Child’s Play, p. 27
THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 06
NOVEMBER 14 - 27, 2012
Chelsea Piers Provides for Displaced Ice, Gym Rats
Skaters on thick ice: Page 3.
Guardian Angel needs protectors: Page 14.
BY RYAN BUXTON New Yorkers are still working toward a return to normalcy following Hurricane Sandy. For many Chelsea residents, that means finding temporary solutions for their fitness and familial needs. Several feet of water swarmed the sports and entertainment facilities at Chelsea Piers during the storm — causing damage that forced the complex to close its doors until at least December 1, and displacing
a number of gym members and energetic children who have made the amenities part of their routine. One of those groups is the large network of figure skating coaches and students who have called the Chelsea Piers Sky Rink home since 1996. With the rink closed, a group of about 35 skating instructors are scrambling to find space to hold the lessons they depend
Continued on page 3
After Sandy’s Punch, CB4 Jabs at Jobs, Oil Spill
Day by day, at Fulton Houses: Page 16.
Jack Shainman Gallery reopens: Page 26.
Storm Surge Destroys Ali Forney Drop-In Center BY SAM SPOKONY
After losing a vital Chelsea office to flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy, an organization that provides housing and services to homeless LGBT youth across New York City has already raised over $200,000 — more than half the money it needs to move forward. It’s a huge turnaround, one that
took place over only a couple of weeks, and things had initially looked grim. Plans for the Ali Forney Center (AFC), which was founded in 2002 and has multiple housing sites in Manhattan and Brooklyn, were thrown into disarray when its Manhattan drop-in center on West 22nd Street, between
BY MAXINE WALLY Hurricane Sandy was not the only topic up for discussion at November 7’s full board meeting of Community Board 4 (CB4) — but it served as a constant backdrop for tangentially related issues of environmental concerns, building renovation and event coordination. Sheltered from the snow storm outside, all gathered in the New York Hotel Trades Council building (305 West 44th Street) for the meeting, which began
with a presentation for a new jobs website meant to help facilitate employment for all members of the community. Board member Raul Larios proposed a website format dedicated to posting job opportunities (under the projected URL of nyc.gov/ mcb4/jobs). The mock-up consisted of a layout with two main sections: the first, for large organizations with multiple job openings and the second, for medium and
Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, was completely destroyed after being smacked by a storm surge and filling with four feet of water. Ali Forney was already preparing to move from that 1,200 square-foot facility to a much more expansive 9,000 square-foot
Continued on page 5
EDITORIAL, LETTERS PAGE 8
THE SHOWS MUST GO ON PAGE 21
Continued on page 6
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Elections Apparently Held Last Week
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Blame it on Chelsea citizens who, drunk on power (electrical, not electoral), got wind of a flash mob opportunity via social media. How else to explain the crowd gathered at Bayard Rustin High School (351 W. 18th St.) on the morning of Tuesday, November 6? They were heeding the siren call, our intrepid reporter speculated, of tweets and Facebook postings alerting them to the fact that there was some sort of participatory event taking place. Outside, a small group debated whether dogs would (or should) be allowed to vote. Inside, a long line formed as registered locals exercised their sacred right to weigh in on the hotly contested Brad Hoylman “race.” By 11:15pm that night, some dude from Kenya was apparently reelected to our nation’s highest office. For more deft analysis of this and other vital matters of the day, visit chelseanow.com.
November 14 - 27, 2012
Chelsea Piers Anticipates December 1 Opening
you are cordially invited to attend the
art event of the season! presenting the illustrated gallery's...
First NYC trunk show & sale It’s a Man’s World, Illustration Art by and for Men November 14, 15, 16, 5pm – 9pm Saturday, November 17, 1pm – 5pm 100 original paintings and drawings from the Golden Age of Illustration, circa 1890 – 1970’s, tell the story of how commercial interests and artist's desires deďŹ ned the world's image of the American male persona and America itself.
Held at Illustration House 110 West 25th Street, New York City ÇŠ Weds. 7pm; Grand unveiling of a long lost, newly recovered 5 foot x 11 foot, 1929, NC Wyeth masterpiece! Followed by: Restoration of Masterpieces: The Before and After. ÇŠ Thurs. 7pm; Norman Rockwell's life and his effect on deďŹ ning the classic American family man. ÇŠ Sat. 2pm; JC Leyendecker's lifestyle and his effect on deďŹ ning the classic urban American male.
Can’t make it in person? Artwork available for purchase here: Photo by Marni Halasa
Up With Piers: The Sky Rink Champions Summer Skating Camp represents!
Continued from page 1 on to pay their bills. “This is our income. If we don’t teach, we don’t make money and can’t pay rent,� said Marni Halasa, a Sky Rink staff skating coach. Chelsea Piers’ website suggests its displaced skaters use the complex’s newly opened rink in Stanford, Connecticut. But because that is so far outside the city, coaches have to get creative until Chelsea Piers reopens. Halasa was lucky enough to find welcoming temporary space at Wollman Rink and City Ice Pavilion. Even with those locations, though, she still can’t reach everyone. She’s been making house calls to children who live in buildings with gyms or dance studios, and has invited students to her home for conditioning sessions. Halasa describes those willing to go to any length to make a practice as “Nomads. They will travel for ice.� But coaches whose clients are not such dedicated competitive skaters are facing mounting anxiety. “A lot of coaches have the more recreational skater,� said Halasa. “You have to have that once-a-week skater for a couple of years before they make the jump to competitive skater. We’re worried about losing that type of skater.� Finding practice space isn’t the coaches’ only obstacle. New York’s myriad of activities for children creates a competition of sorts for kids’ — and parents’ — time.
“Typically in New York City, if a slot is not filled, the parent will fill that slot with another activity,� observed Halasa. “If the skate rink is closed for a month, a mom might just say, ‘go take an art class.’ �
Halasa describes those students willing to go to any length to make a practice as ‘Nomads. They will travel for ice.’ GYM RATS GET TEMP BURROWS Acutely aware that their displaced Sports Center members aren’t likely to stop exercising while the sprawling facility is repaired in anticipation of a December 1 reopening, Chelsea Piers suggests several alternative gyms. Sports Club members can use the facilities at the McBurney YMCA (125 West 14th Street, between Sixth & Seventh Avenues) until December 6 — for free, when they show a Sports Club ID card. The only catch: Peak hours, from 5:30 to 8:30pm on weekdays, are not included. Another option is a $10-per-day charge to use any Crunch gym
Continued on page 11
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November 14 - 27, 2012
City Council Approves Chelsea Market Expansion BY SCOTT STIFFLER The reaction was as swift as the process was long. The City Council’s much-anticipated vote on the vertical expansion of Chelsea Market prompted a flurry of emails, which arrived as this paper was going to press. Put off for nearly two weeks due to unprecedented disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy, the council’s November 13 approval will allow Jamestown Properties to construct two office towers atop the Ninth and Tenth Avenue sides of their iconic property (in exchange for, among other things, a sizable donation to the High Line and the establishment of an Affordable Housing fund). In a statement sent shortly after the council met, Jamestown Chief Operating Officer Michael Phillips hailed their decision as a means of providing “an important economic boost to New York City, creating more than 1,200 longterm jobs and 600 construction jobs… It is gratifying to know that Chelsea Market will continue to play a role as an anchor in the Chelsea neighborhood and as an important contributor to the city’s
economic vitality.” Minutes before that email was sent, Chelsea Now received a message penned by Andrew Berman (Executive Director, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation) — with the backing of Save Chelsea, the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, the London Terrace Tenants Association and the Chelsea Village Partnership. The statement maintained, “It’s deeply disappointing that they are allowing a beloved New York City landmark to be disfigured and one of the city’s most congested neighborhoods to be further overdeveloped. In spite of the pleas of the vast majority of this neighborhood’s residents, once again the interests of real estate developers have won out.” With an estimated start date of 2015, it’s unlikely that the dust will settle by then on some (or any) of the contentious matters over which preservationists and pro-business advocates repeatedly clashed at a series of Community Board, City Planning Commission and City Council public hearings. For more detailed coverage, see chelseanow.com and our November 28 print edition.
November 14 - 27, 2012
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At CB4 meeting, it wasn’t all Sandy ficulties, the High Line will still feature events — including a toy drive to benefit families in need and a concert with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus
Continued from page 1 smaller sized organizations that could post occasional job openings. Outreach would be achieved, he said, through email blasts, presentations, meetings and flyers at residential buildings. His overarching concern in the matter was that the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) resolution for the expansion of the Chelsea Market stay true to its promise of job creation. “They actually did keep their promise about having a job fair,” Larios stated, “but no work actually came of it. This website will support a jobs program, allow people to participate in job fairs and get jobs.” Next, the public session brought announcements and issues to the podium. A resident living above the wine bar Briciola (370 West 51st Street) came forward holding large, white candles. “I have props,” he announced, then wielded candles that he claimed “failed flame test,” further asserting that for a restaurant decorated with the an “aged wood” theme, the use of these kinds of candles presented a significant fire hazard. Not only was he concerned for fire safety, he claimed noise pollution was also a grievance he and his neighbors shared . In response to these issues, he asked for the
Despite the difficulties, the High Line will still feature events — including a toy drive to benefit families in need and a concert with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. Photo by Maxine Wally
Community Board members parse out what to do about the oil spill in The Sheffield.
closure of Briciola until a full sprinkler system is installed and they “comply with the noise problem which has been ongoing for many months.” A representative from the High Line spoke next, with information concerning
Sandy-impacted hours. “Due to underground damage and electrical issues, the park will be open 8am-5pm and elevators are open at 16th Street and 30th Street,” she said. “The top of the park did not sustain any damage.” Despite the dif-
(and other local choruses), on Saturday, December 8th. She also announced that an installation art piece consisting of pressed tin and mirrors (by West African artist El Anatsui) will be featured on 21st Street, visible from the High Line.
Continued on page 7
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Ali Forney Drop-In Center a Wash, but Not All is Lost Continued from page 1 space in Harlem (at West 125th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue) — but the actual transitionwas months away when Sandy struck. So the center’s staff had to scramble, first to set up a temporary office — which they were able to do at the LGBT Community Services Center on West 13th Street — and then to raise funds to adequately deal with the ruined 22nd Street center and expedite the process of moving to Harlem. Carl Siciliano, AFC’s founder and executive director, explained that the organization will need about $400,000 to do that, adding that he’s been happily surprised by the outpouring of support that’s led him past the halfway point so quickly. “I’ve been blown away,” Siciliano said. “We’ve never had so much money come in within such a short period of time.” The relief effort got a big boost on November 11, when actress Ally Sheedy and celebrity photographer Mike Ruiz hosted a fundraiser for AFC at Industry, a gay bar on West 52nd Street. Along with a $20 donation as a cover at the door (some people gave much more), Industry donated all of the money spent on drinks from 4-7pm. Amidst some buff, scantily clad guys selling raffle tickets, turnout was massive — as hundreds of backers cycled through the bar, including some other notable faces within the city’s LGBT scene. Corey Johnson, the Community Board 4 chair and City Council candidate for District 3, was on hand to offer some words of support, supplementing his constant presence at the forefront of issues like this. “What we’re doing here now is so important because the destruction of this center was an unspeakable loss,” Johnson said. “Above all else, that drop-in point was vital to our entire community.” MSNBC news anchor Thomas Roberts showed up to support the cause on Sunday alongside his husband Patrick Abner, whom he’d just married on September 29. Drag queen comedian and singer Marti Gould Cummings was also in attendance, riling up the crowd before eventually launching into a spirited rendition of “Tomorrow.” Other big names included Padma Lakshmi, host of the “Top Chef” TV show, and the married fashion design duo of Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra. Within the crowd of supporters was Dan Barasch, one of the creators of the proposed Lowline project (which aims to place the world’s first underground park beneath the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge on the Lower East Side).
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Photo by Sam Spokony
Comedian and singer Marti Gould Cummings, right, with Michael Green, an Ali Forney Center volunteer.
The following day, Siciliano told Chelsea Now that, while the total raised through drinks at the bar was still being tallied, Sunday’s event had already raised more than $23,000 through donations at the door and online. In addition, AFC board member Bill Shea and his husband Frank Selvaggi have pledged a matching gift of up to $50,000 of Sunday’s total donations. Selvaggi, a CPA and founder of a high profile accounting firm for the entertainment industry, was also a board member of the Empire State Pride Agenda for six years. Sheedy, an honorary AFC board member who has been an outspoken supporter of the organization for years (her daughter is a lesbian) spoke briefly on Sunday to remind everyone of the important and fundamental service to which they were contributing. “Without that drop-in center, so many young people simply don’t have a safe place to go,” Sheedy said. “We need to continue providing that kind of safe space, and the basic services that go along with it, to kids who have no other option just because of their sexual orientation or sexual identification.” Sunday’s fundraiser follows a series of other big donations for AFC immediately following the destruction of the 22nd Street center. The organization took in around $100,000 in online donations just days after the hurricane struck, after celebrities like Joseph GordonLevitt and Goldie Hawn tweeted their support. While Siciliano said on Monday that a timeline for opening AFC’s new Harlem drop-in center was still somewhat unclear, and also acknowledged that it will take a great deal of additional time and effort — along with more money — to complete the accelerated move, he added that the immense support has reminded him of the resiliency of New York’s LGBT community. “I know we’re going to come out of this stronger,” he said. “The core of this community is even stronger than a hurricane.”
Photo by Scott Stiffler
Ali Forney’s Chelsea drop-in center was a casualty of Sandy.
November 14 - 27, 2012
7
Neighborhood Regroups Know-how at CB4 Meeting gives you more
for your money.
Photo by Maxine Wally
Street Vendor Project representative Matthew Shapiro makes his case while CB4 members look on.
Continued from page 5 Matthew Shapiro, a member of the Street Vendor Project — a non-profit organization that brings street vendors together and provides legal assistance to small businesses — came forth next, producing a letter to the New York City Council that advocates changing the ways vendors are penalized. According to his presentation, vendors are subject to fines up of to $1,000 (even the first time they break a certain regulation). “This introduction changes that, so vendors only get penalized if they break the same one over and over again,” Shapiro said. He continued, noting that this is in line with every other penalty schedule in the city. “Myself and other organizations have been working on this for two years,” concluded Shapiro. “We have received overwhelming support from the City Council.” At this point in the meeting, various people came up to thank the community for collective aid during the storm, using power where they could and sharing what materials they had. As he adopted the agenda, CB4 chair Corey Johnson echoed the positive sentiments of togetherness in the face of natural travesty. Johnson thanked the community for immediate response over the course of the week. “Everyone really came together and coordinated well,” he stated. “It was a huge help.” Agenda items one, two and three were letters for the Landmarks Preservation Committee (LPC) concerning various properties. Item One called for replacement of
all steel windows in the building at 601 West 26th Street. The new windows would be made with aluminum, because thicker insulated glass calls for aluminum framing. Item Two was a ratification letter to the LPC about 555 West 25th Street — where, presently, a ladder is used for roof access (this letter proposes a staircase and additional floor be added for safety). Item Three’s letter consisted of a call to install storefronts at 220 12th Avenue with new, longer, wheelchair-friendly platforms that will replace the current, smaller platforms. Lastly, Item Four — a letter to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation — made members of the audience and board uneasy. In October, an oil spill occurred in the basement of The Sheffield (322 West 57th Street). Originally estimated at 800 gallons, cleanup has now begun on now what is estimated to be 8,000 gallons of number four heating oil — but many were still nervous about the outcome, not to mention the potential noise and disruption from remedial action. “I’m worried about oil in the ground water,” one member of the public said. “Especially given Sandy. My main concern is that it doesn’t happen again.” The letter asked for expedited cleanup and heightened safety and was subsequently voted into adoption. The next full board meeting of CB4 takes place at 6:30pm on Wednesday, December 5 (at the Hudson Guild Fulton Center Auditorium; 119 Ninth Avenue, between 17th & 18th Streets). For info, call 212-736-4536, visit nyc.gov/mcb4 or email them at info@manhattancb4.org.
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November 14 - 27, 2012
EDITORIAL Let’s Get to Work With President Obama’s historic re-election the time has come to turn the page in Washington and work toward getting our country back on track. Republicans harped that the president had four years but didn’t do enough, but they were an obstacle to him every single step of the way. If, during the next two years, Republicans don’t become more cooperative, they will, no doubt, feel the repercussions at the voting booth. America is sick and tired of the “Politics of No” and it’s now time to turn the corner toward job creation and economic recovery. Hurricane Sandy is being given some credit for Obama’s win, in that he showed leadership in addressing the crisis, and also because the disaster slowed Romney’s momentum and muted his negative attacks. Obama’s acknowledgement that climate change is real made a difference for many voters — especially in New York City and the metro region, where we experienced firsthand the superstorm’s devastating impact. Living — no, surviving — without electricity, heat, hot water, cell phones and computers, elevators and, in many cases, cold water, too, for the better part of a week brought home the reality that the oceans are rising and that, as of now, we are simply woefully unprepared for it. Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo did a great job sounding the alarm and calling for mandatory evacuation of Zone A throughout the city. The mayor was a steady leader throughout the crisis — as he was the year before when Hurricane Irene nearly blew into town. However, the 14-foot storm surge was simply far greater — about 2 feet higher — than anticipated, flooding the East 13th Street Con Ed power plant and plunging Manhattan south of 39th Street into extended darkness. Now that Obama thankfully has a mandate to lead us through a second term, it’s up to our government at all levels to address the threat of storm surges to our city and figure out how we can prevent this from happening again. This editorial was written from MetroTech, just over the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn, where NYC Community Media has relocated until our Canal Street office — whose basement (containing our electrical and IT systems) was flooded — is ready to be reoccupied. That will be a few weeks. But the storm and blackout have left some wondering about Lower Manhattan’s long-term future. In short, if Wall Street, for one, keeps being flooded, will the financial sector stay here? New Orleans used to be the financial capital of the South until the levees failed and the financiers abandoned it. Assemblymember Deborah Glick has gone as far as to say there should be no more new construction in Zone A. Of course, the real estate industry, after Sandy, immediately said that people will keep building and living on the water, knowing the risks, because the coast always will have its allure. At a certain point, however, living by the water could become untenably dangerous unless something is done. Yes, it would cost billions to build storm surge barriers in the harbor to protect the city, but, again, think about the price tag of future storm damage. Some think creating wetlands could also blunt the impact of hurricanes, though one wonders if this really fits in a built-up area like Manhattan. Glick also says the flood-zone map needs to be re-evaluated, and she’s right. Just take Westbeth, which is just outside Zone A, but was one of the hardest-hit locations on the Lower West Side. We’re thankful to Brooklyn’s Community News Group for graciously giving us desks to work from until we return to Downtown Manhattan. We’re also grateful to CUNY School of Journalism for giving us use of their newsroom last week to put out post-Sandy issues of Chelsea Now, Downtown Express and The Villager. We’re New Yorkers, and we pick ourselves up and carry on. Just like after 9/11 — it’s just what we do. But even New Yorkers can only bear so much. New York is the greatest city in the world, and, in our view, Downtown Manhattan the jewel in the crown — but we have just seen, painfully, frighteningly, how very vulnerable we are. Steps must be taken to ensure our city’s future viability.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Here’s hoping post-Sandy spirit continues To The Editor: As a senior citizen and resident of Fulton Houses, I am grateful for the overwhelming support from the community during Hurricane Sandy. I especially want to thank the police and fire departments, the National Guard, the General Theological Seminary, Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, State Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, State Senator Brad Hoylman, representatives from Senator Tom Duane’s, Speaker Chris Quinn’s, Borough President Scott Stringer’s and Governor Cuomo’s offices as well as New York Cares, residents of the community and the many religious groups that visited our building and looked in on the disabled and senior residents. Most of all I want to thank New York 1 and Bobbie Cuza for giving us air time to explain how desperate we were for water. The day our plea was aired, our water was turned on. On Saturday, I was in the Rockaways helping residents who are in dire need of everything. There were volunteers of every ethnicity, race, religion, social status and age. They were all there to help. My hope is that we can put aside our differences and that this community spirit and generous giving of our time will continue. Thanks, Carol Demech
Imagine my amazement as I was walking the dog down 10th St. to see a sign on the window of 18 W. 10th St. that said “Free Power.” The bottom apartment had a generator and they were not only providing the neighbors with power to charge phones, iPads, computers, etc., but they were also giving out coffee, tea, milk on ice, various breads and bagels. By the third day they were also providing various cereals. I could not find out who the person was, but they need to be commended for their community spirit and for making us smile in gratitude. Norma Courrier
A few facts lost in surge To The Editor: Re “Area to get power back, but will city get surge barriers?” (news article, Nov. 3): Thank you for an excellent article on storm surge barriers. I wanted to make two corrections. The most important one was when you mention the two possibilities for storm surge barriers, the second alternative is described as having a barrier from the Rockaways to Sandy Hook. You should have included a second barrier at Throgs Neck. Both alternatives have Throgs Neck as one set of barriers. The other error was that you stated New York City was in the top fifth of 140 ports worldwide; it should have said we are number five in vulnerability out of 140 ports. Robert Trentlyon
Ice giveaway left some in the cold To The Editor: Re the Union Square ice distribution photo (Nov. 3): This certainly didn’t help those of us further Downtown and west of Union Square. They easily could have put an ice center in Ruth Wittenberg Triangle at the intersection of Sixth and Greenwich Aves. Lots of space to serve this part of the community!
Aunt Chelsea was forced to evacuate after Hurricane Sandy and is having some trouble getting back to good ole NYC. But fear not — she'll be back in time for Chelsea Now's next issue. So keep those letters coming! Do you have a personal problem at work, the gym, the bar or the corner coffee shop? Is there a domestic dispute that needs the sage counsel of an uninvolved third party? Then Ask Aunt Chelsea! Pour your heart out in an
E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to lincoln@thevillager.com or fax to 212-2292790 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.
email, because Aunt Chelsea has pledged to answer every letter and see the problem through until it’s resolved to the writer’s satisfaction. Contact her via askauntchelsea@ chelseanow.com, and feel free to end your pensive missive with a clever, anonymous moniker (aka “Troubled on 23rd Street,” or “Ferklempt in the Fashion District”). New York is a tough town…aren’t you glad Aunt Chelsea is here to help?
November 14 - 27, 2012
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TALKING POINT
Keep Reaching, Keep Fighting BY PAUL SCHINDLER Four years ago, Barack Obama, a first-term US senator from Illinois, was the candidate of “hope and change.” In his young administration, handed an economy that was bleeding hundreds of thousands of jobs each month, change came haltingly and on some issues not at all. The word hope became a cudgel with which his fiercest opponents mockingly beat him about the head — and a stale word for many other voters, a good number of them young, first-time election participants, who were disappointed and even cynical about what they viewed as squandered promise. In his reelection victory speech, the reelected president addressed the issue of raised expectations. “I have never been more hopeful about America,” he said during the speech’s impassioned conclusion. “And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.” Obama’s reelection and other good news that came out of Tuesday’s voting — particularly the gay community’s success on four marriage equality ballot questions and in electing the first out lesbian to the US Senate — offer a sound basis for renewed hope. We can all move beyond November 6 fortified in our “courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.”
Longtime political writer Doug Ireland, my colleague at Gay City News, wrote, in the wake of the election, about the burning urgency of the LGBT community recommitting to a progressive politics of coalition and grassroots organizing. I could not agree more — and our ability to build
Given that threequarters of the gay community voted to reelect the president and that we have been substantial contributors to his campaign coffers, we have the right — in fact, the responsibility — to demand we be part of the Democratic push to bring the GOP to heel.
majorities in favor of marriage equality in four states demonstrates the payoff in moving beyond our comfortable cultural silos to engage the larger and more diverse body politic. African-American and Latino voters were the firewall that guaranteed the president’s reelection — and, thereby,
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the opportunity for the gay community to continue to advance our goals. Since the Proposition 8 disappointment of 2008, LGBT Americans have learned the importance of dialogue with people of color communities on issues we care about. Our coming together with Latino leadership on common concerns over immigration and with the NAACP on issues from marriage equality to stop and frisk policing demonstrates the progress that is possible. I disagree with Ireland, however, in his assessment of Obama’s leadership. I don’t believe his first term was “spineless.” His success on healthcare reform delivered on a Democratic Party promise first articulated by Harry Truman more than 60 years ago. Ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the president also made imaginative use of executive authority to spur change not possible by working with either a Tea Party-intimidated GOP House leadership or, prior to 2011, with a filibuster-emboldened Senate Republican minority. And, however reluctantly Obama made his dramatic endorsement of marriage equality in May, the fact is that it was an astonishingly powerful moment in the relationship between our community and the wider American public. None of that is to say that I doubt for one moment Ireland’s central point — that the LGBT community will only continue to advance by intensifying the pressure on our friends, whether in the White House, the administration generally, Congress, or at the state and local government level. Wa s h i n g t o n remains politically divided and GOP leaders in Washington likely still fear the wrath and reaction of their Tea Party faction. But flirting with that element in their
PUBLISHER Jennifer Goodstein ASSOCIATE EDITOR / ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Lincoln Anderson Aline Reynolds Sam Spokony EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
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party is, more clearly than ever, a dead end politically. Right-wing extremists have led Republicans to forsake four easy Senate pick-ups in 2010 and 2012 — this year thanks to two white men hideously out of touch with the rights of women to make their own medical decisions with dignity. The four marriage ballot questions, meanwhile, show how quickly gay rights have moved from a GOP wedge advantage to an albatross for that party. After four years in which Republicans obstructed, obstructed, and obstructed in the dream of making Obama a one-term president, he now has the capital to demand that they get serious about governance and compromise. Given that three-quarters of the gay community voted to reelect the president and that we have been substantial contributors to his campaign coffers, we have the right — in fact, the responsibility — to demand we be part of the Democratic push to bring the GOP to heel. We need to be measured, of course, in our expectations about House Speaker John Boehner — who has, to date, squandered $1.5 million in public monies to defend the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act in court. But his view of the world and of the culture Americans inhabit is on the run, and it is time for us to push back hard. Discrimination is harder and harder for anyone to justify in America, and if the GOP continues to block even our most basic demands — such as protection from discrimination in the workplace — we need to make it our business to force them to explain that over and over and over again. Paul Schindler is the editor-in-chief of Gay City News.
ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters SENIOR DESIGNER Michael Shirey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Arnold Rozon CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. Marvin Rock DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Cheryl Williamson
CONTRIBUTORS Ryan Buxton Martin Denton Terese Loeb Kreuzer Kaitlyn Meade Duncan Osborne Maya Phillips Paul Schindler Sam Spokony Jerry Tallmer Trav S. D. Maxine Wally PHOTOGRAPHERS Milo Hess J. B. Nicholas Jefferson Siegel
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Community Contacts To be listed, email info to scott@chelseanow.com. COMMUNITY BOARD 4 (CB4) CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/ Hell’s Kitchen. Its boundaries are 14th St. on the south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on the west, 6th Ave. on the east (south of 26th St.) and 8th Ave. on the east (north of 26th St.). The board meeting, open to the public, is the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting is Wed., Dec. 5, 6:30pm, at the Hudson Guild Fulton Center Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave., btw. 17th & 18th Sts.). Call 212736-4536, visit nyc.gov/mcb4 or email them at info@manhattancb4.org. COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (CB5) CB5 represents the central business district of New York City. It includes midtown Manhattan, the Fashion, Flower, Flatiron and Diamond districts, as well as Bryant Park and Union Square Park. The district is at the center of New York’s tourism industry. The Theatre District, Times Square, Carnegie Hall, the Empire State Building and two of the region’s transportation hubs (Grand Central Station and Penn Station) fall within CB5. The board meeting, open to the public, happens on the second Thursday of the month. The next meeting is Thurs., Dec. 13, 6pm, at St. Xavier High School (30 W. 16th St., btw. 5th and 6th Aves., 2nd fl.). Call 212-465-0907, visit cb5. org or email them at office@cb5.org.
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THE ALI FORNEY CENTER Their mission is to help homeless LGBT youth be safe and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. Main headquarters: 224 W. 35th St., Suite 1500. The Ali Forney Day Center, located at 527 W. 22nd St. was devastated by Hurricane Sandy and has been temporarily relocated to 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). For info, and to make a donation in support of this non-profit, call 212-222-3427 or visit aliforneycenter.org/hurricanesandy. THE 300 WEST 23RD, 22ND & 21ST STREETS BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at 300westblockassoc@prodigy.net. THE WEST 400 BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at w400ba@ gmail.com. CHELSEA GARDEN CLUB Chelsea Garden Club cares for the bike lane tree pits in Chelsea. If you want to adopt a tree pit or join the group, please contact them at cgc.nyc@gmail.com or like them on Facebook. Also visit chelseagardenclub.blogspot.com. LOWER CHELSEA ALLIANCE (LoCal) This group is committed to protecting the residential blocks of Chelsea from overscale development. Contact them at LowerChelseaAlliance@gmail.com.
THE GREENWICH VILLAGE-CHELSEA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Call 212-337-5912 or visit villagechelsea.com.
WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE Visit westsidenyc.org or call 212956-2573. Email them at wsna@ hcc-nyc.org.
THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT INITIATIVE Visit meatpacking-district.com or call 212-633-0185.
CHELSEA COALITION ON HOUSING Tenant assistance every Thursday night at 7pm, at Hudson Guild (119 9th Ave.). Email them at chelseacoalition.cch@gmail.com.
PENN SOUTH The Penn South Program for Seniors provides recreation, education and social services — and welcomes volunteers. For info, call 212-243-3670 or visit pennsouth.com. THE BOWERY RESIDENTS’ COMMITTEE: HOMELESS HELPLINE If you know of anyone who is in need of their services, call the Homeless Helpline at 212-533-5151, and the BRC will send someone to make contact. This number is staffed by outreach team leaders 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous. For more info, visit brc.org. THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER At 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Visit gaycenter.org or call 212620-7310. GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS (GMHC) At 446 W. 33rd St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves. Visit gmhc.org. Call 212-367-1000. HUDSON GUILD Founded in 1895, Hudson Guild is a multi-service, multi-generational community serving approximately 14,000 people annually with daycare, hot meals for senior citizens, low-cost professional counseling, community arts programs and recreational programming for teens. Visit them at hudsonguild.org. Email them at info@hudsonguild.org. For the John Lovejoy Elliott Center (441 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9800. For the Children’s Center (459 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9830. For the Education Center (447 W. 25th St.), call 212-760-9843. For the Fulton Center for Adult Services (119 9th Ave.), call 212-924-6710. THE CARTER BURDEN CENTER FOR THE AGING This organization promotes the well-being of individuals 60 and older through direct social services and volunteer programs oriented to individual, family and community needs. Call 212-879-7400 or visit burdencenter.org. FULTON YOUTH OF THE FUTURE Email them at fultonyouth@gmail. com or contact Miguel Acevedo, 646-671-0310.
FRIENDS OF HUDSON RIVER PARK Visit fohrp.org or call 212-757-0981. HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUST Visit hudsonriverpark.org or call 212627-2020. SAVE CHELSEA Contact them at savechelseanyc@ gmail.com. CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRISTINE QUINN Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/ home.shtml. STATE SENATOR TOM DUANE Call 212-633-8052 or visit tomduane.com. CHELSEA REFORM DEMOCRATIC CLUB The CRDC (the home club of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, State Senator Tom Duane and Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried) meets monthly to exchange political ideas on protecting the rights and improving the lives of those residing in Chelsea. Visit crdcnyc.org or email them at info@crdcnyc.org.
At 147 W. 24th St. (btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) THE SYLVIA RIVERA LAW PROJECT works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression without facing harassment, discrimination or violence. Visit srlp.org.
FIERCE
(Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment) builds the leadership and power of bisexual, transgender and queer youth of color in NYC. Visit fiercenyc.org.
QUEERS FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE is a progressive organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. Visit q4ej.org.
THE AUDRE LORDE PROJECT is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people of color center for community organizing. Visit alp.org.
November 14 - 27, 2012
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Repairs Underway at Hudson River Park, Chelsea Piers Continued from page 3 in the city, through the end of November. The location nearest Chelsea Piers is the brand new Chelsea branch (220 West 19th Street, between Seventh & Eighth Avenues). Finally, New York Sports Club is offering Sports Center members a one-month pass at a discounted rate — $30 to use one location exclusively, and $49.95 for access to all locations. Chris Ann O’Neill, the general manager at Chelsea NYSC (270 Eighth Avenue, at 23rd Street), noted that the gym has seen “a ton of people” taking advantage of the offer. O’Neill said she feels gratified to see something as simple as gym space make a difference for people facing hardship after the storm. “They’ve been absolutely excited and relieved,” she said. “They’re telling all their friends. They’re thrilled that we’re able to be there for them during this time.” NYSC also allowed Chelsea residents to get a hot shower and charge cell phones in the days immediately following Sandy’s devastation, and the reactions moved O’Neill significantly. “We actually had someone come in who is a member,” she recalled. “He brought his family, and the wife actually started to cry because she hadn’t been able to take a shower in days.”
Photos by Andra Gabrielle
Mulch work to do: HRPT needs volunteers.
HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUST VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES That sense of community is prevalent throughout New York City, including outside Chelsea Piers at Hudson River Park — where a host of volunteers were eager to get to work even before officials completed damage assessments.
“What’s really wonderful is people asked us if there were volunteer activities before we even thought about volunteer activities,” said Madelyn Wils, president and CEO of Hudson River Park Trust (hudsonriverpark. org). “Once we heard that, we said, ‘Let’s put a volunteer day out to help clean up.’
We put it out for one day and signed up over 100 people. We realized there were a lot of people who want to help.” The trust is organizing several volunteer days called Mulch Madness, when residents can assist in restoring the mulch and soil that was torn up and scattered about by Sandy. Upcoming volunteer opportunities are scheduled for November 14, 16, 17, 20 and 28. Though the horticultural damage will require a significant amount of work, there was a bit of a bright side for the flora in the park, said Zazel Loven, a Chelsea Waterside Park board member. “Some of the soil and mulch was washed away, but the plants seem to have survived in a great fashion,” noted Loven. “Hearty little souls that they are, they held on.” Aside from landscaping issues, the Hudson River Park also faces problems with power. “There are some electrical issues with the carousel [at Pier 62],” said Wils. “We have a lot of electrical issues in the park. As we try to electrify places and areas, we then have to see whether it’s a ConEd issue or our issue.” As they come together to restore and repair the places they love, Chelsea residents are also recognizing how lucky they are to have relatively minimal damage and a supportive community to rally around them. For Halasa, watching the news and seeing people who have lost jobs, homes and loved ones puts her own hardships into perspective. “I still consider myself very lucky,” she said.
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November 14 - 27, 2012
November 14 - 27, 2012
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Feed the Need: Burger Joint in the Business of Giving Back BY SCOTT STIFFLER Even for a neighborhood that rarely disappoints when it comes to eccentric tableaus, the streets of Chelsea during the days after Sandy — and before the return of power — delivered some extraordinarily surreal and pleasantly disorienting sights. The silhouette of a parrot, perched with casual elegance on the shoulder of its owner during a sundown bike ride; fast-moving clouds parting to reveal the pitch black night; battery-operated candles flickering in the window of The Duplex piano bar while inside, the regulars knocked back cocktails made with shavings from rapidly melting ice…and then there was the smell of burgers, wafting from a strip of Eighth Avenue that had no power whatsoever — and wouldn’t for two more days. The first three could have been mirages (though they weren’t). The fourth was an unmistakable reality, which Chelsea Now was tipped off to by Council of Chelsea Block Associations president Bill Borock — who recalled that on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 31, “That restaurant by the bar with the propeller on it had a grill on the sidewalk, with a line of people waiting. A man came up to us and said, ‘They’re giving away free hamburgers!’ ” The restaurant in question, it turns out, was a Bareburger franchise — at 153 Eighth Avenue (between 17th & 18th Streets). Co-owner Nick Karaiskos says that between 11am and 4pm, they served up “around six hundred hamburgers.” How that came about was more the product of feeding a need than simply
jettisoning beef that was going to expire anyway. The first thing Karaiskos did, he recalls, was “ice down all the food. My partner and I had a discussion about keeping all the food properly stored, so we’d be prepared. If we could open for business Wednesday morning, great. If not, we’re going to help the community.” Asked how he got access to so much ice so quickly, Karaiskos reminded Chelsea Now of the abundant supplies just above 30th Street (along with ample electricity and Internet access). “I live in Midtown Manhattan,” he explained, adding that his swift acquisition of a considerably sized “old-school charcoal grill” came about as the result of “being in the restaurant business for two decades. I know some people…so the grill was actually delivered to the restaurant on Tuesday night.” A full hour before noon the next day, it was fired up and filling the immediate area with the unmistakable smell of flame-broiled beef that’s as appealing to modern blackout victims as it was to our cavemen ancestors. “Some people didn’t have the ability to walk [Uptown] to eat or get a cup of coffee,” recalls Karaiskos. “For them, it was extremely helpful. And it was extremely fulfilling for me to hear that. Some of our regular customers were there that day, some people we’ve never seen before. We asked people to, if they could, make donations to the Red Cross. They loved the food, we loved helping them. It’s about giving back. The community supports us — so in a time of need, we’re going to support them.”
Photos courtesy of Bareburger
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November 14 - 27, 2012
From the 400: How to Help a Guardian Angel
Good News, Bad News
Photo by Scott Stiffler
Sunday, November 4, at 29th Street & 10th Avenue: Duke A. Barnstable’s pithy phone booth manifesto eloquently articulates the fact that it’ll take more than a hurricane (or a superstorm?) to soften New York’s love/hate relationship with itself.
On November 9, Joanne Downes, Karen Jacob and Mary Swartz — Executive Committee members of the West 400 Block Association (21st, 22nd, 23rd Streets) — sent out this email appeal those who may be unaware of Sandy’s devastating impact on the Guardian Angel school (Tenth Avenue, at 21 Street). “Dear Chelsea neighbors,” it read, “The storm surge pushed out the belowstreet level windows, resulting in flooding to the ceiling level of the cafeteria and classrooms serving pre-K and K students. Extensive damage was done to that area and its contents. Guardian Angel has been a good neighbor for decades, allowing the West 400 Block Association use of their cafeteria for meetings and helping to maintain Clement Clarke Moore Park. To help with their rebuilding efforts, we encourage you to write a check payable to Guardian Angel School and mail it to the school at 193 10th Avenue, NY, NY 10011 to the attention of Maureen McElduff, Principal. We realize many people are in need of help at this time; some of them are our close neighbors we see every day. The school serves 215 students grades pre-K through 8. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.”
Photo by Scott Stiffler
let love define family
foster or adopt now
Please join us for a free fun and informative event featuring a very special performance by actor comedian Alec Mapa. Thursday, December 6th 6:30PM to 9:00PM The New York City Fire Museum / 278 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013 RSVP by Tuesday, December 4th at www.RaiseAChild.US FAMILY FOCUS ADOPTION SERVICES
E M P OW E R I N G C H I L D R E N
T R A N S F O R M I N G L IV E S
NY Council on Adoptable Children
Family Focus Adoption Agency
Kidsave International
The Village Family Services
We Hear the Children
RaiseAChild.US is a non-profit organization working to encourage the LGBT community to consider building families of their own through fostering and adoption.
November 14 - 27, 2012
15
In THEIR Own Words I n t h e d a y s f o l l o w i n g H u r r i c a n e S a n d y, I b e g a n c o l l e c t i n g f i r s t - p e r s o n a c c o u n t s ( v i a e m a i l a n d p h o n e i n t e r v i e w s ) . T h e s e u n e d i t e d re c o l l e c t i o n s a n d o p i n i o n s d o n o t n e c e s s a r y re f l e c t t h e v i e w s o f t h i s n e w s p a p e r. Te x t w i t h i n [ ] b r a c k e t s i n d i c a t e s c l a r i f i c a t i o n s m a d e b y C h e l s e a N o w. M o re a c c o u n t s w i l l b e a d d e d t o t h e “ I n T h e i r O w n Wo rd s ” s e c t i o n o f o u r w e b s i t e ( c h e l s e a n o w. c o m ) o n a n o n g o i n g b a s i s . To c o n t r i b u t e , s e n d a n e m a i l t o s c o t t @ c h e l s e a n o w. c o m o r c a l l m e a t 9 1 7 - 2 7 9 - 3 3 8 6 t o s c h e d u l e a p h o n e i n t e r v i e w. — S c o t t S t i ff l e r
People, Not Generator, Saved BRC During Sandy Of those wonderful people that work for BRC, two, it turns out, are effectively homeless. They came to work on Sunday, before the storm, knowing the trains were about to be shut down, knowing the neighborhoods they came from [Staten Island and Coney Island]. They went home to find their own homes had been destroyed — and they came back the next day to do their job. It’s not the generator that saved BRC, it’s BRC’s people.
BY MUZZY ROSENBLATT On November 4, Chelsea Now spoke with the executive director of the Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) to get his account of how their citywide mission fared before, during and after Sandy — with a focus on their Chelsea facility (the 12-story, 328-bed vertical campus at 127 W. 25th St., btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves., which serves residential and outpatient clients in need of homeless and treatment services). I want to preface this first by saying that BRC clients generally come to us with very little, often just the clothes on their back and often with years of living outdoors in survival mode. As we speak today, there are so many New Yorkers who have lost so much more than we at BRC have lost. Our thoughts and prayers are for the needs of those New Yorkers who, though they may have never experienced poverty or homelessness before, now have little or nothing — and who desperately need to have our compassion and support.
EVACUATION, RELOCATION & PREPARATION The BRC had seven facilities that were impacted by the storm. We had one in Greenpoint [the BRC Assessment Center], a 200-bed facility which opened this past summer. It was in Zone A, so we implemented a planned evacuation prior to the arrival of the storm — and did that smoothly and successfully. Greenpoint, the only one evacuated, was sealed and closed. The waters rose and flooded the basement, but none of the living and working areas. We were able to bring it back online once the clearance was given to reenter Zone A. It’s been up and running since, oh, my chronology is going to be hard here. I believe we reentered Greenpoint on Wednesday [Oct. 31], whatever day the Department of Buildings announced the protocols for reentry. In Lower Manhattan, we had five housing programs — one on Avenue D, between Ninth and Tenth; one on Fourth Street, between C and D; two on Pitt Street, between Rivington and Stanton…and our Palace complex, a multi-program site that has about 200 residents, on Bowery at the foot of Bleecker. All of those sites were not evacuated, but impacted by the blackout. Those sites, unlike Chelsea, do not have a built-in emergency generator. We were planning in the week before
HOPE & HOMELESSNESS
Photo by Scott Stiffler
With most of post-Sandy Lower Manhattan in the dark, BRC’s diesel generator supplied power to its 127 W. 25th St. facility.
the storm for the particulars as it relates to this storm. BRC has an emergency plan for general scenarios. Then, as we get more specific information, we take the general plan and fine tune it for that need. We never exceed the legal capacity at the Chelsea facility. When we know there is an impending emergency, we give clients the option to go other places. In all of our residential programs [throughout the city], we inquired whether any client wanted to stay [somewhere else] for the duration of the storm. A number of clients decided to stay with family and friends rather than stay with us. For the Chelsea facility, I would say there were, in all the programs combined, maybe 40 [who left us during Sandy].
CHELSEA GENERATOR POWERS CITYWIDE EFFORTS Our generator [at the Chelsea facility] is built into the building, and elements of the building’s electrical infrastructure are connected to it. Whereas at the other sites, and at many other buildings throughout the city, portable generators connected limited systems. Portable generators have [tanks which contain] about five gallons of regular unleaded fuel. The Chelsea generator is supported by a built-in 140-gallon diesel fuel tank. It was full, and continues to be resupplied. The shortage [which the area was experiencing at the time of our Nov. 4 interview] is for unleaded fuel.
Our highest priority was life safety. So the first priority for the generator was emergency lighting. The first and second floor corridors were lit. Lighting dormitories, offices and bathrooms was not a high priority, so that’s where we lit flashlights. We had battery operated emergency lights. We were well-stocked on those, and able to keep those going. The second highest priority was keeping people fed, so we kept the kitchen operational throughout the storm — because that kitchen supports not just the Chelsea facility, but all of BRC’s facilities. The kitchen was able to continue to feed all the BRC facilities, most significantly, those that were blacked out on the Lower East Side. Our food truck, which is based at Chelsea, also runs on diesel. So we were able to and continue [throughout the gas shortage] serving food at all these other sites.
BRC DOORS OPEN TO ALL, AT ALL TIMES This was our policy throughout the storm, at all our facilities: If anybody in need comes to our door, welcome them, comfort them, give them a hot meal and help them get to the place that will help them the most. We have legal limits on how many people we can accommodate, and we respect that. We have 328 beds [at the Chelsea facility].
For our clients — before they come to us, life is about survival; and as we see right now in all these neighborhoods of New York that have been impacted, survival is primary. What BRC tries to do for its clients is help people who, for years have lived solely in a survival mode. The goal of BRC is to move individuals from that outlook to a full quality of life where day-to-day survival needs are no longer primary, but are taken care of through stability and health; a permanent place to call home, a good-paying job. During the blackout and the storm, these challenges that our clients are familiar with — that we would hope no one would ever have to be familiar with — tragically impacted so many people. At BRC, we understand the fear of not knowing where I am going to get my next meal, where I am going to sleep tonight; the fear of being cold and being alone, that you’ve been forgotten and that the rest of the world seems to be walking right by you and may not even notice that you’re there. These are the experiences our clients have had, that no one should ever have — and that, sadly and tragically in this past week and in the weeks and months ahead, many are feeling. Homelessness affects everybody, and we are all vulnerable. And it is not about wealth. It’s not about affliction. It’s a tragedy that can affect anyone…and when you’re in it, it is often hard to see a way out — but we know there is a way out, and the way out is with time and compassion and selflessness. For more info, visit brc.org. If you are in need of their help, or know somebody who does, the BRC’s 24-Hour Homeless Help Line can be reached at 212-533-5151. More 'In Their Own Words' stories continued on through page 23.
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Day by Day, at Fulton Houses BY MIGUEL ACEVEDO (president, Fulton Houses Tenants Association): We lost our water the day prior to the storm, that Sunday — so we had no heat or hot water. When the blackout happened, on Monday, that’s when everybody said ‘This is more serious than we thought it was going to be.’ On Tuesday, everybody was afraid, not knowing how long it was going to last. Along with the manager, I walked the 25 flights. We did all three [Fulton Houses has three towers that go to 25 floors] The New York City Housing Authority [NYCHA] has a list of senior citizens and the wheelchair-bound. We found that many of them were happy to see us. We wrote down what their needs were. We reached one senior who told us her oxygen was near low, but she didn’t want to go to the hospital. So later, I went back there and spoke to her and told her she had to go. Twenty minutes later, the ambulance pulled up and took her to the hospital. Another tenant, Miss Beatrice (we call her Miss B.), is 103 years old and lives on the 22nd floor of 418 West 17th Street. We spoke with her and brought her some water. She was happy to see us, and okay. After that first full day [Tuesday, October 30], I told Miss Wright [the manager] that it’s taken a lot out of us, that maybe we ought to get some volunteers to help us walk the floors and deliver food and water. I also reached out to Karen Smith and Marty Katz [her husband], from Penn South. They reached out to Gristedes, which donated lots of food. We literally got two trucks of food that we picked up from them. Be brought it to the Hudson Guild Community Center and started distributing it from there.
Photos by Scott Stiffler
Call in the reserves: National Guard troops deliver food and water to Fulton Houses.
NO LIGHT, BUT PLENTY OF FOOD & BLANKETS This is Wednesday [October 31] by now. People got that [Gristedes] food, and I started contacting our elected
officials — Quinn and Duane — and told them it’s getting pretty bad over here. We have no heat, no hot water and no electricity…and people are getting frustrated, because they don’t know what to do. I spoke with the director from NYCHA and told him they better get a [at least one] generator here, so we can get running water. At that point, people were going down to the fire hydrants and filling up buckets of water so they could at least bathe with towels and flush their [toilet] tanks. NYCHA said they’d try to get a generator as soon as possible. We got it on the fourth day, Thursday [and used it to get running water, not for lighting]. We had residents of each building with flashlights, who were posted after dark to make sure there was no problem, that no intruders came in. During all of this, we had no acts of violence; no fighting, no looting. The small businesses we have across from us? Nothing was broken. We were informed that [over at the 27th Street park], food and water would be given out. The Speaker’s office and NYCHA posted signs that this was being done. The public housing police also did a sweep to check on every single tenant, and once they were done, they gave a list to me to look over and see if anyone needed a blanket, water, medicine. The power came back on, Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. The City Council Speaker [Christine Quinn] informed me that the National Guard would be distributing water and military food. This was Friday. We used the [Hudson Guild] Community Center [at 119 Ninth Avenue] as a staging place. So now, we had this abundance of volunteers and food and water — but people were cold [because the buildings still didn’t have heat]. So we put out an email blast saying we needed blankets. I received a call from Julie Menin, formerly of Community Board 1. She got
Free of charge: Fulton residents had power (from trucks and the grid) long before they had heat.
Continued on page 17
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At Fulton Houses, a Surplus of Generosity (and Blankets) Continued from page 16
LESSONS LEARNED, FOR THE NEXT TIME
wind that we needed blankets and put out a Facebook and email blast. Quinn put one out, so did Brad Hoylman, Tom Duane and Dick Gottfried. Blankets were coming in from all over the city. People were going to Bed Bath & Beyond and bringing new blankets. People started bringing sweaters and socks. I was getting calls from California [asking how they could donate]. By the time the heat and hot water came on, we had with such an abundance of blankets that I reached out to find other locations [in need]. People from Staten Island and the Rockaways were coming into my office, I told them to give me the addresses so we can go. We took a shipment of blankets and clothes to Staten Island, dropping them off about 10 at night at Midland Beach. Whatever was left of the military food and the blankets, we took to the end of the Rockaways. People told us they hadn’t seen anyone yet who’d brought them anything. Heaters and blankets also went to Baruch on the Lower East Side. The Ocean Avenue Bus Company gave us two buses for that.
I think the mayor and the City Council didn’t anticipate this being such a bad storm, didn’t warn us that even if you’re not in Zone A [we’re in Zone B], to prepare. Community Board 4 has a monthly meeting. We should have discussions about emergency response. People should make sure businesses don’t price gouge. Eight dollars for a candle? There should be stronger penalties. NYCHA should have generators in the basements, ready for storms like this in the future. It took days just to get [the generators] here. If we had a gen on site, it would be up and running and people would have had hot water. Money is spent in the wrong places. In the future, it’s better to expect the worst. If we would have made sure everybody had flashlights…that everybody had ice and coolers in their apartments that everybody had blankets…then we wouldn’t be in such a predicament. But it’s good to see that even though times are hard, there are so many compassionate New Yorkers concerned with my families from Fulton Houses.
Photo by Scott Stiffler
Signs on the Hudson Guild Community Center.
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Hooked Up & Juiced: Local Merchants Give, not Gouge A founding member of the Penn South Senior Sandwich Brigade (which delivered sandwiches to Occupy Wall Street at the height of its Zuccotti Park presence), Jane Hogg reached out to Chelsea Now with this November 2 email documenting how a local merchant provided post-Sandy comfort.
BY JANE HOGG Penn South, as you might know, produces its own electricity. So we are never dark…not in citywide blackouts…never. Our commercial tenants are therefore equally lucky, though many of them chose not to open [after Sandy]. NuCare Pharmacy (9th & 25th) did, though most of the workers couldn’t get there. But what they did for the neighborhood, post-Sandy, was over the top. They set up an entire room in the back and another open space adjacent to it, with counters filled with power strips so people could charge their phones and computers. They set up four rows of folding chairs for those waiting, and installed an overhead TV so they could watch the news. They added more power strips near the front of the store. Every aisle was filled with people sitting on the floor, having found other nearby outlets I asked about the people carrying empty buckets and was told that since they didn’t have any water in their buildings, NuCare let them fill so they could wash or bucket-flush
STILL GIVING. Beloved philanthropist Brooke Astor set up a permanent fund with The New York Community Trust. Today, The Trust continues to carry out her philanthropy, and always will. What are your plans?
Brooke Astor 1902-2007
Consider setting up your own permanent fund today. Visit stillgiving.org or contact Jane Wilton (212) 686-2563
BY JOANNE DOWNES I have no dramatic stories to relate. However, if you are compiling a “good neighbors” list, we especially appreciated the outlets for charging phones at Chase Bank (at 27th and Seventh Ave.). They couldn’t have
been nicer, offering coffee and letting people (not just customers) in, along with their kids and their dogs. Also, the businesses serviced by Penn South’s generator: NuCare Pharmacy, Dunkin' Donuts, Dallas BBQ. I’m sure there are many others we are not aware of.
Calls of Concern and C Batteries
Photo by Scott Stiffler
NuCare Pharmacy led the charge.
their toilets back home. I asked if any of these people were regular customers. The man said he’d never seen most of them, and probably wouldn’t once the electricity was on. I know he opens around 10 am and stays open well into the evening. With teens out of school, and the nearby NYCHA buildings having no electricity or water, the need was felt across the board.
BY BILL BOROCK (President, Council of Chelsea Block Associations) The Chelsea reps from Scott Stringer and Christine Quinn’s office [David Czyzyk and Michaela Miller] both called me and gave me their cell numbers. They said if there are any issues their office can be of help with, to let them know. I called all the CCBA members and gave them the numbers. When I gave the numbers to Dorothea McElduff [from the 400 West 21/22/23 Street Block Association], she thanked me and said that she was trying to get some equipment for the Guardian Angel School [193 Tenth Ave.], which was flooded. Dorothea had tried Quinn’s office; and by getting Stringer’s cell phone contact, she said that she would call them and see if they could help to get what was needed. And then there were all the places offering free charges for cell phones — as compared to that store that was charging $5.While I was outside Adorama (a photo/ electronic store at 42 W. 18th St.), which had tables set up offering free charging [of phones, computers], someone told me that Bed, Bath and Beyond [Sixth Ave., btw. W. 18th & 19th Sts.], although closed, had set up tables outside and were selling stormrelated items such as flashlights batteries and portable radios. I asked for D batteries and they were sold out, as most stores were. I was then told by one of their employees that I could buy C batteries and use them in a D battery flashlight if I put 4 quarters behind the batteries. I took their advice,
bought the C batteries and when I got home, I tried it and it did not work. The next day, I returned the batteries and spoke to the manager and told him that it did not work in my flashlight but perhaps it would work in other flashlights [that did not have the coil in the back, which I thought might be the problem with my particular flashlight]. The manager got a D battery flashlight, said 8 quarters were needed not four, put the quarters in with the C batteries — and lo and behold, it worked. I tell you this because all the stores I passed during the days we had no electricity said they had no D batteries available. I do not know if most flashlights use D batteries — but in an emergency, for the many people who only have D battery flashlights, it’s good to know that one can use C batteries with quarters to make their D battery flashlight work. One other nice thing Bed, Bath & Beyond did for me: Their store was closed, as I told you…but when I asked them if they had some vitamins (which I needed), they sent someone into the store with a flashlight to search. It was kind of them to do this. What went through my mind [in the days after Sandy] is how we always call up my in-laws in Florida [during hurricane season] to see how they are. Now friends from Florida and Canada are emailing and calling us. It’s mind-boggling. We’ve had tornados, we’ve had earthquakes and now this megastorm. We wonder if this has anything to do with climate change. It sounds like things really are changing, in terms of living here in New York City.
November 14 - 27, 2012
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Revolution Books, During the Week of Darkness BY C. CLARK KISSINGER Revolution Books, on 26th Street, was very lucky in never losing power during Hurricane Sandy. We actually opened on Tuesday, the day after the hurricane hit. With most of Chelsea in the dark, those who found their way to Revolution Books found light, community, warmth and serious and determined discussion about what was really happening to those who were hardest hit by the storm. Before the storm, we had raised the alarm that the Housing Authority was going to cut off (in advance of the storm) all the heat, hot water and elevator service in public housing in the areas with high flood risk. As soon as the storm did hit, we emailed our customers and supporters throughout the tri-state area and asked them to tell us the hidden stories that were not being covered in the mainstream media. As we pointed out, “Hurricanes are acts of nature, but what government authorities do to people are acts of a system.” People started responding right away. We learned from one of our customers that Staten Island had no power on virtually the whole island — that it was cold and dark, very little was open, no Internet and no gas. Later reports complained of the National Guard being
everywhere, but standing around while the people themselves were starting to clear debris from the streets. An early report from Coney Island read: “It immediately became clear that people are facing a life-threatening situation. There is no running water, no power and no heat in increasingly cold days and nights. Medicines were destroyed in the flood when water came in. And if you have no extra money after your supplies have run out, nobody is coming to help. A couple people said they wanted to stop and talk but they were too hungry and thirsty and wanted to get the store to see what they had left. This was about a mile walk from where we were, if not more. One woman, Veronica, described her fear at having two asthma attacks on Monday night in the pitch black with no paramedics, no cell phone service and no one to reach out to for help. She made it through okay, but what if someone was even sicker, she asked? No city or housing officials came through to check on anyone. They were completely stranded. But as soon as the stores and property began to be damaged, the police came running. ‘What type of system is this?’ asked Veronica. Revolution Books was proactive, serving as a base for teams going out to the
hardest hit areas and to the shelters. One of our staff members who volunteered at a shelter reported: “As we were walking down to the sleeping and eating area, I asked the supervisor if there were many people from Zone A areas. She looked at me with a disgusted look on her face and said, no, these are homeless people, not ‘real’ people that were evacuated by the storm…In the cafeteria, I was assigned to sit with the other volunteers at a table and watch the people eat, sleep and escort them out the room or building to make sure they did not steal anything… One of the supervisors and a security guard came to the table and said they wanted to have a word with me. They said I was not allowed to talk to the people in the shelter, I was just supposed to watch them and make sure they did not start trouble or steal anything. I said, should we not take care of their needs, and they said yes, so I said how would I know what their needs are if I do not talk to them. And then I was told there were too many volunteers and I should just go home.” Customers and passersby were shocked by the real stories of those most affected by the storm. Many of these stories have been posted on the website of Revolution newspaper, which we distrib-
ute at Revolution Books. The store also hosted a program with political economist Raymond Lotta on “Why a Natural Disaster Became a Social Disaster.” He went into the contrast between New York as the financial center of global empire (whose stock exchange was gotten up and running immediately) versus the atomization of people in a market economy where people are left to fend for themselves. He also discussed a written draft constitution for an alternative socialist society (available at Revolution Books) and the need for revolution. All this heightens the importance of a place like Revolution Books. There is nothing else like it in the city. But the store is in a fight for its very existence. Even as a not-for-profit with an allvolunteer staff, Manhattan rents are eating us up. If you see the importance of Revolution Books, there are three things you can do: buy your holiday gifts from us, volunteer to work at the store and contribute generously and/or become a monthly sustainer. C. Clark Kissinger is the manager of Revolution Books. Located at 146 W. 26th St. (btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.), it is open daily from noon to 7pm. Their schedule of events can be found at revolutionbooks.org.
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Scenes from SoPa BY HELEN WHITE (Chelsea resident since 1993) After a fairly bumpy landing, we returned from our short vacation in Toronto on Sunday night [Oct. 28]. Our flight was one of the last to the east coast. The airport was a crazy scene, people trying jump the customs line — but despite all this, we felt like we needed to get back and be in the thick of it with our fellow New Yorkers. Most of my family is in California and England, and they were contacting us the whole time we were in Canada, saying that we needed to prepare. I verified with my husband’s (George) family and friends locally that they were not overreacting. When we arrived home, I immediately went to the grocery store and couldn’t believe the shelves were picked clean in some aisles. The cashiers were irritable, understandably. How were they supposed to get home? There were no subways at that point. We live in Zone C. But because we had visions of Armageddon after the constant influx of warning messages, George moved everything important all day on Monday (making sure to evacuate his guitars to higher ground). We cooked dinner, saw the report on the facade of the building that collapsed on Eighth Avenue. Then a few minutes later, boom — off goes the power. I don’t know why we were so surprised. The storm started to really kick up, and I heard many people outside — walking down the middle of the street in complete darkness, yapping on their cell phones. It was frustrating, and I wanted to yell out the window. But I always follow my husband’s rule of “They Know Where You Live.” We slept in our clothes and kept in contact by text with our friend Pam, who lives on the 12th floor over on 22nd Street. I was draining my battery to keep everyone on Facebook updated. Our apartment, usually so full of light and noise, transformed into a dark, silent cave. I joked with myself that we are reverting back to our natural Circadian rhythms without electricity. We woke up Tuesday and walked west to explore the damage. The water line on 22nd near Eleventh Avenue reached about 4-4 ½ feet. This shocked me, as the water had to travel some distance just to get to Eleventh Avenue, and it didn't stop there. It trickled almost all the way to Tenth Avenue, sadly damaging lots of the galleries. And yet elsewhere, things were much worse. We just didn't know it yet. We discovered the joys of non-dairy creamer and boiling water on the stove for a quick, shallow bath. I ended up setting fire to a jar opener which I had carelessly put on top of one of the gas burners. Without light, I couldn't see. So I placed a big saucepan on top, cranked
Photo by Gillian White
From 2011: Pam Tong, George Chambers and Helen White (rocking the ponytail), as they wait for dumplings in Chinatown.
the gas up and the opener caught on fire. I put it out with a dish towel. Not a proud moment. Later, we met up with Pam — who with no cell charge, just yelled in the direction of our window. We headed north with the rest of Downtown. People were hanging on the scaffolding near FIT so they could charge their phones by plugging into the light fixtures on the ceiling of a passageway. How did they even know there were outlets? We landed at the Molly Wee Pub [402 Eighth Ave., btw. 22nd & 23rd Sts.]. It was very crowded, but there was a phone charging station. We discussed Obamacare with visitors from Seattle. We also saw a continuous stream of images of the devastation in New Jersey, all along the shoreline. We didn’t even know about Staten Island, the Rockaways or Coney Island yet. I went and talked to Pam’s neighbors on 22nd Street, Marilyn and Rochelle, who live in a high-rise, so they had no water — but they were longtime residents and were still very positive. Marilyn has a Senegal Parrot, Woggy, which was the highlight of the post-Sandy days. He chirped and danced and chatted and we all laughed at him. I asked Marilyn what Chelsea was like when she moved there in 1979. She said
it was on the edge of being fabulous or going completely downhill. We all know the end to that story. On Wednesday, we trekked up to George’s office to charge laptops and phones. A passerby advised us not to bother with the buses uptown (which, although not full, were not stopping). So we hoofed it. We observed how everything was business as usual in Midtown. George was working and had deadlines. All these scrubbed people in crisp shirts…where do they live?
With friends reminding us of how they had heat and power, we received invites to go Uptown or to Brooklyn — but the idea of returning at dark unnerved us, and it didn’t seem those outside SoPa (South of Power) really grasped how hard it was to get around, other than on foot. The city was literally divided into the “haves” and the “have nots.” Then, I started reading about what happened in Staten Island and things got much darker. My office in SoHo was closed. I handled a few client emails, but there was nothing to distract me from the media on the days I spent glued to the laptop and Facebook. By Thursday, I think we were all going a little crazy. I lost our second flashlight. I had no phone (as I handed it over to my husband to charge Uptown), and I cleaned out the fridge and listened to plays on tape. I spent a lot of time this week cuddling the cat, Elvie…soft, warm and therapeutic. The value of having a pet cannot be understated. I was elated to hear the shelters were accepting animals (big thumbs up for NYC on that one). Luckily, that night we found Dallas BBQ open — running generators and losing money, but providing a warm place to eat for the neighborhood; and we were grateful. On the way home, the National Guard was stationed on our block, with many unmarked police cars parked outside Gristedes (maybe to prevent looting). Outside our building, the super and the cops were standing outside trying to figure out if an elderly neighbor upstairs ever returned from his dialysis appointment on Wednesday. The fire department showed and broke into the apartment, and he wasn’t there. Days later, I was relieved to see him working on his car. On Friday, back up in Midtown after a long, cold day in George’s office, we had some after work drinks with his coworkers — and bizarrely, it seemed like just another Friday Happy Hour. When we returned, gloriously, the lights were on. And now, we must move on, and help whoever we can.
November 14 - 27, 2012
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CHELSEA: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Theaters Plot Post-Sandy Second Acts One day soon, only the actors will be damaged BY TRAV S.D. (travsd.wordpress.com)
THE KITCHEN 512 W. 19th St. (btw. 10th &11th Aves). Visit thekitchen.org or call 212-255-5793 The Kitchen, one of New York’s premiere experimental performance spaces (with its location on the far west side of Manhattan), suffered some of the worst damage of any NYC venue in the aftermath of Sandy. Four feet of flooding filled the building’s theater and lobby spaces — severely damaging the floors, walls, doors, box office, lighting and sound equipment. Initial estimates of the loss are between $400,000 and $500,000. Their planned season has been postponed indefinitely, although they promise to re-mount the shows when they can (announced shows include the next installment of The Kitchen LAB, Adrienne Truscott’s “Too Freedom” (a dance show) and Camille Henrot and Joakim’s “Psychopompe” (music/performance). The Kitchen’s Benefit Auction, which was slated for Mon., Nov. 12, has been rescheduled for Mon., Nov. 26. Donations may be made at thekitchen.org.
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY 155 First Ave. (btw. 9th & 10th Sts.) Visit theaterforthenewcity.net or call 212254-1109 In the days after Sandy hit, Theater for the New City suffered minor flooding in its First Avenue theater complex — not from rain or sea water, but from sewage. According to Jon Weber, the theater’s administrative director, TNC’s basement is below the sewer line and relies on constant pumping to keep it dry on the best of days. When the power went out, so did their pumps. An inch of water filled their downstairs cabaret space and adjacent corridors. Fortunately, they were able to get generators in short order. The basement was pumped out and the office was restored to functionality. By the time power was restored to the neighborhood on November 3, TNC was cleaned up, decorated and ready to hold their Halloween Ball — a major annual event that had been sadly cancelled on the actual holiday. Turnout for the event was 750 — low by usual standards, but surprisingly high given the short notice of their announcement that it was back on. The storm caused many other changes in their schedule. John Jiler’s “Ripe” was extended through November 11. Dance performances by the Nancy Zendora Dance Company and Su-En, a Swedish Butoh dancer, were cancelled outright. The opening of Walt Stepp’s “Skybox” (described as “Adam’s Rib” meets “Moneyball”)
Photo by Laura Barisonzi Photography
Given him a big hand, folks: Playwright Robert Askins debuts “P.S. Jones and the Frozen City,” Dec. 3-23, at the New Ohio Theatre.
Photo by © Paula Court, courtesy of The Kitchen
They’ll be cookin’ again: The Kitchen hopes to reschedule the final three performances of Richard Maxwell’s “Neutral Hero,” when the venerable Chelsea performance space reopens.
was pushed back to November 15. Other shows at TNC are going on as originally scheduled: “Renovations” opened November 8, and “The Tenant” and “Garden of Delights” both open November 15. Visit theaterforthenewcity.net to buy tickets, get info or make donations.
THE NEW OHIO THEATRE
Photo by Adele Bossard
At Theater for the New City, “Skybox” is Walt Stepp’s tale of a wealthy baseball team owner and his marital dysfunction.
154 Christopher St. (btw. Greenwich & Washington Sts.) For tickets, visit smarttix.com or call 212-868-4444 Visit sohothinktank.org In the wake of Sandy, one was prepared to hear the worst about the fate of the New Ohio Theatre, located as it is just a stone’s throw from the Hudson River. But, says artistic director Robert Lyon of Soho Think Tank, the New Ohio’s in-house company, “Fortunately, we lost power but did not flood. We are one block from the river and in the basement, so it feels like a miracle. On the other hand, we did lose a preview, and opening night, and two performances. Ironically, the play is “Coney” by David Johnston and is about the Coney Island boardwalk. Which has now washed away. Adds another layer of meaning to the whole enterprise.” “Coney” will be on the boards through November 18. From December 3-23, terraNOVA Collective, celebrates their 10th season with the world premiere of P.S. Jones and The Frozen City — a comic book superhero adventure story written by Robert Askins (“Hand to God”) and directed by José Zayas. For tickets, information, and to support the New Ohio and Soho Think Tank, go to sohothinktank.org.
Continued on page 22
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Theaters on the Mend Just Do Art! BY SCOTT STIFFLER
FACEBOYZ FOLLIEZ: RELIEF!
Continued from page 21
CANAL PARK PLAYHOUSE 508 Canal St. (btw. Greenwich & Washington Sts.) Visit canalparkplayhouse.com or call 212-226-3040 One of the hardest hit Downtown theaters was Canal Park Playhouse, located in a 185-year-old landmark building on the far west side of Tribeca. The building stands at what was once the shoreline of Manhattan Island, before a landfill put the Hudson at a few hundred yards remove. But that’s close enough to have left this charming little theater at risk during Hurricane Sandy. According to proprietor Kipp Osborne, his “theater was full of water.” That phrase is used a lot during floods — but in Osborne’s case, it’s not hyperbole. His below-ground theater was inundated up to the ceiling, as were his basement office, storage and dressing rooms. Shows like Cardone the Magician’s “Spook Show” (which I recommend) and the about-to-open “Circuswork” are indefinitely postponed while Osborne and his staff gut the space, dry it out, rebuild and rewire. They hope to have repairs complete in January, for the third annual run of "Circus in A Trunk."
Photo by Joan Marcus
He’s a magician, not a beautician: Cardone’s “Spook Show” is on hold, while Canal Park Playhouse preps for an early 2013 reopening.
Unfortunately, the Playhouse is not a not-for-profit organization. In lieu of donations, Osborne asks that you give him your business once he’s up and running again. If you’re not a theater lover, you can eat in the waffle café in his theater’s lobby or send out-of-town friends to the bed and breakfast he runs upstairs.
Decades-long Downtown open mic and variety show host Faceboy (aka Francis R. Hall) gets plenty of mileage from gallows humor and the as-of-late clinically depressed persona he’s laid on thick to much humorous effect — but for the most part, it’s an act that has more to do with satire than serotonin. Case in point: “Faceboyz Folliez” — that monthly burlesque-meets-vaudeville dark ride of depravity — returns to Bar 82 with its frown turned upside down, all for the benefit of those facing the grim reality of postSandy NYC. Proceeds (plus, we’re guessing, funds drawn from the cast’s skipped therapy sessions and prescription med refills) will go to hurricane relief efforts. Ten dollars buys you the right to stare at the likes of St. Rev. Jen Miller, Velocity Chyaldd, Stormy Leather, Amanda Whip, Reverend Mother Flash and Dick and Duane — with Courtney Fathom Selldirected short films from ASS Studios, and films/trailers directed, shot and edited by Cheyenne Picardo. Special guest Scooter Pie and musical guest Dusty Santamaria will bring up the rear, while the Train Wreck Audience Participation segment shovels premium grade coal into the runaway train. Did we mention they promise “drink specials for our drunks?” Sold!
Photo by Ann Bettison Enzminger
Faceboy’s great depression gets lifted for a good cause: Nov. 17’s “Folliez” benefits post-Sandy suffering.
Sat., Nov. 17, 9pm-midnight at Bar 82 (136 2nd Ave., btw. St. Marks Place & 9th St.). Tickets are $10 at the door. For info, call 212-228-8636 or visit bar82nyc.com. Also visit faceboyzfolliez. com and facebook.com/faceboyzfolliez.
November 14 - 27, 2012
Do you have a personal problem at work, the gym, the bar or the corner coffee shop? Is there a domestic dispute that needs the sage counsel of an uninvolved third party? Then Ask Aunt Chelsea! Contact her via askauntchelsea@chelseanow.com, and feel free to end your pensive missive with a clever, anonymous moniker (aka “Troubled on 23rd Street,” or “Ferklempt in the Fashion District”).
Sound off! Write a letter to The Editor
www.chelseanow.com
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November 14 - 27, 2012
P O E T S H O U S E T h e P o e t s H o u s e C h i l d r e n ’s R o o m gives children and their parents a gateway to enter the world of rhyme through readings, group activities and interactive performances. For children ages 1-3, the Children’s Room offers “Tiny Poets Time” readings on Thursdays at 10am; for those ages 4-10, “Weekly Poetry Readings” take place every Sat. at 11am. Join poet Samantha Thornhill in the Children’s Room on Sat., Nov. 17 at 11am as she reads “Ode to Odetta,” about the journey of a folk music legend and civil rights leader, after which children will be encouraged to write their own odes. Explore a perfect day with Carin Berger on Sat., Dec. 1 at 11am, as she presents her book of collages to help children make their own silhouette collages of a “perfect winter day.” Filled with poetry books, old-fashioned typewriters and a card catalogue packed with poetic objects to trigger inspiration, the Children’s Room is open Thurs.- Sat., 11am-5pm. Free admission. At 10 River Terrace. Call 212-431-7920 or visit poetshouse.org.
THE SCHOLASTIC STORE Held every Saturday at 3 p m , S c h o l a s t i c ’s i n - s t o r e a c t i v i t i e s a r e d e s i g n e d to get kids reading, thinking, talking, creating and m o v i n g . A t 1 1 a m e v e r y Tu e s . , W e d . a n d T h u r s . , the Scholastic Storyteller brings tales to life at D a i l y S t o r y t i m e . S a t . , N o v. 1 7 a n d S u n . , N o v. 1 8 will feature a special all-day Holiday Preview to make your holiday shopping as easy as possible with free giftwrapping and exclusive deals. For the kids, there will be toy demonstrations, hourly story time, a Chuggington train table and a v i s i t f r o m M a d i s o n S q u a r e G a r d e n ’s G r i n c h ! The screening of “Chuggington Icy Escapades,” the latest animated adventure about Wilson the t r a i n , h a s a l s o b e e n r e s c h e d u l e d t o S a t . , N o v. 17 at 11am in the Scholastic Auditorium. At 557 Broadway (btw. Prince & Spring Sts.). Store hours: Mon.-Sat., 10am-7pm and Sun., 11am-6pm. For info, call 212-343-6166 or visit scholastic.com/ sohostore.
N E I G H B O R H O O D C L A S S I C S T h i s N e w Yo r k c o n cert series presents two December concerts to benefit their host schools. On Sat., Dec. 1 at 7pm, Contemporaneous will perform “Shut Your Eyes,” led by Neighborhood Classic Artistic Director and compose r J a m e s M a t h e s o n . A N e w Yo r k - b a s e d c o l l e c t i v e of over 40 musicians, Contemporaneous draws on minimalism, rock and folk traditions as widespread as Anatolia and Ireland. They will play works from Conor Brown, Bryce Dessner and Donnacha Dennehy. The concert will take place at, and benefit, P.S. 142 at 100 Attorney St. (btw. Rivington and Delancey Sts.). On Dec. 2 at 3pm, “Face the Music” (an alt-classical ensemble of over 70 New York teens) w i l l p e r f o r m a c o n c e r t e n t i t l e d , “ W h y A m I H e a ring Rock Music in my Classical Music?” Face the Music will be performing at and benefiting P.S. 69Q at 77-02 37th Ave. in Queens. Both concerts are the family-friendly length of one hour. For tickets ($15) and info, visit neighborhoodclassics.com.
C R E AT U R E S O F L I G H T D e s c e n d i n t o t h e d e p t h s of the ocean and explore the caves of New Zealand — without ever leaving Manhattan. Just visit the American Museum of Natural History’s exhibit on bioluminescence (organisms that produce light through chemical reactions). Kids will eagerly soak up this interactive twilight world where huge models of everything from fireflies to alien-like fish illuminate the dark. Through Jan. 6, 2013 at the American Museum of Natural History (79th St. & C e n t r a l P a r k We s t ) . O p e n d a i l y, 1 0 a m – 5 : 4 5 p m . Admission is $25, $14.50 for children, $19 for stud e n t s / s e n i o r s . Ti c k e t s c a n b e p u r c h a s e d a t t h e museum or at amnh.org. For more info, call 212769-5100. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR LISTING IN THE CHELSEA NOW? Please provide the date, time, location, price and a description o f t h e e v e n t . S e n d t o s c o t t @ c h e l s e a n o w. c o m .
THE SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM After losing power during Sandy, the Skyscraper Museum is open again. Its “Saturday Family Program” series features workshops designed to introduce children and their families to the principles of architecture and engineering through hands-on activities. The next workshop, “Trash Factory,” takes place Nov. 17. Kids ages five and up will learn about how buildings are reused and recycled and then construct their own buildings from recycled materials. On Dec. 1, families will get a tour of the museum and the current exhibit “URBAN FABRIC” and then children will get the chance to create a holiday postcard with their favorite skyscraper. The Dec. 15 workshop starts with a reading of “Sky Boys,” an educational children’s book about the construction of the Empire State Building written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by James Ransome. Afterwards, kids can design their own lightup skyscraper for the holidays. All workshops take place at 10:30am. Call 212- 945-6324 or email education@skyscraper.org. Admission: $5 per child, free formembers. Museum hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-6pm. Museum admission: $5, $2.50 for students/seniors. For info, call 212-9456324, visit skyscraper.org. B O O K S O F W O N D E R N e w Yo r k C i t y ’s o l d e s t a n d largest independent children’s bookstore hosts Storytime every Fri. at 4pm and Sun. at noon in their Children’s Room. Join a whole host of children’s authors at noon on Nov. 17 for the November Book Bonanza for stories about everything from Arlo, the dog that needs glasses to Cecil the pet glacier. On Tues., Nov. 20 at 7:30pm, meet Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling series “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Books of Wonder’s “Holiday Kickoff!” begins Sat., Nov. 24 at noon with children’s authors and illustrators Jerry Pinkney, E.B. Lewis, Chris Raschka and Ed Young presenting new works. December’s first event is a Picture Book Bonanza, with eight authors and illustrators presenting colorful and creative picture books on Sun., Dec. 2 at 1pm. And the “Ho-Ho-Holidays!” event at noon on Sat., Dec. 8 will feature authors Bob Shea, Adele Ursone and Lee Harper with Christmas classics such as “Dinosaur vs. Santa” and “Christmas Tugboat.” At 18 W. 18th St. (btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves.). Store hours are Mon.-Sat., 11am-7pm and Sun.11am-6pm. For more info, call 212-989-3270 or visit booksofwonder. com.
Photo courtesy of Sun Productions
FANCY NANCY THE MUSICAL Fancy Nancy is getting an extra-special debut at Downtown’s Culture Project. On Nov. 24, the Vital Theatre Company (known for its world class, not-for-profit children’s programming) presents “Fancy Nancy The Musical.” It’s based on the best-selling children’s book series written by Jane O’Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. The good news: Nancy just landed a part in the school play! The bad news? It’s as a
tree. Can she bring her own style into the role, even though it’s not the one she wanted? “Fancy Nancy” is a witty, educational and, of course, fancy treat for the family. At Culture Project, 45 Bleecker St. (btw. Mulberry & Mott Sts.). Performances run Sat. at 1:30pm and Sun. at noon, until Feb. 24. For tickets ($30), visit vitaltheatre.org, call 212-579-0528 or visit the McGinn/Cazale box office Mon.Fri., 9am-5pm (or the Culture Project box office one hour prior to show time).
November 14 - 27, 2012
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Galleries bounce back...from the basement Exhibitions reopen, amidst storage lessons learned from Sandy STEPHEN MUELLER: PAINTINGS & WATERCOLORS Through December 26 At Lennon, Weinberg 514 W. 25th St. (btw 10th & 11th Aves.) Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm Call 212-941-0012 or visit lennonweinberg.com
Stephen Mueller (1947-2011) was an artist of unique sensibility and poetic vision. After abandoning gestural abstraction in the late 1980s, he turned to color wholeheartedly. By the early 1990s, his shapes became fl attened, assuming an iconic presence — while his palette began to vibrate with bright yellows, pinks, turquoise and oranges. His last paintings and watercolors were hybrids, acting as fertile meeting grounds
Interviews by Scott Stiffler Reviews by Stephanie Buhmann
JILL WEINBERG ADAMS (co-owner): We took a couple of days to prepare for the hurricane, by moving art out of harm’s way. Inevitably, there were some things that couldn’t be addressed ahead of time. Although our art losses were minimal, our badly flooded basement resulted in the loss of archives, tools and the accumulated resources of the 25-year history of the gallery. We have had amazing support from our gallery artists and our friends. Our fine arts insurance company has been very supportive, and we feel that we are past the worst of it.
for cross-cultural references and citations. Islamic art, Indian miniatures, Mexican ceramics, Tantra painting, the color theory of Philipp Otto Runge, the spiritual aura found in German Romanticism, music, textile design, and Eastern philosophy shaped his aesthetic and intellectual vocabulary. This will be the artist’s first posthumous solo exhibition.
—Stephanie Buhmann
Although we had little to no water flooding from the street into the ground floor gallery, once the power was turned off, our basement — which is kept dry by means of powerful pumps — began to slowly fill with water. By 1pm Tuesday [October 30], when I arrived at the gallery, the [Stephen Mueller] show was perfect and I was so happy to see it…but my heart sank when I shined the flashlight downstairs and saw we had several feet of water in the basement. I was unable to secure the services of a generator and pump and by the time I returned on Wednesday, there were an additional eight inches of water. Fortunately, pumping started Wednesday afternoon. Working with the owner of the building, we were able to secure contractors with equipment and began to pump out the water on Wednesday afternoon. It took a full two days to get the water down to the concrete, to the floor. By Friday afternoon, we had enough access to begin to evaluate the three feet of waterlogged archives, catalogs, tools, furnishings and unfortunately located various artworks that had either been overlooked or were inaccessible during our hurried preparations in advance of the storm. As of Sunday night [November 4], we are drying out. We are in considerable disarray but are
Baruch College/International Student Service Center and Council Member Rosie Mendez invite you to attend
FREE
Citizenship Application Assistance
Friday, November 16, 2012, 1pm-5 pm
Image courtesy of Lennon, Weinberg, New York
Stephen Mueller: “Bhimsen” (2011, 34 x 34," acrylic on canvas).
ready to reinstall [the Mueller exhibition, which had been moved to the second floor as a post-Sandy precaution] and reopen.
Gallery Roundup continued on page 26
You must meet the following requirements: • Reside in the United States as a permanent resident for five years (three years if living with and married to the same U.S. citizen) • Live in the United States for half of the five or three year period • You are at least 18 years old What to bring: • Green card and all passports since obtaining green card • Home addresses for the last five or three years • Children’s information (date of birth, A#, addresses)* • School/Employment history for the last five or three years* • Marital history/criminal history* *(If applicable)
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DIRECTIONS: hopstop.com or call (718) 330-1234 cuny.edu/citizenshipnow
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November 14 - 27, 2012
Galleries ‘going to have to be smarter about how they store things’ lery, so we were lucky with that. Its new run date is December 14 through January 19. The show that was on view before the storm hit [“Hank Willis Thomas: What Goes Without Saying”], has been extended through December 8. We were lucky that the damage was contained to the basement. Most of the photos that were lost are by living artists so can fortunately be reprinted. Of the irreplaceable artworks, many are secondary market items bought at auction, mostly works on paper. Jack and Claude [the gallery co-owners] are big collectors. Our exhibition space [which sustained no water damage] is on the ground level. We’re lucky to be raised three and a half feet above street level…but because the basement was flooded, we needed to use the gallery’s dry spaces to triage the works that were damaged. Myself and a few other Manhattan-based colleagues were first to arrive, on Tuesday [October 31], and went to work trying to bail things out of the water. We were
HANK WILLIS THOMAS: WHAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING Through Dec. 8 At Jack Shainman Gallery 513 W. 20th St. (btw. 10th & 11th Aves,) Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm Call 212-645-1701 or visit jackshainman.com
Continued from page 25
ELISABETH SANN (associate director) It’s really our basement that got flooded. The building installed a new elevator recently…and I guess it wasn’t sealed properly — so the water came in through the elevator shaft. We have quite a bit of storage down there. We did [prior to Sandy] raise artwork about a foot off the ground, but we weren’t ready for three feet of water. The shipment for El Anatsui’s show [“El Anatsui: They Finally Broke the Pot of Wisdom,” originally scheduled to open November 28] arrived [post-Sandy] while we were trying to move the damaged work out of the gal-
“What Goes Without Saying” is Hank Willis Thomas’ third solo exhibition with Jack Shainman Gallery includes photographs, sculpture, painting and new media — all which delve into the construction of mythologies embedded in popular culture. Known for his innovative use of advertising, a globally ubiquitous language, he builds complex narratives about history, identity and race.
Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, NY
Hank Willis Thomas: “I am the Greatest” (2012, mixed media, 33 1/2 inches in diameter. Edition 1 of 3, with 1 artist proof).
taking dry artwork to our storage space in upstate New York. The wet work is going to a conservator in the Bronx. We’re very lucky to have had a lot of support from friends. How is it [the West Chelsea gallery area] as a whole? It’s hard to say, because I was just knee deep in our own issues. I think we’ll all make a recovery. It seems like a lot of galleries are landing on their feet. [Chelsea Now asked Sann if they’d stay in the area and, if so, how they’d plan for future events of such magnitude.] There aren’t many neighborhoods left in Manhattan with this kind of space. Galleries are going to have to be a little smarter about storage, though — and take a bit more heed when they hear weather warnings. We never had flooding like that...ever. I think we just need to be more careful and rethink the way we operate.
Continued on page 27
This show brings together several facets of Thomas’ practice to explore objects and language, torn from their history, brought to our present and repurposed to reveal the process of their agency. By separating language from the advertising in which it appears, he effectively deconstructs the relationship between the reader and viewer.
Photo by Scott Stiffler
On Nov. 4, gallery owner Jack Shainman takes a break from consigning waterlogged basement items to the trash bin.
November 14 - 27, 2012
Morrison, at Woodward
MARGARET MORRISON: CHILD’S PLAY Through Dec. 22 Artist’s Reception: Sat., Dec. 1, 6-8pm At Woodward Gallery 133 Eldridge St. (below Delancey St.) Hours: Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm & Sun., 12-5pm & by appointment Visit woodwardgallery.net or call 212-966-3411
Morrison’s work imagines life from a child’s point of view. Playfully, it describes a world that is populated by magical creatures — including giant robots, enormous pull toys and lifesize dolls. Morrison’s paintings are part consciously naive and part ominous, allowing the thought that in an overall saturated wonderland, scary things might hide in the shadows.
Continued from page 26
KRISTINE WOODWARD (co-owner): Hurricane Sandy knocked out Woodward Gallery’s electricity and water. Since our security system runs on power, we were physically unable to get into our space from Monday, October 29 through Sunday, November 4, to even check for damage. Thankfully, Woodward was built like a vault. Our building has a sub-basement, which would have had to fill up completely with water before it started to affect the Gallery levels. We endured the flooding without much incident. Our major fall exhibition was postponed a week and the opening reception was rescheduled [for December 1]. All Margaret Morrison’s collectors, flying in from all over the country, had to cancel their visits. We reopened to the public with the Morrison exhibition on November 10. Hope to see you!
This newest body of work is comprised of several larger-than-life oil paintings. Characterized by an intensely vivid palette, they present most unusual Surreal scenarios, one including Fisher Price wooden figurines ascending a ladder to a rolling Trojan Horse, for example.
—Stephanie Buhmann
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November 14 - 27, 2012