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FEBRUARY

19-25 2015

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CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU LIVE

In Brief THE RETURN OF THE NEW YORK ECONOMY

As a Verizon outage lingers on, Upper West Siders fume BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Some Verizon customers on the Upper West Side are in the third week of a phone and internet outage that has businesses and residents wondering how a chunk of Manhattan can simply be knocked off the grid. “I heard the entire east side of Columbus Avenue between 87th Street and 89th Street has had a Verizon cable problem,” said Andrew Albert, executive director of the West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. “Council member Helen Rosenthal’s offices, as well as Goddard-Riverside [Community Center], have been without phone service for several days.” Rosenthal sent an email to constituents on Wednesday, Feb. 4, informing them that phones were down in the district office, which is located at Columbus Avenue and 87th Street. Rosenthal believed the problem would be ﬁxed in a matter of days, according to the email. The following Monday, Feb. 9, she and her chief of staff, Marisa Maack, decided to discontinue their service with the company and began using a digital phone service through the city council (the district office phone number was not changed). “We abandoned Verizon,” Maack said. “There was a real lack of responsiveness, and it turned out to be a more major problem. But to be honest with you I could never really get a real answer from them on what exactly the problem was.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

FUTURISTIC HUDSON RIVER PARK WINS APPROVAL NEWS Park moves forward thanks to a $113 million Barry Diller donation Plans are now in place to remake Pier 55 along the Hudson River, thanks to the largest-ever private donation to a public New York City park.

Do you know where this is?

Media mogul Barry Diller and his fashion designer wife Diane von Furstenberg won Hudson River Park Trust approval for the plan, after pledging to commit $113 million toward the $130 million cost of the project. Construction is expected to be completed by 2019, and will completely transform what is now a deteriorating Pier 54 across from the

West Village. According to architects’ renderings, the park will be bult 186 feet off the shoreline and will ﬂoat above the water on 300 mushroom-shaped columns. Plans now call for gardens, paths similar to the High Line and a 700-seat amphitheater, which will be programmed with the help of Oscar-winning producer Scott Rudin and playwright George C. Wolfe.

That hum you’re hearing? It’s the sound of New York’s economy clicking on all cylinders. New data from City Comptroller Scott Stringer shows nearly every corner of the New York economy revving back. Unemployment, while still higher than the national average, is at a six-year low; city tax revenues are the fourth-highest ever; venture investment in the city last year surpassed $5 billion, nearly 60 percent higher than in the previous year; now office leasing activity is the hottest since 1998. And, as the Times pointed out this week, the very solid gains in the city economy came despite a relatively weak contribution from Wall Street, which has historically tended to lead New York out of its doldrums. In official circles, it’s considered good news that the city is recovering, job-wise, while Wall Street hiring has remained nearly ﬂat. Of course, the generally good economic news doesn’t hide the fact that the wealth gap in the city -- the divide between the extremely rich and the rest of us -- is bigger than at any other time in history; the Times’ recent series on the absentee landlords at the luxury towers on Central Park has brought that point home. The second caveat, highlighted by Stringer, is that even though 2014 was strong, things dipped a bit in the fourth quarter, a point that bears watching. “While our economy lost momentum late in the year, most indicators are trending in the right direction,” he said.

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2 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SEN. HOYLMAN SAYS SHELTER FUNDS NEEDED FOR RUNAWAYS Citing thousands of young runaways turned away from New York shelters whose funding has been slashed, a State Senator Brad Hoylman is calling on the Legislature to restore the money. Hoylman, a Democrat representing parts of the Upper West Side, Chelsea, and the West and East Village, said it is “unconscionable” that in one of the wealthiest parts of the world, they struggle to ﬁnd a safe place to sleep. Hoylman, Empire State Pride Agenda, the Coalition for Homeless

Sen. Brad Hoylman is proposing more state funding to help homeless youth in the city.

Youth and other advocates gathered outside City Hall in Manhattan on Thursday to advocate for more funding for shelters. Last month, he asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a letter to allocate $4.75 million more for them in the governor’s budget proposal for the coming year. It wasn’t included. The advocates said funding for youth shelters was cut from $6.3 million in 2008 down to $2.35 million annually the past four years. Office of Children and Family Services data show 5,000 instances when youths were turned away in 2012 from homeless shelters with no available space. “This is a moral imperative,” Hoylman said. “This investment will help protect the most vulnerable among us from sexual abuse and trafficking, reduce HIV/AIDS transmissions and keep our kids out of the juvenile justice system.” The Cuomo administration will consider it, spokesman Richard Azzopardi said. Its budget proposal for the year starting April 1 says the state currently spends about $780 million on services for the homeless and proposed investing $220 million over the next several years for New York City rental assistance and other programs for the city’s “growing” homeless population. Torreano Santiago, 20, told reporters at City Hall that he’s been homeless for a little more than a year, ever since he was kicked out of his aunt’s home. He’s living at Sylvia’s Place now, an

emergency shelter in Manhattan He said that for the ﬁrst couple of weeks he was homeless, he tried to crash at friends’ places and even spent some nights sleeping on subway trains. “I was scared. I had my book bag on my rear end because you would hear stories about that.” He would jerk awake every now and then, “so it would seem like I wasn’t sleeping whenever a cop would come,” Santiago said. “It was so bad I would cry. At one point, I was thinking about ending it.” According to Children and Family Services, which oversees and licenses youth shelters, 43 agencies currently operate 105 certiﬁed programs with a total bed capacity of 1,096 statewide. In 2013, 26 counties and New York City provided services to 14,143 runaways and homeless youths. AP

TWITTER MAY LOOK TO EXPAND IN CHELSEA Crain’s New York reported that Twitter, the social media behemoth, may be looking for even more space in advance of moving into its West 17th Street headquarters. The company will soon be moving to the 140,000 square feet space on 245-249 W. 17th Street that they leased last year, but is reportedly searching for an additional 60,000 square feet. A spokeswoman from Twitter denied the speculations and told Crain’s: “We’re looking forward

to moving into the West 17th Street space and have no plans for further expansion at this time.” Crain’s New York

SETTLEMENT REACHED IN WORLD TRADE CENTER NAME RIGHTS CASE A settlement has been reached in a case involving the 1986 transfer of rights of the name World Trade Center to a nonproﬁt. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Friday that an investigation found the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey “exercised lax oversight and virtually no due diligence” when approving the transfer to the World Trade Centers Association for $10. The association will pay New York $184,000. It also will pay 33 percent of any revenues from the use of the name in New York and New Jersey, up to $15,000 a year. The funds will go toward the World Trade Center memorial. The nonproﬁt calls it a “satisfactory resolution.” Port Authority Chairman John Degnan says the agency is reviewing its relationship with the association. AP

SON OF REAL ESTATE SCION SUES FATHER OVER TRIBECA BUILDING SALE

Jonathan Penner is suing his real estate investor father Arnold Penner in a $54 million dollar lawsuit accusing him of “familial treachery,” the New York Post reported. Jonathan Penner says his dad tricked him into taking just $300,000 for his one-third share of a property at 250 Church Street when it was really worth $27 million, according to the Post. Sometime after 1999, Jonathan purchased a 32.5 percent stake in his father’s commercial property. The value of the building later skyrocketed, but the lawsuit says that Arnold had no plans in sharing the proceeds with his son. Instead Arnold and his business partner Phillip Pilevsky told Jonathan his shares were “worthless.” New York Post

N.Y.P.D. TESTING OUT SMART CARS The NYPD plans to replace its threewheeled scooters with Smart cars. Police Commissioner William Bratton says the department is testing out the mini vehicles. He says they’re more economical than the scooters. The Daily News says the agency has acquired nine of the single-passenger cars for the pilot program and currently is trying one out in Central Park. The Smart cars would be used in NYPD’s parking and school safety divisions and at precincts across the city. Daily News

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FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 3

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

BE THE NEW YORKER WHO REALLY DOES KNOW IT ALL. N.Y. TOP COURT OKS APPEAL OF EXPIRED ORDER OF PROTECTION New York’s highest court says orders of protection can be appealed even after they have expired because of the stigma they carry for someone accused of domestic violence or other offenses. The Court of Appeals, reversing a midlevel court, says the issue is not moot simply because the court order is no longer in effect. A man identiﬁed in court papers only as Radcliffe A. was accused by his aunt, in whose Manhattan apartment he was staying, of assault and harassment in 2009. Family Court in 2011 found

him guilty of second-degree harassment, ordering he stay away for two years. He appealed. Judge Sheila Abdus-Salam says even now, if the order came to others’ attention, they would “almost certainly view him as a domestic violence offender...a decidedly pejorative label.” His case goes back to the midlevel court.

EX BOX One thief jumped at the chance to steal some jumpsuits. At 1:49 p.m. on Monday, February 2, a 52-year-old male FedEx employee left his hand truck unattended on the sidewalk in front of 98 Prince Street. When he returned to the spot, he realized that one package was missing. Video at the location revealed an unknown perpetrator removing

property from the hand truck and ﬂeeing in an unknown direction. The package stolen was a box containing ten jumpsuits, valued at a total of $6,980.

LIFE COULD BE BETTER The prevalence of cell phone theft makes carrying an inexpensive phone a good idea. At 5:50 p.m. on Friday, February 6, a man ran up to a 15-year-old girl at the northeast corner of Liberty Street and Broadway and grabbed her cell phone from her right hand before running off in an unknown direction. Fortunately, the young lady sustained no injuries. Unfortunately, the phone was shut off and could not be tracked. The stolen cell was an LG Optimus L70, valued at $150.

STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 1st Precinct for Feb. 2 to Feb. 8 Week to Date

Year to Date

2015 2014

% Change

2015

2014

% Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

-100

Robbery

n/a

Felony Assault

-100

-75

Burglary

n/a

Grand Larceny

-20

-4.7

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

-100

A LECTURE SERIES PRESENTED BY THE LAURA AND ISAAC PERLMUTTER CANCER CENTER. BPH UPDATE — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occurs when the cells of the prostate gland begin to multiply. This lecture will discuss the causes, symptoms, and diagnosis of this condition. Date: Thursday, February 26, 5:30pm – 6:30pm. Presenter: Christopher Kelly, MD. Location: Perlmutter Cancer Center. 160 East 34th Street. 11th Floor, Room 1121.

COLORECTAL CANCER PREVENTION AND SCREENING. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, but it doesn’t have to be. With screening and early detection, this is one cancer that is highly curable and often preventable. This lecture will discuss who is at risk for colon cancer, who should be screened and when, as well as what screening options are available. Date: Monday, March 2, 5:30pm – 7:00pm. Moderator: Mark B. Pochapin, MD. Location: NYU Langone Medical Center. 550 First Avenue at 31st Street. Farkas Auditorium.

These lectures are free and open to the public, but you must RSVP. To attend, call 212.263.2266 or visit nyulmc.org/cancer-rsvp View past lectures at youtube.com/nyulmc

4 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

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 Sixth 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 First 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. Fourth St.

212-533-5300

Community Board 4

330 W. 42nd St.

212-736-4536

Hudson Park

66 Leroy St.

212-243-6876

Ottendorfer

135 Second Ave.

212-674-0947

Elmer Holmes Bobst

70 Washington Square

212-998-2500

COMMUNITY BOARDS

LIBRARIES

HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian

170 William St.

Mount Sinai-Beth Israel

10 Union Square East

212-844-8400

212-312-5110

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

TIME WARNER

46 E. 23rd St.

813-964-3839

US Post Office

201 Varick St.

212-645-0327

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128 East Broadway

212-267-1543

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Maack said there was a real concern with reaching seniors who don’t use email or the internet and would have no way of knowing the phones were down. “When you called you just got a busy signal,” said Maack. “We get a lot of phone calls every day. And in the winter it’s hard for some people to get out. We’re providing social services out of the office so we just couldn’t have this.” Rita McMahon, co-founder and director of the Wild Bird Fund on Columbus Avenue between 87th Street and 88th Street, said phones at the office are unusually silent and their internet service has been out since Feb. 3. “It’s an animal hospital; we can’t change the records and we can’t take donations,” said McMahon. “It affects the animals too. We can’t respond to peoples’ problems or inquires and with this cold weather people are ﬁnding more and more animals that are in distress.” McMahon said she’s also experienced a lack of good information and communication from Verizon and is considering dropping the company. “We’ve heard very little from Verizon,” said McMahon. “We’ve heard it will take 10 days to repair.” McMahon said the latest date for repair provided to her by the company was Friday, Feb.

20. John Bonomo, a spokeswoman for Verizon’s northeast bureau, said the only outage he was aware of was in northern Manhattan at 188th Street and Wadsworth Avenue. He said he’s since reached out to Verizon’s operations department to get more information. “I can tell you that on Feb. 4 our cables were involved in a manhole ﬁre. We do not know the origin,” Bonomo said. “We replaced fiber cable that was burnt for the FIOS services, and we are currently replacing a damaged copper cable, [which is] much more entailed and work intensive.” Bonomo said Verizon is offering their VoiceLink product to affected customers, which will provide voice-only service

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over the company’s wireless network. Because he was not aware of the problem on the Upper West Side, he could not give a date for when it would be ﬁxed. Bonomo said Verizon received 88 reports of phone and internet outages in this most recent service disruption. “The only area where we have had a chunk of customers having problems is [around 188th Street and Wadsworth Avenue], as a result of the manhole ﬁre,” said Bonomo. “Certainly there may be other customers on the Upper West Side who may have repair issues, but none as a result of any widespread problem.” Bonomo said a pair of copper wires, twisted together, provides basic telephone and, if subscribed, internet service. They take longer to

repair, he said, because, “a copper cable contains hundreds, or thousands, of individual pairs of copper wires. When that cable is damaged, each of those pairs of wires must be spliced back together.” Bonomo indicated that many times, it’s hard to tell how big an area is affected by an outage caused by a manhole fire. “Manhole fires, which are not caused by us, are not common,” he said. “But when they do occur, they affect everything in that manhole, not just Verizon facilities: power, water, gas, cable and other communications services. There’s no simple or single answer to how large or small an area could be affected by a manhole fire.” Meantime, the wait for phone service on the Upper West Side continues.

FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 5

6th Borough

Hawking Eggs BY BECCA TUCKER t’s 3 a.m. and I can’t sleep. When I doze off it’s fitful and every time I wake I see egg cartons. The dawn approacheth. With its arrival, our 120 chickens will begin to do that thing that humans have bred them for millennia to do – deposit these perfectly encased, in our case multicolored, packets of protein in the next boxes in their coop. Yesterday, a cold day in early February, we got 77 eggs, and the hens are gearing up, up, up, with the lengthening days. This is what we were going for, obviously. We didn’t accidentally acquire this massive flock of laying hens. Some days, we can get rid of seven dozen eggs, when we happen to see family or friends, or I drop them off at the local health food store that’s just started selling them, or I bring them to the office to sell to co-workers. But my co-workers’ fridges are full, the health food store’s fridge is full, and we’ve got nothing coming up on the calendar as far as massive reunions are concerned. I’ve been waiting for the snow to melt a little to put up our Free Range Eggs sign, but our road

is a dead-end and we’re pretty far up it, so that’s not going to generate a massive amount of traffic. So I’ve been hustling. The other day I tried to bring some to the shrink’s office that shares a building with my company. I swallowed my hesitation and marched in, telling myself it was a sociable and not-abmormal thing to do. I squeezed past a man in the waiting room with his head between his knees and only too late realized it was really busy right now, not a good time. But I’d come this far. I tried to convey to the ladies in the office behind the window what I was doing, holding up an egg carton until they slid back the glass. I have chickens, and they’re laying a lot of eggs. Anyone want to buy free range eggs? One of the ladies smiled at me for what seemed like a pretty long time. “I’m good!” she ﬁnally said, and the other lady slid the glass back. I ended up getting rid of all the eggs I brought to work that day. But the thing about this business is, you’ve got to do it again tomorrow – or the fridge gets full fast. Why are we doing this? It ain’t for the money. Our little poultry farm’s creation story begins with our emerging awareness that our food system is broken, followed by a desire for

pasture-raised, free range eggs that came from chickens that got to live a chicken-y life. Then we fell in love with cohabitating with chickens, and ﬁgured, we’re already doing this work, we might as well ramp it up. What’s the difference between taking care of 25 chickens and 120? It would be cool to make a little money in the process. And the truth is, it’s not a whole lot more work… until they start laying eggs. Then you’ve got to collect them three or four times a day so they don’t get crushed or frozen, put them in cartons, put our sticker on the carton, grade and size them if you’re selling them at a store (we’re ballparking AA, medium) and write up a receipt, and, of course, when you’ve got more eggs than customers, ﬁnd people to sell them to. Each part of this is kind of fun, and our toddler gets to help, and hopefully someday (soon!?) she can become a little entrepreneur and ferry eggs around in a wagon to sell door to door. But until then, on certain weekdays when we’re both trying to get our jobs – the paying ones – done, sometimes it gets to feel insane. That doesn’t make it any less gratifying, though. As far as feeling useful, not much beats feeding your neighbors, friends and family. I’m convinced that the future of food production is about decentraliza-

tion – a flock on every block – and in this department at least, I can be the change I want to see. The day after I finished putting out the magazine I edit, I played hooky. I bundled toddler Kai up and we packed as many eggs as would fit into a basket and walked up our road, with the intent of giving the eggs to our neighbors as a neighborly gesture (and secretly as a loss-leader). We headed uphill, since the people who live above us are the ones who have to pass our house to get to civilization and are therefore our best bets for future customers. Kai quickly decided it was “slippy” and she did not want to walk, so I carried her in one arm and the basket in the others, announcing “switch!” every few minutes, at which point Kai would grab my neck while I rotated basket and child. I was working up a shvitz, but we felt good. It was a beautiful day, we were getting to know our neighbors and getting our eggs out into the world.

We would not go home until we’d gotten rid of all of them, we decided. But the driveways on our hill are long, man, and Kai was right about them being slippy. We were trudging along like troopers, tiptoeing through snow banks and around ice sheets, headed to a house that another neighbor told me contained three children – prime egg customers. A little boy opened the door and ran away, to Kai’s delight, and a nanny carrying a little girl – to Kai’s even greater delight – came to the door. I explained my mission and offered a dozen eggs. “No, thanks,” the nanny said. “They’re free,” I smiled, holding child and basket on one arm and extending the carton in the other. “We’re your neighbors.” “No, thanks,” she said. “We just came from the store.” I wasn’t sure how to explain to her that she did not have the authority to refuse this neighborly gesture, especially since it seemed pretty clear that actually, she could. Also I was about to drop everything. So I handed her a six-pack – a compromise. Becca Tucker is a former Manhattanite who now lives on a farm upstate and writes about the rural life.

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6 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

Sports STRONG SHOWING FOR TWO ASPHALT GREEN TEAMS

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

The Asphalt Green Wave girls volleyball teams participated in the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington, D.C. Three Asphalt Green teams played, and the 14U team highlighted a strong weekend for the program, finishing 2-4 in pool play and playing well in playoffs, making it to the second round. This was the 14U teams’ second tournament of the season and they will be competing in their first regional tournament this weekend. Earlier, the Green Wave’s 15U basketball team beat the New York Phoenix in a 55 Swish League game to improve their record to 6-2 this season. Adrian Halvorsen’s defense shut down opponents, which opened up easy transition points for the team’s offensive standout Justin Fishman. Fishman finished the game with 35 points and 16 rebounds. The team is tied for second place and with only two games remaining.

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FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 7

REMEMBERING THE WORK OF JOSEPH BAU ART Park Avenue Synagogue shows work of a Holocaust survivor, animator, and graphic artist BY MAXINE DOVERE

A retrospective exhibition of the work of Joseph Bau, known as the “Disney of Israel,” is on display until April 16 at The Gallery of the Park Avenue Synagogue on Madison Avenue at 87th Street. The artist, who was portrayed in Steven Spielberg’s iconic film “Schindler’s List,” was prolific: graphc artist, painter, animator, film maker, author, and poet. Only after the atist’s death in 2002 was it revealed that Bau was the creator of documents used in several high-profile international covert operations. Hadasa Bau, the artist’s daughter, says he was “a man with many secrets,” working as a graphic artist for Israel’s secret

service, the Mossad, for decades. Among the documentation he created were the papers used to extract Adolf Eichmann out of Argentina and the documents used by “our man in Damascus” Eli Cohen used to establish his identity as a Syrian businessman in the early 1960’s. Bau is the author of seven books. His best known is “Dear God Have You Ever Gone Hungry,” a Holocaust memoir, the ﬁrst such to be published in Chinese, and available in English, Hebrew, Polish, and Spanish. Among the paintings on display is Bau’s portrait of Oscar Schindler, the only live portrait sitting of the Holocaust hero. The painting was created in Bau’s Tel Aviv studio during one of Schindler’s several visits to Israel. Schindler had saved the wooden art case which Bau used throughout the war and returned it to him. The originals of Bau’s Holocaust paintings had been hidden in a secret bottom in the case along with irreplacable family photograhs. In

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

addition to these works - which have hung in the gallery of the United Nations -- aremore than two dozen examples of Bau’s series on the Hebrew language, his classic advertising images, stricking contemporary paintings and iconic graphics. Bau remained an essential optomist. Even in the depths of the Holocaust in the midst of a concentration camp, he found reason for hope. During their internment in Płaszów, Joseph Bau and Rebecca Tennenbaum met and fell in love. The wedding depicted in the Spielberg movie, which took place February 13, 1944, was that of the young couple. The life-long love that began in the horrors of the concentration camp last almost ﬁve decades, until Rebecca’s death in 1997. The exhibit opening preceeded a lecture tour by Hadasa Bau. She is the co-director of the Joseph Bau Museum in Tel Aviv, where she works with her sister Clila and has spoken to Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and secular audiences throughout the world. During her current tour, Bau is speaking at The Seventh Day Adventist Hope Church on East 87th Street, Nyack Christian College, The Center for Jewish History on 16th Street, and several area high schools.

One of Joseph Bau’s graphicart pieces.

8 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

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IN PRAISE OF THE OPPOSITION TO THE SEAPORT PLAN TWO VIEWS ON THE WASTE TRANSFER STATION To the Editor: In a Letter to the Community, Friends of Asphalt Green suggests closing the E. 91st St. ramp to the transfer station (now under construction) and have garbage trucks use a new ramp to be created by eiminating the existing southbound entrance to the FDR at 92nd St. While I am strongly opposed to the transfer station, I am also against closing the southbound 92nd St. FDR entrance. If it were eliminated, traffic seeking access to the FDR would have to head south on either York or East End avenues to the next southbound FDR entrance, at 79th St. Since left turns are not allowed from York Ave at 79th St., the only other option is via East End Avenue. This street is already constantly clogged by cars and school buses waiting for students at Brearley and Chapin, two large private schools. And there is also major building construction at East End & 80th, plus the turnaround of the 79th St. crosstown bus. If cars proceed to the next southbound FDR entrance, at 63rd St. and York, they face more delays and constant congestion due to the many hospitals in the area. I believe the proposal by Friends of Asphalt Green to solve traffic problems at 91st Street only moves them down to someone else’s streets, to East End Ave at 79th St. or to York Ave. at 63rd St. Peter Rosenblatt East End Avenue

To the Editor: In supporting the de Blasio administration’s five borough trash plan, The New York Times editorial board declined to acknowledge the disproportionate impact of the E. 91st Street waste transfer station on 2,200 moderate-to-low income residents of New York City public housing - many of them people of color - who live within 300 feet of the station. Relocating the ramp is a sensible concession, but it will do little to improve the lives of the children, homebound seniors, and working poor families of the Isaacs Houses/Holmes Towers who will be breathing diesel exhaust and dodging garbage trucks for generations. Although residents of Isaacs Houses/Holmes Towers share the same zip code as their more affluent peers on the Upper East Side, more people of color, public housing residents, and children will live within a quarter mile of the E. 91st Street waste transfer station than the other planned transfer stations combined. Our primary concern is the health and wellness of these residents who are being left behind and left out. We support the Mayor’s efforts to address inequality and the ‘Tale Of Two Cities’ narrative but fail to understand why our neighbors are not part of the story. Gregory J. Morris President and executive director, Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center

Last week’s op-ed column by Councilmember Margaret Chin and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer opposing the Howard Hughes Corp.’s plans for a new tower at the South Street Seaport generated these responses from the comment section of our web site: Chin and Brewer are to be commended. Hughes Corporation got the deal of the century leasing this unique, irreplaceable area from NYC at less than $3.50/sq ft, and ever since, they have simultaneously claimed poverty (they NEED the tower to make the deal work ﬁnancially) while spending hundreds of millions buying up adjacent property. Even sans the tower, their plans for the area are stale, derivative and

totally out-of-keeping with its character. They have no sense of the texture of the place, nor any respect for it. Developer after developer has gone bankrupt down here because they followed the same playbook: leech the character out of the place, make it more like other places around the country, and if it doesn’t work, declare bankruptcy and leave the area picking up the pieces. The area deserves smart, caring development; understand what’s there, what was there, work with it, don’t tear it down or homogenize it out of recognition. There is a gold-mine in this area, with the bridge vista, a good public market, access to the water, and history that is relevant to today’s NYers.

How long before developers get this message? rbeth Applause and appreciation to Councilmember Chin and Manhattan Borough President Brewer for taking a strong and sensible stance against inappropriate development of the South Street Seaport. They are representing the neighborhood with integrity. The short-term cash that will accrue to the Howard Hughes Corporation if their ‘vision’ for the Seaport is actually achieved will be at the expense of a priceless landmark district that will be compromised forever. Young families will not beneﬁt (unless, of course, they are riding the HHC gravy train already). DHBrown

Howard Hughes’ revised proposal includes a 494-foot, 42-story tower on the north side of Pier 17, at the same site on the New Market building as their previous Seaport proposal. STRAUS MEDIA-MANHATTAN President, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com

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

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

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

FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 9

www.otdowntown.com Your Neighborhood News

The local paper for Downtown own

10 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

BEING A REGULAR KID CAMP How camps support children facing challenges BY MELORA MAYO, R.N.

15 1 4 7

re-use

ways to your old newspaper

Use it as wrapping paper, or fold & glue pages into reusable gift bags.

Add shredded newspaper to your compost pile when you need a carbon addition or to keep ﬂies at bay.

Use newspaper strips, water, and a bit of glue for newspaper mâché.

Crumple newspaper to use as packaging material the next time you need to ship something fragile.

Tightly roll up sheets of newspaper and tie with string to use as ﬁre logs.

2 5 8

After your garden plants sprout, place newspaper sheets around them, then water & cover with grass clippings and leaves. This newspaper will keep weeds from growing.

Make origami creatures

Use shredded newspaper as animal bedding in lieu of sawdust or hay.

Make your own cat litter by shredding newspaper, soaking it in dish detergent & baking soda, and letting it dry.

Wrap pieces of fruit in newspaper to speed up the ripening process.

Cut out letters & words to write anonymous letters to friends and family to let them know they are loved.

Roll a twice-folded newspaper sheet around a jar, remove the jar, & you have a biodegradable seed-starting pot that can be planted directly into the soil.

Make newspaper airplanes and have a contest in the backyard.

Stuff newspapers in boots or handbags to help the items keep their shape.

Dry out wet shoes by loosening laces & sticking balled newspaper pages inside.

a public service announcement brought to you by dirt magazine.

Carol LeBoeuf will never forget the day her twelve-year-old son David came running out of the Clara Barton Day Camp in North Oxford, Massachusetts, yelling, “Mom, they’re all just like me!” David, who has had Type 1 diabetes since early childhood and has been attending a school where is the only child with diabetes, had made a discovery of his own. There were other kids just like him. And he and they could have a serious medical condition, one that is alarmingly on the rise in this country, and still enjoy the carefree summer activities of normal children. Carol says, “David has always been a serious child. Sometimes he meets girls who have his condition, but rarely boys. At camp he met a counselor named Kevin who also had Type 1 diabetes and bonded with him instantly. He began to relax to the point where he got the ‘Barton Boy Award’ as the most happy camper.” Carol, too, had a positive experience. As a registered nurse, she had given up working to be on call for David’s school because they had no nurse on staff. While David was at camp, she said she felt conﬁdent about his safety away from home for the ﬁrst time since he was diagnosed.

Camp Can Be the Common Bond Across the country, among families dealing with serious diseases, the camp movement

for children with such conditions is on the rise. Whether it’s juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, diabetes, or lifelong challenges such as blindness, through camping their conditions have become the common bond that helps them to not define themselves by their diseases but to view themselves as kids first. Major diseases and disabilities burden the childhood of tens of thousands of youth each year. One in five hundred children suffers from either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. It is the most expensive major disease known, costing over $100 billion for treatment and its complications. Juvenile arthritis affects an estimated 285,000 children under age seventeen and 50, 000 of them have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. And cancer is the leading cause of nonaccidental death among children.

A joyful discovery In experiencing camp with other children affected by the same condition, David is not alone in his joyful discovery. Claudia Uppendahl, age ten, who has had Type 1 diabetes since she was five and has attended the Clara Barton Camp since she was six, feels the same way: “I feel happy knowing I’m not the only one and that I can be a regular kid. The counselors treat everyone the same.” Claudia’s mom, Laura, is a single parent who gave up her floral business and moved in with her parents to care for her daughter full time. She says that camp is a place her daughter can be totally herself “while I sit back and relax...a total break for me. Also, Clau-

dia learns how to do one major thing for herself each summer. Last year she learned how to give herself an insulin shot in her abdomen.”

Camps for Special Needs Are on the Rise Currently, according to American Camp Association (ACA) files, there are more than two hundred camps for children with special diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The camps serve those with a range of diseases, including HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and cerebral palsy. Several of these camps include those with related conditions, such as spina biﬁda, blindness, and hearing loss.

Camps’ Remarkable Inﬂuence One anecdote seems to illustrate best the influence camp has had on children’s lives. Carol, mother of David, relates that the Barton Day Camp experience made her son so confident he developed a science project about diabetes as the invisible disease the following year in school. The project was entitled, “What’s It Like Being a Child with Diabetes?” A photo of normal-looking boys, including him, illustrated it. Underneath the picture of the four was a caption that read, “Which one has diabetes?” The answer...they all do. To learn more about camp and child development, please visit the American Camp Association’s family website: www.CampParents. org. Originally printed in CAMP Magazine, reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association.

FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 11

Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to otdowntown.com

20 KID’S MUSIC THAT ROCKS Hudson Park Library, Leory St. and 7th Avenue South. 11 a.m., Free. Children Ages 18-36 months and 3-5 years are welcome to listen to a read aloud and join in for sing alongs. 212-243-6876. www.nypl.org/events/ programs/2015/02/06/kidsmusic-rocks

New York Live Arts, 19th St. and Broadway. 7:30 p.m., Start from $15. The New York Theatre Ballet will present four ballets. Including two world premiers by Pam Tanowitz and Nicolo Fonte. 212-924-0077. www. newyorklivearts.org/event/ nytb_2015

SCIENCE, FICTION EXHIBIT David Zwirner Gallery, 19th St. between 10th and 11th Ave. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Free. Artist Diana Thater explores and connects her art to everyday life on Earth and how it relates

beyond the skies above us. 212-727-2070. www. davidzwirner.com

▼ 16TH CHINATOWN LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE AND FESTIVAL Starts on Canal and Mott Street, Ends on Sarah and Roosevelt. 1 p.m., Free. Come ring in the year of the

Goat with festive decorations, food and community at the Lunar New Year Parade. 212-868-0190.

SUBTEXT - WORK BY WYATT GALLERY Foley Gallery, Allen and Chrystie street. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Free. Accidental art pieces found in temporary advertising spaces in NYC is what Wyatt Gallery transforms referencing the masterful paintings by American abstract expressionism and French décollage art of the 1960s. 212-244-9081. www. lowereastside.org/event/ subtext-works-wyattgallery/2015-02-22/

23 MONDAY NIGHT MAGIC Theatre 80, 8th St. between First and Second Ave. 8 p.m., $42.50. Come enjoy some unusual magicians that will amaze you with the special effects and crazy props. 212-615-6432. www. mondaynightmagic.com/ aboutMNM1.html

SONG BOOK: BROADWAY FUTURE

▲ PRISON OBSCURA EXHIBITION The New School, 13th St. and Union Square. 12-6 p.m., Free. Prison Obscura explores a different side of society that is continuously growing -- the country’s prisons and jails. 212-229-5600. www. events.newschool.edu

21 NEW YORK THEATRE BALLET N.Y. LIVE ARTS

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts - Bruno Walter Auditorium, 66th St. and Amsterdam. 6 p.m., Free. Song Book: Broadway Future presents new music by Broadway composers ad lyricists performed by Broadway vocalists. 212-870-1630. www. newyorkcity.eventful.com/ events

24 COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MONTHLY MEETING

murder. 212-868-0190. www. stolenchair.org

PETER BERNSTEIN AND MATT PENMAN

Mezzrow Jazz Club, 10th St. between Waverley and 7th Avenue South. Borough of Manhattan 9 p.m., $20. Community College - Richard Harris Terrace, Chamber St. and Peter Bernstein usually plays West St. soulful jazz but loves to break 6 p.m., Free. out and play his own combos. Enjoy a night with the duo Come out to hear the Bernstein and Matt Penman. latest updates about your neighborhood; Community 646-476-4346. www. Board 1 covers most of the mezzrow.com southernmost part of Lower Manhattan below Canal Street. 212-442-5050. www. nyc.gov/html/mancb1/html/ community/community.shtml

COMMUNITY BOARD 3 MONTHLY MEETING P.S. 124, Division and Mott street. 6:30 p.m., Free. Come out and join the community to hear the latest updates on your neighborhood and voice your opinions; Community Board 3 covers the Lower East Side and part of Chinatown. 212-868-0190. www.nyc. gov/html/mancb3/html/ calendar/calendar.shtml

25 KILL ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT 4th Street Theatre, 4th St. between Bowery and Second Ave. 7 p.m., $18–$45. Stolen Chair’s Jon Stancato sets out to capture the feel of ﬁlm noir but on the stage. Follow the journey of a character who ﬁnds clues to his impending

BENJAMIN FREDRICKSON EXHIBIT Daniel Cooney Fine Art, 508 W. 26th St. 11 a.m., Free. This series uses the artist’s candid polaroids to explore the male sex industry in the Midwestern United States. 212-255-8158. danielcooneyﬁneart.com

THE ART OF PARENTING ▼ The Chabad Preschool at Beekman Place, 336 East 53rd St. 8-9:30 p.m., $99 (textbook included) $149 Couples discount. The Art of Parenting with special instructor Rabbi Michoel D. Shapiro, scholar and course author at the Rohr JLI, the International Jewish Adult Education Institute. 212-319-1770. www. chabadsutton.org

12 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

READING BETWEEN THE LINES BOOKS An exhibition of annotated books at the New York Society Library BY MICKEY KRAMER

George Bernard Shaw’s 1932 draft copy of his play “Too True to be Good,” an 1816 copy of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” and James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room” help make up “Readers Make Their Mark,” a new exhibition at the New York Society Library on East 79th Street. Despite the massive growth of e-readers, annotating books and an interest in viewing such markings still exists. In a Dec. 15 column for the New Yorker, Lauren Collins reported on the Oxford University Marginalia group, which was started in 2012 by graduate student April Pierce and now boasts over 2,500 members interested in ﬁnding and studying annotated books. New York Society Library’s special collections librarian and co-curator Erin Schreiner said the exhibition shows how readers personalized their books, making them like keep-

IF YOU GO: “Readers Make Their Mark” What: 23 annotated books from the New York Society Library’s special collections When: Feb. 5-Aug. 15 Where: New York Society Library, 53 E. 79th St., near Madison Avenue Admission: FREE during library hours, Monday and Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. “Readers Make Their Mark” runs through until Aug. 15, 2015.

Author Anthony Grafton looks at annotated books in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery. Photo by Karen Smul. sakes. “We can see people from different backgrounds, with different purposes in mind, marking their books in similar ways,” she said. “People write in their books to respond to what they read.” The idea for the exhibition came in late 2013, when Schreiner took author and Princeton professor Anthony Grafton and his students on a tour of the library’s annotated collection, which Schreiner thought would make for a good exhibition. With the help of two of Grafton’s students-turned-cocurators, Frederic Clark and Madeline McMahon, Schreiner spent a year researching and narrowing down around 100 titles to the 23 books included in the exhibit. The books are housed in four glass cases and could be viewed in about an hour or less. Included in the show is Shaw’s draft, personally signed and dated “12th October 1932,” and marked clearly in cursive ink at the top of the front page with the words “frightfully private” and “no press agent to be let near it.” The 1816 copy of “Emma,” one of only three known worldwide American first editions, is marked with very faded pencil, has some slightly torn, yellowed pages and is missing its covers. Sometime between 1816 and 1868 an unknown an-

notator wrote on the ﬁnal page, “I am delighted to get through with Emma Woodhouse or Mrs. Knightly,” and noted that the character of Emma was “intolerable,” while Harriet was, “very pleasant?” Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room” features emphatic underlines, checkmarks, and “stars” during a conversation when Jacques urges the narrator to connect freely and without shame with his lover Giovanni. During the Feb. 5 opening, many attendees were drawn to this book, Schreiner said. “The underlines are so vivid,” she said. “You can really see how the reader connected with the story.” The New York Society Library, which houses more than 300,000 volumes, was founded in 1754 and is New York City’s oldest library. The landmark townhouse is packed with donated paintings, photographs and sculpture, and across from the front desk sits a Dutch grandfather clock about as old as the library, which “usually works,” according to the front desk staff. Books from two of the library’s special collections make up a large portion of the exhibit. The Sharaff-Sze collection, from the estate of costume designer Irene Sharaff and her partner, Mai-mai Sze, includes Schreiner’s favorite piece in the exhibition, Sze’s annotations in

A page from Paracelsus’s “Baderbuchlin,” annotated by John Dee and John Winthrop, Jr. “The Way of Lao Tzu,” a translation of the Tao Te Ching. Sze worked in the arts as a painter and later as a writer, actress and model, and annotated in both English and Chinese. About a quarter of the books in “Readers Make Their Mark” come from the Winthrop Collection, which dates back to the 1500s and was part of the personal library of John Winthrop, Jr., the ﬁrst governor of Connecticut.

The oldest book in the collection, a copy of Virgil’s “Eclogues” from 1505, is marked in the margins by an unknown student from around the time the book was printed, and is the personal favorite of librarian’s assistant Sara Holliday. “It’s something we’ve all done, taking notes in your Latin or literature class,” Halliday said. “But because presumably notebooks were expensive and the book had wide margins, he

just shorthanded the lecture in the book itself. The book is his textbook and Trapper Keeper.” Even with the proliferation of electronic readers and digital publications, Schreiner is certain books on paper live on. “We hope to show viewers that there is an important relationship between readers, writing, and their books,” Schreiner said. “I don’t think we’ll see the last of books any time soon.”

FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR

DANCE

Call me today to discuss your options.

FILM

“ALL | TOGETHER | DIFFERENT”

“THE ZIONIST IDEA”

It’s a common lament that spreading development and rising rents in lower Manhattan have pushed artists and creatives into the outer boroughs and away from the city altogether, but this current exhibit at the Manny Cantor Center explores what and who are left. The exhibition features paintings, sculpture, video, photography and installations by 100 current Lower East Side artists whose work collectively spans three decades. Through April 1 Manny Cantor Center Ernest Rubenstein and Jewish Communal Galleries 197 East Broadway, Near Jefferson Street Gallery hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. FREE

A holdover from the recent New York Jewish Film Festival, the new documentary from directors Joseph Dorman and Oren Rudavsky examines the history of Zionism and the implications of the movement for Jewish and Palestinian people across the globe. Through interviews with experts and participants in the movement, as well as archival footage and still photography, the ﬁlm examines the ideals and practices of the 130-year-old movement. The screening includes a Q&A with Dorman and Rudavsky. Tuesday, Feb. 24 Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater 165 W. 65th St., between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues 7 p.m. Tickets $13

READINGS

KIDS

SELECTED SHORTS

“THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR AND OTHER ERIC CARLE FAVORITES” The popular stories by children’s book author and illustrator Eric Carle come to life on stage in Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’s performance of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “Little Cloud,” and “The Mixed-up Chameleon.” Using black lights, bright, two-dimensional sets and a plush puppet caterpillar, Carle’s famous character eats its way through ice cream, hot dogs and a variety of foods before transforming into a butterﬂy in this children’s production. Appropriate for ages 3 and older. Sat. Feb. 28 Tribeca Performing Arts Center 199 Chambers St., at Harrison Street 1:30 p.m. Tickets $25

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Choreographer Adam Barruch premieres his collaboration with his frequent partner Chelsea Bonosky at the Harkness Dance Festival. “Belladonna,” a duet based loosely on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” casts Bonosky as the titular character of Hawthorne’s tale, whose immunity to the poisonous plants growing in her father’s garden also makes her lethal to others. Feb. 20-22 92nd Street Y, Buttenweiser Hall Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street Assorted show times Tickets $25-$29

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Email us at news@strausnews.com

Protect your world

“BELLADONNA”

The ongoing Selected Shorts series, in which celebrities lend dramatic ﬂair to short story readings, celebrates its 30th season this year. On Monday, the series takes a break from its regular stage at Symphony Space and heads downtown to the New York Theatre Workshop, where “How I Met Your Mother” alum Josh Radnor reads a story by Paul LaFarge, and Amy Ryan and Martin Short read from the works of Elliott Holt and Ramona Ausubel. Monday, Feb. 23 New York Theatre Workshop 79 E. 4th St., between Second Avenue and Cooper Square 7:30 p.m. Tickets $12

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FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 13

14 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

Food & Drink < CHAMPAGNE BAR ON DOCKET FOR LINCOLN CENTER

Lincoln Center plans for a new champagne bar at its Upper West Side campus, DNAinfo reported. A food and beverage manager for the performing arts destination, which includes Avery Fisher Hall, home to the New York Philharmonic, as well as the Metropolitan Opera House, told Community Board 7 that the small bar area will include only about 16 seats at the back of Avery Fisher Hall,

In Brief MARIA LOI OPENS NEW RESTAURANT Chef Maria Loi, whose eponymous Greek restaurant on West 70th Street near Amsterdam Avenue shuttered this past summer and is now home to the newly opened Lincoln Square Steak, recently opened her new ﬁne dining restaurant Loi Estiatorio, the New York Times reported. Loi’s new venture will feature her classic Mediterranean cuisine, including mussels in white wine and saffron broth and grilled octopus served over fava beans, and borrows healthy recipes from her new book “The Greek Diet,” which came out last fall. The restaurant, which opened in the former W. 58th Street space of Austrian restaurant Seäsonal, recruited the former tenant’s chef de cuisine Arno Mueller. Loi Estiatorio is located at 132 West 58th St., between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, and is open Monday-Friday for lunch from 11:30 a.m-3 p.m., and daily for dinner at 5 p.m., with weekend brunch served from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

NOBU LEAVING TRIBECA

Iconic Japanese eatery Nobu, one of the city’s most notable restaurants, will leave its original, 9,000 square foot location at 105 Hudson Street near Franklin Street for a new, larger spot on Broadway in the Financial District, Steve Cuozzo at the New York Post reported. The ﬂagship location for pioneering chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s now global roster of more than 30 restaurants has been in its Tribeca spot for 20 years, and will remain in the neighborhood through 2016, before opening the more than 14,000 square foot space in the AT&T building at 195 Broadway in 2017. David Rockwell, who designed the Tribeca restaurant, is expected to design Nobu’s new space, the Post reported.

and will not prohibit the public from sitting in the bar area, even allowing guests to bring their own food and drink into the small bar area. Lincoln Center also requested the board’s approval of an indoor bar each for Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall. Though the board won’t formally vote on the libations additions until March, it’s expected to approve all three.

CSA - Community Supported Agriculture programs provide small farms with needed capital for the growing season, and buyers get fresh produce every week.

HOW THE C.S.A. MODEL SUPPORTS A FARM COMMUNITY KITCHEN Now is the time to consider signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture program BY LIZ NEUMARK

I am thinking about spring. Although it is still several weeks away, there are decisions to make that will affect what grows on Katchkie Farm in 2015. Despite the frozen earth, now is the time our planning begins. The seed orders went in last week, including over 60 varieties from arugula and eggplant to king kale, tomatoes and zucchini – over 1 million individual seeds. But the most critical farm activity starting now is the launch of CSA sign up season. CSA – Community Supported Agriculture – is better recognized as the veggie bag members get weekly, filled with whatever was harvested on the farm. We are in the process of signing up our 500 members – not a simple task, yet central to the financial health of the farm. For us at Katchkie Farm, and at hundreds of farms across the country, CSA is the economic anchor. Why? Members pay for their “shares” before the growing season – providing farmers with money to buy seeds, ready fields and equipment– all before a single veggie has grown. CSA defines a commitment that will weather a bumper crop season

(when members beneﬁt) or withstand the occasional disruption due to hurricane, hail, blight or bug (less to share). It fosters a connection between consumer and grower that transcends marketing or e-commerce. The advent of two trends threaten to disrupt the CSA model. The ﬁrst is the aggregator/middleman model, which collects crops from different farms and resells directly to consumers. Retail aggregators include models like Good Eggs or Farmigo, allowing buyers to skip the vegetables they don’t like (no okra please) and get the ones they prefer (more kale or varietal tomato). In season, Fresh Direct not only offers a wide selection of local options (conventional and organic) but a farmer’s box of “best picks” of the week for a CSA-like experience. No doubt, Amazon will be right behind. Depending on your location, Peapod, Whole Foods and others with online shopping will worm their way into the farm fresh market. In the bricks and mortar world, merchants are responding to the demand for local food and promote an array of items, from fruits and vegetables to cheese, meat, fish and beverages as well. Here too, there is abundant marketing about local farm connections – often a source of controversy as there is little transparency and no regulation. There are more local vegetables everywhere with more product

choice, ordering flexibility and greater accessibility (if you are in the delivery zone). This is what the food movement has been advocating and finally, businesses have figured out how to make convenient and profitable. Shopping for local vegetables and fruits will be like shopping for anything else we buy – you get what you chose. Is that a problem? Yes and no. First of all, only actual CSAs should be called CSAs. It signifies a specific operating model and financial arrangement, one that is most supportive of and favorable to the farmer. It should not be used by an aggregator or retail organization to describe a selection of seasonal produce. Although CSA requires upfront payment, many offer a payment schedule as well as reduced prices for low-income communities. Once you factor in the amount of produce over a 22-week period, the cost is generally cheaper than buying via retail outlets. But I think there is more to this conversation than convenience or price or selection alone. At the core of CSA is an understanding of how growing food (farming)

happens. It involves a financial commitment to the farm before delivery – that is an act of faith. It acknowledges the acceptance of circumstances beyond our control – weather, climate change and natural impacts. It embraces the joy of surprise, stimulating conversation and culinary exploration. It gets people cooking, swapping, learning, and talking. Above all else, it is belonging to a community that celebrates the same inexplicable “farm joy” you feel. It’s having a farm to call your own, a farmer to learn from and a place to go if you want to get into the dirt. It transforms the way you think about a rain on a summer’s day – it’s good for the crops. Change in distribution of food from farms to homes is happening and there is room for multiple of models. More healthy, accessible and delicious options beneﬁt everyone. I just hope that the humility that comes with understanding how precious our food is will be sprinkled in every bag and box. Liz Neumark is the CEO of Great Performances catering and the author of the cookbook Sylvia’s Table.

FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 15

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS FEB 6 - 13, 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. Taco Bell/Pizza Hut Express

18 East 14 Street

Hibachi Express Dumpling

229 1 Avenue

Not Graded Yet - Establishment authorized to reopen after inspection conducted on 02/06/2015.

The Grey Dog’s Coffee

90 University Place

Lafayette

380 Lafayette Street

Reservior

70 University Pl

Golden Crepes

82 2Nd Ave

Solas

232 East 9 Street

12 Street Ale House

192 2 Avenue

El Diablito Taqueria

60 East 3 Street

Souen Noodle

326 East 6 Street

Malai Marke

318 E 6Th St

Little Poland Restaurant

200 2 Avenue

Cibar - Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon

56 Irving Place

Grade Pending (24) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Famous Famiglia Pizza

757 Broadway

Grade Pending (22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Cherin Sushi

306 East 6 Street

Upstate

95 1 Avenue

The Royal

127 4 Avenue

Grade Pending (27) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. 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 not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Valbella N.Y.

421 West 13 Street

Grade Pending (36) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Courtyard Marriott/Table 181 Soho

181 Varick Street

Burrito Loco

166 West 4 Street

Better Being Underground

55 Leroy Street

Home Restaurant

20 Cornelia Street

Grade Pending (18) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Joseph Leonard

170 Waverly Place

Grade Pending (21) Food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Hamilton’s Soda Fountain

51 Bank Street

Saturdays Surf

17 Perry Street

Starbucks Coffee (Store 7261)

93 Greenwich Avenue

Chez Jaqueline

72 Mac Dougal Street

Grade Pending (17) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Charlie Bird

5 King Street

GMT Tavern

142 Bleecker Street

Grade Pending (20) Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Miyabi Sushi & Asian Cuisine

118 West 3 Street

Quantum Leap

226 Thompson St

Goemon Curry

29 Kenmare St

Not Graded Yet (2)

Red Bamboo

140 West 4 Street

Prince St. Kitchen

26 Prince Street

Not Graded Yet (4)

Malaparte

753 Washington Street

Temple Bar

332 Lafayette Street

Desantos Restaurant

139 West 10 Street

Grade Pending (27) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Greenhouse Cafe (557 Broaday) Scholastic Building

555 Broadway

Tacombi At Fonda Nolita

267 Elizabeth Street

No Fun

161 Ludlow Street

Schiller’s Liquor Bar

131 Rivington Street

Loreley Restaurant

7 Rivington Street

Epstein’s Bar

82 Stanton Street

Barbuto

775 Washington Street

Roasting Plant

81 Orchard Street

Brass Monkey

55 Little West 12 Street

Galli Restaurant

98 Rivington Street

Petee’s Pie

61 Delancey St

Lulu’s Nurse Bettie

106 Norfolk Street

16 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

< CHURCH CONVERSION PLAN REJECTED AGAIN Plans for the condo-conversion of a century old church on the Upper West Side were again shot down by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, who while supporting the residential repurposing of the church, maintained their position that more information is needed for them to ap-

prove major changes to the church’s Central Park West façade. The church, at 361 Central Park West and 96th Street, was designed by Carrere and Hastings and dates back to 1903. It was purchased last summer by developers Ira Shapiro and Joseph Brunner, who hired GKV Architects

You Asked

Dear Seller: A Buyer’s Love Letter

BY MICHAEL SHAPOT hose of us who routinely help buyers and sellers sometime forget how emotionally charged letting go of a beloved home can be. Submitting a personal, handwritten, heartfelt love letter to a seller has helped many lovelorn buyers clench the deal. The When & Why’s of a Dear Homeowner Love Letter A Dear Homeowner Love Letter is typically used in competitive bidding situations to distinguish a buyer from the rest of the pack. According to Redﬁn, a bid with a Love Letter increases a buyer’s success rate by 9%. It’s also an effective tool when accompanying an offer that’s below the asking price. Rather than “The comps don’t support a higher offer,” it’s much better to say, “We’re stretching because this will be our ‘home’ and we’ve connected with it.” Additionally, a letter

may help a seller judge whether a buyer will be a good long-term partner. Accepting an offer is just one step in the transaction, but what about working through the complexities and drama of the sale? What will due diligence, inspections and contract negotiations be like? A letter gives a glimpse into the buyer’s personality, smoothing out some of the unknowns. The What’s of a Love Letter Done well, a good letter paints a vivid picture, connects with the seller and expresses a sincere sense of excitement about owning the home. In short, the Love Letter humanizes an offer. • Keep it short and sweet. Three or four paragraphs, tops. Any longer, and you lose a seller’s interest in a sea of words. • Use proper grammar. Keep it on the formal side. Avoid slang. Put your best foot forward to create a lasting positive impression. • Introduce yourself. Sellers are naturally curious about buyers are and why they’re interested in their home. Give details that may sway odds in your favor: connections to the community, family particulars, interesting coincidences. • Focus on positives. Note the home’s best assets, why you love them

Property

and how you appreciate its uniqueness. That also means: avoid mentioning ripping out the kitchen. • Be honest and authentic. Express your true inner feelings, emotions and excitement, but communicate truths. • Demonstrate stability. Explain that there will be no problem closing the purchase. Ease a seller’s fears about the uncertainties of a transaction. • Show humility. “We would be honored to live in your home” vs. “We’re hopeful, yet conﬁdent, that you’ll accept our generous offer.” They Love Me…They Love Me Not…. Money talks, but money being equal, people want to do business with those they like and trust. Sellers are likely to choose buyers they’re comfortable with and can relate to. But sometimes, even the best-written and most heartfelt letters don’t work. A seller and a listing agent who are totally focused on the bottom line are unlikely to care one iota about a Love Letter. Some sellers may even view a Love Letter as a sign of weakness. What to do? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Write your letter. Declare your love for that home. Michael Shapot is a broker at Keller Williams Realty

and Li Saltzman Architects to devise a plan that would create about 30 units, including a penthouse. At issue is the applicant’s plan to carve out six new windows on the side of the church that faces Central Park West. Architects have argued that the windows are necessary to cast light into the individual units, but were criticized by the LPC at a December

hearing for not providing ﬂoor plans that prove the windows are necessary. The website New York YIMBY indicated that architects on the project again declined to present ﬂoor plans that showed why the windows are necessary at a hearing last week, which led to the commission’s second denial and set the stage for another hearing on the plan.

BID TO BRING D.N.C. TO CITY FAILS NEWS Mayor de Blasio’s efforts to lure the convention to Brooklyn lost out to Philadelphia BY JONATHAN LEMIRE

Mayor Bill de Blasio made a strong push to bring the 2016 Democratic National Convention to Brooklyn, cheerleading its urban comeback story and liberal credentials while tirelessly working behind the scenes to raise money for what he envisioned would be a coronation for his former boss, Hillary Rodham Clinton. But the national Democratic party chose Philadelphia on Thursday, opting for swing state optics and simpler logistics over Brooklyn’s trendy grit and deep pockets. The decision was a blow to de Blasio, who relentlessly championed his borough’s ascension as the perfect home for a media friendly convention that would see President Barack Obama pass the torch to the Democrats’ next standard bearer. “I really do believe a convention in Brooklyn would have sent a great message about what this country has historically been and can be in the future: an inclusive place, a place for everyone,” de Blasio said in a news conference hours after the Democratic National Committee announced its choice. “I’m disappointed, by deﬁnition.” De Blasio also congratulated Philadelphia which, notably, he did not do in a statement released immediately after the decision. Before making its choice, the national party had stressed the

importance of logistics and fundraising after problems with both in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2012. Brooklyn led the other ﬁnalists — which, beyond Philadelphia, included Columbus, Ohio — in raising money, in part thanks to a committee of well-heeled donors who contributed despite not all being natural allies of the liberal de Blasio. But logistics were never a slam dunk for Brooklyn. The convention would have been centered in the gleaming Barclays Center, the home of the NBA’s Nets in downtown Brooklyn, but some of the delegates would have had to stay across the river in Manhattan. And while de Blasio and his team repeatedly boasted about the public transit options to the arena, which included several subway lines and a commuter rail stop, the frozen zone that would have been put in place far in advance to secure the site would have disrupted life in several bustling neighborhoods. Philadelphia, meanwhile, touted that most of its hotels were grouped in a walkable downtown but the arena that would house the convention is located in a sports complex removed from downtown, making it easier to secure. New York would have been a homecoming of sorts for Clinton,

who represented the state in the U.S. Senate and has a home in the suburbs north of the city. But aides to de Blasio said Clinton’s recent inclination to base her campaign in New York City — a process that her team is coordinating with City Hall — also hurt Brooklyn’s chances, since party officials were reluctant to house two major campaign markers in the same city. Additionally, a convention in deep-blue Brooklyn could attract protests from the left — where Clinton was vulnerable in 2008 — and stir uncomfortable conversations about the Clintons’ ties to nearby Wall Street as their party takes a more populist turn. De Blasio is expected to still be a key liberal surrogate for Clinton if she runs. He was the campaign manager of her 2000 Senate bid and has made several recent public appearances with her and her husband. But losing the DNC, which would have been the first New York-based convention outside of Manhattan, remains a defeat for de Blasio, who has had limited success swaying events outside his home city. He campaigned aggressively to ﬂip the state Senate to the Democrats last fall only to see his party lose seats. De Blasio, who said he was satisﬁed with Brooklyn’s bid, would not rule out making another attempt for a future convention and dismissed talk that the decision was a rebuke to himself or the progressive politics he represents. New York last hosted a convention in 2004, when it held the Republican National Convention. The Democrats last used the nation’s largest city in 1992. Despite some fundraising concerns, Philadelphia was viewed as the favorite throughout the process and also has ties to Hillary Clinton, whose father was raised in nearby Scranton. Additionally, Pennsylvania is considered a nominal swing state, often a plus in convention calculus, even though it last went for the GOP in 1988. The Republicans are holding their convention in Cleveland.

FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015 Our Town Downtown 17

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd

Address

Price

Bed Bath Agent

Lower E Side

Battery Park City

70 Little W St.

$2,000,000

Otsubo Realty

Battery Park City

250 South End Ave.

$1,200,000

Regatta Ny Realty

Battery Park City

2 South End Ave.

$495,000

570 Grand St.

$675,000

Loho Realty

Lower E Side

455 Fdr Drive

$700,000

Sotheby’s

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$800,000

L.G. Fairmont Group

Lower E Side

199 Bowery

$1,350,000

Town Residential

Douglas Elliman

Battery Park City

10 Little W St.

$2,500,000

Nolita

211 Elizabeth St.

$2,000,000

Stribling

Chelsea

143 W 22 St.

$990,000

Soho

25 W Houston St.

$1,640,000

Douglas Elliman

Chelsea

144 W 18 St.

$4,450,000

Soho

150 Sullivan St.

$790,000

Corcoran

Chelsea

214 W 17 St.

$935,809

Tribeca

7 Harrison St.

$5,753,112

Compass

E Village

333 E 14 St.

$850,000

Tribeca

258 Broadway

$1,795,000

Nestseekers

Owner

E Village

71 E 3 St.

$372,550

Tribeca

101 Warren St.

$6,100,000

Stribling

E Village

425 E 13 St.

$1,130,000

Corcoran

Tribeca

366 Broadway

$3,101,000

Sotheby’s

E Village

400 E 14 St.

$630,000

Nestseekers

Tribeca

250 W St.

$29,500,000

Douglas Elliman

E Village

400 E 14 St.

$657,000

Nestseekers

Tribeca

462 Greenwich St.

$10

E Village

62 E 1 St.

$1,530,000

Charles Rutenberg

Tribeca

474 Greenwich St.

$2,950,000

Douglas Elliman

E Village

111 3 Ave.

$825,000

Tribeca

25 Murray St.

$2,800,000

Douglas Elliman

Financial District

88 Greenwich St.

$525,000

Douglas Elliman

Tribeca

7 Harrison St.

$5,956,762

Compass

Financial District

40 Broad St.

$1,510,000

Corcoran

Tribeca

101 Warren St.

$4,350,000

Douglas Elliman

Financial District

15 William St.

$997,885

Douglas Elliman

Tribeca

101 Leonard St.

$2,046,682

Douglas Elliman

Financial District

3 Hanover Square

$795,000

Douglas Elliman

Tribeca

7 Harrison St.

$6,669,537

Compass

Flatiron

254 Park Ave. South

$1,175,000

Town Residential

W Chelsea

421 W 22 St.

$641,497

Corcoran

W Chelsea

520 W 23 St.

$1,185,000

Douglas Elliman

Flatiron

17 W 14 St.

$825,000

Flatiron

108 5 Ave.

$1,950,000

Corcoran

W Chelsea

520 W 23 St.

$850,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Flatiron

15 W 20Th St.

$3,475,000

Triumph Property Group

W Chelsea

456 W 19Th St.

$3,750,000

Douglas Elliman

Gramercy Park

230 E 15 St.

$366,667

Corcoran

W Village

33 Greenwich Ave.

$1,425,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Gramercy Park

201 E 17 St.

$1,350,000

Level Group

W Village

380 W 12 St.

$3,300,000

Peter Mccuen & Associates

Gramercy Park

1 Irving Place

$1,360,000

One Irving Place Realty

W Village

254 W 10 St.

$1,250,000

Gramercy Park

205 3 Ave.

$910,000

Corcoran

W Village

12 Bank St.

$815,000

Citi Habitats

Gramercy Park

305 2 Ave.

$1,311,500

Cantor And Pecorella

W Village

400 W 12 St.

$3,600,000

Related Sales

Gramercy Park

130 E 17 St.

$730,000

Corcoran

W Village

61 Jane St.

$1,097,000

Douglas Elliman

Gramercy Park

300 E 23 St.

$2,730,000

W Village

227 W 11 St.

$685,000

Corcoran

Gramercy Park

160 E 22Nd St.

$2,912,184

Core

W Village

165 Christopher St.

$835,000

Douglas Elliman

Gramercy Park

340 E 23Rd St.

$1,700,000

212 Consulting Corp

W Village

719 Greenwich St.

$1,925,000

Greenwich Village

33 5 Ave.

$1,548,000

Douglas Elliman

W Village

421 Hudson St.

$3,614,787

Corcoran

Greenwich Village

63 E 9 St.

$1,450,000

Halstead Property

W Village

122 Greenwich Ave.

$2,610,000

Douglas Elliman

Greenwich Village

101 W 12 St.

$750,000

Sotheby’s

Greenwich Village

50 E 10 St.

$2,275,000

Core

Greenwich Village

15 W 12 St.

$20,080

Greenwich Village

79 W 12 St.

$860,000

City Connections Realty

St.Easy.com is New York’s most accurate and comprehensive real estate website, providing consumers detailed sales and rental information and the tools to manage that information to make educated decisions. The site has become the reference site for consumers, real estate professionals and the media and has been widely credited with bringing transparency to one of the world’s most important real estate markets.

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO? Email us at NEWS@STRAUSNEWS.COM

18 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

YOUR 15 MINUTES

To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to otdowntown.com/15 minutes

A WORLD OF LITERARY INSPIRATION in an office, which isn’t as exiting but it’s still fun. Teaching, of course, is a completely different experience; I really love being able to help someone make a project better.

Q&A Author Shari Goldhagen on her second novel and what she loves about her neighborhood

You bounced around Manhattan quite a bit before settling on the Upper East Side.

BY MICKEY KRAMER

Long time Upper East side resident Shari Goldhagen’s second novel, In Some Other World, Maybe was released on January 13th by St. Martin’s Press and was honored by Metro on January 29th as a “Weekend Book Pick.” Goldhagen, while promoting her latest novel, teaching creative writing workshops, writing celebrity gossip, and caring for her 11-monthold daughter, found time to discuss her latest work, her neighborhood, and family.

Tell us a bit about the story of In Some Other World, Maybe. The novel begins in 1992, when three different groups of teenagers in three different cities — Cincinnati, Chicago, and a small town in Florida — go to the movie theater to see the ﬁlm version of a famous comic book. They have unique reasons for going, but it ends up being a pretty formative event in all of their lives, and the book follows them across the globe (and of course NYC!) over the next twenty years where their lives intersect and affect each other. I’ve always been intrigued with this idea of cultural phenomenon — like who you were with the ﬁrst time you saw Jurassic Park or first heard the Rolling Stones, where you were on 9/11. The book allows me to explore that for these groups of characters.

Your sister is an actress in Los Angeles, and two of the characters in the book also go to Hollywood to try to make it as actors. How much of that is based on her experience? The actors in the book have an experience that is deﬁnitely very different than my sister’s, but I did incorporate some bits and pieces of stories she told me. I’m always interested in relationships where both people are in the same ﬁeld, and one makes it and the other doesn’t. That was also something I wanted to explore.

Tell us about your ﬁrst novel from 2006, Family and Other Accidents?

I wrote most of my first novel during graduate school and then I ﬁnished things up when I moved to New York. Like the current book, Family and Other Accidents spans 20 plus years. It follows the lives of two orphaned brothers who are hugely important to each other, even if they struggle to express their connection.

What were your emotions when you got the book deal? Selling my ﬁrst book was an interesting experience. For so long, that’s all I ever wanted to do and then it happened and I wasn’t prepared for what to do after that. In a lot of ways it was amazing, but I was still the same person; I still had to tie my shoes and brush my teeth in the morning, so it was also strangely hard. I think that might have been one of the reasons it took me so long to finish a second novel, I just wasn’t prepared for what to work for next.

You’ve spent years covering celebrity gossip, while also teaching writing. Yes, I’ve worked in the celebrity journalism world for more than a decade, and I’ve had some really fun experiences — I’ve gone to strip clubs in Montreal, movie sets in South Dakota, and I’ve sat in the lobbies of some of the world’s finest hotels waiting for various stars. Now I mainly just write

At first I lived in the East Village, then this sort of non-neighborhood on 35th and 10th (I kept trying to call it BELT — By Entrance Lincoln Tunnel), then the Upper West Side. For some reason, I was really averse to the Upper East Side, but I broke up with my fiancé and had to move quickly; the way, way East Side was one of the few places where I could afford to live alone. So I had this emergency move to the East 70s in late 2006. And it turned out to be the perfect fit for me! I stayed in that apartment until last November, and then only moved because my husband (not the ex-fiancé) and I were expecting a baby and needed an extra bedroom. We literally moved half a block away. I think we might be lifers.

Do you have any favorite Upper East Side places and stories? I love that the Upper East Side is so neighborhood-y — the bodega guys stock Cherry Coke Zero because I like it, the employees at Healthwise Pharmacy ask about the baby, and Finestra is always the perfect place for dinner. As far as funny stories, well, a few years ago, another writer — whose work I’d read and loved — moved into my building. I discovered this, not because I saw her in the hall or recognized her name on the mailbox, but because the pet store owner told me that she’d been in to get supplies for her cat.

Speaking of pets, we met on the street because of our adopted dogs Tilly and Lycos. Tell us about Lycos, who recently passed away at 15 years old. To call Lycos a good dog would be, well wrong; she was kind of a challenging dog. I adopted her when she was nine, and Lycos took to me immediately — following me everywhere, crying when I left, always running over with her toys. To me she was loyal, protective, and loving, but she pretty much was fearful of every other

person and dog, which made things as simple as a walk in the park difficult. She bit more than one boyfriend; my husband views winning her over after nearly a year as a point of great pride. We miss her every day.

You got married and had a baby in the past couple of years. Will these life changes inﬂuence your future work? Speaking of which, is novel #3 in the works? Well, I now realize that the baby in my first book was doing things that real babies never actually do, like speak in complete sentences, so in a way having a baby was great research — kidding!

Obviously these things do influence my writing, probably in ways I don’t even realize. And it’s definitely changed the way I write. I do a lot of magazine work and I want to spend time with my family, so I’ve had to become pretty strategic about finding time to write. I think I drink more caffeinated beverages than most people. And yes, novel number three is definitely in the works!

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

FEBRUARY 19-25 ,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

CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S

HELP WANTED

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

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 Heavy Equipment Operators In High Demand! Get Hands On Training And National Certifications Operating Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. Average $18-$22 Hourly! Veteran Benefits Eligible! 1-866968-257 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

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.

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

ADOPT: Loving family of three seeking baby or toddler to cherish forever. Mom/Dad are teachers. Close extended families. Contact Robin/Neil: 866303-0668 Text: 646-467-0499 www.rnladopt.info robin.neil.lucy@gmail.com

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

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

Certiﬁed Dog Training in your home. Vet recommended. Bonded & Insured. Excellent References. Alex Himel, 516767-0747 or 516-633-3384. 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.

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

ENTERTAINMENT

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 Lenox Hill Hospital Lenox Hill Orthopaedics (855) 434-1800 www.Lenoxhillhospital.org/ ortho 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 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

VOLUNTEER REFERRAL CENTER & THE ALL STARS PROJECT PRESENT

VOLUNTEERING IN THE ARTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE ART CAPITAL OF THE WORLD! Tuesday, February 24, 3:00-5:00 pm The All Stars Project 543 W. 42nd St (Subways A,C & E to 42nd St) RSVP: 212-889-4805 FREE

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

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

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

Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787 MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

Fresh California Organic Walnuts, home grown, hand picked. Reduces the risk of heart disease. One of the best plant source of protein, Omega 3 and E &B vitamins. $12 a pound shelled, $5 a pound in shell, plus shipping. Perry Creek Walnuts 530-503-9705 perrycreekwalnuts.com perrycreekwalnuts@hotmail.com Pandora Jewelry Unforgettable Moments 412 W Broadway - Soho, NYC 212-226-3414 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

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 - SALE

WANTED TO BUY

ABANDONED FARMLAND! 6ac- Stream- $24,900 Beautiful xmas tree plantation, babbling brook, nice Views, gorgeous country setting! Less than 3.5 hrs NYC. Call 888-479-3394 or NewYorkLandandLakes.com

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

FORECLOSED LAND! *5ac - $14,325 *7ac - $16,415 *9ac - $19,100 Prime upstate NY location just off the NY State Thruway! Buy all 3 for less than $49,000! Woods, dramatic views, town rd, utils, clear title, EZ terms! Call: 888905-8847 NOW! SERVICES OFFERED

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

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

WANTED TO BUY

I Buy Old Tribal Art Free Appraisal 917-628-0031 Daniel@jacarandatribal.com 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. 1-800-4010440

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

John Krtil Funeral Home; Yorkville Funeral Service, INC. Independently Owned Since 1885. WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 212-744-3084 Marble Collegiate Church Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister, 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001, (212) 689-2770. www.MarbleChurch.org Private Acting Coach SAG Actor w/20 years exp. Free Interview 212-737-8538 www.EdwardLongo.net SERVICES OFFERED

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

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

SOHO LT MFG

462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 sf Ground Floor - $90 psf +/- 16,000 sf Cellar - $75 psf Call Mark @ Meringoff Properties 646.262.3900

20 Our Town Downtown FEBRUARY 19-25 ,2015

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