The local paper for Downtown wn THE ENDURING LEGACY OF A MASTERPIECE ◄ P.12
WEEK OF MAY-JUNE
30-5 2019
HUNDREDS PROTEST ABORTION LAWS
DON’T LET JOINT PAIN WEAR YOU DOWN Strategies and treatments for dealing with the most common form of arthritis. P. 6
ACTIVISM More than 500 demonstrators gathered in downtown Manhattan to oppose anti-abortion legislation passed in other states
By banning abortions, we’re only banning safe abortions.”
JOE NAMATH: THE HEART OF A CHAMPION
Protester Rene Jameson, 19
The Hall of Fame quarterback is still much loved by fans, and with good reason, P. 19
BY NICOLE ROSENTHAL
Hundreds of people gathered in Foley Square on Tuesday evening to protest the restrictive abortion legislation enacted in Alabama and other states in the South and Midwest. The rally, organized by the New York City chapter of Planned Parenthood, included keynote speakers such as New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred and Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood.
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INSIDE
‘I LOVE THE KIDS’
Photo: Nicole Rosenthal
MAPPING LGBT HISTORY We want people to understand that LGBT history is American history ... We want to show people that the community had such a big influence on American and New York City culture.” Ken Lustbader, co-director of the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project
SOCIETY Historic sites project highlights key NYC landmarks for activism and culture BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
As New York City prepares to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising this June, one group is seeking to bring attention to the often underappreciated past of the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community through a focus on historic landmarks. The NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, launched in
site of the 1969 clashes between gay New Yorkers and police that helped spark the LGBT rights movement in New York City and across the country — is, of course, included on the map, as are a number of other prominent Greenwich Village sites that have made the neighborhood a hub of LGBT culture and activism for decades. But part of the project’s goal is to
2015 by a group of historians and preservationists, has set out to document the breadth and diversity of New York City’s LGBT culture in an interactive online map featuring research on an ever-growing list of significant sites that currently features over 150 entries. The Stonewall Inn —
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A school safety officer with 40 years on the job is recognized for her dedication. P. 9
A GYM TO CALL THEIR OWN City announces plans to build new gymnasium space for Eleanor Roosevelt H.S. P. 15
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
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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