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YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN

ThriveNYC Grant Bolsters Hudson Guild’s Outreach

BY COLIN MIXSON A more than century-old community-based organization serving families in Chelsea was recently awarded a generous grant through ThriveNYC (nyc.gov/thriveNYC), an $850 million city health care initiative championed by NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray. The grant provides the organization THRIVE continued on p. 6

City Promotes West Chelsea Preparedness

BY SEAN EGAN For many Chelsea residents and business owners, Hurricane Sandy was an eye-opener to nearby dangers — and a wake-up call to prepare for future disasters.

Now, through the work of the Department of City Planning (DCP) and the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), the city is fostering efforts to ensure that New Yorkers are more PREPAREDNESS continued on p. 4

MISS NERD NEW YORK Pride month begins with a bang, at a pageant where drag queen and geek cultures intersect. See page 17.

Photo by Yannic Rack

One of the Bayview roof decks, looking out over the Hudson River. Whether the cage will stay is still up in the air.

A FINAL LOOK BEHIND

BAYVIEW’S WALLS

BY YANNIC RACK When the former Bayview Correctional Facility becomes a hub for nonprofit women’s organizations, its transformation will once again breathe new life into a historic part of Chelsea’s waterfront.

Bayview, which closed in 2012 as a result of an evacuation prompted

by Hurricane Sandy, has stood at the corner of W. 20th St. and 11th Ave. for more than 80 years. Built as a

© CHELSEA NOW 2016 | NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

waterfront YMCA for sailors and merchant marine crews, it was turned into a drug treatment center in 1967 and later became a prison, and has been closed off to the public ever since.

But last week the developers of the building opened its doors so that residents could get their first — and likely last — look behind the walls of the former medium-security prison, which will turn into the Women’s Building, a space for girls’ and women’s rights groups, by 2020.

“They were all very glad to see the inside of the building after it’s been a part of the neighborhood for so long,” said Tatiana Eck, a senior project manager at the Goren Group, who led about two dozen people through the eight-story structure on Thurs., May 19 (Goren is the project developer along with the NoVo Foundation).

BAYVIEW continued on p. 2

VOLUME 08, ISSUE 20 | MAY 26 - JUNE 01, 2016

Photos by Yannic Rack

Examples of the colorful mosaics in the pool area, which will be restored.

Visitors exploring the pool, which was used by sailors in the building’s days as a YMCA, but was later covered with plywood and used as a storage space by the prison.

Community Tours Former Prison Before Its Next Transformation

One of the remnants of the former women’s prison: a water fountain, with a plea scrawled above.

BAYVIEW continued from p. 1

Tatiana Eck, the project manager in charge of the Women’s Building for developer the Goren Group, shows off one of the heavier doors on a cell floor at the former prison, which might find its way into a planned museum/exhibition space in the reimagined building.

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May 26 - June 01, 2016

The walkthrough led past empty cells and forlorn storage rooms, but focused on showing off the building’s many unique features.

Eck said plans for the renovation include bringing back the barreled ceiling in the entrance hall, restoring the brick and terracotta façade, and fixing up the colorful wall mosaics found in and around a pool that was used by the sailors during the building’s days as the Seamen’s House YMCA. “Our plan is to bring back the pool, restore the mosaics — and we’ve been talking about ways we may be able to provide access to the pool to our neighbors,” said Eck. In more recent years, the pool was covered with ply-

wood and used as a storage space for the prison.

“But keeping in mind that this building will be full of activists working on women’s rights issues, security is always a concern,” she added. “So we are working to balance both of those things — have this really important cultural institution, and provide access to the community.”

Another historic feature is the firstfloor chapel, complete with nautical-themed stained-glass windows and a solemn altarpiece depicting a ship at sea.

The cells, which used to be hotel rooms for the sailors, will likely not survive the renovations, but Eck said some details, like one of the heavier BAYVIEW continued on p. 10 .com

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City Aims to Keep Flooding at Bay, Business on Track

Photo by Sean Egan

Karolina Hall explains a map showing the varying degrees of flood risk found within West Chelsea.

Courtesy Department of City Planning

A map showing the proportion of art galleries contained within the West Chelsea district.

PREPAREDNESS continued from p. 1

prepared than ever before for emergency situations.

Through newly released studies and initiatives, as well as public presentations on resiliency, the city seems determined to educate its citizens on how to deal with storms, and their aftermath.

At a recent meeting of Community Board 4’s Chelsea Land Use Committee, DCP representatives presented the fi ndings of an intensive study of West Chelsea, which examined the ways in which the area is vulnerable to flooding, and made preparedness recommendations. Representative Karolina Hall noted that this study was part of the Department’s larger Resilient Neighborhoods initiative, and that its fi ndings (along with those of the other selected neighborhoods) could then be used as examples citywide.

Chelsea, as it turns out, is unique in many respects in terms of issues arisen by its flood vulnerability — the exact risk of which is outlined in a number of charts contained in the report. The kind of architecture found in the neighborhood (buildings that

4

May 26 - June 01, 2016

butt together, buildings with shallow foundations, row houses) make those structures more likely to be damaged in the event of a flood — especially since they are in an area that is more prone to flooding.

Furthermore, special zoning districts and the age of the buildings can make it difficult to try to update infrastructure or retrofit buildings to conform to new flood-prevention techniques.

In addition, the West Chelsea area (from approximately 12th Ave. to 10th Ave., btw. W. 14th & W. 29th Sts., and Ninth to 10th Aves., btw. W. 14th & W. 18th Sts.) has an unusually high number of commercial use buildings, art galleries, and mixeduse buildings — making the challenges they face, and the solutions they can implement, different than other areas.

The report outlines a number of solutions, which residents/business owners can use to determine how to appropriately prepare for flooding in their building. There are two major ways to retrofit a building to resist flooding: dry floodproofi ng and wet floodproofi ng.

Wet floodproofi ng involves the installation of specialized vents, which allow water to permeate and exit a space freely (they can often be contained in AC units, or match décor). Dry floodproofi ng prevents water penetration entirely. One common method of this involves installing metallic, collapsible “flood shields” around a building. Elevating critical structures when possible is also advised.

Details about how and where, exactly, these measures can be applied to comply with building codes

can be found in the guide, which Hall confirmed could be accessed online at the end of the presentation (visit http://tinyurl.com/jg6ny6s).

On Mon., May 23, a workshop was held jointly by DCP and SBS at the Pace Gallery (530 W. 25th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.) — an appropriate location for a session tailored to the unique issues that face owners of fi ne art galleries during floods. Amritha Mahesh from DCP took the floor to present their “Resilient Art Spaces” guide, whose creation was inspired by flood-prone West Chelsea having highest concentration of galleries in the city.

The steps Mahesh outlined included many common sense strategies to minimize damage and expedite recovery. She advised gallery owners to first and foremost identify what is most at risk, and most valuable, in their galleries. Beyond the obviously valuable art — which is recommended to be elevated, easily transportable during hurricane season, and to have secure storage facilities — Mahesh encouraged owners to make sure their computers and records were also secure, as they are crucial to day-to-day operations, as well as dealing with insurance companies post-flood (damaged documents were a common issue after Sandy).

She also urged owners to talk with their landlords about the kinds of insurance that apply to their buildings, and informed them about wet and dry floodproofi ng. The whole report can also be accessed online, through the aforementioned link.

PREPAREDNESS continued on p. 18 .com

Great News for the Downtown Community!

Mount Sinai Announces $500 Million Investment to Create “Mount Sinai Downtown” Network New Mount Sinai Downtown Beth Israel Hospital on 14 th St. with inpatient beds & brand New Emergency Department Expanded & Upgraded Outpatient Services Convenient to Home & Work NEW YORK (May 25, 2016) – The Mount Sinai Health System today announced a plan for the sweeping transformation of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, by investing over $500 million to create the new “Mount Sinai Downtown,” an expanded and unified network of state-of-the-art facilities stretching from the East River to the Hudson River below 34th Street.

The Mount Sinai Downtown network will include a new Mount Sinai Downtown Beth Israel Hospital on 14th Street with inpatient beds plus a brand new state-of-the-art Emergency Department. The new ED will have observation beds and will be equipped to treat patients with heart attacks and strokes. An expanded and upgraded network of outpatient services, including expanded behavioral and mental health services, and physician practices will also be part of the Downtown network. Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s Emergency Department will remain open until the new ED is up and running.

The current Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital will remain open during this transformation and all services will be available throughout the Mount Sinai Health System. Patients will be able to continue to see the doctors they know and trust.

For additional updates and information, please visit our website: www.mountsinai.org/downtown

.com

May 26 - June 01, 2016

5

New Skill Sets Help Hudson Guild Counsel, Engage THRIVE continued from p. 1

with the necessary funds to hire new staff and to provide special training in innovative new techniques that enable staff to enhance the lives of children, by helping the people they rely on the most.

“For the first time this gives us the opportunity to work on mental health issues specifically for parents of children in our early childhood programs,” said Ken Jockers, Executive Director of Hudson Guild (hudsonguild.org). “We know that what affects parents, ultimately affects kids.”

Through the grant, called Connections to Care (C2C), Hudson Guild will bridge services provided

by Hudson Guild’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) program and its Paula B. Balser Mental Health Clinic to enhance the lives of parents.

Specifically, the more than $400,000 grant will fund training for Guild family workers in a number of skill sets, endowing them with the means of screening the predominant-

Photo by Nami Patel

Hudson Guild Executive Director Ken Jockers, left, with NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray.

ly low-income parents of children ages 2–4 in its ECE program, and identifying the various mental health issues that may afflict them.

That boils down not only to fluency with regards to common mental health disorders and pinpointing their telltale symptoms, but also the

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May 26 - June 01, 2016

dissemination of special techniques designed to put parents at ease and willing to discuss these types of uncomfortable topics.

Key among these innovative new methods is motivational interviewing, which assumes that clients approach counseling and the prospect of openly discussing highly personal subjects with varying levels of enthusiasm — namely, a lack thereof, according to Jockers.

“Motivational interviewing is a process of having a conversation with somebody about a topic that, typically, they are not fully ready to talk about,” he said. “It’s getting people to look at and hopefully address challenging issues.”

Motivational interviewing itself encompasses various counseling techniques, including asking open-ended questions, ref lective listening, providing affirmation, and summarizing the client’s own statements.

The family worker’s counseling ability will be further augmented with Mental Health First Aid training, which focuses on responding to symptoms of mental illness and substance abuse.

Finally, the Guild’s family workers will become adept at psychoeducation, which focuses on empowering clients suffering from a variety of debilitating mental health disorders to affect change in their own lives with optimal results. This includes educating clients on the nature of their own mental health challenges, the type of treatments available to

them, and the means of coping when in crisis.

The techniques that C2C will transfer onto Guild family workers are applicable when dealing with a number of mental health disorders, ranging from drug use to schizophrenia. However, Jockers says that the majority of parents with children enrolled in Hudson Guild’s ECE program are mainly afflicted by the more mundane, but no less harrowing mental fatigue of raising children in the context of poverty.

“Most of the families who come to Hudson guild are loving, strong, stable families, and their biggest challenge is they don’t have money,” he said. “For anybody, not having money is a stressful situation and so the families that we see regularly deal with the stress of poverty or low income, and the strains that that creates for individuals and families.”

Hudson Guild was selected by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to receive its share of the $30 million Connections to Care grant, part of which was taken from the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City as part of ThriveNYC. The Guild was selected amongst 14 community-based organizations following a competitive proposal process.

The city is optimistic that by increasing mental health services in communities, local clients will have greater success taking advantage of other service programs offered

by Hudson Guild and the various other community-based organizations selected for the grant. To determine if this is the case, the Mayor’s Fund has contracted the RAND Corporation and the NYU McSilver institute for Poverty Policy and Research to scrutinize the newly subsidized programs, and evaluate their success over the next five years.

“In New York City, we are taking an innovative approach to expand access to mental health care,” said McCray. “By partnering with community leaders and community organizations, we will be able to provide services where people already are — where they live, work, worship and study, and get those services from people they already trust. This approach is a game changer and one of the ways we will help New Yorkers on the path to wellness.” .com

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Good Work Its Own Reward, Awards Also Nice

Photo by Donathan Salkaln Photo courtesy PS 33 Chess Club

Check, Please: PS 33 Girls Win at Chess A recently formed girls chess team from the Big Apple proved they were no mere pawns, when they traveled to the Windy City to compete at the All-Girls National Championships chess tournament (April 22–24). The PS 33 Chelsea Prep students came back from Chicago with the Under 8 Division Second Place trophy (almost as tall as the girls). Flanked by Chess NYC coaches Angel Lopez (left) and Russell Makofsky are Aliya Saldanha-Suri, Charlotte Peterson, Abigail Yang, Simone Morden, and Rose Morden. The girls will be sharpening their skills over the summer, by attending chess camps and participating in tournaments throughout the city.

Tenant Advocacy Group Honored for Activism, Vigilance The Chelsea-based Community & Residents Protection Working Group (CRP) has repeatedly exposed the falsification of construction permit applications submitted to the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) by architects, contractors, landlords, and developers. Their work to defend tenants from predatory landlord tactics during building renovations, as well as their demand for a more community-minded DOB, was recognized when they received a Community Service Award from the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, at a May 7 CRDC meeting held at the El Cid restaurant (174 Eighth Ave., btw. W. 18th & W. 19th Sts.). L to R: NYS Assemblymember Richard Gottfried, the CRP’s Bill Borock, and Steven Skyles-Mulligan (Democratic District Leader, 75th AD Part A, on behalf of the CRDC).

Photo by Frank Vanoni

Those Who Don’t Just Talk the Talk Get a Walkie It’s a good thing he knows enough to look both ways. In such a hurry to cross the street that he can’t keep both feet on the pedestal, the silver man in midstride is a creation of sculptor Jordan Baker-Caldwell. Commissioned by the Clinton Hell’s Kitchen Coalition for Pedestrian Safety (CHEKPEDS) for their recent 10th Anniversary Celebration, the Walkie Award recognizes “Outstanding Commitment to Pedestrian Safety.” The recipients were Margaret Forgione, Gregory Haas, Michael Pilecki, Mark Schaff, and Martin Treat.

—By Scott Stiffler

8

May 26 - June 01, 2016

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Drivers should make changes to speed and other factors to make wet weather driving as safe as possible.

May 26 - June 01, 2016

9

Photos by Yannic Rack

This roof deck, which was used for sports by the inmates, could be turned into community space.

BAYVIEW continued from p. 2

metal doors, might find a home in a small museum space dedicated to the history of the building. “[We want] something that really helps people understand what the building was, both in its days as a sailors’ hotel and as a prison,” she said.

The locals who toured the building were most impressed, however, by that most coveted asset in the modern city — the view.

“It’s very solemn,” said Ann Sewell, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 50 years, after the tour arrived on the roof, where two separate decks afford generous views of the city to the east and the Hudson to the west.

“The views on all sides are amazing — I’m wondering what they’re going to do with that. It would be great if they opened it to the community,” said Sewell.

According to an article in the November 2001 issue of DOCS Today, a newsletter published by the state’s Department of Correctional Services, one side of Bayview’s roof was once home to a flower garden. The other side — the building is actually made

10

May 26 - June 01, 2016

up of two separate ones, with an annex that was added later — was used as a recreation area and basketball court, and both decks are still covered by blue metal cages.

The Goren Group is putting together an all-women team for the project, and even some of the former inmates at Bayview are involved in the renovation process — including interior demolition work.

“We’re very excited about that — as are they, as you can imagine,” said Eck. “It’s really important to us to have their voices represented; they give us such great insight about what it was like to be there.”

The developers started a design competition last November and have received over 40 entries. They have now narrowed the selection down to four finalists and expect to announce their choice in the coming weeks, according to Eck. “It needs a tremendous amount of work. The whole building, from the basement up, has to be redone,” commented Sewell after the tour.

“But the idea of involving the women who were there once — that’s impressive. I think that’s very thoughtful.”

The gym might retain its double-height ceilings in the planned renovation, and could become an events space to host fundraisers and other functions, according to Eck.

Mary Swartz, another curious neighbor, was pleased that the building would be turned into a positive place after serving as a prison for so long.

“It’s great that it went from being a punishing place for women to being something very positive and helpful for women,” said Swartz, the former president of Save Chelsea, and

current head of the West 400 Block Association. “It’s a wonderful progression, I think.”

And, standing on the roof, Swartz said she considered it a small miracle that the building didn’t go the way of many other structures in the neighborhood.

“I’m so glad they didn’t turn it into luxury condos,” she said. .com

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11

POLICE BLOTTER

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Publisher

Jennifer Goodstein

Editor Scott Stiffler

Editorial Assistant Sean Egan

Art Director Michael Shirey

Contributors

Lincoln Anderson Stephanie Buhmann Jackson Chen Sean Egan Winnie McCroy Colin Mixson Puma Perl Yannic Rack Paul Schindler Trav S.D. Eileen Stukane

Executive VP of Advertising Amanda Tarley

Account Executives Jack Agliata Lauren Blair Allison Greaker Jim Steele Julio Tumbaco

Published by

NYC Community Media, LLC

One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: (212) 229-1890 Fax: (212) 229-2790 www.chelseanow.com scott@chelseanow.com © 2016 NYC Community Media, LLC Member of the New York Press Association

Chelsea Now is published weekly by NYC Community Media

LLC, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

(212) 229-1890. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $75. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2016 NYC Community Media LLC, Postmaster: Send address changes to Chelsea Now, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

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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May 26 - June 01, 2016

GRAND LARCENY: Losing time on the High Line Like clockwork, the warm weather of summer entices travelers from near and far to enjoy the High Line — though it draws crooks out of the woodwork as well. At about 9:45am on Fri., May 20, in a valiant attempt to prevent uneven tan lines, a 63-year-old visitor from the Ukraine reported that he placed his gold and silver Oyster Perpetual Rolex watch on a ledge in order to apply sunblock. When he was finished and returned to the ledge (at the park’s walkway, on the northeast corner of West & W. 29th Sts.) to retrieve it, he discovered it was gone. He didn’t notice anyone grab or swipe it, and at the time of the filing of the police report, it was unknown whether or not there was video evidence available at the scene — all of which does not bode well for the fate of his $7,000 timepiece.

TAMPERING WITH PHYSICAL EVIDENCE: Hustle not all it’s cracked up to be Contrary to popular opinion, one can, in fact, knock the hustle, as one man learned the hard way on Fri., May 20. At around 5:45pm a police officer observed the 43-year-old man on the 300 block of Eighth Ave. (btw. W. 25th & W. 26th Sts.) walking up to pedestrians and attempting to sell them wallets. The individual did not have a license to do so, though he insisted, “This is my hustle,” to those present. The man was also found to be in possession of a glass pipe, with alleged crack cocaine residue inside of it. Knowing that the suspicious glassware could get him in trouble, the man knowingly pulled it out of his jacket pocket, slammed it on the ground and stepped on

it — thoroughly destroying the evidence.

Unfortunately for the self-proclaimed hustler, that in and of itself also constituted a crime, and he was promptly arrested.

PETIT LARCENY: He swiped swiper Sometimes, you just need to scratch your head and wonder what motivated a dim criminal to risk potentially severe consequences by breaking the law. One such inscrutable dumbbell patronizing a Blink Fitness location (308 Eighth Ave., btw. W. 25th & W. 26th Sts.) fits this profile, as he wound up lifting far more than weights on Thurs., May 19. At around 10pm that night, video evidence shows the unidentified male taking something from the gym, hiding it in his bag, and then leaving the premises. The item he took? For reasons that remain inexplicable, he snagged himself a credit card reader valued at $100.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: He hit, like, a truck Usually when someone’s suffering from road rage, they opt to take their anger out on the other driver — but on Fri., May 20, one ticked-off taxi driver went a different route. As reported by a 35-year-old New Jersey man, working for a van service, at about 11:45pm, a cab driver cut his truck off on the 400 block of W. 35th St. (btw.

Ninth & 10th Aves.). The cabbie then got out of his taxi, approached the man’s orange 2010 Aprilia truck, and proceeded to punch the truck’s front windshield, causing it to crack, and then fled the scene. The man was not caught, but the truck driver was able to provide authorities with the cab’s license plate number.

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw.

Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry.

Main number: 212-741-8211.

Community Affairs: 212-741-8226.

Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226.

Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216.

Youth Officer: 212-741-8211.

Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-924-3377.

Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7pm, at the 10th Precinct. They are on summer hiatus, to resume on Sept. 28.

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: David Ehrenberg. Call 212-4777411. Community Affairs: 212-4777427. Crime Prevention: 212-4777427. Domestic Violence: 212-4773863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411.

Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380.

Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the 13th Precinct. The next meeting is June 21.

CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.

—SEAN EGAN

YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN WWW.

.COM .com

Talking Point

The System is Collapsing, Not the House

BY PAMELA WOLFF It has become stunningly and heartbreakingly clear that there is a fundamental abdication of the mission of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

It seems that its members have forgotten the basic reason for its existence: its middle name. The real estate industry has intimidated it, infiltrated it, and rendered it toothless.

Has there ever been a better example of this than their anemic response to the application of the architect, William Suk, of 404 W. 20th St., the oldest dwelling in the Chelsea Historic District, and its very beating heart.

It would have been appropriate for the Commissioners to reject out of hand his application to virtually destroy the oldest home in Chelsea.

The plans presented misleadingly refer to additions and extensions, when what they actually propose is demolition of the entire building except for the brick street façade. Based on their own self-serving, unsubstantiated “observations” that the building is unstable, they propose, in disguise, to demolish it.

The fact that the west wall of the house was

stripped of its clapboard siding when its abutter was constructed, in 1839, mind you, does not suggest a reduction in stability, but rather a sensible solution allowing the neighbor to construct a brick wall against a smooth surface, creating a party wall, common throughout the neighborhood.

Mr. Suk is skilled at convincing his audience of the “facts.” His proposal to eliminate the east side yard obliterates the essence of its history as a free-standing dwelling, built well before any of the surrounding neighbors. The original clapboard siding, easily seen from the public way, is a unique survivor of almost two centuries of development.

The passage is a very rare surviving example of an early 19th century feature distinctive to Chelsea. It must be preserved.

The Commission responded by ignoring the testimony and submissions from Community Board 4, which rejected the application, voting an unequivocal “NO,” and instead requesting the architect to rethink the size of his proposed “additions.”

In my own experience as manager of several antique wood-frame houses in Chelsea, each of

which was originally free-standing, I can attest that being slightly out of plumb is not a sign of near collapse, as Mr. Suk would like us to believe.

This tiny house has played a huge role in the preservation movement in Chelsea since the 1950s. It has been host to thousands of meetings of neighbors, political representatives, and government officials for over six decades. It was the home of the founders of the Council of Chelsea Block Associations.

Perhaps we are all to blame for our lack of vigilance, and our gullibility. We felt that because this house sits as the anchor of the famous Cushman Row, predates those iconic homes, and is in great part original, it would surely be protected by the Commission founded for that purpose.

We have all recently lost a magnificent church (the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, W. 25th St., btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves.) to a terrible fire. Must we lose another treasure to the almighty dollar?

Pamela Wolff is a member of the Chelsea West 200 Block Association, the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, and Save Chelsea.

Guilty Verdict on Four of Five Dallas BBQ Assault Charges

BY DUNCAN OSBORNE After deliberating for roughly two days, a Manhattan jury convicted Bayna-Lekheim El-Amin on four of five felony charges resulting from a 2015 fight he had with two gay men in a Chelsea restaurant.

“There was no justification for this brutal attack,” Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan district attorney, said in a May 25 statement. “BaynaLekheim El-Amin struck both victims in a public restaurant with a heavy wooden chair, knocking one of them unconscious. I commend the victims for their courage and my office’s prosecutors for ensuring this defendant is held accountable for this horrific attack.”

The jurors, who appeared to be at loggerheads at points in their deliberations, found the 42-year-old guilty of two counts of attempted assault in the fi rst degree for the fight with Jonathan Snipes, 33, and Ethan York-Adams, 26, and two counts of second-degree assault.

El-Amin was acquitted on a fi fth count that charged him with second-degree assault for allegedly stomping on Snipes’ head. When .com

he is sentenced on June 14, El-Amin could get up to 15 years in prison.

Jurors began deliberating on May 23 and very quickly sent a note to Arlene Goldberg, the judge in the case, saying they could not reach a verdict. On the morning of May 25, jurors asked what would happen if they reached a verdict on only four of the five counts. They were then allowed to announce their verdicts on the four and instructed to continue deliberating on the outstanding charge of first-degree attempted assault on Snipes. They returned a guilty verdict on that charge later in the day.

The case has been fraught from the start.

The fight broke out on May 5, 2015 at the Dallas BBQ at Eighth Ave. & W. 23rd St. in Chelsea. The day after the fight, Snipes contacted the press claiming that he and York-Adams, his boyfriend at the time, had been the victims of a hate crime perpetrated by two men. One video showed El-Amin hitting YorkAdams with a wooden chair as he and Snipes stood with their backs to El-Amin.

The incident received some press attention and one protest was organized outside the restaurant that included City Councilmember Corey Johnson and State Senator Brad Hoylman. Both are openly gay and both represent Chelsea.

More complete video of the incident, which went public a few months after the story broke, showed that it was Snipes who started the fight and only one man fought with Snipes. None of the charges against El-Amin were charged as hate crimes.

When he testified, Snipes said he heard someone say the word “faggot” and he believed that person was El-Amin so he hit him with his purse. The incident, which lasted about one minute, had three discrete parts and, at the start of the trial, prosecutor Leah Saxtein said that El-Amin was not charged with any crime in the fi rst part, when he pounced on Snipes after being struck. In the videos that were played in court, Snipes appears to strike El-Amin in two of the parts.

The third part, where El-Amin used the wooden chair, was always the

Isaam Sharef via YouTube.com

Bayna-Lekheim El-Amin bringing a chair down Ethan York-Adams’ head at the Dallas BBQ in video captured by a restaurant patron.

greatest threat to him because both Snipes and York-Adams are turned away from him. El-Amin’s attorney argued his client was acting in self-defense throughout the incident.

Both Snipes and York-Adams testified that they were drunk and both men received medical attention from an EMT following the incident. They both refused a trip to an emergency room, saying they did not have insurance and could not afford the trip. This suggested they did not believe their injuries were serious.

May 26 - June 01, 2016

13

She Seeks Sanity on the East Side Rev. Jen types tips for getting through this thing

BY REV. JEN MILLER It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Wait. Scratch that.

Someone already wrote that line and I don’t do covers.

Let’s start again. It really was just the worst of times. An orange on a toothpick was about to become President, I was unemployed (again), and my boyfriend got cancer. When Prince wrote, and Sinéad sang, “It’s been seven hours and fifteen days,” I doubt either could have imagined what seven hours and 330 days feels like, waiting for your old man to walk through your door and give you a kiss.

All of my columns have a theme.

This one is about how to get through this thing called life. Sh*t! Another cover! Anyway, that’s the theme, so I present to you: The Most Depressing Column Ever Written! By the way, I hardly ever view reader comments regarding my essays, but a dude (who is probably sitting around in stained tighty whities surrounded by empty Chinese takeout containers) wrote, “You call this journalism?” Actually, I don’t. I call it writing. Truman Capote called Kerouac’s writing “typing.” Guess which one doesn’t have a monument in his hometown?

So here’s some “typing.”

Once upon a time there was a magical land called the 1970s where people didn’t know smoking, drinking, suntanning and drugs were bad for them, and if they did, they didn’t care. Today we are a bit wiser. So until I can build a time machine, I will have to gaze longingly at tobacco products like a young girl staring at a Barbie Dream House in the Sears Catalog while accepting the fact that there will never be another Motörhead, Bowie or Prince album (while Cheney is likely on his fourth heart).

I console myself by listening to “Ace of Spades,” “Heroes,” and “Purple Rain” thrice daily. “Purple Rain” is my favorite love song because it’s really about only wanting to see someone “laughing in the purple rain.” I don’t know much

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May 26 - June 01, 2016

about purple rain — but I know what it’s like to want to see someone dance and laugh. That’s love.

I write this column at 1:40 in the morning, from a home on Cape Cod that might actually be the Kennedy Compound. A friend of a friend lent it to me so that I can write in peace (cue horror movie music). There are so many rooms, I’m pretty sure that if I try to hang a jacket in one of the closets, I will end up in Narnia, talking to a lion. I am lucky to have friends who have friends who’ve likely made wiser choices than me and therefore own houses and other things that indicate a modicum of sanity.

For those of us grasping for that modicum of sanity, who can’t afford to call up that shrink in Beverly Hills, here are my tips on “Getting Through This Thing Called Life” — even when de-elevator tries to bring you down.

GO CRAZY! Going crazy is the only sane reaction to an insane world, hence it’s time we “got the gang back together.” Actual human contact means more than just giving each other mad likes on Facebook or remotely communicating via text. It means watching a crazy performance artist pour baking soda and vinegar into their Speedo, creating a volcanic explosion, or seeing someone do something unspeakable with vegetables.

After more than a year, the world’s weirdest open mike, Reverend Jen’s AntiSlam (which I started in 1995), returns — this time, to my local watering hole.

All forms of expression are welcome (just don’t take out your dingus or light the place on fire). Sun., June 5, 9pm at Lucky Jack’s: 129 Orchard St., btw.

Delancey & Rivington Sts. Free!

LET REVEREND JEN PAINT OBAMA! Photo by John Foster

This suggestion is entirely selfish but could save me from eviction,

The best way to get through life? Ask for help, says Rev. Jen, who was visited by a mobile crisis unit after connecting with lifenet.nyc.

REVJEN continued on p. 15 .com

REVJEN continued from p. 14

ensuring the longevity of the Troll Museum, thus bringing joy to so many who have yet to see my majestic palace.

One thing that makes me happy (sometimes) is painting. Many people think that because I am a genius writer, I must’ve studied writing. No, Sir. I studied painting and am damn good at it.

Traditionally, during the end of a President’s tenure, his (and possibly soon, her) portrait is painted. I would like to paint Obama in a traditional manner, a la Sargent’s portrait of Teddy Roosevelt. Yet, in an untraditional manner, I’d like to depict him with his wife and daughters to show that behind every great man, there is a great woman (or sometimes a man). It would be an artistic punch in the giant noggin of a certain misogynistic, overgrown Oompa Loompa who threatens to inhabit the Oval Office.

One can find a petition supporting my presidential portrait campaign at change.org or via a link on my Facebook page, at Revjen Miller.

Photos by John Foster

Rev. Jen and friends lifted their spirits at a Troll Museum party, which included live music straight from the kitchen bathtub.

VISIT YOUR LOCAL FIREHOUSE!

GATHER TOGETHER Sorry to make so many Prince references, but he left us with profound wisdom. Maybe, next to Mr. Rogers, the greatest philosopher of our time. He suggested, “If you don’t like the world you’re living in, take a look around. At least you got friends.”

There is nothing I value more than my friends and family (cat and dog included). So, I was stoked when my musician friends, Dusty Santamaria and Travis Champ, visited this week from the West Coast. Dusty is the individual responsible for a state of inebriation that got me tossed from “Good Morning, Oregon!” years ago (they’re owned by Fox News, so no regrets).

Clearly, this visit called for a Troll Museum party wherein he and others played (music) in my bathtub, which is conveniently located in the kitchen.

Via their tunes and friends gathering together, broken down spirits were lifted. If you’ve never heard Dusty or Travis, Google them. You won’t be disappointed.

TAKE JOY IN WATCHING CORRUPT POLITICIANS AND LANDLORDS GO TO HELL! Until someone produces a show called “When Animals Attack Politicians,” I will take comfort in read.com

days — my friend, John (who took the pictures for this article) finally got fed up with my stench and called Lifenet, a 24/7 multicultural support services network. They connected me to a mobile crisis unit of psychiatrists who visited me at the Troll Museum and pretended not to notice my 400 trolls.

Just talking to them was helpful. If you are having trouble, you can reach them at lifenet.nyc or call 1-800-5433638.

Another approach: Go around your neighborhood and ask people how to get through life. Responses ranged from the basics like drink, laugh, masturbate, dance, keep breathing and avoid human contact, to the profound: “Life is like a movie. Keep going no matter what horrors are thrown at you. It’s a short movie, so you might as well see the whole thing.” But, mostly, people ignored me.

Reverend Jen Junior couldn’t make weight for the job of firehouse dog, but she did bond with Nickels, Engine Co. 55’s Golden Retriever/ Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.

ing local papers, which have detailed the crimes of both landlord Steven Croman and politician Sheldon Silver.

As Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben pointed out, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

True dat. Don’t go running around taking bribes. Little known fact (but verifiable): Silver gave $77,000 to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where I worked for 12 years, taking on every holiday shift, never getting a vacation day or a sick day and eventually being fired along with several others.

Dear Sheldon Silver: I know you’ll be busy making license plates, but per-

haps you can cut me a check from the Cross Bar Hilton. (Bernie Madoff also donated to the Tenement Museum.)

Oh, the irony! Both were pretending to work while I was actually working.

Either way, I’m gonna sit back and watch the whole house of cards collapse. Maybe the Troll Museum will be the only thing left standing.

ASK FOR HELP When trying to get through life, it’s important to reach out, but only to those who aren’t assholes. As I’ve been suffering from major depression — not eating, sleeping or bathing for

When I got ill a couple months ago (as detailed in my “Straight Outta Bellevue” column of Oct. 15, 2015) EMT came to “take me away” in their ambulance. Little did they know that the Troll Museum is a vortex, which eats objects, and one of my rescuers lost his keys!

Not knowing where EMT dwells, I went straight to the local firehouse on Broome Street, Engine Co. 55, who lost several men on 9/11. For years, I’ve been leaving secret gifts like flowers outside of their door because I hate that the “never forget” rhetoric seems to only come up on the anniversary of 9/11.

I try to remember their bravery every day. Also, they’re hot. I was going to wear something sexy but am just too tired to gussy up lately.

Instead, I’ve been dressing like the Unabomber, in a hoodie, glasses and jeans. Even so, they opened the gate.

I brought along Reverend Jen Junior, hoping she could get a job as a firehouse dog and earn her keep. They said at five pounds, she couldn’t cut it. However, they did introduce her to her new boyfriend: their firehouse dog, “Nickels,” a Golden Retriever/ Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.

As I watched them play in what I consider hallowed ground, I felt an incredible surge of appreciation for the things that have helped me get through life: dogs, music, firemen, friends and people just getting together and having fun.

May 26 - June 01, 2016

15

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May 26 - June 01, 2016

.com

Cosplay in a Drag Queen’s Closet Subcultures intersect at Miss Nerd New York

Photo by Fwee Carter of Fwee Photography

Last year’s Second Runner-Up, Lilith LeFae, Carmen Sandiego and flanked by a pair of Waldos.

BY CHARLES BATTERSBY Drag culture and geek culture are seemingly worlds apart — but with comic conventions selling to capacity and RuPaul an anchor presence on Logo, both now can claim a place in the realm of mainstream awareness, if not outright acceptance. The two specialized interests intersect on June 4, at Miss Nerd New York — a pageant of poindexters where a lady’s Pokémon collection is just as important as the evening gown competition.

We spoke with the event organizers and participants to learn how the reigning queen of the nerds won her crown, and what’s in store for audiences at this year’s pageant.

“A queer nerd may have come out as gay or trans or bi, and still be shamed within that community for being fascinated with superheroes or enjoying role playing games,” says Pageant Director Shane Cherry.

“There are people who would rather go to a bar to play ‘Super Smash Bros.’ or ‘Mario Kart’ than go dancing. Nobody should have to come out of the closet as gay and stay in the closet about being a nerd! That’s what the pageant stands for.”

Avant Garbage, winner of last year’s inaugural pageant, sees a clear connection between the outsider state of queens and geeks, at least in her own case. “I grew up a very lone.com

dressed

as

ly nerd, without many friends, and played make-believe with my action figures and dolls and created fantasy worlds to escape,” she recalls. “I read comic books and play video games to leave reality and have fun. Being a drag queen is my ability to escape our current reality and create those same nerdy fantasy worlds again.

“Drag queens and nerds are socially awkward outcasts who just want to be liked,” she notes, while acknowledging that a common origin story of struggle doesn’t necessarily translate into political solidarity or romantic compatibility. “Drag queens are becoming more acceptable and mainstream, but most of the gay community still doesn’t want to date or be in a relationship with a drag queen.

“It’s incredible to witness how mainstream both drag and the nerd community are becoming,” says Ms. Garbage, a 2015 competitor who will be performing at this year’s pageant. “ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ is making drag a household topic, and comic bookthemed media is dominating films and television to the point where you’re in the minority if you’re not seeing the newest Marvel film.”

Ms. Garbage feels that drag will also become acceptable enough to

Photo by Fwee Carter of Fwee Photography

Avant Garbage, the reigning Miss Nerd New York.

NERD continued on p. 18 May 26 - June 01, 2016

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NERD continued from p. 17

Photo by Fwee Carter of Fwee Photography

Goldie Hawn-Solo will be competing again this year.

not be shamed within the gay dating scene, and that nerds might be influencing that change.

Cherry says that he wants Miss Nerd New York to focus on more than just beauty and glamour, and that this event encourages a degree of creativity and polish not seen in other drag pageants. When asked how the contestants will prove their nerd cred, he declared, “We won’t be asking them trivia questions or anything like that! But I think nerdy sensibilities will come out naturally. The question and answer portion is always nerdy and the other areas of competition encourage nerdy themes and creativity.�

These nerdy themes manifested in last year’s pageant when the contestants wore costumes that referenced “PokĂŠmon,â€? “Sailor Moonâ€? and “Carmen Sandiego.â€? Ms. Garbage decided to forgo the traditional drag performance of lip-synching last year. Instead, she challenged the judges to a game of “Super Smash Bros.â€? during the talent portion of the contest (and beat them all). She credits these gaming skills for her victory, along with her swimwear category entry as “Slave Leiaâ€? (inspired by the skimpy metal bikini worn by Carrie Fisher in “Return of the Jediâ€?).

The pageant is sponsored by Geeks OUT!, an organization that works to maintain a queer presence at geek events like comic book conventions.

Steve Gianaca, a member of their board of direc-

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May 26 - June 01, 2016

tors, points out that drag and geek cultures are frequently combined at mainstream geek conventions, through “crossplay.� “Cosplay,� says Gianaca, “is dressing as your favorite geek icon. Crossplay allows you to cross gender lines to do so. At more and more conventions, I’m seeing people dress as their favorite characters regardless of the gender. Drag intersecting geek culture is a way to enjoy your favorite fandoms while opening minds a bit.�

The Miss Nerd New York pageant is open even to geeks who might be new to drag. Anyone can apply to be in the pageant, as long as they perform in the drag aesthetic.

Pageant organizers are accepting entries up to June 3, or until their roster of contestants is filled (interested nerdy queens can inquire at missnerdny@gmail.com).

Hopeful competitors should be warned: When we asked what she’ll do after crowning her successor, Avant Garbage said, “Push her down the stairs and take back my title!�

Miss Nerd New York 2016 will be held at Rockbar NYC (185 Christopher St. at Weehawken St.) on Sat., June 4, from 4pm–9pm. Admission is $10, and it is a 21+ event. Charity raffles will be held at the pageant to benefit the Association for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (“Charity Raffles� is not one of the drag performers). Visit facebook.com/missnerdny and geeksout.org.

PREPAREDNESS continued from p. 4

The second part of the gathering was led by Benjamin Newman of SBS, delivering a presentation on the Department’s Business Continuity Plan, a kind of strategy guide designed to help small business owners (gallery owners included) prepare for worst-case-scenario situations, and allow them to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

A packet of worksheets that constituted the Continuity Plan was provided at the meeting, to help identify the specific needs unique to one’s business.

Firstly, Newman asked the assembled to consider the so-called “main activities� of one’s business — stuff required to operate — and write out the steps involved, to have in place in case of emergency. Other considerations flowed from this starting point, including constructing lists of important resources and ways to contact employees, vendors, and partners in the event of an emergency. Like Mahesh, he also stressed the need to protect important records, and advocated using cloud storage.

On the last, and most anticipated aspect of the presentation — insurance — Newman outlined the different forms it could take, and urged business

Photo by Sean Egan

Benjamin Newman introduces a presentation from NYC’s Department of Small Business Services.

owners to defer to their brokers and make sure they understand exactly what they’re being covered for before emergencies strike. “You get what you pay for, and what you pay for is in the fine print,� he asserted.

Visit nyc.gov/businessprep to stay up to date with SBS prep resources, and visit http://tinyurl.com/j3cbkdl to fill out your own continuity plan worksheets. .com

.com

May 26 - June 01, 2016

19

Rhymes With Crazy

Play Without Risk is a Real Hazard

BY LENORE SKENAZY New York kids are about to get dirty, frustrated, bruised, and tired.

And soooooooo happy.

This Saturday, a brand new — but already cluttered and chaotic — “adventure playground” is opening on Governors Island. It’s called play:ground. Admission is free on the weekends, and children are most welcome.

Parents are not.

That’s the idea behind adventure playgrounds, explains Yoni Kellai, one of the eight volunteers who co-founded the place: Kids play differently when there is a parent around. You’ve seen it yourself.

They pester and whine. They get bored and demand adult attention (and Goldfish crackers).

But when kids play on their own, especially when they’ve got hammers and saws and wood and nails, as they will at play:ground, they play a little bigger. They make and break things. And that’s just what kids really crave.

The whole idea of adventure playgrounds began in Denmark in the 1930s. A landscape architect named Carl Theodor Sørensen noted with unusual humility that kids did not seem to be flocking to the kind of well-ordered parks he and his colleagues designed. Instead, they were having the time of their lives playing in junky lots. As he started to imagine what the most engaging playground would look like, he wrote in his journal: “There could be…old cardboard boxes, planks and boards, ‘dead’ cars, old tires, and lots of other things. Of course it would look terrible.”

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May 26 - June 01, 2016

It sure does. The lots look like rubble. But from then on, adventure playgrounds sprang up across Europe and Japan. In the 1970s, there were even three adventure playgrounds in New York — parks deliberately full of junk and supervised by “playworkers,” that is, adults trained to support play, not direct it.

But gradually, those playgrounds disappeared, in part for budget reasons and in part, one suspects, due to liability concerns. Adventure play was replaced by its opposite: the kind of playgrounds we see today, where parents are expected to stay and watch.

What’s missing most is risky play, which is not the same as hazardous play, says Kellai, who teaches circus arts in Brooklyn. Risk is something a child can assess and decide to take or not: Shall I climb a little higher up the ladder today? A hazard is just an unseen danger — for instance, if the ladder had a broken leg the child couldn’t see.

Too often, parents, principals, and insurance companies assume risk and hazard are the same. But eliminating risk eliminates a key element of play: facing something scary and overcoming it. Take it out and play becomes boring.

The adventure playground gives it back.

Governors Island has generously allowed the adventure playground to look as it must: just awful, strewn around with wood, plastic, fabric, and whatever junk the founders could find.

“I actually stumbled across what I think you call a dial phone?” says Kellai, 32. “I don’t know if the kids will know what it is.”

That doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. It could become part of a fort — or the target of hammer practice.

“There’s very little opportunity for a lot of kids living in New York to not just build, but destroy their environments without being chastised,” says Reilly Bergin Wilson, a doctoral student who is another one of the play:ground founders. “You could go to your local playground, but if you ever took even a permanent marker, let alone a saw, to anything there, you would get yelled at in seconds — and quite possibly someone would call the police on you.”

Destroying and building are both just fine at an adventure playground.

And they’re clearly something the kids love almost more than anything else. When play:ground opened a few short-term pop-up playgrounds in Brooklyn, parents who’d normally schedule a day’s worth of amusements were amazed to find their kids could occupy themselves for two, three, four hours without anything more than a gaggle of kids and a pile of planks.

The parents changed as much as the kids.

So: To get to the play:ground, there are ferries from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Thanks to Kickstarter and a few grants, there are three playworkers every weekend until the end of September. Since each playworker can oversee about 10 kids, well, you can do the math. If the founders get some more grants, they can hire some more workers and allow more kids in.

During the week, the play:ground is home to a camp that costs $550/week, but scholarships are available.

And outside the playground, there’s another area for younger kids — that is, kids under six — where parents are allowed, and even encouraged, to stay. But once those kids get a little older? Bye, mom!

For more information, visit playground.nyc. And let your kids take it from there.

Lenore Skenazy is a keynote speaker who authored the book, and founded the blog, Free-Range Kids (freerangekids.com). .com

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