The local paper for the Upper East Side WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND, OUT AND ABOUT, < P. 10
WEEK OF JULY
14-20 2016
NYC PROTESTS POLICE SHOOTINGS NEWS Demonstrations follow a violent week across the country BY WILLIAM MATHIS
Hu nd red s of demon st rators marched through the streets of New York last week in a third night of protests against shootings of black men by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota. The protesters marched up Broadway from lower Manhattan, paused for speeches in Union Square, then marched to Times Square and around midtown. As many as 1,000 people joined the protest, but many left when it start-
ed raining late Saturday night. Police officers marched alongside the protesters and tried to keep them on the sidewalk by playing a recorded announcement warning them that they risked arrest if they stayed in the street. A police spokesman said there were at least 20 arrests. Zayanahla Vines, a nephew of Delrawn Small, who was shot to death by an off-duty officer in Brooklyn during a road-rage incident Monday, choked back tears before kicking off the march. “My uncle was killed in cold blood by somebody who was wearing a badge and that man’s still walking free today,” Vines said. He added, “This is about black people in America, this is not about me. This is not about any of us as an
NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES Rent increase obliges city’s oldest toy store to move BY BEN SCHNEIER
In 1931, a married couple named Mary and Arnold opened a toy store aptly named Mary Arnold Toys, which still stands today as the city’s oldest toy store. Next month, it will be moving up Lexington Avenue from between 73rd and 72nd Streets to between 80th and 81st Streets. The store has been at its current loca-
tion for 19 years, but its 15-year fixedterm lease is ending and the owners bolted for a location with a 30 percent cheaper price tag, avoiding potentially falling victim to rent’s rising tide. “The [new] deal is much better than what we have here,” said Ezra Ishayik, who owns the store with his daughter Judy. He also acknowledged the higher price that the store would have paid had they stayed at their current location. “To the landlord, [the price] is fair,
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Newscheck Crime Watch Voices Out & About
Demonstrators at a protest march in Union Square. Photo by Jere Keys via flickr individual.” New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that he will investigate the death of
Although the new space is several hundred square feet smaller with less window space, the move is a testament to the store’s ability to stay alive as its competitors, including the legendary FAO Schwarz, have fallen by the wayside.”
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Small, who was black, as were the men fatally shot by police officers in Baton Rouge and a suburb of Minneapolis.
to us, it is not fair,” he said. “It is his job to rent it, he’s going to have his price. I wish it was lower, more reasonable, but that’s what it is, we can’t fight the reality.” Although the new space is several hundred square feet smaller with less window space, the move is a testament to the store’s ability to stay alive as its competitors, including the legendary FAO Schwarz, have fallen by the wayside. Ishayik said Mary Arnold Toys has been able to maintain its existence due to its enormous inventory and quality customer service. “Right now, retail in general is difficult, no matter what anyone says. We possibly have a lot more than FAO Schwarz in merchandise
Protester Cynthia Howell said she wants to see accountability for po-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
— whatever the customer wants, we have it. From that point of view, the customer has to find something,” Ishayik said. “Service is our principle. It is the utmost most important thing we do in the store. When a customer comes in, we greet them in the front and if they accept any help, we
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday July 15 – 8:07pm. For more information visit chabaduppereastside.com.
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Chapter 20
EVE AND OTHERS BY ESTHER COHEN
Albert used a table fork to divine where Alyosha disappeared. The disparate motley group of detectives, all residents of the same Upper West Side building, were not believer types. Still, there was a general bated breath mood as Albert moved the fork, a kind of shake and bake method with his left hand. The fork indicated, according to Albert, that Alyosha was not far away. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about sex,â&#x20AC;? said Mrs. Israel, the true wild card in their group. The rest of them, although they did not have all that much in common, not really, the rest of them were in their twenties or thirties. Albert had just turned 40, but he told the world 35 and everyone believed him. He looked good, every single day. Mrs. Israel did not look good. She looked
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always about sex,â&#x20AC;? she said to the room of young people, all hopeful every single one of them, that theirs would be a different kind of life. It was the eighties. They lived in New York City. Brooklyn was not yet Brooklyn. â&#x20AC;&#x153; efficient. She was 58, but she was not a young 58. It was the eighties, and young 58â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had not yet peppered the universe. She wore bookkeeper in Queen Elizabeth outďŹ ts, featuring a navy blue that had more in common with the British Naval services than anything else. Hers was never a fashion statement. Neat above all, there was no time of day or night when she was not presentable. A bookkeeper, she believed in columns, in rows, and her presence was always a help, although it took a minute or two to
realize that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always about sex,â&#x20AC;? she said to the room of young people, all hopeful every single one of them, that theirs would be a different kind of life. It was the eighties. They lived in New York City. Brooklyn was not yet Brooklyn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We pretend otherwise. Let me tell you a story. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to tell a story that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t true,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do,â&#x20AC;? said Charles, but everyone ignored him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was a girl a long time ago, I lived in a small town near Buffalo. It was not a poor town and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rich either. My father worked in a toy factory nearby, and my mother stayed at home and cleaned. Her life was a series of rituals. My sister and I were both B-plus students. Nothing special. Not bad either. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who we all were. I had long brown hair back then. It was my strongest asset and even though I was a girl in a small town who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know much, I knew that.â&#x20AC;? Everyone listened carefully. For a few minutes anyway they forgot about Alyosha. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One day,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All stories begin with one day.â&#x20AC;? Pin Ball shouted â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes!â&#x20AC;?
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
INVESTMENT BANKER ADMITS TO $38 MILLION FRAUD An ex-executive at a New York investment bank has admitted to defrauding investors of more than $38 million, blaming it on his gambling addiction. Andrew Caspersen pleaded guilty to securities and wire fraud in federal court in Manhattan. Prosecutors say he scammed clients of PJT Partners Inc. into investing millions of dollars in sham private equity investments. They say he invented fictional financiers, created fake email addresses and arranged misleading domain names to carry out his fraud from last July through March. The 39-year-old Ivy League graduate is the son of the late Finn M.W. Caspersen, a prominent philanthropist and former chief executive of the financial services firm Beneficial Corp. Caspersen faces up to 40 years in prison when he’s sentenced in November.
SHOPLIFTER ARRESTED On July 2, a 24-year-old woman was observed taking five dresses, including an Amanda Uprichard, into a fitting room. When she came out of the fitting room, she was carrying only two dresses, which she returned to their display racks. Store security checked the dressing room and found that the three missing dresses were not there. The woman was intercepted trying to leave the store and found to be concealing the unaccounted-for dresses, valued at $1,656. She was arrested and charged with grand larceny.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND UNDER ARREST On the early morning of July 3, a 31-year-old male motorist was stopped at a police checkpoint at 309 East 61st Street. The man refused a breathalyzer test, but police could smell alcohol on his breath, he was slurring his speech, and he had an open beverage on the front seat of his car. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
WRONG OPTICS
hydrant cap at the door of the OPTYX Store at 1225 Lexington Ave., and took off on foot after setting off the store’s burglar alarm. Then at 9:35 a.m., he succeeded in breaking the glass front window of the Leonard Opticians store at 1264 Third Ave. and stole the glasses on display, valued at $6,975, according to police. Responding to the earlier alarm, police were surveilling the area and spotted the suspect outside 1335 Third Ave., where they identified him from one of the store’s videos and arrested him for burglary. The stolen eyeglasses were all recovered.
UNFURNISHED BUSINESS Two guys in a box truck turned out to be not movers but removers. On July 3, two men in a box truck showed up at 303 East 83rd Street to relocate some furniture for a 28-year-old man who had hired him through craigslist. The man paid the movers the agreed-upon $180, and they loaded his couch and table into their truck. Then they failed to show up at the appointed destination. So the young man never again saw his couch, table or payment, making a total value lost of $1,380.
One would-be burglar had an eye out for opticians. Police said that on July 3, a 32-year-old man threw a fire
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th precinct Week to Date
Year to Date
2016 2015
% Change
2016
2015
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
2
1
100.0
Rape
0
0
n/a
1
4
-75.0
Robbery
1
3
-66.7
44
54
-18.5
Felony Assault
2
3
-33.3
66
62
6.5
Burglary
8
3
166.7
98
69
42.0
Grand Larceny
24
31
-22.6
675
642
5.1
Grand Larceny Auto
3
2
50.0
42
31
35.5
OFF-DUTY COP ARRESTS SUSPECTED BURGLAR An off-duty officer was in the right place at the right time to nab a degenerate burglar. At 2:40 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6, the officer was sitting in Carl Schurz Park reading a book on his day off when he heard a 45-year-old woman scream, “PERVERT!” The officer then looked up and saw the woman take a picture of her alleged attacker with her cell phone. The officer followed the man as he fled the park heading north-northwest.
The also called 911 and soon was joined by two officers from the 23rd precinct, who intercepted the man outside 520 East 90th Street. The victim identified the suspect as her attacker, stating that she had been lying face down wearing a bathing suit and sunbathing in the park when the man approached her and grabbed her buttocks. The suspect, Thomas Cronin, 54, was arrested on a charge of forcible touching. It was later discovered that he was also responsible for 11 prior burglaries in a number of different precincts.
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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
FIRE
FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43
1836 Third Ave.
311
FDNY Engine 44
221 E. 75th St.
311
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
DRAWING INSPIRATION Walter DeForest, a bartender, actor and playwright, taps into Vincent van Gogh BY MICKEY KRAMER
You’ll typically find Walter DeForest pouring drinks at Ryan’s Daughter, the East 85th Street pub. This Sunday he displayed another craft, as he roamed the bar using his artistic talents and sense of whimsy to make an unofficial attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for most portraits drawn in 12 hours. DeForest is preparing for his one-man show, “Van Gogh Find
Yourself,” in which he channels the artist while drawing portraits of audience members. “Drawing for 12 hours helps me gain access to a creative process much like breathing. Breath is effortless. Acting in the show must be effortless as well and I cannot let drawing get in the way of the story,” said DeForest, also known as #VGFY and whose red beard gives him a resemblance to the troubled Dutch painter. Around noon, three young brothers visiting from Ireland wandered into the bar to watch hurling matches, but were
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Walter DeForest, aka #VGFY, wrote and performs his one-man show, “Van Gogh Find Yourself.” Photo: #VGFY
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Daniel, 15; Fergus, 11; and Michael, 5, visitors from Ireland with portraits by Walter DeForest, aka #VGFY, who was making an attempt at a portrait-drawing record in preparation for his one-man show, “Van Gogh Find Yourself.” Photo: #VGFY
pleased to have their portraits done. “It looks just like you,” Daniel, 15, said to middle brother Fergus. Fergus, 11, called the quick drawing “very detailed.” The youngest sibling, Michael, 5, excitedly spilled two glasses of Sprite, but fortunately not on the finished drawings. Bar regular Dennis Delisle, 69, was not surprised about the quality of the 5-minute portrait he received, raving about a drawing DeForest did for him months earlier. “He did a color work with chalk that was so good, I got it framed and paid him!” he said. As he worked the room and the faces, DeForest explained that the first incarnation of “Van Gogh Find Yourself” incorporated a different f-word than “find.” “I used to do many characters, but then was inspired to draw while in character, and the show evolved to just me as van Gogh,” he said. “It really was me ‘finding myself,’” which is when he made the title change. DeForest will perform “Van Gogh Find Yourself” four times this week (July 12-15) in New York City at 59E59 Theater’s East to Edinburgh festival, before taking the show first to London and then to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. On August 10, nearby the Adam Smith statue in Edin-
burgh, DeForest will make an official attempt to break the most-portraits record, which is over 150. “Vincent painted and drew quickly,” DeForest said of the painter. “That is how at the end of his life he was painting three paintings a day and wrote about an out-of-body experience while painting, watching it happen but not actively doing it ... effortless, enlightened and genius.” DeForest connects to the artist in a number of ways: van Gogh was buried on July 30, which is DeForest’s birthday. And while DeForest was born with a hole in his heart, van Gogh’s life ended following a self-inflicted gunshot, yes, to the heart. John Mansfield came into the bar with some work buddies, had his portrait done, and enjoyed the diversion. ”It was a great experience ... something different and fun.” Mansfield added that it was his first time visiting Ryan’s Daughter and that it wouldn’t be his last, DeForest’s long day included 56 personalized portraits. “I took it slow, but it was a good warm-up and learning experience for my attempt next month,” he said. DeForest concluded by alluding to a partial quote from van Gogh himself: “In time to come there will be hard days, empty of inspiration, so one must strike while the iron is hot.”
JULY 14-20,2016
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Central Park
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PARK SCHOOLS OUT! Many attractions and programs in Central Park were created especially with kids in mind. One of those is the free catch-and-release fishing program offered at the Harlem Meer through the Dana Discovery Center. The Discovery Center lends visitors bamboo fishing poles perfect for catching bass, catfish, bluegill sunfish, grass carp, rock perch and golden shiners in the Meer’s calm waters. For more information on this activity as well as other things to do with your kids this summer, visit: www.centralpark.com
PLACES TO COOL OFF IN CENTRAL PARK When it gets too hot to pic-
WHERE IN CENTRAL PARK? nic out on the Great Lawn or Sheep Meadow, or when you want to exercise but it’s too hot to run the Reservoir or the loop, you can still enjoy Central Park. Read our blog about the top 10 places to cool off: http://blog.centralpark.com/ where-to-cool-off-in-centralpark/
COMING UP THIS WEEK HIDDEN SECRETS TOUR Take a walk on the road less traveled in Central Park and discover its hidden gems on two-hour tours offered daily. See just how full of history and natural beauty that Central
Park’s 843 acres really are! For more info and to book, visit: www.centralpark.com
THE YOGA TRAIL IN CENTRAL PARK Join on the grass for this relaxing Vinyasa yoga class. Great for those who want a restorative practice. Emphasis is on breathing and healthy pose alignment. Through Oct. 28. Mondays through Fridays, 6-7:15 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, noon-1:15 p.m. Meet in front of cafe Le Pain Quotidien inside Central Park, on the north side of Sheep Meadow. For more details and to book visit: www.centralpark.com
Event listings and Where in Central Park? brought to you by CentralPark.com.
UPPER EAST SIDE GETS 60 MORE PRE-K SEATS Two classes will be added at P.S. 6 and one at P.S. 83
BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Three new pre-kindergarten classes will be added to two schools on the Upper East Side, despite a misunderstanding between Councilman Dan Garodnick’s office and the Department of Education over exactly how many classes and students there would be. Though Garodnick’s press release last week announced four classes, there will be three in total with 20 students each. Two classes will be added to P.S. 6 and one to P.S. 183. Many pre-k students remain on the wait lists at various schools in the area, but the exact number is unclear because some students are likely on more than one
Do you know where in Central Park this photo was taken? To submit your answer, visit: centralpark.com/where-in-centralpark. The answers and names of the people who guess right will appear in the paper and online in two weeks.
list, and some may be on lists in other areas. “Nobody should have to send their kids 40 minutes away for a pre-k seat in a universal pre-k program,” Garodnick said. Garodnick’s efforts, with assistance from the DOE, have resulted in two classes of 20 students each being add-
ANSWER TO THE PREVIOUS QUIZ: The Heckscher Gates. August Heckscher was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1867. He became a multimillionaire and a philanthropist, starting The Heckscher Foundation for Children. He created playgrounds in lower Manhattan and in Central Park. The Heckscher Playground in Central Park opened in 1926 and it remains the park’s largest and oldest playground. The gates — which are actually two standing pillars, rather
ed to P.S. 6 and one class of 20 to P.S. 183 for a total of 60 new spots, bringing the total number of available pre-k seats in the area up to 530. Combined with the 90 seats added by fellow Councilman Ben Kallos — whose district borders Garodnick’s on the Upper East Side — back in May, there has certainly been an improvement, but a 2014 WNYC report estimated that there are 2,118 four-year-olds in Kallos’ district, the majority of whom will have to go far outside their neighborhoods for pre-k. “Together, we’ve more than quadrupled the number of free, full-day, high-quality pre-K seats in this area since 2013-14, and we look forward to continued partnership to continue to
than an actual gate — lead to the Heckscher Ballfieldsl, just south of the 65th Street Transverse. Congratulations
to Gregory Holman and Joe Ornstein for answering the last quiz question correctly.
expand options,” DOE Deputy Chan- tential hitch, however, is what hapcellor Josh Wallack said in a state- pens when the new pre-k students ment. “There is a free, full-day, high- move up into the higher grades. “I quality pre-K seat for every 4-year-old think that’s one of the reasons these in New York City, and our Pre-K out- schools were willing to take on new reach team is actively supporting any kids,” Garodnick said. “They don’t families continuing to explore their just accept these kids in a vacuum. ... They feel confident that they can acpre-K options.” Both P.S. 6 and P.S. 183 are currently commodate them.” Though, he said, only kindergarten through fifth grade, “this does not end the problem.” Families who want to enroll their but the parents of students already at P.S. 6 are excited about taking on two child at P.S. 6 or P.S. 183 can express new pre-k classes. ”We all think it’s interest at https://maps.nyc.gov/upk/ wonderful,” said PTA co-president get-in-touch.html by August 1 and Maureen Atinsky. “It’s something then will be randomly selected for adwe’ve been trying to get into the mission. school for a while.” One poBARRY LIEBMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW Millions of dollars recovered on behalf of injured clients
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P.S. 6 on East 81 Street will add 40 pre-k seats. Photo: Jim Henderson
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JULY 14-20,2016
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MARY ARNOLD TOYS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 help them.” Christine McManus, said she shops at Mary Arnold Toys for its variety, manners and location. “It’s got every choice for a child, it’s a community store, it’s not a big chain store, and they always are polite,” she said. “It will be missed right here for the convenience.” Ruby Diaz, a frequent customer of Mary Arnold Toys for her son, said she comes to this store in particular “because this store has been here for a long time. That’s the point, the convenience and the familiarity
of the store. This is the only toy store that I am very familiar with.” Mary Arnold Toys is currently having a clearance sale because they cannot fit their entire inventory into the new, smaller space. Despite the decrease in size, the new store will have a large basement, which will allow for onsite storage as opposed to paying to use a separate public warehouse. In addition, one unique aspect of the store is its window displays, well known for their creativity, which Ishayik said would continue at the new location. “We have a window display man that has been with us for over 25 years, since we started,” Ishayik said, “we can’t replace him.”
POLICE SHOOTINGS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 lice misconduct. “We are not against the police, but we want accountability and we want justice,” said Howell, a niece of Alberta Spruill, who died of a heart attack in 2003 after police threw a concussion grenade into her Harlem apartment during a mistaken raid. “We want those who do reckless, dangerous things held accountable.” Danny Salk, a filmmaker from Brooklyn, brought his two young daughters, Indigo
Hubbard-Salk, 10, and Cypris Hubbard-Salk, 14, to the protest. “I came out to protest the killing of black people by cops and racism in general,” Salk said. “I think it’s time we stopped racism.” He said his daughters were the ones who inspired him to come. “They’re the activists. They said it’s very important that we go,” he said. “It’s very empowering to stand in the street and chant and practice democracy. This is the only way we’re going to wake people up.” Saturday’s protest against police killings followed demonstrations on Thursday and Friday in New York City and around the country.
Neighborhood Scrapbook
POP-UP ID ENROLLMENT AT WEBSTER LIBRARY New York Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and IDNYC, and New York Public Library Chief Operating Officer Iris Weinshall joined to celebrate the opening of a new IDNYC pop-up enrollment center at Webster Library. The pop-up will run through July 16, with hours Tuesday – Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also pictured are Public Advocate Letitia James and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. IDNYC is a free form of identification that is accepted for a variety of city services and benefits. All local residents can set up their appointment to apply for their IDNYC card by calling 311 in the language that they speak, online at nyc.gov/idnyc, or by visiting Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright’s office.
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Lewis Guzman wraps a toy gift for a Mary Arnold Toys customer. The shop, said to be the city’s oldest toy store, will move from its current Lexington Avenue location, between 73rd and 72nd Streets, further uptown, to between 80th and 81st Streets on the avenue.
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OPEN AND CLOSED SEASON EAST SIDE ENCOUNTERS BY ARLENE KAYATT
It’s about the cookies — Candidates for the September primary and November election are gearing up. Meet-the-candidate events, fundraising are all part of the happenings. Assemblyman Dan Quart included. His recent event at Lexington Brass (Lex/48th) was SRO. New and old supporters and friends politicking and schmoozing over libation and bounty — a great spread of charcuterie, cheese, veggies, tapanades. As Dan’s mom and dad were passing through, Dan supporter Dave Menegon, an East Side politico and local community board member, remarked that mom’s cookies were missing. “Oh, nobody remembers that,” a blushing mom responded. Menegon assured her that he remembered the delicious cookies she baked and proudly gave out in the Ruppert neighborhood (Third/90’s) in Dan’s district to thank voters for electing her son. Never dismiss moms and cookies for getting votes in the village of Yorkville. What remains — RIP — It’s a sad sight walking uptown on Third Avenue in the 80s. One business after an-
other shuttered. I know it’s happening all over the city but NIMBY, please. In the last month or so Pesce Pasta Italian restaurant’s gone; so are the candy store and beauty salon between 88th and 89th. And Uptown pub/restaurant, a local favorite, closed its doors and papered its windows, but word came from some workmen that it’s coming back under new ownership. Can only hope. Starlight Diner’s gone and the Subway franchise on the east side of the street is still empty. Rents are skyrocketing. Small businesses are kerflooey. Construction abounds all over the neighborhood. If recent commercial occupancies are an indicator, we’ll be seeing more walk-in health centers, chain type operations whether it’s food or cosmetics, more and more CVSs, Duane Reades, 711s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other Starbuck style establishments. No more moms and pops. No more local markets. Independent entrepreneurs are bygone. It’s all corporate from the shoemaker (are there any left?) to the dry cleaner. Time marches on. Neutral turf — Dorrian’s, a pub on 84th and Second, is a go-to spot for local Democratic and Republican clubs. Obstruction by the trappings of Second Avenue subway construction hasn’t been an impediment. In this
pre-election season, the Metropolitan Republican Club held its monthly (July) First Thursday Social at Dorrian’s. Members and others were welcome to come to mix and mingle with fellow Republicans and hear from Republican candidates for public office — Mike Zumbluskas for State Senate, Rebecca Harary for Assembly and Daby Carreras for Assembly. Another Assembly candidate had petitions out to get on the ballot and appeared at the Met Club when petitioning began but has been a no-show ever since. Time will tell if the candidate had enough signatures to get on the ballot. Public spaces, private use — Shake Shack on East 86th is a great example of the intended integrated use of public and private space. The busy outdoor self-service dining area is used by Shake Shack customers and noncustomers alike. Non-customers bring their own food and drinks or just stop by to sit. Caliente Cab Co. (Third/33rd) is another public/private use. However, Caliente Cab Co. has table service. Noncustomers are welcome without interference. Trump Tower on Fifth/57th is an all-indoor example. There have been issues about interferences on the street level with respect to use, but down the now-infamous escalator there’s a spectacular public space.
Voices Third Avenue in the 80s, like this stretch of the city, is increasingly populated with retail chain stores, at the expense of local favorites. Photo: East Midtown Partnership Pop-up street fairs — Back in the late 70s and early 80s, Our Town’s then-publisher (and my then-husband) Ed Kayatt had the idea to bring street fairs to the UES and to distribute the proceeds to local organizations and charities. Our Town partnered with the East Mid-Manhattan Chamber of Commerce to sponsor fairs and festivals. The first one was on Third Ave from 86th to either 72nd or 68th Streets. Since then, street fairs and festivals have become an integral part of New York City and a great revenue producer. An avid fair/festivalgoer myself, I find the blocks-long fairs/festivals too big and too much of
the same old same old. So I was pleasantly surprised to come upon a popup fair on 54th between Third/Lex. Turns out there’s something called PopUp New York Street Fairs. A Time Out New York blurb about the organization described it as brand that hosts numerous outdoor bonanzas while giving back to local nonprofits. The pop-up fairs feature up-and-coming restaurants, designers and musicians in trendy neighborhoods. They describe participants as exhibitors instead of vendors. The spin’s OK with me. Elitist hype maybe not. Just keep those great ethnic exhibitors cooking up their specialties.
the ongoing physical, emotional and also financial toll these losses exact, must get out there as arguments to really protect and yes, replenish these so needed neighborhood places. And the concerned majority must stop being accepting and silent when so much is at stake – citywide. And yes, let’s march, but, for now, please call in your concern with the legislators listed on this paper’s Helpful Contacts column. Keep calling. Of course, share it with social as well as regular media. Ah, and you may also wish to offer support now to your local police precinct – the 19th community relations officers’ number is 212-452-0613, dewingbetter@aol.com
Gristede’s co-manager Ellen Ma
WEEP, BUT TELL THE STORIES MY STORY BY BETTE DEWING
A river of tears is being shed privately at the loss of East End Gristedes and other neighborhood stores which serve the community’s everyday needs. And by men as well as women - those so profoundly affected by the loss of a neighborhood lifeline or a secure and suitable workplace. And as a microcosm of the thousands of lost or endangered neighborhood businesses, we again write about the East End Gristedes which for so many decades (even restored after a major building fire) has served this far east enclave
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with such small town-like devotion. During blizzards, hurricanes and I wish there was a photo of co-manager, Joe Linn, in the 2003 blackout standing at the door handing out ice and groceries to the community. But it is the everyday service, the caring staff. co-managed by Ellen Ma, that has made it such an indispensable neighborhood lifeline. Ah, but the days dwindle down to a precious few. July 16 is the last day and the store will close early the last week. But bless the East 79th Street Neighborhood Association for hosting a bittersweet gratitude event there on July 12 around 4 p.m. And let’s hope local legislators will come and see the unique bond between staff and longtime customers Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com
and note the great ongoing hardship caused by the loss of this nearby grocery store. Deserving a column, but legislators should also look in on the still open East End Kitchen Restaurant housed in the two-story subdivision of the doomed building. We can’t afford to lose this family restaurant, a type also on the endangered species list. And I’ve written thank you notes to the Gristedes staff members asking them to keep me informed about the ongoing trauma of losing a longtime workplace and close colleagues, adjusting to a new job. These times are rarely if ever chronicled. This is also true for, especially, but not only for elder customers. These stories of
Associate Publishers Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Regional Sales Manager Tania Cade
President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Fred Almonte Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine Barry Lewis editor.dt@strausnews.com
Staff Reporters Gabrielle Alfiero, Madeleine Thompson Director of Digital Pete Pinto
Block Mayors Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
JULY 14-20,2016
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REMEMBERING DOE-DOE, THE GREAT FIRST PERSON Recalling, 50 years later, a beloved dog and a boyhood in the city BY JOHN MOYLAN
In 1950 I was a 10-year-old boy living with my Irish immigrant parents in New York City. Home was a ramshackle railroad apartment at 114 W. 90th Street, where the rent was $36 a month. My parents loved their only child and, owing to my father’s periodic excursions with me to the Museum of Natural History, I loved life -- especially animals. One day, aware that there was a puppy in the neighborhood in need of a loving home, I put pressure on them to let me have it. The friendly female, mixed breed, black and brown pup, who wasn’t yet two months old, belonged to a young and childless couple living nearby who had no desire to keep her. Nevertheless, they felt obligated to find the dog a good home. Everyone knew one another and one evening, when my parents and I were being informally interviewed as potential adopters, the puppy, with divinely orchestrated
timing, walked over to my father and laid her head in his lap. I had my dog. Delighted with my new charge, who was named Lucky, I dutifully and lovingly kept my promise to care for her. Aesthetically beautiful, with a perfect temperament, she was intelligent, sensitive and athletic: primal positive proof to me of God’s existence, giving strong credence to the religion classes conducted by those devoted Presentation Sisters at St. Gregory the Great. In these simple and wonderful days in New York, you could let your dog off the leash. I would thrill to see Lucky’s ears pinned to her head as she blazed across the breadth of the softball fields at 84th Street in Central Park, delighting in her speed. Then it would be a swim in Castle Lake, where she continually astounded people by the size of the branches she could bring to shore. Each day I walked her in the morning and took her to the park after school. Dad walked her in the evening and it didn’t take long to see that this dog especially loved my father and that the feeling was mutual. Then one evening dad pre-emptively renamed Lucky, Doe-Doe, saying it better fit with her
John Moylan, a half century after the death of his beloved family dog
warm, loving and pert personality. This struck truth for mom and me and was readily accepted. We all loved Doe-Doe and appreciated the apt mushiness of her name, which in no way detracted from her elegant bearing. Even my mother, who was neutral toward animals, caved in when Doe-Doe curled up to her during her frequent bouts with migraine headaches. We were indeed an enriched family. And divine providence was indeed watching over us, for during this time Doe-Doe survived being lost in Central Park for three hours, running under and out the other side of a moving bus on Columbus Avenue, and poisoning, when my quick-thinking father induced vomiting by shoving bacon fat down her throat. With my father being a lithographer and my mother a part time cook, we were not poor; however, our lower middle class status compelled frequent movement in Manhattan’s fastchanging housing market. By 1964 I had graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School, worked a half dozen jobs, got a brief chance at professional baseball, and joined the Marines. Meanwhile Doe-Doe had matured into one of the most beautiful canines in all God’s creation. Exuding health and happiness, her good nature, bag of tricks, and unqualified love made wherever we lived a happy home. More than a few times it was suggested to my parents to make her a show dog, but that kind of vanity was alien to them. In 1966, I experienced extra sensory perception for the one and only time in my life. Having just given up on my dream of earning my living as a professional baseball player, I was in a run-down restaurant in San Francisco one afternoon going over the want ads while wondering what I should do next. Suddenly, very clear, it came to me that Doe-Doe had just died. I called New York to hear my mother weeping. When she told me that our beloved dog had died in dad’s arms I did not mention my premonition for fear of exacerbating their profound grief. I cried, too, right there in that desolate restaurant. Within a week my 16-year-old dream of being a baseball player had died, along with my 16-year-old dog, who had made my boyhood so happy and fulfilled. For many years afterward I would recall the love that Doe-Doe had engendered and wonder if it would matter in the plan of the Creator. My intuition said that since Jesus had affirmed His Father’s care for the birds and sparrows He would certainly not forget His beautiful messenger, who having a share of His Divine Breath, had so faithfully imparted her Maker’s presence us. Still, I was hesitant to broach the issue.
Doe-Doe, on the Upper West Side Then, in 1990, Pope John Paul 11 proclaimed that animals do have souls and are as near to God as men are. Around the same time, the late Cardinal John O’Connor, asked if it should be out of the question that all things will endure in harmony. Further light was cast by Fr. Merio Canciani, a prelate in Vatican City, when he pointed out that the word animal comes from anima - Latin for soul.He reminded us that St. Francis called the animals “our little brothers and sisters” and informed us that it was in his Rome parish that the late Pope Paul VI told a little boy whose puppy had just died that he would one day see him again in the mystery of Christ. And now the visionary Pope Francis has weighed in by echoing the sentiments of the late Paul VI. The Pontiff’s words were: “One day we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s
creatures and there they will be vested with the joy and love of God without limits.” For us who love, work with and share our lives with animals - and see positive proof of God’s majesty in them - it is patently obvious that animals have souls and will have a place in heaven. Does anyone really think that the animals who were present at Christ’s birth, or the colt who bore Him into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, could be forgotten - or excluded? Dr. Patrick Glidden, a veterinarian of the Michigan Humane Society, sums it up best: “To see a soul, look at an animal you know. Most of us can say, ‘My dog is a distinct individual, with a distinct personality.’ That relationship shows the dog’s soul. Animals are such innocents. Why wouldn’t God want to surround Himself with their goodness - the goodness of creations that didn’t reject Him, as we did.”
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Thu
14 Fri 15
BRONX EN SEINE: ATTIC FULL OF HOPE FIAF, Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th St. 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Free Bronx en Seine is a FrancoAmerican creative collaboration featuring 30 students from the Bronx and Nanterre. The performers will be accompanied by musicians in a rendition of “An Attic Full of Hope.” 212-355-6100. fiaf.org
CANDY SUSHI WITH CHOCOLATE WORKS 92nd St. Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St. 1:30 p.m. $60 Chocolate Works will be teach how to make candy sushi out of Rice Krispies Treats and candy. Participants will make their own box of sushi from scratch. 212-415-5500. 92y.org
FILMS TO COME: MOHOLY-NAGY AND THE MOVING IMAGE Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. 11 a.m. Free with museum admission A series of films will be shown, including documentaries on László Moholy-Nagy and the Bauhaus, selections of abstract cinema and pieces by current filmmakers inspired by the artist. 212-423-3500. guggenheim. org
Sat
16
VOLUNTEER GARDENING Carl Schurz Park, East End Avenue at 86th Street 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The Carl Schurz Park Volunteer Gardeners are an adult group that meets monthly to work in the park. Students or children who wish to participate must be accompanied by adults or parents who work along with them. www.carlschurzparknyc.org/
PORCELAIN IN THE PORTICO
TAIWANESE WAVES: ANPU/WONFU/SUNSET ROLLERCOASTER
The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th St. Noon. Free with museum admission In the Frick’s Garden Court, educators will give a 10-minute talk focusing on selected items from the exhibition “Porcelain, No Simple Matter: Arlene Shechet and the Arnhold Collection.” 212-288-0700. frick.org
Rumsey Playfield, 14 East 71st St. 5-10 p.m. Free An alternative singersongwriter, a comedy rock group and a Taiwanese band will appear in concert as a part of Central Park’s Summer Stage performance series. cityparksfoundation.org/ summerstage
JULY 14-20,2016
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Sun
UNFI UNFINISHED: THOUGHTS THOU O LEFT VISIBLE VISIB The Met Breuer, 945 Madison Ave. 11:30-12:30 p.m. Free with 11:30 museum m mu seu admission Visitors will receive a tour of Visit exhibition, which examines this ex the question of when a work of th he qu ue art is finished by looking closely att works work from The Met’s rich collection. co collec oe t 212-535-7710. metmuseum.org 2 21 2 2-
◄HAPPY SUMMER! MMER! MAKE & TAKE
The New York Society ciety Library, 53 East 79th th St. 10:30 a.m. Free for or members Children of all agess can drop by the Children’s ’ss library and make a craft raft that feels just like summer. ummer. 212-288-6900. reference@ referenc n e@ nysoclib.org
CONVERSATIONS ONS S AT THE CROSSROADS OADS WITH TALINN GRIGOR
Ave. 11 1 a.m. a m. Free a. Logos will host their weekly week we e ly reading readiing of o children’s chiildren’s books and musical entertainment, provided by Lily. 212-517-7292. logosbookstorenyc.com
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. 3 p.m. Free with museum admission As part of a series, art and architecture Talinn Grigor and Guggenheim Associate Maya Jefferies will explore the circulation of ideas in selected works. 212-423-3500. guggenheim. SUMMERTIME SWING org
Tue
19
PARTY▼
18
Mon
MELISSA SHOES POPUP STORE & SALE▲ FIAF Gallery, 22 East 60th St. 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Free FIAF and Melissa Shoes will host a two-day exclusive shopping event at FIAF featuring best-selling styles and collaborations with top designers. 212-355-6100. fiaf.org
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92nd St. Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St. 8 p.m. $52 The Jazz in July program will kick off with a party bursting with swing-era hits, from “Moonglow” to “Four Brothers.” The band includes four ace horns and a rhythm section. 212-415-5500. 92y.org
Wed20 CB8 FULL BOARD MEETING Good Shepherd Community Center, 543 Main St., Roosevelt Island 6:30 p.m. Community Board 8 will meet and will have four public hearings, receive the borough president’s report and address items from each committee. 212-758-4340. cb8m.com
RYAN ADAMS & THE SHINING Rumsey Playfield, 14 East 71st St. 6-10 p.m. $60 The Grammy-nominated singer songwriter and his band will appear in concert as a part of Central Park’s Summer Stage performance series. cityparksfoundation.org/ summerstage
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REMBRANDT’S GRIEVING JUDAS An early biblical painting by the Dutch master makes its American debut at The Morgan Library & Museum
BY VAL CASTRONOVO
In 1629, Constantijn Huygens, a Dutch diplomat and art advisor to the Prince of Orange, paid a visit to Rembrandt van Rijn and Jan Lievens, two prodigies sharing a studio in Leiden, a university town in the Dutch Republic. His opinions are now the stuff of legend, dutifully recorded in an autobiographical manuscript, on loan this summer from the Royal Library at The Hague for an exquisite presentation at The Morgan, “Rembrandt’s First Masterpiece.” A showcase for the rarely seen biblical painting, “Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver” (1629), the exhibit also includes drawings and etchings of the Gospel narratives and five early self-portraits. The Morgan owns hundreds of drawings and prints by Rembrandt (1606-1669), a world-renowned collection started by Pierpont Morgan in 1900.
Considered his first mature work, or masterpiece, the Judas painting, now in a British private collection, floored Huygens when he first saw it. As he later enthused in Latin in his autobiography, a jewel that graces the entrance to the show: “Rembrandt ... devotes all his loving concentration to a small painting, achieving on that modest scale a result which one would seek in vain in the largest pieces of others. I cite as an example his painting of the repentant Judas returning to the high priest the silver coins which were the price for our innocent Lord. Compare this with all Italy, indeed, with all the wondrous beauties that have survived from the most ancient of days ... All honor to thee, Rembrandt!” The Dutch master, the son of a miller, was only 23 when he completed the panel, which bears all the hallmarks of his later history paintings: the depiction of an emotional scene; light and shadow; dark colors; expressive faces; expressive hands, which, for Rembrandt, are like faces; exotic costumes; gleaming metals; and, perhaps most tellingly, an asymmetrical arrangement of figures, who lean in to the action.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), “Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver,” 1629. Oil on panel. Private collection. © Private Collection, Photography courtesy of The National Gallery, London, 2016.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), “SelfPortrait in a Cap, Wide-Eyed and OpenMouthed,” 1630. Etching and drypoint, state II (of II). The Morgan Library & Museum. “The viewer is being invited in,” docent Miryam Wasserman said on a recent afternoon tour. “He opens a door to a dramatic moment.” Judas has come begging for forgiveness for his kiss of betrayal and thrown the bribe money — 30 silver coins — to the floor of the temple. Look at the painting and count them. They glisten. The chief priest, flanked by elders, is disdainful of the gesture and uses his hand to repel the kneeling figure. Huygens captures the drama, writing, “that one maddened Judas … his gaze wild, his hair torn out by the roots, his garments rent, his arms contorted, his hands clenched until they bleed; a blind impulse has brought him to his knees, his whole body writhing in pitiful hideousness.” (Footnote: The grieving Judas later hangs himself for betraying Christ.) The story of the scene in the temple is only recorded in one of the four Gospels, Matthew 27:3–5; the verses are quoted on an exhibit board adjacent to the painting. What gives the show special bragging rights is the inclusion of five preparatory drawings, reunited with the painting for the first time since they were in the master’s studio. The Judas panel is one of the rare Rembrandt paintings for which so many preparatory works survive. As Holm Bevers, a curator at Berlin’s Museum of Prints and Drawings, writes in the catalog, Rembrandt’s approach to painting was “not systematic” like that of contemporary Peter Paul Rubens: “One possible explanation for this unusual and unexpected scarcity of drawings can be found in Rembrandt’s working method: technical examination of his paintings has shown little evidence of preparatory drawings beneath the paint; Rembrandt seems to have painted directly onto the prepared canvas or panel.” And, as X-ray photos and study of the
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), “Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver” (Detail), 1629. Oil on panel. Private collection. © Private Collection, Photography courtesy of The National Gallery, London, 2016 surface of the Judas painting reveal, he revised substantially as he went along. He would even go back to his preparatory drawings while in the process of painting to “work out problems,” Wasserman said. Rembrandt may have been a miller’s son, but the family was well-to-do. Even so, he had aspirations to be a gentleman, and we see the young painter’s early efforts to reinvent himself and present a solid image to the outside world in the self-portrait prints and drawings here. The earliest ones are some of the most affecting, featuring wild, tousled hair and a serious, direct stare (see “SelfPortrait with Curly Hair and White Collar: Bust,” ca. 1630). But his clownish side shines through in the tiny “SelfPortrait in a Cap, Wide-Eyed and OpenMouthed” (1630), a playful close-up of the artist looking bug-eyed and full of wonder. Both prints were meant to circulate and enhance his reputation.
After Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam in the early 1630s, he produced the more formal “Self-Portrait in a Soft Cap” (ca. 1633-34). Featuring a stylish ruff and an arch inspired by Rubens, the picture signaled that the ambitious painter and printmaker from Leiden had “arrived” as an artist. But that could also be said about his first masterpiece.
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Rembrandt’s First Masterpiece”
WHERE: The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave., (at 36th Street) WHEN: through Sept. 18. www.themorgan.org
JULY 14-20,2016
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OUR TOWN HITS THE ROAD Our Town went on the road last week, parking our Mobile Newsroom on Madison Avenue in front of Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. Our Town illustrator Peter G. Pereira was there to record it. A steady stream of readers dropped in with story ideas and thoughts about the newspaper and to chat with the editors. Look for those stories in the weeks to come. Have an idea but weren’t able to make it last week? Give us a call at 212-868-0190 or email us at news@strausnews.com.
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Difficult People Talk & Advance Screening with Julie Klausner & Billy Eichner, Moderated by Caryn James
SUNDAY, JULY 17TH, 7:30PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org The laughs will come easy as the two comedic masterminds behind the Hulu series Difficult People appear at the Y. Making dreams come true. ($30)
Yiddish Theater’s Legacy in American Performance
MONDAY, JULY 18TH, 6:30PM Museum of the City of New York | 1220 Fifth Ave. | 212-534-1672 | mcny.org Raise the curtain on Yiddish Theatre, as stars of stage and screen look at the ongoing influence of work forged on the Lower East Side a century ago. ($25)
Just Announced | Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War Preview Screening & Conversation with Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH, 7:30PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Master documentarian Ken Burns relates the story of Martha and Waitstill Sharp, an American couple who took incredible risks to save imperiled Jews and refugees during World War II. ($32)
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JUN 20 - JUL 8, 2016
Roma Pizza
1568 3 Avenue
Grade Pending (18) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 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/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Peri Ela
1361 Lexington Avenue
A
Little Luzzo’s
119 East 96 Street
Grade Pending (20) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Bluestone Lane
2 E 90th St
B
Table D’hote
44 East 92 Street
A
Butterfield Catering
346 East 92 Street
A
Zesty Pizza
1670 3rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (6)
Spice Hut Indian Restaurant
2172 2nd Ave
Grade Pending (26) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
El Aguila
137 East 116 Street
A
El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant
209 East 116 Street
Grade Pending (24) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. 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.
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 http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/restaurant-grades.page Cafe Mingala
1393B 2nd Ave
A
Green Life Juice Bar
311 E 76th St
Grade Pending (15) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Jones Wood Foundry
401 East 76 Street
Grade Pending (27) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Vivolo
138140 East 74 Street
Grade Pending (42) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas.
Neil’s Cofee Shop
961 Lexington Avenue Grade Pending (27) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. 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. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
The Pony Bar
1444 1 Avenue
A
Amura Japanese Restaurant
1567 2nd Ave
A
Morini Ristorante
1167 Madison Avenue
A
Uptown Roasters Cafe
135 E 110th St
A
Hu Kitchen
1536 3rd Ave
A
Sammys Gourmet
1404 Madison Ave
Jaques Brasserie
204 E 85th St
Not Yet Graded (24) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, 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.
Taco Today
1659 1st Ave
Grade pending (17) 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.
Grade Pending (27) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas. 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/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Delicious
1974A 2nd Ave
A
Bm Deli & Grocery
1916 3 Avenue
A
Triple A Diner
2061 2 Avenue
Grade Pending (55) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Filth flies or food/refuse/ sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. 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. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Wimpys Restaurant
23 East 109 Street
Grade Pending (22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Mexican Restaurant
1779 Lexington Avenue
A
Aba Sushi
1588 York Ave
Grade pending (23) 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Bagel Bobs On York
1641 York Ave
A
Irving Farm Coffee Roasters
1424 3rd Ave
A
Casa Pizza
1427 3rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (42) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.
Lake Toba
1643 2nd Ave
Not Yet Graded (52) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
JULY 14-20,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
15
Photo by Kevin Coles via ďŹ&#x201A;ickr
U.S. TRAFFIC FATALITY RATE AMONG WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HIGHEST HEALTH High global ranking despite a drop in deaths BY MIKE STOBBE
Traffic deaths are down, but a new report shows fatalities on the road are still a bigger problem in the United States than in other affluent countries. The U.S. had by far the highest fatality rate for car crashes of the nearly 20 countries studied. The U.S. rate in 2013 was more than twice as high as in most of the other countries. And traffic deaths havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been dropping as fast in the U.S. The rate has fallen by nearly a third since 2000. But every other country had a steeper decline. The statistics probably reďŹ&#x201A;ect that Americans tend to drive more miles and for longer periods, said Dr. Guohua Li, of Columbia Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center
for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The more youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the road, the more youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re exposed to the potential for a crash,â&#x20AC;? agreed Erin Sauber-Schatz, lead author of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. U.S. drivers also more often speed, drive drunk and take other risks, Li said in an email. Some developing countries, not included in the report, have higher traffic death rates than the United States. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough good data to do a global comparison, CDC officials said. Until last year, U.S. traffic deaths had been falling -- often attributed to road and car safety improvements, child car seats, and efforts to increase seat belt use and discourage drunk driving. But crash deaths have been declining more dramatically in other countries that have even stricter guidelines and road safety measures, CDC of-
ďŹ cials said. The U.S. toll went up last year to 35,200, as drivers racked up more miles behind the wheel as a result of an improved economy and lower gas prices. The report compared rates from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and more than a dozen European countries. The tally included drivers and passengers as well as pedestrians and bicyclists killed on the road. The U.S. traffic crash death rate was about 10 deaths per 100,000 people in 2013. Belgium was the next closest, at 6.5. Sweden was the lowest on the list, at 2.7. The researchers tried to account for the greater mileage in the U.S. by calculating traffic deaths per miles traveled. By that measure, the U.S. was still among the deadliest countries. But Japan, Belgium and Slovenia were higher.
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JULY 14-20,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
In Brief
Business
NEW YORK CITY LANDLORDS HAVE BEEN OVERCHARGING RENTSTABILIZED APARTMENTS FOR YEARS In an investigation by the journalism organization ProPublica last week, many landlords in the city were found to have illegally taken thousands of apartments out of rent stabilization despite accepting a tax break in exchange for keeping them stabilized. Landlords who accept the tax break, J-51, are not allowed to convert rent stabilized apartments to market, but many have done so with little to no consequence from the state. Though landlords were sent letters from New York’s Division of Housing and Community Renewal to inform them of their legal obligation to maintain rent stabilized housing, ProPublica reported that “affected tenants were not directly informed.” This has resulted in the illegal de-stabilization of thousands of apartments. Some informed tenants who have gone to court over their rent overcharges have been awarded hundred of thousands of dollars, but few enough tenants are aware of J-51 that it is likely a risk landlords are willing to take. Many tenants will continue to be overcharged while their landlords benefit from a tax break that costs the city $266 million a year in property taxes. “The landlord has for many years been covered by a J-51 which means that he is not allowed to convert rent-stabilized apartments to market value,” an anonymous tenant on the Upper West Side told ProPublica. “He has been making such conversions for many years.”
SMALL WIN FOR ADVOCATES OF PRESERVING HOTEL CHELSEA Despite several major losses, namely the gutting and conversion of the building into a luxury hotel, preservationists won a small victory last week with regard to Hotel Chelsea. After a nine-year fight by hotel resident Arthur Nash, the building’s management has agreed to preserve his apartment. But this is not just a case of a stubborn tenant — Nash occupies the space where poet Dylan Thomas once stayed in the 1950s, and Nash’s persistence has ensured the survival of Thomas’ bohemian spirit. Nash’s battle was incredibly hard won, as the website Curbed NY writes that he and many other former tenants allegedly endured plenty of tenant harassment. The hotel’s tangled web of owners and managers has made for bad publicity for the renovation, which according to Curbed has cost over $130 million. “As outcomes go,” Nash told Curbed, “I couldn’t imagine one rosier under the circumstances.” His apartment shares a balcony with a room where Bob Dylan once lived — another of the building’s many famous guests.
SEGREGATED CITY SCHOOLS GET ANOTHER LOOK During a week fraught with racial tension across the country, New York City’s considerably segregated school system came back into the spotlight as well. According to Chalkbeat, an education news site, top Department of Education Officials are “exploring a plan to more evenly spread low-income students and their affluent peers across a Manhattan school district. If approved, experts say it would represent the city’s first district-wide desegregation plan in decades.” District 1, which includes about 24 schools in the East Village and the Lower East Side, is seen as ripe for an experiment such as this one because it is already small and diverse, and because it families are already allowed to apply for any school in that district no matter their address. District 1 could see the new system, called “controlled choice,” rolled out as early as the 2017-2018 school year.
Restaurants face fines of $250 and up for wasting energy during the summer.
A CRACKDOWN ON SIDEWALK A/C NEWS City set to fine businesses that leave doors open while running the A/C BY JENNIFER PELTZ
Along New York City’s steamy sidewalks in the summer, there’s long been a reliable respite from the heat: waves of air-conditioned comfort wafting from open doors. Now the nation’s biggest city is pushing businesses to cool it on such wastefulness. Under an expanded law that took full effect last week, most stores and restaurants could be fined $250 or more if they keep their doors or windows open while running the A/C. But as temperatures soared into the 90s, some air-conditioned shops and eateries around Times Square still had doors propped like open arms, beckoning passers-by to come into the cold. “When the doors are open, it’s
better for business,” says William Shalders, who manages Il Forno, an Italian restaurant that had its front door open; he said he wasn’t aware of the law. It passed last fall, but first-time violators got only warnings until July 1. No violations or fines have yet been issued since the change. Some New Yorkers haven’t waited for that to happen. Resident Dee Vitale Henle has taken it upon herself to close doors when she sees shops have them open. “It still bothers me because we’re in a terrible energy crisis in this world,” she says. There’s no exact measure of how much power goes out the door with air conditioning at city shops. The Natural Resources Defense Council has pegged the costs at up to $1,000 per summer for a typical business, which already pays summertime electric bills topping $2,200 a month. City sustainability officials have said closing doors at 10,000 businesses could cut 3,600 cars’ worth of emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to global warming.
But some business owners say the city shouldn’t dictate what they do with their doors and on their own dime. And “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, for one, has suggested New York’s rule smacks of nagging, casting Democrat Bill de Blasio as “not only our mayor -- he’s also our dad.” The new law expands a pioneering 2008 measure that applied only to large chain stores and inspired a similar law in Washington, D.C., which also recently extended its measure to smaller shops and is still working to implement the law. New York issued 308 warnings and 19 violation notices to chain stores last year, compared to 64 warnings and zero violations in 2014, according to Consumer Affairs Department data. Inspections, conducted in response to complaints and during regular patrols, rose from about 600 to 1,500. Both New York and Washington have found enforcement complicated because inspectors couldn’t always immediately dis-
cern whether a given store met size criteria. The new laws eliminate those thresholds, while carving out exceptions for outdoor dining areas and deliveries. Several business owners who say they make a point of closing doors have contacted the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce with concerns about being penalized for not noticing if a delivery person or customer leaves a door open. “I gotta get a ticket for that?” says Paul DiSpirito, who owns Lioni Italian Heroes, a Brooklyn sandwich shop. “It’s not the government’s place to tell me to keep my energy bills low. Me, as a businessman, to survive, I have to keep my energy bills low,” he says. To be sure, the city’s stray bursts of cool don’t go entirely unappreciated. “It does feel good, that blast of air,” Jonathan Higbee, a photographer, said as he stood in a sweaty Times Square this week. But for conservation’s sake, “I’m willing to give that up.”
JULY 14-20,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
JULY 14-20,2016
FIRST THE GARDEN, NOW THE INSECTS THE MANHATTAN GARDENER BY MIA KRAVITZ
Every summer, Roosevelt Park is always the first place I see fireflies -- or as we used to call them, “lightning bugs.” The not-walked-on lawns surrounding the American Museum of Natural History aren’t mowed as often as Central Park, and the taller grass really attracts these floating bits of neon, flickering on and off to amaze yet another generation experiencing nature in the city. Small kids find all bugs fascinating. It’s only when we get older that we begin to categorize “good bugs” and “bad bugs.” In reality there are just bugs. “Help save the honeybees!” says the earnest young lady, waving her clipboard on the sidewalk in front of the pet supply store. “Sorry, I’ll pass,” I say, which stops her in her tracks long enough for me to tell her that the honeybee is not a native North American insect. The mite/ virus/colony collapse fiasco that is killing them off is, in my view, “Mother Nature’s market correction” in removing an interloping insect. The honeybee was brought here in colonial times to pollinate fruit trees. Thomas Jefferson’s diary records he brought back French bees from Paris with an eye to improving yields on his grapes and apples in Monticello. Like a lot of American gardeners, he was unfamiliar with native pollinating bees, such as the orchard mason bee, the carpenter bee, and the bumblebee, which is critical to pollinating that tomato plant on your terrace. According to Cornell University, there are about 450 wild bee species already adapted to modern food crops, and they advocate encouraging native pollinators. That giant, four-inch-long, reddishbrown “waterbug” is a native New Yorker. Wave hello next time you see it. It’s the German cockroach -- small, fast and shiny -- that’s the real vil-
lain in kitchens. Improvements in pesticides have made these less of a scourge, but we’ve yet to find solutions to other imported pest species, such as the Norway rat and the rock pigeon. And so on to mosquitoes. The Health Department tells us that the “type of mosquito” native to New York is not the same species that carries the Zika virus. But even ours carry a nasty bite, so their advice to use window screens at home, insect repellent in the park, and clean up any standing water in
PLACES TO FIND NATIVE AMERICAN PLANTS AND INSECTS Central Park Turtle Pond (enter 81st Street and Central Park West, walk east) Roosevelt Park (stretch along Columbus between 77th and 81st Streets) High Line (Accessible entrances 14th Street at 10th Avenue; 34th Street at 12th Avenue)
your backyard is still excellent. I wish there were more places you could learn about insects. Roosevelt Park is now a surprisingly contentious bit of park land, and while the American Museum of Natural History is a good source for scholarly data on bugs, in my opinion its bid to reduce the tree canopy and lawns around the building may deprive native insects, not to mention New Yorkers who also enjoy the shady walks and flower plantings. Other places to find native insects are areas that include native plants: this includes the Turtle Pond plantings in Central Park, now lively with
Butterflies and pollinating insects find Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) on the perimeters of Central Park’s Turtle Pond. native flowers, and the High Line, also well planted with native flowers and grasses. Online, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (www.fws.gov/pollinators/) celebrates “National Pollina-
tor Week” with a variety of videos and activities for kids. Not long ago I found a Walking Stick insect (Diapheroma femorata) in my window box, and I do get the occasion-
VISIT OUR WEBSITE! at OURTOWNNY.COM
al butterfly. Keep an eye out; send me a photo (mia@newyorkinbloom.com) and let’s share the insects that share our city world.
JULY 14-20,2016
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Community Forum How to Protect Yourself and Family Members Against Scams and Fraud
CATHERINE CHRISTIAN Chief of the Elder Abuse Unit Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
GEORGE MANNES Senior Editor Money magazine
MARK SICARI Staff Attorney JASA
KYLE POPE Editor in Chief Our Town, Chelsea News, The Spirit, Our Town Downtown
Come hear how to safeguard your financial future. Learn to recognize the latest scams and find out what you can do to protect yourself and family members. Get unbiased financial information and tools for helping you to reach your financial goals. Hear what local resources are available to answer your questions.
Monday July 25 6-8pm John Jay School of Criminal Justice New Building 524 West 59th St. (between 10th & 11th) This event is free but space is limited. RSVP today at RSVP@strausnews.com. Seating is first come first served. The local paper for the Upper East Side
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Don’t go out into the heat. GET YOUR LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED It’s your neighborhood. It’s your news. And now your personal copy is delivered directly to your mailbox every week!
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
HE’S NOT MAILING IT IN Manhattan’s new postmaster on the Hells Angels, hurricanes and long lines
BY ANGELA BARBUTI
In 1983, Kevin Crocilla became a letter carrier on the Lower East Side. As a 21-year-old from Brooklyn, it was a bit of a culture shock. “Back then, that zone went from Houston Street on the East Side, all the way up to Grammercy Park South,” he explained. “We had the Bowery, we had the Hells Angels on East Third Street. And then on another day, I might be working up in Grammercy Park with the doorman buildings and the richest of the rich people.” That job was just the beginning of a lifelong career with the postal service. After 33 years of experience, and enduring storms like Hurricane Irene and Sandy and the countless events in Manhattan that make the process of delivering mail challenging, he was recognized for his commitment and sworn in as the new postmaster of the city of New York. His role includes overseeing 4,138 employees, 68 post offices and the 1,000 trucks that travel through the city. Crocilla credits his dedicated staff for their efforts, acknowledging them whenever he can. “One of the things I try to do in my new role is get out to visit as many offices as I can during the week. I take a few minutes and talk to all the clerks, custodians, carriers and people truly appreciate it,” he said.
Yeah, I actually started in Cooper Station. I’ve actually done my whole career here in Manhattan, all 33 years. As a new carrier they actually expose you to a lot of different things. Some days you’re driving a truck, some days you’re collecting mail out of the blue boxes, and other days you’re delivery mail, obviously, which is our primary function as a carrier. They kind of bounce you around; you work a lot of different hours. What I remember, being a kid from Brooklyn, was that, although I worked down on Wall Street, it was a little bit of a culture shock. Back in 1983, if you know the Lower East Side, it wasn’t what it is today. It’s become a lot more gentrified and built up. The memories I have were that the people, whether they were rich or poor, were all great.
You worked through some weather emergencies. What are your memories of those events? Unfortunately, I have a lot of memories of those events, in particular, Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy, which were the biggies. And then of course, we had a few snowstorms over the years. But with the hurricane events, the post office, like every other agency whether it’s city, state or federal, has emergency plans in place for such events. But, as you know, some of those storms and hurricanes were 100-year storms, so they actually became learning experiences for us. There were a lot of things we did right and obviously things we could have done better. Our biggest challenge during that time was actually getting our employees to work here in Manhattan. Besides the New York City transit system going down, at certain points, we also had issues with the gas shortages. When you don’t have the people here to do the work, it really become a challenge. How do you get the mail delivered? What a lot of people don’t realize is that a lot of our customers rely on the mail for medicine, sustenance checks, things that they really need to live. So what we do in those events is definitely prioritize and get our people together and do what we need to do to get our mail delivered to those customers. There are a lot of people who obviously can live without the mail for a day or two and it’s not as big of an impact. But when you take a step back, it’s a very important thing that we do.
How did your job as a letter carrier come about? I never really knew back then that I was going to make a career out of the post office. I had a job on Wall Street; I worked in an investment bank right out of high school. The job came up and my uncle, who was actually a postmaster, he’s deceased now, called me and said, “You should put in for that job. It’s a good job with good benefits.” It was that whole civil service-minded mentality from that generation. At the time, I had a job. But I was like, “It doesn’t hurt to put in.” So I actually took the test and was on the list for a couple of years. And when I got called, the salary was decent, the benefits were great. I said, “Let me try this.” Still being a young person, there was not a lot of risk there. No family yet, no kids. I became a letter carrier and actually enjoyed it. I did that for a few years and it’s actually a great job. You get to be out and meet the customers; you get your exercise. Rain, sleet and snow, you know the whole motto.
Your first route was on the Lower East Side. What was that like?
What does your job as postmaster entail?
Manhattan Postmaster Kevin Crocilla, with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, following his swearing-in ceremony in June. Photo: Connie Chirichello, USPS
I’m in charge of all the post offices in Manhattan. That includes the finance stations, the carriers, the clerks and all the mail handlers. I have about 4,100 subordinate employees who are under my jurisdiction. I do have six direct report area managers who help me manage all of Manhattan. I have over 100 managers above them. Dayto-day, it’s to collect, process, transport and deliver the mail. But as you
would imagine, there’s a lot of moving parts with that. Our challenge here in Manhattan is all the big events that happen. Besides all those snowstorms that we just talked about, we have dignitaries from all over the world who are here on any given day. Things like the marathon, the UN General Assembly, the pope coming to town, the president. Every time something like that happens, behind the scenes there’s a lot of planning and coordination in order for us to get our vehicles out of these areas. Because, as you know, sometimes they’ll just close down streets. Two years ago we had the Super Bowl [festivities] on Broadway and they shut down 10 blocks. Having to transport mail all over the city – I’m happy to say we do a good job and react when we need to react and get the job done each day.
People think that we don’t need post offices as much because of the internet. How do you argue against that and how do you stay current? What actually is happening is letter and flat mail is decreasing and it has been over the years. But our parcel volume has been increasing at a tremendous rate. So there’s been a shift in the mail: less letters, more parcels. And what we’re doing to stay relevant is we’ve been investing money over the years into scanning technology. We’ve upgraded all the carrier scanners because what our customers tell us is that they want that visibility. They want to track that package from the time it ships to the time it gets to their mail receptacle or their front door. Over the last few years we’ve been doing that to stay current in the market.
What is one initiative you are working on now? One of the things I’m taking on very aggressively is working on some of our retail lobbies. Sometimes you talk to customers and the image of the post office is long lines. I think we’re doing a better job than we were, but we definitely got some work to do in some of our spots. My challenge now and what I’ve been working on is trying to improve that customer experience in the lobby. And one of the ways we’re doing that is we did get some new scanners for our retail clerks where we can actually have a clerk in the lobby. We can’t do money orders or passports or things of that nature, but we can do simple transactions with a debit or credit card like buying a roll of stamps or a prepaid priority envelope. The idea is that we can take customers as soon as they walk in the door and try to keep them off that line.
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