THE VILLAGER, DEC. 19, 2013

The Paper of Record for Greenwich Village, East Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Union Square, Chinatown and Noho, Since 1933

December 19, 2013 • $1.00 Volume 83 • Number 29

Glick blows whistle on blitz of illegal Super Bowl rentals

BY SAM SPOKONY

PHOTO BY JEFFERSON SIEGEL

Oh, Christ! Here comes SantaCon! It seems SantaCon is a passion of the Christ, or at least this one. The Savior was spotted on Second Ave. — the epicenter of the East Village’s SantaCon scene last Saturday.

Positively South Village: L.P.C. votes to expand historic district

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

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he South Village is where Bob Dylan gave his earliest performances, and where he wrote “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Naturally, it’s the landscape of the new Coen Brothers film about that era, “Inside Llewyn Davis,” though the Coens manage to make it seem extra gritty.

It’s where Italian immigrants built a vibrant community, and where cappuccino first started to flow in America. Its streets and alleyways, taverns and tenements, cafes and parks were where the Beats roamed, caroused and howled.

The South Village also played a starring role in the birth of Off Broadway theater.

Now, adding to its long list of illustrious distinctions, the South Village is also New York City’s newest landmarked district.

On Tuesday, in a unanimous vote, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the designation of the South Village Historic District.

SOUTH VILLAGE, continued on p. 18

S

tate Assemblymember Deborah Glick is ready to throw a penalty flag on area residents who are planning to illegally rent out their apartments for the upcoming Super Bowl.

The buzz around Super Bowl XLVIII — which will

take place at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (home of the Giants and Jets) on Feb. 2 — is already tempting many locals to post rental advertisements on Web sites like Craigslist, as they seek to cash in on the event by offering their homes to game attendees who will be visiting that weekend.

SUPER BOWL, continued on p. 5

Dissecting SantaCon; Snow and police kept a cap on Claus chaos

BY HEATHER DUBIN

A

snowy and slushy Saturday was no deterrent for SantaCon. Thousands of holiday revelers dressed as Santa Claus, scantily clad elves and even gingerbread men, braved the snow and frigid temperatures on Dec. 14 for the all-

day drinkathon.

By train, bus or subway, devotees traveled en masse to the event’s 13th annual pub crawl. This year, the hotly contested event — which contributes to charities — kicked off in Tompkins Square Park at 10 a.m. Enthusiastic parSANTACON, continued on p. 16

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Koch controversy flares anew at plaque dedication

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

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PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY

n a fiery flashback of 1980s AIDS activism, a ceremony to dedicate a commemorative plaque to former Mayor Ed Koch at 2 Fifth Ave. last Friday morning was disrupted by a chaotic protest by members of ACT UP. As Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, chairperson of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center, the organization that sponsored the plaque, was giving remarks in the building’s lobby, she was surrounded by a handful of ACT UP members.

“Twenty-five years! Nothing for AIDS!” the protesters chanted, while holding up signs with an image of Koch reading, “20,000 New York City AIDS deaths. He ignored AIDS. How will de Blasio be remembered?”

The noisy demonstration continued briefly before building staff escorted the AIDS activists out of the premises.

Although Koch lived on Washington Place during his three terms as mayor — many say because he wanted to keep his lifestyle discrete and out of the public eye — he moved into 2 Fifth Ave. after leaving office. Larry Kramer, the AIDS activist and writer and a founder of ACT UP, also is a longtime resident of the building. The two

Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, chairperson of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center, was briefly swarmed by ACT UP protesters at last Friday’s Ed Koch plaque unveiling at 2 Fifth Ave.

were famously known for their shouting matches in the lobby, with Kramer accusing Koch of being closeted and not doing enough on the AIDS crisis.

Village gay activist Jim Fouratt was at Friday’s plaque ceremony, after which he commented on the glaring lack of current politicians at the event.

“No electeds — and that’s pretty telling,” he observed. “I think ACT UP frightened them.”

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So, was Koch, who died this past February at age 88, gay or not, in Fouratt’s opinion?

“Yes, of course he was gay,” Fouratt said. “He never came out. He was accused of doing nothing on AIDS. He established an interagency task force on AIDS. But the closet didn’t allow him to come out.”

However, others that knew Koch better say simply that he was asexual, and that “politics was his sex.”

As for Kramer, 78, the author of the groundbreaking novel “Faggots” was not present. According to Fouratt, the writer, who received a liver transplant in 2001, is in poor health. The activist said he believed Kramer was rehabbing at VillageCare. A neighbor said he thought Kramer was out in the Hamptons.

Also giving remarks before the commemorative plaque’s unveiling was former Mayor David Dinkins, who ended Koch’s bid for a fourth term.

“This is an important — but at some level unnecessary — designation,” Dinkins said. “For Ed Koch was not so much about a place — he embodied the spirit of this place we call home.

“Mario Cuomo once said that one campaigns in poetry and governs in prose,” Dinkins recalled. “Well, Ed Koch governed in theater — a one-man show of wit and wisecracks, canny one-liners and determined pronouncements — all underlined by his deep commitment for New York City and its people.

“Whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him — and I did both, many times, over the years — it was clear to all around him that he loved New York with his trademark tenacity.

“He was a symbol of our city for many years, known around the world for his outspokenness and grit. … And always, always, New York City’s greatest fan and cheerleader.

“He pulled the city out of a fiscal crisis,” Dinkins added, “paid off the city’s debt in three years instead of four; stood up to the transit workers; and rallied New Yorkers over the Brooklyn Bridge in the midst of a transit strike.

“He signed a gay and lesbian rights bill. He launched ambitious housing programs, which we continued after he left office, and which eventually built or rehabilitated more than 200,000 units of affordable housing, helping to revitalize our city’s neighborhoods.

“In death, as in life,” Dinkins said, “Ed is larger than life — a landmark of the passionate irascibility that is the New York we love.”

Also speaking at the ceremony were Peter Powers, a deputy mayor under former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who reportedly was unable to attend; Diane Coffey, Koch’s former chief of staff; George Arzt, Koch’s former press secretary; Philip Coltoff, the board president of 2 Fifth Ave.; and journalist Sam Roberts from The New York Times.

As for the plaque itself, placed outside the building’s front door, it reads: “Edward Irving Koch, Mayor of New York City from 1978 through 1989, was born in the Bronx to immigrant parents. During his three terms in office, he executed twelve balanced budgets, created the largest municipal housing program in the country, and restored the spirit, and the pride, of the citizens of New York City. A graduate of NYU Law School in 1948, he began his political career as a reformer, joining the Village Independent Democrats. Elected to the City Council in 1966, Congressman Koch represented the East Side of New York City in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1978. Following his mayoralty, he became a partner at a law firm, and continued to play a role in politics. Koch wrote a weekly column for several publications, appeared regularly as a commentator on radio and television, and may be best remembered for his trademark phrase, ‘How’m I doin’?”

On that note, in concluding his remarks, Dinkins said, “There isn’t one among us who can’t imagine Ed looking down upon us and — come on, you knew I couldn’t resist — asking, ‘How am I doing?’

“And the answer, Mr. Mayor, is you’re doing great, you did well, we remember you and we love what you meant for the life of this city.”

Meanwhile, Hizzoner’s neighbors at 2 Fifth Ave. had good things to say about him. There was a buffet lunch in the lobby after the plaque ceremony.

“I used to greet him all the time,” said Joy Pietropinto, while waiting in line to get a bite. “He was always so kind, such a gentleman. And I was always amazed at how big he was,” she said of Koch, who she is sure must have stood at least 6 feet 5 inches tall.

Pietropinto praised another aspect of Koch, his children’s book-writing career.

She bought copies of all his children’s books and got him to autograph them for the kids in her extended family.

And, well, what about Koch’s sexuality that gay activists continue to make such a big fuss about?

“Nobody knows,” she said with a smile, “and nobody cares!”

TheVillager.com

served 16 years as district leader and 10 years as Village View board president. In the judicial election, he ran unopposed. His term expires in 2023. The East Village resident has been a fixture in local political circles for nearly two decades. His community activist experience includes organizing groups such as the Save Avenue A Association. The induction ceremony was attended by about 200 people, including Councilmember Rosie Mendez, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, state Senator Daniel Squadron and Congressmember Carolyn Maloney.

U.S. mail.” According to the Westbeth Twitter feed, one artist resident likely missed a deadline for a grant application because mail could not be picked up. Residents received no advance notice of the shutdown. “This should have been done on a Sunday before a holiday,” Walter added. Walter said she subsequently checked with her attorney, who told her Westbeth’s mail mishegoss was not illegal — but it certainly was badly timed.

EASY RIDER: As we were pulling our Citi Bike into the bike dock at E. Fifth St. and Avenue C last Friday evening, who was pulling out one of the bikes to go for a ride but Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh. Yes, he’s an annual member. After we spoke with him for some minutes about the possibly false report that state Senator Daniel Squadron might be tapped for Parks Department commissioner under Bill de Blasio, Kavanagh pedaled off, quipping as he went that he would ask us to split the time overcharge with him if his ride took longer than the permitted 45 minutes. Funny, we always used to bump into Kavanagh on the subway, and now we see him riding a Citi Bike… . Hmm, could the murmurings that Kavanagh might be tapped by de Blasio for Department of Transportation commissioner be true? Nope, Anna Pycior, his communications chief, told us, it’s just a rumor. … Meanwhile, former City Councilmember Alan Gerson tells us he’s raring to run for Squadron’s seat should it open up. “I’m seriously considering the state Senate, if Squadron gets the appointment,” he told us this week. “A lot of people from the East Side and the West Side have been urging me to do this.” Is he hearing something about Squadron? “I just know what I read,” Gerson said. “Of course, I start off with Scoopy, it’s at the top of the list. Once in a while I read the Times and Crain’s.” Jenifer Rajkumar also has expressed interest in Squadron’s seat should it become free.

MANDELA MEMORIES: The Villager chatted with David Dinkins after he participated in the ceremony to install a commemorative plaque for Ed Koch outside 2 Fifth Ave. last week. Nelson Mandela was on the former mayor’s mind. “I was mayor when he got out of prison,” Dinkins recalled, taking a break — as The Villager did, too — from chowing down on a tasty sandwich from the buffet lunch in the building’s lobby.

“He stayed with us in Gracie Mansion for a week. An amazing man — the greatest figure in the last 100 years. Because of what he and some others, including some very courageous South Africans, achieved, really violent civil war was avoided — it’s why I say, someday there will be peace in the Middle East.”

WESTBETH MAIL MELTDOWN: The holiday spirit turned sour at Westbeth recently when hundreds of residents did not receive mail for two days because the mailroom was closed for painting on Dec. 13 and 14, and mail dropped into the building’s mail chute could not be picked up or retrieved. “The timing could not have been worse,” said writer Kate Walter, a Westbeth resident. “Plus, I thought it was illegal to obstruct the

PHOTO BY LESLEY SUSSMAN PHOTO BY SCOOPY

HERE COMES THE JUDGE! Adam Silvera, former president of the co-op board at Village View — the Mitchell-Lama affordable housing complex located between Second and Sixth Sts. and Avenue A and First Ave. — and a former local Democratic district leader, was sworn in Thurs., Dec. 12, as a Civil Court judge in the Second District. The district covers Chinatown, the Lower East Side and East Village. The ceremony was held at 111 Centre St. and presided over by Doris Ling-Cohan, a justice on the New York State Supreme Court, above left with Silvera. Silvera, 40, worked 12 years with the law firm of Paul B. Weitz and Associates, a premier personal injury law firm,

‘DWELLING’ ON IT TOO LONG? What’s going on at Community Board 3? The board still hasn’t produced a resolution on how to deal with the fallout from its temporary “ban” of the LES Dwellers quality-of-life group.

Including this past Tuesday’s full-board meeting, it’s been two months now that the board’s special task force on the issue — composed of Executive Committee members, or the board’s core leadership — has failed to produce a resolution for the full board to vote on. We hear that there were some problems with a draft of the resolution, and that the task force is still plugging away at it, but that it’s expected a resolution will be presented at next month’s full-board meeting. At this week’s full board, outspoken C.B. 3 member Ayo Harrington angrily demanded to be put on the task force, accusing the board’s chairperson, Gigi Li, of having created an insular process. Li said it’s O.K., she could be on the task force — now — but that didn’t change Harrington’s opinion that the board’s decision-making process is too much of a closed ship.

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December 19, 2013

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A banner day to protest NYCHA infill plan

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PHOTO BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

A bit mysterious What exactly are bitcoins? And who is behind these posters recently plastered around Washington Square? For some answers, see Mr. Tech-Know’s column on Page 29 of this week’s issue.

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December 19, 2013

ew York City Housing Authority residents and community advocates this week continued their protests of NYCHA’s infill plan by dropping banners at the proposed infill developments, including the Lower East Side’s Baruch Houses, at right. Under the authority’s plan, some sites on public housing grounds would be leased to private developers to build “80/20” projects, with 80 percent marketrate housing and 20 percent affordable housing. A percentage of the millions of dollars in revenue would go back to the cash-strapped agency to help fund building repairs and defray other costs. As the infill plan moves forward amid a state judge’s recent dismissal of a City Council lawsuit against the plan, residents called on Mayor Bloomberg — now in his final two weeks in office — to give up on the proposal and “Let de Blasio decide” how to raise the money needed to fill NYCHA’s budget gaps.

TheVillager.com

Reading illegal-rentals blitz, Glick blows whistle SUPER BOWL, continued from p. 1

The problem is, any apartment rental of fewer than 30 days — and which takes place while the permanent resident isn’t also home — is illegal under state law. Glick, whose district covers the Village, Soho, Noho and Tribeca, alerted her constituents to that fact in an e-mailed newsletter on Dec. 6.

In addition to the prospect of a resident being fined if he or she is caught conducting an illegal rental, Glick pointed out in her eblast that an equally unwelcome punishment could also come from a landlord. If a tenant’s lease agreement specifically forbids shortterm rentals, and the tenant is caught in the act, the landlord could go ahead and slap the individual with an eviction notice.

“What looks like a quick buck could end up being very problematic for you,” Glick said in a phone interview this week. “I understand that people are under economic pressure, and they want to take advantage of this by making money. But I just don’t want people to act rashly without understanding the risks.”

However, some locals are clearly not taking heed of those warnings, as numerous Downtown rental listings — specifically aimed at Super Bowl weekend visitors — continue to appear online.

Some residents are even being so bold — perhaps in ignorance of the state law — as to post their actual addresses in the advertisement.

One Craigslist poster, who lives at 66 W. Ninth St., is offering his or her “beautiful and cool” two-bedroom apartment to Super Bowl-goers for three nights, at a total price of $1,800. The listing, which states that the apartment can hold “up to five [people],” also points out that renters will have to take care of the resident’s “very cool pleasantly plump kitty cat” during their stay — apparently indicating that the permanent resident will not be home during the rental, and will thereby be breaking the law.

Another post on the site advertises a Greenwich Village studio apartment, which the resident states can actually hold up to four guests, and which is currently going for a price of $1,600 for Super Bowl weekend.

Yet another Craiglist advertisement lists “the perfect pad for Super Bowl week” — a six-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Tribeca, which the resident points out has also hosted concerts and comedy shows in the past.

And on the Lower East Side, one resident is really hoping to cash in on the big game, by offering his or her two-bedroom apartment — which the ad claims can hold up to eight people — for a sum of $10,000 for a full week.

The Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, which investigates illegal rentals, has not yet released a public statement warning against short-term Super Bowl rentals. The Mayor’s Office also did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

“I’m disappointed that the Mayor’s Office hasn’t made any statements on this, especially because they’ve been active on illegal hotel issues,” said Glick.

Recently, the city won a $1 million settlement in its lawsuit against Smart Apartments — a notorious illegal hotel operator — while also forcing the shutdown of that company.

Glick pointed out that after sending her Dec. 6 e-blast, about half of the e-mails her office received in response were from “irate” residents who opposed her stance on the issue, and who maintained they have a moral right to rent out their apartments, regardless of legal restrictions.

“People talk about big hotels and landlords,” she explained, “and they say, ‘If they can make all this money, why can’t I?’ ” But the assemblymember said that, in any case, she would feel remiss in her duties as an elected official if she hadn’t sounded the alarm on this issue.

“I know we can’t control what people do, but I just felt it was important to put out the advisory,” she said. “I don’t want people

to lose their homes as a result of making a choice like this.”

In addition, Glick warned people hoping to “score a touchdown” by renting out their apartments that there are other risks involved, namely, in terms of potential property damage and crime.

In short, if the tenant is away during the Super Bowl-period rental, there could be damage done to his or her personal property by the renters, she pointed out. Plus, the Super Bowl visitors could also do damage to common areas in apartment buildings. Furthermore, this damage “is likely not covered by your insurance policy,” Glick advised in her e-mail blast.

Lastly, she cautioned, bringing in the temporary renters could “put you and your neighbors at risk for any range of disruption and crime.”

Regarding other Super Bowl matters, Glick, who is one of the state Legislature’s most avid football fans, gave this newspaper her admittedly tentative picks for the two teams who will face off in the big game.

She thinks the Denver Broncos will emerge as the league’s AFC Champions, and ended up putting her bet on the San Francisco 49ers to come out of the NFC — although she’s not counting out the Seattle Seahawks or the New Orleans Saints.

M.E.’s finding: L.E.S. Jewels died of head injuries

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he city’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner has completed its investigation into the death of Joel Pakela, a.k.a. L.E.S. Jewels — and, despite Jewels’s well-known abuse of alcohol and drugs, neither was the cause of his death.

A charismatic and exhibitionistic, but sometimes violent, homeless punk who hung around Tompkins Square Park and Avenue A, Jewels, 43, died Sept. 14 at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Police had found him the previous night, reportedly “smelling of alcohol,” on the sidewalk on Avenue A across from the park.

According to Julie Bolcer, an M.E. spokesperson, the finding of the autopsy and toxicology investigation was that Pakela’s cause of death was “blunt injuries of head.” However, she said, “The manner of death is undetermined.”

Asked for more details — such as how many and what kind of head injuries Pakela had, and whether he got them from being assaulted or, say, falling down on the sidewalk — Bolcer said she would check. However, she subsequently called back to say she had no further information.

Asked if alcohol or drugs contributed in any way to his death, Bolcer simply repeated the M.E.’s conclusion, that the cause of death was “blunt injuries of head.”

In September, in an interview in The Villager with reporter Gerard Flynn, Amy Sanchez, Jew-

TheVillager.com

els’s former wife, said she believed someone had inflicted a fatal head injury on Jewels.

“I feel he had a concussion from being beaten or kicked...,” Sanchez, a former School of Visual Arts student, said then. “There are sightings of him being hit and beaten — just too coincidental that it was a natural death.”

Sanchez said Jewels told her that he had been kicked in the head by a fellow “crusty” punk and left bloodied on the Wednesday before he died. Around 6:30 a.m. the next morning, an ambulance was called to Andrews House on the Bowery, a transitional supportive-housing facility for the homeless, she said. Jewels had been renting a room there for more than three years for a small weekly fee. Staff at the former flophouse wouldn’t let him go to his room because he was in such bad shape, with blood and bruising, according to Sanchez.

“They cleaned him up, and he left against medical advice. He often waived medical advice,” she said. “He didn’t know he had a concussion.” But Sanchez said she saw him with symptoms pointing to a concussion. She reported this to the police, she said, adding that the assailant bragged to her face about the attack.

Because Jewels often drank himself into a stupor, several friends thought nothing of it when they saw him passed out on the sidewalk the night before he died.

In September, Sanchez said that after the medical examiner’s findings were released, Jewels would be cremated, with a ceremony to follow.

PHOTO BY BOB ARIHOOD

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

A vintage black-and-white portrait of L.E.S. Jewels by the late Bob Arihood, who extensively chronicled the homeless punk’s antics on his Neither More Nor Less blog.

December 19, 2013

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Thanks to N.Y.U., Visiting Neighbors finds a home

BY ALBERT AMATEAU

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©NYU PHOTO BUREAU: ASSELIN

here was a joyful homecoming last week when Visiting Neighbors, which serves hundreds of seniors living alone in the Village, the Lower East Side and Chelsea, moved into its suite of just-renovated new offices in Washington Square Village.

As a nonprofit social agency with a budget that has been shrinking over the past decade, Visiting Neighbors has been operating out of a series of temporary locations, most recently a tiny windowless office on W. 14th St. The wandering ended with a ribboncutting ceremony Thurs., Dec. 12, at 3 Washington Square Village, where Alicia Hurley, New York University vice president for government affairs and community engagement, and City Councilmember Margaret Chin welcomed Visiting Neighbors to its new 900-square-foot quarters in the N.Y.U.-owned residential complex.

“It’s wonderful to welcome Visiting Neighbors back to the Village and I’m happy to have been able to connect such a great agency with N.Y.U.,” said Chin, who brokered the agreement between Visiting Neighbors and the university as part of the city’s approval of the N.Y.U. 2031 redevelopment plan.

“We’re delighted to welcome Visiting Neighbors, an organization near and dear to N.Y.U., back to the Village,” Hurley said.

“Now we have a place to bring our volunteers to talk about the work we do,” said Cynthia Maurer, executive director of Visiting Neighbors. “It’s all about keeping our seniors safe at home in their loved community.”

Many of Visiting Neighbors’ volunteers have been N.Y.U. students, Maurer noted.

Founded in 1972, the agency provides shopping and escort services, friendly vis-

its and special holiday programs to about 500 seniors.

“Our staff also provides training and advice for the volunteers who are at the heart of our agency,” Maurer said.

A core of about 200 volunteers serves in various ways. About 100 of them are assigned to escorting seniors to their medical appointments or to the supermarket, sometimes doing the shopping for homebound elders. Volunteers make friendly visits, some of them to their own special senior.

“We started in the Village, and over the years, kept getting calls for help from the neighborhoods north and south,” Maurer said. “It’s hard to say ‘no’ to people who need help.”

The volunteers range in age from 16 to 70 and the seniors include frail “youngsters” of 60 and people in their 90s. Most are above age 70 and the oldest is 106, Maurer said.

“Ten years ago the average age of seniors asking for help was 70 and now it’s 89,” she added.

It hasn’t been easy the past several years. Four years ago the grant from the city Department for the Aging was cut, leaving Visiting Neighbors to depend on its general public donors and its annual April Street Fair on Eighth Ave. in Chelsea.

New rules about street fairs have further cut Visiting Neighbors’ income; the organization now has to share the street-fair income with other nonprofit groups.

Visiting Neighbors became unable to afford the rent on its former offices on Broadway at Houston St. and had to furlough its staff, reducing it from 13 to seven.

After several moves, Visiting Neighbors ended up on 14th St. and Eighth Ave in a 250-square-foot office with no window.

“I painted it sunshine yellow and turquoise and we made do. We still had to keep tabs on and serve hundreds of seniors,” Maurer said. “If I had to have a pri-

At the ribbon-cutting for Visiting Neighbors’ new offices in Washington Square Village, from left: Councilmember Margaret Chin; David Gruber, Community Board 2 chairperson; Cynthia Maurer, Visiting Neighbors executive director; and Alicia Hurley, of N.Y.U.

vate conversation with someone, we had to go to a coffee shop across the street.”

Visiting Neighbors’ prospects for the future began to bloom last summer when Chin, a longtime supporter of the agency, found office space at N.Y.U. in connection with the 2031 redevelopment. The university agreed to make the new space available at a “utility rent,” considerably below market rate. N.Y.U. bore the $300,000 construction cost to get the space ready and promised to subsidize the rent for the lease’s first three years.

The past three weeks have been hectic.

“We received notice that we had to leave the ‘cave’ on 14th St. earlier than we thought we had to, and it’s been a scramble to get everything ready. We’re still in boxes but we’re here and operating,” said Maurer.

Also as part of the university’s 2031 expansion plan, N.Y.U. has renovated and tripled the size of Creative Steps, an existing daycare center in 4 Washington Square Village. The $2 million reconstruction is

nearly complete, and the 6,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art daycare, in partnership with University Settlement, will reopen in January for 75 preschool children from the community.

Despite the daycare and Visiting Neighbors projects, opposition remains to the 2-million-square-foot university expansion plan slated for N.Y.U.’s two South Village superblocks.

Mark Crispin Miller, a resident of 4 Washington Square Village and a member of N.Y.U. Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, which has an active lawsuit to block the 2031 plan, said later, “Such a renovation is all very well but it can hardly compensate the people living here, N.Y.U. faculty included, for the destruction of their neighborhood. We’re facing over 20 years of nonstop demolition and construction…so that N.Y.U. can ultimately make this part of the Village as appealing and affordable as Abu Dhabi… . We are not inclined to thank N.Y.U. for a bigger daycare center.”

Famous Ray’s (a.k.a. Roio’s) slings its final slice

BY ELISSA STEIN

“

For many years some of the best pizza in New York has been available at a shop called Ray’s. One problem is that at least four shops in Manhattan claim to be the ‘original’ or the ‘famous’ Ray’s.

Without prejudicing anyone’s claims, let me say that this is the best Ray’s, and although it is not the oldest, it certainly deserves to be the most famous. The pizza is magnificent.” — Dick Brass, New York Daily News, Feb. 16, 1979.

Two weeks ago, the Famous Ray’s Pizza, known more recently as the Famous Roio’s Pizza, sold its last pie. After 40 years at the northwest corner of Sixth Ave. and 11th St., the world famous pizzeria, whose slices were once described as “famously delicious” by

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December 19, 2013

The New Yorker, closed its doors for good.

Loyal customers, myself included, carried individual slices home in the rain on borrowed plastic trays that last night — they’d already run out of bags and pizza boxes.

Mario Di Rienzo, also known as Ray, along with his brother Lamberto, opened his pizza shop in 1973 and it quickly became not only a neighborhood staple, but a destination for New Yorkers and tourists from all over. Mario’s quest for the perfect slice quickly had many under his spell — The New York Times and The New Yorker both sung his praises. According to the notice posted in the shop’s papered-over windows, theirs was named best pizza multiple times and, as noted in various articles posted on the place’s walls, hungry customers used to wait in lines that often stretched far up Sixth Ave.

The Ray’s of old though didn’t last. According to a statement from Di Rienzo’s family, it was operated by others under license for many years. There were legal issues over the name. And then it closed, seemingly for good in October 2011. The word “Ray’s” was cut out of its red canopy, white letters scraped off the facade signs.

An article about the shutdown mentioned that Famous Ray’s had been included in a “5 worst slices” list. But while the pizza was mediocre, the closing was still sad.

And then, early in 2012, it reopened.

Mimi Sheraton wrote in The New York Times, “Good news for those needing pizza by the slice is the recent return of Mario Di Rienzo, the original proprietor of Famous Ray’s Pizza in Greenwich Village.

He has renamed the same location as Famous Roio’s Pizza in honor of his Abruzzo

hometown, Roio del Sangro, and the huge slices are deliciously New York.”

It wasn’t the same. A renovation scrubbed the urban grittiness out of the space, lights now shining a bit too strongly, walls painted too bright a white. Instead of the late-night quintessential N.Y.C. pit stop it used to be, the hours and the shop felt suburban. And the great crowds didn’t return. Sadly, Mario passed away months after the reopening, his family continuing to run the business until the building it was in, which they owned, was sold.

But, whether the slices were ordinary or extraordinary, another staple of the Village is gone. The loss of longtime businesses that grounded the neighborhood — Joe Jr’s., Jon Vie, the Food Emporium and now Ray’s — is ripping holes in the community fabric that can’t be filled.

TheVillager.com

Sandy-related rent credits are finally coming to Knickerbocker

Mendez calls for justice for Baruch hazing victim

BY SAM SPOKONY

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

R

esidents of a Lower East Side lowand middle-income housing complex will receive rent credits for their time without heat and electricity as a result of Superstorm Sandy, elected officials announced Dec. 17.

The private owner of Knickerbocker Village — a 1,600-unit Mitchell-Lama development on Monroe St. — will provide the residents with nine days’ worth of credits, according to the joint announcement by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, state Senator Daniel Squadron, Borough President Scott Stringer and Councilmember Margaret Chin.

“I have worked tirelessly to help deliver this rent credit to the tenants of Knickerbocker Village and I am enormously pleased that they will now receive it,” Silver said.

“Residents of this complex suffered in cold and darkness after Superstorm Sandy and they deserve to be compensated for their hardship.”

The credits will come in the form of a 15 percent reduction in residents’ January and February rent bills.

Average monthly rents at Knickerbocker Village are around $800 for a one-bedroom

apartment, $1,100 for a two-bedroom apartment and $1,350 for a three-bedroom apartment, according to Bob Wilson, a longtime tenant leader at the complex.

Ares Management, the development’s owner, originally promised the rent credits days after Sandy struck, under pressure from Silver and the other electeds. As time went on, however, some were concerned that funding for credits would have had to eventually come out of tenants’ pockets through later rent increases.

But that situation has now been avoided, since Ares will pay for the credits with money from an insurance settlement, according to the Dec. 17 announcement.

That settlement became possible after Silver brought in the state’s Department of Financial Services to facilitate dicussions between Ares and its insurance company.

“This is a huge victory for Knickerbocker Village tenants,” said Wilson, who just two months ago said he was worried the rent credits were potentially unfeasible.

In October, the city agreed to provide $1.46 million from its post-Sandy Build it Back program to finance repairs on all Knickerbocker Village’s elevators. The city has also committed to helping fund the replacement of the entire complex’s electrical and heating systems.

25 CARMINE & BLEECKER Sts., Greenwich Village, NY

212-989-6805

Staffed by the Missionaries of St. Charles/Scalabrinians REV. WALTER A. TONELOTTO, C.S., PASTOR

F

ollowing the death of Baruch College student Chun Hsien “Michael” Deng in a violent hazing ritual, Councilmember Rosie Mendez is calling for an end to the dangerous and brutal practice.

According to reports, Deng, 19, who attended college in Mendez’s Council District 2, died of massive brain injuries from blunt head trauma after participating in an initiation ritual for Phi Delta Psi, an Asian-American frat, called “glass ceiling.”

During the ritual, which occurred in Pennsylvania on Sun., Dec. 8, Deng and several other pledges were blindfolded and made to wear backpacks loaded with 20 pounds of sand, while trying to run a gauntlet of fraternity brothers intent on repeatedly shoving them to the ground. According to law enforcement sources, the brothers were “very violent” with Deng. After he fell unconscious, they left him by a fireplace while they researched his condition on the Internet. Some of the frat brothers finally drove him to a local hospital an hour and a half later. He was placed on life support but removed from it on Mon., Dec. 9.

Authorities are reportedly in the process of interviewing at least 30 people and are

expected to file criminal charges.

Baruch officials said it was an unsanctioned fraternity event and have suspending the frat’s privileges.

In a statement, Mendez said, “I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of 19-year-old Chun Hsien ‘Michael’ Deng. Michael’s unfortunate death was a result of head trauma endured during a heinous hazing ritual by members of the Phi Delta Psi fraternity. Baruch College incorporates anti-hazing modules as part of their fraternity and sorority orientation and I commend them for taking such proactive measures. Additionally, I commend Baruch College for suspending Phi Delta Psi’s rights and privileges at the Baruch campus. While this does not bring back the life of a young man who strived in academics and wanted to pledge in a ‘cool’ Asian-American cultural fraternity — it sends a clear message that Baruch College has zero tolerance for hazing rituals.

“I ask that Phi Delta Psi, along with all fraternities and sororities, put an end to the abuse that is hazing and, to a certain extent, bullying of first-year students,” Mendez said. “I hope that Michael gets justice and that we have no more college students in Michael’s situation.”

Wishes You & Your Family a Healthy, Happy Holiday Season!

SCHEDULE OF HOLIDAY MASSES Christmas Eve, 12/24: Family Mass at 5 p.m., 8 p.m., & Midnight 11:30p.m. Christmas Concert

Christmas Day, 12/25:

9 a.m., 12:15 p.m. (English), 11:00a.m. (Italian) 1:30 p.m. (Brazilian), 3:00 p.m. (Filipino)

New Years Day, 1/1/14:

9 a.m., 12:15 p.m., & 6 p.m. (English) 11 a.m. (Italian), 3:00 p.m. (Filipino)

CONFESSIONS

30 Minutes before the weekend Masses or upon request at the rectory.

TheVillager.com

December 19, 2013

7

POLICE BLOTTER The shooting reportedly took place moments before a rapper, who goes by the name of Fat Trel, was set to take the stage at the club to perform songs from his new mixtape, “SDMG” (which stands for Sex, Drugs, Money, Guns).

the wallet inside the Village Tavern, at 46 Bedford St., police said. The pair is then believed to have used credit cards taken from the wallet to make fraudulent purchases, just several blocks away from the bar, in a CVS convenience store at 360 Sixth Ave.

‘I’m gonna cut you!’

Police photo of S.O.B.’s shooting suspect.

Search for S.O.B.’s shooter

Police have released a photo of the man they believe shot four people at a Soho nightclub early on Sept. 12.

The man pictured above allegedly fled the scene following the incident, which took place at S.O.B.’s, at the corner of Varick and W. Houston Sts., shortly after midnight. All four victims were treated at the hospital for gunshot wounds to their legs, police said.

Police photo of Village Tavern wallet-snatching suspects.

50-something thieves

Police are looking for a middle-aged man and woman who allegedly snatched a woman’s wallet at a West Village bar on Dec. 5.

The individuals pictured above, who are described as around 50 years old, swiped

When all the hustle and bustle and shopping is done... it all comes down to celebrating the holidays with family and friends! May we at

O. OTTOMANELLI & SONS PRIME MEAT MARKET OF GREENWICH VILLAGE

suggest for your traditional holiday feast: Crown roasts of Lamb or Pork Fresh: Turkey • Duck • Pheasant Capon • Squab • Goose • Quail • Wild Turkey • Rabbit • Suckling Pig • Fresh Ham • Smoked Turkey • Filet Mignon • Spiral Cut Ham • Smithfield Hams • – Oven Ready Prime Rib Roasts – It’s a real pleasure at this holiday time to say “thank you” as we wish you a full year of happiness and success.

Dennis Robles, 28, was arrested early on Dec. 15 after he threatened to stab two men inside the W. Fourth St. subway station, police said.

Officers responded around 3:30 a.m. to reports of a fight next to the station’s attendant booth at the W. Fourth St. entrance, where they found Robles flashing a knife.

One of the men being threatened reportedly asked him, “Are you gonna cut me?” after which Robles responded by saying, “Damn right, I’m gonna cut you!”

Robles initially escaped before officers could apprehend him. But when he returned to the station minutes later, he was quickly identified by the victims and M.T.A. workers, after which cops cornered and subdued him. He was charged with menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment.

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December 19, 2013

Teen knife bust

Police arrested a teenager early on Dec. 14 after he allegedly jumped a subway turnstile and was then caught carrying a knife.

The 16-year-old was first stopped inside the Eighth Ave. L train station around 1:15 a.m. after officers spotted him “doubling up” on the turnstile behind his 18-year-old friend to gain access without paying. While one of the officers was writing tickets for the two of them, his partner searched them and found the knife in the 16-year-old’s right jacket pocket, police said.

The teen was charged with criminal possession of a weapon.

Bribes will cost you

Police arrested Martin Kurzer, 28, for allegedly trespassing in a West Village gym on Dec. 14.

Kurzer had to be removed from Equinox, at 97 Greenwich Ave., around 5:30 p.m., after he apparently gained access to the gym without permission. Hours later, while in police custody, Kurzer reportedly offered cops $300 in cash to be released, and repeated the offer multiple times after it was denied. Officers also found that he was carrying two credit cards that didn’t belong to him.

So, in addition to trespassing, Kurzer was also charged with bribery and two counts of criminal possession of stolen property.

Punched in the jaw

Other people may promise. We at O. Ottomanelli & Sons meat your demand.

incident, but just when the victim was about to pass by the group, Wren suddenly socked him in the jaw, police said.

Although he was in pain, the victim kept his composure and was able to follow Wren away from the scene while he simultaneously called police to report the incident.

Officers responded to his call minutes later and arrested the alleged aggressor. Wren was charged with assault.

Jason Wren, 25, was arrested early Dec. 14 after he allegedly punched a man in the face on a West Village sidewalk.

The victim, 24, told police he was walking past the corner of Bleecker St. and Sixth Ave. when he saw Wren standing there with two friends. It’s unclear what sparked the

A police photo of alleged backpack burglar.

Backpack burglar

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a suspect wanted in connection with a burglary in the Village on Thurs., Dec. 12. At 2:30 p.m. that day, according to police, the suspect entered an unlocked apartment door inside 15 E. 11th St. and removed a backpack containing a laptop and Tiffany’s keychain.

Sam Spokony

TheVillager.com

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TheVillager.com

December 19, 2013

9

Chamber honors five whose business is making busts

BY SAM SPOKONY

M

PHOTO BY SAM SPOKONY

embers of the Downtown community gathered on Dec. 12 to honor a group of local police officers for exemplary service this year.

The 10th Annual Safe City, Safe Streets Luncheon, organized by the Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, recognized New York Police Department service throughout the ranks, but it specifically highlighted five Officers of the Year for 2013.

The winners were Officer Liam Cawley, of the Sixth Precinct; Officer Sergio De La Mota, of the Ninth Precinct; Sergeant Michael Filomena, of the 10th Precinct; Officer Leonardo Nimo, of the 13th Precinct; and Officer Michael Relf, of the 14th Precinct, also known as Midtown South.

Those honorees gained particular distinction because of their work on qualityof-life issues within their communities, as well as for numerous major arrests over the past year.

“You’re our local heroes,” said G.V.C.C.C. President Natale Scopelliti, adding that the luncheon is “one of the most rewarding and meaningful events our organization puts together.”

Cawley, whose precinct includes Green-

Officers of the Year honored on Dec. 12, from left: Officer Sergio De La Mota, Ninth Precinct; Officer Liam Cawley, Sixth Precinct; Sergeant Michael Filomena, 10th Precinct; Officer Michael Relf, 14th Precinct; and Officer Leonardo Nimo, 13th Precinct.

wich Village, was only assigned there a year ago, but he has already made a strong impact as part of the precinct’s Midnight Conditions Unit, which focuses directly on the needs of local residents and commercial tenants. Since joining the

N.Y.P.D. in 2010, he has already made 153 arrests, 15 of which were for felony crimes.

“It’s really an honor, and I know I couldn’t be here without the help of my supervisor and my partner, but it means a lot to be recognized for this work,” said

Cawley after the award ceremony.

De La Mota, whose precinct includes the East Village, has been on the force for six years, and has made more than 450 career arrests. But he was recognized most for high-profile arrests that were made as part of the precinct’s Anti-Crime Team, including his key role in taking down the “Money Boyz Gang” that had previously terrorized the Lower East Side.

“People sometimes say this is a thankless job, but it really does feel great to be named like this,” said De La Mota, who added that busting the gang was a “great accomplishment.”

Filomena, who has been working at the 10th Precinct, which covers Chelsea, for around 20 years, was honored for mentoring and motivating young officers along with carrying out his own work. In his time at the precinct, he has made 541 felony arrests and 407 misdemeanor arrests.

Corey Johnson — former Community Board 4 chairperson who in January will become the new District 3 city councilmember — further honored the winning officers in his remarks as keynote speaker.

“What I’ve learned at C.B. 4 is how truly strong our neighborhoods area,” Johnson said, “and part of that is due to the great relationships that exist between our communities and both our elected officials and police.”

Theatre at St. John’s presents

Adam’s Gifts

The Church of St. Luke in the Fields

(An Episcopal Church in the Diocese of New York)

A new play by Peter Filichia A holiday treat for the whole family.

e tr a e th ll! e e a Fr for

Starring Philip Hoffman William Parry Julia Peterson Maureen Silliman Hayden Wall

A

487 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014 www.stlukeinthefields.org • 212.924.0562

ho

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lid a r y y gi ft ou .

This riff on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, is a story of redemption and the heart-melting surprise of feeling needed.

Directed by Daniel Neiden

Dec. 20 at 7:00 PM, Dec. 21 at 2:00 & 7:00 PM Reservations required. Go to: www.adamsgiftstheshow.com

St. John’s Lutheran Church ...is a diverse community of faith welcoming all who seek God’s love in Jesus Christ.

81 Christopher Street stjohnsnyc.org The Rev. Mark Erson, Pastor 212-242-5737 pastor@stjohnsnyc.org

CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT ST. LUKE’S CHRISTMAS EVE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24 5:00pm: Christmas Pageant & Eucharist 9:30pm: Prelude & Congregational Carols 10:00pm: Festive Choral Eucharist Midnight: Festive Reception (School Gym)

CHRISTMAS DAY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25 10:30am: Choral Eucharist

ALL ARE WELCOME

10

December 19, 2013

TheVillager.com

Microsoft gift spurs macro reform of data at GMHC

BY PASHA FARMANARA PHOTO BY ADAM FREDERICKS

T

he Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the world’s first AIDS service organization, recently received $1.9 million worth of software in a donation from Microsoft.

This is Microsoft’s third, and largest, donation to GMHC. Much of the donation is in the form of upgrades to software previously granted to the organization.

The donation’s key element was Microsoft’s SQL Server software, which allows GMHC to seamlessly upload its data to both the state’s and the city’s health databases.

Before receiving the SQL Server Software, GMHC had to manually enter all its data into the state’s health database, the AIDS Institute Reporting Systems, or AIRS, and then again to the city’s health database, eSHARE. Uploading the information was a tedious process; just signing into the databases took up to 10 minutes per patient.

Volunteers had to manually enter all the information to each of the servers, diverting their services from more useful tasks.

“The only way to enter the information was to hand-enter it all — and, in fact, we used to hand-enter all the data,” said Dave

From left, GMHC tech staff Jon Russo, Pedro Gonzalez, Dave Tainer and Michael Shnitser.

Tainer, GMHC’s managing director of Information Systems, Building Operations and Special Projects. “It used to take about 12 person-hours a day to enter the data from our meals program.”

Once set up, however, the system runs smoothly.

“AIRS gets their information, eSHARE gets their information. This happens automatically, every night with no human intervention,” Tainer said.

Also using the SQL Server, the organization has recently implemented a barcode scanning system to help automate how data is collected.

Each GMHC client is issued a card that includes a picture of the client, a barcode and an ID number. Names are withheld per confidentiality laws.

Arise! Shine!

Your Light has Come!

This is the light of the world— Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem.

O, Come, let us adore him who dispels all darkness.

Advent/Christmas Worship Sundays: 11:00 AM—Traditional Mass Saturdays: 6:00 PM—Welcoming the Light A Jazz Vesper for Advent

Tuesday, Dec. 24 6:00 PM—Carols, Cocoa, & Cookies 7:00 PM—Candlelight Mass Wednesday, Dec. 25 11:00 AM—Christmas Day Mass

Saturday, Dec. 28 6:00 PM—Jazz Lessons and Carols

St. John’s Lutheran Church ...is a diverse community of faith welcoming all who seek God’s love in Jesus Christ.

81 Christopher Street stjohnsnyc.org

“Using SQL as our back end, we scan these cards when someone comes in to get a meal,” Tainer said. “Clients just go, scan it in front of a normal barcode scanner, and it counts them as having received a meal.”

Clients can also use the cards to check into every service they use at GMHC. All the information obtained by these barcodes is then automatically received by the SQL Server software, which organizes the information, and uploads it to AIRS and eSHARE. The technology has given volunteers the opportunity to work hands-on with the clients instead of crunching numbers into a database. Before installing the SQL Server, the group served about 300 meals a day, which has now climbed to 350.

GMHC was also recognized by the IT mag-

azine Computerworld, receiving an award for the “best use of existing technology for a community service-based operation.”

“The award is all encompassing: the software we got from Microsoft, the programming we did internally, the process that allowed us to use the software, and the interesting use of the hardware technology, like the barcode system,” Tainer noted.

Although GMHC is already farther ahead technologically than most nonprofits, Tainer has his eyes set on an even more tech-savvy project.

Using RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips, Tainer is hoping even to eliminate the need for barcode scanners.

“So when our clients enter the door, they don’t even need to check in,” explained Tainer. “And when they go to get a meal, they won’t have to scan in. They will be able to literally just walk in, pick up a tray, and it gets logged in.”

Although this is just an idea, it shows the forward-thinking approach to tech at GMHC. Microsoft’s donation has allowed the organization to stay current and efficient in its ongoing effort to help its clients.

“I do think that because we have this technology,” Tainer said, “we are able to be extremely cutting-edge in the work that we do, in our outreach and in connecting our clients to care.”

The Church of the Ascension Fifth Avenue at 10th Street • New York, NY 10011

The Season of Advent Please join us!

Sundays

Holy Eucharist at the Side Altar at 9 a.m.

Holy Eucharist with Choral Music at 11 a.m.

Meditations and Sacrament Service at 7 p.m.

Monday through Friday

Holy Eucharist at the Side Altar at 6 p.m.

A Living Nativity – Saturday, December 21 Front Garden on Fifth Avenue 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The Feast of the Nativity

Christmas Eve (Tuesday) December 24th Family Service with Children’s Choir 5 p.m.

Music for the Christmas Vigil at 10:30 p.m.

Festival Eucharist at 11 p.m.

Christmas Day, (Wednesday) December 25th Holy Eucharist with Hymns at 11a.m.

The Rev. Mark Erson, Pastor 212-242-5737 pastor@stjohnsnyc.org

ALL ARE WELCOME

TheVillager.com

December 19, 2013

11

A great victory — but more work remains Named best weekly newspaper in New York State in 2001, 2004 and 2005

by New York Press Association PUBLISHER JENNIFER GOODSTEIN

EDITOR IN CHIEF LINCOLN ANDERSON

ARTS EDITOR

SCOTT STIFFLER

REPORTERS

HEATHER DUBIN SAM SPOKONY

CONTRIBUTORS IRA BLUTREICH TERESE LOEB KREUZER JEFFERSON SIEGEL JERRY TALLMER

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR TROY MASTERS

SENIOR DESIGNER MICHAEL SHIREY

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS CHRIS ORTIZ ANDREW GOOS

SENIOR VP OF ADVERTISING / MARKETING FRANCESCO REGINI

RETAIL AD MANAGER COLIN GREGORY

EDITORIAL

T

he designation of the new South Village Historic District on Tuesday is cause for major celebration. And that’s just what preservationists and neighborhood activists did later that evening at Poisson Rouge, on Bleecker St., right in the heart of the newly created landmarked district — the designation having gone into effect immediately upon the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s unanimous vote a few hours earlier.

The victory party was well deserved. This was the culmination of a 10-year campaign — though the struggle isn’t quite yet finished.

Fittingly, the fete’s location was rich with history in and of itself. The building in whose basement the club is located was once known as Mills House No. 1.

It was built as a place for downand-out men to recover. With an exterior that juts in and out, offering lots of window space, it was

designed to offer healthy ventilation to its rooms’ occupants. Later on, its basement became home to Art D’Lugoff’s legendary Village Gate, where so many legendary jazz and folk musicians and standup comics performed.

That this district wasn’t landmarked before is puzzling, since it’s really the area that many people associate with Greenwich Village.

Who knows why it wasn’t landmarked with the rest of the Greenwich Village Historic District in 1969. Maybe because its residents weren’t as affluent as those to the north? Possibly because its architecture, while grand in its own way, was different from the elegant townhouses, for example, that ring Washington Square? Whatever the reason, this designation was long overdue.

The area has seen sudden demolitions of historically significant properties, such as, this summer, 186 Spring St., a building that was a hotbed of early gay rights activism. Another demolition, at 178 Bleecker St., in 2009, was equally jarring. Both sites remain vacant holes today.

Despite this week’s victory, preservationists, residents and local politicians are not taking a moment’s pause, since Phase III of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation’s original South Village Historic District proposal is still unlandmarked. L.P.C. has said it will survey this area, but it’s unquestionably a stock of buildings worthy of protecting.

This unprotected area includes St. Anthony’s Church, on Sullivan St., America’s oldest surviving and still-functioning Italian-American church. Another noteworthy feature of this third and final district is a group of tenement buildings, scattered along Thompson and Sullivan Sts., built in the early 1900s by the Citizens Investment Corporation, an Italian-American group, to house working-class, immigrant families. Interestingly, these buildings all sport glazed white-brick facades, a style that became popular decades later in the 1960s for luxury high-rise apartment buildings.

And the district is facing serious encroachment by new development, such as just east of the

former Tunnel Garage site (which is now occupied by luxury condos) by a new 16-story residential tower. A variance for this project to allow it to go forward, in fact, was just approved by the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals.

At MacDougal St. at King St., a townhouse was recently suddenly razed, leaving another “empty tooth” in the landscape.

And now word has it that developer / newspaper publisher Jared Kushner is buying up properties around St. Anthony’s Church, including the former Joe Dairy’s building. Currently, there’s nothing stopping a developer from razing a swath of buildings for a new tower.

We hope that under new Mayor Bill de Blasio, this culturally and historically significant and worldfamous area is recognized as such, and designated A.S.A.P., before more irreparable damage is done.

In the meantime, much congratulations to G.V.S.H.P. and the Villagers who fought so long and hard to win this latest designation.

More power to you — and let’s keep up the pressure for Phase III!

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ALLISON GREAKER MIKE O’BRIEN ANDREW REGIER REBECCA ROSENTHAL JULIO TUMBACO

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CIRCULATION SALES MNGR.

To The Editor: Re “Blogger skewers conservancy over hot dog purge in park” (news article, Dec. 5): Thank you, to The Villager, for giving exposure to this very important issue and the documents I uncovered and have been posting at Washington Square Park Blog.

(And there is more!) WikiLeaks equivalent at Washington Square Park? Could be.

So much information was kept from the community. Manhattan Parks Commissioner Bill Castro tried to paint a picture of doom and gloom for Washington Square Park so that the private entity would get approved. And Community Board 2 rushed the process, and that is unfortunate.

It is important to note that this private group did not show bylaws, financials and larger plans. When asked at the one public meeting addressing their organization, they said they did not

MARVIN ROCK

PUBLISHER EMERITUS JOHN W. SUTTER

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, 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York, N.Y. 10013 (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 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, NY, NY 10013 Phone: (212) 229-1890 • Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.thevillager.com E-mail: news@thevillager.com © 2012 NYC Community Media, LLC

12

December 19, 2013

Park info probe

have a budget — and yet bylaws filed with New York State in 2012 show a five-year budget. When asked about their plans, they mentioned planting flowers and some maintenance at the park, and maybe a book club! Nothing about “a program to bring theater and performing arts events to the

park,” including film festivals and theatrical productions.

The larger issue is the intentional and deliberate deception of the public. There is a pattern here of multiple ways information was obscured in order to push through a conservancy at Washington Square Park. It is hard

to have trust in an organization that would present itself to the public with so many omissions of information, misrepresentations and a secret agenda.

Cathryn Swan LETTERS, continued on p. 19

EVAN FORSCH

TheVillager.com

My table at the window: Llewyn Davis, Tony and me NOTEBOOK

BY ANN VOTAW

PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY

M

y heart ached when Carey Mulligan said, “Meet me at the Reggio,” the Village landmark featured in “Inside Llewyn Davis.”

The scene reminded me of myself at 29, when I sat at the table by the window — the same one where Oscar Isaacs accuses Mulligan of being “square.” Like Llewyn Davis, I feared a conventional life of kids in the suburbs. I also worried about being poor and alone. I brought all these anxieties to the Reggio where Antonio, the Italian manager, listened to me mourn dance auditions, most of them close calls and rejections. He was one of my few friends when I moved to Manhattan a decade ago. The young waitresses called him Tony.

“Tony!” the girls sang one evening when I walked into the brown and green restaurant, alive with the sounds of opera. When he heard his name, Tony put down the Times and stepped behind the counter to prepare pasta just for me. It wasn’t on the menu.

Having moved to the city in 2003, I was broke and getting ripe for the chorus. Tony, in his 60s, knew my need to be on Broadway —to “make it” just because I had moved from Chicago with two suitcases and no backup plan. He appreciated my need for companionship.

“Anna, Anna,” he said, adding a warm “a” to my parochial name. “You look very re-lax-ed.”

I shook my head. I felt stressed, rehearsing a sci-fi parody to beef up my anemic

résumé. In my unpaid job as a choreographer, I tried to incorporate unrelated characters into a production number meant to advance the plot. With no stage combat experience, I led fight practice and filled the role of Stormtrooper Ann in a white bioterrorism suit and football helmet.

I was a flop, but his blue eyes scanned the short skirt I wore to my other job as an office temp. He said, “If this were the ’60s and we were in Italy, I would say, ‘Come on. Are you ready?’ ” Flattered, I grinned at this grayhaired double shot of testosterone. Standing only 5 foot 6 inches to my 5 foot 10, he appeared more courtly than threatening. I welcomed his attention, but relationships confused me. Since my New York arrival, a roommate punched holes through his bedroom door, angry he wasn’t on Broadway. Another roommate, an older Lebanese woman, tracked my whereabouts because she was lonely for a husband; I was the best substitute.

“Everyone here talks about love,” Tony said, shaking his head. “That’s what everyone in New York talks about. Sometimes I look at people here, and I think, ‘Maybe they should get together,’ but they don’t even see each other.”

I scanned the room of mop-haired students, some of them unwashed. I rolled my eyes.

“Nope, no soul mate here,” I said.

I turned my attention to my cup and saucer. They were printed with “Caffe Reggio” in Gothic black type.

“Are these new?”

“You notice things,” Tony said. “I just bought them from Italy. There are beautiful things here. See the painting over there, the one of the woman with the water pitcher. She’s holding up her arms because she thinks the men in the picture want to

In March 2012, the Coen brothers shot exterior scenes in the Village for “Inside Llewyn Davis,” their film about the ’60s folk scene. In this scene, Oscar Isaac, who plays the lead, is moving into an apartment on Thompson St.

harm her. But they just want water.”

I marveled at the huge canvas, which I thought was a print. Tony informed me it was real, a 16th-century painting from the school of Caravaggio, probably belonging to the cafe’s original owner. I was struck by the woman’s powerful limbs in contrast to her frightened expression. I wondered how something so priceless could end up in a coffee shop.

I kissed Tony’s cheek and geared up for play practice. At his suggestion, I left $5 on the table for the coffee and a tip for the waitress. The pasta was free.

“Just try not to work so hard,” he said.

“And fall in love.”

But I threw myself into the show and rehearsals for a new dance company.

I moved into another apartment with two other roommates. It was months before I stopped into the Reggio, when Tony had health concerns. He didn’t elaborate,

but he was thinner, grumpier. When I called to check on him, an employee explained that Tony had cancer.

That fall, I knitted him a scarf and left it with the girls. When I visited the Reggio, the acting manager was dressed in a suit. He told me, “I just got back from Tony’s funeral. He got the scarf.”

Stunned, I asked for his daughter’s phone number. Tony had often spoken of her, and now she and I had something in common.

“You don’t know me,” I said on his daughter’s voicemail, “but I am a friend of your dad’s. He was like a father to me when I first moved here. I don’t know where I’d be if he weren’t so nice to me.”

Today, I am a recreational therapist at a senior center in Washington Heights. I dance with these older adults, and I pay my bills on time. I wonder what happened to Llewyn Davis.

Why Garodnick would make the best Council speaker TALKING POINT

BY CHAD MARLOW

L

ast month, New York’s voters issued in a new era of progressive leadership for our city, electing Bill de Blasio as mayor, Scott Stringer as comptroller, and Letitia James as public advocate. But one very important piece of the puzzle remains: City Council speaker.

In the next few weeks, the members of the City Council, alone, will decide who fills this critically important post. Fortunately for our three local councilmembers, while the vote for speaker is extremely important, deciding who to vote for should not

TheVillager.com

be difficult. The clear choice is Daniel Garodnick.

The City Council’s role, when there has been a Republican mayor, has been easy to define. It serves as a check on mayoral power and counterweight to the mayor’s agenda. When there is a Democratic mayor, however, that role is more difficult to define. Under the last two Democratic mayors, Ed Koch and David Dinkins, the Council was largely known for renaming streets. To be sure, if the City Council does nothing more over the next four years than follow Mayor de Blasio’s progressive lead, it will not lack for accomplishments. But if the Council truly wants to maximize its value to the city, it needs to also position itself as an independent source of progressive public policy proposals. Simply put, two sources of great progressive ideas are better than one. Dan Garodnick is the

only candidate for speaker who has talked about maximizing this role for the Council, and the only one who will make it a centerpiece of his speakership.

Mostly, the other candidates are engaging in a debate over who would be the most progressive speaker. This debate is a red herring. If one were to rate the progressive credentials of the major contenders for speaker from zero to 100, the scores would range from 95 to 99. In other words, with the major candidates as close as they are philosophically, it is meaningless to declare one the “most” progressive. The three Downtown local councilmembers should not allow themselves to be distracted by such a trivial distinction. Because all of the major speaker candidates are true progressives, the focus should be on electing the best “progressive-plus” candidate.

The “plus” is about leadership, intelli-

gence, strength of character, collegiality, viewing the Council as best served by an empowered membership rather than just a powerful speaker, and having the strength of character to put average New Yorkers’ needs above one’s own political ambitions.

This is where the real distinctions between the candidates lie, and it is here that Garodnick stands high above the rest.

Take the recent decision on the proposed Midtown East rezoning. The rezoning would have produced three certain results. First, it would have overwhelmed the neighborhood, particularly its transportation infrastructure, to the great detriment of those who live in and around the area. Second, it would have greatly enriched numerous real estate developers.

Third, it would have produced significant GARODNICK, continued on p.14

December 19, 2013

13

Why Garodnick would make the best Council speaker GARODNICK, continued from p. 13

construction spending, which would have been a boon to the construction unions.

Not surprisingly then, the real estate industry and construction unions put enormous pressure on Garodnick to approve the plan. (As the local councilmember, his vote was crucial for the plan to go forward.)

Several leading real estate industry executives even used the press to deliver Garodnick an ultimatum: Support the Midtown East rezoning or your promising political career will be in jeopardy.

Anyone who understands New York City politics knows that going up against the real estate industry and construction unions is not the safest of political moves, but Garodnick had bigger concerns. He was determined to put his constituents’ best interest first, so he bravely voted against the rezoning. As a legislator, Garodnick operates by three simple rules: Good ideas get a “yes,” bad ideas get a “no,” and nothing gets a rubber stamp. I want a speaker who will stand up for my community even when our interests are opposed by those with far more money and political power. Our local councilmembers should want the same.

Ten years ago, the New York City Pedicab Owners’ Association, recognizing that government intervention was needed to

establish uniform quality and safety standards for its industry, approached the City Council and requested such regulations. I came to represent N.Y.C.P.O.A. in that effort. Numerous politicians and adversarial industries then hijacked the effort and turned it into an opportunity to grab headlines and kill the burgeoning industry.

They came close, but after a five-year battle at City Hall and in the courts, N.Y.C.P.O.A. prevailed and secured the reasoned regulations it had sought from the outset. A year after the initial regulations passed, I received word that four new pedicab bills had been proposed. I immediately expected some publicity-seeking councilmember was looking to beat up on our tiny industry to garner some cheap press attention.

When I learned the sponsor was Dan Garodnick, I took a deep breath.

I had known Councilmember Garodnick for some time and scoring political points by beating up a weak opponent (a move virtually trademarked by Rudy Giuliani) was not his style. When I finally saw the proposed legislation, I was very pleasantly surprised. They were not remotely harmful bills. In fact, the bills — which did things like making it easier to suspend the licenses of law-breaking pedicab owners and drivers, and creating a passenger bill of rights — were helpful. But more than that, they were thoughtful, measured, constructive and timely.

N.Y.C.P.O.A. was so convinced Garod-

Dan Garodnick.

nick was an honest broker, we decided to go well beyond just endorsing his bills.

N.Y.C.P.O.A. appeared with Garodnick on the City Hall steps and told the press we had decided to put our industry’s future and its members’ livelihoods in Dan Garodnick’s hands. Not only were we supporting his bills but, sight unseen, we agreed to support any amendments he made to them during the hearing process.

Early on in this century’s first decade, I had the good fortune of meeting and befriending two individuals with political aspirations who were very similar in three respects. First, each was strongly committed to progressive political principles. Second, each exhibited exceptional leadership abilities, even during the infancy of their political careers. Third, and most important, each was highly intelligent. The first, Brad Hoylman, who became a state Senator, was a Harvard Law School graduate and Rhodes Scholar who worked as an attorney at the Partnership for New York City. The second, Dan Garodnick, was a former editor in chief of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review who worked as an attorney at the liberal-leaning law firm

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Paul Weiss. The impact of Hoylman’s and Garodnick’s intelligence on their job performance cannot be overstated. It’s easy for politicians to talk about progressive principles, but if they lack the ability to translate those principles into well-considered policy proposals, hot air is the most they will produce. Hoylman and Garodnick have been successful elected officials in no small part because of the highly intellectual and analytical approach they bring to addressing our city’s problems.

This is important because two approaches exist to leading the City Council as its speaker.

The first is to rule from the top down, stifling other councilmembers’ independence in the name of pursuing a strength-through-unity approach to governing. The other approach is to use the power of the Speaker’s Office to empower the other councilmembers. In the latter approach, the speaker views each councilmember’s office as an ultra-local think tank for developing innovative policies to improve our city. Likewise, such speakers recognize they do not have a monopoly on great ideas. Rather, they understand that sometimes the speaker’s greatest value is in helping other councilmembers develop their ideas into solid legislation. It takes a certain confidence and self-assuredness to embrace this later approach, since there is a strong temptation to hoard the power and attention that the speakership brings. Nevertheless, as he has made clear, Garodnick favors the member-empowerment approach.

Local communities are best served by councilmembers who are empowered to propose and advance policies that address their constituents’ needs and improve their condition. Such efforts are most easily pursued when the Council speaker is not only committed to supporting each councilmember’s efforts, but to maximizing each councilmember’s potential. Only one candidate for speaker has made operating the Council in such a manner a cornerstone of his candidacy. And only one speaker candidate has consistently demonstrated he has the leadership and intellectual and interpersonal skills required to succeed in such an effort. That candidate is Dan Garodnick.

Marlow is a member, Community Board 3

"Wishing everyone a happy holiday season for all traditions and a happy and healthy New Year."

Assemblymember

Deborah J. Glick 853 Broadway, Suite 1518, New York, NY 10003

Tel: 212-674-5153 / Fax: 212-674-5530 glickd@assembly.state.ny.us

TheVillager.com

Explore. Imagine. Create.

The Last Responders, a group of N.Y.U. alumni, will drive this secondhand ambulance packed with medical supplies all the way to Bolivia, where they will donate it to a local charity.

Talk about a house call! Team is driving ambulance to Bolivia

BY PASHA FARMANARA

T

eam Last Responders, a nonprofit charity organization made up of N.Y.U. alumni, will be driving an ambulance to offer assistance. But it’s going to be quite a long trip: all the way from New York City to South America, in fact.

At the end of the journey, in Bolivia, they will donate the ambulance — loaded with medical supplies — to a local charity, Esperança.

The team plans to begin the journey on Dec. 22, and has estimated that the entire trip will take about three months.

This is the team’s third trip. The past two have both been a part of a larger organization in the U.K., the first ending in Mongolia, and the second ending in Mali. This will be the first time the Last Responders have organized a trip on their own.

“There was no infrastructure in place; it was harder to establish the destination and partners,” said Stephen Jan, the group’s founder. “Last time was an umbrella organization. This time there is no umbrella to help organize and help.

We have to build our own story, decide on who to reach out to and promote the story ourselves, rather than ride on an existing event.”

The lack of any organization gave the group free rein when it came to where to go, and which charities to donate to.

With the freedom comes a lot of work to do, and contacts to establish.

The group knew that there might not be a charity right at the southern tip of South America in need of a ambulance, so the group reached out to the entire continent.

“There was one organization, [Esperança] which was very enthusiastic about our project and had a relationship with another organization we were with in Africa,” Jan said. “It was pretty close to where we were going, and Bolivia, compared to the other countries is much poorer, so it seemed like a good fit.”

Although based in Bolivia, Esperança also has programs in Phoenix, Arizona.

It was a fitting charity for the initiative to help due to its early roots in medical transportation.

This is Jan’s third trip as a Last Responder and, through it, he is hoping to raise awareness about the program.

On the other hand, another team member member, Ken Sin, is embarking on the trip out of a sense of personal adventure.

“For me, I don’t think I will have another chance to take part on one of these trips,” Sin said. “It’s a good window for me to do something like this.”

The group is in the process of planning a launch party on Dec. 20. Information can be found on their Facebook page, http:// facebook.com/lastresponders, or on their Web site http://lastresponders.org.

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Write a letter to the editor news@thevillager.com

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December 19, 2013

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SantaCon recap: Snow and police kept a cap on things SANTACON, continued from p. 1

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December 19, 2013

PHOTO BY JEFFERSON SIEGEL

ticipants then proceeded to imbibe from bar to bar on the SantaCon route, which ended in Williamsburg.

There was some strong resistance to SantaCon this year. Bars and lounges in Midtown and Hell’s Kitchen were encouraged by a local police lieutenant to boycott the event and turn away Santas. And several bars in the East Village and Lower East Side declared themselves a “SantaCon free zone.” But some East Village bars around Second Ave. were pleased with the outcome.

At Dempsey’s pub, on Second Ave. near E. Fourth St., the staff was prepared.

“We take precautions and have New York City-registered security on the door all day and all night,” said Colin Stewart, the bar manager at Dempsey’s and a co-owner of Cooper’s Craft and Kitchen, a gastro pub on Second Ave. at E. Fifth St. Dempsey’s doormen were instructed to turn away anyone visibly inebriated.

Stewart bartended on Saturday, and noted he was “in the trenches” with the troops.

“We found it to be a lot of fun,” he said.

“I’m a fan of it, but I do get the community’s concerns.”

And Stewart takes those concerns into consideration. He said he has an understanding that a neighborhood business has a social responsibility to its residential neighbors.

“I’m from Ireland, and we’re very community orientated,” he said. “People are sleeping here and working here [in the neighborhood]. It’s all good for business, but residents don’t want a once-a-year pub crawl that doesn’t fit into their normal routines.”

Stewart was delighted that SantaCon was without incident at both Dempsey’s pub and Cooper’s.

“We didn’t have any damages, and didn’t have a single person puke in the bar, or damage the bar,” he said. “It was a great day for bartenders, servers and good holiday spirit.”

According to Stewart, revelers refrained from getting too sloppy this year as well.

As for business, Stewart has noticed SantaCon’s growth in recent years, and wanted to ensure his staff was not overwhelmed.

“It’s like Saint Patrick’s Day — hope for the best, and prepare for the worst,” he said.

“I think the snow contained them on Second Avenue, and it worked to our advantage.”

Over at Bait & Hook, on Second Ave. and 14th St., Jeff Foley, the bar/restaurant’s manager, also described a good experience with SantaCon. They opened their doors at 10 a.m., and had about 100 people in the place consistently for eight hours.

“There was a line that stretched maybe 20 feet long down the side of the building, plus we were filled to capacity,” he said. “We had a really good time.” There were no fights, but people leaned on some curtains, and the drapes were pulled down.

Professor Thom’s, on Second Ave. between 13th and 14th Sts., had the welcome mat — and balcony — out for SantaCon last Saturday.

At one point their amplifier blew out for the surround sound, and Foley had to exit for a new one. In the interim, SantaCon attendees filled the musical void.

“What was great was the customers were compensating, and they were singing all these holiday songs,” he said.

Bait & Hook mostly served drinks, as opposed to beer, and featured a Jolly Rancher shot special once every hour. Foley expressed gratitude for being a part of SantaCon, and will donate 15 percent of the day’s sales to charity.

“It was probably a little more profitable than last year’s SantaCon, and both SantaCons were our busiest nights of the year,” he said. “For one event happening, it hit big for us.”

Santas had another early venue to hit at The 13th Step, on Second Ave. and E. Ninth St. Manager Kevin Momenee worked his first SantaCon in the East Village on Saturday, and the crowd was lined up before doors opened at 9:30 a.m.

Having previously worked at Off The Wagon, on MacDougal St. in the West Village, Momenee said, “I’ve seen more of my share of Santas than I’ve ever wanted to for the rest of my life.”

Last Saturday, he arrived for work at 4 p.m., and noted it took him 15 minutes to reach the bar through the crowd.

“It was one of the busiest days of our entire existence — it was just insane,” he said. It was wall-to-wall people until 10 p.m., without an inch to spare. Momenee said even folks in the SantaCon crowd were complaining about it.

“I heard people saying, ‘I told you I didn’t

want to come here because it was so busy,’” he said.

While he dreaded SantaCon, noting that people dressed like St. Nick feel nothing can go wrong, and so some might get out of line, Momenee was surprised there was only one small problem that day. He attributes this to amazing security, and people who regulated

‘I suspect the amount spent on police was probably more than the charity.’

Susan Stetzer

the bathrooms. And as for business, it was phenomenal.

“It was one of the best days we’ve ever had, it was a good day,” Momenee said. “I expected a lot of problems, usually that happens when you get people drinking all day long.”

However, Sunday morning brought 30 to 50 phone calls inquiring about lost phones, wallets, shoes and keys.

As the annual event has grown and drawn more complaints, this year, elected officials — led by state Senator Brad Hoylman — reached out to SantaCon beforehand, asking that the event provide its route, and also generally tone down some of the wild

behavior from years past. SantaCon did finally provide its route, the night before the booze-filled bacchanal.

In a phone interview on Tuesday, Hoylman gave mixed reviews to SantaCon 2013.

“I do think the fact that the volunteer organizers shared their routes with the police precincts and community boards was helpful,” he said. “It allowed the police to set up a presence.”

Santas were reminded by cops to behave in a civilized manner and treat the neighborhood with respect.

“At the same time, there were sporadic incidents across the city with really quite boorish behavior,” Holyman noted. “This is all linked, very much, to the binge drinking that’s associated with the event.”

About eight Santas were captured on video in a brawl on the corner of 17th St. and Third Ave. Saturday night.

To curtail this behavior for future SantaCons — which Holyman describes as a flash mob that draws people to the city from all over the region thanks to social media — conversations have already begun with the State Liquor Authority.

“That is really how we get a handle on the binge drinking,” he said. “It’s the responsibility of bar owners to not serve people who are drunk, which is against the law.”

Holyman also feels the volunteer organizers affiliated with SantaCon do not like the way it has evolved.

“I’m grateful for the police coming out,” he said. “On the other hand, it’s a shame we had to divert so many resources.”

Holyman looks forward to revisiting SantaCon under a new mayoral administration next year.

Susan Stetzer, district manager of Community Board 3, applauded both Hoylman’s efforts and the strong police presence.

“We had the chief of Manhattan South, commanding officers, and lots and lots of cops,” she said. “That was very appreciated.”

Stetzer did wonder how much the city spent to police SantaCon in the East Village.

“Everyone says this is for charity,” she said of SantaCon. “I would suspect that the amount spent on the police was probably more than the charity.”

Improvements this year were also due to better sidewalk management — many bars had ropes outside for crowd control, and the snow helped reduce the number of Santas.

“I have debriefed with a representative of SantaCon, and he agrees on that,” she said of the snow’s impact. Additionally, police visited bars prior to Saturday along with SantaCon organizers.

However, Stetzer’s final take was not positive.

“In the end, I will say, it was not a pleasant experience,” she said. “You don’t think about the people who are nice or polite.

There were a lot of really drunk and rude SANTACON, continued on p. 29

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A 13-block area with 250 buildings, it’s the largest landmarks expansion in Greenwich Village since the creation of the original Greenwich Village Historic District in 1969.

The newborn district’s boundaries are roughly W. Fourth St. to the north, LaGuardia Place to the east, W. Houston St. to the south, and Sixth Ave. — or just east of it — to the west.

“This is an extraordinary district,” Robert Tierney, the Landmarks commissioner, said, addressing his fellow commissioners before the vote. “It speaks for itself. … I personally feel this is a slam dunk.”

Landmarking the South Village, he said, will ensure “it becomes known even more widely, and truly protected.”

“Everyone has their own story about the Village,” he added.

As for his own, Tierney recalled how in 1968 he is pretty certain he saw Dylan, wearing a stocking cap, walk by the Little Red School House, at Bleecker St. and Sixth Ave. “I can’t say for sure it was him, but I think so,” he said.

Similarly, two other commissioners who weren’t raised in New York City added that, for them growing up, Greenwich Village was always synonymous with New York.

The designation is also truly fitting, Tierney said, because “Greenwich Village was really the epicenter of historic preservation — not just around the country, but around the world.”

To the relief of preservationists and local residents, two New York Universityowned properties on Washington Square South were included in the final district — N.Y.U. Law School’s Vanderbilt Hall and the Kervorkian Center.

A low-scale, Italianate-style building, Vanderbilt Hall occupies the block bounded by Washington Square South and MacDougal, W. Third and Sullivan Sts. According to Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, without landmarking or zoning protection, a 300-foot-tall tower could be developed on the site.

Just east of Vanderbilt Hall, the university’s Kevorkian Center, on Sullivan St., has a much smaller footprint.

However, to the chagrin of the historic district’s advocates, the blockfront of lowrise buildings on the north side of W. Houston St. between MacDougal and Sullivan Sts. was not included in the final district.

L.P.C. felt this strip of 170-year-old buildings simply had been too heavily altered over time — with stoops and cornices removed, floors raised, lintels lopped off or shaved down, windows repositioned and so on — to merit landmark designation.

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Back in the summer, Council Speaker Christine Quinn had pushed a seemingly reluctant L.P.C. to include both N.Y.U. sites and the W. Houston St. strip in the district that L.P.C. would consider.

The area was quite affluent in the early 19th century, before the wealthy began moving northward. Starting in the 1850s, the South Village became an immigrant enclave, and existing buildings were repurposed for multifamily dwellings, or new buildings were constructed to house the waves of newcomers. The neighborhood became predominantly Italian. Later on, bohemian artists “rediscovered” the area.

G.V.S.H.P. has been advocating for the South Village’s landmarking for the past 10 years, and made a formal presentation of its proposal to L.P.C. in 2006.

In 2010, L.P.C. — dubbing it an “extension” of the existing Greenwich Village Historic District — designated the area roughly bounded by Sixth Ave. and Seventh Ave. South, and W. Fourth and W. Houston Sts. However, this was only roughly one-third of the South Village district that G.V.S.H.P. had originally proposed.

Tierney noted that with the South Vil-

lage Historic District’s approval, there are now 2,459 landmarked buildings in the larger Greenwich Village area. He touted the additions to that total made under his tenure as Landmarks chief, noting that he oversaw the designation of the Gansevoort Historic District, as well as additions to the Greenwich Village Historic District in the far West Village.

“I’m personally proud of that record,” he stated.

Of course, it was also Berman and others — such as Jo Hamilton and Florent Morellet, along with Berman, in the case of Gansevoort — who did so much of the heavy lifting on those district designations, making the initial proposals to L.P.C., and seeing them through to their approval.

After the vote, Berman said, “We’re disappointed that that row was removed,” referring to the strip of W. Houston St. buildings. “The good news is that we’re going ahead with seeking a contextual rezoning for that row.”

He also noted that this strip of buildings “can be put into the third phase,” meaning the last phase of G.V.S.H.P.’s original proposal for a larger South Village historic

district. That final section is a triangleshaped area extending south of Houston St. to Watts St., bounded on the east by a line midway between West Broadway and Thompson St., and on the west generally

by Sixth Ave. “We’re not taking a moment’s breath,” Berman said. “We want Community Board 2 to schedule a hearing on Phase III. And,” he added, “if this Landmarks commissioner isn’t interested in it, maybe the next one will be.”

The preservationist said getting the two N.Y.U. sites included in the new district was “an enormous victory.”

“It’s inevitable that, if allowed, N.Y.U. would build a monstrosity on that site,” he said of Vanderbilt Hall. “And this way, it won’t be allowed.”

What about the Kevorkian site? It’s footprint is comparatively smaller.

“But bad things could be done,” Berman warned, “and, with N.Y.U., if bad things could be done, it all likelihood, they eventually would.”

Alicia Hurley, N.Y.U. vice president for government relations and community engagement, was asked for a response to Berman’s provocative comments, and to the district’s landmarking, in general.

She replied succinctly, “We congratulate the L.P.C. for getting this part of the South Village designated.”

Judith Callet, a longtime member of the Bleecker Area Merchants’ and Residents’ Association, who attended the vote, was happy and smiling at the outcome. Although she now lives at 505 LaGuardia Place, she used to live at The Atrium, formerly known as Mills House No. 1, one of the more significant properties in the new South Village Historic District. It was built as a facility for alcoholic and destitute men to recover and rebuild their lives in rooms specially designed to have good natural ventilation.

However, Callet said, she’s concerned about the impact that new construction on the left-out Houston St. strip could have on the neighboring MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens enclave.

“If that row comes down and high-rises go up, it’ll change the value there,” she said.

In a statement, state Senator Brad Hoylman hailed the commission’s approval of the South Village Historic District.

“The district is undeniably worthy of this important designation, which will help to protect the area’s largely intact, historic architectural landscape and preserve its cultural character,” Hoylman said.

“I will continue to urge the L.P.C. to move forward with the designation of the third and final phase of the South Village Historic District as it was originally proposed in 2006. Given the growing threats to the character and integrity of this final portion, it is important that L.P.C. act quickly.”

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Continued from p. 12

A ‘hall’ of a political story

Billy Sternberg

Cashing in on crashing To The Editor: Re “How to achieve zero traffic deaths in

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Al Cinamon Cinamon is an instructor at Rivera’s Driving School

PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY

To The Editor: Re “Wasn’t Tweed’s Tammany anymore” (letter, by James S. Kaplan, Nov. 28): Regarding the landmarking of Tammany Hall, christened as the new home of New York County’s Democratic Committee on July 4, 1929, a Mr. Kaplan weighs in that Francis Perkins was a key aide to Al Smith.

That surprised me.

But whether he was or wasn’t, another of Smith’s key aides was my grandfather, Maurice Bloch, the Democratic (read: Tammany Hall) leader in the state Assembly. Smith rejected Bloch, however, in 1928 as too weak to run down-ticket from him for governor. Smith thought only F.D.R. could win the state, assuring him its electoral votes.

Smith was right. F.D.R. won a very close contest. Bloch managed his campaign. Smith — the four times-elected governor — lost New York, with James A. Farley acting as his statewide manager.

More to the point, when Smith ran for president in 1928, Tammany Hall had no physical “hall”; the building on E. 17th St. that was recently landmarked was under construction during the 1928 campaign. Like the Giants hosting NFL playoff games at the Yale Bowl or Shea, Smith ran his campaign from the G.M. Building, with John Raskob, a Republican, in charge.

As far as this hall is concerned, it was commissioned by Smith’s truest aide, George Olvany, the man Smith handpicked as Tammany’s chief after the sudden death of Boss Charles Murphy in 1924. Olvany, the first Tammany leader to resemble a brave, foisted Smith on 1924’s convention at Madison Square Garden for more than 100 ballots, until a compromise candidate, John W. Davis, was selected.

Smith won the 1928 nomination readily but lost New York State infamously. His pluralities were so far below expectations in the city that in March 1929, only months before his building was dedicated, Olvany resigned unexpectedly on “advice of his physicians.”

His doctors knew what they were talking about: Olvany lived another 23 years!

New York City” (talking point, by Keegan Stephan, Dec. 5): In my humble opinion, I don’t think either the city or state truly believes in safety. They would like the public to think that, but the truth is money trumps safety. There is lots of money to be made in traffic crashes, and the politicians know it. Crashing is a business! It is a multigazillion-dollar industry.

There are untold numbers of people whose jobs depend on crashing: lawyers, doctors, nurses, insurance people, car dealers and, yes, florists and funeral directors. The list is actually endless.

The transactions that flow from a car crash are taxed in the form of income and sales taxes.

So why would the politicians want to kill that industry and dry up all that revenue?

The simple answer is they don’t. That’s why they pass phony laws like the cell phone law that only bans holding the phone. It doesn’t ban the true distraction, which is talking on the phone. It’s all designed to fool the public.

To the public, I say, don’t get your hopes up. The carnage will continue.

Birds of a feather…

Larry Reddick, a.k.a. “The Bird Guy,” is one of the denizens of Washington Square Park’s west side. Frequently festooned with pigeons, Reddick hangs out near where Ricky Syers brings his marionettes, Mr. Stix and “Little Doris” — a miniature version of veteran Community Board 2 member Doris Diether — to enchant passersby. Now “Little Larry” is the newest member of Syers’s marionette family. “I used to be homeless living on that bench,” Reddick said recently, pointing to his regular spot. “I have an apartment in Brooklyn now.”

Perverse N.R.A. verse To The Editor: It was playtime at Sandy Hook School in a quiet town one morn; bright sun shown down on the green lawn when in burst a gun-packing fool.

Hurrah, hurray for the N.R.A. Another kid was shot today.

Hurrah, hurray for the N.R.A. Another kid was shot today.

Anyone can pull a trigger and blow out a human life; A gun is better for killing than an arrow, club or knife.

Guys with easy guns in the U.S.A. killed 30 more people today.

Cy Adler E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal St., Suite 1C, NY, NY 10013.

Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. The Villager does not publish anonymous letters.

December 19, 2013

19

A chocolatier’s sweet dreams come true in Tribeca

BY HEATHER DUBIN

T

PHOTO BY HEATHER DUBIN

he Fika chocolate factory in Tribeca is a whirl of confectionary activity. Christmas is around the corner, and the workers — prominently visible behind floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the 450 Washington St. location — are feeling the crunch.

Earlier this week, master chocolatier Hakan Martensson took a break from his busy schedule assembling prizewinning truffles, marzipan, Santas and chocolate ornaments to talk about Fika and its expansion.

On Monday, Martensson and his crew put together eight orders with about 700 to 800 truffles in each.

“I feel like I’m here 24 hours a day lately,” he said.

While it was difficult for him to gauge, Martensson estimates they regularly produce thousands upon thousands of truffles per week, and the holiday season substantially increases the number. But Fika, a coffee, pastry and chocolate chain, delivers more than that, and is also a purveyor of jams and seasonal spreads.

“We don’t just want to be truffles,” Martensson said.

However, there is no denying that his expertise is in all things chocolate.

Originally from Hanaskog, a small town in southern Sweden with a population of 1,250, he left home at 18 for Stockholm.

Martensson, 31, trained as a pastry chef at Osterng, and became a chocolatier on his own. He worked as a chocolatier at NK, which, according to Martensson, is the Swedish equivalent of Bergdorf Goodman.

“I became a pure chocolatier in 2003, when I decided not to make pastries again,” he said. This move later landed him on the Swedish Culinary Team, which won a gold medal in the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg, 2006, and earned him a gold medal at the Culinary Olympics for chocolate sculpting in 2008.

“I only focus on chocolate products,” he said. “I love chocolate. You can form it in any kind of way — there’s symmetry to it.”

Martensson started creating chocolate sculptures in 2003, and learned freehand.

“I didn’t know I had the skill, and I still don’t,” he said with a laugh.

Earlier this week, a dragon, which took him four days to make for the New York Chocolate Show, was perched next to chocolate skulls and gnomes. He likes to make fantasy/ science fiction-inspired sculptures.

“It keeps people’s interest, and it’s mine,” he said.

A big one-foot-high slab of chocolate resembling a looming woman stood at the end of a table. It took Martensson 20 minutes just to create its base, and he had to

Hakan Martensson, left, and Joav Hak, from Israel, rolling truffles by hand at Fika in Tribeca.

abandon the project since holiday orders come first. He is unsure of what it will be, but Martensson thinks the piece may turn into an “Aztec Mayan” figure.

Temperature is crucial, and if it is too warm, his work instantly melts. Martensson makes sculptures for shows, book releases and special events.

“People have the craziest ideas,” he said.

His best idea may have been to come to Manhattan to join Lars Akerlund, the founder of Fika and his business partner. Martensson rattled off his exact arrival date, Jan. 16, 2009. He has been with Fika ever since.

The Tribeca location, their only chocolate facility, is the brand’s fifth store. Martensson was previously at the Pearl St. shop, which was flooded by Hurricane Sandy, where he worked in a much smaller space.

It took the Pearl St. store six months to recover from Sandy. Meanwhile, the Tribeca outlet, slated to open a month after the hurricane hit, needed an additional four months of repairs. Three feet of water ruined the cafe, and the counter space and all the machines had to be replaced.

“The money ran out,” Martensson said. “It initially took two months to fix, and then we realized there was damage in some walls. Now, everything is rising up again. That’s New York.”

The staff at the Tribeca Fika includes one full-time employee, one part-timer, two interns, a packager and a driver. They fill wholesale orders to 35 stores, such as Whole Foods Market, Dean & DeLuca and the Gansevoort Hotel,

plus customized online requests.

The partners have recently signed eight more contracts, and will be opening new Fikas from the Upper West Side and Upper East Side to Bryant Park, all at the same time.

He noted, “4 World Trade Center — we were the first tenant to sign the document.”

The partners have high expectations and goals.

“On March 2015, when the World Trade Center opens, we have to build stores as the fastest-expanding coffee chain in New York City,” he said.

After they have grown in Manhattan, the partners want to expand to Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles.

“We have all the keys to get where we want,” Martensson said. “We just aren’t there yet, but every week we take the steps to get there.”

Helping them attain their aspirations is his award-winning chocolate. This November, Martensson won the International Chocolate Awards in London for his Gianduja — sweet chocolate with mixed nuts. His creation includes hazelnut and caramelized quinoa. Martensson beat out 200 American companies to take the first national round.

While he is happy about the win, Martensson is more concerned with developing a higher-quality product, as well as fostering awareness about chocolate. His products are all handmade, with the exception of the machine that melts the chocolate. Most of his chocolate comes from South America, Madagascar and Ghana.

Truffles take three days to make, and range from cinnamon with Tabasco to gingerbread to salted caramel.

“I’m playing with a lot of different flavors, mostly Scandinavian,” he said.

The goat cheese truffle, which is a Norwegian brown cheese combined with white chocolate and a little bit of sea salt, is extremely popular.

“I never get sick of chocolate,” Martensson said. “I don’t have a job. I have a lifestyle.”

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December 19, 2013

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A (Downtown) room of one’s own Workspace Residency gives artists new focus in FiDi spaces

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND LMCC

Hector Arce-Espasas’ past work includes 2011’s “No, These Are Not Paintings They Are Pineapple Déco.”

BY SAM SPOKONY

I

t’s tough to write and direct a play that explores modern technology, nuclear disasters and the prospect of some future world war — and it’s even tougher when you have a couple of screaming kids running around.

“It’s basically impossible for me to get any work done at home,” said Aya Ogawa, 39, the mother of two who’s currently drafting said play, “Ludic Proxy,” on a commission from Off-Broadway powerhouse The Play Company.

“And it’s just not fun to be working in a café all the time,” she added.

But Ogawa got a reprieve from the dreaded, crowded café in September, when she joined 30 other artists in Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Workspace

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studio residency program.

The selective, nine-month program provides each winning artist with an individual space in which they can truly devote themselves to new work. The residency began in 2006, and for the second straight year it’s taking place on the temporarily vacant 12th floor of One Liberty Plaza — in the heart of the Financial District, and steps away from the World Trade Center — on property donated by banking giant Goldman Sachs.

“To have that dedicated space in which to write and think is such a precious commodity,” said Ogawa, who added that she also utilizes a dance floor in the program’s common area to test out and rehearse her forthcoming play’s themes and choreography.

The Workspace residency has granted

a different kind of freedom to Hector Arce-Espasas, a painter and sculptor who was having trouble with the landlord at his Bushwick studio while preparing for an important gallery showing in Torino, Italy next March.

“Right now I’m not worried about paying rent, or any of those other issues, so it’s a fresh new start in which I can focus solely on the work with a clear mind,” said Arce-Espasas, 31, who is attempting to expand the multi-dimensional medium of clay, by not only sculpting but also painting with it. “Honestly,” he added, “I couldn’t imagine being able to produce this upcoming show while having to deal with my landlord back in Brooklyn.”

Arce-Espasas explained he was initially concerned about being limited by a small, isolated room at the residency. But

those worries were gone once he settled in at the building and realized that he had more than enough room to set up his canvases and freely move around the space.

“Now, I think I like it more than my old studio,” he said, with a laugh.

Another major element of the program, Arce-Espasas noted, is the exposure he and other artists receive when they’re periodically visited by curators — in his case, from places like the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art — or other leading industry professionals.

“These are people I never would have expected to meet on my own, so it’s a huge opportunity just to have them see my work,” he said.

LMCC, continued on p. 24

December 19, 2013

21

Just Do Art

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

“A SWINGING BIRDLAND CHRISTMAS”

PHOTO BY BILL WESTMORELAND, GRAPHIC BY TODD JOHNSON

Cabaret’s Christmas Dream Team, live on the Birdland stage.

THE JOHN LANDER TRIO PLAYS VINCENT GUARALDI’S “A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS”

PHOTO BY ERIC HARVEY BROWN

Timing isn’t everything in the world of entertainment — but it’s definitely on a short list that includes skill, sincerity and a keen sense of showmanship.

So it’s appropriate that our review copy of “A Swinging Birdland Christmas” arrived just a few hours before cable channel AMC ran back-to-back screenings of “White Christmas.” With a score by Irving Berlin and its polished take on the old let’s-put-on-a-show plot, the 1954 crowd-pleaser has the precise kind of irony-free sentiment and glitzy presentation that makes the “Birdland” CD a natural selection for repeat listening.

Citing beloved holiday TV specials of yore as the inspiration for their collection of recorded songs (and annual stage show), the sweet and cheeky trio with world-class pipes — Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch — tear into searing arrangements of classics like “It’s The Holiday Season,” “The Man With The Bag” and “Let It Snow” with enough charm and verve to rescue these chestnuts from the fire of a million lesser interpretations. Happily, the trio is home for the holidays — poised to land at West 44th Street’s Birdland Jazz Club for five live performances of “A Swinging Birdland Christmas” (the 10-track CD is from last year’s Christmas Eve show).

If you can’t make these upcoming gigs, the Stritch/Caruso charisma is on display throughout the year, at Birdland’s weekly Monday night “Cast Party” — where crooners, Broadway legends and virtuoso musicians gather for a raucous open mic night that’s pure cabaret bliss.

The CD is available for purchase at birdlandjazz.com. “A Swinging Birdland Christmas” is performed Dec. 21-25, at Birdland Jazz Club (315 W. 44th St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). All shows 6pm, except Sat., at 5:30pm. Cover: $30, plus $10 food or beverage minimum. For reservations, call 212-5813080 or visit birdlandjazz.com. Jim Caruso’s “Cast Party” happens every Monday night at Birdland Jazz Club. Doors open at 9pm, show at 9:30pm. $25 cover, $10 food/drink minimum. For info, visit jim-caruso.com and birdlandjazz.com.

THE PINK ROOM: DAVID LYNCH BURLESQUE

It began in February of 2011 as a tonguein-cheek, hand-in-pants way for Downtown burlesque performers weaned on “Twin Peaks” to mark the anniversary Laura Palmer’s death. It quickly earned a

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December 19, 2013

cult following of its own, for onstage antics every bit as strange and compelling as the “she’s filled with secrets” prom queen whose murder sparked a national obsession when the surreal soap opera premiered in 1990. Part tribute and part satire, with a sexual vibe all its own, host Francine “The Lucid Dream” has since broadened the horizons of her “Pink Room” show to include nights whose themes echo, reflect and riff on everything from “Wild at Heart” and “Lost Highway” to “Inland Empire” and “Dune.”

For one show only on Dec. 27, the “David Lynch Burlesque” crew relocates from their usual haunt (the Twin Peaks Roadhouse & Bookhouse, aka the Parkside Lounge) to the Kraine Theater (transformed into a sultry venue reminiscent of Club Silencio in “Mulholland Drive”).

A featured evening in Horse Trade Theater Group’s Winter Burlesque Blitz, this installment is all about mood — as Francine channels “Blue Velvet” nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens, for a celebration of Angelo Badalamenti’s haunting musical contributions to the Lynch canon. Matt Knife does hosting duties, welcoming to the stage Amelia Bareparts, Anja Keister, Iris Explosion and Satanica.

Fri., Dec. 27, at 11pm. At The Kraine Theater (85 E. Fourth St., btw. Bowery & Second Ave.). For advance tickets ($20), visit smarttix.com. For info: francineburlesque.com.

Francine “The Lucid Dream” and friends focus on the powerful presence of music, in the work of David Lynch (Dec. 27, at The Kraine Theater).

The seasonal depression storyline of its main character is what makes “A Charlie Brown Christmas” such an effective antidote (or at least companion piece) to the annual onslaught of schmaltz that all but commands us to be of good cheer — often, at the expense of more complex emotions. Using bass lines, brush strokes, a Hammond organ, now-iconic piano riffs and the occasional children’s choir, Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack to the 1965 TV special manages to convey multiple shades of holiday sentiment.

If you’re the type who’s just as happy contemplating blue notes as you are staring at bright bulbs, this evening from The John Lander Trio and Caffe Vivaldi is a must. They’ll be playing, in its entirety, Guaraldi’s classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas” album. Afterwards, they’ll put their own interpretive spin on holiday favorites (including “Winter Wonderland” and “Sleigh Ride”). By the end of the night, if you find yourself embracing the one you’re with and declaring that JUST DO ART, continued on p. 23

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Just Do Art JUST DO ART, continued from p. 22

AMORE OPERA PRESENTS: “PAGLIACCI” & “THE CIRCUS PRINCESS”

It’s “Beethoven Christmas Music” — and more, when the John Lander Trio performs on Dec. 21, at Greenwich House Music.

Paolo Buffagni, as Mister X, has assumed a second disguise (as Baron Korosov) in order to court the Princess Fedora (Sofia Dimitrova) — in the Amore Opera production of “The Circus Princess” (double-billed with “Pagliacci”).

PHOTO BY ERIC ARENAS

Amore Opera goes to the circus, in the form of a double bill that has more sights, sounds and action than a three-ring… well, you know. Come for “Pagliacci,” Leoncavallo’s famous tale of jealousy, deception and revenge — and stay for “The Circus Princess,” Kálmán’s rarely produced musical romp. Gregory Ortega conducts. Nathan Hull directs. The New Year’s Eve Dinner & Gala performance promises a memorable night on the town for couples, while the Dec. 27, 28 & Jan. 4 production of Humperdink’s “Hansel and Gretel” is custom-made for families.

Coming up in 2014, the Amore Opera company presents “Madama Butterfly,” and their Opera Academy presents “The Mikado.”

The double bill of “Pagliacci” and “The Circus Princess” plays through Jan. 5, at the Connelly Theatre (220 E. Fourth St., btw.

Aves. A & B). The theatre is wheelchair accessible, and special areas can be reserved for wheelchair viewing. Please email boxoffice@ amoreopera.org for more info. To order tickets ($40) and see the performance schedule, visit amoreopera.org or call 866-811-4111.

PHOTO BY NATHAN HULL

DEIGN BY JOHN LANDER

this is “what Christmas is all about,” it just might be more than the eggnog talking.

Sat., Dec. 21, 8-10pm. In the Renee Weiler Concert Hall, at Greenwich House Music (46 Barrow St., one block West of Caffe Vivaldi).

Tickets: $20 general admission, $10 for kids under 12. VIP front row seats, $30. Admission includes a complimentary glass of beer or wine for adults and juice for the kids. For more info, visit the events page of caffevivaldi. com. Check out John Lander’s presence on YouTube, SoundCloud and ReverbNation.

The trio headed by John Lander (pictured) pays tribute to Vincent Guaraldi’s iconic “A Charlie Brown Christmas” soundtrack.

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December 19, 2013

23

LMCC program provides community for creatives LMCC, continued from p. 21

December 19, 2013

PHOTO BY MICHEL FRANCK

24

Desirée Alvarez’s past work includes “Odalique,” featuring letter woodcuts printed on fabric, with Alvarez herself posing as the model.

PHOTO BY CARL SKUTSCH

And besides the purely individual benefits, there’s a special kind of growth and communication that develops when a group of talented artists are working side-by-side for nine months. LMCC has tapped into that aspect of the residency by including weekly salon gatherings for the artists, at which they can share ideas, ask for feedback or just mingle.

“It’s a great sense of community,” said Desirée Alvarez, who entered the residency this year as a poet but also works as a visual artist. “[LMCC] has really maximized the potential for what the program can be, because the whole environment really fosters getting to know one another — we even had a Thanksgiving dinner a few days before the holiday.”

Alvarez, 50, didn’t have to come very far to get to One Liberty Plaza, since she’s lived for two decades on the west end of Canal Street. But like many of her fellow artists-in-residence, she’s finding that the change of setting is having a powerful impact on a new project — in her case, a series of poems exploring the origins and nature of violence, while using the 16th-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire to unpack feelings about her own mix of Spanish and Mexican heritage.

“I don’t think I’d be halfway through the manuscript right now if it weren’t for this program,” she said.

This year ’s Workspace residency also provides writers like Alvarez with a chance to get portions of their work out into the public sphere before the program ends next June. She’ll be participating in an LMCC-sponsored reading at Poets House — also located Downtown, at 10 River Terrace — on Feb. 24.

In addition, those who want to fully immerse themselves in the work of the

LMCC resident artist Aya Ogawa’s past work as a playwright and director includes 2008’s “oph3lia” — an examination of themes emerging from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” character.

artists-in-residence can attend the culminating Workspace Open Studios event.

Until then, it’s back to business for the visual artists, performing artists and writers of the program. And as Lower Manhattan takes shape once again — as those artists look out their windows and see 4 World Trade Center finally open, with the flagship Tower 1 on the way — there seems to be no limit to what can be accomplished when the framework of an idea is given the focus it truly deserves.

“It’s like a hive here,” said Alvarez of the residency spaces. “It’s a buzz of activity among all the artists, and it’s contagious, and it’s wonderful.”

Artists interested in applying for LMCC’s 2014-2015 Workspace program can attend an informational session on January 15. The deadline for applications is January 30. For more details on the program, the informational session or how to apply, visit www. lmcc.net/residencies/workspace.

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December 19, 2013

25

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a restaurant wine license, #TBA has been applied for by Hermes B NY LLC d/b/a Empanada Mama Express to sell beer and wine at retail in an on premises establishment. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 189 East Houston Street New York NY 10002.

Vil: 12/19 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That a license #1154660 has been applied for the undersigned to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in Uncle Vanya café under the Alcohol Beverage Control Law at 315 west 54 street NY NY 10019 for on-premises consumption.

Uncle Vanya inc.

Vil: 12/19 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BOP MW RESIDENTIAL LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/16/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 250 Vesey St., 15th Fl., New York, NY 10281. LLC formed in DE on 12/10/13.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 MONTY FOUR EAST 86TH STREET ASSOCIATES LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/22/13. Office location: NY Co. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/15/13 SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 90 State ST Ste 700 Office 40 Albany, NY 12207. DE address of LLC: 16192 Coastal Hwy Lewes, DE 19958. Arts. Of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, PO Box 898 Dover, DE 19903.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014

NOTICE OF QUAL. OF TOTEM POINT (GP), LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/31/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 5/29/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: Darren Dinneen, 900 Third Ave., Ste. 200, NY, NY 10022. DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF TOTEM POINT PARTNERS, LP Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/31/13. Office loc.: NY County. LP org. in DE 5/29/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: Darren Dinneen, 900 Third Ave., Ste. 200, NY, NY 10022. DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of LP on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Name/addr. of each gen. ptr. avail. at SSNY. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF SOMA SPECIALTY MANAGEMENT LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 9/17/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 7/19/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: Gen. Counsel, 390 Park Ave., 15th Fl., NY, NY 10022. DE off. addr.: CTC, 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF WATCHTOWER LEASING LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 10/1/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 9/12/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to 666 Fifth Ave., 15th Fl., NY, NY 10103.

DE off. addr.: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904.

Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF SHE + LO, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/11/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Kane Kessler, P.C., 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 26th Fl., New York, NY 10019, Attn: Darren S. Berger, Esq. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 530 PARK RESIDENTIAL MANAGER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/4/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o RFR Holding, LLC, 390 Park Avenue, 3rd Fl., New York, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 530 PARK RESIDENTIAL HOLDINGS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/4/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o RFR Holding, LLC, 390 Park Avenue, 3rd Fl., New York, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF HERITAGE HOME GROUP LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/21/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 1 N. Brentwood Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105.

LLC formed in DE on 9/30/13.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF POST CAPITAL EQUITY PARTNERS III LP Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/3/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 805 3rd Ave., 8th Fl., NY, NY 10022. LP formed in DE on 10/9/13. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LP:The CorporationTrust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Name/addr. of genl. ptr. available from NY Sec. of State. Cert. of LP filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF POST CAPITAL GENERAL PARTNER III LP Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/3/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 805 3rd Ave., 8th Fl., NY, NY 10022. LP formed in DE on 10/9/13. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LP:The CorporationTrust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Name/addr. of genl. ptr. available from NY Sec. of State. Cert. of LP filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 12/19 - 01/23/2014 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Hotel Liquor license, #TBA has been applied for

by Ludlow Hotel Operating LLC & Ludlow Hotel Food & Beverage LLC d/b/a The Ludlow Hotel to sell beer, wine and liquor at retail in a Hotel with one additional bar. For on premises consumption under the ABC law at 180184 Ludlow Street New York NY 10002.

Vil: 12/12 - 12/19/2013 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF ESE ENTERTAINMENT NY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/27/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANTTO LAW, that the NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs will hold a Public Hearing onThursday January 02, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at 66 John Street, 11th floor, on a petition for DESMO 916 CORP., to continue to maintain, and operate an unenclosed sidewalk café at 545 EAST FIFTH AVENUE in the Borough of Manhattan for a term of two years.

REQUEST FOR COPIES OFTHE PROPOSED REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSEDTO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004.

Vil: 12/19 - 12/26/2013

26

December 19, 2013

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF FEIL WHITESTONE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/04/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 7 Penn Plaza, Ste. 618, NY, NY 10001. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF THE KAMAGE GALLERY, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/05/2013. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: the Kamage Gallery, 248 Sherman Ave. Apt 3 NY, NY 10034. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 EXCELSIOR CONSULTANTS HOLDINGS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 10/2/13. Office location: NewYork County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process toThe LLC, 431 W. 37th St., 7G, NY, NY 10018. General Purpose.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 22 E 14 LLC a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 11/12/13. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to C/O Sutton, 41 E. 57th St., 28th Fl., NY, NY 10021. General Purpose.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF INNOVA IMPORTS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/24/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1370 Broadway, Suite 540, New York, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF SULLIVAN RUVOLDT PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/3/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Purpose: practice the profession of law.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MULBERRY STREET MANAGER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/3/13. Off. loc.: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o EVO Real Estate Group, 462 Seventh Ave., Fl. 12A, NY, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MULBERRY STREET COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/3/13. Off. loc.: NY County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o EVO Real Estate Group, 462 Seventh Ave., Fl. 12A, NY, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MGG UK, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/2/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Marian Goodman Gallery, Inc., 24 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019, Attn: Marian Goodman Elaine Budin. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CHAMPION PARKING MIDTOWN LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/12/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 655 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 BEDFORD-WEBSTER COMMERCIAL LLC a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 11/25/13. Office location: New York County.

SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to The LLC, 40 Fulton St., 21st Fl., NY, NY 10038. General Purpose.

Vil: 12/12 - 01/16/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF UNIVET OPTICAL TECHNOLOGIES NORTH AMERICA LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/15/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 1745 Broadway, 17th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o BCRA CO., Attn: Shelley Clifford, 161 N. Clark St., Ste. 4300, Chicago, IL 60603. Purpose: Distribution of dental devices.

Vil: 12/05 - 01/09/2014

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF TWO TWO FOUR WEST 18, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/19/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Fitapelli Kurta, 475 Park Ave. South, 12th Fl., NY, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/05 - 01/09/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 22 BEAVER ST LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/19/2013. Office location: 22 Beaver St, NY, NY County.

SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: 22 Beaver St LLC, 3430 208th Street, Bayside, NY 11361. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

Vil: 12/05 - 01/09/2014 LIBERTY ENDO, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/22/2013. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 535 Fifth Ave. 4th Fl, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Vil: 12/05 - 01/09/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF BGCH ALEMBIC LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/21/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Alembic Community Development, 11 Hanover Square, #701, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/05 - 01/09/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF BGCH APARTMENTS MM LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/21/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Alembic Community Development, 11 Hanover Square, #701, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 12/05 - 01/09/2014

PAULSON RECOVERY FUND II LP Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/23/13. Office location: NY Co. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 9/25/13. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to The LP 1251 Ave of the Americas New York, NY 10020. DE address of LP: 1209 Orange ST Wilmington, DE 19801. Arts. Of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, PO Box 898 Dover, DE 19903.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CO3 FINE ARTS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/23/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Cahill Partners LLP, 70 W. 40th St., New York, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CHELSEA COLLABORATIVE MEDICAL CARE, PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/13/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 455 W. 37th St., Apt. 2207, New York, NY 10018.

Purpose: practice the profession of medicine.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF CINEREACH FELLOWSHIPS PSC, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/23/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 10/23/13.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to the principal business addr.: c/o The Manhattan Family Office, 405 Lexington Ave., 43rd Fl., NY, NY 10174.

DE addr. of LLC: c/o National Corporate Research, Ltd. 615 S. Dupont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF NEPU LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/24/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 8/22/13.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014

TheVillager.com

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF TECH OPPORTUNITIES LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/8/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 11/4/13.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: 777 Third Ave., 30th Fl., NY, NY 10017, principal business address. DE address of LLC: 615 S. DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, P.O. Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF WATERMAN 400 PARK JV LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/21/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 10/18/13.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC:The Corporation Trust Co., 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF DOORBROOK LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/22/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 410 E. 57th St., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10022. Purpose: investments.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CAHOKIA LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/14/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Wolf Family Management Company, LLC, 700 Louisiana, Ste. 1100, Houston, TX 77002. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF GGR MADISON LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/20/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o BCRA CO., Attn: Shelley Clifford, 161 N. Clark St., Ste. 4300, Chicago, IL 60603. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014

TheVillager.com

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF WORLD FOODS AND FLAVORS USA LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/22/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Gleason & Koatz, LLP, 122 E. 42nd St., Ste. 518, New York, NY 10168. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/28 - 01/02/2014 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ARC FDCCSNY001, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/12/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/23/13. Princ. office of LLC: 106 York Rd., Jenkintown, PA 19046. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o CSC, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207.

DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF ARC DBPORBR001, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/13/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/12/13. Princ. office of LLC: 106 York Rd., Jenkintown, PA 19046. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o CSC, 80 State St., 6th Fl., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF BOP ONE NORTH END LANDLORD LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/19/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 250 Vesey St., 15th Fl., New York, NY 10281. LLC formed in DE on 11/05/2013.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Corporation Service Company, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013

NOTICE: The name of the foreign Limited Liability Company is AHR ENTERPRISES LLC. Applic. for Auth. filed with NYS Dept of State on 9/30/13.

Jurisdiction: Delaware & date of organization is 8/15/13.

Office location in NY State: NY County; street address - 255 Hudson Street, Apt. PHB, New York, NY 10013.

NY Sec. of State (SOS) is designated as agent of the LLC for service of process.

SOS to mail a copy of any process against LLC to c/o Anthony Heifara Rutgers, 255 Hudson Street, Apt. PHB, NewYork, NY 10013 within or without NY State. Address maintained in its jurisdiction is: Secretary of State, John G. Townsend Bldg, 401 Federal St. – Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful act or activity which limited liability companies may be organized.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE: The name of the foreign Limited Liability Company is AZTECH MOUNTAIN LLC. Applic. for Auth. filed with NYS Dept of State on 10/1/13.

Jurisdiction: Delaware & date of organization is 8/15/13.

Office location in NY State: NY County; street address - 255 Hudson Street, Apt. PHB, New York, NY 10013.

NY Sec. of State (SOS) is designated as agent of the LLC for service of process.

SOS to mail a copy of any process against LLC to c/o Anthony Heifara Rutgers, 255 Hudson Street, Apt. PHB, NewYork, NY 10013 within or without NY State. Address maintained in its jurisdiction is: Secretary of State, John G. Townsend Bldg, 401 Federal St. – Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful act or activity which limited liability companies may be organized.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF 136 GREENE LLC App. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) 11/1/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/27/12. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Thor Equities, LLC, 25 W. 39th St., NY, NY 10018. DE address of LLC: c/o National Registered Agents, Inc., 160 Greentree Drive, Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF BOURNE & ZAKHEIM, LLP Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/06/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLP may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLP is to: Bourne & Zakheim LLP, 733 THIRD AVENUE, New York, NY 10017. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF TWO SIGMA LUNA, LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/6/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 5/3/13.

SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: Matthew Siano, Esq., 100 Ave of the Americas, NY, NY 10013.

DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF TWO SIGMA HOLDINGS VC ACQUISITION FUND, LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/6/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 5/3/13.

SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: Matthew Siano, Esq., 100 Ave of the Americas, NY, NY 10013.

DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF VALINOR CAPITAL PARTNERS SPV XIII, LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/17/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 5/16/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: David Angstreich, 510 Madison Ave., 25th Fl., NY, NY 10022. DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013

NOTICE OF QUAL. OF VALINOR CAPITAL PARTNERS SPV XIV, LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/17/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 5/16/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: David Angstreich, 510 Madison Ave., 25th Fl., NY, NY 10022. DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF VALINOR CAPITAL PARTNERS SPV XV, LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/17/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 5/16/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: David Angstreich, 510 Madison Ave., 25th Fl., NY, NY 10022. DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUAL. OF VALINOR CAPITAL PARTNERS SPV XVI, LLC Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 5/17/13. Office loc.: NY County. LLC org. in DE 5/16/13. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Att: David Angstreich, 510 Madison Ave., 25th Fl., NY, NY 10022. DE off. addr.: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp.: any lawful activities.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF FARMMAVEN LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/7/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: National Corporate Research, Ltd., 10 E. 40th St., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10016, the registered agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013

NOTICE OF REGISTRATION OF BUTLER SNOW LLP Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/4/13. Office location: NY County. LLP registered in ­­­Delaware on 10/10/13. SSNY designated as agent of LLP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Thomas E. Williams, 1020 Highland Colony Parkway, Ste. 1400, Ridgeland, MS 39157. Principal office of LLP: 1700 Broadway, 41st Fl., New York, NY 10019. Purpose: practice the profession of law.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF SDF64 MERMAID AVENUE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/4/13.

Office location: NY County.

Princ. bus. addr.: 825 3rd Ave., Fl 37, NY, NY 10022. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF PILLAR CAPITAL FINANCE LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/4/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 330 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10017. LLC formed in DE on 4/1/13. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011. DE addr. of LLC: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 11/21 - 12/26/2013 NOTICE OF CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY OF FOREXLIVE MEDIA LLC Certificate of Authority filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/8/2013. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: c/o Delaware Intercorp Inc., 113 Barksdale Professional Ctr., Newark, DE, 19113. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF KLEOS MANAGED SERVICES, L.P. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 9/12/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: One Liberty Plaza, 49th Fl., NY, NY 10006. LP formed in DE on 3/31/04.

NY Sec. of State designated agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. DE addr. of LP: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Name/ addr. of genl. ptr. available from NY Sec. of State. Cert. of LP filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MANDER JEWELRY, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/15/13. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. The address to which SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC is to: Mander Jewelry LLC, 400 Convent Avenue #52, New York, NY 10031. Purpose:To engage in any lawful act or activity.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013 NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF 200 CAPTAINS NECK LANE LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/05/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/23/13. Princ. office of LLC: 681 5th Ave., 11th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Apex Bulk Carriers LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808.

Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013 NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 613 WEST 46, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/02/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Sanders Ortoli VaughnFlam Rosenstadt LLP, 501 Madison Ave., 14th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Sanders Ortoli Vaugh-Flam Rosenstadt LLP, 501 Madison Ave., 14th Fl., NY, NY 10022. As amended

by Cert. of Correction filed with SSNY on 10/16/13, the process addr. is: c/o Sanders Ortoli Vaughn-Flam Rosenstadt LLP. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF HUDSON TECH RESIDENTIAL LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/01/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 826 Broadway, 11th Fl., NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Hudson Companies at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 175 W 137 ST LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/31/13. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Gerald Migdol, Esq., 223 W. 138th St., Ground Fl., NY, NY 10030. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF KAPLAN INTERNATIONAL NORTH AMERICA, LLC Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 4/5/13. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in CA on 12/31/12. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave., NY, NY 10011, regd. agent upon whom process may be served. Principal office address: 1015 Windward Ridge Pkwy., Alpharetta, GA 30005. Cert. of Org. filed with CA Sec. of State, 1500 11th St., Sacramento, CA 95814. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Vil: 11/14 - 12/19/2013

December 19, 2013

27

ACCOUNTING PROCEEDING FILE NO. 2012-47/A CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

TO:

Unknown Distributees, Attorney General of the State of New York, Albert F. Nika, Teri St. Hilaire, as guardian of Norma Nika, Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, Crestwood Memorial Chapel, Jewel Bachrach.

And to the heirs at law, next of kin and distributees of Elizabeth Goodman, if living and if any of them be dead, to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors in interest whose names and places of residence unknown and cannot, after diligent inquiry, be ascertained by the petitioner herein; being the persons interested as creditors, legatees, devisees, beneficiaries, distributees, or otherwise in the estate of Elizabeth Goodman, deceased, who at the time of his death was a resident of 542 E. 5th Street, New York, New York 10009.

A petition having been duly filed by the Public Administrator of the County of New York, who maintains an office at 31 Chambers Street, Room 311, New York, New York 10007.

YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the New York County Surrogate’s Court at 31 Chambers Street, New York, New York, on January 24, 2014, at 9:30 A.M. in Room 509, why the following relief stated in the account of proceedings, a copy of the summary statement thereof being attached hereto, of the Public Administrator of the County of New York as administrator of the goods, chattels and credits of said deceased, should not be granted: (i) that her account be judicially settled; (ii) that the above named person(s) be cited to show cause why such settlement should not be granted; (iii) that the Court dispense with service upon Norma Nika if deemed unnecessary; (iv) that the claim of Crestwood Memorial Chapel and Jewel Bachrach for decedent’s funeral expenses be rejected; (v) that the claim of Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in the amount of $ 23,151.47 for nursing serviced be allowed; (vi) that the Surrogate approve the reasonable amount of compensation as reported in Schedules C and C-1 of the account of proceedings to the attorney for the petitioner for legal services rendered to the petitioner herein; (vii) that a hearing be held to determine the identity of the distributees at which time proof pursuant to SCPA Section 2225 may be presented, or in the alternative, that the balance of the funds be deposited with the Commissioner of Finance of the City of New York for the benefit of the decedent’s unknown distributees; (viii) that the persons above mentioned and all necessary and proper persons be cited to show cause why such relief should not be granted; (ix) that an order be granted pursuant to SCPA Section 307 where required or directed; and (x) for such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.

Dated, Attested and Sealed. November 18, 2013. (Seal).

Hon. Nora S. Anderson, Surrogate. Diana Sanabria, Chief Clerk.

Schram & Graber, P.C. Counsel to the Public Administrator, New York County 22 Cortlandt Street, 16th Floor New York, New York 10007 (212) 896-3310 Note: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed that you do not object to the relief requested. You have the right to have an attorney-at-law appear for you and you or your attorney may request a copy of the full account from the petitioner or petitioner’s attorney.

Vil: 11/28- 12/19/2013

28

December 19, 2013

TheVillager.com

Bit by bit, digital currency is gaining a foothold MR. TECH-KNOW

BY PASHA FARMANARA

W

No East Village SantaCon in ’14?

SANTACON, continued from p. 16

people out there.”

Stetzer mentioned a woman who left a bar swearing about the old people inside, and how much she disliked them, with expletive emphasis. Also, the Ninth Precinct, on E. Fifth St., had its annual holiday children’s party on Saturday, the second year in a row with a shared SantaCon date.

“Everybody in the community knows about it — we collected toys in our office for them,” the district manager said. “All these drunk Santas are running around acting like idiots, and all these kids are going to get their toys from Santa.”

Stetzer noted she also saw a video online of some sexually explicit behavior recorded outside the Duane Reade on Third Ave. and 14th St. SantaCon organizers, in fact, have assured

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Stetzer that the event will not be in the East Village next year.

Responding to questions from The Villager, a SantaCon representative reflected on the day positively in an e-mail response signed “Santa.” He said he thought the route was “full of creativity, Absurdist Theater, street art and holiday cheer!”

He said no one had informed “Santa” about any badly behaved partiers, but that he could not ignore the visible evidence.

“We have all seen the unfortunate fight video that took place outside of the suggested route and hours after the event had ended,” said “Santa.”

“Santa” was unable to reveal how much money was raised for charity, since many bars have not reported earnings.

As for the future of SantaCon, “Santa” claimed, it is “to be determined.”

VILLAGER GRAPHIC BY PASHA FARMANARA

ith all the complex talk about bitcoin buzzing around the media, many people have found themselves out of the loop and are afraid to ask the simple question: What is bitcoin?

For starters, bitcoin is a currency just like the dollar, euro or pound. Its biggest difference is that there is no tangible note, like a bill or coin, signifying its value. Bitcoins are represented by files, which can be kept safe on a computer.

The currency has grown by leaps and bounds; the price of a bitcoin has risen more than 4,100 percent in the past 12 months.

Buying a bitcoin is a complicated process, mainly because the process is designed to maintain the buyer’s anonymity.

One cannot simply use his or her credit card information to pay for a bitcoin. Those interested must find a local exchange, or a Web site that offers bitcoins for purchase.

Then, they must send their payment in the form of MoneyGram, cash, direct wire transfer, or any method that keeps the buyer’s identity unknown.

The only way to create a bitcoin is by “mining” for them. Mining is a convoluted system in which powerful computers fight to solve math problems, and those who finish are rewarded with a “block” of bitcoins. As of now, a block is equal to 25 bitcoins.

The mining process itself is interesting, but above most people’s heads. What is

significant is that with this mining system in place, only so many bitcoins can be mined per time period. In fact, the mining process has been set up to produce just as much value per year as gold mining does in the real world.

This helps prevent inflation, and keeps the currency stable in the long run. In the short run, however, any new commodity’s value will fluctuate heavily when first entering the market, and bitcoin is no exception.

For example, bitcoin’s price dropped on Dec. 18 due to reforms by the People’s Bank of China: The bank outlawed the country’s other banks from using digital currencies.

Due to China’s action, bitcoin’s price plunged from $745 to $455 in just 10 hours.

That’s a 40 percent swing. This drastic tumble may be unsettling, but, again, all new commodities fluctuate. Remember when Facebook first went public?

Another worry about bitcoin is that there is nothing backing up the virtual currency. This is true; bitcoin has no backing.

What many forget is that this is also true of almost all modern currencies.

In 1971 the U.S. stopped backing the dollar with gold, and since then, almost every currency has followed suit.

“The pieces of green paper have value because everybody thinks they have value,” said Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman.

As of now, the number of goods purchasable through bitcoin is limited, but continues to grow daily.

Bitcoin’s future is unpredictable. The currency has the potential to become a reliable way to buy everyday items, but it also has the potential to become completely worthless. What bitcoin has undoubtedly done is bring attention to digital currencies.

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December 19, 2013

TheVillager.com

PHOTO BY PASHA FARMANARA

Bill Lynch, second from left, giving Richard Guevara, third from left, of the Police Athletic League, and his staff, Luis DeLeon, far left, and Jasmin Lawrence, far right, an appreciation plaque for their support for Lynch’s youth programs.

Rec director keeps the leagues running, and the games on time SPORTS

BY PASHA FARMANARA

A

s a referee, coach and league manager for 30 years with the Department of Parks and Recreation, Bill Lynch has made a lasting impact on the youth and adults who participate in Parks’ sports leagues.

Every April to November, Lynch puts together about 11 basketball tournaments.

He has also started running youth flagfootball leagues at Hamilton Fish Park from September to November.

Lynch, who grew up in Chelsea, started at Parks in 1985 officiating youth basketball games.

“I used to be the guy who they sent place to place to referee,” he said. “I am not mobile anymore, so I began making tournaments.”

In 1992 a police car struck Lynch, immobilizing him, and forcing him to give up refereeing.

Although fulfilling, Lynch’s coaching career was brief. Due to his disability, travel to games was too great a chore.

Instead, he began organizing and running youth and adult basketball tournaments at Hamilton Fish, at Pitt and Houston Sts., as recreation director, the position he still holds.

As rec director, Lynch has shaped up the park’s basketball tournaments, getting them to run in an orderly manner and punctually.

“Here, we are set up 30 minutes prior to the game,” he said. “We double-check and we keep everything organized. We are on time.”

The men’s and women’s leagues have an entry fee, but the youth leagues are free — which is important to Lynch.

“What I really like doing is providing tournaments for those who can’t afford it,” he said. “I try and recruit the Boys’ Clubs and

TheVillager.com

nonprofit things. We try to make them affordable, and we try and keep it in the city.”

In addition, Lynch gives inner-city kids the opportunity to work, and get paid, at his events. Kids can help “run the tables,” as in the scorekeeper’s table and game clock.

“It’s not a lot of money but it’s something,” Lynch said. “We choose kids who have come up through the program.

Ed Auguste, Ham Fish’s manager, has worked alongside Lynch for years and seen his impact.

“Without Bill, there would be no sports programs in the Lower East Side,” Auguste said. “He is truly a blessing to the community and well known as a great league commissioner because he makes sure everything is always organized, on time and that everyone is playing fair and having fun.”

Over the years, funding has increasingly become an issue. Lynch funds his leagues with help from various local organizations, but one in particular stands out.

“Sometimes it’s hard to raise money for the tournaments, but P.A.L. and the manager here have really helped,” Lynch said. “Without their help, we wouldn’t be possible.”

The Police Athletic League, 95 years old, is the city’s largest, independent, youth-development, nonprofit organization.

A long-term goal for Lynch is to gain access to his own indoor facility.

“I always wished they put some sort of dome-like bubble so we can do this yearround,” he said.

When it gets cold outside, Lynch helps run the Millennium Basketball League, a 200-team, indoor league in Chelsea, for girls and boys ages 8 to 17. Registration closes Jan. 10. Games tip off Jan. 25.

Auguste said Lynch’s impact on youth sports can’t be underestimated.

“His work ethic and dedication is remarkable,” Auguste said. “I have been truly fortunate to work alongside such a great man like Bill, and experience how his leagues have a tremendous impact on everyone who participates in his programs.”

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