Chelsea Now - June 27, 2019

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Chelsea VOLUME 11, ISSUE 25

YO U R W E E K LY C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S E R V I N G C H E L S E A , H U D S O N YA R D S & H E L L’S K I T C H E N

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Chelsea VOLUME 11, ISSUE 25

JUNE 27 - JULY 4, 2019

YO U R W E E K LY C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S E R V I N G C H E L S E A , H U D S O N YA R D S & H E L L’S K I T C H E N

COREY ON M.T.A. CONTROL Johnson: Let mayor run the transit system Page 11 PHOTO BY WILLIAM ALATRISTE/NYC COUNCIL

Speaker Corey Johnson says that, on transit, the buck should stop with the mayor.

BEACHYKEEN ARTS Mermaids! Steve Earle!

Rules of En-‘cage’-ment!

CYCLIST DIES ON 6TH AVE.

Page 20

PAGE 3 PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER

Robyn Hightman was 20.

Per formance ar tist Hedy Zhang spent 10 hours in a cage in Union Square.

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June 27, 2019

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Cyclist’s death in Chelsea is city’s 12th this year

BY GABE HERMAN

A

bicycle messenger died in Chelsea on Monday morning after being hit by a truck on Sixth Ave., just north of W. 23rd St. The messenger, 20-year-old Robyn Hightman, was found by police laying on the street, unconscious and unresponsive, with head trauma.

An E.M.S. ambulance transported Hightman to Bellevue Hospital, where the young cyclist was pronounced dead.

A Virginia native, Hightman reportedly preferred to identify by the pronouns “they/them.”

She was hit by a white Freightliner delivery truck, according to police.

The truck initially left the scene but then returned.

The driver, 54-year-old Antonio Garcia, reportedly said he did not know he had hit someone until several blocks later when he was told by a witness.

“I’m driving no more than 20 [miles per hour], no down to 15,” he told CBS, of his speed. “I don’t see nothing. The passenger told me, ‘Somebody hit you in the back.’”

The driver was issued fi ve summonses at the scene, for equipment violations related to the truck that were unrelated to the incident.

Police said Hightman and the truck were both traveling uptown on Sixth Ave. when they collided. Witnesses said Hightman was riding outside the bike lane when the incident occurred.

It is fairly common for riders to go outside of the bike lane briefly at that intersection, to avoid large crowds and congestion, according to fellow bike messenger Mike Pach, who was at a memorial for Hightman near the intersection on Monday afternoon.

“The bike lane becomes untenable even a block away,” said Pach, who has been a messenger for three years.

He said it’s usually easier to ride with the cars until getting midway up the next block, between W. 23rd and 24th Sts. Monday afternoon, several cyclists could be seen doing what Pach described, veering out into car lanes near the intersection to avoid heavy pedestrian traffic and slower bicycles, and then turning back into the bike lane midway up the block.

Hightman made deliveries around the city for Capsule. Monday was her fi rst day also working for Samurai, a company that Pach said only hires very good bike messengers.

Pach called Hightman “a total sweetheart” who was involved with the cycling organization Spin Peaks, including participating in its Gold Sprint fundraising races.

Hightman was also an ambassador Schneps Media

COURTESY INSTAGRAM-“SUPERMINTUSA”

Robyn Hightman died on Monday after being hit by a truck on Sixth Ave. in Chelsea.

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

Par t of the memorial to Robyn Hightman included a piece of cardboard with messages written for the young c yclist.

and parental abuse and neglect,” Hightman wrote, in part, on the application, “my fi rst bicycle offered a way to seek respite from the horrors of my surroundings and human experience, if only for a few glorious minutes. My bicycle established a sense of independence, strengthened my ability to be self sufficient, and provided

for the women’s cycling team Hagens Berman-Supermint, which posted a tribute to her on Instagram. The post shared some of Hightman’s application to join the group, and called it “the most passionate, in-depth one we’ve received out of hundreds.”

“As a homeless youth deeply entrenched in the trappings of poverty CNW

me with the confidence necessary to advocate for myself, my rights, and my needs in public space.”

Hightman continued, “Eventually, my bicycle allowed me to provide for myself when I began working a full time job at the age of fourteen. My bicycle provided me with the socioeconomic mobility necessary to escape.

My bicycle saved my life.”

By Monday afternoon, a memorial had been posted on Sixth Ave. just north of 23rd St., including flowers and tributes written on a piece of cardboard.

A vigil was held there on Monday evening, which drew hundreds of mourners. Twelve cyclists have now died through about six months of 2019 on New York City’s streets, compared to 10 deaths in all of 2018.

Pach said the city should have a more complete bike lane infrastructure, but right now just installs them “willy-nilly,” in some places and not others.

And he said it would help for police to do better enforcement for the bike lanes, such as keeping cars out of both them and the buffer areas beside them, where a car door could open and smash into a cyclist.

Pach said police focus too much on ticketing cyclists, and that he recently got a ticket for not having a reflector.

The day after Hightman’s death, police were reportedly ticketing cyclists near the intersection. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who represents Chelsea, responded on Twitter, “I am disturbed by reports of a NYPD crackdown on cyclists near the intersection where cyclist Robyn Hightman was killed yesterday by traffic violence. Trucks and cars are the cause of the overwhelming number of traffic fatalities in our city.”

Johnson added in another post, “Robyn’s death is a tragedy and so is the number of cyclist deaths so far this year. Let’s get serious about making our streets safer for everyone.”

Pach said of Hightman’s cycling during the tragic incident, “This wasn’t luxury, she was doing her job.”

He added that this incident in the wake of the city’s mounting numbers of cycling deaths is overwhelming.

“This year I’m starting to get numb,” he said. “It’s hard to be constantly outraged.”

June 27, 2019

3

Police Blotter 10th Precinct Nightmare assault There was an assault inside the Dream Downtown hotel, at 355 W. 16th St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves., according to police. On Sun., June 23, around 3 a.m., a 38-year-old man was sitting on a table, when a stranger reportedly elbowed him on the nose and lip. The attacker then put the victim in a headlock, causing the victim to go in and out of consciousness. The victim suffered a cut to his lip and a bloody nose. He refused medical attention at the scene.

Michael Scian III, 33, was arrested for misdemeanor assault.

Bad photo moment There was an assault in front of 435 W. 42nd St., between Ninth and Tenth Aves., on Fri., June 21, police said. Around 12:15 p.m., a woman was taking photos with her cell phone, when another woman, a stranger to her, pushed and slapped her several times on the head and face, and pulled her hair violently, causing her pain. She also had bruises and redness on her lip. The victim was taken to a New York University hospital for treatment. Latoya Richardson, 36, was arrested for misdemeanor assault.

COURTESY N.Y.P.D.

This man is wanted for allegedly burglarizing a Madison Ave. office that he reached by climbing a scaffolding.

concealed a power drill on his person and tried to leave the store without paying. When he was confronted by an employee, he produced a needle and threatened to stab the worker.

He then fled in an unknown direction. There were no injuries from the incident. Police released surveillance images of the suspect.

CVS cell swipe There was a phone theft inside a CVS store at 272 Eighth Ave., at W. 24th St., according to a police report. On Fri., June 21, around 2:45 a.m., a 23-yearold male employee was working in the store when he put his phone down in an aisle. He then noticed a man pick up his phone and leave the store, fleeing in an unknown direction. The phone was tracked to W. 25th St. and Tenth Ave. through the Find My iPhone app, but the device was then turned off. A police canvass was conducted with negative results. Police said cameras were available at the location. The phone was a rose-gold iPhone 7 in a brown case, valued at $200. The case remains open.

Midtown South Madison cat burglar

Home Depot theft There was a robbery at the Home Depot at 40 W. 23rd St., between Fifth and Sixth Aves., police said.

On Fri., May 3, at 12:30 p.m., a man

COURTESY N.Y.P.D.

There was an office theft at 167 Madison Ave., at E. 33rd St., last Wednesday, according to police. On June 19, around 1:45 a.m., a man climbed scaffolding on the building’s exterior and entered the business’s office through an unsecured window. Once inside, he took a laptop, an MP3 player, $950 in U.S. cash, $400 in foreign currency and a blue backpack. He then fled on foot west on Madison Ave.

This guy allegedly stole a power drill from Home Depot on W. 23rd St.

Gabe Herman

The Villager (USPS 578930) ISSN 0042-6202 Copyright © 2019 by Schneps Media is published weekly by Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. 52 times a year. Business and Editorial Offices: One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Accounting and Circulation Offices: Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Call 718-260-2500 to subscribe. Periodicals postage prices is paid at New York, N.Y. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Villager, One Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $29 ($35 elsewhere). Single copy price at office and newsstands is $1. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2019 Schneps Media.

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June 27, 2019

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June 27, 2019

5

Locals sue to stop 14th St. bus plan

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

N

ot so fast!

The city is determined to make 14th St. a transportation “experiment” by banning cars to speed up bus service. The changes are set to start July 1 in what’s being dubbed an 18-month “pilot project.”

But slamming the transit scheme as “arbitrary and capricious,” a Village activist attorney last Thursday has sued in State Supreme Court to stop the plan in its tracks — and bus lanes.

Democratic District Leader Arthur Schwartz filed suit on behalf of 16 plaintiffs, including Chelsea and Village block associations and large co-op apartment buildings, plus several individuals. Schwartz is one of the latter in his capacity as male district leader for the 66th Assembly District, Part A (Greenwich Village). He’s also a W. 12th St. resident.

It’s an Article 78 lawsuit, meaning it challenges a city decision. And it’s filed against one individual: Polly Trottenberg, commissioner of the city’s Department of Transportation.

In addition, Schwartz said he would file suit this week against the New York City Transit Authority’s plan to cut bus stops on the M14 route to transform it into Select Bus Service. That suit — with Disabled in Action as plaintiff — will argue that slashing stops would harm people with disabilities.

The first lawsuit asks for a temporary restraining order, or T.R.O., to be enforced against the 14th St. socalled Transit/Truck Priority lanes plan — a.k.a. the “busway” — as well as against the new crosstown bike lanes on 12th and 13th Sts. The plaintiffs argue that both the 14th St. plan and the bike lanes must be reviewed under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and the City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) — and that the bike lanes and their respective protective buffer areas must be narrowed to allow a 16-foot-wide roadway for moving traffic, increasing from the 10 feet left after the lanes’ installation.

The lawsuit contends both the 14th St. plan and the bike lanes need an environmental assessment and, if necessary, a more rigorous environmental impact statement, or E.I.S. More to the point, the suit charges, the scheme cannot be allowed to proceed unless “some modicum of rationality” is shown to justify it.

Under the city’s plan, 14th St. from Third to Ninth Aves. would be reduced to one lane of moving traffic in each direction, and cars would be banned on the street daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Buses, through trucks and emergency vehicles would be allowed to travel along the major Downtown crosstown artery. Cabs and for-hire vehicles would be permitted to come onto 14th

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June 27, 2019

PHOTO BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

A year ago, attorney Ar thur Schwar tz, left, announced a communit y lawsuit against the 14th St. “busway” plan, with Edith Prentiss, of Disabled in Action, center, and Judy Pesin, of the 14th St. Coalition, right. Now Schwar tz has filed a new suit against a slightly retooled busway plan. He also intends to sue on behalf of Disabled in Action over the New York City Transit Authority’s plan to slash bus stops on the M14 to implement Select Bus Ser vice as par t of the changes.

ter of Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Flatiron communities... .”

While the plan itself has not changed much from before, its justification has.

As the lawsuit notes, “D.O.T. has switched its motivation for reworking 14th St. from accommodation of riders inconvenienced by the L train to a need to make cross-14th St. buses ‘run faster.’ No new rationale has been stated for the two bike lanes constructed before the [L-train] shutdown was called off, which were supposed to be ‘temporary’ and were designed to serve Ltrain riders who chose to bicycle across Greenwich Village.”

Community Board 4 (Chelsea/Hell’s Kitchen), earlier this month, voted 45 to 0 to oppose the 14th St. changes due to lack of “inclusion of a comprehensive mitigation plan for the adjacent residential streets.”

In March, Community Board 3 (East Village/Lower East Side) said it would not support removing M14 S.B.S. stops, “which will be a terrible burden to underserved residents of C.B. 3 and institutions of the Lower East Side.”

Although the new rationale for the 14th St. plan is to speed up the buses, the suit notes that it is, in fact, one of two crosstown streets in Manhattan that “has a subway running across almost its entire length” — the other being 42nd St. Schwartz also included as exhibits 50 photos he took showing vehicles blocking the bike lanes — plus one of a ladder blocking the bike path.

“If an oil truck is making deliveries, nothing will be able to pass,” the suit asserts, adding that garbage trucks and fire trucks are 9 feet wide. In all, 550 parking spaces were eliminated to cre-

St. for drop-offs but would then have to take their first right turn off of 14th St. Similarly, for-hire cars would be allowed to come onto 14th St. for pickups — though yellow taxis would be banned from doing so. Cars would also be allowed to access parking garages.

The current busway scheme is a version of the one the city pitched when the L train was going to be shut down for 15 months for repairs. At that time, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority estimated that, with the L shutdown, an additional 30,000 commuters per day would take the M14 bus crosstown, while D.O.T. said an additional 2,000 to 5,000 cyclists would be biking crosstown.

But this January, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared the L train repairs could be done on nights and weekends, avoiding a full shutdown, with partial L service always maintained. It seemed the busway was done for.

Yet, in April, the plan was revived, with trucks now allowed to use 14th St., too. (During the plan’s earlier version, residents had raised the alarm that trucks would be pushed onto their side streets.) And it was announced the bike lanes — previously pitched as temporary during the expected “L-pocalypse” — would now be permanent.

Meanwhile, the same complaints that led Chelsea, Village and Flatiron residents to sue over the busway a year ago remain. Among the biggest concerns, the suit says, is that neighboring side streets from 12th St. to 20th St. would be flooded with car and truck traffic displaced from 14th St., with the vehicles’ “vibrations endangering the 19th-century buildings which line these blocks, challenging the characCNW

ate the new bike lanes, according to the suit.

More serious, however, the litigation charges, “Traffic delays on streets heading eastbound could be life-threatening.”

Because there is no hospital on the “west side of the 14th St. Corridor,” the Lenox Health Greenwich Village standalone emergency department, at 12th St. and Seventh Ave., often transports patients by ambulance to hospitals for higher-level care, such as to Mt. SinaiBeth Israel, on the East Side.

The plaintiffs further fear that the alleged 18-month pilot project would become permanent.

However, a city Law Department spokesperson said the lawsuit has “no merit.”

D.O.T. “followed all applicable procedures and should be allowed to complete this initiative,” Nicholas Paolucci told the New York Post.

Schwartz said he’ll be in court Fri., June 28, at 71 Thomas St., at 10 a.m., and — based on his initial talk Monday with Justice Eileen Rakower — feels hopeful about snagging a T.R.O. He’s urging a big community turnout.

Meanwhile, the Riders Alliance derided the legal challenge as “Not In My Backyard’ism.”

“The 14th St. NIMBYs behind this lawsuit fashion themselves latter-day Jane Jacobses,” said R.A. spokepserson Danny Pearlstein. “But they are actually belated Robert Moseses, promoting private cars, driving, creating choking pollution and debilitating congestion to the exclusion of public transit and transit riders.”

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June 27, 2019

7

6 L.G.B.T historic sites landmarked

BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH

T

he city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission designated six L.G.B.T. historic sites as individual landmarks on Tues., June 18.

The sites include the Caffe Cino, at 31 Cornelia St., which served as a venue for new and unknown playwrights, most of whom were gay men, to share their work during a time when portraying homosexuality in theatrical productions was a criminal offense; the Gay Activists Alliance Firehouse, at 99 Wooster St., which has been referred to as New York City’s “first gay community center”; the Women’s Liberation Center, at 243 W. 20th St., an advocacy space for women in the L.G.B.T. civilrights movement and lesbians within the feminist movement; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, at 208 W. 13th St.; the James Baldwin Residence, at 137 W. 71st St.; and the Audre Lorde Residence, at 207 St. Paul’s Ave., Staten Island.

“We wanted to recognize sites that were building off of that recognition of the Stonewall Inn, that really were places of activism, of community support, that were involved with moving forward the civil-rights movement for

COURTESY ROBERT HEIDE

John Gilman, left, as Christopher — the upstairs neighbor who just moved in with his boy friend, Joe — with Rober t Frink, right, as Sam the hippie, in Rober t Heide’s play “Moon” at the Caffe Cino in 1968.

later, L.P.C. landmarked the Stonewall Inn — which, until this past Tuesday, remained New York City’s only official L.G.B.T. landmark.

“We are deeply gratified that after a five-year campaign the Landmarks Preservation Commission has landmarked these incredibly important

L.G.B.T. people,” said Kate Lemos McHale, L.P.C. director of research.

In 2014, Village Preservation proposed the L.G.B.T Community Center and the Gay Activists Alliance Firehouse for landmarking along with the Stonewall Inn, at 53 Christopher St., and Julius’ bar, at 159 W. 10th St. A year

sites, which tell such a critical part of New York and our nation’s history over the last half-century,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation. The preservation group will continue to fight for the landmarking of more L.G.B.T historic sites, including Julius’ bar.

When asked about the status of Julius’, McHale cited issues of “historic fabric” — or materials from a historically significant period — as the reason why the building housing New York’s oldest gay bar has yet to be designated.

And yet the U.S. Department of Interior and the New York State Historic Preservation Office have placed the building on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

“Julius’ needs more study, in terms of that, because of the integrity issues,” McHale said. “The whole building has been reconstructed.”

Indeed, the 192-year-old building was completely renovated in 1982.

However, the structure was largely reconstructed in exactly the same style as it was before the bar temporarily closed its doors. According to Berman, since the building is in the Greenwich Village Historic District, its renovations, in fact, were completed under the approval and guidance of L.P.C.

Online tribute brings Stonewall alive, virtually

BY GABE HERMAN

A

n online interactive tribute to the Stonewall Riots launched earlier this month, in time for the 50th anniversary of the historic event.

Called “Stonewall Forever: A Living Monument to 50 Years of Pride,” it can be found at stonewallforever.org.

The online tribute was created by a collaboration between the L.G.B.T. Community Center, which was founded in the Village in 1983, and the National Parks Service. A $1.5 million grant for the initiative was provided by google. org, Google’s philanthropic wing.

An introductory voice greets visitors to the Web site.

“Fifty years ago,” viewers are told, “in a tiny bar called the Stonewall Inn, L.G.B.T.Q. people fought back against years of oppression. Today the legacy of the Stonewall Riots lives on around the world, in every Pride march and in every member of the L.G.B.T.Q. community. This monument lives so we all can explore this crucial history and add our own piece to the ever-growing story.”

The site allows anyone to contribute to the online monument by submitting a statement — such as personal stories or words of encouragement — and a photo. People from around the world,

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June 27, 2019

COURTESY LGBTCENTERNYC/INSTAGRAM

The L .G.B.T. Community Center is one of the groups behind the online monument.

and Future of Pride.”

“Creating ‘Stonewall Forever’ with support from Google presented the rare opportunity to broaden the story of the Stonewall Riots and provide a richer, more diverse narrative about one of the most influential events in the fight for L.G.B.T.Q. equality,” Glennda Testone, executive director of the L.G.B.T. Community Center, said of the online monument. “We were proud to serve as the conduit to the community to bring a wide variety of voices to the narra-

from Taiwan to Brussels, have already contributed to the site.

Cynthia Nixon posted something, as well.

“I was 3 when the Stonewall Uprising occurred in my own city — the most seminal, victorious moment in L.G.B.T. history,” she wrote. “We have far to go but seeing how far we’ve come in my lifetime I am so grateful.”

The Web site also includes a 21minute video, “Stonewall Forever — A Documentary about the Past, Present CNW

tive, particularly from people of color, young people and the trans community, and are honored to be part of preserving L.G.B.T.Q. history.”

The online monument includes a virtual look inside Christopher Park, right across from the Stonewall Inn, with graphics that look like bright rainbow confetti rising to the sky. Some pieces are glowing and can be clicked on to access different sections of the monument.

Each of the monument’s sections is on a different era or topic, and includes historical photos and testimonials from people who lived through the times.

The first section is “Life Before Stonewall.” The second, “The Stonewall Riots,” features spotlights on the late trans activists Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. The de Blasio administration plans to honor the pioneering pair with statues, possibly two blocks east of Stonewall at the Ruth Wittenberg Triangle, at the intersection of Greenwich and Sixth Aves. and Christopher St. Other sections include “The First Year of Pride,” “50 years of Pride,” “Activism Then and Now,” and “Love and Solidarity.”

The site also has a free app, offering an augmented-reality experience for visitors to the actual Christopher Park.

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OBITUARY

THE PORT AUTHORITY BUS TERMINAL REPLACEMENT PROJECT

Quietly, Richard L. “Dick” Chisholm died in Missoula, Montana on June 17, 2019 from complications of Alzheimer’s. His last hours were peaceful. He was 87 years old.

PROJECT SCOPING NOTIFICATION THE PABT REPLACEMENT PROJECT will replace the existing terminal and ramps – located in West Midtown Manhattan – with a state-of-the-art bus terminal and connecting ramps in a location to be selected following robust community outreach and stakeholder engagement. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (Port Authority) is participating in an environmental review of the new terminal and ramps in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The NEPA review will include a description of the proposed project, an evaluation of impacts on the project area, and an assessment of reasonable alternatives.

Dick spent long periods of his childhood traveling, often alone, from his home in Great Falls, Montana to the Shriners Hospital in Spokane, Washington for charitable leg and foot surgeries and care.

He spent long periods of his adult life quietly paying the Shriners’ gift forward.

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His career began by driving delivery trucks for Meadow Gold Dairy in Great Falls while attending the College of Great Falls.

Following graduation in accounting, Dick continued with Meadow Gold and its corporate parent Beatrice Foods Co. for over 35 years. He managed dairies in Eugene, Missoula and Honolulu and led Beatrice Foods Co. domestic and international agri-products and food divisions from Honolulu, Denver and Chicago, becoming a senior corporate officer of Beatrice Co. He retired in Denver in 1985.

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PRESENTATION 4:30 p.m. and repeated at 7:00 p.m.

As a too young retiree, Dick served as a liaison for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the U.S.S.R. for dairy production, as a board member and eventually chairman of Craig Hospital in Denver and on numerous non-profit boards. But his formal service is shadowed by his quiet service to individuals: helping former employees in need, caring for a recent widow or widower, sitting bedside as a friend passed, supporting his wife, Marilyn, in her many 4-H activities, mentoring young business leaders in his communities and serving, always, as the foundation for his extended family.

THE PORT AUTHORITY IS CONDUCTING A 120-DAY PROJECT SCOPING PERIOD which commenced on May 23, 2019 and will conclude September 18, 2019. During this 120-day period, the Port Authority will host public meetings July 10, 2019 and September 5, 2019 (September 5th meeting details to follow) to inform the community and receive input about the project. The meeting presentations and materials will be the same for both dates and locations. If you cannot attend an in-person scoping meeting, materials will be available online. All meeting facilities will be accessible to persons with disabilities.

• Language translation services for Spanish will be available, as well as American Sign Language. For additional language translation services or special needs assistance, please contact the project team five business days prior to the meeting at 929 502-7304 or email PABTreplacement@panynj.gov • Learn more about the project at www.PABTreplacement.com • Scoping comments? Email us at ReplacePABTcomment@panynj.gov

Dick and Marilyn lived their retirement in Englewood and Highlands Ranch, Colorado and returned to Missoula and their Montana roots in June 2016.

Dick is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marilyn Chisholm, daughter Linda (Bill) Lane, sons David (Sally Ann) Chisholm and Dean (Penni) Chisholm, his sister Patricia Price and 13 grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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June 27, 2019

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Schneps Media

Opinion

Put mayor in charge of subways and buses of New York City.

It means we run our subways, we run Staten Island rail, we plan our bus routes — right now the city doesn’t even do that — and we control the toll money from the seven bridges and tunnels currently run by the M.T.A. I know what you’re thinking. That’s all well and good, but how does that help my commute?

Those signal problems making you late for work all the time? That is what happens when no one is responsible.

It’s the result of decades of misplaced priorities.

Our subway signals date back to the 1930s.

They’ve never been upgraded because the M.T.A.’s governance structure incentivized short-term glamour projects over the long-term investments we really need. It’s painting the outside of a house that’s falling apart inside.

And the result? We allow a 21st-century system to operate with infrastructure that was built in the 1930s — like what is happening now.

What about our slow buses?

Municipal control would help get our buses moving again because for the first time ever, the city — and not the state

BY COREY JOHNSON

W

e’ve all been there: Stuck in a crowded subway car due to “signal problems,” or sitting on a bus moving so slowly that you might as well have walked.

Frustration with our mass transit system is a New York state of mind we’re all unfortunately accustomed to.

But I truly believe it doesn’t have to be this way.

The vast majority of the problems with our system can be summed up in one word: accountability.

There isn’t any.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is a state authority controlled by the governor, with its own budget that’s approved by a bunch of board members most New Yorkers have never even heard of.

It’s confusing, which is the point.

How else could the people in charge avoid blame and responsibility when things go wrong?

The buck has to stop with someone, and it has to be someone who knows that if they don’t get it right their job is on the line.

COURTESY COREY JOHNSON’S OFFICE

Cit y Council Speaker Corey Johnson wants the mayor to have the final say over the city’s public transit system.

This is why I support municipal control of the subways, which would mean accountability would fall squarely on one person — the mayor

Do you have a Special Occasion?

— would be able to quickly fi x routes that aren’t working and work in close coordination with the Department of Transportation, which is currently under our control.

That means better, more cohesive bus service that gets New Yorkers where they need to be faster.

It makes no sense that different entities are covering both our subways and buses now. Municipal control isn’t just more accountable. It’s more efficient, too.

Making municipal control a reality won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight. But this is worth fighting for.

We have to think big to solve the problem of how we move around our city.

We can’t let fear of the politically difficult stop us from taking on this challenge. We have to get New York City moving again.

I’m ready to fight for this for as long as it takes to make it happen. I hope you’ll fight alongside me.

Johnson is the City Council speaker and represents Council District 3 (Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, West Soho, Hudson Square, Times Square, Garment District, Flatiron and part of the Upper West Side)

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11

Guest Editorial

MANHAT TAN

SNAPS

Renewable gas is how city should roll

BY JOANNA UNDERWOOD

N

ew York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is joining Santa Monica, Los Angeles Transit and a growing number of other transit fleets in adopting ultra-low carbon renewable natural gas (R.N.G.). Every fleet vehicle running on R.N.G. in New York will help meet the state’s ambitious zerocarbon standard — not 30 years from now, but today.

That’s a big step forward. But R.N.G. is relatively unfamiliar to clean-energy advocates, and sometimes misunderstood. For example, the article in this newspaper’s June 20 issue (“M.T.A. drive for renewable-gas buses”) quoted Jim Walsh, of Food and Water Watch, arguing that since R.N.G. is like fossil natural gas, it could leak from pipelines and emit toxics and greenhouse gases (G.H.G.) when burned. He also said it would enable factory farms and their negative impacts. These are misunderstandings.

Yes, pipelines can leak. But according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), R.N.G. is the lowestcarbon fuel available today, even taking potential leakage into account. R.N.G. production involves capturing methane emitted by decomposing organic wastes that would otherwise enter the atmosphere and warm the climate.

CARB found that G.H.G. emitted from tailpipes of buses and trucks burning R.N.G. is negligible compared to G.H.G. captured to produce the fuel. It also found that over its lifecycle, R.N.G.

PHOTO BY BILL BIGGART/BROOKLYN COLLEGE LIBRARY ARCHIVES

Protesters at the N.Y.U. Loeb Center on Washington Square South.

O

n Nov. 5, 1985, in a protest at New York University’s Loeb Center, on Washington Square South, activists used a big prop to call for a freeze on deploying cruise missiles. There were antinuclear protests worldwide in 1985 demanding that the U.S. and NATO halt missile deployments that were part of the arms race with the Soviets. In New York City, activists feared that plans to build a Navy port on Staten Island would bring cruise missiles to the city. Years later, the Loeb Center was replaced by a new, larger building, the Kimmel Center.

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made from certain feedstocks (food scraps and manures) was net carbonnegative.

That makes R.N.G. a big net gain for the climate and a prime decarbonization strategy. The fact that it is chemically similar to fossil natural gas and can be used in the same vehicles, power plants and pipelines is a good thing. It means that R.N.G. can easily displace natural gas, reducing, not compounding, the natural-gas industry’s climate impacts.

R.N.G. can also displace diesel, slashing G.H.G. and toxic emissions from diesel use. Buses and trucks equipped with “near zero” natural-gas engines can run on R.N.G., and they cut nitrogen oxide and other health-threatening pollutants to almost nothing (90 percent below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards).

Food and Water Watch and others are right to worry about the footprint of large dairy farms. R.N.G. shrinks it.

Processing farm manures in anaerobic digesters prevents them from emitting methane and contaminating waterways, and yields renewable fuel that farmers can sell. The additional income stream can help smaller farms compete.

So what’s not to like? R.N.G. comes from an abundant, 100-percent renewable resource. It’s carbon-free, and displaces dirtier fossil fuels. Once it’s more widely understood, it should be embraced as a key part of New York’s clean energy future.

Underwood is founder and a board member, Energy Vision (www.energyvision.org)

For more news & events happening now visit www.TheVillager.com

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Schneps Media

Op-Ed

Letters errs to to the the E Editor di 13): Alec Baldwin is going to tell us about gentrification in the Village when he is part of the problem? The only thing more hilarious would be to have someone from N.Y.U. on the panel. Oh. ...

An open letter to NYC predatory landlords

BY JIM MARKOWICH

T

o the New York City real estate tycoons who are lamenting the new rent laws in New York State: It’s really not so bad.

I know, I know. It’s hard to be chipper when you look ahead and you see your return on investment tanking on the whole predatory-equity gamble.

Rent regulation was always an obstacle to windfall profits, but you were making progress — chipping away at it since the 1990s. More and more apartments were pried loose from regulation through the loopholes that gave you legal leverage against it, courtesy of successive state Legislatures that appreciated your money.

In recent years, you were tempted to up the ante, and get rid of rent regulation completely: Buy up those old buildings at way more than market value — what small landlord wouldn’t jump to sell to you? Remove the rent-regulated tenants…or deny their existence — that could be attributed later to a clerical error, if need be. Put in granite countertops and hardwood flooring. Find a handful of young people willing to shell out $5,000 a month to share each fifth-floor walk-up that you would convert to two or more bedrooms.

You knew it would be risky. But your spreadsheets showed great upside potential. (You pride yourself on risk tolerance, anyway.) It helped that some big-name banks were more than willing to repeatedly give you the loans you needed.

All in all, it was such a great plan.

You even got some buildings started, until remaining tenants started making a fuss over all the demolition-related lead dust, calling 311 like it was some big inconvenience to them and their poor, little kids.

And what’s worse — now there are these new rent laws, all in favor of rent-regulated tenants! Who are these new senators and assemblymembers? Are they really willing to listen to tenants, rather than to corporate lobbyists? What’s gotten into Cuomo?

So, yes. It’s tough to acknowledge that these predatory-equity plans turned out to be bad investments after all. You may have to put those plans for a third Mercedes on hold. Maybe you’ll have to settle for a vacation in Europe instead of Tahiti next year.

But what can you do to mitigate the losses? These tenement buildings with two remaining regulated tenants paying you a grand a month are bleeding your cash flow. It’s not going to be easy to find someone willing to take them off your hands, either, like it would have been in 2015. And you’ll be damned if you’re going to invest in gut renovations now. What good are I.A.I.’s (individual apartment improvements) if they don’t raise the rent to the point where apartments get deregulated?

It’s such a mess that you may have to just wake up from the dream — sell and cut your losses. But no developer worth his wine cellar is going to overpay for them like you did when you were caught up in the speculative frenzy. So you’ll have to look for some civic do-gooder — some preservation buyer or a community land trust, or sell directly to the tenants for pennies on the dollar. The PR value of a move like that would be substantial. If the state attorney general decides to investigate and punish more predatory-equity practitioners, something like that could weigh in your favor.

Markowich, an East Villager since 1976, is a member of Tenants Taking Control, a group started by former tenants of Raphael Toledano that works with Cooper Square Committee and local politicians “to end predatory equity and reestablish safe, affordable housing in New York City.” A Cooper Union graduate, he works as a computer programer.

Schneps Media

Karen Kramer

Setting some things straight A ssemblymember Richard Gottfried voted against the bill to remove religious exemptions for vaccinations.

The politician told WNYC before the vote, “I’m wrestling with it. I have always been a ver y strong proponent of maximizing vaccination. But I’m concerned about taking away that First Amendment protection” of religious freedoms.

Vaxx vote outrage

serve the 14A Abington bus loop. The people are counting on you.

To The Editor: I suspect that after all these years of his being only a political employee, state Senator Richard Gottfried thinks he can vote against vaccination and no one will notice or care. Wrong.

Only really ignorant people vote against vaccinating children when the facts are that they are way, way safer being vaccinated than being left open to infections and infecting others. And Gottfried is chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Health.

Won’t someone progressive run against Gottfried, who has never had a job other than being on the public dole? There must be someone!

Alison Greenberg

Carolynn R. Meinhardt

Pleading for bus justice To The Editor: Re “Save our bus loop” (oped, by Barbara Ruether, June 20): It’s so disturbing that residents who rely on this bus for transport, whether for day-today travel, work or medical appointments, have to plead for justice in the local paper. But at least we do have The Villager to be an important place for getting out the plea, so eloquently stated by Ruether.

Electeds, please fight to pre-

TVG

Beyond biomethane To The Editor: Re “M.T.A. drive for renewable-gas buses” (news article, June 20): It’s a potential positive resource, but the hazards of biomethane do need tending to, especially since all pipelines are prone to leakage and methane is quite problematic, in that regard.

It’s similar to concerns with electric vehicles, where estimated benefits often don’t take the cleanliness of the electricsupply grid into account. And don’t neglect biodiesel, not from Midwest-cropped soybeans, but from W.V.O. (waste vegetable oil), which major urban areas generate in abundance. Heating boilers and vehicles can be modified to run on 100-percent BD (biodiesel), with controlled storage and distribution obviating much of the greenhouse gases.

John Nettleton

Baldwin is hilarious To The Editor: Re “Baldwin gets serious at Judson” (news article, June

To The Editor: Re “Woody Guthrie and the Fred Trump blues” (arts article, May 16) and “Times are achanging’…for protest artists” (arts article, May 30): In the first article, the writer states Bob Dylan got his start at the Gaslight Cafe. Wrong!

He first played at Cafe Wha? behind Fred Neil. And Bob often came into my restaurant with Fred to have a mug of coffee. He also later came with his manager Albert Grossman to watch the people playing electric before he went electric.

On one memorable evening, after I had closed down for the night, Bob spent some time on our piano working out a tune with John Sebastian. Lights out, place closed, just some light from the street outside.

And the second article is completely bogus! Your reporter neglects to mention that Woody Guthrie was a communist! And, as such, he was anti-landlord! Not to take away from Woody’s immense talent as a songwriter.

I knew Woody’s children, Nora and Arlo. They were regulars at the Night Owl Cafe.

Nora went out with one of the musicians in the band The Strangers in 1965.

This article is a cheap shot at our president — and as a left-leaning paper, expected!

Joseph Marra E-mail letters, maximum 250 words, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-2292790 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.

June 27, 2019

13

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June 27, 2019

15

Eats

Ortomare: An Uptown find for authentic Italian

BY GABE HERMAN

F

or Downtown residents willing to broaden their horizons and foray Uptown once in a while, Ortomare, a restaurant and pizzeria on the Upper West Side that serves authentic Italian dishes, is worth the journey.

Ortomare opened in February at 994 Columbus Ave., at W. 109th St. The husband and wife team of Alfredo and Arta Hila, along with Alfredo’s brother Eddie, are the place’s owners. It’s just a few blocks from the 110th St. B/C subway station.

Alfredo and Arta are originally from Albania and lived in Rome for many years. They arrived in New York five years ago. Alfredo, who works in real estate, found the restaurant space and loved it, deciding he wanted to open an eatery there with hearty cuisine.

The restaurant is one big, light-filled, open room, with brick walls and a high ceiling. It seats about 40, with a corner bar, plus outdoor seating.

The pizza is cooked in a wood-fired oven, which Arta said is the authentic Roman style. They even brought in a pizzaiolo from Rome, where he had cooked pizza pies for 20 years.

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June 27, 2019

COURTESY ORTOMARE

A Neapolitan pizza margherita from Or tomare, which uses a woodfired oven.

The restaurant’s name comes from orto e mare, which translates to “garden and sea.” But there are also meat options on the menu, along with homemade pastas made on the premises.

Most of the restaurant’s foods and ingredients are imported from Italy, including flour, prosciutto and cheeses.

The desserts are made in-house, includ-

ing chocolate cake, gelato and panna cotta.

The homemade emphasis can be tasted in the dishes, from appetizers, like minestrone soup chockful of vegetables, to margherita pizza and fettuccine with mushrooms and spinach.

A lunch prix fi xe menu includes an appetizer and an entrée for $14.99, or

CNW

$18.99 with dessert. The brunch menu on weekends and holidays includes pizza, panini, egg and salad options.

Other appetizers include fried calamari, Caesar salad and slowly cooked meatballs in tomato sauce from the brick oven. Appetizers run about $8 to $14.

Along with many pasta and pizza dishes, which range from about $14 to $18, other main courses include grilled salmon, chicken parmigiana, sliced grilled New York strip steak, and stuffed chicken with spinach and fontina cheese, all for around $21 to $25.

Arta and Alfredo share the restaurant’s management duties based around work and family obligations.

Arta, a researcher at Columbia University, recently got her Ph.D. there in international law.

The restaurant gets busy for dinner and on weekends, but is quieter for lunch since it’s in a residential area, Arta said.

“It’s become a neighborhood place where people meet,” she said. “Customers are returning and bringing other people. That makes us happy.”

Ortomare is open daily except Mondays. More information can be found at ortomare.com.

Schneps Media

COURTESY NICOLE FELICIANO

The West Prep group in Costa Rica in April.

At West Prep, helping schools abroad

BY GABE HERMAN

W

est Prep Academy middle school on the Upper West Side offers a unique service learning program that gives students a special opportunity to work abroad with vulnerable children in Costa Rica.

Seventh and eighth graders at West Prep, at 150 W. 105 St., participate in the program, which partners with the nonprofit Squads Abroad. The group travels to Guanacaste, Costa Rica, where they help to refurbish local schools.

This April, students in the program painted several murals in Costa Rica, including educational images for children to learn from, according to Nicole Feliciano, head Schneps Media

of the West Prep social studies department. Feliciano teaches the class with Chante Orane, a West Prep eighthgrade science teacher.

During the April trip, the group also constructed a new bookshelf in a classroom, and started to build relationships with the children through art and play, Feliciano said.

Feliciano transitioned seven years ago from private schools to the public school system.

“The middle school students in my private schools had multiple opportunities to travel internationally,” she said. “Beyond working to close the academic achievement gap, I look to close the opportunity gap for our scholars at West Prep Academy. It is critical to the development of our scholars that

COURTESY NICOLE FELICIANO

The Upper West Side students built and painted a bookshelf during the trip, among other activities.

TVG

they have experiences — specifically ones in which they are able to engage within a community — that are on par with their peers in other schools.”

While West Prep doesn’t have the budget to fund overseas trips for its students, the staff was able to raise funds and last year brought in $20,000. The money allowed for nine students to travel to Costa Rica. Feliciano plans to return there next February with more students.

“We will continue to fundraise on behalf of our students,” she said, “and look for people and organizations who are willing to spread the word about the amazing things our scholars are doing.”

June 27, 2019

17

New to the city or moving to a new neighborhood? Our Family Welcome Centers will

Transportation Centers Workers Tell Lawmakers at Town Hall of Challenges Accessing Health Insurance State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman and 32BJ SEIU President Hector Figueroa led the discussion on providing beneďŹ ts supplement compensation for transportation centers’ workers to use to acquire quality, affordable health insurance Jordany Bueno, a 28-year-old LaGuardia Airport wheelchair agent, told a panel that his employer’s health insurance is not an option to treat his epilepsy because it is simply too expensive but that the costs and expenses of going without health insurance are piling up. “I had a seizure at work one day and was rushed by ambulance to the emergency room,â€? Bueno said. “The ambulance bill alone came to $1,000.

I am still paying that and the hospital bills. I kept getting bills and bills.�

State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi and Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman have introduced the landmark Healthy Terminals Act bills to provide workers beneďŹ ts supplement compensation that thousands of workers at New York’s transportation hubs can use to acquire this health insurance. If the bills become law, they would apply to workers at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, New York Stewart International Airport, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Station. “At the airports, we fought long and hard to improve our wages and we ďŹ nally won,â€? Bueno continued. “But one of the unintended consequences of our victory is that I am no longer eligible for the city health insurance that I was using to get treatment and pay all

18

June 27, 2019

the expenses for my epilepsy medications. “I see my doctor every three months. That is $125 each visit. My epilepsy medication, plus a calcium supplement to beat back lupus, which is a possible side effect of the medication, cost me $75 discounted. I also get terrible headaches, another side effect of the epilepsy. It costs $200 to get the medication for the headaches. I take a blood test every three months so my doctor can calibrate my epilepsy medication. There is a cost for that. I also have to have annual MRI and other scans, which I’ve been putting off, because of the costs.�

Bueno was one of the workers who spoke at a Queens town hall today convened by lawmakers to address challenges workers at New York transportation hubs face trying to acquire the quality, affordable health insurance they desperately need while working in public service, high interaction jobs.

32BJ SEIU President Hector Figueroa pointed out one study that showed four out of 10 Americans say they couldn’t pay for a bill of $400 or more if they had an unexpected medical expense, and the same goes for Terminal workers. “A large share of workers in this country have medical debt which leads to ďŹ nancial hardship, including bad credit scores that inhibit working

families and poverty that further cripples our communities,� Figueroa said. “The New York Healthy Terminals Act will get workers at these vital transportation centers out of this morass and provide a path to achieving quality, affordable health insurance.�

Workers at the town hall shared personal stories of crushing debt and struggles to ďŹ nd quality, affordable health insurance in New York City.

Juniya Montomery, a 55-year-old wheelchair agent, said he took his job at JFK Airport two years ago speciďŹ cally because he wanted health insurance. “Before I became eligible for my company’s insurance, I had not been to a doctor in six years,â€? he said. “I felt I had to look out for my health. I had never had any of the screening and tests that a man my age was supposed to have had. No screening for colon cancer, diabetes, prostate, heart, whatever.â€?

He took his employer’s health insurance as soon as he became eligible on January 1, 2018. “My company’s health insurance cost me $58.85 each pay period,â€? Montomery said. “That’s $235.40 during a four-week month and $294.25 in a ďŹ veweek month. That plan, I believe, has a $5,000 deductible. So, that’s more than $10,000 before I can get meaningful healthcare. It is unaffordable but I take TVG

it and pay for it because my health is a priority for me right now.�

Horace Foster, 61, battled depression and homelessness before undergoing chemotherapy treatment for throat cancer last year. He said he has the opposite problem to Montomery. “I don’t have health insurance because I cannot afford my employer’s plan,� he said. “I don’t want to be sick again. I don’t want to be depressed again. I don’t want to be homeless again.

But, without health insurance, like the one being proposed in the Healthy Terminals Act, I am afraid that all those things may be in my future.�

The lawmakers discussed how transportation center workers could use their proposed law to address the health insurance challenges they described. “Why ďŹ ght for economic justice only to have the lack of quality, affordable health insurance push you back into poverty?â€? Sen. Biaggi asked. “A stable, trained, experienced workforce that knows the facilities, protocols, and chain of communication is essential to the safe and secure operation of New York’s major transportation centers.

That is why we introduced in the New York State Senate and the Assembly the New York Healthy Terminals Act.�

Assembly Member Hyndman said the new New York Healthy Terminals Act will establish higher minimum

standards for pay and beneďŹ ts—including healthcare, holidays and vacations—at travel hubs across the city.

Starting Sept 1, 2020, the new law will establish an employer-paid beneďŹ ts supplement that has already been proven effective with the Service Contract Act, which currently provides $4.48, with small annual increases.

Worker could then use this $4.48 for health insurance or employees working under collectively bargained contracts could negotiate to use this supplement to provide affordable, quality health insurance directly. “I stand with the members of 32BJ SEIU in their ďŹ ght for affordable and adequate healthcare insurance. As one of the largest transit hubs in the world, New York needs a well-equipped, healthy workforce to support our local economy,â€? Assemblywoman Hyndman said. “By establishing minimum wage rates to assist with the high costs of healthcare, the New York Healthy Terminals Act would improve retention, lower turnover and create an environment where experienced workers can envision long-term success.â€?

With 175,000 members in 11 states, including 9,000 airport workers in New York and New Jersey, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country.

Schneps Media

Gay City News new look

D O N AT E Y O U R C A R Wheels For Wishes benefiting

BY PAUL SCHINDLER

Make-A-Wish ÂŽ Metro New York

Y

ou may have noticed in this Pride season that Gay City News has taken on a new look that combines both our full name and our initials presented in lower case as gcn.

The new logo retains the brand identity the newspaper has built over 18 years, but also The redesigned Gay Cit y News logo. allows for quick identification that ties our Web site, Michael Shirey, who for five years gaycitynews.com, to our presence on served as creative director of Gay social-media platforms. “As New York celebrates the 50th City News. Though Shirey has moved anniversary of Stonewall and World- on to other professional pursuits, his Pride, Gay City News honors the appreciation for the newspaper’s mistraditions that have built a vibrant sion made him the perfect candidate L.G.B.T.Q. community but also looks to oversee our rebranding. forward to the progress and chalLook for Gay City News in newslenges ahead,� said Josh Schneps, the C.E.O. of Schneps Media, the news- boxes citywide every other Thursday, paper’s parent company. “The fresh, online at gaycitynews.com and on Famodern style of Gay City News’s new cebook, Twitter and Instagram. logo represents our commitment to Gay City News is a sister paper of the strongest possible presence on all Schneps Media’s Manhattan papers, the media platforms — print, online and social — relevant to our readers The Villager, Chelsea Now, Downhere in the city and worldwide.� town Express and Manhattan ExThe logo design was the work of press.

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Mermaids ’n’ monsters, Guthries make a splash

Woody Guthrie’s children, Arlo (right) and Nora, were the king and queen of last Saturday’s Mermaid Parade. It was the 37th annual Coney Island confab, known for its colorful — and skimpy — costumes. Later that day, the Guthries also unveiled a new sign dubbing Mermaid Ave. between W. 35th and W. 36th Sts. Woody Guthrie Way. The famed folkie and songwriter lived there in the 1940s, in the Beach Haven complex, with

none other than Fred C. Trump as his landlord. As this paper reported, some Guthrie lyrics about “Old Man Trump” were recently unearthed, and in May were performed — to original music — by Will Kaufman at St. Joseph’s Church in the Village, as a fundraiser for The Village Trip festival in the fall.

Lincoln Anderson

PHOTOS BY MILO HESS

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June 27, 2019

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Earle to headline Village Trip

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

A

fter a successful inaugural edition, the Village Trip festival will be returning this fall for a second round.

Suzanne Vega was the headliner for last year’s free concert in Washington Square Park, the festival’s signature event.

This year’s headliner is no lesser talent, another famed singer/songwriter, none other than Steve Earle.

Earle started out penning songs and performing in Nashville at age 19. Over a more than 30-year career, he has gone on to release 16 studio albums and rack up three Grammy Awards.

Some of his better-known hits include “Guitar Town,” “Copperhead Road” and “Transcendental Blues.” Blending rock, country and folk, his songs tell compelling stories, and are driven by his supple guitar playing.

The Village-based fest will run from Thurs., Sept. 26, to Sun., Sept. 29, with the park concert on Sat., Sept. 28, starting at 5 p.m.

Two other acts will also be on the bill that evening, including The Tall Pines with special guests. The Village Trip is

COURTESY STEVE EARLE

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Steve Earle will per form at this year’s Village Trip festival concer t in Washington Square Park in early fall.

not ready to announce the guests yet.

The Washington Square concert will be just one of the music events during this year’s festival, which will also feature panel discussions on social justice, a program for kids held at LREI school, book and author events, and classical music.

Venues will include The Bitter End, like last year, plus Joe’s Pub. More details about the events will be forthcoming.

Liz Thomson is the Village Trip’s founder. A Brit with a deep love for everything Greenwich Village, she felt the neighborhood lacked a proper festival to celebrate its special history and abiding famed creative spirit.

“I’m thrilled that Steve Earle is headlining ‘Bringing It All Back Home to Washington Square,’ our free concert in the park that is the focal point of The Village Trip,” Thomson told this paper. “He is a wonderful performer whose songs speak to our times. And of course he has an album titled ‘Washington Square Serenade.’ Our second festival is off to a great start.”

Cagey artist makes a ‘psychic break’

BY BOB KR ASNER

H

edy Zhang, a fine-art major at Parsons, started branching out into performance art last year.

But it wasn’t until a Saturday a couple

not speak to anyone except her assistants while performing) was to make people aware that they sometimes put themselves into their own psychological prisons. By becoming aware of this, they can begin to break free.

When it was over, she kicked open the door, breaking it.

“The most difficult part of this performance,” Zhang explained, “was to get over my own fear and finish it — I didn’t know how people in New York City would react.”

For announcements of Zhang’s upcoming performances, check @ hedyyyyyyyyyy on Instagram.

of weekends ago that she put herself out into a public space — in a cage. More specifically, a dog crate, in which she sat for 10 hours in Union Square Park performing a silent piece called “Self Imprison.”

The idea, she explained later (she did

PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER

Zhang said she had to overcome her fears to do the cage project.

PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER

Per formance ar tist Hedy Zhang in Union Square Park on June 15.

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Free help signing up for low- or no-cost health insurance, regardless of immigration status • Call 311 • Text CoveredNYC to 877877 • Visit nyc.gov/health and search health insurance Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to quit, HELP for more information. For Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, visit nyc.gov/health

Health

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June 27, 2019

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Manhattan Happenings New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West.

BY MICAEL A MACAGNONE

PRIDE LaMaMa gathering: L.G.B.T.Q. artists from New York City, Philadelphia, Paris, Italy and South Korea will participate in Stonewall 50 at La MaMa, at Tony Award-winning venue La MaMa ETC, at 66 E. Fourth St., from May 23 to June 30, as part of World Pride. This weekend they present “Contradict This! A Birthday Funeral For Heroes.” Created and performed

by Dito Van Reigersberg (a.k.a. Martha Graham Cracker), K. Elizabeth Stevens and John Jarboe, “Contradict This!” features drag, table dancing, power ballads, gender deconstruction and more. Shows on June 27, 28 and 29 are at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $25 and can be bought at http://www.lamama.org/stonewall/.

Celebrate L.G.B.T. families: Presented in partnership with the L.G.B.T. Community Center, Family Festival: Kidding Around Pride Picnic is a celebration of L.G.B.T.Q. families and Pride. Young ones and their families, caregivers and friends are invited to a summer festival with carnivalstyle games, face painting, a musical performance and lots more. Refreshments will be served. Every week more than 6,000 people visit The Center’s home in Greenwich Village to access life-changing and life-saving services.

“Kidding Around” is The Center’s series of monthly play days for L.G.B.T.Q. families with children. Sat., June 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The High Line, at 16th St. and 10th Ave. Free.

Youth work it: In collaboration with SummerStage, World Pride NYC hosts a Youth Pride event for L.G.B.T.Q. teens. This event is free and open to the public under age 21, but registration is required. There is a $10 registration fee for individuals 21 and over.

Artist Ava Max will headline the event, which will also feature Deetranada and 16-year-old DJ Nhandi. The event will also include a fashion show. Sat., June 29, noon to 6 p.m., at SummerStage, Central Park, at E. 69th St. near Fifth Ave. Artistic uprising: “Art After Stonewall, 1969-1989,” coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, is the first major exhibition to examine the impact of the L.G.B.T.Q. civil-rights movement on the art world.

Much has been written on the impact of the gay-and-lesbian liberation movement on American society —and yet, almost 50 years after Stonewall, key artists and their artworks are little known. This exhibition, including more than 150 art pieces and related materials, focuses on the work of openly L.G.B.T.Q. artists, like Vaginal Davis, Michela Griffo, Lyle Ashton HarSchneps Media

FACTS ’N’ FUN Revolutionary trivia: Do you know who won the Battle of Brooklyn? How about what George Washington’s favorite breakfast beverage was? Can you name three important Revolutionary War sites in New York? If you know the answers to those questions (or even if you don’t), bring your friends for a fun night of trivia at the historic NewYork Historical Society’s Library, courtesy of the fact fanatics at Trivia, AD. Ages 21 and up. Wine included with ticket, $20 (members $18). Buy tickets by phone at 212-485-9268 or at www. nyhistory.org/programs/revolutionarytrivia-night. Fri, July 12, 8 p.m., at the Library at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West.

OUTDOORS

Enjoy a festive night in the beautiful Elizabeth St. Garden while helping raise funds to save it from the de Blasio administration’s wrecking ball.

ris, David Hockney, Greer Lankton, Robert Mapplethorpe, Catherine Opie and Andy Warhol, and also considers the practices of such artists as Vito Acconci, Diane Arbus, Judy Chicago, and Barkley Hendricks, in terms of their engagement with a newly emerging queer subculture. Divided into two parts, the show is on view at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, at 26 Wooster St., which will primarily present works from the 1970s, and at the Grey Art Gallery, at 100 Washington Square East, which will focus on art from the 1980s. Through Sun., July 21.

Free.

Piecing it together: Brookfield Place is partnering with the WorldPride / Stonewall 50 AIDS Memorial Quilt Display Initiative. In collaboration with L.G.B.T.Q. community leaders, Brookfield Place, along with other city-based institutions, will display nine panels from the The AIDS Memorial Quilt.

This is the second time The AIDS Me-

morial Quilt initiative is visiting Brookfield Place. One thousand quilts were displayed in the Winter Garden in June 1992. Through July 1, at the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey St. Free.

FOURTH OF JULY Some history, by George: Join the New-York Historical Society for its Revolutionary Summer opening day by exploring George Washington’s encampment. Enter the Headquarters Tent, meet the man himself, and experience daily life in the Continental Army. Events include a reading of the Declaration of Independence by a “live historian” portraying President John Adams. Free Admission for kids age 17 and under, otherwise tickets are $21 for adults. Buy tickets online at www. nyhistory.org/childrens-museum/visit.

Thurs., July 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the TVG

Garden defense: This Thursday, the Elizabeth St. Garden will be holding a fundraiser to support a legal team trying to protect and preserve the garden from development for city-sponsored housing project. The funds will also go toward supporting public programming and maintance for the garden. There will be live music, free food and beverages. $50 suggested donation. RSVP to events@elizabethstreetgarden.com.

From Freight to Flowers: Join the High Line docents for a free 75-minutelong tour that provides an insider’s perspective on the elevated park’s history, design and landscape. Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., until October. Meet on the High Line at Gansevoort St.

MOVIES Tangled, troubling legacy: This screening is part of “Prison Images: Incarceration And The Cinema.” “13th,” directed by Ava DuVernay, is one of the most informative and accessible documentaries about the American prison system to be released in recent years, “13TH” traces the roots of today’s disproportionately high incarceration rate of African Americans back to the creation of the 13th Amendment, which officially abolished slavery after the Civil War — “except as punishment for a crime.” As numerous scholars, lawyers, politicians and activists in the film argue, the 13th Amendment was a veiled means of continuing the legal enslavement of black people living in the American capitalist democracy. Sun., June 30, 4 p.m., at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave. Free.

June 27, 2019

23

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A bank account, for starters.

Get an IDNYC. You can use your free NYC identiďŹ cation card to open a bank account. Your IDNYC also gets you easy access to online courses and City services, as well as discounted tickets, prescriptions, and groceries. It’s the card that opens doors all over the city.

All NYC residents 10 and older are eligible to apply. Call 311 or visit nyc.gov/idnyc

24

June 27, 2019

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SPEED CAMERAS ARE

WORKING LONGER HOURS! To save lives, New York City is expanding its use of speed cameras.

On July 11th, the City will start issuing speed camera violations from 6 AM – 10 PM, Monday through Friday, year round. The City will operate speed cameras in 750 school speed zones. Expanding the speed camera law is one aspect of the City’s comprehensive plan to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Learn more at nyc.gov/visionzero.

®

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June 27, 2019

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June 27, 2019

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June 27, 2019

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June 27, 2019

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Real Estate

Your ‘forever home’ right in a garden “little garden in a big city” on “Open Gate Days”; the next one is Sun., June 30. For more information, visit MarbleCemetery.org.

If you’re not shopping for a vault, perhaps you might be interested in some of these offerings:

BY MARTHA WILKIE

F

or an affordable (for the East Village) $350,000, you can buy a place and never have to move again. The catch? It’s a marble burial vault located beneath 3 feet of soil.

New York Marble Cemetery (not to be confused with the New York CityMarble Cemetery nearby) is a private cemetery founded in 1831. Epidemics prompted the city to ban burials below 14th St., and the vaults were offered as a safe alternative.

Descendants of the original owners are entitled to be interred there, although the last one was in 1937 (check the Web site for your ancestors).

Because of the complex ownership scheme, legally, the cemetery couldn’t be relocated and will be there for eternity.

For the first time in decades, the nonprofit cemetery association is offering two vaults for sale. It wasn’t an easy process. Caroline DuBois, the association’s president, is a direct descendant of Cornelius DuBois, an original owner.

“In order to reclaim a vault, it had to be empty,” she explained. “It was the style of the day to move remains when a family relocated. We had to research the genealogy and prove there were no possible heirs, post legal notices, and, finally, get permission from the State of

A rental studio looking for a tenant boasts generous outdoor space — a roof deck and patio perfect for summer drinks with friends. $2,150.

(Brow nstoner.com /listing/CIT IHABITATS-1976007/east-village-ny10003) A furnished two-bedroom, one-bath rental features an ornamental fireplace. $3,000. ( Br ow n stoner.c om / l ist i ng / N T2721530/120-e-10th-st-2-east-villageny-10003) Picnicking in New York Marble Cemeter y.

New York.”

The cemetery is a landscaped, walled garden hidden behind a locked gate. No headstones, but worn stone plaques line the masonry walls. Since the vaults are sealed, a loved one could be interred wrapped in a shroud or in a wicker basket.

DuBois is passionate about the cemetery’s history. She plans to join her forebears someday.

“I’ll be the fifth generation in our vault,” she declared.

The garden may be rented for events —but requests for morbid gatherings like a midnight vampire party will be politely turned down. Weddings are popular.

“Often the mother-in-law objects, but once she sees the garden in person, she’s charmed,” DuBois said.

The public is invited to visit this

An attractive one-bedroom, one-bath with exposed brick and an eat-in-kitchen is on the market for $565,000 (Brownstoner.com/listing/URBANCOMPASS-91112052063476433/327e-3rd-st-east-village-ny-10009/) A bright one-bedroom, one-bath, with furnished roof deck, dazzles with Chrysler Building views. $600,000.

(Brow nstoner.com/listing/ N YCReal-Estate-523797/121-e-10th-st-eastvillage-ny-10003/)

L.E.S. lottery for affordable senior housing

BY GABE HERMAN

T

he city opened its affordable housing lottery on June 19 for apartments at 140 Essex St., a building that is part of the Essex Crossing development and that will be exclusively for low-income seniors.

The Lower East Side building will be on Essex St. between Rivington and Stanton Sts. Scheduled to open in 2020, it will have 92 total units.

Eighty-four of the units will be studio apartments available through the lottery, starting at $331 per month. The other eight units will be earmarked for formerly homeless seniors.

The studio units are open to senior households making between zero and 60 percent of area median income, or individuals earning up to $40,000 per year.

There will be a 50 percent preference for residents within Manhattan’s Community Board 3. In turn, half of those units will be prioritized for for-

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June 27, 2019

COURTESY BEYER BLINDER BELLE

A rendering of 140 Essex Street.

mer residents of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area a.k.a. SPURA. People can apply online at nyc.gov/ housingconnect, where more information can be found on the available apartments and income requirements.

An application can also be requested by mail, by sending a self-addressed

envelope to: Essex Crossing Site 8/Triborough Finance New Station, P.O. Box 2011, NY, NY, 10035-9997. Applications should either be submitted online or postmarked no later than Aug. 20.

“It’s incredibly meaningful that the first building to open as part of Essex Crossing’s second phase will provide TVG

housing exclusively for low-income seniors — an increasingly critical resource on the Lower East Side,” said Don Capoccia, principal at BFC Partners, which is a developer of Essex Crossing. “We’re proud to work with the city to make affordable senior housing services a top priority at Essex Crossing.”

Residents of 140 Essex will all have access to a senior center a few blocks away at 175 Delancey St., which opened last year at Essex Crossing’s Frances Goldin Senior Apartments.

The ground floor of 140 Essex will also have 9,600 square feet of retail space when it opens.

There was an information session about the available units at 140 Essex St. hosted by Delancey Street Associates, another developer of Essex Crossing, on Wed., June 26, at 175 Delancey St., in the Grand Street Settlement’s community room.

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Enroll Your Building Staff in a FREE Recycling Training

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