The Villager Express - February 28, 2019

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V i s i t u s o n l i n e a t w w w .T h e V i l l a g e r. c o m

THE

S S E R P X E

February 28, 2019 Volume 4 • Number 5

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

Ju the maane! Williams romps in advocate race Page 3

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Oh, maane! Williams crushes advocate race BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

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rooklyn Councilmember Jumaane Williams cruised to victory in a crowded special election for public advocate on Tuesday night. According to unofficial New York City Board of Elections results, with nearly 97 percent of scanners counted on election night, Williams had received more than 33 percent of the vote. The only Republican in the nonpartisan election, Eric Ulrich, took second with 19 percent of the ballots cast. Former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito finished third, garnering 11 percent of the tally. Coming in fourth was Bronx Assemblymember Michael Blake, with more than 8 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Ben Yee, a Democratic state committeemember and East Village resident, scored some solid Downtown support, winning the endorsement of the storied Village Independent Democrats political club. He ran on an ambitious reform platform of increasing New Yorkers’ civic engagement, but mustered only 2.6 percent of the vote. A total of 17 candidates vied for the open seat in one of the most jam-packed elections in recent memory. Although the office doesn’t hold much actual power, it is first in line to the mayor — meaning, if the mayor can no longer serve, the advocate becomes mayor. And, in particular, it’s become a launching pad to higher office, including mayor for Bill de Blasio and, more recently, state attorney general for Letitia James. Considered one of the frontrunners — if not the frontrunner — Williams was seen as “the progressive candidate” in the race. Blake was considered “the establishment candidate.” It was a low-turnout election, with only around 400,000 turning out at the polls. This past September, Williams gave a strong challenge to incumbent Kathy Hochul for New York State lieutenant governor, losing the Democratic primary by only a few percentage points. That race — in which he ran on a ticket with Cynthia Nixon — helped raise Williams’s name recognition for the public-advocate special election. In the advocate race — amid a field with so many candidates — his recently snagging The New York Times’s endorsement was also a major boost. The advocate’s seat opened up after James won election last November to become attorney general in the wake of Eric Schneiderman’s resignation from office in the face of accusations he had physically abused several woman. The public advocate’s main role is to be an ombudsman for complaints and concerns about city government. He or she can do investigations, introduce legislation and generally use the posi-

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PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY

Jumaane Williams, who was arrested last year for protesting the detention of immigrant-rights activist Ravi Ragbir, is proud of “causing trouble” for the past 10 years.

tion as a bully pulpit on a range of issues. The advocate can also certainly be a thorn in the mayor’s side — which Williams could well be. Though in his post-election remarks, he said he intends to work with de Blasio. Speaking at a forum of statewide candidates in the Village at P.S. 41 last May, Williams told the crowd that, if elected lieutenant governor, he would be a foil to Governor Andrew Cuomo.

called for “universal rent control,” among other things. He said he also supports a “racial impact study” being done whenever a major rezoning is planned, to gauge how current residents will be affected. In general, affordable housing has been one of his top issues. Among other candidates for public advocate who caught the interest of local voters was Upper Manhattan Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, who finished with 6 percent of the vote. Advocates for the Small Business Jobs Survival Act supported him since he is currently the long-stymied bill’s prime sponsor and has pledged to bring it up for a full vote on the Council floor. On the other hand, the bill’s advocates were dead set against Mark-Viverito because she blocked the bill from coming up for a vote during her Council speaker tenure. David Eisenbach, a Union Squarearea resident and Columbia professor, made the S.B.J.S.A. one of his key issues, but finished with only 0.8 percent of the vote. Nomiki Konst, known to many from her appearances on “The Young Turks,” but without much of a New York City base, got 2.3 percent of the vote. One of Konst’s campaign planks was a call for a $30 minimum wage — double the current rate. Ulrich, the lone G.O.P.’er, also stood out from the field for opposing the de Blasio administration’s plan to close Rikers Island in favor of building new jails in the boroughs, including one slated for near the courts in Lower Manhattan. People simply don’t want jails in residential neighborhoods, he stressed. Upper West Side Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell, the openly gay brother of Rosie O’Donnell, brought

‘He is passionate. He is vibrant. He is humble.’ Arthur Schwartz Williams stressed that he would not be “a rubber stamp or parrot” for Cuomo. “For the past nine years, I’ve been trying to cause as much as trouble as humanly possible,” he said. “I am a community organizer by training,” he said then. He noted he is the child of Grenadian immigrants, and that his brother had been an undocumented immigrant. He also shared that he has Tourette’s syndrome. Williams was arrested last year for protesting the detention of immigrantrights activist Ravi Ragbir after Ragbir was detained during one of his regular check-ins with Immigration Customs and Enforcement down by the courts. In both of his campaigns, Williams TVG

lots of experience to the race but scored only 2.9 percent of the vote. Queens Assemblymember Ron Kim, the group’s most outspoken critic on the mayor’s plan to scrap the standardized admissions test for specialized high schools, also got about 2.9 percent of the vote. Because the race was nonpartisan, candidates ran on their own tickets. Williams, for example, ran on the “It’s Time Let’s Go” ballot line. Mark-Viverito’s ballot line was “Fix the M.T.A.” Blake’s was “For the People.” Ulrich ran on the “Common Sense” line. O’Donnell was the “Equality for All” candidate. Konst ran under the rubric “Pay Folks More.” Yee’s was “Community Strong.” Rodriguez’s was “Unite Immigrants.” Kim’s was “No Amazon.” A primary election for public advocate is coming up soon, in June. Although he recently rejoined V.I.D. after two decades, Arthur Schwartz, the Village’s Democratic district leader, supported Williams, not Yee, and was in fact Williams’s campaign cocounsel. “At P.S. 41, which has eight election districts, Jumaane got about 45 percent of the vote,” Schwartz said. “I sent out a mailing for Jumaane late last week.” He said Williams fi nished with 42 percent in the 66th Assembly District, Yee got 5.8 percent, and O’Donnell — who was endorsed by Assemblymember Deborah Glick — got 5.7 percent. “Jumaane is not your run-of-the mill politician,” Schwartz added. “He is passionate. He is vibrant. He is humble. He knows how and when to build coalitions and when to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ I made sure he knows how widespread his support was throughout our Assembly district.” Februar y 28, 2019

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Police Blotter First Precinct Shirts shoplifter The Slowear Venezia shop at 116 Prince St. in Soho lost some pricey shirts around 6:30 p.m. on Tues., Feb. 19. Police said security footage shows a man taking the three garments, worth a total of $1,035, off a display shelf and stuffing them inside his jacket before fleeing the store. The suspect is described as a roughly 6-foot-tall black male with brown eyes. He was last seen carrying an orange bag and wearing a gray jacket, black sneakers and a black skullcap.

Cellular swiper A multitasking robber reportedly struck the Versace store at 160 Mercer St. in Soho on Sun., Feb. 24, around 3:35 p.m. Police said a woman talking on her cell phone grabbed two bags, then ran to a dark-silver car parked outside the place and fled the scene. The two bags were worth a total of $3,190. The woman is described black Hispanic with long, black hair in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing white sneakers and black yoga pants. An employee reports USP, VSP and VP5 as possible fragments of the vehicle’s license plate number.

Courtesy N.Y.P.D.

A sur veillance camera image of the alleged barrier basher.

Mini-leather fetish Police are searching for three men accused of stealing $3,475 worth of goods from MCM’s Soho store at 100 Greene St. on Mon., Feb. 18, around 5:30 p.m. The trio are believed to have taken three $725 miniature leather backpacks and two $650 leather totes before running out of the place. Police still ned to get hold of the shop’s surveillance footage to give a full description of the suspects.

Sixth Precinct Hooked at Poisson Police have arrested Octavio Yattah Ruiz, 23, for allegedly stealing a woman’s credit card at Le Poisson Rouge on 158 Bleeker St. and using it on the premises on Mon., Feb. 18. The 44-year-old victim discovered her card was missing around 2 a.m.

bruising to his face. It’s unclear what sparked the confrontation. Oglivie was arrested that night.

and promptly asked security to alert all employees to keep an eye peeled for the plastic. Another employee reportedly caught Ruiz using the card around 2:45 a.m. and reported him to the authorities. Ruiz is alleged to have spent $82 at L.P.R. with the victim’s credit card that night. He was arrested at the scene.

Stonewall scare Two employees at the Stonewall Inn reportedly had their lives threatened on Sun., Feb. 24, around 3:30 a.m. The police report states Tevin Evan, 23, told the workers he had a knife and gun and would kill them after he was kicked out of the bar for disorderly conduct. Police were called and Evans was arrested. No gun or knife was found on him.

Umbrella umbrage A 22-year-old man was reportedly beaten with an umbrella at a Village A.T.M. machine around 1 a.m. on Sun., Feb. 24. Police said Aisha Oglivie, 27, walked into the Chase Bank A.T.M. vestibule at 340 Sixth Ave., at W. Fourth St., as the victim was already withdrawing cash, and started an argument, which reportedly escalated to her beating him with the umbrella. The victim suffered a small laceration under his ear and eye, as well as

Ninth Precinct

Mott Sts., on Sun., Jan. 20, around 11:50 p.m., police said. In the incident, a man is said to have dragged a metal police barrier across the street and slammed a woman, 26, with it across her back, causing pain and a cut. There was no reported reason for the attack, police said. The man fled in an unknown direction, and the woman refused medical attention at the scene. Police released a surveillance photo of the suspect, who is described as black, about age 20, with a medium build, about 5-feet-5-inches tall, weighing 140 pounds and with short, dark curly hair. He was last seen wearing a black tracksuit jacket with white stripes, a gray hooded sweatshirt, gray Champion sweatpants and black sneakers.

Barrier grief There was an assault in front of 19 Bleecker St., between Elizabeth and

Rico Burney and Gabe Burney

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Local pols put heads together on Pier 40 BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

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ocal politicians are taking another swing at Pier 40, the Lower West Side’s youth baseball and soccer mecca. The effort’s clear goal is to change the park’s founding legislation — very possibly to allow commercial office use on the sprawling W. Houston St. pier. What is being described as an “informal, staff-level working group” has been meeting since the start of this year. There have reportedly been about three meetings so far. These have involved staff members of local pols, including City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Congressmember Jerry Nadler, state Senators Brad Hoylman and Brian Kavanagh and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. Pier 40, covering 14.5 acres, is currently one of two remaining so-called “commercial nodes” in Hudson River Park that can be used to generate additional revenue for the 4.5-mile-long park. However, the Hudson River Park Act of 1998 specifically does not allow commercial office use at Pier 40. A staffer involved in the meetings, who requested anonymity, said the hope is for the legislative changes to be made this session. The Assembly and state Senate reconvened last month and the session extends through June. Another objective, the staffer said, is to “get an R.F.P. going,” meaning a request for proposals from interested private parties to redevelop the pier. “It’s a renewed effort to find consen-

The Diamonds were shining at last summer’s Greenwich Village Little League Opening Day on Pier 40. The huge W. Houston St. pier is considered “Downtown’s Central Park” by local families and youth leagues.

The source said the current effort will use that effort “as a guide.” Topics up for discussion include the lease length for the pier and “programming scenarios,” plus whether Pier 40 should be redeveloped with “part office space or all office space,” the staffer added. The staff member assured the working group’s ideas will be presented to C.B. 2, which the working group has already met with once. In her monthly newsletter to Community Board 2, Assemblymember Glick said, “Because Pier 40 is the largest open space in Hudson River Park and the location of ball fields that are essen-

sus on Pier 40,” he said. Previous efforts to redevelop the pier have sunk due to a mix of economic factors and concern over potential impact on the community and park. The pier’s main revenue generator is long-term car parking, which, in fact, also provides a significant portion of the whole park’s operating budget. The Hudson River Park Trust’s leadership has indicated commercial office use is now something they think would work well, relatively speaking, on the pier, in terms of financial viability. In 2017, Community Board 2 created a Future of Pier 40 Working Group.

tial to the many youth and adult sports leagues in Manhattan, and Downtown families in particular — a solution for all stakeholders must be found.” She said the legislators whose districts include Pier 40 “have committed to meeting regularly...and participating in a transparent, community-driven public process, in order to discuss a common-sense approach for the redevelopment of Pier 40 and any potential changes to the...Act.” Hoylman said, “We want to take a hard look at the Act and see if we have to make any changes.” The goal, he said, is “to keep the ball fields and create a revenue stream that’s not entirely based on parking.” Madelyn Wils, the Trust’s president, said the Trust still thinks office use is best for the pier’s commercial component, and that a longer lease is needed to attract developers. “We’re going to work with the elected officials,” Wils assured. She said an R.F.P. can only happen if the legislation is modified. “We want to see where we are in June,” she said. On Tues., Feb. 26, the revived C.B. 2 Pier 40 Working Group held its first meeting. Noreen Doyle, a Trust senior V.P., reported the Trust favors a full tear-down of Pier 40’s pier shed rather than “band-aid” fi xes. The Hudson River Park Trust Advisory Council meets Mon., March 11, at Village Community School, 272 W. 10th St., at 6:30 p.m., and Pier 40 will be on the agenda. C.B. 2 reportedly hopes to have a new resolution on Pier 40 done by April.

Drugs rampant in Wash. Sq., cops are told BY GABE HERMAN

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rugs in Washington Square Park was a main issue discussed at the Feb. 20 Build the Block meeting with the Sixth Precinct and local Village residents. Police discussed their ongoing efforts to address the problem, and residents said the prevalence of drugs is worse than it’s been in many years. Police Officer Brian Garcia told the meeting, held at Judson Memorial Church, that the Sixth Precinct and Narcotics officers had made more than 40 arrests in the park since the year’s start. He acknowledged that was a high number and did not include summonses that were also issued. “That shows that all the cops in the Sixth and at Narcotics are doing the best they can to be around the area, to be proactive to arrest people inside [the park],” Garcia said. Several residents requested more police presence on the west side of the park in the early morning hours, when

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easy to get and also drew complaints, though he supported using them. “The lights are fine — if you have patrol as well,” said one resident. “But if you don’t, the drug dealers are like, ‘Oh good, it’s a light, let me count my money.’” Police conceded that manpower is an issue. On a good day, there are two officers on foot patrol and another two in a squad car, but often it’s just two police in a car, they said. Houlahan explained there wasn’t a decrease in manpower, but rather a shift, and said he would stress to other supervisors the need for more manpower for the park. Another issue raised was that when an arrest is made, it takes that officer off the street, to bring the person in to the stationhouse and fill out paperwork. Houlahan added, regarding drug arrests, whether for buying or selling, “They’re out the next day, so please don’t forget that point.” A woman said years ago a man was arrested more than 100 times in the

they said people do all kinds of drugs in broad daylight, plus urinate, defecate and even openly count out pills. “It’s very unsightly and noticeable, especially in the winter when the park is less crowded,” said one man. “We are in a critical situation right now,” another local said, adding it reminded him of the crack epidemic in the 1980s. Another resident said the police presence seems to be off and on. “It’s never continuous,” he said. “It’s a battle,” Garcia said of the ongoing efforts. The resident also noted that a police van was set up on Waverly Place at the park’s northwest corner about a year and a half ago, which he said helped reduce the drug presence. “The N.Y.P.D. said it didn’t work, but it did work,” he said. Others added that there used to be a patrol of bicycle cops in the park. Some asked about bringing back light towers. But Sergeant Daniel Houlahan said the portable diesel-run lights were not TVG

park, and it took the Greenwich Village Block Associations writing a letter to officials for the man to see any jail time. “We have to change the judicial,” she said. “We have to change the judges because they’re the ones letting everyone out.” A woman who has lived near the park for more than 30 years recently told The Villager she noticed drug and safety concerns starting to get worse a couple of years ago. She acknowledged the park’s long history of drug dealing. But she said she would like to be able to walk through the park’s west side without being heckled, or be able to sit at an open table in peace. Instead, she now just completely avoids the park’s western side because of the shady characters. “I recognize that they’re always going to be there,” she said. “My thing is, can I just feel safe? Let’s all go about our business.” Schneps Media

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Brewer O.K.’s housing on Eliz. Garden BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

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t doesn’t come as a surprise, but Borough President Gale Brewer has officially approved the city’s Haven Green project for the Elizabeth St. Garden. However, Brewer’s recommendation — released Tuesday — comes with “modifications/conditions.” Among her handful of caveats, the borough president says she would like the project to include at least 30 percent more open space than it currently does — although without reducing the number of affordable housing units or increasing the project’s height. She also says the remaining green space should be mapped as park space and managed by the city’s Parks Department. Brewer’s signing off on the project completes her portion of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP, which can take half a year to complete. The Little Italy garden covers 20,110 square feet on a city-owned lot, spanning from Elizabeth St. to Mott St., between Spring and Prince Sts. The development team includes Pennrose, RiseBoro Community Partnership and Habitat for Humanity NYC. As currently planned, the building would rise seven stories, or 75 feet tall, and enclose 82,120 square feet. Of that amount, 77,600 square feet would be residential. There would also be 11,200 square feet for a community facility, earmarked for offices for Habitat for Humanity. The building would include 123 studio apartments for seniors, all for households earning 60 percent or less of area median income (A.M.I.). Thirty-seven of those units would be slated for formerly homeless persons earning less than 30 percent of A.M.I. The proposed project would include 6,700 square feet of open space that would be owned by the developer. Brewer’s request for 30 percent more

FILE PHOTO

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

a cherished community resource as an accessible open green space,” Brewer writes. “However, there is a growing need for affordable housing...and especially within Community Board 2, which has only seen 93 units of affordable housing built since 2014.” Brewer adds that the 6,700 square feet of open space included in the project — while less than what is there now — is “still significant.” Habitat for Humanity’s involvement in the garden-destroying scheme has infuriated the garden’s supporters. However, Brewer writes, “Habitat NYC’s office will also occupy 11,200 square feet in the building, more than half of which will be located in the cellar… . This is consistent with other affordable housing developments within the city where nonprofits occupy community-facility space for...operations.” The B.P., in her recommendation, notes she has met with the two main garden groups — Elizabeth St. Garden and Friends of Elizabeth St. Garden. “I have received 3,097 e-mails regarding the garden,” she notes.

open space would translate to roughly 8,000 square feet. Community Board 2 led off the ULURP review of the plan when it voted last month to recommend “disapproval with conditions” on the application, in a vote of 30 to 7, with 4 abstentions. The recommendations of both Brewer and C.B. 2 are advisory only. However, the upcoming stages of ULURP are binding — including a vote by the Department of City Planning, followed by the City Council’s vote. In her recommendation, Brewer notes that, according to the City Environmental Quality Review, or CEQR, New York City’s “optimal open space goal is 2.5 acres of open space per 1,000 residents.” However, she concedes, “The area in which the development is [planned] has been acknowledged as [being] underserved by open space, with…0.153 acres per 1,000 residents. “The Elizabeth St. Garden, in the five years since the proposed development was announced, has grown to become

As to shifting Haven Green to an alternative site favored by opponents — a city-owned lot at Hudson and Clarkson Sts. — Brewer nixed the notion. “Unfortunately, our housing crisis and growing senior population do not allow for an either/or scenario,” the B.P.’s statement says. “We must build permanently affordable housing wherever feasible while also maximizing open space on these sites... .” The “Beep” also says the housing should serve low-income and formerly homeless persons “in perpetuity.” Joseph Reiver, executive director of Elizabeth St. Garden, said Brewer’s position doesn’t come as a shock, after garden leaders met with her Feb. 15. “When we met with her, she kept saying, ‘Would 8,000 square feet be enough?’” for the garden, he said. “It’s sad and telling that she’s visited the garden — and at a Harvest Festival, when there were 1,000 people coming in and out of that garden — she’s seen the outcry. I feel it’s the relationship between her and Margaret and it’s just the way this administration works.” Brewer and Councilmember Margaret Chin, the project’s main sponsor, are close allies. Reiver said it’s unfortunate his group — represented by attorney Norman Siegel — must now sue to stop the project. Jeannine Kiely, founder of Friends of Elizabeth St. Garden, said Brewer blew the chance for a “win-win outcome.” “Friends is taking steps to stop the destruction of our desperately needed open space by preparing to launch a lawsuit led by prominent land-use attorney Michael Gruen,” she said. “Garden supporters should not be surprised, despite Brewer’s long advocacy for urban gardening and environmental education,” Kiely pointed out. “She never joined the long list of elected officials who support saving the garden and building up to five times as much housing on an alternative city-owned site. Instead, our borough president has forgone this win-win outcome.”

Child Victims Act finally signed into law BY ROSE ADAMS

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fter 13 years of inertia, the New York State Legislature passed the Child Victims Act on Feb. 14, which will extend the statute of limitations for child victims of sexual assault to demand legal recourse. “For years, survivors of child sexual abuse looked to Albany for justice and for years, their pleas went unanswered. No longer,” said state Senator Brad Hoylman, who sponsored the bill. The law will allow victims to bring criminal charges against their alleged abusers until the victims turn age 28,

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and file civil lawsuits until they turn 55. Until now, victims could only file criminal or civil complaints until age 23. The law will also mandate a one-year “look-back” window, during which victims who were barred from suing under the previous statute of limitations can sue their abusers. The legislation was first introduced in the state Assembly in 2006 by Margaret Markey, a Queens assemblymember who fought for the bill until she lost her seat in 2016. Markey’s fervor for the cause grew out of personal experience: Her adult son had told her that their local Catholic priest had abused him as a

child. The bill passed seven times in the Assembly, but opponents in the state Senate made sure to quietly stifle its progress. The Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America, along with a smattering of insurance companies and Orthodox Jewish groups, objected to the bill’s one-year “look-back” window, arguing that the ability to revive old civil suits could drive institutions into bankruptcy. But the fight raged on. After Markey left the Assembly, Hoylman — whose district stretches from the Upper West Side to the West Village and East Village TVG

— became one of the bill’s main proponents. This January, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared the Child Victims Act a key part of his 2019 agenda, and on Jan. 28, the state Senate passed the bill unanimously. “I’m so proud to be in this fight alongside Governor Cuomo, who took the courageous and historic step in supporting this bill,” Hoylman said at the bill’s signing on Feb. 14. “Today, in passing the Child Victims Act, we are finally telling survivors: The State of New York and the full force of its law is behind you, and you will not be turned away.” Schneps Media

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Obituary

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Gif[lZk C`XY`c`kp When you buy a product, the expectation is that it should perform in the way it was intended to but that is not always the case. When damage or injury is caused as the result of the use of a defective product, the law in New York recognizes that those who manufacture and/or distribute the defective product, as well as those who sell it, may be held responsible for damages for the injuries which result. Consider the case of the young teenager who while using a hair dryer in her home, sustained severe third degree burns to her hands when the product burst into flames. Her parents had the foresight to consult our office shortly thereafter. Upon consulting an expert who inspected the hair dryer, he advised that the product’s wiring and/or loose electrical connections allowed it to overheat and catch on fire. We sued the manufacturer, as well as the neighborhood store where the hair dryer had been purchased, claiming that this product was defective as it was improperly or poorly designed, that there was a mistake in its manufacture or assembly, and/or the manufacturer or distributor placed the product into the marketplace without adequate warnings. Based upon our expert’s opinion, we were successful in achieving a favorable outcome for our client. If you find yourself in

FACEBOOK/MCMANUS CLUB

James McManus was the last of a political dynast y.

James McManus, 84, last Tammany leader

JXe]fi[ IlY\ejk\`e a similar situation, the first thing to do is secure and safeguard the defective product. In situations where the injury occurs outside your home, for example, in the workplace, it is particularly important to be vigilant and contact an attorney promptly. A separate court proceeding may need to be commenced, as soon as possible, to compel preservation of the product and to direct the person, or entity, in possession or control of the product, to grant access so it can be inspected and tested before it is destroyed, altered or disposed of. If you believe that you or a loved one have been injured by any defective product, whether a piece of heavy machinery or a seemingly harmless household item, you should consult an attorney. A timely phone call could be very important to protect your rights.

BY GABE HERMAN

J

ames McManus, a longtime Democratic district leader who was the last of the party’s Tammany Hall political dynasty, died Feb. 4 in his Hell’s Kitchen home. He was 84. McManus was the Hell’s Kitchen district leader from 1963 to 2017, and was the leader of the McManus Midtown Democratic Club. The club was founded by his great-uncle Thomas McManus, who was elected in 1892 to the state Assembly. Along with his great-uncle, James McManus’s father and grandfather were also elected district leaders. The power of local district leaders has waned considerably since Tammany’s glory days. But while the low-ranking, unsalaried party position wasn’t officially very powerful, McManus could help community members with needs that came up. “We help people with housing and jobs,” he told The New York Times in 1992. “I wouldn’t do anything for money that I wouldn’t do for nothing. What I mean is, a little old lady comes in and wants a favor, I do it. A big law firm wants a favor, I say, buy 50 tickets for my cocktail party. They’re not bribing me. They’re just supporting me.” With Tammany fading starting back in the 1950s and ’60s, reformers progressively took over the local Democratic Party. McManus represented the party’s old-line faction. Robert Trentlyon, founding president of the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, said his Chelsea group favored the new Democrats coming to power in the city. But despite that difference

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Februar y 28, 2019

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with McManus, he said he had a good relationship with him. “He was pleasant to me,” Trentlyon recalled. “I was invited to his [annual] dinners and he was invited to ours.” Trentlyon said he knew James and his father, Eugene. “They were very prominent in their community,” he said. “He was a good Catholic,” he added, of James. McManus never married, and he was the last surviving member of his generation in his family. He was born in Manhattan on Sept. 10, 1934, and grew up on W. 49th St. near 10th Ave., according to the Times. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, whose district includes Hell’s Kitchen, said in a statement to this paper, “Hell’s Kitchen has lost a legend with the passing of Jim McManus. He was a neighborhood icon who commanded respect even from those who disagreed with him. Jim lived a life of service to those around him and I believe that’s how he’ll be remembered. I hope the West Side will join me in sending love and support to his loved ones as they mourn his passing and remember his life.” Carlos Manzano worked with McManus for 25 years as a former president of the McManus Democratic Association and as a former Democratic state committeeman. In a statement to this paper, he said, “Jim not only served the public in every possible way but also allowed young people like me and many others to learn, participate and even run for office in the intricate web of community and political affairs. I and many people in New York shall miss his wisdom and kindness.” Schneps Media

Transportation

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Aljk`Z\ ]fi :_`c[ M`Zk`dj `e E\n Pfib On February 14, 2019, history was made with the signing into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo of the “Child Victim’s Act.” This Act will ensure that those who abuse children are held accountable criminally and civilly for their wrongdoing. In addition, this new statue creates a path to justice for victims. The bill extends the civil statute of limitations to allow civil actions to be brought until a victim’s 55th birthday for child sexual abuse which occurred before age 18. A one year window has been created for adult survivors to commence civil actions for damages which under current law are barred because of the statute of limitations. This one year window will begin on August 14, 2019 so victims up until their 55th birthday can bring civil lawsuits against individuals or public and private institutions from churches to public school districts for child sexual abuse that they may have suffered many decades ago. The Legislature also removes the current Notice of Claim requirements for public entities in cases involving child sexual abuse so a Notice of Intention to make claim against municipalities within 90 days is not required in order to bring a lawsuit.

A map showing the route of the proposed Select Bus Ser vice for the 14th St. crosstown that was recently put out by the M.T. A . on an e-mail blast.

‘Busway,’ no way; SBS, yes BY RICO BURNEY

F

ourteenth St. won’t be getting a nocars “busway” — but apparently will be getting Select Bus Service. On Wed., Feb. 20, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority presented its preliminary proposal for permanent M14 Select Bus Service a.k.a. SBS on 14th St. According to people present at the meeting, the M.T.A. pitch was light on specifics, but appears much less dramatic than the plans for the busway, which would have barred most private vehicles from using the street during most hours of the day. The busway was part of the city’s socalled “alternative service plan” to help mitigate the impact of a full shutdown of the L train for needed repairs to its East River tubes. Following Governor Cuomo’s intervention earlier this year, however, the full-shutdown scheme has been replaced by a less-intensive “slowdown,” under which the L tunnel will be repaired on weeknights and weekends, with one tube always remaining open for service. Currently, the new planned SBS route calls for fewer stops by the M14, particularly in the East Village and Lower East Side, as well as off-board ticketing. The M.T.A. has not decided yet whether it will eliminate current M14A and M14D service following SBS implementation. But, officials at the meeting said the authority was “open” to that idea. The street-design question went mostly unaddressed due to it being a presentation by the M.T.A., not the Department of Transportation. Supporters of either a busway or dediSchneps Media

cated bus lanes on 14th St. note that the Riders Alliance ranked the M14, which reportedly travels at an average speed of 4 mph, as one of the city’s slowest buses. “I support a dedicated SBS lane on 14th St., with physical barriers that would exclude other vehicles except emergency vehicles,” state Senator Brad Hoylman told this paper on Fri., Feb. 22. Hoylman argued this is needed because, “between the L train and buses, 80,000 people travel across 14th St. each day. That’s more than the entire population served by mass transit in some major American cities.” The same day as the M.T.A. meeting, Transportation Alternatives activists and other advocacy groups held a “race” against the M14: They walked alongside the bus to show it’s sometimes quicker than the bus, and show the need for restricting other traffic on 14th St. The activists lost by five seconds in the race from Avenue A to Union Square. But residents like Judy Pesin, of the 14th St. Coalition, the busway’s most vocal opponent, argue that restricting traffic in any way along 14th St. would negatively impact local residents throughout the area. “As long as the street maintains its original four lanes — which continues to be a priority for us — we support improved service across 14th St. and will welcome the SBS service with its off-board ticketing,” Pesin said of the M.T.A.’s presentation. D.O.T. has yet to say whether it will install a dedicated bus lane for the new service. However, street markings already added for the anticipated busway remain.

JXe]fi[ IlY\ejk\`e Sexual abuse against a child is a shameful unforgivable act. It is a traumatizing experience that can take a lifetime to come to terms with. While this new law cannot erase what happened to victims, it will give victims an opportunity to recover damages in a Court of Law for what happened to them. While the one year window to bring a legal action will not begin August 14, 2019, victims should consult an attorney as soon as possible to begin the painful and arduous task of their gathering medical records and other evidence of their victimization. Governor Cuomo and the state Legislature are to be commended for making the “Child Victim’s Act” a reality.

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EDITORIAL

Tech check T

he shocking collapse of the Amazon deal has been the big story for the past two weeks. And its reverberations will continue to resound into the foreseeable future. Twenty-five thousand high-paying jobs at the planned Amazon HQ2 in Long Island City, plus a projected $27 billion in revenue for the city over time, have been lost, as a result. On the other hand, Amazon won’t enjoy the $3 billion in tax incentives it was promised by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio. (Again, as new Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez failed to grasp, that money does not actually currently exist to be given to other worthy causes.) Polls say most New Yorkers favored the deal, believing it would boost the economy in the surrounding area and for the city, in general. But critics, for their part, argued that Amazon’s presence would just spark gentrification, ultimately pushing out lower-income residents and struggling mom-and-pop shops. One big factor that turned local politicians against the Bezos behemoth was that this deal was done behind closed doors. But deals reached out of the public eye and without community input invariably breed distrust and opposition. Look no further than the Elizabeth St. Garden. It was under former Mayor Mike Bloomberg that the city and Councilmember Margaret Chin earmarked the Little Italy green oasis for housing. Community Board 2, as this page has pointed out before, was not consulted — or even notified of the plan — before the decision was made. The garden’s fate will now likely be decided in court. Also, it bears mentioning that, unlike Amazon, Google has not received any tax breaks for the extensive office space it has already created in Chelsea over the past decade or so and which it plans to create on Pier 57 and in Hudson Square. Google is soon set to have somewhere more than 20,000 jobs total in Downtown Manhattan. Clearly, Amazon did not need — or deserve — billions in tax breaks to come here. Because they’re Amazon, they demanded it. Ultimately, it backfired. But there is an even-larger debate for our area, in our view, one that we saw rage last year in the push — ultimately unsuccessful — for zoning protections around the planned “Tech Hub” on E. 14th St. Local residents and preservationists, like Andrew Berman, director of the Greenwich Village Society for Preservation, have been raising the alarm about “tech spread” and its impacts. Berman notes much of the recent surge of commercial development Downtown seems to be driven by the tech industry. This could be appropriate in Hudson Square — where the old St. John’s Terminal is being vertically enlarged for Google. But not at St. Mark’s and Third Ave., where an office tower is planned for the former Continental bar/McDonald’s site. Broadway south of Union Square is also being aggressively targeted by builders, some for tech firms. In many of these areas, the zoning dates back 60 years to when these properties were warehouses, book binderies and such. Tech wants to be in nontraditional places for offices — diverse, 24/7, offbeat, mixed-use neighborhoods, like the Village area. In the end, the key is not to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. New zoning protections can at least help preserve what’s left of Downtown’s cherished and unique character.

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Februar y 28, 2019

Letters to the Editor Don’t ‘L’-ose momentum To The Editor: Re ‘Post-‘L-pocalypse’” (editorial, Feb. 14) I find The Villager’s editorial on the post-L-train “shutdown” hugely confusing…frustrating, too. New York City is America’s greatest pedestrian city, and — after an eternity of insidious Moses-ism — is re-imagining that title, with spectacular transit and foot-and-bike-centered improvements unspooling everywhere across 14th St. and around Union Square. The former L-train shutdown has provided a once-in-our-lifetimes opportunity to further rethink the outdated notion that city streets are for autos alone. Many smart, engaged people have weighed in, and many proposals have already been acted upon. These enhancements — wider sidewalks, curbside management systems, bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes — must remain permanent parts of our urban lives, not temporary “survival” mechanisms. Why The Villager advocates “restarting this whole process” with yet more meetings and sign waving remains mysterious. As one of the 90-plus percent of Manhattanites who do not commute by car, I do not want to see these improvements to our lives retracted. I prefer not to live in a dystopian fantasy of automobiles for all. This is not only a question of public safety and fairness — I do pay taxes to use my streets, after all — but a question of who these streets belong to. I urge my neighbors, colleagues, elected officials, local business improvement districts and those who love our community to continue improving 14th St., and our shared quality of life, which unfolds every hour of every day on a grid of pathways developed in 1811 — before the car had even been imagined. David Koch

wasn’t impressed with technology progress. He was content to quietly fight the battles his way. He was a relentless crusader and will be much missed. But I will see him every time I pass one of the buildings he worked so hard to preserve. Joanna Underwood Underwood is president, E. 13th St. Community Association

Jack gave ’em hell To The Editor: Re “Jack Taylor, 93, preserved Ladies Mile, Tammany” (obituary, Feb. 21): Jack’s mailed envelopes smelled of cigarette smoke. Since he was avidly working on preservation projects, I knew it was more hellfire in the works. Carol Schachter

Where does ‘growth’ stop? To The Editor: Re “Housing and classrooms vs. Noho zoning gridlock” (viewpoint, by Eric Kober, Feb. 21): This article seeks to make a case for endless expansion, but the question becomes where does it stop? Soho and Noho are low-density areas well fed by the transportation services mentioned. Does that mean we should promote growth for growth’s sake and give up low density? I’m certain the number of people who already use the transportation this author cites — and calls “a striking example of a failure to update land-use policy in furtherance of these priorities” — far exceeds what the 1800s subway builders had in mind as maximum ridership. And is growth one of “these priorities” as a sought-after community good?

Taylor’s lasting legacy

Otto Barz

To The Editor: Re “Jack Taylor, 93, preserved Ladies Mile, Tammany” (obituary, Feb. 21): Jack Taylor never asked for credit. He just tirelessly pressed for preserving the city’s precious stock of old elegant buildings, and we owe a great deal to his generous unflagging advocacy. I always saved his handwritten letters, which told me that he just

E-mail letters, maximum 250 words, to news@ thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 MetroTech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published.

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Viewpoint

Marching for peace as history repeats

A woman whose father was a top ballplayer in one of the World War II internment camps for Japanese Americans, held out a baseball commemorating his team’s championship season.

Japanese Americans who were held in U.S. internment camps during World War II, their children and supporters joined the annual Silent Peace Walk, also known as the Awareness Protest, earlier this

PHOTOS BY Q. SAKAMAKI

Toting the Japanese-American internment order and 1940s-era luggage, the marchers strode from Union Square to Madison Square.

Square. The silent vigil drew parallels between the forced removal of Japanese Americans to internment camps and what is currently happening to Muslim and immigrant

month. Dressed in 1940s-style clothing, with some of them toting vintage luggage that they or their parents took into the camps, they marched from Madison Square to Union

communities in New York City and across the country today. The previous day, Feb. 18, marked the 77th anniversary of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

‘Busway’ only way to be fair on 14th St. BY DAISY PAEZ AND JOSE ANTONIO ORTIZ-RIVER A

T

he section of the Lower East Side to the south and east of Delancey St. is among the least subway-accessible in all of Manhattan. That’s why local residents, especially seniors, rely on buses to get around. The M14A bus is particularly important to the community since it connects the Lower East Side to several subway lines and serves more than 30,000 passengers weekly. It’s unacceptable that the M14 (including the M14A and M14D combined) is among the slowest in all of New York City, moving at an appalling 3.9 mph. The urgency of improving the M14 line cannot be overstated. The Lower East Side is undergoing significant transformations, with major construction projects in the area forecasting a greater need for adequate bus service. Schneps Media

demand fast, reliable, frequent, connective, accessible and legible public transit, that basic level of service is too rarely on offer.”

Plus, the impending L-train “slowdown” will have vast implications. We know that services like Uber and Lyft are chomping at the bit to flood our neighborhoods in anticipation of the L slowdown, ready to ferry those fortunate few who have disposable income to their destinations. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of the rest of us will be crawling along at slower speeds than ever before as the M14 battles car and truck traffic. How is that fair? There are solutions to slow buses but they just take courage to implement. Comptroller Scott Stringer said as much in his November 2017 report “The Other Transit Crisis: How to Improve the NYC Bus System”: “[Slow speeds are] not the result of unavoidable circumstances, but rather a product of age-old institutional failures by the city and the M.T.A. to maximize the system’s potential. While bus riders

Everyone can’t afford Ubers and Lyfts. Such failures are not acceptable, and the first thing the city could do to improve our lives is implement the plan it already has to improve M14 service: It needs to stick to the original plan to create a busway on 14th St. Yes, the L train is no longer completely shutting down, but the slowdown will itself be extremely painful, especially for residents like us who need TVG

to get across town: Major slowdowns starting at 8 p.m.; uncertainty whether or not nighttime repairs will be complete by morning rush hour; years of disrupted weekend service; potentially dangerous dust. The list goes on. These things matter! Unless something bold is done on 14th St., bus riders (who are more likely to be lower-income or senior citizens) will suffer the most. The bus system and bus riders are too often forgotten. But we can’t allow that to happen this time. The stakes are just too high for too many people. The message from Lower East Side seniors is this: Be bold, think of New York’s bus riders. We need leadership from our elected officials, now more than ever. Paez is Democratic district leader, 65th Assembly District, Part B; OrtizRivera is a member, Senior Advocacy Leadership Team (SALT), Manny Cantor Center Februar y 28, 2019

13

Eats

Get ripped (hand-ripped noodles) at Xi’an BY GABE HERMAN

X

i’an Famous Foods has several Downtown locations that serve quality Chinese food, though its cuisine is different than most Chinese restaurants in Manhattan. Xi’an is a city in northwest China, where the restaurant’s authentic dishes originate. “The city‌boasts a unique cuisine that combines Chinese and Middle Eastern flavors,â€? according to the restaurant’s Web site. “Heavy in cumin, chili, Sichuan peppercorns and other spices, local specialties range from famous hand-ripped ‘biang biang’ noodles, seared in hot oil, to lamb ‘burgers’ with a jalapeĂąo kick. Not for the faint of heart, but famous for a reason.â€? The menu of the family-owned business includes cold noodle dishes; pork

burgers or spicy cumin lamb burgers; lamb pao-mo soup; and several varieties of the hand-ripped “biang biang� noodles, which are long and flat, with options including lamb, beef, “concubine’s chicken� and vegetables. It’s very affordable, with most dishes falling in the $5 to $7 range. The food is also very tasty and has gained media attention, including from Anthony Bourdain, who visited the original Flushing, Queens, location in 2007 for his “No Reservations� show on the Travel Channel. That original location has closed but Xi’an still has another spot nearby in Flushing. The fast-casual restaurant opened a Village location last June at 313 Sixth Ave., at W. Third St. There are a total of 14 Xi’an locations in the city, with 11 of them in Manhattan. Other Downtown locations include 81 St. Mark’s Place in the East Village; 68 Kenmare

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Mount Qi vegetables with hand-ripped noodles at Xi’an Famous Foods.

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In Pictures

Crumb ies in, then signs in Chelsea BY BOB KRASNER

F

ans of the legendary — and provocative — artist Robert Crumb lined up outside the David Zwirner Gallery, at 519 W. 19th

St., on Saturday to make contact with the elusive underground cartoonist. In town from the South of France, where he moved in 1991, Crumb marked the occasion of his excellent new show, “Drawing for Print: Mind

Rober t Crumb signing the new edition of his “Bible of Filth� — featuring his “most outrageous sexual comic s� — while another fan waits in line, at left. Sitting with Crumb is his longtime manager Paul Morris.

Fucks, Kultur Klashes, Pulp Fiction & Pulp Fact by the Illustrious R. Crumb,� with a rare book signing. Crumb accommodated about 100 book lovers, carefully signing copies of the new David Zwirner version of his “Bible of Filth,� as well as numerous other titles that were for sale.

Although Crumb was only scheduled to be there for an hour, he stayed an additional half-hour, chatting with fans, posing for photos and generally seeming to enjoy himself. For more information, visit www. davidzwirner.com/exhibitions .

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K IDS

& EDUCATION

From left, A ssembylmember Har vey Epstein, Principal Marlon Hosang, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, Principals Rober t Simon and Abbe Futterman and District 1 Superintendent Carr y Chan Howard during Carranza’s recent tour of some of the schools in District 1.

Carranza parleys with Dist. 1 principals BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH

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arlier this month, Department of Education Chancellor Richard Carranza toured P.S. 64, Tompkins Square Middle School and The Earth School. The trio were the first Community Education Council District 1 schools visited by the chancellor this year, according to Naomi Pena, C.E.C. 1 president. C.E.C. District 1 includes the East Village between E. 14th and Delancey Sts. east of Fourth Ave./Bowery and also part of the Lower East Side. Assemblymember Harvey Epstein was on hand for the tour. “TY @DOEChancellor Carranza for visiting some amazing schools we have in District1! I’m glad we had a chance to discuss arts in education, more funding 4 Title I schools, diversity admission, & the probs w/ HalfFare MetroCards that don’t serve our students. Come back any time!” The Feb. 7 visits were coordinated

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Good, good, good vibrations! Chancellor Carranza jams on a x ylophone in the music room at Tompkins Square Middle School.

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with Epstein, who extended an invitation to the chancellor last spring. District 1 Superintendent Carry Chan Howard was also present during the tour. Highlights from the schools chancellor’s tour included a visit to The Earth School’s rooftop garden and an impromptu jam session in the music room of Tompkins Square Middle School. The latter was fitting for Carranza, given that in December he announced a $17 million increase in arts funding for city schools. According to a representative from Epstein’s office, Principals Abbe Futterman, Robert Simon and Marlon Hosang got the chance to speak with the chancellor, district superintendent and assemblymember one on one “about issues they felt were important to their schools.” D.O.E. has not responded to questions from The Villager about what exactly those issues were. The chancellor also promised to return to each school for a longer visit.

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Helping Hand

!" # ! $ % & $ $ & & $ $ $ # # & $ ' & ( $ # ( & & & $ & ( & ' ) & * ( ( & ( $ $$ ( + ( ( # # * $ & # ' , - $ ( $ & $ # . $ & . $ / ( # ( ' ) & & & ( & & ( $ & & & # ' 0 # * & 1 & ( & & * ( # & ( ' ) * ( ( & & & * ' # 2 & ( # & / & $ # & ' , 3 # ( 455 ( & & * && ( 067 85 & $ 2 & / (' ( # 1 && ( $ $ $$ & * 9 ) ( # & $ $ 2 $ # ' ) !" ( # ( $ & - # ( & ' ) $ # # & # & # & & # : ' , * * $ $ $ & & # & $ & $ & & $ & ( ' :& & # & ( - $ / $ '

Michael Cole has a sweet spot for helping the communit y.

Ice cream shop gives youths a second shot BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH

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n East Village ice cream shop won a $30,000 grant earlier this month to continue its work helping neighborhood young people. The grant was sponsored by Squarespace and also the New York Knicks Make It Awards to support small businesses. After serving a six-month prison sentence, East Village local Michael Cole returned to his neighborhood and, shortly after, started selling ice cream. In 2013, Cole opened his own shop, Mikey Likes It Ice Cream, which trains at-risk youth, then hires them to work in the store.

Sound off! Write a letter to the editor news@thevillager.com

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“This business is a second chance not only for myself but for others,� Cole told PIX11 News. “You can have a different past, but as long as you are focusing on a better tomorrow, this is a vehicle that can help you get to where you want to go,� he added. The ice cream shop has made headlines before for its unique flavor names inspired by pop culture and music. Cole has created custom flavors for Hillary Clinton and Jay-Z. Mikey Likes It currently has two locations, at 199 Avenue A, between 12th and 13th Sts., in the East Village and at 2500 Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem. adomenech@thevillager.com

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MARCH 18 – 29, 2019 Get ready for a diverse dining experience at hundreds of restaurants in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx

28 PRIX FIXE MENUS

$

*

List of participating restaurants available March 14th *Some restaurants will have different price specials. Weekends not included unless speciďŹ ed by individual restaurant. Drinks, taxes and gratuity not included. SPO NSO RED BY:

To sign up your restaurant or to learn about sponsoring Dine The Boroughs call (718) 224-5863 Ext. 228 or visit DineTheBoroughs.com Schneps Media

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RETURNING TO CITI FIELD

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CITI FIELD MAY 18 & 19, 2019 Global cuisine, beer, music, dance, Culture, art & more!

@THEWORLDSFARE

Tickets @ WWW.THEWORLDSFARE.NYC 22

Februar y 28, 2019

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Manhattan Happenings program room on Fri., March 1, at 2 p.m. The flick is part of the library’s bimonthly Caribbean Connections program, highlighting the contributions of Caribbean people around the world. The 1981 movie starts Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman and runs 100 minutes. Free. “William Fox Presents” at MoMA: MoMA will screen its second round of restored rare films from the Fox Studio from March 1 to March 26. First up is “Street Angel” (1928), a movie about a young woman who becomes the model for a fateful portrait. Janet Gaynor, who plays the protagonist, won the first Oscar for Best Actress for the role. “Street Angel” will screen Fri., March 1, at 7:30 p.m at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. Museum tickets $25 for adults, $14 for students and $18 for seniors.

BY RICO BURNEY AND ROSE ADAMS

COMMUNITY L-Project Open House: The M.T.A. and Department of Transportation are holding two open houses in Manhattan, at which residents can meet one on one with agency representatives to ask questions about the L-train “slowdown” alternative-service plans and other upcoming changes to L-train stations and 14th St. The first open house will be on Thurs., March 7, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard Church, at 328 W. 14th St., between Eighth and Ninth Aves. The second one will be held Mon., April 8, at the 14th St. Y from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Marijuana Legalization Forum: Join Assemblymembers Harvey Epstein and Richard Gottfried, state Senators Brad Hoylman and Liz Krueger and Councilmembers Keith Powers and Carlina Rivera on Sun., March 3, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., for a discussion on legalizing marijuana in New York, which appears likely to get a vote in Albany later this year. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns about legalization with key lawmakers pushing for the vote. The event will be held at Boys & Girls Republic, at 888 E. Sixth St., between Avenue D and the F.D.R. Drive. To RSVP, call 212979-9696 or e-mail events.district74@ gmail.com.

The On Air Fest from Fri., March 1, through Sun., March 3, will feature talks on podcasting, plus par ties and more.

KIDS First Saturdays for Families: Families can take advantage of free admission to the New Museum, at 235 Bowery, on Sat., March 2, at 10 a.m. Drawing inspiration from the Museum’s exhibition “Jeffrey Gibson: The Anthropophagic Effect,” children can get creative by weaving together their own sculptural forms from natural and other materials. Recommended for ages 4 to 12. All children free. Two adults free per family. More information can be found at https://bit.ly/2Vn0DEY. Children’s International Film Festival: Now in its 22nd year, the Children’s International Film Festival screens the best feature films and shorts for children ages 3 to 18. The program runs through the first two weekends in March in theaters across Manhattan — and the shorts programs are not to miss. To view the full schedule, locations and ticket prices, visit https://nyicff.org/2019-schedule/.

TALKS On Air Fest: Giants of the podcasting industry will host three days of Schneps Media

“Jonas and the Sea” is one of the shor ts screening at the International Children’s Film Festival, on Sun., March 3, at 1 p.m., at Cinépolis Chelsea, and again on Sat., March 16, at 12:45 p.m. at Scandinavia House.

“Why religion? A personal story”: Elaine Pagels, a religious historian and a recipient of the Rockefeller, MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, will discuss how religious traditions shape our interpersonal relationships and our experience of hardship today. The talk is on Thurs., March 7, at 6:30 p.m., at the New York Society Library, 53 E. 79th St. Tickets $15. For more information, visit https://www.nysoclib.org/events/ elaine-pagels-why-religion-personalstory

talks, installations and listening parties in Williamsburg this week. The star-studded lineup includes Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad, writer Roxane Gay, U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith and many more. The On Air Fest happens from Fri., March 1, at 9 a.m., through Sun., March 3, at the Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave., in Brooklyn. Full-day passes $79. For more information, visit http:// onairfest.com/ . PEN Out Loud: Layli Long Soldier and Claudia Rankine: Layli Long Soldier, the author of the poetry collection “WHEREAS,” and Claudia Rankine, an essayist, poet, playwright and 2016 MacArthur Fellow, will read excerpts of their work and speak on their literary craft on Fri., March 1, at 7 p.m. at the The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 W. 12th St. Tickets are $20. To buy tickets, visit https://pen.org/event/ pen-out-loud-layli-long-soldier-claudiarankine/

FILMS “The Marva Collins Story,” which follows the life of the titular Chicago teacher and education activist as she fights to make a difference in the lives of poor children who have little hope for their futures, will screen at the Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd St.’s TVG

MUSIC “Carpe Diem!”: The Ember Ensemble and Encore Creativity for Older Adults Chorale will perform songs that celebrate older age and the opportunities for social engagement that come with it on Sat., March 2, at 7 p.m. at St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church, at 218 W. 11th St. (at Waverly Place). Tickets $20; $25 at the door. Seniors/ students $15; children 18 and under are free of charge. For more information go to www.EmberEnsemble.org Women’s Jazz Festival:The annual Schomburg Center Jazz Festival, in honor of Women’s History Month, kicks off Mon., March 4, with “Dear Nina,” featuring Drea d’Nur and a six-piece string ensemble by Rootstock Republic paying tribute to Nina Simone. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard. Tickets $35, Schomburg Society Members $25. For more information, visit https://www.nypl.org/events/ programs/2019/03/04/2019-womensjazz-festival-week-1-dear-nina

COMMUNITY BOARD Community Board 4 meets at 6:30 p.m. on Wed., March 6, at the Hudson Guild Elliot Center, 441 W. 26th St., Dan Carpenter Room A/B. Community Board 7 meets at 6:30 p.m. on Tues., March 5, at Goddard Riverside Center, 593 Columbus Ave.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL 19th Precinct Community Council meets at 7 p.m. on Wed., March 27, at 153 E. 67th St. Februar y 28, 2019

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Save the date: Women of Wall St. Awards, May 7 BY SCHNEPS STAFF

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t’s no secret that the banking and finance industry have always been male-dominated. For that reason, we are proud to present our inaugural Women of Wall Street Awards honoring 25 enterprising women for their professional achievements and influence in the banking, finance and investment communities. Our deserving honorees have cleared the path to success for themselves and, more important, for the young women who will follow them. “The recipients of the 2019 Women of Wall Street Award will represent an amazing group of female executives,” said Victoria Schneps, president and co-publisher of Schneps Media. “We are so proud to recognize their accomplishments as chief executives, community leaders, role models and mentors to other women and girls. We look forward to shining the spotlight on them at our inaugural Women of Wall Street Awards in May.” All of our honorees demonstrate a high and quantifiable contribution to their company, in addition to supporting, encouraging and advancing other women within their organization. If you have a friend or colleague you’d like to nominate for this prestigious recognition, you can fill out our form online here: www.schnepsmedia.com/WOWSnominate. Nomination criteria: Nominee’s organization must have business or affiliates in New York; Nominee has shown excellence in her industry, sector or field in recent years; Nominee demonstrates a high and quantifiable contribution to her company; Nominee guides, supports and encourages the promotion/advancement of women. Winners will be honored at a celebratory awards gala on the evening of Tues., May 7, 2019, at Battery Gardens in New York City. The event will be hosted by Cheryl Casone, anchor of “Fox Business News AM.” Join us to celebrate these amazing women and their accomplishments, network with like-minded individuals, and give women a platform to have their voices heard as they push toward diversity and gender parity in banking and finance. For more information on tickets for the 2019 Women of Wall Street Awards, visit www.schnepsmedia. com/WOWS2019 . If you are interested in learning more about event programming and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jasmin Freeman at 718-2604512 or jfreeman@schnepsmedia. com .

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FILE PHOTO BY MILO HESS

The “Fearless Girl” staring down the “Charging Bull” embodies the spirit of the Women of Wall Street Awards — of women excelling in a male-dominated business environment by “taking it by the horns.”

Cher yl Casone will host the Women of Wall Street Awards.

WOW! The Women of Wall Street Awards will be honoring fearless leaders. TVG

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Women of Wall Street

The

Awards 2019

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN! Do you know a deserving woman who: • Works in the banking, finance or investing industry? • Demonstrates and high and quantifiable contribution to her organization? • Guides, supports and advances the promotion of women in the finance industry? Nominate her today and help us celebrate the accomplishments and expertise of women professionals in banking and finance.

NOMINATE ONLINE www.schnepsmedia.com/WOWSnominate Nomination Deadline: March 15th Save the Date: Presented by:

Tuesday, May 7, 2019 Battery Gardens 1 Battery Place New York, NY 10004

Master of Ceremonies:

Cheryl Casone Host of Fox Business News AM

For more information on event programming and sponsorship opportunities, contact Jasmin Freeman at 718-260-4512 | jfreeman@schnepsmedia.com Schneps Media

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PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER

Endless Boogie jamming and jamming some more at Nublu, from left, Jesper Eklow, Mike Bones, Paul Major and Matt Sweeney, with Harr y Druzd on drums, hidden behind Major.

Endless Boogie live up to their name BY BOB KR ASNER

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magine if the Velvet Underground and Iggy and the Stooges had a kid who had a habit of eating lead paint when no one was looking and you might begin to understand the musical experience that is Endless Boogie. There’s really no point in analyzing or intellectualizing the band. Attempts by fans to describe their sound usually start with, “Wow, I don’t know… .” The group, formed in 1997 by a combo of Matador Records employees and record collectors, is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. The full house at Nublu, at 151 Avenue C, on a recent Sunday night loved it. It’s all about immersing yourself in the guitars. Jesper Eklow cranks out a riff that Ted Nugent would kill for. (Don’t get any ideas, Ted.) Paul Major solos inventively and relentlessly, while rocking to the hypnotic rhythm section — Harry Druzd and

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Mike Bones — for as long as the band feels like going on. And they do go on. The first song — which comprised the entire first set — was an hour-long improvisation. “It was ‘Sister Ray,’ sort of,” said third guitarist Matt Sweeney after the show. Singer/lead guitarist Major confirmed that, adding, “It was all one chord — we just improvised in the key of G.” The tempo changes, the volume rises and falls — mostly rises — while Major pours out notes worthy of the man who wrote the book on psychedelic outsider music, literally. Check out his “Feel The Music” from Anthology. A few fans noted that there was a fair amount of Creedence Clearwater Revival “chooglin’ ” in the mix, but there was also a whole lot more. AC/ DC, John Lee Hooker (where they got their name), NEU!, Canned Heat, Rolling Stones, Captain Beefheart, Acid Psychedelia, ZZ Top, Can, LamTVG

onte Young, Kraftwerk, Blues, Boogie… . The list stretches on longer than some of their songs. The second set was more of the same perfect hypnotic jamming — but with shorter, original songs — punctuated by bursts of Eklow’s wah-wah pedal and Major’s yowling vocals. “I wanted to be a poet but it took too much finesse,” Major said from the stage, before going into “Vibe Killer,” played in tribute to the band Suicide. “One of our heroes,” Eklow noted, of one of the most notoriously noncommercial bands to come out of the city. Endless Boogie carries their stubborn aesthetic into the present, doing exactly what they want to with little regard for current trends — or hairstyles. “They are,” said musician/fan Matt Mottel, “one of the last remnants of the New York sound.” Schneps Media

Day the music died? SideWalk cafe closes BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

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fter more than 30 years on Avenue A, SideWalk cafe closed after this past weekend. Famed for its open mic, the place went out with a blast with a final installment of the Antifolk Festival. Local blog EV Grieve reported in December that the bar and restaurant at E. Sixth St. had new owners, Laura Saniuk-Heinig and Alyssa Sartor. According to Grieve, Saniuk-Heinig is the general manager at the Bar Room on E. 60th St. and Sartor co-owned August Laura in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. The new owners reportedly plan to keep live music, but it’s not exactly clear what kind that will be. Pitchfork noted that SideWalk provided a stage early in their careers for artists such as Beck — before he headed west — Michelle Shocked, the Moldy Peaches, Regina Spektor and Darwin Deez, among others. (However, others countered that Beck, in fact, never played there.) SideWalk was known for having live music, comedy and open mics nightly without any cover charge. “Hope they don’t make it into a Starbucks,” one regular lamented on Facebook. The day after New Year’s, Downtown lost another beloved live-performance venue when the Cornelia St. Cafe closed after more than four decades in business. “It’s about the rent,” the cafe’s owner, Robin Hirsch, said at the time.

Diane Cluck and Lightning Lewis per forming on SideWalk’s last night.

From left, Brent Cole, Adam Green and Jackie Dishes at SideWalk on its closing night.

PHOTOS BY JIM FLYNN

Regina Spektor wowed the crowd, as usual.

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Sound off! Write a letter to the editor news@thevillager.com Schneps Media

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Real Estate

Enclave, a new residential building next to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, did not earn raves from local residents.

Movin’ on up…to Uptown’s Morningside Heights BY MARTHA WILKIE

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owntowners might not consider Uptown neighborhoods such as Inwood, Washington Heights, Manhattan Valley and Morningside Heights. These are vibrant neighborhoods that, yes, have been or are being gentrified, with its inherent problems, but still offer (relative) bargains. Morningside Heights is dominated by Columbia University and the relationship between town and gown is fraught. An infamous 1960s plan to build a gym in Morningside Park featured separate entrances for students (largely white and all male, the school didn’t go coed until 1983) on the Columbia side, and the Harlem community (almost all African-American) on the Harlem side. There were huge protests. Today, Columbia is still struggling to make everyone happy. A brand-new Manhattanville campus has just been opened on the far West Side around 125th St. We’ll see how that changes the area. President Obama lived nearby during his time at Columbia. Morningside Heights feels like a college town, with bookstores, street booksellers and thousands of college students. The venerable Hungarian Coffee Shop is always packed, even without WiFi — so all those people tapping away are actually writing, not Facebooking.

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PHOTO BY MARTHA WILKIE

Get your piece of the rock — in Morningside Heights.

between two buildings. Which reminds me of my favorite New York City geology joke: “The Bronx is gneiss, but Manhattan’s full of schist.” The building stock is mostly pre-war on the smaller side. The low scale makes the area feel sunny and uncrowded. A few new developments include a hotly disputed one right smack up against the cathedral; preservationists objected, but to no avail. Much of the neighborhood is now protected by a new historic district. On Broadway, near 123rd St. there’s

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book covers are framed on the wall along with those of fellow local authors. Eateries line Broadway, including Tom’s Restaurant, the diner that “Seinfeld” and Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” made famous. Stroll the grounds of the venerable yet eternally unfinished Cathedral of St. John the Divine and meet the prosaically named peacocks who wander freely: Jim, Harry and Phil. Phil has his own Twitter account @CathedralPhil. On W. 114th St., you’ll fi nd a natural curiosity: a gigantic boulder jammed TVG

an attractive one-bedroom in a prewar elevator building with high ceilings, hardwood floors and a windowed kitchen (listing says “eat-in” but seems slim to me). It’s a relative bargain at $349,000. ( ht t ps : //st r e ete a sy.c om / building/3117-broadway-new_york/56) A two-bedroom, one-bath on Tiemann Place has a newly renovated kitchen and bath. It’s on the fifth floor with an elevator, so gets lovely light. It’s just three blocks to the giant Fairway near 125th St. It’s on the market for $542,000. (https://streeteasy.com/building/31tiemann-place-new_york/52) For rentals, a no-fee pre-war twobedroom, one-bath with shining floors and a gorgeous wood-paneled living/ dining room is available for $2,950. ( ht t ps : //st r e ete a sy.c om / building/414 -west-121-street-new_ york/27b) In new construction, Enclave at the Cathedral offers a one-bedroom, onebath rental for $3,895 a month. The view of the Gothic edifice is striking. It looks as though you could reach out and touch it! Fabulous amenities include a gym, roof deck, art gallery and a game room with the chicest pingpong table ever. (https://brodsky.com/rentals/morningside/enclave/apartment-w-916) Schneps Media

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