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Council Member Keith Powers, pictured here speaking at his Jan. 21 inauguration at the CUNY Graduate Center, will serve as chair of the City Council’s criminal justice committee in his first term representing District 4. Photo courtesy of Keith Powers.
POWERS AIMS FOR QUICK, SAFE CLOSURE OF RIKERS JUSTICE A Q&A with Council Member Keith Powers on the city’s steps toward closing the jail complex BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
City Council Member Keith Powers, who this year took office as the representative for District 4, will serve as chair of the Council’s criminal justice committee in his first term. In this role, one of Powers’ chief responsibilities will be overseeing the closure of the notoriously violent Rikers Island jail complex. Last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio laid out a plan for closing Rikers and moving the city’s jail population to borough-based facilities within ten years. Some activists and Council
members have advocated for a more aggressive timeline. The administration says it needs to reduce the city’s jail population to 5,000 from its current average of roughly 9,000 to be in a position to transition from Rikers to borough-based facilities. The mayor’s office announced in January that it plans to close the first of the nine jails on the island this summer. In January, the city awarded a $7.6 million contract to an architecture and design firm to conduct a 10-month study of the design and location of borough-based jails that will replace Rikers Island. Powers joined Straus News to outline his priorities for the criminal justice committee, which he said extend well beyond the key objective of closing Rikers Island.
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1-7 2018
Unsightly trash, sawhorses and construction debris mar the streetscape on the south side of East 86th Street on Sunday, January 28th. A business improvement district that is taking shape in the corridor would provide enhanced street cleaning, maintenance, vendor enforcement and public safety services. Photo: Douglas Feiden
A BID BLOOMS ON 86TH STREET EXCLUSIVE After three decades of false starts, a business improvement district finally advances in a 20-block area between First and Park Avenues in the East 80s BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
It was 1988 when a group of Upper East Side merchants and property owners seeking to combat crime and grime first proposed the YorkvilleEast 86th Street Business Improvement District. Peddlers, pushers and panhandlers haunted the then-seedy commercial corridor, and the prospect of asking businesses to pay an extra levy to fund safer, cleaner streets seemed like a slam-dunk. Guess again. Three major commercial property owners balked at the assessment. Some residential own-
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ers objected, too. And for the next 13 years, the founders of the would-be BID struggled to gain traction. They rewrote its mission, changed its scope, mapped and remapped its boundaries, added to its budget, subtracted from its budget – even dropped the word “Yorkville” from its name. Nothing worked. Faced with insurmountable opposition, the steering company formed to create the BID finally threw in the towel and withdrew its application from the city’s Department of Small Business Services in May 2001. Now, 30 years after the launch of that initial effort and 17 years after its collapse, a campaign to organize a new BID anchored by East 86th Street has reached critical mass, according to people close to the process. If multiple city approvals are secured, the proposed BID — in a 20-block, rectangular-shaped area bounded by First Avenue and Park Avenue and East 84th and 88th Streets — could become a reality later this year.
Designed to lift the area’s quality of life, the BID would be a nonprofit public-private partnership providing sanitation, street maintenance, public safety, vendor enforcement and homeless outreach. It would supplement, not replace, city services, drawing on funding from a special property assessment akin to an additional tax. The BID’s initial annual budget would be $900,000, according to the proposal from its steering committee, which includes seven property owners, three civic groups, local elected officials, small business owners and the nonprofit Doe Fund.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, February 2 – 4:57 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com
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FLU RAISES RISK OF HEART ATTACK FOR SENIORS GRAYING NEW YORK A new study establishes a link between influenza and cardiac issues in the first week after diagnosis BY MIKE STOBBE
As if the flu wasn’t bad enough already: Researchers have confirmed that u sharply increases the risk of heart attack for older people. Doctors have long known that u can trigger heart problems. It’s one of the reasons flu shots are recommended for nearly everyone. A new Canadian study found that risk was six times higher in the ďŹ rst week after u is diagnosed, compared to the year before and after the bug hits. Unlike previous studies, the researchers used lab tests to make sure people suspected of having the u really did. “It’s a much more rigorous study that allows us to make a much more specific link between u infection and heart issues,â€? said Richard Webby, a prominent flu researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
Photo: James Gathany, via CDC / Judy Schmidt He was not involved in the research. Results were published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The researchers reviewed more than ďŹ ve years of hospital and lab records in Ontario. They found 332 mostly elderly people who had a positive u test
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and had suffered a heart attack within a year. There was one strong pattern: 20 had a heart attack within a week of getting the u. Six died.
“The increased risk was only in that first week,â€? said lead author Dr. Jeffrey Kwong of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto. How does u — a respiratory ailment with a fever, cough and aches — trigger a heart attack? Flu can cause swelling or inammation in the coronary arteries, which can shake loose plaque and cause blockages, cutting off blood ow. “That’s the main culprit,â€? said Dr. Mohammad Madjid, a cardiologist and u researcher at Houston’s University of Texas Health Science Center. Adding to that is the strain that u and other viral infections place on already-weakened hearts. Lung infections make it harder for people to breathe, so the heart has to pump harder to get oxygenated blood out to every part of the body. Flu wasn’t the only viral infection that fell into the same week pattern, the study found. The researchers found the risk of heart attack was about 3 1/2 times higher with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and nearly 3 times higher for a grab bag collection of germs that include the common cold.
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG BAG SNATCHINGS
STATS FOR THE WEEK
Police remind people not to let their guard down when they lay a bag down. At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23, a 55-year-old man put his bag down on the ground at the 79th Street Boat Basin. When he next looked for his carrier, it was gone. Items stolen included credit cards and a jacket, presenting a total value of $320. At 5 p.m. on the same day, a 24-year-old man placed his bag down outside 21 West End Avenue, and his belongings also disappeared when he wasn’t looking. The items stolen included the bag, a jacket, and a scanner with a total value of $1,055.
CENTURY SENTENCE A young couple could be spending some time in the Graybar Hotel. At 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23, a 19-year-old man and woman entered the Century 21 store at 1972 Broadway and attempted to remove $1,300 worth of clothing without paying for the merchandise. Police arrested the pair on charges of grand larceny.
Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
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Reported crimes from the 19th district for Week to Date
Year to Date
2018 2017
% Change
2018
2017
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
0
n/a
Rape
0
0
n/a
0
1
-100.0
Robbery
2
2
0.0
11
5
120.0
Felony Assault
0
3
-100.0
8
11
-27.3
Burglary
6
6
0.0
16
12
33.3
Grand Larceny
27
32
-15.6
91
79
15.2
Grand Larceny Auto
3
0
n/a
4
0
n/a
PEDALING AND PILFERING
IPHONE EX
Cellphone users walking in the streets need to keep an eye on those around them, including nearby bicyclists. At 5:50 p.m. on Sunday, January 21, a 27-year-old man was walking on Broadway near West 65th Street when a man on a bicycle swooped by him and grabbed his phone which was valued at $869. The bicyclist zoomed off in an unknown direction.
A shoplifter would not be denied a new top-of-the-line cellphone. At 3 p.m. on Friday, January 19, a woman said to be in her 60s entered the AT&T store at 2066 Broadway and made off with an iPhone X valued at $1,100.
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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct
153 E. 67th St.
212-452-0600
FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13
159 E. 85th St.
311
FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16
157 E. 67th St.
311
FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43
1836 Third Ave.
311
FDNY Engine 44
221 E. 75th St.
311
FIRE
CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick
211 E. 43rd St. #1205
212-818-0580
Councilmember Ben Kallos
244 E. 93rd St.
212-860-1950
STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
State Senator Liz Krueger
1850 Second Ave.
212-490-9535
Assembly Member Dan Quart
360 E. 57th St.
212-605-0937
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
1365 First Ave.
212-288-4607
COMMUNITY BOARD 8
505 Park Ave. #620
212-758-4340
LIBRARIES Yorkville
222 E. 79th St.
212-744-5824
96th Street
112 E. 96th St.
212-289-0908
67th Street
328 E. 67th St.
212-734-1717
Webster Library
1465 York Ave.
212-288-5049
Lenox Hill
100 E. 77th St.
212-434-2000
NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell
525 E. 68th St.
212-746-5454
NEW YORK’S NEXT GENERATION OF POETS A sixth grader’s winning poem captures the spirit and voice of Manhattan
MY CULTURE, MY PARENTS
BY ALIZAH SALARIO
“The bodega is where we tell our truth.” This astute line isn’t the work of a wizened poet of yore. Rather, it came from Rashel Vargas, a Manhattan sixth grader. Vargas, who attends the Police Athletic League’s afterschool program at the Polo Grounds location, is the Manhattan winner of the PAL’s Poetry Writing Contest for children with her poem “My Culture, My Parents.” The annual poetry contest is open to budding lyricists in first through eighth grades in all five boroughs. Vargas, along with the other winning poets, will have the opportunity to work with a spoken word professional and perform at the annual Poet’s Café at Affirmation Arts Gallery in Manhattan, and have her work included in an anthology. Clearly, these young poets contain multitudes.
BY RASHEL VARGAS
The culture helps to shape me, The latin girls running around each street. The tangled hair that makes us who we are. The block is our family. The bodega is where we tell our truth, And share our neighbor’s secrets. The culture helps to shape me. The people who raised us, Protect us every day. The country my parents are from, Was given up to come here for better opportunities. The culture helps shape me, But my parents make us who we are.
Drawing Board
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FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
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amazing is getting A second heart before YOUR first day of school. NewYork-Presbyterian kept Jenna alive with half a heart until they could give her a new one. Get the story at nyp.org/amazingthings
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HOW TO MAKE BRUSSELS SPROUTS TASTY Angel Ramos knows his veggies. He’s the head chef over at Candle 79, an upscale restauraunt on the UES, where all of the food is organic and vegan, and 100% delicious. He’ll be showing off his green culinary skills at The Art of Food next Saturday, February 10th, where he’ll be serving up a special dish based on a piece of artwork curated by Sotheby’s. To sign up for tickets, visit www.artoffoodny.com In the meantime, Angel is teaching us how to make brussels sprouts to rave about. “The reason that Brussels Sprouts sometimes get a bad rap is they are usually overcooked,” he
ART OF FOOD
ALMOND CRÈME FRAÎCHE DIRECTIONS: To make the crème fraîche, put the almonds in a large bowl an cover with at least 4 inches inches of water. Let soak overnight. Rinse and drain the almonds. Transfer the almonds to a food processor. Add the lemon juice, grape seed oil, water and salt. Blend until smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. The Crème Fraîche will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
NADLER HOSTS TOWN HALL COMMUNITY “There is almost unanimous opinion on the Dreamers,” the Congressman said BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
at
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explains. “In our version, the sprouts are gently roasted with olive oil and fresh rosemary so they develop a mild nutty flavor. Then top them with a dollop of almond crème fraiche for a finishing touch that’s sure to please.”
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Almond Crème Fraîche Serves 6 - 8 Almond Crème Fraîche Ingredients 2 cups sliced almonds 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons grape seed oil ½ cup water 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
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BRUSSELS SPROUTS INGREDIENTS: 3 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 shallots, sliced
BRUSSELS SPROUTS DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the brussels sprouts in a large bowl, add the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and toss together. Transfer to a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Roast for about 20 minutes, until just tender. Remove from the oven, discard the foil, and sprinkle the shallots over the sprouts. Roast for an additional 15 minutes, then remove and let cool. Serve the brussels sprouts and garnish with 1 – 2 tablespoons of almond crème fraîche.
When Rep. Jerrold Nadler spoke at Goddard Riverside Community Center a year ago, days before the inauguration of President Donald Trump (which Nadler, in an act of protest, declined to attend), he detailed the steps he and his House colleagues in the Democratic minority would take to oppose the agenda pushed by Trump and congressional Republicans. Last week Nadler returned to the Upper West Side community center and shared his analysis of the first year of the Trump administration at a town hall meeting. Trump, Nadler said, represents “the greatest threat to constitutional liberty” in living memory. Nadler denounced the president’s attacks on the press, the judiciary and federal agencies like the FBI, and criticized Republicans in the House and Senate for not doing more to scrutinize Trump’s conduct in relation to possible collusion between his campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 election and subsequent investigations into the matter. “Congress is not fulfilling its oversight role,” Nadler said, adding, “The Republicans in Congress seem to view their role as facilitating whatever the president wants to do and protecting him from the special prosecutor or from the FBI or from anybody who is trying to have oversight of the president or limit his power to do what he wants.” Nadler, whose 10th Congressional district includes much of Manhattan’s West Side, downtown, and parts of Brooklyn, had been scheduled to hold another public event in Manhattan earlier in the week, but was forced to cancel the event after a standoff in Congress led to a three-day shutdown of the federal government. For over an hour, Nadler addressed several dozen constituents at Goddard Riverside and fielded questions on a variety of topics, including the upcoming fall midterm elections (“It is so crucial that we have a Democratic House, and preferably Senate, to provide some checks and balances come next
Rep. Jerrold Nadler discussed immigration policy and the recently ended government shutdown with constituents at a town hall meeting at Goddard Riverside Community Center Jan. 25. Photo: Michael Garofalo January,” Nadler said) and the potential for cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, which Nadler fears congressional Republicans will attempt to pursue in the wake of the tax cuts passed last year. “Congress hasn’t passed much of any significance in this last session, but that tax bill is about the worst thing I can imagine, on any different number of levels,” he said. Nadler believes that the bill will result in increased federal deficits, which Republicans will then cite as justification for reduced spending on Social Security and Medicare. “There is no saving grace in this tax bill at all,” he said. The shutdown ended after Senate Democrats agreed to support a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government for three weeks after receiving assurances from Republican leaders that the Senate would take up a bipartisan immigration bill including protections for so-called “Dreamers,” undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. Nearly 800,000 young immigrants were afforded temporary protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program introduced under President Barack Obama. In September 2017, the Trump Administration rescinded DACA and announced that its protections would expire in March, thus imposing a deadline for Congress to pass legislation addressing the issue. Nadler said that any reasonable comprehensive immigration bill would provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers while also tightening border controls. “There is almost unanimous
opinion on the Dreamers,” Nadler said, citing polls that show broad support for granting permanent legal status for members of the group. “The president agrees ... on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” he said, referring to the inconsistent positions Trump has taken on the topic. Nadler said that pressures on Senate Democrats facing difficult reelection campaigns in the fall midterms made it difficult for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to sustain the unity in his caucus needed to exercise leverage to extract additional concessions. “In the House, we have no leverage at all,” Nadler said. “I voted against reopening the government. So did most Democrats. That was easy to do because we knew we were going to lose the vote.” “Nothing in the past two months has given me any indication that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell or President Trump will keep their word and allow a vote on a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to address Dreamers and other issues,” Nadler said in a statement after the vote. “House Speaker Paul Ryan isn’t even a party to this compromise and has made no promises about bringing up a bill even if the Senate does pass a DACA fix.” The town hall meeting that was cancelled due to the shutdown has been rescheduled for Feb. 12 at New York University, but Nadler hinted that a new deadline imposed under the agreement to reopen the government could again derail the event. “The continuing resolution expires Feb. 8, and hopefully we’re not in another crisis,” he said “Hopefully we don’t have to cancel that too.”
FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
THE PAST HAS A FUTURE HERE HISTORY The Hungarian House: Revitalizing history and culture on the Upper East Side
H T
BY ANNA BROOKS
It started out as an asylum for refugees fleeing Europe after the Hungarian Revolution erupted in 1956. Then it became a place of prestige, a high-class, membersonly club visited by people like Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dennis Gabor and József Antall, Hungary’s first democraticallyelected prime minister. And then, it almost wasn’t a place at all. For years, the bright, redbricked, house has struggled, repeatedly facing closure as the Yorkville neighborhood around it gentrified. “In the ‘90s, the house started to lose its identity,” Ildiko Nagy, the director of the Hungarian House, said. “People moved away from what was known as ‘Little Hungary’ in the area. Other immigrants started to get too old to participate, some of them died, and suddenly life was different at the house.” The house is now one of the last pieces of living history for Hungarians on the Upper East Side, which for a time teemed with Eastern European expats. “Little Hungary” had its genesis on East Houston Street, where émigrés from the central European country first settled, revitalizing empty homes and storefronts into Hungarian cafés and restaurants. Many of those residents would move from the East Village to Yorkville in the early 1900s, and 79th Street — dubbed Goulash Avenue — was alive with Hungarian butchers, bakeries, churches and markets. When the Hungarian Revolution broke out, thousands fled the violence and flooded into urban centers, including New York City. Intended to be a “home for Hungarian culture in the free world,” as a library brochure from 1960 notes, the halls of Hungarian House served as headquarters for The First Aid for Hungary during the revolution, and for years afterward. “Seeing as they couldn’t go back to Hungary at the time, immigrants needed a home, a house, a community center,” Nagy, 38, explained. “That was the beginning of the life of the Hungarian House.”
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E C A L T P TE
A S K E S B O E T
Hungarian House on East 82nd Street remains a cultural hub for Hungarian immigrants. Photo: Anna Brooks Repression of free expression in Hungary at the time made the house’s mission to preserve history and heritage especially crucial. Committed members of the American Hungarian Library and Historical Society began collecting: rare historical volumes, 16th century books, top secret government correspondences, diplomatic documents, oil paintings and English news clippings more than 300 years old. In all, thousands of pages detailing 1,000 years of Hungarian history also found a home at the Hungarian House. Years passed, tensions settled, and the house transformed from refuge to Hungarian high society. For the next three decades, the house operated as a private social club, an exclusive spot where the wealthy would congregate for afternoon teas and lavish parties. But then the 1990s hit and, like much of Manhattan, Yorkville began to change. One
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by one, the Hungarian businesses that had once thrived on the Upper East Side disappeared, leaving the three-story splash of red on 82nd Street near Third Avenue one of the last bits of Hungary left in the neighborhood. The house had survived, but its existence was looking increasingly precarious — many had either given up or simply forgotten about the house. But there were some, like Michael Ginsburg, a truba player for the acclaimed Balkan band Zlatne Uste (“Golden Lips”), who never did. “When we play at Hungarian House, it’s like a home gig,” said Ginsburg, 69, who has performed at the Hungarian House for almost 30 years. “We’ve been using their space for a long, long time, and at one point we were the only ones.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
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LONELINESS CHASERS BY BETTE DEWING
Well, what do you know, Ash Wednesday falls on February 14 this year, same as, of course, Valentine’s Day. And don’t these holy days/holidays relate to the appointment of a Minister for Loneliness in the U.K.? Loneliness exists everywhere, not just in the U.K. And it’s very bad for our health, something Dr. James J. Lynch’s 1976 book, “The Broken Heart, the Medical Consequences of Loneliness,” warned in vain about — but few listened then. Thankfully, a Lenox Hill Neighborhood House volunteer, Lesley, alerted me to news reports highlighting the appointment of the Loneliness Minister. I might otherwise have missed that development. Imagine...
Ah yes, good friends, like Lesley, and don’t forget family, colleagues and neighbors, who keep you posted, stay in touch, are most deserving Valentine recipients — and loneliness chasers. It can’t be said enough how Valentine’s Day is definitely not for romantic couples only. And music lyrics must stop saying just that. Recall Ira Gershwin, whose lyrics for George’s last composition before his death, “Love is here to stay,” were written as a tribute to his brother: “It’s very clear, our love is here to stay/Not for a year but ever and a day.” And to stay with the music, if only “Why don’t people stay in one place anymore” had become a rallying cry against compulsive, impulsive and unnecessary uprooting. An immi-
gration and migration downside is the loneliness felt by those left behind. It’s usually the old folks who suffer from the subsequent lack of grandparent closeness. Ah, but the need is mutual, and what about all those who don’t have children? Well, here’s to “the family rich” including “the family poor.” Now medics in the U.K. and elsewhere say loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Ironically, smoking temporarily relieves loneliness. Ah, so does alcohol, and we need to know how AA meetings provide the kind of supportive community that’s needed everywhere else. And speaking of ministers, the faith group kind should consider how their pews might be a lot fuller if comparable support were found in their own congregations. Members bearing one another’s burdens and assisting the disabled to services and events. Ah, that goes for civic and political groups too. So no one is
left out. So no one is left out. And, oh, how loneliness grows in the loss of community gathering places — the loss of our stores and eateries where one can also go alone, and waiters and clerks know you by name. It’s ironic, as Arlene Kayatt’s column in these pagers recently observed, that those places where healing can take place — “the hospitals’ lust for Manhattan real estate” eat up those very establishments — those neighborhood gathering places such as coffee shops and diners — that help meet those everyday needs. And there are the lost movie houses — the latest being the Sunshine Cinema. And a valentine surely for Frank Rowley who long managed the doomed Park Plaza Cinema — and for his unique gift for choosing the worthiest films going back at the still very much missed Regency revival film house.
But returning to our Loneliness Minister, whose appointment compelled me to write a letter calling for a revival of Hubert H. Humphrey’s strong belief that “The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.” Another letter stressed how apartment house staff provide not only security, but often the only caring human exchange elder tenants especially receive. And yet a third letter cited the decline in religious faith and religious observance as a significant cause of loneliness. Well, let the concerned keep pushing our media to continue coverage of this cultural tsunami. Combating the loneliness plague needs many a column — and surely as it relates to the Easter and Passover seasons. And don’t forget Valentine’s Day is definitely not for couple/romantic love only! dewingbetter@aol.com
UNITED BY OUR DIVISIONS Opinions of historical monuments have polarized us, regardless of the country you call home BY CHRIS DASTOOR
I’ve been interning at Straus News for three weeks now. Being away from my hometown of Adelaide, Australia, I inevitably miss important events that take place. The most recent was Australia Day, our national public holiday, on January 26. I wasn’t too bothered about missing it; apart from it mostly being a piss-up (Australian slang for binge drinking), I’ve grown tired of the discourse about the holiday. Political history and how we celebrate it has become a major topic around the western world. Before coming to New York I was already aware of this issue in America, particularly the removal of statues of Confederate leaders, although the existence of them in the first place never made sense to me. Vandalism and the proposed removal of statues has become a major political battleground, with the president even weighing in,
not that he ever needs motivation to share his opinion. What was interesting to learn is that Manhattan is having a strong debate over what monuments are appropriate, with monuments being vandalized in protest. Mayor de Blasio just released the recommendations from the City Art, Monuments, and Makers commission on January 12, which has outlined changes that include the addition of historical markers and informational plaques to numerous monuments, including those of Dr. J. Marion Sims, former President Theodore Roosevelt and Christopher Columbus. Just as Columbus was known for his expedition to America, it was Captain James Cook who first landed in Australia. On the eve of this year’s Australia Day, the statue of Captain Cook in Melbourne was covered in pink paint in protest. Australia Day marks the anniversary of Captain Arthur Phillip landing in Port Jackson (present-day Sydney) in 1788; Captain Cook scouted this years earlier for the British Empire, as the empire had lost one of its former colonies (I won’t name names). Colonizers
were brutal, and the Australian indigenous population faced a similar fate to that of Native Americans. Murder and disease decimated the indigenous aboriginals from an estimated one million down to 100,000 by the 20th century and they’re disproportionately disadvantaged in society. On Australia Day, the Australian of the Year awards and honors are presented, and ceremonies are held for new citizens. However, most people typically celebrate by getting drunk at barbeques. Annual protests dominate the news cycle on the day, which protesters have nicknamed “Invasion Day.” This year’s protests saw tens of thousands of people in capital cities marching and proposing a more inclusive holiday. This may sound familiar. In the U.S., “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” is becoming a popular counter-celebration to Columbus Day. Although not a physical monument, the Triple J Hottest 100 songs are traditionally played on this day and are a quintessential part of Australia Day celebrations. People vote for the best songs of the year and listen to the countdown at parties all over
the country. Late last year, the broadcaster changed the date in response to growing discontent with the celebration of the holiday. A subsidiary of the government-sponsored Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Triple J is the forefront of youth counterculture in Australia. They give a platform to some of the country’s biggest alternative music acts and discussions of social issues. Because of their standing, the station felt the obligation to take the lead on this issue. Some local councils in Australia have already made changes. The Western Australian town of Fremantle changed their official celebrations to make it two days later; Melbourne city councils of Yarra and Darebin will no longer hold their citizenship ceremonies on that day. The future of Australia Day is worth paying attention to for Manhattanites. How that discourse evolves may set a precedent for the future in this country. As a witness to debates in both Australia and United States, I’ve seen parallels between the counter-arguments used. “Get over it,” “Why are we being blamed for what happened hun-
Statue of Captain Cook. Photo: chelsealwood, via flickr dreds of years ago?” or “There was no civilization before Europeans arrived, they can go back to using sticks and stones” are common refrains. There’s also the argument that removing the disputed monuments is covering up history. Ultimately, how we pay our respects to history has become a complex situation, and another political battleground in what has become a bitter and divided world.
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HUNGARIAN HOUSE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 No longer the prestigious social club it once was, the house now depends on renting its space to groups like Zlatne Uste. But not so different from all those years ago, the space still remains a cultural hub for Hungarian immigrants in New York. Zsuzsa Rozgonyi works with the Arany JĂĄnos Hungarian School, a Saturday school that teaches K-12 students Hungarian language, culture and history. After almost 60 years operating out of a Hungarian church in New York, the school suddenly lost its space. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Hungarian House was gracious enough to take us in,â&#x20AC;? Rozgonyi, 41, said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new generation coming up, and there will be a need for a school such as ours.â&#x20AC;? Rozgonyi immigrated from Hungary 20 years ago, and said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s witnessed gentriďŹ cation dissolve much of Hungarian culture on the Upper East side over the years. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why, she said, those like herself and Nagy have devoted their free time to helping the Hungarian community regain its identity through family programs like the Saturday school.
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Yorkvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hungarian House, on East 82nd Street, is among the last remaining outposts in a neighborhood once known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Little Hungary.â&#x20AC;? Photo: Anna Brooks â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fewer and fewer people in the area who identify as Hungarian, so the program is very special in many ways,â&#x20AC;? she explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To see my 7-year-old son go on stage and be able to recite a poem in Hungarian, which is not his native language, that was really special to me. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if he realizes how special it was.â&#x20AC;? Today, the house is one of the only active Hungarian cultural centers left in New York.
On weekends, the ballroom is filled with Hungarian scouts and students. Other nights see Hungarian folk dancers leap and twirl beneath the old, tavern-style chandeliers. In the library below, ďŹ lm screenings, poetry readings and Hungarian language courses take place among the books. For the new, for the old, for the ghosts in the halls, history lives on at the Hungarian House.
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Tue 6 HOW DATING APPS HAVE KILLED ROMANCE Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College 695 Park Ave. 212-772-4448 kayeplayhouse.hunter.cuny.edu 7 p.m. $40 Apps like Tinder and Bumble make finding a date as easy as swiping right, but some argue that online dating is rife with sexism, racism, and misogyny, and that dating apps ultimately create a culture that prioritizes sex over love. Daniel Jones, editor of the New York Times’ “Modern Love” column, moderates a debate among WNYC’s “Note to Self” host Manoush Zomorodi and Aziz Ansari’s “Modern Romance” co-author Eric Klinenberg (who are for the notion) and OkCupid’s vice president of engineering, Tom Jacques, and Match. com scientific advisor Helen Fisher (who are against it) on this fascinating, controversial subject. Photo: Santeri Viinamäki, via WikiMedia Commons
Thu 1
Fri 2
Sat 3
PERFORMANCE ARTIST TAMY BEN-TOR
FIRST FRIDAYS AT THE NEUE GALERIE
The Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Ave. 8 p.m. $15/$18 Contemporary social axioms are turned upside down in this new performance by longtime collaborators Tamy Ben-Tor and Miki Carm. They will use plastic masks, fabrics and other props to create life-size puppets and perform a dance of vanity as they spout ideas, shedding new light upon the idea of “normal.” 212-423-3200 thejewishmuseum.org
Neue Galerie 1048 Fifth Ave. 6 p.m. Free End the work week with a relaxing stroll through the Neue Galerie museum, free of charge on the first Friday of every month. The museum shops and the delectable Café Sabarsky will also be open for drinks, dinner and dessert until 9 p.m. 212-994-9493 neuegalerie.org
THE SWEDISH CHALLENGE: SILENT CINEMA Scandinavia House 58 Park Ave. 7 p.m. $45 Yes, there is a Swedish “Golden Age” of film. Come see a double-feature of lesserknown Swedish films that emphasize how they functioned as a catalyst in Sweden and in other Nordic countries to create the conception of a national cinema. 212-779-3587 scandinaviahouse.org
FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
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MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH
LENT 2018 Upcoming Events
3rd Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Tuesday, February 13, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Photo: Peter Massas, via Flickr
Back by popular demand, we are excited to announce the 3rd Annual Pancake Supper! Grab your friends and family, and head on down to the Marble Loft to enjoy pancakes flipped on the griddle by the ministers, staff, elders and deacons. Join us as we celebrate Mardi Gras with a stack of pancakes, a little Jazz, and a lot of fun! $7 per person. Children under 12 are free. No registration necessary.
Sun 4 Mon 5 Tue 6 ▲ BIRDING: WINTER WATERFOWL
MET ESCAPES GALLERY TOUR
BEHIND A NEW ‘CAROUSEL’
Central Park Meet at West 90th St. and Central Park West 1 p.m. Free Join urban park rangers as they guide wildlife lovers to the best viewing spots in the urban jungle, focusing on the different species of waterfowl that reside in the park during the colder winter months. Bring your own binoculars or ask a ranger to borrow a pair. 212-304-2277 nycgovparks.org/events
The Met, 1000 Fifth Ave. 2 p.m. Free, reservations required At this innovative program, individuals living with dementia, together with their family members or care partners, can participate in discussions, handling sessions, art making and other interactive and multisensory activities in The Met’s galleries and classrooms. 212-650-2010 metmuseum.org/events
The Guggenheim 1071 Fifth Ave. 7:30 p.m. $45 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s timeless musical returns to Broadway for the first time in over two decades and features choreography by New York City Ballet’s Justin Peck and direction by Jack O’Brien. The two will discuss the creative process behind their new take on a musical drama that has captivated theatergoers for generations. 212-423-3500 guggenheim.org
Wed 7 ◄ ‘AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE:’ TAYARI JONES WITH ISAAC FITZGERALD The New York Public Library Fifth Ave. at 42nd St. 6:30 p.m. Free Novelist Tayari Jones used a 2011 research fellowship to study mass incarceration in the United States. Her research gave birth to “An American Marriage,” Jones’s latest novel, which examines race, incarceration, loyalty and love, and what happens to a newlywed couple when circumstances beyond their control force choices on their marriage. 917-275-6975 showclix.com
Ash Wednesday Service Wednesday, February 14 1:00pm: Rev. J. Elise Brown, Ph. D. preaching Holy Dust (Psalm 51) 6:15pm: Dr. Michael B. Brown preaching Repentance (Ephesians 2: 1-10) Traditional worship music led by The Marble Choir and Kenneth Dake. Ash Wednesday services are in the Sanctuary and we offer ashes at the conclusion of both.
Sunday Worship at 11:00am Sunday Worship, led by Dr. Michael Brown, is the heart of the Marble Church community. It is where we all gather to sing, pray, and be changed by an encounter with God. Marble is known throughout the world for the practical, powerful, life-changing messages and where one can hear world class music from our choirs that make every heart sing. Busy? Live stream Sunday Worship with us at 11:00am at MarbleChurch.org.
View the full schedule at MarbleChurch.org/Worship/Lent-HolyWeek Event listings brought to you by Marble Collegiate Church. 1 West 29th Street / New York, New York 10001 212 686 2770 / MarbleChurch.org Download the Marble Church App on iPhone or Android
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THE MAESTRO AT 100 A sweeping exhibit about Leonard Bernstein makes a stop at Lincoln Center to celebrate the music icon’s 100th birthday BY VAL CASTRONOVO
In case you missed it: Since last fall, cultural centers around the world have been paying tribute to American music lion Leonard Bernstein (19181990), who would have turned 100 on August 25. Think 2,000 events on six continents over two years for this conductor-composer. Tucked behind the concert hall where he famously led the New York Philharmonic for 11 seasons, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the GRAMMY Museum, is staging a visual symphony of items that tell the story of the man who made his Carnegie Hall debut at 25, substituting at the last minute for flu-stricken conductor Bruno Walter. He led a bravura performance of Schumann’s “Manfred” overture, before moving on to Strauss, Wagner and more. Bernstein’s turn at the podium on November 14, 1943, was broadcast live to a national audience by CBS Radio and made the front page of The New York Times (see a copy here). It was a career-defining moment. In words, objects and triumphant sound, this exhibit chronicles the life and career of a music man who became the first American-born conductor of the New York Philharmonic when he was ap-
Show-opener: Bernstein’s first piano, a 1917 Brewster upright. Photo: Val Castronovo
Leonard Bernstein at Harvard in 1973. Photo: Rick Stafford. Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. pointed its music director in 1958. As his late brother Burton Bernstein wrote in the essay collection “Leonard Bernstein: American Original”: “Up to that point, conductors of major and minor American orchestras were imported, esteemed Europeans ... but a born-and-bred American Jewish kid? Out of the question!” Bernstein set the precedent, paving the way for the Philharmonic’s Lorin Maazel (2002) and Alan Gilbert (2009). His first piano kicks off the show and takes you back. It’s a 1917 Brewster upright bequeathed to his family by an aunt who needed to unload it. “Lenny” was 10 and, per the exhibit label, “Upon touching it the day it arrived, Bernstein knew that his life was to be about music.” Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Russian-Jewish immigrants, he attended the Boston Latin School, Harvard and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied conducting with Fritz Reiner. He spent summers at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and was mentored by the Russian conductor Serge Koussevitzky. In 1942, after being classified 4F by the Boston draft board on account of asthma, he moved to New York to be a part of the music scene. As Barbara Haws, archivist of the New York Philharmonic, writes about postwar New York in “Leonard Bernstein: American Original”: “It was due to New York as the cultural capital that Bernstein became a household name even to people who only dreamed of visiting the city,
Some of “Leonard Bernstein at 100” at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Photo: The New York Public Library/ Jonathan Blanc who never set foot in a concert hall or went to a production on the Great White Way.” Timelines mix with listening bars, photos, caricatures by Al Hirschfeld, vinyl covers (cue Mahler, his idol), videos, conducting batons, pencils, a podium, illustrated letters, home movies and personal effects such as cigarette boxes and bed slippers. The thoroughness extends to the partial recreation of Bernstein’s home-studio in Fairfield, Connecticut, featuring a 19th century stool that belonged to Brahms. Vitrines are filled with annotated score sheets and other tangibles from his classical concerts, Broadway musicals (e.g., “On the Town,” “Peter Pan,” “Wonderful Town,” “West Side Story”) and Hollywood films (“On the Waterfront”). Items from lesser-known works such as “Kaddish,” his third symphony, and “Mass,” a theater work that draws on the Catholic Mass and was produced for the opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971, demonstrate the maestro’s range and spiritual side. Bernstein prided himself on being a professional musician, but he was also a passionate arts educator. From 1958 to 1972, he led the Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic, primers in classical music that were televised live to millions by CBS. A video clip shows him explaining the parts of the orchestra to attentive
youngsters. As his brother Burton wrote, Lenny became a “rock-star celebrity” with these and other televised master classes. We eagerly anticipated the section devoted to “West Side Story,” the legendary musical set on the streets of New York, with some prologue scenes filmed just north of the future Lincoln Center on West 68th Street. It opened at the Winter Garden in 1957 and was turned into an Academy Award-winning film in 1961. Bernstein wrote the music, Sondheim the lyrics. Pick up a headset and watch the vintage trailer and spectacular dance moves, courtesy Jerome Robbins. For a more interactive experience, there’s an adjacent booth that invites visitors to step in and belt out “America.” Bow down to the desk where the great musician composed “West Side Story” (and “Candide”). Almost eight months before the Broadway opening of “West Side Story,” Bernstein made the cover of TIME (the February 4, 1957, issue is here). The magazine called him the “Mickey Mantle of music, a brilliant switch hitter, conducting with his right hand and composing with his left.” He was a conductor, composer, pianist, educator, writer and 24/7 celebrity. “He showed the world, whether the world liked it or not, what a talented American could do,” Burton recalled.
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Leonard Bernstein at 100” WHERE: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza WHEN: Through March 24 www.nypl.org/events/
The ‘50s-era desk where Leonard Bernstein composed the music for “West Side Story” and “Candide.” Photo: Val Castronovo
FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
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A parody of the erotic myth of Don Juan. [In Spanish with English subtitles]
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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JAN 17 - 23, 2017 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Delizia Ristorante
1374 1 Avenue
A
Jones Wood Foundry
401 East 76 Street
A
Arturo’s
1617 York Avenue
A
Ryan’s Daughter Cafe
350 East 85 Street
A
Nectar Of 82nd Street
1090 Madison Avenue A
Cafe Sabarsky
1048 5 Avenue
Grade Pending (25) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Kidville NY
163 East 84 Street
A
William Greenberg Jr Desserts
1100 Madison Avenue A
Sushi Suki
1577 York Ave
Grade Pending (19) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
Peng’s Noodle Folk
1659 1st Ave
Grade Pending (17) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Paola’s
1295 Madison Avenue A
Au Jus
1762 1st Ave
A
Bagel Mill
1700 1st Ave
Grade Pending (19) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Flip Sigi
1752 2nd Ave
A
Brisas Del Mar Seafood Market
1785-1787 Lexington Avenue
A
Cafe On 5th / Sterling Affair
1216 5 Avenue
A
Crown Fried Chicken
1867 Lexington Avenue
A
Grand Cafe (Metropolitan Hospital)
1901 2 Avenue
Grade Pending (37) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
R & J Lounge
109 E 116th St
A
Capri Bakery
186 East 116 Street
A
Lemon Life
255 East 110 Street
A
Q Marqet
38 E 98th St
Grade Pending (35) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Precooked potentially hazardous food from commercial food processing establishment that is supposed to be heated, but is not heated to 140º F within 2 hours. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Patriots and Eagles in 2008, at a pre-season game in Foxborough. Photo: LiteTouch Photography, via flickr
SUPER VIEWING HANGOUTS Can’t make it to Minneapolis for the big game? We scouted out the best Manhattan spots to watch Super Bowl LII BY CHRIS DASTOOR
Despite being from the other side of the world, I have been an avid follower of the NFL since I was kid. Although I have been getting up at 10 a.m. in my hometown of Adelaide, Australia for the past 20 years to watch the big game on Monday mornings, Super Bowl LII marks a special occasion for me. It’s the first time ever I will be watching football in an American time zone. Since there’s no fun in watching it alone, I decided to investigate the best places around Manhattan to catch the game. For partisan fans who are conscientious about dealing with the enemy, there are Eagles and Patriots bars showing the game too.
WICKED WILLY’S Downtown 149 Bleecker St. 212-254-8592 Cost: $29-$49 Caribbean oasis Wicked Willy’s will be screening Superbowl LII on ten of its HD televisions and a massive 20-foot projector with surround sound. The three-hour premium open bar includes endless well drinks, beers, wines, and select liquors for $49 per person. Even better, satisfy your cravings by including unlimited hot wings. If Justin Timberlake isn’t your idea of half-time entertainment, you might rather enjoy one of the three beerpong tables. Get your music fix with karaoke after the game.
The rooftop lounge at Monarch. Photo courtesy of Monarch
MONARCH Chelsea/Penn Station 71 West 35th St. 212-630-9993 Cost: $25-$45 18 floors up, this enclosed rooftop lounge has five big screens and five projectors for prime viewing of the big game. There are fun activities like corn hole, beer pong and flip cup. Monarch will have a one-hour open bar, plus drink specials including $5 beers, $6 whiskey shots and $2 fireball shots for every touchdown scored! Hungry? Food
specials include pigs in a blanket, wings and nachos.
TONIC BAR Chelsea 727 Seventh Ave. 212-382-1059 Cost: $107.62 Tickets include a standard open bar and wings for the duration of the game, plus an option for entrée of a burger, pizza or salad/pasta with the unlimited wings.
FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
IGGY’S KARAOKE SPORTS GRILL Upper East Side 1452 Second Ave. 212-327-3043 Attendees will receive a Super Bowl swag bag with tshirts, bottle openers and a hat. The 109-foot-long bar will have enough food and seating available for everyone. There’s a $40 optional open bar for 4 hours, Bud Lite giveaways and karaoke after the game.
230 FIFTH Downtown 230 Fifth Ave. 212-725-4300 Cost: $45 per person (subject to change) From 7-9 p.m. enjoy a beer and wine open bar and unlimited buffet that includes every bar food you can imagine: chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, beef sliders, buffalo wings, fully loaded potato skins, nachos, hot dogs, chicken strips, French fries and quesadillas.
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OLMA RESTAURANT & BAR Upper West Side 420 Amsterdam Ave. 212-390-0708 Happy hour prices from 4 p.m. on include: $8 martinis, $7 wines by the glass, $5 draft beers, $6 homemade infused vodka shots, 95c select oysters, 15 percent off caviar, 25 percent off bottles of wine.
HOFBRÄU BIERHAUS NYC Upper East Side 712 Third Ave. 212-867-2337 Enjoy 50 percent off appetizers while watching the game on one of eight television screens or from the giant projector. The Super Bowl is all about beer, and you can enjoy the game with a giant 2-liter boot.
EAGLES BARS TURTLE BAY NYC Upper East Side Ave. 987 Second SecondAve. 212-223-4224 Cost: $20-50 Doors on Sunday will open at 3:30 p.m. Reserved tables are currently full, but they’ll still add you to the waitlist.
Everyone entering the bar will be asked to purchase one of the following: $20 for unlimited soda, water, & wings; $40 for unlimited domestic draft beer & wings; $50 for unlimited ALL draft beer and wings. Cash only.
SHORTY’S NYC Midtown 576 Ninth Ave. 212-967-3055 Win a reserved table for the event by posting a picture of yourself in Eagles gear with a Shorty’s Philly cheesesteak and tag @shortysnyc on it.
PATRIOTS BARS PROFESSOR THOMS Downtown 219 Second Ave. 212-260-9480 Cost: $150-$250 VIP tickets are almost sold out, so get in quick for those! From 1 p.m. they’ll be screening the Patriots’ previous championships over the Seahawks and Falcons, and raffling off a handful of VIP tickets, including two reserved stools for the big game later in the evening, as well as other prizes.
TIR NA NOG Chelsea/Penn Station 254 West 31st St. 212-630-0249 The Penn Station branch of this Irish pub still has availability, so it is worth getting in quick to book a reservation.
Ross Posmentier, one of the head chef’s at NewYork-Presbyterian at last year’s Art of Food.
GRANDMA’S SECRET RECIPE Ross Posmentier, one of NewYork-Presbyterian’s head chefs, is dedicated to his patients. Everything he makes is homemade, and if a patient wants a specific meal that isn’t on the menu, Ross will go out, get the fresh ingredients, and make it happen. For the Art of Food, Chef Posmentier is faced with a different challenge: create a dish based on a piece of artwork curated by Sotheby’s. Last year, the food he prepared was so expertly prepped and plated that it mirrored his artwork. Ross is in the midst of the creative process for creating this year’s dish, which will be revealed and served at the Art of Food next Saturday, February 10th. To get tickets, visit www.artoffoodny.com
ART OF FOOD at
Presented by
Until then, Ross is sharing one of a favorite recipe with our readers. “This recipe is very dear to my heart,” he says. “It was passed down to me from my Grandma Sally who didn’t easily give out her famous recipes! This zucchini cake is amazing with hot coffee, tea, as a snack or for dessert. Every bite of this deliciously moist Zucchini Cake brings me right back to Grandma’s kitchen.
Grandma’s Zucchini Cake Yield: 2 Loafs
INGREDIENTS: Eggs: 3 ea Canola oil: 1 c. Sugar: 1 2/3 c. Vanilla extract 2 tsp. All purpose flour: 2 c. Salt: 1 tsp. Baking soda: 1 tsp. Cinnamon: 3 tsp. Zucchini, whole: ¾ lb. Walnuts: ¾ c. Golden raisins: ¾ c.
In Minneapolis. Photo: Greg Gjerdingen, via flickr
DIRECTIONS: 1. Soak raisins in warm water for 10 minutes, strain. 2. Wash zucchini and remove the small brown end. Using the stem end as a handle, grate on box grater. 3. Break or roughly chop the walnut halves. 4. Mix eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla with a spoon in a large bowl. 5. Carefully sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together and slowly add to egg mixture. 6. When well combined add the zucchini, walnuts and raisins. 7. Fold everything in and pour batter into greased pans with parchment paper on the bottom. 8. Bake for 55 minutes in a preheated 315 degree oven on low fan. Remove when toothpick comes out clean.
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FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
Business MODEL MUSEUM KIDS Sand rendering of the new Children’s Museum by sculptor Matt Long. Photo: Carey Davis
The Children Museum of Manhattan’s annual family fundraiser, “Sunday Funday,” held on January 28 at Chelsea Piers, featured a rendering of the museum’s new building at 361 Central Park West. The
model was crafted by Matt Long, an award-winning sand sculptor who lives on Staten Island. The new building, on the site of the former home of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, is expected to open in late 2021. Until then, CMOM remains open at 212 West 83rd Street.
86TH ST BID CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Still uncertain is the organization’s name. One logical choice is the East 86th Street Business Improvement District. Another option: “BID East Eighties,” or BEE, which is favored by City Council Member Ben Kallos, who represents the area and has been spearheading the effort and winning over wavering property owners for the past 2.5 years. “This will finally provide the funding the community has needed for generations to support our businesses and keep 86th Street clean and tidy and beautiful,” Kallos said. “Even with millions of dollars in city investment in the area, folks still feel that 86th Street needs more attention, and that’s where the BID comes in,” he added. “This will go above and beyond what government could possibly do.” The breakthrough came earlier this month when a tally found that the owners of at least 50.1 percent of the value of commercial assessed properties in the district were backing the BID, Our Town has learned. That is the threshold required for the proposal to advance — the failure to reach it doomed the original 1988 initiative and at least one other abortive effort — and it means that property owners have agreed to pay the annual levy to fund services and make the BID viable. The good news was unveiled on Tuesday, January 23rd at Maz Mezcal, the Mexican restaurant at 316 East 86th Street where owner Mary Silva, a steering company member, has hosted several meetings for BID organizers and business owners, participants said. “We have achieved the support of the majority of commercial assessed value in the neighborhood,” Kallos confirmed in an interview. “It is a very big deal.” Indeed, expectations among merchants are great: “Some 40 years ago,
DISTRICT BOUNDARIES The map portrays the 20-block territory of the emerging East 86th Street Business Improvement District, which also takes in First, Second, Third, Lexington and Park Avenues between 84th and 88th Streets. Map data courtesy of BID East Eighties. Illustration by Caitlin Ryther there were dance halls on East 86th Street, and some very, very good restaurants,” Silva said. “It was the place to come for an evening’s entertainment.” Back then, the street was known variously as “Sauerkraut Boulevard,” the “German Broadway” or the “Teutonic Corridor,” and Silva ticks off the names of its long-vanished icons — Kleine Konditorei, Café Geiger, Bremen House, Little Finland, the Ideal Restaurant, the Lorelei Dance Hall. Obviously, those hot spots aren’t coming back. But the BID can create the ambiance and character that can foster the next wave of popular destinations, merchants say. “It will bring cleanliness to the street, orderliness to the street, security to the street,” Silva said. “And that will make it much more attractive for business owners to move to 86th Street again, at a time when we have an immense amount of empty stores.” It all “begins with clean sidewalks,”
said Lo van der Valk, the president of Carnegie Hill Neighbors, which is also represented on the steering committee. “That’s the first impression people will get when they come to 86th Street,” he added. “Enhanced cleanliness makes people want to come back and shop, makes them happy to be on 86th Street, and enhances their safety ... There are a lot of synergies involved, but it all starts with that first step — clean sidewalks on 86th Street.” The BID faces some steep early challenges: On Sunday, January 28th, the streetscape was marred by overflowing trash cans, unsightly construction debris, gaping holes in the roadbed, mounds of asphalt and sawhorses partially blocking entrances to retail shops. “The community has needed a BID for a very long time, so a lot of stakeholders are excited about it potentially coming into the neighborhood,” said Alex Hunt, director of business opera-
tions for the Doe Fund, which is based at 232 East 84th Street and provides work for the homeless cleaning and sweeping sidewalks and streets. “A BID provides lasting efforts to keep a community clean and in good shape and attractive to residents and visitors and consumers,” Hunt added. The BID-creation process began in late 2015 when Kallos sent a “district needs survey” to property owners, local businesses and residents, polling them about neighborhood conditions, quality-of-life problems and the kinds of services they’d like to see improved. Fueled by $66,000 in start-up funds from the Council member and another $5,000 from Carnegie Hill Neighbors, the steering committee was created, hired a consultant and held its brainstorming sessions at Maz Mezcal over the next two years. Public meetings were held at the Shake Shack and the Chapin School in 2016 to brief the community. And
slowly, painstakingly, organizers lined up support from property owners until finally, they topped the 50.1 percent threshold. The campaign is far from over: The proposed 86th Street BID has completed the “planning phase” and is now wrapping up the public “outreach phase,” according to the city’s Department of Small Business Services. But it still has to survive the “legislative approval phase.” That means more public hearings, reviews by Community Board 8 and the City Planning Commission, approval from the City Council and a final signature from Mayor Bill de Blasio. The BID is expected to pass muster — it will be the 26th in Manhattan — but the process can take from six months to a year. Still, organizers feel they’re on the homestretch. “It will be a near-million dollar annual investment in the maintenance of the neighborhood,” Kallos said.
FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
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Discover the World Around the Corner
POWERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “That’s the big issue, but that’s not the only one,” he said. “There’s going to be a whole host of issues about the process leading up to people going to Rikers Island or other facilities, the fair treatment of people that are coming into the system, and ensuring that no matter what zip code you come from, no matter what your income level, that you have a fair opportunity in the criminal justice system and you receive equal treatment.” The conversation that follows has been edited and condensed.
What is your perception of where the Council stands on this issue of closing Rikers Island in relation to the administration?
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It’s a new Council, a new speaker, new chairs of every committee, so we’re still figuring out where the entire body lies on all issues, but I think certainly the Council will still be leading on this. I think we see an opportunity to close it ahead of the 10-year schedule the mayor has outlined. We’re not sure yet whether we’ll be at odds with the mayor on that or not. The mayor just awarded a contract to work through the process of siting and locating borough-based facilities to replace Rikers Island, and he did award it a little bit ahead of schedule, so that was good. I think we will continue to move timelines faster than the anticipated 10-year timeline the mayor has outlined, but we have to address the realities of getting the population from 9,000 to 5,000 and actually siting the facilities. That will
take some time, so we’ll have to work through that. For what it’s worth, on the award of the contract, I thought this was potentially an impediment to getting this closed earlier. I hope it’s not, but it could be. I don’t want us to get to the end of this year and find out answers that we already know, like where the facilities might go in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. I think we have a pretty good idea of that and we’ve talked about it often.
What is the likelihood that Manhattan’s existing jail — the Manhattan Detention Complex, commonly known as the Tombs — can be renovated to accommodate the borough’s jail population, as compared to the likelihood that an additional jail facility will need to be built in Manhattan? I think the plan will be, and is, to expand the Tombs to accommodate as many people as it can hold and to be the only facility in Manhattan. I think it is the easiest path forward. We recognize that siting facilities is difficult and that siting them at a place where there are existing facilities is the easiest path. This is a pragmatic thing more than anything. I think everybody realizes that the less siting we have to do, the easier it becomes and the more you can do to expand an existing facility versus open a new one.
What other topics will be on the committee’s agenda? We are going to look at some safety considerations around making sure that the people that work [at Rikers] are more safe. We’re going to look at inmate treatment — everything from costs that inmates have to take on, phone calls and other
pieces of legislation that have been in previous Councils — and I think we’re going to look at the cost of bail. Online bail is supposed to be, no pun intended, online. It’s not yet. We should make this a reality as promised. Rikers is predominately people who can’t afford bail. We want to make it so that people are not spending time on Rikers Island because we have made the cost or process of paying bail too inaccessible to communities or individuals.
What should happen with Rikers Island itself after the jails are closed? I have been adamant in not taking a position on the future of it, because I think it presents a big opportunity but I don’t want the future of it to distract from the reality of it today. I don’t want it to become a conversation about what it should be before we’re even at the point of getting on an efficient timeline to close it. With that said, I’m planning to do a hearing at some point on the future of Rikers Island to hear the best ideas on how the city should be using that piece of land in the future. We may not rule out having some corrections facility out there, whether it’s an academy or a small facility, but I do think there’s a lot of opportunity there. I’ve been pretty openminded about what the future can look like there, because any time we have a piece of property in New York City of that size it deserves careful thought about whether it should be housing or economic development or higher education or something else.
More neighborhood news? neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? neighborhood concerns? Email us at news@strausnews.com
FEBRUARY 1-7,2018
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Our Town’s
ART OF FOOD at
Presented by
30 TOP CHEFS 30 PIECES OF ART 1 NIGHT ONLY Saturday, February 10 LIMITED TICKETS LEFT DON’T MISS OUT: artoffoodny.com 5 Napkin Burger Andy D’Amico
Amali/Calissa Dominic Rice
Crave Fishbar Todd Mitgang Garden Court Cafe Tsering Nyima
Bistro Chat Noir Mario Hernandez
Flex Mussels Alexandra Shapiro Il Valentino Rogelio Limon Largo
Gallardo La Pulperia UES Carlos Barroz
Little Frog Xavier Monge
Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque Hugh Mangum Quality Eats Rachel Dos Santos
Socarrat Paella Bar Lolo Manso
Freds at Barneys New York Mark Strausman Jones Wood Foundry Jason Hicks
Magnolia Bakery Bobbie Lloyd
Orwashers Bakery Keith Cohen
Sahib Hemant Matur
Sen Sakana Mina Newman
T-Bar Steak Benjamin Zwicker
The Meatball Shop Daniel Holzman
Candle 79 Angel Ramos La Esquina Fabian Maya David Gonzalez
Paola’s Stefano Marracino Serafina Always Vittorio Assaf
Great Northern Food Hall Claus Meyer
The Penrose Nick Testa
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local news in print & online is still here providing neighborhood news that matters to you. Sign up for our e-newsletter @ ourtownny.com Want a copy in print? Call 212 868 0190 â&#x2013;
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes
A DIRECTOR’S SECOND ACT With “Time Stands Still,” Jerry Heymann gets personal BY ANGELA BARBUTI
When Jerry Heymann first came to New York, in 1970, he lived on East Fourth Street, a few blocks from La MaMa, the now iconic basement theater known for its progressive work. The New Orleans native was one of the first to direct there, after befriending its founder Ellen Stewart. In that show, “Call Me Charlie,” he directed Danny DeVito in one of his first professional acting roles, and the two remain close to this day. After a 25-year hiatus, where he was raising a family and dealing with health issues, Heymann, 75, is back to pursuing his passion, and his newest project is the revival of Donald Margulies’ play “Time Stands Still.” The play, nominated for a Tony Award in 2010, tells the story of a photojournalist who was injured while covering the war in Iraq and her reporter boyfriend, who harbors feelings of guilt about the accident. The couple returns to New York, and are of completely different mindsets — she wants to go back there and he wants to create a new life here. For Heymann, the show holds special meaning, as he and his wife, former director-turned-psychologist Marjorie Melnick, were in a taxi accident back in 2013.
The Upper West resident sang the praises of the cast and crew of “Time Stands Still,” which is being presented by the indie-company, New Light Theater Project. “As a director, I get people together to make something and when the people are interested in taking a lot of responsibility on themselves, I’m of the school where you cast well and get out of the way.”
What is your educational background and how did it lead to your pursuit of theater? I went to Stanford and got a history degree. I took one theater course and was interested, so went to Tulane to take undergraduate and graduate theater courses to see if I liked it and to get me prepared for graduate school. And there was a visiting professor from Carnegie Tech who said, “You should go to Carnegie.” And I said, “Fine.” And I went to Carnegie and got an MFA and PhD in theater. There was also the Vietnam War; I had to go in the Reserves as a medic, so that took some time.
What was it like for you when you first got to New York? I got an adjunct job teaching at Lehman College. And somehow, I became friends with Ellen Stewart. Maybe she was from the South, but we kind of took to each other. That summer, I took an acting workshop with
The theater director Jerry Heymann is returning to directing after a 25-year hiatus. Photo courtesy of New Light Theater Project Andre Gregory. And after that, a guy who was like their techie, Mike Moran, had a play. We worked on it for a few months and I asked Ellen if we could do it there. We did, and just by chance, the star of the show was Danny DeVito. And it was a nice success and we moved it to the Performing Garage. After that, I directed two or three shows a year.
You were one of the first directors to work at La MaMa. What was it like then? It was neat. I was just kind of friends with Ellen. When I first came to New York, I lived on Fourth Street, between La MaMa and Phebe’s. Actually, it’s funny, my wife’s first show in New York starred Danny and Rhea Perlman.
Do you keep in touch with Danny? Oh yeah, we’re close friends. Our kids are about the same age.
Cast rehearsing “Time Stands Still.” Jerry Heymann is directing Donald Margulies’ play, which will be staged at the 13th Street Repertory Company starting February 8. Photo courtesy of New Light Theater Project
Tell us about “Time Stands Still” and what makes it special to you. First of all, it’s kind of personal to me, because the two main characters were
both in a very bad accident. My wife and I were in a taxi accident, where she is still somewhat impaired. I actually died for a minute. And also, I’m really interested in the mess in Iraq and Syria, which these people were involved with. I’m really interested in the fact that she wants to get back to it. And his experience is such that now he wants to get away from it and have a pleasant life. And it doesn’t hurt that the play is extremely well written. And it’s nice to do a well-written play.
What message are you trying to convey to the audience? That having the desire to do something and having a marriage are difficult propositions. [Laughs] And you know, we decided to have three children. It kind of put a crimp in my directing, because I felt a strong responsibility to not travel. I did a show in Los Angeles where I was basically, kind of away for three months. And we had a one-year-old, five-year-old and an eight-year-old. My father got incapacitated and I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, so I decided to be a
good family guy. And I had all kinds of health problems. This accident was a huge deal. And now I can do, to a limited extent, what I really want to do, which is direct plays.
What was it like directing the cast and crew of this project? It’s just like being with a bunch of nice people who are correctly motivated. Who want to do a really good job and are pretty generous with me and the other actors. It’s a very, very pleasant situation where everybody is really trying to make a play, rather than say to themselves, “How can I get downstage and impress the audience?” Time Stands Still runs from February 8 to 24 at the 13th Street Repertory Company
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L I S E T P A N W U Z X F N P
L K A N S G L U W D F M U O A
U M F N F D B F L K E Y U W P
P H F E L X Q H N W W R N H R
D S R Y B B W P P T H Y M E I
D K O G C H D R U W X Q Q H K
O J N E G I N G E R H J O P A
6 3
2 7 9
8
3 1
5 9
8
4
5 4
2 7 1
6
5 1 4 7 6 2 3 8 9
4 2 6 8 5 9 1 3 7
7 8 1 6 2 3 9 5 4
3 9 5 1 4 7 6 2 8
8 4 2 9 3 6 7 1 5
9 5 3 4 7 1 8 6 2
1 6 7 2 8 5 4 9 3
24 Refine 26 Distorted 27 Before, to Byron 29 Indian music 31 Water ___ 33 China grass 34 Bake, as eggs 36 Some trial evidence 38 Soybean extract 39 Gung-ho about 40 Lush 41 Legal group, briefly 42 Colorful carp 44 Mid west city, for short 45 Skirt line 46 Talk loudly
J C A S T V V T V G M Z Z C M
G U H G E P H A Z T S A L T I
52
O S N P V A N I L L A D H V A
J C A S T V V T V G M Z Z C M
49
WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor
O S N P V A N I L L A D H V A
46
A
45
E
47 Reed instrument 48 Newt 49 Flightless bird 50 Skater Babilonia 51 Batman is part of one 52 Urchin Down 1 Military acronym 2 Time of arrival, for short 3 Little guy 4 Career descriptions 5 Sights 6 Flower 7 Eccentric wheel 8 Usher’s offering 9 Seek the affection of 11 Twin crystal 13 High-voltage gun 15 Islet 18 Once ___a time.... 19 Retirement nest egg, hopefully 20 Spherical bacteria 21 Steel joist or girder 23 Piece of bric-a-brac
44
M P
Across 1 Hardened 4 ____ humbug! 7 Cry of a crow 10 Jot 12 Led Zeppelin album 13 Hawaiian tuber 14 Labyrinth 16 Bullets and such 17 Clay first name 19 Coldly 22 Building details 25 Boxer’s attire 26 Good form 28 ___ bandage 29 Replay of a TV show 30 Legal thing 32 Decanters 34 Scarf material 35 Adult insect 36 Hindu loincloth 37 Shaken, not stirred 40 Japanese rice wine 43 Country governed by a king
7
I
51
4
7
H
50
3
52
48
6
1
5
Level: Medium
43
47
7
4
R
38
3
7 1
2
4
6
6
T
42
9
9 5
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41
5
31
36 37
5 2
34
35
40
2 7
2
U O
32
30
9
E
26
24
1
D
25
23
Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
51
21
28
9
E
20
8
13
17 19
7
I
14
6
B O
11
5
A
10
4
T
3
SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
by Myles Mellor
O
2
CROSSWORD
50
1
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