Our Town Downtown January 29th, 2015 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown wn WEEK OF

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TACKLING NEW YORK’S DEADLY TRAFFIC PROBLEM

In Brief THE HISTORIC BLIZZARD ... THAT WASN’T

NEWS Survivors and family members of victims trade stories, problems and solutions at forum on pedestrian safety BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

During a forum punctuated at points by grief and anger, New Yorkers and officials from across the city gathered to discuss what increasingly is feeling like a public health crisis: pedestrian fatalities on the streets of New York. “There’s a growing recognition that there’s an epidemiological element to this,” said the city’s Dept. of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, one of four panelists at the forum, which was organized by Straus News, publisher of Our Town and The West Side Spirit, and held at the New York Society for Ethical Culture on West 64th Street. Also on the panel was Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson, and Dana Lerner, the mother of 9-yearold Cooper Stock, who was struck and killed just over one year ago while crossing West 97th Street with his father. “This is Cooper,” said Lerner, pointing to a photo of her son that was projected onto the wall. “He was very gregarious and he liked being the center

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

EVEN FOR SPEAKER SILVER, ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL NEWS While much of the focus has been on Albany, the Speaker’s arrest also reverberates on the Lower East Side BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

News of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s arrest on corruption charges has largely focused on what it means for Albany politics. And while Silver’s decision to step down as speaker is a seismic political move in the capital, Silver was -- and still remains -- a state assem-

Do you know where this is?

blymember in Manhattan. How are the developments playing out in his Lower East Side district? We reached out to dozens of people acrossLower Manhattan, as well as Lower East Side institutions, groups and organizations to gauge the reaction of his constituents. A sample of their responses follows. Chad Marlow Community Board 3 member When I have worked with Shelly I found him to be smart, compassionate and staunchly progressive (except on good government reform). His weakness in terms of policy was that he served two masters: his con-

stituents and his conference. It was tough to take when the later prevailed over the former, like on congestion pricing. But that is hardly the point. No amount of good deeds justify betraying the public’s trust. Shelly’s outside income was a ticking time bomb that was destined to explode sooner or later. Some people simply chose to look the other way for the sake of political expediency. Ro Sheffe Community Board 1 member Most recent news accounts have

Subways were shut down. Roads were closed. Millions of office workers were sent home early -- and all for a winter blizzard that largely didn’t materialize. According to the National Weather Service, just over six inches of snow had fallen in Central Park as of midday Tuesday -- far short of the 20 to 30 inches predicted as part of what had, at various points in the week, been billed as potentially the biggest storm in New York City history. (The current record-holder in 2006 clocked in at more than 26 inches in the park.) By Tuesday afternoon, sheepish city officials were playing the better-safe-than-sorry card, and scrambling to get subways and buses, which had been pulled out of service in preparation for the onslaught, back in service. In addition, parents were forced to ﬁnd ways to keep a city full of school kids entertained, businesses faced empty offices despite very passable roads, and local retailers were forced to stay closed after telling employees not to report to work on Tuesday. How could weather forecasters had gotten it so wrong? Meteorologists said the storm made two unexpected, late-inthe-game shifts: ﬁrst, it swerved further eastward than they had thought, and second, it moved faster than expected, keeping snowfalls relatively low. The result was an unexpected vacation day for much of the city, and one of the biggest phantom blizzards in history.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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2 Our Town Downtown JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS CHECK

PREDATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR UPTOWN ATTACKS ALSO LINKED TO EAST VILLAGES ONES

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The NYPD has connected a predator responsible for recent sexual attacks in uptown Manhattan and the East village, DNAinfo.com reported. A man described as ranging from 5’4” and 5’11” and in his early-to-mid 20s, was caught on surveillance sneaking up on a 31-year-old woman on Chrystie Street Jan. 14. The woman was able to escape after screaming when the predator grabbed her by the waist and pulled down her pants in her apartment building. On Dec. 17 the predator attacked again in Hamilton Heights, where he followed a 20-year-old woman to her apartment building. The attack occurred at 4:25 a.m. when the predator covered his victim’s mouth and began to grope her. Police believe the predator is linked to similar attacks: one which occurred on Dec. 28 at a 6th Street apartment and another on Dec. 16 in the lobby of an FDR Drive building. If anyone has information they

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Community Board 3 members unanimously approved backing up the guerrilla style gardening culture on the Lower East side last week. Both the Lower East side and East Village neighborhoods are known for their elaborate growing gardens, a movement started by Liz Christy. Her garden, located on Bowery and East Houston, has inspired others in the neighborhood in putting their green thumb to work. DNAinfo. com reports that at its peak a total of 57 gardens existed in the area, but has since been reduced to 48. On maps these small gardens are depicted as vacant lots; local activists are trying to change this. Their goal is to deﬁne the Lower East Side and East Village as “the garden district,” while also gaining protection from poaching under the state law. The panel who voted on the proposal was made mostly of gardeners. Other supporters of the upcoming plan include Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, State Senator Brad Hoylman, Cooper Square Committee and Four Arts Block. DNAinfo.com

TRAVELERS LIKE PLAN FOR RAIL LINK TO LAGUARDIA Tom Fiore knows what it’s like to sit in a taxi for as long as two agonizing hours, over bridges or through a tunnel, to travel a mere eight miles from midtown Manhattan to LaGuardia Airport in Queens. The salesman who makes that trek about twice a month is among legions of travelers applauding what they see as a long overdue proposal from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: build a rail link connecting the city to

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LaGuardia. “This is a very difficult place to get to,” Fiore said as he typed on a laptop while waiting for his flight. “I think it would save a measure of time.” LaGuardia is one of just a few airports in major American cities not served by some sort of rail service. Neighboring John F. Kennedy and Newark have it, and projects are currently underway at Washington Dulles, Los Angeles and Denver. Cuomo’s $450 million proposal, made this past week on the eve of his State of the State address, follows his announcement last year for a $3.6 billion renovation of the decrepit LaGuardia — famously dubbed by Vice President Joe Biden as a “third-world” facility. The plan calls for an elevated AirTrain that would connect the airport, located along Flushing Bay, with a busy transit hub 1.5 miles away. The hub, with access to the city’s subway and commuter railroads, is near Citi Field, home of the Mets, and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open. “You can’t get to LaGuardia by train. That really is inexcusable and that is going to change,” Cuomo said in announcing the plan. Because the 1.5-mile project would be built mostly along the Grand Central Parkway and not in residential neighborhoods, Cuomo does not expect much local opposition. The project would be managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the area’s major airports, with coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates subway, bus and commuter railroads. A start date for construction has not been set, and the Legislature must sign off on the project. Cuomo said it would be financed through a combination of existing state funds, Port Authority funds, and a share of the $5 billion generated from settlements of alleged bank misconduct. Aides say it could be completed within five years once work begins. AP

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For the second time this month a wild coyote has been captured in Manhattan. Parks officials say a female coyote was captured in the sprawling Stuyvesant Town housing complex in lower Manhattan Sunday morning. The coyote was sedated and delivered to Animal Care and Control where veterinary staff examined and fed the animal. Officials say the coyote will be released in a wilderness area in the Bronx. Earlier this month, a coyote was caught in Riverside Park and later released in a Bronx wooded area. Most coyotes pose no danger to people. AP

are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). DNAinfo.com

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Email us at news@strausnews.com

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 3

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

MAN KILLS COWORKER, THEN HIMSELF, AT HOME DEPOT An employee at a Home Depot store in Manhattan argued with a co-worker before fatally shooting him and then killing himself on Sunday, police said, sending panicked workers and shoppers rushing to get away from the gunﬁre. The 31-year-old man entered the store on West 23rd Street around 2:45 p.m. He exchanged words with a 38-year-old co-worker in the store’s lighting section and then pulled out a gun, shooting the other man in the abdomen and chest, police said. The man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The gunman then shot himself in the head, said New York Police Department Capt. Steven Wren. It was unclear what the argument was about, and no identiﬁcations were released. A gun was recovered at the scene. Wren said about 70 employees were in the store, but no one else was injured. Sigourney Rodriguez, who works

of the area came up negative as well. Video is available of the incident. The stolen items were a Special Edition large backpack valued at $1,435, a white Stark medium backpack tagged at $685, a Stark M medium backpack valued at $835, a Strumbel medium backpack priced at $2,095, and a Jaede cap tagged at $385, making a total of $5,435.

nearby, was taking a cigarette break when she saw about 100 people running out of the store. “You hear gunshots, you’re going to run,” she said. Rodriguez heard store employees saying, “He’s dead, I tell you he’s dead.” The Home Depot, though smaller than a suburban outpost of the chain, is a megastore by Manhattan standards, and popular with many neighborhood residents. “This is a beautiful neighborhood and a great store,” said Sara Vogeler, who lives on the next block. “We just bought our Christmas lights here not too long ago. It’s shocking!” Home Depot issued a statement saying, “We’re deeply saddened by this tragedy. We are fully cooperating with the authorities on their investigation of what appears to have been an isolated incident.”

BACKPACK JACK

HARD DEY’S NIGHT

A security guard was apparently no match for three shoplifters. At 2:14 p.m. on Sunday, January 18, three men entered the MCM store at 100 Greene Street, removed a number of backpacks off the shelf, and put them on their backs. The trio then left through the front door after the merchandise security sensors set off the alarm by the door. A security guard was posted by the front door but was unable to stop the thieves, and a police canvass

The break-and-take burglar struck again. At 2:45 a.m. on Thursday, January 15, a man smashed the front glass door of the Arome bodega at 7 Dey Street with an unknown object. He then entered through the broken door and stole $1,600 in cash from two registers before ﬂeeing on foot eastbound on Dey Street and then southbound on Broadway. Police searched the area but were unable to collar the thief. Video exists of the

1ST PRECINCT Report covering the week 1/12/15 through 1/18/2015 Week to Date

Year to Date

2015 2014

% Change

2015

2014 % Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

RICKY STICKY

Robbery

-66.7

Sticky-ﬁngered shoplifters continue to plague stores in SoHo. At 5:23 p.m. on Friday, January 16, property was removed from a shelf in the Ralph Lauren store at 109 Prince Street by a man who then ﬂed northbound on Greene Street. Video is available of the theft. The item stolen was a Ralph Lauren Soft Ricky bag valued at $2,500.

Felony Assault

-100

-71.4

Burglary

-25

66.7

Grand Larceny

-15

-8.2

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

-100

break-in.

SNEAKER SNEAKS High-end sneakers proved a tempting target to thieves in two separate incidents at the same store. At 12:20 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14, two young men, ages 17 and 18, purchased items from the Balenciaga store at 149 Mercer Street using forged gift cards. The duo had also purchased items from a Zara shop using a forged gift card. Lamark Mulligan and D’Andre Lewis were arrested January 14 and charged with grand larceny. They were found to be in possession of the stolen

items as well as multiple forged gift cards. The merchandise stolen and recovered from the Balenciaga store were two pairs of sneakers each valued at $665, making a total of $1,330. Then at 6:40 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, another young man was apprehended after attempting to pay for merchandise at that same Balenciaga store using another forged instrument. Video is available of the incident. Vernal N. McLean was arrested January 17 and charged with grand larceny. The items stolen and recovered were yet another two pairs of those same sneakers valued at $665, making a total of $1,330.

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4 Our Town Downtown JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015

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

49 Chambers St.

212-442-5050

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.

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TIME WARNER

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LOOK, UP IN THE SKY! THE DEBATE OVER DRONES As drones capture public fascination, they also raise legal, privacy concerns BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

From Amazon’s plans for package delivery with unmanned aircrafts to aerial wedding photography, drones are, if not yet physically everywhere, then certainly permeating our consciousness. Even the trailer for the ﬁnal season of NBC’s sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” set in the very near future, imagines drones as a common presence. “It is the most advanced camera motion tool we’ve ever seen,” said Randy Slavin, a commercial and music video director who founded the aerial cinematography company Yeah Drones. The New York City Drone Film Festival, which takes place at the Director’s Guild of America Theater on West 57th Street on March 7, will showcase expertly shot aerial film captured by filmmakers who know how to pilot the unmanned aircrafts expertly. What seems like a niche topic garnered plenty of interest. The festival is already sold out. “It’s easy to get a drone in the air and it’s easy to get footage, but there’s a lot of complex elements in drone cinematography,” said Slavin, noting that, like commercial airline pilots, skilled drone operators log hundreds of ﬂight hours to become adept at the technology. “It’s akin to any type of photography. You can buy a really expensive camera, but that’s not going to make

you a better photographer.” But what Slavin sees as revolutionary video technology has engendered controversy and some rightful concern, particularly regarding safety and privacy concerns. Unmanned aerial vehicles are highly regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, which works to ensure that the new technology is safely integrated into airspace. In 2013, a Brooklyn man died when his remote control helicopter hit him in the head, and commercial airline pilots have reported seeing drones, according to an indepth investigation by The Washington Post. As recently as this week, a drone crashed near the White House lawn, sending the Secret Service scrambling. Cu r rent ly, a ny commercial drone operations, from Yeah Drones to Amazon, must seek an exemption from the FAA and prove their drone operations are safer than employing a manned aircraft. Hobbyists don’t need exemption status to fly below 400 feet. Paul Fraidenburgh, an attorney who focuses on aviation and aerospace and represents prospective commercial operators, works with his clients to petition for exemption, a temporary process put in place by the FAA while it firms up more universal guidelines, which Congress asked that it complete by this fall. So far, the only filmmaking exemptions granted by the FAA are for closed-set, scripted operations, but Fraidenburgh expects news organizations will follow.

“We have to accept that this is the direction that all filming is going to go,” he said. “To take that out of the news media entirely, that’s obviously not sustainable for the future.” Earlier this month, the FAA agreed to allow CNN to conduct research on ways to safely incorporate drones into its video reporting. While limitations will still exist for news organizations—72 hours advance notice is required for all commercial filming with drones, which won’t allow for breaking news coverage via unmanned aircrafts—Fraidenburgh noted that the FAA acknowledges the practical use of the technology in gathering and reporting news. “This is a positive step forward,” said Fraidenburgh. “It’s the FAA saying, if you can show us that this is going to be safe, we’re not going to oppose it.” Drones even affect his everyday conversations. “My fiancée is terribly bored of dinner table conversations,” he said. “Any time we go out to dinner with someone, that’s what they want to talk about now.” Slavin petitioned for exemption status with the FAA, and while he awaits word, he’s focusing on the film festival and practicing his flying skills. He stays away from heavily populated public areas and flies mostly indoors or on an empty basketball court near his Tudor City home. This is safer, certainly, than piloting in Central Park, but it’s also private. He found that the public is fascinated by the technology, and strangers would often approach him while he was flying. “I’m practicing, I’m doing my thing,” he said. “When I’m flying, I don’t want to talk to anyone about it.”

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 5

SILVER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 focused on money. But Sheldon Silver’s record in local affairs can’t be measured in dollars. Around here, his legacy is measured by the respect he’s earned over decades of service to a grateful community. I’ve been a member of Manhattan Community Board 1 for 12 years. It would far exceed your word count for me to describe all the ways in which Speaker Silver has come to the aid of a community devastated by the 9/11 attack, then by a crippling recession, then by a hurricane. But these are obvious crises. I’ve also seen him stand with us on issues much more controversial. Sometimes issues that others were reluctant to address at all. I have great admiration for his courage and conviction in doing so. I’m as distressed as everyone else by recent news reports. But I regard Sheldon Silver as a man who exempliﬁes the spirit of public service to a community he and I both serve. When we were in the foxholes and trenches, he jumped in with us. We’ve fought together. He’s helped us overcome adversity, over and over again. I admire the man. Diane Lapson Community Board 1 member I can say that a representative from his office was at every full community board meeting and Speaker Silver came to important meetings where serious votes that would affect thousands of people were taking place. Michael Kramer Save Our Seaport member, public member of Community Board 1 Our experience with Shelly and Shelly’s staff is that they’ve been big

supporters of Save Our Seaport. He was very active in the Seaport Working Group, his staff is very knowledgeable about all the issues that face us. We hope they’re not distracted by recent events and continue to support us. His office was very active in searching for an alternate site outside of the historic district for Howard Hughes to build their tower. I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but he thought it was inappropriate to build at the New Market site. They’ve always been interested in the grittiness of the Seaport, and its effect on the local community. His district manager lives in Southbridge [Towers] and he has direct knowledge of how events at the Seaport can affect the quality of life in the surrounding area. Paul Hovitz Community Board 1 member Let me just say that I’ve been on the community board for 22 years, and that was actually the beginning of my relationship with Sheldon Silver. All of this comes as quite a blow. I will say that if these allegations prove true, he certainly needs to pay the price for them. At the same time, I have to say that once again, as a community advocate, Shelly has been there for us. After 9/11, Shelly was right there helping us get auxiliary generators for the buildings and water and food and medical aid and so much stuff. The same thing happened after Hurricane Sandy. This is like a body blow to us if Shelly is convicted and forced to resign, not only because all of the good stuff he’s done for our community, but we’d end up with a junior assemblyman with no clout as opposed to the most powerful man in the Assembly.

SHELDON SILVER’S SKETCH ARTIST SPEAKS “He was completely in shock,” the veteran artist says. BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Sheldon Silver, the powerful assembly speaker arrested on corruption charges, appeared in court for the first time last week, and, according to courtroom artist Elizabeth Williams, seemed staggered at the circumstances in which he found himself. Williams, a veteran who’s drawn the Times Square Bomber, Martha Stewart and John Gotti, said Silver

was brought into the courtroom through the lockup, “which meant he passed through the jail cells.” “It was stunning to see, and he was completely in shock,” said Williams. “Having seen him over the years, that expression on his face was palpable. I had only minutes to capture that, and his likeness, so that was a challenge. He appeared utterly shocked. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes appeared wide, stunned, lips pursed.” Williams said the whole proceeding lasted only five to 10 minutes. “He never stood, he sat at the table, flanked by his lawyers, staring at the magistrate judge as the judge read the charges against him,” she said. “He was granted bail, then got up and walked out with his attorneys.”

TACKLING DEADLY TRAFFIC PROBLEM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of attention. I’m doing this for him.” Lerner said before her son’s death, she was unaware just how unafe the streets of New York are. “I was ignorant, I had no idea how bad it was,” she said. After his death, Lerner joined Families for Safe Streets, an organization made up of surivors and family members of those killed in collisions. The group estimates that every 35 hours, someone is killed in traffic in New York City. In many ways the forum was about changing the way New Yorkers and those in power think about the issue. “Accidents” where drivers fail to yield to pedestrians are not accidents; rather they’re to be called “crashes,” said Lerner, who characterized such cases as “the new drunk driving.” An increasing number of organizations and elected officials refer to such incidents as “traffic violence.” Even the NYPD changed the name of the Accident Investigation Squad to the Collision Investigation Squad. “It’s a culture change,” said Inspector Dennis Fulton from the NYPD’s Chief of Transportation Office. “I think this is an epidemic, and that’s the way we need to think about this,” said Lerner. Much progress already has been made. Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative has been successful in lowering the citywide speed limit to 25 miles per hour and getting 120 additional traffic cameras on city streets. At 130, pedestrian traffic deaths in 2014 were the lowest they’ve been since statistics were first kept in 1910. Even Lerner said Vision Zero has been “enormously successful.” In the wake of her son’s death, and with the help of Rosenthal, Lerner passed “Cooper’s Law,” mandating that taxi drivers who kill or seriously injure a pedestrian immediately have their license suspended and revoked permanently if a subsequent investigation finds they broke traffic laws. But, said Trottenberg, “the trend line is not going down fast enough.” The DOT recently launched a series of grisly ads reminding both pedestrians and drivers to exercise awareness and caution when navigating city streets. Statistics included in de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative say that traffic crashes are the leading cause of injury-related death for children under 14. Families for Safe Streets maintains that five children in New York City are hit by vehicles every day. And impediments to true pedestrian safety persist. The state legislature must approve certain traffic safety measures implemented on city streets, such as traffic cameras. Lerner noted that cabbies are able to obtain a license with merely a written test and without ever having driven

Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, left, and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg at the pedestrian forum.

Editor-in-Chief Kyle Pope, left, and a new public awareness ad from the DOT on the streets of New York. And to traffic safety activists, the law is woefully incapable of holding dangerous drivers accountable. Lerner and Families for Safe Streets have been pressuring the city’s five district attorneys to beef up laws and prosecutions of dangerous drivers who hit pedestrians. They’ve already convinced Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson to form a Driver Accountability Initiative. While it’s still unclear what the program will entail, it at least represents a toehold in the push to hold drivers more accountable under the law. Other DAs have been less enthusiastic. At a recent Crain’s breakfast event, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance was interrupted by Sofia Russo, the mother of four-year-old Ariel Russo, who was struck and killed last year by an unlicensed driver fleeing police. Russo, also a member of Families for Safe Streets, demanded more accountability from Vance, who in his remarks at the breakfast referenced her story. According to reports of the meeting and comments made by Abramson, Russo was silenced by a Crain’s editor and her plea went unaddressed by Vance. “It’s the perfect crime,” said Lerner. “If you want to kill someone and get away with it, use your car.” As reported in the Spirit, Koffi Komlani, the cabbie who killed Cooper, was arrested in October and charged with “failure to exercise due care.” Cooper and his father were crossing the street with the light and had the right of way during the Jan. 10 collision. According to the Manhattan DA’s office, the maximum penalty is 15 days jail, a $750 fine and a license suspension. The minimum sentence is no penalty at all. Abramson, the first female executive editor of the Times in the pa-

per’s 160-year history, was struck by a truck near Times Square in 2007. She suffered a broken femur, broken pelvis, and broken right foot, and spent a month in Bellevue Hospital. “I was one of the lucky ones,” said Abramson. “I didn’t have any head injuries and I’m pretty well recovered.” The driver of the truck did not stop, and was later tracked down by police and bystanders. It was later determined he failed to yield and was not ticketed. “Everything about my crash was common,” she said. After the colission and while she was still at the Times, three of her colleagues were struck by vehicles. “I became sort of the armchair consultant to the people involved in these crashes, my colleagues,” said Abramson, who helped them find doctors, lawyers and physical therapists during their recovery. “With each one I became angry. Anger can be a force for social good and social change.” Her anger led in a lengthy piece she wrote in the Times last year about her experience and those of her colleagues. In it, she said she was one of almost 11,000 pedestrians struck by vehicles and injured in 2007. In December, Abramson wrote a lengthy piece for this publication called “The Second Tragedy of Trafﬁc Deaths,” in which she wrote that fewer than 7 percent of the drivers in fatal crashes that kill pedestrians are ticketed and only a tiny fraction, usually only those driving drunk, face any criminal charges. “The enforcement side of this epidemic is something that really needs attention,” she said at the forum. “New York City is the greatest walking city in the world and our streets need to be safer.”

6 Our Town Downtown JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015

Out & About

www.web.ovationtix.com/trs/ pe.c/9973645

1 PARSONS DANCE

30 31 language/

JET BLUE’S FRIDAY NIGHT SWINGS

www.nysna.org www nysna org

nynurses n n

ses

Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex, 23rd St. & Hudson River Park. 5 p.m. Every Friday Jet Blue gives guests a chance to show off their best swing and also win some cool prizes. 212-336-6666. www. nycgo.com/events/jetbluesfriday-night-swings

@nynurses @nynurses

PIXELATED: SUM OF ITS PIECES

You Never Forget Who You Grew Up With.

Children’s Museum of the Arts, Cynthia C. Wainwright Gallery, Charlton & Hudson St. 12-6 p.m., Free, register in advance. This exhibit will make you look a little closer to ﬁnd the bigger picture. Come enjoy a variety of pieces that explore the intersections between art and technology. 212-274-0986. www. cmany.org/events/drawn-to-

The rough touch of tree bark, the scent of freshly mowed grass, the gentle hum of pollinating bees as a flower blossoms — green spaces touch lives and all five senses.

MONK IN MOTION BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Chamber & West St. 8 a.m., Free. Trumpeter and composer Marquis Hill will perform his will be performing with Christopher McBride (alto sax), Justin Thomas (vibraphone), Joshua Ramos (bass) and Makaya Mccraven (drums). 212-220-1460.

www.nycgo.com/events/ monk-in-motion-marquis-hill

NEW FAMILY MUSICAL RAPUNZARELLA WHITE

Green spaces are a vital part of growing up — they enhance lives, make memories and connect people with their neighborhoods and communities. Be a part of preserving and enhancing green spaces where we live, work and play. To volunteer, to learn how to help your community and to donate, visit ProjectEverGreen.org or call toll-free (877) 758-4835.

projectevergreen.org (877) 758-4835

13th Street Repertory Theatre, between 5th & 6th Ave. 11 a.m., $35. Rapunzel, Snow White and Cinderella are all triplets that are stolen by an angry witch in this new twisted fairytale. Directed by Daniel Neiden. Shows at 11am and 1pm. 212-675-6677.

The Joyce Theatre, 19th St. & Eighth Ave. 2 p.m., $19-$59. Inspired by New Orleans RandB legend Allen Toussaint, the Parson’s dance has some original pieces including a Bach inspired dance. Choreographed by former Parsons Dance performer Natalie Lomonte. 212-691-9740. www. nycgo.com/events/parsonsdance

OPEN STUDIO AT THE GUGGENHEIM Solomon Guggenheim Museum, 85th street and Madison Avenue. 1-4 p.m., Free with museum admission. Children 5 and up can enjoy experimenting by making their own art. Learn about the materials and processes used to make art on display. 212-4233500.

www.guggenheim.org/newyork/calendar-and-events/

2 AARP TAX-AIDE: FREE TAX ASSISTANCE PREPARATION Chatham Square Library, Community Room, East Broadway & Catherine St. 12-4 p.m., Free. Prepare yourself for tax season with this helpful session. Tax filers will assist on a first-come first-served basis. Doors will open at noon. 212-673-6344.

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 7

www.nypl.org/events/ programs/2015/02/02/

symphonic pieces from J.S. Bach and sons. Instruments include baroque ﬂute, violin and viola. 212-352-3101. www. 21 web.ovationtix.com/trs/ we pe.c/9976680

5 POINT OF NO P RE RETURN

MAGAZINE ART Seward Park Library, East Broadway & Henry St. 4 p.m., Free. Embrace your inner artist with this magazine art event. All supplies are provided. 212-477-6770. www.nypl.org/events/ calendar?location=67

Old Man Hustle, Grand & Hester St. 8 p.m., p.m Free. Host and a Comedian Jonathan Randall’s Randall’ weekly show will keep you laughing throughout the laug

A BACKPACK, A BEAR, AND EIGHT CRATES OF VODKA / A REPLACEMENT LIFE Barnes & Noble, 86th St. & Lexington Ave. 7 p.m., Free. Meet Boris Fisherman and Lev Golinkin as they talk about their separate journeys to America from the former Soviet Union, illustrated in their latest memoirs. 212-369-2180. www.storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ event/86023

Your Neighborhood News Source Making News Our “Pedestrian Vs. Cars” Town Hall meeting was standing-room-only — and attracted a lot of media attention.

night. 212-253-7747. www. oldmanhustle.com

RISING STARS: THE PURSUIT TO HAPPINESS LaGuardia High school of Performing Arts, 65th St. & Amsterdam Ave. 7:30 p.m., $20. Come enjoy LaGuardia’s annual student talent show. Performances range from drama, visual arts and musical. This year’s theme is The Pursuit of Happiness. 212-496-0700. www.laguardiahs.org

ART ON SCREEN FILM SERIES: LE PASSION NOUREEV New York Public Library of Performing Arts, Bruno Walker Auditorium, 65th St. & Amsterdam Ave. 2:30 p.m., Free. Fabrice Herrault‘s recent movie illustrates an impressionistic tribute for artist Nureyev in his early dance performances. Movie is in French and has English subtitles. 917-275-6975. www.nypl. org/events/programs/lpa

KID’S MOVIE Hamilton Fish Park Library, East Houston & Columbia St. 3:30 p.m., Free. Bring your kids to enjoy a movie every Tuesday at Hamilton Fish Library. 212-673-2290. http:// www.nypl.org/events/ calendar?location=34

The local paper for the Upper East Side The local paper for the Upper West Side

A MUSICAL OFFERING BY THE REPAST BAROQUE ENSEMBLE Baruch’s Engelman Recital Hall, 25th St. & Lexington Ave. 8 p.m., Students: $25, Seniors: $12. The Repast Baroque Ensemble will play

The local paper for Downtown

Your neighborhood newspaper FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE EVENT GO TO ourtownny.com westsidespirit.com otdowntown.com

8 Our Town Downtown JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015

Voices

LOOKING FOR SMALL BUSINESS HELP To the Editor: Now that the holidays are over, the new year has begun, and the dreadful events relating to the Eric Garner decision seem at least momentarily to have paused, I’m writing in regard to the important features

you ran on saving small businesses in our community in your October 2, 2014 issue. I’ve been increasingly distressed at the change in the character of our neighborhood, and the hardships experienced by small business own-

ers, to everyone’s detriment, including the city’s as a whole. I’m writing now to ask if you know of any organization or individual whose efforts I might join to help inﬂuence legislation that would help protect small business owners and

initiate commercial rent control. Given the dominance of real estate interests in New York City and State, I’m wondering if some kind of organized movement is now working or could be mounted to counter that destructive inﬂuence.

Thank you for your great reporting, and your very valuable newspaper. Natalie Hilzen

Poem

To Be Fair I haven’t any sons or daughters Nor grandchildren, not even one, Yet I mourn for boys and men Made lifeless by a deed or gun.

I don’t care who the killers are, If the reason isn’t mortal They should be punished, not allowed To hide behind policeman’s portal.

When Mayor DeBlasio showed support For those young black skinned who were killed

Some of the audience questions, from index cards at the pedestrian forum.

He expressed human solicitude The accusation that he willed

The death of two blameless policemen Is illogical and undeserved. Let’s put blame on the evildoers Thus precious justice is preserved.

-- Esther Lazarson

ANOTHER THOUGHT ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY I attended the meeting of Pedestrians vs Cars held at the Society for Ethical Culture January 21. I am very frustrated that the only idea that would effectively reduce pedestrian deaths was presented in the last minutes of the meeting, in the form of a question from the audience, and the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation

doesn’t even want to consider it. The idea of separating pedestrians from motor vehicles, by sequencing the traffic lights wherein pedestrians are crossing the street while all vehicles are at a standstill, is used all over the country but not in New York City and the Department of Transportation does not want to consider implementing it here. The main reason why the meeting was frus-

trating is that they discussed an epidemic and all that is being dispensed are aspirins! Reducing speed limits to 25 mph and enforcing jaywalking laws have nothing to do with preventing the senseless deaths of people crossing the street with the walk sign and being hit by turning vehicles. After attending the meeting, I was standing at the corner of West 64th and Broadway and a young lady crossing the street with the walk sign narrowly missed being hit by a turning vehicle. This happens millions of times every day and can be easily prevented! How do we convince the city that we need to change our traffic lights? Pete Drexler, a frequent visitor of the city

STRAUS MEDIA-MANHATTAN President, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com

Publisher, Gerry Gavin Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth

Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade Account Executive Susan Wynn

Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Editor, Megan Bungeroth editor.otdt@strausnews.com

Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons

Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 9

THE WONDERS OF CHILDHOOD, ON DISPLAY A survey of children’ ldren’s literature at The Grolier Club ub

that, “You cannot write for children. They’re much too

BY Y VAL CASTRONOVO

If you are looking ooking to take a break from the ity streets, mad bustle of city rolier Club, step into The Grolier d refuge on a chandeliered eet dating East 60th Street d catch the from 1884, and dren’s literexhibit on children’s ough Feb. 7. ature, now through The first-floor show is free e public. and open to the ibliophiles Catering to bibliophiles of all stripes, America’s rgest book oldest and largest ted a quiet club has mounted ng display, but fascinating d Books Fa“One Hundred dren’s Litmous in Children’s ed by Chris erature,” curated e latest in a Loker. It is the matic exhibseries of thematic he “Grolier its known as the at showcase Hundreds” that different canonical bookss in diff erent sh literature fields—English can literature (1903), American (1946), science (1958), medicine (1994), oks (1999) and now, kid fine printed books lit. dak has provided the Maurice Sendak show’s organizing principle, inspired by his observation

complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.” Hence, the curator writes in the catalog, “This concept—that on its way to becoming famous a book needs ﬁrst and foremost to be of interest to children—underlies the choice of books represented in

this exhibition.” She defines “famous” books as those that “were widely known at the time of their creation, and admired over following generations”—books that were both popular and had literary value. Behind dimly lit glass cases (to protect the vintage items from the damaging effects of light), 400 years of children’s literature unspools, neatly organized according to genre—e.g., fairy tales and fables, fantasy, nursery rhymes, poetry, animals, adventure, faith, and learning. Be prepared to reach back in time, recalling your own childhood days reading a book that you couldn’t put down (I spent hours poring over “The Secret of the Old Clock” in the Nancy Drew series, and a hallowed copy is here!), or the special delight in reading a bedtime book to your own child. Classics such as “Gr i m m s’ Fa i r y Tales,” “The Velveteen Rabbit,” “The Cat in the Hat,” “The Story of Ferdinand,” “Goodnight Moon,” “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Heidi”, “The Hob-

bit,” and “Harry Potter” (the first volume, a literal bookend as the show’s most recent work) keep company with antique toys, games, dolls, paper-doll cutouts, and original illustrations. A central table loaded up with books that you can flip through offers a more tactile, visually satisfying experience for those looking for a hands-on option. Thrill to the sight of rare first and early editions, and a host of books that you have probably never heard of. “Orbis Sensualium Pictus,” a Latin primer published in Nuremberg in 1658 with Latin-German text and illustrations to match, is the oldest book on view. The tiny “New-England Primer” (1727 ed.) is hailed as “historically one of the most widely read books for children in America,” while the Boy Scouts handbook, “Scouting for Boys,” has the distinction of being an international sensation. An all-time bestseller first published in 1908, this guide has never been out of print. A specimen from the “Dick and Jane” readers (Scott, Foresman, 1936, 2nd ed.) takes us back to the “look-say,” anti-phonics method of reading instruction and the homogenous, suburban illustrations of L. Kate Deal. A signed, hand-colored Ludwig Bemelmans proof from “Madeline”, with Miss Clavel and her pupils standing outside Madeline’s hospital room in a tinted sea of yellow, appears at the upper right corner of a display case and casts a warm, reassuring glow. The exhibit draws to a close with a theme dubbed “novelties”, that is, books that were innovative in terms of form or content—think miniature books (“The Gigantick History of the Two Famous Giants,” an 18th century history of London’s Guildhall), pop-ups (“How Columbus Discovered America”, c. 1959, by Czech artist

How Columbus Discovered America Vojtech Kubasta London Lender: Anonymous Photo credit: Robert Lorenzson

Vojtěch Kubašta), “Pat the Bunny” (the 1940 perennial with faux fur for touching), and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” (dated 1969, with differentsized pages and hole-punches in pears and plums to illustrate its subject’s insatiable appetite). Decades earlier, Peter Newell’s “The Hole Book” (1908) traced the path of a bullet, with a hole running from page 5 to 50. See it here. Scholars and quibblers will inevitably take note of some notable omissions. Why no “Harold and the Purple Crayon” (1955)? Did no books by Peter Sís published before 2000 (the cutoff date) measure up? Presumably they have not passed “the generational test of time” on the road to permanence, but we missed them. Never mind. Bibliophiles can come to the club and be enlightened and entertained by the wealth of scholarship on display. Or they can retreat to more familiar territory and relive the seriously funny anapestic meter of Dr. Seuss. And as the Cat would say, “That is that.”

IF YOU GO WHAT: “One Hundred Books Famous in Children’s Literature” WHERE: The Grolier Club, 47 E. 60th St. (between Park and Madison Avenues), First Floor. WHEN: Now through Feb. 7 FOR MORE INFO: www. grolierclub.org

10 Our Town Downtown JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015

Artist Jeessica Blowers at work on her mural of downtown artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

TRANSFORMING STREETS INTO GALLERIES ART A grant to the Lower East Side BID will pay for artists to turn security gates into paintings BY OLIVER MORRISON

LOWER EAST SIDE The metal gates that cover storefronts at night often serve as blank slates for graffiti, but a pair of local artists wants to make them over into legitimate commissioned art spaces. The city just awarded a Neighborhood Challenge Grant of $30,000 to the Lower East Side

Business Improvement District (BID) to provide materials for artists to turn the metal gates that protect storefronts at night into public murals. Called the “100 Gates Project,” it’s spearheaded by local skateboarder Billy Rohan and his girlfriend, the artist Jessica Blowers. They approached a few businesses last year about painting their metal gates but decided to expand their idea even bigger when they met Stanley George, the owner and pharmacist at Stanley’s Pharmacy, who had been looking for someone to paint his gate. George and Blowers went back and forth about design

ideas. “He wanted something to uplift the community,” Blowers said. “So when the gates are down people feel good instead of seeing all the graffiti on there.” “It had to be all about bringing nature to the city,” George wrote. “That’s what our interior is about, so the exterior had to echo that vibe.” So Blowers came up with the idea of painting cherry blossoms from the park in the spring. George liked the painting, but he went home that night and couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t right for the brand, he realized. His store was colored orange to symbolize health. So

he had Blowers come back the next day and redo it, but this time as an orange tree. A small crowd stopped in the street to watch Blowers work and George was so pleased he came back that night with his wife to look at it again. “Stanley’s such a positive guy,” Rohan said. “He was like, ‘This could transform the whole city. This would be great for the neighborhood. He kind of inspired the whole thing.” Although other businesses were interested, they were often reluctant to shell out the $300 it would cost for the paint. The new funding should provide plenty of metal canvas for the dozens of artists that Rohan said are interested in painting. They believe this will make the Lower East Side an even bigger attraction for artists and art-lovers. One of Blowers ﬁrst gate-murals was a portrait of the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, near a park where Basquiat once lived. Not all of the work will have such a literal

connection to the community. But Rohan and Blowers believe that by letting each mural be the expression of a unique artist’s vision, rather than a commissioned work by a business, the collective street gallery will represent the eclectic artistic sensibility of the Lower East Side. The process of how businesses and artists will get matched up is still being worked out, according to Tim Laughlin, the executive director of the Lower East Side BID. “Everything will be unique and different, and that is very emblematic of what happens here on the Lower East Side,” Laughlin said. Everyone is hoping that the murals will have a secondary benefit: deter taggers from vandalizing the storefronts with graffiti. “In the graffiti world they want fame, that’s why they’re putting their name up everywhere,” Rohan said. “If you put that up over someone’s mural, that’s like saying you’re a dick, that’s the wrong kind of fame.

Why do you want to be that kid that goes over someone else’s work?” He’s seen the same thing work with skateboarding, a world he’s more familiar with. Business owners often got mad at kids for skateboarding in their neighborhoods. But when a skate-park went up, the kids suddenly had a place to express themselves. He’s hoping this project will encourage some street artists to participate rather than vandalize. “I’m really still surprised that there still isn’t a place where kids can just go paint in the whole city in all five boroughs,” Rohan said. “You see that sort of thing a lot in Switzerland and France.” Blowers and Rohan plan to start commissioning the first murals in April, when the weather warms up, and finish by the end of June.

5 TOP

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 11

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST The local paper for the Upper East Side

FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

MUSIC

“BANG ON A CAN: BEAUTY IS POWER” Israeli cellist and composer Maya Beiser performs a solo concert of work by a diverse group of female artists, from twelfth century nun Hildegard von Bingen to Janis Joplin, Yoko Ono and Imogen Heap. Tied to the museum’s exhibition focused on cosmetics entrepreneur and art collector Helena Rubinstein, Beiser’s performance includes a premiere of new work by British violinist Anna Clyne. Thursday, Jan. 29 The Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street 7:30 p.m. Tickets $18

THEATER “INTO THE WOODS” While Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Awardwinning play “Into the Woods” recently received the Hollywood treatment with its ﬁlm adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp, the composer’s reimagining of classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and Rapunzel ﬁnds a more life size production with Fiasco Theater’s sparse set and small cast of 10 actors, presented by Roundabout Theatre Company. Through April 11 The Laura Pels Theatre 111 West 46th St., between Sixth and Seventh Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $109

Through Feb. 22 59E59 Theaters 59 E. 59th St., between Park and Madison Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $30

IN CONVERSATION BLACK SWAN: SOLIDARITY BEYOND COLORED POINTE SHOES In anticipation of company Dance Iquail’s upcoming new work “Black Swan,” which opens at the Ailey Citigroup Theater on Feb. 13, a panel discussion explores how dance can confront issues of racial segregation and disenfranchisement for individuals and communities. The panel features prominent women of color in the dance world, including Karen Brown, former artistic director for Oakland Ballet, and Andrea Long-Naidu, former dancer for New York City Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem. Monday, Feb. 2 Riverside Theater 91 Claremont Ave., at 121st Street 6:30 p.m. FREE, reservations recommended. To reserve a seat, email iquail@iquaildance.org

BOOKS FOR TEENS JENNIFER NIVEN “THE WOODSMAN” Based on a lesser-known work by “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum, Strangemen & Co.’s “The Woodsman” reveals how the Tin Man, who was just a regular man named Nick Chopper before he met Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, came to be made of metal after the Wicked Witch of the East cast a spell on his ax, forcing him to chop off his own limbs and lose the woman he loved.

Author Jennifer Niven reads from her ﬁrst young adult novel “All the Bright Places,” about high-schoolers Finch, who perpetually imagines his own death, and Violet, a girl looking to escape her Midwest hometown and the memory of her sister’s death. Monday, Feb. 2nd McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince St., between Mulberry and Lafayette Streets 6 p.m. FREE

November 5, 2014

April 17, 2014 The local paper for the Upper West Side

LOST DOG TALE, WITH A TWIST LOCAL NEWS

A family hopes that Upper West Siders will help bring their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel back home Upper West Side For the past week, Eva Zaghari and her three children from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, have been papering the Upper West Side with over 1,300 ﬂyers asking for information on their beloved dog Cooper. ?We are devastated, please return our dog,? the sign implores. The catch though, is that Cooper didn?t technically get lost, or even stolen. He was given away. When she explains the story, sitting at Irving Farm coffee shop on West 79th Street before heading out to post more ﬂyers around the neighborhood, Eva and her kids are visibly distraught. About a month ago, on September 5th, her husband Ray had arranged to give the dog away, via a Craigslist ad. He mistakenly thought that removing a source of stress from his wife and kids ? walking and feeding and caring for a dog, tasks which had fallen mostly to Eva ? would make everyone happier

October 2, 2014

October 8, 2014

The local paper for the Upper East Side

A CENTURY OF SEX TALK ON THE EAST SIDE MILESTONES Shirley Zussman, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, worked with Masters and Johnson, and still sees patients as a sex therapist BY KYLE POPE

UPPER EAST SIDE Some people’s life stories write themselves, and Shirley Zussman, the 100-year-old sex therapist of the Upper East Side, is one of those people. She was born in 1914 at the start of World War I (less than a month after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand), lived in Berlin at the height of the Cabaret era, became a protege of the original Masters and Johnson, and, now into her second century, continues to see patients in an office in the ground ﬂoor of her apartment building on E. 79th Street. Last month, more than 50 people crowded Yefsi restaurant, a Greek place

August 7, 2014

August 20, 2014

FI R S T I N YOU R N E I G H BO R H O O D

(212) 868-0190 The local paper for the Upper East Side

The local paper for the Upper West Side

The local paper for Downtown

12 Our Town Downtown JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JAN 17-22, 2015 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.

Starbucks Coffee

300 West 23 Street Manhattan, 10011

Starbucks Coffee

177 8 Avenue Manhattan, 10011 A

Murray’s Bagels

242 8 Avenue Manhattan, 10011

Go Go Thai

144 West 19 Street Manhattan, A 10011

Bait & Hook

231 2 Avenue Manhattan, 10003

16 Handles

178 8 Avenue Manhattan, 10011

Bowery Meat Company

9 East 1 Street Manhattan, 10003

Ryehouse

11 West 17 Street Manhattan, 10011

Grade Pending (26) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.

The Copper Still

151 2 Avenue Manhattan, 10003

Grade Pending (17) 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.

Liquiteria

170 2 Avenue Manhattan, 10003

Malibu Diner

163 West 23 Street Manhattan, A 10011

Pauls Da Burger Joint

131 2 Avenue Manhattan, 10003

The Fork Bar & Grill

252 8 Avenue Manhattan, 10011

Sing Sing Karaoke

9 St Marks Place Manhattan, 10003

Trailer Park Lounge

271 West 23 Street Manhattan, A 10011

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant

338 East 6 Street Manhattan, 10003

Basta Pasta Restaurant

37 West 17 Street Manhattan, 10011

Umi No Ie

86 East 3 Street Manhattan, 10003

Village Den Restaurant

225 W 12Th St Manhattan, 10011

Prova

184 8Th Ave Manhattan, 10011 A

La Carbornara

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Grade Pending (26) 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

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Akina Sushi

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25 Avenue A Manhattan, 10009 Grade Pending (24) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.A

Juice Press

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Email us at news@strausnews.com

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 13

BUNKS ARE GOOD FOR BRAINS kids’ developing brains.

INTERVIEW The neuroscience of sleepaway camp Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, is t he coaut hor (with Dan Siegel) of the bestselling The Whole-Brain Child, which is now in seventeen languages. She’s a pediatric and adolescent psychotherapist who speaks to parents, educators, clinicians, and camp leadership all over the world. She is a school counselor and the child development director for Lantern Camps. Tina earned her PhD from the University of Southern California, where her research explored attachment science, childrearing theory, and the emerging ﬁeld of interpersonal neurobiology. We sat down with her and asked her a few questions.

Tell us about the inﬂuence camp has on

Camp y a D e A mplet As Co leepAs S y! Awa

When I visit a camp and consult with the leadership team there, I usually have two main messages. Number one: Whether you know it or not, you’re signiﬁcantly impacting the brains of the young people you work with every summer. In fact, it turns out that the things that build the brain and are best for kids’ development are also the very things that are important for running a successful camp with high camper and counselor retention and successful recruitment. And number two: If you know just a few basic facts about the brain, you can be even better at everything I just mentioned. Knowing just a little about the science of how the brain changes in response to experiences, particularly relational experiences, can help camps be even more successful — in all kinds of ways.

Your ﬁrst point is that camp builds the brain? Right. Bunks are good for brains. All the things that camps and parents say that camp does for kids — promoting independence, conﬁdence, friendship-

building, resilience, thriving, character, grit, etc. — these are undoubtedly real outcomes for kids who have quality camp experiences. But why do these outcomes occur? How do these changes happen in short periods of time, and then over years as well? How do we explain this? The brain. I could go on and on about cutting-edge brain science and how it relates to the camp experience. For the sake of time, I’ll brieﬂy introduce you to one part of the brain that’s responsible for these skills and character qualities, and show you how it relates to the good, meaningful work that goes on at camp. I want to introduce you to the middle prefrontal cortex. It’s right behind the forehead and eye sockets and is the front-most part of the frontal lobe. It gives us the ability to do all kinds of important things: regulate our body and emotions, have insight into ourselves and others, feel empathy, communicate in an attuned way, bounce back after failure, adapt to new situations, make thoughtful choices, and overcome fear. That’s pretty much what’s needed for a successful life with good emotional and mental health, meaningful relationships, and the conscientiousness to make things happen in the world.

And camp can help develop that part of the brain? Whether camps have thought about it in those terms or not, yes. And that’s the exciting part for the camp world:

We don’t just influence kids’ minds and help them feel more confident. We actually change the structure of their brains. Experience changes the brain. And yes, I mean the actual activation and wiring of the brain. Particularly when experiences are emotional, novel, and challenging, the repeated experiences kids have alter the actual architecture of the brain. It’s like a muscle. When it’s used, it grows and strengthens. So, when kids have camp experiences that require them to overcome fear, be flexible, handle their emotions (especially away from their parents), be persistent to master something, build relationships, and so on, it builds this important part of the brain. And by the way, this can happen in even more significant ways when counselors are trained to handle emotional reactivity in campers in ways that reduce reactivity and promote resilience. But the main thing to know is that when the structure of the brain changes, the function of the brain changes. This means that camps can play a role in how these kids function in the world, and ultimately who they become as adults, even on a neuronal level. It’s so great that camps that are intentional about all facets of the camper experience and how they train their counselors already inherently provide the kinds of experiences that activate and build this “character” part of the brain. That’s why we can see signifi-

cant changes in kids who have camp as part of their lives.

So you’re saying that camp aids in this development because of the challenges children face when they’re away from home? Yes, that’s part of it, but it’s about much more than just the challenges, because kids have lots of challenges in their everyday lives as well. One thing that’s unique about camp experiences is that camp is usually fun, so kids are willing to work harder and tolerate more frustration and setbacks because they’re having a good time doing it, and they’re doing it in the context of relationship. They see their peers pushing through as well, and when staff is well trained, kids have mentors or counselors who are empathic about the struggle, but still encourage them to endure — pushing them to continue to learn and try. Then they face the frustrations and persist through the challenges. This is one way “grit” gets built in the brain.

So, camp experiences build the brain. What’s your second message? The second is that knowing some of these basic facts about the brain can help directors and counselors be even more successful — both at helping develop great kids with the time they have them at camp, and at running a successful camp with high retention rates and happy campers and parents. Originally published in the 2014 January/ February Camping Magazine

JANUARY 29-4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 14

AUTONOMY, MASTERY & CONNECTION AT CAMP LEARNING Three important take-aways for campers BY BOB DITTER

Maddie, a seven-year-old camper, sits on her bed looking frustrated. Her counselor hovers over her trying to get her to finish tying her shoes so she can join the rest of her cabin as they head for their first morning activity. Maddie can’t seem to get her laces quite right, and she is worried the rest of the girls will leave her behind. Julie, her counselor, has the urge to finish the job for Maddie, but something tells her to hold back. She calls over to her co-counselor, Jackie, and says, “You take the rest of the girls on ahead, and Maddie and I will finish here and catch up with you.” Julie then calms Maddie down, reas-

suring her that not only can she tie her shoes herself, but that they’ll have some fun catching up with the group by taking a short cut and getting there ﬁrst! Maddie loves the idea of beating her friends to the tennis courts and her mood quickly changes. Julie kneels down to be on Maddie’s level, keeps her voice level and calm, and continues to cheer Maddie on. After a little prompting, Maddie finally gets it right. Julie gives her a big hug and says, “I knew you could do it! That’s great! Now, let’s go surprise the other girls!” What seems like a typical scene in the life of a counselor with her camper is really an example of the three things that children can get from camp that helps them ﬂourish. What counselor Julie did in her interaction with Maddie, who could just as easily have been a camper at a day camp changing after being in the pool, is support Maddie’s autonomy, encourage her sense of mastery, and further cultivate her feeling of being connected to a caring and wellmeaning adult. It turns out that these three psychological needs — autonomy, mastery/competence, and connection/relationship — are the three critical, universal psychological needs

that a quality, intentional camp experience can foster in young people. The need for autonomy, mastery, and connection is natural and universal rather than ethnically, racially, or culturally specific. Ironically, the three essential psychological needs that have been repeatedly shown to be essential and universal are not necessarily consciously valued or pursued. While many researchers around the world have investigated and tested these fundamental psychological needs, Richard Ryan, PhD, at the University of Rochester, has done more to validate not only their importance but their impact than just about anyone else. Ryan has shown that when children are supported in their quest for autonomy, encouraged in their desire for competence or mastery, and have strong, positive relationships, they not only thrive, they are more likely to be motivated from within. At camp, for example, campers are more likely to clean up, follow the rules, and be respectful of one another and the adults around them when their counselors support their autonomy, reinforce their mastery, and cultivate close, caring, positive relationships

with them. That is exactly what Julie was doing when she stayed back with Maddie. By encouraging Maddie to tie her own shoes, Julie was actually supporting her autonomy — her sense of herself as her own person — while also fostering her sense of mastery. Sure, Julie could have saved time and tied Maddie’s shoes for her. But she would have missed an opportunity to help Maddie see that she can not only do it herself, she can rely on herself in the future. Julie did all this in the context of a caring relationship: She knelt down to be on Maddie’s level; she spoke in a calm and supportive tone of voice; she reassured her when she felt frustrated and afraid of being left behind by the other girls; and she praised her when she overcame her doubts and was successful. In fact, by helping Maddie get past her frustration and worry, we could say that Julie helped her master her feelings — not just her shoe laces! Sure, we can prompt, encourage, support, guide, and demonstrate good technique. Once we hand campers an unearned “victory,” however, we steal from them the opportunity to develop greater autonomy — self-reliance

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JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 15 and resilience, or knowing they can do it themselves. No wonder so many children become jaded. They have less of a sense of one of the most basic psychological needs for well-being â&#x20AC;&#x201D; autonomy. Another way autonomy and mastery come up at camp is during competition with counselors. Counselors have asked me if they should â&#x20AC;&#x153;let the campers winâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;be real and play as hard as we normally do and probably beat them.â&#x20AC;? My answer is neither! Your job as a coun-

selor, if you want to support autonomy and encourage true mastery, is to help the campers get better at taking you on! Coach them about strategy, guide them about your weaknesses and their strengths, and support them in their efforts to engage you more successfully without â&#x20AC;&#x153;lettingâ&#x20AC;? them win or pummeling them. After all, everyone likes a challenge, but only if it is accompanied by an equally strong possibility of mastering that challenge!

TECH-FREE CAMP IN THE DIGITAL AGE The camp director of one of the oldest and most respected camps on the continent remembers how, a few years ago, his campâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continuing tradition as a tech-free environment was especially hard for some fourteenand fifteen-year-old campers. Cell phones,

TECHNOLOGY How kids can benefit from a break in smartphone and social media use

texting, and social media were the personal default setting of their lives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had some kids who really missed it,â&#x20AC;? he told me recently. The networked life was the only life they knew at home and school. Going tech-free was a culture shock for them. Today, he says, the same-aged campers â&#x20AC;&#x153;express a huge sigh of relief to be getting away from the phone and Facebook.â&#x20AC;? Never before have there been such compelling reasons to send a child to summer camp, as we all adjust to life in the digital age. Very few places are left on the planet today where you can see 150 kids happily walking, talking, giggling, and singing together, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

BY CATHERINE STEINER-ADAIR, EDD

ASPHALT GREEN SUMMER CAMPS

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For over two decades, Asphalt Green Summer Day Camp has formed millions of memories for campers while meeting the unique age-appropriate physical, mental, behavioral and social milestones that parents want. The camp is offered at two state-of-the-art Manhattan campuses -- Upper East Side and Battery Park City â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for kids ages 4-13 years. Campers experience fun, active-ďŹ lled days including swimming, a variety of sports, arts, weekly ďŹ eld trips, special events and more! Air-conditioned bus service is available from designated stops throughout the city. Join us from June 29 - August 21 because it will be THE BEST SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE! XXX BTQIBMUHSFFO PSH t

Choose from 1-8 eight weeks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ďŹ&#x201A;exible! All camps include daily swim instruction. Discovery Camp: ages 4*-8 (*must enter kindergarten Fall 2015) Offering fun, new experiences, ranging from creative and performing arts to sports. Each week, we focus on a different theme and take a day trip. Adventure Camp: ages 9-12 Offering new challenges and cool experiences! Campers explore a different weekly theme, collaborate on community service projects, build leadership skills, and take a day trip. With sports and arts options, we offer a well-rounded camp experience. Sports Camp: ages 6-12 Expert coaches help campers build athletic skills in action-packed weeks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; each dedicated to a different sport: soccer, basketball, volleyball, fencing, ďŹ&#x201A;ag football, extreme sports, rugby, and European handball. Spark Camps: ages vary Children pursue individual passions during week-long specialty Spark Camps; they can mix and match with Day Camp weeks: t #BTLFUCBMM CZ #BTLFUCBMM 4UBST PG /FX :PSL t "EWFOUVSFT JO -&(0ÂŽ Robotics t (BNF %FTJHO XJUI .JOFDSBGUâ&#x201E;˘ t .VTJDBM 5IFBUFS t 5FOOJT CZ $PVSU4FOTF t &"- "EE PO BGUFS DBNQ BOE FYUFOEFE EBZ QSPgrams are available; plus transportation above 59th Street.

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Winston Preparatory School, home to a community of smart, creative students who have struggled in traditional academic settings, has partnered with Landmark College, the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading college for students who learn differently, to offer this 10-Day Transition Workshop for College Success. Designed to help college-bound high school seniors and recent high school graduates prepare for the challenging shift to college, the workshop immerses students in a learning experience that offers a taste of college-level work and the challenges theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll encounter. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll study with other bright, motivated students; learn from instructors who understand the challenges they encounter in and out of the classroom; and build an individualized toolkit of reading, writing, studying, and organizational skills so they can be prepared for college success. The 10-Day Transition Workshop for College Success will take place at Winston Prepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York City campus, June 29 through July 3.

Camp Ramaquois, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A day camp as complete as sleep-away campâ&#x20AC;?, situated on 44 acres in nearby Rockland County. Only 30 minutes from the George Washington Bridge, via the Palisades Parkway. From adventurous activities to creative arts to athletic activities, boys & girls, ages 3-15 experience a traditional day camp program ďŹ lled with a variety of stimulating activities. Facilities include group bunks, a 5-acre crystalline lake, 9 heated swimming pools, a splash park, aerial adventure park, tennis, basketball, volleyball & pickle ball courts, hockey rinks, ball ďŹ elds, soccer ďŹ elds, nature area with petting zoo, horseback riding, special events & much more. Optional Adventure Trip Program for grades 3-10. 10th Grade Leadership Program. Many air-conditioned buildings Ramaquois is a magical camp where children experience a sense of adventure, meet new challenges, create wonderful memories and make lasting friendships. Tuition includes Air-Conditioned Door-to-Door Mini School Bus Transportation, Hot Lunch (Nut Aware), Towel Service, 2 Camp Shirts, Snack, Camp DVD & Group Photo.

The A.C.T. Summer camp is one of the few in the ďŹ ve boroughs where campers enjoy spacious grounds, extensive indoor and outdoor facilities, an eight-week program, extended hours, themebased programming and a diverse community. Engaging ACTivities include trips, arts & crafts, sports, performances and entertainment. No need to bus your child away from your neighborhood for sun, shady trees and open spaces! Centrally located near public transportation, our 11-acre oasis in Manhattan brings the country to the city and allows children to: t (BSEFO NFFU PO UIF MBXOT QMBZ PVUEPPST t &BU VOEFS UIF TIBEF PG NBQMF USFFT BOE FOKPZ TOBDLJOH BU PVS DBOUFFO t 1MBZ JO UXP HZNOBTJVNT UXP PVUEPPS QMBZHSPVOET BO JOEPPS BSFOB BOE (B(B #BMM 1JU t $SFBUF BSU JO PVS TUVEJPT XIJDI BSF MP cated in various locations on the 11 acre property of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine

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JANUARY 29-4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 16

TECH-FREE CAMP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

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fully engaged, fully present to each other, arms linked, with nobody looking down to check a phone. Summer camp has always been a great way to get kids out in nature, unplugged from TV, and immersed in a culture full of healthy values of competition, community, camaraderie, cooperation, and collaboration. Camp has always been a safe place for children to grow, to explore, and to take risks knowing that no teachers or parents will be evaluating them, watching, or hovering over them. For many kids, camp has been their ďŹ rst experience of a meaningful connection with nature, whether in a canoe, hiking a trail, or sleeping under the stars. For generations, camp has been the place for kids to develop independence and confidence away from home and parents, and to develop the kinds of social and emotional tools in the camp setting that are essential for success in the wider world. Camp today may be the only place in childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives where they are free to experience themselves fully present and engaged in activities and in

moments where technology is utterly irrelevant. Even as some camps allow campers more access to digital technology, the effort to protect and cultivate childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tech-free experience is increasingly important â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and challenging â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for camps and counselors. Consider the profound impact that even a few weeks of camp has on a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. The active ingredients of this alchemical magic can be difficult to nail down, but certainly the deep immersion, the continuous ďŹ&#x201A;ow of camp time and camp culture creates a cherished counterpoint to the busy, stressful, pressure-ďŹ lled school year. No virtual experience compares to the thrilling sense of achievement of waterskiing, crossing the wake conďŹ dently when only the week before you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get upright on the skis. Nothing matches the sense of mastery that comes from a three-day or three-week wilderness canoeing trip and a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience of her own growth: endurance, grit, resilience. Camp friendships are legendary for a reason. When you are living in a bunk with eight to twelve other people for four to six weeks, especially year after year, you learn how to be a

friend in a way that is less easily learned at school, despite schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts to help children understand the meaning of friendship. You learn to deal with conďŹ&#x201A;ict, with teasing, how to make up, make amends. Unlike in school, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job to monitor social interactions and ďŹ x every situation. Camp culture counters the materialistic, crass, teasing, consumer- based, competitive, snarky cultures that dominate school life, mainstream culture, and social media. When I interview kids about camp, they talk about the unbelievable freedom and joy of being away from smartphones, Instagram, and Snapchat. They feel their inner gooďŹ ness, spontaneity, and humor emerge while walking down the bunk line. They talk about how wonderful it is to be free of the urge to check Instagram or Facebook. It takes a day or two to get over the tech cravings, to go through texting withdrawal and move from smartphone separation anxiety to an exhilarating experience of freedom, but they do it. And they love it. Originally published in the 2014 September/October Camping Magazine.

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 17

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YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES

FINDING A STORY ON EVERY BLOCK Q&A Journalist Jo Piazza on her most memorable assignments BY ANGELA BARBUTI

Jo Piazza owes her journalism career to talent, persistence and a little bit of luck. When she was a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, it was her incessant calling that earned her a job at the New York Times. She later won an assistant role at the Daily News because her resume was one of the only two to survive getting lost in the ocean. Dedicated to the craft and possessing an innate ability to talk to anyone – she’s interviewed subjects as varied as a group of nuns to Jay Z – she went on to hone her skills at Columbia Journalism School. Her resume includes stints as a gossip columnist, Wall Street Journal contributor, and her latest position, as managing editor at Yahoo Travel, which puts her on the road two weeks a month. The 34-yearold i s d i sc iplined enough to write 1,000 words of a book each day, which has resulted in two novels, one loosely based on a breakup she endured, and anothe r, T h e Knockof f, a look into the fashion a nd tech

worlds, which she co-wrote with Lucy Sykes and will be released this spring. When asked if she ever considered leaving Manhattan throughout her career, she said, “I don’t think I would have wanted to come up as a journalist anywhere else. Because you walk down the street and there’s a story on every single block and around every single corner…I think that helped me become a really good journalist. Knowing that there’s a story in everyone and everything.”

When did you know you wanted to become a journalist? I started working at the student newspaper at Penn, doing restaurant reviews because I could go out to dinner for free. Then I started writing culture and became an editor of our culture magazine. And I was the crime reporter at the student newspaper, which was really fun. Then, in my senior year, I saw a sign for an internship th Trenton bureau of the New York in the Tim And it was 45 minutes away, Times. and right by my parents’ house, so I applied Then September 11th happened plied. and they stopped getting back to me. I mea they were obviously busy. So I mean, just kept calling and calling and calling. Then I just kept showing up. And nal they were like, “Fine, we’ll hire ﬁnally, you. And what’s funny is that David you.” Koci Kocieniewski in the bureau kept telling me, “Don’t go into journalism. Stop it. There’s no future in it.” And w a Pulitzer Prize two years ago. he won We’r still good friends and hung out We’re at hi his Pulitzer party and I said, “I’m still doing it.” And he said, “I told you ge out.” And I’m like, “I have three to get book Dave!” And he’s like, “Alright, I books, gues you’re doing okay.” guess

Wha was your experience like at CoWhat lumbia Journalism School? lumb I th think Columbia was great, but I don’ know if I recommend it to young don’t jour journalists. Here’s the thing. I met so m many amazing people and made m so many amazing connections, but I learn just as much being a reporter learned at th the New York Times. So I think J -Sch -School is useful when you want to spec specialize in something. Like I got a b getting a master’s in religion, lot by beca because then I was specializing in som something. But I love Columbia, there no is nowhere else I would have gone.

How did you get your start at the Daily News? New I gr graduated from Columbia and met Geor Rush, the gossip columnist at George the N New York Daily News, at a breakfast panel there. And he needed an assista so I gave him my resume. And sistant, l the legend goes that he went on vacation with his then very-young son, and his sson threw all of the resumes into the o ocean, except mine and Chris Rovzar’s So we ended up working there zar’s. toge together on the same day and I knew noth nothing about celebrities.

Wha have been your most memorable What celebrity interviews? celeb I went w to a birthday party for Sean (the Puffy) Combs at Marquis. And (then I tal talked to this guy for an hour and he w was really nice. And I came back

the next day and told George, and he asked, “What was his name?” And I said, “Jay.” And he said, “Jay what?” And I’m like, “Z.” And he said, “Did you take any notes?” And I said, “No, why is he famous?” They almost ﬁred me on the spot. Lil’ Kim called me a bitch at a club opening once in Harlem. I did an amazing interview with Meryl Streep where she was so incredibly genuine, smart and nice that I just fell madly in love with her. The celebrities that I really like are the ones you don’t read about. The ones that are ridiculously smart and stay out of the spotlight. Like I loved talking to Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney. I love Sarah Jessica Parker, we got to wax on about how much we both love New York City.

In your book Celebrity, Inc. you explain how celebrities make money. That book was so intense because I conducted more than 1,000 interviews with celebrity managers, agent, publicists, lawyers and celebrities themselves. The math and the economics were so integral to making that book work and to making it not be like a real gossip book. And it was interesting because I had the idea and shopped it around to a bunch of different agents and publishing houses. And they all said to me, “You’ve been a gossip columnist, we want something dirty and gritty and we want you to spill the beans.” And I was like, “I don’t think those books ever do well.” In fact, they don’t do well. So many gossip columnists have done those kind of tell-alls and I didn’t want to do that. I was like, “I want to write about the economics of Hollywood. No one’s done this.” And Jane Friedman at Open Road was the ﬁrst person to say, “I get it. This is a smart idea. Of course I want you to do it.” It’s so much more poignant now, that celebrity has become an even bigger business. I almost feel like that book was writing the future.

You’re technically Catholic, but you say you’re agnostic, so why did you get a master’s in religion? And what made you write a book about nuns? I’m fascinated by religion and spirituality. My issue with Catholicism is that I never want to have a daughter and tell her that she can’t be something. And the Catholic Church still says women can’t be priests. But I love so many things about it, like the culture and the morals. And when I was doing my master’s, I did my thesis on how nuns used social media.

So I found all these nuns on Twitter and Facebook. They tweet about everything, reality TV, baseball. One of them tweeted the whole Rosary every single day. That led me to this world that no one talks about, bad-ass nuns. One nun just led to another and I kept uncovering these amazing stories. These are women in their 60s, 70s and 80s and no one was telling their stories.

Tell us one of the nun’s inspiring stories. Sister Madonna Buder is one of my favorites. At age 47, she started running, and then she started running marathons, and then she started running Iron Men. I’m not sure if she still is, but she was the oldest women to ever complete an Iron Man. And she’s the one who dared me to start running. And it completely changed my life. I feel so much healthier. I lost 30 pounds. Before I have my races, I always send her a selﬁe.

How do you get your story ideas for Yahoo Travel? It’s a mix. We get pitched and they’re our ideas. The purpose of Yahoo Travel, as we conceived it when we launched last year, is that we want to talk about how real people travel. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is an aspirational thing, but we found a woman who lost her house, her marriage fell apart, and she climbed it and it helped her rebuild her life. And so we told that story. A good example is that I recently wrote a review of the Four Seasons Lodge in the Serengeti and talked about how a baboon broke into my room and ate all my sugar and then stole my coffee. I woke up and there’s a baboon literally sitting right there.

How did the co-authorship come about for The Knockoff? I met Lucy [Sykes] almost two years ago. I’ve known her brother for years and we were always in the same circles, but never hung out. She had this amazing idea for a book. She told me, and it was like fireworks went off in my head. We immediately clicked and started working on a book proposal. The book is about the clash between Gen X and millennials in the world of fashion and technology. And Lucy is like an icon in the fashion world. I’m at the very tail end of millennial, and work in tech. It was a nice marriage of being able to blend the two worlds. To learn more about Jo’s work, visit www. jopiazza.com

THE BEST SPOTS IN N.Y.C. According to Jo, the best places in the city to: People watch Century 21, downtown. “If you want to really see some women getting into it and throwing elbows, it’s a good time. To write Café Cluny in the West Village.

“My cowriter and I conceived the majority of our book there.” To walk your dog Central Park, before 9 a.m. “When it’s off-leash hours.” To meet men The airport bar in Terminal 4 of JFK. “I’ve gotten asked on three dates sitting by myself at the bar.”

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 19

CLASSIFIEDS Classified Advertising Department Information Telephone: 212-868-0190 | Fax: 212-2868-0190 Email: classified2@strausnews.com Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Deadline: 12pm the Friday before publication ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL SERVICES LOMTO Federal Credit Union It’s hard to beat our great rates! Deposits federally insured to at least $250K (212)947-3380 ext.3144

ADOPTION A childless young married couple (she-30/he-37) seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom/devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses paid. Call/text. Mary & Adam. 1-800-790-5260. ADOPTION: Unplanned Pregnancy? Caring licensed adoption agency provides ﬁnancial and emotional support. Choose from loving pre-approved families. Call Joy toll free 1-866922-3678 or conﬁdential email:Adopt@ForeverFamiliesThroughAdoption.org ANIMALS & PETS

North Shore Animal League AnimalLeague.org 1-877-4-SAVE-PET Facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague ANNOUNCEMENTS

GrowNYC.org Recycle@GrowNYC.org 212-788-0225 ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES

Antique, Flea & Farmers Market, East 67 St Market (bet. First & York Ave). Open every Saturday, 6am-5pm, rain or shine. Indoor & Outdoor, Free Admission. Call Bob 718-8975992. Proceeds beneﬁt PS 183. AUCTIONS

3BR Ski Condo at Bromley MTN. FORECLOSURE AUCTION: Friday, February 20 @ 4pm. Mountain Brook, Unit B-2 at Bromley Village, Peru, VT THCAuction.com *1-800-634-7653 Exciting Neighborhood Auction Antiques and Collectibles, Paintings, Costume Jewelry, Decorative Objects Auction 3pm, Sat. Jan. 31 (Preview & Reg 11am-3pm) 416 E 80th St (bet 1st & York) Martine’s Auctions 212 772 0900, martine-auctions@outlook.com

CAMPS/SCHOOLS Alexander Robertson School Independent School for Pre-K through Grade 5, 212-663-2844, 3 West 95th St. www.AlexanderRobertson.com Loyola School 646-346-8132 www.loyolanyc.org admissions@loyolanyc.org River Park Nursery School 212-663-1205, www.river parknurseryschool.com York Preparatory School 212-362-0400 ext 133 www.yorkprep.org admissions@yorkprep.org

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S

HELP WANTED

*CASH TODAY* We’ll Buy Any Car (Any Condition) + Free Same-Day Pick-Up. Best Cash Offer Guaranteed! Call For FREE Quote: 1-888-477-6314 Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, beneﬁting Make-AWish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call (855) 376-9474

Application Systems Engineer (Princeton Information, Ltd./Jersey City, NJ): Responsible to support a suite of applications, incl. Source code control, deployments, release planning, & coord. & support. infrastructure & middleware components. Reqmnts: Bachelor’s deg. in Elec. Eng’g, Comp. Sci., IT, or rel. field & 5 yrs’ progressive exp. in job offered or in any rel. occ., to include exp. providing infrastructure/middleware support; knowledge of SVN/sub version or other SCM tools; exp. w/ Unix Shell/Perl/ Python scripting in Web Sphere or Web Logic environments; exp. w/ Application build tools, incl. Ant/Maven; knowledge of relational databases & relational database file transfer mechanisms; exp. analyzing & troubleshooting databases; & knowledge of document repositories, incl. EMS Documentum & SharePoint. Applicants must also be willing to work @ various unanticipated client locations throughout U.S. Interested individuals should apply online @ www.princetoninformation.com using keywords “Application Systems Engineer.” WELDING CAREERS- Hands on training for career opportunities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing and more. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. CALL AIM 855-325-0399

CLEANING SERVICES/LAUNDRY

CLEANING SERVICES Residential & Commercial Exp., Bonded & Insured. See manhattanwash.com for info, or call 212-410-3200 ENTERTAINMENT

Mohegan Sun Why Drive? For info call Academy: 1-800-442-7272 ext. 2353 - www.academybus.com HEALTH SERVICES

Carnegie Hill Endoscopy 212-860-6300 www.carnegiehillendo.com Columbia Doctors of Ophthalmology - Our newest location at 15 West 65th Street (Broadway) is now open. www.ColumbiaEye.org 212.305.9535 Gravity Method Hydrotherapy Colonics remove toxins from the large intestine, helps relieve constipation, headaches, candida, mucus & more. Call Rachael at 212-317-0467 Lenox Hill Hospital Lenox Hill Orthopaedics (855) 434-1800 www.Lenoxhillhospital.org/ ortho Make Your Body Thin & Healthy! Colon Hydrotherapy & High Enemas. Swedish Massage. Safe & Private. Call about special detox & relaxation packages. Alternative Medical Center of New York since 1985. 7 days, 11 am - 8 pm. All Credit Cards Accepted. 176 W 94 St - 212.222.4868 and 235 E 51 St- 212.751.2319 Mount Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital University Medical Practice Associates 212-523-UMPA(8672) www.umpa.com New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital www.nyp.org/lowermanhattan HEALTH SERVICES

NYU Langone Medical Center Introduces the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. 555 Madison Ave bet. 55th & 56th, 646-754-2000 HELP WANTED

AIRLINE CAREERS begin here Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance Technician training. Financial aid for qualiﬁed students – Housing available. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 866-296-7093

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Beautify your home with custom radiator covers, nightstands & more. www.licrc.com Handyman/Carpet Cleaner. Skilled, Exp, , Reasonable, Reliable. Joe - 917-530-6790

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ALLSTATE INSURANCE Anthony Pomponio 212-769-2899 125 West 72nd St. 5R, NYC apomponio@allstate.com Anthony Pomponio, Allstate 212-769-2899 apomponio@allstate.com

MASSAGE BODYWORK by young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116

MASSAGE

Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787

POLICY NOTICE: We make every effort to avoid mistakes in your classified ads. Check your ad the first week it runs. We will only accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion. Manhattan Media Classifieds assumes no financial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or re-classify any ad. Contact your sales rep directly for copy changes. All classified ads are pre-paid. REAL ESTATE - RENT

GLENWOOD - Manhattan’s Finest Luxury Rentals Uptown ofﬁce 212-535-0500 Downtown ofﬁce 212-4305900. glenwoodNYC.com OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com REAL ESTATE - SALE

ABANDONED FARM ABSOLUTE LAND SELL OFF! 4 acres- Views- $17,900 6 acres- Stream- $24,900 Just west of Cooperstown! State Land, ponds, apple trees & woods! Buy before 1/31 and WE PAY CLOSING COSTS! EZ terms! 888-905-8847 NewYorkLandandLakes.com BANK REPO’D! 10 acres$19,900! Awesome Mtn views, hardwoods, private bldg site, long rd frontage, utils!No liens or back taxes! Terms avail! Call 888-479-3394 NOW! Sebastian, Florida Beautiful 55+ manufactured home community. 4.4 miles to the beach, Close to riverfront district. New models from $85,000. 772-581-0080, www.beachcove.com SERVICES OFFERED

Allstate - The Wright Agency Anthony Wright 718 671 8000 Ao65989@allstate.com Auto.home.life.retirement

WANTED TO BUY

ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800-530-0006.

TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920’s thru 1980’s. Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 1-800-401-0440

CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps & Paper Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NJ: 1-800488-4175 I Buy Old Tribal Art Free Appraisal 917-628-0031 Daniel@jacarandatribal.com

WE BUY-TOP DOLLAR PAID Fine & Costume Jewelry Gems-Silver-Gold-Jade Antiques-Art-Rugs Call Gregory@718 608 5854 Certiﬁed GIA Gemologist

Directory of Business & Services To advertise in this directory Call Susan (212)-868-0190 ext.417 Classified2@strausnews.com

ANTIQUES WANTED

TOP PRICES PAID

Chinese Objects Paintings, Jewelry Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased

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800.530.0006

CARMEL Car & Limousine Service To JFK… $52 To Newark… $51 To LaGuardia… $34 1-212-666-6666 Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel Known for excellence since 1898 - 1076 Madison Ave, at 81st St., 212-288-3500 Hudson Valley Public Relations Optimizing connections. Building reputations. 24 Merrit Ave Millbrook, NY 12545, (845) 702-6226 John Krtil Funeral Home; Yorkville Funeral Service, INC. Independently Owned Since 1885. WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 212-744-3084

SOHO LT MFG

462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 sf Ground Floor - $400 psf

MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

Marble Collegiate Church Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister, 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001, (212) 689-2770. www.MarbleChurch.org

Pandora Jewelry Unforgettable Moments 412 W Broadway - Soho, NYC 212-226-3414

Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers NYC’s Coolest Place to Skate! ChelseaPiers.com/sr 212-336-6100

Call Mark @ Meringoff Properties 646.262.3900

+/- 16,000 sf Cellar - $100 psf

20 Our Town Downtown JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4 ,2015

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