Our Town Downtown June 18th, 2015 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown wn REPORTING FROM VIETNAM, IN FICTION < Q&A, P.21

WEEK OF JUNE

18-24 2015

A DANGEROUS TRAFFIC PATTERN NEWS Pedestrian safety laws named after children are high profile, but frequently low-impact BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

It has become a ritual in New York City when a child is killed or injured in a horriﬁc traffic tragedy: The city and the family unite in grief. Neighbors and community groups express their

Elle Vandenberghe with her mother, Heather

Local carpet maker helps Nepalese rebuild following destructive earthquakes BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

Joseph Carini was hiking in the Himalayas when the earth started moving. “I didn’t know what was happening, and then rocks came down the mountain and big clouds of dust came up,” he said. The New York native and luxury carpet maker was on one of his regular trips to Nepal, where his Tribeca-based company, Carini Lang, manufactures handwoven carpets, when a massive earthquake rocked the country on April 25. While some of his manufacturing facilities sustained minor damage, Carini’s business was lucky. But many

of the Nepali people he employs lost homes, and lost family. Just days before the earthquake, Carini visited a remote farmhouse where a group of women weave traditional carpets. Carini provides the women with materials and instruction from a master weaver, and buys their finished products. When he returned to their facility after the earthquake, he found their workshop destroyed, along with their homes. Like others in the area, they were living under clear plastic tents, and monsoon season, which lasts from June through September, was threatening. Carini launched a GoFundMe campaign to finance the construction of a new studio space and temporary home for the

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

weavers, which will protect them through the rainy months. Once the wet weather subsides, Carini hopes to finance a more permanent, and stable, home for them built from local materials, such as bamboo and clay. He is also developing a nonprofit relief fund to finance long-term projects in Nepal. Carini was hiking at about 12,000 feet when the earthquake hit. With no planes flying out of a small airport nearby following the devastation, he and some fellow travelers rented a small bus to take them down the mountain’s rugged roads and back to Kathmandu. “These are roads you could make action movies on,” he said of the narrow, bumpy trail which took the bus 12 hours to traverse. “It was more scary than the earthquake.” Another day later, Carini ar-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Photo Credit: Gilles Aliard

FEELING THE EARTH MOVE

outrage. Legislators introduce a law intended to make sure nothing like it ever happens again. And all too often, nothing more ever happens. “There is a precedent in this city for laws named after children that get dropped, basically,” said Dana Lerner, whose 9-year-old son, Cooper, was killed on the Upper West Side last January. ”None of these laws has ever

A weaver whose workshop and home was lost in the earthquake. Photo: Joseph Carini.

Our Take OUR WEEK IN ALBANY One of the joys of living in New York City is our ability to keep our distance from Albany. But this week, the dysfunction, the scandal, the ineptitude of our state’s capital hit home, in the failure of legislators to pass a new rent control law. The existing rent law, which helps 2 million people in the city stay in their reasonably priced homes, expired this week, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo was unable to get his rag-tag crew of lawmakers in line. The failure in Albany gave Mayor Bill de Blasio a rare chance to revel in the turmoil in the governor’s office, continuing the petty playground rivalry between our two top elected leaders. “This is really Albany at its worst,” de Blasio told radio station WCBS 880. That is saying something. The capital, and its leader, have found themselves torn between two powerful forces in the rent debate: the real estate lobby, on the one hand, and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, on the other. The usual instinct to cave to the former is being blocked by fear of the latter. The result is a legislature in deepfreeze. Affected are not just the rent laws, but the minimum wage and city control of schools, as well. de Blasio, who likes to remind us that he knows a thing or two about national politics, compared the dysfunction in Albany to the logjam in Washington, D.C., where partisan bickering have made it all but impossible to get anything done. At least we have an election next year to shake things up in D.C. In New York, both in the state house and at City Hall, we’re stuck with what we’ve got.

Downtowner WEEK OF APRIL

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12

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

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

9-16

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

2015

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

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

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

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

n OurTownDowntow

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Newscheck Crime Watch Voices

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

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

12 13 14 18

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JUNE 18-24,2015

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WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FAST-FOOD WORKERS RALLY FOR $15 MINIMUM WAGE Hundreds of fast-food workers gathered at a church to push the statewide “Fight for $15,” before entering into Governor Andrew Cuomo’s wage board meeting at New York University’s Kimmel Center earlier this week. The Service Employees International Union said $15 an hour could help fast food workers pay for basic living

expenses. The International Franchise Association said in a press release that Cuomo’s proposed wage hike is should apply to all New York businesses, not just fast-food chains. The state’s minimum wage is currently $8.75 and is expected to increase to $9 by the end of the year. But some business owners are concerned that an increase at all would raise restaurant prices and result in fewer hours for workers. However, labor groups argue

that less employee turnover would decrease costs and increase effort given by workers with increased pay. City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Manhattan would reap a $1.6 billion annual increase beneﬁtting 237,100 workers from the gradual increase to $15 per-hour by 2019.

EXPIRATION OF RENT LAWS NO CAUSE FOR PANIC: OFFICIALS Although rent regulations Supporters of an increase in the minimum wage rallied near Columbus Circle on April 15. Photo: The All-Nite Images, via Flickr

expired earlier this week without any resolution to the impasse among lawmakers, officials and others said renters have little to fear — New York and its millions of renters have been in a similar predicament before, with little fallout. “The real story is, don’t panic,” The New York Times quoted a former executive director of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board, Tim Collins, as saying. State lawmakers were not able to hammer an agreement by the time the regulations expired Monday, but advocates and others said that when they do agree on legislation, those laws would be retroactive to June 15, The Times reported. Until that’s done, existing leases – and rent amount – stay in effect. “If the laws do lapse at midnight, landlords should continue to operate as if the rent laws in every aspect remain in full force and effect and that includes sending out renewal lease notices,” the paper quoted Mitch Posilkin, general counsel for the Rent Stabilization Association, which represents landlords, as saying. Mayor Bill de Blasio cautioned that some landlords could use

the impasse to hassle tenants, including by threatening eviction. The city’s public advocate, Letitia James, said her office would provide legal help for tenants “facing harassment, unfair rent increases, or unlawful eviction attempts.” She launched a hotline — (212) 669-7250 — for tenants to call and get help, which they could also do by sending an email to gethelp@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

in November. Pier 55 would replace the deteriorating Pier 54.

CIVIC GROUP POINTS OUT LEGAL ISSUE IN $150 MILLION HUDSON RIVER PARK

What was formerly known as vocational school is now called Career and Technical Education. Public school programs that teach technical skills are implementing altered teaching methods such as learning to use Adobe or Apple products. According to DNAinfo, roughly 120,000 students across the ﬁve boroughs are involved in CTE programs. But before students are taught new technical skills, program teachers need to be re-trained. This summer, a boot camp will teach about 100 city teachers how to use new technology and applications. The ﬁrst round of teachers will then go on to train their colleagues.

City Club of New York, an organization encouraging honest government, ﬁled a lawsuit to stop the construction of billionaire Barry Diller’s ﬂoating park, Pier 55, Gothamist reported. The Hudson River Park Trust and Diller had been negotiating park designs for more than a year, while leaving the public in the dark. City Club argued there was insufficient opportunity for public comment after Hudson River Park Trust and Diller revealed plans for the project

PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAMS EMPHASIZE APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR MODERN-DAY JOB MARKET

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JUNE 18-24,2015

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

WIDOW OF CBS CORRESPONDENT SUES DRIVER IN FATAL CRASH The widow of â&#x20AC;&#x153;60 Minutesâ&#x20AC;? correspondent Bob Simon has sued the driver of a town car that crashed and killed her husband. The New York Post says Francoise Anne-Marie Simon ďŹ led the lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court. It names the driver, Reshad Abdul Fedahi, the limousine company, Skyline Credit Ride, and its contractor, Travez Transporation. The suit says Bob Simon â&#x20AC;&#x153;suffered conscious painâ&#x20AC;? before dying of his injuries. The 73-year-old was killed Feb. 11 when the limo crashed on Manhattanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West Side Highway. It says the death could have been avoided if Fedahiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employers had not rehired him. Fedahi had two speeding convictions and nine license revocations. The Post says Fedahi and Skyline didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t return messages seeking comment. Travez declined to comment. The suit seeks punitive damages.

THIEVES AT A BOUTIQUE A gang of thieves laid some shock and awe on a local boutique. At 12:35 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, 15 men approximately 20 years of age entered the Patron of the New store at 151 Franklin St., grabbed a staggering amount of merchandise, and were gone in about 20 seconds, ďŹ&#x201A;eeing east and westbound on Franklin. Police searched the area but could not locate the gang. Video is available of the incident. The items stolen included ten pairs of Balmain womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jeans valued at $15,300, ďŹ ve pairs of Balmain leather pants priced at $16,375, two CĂŠdric Charlier camisoles tagged at $1,315, two pairs of CalziďŹ cio socks priced at $156, and one pair of Balmain menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sweatpants valued at $855, making a total haul of $34,001.

LOSING THEIR EDGES Cell phones continue to ďŹ&#x201A;y off store shelves, even when they have not been paid for. At 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, two men aged 25 and 24 came into the Verizon Wireless store at 581 Broadway, took four phones off store shelves, and left the store without paying for the devices. The stolen phones were a Samsung Note Edge valued at $800, a Samsung S6 Edge phone priced at $600, a Samsung Note 4 phone tagged at $800, and a

STATS FOR THE WEEK

Samsung S6 phone valued at $600, making a total plunder of $2,800.

Reported crimes from the 1st Precinct for June 1 to June 7

PRICEY Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Week to Date

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tâ&#x20AC;? in T-shirts might stand for thieves, especially when those shirts are priced at more than $200 apiece. At 1:09 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, two men walked into the DSquared2 store at 402 West Broadway and put items of merchandise into both a shopping bag and their pockets before leaving the store without paying. Video is available of the theft. Their direction of ďŹ&#x201A;ight was unknown. The items stolen included three DSquared T-shirts totaling $705, one pair of sunglasses valued at $306, and one belt tagged at $395, making a total theft of $1,406.

STARSHUCKS Leaving your bag on the ďŹ&#x201A;oor could leave you poor. At 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, a 29-year-old woman was sitting in the Starbucks at 55 Broad St. working on her computer, when an unknown perpetrator took her bag that was lying on the ďŹ&#x201A;oor. The victim canceled her credit cards, and fortunately, no unauthorized charges turned up. The items stolen included a black Ted Baker bag valued at $650, a pair of Bose noise-canceling earphones tagged at $300, a blue Filippa K

THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IF YOU THINK YOU SMELL A GAS LEAK IS NOTHING.

Year to Date

2015 2014

% Change

2015

2014 % Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

-40

Robbery

-100

Felony Assault

-100

Burglary

-100

-21.9

Grand Larceny

16.7

410

393

4.3

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

200

wallet priced at $50, $20 in cash, a $20 Metro Card, a Norwegian driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, house keys, and credit cards.

CELLNAPPER NABBED The police took down a perp who was trying to take advantage of a cell phone owner. At 12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 1, a 23-year-old woman was outside 401 Canal St. after leaving school, when she checked her pocket and found that her

cell phone was missing. That evening at 9:30 p.m., she received a phone call from a man who said he had her phone, and if she wanted it back, she should meet him at the corner of Broadway and Chambers Street with $300. She notiďŹ ed police of the meeting, and they arrested Nelson Capellan, 24 years old, charging him with criminal possession of stolen property. The phone, which was recovered, was an iPhone 6 valued at $800.

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JUNE 18-24,2015

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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 7th Precinct

19 ½ Pitt St.

212-477-7311

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233 W. 10th St.

212-741-4811

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212-741-8211

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230 E. 21st St.

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16 Ericsson Place

212-477-7411 212-334-0611

FIRE FDNY Engine 15

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ELECTED OFFICIALS Councilmember Margaret Chin

165 Park Row #11

Councilmember Rosie Mendez

237 1st Ave. #504

212-587-3159 212-677-1077

Councilmember Corey Johnson

224 W. 30th St.

212-564-7757

State Senator Daniel Squadron

250 Broadway #2011

212-298-5565

Community Board 1

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212-442-5050

Community Board 2

3 Washington Square Village

212-979-2272

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59 E. 4th St.

212-533-5300

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330 W. 42nd St.

212-736-4536

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212-243-6876

Ottendorfer

135 2nd Ave.

212-674-0947

Elmer Holmes Bobst

70 Washington Square

212-998-2500

COMMUNITY BOARDS

LIBRARIES

Construction and other congestion-causing activity near the Spruce Street School has led to parents to call for more lights, crossing guards and police in that area of the ﬁnancial district. Photo: Daniel Fitzsimmons

HOSPITALS New York-Presbyterian

170 William St.

Mount Sinai-Beth Israel

10 Union Square East

212-844-8400

212-312-5110

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

TIME WARNER

46 East 23rd

813-964-3839

US Post Office

201 Varick St.

212-645-0327

US Post Office

128 East Broadway

212-267-1543

US Post Office

93 4th Ave.

212-254-1390

POST OFFICES

TRAFFIC, ACCIDENTS NEAR SCHOOL ROUSE PARENTS Construction within tangle of intersections spark continued concern

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BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

Parents of Spruce Street School students continue to speak out against what they believe are unsafe conditions around the school, more a year after this newspaper chronicled how construction, traffic and other obstacles must be navigated by parents and students walking to the building every morning. Since September, major construction at Pace University has brought congestion in and around the dense knot of narrow streets that make up that area of the Financial District. Pedestrians have also had to share the sidewalk with union members picketing the university’s use of non-union labor. In an article last February, the school’s PTA president, Ashley Duncan, suggested that it’s not a matter of if someone gets hurt, but when.

In April of this year, a woman seeking to circumvent traffic near the school drove up on the sidewalk and struck Heather Hensl, 37, causing Hensl serious injuries. The accident happened during morning drop-off for Spruce Street School students, and galvanized the school community into pressuring the local precinct and community board for increased safety at the intersection of Ann and Williams Streets, one of the more dangerous intersections in the area. The parents were also instrumental in pushing Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance to bring charges against the driver, Tiffany Murdaugh, according to traffic analyst Charles Komanoff. Murdaugh, 34, is facing second-degree assault, a charge that is unusual in reckless driving cases that don’t involve alcohol or drugs. “It’s pretty rare for someone to be charged in a vehicular assault,” Komanoff told the

Downtown Express earlier this month. “I have no doubt that community mobilization forced Cy Vance’s hand and forced the N.Y.P.D.’s hand.” In 2012, a UPS worker was killed after being struck by an SUV that jumped the curb on Beekman Street. The police found no criminality in that incident, according to the Express. Alessandra Medigo, a parent of Spruce Street School students who spoke to this newspaper about the problem last February, said recently that parents mobilized after Hensl was hit on the sidewalk, and because conditions will likely worsen when a parking garage near the entrance of the school opens. “A group of us attended the monthly police precinct meeting after the accident and before (Murdaugh) was arrested,” said Medigo. “We shared our concerns over the safety at the intersections of Ann and Williams, the traffic right

in front of the school and the proposed parking garage that is going to open right at our school entrance. It’s hectic now but when that parking garage opens it will be total chaos.” Medigo said parents have asked for additional lights, crossing guards and a police presence at intersections around the school. “The police were very sympathetic with our concerns but said that they are dealing with cuts to their department and that a lot of these concerns really need to be addressed with the Department of Transportation,” he said. “Nothing has changed. If anything, the situation will get worse as our school is now growing into a middle school as well as elementary school, which means more foot traffic and kids, and then this garage is set to open at our entrance. Frankly, it’s all a recipe for disaster.”

JUNE 18-24,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

The High Line

PLANT OF THE WEEK: GOAT’S BEARD

COMING UP ON THE HIGH LINE

Aruncus ‘Horatio,’ cultivar of Goat’s beard, was the brainchild of the famous German nurseryman Ernst Pagels. He aimed to combine the qualities of the glossy, fine foliage of the low-growing Aruncus aethusifolius with those of the taller and more robust Aruncus dioicus. Thanks to this experiment, we have a plant that combines the delicacy of astilbe with the vigor and size of a larger shrub. Keep an eye out this summer for its waist-height sprays of creamy-white flowers and glossy leaves. When established, Aruncus ‘Horatio’ does quite well in drought conditions, but also excels in woodland settings with shade and moist soil. This makes it an ideal woodland plant, with its highly floriferous bronze stems supporting an almost cloudlike display of white blooms that stand out visually in shady settings. In this cultivar, flowers fade gradually with the season, creating an interesting two-tone effect by browning first at one end and extending to the other; in fall, foliage turns a rich red. Tricky to acquire in the nursery trade, the root ball of Aruncus ‘Horatio’ can be divided and spread in attractive mass plantings throughout your garden. ‘Horatio’ may be slow to start, and needs plenty of moisture during this early stage, but once established will withstand drought conditions and wet feet alike. You can see this plant on the High Line at the Washington Grasslands, between Little West 12th and 14th Streets

Every Tuesday and Saturday, May through September Gansevoort Street entrance, on the High Line at at Gansevoort Street Hear the story behind New York City’s park in the sky. Weekly Guided Walking Tours are free 75 minute long tours led by High Line Docents, knowledgeable volunteer guides who offer you an insider’s perspective on the park’s history, design, and landscape. Free public tours take place twice a week on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m., between May 4 and September 29. Space is limited. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to guarantee a spot.

PUBLIC TOUR: FROM FREIGHT TO FLOWERS

$50

MEDITATION Every Wednesday, June through September, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. 22nd Street Seating Steps, on the High Line at West 22nd Street Join our neighbors from the Integral Yoga Institute, the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, and two surprise guests, for weekly guided meditations. Rise above the city streets and start your day focused, centered, and connected with nature. Beginners welcome! Text and photos from www.highline.org

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Nickolas Muray. “Frida On The Rooftop, New York,” 1946. Courtesy of Throckmorton Fine Art

FRIDA IN THE CITY Distinctive photographs of Frida Kahlo at Throckmorton Fine Art BY VAL CASTRONOVO

Her image is emblazoned on the sides of buses in ads for a garden and art show at The New York Botanical Garden — which is ironic considering Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) suffered life-altering injuries in a bus accident when she was 18. But a quiet photo show, “Mirror Mirror ... Portraits of Frida Kahlo,” is vying for our attention at Throckmorton Fine Art, a gallery on East 57th Street that specializes in Latin American photography and deals in rare, vintage photographs of Mexico’s iconic artist. On a recent sunny Saturday, the gal-

Lucienne Bloch. “Frida At The Barbizon Hotel,” 1933. Courtesy of Throckmorton Fine Art

IF YOU GO WHAT: “Mirror Mirror ... Portraits of Frida Kahlo” WHERE: Throckmorton Fine Art, 145 East 57th St. (between Lexington and Third Avenues) WHEN: Now through September 12 www.throckmorton-nyc.com

lery was jam-packed for a talk by psychiatrist and Kahlo scholar Salomon Grimberg. Surrounded by more than 50 photos of the artist taken by some of the 20th century’s most renowned photographers, Grimberg held forth for close to an hour on the woman he repeatedly called “the great concealer.” Kahlo’s spine was shattered after her bus collided with a tram in September 1925 in Mexico City. Her right leg — already thinner and shorter than her left leg from childhood polio — suffered multiple fractures. She concealed her impairment with long ﬂowing skirts, by tucking her right leg under her left leg, a habit formed in early childhood — and through the force of her personality. Grimberg began by comparing Kahlo to the character of the Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera,” because “like the Phantom, she lived with a deformity ... and covered it up.” But, he continued, “she had a presence regardless of her deformity, and she had talent.” Fans of the popular 2002 biopic “Frida,” starring Salma Hayek as the charismatic painter, will recall her famously reaching out to Mexican painter and muralist Diego Rivera to verify that talent — an encounter that led to their stormy marriage in 1929 (and to their divorce in 1939 and remarriage the following year). She had abandoned plans to become a doctor after the bus accident and taken up painting to express — and transcend — her physical and emotional torment. Rivera gave her the affirmation she so desperately needed to become an artist. Kahlo first saw herself in photos taken by her father, Guillermo Kahlo, a German immigrant photographer (her mother was Mexican). As Grimberg explained, it was Kahlo’s father who introduced her to photography and to the arts. Comparing her to the mythic Narcissus, Grimberg said Kahlo “spent her life in front of a mirror” and “lived surrounded by (them) — on tables, walls, the canopy of her bed, the front of her wardrobe and in the garden wall.” In mirrors, he said, “she was seeing her sense of self.”

JUNE 18-24,2015

The show here features two mirror images by Mexican photographer Lola Alvarez Bravo, one of which depicts Kahlo in the garden of her home outside Mexico City, La Casa Azul (The Blue House), in the company of a pair of hairless dogs. The exhibit acknowledges Kahlo’s cult status while at the same time paying tribute to those who enabled it. It boasts the work of a string of notables, including Imogen Cunningham, Gisèle Freund, Lucienne Bloch, Carl Van Vechten, Manuel Alvarez Bravo and Nickolas Muray, the Hungarian-born American photographer and dashing Olympic fencer who was Kahlo’s on-again, off-again lover for nearly 10 years. (Muray, divorced three times, wanted to marry Kahlo; Kahlo was married to Rivera, who had

his own issues with ﬁdelity.) Muray took gorgeous color pictures of his Mexican lover, ﬁve of which line the walls of the gallery, including the most famous one ever taken of her, “Frida With Magenta Rebozo, The Classic” (1939), which Rivera likened to a Piero della Francesca. (A rebozo is a Mexican shawl-like garment worn over the head or shoulders.) As Grimberg noted in his talk, Kahlo once told Muray that there were “only two men I love — Diego Rivera and you.” She cultivated a masculine look until she met Rivera, thereafter accentuating her feminine side with long hair, long dresses, hair ornaments and dazzling pre-Hispanic jewelry. She visited New York on several occasions, most memorably accompanying Rivera in

1933 when he was commissioned to paint a mural for the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center — a mural that was later destroyed because it included a portrait of Lenin, much to the chagrin of the Rockefellers. In 1946, she traveled to the city for a spinal fusion at the Hospital for Special Surgery. In the end, Grimberg concludes that Kahlo, who died in 1954 at the age of 47 after a lifetime of surgeries, hospitalizations and pain, “was stuck. She didn’t have access to the cosmos. Everything she did was about herself. She was self-absorbed and lived in a dead-end. It was like living in a mirror: How far can you go when you’re looking into a mirror?”

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

JUNE 18-24,2015

TRAGIC TRAFFIC PATTERN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 really been enforced.” In the aftermath of her son’s death, Lerner worked to pass Cooper’s Law, which targets cabbies who are charged with breaking traffic laws and critically injuring or killing another person. Despite the high proﬁle of the case, only two drivers have been suspended under the law, and none have so far had their licenses revoked, according to Taxi and Limousine Commission records obtained by this newspaper. A look at other pedestrian safety laws named after children in the wake of tragedy reveals a similarly troubling trend of spotty enforcement.

Hayley and Diego’s Law In 2009 an unattended delivery van left in reverse backed onto a sidewalk in Chinatown and killed Hayley Ng, age 4, and Diego Martinez, age 3. A year later, legislation was passed in their name that gave law enforcement an intermediate option between issuing low-level moving violations and serious criminal charges in accidents that cause injury or death to pedestrians or cyclists. But according to Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy organization, the law went almost entirely unenforced one year after it was put in place. The group reported in 2011 that summonses issued under the law remained more or less flat before and after Hayley and Diego’s Law was passed, meaning law enforcement wasn’t taking advantage of the middle ground that the law afforded them. Wendy Cheung, Hayley Ng’s aunt, told TA the family worked hard to pass the law, and hopes police, “will use all the tools at their disposal to bring justice to our streets and protect others from the pain of losing a loved one to traffic violence.” That sentiment, offered three-and-a-half years ago, echoed a similar statement by Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, who after learning that Cooper’s Law had only been applied twice in nine months, told this newspaper she wishes law enforcement would issue more violations and arrests at the scene of serious accidents involving TLC-licensees so Cooper’s Law would have more impact. In general, NYPD officers responding to the scene of an accident only issue tickets if they personally witnessed the

unlawful conduct that led to it. In cases where a person is critically injured, is dead or is likely to die, the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad conducts an investigation and can issue arrests. After the lax enforcement of Hayley and Diego’s Law was revealed, sponsors State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh tried to pass a bill giving officers explicit permission to issue arrests and violations to drivers in accidents, even if they hadn’t witnessed what happened. The bill passed the State Senate in 2012 but failed in the Assembly where it eventually languished in committee. Both lawmakers are continuing to push for its full passage.

Elle’s Law In September 2009 a driver who spied a prime parking spot on the Upper East Side reversed up a one-way street and struck Elle Vandenberghe, fracturing her skull. The injury led to a stroke in the emergency room, which damaged her brain and led to a monthslong stay in the intensive care unit and 11 surgeries. Against uncertain odds, Elle has since partially recovered and retained the use of her brain and regularly works with a therapist to improve her condition. Like many parents who ﬁnd themselves in this situation, Elle’s mother, Heather Vandenberghe, was incensed that the driver who hit her daughter walked away with merely a traffic ticket. With the help of then-Assemblyman Micah Kellner, she worked to pass a law in her daughter’s name that says drivers who break traffic laws, and as a result seriously injure or kill pedestrians, can lose their license for six months or, upon a second offense, one year. Vandenberghe contends Elle’s Law has never been applied. “Unfortunately Elle’s Law has not been enforced at all since it was passed unanimously by both houses of the New York legislature and signed by the governor in 2010,” said Vandenberghe in a recent interview. “In New York City this is speciﬁcally due to NYPD policy that an officer has to actually witness a reckless driver hitting a pedestrian in order to charge the driver under Elle’s Law. This was never part of the law, it has arbitrarily become department policy under leadership of the NYPD.” It’s exactly that weakness that State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblyman Kavanagh tried and failed to

Earlier this month, the street where Cooper Stock died was renamed in his honor. Dana Lerner is on the right, holding the sign with Councilmember Helen Rosenthal ﬁx in 2012 with Hayley and Diego’s Law. “Hayley and Diego’s Law is a really important tool to crack down on careless driving, and we believe there’s a number of ways to make sure it’s fully enforced,” said Squadron in a recent interview, noting that he and Kavanagh are still pushing for the bill that would increase officer discretion at the scene of serious accidents. However, said Squadron, “with or without passage of this law we believe Hayley and Diego’s Law is an important tool that should be used. It’s not being used in all the cases we believe it should be used. That’s why we’re still pursuing this legislation.” Kavanagh could not be reached for comment on this story. Elle Vandenberghe has a traumatic brain injury as a result of the collision, which causes daily seizures and learning challenges, according to her mother. She also walks with a limp and cannot use her right hand, and is deaf in one ear. Despite this, Vandenberghe takes comfort in the fact her daughter is alive.

“Elle has proven to be a miracle, simply by being alive,” she said. “Every day I look at her and am reminded that she is the bravest, most amazing child I know.” And yet, as in the case of Dana Lerner, lax enforcement of Elle’s Law is disheartening to Vandenberghe. “The intention behind the law was to remind drivers that their actions have consequences, and to pay closer attention and be mindful of pedestrians or face actual consequences,” said Vandenberghe. “Because the law is not being enforced, it’s as if it doesn’t exist.” For Transportation Alternatives Deputy Director Caroline Samponaro, the issue of enforcing pedestrian safety laws, especially those named after children, is dependent on a culture shift within law enforcement that is at present mostly dependent on the driver’s narrative of what happened in a serious accident. “When it comes to bad decision making behind the wheel, we do not hold drivers accountable,” said Samponaro, who noted

FEELING THE EARTH MOVE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The April earthquake in Nepal caused serous destruction, destroying homes and displacing residents. Photo: Joseph Carini

rived back in Kathmandu, and found the city quiet. Everything was closed. Homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Many took shelter in makeshift tents. “I remember coming into the city and seeing clear plastic tarps in these open spaces,” he said. Carini delivered food and water to those displaced from their homes. He also worked an overnight shift in a trauma center. But once he returned to New York, and following a second earthquake in May, he wanted to continue helping those he knows in the area.

that with victims and families she’s spoken to, and in reviewing police accident reports, the driver’s perspective is usually given the most weight. “I think it’s the drivers perspective that’s written into the traffic reports and it’s ‘oops, that was an accident and were going to move on.’ You’re lucky if you have a witness.” But despite the meager returns, Samponaro said she is seeing some progress. “One the one hand you can say there’s been an improvement in enforcement,” said Samponaro. “But it’s inadequate. Progress has been made, but it’s a question of scalability.” Samponaro said the idea is to enforce these laws to such a degree that drivers are aware that reckless driving can have serious consequences, thereby changing behavior. “The way to change behavior is to have predictive and consistent enforcement,” she said.

In 19 days, Carini’s friends and clients have brought him within about $1,000 of his $7,500 GoFundMe goal. Earlier this month, he hosted a fundraising event for another relief fund in his company’s Greenwich Street showroom. Following the earthquake, friends told Carini that they wanted to contribute to relief efforts, but were unsure where their money would go if they gave to large organizations, he said. “It’s very appealing if they can make a donation and see what’s directly happening,” Carini said. “I’m able to post photos and people feel emotionally connected to a project. They see the people that they’re helping and they feel more engaged with it.”

JUNE 18-24,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Voices

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

Editorial

A JURY OF MY (DISTRACTED) PEERS OP-ED BY FREDRICKA R. MAISTER

BETRAYING COOPER STOCK The tragedy never seems to end for the family of Cooper Stock. The 9-year-old boy was struck and killed by a taxi while crossing W. 97th Street in Jaunary 2014. Since his death, his parents, Dana Lerner and Richard Stock, have worked tirelessly – and, given the circumstances, heroically – to squeeze some meaning out of his death. His mother, in particular, has campaigned to highlight the dangers faced by pedestrians in the city, especially from taxi drivers. Her efforts culminated last fall in the passage of Cooper’s Law, which was supposed to make it easier to take the licenses away from taxi drivers who kill people. To Dana Lerner’s dismay, Cooper’s Law now looks to have been more about PR than substantive reform. An investigation by this newspaper’s Daniel Fitzsimmons, published last week, showed that in the nine months since the passage of Cooper’s Law, only two taxi drivers have had their licenses suspended, a truly dismal showing.

The vast majority of drivers involved in fatal or critical accidents wriggle free based on gaps in the law – usually because NYPD officers at the scene didn’t issue a violation at the time of the accident (a step needed for Cooper’s Law to take effect). Other drivers have gone free because their victims, while maimed or brutally injured, weren’t categorized as being in “critical” condition. West Side Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, who shepherded the legislation through the New York City Council, needs to move immediately to close the gaps in the law. She told us last week she was considering tweaks to the legislation; instead, the changes need to be substantive, and they need to happen now. Until they do, Cooper’s Law will remain essentially a soundbite, yet another piece of legislation passed in the wake of tragedy that actually changes very little. And the family of the little boy at the heart of this, who so badly want to make sure that no other family has to endure what they have endured, will be betrayed.

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o say that I am not a huge fan of jury duty is an understatement. However, based on past stints of being summoned downtown, I have found jury duty has its redeemable qualities: the proximity of the courts to Chinatown and the possibility of crossing unexpected paths and bonding with interesting New Yorkers. During the requisite long periods of tedious waiting between calls to the courtroom, I could always strike up a conversation with a prospective juror on any number of subjects, form an instant friendship and share a lunch at a local Chinatown restaurant. I once met a woman who lived in my uptown apartment complex; we had lunch and have been friendly ever since. If I looked around the jury room, I could observe and hear other similar connections being made between former strangers. Sadly, that human interac-

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tion I remember so fondly had all but disappeared when I was recently called again for jury duty. To my utter amazement, the jury waiting room had morphed into a library, quiet, serious, with everyone’s gaze directed downward, ﬁxed on their smartphones or tablets. Not wanting to intrude on another’s privacy, I, unlike my usual “Chatty Cathy” self, never spoke to anyone. Nor did anyone say a word to me. I was glad I brought my iPad along to play Jumbline 2, the word game to which I am helplessly and hopelessly addicted. To be sure, about seven years ago, the time of my last jury service, I did notice some in the jury pool sitting in front of courtprovided desktop computers or their own laptops, but they were in the vast minority. Everyone else, myself included, waited to go home to check e-mail or surf the Internet. Not so this last time around. With the exception of three women with no visible electronic devices, who were heard

chatting in Spanish, we were all immersed in our own virtual cocoons. I could not help but be struck by how invasive and entrenched the global technological revolution had become in our lives. Even though I was an active participant in this new reality, the isolation and lack of human connection I experienced among such a large group of my fellow New Yorkers felt disappointing and disturbing. Since I had not cultivated any “new friends,” I took off for Chinatown alone. Not being in the mood to lunch by myself in a restaurant and feeling hungrier for human contact than for food, I opted to take out a sweet bun with red beans, an almond cookie and a coffee to savor in Columbus Park, where I knew I would ﬁnd a bustling social scene with hordes of elderly Chinese locals. Besides, the early spring weather after a particularly brutal winter was glorious, warm and sunny. Busy, full of life with no cell phone in sight (I looked around!), Columbus Park did not disap-

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point. It seemed as if the senior population, closeted for the winter, had been let loose, free at last to congregate, laugh, gossip and enjoy each other’s company. Clusters of elders played Chinese chess, checkers, mahjong and card games or practiced Tai Chi. A Chinese performer sang traditional Chinese music backed up by musicians playing classical Chinese instruments. I was lucky to ﬁnd a corner spot at a concrete picnic table next to a group of four animated ladies who were gambling with cards. Since I didn’t speak Chinese and their English, I surmised, was limited or non-existent, we exchanged smiles a lot. I felt very welcomed as if I belonged just by being there. I closed my eyes, pretending that I was in China. I wish I could have stayed in the park all afternoon basking in the human warmth, but that story would have to wait. Jury duty was calling and I had to get back to my iPad. Fredricka R. Maister is a longtime Manhattanite and freelance writer.

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

JUNE 18-24,2015

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JUNE 18-24,2015

THE 12 WEEKS Out & About OF SUMMER Sun21 More Events. Add Your Own: Go to otdowntown.com

New Deals Every Week, All Summer Long.

Fri

MS WORD 2010 FOR BEGINNERS ▲

Summer is upon us, and it’s time to enjoy the outdoors—or just relax. For 12 weeks, we’ll be offering a new summer discount deal every week on our favorite tech products. These deals are available in-store only. Stop by today, and stay tuned to our Facebook page for weekly deal announcements during the 12 Weeks of Summer: facebook.com/tekserve.

Seward Park Library, 192 East Broadway 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m., Free Microsoft Word 2010 is a word processing program that people use to create documents. Attend this session to learn its basic features, including entering and editing texts, savings ﬁles, formatting and more. (212) 477-6770 www.nypl.org

SAVING AND RECOVERING DATA Chatham Square Library, 33 East Broadway 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Free Many people aren’t careful with their technological data and end up either losing it or misplacing it. This session will teach you how to save your data onto a ﬂash drive, as well as how to recover any data that might’ve gotten lost. (212) 964-6598 www.nypl.org

Sat

FAMILY MOVIE ►

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Hamilton Fish Park Library Auditorium, 415 East Houston Street 2 p.m., Free

Every week, the Hamilton Fish Park Library hosts a viewing for a fun family movie on the big screen. Come enjoy The Princess and The Frog this week. (212) 673-2290 FOREVER POPPY ► www.nypl.org Provincetown Playhouse, 133 BATTLE OF WATERLOO MacDougal Street 3 p.m., Free IN THE AGE OF NAPOEnjoy an interesting play about LEON AND REVOLUa young girl of mixed heritage TION who comes into contact with a group of elders in a forest that mysteriously perform ShakeHudson Park Library, 66 speare plays at night to themLeroy Street selves. She spends her life trying 10:30 a.m., Free This is the second part of the to discover what connection they have to Shakespeare, while three panel discussions to be held on the battle of Waterloo being pursued by villains trying to stop her. in the age of Napoleon and www.events.nyu.edu Revolution. This speciﬁc event will focus on the importance of the battle on its 200th anRE-DESIGNING WOMEN niversary. (212) 243-6876 Baruch Performing Arts www.nypl.org Center, 55 Lexington Ave. at

JUNE 18-24,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

create fun projects using a variety of materials and skills. (212) 964-6598 www.nypl.org

OPERA IDOL COMPETITION

25th St. 3:00 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:30 p.m., $30 This is the showing of an unauthorized comedy parody that covers the lives of four outspoken feminists and their crazy frolics. However, their world gets turned upside down after fame and fortune and jealousy threaten to ruin their sitcom existence. 866-811-4111 www.baruch.cuny.edu

Mon

AMERICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HIDDEN HISTORY OF RESISTANCE: THE NATION AT 150 Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall, 66 West 12th Street 7:00 p.m., Free The year 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of The Nation magazine. The magazine has been known to record Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hidden history, which makes the anniversary signiďŹ cant for many Americans. This event will be a conversation about the past, present and future of the nation as well as the magazine. www.events.newschool.edu

COMMUNITY BOARD 3, FULL BOARD MEETING

International Vocal Arts Institute, 55 West 13th St. 7:30 p.m., Free Join this fun evening that will introduce many of the new 2015 International Vocal Arts Institute singers to the public as they perform a wide range of songs. There will be a group of judges from the faculty and audience voting to choose their favorites. www.events.newschool.edu

PS 20, 166 Essex St. E Houston & Stanton Sts. 6:30 p.m., Free This meeting is made in order to allow members of the board to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Attending the meeting can give you a say and help you learn how you may be of assistance. TSENG KWONG CHI www.nyc.gov EXHIBIT â&#x2013;ź

LEARN

FROM THE

25 BEST

Thu

COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MONTHLY MEETING Manhattan Youth Community Center, 120 Warren St. at West St. 6:00 p.m., Free A certain agenda is set for this meeting in order to tackle how to improve the quality of life in New York. However, for those who attend and wish to raise additional items may do so under â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Businessâ&#x20AC;?. www.nyc.gov

NYU Grey Art Gallery, 100 Washington Square E 11:00 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 p.m., Free This Hong Kong born artist produced a large variety of photography that captures both the downtown Manhattan club scenes and the increasingly globalized movement of people across nations. This event is the ďŹ rst major solo museum exhibition of his works. (212) 998-6780 www.events.nyu.edu/

FALL SPORTS CLASSES AT THE FIELD HOUSE REGISTER TODAY Semester Starts September 10

ACTIVE TODDLER TIME Seward Park Library, 192 East Broadway 11:15 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:45 a.m., Free A program that provides stories, songs, picture books and ďŹ nger plays for toddlers ages 18 months to 4 years. It is a day ďŹ lled with fun that also emphasizes on interaction and movement for your children. (212) 477-6770 www.nypl.org

Wed

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Tue

Chatham Square Library Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Story Room, 33 East Broadway 3:30 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:30 p.m., Free This event is open to children ages 5 to 11. It allows them to

REAL ESTATE LICENSE & CERTIFICATE PROGRAM OPEN HOUSE Baruch College - Newman Vertical Campus Room 14-280, 55 Lexington Ave. 6:00 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:00 p.m., Free Join the Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute to talk about the NYS Real Estate License Courses and CertiďŹ cate Programs in Real Estate. (646) 660-696 www.baruch.cuny.edu/

212.336.6520 chelseapiers.com/fh

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JUNE 18-24,2015

Several of Damián Ortega’s 2015 “Physical Graffiti” sculptures are included in “Panorama.” Photo by Adel Gorgy

PANORAMAS AND PERSPECTIVES A new exhibit on the High Line provoke and frame thought, and the city BY MARY GREGORY

New York is a summer festival. Even for those not old enough to remember the jingle and the ad campaign that went along with it, there’s plenty of proof out there. Where else can you experience butterﬂies and mockingbirds, melting popsicles and thoughtprovoking works of art sprouting up among seasonal plantings? High Line Art, a program which commissions and produces public art projects on and around the High Line, has recently installed “Panorama,” a group exhibition of international artists, all museum-level, all for free. It’s ﬁtting that the park that’s given New York countless new perspectives

on the urban landscape should be presenting an art exhibition all about perspectives. “Panorama” presents a group of sometimes colorful, sometimes subtle, sometimes playful, always interesting works of art. Eleven artists from around the world offer pieces that respond to the unique environment — urban and natural, bustling yet bucolic — that’s found on the High Line. Surprising and unexpected works are seamlessly woven into the paths and walkways of the park — some so seamlessly that they go unnoticed by many visitors, but that’s ﬁne. Walking among the plants and lawns, looking out over the rooftops of the city, a sense of perspective colors the experience. Within the same vista, one may encounter a ﬂowering shrub, a nesting bird, a large metal sculpture and the Empire State Building. It’s hard not to

think about scale and size, the natural and the man-made. Several of the works serve to frame these kinds of thoughts — literally. The Belgian artist Kris Martin’s sculpture “Altar” is a reproduction of the frame of Hubert and Jan Van Eyck’s 1432 “Ghent Altarpiece,” one of the great masterpieces of European art, now known mostly to art history majors. The shape of the frame is clear, and so is the view right through it. Seen either from the street below or from the High Line paths, it reframes the view of the city. Replacing religious imagery with a contemporary view of the world doesn’t have to offer an experience less contemplative or spiritually moving. The work also speaks to the passage of time and forgetfulness; one may recognize the shape, but how many will be able to recall this once iconic painting? Another work that deals with memory is Ryan Gander’s bronze cast of his wallet and phone, left as if forgotten on one of the park’s benches. It engenders thoughts about what’s left behind — what we leave as individuals, as a culture, as stewards of our landscape. It also provided fun for kids who joked around, trying to pick up the lost items. His sculpture/fountain carved in the likeness of his wife drew lots of attention, admirers and interaction,

as well. Perspectives are also addressed in Gabriel Sierra’s measuring tools placed next to growing plants, Katrín Sigurðardóttir’s rendering of an upside-down model of a volcano that dangles from under Gansevoort Street near the Whitney, and Andro Wekua’s large leaning window sculpture with opaque panes. Damián Ortega’s graffiti tags rendered in bent rebar and situated against blank walls or open sky draw upon something familiar, but place them somewhere unexpected, as do Mariana Castillo Deball’s ceramics that speak to archeological ﬁnds in Mexico. All these works challenge the normal ways of encountering, reacting to and comprehending our surroundings. Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset collaborated on a sculpture on 10th Avenue Square that’s all about seeing. It’s a representation of a telescope, cast in bronze, fixedly pointing towards the Statue of Liberty that both targets and obscures the view of the landmark. “Little Manhattan,” by the Japanese artist Yutaka Sone, is a 9-foot long miniature of Manhattan, carved in white marble. It’s incredibly detailed, capturing, the exhibition’s organizers state, “every bridge, pier and building found in Manhattan at the time of [its] making.” Works of art that take count-

less hours and relentless dedication achieve their own gravitas, but this one also happens to be elegant and beautiful. Olafur Eliasson, a Dane, has surprised and involved the city in his art before, most notably with his waterfalls installed beneath the Brooklyn Bridge and three other New York locations in 2008. Here he presents something even more participatory. An immense Lego architectural landscape (immense by Lego standards) offers a different perspective on cities. This one, like the real ones, changes over time. “The collectivity project,” consisting of over two tons of Lego pieces, is an evolving work. Visitors are invited to play with it, change its shape and structure, and ponder the dissolution of the original form and what that says about the works of man and time. It’s on view through September 30th. All the other works will remain through March 2016, as changes of season will change perspectives again. Seeing “Panorama” through falling leaves, snow and ice and a returning spring will inevitably evoke more thoughts about time, change, perspectives, the nature of beauty and the beauty of nature.

TOP5

JUNE 18-24,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org

FOR THE WEEK

Girls Write Now CHAPTERS Readings with Author Quiara Alegría Hudes

BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH, 6PM

OUR ARTS EDITOR

THEATER

“GUARDS AT THE TAJ”

NEW YORK CITY

The Cooper Union | 7 E. 7th St. | 212-353-4100 | cooper.edu Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes (Water by the Spoonful, In the Heights) will be the keynote speaker at the latest Girls Write Now reading. (Free)

Milan Panic: Prime Minister for Peace

Rajiv Joseph’s new play, directed by Amy Morten and set in India in 1648, follows just two characters, Humayun and Babur, guards at the newly-completed Taj Mahal, who are faced with a grave and brutal task based on some of the enduring rumors of the majestic structure. “Guards at the Taj” Through July 12 Atlantic Theater Company Linda Gross Theater 336 W. 20th St., between Eighth and Ninth Avenues Tickets $20-$65 To purchase tickets, visit atlantictheater.org or call 646-216-1143

MONDAY, JUNE 22ND, 7PM The Strand | 828 Broadway | 212-473-1452 | strandbooks.com Trace the sometimes controversial but always fascinating life of Milan Panic, the ﬁrst Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, as he promotes his autobiography. (Free)

Just Announced | Eye to Eye: Gallery Readings by Michael Cunningham and Kathryn Harrison

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8TH, 6:30PM Guggenheim Museum | 1071 Fifth Ave. | 212-423-3500 | guggenheim.org

BOOKS JOSEPH LUZZI WITH DANIEL MENDELSOHN In his new memoir, “In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing and the Mysteries of Love,” author and scholar Joseph Luzzi explores how he coped with the sudden death of his wife, while also raising the couple’s infant daughter, through the aide of Dante’s epic “The Divine Comedy.” Joseph Luzzi with Daniel Mendelsohn Thursday, June 18 McNally Jackson 52 Prince St., between Mulberry and Lafayette Streets 8 p.m. FREE For more information, visit mcnallyjackson. com or call 212-274-1160

CELEBRATE INDIA! POETRY READING As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition of art from India’s Deccan courts, poet Purvi Shah reads her original works, which often explore journeys and a sense of place, along with poetry from Deccan India that coincides with the exhibit, “Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: Opulence and Fantasy.” Celebrate India! Poetry Reading Friday, June 19 Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street 6:30-8 p.m. FREE with museum admission For more information, visit metmuseum.org or call 212-535-7710

MUSIC POP-UP MUSICALS Throughout June 21, the ﬁrst day of summer, singers and actors pop up at seven different parks

in Manhattan, performing songs from iconic musicals, including “Guys and Dolls,” “West Side Story” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” as part of Make Music New York, a citywide music festival that brings free performances to public spaces. Pop-up Musicals Sunday, June 21 Daryl Roth Theatre Union Square at E. 15th Street 6 p.m. FREE For more information, visit makemusicny.org

The literary superstars behind The Hours and The Kiss lead an intimate reading inspired by the narratives of the new exhibition Storylines: Contemporary Art at the Guggenheim. ($18)

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

,2015 ARY 12-18 5 FEBRU 12-18 ,201 Town n FEBRUARY

OurTow 12 Our 12

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TIO NS EXH IBI strong IONS g to veryGal has EXH IBIT Respondin e g erie

JUNGLE, IBEYI AND SUNNI COLON London duo Jungle, who go separately by J and T, built their infectious, percussive singles in a home studio before releasing their label debut in 2014, and Paris-based Cuban twins Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Diaz of the outﬁt Ibeyi sing both in English and Yoruban, the language of their Cuban father Anga Diaz, against rhythmic, piano-driven tracks. Saturday, June 20 Central Park SummerStage Rumsey Playﬁeld Entrance at Fifth Avenue and Terrace Drive 6 p.m.-10 p.m. FREE For more information, visit www. cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/ To be included in the Top 5 go to otdowntown.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

Your Premier Arts Section

EVERY WEEK IN Downtowner

JUNE 18-24,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JUN 5 - JUN 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. Doughnuttery

425 W 15Th St

The Gem Hotel

300 W 22Nd St

Lolo Organics

75 9Th Ave

U Way

74 5 Avenue

Grade Pending (10) 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.

Mansions Catering

4042 West 8 Street

Grade Pending (44) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Kung Fu Tea

31 Waverly Place

Liquiteria

170 2 Avenue

Asia De Cuba

415 Lafayette St

Grade Pending (21) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.

Big Bar

73 East 7 Street

Grade Pending (17) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewageassociated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or nonfood 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.

Krystal’s Cafe 81

81 East 7 Street

Grade Pending (21) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Lit Lounge Nyc

93 2 Avenue

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

Pyramid

101 Avenue A

Bedlam

40 Avenue C

Coffee Shop Diner

442 East 14 Street

Russian Turkish Baths

268 East 10 Street

V-Nam Cafe

1820 1 Avenue

Grade Pending (17) 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 contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Meatball Obsession

510 Avenue Of The Americas

Spice

236 8 Avenue

Roccos

162 7Th Ave

Grade Pending (19) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Rex Chelsea

251 W 23Rd St

News Bar

107 University Place

Hisaes

212 East 9 Street

Black Iron Burger

540 E. 5Th Street

Red Rooster

29 2 Avenue

Yoshi Sushi

131 Avenue A

Ashiya Ii Sushi

167 1 Avenue

Knickerbocker Bar & Grill

33 University Place

Finnerty’s

221 2 Avenue

The Copper Still

151 2Nd Ave

Bowery Meat Company

9 E 1St St

Grade Pending (27) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.

Tone Cafe

134 E 17Th St

Michelle Restaurant

125 Avenue D

Kiko Sushi

141 1St Ave

Not Yet Graded (35) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 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. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Grade Pending (22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

The Bean

54 2Nd Ave

Neptune Polish Restaurant 192 1 Avenue

Haveli Indian Cuisine

100 Second Avenue

Grade Pending (21) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. 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.

Grade Pending (26) 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. Live animals other than fish in tank or service animal present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Abc Beer Co.

96 Avenue C

Grade Pending (17) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Timna

109 Saint Marks Pl

Gaslight

400 West 14 Street

Bantam Bagels

283 Bleecker St

Soba-Ya

229 East 9 Street

Feast

102 3 Avenue

Grade Pending (23) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

JUNE 18-24,2015

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd

Address

Price

Bed Bath Agent

Battery Park City

200 Rector Place

$580,000

Battery Park City

350 Albany St.

$725,000

Re/Max Midtown

Battery Park City

30 W St.

$1,860,000

Douglas Elliman

Chelsea

100 W 18 St.

$3,774,127

Chelsea

270 W 17 St.

$1,110,000

Chelsea

356 W 23 St.

$690,000

Chelsea

229 W 16 St.

$600,000

Chelsea

340 W 19 St.

$949,000

Chinatown

136 E Broadway

$1,100,000

Median Sales Price

E Village

241 E 7 St.

$860,000

STUDIOS

615,000

E Village

333 E 14 St.

$549,000

1 BED

999,000

E Village

160 E 2 St.

$425,000

2 BEDS

1,850,000

E Village

50 E 1 St.

$200,000

3 BEDS

4,100,000

E Village

115 E 9 St.

$2,100,000

E Village

225 E 4 St.

$589,000

Gramercy Park

38 Gramercy Park

$550,000

E Village

232 E 6 St.

$2,250,000

Greenwich Village

45 5 Ave.

$775,000

E Village

70 E 10 St.

$3,000,000

Greenwich Village

24 5 Ave.

$467,229

E Village

307 E 8 St.

$675,000

Greenwich Village

7 E 9 St.

$1,350,000

E Village

226 E 12 St.

$399,000

Greenwich Village

20 E 9 St.

$1,625,000

E Village

224 E 7 St.

$355,000

Greenwich Village

60 E 9 St.

$675,000

E Village

73 E 4 St.

$1,825

Greenwich Village

11 5 Ave.

$635,000

E Village

193 2 Ave.

$1,201,635

Greenwich Village

18 W 11 St.

$12,000,000

Financial District

20 W St.

$730,000

Greenwich Village

54 E 11 St.

$4,011,479

Financial District

20 W St.

$501,000

Financial District

88 Greenwich St.

$948,000

Financial District

15 William St.

$1,053,888

Financial District

3 Hanover Square

$420,000

Financial District

20 Pine St.

$735,000

Financial District

88 Greenwich St.

$1,150,000

Financial District

75 Wall St.

Flatiron

Downtown Sales Snapshot Number of contracts signed so far in the second quarter

$0 - $600k

$600x - $1M

$1M-$2M

$2M-$5M

$5M-$10M

$10M+

STUDIOS

1 BED

Corcoran

2 BEDS

Corcoran

3+ BEDS

Corcoran

TOWNHOUSE

Keller Williams Realty Landmark

Source: UrbanDigs LLC

Compass

Greenwich Village

14 W 11 St.

$1,300,000

Keller Williams Nyc

Greenwich Village

77 Bleecker St.

$535,000

Corcoran

Douglas Elliman

Greenwich Village

30 5 Ave.

$750,000

Keller Williams Nyc

Greenwich Village

11 5 Ave.

$725,000

Greenwich Village

100 W 12 St.

$860,000

Corcoran

Greenwich Village

101 W 12 St.

$2,200,000

$1,795,000

Greenwich Village

25 W 13 St.

$580,000

Corcoran

7 E 14 St.

$1,450,000

Greenwich Village

60 E 9 St.

$819,691

Flatiron

49 E 21 St.

$2,490,000

Greenwich Village

60 E 9 St.

$809,508

Flatiron

4 W 21 St.

$1,895,000

Greenwich Village

77 Bleecker St.

$899,000

Flatiron

7 E 14 St.

$999,500

Lower E Side

118 Forsyth St.

$2,180,000

Flatiron

17 W 14 St.

$899,000

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$935,000

Fulton/Seaport

99 John St.

$2,525,000

Lower E Side

210 E Broadway

$1,275,000

Fulton/Seaport

59 John St.

$1,185,000

Lower E Side

504 Grand St.

$450,000

Fulton/Seaport

264 Water St.

$1,074,253

Lower E Side

115 Allen St.

$2,185,000

Gramercy Park

210 E 15 St.

$820,000

Lower E Side

46 Rivington St.

$225,000

Gramercy Park

301 E 22 St.

$340,200

Lower E Side

178 Suffolk St.

$825,000

Gramercy Park

200 E 16 St.

$1,500,000

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$870,000

Gramercy Park

210 E 15 St.

$675,000

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$1,200,000

Halstead Property

Gramercy Park

211 E 18 St.

$570,000

Lower E Side

417 Grand St.

$675,000

Halstead Property

Gramercy Park

34 Gramercy Park

$2,500,000

Halstead Property

Lower E Side

67 Clinton St.

$1,850,000

Gramercy Park

205 3 Ave.

$1,600,000

Town Residential

Lower E Side

67 Clinton St.

$2,250,000

Gramercy Park

312 E 23 St.

$1,260,000

Corcoran

Gramercy Park

200 E 16 St.

$535,000

Town Residential

Gramercy Park

305 2 Ave.

$1,669,930

Douglas Elliman

Corcoran

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.

JUNE 18-24,2015

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Property

< HERO IN PARIS ATTACK VISITS NEW YORK Members of the city council welcomed Lassana Bathily to City Hall. Bathily, a Muslim man who saved Jewish shoppers from terrorists during an attack on a Kosher supermarket in eastern Paris in January, hid the shoppers in a storage room until authorities could respond. Councilmember Mark Levine, who chairs the council’s Jewish Caucus, met with Bathily

In Brief APPOINTMENT TO CIVILIAN BOARD Mayor Bill de Blasio recently appointed Salvatore Carcaterra to the Civilian Complaint Review Board. According to the mayor’s office, Carcaterra brings over two decades of law enforcement and counterterrorism experience to the CCRB. As deputy chief of police from 2000-2002, he organized and managed the implementation of the NYPD’s overall terrorism response after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Carcaterra also helped direct and manage the daily operations of the entire NYPD workforce. Prior to serving as deputy chief, Carcaterra held other leadership positions within the NYPD. Currently, he is the president of a private security consulting firm, SFC Security & Intelligence. Carcaterra fills the third seat on the board designated by Commissioner Bratton. The CCRB is made up of 13 members: five members designated by the mayor; five members designated by the city council; and three members designated by the police commissioner. The CCRB is an independent agency that is empowered to receive, investigate, mediate, hear, make findings, and recommend action on complaints against New York City police officers alleging the use of excessive or unnecessary force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or the use of offensive language.

FINE COLLECTION BILLS INTRODUCED A four-bill legislative package to improve how the city issues and collects fines for Environmental Control Board violations was announced recently by city council members Ben Kallos and Julissa Ferreras. The ECB is a city tribunal that adjudicates “quality of life” violations issued by 13 city agencies. After a decision, the fines are collected by the Department of Finance or referred to the Law Department or a third-party debt collector. Of the debt referred to the Department of Finance, 90 percent have been issued as a default judgment, making it extremely challenging to collect. Eighty-four percent of debt owed to is over two years old, according to Kallos’ office. Taken together, the bills would allow issuing agencies to suspend or revoke licenses and permits for large unpaid debts resulting from ECB violations, provide specific location information so the city can follow up with those who do not pay, prevent tickets from getting thrown out, and would allow 30 days to correct typos or small errors in violations issued. “Quality of life will get better if these reforms pass,” said Kallos.

alongside City Council Speaker Melissa MarkViverito and council member Mark Treygar. “Lassana Bathily’s selﬂess actions exempliﬁes the best of our common humanity. In the face of gut-wrenching tragedy, he lept forward to help people he he did not know and whose faith differed from his. The reason he gave for his actions was simple, yet powerful: ‘we are

brothers,’” said Levine. Mark-Viverito called him a “true hero” and said, “In the face of fear and danger, Mr. Bathily showed selfless bravery and saved many lives.” Councilman I. Daneek Miller, the sole Muslim member of the New York City Council, said Bathily has rightfully become an international symbol and “a link for Muslims and Jews alike to rally towards in a time of despair.”

FRESHENING UP A STALE HOUSE ASK A BROKER

BY MICHAEL SHAPOT

How is it possible that some properties linger on the market for months while bidding wars abound, little inventory exists, and everything’s gone in a flash? Is the place jinxed? Is it the economy? Is it the market? It’s the marketing, stupid. It’s always the marketing. Bread sitting on the counter for a few days grows moldy. Old fish stinks. A home lingering unsold for a few weeks is deemed ‘stale.’ Serious bidders have rejected it as overpriced, flawed in some way, and in need of renovation or have found another a home. But if moldy bread and the stinky fish get tossed, what does one do with a stale house? Refresh, re-energize and reimagine the listing in five steps: 1. Adjust the Price and/or Seriously Consider a Low Offer The best price to sell any home is the top price that a qualified buyer will pay. If the issue is price, reduce like you intend to sell. Be ruthless. Don’t hesitate to undercut a competitor’s price, and don’t fool around with nickel-and-dime reductions. Similarly, if there are more than two offers at the same price point, the market is giving you a message: that’s what your place is worth. As difficult as it may be, wrap your brain around

a seemingly low offer if 1. there really aren’t any others, 2. it’s a qualified offer, and 3. the offer gets you where you want to be and when you want to be there. For instance, a client rejected a ‘lowball’ $1.9 offer on a $2.4 listing. That was two and a half years ago. Since then, there have been three other brokers, eight price reductions, no other offers, and now the home is listed at $1.699. Serious sellers need to think long term. If market conditions worsen, today’s low offer may look better in the rear view mirror. 2. Highlight what buyers want Identify the target buyer who will pay the most for the home, and market to that person. Offer a rich, detailed description telling a story that sings. Explain how she will feel when she owns the property. Speak his language. Know where they hang out online, and be sure they can ﬁnd your listing there. 3. Stage

“The cost of effective staging is less than your first price reduction,” says staging guru Anne Kenney. Stagers highlight property features, demonstrate benefits and camouflage flaws. They critically analyze how the home looks, smells, sounds and feels. Examine your home with a buyer’s critical mindset. What do you really see? Is it boring, ugly, taste-specific or cluttered? Closets too crowded? Dingy and in need of a coat of paint? Sparkly clean and fresh smelling? If not, what can be done? Wash the windows, buff the floors, recaulk where necessary, reposition existing furniture, re-hang artwork. Too much to absorb? Then get a stager. 4. Shoot new pictures Central Park’s winter wonderland in the dog days of summer? When you send off-season pictures, you tell everyone that your home didn’t sell. Use timely, professional photos. New pictures will liven the listing, potentially attracting those who

overlooked the home the first time, or convincing others to revisit with an open mind. A picture is worth a thousand words, but professional photographers know that the right picture of your home may be worth several hundred thousand dollars. 5. Show when the buyers want to look Be flexible about the viewing schedule, and be tidy at all times, willing to show at a moment’s notice. Is five minutes of junior’s nap schedule really worth staying another few months? If Rover hates people, send her to Doggy Day Care. People won’t buy what they can’t see. Open the door. If the competition is selling and yours is not, clearly it’s the marketing and not the market. Toss out the moldy bread, stinky ﬁsh, and stale listing. Begin with fresh things. Michael Shapot is a broker at Keller Williams in Manhattan.

JUNE 18-24,2015

FIFTH-GRADER DRAWS FROM HISTORY Sasha Harmon Matthews distils Sitting Bull’s story in words and pictures BY LEIDA SNOW

Book Culture on Columbus Avenue has teapots and jam in its window, along with some children’s books with cheerful covers. What catches a passer-by’s eye, though, is the drawing of a wide-eyed Native American, his mouth turned downward. He has lines under his eyes, and even the bull pictured in a cloud above him appears melancholy. The man in the drawing is dressed in vivid orange, and there are beams of yellow coming from the cloud. We can see a few teepees, feathers and a headdress; a smaller man depicted on a horse; two soldiers with guns; and a grave marker with the word “Custer” on it. The title is in bold black — Sitting Bull: A Life Story by Sasha. Inside the bookstore, the book is displayed at the counter. A small note explains that the eight-page graphic novel is the work of a 10-year-old ﬁfthgrader who attends PS 9, The Sarah Anderson School. “I knew I could do it, but I didn’t think people would like it so much,” said Sasha Harmon Matthews, smiling through her embarrassment at being the center of attention and loving being there. “It’s not surprising that the youngsters are interested in Native Americans,” said Sasha’s teacher, Melissa Murphy. “What surprised me was how much time Sasha dedicated to the project.” Sitting Bull came out of what are called extension activities — optional subjects suggested to students who have completed their assigned work. Sasha considered several possibilities from the 19th century, the suggested time period. She Googled and found history. com, which she calls “a good source,” and settled on her theme. “It’s the life story of the great Indian chief,” she said, “but it’s more than that. It tells about what happened to the Native Americans.” She explained that people don’t know how the westward expansion affected them. On

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Sasha Harmon Matthews and her graphic novel, Sitting Bull: A Life Story by Sasha. Photo: Scott Matthews the next-to-last page, Sitting Bull is killed, but Sasha wanted a happy ending, so on the ﬁnal page she pictured the chief being taken to the Great Spirit in the sky. Sasha knew she wanted to tell her story in a graphic book. “The pictures in a comic book show what the author is thinking,” she said. “In a regular book, you have to make it up in your head.” Sasha’s Sitting Bull begins “Once upon a time,” and the narrative ﬂows naturally. Her drawings, all bright colors and confident lines, burst from the page, setting the time and place, vividly showing how the Sioux fought the Crow nation, how Sitting Bull grew from a child to a great leader until the “white settelers came.” The drawings are so impressive, and the storytelling so assured, that adult eyes, seeing an occasional misspelling or historical error, have to be reminded that this is the work of a 10-year-old. This is especially true when a soldier is depicted talking on a not-yet-invented telephone, though Sasha has meticulously pictured a rotary model. Making Sitting Bull took a lot of work, she said, but “it was fun so it wasn’t hard.” Sasha walks with one of her parents from their apartment near Columbia University every school day. Her father, Scott Matthews, who has set aside a career developing web services and products to act as her guide, booster and agent, takes her to art class or other extra-curricular activities afterwards. It was Sasha’s grandfather who turned the eight pages she

had drawn into a stapled book. Annie Hedrick, Book Culture’s owner, said Matthews was the one who had approached her. “They were so organized,” she said. “They had copies of the book ready.” At $4.95 a copy, sales are brisk. “People are happy when they see it,” she added, “and it makes everyone feel good.” Matthews said an upcoming June 18th reading at Book Culture came about because he and his daughter went to the comics and cartoons MoCCA Arts Festival last April. At the table featuring the Olympians series, which retells the Greek myths in graphic novels, Sasha gave the saleswoman a copy of her book, and her father supplied their contact information. They could never have expected what happened. The Olympians’ author and illustrator, George O’Connor, sent Sasha a remarkable email, saying how much he liked her “storytelling, lettering, coloring, and drawing skills.” O’Connor, an established, professional artist-writer, suggested they trade copies of their books at the bookstore. He signed the email “Your fan.” This led, with a little nudging from Sasha’s father, to the upcoming reading. “Learning about what you’re interested in is the best way to learn,” said Murphy, and Sasha echoed that. She advises would-be authors: “Explore a lot of things and if you find something you like, go with that.” Sasha is already proving that she’s not a one-trick pony: she’s working on a new graphic novel — Pompeii: Lost and Found.

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JUNE 18-24,2015

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Our Perspective New Law Brings Order and Oversight to Car Wash Industry By Stuart Appelbaum, President Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, RWDSU, UFCW

ew York City’s car wash industry has long operated like it has been doing business in the wild west, with a history of wage and hour violations and exploiting workers. For years, the city’s car washes have handled millions of dollars of consumer property annually and disposed of potentially harmful chemicals and wastewater with less government oversight than a neighborhood laundromat. Finally, that’s about to change. On Wednesday, June 10, the New York City Council passed the Car Wash Accountability Act, which for the first time gives the city regulatory power over the car was industry. The law requires car washes in NYC to obtain a license to do business, obey environmental guidelines, and obtain a bond to protect workers and consumers. For car wash workers in New York – including the hundreds of courageous “carwasheros” who have won a union voice with the RWDSU over the past three years – it marks a historic reform. The legislation will protect employees by requiring that their employers hold bonds that ensure they can repay workers in the event of wage and hour violations, and it will protect communities and make workplaces safer thanks to environmental guidelines. The bonds will also protect consumers by ensuring they’ll get paid in the event of damages to their vehicles. Under the law, car washes with an effective worksite monitoring system to prevent the theft of workers’ wages can purchase a cheaper bond than those without one. The best way for them to do this is through union representation. A union provides monitoring and a grievance procedure and empowers workers providing oversight and protecting them from wage theft. With a union in place to ensure workers are being treated – and that wage and hour settlements and fines are unlikely - a cheaper bond makes sense. The New York City Council, including the bill’s sponsor, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, are standing up for workers, communities, and consumers in passing the bill. And, we thank Mayor de Blasio for supporting reform of New York City’s car wash industry. During City Council hearings, car wash workers described their experiences of stolen wages and poor working conditions, and spoke about the harsh chemicals they work with. They cited instances where untreated wastewater may have been allowed to enter city streets and sewers. Consumers have also been put at risk by the lack of oversight. Without proper regulations or surety bonds, customers have had no means of recourse if their vehicles were damaged – or even stolen – while on the premises. Working together with New York Communities for Change and Make the Road New York, the RWDSU has succeeded in bringing union contracts to workers at nine New York City car washes and proven that low-wage jobs can be made better. And with the passage of the Car Wash Accountability Act, we’ve seen how grassroots action like the car wash campaign do more than help workers at unionized facilities. We can reform for an entire industry and improve the lives of thousands of workers.

For more information, visit

www.rwdsu.org

STRUGGLE. SUCCEED. REPEAT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION SPEECHES BY KEVIN KO

Mr. Meditz, Mr. Raslowsky, Mr. Livigni, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, families, friends, and Class of 2015. I’d like to first begin by saying that I am absolutely humbled to be speaking here for you all today. This is a very proud moment for all of us as we celebrate the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one. We are here due to the unconditional support of the Xavier faculty and the love and sacrifices from our families. This day marks the culmination of your guidance for which words cannot express our gratitude ... Graduates, four years ago, each of us walked into Xavier, nervous of a new environment yet excited for a fresh start. In the crowded and unfamiliar gym on orientation day, Mr. Raslowsky asked us to stand up to distinguish the different boroughs from where we all came. You looked at the students standing up after each borough was called, and you saw the unique background that every student brought with him to Xavier that day. Mr. McCabe read you the rules. You learned what the word “jug” meant. You went to your homeroom. You received your schedule, and you got your books. All while wondering, where do you fit into this new world? Who were you going to sit with during lunch? What clubs were you going to join? You were asking a lot of questions because, frankly, you didn’t know what to do or what you were exactly doing. The new building, the different environment, and the diversity of the Xavier made the next four years seem unclear as to how they would pan out for you. But here is one thing that panned out for all of you: you struggled.

SEND US YOUR GRADUATION SPEECHES Graduation season is here, and we’d love to run your school’s speeches. Send them to us at news@ strausnews.com.

In fact all of us struggled whether you liked to admit it or not. Thinking back to freshman year, we can remember how adjusting to the workload was difficult. Our teachers demanded a great deal from us, whether it was learning how to write a well-reasoned five-paragraph essay for the first time or trying to grasp the basics of physics. Many of us were on sports teams, a demanding responsibility, that required learning not only how to play at a competitive level but also how to manage our time efficiently with school. And for nearly all of us, just getting to school on time was a struggle in itself. Anyone who had to take any form of MTA transportation knows what I’m talking about. Xavier was challenging, and the challenges grew exponentially each year. There were countless long nights completing essays, studying for tests, memorizing lines for a play, or memorizing plays for a game. Through all these different challenges, however, Xavier taught us that we had a handful of shortcomings. There were some things that we simply weren’t good at, and, as a result, Xavier humbled us. We became aware of the fact that there was significant room for growth in many different aspects of our character. Each of Xavier’s challenges, however, also presented an opportunity. When we failed the essay, got cut from the team, forgot our lines, or arrived late to school, it became an opportunity to learn from each other. We asked for help on how to make a better tackle or how to finish a hard trig problem. We asked for advice when proofreading our essays, something our English teachers wished we had done more often. We asked for their sincere thoughts on our performance at practice. And then we listened, carefully. When we heard what they had to say, we learned an invaluable lesson: to accept our weaknesses, understanding that it was essential for sharpening our existing skills. Through these collaborations, we learned the value of multiple perspectives, which challenged us to leave our comfort zone. We surrounded ourselves with different people allowing us to hone

new skills, gain new outlooks, and even make new friends. We acted less as individual students and more as a class. We learned about each other on a personal level. People got to know Kevin, the person, not Kevin, the computer nerd. We shared our stories and made stronger relationships with each other and with God. We learned what great feats we can accomplish when collaborating as a team, all while growing closer as brothers. We, ultimately, became a dynamic class, one that knows how to rely on each other’s strengths in order to achieve a common goal. Let us never forget these important lessons and experiences because the cycle will repeat in college. Next fall we will enter a completely new environment once again, enter a new campus, be exposed to a wide diversity of people, and, as a result, we will struggle. But, rest assured, we’ve been through this. If we view every challenge as an opportunity to grow our talents, to know more about ourselves, and to bond with others, the next four years should be enriched with even more memories and successes. Four years ago we all came here with disparate ideas and backgrounds, and in those four years we have discovered new ideas and uncovered massive amounts of potential we never thought possible. From this, we, as a class, have

become immensely talented. Now as we graduate, we are taking our talents away from 30 West 16th St. and out across the country. But before we all go off into the world, I want each of us to look at ourselves individually. Think of who you were coming through that door as a freshman and then think of who you are now. You have become a better listener, learner, student, son, and friend. Try to remember just a fraction of the ideas, lessons, adventures, experiences, mentors, friends you have learned, lived, and met. You have much of which to be proud of and much for which to be grateful. You have become a man, who others can look up to — in hopes, a Man for Others. You have learned to thirst for knowledge, to ﬁnd God in all things, and to be open-minded about the world around you. I’d like to end with a quote by the modern-day philosopher, Drake, “Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” Class of 2015, we have arrived at one such destination: you’ve ﬁnally received your high school diploma. Congratulations. But remember that the more rewarding thing was the journey. Thank you. Kevin Ko is this year’s valedictorian at Xavier High School in Manhattan. Ko, who will attend Stanford University, delivered his speech on June 11th at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

JUNE 18-24,2015

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BIKE CRASH INFLAMES UPPER EAST SIDE NEWS

Mary Grace Belﬁ is in serious condition following the accident on June 9.

Woman, 67, in serious condition following collision with a cyclist on First Avenue BY MICKEY KRAMER

She was planning for a nice lunch with her daughter. Lilly. But on the afternoon of June 9, Mary Grace Belfi, 67, stepped into the First Avenue bike lane at 86th street, in order to get to her parked car, and was struck down by a bicyclist, who fled the scene. The accident, and the ongoing hunt for the cyclist, inﬂamed a neighborhood that has long been wary of bikes and bike lanes. Citibike’s expansion has met more resistance on the Upper East Side than any other part of New York, and neighbors in the area frequently swap stories about near-misses with cyclists. Paul Steely White, the executive director of cycling advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives, offered no defense of the runaway cyclist, calling it “a brutal act,” adding, “that this coward must be

brought to justice.” Katie Belfi, 30, another of Mary Grace’s daughters, describes her mother’s current condition as “serious and uncertain” as she’s still getting neurological tests due to the brain injury. Mary Grace suffered extensive bleeding on the brain, and a broken nose and collarbone. Katie Belfi said she cannot understand “protected” bike lanes that seem to make cyclists safer, but not pedestrians and “not a design that forces people that are parked to cross another lane of (bicycle) traffic without a crosswalk.” Michele Birnbaum lives on E. 86th Street. While calling the accident “a horrible thing,” she added that she’s not surprised and is angry that the city streets were “turned upside down for such a small percentage [cyclists] with such disregard for the feelings of pedestrians and the elderly population.” This past Saturday morning, where the accident took place, crowds of pedestrians and cyclists went about their day, with many ignoring most basic traffic rules. A twenty-something man was slowly walking into the bike lane, against the light, with his head down in his phone and ears ﬁlled with noise. A cyclist riding up ﬁrst avenue with the light, zipped past screaming, “get your head outta your fu**in’ phone.” Michael Blowney, 55 and his partner Nancy Haas, 57, avid bicyclists, do not feel safer with the protected bike lane. Haas calls it “scary” riding through the bike lane, worried when and if a pedestrian will venture into her path or navigating around a wrong-way cyclist. Blowney calls the entire traffic plan “rushed and not well thought out” and thinks most of the changes have made it more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.

Following the report of the crash and fleeing cyclist, Upper East Side Councilmember Ben Kallos issued a statement which read, in part, “This devastating collision is a call to action to ﬁght harder to ensure all can be safe in our streets. I hope the suspect who ﬂed the scene will soon be apprehended.”

On Monday, June 15, Kallos, along with auxiliary police officers, handed out bike safety materials at the site of the accident and followed that up with an announced Safe Cycling Initiative. He believes there should be increased enforcement and education for every threat to pedestrian safety on

the streets and says that he will be working with city agencies and nonprofits to put those plans into action. White adds that Transportation Alternatives “demands that all cyclists follow the rules of the road.” Katie Belﬁ said that the rules of the road aren’t the issue, as

much as enforcement. “Why aren’t the cops ticketing bicyclists for speeding, red light running and riding the wrong way?” she asks. “This can’t continue without some sort of strict ticketing enforcement.”

This photo of the cyclist involved in the Belﬁ accident is being circulated by authorities.

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JUNE 18-24,2015

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COVERING VIETNAM, IN REAL-LIFE FICTION Q&A Theasa Tuohy’s novel fictionalizes her reporting from Vietnam at a time when few women reporters were there BY ANGELA BARBUTI

n Oklahoma native who moved to New York after graduation from Berkeley, Theasa Tuohy’s interest in Vietnam was piqued after she found a book on the war in the slush pile while she was writing for Newsday. Her experience as a female reporter at a time when there weren’t many women in the industry inﬂuenced her debut novel “Five O’Clock Follies: What’s a Woman Doing Here, Anyway?” It follows Angela Martinelli, a freelance journalist who paid her own place ticket to Vietnam to report on the war. “The AP didn’t assign the ﬁrst woman to the Saigon bureau until 1972,” she explained. “Angela went in 1967, so there were a few women there, but they were almost all freelancers. They had to make their own way.” We caught up with

Tuohy after her appearance at BookCon, which appropriately fell on the same month as the 50th anniversary of Vietnam.

Why did you choose the name ‘Angela’ for the protagonist? She’s a freelancer with an Italian last name, like me. I have absolutely no idea. Years ago, I wrote a play about this female combat photographer named Angela Martinelli. She wasn’t Italian; she married an Italian. Her background was that she came from this very upper-crust Boston family and all of her grandfathers had gone to medical school at Harvard and her mother intended to, but in those days couldn’t get in because she was a woman. I gave her an ethnic name so the mother would be pissed off about it. [Laughs] Initially I was writing about the war, but I had to keep ﬁnding more and more internal conflict. And it was that her mother didn’t approve of her being a reporter because she thought reporters were lowlife. And on top of it, Angela had married an ethnic. That was her inner struggle and what drove her to go to Vietnam and prove herself.

How did you use your experience as a female journalist in this book? I knew what the environment was like for women in the business. I didn’t have to be in Saigon with these guys who d id n’t wa nt to talk to me. I knew what that was like at the Yonkers Herald Statesman for crying out loud. My mother was an old-time pilot, so I came from a background where if they

didn’t want me because I was a woman, I’d just try the next place. I didn’t have any feminist idea of, ‘This isn’t fair’ or anything like that, I just went ahead and did it.

When you arrived to the city, you took on lots of different jobs, including being a store detective at Macy’s. Yes, I worked as a store detective at Macy’s for one day. [Laughs] They were going to train me to go around and watch for shoplifters. I had a criminology degree from Berkeley, so I walked into Macy’s and told the head guy, and he was thrilled to pieces. He sent me out with an old lady with shopping bags and we walked around the store and she was showing me how to look for people. But I had to go back the next day for my routine physical, and couldn’t pass the eye test, so that was the end of that career.

Describe your first apartment in the city. I lived in a fifth-floor walk-up on Barrow Street. It was one of those shotgun things with four rooms and the middle room we turned into a closet, it was so small. I had two roommates from Berkeley. The back room was the bedroom and we put a double-bed mattress and a single one and they exactly filled up the room. And the shower was in the kitchen and the toilet was down the hall. You had to go out in the middle of the night in your bare feet.

When you were a young reporter, you had written a story about a fallen soldier in Vietnam. That’s absolutely true and I had forgotten about it. After the book came out, the publicist was asking me to go through and ﬁnd AP stories and I found this story that still almost makes me cry. I was working for the Yonkers Herald Statesman and they sent me out to cover I think it was the ﬁrst person from Yonkers killed in the war. He was a lieutenant and I went out to the Catholic church

and I’m sitting there trying to take notes, and I was crying. When I got back to the office, I couldn’t read any of them, the ink had all run on my notes. Later in your career, you found a book on Vietnam. It was called “Big Story.” It was written by a guy named Peter Braestrup who had the perfect credentials. He had been a Washington Post reporter and also had been in the Marines. As near as I can tell, he decided to prove that the press lost the war, as a lot of people to this day contend. He wrote a huge tome with, “The AP filed this story at 2:37 and then they ﬁled a correction at 2:38 and then at 9:42 the Washington Post said

such and such.” So I had the whole thing laid out in front of me. It was like in my lap in terms of the coverage. He had a map that I carried with me when I went to Vietnam. It was the map of the part of Saigon where all the reporters hung out. And then I went and read a million books all written by reporters because the book is about a reporter’s life in Saigon.

What are you working on now? I just ﬁnished a novel about a woman stunt pilot during the ﬁrst Powder Puff Derby in 1929. Aviation was huge in those days. People thought it was the most fantastic thing under the

sun. Women were not allowed to join this cross-country air race until 1929. It’s about the relationship between a woman stunt pilot and a New York tabloid reporter…As I said, my mother was a pilot and learned how to ﬂy in an old open cock pit biplane that was used to train pilots during World War I. To learn more about the novel, visit: www.thefiveoclockfollies.com

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