The local paper for the Upper East Side THE NEXT COVID CHALLENGE ◄ P.2
WEEK OF JULY
23-29 23-29 2020
BALLOT BONANZA
POLITICS
Four weeks after the primary election, votes are still being counted - as tensions rise BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
Muhammad Sali’s halal cart at Fifth Ave. and 79th St. Photo: Emily Sun
RISKY BUSINESS FOR UES STREET FOOD VENDORS NEIGHBORHOOD
As the city reopens, a return to fewer customers and greater health concerns BY EMILY SUN
At 6 a.m., Hanashit, who declined to share his full name, sets up his breakfast stand at Park Avenue and 86th Street. He stocks it with powdered donuts, blueberry muffins, chocolate croissants and egg rolls. Then, he waits. As the sun rises, people stop for black coffee or a bagel. But most of the time, the street is empty. By 1 p.m., the 56-yearold is ready to leave.
Traditionally, with election night comes a deep exhale. For candidates and staffers, it’s the culmination of many months spent door knocking and phone banking, preparing for debates and town halls, and doing whatever it takes to get their message to the voters. No matter which way the vote goes, there’s relief in knowing the result. But that’s not the case for several of New
York’s primary contenders. Four weeks after the vote, candidates across the city are still holding their breath. The coronavirus pandemic upended the way candidates campaigned during this election cycle, and now, it’s upended the tabulation process. The city’s Board of Elections has been swamped by the unprecedented number of absentee ballots it received for the primary election, a result of the state prioritizing voteby-mail as a precaution during the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots were mailed in across the city, and in some
A missing postmark, over which voters had no control, should not disenfranchise those voters. We stand together in asking Governor Cuomo to update his executive order to permit the Board of Elections to accept all absentee ballots received without a postmark.” Statement from all four candidates in the 12th Congressional District
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
“Before the pandemic, I could make more than $500 every day,” Hanashit said. “Now? Less than $200.” Ninety percent of the over 20,000 street vendors in New York City closed their carts when the coronavirus shut down the city in March, estimates the Street Vendor Project (SVP), an organization that advocates for street vendor rights. By July, most have returned to work. They face fewer customers, high health risks and exclusion from the city’s relief and recovery efforts. Food vendors’ livelihoods depend on foot traffic. Since
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
@OurTownNYC
A CITY’S TRAVAILS, A CAT’S TALE Scaffolding and welcoming a new family member Harmony. p. 6
WITHOUT WAITER JOBS, WHAT HAPPENS TO CREATIVE NYC? How pandemic restaurant changes are affecting aspiring artists, performers and writers. p. 18
SENIOR CENTERS FIND SUCCESS IN REMOTE PROGRAMMING When the pandemic hit, Project FIND on the UWS created a robust roster of Zoom offerings. p. 8
Challenger Suraj Patel. Photo courtesy of Suraj Patel
Rep. Carolyn Maloney. Photo: U.S. House Office of Photography
OurTownEastSide
OURTOWNNY.COM
INSIDE
Voices City Arts
6 12
15 Minutes Real Estate
20 22
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, July 24 – 8:01 pm. For more information visit www.chabbaduppereastside.com.