The local paper for Downtown THE NEXT COVID CHALLENGE ◄ P.2
BALLOT BONANZA
POLITICS
Four weeks after the primary election, votes are still being counted - as tensions rise BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
Owner Nancy Bass Wyden in front of the new store. The Strand opened their first Upper West Side location on Wednesday, July 15, despite a three-month delay due to COVID-19. Photo: Lindsey Novakovic
18 MORE MILES OF BOOKS
STORES
The Strand opens first Upper West Side location after COVID delay BY SAMI ROBERTS
On April 3 of this year, Nancy Bass Wyden, owner of the Strand, had planned to open the bookstore’s new location on the Upper West Side. Halted by COVID, she was forced to delay the opening.
Traditionally, with election night comes a deep exhale. For candidates and staffers, it’s the culmination of many months spent door knocking and phone banking, preparing for debates and town halls, and doing whatever it takes to get their message to the voters. No matter which way the vote goes, there’s relief in knowing the result. But that’s not the case for several of New
York’s primary contenders. Four weeks after the vote, candidates across the city are still holding their breath. The coronavirus pandemic upended the way candidates campaigned during this election cycle, and now, it’s upended the tabulation process. The city’s Board of Elections has been swamped by the unprecedented number of absentee ballots it received for the primary election, a result of the state prioritizing voteby-mail as a precaution during the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots were mailed in across the city, and in some
A missing postmark, over which voters had no control, should not disenfranchise those voters. We stand together in asking Governor Cuomo to update his executive order to permit the Board of Elections to accept all absentee ballots received without a postmark.”
@OTDowntown
INSIDE
A CITY’S TRAVAILS, A CAT’S TALE Scaffolding and welcoming a new family member Harmony. p. 6
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WITHOUT WAITER JOBS, WHAT HAPPENS TO CREATIVE NYC? How pandemic restaurant changes are affecting aspiring artists, performers and writers. p. 18
SENIOR CENTERS FIND SUCCESS IN REMOTE PROGRAMMING
Challenger Suraj Patel. Photo courtesy of Suraj Patel
Rep. Carolyn Maloney. Photo: U.S. House Office of Photography
OurTownDowntown
O OTDOWNTOWN.COM
23-29 2020
Statement from all four candidates in the 12th Congressional District
“It’s been very challenging. You have to make the most of things,” Bass Wyden said. “We’re doing virtual events now. We’ve had a shift to that. It’s taken us a while to find our way.” Now, three months later, the Strand seems to have found their way, and they succeeded in opening the new store on 450 Columbus Ave on Wednesday, July 15.
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WEEK OF JULY
Voices City Arts
6 12
15 Minutes Real Estate
20 22
When the pandemic hit, Project FIND on the UWS created a robust roster of Zoom offerings. p. 8