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GREAT NEW YORK STATE FAIR | SYRACUSE
F I N D YOU R G R E AT !
F I N D YOU R G R E AT !
FEAST ON ICONIC FAIR FOOD Where else but the State Fair can you binge on any deep-fried food imaginable? Whether it’s the classic deep-fried Oreo or an entire deep-fried breakfast, you’re likely to find it at the State Fair. If you’ve hit your fried food limit, head on over to Dinosaur BBQ for a pulled pork sandwich or stop for the world-famous State Fair sausage. You better come to the Fair hungry because leaving full is the only option.
ENJOY THE LONGEST MULTI-USE STATE TRAIL IN THE NATION This year the State Fair will welcome bicyclists and trail visitors to the fairgrounds with the brand new Empire State Trail Gateway. The Gateway is located inside Gate 2 and has an interactive kiosk, water filling and bike repair stations, benches & bike racks.
RESTAURANT ROW
FLY HIGH ON THRILLING RIDES Wade Shows is North America’s premier carnival company with spectacular rides, games, and attractions from the giant Ferris Wheel to the Super Slides. For little ones, look for the Kiddleland Midway, where families with young kids can relax and try age-appropriate rides without the hustle of the busier, older crowds.
WADE SHOWS MIDWAY
EMPIRE STATE TRAIL
GLIMPSE BLUE RIBBON AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK Since its founding in 1841, the State Fair has highlighted New York’s agriculture industry and it remains a foundation of today’s Fair. Approximately 40,000 entries are received every year for agriculture-related contests. Visitors can watch the competitions and tour the barns with winning animals.
DAIRY CATTLE BARN
JAM WITH YOUR FAVORITE BAND
DISCOVER ALL THERE IS TO DO IN NEW YORK STATE
Every year, the State Fair features thirteen days of two different concerts, free with admission. That’s right, FREE! The lineup provides a wideranging mix of musical talent from country to pop hits and everything in between. This year’s musical acts are set to include Gavin DeGraw, Dropkick Murphys, Midland, Bad Company, The Roots, and many more!
One of the biggest things at the Fair is the enormous Expo Center, right in the middle of the fairgrounds. Visit the Expo Center to enter a world of all things New York, brought to you by I LOVE NEW YORK. You’ll find numerous interactive exhibits each featuring fun and exciting things to do in New York State all year round.
CHEVY COURT
Plan your Great New York State Fair getaway at iloveny.com/statefair
EXPOSITION CENTER
Plan your Great New York State Fair getaway at iloveny.com/statefair
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FALL EDUCATION GUIDE
2019
FALL education
BACK AND FORTH ON 14TH STREET TRANSPORTATION A judge halts plans to implement new public transit rules BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
◄ P. 9
INVESTIGATIONS
A JEWISH TREASURE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES
The apparent suicide of the accused sex trafficker expands and intensifies the notorious case.
A new exhibit offers a rare glimpse of a single family’s life more than 600 years ago. p. 21
BY STUART MARQUES
As Yogi Berra once said: “It ain’t over til it’s over” - and the Jeffrey Epstein story ain’t over, even after he apparently hanged himself in a jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan. It will continue on several fronts and could be extremely bad news to a lot of people connected to the sordid saga. There will be a federal Justice Department investigation into how it happened and why a man who tried to kill himself once before was taken off suicide watch – and why corrections officers failed to follow protocols involving inmates considered to be a danger to themselves. Prosecutors indicated they will pursue criminal charges against several people who helped Epstein procure under-age girls for sexual liaisons for himself and others - including a few boldface names - to give the victims a sense of justice. One of those alleged enablers has been identified as Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of the late newspaper publisher Robert Maxwell, who briefly owned the Daily News. And lawyers for some of the victims are promising a slew of civil suits against his vast estate, estimated to be worth more than $500 million.
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15-21 2019 INSIDE
EPSTEIN: DEAD BUT DEFINITELY NOT GONE
Just as the city’s 14th Street busway pilot program that aims to prioritize public transit over motorists was set to roll out Monday, a judge halted its implementation after an appeal from community groups. The judge granted the appeal three days after another judge had lifted a temporary restraining that had been hold the project up since it was originally planned to debut on July 1. A few hours before the stay was granted, Department of Transportation staffers were out on 14th Street notifying drivers about the new rules that were going to be enforced after the weekend. “The DOT’s 14th Street Plan reflects an utter inability of the mayor and his commissioner to engage in genuine urban planning,” Arthur Schwartz, the attorney representing the block associations from Chelsea and the West Village in the suit, said Friday. “That is why an appellate court has once again put the plan on hold.” Schwartz’s clients have raised con-
WEEK OF AUGUST
THE PANIC IN TIMES SQUARE Why the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton resonated in NYC. p. 23
Jeffrey Epstein (date unknown). Photo from the Florida Sex Offender Registry
JOHN FOGERTY’S WOODSTOCK MEMORIES 50 years later, the rock star reminisces at 92Y p.8
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Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
WEEK OF APRIL
< CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL
presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court ffice of the civil offi few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration a lay point of view,” lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders separate a in and then, how he arrived his decision, detailing Visitors to the blog at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want unthey whether really want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my treflect my personalitythe law.” refl for mendous respect 80, went into indiArbitration Man, suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
6 9-16
MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brieff MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall ffice of the a new “Offi within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in actions the owners, policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s quantitative give us the first with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step problem. the xing fi of deformality for To really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout lives on who problem. Angelo, vexing most said Mildred construction permits gauge what Buildings one of the Ruppert said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom fies transferring classifi classifies they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever Every New Yorker clang, tion Act tangible signs go as they please. work between early, and some come metal-on-metal can construction any small sound: the or on the weekend, have no respect.” the piercing of progress. For many p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come the hollow boom, issuance of these business owners, that moving in reverse. as after-hours. The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
THANKS TO SLEEPS, THA THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
Newscheck
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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City Arts
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Cyclists ride on Central Park West on Aug. 17, 2018 in honor of Madison Jane Lyden, an Australian tourist who was killed by a truck.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR On first responders and biker safety HOW MUCH DO I LOVE NYC? I was sitting on my apartment terrace this morning, reading the NYT, when I heard a
crash in the street below. A car and a pickup truck had plowed into each other at the intersection, and it looked pretty bad. Since I had my cellphone with me, I immediately dialed
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911 to report what I’d seen and was seeing, while answering the operator’s calm and specific questions that would be helpful for determining the location and best response to the incident. Within two minutes (I was timing it on my phone), two fire trucks were on the scene, followed two minutes later by police cars and a police truck. Two minutes after that, an ambulance arrived — all this within six minutes of my call. It was now raining heavily, so, since the situation was obviously in the hands of the experts now, I went back inside my apartment and thought about how lucky we New Yorkers are to live here, and have such capable responders serving our neighborhood. Yes, sometimes it’s noisy, sometimes it feels crowded, sometimes the traffic is overwhelming. But, even with all the “Good grief!” moments, we really are fortunate to live here and to be served by such selfless and professional city workers. Sharon Platt Upper East Side
BIKERS, SAFETY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Downtowner
How does adding hundreds of miles of bike lanes and barriers as well as installing dozens of bike docks around the city in addition to saturating the city with 30,000 bikes reduce congestion in this city? The fact is, it has had the opposite effect. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being expended to redesign the city’s streets in order to accommodate bicyclists.
Every time a bike fatality or a serious bike accident occurs, advocates assert that not enough is being done regarding biker safety. Yet from these same sources I never hear about the reckless manner in which many bikers ride through the city ignoring basic traffic rules, going through red lights and against the traffic. Is it prudent for bikers to ride on streets that have no bike lanes? Shouldn’t some streets and avenues be too dangerous for bikes? And shouldn’t such areas be declared off-limits for bikes? While city officials and bike advocates profess concern for biker safety, they refuse to mandate the wearing of helmets, the most basic safety feature recommended by every medical facility in the country. Biker safety should be more than just bike lanes and barriers, but also personal responsibility and awareness of safe biking measures. B. Wallace Cheatham Tribeca
CLARIFICATION In our Senior Living Guide 2019 (July 25 - 31), in the “Homes Away From Home” section: Carnegie East House is comprised of 97 enriched housing apartments -- 21 of these are in an affordable housing program governed by the New York Council for Housing Development Fund Companies. The community currently has market rate apartments available and an approximate two year waiting list for “affordable housing” apartments.
AUGUST 15-21,2019
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG ARREST IN SUBWAY STABBING
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending Aug 4
A dispute over a subway seat led to a stabbingand an arrest, police said. At 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, a 55-year-old man was riding the southbound A train, leaving the West 4thSt. station when, according to the police report, he got into a dispute with a 40-year-old man over a seat. The younger man then stabbed the older man around his upper left abdomen area with a knife as the train was pulling into the Canal St. station, police said. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, and Ronald Condiff was arrested and charged with assault.
POLICE SAY WOMAN RESISTED ARREST At 4:16 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, police removed a a 28-year-old woman from a southbound E train at the Chambers St./WTC station. The woman, who police said had been stretched out and sleeping on the train, punched a police officer with a closed fist and resisted arrest by throwing punches and refusing to be cuffed. Quendy Crawford was arrested and charged with assault.
Police urge delivery personnel not to leave trucks unlocked and unattended. At 9:40 a.m. on Monday, July 29, a 27-year-old male driver for the Moncler store left the
Year to Date
2019
2018 % Change
2019
2018 % Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
1
1
Rape
0
0
n/a
10
16
-37.5
Robbery
3
3
0.0
39
42
-7.1
Felony Assault
4
0
n/a
61
34
79.4
Burglary
3
2
50.0
78
41
90.2
Grand Larceny
18
17
5.9
555
594
-6.6
Grand Larceny Auto
0
2
-100.0
9
13
included Moncler clothing and shoes totaling $14,000.
Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
$14,000 THEFT FROM TRUCK
Week to Date
rear lift gate open on his truck, which he left unattended in front of 99 Prince St. while he delivered purchases to various locations. While he was away from his truck, police said, an unknown man entered the vehicle and removed several packages. The merchandise stolen
VUITTON GONE No downtown Crime Watch column would be complete without an eye-opening shoplifting incident. According to police, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, three men walked into the Louis Vuitton store at 225
0.0
-30.8
Liberty St. and removed items of merchandise from the sales floor before leaving the store, passing all points of sale without permission or authority. The merchandise stolen included a Louis Vuitton Capucines bag valued at $5,500 and a soft Trunk bag priced at $3,550, along with numerous scarves and a keychain, for a total haul of $12,940.
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If you wish to take advantage of another consumer deposit offer requiring a minimum new money deposit, you will be required to do so with another new money deposit as stated in the offer requirements and qualifications. Offer cannot be: • Combined with any other consumer deposit offer. • Reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred, or traded. 3. The Portfolio by Wells Fargo program has a $30 monthly service fee, which can be avoided when you have one of the following qualifying balances: $25,000 or more in qualifying linked bank deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs, FDIC-insured IRAs) or $50,000 or more in any combination of qualifying linked banking, brokerage (available through Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC) and credit balances (including 10% of mortgage balances, certain mortgages not eligible). 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Useful Contacts
NYPD 7th Precinct
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19 ½ Pitt St.
212-477-7311
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212-741-4811
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212-741-8211
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212-334-0611
FIRE FDNY Engine 15 FDNY Engine 24/ Ladder 5 FDNY Engine 28/ Ladder 11 FDNY Engine 4/ Ladder 15
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311
ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin Councilmember Rosie Mendez Councilmember Corey Johnson State Senator Daniel Squadron
165 Park Row #11
212-587-3159
237 1st Ave. #504
212-677-1077
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212-298-5565
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212-736-4536
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The busway plan was devised to speed up buses carrying 27,000 daily riders on 14th St. during the L train slowdown. Photo: Michael Garofalo
us to
like
something
have
Do
Danny Pearlstein, the Policy and Communications Director for Riders Alliance, called the litigation a “self-serving” move made on behalf of wealthy and powerful people that was causing harm to the thousands of people who rely on bus services. “For every day that the 14th Street busway is on hold, M14 rush hour commuters lose two weeks worth of time that they will never recover,” Pearlstein said in a statement. “Time wasted stuck behind cars in stalled traffic is time away from family, friends, work, and New York’s civic life.” The busway program was created to speed up buses for 27,000 daily riders, particularly during the L Train slowdown. The corridor would block private through traffic on 14th Street, limiting traffic to buses and trucks for an 18-month test run. Cars would still be permitted to make pickups, drop-offs or access parking garages. According to the DOT, the city’s papers making their case against the stay are due to the court on Aug. 20, with the petitioner’s reply due on Aug. 26, at which point the motion will be fully submitted.
you You’d
look
?
into
cerns that the busway – which would turn 14th Street between Third and Ninth Avenue into a mostly bus-only corridor by prohibiting private traffic between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. – will greatly compact traffic on nearby streets. The group’s lawsuit argues that the DOT has not done its due diligence in failing to conduct an environmental assessment on how the changes will impact the neighborhoods prior to implementing the policy. Judge Eileen Rakower ruled Tuesday that she believed the DOT had sufficiently reviewed the potential impact, but the agency will have to make the case again. “We are moving forward on this and remain confident that the Appellate Division court will recognize that petitioners have scant likelihood of success in overturning Judge Rakower’s sound decision, and that we will therefore be allowed to expeditiously implement this critically important mobility and safety project,” a spokesperson for DOT said Monday. “We also want to reiterate that the petitioners’ appeal has no merit, and we are confident the court will agree in short order.” “Time Wasted Stuck Behind Cars”
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ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Calendar NYCNOW
Future of Dissent
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20TH, 7PM Housing Works | 126 Crosby St. | 212-966-0466 | housingworksbookstore.org Author P. E. Moskowitz appears in support of his brand-new book, The Case Against Free Speech: The First Amendment, Fascism, and the Future of Dissent. He’ll show the way “free speech” has been redefined to support those in power and how the concept can be reclaimed (free).
The Science of Love in the Time of Online Dating
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20TH, 7:30PM Subject | 188 Suffolk St. | 646-422-7898 | subject-les.com Dr. Marisa T. Cohen (From First Kiss to Forever: A Scientific Approach to Love) explains the brave new world of bespoke partner selection. She’ll discuss factors of interpersonal attraction, how to estimate the size of our dating pool, and take-home tips for enhancing existing relationships ($15).
Just Announced | Iggy Pop and Jim Jarmusch in Conversation: On Free
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 8PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Living legend Iggy Pop of Iggy and the Stooges fame joins a longtime collaborator, filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, for a wide-ranging conversation on the occasion of the release of Free, Pop’s 18th studio album. The record is due to be released September 6th ($40).
Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com
EDITOR’S PICK
Aug 15-21 OCEAN-CUBE 60 Grand St 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. $24 oceancubenyc.com This pop-up exhibit immerses participants in a futuristic under-sea world. Travel through tunnels of coral, take shelter from pollution behind a wall of fishing nets, interact with glowing jellyfish and whales, and do some shopping in the “pearls and bubbles” mall.
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org. The local paper for Downtown
Advertise with Our Town Downtown today! Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190
otdowntown.com
Thu 15
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Fri 16
Sat 17
BROWNISH COMEDY: INDIA DAY SPECIAL
LAST NIGHT NYC: THE INDIE DANCE PARTY
SLAUGHTER BEACH, DOG
New York Comedy Club 85 East 4th St 8:00 p.m. $29 Celebrate with laughter as four up-and-coming Indian comics pool together their individual voices to create the definitive comedy show for anyone curious about the first-generation experience. newyorkcomedyclub.com 212-994-9828
Mercury Lounge 27 East Houston St 11:59 p.m. Free with RSVP Dance all night to your favorite indie jams from the 00’s to today. The Strokes, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hot Chip, Jet, Franz Ferdinand, LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, MGMT... you get the idea. mercuryloungenyc.com 646-921-7680
Bowery Ballroom 6 Delancey St 8:00 p.m. $18 Modern Baseball singer and guitarist Jake Ewal takes an unexpected turn into moody folk-rock on “Safe And Also No Fear,“ the latest album from his solo project, Slaughter Beach, Dog. boweryballroom.com 718-514-9451
AUGUST 15-21,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Planning is an important part of life.
JOIN US FOR AN INFORMATIVE SEMINAR AND COMPLIMENTARY LUNCH!
WHY PLAN AHEAD? In life, we plan for many important events – vacations, college, weddings, retirement – so it also makes sense to plan for the inevitable. Making funeral arrangements now,
Sun 18
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FILM: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1946) Anthology Film Archives 32 Second Ave 4:00 p.m. $9 A beautiful young woman takes her father’s place as the prisoner of a mysterious beast, who wishes to marry her. Pauline Kael called Jean Cocteau’s feature debut “perhaps the most sensuously elegant of all filmed fairy tales.” anthologyfilmarchives.org 212-505-5181
Mon 19
Tue 20
POET COMPANIONS: HARRIET LEVIN AND OLGA LIVSHIN
HOUSE OF SHOWFIELDS TOUR
Tuesday, August 27, 2019 @ 12:30pm
Showfields 11 Bond St 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Free with RSVP An immersive theatre experience that bridges art and retail, inviting audiences to participate in the store’s environment of magic realism and to touch, smell, eat and test all products and artwork on site. showfields.com 646-289-5041
455 North End Avenue, New York, NY 10282
McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince St 7:00 p.m. Free Harriet Levin’s third poetry collection, “My Oceanography,” plunges into psychic depths to confront desire, envy, and loss. She is joined by Olga Livshin, who has drawn wide acclaim for her poems and translations. mcnallyjackson.com 212-274-1160
before the time of need can help to spare your loved ones from guessing what you would have wanted and protect your family from unnecessary burden and stress.
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FRANK E. CAMPBELL THE FUNERAL CHAPEL
Kindly RSVP to William Villanova at 212-288-3500 or Email: william.villanova@dignitymemorial.com New York state law mandates that all contracts for prearranged funeral agreements executed by applicants for or recipients of supplemental social security income or medical assistance be irrevocable. Owned and operated by a subsidiary of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas 77019. 713-522-5141.
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 • Able to read and write English
• Fluent in English and the interpreter’s language • Spanish interpreters needed in all boroughs
DUTIES • Prepare the poll site for voters • Assist voters during the voting process • Close the poll site
Wed 21
Wagner Park 75 Battery Pl 11:00 a.m. Free Get inspired by the beautiful expanse of Hudson River and New York Harbor. Embolden your artwork amidst the flower-filled and seasonally evolving palette of Wagner Park’s verdant gardens. An artist/educator will provide ideas and instruction. Materials provided. bpcparks.org 212-267-9700
• Korean, Hindi and Bengali interpreters needed in Queens For Hindi Interpreters: Please note on your application if you can also speak Punjabi.
• 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
TRAINING • All Interpreters must attend a training class and pass the exam
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ELEMENTS OF NATURE DRAWING
• Chinese interpreters needed in Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens
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
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AUGUST 15-21,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Voices PROTEST TRAFFIC VIOLENCE AS WELL AS GUN VIOLENCE! Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
BY BETTE DEWING
Before starting this column, a glance at NY 1 news and once again it’s about Traffic Violence – two speeding NYFD ambulances collide, one overturned. Thankfully, there were no patients inside. But what if? What if indeed, and this should be considered in the Mayor’s admirable Vision Zero program to reduce traffic tragedies, which an article in this paper last week asked if it’s working. And this longtime safe traffic activist, who has unfortunately been an ambulance user, questions the speeding danger of emergency vehicles. Maybe it should be somewhat curtailed for the safety of the patient and the community at large.
Slow Down, Mr. Mayor
Indeed, shouldn’t the community at large be the main concern in general, starting with the mayor’s car breaking the speed limit – as frequently seen racing down East End Avenue to access the FDR Drive. Even if it’s an emergency, his presence is never that pressing. Incidentally, he might get more votes if he vowed to overcome traffic violence – a nationwide plague- worldwide really. And in a Safety First City, there would be many more fire houses. As for police cars racing, while preventing a crime or catching the perpetrators is critical, but again not at the cost of public safety.
The High Cost of Speed Consider, too, how now there
are many city walkers unable to get out of the way quickly. Some are wheelchair, rolator and cane users, who indeed need more general consideration especially but not only as the population ages. And far too little is said about traffic-caused injuries, often permanent, painful and costly. And these stories also need to be told by media, and by the paper of record, which rarely if ever covers traffic tragedies, let alone protests the causes of frequent traffic crimes.
The Story Needs to Be Told Ah, what needs to be revived is former Times head editor Jill Abrams’ Pulitzer-worthy report about the ongoing, painful and difficult traffic injury aftermath – her own and several
other such victims. How this too must be stressed and not forgotten. Except traffic deaths and injuries are not hot media topics and still too much a societal given. What needs major protest too is how many don’t want to slow down, stop texting while driving biking and yes walking - and on and on.
Ask Someone Who Knows And yes, this long time safetraffic activist, while awarded for her related work by Rep. Caroline Maloney and Senator Liz Krueger, is never consulted. Should a Transportation Alternatives bicycling group be a major consultant? My column has continually called for street signs and stencils warning against vehicular failure to yield when turning into a cross-
walk . This crime of traffic is the number one cause of pedestrian injury and death, but is rarely ticketed or punished. Speed cameras are essential, but as again we’ve so long argued, cameras most desperately also need to catch the failure-to-yielders, including cyclists and scooter riders, who incidentally must have identifying license plates. Identifying license plates are long overdue. Above all, City Hall and the Department of Transportation must become more concerned with moving traffic safely, rather than moving it swiftly. And yes, that applies to city buses, too. So thankfully the 14th street city bus-only plan has been stopped – forever we hope, for the good of the community, which has too often been ignored in traffic-related changes. Far too little said about that, and the community
good in general.
The Big Apple Must Lead the Way Somehow, and your help is so greatly needed, dear readers, we must make this a truly safe traveling city, with great active concern against traffic violence, such as is thankfully seen now against gun violence. Because again, traffic violence is a nationwide and worldwide people-caused plague. And the Big Apple must become the world’s foremost Safe Traffic City role model. It can be done if enough us try. I know you will, because you act out your belief that “All it takes for evil to triumph is for responsible people to remain silent.” And traffic violence must be universally recognized as a truly great evil that must be overcome.
dewingbetter@aol.com
JOHN FOGERTY’S WOODSTOCK MEMORIES PUBLIC EYE
BY JON FRIEDMAN
John Fogerty, the leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival in the 1960s and 1970s, and a successful solo musician, vividly remembers Woodstock. Fifty years after the historic festival in upstate New York, Fogerty, now 74, grinned as he compared the scene of an estimated 500,000 people – “asleep, muddy and naked ” – to “Dante’s Inferno.” A man’s journey through hell. Fogerty spoke poignantly and humorously at 92Y last week. Accompanied by his son Shane on a second guitar, Fogerty also tore through three of Creedence’s beloved hits – “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Fortunate Son,” and “Proud Mary” – and sounded terrific. Fogerty is playing Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 15. Creedence had the dubious timing to follow The Grateful Dead at Wood-
stock. The Dead, infamous for their LSD-soaked shows, played a slow set and put the already exhausted audience right to sleep, Fogerty recalled with a smile. “The Dead are still there,” he joked.
An Inspired Performance By the time Creedence hit the stage, a little after midnight on that Sunday morning, they had the challenge of reviving the throng. Fogerty noted that one young man in the distance inspired him by calling out: “We’re with you, John!” Fogerty promptly decided to dedicate Creedence’s typically high-voltage show to his new No. 1 fan. Creedence was followed that morning by Janis Joplin and a remarkable performance by Sly and the Family Stone, which further buried Fogerty’s band. Creedence warmed up the crowd for Janis, he laughed. The memory of Woodstock, including a now-famous summer thunderstorm, stayed with Fogerty and inspired him to write “Who’ll Stop the
Rain.” In the five decades that have passed since, it’s easy to forget exactly how popular Creedence was. Perhaps some people best know them as The Dude’s favorite band in “The Big Lebowski.” But with the exception of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, perhaps no other band from 1967-70 had such a succession of hits and such a conspicuous presence on AM (and FM) radio.
A Great Live Band Creedence was much in demand by the time of Woodstock. The Friday night before they played the festival they appeared on the variety program, The Andy Williams Show in Los Angeles. The night after, they were back on the road, playing a scheduled gig in Camden, N.J. Sadly, the band dissolved in the early 1970s, barely five years after “Susie Q” introduced the world to their sound. Even though Creedence solidly represented their native Bay Area, many fans had become convinced that Fogerty was a native of the bayou coun-
David Fricke, John Fogerty and Andy Zax (l to r) at 92Y. Photo: Rod Morata / Michael Priest Photography
try that he sang about so lovingly. On stage at 92Y, Fogerty was all smiles. When Rolling Stone interviewer David Fricke discussed the rain that threatened to ruin the famous good vibes at the festival, Fogerty quipped: “Half-a-million people and nobody brought an umbrella!” At the festival, Fogerty recalled feeling momentarily distressed to find out that budding capitalists on the scene were selling water for give dollars a pop. “You’re selling WATER? It should be free, man.” He smiled at the ramshackle nature of the Woodstock festival, where tens of thousands more people than expected showed up, food ran out
quickly, the heavy rain stopped the show and the bands often had to fill the time. Folk singer Richie Havens finished his set but returned to the stage when the promoters begged him to keep on going. He then improvised “Freedom,” a festival highlight. Fogerty and Fricke were joined on stage at 92Y by Andy Zax, who produced “Woodstock—Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50thAnniversary Archive,” a 36-hour compilation of the entire festival. Creedence’s performance was not featured on either the original 1970 soundtrack release or the concert movie. Now, the world can hear how great this band was in concert.
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FALL n o i t a edu c A SPECIAL REPORT The local paper for Downtown own
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AUGUST 15-21,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Is teaching writing as important as teaching reading? BY MOLLY SPRAYREGEN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
When we think of literacy, we tend to think of reading. Schools, literary nonprofits and philanthropists often focus on encouraging students to be strong readers with solid comprehension skills. While those skills are crucial, many experts say critical and creative writing skills are equally important, and are too often overlooked. Compared to reading, writing is more active, encouraging students to be independent thinkers, take ownership over their own stories and ideas, and communicate them clearly to others, says Elyse EidmanAadahl, executive director of the National Writing Project, which offers resources for teachers who want to encourage students to write. “Unless we want an education system just focused on making people consumers and not focused on helping them be producers, this emphasis on reading only, which does happen in so many places, is very shortsighted,” she says. Even when students are given writing assignments, she explains, the work tends to
Unless we want an education system just focused on making people consumers and not focused on helping them be producers, this emphasis on reading only, which does happen in so many places, is very shortsighted.” Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, executive director of the National Writing Project focus on assessing a text, rather than on presenting a new idea. Writing, she says, should be “the central thing you're learning. Not writing on a test, not writing to demonstrate you're learning what someone has taught you, but also really writing as an author writes.” Reading, of course, contributes immensely to one's personal growth. But teaching it together with writing nurtures both, says Rebecca Wallace-Segall, executive director of a writing center, Writopia Lab. “Writing impacts your ability to read,”
she says. “Over 90% of our kids who come in as reluctant writers, parents have reported they become more engaged readers as they've fallen in love with the writing process.” From a practical standpoint, writing is more important than ever; we depend on it for personal and professional communication. “We see this from employers all the time. They're looking for folks who can write,” says Eidman-Aadahl. “Certainly with digital tools right now, think of what we're all doing all day. We're probably interacting with the internet through writing.” Kids are already writing all the time, in texts, emails and social media posts. “Whether they're actually being provided with the opportunity to learn to write, whether schools are addressing it or not, they're already writing and publishing,” Eidman-Aadahl says. “Every young person is an author today if he or she is connected to the Internet. So we have to help them do it in the best, most responsible, critical, prosocial way.” Advocates of teaching writing say it is empowering. “When students own their voices and tell
their stories, they become not only stronger and more confident writers, but also stronger and more confident individuals,” says Ali Haider, executive director of the creative writing center, the Austin Bat Cave. Wallace-Segall says writing also helps students work through difficulties. “Creative writing, it's a lifeline for us,” she says. “We're watching kids work through their greatest challenges, subconsciously. They're not writing a story about a difficult father or directly about a bully in class, but they are creating a fictional scenario that might feel distant enough for them to go deep into it.” And teaching students to write can have an impact on the larger world, notes Dare Dukes, executive director of Deep Center, that works with young writers to share their stories with policy makers, judges, politicians, police officers and the like. “So those adults can see that the stories they're telling themselves about those young people are often wrong and doing a lot of harm in the world,” says Dukes.
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AUGUST 15-21,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
LESSONS IN EMPATHY What I learned about teaching by being a student
BY JON FRIEDMAN
You’re never too old to learn something. Take it from me. The quality that I re-learned at my annual summer sojourn in July, during the Southampton Writers Conference, was empathy. It never hurts to get a refresher in this crucial lesson. I teach classes in journalism and other subjects at Stony Brook University. I pride myself on being able to motivate and inspire students through encouragement, not fear. Leaders often reflect on whether they would prefer to be feared or loved. Neither is a particularly good idea or wise pursuit. Being respected – and trusted -- is really the name of the game. My students may think that because of my worldliness and eagerness to offer (constructive) criticism, I have the answers to their questions. They expect me to provide The Last Word. Well, I’d also like to think that I do! But we know the truth is that no teacher does. All you can do is tell a class what you think it should do, based on your experience and accumulated wisdom. You can lead an undergraduate to
water but … something like that, anyway. Empathy is essential for building trust. I tell my students that I’m on their side but I won’t do the work for them. My little trick on the first day of class is to tell the students that I want to give each one of them a grade of A in the course. Predictably, at that welcomed bulletin, they turn their game from their phones to me. And just as they’re contemplating their A, I slip in this disclaimer: “But you won’t let me! You guys will inevitably hand in homework late, if at all. You’ll fail to prepare adequately for exams. Your commitment to the class will be spotty at times. As a result, I can’t give you the A that you want.” The self-aware students usually laugh. They understand where I’m coming from: Do the work and you’ll be rewarded. Fall short and you won’t get that A. College can be a scary place for a teenager. I worry that cases of clinical depression and anxiety are on the rise. I worry that I won’t be able to spot the early signs or help the students find fulfillment and happiness. I try to make it clear that I am on their side. They can confide in me about their problems in the classroom and I’ll do what I can to help them during office hours. I remember all too well how it felt at Southampton when well-meaning classmates picked
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School’s out! Jon Friedman’s summer class celebrates the end of the semester. Photo courtesy of Jon Friedman
apart my work. Forget that I had a smile plastered across my face during their constructive critiques. I wanted to be told that I was brilliant. Case closed. This is where empathy comes in. My fragile ego was punctured at Southampton, when my well-meaning instructor, a terrific fellow, the novelist and journalist Matthew Klam, and my classmates proceeded
to pick apart my submission for the class. Oh, the kids were all right. It was as if we had all struck an unspoken bargain to go easy on one another because we’d all get our turn in the barrel soon enough. We sure did have a sense of empathy in Southampton. I hope I can carry it over this year when I teach college students.
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AUGUST 15-21,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
ROCKET CLUB COMING TO THE UWS Beginning in September, kids 9 to 14 can learn skills to help them develop their own companies
BY JASON COHEN
The club officially begins in September and there will be seven kids per class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Additionally, two students will be offered free tuition based off a submitted essay on what type of business they want to create. The organization, which began in February in Hoboken, is the brainchild of realtor and entrepreneur Alex Hodara. “It is clear that we have something very special here and that’s when we started to look for a second location,” Hodara said.
The next Jeff Bezos Hodara, who started his own poker chip business at 15 and now runs a company, decided he wanted to merge his love for entrepreneurship with robotics. So he began to research various
programs in the tri-state area, but did not find one that encompassed both themes. “I wanted to invest in something that was related to STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] education,” he explained. After he failed to find any organization or club that taught kids both subjects, he opted to start his own. The goal was for kids to leave the program with a desire to eventually become the next Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. When Hodara launched the course he didn’t know if it would go belly-up or succeed. By the end of June, he knew the juice was worth the squeeze. There were a total of 30 kids in the program that met once a week for two hours. During the five- month course the kids use kids use gears, axles, Legos, sensors, wheels, motors, controllers and main boards to create projects like watermills, hovercrafts, cars, motorcycles, drones and boats. “We were hoping the kids would be interested in the entrepreneurship side,” Hodara remarked. “We didn’t really know what to ex-
Rocket Club members with their autonomous cars. Photo courtesy of Rocket Club.
pect.” Hodara said that the children are all screened before they are accepted. While they were all passionate about robotics, getting them to take the next step of creating a business was a challenge, he added.
World’s first robotic lemonade stand According to Hodara, he and the teachers slowly got to know the kids and implanted the idea that even though they were young, they could start a company. “It took us a long time for us to get kids to think of their own business,” he commented. “You have to speak their language.” Some of the startups the kids created include vegan lipstick, frozen sports drinks, indoor robotic basil farm, soft serve ice cream for dogs and the world’s first robotic lemonade stand. The projects were judged by Erin Zaikis, founder, Sundara, Chris Zarou, founder, Visionary Records and Anthony Giordano, founder, Monad World, who were all recipients of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Awards. “We’re guiding them the whole time, but all
of the ideas were 100 percent theirs,” he stressed. Once Hodara saw how successful it was in Hoboken, he realized it was time to open a second location. “Our plan is to expand into different pockets of NYC,” Hodara noted. The club’s three instructors in NYC go to Columbia, NYU and Baruch and all are required to have competed in FIRST Robotics in high school. Hodara recalled that when he first wanted to start Rocket Club numerous people told him it was a waste of time. He proved them wrong. “There’s clearly a need for this type of education,” he said. “The parents see the value and the kids really love it.” Hodara hopes the UWS takes advantage of this unique opportunity and eventually its success can blossom into other parts of the city. “For everyone in the UWS, our goal is to prove how legit this is,” Hodara said. “We’re just focused on trying to outdo what we did in Hoboken. We’re at inning one or two of a nine inning game.”
Kayden builds and programs a claw. Photo courtesy of Rocket Club.
AUGUST 15-21,2019
FIGHT OVER SCHOOL STANDARDS
The Calhoun School, on the Upper West Side, is a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). Photo: Jaden Satenstein
Proposed regulations from the New York State Department of Education raise questions regarding the independence of independent schools
BY JADEN SATENSTEIN
Although schools may be closed for the summer, emails from private school officials have caused mass confusion among parents throughout the city over the last few weeks. The message of the emails is clear: They should publicly oppose recently proposed regulations from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) that many independent schools are vehemently fighting. However, exactly what those regulations would mean for private schools and their students is far less clear. The proposal would require non-public schools to report to local public school officials and mandates that the schools be reviewed regularly to determine if they are meeting the standards set by Section 3204 of New York Education Law. The law requires that nonpublic schools provide students with instruction that is “substantially equivalent” to that given in State public schools. The regulatory changes stem from growing concerns that certain private schools, specifically ultra-Orthodox Yeshivas, are not meeting legal standards of non-religious instruction, such as the proper teaching of math and English.
A Bad Education “I experienced this poor secular education firsthand, and then when I was interested in pursuing a degree, only then did I even realize how bad my education was,” said Naftuli Moster, a Yeshiva alum and the Executive Director of Young Advocates for Fair Education (YAFFED). YAFFED submitted a formal complaint to the New York City Department of Education (DOE) in July of 2015, outlining 39 city Yeshivas that the 52 signatories claimed to be providing insufficient secular education. Following the complaint, the DOE launched an “inquiry” into the schools. “Simple things that people know from high school, from elementary school, come up in conversation all the time and I just have to nod my head along and pretend I know what they’re talking about,” Moster said. “It’s something that stays with us for the rest of our lives and that’s just not fair, and it’s unacceptable.”
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
NYSED believes that the additional oversight will ensure that standards are being met.
Enforcing the Law “Every child in New York State is entitled to a high-quality education,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said in a NYSED press release in May. “By proposing these regulations, we are moving through the public process to ensure that students attending nonpublic schools receive substantially equivalent instruction. We remain steadfast in our commitment that all New York’s children leave school with the knowledge they need to succeed in life.” Not all those in the education community share Chancellor Rosa’s sentiment. To officials at the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), the proposed regulations would add an unnecessary and invasive element of government oversight to their 196 accredited member schools, which include notable New York City institutions such as the Dalton School and Horace Mann School.
Protecting Independence “The proposed regulations subordinate the curricular and staffing authority of the independent and religious school’s Board of Trustees to the local, public school board of education,” NYSAIS Executive Director Mark W. Lauria wrote in a statement to Straus News. “Using a political, local school board that has no direct authority over nonpublic schools, to make the final determination about the nonpublic schools’ compliance with substantial equivalence undermines the independence and authority of the independent school’s board of trustees.” Lauria argues that since NYSAIS’ accreditation process, which recurs every five years, already requires schools to meet Section 3204 of New York Education Law’s “substantially equivalent” instruction guidelines, NYSAIS schools should be exempt from the regulations. NYSAIS also argues that, because they are chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, they should be exempt from the additional oversight outlined in the proposal.
Now, many heads of NYSAIS schools are encouraging their communities to review the proposal and submit a public comment echoing Lauria’s sentiment. They are communicating with parents and alumni through email, because students are out of school for summer break during the public comment period set by NYSED, which ends on September 2nd.
A Possible Loophole
schools accredited by NYSAIS and other organizations poses a dangerous risk. “At the moment, what NYSAIS is proposing is not sufficient because it guarantees a loophole for bad actors. How? Because, what do you think will happen next? Yeshivas will form their own ‘accreditation agencies,’” Moster said. “We can’t have a carve-out.” Despite those concerns, Moster suggested that, if the new regulations go into effect, the high standards required to receive NYSAIS accreditation be taken into consideration when NYSAIS schools are reviewed.
Questions Yet to Be Answered The fate of the proposal now lies in the hands of the Board of Regents, which will make its final consideration in the fall. To Emily Glickman, President of Abacus Guide Educational Consulting, which has advised families on New York City private school admissions for over 20 years, the conflict raises the question of whether or not more government involvement in independent schools would lessen their quality or appeal to both current and prospective families. “The question that remains to be seen is, would state oversight hurt private schools’ ability to serve their students?” Glickman said. “The private schools are suggesting that if the government gets involved, that’s a problem. But certainly in the case of certain very religious schools or certain schools where academics is not a priority, State oversight would be a great thing.”
For his part, Moster argues that exempting
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF MATH EDUCATION 1960s
THE NEW MATH
1940s
1890s
PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION Before progressive education was introduced at the turn of the 20th century, mathematics was seen as a form of mental discipline that toughened brains for college. With progressive education, math for everyday living, like paying taxes and household budgeting, grew in emphasis.
THE LIFE ADJUSTMENT MOVEMENT Teaching math for utilitarian purposes gained strength during World War II, when the military brass complained about recruits coming from public schools without the skills needed for bookkeeping and gunnery. The Life Adjustment Movement was born, moving math education further away from academics toward “home, shop, store, citizenship, and health.”
The New Math of the 1960s returned to a more academic approach to strengthen science and math skills after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I into space. But it didn’t last. Professor George F. Simmons said the New Math produced students who had “heard of the commutative law, but did not know the multiplication table.” The New Math is now regarded as a fad, and at the time was fodder for jokes. Songwriter Tom Lehrer wrote:
You can’t take three from two Two is less than three So you look at the four in the tens place Now that’s really four tens So you make it three tens Regroup, and you change a ten to ten ones And you add ‘em to the two and get twelve And you take away three, that’s nine Is that clear?
1970s
THE OPEN EDUCATION MOVEMENT The National Science Foundation called for a back-to-basics approach to teaching math, and progressive education returned -- with a revolutionary twist. The Open Education Movement of the 1970s saw a proliferation of “free schools” in which children let loose at activity tables and play corners decided for themselves each day what they should learn.
1980s
“A NATION AT RISK”
In 1983 the National Commission of Excellence in Education published the report “A Nation at Risk,” which found that the Open Education Movement produced students who lacked basic skills and needed a great deal of remedial math when they got to high school, college, and the workplace. The report did not, however, offer any remedies.
1990s
THE MATH WARS
Math education reached its most contentious peak in the 1990s. The debate was over whether to teach computational skills based on formulas and step-by-step procedures that could be memorized and practiced, or to take a more conceptual approach, in which students used math to grapple with real-world problems.
2010
COMMON CORE MATH
The Common Core, introduced in 2010, set nationwide standards for K-12 education in response to panic over American schools falling far behind other countries in measures like the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Some experts blamed the federal No Child Left Behind law of 2002, which tied funding to each school’s ability to reach certain benchmarks. At the same time employers were asking for workers who had critical thinking skills. So Common Core math moved away from an emphasis on formulas and toward the use of math in real-life situations, with students asked to explain their reasoning. Like the New Math, the Common Core came in forits share of mockery. “Common Core testing prepares our students for what they’ll face as adults: pointless stress and confusion,” Comedian Stephen Colbert said in 2014. Pointing to an actual Common Core math problem, he said, in a satirical tone: “That word problem couldn’t be easier to solve. All you have to do is check the semicircles on the twosided arrow, put the numbers up in it, and bing bang math!”
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'I AM ALWAYS REFLECTING ON HOW WE CAN DO BETTER' The principal of a nationallyhonored public school in East Harlem on how to transform students’ lives through education
BY EMA SCHUMER
PS/IS 171, also called Patrick Henry Prep, is a pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8 public school located in East Harlem with a student population of 772. Like other public schools throughout the city, the school serves a racially diverse group of students: 57 percent of its students are Hispanic, 27 percent are African-American, 9 percent are Asian, 4 percent are Caucasian, 2 percent are multiracial, and 1 percent are American Indian. Like other public schools, enrollment is based primarily on geographic proximity. Unlike any other New York City public school, however, PS/IS 171 was one of only four schools throughout the nation to receive the distinction
Dimitres Pantelidis (back right) with Chancellor Richard Carranza. Photo courtesy of Dimitres Pantelidis
THE SCHOOL FOR STRINGS START UP PROGRAM
of America’s Best Urban Schools Gold Winner. The accolade is given by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) at San Diego State University (SDSU). “The winning schools have attained a level of achievement more typically seen in schools that serve very affluent communities,” NCUST Executive Director Joseph F. Johnson Jr. said in a press release. “In these impressive schools, outstanding teachers and leaders maintain very high expectations for all of their students … These schools exemplify how otherwise typical urban schools can transform students’ lives.” At the helm of this nationally-recognized school is Principal Dimitres Pantelidis, who has spent nearly thirty years working in public education in various teaching and administrative roles all within East Harlem. Pantelidis reflected on his school’s achievement and offered in-
sight into what has enabled PS/IS 171 to attain such success in an emailed-Q&A with Our Town.
How would you describe PS/IS 171’s teaching philosophy? We believe that if we structure our classrooms as a learner-centered environment, all students will succeed. Students will be taught explicit strategies that can be transferred across skills. Through a thematic approach to instruction, content areas will no longer be taught in isolation. Curricula across K-8 will be both standardsaligned and reflective of students’ identities, experiences, and interests. Our vision [is] to provide all P.S. 171 students access to becoming lifelong independent learners.
Congratulations on your national recognition. What do you attribute your success to? Firstly, I cannot emphasize [enough] the importance of
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Principal Dimitres Pantelidis (left) with Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza. Photo courtesy of Dimitres Pantelidis
collaboration between our staff, teachers, parents and community members and how it has brought us together to make a difference in urban education. I applaud their diligence and professionalism put forth every day to ensure our students have the necessary skills and mindsets to achieve success in their education and future endeavors. This award is a humble reflection of their hard work to integrate our core values of “dedication, openmindedness, and community” into daily teaching and learning practices. Secondly, I firmly believe in leading a school that has a clear vision with precise systems and structures in place. Over the years we have refined and strengthened these systems, ingraining them into the foundation of our work. The systems I am referring to are Data Driven Instruction, Professional Learning, and Teacher Teams. P.S. 171 outlined a uniform cycle of data-driven instruction. Each of the cycle’s stages -- assessment, data organization and analysis, instructional planning and student work analysis -- is described in our handbook. This booklet is a critical resource that supports teachers in bridging instructional theory to data-driven practices. P.S. 171’s professional learning cycle showcases how overarching learning goals are aligned to school goals and then designed through theories of action. Professional learning syllabi and action plans support teacher-led experiences informed by varying interests, skill sets and/or experience
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levels. With our teacher teams, P.S. 171 teachers collaborate in grade-level teams to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data and refine curricula to meet students’ diverse learning interests and needs. Teachers work collaboratively with administration, peers and instructional coaches to construct learning environments that inspire students to exceed.
What are the challenges of teaching children from predominantly low-income backgrounds and how do you overcome these challenges? One of the biggest challenges we face is with chronic absenteeism. According to the website attendanceworks.org, “Students who live in communities with high levels of poverty are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care.” We know there is a clear alignment between attendance and student achievement. To overcome this obstacle, we needed to peel back the layers and have an honest discussion that would lead to an authentic resolution. The last thing we want is to end up with a “band-aid” plan. We really wanted to invest in a long-term solution that would increase attendance rates and student achievement. Our plan includes refining our curriculum to increase student engagement and reflect the Chancellor’s initiative of Equity and Access for All. We overhauled our class-
room schedules to include sacred time for staff to implement responsive classroom[s]. Teachers are excited to create an environment that builds self-awareness, self-esteem, respect and community, kindling the fire within our students that inspires them to say they are excited to come to school, no matter what the challenge. And through our Community Reads initiative, we are seeing significantly more parents in the classrooms. Students are excited to work through a text with their family, engaged in deep conversation and often creating fun projects strengthening the home and school partnership. According to our 2018-2019 school survey results, “97% of families say that they get opportunities to visit their child’s classroom, such as observing instruction or participating in an activity with their child.” Staff are dedicating personal time to communicate with parents and bring them in after school hours, offering workshops and family engagement events such as paint night.
Now that you have received this national award, what are your hopes for the future of PS/IS 171? I love education! I am always reflecting on how we can do better. Academic excellence is guided by the school vision and our belief that, through distinguished teaching that recognizes individual learning needs and effective application of technology resources, we can best prepare our students to successfully meet the challenges of high school, college and career. I took an important journey with my extraordinary staff. Through self-reflection, diving deeply into the core of the school community, we redefined the values of the school as the needs of the East Harlem community evolve. Together, we refined our rigorous core curriculum. P.S. 171 has successfully established a collaborative school culture that engages our students with a love for learning and a strong sense of optimism for their futures. This interview has been edited and condensed.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com low Cooking, and 141,895 following Professional Training. Prices vary, and you get 5 percent back for every dollar spent. If you have a IDNYC you can get a 15 percent discount. Sometimes, when classes aren’t filled, they are offered at a reduced rate. The newest addition to the stable of course options are private group classes. You can create your own. You can have a class on site, in your office, or you can do a food tour with a group, or a ‘dream event’ that you devise.
Classes, Classes and More Classes
Photo: Via CourseHorse.com
COURSEHORSE? OF COURSE! BY MEREDITH KURZ
I’m so excited! September’s coming, I can see it. The yellows, reds and blues of discounted spiral notebooks and two-pocket folders are reduced to a coin jingling price at Staples. I stock up every year. September 1st is my New Year’s Day. Like many New Yorkers, I’m a learning fool. I want to know everything. I’m greedy as a toddler for classes, courses, seminars and lectures. I want to start fresh; figure out something new. I love the feeling of a BiC Cristal pen and a notebook filling up. Socializing with other class nerds is invigorating. All this new learning starts in the fall. Two bright NYU business students, Katie Kapler and Nihal Parthasarathi, won a $75,000 New Venture Competition in 2011 for a company called “CourseHorse.” CourseHorse is a clearinghouse of thousands of classes from educational venues throughout the city, which are funneled through one exceptional search engine. I learned about it this past year, when my daughter gave me a gift certificate for a class in ‘Narrative Journalism,‘ offered at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. The cost was
Here’s just a sample of what you can find. Art - I so want to make a sword, don’t you? You can, in one of the metal working classes. It’ll cost you, but if you were living back in medieval days I’m betting it would be equivalent. Beyond making weapons, the arts include, well, the arts, but also jewelry making, painting, and a class called “Taping Sh*t” that’s the most popular class at Dirty Hands studio. Cooking - If you’re not married, you may like couples cooking (some of us don’t like holding hands as we stir the pot). If you want to toss out that you’ve learned authentic Argentinian cooking in a chef’s home, there’s a class for that. I confess, I’ve never woman-handled shellfish. If you’re in the same boat (get it?) take “Ah Shucks: A Hands-On Oyster Primer.”. Tech - If there’s not a teenager within the six degrees of family separation you may need one of the of more than 150 Computer Basics classes. If you’re beyond that, even way beyond that, you’ll still find something. Professional - Women still lag behind men in
less than a dinner for two. The payoff was the best six hours I’ve invested to improve my writing. In the past eight years, CourseHorse offerings have grown from three classes to 973 -just in photography. They now offer 75,000 courses for New Yorkers on their website.
One Sweet Search Engine The best part of that website is not the volume of courses available. And it’s not the extraordinary range of classes, from low key cooking to complex programming. What has turned CourseHorse from a $4 million to a $154 million company is its search engine. With 75,000 classes you’d better have a decent way to navigate. They deliver. How do you search? Let me count the ways. You can search by title, subject, age, date, college or venue, price, review grade, teacher, borough, age group, experience level and by number of sessions. If a class isn’t available at the moment, you can save it and you’ll be notified when it comes up again. You can ‘follow’ a category so you get a heads up anytime something fresh comes in. What are your fellow New Yorkers curious about anyway? 253,695 follow the Arts, 116,819 fol-
Photo: Via CourseHorse.com
AUGUST 15-21,2019 salary, leadership roles and general career movement. We need to fix it. There are quite a few of inexpensive, highly rated classes that address the issue, so root about. One of them, “Women Rising: Leading From Where You Are,“ which costs $36, got 326 top reviews, so you may want to consider it. Performing Arts - Oh, you know you want to step on that stage! There are globs of inexpensive classes, like “Improv - Playtime for Grown-ups.” The cost? $45. And there’s a class where you can learn the new dance craze Kizomba. Its roots are Angolan, and it’s spread across the globe and it’s hot, hot, and hot. Language - Wow! or should I say ‘Ooh La’ or ‘Guau’ or ‘Vaah’! There are 23 Languages from Arabic to Vietnamese, with Farsi and Hindi in between. Life Skills - Life skills seems to cover everything that the other categories don’t, and isn’t every skill a life skill? And Lots More - Other subcategories include Sports & Games, Garden, Health (if you think you have it, there’s a class for it), Bike, Brainy, Public Speaking, Personal Finance, Driving, Games, History, Literature, Math, Personal Beauty, Pets, Philosophy and Spirituality. For the Kids - The number of classes offered for children would keep them in school every day and all weekend. There are 17 categories in all: Acting, Academic, Art, Camp, Cooking, Dance, Games, Gymnastics, “Life Skills” (I had to peek - courses like pet care, babysitting, debate, leadership, social skills, and gardening), Language (more on that later!), Martial Arts, Music, Play, Sports, Technology, Test Prep, and Yoga.
AUGUST 15-21,2019
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Today’s assignment for classroom design: flexibility BY KIM BOOK, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Desks lined up in precise rows with teacher firmly planted at the front: That was the standard classroom format for much of the last century. But with many educators saying kids can do better in a more relaxed and flexible learning environment, designers and architects have been providing spaces and furnishings to fit that bill. “Innovators no longer speak of ‘classrooms,”’ says Bob Pearlman, an education consultant. “Students now work in learning studios, plazas and home bases. They shift into varied extended learning areas and collaboration zones that include project-planning rooms, workrooms, focused labs, group learning spaces, individual pods.” Pearlman reports that in one school district they invited teams from all its schools to conceptualize learning spaces that would inspire kids to tackle complex ideas and work on creative building projects. Now, the elementary grades have swapped out traditional desks for stools, soft seating, mobile chairs and connectable tables. Another new reality changing the dynamic: connectivity. “Classrooms, libraries, and labs used to be the only spaces where students spent their school hours. Wireless, laptops and project learning have changed that,” Pearlman says. “This has transformed all school spaces into potential extended learning areas, even the corridors and alcoves.” Layout Back in the 1970s, American psychologist Robert Sommer was urging a critical look at traditional classroom layouts, saying class-
Students now work in learning studios, plazas and home bases. They shift into varied extended learning areas and collaboration zones that include project-planning rooms, workrooms, focused labs, group learning spaces, individual pods.” Bob Pearlman, an education consultant rooms aren’t just simple cubes, says Jo Earp, editor of Teacher magazine. Sommer noted that in any given room, the lighting or heating will be better in some spots than in others, as will the view of the blackboard. Besides the alternative “freeform” classroom, Earp says, some teachers can find good results with a hybrid model, perhaps lining up desks at the start of the year and then rearranging them in groups as the classroom dynamic becomes clearer and projects are undertaken. Natural light and views, reduced background noise and good air quality are all considerations in classroom design, says architect Aaron Jobson. “More and more evidence connects the physical environment to learning outcomes,” he says. New designs include internal glass walls and doors that increase connectedness among students and provide good sightlines for teachers. The concept of dynamic, explorative learning spaces was championed by futurist David Thornburg in his book “From the Campfire to
the Holodeck”. He said schools should provide spaces based on how humans learn, with a balance of campfire (lecture space), watering hole (conversation space), cave (reflection space) and life (experiential space). That could mean one room is used in different ways at different times, or in different ways at the same time. Loren Myers, a first-grade teacher says retrofitting traditional schools can be expensive, and teachers don’t have big budgets. She says many get creative with resources to create a unique classroom. “I personally incorporate some innovative spaces into my traditional layout; there’s a peace corner where students can go to calm down, a VIP table for students who show exemplary work ethics, and flex seating for students who need alternative options to stay focused.” Stephanie Dominguez, a principal says her aim is to prepare kids for the work world. “There isn’t one industry in which professional adults work in isolation; most professionals work in collaborative settings,” she says. Teachers at her school have flexibility to design their own spaces, she says, but across the 70 classrooms there’s one thing in common: “Students must have spaces or desk structures that make collaborating with their peers easy.” Furnishings Over the decades, famous designers have lent their talents to school furniture _ among them, Jean Prouve’s mid-1930s tubular steel and wood single desk, double bench and chair; Alvar Aalto’s inclinable tabletop desk of the 1950s; and Arne Jacobsen’s bent plywood desk and chair of the same era. Today, classroom furniture runs the gamut from chairs to chaises, with work tables of
varying heights. Some schools offer colorful swivel seating, as well as comfy upholstered benches. Montessori schools have soft lighting similar to home environments, and more subdued furniture and decor than traditional classrooms. Marianne Box, a design specialist at schoolfurniture maker Hertz Furniture, in Ramsey, New Jersey, says ergonomic seating and mobile, flexible pieces are big sellers. The focus is on managing kids’ energy levels, and giving them places to concentrate. Classroom bean bags give younger students a place to read. “They mold to fit each student, giving them support and a sense of comfort,” she says. Self-contained study booths have tablet surfaces, power supplies, footrests and armrests. A molded plastic wobble stool comes in various sizes and colors; Box says it also promotes torso and leg movement. “This stool gives students an outlet for their energy, allowing them to focus and balance while in a classroom,” she says. “The best part is that the movement isn’t distracting to others, and can be used by students and teachers.” Humanscale, maker of workplace furnishings, also has a mobility stool they call Ballo, which looks like an apple core, with colorful, air-filled dimpled domes on both ends of a central spool. Myers, the first-grade teacher, loves that designers are coming up with more seating options for young students. “Children shouldn’t be expected to sit still in a chair for more than 20 minutes at a time,” she says. “Sometimes it’s as simple as switching where and how you sit that can set the tone for the rest of your day.”
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A JEWISH TREASURE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES A new exhibit offers a rare glimpse of a single family’s life, and its dark fate, more than 600 years ago
BY MARY GREGORY
When Dr. Barbara Drake Boehm, senior curator of medieval art at The Met and The Cloisters, was approached by the Musée de Cluny about works that might be available for loan while the Parisian medieval museum undergoes renovation, she knew right away what she’d ask for. “The Colmar Treasure,“ the exhibition she organized, is on view at The Cloisters through January 12th. It’s comprised of rare, important, and beautiful works from the middle ages. There are gems, gold and silver, but not mountains of them. What imparts treasure status to this cache is the story it tells, and while it may not be unique, once known, it’s unforgettable. “When they hear the word treasure
IF YOU GO What: The Colmar Treasure Where: The Met Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights When: Through January 12th in a title,“ says Boehm, “people think of a pirate’s hidden treasure – ‘X marks the spot’ and you dig in the sand, and there’s a big chest and coins are spilling out of it. This is 300 silver coins; some of them are really small. What makes this a treasure is not its cumulative weight in silver and gold. What makes this a treasure, I think, is it allows us to see both the good and the bad of medieval society at that time.” While much of the art that survives from the middle ages comes down through churches and monasteries, Boehm says she always strives to broaden perspectives, and “that brings me to medieval Jewish artistic heritage, so it was an obvious choice for me.”
Rare for its beauty, workmanship, and poignant back story is this Jewish Ceremonial Wedding Ring, from the Colmar Treasure, ca. 1300–before 1348. Photo: Michael Benabib
The Colmar Treasure’s 300 silver coins, along with one gold florin, perhaps intended to pay a special tax on Colmar’s Jewish citizens, was found in 1863 when workers were renovating a confectioner’s shop. Photo: Adel Gorgy
Wedding Rings, Gifts and Heirlooms Buried in a wall in a confectioner’s shop in a picturesque town in the Alsace region of France, and uncovered by workmen in 1863, this bundle of valuables was hidden by members of the Jewish community in the early 1300s. There were rings, coins, a silver studded belt and headband, buckles, silver cups, an extravagant brooch, and one rare and spectacular wedding ring. Shaped like a roofed building, meant to recall the Temple in Jerusalem, and inscribed with the Hebrew words, “Mazel Tov,“ or good luck, it’s part of what identified the owners as Jewish. When the trove was spread out and photographed by the Musée de Cluny at the time of acquisition, it looked like the kinds of things you might have in your own safe deposit box today. And that’s what gives these works their emotional punch. They’re relatable. This isn’t some glittering pile of diamonds worn by nobles and royals, but the savings and significant items – wedding rings, gifts and heirlooms – of a single merchant or working-class family. They were treasures to them. The objects date to several decades, indicating possibly more than one generation. Why were they hidden? What stories does the exhibition reveal?
“Opening to the prayer Shabbat Shekalim.” This bright and beautiful manuscript page from a 14th century Mahzor was found in the binding of a later Christian theological text. Photo: Adel Gorgy
A Plague and a Pogrom In the early 14th century, Colmar was a thriving small city on the Rhine, in the heart of wine country. Boehm found records of a small Jewish community that lived peacefully alongside the larger Christian population, through documents showing amicable business relations. The community was small – fewer than 100 individuals, possibly half that many – but confident enough in their future in the town to have built a synagogue, a school, and a mikveh, or ritual bath. Then, in 1348-49, Boehm explains in the texts and accompanying book, a pandemic of bubonic plague swept the region. Scapegoats were sought and, sadly, found. People accused Jews of poisoning the wells, and Colmar burned its Jewish citizens to death. It wasn’t the only or even the most devastating pogrom to befall Europe’s Jewish community, but the intimacy and familiarity of the objects that belonged to this one family and the testament they give makes “The Colmar Treasure” particularly poignant and touching. Though the objects have been studied and kept in a museum for almost a hundred years, Boehm is the first to be able to attribute them as belonging to a single family. “For me it’s much easier to look at a treasure that size and say oh my gosh, that was a family. That family lost their lives.” She even discovered an inscription “ANCH” which translates to a diminutive for the name Anne.
“I like to think that a certain Annie was a member of the family,“ she says. Perhaps it was she who wore some of the rings we see, or the headband, more than 600 years ago. Boehm ends the show powerfully, with a woodcut from a book published about 200 years after the massacre. In it, the renowned cartographer and Hebrew scholar, Sebastian Münster, recorded 8 churches, but no hint of a synagogue, school, or any other reminders of the Jewish community. It had simply vanished.
A Bridge Between Worlds “The Colmar Treasure” is the kind of exhibition that touches, and then lingers. What does Boehm hope visitors will find? Along with the beauty of the works, “I want them to experience these objects on a very personal level as if they were handling something that belonged to their own mother. I want that kind of visceral response to the sense that somehow these things carry something of the person who owned them,“ she says. “What I hope they take away from it is actually something of that same feeling. That the world that these people lived in is not so different; their daily experience is not so different from our daily lives. And sadly some of the tragedies from the past are not so distant from some of the tragedies of our present. I don’t mean to collapse history,“ she adds, “but I do mean to bridge our worlds.”
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AUGUST 15-21,2019
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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS
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Pepe Rosso To Go
149 Sullivan Street
Grade Pending (49) 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. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
JULY 3 - 9, 2019
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. 12 Chairs
56 Macdougal Street Grade Pending (22) 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/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Forty Carrots
504 Broadway
A
Ruby’S & Little Ruby’S
219 Mulberry Street
Grade Pending (17) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.
Vesuvio Bakery
160 Prince Street
Grade Pending (24) Evidence of mice or live mice 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.
Mille-Feuille Bakery 552 Laguardia Place Cafe
A
Cafetal Social Club/ 285 Mott Street Chachis
A
Masala Times
194 Bleecker Street
A
Champion Pizza
17 Cleveland Pl
Grade Pending (47) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Mi Tea
101 Macdougal St
A
Pomodoro Ristorante
51 Spring Street
A
La Loteria
29 7Th Ave S
A
Grade Pending (27) Shellfish not from approved source, improperly tagged/labeled; tags not retained for 90 days. Evidence of mice or live mice 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.
Sugar Factory Meatpacking
835 Washington St
A
Taim West Village
222 Waverly Pl
A
Chester
18 9Th Ave
A
Epistrophy Cafe
200 Mott Street
Goemon Curry
29 Kenmare St
A
Wild
535 Hudson Street
A
Cafe Integral
149 Elizabeth St
A
Dos Toros Taqueria
11 Carmine Street
A
Parisi Bakery
198 Mott Street
Grade Pending (16) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Catch
21-27 9 Avenue
A
Toby’S Estate Coffee Roaster
44 Charles St
A
Palma
28 Cornelia Street
A
Courtyard Marriott/Table 181 Soho
181 Varick Street
A
Arbor Bistro
226 West Houston Street
Grade Pending (46) Food not cooked to required minimum temperature. 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. Evidence of mice or live mice 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.
Fresh Tortillas Express TexMexican Food
206 Varick St
A
Negril
Pegu Club
70 West 3 Street
77 West Houston Street
Grade Pending (40) 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 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/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 (17) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
AUGUST 15-21,2019
23
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
THE PANIC IN TIMES SQUARE
EPSTEIN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
CITY MOOD
Why the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton resonated in NYC BY STUART MARQUES
Epstein’s mansion on East 71st Street. Photo: Ema Schumer
“People are Going to Lose Their Jobs” “This is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen; I can’t believe how screwed up this whole thing has become,” said John Connolly, a former NYPD officer and co-author of a 2016 book on Epstein called “Filthy Rich: The shocking true story of Jeffrey Epstein.” “For one thing, his suicide has a lot of serious implications for a lot of people in the federal prison system,” Connolly added. “People are going to lose their jobs. Investigators will be all over this now. They’re going to see who his recent visitors were and who he may have talked to on the phone in the days before his death. This is not the end by any means.” Epstein’s apparent suicide on Aug. 10 came a day after a judge unsealed some 2,000 court documents in an ongoing civil case against the wealthy financier. The documents are part of a suit brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says Epstein, Maxwell and others directed her to have sex with several prominent men, including Prince Andrew of Great Britain, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Sen. George Mitchell. All have denied the allegations. In a speech to a law enforcement group in New Orleans on Monday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said there were “serious irregularities” at the jail that “demand a thorough investigation.” In addition to that, Barr said the criminal case will continue. “Let me assure you that case will continue against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. Victims deserve justice and they will get it.” Paul Callan, a former Brooklyn prosecutor and CNN legal analyst, told Our Town that Barr “was speaking like a very angry attorney general” determined to keep the case
going and to “get to the bottom” of what happened at MCC. “The Southern District [of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan] continues to be very active in this case and I think you’re going to see more criminal cases, despite Epstein’s death,” Callan said. He added that he expects “an avalanche” of new civil suits, even as ongoing suits make their make through the courts.
Alone in His Cell One victim, Jennifer Araoz, who was 14 when Epstein’s enablers allegedly recruited her near her Manhattan high school in 2001, said she’s angry that Epstein will not face justice. “I am angry Jeffrey Epstein won’t have to face his survivors of his abuse in court,“ she said in a statement. “We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed, the pain and trauma he caused so many people. Epstein is gone, but justice must still be served.” As for the jail, run by the federal Bureau of Prisons, Callan said, “you may see criminal charges, firings or disciplinary proceedings involving allegations that guards abandoned their posts or did not follow the proper procedures.” Epstein was put on suicide watch on July 23 but taken off that six days later and put in a special housing unit where there are supposed to be two prisoners in a cell to lessen the chances of suicide. Epstein was alone in his cell at the time of his death. Guards are supposed to check on inmates in that unit every 30 minutes. “Obviously that didn’t happen,” Connolly said. “Someone will pay for that.”
Call it Fear City. On Aug. 3, an immigrant-hating gunman opened fire in a mall and killed 22 terrified shoppers in El Paso, Tex. – 2,181 miles from New York City. The next day, a gunman shot and killed nine innocent people near a bar in downtown Dayton, Ohio – 605 miles from here. Just two days after that, dirt bikes backfired in Times Square in the heart of New York City and thousands of frightened tourists and theatergoers -- thinking the sounds were gunshots -- stampeded down Broadway, Seventh Avenue and various side streets and ducked into stores for safety. About a dozen people were injured. “We have been conditioned to react that way whenever we hear about a mass shooting or experience something we associate with a terrible incident,“ Manhattan psychologist Alan Hilfer says. “It’s almost a form of PTSD.” He and others say that New Yorkers are more acutely aware of those kinds of dangers -- even though crime in the city is at record lows -- because we vividly remember the 9/11 attacks, and have repeatedly read or heard about terror plots, like one on May 1, 2010, when a man named Faisal Shahzad ignited a car bomb on a warm night in a crowded Times Square. And last week, on Aug. 6, Cesar Sayoc, a Florida body builder and Trump fan, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sending pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and CNN offices in New York. “Everything changed after 9/11,” Hilfer says. “My office is in a flight path and every time we heard a loud plane overhead, we froze. We’ve been conditioned to react to the danger signs.” Psychologist Steven Klee, who had offices in Manhattan but now is an associate executive director at Green Chimneys Children’s Services in Putnam County, agrees. “We even have a name for it,“ Klee says. “Psychologists call it the Generalization Effect. It means that people tend to react in the same way to similar incidents. If you walk past a supermarket when there’s a shooting and you freeze up, you’re likely to have that same reaction or association every time you walk past that supermarket. The supermarket would trigger your memory of a traumatic event ... shootings, even far away, will stir that fear.”
Fear of Gun Violence The panic in Times Square was real enough to cause the NYPD to frantically tweet out that there was no active shooter in the area and urging people to be calm. Mayor Bill de Blasio followed suit, tweeting: “Times Square is safe and secure, but the panic and fear people felt tonight was all too real. Nobody should have to live in fear of gun vio-
Police in Times Square in June. Photo: Elvert Barnes, via flickr
“I don’t think anybody feels completely safe in any part of the country. It can happen at a concert, in a bar, in a church or synagogue or in Times Square.” Psychologist Steven Klee lence.” It’s not the first time sounds mistaken for gunfire caused panic here. Last September, a loud pop caused by people stepping on plastic water bottles just after Cardi B finished a performance at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park caused a panicked stampede that sent hundreds of concert goers running for safety and screaming for help. In August 2016, police received calls of gunfire in two separate terminals at Kennedy Airport. Thousands of frightened travelers ran for their lives as police searched for a shooter. Some flights were diverted to Buffalo and parts of the Van Wyck Expressway were closed. It turned out that what some thought was gunfire was cheering and clapping of people who had just watched Usain Bolt win a sprint Gold Medal at the Rio Olympics. “People react this way because these types of shooting incidents like in El Paso and Dayton are random and can happen anywhere,” Klee says. “We’ve become super-sensitive to these things and that can lead people to overreact. I don’t think anybody feels completely safe in any part of the country. It can happen at a concert, in a bar, in a church or synagogue or in Times Square.” Hilfer says that in the context of the number of mass shootings in America – there have been 248 mass shootings as of July 31 – the tendency to panic at what sounds like gunfire is “almost a normal reaction … the reality is that things have changed” and that New Yorkers may feel that more keenly than others. “You just have to hope that you’re not in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
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AUGUST 15-21,2019
AUGUST 15-21,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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ARTISTRY IN INK BUSINESS
Darren Rosa started out drawing and has been tattooing in NYC for 35 years BY CARMEN ARROYO
Rising Dragon, a tattoo parlor on West 14th Street, is already open when owner Darren Rosa walks in at 2 p.m. on a recent Sunday. He only has one client today, so he drove his white Toyota from his home in Yonkers without rushing. Three of the five tattoo artists who work in Rosa’s second floor shop have already arrived and are inking clients while McShan’s rap resonates through the floor. Rosa gets rid of his Gore-Tex orange cap and takes up position by his desk in the right corner of the room. He was 19 when he did his first tattoo in his bedroom in Washington Heights. He remembers it well: a small parachute for a client who said he was in the Air Force. “He might have been lying, who knows? He was a young punk,” Rosa recalled, laughing, in a conversation a few days earlier. Now, 35 years later, he draws colorful samurais, red and green dragons and black tigers, reflecting the Japanese artwork he enjoys. Paintings of yellow snakes and orange demons decorate the shop walls. His client, Jay Kwak, arrives a couple of minutes later. A skinny 25-year old software developer with long black hair, he found Rosa by googling
Japanese tattoos last year. He instantly fell in love with his style and got his first tattoo last June. “Let’s get started, Jay,” says Rosa, pulling on a pair of latex black gloves. Kwak takes a Kindle out of his backpack, settles into a comfortable armchair and extends his left arm, already partly covered by the bright koi Rosa created last year. For the next five hours, Kwak patiently reads “The Count of Monte Cristo,” while his forearm bleeds at each touch of the needle. In total, the whole arm tattoo will cost him $1,500. Kwak wants the same tattoo continuing down the rest of his arm - orange, red and yellow koi swimming through blue water amid gray rocks. That’s become Rosa’s favorite kind of work, though when he started out, he mostly tattooed in black. “New Yorkers in general like black work. Maybe it’s all the great buildings, maybe they are surrounded by too much stimulation and want something simple,” he muses.
“I was an introvert” Rosa, 54, grew up in a rough neighborhood in Upper Manhattan when tattooing was illegal in New York City. After a hepatitis B outbreak in 1961, the city prohibited tattooing until 1997. Rosa’s mom discouraged her children from spending time in the streets, afraid of the gangs that proliferated in the 70s. His dad wasn’t around and his two sisters spent their time together. So Rosa started drawing. “I was an introvert,” he says. His mother, Anna Maria Melo, a retired school teacher, remembers a shy
Darren Rosa tattooing Jay Kwak at Rising Dragon Photo: Carmen Arroyo
kid drawing in his bedroom. “He got a job doing what he liked and he was good at it,” she says proudly. By 1984, Rosa had already chiseled three tattoos on his body and was trying his hand with the needle. The first: a snake and a skull saying “death before chains” on his right bicep. “I was reading a lot of Nietzsche,” he explains. “He was talking about false institutions made to chain us.” Today he has between 50 and 60 tattoos (he can’t remember the precise number), including an enormous black hawk covering his chest and his initials on his index finger knuckles. Now, when he talks about politics (he believes elections are rigged), religion (he’s Catholic but doesn’t practice) or family (married, three kids), Rosa hardly sounds like an introvert. But he looks constantly distracted. After an hour and a half working on Kwak’s arm, Rosa leaves his needle and orders hummus and pita via GrubHub. The food arrives thirty minutes later, so he leaves Kwak’s arm and sinks into the couch opposite his desk. His employee Chris, who declined to give his last name, hasn’t had a client for the past 40 minutes, so he sits next to the boss, listening to music on his smartphone. Lunch takes 15 minutes. Rosa, done with the fish, turns to the small turtle he outlined two weeks earlier on Kwak’s arm.
Grad school for research psychology
Japanese paintings decorate Rising Dragon’s walls Photo: Carmen Arroyo
Rosa started tattooing while he studied psychology at City College. But with people coming in and out of
Kwak’s finished tattoo Photo: Carmen Arroyo
his apartment for $20 tattoos, “my business was fucking with my mom’s life,” he admits. At 23, he moved out into a co-op apartment. “The building manager threatened me,” he recalls. “He thought I was selling drugs.” Rosa went to grad school for research psychology but when his tattooing demanded too much time, he dropped out. “My grandfather was not happy; he kept telling me about the psychologists he knew who made millions of dollars,” he says. Rosa thrived in the late 80s, hiring other tattooists to work at his apartment. However, with new shops downtown, clients tired of trekking uptown on the subway for an hour to Washington Heights. So in 1992, Rosa moved his shop to 19th Street and Fifth Avenue; and in 2008, to this 14th Street location. Business is good, he says, declining to be more specific about profits. Rosa goes back to Kwak’s arm
while his client stares at his Kindle. The bright green turtle is finished; only the water and the rocks remain to be inked. It’s 6: 30 p.m. when Kwak, still stoic, examines his colored skin. “It’s beautiful,” says Rosa. Rosa applies a soothing ointment and wraps Kwak’s arm with bandages and plastic film. Kwak stashes his Kindle in his backpack, pays Rosa in cash, and leaves. Rosa discards his latex gloves and puts on his jacket and orange cap which reads “The Dude” on the back. “I don’t want anyone taking it by mistake,” laughs Rosa. It’s 7 p.m.; the shop will be open for two more hours. By then, Rosa will be home in Yonkers with his children, his sketches and his backyard. Outside he points at his car’s license plate: “RSNGDRG,” the name of his shop. “Cool, huh?” He drives off, leaving Manhattan behind.
16
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6
41
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W O N D E R R N R K V C G E O
E C S O W D N A H E R L Y H M
The puzzle contains the following words. They may be diagonal, across, or up and down in the grid in any direction.
D S I I C A R E F R E E E L F
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43
44
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D S I I C A R E F R E E E L F
38. Return
E C S O W D N A H E R L Y H M
36. Bit of butter
W O N D E R R N R K V C G E O
35. Milk ___
U C I Z L G V S W R Q L J Y D
34. Disagreeable smell
S W A I B T R A N Q U I L X E
33. South Sea island
L M O C S E R E N I T Y Q E E
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L M O C S E R E N I T Y Q E E
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22. Finnish person
A U E S C B Y S R V E Y F E R
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20. Tide flowback
G E E Y R E L I E F L A N F V
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18. Available power
K P X C O W N T Z R G A N S O
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53
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WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor
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Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
59
18
29
9
13
15
23
8
T
12
17
22
7
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14
6
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5
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SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
by Myles Mellor
L
2
CROSSWORD
55
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Coupon Code: VP30 *Regular Price MINIMUM DELIVERY ORDER $100.
Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse
MOST, Syracuse
Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Syracuse
Destiny USA, Syracuse
Beak & Skiff, Lafayette
ERIE CANAL MUSEUM
DESTINY USA
Located in the 1850 Weighlock Building where canal boats once stopped as they traveled through Syracuse, this museum brings the adventurous story of the Erie Canal to life.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MOST)
Destiny USA is the fourth largest mall in the United States. It isn’t just a shopping center — it’s an entertainment, game and food destination for all ages. Filled with interactive indoor play parks to run, bounce, and slide — like Billy Beez and WanderWorks, 5 Wits and The Amazing Mirror Maze — it’s a hub of kid-friendly fun. For special discounts, check out their special play pass or shopping pass, because you’re going to want to see it all.
The MOST as it’s known, is true to its name. Home to hands-on exhibits, a colorful planetarium and the only domed IMAX® theater in New York State, it’s the MOST fun place for science and learning at any age.
BEAK & SKIFF
ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO Home to over 700 species, you’ll discover astounding animals from Asian Elephants to African Lions. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of their adorable newborns such as Red Panda cubs.
Voted #1 Apple Orchard in the Country by USA Today, Beak & Skiff has grown New York apples for over 100 years. Visitors enjoy everything from apple picking to treats at the Apple Hill Country Store like warm apple pie, cider donuts, local New York cheddar cheese and homemade fudge. The 1911 Tasting Room on site, is a perfect place to savor a glass of hard cider, wine or spirits as the kids enjoy the outdoor play area.