Our Town Downtown - October 19, 2017 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown wn

2017

B UILDING SERVICE WORKER

AWAR DS Pg. 11

WEEK OF OCTOBER

19-25 2017

CONTESTING THE ‘CON-CON’ POLITICS Pols, unions, citizens, advocates, lobbyists, special-interest groups – and strange bedfellows – take to the barricades over the November 7 referendum on a statewide Constitutional Convention BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

Public Advocate Letitia James discussed plans to help Puerto Ricans and others displaced by the recent hurricanes. She spoke at City Hall on Oct. 12. Photo: Mihika Agarwal

HURRICANE VICTIMS TO GET HELP FROM CITY REFUGE Armories could house those displaced; education, health care and other services will be available BY MIHIKA AGARWAL

With thousands in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the region still displaced by the ravages wrought by hurricanes in recent weeks, city and officials along with representatives

from 10 Latin-American community organizations said last week they would pool resources and political might to ensure those with housing and other needs would be cared for. Emphasizing the need to view the victims of the storms as “displaced Americans,” the city’s public advocate, Letitia James, said it was incumbent on New York officials and others to help provide shelter and other basic services to those affected.

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To say that Planned Parenthood and the New York State Right to Life Committee are historical antagonists is a huge understatement. The truth is, they manifest fear and loathing for each other’s viewpoints. The pro-choice group assertively champions a woman’s reproductive rights. The pro-life organization is just as tough-minded in opposing abortion. Could they ever pool resources and join forces? Actually, yes. Bedfellows don’t get any stranger than this. Yet every 20 years, such highly unlikely — and very temporary — alliances are formed as groups that routinely bash each other suddenly discover a common agenda. At issue is a November 7th referendum that boils down to this: “Shall there be a convention to revise the Constitution and amend the same?” That 13-word question appears on the ballot every two decades when voters, as prescribed by law, determine if a Constitutional Convention — or “Con-Con” — should be held in Albany to retool, rewrite and amend the New York State Constitution. A convention is a journey into the unknown. It can augment rights, protections and prerogatives. It can also strip them away forever. Thus do players with ostensibly nothing in common ﬁnd common ground: Planned Parenthood, fearing that abortion rights could be abridged at a convention, and the Right to Life Committee, dreading they could be ex-

Delegates to the state Constitutional Convention convened in the state Capitol in Albany in 1867 for a speech by William Wheeler, a future U.S. vice president, who argued that the concept of racial equality should be incorporated into the Constitution. Engraving: Stanley Fox, via New York Public Library collection panded and enshrined in an updated Constitution, are now allied in a coalition, New Yorkers Against Corruption, campaigning to defeat the measure. Meanwhile, on the other side of the barricades, such establishment groups as the New York City Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, which believe a new Constitution can reform the judiciary and enhance ethics in government, have come out in favor. But so, too, have less mainstream advocates — like Restrict & Regulate in NY State, which seeks to legalize adult-use marijuana, and Divide NYS Caucus, which calls for the legal separation of downstate and upstate into two autonomous regions. It’s a free-for-all: Unions and liberal downstaters fear wealthy special interests will hijack the convention and undermine hard-fought labor rights. But upstate conservatives, also opposed, fret that big money from the city will use its leverage to roll back Downtowner

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Crime Watch NYC Now Voices City Arts

3 6 8 10

Restaurant Ratings 40 Business 42 Real Estate 43 15 Minutes 45

WEEK OF APRIL

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12

FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE

is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He ﬁrst writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereﬂect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice

9-16

MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20

2015

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits

SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS

A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311

n OurTownDowntow

COM

Newscheck Crime Watch Voices

for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced

2 City Arts 3 Top 5 8 Real Estate 10 15 Minutes

12 13 14 18

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gun-ownership rights. Manhattan’s progressive wing is divided. “New York State government has a lot wrong with it, and I share many of the pro-convention movement’s goals,” said Borough President Gale Brewer. “But the way the rules are set up, we’d be unlikely to win improvements, and would have to put a lot of hard-won protections at risk.” Brewer cited environmental protections, labor rights and voting rights, which are all now protected by constitutional provisions. Upper West Side City Council Member Helen Rosenthal agreed, saying Con-Con could undermine state pension obligations to municipal workers and conservation measures that preserve the Adirondacks. “Great things in the Constitution could be revoked,” Rosenthal said. “If the people driving this have the same point of view as the people in the state

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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HOW SLEEP AFFECTS YOUR WEIGHT HEALTH Researchers on both sides of the Atlantic find that too little rest widens your middle BY CAROL ANN RINZLER

Want to be slim and healthy? Get into bed. At night. To sleep, of course. True, those of you who collect weird statistics may know that being, um, intimate burns about 120 calories every 30 minutes for men and 90 for women which, as scientists at the University of Quebec note, is about half what they’d spend during a 30 minute jog. But when it comes to waist size and weight, what matters most in bed is how long you stay there. Sleeping, that is. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), more than one in every three American adults gets less than the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night. The National Center for Health Statistics says that the same number of us aren’t just a few pounds over our jeans size, but actually obese, defined as a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or more, for example, 169 pounds for a person 5’3” tall

and 207 pounds for a person 5’9” tall. In a moment of scientific agreement, researchers on both side of the Atlantic think they can draw a straight line connecting these two facts. At the Mayo Clinic, Andrew Calvin, MD, says that when people don’t get enough sleep, they eat more, wolfing down about 500 extra calories a day, enough to pack on an extra pound in just one week. And a study at the University of Leeds’ Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine and School of Food Science and Nutrition in England found that people sleeping only six hours a night were likely to have waistlines 1.18110236 inches (3 cm) larger than those sleeping for nine hours. Not surprisingly, the sleep-deprived also had higher BMIs, a situation increasingly linked to a myriad of unpleasant health issues including, but not limited to, high blood pressure, more “bad” cholesterol, less effective glucose metabolism leading to an increased risk of diabetes, lower levels of thyroid hormones, and higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation considered a risk for heart disease. What’s happening here? As Eve Van Cauter, director of the Sleep, Metabo-

lism and Health Center at the University of Chicago, explains, we humans are the only mammals who don’t sleep on a regular basis. When we don’t get enough rest, ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, goes into overdrive, while leptin, a hormone that tells you you’ve had enough to eat, pulls back. At the same time, you produce more endocannabinoids, chemicals that trigger what Van Cauter calls “hedonic eating,” that is, “eating for pleasure.” Sleep deprivation also affects your fat cells, the ones your body uses to store fat. You pretty much have the same number of fat cells as long as you live, but they can change shape, expanding to store more fat or contracting so you are slimmer. Sleep deprivation appears to makes fat cells less responsive to insulin. When that happens you make less leptin, which means you are likely to eat more and gain weight. Conclusion? As it says at the top, get enough sleep. Your mirror will show you the difference.

BMI (body mass index) is a number that reﬂect the relationship between height and weight.

A BMI of 18.9 to 24.9 is considered normal; lower than 18 is underweight; higher than 30 is obese.

The following formula calculates the BMI for a person 5’3” tall weighing 138 pounds: BMI = Weight (in pounds) / height (in inches, squared) x 705

Carol Ann Rinzler is the author of “Nutrition for Dummies” (6th edition). Her latest book is “Is It Safe to Kiss My Cat?”

(For example BMI = 138 divided by 63 x 63 x 705 = 24.5)

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG PUTTING THE CON IN CON EDISON A local business got ripped off by a scammer who had the ﬁrm’s account number. At 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, a 38-year-old man working for Broadstone Bar & Kitchen at 88 Broad Street received a phone call from a man named Lucas who claimed to be representing Con Edison. He said he was calling to collect a bill, and indeed he had the company’s correct account number. The employee followed the caller’s instructions and used a MoneyPak to pay the amount supposedly owed, $2,905. When the employee later called Lucas’s number back, he was told, “You’ve been scammed, and we will keep scamming.”

REAL ROBBERIES — SIMULATED GUNS The weapon of choice for bad guys this October seems to be a simulated gun. In the ﬁrst incident, which took place at 11:50 p.m. on Monday, October 2, a 55-year-old man was approached from behind in the rear of 99 Battery Place by an unknown man who said, “Give me your wallet; I have a gun.” The thief then chased the victim up to Battery Place before turning around and ﬂeeing eastbound on Third Place.

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st district for Week to Date

Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr

The robber did not actually display a weapon, and police were unable to ﬁnd him in the area. No value was stated for the stolen wallet or its contents. In a second simulated-gun incident, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 6, a young male teenager from Staten Island met three buyers at the southwest corner of Battery Place and Greenwich Street intending to sell his bicycle. One of the purported buyers, though, claimed he had a gun in his pocket and told the boy to get off his bike. The three thugs then took the two-wheeler and took off. Police couldn’t ﬁnd the thugs or the stolen bicycle in the vicinity. The stolen bicycle was an SE valued at $700.

LOCKER LOOTING One hopes that a downtown gymgoer has a full-replacement-value insurance policy. At 4:25 p.m. on Monday, October 2, a 37-year-old woman left her belongings in an unsecured locker inside the Equinox facility at 225 Liberty Street. When she returned to the locker, several of her personal items were missing, including a diamond day stamp chronograph watch, a crossover cuff bracelet with diamonds, a sterling silver and gold jewelry piece with a purple amethyst and a diamond ring, all of which was valued at a total $4,029.

Year to Date

2017 2016

% Change

2017

2016

% Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

75.0

Robbery

n/a

23.9

Felony Assault

n/a

-4.5

Burglary

100.0

-48.0

Grand Larceny

35.3

786 814 -3.4

Grand Larceny Auto

ID THIEF ARRESTED A thief overplayed her hand with someone else’s account number. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 5, a 25-year-old woman entered the Sax Fifth Avenue store at 250 Vesey Street and purchased more than $6,000 worth of items using a VIP membership account. The woman, later identiﬁed as Alicia McLaughlin, gave store personnel a Connecticut ID bearing the name

-73.8

Jane Weitzman and made her purchase using an account lookup. Store personnel contacted the real account holder, however, and she stated that it was not her making the purchase. The items stolen included a $939 jacket, a $1,485 backpack, and another jacket, this one priced at $3,742, making a total stolen of $6,166. McLaughlin was arrested the same day and charged with grand larceny.

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct

19 ½ Pitt St.

212-477-7311

NYPD 6th Precinct

233 W. 10th St.

212-741-4811

NYPD 10th Precinct

230 W. 20th St.

212-741-8211

NYPD 13th Precinct

230 E. 21st St.

NYPD 1st Precinct

16 Ericsson Place

212-477-7411 212-334-0611

FIRE FDNY Engine 15

25 Pitt St.

311

FDNY Engine 24/Ladder 5

227 6th Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 28 Ladder 11

222 E. 2nd St.

311

FDNY Engine 4/Ladder 15

42 South St.

311

ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin

165 Park Row #11

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

237 1st Ave. #504

212-587-3159 212-677-1077

Councilmember Corey Johnson

224 W. 30th St.

212-564-7757

State Senator Daniel Squadron

250 Broadway #2011

212-298-5565

Community Board 1

1 Centre St., Room 2202

212-669-7970

Community Board 2

3 Washington Square Village

212-979-2272

Community Board 3

59 E. 4th St.

212-533-5300

Community Board 4

330 W. 42nd St.

212-736-4536

Hudson Park

66 Leroy St.

212-243-6876

Ottendorfer

135 2nd Ave.

212-674-0947

Elmer Holmes Bobst

70 Washington Square

212-998-2500

COMMUNITY BOARDS

LIBRARIES

HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian

170 William St.

Mount Sinai-Beth Israel

10 Union Square East

212-844-8400

212-312-5110

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

TIME WARNER

46 East 23rd

813-964-3839

US Post Office

201 Varick St.

212-645-0327

US Post Office

128 East Broadway

212-267-1543

US Post Office

93 4th Ave.

212-254-1390

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ART AND ABOUT BY PETER PEREIRA

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Keep yourself injuryfree at any age. Attend our upcoming seminars to learn how.

Thursday, November 2: 7pm – 8pm

Thursday, November 9: 7pm – 8pm

Common Athletic Injuries in the Young Athlete – Prevention & Treatment

Preventing and Treating Injuries in the Active Senior

Even the youngest athletes are prone to long-lasting injuries. Join us for a free seminar to learn about:

Aging can slow us down, but it doesn’t have to mean getting injured. Join us for a free seminar to learn more about:

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ACL injury prevention and treatment options Treating shoulder pain and instability Diagnosing and treating hip pain Preventing and treating ankle instability

Location and speakers for both events:

Lenox Health Greenwich Village - Community Center 200 West 13th Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10011 Presented by Northwell Health Orthopaedic Institute: Peter D. McCann, MD Director, Orthopaedic Surgery

Etan P. Sugarman, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon

Michael A. Zacchilli, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon

Daniel L. Seidman, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon

Orthopaedic Institute

22212a 9-17

These events are FREE and snacks and light refreshments will be served.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com

EDITOR’S PICK MONUMENT, MYTH AND MEANING► The Great Hall at Cooper Union, 7 East Seventh St. Oct. 23, 6:30 Free, register in advance 212-353-4100 eventbrite.com Recent events in Charlottesville and other cities around the nation have prompted New York City to reexamine its many historical monuments. Though Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Commission on City Art, Monuments and Markers is currently assessing public art, plaques and monuments on city-owned property, the conversation is only just beginning. This upcoming panel on the myth and meaning of monuments furthers the discussion. Panelists will discuss Civil War monuments, their meaning, the complex histories that surround their realization, and the current socio-political conditions that are prompting community leaders and everyday citizens to reconsider their very existence. Should these monuments be saved or torn down? Is there a way to preserve the history of these public works of art, but rather than mythologize them, use them to prompt teachable moments for future generations? The panel will address these questions and more. Panelists include journalist and former CNN correspondent Brian Palmer, who has photographed Virginia’s neglected African-American cemeteries, and Julian LaVerdiere, a 1993 graduate of The Cooper Union School of Art and co-creator of the Tribute in Light Memorial, the art installation of 88 searchlights that creates two vertical columns of light to represent the Twin Towers in remembrance of the 9/11 attacks.

Thu 19 Fri 20 WOMEN OF LETTERS► City Winery, 155 Varick St. 8 p.m. $20+ Laugh and cry with incredible women at this monthly literary salon celebrating the lost art of letter writing. Host Soﬁja Stefanovic welcomes guests reading letters to the evening’s topic, “A letter to my little lie.” Attorney, journalist and author Raﬁa Zakaria and comedian and actress Sasheer Zamata will be among this week’s guests. 212-608-0555 citywinery.com/newyork

‘PERSON PLACE THING’ WITH RANDY COHEN BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St. 7 p.m. $10 People are particularly engaging when they speak not about themselves, but about something they care about. That’s the premise behind “Person Place Thing,” an interview show hosted by Randy Cohen, humorist and formerly the “The Ethicist” at The New York Times. Cohen will interview jazz impresario Jack Kleinsinger.

Sat 21 CULTURE TALK: JUDITH BERNSTEIN WITH ALISON M. GINGERAS The Drawing Center 35 Wooster St. 11 a.m. Free Back in the ‘60s, artist Judith Bernstein drew inspiration from the graffiti she found in men’s restrooms at Yale. This iconic artist will discuss her decades-long career, her current Drawing Center exhibition, and her provocative paintings, which address the psychological connection between warfare and sexual aggression. 212-219-2166 drawingcenter.org

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Photo: David Goehring, via Flickr

Sun 22 Mon 23 Tue 24 FRIGHT NIGHT SECRET SPEAKEASY

NEW YORK TIMES PODCAST CLUB

The Loft at Prince Street 177 Prince St. 6 p.m. $10 The latest installment of the Secret Speakeasy, a traveling interactive exhibition of antiques and inventions, is designed to spook the soul and stimulate the mind. Watch vintage 16mm short scary ﬁlms, listen to original vinyl records, study unusual antiques, and learn more about your own creative process along the way. 212-274-8757 secretspeakeasy.com

The Greene Space 44 Charlton St. 7 p.m. $20 Geek out at this live meetup of Podcast Club. First, mingle and listen to the episode “I Want That Purple Stuff” sans earbuds. Then Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings, hosts of “The Nod,” and executive producer Sarah Abdurrahman will discuss the episode and how grape ﬂavor came to have sentimental signiﬁcance for black Americans. 646-829-4000 thegreenespace.org/events

‘SIGNS OF HOPE: MESSAGES FROM SUBWAY THERAPY’▲ Artists and Fleas 568 Broadway 7 p.m. $24 grants admission and copy of the book After the 2016 presidential election, Matthew “Levee” Chavez prompted subway riders to stick post-it notes scrawled with feelings of frustration and anger on a massive wall. This act of resistance turned into “Subway Therapy,” which is now an eponymous book about the iconic community art piece. Hear Chavez discuss his book, art and resistance. artistsandﬂeas.com

Wed 25 ‘BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA’ Village East Cinema, 181189 Second Ave. 7 p.m. $15 Francis Ford Coppola’s classic horror ﬁlm returns to the big screen for its 25th anniversary. Follow the Count as he pursues Mina Harker, the supposed reincarnation of his dead wife. 212-529-6998 citycinemas.com/villageeast

How a child learns to learn will impact his or her life forever.

City and Country School Keeping the progress in progressive education. Two-Year-Olds – 8th Grade

Open House: Thursday, November 16, 6:00 - 8:00pm 146 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212.242.7802

www.cityandcountry.org

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Voices

Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.

PRESSING BUTTONS EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT

Photo: Lisérgico, via ﬂickr

Cell-evator madness — Saturday mid-morning, crowded elevator UES condo, eight riders. Cellphones to ear. All in use. First stop, missed. “Why didn’t anybody say something?” said the man who forgot to get off. “We’re all on the phone, that’s why. Look out for yourself, or you’ll never get out,” advised another. Wisdom comes, wisdom goes. Practical stays. Bike protection — Southeast corner of 23rd and 6th, M23 crosstown bus stop. The bus shelter intended for seats so bus riders may sit while waiting for the bus is now occupied by bike racks. No seats for users of bus transportation. Nice and cozy that the poor bikes enjoy the warmth and comfort of an enclosed space. But what about the seats for which the shelter was intended? Who decided to use it for

bikes? Who is paying for them? NY is now a bike city — think bike racks, bike lanes, biker rights — but there are other modes of public transportation used by locals and others. Movie houses make are coming back! — One of the highlights of the week was seeing “Marshall” at the new Landmark movie theater, which opened in September. Took the 57th Street crosstown (M57) to 12th Avenue opposite the river. There’s no marquee leading the way into the theater. Marquees and times that the movies are playing are no longer part of movie-house offerings. And figuring out how to get into the theater can be a little dicey figuring out since the Landmark is an all — or almost all — glass edifice on the ground floor of what looks like a combination of residential and commercial building. But a nice staffer was on hand to let us know we were in the right place and to show us which door would lead to the theater. The seats were the now

de rigueur cushy loungers where you push a side button and elevate your feet. Just loved that they weren’t those oversized seats where there’s just too much room. “Marshall” is compelling story, with a brilliant cast, of the journey of the legendary Thurgood Marshall who ascended to the United States Supreme Court after years of representing clients on behalf of the NAACP. Especially poignant was the last scene, when the eponymous Thurgood arrives at the train station in Mississippi (where he was sent by the NAACP to represent a wrongly accused black man) and was met at the train station by the young man’s parents. The mother was portrayed by Sybrina Fulton who is the real life mother of Trayvon Martin, the young black man killed in Florida by the notorious George Zimmerman. Central casting 101. A sign of the times — Since my recent observation of the “For Rent” sign splashed across the window of the check cashing store on 90th Street and First Avenue, I’ve been noticing that other businesses are experiencing the same fate. Fika’s window facing Lexington Ave between

88th and 89th was also the bearer of an oversized “For Rent” sign. Checked it out and was told that Fika was still in business but there was a dispute with the landlord. I get it. The landlord wants to be paid. But putting a “For Rent” sign in the window that makes it look like the place is going out of business (when it’s not) or is having a moving sale (which it’s not) is not in anybody’s interest. The Fika store is in the commercial space of block-long co-op or condominium residential building. There’s a FedEx store on one corner and a ﬂorist shop that’s been there forever on the other corner. For some reason, however, the mid-block stores are usually empty or have frequent turnover. The block is dreary. In the last year or so the entrance to the residential portion of the building was moved to 88th Street. Maybe to have more commercial space. If that’s the case, then maybe the co-op or condo owners may want to rethink their strategy or leasing practices. Empty stores and blazing “For Rent” signs are hardly an inducement for new businesses or customers and sure don’t make for good neighborhood karma.

A MAYORAL DEBATE AS HOCKEY FIGHT NY1’s event turned into the night that the candidates dropped their gloves BY JON FRIEDMAN

On October 10, I turned off the New York Rangers game on MSG and found that a hockey ﬁght had broken out over on NY1. In the first mayoral debate, Democratic incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped the gloves with his two opponents: Republican Nicole Malliotakis, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island in the New York State Assembly, and bellicose media grandstander Bo Dietl, a former New York Police Detective, who appears determined to represent … Bo Dietl. If this is an indication of how it will go til Election Day on November 7, the New York media corps have a lot to look forward to. What’s more fun than covering an off-the-rails contest like this one?

Come to think of it, the debate had all the hallmarks of a hockey fight: shouting, finger-pointing, accusations, recriminations, the whole shebang. There was little of genuine substance. The dialogue took on the tone of a verbal spat between ﬁfth-graders in a schoolyard: “You’re stupid!” “Oh yeah? Well, you’re stupider!” It was a 90-minute freak show. NY1’s able moderator Errol Louis somehow gamely held the proceedings together. Louis served not only as a voice of reason but a role model for anchors of future televised debates of all kinds. He took charge — and stayed in charge. Louis was openly frustrated by the peanut gallery in the studio audience that shrieked repeatedly, reminding me of the hilarious scene in Animal House when Otter mobilizes his Delta buddies to out-shout their foe, Dean Wormer. Yes, the debate was on that level. Louis appropriately ordered that Dietl’s microphone be shut off a few times because Dietl wouldn’t stop

shouting when it wasn’t his turn to talk. Louis refused to let the candidates (read: the ever-present Dietl) veer off course and launch into a selfserving diatribe against one of the other speakers (read: de Blasio). The money-shot moment of the NY1 mayoral debate occurred nearly at the end. Grace Rauh of NY1, a well-prepared and well-spoken panelist, asked Malliotakis, a Republican, if she sided with Trump or not, because the candidate had taken up both arguments at various times. It was high noon! Malliotakis, appearing ﬂustered for the ﬁrst time, promptly accused Rauh of “carrying the mayor’s water.” It was a foolish gambit because NY1, Rauh’s employer, had sued the de Blasio administration in a Freedom of Information petition (and won). This was the actual point/counterpoint: Rauh: “You can’t seem to make up your mind about him. are you trying to have it all ways when it comes to President Trump?”

The day before the debate, Mayor Bill de Blasio marched in the Columbus Day parade on Fifth Avenue. Photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office Malliotakis: “I gotta be honest with you, Grace. I feel that you’re carrying the mayor’s water right now.” For the record, Malliotakis added: “When I disagree with President Trump, I will say so.” But the damage was done, for a moment, at least. Malliotakis appeared to have won points when she lectured de Blasio by saying, “Don’t disparage me.” Whether he actually did that or not is really a moot point. Every woman viewer who has felt that an insensitive guy

“mansplained” to her in public might well have been nodding in solidarity with her. Errol Louis was the big winner. He remained composed and resolute. I trusted him completely. Hey, maybe he should be our next mayor. Jon Friedman, who recently wrote about rock and roll and nostalgia in these pages, teaches at the Stony Brook University School of Journalism.

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

More neighborhood news? neighborhood milestones? neighborhood events? neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? neighborhood concerns?

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HURRICANE VICTIMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Throughout our history, New York City has always stood as a beacon of hope and as a place of refuge for those fleeing hardship and disaster, the ďŹ rst and ďŹ nal destination for a fresh start, and today should be no different,â&#x20AC;? James said during an Oct. 12 news conference at City Hall. She emphasized the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long affiliation and shared culture with Puerto Rico. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated that roughly 20,000 Puerto Ricans had arrived in Florida by last week. James and others said that in addition to housing, hurricane victims would need support with education, as well as health care. Carlos Martinez said his son,

stepfather and ďŹ ve siblings in Puerto Rico and were experiencing hardships. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My stepfather is 80 years old and he has just found out that he wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to see a doctor for the next year because there is no electricity in hospitals,â&#x20AC;? said Martinez, who believes health care for the elderly to be the most urgent need. Owing to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perennially short supply of housing, ensuring that all of those displaced by the hurricanes have a roof over their heads is a priority for the city, James and others said. The city is considering establishing armories as temporary housing as well as providing housing vouchers to support victims in the immediate term. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Recovery funds must go to victims, not vultures,â&#x20AC;? one organizer said.

James asked that the Federal Emergency Management Agency â&#x20AC;&#x153;step up to the plateâ&#x20AC;? and provide its leadership and resources in getting individuals with acute needs out of Puerto Rico, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;recognizing that this is a humanitarian crisis.â&#x20AC;? This week, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the opening of a service center at the Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center at 1680 Lexington Avenue. The center, scheduled to open October 19, will provide basic resources and crucial services. It will be staffed with government officials as well as representatives from nonprofits and community-based organizations to help families and individuals enroll to secure public beneďŹ ts such as health

insurance and food assistance, as well as other services. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. People planning to visit the service centers can make an appointment by visiting nyc.gov or calling 311. The center will be closed Saturday, October 21. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New York City will help those affected by recent hurricanes in any way we can,â&#x20AC;? de Blasio said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been sending donations and emergency responders to affected areas, and now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re setting up a central location to help displaced people in our city receive essential services and assistance.â&#x20AC;?

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SEEING INDIA THROUGH COLOR LENSES IF YOU GO

The Met Breuer focuses on “the Ganges side of modernism” with street photography by Raghubir Singh BY RAHIM CHAGANI

Found Footage Festival hosts Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher got booked on three local morning news shows by claiming to be a strongman duo called Chop & Steele. Photo courtesy of Found Footage Festival

REWINDING VHS TAPES IN A DIGITAL AGE How an infusion of video archives from the Letterman show transformed the Found Footage Festival BY ALIZAH SALARIO

It was the call Nick Prueher, a former researcher at the “Late Show with David Letterman,” had been waiting for his entire life. In 2015, when Letterman announced his retirement, a friend of Prueher’s who still worked at the show called to let him know that Dave’s video archives were headed for demise. “He said everything must go, it’s going in the dumpster, do you want it?” said Prueher. Boy, did he ever. Prueher drove straight over to the Ed Sullivan Theater and ﬁlled his Toyota Prius to the gills. Then he made a second trip, saving about 300 videos from incineration. What, exactly, did he plan to do with a boatload of antique VHS tapes, most of which were esoteric (an instructive video on how spot counterfeit Beanie Babies) or inane (a video of Andy Rooney teaching people how to act, a training

video for ferrets)? Prueher is the co-founder of the Found Footage Festival, a traveling showcase of obscure and oddball VHS clips narrated by Prueher and his co-host Joe Pickett. As teenagers in Wisconsin in the early 90s, Prueher and Pickett began collecting random VHS tapes from thrift stores and garage sales. Their collection grew, and they began screening them for friends in their basement. “We thought we were a very speciﬁc group of weirdos who got together and tried to ﬁnd these tapes at thrift stores,” says Prueher. Prueher thought wrong. By 2004, he and Pickett had gone from screening videotapes for friends in their Wisconsin basements to screening them for the public at Bar Rafifi (R.I.P.) in the East Village. Fans packed Rafifi’s Cinema Classic room, equipped with a screen and projector; shortly thereafter, the Found Footage Festival was born. This year marks the thirteenth season in New York. “It seemed like people were ready to look back at the VHS era and laugh,” says Prueher. “There was sort of this wide-

eyed innocence about people making these videos. For the ﬁrst time you had an affordable format, and at the time it was kind of a gold rush.” Many of the clips screened at the Found Footage festival can’t be found online. The hosts edit them for maximum effect; a montage of religious videos called “101 depictions of Jesus” (“claymation Jesus, handsome WASP Jesus, etc.”) was a real crowd-pleaser. Still, in an age of curated consumption, where every person on a subway car can view a different scrap of media simultaneously, collective viewing might seem like a throwback to a different era. But Prueher suggests that the appeal is more about a contemporary need than nostalgia. Says Prueher. “Something magical happens when you can take this footage that was never meant to be shown in public, and you show it in public.”

IF YOU GO WHAT: Found Footage Festival WHERE: Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave. WHEN: Fri. Oct. 20th, 7:30 and 10 p.m. $15 foundfootagefest.com/tour

One of the distinguished offerings The Met Breuer has given its large audience is a focus on modernism — the latest example being Raghubir Singh’s color street photography. A tribute to the art of photography, this fall’s retrospective at The Met Breuer, “Modernism on the Ganges: Raghubir Singh Photographs,” situates Singh’s work at the intersection of Western modernism and traditional South Asian modes of picturing the world. The exhibition features 85 photographs by Singh, along with examples of Indian court painting styles that inspired his explorations into color photography. Born and raised in an aristocratic family in Rajasthan, Singh resided in Hong Kong, Paris, London, and New York — but his lifelong subject was his native India that remained his inexhaustible muse. A selftaught photographer, Singh dropped out of college in the 1960s and started his career with assignments for international magazines. He immersed himself in experimenting with color photography. Famous for using his handheld camera and color-slide film, Singh recorded India’s dense backdrop in what artists call “frieze-like composition.” with opulent color. He died in 1999, at the age of ﬁfty-six, but left a long-lasting legacy that has inspired many photographers around the world. The exhibition traces the full course of Singh’s career from his early work as a photojournalist in the late 1960s through his last unpublished projects

of the late 1990s. Walking through the intimate display of Singh’s photographs, the narrative resounds as you look at picture after picture shot in exquisite color. The chromatic use of color and light shouldn’t come as a surprise from a man widely acknowledged as the pioneer of color photography in India. The choice of his subjects and the compositions always made him stand out. Singh was greatly inﬂuenced by the works of Henri CartierBresson, Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray, and American street photographers such as William Gedney and Lee Friedlander. Traveling along his own path, Singh described

WHAT: “Modernism on the Ganges: Raghubir Singh Photographs” WHERE: The Met Breuer, 945 Madison Ave., at 75th Street WHEN: through January 2 212-731-1675

his distinctively Indian style of modernist photography as “on the Ganges side of modernism, rather than the Seine or East River side of it.” The Met has had a history of collecting art from India. Last year, the museum renewed a long-term cooperative relationship with the Indian government’s Ministry of Culture, which established a partnership for sharing knowledge and expertise between The Met and cultural institutions in India.

“Monsoon Rains, Monghyr, Bihar,” 1967. Chromogenic print. Photo courtesy of The Met Breuer

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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CHRIS DEMCHUK

DOORMAN — DOWNTOWN

2017

B UILDING SERVICE W ORKER

AWAR DS

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL DOORMAN At the Avalon off the Bowery, Chris Demchuk hits the right notes BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Chris Demchuk. Photo: Anne Kristoff

Chris Demchuk is a rock star doorman. Or he could have been, if he had followed his childhood dream. “I wanted to play in a rock n’ roll band,” he said, “Mick and The Stones!” Instead, the Queens native opted for a career in the building service industry. He has held many jobs over his 25-year career including porter and handyman. He’s spent the last 10 years as a doorman/concierge at The Avalon building in the East Village. His biggest concern and the main crux of his job is keeping his building secure. “You’re the eyes and ears of the building,” he said. “You keep it functioning and running.” The Avalon is just off the Bowery, but he’s never experienced any real problems. The biggest

change he’s seen to the neighborhood over the past decade is a proliferation of high-rises. Demchuk gets up at 5:30 a.m. every day in order to get to work by his 7 a.m. start time. He’s off at 3 p.m. which leaves him time to take care of anything his two sons might need, or lend a hand to his father. To be good at this job, Demchuk says you need to be a people person with good customer relations skills, and with 300 apartments to look after, you have to be very detail oriented. “The best part is knowing I did the best I could for the building, the staff and the residents,” he said. When he’s not working, Demchuk spends time outdoors, going to the park, biking or taking pictures. He frequently goes out to the Rockaways where he swims. He also likes visiting Oyster Bay on Long Island. His favorite parts of the city all involve the water — going to the Hudson River, Pier 17 and Brooklyn Bridge Park. He once walked along the waterfront all the way from the Ver-

You’re the eyes and ears of the building. You keep it functioning and running.”

razano Bridge to Red Hook. Even though he never ended up playing any instruments himself, Demchuk remains passionate about music and attends a lot of concerts. He’s seen The Rolling Stones multiple times, and also bands such as Styx and Rush. So, maybe it’s time to revive the dream and put together a band with his colleagues? “I don’t think there are many doormen who know how to make music and play rock,” he laughed.

Congratulations! Congratulations, winners of the 2017 Building Service Workers Awards! Thank you for all that you have done for the New York community and making the lives of those around you a little brighter every day. Gain value for your building and business with ABM as your facility solutions partner. Our technologyenabled workforce brings ABM expertise to any type of property... from neighborhood banks and schools to the largest oﬃce parks, stadiums and airports.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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RELATED’S COMMITMENT TO NEW YORK CITY EXTENDS WELL BEYOND OUR BUILDINGS

HUDSON YARDS

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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KEISHA BESSETTE

DOORWOMAN

‘I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE BEING HAPPY’ As the concierge at 11 Riverside Drive, Keisha Bessette deals with all kinds of personality types and packages BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Keisha Bessette likes to make people happy, which is a good trait to have when you handle a building with more than 600 apartments. Bessette started working at 11 Riverside Drive 19 years ago. She was about to graduate from high school and needed a job. While visiting a friend who worked in the building, she overhead the general manager say they were hiring. Bessette bounced around in the beginning and has even spent some time as the elevator operator, but she eventually settled in as concierge. In that role, she greets people, keeps on eye on kids darting around the lobby, and has to know a little about everyone in the building. “I have to know all the parents, the friends, the dogs, and the dog walkers,” she said. And she has to be sensitive to many different personal-

I treat everybody on an individual basis. I treat them how they want to be treated.” ity types. That means being intuitive and taking cues from the residents, being smiley when they’re smiley and serious when they’re serious. “I treat everybody on an individual basis,” she said. “I treat them how they want to be treated.” The bulk of her job entails dealing with the mountains of packages that come in all week long, including Sunday now, thanks to Amazon. “Packages up the wazoo,” she said. “The post office, couriers, laser shipping, Amazon Prime, Google Express.” She keeps everything orga-

Bessette says she has to “know all the parents, the friends, the dogs, and the dog walkers.” Photo: Anne Kristoff nized and logged in and also keeps the lobby in order. Patience is the most important trait to doing her job well and the hardest part is not wanting to let anyone down. The best part? She feels lucky that she’s been able to provide for her-

2017

B UILDING SERVICE W ORKER

AWAR DS

self and her daughter, and making her residents happy. “I have no problem making people happy,” she said. “At Christmas, I look forward to seeing who writes what in their cards because that tells you how they feel.” When she’s not at work, Bessette spends time with her family. She owns a three-level house in Brooklyn, with her mom living upstairs and her brother downstairs. Friday is her time to catch up and chill with her daughter and cook whatever she wants. That usually includes things like stewed chicken, oxtails, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, or lasagna. Her daughter’s birthday is in December and instead of parties, she started treating her to travels at age four. They’ve been to Turks and Caicos, Disney World, Universal Studios, and Dubai. And until recently, she made yearly treks to her native St. Lucia. Future trips will include the Maldives Island and a return to Dubai. As she begins to think about life after retirement one day, Bessette said she’ll want to do something different, involving giving back, and something she truly loves. “I don’t know what that is,” she said, “but I’m passionate about people being happy.”

BUILDING MAINTENANCE SERVICES

VORNADO and BMS are proud to sponsor the Building Workers Service Awards on behalf of approximately 2,800 unionized porters, cleaners and guards that make our buildings great. (212) 714-0004 | www.bmsbuildingservices.com CHICAGO t MARYLAND t NEW YORK t VIRGINIA t WASHINGTON D.C.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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LORETTA ZUK

‘I FEEL LIKE A PIONEER’

SUPER 2017

B UILDING SERVICE WOR KER

AWAR DS

Loretta Zuk is one of the few women working in NYC as a super BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Loretta Zuk fixes things. It’s been that way since she was a little girl. “In my foster family, I was the youngest and the strongest,” she said. Her grandmother was a widow. Then her mom became one, and then her aunt. “I started doing things, fixing things,” she said. “I just did it. I needed to.” After high school, Zuk went to New York City Technical College, where she was one of just four women who took the 480-hour building superintendent certificate program. After graduating, she was recommended to the folks at Columbia University. Zuk started as a handyperson. She left after three years to work at two other buildings, which increased her skills and allowed her to come back to Columbia as a super for a residential building where graduate students live. All told, she’s been at Columbia now for 31 years. There are an estimated 9000 supers in the city, only 80 of whom are women, she says. When she started, contractors and mechanics would come to the door looking for the super and ask Zuk where her husband was. It took a long time for her to gain their respect, but she did her homework, took courses at the union, and asked a lot of questions. “I wasn’t afraid to say I didn’t know something,” she said. Her day consists of hiring contractors and overseeing their work but there’s more administrative stuff these days. Everything is computerized so there is a lot more online communication and paperwork than when she first started. And as building codes change and Columbia continues to “go green” there is always something new to learn. But she still also gets to fix stuff, which is the best part of the job. “I’ve always loved to fix things, but there’s this thing I call a MacGyver,” she said. “Sometimes it takes a MacGyver, that little thing that you come up with yourself that isn’t part of what you’ve learned and it makes it work. That’s the most rewarding to me.” She also likes to makes things beautiful. That begins with her dedication to keeping her building clean, comfortable, and secure and it extends

Santiago says her job “helps me provide for me and my family.” Photo: Anne Kristoff

As Columbia continues to “go green,” there is always something new to learn. Photo: Anne Kristoff

BERLIN SANTIAGO A NIGHTLY ROUTINE 2017

I’ve always loved to fix things, but there’s this thing I call a MacGyver … that little thing that you come up with yourself that isn’t part of what you’ve learned and it makes it work. That’s the most rewarding to me” to her hobbies. Zuk has a passion for creating abstract acrylic paintings and she loves reﬁnishing old furniture. “I love ﬁxing and taking something broken and making it whole,” she said. When she’s not engaged in those hobbies, she and her wife are hanging out with their pup, Abby the “Super Dog.” They also love to travel. Italy and Europe are on the bucket list but Hawaii, where they honeymooned, has their heart. Zuk is honored to be recognized for her work as a super. “I absolutely feel like a pioneer. That’s what I’m most proud of,” she said. “I wish more women would get into this because it’s a great job.”

Berlin Santiago has a system that kicks in on her evening cleaning shift in Times Square BY ANNE KRISTOFF

When asked about her job, Berlin Santiago jokes, “Hey, it’s a breeze.” But all kidding aside, after 11 years her routine has a ﬂow to it. Santiago is a cleaner at 7 Times Square, right smack dab in the madness of 42nd Street. On getting the award she says, “It’s so nice. You think no one is acknowledging what you do. It’s like wow. It feels good.” Santiago has worked with her father, who also does maintenance, so she was very familiar with the job at the start. But she was shown the ropes and got some additional training when she started. She works the evening shift, which allows her to get her six-year-old son up and off to school in the morning and to spend a little time with him before she heads to work. Once there, that ﬂow kicks in. “Come in, go to my locker, get my cart, prepare everything, and get straight to work — empty the garbage, wipe things down, vacuum, dust, sweep.” When she’s not at work, she and her husband like to hang out, dance, go to lounges, movies, out to dinner. Born and raised in the Bronx, she

MIDTOWN OFFICE CLEANER B UILDING SERVICE W O R KER

AWAR DS

You think no one is acknowledging what you do. It’s like wow. It feels good” enjoys all that the borough has to offer. “City Island is one of the nicer spots for seafood, Yankees games, Bronx Zoo, Orchard Beach. Well, the water is disgusting but we go for the music and hanging out,” she said. And of course, spending time with their son is No. 1 on the list. That could be anything from swimming to baseball to basketball. It also includes watching him dance. Her son is a member of Positive Brothers, a dance troupe that performs around the city and other places. “They just went to Canada. I don’t travel with them though,” she said. “That’s for the boys.” Santiago’s husband is a business school grad and encourages her to think about opening her own cleaning business one day. For now she is grateful for the work she has. “I greatly appreciate the job,” she said. “It helps me provide for me and my family.”

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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Silverstein Properties is honored to salute Building Service Workers 32BJ SEIU

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

We are proud to support the

2017 BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS AWARDS ĞůĞďƌĂƟŶŐ EĞǁ zŽƌŬ͛Ɛ ƵŝůĚŝŶŐ tŽƌŬĞƌƐ ǁŚŽ ŬĞĞƉ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚǇ ƐĂĨĞ ĂŶĚ ĐůĞĂŶ͘ & “Always move forward,” says Robinson Ovide. Photo: Anne Kristoff

ŽŶŐƌĂƚƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ŽǁŶ

Greg Ingram DŝĐŚĂĞů ZŽĚƌŝŐƵĞǌ

ROBINSON OVIDE A SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY

DOWNTOWN OFFICE CLEANER

Robinson Ovide plans to run for public office BY ANNE KRISTOFF

THE BRODSKY ORGANIZATION JOINS IN CELEBRATING ALL BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS AND THE 2017 HONOREES FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS.

When Robinson Ovide says he’s planning to run for office one day, it’s not hard to imagine. Walking with him through One World Trade Center, where he works, you’d think he was the mayor. Nearly every person he passes greets him with a handshake, a wave, or a giant smile. His affable nature and generous spirit shine through. Being kind to everyone, he says, is just who he is. Ovide moved to New York from Haiti in 1983. After visiting for three months he told his father he was staying. Since then, he has held a variety of jobs, from sales rep to property manager to billing clerk. He started as an office cleaner at 4 Journal Square but was quickly moved to One World Trade and welcomed the opportunity with zero trepidation. “It’s an iconic building, a special address, the most prominent building in the world,” he said. “Everybody wants to be here.” He also differentiates between 9/11 and the 11th of September. “Always remember what happened,” he said, “but always move forward.” Aside from the joy of getting to work in his favorite building in Manhattan, Ovide says the best part of his job is meeting people and making a difference. “The building cannot run without you guys,” he said. Ovide has always taken pride in his work, no

2017

B UILDING SERVICE WORKER

AWAR DS

It’s an iconic building, a special address … Everybody wants to be here.” matter which job he’s held. He is motivated by taking care of his wife and three children who, aside from God and his mother, he says, are the most important people in his life. When he’s not at work, you can find him volunteering at his daughter’s school, in the community, or at his church. He also likes going to Broadway shows. Next up for Ovide? Public office. He plans to run for District Leader next year and City Council four years from now. “Politics is being able to help others. It’s not about you. They come to you, want your vote, and you don’t see them until four years later,” he said. “I plan on doing it differently.”

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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ZEF SMAJLAJ MANAGING EXCELLENCE

BUILDING MANAGER 2017

B UILDING

CONGRATULATES

AWAR DS

32BJ SEIU AND THE

SERVICE W OR KER

201, BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS

Zef Smajlaj’s journey started in a refugee camp

OF THE YEAR

BY ANNE KRISTOFF

It’s a long way from war-torn Albania to a luxury apartment building on Park Avenue, but that’s the story of Zef Smajlaj’s life. When Smajlaj arrived in New York it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He remembers asking an older Albanian friend how long it would take to save $10,000 because he figured once he had that much he could high-tail it back home. His parents escaped from Albania in 1951, making them all enemies of the state. Once settled in Montenegro, Smajlaj realized there would be no future for him there and he escaped to a refugee camp in Italy, leaving his parents and siblings behind. In 1967, Smajlaj ended up on Delancey and Chrystie Streets, one block off Bowery. TThe neighborhood was in the throes of its decades-long epoch as skid row. He would come home from work and have to step over three or four drunks passed out in front of his door. “It was very sad for me to see,” he said, “because I never saw anything like that before.” He also missed his family terribly and did not speak much English, which was isolating. But things soon took a turn for the better. Although he had no skills when he first arrived in the city, a friend found him a job as a porter. After six or seven months he had picked up enough English that he no longer needed a translator. “I still have my accent though,” he laughed. As he worked, he learned various skills and started work as a handyman and super. “You could change jobs every week back then,” he shrugged. It was also during this time that a woman he met while in the refugee camp in Italy moved to New York. They would marry and soon had a child on the way. Before long, his parents and brother immigrated to the States as well. Smajlaj has worked as a super since 1973, and since 1996 at his current building on Park Avenue, near 60th Street. “Now it’s a fancy title — resident manager — with a suit and tie,” he said, but a lot of the functions are the same. He’s responsible for all the properties in the building, overseeing contractors, paperwork, blueprints, plumbers, electricians, painters and plasterers. In addition, he oversees 11 employees, does the payroll, and the hiring and firing. He feels that communication and diplomacy skills are the most important traits to have in order to

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Zef Smajlaj. Photo: Anne Kristoff

He feels that communication and diplomacy skills are the most important traits.”

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Mr. Zef Smajlaj of 510 Park Avenue be successful at the job. “I love what I do,” he said. “I’m proud of what I do. I think I do a good job and my shareholders are happy with me.” He also likes being able to help other people find jobs. When he was younger he used to play soccer. Now he opts for golf and fishing. He, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren head up to Lake Mahopac in Putnam County most weekends to relax, barbecue and ride on the boat. He also likes going to Yankees games and loves going to see the Rangers play. “I love all the New York teams,” he said, “even Buffalo.” As for the future, Smajlaj’s goal is to see his grandchildren grow into successful adults. He hopes to maintain good health and above all else, “spend my life peacefully.”

Was Named Building Manager of the Year Congratulations on Your Achievement!

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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CONGRATULATIONS! Building Service Workers Award Honorees For all your hard work & professionalism we salute you.

“I think I’ve done a good job because most of them have been there 20 years,” Anthony Ciotti says of the staff he’s hired. Photo: Anne Kristoff

ANTHONY CIOTTI AT THE DOOR, AT THE READY

2017

CONGRATULATIONS 32BJ SEIU & Award Winners! We honor your valuable service to our community.

Anthony Ciotti has been out front on East 86th Street’s Colorado building for three decades BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Anthony Ciotti prides himself on putting together a good team. He wishes his favorite sports franchises could say the same. “I pick all the hard ones,” he laughed. Ciotti was hired to be a doorman 33 years ago when his friend’s uncle poached him from his job managing a liquor store. “I didn’t know who he was. I thought we were going to get robbed and then he started asking me about wine,” he said. “It was a test of my customer service.” Ciotti got hired on the spot. He started on the West Side and then 2 1/2 years later he was asked to open a new building, The Colorado, on East 86th Street. He’s been there ever since. “Opening the building” meant selecting the staff. “I think I’ve done a good job because most of them have been there 20 years,” he said. Ciotti is a doorman/concierge. Every day brings different challenges and he meets them all with a positive attitude. He tries to instill two things in his team: do your job and try again tomorrow. “We work as a chain,” he said. “Once a link is broken, the chain doesn’t work anymore.” And if that does happen, there’s always tomorrow — wake up and try again. The most challenging aspect of his job is making sure all the residents are satisﬁed. This goes

DOORMAN — EAST SIDE B UILDING SERVICE WORKER

AWAR DS

We work as a chain. Once a link is broken, the chain doesn’t work anymore” hand in hand with the best part, which is making people happy and seeing a smile on their faces. “Knowing, when you walk out at the end of the day, that you did your job,” he said. In his free time, Ciotti loves to go to Jets games. Being a Flushing native, he also loves the Mets. “Unfortunately,” he laughs. He and his wife also enjoy going to concerts. They’ve been to six out of the past eight iHeart Radio Music Festivals in Las Vegas. “The outdoor village is in the same exact spot,” he said of the recent shooting in Vegas, “so I really feel for those people.” Although he’s got 33 years under his belt, Ciotti doesn’t plan on retiring any time soon. “I love people and I love what I do,” he explained. “And like I said, every day’s a new challenge.” In addition, his wife has started a dog walking business, 4 Pawz Forward, and he wants to support her in its growth and development. In terms of his future plans, Ciotti doesn’t have any. “I like to do things on the spur of the moment. I live for today,” he said “If you feel like doing [something], let’s go do it because you might never get that chance [again].”

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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FELIX FIGUEROA

DOORMAN — WEST SIDE

DELIVERING DEDICATION With nearly three decades as doorman at the same Upper West building, he’s seen generations grow up BY ANNE KRISTOFF

AN OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT 8F QSPVEMZ TVQQPSU

2017

B UILDING

32BJ SEIU

AWAR DS

JO UIFJS

SERVICE W OR KER

Felix Figueroa begins each day with a pep talk. He’s up at 5:15 a.m., heads out at 5:45, rides a very crowded 7 train from Sunnyside, Queens, to 116th St and Broadway, and gets his coffee and a bagel from the same guy he’s gotten it from for the last 18 years. When he arrives at his Upper West Side building he slaps the top of the entryway as he crosses the threshold, puts on his uniform, peeks in the mirror and says, “Let’s go. Let’s do this.”

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I care about my job, my tenants, my lobby and my building. It’s like my second home.” Felix Figueroa. Photo: Anne Kristoff Figueroa started as the night doorman 28 years ago. He worked that shift for six years and when the day doorman made the switch to handyman, Figueroa jumped at the chance to take his spot. “You get to see families grow,” he said. “As the morning doorman I’ve seen about 12 to 13 families grow. Couples who came in living together, then got married, have kids. Then those kids get raised and then graduate college. I’ve seen everything.” He looks after tenants in 113 apartments, knowing everything from their morning routine to the dry cleaner they use. “If they go walk their dog and don’t come back by a certain time I know something’s wrong,” he said. This era of being a doorman is different. It’s no longer the routine of sitting down and taking in a few packages. “The packages are booming!” he said. He gets over 60 each day from Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, the Post Office and laser ship. Amazon Prime, Google Express, couriers and messengers. Then there’s the food — Fresh Direct, Martha Stewart, Blue Apron, Kickin’ It, Peapod, Amazon Fresh. His building had to install two refrigerators to handle the food deliveries. On top of that, there’s the Building Link system.

“To be good at this job you have to know your tenants, have good awareness, and know your lobby,” he said. Building Link helps with that, especially keeping track of contractors and guests. The best part of the job is seeing the tenants happy and keeping the building’s routine running well. “I care about my job, my tenants, my lobby and my building,” he said. “It’s like my second home.” Figueroa spent many years coaching kids in baseball. Getting involved with his community is something he is drawn to. For fun, he and wife, whom he met through the handyman in his building, like to go to Jones Beach or shopping. They also like to go out to eat. La Pequena, a Colombian restaurant in Jackson Heights, is a favorite. He also likes visiting the science museum. He used to take his children, now 23 and 16, there when they were young. He loves the diversity of the crowd. As far as long-term dreams go, Figueroa has a few vague ideas but one very concrete plan. He wants to go on a vacation boat cruise alone with his wife. “Just us,” he said. “Sail off for two weeks. Sit down, have a glass of wine, look at each other and say, ‘We did it.’”

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When he’s not at work, Matabeek is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in business management and ﬁnance. Photo: Anne Kristoff

BATTING 1000

2017

B UILDING SERVICE WO R KER

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Mohan Matabeek has worked as a porter near Lincoln Center for more than 15 years BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Mohan Matabeek grew up playing baseball in the Bronx. There was a time when becoming a Yankee may have topped his list of dreams, but though that didn’t happen, he has batted 1000 in other ways. Matabeek has worked as a porter in a building near Lincoln Center for 15-plus years, a job initially facilitated by his uncle, who is the super at a nearby building. Before that, Matabeek worked in the dietary office at Stony Brook Hospital. He begins the trek into the city at 5:30 a.m. every day in order to drop his wife off at her job before starting his work at 8 a.m. Once there, he spends the day cleaning empty apartments and common areas of the building as well as doing handyman work. To be good at the job, you have to like to clean, he said. “When I do my job it’s basically what I would like to see in my own house,” he said. Asking what the hardest part of his job is elicits laughs. The best part is the tenants. “They love me,” he said. When he’s not at work, Matabeek is working on his bachelor’s degree in business management and ﬁnance. Or he’s hanging out with his step-

To be good at the job, you have to like to clean. When I do my job it’s basically what I would like to see in my own house.” daughter, and visiting his brothers and family. On other days you can ﬁnd Matabeek umpiring collegiate and high school games, something he’s been doing for the past eight years. Matabeek and his wife like to travel. They prefer warm places and have spent time in Florida and the Caribbean. They also enjoy vacationing at Lake George, something he’s been doing since he was a child, and visiting the wineries on Long Island. Matabeek hopes to switch over to the business management side of things one day. For now though, he’s grateful to win this award. “It feels good,” he said. “Someone is noticing your work.”

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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SHOP. EAT. DRINK. PLAY.

ALL UNDER ONE MAGNIFICENT ROOF.

At the corner of Church St. and Dey St.

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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WILLIE LOPEZ

WINDOW CLEANER

A VERY HIGH-RISK JOB Willie Lopez has cleaned the windows on some of the city’s tallest buildings BY ANNE KRISTOFF

You’d probably think that the first rule of window cleaning is “don’t look down,” but you’d be wrong. According to Willie Lopez, you actually have to look everywhere. “You look up, you look down, you look sideways, you look everywhere,” he said. Lopez has been cleaning windows for 43 years. He got the job after being laid off from the city, working with pre-trial services. He had a new wife and a baby on the way and was willing to do anything. A friend asked if he wanted to try cleaning windows. “The first day was extremely scary,” he remembered. He was about 20 stories up, with just a belt attached the building, a wand, and a squeegee. No scaffolding. The bravado of youth combined with the focus of his obligations quelled that fear quickly. Plus his friend taught him the ropes and gave him some helpful tips. “We were friends,” he said. “I trusted him.” Lopez caught on easily and three days later they sent him off on his own. Lopez has cleaned the windows of a lot of different buildings over the years including the Empire State Building and the lobby of the original World Trade Center. While fear doesn’t cross his mind much, the danger and physical nature of the work is not something he can ignore. “It is hard, backbreaking work,” he cautioned. “You will hurt your back, your knees, your shoulders, your wrists.” He has had his skull cracked open by a falling screw, his ear sliced by a railing, and he broke his wrist once when he fell three floors. There have been a lot of safety improvements over the years but it’s still a very high-risk job. “More window cleaners than police officers have died [on the job] for the past two years,” he said, “but you don’t hear about that.” One of his best friends died just last month after falling 12 floors. Around 300 to 400 window cleaners came out to pay their respects. Needless to say, one of the most important traits needed to do this job well is to be cautious and make sure everything is done correctly. After that, “leave it to God, hope for the best, and pray that everyone can go home at the end of the day.” In his free time Lopez likes to go to the library to read or surf the Internet. He and his wife enjoy cruises and have visited the Bahamas, Hawaii, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. He also loves to go see Broadway and off-Broadway plays —

2017

B UILDING SERVICE W OR KER

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Ingram credits his work ethic for his success. Photo: Anne Kristoff

GREG INGRAM

STADIUM/THEATER CLEANER

A PEOPLE PERSON AT CITI FIELD Greg Ingram has seen the Mets through two stadiums and a World Series BY ANNE KRISTOFF

“You look up, you look down, you look sideways, you look everywhere,” Lopez says. Photo: Anne Kristoff

Hope for the best, and pray that everyone can go home at the end of the day.” “Miss Saigon” is a favorite. Lopez is an avid ﬁsherman. He’s also a pool shark and has won many tournaments. “My wife sent me out to buy a kitchen table once and I came home with a pool table,” he said. Lopez is a father of four children and three stepdaughters, and has 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Retirement looms for Lopez and he’s looking forward to moving south to Florida. He dreams of owning his own boat one day. He says winning the award feels outstanding. “Some guys call me a relic,” he laughed, “but it’s nice to recognized by my colleagues.”

The hardest part of Greg Ingram’s job is getting there. He works the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift at Citi Field. When he’s carpooling, that means getting up at 4:30 a.m. But it’s an even earlier start if he has to take the 4 from the Bronx to Grand Central, and then the 7 to Queens. “Once you get there, everything else falls into place,” he said. Ingram landed the job right out of high school. When he started, he met a guy who had been there for 10 years. “I said, ‘Wow.’ I didn’t think that would ever happen.” Thirty-three years later he’s seen the Mets through two stadiums and a World Series, and he’s held many jobs along the way. He began in “the bowl” as a sweeper and was quickly promoted to lead bag man. He’s done everything from power-washing the stands to payroll to scheduling shifts. He now works as a porter. He credits his work ethic for his success and says whatever you do, you have to love what you’re doing and appreciate your job. Being a Bronx native, Ingram might have taken some jabs from guys in the neighborhood for his job with the Mets, but it’s actually been the other way around. “I got a lot [of] ﬂak from the Mets at Citi Field!” he laughed. “Because they knew I was a Yankees fan.” But it was all in good fun and he eventually came over to the other side. “The Mets made me root for them because they treat you so nice,” he said. “The Mets helped me take care of my kids.”

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Ingram doesn’t see as many games as he used to, but he was at Shea for the 1986 World Series. He also has some pretty cool memories of Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, and Gary Carter, who would occasionally hang out and talk a bit with him and his co-workers.

The Mets helped me take care of my kids.”

But the games and players are not even the best part of his job. From the maintenance department to the food concessions to the office area, he says it’s the people that are the best part. He’s just begun working on a bucket list and more travel is up at the top. “I want to do a big family trip somewhere, kids, grandkids, my girl.” Ingram is a self-proclaimed people person. He loves to smile, make others smile and crack jokes. “I have people who told me they were proud of me, that I didn’t even realize it would come from them,” he said. “Yeah, it felt good,” he says about winning the award.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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ELAINE CHANEYFIELD SECURITY â&#x20AC;&#x201D; COMMERCIAL BUILDING â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I PUT MYSELF IN THEIR SHOESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Elaine Chaneyfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security job requires empathy, courtesy and compassion BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Elaine ChaneyďŹ eld works as a security guard at the MTA Bridges and Tunnel Building, which is ironic since she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even like the train. Still, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been at 2 Broadway for more than 17 years. Her job entails a lot of things â&#x20AC;&#x201D; greeting people, signing them in, monitoring her surroundings, answering phones â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and requires empathy, courtesy, and compassion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I put myself in their shoes,â&#x20AC;? she says, and that helps her to ďŹ gure out the best way to handle any situation that comes up. A big part of the job is looking out for and taking care of people. She likes getting to help people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If something is not right, we look out for each other,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;give each other support.â&#x20AC;? The

If something is not right, we look out for each other, give each other support.â&#x20AC;?

best part of her job is resolving issues and making people smile, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have a smile on their face, and I have a smile on mine.â&#x20AC;?

ChaneyďŹ eld says the best part of her job is resolving issues and making people smile. Photo: Anne Kristoff

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Chaneyfield is also an avid cook. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a very good cook,â&#x20AC;? she said. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everything from lemon meringue, cherry, pecan, and sweet potato pie, to chicken, potato salad, mac & cheese and peach cobbler. ChaneyďŹ eld likes the challenge of trying different recipes but even more than that, she loves to watch people eat her good food. When sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not at work or throwing down in the kitchen, ChaneyďŹ eld is most likely hanging out with her two daughters and especially her granddaughter. They might grab a bite to eat or catch a movie but mostly she likes to play things by ear. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m spur of the moment on the weekend,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to go sightseeing, maybe shopping, maybe hit 42nd Street and walk around. I love Coney Island.â&#x20AC;? As far as a bucket list goes, ChaneyďŹ eld is in the process of getting a house. She has always thought of owning her own business, maybe a security company or perhaps a restaurant. In the meantime, she looks forward to going to 2 Broadway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m grateful for the job,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like working.â&#x20AC;?

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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VERONICA GROMLEY

THE FIXER

If their favorite lamp is broken, just go in and fix it. Just to see something work again and make people happy.”

Veronica Gromley remembers changing her first electrical outlet as a child in Northern Ireland BY ANNE KRISTOFF

“I’m definitely the fixer,” says Veronica Gromley. “That’s my middle name.” Gromley has been the handyperson at Q378 preschool in Queens for three years but she’s been fixing things ever since she was a little girl. She grew up as the second youngest of eight children in Northern Ireland. She learned handy work from her mother and remembers changing her first electrical outlet at around age seven. “Actually, in Ireland women do most of the decorating of the house and physically do all the work,” she said. Decorating there doesn’t mean picking out window treatments. It’s part of construction work and deals with patching and painting, in-

SCHOOL HANDYPERSON

Gromley says that one day she hopes to own her own building. Photo: Anne Kristoff stalling crown molding, and more. Gromley first came to New York City in 1990 with dreams of being a police officer. After a few conversations, she was talked out of that line of work. Since she already had her certiﬁcate as a

“Painter and Decorator,” she started her own handyperson business. She does everything from ripping out bathrooms to replacing kitchens, and though she’s been at it here in the states for 27 years, she still gets some weird looks at the hardware store. “I usually help the next customer that the man working there can’t help,” she said. “Then he either gets pissed or I get respect. One or the other.” At the school Gromley does it all, from making sure the air conditioning and heating is working, to maintaining every-

2017

B UILDING SERVICE W ORKER

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thing from floor cleaning machines to outlets, and most importantly, making sure the building is secure for the children. She makes things fun for them and has decorated and named one of her garbage pails “Dusty.” The kids smile and wave as “Dusty” makes his way through the halls. When she’s not at work Gromley spends time with her nieces and nephews who live locally. Ninety percent of her family still lives in Ireland though so she gets back there every two to three years to visit. On off years she’ll visit places like Bermuda. “Some place with peace and quiet. Where I won’t get the phone,” she said. She also volunteers with local food pantries and does charity work with the elderly, or sometimes just helps out her neighbors. “If their favorite lamp is broken, just go in and fix it,” she said. “Just to see something work again and make people happy.” One day, she hopes to own her own building. In the meantime, you can find her taking all the classes necessary to prep for her next career step, custodian engineer. “People don’t realize all that 32BJ offers,” she said. “You don’t have to stay where you are.”

Congratulations to the

Building Service Workers of the Year!

675 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 212.370.9200 EllimanPM.com

For over 100 years, management has been our focus.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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JOSEPH SALJANIN HELPING HAND A FOUNDATION OF SUPPORT Joseph Saljanin is always ready to assist BY ANNE KRISTOFF

“When you bring someone on board and change their life, it’s gratifying,” Joseph Saljanin says. Photo: Anne Kristoff

It makes sense that Joseph Saljanin is receiving the “Helping Hand” award. Helping others is in his blood. His father was a building super and, Saljanin said, was the ﬁrst Albanian immigrant to own his own building. That building was lost during the chaos that engulfed the Bronx in the 1970s. But despite falling on hard times, his parents were always ready to lend a hand. “That’s the way I was raised,” he said. “My parents always helped people. Brought them over from other countries, get their life started for them.” Much like his parents, Joseph is known for his selﬂessness. In April, he spent his spare time organizing an effort to refurbish a school for children with special needs, Astoria Blue Feather

Making a Difference. Every Day.

Headstart School. He got the word out about his project, rounding up volunteers from the Scandinavian American Building Managers Guild and Metropolitan Building Mangers organization. Together, they spent their weekends collecting supplies for the school and re-painting it. In addition to completing the project for the students at the school, Joseph and his team were also able to raise awareness in the community for Autism Awareness Month. Saljanin has spent his whole career with Rose Associates. He started as a handyman right out of high school. At the time he didn’t think he’d make a career out of it but life happened and he just kept going. In his current role as resident manager on East 79th St., he wears a lot of hats — oversees staff, gets bids from contractors, and is there to assist the tenants with their needs. His favorite part of the job is mentoring new hires. “When you bring someone on board and change their life,

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I’ve learned this over the years. When you give respect, you get it back.”

it’s gratifying,” he said. When he’s not working, he and his wife spend time with their 9-year-old triplets. They make his coffee for him every morning. Aside from his family, the most important thing to Saljanin is building employee morale. “I’ve learned this over the years,” he said. “When you give respect, you get it back.”

FirstService Residential is a proud sponsor of the 2017 Building Service Workers Awards Congratulations to all of the winners for a job well done!

As New York City’s leading residential management company, FirstService Residential is committed to delivering proven solutions and exceptional service that add value, enhance lifestyles and make a difference, every day, for every resident and property we serve.

www.fsresidential.com 212.634.8900

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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KAREN MCMILLAN SECURITY GUARD KAREN MCMILLAN IS ALWAYS THERE The security guard on lower Broadway takes classes to stay up to date on all the latest information BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Karen McMillan is a security guard for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services on lower Broadway. She’s been at this job for 12 years but 14 with the city overall and another 16 in the private sector. All told, McMillan’s been working as a security guard for three decades. It makes perfect sense then that the hashtag she’s adopted for her life is #AlwaysThere. “Always there” applies to her job loyalty and dedication to improving herself and others. When she’s not at work, she’s taking classes and helping out with whatever else is needed at 32BJ. “When you go in there, you’re going to come out learning something.”

Always there” applies to her job loyalty and dedication to improving herself and others.

To be good at the job she says you need customer service and human relations training, to always be cognizant of your surroundings, and stay up to date on all the latest information. That can be anything from physical building updates

(the addition of motion sensors, removal of ﬂuorescent lighting), to a change in the type of oil that a building uses for heating, to knowing how to handle service animals and deﬁbrillators, to taking classes like “Active Shooter.” “Nothing stays the same,” she said. “Things can change at the drop of a dime.” McMillan likes to help people. She takes pride in standing up for what she believes in and she loves learning. What she doesn’t like is the attention that winning this award brings. “I don’t think I deserve the award,” she said. “I’m just doing what I was trained to do.” Thirty years ago McMillan protested Mayor Abe Beame’s attempt to dismantle what is now known as the Pell Grant and it was the action that would catalyze her lifelong path of standing up for herself and others. “I’ve always been radical,” she said.

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“Things can change at the drop of a dime,” says Karen McMillan. Photo: Anne Kristoff

Congratulations To Berlin Santiago and all the nominees. Pritchard Industries is proud to have you as part of its family. Pritchard Industries a Building Services Company www.pritchardindustries.com

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

CARROL CORT

AIRPORT WORKER — JFK

2017

B UILDING SERVICE W ORKER

AWAR DS

SERIOUS BUSINESS AT JFK Carrol Cort went from nursing studies to handling security for British Airways BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Cort was attracted to a career in aviation because there was so much to learn. Photo: Shaundale Azora

If you’re ﬂying British Airways out of JFK, you can rest assured that no one is getting into an area in which they are not allowed. That is thanks to Carrol Cort. Cort has been with the airline for 22 years, ﬁrst as a checkpoint screener and then handling security in an area located closer to the aircraft. Cort came to the U.S. from Guyana almost 30 years ago. Before she began at the airport she studied nursing and worked in accounting. She was attracted to a career in aviation because there was so much to learn and it offered more room to advance, so she made the switch. Her day consists making sure no one enters the area that’s prohibited. She also responds to any

My wish if for my girls [to] go through and grab the best.”

alarms that go off and writes reports about those instances. The threat of terrorism is always a concern, making her job serious business, so there’s not much about it that she would classify as “fun.”

When she’s not working, Cort spends time with her husband and two daughters. They might go out to eat or catch a movie. She also enjoys the vibrancy of downtown Brooklyn and likes to see shows at the Barlcays Center. She and her family also love to travel. They’ve been to Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, and Canada. She’s also been back to Guyana four times. As far as the future goes, Cort has thought about going back to ﬁnish her nursing studies. Her biggest dreams, though, involve her daughters. “My wish is to see my girls go through and grab the best, which I didn’t get a chance to do,” she said. “My greatest wish is to see them be two [successful] individuals.” She’s also looking forward to receiving her award. “It feels great,” she said. “I have never been nominated [before]. I am quite excited to see what it is like to receive an award.”

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Consultants and Actuaries to Collectively Bargained Plans

Congratulations and Best Wishes to the Local 32BJ SEIU Building Service Workers Honorees From Your Friends at Segal Consulting Echavaria hopes that someone will help his mother in Colombia when she needs it, the way he helps his customers. Photo: Esteban Ramirez

NORMAN ECHAVARIA PAYING IT FORWARD 2017

Wheelchair attendant Norman Echavaria describes himself as “a justice person” BY ANNE KRISTOFF

Family, fairness, and hard work are the bedrock of Norman Echavaria’s life. “I’m a simple guy,” he said. Echavaria has been working at LaGuardia Airport for 11 years. He started as a baggage handler and is now a wheelchair attendant. He’s up at 3:50 a.m. every day and catches the bus to make it the airport for his 5 a.m. start time. His is a very physical job and has taken a toll on his body, but he loves talking to the passengers and helping them get what they need in order to have a nice ﬂight. What keeps him going is thinking of his mother back in Colombia. He hopes that someone there will help her when she needs it, the way he helps his customers. He sees his job as sort of paying it forward. “I receive and I give,” he says. When he’s not working, Echavaria likes to work out, do physical therapy exercises to keep his back healthy, read books, watch the news, and listen to music. He also enjoys meeting up with his friends in the evening. They go to Dunkin’ Donuts to talk for a few hours. In the summer he likes to take the ferry to Ikea in Brooklyn. His favorite part of New York is his adopted home of Queens. There he has friends and co-workers

AIRPORT WORKER — LGA

B UILDING

www.segalco.com Ofﬁces throughout the United States and Canada

SERVICE WO R KER

AWAR DS

I have goals of everything being the right way. I like to be a good worker, a good employee. I don’t think about material things”

WE CONGRATULATE New York’s Building Workers who are being celebrated at the BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS AWARDS CEREMONY

from all over the world — Colombia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru. Echavaria goes to visit to his native Colombia every year or two and recently visited his mother. He thinks about possibly returning full-time one day, maybe to help out his stepbrother who is in talks to buy some land in the countryside where he plans to plant corn, avocados, yucca, and plantains. Echavaria also gets out to California to visit his son when he can. Echavaria feels honored to win this award. “Everything I do — wake up early, work late, work hard — I don’t do it because I want a prize,” he said. “I have goals of everything being the right way. I like to be a good worker, a good employee. I don’t think about material things. I’m a justice person.”

& SPECIAL SECTIONS for all they do to keep New York City running smoothly. We thank you.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

NANCY VAZQUEZ

AIRPORT WORKER — EWR

“My friends tell me that I should run for councilwoman,” says Vazquez. Photo: Anne Kristoff

WORKING, ACTING, WRITING The local paper for Downtown

Advertise with Our Town Downtown today! Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190

otdowntown.com

Naturally personable, Nancy Vazquez has found her public-speaking voice BY ANNE KRISTOFF

When it came time for Nancy Vazquez to look for a job after high school, she did what everyone in Newark does. She headed to the airport. There she got a job as a skycap. Twenty-five years later, she’s still there. As a skycap at EWR, Vazquez checks people in for their flights and makes sure their bags are heading to the right place. Skycaps work for $2.13 an hour plus tips, so things can get extremely competitive. Being just one of two women working in the job along with 70 men can be weird. Sometimes customers walk right past her, not realizing that there are, in fact, women doing that job. But it’s those same customers who make the job worth it. Even with a 6:30 a.m. start time, Vazquez says the best part of the job is talking to the customers. “People are really open,” she said. “You find out so much just in that one minute!” It helps that Vazquez is naturally personable and that when she’s not working, she’s an actress. Actually, it’s writer, director, and actress. The great trade-off for starting work so early is that she gets off of work early, which leaves plenty of time for her to pursue her passion projects. “Free time? Write. Write, write, write,” she said. “Make my films and documentaries.” Also,

2017

B UILDING SERVICE WORKER

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Free time? Write. Write, write, write. Make my films and documentaries.” she’s found her public-speaking voice and has spoken at more than 20 events and conventions, encouraging people and conveying everything that they are ﬁghting for. The next logical step may be public office. “My friends tell me that I should run for councilwoman,” she said. “It’s funny because I spoke in front of City Hall a couple of times and one time when I spoke after the mayor, Ras Baraka, he stood over there said, ‘Damn! She can preach!’ So I said okay ... I could do this.” In the meantime, she’s got her 32BJ acceptance speech ready, and is working on the one for her Oscars.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

A&A MAINTENANCE ENTERPRISE A PROUD SUPPORTER OF SEIU LOCAL 32BJ ŽŶŐƌĂƚƵůĂƟ ŽŶƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϳ ǁĂƌĚ tŝŶŶĞƌƐ͊

A&A MAINTENANCE Integrated Facility Solutions 1.800.280.0601 WWW.AAMAINTENANCE.COM

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

LUIS LEDESMA Everything you like about Our Town Downtown is now available to be delivered to your mailbox every week in the Downtowner From the very local news of your neighborhood to information about upcoming events and activities, the new home delivered edition of the Downtowner will keep you in-the-know.

Luis Ledesma. Photo: Mary Mendoza

And best of all you won’t have to go outside to grab a copy from the street box every week.

It’s your neighborhood. It’s your news.

Yes! Start my mail subscription to the Downtowner right away!

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BUILDING CONFIDENCE Luis Ledesma lives in the same Rego Park complex that he helps care for BY ANNE KRISTOFF

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Return Completed Form to: Straus News, 20 West Avenue, Chester, NY, 10918 or go to otdowntown.com & click on Subscribe

If there’s one thing you won’t hear Luis Ledesma complain about it’s his commute. Not only has he been at his job at Park City Estates in Rego Park for 14 years, he also lives there. “I bought a place there so I could spend more time with my family,” he said. That family includes his wife, with whom he moved to the United States from Peru 15 years ago, and their 11-year-old son. In Peru, Ledesma studied electronics and worked as a technician at a television station. With the move to the States came a career change. He started as a porter and then saw that he could build on his skills via classes. “I said, ‘Let me go do something better, for my family,’” he said. He took classes in electrical and carpentry, which eventually earned him handyman six years ago. The best part of his job is doing good work. “When you ﬁnish and people are happy,” he noted. “Also, they’ll call the office and say ‘Send this guy because he’s good.’ That part I like.” In his free time Ledesma sometimes works side jobs but is mostly focused on his son. He takes him to karate class or to the park, and sometimes they just hang out at home. He also likes going out to eat Peruvian food. He occasionally makes the trek to New Jersey where there is a large Peruvian community but he says, “If I want to see

2017

B UILDING SERVICE WORKER

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When you finish and people are happy. Also, they’ll call the office and say ‘Send this guy because he’s good.’ That part I like.”

Peruvians, I go to Peru.” He and his wife return to Peru every other year and alternate those trips with other places like Canada and Florida. But the future is all about his son, he said. “I’m very focused on whatever my kid is going to be,” he said. “Sometimes you have to leave some dreams on the side to help my kid get his dreams.” His son’s dream for now is to be a video game developer. “He’s 11,” he paused, “so anything can happen.”

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

congratulates our own

Mohan Matabeek and all the 2017 Building Service Worker Award Winners and thanks each of them for making our homes and offices better places to live and work.

STEPS FROM COLUMBUS CIRCLE

GLENWOOD BUILDER, OWNER & MANAGER OF MANHATTANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOST LUXURIOUS RENTAL RESIDENCES All the units include features for persons with disabilities required by FHA.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

CON-CON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Senate, everything is at risk.” Arguing that constitutional reforms can be made without a convention, state Senator Brad Hoylman, who represents midtown, Chelsea and Greenwich Village, argued it would “delay the urgency of the reforms we need in Albany — and cost a lot of money.” Added City Council Member Corey Johnson, whose district includes Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen and Greenwich Village, “Moneyed interests would use the opportunity to attack public employee pensions or our right to a free public education.” State Senator Liz Krueger, who represents the Upper East Side and Midtown East, has a very different perspective. After opposing the last Con-Con in 1997, winning election in 2002 — and experiencing 15 years of Albany dysfunction — she’s now supportive. “Open up the system to the people,” she said in an October 16 debate on the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. She said a convention could enact voter reform, court reform, campaign ﬁnance reform, legislative reform and ethics reform. “We do ‘pretend ethics reform’ every year, and then, someone goes to jail, and we say, ‘Oops, we got it wrong. Again.’ This is a chance for real ethics reform.” On the same page is Forward March New York, formerly the city branch of the Women’s March on Washington, which calls Con-Con a “once-in-ageneration chance to make fasttracked changes to our Constitution, bypassing our lethargic lawmakers and putting issues in the hands of the people.” Hanging in the balance is the foundational legal document of New York, which was first adopted in 1777, a year after the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Since then, the Constitution has grown to more than 53,000 words — seven times longer than the U.S. Constitution, which weighs in at a mere 7,591 words. Revising the state’s instrument of governance isn’t easy. It was never supposed to be. Voters opted not to hold conventions in 1997, 1977 and 1957, and the last time a convention led to the ratiﬁcation of a new Constitution was 1938. Here’s how it works: When voters go to the polls in the general election on November 7th, they’ll see a statewide referendum, “New York Proposal 1,” asking if a convention should be convened to consider chang-

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

PRO & CON ON THE

‘CON-CON’ PRO

CON

Governor Andrew Cuomo (originally supportive, now skeptical) League of Women Voters of New York City League of Women Voters of New York State New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials Citizens Union New York City Bar Association New York State Bar Association Forward March New York (formerly Women’s March on Washington / NYC Chapter) Restrict & Regulate in NY State (pro-marijuana group) Divide NYS Caucus (advocates separating downstate and upstate into two autonomous regions) Former Court of Appeals Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman Former MTA chairman and Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch Bill Samuels (runs think tank EffectiveNY, hosts Effective Radio) State Senator Liz Krueger City Council Member Ben Kallos

Governor Andrew Cuomo (originally supportive, now skeptical) Planned Parenthood Empire States Acts New York State Right to Life Committee New York State Rifle and Pistol Association LGBT Network New York Civil Liberties Union New York State Conservative Party Working Families Party Transport Workers Union Local 100 United Federation of Teachers New York State United Teachers District Council 37 / American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees United University Professions (higher education union) Writers Guild of America, East Pride at Work NYC Micah Institute at New York Theological Seminary New York Immigration Coalition New York Communities for Change Citizens Action of New York Food and Water Watch Ethical Humanist Society Mayor Bill de Blasio Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer City Council Member Helen Rosenthal City Council Member Corey Johnson State Senator Brad Hoylman Ed Cox, chairman of the state Republican Party Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, chairman of the state Democratic Party

es to the Constitution. It’s a yesor-no ballot question, and if the nays have it, the matter is dead for another 20 years. But if the yeas carry the day, another election would be held on November 6, 2018 to select 204 convention delegates, three from each of the state’s 63 Senate districts and 15 atlarge delegates. The delegate-selection process is crucial: Will grassroots activists win election and convene a true “people’s convention”? Will established powerbrokers seeking to protect the status quo seize control? Most likely, the answer is a little bit of both. The confusion led to the odd spectacle of Governor Andrew Cuomo all-but reversing his stance on Con-Con. Initially, he was supportive with the proviso that elected officials can’t dominate the delegate pool. But when it appeared that wouldn’t be viable, he evinced deep skepticism. The next step is for delegates to convene at the Capitol in Albany for a convention starting on April 2, 2019. Proposals would be codiﬁed, public hearings held, and finally, on November 5, 2019, another popular vote would take place. Only if a majority of the electorate

backed the referendum would the Constitution be altered. That’s just what the political establishment doesn’t want: Opponents range from the Working Families Party on the left to the Conservative Party on the right and include Mayor Bill de Blasio, state Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox and Cuomo’s handpicked state Democratic Party Chairman Byron Brown. The League of Women Voters is undaunted by the ﬁrepower. “In this 100th anniversary year of women getting the vote in New York State, New Yorkers will be able to send a strong message that they’re fed up with corruption and dysfunction in Albany,” said Dare Thompson, the League’s president, in endorsing the measure in March.

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS SEP 26 - OCT 2, 2017

Ramen-Ya

181 West 4 Street

The Spotted Pig

314 West 11 Street

Grade Pending (17) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewageassociated (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 contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

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. Max Brenner Chocolate Bar 841 Broadway

The Warren

131 Christopher St

Chen’s Express Kitchen

Grade Pending (21) 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.

Emily

35 Downing St

Grade Pending (4)

Shuraku

47 8th Ave

Not Yet Graded (62) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Onegin

391 Ave Of The Americas

Grade Pending (42) 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. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

Hector’s Cafe & Diner

44 Little West 12 St

Grade Pending (23) 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 contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Mole

57 Jane Street

Grade Pending (32) 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.

223 E 14th St

Astor Plate Cafe

26 Astor Pl

Souen

326 E 6th St

Mighty Pie

20 Union Square W

Not Yet Graded

Ummburger

99 1st Ave

Not Yet Graded (66) Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Shades Of Green

125 East 15 Street

University Center Cafe

65 5th Ave

Krust Pizza

226 E 14th St

Grade Pending (2)

Stuffed Ice Cream

139 1st Ave

Thaimee Box

244 E 13th St

Not Yet Graded (29) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

The Bean

31 3rd Ave

Space Mabi

67 1st Ave

Not Yet Graded (84) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures. No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment.

Aria

117 Perry Street

Abc Cocina / Abcv

38 East 19 Street

Fairfax

234 W 4th St

Oiji

119 1st Ave

Bleecker Street Bar

58 Bleecker Street

Cherry Tavern

441 East 6 Street

Fiore’s Pizza

165 Bleecker Street

Lois Bar

98 Avenue C

La Vraie Raclette

511 E 12th St

Old Monk

175 Avenue B

Grade Pending (40) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Bruno’s Catering & Cafe

282284 1 Avenue

Mocha Burger

496 Laguardia Pl

Coffee Shop Diner

442 East 14 Street

Grade Pending (34) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. 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.

Cagen

414 East 9 Street

San Remo Cafe

201 Lafayette St

Bedlam

40 Avenue C

Subway

108 1st Ave

Not Yet Graded (37) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas. 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.

Atomic Wings

184 1st Ave

Bar Patea

85 Kenmare St

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

THE PSYCHICS OF CHELSEA METAPHYSICS The area has a high proportion of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seers, tarot-card readers and mediums BY LIZ HARDAWAY

If Chelsea residents seek to know the future, they only have to walk around the corner to ďŹ nd it. From rusty machines promising to divvy out a fortune for a dollar to psychics charging $200 an hour to rid a New Yorker of their bad juju, Chelsea seems to have a higher proportion of clairvoyance compared to the rest of Manhattan. Not even spanning a whole square mile, Chelsea houses at least 20 official psychics who have made their way to the World Wide Web. That number does not include the various holein-the-wall seers advertising their skills from random windowsills, promising consumers they will foretell their future with a half-hour reading of tarot cards. One medium who balances his psychic ability with his life as an executive on Wall Street is Jesse Bravo. He had his ďŹ rst metaphysical experience being home alone as a child, when he saw a bat-like creature clawing underneath his bedroom door. Scared of what he saw and blaming this occurrence on an overactive imagination, Bravo repressed his ability to see the unknown until his own child was born years later. Realizing his son had the same ability, he decided to learn more and embrace his gift. After nine years of being a medium, Bravo has seen many things during his readings, some of which didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even make sense at the time. In one reading to a long-term client, he saw a man riding on top of a T-rex, only to ďŹ nd out a month later that his client had started dating a curator from the American Museum of Natural History who specialized in the dinosaur exhibit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I go in there and just let myself go and let the natural process happen and just trust that it happens,â&#x20AC;? Bravo said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And you walk out there with somebody who has been helped.â&#x20AC;? Bravo prides himself in being honest with his customers and what he sees. Trying not to use gimmicks or leading questions, a common tactic used by

%FBS 1BSFOUT :PV BSF DPSEJBMMZ JOWJUFE UP BUUFOE POF PG PVS 01&/ )064&4 BU :PSL 1SFQBSBUPSZ 4DIPPM A fraction of the archives stored in the American Society for Psychical Research. Photo: Liz Hardaway deceptive psychics, Bravo has even gone as far as exposing fraudulent psychics on a radio show in the past. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would call them up as a straight-up sucker, victim, playing into their hand ... and then I would just expose them on the radio for being a terrible person who preys on people,â&#x20AC;? said Bravo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know, how could they do this?â&#x20AC;? Though his main office, Psychic NYC, is in the heart of Chelsea, Bravo has multiple locations throughout New York. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who are believers will always believe, no matter what I say. And then people who are doubters, no matter what I say, will always doubt. So, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really matter at the end of the day whether it can be established or not because whatever line youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking is the line,â&#x20AC;? Bravo said. But there are people in the city investigating whether or not these phenomena can be proven. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paranormal doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be explained, science just hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t explained it yet,â&#x20AC;? said Patrice Keane, executive director of the American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR). Tucked away in a narrow building on 73rd Street and Central Park West, the ASPR houses four centuries worth of research and literature regarding anything involving the paranormal and supernatural. Founded in 1885 by one of the fathers of psychology himself, William James, and other scholars, the society strives to â&#x20AC;&#x153;explore the uncharted realms of human consciousness,â&#x20AC;? according to their website, www. aspr.com. The society is currently exploring ESP functioning in an altered state of consciousness.

One ďŹ&#x201A;oor of the house even has a laboratory, where the society conducts a double-blind experiment to study ESP. A subject is supposed to clear their mind and picture a location, or painting, that another subject is looking at. After the subject leaves the chair, they are given multiple paintings or locations to choose from, and only find out later which was the correct choice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We bring this in a lab to rule out chance,â&#x20AC;? Keane said. She said she had seen some scarily accurate results, such as subjects describing all four options to choose from in very speciďŹ c detail, instead of just the one. She has also witnessed psychics ďŹ nding the missing piece to a crime investigation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we only see [a phenomenon] a little bit, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it less real,â&#x20AC;? Keane said. Not only does the society have rare literature and early ďŹ ndings of psychology, philosophy, manuscripts and case reports, but they have also participated in exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie in Paris with their rare photographs and archives. The society is currently preparing an exhibit in spirit photography and is seeking funding. Through all the signs and advertisements littered around the streets of Chelsea promising a patron their future for ďŹ ve dollars, one still has to remain skeptical. There is no licensing required, nor regulation, of this business. There are also countless horror stories of victims shelling out thousands of dollars to get some dreaded curse lifted. So maybe just take the psychics with a grain of salt, and enjoy the ride.

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ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

In Search of a Better World: Payam Akhavan

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 3PM McNally Jackson | 52 Prince St. | 212-274-1160 | mcnallyjackson.com UN prosecutor and human rights scholar Payam Akhavan speaks on his new book, which looks at the roots of our human rights crises today, and offers hope for the strength of the human spirit to overcome these dark times (free).

Monument, Myth, and Meaning

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 6:30PM The Cooper Union | 7 E. 7th St. | 212-353-4100 | cooper.edu A panel of experts in history, urban planning, and design discuss Charlottesville, Civil War monuments, historical memory, and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the socio-political conditions of today (free).

Just Announced | Secret Science Club North Presents Astronaut & Spaceman Author Mike Massimino

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 8PM Symphony Space | 2537 Broadway | 212-864-1414 | symphonyspace.org Microgravity, the future of space travel, and what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like to dine hundreds of miles above Earth will be among the topics outer space veteran Mike Massimo brings to the Secret Science Club ($25).

For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,

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Business

THE YOGA YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED Naam Yoga on the Upper West Side offers music, gentle postures and breathing techniques that lift the mood BY SUSAN MARQUE

What’s in a name? Apparently a whole lot if you believe in ancient ideas. Naam translates from Sanskrit to mean word or name. Naam Yoga is a practice of postures like other yoga, but involves a lot words. You get to chant with the music. Normally, I would shy away from anything that seemed like a summer camp sing-a-long. I have no known ability to ﬁnd a pitch or blend in harmony. I stumbled into Naam Yoga while on a visit to Santa Monica, CA this summer. I wanted a studio where I could take a few classes to stay in shape. They had a $29 introductory special. I figured if I hated it there wasn’t much to lose and there were all sorts of options from vinyasa to Pilates, along with the Naam. I’ve done a little yoga my entire life. My Dad was into it before it ever became popular. He’d do embarrass-

ing headstands in the living room at odd times and had a Hatha routine he liked. I sometimes joined him in a sun salutation or those kinds of stretches you are great at when you are a gangly kid. When I got older, yoga became something I enjoyed for the community of people, as well as for the health beneﬁts. It gave me muscles, ﬂexibility and energy, from all of the extra oxygen you inhale with yogic breathing. It was one of the few activities that my father and I could share when I visited — but I never got that into it. With so many types of yoga out there, I was surprised that a man named Michael Joseph Levry created the Shakti Naam classes as recently as 2006 in New York City, according to Primavera Salva, one of his longtime students. Levry discovered the practices he put into his version of yoga from a spiritual quest that included Universal Kabbalah, vinyasa, Hatha yoga, Kundalini and more. On my return to New York, I discovered the cozy Naam studio on 72nd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues. Salva taught a class much like the ones I had taken in California, with gentle postures, breath-

OCTOBER 19-25,2017

Primavera Salva leads a class at Naam Yoga. Photo: Bea Murray ing techniques, music and the Sanskrit words meant to bring in energy and light. While other types of yoga were nice, my two months of Naam had been the ﬁrst time I really felt something special was happening. I was happier and energized, plus my life seemed like it was lining up. I was making new friends, dating more, getting new work, and feeling fantastic about my body. Silva said that when she began studying with Levry she had been trying to get pregnant for three years. Three months after telling the Naam founder what she wanted, and doing the prescribed meditations and postures, she became pregnant with the

first of her two children. Salva teaches at Naam in New York and also internationally, as well as being on the board of directors of this growing practice. Rootlight.com is the hub for Naam around the world. You can download the music, and purchase books to do an entire class at home. Downward dogs are surprisingly few but the repetition of simple movements such as swinging your arms can be just as much exercise. Each teacher has their own spin on how they teach. It’s not religion, but it has a focus on spirituality. Kabbalah’s ideas of bringing in more light are the underpinnings of each word and hand movement. As we pointed our first fin-

gers up in the air with the thumb out, we were told the index is our Jupiter finger and it can activate prosperity. I’d like to believe that, but even if it isn’t true, the low impact exercises surprisingly get the heart rate up as well as lift the mood. Salva said that when people come to Naam they often see their lives as a series of problems and after doing Naam for a few months, they see their problems as opportunities. I found that I can eat more and not gain weight, get extra work done in a day, and am generally a little happier. Right now, that is enough reason to keep going back to learn more.

NEIGHBORHOOD SIDE STREETS MEET 11TH STREET

sideways.nyc

THE SECOND CEMETERY OF THE SPANISH PORTUGESE SYNAGOGUE SHEARITH ISRAEL 76 WEST 11TH STREET Nestled beside high brick residences is Manhattan’s smallest cemetery – easy to overlook, unless one knows it is there. From 1805 to 1830 it served as the graveyard to the oldest synagogue in the country. Congregation Shearith Israel (also known as the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue) was founded in 1654. In 1830, 11th Street was extended and much of the cemetery was left behind. There are approximately thirty graves and a single, moss-grown stone path remaining. Today these 200 year-old plots sit hidden, stones barely legible. For more photos and side streets, go to sideways.nyc.

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

CAPTURING, AND SALUTING THE CITY’S PAST Sculptor on living his American dream in the city BY ANGELA BARBUTI

An iconic photograph took on a new life all because Sergio Furnari saw it when he ﬁrst moved to New York from Sicily in the early 1990s. “I had an instant connection because I’m from Sicily; I saw a bunch of Sicilians sitting on that beam,” he explained. The photo, made by Charles Ebbets in September 1932, is of 11 ironworkers who were building the RCA Building, now known as 30 Rockefeller Plaza, on their lunch break, sitting 840 feet above the city. The shot, which was named one of the 100 most inﬂuential photos by Time magazine, left such an impression on Furnari that he felt compelled to create one in a life-sized proportion. The 40-foot long replica, which he called “Lunchtime on a Skyscraper:

A Tribute to America’s Heroes,” was fittingly completed right after September 11. Furnari drove it down to the pit and it stayed at ground zero for ﬁve months. Furnari, who appreciated the anonymity that came with living in New York City as opposed to his small town of Caltagirone, Sicily, is having the opposite experience. “And now, 25 years later, sometimes I feel like New York City became like a small village for me. Because everywhere I go, I know people and they know me.”

How did you got started as a sculptor? I’ve been working my whole life, since I was probably 10 years old. More or less by 14, it became a profession. I went to art school for ceramics. And then, by 19, I had a shop over there. So I was doing fantastic in Sicily. It’s not like I came over here because I wasn’t doing well over there. I came over here because I fell in love with New York

Sergio Furnari with his sculpted replica of Charles Ebbets’s photograph. Photo: Rose Lytle City. Of course, coming from Italy, I had certain techniques. Here, I had to mix those with American techniques and materials.

You ﬁrst came to New York at 20 years old. What did you think when you ﬁrst arrived here?

The first time was in 1991. I was a little bit shocked. But then I said, “Let me come again.” So I came the second time and as soon as I got here, I got off the plane and went to Nell’s. And I was like, “Wow.” Compared to the places I went to in Italy, it was a totally different environment. Completely different. For work, I used to walk around and sell my ceramics to restaurants. I used to do the ﬂoor, outside, inside, the plates. I was walking around selling my artwork, basically.

Why did you choose that photograph? Because I fell in love with the faces of those guys. Literally, I think I fell in love with their souls. It’s like when you see a beautiful woman, you don’t think about it. You just fall in love the ﬁrst second. It was instantaneous. We’re talking, maybe ’91 or something like that. I was working on Fifth Avenue and I saw the poster. Immediately, I bought it. I did the ﬁrst one in miniature in ’91 and then I got busy trying to make a living. People loved them, but I never put it together that I could make some money with them. In ‘97, I made eight of them, and they didn’t last too long. Then in ’99, I started producing them.

sized one. And people were saying, “It will cost a lot of money. Why do you have to do it?” So anyway, I did it. Then, by August of 2001, it was almost in good shape. I was trying to finish it. I was doing it little by little, and learning new techniques. By September, it was almost finished. Then the day after September 11th, I took off from New York because my ex-wife was pregnant and I was afraid. A day later, I felt like a traitor, like I was betraying New York. So as soon as I got there, I told her, “We have to go back to New York immediately. By the beginning of October, it was finished. I rented a truck and drove it around New York City.

What are your future plans? I’m working on a coin. Basically, my dream is to put the 11 men on a quarter in 3D. I have it copyrighted with the Library of Congress. I also do custom, hand-painted swimming pools. In 2003, I started making them and now have 100 all over the world. But right now, I made the largest hand-painted swimming pool in the world. I’m trying to sell it in maybe Dubai or Qatar. It took three years and I’m still working on it.

Where did you sell them? I had this 1960 Buick in SoHo. I used to display them on top. People loved the car. I guess they loved me too. That’s when everything became a business.

When did you make it life-sized? A detail of Sergio Furnari’s “Lunchtime on a Skyscraper: A Tribute to America’s Heroes.” Photo: Rose Lytle

In 2000, I decided to make a life-

www.sergiofurnari.com

Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

CROSSWORD

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SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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OCTOBER 19-25,2017

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PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARTMENT SECURITY PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: By Virtue of a Default under Loan Security Agreement, and other Security Documents, Karen Loiacano, Auctioneer, License #DCA1435601 or Jessica L Prince-Clateman, Auctioneer, License #1097640 or Vincent DeAngelis Auctioneer, License #1127571 will sell at public auction, with reserve, on November 8, 2017, in the Rotunda of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007, commencing at 1:00pm for the following account: Donald Weber a/k/a Donald A. Weber, as borrower, 64 shares of capital stock of 350-52-54 W. 12th Street Owners Corp. and all right, title and interest in the Proprietary Lease to 354 West 12th Street, Unit 1D, New York, NY 10014 Sale held to enforce rights of CitiBank, N.A., who reserves the right to bid. Ten percent (10%) Bank/CertiďŹ ed check required at sale, balance due at closing within thirty (30) days. The Cooperative Apartment will be sold â&#x20AC;&#x153;AS ISâ&#x20AC;? and possession is to be obtained by the purchaser. Pursuant to Section 201 of the Lien Law you must answer within 10 days from receipt of this notice in which redemption of the above captioned premises can occur. There is presently an outstanding debt owed to CitiBank, N.A. (lender) as of the date of this notice in the amount of $334,865.63. This ďŹ gure is for the outstanding balance due under UCC1, which was secured by Financing Statement in favor of CitiBank, N.A. recorded on April 26, 2007

under CRFN 2007000217862. Please note this is not a payoff amount as additional interest/ fees/penalties may be incurred. You must contact the undersigned to obtain a ďŹ nal payoff quote or if you dispute any information presented herein. The estimated value of the above captioned premises is $470,000.00. Pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code Article 9-623, the above captioned premises may be redeemed at any time prior to the foreclosure sale. You may contact the undersigned and either pay the principal balance due along with all accrued interest, late charges, attorney fees and out of pocket expenses incurred by CitiBank, N.A.. and the undersigned, or pay the outstanding loan arrears along with all accrued interest, late charges, attorney fees and out of pocket expenses incurred by CitiBank, N.A., and the undersigned, with respect to the foreclosure proceedings. Failure to cure the default prior to the sale will result in the termination of the proprietary lease. If you have received a discharge from the Bankruptcy Court, you are not personally liable for the payment of the loan and this notice is for compliance and information purposes only. However, CitiBank, N.A., still has the right under the loan security agreement and other collateral documents to foreclosure on the shares of stock and rights under the proprietary lease allocated to the cooperative apartment. Dated: October 12, 2017 Frenkel, Lambert, Weiss, Weisman & Gordon, LLP Attorneys for CitiBank, N.A. 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 631-969-3100 File #01-080328-F00 #93221

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