Our Town August 11, 2011

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Healthy Manhattan: Kicking the Restless Leg Habit

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August 11, 2011

2nd Ave. Subway Concrete Meets Test

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Since 1970

Trouble on the Waterfront

Pols, Tenants Rally Against Landlord

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Tapped In Notes from the neighborhood Compiled by Megan Finnegan, Allen Houston and Ashley Welsh

ing 4-foot-11, had been nabbed. Since January, he has been accused of over 10 attacks in which he approaches women from behind and molests them, in most instances lifting the victim’s skirt, grabbing her crotch area or rear end or groping her breasts. Among those breathing a sigh of relief is Council Member Jessica Lappin.

“I am glad that the NYPD appears to have caught the groper,” she said. “Let’s hope this pint-sized pervert is off the streets for good.”

INNOCENT LOCKSMITH OR KRAZY GLUE HUSTLER? A few Upper East Side residents have reported returning home and being shocked to find their apartment door keyholes glued shut, necessitating a costly visit from a locksmith. According to some, these dastardly acts of vandalism suspiciously coincide with the appearance of small gold stickers affixed to doors, labeled simply “Locksmith,” with a phone number listed. Are errant locksmiths dashing around town, gluing locks shut in order to solicit business? The man on the other end of the phone number, Dave the dispatcher (who declined to give his last name), says no; he’s only heard of one case of a glued door. He does admit, however, to getting complaints about those little gold stickers.

BOATHOUSE WORKERS ON STRIKE In a sudden but not entirely surprising move, given the history of problems between the Hotel Trades Council union and Dean Poll, the restaurant’s owner, workers at Central Park’s Boathouse Restaurant went on strike Tuesday to protest what they claim are numerous and egregious abuses by Poll. A spokesperson for the union said the Boathouse has stolen millions of dollars in tips from its workers and threatened employees based on their immigration statuses, and that the workers are hoping to “educate” New Yorkers as to the terrible working conditions they’ve endured. They are calling on the city to cancel the Boathouse’s contract.

UES GROPING SUSPECT GRABBED Reports are circling that the man accused of groping women on the Upper East Side for the past several months has been caught. Though police had not released an official statement by the time this issue went to press, Upper East Siders seemed to be celebrating that the alleged groper, described as a young man stand-

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tion of its liquor license from some members of the community, the Vudu Lounge is opening its doors to its detractors on Monday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. Management will be on hand to “discuss any issues that arise, then work to develop a strategy to rectify any problems or concerns any community member has.” No word on whether there will be free drinks.

STRINGER CALLS FOR SAFER TRIATHALONS After the Nautica New York City Triathlon claimed the lives of two competitors this past weekend, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer called on the competition to conduct

AT&T CONNECTS THE PARK Telecom giant AT&T, which will soon expand its network when it swallows T-Mobile, is giving back to the little guys by providing free Wi-Fi in Central Park.

Now any old dude with a smartphone or laptop can log on in the Rumsey Playfield area near 72nd Street.

EAST/WEST SMACKDOWN CONTINUES State Senator Liz Krueger said one of the reasons that the U.N. land swap deal may go through to make a contiguous esplanade that will travel all the way up the East Side is that locals are tired of having “West Side envy.” Paths run all along the opposite side of Manhattan.

KELLNER PACKS UP If you knock on Assembly Member Micah Kellner’s district office door at 315 East 65th Street, it’s doubtful anyone will answer. That’s because the assembly member has shifted digs and moved to a new office at 1365 First Avenue, between 73rd and 74th streets.

We hear their new space is already open for business.

a top-to-bottom review of its safety protocol.

“New Yorkers signed up for a triathlon, not a game of Russian roulette,” Stringer said in a statement. “Choosing to compete is a decision every athlete has to make for themselves—but it is the obligation of the city to make sure all potential risks are accounted for to the extent possible.”

The borough president said the review should consist of a comprehensive examination of the safety conditions of competition, including existing rules, registration requirements and prerequisites, as well as available paramedic and rescue protections in each portion of the race.

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KEEP OUR PARK CLEAN. DUMP DEAN. BOYCOTT THE CENTRAL PARK BOATHOUSE Why should Dean Poll have a license to use City property to cheat taxpayers, abuse workers and break the law?

THE FACTS ABOUT DEAN POLL & BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT In October 2000, Dean Poll won a lucrative City contract to operate an eatery at Central Park’s famed Boathouse.

Since then, he has used City property to cheat taxpayers, abuse workers and break the law. Currently, he is the subject of Federal, State & City investigations.

• In 2007, the City Comptroller found that Poll cheated taxpayers out of hundreds of thousand of dollars. Current City Comptroller John Liu has recently ordered a follow-up audit of the Boathouse.1

• In June 2011, 7 workers at the Boathouse filed sexual harassment complaints with federal authorities.3 • The State Department of Labor is investigating multiple wage and hours violations. 4

• In 2009, 32 workers at the Boathouse sued the restaurant for stealing their gratuities. 2

• In January 2011, Boathouse workers filed for an election with the NLRB. Unfortunately, Poll illegally fired union supporters before a fair election could take place and charges are now pending with the NLRB.6

• Without claiming misconduct or poor performance, Boathouse management unlawfully fired 15 waiters and waitresses in retaliation for exercising their legal rights and told them they were being discarded like old “chairs.” Management has intimidated, threatened and spied on employees, and continues to violate U.S. labor law. 5

• Dean Poll, the owner of the Boathouse Restaurant, has a history of firing workers for exercising their rights.7

www.DumpDean.com

Tell Parks Commissioner Benepe to Stand up for Workers & Taxpayers by canceling Dean Poll’s lease. Call him at: (212) 360-1305 CHECK THE FACTS 1

NY Post 3/29/07, 06/27/11;

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2

Gothamist 1/9/09;

3

NY Daily News 6/8/11;

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NYTimes.com 4/19/11;

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NLRB.gov;

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NY Daily News 1/28/11;

7

NY Observer 5/12/10

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Second Ave. Concrete Meets Test the tunnel-boring machines entered the ground.

After the retesting, the MTA found that the concrete met all safety standards.

“In many places it not only exceeds the standard, it goes well beyond it,” Maloney added.

“We’re very happy with the results,” said Kirit Mevawala, PE, construction manager for the Second Avenue subway project. “They go above the safety standards that were set.” There are roughly 16,000 workers employed on the Second Avenue subway line.

Once finished, the line will carry more than 200,000 riders every day, easing congesting on the overcrowded 4,5 and 6 lines.

“We’re moving forward on this and I’m determined to have the line open by 2016,” Maloney said.

The congresswoman also

andrew schwartz

By Allen Houston Concrete used on the construction of the Second Avenue subway line is safe, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney at a press conference at 91st Street and Second Avenue Aug. 6.

She made the announcement after American Standard Testing and Consulting Laboratories, the company in charge of testing some of the concrete used on the line, was indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney for falsifying test results for the Second Avenue subway project and others throughout the city.

“Like many New Yorkers, I was incredibly disturbed to learn that the company responsible for testing the safety of some of the concrete used in the construction of the Second Avenue subway was indicted this week for submitting falsified test results,” Maloney said.

The MTA hired a second independent firm, HAKS, to come in and retest the concrete used on the subway line.

The only portion of the Second Avenue project that used affected concrete was the launch box area at 96 Street, where

took questions about the United States’ Standard & Poor’s debt credit downgrade, saying it was “deeply flawed” and that America was still the gold standard for world economies.

As for the recent fight over the debt ceiling in Washington, D.C., she put the blame on the shoulders of Tea Party Republicans, saying they weren’t willing to compromise to get a passable bill through.

“We kept giving them more and more but they weren’t willing to budge an inch,” she said. “You can invite someone to Rep. Carolyn Maloney discusses the MTA report that shows concrete dance, but you can’t used on the Second Avenue subway project is safe. make them.”

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Pols, Tenants Say Landlord Creates Unsafe Conditions “When you have a relationship with a doorman or building workers, you build a level of trust,” Stringer said. “These are people who play a role in keeping you safe if you live within a building. That’s gone now.”

Krueger first became aware of the situation when complaints started coming in to her district office.

“This isn’t a tenement building. This is a market rate building in a lovely neighborhood and the residents are paying a healthy amount of money to live here.

Until this labor dispute erupted they felt pretty happy, but since then they’ve felt continually harassed by the landlord,” she said.

“People are concerned,” resident Curt Swanson said. “His sloppy greed has gotten out of control.”

This isn’t the first time that Koeppel has run afoul of tenants. In 1996, he pled guilty to putting pressure on tenants to contribute to Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s reelection campaign.

Koeppel passionately defended the building, saying it is in better shape than before and the claims are coming from a small percentage of the people who live

Allen Houston

By Allen Houston Local politicians and tenants rallied on Aug. 5 against a landlord they claim has created unsafe living conditions at 350 East 52nd Street.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, State Sen. Liz Krueger, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and building tenants as well as workers from 32BJ SEIU, the union that represents doormen and other building workers.

Landlord William Koeppel was one of a dozen building owners who were unable to work out a new contract with the union last year, so he fired the old building workers and brought in a new staff of temporary workers. Garbage piled up at the building because garbage collectors refused to cross the picket lines, bringing rats to the building, some residents claim. The new doormen have been accused of being less vigilant, harassing renters and, in one case, giving the key to an apartment to a person that they shouldn’t have.

“It was an ex-boyfriend,” said a resident who didn’t want to share their name.

“She walked in and there he was. It was a scary situation.”

Building resident Curt Swanson addresses the media surrounded by State Sen. Liz Krueger, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, other residents and members of 32BJ. in the building.

He said he tried to work a deal out with 32BJ SEIU but their extravagant wages and pensions don’t belie the current political and economic reality.

“In this economy, they are way overpriced and their work ethic is terrible,”

he said. “I can understand why they are upset. They had a gravy train for a long time and it’s come to an end.”

De Blasio disputed that.

“The bottom line here is that he’s a greedy landlord who is making life miserable for his tenants,” he said.

Ready To Lead the 73rd Assembly district • Vote September 13 “Whether running a pro bono legal clinic for tenants, volunteering on Manhattan Community Board 8 and on the Second Avenue Subway Task Force, or engaging in local civic and political affairs, Dan Quart has demonstrated the leadership, intelligence, dedication, and passion for helping others.” — Rep. Carolyn Maloney

On Education Dan led a petition drive securing over 3,000 signatures in favor of smaller class sizes and served as a volunteer tutor in the New York City Public Schools. As your Assemblymember, Dan will secure funding in Albany for construction of elementary and middle schools to alleviate overcrowding, reduce class size and fund innovative programs that attract and maintain quality teachers.

On Housing For over 8

years, Dan served as a volunteer attorney for the Legal Aid Society.

Dan represented tenants and seniors who were denied services.

He founded and currently leads a volunteer legal clinic with Eviction Intervention Services, defending tenants unfairly targeted for eviction. As your Assemblymember, Dan will work to pass legislation providing additional rent protection to seniors.

On the Environment

Dan was the lead pro bono attorney on a lawsuit that fought to maintain the open spaces of an entire community in Manhattan.

With the East Side suffering from the worst air quality in Manhattan, Dan will partner with City officials to create an incentive program to encourage landlords to use cleaner fuel.

On Transportation As

Co-Chair of the local Community Board’s Transportation Committee, Dan worked to find creative solutions to our traffic and transportation problems.

As your Assemblymember, Dan will work to restructure the MTA to ensure dedicated funding streams so our subways, buses and roads do not fall into disrepair.

On Job Creation

Dan worked with small businesses in the East 90’s to help lessen the impact of the 2nd Ave subway construction. As your Assemblymember, Dan will work to establish tax-free sales zones and tax exemptions for small business owners.

danquart.com • 646-481-7138

ENDORSEMENTS: CONGRESSWOMAN CAROLYN MALONEY • MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT SCOTT STRINGER • STATE SENATOR LIZ KRUEGER

STATE SENATOR JOSÉ M. SERRANO • ASSEMBLYMEMBER MICAH KELLNER • NYC COUNCILMEMBER DAN GARODNICK • NYC COUNCILMEMBER JESSICA LAPPIN

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Protecting Art Masterpieces Requires a Steady Hand dlers,” said Ide, a former art handler himself. “We do everything from unframing and framing, to storing, moving, installing—everything to do with art, basically, we do.”

Mark Keenan, who had been an electronic engineer looking for a career change, started as an art handler in the contemporary art department at Sotheby’s seven years ago after moving to New York from Ireland.

“It’s like a 30-year college degree,” he said. “Even when I’m off for a few weeks, I get rusty. I go back in there and I just have to kind of get into shape again when I’m framing Warhols and taking care of Koonses again.”

Art handlers train through on-the-job experience, of which they get much more in auction houses, where exhibits change every few days, than in museums, which have the luxury of several weeks or sometimes months to set up an exhibit.

David Martinez, an artist himself and an art handler for 20 years, works with antiquities at Sotheby’s and has handled artifacts from ancient Greece and Rome, pre-Columbian art and pieces from ancient China and Southeast Asia.

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By Megan Finnegan The men who normally work behind the scenes at one of the most famous art auction houses in the country were, for once, calling attention to themselves.

Members of the art handlers union, Teamsters Local 814, who normally work on contract at Sotheby’s York Avenue location, were locked out as contract negotiations deteriorated last week and had taken to the streets with whistles and the familiar giant inflatable rat, aiming its whiskers at the distinguished façade of the auction house.

In a statement, Sotheby’s indicated that the lockout was a preemptive move based on threats of a strike from the union, and that they had extended a contract with “attractive terms” that the union rejected at the end of July.

Negotiations are set to resume this week, but in the interim, Sotheby’s has brought in temporary art handlers, who they say are experienced.

“We’re concerned about the less qualified help that they’ve got in there,” said Jason Ide, president of Local 814, who was surprised by the lockout. “We have 43 highly trained preparators and art han-

who were the only people allowed to touch it.

“When something comes in the door and goes through the auction process and it’s sold, it get moved from point A to B something like 35 times on average,” said Martinez. Higher-end pieces—Sotheby’s only auctions items worth $5,000 or more— could be displayed in a private room one day for a prospective buyer’s scrutiny, sent to a restorArt handlers protest the lockout at Sotheby’s. er the next, loaned to the Met for “We really run the gamut on our floor, testing another day and set up in multiple from real fragile things made out of fiber exhibits for auction before it’s eventually and feathers and little handmade things sold. to porcelain to stones that weigh five, ten While the art handlers are eager to get thousand pounds,” Martinez said. back to work, they are also hoping to get Ray Velez said that in his 19 years as an a better contract and avoid cutting hours art handler, the most important thing he’s and jobs. Sotheby’s fall auctions loomlearned is patience. ing in September may provide an incen“Every painting is different; every tive for the auction house to get things sculpture is different from a handling resolved quickly or face their busiest time standpoint,” said Velez. The most dif- using temporary workers. ficult thing he’s ever had to handle was Keenan said that he loves his job and, Jeff Koons’ life-size porcelain sculpture like many of his fellow handlers, is willing of Michael Jackson and his pet chimp to wait it out. “If they want to keep playBubbles, which required four handlers ing hardball, that’s fine by us.”

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which of these will not reduce your electricity use? a. replacing light switches with dimmers or motion sensors b. focusing light where it’s needed instead of lighting a whole room c. removing lamp shades d. keeping bulbs and fixtures clean

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Education

What’s Cooking With Continuing Ed

By Paulette Safdieh “Chicken with broccoli, brown rice and cold noodles, right?”

In a typical Manhattan moment on Sex and the City, the woman answering the phone at a Chinese takeout restaurant knew Miranda’s order as soon as she gave her address. The shame that bugged Miranda for the rest of the episode is one too many of us are familiar with. Living in a city with such an abundance of restaurants, why would we use our fingers to roll our own spring rolls when we can use them to dial a phone number instead?

Rebecca Goldfarb of The Social Table, a three-year-old company hosting cooking classes in Hell’s Kitchen, claims this attitude is exactly why her phones have been ringing. “We’ve lost the social value in food. Being young and living in New York City, you want to reconnect with people.”

Reconnecting shouldn’t require shelling out hundreds of dollars and committing to a course schedule, which is why Goldfarb and other foodies have established kitchens where clients can pay by the class.

Janeen Sarlin, author of seven cookbooks and founder of the 36-year-old Cooking with Class, holds true to this philosophy with intimate classes on the Upper East Side. “People want to eat like they used to—out at fancy restaurants—but that became out of reach [with the economic downturn],” said Sarlin. “They need to learn to cook themselves.” Miniscule Manhattan kitchens and the rising popu-

larity of cooking reality shows have stirred up the perfect customer for Sarlin.

A 3-hour Cooking with Class lesson begins with a group trip to the supermarket to scout out seasonal ingredients and ends with enjoying the finished meal: an appetizer, an entrée with sides, dessert

up, Goldfarb prides herself on providing a fun, casual environment and designing simple menus. Her most popular classes are those for all-American classics like mac and cheese and fried chicken. “You want to learn a recipe and be able to find the ingredients at your Food Emporium,”

Making dumplings at a Hot Pot Culinary event. and wine. Along the way, Sarlin shares tips on how to store your food, stretch your dollar in the grocery store and make beautiful presentations. Her classes draw beginners and professionals alike. “It gives me great joy to instill confidence in my students, especially those who doubted themselves before,” said Sarlin.

Goldfarb agrees, acknowledging that some students can’t boil water when they first come to class, but that’s what makes the experience rewarding.

Because of the slew of beginners signing

she said. During her instruction, a maximum of eight people get together, apronclad, knives in hand. Although they do learn some basic skills, Goldfarb recommends classes at the Institute of Culinary Education to learn the technical side of cooking. “Class at The Social Table is a fun, hands-on experience,” said Goldfarb of the relaxed atmosphere.

“The goal is to demystify cooking,” said Scott Pollack of Hot Pot Culinary Events, a company that hosts public cooking gatherings in pop-up kitchens

around the city. Their upcoming fall events include “Flavor Mash-Up” and “Kitchen Showdown,” inspiring participants to get creative with standard recipes.

At the end of the day, it’s a great way to enjoy food and company without having to do the dishes. Upper West Side instructor Karen Lee agrees. “With knowledge comes confidence,” she said, although her healthy, organic menus differ from Pollack’s ice cream and guacamole.

With summer coming to a close, more and more New Yorkers are heading to class. “It’s like back to school!” said Sarlin, whose special “Autumnal Menu” lesson has been well received. “The fall term is very busy.”

Some Uptown cooking class options: The Social Table, 206 W. 51st St. (at 8th Ave.), 646-649-4533; $80.

Hot Pot Culinary Events, 235 E. 87th St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.), 888-440-4670.

Cooking with Class, 110 East End Ave. (at E. 85th St.), 212-517-8514; classes start at $125.

Karen Lee Cooking, 142 West End Ave. (at W. 66th St.), 212-787-2227; $115.

Institute of Culinary Education, 50 W. 23rd St. (betw 5th & 6th Aves.), 212-8470700; classes start at $110.

A Special Place For Little Ones

By Gavriella Mahpour This is the story of a large, airy studio nestled in a quiet corner of Chelsea.

Shelves boasting art supplies and musical instruments line the perimeter. Large, boldly colored butterflies (painted by tiny fingers, of course) perk up the patrons passing through.

Welcome to Kids at Work. A vibrant, caring and structured environment in which kids up to four years in age can experience music and art at their own pace.

Founder, owner and head instructor Julie Averill—an accomplished musician who has performed with members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra—conceptualized Kids at Work while working as a preschool teacher for various playbased centers. “I felt like I could create

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something on my own that really focused on the children and the teachers,” Averill explained. “Not so much on the growth of the business or marketing.”

What began in 2007 as a once-a-week art class is now a thriving program with an eclectic array of offerings, including the ever-popular “Sun Sessions,” a summer music class in Washington Square Park.

“Music, especially for very young children and babies, is really the first thing that you can evaluate a baby’s response to,” said Averill. She feels strongly that children have an outlet for self-expression. “Even if parents aren’t going to send their kids to a program like mine, I think it’s important that they put the tarp on the kitchen floor and put out the finger paints. I remember my aunt doing that for me when I was a toddler. It’s a huge

memory of mine.”

One of the ways in which Kids at Work stands out from the herd is with its flexible drop-in policy: once a parent registers their child for a package of classes, they can come to those classes at any time during the semester.

Kids at Work also teams up with local businesses. Averill collaborates with ABC Gym Kids for an open play program at its facility in the winter and a camp at Kids at Work during the summer. They also work with Taste Buds, a cooking school for little tykes.

In addition to its arts and music programming, the studio hosts birthday parties for toddlers. Parents can choose either a craft or musical experience, or a combination of the two, and the rest is taken care of. Kids at Work provides the

children with all the ingredients necessary for party pizzazz, including food, balloons and goodie bags.

Coming this fall, Kids at Work hopes to offer evening prenatal classes for expectant parents in Manhattan. “I think there’s a huge hole in New York City for prenatal programs that are not sponsored by doctors or hospitals,” Averill observed.

They also plan to add more Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) classes, a parenting program that teaches adults how to develop autonomy and independence in children under two years of age.

Currently, Kids at Work is one of just two places in NYC that offer this West Coastbased vision.

For more information on Kids at Work, visit kidsatworknyc.com.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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feature

Esplanade Emergency East Siders hope to fix crumbling riverfront as idea of path circling Manhattan moves closer

By Ashley Welch

A

deteriorating seawall, crumbling bulkheads, cracked asphalt and giant potholes have characterized the East Side esplanade for much of recent memory.

Residents who use the waterfront for exercise and recreational purposes complain not only of the eyesore it has become over the years but of the safety hazard it poses.

“It’s in really bad condition,” said Gil Lopez, who often rides his bike on the esplanade, which runs along the East River from East 60th to 125th streets.

“You can get into an accident very easily.”

Though Lopez has so far avoided that misfortune, he said has witnessed many near misses as bikers swerve off the path to avoid potholes that are blocked off with metal barriers.

While fixing the esplanade is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “Vision 2020: The New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan,” a proposal released last year to revitalize the city’s waterfront,

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photos by andrew schwartz

“I don’t know what they are waiting for,” said Steadford Virgil. “Some of these potholes have been here since last winter.”

many residents and community groups feel it is too far off.

“I don’t know what they are waiting for,” said Steadford Virgil, who rides his bike along the esplanade daily. “Some of these potholes have been here since last winter.”

Jennifer Ratner, an Upper East Sider and community activist, is establishing a conservancy to raise awareness and funds for the deteriorating esplanade.

“Our mission is to work with government officials and private corporations to fix areas of the esplanade in need of glaring repair and to help come up with a plan for longer-term issues,” she said.

One elected official Ratner has worked with is City Council Member Jessica Lappin, who recently secured $900,000 in funding in the city budget to begin repairs on the esplanade. Though Lappin said she supports the future vision of a revamped waterfront, she said it’s more important to address the immediate safety concerns on the esplanade that exist now.

“We’ve been talking for years about building a blue necklace around Manhattan, but we have a piece of that puzzle that’s literally being washed away,” she said.

The money will be used to repair the potholes along the esplanade, but Lappin said it is also needed to help fix a deeper issue.

“There are serious structural problems with the esplanade,” she said. “The sinkholes you see are a visible manifestation of the crumbling of the infrastructure below.”

The New York City Parks Department is conducting an engineering study to learn more about the esplanade’s underlying issues. The study is funded by a task force that Lappin, along with Rep. Carolyn Maloney, formed last year to address the problems facing the dilapidated esplanade.

Though Ratner said she’s thrilled the

The deteriorating East Side esplanade has become a top concern for many residents of the community. waterfront will receive this much-needed assistance, it is just the beginning of a long list of improvements that need to be addressed.

These longer-term issues include some plans outlined in Vision 2020, such as easier pedestrian accessibility and the refurbishment of the 107th Street pier.

However, no funding has been allocated for these projects, or any relating to the waterfront between East 60th and 125th

streets, in the mayor’s three-year outline of the plan.

“We feel like we’ve been left out,” she said.

The conservancy group, which Ratner said should be incorporated later this summer, will be called Friends of the Esplanade (E. 60th–125th Streets). After reaching out to the community through meetings and events like It’s My Park Day in May, she said she received positive N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

feature feedback and a good deal of interest. If all goes accordingly, fundraisers may begin in the fall.

Other community groups are looking to the future as well.

The East River C.R.E.W. (Community Recreation and Education on the Water) is also advocating for a facelift for the esplanade. The group offers free openwater rowing sessions every Tuesday at 5 p.m. that launch from the East 96th Street esplanade entrance. According to C.R.E.W. member Mary Nell, its goal is raise the profile of the East River through rowing and estuary education. Nell said that in the future, the group would like to see safer, more clearly marked pedes-

Under the new law, the United Nations has the opportunity to construct a new building on a portion of Robert Moses Playground on First Avenue between 41st and 42nd streets. The land transfer would only happen if an agreement can be reached by Oct. 10 to replace the lost parkland, provide greater access to the East River and develop a pedestrian and bicycle esplanade between 38th and 60th streets to close the gap in the East Side greenway.

On Thursday, Aug. 4, State Sen. Liz Krueger, Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh and City Council Member Dan Garodnick hosted the first of three public forums to seek community input on an

“There are serious structural problems with the esplanade,” Council Member Jessica Lappin said.

“The sinkholes you see are a visible manifestation of the crumbling of the infrastructure below.” trian entrances, shade harbors installed near their boat launch site and educational signage dispersed throughout the esplanade.

CIVITAS, a nonprofit organization that works for improved land use and transportation policies on the Upper East Side and East Harlem, is organizing a design competition that will launch this fall to develop creative concepts for the esplanade between East 60th and 125th streets.

Hunter Armstrong, the executive director of CIVITAS, said the purpose of the competition is to inspire the community to envision new possibilities for the esplanade.

“The repairs that are currently happening in sections of the park are long overdue and welcomed, but I think everyone in the community will agree that the esplanade holds much more potential,” he said.

The vision for a new waterfront extends below 60th Street as well, with many elected officials working together to one day build a continuous esplanade along the East River.

Last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that may make that a possibility.

O u r To w n NY. c o m

outline for the plan.

“We are at the threshold of a unique public planning process,” said Garodnick in the opening statements of the evening.

The forum, he said, “will allow for a community-driven vision for the future of the East Side’s open space.”

Maloney, who co-sponsored the forum along with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Assembly Member Micah Kellner and other elected officials, was also in attendance.

“The West Side has a beautiful esplanade, but the residents of the East Midtown area really have absolutely nothing at all,” she said. “This is an opportunity to change all that.”

The law also stipulates that Con Edison give the city $13 million to rehabilitate the pier between East 38th and East 41st streets, which has been defunct for several years. When Con Ed originally leased the pier from the city to construct a power plant, the agreement stated that, at the end of the lease, the utility would return the pier to the city in its original condition. Lawmakers saw this piece of legislation as an opportunity to force the utility into action and for the city to take on the rehabilitation.

Rust and wear eat away at many parts of the esplanade’s infrastructure.

Many of the community members who spoke out at the meeting last week supported the plan, though a couple were reluctant to give up the portion of Robert Moses Playground, noting that it is the only park space in the area where children can play sports, such as roller hockey. But the sentiment of the majority was that much more will be gained if the land swap occurs.

Other concerns brought up during the forum include the maintenance of the esplanade once completed, and one Upper East Side resident pointed to the deteriorating waterfront north of East 60th Street. Others questioned how enforceable the law would be, fearing the

park space would be given up in exchange for an empty promise of an esplanade that might not be built.

The lawmakers in attendance assured the community that the contract would be binding. Maloney encouraged that the final proposal be made even more “airtight.”

The legislators have created a website, www.eastsideopenspace.com, to provide information about the project and updates on its new developments.

Community members can post their opinions there as well.

Two more public forums will take place before the Oct. 11 deadline, on Sept. 8 and 20.

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Healthy Manhattan a monthly advertising supplement

Healthier Backpacks for Children Don’t put the weight of the world on kids’ backs

BY LISA ELAINE HELD Backpacks do much more than carry students’ books when they return to school each year.

Elementary school children hang key chains from their zippers to express themselves. Teenagers press patches with band names onto the fabric. In the ’90s, the Jansport logo on your pack made you cool, and no kid would have dreamed of using more than one strap.

But aside from providing yet another avenue for adolescent identity, backpacks, weighed down with piles of heavy textbooks, may also be causing poor posture and back pain in children.

“We know that back pain is on the rise,” said Dr. Scott Bautch, a spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association who has conducted various research studies on back pain in children. “By the age of 14, many children are having back pain that affects their daily lives.”

This fact can be attributed to many of the modern behaviors of young people, explained Luke Bongiorno, a Manhattan-based physical therapist and managing director of NY SportsMed & Physical Therapy. These include hours spent sitting in front of computers and the rounded posture associated with texting.

“Everything else is compounding the problem,” said Bongiorno, “so it’s even more important to pay attention to backpacks now.”

Researchers have known for years

that too much weight in backpacks could cause issues in children, and the mechanics are fairly simple. When a lot of weight is placed in a backpack, especially if it hangs below the waist, the body is placed under a certain amount of stress.

Muscles tell the brain that they’re stressed and the brain responds by telling other muscles in the spine and shoulders to work harder. “All the messages are saying, ‘We’ve got to protect, cramp down, tighten,’” said Bongiorno, so the muscles tighten, causing compression of the spine.

Because of the strain on the lower back, the body pulls the shoulders forward to keep itself upright, causing bad posture, added Dr. Joseph Herrera, director of sports medicine in the Department of Rehabilitation and

“We have to find a way to make waist straps cool.”

Physical Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. And while bad posture is not deadly, it can cause serious pain and imbalances in the body and may even lead to longer-term issues, like chronic tendonitis, said Bongiorno.

Thankfully, most of the time the issues are reversible and the pain can be temporary if the problem is recognized and postural habits are corrected.

“Kids are really resilient,” said Herrera, “and the body has a tendency to heal itself.” The longer the problem goes on, though, the harder it is to reverse.

Rather than wait for issues to develop, there are plenty of ways to prevent damage caused by heavy backpacks.

One obvious solution is to limit the amount of weight in the backpack. The American Chiropractic Association suggests on its website that a backpack

14 • OUR N  •August Augus t 11, 2011 10 NEW YORKTOW PRESS 10-August 16, 2011  NYPRESS.COM

should be no heavier than 5-10 percent of a child’s body weight. Choosing a smaller backpack is an easy way to limit weight.

Children should always carry their backpacks with the straps on both shoulders, as using one strap will cause an imbalance in the muscles, further affecting posture.

Most experts agree, however, that the most important step is choosing a better backpack. Last year, Bautch worked with The North Face to develop models that would reduce strain on the body.

Some of the features he says are key to preventing back issues are: comfortable straps that are anatomically adapted for males and females, a good fit against the back (the contact point) and the presence of compartments that force children to pack their backpacks efficiently, with the heaviest items closer to the body.

Bautch, Bongiorno and Herrera all stressed the importance of waist straps, but lamented the fact that it’s nearly impossible to get kids to actually wear them.

“We have to find a way to make waist straps cool,” said Bongiorno.

Bautch agreed, and said that while he has trouble getting even his own children to wear them, the key may be teaching kids the correct way to wear backpacks as early as possible.

“Most of our postural habits are learned between 4 and 7,” he said. “That’s when we have our greatest learning curve.

Teenagers, unfortunately, aren’t amenable to correction.”

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Healthy Manhattan

a monthly advertising supplement

Spiraling Away the Pain A different technique for battling pain

THE BREAST CENTER New York Downtown Hospital NEW YORK DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL Is Your Center for Dr. Robbi Kempner, Chief Prevention and Treatment of Breast Surgery at New York Downtown Hospital and Director DanielCenter, Hunt isisaaboardof ther.Breast board certified colon and rectal certified general surgeon and an surgeon who specializes in theat Assistant Professor of Surgery prevention treatment of Weill Cornelland Medical College. colorectal cancer, laparoscopic An expert in surgery of the colon surgery, transanal breast, Dr. Kempner believes in microscopic surgery, colorectal early detection through screening. disorders, bowel dysfunction, and “A mammogram takesfor 20 rectal sphincter preservation minutes cancer. and can save your life. If problems are found early, new treatments can be most effective.”

Dr. Hunt uses advanced The Breast and Center provides the entire spectrum of procedures treatment plans breast care with services, routine combined newincluding technologies and mammography microsurgery to and studies, minimally biopsy and offerdiagnostic our patients improved safety,invasive greater comfort techniques, state-of-the-art surgical services for the preservation of normal bowel function. benign and malignant disease of the breast, including Together with Dr. Donald Summers, a New York reconstruction by a dedicated reconstructive surgeon if Downtown Hospital colorectal surgeon with special needed, and second opinion services. expertise in the field of laparoscopic colon surgery, Dr. We are proud toour offer advanced imaging Hunt maintains Hospital on the front including line in the digital mammography, ultrasound, MRI and nonbattle against rectal and colon cancer. invasive biopsy techniques.

Both physicians deliver high quality care using Our team of physicians is dedicated to the treatment of minimally-invasive techniques to speed recovery. breast and includes: Theydisease would welcome the opportunity to meet with • Female breast surgeons you. You may call Dr. Hunt at (646) 898-4718 and Dr. • Breast imaging radiologists Summers at (212) trained 312-5329.

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Arthur Jaffe uses the spiral techniques on a patient.

By Daniel FaBiani Arthur Jaffe is a modern medicine man practicing a mixture of Eastern and Western philosophies to cure muscle pain.

The Midtown massage therapist uses spiral techniques, a system of neuromuscular therapy for everyone from the functioning to the injured that helps stimulate the mind and body. The techniques are a formulated blend of hands-on healing traditions, including Chi Qigong, the Dyal Singh Khalasa method, Shiatsu and more. The process is a body rub that penetrates more than a massage and is more integrative than a chiropractic session.

“I traveled the world to learn these techniques after receiving my formal training in massage therapy and combined my knowledge of human anatomy, pain management and the teachings of Mark Lamm and Dyal Singh Khalasa,” Jaffe said.

The office where Jaffe practices is small, intimate and easy to relax in. He sees clients three to four days a week, and has trained Carine Vermenot, another spiral techniques practitioner, to take care of weekend appointments. In a one-onone appointment, Jaffe finds where the pain lies in your body then sits you at a rubbing station (similar to those used in a chiropractic session) and begins working on the muscle groups. Using a towel as a barrier to skin-to-skin contact, Jaffe gives a thorough explanation of what he’s going to do, relaxing any of the client’s tension, and then jumps right into the spiral motions with his elbow and forearms.

“Breaking up blockages in the muscles releases an energy flow. It gives people back their life and detoxifies human cells,” Jaffe said.

Spiral techniques eliminate a wide range of painful conditions related to O u r To w n NY. c o m

muscle, nerve and tissue dysfunctions.

Jaffe works with muscles, releasing pain by moving his limbs across them in a spiral motion. When exposed to spiral movement, the body works with it.

Some of the techniques he uses are deep tissue, mobilization, assisted resistance, stretching, energy work and other bodywork procedures.

Physical pain comes from a number of sources, such as stress, a sedentary lifestyle (which can bunch up muscles from lack of flexing) and injury. Most of the pain balls up in the abundant connective tissue in the human body, Jaffe said and, like the brain, muscles have a memory that remembers pain and tightens in various places on the body to protect itself.

“The most important thing that the client will take out of the session is the ability to unwind. It’s one of the most profound aspects of the session,” said Jaffe.

As humans age, he explained, physical and emotional pain are increasingly linked, ultimately locking muscle memory in place and making a person prone to a number of diseases and creating major discomfort.

When injuries occur the body can usually repair itself, but often it requires therapeutic assistance. That’s where spiral techniques become especially useful.

“Every adult should have at least one session in their life, to free them of issues right on the surface just waiting to be released,” said Jaffe.

Arthur JAffe SpirAl techniqueS neuromuSculAr therApy 156 5th Ave., Ste. 900 646-644-0990

For an appointment with Dr. Kempner, please call Exceptional Care.

(646)588-2578

170William WilliamStreet, Street,New NewYork, York,NY NY10038 10038 170 Telephone:(212) (212)312-5000 312-5000 Telephone: www.downtownwellness.org www.downtownwellness.org Aug u st 1 1 , 16, 2 02011 11 l • NEW OUR TO W N • 11 15 NYPRESS.COM l August 10-August YORK PRESS

THEBREAST BREASTCENTER CENTER THE NEWYORK YORKDOWNTOWN DOWNTOWNHOSPITAL HOSPITAL NEW Dr.Robbi RobbiKempner, Kempner,Chief Chief Dr. BreastSurgery SurgeryatatNew NewYork York ofofBreast DowntownHospital Hospitaland andDirector Director Downtown theBreast BreastCenter, Center,isisaaboard board ofofthe certifiedgeneral generalsurgeon surgeonand andan an certified AssistantProfessor ProfessorofofSurgery Surgeryatat Assistant WeillCornell CornellMedical MedicalCollege.

College.

Weill Anexpert expertininsurgery surgeryofofthe the An breast,Dr. Dr.Kempner Kempnerbelieves believesinin breast, earlydetection detectionthrough throughscreening. screening. early “Amammogram mammogramtakes takes20 20 “A minutes minutesand andcan cansave saveyour yourlife. life.IfIfproblems problemsare arefound found early, early,new newtreatments treatmentscan canbe bemost mosteffective.” effective.”

The TheBreast BreastCenter Centerprovides providesthe theentire entirespectrum spectrumofof breast breastcare careservices, services,including includingroutine routinemammography mammography and diagnostic studies, minimally invasive and diagnostic studies, minimally invasivebiopsy biopsy techniques, techniques,state-of-the-art state-of-the-artsurgical surgicalservices servicesfor for benign benignand andmalignant malignantdisease diseaseofofthe thebreast, breast,including including reconstruction reconstructionby byaadedicated dedicatedreconstructive reconstructivesurgeon surgeonifif needed, needed,and andsecond secondopinion opinionservices. services.

We Weare areproud proudtotooffer offeradvanced advancedimaging imagingincluding including digital mammography, ultrasound, MRI and digital mammography, ultrasound, MRI andnonnoninvasive invasivebiopsy biopsytechniques. techniques.

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Healthy Manhattan

Kids & Asthma

Respiratory problems often worsen in the fall

By Dr. Cynthia Paulis Summer will be over before you know it, and, with the arrival of fall, doctors will be treating more cases of asthma in the emergency rooms. Asthma affects an estimated 300 million individuals worldwide and its prevalence in children is increasing.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which airflow is obstructed that can be completely or partially reversed, with or without therapy.

Most children with asthma develop symptoms before the age of 5. Asthma will differ with each child and symptoms may get better or worse at certain times of the year. In some children, asthma symptoms will improve with age. Common symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing, chest pain and recurrent bronchitis. There is no cure for asthma, but you can keep symptoms at a minimum by having an asthma action plan.

Dr. Peter O’Keefe, a board-certified pediatrician at Village Pediatrics on Long Island, explains why more children with asthma have flare-ups in the fall.

“When the kids are out in the field in the fall, playing sports late in the evening, they are inhaling that cooler air and get an exercise-induced bronchospasm,” he says.

“What we try to do now in August, when ragweed and all of the other allergens kick in—we start to incorporate some preventative things before school starts. We have an asthma plan.”

O’Keefe uses an asthma action plan with red, yellow and green levels designed to help the patient.

“When a child first comes down with asthma, the parents are overwhelmed by all of the medicines,” he says. “This plan allows the child to know what to do. When you start to have symptoms of coughing or wheezing, you may start with some Albuterol. When they are having some of the symptoms, they can look at the plan and say, ‘This is how I feel,’ and follow the instructions on what to do. If you are in the red area, you are obviously doing much worse and you are calling 911 or the doctor, but you have a plan for what to do until help arrives.”

One way to test for asthma is by using a peak flow meter, an instrument into which the child breathes to measure how much air he or she is able to expel in a short period of time, usually a few seconds.

Certain triggers, such as weather changes, seasonal allergies, cigarette smoke, perfumes, pets, chemicals, paints,

dust mites, molds or cold air, can start an asthma attack in a child. Infants with asthma may feed slowly or experience shortness of breath during feeding.

Toddlers may become fatigued easily and cough more when exercising. For children under 5, asthma attacks can be triggered or worsened when they have colds or respiratory infections. For some children, severe asthma attacks can be life-

“This is not the end of the world—you just have to be in control of your disease. These are the cards you have been dealt and these are the things you can do.” threatening and require emergency room treatment.

Asthma emergency symptoms include: • Gasping for air • Breathing so hard the abdomen is sucked under the ribs • Difficulty speaking If your child experiences any of these symptoms, get to an emergency room immediately.

O’Keefe stresses the importance of understanding asthma, but lets families know, “This is not the end of the world— you just have to be in control of your disease. These are the cards you have been dealt and these are the things you can do.

“For all of these kids who have asthma, the most important thing for them is that they can be kids and do what they want to do.”

One of the examples Dr. O’Keefe uses when talking to patients who have been diagnosed with asthma is the story of Jerome Bettis.

“He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and went on to win the Super Bowl three years ago,” he said. “He has had a lifelong disease with asthma.”

With all patients who have asthma, the key is patient and parent education and understanding how to use medications and devices. Discuss a management plan with your doctor and write and discuss in detail a rescue plan for an acute episode. A plan should include instructions for identifying signs of an acute asthma attack, using rescue medications, monitoring and when to contact your doctor.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

CityMD...your health is important AND so is your time.

Walk In’s Weclomed Most Insurance Gladly Accepted

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Urgent medical care means taking care of anything that you feel deserves the attention of a doctor NOW. • No calling for appointment • No waiting for appointment next week • No more missed days from work…

• We have expanded hours and open 365 days a year!

• We see children and adults • We accept most major insurance plans At City MD we provide prompt and friendly service with the best medical attention so we can get you on the road to recovery as soon as possible.

We see and treat a wide range of complaints in children and adults: • Fevers • All types of aches and pains • Coughs • Sinus problems • Sore throats • Bronchitis • Pneumonia • Asthma/allergies • Upset stomachs • Urinary tract infections • Urgent eye problems

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

• Ear infections • Skin infections • Rashes • Nosebleeds • Traumatic injuries like fractures • Burns • Sprains • Cuts needing stitches • Minor surgical problems • Flu and strep testing • AND much more…

City MD is operated and staffed by leaders in the field of emergency medicinethe very same doctors that work in the region’s top emergency rooms!

Some conditions are better handled in a hospital ER- such as chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, poisonings, or major trauma.

However, most people coming to an ER end up going home after they are treatedand that’s why we feel that City MD is a great service to bring to the public.

You get the same expertise minus the wait, and minus the institutional feel of a busy emergency department. At City MD- we never lose sight of personalized and compassionate care for you.

Accuracy, vigilance, efficiency, and inspiring you with comfort and confidence- all in a time sensitive manner; that’s what to expect from City Md’s emergency medicine specialists.

And if we find that your condition requires further care in an ER, we do our best to expedite the process of getting you there.

August 11, 2011

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Magnetic {energy}

Healthy Manhattan

Ants in Your Pants If you can’t stop twitching in bed, you may have restless leg syndrome

By Dr. Cynthia Paulis You’ve had a long, hard day and now it’s time to settle into the comfort of your bed and feel the cool sheets on your skin.

You wait and wait, and still can’t get to sleep. Now your legs are doing the mambo.

You may be suffering from a condition known as restless leg syndrome (RLS).

According to Dr. Michael Weinstein, the director of the Sleep Disorder Program at Winthrop University Hospital, “Restless leg syndrome is a discomfort associated with the compulsion to move your legs, which is exacerbated by immobility. The patients often have a hard time describing the feeling. I have heard expressions such as ‘heebie jeebies,’ ‘squirrely legs’ and ‘mad spiders’ to describe how their legs feel at night.” The symptoms experienced when a patient is trying to sleep are often relieved by movement, and it is not unusual to see a patient getting up and pacing at night, earning them the nickname of “night walker.”

RLS affects as much as 10 percent of the population. And it’s not just a problem for adults; more than a million children are also affected. It is often associated with attention deficit disorder, and women tend to suffer from it more than men. Many people who suffer from RLS will not seek medical attention because they believe that they will

not be taken seriously, that their condition is too mild or that it is not treatable.

“One interesting thing about RLS is how long people will go before the diagnosis is made. It is not unusual for patients to have complaints 10 to 20 years before the diagnosis is made. The patient recognizes that this is a medical condition and many times the fault is on the doctor for not recognizing it as a serious problem—I still have colleagues questioning if it is a real thing. This is a real medical condition,” says Weinstein.

Left untreated, RLS can cause exhaustion and daytime fatigue. The condition can affect jobs, personal relationships and daily activities because sufferers are sleep deprived. They have difficulty concentrating, impaired memory and often struggle to accomplish daily tasks.

More than 80 percent of people with RLS also experience another common condition known as periodic limb movement disorder, which is characterized by jerking movements during sleep that occur every 15 to 40 seconds throughout the night.

The symptoms cause repeated awakening and severely disrupted sleep. A caveat here is that, while most people with RLS also develop periodic limb movement, those with only periodic limb movement disorder do not eventually experience RLS.

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A classic feature of RLS is that the symptoms are worse at night, with a distinct symptom-free time, usually early in the morning, allowing for a more refreshing sleep at that time. Triggers for the syndrome are periods of inactivity such as long-distance flights, car rides, immobilization by a cast and sitting in a theater.

Although there is no known cause of RLS, there is evidence that low levels of iron have been present in many of the cases.

According to Weinstein, “Many patients with RLS turn out to have some occult iron deficiency. We do a test called a ferritin level; it’s a good test that reflects the body’s total store of iron. Patients with low ferritin levels are iron deficient. You don’t have to be anemic and it doesn’t come to the attention of the primary care doctor. You can be iron deficient but not be anemic. Patients who have a ferritin level below 50 are started on supplemental iron.”

Other conditions in which RLS is often seen are end stage renal disease, diabetes and pregnancy, especially in the last trimester. Certain medicines, including antinausea drugs, antipsychotics, antidepressants and antihistamines, have also been known to cause the condition.

RLS is a treatable condition. According to Weinstein, “The relief can be dramatic

and it’s one of those potentially life-changing interventions, especially when someone has had long-standing symptoms.”

Certain lifestyle changes, such as limiting the use of caffeine and tobacco, correcting metabolic deficiencies and maintaining a regular sleep schedule, have also been known to help.

Dopamine drugs, once used to treat Parkinson’s disease, have been known to reduce the symptoms of RLS and periodic limb movement disorder. The drugs are well-tolerated, except for occasional dizziness and nausea, but chronic use of dopamine drugs can cause a problem known as “augmentation,” where the person begins to experience symptoms earlier in the day until it is around the clock. Then it’s time to change the meds.

A very peculiar adverse affect of dopamine drugs that can occur is the development of impulsive gambling urges.

Weinstein admits he had a patient who started taking trips to Atlantic City to play the slots after he started on the medicine, so they changed his meds.

So just a note of caution if you are being treated for RLS and find yourself in the middle of a Vegas casino in your pajamas: It might be time to give your doctor a call— unless, of course, you are winning.

Unity Center

of New York City

PUBLIC NOTICE MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM® SITE VISIT • Hospital for Special Surgery was designated as a Magnet organization

in 2002 and 2007 by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. This prestigious designation recognizes excellence in nursing services. In September 2011, Hospital for Special Surgery is applying for re-designation.

• Patients, family members, staff, and interested parties who would like

to provide comments are encouraged to do so. Anyone may send comments via e-mail, fax, and direct mail. All phone comments to the Magnet Program Office must be followed up in writing.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE CONFIDENTIAL AND NEVER SHARED WITH THE FACILITY. IF YOU CHOOSE, YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE ANONYMOUS, BUT MUST BE IN WRITING.

• YOUR COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY September 11, 2011.

Address: AMERICAN NURSES CREDENTIALING CENTER (ANCC) MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM OFFICE 8515 Georgia Ave., Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492 Fax: 301-628-5217 E-Mail: magnet@ana.org Phone: 866-588-3301 (toll free)

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Practical Spirituality/Inclusive Community Sunday Services at 11:00 a.m. • Mediation & Lectures on Practical Spirituality Weekday classes on Meditation & Metaphysics

August Programs • Meditation Service: Wednesday’s 12:00 Noon and 6:15 PM, led by Justin Morley • “Women in Unity”: Wednesday’s 6:30 PM,Support Group of Sharing and Meditation led by Sandra Pugh and Ann Stenson • Acting Class: Friday’s 6:30 PM, led by Carolyn Maye Middleton

•••••• Visit our Metaphysical Bookstore • Books on mysticism, metaphysics, world religions & practical spirituality • Tapes of lectures by Eric Butterworth, author of Discover the Power within You For information on our “Health & Wellness Program,” classes on meditation, prosperity, & spiritual healing also Acting Class with Carolyn Middleton - Visit our website, unitynewyork.com VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALL OUR CLASSES, SERVICES & ACTIVITIES: UNITYNEWYORK.COM

Marion A. Gambardella, Director 213 West 58th Street • (212) 582-1300 unitynewyork.com O u r To w n NY. c o m

When you adopt from the ASPCA®, your new pet comes spayed or neutered and up-to-date on all vaccinations. We also include a microchip and free follow-up vet exam. And with our Meet Your Match® program, you’ll be sure to find the pet that fits your personality and lifestyle perfectly. So stop by our Adoption Center and take your new best friend home today.

Visit: www.adoptaspca.org or call (212) 876-7700 x4120 for additional information.

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DINING

Hanging Out With the In Crowd

added kick. Right out of the bottle, scents of grapefruit, fresh-cut chervil and a hint of vanilla leap out. On the palate, though, is a ton of strawberry candy flavor right up top. With more green herbs through the middle, a touch of anise and a dollop of acidity on the finish, this wine is both refreshing and mouthwatering.

Even within a well-known region like Bordeaux, it is easy to get overlooked.

Sauternes produces some of the most famous dessert wines on the planet, but only a handful of miles away sits the little known subregion of Loupiac. The wines here are made the same way they are in Sauternes, letting noble rot do the work of condensing the grapes to shriveled raisins.

The Château Loupiac-Gaudiet 2007 ($17 at Beacon Wines and Spirits, 2120 Broadway at 74th Street, 212-877-0028) has all of the funky, ’shroomy qualities on the nose that you’d expect from a great Sauternes. The flavors of honey, candied ginger, endive and vanilla scone round out this incredible wine, giving it tremendous bang for your buck.

So don’t overlook a wine just because it doesn’t hang with the “cool crowd.”

Embrace the unknown and try something new!

French wines that aren’t from the “it” regions of France

Paul sat staring at the map of France I had provided for the tasting. I was packing up leftover materials and chatting with some of the guests when I realized he hadn’t moved for a good five minutes.

I approached him cautiously.

“Did you have any questions?” I asked.

“I’m just concerned about all of these areas,” Paul said, pointing all over the map, “The ones that aren’t highlighted.

What happens if they make wine?”

The theme of the tasting I had just finished was “French Wine Regions,” and the map I had provided showed all of the major wine producing regions of the country shaded in different colors. There was a significant amount of unshaded area, and Paul was distraught about that.

I said, N ORDER “Well,” - Email Art “There are other areas, but they aren’t as popular.”

“Are they any good?” rth “Some of them are great!”

Media “Then why exclude them just because h St. they aren’t popular?”

NY 10018 He made an excellent point. French wine law can definitely feel like a junior 724 Fax:high (212) 268-0502 school clique at times. Burgundy and

uction@manhattanmedia.com rth@manhattanmedia.com

Bordeaux are the best friend cheerleaders that will only sit at the lunch table with the Rhone Valley, Champagne and, if they’re feeling charitable, the Loire.

But what about Gascony and the Jura?

They’re fun to hang out with too, right?

So, in an effort to be more inclusive, I will illuminate a couple of the lesser-known regions and subregions of

Instead of a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes used are two littleknown local varietals: Braucol and Duras.

The wine opens on the nose with classic Bordeaux scents of rose petal, cedar and a hint of pipe smoke. It continues this profile on the palate. While there is plenty of vanilla bean and blackberry preserve up front to whet the taste buds, the main event is the earthy middle with gripping, dusty tannin and a spicy wild cherry finish.

From the same producer is a rosé that, instead of leaning north to

By Josh Perilo Bordeaux for inspiration, looks to the south. The Domaine des Terrisses France’s wine geography.

Gaillac Rosé 2008 ($14 at 67 Wine, 179 The region of Gaillac is one of the old- Columbus Avenue at 68th Street, 212-724est wine making regions in the world, let 6767) has more in common with the juicy alone France. Situated south of Bordeaux rosés of Languedoc-Roussillon than any and just north of Cognac, this area is the wine from Bordeaux. Starting with the home of the Domaine des Terrisses same two local grapes, this wine adds Gaillac Rouge 2008 ($15 at Yorkshire Syrah to the mix to give the vino a little Wines and Spirits, 1646 First Avenue at 85th Street, 212-717-5100). This wine has the soul of an Old World-style Bordeaux at a fraction of the cost for the taste.

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Bi Lokma means “one bite” in Turkish, and it is the newest venue of restaurant owner/cook Orhan Yegen. A strange hybrid of self-serve cafeteria and restaurant, the combo works in Midtown East, where office goers often spend their lunchtimes in nondescript food courts.

A few steps above the street and many steps up in quality, Bi Lokma is another product of Yegen’s passion for Turkish food; he’s so passionate, he claims not to care that he makes no money selling it (but don’t get him started on the evil of chopped tomato with shallots in olive oil sharing plates!). and pomegranate molasses. Its sweetness Patrons seemed happy at this eight- was the perfect accompaniment to the table spot at which almost no entrée is torpedo-shaped köfte, a cracked-wheat over $10. A wizened, frail-looking Yegen shell enclosing juicy chopped lamb and came out to kvell over his crewalnuts. Sprinkle lemon juice on ations as patrons tucked into top to heighten the piquancy ample plates of lamb döner of this little fried wonder, but ($9.50) or baked meatballs 212 East 45th St. (be- don’t let it disappear in “one ($8.50) with fluffy pilaf, eggbite.” tween 2nd & 3rd Aves.) plant and tomatoes on the 212-687-3842 side. Speaking of the latter, —Nancy J. Brandwein my içli köfte ($3.50), often known as kibbeh, rested on an interestGot a snack attack to share? ing take on the tomato. Ezme is finely Contact nancybrandwein@gmail.com DANIEL S. BURNSTEIN

For more info visit www.GrapeGetaways.com or call (203) 629-1261

Köfte and Ezme: Love at First Bite

Bi Lokma

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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AUGUST 11, 2011

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Community Pages Classified Advertising Department Information Telephone: 212-268-0384 Fax: 212-268-0502

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City StorieS: StoopS to NutS

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

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

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

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Even dad wasn’t averse to the charm of family song time

By Thomas R. Pryor The midnight heat created a film of sweat between me and my underwear.

I couldn’t take it. Dragging my mattress through the doorway, I heard Dad yell, “Be quiet!”

With the mattress pulled around me, I squeezed through the doorway, easing the sheet that served as a door aside. I policed the area, my father’s grunts and moans drowning out the other sound in the room: the hum of our family’s first air conditioner. Rory had arrived in our parent’s bedroom earlier, dropping himself alongside their bed, his mattress curled up in the space between the dresser and the wall. I laid mine perpendicular over the bottom of his, making a mattress sandwich.

Once in place, four bugs in a rug, the curtain rose on our summer passion play.

Rory bellowed, “Good night, Momma.

Good night, Dada. Good night, Thommm.”

I answered lower, “Good nigh’, Ma, good nigh’, Da and good nigh’, Rorio.” Then I went high: “Rorio, Rorio! Wherefore art thou, Rorio?”

Dad said, “Everyone shut up or get back to your bedrooms!”

After a spell, a slow, steady “Whistle While You Work,” rose from the ashes of the silence. It gained momentum and an additional passenger as Mom entered the studio, stepping up to the mic, hand cupped to her ear. A trio in song, in tune, in danger. Through the shadows we

watched Dad squirm under the covers.

He was a plutonium heap and fusion was imminent.

Mom, Rory and I moved into another tune, singing loudly, with pride: “Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile!” As the song hit its second verse, the negative energy in the room imploded, turning into vapor as Dad’s anger transformed into sweet nostalgia. We began our sentimental journey.

World War I tunes, World War II tunes—give him a war, Dad would give you a tune. Civil War? “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” Revolutionary War? “Yankee Doodle.” Crimean War? OK, no song there—but you could see the calculating in his eyes.

Sadly, my father’s emotional development was stunted in his youth. In 1945, hanging over the mezzanine at the Paramount Theatre, Dad swayed dreamily side to side, listening to the Artie Shaw Orchestra. In mid-swoon, while admiring his new suit, Dad flipped over the railing, landing headfirst on an usher who was flirting with a floozy in the orchestra’s 10th row. Luckily, neither was killed.

Both bleeding, they were taken to Polyclinic Hospital for stitches and X-rays. As the medics led him through the lobby, Dad begged the theater’s manager for a rain check. He sustained a permanent injury from that accident that

became apparent as the years unfolded— he could no longer make a decision or form an opinion whose basis was not derived from something that had happened in 1945 or before.

As a child, I thought Warner Brothers was the government; their films played around the clock on our TV. I knew who Edith Head was before my first communion. James Cagney surfaced on our tube more than the latest edition of Pravda on a Moscow street.

Nothing intoxicated Dad like a nostalgic trip through film-land that included gray battleships rolling over the cold Atlantic waves. The “World at War” documentary series brought Dad to attention with its theme music.

In song we soared and dove through the dark, chilled bedroom, together as a family as at no other time. Our tune marched to a happy conclusion when all the lines were lost to exhaustion except “Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile.” The four of us, twin Laurel and Hardys, skipped arm in arm out of the final scene in the last reel, the credits rolling across our dusty pants.

Thomas Pryor’s work has been published in The New York Times, he has recently completed his first book and he curates a show at The Cornelia Street Cafe. Read his blog at YorkvilleStoopstoNuts.blogspot.com.

LET T ER S

Manhattan GOP Gone the Way of Dodos

To the Editor: “Paul Niehaus Throws Hat in Ring for Bing’s Seat,” (July 21) is a decade too late.

Manhattan Republicans haven’t offered Democrats serious competition for public office on the city, state or federal level in years. The citadel of liberal Republicans based on the East Side was totally eliminated years ago.

Neighborhoods formerly represented by the late Rep. Bill Green, State Sen. Roy Goodman, City Council members Charles Millard and Andrew Eristoff and Assembly Member John Ravitz are now safely in Democratic hands.

Crossover Koch-style Democrats who voted for former presidents

Reagan, Bush Senior 40 and Junior, former Synagogue Rebuilds Gov. Pataki, former After Fire Mayor Giuliani and 2 Mayor Bloomberg Niehaus in Race continue to move out For Bing’s Seat of town, retire out of state or succumb to old age. There has Gearing Up For Gay Marriage been no successful GOP outreach to new Caribbean, Hispanic, Asian or other immigrant groups, or to middle-class African Americans.

Once the GOP loses an incumbent City Council, State Assembly, State Senate or congressional representative, they are never able to reclaim the district. Analysis of past election results revealed that Bloomberg had no coattails ANNIVE

ANNIVE

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Pets: Toilet Training Whiskers?

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Since 1970

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daniel s. burnstein

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.

Sentimental Journey on a Hot Summer Night

Summer TreaTS

Some of the best sweet spots to cool off this season

By Nancy J. Brandwein Page 6

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Call 212.772.DOCS (3627)

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Visit us at www.CityMD.net and see inside page 7 for more information.

on which to elect any new GOP candidates from Democratic districts.

The Manhattan GOP long ago went the way of the dinosaur.

Even if Paul Niehaus were to win, State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, with the overwhelming Democratic registration advantage, would just gerrymander him

out of existence.

Larry Penner Great Neck, LoNG IsLaNd Letters have been edited for clarity, style and brevity.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

ciTiqueTTe

Mayberry Manhattan Where everybody knows your name

By Jeanne Martinet It was one of those hot, humid evenings when you are so happy to get home to your apartment that you think you may never leave it again. I had just peeled off my sweaty clothes and had started running a bath, preparing to settle in for the night, when I suddenly remembered I had run out of cat food. Now, I realize that to a non-pet owner this may not seem like a dire situation, but I had nothing whatsoever to feed my hungry cat—not even a can of tuna. And at that moment, the prospect of getting dressed again and going back outside into the inferno felt about the same as facing a root canal.

Feeling half desperate, half sheepish, I dialed my neighborhood pet store, Petqua (on Broadway at 98th Street). I can’t recall if it was Ed or Sam who answered the phone; they are interchangeably nice.

Whoever it was said, “No problem, Jeanne, we’ll send some food right over.” They even knew what brand and flavor I needed. There was no charge for delivery even

though I was not ordering very much. As I had no cash on hand, I started to ask if my credit card was on file in their computer. “Forget it, don’t worry about it. Just pay us next time you come in,” was the response.

It wasn’t that big a deal, really, but I suddenly felt as if I were living in some made-up small town on a TV show. The whole thing was so easy, so stress-free—just like calling a next-door neighbor for a cup of sugar. Of course, it’s not such an unusual scenario to be treated in this way in your own neighborhood. These small conveniences, this sense of being known and liked by local merchants, are some of the things that make New York New York.

Still, this kind of informality and mutual trust is something that people never expect to have occur in a big city.

Within our own personal New York communities, storekeepers know us—they know our habits, our tastes and, to some extent, we know theirs. Most people look

forward every day to seeing the person from whom they buy their morning coffee, their lunch taco, their newspapers. To freelancers, these neighborhood exchanges can set the tenor of their whole day.

New York is, in essence, a collection of many small villages. Each one has its own flavor, its own separate personality. This is one of the reasons people always want to know where you live when they first meet you; if it turns out you live in their neighborhood, it is the fun of finding someone else from their hometown.

But these villages can be very small indeed; friends of mine who moved a mere block and a half away from where they had been living in the West Village said it felt as if they were in a whole new area—even though they were so close to where they had been living before, their route to and from the subway was different, and they went to different stores.

Years ago, when I moved from Little Italy to the Upper West Side, I remember feeling as if I were in another city entirely. I experienced the same disorientation, initial loneliness and excitement about discovering new things that I had felt when I

moved from Baltimore to Chicago, or from Chicago to New York. When the man who had done my laundry in Little Italy showed up as the new manager of a restaurant on my corner on the Upper West Side, I greeted him like a long lost friend.

It’s not that people in New York are nicer than people are in other parts of the country, it’s that they are the same as everywhere else. People create their own small-town communities wherever they live. It’s the people who do not live in New York who don’t understand just what a small town (or whole bunch of small towns) the Big Apple can be.

There’s an old saying: “New York is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” In fact, the reverse is true.

New York can be a very difficult place to visit—with its size, the vast number of choices to be made, the constant swarm of strangers with which a visitor must contend. But for us New Yorkers, each living in our own friendly little Mayberry RFDs, it’s actually a great place to live.

Jeanne Martinet, aka Miss Mingle, is the author of seven books on social interaction. Read her blog at www.missmingle.com.

Moore ThoughTs

Lemonade Stand-ing Watch Kids set up shop, but what’s with those adults hovering and pouring?

By Christopher Moore At least in my Manhattan ’hood, there are a crazy number of kids out on the sidewalks hawking cold—or at least coldish—beverages. The only problem: their parents are out there with them.

The overprotective parent strikes again. And these adults can dramatically change the you’re-on-yourown tradition for kids with summertime stands.

Yes, this is a case of a person without kids criticizing parents, but I’ll go ahead and do it anyway. These kids will be running my nursing home, and I want them to be capable and able to think for themselves. Anyway, if our neighbors can proudly go public with their overparenting, the rest of us surely have a right to notice.

I wasn’t having all these big thoughts the day my partner and I stopped on West End Avenue at a lemonade stand. I liked it. The two girls—my guess is they were around 9 or 10—sold us a couple of plastic O u r To w n NY. c o m

cups filled with what tasted a lot more like Crystal Light than homemade lemonade.

The girls took the money and delivered the beverages with a pleasant demeanor.

All in all, it would have to be considered a better-than-average commercial transaction in present-day New York.

Later, lemonade stands started popping up everywhere. They felt delightfully small-town without anyone having to give up access to Lincoln Center. Seeing youngsters take to the city streets with such enthusiasm can make a tangible, positive difference in how many of us relate to our neighborhoods. With the children, though, can come some pretty conspicuous parents. Like the mom yakking on her cell phone, creating enough of a scene that the children with her seemed like accessories. Mom was there but, thanks to the cell phone, she was also not there. Our modern problem.

A few days later, there was the dad pouring the lemonade. Passersby might legitimately wonder who exactly the side-

walk merchant was in this exercise. If I’m going to buy a beverage from an adult, it might as well be a Starbucks iced vanilla skim latte from a professional barista.

Here’s my personal deal: I don’t want to see parents hovering at a lemonade stand.

They harm the charm. They murk up the capitalist lesson. They undermine their own kids. Sure, they can be expected to check in and see how things are going, but lately they look like they are taking over.

They must be feeling wary. Yes, terrible things can happen. Not too many weeks ago I cried over the 11 o’clock news, reacting viscerally to the story of the Brooklyn butcher who killed little Leiby Kletzky. But—and it feels inhumane to even write the word “but” in this context—the question remains: how dangerous is it? Why can’t I shake the feeling that the lemonade parents are inadvertently teaching their kids unwise lessons and encouraging dependence? These things look like private family affairs, complete with parents in charge, instead of kid-inspired activities.

Wondering if I’m too mean, I called my friend Lenore Skenazy. She wrote a famous column about how she allowed her 9-year-old to ride the subway alone, which got national coverage and landed her a new career as an admired/controversial leader of a philosophy she calls Free-Range Kids.

“Of course you don’t need parents to run a lemonade stand,” Skenazy said. She thinks too many parents are outsourcing their own children’s childhoods back to themselves, thinking they can do it better. That would explain the dad doing the pouring.

Skenazy insisted a small child can run a lemonade stand. Rather than issuing agerelated guidelines, she believes in teaching kids to protect themselves. For instance, she argued that it’s not about not talking to strangers. “You can talk to anyone,” Skenazy said. “You cannot go off with anyone who is not pre-approved by your parents, no matter what the person says.”

I’ll drink to that—lemonade, preferably, sold by a couple of brave, smart, capable children in my neighborhood.

Christopher Moore is a writer and adjunct professor who lives in New York City. He is on Twitter at @cmoorenyc and can be reached by email at ccmnj@ aol.com.

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