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June 30, 2011

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express GAY MARRIAGE PASSES STATE SENATE—

equality in spite of my Latino heritage or my Catholic faith. I support equality precisely because my values call for basic fairness and equal treatment of all New Yorkers,” Espaillat said in a statement. The new law signals a professional and personal victory for the handful of openly gay state legislators who have been waiting to marry their partners and will soon be able to do so. Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell, who sponsored the Assembly’s bill, called the day “momentous” and applauded his colleagues in the Senate who voted for the Marriage Equality Act. “I have been with my partner John for over 30 years, and, at long last, the state where we were both born, raised and have lived our adult lives has agreed that all New Yorkers deserve Marriage Equality in the eyes of the law,” said O’Donnell in a statement shortly after the vote. Senator Tom Duane gave an emotional speech before his affirmative vote, thanking his longtime partner and saying marriage will strengthen the bond they already share. “Our nieces and nephews know us only as a couple. And we are like married to them, but of course we’re not, not yet,” Duane said. “Marriage says that we are a family.”

Pride ProPosal on Parade

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Gay marriage is now legal in the state of New York. Late Friday night, following a tense waiting period when it was unsure if the Republican majority would bring the bill to a vote, the Senate passed the marriage equality bill 33-29; all but one Democrat, Ruben Diaz Sr. of the Bronx, and four Republicans voted yes on the measure. After the bill won passage in the Assembly, which has passed it four times, advocates focused their energies on changing the few Republican votes they needed in the Senate, often appealing to senators’ personal experiences of gay people in their lives to sway them toward a yes vote. Senators Jim Alesi, Mark Grisanti, Roy McDonald and Stephen Saland, who had all previously voted no, changed their votes to yes, after some language was added to the bill that specifically spelled out protections for religious institutions that refuse to perform same-sex marriages or provide services for same-sex couples. Senator Adriano Espaillat, who has faced criticism from his constituency for his support of marriage equality, cited his religion as a reason, not an impediment, for his yes vote. “I don’t support marriage

Cindy Hearing and Bernie Janelle share a passionate kiss after Janelle proposed marriage along the route of the 42nd Annual Gay Pride Parade. Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had been pushing for the bill’s passage, signed it into law immediately, and it will take effect July 24. New York, now the largest state to do

so, joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia in legalizing gay marriage. —Megan Finnegan

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Upper East Side Dust Bowl? Maloney calls on MTA to test air near Second Ave. Subway site By Amy Kraft Upper East Siders are holding their noses over noxious odors and plumes of dust coming from Second Avenue Subway construction near East 69th Street. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney took to the streets last Saturday, calling for the MTA to confirm that the air around the construction site on 69th Street and Second Avenue is safe and to clean up the excess dust. “When you have the area looking like a dust bowl and smelling like a toilet bowl, it has really gone too far,” Maloney said to a crowd on the corner of East 69th Street. The Congresswoman’s office has received several complaints from constituents about a “burnt-iron” smell and dust clouds coming from the construction zone. In a letter to Manhattan Transit Authority Chairman Jay Walder, Maloney urged the MTA to investigate the cause of the strong odor in the neighborhood. She mentioned the complaints of area residents and urged MTA to hose down blasting areas to prevent excess dust from spreading.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney called on the MTA to clean up excessive dust around a construction site on Second Avenue. Rep. Maloney isn’t the only calling for action from the MTA. Council Member Dan Garodnick, State Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Micah Kellner also asked the MTA to look into potential health hazards from the dust plumes. “The dust storms created by the sub-

way construction make Second Avenue seem like the badlands of Texas,” Kellner said in a statement. “This isn’t a matter to be taken lightly; asthma and allergies are at their peak during the summer months. This dust is only adding to those health concerns.”

news In an email sent Friday, a spokesman for the MTA said that the air quality is continuously monitored in four locations around the perimeter of the construction site. “We are assigning additional supervision to ensure that the dust is thoroughly hosed down and we will continue to closely monitor the site,” MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. In addition, the MTA said it was constructing two muck conveyance systems—enclosures that will minimize dust and noise. The muck conveyance systems will be completed by fall and will be placed at 72nd and 69th streets along Second Avenue. Patrick Stewart, co-chair of the Second Avenue Subway Task Force, said something needed to be done about the plumes of dirty air. “If you’ve ever been in the desert and the wind is blowing, that’s what it’s like,” he said. At the conference, Maloney also praised the MTA for securing $197 million in federal funding to keep the project on track. “The Second Avenue subway will be a wonderful investment once it is built,” Maloney said. “But it has to be built in a way that is safe to people’s health and safe to the environment.”

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Full Speed Ahead on Great Blueway By Megan Finnegan The East Side may soon be diving head first into the East River, thanks to a state grant that was awarded to Borough President Scott Stringer’s office to facilitate the creation of a blueway between the Brooklyn Bridge and East 38th Street, one that would offer access to the waterfront and river, more open recreational areas and more opportunities for biking, boating and other river sports. Working extensively with Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh and the Lower East Side Ecology Center, as well as Community Boards 3 and 6, Stringer’s office will select an organization from those that answered their request for

andrew schwartz

proposal with Stringer. “You’re in the grid of the streets and the tall buildings. Part of this [process] is increasing awareness that there are possibilities.” “I’m very excited, because this is the kind of urban planning that I love” said Borough President Stringer. “The plan is going to be driven by the community.” “We’re extremely interested in completing the esplanade,” said Mark Thompson, chair of Community Board 6. “That includes the pier at 37th Street, which means reconstruction and outfitting as a public park, as well as construction of new portions of the esplanade.” Kavanagh said the first steps could involve simple improvements like a basic pier and docking points for small boats and kayaks. He cited Stuyvesant Stuyvesant Cove could include a pier and docking points for boats under the Blueway Plan. Cove as one possible location for such a project. and executive director of the Lower ing to create an artificial wetland in “People call a continuous path that East Side Ecology Center. “They come East River Park, which Datz-Romero you can bike or walk a greenway. We call here to barbecue, to have family pic- explains helps keep sewage run-off out it a blueway because it’s continuous,” nics. There are a lot of people that do of the river. Kavanagh explained. “The goal is to cre- need this space as their primary recre“When we have a hard rain and our ate a kind of integrated plan that includes ation. We want to make sure that they sewer system can’t handle it, we have various points along the waterway.” feel welcomed.” floodgates that open and release all this Another part of the plan will involve The Ecology Center, which has been untreated sewage into the water system,” promoting public awareness of the involved in preserving the waterfront she said. “You can treat water biologically waterfront and keeping it accessible and since its move to East River Park in 1998, to make it clean again,” through wetlands affordable. will be working to educate the public and and more trees on the streets to soak up “We really urge everyone to let us also improve the quality of the river. excess rainwater before it overwhelms know what they want to see or have done “People have this perspective of the the sewers. on the waterfront,” said Thompson. “This river as dirty and dangerous,” said Datz“The blueway in lots of ways is about really is the people’s waterfront.” Romero. “It has changed, and I think peo- access to the water, but it’s also about “If you look at East River Park, it’s ple can become active stewards and get water quality,” Datz-Romero said. “The really like the backyard of people who educated.” more people who actively use the water, don’t go out of town for the weekend,” One of the initiatives of the LESEC the more people will have a vested intersaid Christine Datz-Romero, co-founder involves using citywide compost- est in water quality.”

“We live on an island in Manhattan, but we often forget that,” said Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh. proposals on how best to acquire and incorporate community feedback into the redevelopment of the waterfront this week. Soon East Siders will be able to have a say in exactly what they want out of their river access, and the $650,000 grant from the Department of State will enable those hopes to move toward reality. North of 38th Street, the NYC Economic Development Corporation is simultaneously working on waterfront development through East 96th Street. “We live on an island in Manhattan, but we often forget that,” said Assembly Member Kavanagh, who crafted the grant

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Bing Leaves Path for Quart to Claim UES Assembly Seat By Laura Nahmias Dan Quart, a lawyer and Upper East Side community board member, has quickly become the front runner in the race to replace Assembly Member Jonathan Bing, with Democratic officials falling in line behind him just hours after Bing announced he would be leaving for a position with the Cuomo administration. “People are coalescing behind him,” said political consultant George Arzt, who

has strong ties to Rep. Carolyn Maloney. “He’ll be the candidate.” Quart said his experience running a pro bono legal clinic for tenants, as well as his work on the Second Avenue Subway task force, has prepared him for the rigors of Albany. “Running for State Assembly is a continuation of the work I’ve been doing in the community for the last 10 years,” said Quart in a statement. “We have a great

tradition on the East Side in having firstrate public officials, and I pledge to continue that tradition if I have the chance to represent the 73rd Assembly District in Albany.” Quart, who made an unsuccessful run against City Council Member Jessica Lappin in 2005, is on good terms with Bing, who is not endorsing anyone to be his successor because his new job will require him to stay out of politics.

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Dan Quart. “He’s a very strong candidate and he’s been a very strong supporter of my political career,” Bing said. Quart is a graduate of SUNY Binghamton and St. John’s Law School. He is currently an attorney in private practice. Lappin said Quart’s name was the only contender she’d heard so far, though she imagined there would be others—just not herself. “I am not interested,” she said. Lappin officially endorsed her former rival on the steps of City Hall last week, along with Rep. Maloney and Assembly Member Micah Kellner. Fellow East Side pols Council Member Dan Garodnick and State Senator Liz Krueger have also endorsed Quart for the seat. Bing’s departure for the Cuomo administration had been in the works for some time. The new position, as Special Deputy Superintendent of the Liquidation Department, is based full-time in New York City, under Cuomo’s newly created Department of Financial Services. Bing will report directly to Superintendent Ben Lawsky. “I had conversations with the administration at the beginning of this term, and they accelerated in a discussion with the governor two weeks ago,” Bing said. “I’m based in New York City, so I’ll be able to spend more time with my family, and it gives me executive experience.” Bing’s move was not a matter of if, but when, said Arzt. continued on page 68 N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

A Personal Matter Dr. George Raptis, Co-Director of the Dubin Breast Center

Dr. Raptis discusses treatment options with a patient.

By Linnea Covington When Dr. George Raptis decided to concentrate his practice on breast cancer more than 20 years ago, he had no idea that decades later treating, learning about, and searching for a cure would become personal. But with a wife and four daughters, Dr. Raptis truly realized how much the illness affects everyone, both female and male. “I recognize that if nothing changes there is a greater than 50% chance that one of these women in my life could get breast cancer,” he said. “I think if everyone takes a look at all the women in their lives, they should realize it’s a personal matter.” Decades after fulfilling his fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Dr. George Raptis is now the associate chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and, most recently, has taken the reins as co-director at the hospital’s newly opened Dubin Breast Center at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. Breast cancer affects 12.6 percent of people in this country, and, yes, a small portion of that includes men. According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 207,090 women were diagnosed last year. At the Dubin Breast Center, which opened in April, they are taking a novel approach in dealing with the disease and running a medical facility. Instead of just building another cancer care hub, Mount Sinai decided to build the center around patients and their needs, making it easier and less stressful for them to get high quality, comprehensive care and access to clinical research. They have also implemented an electronic medical records system that gives doctors involved with the center instant access to patients’ complete files, ensuring they have the most up-to-date information on each patient. It also greatly reduces the burden on patients because they don’t have to carry their files from one doctor to another. Dr. Raptis noted that the close proximity of the doctors in each subspecialty of the Dubin Breast Center improves the

patient experience, the multidisciplinary care and ultimately the clinical outcome. “This really makes sense to me and more importantly to patients,” said Dr. Raptis. “Though it’s early, I see that this is a great thing. Yesterday, a person got a mammogram, saw a surgeon, and then saw me, all in one day.”

“Yesterday, a person got a mammogram, saw a surgeon, and then saw me, all in one day,” said Dr. George Raptis, co-director of the Dubin Breast Center. The new center helps ease the angst that comes with the illness. As the primary benefactor, part of Eva Andersson-Dubin’s vision for the Dubin Breast Center was a calming and healing space, and Dr. Raptis believes they have achieved it. “Breast cancer patients experience a lot of anxiety, and we wanted to create a calming more soothing and welcoming environment,” said Dr. Raptis. “Comments I hear are ‘spa-like and soothing,’ which are words patients are coming up with, not ones we have suggested to them.” Dr. Raptis’ research and his goal is to promote breast health. He works with all sorts of patients with varying stages of breast cancer and premalignant breast disease. But his clinical and research focus is to integrate current standard treatments with evolving biologic therapies as part of a gradual move toward more rational, targeted therapeutics that may eventually leave

behind conventional chemotherapy altogether. He adds that being part of an exceptional academic medical center with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine right there helps build the bridge from bench to bedside and back again, which is the hallmark of translational research. “We are now able to talk about treatments that have nothing to do with chemotherapy,” said fellow medical oncologist and researcher, Dr. Kerin Adelson. “They are less toxic, and I think it’s excellent in terms of where research needs to move.” As for how to keep up your own breast health, Dr. Raptis said getting to know what your breasts feel like is key. He also suggests getting your first mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40, then having one every year. High-risk people may require a more tailored screening regimen. To find out if you fit into this category, Dr. Raptis recommends going to www.cancer.gov and utilizing the site’s breast cancer risk assessment tool in addition to discussing your personal and family history with your physician or a breast cancer expert, if necessary. And, most important of all, make sure your doctor is examining your breasts routinely. If he or she isn’t, just ask for an examination and discuss your risk factors. It is important for you to take charge of your health. “Women have access to their own breasts more than anyone else,” he said. “If you know your breasts, you will likely know if something is abnormal.” If you do find something that seems abnormal, talk to your doctor right away, chances are it’s nothing, but if it is cancer, the quicker it’s removed the better your recovery and the chance of cure will be. So far, breast cancer hasn’t gone away, but Dr. George Raptis remains positive. He said, “After 20 years in the field, I can say there is a decrease in the incidence, and an increase in the cure rate, of breast cancer. I am more hopeful now than I was when I went into this field that I will see the cure of this disease because of the rapidly evolving research and patient advocacy that have joined forces to make this a reality.”

For more information on Dr. George Raptis and the Dubin Breast Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, go to www.dubinbreastcenter.org O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

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Designing the Perfect Bachelor Pad Digs

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By Megan Finngean Dale Cohen knows what men want, and often the things they want are TVs. Most often, however, the single men who are her interior design clients want someone to do the worrying and planning for them, which is exactly what Cohen does so well. In 2000, after earning an MA in architecture from Yale and teaching on the West Coast, Cohen moved to New York to branch into interior architecture. She worked with Jamie Drake, Mayor Bloomberg’s head decorator, and was the head architect on the interior overhaul of Gracie Mansion in 2002. When she envisioned her own firm, she thought about previous clients and remembered how fun it was working with bachelors. “My last client in L.A. was a bachelor, and I had just a great time, because of the tempo of the work and how you talk and the meetings,” said Cohen. She decided to specialize in helping single men create the homes they wanted but couldn’t figure out—or be bothered—to put together themselves. Cohen devised Bachelor by d.a.l.e.,

after realizing her name could be an acronym for Design and Lifestyle Expert, and started a blog to highlight that element of her design studio’s work. She said that she tailors her approach for busy, successful men, keeping meetings focused and short—45 minutes max—and giving her clients limited options. “My meetings are very short, with men, and they’re very focused and it’s very decisionoriented,” Cohen said. “There’s three chairs, they chose one.” With other clients, she might spend an entire day every week shopping with them, but her bachelors want her to manage the details. “I really try to create a calm environment that reflects their style,” said Cohen. She often delights clients by suggesting they include some fun elements. East Sider Dale Cohen specializes in designing One man rented a giant, bachelor pads.

open loft in Tribeca, with “this huge bowling alley of a living room, like 60 feet long,” Cohen said. “I put a ping-pong table in, this score board I had made. I put a small backboard in.” He loved it. A current client, with an apartment near Union Square, has a large terrace Cohen is outfitting. After deciding on the right outdoor furniture, she asked if he wanted any games—ping-pong, lawn bowling, perhaps an outdoor pool table? “He got really excited because he couldn’t fit a pool table in his apartment,” she said. Pool tables are popular among bachelors, but they also want the rest of their space to be welcoming and beautiful. “A guy who’s over 35 and hasn’t been married, they haven’t really nested. Women will nest in a 2-by-2-foot square. A guy is really working on his career, going out to play basketball, hanging out with friends—those are his priorities,” said Cohen. “They know that there’s a guy to teach them how to play golf better, but they don’t know I’m there.” With her professional experience in continued on page 68

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By Megan Finnegan New Yorkers might assume there’s a wildlife rehabilitation center somewhere within the city limits—a reasonable assumption in a city that boasts three zoos, a botanical garden in every outer borough, and is home to many animal and environmental rights groups. In fact, New York is the only major U.S. city without a wildlife rehab center. The Wild Bird Fund is about to change that by opening the first center of its kind on the Upper West Side, expanding its capacity to treat injured wild animals—mainly birds—by 100 percent. The non-profit foundation is led by Rita McMahon and Karen Heidgerd, both licensed by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation to rehabilitate wild birds and by the federal Department of the Interior to work with migratory birds. McMahon stumbled upon this calling by accident—she’s a television consultant by trade who met Heidgerd, a veterinary nurse, when she started rehabbing pigeons in her free time. They’ve been expanding ever since, and have worked out of the Animal General facility on Columbus Avenue for eight years, where veterinarians volunteer their time for surgeries when needed. With the help of an angel investor, the Wild Bird Fund has leased a large storefront across the street and is renovating it in preparation for a brand-new center. They’re planning an educational theater, a pool for waterfowl, a flying room and enough space to house twice as many

birds as they currently care for. When anyone brings in an injured bird, McMahon and Heidgerd take it in and assess the extent of its injuries, splinting broken bones or nursing a weak bird back to health. In some cases, they have to teach the birds to fly and forage for food. “They pretty much have to fly from the floor, up to 8 feet. They have to eat on their own,” said Heidgerd.

“Every situation and every phone call is different,” said Karen Heidgerd. “I’m in the middle of Times Square and there’s a baby sparrow on the street, what do I do? If you were in Central Park, we’d tell you to leave it there, but in the middle of Times Square, it’s probably going to get killed.” “They have to not be imprinted on people. They have to think other pigeons are cool,” added McMahon, who said they’ve had to break wild birds of habits like landing on people’s heads. “The people who want to help sometimes have to do more research to know how to help.” “Every situation and every phone call is different,” said Heidgerd. “I’m in the middle of Times Square and there’s continued on page 68 N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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888.777.9740 nyhrc.com O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

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40 ANNIVE

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Back to the Future

t was a time when a Macintosh was just a fruit, byte was still a verb and a hard drive meant a long trip upstate. In 1971, four decades ago, a new weekly community newspaper was launched to provide Eastsiders with the news of their neighborhoods—Our Town. Despite its quaint Thornton Wilder-esque name, the newspaper has been a ferocious advocate for the people of the East Side for 40 years now. In addition to being the only newspaper in town to comprehensively cover the news of the East Side, we also helped provide a forum for interesting writers and new voices. A budding gossip columnist named Cindy Adams began her career at Our Town. New York Times Beijing correspondent Andrew Jacobs

edited this newspaper in the mid-1990s. And a very civic-minded man named Ed Kayatt started Our Town out of an East 80s basement with his sons in the early 1970s, and made this newspaper a force to be reckoned with until he sold it to a public company called News Communications in 1991. Manhattan Media bought Our Town in 2001 and continued its N mission to be A NIV the watchdog of the East SideE Rand S A to RY highlight the heroic efforts of its notable residents. And this week, on the occasion of our 40th anniversary, we profile and salute eight great families who have helped build the East Side. Their civic efforts inspire us to keep doing what we’re doing for another 40 years. As always, we’ll continue to be the

small-town newspaper in the big metropolis where readers can call and get the editor on the phone. Where you can see your neighbor’s name in a story about community opposition to a new waste station. Where you can find valuable tips on where to shop and dine in your neighborhood. We’ll continue to cover the stories that are too small for the dailies, because our motto continues to be that “all the important news is local.” Let the dailies and television stations focus on the federal budget or the Middle East; we’d rather focus on your block or your child’s school. We’ve been a must read on the East Side for 40 years now—or more than 2,000 editions—covering the news from

the lower East Side to the upper East Side. To our readers, loyal advertisers and staff—past and present—who have supported us these last 40 years, thank you. If we haven’t covered your story or made it to your block yet, rest assured we’ll be there soon. The best is yet to come.

President/CEO Our Town

Chasing the Elusive Beast By Allen Houston

ne thing that happens as a byproduct of putting together such a mammoth endeavor as our 40th Anniversary celebration is that I have been going through the bound volumes of our archives. The yellowing pages are fat with advertisements for items such as hair tonics, free happy hours at restaurants that have long since shuttered their doors, personal ads (the kind of stuff you’d see posted on Craigslist today) and grocery coupons with jaw-dropping prices. But primarily, the bound volumes contain the story and history of the Upper East Side over the past four decades. The pages pulsate with the travails of community activists and City Council members who have left their indelible mark on our neighborhood. They crackle with investigative pieces and scoops that either educated or caused someone to make a change for the betterment of the community. They collect the tales of ordinary residents who have overcome

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trapped within the amber of time. It’s an honor to follow in the path of such great journalists as Ed Kayatt, Andrew Jacobs, Lincoln Anderson, Pets: The Poop on 40 Christopher Moore and all the others Page 14 Uptown Dog Parks who have put their blood, sweat and JUST TWO tears into making sure that this paper Trashy Plan Or Just Plain WEEKS AWAY! COMING JUNE 30 never missed an issue and continues its Fight heats up over th 2 40 Asphalt Green Anniversary mission of investigative journalism and garbage site Issue bringing you the most important neighborhood news of the week. By Megan I’ve only been the editor for a year, Finnegan Page 4 but I’ve already learned what a dynamic and unique community it is that we Row Your Boat, Gently Down The East River cover. Whether it’s writing about protests against the proposed 91st Street P.8 Waste Transfer Center, documenting the saga of the Second Avenue Call 212.772.DOCS (3627) Subway, covering community board meetings or telling the stories of Our Town two weeks ago: The marine those who live here, Our Town offers transfer station is still a big story. a window into what’s happening on the Upper East Side now and prolife from crime and transportation to vides a blueprint on where it’s going. the arts and back again. And the photos A former editor I worked with at the within the paper hold those moments Dallas Morning News called nailing a extraordinary odds and they report the birds-eye view of everyday facets of city

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ANNIVE

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June 16, 2011

ANNIVE

Celebrating Forty Years of Covering the East Side

A RY

Since 1970

NIMBY?

Issue June 30th Dinner Gala June 28th Salute to the Top East Side Families: Tisch, Rudin, Silver, Rubenstein, Morgenthau, Winfield, Miller, Rapfogel Portion of the proceeds to benefit Hunter College Scholarship Program

For advertising and Dinner Gala information call 212.268.0384

Open 365 days a year • No appointment needed We accept most major insurances 336 East 86th St (Betw 1st and 2nd Ave)

Visit us at www.CityMD.net and see inside page 8 for more information.

great story or uncovering the hidden highways and byways of a city in newsprint “chasing the elusive beast.” Every week, it’s our job to chase that beast, catch it and bring back what we find for you the reader. To all the former staffers who have worked here over the years, I’d like to say thanks for steering the ship in the right direction. I’d especially like to say a big thank you to Christopher Moore for helping out with this issue. Without your work, tenacity and belief in what we do, we wouldn’t be celebrating our 40th anniversary. To the readers, your engagement in where you live has been the guiding force behind our coverage and without your tireless support, there would be no reason for us to publish. Here’s to another 40 years! Allen Houston is the executive editor of Our Town and the West Side Spirit. Before that, he was a staff member at the Dallas Morning News and the New York Post. Any story ideas can be sent to him at ahouston@manhattanmedia.com. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

The Met salutes Our Town on its 40th anniversary and congratulates its 2011 honorees

Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.

metmuseum.org

Gustav Klimt, Mäda Primavesi (1903–2000), detail, 1912, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of André and Clara Mertens, in memory of her mother, Jenny Pulitzer Steiner, 1964. 1 O uMET-0043-OurTown_10x11.25_June29_v7.indd r T o w n N Y. c o m

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OUR TOWN HISTORY

A Paper’s Power Starting small, ‘Our Town’ became a player by advocating for its readers By Christopher Moore

he penny-saver became a powerhouse. Our Town began as a small advertising vehicle with a few community news articles. But before long, it became an important East Side resource, addressing key issues like crime and schools and economic development. Under different owners over the years, the paper has maintained its focus on East Side neighborhoods and their needs. “Our Town was a feisty tabloid that had a huge following,” recalled Tom Allon, the president and C.E.O. of Manhattan Media who became the paper’s publisher in 1992. Allon this week remembered first reading the paper himself back in the 1980s—and seeing “Our Town boxes all over the East Side.” Eager readers did what many still do, heading out to street boxes or their lobbies beginning on Wednesday evenings for their weekly fix of hyper-local news. Allon said that even in its early days, the paper was known for aggressive reporting. “Every week on the front page they went after a different slumlord,” he said. “There was a slogan of ‘the newspaper that cares about you… and your neighborhood,’ which I used to think was hokey and which now I think is inspired.” The slogan came during the era of East Sider Ed Kayatt, who founded the paper in 1970. Two decades later, News Communications purchased Our Town, which today is part of the Manhattan Media family. Kayatt still lives on the Upper East Side. In 2000, he remembered how he saw an opportunity to encourage the paper’s growth and provide a source of real community news. Other small papers, he thought, were not doing that work. “The other papers were puff sheets that only had complimentary articles on their advertisers. There was a need for a paper like Our Town,” Kayatt said in the interview. His then-wife, Arlene Kayatt, was one of the original editors. In a separate interview in 2000, she said the paper would advocate for readers in landlordtenant fights, consumer-merchant battles and city government wrangles. “The role the paper played in the community made it a force in the community,” she

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Issue from Feb. 9, 1973.

Issue from Dec. 3, 1976.

Issue from Sept. 22, 1984.

The first issue of Manhattan Pennysavers. explained then. “It really became a watchdog.” Bette Dewing, still an op-ed columnist, thought back this week on the paper’s beginnings. “It was wonderful, really, in so many ways,” said Dewing, who in those early days lived only a block and a half away from the Our Town storefront office. “It was really a grassroots endeavor,” according to Dewing. “Nobody there took a journalism course. Ed was really inspired to help the community. He did

have a drive to do something about the state of the city. That was very sincere.” Dewing credited Our Town with being the first paper to draw attention to the issue of crime. While the New York Times “came so reluctantly to believing there was a problem with crime,” the local paper addressed the issue extensively. As readership increased, so did the coverage area, with the paper heading southward towards Gramercy Park and sometimes even lower. Over the

Issue from June 21, 1987. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

A Summer Film Program for NYC Youth! Hosted by Bethany Memorial Reformed Church

 What: A time for students aged 10 -17 to learn how to tell the Gospel story with film and photography!  Where: Bethany Memorial Reformed Church 344 East 69th Street (between First and Second avenues) New York NY 10021  When: Every Wednesday night from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, June 29th to Aug. 31st  Why: To learn more about the Gospel, to be great storytellers, and to have fun! To register or just to learn more, please contact the program director, Abby Roh at 610-955-5512 or abbybean11@gmail.com

BELLEVUE HOSPITAL CENTER is proud to join Our Town in celebrating forty years of covering the East Side; and in saluting The Winfield Family: Claude, Shelley, Michael, Marie, Konrad and Sophie.

Lynda D. Curtis

Admission is on a rolling basis, so you are welcome whenever you can come!

THE 19th PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL

CONGRATULATES “OUR TOWN” ON THEIR 40th ANNIVERSARY Commanding Officer: Community Affairs Officer: Community Affairs Officer: Crime Prevention Officer: President: Vice President: Treasurer: Recording Secretary: Corresponding Secretary: Assistant Secretary: Sergeant-at-Arms:

Inspector Matthew Whelan Officer Chris Helms Detective Liam Lynch Officer Tarik Hunter Nick Viest Kathy Jolowicz Diane Klages Phillida Viest Geraldine Corbett Mary Ford David Gillespie

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME WILL TAKE PLACE TUESDAY, AUGUST 2ND AT CARL SCHURZ PARK AT 86TH STREET AND EAST END AvENUE. FROM 5PM-8PM. LIvE MUSIC AND REFRESHMENTS. WEATHER PERMITTING. NO RAINDATE.

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

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Pullout Section: Guide to Manhattan Page

LENOX HILL EDITION

NEWS YOU LIVE BY

This Week NEW S

East Side Express Crime Watch School secessionists

2 4 6

JANUARY 30, 2003

City Drops Its Plan to Change Shelter

August 10, 2006

But 77th Street facility may admit more

F EATURES

How Much? CityWeek

2 8

David Benioff, screenwriter

Manhattan Sports

C O LUM NS

Junior Ivy League 29 William H. Gunlocke 39

the wizard of moving

The wizard of moving

Whether it was about NIMBY or not, the issue has been resolved for the moment. When the renewal of the contract of an East 77th Street homeless center came up in October, the Department of Homeless Services wanted to convert it into a drop-in center and increase its capacity. Many neighbors were outraged. Coming in droves to Community Board 8’s full board meeting earlier this month, they spoke vehemently about center troubles. They spoke of a client who threw a brick through a center window this month, a man who stabbed an infant with a pen 10 years ago, a fire outside the center and loitering. Robert Mascali, chief of staff for the city department, allayed people’s fears, saying the center, the Neighborhood Center for Homeless People, would not be changing. “We will continue the present arrangement – by referral only,” Mascali said at the meeting. “We appreciate the concerns of the community.”

C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E

In her East Side apartment, art appraiser Andree Dean and her husband raised four sons, including presidential hopeful Howard.

When Your Child Runs for President Andree Dean’s direct link to the campaign trail

Doormen’s Union Prepares for Contract Talks

By C h r istop her Moor e

This is the first in an occasional series of articles about Manhattan native Howard Dean’s presidential campaign. When her son told her he’s running for president, Andree

Last strike, in 1991, went on for 12 days

EDITORIAL

Four Extra Numbers, One Big Annoyance

By Nate S ch we be r

(212) 452-MOVE www.oz-moving.com

C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

After All, There’s No Place Like Home!

Roberto Torres has worked as a doorman at 139 W. 82nd St. for 19 years. He said his dream is to earn enough money to live in the building he works in. He’ll settle for a fair contract when his union tries to make a new deal with the real estate industry in the spring. “I just hope they keep us satisfied and happy with the new contract,” he said. “I don’t want to strike.” Manny Lopez on East 72nd Street

Since 1970

New Yorkers part With their money

On the telephone, though, a department spokesman, James Anderson, added, “It’s not clear about the capacity at this point.” Anne Teicher, executive director of Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter, which runs the facility, said that although disturbances occur at the center, they happen everywhere. Furthermore, she said, most people do not even know a center exists on the block. The Neighborhood Center for Homeless People, in a three-story building at 237 E. 77th St., opened in 1989. The 24-hour multiservice center accommodates up to 75 single adults a day and operates on a referral-only basis. Officials of the Department of Homeless Services had hoped to increase daily intake to a minimum of 75 people and offer entry to both walk-in and referred clients. “We do deal with a very difficult population, and sometimes things happen,” said Teicher, who has been the executive director since 1995. “Safety is as important to the

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

Star in ultimate Frisbee

Seniors

By L aur e n A . Elk i e s

Your Neighborhood Is Our Business

Scam City

Sometimes it’s the little annoyances that drive us crazy. As New Yorkers, we’re used to our share of large-scale challenges. But every once in a while a little thing, an idiotic detail of C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E

Dean had two immediate reactions. “I kept thinking that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard,” she said. “And it’s going to be expensive. Those are the two first things I thought.” These days the East Sider sounds more positive about the decision by her son, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a physician who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. In an interview in her elegant, simply decorated Park Avenue apartment, Andree Dean described how her son and his three brothers grew up in these seven rooms. There were also weekend jaunts to East Hampton, where she still owns a second home. Dean said she’s not certain yet what if any role she will play on the campaign trail. But several C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E

By Charlotte Eichna New Yorkers have a reputation for being street smart and savvy. But it’s not always so. It turns out you don’t have to be an out-of-towner to be the victim of a scam. Locals are victims, too, and the Internet only makes it easier than ever for unscrupulous individuals to take advantage of unsuspecting targets. Sometimes the victims are CONTINUED ON PAGE

EDITORIAL

Wanted: Stations Accessible to All

The Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990. So it’s about time for our public transportation system to comply, both with the spirit and the letter of the law. That means providing escalators and elevators at all subway stops along the subway system. For that to happen, there must be the political will. These issues came to the forefront this week, thanks to a new report from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. His comments and, even more importantly, the staCONTINUED ON PAGE

Issue from Aug. 10, 2006. Issue from Jan. 30, 2003.

APRIL 7, 2005 LENOX HILL EDITION

Burglars ‘Nail’ Salons Suspects breaking into mom-and-pop businesses B y L a u r e n A . El k i e s

A group of burglars have been targeting small Manhattan businesses south of 59th Street, including eight nail salons, according to police. In less than one year, the group has struck as many as 40 establishments, 15 of which fall within the confines of the East Side’s 17th Precinct. In a recent case, the suspects C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E

EDITORIAL

Stringer Reforms Help Albany

C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E

Issue from July 16, 1992.

years, the paper has netted recognition from city officials and the New York Press Association, among other honors. Allon said that during the 1990s, journalists and designers gave the publica-

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

On March 31, the unthinkable happened: the New York State Legislature passed an on-time budget in the light of day. Although it’s not a perfect budget yet, and there’s more to do to improve funding for education and health care, it’s amazing that after two decades of tardiness, we have a workable plan that’s on target. Rewind the tape just two years: the 2003 legislative session was about to go down in history as the least productive ever, with the latest budget in the last 20 years of late budgets.The inability to resolve the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court mandate for money for schools, to reach consensus on a Rockefeller drug law reform or a minimumwage increase marred the legislative body. As August 2003 came and went, it was clear change was needed. Then, just as the Legislature hit rock bottom, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU released a report that called the State Legislature the

Issue from April 7, 2005. tion a more modern look. “It had been a great brand for 20 years before News Communications owned it,” said Allon, who worked for that company and later founded Manhattan Media, the paper’s

Lyndon LaRouche. With a bipartisan spirit, Our Town endorsed politicians from both sides of the aisle, Allon said, back “when elephants still roamed the East Side.” The paper gives voice to neighborhoods, celebrates achievement with Our Town Thanks You (OTTY) Awards and the Blackboard Awards for education, and exposes bad things that need to be changed. The paper has a secret weapon, namely its readers. They tend to be extremely involved in local issues and tied to their community. “They are people who are not afraid to call the editor up,” Allon said. Notwithstanding its rich history, Allon looked to the future when it comes to Our Town. “We think it will be around 40 years from now,” he said, “because we have a mission that transcends newsprint and transcends newspapers.”

current owner. The paper has taken on hot topics, inspiring a federal takeover in 1995 of the Kenmore Hotel, an SRO, and investigating perennial political candidate

The First ‘Our Town’

Our Town began in 1970 as Manhattan Pennysavers, a weekly amalgam of coupons, advertisements, neighborhood gripes and restaurant reviews. The first issue also included advice on assorted topics like furniture arrangement, recommending that “each piece of furniture should be a scale suitable to the room, the space it will occupy, and the other furniture.” In August 1970, Pennysavers created a personals section, which was immensely popular. The publication was renamed Our Town on April 30, 1971. Throughout the second year, Our Town gradually featured more articles—Peter Pasquinade contributed the first community gripe against the New York Telephone Company. His weekly gripes soon earned him a column. As other columnists such as Congressman Edward Koch, Senator Roy Goodman and entertainment columnist Johnny Deron began to contribute to Our Town, the newspaper featured more articles and investigative reporting, until Our Town gradually became the newspaper that it is today. —Lisa Chen

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Freelancers Union thanks Assembly Speaker Silver for his leadership and vision that have made a real difference for independent workers on the East Side… and all over New York.

CONGRESSWOMAN

Carolyn Maloney Congratulations, Our Town on your 40th Anniversary Best wishes to all of Our Town’s honorees: the Silver, Tisch, Rubenstein, Rudin, Morgenthau/Franks, Winfield, Miller and Rapfogel families. O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

THE E. 83/84TH ST. BLOCK ASSOCIATION

133 E.84th St. 10028 Since 1973 16 blocks 83 & 84th Streets, 2nd to 5th Avenues

CONGRATULATES

OUR TOWN ON ITS 40th ANNIVERSARY June 30, 2011

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East sidE storiEs

e scoured our bound archives dent” in the thousands of poor and elderly citizens who and the New York Public needed housing. CB8 approved the proposal, but some Library’s Our Town microfilm residents accused the board of failing to represent the community. Despite ensuing conflict in years following, files trying to pick out the biggest or most the Asphalt Site project still stands today. interesting article of the year—or ones we just liked for this highly subjective review. Sept. 1, 1972 “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man Here Comes The Our Town’s predecessor, Manhattan People”—In the 1970s, “juice bars” such as The Zoo, Pennysavers, did not have many articles, the Fudge Factory and the Forbidden Fruit emerged so we did not do a summary for 1970. The as sketchy drug-filled discotheques whose late-night paper changed its name April 30, 1971, activities upset local residents. The Tambourine Club at 350 E. 81st St. received repeated summonses for making this year the 40th anniversary of “deafening” noises, drug arrests and street violence. the Our Town name. There are a few other Community members and Tambourine patrons years missing in this review because the clashed violently, and residents even threw rocks and bottles at patrons. Following a community NYPL had trouble locating the issues. demonstration against the club, police made 19 arrests We have undoubtedly left off some at the Tambourine during the week of Sept. 1, 1972. people’s favorites, but we hope you’ll The Tambourine closed months later, but juice bars appreciate this retrospective with a focus continued to thrive throughout Manhattan, much to the chagrin of residents. on Second Avenue Subway progress and lack thereof—Our Town has been Sept. 28, 1973 documenting construction complaints Second Avenue Subway Opposition—At a Sept. 17 since at least 1973—and little gems like public hearing, residents expressed little support for the construction of the Second Avenue Subway. the longing to make East 86th Street more Led by the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association, critics of the project worried that the planning “mall-like.” Written and compiled by Lisa Chen, Ashley Welch and Catharine Daddario.

Nov. 5, 1971

Asphalt Green Project—When the Asphalt Site building project was proposed by the Educational Construction Fund to Community Board 8, residents opposed the project, which involved the construction of low-income and middle-income housing, a new school and a community park at York Avenue and 90th Street. Assemblyman Peter Berle argued that with the proposed middle-income housing at $85–$90 a room per month, “people who need housing in the Yorkville area are not going to be able to afford this housing.” Reporter Tom Crispo wrote that the “300 units of lowincome housing does not even begin to put a

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committee, a joint venture of the Municipal Art Society board and the City Planning Committee, had neglected the local community’s health and safety needs in the interests of real estate developers. Residents especially opposed the low-rise building demolition that would result from building subway easements within buildings rather than sidewalk stairways. Opposition continued even after construction was approved; the project was shut down in 1975 before planning was resurrected in the ’90s.

May 17, 1974

Tenant Tensions—In 1974, growing complaints about collapsing walls, sewage and other poor living conditions finally spurred tenants to fight back. Even

after a suspicious fire damaged a Mt. Sinai apartment, burning through the ceiling and the insulation, Mt. Sinai continued to call the apartment “livable.” Tenants rallied against landlords and later that year, drafted the first Tenants’ Bill of Rights, paving the way to improved living conditions throughout the city.

Feb. 7, 1975

“East 86 Streetscaping Plans Now Public”— Our Town unveiled proposed blueprints for the beautification of East 86th Street, which hoped to transform the busy street into a “mall-like avenue.” Plans included lighting that was “not only festive looking but also flattering to people,” paving in “a warm brown or reddish color” and outdoor cafes “designed for taking a respite from a busy day.” The entire beautification project cost $705,000. Although many of the proposal’s ideas ultimately did not come to life, East 86th Street has undergone a thorough beautification project over the years, involving the planting of many trees.

July 17, 1977

Citywide Blackout—On July 13, a citywide electrical blackout occurred in New York City. The only areas not affected were parts of southern Queens. Massive looting followed on the Upper West Side; approximately 40 stores on Broadway and Columbus Avenue between 80th and 100th streets were looted during the blackout. The electrical failure was a result of lighting strikes in stations in the Hudson valley.

July 2, 1978

Bridgemarket Battles—Entrepreneur Harley Baldwin sought to make use of the space underneath the 59th Street Bridge at First Avenue. He called his project “Bridgemarket” and hoped to build “an international food emporium” under the bridge’s arches. Residents of Sutton Place opposed the project, fearing congestion, air pollution and over-taxation. After years of struggle, Bridgemarket was finally approved in 1982. Construction began in 1985, and Bridgemarket opened at last in 1988.

Oct. 11, 1981

St. Bart’s Office Building?—When St. Bartholomew’s Church wished to lease its grounds to a private developer, the community refused. The church wished to

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Congratulates

The Top East Side Families The Rudin Family The Silver Family

The Rapfogel Family

The Rubenstein Family The Tisch Family

The Morgenthau/Franks Family The Winfield Family The Miller Family

Our Town

for 40 Years of Service to Manhattan’s East Side

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

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East sidE storiEs convert its community house and gardens into a highrise office building in order to raise funds. However, Community Board 5 voted against the construction of a new office building on the church’s grounds on Park Avenue between 50th and 51st streets. The Landmarks Preservation Commission also refused the church’s request in the name of historical preservation.

Feb. 6, 1983

“Vandals Destroy Our Town Offices”—On the evening of Jan. 27, vandals broke into Our Town’s offices at 1751 Second Ave. and destroyed all equipment relating to the production of the newspaper, including computers, typewriters and the entire telephone system, leaving the office looking “like a war zone.” Despite the loss of equipment, however, Our Town continued to produce its weekly issue. The identities of the perpetrators remained unknown.

April 1, 1984

April Fool’s Issue—Our Town began an annual April Fool’s series when its headlines declared, “Koch Jailed” on April 1. The joke article accused Mayor Koch of brown bagging a bottle of California Almaden wine into an Upper East Side Restaurant. Koch’s fictional bail was set at $500,000. Future April Fool’s front pages included Mario Cuomo’s decision to run for Governor of California, Koch’s resignation from office to accept a position as a talk show host in competition with Johnny Carson, and Donald Trump’s vow to devote the rest of his life to poverty relief.

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April 28, 1985

Crime Up on the UES—Despite the improving response of the 19th Precinct, crime prevailed through the Upper East Side. In 1984, the precinct received 3,652 burglary complaints. Reports of prostitution also increased throughout the city. In October 1985, a record 100 residents voiced their concerns at a 19th Precinct community council meeting.

March 23, 1986

City Council’s Gay Rights Bill—Our Town featured opposing columns for and against the gay rights bill, written by Mayor Edward Koch and Reverend Peter Finn, respectively. The bill passed and Koch signed it into law in April.

Jan. 25, 1987

Changing Landmarks—Several of New York’s artistic landmarks encountered hurdles—Symphony Space and the Beacon Theater were both threatened with extinction after falling into disuse. The Guggenheim faced its own expansion woes, struggling to reconcile Wright’s legendary design with a 10-story addition to the museum.

Aug. 5, 1988

Drop-In Homeless Shelter Faces Opposition—The Upper East Side Coalition, members of Community Board 8 and residents fought against the construction of a drop-in homeless shelter on 77th Street between Second and Third avenues. Critics argued that the shelter did not belong in a residential neighborhood, and feared the danger that the traffic of a 24-hour shelter would bring. Ultimately the shelter was

established, and is currently facing pressure from city budget cuts.

June 25, 1989

The Second Avenue Festival—The Second Avenue Festival brought the Upper East Side community together with food, shopping and games. Sponsored by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and Our Town, the annual festival took place on Second Avenue between 66th and 86th streets. In 1989, the festival raised over $100,000 to support local community organizations.

Oct. 21, 1990

“Miracle on 71st Street”—When a truck knocked the limb off of a tree during a construction project on 71st Street between First and York avenues, no one expected to find a 6-inch-tall ivory statue of the Virgin Mary embedded in the tree’s trunk. The tree became an object of great veneration as visitors adorned the tree with flowers, prayers, bells and rosary beads. After the statue was stolen shortly after it was discovered, community members formed a vigilante security force to protect the tree. Remarked a woman named Lydia, “I expect that it’s a sign from God that something very beautiful will happen in the city.”

Aug. 4, 1991

“Koch Goes to the Movies”—Former Mayor Ed Koch was one of Our Town’s first columnists—when Koch served in the House of Representatives, he reported weekly on his congressional activities, first appearing in Our Town in 1970. After ending his term as mayor in

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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admissions@yorkprep.org or 212-362-0400.www.yorkprep.org or 212-362-0400.www.yorkprep.org Anadmissions@yorkprep.org Oasis ofadmissions@yorkprep.org Learning and Compassion 122 East 88th Street at Avenue or Lexington 212-362-0400.www.yorkprep.org

For more information,contact contact our Office at at For more information, ourAdmissions Admissions Office www.immanuelnyc.org There IS somethingadmissions@yorkprep.org for everyone at York Prep! or 212-362-0400.www.yorkprep.org admissions@yorkprep.org or 212-362-0400.www.yorkprep.org 212-289-8128 For more information, contact our Admissions Office at admissions@yorkprep.org or 212-362-0400.www.yorkprep.org The Rev. Gregory

P. Fryer, Pastor Dr. Gwendolyn Toth, Music Director

Our Summer Worship Schedule

Beginning this July 10 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Holy Communion liturgies

If you have been out of town for the weekend, welcome to church at Immanuel in the evening too. Also, Vacation Bible School for ages 3-10, August 22-26, from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Contact Parish Secretary Karen Rombey at 212-289-8128.

Welcome! O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

June 30, 2011

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OUR TOWN

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GRISTEDES Congratulates

OUR TOWN 40

on its

ANNIVERSARY

Of Excellent Service To New York City, And To The Many Families They Have Honored, Including Our Good Friends The Hon. Robert Morgenthau and Howard Rubenstein.

JOHN CATSIMATIDIS Chairman & CEO

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OUR TOWN

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June 30, 2011

NEWS YOU LIVE BY

We’re Growing

Continuing Education at Hunter College offers a breadth of courses and certificate programs designed for professional and personal growth.

Open Houses: Fitness Instructor Program August 18, 6:00-7:30pm

Want to learn English? The International English Language Institute offers daytime, evening and Saturday courses for all levels. The Writing Center became a part of the Hunter family last fall and we are pleased to announce its exciting offerings of writing workshops, special topic courses, and literary events. In June, Parliamo Italiano joined continuing education. For more than 30 years, Parliamo Italiano has offered Italian language courses using a successfully proven method developed by the founding director.

Medical Coding and Billing August 25, 6:00-7:30pm Translation & Interpretation August 25, September 1, September 8 6:00-7:30pm General Open House September 1, 12:00-2:00pm Legal Studies September 6, 6:00-7:30pm Parliamo Italiano September 21, 6:00-7:00pm

Continuing Education

The Writing Center

International English Language Institute

Parliamo Italiano

www.hunter.cuny.edu/ce ce@hunter.cuny.edu 212.650.3850

www.hunter.cuny.edu/ieli ieli@hunter.cuny.edu 212.772.4292

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

www.hunter.cuny.edu/ce/the-writing-center twcce@hunter.cuny.edu 212.650.3850

www.hunter.cuny.edu/parliamo parliamo@hunter.cuny.edu 212.744.4693

June 30, 2011

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OUR TOWN

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East sidE storiEs 1989, Koch returned to Our Town as a movie review columnist. Among his first reviews: My Mother’s Castle (1990), Boyz in the Hood (1991) and The Rocketeer (1991), which Koch described as “boring. Even the kids walked out.”

July 23, 1992

“Encore!”—The Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, a gift from Elkan Naumburg to the city in 1924, faced the threat of removal in the summer of 1992. Located on the Mall just south of 72nd Street, the Parks Department argued that the bandshell “is obsolete, dirty, and a magnet for homelessness, drug activity, and vandalism.” Members of Community Board 8 and the Coalition to Save the Naumburg Bandshell fought the Parks Department’s attempts to remove the landmark. Ultimately, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that the Parks Department had allowed the bandshell to deteriorate and fall into disrepair. The bandshell still stands today.

Aug. 12, 1993

“Silence of the Muslims” “Defending the Faith: East Side Mosque Braves the Wave of Hate”—Our Town covered the rise in anti-Muslim feelings that grew out of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing—almost a foreshadowing of the 2010 objections to the proposed construction of an Islamic center near the WTC.

April 14, 1994 “Whatever Happened to the Second Avenue Subway?”—The Second Avenue Subway construction had been in the works for 60 years, and the 4/5/6 line— as it is now—was the country’s busiest line during morning rush hours. The subway was approved by voters in 1951, closed down in 1975 and the tunnels were covered. The 1994 article said: “Beginning this summer, transportation consultants will dredge up the Second Avenue subway to determine whether the line, abandoned nearly 20 years ago, is worthy of resurrection.”

July 20, 1995

“St. Agony”—The article outlined problems at the St. Agnes homeless shelter, which was serving 300 to 400 homeless a day. Although a few neighbors supported the shelter’s work, people who relied on it complained about violence,

slow response to work or education requests and the $40 a week stipend for kitchen or cleaning work. “Clients and experts in the social services field agree that St. Agnes is one of the city’s worst drop-in centers.”

March 28, 1996

“Still Brewing”—Our Town wrote an article about the 100th anniversary of M. Rohrs coffee shop, which opened in 1896 and closed in 2010. The shop stood strong against Starbucks and other coffee shops opening up all over the Upper East Side, and was continuing to be part of the neighborhood.

June 3, 1998

“Grand Old Station”—In 1998, there was a major change to a New York landmark. Grand Central Station underwent a full restoration. Its leaky roof was fixed and all the dirt scraped and washed off. “[Brendan] Sexton of the Municipal Art Society said, ‘The challenge now is upkeep.’”

Dec. 10, 1997

“How to Catch a Rapist”—Our Town wrote about a “baby-faced” rapist, committing a string of rapes on the Upper East Side. “For every reported rape in the United States, the National Victims Bureau says that 6 out of 10 other rapes go unreported. The bureau also said that one out of every three women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime and that one in four college women have either been raped or suffered attempted rape.” The East Side Rapist began his crimes in 1994, and he committed 18 rapes.

July 8, 1999

“Will Yuppies Take East Side Harlem?”—“For many, East 96th Street was known not as a street, but as a wall between English and Spanish, white and non-white, have and have-not.” Today, the “wall” may have moved up some blocks, but the gentrification and redevelopment has been a hot topic in New York for years. In 1999, a 12-screen Cineplex was going to be placed at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue, and a bigbox retail complex was being built on East 116th Street.

July 20, 2000

“The New E. 86th Street”—The Upper East Side used to be “populated mostly by Germans, with some

Crime Chronicles at the Kenmore Hotel By Ashley Welch In 1994, Our Town helped bring down Tran Troung, owner of the Kenmore Hotel, the largest single-roomoccupancy hotel in Manhattan at that time, which was infested with drugs, prostitution and crime. Reporter Justin Brown spent a night at the Kenmore, located at 145 E. 23rd St., in December 1993. He wrote “Hotel from Hell,” an exposé of the living conditions within the building. He described addicts and prostitutes “cruising the halls amid the stench of urine and feces,” and families of six or more crammed into 11-feet-by-14-feet rooms. The communal bathrooms were so filthy and dangerous that many residents were forced to bathe using only the sink in their rooms. On the seventh floor, there was a room completely inhabited by pigeons, the floor smothered with several inches of droppings. Crime was rampant, with police estimating arrests at 75–100 in a year, mostly for drug possession and distribution. The Kenmore had not always been a dangerous place, but changed drastically when Troung purchased it, along with four other hotels, in 1985. In June 1987, Our Town reported on the mounting health violations and also delved into the hotel’s history 50 years prior, when it was a luxury hotel. In February 1988, conditions were continuing to deteriorate as Troung fired half the maids. Prior to this change in ownership, the hotel housed many elderly tenants on welfare. However, a shift soon occurred, as Troung was more interested in tenants receiving supplementary security income, given to people who are diagnosed with both a mental disturbance and a chemical dependence. According to an attorney who represented many of Kenmore’s tenants against Troung, the owner had believed SSI was a more secure source of income than welfare. As a result, many of the elderly tenants were driven out, and those who remained were often in grave danger. In May 1994, Our Town reported the murder of an 86-year-old woman, strangled in the shower of a community bathroom. The next month it would be discovered that the alleged murderer was part of Kenmore’s management. After a second murder occurred in June, in which the body had been left decaying for over a week, the federal government stormed into the Kenmore and seized it from Troung. Law enforcement officials made 18 arrests and recovered 100 vials of crack cocaine. The tenants were elated by the takeover, with one telling Our Town, “It was a blessing, a godsend.” With additional research by Lisa Chen.

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June 30, 2011

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Congratulations

to Our TOwn Serving Our Community For 40 Years Civitas Joyce Matz associates East 86th street association Eis Housing Resource Center 2nd - 3rd E. 80 Block association, inc. East 79th street Neighborhood association

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

June 30, 2011

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OUR TOWN

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East sidE storiEs Hungarians, Irish and Italians.” The neighborhood was still showing some remnants of the days of immigrant Manhattan, with a meat shop, Schaller & Weber, Glaser’s Bake Shop and various Hungarian restaurants. But these shops were few and far between, with big corporations dividing them. Between 1975 and 2000, all the changes on 86th Street have caused it to lose most of its German/Hungarian vibes, but have made it into a “national shopping mecca.”

Sept. 20, 2001

“Tales of Agonizing Search”—9/11 led to a massive search for many New Yorkers. “Person after person said they sought a cousin, sister, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or brother. Their stories started to blur together—‘he was on the 106th floor…’ ‘nice person…’ ‘smart…’ ‘easy-going.’” People searching for loved ones hovered in front of the National Guard at Lexington Avenue and the Armory for the 60th Street Infantry, sharing their stories. The issue included a personal account from a firefighter and an article about how life went on for much of the rest of New York.

March 28, 2002

“The Revenge of the Nannies”— With many families in New York using nannies, The Nanny Diaries, a fictional book based on the real-life experiences of the two ex-nanny authors, sparked debate on nanny treatment.

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June 30, 2011

“East Side Finally Gets H.S.”— Eleanor Roosevelt High School opened Sept. 8, 2003, after a long effort by Our Town and other local advocates. Originally costing $14 million, the school opened up to 130 freshman and 109 sophomores, with only 13 full-time teachers, two part-time teachers and one part-time college advisor.

restarted construction along Second Avenue had been blocking streets for a while. As of 2005, “after decades of talk, many millions allocated, and plenty of stress for straphangers, there’s still not any actual construction taking place.” A Transportation Bond Act would permit $29 billion in state bonds, allocating $450 million for the Second Avenue Subway. The Act was approved by voters in November 2005.

Nov. 18, 2004

June 22, 2006

Sept. 11, 2003

“Schools Can’t Paper Over This Problem”—Many bathroom supplies are missing from many East Side schools. This is no joke. Even now, it is a common complaint. “Parents are being forced to buy toilet paper for their kids, according to Upper East Side Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz. It has long been a theme in New York City public schools that there are no paper towels—they’re in the toilet if they’ve been stocked for the day at all, there is no soap ever, and there isn’t enough toilet paper for all the kids in school. Council Member Eva Moskowitz asks, ‘If we can’t even get soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms, are we really going to be that successful about teaching science or music?’”

Oct. 27, 2005

“What’s Happening with the Second Avenue Subway Line? Not Much.”— Our Town had constant updates on the status of the Second Avenue subway line, all without very much change. The

“Gas Crisis Hits Home”—Though many New Yorkers thought they were safe from the rapidly rising gas prices throughout the country, they soon learned that even without cars, their lives would be affected. Florists, supermarkets and small business owners had to adjust their pricing to deal with the increased costs to bring supplies to their stores. “The cost is clearly having a trickle down effect,” said Jason Babbie, senior environmental policy analyst at the New York Public Interest Research Group.

Nov. 22, 2007

“Fight Over Marine Transfer Station Continues”—Resistance continued against the proposed marine transfer station at East 91st Street after the City Council approved Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to reopen the presently defunct site in 2006. Activists spoke out about the pending onslaught of rumbling garbage trucks and rotting waste that would be brought to the densely populated, residential area of the Upper East Side. As two lawsuits against the city were making

their way through the courts, many warned that the fight was far from over. They were right; the battle still continues today.

March 20, 2008

“Cranes Collapsing”—On March 15, an East 51st Street building was destroyed by a collapsed crane, leaving seven dead and severely damaging several other buildings close by. It would later be discovered that the construction project using the crane had improperly received building permits, a finding that led former Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster to step down. Two months later, another crane on East 91st Street fell down, killing two workers and damaging a nearby building. Investigators found an improperly repaired turntable to blame.

Oct. 8, 2009

“Second Avenue Subway Updates”—As construction on the Second Avenue subway continued, residents and business owners affected by the work saw no relief. Residents of 1772 Second Ave. were displaced for two months after their building was evacuated due to safety concerns associated with the construction. Small businesses up and down Second Avenue suffered major losses in sales and had to cut back on staff. “Any minute a few stores will close,” a store manager said. “We lose car traffic. We lose foot traffic. It’s very noisy.”

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Congratulations and Best Wishes to

‘OUR TOWN’ THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE EASTSIDE REPORTING, INVESTIGATING, EXPOSING AND APPLAUDING FOR 40 YEARS! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

www.suttonareacommunity.org

Congratulations! Our Town on Your 40th Anniversary Michael Simon Law Office O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

THE GERDA LISSNER FOUNDATION Dedicated to promoting young opera singers Congratulates Our Town on its 40th Anniversary of outstanding service to the New York community Stephen De Maio President

The Gerda Lissner FoundaTion 135 east 55th street new York nY 10022 T: 212.826.6100 F: 212.826.0366 WWW.GerdaLissner.orG June 30, 2011

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on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary. We are proud to count Manhattan Media among our many loyal customers.

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East sidE storiEs Sept. 23, 2010

“Vision 2020 Calls for Esplanade Repairs”—Easier waterfront access and a refurbished esplanade are some of the recommendations in Vision 2020: The New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, released by the Department of City Planning. This came after Upper East Side residents rallied earlier in the year around repairing the dilapidated East River esplanade, citing its narrow construction and areas of disrepair as hazards to pedestrians and bicyclists.

May 5, 2011

“C Grade Dining” & “The Upper East Side’s Dirty Dozen Restaurants”—A look at the city’s confusing health code grading system and how restaurants can delay and ultimately avoid posting a bad grade. One owner complained that his violations were for his office, where no food is prepared.

CinDy ADAmS USED To WRiTE only in Our TOwn, KiDS Before gossip maven Cindy Adams started writing for the New York Post, she was a popular Our Town columnist, beginning in 1975. She once told New York Magazine she got paid $5 a week and was fired because the Post stared wooing her. We did not find her famed line “Only in New York, kids” in our archives, but we did find many examples of her now signature breezy style. Here are a few: *“AT&T is greatly benefited by the Bacharach family. Mama and papa Bert and Irma Bacharach called son Burt Bacharach in California to say, ‘Hi.’ They got daughter-in-law Angie Dickinson on the phone. They chatted 15 minutes. The hotshot composer was in the shower and he’s a slow scrubber. A half hour later he called them back in New York. They spoke for half an hour. Then they forgot to tell the kids something so they called back again and this went on all night. How do I know, you ask? Because I was in Irma and Bert’s apartment the whole time waiting for them to fix me a peanut butter on white…” *“Nancy Reagan, wife of the once-upon-a-time Governor of California, Ronnie Reagan, plans to schlep about the country on a lecture circuit for $1,500 per shot and expenses. Her subject? What it’s like to be the wife of a governor. The theory? Either she needs the bread or he needs the exposure or they need to get away from each other periodically…” *“They say Marlene Dietrich’s actually singing for her supper at age 74. I can’t believe she’s that flat. I mean in terms of money…” *“Listen, to all of you who ask is Jim Nabors retiring? Answer’s no. I don’t know where the rumor started. I don’t know why anyone would care whether he was retiring or not. And I don’t know why you’d bother asking me in the second place. But anyhow the answer’s no.” *“At Joe Kipness’ Pier 52, I heard that Billie Jean King’s lousy investments have cost her a mil so chum Elton John’s solid gold investment brokers stepped in to straighten out the mess…” *“Bye now. I’m late for a manicure.”

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*“All this noise in Portugal reminds me of my all-time fumble when I was in Estoril, the Portuguese haven for Europe’s dethroned royalty. I met a man in the hotel lobby of my hotel who introduced himself as ‘Ray M. Berto.’ When I asked him what work he did he replied sadly. ‘Nothing at all, nothing—I used to be King of Italy,’ said Rei Umberto. *“I myself with my very own eyes saw Streisand schlepping along Park Avenue with a floor-length cape, a floppy hat pulled way down low and dark glasses in the middle of the afternoon and nobody but old 20-20 knew who she was.” *“I guess by now you’ve probably heard about the six great-grandchildren of His Majesty the late Emperor Haile Selassie and the fact that they escaped from Ethiopia and arrived here recently and were met at the airport by my husband and me and whisked to a relative in Virginia for safekeeping... They escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs so we’ve set up a fund and if anybody would like to help with a check…” Adams told New York that she started at the Post in 1979 when she told the paper’s editor in passing that she was about to visit the Shah of Iran at New York Hospital. That turned into her first article and cover story for the Post and she got her own gossip column there in 1981. The article came out a month after militant Iranian students cited the Shah’s visit as their justification for seizing the U.S. embassy and holding 53 Americans hostage. —Josh Rogers and lisa Chen

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alz.org/nyc June 30, 2011

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EAST SIDE FAMILIES

A Name New York Charities Know Well Tisch family continues to support worthy city causes By Christopher Moore

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

aurence Tisch died November 15, 2003. His brother, Preston Robert “Bob” Tisch, died two years later on the same date. But the two brothers, so central to the life of their city and especially its philanthropic endeavors, developed a passion for giving that remains very much alive. That much is clear when Laurie Tisch, Bob Tisch’s daughter, sits at a conference table at the Laurie Tisch Illumination Fund on West 56th Street. With 20th-floor views behind her, she and several fund employees sat and recalled the matter-of-fact manner in which the Tisch brothers became boldfaced names around the city. She told a story of pointing out to a taxi driver an apartment building in which Bob Tisch then lived, only to have the cabbie argue back that nobody with so much money and power would pick such a normallooking building. “I don’t think they were trying to prove a point being low-key,” she said. “They were just like that.” Now new generations of Tisches are doing the giving. There’s no singular family foundation, and Laurie Tisch said that’s just as well, since they can become a source of tension. “It’s like a family business,” she said. Instead, each Tisch finds her or his own way to give. For example, brother Jonathan Tisch is the president and C.E.O. of Loews Hotels, but known among philanthropists for his generosity to Tufts University, his alma mater. A former chairman of NYC & Company, the city’s tourism agency, he’s been a board member for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and many other agencies and arts initiatives. Other siblings have given in their ways. Then there are the Tisch family members more genealogically linked to Larry Tisch—his children and their spouses and their children. Merryl Tisch, a Regents chancellor who has become a key national figure on education issues, is married to James Tisch. He’s the president and C.E.O. of Loews Corporation. When the Association for a Better New York Foundation honored Merryl Tisch last year, the state

legislature had a resoluplan to take fresh protion citing her help to duce into underserved a huge range of groups neighborhoods, includwhere she has been ing adding up to 1,000 active, often as a board NYC Green Cart vendors. member, including: the “Channeling my father,” UJA-Federation of New Laurie Tisch said, she York, Barnard College, dug into the proposal the Dalton School, the and began eliminating United States Holocaust parts of the plan, cutMemorial Museum and ting it back. But then the Trust for Cultural she thought about it Resources for the City of and decided the whole New York. proposal, in its entirety, Indeed, the Tisch name was worth doing and is everywhere. At the Tisch doing well. “I uncrossed School of the Arts at New out what I had crossed York University. At Tisch out,” she said. The Hospital at New York Illumination Fund was University. At the Hospital off with a bang. for Special Surgery on “You can’t just put the East Side. At the these Green Carts on the Metropolitan Museum, street,” she said, adding where there are Tisch phoit’s unrealistic to expect tography galleries. At the cauliflower to fly off Gift of New York, a nowthe cart shelves without defunct initiative backed a real advertising plan by Andrew Tisch. The and other accompanying campaign coordinated and efforts. As she speaks, offered special free admisshe holds a colorful sion to various city activicookbook with ideas for ties for the family memeasy-to-cook meals using bers of victims of the 9/11 fruits and vegetables. attacks. Working in this realm, the Bob and Larry Tisch Illumination Fund has hit Laurie Tisch supports many of the city’s arts organizations. were not the only inspia hot and important topic, rations of their generaone with a friend in the White tion. A family matriarch, Joan Tisch, Education, among other arts-oriented House. First Lady Michelle Obama has has been a key board member at the activities. “It’s great what you can do been pushing healthier eating options Museum of Modern Art. Laurie Tisch with money,” she said. “It can change and engaging in an anti-obesity effort. spoke movingly about how her mother, stuff.” “I’m totally into synergy,” Laurie very early in the AIDS crisis, took to the That forthright approach and opti- Tisch said with a smile. She mentioned Gay Men’s Health Crisis as a donor and mistic tone led her, about three years an upcoming exhibit at the Children’s activist. ago, to launch the Illumination Fund. At Museum in November, where she is the first, she wrestled with whether to chair emeritus. The display will be called include her name. “I kind of liked the “Eat Play Sleep,” and will tackle the topic idea of not having my name on it, and in an interactive way. I kind of liked the idea of having my The museum is on the West Side, but name on it. I was on the fence about Tisch not long ago switched neighborit,” she said. But Carolyn Sussman, hoods. “I’m an East Sider now,” she one of her two daughters, pushed said. That gives her a chance to go for her to use the name. “She said, ‘Why a run near the Tisch Children’s Zoo in would you give it up now?’” Laurie Central Park. She recalled how a previTisch remembered. ous donor backed out after seeing that Her daughter described candidly how One of the Illumination Fund’s first the family name was not large enough she struggled to find the right way to big campaigns: the Green Cart, an effort on the zoo façade. give. Along the way, Laurie Tisch was a to bring healthy fruits and vegetables Grinning, she said, “I think the letters key supporter of the Children’s Museum into more city neighborhoods. City are plenty big.” So are this multi-faceted of Manhattan and the Center for Arts health officials sent over a $1.5 million family’s contributions to New York.

“It’s great what you can do with money,” Laurie Tisch said. “It can change stuff.”

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our town ad:Layout 1 6/21/11 5:47 PM Page 1

The Tisch Family True

of New York Great Partners, Great Leaders Congratulations and Thank You The Mara Family and the rest of the New York Giants

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

June 30, 2011

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A Family Bent on Building a Better New York

Bill Rudin maintains a reputation for excellence, with help from a new generation By Christopher Moore

ill Rudin has roots—and they’re deep on the Upper East Side. “I’ve lived there my whole life, except for about two years in college,” he said, recalling when he went away for school for two years before returning to Manhattan living and becoming a student at New York University. Eventually, Rudin moved uptown again with his college sweetheart, otherwise known as his wife Ophelia. “I consider myself an Upper East Sider, but I also consider myself a New Yorker,” he said. He likes the rich range of experiences available on the East Side. Different spots, after all, bring different sensations. “There’s a feeling when you are on Third Avenue and heading to JG Melon, and there’s a feeling on Madison Avenue when you are heading into Three Guys,” he said. His neighborhood means rollerblading in Central Park and enjoying the access to the eastern waterfront when he visits his sister, who lives across from Carl Schurz Park. The East Side offers both excitement and moments of Jack and Bill Rudin have devoted their lives to quiet. For generations of the Rudin family, though, there has been plenty said of his uncle. “He made sure of excitement along the road of help- we were building at the highest ing build modern New York. Bill Rudin quality.” stands on the shoulders of his late father, Those standards are still Lew Rudin, and his uncle, Jack Rudin, met, according to Rudin, who just turned 87. He spoke lovingly of who is the chief executive of both during a recent interview, emphasiz- Rudin Management Company, ing how the two were a powerful team. Inc. He’s also the chairman of “They had a unique sibling relation- the Association for a Better ship,” Bill Rudin said. “They each knew New York, or ABNY, a noneach other’s strengths.” profit designed to accentuLew Rudin was the outside face of ate growth and renewal for the city’s the company, the public and well-known businesses and communities. At ABNY, representative. Jack Rudin was run- Rudin has fought for homeland secuning properties and visiting the building rity funding, investments in transit and sites, making sure that the right materi- infrastructure and tackled tough issues als were being used as structures rose like homelessness. toward the sky. He’s also followed the family tradition “He built the buildings,” Bill Rudin of caring for his community by working

helping New York City.

“You give to people,” he said, suggesting a family motto. “You give to scholarships and artists giving today. You give to education, culture, scientists.” As a youngster, Rudin grew up making visits to Rudin-managed buildings. He remembered being with his father, handing out holiday tips. “Sometimes I’d go with him and it gave me the sense of, ‘Wow,’” Rudin recalled. Later, ready to make his own place in the world, he realized it would take decades for him to replicate what was already going on in the family business. So he joined in. “What I could do is to come in and add my thoughts and views of what the business could be,” he said. Today it’s all come full circle, with Rudin’s own children, son Michael and daughter Samantha, adding their ideas to the mix. “They’re doing what I did,” Rudin said with satisfaction. There’s plenty to do. Rudin, 56, is proud of recent initiatives, like adding a terra cotta screen wall, using a German system, to a building on East 68th Street. Another point of pride: a vest-pocket park between 70th and 71st streets. “Our tenants and people in the community love it,” he said. Having the family together, working hard, sounds like it works perfectly for Bill Rudin. He speaks glowingly of his children and other family members who represent a new generation of Rudin involvement. “It’s very gratifying to me to see their enthusiasm,” he said. “They look to me for guidance and vision. I look to them for creativity and contemporary vision.”

“He built the buildings,” Bill Rudin said of his uncle. “He made sure we were building at the highest quality.”

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at ABNY, which was founded by his father in 1972. “It means that I carry on that tradition of civic engagement,” Rudin said. He said his uncle Jack has always been surprisingly quiet about his own philanthropic efforts, donating “without a lot of fanfare” to things like the New York City Marathon.

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We salute the Rubenstein and Rudin families

The Gunnery community is grateful to the Tisch family and their longstanding, dedicated support. Recently, we celebrated their generosity with the opening of the Tisch Schoolhouse on campus. Joan, Jon, and Steve have followed the example of Preston Tisch and set a standard of excellence in the fulfillment of founder, Frederick Gunn’s original vision in 1850.

Join Us! September 9th - 12th, 2011 www.septemberconcert.org 212.333.3399 info@septemberconcert.org

Congratulations!

Head of School 99 Green Hill Road Washington, CT 06793 860-868-7334 www.gunnery.org admissions@gunnery.org

The entire Iona College community congratulates Mr. Jack Rudin ’86H and the Rudin family

The Union Square Partnership

Salutes Our Town

on its 40th Anniversary.

on tonight’s honor and thanks them for their generosity to Iona throughout the years.

IONA COLLEGE

EAT.SHOP.VISIT. UNION SQUARE.

unionsquarenyc.or g

715 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY (800) 231-IONA www.iona.edu

Celebrating over 200 years of Christian Brothers’ Education O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

June 30, 2011

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NEW YORK DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL SALUTES ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER FOR HIS HEROIC EFFORTS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LOWER MANHATTAN AND ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF NEW YORK STATE.

170 William Street, New York, NY 10038 | www.downtownhospital.org | (212) 312-5000

we are proud to salute

RobeRt MoRgenthau for his contributions to nyc Best wishes from your friends at palm Bay international

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ExpEriEncE thE AwE of AuthEnticity NEWS YOU LIVE BY

Congratulations

New YorkÕ s Premier Enriched Housing Community for Senior Living Affiliated with James Lenox House

WISHES TO CONGRATULATE OUR TOWN ON THEIR 40TH ANNIVERSARY ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEIR HONOREES Located at: 1844 Second Avenue Btwn. 95th & 96th Streets New York, NY 10128 212-410-0033 Fax: 212-410-5180 Marketing Office 646-438-8009

Carnegie East House is a non-profit community that provides enriched housing for seniors with just the right combination of independent living and assistance with daily activities in a warm, comfortable setting.

www.carnegieeast.org Trial Apartments Available Licensed by the NYS Dept. of Health Eligible for Most Long Term Care Policies

Congratulation to Our Town on your 40th Anniversary We Salute All of the Family Honorees –Mark Jaccom and Robert L. Freedman Colliers International

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

June 30, 2011

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The East Side’s Silver Lining Assembly Speaker fights for schools close to home & across the state By Josh Rogers

omeday there should be a subway line running under Second Avenue, and when the line opens, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who has championed the project more than Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. “He’s the project’s number one proponent—he and [U.S. Rep.] Carolyn Maloney—they’ve been the one-two punch,” said Neysa Pranger of the Regional Plan Association, another strong advocate. Silver has used his power as the Assembly’s leader to hold up the transit budget until the Metropolitan Transportation Authority committed to building the full Second Avenue line. He says that with only one East Side subway line (compared to three on the West Side), the Second Avenue subway is crucial to the city’s economic future. “New York is only attractive as a commercial center if workers are available,” he said in a recent telephone interview. “Workers are only available if there is an affordable system to get them to work.” Pranger agreed that the line would benefit more than just the East Side. She said Silver has also been a great advocate for funding the transit system’s capital expenditures, even though it’s politically easier to focus only on keeping the fares down. “He understands the capital budget is just as important in many ways,” she said. “You don’t realize it’s not funded until your train does not show up.” Silver acknowledged that Upper East Side shops have been hurt during the construction, but said the benefits will come once the line opens. When the first phase of the project is completed in a few years, riders will be able to connect to Lower Manhattan lines, but Silver said he expects the new line will eventually stretch into his district, with stops on the Lower East Side, Chinatown and the Financial District, although he doesn’t think it’ll be his district then. “I don’t think I’ll ride the full build in my working days because I won’t be working in 20 years,” said Silver, 67.

The economic downtown ity leaders come and go. will undoubtedly delay con“Longevity is about how you struction, he said, but he’s do your job, and I never forconfident the line will be fully get that I am representing the built. “Given that plans are people of my district” and the now 70, 80 years old, I think Democratic assembly members, we’ve made great progress in he said. the last decade,” he said. “It’s not three men in a room, The subway project is there are men and women who just one of many examples send me there to get them what of Silver fighting hard for his they need.” district. After 9/11, he has He said growing up on the focused on making sure all Lower East Side was the best parts of Lower Manhattan training. benefitted from the rebuilding “Waves of new immigrants efforts. He pressed the Lower from different communities Manhattan Development have come through the Lower Corporation to include East Side and I think that has Chinatown and the Lower prepared me for the job I do East Side in a residential grant today,” he said. “The New York program intended to stabiState Assembly is probably the lize and grow Downtown’s most diverse legislative body population. in the world, certainly in the The effort worked, and the country.” soaring population strained Silver, whose grandparents the need for more schools lived in the neighborhood, has Downtown. not strayed far. Born on Henry Several years ago, Silver Street, he moved to Grand brokered a deal with Mayor Street, then to East Broadway Mike Bloomberg and Forest and back to Grand, where he Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is proud to have helped reCity Ratner to build the lives with his wife, Rosa. They vive construction on the Second Avenue subway and to have Spruce Street School, which have four children and close started the universal pre-K program. opens in a new building this to 20 grandchildren—Silver September. present their case directly to the Dept. prefers not to say the precise “With this school and hopefully the of Education. As a result, the Spruce number. “Not enough,” is his stock future Peck Slip school, we’ll be catching school opened earlier than planned in an answer. Many of his grandchildren have up to the growth that has already taken incubator space. Silver’s committee also lived nearby. place here,” Silver told reporters after a helped generate the momentum for the The speaker is also happy that “a recent walk-through of the new space. Peck Slip School. “We are standing guard dock for a prison barge will become a Spruce and the recently announced on the [School Construction Authority] facility for youth.” About two decades Peck Slip project will be the first grade and the Board of Ed to keep pace with... ago, he sued Mayor Dinkins to stop a residential development,” Silver said plan to put a prison barge on Pier 35 on after the school tour, while Schools the Lower East Side, and now, thanks Chancellor Dennis Walcott stood to the LMDC 9/11 money, the East River beside him. waterfront is being transformed into In the interview, Silver said he was park space. also proud to have delivered educaIt’s a project that will add many acres tion money to schools throughout of park space to the East Side, and Silver the city, estimating he was able to hopes it will mean the next five generasecure an extra $2 billion over a tions of Silvers live on the Lower East 10-year period. He also initiated the Side as the first five in America have universal pre-K program and has done. been able to save it from the budget Silver misses longtime neighborhood schools on Community Board 1’s East axe on several occasions. standbys like Ratner’s, but he still enjoys Side. Parents throughout the city often Silver was first elected to the Assembly the Noah’s Ark deli and, for that matter, complain about the lack of access to in 1976 and became the speaker in 1994, any neighborhood shop. “Whether it’s the education planners, but Silver set up a meaning he has been one of the “three cleaners, the butchers, the candlestick school overcrowding task force in Lower men in a room” longer than anyone else. makers, it’s all local to me as far as I’m Manhattan, giving parents a forum to He has seen governors and Senate major- concerned,” he said.

“Waves of new immigrants from different communities have come through the Lower East Side and I think that has prepared me for the job I do today,” he said.

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Philanthropy Work Far Beyond P.R. Howard Rubenstein, a public relations giant, is a leader in the art of giving By Christopher Moore

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

t was “a vital lesson,” Howard Rubenstein said, and it came from his parents. Sitting in his 30th-floor office in Midtown, the founder and president of Rubenstein Associates Inc. thought back to a childhood spent in Brooklyn. His family back then did not have a lot of money, but his mother and father taught him the value of giving to others. His mom started a shoe fund during the 1930s, as poverty became rampant across America. She found supporters for the effort right in her neighborhood. “They went out and bought shoes for poor people,” Rubenstein remembered. “They took such joy in helping people.” It wasn’t just mother. Rubenstein recalled sitting with his dad, a newspaperman, as thieves and murderers were brought to police headquarters in Brooklyn. “My father would say to me they never did learn how to live a good life. He, too, did a lot of good work,” Rubenstein said. Lesson learned, Rubenstein went on to an amazing career as perhaps the city’s top public relations practitioner and expert. Along the way, he carved out a reputation as someone who cares about the city, gives of his time and money and encourages others to do the same. His sons, Steven and Richard, share offices with their father and they are, respectively, presidents of Rubenstein Communications and Rubenstein Public Relations. Did Rubenstein talk to his own kids about philanthropy? “Yes. Yes,” he responded speedily. “You bet. More than my parents did to me.” His daughter Roni, after a career spent partly in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, now devotes “100 percent of her time” to others. She’s particularly involved in aiding Israel. Steven does “an immense amount of philanthropic work,” serving on a wide range of boards. And Richard is “a volunteer for some religious groups and civic groups.”

Howard Rubenstein’s family taught him the value of giving to others. “I’m glad that they caught that spirit,” he said of his children, “and I’m going to tell you another thing: having a philanthropic attitude and then doing it is also good business.” Serving on

Almost anyone can help. “If you don’t have much money, you can still be a philanthropist,” he said. “You can still give time.” He suggested picking a favorite place, like a museum, or following a passion, like music, to find the right place to be of service. “I see volunteers in Central Park wearing security jackets. They are the eyes and ears for the police.” Rubenstein sat at a conference table, a skyline behind him, near photos on his wall of himself with Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton and a New York Yankee or two. He thought back over the long arc of his career to the ways in which he’s been able to help. “There are a lot of things I’ve done in these 57 years,” he said, but one of his most important tasks was helping to found and maintain the Museum of Jewish

“If you don’t have much money, you can still be a philanthropist. You can still give time,” Howard Rubenstein said.

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nonprofit boards can give other board members insight into how one thinks through a problem—and solves it. Rubenstein said he’s often met people in his charitable endeavors that later became clients.

Heritage—a Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Not everyone thought that another Holocaust-themed museum was needed, particularly in New York City. “We were discouraged frequently by people saying we have one in Washington, why do we need another one?” But Rubenstein and others maintained the importance of remembering Nazi crimes—and those who perished and those who survived. He encountered a similar batch of skepticism when playing a key role in kicking off the Intrepid museum. “Again people thought we were crazy,” Rubenstein said. But he thought there was a message here, too, one of being prepared and aiming for peaceful understanding in the world. Sometimes the initiatives were neighborhood-oriented, like when Rubenstein teamed with publisher Rupert Murdoch to help city students. “We really encouraged the schools in Harlem to do more than they were doing,” he said. “I feel gratified that public relations gave me the understanding and the opportunity to do these things.” These days Rubenstein is a presence and fan of the Upper East Side, where he has lived since 1974, but he talks knowledgeably about neighborhoods and issues throughout the city. He thinks much about, as he put it, “the East Side, the West Side—all around the town.” That includes his beginnings in another borough. “I always thought of myself as a Brooklynite,” he said, mentioning his Bensonhurst beginnings. “Even though we had no money, we all seemed to be happy,” he said. He still seems happy—and eager to share the happiness. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

The Museum of Modern Art salutes the Tisch family for their generous and long-standing commitment to philanthropy, art, and culture in New York City.

THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART MoMA.ORG

Curemark, LLC and Dr. Joan Fallon Are Proud to Support

The Rubenstein Family For Their Efforts On Behalf Of

The East Side Community

www.curemark.com

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Law & Order & Love Morgenthau & Franks, famed East Side couple, give back to the neighborhood By Christopher Moore

ast Siders may be proud to claim the former district attorney as one of their own, but Robert Morgenthau’s perspective is a little bit broader. Asked if he’s an East Sider by definition, since that’s where he lives, Morgenthau demurs. “Not particularly, no,” he said. “I think of myself as a New Yorker.” It makes sense. From 1975 until 2009, he was the district attorney for all of Manhattan. In his high-profile role, he

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

Robert Morgenthau. became famous for prosecuting whitecollar criminals, among so many others. Now 91, he was born on the Lower East Side into a famous family, complete with a father who served as treasury secretary to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Morgenthau himself grew up largely on the West Side, and lived for a time at Peter Cooper Village. “They threw me out for having three children,” he quipped, before recounting later stops in Riverdale in the Bronx and his eventual return to Manhattan. Morgenthau had five children with his first wife Martha, who died in 1972. He later married writer Lucinda Franks. The couple has two children. Morgenthau today works at the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. While his rich city-based history makes him think of himself more as a New Yorker than as being from one neighborhood,

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he sounds like he appreciates his neighborhood’s amenities. He said he particularly likes walking around the reservoir in Central Park. In a separate interview, Franks also mentioned the joy of having Central Park right on her doorstep. “Too much credit is given to the West Side for having all this jolly, funky character,” Franks argued. “I think there’s something funky about some of the restaurants around here.” She particularly likes Paola’s on Madison Avenue at East 92nd Street and Sephora on East 86th Street near Lexington Avenue. Franks said her volunteer work is a mix of interests shared with her husband, like the Police Athletic League (PAL), and things she has done on her Former District Attorney Robert Morgenthau and his wife Lucinda Franks help many organizaown. Franks has worked tions, including the Police Athletic League and Museum of Jewish Heritage. at a Yorkville food pantry, with tasks like giving out holiday presents, and contributed at a Morgenthau served in the Navy, and served areas in the city,” he insisted. battered women’s shelter on the East during trying times he “made commitDuring the 1980s, Morgenthau became Side. She championed the work of the ments to the Almighty,” promising to do a key player in starting the work to estabshelter’s leader, Veronica Kelly. “She is a good works. That promise was fulfilled. “I lish the Museum of Jewish Heritage. He’s powerhouse and has made that a state- do a lot of different things and I just think the chairman of the board there; workof-the-art facility,” she said. “People are it’s important to keep doing them,” he said. ing to build and maintain what the title given not only shelter, but help in finding He is known particularly as a steadfast proclaims is a “living memorial” to the supporter for PAL and a Holocaust. Morgenthau said his philfounder of the Museum anthropic pursuits “keep me jumping.” of Jewish Heritage—A These days he likes to tell his grandchilLiving Memorial to the dren and great-grandchildren the lesHolocaust. His interest in son he’s learned and lived: “Never forget PAL came from serving on where you came from.” a Bronx-based commitFranks, who has written about being tee during his Riverdale married to someone 30 years older, also days. He learned about can point to a family background rich the needs of young peo- with service. Her mother was a president ple in that borough—and of the Junior League and would volunteer beyond. Eventually the at a Massachusetts hospital. Growing up group needed a president. in Wellesley, Franks was a candy striper, “I was young and fool- something that got her into the habit of jobs and education.” ish at that time and I said sure,” recalled helping. For Morgenthau, giving back is also Morgenthau, who was a U.S. attorney at She still feels strongly about it, espepart of family history and his passion for the time. An overarching mission: trying cially being where she is today. “I always New York. “My grandfather used to talk “to keep those young people out of jail.” felt that I was very privileged,” she said, about the importance of public service,” The needs of the city’s youths are great. “particularly living on the Upper East he said, “and then of course my father “We could spend two or three times our Side. You feel ever more of an obligation talked about it.” budget because there are so many un- to give back.”

“Too much credit is given to the West Side for having all this jolly, funky character,” Franks argued. “I think there’s something funky about some of the restaurants around here.”

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Best Wishes and Warmest Regards — Henry Kissinger

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Finding Small-Town Warmth in the Big City Former educators, the Winfields help the arts & the neighborhood By Christopher Moore

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

ew York City wound up surprising Shelley Winfield. After growing up in Germantown, Penn., she thought she would find anonymity and a sense of strangers leading separate lives once she landed in Manhattan. Instead, when she got here about four decades ago as a young woman, she found neighbors who cared. “That was my ignorance,” Winfield said. “I didn’t know.” Now she does. Winfield and her husband Claude, who were married in 1974, found themselves feeding off of the sense of community they have found— and helped so much to shape—on the East Side of Manhattan. They live on East 25th Street at Waterside Plaza, and over the years, Winfield said, being in a Mitchell-Lama duplex meant they could save enough money to see the world. The Winfields have two children: Marie, 35, and Michael, 31. Both Claude and Shelley Winfield are former educators who have carved out a multi-faceted approach to community involvements. She said, “I wake up thinking: What can I do?” Surrounded by colorful artworks— some prints from famous artists and others done by their own children—the two sat down on a stifling spring morning to talk about their separate to-do lists. Both are active in Democratic Party politics, serving on the county committee. She is a former teacher who became a much-loved special education supervisor at Robert Wagner Middle School on the Upper East Side, retiring in 2002. He went from the engineering tract to teaching and later served as a middle school principal. Today, they balance their busy volunteer schedules. Shelley Winfield is in her second three-year term on the community advisory board for Bellevue Hospital. But she admitted there’s a special spot in her

Shelley and Claude Winfield are former educators who have dedicated much of their time to community service on the East Side. heart for the National Dance Institute, where she’s a key player and on the parent advisory board. Founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet classical dance legend Jacques d’Amboise, the institute has exposed at least two million schoolchildren to dance—and the idea of pursuing excellence. “You got a big smile,” she said, respond-

own involvement grew with her son’s participation in the program. She found herself searching and finding free meals for enrolled youngsters. “Everyone’s involved,” she said. “And you have to know that I think that’s what New York is all about. We have all these different cultures working together.” Claude L. Winfield, who was born in Virginia and living in central Harlem by age 3, knows about reaching out to help children. He served as principal at Walt Whitman Middle School in Brooklyn, where he presided over 1,900 students. He pushed progressive teaching principles, which he started learning back as a student at the Putney School in Vermont. He taught 2nd grade, where his plans were upended. “I was going to teach engineering and math,” he said. “I ended up teaching more English than I ever thought.” Later, he became a science teacher for 6th-grade students at I.S. 29, a location that later became Hunter High School. Making the move to administra-

“Everyone’s involved,” Shelley Winfield said. “And you have to know that I think that’s what New York is all about. We have all these different cultures working together.”

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ing to a question about that work. “I am most proud of my work with the National Dance Institute.” She enjoys telling local parents and children about how the institute encourages students and teaches about teamwork and self-expression. Her

tion as a principal, he reached out to corporate partners like the Rudin Foundation, the United Way and Maidenform to show middle-schoolers about the real world. He talked proudly of the day his students led him into a corporate boardroom in Manhattan, making him realize that the road from Flatbush to Midtown was not as long as he had expected. Since his retirement in 1998, Claude Winfield has had two main volunteer passions: assisting the Museum of African Art and serving on the local community board. At the museum, he’s now a senior docent, giving tours to the sort of public school students he used to lead. On Community Board 6, he’s a vice-chairman who sits on the education, health and budget committees. But he’s perhaps best known currently as the chief of the panel on housing, homelessness and human rights. “The homeless like this area. People give them money. They feel safe,” he said. Winfield gets into the nitty-gritty of neighborhood issues, whether that means tackling bus idling, questioning whether the Second Avenue subway will really ever make its way downtown to his neighborhood or championing improved newspaper boxes. He used to ride the bus and see how boxes nearer his home were attached with chains to nearby poles. Uptown, the same boxes sat unencumbered. “I’d get to 59th Street and not see chains anymore. I thought to myself, ‘Why in my neighborhood?’” he remembered. It’s the kind of thing Claude Winfield would notice—and the sort of change he was able to make in his community. Both Winfields spoke passionately about the past even as they plan for the future. Shelley Winfield took aim at Styrofoam products in public schools. Some have been removed, but others remain. But she sounded like she would not be giving up the fight on that issue— or any others. Because as she put it: “If you say no to me, you are saying no to the community.” And Shelley Winfield, like her husband, will continue the struggle until she gets to “Yes.” N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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Millers Make a City Bloom Designing gardens, running the City Council & lots of community work By Christopher Moore

the years. name he got because that’s Gardens change neighborhoods where he was initially discovnce a year, late on a summer and lives. “The unspoken mesered. In 2009, according to a day, public garden design sage is that we did this for you and Wall Street Journal profile, her expert extraordinaire Lynden you’re worth it,” Miller said. She family marked Lynden Miller’s Miller crosses Fifth Avenue to remembered how the New York 70th birthday with a bench Central Park and heads north just a few Times once called the area north of with her name on it. “For blocks to the Conservatory Garden. This 96th Street a “demilitarized zone,” Lynden B. Miller,” the bench is not one of her regular working trips something that made her angry is inscribed, “who rescued and there. Instead, she picks a day to visit from a perch above 96th Street. restored this garden.” when the staff members—her colleagues, “I was offended by that. I was Miller recounted how she her friends—are not around. She wants offended for all people who lived first encountered the garden, to experience the lovely public space as it in East Harlem,” she said. With back when her friend Betsy draws everyday New Yorkers and natural access to so many different comRogers was championing a munities and work on behalf of interactions. She sits and sees. revival of Central Park. Miller “I watch people,” said Miller, who in them all, Miller has straddled the thinks the restoration of the 1983 began her long association with the line between the Upper East Side park has been a tipping point garden she redesigned herself. “I get all and East Harlem. She’s been on in the entire city’s renaischoked up about it. There are people of the community board uptown and sance, but success came all kinds.” created a garden that people from step by step. “I told her she Those moments mark an important every conceivable background was crazy,” Miller said of the reminder of what she has accomplished appreciate. Her reach extends. She moment Rogers asked her to for New York. Miller was a visual artist continues to design at the New York help. “She was a friend.” Then Botanical Garden. She’s a funny thing happened. The also enhanced the Central garden designer fell in love Park Zoo, Bryant Park, with the garden. Madison Square Park, Since then, there have waterfront projects like the been plenty of others. One one in Red Hook, Brooklyn, particular point of pride: a Lynden Miller has designed many of the city’s public and a “Gateway to Harlem” neighborhood park on a Park gardens. spot at 135th Street. Avenue mall between 96th and She is the matriarch of a 97th streets. She was careful family that’s provided public ser- would frequently head off to a commu- to include plants that would live yearvice to East Siders and beyond. nity board meeting and a mother who long, making that space a draw even in Her husband, Leigh Miller, turned run-down public spaces into city- the deep of winter. worked for the State Department wide attractions. “I paint with plants,” she said. in the Kennedy and Johnson “Public service can be done both full- “Gardening is an art. It’s always on the administrations, and served for time and volunteer,” Gifford Miller said. Home page, but it should be on the Arts two decades on Community Later, in an understated way, he added: page.” Board 11 in East Harlem. Now But it’s an art with realistic impact in retired, he was an international the city, she added. Public gardens can banker at American Express and improve real-estate values. She’s been continues to serve on the board making that argument, among so many of the New York Public Library. others, in locales around the world, most Son Gifford Miller is a former recently in Paris. She’s opened the gardens City Council Speaker and mayorat her Connecticut home to a public tour. al contender. Stepson Ethan lives As a student at Smith College or a young Gifford Miller, the former City Coucil speaker, on the Upper East Side, where woman working for Democratic politicians now works on building more affordable housing. he’s been active in community in Washington, D.C., she never expected to affairs, but plans a move soon have such a public role. The key is having a who fell in love with garden design. “I to Battery Park City. And son Marshall is subject she cares deeply about. never went back to my studio,” she said. an assistant U.S. Attorney, who, his mom “It’s a nice family and I’m proud to be a “I could advocate for that shameless“There are plenty of people to do private said, “believes, as we all do, that public part of it.” ly,” Lynden Miller said, “and I do.” gardens and very few who do what I do.” service is the best thing we can do.” For her part, Lynden Miller sat down In the end, there really are basic ingreNow she speaks internationally on develGifford Miller, who today is working in her home office to talk about a career dients to success. “You need energy and oping and maintaining public gardens. In to build affordable housing in the Bronx, change that wound up changing the city. As you need a stubborn optimism about peoa 2009 book, Parks, Plants, and People: said he learned from the eloquence of she talked, a cat walked in and demanded ple, that people matter. And in my case, a Beautifying the Urban Landscape, she the example he saw at home. “I watched a bit of attention. She leaned down to pet passion for this city,” she said. “And the outlined much of what she’s learned over my parents do it,” he said of a father who C.G.—short for Conservatory Garden, the rewards are huge.”

ANDREW SCHWARTZ

“I was offended by that. I was offended for all people who lived in East Harlem,” Lynden Miller said.

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N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

It’s Amazing How Much You’ve Grown. Congratulations, Lynden Breed Miller ’60. Smith College is proud of you.

The Carter Burden CENTER FOR THE AGING

celebrates OUR TOWN newspaper's 40th Anniversary. From its very beginning with Ed Kayatt to today, Our Town has been a vital part of the East Side Community and we thank you. www.burdencenter.org

Julie Menin congratulates Our Town on 40 years of covering the East Side from Uptown to Downtown and all the honorees!

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Power Couple Also Powers Down Rapfogels make time for each other once a week, no matter what By Josh Rogers

een marriages can get a bum rap sometimes. Judy and William Rapfogel got married at age 18 and have spent their whole adult lives together. They went to different colleges in the city, ran a newspaper together and eventually settled into demanding jobs. She is the longtime chief of staff to an Albany powerhouse, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and he, the CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty. They’ve had jobs that have taken them out of their beloved Lower East Side neighborhood and they spend most of their time working, but one thing has kept them together for 38 years. In separate telephone interviews, both said their Judaism is a key to staying together. Observing the Sabbath every week means their jobs don’t completely consume their lives. “It’s a 25-hour block of quality family time,” said William Rapfogel. “We don’t watch any TV, we don’t use the computer, no telephones. It’s like you have a weekly family retreat. It’s extraordinary.” The pair met at the Educational Alliance, where Willie, as Judy calls him, was running a low-priced cafe for teens who were just a few years younger than them. She started volunteering at the settlement house, and it wasn’t long after that they began dating. They got married a few months later. The next year the Rapfogels started running their own newspaper, Jewish People. “We were young and more idealistic about the journalism than we were interested in the business end,” William said. “You can’t pay the bills that way.” After a few years, he left for city government, joining the Koch administration, and she made her way to Silver, first as a campaign volunteer. Judy has been working for Silver for three-plus decades, but she can’t remember exactly when she got her current title. “Thirty-five years ago there wasn’t a staff to be chief of, so I sort of grew into the position,” she said late one night in the middle of talks to extend rent protections for city residents. The first victory she remembers was stopping a large garbage incinerator, which she said would have hurt not only Williamsburg,

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Ora and Michael Rapfogel, left, with his parents, William and Judy Rapfogel. where it was slated to be built, but also the Lower East Side, which would have had to breathe the fumes across the river. Had the project been built, she says she would have moved her family out of the Lower East Side. And now, like her husband, she can’t envision ever leaving. With three sons and six grandchildren, she has a soft-spoken, maternal manner, but Judy Rapfogel is also known in Albany circles as a strong and passionate advocate for Silver’s agenda, and it’s not often that someone dares cross her. She recalled fights with Mayor Giuliani’s administration to stop a sanitation facility on Pier 35 on the LES. “I remember the negotiations, in other words screaming matches with [Deputy Mayor] Fran Reiter,” she said. She serves on the board of the Trust for Governors Island and represents Silver at every meeting of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Rapfogel is most proud of the work she and Silver have done over the years to help residents recover from 9/11. She said in the days after the attack, Silver ordered his Albany staff to Lower Manhattan, going door to door, with food, water and medicine. “We rented a Winnebago—I didn’t even know what that was,” Rapfogel said. “Usually you join the Peace Corps to do this kind of work, but we were doing it

in our own neighborhood.” Rapfogel, who often is working on statewide issues, said it was the kind of hands-on local effort that her husband works on every day. William Rapfogel took over the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty in 1992. He said when he started, the group was already shifting its focus away from helping only one religion. “In 1972 [when Met Council was founded], at that time people didn’t think there was anything like poor Jews out there,” he said. He estimates that roughly half the group’s clients today are non-Jews. Met operates 600 low-income housing units in Manhattan, and almost all of them are on the East Side. Citywide, the group has over 1,800 units, serves hundreds of thousands of meals a year and provides about $3 million in assistance. Much of the council’s housing represents the 20 percent of “80-20” development projects, where most apartments are market rate. He said most of this affordable housing is in standalone buildings, which makes it easier to provide more assistance to people in need. “The beauty of off-site [affordable housing] is we can cluster the social services care,” he said. Many of Met’s clients are just above the poverty line, making them ineligible for certain government

services. He also donates some of his spare time advising neighborhood groups like Hatzalah volunteer ambulance services. Two of the Rapfogel sons, Michael, an attorney, and Mark, a college student, volunteer for the service. Jonathan, the third son, lives in Far Rockaway with his wife and their four children. Michael, 26, is raising his two daughters with his wife, Ora Rapfogel, in the same Grand Street Houses building as his parents, who somehow find the time—occasionally—to baby-sit. He works on government relations at Forest City Ratner, a Brooklyn-based developer whose projects include a Spruce Street school and a residential tower about to open on Lower Manhattan’s East Side. “It’s obviously a gorgeous building designed by Frank Gehry that enhances the New York skyline,” he said. “I can see it coming over the Brooklyn Bridge and from my building. The school will provide more seats for kids.” He and his family often join his parents for Sabbath dinner or lunch, and they daven together at the Bialystoker Synagogue with neighbors like Speaker Silver, who lives across the street. He also can’t see moving out of the Grand Street complex. “It’s an oasis in the city,” said Michael. “There are parks on every block and more trees than anywhere except Central Park.” William has lived his whole life on Downtown’s East Side, and Judy, although born in New Jersey, considers herself a lifelong Lower East Sider since she visited her grandparents often as a child. Both also may not be changing their careers again, either. “I can’t say whether or not this is my last job,” William said. “I can say every day is a challenge, is exciting and I love my work.” Judy narrowly lost a City Council election to Margarita Lopez in 1997 and said she has no thoughts of running for office again. “I think it was the luckiest thing that she lost,” William said recently. His wife said she still gets enormous satisfaction in her current job, doing things like helping the neighborhood’s historic settlement houses. She laughed girlishly when asked about one in particular. “I love all the settlement houses, but I do have a soft spot for the Educational Alliance.” N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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Our Town for Serving Our East Side for the Past 40 Years

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As Not Seen on Local TV the neighborhood I found a much more diverse, nuanced, creative and downright interesting group of people. There were the community activists, prime material for a local paper like ours, who

Most of the Real Housewives of NYC, who exhibit some of the most abhorrent (yet somehow utterly watchable) behavior on the hit Bravo TV series call the East Side home. were concerned with everything from the fair siting of a waste facility to the destructive impact of a massive (yet necessary) transportation project that spanned decades. There were the politicos, immersed in the arcane county committee process (which I still don’t understand) and elbowing for influence down at City Hall and up in Albany. The education advocates fought tirelessly

Charlotte Eichna worked at Our Town from 2003 to 2010, most recently as executive editor. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Mailman

andrew schwartz

By Charlotte Eichna One of the things that strikes me now that I am a year out from editing Our Town is how different the Upper East Side is from our culture’s collective image of “the Upper East Side.” On television, we see vulgar displays of wealth, power and privilege in shows like Gossip Girl or the short-lived and infamous NYC Prep. Most of the Real Housewives of NYC, who exhibit some of the most abhorrent (yet somehow utterly watchable) behavior on the hit Bravo TV series call the East Side home. And is it any surprise that the ever-well-coiffed GE executive Jack Donaghy calls 10021 his home zip code on 30 Rock, while his neurotic, leftleaning, perpetually awkward employee, Liz Lemon, is happily ensconced on Riverside Drive? These are the images popular culture has conceived in portraying our home turf, yet in my seven years covering

to improve an ever-evolving system; the creative types shared their gifts for drama, glamour and humor; and the ranks of dedicated health care leaders gave the East Side its world-class reputation for quality care and innovative research. There were foodies and fashionistas, communists and capitalists, rich and poor. We even had our share of criminals, like the mastermind behind the most far-reaching pyramid scheme in history. While Our Town has yet to distribute an OTTY for most infamous, I was reminded every year during this annual civic awards ceremony of the diverse array of personalities who comprise the East Side community. So while the rest of the world gawks at one exaggerated facet of our personality, we can sit back and watch with amusement, while experiencing the depth and breadth of the real thing every day.

Second Avenue Subway construction last weekend part of a “destructive (yet neccesary) transportation project,” says the author. School of Public Health.

Mayhem, Scandal and Bare-Knuckle Political Brawls By Andrew Jacobs

“O

ur Town.” The name suggests the slow-paced innocence of Middle America. Well, that at least was the imagery in my mind’s eye when publisher Tom Allon offered me an editing job nearly two decades ago at this venerable weekly. I steeled myself for stories about missing dogs, cranky co-op boards and Fifth Avenue matrons fretting about the noise from Summer Stage. I fancied myself writing headlines like “Palm Court Agape as Brooke Astor Arrives in White—A Week After Labor Day!” or “Carnegie Hill Stunned by Sudden Appearance of Dinner-PlateSized Pothole.” But what I quickly discovered was that this slice of Gotham, stretching from East 14th to 96th streets, East River to Fifth Avenue, is no fair lady. The East Side of Manhattan may contain some very rarified zip codes and the nation’s priciest real estate, but this diverse, mixed-income wedge of New York provides enough mayhem, scandal and Runyonesque color to keep the most grizzled tabloid reporters occupied. Along with my fearless sidekick Justin Brown, the Our Town team wrote about slum lords, a serial rapist who tormented

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Stuyvesant Town and the flourishing male prostitution scene that lured throngs to the sidewalks of the East 50s—a trade anchored by a long-vanished bar known as Rounds. Then there were the bare-knuckled political battles that saw the rise of City Council Members like Gifford Miller and Charles Millard—as genteelly bluestocking as they come—and

We were a young, hungry and foolhardy bunch. their polar opposite, Margarita Lopez, a Latina lesbian housing activist from the Lower East Side who won her seat by beating out Judy Rapfogel, protege of Assembly powerhouse Sheldon Silver. We were a young, hungry and foolhardy bunch. To get an honest glimpse of life inside the rough-andtumble world of single-room occupancy hotels, Justin spent a night at the Kenmore, an East 23rd Street icon of dysfunction, where an absentee management allowed junkies and thugs to terrorize local residents. On another occasion, we ambushed Tran Truong,

the owner of the Kenmore and other notorious S.R.O.s, after he dodged our questions for weeks. (A year later, the Kenmore’s deplorable state prompted federal marshals to seize the hotel. These days, Truong is reportedly a billionaire.) Of course, some of our most important work was less dramatic, if no less colorful. We wrote about the battle to save neighborhood landmarks like City and Suburban Houses on East 79th Street and York Avenue (a decided victory), the struggle to preserve the German immigrant flavor of old Yorkville (alas, time took its toll) and the war against restaurant deliverymen who ride their bikes on the sidewalk (all these years later, still unresolved). Some of Our Town’s greatest moments, for me at least, never made it into print. Our first offices, an intermittently heated space next to a welfare office on 30th Street, provided a great deal of drama. Later, we moved uptown to an old furrier workshop in the Garment District, complete with a walk-in steel fur vault. We also found inspiration—and amusement—in colleagues at the West Side Spirit, Our Town’s sister publication, including Faye Penn, who went on to become an editor at New York magazine, Chris

Erickson, now at the New York Post, and Jimmy Rutenberg, who later joined me at the Times. Justin eventually won a New York State Bar Association award for his series on the Kenmore and then went on to cover the war in Kosovo for Newsweek and the Christian Science Monitor. Doug Simpson, another Our Town alumnus, landed at the Associated Press. I would be remiss for not mentioning our wonderfully counter-cultural page designer Charles Bork, son of conservative Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, and the grunting and phlegmatic Arnold Sperber, last of the old school paste-up men who left this world way too early. Press nights were eminently entertaining when not stressful. And it goes without saying that none of it would have been possible without Tom Allon, whose great wisdom and welltimed closing night phone calls made sure Our Town found its way on to the street every Thursday morning. Andrew Jacobs was the Our Town editor from 1993-95. He has been a staff reporter for the New York Times for more than a decade and is currently a correspondent in the paper’s Beijing bureau. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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community the families service that have for its 40 yearsand of outstanding to made the a difference on thethat East Side. community and the families have made for its 40 years of outstanding service to thea difference the East community and the on families thatSide. have made a difference on the East Side.

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and all the SilvErS, rapFogElS, FamiliES who have TiSch’S

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our favorite moments

Writing about Yom Kippur While Reporting to the Vatican By Monsignor Harry J. Byrne

*In a column, I described the significance of Christian holy days—Christmas, All Saints, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter; of secular special days— Thanksgiving, Memorial Day; and as sort of a “religious desk,” Ed frequently asked me to take care of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I was pleased to be complimented by my Jewish friends. *My Yorkville years saw extreme efforts by developers to clear five-story walkups of tenants for demolition and

s special assistant to Cardinals Spellman and Cooke, I resided at St. Thomas More’s Parish on East 89th Street from 1950 to 1970, and then served as pastor of St. Joseph of Yorkville Parish on East 87th Street until 1982. I wrote many columns and articles for Our Town pro bono. Payoff: frequent dinners with Ed Kayatt and opportunities to report and comment on community concerns—housing, crime, education. Here are my most memorable Our Town moments and columns: *Prostitutes on south side of 86th Street; drug dealing on north side. Interesting remedy: NYPD officers on horseback, high-up vision, dramatic approach to incipient transactions. Successful operation. *The annual OTTY awards and generously handing out 15-20 while being photographed; one year a City Councilman, anxious to be photographed, scurried about and succeeded in appearing in the background of every presentation. I think it was Harold Taylor.

Our Town was also helpful in building community pressure for affordable housing then building a high-rise or for upgrading for higher rents. Methods were unconscionable: cutting water pipes on upper floors, setting fires and the most effective—donating apartments for drug rehab uses. The druggies would quickly drive out regular tenants. Our Town was very helpful in publicizing these problems. *Our Town was also helpful in building community pressure for affordable

Harry Byrne used to present OTTY awards, and won one himself in 2000. housing: Lenox Hill Neighborhood Center sponsored York Hill I & II and Rosalie Manning Mitchell-Lamas; I formed TriFaith Housing, Inc. with Rev. Clark Oler and Rabbi Dan Davis, and Ruppert House. The paper contributed enormously in developing community and political pressure to advance these developments. *My writings in Our Town also fea-

tured Catholic schools in the area and their contribution to the city. If it cost the city $16,000 a year per student, the St. Joseph School with its 500 students at my time saved the city $8 million a year. *My parish always held Candidates’ Nights before elections. Years ago, a Congressional election featured incumbent Bill Green and challenger Bella Abzug. A bill before Congress gave a tax credit to a parent for a year’s tuition at a parochial school. I had earlier convinced Bill Green of the fairness of this and he endorsed it. Bella, with the big hat, twice rushed up to the microphone to denounce the bill as a violation of church and state separation. Our Town carried this and thus was a source of information to the community (and for votes for Green from my parishioners). Green won the election. Many years later, a Candidates’ Night featured Green the incumbent and Carolyn Maloney as challenger with the same view as Abzug. This time Green lost. It has been interesting to look back on those old days. Our Town has been a valuable voice to the community.

Goodman vs. Krueger: When Giants Did Battle By Christopher Moore

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andrew schwartz

he phone rang. State Senator Roy Goodman wanted to talk on this day in the fall of 2000 about what he had recently done, in specific terms, for his district. I was surprised, given that an hour or so ago he had come to our conference table to tackle the same topic. Evidently he felt he had not been specific enough about bread-and-butter district issues. He was impressive in his doggedness, his eagerness to share what had been crossed off his legislative to-do list. The call made sense. Goodman was in the midst of a tough, final re-election race. The opponent: Liz Krueger, a community activist with unanticipated pizzazz as a candidate. She had a richly varied background, including work with the Community Food Resource Center. Some thought her resumé was less impressive than that of Goodman, a former mayoral candidate and GOP stalwart for generations on the East Side. Others found impressive a woman who had been doing something about feeding the hungry. That was the thing about this contest: how hard it was to pick a favorite. They were both compelling characters that had given much to the city. That’s why

Roy Goodman and Liz Krueger in 2002. so many of us, sitting on the sidelines of this grand debate, had mixed emotions in those days. We hated to see either candidate lose. This was the opposite of most elections, when voters carefully calibrate the lesser of two evils. There was the accompanying debate about whether to support a thoughtful, mostly liberal Republican or toss him aside for a Democrat. Goodman gave voice to his party’s more progressive instincts, taking what really is the more conservative and rational approach on issues like abortion, where he relied on the individual to make a decision. Krueger seemed like the kind of woman who could shake up Albany. She knew the issues. She was a walking definition of unafraid.

The election was incredibly close and took weeks to decide, at exactly the same time that the nation awaited the results from Bush vs. Gore. In both cases, the Republicans won. In the East Side case, the Supreme Court did not make the call. The intrigue continued. Just over a year later, Goodman netted an appointment to the United Nations Development Corporation from Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Goodman stepped down after 33 years in the Senate, prompting a special election in February 2002. Krueger beat Republican Assemblyman John Ravitz, another popular

Think of it. In the middle of a crazy, contested election, O’Reilly took the time to tell me I had done a decent job in writing about why his candidate should lose. political figure. But the era of the moderate Republican was over. Which was sort of sad, especially on the East Side of Manhattan, which largely invented the idea of the moderate Republican. Our Town strived to cover these elections, these moments of change. When it came time for an endorsement in the Goodman-Krueger battle, the

paper officially endorsed Goodman. It was probably hard not to; he had delivered so well for so long for so many. But I wrote a column backing Krueger. The morning after it appeared, I got a telephone message from William. F. B. “Bill” O’Reilly, a political consultant working for Goodman who happens to have the same first and last names as the Fox News cartoon. O’Reilly told me that obviously he did not agree with my column, but that he thought it was well written and ably argued. Think of it. In the middle of a crazy, contested election, O’Reilly took the time to tell me I had done a decent job in writing about why his candidate should lose. Talk about grace. My perfect end to the perfect race. Today, in an era of maneuvering and media mastering (or attempts at it) or tortured Tweets of varying stripes, it’s like a tonic to look back at a state Senator who served with distinction—and the energetic woman who later assumed his job. They ran on their ideas. They both inspired me. They still do. Christopher Moore was an editor at Our Town from December 1999 through December 2007. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

The United Federation of Teachers Is proud to support the

Our Town

40th Anniversary Dinner We join in honoring the families that have made a difference:

Tisch Rudin silveR RubensTein MoRgenThau/FRanks WinField MilleR RapFogel

Michael Mulgrew, President 52 Broadway, New York 10004 • www.uft.org

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

June 30, 2011

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Reflections of a Trail-Blazing Reporter By Arlene Kayatt

rom 1974 throughout my time at Our Town, I wrote restaurant reviews under the name of Thea Sands. As such, I was paid for the column. Restaurants did not know they were being reviewed. I’d dine at least three times, and Our Town paid the restaurant bills. A local elected official had received some unfavorable press in Our Town and was instrumental in having the papers dumped. Our Town got together a group of staffers and local community people and picketed in front of the politician’s apartment on East End

Avenue. There was press coverage of the event, including television—the politician even called a press conference in his apartment. He tried to exclude Our Town, but I had a working press card, entered the apartment with other press, and covered the event anyway. A fortune-teller approached me one evening as I was having dinner in a local restaurant. She told me I looked unhappy and had problems that she could help me resolve. She invited me to her fortunetelling studio on Lexington Avenue in the East 70s. I followed through and ended up doing a story about the “Ladies Who Prey,” which chronicled the ways these

ladies operated and how they ripped people off. Our Town did an investigative piece and got law enforcement officials involved. I went to court and one of the ladies was prosecuted. Through Our Town reporting, investigative and otherwise, the ASPCA has been reformed and animal experiments were stopped at the Museum of Natural History. A few other things that are the result of Our Town’s involvement with the community: Dr. George Murphy’s Asphalt Green was built, and street fairs became popular throughout Manhattan. In fact, Our Town coordinated the first “local” Upper East Side Street fair in conjunc-

tion with the Mid-Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, with proceeds going to charity. It pleases me to know that Our Town’s tradition of community involvement and hands-on news coverage is still around. And I think it’s terrific that Bette Dewing is still being Bette Dewing after all these years. She’s certainly an integral part of Our Town history. Arlene Kayatt was at Our Town from 1973 to 1986 in various roles, including executive editor and managing editor. She is now practicing law in Manhattan. This is reprinted from the 35th Anniversary Issue.

Thanks and Happy Birthday By Bette Dewing

ouldn’t be more grateful you were born, Our Town! And so is the whole city, or it should be! And here’s to the readers and advertisers that kept you going all these years. We can’t say enough about you in this piece by one who’s been “in the paper” for about 36 of them, which prompted editor Allen Houston’s request for an “anniversary piece.” In general readers should save 40-plus copies of Our Town an issue and certainly this one in particular. Thankfully, the paper is also online, a nowadays must, but the many without Internet and even those who have it need those printed editions. But here’s thanking some of the people who made this paper so fit to print. Mostly this piece is about the paper under Ed Kayatt, who liked lots of letters to the editor, so we begin this tribute to them. I just recall a few frequent writers, like the incomparable public safety activist, John Barto, civic activist Ruth Bloch, renowned radio sports and social commentator Guy Lebow, community activist Dagmar Scott, Richard Shulman, also an Our Town reporter, community-minded Ruth Unterberg and civic leader Betty Cooper Wallerstein. Editors need feedback. That’s a hint! Our Town was born thanks to founding papa Ed Kayatt, and his sons, Richard and Larry, who were often part of the dedicated eclectic crew. Arlene Kayatt was a fair and balanced editor, who so thankfully persuaded her then-husband to give me a column I called “For a Gentle

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City,” because the city was anything but. Editor Kalev Pehme was fired and rehired numerous times. He was all about politics and left the social and human interests to others. His scorching editorials were legendary, but best were his critical comments that followed some letters to the editor. There was office manager Rusty McNeill, who managed to bring order out of unbelievable chaos—even Ed’s desk! June Hemple, a primary caregiving grandmother and Our Town housekeeper, somehow got rid of the cat hair. Ed and the paper were great friends to animals, and the office was home to numerous cats. Achoo! There was unforgettable Arnold Sperber, the one-man-production team who used to frantically quip on press day, “All the news that fits we print!” And Ed hollered and fur flew—literally and otherwise, and computers crashed and yet from all that hectic confusion came a paper which made the citizenry more civically fit, more neighborly and connected. So did the “love one another” weekly homilies from clergy of varying faiths. Msgr. Harry Byrne was once named Eastsider of the Year because of his key roles in affordable housing, the Interfaith Council and, above all, because of all his righteous anger against the pervasive violence during those high-crime times. Indeed, beefing up a dwindling police and fire-fighting forces was a foremost concern of Our Town. Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman dared to criticize his congregation for being unin-

volved with deteriorating city and social conditions, somewhat forsaking Judaic traditions. Rabbi Harvey M. Tattelbaum said it more gently: “Be a blessing—that is why we are here.” Amen to Rabbi Martin Zion’s countercultural belief that it was healthier for offspring to attend a local college. (So tragically, his son perished in the Twin Towers cataclysm.) There were fit-to-print homilies by Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian clergy, too. Co-op and condo residents found a welcome friend in Alvin Apfelberg Esquire’s Co-op Corner column. (A citizen group called ACCO became a friend to co-op and condo dwellers in 2001.) Irv Lepselter’s humorous but so critically apt Cityscape cartoons deserved the front page. So did Joe Belvedere’s drawings showing life at Our Town with Ed yelling and chasing the staff around the office for again not doing something right. Even Ed had to laugh. I miss social/political critic columnist, Betty Wein, who became a comrade in causes, but sadly didn’t stop smoking soon enough. I’m grateful that sports and political columnist George Spitz still gives ’em hell at civic and political meetings. And, of course, the late Barry Gray did that big-time in his column and nighttime radio talk show. In the May 26, 1991, issue where Ed announced the sale of the paper, Gray wrote how the city would not be a hostage to criminal acts if Ed ran the superinfluential New York Times. Amen! Said my column: “Our Town has long warned on crime on an inexorable roll and repeatedly

called for more police and cops on the beat as a deterrent. The Times still, and only reluctantly, tentatively, allows that things are getting pretty bad, and that more blue presence would help. But their editorials, columns and op-ed pieces don’t reflect crime as a number-one threat.” Thankfully, Our Town has let me repeatedly protest crimes of traffic, the four-wheeled and even two-footed kind, but especially the two wheelers which then-councilman Henry Stern said “were more threatening than a car because they are small, silent and can come at you from any direction.” And if the paper had to be sold, then I am thankful its next CEO was Tom Allon. And kudos to its first editor, Marty Lipp, for covering endless community board, civic and City Hall hearings so as to keep policymakers’ feet to the fire. And how good it was that Tom Allon’s father, VIctor, was part of the paper’s daily operation and that reporter Janet and Tom got married. Education and schools became a very important focus. So many, including volunteers, continue to contribute to the paper, giving otherwise unknown but concerned citizens, especially elder ones, a voice in what a livable city should be. The late Halina Rosenthal’s work is especially remembered in the critical need to preserve humane human-scaled architecture in an ever more canyonized city. And so much depends on newspapers that truly care about you and your community and give news you can live better by. Please support them! Especially Our Town. My deepest and most heartfelt thanks! N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Michael Leigh, Tracy, watercolor, 2009

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June 30, 2011

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How ‘Our Town’ Fought LaRouche By Dennis King

n a hot afternoon in late July 1979, I sat in Our Town’s basement office on York Avenue discussing with publisher Ed Kayatt an idea for a freelance series. I wanted to take a close look at Lyndon LaRouche, a former presidential candidate with headquarters in midtown Manhattan, who appeared to be emerging as a major player on the U.S. ultra-right. Little did I or Kayatt know that we would be embarking on a seven-year odyssey that would involve multiple lawsuits, death threats, street demonstrations, national media attention and, eventually, an FBI investigation that would put LaRouche and over a dozen of his followers behind bars. The first article (August 26, 1979) presented a summary of LaRouche’s under-theradar political achievements and argued that his brand of anti-Semitism was far more dangerous than that of conventional swastika-wearing neo-Nazis. LaRouche, the article said, had devised sophisticated new tactics and rhetoric, and had managed to recruit educated followers. The article attracted major attention in the Jewish community, but also elicited a sharp response from LaRouche’s minions, who issued leaflets saying it was all a plot by the “Zionists” (whom LaRouche personally vowed to “destroy” in retaliation). The LaRouche organization filed a $20 million libel suit (it would be dismissed with prejudice in 1981), visited local banks to demand that they stop allowing

the distribution of our “Zionist rag” on their premises, and launched a campaign of telephone harassment, including death threats, that would continue for years. Article after article over the following months (there would be 12 in all) outlined the LaRouche organization’s grass-roots electoral inroads from Oregon to Virginia, its ties to hoodlums, its secret control of a large Manhattan software company

LaRouche’s organization still exists, but it has never recovered the broad appeal it enjoyed briefly in the mid-1980s that serviced some of the nation’s biggest corporations (this revelation would soon result in the company filing for bankruptcy relief), its paramilitary training activities and its links to the South African apartheid regime. Perhaps the most important article described how LaRouche was pouring massive amounts of money into an effort to gain a significant percentage of the vote for himself in the 1980 Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire. Some of these articles had not been planned as part of the original series, but resulted from tips provided by former LaRouchians who made a beeline for our office once they realized someone was finally on the case. We also received information from LaRouche’s landlord, from a psychoanalyst who remembered LaRouche and from two brave Teamsters Union dissidents who provided documen-

tation that the LaRouchians were working with their local’s mobbed-up leadership. Also, we were sent a hefty package with no return address that contained the general ledger of a LaRouche-controlled business. The series attracted national attention, and the New York Times did a two-part front-page series that not only confirmed our findings, but uncovered things we’d missed. When newspapers in New Hampshire took heed, LaRouche’s dreams of winning a large percentage of the primary vote faded. Over the next few years, Our Town ran frequent editorials calling for action against LaRouche. It also continued with news articles, focusing as much as possible on the neighborhood angle. In 1982, it reported that LaRouche had moved into a townhouse on Sutton Place with his bodyguards. When the Jewish War Veterans, including Kayatt, picketed in front of the residence, it was the final straw for Der Abscheulicher (the Abominable One), as LaRouche called himself. He decided to start looking for new headquarters in Virginia. His followers, however, continued to harass Our Town by sending imposters to its office and by circulating literature claiming Kayatt was a mobster and I was a drug dealer. Our Town also provided ongoing help on the LaRouche story to the national media. In 1984, Our Town managing editor Kalev Pehme, Kayatt and myself cooperated with NBC-TV producer Patricia Lynch on an expose for First Camera.

Lynch’s brilliant investigating revealed for the first time that LaRouche had established high-level contacts in the Reagan administration. The White House promptly put an end to the relationship. Although LaRouche continued to make electoral gains around the country (in 1986, followers of his won the Democratic primary nominations for lieutenant governor and secretary of state in Illinois), his downfall was already looming. Our Town had run a story in 1985 about how his fundraisers had ripped off an elderly woman in New Jersey; unfortunately, we did not yet know that the LaRouche organization was running similar scams on well-to-do seniors from Alaska to Florida. The FBI began to investigate, and in 1986, more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officers raided LaRouche’s headquarters in Virginia. LaRouche was indicted along with about 25 of his followers. More than a dozen (including a former KKK grand dragon) were sent to prison on various charges. LaRouche himself ended up serving five years for loan fraud and income tax evasion. LaRouche’s organization still exists, but it has never recovered the broad appeal it enjoyed briefly in the mid-1980s. LaRouche is 89 years old now, still dreams of seizing power—and still curses the name of a community weekly called Our Town. Dennis King is the author of Lyndon LaRouche and the New American Fascism (Doubleday, 1989) and Get the Facts on Anyone (Macmillan Reference USA, 1999). This is reprinted from the 35th anniversary issue.

Once a Dangerous Neighborhood By Lincoln Anderson

worked at Our Town as a reporter in 1997. I knew there had been some good writers there before me, like Andrew Jacobs and Justin Brown, so I knew I had some big shoes to fill. I also knew that the paper was well respected and had a loyal readership. I remember Tom Allon pitching me a story my first week at Our Town on “The Most Dangerous Street on the Upper East Side”—there had been a number of rapes and crimes on one particular block. But in doing the reporting it turned out it went beyond that—in fact, there was a serial rapist on the loose targeting young blonde women. I remember going out late at night to report on the story. Police units blan-

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keted the neighborhood: mounted cops, K-9 units, everything. They were devoting tons of manpower to catch the suspect.

It turned out that, along with extra sauce or a side of garlic bread, one of their special orders was coke—not the kind that comes in a can. They were busted and the narcotics cops provided all the grisly details about how the owner had filled his special orders. A car pulled up next to me and someone told me to get in—it was some members of the local precinct community council. We cruised around the neighborhood, eyes peeled for the rapist. I’m not sure if he was ever caught, though I’m guessing he’s

probably in jail for some other crime, since we’re not hearing about him anymore. It’s funny, but I had had a hunch about the pizzeria on 68th Street and First Avenue. I had been covering a meeting in that area and went in for a slice. The young guy at the counter sort of paused, as if he wanted to talk or something. I couldn’t figure it out. It turned out that, along with extra sauce or a side of garlic bread, one of their special orders was coke—not the kind that comes in a can. They were busted and the narcotics cops provided all the grisly details about how the owner had filled his special orders. I remember covering the demise of a slice of old Yorkville that included the Elk marzipan store, a remnant of the old German and Hungarian neighborhood, when some old buildings were razed for a new project on East 86th Street. I

enjoyed meeting people like block association leader Betty Cooper Wallerstein, tenant activist Dawn Sullivan, community affairs officers Detective Lou Ulianio and Lieutenant Steve Petrillo and Cathy J.—I can’t quite remember her last name— who knew all the old Yorkville history. It was fun to find new areas of the East Side that I never even knew existed, like Cherokee Plane and the John Jay Park outdoor pool, which I enjoyed swimming in on my days off. Lincoln Anderson is associate editor of The Villager newspaper. He has been named the New York Press Association’s Writer of the Year and under his leadership, The Villager won the Stuart C. Dorman Award for Editorial Excellence, NYPA’s highest honor. This is reprinted from the 35th anniversary edition. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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10 Crazy Races, One Crazy Night By Edward-Isaac Dovere Primary night 2005. The last phone call came in from a freelancer we had sent to bounce between the campaign parties in Spanish Harlem to get some color and election results from a Council race split between a former union organizer, a one-time Fox 5 newscaster-turned-selfstyled beat poet, a local activist making her second run for office and a man who wanted people to know him as the rapping fireman. Getting color was easy. And in the end, that race came down to a fight over about 100 ballots—but that end was a long way off. Four-and-a-half-hours after the polls closed, the freelancer headed home. I looked at the clock: 1:33 a.m. I had just under three hours to finish writing articles out of all the strands of calledin quotes, Board of Elections results and short articles that had come in from the rest of the staff. That election night included four other open Council races, the nine-way borough president’s race, the first competitive district attorney’s race Manhattan had had in 20 years, a Surrogate’s Court race, and the citywide primaries for public advocate and mayor, which each featured two wellknown Manhattan-based candidates. Turning down the drinks from celebrating campaign workers at the victory

parties—as well as the bigger ones from depressed campaign workers at the losing ones—had been a wise move. The plan we had developed for that night was totally logical, and at the same time, absolutely insane. Our Town

with a plan: I would hit the trail until midnight, gathering as much reporting as I could before heading back to the office. Everyone else would fan out to parties all over town, and then email or call articles in to me at my desk, which I

Our Town had been pretty much the only media outlet covering that very Manhattan-centric election year, filling many pages each week (all those campaign ads helped get us more space) with news, features, profiles and questionnaires which delved deep into the policy proposals and political ins-and-outs, probably further than most of the candidates would have preferred. and West Side Spirit had been pretty much the only media outlets covering that very Manhattan-centric election year, filling many pages each week (all those campaign ads helped get us more space) with news, features, profiles and questionnaires which delved deep into the policy proposals and political ins-and-outs, probably further than most of the candidates would have preferred. We had been the ones covering the races, so we wanted to be the ones to bring people the results. Small problem, though: The layouts were always sent to the printer Tuesday night, and never much after 7 p.m. But the polls did not close until 9 p.m. For that one time only, we came up

would write up and have ready by 6 a.m., when Christopher Moore, then the executive editor, would arrive to give everything a final read. I was home and asleep by 7 a.m., when Charlotte Eichna, then the managing editor, arrived with coffee and orange juice relief for Christopher— and to make sure we used photos of the right people on the cover in the winners’ boxes, and that the captions inside made sense, as one bleary-eyed production staffer popped all the pieces into the preset layout. Wednesday night, after a long mid-day nap, I went to the movies with a friend. I have no idea which movie we went to see. What I do remember, though, is not being able to concentrate on the movie or much of anything else until, after we left

the theater, we walked over to a bright blue street box. The copies were all there waiting, complete with the pictures of the union organizer and the beat poet former newsman who were neck-in-neck in that Council race, squeezed into the box on the cover we had reserved for the winner, their race marked too close to call. A woman passed by us, reached inside for one and started flipping through the pages to see who won. She would not have been able to find the results anywhere else—the other newspapers around town that had skipped the campaign coverage mostly skipped the results, too. We, on the other hand, had transformed our news operation, and for at least a moment, transformed our production schedule. Sure, we had had a sleepless, nutty night to cap it all off. But we did what newspapers—especially community newspapers—are supposed to do. Edward-Isaac Dovere was a reporter for Our Town from March 2005 to March 2006, before becoming editor of two of its sister publications, City Hall and The Capitol. He is now an editor with Politico. This article is reprinted from the June 28, 2010, issue of West Side Spirit.

A Cartoonlike Staff Our Town published a cartoon of its staff done by artist Joe Belvedere on Dec. 23, 1977. One noteworthy person depicted is columnist Cindy Adams, at center wearing pearls and talking on the phone. To the left of her is publisher Ed Kayatt, sitting at the desk in front of his wife, editor Arlene Kayatt, and a cat. On the top far right with a microphone is Barry Gray, who had a radio show at the time, and next to him is Bette Dewing, who writes columns for the paper to this day.

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IT Doc NYC Wishes to Congratulate OUR TOWN On Their 40th Anniversary! We’d Also Like To Congratulate The Tisch, Rudin, Rubenstien, Miller, Morgenthau/Franks, Rapfogel Families and Sheldon Silver For Their Valuable Contributions To The Community! IT Doc NYC • 646-524-3772 Experts In Handling & Understanding Seniors’ Computer Needs

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PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, that the NYC Dept. of Consumer affairs will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 2:00 p.m., at 66 John Street, 11th floor, on a petition from Three Decker Restaurant, Ltd. to modify, maintain and operate an unenclosed sidewalk café at 1746 Second Avenue in the Borough of Manhattan, for a term of two years.

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The Unity Center of New York City Presents:

“EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE SUPPORT PROG RAM” Saturday, July 9th – 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Saturday, July 16th – 10:00 am - 12:00 pm At The Unity Center 213 West 58th Street (212) 582-1300 UnityCenter@Verizon.Net Is your job search still just a search? You are invited to Unity's “Employment Assistance Sessions.” (EAS your search!)

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O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

possibilities of employment for job seekers. Unity Minister, Jim Gaither will speak on “Spiritual Principles of Prosperity” and Unity Prayer Practitioners will provide individual prayer support for participants.

These sessions are designed is to provide helpful information and spiritual support to enhance the "activity of spirit" in expanding the

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“Work Force 1” will lead a job search session, and members of the Unity Community will conduct small group workshops to assist participants with job searching tips, writing more effective resumes, and other information regarding services that are available from a variety of public and private agencies and organizations. If you are interested in this program, please contact The Unity Center by phone or e-mail to indicate which workshop sessions you wish to attend.

June 30, 2011

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e continue Part II of our round-up of the summer arts with the best in museum shows, theater and dance. It’s the perfect time to revel in all of the notto-be missed festivities taking place in the city over the next couple of months.

MuseuM shoWs (re)collection at Parsons the new school for Design Newly acquired work and works rarely seen from The New School’s collection are showcased in this exhibition, which traces the history of the institution’s commitment to social change and artistic innovation. Through Sept. 17, The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, 66 5th Ave., newsschool.edu. the frick In a New Light: Bellini’s St. Francis in the Desert presents findings from an unprecedented 2010 technical examination by a team of specialists, led by Paintings Conservator Charlotte Hale at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which are presented as an in-depth dossier exhibition, providing insight into Bellini’s methods and motivations. Ends Aug. 28. Turkish Taste at the Court of Marie-Antoinette explores the French court’s fascination with all things Turkish and Turk-inspired toward the end of the 18th century. Ends Sept. 11, 1 E. 70th St., frick.org. international center of PhotograPhy Elliott Erwitt: Personal Best traces the career of the artist, known for his iconic photographs of famous faces like Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy and Che Guevara. Ends Aug. 28. In Hiroshima: Ground Zero 1945, formerly classified images commissioned by President Truman to survey the damage caused by the atomic bomb paint haunting images of the devastation. Ends Aug. 28. The photographs and prints in Ruth Gruber, Photojournalist include some of the earliest color images of the Alaskan frontier, and document her work with Jewish refugees in the 1940s. Ends Aug. 28, 1133 6th Ave., icp.org. the MetroPolitan MuseuM of art Celebrating the life and work of the late designer, the slightly eerie Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is sure to be mobbed pretty much all summer. The Met advises going in the morning or on a weekday, if you’re lucky enough to have the luxury. Ends Aug. 7. If you need another reason not to touch the artwork, the modernist steel sculptures in

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Anthony Caro on the Roof will probably burn your skin. Look, but don’t touch, and enjoy a gorgeous summer day atop the Met. Ends Oct. 30, 1000 5th Ave., metmuseum.org. el Museo Del Barrio The museum’s sixth biennial exhibit, The (S) Files 2011, showcases the work of 75 emerging Latino, Caribbean and Latin-American artists in different spaces throughout the city. Examining the interplay between street and mainstream culture, and the boundaries of public and private in urban space, artists address daily life and social and economic issues. Ends Jan. 8, 2012, elmuseo.org. MuseuM of arts anD Design Otherworldy: Optical Delusions & Small Realities presents small-scale, hand-made renderings—dioramas, snow globes, installations and more—of artificial environments and “alternative realities,” crafted with extreme attention to detail in this exhibition centered on the artists’ engagement with the physical process of art-making. Ends Sept. 18, 2 Columbus Cir., madmuseum.org. whitney MuseuM of aMerican art In Xavier Cha’s Body Drama, an actor moves about while suited up with a body-mounted camera. In between live performances, footage from the camera is projected on the wall, so you can experience the disorienting piece in two ways. Not for seasick types. Opens June 30, 945 Madison Ave., whitney.org. Jewish MuseuM In Israeli artist Maya Zack’s large-scale installation Living Room—a re-creation of a 1930s Jewish family’s apartment in Berlin—visitors wear 3D glasses to explore the environment, as they hear the voice of Manfred Nomberg—a German Jew who fled Berlin in 1938—share stories and memories of the lives lived in these rooms. July 31–Oct. 23, 1109 5th Ave., thejewishmuseum.org.

TheaTer & Dance river to river festival’s ‘henry v’ This epic, unconventional production of Henry V takes the audience from Battery Park, across the New York Harbor to Governors Island. The various locations on this “semi-maritime” journey stand in for England, the English Channel and France, in this Panoramic Theatre production that literally transports viewers. Select dates July 6–24, rivertorivernyc.com.

the fringeBenefits series The end of summer is when we decide to torture ourselves with the New York International Fringe Festival. But since it’s celebrating 15 years, we’ve decided to treat ourselves to the best of the Fringe early. The series started May 5 and continues through Aug. 11. We can’t Elliott Erwitt: Personal Best at the International wait for the next go-round of The Center of Photography Complete Lost Works Of Samuel axis theater coMPany’s Beckett As Found In An Envelope hosPital (partially burned) In A Dustbin In Paris Each year, this episodic documentation Labeled “Never to be performed. Never. of the inner thoughts and experiences Ever. EVER! Or I’ll Sue! I’LL SUE FROM of a coma patient focuses on a different THE GRAVE!,”), which we originally individual who falls into a coma in a saw and loved in 2006. The comedy, different way. This installment traces the from members of The Neo-Futurists and imagination, memories and dreams of an Theater Oobleck, is set for July 21. The epileptic grade-school teacher who falls Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 W. 42nd from a rooftop. The four performances St., fringenyc.org; $20–$30 plus $15 food/ can be viewed individually, or as a drink min. series. Select dates July 8–Aug. 20. Visit axiscompany.org for more information. showBoat Tickets are $12, or $6 for student and Goodspeed Musicals presents an seniors. updated version of the timeless yet controversial American musical, with ice factory festival David Aron Damane starring as Joe. Soho Think Tank’s 18th annual festival Following the boat’s occupants along features six New York premieres over six the Mississippi, the heart-wrenching weeks, with aesthetically and culturally story spans three generations and four diverse theater works from established decades in two acts. July 1–Sept. 11, and emerging companies. Protagonists Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main Street, range from an aging Nixon secretary, to a East Haddam, Conn., goodspeed.org; nomadic syphilis-spreader, to a vampire $28+. undergoing a live theramin-accompanied midlife crisis. Through July 30, 3LD Art theater & sPoken worD at & Technology Center, 80 Greenwich St., suMMerstage 2011 sohothinktank.org. Look out for Sangre, an adaptation by Mando Alvardo of Lorca’s Blood shakesPeare in the Park Wedding, which travels from parks The Public Theater returns with two of in the Bronx and Queens to end up at the Bard’s works, Measure for Measure Central Park Aug. 17. The Faux Real and All’s Well That Ends Well. Where the Theatre presents classics—Oedipus former is one of Shakespeare’s darkest Rex and Seven Against Thebes—in works, exploring the consequences East River Park at the end of August. of unchecked power, the latter is a And the reliable Classical Theatre of sophisticated fairytale. And don’t forget: Harlem presents a version of Henry It’s maybe the best of the summer V. June 7–Sept. 2, summerstage.org; impress-a-date ideas when you can Free. score tickets. Through July 30, The Delacorte Theater, Central Park, enter vignettes for the park at W. 81st St. & Central Park West, aPocalyPse v publictheater.org; 8, Free. EndTimes Productions presents New York’s oldest and largest sci-fi/horrorshakesPeare in the themed theater festival, which offers 34 Park(ing) lot plays, a concert and a movie presented The Drilling Company steals some in nine evening-length programs, thunder from Shakespeare in the Park curated by Russell Dobular. If it all with its annual series, performing seems too terrifying to decide between The Comedy of Errors for its 20th the options, we recommend you at anniversary. The whole thing takes least check out the horror anthology place in a municipal parking lot at series The Blood Brothers Present… Ludlow and Broome streets. July 7–23, Freaks From the Morgue. June 9–July shakespeareintheparkinglot.com; 3. The Kraine Theater, 85 E. 4th St., Thurs.–Sat. 8 p.m., Free. endtimesproductions.org; $20. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

An Underrated Wine Steps into the Spotlight Moscato d’Asti finally gets the respect it deserves

couple weeks ago, I went off on a tangent about the many Italian sparkling wines that I love. I left out one type on purpose. I love this wine so much, and find it both so delicious and so underrated, that I felt it deserved its own 700-word devotional. When most people think of the Piemonte area of Italy, the first thing that comes to mind is Barolo. The big, tough and tannic red made from the Nebiolo grape is, arguably, one of the top five most important wines in the world. But there’s another wine from that very same region hiding its candle under the bushel of Barbarescos and Barolos and Barberas. It’s the slightly fizzy (or frizzante, as they call it) and sweet dessert wine, Moscato d’Asti. Much like hair metal and shoulder pads, the 1980s put a bad taste for this product in the general public’s collective mouth. Cheaply made, cloyingly sweet sparklers from the region flooded the American market, and soon anything with the word “Asti” on the bottle became synonymous with slightly alco-

holic, fizzy sugar water. Thankfully, the Italians have redeemed the respect of this fantastic product and even given Moscato d’Asti its own DOCG (the Italian version of a stamp of authenticity of origin and assurance of quality). For those who are still slightly trepidacious, I offer you the following examples to dip your toe in the pool:

By Josh Perilo For a great, simple intro to the world of Northern Italian sparkling dessert wine, try the always-reliable Zonin Moscato d’Asti ($10 at Yorkshire Wines and Spirits, 1646 1st Ave. at E. 85th St., www.yorkshirewines.com). This wine has everything one looks for in a simple Moscato. It starts on the nose with scents of candied lemon, and the citrus continues through the palate. The sweetness never becomes cloying, due to the balance of acidity. There are

lime-aide notes through the middle with a fuller lemon curd note on the finish. This is the wine for lounging by the pool on a humid afternoon. While the Zonin is delicious and simple, Moscato can also be more complex. Taking the Moscato formula and amping it up just a tad is the Castello del Poggio Moscato d’Asti ($12.99 at Beacon Wines and Spirits, 2120 Broadway at W. 74th St., www.beaconwines.com). Starting from the pour into the glass, even the mousse is a bit frothier than most Moscato d’Asti’s. The bright scent of cherry candy is the main event of the nose. On the palate, the sweetness plays second fiddle on the front of the palate to luscious and ripe notes of peach and tangerine. A tang of wildflower honey comes through strong in the middle, and the whole thing finishes with a refreshing zing of lemon zest. This is the perfect stand-in for mimosas at any brunch. While much harder to find, there is such a thing as a rosé Moscato d’Asti. You won’t find it in every wine store, but the producers that go to the trouble

Dining of making it tend to put a little extra care into these specialty products. The Batasiolo Moscato Rosé ($15.99 at 67 Wine and Spirits, 179 Columbus Ave. at W. 68th St., www.67wine.com) is a perfect example of one of these hardto-find treasures. The great thing about Moscato d’Asti is that, even if it’s made by a hard-to-find producer, it will still be relatively inexpensive. This holds true with the Batasiolo. Starting with a salmon-hued mousse, the glass immediately gives up a massive amount of candied apple and rose petal scent with a floral note in the background. The palate on this dessert wine is a powerhouse: equal parts sweet and tart, with a wallop of orange marmalade up front. The flavor morphs mid-palate to butterscotch, and by the finish there are hints of rose candy. The finish is also long and solid. This is one of the best Moscato d’Asti’s I’ve tried in a long time. So if you want to experience the good life of Northern Italy, but don’t exactly have the budget for a pricey bottle of Barolo, try going the light and sweet route instead. It’s perfect for a hot summer day, and a maxed-out pocketbook! Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.

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Help Even if You Haven’t ‘Fallen & Can’t Get Up’ New monitors offer medication reminders and help seniors monitor diseases By Alan Krawitz For Manhattan resident Tammy Lawrence, her health monitor is much more than a good idea; it provides her genuine peace of mind. “I just had a mild heart attack last week, and having the health buddy medallion with me to notify medical personnel immediately was very comforting,” said Lawrence, 74, who has a heart condition and also lives by herself in Midtown. Recently, Jewish Home Lifecare (www.jewishhome.org), which provides a range of home-care and adult day-care services in Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester, expanded its geriatric care services to include technology-based home health-monitoring services that can help seniors track chronic medical conditions, properly dose medications and get help in case of a medical emergency. Lawrence, who began wearing the health buddy device around her neck

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a baby sparrow on the street, what do I do? If you were in Central Park, we’d tell you to leave it there, but in the middle of Times Square, it’s probably going to get killed.” Now in the midst of “baby bird season”—April through September— McMahon and Heidgerd are caring for up to 75 birds at a time, and provide support and instructions for many birds that people rehabilitate in their homes. Most of the birds live in the brownstone apartment McMahon shares with her husband, a writer and editor. The living room is occupied by cages of all sizes, housing dozens of starlings, blue jays, robins, pigeons and a few kestrel falcons. Suji Kim is one of the volunteers who comes to feed the birds, an 18-year-old who donates her time to thaw frozen mice for the falcons and deposit syringes of moistened puppy chow into the squawking beaks of baby starlings. She started volunteering with cats and dogs at Animal General and quickly realized McMahon and Heidgerd needed the most help. “I really love working with birds now,” said Kim as she prepared food for a hungry group of nestlings. She wrote her

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after suffering a scary fall in her apartment, said the best part of the monitoring system is the knowledge that a medical professional is always available to help. “The program utilizes nurses 24 hours a day and that is very comforting for someone who lives alone,” she said, noting that a friend in her building had originally starting using the health buddy monitor. “The entire program is amazing and it’s something that everyone should use.” The personal health monitor can be used to track vital health statistics, including blood pressure and weight, and then deliver that information to a Solutions at Home nurse, who can then determine any potential problems and review the information with the elder and the caregiver. The program’s emergency response system incorporates technology that can call for help if it senses that the senior has fallen. “Behind all of the technology is real, live people who care deeply about seniors

application essay for Boston College, where she’ll go in the fall on a pre-veterinary track, on her experience there. “Now I don’t even hesitate when I see an injured bird on the street, like most people would,” said Kim. “When I do go away, I’ll be able to help more birds. I’ll probably be the crazy bird lady on campus.” The Wild Bird Fund encourages people to help when they see a bird in need— but many times, McMahon said, the best thing is to leave the bird alone. Its best chance for survival is to stay in nature with its mother. McMahon and Heidgerd also hope to expand the public’s knowledge of and respect for wildlife. “Bird watchers come here from around the world to see birds. We’re a mecca on the East Coast flyway,” said McMahon. “It’s good because we have all the parklands and the water. It’s bad because we have all the buildings that [the birds] run into.” They also are working on pioneering studies that may help people as well as animals. “We’re doing a lead test study on feral pigeons” with the Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine, said McMahon. “We have found high lead levels in certain areas of the city. If they’re the canary in the coalmine, what does it mean about our accumulation of lead? They’re getting it from the ground, from the water, from

and take their health and safety very seriously,” said Patricia Mulvey, geriatric care manager for the Solutions at Home Program. Mulvey explained that the program helps families to continue maintaining seniors living at home, rather than nursing homes or assisted living facilities. “We have nurses and social workers that are available 24 hours a day if necessary.”

Other newly expanded services include geriatric care management, which can help with everything from wellness evaluations and medical history to neighborhood safety issues. Geriatric managers typically help families hire service providers, such as home health aides for home care, maintenance, meal preparation and other services. In addition, care managers schedule medical appointments, accompany seniors to office visits and also coordinate with physicians and other health practitioners on financial and legal services. Moreover, certified aides provide personal care and assistance, in addition to supporting families in their role as caregivers. “For many seniors, just knowing that someone is there to monitor their health is a comfort,” Mulvey said.

the dust, and they’re getting high lead levels and being poisoned.” McMahon paused to attend to the second baby pigeon that had been delivered to the exam room, rescued from 57th Street and Broadway. She deposited him next to the other, more relaxed pigeon, both birds gaping around the

strange room. “You two are going to be like brother and sister,” she said to the pigeons. “It’s going to be good.”

Quart

architecture, Cohen is able to do fullservice interior renovation—she can gut an entire apartment and work on every detail, down to the last throw pillow. When she moved to Yorkville from Tribeca years ago, she tore down the walls and redesigned the space. She loves the Upper East Side because it’s a multigenerational neighborhood, she said. Cohen recommends making investments in design that you can bring to your next apartment—light fixtures, sofas, rugs. She insists no space is too small to improve. “A lot of men are waiting for their [future] wife” to decorate, said Cohen. “It’s still a little college-slash-grad school, cavemen. I tell them, really successful men don’t wait for anything.” Many of her bachelor clients end up in serious relationships by the time she’s finished with their apartments. “Your space has the capacity to impact you, and a beautiful home really does create a sense of calm,” Cohen said. “It’s important for you to be able to succeed in the rest of your life.”

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“He obviously was thinking for some time to get out of the Assembly, and talked about it openly,” he said. Bing’s departure brings the number of open Assembly seats to five. The other defectors and retirees are RoAnn Destito, Darryl Towns, Nettie Mayersohn and Audrey Pheffer. Cuomo has not yet scheduled special elections to fill the empty seats. Quart has donated cash to several Manhattan pols in recent years, including Lappin, Bing, Assembly Member Micah Kellner, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, State Sen. Liz Krueger and Council Member Dan Garodnick. From City Hall, with additional reporting by Adam Lisberg and Andrew J. Hawkins.

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A remarkable force at The 80th Street Residence, Lola Stephens, Recreation Coordinator, is but one shining example of the workers that makes this Alzheimer’s and dementia community so unique. No matter what the task, she exudes compassion and understanding. Lola never says no and helps anyone who needs a hand — be it a Resident having a bad day or a Family Member who needs a hug. She often spends an hour or two of her own time with a Resident frustrated by the Effects of Alzheimer’s or dementia and is dedicated to providing a rich activity program day in and day out. Never leaving without checking on those not having a good day, Lola will sit and encourage a Resident in her own special manner and then be on her way. While this alone is daunting work, her day does not end here. Upon returning to the home she shares with her Mother battling Alzheimer’s disease, she eagerly accepts the responsibility of caring for her, her devotion evident. Although most would find this vocation enough, Lola brings yet endless love and energy back to all at 80th Street even on days that she has gotten little sleep caring for Mom. Lola is a gem, and The 80th Street Residence knows that it is “that something special within” each of its exceptional Staff members that makes this assisted living community so intimate and special.

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Stick It to the Pain

Headaches and migraines may be effectively treated by regular acupuncture, according to some experts BY PAULETTE SAFDIEH any people who come to me say they never experienced migraines before moving to New York,” said Dr. Alexander Mauskop, director of the New York Headache Center. Mauskop, a board-certified neurologist (American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology) and licensed acupuncturist specializing in headache medicine, has been treating New Yorkers suffering from headaches for over 20 years. According to Mauskop, his extensive and steadily increasing clientele is due mainly to the tense, fast-paced way of life in the big city. Although philosophies may have shifted and new treatment options have surfaced over the years, for many of the 36 million Americans desperate for help, acupuncture remains a preferred method of assuaging headache pain. “It’s not a cure, but it’s safe and natural,” Mauskop said about his preference for acupuncture over other forms of treatment. “Drugs and medications have too many side effects. Taking them shouldn’t be a daily thing.” Often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, migraines are debilitating and may interfere with one’s normal, daily activities and work responsibilities. Acupuncture is aimed at reducing frequency and maintaining relief from varying types of migraines, whether constant, sporadic, menstrual-related or stress-induced.

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This common but deep form of headache pain can be inherited genetically or triggered by an individual’s diet, job or even where he or she lives. The insertion of the thin, disposable needles to the body during acupuncture sessions helps release neurotransmitters in the brain, lessening the migraine intensity and improving the person’s quality of life. Despite acupuncture’s ancient Chinese origins and popularity over time, many conventional doctors still approach holistic medicine with doubt, turning to drugs as a first option. Doctors commonly help patients through other forms of treatments as well, including drugs, nutritional supplements like magnesium and omega-3 or nerve blocks like lidocaine and steroids. Mauskop has been praised as a progressive in his field, spearheading the use of Botox for pain relief 15 years ago and training young doctors in this method countrywide. He is also the author of two

books: The Headache Alternative: A Neurologist’s Guide to Drug-Free Relief and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines: The Breakthrough Program That Can Help End Your Pain. While always open to these new ideas, Mauskop believes strongly in the interworking of traditional and alternative therapies for ultimate relief. “People say it’s not proven, when in fact, it’s more proven than the over-thecounter and prescription pills they use,” Mauskop explained. When asked about acupuncture skeptics, he pointed out that two out of three patients achieve relief. Research has found similar responses in animals as well. “We have pictures of dogs jumping on the acupuncture table; they can’t wait to get their next treatment,” Mauskop said. “It fixes their joints and helps them walk better.” Nonetheless, Mauskop does question the use of acupuncture for other ailments, like infertility, for which the effects of acupuncture are far less proven than for headaches and physical pain. Standard treatment for migraines consists of weekly appointments for 10 to 12 weeks. Each one-hour visit costs $150. Although the price tag is better than the $1,500 it costs for a Botox session, acupuncture may appear timeconsuming for the average working New Yorker. Also, the success rate is slightly lagging behind the 70 percent reported success rate of Botox. To receive the ultimate benefits, acupuncture needs to be a continuous regimen,

similar to the way a single massage won’t solve someone’s lifelong back problems. “When you stop doing it, the effects last for a couple of months before you need to start up again,” Mauskop explained. Additionally, nutritional supplements are best used as complements to the acupuncture treatments, since they are not as powerful on their own. “There are so many scientific studies backing the benefits of acupuncture,”

While always open to these new ideas, Dr. Alexander Mauskop believes strongly in the interworking of traditional and alternative therapies for ultimate relief. Mauskop said. “Most people feel very relaxed, they look forward to it.” To learn more about Dr. Mauskop’s philosophy and how acupuncture can provide a much-needed relief for headache problems, visit the New York Headache Center’s website www.nyheadache.com. Offices are located on Upper East Side and in Westchester.

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In ‘Touch’ with the Dying

Hospice massage offers support for caregiving BY HUINI GU rene Smith usually begins by adjusting her breath, calming the room with her even exhales. Her job is to be present with the dying, to give them comfort and relief from pain. She has lost three clients in the past two weeks, but when she goes to work she must be fully present and completely at peace. Smith, 65, is a massage therapist and the director of Everflowing, a program she founded to teach “mindful massage” or “skilled touch,” as she calls it, in hospice caregiving. This is not deep-tissue massage for the stressed; Smith and massage therapists like her offer gentle touches to aid people who are overcome with the pain and fear of death. “I ‘pet’ people in their most vulnerable times,” said Smith, who began developing her techniques in 1982. “Hospice massage may be me stepping up to the bed, stroking your face, just looking into your eyes. It may start with a foot massage and end with my stroking your face.” Smith and other hospice massage therapists know they can’t give medical relief to someone dying, but Harvey Walters, 68, from Mariaville, Maine, said his sister Barbara took great comfort from Smith before she died in 2007 from lung cancer. “Barbara’s energy and spirit and aliveness—her presence was just greatly enhanced by that section with Irene,” he said. “She bounced back to where she was again.” Hospice massage is not covered by Medicare or insurance, and many providers are full-time massage therapists who offer hospice massage on a volunteer basis. That makes it tough to recruit therapists for hospice training, said Hanne Jensen-Male, the nurse manager at Zen Hospice in San Francisco. But she said the simple art of touching had great benefits, even if it doesn’t bring great profits. “Just picking up and touching their hands is powerful enough to cause a reduction in pain,” she said. “It’s so important that I want all my nurses to take the training.” Kristine Worden, 59, a former social worker who now works as a massage therapist and hospice volunteer in Grand Terrace, Calif., says she is amazed that there is only one hospice in her area that offers routine massage services for its patients. Though more and more people have begun to realize the benefits brought by the massage, “It’s not blossoming yet,” she said. The practice also bears little

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resemblance to other forms of massage. “It’s really hard to classify it,” said Lora Casey, 45, a licensed massage therapist in Rhode Island who participated in Smith’s workshop in 2005. “It’s more like when you were a little girl and you were sick, your mum maybe would come to you and kind of gently rub your forehead.” Smith said the real purpose of the treatment is to give support. She said she remembers a patient who suffered from cancer and just couldn’t stop vocalizing her pain, crying out even as she declined the offer of a nurse. She said it became clear the woman wasn’t looking for medical help. “Pretty soon I learned that she wanted to be fully present in her dying process. She wanted to have the opportunity to express her pain,” Smith said. “So for me, it was about touching her, massaging her, holding her and being willing to just be present during that expression. There’s nothing I could fix except to witness, to validate and to honor her pain.” Smith said serving the dying means overcoming one’s own fear of death and the diseases her clients suffer. She said she gave hospice massage to the earliest AIDS patients in the United States before the disease had even been identified. In June 1982, she said, she was called to see a man with a disease called “gay cancer.” “They said the only thing that you need to be aware of is that you need to wear gloves,” Smith said. Later, when she was rubbing the man’s arm one night, a piece of news with the term “AIDS” flashed across the TV. “I said, ‘Oh my god, that’s what Michael has.’ And that was the first time I learned fear.” A simple, skilled touch can sometimes be the last bit of comfort a dying person feels, but not everyone is able to find such valuable massage service when they need it, said Jane Tatum, a 63-year-old volunteer who has provided massage for 11 years at Kaiser Hospital, a hospice in Oakland, Calif. In the hospice where Tatum works, there are only two parttime workers who can provide hospice massage. At her busiest times, Tatum said she could have 10 patients at the same time. “We always have a waiting list,” she said. The peacefulness provided by hospice caregiving is not only shared by the patients and their families, but also by the people who offer the service, she said. “Being with someone when they are close to dying is very powerful. It is not to cure the patient, but to help the patient ‘go through’ in the best way possible.”

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2 1 8 6 5 9 4 7 3

5 2 1 9 3 4 8 6 7

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INTENT TO AWARD NOTICE OF A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING of the Franchise and Concession Review Committee and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to be held on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 22 Reade Street, Borough of Manhattan, commencing at 2:30 p.m. relative to: INTENT TO AWARD as a concession the renovation, operation and maintenance of a cafe at First Park, Manhattan (Licensed Premises), for one (1) twelve-year term, to Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese, Inc..Compensation to the City will be as follows: for each operating year, licensee shall pay to the City a license fee consisting of the higher of a minimum annual fee (Year 1: $48,000; Year 2: $48,000; Year 3: $48,000; Year 4: $48,000; Year 5: $48,000; Year 6: $48,000; Year 7: $48,000; Year 8: $48,000; Year 9: $48,000; Year 10: $48,000; Year 11: $48,000; Year 12: $48,000) or ten percent (10%) of gross receipts derived from the operation of the Licensed Premises during that operating year LOCATION: A draft copy of the license agreement may be reviewed or obtained at no cost, commencing Friday, July 1, 2011, through, Monday, July 11, 2011, between the hours of 9am and 5pm, excluding weekends and holidays at the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, located at 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 313, New York, NY 10065. Individuals requesting Sign Language Interpreters should contact the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, Public Hearings Unit, 253 Broadway, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10007, (212) 788-7490, no later than SEVEN (7) BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.

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editorial

President/CeO

Tom Allon tallon@manhattanmedia.com CFO/COO Joanne Harras jharras@manhattanmedia.com grOuP PuBLisHer Alex Schweitzer aschweitzer@manhattanmedia.com direCtOr OF interaCtive Marketing and digitaL strategy Jay Gissen jgissen@manhattanmedia.com

Like Mother, Like Son Our Town extends its condolences to Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who lost his beloved mother, Charlotte Bloomberg, last week. The 102-year-old matriarch lived a full and fruitful life in Massachusetts, raising a son and a daughter who have become public servants and who were, even more importantly, great children who respected and cared for their elderly mother. Charlotte Bloomberg exhibited the

same plain-spokeness and lack of pretension that have made her 69-year-old son a successful businessman and mayor. Apparently not overly impressed by her son’s immense self-created wealth, she often told him not to let “success go to your head.” The Mayor was said to call his mom every day; this should be a lesson to all of us who let our busy lives interfere with staying in close contact with our elderly parents. If the Mayor of New

York, who has more than 8 million people to care for, can still find time to call his mom each day, then we all should be able to. Charlotte Bloomberg must have been very proud of the successes her son achieved, and lived long enough to witness his political success and even rumors of a presidential run. She lived a long life and was liked by all in her neighborhood. That’s about as good it gets in this earthly life.

advertising@manhattanmedia.com PuBLisHer Gerry Gavin ggavin@manhattanmedia.com direCtOr OF new Business deveLOPMent Dan Newman assOCiate PuBLisHers Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth advertising Manager Marty Strongin sPeCiaL PrOjeCts direCtOr Jim Katocin seniOr aCCOunt exeCutives Verne Vergara, Rob Gault, Mike Suscavage direCtOr OF events & Marketing Joanna Virello jvirello@manhattanmedia.com Marketing COOrdinatOr Stephanie Musso Marketing assistant Jessica Christopher exeCutive assistant OF saLes Jennie Valenti jvalenti@manhattanmedia.com

What a difference six months makes. Late last year, the words “dysfunction” and “Albany” were so often intertwined, we thought they were a compound noun. But now, after the dramatic end of the legislative session and the “Marriage Equality” victory, one man has changed our view of state government. Andrew Cuomo is indeed the right man, at the right time. His whole career—actually his whole life—prepared him for this moment, when he almost single-handedly

broke down another civil rights barrier that could end up being a tipping point in the treatment of gay people in America. His ability to gain passage of the “Marriage Equality Act,” which came on the heels of a tough, prudent bipartisan budget, an extension of rent control and a property tax cap, among other important legislative victories, shows us once again what decisive and hard-working leadership can accomplish. While it may be a bit early to talk about

the presidential race of 2016, it is not too early to suggest that President Barack Obama consider Andrew Cuomo as his running mate in 2012. Joe Biden will not be the next Democratic nominee for president in 2016, and thus will add nothing to a second-term ticket; Andrew Cuomo is a political star on a meteoric rise. His addition to the presidential ticket next year would bolster Obama’s chances and help ensure that Democrats would stay in the Oval Office well into 2024.

Business adMinistratiOn

Invasion of the Picture-Takers

editOriaL

exeCutive editOr Allen Houston ahouston@manhattanmedia.com sPeCiaL seCtiOns editOr Josh Rogers jrogers@manhattanmedia.com staFF rePOrter Megan Finnegan mfinnegan@manhattanmedia.com PHOtO editOr/editOriaL assistant Andrew Schwartz aschwartz@manhattanmedia.com Featured COntriButOrs Nancy J. Brandwein, Alan S. Chartock, Bette Dewing, Jeanne Martinet, Malachy McCourt, Lorraine Duffy Merkl, Josh Perilo, Thomas Pryor

advertising

COntrOLLer Shawn Scott Credit Manager Kathy Pollyea BiLLing COOrdinatOr Colleen Conklin CirCuLatiOn Joe Bendik circ@manhattanmedia.com

PrOduCtiOn

PrOduCtiOn Manager Mark T. Stinson editOriaL LayOut and design Monica Tang advertising design Ed Johnson assistant PrOduCtiOn Manager Jessica Balaschak production@manhattanmedia.com OUR TOWN is published weekly Copyright © 2011 Manhattan Media, LLC 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10016 Editorial (212) 284-9734 Fax (212) 268-2935 Advertising (212) 284-9715 General (212) 268-8600 E-mail: editorial@manhattanmedia.com Website: OurTownNY.com OUR TOWN is a division of Manhattan Media, LLC, publisher of West Side Spirit, New York Press, Chelsea Clinton News, The Westsider, City Hall, The Capitol,The Blackboard Awards, New York Family, and Avenue magazine. To subscribe for 1 year, please send $75 to OUR TOWN, 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10016 Recognized for excellence by the

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June 30, 2011

The Son Also Rises

citiquette

The problem of unsolicited snapping By Jeanne Martinet The idea that a camera can “steal one’s soul” is generally considered a primitive belief, held only by backward people in a few isolated corners of the Globe. But I, for one, am beginning to think this soulstealing notion may be more insightful than uncivilized. Recently a friend told me about a dinner party he hosted. One of his guests happened to be a very handsome guy. Without warning, while Mr. Handsome was in the kitchen, another guest whipped his phone out and took a picture of him. Just like that. As if it were the most normal thing in the world to photograph someone you only just met while he is helping himself to pasta salad. A neighbor of mine, who is married, went to a 50th birthday party last month where there was a lot of dancing going on, and the next day on Facebook she was shocked to discover multiple photos of her with her arms around her former boyfriend— unflattering action shots which made

her look drunk (which she wasn’t) and flirty (which she also wasn’t). The other day, some friends stepped outside their West Village apartment to check out the commotion caused by an exploding manhole, and a young woman—after taking pictures of the scene, the fire trucks and police—pointed her phone right at my friends and started inexplicably snapping away at them. When they stared incredulously at her, she just smiled obliviously. I’ve heard people complain about being photographed “against their will” on busses and trains, in theaters, on street corners, in their offices, in museums, in restaurants, in the park, in hotel lobbies. Every idiot with a phone is now a paparazzo, and every person is fair game. This is a completely new social phenomenon. Never before this decade has it been the case that almost everyone has a camera on them at all times. What’s more, there is no cost for film, and no

developing necessary—just instantaneous worldwide digital publication. (At least in the old days, when you saw that man on the beach aiming his camera at you, you could be fairly sure it was for his eyes only. Not the whole world.) The result? Everyone feels it is their iPhonegiven right to take pictures of everything and anyone that comes into their view. As if the technology itself is the permission. You never know when someone might take a picture of you. You can never completely let your guard down. Smile. You’re on Candid Camera. Forever. This photographing frenzy is even more disturbing when you consider the latest face recognition technology. Facebook’s facial recognition technology function has been called “creepy.” But when a stranger can shoot you from a distance in a crowd, and then look you up on line with that photo and find out continued on next page

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

open forum

More Women Need to Run for Office we heard about why the U.S. needs to be involved in nation building in Afghanistan was to eradicate the terrible treatment of young girls and women under the Taliban, and now we see that Afghanistan has a higher proportion of representation of women than we do in the U.S.) The issue is not that women do not win when they run for elected office, since they do win in equal numbers to men; the problem is

Women comprise 51 percent of the population yet only hold 17 percent of Congressional seats and 23 percent of state elected office in the U.S., according to the Women’s Campaign Forum. The United States ranks 87th in the world in terms of women in elected office, behind countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

andrew schwartz

By Julie Menin As I watched the saga enveloping Congressman Anthony Weiner, and the ones surrounding Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, there is a frequent chorus I hear from women: Where are the women on this list? Whether it is Eliot Spitzer, John Ensign, Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, David Vitter, Silvio Berlusconi or the plethora of others, the question remains: Where are the women? Even my three young sons recently asked me if a woman could be governor in New York. Not a surprising question when you consider that we have never had a female governor or mayor in New York. The answer only highlights the fact that we have a paucity of women elected officials here in the United States and that women have had to fight hard to get where they are in leadership positions, whether it is in the corporate or political world. When we have a society where women are still being paid 77 cents on the dollar to men and where women still bear a disproportionate amount of responsibility for childcare and elder care and other familial responsibilities, one wonders how easily they will throw it all away once they are elected. To become elected, women generally have to make great sacrifices to balance these extra familial responsibilities with the rigors of running for and then holding office. Women comprise 51 percent of the population, yet only hold 17 percent of Congressional seats and 23 percent of state elected office in the U.S., according to the Women’s Campaign Forum. The United States ranks 87th in the world in terms of women in elected office, behind countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. (It bears noting that one of the arguments

Anthony Weiner told some of the women to “cover up” their exchanges.

that they are not running. A 2005 study by Jennifer Lawless shows that women are 50 percent less likely than men to seriously consider running for office, and 30 percent less likely to actually run. And when they do run, they are more likely to be interested in local office, while men are more likely to think about state or federal positions. The result? There simply is no pipeline. There is no bench. Why? Because studies show that unlike men, women generally need to be asked to run for office and quite often question their ability to be able to conduct a campaign while frequently juggling outside family demands or shy away from the lack of privacy that running for office and being an elected

official entails. To return to the original question, this is not to say that women do not have affairs, because of course they do. Indeed, to me, if any of these politicians had engaged in an extramarital affair it is a private matter between the elected official and his spouse. But what many of these cases entail is something far different, and that is why they’ve been an issue. Many involved affairs with staffers or interns, thus bringing into play the politician’s supervisory role and influence over a junior staffer and raising the specter of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Even in the case of Weiner, while no staffer has come to light, he chose to tell some of these women to “cover up” their exchanges (as when he instructed Ginger Lee to use certain wording to frame a rebuttal or told her to

on stage or engaged in exhibitionistic behavior—like walking down the street with a poodle on your head—a person should ask your permission before taking your photo. If he doesn’t, you might try aiming your own camera at him, although this may only serve to encourage him. I feel it is best to try to “gently” educate these overzealous photogs by waving your hand in between your body and their

cameras and yelling, “Hey! Excuse me!? Please don’t do that! Who the heck do you think you are?!” OK, so maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe our actual souls are not in jeopardy. But when those photos of us with our unsuspecting mouths open and our hair every which way and the wind hitting us from the entirely wrong angle are posted online for countless strangers

add “y’alls” to her answers to sound more “authentic” and “charming”) and commenting to another woman on Jewish women’s sex drive, thus raising the issue of the objectification of women that the feminist movement has fought against so diligently for years. Many of these cases involve treatment of women in degrading ways. Whether it is having an affair with a married staffer, as John Ensign did, which the Senate’s Select Committee on Ethics report noted that the Senator exerted “enormous power” over the staffer as he controlled both her salary and her husband’s, and funds for her children’s education; frequenting a prostitute as Eliot Spitzer did or as David Vitter was alleged to have done, it raises the question of how these individuals view women. Notably, some of the men who have been implicated over the years, such as Newt Gingrich and John Ensign, were so-called “family value” Republicans who want to stop women from having a right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. I hope one of the positives we see out of these scandals is that qualified and talented women decide to seriously run for office. Then we might see less of those who abuse their positions of power by having an affair with a staffer or holding up their “family values” morality over a woman’s reproductive rights and other social issues, while on the other hand thinking they are above general standards. Only then will I be able to stop having to explain to my three young and impressionable sons what this funny business is all about. Julie Menin is a board member of the Women’s Campaign Fund and former national chair of WCF’s “She Should Run.”

citiquette continued from previous page

everything about you, I think that’s more than creepy. I think that’s terrifying. So what’s a poor photo-shy person to do these days? The only hope is for the potential target of a photo to stop it at its source: the photographer. My rule (and I only wish I could make it other people’s rule, which alas I do not have the power to do) is that unless you are in a parade, O u r To w n NY. c o m

to ogle, I feel that something essential is being stolen. What is being stolen, of course, is not only our dignity, but more importantly our privacy, which, like our souls, cannot be replaced. Jeanne Martinet, aka Miss Mingle, is the author of seven books on social interaction. Read her blog at MissMingle. com. Ju n e 3 0 , 2 0 1 1

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