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The Paper of Record for Greenwich Village, East Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Union Square, Chinatown and Noho, Since 1933
September 8, 2016 • $1.00 Volume 86 • Number 35
‘Cube’ is still on ice but Astor Alive! Fest will celebrate plazas By Lincoln Anderson
E
verything is looking good for next week’s inaugural Astor Alive! Festival — except one key piece, the centerpiece, is still missing. Tony Rosenthal’s famed “The Alamo” sculpture a.k.a. “The Cube” still is being restored and might not be back in place in time for the festivi-
ties. As a result, a planned dedication on Thursday to kick off the celebration is being pushed back. “The problem is, it’s not guaranteed that ‘The Cube’ will be back,” said William Kelley, executive director of the Village Alliance Business Astor continued on p. 31
‘It’s good for valuations’: Witkoff says huge new luxe condo helps Village BY ALEX ELLEFSON
T
he Village used to be a neighborhood for ambitious New Yorkers to shack up before their talents brought them into the limelight. A cash-strapped Jackson Pollock paid rent at his Greenwich studio by peddling works outside
Washington Square Park. Bob Dylan used to roll out of the Hotel Earle to play neighborhood clubs when he was still a complete unknown. And Edgar Allen Poe is said to have bounced around several Village residences while writing “The Raven” because it was the only community where he could score drugs. Witkoff continued on p. 8
Photo by Milo Hess
The Villager was at the par ty at Monday’s dazzling Caribbean Carnival Parade. See Pages 16 and 17 for more photos.
Gang green: Candidates vie over enviro issues at forum By Lincoln Anderson
T
he Democratic candidates running for Lower Manhattan’s 65th Assembly District seat have been vying to raise the most green, as in cash, for their campaigns. Last Thursday, they competed at a forum for the title of who is personally the “most green” — as in, best on the environment and on sustainability. The event, held in the South-
bridge Towers community room, was sponsored by the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and moderated by its president, Marcia Bystryn. The candidates were asked where they stand on a range of issues, such as resiliency, clean energy, parks and open space, sustainable transportation, and access to fresh and local foods. Questions were asked by representatives of the Waterfront
Alliance, Transportation Alternatives, New Yorkers for Parks and the Lower East Side Ecology Center, as well as by audience members. The area’s building boom was a major concern of the candidates. Don Lee said he supports a moratorium on luxury highrise construction in the district. Alice Cancel — who has held the seat since winning a special Forum continued on p. 10
Jane St. senior woman, 83, is missing ������������� p. 14 N.Y.U. serves up...another Starbucks! ������������� p. 19 He fought the good fight �������� p. 12
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