The local paper for Downtown wn THE MUSEUM AT FIT TURNS 50
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2019
‘I WAS IN A DARK TUNNEL’ SENIOR HEALTH
DANGER IN THE FOOD DESERTS ▲ P.2
TIMES SQUARE LOVE STORIES ▲ P.9
‘IF WE HAD A GYM...’ ▲ P.15
HE FOUGHT TO FIND HIMSELF ▲ P.21
How the Henry Street Settlement works to lift seniors from isolation and depression BY BRIAN DEMO
Basilisa Riggio, 76, came to the United States from Puerto Rico when she was two. She was surrounded by people for most of her life. She helped raise two children and is now a grandmother of three. She earned a master’s degree from Adelphi University and taught early education at Public School 42 in the Bronx. But her life changed. She and her husband divorced, the children began their adult lives, and she retired as a full-time teacher. She felt lonely. And that loneliness led to anxiety; and her anxiety deepened into depression. “I was in a dark tunnel,” she said. Today, she credits programs run by the Henry Street Settlement for teaching her how to manage her anxiety and depression, while giving her a sense of community. “The social work helped me. The exercises helped me. We have a lot of workshops. All those workshops helped.” Henry Street’s array of senior health offerings include NORC/ Vladek, a partnership with the NYC Housing Authority (NORC stands for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community); the Henry Street Senior Center; the Senior Companion program; the Center for Active and Successful Aging (CASA); and Health Seniors Select Meals on Wheels. In addition to on-site counseling, support and health services, Henry Street social workers visit seniors, who often remain at home for physical or mental health reasons.
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HOUSING Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer vows legal action if city allows private development on NYCHA land without public land use review BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial plan to allow a private developer to build a residential tower on the grounds of a Yorkville public housing development without a public land use review could spur a legal showdown with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. In a Feb. 20 letter to de Blasio, Brewer signaled her intent to take legal action if the mayor grants zoning waivers to the project, rather than subjecting it to the city’s extensive Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP. Fetner Properties’ planned 500-foot tower, which would sit directly between the two existing 25-story buildings of the Holmes Towers campus at East 92nd St. and First Ave., would not adhere to zoning requirements governing open space, building spacing and setbacks. Brewer objects to the administration’s planned use of a mechanism known as a mayoral zoning override to waive these restrictions, effec-
Posters help raise awareness among seniors about free depression screenings. Photo: Brian Demo Downtowner
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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