East Villager • Dec. 10, 2015

The Paper of Record for East and West Villages, Lower East Side, Soho, Noho, Little Italy and Chinatown

December 10, 2015 • FREE Volume 5 • Number 21

Toledano tenants unite to fight eviction efforts in East Village buildings

BY YANNIC RACK

T

enants in rent-regulated apartments in the East Village are fighting eviction by their new landlord, who is already a well-known figure in the neighborhood for allegedly harassing long-term renters into giving up their homes.

As The Villager has pre-

viously reported, Raphael Toledano, who purchased more than a dozen properties in the area this year, hasn’t made the best of impressions on his new tenants, who have reported late-night phone calls and ominous visits by his associates that leave them feeling TOLEDANO continued on p. 4 PHOTO BY JEFFERSON SIEGEL

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver leaving federal court in Lower Manhattan after being found guilty on all counts in his corruption trial. See page 6 for article.

After 50 years, famed fashionista Patricia Field closing Downtown store

BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

P

atricia Field is in a good place. Decked out in purple-sparkled arm warmers, shiny pink lace-up loafers and half-fatigued pants and crowned by flaming red hair, the 73-yearold designer — known for dressing Carrie Bradshaw and crew in “Sex and the

City” and the cast of “The Devil Wears Prada” as well as clothing rockers, actors, drag queens, writers, students, locals and everyone in between — will close her 4,000-squarefoot shop at 306 Bowery by this March or April.

Field’s style is a punk rock orgy of shreds, leather, FIELD continued on p. 5

WWW.EASTVILLAGERNEWS.COM 7th Annual

Cookie Walk Take a walk through our Cookie Wonderland and fill a box with your favorites from over fifty varieties of homemade confections. There are two sizes of boxes: $15 & $25

#cookiewalkNYC | May 14, 2014

NYCHA will build on ‘hot’ East Side, chief assures

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

W

hen Mayor de Blasio appointed Shola Olatoye chairperson and C.E.O. of the New York Public Housing Authority in February 2014, he gave her two assignments: first, to “reset relationships with residents,” and, second, “to come up with a plan” to save North America’s largest public housing authority.

With 607,000 residents, NYCHA’s population is larg-

er than Las Vegas, Atlanta or Miami. If it were a city, it would be the country’s 30th largest. One of every 14 New Yorkers lives in NYCHA housing.

In an interview with the editorial staff of The Villager and NYC Community Media last Friday, Olatoye laid out some of the major features of that new 15-point plan, NextGeneration NYCHA, including, most notably, the authority’s intention to build new housing that is 50 percent affordable and 50

percent market rate on open land within existing NYCHA developments in “hot” neighborhoods.

In September, the sites of the first two of these “50/50” so-called “infill” projects were announced — NYCHA’s Wyckoff Gardens in Boerum Hill / Gowanus, Brooklyn, and Holmes Towers on the Upper East Side, which would respectively see up to 650 and 400 new units built on their grounds NYCHA continued on p. 12

SAT, December 12th, 11am - 5pm SUN, December 13th, 12pm - 3pm St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church Corner 10th Street & Ave. A, East Village

Free Craft Fun 4 Kids!

Fun Photo Booth!

w w w. s t n i c h o l a s co o k i e w a l k . co m

www.EastVillagerNews.com

1

gobbles up dog poop, Waters proclaimed, “We did it for anarchy,” as the audience applauded. Someone in the crowd noted that the famous transgender actor / drag queen Holly Woodlawn (“Holly came from Miami, F-L-A…”) had just died, to which Waters said it was the first he had heard of it. “I loved Holly Woodlawn,” he said, adding, “I think one day Andy Warhol’s movies will be as recognized as his art.” As for Donald Trump, he said, “Good! I hope he wins [the Republican nomination], ’cause he’ll lose.”

SORRY, NO TRUMP BOOKS! More than once, Donald Trump has said, “I’m, like, a really smart person.” Yeah, right! Well, McNally Jackson bookstore, at 52 Prince St., for one, begs to differ, recently tweeting out: “A bummer to disappoint a customer, but it is also a relief that we don’t carry any books by low IQ person Donald Trump.”

PHOTO BY DANA (DISTORTION) YAVIN

John Waters sported this snazzy suit at his City Winery show.

HOLY NIGHT, DIRTY NIGHT: Filmmaking legend John Waters did not disappoint at his sold-out “A John Waters Christmas: Holier and Dirtier” show at City Winery Sunday evening. Not to give away his material, but in one of his nuggets, he said being transgender isn’t a big deal anymore — what he’d really like to see is someone have the courage to say they made a mistake, and then go back under the knife and transition to their original sex again. He also gave a shout-out to the former Hellfire sex club in the Meat Market. “Jerzy Kosinski would be there every night,” he recalled. “I see there’s a fancy restaurant there now — I don’t know if I’d want to eat there!” During a Q&A after his stand-up, he explained, “ ‘Pink Flamingos’ was a pothead comedy. I was on pot when I made that.” As for the infamous scene where Divine

ES & MORE SINCE 1982 I P !

CO

COPIES • COLOR PRINTS • FAX • SCANNING STICKERS • RUBBER STAMPS • BUSINESS CARDS LAMINATING • BINDING • VIDEO & CASSETTE CONVERSIONS UNIQUE GREETING CARDS • OFFICE SUPPLIES SAVE TIME: SEND YOUR FILES TO: santo@sourceunltd.com & PICK UP @ STORE!

331 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10003 Phone: 212-473-7833 / Fax: 212-673-5248 www.sourceunltd.com

“It’s worth the trip down the street!”

2

December 10, 2015

‘IT’S NOT SEXIST!’ Some anonymous posters on thevillager.com have accused John Quinn, the Lower East Side Democratic state committeeman, of being sexist for saying District Leader Jenifer Rajkumar was too dressed up when he took her to visit a homeless shelter. But Quinn disagrees. “It’s not sexist!” he retorted. “These are people that have never even seen clothes like that. So you want to work with them — don’t make them feel like crap!”

For his part, Paul Newell, Rajkumar’s co-district leader, said he doesn’t take Quinn’s criticisms personally, such as when Quinn said Newell and Rajkumar needed more experience. “I took no offense at his comments, he’s a brusque guy,” Newell said.

As for Quinn’s sartorial swipe at Rajkumar, he shrugged, “It was an irrelevant point. Look, she’s a well-dressed woman.” Rajkumar, however, asked if she felt Quinn’s comment was sexist, tersely said, “I don’t think that comment warrants a response.”

Meanwhile, nearly everyone who posted comments on the Nov. 5 Scoopy’s item scolding Quinn for his remark is anonymous, with evenly distributed geographic handles like LESVoter, GatewayRes, Downtowner, BPC Voter, West Sider, RectorGal, Village Girl, Battery Voter and Villager. Hmm, a very neat cross section of the 65th Assembly District. … Makes you wonder! Is someone trying to “spin” the story with anonymous comments? Is this the new politics?

GROWING BERNIE STAFF: Last time we checked, the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign was all-volunteer in New York State, which, no doubt, only added to his appeal for some voters. But now Arthur Schwartz, the Village male Democratic district leader, tells us that he has been retained as counsel for Sanders’s Empire State campaign. “He has a New York operation,” Schwartz said, “two people hired this week, besides me, and people already lined up to run for delegate in every congressional district in the state. As a lawyer, I am on staff, not a volunteer.

As a delegate candidate, I am a volunteer. Bernie has almost as much money on hand as Hillary.” … Meanwhile, a decision in the court case over Schwartz’s removal of the landlord’s spy cams outside of the elderly Ruth Berk’s apartment at 95 Christopher St. is likely in late January, he said. Schwartz contends he was not stealing the inexpensive cameras, merely trying to stop the owner’s harassment of Berk, for whom Schwartz was acting as guardian.

BULL’S-EYE! Following our recent article on Allan Reiver’s original Coney Island Mangels shooting gallery, we hear that Lisa Mangels-Schaefer, the great-granddaughter of William F. Mangels, was

planning to visit Reiver’s Elizabeth St. Gallery to check out the iconic amusement attraction.

ROSIE PICTURE: East Village District Leader Carlina Rivera has been working at Councilmember Rosie Mendez’s office since September as the director of legislative affairs. We hear this is to help groom Rivera for Mendez’s seat as the heir apparent in 2017. We had thought Anthony Feliciano, Rivera’s co-district leader, was being positioned for the seat, but now we’re hearing it’s more Rivera. Word is that Harvey Epstein, former Community Board 3 chairperson and now at the Urban Justice Center, also had announced to people that he would be running for City Council. But now we’re hearing Epstein might have changed gears.

Epstein didn’t respond to a request for comment.

GAS, AT LAST! Ayo Harrington tells us the gas should finally be going back on soon at 125 Second Ave., the tenement left standing directly north of the March 26 Second Ave. gas-explosion site. Harrington put on the pressure by calling up the building owner and saying that the city was going to come in and do the repairs, which finally got the landlord on the stick.

It was basically a bluff, she admits — but apparently it worked!

FOR THE RECORD: Court sketch artist Elizabeth Williams tells us that the courtroom in which the closing arguments were given in Sheldon Silver’s corruption case was the same one where the trials for Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, Martha Stewart and John Mitchell and Mitchell Stans were held.

The cover photo for Eden Brower, John Heneghan and R. Crumb’s new podcast album.

CRUMB’S COMPLAINT: East Village musician and blogger Eden Brower recently put the word out on her Slum Goddess blog that R. Crumb was furious about the recent profile of him by Jacques Hyzagi in the New York Observer, “Robert Crumb Hates You.” “Robert is VERY unhappy about what they published,” Brower told us. “He asked me to post his response to the article on my blog as he feels the need to set the record straight about all this.” Crumb writes, “I regret that I ever consented to give this interview, that I let the journalist, Jacques Hyzagi, come to my home and hang around for two days talking to me. I should’ve known better. I was warned about this paSCOOPY’S continued on p. 23 EastVillagerNews.com

EastVillagerNews.com

December 10, 2015

3

Toledano tenants unite to fight evictions Named best weekly newspaper in New York State in 2001, 2004 and 2005

by New York Press Association Editorials, First Place, 2014 Overall Design Excellence, First Place, 2013 Best Column, First Place, 2012 Photographic Excellence, First Place, 2011 Spot News Coverage, First Place, 2010 Coverage of Environment, First Place, 2009

PUBLISHER JENNIFER GOODSTEIN

EDITOR IN CHIEF LINCOLN ANDERSON

ARTS EDITOR

SCOTT STIFFLER

CONTRIBUTORS ALBERT AMATEAU IRA BLUTREICH SARAH FERGUSON TEQUILA MINSKY CLAYTON PATTERSON JEFFERSON SIEGEL ZACH WILLIAMS SHARON WOOLUMS

ART DIRECTOR MICHAEL SHIREY

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS RHIANNON HSU CHRIS ORTIZ

EXECUTIVE VP OF ADVERTISING AMANDA TARLEY

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES JACK AGLIATA ALLISON GREAKER JENNIFER HOLLAND JIM STEELE JULIO TUMBACO

CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. MARVIN ROCK

Member of the New York Press Association

Member of the National Newspaper Association

The Villager (USPS 578930) ISSN 0042-6202 is published every week by NYC Community Media LLC, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 (212) 229-1890.

Periodicals Postage paid at New York, N.Y. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $29 ($35 elsewhere). Single copy price at office and newsstands is $1. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2011 NYC Community Media LLC. PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR

The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement.

The publisher’s liability for others errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

Published by NYC Community Media, LLC One Metrotech North 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: (718) 260-2500 • Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.thevillager.com E-mail: news@thevillager.com © 2012 NYC Community Media, LLC

4

December 10, 2015

TOLEDANO continued from p. 1

threatened.

And now some are fighting to stay in their longtime apartments after the young real estate mogul — who goes by “Raffi” — served them with eviction notices.

“It’s kind of endemic of what’s going on in the East Village right now,” said Craig Smith, who has lived with his family in a two-bedroom apartment at 233 E. Fift St. for the last 12 years.

He said he refused to take a buyout offer from Toledano earlier this year, only to find his lease wasn’t renewed at the end of October.

“And then the next thing I got was an eviction notice,” he said.

Smith is one of a number of tenants on E. Fifth St. and elsewhere in the East Village who fear losing their homes after Toledano acquired their buildings — 16 in total — this September.

“In the last month, Raffi has been refusing to renew leases and serving court papers to selected rent-regulated tenants, a few per building,” said Nina D’Alessandro, who has lived at the neighboring 231 E. Fifth St. since 1978.

“In every case, the court papers seem to precede inquiries as to whether the tenant will take a buyout,” she said. “So one can assume that this is another pressure tactic designed to evacuate apartments.”

But Jonathan Weinstein, a spokesperson for Toledano, told The Villager that the new landlord’s intentions were good.

Regarding Smith’s case, which has now moved to housing court, Weinstein said the apartment has been deregulated ever since it was vacated by the previous owner in 2003, a claim that Smith and his lawyer dispute.

“The current lease expired on its own terms on Oct. 31 and under the law there is absolutely no obligation to renew the lease,” Weinstein said.

“When the current tenant signed his lease in 2003, the apartment was a free-market apartment. To imply otherwise is just not accurate.”

In July, D’Alessandro started the “Toledano Tenants Coalition,” a selfhelp group for Raffi’s tenants. The coalition now meets every month and includes residents from around 20 of Toledano’s buildings in the East Village and Chelsea.

“Our work is essentially just trying to keep people from taking crappy buyout offers and knowing their rights,” said Ben Lebovitz, who successfully fought his own eviction from another Toledano-owned property, 97 Second Ave. “Being a tenant who has to defend your lease in court is very stressful and expensive,” Lebovitz said. “Espe-

PHOTO BY MONTY STILSON

Craig Smith and his family, in their E. 5th St. home, from left, Tesfahun SmithStone, Elise Stone, Craig Smith, Sandy Stone, Hakima SmithStone and Kerem SmithStone.

cially when you’re going up against a landlord who has a hundred-million-dollar real estate portfolio.”

In addition to their own efforts, the tenants have also received help from Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), a housing and preservation organization, and the Urban Justice Center, which is representing some of the buildings’ tenants in court.

Lebovitz said last year that five of the 10 rent-regulated tenants in his building were served with notices to cure violations or vacate their apartments after Toledano acquired them.

Lebovitz’s own case was eventually settled.

His lawyer, David Frazer, currently represents three Toledano tenants, all in rent-regulated apartments in the East Village.

“Two of the cases that I currently represent involve completely madeup allegations by the landlord, one of which they’ve already caved in on and given my client a renewal lease,” Frazer told The Villager.

The attorney said that case involved a tenant who had a pseud-

onym listed on his mailbox from the beginning of his tenancy, which the landlord used as evidence to claim that the man was illegally subletting the apartment.

“He’s just throwing spaghetti against the wall [to see what sticks],” Frazer said of Toledano.

D’Alessandro hasn’t faced a direct threat yet herself, since her current lease runs through next September. But she said she’s just thinking ahead.

“We’re all in this together, and we’re really gonna need each other,” she said, adding that the coalition was preparing to fight more evictions in the months to come.

As for Smith, he said his next court date is scheduled for mid-January.

“Of course I’m worried. We’ve lived on this block for over 30 years,” he said.

Two of his children still go to school in the East Village and his theater company is also located in the neighborhood.

“Our plan is to stay here, because our life is here,” he said.

EastVillagerNews.com

Famed fashionista Field is closing Bowery store FIELD continued from p. 1

pleather, feathers and frills. But she is not being pushed out by extreme rent hikes. She’s closing shop because it’s time.

After years of ignoring offers to sell the building, which she owns, she finally yielded to pursue other projects in designing, branding, TV and film — including work on a script for Erica Jong’s 1973 novel “Fear of Flying” — selling her property to Thor Equities, which purchased the property for an undisclosed amount.

“It’s been 50 years, and here I am,” said Field. “I did it. I’m proud of it, and fortunately, I bought a good piece of real estate in the year 2000.

Things have changed, but I’m still standing.”

In 1966, Field opened her first shop, on Washington Square East near her alma mater, New York University. A New York City native, Field started out with very little money but knew the shopping patterns around the university. Just five years later, she was able to expand to a larger space at 10 E. Eighth St. After more than 30 years at that location, she moved her business to the Bowery, first to No. 302, then expanding into No. 306, between Bleecker and Houston Sts. She has won one Emmy Award for her work for “Sex and the City” and been nominated for four more.

Making fashion more accessible was always Field’s M.O. “This place is my philosophy, that fashion should be accessible, positive and fun,” she said, during an interview in the shop earlier this week. “I like to entertain my customers. I consider my shop a fashion bazaar. It’s not a designer boutique. It’s not a collection boutique. When you walk in there’s always going to be some surprise.”

Field made it O.K. to crave fashion at any price, whether it was something tripped out by Tripp, dazzling Dior or something for $10.

“I always felt that my eye has to see it and like it, and I have to feel like it’s worth the money,” she said of her store’s mix of new, funky and vintage garb. “So I created this bazaar based on what I love. Fashion is a fun, creative medium, and that’s how I always looked at it, personally. I’m glad I could make a career out of it, and sometime during the development,

PHOTO BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

Patricia Field in her downstairs office in her Bowery store this week. She goes to the store every day.

establish a brand out of it.”

Blondie’s Debbie Harry, a longtime fan and friend of Field’s, will miss having around the fashion refuge, which was often likened to Trash & Vaudeville and other specialty clothing shops long gone.

“Her story, style and shop will be a huge loss to New York City, and sadly missed by many people,” Harry told The Villager.

For her part, what Field will miss most is the customers.

“I will miss most people coming in telling me how much they love being in the store, that it’s so unique and it’s so much fun and they come in here to get happy,” said Field, who hopes to throw a big party before her store closes for good. “That’s a wonderful thing for me to hear.

“I’ll continue my outside projects that don’t require me 24/7. And when it’s over, it’s done — there’s a beginning and an end,” she said. “It’s not like that in retail. After 50 years, I feel like it’s time.”

Jacob a.

Riis revealing new york’s other half

“heart-rending retrospective” – The New York Times

Inequality remains a fact of life in America.

A century later, this New York master’s photos still explode with outrage.

CALL TO SUBSCRIBE

646-452-2475

EastVillagerNews.com

mcny.org 1220 FiFth ave at 103rd st

December 10, 2015

5

Special election slated to pick Silver successor

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

J

enifer Rajkumar, Paul Newell, Gigi Li, Jenny Low, _____ (fill in the blank)… . Who will be the next person to represent the 65th Assembly District?

Whoever it is ultimately, one thing is for certain: The Assembly seat will remain vacant until April.

Monday’s conviction of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on seven federal corruption charges cemented what seemed fairly inevitable ever since his shocking arrest back in January — namely, that, after Silver’s decades-long political reign, Lower Manhattan will be getting a new assemblymember.

Word on the street had been that, regardless of the trial’s outcome, the “tarnished Silver” wouldn’t run for re-election next year.

However, following his felony conviction for engineering $4 million in what prosecutors called kickbacks through referrals to his lawfirm, Silver was instantly stripped of his political office. His Assembly home page was immediately scrubbed clean — a search for it yields “Not Found” above a blank white page — and phone calls to his Assembly office are now automatically redirected to the office of Carl Heastie, who replaced Silver as Assembly speaker in February. Silver could face up to 20 years in jail, though he is appealing.

The day after the momentous ruling, Governor Andrew Cuomo clarified the situation regarding how Silver’s successor will be chosen. According to the New York Observer, during a press conference on Tuesday, Cuomo when asked about whether he planned to call a special election to fill Silver’s former seat, said it would be held in April on the same day as the presidential primary.

Cuomo, who has been reluctant to call special elections in the past, said that holding one for the Lower East Side seat and two other vacancies on that day would save money.

As opposed to an open primary, the local Democratic and Republican county committees would each pick one candidate who would then face off in the special election. The winner, though, could face a challenge six months later in a traditional primary in September.

Silver was Assembly speaker for 20 years, making him one of the state’s most powerful politicians, if not the most powerful. He represented the Lower East Side in Albany for twice that long.

His fall represents not only a huge sea change for Lower Manhattan, but a rarity in a state Legislature where, without term limits, winning election basically means a job for life.

A rare opening “They’re like the Aurora Borealis,” Hank Sheinkopf, the veteran Democratic political consultant, said of open seats in the Legislature. “You don’t see them very often.”

It’s no surprise, but the Democratic candidate will be overwhelmingly favored to take the special election.

“Unless Mars collides with Venus, the Democratic nominee will win,” Sheinkopf quipped.

“For the Republican to win — you’d have a better chance of finding gold in the Gowanus Canal.”

Rajkumar and Newell, who are co-Democratic district leaders are also members of the same political club, Downtown Independent Democrats.

Newell ran against Silver in the 2008 primary,

6

December 10, 2015

Paul Newell.

Jenifer Rajkumar.

while Rajkumar gave Councilmember Margaret Chin a strong challenge in 2013.

The September primary could well be a “freefor-all,” Sheinkopf predicted.

There’s no campaign finance system at the state level, he noted, meaning the government offers candidates no matching funds, which is a way to even the playing field for less well-funded candidates. So it boils down to “who can put up the money” to wage a campaign, he said.

“Rajkumar can raise money,” he said. “Paul Newell has run [for Assembly] before, so he probably feels he has a claim on the seat.

“If Gigi Li were in the race, it would be a different story,” Sheinkopf said, referring to the Community Board 3 chairperson.

Ready for change

Li in limbo?

Li, who would be expected to draw the district’s Chinese-American vote, ran into trouble this past summer when she tried to topple Rajkumar as district leader. The petition signatures that Li’s supporters collected to put her on the ballot were riddled with fraud, a lawsuit filed by two D.I.D. members charged. Ultimately, Li dropped out of the race, though denying the fraud allegations, and saying it was because she didn’t collect enough petition signatures.

Local politicos speculate that Li won’t now make a try for the Assembly seat. She did not respond to a request for comment this week on whether she might run.

However, Diem Boyd, founder of the LES Dwellers quality-of-life group, said she has been hearing rumors that Chinatown’s United Democratic Organization might be thinking of pushing Jenny Low for the open seat. Low has been a district leader for 10 years.

In addition, Lower Manhattan activist Arthur Piccolo is advocating for Catherine McVay Hughes, C.B. 1 chairperson, to run for the seat, saying she has the “character and intelligence” that would serve the district well.

Newell was the first to blast out a statement after Silver’s conviction was announced Monday.

“This is a sad day for Lower Manhattan and a sad day for New York,” Newell said. “Today’s verdict proves it is up to us to reclaim our government. No court will end Albany’s culture of corruption and cronyism. If we, as voters and citizens, continue to accept a government that favors those who buy power and influence, then that will be the government we get. But, if we want a government that is fair, transparent, and works for all of us, we must reclaim it ourselves. We can and must do better. The time for us to act is now.”

Asked for comment on Silver’s fall, Rajkumar said, “Lower Manhattan residents must now come together across neighborhoods, income levels and ethnicities, investing in a sense of collective destiny as we tackle the district’s pressing challenges of affordability, school overcrowding and small business survival. We must also come together to address larger national issues of gun violence, national security and equal pay for equal work. Working together, we can replace the culture of corruption in Albany with a culture of service. I look forward to being a part of this movement in any way that best serves our community and ensures honest and effective leadership for the future.”

As for when the Democratic County Committee will meet to pick the nominee, it wasn’t immediately clear, but some think January or February.

‘Take a timeout!’

Meanwhile, John Quinn, the outspoken Lower East Side Democratic state committeeman, said everyone should just take a timeout for a month or so, in the wake of Silver’s epic flameout. The fierce jockeying for political support by Newell and Rajkumar has been going on ever since Silver’s arrest ELECTION continued on p. 16 EastVillagerNews.com

Marvelous Fiction Romance Novel

in NYC Barnes and Nobles

“Different Minds.”

This marvelous novel by the youngest Lebanese Author Joyce E. Rayess captures New Yorker’s attention for fiction-romance lovers. “Different Minds” is available in Barnes & Nobles bookstores and in all e-bookstores.

WE HAVE MOVED — RIGHT NEXT DOOR!

Jewelry, Watches, & Tchotchkes REPAIR

PHOTO BY MILO HESS

These kids were definitely feeling very bubbly in Union Square.

43 Aveneue A New York, NY 10009

Mention this ad & Recieve

20% Off

168 West 4th Street, NYC

galleriajantonio.com 212.505.9400

212.242.6480

www.pepesrestaurants.com

AMAZING BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH

A traditional Spanish and Mexican restaurant located in New York’s West Village neighborhood.

JOIN US FOR AN

SERVED DAILY BETWEEN 12PM AND 3:30PM

Our menu showcases the simple reflective food flavors of Spain.

Using the best ingredients and implementing a simplistic technique resulting in a clean, dynamic presentation, creating memorable dining experiences through passionately created culinary dishes, many of which are prepared in the wood-fire oven, including our signature dish, Paella Valenciana.

WE SERVING ARE OPEN CHRISTMAS EVERESERVATIONS &1970 DAY NEW YEARS STRONG! EVE & DAY! WEOUR ARE NOW ACCEPTING FOR THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY SINCE —AND AND STILL RUNNING EastVillagerNews.com

December 10, 2015

7

Still loved by many voters

Built on the Strength of Experience.

MileaSubaru.com

Financing as low as 1.9% APR† NEW 2016 Subaru Legacy 2.5i SAVE 1208 OFF MSRP $

21,799

$ BUY FOR

Model#GAB-01, Stk#8140S, 4cyl, am/fm/cd, tilt, cruise, pwr/brks/winds/lks, Bluetooth. MSRP: $23,007

New 2016 Subaru Forester 2.5i SAVE 1474 OFF MSRP $

23,604

$ BUY FOR

Model#GFB-02, Stk#8148S, 4cyl, am/fm/cd, tilt, cruise, pwr/brks/winds/lks, Bluetooth. MSRP: $25,078

2016 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited SAVE 2000 OFF MSRP $

32,369 32369

$ BUY FOR

Model#GDF-22, Stk#G3252177, 4cyl, am/fm/cd, tilt, cruise, pwr/brks/winds/lks, Bluetooth MSRP: $34,369 Price includes all costs to a consumer except tax, title & DMV fees. †Avail up to 72 mos on select new models for qualified buyers. Offers subj to prim lender approval with tier 1+2, 700+ FICO Score approved credit for qualified buyers. Prior deals excluded. Cannot combine offers. Pics for illust purp only.

Not resp for typos/equip errors. See dealer for details. Offers expire 12/31/15.

Milea Subaru

3201 E Tremont Ave Bronx, NY, 10461 Sales: (888) 698-0525 Service: (888) 698-6070 • Parts (888) 698-5489 DMV#7117764 • NYC DCA#0927744

8

December 10, 2015

BY JOSH ROGERS

S

heldon Silver’s conviction this week on federal corruption charges may have ended his 20-term Assembly career, but it won’t erase his Downtown legacy, or the place it has earned him in the hearts of his constituents.

Throughout Silver’s trial, Community Board 1 member Tom Goodkind kept a photo of Silver throwing out the first ball of a Downtown Little League game as the screen saver on his phone, even though co-workers suggested he remove it.

“It’s hard for Downtown to think of him as anything but our local hero,” Goodkind, a C.P.A. and Battery Park City resident, said Monday shortly after Silver’s conviction on all counts. “It’s almost like someone hit me in the gut.”

Silver, described by the gossip site Gawker last week as the “despised New York Assemblyman,” nevertheless remained popular in Lower Manhattan even after his arrest in January.

As speaker of the Assembly for two decades, Silver used his power to get things like new schools built in Lower Manhattan, and to protect the homes of people living across from the World Trade Center in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

“He saved my block after Sept. 11 when the [Port Authority] wanted to do a land grab,” a supporter posted on Facebook after the verdict.

It was actually the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation that suggested razing the block after 9/11, but backed off after pressure from Silver and others.

At the end of 2001, it was Silver who pressed Governor George Pataki to name then-C.B. 1 Chairperson Madelyn Wils to the L.M.D.C. board, thus ensuring a community leader was behind closed doors when decisions on the $2.8 billion fund were made.

Silver also convinced the L.M.D.C. to expand its residential grant program to include Chinatown and the Lower East Side, which were hurt by post-9/11 security measures — particularly the closure of Park Row. In 2005 he brokered a deal between the city and developer Bruce Ratner to build the Spruce St. School to help reduce the area’s chronic classroom overcrowding.

He used the vote he controlled on the Public Authorities Control Board to press for the extension in 2006 of rent protections at Gateway Plaza, the largest housing complex in Battery Park City.

Goodkind, a Gateway resident, said he’s not sure what he would reply to someone who says Silver was corrupt and got his just deserts, but he’s confident “the person doesn’t live in our area.”

Downtowners were standing with

their long-serving assemblyman against criticism even before his arrest on corruption charges earlier this year.

Silver was honored by Gateway tenants two years ago at a time when he was coming under heavy fire for improperly protecting former Assemblymember Vito Lopez, who was forced to resign amid sexual harassment accusations. Silver’s critics saw a connection with his decision to allow an accused rapist, Michael Boxley, to remain on his staff for years until a second sexual assault accusation surfaced.

But Downtown leaders, women and men alike, continued to appreciate what he delivered for his district.

“Since Speaker Silver has represented us, he has created four K-to-8 schools in Community Board 1 and we’re hoping we’ll get another one soon,” Catherine McVay Hughes, C.B. 1 chairperson, said at the 2013 Gateway Plaza event feting Silver.

Before 9/11, there were often grumblings from Downtown activists upset with Silver, but those dwindled as his Albany clout produced real benefits for a community that was struggling to rebuild.

When he faced his first primary challenge in 22 years, amid the 2008 Lopez/Boxley scandal, Silver won 68 percent of the vote.

And even Silver’s main primary opponent, Paul Newell, now a Democratic district leader and a likely candidate to succeed him, was careful not to criticize Silver directly in a prepared statement issued immediately after the verdict.

He called it “a sad day for Lower Manhattan,” but added, “no court will end Albany’s culture of corruption and cronyism.”

The jury this week found that Silver collected nearly $4 million in legal fees in exchange for steering state money toward a particular doctor’s cancer research and helping two real estate firms with legislation.

But prosecutors did not charge Silver with any crimes connected to his local work, which included highly praised task forces, notably one focused on school overcrowding in the fast-growing district.

Silver was forced to give up the powerful speaker’s post after his arrest in January, but city Department of Education officials continued to attend the schools task force meetings. Whether they will now, after his banishment from the Assembly remains to be seen.

Goodkind said it would take a generation — if ever — for another Downtowner to equal Silver’s influence.

After the current Gateway Plaza rent deal was negotiated, Silver said he expected to be speaker in 2020 at age 76, when the agreement would need an extension.

“There’s no question about that,” he said then.

EastVillagerNews.com

2015 SoHoliday Art Market!

Our local customers are showcasing their original works of art - many for sale, just in time for the holidays!

• Paintings • Photography • Hand-Painted Decorations • And more!

SATURDAY

DECEMBER 19TH

11am – 3pm

260 Spring Street

(Get ready to win the “Best Gift EVER Award”)

Renewing Struggling Schools

by Michael Mulgrew President, United Federation of Teachers

Cities and school districts across the country have tried a range of strategies to deal with the problems of poor children and struggling schools. Under former Mayor Bloomberg, New York City relied on a “shutdown” strategy, eventually closing 150 schools, including some that the Bloomberg administration itself had created.

While Bloomberg’s cheerleaders lauded his approach, the fact is that many of our schools – both older ones and those started during Bloomberg’s tenure – continue to struggle.

In contrast, the de Blasio administration has listened to teachers and members of school communities.We know that it is difficult, but struggling schools can succeed – if provided the proper support and resources, and a team approach that brings all a school’s stakeholders together.

EastVillagerNews.com

The city’s new Renewal program, created with input from stakeholders, is designed to focus on some of the neediest schools in the system. Early returns show that many of these schools have stabilized and in some cases are started on the road to improvement.

coaches, social workers and other professionals, along with professional development for the staff on the skills necessary to work with children facing these challenges.

While in 2013-14 nearly one-third failed to meet targets for student achievement, the 2014-2015 School Quality Report shows that now 87 percent of the renewal schools are moving in the right direction, measured by better attendance, more family involvement and other criteria. As a group, they showed gains in both reading and math on state tests.

Students in these schools start out with deficits.

Nearly 20 percent are English Language Learners and almost a quarter are classified as special education. Thousands live in shelters or are doubled up with relatives. Many are hungry, lack winter clothes, or have medical needs, including glasses and hearing aids. Many have parents who are Many of these schools have a long way to go. unemployed or who work long hours at minimumTurning them around is difficult, particularly in wage jobs. the face of years of cutbacks and systemic indifTeachers at these schools see these problems ference. These schools will require a multi-year not as excuses, but as issues that need to be strategic intervention built on sound education addressed to ensure that all kids have an equal practice, including custom-tailored supports for opportunity to learn. each school’s particular needs. With its Renewal program, New York City is taking on tough work Renewal schools are being paired with non-profit that no one in the country has attempted before agencies to deliver services like health care and on this scale. counseling to students and their families. What’s more, the nearly $400 million the administration is investing in these schools over the next three United Federation of Teachers years includes funds for hiring teachers, academic A Union of Professionals

December 10, 2015

9

SHOPLOCAL THIS HOLIDAYSEASON District Leader Jenifer Rajkumar helped rally the crowd at Saturday’s town hall meeting against displacement.

Hundreds call for Chinatown rezoning at town hall meeting

BY VILLAGER STAFF

The Village Access Card is free for local residents and features deals and incentives at dozens of Village merchants not available anywhere else Visit villagealliance.org/deals or call (212) 777-2173 for more information

PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING SPREE

BY SEARCHING OUR LOCAL DIRECTORY OF UNIQUE BOUTIQUES

at villagealliance.org

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST NEWS & EVENTS GreenwichVillageNY

@GrnVillageNYC

#GreenwichVillageNYC 10

December 10, 2015

A

town hall meeting on Saturday drew an outpouring of several hundred concerned residents to Seward Park High School to demand zoning changes to protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side from overdevelopment and displacement.

“It was a huge turnout,” said Diem Boyd, founder of the LES Dwellers.

“The community is energized — in large part because Sheldon Silver was found guilty, giving people renewed hope that things can change for the better down here.”

The event was organized by the Coalition to protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side, and included workers’ organizations, public housing tenants and many activist groups.

The organizers made a point of inviting Mayor de Blasio to attend, so they could ask him why his administration has rejected a community-led rezoning of the area by the Chinatown Working Group. But the mayor didn’t show, only sending a representative.

The liaison indicated to the crowd that perhaps a compromise could be achieved, but that wasn’t what they wanted to hear.

“You say compromise. By compromise you mean you want to push out all the Chinese, all the Latinos, all the African Americans, all the poor!” shouted one audience member.

Local resident Jacqueline Herran said the community, which desperately needs new zoning protections, hasn’t been treated fairly.

“Since 2008’s when the East Village rezoning plan was approved, which gave protection from displacement to the majority-white, wealthier community just north of us,” she said, “we’ve seen so much more luxury development in the

L.E.S. and Chinatown — because we were excluded from protection! We want equal protection. Is that asking for too much?”

Added Norma Ramirez of Action by the Lower East Side, “Twice our community marched to City Hall.

We have repeatedly reached out to de Blasio, urging him to adopt our community-led rezoning plan. His absence here today is a slap in the face.

Instead of representing the working people who put him in office, he has shown that he, like Sheldon Silver, represents the developers who want to destroy our community.”

Rallying the crowd were Congressmember Nydia Velazquez and District Leader Jenifer Rajkumar.

“I support the Coalition to Protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side,” Velazquez said, drawing applause.

“The local community must have a voice in decisions that shape our neighborhoods and our day-to-day lives. We must stand against housing discrimination and work to bring under control rising rents in the Lower East Side and throughout our city.”

Rajkumar said, “We stand in solidarity to save our neighborhood. We stand against the displacement of thousands of families on the Lower East Side.”

Since they feel their homes are being threatened by the administration’s inaction, participants at last Saturday’s meeting resolved to take the battle to de Blasio’s home.

“Are we ready to go to Gracie Mansion?” the crowd was asked, to which they responded with a resounding, “Yes!” They plan to rally at Gracie Mansion on Wed., Dec. 16, at 4 p.m. That same day, the City Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on two new zoning proposals by the de Blasio administration — “Zoning for Quality and Affordability” and “Mandatory Inclusionary Housing.”

EastVillagerNews.com

Out of the zone! Boards blast Blaz building plans

BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC

T

he mayor’s sweeping plans to relax zoning rules recently faced another gust of blowback, with a smackdown by the Manhattan Borough Board.

The board — made up of the borough’s 12 community board chairpersons, City Council delegation and the borough president — passed two resolutions of “conditional disapproval” of the zoning proposals at a special meeting on Nov. 30.

The resolutions essentially rejected the mayor’s two proposals, recommending that the Council vote them down unless significant changes are made.

The first proposal, called “Zoning for Quality and Affordability,” aims to promote below-market-rate housing for seniors and mixed-income housing in exchange for reducing parking requirements near public transit, and easing building rules to allow elements such as courtyards and bay windows.

It would also allow buildings to be 5 feet taller or more to encourage ground-floor retail, which requires high ceilings. Downtowners who fought for height restrictions in their neighborhoods, such as the East Vil-

lage and Lower East Side, are particularly concerned about allowing additional height.

The second proposal, “Mandatory Inclusionary Housing” would apply to future large residential developments that need zoning variances, and would require that 25 to 30 percent of the units be kept permanently below market rate. But it would not apply to Manhattan below 96th St. on the East Side and 110th St. on the West Side.

The borough board’s resolutions were based on the many concerns Manhattan Borough President The city’s presentation on “Zoning for Quality and Affordability” says this Gale Brewer and other officials had relatively new building in Brooklyn, at Fourth Ave. and Baltic St. — which spelled out in a Nov. 17 letter. They it calls an example of “flat, dull buildings in medium- and high-density asked for changes to increase overcontextual districts” — is an example of why zoning needs to change. sight, guard against abuses and preserve particular restrictions involving narrow streets and midblock present abstained — except for Rosie so far has likewise passed resolutions building heights.

Mendez of the East Village, who voted recommending rejection unless there The resolution on the Mandatory with the community board leaders. is a litany of changes to the proposals.

Inclusionary Housing proposal also Borough President Brewer will is- But most councilmembers have redemanded the removal of a loophole sue her office’s formal recommenda- mained mysteriously mum, refusing allowing developers to sidestep par- tion on the zoning proposals by Dec. to take any position publically, and ticipation if the Board of Standard 11, and the City Planning Commis- either abstaining in borough board and Appeals deems it a “hardship.” sion will conduct a public hearing on votes, or skipping them altogether.

The borough board approved the the proposals on Wed., Dec. 16.

Like it or not, councilmembers will resolutions 12 to 0 with 4 abstentions.

As in Manhattan, nearly all com- eventually have to make their views All the community board chairper- munity boards across the city have known when the zoning amendsons present voted for the resolutionsT:8.75”opposed the proposals, and every ments go before the Council for a while almost all councilmembers borough board that has voted on them vote early next year.

DISCOVER REAL POSSIBILITIES IN NEW YORK CITY. From ghting for you on the steps of City Hall to turning your dreams into reality, we’re here to help you get the most out of life. Whether it’s great local discounts, rewarding volunteer opportunities or fun, informative events, we’re bringing you exciting things all across the ve boroughs. If you don’t think Real Possibilities when you think AARP, then you don’t know “aarp.”

Get to know us at aarp.org/nyc

New York City

Real Possibilities is a trademark of AARP. EastVillagerNews.com

December 10, 2015

11

NYCHA will try infill again on East Side: Chief NYCHA continued from p. 1

under the plan.

Currently, those are the only two projects in the pipeline for this program. However, when asked

by The Villager if the authority — as it had done under Bloomberg — would set its sights once again on the open spaces in East Village and Lower East Side public housing developments for these mixed-income projects, Olatoye said, yes, definitely.

“We’re doing it in areas where there are strong real estate markets,” she explained.

It might not be tomorrow, but NYCHA will certainly be looking to build within the East Village and Lower East Side housing developments, she said.

“Oh, they will be — eventually,” she said. “This is a 10-year program. We’ve started with two [projects]. There will be others. Look, there’s no secret — there’s only a hot market in certain neighborhoods, right? We undoubtedly will get to some of these hot properties. It’s a dynamic process, and we’ll be adding more sites going on. We have real financial challenges, and our land is one of our only resources.”

PHOTO BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE

Community engagement But “a big difference” between this administration and the prior one, she noted, is that “a very extensive community-engagement process” is being done with the residents affected by the infill projects. For example, she said, NYCHA has impressed upon Wyckoff Gardens residents that that complex has a $40 million need for critical capital repairs, including for roofing and new pipes. Money from the developers’ lease will fund the complex’s repairs.

Over all, the authority has nearly $17 billion in unmet capital needs for its aging buildings. Meanwhile, under NextGeneration NYCHA, the agency will generate modest annual operating surpluses totaling more than $230 million over 10 years, instead of piling up a $2.5 billion deficit over the same period were no action taken. Due to a 30 percent decrease in federal capital funding since 2001, the agency has lost $1.16 billion.

Former Mayor Bloomberg announced a scheme in 2013 that, similarly, would have seen new infill housing built within a greater number of NYCHA projects, but which was far more skewed toward the affluent: 80 percent of the units would have been market rate and only 20 percent affordable.

The idea crumpled under criticism from public housing residents, who both objected to it on principle and protested that they hadn’t been included in the planning process.

Local East Side housing developments included in Bloomberg’s 80/20 infill plan were Smith Houses, Meltzer Tower, Campos Plaza, LaGuardia Houses and Baruch Houses.

Under the new NYCHA plan, the affordable housing in the new 50/50 towers will be dedicated to families earning no more than 60 percent of area median income — about $46,600 for a family of three in 2015.

As under the previous, scrapped Bloomberg plan, the city-owned land for the new towers would be leased long term to the developers, since NYCHA cannot sell its land, Olatoye noted.

12

December 10, 2015

The Smith Houses on the Lower East Side had been earmarked for infill towers under Mayor Bloomberg, and possibly could be again under Mayor de Blasio. Above, a resident relaxed on a bench on the complex’s airy, light-filled grounds.

million to $600 million [in revenue for NYCHA].”

Many of the authority’s developments were constructed in the mid-20th-century “towers in the park” style, which leaves open space to build on, Olatoye noted.

‘Density is the way’

PHOTO BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

Shola Olatoye, the chairperson of NYCHA, speaking with NYC Community Media’s editorial staff last week.

‘Massive development’ The agency’s construction efforts are part of Mayor de Blasio’s goal to create 200,000 units of affordable housing within 10 years. Of that number, NYCHA projects creating 10,000 units over that span.

“This is going to be a massive amount of development,” Olatoye said. “In totality, the development program as a whole [would generate] $300

However, asked by The Villager if the agency will be trying to squeeze too much onto its developments’ grounds, the chairperson disagreed.

“I would say we’re not,” she said. “That was a different time and place. It was a luxury that we had, to have that kind of space. We’re looking at just seas of red, in terms of how this place is operating. I think it would be irresponsible for us not to take advantage of the tools at our disposal.

Obviously, you have to do it within the context of what’s the impact on the surrounding community, schools, quality of life?

“I also say that, this is New York City, we’re a dense place, right?” Olatoye continued. “This administration has said density is the way that we’re going to address this incredible pent-up housing demand. There’s no question that this is not easy.

And I think the challenge for us is, a New York City without public housing is not something that any of us want.”

It will be about two-and-a-half years from now, before shovels are in the ground on the two current 50/50 projects, she noted.

As for public housing residents’ feedback on the new infill plan, she said, “You know, the response... this is New York — it’s been dynamic. Some people are, like, of course you have to do this. Some people are not happy with it. It’s always easier to stand on the sidelines and scream. And it’s harder to come up with solutions. In the meantime, these NYCHA continued on p. 23 EastVillagerNews.com

Introducing a new, LOW-COST health plan for eligible individuals!

The Essential Plan

Offered by Fidelis Care and available through NY State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace

• Monthly premiums are either $0 or $20 a month based on income

• Low out-of-pocket costs with no deductible the plan starts paying for your health care right away

• Free preventive care like checkups and screenings

Enroll ALL YEAR LONG starting November 1, 2015!

Comprehensive Coverage: Doctor visits (including specialists), lab tests and X-rays, hospital care, prescription drugs, and more.

Doctors and Hospitals Close to Home: Choose your doctor from Fidelis Care’s extensive provider network, which you can search on fideliscare.org

How do I Qualify? Call Fidelis Care to learn more!

Questions? Call 1-888-FIDELIS for more information or to meet with a Fidelis Care Health Benefit Representative.

1-888-FIDELIS | fideliscare.org (1-888-343-3547) •

To learn more about applying for health insurance including Child Health Plus and Medicaid through NY State of Health, the Official Health Plan Marketplace, visit www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 1-855-355-5777.

EastVillagerNews.com

December 10, 2015

13

Constant fear of shootings is simply off target RHYMES WITH CRAZY

BY LENORE SKENAZY

H

ave we really all become convinced that we are under constant terrorist threat?

The New York Times seems to think so. In the wake of the San Bernardino shootings, it ran an article titled, “ ‘I Think About It Daily’: Life in a Time of Mass Shootings.”

But is this true?

Seems to me that since 9/11, we’ve learned we’re made of, if not sterner stuff, then at least more rational stuff: We know that violence is random and rare.

Yes, rare. Especially here.

Let’s talk about local crime for a sec.

In New York City, as in most of the country, crime peaked around 1993 and has been going down pretty steadily since then. In 1990, there were 2,245 murders in the city. Last year the number here was 333.

That’s an amazing drop.

But what about this very instant?

Isn’t crime suddenly “surging,” as the headlines suggest?

The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law crunched the numbers we’re hearing about. It found that while the murder rate is projected to go up 11 percent in America’s 30 largest cities this year — a stat that does sound alarming — the numbers are still far lower than 10 or even five years ago. Here in New York, the projected number of murders by year’s end is 357.

That is sad, of course. But as the report notes, “in absolute terms, murder rates are so low in many cities now that even an increase or decrease of just a few occurrences can cause a large change in percentage terms.”

For instance: If one person in a million dies from a deadly spider bite and the next year two people die this weird, icky way, that’s a 100 percent increase. But it’s not as if deadly spiders are taking over America. (Yet!) The picture gets clearer if we think in terms of deaths per 100,000.

“In 1990, there were 29.3 murders per 100,000 residents,” according to the report, which cited F.B.I. and police statistics. “In 2000, there were 13.8 murders per 100,000. Now there are

9.9 per 100,000.”

So while the “Murder Rate Up!” makes for a paper-selling headline, “Americans Far Safer Than They Were 20, 10 and Even Five Years Ago!” is just as true.

When I spent 14 years at the New York Daily News, my editor would sometimes remind me that people read the paper because, “They want to know what can kill them.”

But that isn’t precisely the case. No one is writing thumb-suckers about the fear of heart disease. Only the most shocking and unpredictable deaths get this kind of treatment. And these reinforce the idea that simply by stepping out of your home — or, God forbid, letting your child step out of the home — death beckons.

The Times chose to reinforce the idea that not only we are all panicking about mass shootings, but that this dread is normal and perhaps even sensible after the California and Colorado murders. It did this by surveying the public with an online question: “How often, if ever, do you think about the possibility of a shooting in your daily life?”

Naturally, the people who answered are those for whom this question resonates — many of them apparently crippled by an all-consuming

fear of random violence.

“I would say I think about the possibility of a shooting in my life regularly,” wrote one 15-year-old.

The parents who responded sounded even more terrified. They wrote things like, “The oldest of my three children is in kindergarten. They have lockdown drills. I imagine the fear and chaos of a school shooting. The children, my son, the life and love that can be taken away. How will I live with myself if something happens to them? I’m so scared.”

And another: “Is this the day? Will a shooter pick my daughter’s school because it only has one access road? What will she be thinking as she cowers in a closet? Or under a desk? Will she be crying for me?”

But the odds overwhelmingly say she will simply go about her day and take her math test.

Crime is at historic lows. We are lucky to be living in such safe times.

Until we embrace reality instead of the headlines, we will not be able to enjoy life or let our kids outside.

That is a tragedy.

Skenazy is a keynote speaker and the author and founder of the book and blog “Free-Range Kids”

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ‘A few issues with Shelly’ To The Editor: Shelly Silver may still be loved by many voters, but they must have short memories.

Beyond his being found guilty on all counts, there are a few other issues many of us have with Shelly.

All of the money he brought into his district was simply doing the job he was elected to do. There were many issues he took up, such as trying to reopen Park Row after 9/11; stopping the city from putting a service station for all city cars on a pier in the East River; and helping World Trade Center neighbors get back in their apartments and get the

help they needed, to name some.

Yes, he had influence, and yes, he probably brought more money into the district than he would have had he not been speaker.

But let’s remember what he did not do, at his own housing development on Grand St. He did not stop the systematic racist exclusion of African Americans and Latinos at the Grand St. co-ops. He did not stop those co-ops from going private — even though he had the power — and by going private, more than 6,000 units of affordable housing were lost. He benefited personally from both the exclusionary policy and the privatization.

Silver’s influence on Community Board 3, when

IRA BLUTREICH

many of the appointees from Grand St. consistently voted against affordable housing, was legendary. I even remember one Grand St. appointee, just before a vote on a property, asking if it were above or below Delancy St. When she was told it was above, she voted for it. Had it been anywhere near the Grand St. co-ops, she would have voted against it, as all of the Grand St. appointees did with regularity.

Silver also never supported the desire of those of us in and around Smith Houses to create a high school to train students to take care of the elderly in a school building that had closed. Instead he allowed the Catherine St. shelter to be put in the building. The idiocy of placing a shelter in the middle of a housing project is something I will never understand, and Shelly refused to take a position against it. Of course, as long as no shelter was placed near his precious Grand St. houses, that is all he cared about.

I could go on and on. My memory goes back a long time. I know others who could remember more.

Anne K. Johnson Johnson is a member, Community Board 3

Will Governor Cuomo be next?

14

December 10, 2015

E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-2292790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel.

Anonymous letters will not be published.

EastVillagerNews.com

‘Vertical village’ to loom luxuriously over all

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

A

t 80 stories, the new One Manhattan Square tower, being built by Extell just north of the Manhattan Bridge, will soar to a height never seen before on the Lower East Side. And a brochure for the new project — targeting overseas buyers — advertises a level of luxury the neighborhood has never seen before, either.

“A vertical village on the Lower East Side,” the brochure states. “On the edge of the East River, with epic views of one of the world’s greatest cities, is One Manhattan Square. A modern tower at the center of New York’s most historic neighborhood; a place buzzing with energy, culture and style. …

“This new landmark will redefine city living. A vertical village surrounded by lush private gardens and every amenity imaginable.

“One Manhattan Square promises the most dramatic...panoramas imaginable, from one of Downtown’s highest perches.

“Meticulously designed homes...lightfilled spaces with postcard perfect views,” the hype continues.

“A modern garden square, offering an unprecedented 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, fosters physical wellness, social recreation and tranquility.”

The residences reportedly are going for from $1 million to $3 million, and the brochure notes they have been designed to “rival five-star resorts.”

The project will feature a one-acre “private village green,” with gardens, a tree house, “social fire pits” as well as “romantic fire pits,” a tea pavilion, a sumac meander and a covered dog run.

There will also be an outdoor barbecue area with views of the Manhattan Bridge and river, a culinary lounge, a bar (to be called the Cellar Bar), a performance space and screening room, a children’s playroom, a billiard hall and two-lane bowling alley, studios for yoga, spin classes and dance, golf simulators, a full-court basketball court and a 75-foot swimming pool.

Why ever even leave the building?

Well, just in case the residents might want to, the brochure also touts the neighborhoods that the massive One Manhattan Square will tower over: “With the charms of Chinatown and Little Italy on its doorstep, the gravitas of the Financial District and the culture and cool of Tribeca around the corner, this alluring address is a short walk from the bars, bistros and boutiques of Orchard Street, Nolita, Soho and the East Village.”

Critics of the project are outraged that the building is being heavily marketed to overseas buyers, who reportedly are being given the first dibs on apartments.

Indeed, many of the figures shown in the brochure’s renderings are clearly Asian — seen enjoying the exercise facilities, a “romantic fire pit” and the screening room, for example — and if they can afford to buy in One Manhattan Square, it’s a good chance they are not living in Chinatown.

EastVillagerNews.com

The mirror-glass-clad One Manhattan Square, next to the Manhattan Bridge, will be one of the tallest buildings in all Downtown Manhattan.

The new Lower East Side? Gucci, stilettos, youth, looks, killer apartment views and the de rigueur cute puppy.

Why even go out to the movies? Residents at One Manhattan Square will be able to enjoy films in the building’s screening room, complete with popcorn-serving ushers.

December 10, 2015

15

Silver, who once had the juice, now faces jail ELECTION continued from p. 6

earlier this year, he said.

“They’re both from the same club,” Quinn said, with exasperation, speaking Monday after Silver had been slapped with guilty verdicts on all seven charges that he faced. “I had breakfast with Paul this morning — he asked me to endorse him. I said, ‘How about getting the endorsement of your co-leader? Or how about you endorse your co-leader?’

“This is all too soon,” Quinn said. “Take a deep breath. This is a terrible thing for Silver. This is a terrible thing for the community. I’m not ready to endorse anybody. We just had a freakin’ disaster here. It’s not a good thing. Give it a rest.”

Plus, there are other parts of the district yet to be heard from, he added.

“What’s happening on Grand St.?” he asked, referring to Silver’s base. “Has anybody spoken to the Chinese? I’m waiting for Virginia Kee to weigh in,” he said of the U.D.O. co-founder and president emeritus.

U.D.O. won’t be frantically rushing to tout its candidate to succeed Silver, if it has one, he said.

“In that community, respect is very important,” he noted.

No Loeser “If Jessica Loeser was here, she would be the heir apparent,” Quinn said, referring to the former district leader and Silver staffer.

But he said he spoke to Loeser a few months ago, and she doesn’t plan to return to the Lower East Side.

“She’s happy, she has kids,” he said. “She’s in Riverdale, it’s beautiful.”

Meanwhile, Karen Blatt, Loeser’s successor as district leader, isn’t as well known, Quinn said.

Recalls early Silver Quinn, who was a strong Silver supporter, said he remembers how, early in the assemblymember’s political career, he was a real neighborhood presence, waging battle on behalf of community issues.

“When we had the prison barge down here, at the end of Montgomery St., Shelly fought it,” he recalled, “and he got rid of it. Two guys had broken out and hid in the bushes by the school.

“Before he was speaker, he was always at war with Ed Koch — over the prison barge, over everything. He and Ed Koch didn’t get along.”

And Silver was in the community, he added.

“I remember Shelly giving me a coupon for Pepsi in Pathmark,” Quinn recalled. “He said, ‘I got a coupon for Pepsi, it’s on sale.’

“He was in the community, he knew what was going on. He used to play basketball in the park, Sol Lain Park / Ed Garcia Park. He was a basketball player.”

A few weeks ago, Quinn told The Villager he thought both Newell, 40, and Rajkumar, 33, lacked the community experience to be assemblymember. He hasn’t backed away from that stance. In addition, Quinn said the 65th A.D. is an “East Side seat” — with a large amount of public housing on the Lower East Side — so D.I.D., which is based in Soho, shouldn’t expect to be the kingmaker.

16

December 10, 2015

ILLUSTRATION BY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

Bob Townley, executive director of Manhattan Youth, the Tribeca-based youth program, at Silver’s trial on Mon, Dec. 23, during the case’s closing statements. Silver helped Manhattan Youth get its start and supported the group over the years.

Cancel not a candidate Meanwhile, anonymous posters on thevillager. com accused Quinn of actually wanting his wife, District Leader Alice Cancel, to run for the open seat. But he said it’s not true.

“O.K., I think she’d be great,” he said. “She said if I started pushing her to run, she’d divorce me.

I’d love to keep my marriage intact.”

For Quinn, losing Silver and his clout is something the state committeeman still can’t get over.

“Shelly was the greatest thing to happen for the neighborhood since Alfred E. Smith was speaker,” he said. “Did he get schools built, programs funded? He had the juice to do it. The Spruce St. School, that was totally Shelly. He put the pressure on [for funding and projects], and he brought stability to the community.”

‘Time to move forward’ But for many others, Silver’s ouster is a breath of fresh air, a long-awaited chance for a new start and political reform in Lower Manhattan.

“Justice in Lower Manhattan has been served, and now it is time to move forward,” said the LES Dwellers’ Boyd. “We still have a long way to go to fix our battered democracy. But for the first time in 40 years, there is a real opportunity to shake up the system and end the machine politics and pay-toplay culture in the 65th Assembly District.”

East Side cred claims To those that say the two young co-district leaders from D.I.D. don’t have enough community experience, both Newell and Rajkumar said that’s far from the truth.

“I am a proud Lower East Sider,” Newell said, “the fourth generation of my family to live Downtown. And Quinn’s right that the bulk of the population is on the East Side. But all Lower Man-

hattan neighborhoods need representation and fighting for.

“Public housing is indeed very important in the district, as are Mitchell-Lamas, co-ops, rent-stabilized units and project-based Section 8 housing,” he added. “Maintaining our diversity of housing stock will have to be a priority for anyone looking to represent the district.”

As for Rajkumar, she responded, “Anyone who has followed my career at all knows that as district leader and in my professional life, I’ve developed a tremendously strong connection to the Lower East Side. Just this year, I organized a free legal clinic offering housing law services in Spanish, Chinese and English to over 1,000 residents of public housing, Mitchell-Lamas and co-ops on the Lower East Side. We had a packed house.

“I’ve worked repeatedly with community and housing groups on the Lower East Side and in Chinatown, and I’m part of the SWEAT coalition fighting to pass a workers’ rights bill in Albany that would help workers recover stolen wages. I’ve met personally with hundreds, if not thousands, of residents of the public housing complexes to discuss their interests and issues. I’m enormously proud of the work I’ve done on the East Side and of the wonderful relationships I’ve built there.”

Silver’s lingering clout Sean Sweeney, a leading member of D.I.D., acknowledged Quinn is right, that it is an East Side district. He said he expected that more people will come forward who are interested in the seat — and also that Silver will exert his considerable influence.

“I bet other names will emerge,” Sweeney said.

“There is always the oddball gadfly that no one can predict. And I am sure Shelly would not want a D.I.D. member to replace him. I don’t think he has ever supported a D.I.D. candidate for any office — save for Alan Gerson for City Council in 2001. So, I bet the other clubs will search desperately to make sure the Reform Democratic club — D.I.D. — has an opponent.”

EastVillagerNews.com

Rush to the right place: Company XIV

Disciplined dance troupe has core strength to burn

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

O

nce you get past leering at the bare buns, lean frames and tightly wrapped packages on display — which will take some time, but is time very well spent — an immense appreciation sets in for the years of skill acquisition and the daily maintenance it must take for Company XIV’s “Nutcracker Rouge” cast to bend, stretch, prowl and leap with such artistry, expression and precision.

Staring slack-jawed at this world-class display of fully realized human potential inspires silent promises to join that gym or hit that dance floor; or at least decide against a third pass at the holiday buffet table. Then, the realization sinks in that even if you’re able to reinvent yourself as a criminally smooth Fred Astaire, the 14-member ensemble is — to paraphrase an old argument for the superiority of Ginger Rogers — doing everything you can, but backwards…and in high heels!

That’s the point at which your mind undergoes a course correction, from dreams of self-improvement back to carnal fantasies — which is a very good space to occupy when in the company of this troupe that takes its cue (and name) from the decadent court of Louis XIV. Enthusiastic consumers of body-twisting acrobatics, pole dancing, fetish gear and good old-fashioned peep booth voyeurism will experience eye-popping flashes of recognition, and rushes of blood to all the right places.

As conceived, choreographed and directed by founder Austin McCormick, Company XIV’s dreamy, roguish, two-hour tour is steeped in tradition — and not just the type we’ve come to expect from Tchaikovsky’s oft-reimagined classic.

The familiar plot (girl gets toy nutcracker, navigates strange lands, finds her way home) is told, more or less, through burlesque and carnival-inspired acts of balance, upper body strength and uncommon endurance. The best of these take place while swinging from the rafters, alone or in pairs, and always without a net. (Marcy Richardson’s extraordinary turn suspended above a mirror, twirling on a hoop while filling the intimate PHOTO BY MARK SHELBY PERRY

L to R: Lea Helle, Marcy Richardson and Laura Careless.

EastVillagerNews.com

COMPANY XIV continued on p. 21 December 10, 2015

17

Meter made

Sculptor finds new place to park his art

BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC

C

onrad Stojak has a different canvas than other artists: old parking meters. He transforms the reviled relics into sculptures of tribute to the city where he was born and raised, with tiny dioramas depicting the city’s skyline and landmarks, inhabiting the space where once the clock ticked down to a driver’s doom.

The first piece he completed after his initial experiments depicts a completed World Trade Center complex, featuring the four towers, the reflecting pools of the 9/11 Memorial, and construction workers toiling away.

That diorama helped him land his current studio digs — inside one of the buildings it depicts.

Larry Silverstein, the developer of the new World Trade Center complex, has invited artists to use vacant space at the site in exchange for some type of art donation. Stojak will donate his World Trade Center parking meter, which will be put on public display at some point, he said.

Having a studio is a first for Stojak, who studied film and also takes photographs.

“I never even had a space before this,” he said.

“I was in a friend’s yard working on stuff. I never had a studio in my life, other than that and maybe part of my living room. This is like a big, big step up.”

Quite literally — Stojak’s studio is all the way up on the 67th floor of 4 World Trade Center, where he has been since this June.

“You can’t beat it,” said Stojak of the view, which showcases 1 World Trade Center and Battery Park City.

Raised in Woodhaven, Queens, Stojak has vivid memories of visiting Lower Manhattan as a child to have lunch with his father, who worked at 90 West St. near the Twin Towers. His father would take him to Windows on the World, where Stojak would press his forehead against the glass and stare down at the miniature world below.

There are echoes of that view in the diminutive scenes under glass that Stojak now creates.

He got the idea two years ago when he was jogging in Queens and saw a bunch of old parking meters still standing sentinel, but with all their insides removed.

“That’s what they did originally,” Stojak explained. “[The city] took out all the working parts first and left these shells of the meters on the street. I found one that was easy to get into, and I bought a bunch of army men at this bodega and kind of just stuffed it with army men.”

Pleased with the effect, he decided to see where he could go with the idea.

“I started finding more meters, using smaller figurines,” he said. “Then I started building sets and then installing the sets inside the meters themselves.”

Those early pieces are long gone now, he said, because the city is still in the process of removing the old meters, which have to be jackhammered to get them out of the ground.

As the empty meters disappeared from the streets, Stojak began contacting city agencies to

18

December 10, 2015

PHOTO BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC

Artist Conrad Stojak puts art inside old parking meters in his swanky studio on the 67th floor of 4 World Trade Center looking out onto 1 World Trade Center.

see if they would donate meters, or even if he could buy some.

“I came out of the blue,” he said. “They had no idea who I was, what was I talking about it. ‘Look, I just want some meters.’ ” Eventually he got a donation of 30 defunct parking meters, which he is slowly filling with scaled-down scenes of the city. Stojak has completed eight meters so far, including a purple ode to the oft-delayed 7 train featuring a crowd of people waiting for it, and a miniature, motorized Rockefeller Center ice rink with tiny skaters spinning around.

“Anything that has a New York flavor,” he said.

Even if it leaves a bad taste in your mouth — one of his dioramas depicts the old, seedy, pre-Disneyfied Times Square, complete with a flasher, a homeless guy, and a woman beating a ruffian with an umbrella. “’Cause that’s what I remember Times Square to be,” he said. “It was this very, very dark place.”

It takes Stojak about three weeks to complete a piece. The first challenge is lugging the 75-pound meters to his studio. Then Stojak says he has to “Swiss cheese” it — drilling through the thick

steel to get the locking mechanism off so he can remove the top of the meter. His difficulties come with his medium, he admits.

“That thing was built to not be broken into, so it takes some time to kind of drill it open,” he said.

“I go through drill bits like potato chips. These things are so impossible to open.”

With the hard part over with, Stojak scuffs up the surface so the spray paint can adhere to it, then picks out the colors and figures he wants to use, designs the scene, and works on the parts that make the miniatures move.

“Little by little it just starts to come together,” he said.

Stojak hopes eventually to create many more meters — anywhere from 200 to even 2,000 if he gets some help — and then “replant” them on sidewalks throughout the five boroughs.

Parking meters make for an ideal venue for public art, according to Stojak, because they’re a familiar icon at home anywhere in the city.

“Everyone recognizes it, everybody knows it, and you could put it anywhere in the city, in any neighborhood,” he said. “That’s what I like about the idea: it can truly be democratic.”

EastVillagerNews.com

Console-Able

An empowering gamer gift guide

“Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection” brings the original three games to Sony’s newest console, the PlayStation 4.

All in one: “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” is a coveted compilation of previous games in the series, updated for the Xbox One.

BY CHARLES BATTERSBY

V KontrolFreek thumbsticks clip onto controllers, and come with logos of popular games like “Call of Duty.”

ideo games are ubiquitous during the holidays — but gamers frequently have to feign delight when they receive the dreaded “wrong game” from a well-meaning (albeit ill-informed) relative.

With dozens of seemingly interchangeable games on the market, it can be difficult to keep up with which game is the killer app for that new console under the tree. These recommendations will arm you with the knowledge to pick the right gift for the gamer in your life.

CONSOLE CONCERNS

Hardcore gamers will argue about the minute technical differences between a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox One. For many consumers, though, the choice of which console to buy comes down to which games are available for that system only.

When the holidays roll around, gamers will often want these exclusive titles.

The first Halo game was the sole reason why many people bought the original Xbox back in 2001. This science fiction shooter series is known for both its multi-player experience, as well as the ongoing story that is continued from game to game. “Halo 5” is the first in the series to debut on the new Xbox One. People who are upgrading from an Xbox 360 are likely to have already played the previous games in the series, so “Halo 5” is the best choice for them. If this is someone’s first Xbox system, “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” is the way to go. This is a compilation of the previous games in the series, updated for the Xbox One. “Rise of the Tomb Raider” will eventually come to PlayStation and PC, but for now it’s one of best reasons to own an Xbox One.

EastVillagerNews.com

ACTION WITHOUT ARMS

For people who don’t like shooters, there is an-

other exclusive on the Xbox this season: “Rise of the Tomb Raider.”

“Tomb Raider” has been around for two decades, but the series has had a resurgence in popularity lately. “Rise of the Tomb Raider” will eventually come to PlayStation and PC, but for now it’s one of the best ways to make people jealous of your new Xbox One. It’s also available for the old Xbox 360, for those who haven’t joined the current generation yet.

“Tomb Raider” inspired another big franchise: “Uncharted.” Instead of Lara Croft, “Uncharted” features a male protagonist named Nathan Drake, who raids tombs in exotic locations all over the world. This series was one of the PlayStation 3’s best exclusives, and a new “Uncharted” game is coming to PlayStation 4 next year. In the meantime, the newly released “Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection” brings the original three games to Sony’s newest console. Players who have a PlayStation 4 but never played the old “Uncharted” games will find this to be a must-have.

EXCLUSIVES

A major exclusive for the PlayStation 4 is “Bloodborne.” This came out earlier in the year and might slip under the radar during the holidays. Gift-givers should take care in who receives this game, though, because “Bloodborne” is for hardcore gamers only. From the developers of the notoriously difficult “Souls” series, “Bloodborne” has a merciless difficulty level that will be appreciated by players who pride themselves on their skill and dedication.

The Nintendo 3DS has been around for four years, but Nintendo keeps updating its hardware with slight revisions. The latest is the New NinGAMER continued on p. 20 December 10, 2015

19

Gift list in play GAMER continued from p. 19

tendo 3DS, which is fully compatible with all of the games for the previous versions (and most games for the original Nintendo DS).

While there are some newer, flashier games for this platform, “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” is the ideal gift for both kids and adults with their first 3DS. It is a cute, whimsical “life simulator” that is intended to be played a little bit every day — for years on end. Many other games can be “beaten” after a few hours, but “Animal Crossing” is a gift for the long run. But players who are dying to have something that takes advantage of the special features of the New 3DS will appreciate “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.”

Most games are not exclusive to any particular platform, though. “Fallout 4” was released last month, and is currently the big new game on both consoles and on the PC. It’s a free-roaming adventure through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and players can spend hundreds of hours exploring it. Despite the post-nuclear setting, there is a heaping dose of humor to this game.

Older teens and adults will enjoy the dark comedy, although its use of gore and drugs means that it’s not suitable for younger players.

KEEPING UP WITH THE DOWNLOADS

Many of the best games from the past year aren’t actually available as physical gifts. Consoles, handheld platforms, and desktop computers can all download games without needing a physical disc. Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Nintendo’s eShop, and the popular PC digital distributor Steam all sell physical gift

cards that can be put under the tree or in stockings.

One notable game that can only be downloaded is “Life Is Strange.” It goes against some of the stereotypes about video games. There are no zombies or space marines — rather, it is a thoughtful and emotional story about a teenage girl who mysteriously gains the ability to rewind time.

She uses her new power to address the countless “what if” situations that people encounter every day. Eventually the story tackles more serious fare, like teen suicide, sexual assault, and euthanasia. It is highly recommended for teens, as well as adults.

PC PLENTY

Plenty of people still play their games on PCs, and serious PC gamers will appreciate a mouse built specifically for their favorite game.

Razer makes special mice with additional buttons intended for certain genres. The Razer Naga is designed for MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) like “World of Warcraft,” while the Hex is for MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arenas) like “League of Legends.” They’re a fun extravagance for someone who already has the game they want.

ALWAYS ACCESSORIZE

Finally, for those who are stumped about what to get the gamer who already has everything, consider accessories for their existing controllers.

KontrolFreek thumbsticks clip onto controllers to add functionality and flair. They come with logos of popular games like “Call of Duty,” and are designed to enhance performance of specific kinds of games, like shooters.

Grip-iTs offer similar features, but at a stocking stuffer price point.

CALL TO SUBSCRIBE

GAMERATEDGAMES.COM

The thoughtful and emotional story of a teenage girl who gains the ability to rewind time, “Life Is Strange” is a great alternative to games about zombies or space marines.

CALL TO SUBSCRIBE 646-452-2475

646-452-2475

20

December 10, 2015

EastVillagerNews.com

Sexually charged ‘Nutcracker’ delights and delivers

The Company XIV cast are a talented bunch, for sure — such a shame about their bodies, though!

PHOTOS BY MARK SHELBY PERRY

Steven Trumon Gray and Laura Careless as the Nutcracker Cavalier and Marie-Claire.

COMPANY XIV continued from p. 17

Minetta Lane Theatre with her piercing operatic soprano, reaches its crescendo to thunderous applause.)

Down on the floor, but just as fully removed from the earth at times, the sexually fluid cast is thrust into Jungian dreamscapes filled with shadows, silhouettes, and backlighting — where the loss of innocence-cum-sexual awakening story arc of Marie-Claire (Laura Careless) is told through cancan, tap, fan dancing, and, at times, devoutly pure ballet — all performed with lusty grace by a cast decked out in set and costume designer Zane Pihlstrom’s high-functioning heels, glittery G-strings, and intricate corsets.

Like Marie-Claire’s internal struggle to break free (and boy does she, when a tepid attempt at handling a riding crop warp speeds into the realm of gleeful expertise), “Nutcracker Rouge” is a flood of diverse images and influences, only occasionally overwhelmed by its desire to explore and experiment — as is the case with pop music in Act II’s trip to Sugarplum territory (“Material Girl,” “Peppermint Twist”), disappointingly presented with a winking silliness that is incompatible with the evening’s sexEastVillagerNews.com

ually charged current and beautifully dark tone.

Quibbles aside, “Nutcracker Rouge” is a worthy addition to your holiday calendar — this year, or for years to come. It’ll give your out-of-town guests something to talk about, and it just might lead to some pillow talk with the person sitting next to you. All good theater should have that effect!

“Nutcracker Rouge” contains partial nudity (16 and over admitted).

Tues.–Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 5 p.m., through Jan. 17, at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, btw. Sixth Ave. & MacDougal St.). Tickets are $50–$85. Premium & VIP seating is $100–$175. To order, visit ticketmaster. com or call 800-745-3000. Rush tickets ($30) are available at the box office beginning two hours prior to curtain, for patrons under the age of 30 (limit, one ticket per ID).

The next Company XIV production, “Snow White,” plays Jan. 26–March 12 at the Minetta Lane Theatre. Artist info at CompanyXIV.com.

Follow them on Twitter: @Company_ XIV and on Instagram: @CompanyXIV. Like them at facebook.com/CompanyXIV.

THE NEW SOUND OF

BROOKLYN The Community News Group is proud to introduce BROOKLYN PAPER RADIO. Join Brooklyn Paper Editor-in-Chief Vince DiMiceli and the New York Daily News’ Gersh Kuntzman every Monday at 4 pm for an hour of talk on topics Brooklynites hold dear.

Each show will feature in-studio guests and call-out segments, and can be listened to live or played anytime at your convenience.

WITH

SPONSORED BY

VINCE DIMICELI

GERSH KUNTZMAN

LISTEN EVERY MONDAY AT 4PM ON BrooklynPaper.com/radio December 10, 2015

21

22

December 10, 2015

EastVillagerNews.com

NYCHA will try infill again on East Side: Chief NYCHA continued from p. 12

buildings are literally crumbling; two-thirds of our buildings are over the age of 60. And there is no white knight, there is no silver bullet,” as in a hoped-for spike in federal funding that is unlikely to come, she noted.

Campos Plaza deal In another effort to staunch its cash gap, NYCHA at the end of last year closed a deal with a group of private developers — including L&M Development Partners and Preservation Development Partners (including Donald Capoccia’s BFC Partners) — under which the developers now own 50 percent of Campos Plaza I, as well as E. Fourth St. Rehab, in the East Village.

The deal — described as a “30-year partnership” — also included other federally funded Section 8 developments in Brooklyn and the Bronx, for a total of 900 units in three boroughs.

In return for their half ownership stake, the developers will pay NYCHA $250 million within the next

SCOOPY’S continued from p. 12 per, that it was owned by the ruthless real estate developer Jared Kushner, that the editor, Ken Kurson, was an old friend of Kushner’s who was once “deputy director for communications at Giuliani Partners,” that Jared Kushner is married to Donald Trump’s daughter and that they pal around with Rupert Murdoch. You’d think I would know better than allow myself to be had by these people, having received this information. Hyzagi got me to talk about sex pretty openly, asking me what my favorite positions were, and I naively described to him some favorite positions. … It was only afterward that I realized, wait a minute! What am I doing, telling an interviewer what my favorite positions are?! How did I get sucked into doing that?? What a vain ass I am!

After he sent me the first draft I wrote back to him and urged him strongly to take out what I said about my favorite sexual positions… . I believe they were trying hard to make me look like a nasty pervert. Okay, it’s all in the comics, but, you know, I control what I put in the comics. It’s my own slant, my own take on my crazy sexuality. … Just to set the record straight,” Crumb says at another point, “it was Hyzagi who said that he went to Zuccotti Park to check out Occupy Wall Street, and opined that the people were fools, but it’s not at all clear the way it’s written that it was him saying that. ...” The cartoonist’s complaint ends by warning, “I just want to say to any left-liberal media EastVillagerNews.com

two years, plus another $100 million over the next 15 years.

The developers are investing around $80,000 per unit, installing new kitchens and bathrooms, in the 900 apartments. Building lobbies are also being renovated and security improved.

In return for upgrading the units, the developers will be eligible for federal funding to cover the difference between market-rate rents and what the Housing Authority charges for rent.

Speaking in February, Olatoye had assured that the deal would not lead to the buildings’ future privatization.

However, it is, in fact, possible that after 30 years, the units could turn market rate.

Too many cameras?

At a panel discussion on gentrification in October, organized by writer Alan Kaufman, Jose “Cochise” Quiles, the former leader of the Lower East Side’s notorious Satan’s Sinner Nomads street gang, complained about the new security cameras that

personality or writer, artist, musician, whatever, be very wary if you are approached for an interview by anyone working for The New York Observer. They are out to skewer you.” For Crumb’s full message, visit http:// slumgoddess.blogspot.com/2015/11/ r-crumb-doesnt-hate-you-r-crumbhates.html. We tried to reach The Observer for comment, but couldn’t even get a live person. There was no response to our phone and e-mail messages. Meanwhile, Brower, her boyfriend, John Heneghan, and Crumb are teaming up on “John’s Old Time Radio Show,” an album of podcasts coming out in February. Brower and Heneghan, of the East Village String Band, have previously put out a pair of records of old-time American blues featuring Crumb — a huge fan of the genre — playing on mandolin. “The album is John, Crumb and I talking in between playing 78s from both their collections,” Brower explained. “We did side one in New York City with John’s records and side two in France with Crumb’s collection. Some songs are ‘Fixin’ to Die,’ by Bukka White, and ‘Ohio Prison Fire,’ by Bob and Charlotte Miller. It’s not our music on it but the chatting in between is funny.” The record’s cover photo features an exasperated-looking Brower with Crumb intently gazing at one of the old shellac 78s. Explaining the “action,” Brower said, “John and Robert are going on and on about their 78s and stuff and I’m making fun of their obsession.”

are being added all over Campos Plaza, at 635 E. 12th St. He said that whole families are now at risk of losing their apartments if the cameras show someone living with them who is in trouble with the law or illegally “doubled-up” with them in their apartment.

Told of Quiles’s comment, she responded, “Have you talked to the residents who live there? That right there typifies my job,” she said, adding he sounded a bit like “a crazy person.”

“People are angry that there is more security there and not the building across the street? Why is that building getting new kitchens and bathrooms and the other isn’t?” she asked.

‘I understand that fear’ “I hear your point. I think fear, unfortunately, is a terrible place to start,” Olatoye said. “And I understand that fear. I think people look at development in neighborhoods, and they feel housing insecure. Their wages are stagnant. They see the reality that the bodega that was there yesterday is now gone and there are condos.

“It’s not wrong,” she said. “People’s perceptions are the reality. I understand the fear. But this mayor and this administration have been clear from Day One that the public housing in New York City will remain public.

And the rights that tenants in good standing have come to expect, they can continue to count on that as a source of housing for their families.”

Olatoye noted that, technically, Campos Plaza and the other buildings in this deal were “not public housing,” in that they were both owned and administered by NYCHA under the Section 8 program. They were “incredibly expensive” for NYCHA to run, she said. Public housing, on the other hand, is known as Section 9.

Huge cash upfront “Our ability to partner with a developer provided a huge upfront cash payment to the authority that allowed us to actually balance our budget for the first time in 15 years last year,” she said of the deal involving Campos and the other buildings.

“It also will allow for more than $80 million of capital repairs that would not otherwise have gotten done in those 10 housing projects.

“I live two blocks from one of them, I can see the development happening,” said Olatoye, an East Harlem resident. “For the first time in a very long time, these buildings have on-site supers. They have doors

that work. They have laundry rooms that work; NYCHA really got out of the laundromat business because it couldn’t take care of laundries in the face of defunding.”

She said the financing structure for these Section 8 buildings, in fact, has been changed in a “transparent way.”

NYCHA residents “need to see” the results, she added, noting, “We actually have done a fair amount of bringing NYCHA residents to some of those buildings and saying, ‘Look at what this partnership allowed us to do.’ ”

Baruch Houses security On another issue, Olatoye was asked about a rape last month at the Baruch Houses that saw the criminal gain entry to the building through a front door with a constantly broken lock. What can be done, she was asked, to ensure that these locks are fixed in a timely manner to ensure tenants’ safety?

“Horrible, horrible incident,” Olatoye said. “Thankfully, cameras were working. We were able to pull the tape, work closely with P.D. [police] to find the alleged perpetrator.

That typifies our challenge. Doors get broken constantly. Staff respond.

They’re broken the next moment, again. My men and women leave at 4 p.m. So, the reality is that door is probably going to stay unlocked until someone shows up at 8 a.m. the next morning. That is a function of my labor contract.”

Asked if there is an overnight crew that can respond, she said, “We do have overnight emergency services, who are focused on emergencies — gas, fire, electrical things. Not that doors are not an emergency. They are in our priority list. But it remains a huge challenge for us.”

NYCHA is installing stronger doors with “layered access” technology, linked to the police, using money it has received through a district attorney program. But a big problem, she noted, is that security and safety measures in NYCHA buildings are not funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, so the money has to be allocated by the City Council.

In addition, residents also simply have to take responsibility for “closing the door,” she said.

SOUND OFF! Write a letter to the editor!

news@thevillager.com

December 10, 2015

23

CTOR

EFFICIENT CARE TRAINING CENTER EFFICIENT CARE TRAINING CENTER

ourse

dge

Courses:

Jacket Name 4C 6 x 5.69

GRAND OPENING

HOME HEALTH AIDE TRAINING New to our Jamaica Campus Home Health Aide Training YourFuture Future Starts NOW! Your Starts NOW! Every course you need to be certified is offered daily.

Su Futuro Empieza Ahora!

Home Health Aide (Day and Evening Courses) Experienced Instructors Job Assistance Provided

INING CENTER

AHORA!

certificado se ofrece diario. a division of

Day and Evening Courses• Experienced Instructors 54-06 Myrtle Avenue, 2nd Fl. 168-25 Jamaica Avenue JOB Assistance Provided • Se Habla Espanol

Jamaica, NY 11432 Ridgewood, NY 11385 168-25 Jamaica Ave., 54-06 Myrtle Ave., 2nd Fl.718-609-1674 718-307-7141 Jamaica, NY 11432 Ridgewood, NY 11385 718-609-1674 718-307-7141 EXCLUSIVE! Accessible by Accessible by FJE M andBECOME Q58, Q55, B52,A TRAINLTO B26, B54

and Q24, Q56

SECURITY GUARD INSTRUCTOR 40 Hour Instructor Development Course

Instructors: Tom Flynn & Bob Loveridge SECURITY GUARD TRAINING

We have NYS DCJS mandated Security Guard Training Courses: • 8 Hour Pre-Assignment Training Course Become a NY State Certifi ed Job Security Guard Today!

• 16 Hour On the Training Course • 8 Hour Annual In-Service

8 Specialty HR. Pre-assignment Courses: • Fire Guard Prep Class OSHA 10 Job • OSHA 30 •CPR / AED 16 HR. •on the Training Fireguard Prep CARE TRAINING CENTER IDC - (InstructorEFFICIENT Development Course)

Su Futuro Empieza AHORA! Jamaica Ave., paraestar certificado se ofrece diario.

54-06 Myrtle Ave., 2nd Fl.Cada168-25 curso tiene que necesitas Jamaica, NY 11432 Ridgewood, NY 11385 Asistente de salud domiciliaria a division of 718-609-1674 718-307-7141 (Cursos de Dia y de Noche) Accessible by L M and Q58, Q55, B52, B26, B54

24

December 10, 2015

Accessible Instructores con by experiencia J Ebuscar trabajo Assistimos Fen and Q24, Q56 EastVillagerNews.com