Our Town July 21, 2011 by Our Town

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Pets: Toilet Training Whiskers?

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July 21, 2011

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Synagogue Rebuilds After Fire

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Niehaus in Race For Bing’s Seat

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Gearing Up For Gay Marriage

daniel s. burnstein

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Summer TreaTS

Some of the best sweet spots to cool off this season By Nancy J. Brandwein Page 6

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Latino art at the Crossroads of the WorLd

andrEw schwartz

In his work entitled “Performance in the Center of the World,” artist Irvin Morazan, wearing a Ghettoblaster Headdress, moves in concert with a low-rider in Times Square as part of public art performances from Latino artists as part of El Museo’s Biennial The (S) Files 2011.

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ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS—The Naumburg Orchestral Concerts is bringing back two popular classical ensembles and introducing a new group for its 106th year of hosting free, outdoor performances at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The Knights opened the concert series on Monday, June 20, and will play again on Monday, Aug. 22. The latter show is dedicated to and will feature Liszt’s and Schubert’s works. The second concert will take place on Tuesday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m. and feature the Matt Herskowitz Trio, which is new to the Bandshell. Composer Matt Herskowitz will be on piano, with Mat Fieldes on bass and Dave Rozenblatt on drums. The concert will include new jazz arrangements of music by Bach, Chopin and Schumann, as well as pieces from Herskowitz’s latest album, Jerusalem Trilogy. The third portion of the series will present Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players on Tuesday, August 9, performing Schubert, Mozart, Rossini and Dvorak. The Naumburg Orchestral Concerts is the oldest free, classical and outdoor concert series in the United States and prides itself on showcasing fresh talent and facilitating the professional development of young musicians. —Karen Zheng

A DAy of Community PlAy

FREE

SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE FOR HOMELESS NYC CHILDREN—Volunteers of America is

currently collecting donations of brandnew backpacks and school supplies for the thousands of children living in the New York City shelter system. The drive, called Operation Backpack, is in its ninth year. Last year, volunteers provided filled backpacks to 7,000 of the 11,000 homeless children in New York City. The goal for this year is 9,000. Paige Davis, host of TLC’s Trading Spaces, is a Volunteers of America board member and a spokesperson for Operation Backpack. According to Davis, giving children these backpacks provides them with a sense of normalcy that is of utmost importance during delicate school-age years. “We all know what it’s like on the first day of school,” she said. “It’s a universal feeling. Some kids will not even go if they don’t have supplies because they’re embarrassed. This drive is so important because it allows these children to look and feel like their classmates. The impact it has on a child is so great.” When the drive is over, FedEx will pick up the donations and deliver them to a commercial site where volunteers will sort and fill the backpacks. From

ElizabEth ha

UPPER EAST SIDE GROPER—The NYPD is asking for the public’s help in finding a man who has been groping women on the Upper East Side. He is described as 4-foot 11-inches and 120 pounds with black hair. Police released the sketch of him below. The suspect is wanted for at least six different incidents since January, involving women ages 25 to 31. In each instance, he approaches a woman from behind and lifts the victim’s skirt and grabs her crotch area or rear end. In one case, he groped a woman’s breast. The attacks usually occur late at night or in the early morning hours. The suspect was last seen wearing a black turtleneck zipped sweatshirt and blue jeans. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. Submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. —Ashley Welch

After a game of chess (Left) Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh shakes hands with chess wiz kid and PS 116 student Spencer Ha at the Kips Bay Community Day. there, the grade-specific backpacks are distributed to children living in shelters throughout the city. Donations can be dropped at any Duane Reade location through July 24. —AW MUSEUM WALKING TOURS—El Museo

del Barrio is taking its programs beyond museum grounds this summer. The El Barrio Today Arts Cluster is holding a walking tour on Saturday, July 23, which spans from the museum to several cultural highlights in the area, including the Graffiti Wall of Fame, local murals and Julia de Burgos Boulevard. Tours will continue throughout the fall, every Saturday from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., 1230 5th Ave., 212-831-7272. —KZ FREE PERFORMANCE IN CENTRAL PARK—

If long lines for Shakespeare in the Park scare you away from outdoor theater, why not try something a bit more low-key? Xoregos Performing Company presents Sophocles’s Antigone at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on Monday, July 25 at 6:30 p.m. The performance includes dance, music and the text of this moving play. All performances are free and start on time. Guests are invited to bring blankets and a picnic dinner. —AW FREE SUMMERGARDEN CONCERT AT THE MOMA—For 40 years, Summergarden

has been presenting fee jazz and classical music performances to New York City. This year, their concert series, entitled New Music for New York, features Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center. On Sunday, July 24, the Julliard School, under the direction of Joel Sachs,

presents New Music for String Quartet. Wine, champagne, beer, specialty coffee, bottled water and sweets will be available for purchase. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden will open at 7 p.m. Concerts will begin at 8 p.m. and last 60 to 90 minutes. The Sculpture Garden gate is located on West 54th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. —AW BIKE LESSONS IN CENTRAL PARK—Bike

New York will provide free bicycle lessons for children at the Bike and Roll location at Tavern on the Green in Central Park on Sunday July 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is required on bikenewyork.org and open only to children who use a loaner kids bike from Bike and Roll. Space is limited. —AW Have a neighborhood scoop, story idea or suggestion? Email the editor at ahouston@manhattanmedia.com.

Community

meeting Calendar Thursday, July 28 • Community Board 8 Health, Seniors and Social Services Committee meeting, 7 p.m., Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 330 E. 70th St., Auditorium. This schedule is current as of Tuesday, July 19. For more information, including full agendas, please contact the community boards directly. Community Board 8: 212-758-4349, cb8.com.

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Niehaus Throws Hat in Ring for Bing’s Seat Sen. Liz Krueger, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn quickly fell in line behind Quart, also a young attorney and a Community Board 8 alumnus. But Niehaus points to his decent showing in the last election, as well as the fact that Republican John Ravitz held the same seat from 1991 through 2002, as elements working in his favor. “It’s a unique opportunity for a new voice,” said Niehaus of the special election. “When you have an assemblyman who retires after four and a half terms, I think that’s an appropriate time length.” Niehaus praises Bing’s focus on education, echoing his opposition to the current teacher lay-off policy of “last in, first out,” and calling for better methods to retain the best teachers. He diverges on tax issues, denouncing Bing’s votes for increased taxes during his tenure. “Small businesses in the city face a combined city/state tax corporate rate of 15 and a half percent,” said Niehaus. “That is a ridiculous rate for small businesses to take on, and that simply has to be reduced.” He also advocates repealing the metropolitan commuter transportation mobil-

andrew schwartz

By Megan Finnegan Paul Niehaus isn’t afraid of a fight. In fact, the Republican contender for the 73rd District Assembly seat is running because he thinks we need more of them in state government. “We need competitive elections— that’s really the fundamental issue that faces Albany right now is that so many of the elections are completely non-competitive,” said Niehaus, a local attorney and married father of two children who is running for his first public office. “When you have someone who has a 25-year sinecure and they don’t really have to face an opponent, sound off on the issues, respond to their constituency, that’s what leads to the dysfunction and frankly a lot of the corruption.” Niehaus challenged then four-time incumbent Democrat Jonathan Bing for his seat in 2010. He lost, but came away with 35 percent of the vote and was “very very happy” with his campaign. Now that Bing has left to join the Cuomo administration, Niehaus is bidding for the seat in an upcoming special election against fellow state government newbie Dan Quart. Democrats, like Rep. Carolyn Maloney,

Paul Niehaus. ity tax, which levies a 0.34 percent tax on payroll for many employers. “New York cannot sustain the financial path that it is on,” said Niehaus. “We have some very serious fiscal problems that are structural in nature and state government isn’t rejecting intelligent proposals, it’s not even debating how to fix things. We end up with Band-Aids from year to year, and the underlying structural problems, like state employee pensions, like Medicaid costs, like all of the fixed cost items that we have—they’re simply not

being addressed.” He singles out the MTA as a prime example of out-of-control spending, citing their overtime and pension costs as unsustainable. “There are a dozen different ways that the staples of a bagel shop can be taxed,” Niehaus said, an example of where he says the state can streamline regulations and taxes. He calls marriage equality “a great first step,” but also thinks that the state should stay out of all marriages he supports abortion rights, placing him in line on social issues with most of his potential constituents. Still, he faces an uphill battle in a Democratic district. “This district is extraordinarily independent and open-minded,” Niehaus said, calling the race “very winnable.” He plans to stay involved in local politics regardless. “All too often, what we see from our interested citizens is that they get invested for a short period of time or for one race and then they say, ‘I didn’t win, I’m throwing up my hands, I’m going back to my life and I’m going to put my head in the sand,’” said Niehaus. “I can’t do that. It’s too important.”

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Summer Treats Some of the best sweet spots to cool off this season

Nancy J. Brandwein

ever has the city been more alluring to summer staycationers than it is now, with folding chairs in Times Square, movie nights at parks and piers, an elevated public park and, for a food-obsessed gal like me, ever expanding al fresco dining options—from barnacle-encrusted lightships to ball fields. Après eating, you can’t walk one block without a blast of chill air issuing from yet another frozen dessert purveyor. Here is a feast of affordable summer treats—from al fresco drinks and meals to cooling desserts.

Food Trucks on the Green

West 67th St. & Central Park West Daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Once the largest grossing restaurant in New York City, Tavern on the Green closed in 2009; it is now home to three food trucks, folding chairs and tables that look out onto the Sheep Meadow. Rickshaw Dumpling, Pera and Van Leeuwen carts offer gourmet dumplings, Turkish tacos and artisanal ice cream. Pera serves beer, wine and cocktails and its roasted chicken with lavender/honey taco on lavash bread is the item to try.

O’Neals’ Ball Field Café

Y Tacos

Hecksher Ball Fields. Enter Central Park at 66th St. & Central Park West Mon.–Fri. 11a.m.–dusk, Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–dusk (Open until Thanksgiving!) 212-874-7454 Enjoy the ultimate NYC summer dining experience amid the crack of the

Caitlyn bierman

622 3rd Ave. at 40th St. (up the stairs or elevator to the roof of Zengo) Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. 212-808-8110 Midtown office moles leave their cubicles to bask in the sunlight on this welcoming roof deck, which sports chef/ restaurateur Richard Sandoval’s taco stand. Known for pushing the boundaries of Latin cuisine, Sandoval thankfully provides simple, affordable tacos prepared just right (3 for $10)—like grilled mahi mahi with pico de gallo and chipotle slaw or tender pork carnitas with cilantro

O’Neals’ Ball Field Cafe. bat and the whoops of the crowds. This sweet beer garden/cafe features checkered table cloths, sangria and buckets of beer on ice (6 for the price of 5) as well as a new grill that turns out fish tacos, burgers, hot dogs and bargain bratwurst with kraut ($4). Thursday watch “The Book of Mormon” duke it out with “Anything Goes” when the Broadway Leagues play.

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July 14, 2011

Y Tacos.

The Breakfast Sunday at Steve’s Ice Cream. and pink pickled onions. Afterwards, try a Mexican ice cream sandwich—dulce de leche oozing out of two spice cookies— or a paletta ($3) of cooling cucumber and a pinch of throat burning habanero.

The Lot on Tap

The High Line at 30th St & 10th Ave. 212-206-9922 12 p.m.–10:30 p.m. For a daily schedule/hours of food trucks, see www.friendsofthehighline.org/the-lot. Chef/Owner Tom Colicchio looked at a nondescript parking lot under the new 30th St. section of the Highline and saw a 350-seat beer garden with an iron girder fronting the bar. In addition to offering beer and wine on tap— including Sixpoint’s Sehr Crisp

Pilsner and Gotham Project, Fingerlakes Rose (Syrah). Colicchio curates a rotating selection of quality food trucks, such as Eddie’s Pizza Truck, Taco Truck, and Coolhaus. A kiosk for drink tickets ($7 beer, $9 wine), picnic tables, bloomy white umbrellas and interactive art installations popping up alongside it give The Lot a carnival-esque atmosphere and provide a welcome pit stop for Highline walkers.

The Frying Pan Lightship

(Pier 66 Maritime Bar and Grill) 205 12th Ave. in the Hudson River Park on Pier 66A (near W. 26th St.) 212-989-6363 Once relatively obscure, today the Frying Pan hosts hordes of 20-somethings who line up on summer eves to have their beer and burgers on one of the 13 remainN EW S YO U LIV E B Y

ing lightships of the original 100. The kitchen staff runs a tight ship, so waits aren’t long for refreshing pitchers of white sangria ($38) or my favorite zesty garlic fries. Sitting on an upper deck table not only provides you with an expansive view of the Hudson, but also intensifies your drinks’ effects with the boat’s rocking. Lunches and late afternoons aren’t too crowded.

Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club

…and 9 Hot Spots for Cold Treats

GimmiCky GoodneSS 16 Handles

365 Amsterdam Ave. (betw. 75th & 76th Sts.) Mon.–Thurs., Sun. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–12 a.m. 646-861-1281

Coolhaus

Changing locations/hours. Check www.eatcoolhaus.com 818-641-9288 This hip ice cream sandwich purveyor offers flavors you won’t find anywhere else, often with names that riff on famous architects: Mies Vanilla Rohe = vanilla ice cream plus a chocolate chip cookie. Some of the more exotic flavors are balsamic fig and mascarpone, lychee martini, olive oil with rosemary, and earl grey tea, which I sampled between two Ovenly pistachio agave/brown butter shortbread cookies ($4.25/scoop). Form clearly trumps function here. How can you eat a solid ball of ice cream between two thick cookies?

deCAdenCe…And donUTS

daniel s. burnstein

Beekman St. at South St. on the North side of Pier 17 12 p.m.–3 a.m. every day 212-896-4600 There are more bodies packing this 22,000 square foot space than in the “Bodies” exhibit around the corner, but these ones are alive and kicking (sand through their toes), playing pool, or lounging on glow-in-the-dark plastic couches. There’s affordable beach fare— like fish and chips or 6 oysters on the half shell (each $12)—and beer garden goodies, such as four different kinds of wurst (each $6). Two full bars—one off the beach under a shady canopy—serve craft beers on tap, inventive cocktails and wine, and as one Yelp enthusiast kvelled, the view of the Brooklyn Bridge “slaps you in the face.”

www.16handles.com for other city locations This is tween/teen paradise—16 handles for squirting your choices of frozen yogurt in flavors ranging from birthday cake to peanut butter and mango tango with a choice of over 40 toppings, again self-serve. The fro-yo at this born-in-NY chain is sweeter than Pinkberry’s, but both places have a fun, modern vibe. You pay by the ounce ($0.52/oz. for yogurt/ toppings), so watch out, those 16 handles could be the ones lining your waist.

Holey Cream’s donut with ice cream and toppings.

Steve’s ice Cream

bos of pure and natural ingredients, often enhanced by products from local partners. “The Breakfast Sundae” ($8.50) features two scoops of coffee cinnamon topped with Anarchy in a Jar blueberry preserves, almond butter, sauce and Early Bird granola. If you’re going for single scoops ($4), the Mexican Chili Chocolate and Salty Caramel have my vote.

4 E. 42nd St. (near 5th Ave.) Mon.–Fri. 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 9 p.m.–7 p.m. In the early 1980s, Steve Harrell pioneered mash-ups and mix-ins at his East Coast ice cream chain. Now the Steve’s brand has new owners and a new mission: to serve simple, yet striking, com-

Holey Cream

796 9th Ave. (betw. 52nd & 53rd Sts.) Mon.–Wed., Sun. 6 a.m.–12 a.m., Thurs.–Sat. 6 a.m.–2 a.m. 212-247-8400 Call it the NYPD special: choose three scoops of rich ice cream, a donut, icing and as many toppings as you want. Holey Cream slices your donut as if it were a New York Bagel, crams the ice cream inside, puts the icing and toppings outside and packs the heavy contents in a plastic container, Is this decadence, craziness or what? It’s certainly popular; on a summer weekend day they get as many as 400 takers.

Bomboloni daniel s. burnstein

16 Handles. O u r To w n NY. c o m

187 Columbus Ave. (betw. 68th & 69th Sts.) Mon.–Thurs., Sun. 7:30 a.m.–10 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 7:30 a.m.–12 a.m. 212-877-3080 You can have your gelato and your

donuts, too—but not together, here at this charming Italian café. To your left is a case of your standard, creamy Italian gelato flavors. To your right, the most darling, delectable donuts. Light and airy, these Italian donuts ($1.50 each or 6 for $7) are the size of clementines, and they’re injected with the filling of your choice—from Nutella and raspberry jam to pistachio cream—and topped with a thin layer of icing, nuts, coconut flakes and more. Teeny-weeny bombolini are $.80 each or 12 for $7.50.

GeLATo iTALiAno Ciao Bella Gelato Bar

27 E. 97th St. (betw. Madison & 5th Aves.) 212-831-5555 Ciao Bella is credited with introducing the United States to gelato in 1983. With pints available in upscale supermarkets and delis, it’s easy to forget the company started as a small ice cream shop in Little Italy. This Upper East Side outpost is on a cool, leafy street, now deserted by private school kids. Scoops are pricey, ($3.97 for one) but flavors are more intense than you’ll get in a pint, especially the sorbets like blood orange or coconut. Get the chef’s selection—6 not-so-mini scoops for $5.85—and share it, as I did with my Ju ly 1 4 , 2 0 1 1

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daughter. She liked Belgian chocolate; I liked the musky green tea (“Yuck,” said she), but on the malted milk we both agreed.

L’Arte del Gelato

75 9th Ave. (in Chelsea Market near 15th St.) Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–8 p.m. 212-366-0570 Lincoln Center Plaza (May–August, Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun.10 a.m.-10 p.m.) If you’re someone who is afraid to admit that the cone is your favorite part of the whole shebang, then you’ll savor these homemade sturdy, tall waffle cones. Of course, the best part is the zone where cone meets silky, creamy L’Arte flavors with ingredients sourced from Italy—from Sicilian pistachios to Piedmontese hazelnuts. I licked a nocciola—hazelnut—slowly strolling on the High Line, postponing the gratification of the homemade cone.

SIMPLE SATISFACTION 154 E. 86th St. (betw. Lexington & 3rd Aves.) Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m. 646-237-5035

Ronnybrook Milk Bar

75 9th Ave. (at the Chelsea Market near 15th St.) 212-741-MILK Mon.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Clearly the milk from RonnyBrook Dairy farm is the star in this old-fashioned shop. The ice creams I tried were milky and light and somehow icier than creamier brands. Their most popular flavor: ginger crème brulee. Yet the menu has many other tempting frozen treats, such as lavender-infused chilled milk or a “Moochachino,” chocolate and coffee milk, heavy cream, with a shot of Espresso.

daniel s. burnstein

Shake Shack

(Go to www.shakeshack.com for more NYC locations) After years of waiting over an hour to get my Shack burger fix, I finally entered the C-line—C for cooling custards, concretes and shakes—and discovered “the black and white” shake. This mix of chocolate and vanilla custard ($5) with a $.50 helping of malt is a magical taste trifecta. The chocolate has a rich, peanut butter accent, and the malt adds soul. About two inches into my black and white, I was thoroughly satisfied, but as with all true crave-worthy flavors, you can summon up the taste, dangerously, at any time.

L’Arte del Gelato.

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Profound Impact The specialist: Dr. Sheryl Green, Radiation Oncology

Front reception The Dubin Breast Center

By Emily Johnson Listening to Dr. Sheryl Green’s soft, precise voice, it is immediately clear that this is a woman who possesses warmth and expertise in equal measure. Originally from South Africa, she trained at Mount Sinai, where she has worked full-time since 1997. As the radiation oncologist who treats women with breast cancer, she feels that she has found work that is important and meaningful. “It allows you to have a profound impact on people’s lives,” says Dr. Green. “And with all the technology, it’s always evolving and constantly improving.”

just the disease, she explains. There are psychologists on staff who work closely with Green and the patients who are in the process of receiving radiation, looking at how to best manage the physical and psychological effects of treatment and improve quality of life.

Who’s at risk The average woman in the United States has about a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime, and the risk increases with age. More than 50% of breast cancer patients require radiation in conjunction with the other stages of their treatment.

Traditional treatment Radiation therapy involves delivering targeted, low-level bursts of radiation to cancerous cells. Unlike chemotherapy, which is a systemic treatment, radiation is a strictly localized method of eradicating the diseased tissue. “It’s either given as a treatment in itself or more frequently after surgery to eradicate any potential residual tumor cells,” Dr. Green says, “like after a lumpectomy, for instance.” A major focus of the new Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai’s Tisch Cancer Institute is to provide a fully integrated experience in which all the different departments involved in a patient’s care are working smoothly in conjunction with each other, and it’s an approach Dr. Green clearly feels very passionate about. “We have personnel whose priority it is to coordinate patient care between departments so the onus isn’t on the patient,” she says. “We also meet weekly to review new patients and discuss patient care issues.” The emphasis is on caring for the whole person rather than

At the Dubin Breast Center, the emphasis is on caring for the whole person rather than just the disease. “I don’t think you can have quality patient care anymore without doing this sort of thing,” Dr. Green says. “Patients demand it now; they know it’s there and they won’t settle for less.” With something like radiation where patients come in daily for weeks on end and then remain in contact for evaluation for years, a doctor really gets to know her patients. Dr. Green still has women coming back 20 years after their initial radiation treatment with her predecessor.

Side effects Unsurprisingly, radiation therapy are not without side effects, although advances in technology have mitigated the effects so that they are mostly minor. During the process, breast cancer patients can experience fatigue and breast discomfort. Changes in skin in the treated area is common and can include reddening, itching, and peeling. Long-term effects tend to be cosmetic in nature. Breasts can shrink or become uneven. Permanent skin discoloration is possible and is more likely to affect women with darker skin tones because of their pigmentation. Breasts are obviously close to crucial internal organs like the lungs and the heart, although the likelihood of causing any disease to these organs is relatively rare: less than 5 percent of people will experience radiation-induced disease down the line.

Photos by Andrew Schwartz and Sarah Reyes

Research breakthroughs Over the last few years, a breakthrough study has changed the way many patients receive their radiation. Traditionally, a course of radiation takes 6 to 7 weeks to administer, but a team of Canadian researchers found that a slightly higher dose of radiation delivered in just over half the time was essentially just as effective. This has made the course of radiation treatment far more tolerable and less inconvenient for many women Other advances include a greater accuracy in targeting the radiation in a way that mitigates unwanted side effects. “It’s so much more advanced now than what I trained in,” Dr. Green says. “We’re able to accurately target tumors but protect the normal tissues surrounding them.”

Questions for your doctor “People need to ask, ‘Why do I need the treatment?’” Dr. Green says. “Not everyone needs it.” She emphasizes that patients should be well informed about everything the process entails: the daily procedure, immediate side effects, and long-term potential side effects. They go over these things with all of their patients, but it helps to remain engaged in the conversation, and raise any concerns as they come up. Staying informed is one of the best ways to avoid feeling helpless during what can be a very stressful time.

What you can do There are a number of things you can do to manage your physical symptoms during radiation therapy. If your breast feels warm, you can cool it with fans, cool compresses, and creams, but avoid anything that contains alcohol or is scented. You can counteract reddening of the skin with cosmetics; mix green powders with foundation and it will neutralize the color. Breasts can become sensitive, so you may want to consider going braless, finding a bra without underwire, or switching to camisoles under your clothing. It can be an emotionally trying time, so seek out support from friends, family, a therapist, or a local support group for people who can relate to your experience.

For more information on Dr. Sheryl Green 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

July 21, 2011

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Rabbis Hopeful as Fire Investigators Sift Synagogue hopes to repair and rebuild after last week’s blaze are inspiring leaders,” said Alper. “Our rabbis don’t say, ‘do as I say.’ They really set the example for the rest of community, whether it’s their dedication to Israel, their dedication to Jewish causes everywhere, to communal causes everywhere.” Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, who has been the senior rabbi at Kehilath Jeshurun since 1979, lead the community in prayer the day after the fire and has been spearheading the positive outlook that the congregation shares, said Rabbi Weinstock. Meanwhile, insurance inspectors and engineers are currently working to determine how grave the situation is for the synagogue. “You have to assess, figure out what exactly is damaged, how severely it’s damaged, what can be saved and what needs to be reconstructed. We’re in assessment phase and we will shift to rebuild phase,” said Weinstock. “But even as assessment goes on, services go on. We still have a community to engage.” “You take it so for granted,” said Alper. “To stand across the street and watch it burn, it just stabbed you in a place that you didn’t even know went so deep. But we are a faith-based organization. It was a building, it wasn’t people.”

andrew schwartz

By Megan Finnegan On a hot, sunny day earlier this week outside the Ramaz Middle School on East 85th Street, workers sifted through the charred remnants of a synagogue. Men in hard hats with the FDNY’s Arson and Explosives Division and the Fire Marshall were clearing debris from the four-alarm blaze that erupted on the roof of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun’s synagogue last week. Fire Marshall representatives at the scene declined to comment on their investigation—it’s still ongoing—but they are analyzing every piece of available evidence, pulling out what looked like charred electrical components from the garbage of burned wood and other materials, photographing and preserving chunks of blackened metal in plastic wrap. Black soot hovers in the air around the 110-year-old synagogue, which may be salvageable. It would have made for a completely depressing scene if it weren’t for the buoyant optimism of the people most affected by the fire’s destruction. “This is sad, but there’s no loss of life. It’s a building that can be rebuilt,” said Rabbi Elie Weinstock, who has been an associate rabbi at Kehilath for eight years. “People may not get to sit in the same seat for the high holidays that they have for the last 50 years, but that’s okay. So there’s a certain sense on the one hand that a place of a lot of history and memories has been lost. People had their bar mitzvahs there, and weddings that took place there, and people have been part of the community for generations. But the memories will remain and the building will be rebuilt.” No one was seriously harmed in the

Fire damage to Kehilath Jeshurun’s roof and windows. fire—several firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation the night of July 11— and because the sanctuary was under renovation, all of the synagogue’s religious artifacts were spared as well. “The fact that we were doing renovations was a saving grace,” Rabbi Weinstock said. “Not even a prayer book was to be found in there.” The Modern Orthodox congregation, which prides itself on its inclusive attitude—they offer their spaces to non-religious groups from community boards to Alcoholics Anonymous, hold beginners’ services on the high holidays at which all are welcome, and offer Sunday school for kids even if their par-

ents aren’t synagogue members—is seeing their generosity returned in a time of need. Local churches, synagogues, and individuals have been calling to offer space for services and support for the congregation. “We use that a little bit as a springboard of encouragement,” said Weinstock. “So many people care so much about this community.” Riva Alper, the synagogue’s administrator and a long time member, is working to find space for upcoming high holiday services, and said that the collective sadness at the fire is balanced by the strength of the community. “I think we have wonderful rabbis that

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Barbizon on Track for Historic Status By Deb Sperling The Upper East Side might soon be home to another historic landmark. On July 18, the Landmarks Committee of Community Board 8 voted almost unanimously to approve a proposal by Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts to make the Barbizon Hotel, at 140 E. 63rd St., an official landmark. One board member declined to vote, citing a lack of information on the issue. A full meeting of CB8 will take place July 20, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) must then approve the proposal. The LPC hearing will take place July 26. The committee expressed tremendous enthusiasm for the Barbizon’s historical and cultural significance. From the building’s construction in 1927, through the 1960s (when feminism began to call the hotel’s The Barbizon was home to Grace Kelly, Cybill Shepherd mission into question), and Sylvia Plath, among many other young women. It’s currently up for proposed landmark status. the Barbizon enjoyed a powerful reputation as an elite, Rapunzel-esque 23-story fortress Places. For a number of years, the buildfor young women who came to New York ing functioned as an ordinary hotel, under to pursue careers in magazines, modeling a different name—The Melrose. In 2005, and more. For a low cost, those admitted the interior of the building was gutted and to one of the hotel’s 700 tiny rooms— renovated, creating 69 high-end condos. through an exhaustive application and Now known as Barbizon/63, it is occupied character evaluation process—could by the likes of Ricky Gervais and Salma expect a certain level of protection from Hayek’s father. But a number of older resithe opposite sex. Strict policies regard- dents—those who occupied the Barbizon ing male visitors (who rarely got past in the latter part of its heyday—remain in the lobby) and a culture of peer-enforced the building’s smaller units. ladylike-ness helped bolster the hotel’s “It wasn’t just for young women,” reputation as a place where young wom- Community Board member Teri Slater en could make something of themselves, reminded other committee members and without risk to their purity or reputation. members of the public. “There were older Notable residents included Grace Kelly, women who lived there for many years, Cybill Shepherd and Sylvia Plath, the lat- who could’ve been evicted, but weren’t.” ter of whom described the hotel (under The motion to approve the building’s the alias “The Amazon”) extensively in landmark status was the third-to-last item her novel The Bell Jar. on the agenda of a four-hour meeting at On Valentine’s Day of 1981, the first Hunter College. male guest was officially registered at the “We support the designation of this as Barbizon, and in 1982, the building was an individual landmark,” said Committee added to the National Register of Historic Co-Chair Jane Parshall. andrew schwartz

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July 21, 2011

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Paying to Say ‘I Do’ It seems everyone wants a slice of the gay wedding cake By Megan FInnegan

ollowing the historic passage of marriage equality legislation in Albany, new York city is preparing to welcome gay couples—and their checkbooks—into conjugal bliss. About 2,600 couples have applied online for a new York state marriage license since July 5, and about half of those couples intend to get married on July 24, the first day the new law will take effect. it’s so many that Mayor Bloomberg just announced that the city clerk’s office will have to issue a lottery for the lucky 764 couples it will have time to marry on sunday. while new Yorkers celebrate the impending unions, wedding vendors have been preparing to accommodate this sudden new demographic, and many are hoping it will boost their businesses in a flagging economy. “coming anecdotally from some of the planners, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the event and the new law,” said Anja winikka, site editor of online wedding behemoth theKnot.com. “we know that the household income of same-sex couples in new York is a bit higher compared to heterosexual couples.” A 2008 report by UclA law school, based on 2000 census data, found that the average household income of same-sex couples in new York city is $116,540, while the average for heterosexual married couples is $79,230. even if the numbers have shifted slightly since then, most vendors rely on the assumption that the average gay couple has more disposable income to spend on a wedding. “Mayor Bloomberg’s big ‘i Do’ campaign is exciting for the destination wedding angle, rolling out these ad campaigns, convincing people to come from out of state,” winikka said. the city’s official tourism agency, nYc & co., has launched a big push to attract visitors wishing to marry and attend weddings. in 2007, then-comptroller Bill thompson released a report estimating that the legalization of samesex marriage would bring an additional $142 million in revenue to the state, mainly to the travel and tourism industries; similar figures were touted by gay marriage advocates in the push to get the additional votes necessary in the state senate to pass the recent legislation. “A lot of reception states and hotel chains have sort of jumped on board and come up with their own packages to get couples

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excited, to bring them in and have their weddings at their specific places,” winikka said. For example, the Millennium Broadway hotel on west 44th street is offering a PriDe wedding package for same-sex couples—for the low-low starting price of $19,500. Many other luxury hotels in Manhattan are following suit, and in most cases, they’re simply offering a few perks added on to existing wedding packages. Martine leventer, owner and president of Martine’s chocolates on the Upper east side, has been making her popular chocolate bride and groom cake toppers for years. when she started to get requests

they’ve already been doing for years. city cakes, a bakery in chelsea, had already been baking custom cakes for same-sex couples in their neighborhood. they got their first order for a new York gay wedding cake the day the law passed. they decided to help sponsor the Pop-Up chapel, a project created—and still in progress—by a group of friends to give free mini-weddings in central Park to same-sex couples. “they said that they would be doing these weddings and that they would be providing cupcakes for their guests,” Jazz sahota, an assistant manager at city cakes, said. “it’s the kind of thing that we love to

Winikka doesn’t think that the wedding industry is exploiting same-sex couples. “I would actually venture to say the opposite,” she said. “It’s exciting to see hotel chains, national hotel chains, big resources finally giving it the attention it deserves. any couple can see through a deal that isn’t the real deal.” for “a dark chocolate groom and a white chocolate bride,” for example, leventer said she created separate molds for each spouse, and also developed a more sleek, modern-looking bride. when marriage equality passed, Martine’s posted its gay wedding toppers—pairs of the regular brides or grooms—on its Facebook page. “the way we work is we don’t especially advertise, we work a lot with word of mouth,” leventer said. “we already had requests, quite immediately after the law went into effect, not only for the [gay] cake toppers but also special favors.” some wedding vendors see the new influx of business as an extension of what

get involved in; we were over the moon at the legislation being passed.” other vendors are hoping to gain new business from same-sex couples, but are counting on the slow-and-steady method of reputation-building to eventually bring it in. “honestly i would love to be doing more [gay weddings]. i have done a couple,” said Andy Marcus, who co-owns Fred Marcus Photography on west 72nd street with his son. “i just shot an engagement party for two guys who were written up in the New York Times.” Marcus said that he’s advertised on the rainbow network in the past, but he’s

going to keep up his usual marketing and hope that same-sex couples like his work. Jacqueline weppner is the owner and creative director of Merci new York, a company that runs a blog for the city bride and also offers event planning and styling. she definitely considers her services lgBt-friendly, but isn’t rushing into marketing to gay couples. “right when the law was passed, a lot of businesses tried to promote specials and incentives to get that demographic in the door,” weppner explained. “we’re excited about it, but we’re not looking to exploit it. As bloggers, we’ve seen a lot of promotions come our way. i think that hopefully we will get couples, whether they’re heterosexual or homosexual, interested in us because of what we provide and not because we’re trying to target them because of legislation passing.” Vendors and websites don’t necessarily have to make a big push to see an uptick in business. the Knot’s same-sex marriage site, gay.weddings.com, has seen a 166 percent increase since marriage equality passed, according to winikka. they’re putting together online features about samesex wedding etiquette and lgBt-friendly destination wedding locations to capitalize on the new influx of traffic, which brings more advertising dollars as well. winikka doesn’t think that the wedding industry is exploiting same-sex couples. “i would actually venture to say the opposite,” she said. “it’s exciting to see hotel chains, national hotel chains, big resources finally giving it the attention it deserves. Any couple can see through a deal that isn’t the real deal.” “there’s nothing to me really different,” said Marcus. “A wedding is a wedding. what makes it interesting is that there are people in the wedding.” N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Uptown synagogue celebrates gay marriage By Ashley Welch

undreds of people filled a synagogue on the upper West side last Thursday evening, all eyes fixed on the chuppah in front of them. under the white canopy ornately decorated with bright floral arrangements, the seven Jewish wedding blessings were read. next came the smashing of a glass, followed by yells of “Mazel tov!” and cheering. song and dance broke out, as those seated flooded the floor and began moving in a circle, arms around one another. Though many in attendance had partaken in these traditions numerous times at Jewish weddings, they had never attended a ceremony quite like this before. no one actually got married, but it was a joyous celebration nonetheless, as the community of B’nai Jeshrun came together to commemorate the passage of marriage equality in new York state. “This is a great celebration which we have been waiting for such a long time,” said rabbi J. rolando Matalon. “All our hard work has finally come to fruition.” Though the synagogue has been administering same sex commitment ceremonies since 1991, new York state marriage licenses can now also be issued, with the legalization of same-sex marriage this June.

B’nai Jeshrun was at the forefront of the fight to make this a reality. five years ago, congregants formed a Marriage equality Hevra, a term meaning “community,” to join the campaign for the passage of gay marriage as part of the synagogue’s social justice initiative. Members of the Hevra organized meetings with elected officials, attended rallies in Albany and new York City, led letter-writing campaigns and held events to bring awareness of the issue to their community and the greater new York area. “I’d like to think in some small way we played a role in bringing about marriage equality in new York state,” said dale Bernstein, co-chair of the Hevra. Bernstein, 56, has two sons, one who is gay and one who is straight. she said she could not believe both her children did not have the right to marry whom they wished. “We were not going to rest until all of our lGBT family and friends had the same rights we carry,” she said. Couples like Joseph Antenson and lawrence Gifford, an interfaith couple (Antenson is Jewish and Gifford is episcopalian) and members of the Hevra who have been together for 18 years, now have that option. Though they are still contemplating getting married, they said they

are elated that they and all future generations can wed if they wish. linda Golding and diane Wondisford were also involved with B’nai Jeshrun’s plight for marriage equality. The two have been together for nine years and, in 2009, eloped in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been legal for seven Linda Golding and Diane Wondisford share their story while taking years. part in the Sheva Brakhot (Seven Blessings) under the chuppah at Golding, 54, is a B’nai Jeshrun. hospital chaplain at new York presbyterian The tone of the evening was one of joy, but and Wondisford, 59, is the producing direc- many who spoke emphasized that even though tor of the Music Theatre Group, a non-profit marriage equality has finally been achieved in organization based in Brooklyn. new York, there is still much work to be done, “We already have professional standing,” especially on the federal level. Golding said, “but now we have standing in Mark Horn, who said he has been out a different way.” since 1968, said he never expected to see some members of the Hevra are straight, the passage of gay marriage in his lifetime. too, including lisa Zucker, who joked that He joked that he is excited to plan his wedwith a husband, three children, two dogs ding once he finds a boyfriend and shared and a mini-van, she has “no horse in the some of his mixed emotions. race.” Yet, she said the cause was just as “I’m really happy, really grateful and important to her. really sad,” he said. “I’m sad for all the “This was one of the last instances of men I knew and loved who did not get to discrimination in new York state,” Zucker see this moment. But I feel blessed that I said. “It was part of our responsibility as am here and that I know that love will be faith-based people to fight for equality.” celebrated.” Andrew SchwArtz

Mazel Tov!

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The More, the Marry-er

Reverend Alison prepares for a Marrython in Central Park By Megan Finnegan

everend Alison CAiolA, an interfaith minister, has performed hundreds of same-sex weddings and commitment ceremonies. As a second-generation minister, she grew up witnessing both of her parents perform ceremonies for same-sex couples and is thrilled that now she can carry on the tradition—legally—in new York state. We spoke to rev. Alison about her background and her upcoming “Marrython” in Central Park, in which she and her co-officiants at rainbow Wedding Clergy will marry as many gay couples as possible on July 31—for free. (Couples

can find information at rainbowweddingclergy. com.) How do you prepare to marry couples? There is no difference between a samesex couple and a heterosexual couple, as far as my process is concerned. i sit down with them and i get a good feel for who they are, and what they mean to one another, and because i’m also a writer, i’m able to custom-craft a ceremony for them. People think that i’ve known the couple for a very long time, and really by the time

they do get married we do know each other, and they do feel like they’re being married by a friend. Does it feel like something political to you, growing up with your family’s history? Because i was on board for so long, i’m now getting so many couples that are wanting to make it legal, and they’re sitting in my office and we end up crying. Think about it: You’re together with somebody for 25 years, all you want to do is marry that person, and you’re told you cannot. Am i a politician, or

Reverend Alison Caiola.

political? Absolutely not, i’m a minister. But to me it’s very important that people have the right to be with the person they love, legally and spiritually.

Tell us more about this ‘Marrython.’ The fact is that through the years, i’ve been performing the same-sex commitment ceremonies, and now these people can finally stand up, and they can finally, in the eyes of the law, be married: this is a celebration. so it’s not a publicity stunt. We’re having individual ceremonies, with a choice of spiritual or civil, in the Belvedere Castle area. i want to try to make it as beautiful as possible. i wanted it overlooking Turtle Pond Bay; i do a lot of weddings there for people from the U.K. and Australia. We’ll have flowers, there’s a photographer who’s going be there who’s documenting it for his book. i just want it to be mellow. i’m not doing four or five ceremonies at a time. A lot of people are doing that—and that’s fine—but that’s not me. Do you think that we’re going to see a big commercialization of a whole separate gay marriage cottage industry? What i’m hoping is that we don’t say gay marriage anymore; we don’t say same-sex marriage—because it’s legal. so now, it’s just marriage. i think that this is very good for the wedding industry, because it just brings so many more people, their target audience has just grown. it’s going to help the economy a huge deal, because you’ll have people booking venues that wouldn’t have done it a year ago. i don’t think you’re going to see a commercialization: it’s going to be like the regular wedding industry. The more people that get on board, the better it is for everyone. Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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pets

Toilet Training Whiskers? Two cat products designed to make the litter box obsolete By Annie Lubin When Amy Davids’ cat Frisco died after a heartbreaking battle with cancer in 2008, the feline lover wanted to commemorate her playful companion. So she uploaded a video of him to YouTube. What was a mundane, daily activity for Frisco turned out to be hilarious and bizarre enough to attract 3 million hits and 3,700 comments. The video shows Frisco perched on the side of his owner’s toilet. He sniffs the bowl, walks across the rim and, finding a comfortable spot, with his rear facing the bowl, he relieves himself. To those outside of the pet world, the scene might look like one big hoax, but feline toilet training kits are becoming a booming business and making themselves known in the mass consumer market. “Creating an indoor solution to an indoor problem was our key objective,” said Terry Lapidge, inventor of the Litter Kwitter toilet training kit, which retails for $69.95. For Rebecca Rescate, inventor of the CitiKitty kit, the idea emerged when “the litter box became unbearable in 500 square feet,” she said. “Living in New York City really prompted me to live with less.” Her kit retails for $29.99. Both of these kits debuted on the mar-

ket around 2005, yet Davids, who first used a kit to train her cat, Thunder, in 1997 (she has trained four cats and is in the process of training a fifth, Milah), said that while the product has gotten more sturdy and marketable, the basic idea—the “disappearing litter box”—has stayed the same. A plastic, disc-like contraption with a hole in the center is placed under the toilet’s rim and filled with kitty litter, mimicking the cat’s own litter box. As the cat gets used to the toilet, the litter is applied less liberally and the hole is made bigger, until eventually the cat views his old litter box and the human toilet as one and the same. The difference between Litter Kwitter and the CitiKitty, the main two products on the market, is that the former allows for lapses in training. Litter Kwitter provides separate discs for its three training stages, so if a cat slips up—which is what happened to Davids’ cat Milah when Davids went away on vacation—it is possible to go back and repeat a stage. With the CitiKitty, a larger hole is cut upon each new stage of training, so while it allows for more varied stages, once you move on to the next phase, there’s no going back and there’s no reuse. But toilet training a cat can’t be as simple as plopping your pet on the seat and

Pets Don’t Sweat High temperatures can be deadly for Fido By Robin Breenen The dog days of summer can be hazardous for your pet. Be a cool owner and help your canine companion beat the heat this summer. It is important to realize that people and animals differ greatly in their ability to regulate internal body temperature. Humans have hundreds of sweat glands, all over the body, that help us stay cool by releasing moisture which evaporates on the skin’s surface. Dogs have very few sweat glands, all of which are located in the pads of their feet. Dogs cool themselves primarily by the process of panting and breathing, with the moist lining of their lungs, tongue, mucous membranes and windpipe serving as the evaporative surfaces. Dogs also release heat by dilating blood vessels in the face, ears and hairless areas

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of the body like the armpits and groin. This allows blood to flow closer to the skin’s surface, where it has a chance to cool down. Minimizing your dog’s exposure to extreme temperatures can prevent a life-threatening condition called hyperthermia, which can lead to heat stroke. A dog’s normal body temperature is 101–103 degrees Farenheit. Hyperthermia is a sustained core body temperature over 105, due to the dog’s inability to cool itself efficiently. Certain dogs are at higher risk because of their body conformations or medical conditions. At-risk dogs are those that have thick hair coats, flat faces (like bulldogs), lung/breathing or heart problems, or that are older or overweight. Symptoms include hard and harsh panting, deep red gums, drooling, sluggish-

telling it to go. Davids, who is considered a toilet training guru by her friends, said that potty training a cat is the same as potty training a toddler—it requires lots of patience and praise. “You’ve got to be nice to the cat and praise them when they do the right thing,” said Davids. “It’s much easier when you’re very patient.” And the upsides to toilet training an indoor cat are obvious. You save money, eliminate odor and reduce the spread of bacteria. “The benefits are serious if you think about how cats use the litter box,” Lapidge said. And for those with limited space, the prospect of living without a litter box is worth the effort. Lapidge and Rescate agreed that most of their customers either live in small apartments or have pets that are confined indoors due to weather, lack of a backyard or the nature of their breed. But some critics argue that training cats to use the toilet is too far removed from the creatures’ animalistic nature. Back to the Youtube video—after Frisco relieves himself, he claws at the four corners of the toilet rim, attempting to bury his waste. It is in this moment that

ness, disorientation, vomiting and diarrhea. Internal body temperatures over 105–106 degrees can quickly lead to organ failure and death. These temperatures can be reached even with moderate heat and exercise. I have seen this happen to a dog who sat under a hair dryer too long while at the groomer! Never leave your dog unattended in a parked car, even for a minute. Temperatures inside that vehicle can easily reach 160 degrees in a matter of minutes. Five minutes inside can lead to death. Consider leaving your dog at home when you run errands on a hot day. I see many dogs being walked with canvas muzzles in place, presumably because they don’t get along well with people or other dogs. While you may be trying to prevent a bite, you are also preventing your dog from panting and cooling off. Basket muzzles are a much better alternative, as they allow your dog to pant freely, but also add the layer of protection you are looking for. If you enjoy exercising with your

A cat who no longer needs a litter box. the true nature of the feline comes out— you can bring a cat indoors, you can teach him to use a toilet, but you can’t take the animal instincts out of the cat. “Their natural instincts are to leave no scent behind,” said Rescate. However, she continued, “I don’t believe that [using the toilet is] against a cat’s natural instincts any more then a cats current option of a litter box.” For Davids’ cats, using the toilet has become a part of their nature. Davids likes to tell the story of what happened when Frisco returned home after getting lost one night. “As soon as we opened the door,” she said, “he tore to the toilet, got up and peed.”

dog, do so at the coolest part of the day. Noontime jogs are not a good idea. If you think your pet may be experiencing heat stroke, take immediate steps to cool him/her down, then seek veterinary attention at the Animal Hospitals at Bideawee or from your veterinarian. This usually entails hosing your dog off with cool water or submerging him/her in a tepid bath; it may not be enough to just bring your pet into an air-conditioned room. Ice packs applied to the armpit and groin can also help cool your dog. Once at the vet, further cooling procedures can be administered. However, some of the consequences of prolonged, extreme elevations in body temperature can cause an irreversible process of multi-organ system failure leading to death. On hot days, the coolest thing to do may be to leave Fido at home. Robin Brennen is chief of veterinary services & VP Program Operations at Bideawee. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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stadium who you believe deserves some extra recognition? believecleaner deserves some extra recognition?

you know a great doorman, porter orservice “handy-man” where you Is there an office cleaner, security officer or maintenance workerworkers wholive? helps Once again this Do year, Manhattan Media and 32BJ SEIU, property workers Once again this year, Manhattan Media andthe 32BJ SEIU, the property service

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life little easier work? aboutoramaintenance school, theater, event or union–is honoring the workers who keepatthe city’sHow commercial, residential and otherwho buildings Ismake there anaoffice cleaner, security officer worker helps

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running cleaner smoothly. This fall a special ceremony, we will featuretheater, buildingevent service stadium who you believe deserves extra make life ainlittle easierawards atsome work? Howrecognition? about a school, or feature building service workers who go above and beyond to make tenants’, residents’ and workers who go above and beyond to make tenants’, residents’ and New Yorkers’ lives better. again this year, Manhattan Mediasome and 32BJ SEIU, the property service workers stadium cleaner who you believe deserves extra recognition? New Once Yorkers’ lives better.

union–is honoring workers who keep the and city's32BJ commercial, and other Once again thisthe year, Manhattan Media SEIU, theresidential property service workers

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GO TO: WWW.SEIU32BJ.ORG TO VOTE buildings running smoothly. This fallkeep in a special awards ceremony on Octoberand 21st, we will union–is honoring the workers who the city's commercial, residential other feature buildingDeadline service workers who go aboveSeptember and beyond to15th. make tenants’, residents’ and Nomination Wednesday, buildings running smoothly.is This fall in a special awards ceremony on October 21st, we will For more information contact Jessica Christopher at 212.268.8600; jchristopher@manhattanmedia.com, New Yorkers’ lives better. feature building service workers who go above and beyond to make tenants’, residents’ and

Nomination Deadline is Tuesday, September 6th, 2011. or Kwame 212.388.3676; For morePatterson information contactKPatterson@seiu32bj.org Jasmin Freeman at 212.268.8600; jfreeman@manhattanmedia.com.

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July 21, 2011

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Putting New York on the Map By Lisa Chen With so many online resources at New Yorkers’ disposal, planning a night out in such a vast city can become overwhelming. The start-up CityMaps has created a new aggregated interactive map that provides what founder and CEO Elliot Cohen called “an encyclopedic view of a city.” Combine Google Maps, Yelp, OpenTable, Groupon, and Fandango, and you might have something like CityMaps. “There are lots of applications that have come out to help people discover their neighborhoods, and, with a few exceptions, most of those applications follow a list-based paradigm—giving you a list of places with a map marked by teardrops,” Aaron Rudenstine, co-founder and president of CityMaps said. “We’re providing the same content but in a mapbased local interface.” From this, CityMaps’ aggregated functions come into play. Various zoom views and filters allow viewers to search for options in a specific area. Filter for a movie theater to watch trailers and buy tickets for showings. Click on a nearby restaurant, and you’ll see its address,

menu, reviews, and a link to OpenTable to make reservations. Search for nearby parking garages, and the map displays rates for each one. “CityMaps really came from solving the need that I had,” said Cohen. “One night, I needed to find my dry cleaner’s number and I tried looking it up and the search took me to like, Ohio. And I said, “I just wish I had a map that had a birds’ eye view of all of the businesses in the neighborhood.” The founders began working on the idea in 2008. “In the beginning, Aaron and I would travel around the city before work and literally write down the names of the stores on every block,” Cohen said. Blinking green dollar signs and orange icons on a map signify a store’s coupons and tweets from the last 24 hours. From here, users can create accounts with a personalized map of favorite establishments and a running newsfeed of discounts and updates. As part of the site, local businesses “claim” their store on CityMaps through a verification process. Store-owners

CityMaps hopes to provide more in-depth search tools for local business services. can then post updates, job listings and coupons. Eventually, CityMaps hopes to profit from selling a suite of services to business owners. CityMaps has grown quickly since it went live four weeks ago, with over 100 businesses registered and as many as 10,000 users each day. So far, it offers

maps for Manhattan and Brooklyn, and plans to release maps for one or two cities every month for the next year—next up are San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, and the country’s 12 largest college towns. A mobile application is currently in the works—“where CityMaps will really take off,” Cohen hopes.

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The Big Lies About the Budget By Daniel Meltzer “A kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh…” and a bald-faced, spit-in-your-face lie is still what it is. It is not raining and Republicans have been expectorating in our kissers for years about more than a few things, the latest of which are the “true” causes of our recession and what needs to be done about them. When I say “our kissers” I refer to all of us, of course, the news-devouring or even news-nibbling public. But more to the point, into the faces of their “colleagues” across the aisles in Congress, as well as the gullible media, and most infuriatingly, the President and his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (with that terminally frozen “Where the hell is the emergency exit?” expression), as well as anyone who dares to call him or herself, as I do, a Liberal, which I define as someone who believes that it is both a responsibility and an honor for the haves in our society, to extend themselves, and some of their fortunes, to the have-nots, and the just plain have-not-quite-enough-to-survives. What are these lies and where are the voices of our representatives, including the press and the President of all the people, to call their hand and tell it loud and clear like it is? Republican Lie Number One: It’s the needy, the poor and the sick who brought the United States to the brink of default by raiding the treasury for their well-earned (and paid for) Social Security and Medicare Benefits. The Truth: It was the bankers who, on the high tide of the real estate boom caused the so-called “mortgage crisis,” lending at

Insurance Reform We Really Need

To the Editor: I have been practicing law in New York for eight years (“Big Bucks in Auto Fraud,” July 14) and have represented more than 1,000 injured people during that time. I have never encountered a case involving a staged accident or insurance fraud. I asked several well-respected attorneys who have practiced law for many years, and none have personally come across

seductive low rates to clients with little or no collateral and then, when the tide began to ebb, hiking their interest rates to levels the clients could no longer afford, causing them to default and lose their homes and leading to a nationwide crash of real estate prices to the point where homeowners were paying much more for their homes than they were now worth. The homeowners go homeless and broke, the banks get to keep the houses and the money, and the bankers get to keep their jobs. The Grand Gonnifs such as Bernard Madoff and the nameless and faceless Wall Street insiders and hedge fund connivers who literally lost billions of other people’s dollars so that they could live like pharaohs. Madoff is the only one locked up for his crime, the others having been consigned to the hard labor of shoveling and raking in more cash and looking for ways to spend it or hide it. The multi-billion-dollar war against Iraq, which was totally unjustified, cost the lives of more than 4,000 Americans and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens, in addition to the multi-billiondollar war in Afghanistan, whose end and outcome remain unpredictable after 10 years of fighting. Republican Lie Number Two: Give more federal money and tax breaks to small businesses and startups, and the business “community” will create jobs to lower the unemployment rate. The Truth: There is no business “community.” This is dog-eat-dog competitive capitalism. Remember? Small businesses. “Small businesses.” “Small.” Get it yet? Take out a pencil and paper and a dictionary. Small businesses

do not, by definition, hire many workers. And when they do, they are likely to be non-union, with minimal benefits and at low starting salaries. There are more than 12 million “officially” unemployed in the country, not counting those who have exhausted their unemployment or themselves looking for work. It has been estimated that thousands of workers would have to be hired every week over the next five years to get us back to a reasonably low unemployment rate. Republican Lie Number Three: “No tax hikes for millionaires or billionaires,” as this would discourage them from using their fortunes to create jobs. The Truth: No one is proposing raising taxes on the rich, only taking back the infamous Bush Tax Cuts for Millionaires and Billionaires that have put the wealthiest in our country in the lowest tax rate category, while the rest of us pay full fare. There are more than a million millionaires in the United States, and somewhere between 400 and 1,200 billionaires. Where are the jobs they have allegedly created up to this time after years of paying minimal taxes on their fortunes? How can anyone assume their behavior will change if they continue to get away with cheap taxes? President Obama, Harry Reid and all Democratic Senators and Representatives: Hold the line, and don’t buy the Republicans’. They lie like rugs and don’t look half as good. Daniel Meltzer is a playwright, an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University and former senior writer and editor for CBS News.

LET T ER S

an incident involving a staged accident or insurance fraud. However, we have encountered innumerable incidences where automobile insurance companies have refused to pay medical bills for people who are injured and need treatment. Auto insurance companies frequently hire disingenuous physicians to briefly examine accident victims in what are termed “independent medical examinations” and then claim that there were no injuries caused by the accident or that the injuries have healed. The insurers then use this as a basis to deny payment for medical treatment. This practice is so

common that many physicians refuse to provide treatment to auto accident victims because their bills are often unpaid by automobile insurance companies. I agree with Mr. Lieber that there is an auto insurance crisis in New York and legislative reform is needed. However, the needed reform is legislation that will prevent auto insurance companies and their executives from wrongfully denying auto accident victims the medical treatment that they need. Derek SpaDa President Ulster CoUnty Bar assoCiation N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

new York gal

Just the Facts Ma’am Don’t criminals learn anything from cop shows? By Lorraine Duffy Merkl We should call them New York’s “Findest.” “NYPD detectives have apprehended…” will begin the news report of your crime, whether you are a loner who kills a child, a tattooed thug who attacks an elderly women or a socialite who goes for a five-finger discount. While stories of everything from the horrific to the ridiculous (trashing the Ed Sullivan theater? Really?) cause those around me to wonder, “What’s this city coming to?” the thing I need to ask is, Don’t criminals watch television? I have been a fan of the police drama since I was 10. My first was a show called Adam-12. By the time I was in 6th grade I could recite the Miranda Warning like a veteran officer. Since then, I have learned a number of other things about crime solving, as a loyal follower of Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, Homicide: Life on the Street, Cagney &

Lacy and its current updated version Rizzoli & Isles, Law & Order, (the original, CI, SVU and the latest set in Los Angles) as well as the CSI franchise. I jumped on The Closer bandwagon from the get-go and when Blue Bloods premiered, well, Tom Selleck had me at, “You have the right to remain silent.” Even though I am not, nor have I ever been, in law enforcement, I know that those on the right side of the law have more at their disposal than just good ol’ fashioned police work, where they “reach out” as well as “canvas.” Aside from the fact that we live in a world where there are video cameras everywhere (stationary ones in stores and on the street, in addition to those of the ubiquitous cell phone variety), police investigators can figure out your identity from a fingernail clipping, then send the department’s canines to sniff you out. Thanks to “forensics,” your DNA is like a trail of breadcrumbs. An entire physical profile can be built

from a partial print. They can put your aforementioned profile in the computer system and get not only a match, but also your history and who you know, plus where the last place was that you charged smokes and a container of milk. There’s also something called facial rec-

I have been a fan of the police drama since I was 10. My first was a show called Adam-12. By the time I was in 6th grade I could recite the Miranda Warning like a veteran officer. ognition software. And yes, that small fact that the cops know who the criminals are and also have snitches who keep them abreast of what’s happening on the street. Yet there are those who still think they will get away with it.

Master criminal minds, if you will, like the ones who brag about their exploits on Facebook, concoct implausible alibis or have none at all, wear fake beards and shades, choose accomplices who can’t keep the story straight, and who believe there’s actually honor among thieves— criminals turn on each other for lesser sentences, etc. And can’t you hear the famous last words of those planning a caper: “They’ll never figure it was us.” The fact that they’ll get caught is probably the number one thing that criminals could learn from cop shows. Yes, some get a good lawyer and get off because of special circumstances, loopholes or plain dumb luck. But this seems to encourage a false bravado that they’ll beat the odds again, and eventually, they’re seeing life from behind bars. (Think O.J.). You might argue that cop programs could actually teach criminals how to work the system. Well, just as watching the shows doesn’t make me ready to join the force, TV viewing doesn’t make you capable of outsmarting those who are already on it and trained to solve crimes. Lorraine Duffy Merkl’s debut novel, Fat Chick, from The Vineyard Press, is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Dewing Things BeTTer

Unending Good Must Come from Senseless Evil Adopt the Leiby Initiative and make our streets safer By Bette Dewing “If it wasn’t for surveillance cameras, Levi Aron would be free to kill again. These cameras have been instrumental in capturing previous killers, rapists, muggers, bank-robbers and the like. We need more cameras particularly in crimeridden neighborhoods.” “Watchful Eyes” was the title of Raymond Larson’s recent no nonsense letter to the Daily News. Untold good can come out of the unspeakable evil— the kidnapping and murder of 8 year-old Leiby Kletsky—if a bill called Leiby’s Initiative becomes law. The law gives a $500 yearly tax credit for homeowners and businesses that install and maintain a surveillance camera on their premises. They’re needed everywhere—surely in apartment houses without doormen. One of countless examples where the criminal was apprehended because of a surveillance photo was the brutal attack in June of an 85 year-old woman on East O u r To w n NY. c o m

81st Street. And cameras deter crime! I first learned about this blessed initiative from a tiny news item on the TV screen’s “crawl space.” I found more information online, but could find nothing in the papers I scan every day. Hmm. No matter, we must see that it gets passed! So many lessons that we can learn from the close-knit Hasidic community of which this dear child was a cherished member! The support they give one another in times of trouble—just witness the massive search for the boy who went missing after he left school, walking home alone for the first time. It was Yaakov German, whose son was Leiby’s teacher, who began the exhaustive surveillance camera search, starting at the school where the boy was last seen. Despite daunting obstacles, he tracked Leiby to find a video of him asking directions of a man on the street. The police were closely involved after the video sighting, but the man’s identity was learned

too late to save this beloved little boy’s life. Surely Leiby’s Initiative must become the law of the land! Parents, who endlessly worry about when their children should walk alone, must work tirelessly for its passage. So must we all. And the media, which so shapes public views, must adopt the Hasidic view of murder as “a cataclysm.” In 1988, after devout Hasidic Jew, Eli Wald, 38, was stabbed to death as he walked home from his night-time job, Hasidim swarmed the precinct for more protection, as they did in 1977, when Irving Sussman, 65, met a similar fate as he walked home from his synagogue. But noted journalist, Pete Hamill, was critical of the Hasidim “for not accepting murder as an American city reality as most of us do. Instead, the Hasidim see murder as a cataclysm.” My column shot back that most Americans do not accept murder as an inev-

itable city reality, and told how the community rejoiced when the Epiphany Episcopal Church on York reacted by alternately displaying two large banners that respectively read, “Thou Shalt Not Do Murder” and “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” Alas, some Pete Hamill-type church members soon objected, and down they came, but not before Our Town published my photo of the “Thou Shalt Not Steal” banner valiantly waving above the church door. We will never forget Leiby Kletsky, a child so kind-hearted, his grieving father said, “He once chose to play on the weaker ball team because it needed his help.” Unending good must come out of this and all cataclysmic and heart-breaking evils. Start by passing Leiby’s Initiative. Pressure elected officials, 311 and the media—especially the NY Times—which still ignores too many such heart-breaking cataclysms. dewingbetter@aol.com Ju ly 2 1 , 2 0 1 1

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