NOV. 6, 2014 DOWNTOWN EXPRESS by Schneps Media

VOLUME 27, NUMBER 11

NOVEMBER 6-NOVEMBER 19, 2014

STORM PLANS LEAVE MANY DOWNTOWN WITHOUT PROTECTION

BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC s the city grapples with protecting its coastlines two years after Superstorm Sandy hit on Oct. 29, 2012, it is moving forward with the “Big U” design to safeguard parts of the Lower East Side, while there remains a lack of funding for other vulnerable sections of Lower Manhattan. The first section that does have $335 million in funding stretches from Montgomery St. to E. 23rd St., which includes Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town, at expense of not covering several public housing projects on the Lower East Side such as LaGuardia, Knickerbocker, Rutgers and the Smith Houses. “I’m not happy,” Aixa Torres, president of the tenant association for the Alfred E. Smith houses, said in a phone interview. “The hardest hit are the ones that will be the least protected. What happens to the rest of us?” During Sandy, the Smith Houses did not have power or water and experienced flooding. The Montgomery boundary does include the Vladeck Houses and Nancy Ortiz, president of the resident association, is happy about that, but not that other complexes will not be covered. “It’s very disheartening other areas that should have been included Continued on page 10

Downtown Express photo by Josh Rogers

One of many visitors who took a picture of the now open One World Trade Center this week.

The new W.T.C. scene

BY JOSH ROGERS eople on Vesey St. were stopping to click their phone cameras at a rate of 10 or so a minute Monday, the first day office workers came to the new One World Trade Center. More of the area was open, and in many ways it seemed like a new day at the W.T.C., where over the

post-9/11 years, chains have been used to manage the crowds forced to circumvent the area. But is the building finally open? “Not to the public it isn’t,” an N.Y.P.D. officer told me in a friendly tone. A public opening will perhaps be in the spring when One World Observatory starts welcoming vis-

itors looking for views of Lower Manhattan and beyond. So far, only about 175 Condé Nast employees have started working at One W.T.C., which many still call the Freedom Tower, the name used long before the building was even designed. Thousands Continued on page 8

bullish on the coming openings of places like Hermès and Ferragamo.

A STONE AT ROCK

COMPETITION, YES

Critics of Howard Hughes Corp.’s plans to bring big retail to the historic South Street Seaport often cite the similar plans at Brookfield Place and the World Trade Center as reasons not to go forward, but Dennis Friedrich, C.E.O of Brookfield scoffed at the idea Wednesday. “I have been asked by our investors ‘aren’t you scared of Westfield moving across the street [at the W.T.C.], the South Street Seaport,” Friedrich said at a panel discussion organized by the Commercial Observer. “Retailers like to be around other retailers.” Friedrich also said Brookfield Place’s retail is 80 percent leased and almost all of that will open next year, except for Saks. He was also

Speakng at the same event, real estate powerhouse Mary Ann Tighe is already tired of being sent clips of Chris Rock’s “Saturday Night Live” monologue clip about the Freedom Tower. She also thinks Rock is full of it. “They should change the name from the Freedom Tower to the Never Going in There Tower, cause I’m never going in there,” Rock said last weekend. “There is no circumstance under which I will be going in there.” Tighe, who’s brokered many of the major World Trade Center deals as the C.E.O. of CBRE Group, said Rock would quickly change his tune if Vanity Fair asked him to do a cover shoot in their One W.T.C offices they plan to open next year.

OBAMA VISIT?

A supervisor outside the Freedom Tower last week told us he’s hearing

President Obama may be planning to visit for a big ceremony with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. We had the sense he has been around awhile and was in the know. For one, even though the building was planned to open in a few days, he told us he wouldn’t believe it ‘til it happened— actually that one made us wonder if he was a long-lost relative. Our source also didn’t mention Gov. Chris Christie, who shares control with Cuomo of the Port Authority, owners of the World Trade Center. We’re guessing Christie is not anxious to be connected with the Port after Bridgegate, or Obama. Many Republicans are still mad at Christie for embracing the president after Hurricane Sandy, which hit right before the 2012 election.

CHALLENGING CHALLENGES

By now, you all know, that Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate Tuesday and that Gov. Andrew Cuomo romped in his reelection

bid (maybe we knew that one a few months ago), but here Downtown, where Democrats rule, there were two spirited races, although the outcome was not much in doubt. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver cruised to victory with 82 percent of the vote over Battery Park City Republican Maureen Koetz, who was one of the more organized challengers Silver has faced in his career. For Progressive candidate Alexander Meadows in the other spirited race, it was a tough night as he came in third in his bid to unseat Assemblymember Deborah Glick, who captured 80 percent of the vote. Republican Nekeshia Woods took second with 13 percent, and Meadows got 7. For those keeping score at home, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler and State Sen. Daniel Squadron also won easily, with 88 and 87 percent respectively. Nationally, Republicans made a big and successful effort to make gains in Congress, but in Nadler’s race, not only did they not spend money, they didn’t even put up a candidate. Nadler beat a Conservative candidate, Ross Brady.

To learn more, visit DowntownNY.com.

November 6-November 19, 2014

DowntownExpress.com

Downtown Express photos by Tequila Minsky

No packaged Elsa’s here Tribeca’s Buckle My Shoe preschool celebrated Halloween the old fashioned way, with handmade costumes with the help of teachers and parents. The children went trick or treating at five friendly neighbors: Tribeca’s Kitchen, the “Ghostbuster’s” firehouse, Boomerang, Balloon Saloon, and New York Law School.

DowntownExpress.com

November 6-November 19

GLASS ON GLASS CRIME NETS VUITTON BAG TEENS ARRESTED FOR ATTACKING NEWSSTAND WORKER Police arrested three teenagers, for throwing candy and then assaulting a 67-year-old newsstand worker at the corner of Pearl and Whitehall Sts. in the Financial District last week. After the three threw the candy, police say the newsstand worker exited and approached them. The police interviewed five witnesses, two of whom said that they saw the three teenagers hitting the Bronx man, causing swelling and cutting his left thumb, on Tues., Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. One of the students was slashed in the face by the operator and he was charged with felony assualt, DNAinfo reported. Police say all three teens — two 17 years old and one 18 — were students at the New York Harbor School on Governors Island.

DRUNK VAN THIEF NABBED AT CHECKPOINT A man was arrested for stealing a delivery van after being stopped at a police checkpoint last month near City Hall. As a companion, police say he had

an 18-pack of Bud in the passenger seat — with six cans already drunk. It all started at 6:15 a.m. on Fri., Oct. 24, when a 44-year-old employee of A&M Tasty Snack Inc., was fixing his load in the back of his van on State St. Meanwhile, the 45-year-old suspect jumped into the van, which had the keys into the ignition, and took off. The employee flagged a taxi and followed the van, losing it somewhere in the vicinity at Montgomery and Madison St. Police set up a checkpoint at Vesey St., which the suspect, from Staten Island, tried to avoid by turning left on Ann St. Police say they stopped the suspect and he admitted to having a few beers in the morning. The Tasty Snack employee was brought to the scene, police say, and said, “Yes, that is the guy that stole my truck.” The suspect planned on selling the 2008 yellow G.M. van, worth more than $12,000, to a friend at Ave. D and 10th St., according to police. When the friend was a no-show, the suspect was trying to return the car to the place he took it from. The man was arrested at 10:14 a.m. and taken to the Seventh Precinct.

TRIBECA HARDWARE

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TRICK AND TRICK A Japanese tourist had her $300 wallet with a $150 in it stolen while she watched the beginning of the Halloween Parade at the corner of Canal St. and 6th Ave. in Tribeca on Fri., Oct 31 at 7 p.m. The 32-year-old reported the gold Coach wallet missing the next day.

MOTORCYCLE STOLEN A Tribeca man parked his $14,000 black Ducati motorcycle on 98 Charlton St. at 6 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 30. When he came back three days later at 7 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 2, the bike was gone. Police say that the bike’s alarm was transmitted but a canvass yielded no results.

SUBWAY BANDIT CAUGHT A “lush worker,” those who prey on the sleeping and inebriated on trains, was caught in the act when a police officer saw the Queens man remove a $100 Apple iPhone 4S from a sleeping woman’s front right pants pocket on the E train last weekend at the World Trade Center. Police arrested the 44-year-old on the W.T.C. subway platform around 2:30 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 2. Police say the officer recovered the phone from the suspect’s pants.

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A 2015 silver sedan Cadillac Zipcar, worth $38,500, was last seen at a Tribeca garage at 270 Greenwich St. around 1 p.m. on Aug. 13. The employee who reported the theft on Sat., Oct. 25 said the company was waiting for the car to be returned. The car’s G.P.S system has been dis154 Chambers St. abled. Zipcar said that the car had been https://drive.google.com/a/cnglocal.com/?usp=gmail#my-drive?action=locate&id=0B3JWcNoLW3ySUUtNd2xEaG5L... rented with a fraudulent credit card. CITI BIKE STOLEN 212.240.9792 Police arrested a 24-year-old man after Police say there is no video available and a Mon. - Fri. 7am - 7pm stopping him for running allison@cnglocal.com a red while canvass yielded no result. Sat. 9am - 9pm | Sun. 10am - 6pm You are using an unsupported browser. If you see some unexpected behavior, you may want to use a supported browser instead. Learn more Dismiss riding a Citi Bike at the intersection of Check our plants & garden supplies! 8th Ave. and W. 39th St. on Tues., Oct. —DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC

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Taller dividers at Peck Slip School, but division remains BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC The Dept. of Education has installed taller dividers for Peck Slip School classrooms currently housed at the Tweed Courthouse but tension over the use of conference rooms on the first floor remains. Peck Slip School, also known as P.S. 343, is “incubating” at the courthouse while a new facility is being built and that should be open by next fall. Classrooms were divided with six-foot partitions that parents said led to noise and disruption. The D.O.E. put in taller dividers, over 10 feet, starting Oct. 20, but they don’t reach to the ceiling. Additional baffling will be placed on top of the partitions. For several weeks, Peck Slip School parents, Community Board 1, and several elected officials have asked Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina to relinquish the two conference rooms so that they could be used as classrooms. In an Oct. 14 letter, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver offered his conference rooms at 250 Broadway. “They didn’t like that idea,” Silver said at the Oct. 23 School Overcrowding Task Force meeting. Borough President Gale Brewer also wrote an Oct. 10 letter to Farina about the conference rooms. At11/5/14 the meeting, InfoFair ad 2014_Villager 8:47 AM C.B. 1 chairperson Catherine McVay

Hughes offered the community board’s conference rooms. D.O.E. officials at the meeting would not comment on the conference rooms. “I can say I think the dividers that existed prior to these new ones were indeed very shallow,” a D.O.E representative said at the meeting. He said given the difficulty of working on an internal landmark, “the work that was done is quite extraordinary in a short period of time.” “I should say that the sound between rooms is now quite muffled,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s totally non-existent. But I think that instruction can happen without any real interruption.” Maggie Siena, the school’s principal, said the D.O.E. Office of Space Planning completed the work, which was done on the weekend, so there was no disruption to instruction. “I am in the rooms a lot, I am at the rooms on a daily basis and there’s no question you can hear noise,” Siena said at the meeting. “But it is not loud.” She said that the taller partitions have been helpful, but “it’s not all of sudden it’s like we’re in a silent space, that’s not the case.” For parent Joy Martini, whose son is in the first grade, the question over whether the dividers have helped to lessen Page 1the noise and disruption is not the right one, but rather if the D.O.E. is

Photo courtesy of Peck Slip School PTA.

The new taller dividers at Peck Slip School. fulfilling its mandate. “We shouldn’t be asking if it’s a little bit better. It’s untenable,” Martini said in an Oct. 30 phone interview. “I think the dividers and the mitigation of noise has become a red herring.” Martini recently visited the classrooms for Family Wednesday on Oct. 29 and she said that the other class was sent away making it hard to determine the effectiveness of the new partitions. She said she and other parents have asked their children about the dividers and they all say that they can still hear their

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friends on the other side of the divider. “I don’t think a six-year-old is equipped to measure degrees,” she said. “The degree of sound improvement is so miniscule that someone would have to a graduate degree to properly quantify its improvement.” Martini said that the parents put together a petition with hundreds of signatures and sent it to the D.O.E. but have not heard a response. “The D.O.E. has been so discourteContinued on page 21

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November 6-November 19, 2014

DowntownExpress.com

November 6-November 19

2 buildings open at the World Trade Center ID. People visiting residents on the block west of Church St. are also permitted to drive through after a short stop at the checkpoint. “It doesn’t look good,” Steven Abramson, a Liberty St. resident, said of the police barricades. “It’s not pleasant, it’s ominous. On the other hand as they said ‘you’re living in this gated community.’ Baring any terrorist activity you have probably the safest street anywhere.” “It’s not pretty by any means, it will be in the future,” Dep. Inspector Kevin Burke, commanding officer of the N.Y.P.D.’s World Trade Center Command, said at a Community Board 1 meeting Wednesday night. “There’s hope on the horizon,” he added. “We’re almost there.” Burke said he thought by this spring, there would be better looking barriers. C.B. 1’s Pat Moore, who lives nearby, said she’s heard from some neighbors who have been turned away when they try to drive through. Figure ES-2 Conceptual Plan the Proposed Project Managers at theforhandful of shops on the block for the most part said the security changes have not made an already

Continued from page 1

more office workers are expected to come next year to the tower, which is a symbolic 1,776 feet high if you count the spire on top. The opening on Mon., Nov. 2, 2014, came a week after the first office workers started going to 4 W.T.C. “I would say ‘yeah’ with an exclamation point at the end,” said Ro Sheffe, a Lower Manhattan resident who heads Community Board 1’s Financial District Committee. “We’ve been waiting for 13 years to have these buildings open.”

LIBERTY ST. SECURITY

The reopening of 4 W.T.C. to Port Authority personnel Oct. 27, ironically, also meant there was less freedom on Liberty St., since most vehicles are no longer able to get through. trucks doing business at WorldCars Tradeand Center Campus Security Plan EIS the W.T.C., or making deliveries to Liberty St. residents or stores, or carrying residents are permitted with proper

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Image courtesy of the NYPD.

Schematic of the W.T.C. security plan.

November 6-November 19, 2014

Downtown Express photo by Josh Rogers

A view of 4 World Trade Center with the 9/11 Museum and one of the memorial pools in the foreground.

difficult situation of doing business there any worse. Abramson and his neighbor David Stanke both said the sidewalk barriers are exacerbating the Liberty St. pedestrian congestion problem. “It makes things more densely packed, but everything seems like it can be worked out with a few adjustments here and there,” Stanke said. Abramson said firefighters at the TenTen firehouse on Liberty are no longer permitted to park their personal vehicles on the block. Officials with the city and the Port, which owns the W.T.C., met with community leaders Oct. 23 to go over the last details of the W.T.C. “Campus Security Plan” which took effect Oct. 27, but has been in development now for many years. “This is another milestone in transition from construction to occupancy at the site,” said Erica Dumas, a Port spokesperson. A city official who briefed Downtown Express on the plan Oct. 24 gave an almost verbatim statement — one of several indications that the city and Port are working closely together on the W.T.C. years after many well-chronicled disputes over security and financial issues. The city official said although residents in cars have to show ID, that short slowdown is counterbalanced by the fact that there is less traffic on Liberty now that cars and trucks are no longer able to use it as a through street. In addition, Cedar St. traffic has recently been reversed to flow west, and Washington St. south of the W.T.C. was reopened to traffic. Residents were going to have to reg-

ister for the W.T.C.’s Trusted Access Program annually in order to drive through the site, but officials decided it would be less cumbersome for them to just show ID each time. Abramson is most pleased that tour buses visiting the 9/11 Museum are no longer driving down Liberty St. dropping off passengers. Abramson, his neighbors, and Community Board 1, have all said that when the 9/11 Museum opened in May, and Liberty St. was reconnected to Battery Park City, it led to a crush of pedestrians, and officials have been working since then to relieve that problem. Before the plan went into effect, the Port’s Dumas said companies like Fresh Direct would be able to register trucks and drivers to deliver groceries on the block and even “a guy and a van” delivering furniture would be able to get through if a resident makes arrangements. She described the early months of the program as a “grace period” when everyone finds out what works best and how to improve the system. Monica Klein, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said: “The city is committed to balancing security needs with residents’ quality of life, and will continue to work closely with local businesses and residents to ensure the Campus Plan is minimally disruptive to their daily routines.”

MORE FREEDOM BY THE TOWER There is now more access at the north end of the W.T.C. A wider section of the Continued on page 9

DowntownExpress.com

Continued from page 8

west end of Vesey St. opened near One W.T.C. this week. This followed a widening of the east end a few weeks ago, relieving the pedestrian-commuter crush, this newspaper dubbed the “Vesey Squeezey.” West St. by the Trade Center is also open, and the powers that be have taken notice. “We went through a construction war zone for years.…Having worked down here for quite a long time to now walk from Brookfield Place over to Church St. it’s gotten quite a bit better,” Dennis Friedrich, the C.E.O. of Brookfield Office Properties, said Wednesday at a panel

discussion on Lower Manhattan. Friedrich’s firm owns Brookfield Place, formerly the World Financial Center, which is across the street from the W.T.C. “We are closer than ever to truly reintegrating this site back into the fabric of Lower Manhattan,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said in a statement. And then there’s the buildings. “I like the entrance with the colors,” said Belgian tourist Isabel Van Hecka. She and her boyfriend had just snapped pictures of the Freedom Tower.

— with reporting by DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC

Downtown Express photos by Josh Rogers

The new security barriers on Liberty St., top and bottom photo. At middle, is the new open area on West St., near One World Trade Center, left.

The W.T.C. security changes Residents of the area of Liberty St. opposite of 4 W.T.C. ( between Church and West Sts.) and their visitors will show ID to the N.Y.P.D. and be allowed to proceed regardless of whether they are in their own vehicle, a friend’s or in a taxi. • No parking will be allowed on Liberty St., but vehicles will be permitted to quickly load or unload. • Large deliveries will be coordinated through the Vehicle Security and Scheduling Software (VS3) and DowntownExpress.com

checked for explosives in the Vehicle Security Center (VSC). • Pedestrians and cyclists will continue to have access to the W.T.C. • To improve traffic flow in the area, the city has reversed traffic on Cedar St. to flow west, and is reopening Washington St. to traffic by early next week. • The city anticipates less traffic on Liberty St. will allow it to remove barricades along the sidewalk in the near future. November 6-November 19

Many Downtown will not get shelter from the storm Continued from page 1

were not,” said Ortiz, who along with Torres participated in community Big U meetings and workshop, in a phone interview. “We were under the impression it was going to cover past the Smith Houses.” In June of 2013, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development launched the Rebuild by Design contest, which was a “multi-stage design competition to develop innovative, implementable proposals that promote resilience in the Sandy-affected region,” according to its website. Sandy was the second most expensive natural disaster in the country’s history, according to the website. One of the ten teams was BIG, the Bjarke Ingels Group, a design and architecture firm that has offices in Denmark, New York City and China. (BIG also worked with partners.) The team proposed the Big U, a series of protective measures such as berms that was envisioned stretching from W. 57th St. south down to the Battery and then up to E. 42nd St., creating a “U” around Manhattan. The BIG team divided Lower Manhattan into what they term compartments. The first compartment, C1, runs from E. 23rd St. to Montgomery. The second compartment, C2, is from Montgomery St. to the Brooklyn Bridge. The third, C3, is from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Battery. HUD awarded $335 million for the first compartment out of $930 million total for the winning proposals. In deciding which section to fund, HUD worked with the BIG team and decided on the stretch from Montgomery to E. 23rd St., said Holly M. Leicht, HUD’s Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. Part of that analysis included how the tidal surge would affect the area, the vulnerability of the area, and that it was a low-income neighborhood with public housing, she said in a phone interview. HUD worked with the teams so that each phase of a proposal would be a stand-alone project, said Leicht. “It wasn’t realistic to fund all the phases for all the projects,” she said. “But we wanted to ensure that we got the ball rolling for many of the deserving projects as possible.” Leicht said that the next two sections would not by funded by HUD, although there is some funding available from the National Disaster Resilience Competition, which is somewhat similar to Rebuild by Design, but is for all areas affected by disasters between 2011 and 2013. For the BIG team, the focus on the first compartment was that it protected “a deep floodplain next to the F.D.R. Drive, which separates it from East River Park. The park, now badly con-

November 6-November 19, 2014

The funded part of the Big U plan includes a landscaped berm next to the East River Park.

nected to the community, has room for a protective berm,” Daria Pahhota, a BIG spokesperson, wrote in an email. “There’s about 620 acres being protected there, about 130,000 people, 86,000 of whom are low income, elderly, or disabled,” Pahhota said. “So, in terms of risk, both in the future and also as was demonstrated during Sandy, it made a lot of sense as a place to start.” The team did a cost estimate for the three compartments. Each could cost between $300 and $500 million, with a total of about $1.2 billion for all, which would protect four and half miles of coastline from the Battery to E. 23rd St., according to BIG. If completed, the entire project would cover ten miles of Manhattan. There is no estimate of what the total project would cost, Pahhota said. “It was not clear to us that it was strictly going to be the compartment from Montgomery to 23rd,” said Damaris Reyes, executive director of the Good Old Lower East Side at a Oct. 21 Community Board 3 committee meeting. “The community, I think, was under the impression that the compartments were smaller … and that it could be any sort of combinations of stretches of land.” She and her organization, GOLES, worked hard to connect with residents to attend Rebuild by Design meetings and workshops. Reyes said at the meeting that her entire staff dropped everything to focus on it. “We’re not in a position to do that again in the future,” said Reyes. Daniel Zarrilli, director of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, gave a presentation about the Big U at C.B. 3’s Parks, Recreation, Cultural Affairs, Landmarks & Waterfront Committee. “We want to make sure we’re direct-

What’s being funded? The “Big U” is a series of protective measures such as berms that was envisioned stretching from W. 57th St. south down to the Battery and then up to E. 42nd St., creating a “U” around Manhattan. BIG, which stands for the Bjarke Ingels Group, designed this project with partners for the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s Rebuild by Design contest. The BIG team divided Lower Manhattan into what they termed compartments. • C1 stretched from E. 23rd St. to Montgomery — has $335 in funding and the city hopes to begin ing limited dollars towards the areas of the highest risks,” he said. “The Lower East Side comes up as very high in that analysis.” There are a large number of people who live in the floodplain, explained Zarrilli, and that coupled with a density of critical infrastructure of public housing has made it a high priority for flood protection. This section also includes Consolidated Edison’s 13 St. substation, which was flooded during Sandy and provides power for much of Lower Manhattan. Zarrilli said that they have walked the site with Con Ed, which has pledged to invest around a billion dollars in storm hardening and protective measures. As of now, the concept is a series of levies and bridges that would keep most of the East River Park open to the community. “In many ways we are at step one on this project,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do. There are a lot of decisions

construction in 2017. • C2 runs from Montgomery St. to the Brooklyn Bridge — no funding as of yet. • C3 is from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Battery — no funding as of yet. Also through HUD, $25 million has been allocated to Lower Manhattan. In the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan, the community decided which projects were to be funded and $2 million has been set aside for a berm and deployable walls for Battery Park. No word yet when this project would begin. to be made.” The city has assembled a large team to facilitate the project, which will include the Dept. of Design and Construction, the Parks Dept., and the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency. “HUD awarded the money, $335 million, what they don’t do is show up with a sack of money and say, ‘have fun, go build stuff,’ ” he said. There is a bit of bureaucratic process, said Zarrilli. HUD had just released recently what it calls the notice. The city has to write an action plan that details how it will spend the money, which will go out for public review and comment. There will be public hearings, the city will solicit public comment via its website, people can call 311 or write letters. Once the final plan is submitted to HUD, it has 60 days to Continued on page 14

DowntownExpress.com

Lower East Side kayak idea doesn’t float at C.B. 3 BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC Pier 42 plans presented at a recent Community Board 3 meeting roused anger from Lower East Side residents who want a pool and not a proposed area for kayaking. After Noriko Maeda of Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects gave her presentation of the trees, shrubs and plants that may populate the waterfront for phase 1, residents expressed their unhappiness with a proposed area for kayaks. “We are a community that we are tired of being disengaged, disenfranchised by everyone else and being ignored,” Nancy Ortiz, president of the Vladeck Houses Resident Association, said at C.B. 3’s Parks, Recreation, Cultural Affairs, Landmarks & Waterfront Committee last month. “This is the first time we are seeing this,“ she said. “[Kayaking] does not fit the demographics of our community.” Pier 42, between Gouverneur and Jackson Sts., received over $10 million in funding from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in March 2012. Lawrence Mauro, program manager for Lower Manhattan projects for the Parks Department, said that there has been extensive

community outreach. “We’ve handled this progressively step by step,” said Mauro. He said there have been several meetings with C.B. 3 for both direction and approval. Ortiz said later in a phone interview that with all the projects — and meetings — going on in the Lower East Side, which includes Pier 42, the “Big U,” the blueprint, it is hard to keep track, but nonetheless the community does not want a kayaking area. “One of the reasons why we wanted to bring an enclosed area where you can teach kids to kayak,” was to expose children to the water during Rendering NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Pier 42 and Adjacent Landscape Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects Preliminary Submission 11/10/2014 educational programs, said Mauro. Rendering of the proposed landscaping at Pier 42. “They could learn about the river, learn about the ecology, learn about what’s in the river in a supervised the pavements, painting, and plant- tenant association for the Smith way.” ing tree and shrubs to make the area Houses, agreed with Johnson at the C.B. 3 has already approved the safe and green, said Mauro. The meeting and said that C.B. 3 should Pier 42 master plan and Mauro said overall plan to build out the site table the issue. that the committee was voting on just would cost over $90 million, said “We want a pool. We need a approving phase 1, which as of now Mauro. pool,” she said. “This is what our does not include any of the ameni“I lived in Smith Houses for 38 community needs.” ties proposed, such as a playground, years, I never saw anybody with a The committee passed a resoluconcession stand, an area where res- kayak,” said Anne Johnson, commit- tion approving the phase 1 plan. idents could watch movies, roller tee member, to loud clapping and an Later in a phone interview, Torres skate rink and the kayaking area. amen at the meeting. “I also remem- said that she would picket if there Phase 1 includes taking down ber that we absolutely said there had is kayaking. “We don’t want it,” she most of the shed, lead and asbestos to be a pool — somehow.” said. “We have the same right as T:8.75” abatement, removing toxic soil and Aixa Torres, president of the someone in Tribeca.” 16

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November 6-November 19

TRANSITSAM Thurs., Nov. 6 – Wed., Nov. 12 ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED TUESDAY FOR VETERANS DAY Happy Veteran’s Day! I salute all of our courageous veterans. To honor the day, the Veteran’s Day Festival will close Broadway between Liberty St. and Battery Pl. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tues., Nov. 11. The Veteran’s Day Parade in Midtown will close Fifth Ave. between

23rd and 53rd Sts., Broadway between 23rd and 25th Sts., 26th and 27th Sts. between Broadway and Park Ave., and 28th and 29th Sts. between Broadway and Madison Ave. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Veterans will start assembling an hour earlier so please show respect and avoid driving in the area. Lower Manhattan will see impacts when drivers headed crosstown take 14th and Houston Sts. as they switch from the Lincoln Tunnel to the Holland Tunnel. For the most up-to-

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date gridlock information follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam. Special alert this weekend for the Brooklyn Bridge! All Manhattanbound lanes will close for 54 consecutive hours, midnight Friday night through 6 a.m. Monday. That will send drivers over the Manhattan Bridge and onto Canal St., as well as down to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and onto West St. The Jets play the Steelers 1 p.m. Sunday at Metlife Stadium. Fan traffic to and from the game will clog up the Lincoln Tunnel, sending drivers down to the Holland. Expect slowdowns before and after the game. The National Kidney Foundation Walk will close Lafayette and Centre Sts. from Worth St. to the Brooklyn Bridge 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. FROM THE MAILBAG: Dear Transit Sam, Is parking between the stop line and the crosswalk a legal way to park? I’m certain it is. There are too many people parking behind the stop line, hence taking up nearly two, whole, le-

gal spaces. I’d like to make a flyer to put on vehicles, in my neighborhood, but haven’t had any luck finding proof, online, of my assertions. Suzette, New York Dear Suzette, You’re right, it is legal. The stop lines (or bar) only apply to moving vehicles and do not define a crosswalk. Section 4-08 of N.Y.C. traffic rules allow vehicles to park up to the pedestrian crosswalk, marked or unmarked. The city’s Dept. of Transportation has been installing more stop lines, several feet before crosswalks, to ensure that motorists don’t block the crosswalk and to increase safety. Thus, it’s possible, signs permitting of course, to be legally parked between the stop line and crosswalk. Transit Sam Have a question about a parking ticket, traffic rules, public transportation, or street cleaning rules? If so, send me an e-mail at TransitSam@ downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 322 Eighth Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

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November 6-November 19, 2014

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Tunnels to Tower run agrees to eliminate booze next year BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC A run that honors a firefighter who gave his life to aid those at the Twin Towers on Sept. 11 has swelled to 30,000 people flooding Battery Park City. Some members of the community, while supportive of what the run commemorates, are frustrated with the lack of being able to move around their neighborhood and the inebriation of some of the event goers. John Hodge, the vice president of operations for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, presented to the Battery Pack City Committee on Nov. 2 for a permit for next year’s run. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk honors Siller, a firefighter who raced through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel with 60 pounds of gear on his back after the first plane hit the Twin Towers on Sept. 11. He was killed by the collapse of the towers and the run has commemorated his sacrifice for the past 13 years. The committee members praised the run. “The bottom line is this is a fabulous event, it’s a wonderful effort to honor,” said Chairperson Anthony Notaro. “Its fantastic what you do,” added Tammy Meltzer, committee member.

“We hope that you come back and you do it again.” “We’re not proposing at this point in time that anything change from last year,” said Hodge, who has been involved with the run since 2007. “We felt from the feedback we’ve received that by and large everyone was happy. We know we can’t make 100 percent happy.” He was soon dispelled of this notion. “I would love to know… who said they were happy. Did you talk to any businesses that are on this route? And did you talk to anyone else in the community?” said Meltzer. The date of next year’s 5K run and walk, Sept. 27, 2015, corresponds with the beginning of the new soccer season, said Committee Member Jeffrey Mihok. Mihok said he had problems last year getting to the fields. Meltzer said she experienced the same accessibility issue due to last year’s route and that it was unsafe for small children. Many people cut through Tribeca to avoid West St., she said. The event closes Vesey St. and West St. southbound as well as restricts traffic on North End. Committee members suggested alternative routes for the run, which Hodge said has always followed the water. There continues to be ongoing construction on West St, also known as 9A, and it is unclear when the Brookfield entrance will be open.

Downtown Express file photo by Tequila Minsky

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers run last year.

“I am just going to take a chance and say it. I think that sometimes it engenders not the strongest positive feeling with the community because there is an atmosphere of public drunkenness,” said Mihok. “It’s a party for a lot of people.” “It’s a celebration,” said Hodge, who then offered not apply for a liquor license this year. “That’s a wonderful offer,” said Notaro. “Let’s do that this year, let’s

forego the liquor license, and see how it works out.” Hodge emphasized that he wants to work with the community and cited several changes that have been made, including no longer hosting a dinner party that was followed by fireworks, using smaller speakers and no video screens, delivering equipment on Saturday instead of Friday, and doing sound checks Sunday morning instead of at night.

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November 6-November 19

Big U storm plans Continued from page 10

approve it. This may be completed by next March. Currently, there are surveyors walking up and down the East River Park to gather baseline conditions. The city will also put out an R.F.P., which stands for request for proposals, for preliminary design consultants and community engagement services. “We have a very aggressive goal, we want to see groundbreaking in 2017,” he said. Zarrilli also fielded questions about why other areas, such as Two Bridges, would not be covered by the Montgomery section. “We’re certainly aware of the risks in Two Bridges as well further down to Lower Manhattan,” he said, but there aren’t funds yet for construction. “Honestly, it may end up being very difficult to make $335 million work simply within the boundaries that we’re talking about it,” said Zarrilli. “It’s important to recognize, it sounds like a lot of money until you get into a big multi-layered construction project.” Councilmember Margaret Chin said in an email statement that she was “extremely pleased” when the Big U plan’s first phase — which only covers part of

her district — was awarded $335 million in federal funding this year. “I believe this project will become an important part of our long-term approach to waterfront resiliency, and I will certainly continue to advocate for the Big U to become fully funded, so it can eventually help to protect all of our

to build the Big U in C.B. 1 and to address the root causes of extreme violent climate events like Sandy that cost lives and caused significant damage,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson for C.B. 1, in an email. Curtis Cravens, from the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, said

‘Arguably the most vulnerable part of Manhattan remains defenseless.’ Lower Manhattan neighborhoods from future storms,” said Chin. “I also look forward to working with both the mayor’s office and the community to make sure local residents’ voices are being heard throughout this process.” The lack of funding for the third compartment from Brooklyn Bridge to the Battery has become a priority for Community Board 1, which passed a resolution in June urging HUD for funding. “We need the city, state and federal government to come together and work on parallel tracks to design, to fund and

at Oct. 6 C.B. 1 Planning Committee meeting, that the city is “hopeful that we’re going find that funding.” “This community’s on the record for supporting the Big U. What kind of timeframe can we see something really happening down here,” said Hughes at the meeting. “Because two people drowned in C.B.1.” That question, and the question of funding, is still unanswered. C.B. 1 should have funding for a proposed project for a part that would complement the Big U — $2 million for a berm and deployable walls for

Battery Park, which was part of the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan, a report that was released in March 2013. NY Rising gave local communities affected by Sandy the opportunity to plan projects that would strengthen resiliency in their neighborhoods. The Lower Manhattan community has been allocated $25 million through HUD, said Alex Zablocki of the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, at the meeting. “It’s already designed conceptually and this funding would advance that further and build a berm from just north of Whitehall Terminal into the park and prevent storm surge into Lower Manhattan,” said Zablocki. Marco Pasanella, a member of C.B. 1 and the Old Seaport Alliance, said he is hopeful about the Big U, but worried about the lack of immediate and short-term measures for the Seaport — such as rapidly deployable flood barriers. “Arguably the most vulnerable part of Manhattan remains defenseless,” he said, referring to the historic neighborhood that Sandy hit hard. “We’ve not made the progress I’ve hoped for,” said Pasanella. “We are exactly where we were the day before Sandy.”

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November 6-November 19, 2014

DowntownExpress.com

Now that’s a stretch! French artist JR started installing a new mural last week on the side of 286 Spring St. at Hudson St. This image was actually a mock-up for approval. The small dancer will not be part of the final piece.

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DowntownExpress.com

November 6-November 19

BY JANEL BLADOW We marched through the second anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. The neighborhood, residents and businesses continue to bounce back. A slew of newspaper articles and television reports interviewed Seaporters about the damage and recovery. We continue to thrive.

ALONGHAULBACK...

Whilealot of neighbors and businesses struggled to pick up the pieces since Oct. 29, 2012, few had as difficult time at Linda and Claudio Marini. The co-owners of the beloved Barbarini Alimentari and Mercato were financially wiped out when the storm destroyed their Front St. restaurant and market. But with customer support and gritty determination, the couple chose not to give up but to rebuild. This time on higher ground. Their new restaurant, Da Claudio, expects to open its doors at 21 Ann St., next to Theater Alley, for a soft opening within days. “My husband and I knew from day one that we wanted to rebuild. Ours was a devastating loss. We lost all our assets and income,” Linda told Seaport Report. Because they did not rebuild in the original location, they didn’t qualify for any of the aid programs offered to small businesses, and given their financial loses, she said, “No bank wanted to touch us. “We didn’t want to be victims of

the storm,” said Linda, who grew up in New York City and knew how tough it could be to find an affordable space to rent. They searched for a year before they came across the new building. “I love this place.” They decided to build from scratch. And that labor of love took another year of hard work. “No matter how low or down we were after the storm,” added Claudio, “every day people were asking us how we were doing and when we were going to reopen. That outpouring of love spurred us on.” The couple said even their three children — 11-year-old twins (boy and girl) and 8-year old daughter — pitched in. They willingly gave up allowances and vacations. “As a family we made sacrifices,” Linda said. “We saw this challenge as a life lesson for our children. We needed to set an example for them. We are a small business, essentially a mom and pop shop.” While their journey is painful in many ways, the couple saw this fresh start as a way to rebuild and grow, not only their business but their relationship with the neighborhood. Starting in a newer area and a new location, gave them a second chance. “We started with an empty slate,” said Linda. The raw space morphed into a modern, hip spot with three distinctive dining experiences for casual fine dining. Up front is a deli case with imported cold cuts and cheeses for take-out, and small plates at the long, marble-topped bar. Behind the

Chef Mattia Meneghetti has returned to the Marinis and has a whole new menu for Da Claudio.

November 6-November 19, 2014

Downtown Express photos by Janel Bladow

Claudio and Linda Marini, lost their beloved Barbarini restaurant to Hurricane Sandy two years ago, but they were blocked from most storm assistance programs, and expect to finally open a new restaurant, Da Claudio at 21 Ann St. early this month. “We saw this challenge as a life lesson for our children,” Linda said.

bar are high-top tables for casual drinks and eats. Midway through the large, airy spot are leather cushioned booths and tables that can seat large and small groups. And at the back is the spacious, open kitchen where chef Mattia Meneghetti works with his staff. Meneghetti, like several servers and bar staff, worked at Barbarini and waited to come along with the Marinis on their newest venture. “We have the staff of our dreams. They are as passionate about our story as we are and excited to turn a new chapter,” said Linda. The menu too will be different. Chef Meneghetti worked at an Austrian-German restaurant during the past two years and is excited to include some of his newly acquired recipes in the mix. Emphasis will be on fresh and healthy, farm to table, seasonal fare. The bar menu will feature Italian specialties such as little Italian puff pastry savory treats. Local seafood and farm-raised meats will headline the daily specials. Homemade pastas and desserts round out the menu. Claudio, who will resume his spot

upfront as host, said, “We’ve been here [Downtown] since 9/11. This is a special community to us. Everyday, people drop in and ask us when we’re opening, what they can do to help. We want to give back this love.” “We waited two years,” added Linda. “Sandy didn’t knock us out. We are confident and coming back in a big, strong way.”

LEARNTHELATEST...

Tobepart of the recovery, attend the South Street Seaport Public Forum on Monday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m., at Spruce Street School Auditorium, 12 Spruce St., to learn the latest about with is being proposed for the future of our neighborhood, including developments on the historic district, the Seaport Museum and the possibility of a farmers’ market return. Expected speakers at the event organized by Save Our Seaport and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance are New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Margaret Chin. R.S.V.P. to attend: www.tinyurl.com/SOSpublicforum DowntownExpress.com

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DowntownExpress.com

November 6-November 19

Help pours in for a butcher who is a cut above BY ZACH WILLIAMS Lower East Side butcher Dionisio Silva has a big trip to look forward to once he exits the hospital. The Essex St. Market regular has received more than $5,000 in donations since Sept. 17 to fund his first trip in three decades to his native Brazil, as well as offset ongoing medical costs. More than 90 friends, colleagues and customers participated at www.gofundme. com/silva — through the same Web site that hosted a successful fundraising effort earlier this year for the East Village’s Dr. David Ores. Though they reached their stated goal online, the effort for Silva continues, according to Patrick Martins, owner of Heritage Foods U.S.A., which owns the shop at the market where Silva, 68, works. “We have raised thousands of dollars to date, but for his healthcare and travel to Brazil we still need to raise much more,” Martins said. Silva has worked in the market since 2001, first at Jeffrey’s Meat Market. After that longtime business folded, he became the head butcher at Heritage Meat Shop — based in the same location — an offshoot of Brooklyn-based Heritage Foods U.S.A.

Despite his medical problems, Silva said in a telephone interview from Bellevue Hospital that working at the market has been “awesome.” Community support keeps him thinking optimistically about his medical situation, he said. “They are my family and best friends,” he said of his workmates. “I cannot complain because they’ve always been there for me.” Silva has battled prostate cancer since 2001. Symptoms flared in recent months requiring him to lessen his presence at the market. Swelling in his legs has been particularly vexing, he said, and will have to be addressed before he can depart for Brazil to see a brother and daughter there. His native country has undergone great change since Silva emigrated in the 1980s. This year’s World Cup and the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics are just two examples of Brazil’s increasing international prominence. When he left, his home region in the Amazon had yet to achieve statehood, he noted. Though there is much too see once he arrives, Silva said specific plans for the Brazil trip will have to wait for now. “It all depends on my health,” he said. Downtown Express photo by Zach Williams

Dionisio Silva at the Essex St. Market.

Fighting to make Lower Manhattan the greatest place to live, work, and raise a family.

Assemblyman Shelly Silver If you need assistance, please contact my office at (212) 312-1420 or email silver@ assembly.state.ny.us.

November 6-November 19, 2014

Friends describe Silva in both serious and jocular terms. His past exploits include a three-mile trek through a blizzard to deliver meat to a sick elderly woman. He also reportedly delivered a raw chicken to a co-worker’s musical performance as a joke. What you see is what you get with Silva, according to Sharon Hoahing, an employee of Roni Sue’s Chocolate shop in the market. Silva rather enjoys coconut truffles, but not as conspicuously as Brazilian soccer, she added. Talking “futbol” evidentially is serious turkey for him, according to Hoahing, as indicated by the flags and jerseys Silva brings out in support of his native country’s team. “He listens if you talk about other teams, but you gotta be real-

ly careful ’cause you don’t want to push him too far,” she said. A “bombastic” energy accompanies Silva at work, said Emilie Frohlich, who has worked with him for about two years. Martins characterized him as a devoted employee who was a natural fit as Heritage Meat Market’s head butcher. “Silva is a fantastic butcher and an honest man,” he said. “He is old school in both his craft and in his personal style.” However, his traditional inclinations don’t necessarily extend to a conventional fashion sense, Martins noted. “Silva wears the most colorful tiger and alligator motif shirts ever made by the textile industry or the reptile industry,” he said.

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! ogy and their system that is patent pending. The Braccis began installing BrakeWater last year and it is already protecting 100’s of homes. The Bracci’s recommend installing BrakeWater on basement windows and windows and doors that are between ground level, and below four feet high. Half-door and halfwindow options were developed to save money and are available. Its a two-step process, rigid frames

custom built for buildings are permanently attached to the windows and doors’ openings. When a major storm is approaching, the homeowner attaches the hatch to the frame and it lock in. “It’s so simple,” says Tim, “a child can do it.” The company’s motto is: Snap On, Problem Gone. The units are made out of aluminum, which won’t rust. The technology employs compression gaskets making the

system completely submergible. “To our knowledge and research, we are the only submergible flood unit made,” says Tim. BrakeWater fabricates the frames and no unit is installed until it has been inspected by a master mechanic. Whether a crew from BrakeWater installs it, the customer or a contractor, BrakeWater is always there to offer its advice. To test that BrakeWater really is watertight, the Braccis

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BY JACK RYAN A Brooklyn inventor and Navy veteran with the help of his son and nephew has devised a system that will help homeowners and building managers “batten down the hatches” before the next big storm hits. On the day after Hurricane Sandy struck, Tim Bracci, a skilled master mechanic who grew up in the metal-fabricating business, walked for days and witnessed fi rsthand the devastation caused by the storm. “All of my friends were affected,” he said. “Some still haven’t gotten the help they need. It was heartbreaking to see families left homeless with their possessions — including treasured photographs — and family heirlooms gone forever.” One of his sons and one nephew lost their homes. They were determined find a way to protect the community from another ordeal like this. For Tim and his family, BrakeWater is more than a business, it’s a mission. “We set out to fi x a tragedy,” he said. “You can’t do anything to change earth, global warming, or weather, but you can protect homes by keeping the water out.” In the Navy, he recalled, hatches were used to keep ships watertight. He was certain that the same principle could be used to protect homes from flooding. Working with his son Jonathan and his nephew Michael, they began to design prototypes that would soon become BrakeWater technologies. It took about eight months to develop the technol-

Navy veteran finds way to keep homes watertight

built a large tub and created an agitated flood in the tub. They left the system submerged for 28 hours. The seal held watertight, not a drop of water. BrakeWater was designed to be affordable. Tim states, “Installing BrakeWater is far less expensive, than any of his competitors on the cost of recovery or fi lling your basement with sand, and a good alternative for flood insurance that can’t always be gotten.” At the moment Brake-

Water is only sold locally but soon the company expects to go national. At that time, said Tim, the prices will go up. Now on sale, the average window cost drops from $1,100 to $750, half-doors from $1,900 to $1,400. Full doors, street grade, drop from $2,300 to $1,800 — but not for long. So give us a call at (718) 444-4646. BrakeWater Technology [1440 Utica Ave., corner of Farragut Road, Brooklyn, www.brakewater. com]

November 6-November 19

Make wealthy pied-à-terre owners pay, says Hoylman BY ZACH WILLIAMS State Senator Brad Hoylman is looking to garner support for a piedà-terre tax on wealthy nonresident homeowners. Referred to the state senate’s Rules Committee on Sept. 29, the bill would target about 1,500 residences in the city with individual values exceeding $5 million. This week’s elections will likely slow down legislative activity until the new year. But Hoylman said that now is the time to receive input from constituents, organized labor and the business community about the proposed tax, which could raise $ 650 million annually to fund affordable housing in the city, among other programs. “That would be an elegant symmetry for the most wealthy nonresidents to help subsidize some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers,” Hoylman said. So far, according to Hoylman, constituents have indicated support, but he has yet to hear responses from Senate Republicans. If passed by the state Legislature and signed by Governor Cuomo, the tax would start at half a percent of home values greater than $5 million. The tax would gradually increase, topping off at $370,000, plus 4 percent of home value in excess of $25 million. However, Cuomo notably strongly opposed increasing taxes on the wealthy earlier this year during Mayor de Blasio’s effort to establish universal pre-kindergarten. About 450 property owners in that top bracket would pay about four-fifths of the proposed tax, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute, which issued a similar proposal last month. Manhattan real estate has become a sizzling hot commodity in recent years, seen by many foreigners as a stable and potentially lucrative investment. U.S. Census data indicates that about 30 percent of residences in part of the Upper East Side are vacant for 10 months out of the year. A December 2013 study by the city’s Independent Budget Office noted that non-primary residents could own as much as half of newer luxury buildings in the near future. “Absentee owners with expensive second homes don’t pay local income tax but help bid up the price of New York City residential real estate,” Assemblymember Richard Gottfried said. “Second homes valued at $5 million or more are a luxury, and should be subject to a luxury surtax.” Gottfried is a co-sponsor of a complementary bill referred on Oct. 15 to the Assembly’s Committee on

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November 6-November 19, 2014

Brad Hoylman.

Real Property Taxation. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver did not respond to a request for comment on the legislation and its chances for eventual approval. Among the fiercest opponents of the bill is the Real Estate Board of New York, which “vigorously” opposes it, according to its president, Steven Spinola. Real estate sales and development are already taking a hit amid the talk of the proposed tax increase, according to Spinola. In a column in Real Estate Weekly on Oct. 2, Spinola said sales and projects alike are on hold as the real estate community considers the legislation’s potential impact. “A tax targeted at nonresidents and talked about as a tax on foreigners will send a chilling message across the country and around the world that investing in residential real estate in New York City is available only if you are prepared to pay a significant premium for this opportunity,” he said. But billions of dollars are needed to repair public housing in the city, as well as expand rent-regulated housing, Hoylman stressed. Home owners of all income strata require Police and Fire Department protection, as well as upkeep of city infrastructure, he said. The $95 million price tag of the penthouse atop 432 Park Ave. — now the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere — demonstrates that the richest of the rich can afford an additional tax, Hoylman added. There is room for negotiation, according to the state senator. In any case, policymakers need to plug budgetary “holes” in order to repair and expand affordable housing in the city, he said. “You have to figure out ways to fill them,” Hoylman said. “If people have other ideas for raising revenue, they should come forward.” DowntownExpress.com

Divisive dispute at Peck Slip Continued from page 6

ous,” said Martini. “The community, the parents, elected officials have all called upon the D.O.E. to share the space.” A D.O.E. spokesperson did not respond to repeated requests for comment. At the Task Force meeting some parents raised the point that the two conference rooms were actually slated to be classrooms after the Tweed Courthouse was renovated. Martini said, “that the chancellor is greedily, greedily holding onto” the conference rooms.

“What we hoped for with the change of administration was a better dialogue and more acceptance of community input,” Paul Hovitz, co-chairperson of C.B. 1’s

educator and we welcomed so much, has dug her heels in so much and saying we must have these rooms here.” Peck Slip School parent, Eden Lopez,

‘What we hoped for with the change of administration was… more acceptance of community input.’ Youth and Education Committee, said at the meeting. “I just don’t understand, Mr. Speaker, why Chancellor Farina, who is an

whose son in the second grade, said that the parents have been reasonable, but they are not going to take “no” for an answer.

“This conversation is a silly one at this point,” said Lopez in an Oct. 31 phone interview. “It’s just unfair. It’s like they’ve dug their heels in and they won’t share. There is no reason we shouldn’t get the classrooms.” She said that her seven-year-old is telling her that he is getting side tracked because he can hear his friend in the other class. She is infuriated when she hears about how next year the students will get a new school as a response to the problems of this year. “Should second grade be a wash for my child?” she asked.

Downtown schools face budget penalties While some Lower Manhattan elementary schools are overcrowded, others are faced with lower student enrollment numbers — and budgetary concerns. Fewer students mean that principals lose funding. The principals discussed their enrollment numbers at Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s School Overcrowding Task Force on Oct. 23. Ronnie Najjar, the principal of P.S. 89, said there are 86 kindergarteners, while there should be four sections of 25. “So we’re 14 under enrolled, which is a concern of mine because it really does

affect our budget tremendously,” she said. The kindergarten through 5th grade school has a total of 405 students, which Najjar said is also quite low. “We used to have a healthy 550 and we’re down a lot of kids,” she said. “We lost a huge chunk of residences that went to Terri’s school, which is I know creating the opposite effect for her. But we are much lower than I expected at this time.” P.S. 276 Principal Terri Ruyter said that she has four full classes of kindergarten with around 20 kids still on the waitlist. There is also a waitlist for first grade, with P.S 276 having three classes of 32.

“Those are really big first grade classes in fairly small classrooms,” she said. P.S. 234 also has lower enrollment with 730 students, down from 785 from the previous year. Principal Lisa Ripperger had expected a higher number, said Erica Davis. The school has six classes of kindergarten for a total of 143 students, she said. For Peck Slip School, Principal Maggie Siena said that there are 69 kindergarteners and that there was room for six more students. There are 42 students in first grade and 48 second graders with a total of 159 students at the Tweed Courthouse.

P.S. 150 Principal Jenny Bonnet was not at the meeting, but according to figures sent to Community Board 1, there are 28 students in kindergarten, 26 in first, 27 in second, 30 in third, 28 in fourth and 27 in fifth. P.S. 150 has one class per grade. Spruce Street School Principal Nancy Harris was also not at the meeting, but she submitted her enrollment numbers. Spruce Street has 87 in pre-K, 70 in kindergarten, 60 in first grade, 69 in third, 48 in fourth and 46 in fifth.

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November 6-November 19

PUBLISHER

Jennifer Goodstein EDITOR

Josh Rogers

The new scare

REPORTER

Dusica Sue Malesevic

The Ebola virus has not hit the U.S. hard, but it has caused a scare among politicians and some members of the public, so it naturally was a popular theme at this year’s Halloween Parade which once again began at Canal St.

ARTS EDITOR

Scott Stiffler EXECUTIVE V.P. OF SALES & MARKETING

Amanda Tarley

SENIOR V.P. OF SALES & MARKETING

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Jack Agliata Allison Greaker Jennifer Holland Julio Tumbaco

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Troy Masters

Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

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Michael Shirey

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Andrew Gooss

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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PUBLISHED BY NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC ONE METROTECH CENTER NEW YORK, NY 11201 PHONE: (212) 229-1890 FAX: (212) 229-2790 WWW.DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.COM NEWS@DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.COM Downtown Express is published every week by NYC Community Media LLC, One Metrotech Center North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201 (212) 229-1890. The entire contents of the newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2014 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 other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

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November 6-November 19, 2014

Letters STORMY WEATHER THOUGHTS To The Editor: Re “2 years after Sandy, who will get shelter from the storm? Only some Downtown” (DowntownExpress.com, Oct. 29, 2014): What is being planned will help, but it won’t solve the long-term problems of climate change and storm surges. The problem keeps getting worse. Congress refuses to deal with the problem. The National Weather Service is woefully understaffed, the insurance companies are not writing flood insurance policies, the repair work from Sandy is taking much too long and it is

questionable if much of it will ever be completed. Why is Europe so far ahead of us in dealing with its flooding problems? They have 50-year plans for the future that they are dealing with now; they are not playing catch up as we are. Robert Trentlyon Editor’s Notes: A similar version of this article is in this current edition. Robert Trentlyon is a former publisher of Downtown Express, and in recent years, he has been focusing on the need for better storm protection in New York City.

To The Editor: Re “After Sandy, city & local leaders say they’re ready to help vulnerable in next emergency” (news article, Oct. 23- Nov.5): What about elder activities? Safe walking conditions sure would be nice. So would helping elders get to civic meetings where they could speak about such basic needs. Hope you will also get aboard saving small businesses — an effort so needed by everyone for a livable city. Bette Dewing

Posted To “COMMITTEE SAYS NO THANKS TO PECK SLIP TREES”

Clarification

(POSTED, OCT 23):

What about all the cars that are now parked around our “park” Local Resident ‘No Standing’ signs are going up this week. guest

In the article, “Art studios by the dozens coming to Governors Island,” posted online Oct. 16 and printed in our Oct. 23- Nov. 5 issue, two readers questioned whether Building 301 was really formerly P.S. 26. In response to our subsequent query, a Trust for Governors Island spokesperson said Building 301 was the elementary school,

known as P.S. 26, on the island from the 1930s to the 1970s. In the 1970s, a new P.S .26 was built on the southern portion of the island. After that new school was built, Building 301 was converted into a day care. Spaceworks, a non-profit, is renovating Building 301 to house 43 visual art studios and a performance space. DowntownExpress.com

Spooky fun Trinity Church’s cemetery, perhaps Lower Manhattan’s spookiest setting, was the backdrop for some family fun last Friday, for the church’s “Hometown Halloween” event. Characters from New York City’s past were played by high school drama students, who offered candy and a bit of local history at the gravesites.

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November 6-November 19

Activities

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers: Enjoy simple stories, lively songs and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. Limited to 25 babies and their caregivers; firstcome first-served. Ages 0-18 months | Free |11:30 a.m. EVERY THURSDAY AT 11:30 A.M.

Bilingual storytime: Enjoy classic stories, songs, and rhymes in English and French. All ages | Free | 4:00 p.m. 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 Winter Garden, 220 Vesey Street and West Side Highway, artsbrookfield.com/event/canstruction2014/ Canstruction is an international charity competition where architects, engineers, contractors and students compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food. At the close of the competition all of the food from the New York City competition will be donated to City Harvest. Open from 11/6 through 11/20. All ages | 10 a.m. - 6:00 | Free SEE/CHANGE South Street Seaport, 19 Fulton Street, southstreetseaport.com / events/ Seaport Youthmarket: Youthmarket is a network of urban farm stands operated by neighborhood youth, supplied by local farmers, and designed to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to communities throughout New York City. All ages | 12 p.m.-5 p.m. until November 20th

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 LAVENDER BLUES MUSIC: MUSIC & MOVEMENT FOR

November 6-November 19, 2014

BABIES AND TODDLERS 28 Washington Street, lavenderbluesmusic.com/home.html, Lavender Blues is an intimate music & movement session for babies and toddlers. During the 40 minute sessions kids develop an understanding of rhythm and music, build awareness and control of their body, develop social and coordination skills Ages 1-4 years old | $15 | 10:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 PEPPA PIG HOLIDAY PLAYDATE Scholastic Store 557 Broadway (between Prince & Spring Streets), Reserve at Scholastic.com/rsvp Peppa Pig, star of the hit TV show is coming back to The Scholastic Store. The cheeky little piggywill join NYCarea fans for a fun-filled holiday celebration marking the DVD release of “Peppa’s Christmas”! Pictures with Peppa immediately after the screening. Ages 2 years old and up | Free | 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ZEPHYR CHARACTER BREAKFAST STARRING FROZEN New York Water Taxi South Street Seaport, Pier 16, 89 South Street ny water ta x i.com /tours /character-breakfast New York Water Taxi presents a breakfast celebration alongside their famous friends from “Frozen.” Unlock the mystery of the dazzling Hudson and enjoy a delectable spread with Elsa, Anna, and more of your favorite characters. Enjoy a morning of treats, games and singalongs. To purchase tickets, call 212-7421969. Ages 3-12 | Adults - $55; Child - $45; Family Pack - $180 (2 adults, 2 children)| 9 a.m.

Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building” to learn how skyscrapers stand tall. Kids will then erect their own skeleton of a skyscraper using toothpicks and gumdrops. Registration is requested by Friday at 5 p.m. Ages 4 years old and up | $5 per child | 10:30 a.m.- 11:45 a.m. TICO TALES A MUSICAL BY MICHAEL SGOUROS & BRENDA BELL The Players Theatre, 115 Macdougal Street “Tico Tales” is a magical journey to Costa Rica through storytelling, dance and music. Enter the rain forest as the rhymes and legends of an ancient culture sweep you away to a long-forgotten land. Through Nov. 16th at 11 a.m., Saturday and Sunday & Tuesday, Nov. 11. The theatre is not handicapped accessible. There is a free workshop one hour prior to performances. For tickets visit: ovationtix.com/trs/ cal/555/1414854000000 All Ages | $25- $45 | 2 p.m. OUT TO SEE: 3D SCANNING & PRINTING SELVES South Street Seaport, 213 Water Street The Makery will be at South Street Seaport as part of Out to See. There will be a fun 3D scanning and printing station. For Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/outto-see-3d-scanning-printing-selvestickets-13966266479 All ages | Free to observe, varying prices for 3D prints | 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 See 11/6 for info OUT TO SEE: 3D SCANNING & PRINTING SELVES South Street Seaport See 11/8 for info TICO TALES A MUSICAL BY MICHAEL SGOUROS & BRENDA BELL 11 a.m. on Sunday. See 11/8 for other info

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10 SKYSCRAPER SKELETONS The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place Join The Skyscraper Museum for a reading of the children’s book “Sky

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city

Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers: Enjoy simple stories, lively songs and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. Limited to 25 babies and their caregivers; firstcome first-served. Ages 0-18 months | Free |9:30 a.m. Toddler Story Time: A librarian shares lively picture books, finger plays, and action songs with toddlers and their caregivers. Ages 12-36 months | Free | 4: 00 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 See 11/6 for info TICO TALES A MUSICAL BY MICHAEL SGOUROS & BRENDA BELL 2:00 pm on Tuesday. See 11/8 for other info

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Toddler Story Time: A librarian will share lively picture books, finger plays, and action songs with toddlers and their caregivers. Ages 18-36 months | Free | 10:30 a.m. EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 10:30 A.M . Space Oddities: Space Oddities explores the Earth, the Sun, surrounding planets, stars, constellations and more. Through inquiry and experiments, students learn about what life may be like on other planets, what stars are made of and how astronauts are able to travel all the way to the moon. Presented by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Ages 6+ | Free | 4 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 See 11/6 for info SEE/CHANGE Seaport Youthmarket See 11/6 for info NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers: See 11/6 for info Intellectual Kids Club Workshop: Literature workshop! Explore revelaDowntownExpress.com

tions in a Tolstoy story. Ages 4 to 8 years old | Free | 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS 103 Charlton Street cmany.org/events/ Anne-Lise Coste Press Prints: Young artists will create words with armature wire and then use these wire creations to make prints from the press. The resulting print will be a unique take on written language. Ages 6+ | $11 | 2:30 p.m. -6 p.m. 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 See 11/6 for info

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Toddler Story Time: A librarian shares lively picture books, finger plays, and action songs with toddlers and their caregivers. Ages 12-36 months| Free |10:30 a.m. JUDY BLUME’S OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St, info @tribecapac.org, tr ibecapac.org /other w ise -k now nas-shelia-the-great/ Being a 10 year-old kid is kind of a pain. Having an older sister is really a pain. Being afraid of everything is … well, just plain painful! Sheila Tubman, otherwise known as Sheila the Great, comes of age in ArtsPower National Touring

Theater’s lively and poignant musical about discovering the person within. Ages 5 and up | $25 | 1:30 p.m. TICO TALES A MUSICAL BY MICHAEL SGOUROS & BRENDA BELL 2 p.m. on Saturday. See 11/8 for other info SEE/CHANGE The Seaport Ice Rink southstreetseaport.com/ice-rink/ The Seaport Ice Rink will return to Fulton Street from November 15th to February 23rd. $10 admission/$ 6 skate rental | Monday - Thursday, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m., Friday, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Place, ny u sk i r b a l l . o r g / c a l e n d a r / m a n xmouse “The Mouse Who Knew No Fear” arrives at NYU Skirball after being selected by leaders in the field of theater for young audiences as the Winner of the 2014 International Performing Arts for Youth Victor Award. Based on the beloved children’s novel by Paul Gallico, “Maxmouse” expresses the ultimate use of the imagination through storytelling. Netherlands’s Theatergroep Kwatta creates an adventurous form of toy theater to captivate children and their families. Ages: 5-11 | $20-$28 | 2:00 p.m.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 See 11/6 for info

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 See 11/6 for info LEAF CRUNCH 2014 The Lower East Side Ecology Center, East River Park promenade at Grand St, nyccompostproject@dsny.nyc.gov. Leaves collected will be composted locally and donated to local greening projects. Bring your friends and family. Tools and snacks will be provided. Events will occur rain or shine. RSVP by Friday, Nov. 7th, by emailing nyccompostproject@dsny.nyc.gov. All ages | Free | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. TICO TALES A MUSICAL BY MICHAEL SGOUROS & BRENDA BELL 11:00 am on Sunday. See 11/8 for other info THE 2014-2015 BIG RED CHAIR SERIES: MANXMOUSE

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers and Toddler storytime: See 11/10 for info

Beginner Group Classes Partner Lessons. Free Trial Lessons.

B R I N G I N G

DowntownExpress.com

T H E

Third Street Preschool full and half-day programs. Daytime Toddler/Early Childhood, Dance and Movement classes.

A R T S

T O

L I F E

S I N C E

1 8 9 4

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 22ND ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION COMPETITION 2014 See 11/6 for info NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH Toddler Story Time and Space Oddities: See 11/12

Starting June 23rd

Weekly music and dance instruction, for all ages and levels, after school and on Saturdays.

and Individual or

Toddler Storytime: A librarian shares lively picture books, finger plays, and action songs with toddlers and their caregivers! Limited to 15 children, first-come, first-served. Ages 12-36 months | Free | 4:00 p.m.

summer

Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m. | Sat, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. | (212) 777-3240

Come explore with us! We are your community music school.

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BATTERY PARK CITY BRANCH 175 North End Ave, 212-790-3499, nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city Baby Laptime for Pre-Walkers: Enjoy simple stories, lively songs and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. Limited to 25 babies and their caregivers; firstcome first-served. Ages 0-18 months | Free | 11:30 a.m.

music&art

THIRD STREET MUSIC SCHOOL SETTLEMENT 235 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003 • www.thirdstreetmusicschool.org

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Programs for students of ALL AGES! Music & Art Camps Private & Group Instrumental Birthday Parties & Space Rentals

212-571-7290

74 Warren Street www.churchstreetschool.org November 6-November 19

Theelusivewhitewhalewithinyourgrasp

MarathoncelebratesMelville’s‘pioneeringmodernistmasterpiece’ MOBY-DICK MARATHON NYC Free and open to the public Fri., Nov. 14, 6–11 p.m. at Ace Hotel New York 20 W. 29th St. (btw. Fifth Ave. & Broadway) Sat., Nov. 15, 10 a.m.–11 p.m. in the Melville Gallery attheSouthStreetSeaportMuseum 213 Water St. (btw. Fulton & Beekman Sts.) Sun., Nov. 16, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe 126 Crosby St. (btw. Houston & Prince Sts.) Mobydickmarathonnyc.org Twitter: @MobyDickNYC

B Y T R AV S . D.

(travsd.wordpress.com) Few works of fiction inspire so broad a range of extreme reactions as that Greatest of American Novels, Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick, Or, The Whale.” To some, it is the finest work of literature this nation ever produced, a pioneering modernist masterpiece that encompasses everything from metaphysics to how to strip and boil whale blubber. To others, it is a glorified doorstop, the bane of their high school English experience, a long-winded 700-page Leviathan best experienced by way of Cliff Notes. A publishing disaster when first released in 1851, the book would not begin to be widely embraced until nearly a century later. Along the way

November 6-November 19, 2014

Photo by Justin Taylor

No blubber, just lean prose: readers dig into Melville, at the 2012 MDMNYC.

there have been some notable screen adaptations, such as the silent classic “The Sea Beast” with John Barrymore (1926), John Huston’s “Moby Dick” (1956) with Gregory Peck, and a TV movie version starring Patrick Stewart (1998). Barrymore, Peck and Stewart all played the part of the revengecrazed Captain Ahab, of course. And Orson Welles created a well-known play inspired by the book entitled “Moby Dick — Rehearsed” in 1955. Today, the book is beloved by millions. Perhaps there is no greater indication of the health of the modern Melville/Moby cult than the existence of Moby-Dick Marathon NYC (MDMNYC). This three-day event is timed around the anniversary of the book’s original U.S. publication date (Nov. 14, 1851) and will feature 160 peo-

ple reading the entirety of Melville’s masterwork in relay fashion at three separate NYC locations: Ace Hotel New York, the South Street Seaport Museum, and Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. This is the second go-round for this biennial event; the first one took place in 2012. MDMNYC is the brainchild of Amanda Bullock, Director of Public Programs at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, who had attended the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s “Moby Dick” Marathon in 2011 and recognized that New York (where Melville lived and where some of the book takes place) would also be a natural place for such a marathon. “We are also lucky,” says Bullock, “that so many amazing writers, editors and literary citizens live in New York City and are interested in reading the

book.” The 160 people who read in the Moby-Dick Marathon are a cross-section of many different kinds of literary and creative individuals, including poets, fiction writers, journalists, critics, actors, artists and illustrators, comedians, and musicians. The event is staffed completely with volunteers and free to the public. For the hearty souls who manage to stay for the entirety of the marathon, there will be prizes. Believe it or not, according to Bullock, four people managed to stick it out for the whole of the event in 2012. To learn more about Moby-Dick Marathon NYC so that you too can set out on the Pequod in search of the elusive white whale, log on to Mobydickmarathonnyc.org. DowntownExpress.com

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November 6-November 19

Risqué tales from respectable parents

November’s ‘Pen’ salon earns its 21+ rating B Y S COT T S T I F F L E R Through podcasts, social media, LinkedIn discussion groups and networking events, Pen Parentis offers resources to help writers stay prolific once they’ve procreated — with an emphasis on excelling at both authorship and parenting, without succumbing to either labor of love. The November installment of their monthly Literary Salon goes even further down the cocktail-friendly, 21+ rabbit hole than usual, by presenting authors known for their unabashed takes on blush-worthy topics. Sex, drugs, violence and the ugly realities of modern-day notoriety are in the spotlight — through individual readings and a group roundtable, during which four working writers will discuss the unique position they find themselves in when sitting down to bang out a sex scene that their kids might one day read. “Risqué Words” features Paula Bomer (“Inside Madeline”), Vica Miller (“Inga’s Zigzags”), Jonathan Papernick (“The Ascent of Eli”) and Amy Sohn (“Prospect Park West”). Staff from The

Courtesy of Pen Parentis

Photo by Natalie Brasington

L to R: Nick Flynn, Darin Strauss, curator Brian Gresko and Pen Parentis founding director M. M. De Voe.

Author, Sententia Books publisher and mother Paula Bomer talks turkey about working blue, at the Nov. 11 Pen Parentis Literary Salon.

Rehman, and Raina Wallens. On Jan. 13, the annual Poetry Night features readings from Sarah Gutowski, Adam Penna, Diana Whitney and others.

Tues., Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. In the lobby of the Andaz Wall Street hotel (75 Wall St. Enter on Water or Pearl Sts.). Happy Hour specials on beer on wine. RSVP recommended, via penparentis. org/calendar. Visit penparentis.org. For questions: info@penparentis.org.

Park Slope Community Bookstore will be on hand, to sell these and other works from the authors. On Tues., Dec. 9, Pen Parentis closes season #12 with its annual Holiday Mingle — featuring Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Yona Zeldis McDonough, Bushra

The “Risqué Words” Pen Parentis Literary Salon is a free, 21+ event.

THEWASHINGTONSQUAREMUSICFESTIVAL presentsACELEBRATIONOFSOUND:MUSICFORPIANO&STRINGENSEMBLE Far ahead of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday curve, The Washington Square Music Festival has already gone shopping for the music lovers on its list — in the form of a pre-holiday gift that money can’t buy. Their free, centuries-spanning Nov. 14 concert features music by Schnittke, Bach and Ockeghem. Lutz Rath conducts the Festival String Ensemble, with pianist David Oei, and violinists Mayuki Fukuhara and Eriko Sato. Free. Fri., Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. At St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village (371 Sixth Ave. at Washington Place). For info, call 212-252-3621 or visit washingtonsquaremusicfestival.org.

November 6-November 19, 2014

Photo by Sally J. Bair

Lutz Rath, seen here conducing the Washington Square Music Festival Chamber Orchestra in Washington Square last summer, will preside over Nov. 14’s free concert. DowntownExpress.com

Buhmann on Art

Photo: Jeffrey Sturges, New York (courtesy the artist and Koenig & Clinton, New York)

Ridley Howard: “Rockaway” (2014). Oil on linen | 55 x 45 in (139.7 x 114.3 cm).

Ridley Howard: “Grand Avenue Kiss” (2014). Oil on linen | 50 x 40 in (127 x 101.6 cm).

BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN

(stephaniebuhmann.com) RIDLEY HOWARD: CITY WAVES At first glance, Ridley Howard’s stunning paintings can be described as a witty mash-up of abstraction and figuration. Here, figures are embedded and framed by fields of abstract shapes and solid color. The scope of this particular body of work is extensive, addressing classical figuration, futurism and Bauhausinspired abstraction. His paintings are characterized by a slick (and yet creamy) finish that displays a sense of cool restraint. Nevertheless, compared to the pop-art depictions of figurative scenes by Tom Wesselmann, Howard does not deny a personal engagement with his subject matter. His depictions of people, architectural spaces and landscapes might be simplified — but they are also infused with a sense of warmth, compassion and humor. These works might incorporate elements from vastly different genres, such as pop art, high DowntownExpress.com

Photo: Jeffrey Sturges, New York (courtesy the artist and Koenig & Clinton, New York)

Ridley Howard: “Rooftops” (2014). Oil on linen | 30 x 36 in (76.2 x 91.4 cm).

renaissance, neo-classicism and abstraction, but they are also very much rooted in our time. Toying with the conundrum of monumentality versus stillness, Howard experiments with how the elemental forces of painting, color, shape and design align to make up an image rich in emotional resonance. By pushing his work to a larger scale, he now offers us more room to contemplate his unique perception. Through Dec. 13, at Koenig & Clinton (459 W. 19th St., at 10th Ave.). Hours: Tues.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Call 212-334-9255 or visit koenigandclinton.com. November 6-November 19

High above and far beyond

EllenBradshawmergesnaturalbeautywithurbansprawl

Courtesy of the artist

“View to the Hudson” (Oil on Canvas, 14” x 18”).

Courtesy of the artist

“Under the Standard Hotel” (Oil on Canvas, 20” x 24”).

B Y S COT T S T I F F L E R Long after the High Line had proven itself as a draw, Chelsea-based artist Ellen Bradshaw (no fan of crowds) had yet to climb its stairs. Then her friend Ethel Schlesinger urged a visit — asserting, recalls Bradshaw, “that the High Line would inspire a powerful, unique way of seeing our beloved city. So I went, once in June then during an off-hour on a snowy day in December. It was beautiful. I looked at the High Line, then the city, and the contrast absolutely thrilled me. I did not expect to be taken away by it, and I was.” Bradshaw spent the next year and a

half creating “From the High Line.” The exhibition is dedicated to Schlesinger, who did not survive to see the 20 oil paintings that exist because of her insistence on seeing, with eyes and heart, the elevated park’s merits. “She is always with me in spirit,” says Bradshaw of her departed friend. Perhaps that’s why so many of these works convey an intense emotional connection to that which is physically distant. “View to the Hudson” may be set high above 10th Ave. (where snow, stone and metal peacefully coexist), but the scenic vista is urban action incarnate (cabs, cars and trucks whiz by, and our

gaze is forced far across the river to a foggy skyline dense with its own possibilities). Influenced by the realism of Ashcan painters and the atmosphere cultivated by Impressionists, the crowds that kept Bradshaw from the High Line for so long are nowhere to be found in this collection — making the park an even more ideal respite from the sometimes gritty chaos just beyond, down below. “Ellen Bradshaw: From the High Line” is on view through Nov. 22 at Pleiades Gallery (530 W. 25th St., 4th Floor; btw. 10th & 11th Aves.).

Courtesy of the artist

“A Summer’s Day Canvas, 15” x 30”).

Retreat” (Oil

Hours: Tues.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. and by appointment. All works on exhibit are available for purchase. For info, call 646-230-0056 or visit pleiadesgallery. com. Also visit ellenbradshaw.com.

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November 6-November 19, 2014

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New York City Veterans’

Serving those who served America

A SPECIAL SECTION TO

AMERICA’S PARADE WELCOMES KELLY Vietnam War vet, former police chief grand marshal

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (left) presents a battlescarred Brooklyn flag to Marine Sgt. Carlton Richardson, who will carry the flag in the New York City Veterans Day Parade up Fifth Avenue Photo by Kathryn Kirk on Nov. 11.

FLAg DAY Adams honors vets with banner

orough President Adams today presented a group of local veterans, including members of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Marine Corps League and the Student Veterans from Operation Enduring Freed (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) with a battlescared Brooklyn flag carried into Operation Desert Storm, as part of a Borough Hall ceremony honoring veterans. The veterans groups will carry the flag as they march up Fifth Avenue on Nov. 11 in America’s Parade, the New York City Veterans Day Parade. Then-Borough President Howard Golden presented the flag in 1990 to the 102nd

Maintenance Company, 244th Army National Guard Division, when the unit was deployed to the Persian Gulf in Operation Desert Storm. The flag was scorched by burning fragments from an enemy Scud missile, which was shot down by a U.S. Patriot missile during an attack near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was returned to Brooklyn at homecoming ceremonies for the 102nd Maintenance Company on Sept. 15, 1991. “The spirit of One Brooklyn, along with the support and solidarity of its residents, was carried into battle through the flag that now stands proudly in Brooklyn Borough Hall as a tribute to the bravery of those men and women who brought it safely See BANNER inside

ormer New York Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, has been named Grand Marshal of the 2014 America’s Parade, the New York City Veterans Day Parade, United War Veterans Council President Vincent McGowan announced. Kelly, the longest serving police commissioner in New York City history, was a Marine Corps lieutenant, commanding troops in combat in Vietnam in 1965. He went on to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves, retiring after 30 years with the rank of colonel. “It is a great honor — and long overdue — that we honor Commissioner Ray Kelly for his service as a Marine in Vietnam and for his half a century of dedicated service to the people of New York,” said McGowan, also a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War. “From his start as a beat cop to his service as Police Commissioner under Mayor David Dinkins and then under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Ray Kelly became the most highly-regarded law enforcement official in the world and a global leader in the war on terrorism. At heart, he is a cop — a cop’s cop — who never stopped working to keep us safe.” “I accept this honor on behalf of all my brother and sister veterans, those like me, who were able to come back to a rewarding life, those who came back sorely wounded, or those who never came back,” Kelly said. “I especially want to honor those who combined service to our nation with service to our city, the veterans in the NYPD, the Finest of the Finest. “It is fitting that we also honor the veterans of tomor-

Ray Kelly, a vet who saw action in Vietnam in 1965, will lead this year’s parade. row, the men and women serving today in defense of our principals of peace and freedom which we hold so dear.” Kelly will lead America’s Parade, the largest celebration of service in the nation, when more than 25,000 thousand participants, including active military members, veterans of every U.S. war since World War II and marching bands from across the nation, march up Fifth Avenue on Nov. 11, the 95th anniversary of the first Veterans Day Parade. Veterans Week, starting Nov. 1, includes several events honoring veterans, especially Marine Corps, and explores issues important to them. Events include the Marine Corps Birthday Dinner, marking the 239th anniversary of the founding of the Corps. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the incoming Commandant of the Marine Corps, also has been invited to attend the Veterans

Day Parade. America’s Parade will be broadcast in New York and major cities across the country and on Armed Forces TV to every U.S. military installation and ship in the world. The first person to rise from Police Cadet to Police Commissioner, Kelly spent 47 years in the New York Police Department, serving in 25 different commands and as Police Commissioner from 1992 to 1994 under Mayor Dinkins and from 2002 to 2013 under Mayor Bloomberg. He also served as Director of Police under the United Nations Mission in Haiti and as an Interpol Vice President. During the administration of President Bill Clinton, Kelly served as Treasury Department Under Secretary for Enforcement and as Customs Service Commissioner. Commissioner Kelly holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Manhattan College, a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law, a Master of Laws from New York University Graduate School of Law and a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has been awarded honorary degrees from the Catholic University of America, Manhattan College, St. John’s University, the State University of New York, the College of St. Rose, Iona College, Marist College, New York University, Pace University, Quinnipiac University and St. Thomas Aquinas College. In September 2006, Commissioner Kelly was awarded France’s highest decoration, the Legion D’Honneur, by then French Minister of the Interior Nicholas Sarkozy.

INSIDE: Your guIDE to thIS YEar’S VEtEraNS DaY actIVItIES DowntownExpress.com

November 6-November 19

Lincoln said it best: Honor our vets

hortly after the invasion of Afghanistan in October of 2001, there was a surge of patriotism. More American flags were flown. Paper strips with the message “Support Our Troops” appeared on many cars. Than came the Spring of 2003 and our invasion of Iraq in mid-March of that year. More flags. More paper strips. On May 1, 2003, we were assured in words and banners “Mission Accomplished.” We bungled the first invasion. We didn’t get Osama bin Laden, nor did the Taliban disappear. By coincidence, we got bin Laden — in his Pakistan hideout — eight years exactly to the day of “Mission Accomplished.” We are still finding out about the mess we found in Iraq, the mess we made worse and the mess we left worse than ever. So much for trillions of dollars and millions of scars in mind and body. But let that go. What we are faced with are millions of veterans and their families who need help and are not getting it. Any “Support Our Veterans” signs around? How many speakers will speak to this on Veterans Day and then do something about it? I was drafted into the Army when there was no shooting war. My service was limited, thanks to Congress, to just over a year. I have no complaints. My dealings with the Veteran’s Administration were fine. For two weeks after honorable discharge, I was without a job and I got some money to help. The GI Bill paid for my graduate work at Columbia. Today, everyone serving in our Armed Forces is someone who signed up to protect this country. We seem to keep forgetting that. The kids from around here, women and men, are in the services because they want to be there. Our gratitude should have no bounds. But, then we come up against scandals in the Veterans Administration. Hearings are held. Heads roll. Maybe things are getting better. They should be, but it will take eternal vigilance. According to a Pew survey, 77 percent of the combined Congressional delegation were veterans in 1997–1998. As of September, 2013, that combined number was about 20 percent. Maybe that’s why it takes a scandal to get action on Capitol Hill and in the White House. Yes, protect our troops. Make sure if we send them into battle we do so properly and make sure they have the gear they need. No more going into battle “with what you’ve got.” One the prospects for the Ninth Circle of Hell said that. Protect their families, too, from scams and frauds. Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, delivered on March 4, 1865, is one of the noblest declamations of all time, in my opinion, and that of many others. Like the Gettysburg Address, it is quite short and it shares space with that speech on the Lincoln Memorial. “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphans.” A noble purpose, stated nobly. Yes, let us protect our troops and our veterans and their families. And keep up that protection after the Veterans Day parades and speeches have gone into oblivion. Isn’t that the least we can do? Kenneth Kowald served during World War II from Feb. 1946 to Feb. 1947 as editor of The Flaming Bomb, a weekly newsletter in Aberdeen, Maryland.

Kenneth Kowald

November 6-November 19, 2014

A group of Navajos including Code Talkers from the World War II era, pose for a picture on Veterans Day in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. The young Navajo Marines, using secret Navajo language-encrypted military terms, helped the U.S. prevail at Iwo Jima and other World War II Pacific battles. Associated Press / Seth Wenig

Veterans week activities November 7, 2014 PATRIOTS TOUR: Tour of war monuments and memorials throughout the five boroughs conducted by seasoned historian and Vietnam veteran Cal Snyder, author of “Out of Fire & Valor.” Family-oriented history lessons at each site in NYC, including Ft. Hamilton, Brooklyn. (212) 693–1476. VETERANS IN SCHOOLS: Engage students with on-site visits assemblies at local schools by veterans who speak about their military experience. (212) 693–1476.

November 8, 2014 TOUR: Brooklyn Navy Yard: Past, Present, and Future. 2 pm – 4 pm. Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92 63 Flushing Ave. at Carlton Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 907–5924; Free FAmILy CRAFT TAbLE: Families design flower tributes to veterans for display on Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Tribute Wall. Noon-6 pm. Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92 63 Flushing Ave. at Carlton Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 907–5924; Free. VETERANS ARTISTS PROGRAm: Workshops, service projects, and performances supporting and celebrating veterans seeking professional careers in the arts. Fashion Institute of Technology, 227 W 27th Street, Manhattan; brian@ veteranartistprogram.org; Daylong; Free.

November 9, 2014 TOUR: Brooklyn Navy Yard: Past, Present, and Future. 2 pm–4 pm Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92 63 Flushing Ave. at Carlton Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 907–5924; Free TOUR: Can-Do Yard: World War II at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 11 am–1

pm. Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92 63 Flushing Ave. at Carlton Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 907–5924; Free. FAmILy CRAFT TAbLE: See listing on Nov. 8. VETERANS ARTISTS PROGRAm: See listing on Nov. 8.

November 10, 2014 STAR SPANGLED bANNER TRIbUTE: Engaging exhibition open to the viewing public; strong artwork by veterans; military history of NYC’s 5 boroughs, and other interesting and informative displays. 10 am–4 pm. General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York 20 W. 44th St., NYC. (212) 693–5701; Free. FAmILy CRAFT TAbLE: See listing on Nov. 8. VETERANS CHURCH SERVICE: Special Catholic Mass for veterans, military, and their family members; Medal of Honor recipients invited to attend. 10:15 am; Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue at 50th Street, Manhattan (212) 693–5701; Free. CONCERT: Lively musical performances by 1,000 high-school students from patriotic national marching bands. Marine Corps Quantico Band also performs. Outdoor at Times Square; 9 am; Free. VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR: Daylong activities include guest speakers and panel discussion regarding benefits, counseling, mental health, traumatic brain injury), The U.S. Navy Band Pop Ensemble will perform.10 am–6 pm. Brooklyn Central Library at Grand Army Plaza; Contact Brenda Bentt-Peters (718) 230– 2792; Free. JOb FAIR: “Be a hero, hire a hero career expo.” Job opportunities for veterans. 10 am–3 pm. U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn. Call Jeff Klare at (973)

234–5597 for info.

veteraNs Day PARADE: 2014 Veterans Day Parade. Largest Veterans Day Parade in the country begins at Madison Square Park in Manhattan following opening ceremonies at 10 am. Parade proceeds up Fifth Avenue; www.americasparade.org; Free. STREET FAIR: Following Veterans Day Parade on 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Manhattanl; Free. PERFORmANCE: Basetrack. En Garde Arts theater company collaborates with corpsmen from First Battalion-Eight Marines reveals the complex truths of the modern military experience. 7:30 pm. Brooklyn Academy of Music. 30 Lafayatte Ave. at Ashland Place, Brooklyn; For tickets, call Anne Hamburger at (323) 528–6434. CONCERT AND FILm: St. George Theatre Orchestra celebrates veterans. “From Here to Eternity” screened. 6 pm. St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St., Staten Island. Call (718) 442–2900 for tickets. $20.

November 12, 2014 PERFORmANCE: Basetrack. See listing on Nov. 11.

November 13, 2014 PERFORmANCE: Basetrack. See listing on Nov. 11.

November 14, 2014 PERFORmANCE: Basetrack. See listing on Nov. 11.

November 15, 2014 PERFORmANCE: Basetrack. See listing on Nov. 11.

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November 6-November 19

How to show your appreciation C

ivilians who join the military find their lives change forever upon entering the service. The armed forces shape a person, teaching discipline, humility, bravery, and many other life lessons. Joining the military often means making substantial personal sacrifices, as servicemen and women are typically called away from their families and the comforts of home. Many grateful Americans want to show their appreciation to those who risk their lives to defend their country, but they may not always know how. The following are a number of ways you can show your appreciation to members of the military: Thank a service member. If you see a person in uniform, thank him for his service to the country. Use the person’s title if you can identify rank, or simply use the respectful terms of “sir” or “madam.” Though a simple gesture, a verbal token of gratitude can go a long way toward brightening a soldier’s day. Volunteer with a veter-

an’s association. Volunteering is another way to show veterans and active service members how much you appreciate the sacrifices they have made. Volunteer at a veteran’s hospital or help to organize an event that’s commemorating the efforts of local veterans and active service members. Propose an event to honor local service members. Petition a town council for a special parade to honor your community’s military personnel, including veterans and active-duty members. Raise funds. Fund-raisers are another way to show military members how much you appreciate their service. Collect money for a militarybased scholarship, asking a local high school or university to establish the scholarship in the name of a local veteran or active-duty service member. Lend an ear. Provide a forum in which a serviceman or woman can share his or her story. Soldiers can offer unique insight on issues that affect civilians, and the community can benefit from servicemen

The origin of Veterans Day

ate a service member’s efforts, offer to lend a hand around his house. This can make life easier on a service man or woman’s spouse, and your companionship may provide a world of good. You can even go the extra mile by organizing a military spouse appreciation night at a nearby church or recreation hall. Offer free babysitting and provide refreshments and entertainment. Publicly display your patriotism. Active-duty service members and veterans joined the military to defend our way of life, and you can show pride for your country and appreciation for their efThere are a number of ways to show your appreciation to the men and forts by hanging a flag outside of your home. women who defend our country. Pick up the tab. Surprise a person in uniform by paying and women who share their oldier.com can ensure your for his meal at a restaurant. It’s stories. When hosting a com- packages make their way into a simple gesture, but it shows munity event, ask a soldier to the hands of soldiers. how much you appreciate that be a keynote speaker. Help an active-duty ser- service member’s sacrifice. Send gifts to active mil- vice member’s family. Spouses Gestures that show miliitary. Make care packages of active-duty military person- tary personnel how much you or write cards and thank you nel often must handle all of the appreciate them need not be notes to stationed troops. Or- chores that come with manag- lavish. Any and all expresganizations like the USO, Mil- ing a household on their own. sions of gratitude can make a itary-Missions.org or AnyS- To show how much you appreci- world of difference.

Spotlight: USS Capodanno

How the celebration came to be

he origins of Veterans Day can be traced to the ending of World War I nearly a century ago. Known at the time as “The Great War,” World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France. But the fighting had actually ended seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allies and Germany went into effect on Nov. 11, 1918. The following November United States President Woodrow Wilson declared Nov. 11 “Armistice Day” in honor of the cessation of the hostilities, and the day became a federal holiday in 1938. That act was amended in 1954 after veterans service organizations, in recognition of the efforts of soldiers who fought in World War II, asked that the day be renamed “Veterans Day” so it honored all soldiers and not just those who fought in World War I.

November 6-November 19, 2014

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November 6-November 19

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November 6-November 19, 2014

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