The local paper for Downtown ntown THE POWER OF GREAT ART
◄ CITY ARTS, P.12
WEEK OF AUGUST
08-14 2019 INSIDE WOODSTOCK SOJOURN Jon Friedman on a day of peace, love and music. p. 8
Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the City Council’s transportation committee, speaks at a rally for street s afety legislation on the steps of City Hall on May 8. Photo: John McCarten/NYC Council
IS VISION ZERO WORKING? SAFETY
Five years in, NYC has seen a surge in cyclist deaths – and fluctuating numbers of pedestrian and motorist fatalities BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
In 2014, after a year that saw 299 people killed in traffic-related incidents in the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio set out to eliminate all traffic
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
SURVIVNG YOUR SUMMER COLD Mayor Bill de Blasio holds a press conference at City Hall after an NYPD judge recommend firing Officer Daniel Pantaleo on Friday, August 2, 2019. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
How to deal with the seasonal virus that makes us feel worse than a winter bug. p. 2
THE BILLY AND GILLY SHOW POLITICS
Presidential prospects dim for New Yorkers on the Democratic debate stage BY STUART MARQUES
When Mayor Bill de Blasio faced off with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand – and eight other Democratic presidential hopefuls – on July 31, it might have marked the last Billy and Gilly Show at the presidential debates. “It’s going to be awful tough for either of them to get the donors and polling numbers” needed to qualify
for the September debates,” longtime Democratic strategist George Artz says. “De Blasio doesn’t have the donors, and both are way down in the polls.” Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf says it’s “50-50” that either will make the next round: “Anything can happen, but they’re not likely to qualify.” Candidates need a minimum of 130,000 unique donors and have to hit at least 2 percent in four qualifying polls. Eight candidates have hit those marks and are assured a spot onstage in Houston on Sept. 12 and 13. They are former Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Elizabeth
Warren, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke. A few others are close, but none of them are named de Blasio or Gillibrand. Neither campaign returned requests for comment. Pundits generally agree that Warren and Sanders held off the more moderate field on the first night. Booker and Yang got high marks on the second night, but Biden and Harris are still ahead in the polls. De Blasio and Gillibrand largely ig-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 WEEK OF AUGUST
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SURVIVNG YOUR SUMMER COLD
an NYPD judge recommend at City Hall after Photography Office holds a press conference Appleton/Mayoral Mayor Bill de Blasio 2019. Photo: Michael Friday, August 2,
SAFETY
has seen a surge Five years in, NYC fluctuating and in cyclist deaths – and motorist numbers of pedestrian fatalities BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
year that saw 299 In 2014, after a traffic-related incipeople killed in Mayor Bill de Bladents in the city, eliminate all traffic sio set out to
CONTINUED ON PAGE
6
firing Officer Daniel
Pantaleo on
THE BILLY AND GILLY SHOW
seasonal How to deal with thefeel worse virus that makes usp. 2 than a winter bug.
Kamala HarWarren, Cory Booker, and Bernie debates,” longris, Amy Klobuchar for the September Pete strategist George Sanders, South Bend Mayor time Democratic doesn’t have former Texas Rep. Artz says. “De Blasioare way down Buttigieg and both Beto O’Rourke. the donors, and close, but none of A few others are in the polls.” Hank Sheinde Blasio or GilliPolitical consultant that either them are named kopf says it’s “50-50” “Any- brand. returned reBY STUART MARQUES will make the next round: Neither campaign but they’re not quests for comment. thing can happen, agree that Warde Blasio faced to qualify.” Pundits generally When Mayor Bill held off the more Gillibrand – likely a minimum of Candidates need to ren and Sanderson the first night. off with Sen. Kirsten Democratic presi- 130,000 unique donors and have moderate field and eight other in four qualigot high marks on – on July 31, it Booker and Yang and hit at least 2 percent dential hopefuls the last Billy candidates have the second night, but Biden a might have marked presidential fying polls. Eight the polls. and are assured at the are still ahead in Harris hit those marks 12 and Gilly Show largely igin Houston on Sept. De Blasio and Gillibrand debates. ei- spot onstage Presiawful tough for are former Vice 18 “It’s going to be and and 13. They Senators Elizabeth CONTINUED ON PAGE get the donors dent Joe Biden, ther of them to needed to qualify polling numbers”
POLITICS
dim for Presidential prospects Democratic New Yorkers on the debate stage
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‘GROWING HEALTHY KIDS’ Harlem Grown works to empower young people and their communities. p. 7
◄ 15 MINUTES,
ner DowntowINSIDE day of peace, Jon Friedman on a 8 love and music. p.
IS VISION ZERO WORKING?
A new restaurant brings the food and culture of the country of Georgia to Chelsea. p 16
‘MY HANDS ARE OUTSTRETCHED’ P. 21
f d h e s, p gs ng st nts alng ish ass eel
WOODSTOCK SOJOURN
chair of the City Ydanis Rodriguez, committee, Council’s transportation street s afety on speaks at a rally for steps of City Hall legislation on the McCarten/NYC May 8. Photo: John Council
LET’S CHAMA!
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14 Restaurant Ratings 16 Business 17 Real Estate 21 15 Minutes
LET’S CHAMA!
the food A new restaurant brings country of and culture of the p 16 Georgia to Chelsea.
‘GROWING HEALTHY KIDS’
to empower Harlem Grown works their young people and communities. p. 7
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SURVIVING YOUR SUMMER COLD HEALTH
How to deal with EV-D68, the seasonal virus that lasts longer and makes us feel worse than a winter infection BY CAROL ANN RINZLER
You’re sneezing. You’re coughing. And your throat feels like someone hit it with a blow torch. But not to worry: It’s just a cold, right? Not necessarily. The respiratory misery we call the “common cold” is caused by a bug called a rhinovirus. You’d think that the medicos who can immunize us from A (anthrax) to Z (zoster/shingles) could whip up something to eliminate this annoyance, but there are more than 100 rhinoviruses. Catch one and you’ll be immune to that but not the other 99+ out there just waiting to make you miserable, most frequently from
September to March. But it’s August. So what’ve you got? Maybe an uncommon cold. Generally speaking, summer and winter colds may be caused by different viruses. “When you talk about summer colds, you’re probably talking about an enterovirus infection,” says Dr. Michael Pichichero, a pediatrician and infectious disease researcher at the Rochester General Hospital Research Institute in New York. Like rhinoviruses, enteroviruses come by the dozen. The one responsible for your summer cold is Enterovirus D 68 (EV-D68), first identified in California in 1962. Small pockets of EV-D68 “colds” popped up here and there after about 1987, but the virus didn’t hit full speed until the summer and fall of 2014 when federal and state health agencies confirmed 1,395 cases in 49 states and the District of Columbia. You can catch EV-D68 at any
time, but it’s more likely to strike in warm weather from late summer to fall. The symptoms are generally the same, but people with EV-D68 tend to feel worse than those with rhinovirus. And they feel worse longer. Folk wisdom pegs the common cold at seven days if you treat it and a week if you don’t. Mari Peterson, Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at Mt. Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine says it can take two weeks to shake off EV-D68; some of those who’ve had say it seems more like two weeks to forever. The Best Protection Exercising to stay fit and fight it off is not the best idea. “Those who have been sedentary through the winter should gradually ease into physical activities because enterovirus is the only infection associated with strenuous exercise,” says Bruce Hirsch, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the North
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Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, New York. “We go outdoors and exercise vigorously, maybe when we’re not in great shape. That’s when these enteroviruses like to show up.” Happily, about half the people with enterovirus infections don’t get sick at all. But the virus is likely to hit children harder than adults, says Michael Pichichero, a pediatrician and infectious disease researcher at the Rochester General Hospital Research Institute in New York. Why? Adults may have developed antibodies from earlier exposure. But they can still get sick if they run into a new type of enterovirus. When that happens, there’s no specific remedy or treatment. As with the rhinovirus common cold, the best protection is prevention: • Wash your hands before preparing or eating food or touching your eyes, nose and
Photo: Tina Franklin, via flickr
mouth, gateways for both rhino- and enteroviruses. • No kissing, hugging or sharing food allowed with someone who’s sick. • If someone in your home has fallen victim, you could try to disinfect things like door knobs that everyone touches. Will that work? Maybe. • If it doesn’t and your symptoms are severe — continuing high fever, difficulty breathing — call your doctor or go to the emergency room.
And look on the bright side. You’ve had your summer cold. Now all you have to worry about is rhinovirus season which arrives this year with the Fall equinox at 3:50 a.m. on Monday, September 23. G’bless you. Carol Ann Rinzler is the author of more than 25 books on health, including “Nutrition for Dummies” and the award-winning “Estrogen & Breast Cancer, a Warning to Women.”
AUGUST 08-14,2019
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending July 28
Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
STABBING SUSPECT ARRESTED
hands behind his back. Three additional knives were found on the suspect in a search at the time of the arrest. The man refused to identify himself and was charged with assault.
Police arrested a 64-year-old man Friday, July 26 after a stabbing at 3:45 a.m., at the corner of Ann St. and Broadway. According to the police report, the suspect approached a 24-year-old man from behind and allegedly stabbed him in his lower back, causing a puncture wound and bleeding. In their report, police noted that the assailant resisted arrest by displaying a knife, refusing to drop it and place his
ROBBERY ARREST A 40-year-old man was arrested Monday, July 20, on a charge of robbery after allegedly taking 20 bottles of honey from a bodega at 99 John St. between Gold and Cliff Sts. Police said that during the robbery
the suspect displayed a box cutter and used it to slash a man’s hand, causing a laceration. He also punched another man with a closed fist during the incident, police said. The bottles of honey, costing $129, were recovered. Michael Grotle was arrested and charged in the incident.
SUBWAY ASSAULT A 45-year-old man was attacked Tuesday, July 23, by an unkown man at the Fulton St. subway station, police said. According to the police
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2018 % Change
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2018 % Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
1
1
Rape
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0
n/a
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16
-43.8
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1
0
n/a
36
39
-7.7
Felony Assault
2
1
100.0
56
34
64.7
Burglary
1
2
-50.0
74
39
89.7
Grand Larceny
27
16
68.8
535
577
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Grand Larceny Auto
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report, both men got off a Brooklynbound 4 train when the two began to argue. The assailant then removed his belt and swung it at the victim several times, causing a small laceration to his forehead and visible marks on his stomach, police said. The victim refused medical attention. The police did not locate the suspect.
PARKED MERCEDES LOOTED
-18.2
told police that $14,548 worth of clothing and accessories were stolen from her vehicle on Friday, July 27. The woman said she parked her gray 2018 Mercedes in front of 58 Lispenard St. between Church St. and Broadway around midnight. The next morning, she found the passenger side window was broken and many items were missing, including a Yves St. Laurent backpack, a Louis Vuitton briefcase, two Gucci wallets, a pair of Versace sunglasses and a Prada journal.
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AUGUST 08-14,2019
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Photo: Courtesy of Ed Kopel NCJW NY staff welcomed children from The Goddard School, an early childhood education service located on the Upper West Side, to Back 2 School Store.
A HAPPY AUGUST TRADITION COMMUNITY
A free “pop-up department store” helps NYC families get ready for the new school year BY EMA SCHUMER
Around 200 children from low-income families shopped for free, brand-new back-to-school clothing and supplies at the National Council of Jewish Women New York (NCJW NY)’s community center on the Upper West Side last week. Now in its fifth year, “Back 2 School Store” simulates a bona fide shopping experience for participating kids, who are entering grades pre-K to fifth grade and who may not otherwise have the opportunity to go shopping to prepare for the school
year — an experience that children throughout the country enjoy every August. All of the items were either purchased by NCJW NY or donated by businesses, some of which are local.
The Importance of Choice For the event, volunteers and staff of NCJW NY — a nonprofit inspired by Jewish values that strives to uplift vulnerable New Yorkers from all backgrounds — transform the organization’s Council House, at 241 West 72nd Street, into a “pop-up department store.” Accompanied by a volunteer “personal shopper,” each child may select a full outfit, including a winter coat, a shirt, a pair of pants, pair of sneakers, along with a backpack and various supplies with which to stuff it.
To pre-register children, NCJW NY partnered with ten communitybased agencies in Manhattan and the Bronx. Children who are eligible to participate in the event come from families who receive either Medicaid, nutrition assistance, or public housing, explained NCJW NY Executive Director Andrea Salwen Kopel. Kopel said that the event’s impact goes beyond the material items the children take home. “We want this to be fun and exciting. It’s a lot more than giving them the stuff,” she said. “The stuff is important, but it’s really about the experience of the day and creating excitement about going back to school.” That positive experience is rooted in the children’s freedom to choose
the items they want. “[It’s a] luxury of choice we know these kids don’t usually have. Choice is empowering. Choice brings pride and joy,” she said.
A Panda Backpack Stephanie Garcia, who lives on the Lower East Side, accompanied her 10-year-old daughter Skyleen to the event. Skyleen selected a hot pink winter jacket, white Vans shoes, and a backpack with the print of a panda. In addition to saving Garcia money, she said that the event allowed Skyleen “to enjoy her day with her friends” — other kids associated with University Settlement, a Lower East Side nonprofit that brought children enrolled in its services to the event. Garcia rejoiced in her daughter’s newfound excitement
about going back to school: “I want her being enthusiastic going into the new year. Fifth grade’s a big year for her. This pumps her up.” Among those attending the event were Congressman Jerry Nadler, who represents New York’s 10th Congressional district, and District 6 City Council Member Helen Rosenthal. Rosenthal, who has attended Back 2 School Store every year since its inception in 2015, commended the event for its ability to bring together New Yorkers. “What is beautiful about this is that it humanizes everyone. People from all socioeconomic backgrounds [are] coming together in such a positive experience,” she said.
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NYC Traffic Fatalities 2013-2019 200
150
100
50
0
2013
2014
2015
2016
Pedestrians
A ghost bike memorial for cyclist Robyn Hightman, 20, who was struck and killed by a truck on Sixth Ave. at 23rd St. in June. Photo: David Noonan
2017
2018
Cyclists
2019
Motorists
SAFETY PLAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Not Always a Straight Line
deaths by 2024. In the years that followe d, the administration implemented 200 initiatives as part of the Vision Zero plan to make the city’s streets safer, whether through street design, legislation, enforcement or community outreach. Now, five years into the policy, the city has seen a big uptick in the number of cyclists killed in traffic in the first seven months of 2019 – 18 fatalities, compared to 10 in all of 2018 — calling into question whether Vision Zero has been an effective solution for safer streets in New York. As of June 30 of this year, as recorded by the DOT, there have been 47 pedestrian and 31 motorist deaths. Combined with the known cyclist deaths, there have
In 2013, 299 people were killed and 55,123 were injured in traffic accidents, according to data collected by the Department of Transportation. Those numbers have decreased in the subsequent years, but it hasn’t always been a straight line. In 2018, traffic fatalities dropped to a record low of 203. It was also the year with the fewest number of cyclist deaths the city had seen since the start of Vision Zero. However, despite the number of overall deaths, pedestrian deaths increased in 2018; up from 107 in 2017 to 115 for the year. Similarly, from 2013 to 2016, motorist deaths per year steadily declined from 103 to 64. In 2017, however, that number climbed back up to 92 before dropping to
been 96 traffic fatalities on the year.
Graphic: Olivia Cosgrove
78 in 2018. The fluctuation in fatalities might be most drastic for cyclists. By the end of June, there had already been 13 cyclist deaths in the city. Then five more people were killed in July. The rate at which cyclists were being killed prompted the de Blasio administration to adopt a new policy called the “Green Wave.” An expansion of Vision Zero, the new plan aims to build 30 miles of protected bike lanes per year instead of the current 20 miles per year. This modification of Vision Zero suggests that the program has not done enough to meet its goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2024. In fact, if the city continues at the current rate of eliminating 19.2 traffic deaths per year it will fall short of that target. Instead, it would need to eliminate 33.8 traffic deaths from now until 2024 to achieve the mission of Vision Zero.
AUGUST 08-14,2019
‘GROWING HEALTHY KIDS’ EDUCATION Harlem Grown works to empower young people and their communities through agricultural education BY JADEN SATENSTEIN
In a city characterized by its tall, ightly-packed buildings, green space is usually not considered a defining feature of the New York living experience. However, one group is working to change that. Harlem Grown, a nonprofit founded in 2011, works to mentor and empower youth in the Harlem community through agricultural education that teaches them to “lead healthy and ambitious lives,” according to the organization’s mission.
Interacting with Nature “Obvious and immediate impact is exposure to green spaces, which is generally hard to come by in a place like New York,” said Gabriella Rodriguez, who began working with Harlem Grown as an educator and now serves as the outreach and com-
munications coordinator. “And not just green spaces, but urban agriculture spaces, especially in a place like Harlem that’s been historically redlined and gentrified … Living in the city, it’s hard to understand where food comes from because we’re usually not interacting with it.” The organization began when its executive director, Tony Hillery, was volunteering at P.S. 175 on West 134th Street and began revamping an abandoned lot across the street. The lot is now one of Harlem Grown’s eleven sites, which include seven soil-based hydroponic farms throughout Harlem, as well as four spaces within partner schools.
An Educational Experience Programs offered by Harlem Grown includes monthly cooking and gardening lessons with students at its five partner elementary schools, Saturday open volunteer hours and four large, communitywide events every year. Many students who work with Harlem Grown at their schools also participate in a yearly summer camp for ages seven to 14, which lasts seven weeks and is free to all campers.
“Our camp is actually a really good way to see the graduation and development of our kids ... This year is the first year, I think, where all of our [counselors in training] are previous campers. So a lot of the kids stay with us every year, every summer,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of kids develop better communication and leadership skills after being in our programming because a lot of the way that we work fosters that and is really meant to empower kids to feel that they have agency in their choices.” Harlem Grown has had an exciting summer. Last month it opened its new Impact Farm, a two-story vertical hydroponic greenhouse, the first of its kind in the country. The greenhouse sits at the organization’s West 127th Street Farm location, and was funded by Juice Generation, one of Harlem Grown’s corporate partners.
Connecting with the Community Although Rodriguez emphasized Harlem Grown’s role in empowering and educating residents, she is conscious of how the creation of green space could play into the rapid gentrification that is underway in Harlem. "I won’t say we’re contributing to gentrification, but we are kind of propping it up in some ways ... People want to live by green spaces, so
Healthcare in Your Neighborhood Lighthouse Guild Health Center, now in your neighborhood, provides coordinated vision and healthcare. We have specialized programs to maximize your functional vision and we address underlying medical issues through primary and specialty care. We provide: • •
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Diabetes care and selfmanagement education
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Occupational therapy
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We are a Medicare and Medicaid provider and accept many insurance plans.
Located: 250 West 64th Street (bet. Amsterdam & West End Ave.)
Call us for an appointment 212-769-6313
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The Harlem Grown garden on West 127th Sreet. Photo: Jaden Satenstein
having these spaces here makes it more attractive.” Nevertheless, Harlem Grown continues to connect with and give back to the neighborhood. The farm sites, such as the 127th Street location, are often left open for community members to enjoy. Produce grown at the sites is also distributed to neighbors and visitors for free. “We’re pretty grounded in the existing Harlem community, and we’re friendly with people who live in the buildings around all of our sites, and also the people who are just on the block every day,” Rodriguez said.
“So by fostering those relationships and making sure people know that, regardless of how our surroundings are changing, we’re really still here for the community and for youth.” Rodriguez hopes to see Harlem Grown continue to expand to more schools and reach more community members to foster “environmental stewardship” and continue to help young people develop important life skills. “We like to say that we plant fruits and vegetables, but we’re growing healthy kids and sustainable communities.”
NORTHERN MANHATTAN STUDY OF METABOLISM AND MIND
NOMEM The purpose of NOMEM is to learn more about how blood sugar and other factors relate to the brain and mental abilities of persons living in Northern Manhattan. We are seeking your help to conduct this study. You are eligible to participate if you: Live in Manhattan or the Bronx Are between 60 and 69 years of age Are able to do an MRI and a PET scan of the brain Participation will include these activities: 1. Questionnaires 2. Blood tests 3. A brain MRI 4. A brain PET scan with contrast We will compensate your time for participating in these 4 activities with $350. We will also give you the results of important blood tests.
PLEASE CONTACT US @ 212-305-4126, 646-737-4370, LS960@CUMC.COLUMBIA.EDU
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STRIVERS, RETIREES AND CHICKEN WINGS EAST SIDE OBSERVER
BY ARLENE KAYATT
Senior sentiments - After reading this column’s observance of the proliferation of senior residences in Manhattan, where millennials have ruled the roost, reader J.R. opined, in this slightly edited screed, that there is “No doubt that geriatrics -including medicine, merchandise, housing, travel, entertainment, even matchmaking -- are a current growth industry. New York City’s profile is destined to assume an odd shape to cater to the young ambitious strivers on the one side, and the retired (sometimes tired) on the other. I wonder what will it feel like
for those in-between ... to live here in 20 years? Meanwhile, variety and developments in residences are of material interest to me at my stage in life. And everyone should be paying attention.” Chicken wars - There was a time when chicken wings were the rage. While they are still very much present on bar, pub and restaurant menus, and during Happy Hours, they are getting competition from other chicken parts. At various times, entire menus were dedicated to offering only chicken wings and the restaurants were named accordingly. Think Atomic Wings, Wingz, Wing Stop and Buffalo Wild Wings. Some have more than one location in Manhattan. However, the latest
WOODSTOCK SOJOURN: A DAY OF PEACE, LOVE AND MUSIC BY JON FRIEDMAN
“No!” The waitress at the Woodstock Pizza Theater could not have been more emphatic as she shot down my statement that it was nice for me to be “in the country.” Woodstock, she stressed, “is not in the country.” Well, that all depends on your point of view. For this man from Manhattan, it sure seemed that way last Sunday, when I took a one-day sojourn to the historic town, about an hour and forty minutes by Amtrak. The train dropped me in Rhinecliff, the nearest station, and I was met there by my pal Andy, who has lived in Albany for several decades. We drove the 18 miles to Woodstock and did what any self-respecting Seventies kids would do: Search whimsically for the ghosts of Bob Dylan and The Band, the fabled musicians who decamped to this then-sleepy town in the 1960s and made the notion of leaving the city to “find yourself”
groovy. (Dylan left in 1969 and The Band split in 1973. They all sought to find love and peace in Malibu, in sunny Southern California, though a few Band members eventually returned to the mountains). Woodstock is a very small town, countrified or not. For visitors, the action takes place mostly on Tinker Street, the main drag. You can get anything you want on Tinker. The aforementioned pizza parlor was terrific – and remember, I live in New York City, the snobbish pizza capital of the world. Likewise, the ice cream at Nancy’s, a few doors down, was terrific. If the weather had been more hospitable to a walking tour, my friend and I would have ventured further afield from Tinker. But with the temperature soaring above ninety that afternoon, it made more sense to do less exploring and more chowing down. Plus, Amtrak arrived twentyfive or so minutes late, which cut down on our opportunity to look around in depth. I only had four
trend is to omit chicken wings from menus entirely. Think Chick-fil-a and Sticky’s Finger Joint. Both have locations throughout Manhattan and are opening at other locations throughout the borough. Menu choices at both include chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, but no wings. A Chick-fil-a recently opened on Third Avenue just north of 86th Street, right alongside the Orpheum 86 movie house. Others are in Midtown East, Midtown West and Flatiron. Sticky’s Finger Joint is also opening around town, starting with the first, or one of the first, in Murray Hill, another in the Village, and another coming to Lexington Avenue in Midtown East. Can’t figure out why the wings craze has lost its
hours in total up there. As you might expect, the Spirit of the 1960s predominates, everywhere you look. There are a lot of people peddling bootleg vinyl albums, photos of musicians and tie dye anything under the sun. Woodstock’s charm was ruined on a weekend in 1969, when the famous three-day music festival attracted half-a-million people to listen to the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Je ferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone and others. The promoters originally wanted to hold the festival smack in Woodstock proper, as a way to woo its most famous resident – namely Bob Dylan – to play. But Dylan wanted no part of the pandemonium and declined to show up. Then, the townspeople all but kicked the festival to the curb, forcing the promoters to hold it down the road in Bethel N.Y. But the name remains and it has been worth, probably, billions of dollars in the sales of all kinds of memorabilia and fashion items. Bob Dylan’s shadow still looms long in Woodstock, believe it or not. He left Greenwich Village soon after making it big with “Blowin’ in the Wind” to find a calm place. Greenwich Village was becoming intolerant for him, as fans besieged him for
mojo (could be that more people have been choking on bones, or maybe clean up is easier and less messy when you don’t have to dispose of wing bones, or maybe wings take too long to devour). Whatever the reason, the restaurant trend is eat and run on the cheap - after waiting on a long long line. You’ve got mail - When I bought a sheet of stamps this past week at the post office, it came as a surprise to see the face of President George H.W. Bush, Bush 41, commemorated. The stamp was issued less than a year after his passing. Since 2016, at least one stamp has been issued of all deceased presidents. It occurred to me to wonder if our 45th president would want his likeness on a stamp
issued by the government. Or if he will have arranged for his heirs to own the rights. Kosher bloc - 34th Street between Park and Madison on the north side of the street has always had at least one kosher restaurant. Now, there are five. Starting at Park, there’s Mendy’s and Bedford on Park (both in the same space). On the way to Madison, there’s Holy Crepe, Tiberius, and Eden Wok. And let’s not forget the spiffy looking Dunkin`, formerly Dunkin’ Donuts, located right off Park and next door to Mendy’s. Although not a restaurant, DD displays its bona fides to be in the bloc with a Kosher Certification. Everything counts, so welcome to the bloc block.
Big Pink, 2013 Photo: bobistraveling,viaflickr
The Answer to the meaning of life. Up in Woodstock, he lived among trees and forests and blended into the rustic surroundings (Can I call Woodstock “rustic,“ then?) But Dylan’s music, wild and revolutionary at first, lost its edge. He set out to reclaim it when he took his wife and children back to Greenwich Village in the fall of 1969. Within a few years, they were all living in Los Angeles. It’s probably hard to find your edge when you’re living out in the exurbs or the country. All in all, I had a nice day in Woodstock and am looking forward to re-
turning. It’s a short train ride, really (when Amtrak runs on time). The people up in the mountains are quite solicitous and hospitable. My friend and I never did get around to driving past Big Pink, the house where the members of The Band lived and Dylan and the musicians recorded “The Basement Tapes” songs in the spring and summer of 1967. Next time. I’ll be back. As Joni Mitchell, who didn’t perform at the festival in 1969 but wrote the famous song bearing the festival’s name, put it, I want to set my soul free.
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AUGUST 08-14,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Photo: Lou Sepersky
FINALLY, SUTTON PLACE PARK — ALMOST PARKS For East Side residents, just having access is a major accomplishment BY LEIDA SNOW
You could practically hear the neighborhood’s sigh of relief. “I’ve lived near here all my life,” one woman exulted, at the unofficial opening of Sutton Place Park (SPP) overlooking the East River. “I was brought up here. And there were times I thought the construction would never end.” Never mind that SPP isn’t quite finished. The new enlarged park is bookended by what had been two smaller parks at 56th and 57th Streets. They are now connected by a promenade of nearly a quarter acre of new public land. For famously park deprived Manhattan Eastsiders, just having access represents a major accomplishment. Entering through 57th Street, you’d see that the grand old trees were saved, as was the boar statue. Benches line the perimeter. The original sandbox, once a haven for toddlers, is closed off. Since it had been consistently used
by a few inconsiderate dog owners, its future use is in doubt. Sitting on one of the benches facing the East River is seductive. The expansive view includes the 59th Street Bridge. There’s a delightful, cool breeze. July 27th, the first day the lock on the construction fence was opened, many parents were guiding small children while others sat on benches reading newspapers or listening to music or podcasts through ear buds.
“Where’s the Greenery?” Walking to the rail, you can look through to 56th Street through the Connector, a section of about 10,000 square feet of new park space. It’s mostly a concrete promenade, but there’s a large patch of grass where people can sit, braced on low cement walls. Benches are set up throughout, but there are no shade trees. When you come to the 56th Street section, there’s a bit of a shock. As one visitor noted: “Of course it’s great that it’s open. But why is the 56th Street portion and the connection area so barren? Where’s the greenery?” Alex Hart, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture, said the way the land is situated over the FDR presented many challenges. There are legal limits to how much weight can be added
over the drive, he said. Still, he insisted, “the Connector has 26 small new trees and hundreds of shrubs. There should be lush greenery in a few years,” he said. City Council Member Ben Kallos said: “We’re working with the Sutton Place Parks Conservancy (SPPC) on a vision for the two end areas of the park.” Kallos said he expects the community to bring proposals to him and, he said, he is committed to providing funding.
Years of Haggling The troubled history of the park goes back decades, as a result of disputed claims to the land behind the luxury co-op at 1 Sutton Place South. The treasured rear garden of the building had been extended in a 1939 agreement with New York City, in connection with the construction of the East River Drive, now the FDR. The city leased the land on top of the drive back to the co-op for the symbolic payment of a dollar a year for 50 years. When the lease ran out in 1990, the co-op said nothing. Then, in 2003, major rehabilitation of the FDR had become necessary. What followed were years of haggling, negotiation, and a lawsuit, with the city claiming it wanted to take back what was public land being privately controlled. Finally, in 2011, an
agreement was reached. The City Council Member at the time, Jessica Lappin, secured $1 million in city funding, and the co-op agreed to contribute another $1 million for the park project. An original design, with fences closing off the central part of the park, was fiercely resisted by the community. At a 2013 hearing of the city Public Design Commission (PDC), a representative of Community Board Six, and Gail Haft, representing Sutton Area Community (SAC), presented forceful objections to the plan. The PDC agreed, and the design was changed. Finally, in 2017, construction began in earnest. Thus, years behind schedule, but finally — though still not completely finished — Sutton Place South Park, now called Sutton Place Park, is unofficially open. There will be an official ribbon cutting some time after labor day. Current 1 Sutton Place South board president Joshua Berkowitz said the co-op hopes to complete the landscaping of the private land that remains behind the building. He said a decorative fence would replace the link construction barrier that now separates the public park from the co-op’s backyard.
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AUGUST 08-14,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Calendar NYCNOW
Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com
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EDITOR’S PICK
Aug 10 THE MOUNTAIN GOATS East River Park East 10th St and FDR Drive 6:00 pm – Free Summerstage.org 212-360-1399 Since 1991, singer-songwriter John Darnielle and a revolving door of musicians have created a distinctive brand of melancholic and wryly humorous indie folk music. Their latest release, In League With Dragons, draws inspiration from old school role-playing games.
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Thu 8
Fri 9
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Sat 10
HOW TO LIVE A HAPPIER LIFE WITH KHENTRUL RINPOCHE
FILM – ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)
BUON APPETITO! ITALIAN BUBBLY BRUNCH WITH MIMOSAS
Sixth Street Community Center 638 East 6th St 7:00 p.m. Free Tibetan Buddhist teacher Khentrul Rinpoche shares insights from his book, “A Happier Life” — a treasury of wisdom to guide you towards achieving sustained happiness, point by point, at every stage of life. sixthstreetcenter.org 212-677-1863
Governors Island Parade Ground 7:00 p.m. Free When their relationship turns sour, a couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories. Filmlinc.org 212-875-5610
DIA New York 58 Second Ave 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. $25 Treat your taste buds to an Italian brunch that will have you coming back again and again. You’ll have a range of mouth-watering dishes to choose from and a bottle of prosecco to make your own mimosas & bellinis for a little weekend day drinking (it’s acceptable when it’s brunch, right?). feverup.com 646-781-7359
AUGUST 08-14,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
WE ARE HIRING! The Board of Elections in the City of New York is hiring Poll Workers to serve at poll sites across New York City. Become an Election Day Worker and you can earn up to $2,800 for completing the training course, passing the exam and working ten Election Days.
ELECTION INSPECTOR
INTERPRETER
REQUIREMENTS
REQUIREMENTS
• Registered voter residing in the City of New York
• A permanent U.S. resident over 18 years of age and a resident of New York City
• Enrolled in the Democratic or Republican party
• Fluent in English and the interpreter’s language
• Able to read and write English
• Spanish interpreters needed in all boroughs
DUTIES
• Chinese interpreters needed in Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens
• Prepare the poll site for voters
• Korean, Hindi and Bengali interpreters needed in Queens
• Assist voters during the voting process
For Hindi Interpreters: Please note on your application if you can also speak Punjabi.
• Close the poll site
Sun 11 HISTORIC WALKING TOUR OF 19TH CENTURY NOHO Merchant’s House Museum 29 East 4th St 12:30 p.m. $15 Journey back in time to the elite ‘Bond Street area,’ home to Astors, Vanderbilts, Delanos – and the Tredwells, who lived in the Merchant’s House. You’ll see how the neighborhood surrounding the Tredwells’ home evolved from a refined and tranquil residential enclave into a busy commercial center. merchantshouse.org 212-777-1089
Mon 12 INFINITY OF NATIONS EXHIBITION TOUR American Indian Museum Heye Center One Bowling Green 11:00 a.m. and 12:00p.m. Free Join a Museum Ambassador for a 45-60 minute tour of Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian. americanindian.si.edu 212-514-3700
Tue 13
• Canvass and report election results
• Does not have to be a registered voter
• Assist other poll workers as needed
DUTIES
TRAINING
• Assist non-English speaking voters by translating voting information into covered languages during the voting process
• All Inspectors must attend a training class and pass the exam
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FILM – PONYO (2008) Village East Cinema 181-189 Second Ave 7:00 p.m. $15 Hayao Miyazaki’s animated tale centers on the friendship between five-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Ponyo, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a seagoddess mother, who yearns to become human. citycinemas.com 212-529-6998
TRAINING • All Interpreters must attend a training class and pass the exam
HOURS/LOCATION FOR PRIMARY/GENERAL ELECTION • 5:00 a.m. until the polls are closed and results reported, which will be after 9:00 p.m. • Must be willing to travel within the borough for assignment to a poll site
9 EARLY VOTING DAYS • Please visit website for detailed hours and dates • Must be willing to travel within the borough for assignment to a poll site
HOW TO APPLY Visit nyc.electiondayworker.com to apply. If you have any questions, please call: 866-VOTE-NYC (866-868-3692). TTY Number 212-487-5496
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Wed 14
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HANNAH ORENSTEIN: LOVE AT FIRST LIKE Strand Bookstore 828 Broadway 7:00 p.m. Free with book or gift card purchase The senior dating editor at Elite Daily and author of “Playing With Matches” launches her new novel, the story of a young jewelry shop owner who accidentally leads her Instagram followers to believe that she’s engaged— and then decides to keep up the ruse. strandbooks.com 212-473-1452
Zahra Hankir: Our Women on the Ground
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13TH, 7:30PM The Strand | 828 Broadway | 212-473-1452 | strandbooks.com Contributors Nada Bakri and Nour Malas speak with editor Zahra Hankir on the occasion of the release of a first-of-its-kind essay collection. Learn more about the risks and advantages posed to Arab and Middle Eastern sahafiyat—female journalists ($17 signed copy or $15 gift card).
Seeing the Sacred in Samsara | Donald Lopez + Tenzin Namgyal Tethong
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 7PM Rubin Museum of Art | 150 W. 17th St. | 212-620-5000 | rmanyc.org Professor of Buddhist Studies Donald S. Lopez Jr. speaks with Tenzin Tethong, whose collection of paintings forms the basis of Lopez’s new book, a look at the tantric yogis of medieval India ($25).
Just Announced | The Festival of New: A Night of Philosophy
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, 7PM The New School | 66 W. 12th St. | 212-229-5150 | newschool.edu From October 1st through the 6th, The New School hosts a festival of thought, screenings, and performances. Saturday you can stay up all night with philosophy and 12 hours of multimedia programming, beginning with the Art of Change opera and the John Cage Musicircus (free).
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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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
THE POWER OF GREAT ART Leonardo da Vinci’s final masterpiece dazzles at The Met
BY MARY GREGORY
Leonardo da Vinci died 500 years ago, on May 2, 1519, in Amboise, France. Commemorations of his life and exhibitions of his work are taking place around the world. All have spectacular things to see, but only The Met has the master’s last great painting, “Saint Jerome Praying in the Wilderness,“ which he worked on until 1510. It’s on loan from the Vatican Museums through October 6th.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Saint Jerome Praying in the Wilderness” – detail. “The most psychologically intense figure that Leonardo ever painted.” Photo: Adel Gorgy
While many seek to heroize the genius artist and scientist, the exhibition organizer, Met curator Dr. Carmen C. Bambach, regarded by many as the world’s preeminent expert on Leonardo, seeks instead to humanize him, by bringing his most evocatively emotional painting to audiences. She completes the picture with the release of her four-volume biography, published by Yale University Press on July 30th, “Leonardo da Vinci Rediscovered.” What has Bambach rediscovered in the 24-year journey of research that went into the book and informs the
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Leonardo da Vinci's Saint Jerome WHERE: The Met 1000 Fifth Avenue WHEN: Through October 6th
exhibition? Humanizing a Genius “Actually,“ she said, “quite a lot – much about putting the intellectual life and personal life of Leonardo together with his works and his writings. The book is a narrative told basically in a chronological, biographical framework, and in a level of detail that had not been done before…There are small discoveries and there are large discoveries. I would say that the most important one is the way in which Leonardo is situated in his time and culture. I paid a lot of attention to that because I felt that that was the only way in which we can truly assess how he transcends his time.” Bambach said it was important to her to reconstruct the systems of knowledge that were valid during Leonardo’s lifetime, because there is a tendency to see him as the initiator of “absolutely everything.” To create her more realistic portrait of Leonardo, Bambach carefully calibrated the evidence marking his growth as an artist. “Looking at biographical details and the way in which he educated himself,” she said, “Leonardo really is a self-made artist and writer, and I think that really humanizes the genius a great deal.” “St. Jerome” offers a vision of humanity heightened, despite or perhaps because the painting is largely unfinished, although Leonardo worked on it for more than thirty years. A combination of exquisitely executed completion and sketchy
starting points allows for a revealing glimpse into the artist’s methods and mind. Around St. Jerome’s neck and shoulders, we see anatomical knowledge and artistic perfection in the rendering of the musculature and bones of the ascetic monk. Jerome’s sunken cheeks and up-cast eyes suggest the fraught state of a man destined for sainthood, but not yet there. Leonardo’s Jerome suffers, even as his spirit transcends. Psychologically Intense Like many saints in art, Jerome is depicted with his attributes; his was a faithful lion who befriended him when the saint pulled a thorn from his paw. Leonardo’s lion fills the foreground as a dynamic, although relatively blank shape. The curls of its mane show the kind of rapid, precise strokes seen in Leonardo’s great drawings. The sweeping swirl of a tail tells of an artist’s love for line and design. In the right background, a church outlined but not painted, hints at possible patronage. A soft, hazy blue-green landscape reminiscent of the Mona Lisa’s background fills the upper left corner of the panel. Bambach’s wall texts tell us that many of Leonardo’s fingerprints have been found in that part of the picture, where he smoothed his pigments to a soft, almost liquid sfumato. But it’s the impassioned expression and gesture of the saint that builds the power of the painting and the response of the viewer, which Bambach said was crucial to Leon-
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Saint Jerome Praying in the Wilderness” – detail. In the upper left corner, a soft, hazy blue-green landscape is reminiscent of the Mona Lisa’s background. Photo: Adel Gorgy
AUGUST 08-14,2019
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Saint Jerome Praying in the Wilderness.” On loan from the Vatican. Photo: Adel Gorgy
ardo. “The Vatican painting of St. Jerome is probably the most psychologically intense figure that Leonardo ever painted, and the gesture really does amplify, does accentuate that. There is this amazing connection of interior and exterior of the figure.” A Sense of Hushed Awe “I had never seen this da Vinci before, although I have seen others,“ said Upper West Side resident, Suzanne Veljovic, who discussed the painting in soft but enthused tones with the small crowd gathered at the members’ preview, where she spent more than an hour. “I made a special trip to see St. Jerome…It was inspirational, spiritual, religious, beautiful, moving. I felt St. Jerome’s suffering and pain, but also his acceptance, faith, love of God and Jesus. He seemed so real.” That sense of hushed awe is by design, and just what Bambach had in mind when she chose to show the
painting as a single work in a small gallery in the museum’s Lehman Wing. Behind a wall, in a darkened space, spotlighted for maximum e fect, Leonardo’s masterpiece awaits. The arrangement hearkens back to memorials for Italian Renaissance artists, often commemorated by the display of a major work. “Without being funereal, it evokes the solemnity of something that is more of a sanctuary,“ Bambach said. It took both heart and mind, humanity and genius, to create the St. Jerome on view at the Met. Its passion, emotion, and spirituality radiate, and its monumental power fills the room, though the painting is not particularly large. “I think works of art that are transcendental, that communicate beyond the time in which they were created, works such as the St. Jerome, are always going to seem larger than life,“ said Bambach, “and that is the power of art - of great art.”
AUGUST 08-14,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Broadway director Harold Prince receives the Golden Plate award from Nobel laureate Toni Morrison at the American Academy of Achievement’s 46th annual International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 23, 2007.
THE ASTONISHING HAL PRINCE
THEATER
The director and producer of some of Broadway’s most memorable shows dies at 91 BY LEIDA SNOW
When I learned that Harold (Hal) Prince had died, I felt as though all of Broadway must have stopped breathing, at least for a time. Yes, he was 91. Yes, he lived a full life: 21 Tony Awards, including one for lifetime achievement in 2006. He was producer or director, and sometimes both, of many of the most memorable Broadway musicals, including “Damn Yankees,” “West Side Story,” “Cabaret” and “The Phantom of the Opera” among them.” But the loss still bites. Prince embodied Broadway royalty. He worked with top composers, lyricists, designers, choreographers and actors. His productions were often dazzling, framing an ar-
tistic vision that challenged as well as entertained us. Once seen, you could never forget the diving chandelier in “Phantom,” or the titillating Kit Kat Club of “Cabaret,” with its leering master of ceremonies, or the barber’s chair in “Sweeney Todd,” with a false bottom that swooped its victim below to the charnel house where he’d be turned into meat pie. Or the peasants of “Fiddler On the Roof,” muddling their way through “Tradition.” One of the heartbreaks of my theater life was that I didn’t get to work with Hal Prince. Before I became culture critic for WINS-AM, I was a performer. I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to audition to replace one of the daughters in “Fiddler.” But I didn’t get to read, much less sing or dance. I was “typed out.” Seems this granddaughter of Russian immigrants wasn’t “ethnic” enough. Prince said he didn’t want to put realism on the stage. In-
stead, he went for heightened reality, often making his stage productions cinematic, as in “West Side Story” and “Cabaret,” his first concept musical. His expansive revival of “Show Boat” was breathtaking in its sweep. The musicalwithin-a-musical of “Follies” revealed his embrace of experimentation. Broadway audiences have come to expect his approach, linking messaging to entertaining opulence, and rewarding larger-than-life shows, from “Hamilton” to “The Lion King,” with long runs. As a theater-lover and then as critic, I was privileged to see many of Prince’s shows, including “Fiorello,” “ompany,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Follies.” They delivered enduring memories from a man who expanded our understanding of what musicals could be about and who influenced American theater over decades of often astonishing work.
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AUGUST 08-14,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS
Dim Sum Go Go
5 East Broadway
A
JULY 24-30, 2019
Monte’s
97 Macdougal Street
A
Cafe Select
212 Lafayette Street
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 www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml.
Triona’s
237 Sullivan Street
A
Posh Pop Bakeshop
192 Bleecker Street
Grade Pedning (41) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Drive 495
495 Broadway
A
Jivamuktea Cafe
841 Broadway
A
Mikaku
85 Kenmare Street
Marcellino
178 Mulberry Street
Grade Pedning (21) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Parm
248 Mulberry Street
A
Bo Ca Phe
222 Lafayette Street
Grade Pedning (25) 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. 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.
Piccolo Angolo
Phillip Marie
Quality Eats
621 Hudson Street
569 Hudson Street
Grade Pending (31) 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. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Grade Pending (22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
19 Greenwich Avenue
A
While We Were Young 183 West 10th Street
A
Due West
189 West 10th Street
A
The Pho 3
152 7th Avenue
A
Ahimsa
210 Thompson Street
A
Mary’s Fish Camp
246 West 4th Street
A
Zadie’s Oyster Room
413 East 12 Street
A
Joseph Leonard
170 Waverly Place
A
Eastpoint
25 Avenue B
A
Blind Barber
339 East 10 Street
Upright
547 Hudson Street
A
Starbucks
345 Hudson Street
A
Left Bank
117 Perry Street
A
Hale & Hearty
350 Hudson Street
Grade Pending (19) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
Grade Pending (20) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. 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.
The Wayland
700 East 9 Street
Grade Pending (25) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Taverna Kyclades
228 1st Ave nue
Grade Pending (2)
Steamy Hallows
514 E 6th Street
Grade Pending (23) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. 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.
Lucien Restauraunt
14 1st Avenue
A
Westville
173 Avenue A
A
Injera Restaurant
11 Abingdon Square
A
Milk Bar West Village
74 Christopher Street
A
New Shun Wei Restaurant
45 Catherine Street
Grade Pending (23) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Mark Joseph Steakhouse
261 Water Street
A
Madison Bagel And Grill
5 Madison Street
A
Hole In The Wall
15 Cliff Street
Grade Pedning (26) 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. 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.
AUGUST 08-14,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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Scorsese’s “The Irishman” to premiere at New York Film Festival BY JAKE COYLE, AP FILM WRITER
Martin Scorsese’s bigbudget mafia epic “The Irishman” will premiere as the opening night film at the 57th New York Film Festival, Film at Lincoln Center announced Monday. The selection, with the premiere set for September 27, gives Scorsese a hometown launch for one of his most anticipated films. “The Irishman” is Scorsese’s $125 million Netflix film about the reflections of a former Jimmy Hoffa associate and hit man. Its genre and cast _ including Robert De Niro as Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa and Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino _ have long tantalized fans of the 76-yearold filmmaker. “It’s in the milieu of the pictures we’ve done together and are known for, in a sense,
but I hope from a different vantage point,‘’ Scorsese said earlier this year at a Tribeca Film Festival event. “Years have gone by and we see things in a special way, I hope.’’ New York Film Festival Director Kent Jones, a frequent collaborator with Scorsese, said in a statement that “The Irishman’’ is “the work of masters, made with a command of the art of cinema that I’ve seen very rarely in my lifetime, and it plays out at a level of subtlety and human intimacy that truly stunned me.’’ Netflix is planning a robust awards season push for “The Irishman,‘’ including a notyet-dated release in select theaters later this year. How widely Netflix will release it remains to be seen; major theater chains have thus far refused to play films that don’t adhere to a traditional exclusive theatrical release window of 90 days. Netflix has said holding movies back from its streaming service doesn’t serve its subscribers. In an interview with The Associated Press in June , Scorsese said Netflix was the
only one willing to bankroll the ambitious film, based on Charles Brandt’s “I Heard You Paint Houses.’’ “No one else did. No one else did,‘’ said Scorsese, who also turned to Netflix for his Bob Dylan documentary “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese.’’ “We decided to make it with the understanding that it’ll maybe never be shown in theaters. They said, ‘You would have a time in theaters’ -- a few weeks or whatever. I said fine. The idea was to make the movie, you see.’’ Scorsese has also lamented the major studios’ reliance on blockbusters. “I don’t do those,‘’ said Scorsese. “There’s only so much time in your life. I need to make these movies. I just need to. So where do I go?’’ The filmmaker on Monday said he was grateful for the New York Film Festival selection (his first as the opening night film) and praised the festival as “critical to bringing awareness to cinema from around the world.’’ The New York Film Festival runs September 27 through October 13.
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Business
LET’S CHAMA! A new restaurant brings the food and culture of the country of Georgia to Chelsea
BY DIANA DUCROZ
Tamara Chubinidze adores New York City, her home of 23 years, but her native Georgia, the tiny mountainous country wedged between Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia on the east side of the Black Sea, is always in her heart. With Chama Mama, her new restaurant on West 14th Street, she wants to share the best of Georgia’s rich food and wine culture with New York. “Hospitality is number one,” Chubinidze says of Georgians, who make an art form of eating and drinking. “We say that the guest is a gift from God.” Communal feasts – called ‘supra’ – are so central to Georgian life that an extendable 24seat table is standard for entertaining. The name ‘Chama Mama’ embodies the spirit of the restaurant. In the Georgian language, ‘chama’ means ‘to eat.’ “‘Mama’ in Georgian is actually ‘father.’ But for the rest of the world, it’s ‘mother,’” Chubinidze said with a laugh. ‘Chama Mama’ may sound funny to a Georgian speaker, but it perfectly suits Chubinidze’s wish to attract a broader audience to experience Georgian food and culture. “Every
time you eat, you think of your mother, grandmother, all the wonderful mothers.” Along with their own language, the Georgian people have their own alphabet. The most ancient of the alphabet’s three scripts inspired the curvy letters in the restaurant’s logo.
An 8,000-Year Tradition Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia on the old Silk Road, Georgia transformed centuries of outside influences and ingredients into a cuisine that, like its language and alphabet, is unique in the world. A variety of breads, cheeses, and meats is supplemented by an astounding array of produce, thanks to the country’s diverse geography and temperate climate. Common vegetables like tomatoes and eggplant are featured alongside unusual fare such as ‘ekala,’ a wild salad green that grows on fences in Georgia, and ‘jonjoli,’ a pickled sprout similar to a caper. Chubinidze imports around 30 percent of the restaurant’s ingredients from Georgia, a task made easier by her father’s importing business in New York City. With over 500 varieties of grapes, Georgia is considered the world’s ‘cradle of winemaking.’ In addition to modern mass production, small farmers continue the country’s 8,000-year tradition of making wine
Chama Mama at 149 West 14th St. Photo: Diana DuCroz.
AUGUST 08-14,2019
Adjaruli – a traditional open-faced bread served with hot melted cheese and egg – is one of the most popular items. Photo: Courtesy of Chama Mama.
in huge clay pots buried underground. “The wine is our blood, so we drink wine 24/7,” Chubinidze said. Among the more familiar reds and whites is the distinctly Georgian ‘amber’ wine, with a color to match its name and bold flavors that complement the spicy cuisine. Diners at Chama Mama can order from a special revolving menu of natural ‘boutique’ wines produced in small batches as well as from the restaurant’s regular list of Georgian wines.
A Secret Ingredient Chama Mama’s menu combines wildly decadent comfort food – the popular ‘adjaruli’ is a canoe-shaped loaf of bread stuffed with melted cheese, egg and butter – with healthy vegetable-, fruit- and nut-
based side dishes, sauces, salads, and stews. Walnuts, pomegranates, garlic and cilantro make frequent appearances, but the secret ingredient to Georgian flavor is blue fenugreek, an herb unknown to most American cooks. “Without it, there’s no Georgian family,” Chubinidze said, illustrating how elemental it is to Georgian cooking. She compares the herb to a magic wand. “All the sparkles are coming out of it, that’s how the spice is.” But for every exotic spice or vegetable, Georgian food offers something familiar to American palates – cornbread, cheesy hominy grits, grilled meats, even a bean stew similar to chili. Tamara Chubinidze grew up in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city. In 1996,
Owner Tamara Chubinidze, next to the modern Georgian alphabet painted on the restaurant wall. Photo: Courtesy of Chama Mama.
at age 15, she left a country then beset by civil unrest and utility shortages to join her father, a former doctor, in New York City. Chubinidze eventually followed in his entrepreneurial footsteps with her own 15-year career in the footwear industry, but four years ago, she was ready for a big change. With no prior restaurant experience, she persuaded Le Pain Quotidien to hire her as a general branch manager by proving her business savvy. For two years, she worked 14hour days, learning the ins and outs of the restaurant business and getting up at 4 a.m. to open the restaurant. With Chama Mama, Chubinidze said she no longer has to get up so early, thanks to the surprising lack of a robust breakfast tradition in Georgian culture. Chama Mama’s menu features a pronunciation guide and brief description of each item for its nonGeorgian guests. Through a glass wall in the airy, bright dining room, diners have a clear view into the gleaming kitchen, which is fronted by a ‘tone,’ a giant circular oven where the restaurant’s bread is baked fresh each morning. Chelsea resident Eileen Millan, who lives around the corner, has become an ardent cheerleader for the restaurant. “The place is super beautiful and [the] food is yummy,” Millan said, giving a special mention to the “super cool unique round oven” on view in the kitchen. Chama Mama is one of several Georgian restaurants that have opened in New York in the last few years. Georgian food, wine, and travel is trending right now, so the timing has been good, Chubinidze said. In June, Chama Mama made Eater’s list of ‘Best Restaurants of 2019 So Far.’ Chubinidze plans to open a rear patio with outdoor seating next spring and is negotiating to open a second Manhattan location later this year. But no matter how much the business grows, she said she never wants to lose the personal touch so important to Georgian hospitality. One of Chama Mama’s servers is the granddaughter of a cook in the restaurant. “The grandchild is delivering the food that her grandma made. I think that’s so magical.” Chubinidze said. “She can literally say ‘oh my grandma made this.’”
AUGUST 08-14,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Real Estate Sales
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AUGUST 08-14,2019
SURE, AT FIRST I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK BY THE WHOLE PEEING STANDING UP THING. BUT I TAUGHT HIM TO THROW A STICK AND NOW HANGING OUT WITH HIM IS THE BEST PART OF MY DAY. — EINSTEIN adopted 12-09-10
Kirsten Gillibrand on June 1. Photo: Gage Skidmore, via flickr
BILLY AND GILLY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 nored each other except for one clash over the fate of NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo, who has been on modified duty for five years since he put a fatal chokehold on Eric Garner. A small group of protestors briefly disrupted the debate, repeatedly shouting “Fire Pantaleo.” De Blasio, who has refused to order Pantaleo fired, said the Garner family would “get justice” within 30 days. He did not elaborate. That was not good enough for Gillibrand. “Pantaleo should be fired,” she exclaimed. “He should be fired right now.” Former Housing Secretary Julian Castro also attacked the mayor on Pantaleo, saying: “That police officer should be off the street.” Arzt says de Blasio’s answers “have never been good on Pantaleo … I don’t think he helped himself out there. … It wasn’t a smooth performance.” On Friday, Aug. 22, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado is-
sued a non-binding recommendation that Pantaleo be fired. He was immediately suspended, as per department policy. The recommendation went to the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Lawyers in the case have two weeks to respond. The recommendation then goes to NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, who can accept, reject or modify the ruling. As the July 31 debate, de Blasio came out swinging at the July 31 debate by yelling that he wanted to “tax the hell out of the rich.” Arzt says the mayor “sort of looked desperate trying to get into the debate, at one point trying to rearrange the agenda … I don’t think he helped himself as far as polling goes.” He said Gillibrand was “erratic at best, though she had one of the best lines by saying the first thing she would do as President would be to ‘Clorox the Oval Office.’” On the money front, Gillibrand has raised $14.8 million nationwide, compared to
$46.2 million for Sanders, $35.5 million for Warren and $32.2 million for Buttigieg. De Blasio, who started campaigning relatively late, pulled in just $1.1 million total, according to the latest reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. De Blasio raised $833,010 of his total in New York State, but that, too, pales in comparison to Buttigieg, who picked up $2.45 million in New York, Booker with $2.36 million and Gillibrand with $1.93 million. Gillibrand racked up her highest Manhattan totals on the Upper East Side, Chelsea and the Upper West Side. Buttigieg did best in Chelsea/Clinton, the Upper West Side and the Lower East Side. Booker pulled the most from the Upper East Side and Upper West Side. Both consultants said it will be harder for de Blasio and Gillibrand to keep raising a lot of money. “If you don’t dominate in the debates,” Sheinkopf says, “you don’t get the money.”
AUGUST 08-14,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
LEGENDS OF YOUTUBE TAKE THE STAGE MUSIC
The Try Guys translate their viral web presence to an electric show at the Beacon Theatre BY OSCAR KIM BAUMAN
“We’re gonna turn this beautiful theater into a synagogue of fun!” Zach Kornfeld of YouTube comedy ensemble the Try Guys proclaimed from the stage of the Beacon Theatre on July 26th. As he said this, fans joined him on stage for a karaoke rendition of the Hannah Montana song “Best of Both Worlds.” Kornfeld’s performance was the conclusion to his section of the Try Guys’ “Legends of the Internet” live show. In addition to performing as a quartet, with fellow Try Guys Keith Habersberger, Ned Fulmer and Eugene Lee Yang, each man took charge of an individual section, declaring themselves the “Legend of” a certain subject matter. Habersberger was the “Legend of Food,” Fulmer, the “Legend of Love,” Kornfeld, who was celebrating his 29th birthday onstage, the “Legend of Fun,” and Yang, the “Legend of Gay.” The ensemble formed in 2014 as Habersberger, Fulmer, Kornfeld and Yang became popular personalities through the viral videos they appeared in for their then-employer BuzzFeed. The four left BuzzFeed in the spring of 2018 and began publishing videos through a new, independent YouTube channel. In the year since, the Try Guys have gained over six million subscribers on the platform. They branched out from video production into podcasting with their weekly “TryPod” and published a comedic self-help book, “The Hidden Power of F*cking Up,” which reached No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list. Despite the Try Guys’ online success, what form their live show would take was uncertain to fans. Their YouTube videos are typically based around the four men trying out a new hobby or learning a new skill, often over the course of days or even weeks, a format which doesn’t track well to a stage show. Rather than try to replicate their videos, the “Legends of the Internet” provided a new venue for the Try Guys to showcase their talents. The Beacon Theatre experience began with the Try Guys taking to the stage in monochromatic costumes: Habersberger in blue, Fulmer
Try Guys onstage: Eugene Lee Yang (front) with Zach Kornfeld, Ned Fulmer and Keith Habersberger in the back. Photo: Oscar Kim Bauman
You’re all legends on your own journey. Keith Habersberger, Try Guys in red, Kornfeld in green and Yang in purple. Amid smoke, fireworks and ear-splitting cheers, the quartet sang and danced their way through a brief history of the internet, from the 1969 creation of ARPANET, to the 2005 creation of YouTube, to the many viral videos spawned by that platform. For Habersberger’s “Legend of Food” segment, he began with a PowerPoint-assisted comedic monologue about a food-related misadventure he had a decade prior: an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to persuade comedian Tim Mead-
ows to have pizza with him, through posting incessantly on Meadows’ Facebook page. Habersberger then broke into a song, inviting the listener to get pizza with him. Yang joined in, wearing a pizza-slice costume, while Fulmer and Kornfeld assisted, dressed as delivery boys in short shorts. Moving on, Habersberger then tossed over 100 chicken tenders into the crowd, riffing off of his obsession with fried chicken and inviting the 2,600-strong crowd to take the opportunity to eat chicken with him. He then closed out his segment with a call for social media star and hitmaking pop producer DJ Khaled to join him for a pizza. Fulmer, as the “Legend of Love,” took a less transgressive approach with his segment. Known as the family man of the Try Guys, Fulmer leaned into this reputation, showcasing photos of his wife of seven years, Ariel, and his infant son, Wes. Continuing the family theme, Ful-
mer, after a surprise appearance by his own father, invited father-child pairs onstage, challenging the dads to a dance competition. The prize: a free Try Guys T-shirt. Kornfeld, following an audience singalong of “Happy Birthday,” started his “Legend of Fun” routine on an unexpected note. He delivered an almost existential monologue on the nature of life, and the forces in his life which have held him back from fun: clinical depression and chronic pain. After a moment of appearing dour, Kornfeld broke into a smile, and proclaimed his desire to enjoy himself nevertheless. Finally, Yang came onto the stage to rapturous applause for his “Legend of Gay” segment. He spoke about the forces of bigotry which he faced growing up for being Korean American and gay (Yang publicly came out in a self-choreographed dance performance video posted to the Try Guys channel in commemeration of Pride Month in
June.) Yang’s performance ended up being a tribute to other gay legends, as he danced and lip-synced his way through music and quotations from gay icons of pop culture, from Judy Garland to Carly Rae Jepsen as well as LGBTQ activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Harvey Milk. At the climax of his performance, his fellow Try Guys joined him, wearing colorful wigs and waving a huge pride flag. The Try Guys concluded the show with words of encouragement to the audience. “You’re all legends on your own journey,” Habersberger told the crowd. For a surprise encore, the four performers returned to the stage, uniting the crowd in singing “We’re All in This Together,” the closing number to “High School Musical.” In that moment, everyone was in it together, an impressive display of Internet fandom coalesced into a single, passionate audience.
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HONORING THE ADA ANNIVERSARY Sapolin Accessibility Awards pay tribute to New York’s disability advocates
BY MICHAEL ROCK
Friday, July 26 marked the 29th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In its honor, eight hundred New Yorkers with and without disabilities gathered over a barbecue on the lawn at Gracie Mansion to see Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) Commissioner Victor Calise recognize some of the city’s most crucial supporters of inclusion at the Sapolin Accessibility Awards. The ceremony, which has occurred on or around the ADA’s anniversary for the past nineteen years, was named in the memory of former MOPD Commissioner Matthew Sapolin following his passing in 2011. Calise told Our Town how his office determines whom to honor annually. “Over the course of the year, MOPD interacts with many organizations and individuals that provide exemplary services that increase accessibility for New Yorkers and visitors with disabilities,” he said. “Many are deserving of the Sapolin Accessibility Award and we take pride in choosing the award winners based on the impact of the organization/individual to increase accessibility, current events, and disability community input.” The first award, for employment, was presented to Fountain House. “It’s a social enterprise initiative offering alternative employment opportunities and services to people with mental health issues, and some of whom have formerly been hospitalized or incarcerated,” Calise explained. The Whitney Museum of American Art won the next award for its public service. “It has opened its doors to both audiences and artists with disabilities...The museum has an induction loop system in their theaters and provides assisted listening systems for tours and programs, largeprint exhibition labels, and ASL tours with closed captioning,” Calise said. He also noted the Whitney’s initiatives to promote the work of artists with disabilities. The New York Mets were awarded for their public accommodations, “despite the baseball allegiances of some people who live in this house,” Calise, a proud “Queens boy” joked,
Attendees of the award ceremony with the CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities outside Gracie Mansion. Photos: Michael Rock
Anthony Phifer, Director of Disability Services at Medgar Evers College
referencing de Blasio’s love for the Boston Red Sox. Accommodations he cited included assisted listening devices, handheld radios, quiet areas, electrical outlets, captioning, a dedicated Access-ARide pick-up and drop-off location, free sensory bags with headphones, weighted lap pads, and fidget toys that are available on request. For communication and technology, an award went to the NYPL’s Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. Its Dimensions programs offers “free and hands-on training about best practices in tactile design, as well as ... hardware and software that anyone can use to start designing.” The final award, named after the late mathematics professor and disability advocate Frieda Zames and presented to an advocate that “continue[s] to push us to do more,” went to Rick Surpin: Founder, President, and CEO of Independence Care System, a network of three affiliated organizations that offer various supports to adults with physical disabilities as well as seniors. Calise then invited de Blasio up on the stage. After some banter about the mayor’s presidential ambitions, de Blasio proceeded to discuss plans to make the city more friendly to people with disabilities, ranging
from government accountability to employment opportunities to a major development in the city’s planning. “This was the week we formally announced that we will create and build ramps at all 162,000 curbs in the five boroughs that need to be accessible,” he said. “We will accept nothing less than the day when every single ramp is done.” Bryan Wigfall, who is involved with the CUNY Coaltion for Students with Disabilities, told this reporter that he is deeply satisified with the MOPD’s initiatives, though suggested that they could do more to promote themselves. “MOPD could be more successful by creating a commercial for its NYC at Work program,” Wigfall said. Still, Anthony Phifer, Director of Disability Services at Medgar Evers College and part of the Mayor’s Task Force for Disability Issues in the Giuliani administration, said that despite the breakthroughs of the past 29 years, there is still more to do, such as more elevators in subway stations. He also suggested a mindset to make the city as accessible as possible. “We need to have more meetings and we need to stick to our word,” Phifer said. “If we say we’re gonna do it, we need to get it done.”
AUGUST 08-14,2019
YOUR 15 MINUTES
EX MARKS THE SPOT Producer and playwright Lenore Skomal on her new comedy about divorce, family issues and shared history
BY MARK NIMAR
When throwing a wedding for your child, a certain amount of drama is inevitable. Balancing the needs and wants of family, friends, and the anxious bride-to-be can be maddening. But when your former spouse unexpectedly shows up at your daughter’s wedding with her new fiancé, a whole new level of drama enters the picture. The ex-husband and ex-wife have to come face-to-face with their issues and shared history. Playwright Lenore Skomal explores these themes in her new comedy, “The Exes,” which is going into previews at Theatre Row on August 7. A professional writer for more than 30 years, Skomal has worked as a novelist, reporter and playwright, and is also the producer of the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival.
Lenore Skomal Photo: Roger Gonzales
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
We sat down with her last week to discuss her thoughts on divorce, the challenges of being a producer/playwright and keeping life in perspective. What made you want to write about divorce, and a person’s relationship with their ex? Well, I’m divorced. Most of the people I know are divorced, even if they don’t admit it. I’m always surprised to find out that someone that has been happily married for maybe 25 years [says] “oh yeah, my first husband.” Everyone has a first husband. It’s a lot more common in my generation than it was in my parents’. It’s a sad thing, and it’s an ending, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be traumatizing, and the worst thing that ever happened to you. It doesn’t have to leave a hole in your soul that everything has to pass through. It can be something that, given the right perspective, can actually help you grow and understand yourself a lot better.
Around half of all marriages fail. Do you think marriage as an institution is still relevant? Yeah. I do think it’s relevant, because I don’t think endings have to be sad. We sort of have created this culture where we want to avoid pain. That’s not new. Nobody really likes pain, but it’s inevitable, you know? So, I don’t think endings are bad. And I think certain people are in your life for certain reasons at certain times, and I’m sure anybody can relate to that, whether you marry them or not. It could be a long-term relationship, romantic or otherwise. It could be a friendship. When that ends, that’s sad. But some people aren’t meant to be in your life forever, because people do change and grow. Any way you can get real love in your life, we should all be open to it. And if it’s with a ring on your finger, great. Because love is a wonderful thing, and if you have a healthy love, it doesn’t matter how it’s packaged.
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes
You are writing as well as producing this play. What is it like producing your own work? What challenges have you met bringing this work from the page to the stage? You have to take off your playwrighting hat to put on your producer hat. The hardest part of the producing curve has been having the confidence to be able to raise the money. There are playwrights who do vanity productions where they will use their own money to bankroll: renting the facility, all of that. It’s pricey. But at the end point, they just want to see their own work up. That’s not what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to have a vanity project. I wanted to have bona fide, SCC-approved investors. I had to learn about that, I had to hire the lawyer, I had to immerse myself in the culture to understand what the business aspect of it was and what I’m getting myself into. Being a producer is a different animal altogether. Because it is steeped in the numbers. And it’s steeped in the cost. And there’s always anxiety when it comes to that type of thing. The difference between a playwright/producer and someone who’s just a producer is that the playwright/producer has to a hundred percent believe in their work. Because that’s the thing that always
dogs you as a writer. We all have the demon, “Why are you doing that? You’re an impostor.” That was the challenge every step of the way: “Is this really good enough? Is it good enough to be in an Off-Broadway facility? Is it ready?” Belief in your own work and in the project is paramount. But the beauty behind this process for me is that over the two years I have been doing it, I’ve learned how to believe in myself. What discoveries have you made in the rehearsal process? I haven’t been allowed to go to rehearsals. That was [the director’s] decision, and it was probably a good one. That’s not unheard of, for playwrights to be asked not to go. Because you anguish over every failed line, and every dropped word. I’m the type of person that doesn’t have the best poker face. And it can throw off actors, so I was asked not to go. And it was great; I only went to one. But what I saw was that these actors had found these characters inside themselves. And it was crazy, because I had them in my head for two years, three years. And they have developed mannerisms, and all those things good actors do. That’s been extraordinary for me to see flesh and blood, like Frankenstein’s monster. You create something on the page, and it’s like, “Ah! There it is!” Being a playwright and an artist in general is a really tough pursuit. What keeps you going? I think I’m at the age where I’m old enough to be able to let go of the small stuff. If I had done this forty years ago when I was in college or whatever, it wouldn’t have happened. I’m fortunate enough to have people around me, especially my husband, who will say to me, “let this go; the larger dream is important.” I’ve lived long enough where I see, even like the scariest things in my life have turned out okay. So I’m able to step back from it. The end of the day, you have to have an end to the day. You don’t go to bed with your script, or your art, or whatever. You close the door on it, and you have to find a way to close the door. The other thing that helps is waking up every morning and saying, “New day; yesterday didn’t matter.” Nothing matters except now. This interview has been edited and condensed for space.
Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
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S C D V S E I I K C J S C R R
D G I E Z O L H P M U G L R I
Y E N Y N Y W E P H H R Q B P
I R S X F C Q O G I A Y E D E
Z U V I T Q L S M A C Y R V S
T N N P G K A A H A N E F D P
S W R P A N S I N C S T O O M
Z A E D D P E U L S N C A Z U
K Y O A U P R H E I H H A I R
K T L P Z U G S S Y O R C R M
The puzzle contains the following words. They may be diagonal, across, or up and down in the grid in any direction.
V S P Z O S T I L E T T O S A
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L Z T E I L F H I V Y N C H T
T N N P G K A A H A N E F D P
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I Z Q B K B T N S S K D A C S
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WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor
D G I E Z O L H P M U G L R I
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S C D V S E I I K C J S C R R
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L Z T E I L F H I V Y N C H T
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A
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by Myles Mellor
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PUBLIC NOTICES CROSSWORD SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
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