Our Town January 5, 2012

NEWS: Grand larceny leads way in Upper East Side crime Page 7 January 5, 2012

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CITY SAYS IT WILL TAKE A DECADE TO CLEAR DANGEROUS PCBS FROM SCHOOLS PAGE 4

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SIDAMON-ERISTOFF DIES AT 81 Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff, who served as the head of the MTA for 15 years as well as regional administrator of New York’s EPA region under President George Bush, died at his Upper East Side home Dec. 26.

Sidamon-Eristoff, 81, also served under numerous other mayors, including as adminstrator of the New York City Transportation Administration from 1968 to 1973.

He served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Highways as an assistant to the mayor. He was also chairman of the board of Audubon New York and a board member of the National Audubon Society.

He is survived by his son Andrew, who represented the Upper East Side on the City Council from 1993-1999, as well as his wife Anne, children, Simon and Elizabeth and several grandchildren.

PARKS RELEASES RFP FOR TAVERN ON THE GREEN New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation recently announced the release of a request for proposals (RFP) for the operation of a high-quality casual restaurant and outdoor café at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, just west of the Sheep Meadow near 67th Street.

“Tavern on the Green has long been one of the city’s most unique settings and today marks a new chapter in its life. Now is the right time to re-envision the historic space and give it a new look and a new use,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “We look forward to proposals for the creation of a casual restaurant and outdoor café that everyday parkgoers, neighbors and visitors can enjoy.”

All responses to the RFP must be submitted no later than Friday, March 30 at 3 p.m. The parks department will hold a recommended proposer meeting and site tour on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 10 a.m.

Give the gift of New York this holiday season!

At Tavern on the Green, the department envisions a casual restaurant, outdoor café and bar that will honor the original design intent of the Olmsted and Vaux park plan and exist in harmony with its naturalistic park setting.

The building is currently being restored by the city to a smaller, more historic footprint. The city is performing significant structural and exterior work, allowing a future concessionaire the opportunity to focus on building out the interior to meet their specifications.

The parks department will evaluate proposals based on several specific criteria listed in the RFP, including planned operations for the restaurant, the proposer’s operating experience, plans for capital improvements, the fee offered to the city and the proposer’s financial capability.

EAST 79TH NA MEETING The East 79th Street Neighborhood Association will meet Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. at the City University of New York, 535 E. 80th St. (at East End Avenue). There will be a special crime prevention presentation by police officers from the 19th Precinct.

Meetings are free and open to the public.

Community

meeting Calendar Thursday, Jan. 5 • Community Board 8 Parks Committee, 6:30 p.m., New York Blood Center, 310 E. 67th St. Monday, Jan. 9 • Community Board 8 Landmarks Committee, 6:30 p.m., Marymount Manhattan College, 221 E. 71st St., Regina Peruggi Room, 2nd Fl. • Community Board 8 Youth and Education Committee, 7 p.m., New York Blood Center, 310 E. 67th St. Tuesday, Jan. 10 • Community Board 8 Street Life Committee, 7 p.m., Marymount Manhattan College, 221 E. 71st St., Regina Peruggi Room, 2nd Fl. This schedule is current as of Tuesday, Jan. 3. For more information, including the full agenda, please contact the community board directly.

Community Board 8 212-758-4340, cb8m.com

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feature

Toxic

Until 2022 City says that it will take a decade to clear PCBs from schools

By Megan Finnegan Bungeroth

I

“What we’ve been focusing on in the board is, first of all, to understand this issue,” said Gabriella Rowe. “For people who are aware of the issue, their level of concern is extremely high.”

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PCB issues for the past four years, ever since they were first discovered in the building and the SCA removed all of the lighting ballasts.

Ballasts made before the 1979 ban were filled with PCBs because the chemical compound acts as an excellent flame retardant, which kept the fluorescent lighting fixtures from catching fire when

andrew schwartz

t’s a strange day in New York City when toxic chemicals become as commonplace in schools as pencils, books and tater tots.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls— more commonly known by the abbreviation PCBs—are present in at least 700 public schools in the city. They can cause cancer as well as serious damage to the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems in humans. The compounds were used in construction materials like insulation, electrical equipment and lubricants in the 1950s and ’60s until the EPA banned them in 1978.

Despite the fact the city and the Department of Education are well aware of the deleterious health effects of PCB contamination, children in many schools are being exposed to PCBs at excessive levels every day in their classrooms.

The city has acknowledged the need to remove all known sources of PCBs from public schools, the biggest of which are old light ballasts, but the method of removal, including testing, proper abatement, determing the order in which schools will be worked on as well as a timeline and funding, are up for fierce debate among parents, politicians, health experts, the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority (SCA).

“What we’ve been pushing for is that the city should come up with a remediation plan to remove these light ballasts quickly,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who represents the west side of Manhattan from the Upper West Side to downtown.

“They’ve got a 10-year plan and that is simply not acceptable.”

In 2010, the city allowed the EPA to conduct a pilot test program, measuring PCB levels and determining remediation strategies for five schools throughout the city. The results found high levels in all of them, including P.S. 199 on the Upper West Side, where testing found, at its highest average levels, 600-1100 nanograms per cubic meter of PCBs in the indoor air at the school. The EPA’s reference dose, the quantity of PCBs that a person can be exposed to daily over a lifetime with little appreciable damage or risk, is 200 to 300 nanograms per cubic meter.

“The SCA is in our school regularly.

This has been a constant thing at our school, a constant string of testing and results and the action plan,” said Michelle Lipkin, co-president of the P.S. 199 PTA. Lipkin said they’ve been dealing with

P.S. 199 tested in the highest category for PCB contamination in New York City schools. the electrical current was switched on.

This technology is now obsolete and the latent PCBs are either leaking or about to, but the ballasts need to be removed by abatement technicians who can not only safely take them down but also ensure that the PCB levels surrounding them remain low.

Because of the cost and sheer scale of the project—an estimated $850 million—the city has set a 10-year timeline for removal. But now the communities around these affected schools are fighting back.

“What we’ve been focusing on in the board is, first of all, to understand this issue,” said Gabriella Rowe, co-chair of Community Board 7’s Youth and Education committee and head of the pri-

vate Mandell School. “For people who are aware of the issue, their level of concern is extremely high.”

The committee recently penned a resolution that they took to the full board this week. The resolution asks that “John King of the New York State Department of Education instruct the SCA to expeditiously inspect all schools constructed before 1978 or PCB contamination in lighting fixtures; and that the SCA lighting fixture remediation program be completed within the EPA recommended two- to three-year timeframe.” The state is not required to adhere to the EPA’s guidelines, but many are hoping that they will.

The DOE, however, emphasized that continued on page 6 N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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Toxic

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Analog House Calls

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One man still makes housecalls to repair typewriters

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January 5, 2012

they are doing more than other cities and insisted that their timeline is reasonable.

“Our plan to replace light fixtures in more than 700 school buildings is unprecedented compared to other cities, and PCBs are a nationwide issue,” said Natalie Ravitz, director of communications at DOE, in an emailed statement in response to questions about the DOE’s handling of the removal. “While some people think we should spend more and do this faster, we continue to believe this is an aggressive, environmentally responsible plan that will cause minimum disruption to student learning and generate significant energy savings for the city and taxpayers in the long run.”

But others believe that the matter is far more urgent.

“PCBs are very very dangerous when it comes down to children’s development,” said Christina Giorgio, a staff attorney with New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) in their environmental justice department. “[They] attack every system of the human body. You will have permanently depressed IQs with longterm exposure. When you’re talking about the school environment, you are indisputably talking about long-term exposure.”

NYLPI has filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of New York Communities for Change, a group that includes many concerned parents, to force the DOE and SCA to remove the ballasts sooner under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which requires that PCBs are properly removed immediately wherever they are found.

“What the DOE likes to say is that there’s no immediate health risk. Provided you’re not a pregnant woman, if you walk into a room that is contaminated with a high level of PCBs, are you going to drop over dead? No, you’re not. But that’s not what we’re talking about,” Giorgio said.

While all agree that the health risks are accumulated over time, some are insisting that any amount of time spent in PCB-tainted air is too much, especially for women.

“PCBs are very very dangerous when it comes down to children’s development,” said Christina Giorgio. “[They] attack every system of the human body. You will have permanently depressed IQs with long-term exposure. When you’re talking about the school environment, you are indisputably talking about long-term exposure.”

andrew schwartz

By Dylan Emerick-Brown One of those younger fans is 25-year-old With the advent of the mighty micro- Scott Steinhardt, who lives in Brooklyn chip, people have become pixilated. We with his 50-year-old IBM Selectric. can now communicate with more people “I found it in my grandfather’s basethan ever before, but the side effect is ment,” Steinhardt said. “I use a typewriter that while we gain human interaction, when I’m fed up with distractions from we lose human contact. Yet in one of my computer or I don’t feel like writing the fastest, busiest, most technologically by hand. It’s distraction-free and I have to advanced cities in the world, there exists live with every letter, word and sentence Paul Schweitzer, of Gramercy Office before I can move on to the next. What Equipment, 175 Fifth Ave., a typewriter I sacrifice in convenience—spell check, repairman who makes house calls. backspace, etc.—I make up with simplicWho still uses typewriters these days? ity and no distractions There’s no instant It seems strange to clutter your life with messages or emails coming in. I don’t a bulky—if not inelegant—instrument have an urge to read the news online. I when smart phones allow users to per- can’t do anything but type.” form such tasks as writing, emailing, web From New York City and every corbrowsing, game playing, taking pictures ner of the country and overseas, writers and more, all via a machine that fits snug- send Schweitzer their typewriters for a ly into your pocket. quick repair or clean. Now and then, a “The older people who were brought person he recognizes walks through the up with typewriters, they’re used to hav- door, damaged typewriter in hand. But it’s ing a typewriter around and they like to those house deliveries, getting out of the still have theirs repaired or serviced,” said office and walking the city he loves, that Schweitzer. “A lot of machines have been keeps the work alive. neglected. They have to be cleaned…

“Almost every machine I go out to,” give them chemical baths, wash them reflected Schweitzer, “there’s always a out, readjust the type, the lettering; we like to change the rubber rollers.”

One of those older customers is Upper East Sider Gay Talese, a pioneer of New Journalism. “I have his business card Scotchtaped to my IBM typewriter. Whenever I need help, I call him up and, within an hour or two, he arrives with the courtesy and capability of a country doctor,” said Talese. “Recently, Paul Schweitzer is a typewriter repairman who makes house calls.

Mr. Schweitzer completely restored an old Olivetti Lettera little bit of a story. Or it’s memorable 22 portable that I’ve had (and used) for because of the type of people who are more than a half-century, going back to using these machines nowadays. They the 1960s, when I typed a 600-page manu- always say, ‘Oh, I love my typewriter’ and script on it while writing The Kingdom ‘I must have it’ and ‘Do the best you can and the Power.” with it.’ They might not have names for Talese, now nearly 80, is only typical them, but they’re very attached.” of some of Schweitzer’s clientele. “There For the writer who desires comproare younger people who seem to be redis- mise, there are even USB typewriters out covering manual, portable typewriters,” there that function as normal typewritSchweitzer said. “They like to hear the ers but can connect to your computer or clickity-clack of the keys hitting the paper iPad. As you type a hard copy (which is against the roller. It gives them a feeling optional), your words simultaneously of accomplishment against just putting it appear on the screen in a rare combinainto a screen on a computer.” tion of sentimentality and practicality.

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“There’s a great deal of research showing risks to pregnant woman now, women who plan to become pregnant in the near future and even those who want to have families a decade from now,” said Andrea Miller, president of NARAL Pro-Choice NY. Other groups advocating for women’s reproductive rights, including Planned Parenthood, have stepped forward to urge the DOE to move more quickly to remove PCBs. Miller said that her organization under-

stands that the DOE has a lot on its plate; they aren’t asking for immediate removal, they want the DOE to get started quickly and consider stepping up the schedule.

“A woman working in our schools shouldn’t have to trade her ability to have a healthy pregnancy,” Miller said. “We’re just asking that they take this seriously and take a closer look at what the experts are recommending as far as an appropriate timeline.”

A few weeks ago, the City Council passed a new law requiring schools to notify parents when PCBs are found and at what levels. Many have praised the measure while insisting that it is just one step toward a complete solution.

“The thing that I have in the back of my mind is that feeling that, yeah, it’s wonderful that we want to work on light ballasts and remove them, it’s wonderful everything that the City Council is doing.

But it’s such a huge issue that none of that is going to be the end-all, be-all of the situation,” said Lipkin, who knows firsthand that even removing the offending materials doesn’t always work.

“It’s a matter of putting pressure on the city and on the administration,” said Nadler. “They claim it will cost $700 million to $1 billion. We don’t think it will cost that much, but even if it did, we need to do it. We would come up with the money if it were an immediate catastrophe.

This is a slow-moving catastrophe.”

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

news

Grand Larceny Leads the Way in Upper East Side Crime nity council. “If you add up all the other crimes that are listed, there’s still significantly more of that than other crimes, it’s actually down this year.”

“Manhattan, and the Upper East Side and Upper West Side have become remarkably safe,” said Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission. He said that petty larceny, thefts of items valued at less than $1000, has been the biggest issue for Manhattan in the past year, much being kids snatching electronics from other kids. “You have to remind people to be vigilant—we still live in a city.”

As of Dec. 25, there were 1,208 instances of grand larceny reported at the 19th Precinct, second only to petty larcenies at 1,544 (which don’t count in the official totals calculated for CompStat), down 4.5 percent from last year but still the second most prevalent crime, with burglary at a distant third with 244 instances.

Even in the comfort of New York’s safest community, Aborn predicted that the next big public safety issue is going to be

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By Megan Finnegan Bungeroth While crime throughout the city remained relatively flat in 2011—the yearto-date statistics show a slight uptick, 0.36 percent, as of Dec. 25—the Upper East Side can celebrate a dip in crime rates as the 19th Precinct came in at 2.23 percent fewer crimes in 2011 compared to 2010.

The precinct, which covers the blocks between Central Park and the East River, from East 59th to East 96th Street, serves an estimated population of 217,063, according to the New York Police Department. While the stereotypically ritzy Upper East Side now has a reputation for generally safe streets, it hasn’t always been so. Crime is down a staggering 87.28 percent from 1990 to 2010, and this recent decrease is another notch downward for the crime rates for a precinct that saw 14,691 crimes in a year two decades ago, versus 1,796 in 2011.

“In terms of overall crime, the ongoing issue is grand larceny; far and away that’s the largest issue,” said Nick Viest, president of the 19th Precinct’s commu-

cyber crime, like identity theft and credit card fraud.

“There is not a single person who should think they’re immune to cyber crime,” Aborn said. “People who aren’t careful will learn that lesson very quickly.

Cyber crime may be the new street crime.”

He suggests that people vigilantly track their online accounts and shred every bit of personal information they throw out to prevent being victimized.

“We need a citizenry that really knows how to protect themselves. Unlike with street crime, we can’t rely on the cops to do all of this,” he said.

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Viest said that the community council will be making a bigger outreach push in 2012, hoping to increase attendance at the council meetings, which are held the first Monday of every month, and get more local residents involved in keeping the streets safe.

“It’s important; the police rely on the public a lot to help them solve cases,” Viest said, recalling the arrest of an alleged sexual assailant who had targeted a senior citizen in a disturbing and violent crime.

Police apprehended the suspect after a swift and robust public response, with neighborhood associations, residents and politicians covering the area with flyers.

“Fortunately, with the advent of more and better security cameras, it helps them move quickly. They also have access to a very good database of information,” Viest said. “It’s very important that the public is part of creating safety in the community.”

Looking ahead to this year, Viest said that there might be uptick in felony assault, since the definition recently changed to include grabbing someone by the throat, but that in general he expects another safe year for the Upper East Side.

“The challenge, as always, for the police is really manpower,” Viest said.

“We really need as many police officers out in our area as we can get.”

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ARTS

The 21st Annual New York Jewish Film Festival

By Anna Margaret Hollyman January marks the beginning of a new film festival season—and what better way to kick it off than with the 21st annual New York Jewish Film Festival, Jan. 11–26? Presented in partnership with The Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the festival promises to provide a diverse global perspective on the Jewish experience with 35 features and shorts from 11 countries, many of which will be followed by post-screening Q&As with filmmakers and special guests in attendance.

The opening night kicks off with the New York premiere of Guy Nattiv’s Mabul (The Flood). Nominated for six Ophir Awards (Israeli Academy Awards), Mabul follows 13-year-old Yoni on the eve of his bar mitzvah. Facing bullying from his classmates, an institutionalized older brother living with autism and parents who are barely on speaking terms, Yoni’s bar mitzvah becomes the catalyst for buried family secrets to come to light.

For those who have harbored a soft spot for Catskills resorts ever since they first saw Dirty Dancing, be sure to see the closing night film, the world premiere of Caroline Laskow and Ian Rosenberg’s Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills

portrait of Jonathan “Yoni” Netanyahu, who was killed at the age of 30 leading Israeli special forces in the 1976 hostage rescue mission at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Avishai Yeganyahu Mekonen and Shari Rothfarb Mekonen’s 400 Miles to Freedom documents the 1984 escape from Ethiopia to Israel of the Beta Israel, a secluded, 2,500-year-old community of observant Jews in the northern Ethiopian mountains.

Filmmaker Joel Katz explores what it means to be white in America in White: A Memoir in Color. Katz examines his father’s role as a white professor at Howard University during the civil rights era and the influence it had on his and his wife’s decision to adopt a mixed-race child. Sam Ball’s fascinating Joann Sfar Draws from Memory details the life of graphic novelist and filmmaker Joann Sfar, author of the popular The Rabbi’s Cat series and director of the recent film, Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life. The film follows Sfar as he visits his favorite Parisian neighborhood spots and muses on his artistic process and the influence of his Algerian and East European family heritage.

For musical fans, Eytan Fox’s New

Scene from Bachelor Days Are Over. the past and present with the story of acclaimed Jewish musicians (and brothers) Salah and Daud al-Kuwaiti.

Considered the fathers of modern Iraqi music in the 1930s, the documentary follows Salah’s grandson, popular Israeli rock musician Dudu Tassa, through the process of remixing their original tunes for contemporary listeners.

Richard Oswald’s 1933 musical My Song Goes Round the World showcases the talents of the great tenor Joseph Schmidt, known as the Jewish Caruso, who faced challenges in both career and love while standing less than 5 feet tall.

Dramatic features include Adrian Panek’s dazzling period drama Daas, about the influence of 18th-century false

messiah Jacob Frank. Branko Ivanda’s Lea and Darija tells the story of 13-yearold stars Lea Deutsch, known as the Croatian Shirley Temple, and her dancing partner Darija Gasteiger in pre-World War II Croatia. Katia Lewkowicz’s romantic comedy, Bachelor Days Are Over, follows a groom-to-be grappling with the conflict between marriage and following his heart.

Single screening tickets for The New York Jewish Film Festival are $13, $9 for students and seniors (62+) and $8 for Film Society and Jewish Museum members. For tickets, more information and a full schedule, visit www.filmlinc.com or www.thejewishmuseum.org or call 212-875-5601.

Scene from A Bottle in the Gaza Sea. Resort, a documentary about the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills and its overarching influence on sports, entertainment and “Borscht Belt” comedians.

The festival’s world premiere documentaries scan the globe, from Africa to the streets of Paris. Jonathan Gruber and Ari Daniel Pinchot’s Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story presents a moving

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York premiere, Mary Lou, promises to be “a cross between the television series Glee and the musical Mamma Mia! by way of La Cage aux Folles.” It follows a young man who finds himself in the Tel Aviv gay community, performing as a drag queen while searching for his estranged mother.

Gili Gaon’s Iraq ‘N’ Roll bridges

Scene from Dressing America.

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Nothing is more important than a person’s health.With that in mind Our Town, West Side Spirit, and Our Town Downtown, Manhattan’s largest weekly community & independent newspapers, publish this monthly guide to fitness, health, beauty & wellness.This issue covers programs, businesses and ideas that will help our readers to keep their healthy New Year’s resolutions.

Also, January is national eye care month and this issue will have a special “focus” on eye care.

Our Town, West Side Spirit and Our Town Downtown are community newspapers focusing in on the Upper East and Upper West sides of Manhattan as well as downtown.

Having served these neighborhoods for more than two decades, these publications are essential parts of how these communities get local news and information.

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Dining

Food and Family

Recipes from my grandmother’s kitchen to yours

By Josh Perilo No disrespect to my wonderful, sweet mother, but my passion for cooking did not come from her. No, I would describe my mother’s relationship with cooking more like a daily wrestling match in which she choke-slammed it into submission. With five kids (four of them boys), there was little room for creativity or improvisation—it was all about what would fill us up as quickly as possible while still trying to stay somewhat healthy (although I’ll never forgive her for the canned green beans).

It was on my once-a-year, weeklong trips to my grandmother’s house in Kansas City that I became obsessed with cooking, because my grandmother was the single greatest cook I have ever known. Everything she made was unbelievable. When most boys might beg for their grandparents to take them to a Royals game or visit the awesome train museum, I would arrive in KC with a shopping list—an actual shopping list for groceries, because I was there to learn from the master, as far as I was concerned.

And we made everything. Triple-layer chocolate cheesecake.

Sauerkrautbraised pheasant. Chicken gumbo. It gave me the confidence, later in life, to experiment. To not be afraid to try something new. To know that the right way to make something is to do it all yourself, from absolute scratch.

Or so I thought.

After my grandmother passed away three years ago, I was entrusted with one of the most coveted items in her home: her recipe box. It was given to me on the condition that I was responsible for compiling all of the recipes into book form to give to our relatives. Well, it’s going to be quite a while before I have that kind of time on my hands (sorry, Aunt Sheryl!), but I have begun to go back to the box for reference and inspiration.

In doing so, I’ve made a startling discovery.

By Josh Perilo My grandmother did not cook from scratch! With the exception of a handful of signature recipes, almost every single dish on those cards had some kind of “helper” ingredient, like cake mix, French onion soup packets or Bisquick. There was even a recipe for

After my grandmother passed away three years ago, I was entrusted with one of the most coveted items in her home: her recipe box. something called “Pork Risotto” to be made with Minute Rice.

Am I a snob for being taken aback by this discovery? Yes. Are these recipes probably all wonderful? Of course.

Maybe this was my grandmother’s way to humble me from beyond the grave with a little “don’t get too big

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Apricot Bundt Cake. for your britches, Jean-Georges.” So, to honor my grandmother, I’d like to pass on a couple of her not-fromscratch recipes that are just as authentic as if they were, and are guaranteed delicious.

Apricot Bundt Cake Drain 1 (17-oz.) can of apricots, saving the liquid in a large mixing bowl. Cut the apricots into quarters and add to the bowl. Add 1 package of lemon cake mix and 2 large eggs. Blend with a mixer on medium speed for three to four minutes, at least. Pour into a very well-greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. After removing from the oven, let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. For the frosting, bring 1 cup of orange juice in a saucepan to a simmer. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated peel of 1 orange. Mix

until combined. Let cool slightly, but frost while still warm.

Country-Fried Pork Chops In a large skillet, brown four small pork chops over medium to mediumhigh heat in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add 1 (2-oz.) can of sliced mushrooms, one can of cream of celery soup, 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme, 6 pearl onions and 1 cup of sliced carrots. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with noodles.

Potato Bake Mix together 1 (16-oz.) package of frozen hash browns, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 16 ounces of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of chopped onion and 5 ounces of grated cheddar cheese in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve hot.

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A scene from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

By Armond White Guy Ritchie’s calculations in his sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows are so low-down they’re almost diabolical. He has retooled the famous fictional detective character with no respect for either Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary creation or the ticket-buying audience.

Against tradition (previous incarnations of Holmes emphasized mystery and deduction), Ritche panders to the current, degraded taste for blatancy and violence.

This time, Holmes’ (Robert Downey Jr.) clash with arch villain Moriarty (Jared Harris) evokes 9/11 and Afghanistan along with the previous film’s kung fu anachronisms, over-done F/X and Ritchie’s brand of macho banter between the disguisecrazy Holmes and his fusty sidekick Watson (Jude Law). It’s what Brits call lad humor, but Americans understand it as thuggish. So Downey’s fake British accent suits Ritchie’s concoction for a facetious, half-Hollywood hit.

The period setting recalls Jonah Hex, which apparently was too sophisticated to be popular. Ritchie reboots Holmes for a market unaccustomed to thinking, impatient with suspense but eager for relentless, if monotonous, visual stimulation—and massive promotional hype. Adapting his Brit-Tarantino thuggery for the video game demographic, Ritchie often slows down the fighting and gunfire as if relaying the thought O u r To w n NY. c o m

processes behind Holmes’ actions. The narrative constantly backs up as if on rewind. Ritchie does our perception for us, creating no sense of history or emotion, just jovial machismo, brandishing close-ups of Holmes’ facial bruises, wounds and scars.

A Game of Shadows is ready-made for Xbox; its plot is a mess of contiguous chaos in drinking dens, theaters, forests, waterfalls, mountaintop castles, on trains and in great English halls. Holmes and Watson tangle with anarchist bombs, Romany rebels (led

by Noomi Rapace, here the girl with the gypsy tattoo) and the dastardly Moriarty spouting nonsense like: “You’re not fighting me, you’re fighting the human condition and the tendency toward moral ignorance.” Ritchie should know.

Ritchie should also know better. His RocknRolla was one of the best actioncomedies of the past decade—a funny, sexy, heartfelt play with modern British identity. The only justification for this Holmes hackwork would be to finance the sequel promised by RocknRolla’s cliffhanger ending. Instead, Ritchie abandons his own cultural creation to ruinously imitate the James Bond franchise—he’s closer to Will Smith’s Wild Wild West fiasco.

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new york family

Damage Control:

What to do if Dancing Dora runs late, you run out of finger food and other last-minute party pitfalls

By Kelly Farrell It’s the big day—the cake is baked, activities are booked, presents are wrapped and decorations are up.

Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

Unfortunately, even when you are convinced that you’ve thought of everything and planned the soiree down to the minute, dealing with children and party details means that snafus are bound to surface. Here are eight common crises that parents face and advice on how to deal with them from two women who have seen—and heard—it all.

The birthday kiddo doesn’t want to participate.

Erica Werber: It’s the child’s day and nothing should be forced—that only makes it worse. I see nothing wrong with the child wanting to excuse himself, as long as the guests are entertained and you don’t make a scene. Just make sure the child understands that it will end at this time and when it’s over, it’s over.

Elaine Winter: So often children are uncomfortable with the spotlight and stimulation of their day. They shouldn’t feel bad about it as long as they’re content and they let the others play the games or do the activities.

Everyone wants to sit next to the child of honor.

Winter: Give everyone time without

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keeping track too carefully, so everyone knows they are going to get a chance.

Werber: Make it the birthday child’s choice—especially if there are siblings or cousins—so the friends he will be in school with won’t be offended. It’s great to have a rectangular table and put the birthday boy at the head.

The entertainment is running late.

Werber: Always have a child-friendly playlist on your iPod so you can turn on music and lead the dancing.

Winter: You could always flip the sequence—have the cake now and see Elmo later.

An uninvited guest shows up—whoops!

Winter: Unless it’s somebody disruptive, I would just make it as natural as possible.

Werber: The more the merrier—one extra person is never going to be a big deal at a kid’s birthday party. Just take it in stride and don’t stress out about it.

A parent leaves the party and their child acts up.

Winter: When you have a birthday party, you always want a couple of extra adults there so there’s someone there who doesn’t have to oversee the whole group.

Werber: Ask him to sit down, take a few deep breaths and relax—explain that his behavior is affecting the other kids at the party. Parents should always leave a contact number. In case of an emergency, they should always be available to come back.

You run out of munchies.

Werber: Especially in New York, a pizza is only a phone call away—an easy fix. If the kids are being entertained, the food’s not a big deal at all. They’re going to be more into the activity than a bowl of pretzels.

the end of the party—I’m not sure which was yours, but Howie loved all of his gifts.” Then, if they want to tell you which one they brought, they will.

Werber: With two gifts that don’t have a card, send a friendly, understanding email: “We were really happy you were at the party but we have gifts with no cards and just want to send the proper thank you note.” Following up with the proper note afterward is perfectly acceptable.

OUR PANEL A party guest is MIA and the birthday child wants to know why he or she didn’t show up.

Winter: I’d have to go with honesty. I would try to offer another opportunity to have a special time with just the two of them later in the week.

Werber: Explain to the child that sometimes things come up, that the child really wanted to be there but sometimes things take precedent over a birthday party.

Erica Werber, mom to Ella, 3 1/2, and Jed, 15 months. Weber serves on the PTA of her daughter’s nursery school at the JCC in Manhattan.

She says simplicity is key when it comes to party planning.

Elaine Winter, director of middle school/high school admissions at Leman Manhattan Preparatory School.

You’re not exactly sure who gave what gift.

Winter: I wouldn’t try and pretend.

Just say thank you for the lovely gift or tell the parents, “We had such a shuffle at N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING THIS SUMMER? Renee Flax, director of camper placement of the ACA NY & NJ, will be on hand to answer parents’ questions and help guide them in their search for the right camp!

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Upper West Side Bank Street School 610 W. 112th St. 12PM - 3PM

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Camps

Budgeting For Summer Camp Surprising ways parents can save

By Jess Michaels In today’s economy and uncertain employment climate, most certainly need to consider the family budget when planning a summer camp experience for their child. With a little planning and research, however, parents won’t have to compromise on the type of camp experience they’d like their child to have. Here are some unexpected ways to make summer camp work within your budget: Search camps by cost. The American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey, has a camp database (campwizard.org) that allows families to search camps by cost (camp fees range from less than $300 per week to $800 or more per week) as well as by location, activities, day or resident camp. Families can also call the American Camp Association’s Camp Specialist at 1-800-777-CAMP for free, oneon-one advice on finding the right camp at the right price.

Look for camp early. Some camps offer early-bird specials. Searching early

also gives families a longer time to plan financially for camp.

Camp as a present (a really big one). Families can consider paying for camp as part of their child’s birthday or holiday gifts. Maybe other families members, like grandparents, would also consider putting their regular gifts toward the gift of summer camp.

Look into government savings programs and tax credits. Research a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account. This allows parents to be reimbursed on a pre-tax basis for child care or adult dependent care expenses that are necessary to allow parents to work, look for work or attend school full time while they are caring for qualified dependents. In certain circumstances, day camp expenses, including transportation by a care provider, may be considered dependent care services (visit fsafeds. com for more information). Also consider a Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

The IRS allows an income tax credit of up

to $6,000 of dependent care expenses if you have two or more dependents (up to $3,000 for one dependent). The amount of the credit is based on your adjusted gross income and applies only to your federal taxes. This applies to qualifying day camp expenses as well (visit IRS.gov for more info).

fee for your child.

Talk to the camp director. If money is an issue, parents should talk to and negotiate with the camp director at the camp they are interested in. Some camps offer financial aid. They usually have sibling discounts, and they may be inclined to help you if you have recommended the camp to others who have enrolled. Also, if your child has previously attended the camp, the camp director is likely to want to help you make it work so you’ll keep coming back in future years when you can more easily afford it.

Check out camps sponsored by nonprofit organizations like the YMCA (groups who see helping families as part of their core mission).

Those camps are generally less expensive than for-profit camps, and they might also have more scholarship opportunities.

Hold a fundraiser! Kids raise funds all the time, whether it’s because the basketball team needs new uniforms or the band wants to take a trip to a competition. Help your child put together some kind of fundraiser to help pay for camp.

“When you think about how much it costs to have a child home all summer, with child care and activities, you realize you can be paying a very small premium for a very rich camp experience,” said Adam Weinstein, executive director of the American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey. “With careful planning, parents can find a camp that works within their family’s needs.”

Barter your time and services.

If you have time or services to barter, a camp may be interested in accepting your help in exchange for a deeply discounted

Beyond the Classroom

Summer camp extends education into a natural environment and plants the seeds of lifelong friendships

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Coleman, owner and founding director of Coleman Country Day Camp in Merrick, NY, and past president of the American Camp Association. “Children need these social and emotional competencies to thrive. Camp gives them authentic opportunities to practice growing up.”

Unlike the traditional classroom, summer camp addresses the whole child.

Summer camp is where a child’s social education takes place. Children learn about making good decisions, being part of a team, thinking independently and building self-esteem.

Camp also provides a nurturing environment for a child who may not be successful in the school setting. Many of these children excel given the “hands-on” nature of camp, building self-esteem that may be lacking during the school year. “A big advantage of camp is that because it doesn’t teach to a standardized test and keeps no grades or permanent records, children can go at their own pace to conquer their fears,” said Coleman.

Camp also helps stem summer learning loss. According to the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and research conducted by Johns Hopkins sociology professor Karl Alexander, intentional summer programs such as camp help stem summer learning loss, providing experiences that challenge children, develop talents, keep them engaged and expand horizons. Coleman added, “Camp directors embrace their role in preventing ‘summer slide’ by providing opportunities for independence and decision-making and in building caring and collaborative citizens and communities.”

At both day and resident summer camps, children develop more sophisticated social skills, grow more independent, and become willing to try new things. Although the desks may be absent at camp, nature becomes the classroom.

Camp is one of the most powerful learning environments and is a critical part of educating the whole child.

Tzipora Cohen

By Jess Michaels At summer camp, children enjoy a summer full of sports, arts and crafts, archery, ropes course adventure and making new friends. But there is much more to the camp experience than just fun.

Children receive a life education at camp, developing the skills needed to become secure, contributing, successful adults. Camp is an extension of traditional education, a component of learning that addresses youth development. American Camp Association research has found that 92 percent of campers said that camp helped them feel good about themselves and 70 percent of parents reported that their child gained self-confidence at camp.

“Camp and school are the yin and yang of education for the whole child.

Camp is a classroom without walls and camp addresses a different set of ‘R’s’ from academia’s classic ‘Reading, ’Riting and ’Rithmatic.’ Camp has its own 3 R’s: Resilience, Responsibility and Resourcefulness,” said Marla

A camper gets up close and personal with nature at the JCC Day Camp at Pearl River.

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January 5, 2012

Draining the Swamp Political resolutions for 2012

By Alan S. Chartock If I were these people, I would make the following resolutions: Gov. Andrew Cuomo: I resolve to clean up the Democratic conference in the State Senate by backing good, progressive, honest Democratic candidates rather than collaborating with the Republicans. I vow to remember that in 2016 I will be running for president of the United States, and some Democrats will have long memories and accuse me of being a bad Democrat. I will keep my distance from Rupert Murdoch—people are beginning to talk. Speaking of talking, before my run for president, I really have to get some coaching about my regional dialect.

Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver: I resolve to keep on keeping on. Even under the worst kind of fire, I have kept my progressive principles and supported the things that brought me to the Legislature in the first place: helping people with education, health care and the environment. Speaking of the environment, I resolve to put a stop to the hydrofracking nonsense. Finally, I have to give way on the redistricting mess.

It really isn’t right for me to draw lines that maximize my chances to control the Assembly, and I know it. After all, there are so many Democrats in the state that

Rent Misdirection

To the Editor: After reading about the Harmon family’s “plight” regarding rent-regulated tenants (“Landlord Supreme Power on Rent,” Dec. 15) and Harmon’s legal efforts to challenge rent regulations, I feel that I have to respond.

I am the president of the block association where the Harmons reside and know them as I knew Harmon’s parents when they lived here decades ago.

Harmon and his brother inherited the building in question.

Increased property taxes, water taxes, city agencies’ frivolous code enforcement, increased fuel costs and additional operating costs are the reason so many small mom and pop owners continue to sell to developers.

On our landmark block alone, we have had over seven of 40 brownstones converted by developers in the last nine years, which resulted in the loss of over 80 residents on our block.

we can’t lose. The Republicans, on the other hand, really do have something to worry about.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos: I resolve to play fair. People are getting tired of my flip-flopping on things like a fair reapportionment plan. I realize that it is probably the only way I can preserve my majority, but do I really want to be known forever as “The Man Who Perverted Democracy”? There’s also a cynical notion going around that I’d buy off some dissident Democrats in order to stay in power. Pretty soon, voters will have a really bad taste in their mouths. On the one hand, I keep telling people that this is coalition government at its best; on the other, I make sure that the Democrats in the Senate are not allowed to participate in the process.

New York State Democratic Minority Leader John Sampson: I resolve to stand tall and share power with people of all persuasions in my conference, not hog power for a select few of my colleagues.

I will throw out any clown in my Senate Democratic conference who even sounds corrupt. I resolve to never, ever be pushed around by thugs like Pedro Espada, Hiram Monserrate or Carl Kruger. I realize now that once the stink gets on you, it can never be washed off.

Sen. Chuck Schumer: I resolve to never, ever give the appearance that I would use my clout to get my brother-in-law a federal judgeship.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: I resolve to raise more money in a shorter time than anyone else in the Senate. Hey, if that’s the way this game is played, that’s what I have to do. I didn’t write the rules. I resolve not to give the suckers back undue influence for what I have raised.

Hillary Clinton: I resolve to be the most admired woman in the United States, again.

Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr.: No matter what it takes, I resolve to keep the world’s best newspaper, the New York Times, afloat.

President Barack Obama: I will read Jean Edward Smith’s superb biography, FDR. I will study every page carefully. I will emulate FDR’s love of the game and his guts. I will defend our Social Security program to the end—ditto Medicare. I will take my message to the people. I will recapture the spirit of the last presidential campaign and this time I will do what I promised.

The Occupy movement: We will stick with our agenda and bring the message about financial and political corruption to the people. It will be our mission to tell people what they ought to know about our banks and financial institutions.

Alan S. Chartock is president and CEO of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio and an executive publisher at The Legislative Gazette.

LET T ER S

The fact that operating costs have increased exponentially in recent years should really be the focus. Three rent-regulated tenants are not the primary cause of Harmon’s business crisis.

Incidentally, the millionaire families now residing in the converted brownstone contribute nothing to our block or our association; so much for community improvement through social assimilation.

If tenant-caused hardship was indeed the cause of Mr. Harmon’s legal drive, he could easily sell the building and rid himself of the burden called rent regulation.

Properties like Harmon’s fetch handsome prices on our block.

I think that the issue here is a disdain for people who are misportrayed as self-serving parasites when, truth be told, they are hard-working individuals who are residing in Harmon’s walk-up building because it’s the only place they can afford to live. They were the pioneers of our community long before there was a demand to live here.

Two of the three rent-regulated tenants in question are over 62 years of age.

Anyone who knowingly attempts to profit from creating a financial or emotional burden on a senior citizen is in a category unto him or herself.

Harmon would be doing himself, and others, much good by lobbying and focusing his legal prowess on changing the laws in our city to allow for senior residency tax credits and rent regulation tax benefits for small property owners.

Those seem like noble efforts worthy of legal judicial consideration that could effect positive change. In the long run, such efforts would be the most equitable for all parties involved.

Joseph Bolanos President, Landmark 76 West 76th street Park BLock association Letters have been edited for clarity, style and brevity.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Dewing Things BeTTer

2012 Resolutions to Keep Using Facebook and Twitter to better society

By Bette Dewing Protecting life and health always tops this column’s mission.

The tragic Christmas morning Stamford, Conn., fire that killed three young sisters and their maternal grandparents prompts an overdue focus on fire-related danger. While unsafe disposal of fireplace embers was the fire’s reported cause, had smoke detectors been installed in the mansion that was under renovation, it might not have been deadly.

The tender age of the three sisters inspired thousands of sympathy “notes” on Facebook. Their grieving uncle wrote, “What my father [the grandfather who died tried to rescue his granddaughter] would be saying now is ‘Keep those smoke detectors in place and working!’”

Social media would be truly beneficent if such life- and health-saving concerns were more frequent topics.

Hopefully they will be, if the girls’ devastated parents and other close kindred

make fire prevention a worldwide priority. Their bereaved mother, Madonna Badger, is a top New York City ad exec with Badger &Winters, a factor that, along with the age of the three sisters, accounted for the tremendous media coverage that the story received. She has the talent and wherewithal to do just that, as does the girls’ father, Matthew Badger.

Surely no suffering matches that of one who loses a son or daughter at any age; even when parents are separated, no one else understands their grief as well as the other one does. While it may not mend this marriage, these sorrowing parents can be an unbeatable team working together to honor their beloved daughters and their grandparents, Pauline and Lamar Johnson. Also, remembering the grandparents’ recent move east to be near their granddaughters could help the extended family cause.

A little-noted fire danger story warns of the enormous dry Christmas tree hazard, which started a recent fire in a Staten Island home. Oh so miraculously, off-duty firefighter Steve Carl was driving by with his family when he spotted the flames and risked his life to rescue three 60-plus residents.

A dog sadly died from smoke inhalation.

So post this urgent warning on Facebook and Twitter: Get those dry Christmas trees out of the house—pronto! Your neighbor’s, too. Fire officials are agreed that dry fir trees and faulty decorative lights start many fires.

But how to stop this diabolical, deliberate murder by fire?

I doubt that much (any?) Facebook attention was paid to Lillian Gillespie, 71, who was torched to death in her Brooklyn apartment house elevator by a disgruntled handyman she had befriended.

Yet, this mother and grandmother

daily lived out her church’s “love one another” commandment at home, with neighbors and former post office colleagues. Her abominable killing so deserves an Occupy-type movement against the epidemic of revenge slayings and entertainment violence—evidenced in yet another new ABC series called Revenge! How long, dear Lord, how long?

But here’s the rare movie that can do great good for the elderhood cause; The Iron Lady thankfully includes a hard look at Margaret Thatcher’s elderhood, reflecting the harsh, often cruel and unjust realities of late life in general. A.O.Scott’s New York Times review notes the good fortune of having “cheery-minded professionals” as caregivers, yet Thatcher is mostly alone, sometimes forgetful, with seemingly few visitors. Her daughter comes by sometimes, but “her twin brother, Mark, unseen in the film, is far away in Africa, the distance emphasizing his mother loneliness and isolation.”

It’s the commonplace loneliness and isolation of elderhood stories that must get out there—and on Facebook and Twitter, too. dewingbetter@aol.com

new york gal

How to Unhook from Addiction A new year means new resolutions—here’s how to stick to them

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl Welcome to your first week of change.

Five days ago, you most likely made a resolution involving one of the big three. With any luck, your agreement with yourself to exercise more, weigh less (always No. 1 on my hit parade) or stop smoking and/or imbibing will last out the week.

It’s easy to blame New York City for one’s inability to stay on track—too many restaurants serving toolarge portions, not enough time to get to the gym, job too stressful (or no job at all) to go without a cig or drink.

But what if you’re a thin non-smoker/ drinker who hits the Equinox treadmill at least three times a week, yet still feel stuck in a “same $?&! different day” mindset? First you need to figure out what your (less than obvious) addiction is.

According to Unhooked: How to Quit Anything by Dr. Frederick Woolverton, a psychologist and addiction specialist in O u r To w n NY. c o m

Greenwich Village, and Susan Shapiro, an author, journalist and professor at NYU and The New School, “Addiction is a compulsive reliance on any substance or activity that...is used to alternate emotional states that would otherwise feel intolerable if one did not use.”

Can you not start your morning without a jolt of Joe? Do you check your cell with the frequency and urgency of someone on Obama’s call sheet? Has your workout routine become compulsive (an example of how something healthy can take a turn for the unhealthy)?

What gives Unhooked its credibility is that in it, both authors share their personal stories of addiction and how they used the techniques they write about to unhook themselves. Shapiro, a one-time patient of her co-author, admits to being addicted to book deals (aside from this latest one, she’s published five memoirs and two novels in eight years). Before her

career could consume her, she cut back on freelance to do charity work. Most the stories, however, are case studies of Woolverton’s very relatable patients.

Psychobabble-free, Unhooked offers compassionate and common-sense advice. If you’re trying to drop a few pounds, stay out of the bakery. Want to beat gambling? Stop hanging out with those who are “in it to win it.” Then there’s my favorite: Have a get-away excuse at the ready in case you find yourself in the company of people unsupportive of your new lifestyle choice.

Might I add that, for all its major temptations, Manhattan also has a wealth of ways to help yourself: therapists, 12-step programs, hotlines, volunteer opportunities—help yourself by helping others—and classes to redirect your energies, as well as service providers like personal trainers.

There are also some things you can do on your own. Switch from coffee to tea; you may meet a handsome Earl Grey-er.

Set the alarm on your cell so you only

look at it every 15 minutes. And exchange one of those exercise classes for another that lets you pursue a new interest— ceramics, anyone?

The book also addresses why people relapse, which boils down to never really getting to the bottom of what hole your habit is trying to fill. Woolverton says that after some success staying clean, people will test themselves, wanting to believe they’re in control and can have “just one.”

They would probably have better success passing an exam in high school French.

So before you sit down to your nightly, mesmerizing six-hour Facebook routine, decide to make it only three and use the rest of the time to write in a journal, rearrange a closet or read a book (like Unhooked), because nothing will change unless you change something.

Lorraine Duffy Merkl’s debut novel Fat Chick, from The Vineyard Press, is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

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