The local paper for Downtown wn A LOVE NEST AT THE RUBIN, CITYARTS, < P. 12
WEEK OF JUNE
9-15 2016
Snapshot of Summer
Photo by Bill Gunlocke It’s the season to be outside. Do you have a photograph that captures our town in the summer of 2016? Send it to us at news@strausnews.com
CHELSEA’S OLDEST HOME BECOMES BATTLEGROUND Residents, elected officials urge city agency to nix planned structural changes, but neighbors say alterations are needed BY JEFFREY KOPP
Several dozen Chelsea residents rallied on Saturday to protest a preliminary approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission permitting drastic alterations to Chelsea’s oldest dwelling. The four-bedroom home, at 404 West 20th St., was built in 1830 and is considered a district treasure because of its Federal style and became a model for nearby Cushman Row, according
to the 1970 historic district designation report and a letter to the LPC from Community Board 4. It is also wellknown by many Chelsea residents because its previous owners, the Doyles, hosted meetings for various advocacy groups in the community. After its sale last year, for a reported $6.5 million, its new owner, British banker Ajoy Veer Kapoor, submitted plans to alter the house. According to an April letter from Community Board 4 to the chair of the LPC, carrying out the plan would “demolish the entire house except for its brick street façade.” The exact plans are somewhat vague and neither a representative for Kapoor nor the LPC clarified whether
the plans would involve a wrecking ball or simply stabilization and renovation efforts. In a letter to commission Chairman Meenakshi Srinivasan, Councilman Corey Johnson, state Senator Brad Hoylman, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and Gail Brewer, the Manhattan borough president, urged the commission to reject the application. “The proposed alterations to this building and elimination of the alleyway are an insult and contrary to the purpose of historic districts and to the Chelsea Historic District. The owner knew when he bought this
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Residents and elected officials rallied Saturday in front of Chelsea’s oldest home, on West 20th Street, urging the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission to reject alteration plans submitted by its new owner. Photo: Jeffrey Kopp Downtowner
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WEEK OF APRIL
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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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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Chapter 15
EVE AND OTHERS BY ESTHER COHEN
Previously: A man whose name may have been Alyosha (could it have been a stage name? He was a dancer.) vanished. A group of tenants on the Upper West Side decided to try and find him. They went to his empty apartment, where they met with his handsome super, a man named Anibal. They stood around the refrigerator, the group of them. Alyosha’s apartment did not look lived in. It had a temporary quality, the opposite of cozy. Nothing seemed well-used. The room was too grey, and too white. No plants, no books, no comfortable chair or couch. All he had in the refrigerator was a single Budweiser, in a can. Not even an old apple. No real clues to who he was. Not really. Pin Ball did a reading out loud of the letter in question. Although his was more a drag queen identity, of the old
fashioned variety, he loved sequins in all colors especially silver, they reminded him of fish scales, even on his supermarket forays, he wore something sequined. He’d sewed them onto his Converse hightops. Pin Ball’s voice, however, was otherwise. Loud and authoritative. Pin Ball knew how to emote. “Dear Good Friend Sir,” he boomed. By the time he got to the conclusion, he’d morphed into Maria Callas, singing out loud: “Yours In Hope, In God, In Good Will, and In Eternal Friendship, Yoruba Edo Efik, Jr. Jr.” Every single person clapped. It was Anibal who brought them all back into focus. Practical Anibal, who could mend broken pipes, paint and plaster, who knew how to lay down tiles and fix the plumbing.
Illustration by John S. Winkleman “I found a phone number,” he said. “It’s in Israel, I think. He told me once that he was from Jerusalem. Anyway
HELP US SOLVE THE MYSTERY DEAR READERS of this serial novel: We are asking for your participation. Tell us what you think about where Alyosha might have vanished, and where we should seek out clues. Where
did he go? And why do people disappear in the first place? Do you know anyone who has disappeared or wants to? Tell us. Email us at news@strausnews.com
it’s an international number. He said I just remembered that now.” “Israel,” said Mrs. Israel, and she laughed, something she did not do often. “You may not believe this,” she announced to the room, “but I’ve never been there. My husband either,” she added. “Turkoff is my maiden name, by the way.” “Noted,” said Charles, who brought a yellow pad of his own to his first detective outing. He liked the idea that detectives had yellow pads. “I’m worried,” said Naomi, who
worried all too often, “that we are losing sight of our goal. To find Alyosha. How many people think he answered this insane letter, that he actually fell for what has to be a scam?” “I would,” said Eve. “I’m not sure it’s so crazy. There’s always a chance it can happen. Why not? Are we all so cynical?” she asked. “Do you actually think that?” asked Charles. “This can’t be a real letter.” Richard and Richard both looked annoyed. “He was amused by the letter,” said Richard Number one, “that’s all.” Naomi put her hands in front of her mouth – an imaginary megaphone. “Ladies And Gentlemen and Everyone Else,” she said. The emptyish studio echoed. “Let’s actually do something. Let’s go to Anibal’s apartment on the second floor and call the number. Maybe Alyosha himself will answer. Our search will be over.” “Why would he have walked away?” asked Charles. “Just like that? There’s got to be a reason.” “If we call maybe he’ll tell us,” Naomi said. “My phone is your phone,” Anibal said, and they all walked down the stairs in single file.
lower manhattan has many landmarks. but only one hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. Just two blocks southeast of City Hall at 170 William Street.
nyp.org/lowermanhattan
JUNE 9-15,2016
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
POLICE SEARCHING FOR MAN WHO POSED AS UBER DRIVER Police in New York City say a man posing as a driver for a ride-hailing service threatened to shoot and sexually assault a woman who mistakenly got into his car and also robbed her. Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect in the May 15 incident. Police say the woman got into a car that she thought was an Uber ride in Manhattan. Then she noticed they’d passed her exit. The suspect demanded money and threatened her. Police say the woman handed over an iPhone, wallet, $20, a debit card, a MetroCard, a jacket and a pair of gold earrings. She was able to escape unharmed when he stopped at a red light. Police have released a sketch of the suspect.
The local paper for Downtown
CHOPPER WHOPPER
LIM TRIM
STATS FOR THE WEEK
Manhattan seems to have become a Bermuda Triangle for motorcycles. At 10 p.m. on May 24, a 37-year-old man parked his late model BMW on the northeast corner of Second Place and Battery Place. When he returned the following morning at 8 a.m., his twowheeler was missing. Police found no evidence at the scene, and apparently, the cycle had no wheel or brake locks or an alarm. The stolen bike was a black 2015 BMW S1000R bearing PA plates B8631. The bike is valued at $15,000.
One thief went right to the source of some designer luggage. At 6:30 p.m. on April 29, an unknown man let himself into the company office of 3.1 Phillip Lim located at 304 Hudson St. and helped himself to merchandise. The items stolen included a 3.1 Phillip Lim backpack valued at $1,200 and another priced at $925, along with a 3.1 Phillip Lim handbag valued at $1,000 and another tagged at $900, making a total haul of $4,025.
Reported crimes from the 1st precinct
LAID DOWN AND PICKED UP
GRAND STREET THEFT AUTO
At 6 p.m. on May 24, a 45-year-old woman put her wallet on the counter of the Starbucks at 482 West Broadway while completing a purchase. She exchanged cash with the cashier and then left the location, forgetting that she had left the wallet on the counter. It was not until that evening that she realized what she had done. Unauthorized charges turned up on her credit cards. Items stolen included a black Prada wallet with gold accents valued at $2,000, $930 in cash, a New Jersey driver’s license, work authorization papers, a Social Security card, plus debit and credit cards.
In the future, a visitor from New Jersey may elect to park his car in a garage. At early on Sunday, May 29, a 31-year-old man parked his black 2002 Acura RSX in front of 41 Grand St. and left to go out with some friends. When he returned to his parking spot at 3:15 a.m., his car was no longer there. He searched the area but could not find his missing vehicle. There was no broken glass at the parking spot, and the car’s spare key was at home. A license plate reader showed the car going through the Holland Tunnel at the very same time the owner found the car missing. He told police he had left his wallet in the car, and sure enough, unauthorized
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Week to Date
Year to Date
2016 2015
% Change
2016
2015
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
0
n/a
Rape
0
0
n/a
6
2
200.0
Robbery
3
3
0.0
25
19
31.6
Felony Assault
1
2
-50.0
28
32
-12.5
Burglary
2
4
-50.0
55
55
0.0
Grand Larceny
23
26
-11.5
432
391
10.5
Grand Larceny Auto
4
0
n/a
13
6
116.7
charges turned up on his Chase debit card for $400 at 1 Harmon Plaza in Secaucus, N.J. The stolen car was a black 2002 Acura RSX with New Jersey plates M47GMD valued at $3,100. Other items missing included a Prada import wallet worth $400, plus Xanax, Adderall, and credit, dental, insurance, and office access cards.
TABLET TAKEN
p.m. on May 23, a 29-year-old woman and her 28-year-old boyfriend parked her gray 2009 Hyundai Elantra in front of 26 Thompson St. before going to work. When they returned at 2:30 a.m. the following morning, the rear driver’sside window had been broken and the boyfriend’s backpack containing his laptop had been taken from the rear driver’s-side seat. The items stolen included a Surface Pro 3 tablet valued at $1,500 and a Tumi backpack worth $400, making a total stolen of $1,900.
Some thieves steal cars; others steal just the contents of the cars. At 7:30
My IDNYC card helps us easily access city resources, from the library to the city hospital. I can get discounts on groceries, medicine, and movie tickets.
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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct
19 ½ Pitt St.
212-477-7311
NYPD 6th Precinct
233 W. 10th St.
212-741-4811
NYPD 10th Precinct
230 W. 20th St.
212-741-8211
NYPD 13th Precinct
230 E. 21st St.
212-477-7411
NYPD 1st Precinct
16 Ericsson Place
212-334-0611
FIRE FDNY Engine 15
25 Pitt St.
311
FDNY Engine 24/Ladder 5
227 6th Ave.
311
FDNY Engine 28 Ladder 11
222 E. 2nd St.
311
FDNY Engine 4/Ladder 15
42 South St.
311
ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin
165 Park Row #11
Councilmember Rosie Mendez
237 1st Ave. #504
212-587-3159 212-677-1077
Councilmember Corey Johnson
224 W. 30th St.
212-564-7757
State Senator Daniel Squadron
250 Broadway #2011
212-298-5565
Community Board 1
1 Centre St., Room 2202
212-442-5050
Community Board 2
3 Washington Square Village
212-979-2272
Community Board 3
59 E. 4th St.
212-533-5300
Community Board 4
330 W. 42nd St.
212-736-4536
Hudson Park
66 Leroy St.
212-243-6876
Ottendorfer
135 2nd Ave.
212-674-0947
Elmer Holmes Bobst
70 Washington Square
212-998-2500
COMMUNITY BOARDS
LIBRARIES
HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian
170 William St.
Mount Sinai-Beth Israel
10 Union Square East
212-844-8400
212-312-5110
CON EDISON
4 Irving Place
212-460-4600
TIME WARNER
46 East 23rd
813-964-3839
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A FAMILY REUNION, TAILS WAGGING NEWS Animal rescue dogs reignited with their siblings BY MICKEY KRAMER
This past Sunday morning, Bentley Keelan-Pelligrino was reunited with his brother Linus Slater, each of whom came to New York City via Puerto Rico, but were adopted out to separate families. The happy reunion took place on West 73rd Street at Camp Canine: Bentley and Linus are Beagle-Chihuahua mixes, rescued by Animal Lighthouse Rescue (ALR). Bentley, named for his one bent ear, and clad in a neck tie (“for special occasions only”) was adopted almost a year ago by Victoria Keelan and Louis Pelligrino. “He’s been amazing,” Keelan said. “We meant to only foster him, but after only two days, we fell in love and adopted him.” Laura Slater became Linus’ forever guardian also a year
ago. “He has brought joy to our lives,” she says. About four years ago, Julie Sinaw was inspired to start ALR after seeing “stacks and stacks” of dogs at Puerto Rico’s only no-kill shelter paired with the knowledge that some 200,000 strays known as satos (slang for “stray” in Puerto Rico) roam free. “Puerto Rico has a 95 to 98 percent kill rate in its municipal shelters, and I thought, ‘What if I just take one dog home?’” Following a quick adoption, her next trip returned two dogs, and ALR grew from there. Mello, a Black Labrador –Pit bull-boxer-mix, who spent much of the morning running up and down the doggie play ramp, was adopted by Allie Ceccola and Kevin Migliore in December. “I would not change it for the world… It’s always great coming home as he’s always so happy to see us,” Migliore says. Tania Isenstein has owned and operated Camp Canine, a dog boarding, daycare, and grooming spot, since 2012. Calling the dogs rescued from
Tania Isenstein and her Animal Lighthouse Rescue, Nacho Puerto Rico, “the sweetest,” Isenstein and Camp Canine have fostered, cared for, and socialized over 100 dogs who are now in loving homes in the
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New York area. Isenstein, herself, adopted three-year-old Nacho about 18 months ago. “I wasn’t intending to adopt, but fell in love,” she recalls of her furry friend who was picked up as a stray in a parking lot in Puerto Rico. Jay Stein came to the reunion with his four-year-old ALRadopted dog, Tamale. Stein is a rabbi in Westchester, and takes his dog to the synagogue almost every day. “The congregation loves her and on the rare day she’s not with me, everyone asks, ‘Where’s Tamale?’” A pair of black lab-mix brothers, Finn and Ajax, happily reunited for the second time since each found permanent families in Jersey City and Murry Hill, respectively. Amy Deipolyi brings Ajax “everywhere” and calls herself a “crazy dog lady.” Along with the morning dog-friendly party, there was also a human-centric nighttime event that featured a silent auction. The auction and morning raffle helped raise about $25,000 for ALR. Isenstein considered her first reunion party a success and hopes to make it an annual event “for fun and to raise awareness and funds.” Sinaw could barely contain her emotions after seeing well over 40 of her dogs at the morning reunion party, “I’ve cried three times already,” she said. “All of these dogs were just a few days from death and now they are all happy.”
JUNE 9-15,2016
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CHELSEA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 landmarked house that it was in the Historic District and one would presume that was much of the charm, besides the house itself,” they wrote last month. “The proposed alterations ... would spoil one of the most historically significant and architecturally distinguished areas in Chelsea and set a bad precedent.” Some community members also argue that the proposed changes violate LPC code and go against the commission’s mission to preserve landmarked buildings. Several elected officials and other community leaders came to voice their support on Saturday. Brewer told the crowd, “You need to follow the law to the n-th degree! ... It’s a no brainer. He [Kapoor] gets to do what the law of that particular building is, and that’s it!” Gottfried also spoke, saying, “The reason this person paid so much for it [the house] is that this community gives it so much value,” he said. “It is profoundly wrong to benefit from the value of the community by trashing that value that your neighbors created. In this case it is also illegal.” A public relations person representing Kapoor, Michele de Milly, and a friend of the owner, Shawn Felker, said it was incorrect to say that Kapoor’s plans for the house were borne of greed or that he was willfully tearing at the neighborhood’s history for his own benefit. “They [the owner and his family] have an interest in doing exactly what has been done up and down this block,” de Milly said. Besides, Felker said, the home’s interior was in shoddy shape. “The inside is structurally deficient. Everything historic about this house is gone,” he said. “Just because it’s 186 years old doesn’t mean you keep it in perpetuity.” A tour of the interior of the house showed
Inside the home, staircases are straining and pulling out of the wall and the curved floors indicate the building is tilting. Ceilings, too, are separating from the rest of the structure. Photo: Jeffrey Kopp
Photo by Deborah Fenker
TINY BARBER, BIG DREAMS PROFILE A 100-square-foot shop fights for business in Chelsea The four-bedroom home, at 404 West 20th St., was built in 1830 and became a model for nearby Cushman Row. Photo: Jeffrey Kopp wooden bracing mandated by the Department of Buildings following an inspection just after Kapoor purchased the home. Staircases are straining and pulling out of the wall and the curved floors indicate the building is tilting. Ceilings, too, are separating from the rest of the structure. Felker and de Milly declined to provide contact information for the owner. The planned alterations are also supported by the owners of the two adjacent buildings, Marion Buhagiar, of 402 West 20th St., and Jose Antonio and Debra Guerrero, of 406 West 20th St., who sent letters to the chair of the LPC endorsing the proposed changes. “For decades my maintenance workers and myself have observed the steady deterioration of the structure of 404 West 20th Street,” Buhagiar wrote. “We very enthusiastically support the plans ... to undertake the major, expensive work needed to stabilize, enlarge and restore this building to be safely occupied by the family.” Antonio and Guerrero wrote that “[Kapoor] is making a great effort to save a house that is in desperate need of repair.” Final plans for what the LPC will permit continue to be worked out between Kapoor and the commission. De Milly said she thought it likely that “much” of the building would “come down.” She said some material would be reused in any reconstruction.
BY DEBORAH FENKER
“That is the smallest barbershop I have ever seen,” a passerby said as I waited for owner Avi Jacobov to finish his last cut of the night. It was nearing 9:30 p.m. His store hours, as listed, span from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., but if the customers keep lining up, he’ll stay later. Because, as Mr. Jacobov is acutely aware, the success of a small business depends on happy customers -- particularly one that charges a flat rate of $19 for any service, from a trim or haircut, to a hot towel shave. Village Barber Shop USA1 Inc. opened up just short of a year ago, but Jacobov has been in the barber business going on 20 years. His father worked in a barbershop in Tajikistan, and from him Jacobov learned the trade. At age nine he was sweeping the floors, and by 14 he had performed his first cut. He moved to New York a decade ago, began barbering at a small shop in Astoria, and transitioned through various ones throughout lower Manhattan. He didn’t like working under someone else. So he quit the business, and sunk into a funk trying to figure out what to do next. With a stay-at-home wife and three kids, his situation was tenuous. Then a prior client of his, a real estate broker, came upon the tiny nook of a space at 270 W. 22nd St., which had recently become vacant after unsuccessful stints as a dry cleaner and locksmith. Jacobov ventured out to be his own boss. Business didn’t come immediately. But soon, clients began to appreciate not only his talent and expertise, but his affable nature. He’s not one just to sit in the salon and wait for a cut to arrive: sole proprietorship is all about the hustle, especially given that there is no shortage of bar-
bershops in Chelsea. In a generous loop around the area of 21st and 23d streets between 7th and 8th avenues, there are at least eight shops, all offering a similar menu of services and only slight variances in price. So developing relationships with customers becomes integral to success. Competition is trying for these small businesses, particularly with the area’s astronomical rents. One shop on 7th Avenue, recently renamed Boyz 2 Men in an attempt to modernize, has been in operation since 1935. In contrast with most of the other surrounding businesses, they have noticed a recent downturn - most likely due to the proliferation of nearby shops. Just up the street, VL Studio Haircutters boasts the cheapest cut at just $14, but their owner wasn’t in at the time, and the barber who welcomed me said he rarely visited. Lucky for Jacobov, his 100-square-foot shop allows him to keep costs as low as possible, and the place is sleek, functional and neat as a pin. Bells and whistles are not the focus: the customer’s satisfaction and his discretion are. And there’s another advantage to the close quarters: some men are very sensitive about their hair, receding hairlines or surgical transplants, insecurities of every strand and follicle- these concerns are strictly between Jacobov and his customer. Only when it is extremely busy does he enlist the help of a co-barber, Mike, at which time he’ll squeeze in an extra seat. The succinct space does not accommodate eavesdroppers, so even queued-up customers wait, out of earshot, in a succession of comfortable chairs assembled outside the shop, weather permitting. And if the weather is not permitting (or the wait times excessive), and you happen to live nearby, Jacobov is happy to come ring your buzzer when his chair opens up. His personal cell phone is on the awning. It might sound a little old school, but barbering is one of those arts that technology has yet to improve upon. It thrives on attention to detail, talent, consistency, and loyalty, which are all characteristics that Avi Jacobov has honed sharp as a straight razor shave.
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WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE SUBWAY? STREET LEVEL There’s light at the end of the tunnel BY BILL GUNLOCKE
We think we don’t want to be on the subway. I’d rather be on the local than the express when I’m not in a hurry. There’s way more to see in the subway car than there is in my apartment, unless you think TV is better than the lighting and the faces and the clothing styles on the subway car. I like to see what people are reading. In Washington a few weeks ago, I couldn’t figure out how to buy a Metro ticket from their big machines. I went over to the information window and told
hit the refill button. Not everything about the system is that quick. Why is there always a Shake Shack-long line downstairs at Grand Central to get subway information? It’s mostly tourists who just got into town. That’s their first impression. In the summer it’s insanely long. You seldom see anyone reading the ‘Times’ or the ‘Daily News’ or the ‘Post’ on the trains. Walker Evans did a great book, ‘Many Are Called ‘ of photographs of people on the subway in the Depression years. He hid his camera in his overcoat, lens hardly peeking out. You could put it on hold at the library. It’s worth looking at, those black and white photos that you stare at. I pretend I’m looking at my
the subway to the ends of the city, two hundred miles of track. He liked to stand at the front of the first car, hands flat against the glass. The train smashed though the dark. People stood on local platforms staring nowhere, a look they’d been practicing for years. He kind of wondered, speeding past, who they really were. His body fluttered in the fastest stretches. They went so fast sometimes he thought they were on the verge of no-control. The noise was pitched to a level of pain he absorbed as a personal test. Another crazy-ass curve. There was so much iron in the sound of those curves he could almost taste it, like a toy you put in your mouth when you were little.” I see some of the same people every day on the train. You see some kids go from being there with a parent or a nanny to going by themselves. When my son first started to take the subway, my husband and I used to follow him to make sure he was all right, and then we had to stop following him and let him do it by himself. -Julianne Moore
You could take a dozen photos every ride if you get a good seat. Photo by Bill Gunlocke that to the woman in the booth in a uniform and she came out from her office and pushed the buttons for me. It cost me more than $11 to ride out just past the Bethesda Naval Hospital and back. In a magazine article with the right photos and lighting, they could make the Metro look like something we should have here. I didn’t like it at all. No interior list of stops. No easy signs out the window when you’re pulling into a station. Terrible, hard-to-hear voice telling what stop you’re at. You had no idea. I like the way the machines here take your card when you
iPhone for another song to play. I snap a photo instead. A lot of people do that, I’m sure. I would never listen to music on the train. Too much other good stuff going on. Sometimes the 6 train goes express form Bleecker Street to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall. Some of the older Asian people can’t understand English and miss the announcement that the train won’t be stopping at Canal Street. Here’s how Don DeLillo’s legendary novel, ‘Libra’ about Lee Harvey Oswald, begins with Oswald on the subway: “This was the year he rode
I read a book on the train. I keep it in my backpack. I don’t read it at home. Just on the train. Best book I read on the train was ‘The Snow Leopard’ by Peter Matthiessen. So good I read it twice on the train. I love the comfort of daily life’s routines: things like being able to read a paper on the subway. It’s no accident that my favorite word is ‘quotidian.’ -Elizabeth Strout I find crossing the threshold to get on the train exciting and unpredictable. It’s really a concentration of the city. Runners heading to Central Park. Students heading to Hunter College. Couples with tickets to a concert at Carnegie Hall. European tourists with scarves on and good haircuts. None of that is going on in my apartment. I feel most like a New Yorker on the train. I feel lucky. I like that.
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NATURE, AND CULTURE, FROM CENTRAL PARK OP-ED BY MELITTA ANDERMAN
Is there anything more enchanting than strolling in Central Park on a spring day? Blue sky, gentle breezes, green leaves fluttering overhead and a beguiling Belgian waffle in your hand, ready to be devoured. It was all that for me last week, plus the knowledge of living in the midst of unlimited culture. I sat on my bench daydreaming and counting the places I could visit without leaving the area. Without question there is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim Museum. the Museum of Natural History and the Jewish Museum. But who knows about the New York Society Library at 53 E. 79th Street? A privately owned entity that is barely discernable as you pass, disguised as a classy apartment building. You have to be a member to take out books, but they welcome strangers who just want to browse in their reference room. Their discussion groups are also open
to the public for a fee. At one time I requested a tour of their fiction section and I was taken to another floor where these books were stored. I saw racks and racks of books of just the beginning of the alphabet and the rest were stored on upper floors. Nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to spend the whole day groping my way among the aisles looking for books I read years ago. But the librarian’s eyes were watching to make sure I didn’t get too attached to any book. A wonderful quiet retreat where you can sit, think and of course, read. The Albertine Book Store at 972 Fifth Ave. is under the umbrella of the French Consulate located in the imposing Payne Whitney mansion. Their collection of French and English books is diversified and there is something there for every taste. Don’t expect to find “Fifty Shades of Gray” lurking on the tables or shelves but you may be surprised at what you do find. As you wind your way up a little circular staircase you enter a small, cosy area of tables and chairs. Here there are programs for children in French and
The view from Belvedere Tower. Photo by Alexi Ueltzen via flickr English. But you could well be alone appreciating the solitude as you look out the window at the adjacent backyard. At the Albertine there are numerous lectures, displays all through the year and if you register at the front desk you will be emailed information about future programs. All for free. It’s time to visit our public library on 79th Street between Second and Third
avenues. The library is in an old mansion which definitely has seen better days. Every time I walk up the crumbling steps and open the beleaguered wooden door I can’t help wondering why the city is unable to make these repairs to take away the unkempt and uncared for look of this imposing structure. There is a very alert staff inside but a number of users leave a
lot to be desired. It’s unfortunate that these public places are homes for the strays walking around our city who use these facilities for nesting spots. The library’s location makes it accessible to the neighborhood and I find myself very often just taking a peek to see what’s new and picking up requested books. To log into their website requires technical maneuvers I didn’t know I had and I wonder who dreams up these steps. Do I have to use a dictionary to understand the instructions? When you went to pick up a book, in the past, you went to a shelf and looked under your last name. Now, you go to a shelf that has the last four digits of your code number. I know my last name but I can’t remember the last four digits. But the public library is still a wonderful free option into worlds of knowledge and pleasures for everyone who qualifies for a user card. The afternoon in the park is slowly winding down and before I depart I go to the Belvedere Tower, climb the steps, lean on the parapet and gaze at the wondrous sights of our town, New York City.
THE RIGHT PATH FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM OP-ED BY COUNCILMEMBER HELEN ROSENTHAL
Unlike other major cities across the country, crime has decreased significantly in NYC over the last few years and continues to decline. What changed? Thoughtful policing has played a major role. The guiding philosophy of the NYPD is to get to know the community and make it safer. They use new technology to identify where bullets are coming from prior to arriving at the scene of the crime. They use data analysis to enhance smart policing instead of relying on “stop and frisk” — which has decreased by 90% over the past two years. The NYPD has brought down more gangs and taken more guns off the street than had been done during the era of “stop and frisk.”
STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source
Photo by jerseygal2009 via flickr In May, the City Council handed the NYPD new tools to support its efforts. We passed legislation to give police officers the bandwidth to determine whether or not a “quality of life” offense should be enforced with Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com
a “criminal” or “civil” summons. Historically police officers have been required to give a “criminal” summons for possessing an open container of alcohol, and exclusively gave criminal summonses for all park offenses,
Associate Publishers Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Regional Sales Manager Tania Cade
even those as minor as climbing a tree or walking on newly seeded lawn in a park. Same with public urination and littering — uniformly enforced as “criminal” offenses. The consequences of “criminal” enforcement are significant. If found guilty for some of these offenses, one has a permanent criminal record including. for all parks offenses. For young people, a criminal record can have an impact on college financial aid and job opportunities. If you neglect to show up for criminal court, the system automatically puts a warrant out for your arrest. A second “quality of life” offense automatically results in arrest and at least a night in police custody. Every year at least 100,000 New Yorkers have a warrant out for their arrest solely for these summonses. The consequence of giving the police the opportunity to determine
President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Fred Almonte Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine Barry Lewis editor.dt@strausnews.com
whether to use criminal or civil summonses will mean that likely more than 50,000 fewer New Yorkers will have an outstanding warrant for their arrest because they violated a “quality of life” law. It will also mean that our criminal courts will be less clogged and our police officers less burdened with detaining these low-level nonviolent offenders, so they and judges can focus on the cases that need criminal attention. Getting a ticket for public urination or climbing a tree in a park belongs in the civil courts. This is common sense reform that I believe will lead to more effective enforcement of quality of life issues, remove disproportionate consequences for many and still maintain the tools the city needs to maintain quality of life. Helen Rosenthal represents District 6 on the New York City Council
Staff Reporters Gabrielle Alfiero, Madeleine Thompson Director of Digital Pete Pinto
Block Mayors Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ON BIKE LANES AND GRANDCHILDREN GRAYING NEW YORK BY MARCIA EPSTEIN
Aging in Place has become the preferred option for those of us heading towards the years when help may be needed for basic functioning. I know people who have had their apartments set up for possible live-in help, such as reďŹ tting a bathroom for a wheelchair or turning a den into an extra bedroom. Most of us hope to stay in our own apartments, as I certainly do. My womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group at the JCC has been doing another kind of Aging in Place. We are the longest running senior group there, and many of the original members, as well as other long-timers, are still alive and kicking. (Well, maybe not kicking. Sprightly as we were eight years ago, several now have canes or walkers, and others are dealing with bad knees, shoulders, backs and various other body parts.) Every Thursday we come together to share our joys and our woes, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a feeling of comfort to know that we will be supported in our feelings and concerns. As one member said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another birthday, another body part goes.â&#x20AC;? But we soldier on, helping each other and sometimes just listening. Without my group, I would feel adrift.
Right now, I have a sturdy boat and I certainly hope we stay aďŹ&#x201A;oat for many more years. Speaking of my group, they have asked me to bring two matters to public attention. One is a thank you to the MTA for making buses walker and wheelchair accessible. My friends who need such transportation amenities speak of the courtesy of the drivers and the fact that this accessibility makes it possible for them to navigate the city in a way not before possible. They also asked me to speak about bikers who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t obey the bike lane rules, who ride the wrong way, too fast, or just too inconsiderately. Some have had near misses which frightened them badly. Also mentioned were children on scooters and parents or caretakers who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t paying attention. Children are by nature selfcentered and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the caretaker who must be watchful, especially for the elderly. Actually, I believe these kids belong in the park, not on the streets. Seniors can be the invisible denizens of a neighborhood and also the most vulnerable. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s give them some thought, folks. In one column I discussed the sadness of difficult parent/adult child relationships. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another kind of sadness that comes with adult children moving far away and the difficul-
Mom arrived for dinner at midnight
Photo by Marco via ďŹ&#x201A;ickr ties of seeing them and grandchildren as we age. I volunteer as a lunchtime English conversation partner at The Riverside Language School, and over the years Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned that in many countries, children are expected (and seem to want to) stay much more connected to their parents than in America. Many of the students have
come here to care for aging parents who came before. Some bring parents with them as they seek a better life. American children have been raised to be independent, to ďŹ&#x201A;y away whenever they choose. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of American individualism for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children to have the choice to do that, but something is lost also. Even if there is no fam-
ily rift, traveling as we become older sometimes is difficult or not possible, and our children and their families may have busy lives elsewhere. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the tradeoff we Americans have made. Those of us with families nearby count ourselves lucky, and even then, contact can be less than optimal because everyone is so busy working and raising these independent-minded children that even if they live relatively close by, contact can be minimal. Finally, I am angry enough about robocalling that I could burst. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bad enough during the day, but I received two calls from India â&#x20AC;&#x153;about your computerâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;about your electric billâ&#x20AC;? from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Daveâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anna.â&#x20AC;? One call came at 10:30 at night, which sent me ďŹ&#x201A;ying to the phone in case it was one of my daughters. I was furious and I let poor â&#x20AC;&#x153;Annaâ&#x20AC;? have it. The other call came at 8:00 a.m. I was half asleep and just slammed the phone down, which is what I usually do. One time I said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, you know about my computer all the way from India?â&#x20AC;? Look, I know these people need the job, I feel sorry for them, but for us, these constant calls are nothing but a nuisance. The Do Not Call list is useless. If anyone knows another way to stop this harassment, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d sure like to know. Happy Summer. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ nally here.
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too early (or too late) to talk about Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support. Call our 24-hour Helpline. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here anytime you need to talk.
(646) 744â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2900 Free | ConďŹ dential | Se habla espaĂąol | áĄ&#x2021;â&#x20AC;ŤŮ&#x2021;â&#x20AC;Źä&#x2026;&#x2018;ѣᎽ ɸɝɾ̴:ÂłÄ&#x2022;Ă&#x2020;Ă?žÞãĂ?Ě´ Ä?ÂłĂ?Ä&#x201A;³˾̴ɚÞĂ&#x192;Ě´"Ă&#x2013;ããò̴̴˳̴̴AÂłÄ?Ě´xãòĂ&#x201D;˾̴Ax̴ɜɾɾɜɟ̴̴ "ãòĂ&#x153;³òĂ&#x2013;Ä&#x2013;Ě´8Ă?ĂŁÄ?Ă?Ě´Â&#x153;Ü̴ÞĂ&#x192;³̴ Ă&#x2013;Ä&#x203A;Ă&#x192;ÂłĂ&#x2020;Ă&#x153;³ò˞Ü̴ ÜÜãŠĂ&#x2020;Â&#x153;ĂžĂ&#x2020;ĂŁĂ?˾̴Ax Ě´ Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;ïÞ³ò "Ä&#x201A;Ă?¯³¯̴¨Ä&#x2013;Ě´Â&#x153;̴žòÂ&#x153;Ă?Þ̴½òãĂ&#x153;Ě´ĂžĂ&#x192;³̴AÂłÄ?Ě´xãòĂ&#x201D;Ě´ZĂžÂ&#x153;Þ³̴ ³ïÂ&#x153;òÞĂ&#x153;ÂłĂ?Þ̴ã½̴(ÂłÂ&#x153;Ă&#x2013;ĂžĂ&#x192;
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Thu 9 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE COOK UP: A CRACK ROCK MEMOIRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 6-7:30 p.m. Free NYU Bookstore, 726 Broadway The author of a riveting look inside the Baltimore drug trade and an incredible story of redemption, reads from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Cook Up.â&#x20AC;? 212-998-4653
GARDEN TOUR: PERENNIAL NATIVES â&#x2013;ź The High Line 6-7:15 p.m. Free. Location provided via email following RSVP. Register via website Discover the native perennials, grasses, trees, and shrubs growing on the High Line with one of our expert staff horticulturists. 212-206-9922. www. thehighline.org/activities
Fri 10 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TRACEY MOFFATT: MONTAGESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Kitchen, 512 West 19th St. 2 p.m & 4 p.m. First-come seating. An accompaniment to the regular showing of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Otherâ&#x20AC;? in the exhibition â&#x20AC;&#x153;On Limits: Estrangement in the Everyday.â&#x20AC;? In the series, Moffatt and her editor, Gary Hillberg, transform Hollywood studio ďŹ lms into stylishly subversive â&#x20AC;&#x153;hymns to cinema.â&#x20AC;? 212-570-3600. whitney.org/ Events
BENJAMIN SCHEUER â&#x2013;˛ The Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th St. 7-8:30 p.m. $22.50 in advance; $27.50 day of; $20.25, members; $24.75, members, day of. Scheuer is the writer/performer of the one-man musical â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lion,â&#x20AC;? winner of the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. 212-620-5000. rubinmuseum. org/events/events
JUNE 9-15,2016
Sat 11 ‘THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE’ Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy St. 10:30 a.m. The library’s book club discusses Jeff Hobbs’ biography of the short life of a talented young African-American man who escapes the slums of Newark for Yale University only to succumb to the dangers of the streets. 212-243-6876
LGBT PHILOSOPHY FORUM Muhlenberg Library, 209 West 23rd St. 2:45-4:45 p.m. For over 15 years the Forum has provided the LGBT community and its friends an open opportunity to gather and informally discuss important works of philosophy. Texts to be discussed, or links, are at philosophyforumlgbt.org 212-924-1585
Sun 12 HUDSON RIVER NATURE WALK Christopher Street Fountain — Pier 45 at Hudson River Park, 353 West ST. 9-10 a.m. Free Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Learn about Hudson River Park’s wildlife by joining knowledgeable naturalists on guided nature walks along the Park’s esplanade everyy Sunday. p y 212-627-2020. www. hudsonriverpark.eventbrite.com
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WORDS WITH WINGS: THE POWER OF POETRY Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Place 2-6:30 p.m. $20; $15 for NYU Faculty/Staff/Alumni/ Students New choreography and music inspired by a wide range of poets including Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes and X.J. Kennedy. 212-998-4941. events.nyu. edu/
Mon 13 COMMUNITY BOARD 2 CB 2 Conference Room, 3 Washington Square Village 6:30 p.m. Quality of Life Committee 212-979-2272. www.nyc. gov/html/mancb2/
COMMUNITY BOARD 1 Conference Room, 1 Centre Street, Room 2202A-North 6 p.m. Planning Board Committee 212-669-7970. www.nyc. gov/html/mancb1
Tue 14 THE WASHINGTON SQUARE MUSIC FESTIVAL Main stage, south of Fifth Ave. 8 p.m. Seating is on a firstcome basis. The festival presents Handel,
Mozart and Arvo Pärt, a free concert of vocal and chamber music spanning three centuries. Canticum Scholare, an early music vocal ensemble, makes its first Washington Square appearance. 212-252-3621. www. washingtonsquaremusicfestival. org
GREENWICH VILLAGE SOCIETY FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION VILLAGE AWARDS New School, The Auditorium, Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall, 66 West 12th St. 6:30-9 p.m. Free; register online The 26th edition of the society’s annual meeting and awards ceremony www.gvshp.org
Wed 15 GEOFF DYER ▼
McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince St. Dyer reads from and discusses his latest work, “White Sands: Experiences From the Outside World,” a collection of essays in which he muses on travel, memory and the effects of both on one’s sense of self. 212-274-1160. www. mcnallyjackson.com/event
CULINARY TOUR Merchant’s House, 29 East Fourth St. 6:30-8 p.m. $30; members, $25. Join professional chef and culinary historian Carl Raymond for a unique y q tour of the Merchant’s House focusing on the culinary customs of mid-19th century New York, including favorite foods, cooking methods, dining etiquette, and entertaining. 212-777-1089. merchantshouse.org/
Congratulations to the Urban Advantage Students and Teachers from JHS 167 Robert F Wagner PS/IS 191 The Museum Magnet School MS M247 Dual Language Middle School M250: MS 250 West Side Collaborative Middle School M256: MS 256 Academic & Athletic Excellence M333: PS 333 Manhattan School for Children
M421: West Prep Academy M862: Mott Hall II M279: The Opportunity Charter School M860: Frederick Douglass Academy II Secondary School M286: IS M286 Renaissance Leadership Academy M362: Columbia Secondary School M514: New Design Middle School M180: PS 180 Hugo Newman
M284: Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy 1 Charter School M223: The Mott Hall School M260: MS 260 Clinton School Writers & Artists M933: City Knoll Middle School M276: Battery Park City School M111: PS 111 Adolph S Ochs M896: Lower Manhattan Community Middle School
who participated in the Twelfth Annual UA EXPO, where over 900 public middle school students from all five boroughs presented science projects to their families, teachers, administrators, members of the New York City Council, and the general public. The projects reflect a wide range of life, Earth, and physical science topics that students investigated during their visits to the Urban Advantage Partner institutions. Urban Advantage is a standards-based partnership program with the Department of Education designed to improve students’ understanding of scientific inquiry through collaborations between urban public school systems and science cultural institutions such as zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and science centers.
The Council of the City of New York
urbanadvantagenyc.org
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ALTERING THE SELF AND THE WORLD A selection of Genesis Breyer P-Orridge’s paintings, sculptures and other work explores her connections to Hindu mythology and to Nepal BY DONATHAN SALKALN
High up inside the Rubin Museum of Art, just under the atrium’s skylight, is a love nest of two people who became one. Both are naked. Each had undergone years of cosmetic and other procedures as part of Genesis Breyer POrridge’s so-called “Pandrogeny Project,” a twin attempt by Breyer P-Orridge and Breyer P-Orridge’s wife, Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge, to join as a single being. Each underwent breast augmentation surgery, nose, lip and facial reconstruction, hormone treatments and tattooing, to look and feel alike. The images glow as bright white-light. In the background are black caskets. Above the atrium’s well hangs a psychic cross and at far center is an image of Breyer P-Orridge’s crucifixion, similar in perspective to Salvador Dali’s “Christ of Saint John of the Cross.” Breyer P-Orridge has lived and worked in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley on several occasions during the last three decades. The exhibition, titled “Try to Altar Everything, 2016,” looks at how
Some of the hundreds of gifts brought to the museum by patrons in exchange for small psychic cross pendants. Photo: David De Armas
“Tongue Kiss.” Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. 2003. Mixed media, 72 x 23 x 23 inches. Courtesy of the Artists & Invisible-Exports. Photo: David De Armas
Twin images of Breyer P-Orridge and Breyer P-Orridge’s wife, Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge, in the Rubin Museum of Art’s atrium. Photo: Donathan Salkaln
Hindu mythology and Kathmandu Valley have influenced the Breyer P-Orridge and h/er art. The exhibit’s title, “Try to Altar Everything, 2016,” of course denotes “altar” – where the two united in marriage — but also plays on “alter,” as in change — and Breyer P-Orridge’s life work of rebelling against conventional thinking and ideals. “I’ve been involved in a total war with culture since the day I started,” s/he once said. “I am at war with the status quo of society and I am at war with those in control and power. I’m at war with hypocrisy and lies, I’m at war with the mass media.” Breyer P-Orridge has always fought the system and in the Rubin’s exhibit, s/he goes the distance in rebelling against nature’s own DNA, combining the genetic traits of two into one. Breyer P-Orridge’s artwork is displayed in large arched-shaped wall recesses. You’re likely to find a favorite piece and also to be appalled by another, as Breyer P-Orridge’s art strikes at the core of conventional thought. Besides the overwhelming entrance, these are my favorite moments: “Begging Bin-Eshe, 2012:” A large version of a Nepalese beggar’s silver bowl that, when looking into it, echoes sentiments one might have when looking up at the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling. In it are cut up and rearranged images of both Genesis and Lady Jaye with multiple arms, a reference to Hindu deities, laid on an image of sky. Much of the show’s art contains similar cut-up photo collages, as Genesis has been heavily influenced by William Boroughs’ cut-ups: slicing texts at ran-
dom and arbitrarily rearranging them. “It’s All A Matter Of Time:” A chance find of a small grandfather clock is an especially poignant piece. Inside, hanging alongside the clocks weights, is an early Polaroid of Lady Jaye, who died in 2007. The piece includes a shining chrome egg, symbolic of birth. Below rests a prehistoric fossil tooth, possibly representing Darwinism and evolution. The piece addresses life’s brevity, and, with its mirrored clock face, includes the viewer. “Tongue Kiss:” The heads of two wolves facing each other, one above and one below, with long daggers projecting from their mouths, signify mankind’s more primal instincts. The piece is made all the more dramatic by a harsh lighting casting long shadows against the wall. The beauty in the beasts is that as the top wolf head spins in space, the shadows of the daggers touch, connecting the two heads.
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Try to Altar Everything” WHERE: Rubin Museum of Art 150 West 17th St. WHEN: Until Aug. 1 www.rubinmuseum.org
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
CARO RETURNS TO HIS ALMA MATER, THIS TIME WITHOUT DEMERITS WRITING Author presents writing f him award named for BY HILLEL ITALIE
On the headmaster’s lawn he once mowed as punishment for violating the dress code, breach of decorum and other transgressions, Robert Caro is presenting a writing award his old high school has named for him. “We had a very strict demerit system,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and former editor of the student newspaper says with a laugh about Horace Mann School, from which he graduated in 1953. “Week after week, I
had the most demerits.” Former history department chair Barry Bienstock and school headmaster Thomas M. Kelly helped establish the
Robert Caro Prize for Literary Excellence in the Writing of History, now in its fifth year. The reward is an intimate and informal luncheon held in the headmaster’s yard, across the street from the school, with Caro the featured guest. This year’s winner is 17-yearold Yuanjun Zeng, known as Sarah, a junior who turned in a 23-page paper titled “The Mysteries Behind the Cuban Missile Crisis.” Sarah, who emigrated with her family from China when she was 12, said before Wednesday’s ceremony that she knew little about United States history when she arrived. Caro’s books on municipal builder Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson, frequently taught at the elite private
Horace Mann school school, were part of her education. “I thought it was really amazing how dedicated he was to his work,” she said of Caro, whom she met for the first time Wednesday. “For example I heard he moved to Texas to do research and do work (on his Johnson books).” Caro has a deep attachment to Horace Mann, in part because it was his dying mother’s wish that he study there. And he takes special pleasure in the Caro Prize, designed to encourage the kind of deep research and vivid writing that he was praised for in such epic works
as “The Power Broker” and “Master of the Senate.” A school committee chose the best work, then sent the entry to Caro, who read through it and offered comments during his speech, when he praised Sarah for a “wonderful feat of writing” that made a complicated subject accessible. The winning student also received a gift as heavy as a teen’s backpack: A tote bag filled with signed hardcover editions of Caro’s five books, all at least hundreds of pages long. His 20-minute talk was like a Caro book in miniature -- wideranging, digressive and infor-
mative. His subjects ranged from “The Iliad” to a Long Island family farm ruined by one of Moses’ parkways. He spoke of the need for writing to matter as much in history as it does in fiction. He read a brief passage from “The Power Broker,” his Moses book, and explained how rhythm could transform a list of road projects into a work of poetry. “You have to write it so they read it,” he said. Caro, a longtime Manhattan resident, was lax in his day about such school requirements as having a pocket handkerchief. But Horace Mann now honors him. His books are included in an alumni display case on campus, and a picture of the historian hangs in Bienstock’s classroom, along with vintage photos of Johnson. The 80-year-old Caro remains in close touch with some of his former classmates and curious in general about the Bronxbased school. After the ceremony ended and a car waited to take him and his wife back to Manhattan, he made sure not to leave without upholding one last personal commitment. He picked up a copy of the school newspaper.
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Are We Alone in the Universe?
MONDAY, JUNE 13TH, 7:30PM NY Academy of Sciences | 250 Greenwich St. | 212-298-8600 | nyas.org Given the billions of sun-like stars in the galaxy, you would think some extraterrestrial life would have paid Earth a visit by now. Physicists and philosophers come together to look at the Fermi Paradox, which asks “Where is everybody?” ($15).
The People vs Oscar Wilde: Aestheticism, Popular Culture, Evil
MONDAY, JUNE 13TH, 7:30PM The Strand | 828 Broadway | 212-473-1452 | strandbooks.com Hear from a professor as he delves into pop culture, and looks at two interpretations of Wilde: as the persecuted inventor of modern homosexuality, or as a brilliant and dangerous elitist philosopher ($20, includes one drink from Jenny & Francois).
Just Announced | Revolutionary War New York Nighttime Walking Tour
MONDAY, JULY 4TH, 4:30AM Fraunces Tavern | 54 Pearl St. | 212-968-1776 | frauncestavernmuseum.org Stroll the streets of the Financial District before dawn, when the scenery most resembles its colonial incarnation. You’ll learn about NYC’s pivotal role in the Revolutionary War, and littleknown local heroes like Marinus Willet, who evolved from street brawler to prominent leader ($20).
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
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Eiko Otake, A Body in a Station Fulton Center, River To River 2015 Photo credit: Darial Sneed
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KIDNEY STONES MORE COMMON DURING SUMMER HEALTH 1 in 10 people will be afflicted at some point BY DR. DAVID SHUSTERMAN
Who doesn’t anticipate the arrival of summer, with its luxurious long, lazy warm days and nights. We have had a more than a hint of summer with recent temperatures flirting with 90 degrees, wetting our appetites for warmer days ahead. While many of us enjoy the hot weather, it can also cause moderate to severe dehydration. Many people increase their activity level as temperatures rise, but neglect to increase their fluid intake. In addition to problems such as dizziness, dry mouth and fatigue, dehydration can also cause kidney stones. According to the National Kidney Foundation, 1 in 10 people will suffer from kidney stones at some point in their lives. The majority of these cases occur with warmer weath-
er. A study done two years ago, which appeared in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, showed a relationship between the number of hot days a year and the increased risk of kidney stones. Consequently, it is essential to hydrate, particularly among people who have a history of developing stones. The size and severity of the symptoms can be substantially diminished with proper fluid intake. There are other health issues that can impact the formation of kidney stones, such as obesity and lack of exercise. And, to no one’s surprise, doctors are seeing an increase in kidney stones among patients, corresponding with the rise of obesity in America. Paying attention to diet and exercise can definitely improve your chances of avoiding this painful medical problem. The good news is that treatment of kidney stones has improved greatly over the years. Patients who suffer from this affliction, regardless of whether they are genetically predisposed or the problem develops from lifestyle choices, no longer need un-
dergo painful surgery and treated at a hospital overnight. Treatment can easily be done on an outpatient basis at a local urology center using lithotripsy, a medical device that relies on shock waves that pass through the body to fragment the kidney stones, which then flow through the urinary tract. My practice has experienced great success using this procedure, particularly with small and medium stones (under 2 centimeters). The benefits are several, such as minimal postoperative discomfort, no incisions or invasive procedures and minimal recovery time. In addition, lithotripsy can often be used to fragment larger kidney stones but patients must undergo this treatment two or three times for optimal results. This still allows them to avoid a more involved, painful surgery that requires an overnight stay in the hospital.
Dr. David Shusterman is a board certified urological surgeon and the founder of New York Urology, in Manhattan and Forest Hills.
David Shusterman is a board certified urological surgeon with expertise in minimally invasive and pain free kidney stones management. He is the chief physician and founder of New York Urology, in Manhattan and Forest Hills. www. nyurology.com.
BOARD REJECTS CHURCH CONVERSION PLAN Vote hailed as a landmarking win BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Most of the roughly 50 people in the audience at a Board of Standards and Appeals meeting last Thursday were there to protest the conversion of their church, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, into luxury condominiums. Some wore t-shirts with the church’s slogan “New Beginnings.” And, in a rare outcome for cases like this, a new beginning is exactly what the church, at 361 Central Park West, was granted. The board rejected by a vote of 3-1, with one recusal, the proposal for Joseph Brunner’s North Development Group to expand and build 34 units in the church, which was built by Carrére and Hastings in 1903 and landmarked in 1974. “We’ve seen several iterations that have done nothing but shifted … that revenue around, shifted the costs around,” Commissioner Dara OttleyBrown told the developers at the meeting. “It’s very hard to find credibility in a new set of numbers.” Ultimately, the board did not find the new analysis, which was the third time this year the developers had pleaded their case before the board, credible. Several changes were made to this presentation compared to the others, including an updated estimate that the cost of the appliances in each unit would be closer to $35,000 rather than
$10,000. The developers also reduced the number of units from 39 to 34. “I get it, we’ve been through several hearings,” said Mitch Korbey, North Development Group’s attorney. “This is an extraordinary project … and something I think is the right thing to do.” Korbey cited the original approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission as a recommending
factor, though it was also rejected by the Department of Buildings around the same time. Ottley-Brown took the lead in questioning the developers, whom she said had not made an effort to market the units, as is usually done with luxury condos long before they are completed. After the commissioners were fin-
ished, at least 20 members of the public lined up to voice their opposition, with only one speaker expressing approval for the project. Representatives from City Council Member Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, the Central Park West Neighborhood Association and Landmark West were just a few of those to speak.
Terry Starks, a former pastor at the First Church of Christ, Scientist was received especially warmly and ended his three minutes to considerable applause. “If you give me two to three years, you wouldn’t have room enough to put me,” Starks said, pledging to fill the church to capacity. “We’re not looking at numbers, we’ve looking at lives … I’m asking you to give me an opportunity to restore that church back to its community. This will be one of the greatest decisions you ever made. I promise you.” Several members of his former congregation also testified to their church’s significance in their lives. What happens next with the church is uncertain, as its funding situation remains to be seen. At the meeting, attorney Michael Hiller alluded to two parties that had expressed interest in rehabilitating the property, one of which may have been fended off by the developers. Options for the church may include a children’s museum or event space that would allow the congregation to continue holding services there. “I’m thrilled,” Hiller said. “The decision safeguards landmarks in the city of New York for at least another generation. This was the single most important decision and variance application in the last decade or longer, because had the developers prevailed … every landmark building would have become a target.”
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JUNE 9-15,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAY 21- JUN 02, 2016
Boka
9 Saint Marks Place
A
The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/restaurant-grades.page
Think Coffee
123 4 Avenue
Grade Pending (19) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Subway
1 Irving Place
A
O Cafe
482 6 Avenue
A
Equinox @ 17Th Street
100 10Th Ave
A
Taboonette
30 East 13 Street
A
Green Symphony
547 6 Avenue
A
Glaze Teriyaki Grill
139 4 Avenue
A
Chelsea Ristorante
108 8 Avenue
A
Third Rail Coffee
159 2Nd Avenue
A
The Rail Line Diner
400 West 23 Street
A
Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque
103 2 Avenue
Spirit Of New York
Pier 62 West 23 Street - Chelsea Pier
A
Spirit Of New Jersey
Pier 62 West 23 Street - Chelsea Pier
A
Rin Thai Cuisine
265 West 23 Street
A
People’s Pop’s
0 Highline Park
A
Spice
236 8 Avenue
A
Grade Pending (31) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Da Andrea
35 West 13 Street
A
Holiday Cocktail Lounge
75 Saint Marks Pl
A
Peter Mcmanus Cafe
152 7 Avenue
A
Mamoun’s Falafel
30 Saint Marks Pl
Crispo
240 West 14 Street
A
Eva’s Restaurant
11 West 8 Street
A
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
30 West 8 Street
A
Joe Coffee Shop
435 W 23Rd St
A
Not Graded Yet (58) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Food worker does not wash hands thoroughly after using the toilet, coughing, sneezing, smoking, eating, preparing raw foods or otherwise contaminating hands. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
Doughnuttery
425 W 15Th St
A
Bagel Belly
114 3Rd Ave
Corkbuzz Winebar Chelsea Market
75 9Th Ave
A
La Newyorkina
Nka W 17Th St
A
La Newyorkina
Nka W 17Th St
A
Dizengoff
75 9Th Ave
Not Graded Yet (21) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Not Graded Yet (27) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Village East Cinemas
181 2 Avenue
A
Ichiba Ramen
125 University Pl
Grade Pending (23) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
National Arts Club
15 Gramercy Park South
A
Astor Center
399 Lafayette Street
A
Shuko
47 E 12Th St
A
Bluestone Lane
51 Astor Pl
Not Graded Yet (45) No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Nyu Kosher Eatery
511 University Place
A
Irving Plaza
17 Irving Place
A
Dos Toros Taqueria
137 4 Avenue
A
Kuku Canteen
289 Mercer Street
A
Robataya
231 E 9Th St
A
00+Co
65 2Nd Ave
Not Graded Yet (25) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
The Central Bar
109 East 9 Street
Grade Pending (20) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
News Bar
107 University Place
A
Ribalta
48 East 12 Street
A
Aziza’s Cafe & Lounge
45 1 Avenue
A
Park Bar
15 East 15 Street
A
Maharlika
111 First Ave
A
New Andy’s Deli
873 Broadway
A
JUNE 9-15,2016
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Neighborhood Scrapbook
Sokol library head Ed Chandla
CENTURY-OLD SECRETS ON 71ST STREET Sokol has housed everything from Olympic defectors to Lou Reed BY JOSHUA COPPERMAN
Hidden away at 71st Street and York Avenue is a place where Czech immigration, gymnastics, Puccini, and the Velvet Underground all intersect. At first glance, Sokol New York might just resemble another fitness club, and the children’s tae-kwon-do classes on the bottom level would do nothing to disprove that theory. How then to explain the pictures lining the walls of famous Czech Olympians or the Times article declaring 420 East 71st street “A 2-Story Survivor Amid Upper East Side High-Rises?” The original Czech Sokol organization started in 1862, in Prague. St Louis, Missouri got a Sokol in 1865, and New York’s would open in 1867 before moving to its current building in 1896 -- marking its 120th anniversary. The organization attracted Czech immigrants from around the neighborhood, including many who worked at cigar factories throughout the city. Kids who attended spoke Czech. Eventually, the Czechs moved out, as assimilation changed the face of the neighborhood. “As the immigrants became more successful, they wanted to move to suburbia, [and] they wanted the American Dream,” said Ed Chandla, president of the Sokol library. “The neighborhood was no longer 40,000, 50,000 Czechs and Slovaks, but rather, a dwindling number of old timers, people that were comfortable enough to stay here and had good jobs.” Chlanda’s own family did the same - they “moved to a suburb called Astoria”. Members of this Sokol included several Olympians, including the late gymnast Marie Provaznikova, who defected during the Olympics and immigrated to the United States, becoming president of Sokol New York and teaching gymnastics for most of her life. Several Czech Sokol members also went on to fight in both world wars
(the list of people is tucked away on a plaque towards the edge of the gym). When looking at the plaque, Chlanda describes one man who met his wife at one of the socials before joining the Air Force in Scotland. Tragically, his bomber plane crashed while on the way to meet his wife in London, who was working in the Czech embassy. Music has also been central to Sokol New York’s culture. (Maybe the Sokol culture in general too; there’s a Sokol building in Nebraska with a music venue underneath.) Lou Reed performed several concerts here with his band, art-rock legends the Velvet Underground, in 1967. Andy Warhol wrote in the book POPism that “The Gymnasium was the ultimate 60s place for me, because we left it exactly as it was with the mats, the parallel bars, weights straps and barbells... When you look again at something you’ve always taken for granted, you see it fresh, and it’s a good Pop experience.” While there have not been as many concerts since -- an attempt to do a tribute concert fell through when Reed passed away in 2013 -- the concert here remains a famous moment for both the band and the Sokol building. It remains one even now; a 2014 reissue of VU’s album White Light/White Heat included an official recording of a gymnasium performance after years of bootlegs circulating. For a short period of time, Sokol would house a discotheque on weekends. A rival disco, fearing competition, firebombed and seriously damaged the gymnasium in 1971, leaving burn marks that remain on the gym floor today. For many years, as “nobody ever has enough insurance after a fire,” the gym was stuck with a cheap renovation, with everything covered up in plywood. Finally, in 2011, Chlanda stepped in for a restoration, making it resemble the old pre-firebombed state as much as possible. Today, it’s difficult to tell the gym was once a disco, or indeed, once housed everyone from Olympians to operas to cult heroes. But taking a moment to look around shows how long the history is, and the miracle that it stays standing.
FIELD DAY AT ASPHALT GREEN More than 200 children from Harlem schools played at Asphalt Green’s Field Day on May 20, featuring a water balloon toss, kickball, tag, and dancing with the organization’s mascot, Shecky the Shark. The event was a year-end celebration for Asphalt Green’s Recess Enhancement Program, which brings safe, active play to recess at 61 under-served elementary schools throughout New York City.
OPENING OF NEW URGENT CARE CENTERS Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care opened two new centers, in Greenwich Village and the Upper West Side. The company has opened 22 clinics since 2014 across New York and has plans to open 15 more by the end of 2016. To celebrate the arrival of the most recent clinics, Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Greenwich Village center at 41 E. 8th St. Pictured is Todd Latz, CEO and founder of GoHealth.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
JUNE 9-15,2016
Business
In Brief CITY LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIGN FOR TRANS RIGHTS The New York City Commission on Human Rights launched the country’s first ad campaign in support of the transgender community’s right to use whichever bathroom -- male or female -- they feel most comfortable in. The ads encourage people to “look past pink and blue,” and are especially relevant after the recent passage of a law in North Carolina that requires people to use the bathroom associated with the gender that is specified on their birth certificate. “No New Yorker should have to worry about hiding their gender identity to take care of basic human needs,” First Lady Chirlane McCray, the honorary chair of the commission, said in a statement. “Others may advance hateful agendas that discriminate based on gender or gender identity, but that kind of bigotry will never be acceptable here, and we will keep fighting to root it out until no New Yorker feels discriminated against.” The ads, which feature the faces of real trans New Yorkers, will be posted in subways and phone booths, and in ethnic newspapers in languages including Spanish, Korean and Bengali. The campaign runs in conjunction with Pride Month, which lasts throughout June and which will host many more celebrations of the LGBTQ population.
FIRST BUILDING OPENS AT HUDSON YARDS Last Tuesday, the 52-story building at 10 Hudson Yards opened, signaling the beginning of a new era for the area. Luxury designer Coach snagged the prime spot in its lobby and has already moved its employees into new offices there. The project has been more than a decade in the making -since the Far West Side was rezoned in January of 2005. Related Companies, which developed the 17 millionsquare-foot space, along with Oxford, has spent over $20 billion on it. Coach paid $750 million for its 740,000 square feet, according to The Real Deal. “This is just a preview of what’s to come, but I think you can see the quality of what we’re doing here and what our vision is,” Related’s CEO Stephen Ross told the website. The Real Deal also reports that Related and Oxford are collaborating on another building at 30 Hudson Yards, which is set to open in 2019. In the not-so-distant future, the Hudson Yards area will also include a public square, residential and retail space, a hotel and a school spread out among eight buildings. Companies such as CNN, L’Oreal and Time Warner Cable have already claimed space in several of them.
RESIDENTS COLLABORATE AGAINST CITY’S WORST LANDLORD A list published by Public Advocate Letitia James’ office last November named Ved Parkash as the worst landlord in the city. Last week, tenants from 10 of his 11 buildings banded together to form a tenant coalition to fight for repairs and improvements in Parkash’s properties, which are entirely located in the Bronx. According to DNAinfo, the Parkash Tenant Coalition outlined their many complaints in a letter to Prakash, listing failures such as termites and a lack of hot water. “In some of your buildings, the front doors do not lock, allowing anyone to come in off the street,” reads an excerpt from the letter in DNAinfo. Last Thursday morning, several elected officials were present at a rally to support the tenant coalition outside of Bronx Housing Court. “I am here to lend my voice to these tenants to demand that they be treated with respect and dignity,” James said at the rally. “This is not a question of whether they pay their rent. … They are entitled to services.” Mayor Bill de Blasio has also promised to stop paying rent for the tenants on public assistance at one of Parkash’s buildings until the repairs are made. This will not be the first time Parkash has faced legal action from his tenants.
VERIZON WORKERS BACK TO WORK NEWS Strike was one of the largest in recent years BY JENNIFER PELTZ
Nearly 40,000 striking Verizon employees returned to work after reaching a tentative contract agreement that includes 1,300 new call center jobs and nearly 11 percent in raises over four years but also makes health care plan changes to save the company money, the company and unions said. The pact, subject to approval by union members, stands to end one of the largest strikes in the United States in recent years. Workers and Verizon Communications Inc. had reached an agreement in principle Friday but hadn’t released details or a date for the workers’ return. The strike began in mid-April. The Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers unions, which both represent the strikers, called the deal a victory for American workers. “We are turning the tide from cutbacks against working people to building a stronger labor movement and strengthening the power of working Americans,” Dennis G. Trainor, vice president of the union’s District 1 in the Northeast, said in a statement. The IBEW said it protected American jobs
amid concern about concern about work moving overseas. New York-based Verizon Communications Inc. said it was a good deal for workers, customers and the telecom giant alike. “This will allow our business to be more flexible and competitive,” chief administrative officer Marc Reed said in a statement. Union members will vote on the deal after returning to work. Besides the raises and new call center jobs, the tentative agreement includes $1,250 in signing bonuses and health care reimbursements for new workers, a 25 percent increase in the number of unionized crews maintaining Verizon’s utility poles in New York state, and three 1 percent increases in pensions, which Verizon had proposed to freeze, the CWA said. It also includes a first-ever contract for wireless retail store workers, affecting 70. The deal also entails changes that Verizon says will save significant money, such as adopting Medicare Advantage plans _ private health insurance contracted with the government-sponsored Medicare program _ rather than costlier insurance. The tentative agreement also increases flexibility to route customer service calls from one call center to another, the company said. Installers, customer service employees, repairmen and other landline and cable workers in nine Eastern states and Washington, D.C., have worked without a contract since August. During the strike,
other workers have stepped in, but there were some delays in installations of Verizon’s Fios fiber-optic service. The unions said they were striking because Verizon wanted to freeze pensions, make layoffs easier and rely more on contract workers. Verizon said it had high health care costs for its unionized workers, a group that has shrunk as Verizon sold off large chunks of its wireline unit and focused on its mobile business, which was not unionized. It also wanted the union workers, around one-fifth of its U.S. workforce, to agree to move around to different regions when needed, which the union opposed. The strike made its way into the presidential campaign. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton visited strikers outside a Verizon store in midtown Manhattan, and rival Bernie Sanders cheered workers on a picket line in Brooklyn. But the walkout was also complicated by allegations that strikers in Delaware intimidated and harassed non-union replacement workers. Union locals said any problems were isolated incidents not sanctioned by labor leaders; a Delaware judge said Thursday he felt the unions had ``a causal role’’ but declined a Verizon request to hold them in contempt of a court order on permissible strike activities. Verizon workers last went on strike in August 2011, when about 45,000 were off the job for about two weeks.
JUNE 9-15,2016
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First, obvious: let’s start wit condition h the city’s hom s inside thi disgrace. eless shelte rs are as A ser one mo ies of terrible (includinre horrible tha crimes, month g the killing n the last of ear lier this daugh a woman has higters in Statenand her two hlighted Island), living con the the ma ditions for shameful cities inrgins of one ofpeople at Blasio, the world. Ma the richest wh yor o has bee Bill de his app from theroach to homn halting in has final beginning elessness proble ly begun to of his term, from thim, but years ofaddress the others, s administra neglect, tion and will take But years to correct. recent none of that exc office grandstanding uses the appareof Gov. Andrew by the Cuomo, he can’tntly sees no iss who In the try to belittl ue on which attempt governor’s late the mayor. officials at a hit job, est sta compla then pro ined te Post, abomptly to the to the city, homele ut a gang New York alleged ss shelter, purape at a city VOL. 77 had tim event before blicizing the , ISSUE pol e 04 As it turto investigate ice even ned out, it. never hap the officials pened, infuriaincident media hitwho called it ting city a ” “po aim the mayor ed at em litical . More cha barrassin counter-c rges and g THfolElow the me harges Dicken antimeA , of cou ed. In Tditrse men, wosian livingR OionF, the con in New men D kidsIM s for Yor andEN Here’s k goe s on. in shelters CITY ARTS, leadershi hoping tha t som P.2any eday our as intere p in Alb 0 as it is in sted in helpinwill become back fro agains scoring pol g them t sit itical poi 17 fee m FDR Drour ive byting mayor. nts t 16 to out of and raise
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
CULTIVATING THE CITY’S GREEN SPACES The executive director of the City Parks Foundation on her devotion to the city parks and educational community centers BY ANGELA BARBUTI
As a native New Yorker, Heather Lubov has always understood what parks mean to our city. “Having green space, for me at least, calmed my mind down. Whether you choose to see a concert, which is a loud and boisterous activity, or to sit quietly and relax, there are enormous benefits, both physical and mental, to public parks,” she said. A graduate of Columbia University, Lubov earned her master’s in public administration at New York University, and said her decision to stay in New York for college was “very intentional” since she could not imagine living anywhere else. Her commitment to the city is apparent from her resume, which includes positions at The Partnership for the Homeless, The New York Public Library and the Park
Avenue Armory. Now, as the executive director of the City Parks Foundation, Lubov oversees all the arts, sports, environmental education and community development programs in 300 parks throughout the five boroughs. Their iconic event, SummerStage, which is the largest free performing arts festival in New York, is already underway and in its 31st year of providing a diverse and eclectic outdoor musical experience to audiences throughout the city.
You’ve worked at some iconic nonprofits throughout the city. Did you always know that would be your career path? No, not at all. I fell into this. I actually thought that after college I would go into publishing. I ended up working for six months doing graphic design and decided that I hated it and it had no meaning to me whatsoever. And that’s when I went back to the employment office in college and found a job listing at The Partnership for the Homeless, which really did have a lot of meaning for me. And I spent three years as a program assistant, but really what
I ended up doing was writing grant proposals and reports for the program that I was working in within the organization. So I learned a huge amount about fundraising and grant writing. The thing that is really meaningful is I got to respond to a proposal from the city to create a drop-in center for homeless men that still exists on 23rd Street called Peter’s Place. I wrote the project plan to create it, which was just totally cool. That to me, had an impact on New York whereas what I was doing in graphic design did not. I did that for three years and then moved to The New York Public Library where I spent 14 years. And then I wanted to do something very different, so switched to the Park Avenue Armory, which was the complete opposite because it was a startup organization, and then did that for six years. And then I landed at City Parks Foundation. I’ve been a SummerStage audience member when it started, so it’s the perfect place for me.
What does your job entail? Is there a typical day there for you? The City Parks Foundation does four
different things. We do arts, sports, environmental education and community development. But the common thread is that everything we do is meant to bring people out into their local neighborhood parks. So if there is a typical day, it’s really thinking about what we should be programming in a specific park and how we are serving each neighborhood we’re in. We’re in 300 different parks, so we’re literally all over the city. As executive director, I think a lot about how we are marketing what we are doing in the different communities we are in. And of course, every community in New York is different and every marketing strategy is different. I think a lot about fundraising and making sure we have enough money to do all of the things that we need to do. I work really closely with the Parks Department because of course, we’re in parks. We’re the Parks Department’s largest private programming partner. So everything we do is possible because of our relationship with them.
What are some initiatives you’ve launched since you’ve been at the City Parks Foundation? One of the things I’ve spent a lot of time on is thinking about marketing. It’s thinking about how we’re communicating our message to New Yorkers. I think the name SummerStage, which is one of our brands, is very recognizable, but I don’t know that the name City Parks Foundation is necessarily recognizable. So I’ve spent a lot of time on press and PR and changing the way that we market, particularly SummerStage, as an arts organization. We are the largest free performing arts festival in New York, but I don’t know that a lot of people recognize that either. So I spend a lot of time doing that and thinking about SummerStage outside of Central Park, because we actually do more concerts outside of Central Park then we do inside. So building up the staffing for the shows outside of Central Park and improving the audience experience there so that no matter where you’re seeing a show, it’s still an incredibly wonderful experience.
How much work goes into planning SummerStage? When do you start the process? How do you find the performers?
SummerStage, the City Parks Foundation’s iconic event, is the largest free performing arts festival in the city. Photo: Durst Breneiser
We start now for next year, so it’s a year-round process. We have a team of curators who select the artists. We have a programming staff of about four who do that. And they spend their time, some traveling around the world, to make sure that they know who is the newest, coolest, hottest star of whatever country. Because our job is really to pick artists who represent the diversity of New York’s population.
Heather Lubov oversees arts, sports, environmental education and community development programs in 300 city parks throughout the five boroughs.
Tell us how you’re gearing up for summer with the other programs you offer, such as Learning Gardens, where children get instruction from CPF’s horticulturists and environmental scientists. I can’t pick a favorite, but if I had to pick one, Learning Gardens would be up there. We do free sports programs at about 70 parks around the city. Registration is now up on our website, so parents can register their kids for our sports programs. Whether it’s tennis, golf, track and field or soccer, we provide all the equipment free of charge. So the lessons and the equipment is free. It will start the minute school ends, on July 5th. Our Learning Gardens and our other environmental education programs, the same thing. Parents can go online and register their kids. And if their kids are part of camp groups and community-based organizations, those groups are also able to register for some of the spots. And, of course, year round we do community development work, so there are always projects in parks where volunteers can come out on a weekend and do a park clean up or paint benches or plant and pull out weeds. So we always have volunteer work going on in parks all over the city. To learn more, visit www. cityparksfoundation.org
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“I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HELP THAT HOMELESS MAN.”
BE THE SOMEONE. Sam New York Cares Volunteer
Every day, we think to ourselves that someone should really help make this city a better place. Visit newyorkcares.org to learn about the countless ways you can volunteer and make a difference in your community.
JUNE 9-15,2016
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An open le er from Mount Sinai Health System
We wanted to let you know about some exciting news for the downtown community: Mount Sinai Health System just announced our plans to invest $500 million to create the new “Mount Sinai Downtown,” an expanded network of state-of-the-art facilities river to river below 34th Street.
This exciting transformation will take place over four years. In the meantime, Mount Sinai Beth Israel remains open, and all services will be available within our System. Over the course of the next four years, this $500 million investment will enable us to dramatically expand and upgrade primary, specialty and outpatient surgical care centers downtown. A centerpiece of the transformation will be the construction of a new hospital with inpatient beds, procedure and operating rooms, and a brand-new emergency room – at 14th Street and Second Avenue, just two blocks away from Mount Sinai Beth Israel. We want to reassure the community that Mount Sinai Beth Israel remains open for business and looks forward to continuing to provide healthcare for residents of the downtown community.
Kenneth L. Davis, MD President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System
For additional updates and information, please visit our website: www.mountsinai.org/downtown.
JUNE 9-15,2016