are not correctly stored since the photos posted by Berke and Mullens show them packed improperly. The C.C.S.A.’s hope is that none of the tiles were damaged in Berke and Mullens’s efforts. The C.C.S.A. is calling on the residents of Manhattan to join us in our anguish by sending a clear message to the authorities that the tiles are the people’s — not two people’s personal, financial or egocentric platform. This is a national people’s memorial. Pearlman is executive director, Contemporary Ceramic Studio Association
A tale of two tile groups In a phone interview on Wednesday, Dusty Berke and Andretti Mullens said they intend to send a “cease and desist” letter to the C.C.S.A., telling the organization to “stop slandering and libeling” them. “They are engaging in a campaign of misinformation,” said Mullens. “What they’re doing is ill-intented and very dangerous for us.” Berke and Mullens said they support moving the tiles to Crown Relocation — a high-end art installation and relocation facility in New Jersey — but that C.C.S.A. had been phoning Crown, and Berke and Mullens were afraid the 9/11 tiles would be “hijacked.” Berke said Harry Nadeau, a member of the opposing tile faction, has “gone rogue.” “He has a corporate vision for the tile memorial,” Berke said. “We have a Village vision.” Meanwhile, the other side accuses Berke and Mullens of going rogue.
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On the afternoon of Mon., Sept. 17, the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, several hundred protesters marched out of Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan. After two blocks, as they walked down Cortlandt St. approaching Church St. and the World Trade Center site, police stopped the march, making four arrests, including those above. The protesters turned around and proceeded east. In all, there were more than 180 arrests on Sept. 17.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
‘Unnameable’ has been invaluable De-stressing through meditation Continued from page 19 who first played on “Radio Unnamable” soon went on to become widely popular in the mainstream, including Bob Dylan and Carly Simon. The first time Arlo Guthrie played “Alice’s Restaurant” in public was on “Radio Unnameable.” The first time Jeffery Jeff Walker sang his “Mr. Bojangles” was on Bob's show. Bob liked this song so much he would, at times, play it over and over again on the air. On the political front Allen Ginsberg, Kinky Friedman, Abbie Hoffman and Paul Krassner would suddenly show up and become the focus of the night’s entertainment. The movie does an excellent of job illustrating how skillful Bob became at using radio as a powerful, community, political tool. In the ’60s Bob was one of the most respected and trusted voices in the political struggle and soon became one of the central, frontline power figures in the vortex of a quickly changing society. The Yippies realized that the message behind an absurd act can have as much influence as, let’s say, a violent one. Bob was a Yippie during the group’s theatrical-absurdist period, helping orchestrate actions like the “Human Fly-In” at Kennedy Airport — a spontaneous gathering of a mass of people all having fun wel-
coming visitors getting off of the planes. However, when things turned ugly, like at the mass gathering in Grand Central Station when some protesters removed the hands of the clock, the cops went wild. Bob’s listeners captured the melee on the telephone and passed the screams onto Bob and into the airwaves. This is dramatic tape. The movie does an excellent job highlighting Bob’s early career. And for this reason alone it’s worth seeing, buying, passing onto your friends, helping it get placed into as many historical archives as possible. The documentary is a gem. But it is only a beginning. There is so much more to Bob. Certainly, those of us in the ’80s and ’90s who were on the front lines of the L.E.S. antigentrification movement, owe Bob a huge thank you. And there is a more hidden, secondary message to the movie. So much of the history outside of the mainstream is being lost. It is the people’s history — about the people that Romney and friends hate so much. Bob gave so much and got so little in return. What we need to do is to make sure his archives are preserved, in shape for the next generation of people to learn from. Bob is a cultural hero and his work needs to be saved. Beyond that, how has he been able to do this for more than 50 years? Go see the movie.
CONVERSATIONS WITH HEALTH BY CHRISTOPHER HASSETT I’ve been thinking about meditating as a way of relieving stress. Do you think this will help? If so, do you have any suggestions on how to go about it? — Rory, Fort Greene Meditation is a great way to reduce stress in the moment, though in the beginning the act itself can have its own unwanted stresses. But, yes, the idea is correct: Sit, empty the mind, relax, destress. The problem for many meditators is that once they’re in that quiet, peaceful place, all the day’s thoughts and worries come rushing to the fore and the entire session is spent following the action in their head. Then, when remembering with growing frustration their purpose for sitting in the first place, they stress even more as time slips unproductively away. With that said, it’s important to caution against sitting without aim or slipping mindlessly into unconsciousness. What is wanted in meditation is focus. So, for instance, one could meditate solely on the movement of thought in the mind, i.e: where, exactly, does a thought come from — from where in our minds does it arise? Where does it abide in the moment we think it? Where does it go, the thought, once it has passed? This exercise may sound trivial and purposeless but it is a very high practice in meditation, one that is also quite difficult to do with any kind of certainty or lasting presence. Yet it is exactly that certainty and lasting presence we are trying to develop in order to deepen our understanding of the workings of mind, the nature of self and the relationship between self and the world at large. An understanding of this kind also brings with it a significant reduction in stress. Another focus for meditation might be looking at the labels we use to name things, labels that become quite real in and of themselves, as if they were the thing itself. For instance, a flower is a flower by name alone, but is it really, at its essence, a flower? Through meditation we see that it isn’t, and with that insight our perception once again begins to shift, not just in the way we see and experience a flower but in the way we see and experience all things named. This is important because it helps us cut through our strong attachments to the many things we identify with or want to possess: cars, paintings, properties, even the people who freely exist in our lives beyond any desire to claim (my wife, my children...). This same meditation is even more effective when we turn that analysis upon ourselves. Our own names are a good place to start, as are the concepts of “I” and “me.” These concepts in a very real sense complicate and compromise our
relationship to everything around us, so we meditate on them for the purpose of seeing the exact role they play in muddying or distorting our perception of who we are in relation to all else. The practice with time brings significant rewards, the least of which is an ability to walk through the world with far less stress. Then there is a traditional meditation where one simply sits and observes the general workings of the mind. Most of us are inextricably attached to our thoughts and in response to those thoughts we take action in the world. But instead of acting or reacting, in this meditation we simply watch as our thoughts pass through the space of our mind in the same way a cloud moves through the space of a pristine blue sky. Nothing follows the cloud. Nothing blocks its movement. Nothing reacts. In this way we learn to create an easy distance between the true nature of ourself (which is sky-like) and the ceaseless movement of thoughts in our head (which are cloud-like). This in turn helps cut the long chain of reactiveness, patterned behaviors and unconsciousness that plagues so many us, all of which are major sources of stress. It also serves to open a much-needed space between ourselves and all that tends to trip us up, again with the benefit of reducing many of the impending pressures that continually bear in around us. Another meditation has you simply following your breath, and this is where I suggest you begin because its purpose is to have you train in focusing on a single point for a short period of time. I would say no more than a few minutes to begin with. Even these short sessions you’re likely to find challenging since your mind will very quickly want to show you who’s boss: It will tease you with a thought which you’re likely to follow, presence will be lost, the breath forgotten, and then moments later you’ll return. You don’t have to do anything other than just that: remember and return to your breath over and over again. Don’t stress about the fact that you drift. Your main intention, aside from trying to relax, is to train in the whole business of calming the mind, but to do this you’ll need to begin with brief sessions. Sit for no more than five minutes in the beginning, but bring all the awareness and focus you have into those five minutes. This is much more effective and much less frustrating than sitting for an hour straight while drifting or nodding off the while. When ready, you might still want to continue with short sessions but instead of once a day you do it several times a day. Extend the length of your meditation only when you feel you’re stabilizing in awareness and presence. It is only with training that we bring in control, and stress is nothing other than a response to a lack of control. But the idea of “control” is a bit misleading because the goal is to liberate ourselves from the control of our thoughts, rather than
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
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VILLAGER ARTS &ENTERTAINMENT Harrowing, haunted, spectral…and full of stars So much good stuff on the boards, it’s scary BY TRAV S.D. October is my favorite month to see Downtown theatre in New York. The madness of the summer festivals is well past, and all the hometown companies bring out their “A” games. Also, as a general rule, it is neither too hot nor too cold in the audience — and that’s not to be sneezed at. And lastly (the elephant in the room), it’s the time of spooky (and hokey) Halloween shows. That alone would take it over the top. This looks to be a particularly exciting October, with an unusual amount of star power infiltrating our typical Downtown haunts. September 29 through October 14, La MaMa will be presenting “AdA (Author Directing Author)” — a collaboration between Neil LaBute (“In the Company of Men,” “Nurse Betty”) and Italian playwright Marco Calvani, in which the two writers direct each other’s one-act plays. The production will be the American premiere of both LaBute’s “The Lovely Head” and Calvani’s “Things of This World.” Estelle Parsons (“Bonnie and Clyde,” “Roseanne”) is in the cast. The project is a product of La MaMa Umbria, a summer workshop and development program in Umbria, Italy. For tickets, visit lamama.org. Also opening September 29 is A. R. Gurney’s new play “Heresy” — a highly uncharacteristic tale about a boy named Chris who gets busted by Homeland Security and must argue his defense before a functionary named “Pontius Pilate.” Seems rather symbolically freighted. I thought Gurney only wrote about rich WASPs drinking martinis and stuff! Count me among the curious. More stars here: This one has Annette O’Toole, Kathy Najimy and Reg E. Cathey. The play runs at the Flea Theater through November 4. More info can be found at theflea.org. One of my favorite little companies, Metropolitan Playhouse, has a revival on the boards through October 21. Written by Maxwell Anderson (“Winterset,” “What Price Glory?” and way too many others to put in parentheses), “Both Your Houses” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning satire about the corrupt morass of congressional appropriations. Written in 1933, it was subsequently eclipsed in the public’s memory by Frank Capra’s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and, well, eight decades of far worse corruption and malfeasance then you’ll find depicted here. I’m a victim of completionist mania. I’ve seen the film versions of, or read, most of Anderson’s plays (they’re seldom produced any more) — but not this one, so I’m planning to check it out. If you’d like to do the same, find out how at metropolitanplayhouse.org. A revival of a much more recent vintage is also on the horizon. On October 4, Collective Unconscious will be remounting their smash hit “Charlie Victor Romeo” at 3LD Art & Technology Center. Let the buyer beware: “CVR,” as those in the know call it, is a harrowing experience. It literally dramatizes the cockpit voice recordings recovered from fatal airplane crashes, reconstructing the usually banal chit chat pilots and flight attendants engage in during the final minutes before all becomes quite serious…then terrifying…and then, nothing. This little show really hasn’t stopped running since it first opened in Collective’s tiny storefront headquarters back in 1999. And now co-creators Bob Berger and Patrick Daniels are looking to turn it into a film, using the new production as a springboard. I hope it doesn’t crash and burn! (Did I just
type that? I typed that!). “Charlie Victor Romeo” plays through October 20. More info at 3ldnyc.org. October 4 through 28, the Axis Company will present the premiere of a new work by writer/director Randy Sharp: “Last Man Club.” Axis has become one of my favorite companies in New York, thanks to Randy Sharp’s penchant for the bizarre, and the vaguely menacing and slightly illogical tone of her productions (which remind me somehow of both Sam Shepard and David Lynch). The current play is about a couple of strangers who mysteriously appear at an isolated farmhouse following a Depression era dust storm, trying to sell a machine that makes rain. Rest assured, this ain’t your grandmother’s “The Rainmaker.” Get the skinny at axiscompany.org. One of my favorite actors in New York (and coincidentally, a member of Axis) is Edgar Oliver. This month he’ll be performing a solo show of his own over at Theatre 80. “Helen and Edgar” is developed out of material he first began presenting at The Moth in 1998. It’s directed by Catherine Burns, the current director of The Moth, and is being “shepherded” (the press release tells me) by Moth founder George Dawes Green. In true Moth spirit, the show will be unscripted. Each night, Oliver will improvise its content based on true stories from his own life. The spectral yet mellifluous Oliver is one of
This looks to be a particularly exciting October, with an unusual amount of star power infiltrating our typical Downtown haunts.
NYC’s treasures. You would do well to see this. “Helen and Edgar” is running October 9 through 27. Get the full scoop at helenandedgar.com. Another solo show on the boards this month will be John Jiler’s “Ripe,” running at Theater for the New City October 11-28. Actor, journalist and writer Jiler is best known (theatrically) for his a capella musical “Avenue X” (not to be confused with “Avenue Q”). He plays a dozen characters in “Ripe,” which concerns his dying father. To learn more, go to theaterforthenewcity.net. October 24-November 10, the clown company Vagabond Inventions(in collaboration with an international partnership of artists hailing from France, Spain and Sweden) will be presenting “Under the Skiff” — which they describe as a “a lyrical clown farce exploring the human side of immigration and the struggle for connection in a foreign landscape” in which The Red Room in the East Village is transformed into a barren immigration office in a strange country where two naive applicants wait (and wait...) in hopes that their papers
Continued on page 25
Image created by Gary Pullin
The Clay McLeod Chapman/Glass Eye Pix collaboration “Tales from Beyond the Pale” plays at Dixon Place, on the first four Tuesdays in October.
Photo by Bob Berger
“Charlie Victor Romeo” dramatizes pre-crash cockpit conversations (at 3LD Art & Technology Center, through Oct. 20).
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
Building on the work of ‘good old carpenter’ Ibsen 1882 play is a sign of election year times THEATER AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE By Henrik Ibsen Adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz Directed by Doug Hughes At Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre 261 W. 47th St. (btw. Broadway & Eighth Ave.) Currently in previews, opening Sept. 27 For tickets ($67-120) and more info, visit manhattantheatreclub.com or call 800-447-7400
BY JERRY TALLMER Good old carpenter Henrik Ibsen, who saws every board as true as daisies and drives every nail piercingly home, never goes out of fashion. And as long as suicidal brainless human greed despoils what’s so delicately termed “the environment” — not to mention five centuries of rational enlightenment — Ibsen’s iron-souled “An Enemy of the People” will certainly never go out of date (until homo sapiens themselves go out of date). Think! We in the United States are about to have an election. In this throwback era of maniacal rejection of the laws of science and logic by a terrifying share of the American body politic, nothing could be more relevant than the hammer blows of Ibsen's “An Enemy of the People.” Written by him in 1882, it has been done at least eight times here in New York beginning with one single performance
Photo by Joan Marcus
Doctor in the house: Stockmann sounds the environmental alarm.
starring Britain’s Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in April of 1895. I missed that one and I guess all the others, up to and including Arthur Miller’s take on it in 1950. Now we have a new take on it, directed by the estimable Doug Hughes for the Manhattan Theatre Club in an adaptation by England’s up-and-coming Rebecca Lenkiewicz “from a literal version by Charlotte Barslund.” The Lenkiewicz “Enemy” first reached the stage in April 2008 at artistic director Mehmet Ergen’s little fringe Arcola Theatre in London’s East End, which is also where Ms. Lenkiewicz as playwright and the Arcola itself had come into existence with her very first work, “Soho - A Tale of Table Dancers,” based on personal experiences back in her 20s. She’s written a half-dozen more serious things since then, one of them — “Her Naked Skin” — about the Suffragettes. No, she says, table dancers — at least in Piccadilly — do not dance on the tables; they dance, somewhat undressed, around the tables.
Yes, for money. Not much money, she says. She’s pretty bored with the whole ancient subject, as well as with her nickname then — Legs Lenkiewicz — and who can blame her. But, when we meet, during tech rehearsals, in a sort of lounge in the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, her height and her long, long legs are, well, the first things to catch the eye. “An Enemy of the People” takes place in a small Norwegian town where the whole economy — everybody’s income — derives from its curative baths (a sort of Warm Springs visited by anxious clientele from all over Europe). There is only one real doctor in town, a Dr. Thomas Stockmann, overseer of the cleanliness and therapy of the baths — which have never given cause for concern until now, when tests conducted by Dr. Stockmann have come back reporting poisons from a nearby tannery in the soil around the baths. At a town meeting presided over by the town’s mayor, Peter Stockmann, brother of Thomas Stockmann, the doctor moves to close the baths, his brother moves vociferously against him (rather like something named Donald Trump), and all hell breaks loose. In the end, Thomas Stockmann, and his wife and three children, have lost their house and their livelihood and just about everything else, but he still has his pride. A scientist’s pride. An artist’s pride. A self-exiled (to Italy and Germany, for 27 years) great Norwegian artist Henrik Ibsen’s pride. Maybe a little bit too much pride. Rebecca Lenkiewicz was born in Plymouth, a seaport on the southwest corner of the British Isles. Her father, Peter Quint, was 17 when
she was born. Her first exposure to Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a TV movie starring Ingrid Bergman, Ralph Richardson, Michael Redgrave, and Trevor Howard in “Hedda Gabler” when Rebecca was a student in her teens at William and Mary College in Virginia. “And I played Nora in ‘A Doll’s House’ and Lady Macbeth — at 22! — in summer stock.” What had been her greatest problems in giving “Enemy” a new face, a new heart? “Just to get under the skin of the characters. Because the story and the structure are there. I think the basic job of the playwright is to hear voices. My instinct is just to make it alive to myself.” How many drafts? “First draft, one month. Second draft, one month. Third draft, one month. And I loved doing it.” The Dr. Stockmann of the Arcola production had been Rebecca’s “then boyfriend,” Greg Hicks. Her boyfriend now is not an actor. “He works in the London underground” — i.e., subway system. “He’s a lovely man.” She also says Doug Hughes is a lovely man, Tom Stoppard is a lovely man, plus other lovely men who slipped by me. There is a body blow deep within Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s “An Enemy of the People,” and I’ll have to let you wait for it. Maybe Dr. Thomas Stockmann, truth-seeker, rationalist, researcher — artist! — is as crazy as all the rest of them. “Ibsen was full of anger — the anger of the artist,” says Ms. Lenkiewicz. “It’s not an easy thing or a black-and-white thing. Arthur Miller makes Stockman much more the hero, and I wanted to get away from that.” Here is how one person who saw the 2008 London production — Michael Billington in The Guardian — appraised her success: “Mehmet Ergen’s lean revival of this troubling attack on liberal cowardice is far superior to the laborious spectacle the National gave us a decade ago. Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s adaptation, avoiding the soft soap of Arthur Miller’s version, never tries to disguise the anti-democratic nature of the protagonist.” Arthur Miller’s 1950 version, directed by the Group Theater’s Robert (Bobby) Lewis, had among its stars Luther Adler, Morris Carnovsky, Florence Eldridge, Fredric March, Lou Gilbert, Art Smith, Fred Stewart, Rod Steiger, and — still alive today — the James Karen who once ran an antiques shop on Greenwich Avenue. The MTC cast at the Friedman has Boyd Gaines, Richard Thomas, Maïté Alina, Gerry Bamman, Kathleen McNenny, Randall Newsome, John Procaccino, Michael Siberry, James Waterston and a clutch of townspeople. P.S. to Ms. Lenkiewicz: I don’t think the residents of a small town in Norway in the 1880s were using words like “outed” or “closet” or “infrastructure” in the sometimes current sense. I hate the word “infrastructure” anyway, don’t you? All best, JT.
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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October marrow: Downtown theater packed with beefy riches Continued from page 23 will be approved.� More details to be found at horsetrade.info. And finally, a brief survey of some of those highly anticipated spook shows I mentioned: Downtown impresario Timothy Haskell will be unveiling his latest edition of the Nightmare Haunted House — this one a collaboration with The Nest’s Steve Kopelman. Called “Killers,� it sends ticket buyers through a “tormenting labryrinth of various psychopaths, including Ted Bundy, Albert Fish and the Zodiac Killer.� What, no Charlie Sheen? Anyway, if this is your idea of good time, it will be happening at the Clemente Solo Velez Cultural Center from September 28 through November 3. Tickets and information at hauntedhousenyc.com. Cardone the Vaudeville Magician will be re-opening his “House of Ghostly Haunts� at the Canal Park Playhouse. This “weekly celebration of the strange, the macabre and the fantastical� runs every Tuesday through December 18 and features razor blade swallowing, a guillotine illusion and something called “The Time Machine of Death.� Learn more at canalparkplayhouse.com. Horror maven Clay McLeod Chapman has two big shows this All Hallows season. “Tales from Beyond the Pale,� a collaboration with Glass Eye Pix (the film company behind such modern classics as “I Sell the Dead�) will take place at Dixon Place the first four Tuesdays in October. The show is a live presentation of original horror plays for radio, based on Glass Eye’s very successful studio series, which has featured the voices of stars such as Ron Perlman and Vincent D’Onofrio. More details are at talesfrombeyondthepale.com.
This month will also briefly revive his downtown variety series “The Pumpkin Pie Showâ€? — at UNDER St. Marks, with “The Pumpkin Pie Show: Halloween All Stars.â€? The show will feature readings of some of Chapman’s spookier stories read by the likes of himself, Abe Goldfarb (sometimes known as popular burlesque host Bastard Keith) and Hanna Cheek and Kevin Townley of “Agatha Christie’s The Secret Adversaryâ€? — a terrific web series. “The Pumpkin Pie Showâ€? will be up October 25-27. Information at horsetrade.info and claymcleodchapman.com. Also at UNDER St. Marks Place every Sunday at 3pm, October 11 through December 30, Radio Theatre will be presenting “The Haunting of St. Marks Placeâ€? — a live radio presentation of purportedly true tales of horrible happenings that took place not far from the very theatre in which you will sit! Ghostly visitations, gangland shootouts, serial killers, and “a man who inherits 22 St. Marks Place, along with a screaming skull.â€? Hmm‌I’d contest the will! Tickets and more information: radiotheatrenyc.com. Lastly, two quick plugs for things to do on the night of October 31 itself. At the Kraine Theater, one can catch “The Blood Brothers‌Reanimate,â€? — a “best ofâ€? compilation of some of the scary Grand Guignol style one acts their group Nosedive Productions has presented over the years. More info at nosedive productions.com. And, if you prefer a party, you could do far worse than Theater for the New City’s legendary annual blow-out, the “Village Halloween Costume Ballâ€? which takes up the entirety of their four-theatre facility and spills out onto the adjacent streets. Learn more about that one at theaterforthenewcity.net. Happy haunting!
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Photo by Wiliam Coupon
Daddy’s dying‌drink up! John Jiler’s “Ripeâ€? comes to Theater for the New City, Oct. 11-28.
THIRD STREET MUSIC SCHOOL SETTLEMENT
GROW! EXPLORE!
DISCOVER!
Weekly music and dance instruction, for all ages and levels, after school and on Saturdays. 5IJSE 4USFFU 1SFTDIPPM GVMM BOE IBMG EBZ QSPHSBNT 5PEEMFS #BCZ .F .VTJD %BODF BOE .PWFNFOU DMBTTFT
Beginner Group Classes and Individual or Partner Lessons. Ensemble activities such as jazz and rock bands, choirs, orchestras, dance, chamber music and more!
BRINGING THE ARTS TO LIFE SINCE 1894
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A BICYCLE COUNTRY
DIGITAL DILEMMAS
MARIO FRATTI’S DUO
Written by NILO CRUZ Directed by GERMAN JARAMILLO Thursday - Sunday September 27 October 21
Written by TOM ATTEA Music by ARTHUR ABRAMS Directed by MARK MARCANTE Choreography by ANGELA HARRIELL
(Three Sisters & A Priest and Suicide Club)
Thursday - Saturday at 8pm Sunday at 3pm All Seats $15/tdf
Thursday - Sunday October 4 - 21 Thu-Sat 8pm, Sun 3pm All Seats $10/tdf
Written by MARIO FRATTI Directed by STEPHAN MORROW
Thursday - Sunday October 4 - 21 Thu-Sat 8pm, Sun 3pm All Seats $10/tdf
TNC’s Programs are funded in part by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
It takes three (days) to do DUMBO rated canopy that projects the star map of Manhattan onto the ground.
DUMBO ARTS FESTIVAL A THREE-DAY CELEBRATION OF ART, MUSIC & PERFORMANCE At DUMBO, Brooklyn: Between the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges FREE Fri., Sept. 28, 6-9pm Sat., Sept. 29, 12-8pm Sun., Sept. 30, 12-6pm Subway: F to York, A/C to High St., 2/3 to Clark St. For a schedule, visit dumboartsfestival.com or download the DUMBO Arts Festival app on iPhones, iPad or Android For info, call 718-488-8588 or email info@dumboartsfestival.com
BY SCOTT STIFFLER Between Friday and Sunday, over 225,000 people are expected to descend upon the DUMBO neighborhood’s parks, bridges, galleries, loading docks, studios and repurposed spaces. The work of more than 500 artists will be on display throughout 100 studios and 50 galleries — and on numerous stages and streets. Map your own strategy for conquering the sprawl by checking out the festival’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, the web or via their mobile app…or, just clear your schedule and take in the dozens of sensory experiences to be found amidst the industrial grit of DUMBO’s brick buildings, steel bridges, grassy parks and wooden docks.
FLEX IS KINGS, LIVE Directed by Deidre Schoo and Michael Beach Nichols, the documentary “Flex is Kings” follows the young men of East Brooklyn
CHILDREN’S ART VILLAGE
Photo courtesy of the Leo Kuelbs Collection
Bridge as canvas: Codex Dynamic’s projection mapping is on view, nightly, from 8pm-12am.
who, in a series of organized dance battles, created Flexing: a narrative style of dance that pairs choreographed violence (think mock gun battles) with surreal dream logic (monsters roam subway cars, souls fly from bodies). In this live performance, pioneers of the movement will be joined by Juilliard faculty member Jerome Begin and electro-cellist Chrissy Lancaster — who will back them with a blend of beats, bleeps and strings. On Sat, 8pm, at powerHouse Books (37 Main St.).
poses the mountains of Styrofoam we throw away. In this particular case, graceful dancers are paired with sculptures that recall those unstable chairs from the 1970s that wreaked havoc with the posture of an entire generation. Spectators are encouraged to join the dancers as they move, lounge and pose. The lumpish and clumsy beanbag creations will be located in Brooklyn Bridge Park, near Jane’s Carousel — so expect your slapstick antics to be accompanied by the sound of children’s mocking laughter.
STYRENE LOUNGE CODEX DYNAMIC
Lizzie Scott and N_DREW’s interactive contribution to DUMBO Arts is the latest installment of “The Styrene Fantastic” — an ongoing multi-disciplinary project that repur-
Codex Dynamic uses 33,000 square feet of the Manhattan Bridge Anchorage and Archway as a canvas onto which two largescale, mapped projections will rotate with a selection of single-channel videos by internationally renowned artists. Curators Leo Kuelbs and John Ensor Parker describe the Codex experience as “epic-size eye candy that transforms space, time and our perceived reality.” In layman’s terms, it looks really cool. BONUS PROJECTION ACTIVITY: On the lawn of Brooklyn Bridge Park, you’ll find a nighttime installation that gets its ironic illuminative mojo from a symbol of urban light pollution (the towering street lamp). “SkyLights: DUMBO” is a perfo-
This year marks the debut of a partnership with the Manhattan-based Children’s Museum of the Arts (cmany.org). Taking its cue from the CMA’s focus on self-guided projects and interactive programming, the Children’s Art Village (at Tobacco Warehouse, corner of Water & Old Dock Sts.) offers free activities, media workshops and exhibits inspired by the area’s waterfront culture. Kids can sculpt fantastical creatures out of clay, decorate their bikes (with tissue paper, beads and bells), create finger puppets and collaborate on a variety of large scale projects — including a sea monster sewn from a patchwork quilt of materials, a city skyline made of string, a cardboard replica of the Brooklyn Bridge and a waterfront-themed stop-motion animated film. One of DUMBO’s most popular destinations, Jane’s Carousel, serves as the inspiration for a project that lets you take home a version of the horse, carriage or figure that resides on a computer-generated merry-go-round of your own design. BONUS KIDS ACTIVITY: On Sunday, from 4-5pm (at powerHouse Books, 37 Main St.), kids ages 3-6 will be kept grinning (and maybe even still) when author Frank Viva reads from “A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse.” It’s the story of a young explorer who, along with his best friend, embarks on a sea journey to Antarctica.
Continued on page 27
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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Fest has borough art cred to burn
Photo courtesy of the artists
Twin sisters Teisher (L) and Keisher (R) will be selling items from their line of jewelry.
Continued from page 26
BOXING-THEMED ART, AT GLEASON’S GYM On the back of the T-shirts they sell at Gleason’s, a quote from the poet Virgil (70 BC - 19 BC) emboldens anyone with a “strong and collected spirit” to “come forward, lace on the gloves and put up his hands.” Fast forward a few thousand years, and contemplative souls are still paying tribute to the bluster, bravery, damage and drama on display when two opponents step into the ring and engage in a violent test of willpower
and skill. On Sat. (9:30am-9pm) and Sun. (10am-6pm), Brooklyn’s iconic boxing gym will host over 40 painters, photographers, sculptors, illustrators, authors and performers. Among them: Gleason’s trainer and white collar boxing pioneer David Lawrence — whose vivid, defiant 2012 memoir “The King of White Collar Boxing” recalls several decades of pro fights, published poetry, rap recordings, Wall Street fortunes, prison time and brain damage. Playing on a loop, “Prizefighter” is a documentary following the successful amateur career of Heather Hardy (who recently won her first pro fight). On Sat. at 9:30am, see a boxing demonstration
Photo by Bonnie Rosenstock
Painter Gene Reynolds will display his work at Gleason’s.
featuring Hardy and Keisher “Fire” McLeodWells. A four-time Golden Gloves champion and two-time World Champion amateur boxer, Fire (along with her twin sister, filmmaker/actress Teisher "Starface" McLeod) will be selling creations from a line of jewelry
inspired by accomplished boxers and trainers (including "A Perfect Couple" — earrings named by legendary Gleason’s trainer Hector Roca). For info, visit FireTheBoxingDiva. com. Gleason’s (gleasonsgym.net) is located on the second floor of 77 Front Street.
Just Do Art! BY SCOTT STIFFLER
Photo courtesy of Russ & Daughters
CULINARY CONVERSATIONS Photo by Sencane
HOUSING WORKS BENEFIT: “UKULELE HERO” JAKE SHIMABUKURO “If everyone played the ukulele,” asserts Jake Shimabukuro, “the world would be a better place.” Few, however, are likely to reach the lofty heights of technical virtuosity and genre versatility that our man Jake has brought to the four-stringed, pluck-friendly miniature guitar. No matter. His sunny disposition is contagious, and his heart is in the right place. Ditto for Housing Works — whose mission to end AIDS and homelessness gets a ukulele-infused boost, in the form of a benefit concert taking place on the very date that Shimabukuro’s latest recording is released. Produced in collaboration with Alan Parsons (engineer of the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”), “Grand Ukulele” bends the already flexible instrument to the will of classical, blues, flamenco, rockabilly and surf rock. Tues., Oct. 2 at 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm). At Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby St., btw. Houston & Prince Sts.). $15 tickets guarantee admission, but not seating. Limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. To purchase tickets, visit housingworksbookstore.org. For info, call 212-334-3324. Also visit jakeshimabukuro.com.
Humankind cannot live by bread alone…and with that in mind, those deep thinkers at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum have come up with a new way to nourish both body and soul. Hosted by Jane Ziegelman (author of “97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement”), the 10-part “Culinary Conversations” series pairs Ziegelman with movers, shakers and bakers from the world of NYC food. Conversation, demonstrations and tastings ensue. First up, on Thurs., Oct. 4, “Back to the Store” looks at immigrant offspring who leave the nest to pursue careers in high status fields — only to return to the family food business. Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper of Russ & Daughters and Wilson Tang of the Nam Wah Tea Parlor are the guests. On Nov. 15, the proprietors of Mile End discuss Jewish comfort food. On Dec. 11, “Gran Cocina Latina” looks at how Mexicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Cubans and Guatemalans — among other immigrant groups — are re-inventing pan-Latin cuisine. The series continues throughout 2013, with offerings such as May 28’s “Farming in Five Boroughs,” featuring “Eat the City” author Robin Shulman and a panel of local farmers. Don’t even think about arriving with a full stomach, because samples will be served! All events take place at 6:30pm, at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (103 Orchard St., corner of Delancey). Tickets are $30. For info and reservations, call 877-975-3786 or visit tenement.org.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012
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NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF LEARNVEST PLANNING SERVICES, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/12/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/22/12. Princ. office of LLC: 113 University Pl., 5th Fl., NY, NY 10031. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 615 S. DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, Attn: Dept. of Corps., 401 Federal St., #3, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Registered investment advisory firm that provides phone and email based support for a subscription based fee. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF ONECK TOV 993 LLC Arts. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/6/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 515 W. 42nd St., NY, NY 10036. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF JUNTO LABS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/16/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Kiril Kirilov, 33 W. 19th St., 4th Fl., NY, NY 10011, the registered agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF PRESTIGE WORLDWIDE HOLDING, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/17/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: John McDermott, 33 W. 19th St., 4th Fl., NY, NY 10011, the registered agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF RENAISSANCE KALEIDOSCOPE RF FUND LLC App. for Auth. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/31/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/24/11. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Renaissance Technologies LLC, 800 Third Ave., NY, NY 10022. DE address of LLC: c/o United Corporate Services, Inc., 874 Walker Road, Ste. C, Dover, DE 19904. Arts. of Org. filed DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF EAST 138TH STREET GP LLC Arts. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/7/12. Off. loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Alembic Community Development, 11 Hanover Square, #701, NY, NY 10005. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF HIGHER MISSION, LLC Arts. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/28/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 465 CAPITAL ASSOCIATES LLC Arts. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/17/12. Off. loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 161 Bowery, 7th Fl., NY, NY 10002. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF VALEJA LLC Arts of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/31/12. Off. loc.: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 60 Riverside Blvd., Unit 1706, NY, NY 10069. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ANOVA TECHNOLOGIES - SMG HOLDINGS, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 9/13/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in IL on 8/29/07. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to the IL and principal business address: c/o Leonard J. Gambino, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2100, Chicago, IL 60606. Cert. of Org. filed with IL Sec. of State, 501 S. 2nd St., Rm. 351, Springfield, IL 62756. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 09/27 - 11/01/2012 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an on-premise license, #1265726 has been applied for by Flatiron Room Operations LLC d/b/a The Flatiron Room to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 37 W. 26th Street New York NY 10010. Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an on premise license, #1265943 has been applied for by K Town 32 Corp d/b/a K Town to sell beer, wine, and liquor at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 34 W 32nd Street New York NY 10001. Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a tavern wine license, #TBA has been applied for by Clos Wine Bar LLC d/b/a Clos New York to sell beer and wine at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 64 Kenmare Street aka 185 Mott St. New York NY 10012. Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a restaurant wine license, #TBA has been applied for by Fabrizio Prim Cavallacci d/b/a Caffe Reggio to sell beer and wine at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 119 MacDougal Street New York NY 10012. Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a cabaret liquor license, #TBA has been applied for by Bakers Dozen Associates LLC to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in a cabaret with two additional bars. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 199 Bowery New York NY 10012. Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an on premises license, #1265140 has been applied for by SIVAndrew Inc. to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 200 Clinton St New York NY 10002. Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Catering Establishment License for beer, wine and liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to permit the sale of beer, wine and liquor at retail rates for on-premises consumption at the Residence Inn New York City Manhattan – Midtown East located at 148 East 48th Street, New York, NY 10017 under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. P6 SBCO 48 St Lodging, LLC & 365 Management Company, LLC. Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that license #1265348 has been applied by the undersigned to sell wine at retail in a restaurant under the alcoholic beverage control law at 1593 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10028 for on-premises consumption. Venky’s Food Corp. d/b/a Om Restaurant Vil: 09/20 - 09/27/2012
NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF 2130 ACP BOULEVARD INVESTORS LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/10/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/23/12. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. #4, Dover, DE 19101. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF JAJA 168 LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/7/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 78 Canal St, 2/F, NY, NY 10002. Purpose: any lawful act. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012
NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SYDLING WNT MASTER FUND LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/10/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/07/12. Princ. office of LLC: Attn: Daryl Dewbrey, 1285 Ave. of the Americas, 13th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, Attn: Daryl Dewbrey, 1285 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10019. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012
STEVE E. BLATZ ARCHITECT PLLC, A DOMESTIC PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 8/20/12. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the PLLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Steve E. Blatz, 1 Union Square West, Ste. 506, NY, NY 10003. Purpose: Architecture Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF THE DOUG CAMERON EXPERIENCE, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/14/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: The Doug Cameron Experience, LLC, 145 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF RAKOWER LAW PLLC Arts. of Org. was filed with SSNY on 8/3/12. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC whom process against may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: C/O THE LLC, 747 3rd Ave. 32nd Fl., New York, NY 10017. Purpose: to engage in the practice of Law. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LUXLIFE REALTY LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/31/11. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 104 Forsyth St, #12A NY, NY 10002. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012
M & O ASSOCIATES, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 07/30/12. Off. Loc.: New York County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 161 W. 61st St., New York, NY 10023. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012
NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF WEST SEATTLE REALTY HOLDINGS, L.L.C. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/29/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/24/12. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012 NAME OF LLC: EL TORO INTERACTIVE, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State: 8/29/12. Office loc.: NY Co. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Jason Feingold, 636 Broadway, Ste. 1000, NY, NY 10012, regd. agt. upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful act. Vil: 09/20 - 10/25/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ZIMMER PARTNERS GP, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/05/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/04/12. Princ. office of LLC: 7 W 54th St., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 3 FACES FILMS, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 06/08/2012 Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: 119 Payson Ave NYC, NY 10034. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY Notice is given of the formation of Kelly & Curtis, PLLC by the filing of the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on August 17, 2012. Office Location: New York County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Ronald J. Nelson, Esq., PC, at 161 Washington Valley Road, Suite 207, Warren, NJ 07059. Purpose: any lawful purpose. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/201 MEA SUCATO WRITING, LLC, A DOMESTIC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 8/3/12. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o Mea Sucato, Esq., 9 W. 31st St, Apt 37C, NY, NY 10001. General Purposes. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LE BILBOQUET NY, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/21/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 521 Fifth Ave., 32nd Fl., NY, NY 10175. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LBNY MANAGEMENT, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 7/13/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 521 Fifth Ave., 32nd Fl., NY, NY 10175. Purpose: any lawful activities. Latest date 12/31/2057. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF ENCHANTED HILL LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/30/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Att: Darren Berger, c/o Kane Kessler, 1350 Ave of the Americas, 26th Fl., NY, NY 10019. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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PUBL IC NOTICE S NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LANCASTER HOPE LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/10/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 174 E. 104th St., NY, NY 10029. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF LANA LUFT LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/25/12. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 1/17/12. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to NRAI, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, the Reg. Agt. upon whom proc. may be served. DE off. addr.: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF LONG RIDGE OFFSHORE SUBSIDIARY HOLDINGS, LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 3/1/12. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 2/29/12. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: Kevin Bhatt, 1120 Ave of the Americas, 18th Fl., NY, NY 10036. DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF TRADING LIAISON LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/6/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 204 E 77th St Apt 3C NY, NY 10075. Purpose: any lawful act. 1936470. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF KINGSLAND REALTY MANAGEMENT LLC Arts. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/14/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Gene Pullo, 500 Kingsland Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF RSSM ADVISORY GROUP, LLC Arts. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/29/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 757 Third Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 100172049. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF PRI VILLA AVENUE L.P. Certificate filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/30/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Project Renewal, Inc., 200 Varick St., NY, NY 10014. Name/ address of each genl. ptr. available from SSNY. Term: until 12/31/2072. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SWORDFISH REALTY LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 8/23/12. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: One World Financial Ctr., NY, NY 10281. LLC formed in DE on 8/10/12. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: The Corporation Trust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF WILLIAMS FIELD SERVICES COMPANY, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 8/10/12. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: One Williams Ctr., Tulsa, OK 74172. LLC formed in DE on 2/3/06. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 09/13 - 10/18/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION FOR 231 EAST 111TH STREET LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (“SSNY”) on 6/26/12. Office location: NY county. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail a copy of any process to: 45 North Station Plaza, Ste 400, Great Neck, NY 11021. Purpose: any lawful act. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012
NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BLACKSTONE REAL ESTATE PARTNERS VII.TE.8 L.P. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/27/12. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/21/12. Princ. office of LP: c/o the Blackstone Group L.P., 345 Park Ave., NY, NY 10154. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Blackstone Real Estate Associates VII L.P., c/o C T Corporation System, 111 Eighth Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o The Corporation Trust Co., Corp. Trust Cntr., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, New Castle Cnty., DE 19801. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Manage assets. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF ALENYA LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/24/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012 1485 HOLDINGS LLC, A DOMESTIC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 5/30/12. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o Elizabeth M. Kovac, Esq., 90 Park Ave., Fl. 18, NY, NY 10016. General Purposes. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SLC CORAM, LLC App. for Auth. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY): 7/20/12. Off. loc.: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE): 5/16/12. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 217 E. 70th St., #627, NY, NY 10021. DE address of LLC: c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 1521 Concord Pike, #301, Wilmington, DE 19803. Arts. of Org. filed DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LINDA RICH ASSOCIATES LLC Arts. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/14/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 200 W. 86th St., Apt. 14K, NY, NY 10024. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WCS PRODUCTIONS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/20/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1 Irving Place, #V10B, NY, NY 10003. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CPC FUNDING SPE 1 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/24/12. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to the principal business addr.: c/o The Community Preservation Corp., 28 E. 28th St., 9th Fl., NY, NY 10016. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 09/06 - 10/11/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF JFK JAMAICA REALTY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/10/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Allied Partners Management LLC, 770 Lexington Ave., NY, NY 10065. Purpose: any lawful activities. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF KWF DESIGN LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/26/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WEST 57TH HUDSON, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/21/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF JEM VENTURES (NEW YORK) LLC Authority filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/11/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE 2/3/12. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 519 W 142nd St Apt PH, NY, NY 10031. Cert of LLC filed with Secy of State of DE located: DE Secy of State, Division of Corps, John G. Townsend Bldg, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful act. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012
ORC 12 LLC Arts. of Org filed NY Secy of State (SSNY) 6/1/12. OFC in NY Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 5826 Tyndall Av Bronx NY 10471. Purpose: any lawful act.1928233 Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 860 SIGN LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/15/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Rosenberg & Estis, P.C., Attn: Gary M. Rosenberg Esq., 733 Third Ave., NY, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF GOODY5 CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/17/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 08/15/12. Princ. office of LLC: 285 Central Park West, Apt. 3-S, NY, NY 10024. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Mr. Ian R. Goodman, c/o Zukerman Gore Brandeis & Crossman, LLP, Attn: Jeffrey D. Zukerman, Esq., 11 Times Sq., NY, NY 10036. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., P.O. Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WEST 12 ELEVEN C, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/17/12. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: Pryor Cashman LLP, 7 Times Sq., NY, NY 100366569. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Lawrence Remmel at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 THE MARROW RESTAURANT, LLC, A DOMESTIC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 4/26/12. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o Perilla Restaurants, 9 Jones St., NY, NY 10014. General Purposes. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CREATIVE X MEDIA LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/27/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 38 W. 69th St., Apt. 1B, NY, NY 10023-5261. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012
NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BITE COMMUNICATIONS LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 8/3/12. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 345 Spear St., #750, San Francisco, CA 94105. LLC formed in DE on 8/1/12. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Vil: 08/30 - 10/04/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BLACK SUB 2 LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/19/12. Princ. office of LLC: 11 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10010-3629. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF PARTNERS GROUP HERCULES, L.P. INC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/09/12. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Guernsey on 01/12/12. Princ. office of LP: 1114 Ave. of the Americas, 37th Fl., NY, NY 10036. NYS fictitious name: PARTNERS GROUP HERCULES, L.P. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Partners Group (USA) Inc., 150 Spear St., 18th Fl., San Francisco, CA 94105. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. Guernsey addr. of LP: Tudor House, Le Bordage, St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 1BT. Arts. of Org. filed with Her Majesty’s Deputy Greffier, Mrs. Helen Proudlove-Gains, Market Bldg., PO Box 451, Fountain St., St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3GX. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SILVER SUITES 7 WTC LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/03/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/09/12. Princ. office of LLC: 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St., 38th Fl., NY, NY 10007. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, New Castle Cnty., DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with State of DE, Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF BIG PROPERTIES HANA, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/09/12. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 11 E. 44th St., Ste. 500, NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: NY FURS, L.L.C. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/06/11. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 216 West 30th Street, New York, New York 10001. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SIMPLY WEB 2 LLC App for Authority filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/23/12. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in SC on 4/30/12. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served. PO address to which SSNY shall mail copy of process against LLC: 114 Peachtree Ct, Orangeburg, SC 29118. Principal business address: 40 Worth St, NY 10013. Cert of LLC filed with Secy of State of SC located: 1205 Pendleton St #525 , Colombia, SC 29201. Purpose: any lawful act. 1909092 Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF NEW SUFFOLK LAND CO. II LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/19/05. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF BRP VENDORS MASTER TENANT, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/1/12. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o BRP Development Corp., 18 E. 41st St., Ste. 1201, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF NUCLEAR BLAST ENTERTAINMENT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 7/11/12. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Serling Rooks Ferrara McKoy & Worob LLP, Attn: Joseph Lloyd Serling, Esq., 119 Fifth Ave., 3rd Fl., NY, NY 10003. Purpose: any lawful activity. Vil: 08/23 - 09/27/2012
JULIO TUMBACO
646.452.2490 JULIO@THEVILLAGER.COM
JULIO TUMBACO
646.452.2490 JULIO@THEVILLAGER.COM
30
September 27 - October 3, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS
www.thevillager.com
sea Chelnow www.chelseanow.com
DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM MAIL 515 CANAL STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 TEL 646-452-2485 FAX 212-229-2790 REAL ESTATE HASTINGS VIC YONKERS Jr 4 BDR+DEN FOR SALE River vw Fr Terr, Prkg, Drman Pool, Pvt Elev 2 Greystone RR, 35 min. 2 GCT Low 200’s CALL 914 391-8304
PALM SPRINGS, CA. TOWNHOUSE CONDO FOR SALE OR RENT Please visit this link: www.alwaysonvacation.com and type in 809752 in the "where are you going" search bar for details about the property, incl pics. IF INTERESTED,CALL 323-493-3114.
FINANCIAL
TUTORING
DENTIST
Tutoring for Gifted and Talented Classes
Individual Sessions Have gotten children into citywide and local G & T classes. Focused tutoring session $50 – 10 Sessions
&RPPHUFLDO /RDQ &RPSHWLWLYH 5DWH &'V /RZ IHH :LUH 7UDQVIHUV /RZ 0LQLPXP %DODQFH IRU &KHFNLQJ 6DYLQJV $FFRXQW &RPPHUFLDO 5HVLGHQWLDO 0RUWJDJH
$400. Beginning 9/17 End 12/17 Call 646-449-0604.
EMPLOYMENT
%UDQFKHV &DQDO 6WUHHW 1HZ <RUN WK $YHQXH %URRNO\Q 0DLQ 6WUHHW )OXVKLQJ
AOA Bar & Grill
0RQGD\ Âą )ULGD\ D P Âą S P 6DWXUGD\ Âą 6XQGD\ D P Âą S P
is looking to hire experienced Wait Staff and Pizza Cooks.
7KH %DQN RI (DVW $VLD 8 6 $ 1 $
LIC PETITE 3BR DPLX LRG STUDIO RM
0HPEHU RI %($ *URXS
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
Backyard,Walk to Subways, Shopping, Etc.
West Village Commercial Space Avail.
Avail. August 1, $2195 per mo.
Considering Non Food Business at
MR M 718-426-2800 BTW 10 AM-4PM
present. Approx.550 sq FT w Bsmt.
Interested parties should email resume to
JULIO TUMBACO
aoastaffing@gmail.com
646.452.2490 JULIO@THEVILLAGER.COM
P UBLIC NOTICES
Call Owner 718-344-6468
www.thevillager.com De-stressing through meditation CONVERSATIONS WITH HEALTH Continued from page 22 trying to control them. And emphasis is always on the thought because it is only through our thoughts that we experience so much difficulty in the world. In other words, things happen around us at every moment and very little of it is in our power to change. Yet we think about those things nevertheless and from that thinking we react in certain predictable ways (stress is one of those ways). But the reaction itself is sprung directly from the thought, not necessarily from the thing thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happened. Backing off from an immediate engagement
with the thought, giving it the space it needs to move freely through the sky of our mind without reacting or judging or doing anything at all, makes all the difference. In doing this one thing we in fact change everything, and stress on its own falls quietly away. Hassett is a holistic health practitioner who specializes in restoring energy and mental clarity, losing weight naturally, and alternative approaches to health and well-being. You can reach him through his Web site at www.threeperfections.com. Do you have a question youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like Christopher to respond to in his column? E-mail him at conversations@ threeperfections.com.
ACCOUNTING PROCEEDING FILE NO. 2011-2099/A CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO: Unknown Distributees, Attorney General of the State of New York. To Ann Wadsworth, whose whereabouts are unknown, if living, and if she died subsequent to the decedent herein, to her executors, administrators, legatees, devisees, assignees and successors in interest whose names and places of residence are unknown; and to all other heirs at law, next of kin and distributees of Joan M. Dunphy, a/k/a Joan Dunphy, the decedent herein, if living and if any of them be dead, to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors in interest whose names and places of residence are unknown and cannot, after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the petitioner herein; being the persons interested as creditors, legatees, devisees, beneficiaries, distributees, or otherwise in the estate of Joan M. Dunphy, a/k/a Joan Dunphy, deceased, who at the time of her death was a resident of 29 Jones Street, New York, New York 10014. A petition having been duly filed by the Public Administrator of the County of New York, who maintains an office at 31 Chambers Street, Room 311, New York, New York 10007. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the New York County Surrogateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Court at 31 Chambers Street, New York, New York, on November 2, 2012, at 9:30 A.M. in Room 503, why the following relief stated in the account of proceedings, a copy of the summary statement thereof being attached hereto, of the Public Administrator of the County of New York as administrator of the goods, chattels and credits of said deceased, should not be granted: (i) that her account be judicially settled; (ii) that the above named person(s) be cited to show cause why such settlement should not be granted; (iii) that a hearing be held to determine the identity of the distributees at which time proof pursuant to SCPA Section 2225 may be presented, or in the alternative, that the balance of the funds be deposited with the Commissioner of Finance of the City of New York for the benefit of decedentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unknown distributees; (iv) that the Surrogate approve the reasonable amount of compensation as reported in Schedules C and C-1 of the account of proceedings to the attorney for the petitioner for legal services rendered to the petitioner herein; (v) that the persons above mentioned and all necessary and proper persons be cited to show cause why such relief should not be granted; (vi) that an order be granted pursuant to SCPA Section 307 where required or directed; and (vii) for such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper. Dated, Attested and Sealed. September 12, 2012 (Seal). Hon. Nora S. Anderson, Surrogate. Diana Sanabria, Chief Clerk Schram & Graber, P.C. - Counsel to the Public Administrator, New York County 350 Broadway, Suite 515, New York, New York 10013. (212) 896-3310 Note: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed that you do not object to the relief requested. You have the right to have an attorney-at-law appear for you and you or your attorney may request a copy of the full account from the petitioner or petitionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney. VIL: 09/27 - 10/18/2012
September 27 - October 3, 2012
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Lowline park tries to hitch a ride on SPURA process BY SAM SPOKONY One of the creators of the Lowline concept — whose goal is to develop the world’s first underground park in a former M.T.A. terminal beneath Delancey and Essex Sts. — said last week that he and his partner are becoming increasingly focused on integrating their idea into the city’s plans for the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. “We want to position ourselves as part of the overall SPURA environment,” said Dan Barasch, who, along with James Ramsey, has spent the last year promoting their project’s concept to Lower East Side residents and politicians. The fact that the Lowline, if it moves forward, will be impacted by SPURA’s development is nothing new, since the proposed location for the park — about 50,000 square feet of space under the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge — sits almost directly beneath SPURA. But Barasch implied hopefully in an interview last Saturday that somehow latching onto the SPURA development process over the next three to six months could improve the chances of approval of the Lowline concept. This contrasts with commonly held perceptions that he and Ramsey are focused primarily on convincing the M.T.A., which controls the underground space, to allow their project to go forward. “I think we mostly need to work directly with the city, rather than the M.T.A.,” Barasch said. Barasch specifically meant the city’s Economic Development Corporation, which is the major player behind the SPURA development. It may seem too late for the Lowline to integrate into SPURA at this point, since plans for the development will likely be finalized within the next month. But Barasch
Photo by Sam Spokony
Dan Barasch, a co-creator of the Lowline project, gave Councilmembers Rosie Mendez, left, and Margaret Chin pots of wheatgrass last Saturday to thank them for their support of the novel underground park concept.
stressed that he and Ramsey have had “a ton of great connections and engagements with E.D.C.” He added that, in order to stay on everyone’s good side throughout the process, an immediate concern would be to prevent the Lowline concept from disrupting any headway on SPURA’s development.
“The story that we want to tell most urgently is that this is not going to detract or distract from SPURA, and it won’t put any of that work at risk,” Barasch explained. Another path on which the Lowline’s creators have firmly embarked is creating a strong relationship with local politicians, whose impressions of the project have the potential to make or break it. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has voiced his approval of the Lowline concept, as have City Councilmembers Margaret Chin and Rosie Mendez. Chin and Mendez were present on Saturday at a public exhibit, in a warehouse at Essex and Broome Sts., which had been used until this week to promote the possible design for the Lowline. To show his appreciation for their ongoing support, Barasch gave both of the councilmembers a symbolic gift — a potted wheatgrass plant. “Isn’t this exciting?” Chin asked the crowd at the exhibit, before giving her remarks. “It’s a glimpse into the future.” In an interview afterward, Mendez compared the possible future of the Lowline to another visionary project that has already become a reality across town, the High Line. “While we originally thought the High Line would be used mainly by community residents, it’s really become successful in terms of the business it’s getting, and the fact that it’s a major tourist stopping point,” she said. “I think the Lowline project has the same potential.” And as Barasch works to convince E.D.C. and other politicians, at both the city and state level, about the benefits of his project, Mendez noted that she and Chin were relatively confident about swaying the Council in favor of the idea for the world’s first underground park. “We’re two pretty good salespeople,” Mendez quipped.
SPURA project is nearing final vote in City Council Continued from page 16 “We’re really putting pressure on Councilwoman Chin to place restrictions on the square footage of retail development on the site and ensure that the Essex Streeet Market vendors are protected,” said Raymond Rodriquez, a spokesperson for the group. Rodriquez said the community-based organization was particularly interested in a 30,000-square-foot cap for retail spaces developed on the site, wage standards for all workers, 50 percent local hiring for all commercial businesses at the site, and that the city cover all moving expenses for Essex Street Market vendors who will be forced to relocate across the street to the new market facility. The activist group also wants to ensure that market vendors won’t have to pay more rent at the new location than they are currently paying. In another development at the Tuesday press conference, the Coalition to Protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side announced that it had been joined by a developer committed to building 100 percent low-income housing on the 10 blocks of city-owned land. The developer was identified as Ben Wong, the founder of the Chinese fast-food chain Wok & Roll. The coalition said Wong was also committed to developing spaces for small businesses and community services, such as a public school, daycare center and health clinic, and making sure that local residents had first priority for jobs.
At the trilingual press conference in Cantonese, Spanish and English, Wong said he had another idea that would improve neighborhood life — the construction of a “Grand Central-like” bus station for Chinatown bus companies. Wong said such a terminal would encourage local pedestrian traffic to the area. He added that students from Pratt Institute have already committed to the project, and also students from the University of Hong Kong, who would offer “free advice and a good design.” The developer explained that the financing for his project would come from his various financial contacts within HSBC, Chase bank and the Shanghai Commercial Bank. The first panel of local residents to testify at the Sept. 19 subcommittee hearing were current C.B. 3 Chairperson Gigi Li and former Chairpersons Dominic Berg and Dave McWater, who all advocated for the proposal. “This plan represents a responsible and balanced approach to development,” Li said. “It’s a unified community vision of the future.” McWater, meanwhile, told subcommittee members, “Everyone was a winner with this plan. There will be five times as much affordable housing as the last plan, and it will create more local jobs.” Berg, in his remarks, placed an emphasis on the need for “more schools on the development site for the thousands of people who will move here.” Also speaking out in support of the plan was a group calling itself the Citizens Housing
and Planning Council. A spokesperson for the organization, however, requested that the limit of 450 units of affordable housing be lifted so more such housing could be built. Among those speaking against the proposal was Esther Wang, project director for the Chinatown Tenants Union. She asked for an inclusion in the plan limiting retail space to parcels of fewer than 30,000 square feet to ward off big-box stores. “What we need in Chinatown and the Lower East Side is good jobs and good affordable housing, not Walmart,” Wang said. She expressed concern over the impact a large chain store could have on businesses that already exist in the area. She also requested that the project stipulate that future retailers make at least 50 percent of their hires from the neighborhood. Also speaking out against the plan as currently drafted was Rosa Castro, who said she was a lifelong Lower East Side resident who grew up in public housing. “We don’t want the city to take what is ours,” she said. “We want 100 percent low-income housing on the SPURA site.” Later during the hearing, C.B. 3 Chairperson Li told this newspaper that she felt the session went well for SPURA supporters. “I think the community board has really been consistent on what it believes the priorities are, and that we stand behind the resolution that has been unanimously passed,” she said, referring to C.B. 3’s vote on SPURA. “We hope that with the help of our elected officials it will go
through these committees and be approved by the mayor,” she said. Li said the large turnout of community residents opposed to the proposal did not faze her. “Everyone has different expectations of what they would like to see out of this project, and I think it’s great that they’re participating in the process,” she said. “But I think there are some budgetary realities that we have struggled with and reached a conclusion on.” There have been scattered development projects on parts of the SPURA site over the years. But most of the property has sat vacant for more than 40 years after the city razed tenement buildings as part of an urban renewal effort and displaced thousands of low-income residents. These tenants and their descendents will be given first priority to live in the new development, according to the city. A representative of the city’s Economic Development Commission told the subcommittee that her agency was making “tremendous efforts to identify those tenants and get information to them about housing opportunities.” The stalled project got new life in 2011 when C.B. 3, after two years of contentious debate, voted nearly unanimously to approve new development guidelines for the site that were drafted by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and E.D.C. C.B. 3 added several of its own development guidelines to the proposal and has repeatedly stated that the modified proposal best serves the diverse interests of the community.
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September 27 - October 3, 2012