The local paper for the Upper East Side
WEEK OF APRIL MIDWESTERN METAPHORS ◄ P.12
19-25 2018
HELP FOR THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY A forum on the UES focused on affordable housing, job placement and resources for independent living BY SHOSHY CIMENT
A 1919 photo of Sgt. Alvin C. York revisiting the hillside in the Forest of Argonne in France where his World War I heroics in 1918 won him a Medal of Honor. He is credited with killing 25 German soldiers, capturing 132 more and silencing 35 machine guns. Photo: New York Public Library / Digital Collections
REMEMBRANCE AND THE GREAT WAR HISTORY Or how a legendary warrior gave his name to an avenue — and how the East Side pays tribute to pluck, heroism and valor BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
It is the ultimate Upper East Side trivia question. But first, a warning: Most lifetime neighborhood residents get it wrong. How did York Avenue get its name? Did it come from A) The Duke of York? B) New York City itself? C) Yorkville, the community it traverses? D) The Continental Army’s triumph at the Battle of Yorktown? Or E) None of the above? If you answered “E,” give yourself a
free, 1.6-mile victory promenade up York from East 59th Street to East 92nd Street. The 33-block swath between the Queensboro Bridge and Asphalt Green is actually named for Sgt. Alvin C. York, the citizen-soldier-hero of the U.S. Expeditionary Forces in World War I whose exploits 100 years ago, under withering German machine gun fire, won him a Medal of Honor. In the last great push of what was then known as the Great War, in the Forest of Argonne in France, on October 8, 1918, York’s company was trapped behind enemy lines, and with most of his fellow soldiers killed or injured, he advanced, all-but alone, toward a machine-gun nest.
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For New Yorkers, the issue of homelessness is virtually impossible to ignore. Approximately 63,495 people are homeless in New York City, 22,293 of whom are children in the public school system and 17,085 are parents with children, according to the NYC Department of Homeless Services, in figures from April 12 cited by City Council Member Ben Kallos. These numbers only account for people in shelter system and do not represent the minority of homeless individuals — about 3,700 people — who sleep on the streets. City leaders and homelessness experts discussed the situation on April 12 at the Ramaz School during a forum that addressed avenues for alleviating the problem in New York City, specifically on the Upper East Side. “It really is more of a think tank,” said Barbara Rudder, a co-chair on the Health, Seniors, and Social Services Committee of Community Board 8. The forum, which was attended by over 60 people including Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, was meant to share information about the homeless problem with the public and discuss workable solutions to fix it. To the experts on the panel — who included representatives from the NYC Department of Homeless Services, the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter, the Doe Fund and the Women’s Mental Health Shelter — affordable housing is the first step. In the years between 2005 and 2015, rents have increased by 18.4 percent while
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Panel members at the homelessness forum. Photo: Ben Kallos, via Twitter incomes have increased by just 4.8 percent. Kallos, whose district includes Yorkville, Lenox Hill and Carnegie Hill, discussed his efforts to increase the number of supportive housing facilities in the city. He mentioned his success during his re-election last year when he assisted in the acquisition of seventeen two-bedroom apartments for homeless women and their families. “We are a welcoming community,” remarked Kallos. “And whether it is women in need or others, we are going to work with you.”
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“We are a welcoming community. And whether it is women in need or others, we are going to work with you.” City Council Member Ben Kallos Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, April 20 – 7:23 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com
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