The local paper for Downtown wn THE WORD IS ‘CAMP’ ◄ P.12
WEEK OF JUNE
13-19 2019
INSIDE
FUNDING CUTS LOOM FOR NYC LIBRARIES A grassroots campaign to fight the spending reductions reveals New Yorkers love for their “de facto community centers” The Columbus Library computers are an important community resource. Photo: Diana Ducroz
BY DIANA DUCROZ
The Gay Liberation Monument in Christopher Park, by sculptor George Segal. Photo: Jaden Satenstein
THE PLACE WHERE PRIDE BEGAN PRIDE 2019 The Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village attracts New Yorkers and tourists alike BY JADEN SATENSTEIN
LGBT Pride Month is in full swing in New York City, with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising adding extra interest and excitement to the month’s celebrations. In addition to the annual LGBT Pride March on Sunday June 30, events will include a rally to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising, when members of the LGBTQ+ community rioted in the wake of a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, on June 28, 1969. The initial incident and the days of dem-
“To see something of that much importance in my heritage as an LGBTQ person is amazing.” Rhysand Brown, a visitor from Ringgold, Georgia onstrations that followed sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States. An eight-acre area surrounding the Stonewall Inn was designated a national monument by President Obama in 2016. It includes Christo-
On a muggy June afternoon, the Columbus Library on Tenth Avenue at West 51st Street is a calm, cool refuge from the noisy streets outside. Vanessa Watson, an office associate, has worked at this branch for longer than she wants to say. She has watched the community transform as more families with children move in to the neighborhood. Residents of this once predominately Irish-American neighborhood now request books in languages such as Chinese and Russian. The library itself has changed, too. Once mainly a place to borrow books, it now provides extensive programming and services for children, seniors, immigrants, job seekers, students, the homeless, and people with special needs. In a typical week, the Columbus Library hosts several dozen events and classes. In the basement TechConnect computer lab, anyone may take classes in computer skills, basic to advanced, for free. “We are here to serve everyone. No one is left out,” Watson said. “No library is big enough for all the programs we would like to do.”
HONORING TRANSGENDER ACTIVISTS A new moument in the Village for two leaders, P. 6
Possible Cuts in Service New York City’s public libraries are de facto community centers, the crossroads of the neighborhoods they serve. Like branches across town, the Columbus Library does its best to keep up with the changing needs of its community, limited only by available resources. But in a time of rising costs and increased demand, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposed $92.5 billion city budget for fiscal year 2020 allocates $387.1 million for public libraries, a drop of $11.7 million from the previous year’s amount. The city’s three library systems — the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Borough Public Library — have instead requested an increase of $35 million in expense funding, as well as another $963 million in the 10-Year Capital Plan for repairs, renovations, and expansion of aging and overburdened facilities. Library representatives warn that cuts to funding could force libraries to reduce services, with weekend hours the most at risk. To help them in their campaign to restore
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MUSIC: IAN HUNTER ROCKS ON At age 80, the British star is tearing it up on stage, P. 15
ACADEMIC MANIA AT LAGUARDIA HS An alum on her own experience with pressures at the performing arts school, P. 8
DAD’S TURN TO MOM UP A debut novel about a divorced father’s unexpected custody experience, P. 19
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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