The local paper for the Upper East Side
WEEK OF AUGUST
23-29 2018
Fall 2018 EDUCATION p.11
TOUGH SLOG TO A FAST FERRY WATERWAYS The new riverboats are already a magnet for East Siders — but a trek to the dock means navigating 70plus steps, so it’s impassable for the disabled
It is outrageous that there is still no accessible path to the 90th Street ferry.” State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s charter revision commission is one of two panels concurrently reviewing the charter. In April, the City Council convened its own charter revision commission, which will send any ballot proposals in approves to voters in Nov. 2019. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.
PANEL PRESENTS CHARTER REFORM PROPOSALS POLITICS Mayoral commission will review ballot measures targeting changes to campaign finance laws, community board appointments BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
The commission convened by Mayor Bill de Blasio to review the New York City Charter appears poised to send several ballot measures to voters this November, including proposals to enact term limits for community board members and expand the city’s public matching program for campaign funds. The mayoral charter revision commission provided the public with a broad overview of policy proposals to alter several aspects of city government in a resolution approved
The proposal on the Civic Engagement Commission is so vague and leaves so many unanswered questions.” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer Aug. 14. Commission staff will draft detailed ballot proposals in the weeks to come, using the resolution passed by the 15-member resolution as a template. By September 7, the commission will vote on the proposals drafted by the staff, and those approved will be appear before voters on the general election ballot Nov. 6. The proposed amendments to the charter fit within three main categories: community boards, civic engagement and campaign finance.
COMMUNITY BOARDS
for community board members. If passed by voters, the ballot measure would limit appointees to a maximum of four consecutive two-year terms. Board members who reach the term limit could be reappointed after one full two-year term out of office. Commission staff will also draft a proposal to create a uniform citywide application for community board seats. The appointment process currently varies by borough. Members of the city’s 59 community boards are appointed by the borough
Commission staff will draft a proposal to enact term limits
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
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Question: Now that ferry service has returned to the Upper East Side, how does a river-bound passenger reach the East 90th Street landing to board the boat and travel to points south? Answer: It’s easy if you’re young, healthy or fit. It can be tricky, even treacherous, if you’re old, infirm or frail. And unfortunately, it is all-but impossible if you’re confined to a wheelchair. With great fanfare, the city on Aug. 15 launched a massive expansion of its existing ferry system, opening a berth just north of Carl Schurz Park to whisk riders down to 34th Street and Pier 11 on Wall Street. The only problem is getting to the ferry dock. To access the site, commuters have to navigate dozens of steps on the uptown side of Gracie Mansion and scale a steep slope that summits on the roof of the FDR Drive tunnel. That pitched hill — beloved by generations of sleigh-riders — is crowned by a plateau atop the highway which ferry-goers traverse by wending their way between two construction fences before finally descending to the East River on the other side. “The ride itself is gorgeous — but I could do without all the
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Ferry passengers clamber up the pitched slope at the northern end of Carl Schurz Park to get to and from the East 90th Street ferry landing on the East River, where a new riverboat route launched on Aug. 15. It’s a pretty tough haul, and it is not ADA accessible. Photo: Douglas Feiden huffing-and-puffing it takes to get there,” said Phyllis Lester, a 79-year-old retired Yorkville bookkeeper who took the ferry to visit a doctor on 36th Street. “For me, it’s no problem,” said William Shapiro, 31, a broker on a Wall Street commodities desk. Indeed, he wore a backpack and effortlessly carried a bicycle up the steps. “But I have a grandmother who’s 84 and loves the water, and it’s just not fair to deny her access,” he said. Needless to say, the passage is not ADA accessible: Our Town
counted 11 separate sets of stairs, totaling 35-plus steps, leading from East End Avenue at 90th Street to the crest of the hill — then another nine sets of
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 Jewish women and girls light u the world by lighting the Shabb candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, August 24 – 7:23 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com
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AUGUST 23-29,2018
UWS TEEN ADVOCATES FOR GIRLS WORLDWIDE ACTIVISM Yardena Gerwin is a recipient of the 2018 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award BY CHRISTINA CARDONA
Four years ago, Yardena Gerwin, then 15, was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, which meant her immune system was attacking her brain. But before getting properly diagnosed, Gerwin said a few of her male doctors said the symptoms she was experiencing were psychological and attributable to anxiety or stress. After two female psychologists examined her and determined there was nothing psychologically wrong, the doctors found something clinical. Gerwin emerged from her medical trials certain that sexism was at work in her doctors’ initial diagnoses, and that made her wonder what it was like for girls in other countries, particularly in developing nations. She took it upon herself to help her peers and empower them. She was still 15 when she founded a chapter of the international advocacy initiative Girl Up at The Abraham Joshua Heschel School on the Upper
Yardena Gerwin, who founded a chapter of the advocacy initiative Girl Up at The Abraham Joshua Heschel School on the Upper West Side, is a recipient of a 2018 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award. She received her award in San Francisco this week from awards co-Chairwomen Adele Corvin (left) and Susan Epstein. Photo: Christopher Shaw West Side. Since then, Gerwin, now 19, climbed the ranks and is now head of the coalition. She’s come to advocate for girls all over the world. In June, Gerwin was announced as a recipient of the 2018 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award, a $36,000 award that recognizes teens for their commitment to social good and volunteer service. She has been recognized for updating and empowering the New York City chapter
of the Girl Up campaign. “A lot of the issues we focus on is child marriage, helping girls get an education, make sure they live a life free from violence and that they have access to health services,” Gerwin said, mentioning work in countries as diverse as Malawi, Guatemala, Liberia and India. “But what is really unique about Girl Up as a whole is that the main core of people advocating for these girls in de-
veloping countries, both by fundraising and also by legislation.” The organization’s main age demographic is 13 to 18. Gerwin’s chapter meets weekly to discuss the issues girls in developing countries faces. They also lobby their national representatives. They lobbied Congress to pass the Girls Count Act, bipartisan legislation that puts the weight of the United States toward an effort ensuring that children in developing countries are registered at birth. Girl Up is now pushing for the passage of legislation — Protecting Girls in Vulnerable Settings Act — designed to ensure girls in refugee camps get an education, and are in a school on days they’re safe from violence and also able to continue their education. “It’s really been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life, there’s something really special about watching the moment where it just clicks for a girl and they kind of just realize that they are capable of doing something they really want to do,” Gerwin said. “Oftentimes the only thing stopping them from achieving their goals and believing in themselves, is themselves.” Now in its 12th year, the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards has given more
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than $4 million to 114 Jewish teens tackling global issues. The awards were the vision of the philanthropist Helen Diller, the force behind The Helen Diller Family Foundation. Award money can be used for college or to further support causes and efforts the recipient is advocating for. “Tikkun Olam means repairing the world in Hebrew,” Gerwin said. “That’s a big Jewish concept, that we’re called upon to do our part in the world. I’ve had moments when people say ‘why aren’t you working with Jews or for a Jewish organization?’ I’ve always brought up the concept of Tikkun Olam. It’s not just the responsibility of Jewish people to help other Jewish people, we have the responsibility to repair the entire world.” Gerwin is about to start her freshman year at American University in Washington, D.C., where she will study in the School of Public Affairs. She said she has high hopes for the Girl Up New York Coalition, even though she’ll be in another state. She created an executive board and trained two vice presidents to lead the Girl Up New York Coalition. “I think the future is really bright,” Gerwin said. “We have more connections, we have more resources and we have more girls than we ever have.”
AUGUST 23-29,2018
CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG MUGGING AT KNIFEPOINT Two men, one of them wielding a knife, set upon several teenagers recently. At 5 a.m. on Tuesday, August 14, a 14-year-old male youth and his friends were walking east down East 95th Street from Second Avenue toward First when the pair approached them, according to a police account. One of the men took out a knife and said, “Run your pockets!� The 14-yearold told the knife wielder that he didn’t have anything, and the thug took his backpack and its contents, which included headphones, a phone charger and a bag. The victim said he only had a charger and headphones inside the pack. The two men took off.
CABBIE ARRESTED FOLLOWING FARE DISPUTE A 34-year-old woman reported an assault by a cab driver, who she said grabbed her by her arm and wrist, and then by the neck, saying she had not paid her fare, police said. The incident, at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 12, led to the cabbie’s arrest. Des Raj was charged with assault. The victim refused medical attention at the scene, and the cabbie.
BANK ROBBERY An alleged new bank customer turned out to be an old-school bank robber. At 3:12 p.m. on Friday, August 10, a man wearing a blue T-shirt and a blue baseball hat approached a teller inside the HSBC bank at 186 East 86th St. saying he wanted to open an account. The teller was about to redirect him to another employee when he passed her a note instructing her to give him $800
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STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th district for the week ending Aug 12 Week to Date
Year to Date
2018 2017
% Change
Murder
2018
2017
0
0
n/a
1
0
n/a
Rape
0
0
n/a
9
7
28.6
Robbery
3
1
200.0
94
72
30.6
Felony Assault
2
1
100.0
88
80
10.0
Burglary
6
5
20.0
136
129
5.4
Grand Larceny
25
30
-16.7
876 843 3.9
Grand Larceny Auto
3
1
200.0
44
24
% Change
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in an envelope. He also told her not to make any sudden moves. The teller attempted to give him some bait money – trackable bills – but he requested eight $100 bills.
LOCAL SCHOOL BURGLED Two burglars need to report to a certain school principal’s office. When a 44-year-old employee arrived at Saint David’s School at 12 East 89th St. on the morning of Friday, August 10, her computer was missing Surveillance video revealed two men on bikes checking the school for open doors about At 12.20 a.m. the pair left but returned at 2:45 a.m. and managed to get inside. One of the burglars then handed the computer to his accomplice through a window before they both took off on their bikes. The stolen computer was a 27-inch iMac desktop model valued at $2,000.
GYM GOER HELPS NAB THIEF The victim of a theft apparently did some detective work of his own that led to an arrest, according to a police account. At 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, August 9, a 25-yearold man placed his belongings in an unlocked locker inside the Equinox Fitness Club at 817 Lexington Ave. When he returned at 9:45 a.m., his iPhone 6S cellphone and credit card were missing, he told police. Three unauthorized transactions totaling $376 later turned up on the debit card that he still had in his possession. He got the names authorizing the three transactions from a shipping company. One of them was a fellow visitor at Equinox. Police said Gustavo Salazar was duly arrested August 14 and charged with grand larceny.
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STIRRING IT UP EAST SIDE OBSERVER BY ARLENE KAYATT
Strawless in the city — Seattle’s doing it. New York could be next. Plastic straws are on the way out. Think about it — sipping and slurping will never be the same without plastic straws. Paper straws are no substitute. A recent visit to Pennsy Hall, the food mecca above Penn Station, found me at the newly opened Dumbo Taco. Pretty candy-colored drink offerings included margaritas with a choice of strawberry or other fruit juices. Although still in use, Dumbo Taco has replaced the plastic with a paper straw. Unfortunately, the frozen grainy slush libation just doesn’t make its way through the straw, easily or otherwise. It never gets from straw to lip. Anyway, frozen margaritas were meant to be sipped. Not held in an uber icy glass. Just doesn’t work. Same for a spoon or a sippy cup. Not — that’s plastic. Back to straws. Taco Dumbo’s paper straw is forget it. And speaking more about straws — Although I had no idea I was walking into a straw story when I got to Pennsy Hall, it was starting to gel. Later that week, at DTUT, a casual wine bar on Second Ave on the UES, doesn’t
serve frozen drinks. So we ordered wine and a non-alcoholic Diet Pepsi. When asked for a straw for the soda, the bartender assured that “You can have one if you want one, but I don’t give a straw,” because of their effect on the environment. Compliant, guilty thinking of sea turtles, I skipped the straw and sipped the soda. Going forward, however, I will not use a paper straw. If New York passes a law banning plastic straws, I will stick to unfrozen drinks. Maybe something stirred or shaken. And a no-straw law may not be too far off. Earlier this year City Council Member Rafael Espinal held a press conference and announced that he was planning to introduce legislation banning plastic straws. If the bill passes, restaurants that continue to use plastic straws/plastic stirrers would receive a warning. If they don’t stop, there will be a fine. Exempt from the bill would be anyone with a disability or a medical condition that required use of a straw. A little tricky for restaurants if it’s unlawful to stock straws. And who remembers to carry a straw with them?
Exit mom and pop — A recent edition of Eater, an online foodie site, noted the departure of mom-and-pop restaurants in Manhattan’s Koreatown
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Readers weigh in on the perils of being a pedestrian in NYC
City Sidewalks I was born and raised in Manhattan, as were my parents. Grandparents lived here too. I have always loved walking a lot, but now I find it is perilous because so many people are on their cellphones and seem oblivious to anyone else
(“Field Notes: The Urban Obstacle Course,” Aug. 9-15). One Sunday morning, I went out on West End Ave., and there was a guy in a truck blaring rap music. I mentioned to him that it was Sunday am, people were resting, and there are a number of churches nearby. His response was “I will lower the sound if you give me some money!” Then I walked up West 89th to Broadway. I saw a woman and her daughter walking their bikes on the sidewalk. But her son was weaving around the
Photo: Camilo Rueda López, via flickr on East 32nd Street just west of Fifth Ave. The restaurants were owned by moms and pops who emigrated to New York City in the ‘80s and found a business home in the heart of midtown. In the ‘90s, the stand-alone restaurants began closing and the spaces taken over by conglomerates from Korea. These corporations generally combine several businesses in their portfolio — usually food and beauty products — and open businesses in more than one location along the street. Fighting back so as to preserve the mom-and-pop business model for Korean business owners, local restaurants are looking
block on his bike. I pointed out that it is against the law to ride a bike on the sidewalk. She replied, “Why don’t you stop being a grumpy old lady. My son is just learning to ride his bike.” I decided to just stop where I was walking and say nothing and wait til Dennis the Menace swerving on his bike went inside. I think it would be great to ban the use of cellphones and music devices, as it results in many people, deaf to anyone else on the street, are walking around in a fog, and are very likely to just walk into another pedestrian. I once had a young girl, around ten, who was walking backwards down West 89th St. almost walk into my knee
beyond locating their restaurants only on 32nd Street and only on the ground floor level. By expanding to nearby streets and “stacking” their restaurants as they do in Seoul — one restaurant on top of the other on different floor levels in the same building makes rents affordable. Good preservation plan to keep moms-andpops viable. Hope it works. Haengun-eul bil-eoyo = good luck.
Reader read-back — Haven’t heard from any Democrats about the distinction between being a Reform Democrat — as this East Side Observer column noted Council Mem-
on which I had had surgery. In a low, gentle voice, I told her that walking backwards on NY city streets is not a good idea. The next thing I know, her mother pounces on me, saying, “How dare you yell at my daughter!” I think that in this age of Trump, there is no respect for anyone else. And older people with canes or not, beware! Not only are the streets and sidewalks in horrible condition, but the people out there are hostile! Thank you for your attention to this matter. Patricia Dale Upper West Side
ber Ben Kallos describes himself in his constituent newsletter — and a progressive Democrat as Mayor Bill de Blasio describes himself wherever he goes. Have heard from some Republicans and Conservatives who say that “Socialistic” replaces “progressive” and that “Reform” still means “Liberal.” Another reader wanted to know if Kaia, the South African wine bar/ restaurant on the UES, reopened after being closed down as the result of a dispute with state tax division. A week after the closing Kaia was up and running and back in business. Welcome back, Kaia.
Cameras and Crossings We have a memorial around the corner to one beloved but dead victim of an automobile. Two evenings ago his family members had come to yet again memorialize his demise taking photos and leaving roses. As for camera and bicycles: a friend was hit by a rider @ 78th [on the Upper East Side] ... rider stopped asking if victim was all right ... there was no blood... rider sped off ... Victim was hospitalized with broken bones. The street security camera was checked. Ooops... not working. Rosalind Martin Upper East Side
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CHARTER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 president representing each district, with input from local City Council representatives. Members can currently serve an unlimited number of twoyear terms. Proponents of term limits claim that mandated turnover in membership would promote increased diversity on the local advisory boards, producing board demographics that more closely reflect neighborhood makeup. Una Clarke, a former City Council member who sits on the charter revision commission, said that the reforms would allow community boards to better evolve alongside the neighborhoods they represent. “There are many communities in which there are new residents who don’t have a say in the community,” Clarke said at a recent panel discussion on the commission’s proposals hosted by CUNY Journalism School’s Center for Community and Ethnic Media. Gale Brewer, who as Manhattan borough president is responsible for appointing members to the borough’s 12 community boards, has
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com warned that increased turnover would rob community boards of valuable experience and institutional memory. “I think term limits will seriously weaken community boards, especially in the land use context,” Brewer said at the Aug. 16 meeting of Manhattan’s borough board. Alida Camp, chair of Community Board 8, which serves the Upper East Side, also opposes term limits. “Term limits in themselves don’t promote diversity,” Camp said in a telephone interview. “A robust appointment process does.”
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT The commission’s resolution outlines a proposal to establish a new Civic Engagement Commission to promote public participation in civic life. The Civic Engagement Commission that would engage in a variety of activities, including sponsoring voter registration efforts and providing language access services. But one aspect of the proposed commission’s responsibilities has already proven controversial: providing land use resources to community boards. Community boards have long requested additional resources and staff to evaluate local land
use issues, ranging from zoning changes to the permissibility of proposed as-of-right developments. Many of the local bodies, along with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, submitted testimony to the charter revision commission calling for additional urban planning staff to be dedicated to community boards. The request to provide expanded urban planning resources for community boards is reflected in the resolution, but the charter revision commission’s proposal would task the new Civic Engagement Commission with providing those services. Some observers have voiced concerns with that method of organization, noting that the new commission, a body potentially subject to mayoral influence, would be tasked with providing planning assistance to community boards, which are often at odds with land use decisions made by mayoral agencies. The resolution does not detail how the Civic Engagement Commission’s members would be appointed. But Marco Carrión, who serves on the charter revision commission and is also head of the mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, said that a majority of the Civic Engage-
ment Commission’s members would be appointed by the mayor, with other appointments belonging the City Council and borough presidents. Brewer expressed serious skepticism about the arrangement. “That will be a conflict of interest of the highest proportions, in my opinion,” she said. “When you’re told you’re going to have an urban planner, I want the community board to pick it,” Brewer told the chairs of Manhattan’s community boards at the August borough board meeting. “I want it to be your planner and not from the mayor’s commission.” Matt Gewolb, the executive director of the charter revision commission, said that the commission carefully considered organizational questions about the new planning staff, explaining that its goal is to provide community boards with land use resources that are separate from and do not overlap with the existing planning responsibilities and resources of the borough presidents’ offices and the Department of City Planning.
contribution limits for candidates for city office by more than 60 percent and to expand the city’s public matching funds program. The matching program, which matches small contributions from city residents with public funding at a
ratio of six-to-one, would be expanded to match donations at an eight-to-one rate under the proposal. The proposal would also increase the cap on public matching funds a campaign can receive in an election cycle.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE The charter revision commission directed staff to draft a proposal to reduce campaign
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Tue 28 ASTRONOMY LIVE: THE GRAND TOUR OF THE UNIVERSE
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American Museum of Natural History, 79th St. Transverse and West 81st St. 6:30 p.m. $15/$13.50 seniors & students 212-769-5100. amnh.org Nearly all of us know we’re the third planet from the sun, but where are we among the stars in the Milky Way? Join astronomers Brian Abbott and Jillian Bellovary as they guide guests from Earth to the most distant objects in the observable universe.
Thu 23 Fri 24
Sat 25
‘QUENCH,’ A NEW BOOK ABOUT HYDRATION
CENTRAL PARK: SOUTHERN WELCOME TOUR
â–ş FUNGUS AMONG US: URBAN EXPEDITION
St. Agnes Library 444 Amsterdam Ave. 5:30 p.m. Free Beat the heat, or perhaps just slake your thirst, with Dr. Dana Cohen as she discusses her new book, “Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration.� Cohen will share hydration strategies, so come and stay cool during the dog days of August. 212-621-0619 nypl.org
Central Park at 61st St. and Fifth Ave. 2 p.m. Free See Central Park like never before with Conservancy guides who know the ins and outs of southern park highlights, including Grand Army Plaza, the Pond, Gapstow Bridge, Wollman Rink, Chess & Checkers House and the Dairy. Repeats periodically throughout the summer and fall. 212-310-6600 nycgovparks.org
American Folk Art Museum w2 Lincoln Square Noon. $10 Join Paul Sadowski of the New York Mycological Society for a mushroom identiďŹ cation walk in Central Park. Start with a discussion about Orra White Hitchcock’s mushroom album currently on view at the museum, then walk over to the park for some experiential learning. 212-595-9533 folkartmuseum.org
AUGUST 23-29,2018
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Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 OPEN STUDIOS FOR FAMILIES The Guggenheim 1071 Fifth Ave. 1 p.m. Free with admission At this drop-in studio artmaking program, children three and above are invited to explore the themes and materials seen in the works on current view in the museum. 212-423-3500 guggenheim.org
TRIVIA NIGHT Ryan’s Daughter 350 East 85th St. 8 p.m. Free Enjoy craft beer, challenging questions and a friendly but competitive atmosphere at this rousing weekly night of trivia. 212-628-2613 ryansdaughter.nyc
SUMMER SANDBOX SESSIONS: MR. CORBITT Carl Schurz Park, the playground at 84th St. 4 p.m. Free Find a spot in the shade and take the kids to this free outdoor afternoon concert series. This features the musical theatertrained Mr. Corbitt, whose highenergy, boisterous concerts include pop, reggae, disco and more. 212-459-4455 carlschurzparknyc.org
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Open Heart Conversations: African Spirituality
Wed 29 ▲ ACCORDIONS AROUND THE WORLD Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues 5:30 p.m. Free Something you didn’t know you needed: a little more accordion in your life. Audiences will have the chance to hear music from around the world and experience this often overlooked instrument. The fivehour celebration features bands with at least one accordionist, as well as bandoneon, bayan, concertina and harmoniumplayers of different musical genres. 212-768-4242 nycgovparks.org
SUNDAY, AUGUST 26TH, 3PM United Palace | 4140 Broadway | 212-568-6700 | unitedpalace.org Initiated priestess and Interfaith Minister Iyanifa Rev. DeShannon Barnes-Bowens leads a conversation on the Yoruba, taking in history, philosophy, and cosmology on the way to sharing insight into African spirituality (free).
Astronomy on Tap: Out of This World Books
TUESDAY, AUGUST 28TH, 6:30PM NYPL Schwarzman Building | 476 Fifth Ave. | 917-275-6975 | nypl.org A trio of talks provides a look across a diverse swath of the cosmos. Learn more about Carl Sagan, literary representations of exoplanets, and the presence of astronomy in Renaissance literature as a pop-science lecture series visits the NYPL (free).
Just Announced | White Light Conversation: Community in the 21st Century
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, 3PM Kaplan Penthouse | 70 Lincoln Cntr. Plaza | 212-875-5456 | lincolncenter.org Experts in technology, religion, and the arts will talk about our social selves and the ways identity is evolving at John Schaefer’s annual conversation (free).
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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BEYOND BROADWAY - EAST SIDE The #1 online community for NYC theater:
www.show-score.com
NOW PLAYING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FROM $41
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A riveting true story of the first black students to attend their city’s formerly segregated high school.
Actor and stand-up comedian Gianmarco Soresi stars in this witty unromantic comedy.
A comedy with a psychiatric twist, this new musical is a story about finding happiness, falling in love, and dealing with that little voice in your head.
SHEEN CENTER - 18 BLEECKER ST
59E59 - 59 E 59TH ST
DR2 THEATER - 103 E 15TH ST
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This new one-man play, adapted from the young adult novel by Michael Morpurgo (‘War Horse’), offers a timely reminder of the heroic sacrifices of soldiers in World War I.
80 A New York premiere musical offering an edgy, comic look at coming of age in the digital age.
TBG MAINSTAGE THEATRE - 312 W 36TH ST
PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER - 480 W 42ND ST
HEARTBREAK HOUSE
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Shaw’s most vital paean to resistance and perseverance against tyranny gets a new adaptation set during the London Blitz.
967 REVIEWS OPEN RUN
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A foot-stompin’, knee-slappin’ new musical set in the Old West based on ‘Measure for Measure.’
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NEW WORLD STAGES - 340 W 50TH ST
Joy Gallagher, a professor of philosophy and physics, comes to terms with the certain death of her mother. A play about time, space, memory…and the tangle of life.
FROM $30
SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE 224 REVIEWS OPEN RUN
THEATRE ROW - 410 W 42ND ST
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THE REVOLVING CYCLES TRULY AND STEADILY ROLL’D PREVIEWS START SEP 07
86
Princess Grace Award-winning playwright Jonathan Payne makes his New York debut with this new play for Playwrights Realm, based on his experience as a social worker.
An all-new incarnation of the hit revue celebrating the songs of Leiber and Stoller. STAGE 42 - 422 W 42ND ST
THE DUKE - 229 W 42ND ST
Content provided by
KEY:
FALL 2018 EDUCATION INSIDE:
PEDAGOGICAL PASSION PLAY
Back to school backpacks
PERSPECTIVE
No APs, no problem
Or how city, state and federal policies, politics and polemics — for better or worse — are impacting the state of our schools and the lives of our school kids
Escaping the College Board
BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
Crafting opportunities at art schools Learn some humility Breaking the cycle of poverty
It has been a consequential and controversial year in the classrooms of New York and the educational battlefields of Albany and Washington. Consider the reign of Donald Trump and the bumpy track record of Betsy DeVos, his disputatious secretary of education. On her first official visit to the city, DeVos opted to tour two Orthodox Jewish schools, including the Manhattan School for Girls on East 70th Street – and was lambasted for visiting a total of zero public schools. Unmistakably, if not very subtly, the administration was signaling its backing for
public funding for religious schools, vouchers for private schools and enhanced school choices for alternates like charter schools. Then examine the gubernatorial contest pitting Andrew Cuomo, once a rare procharter New York pol, against Cynthia Nixon, who has turned equitable school funding into the mantra of her campaign. The challenger has already succeeded in one respect: Dragging Cuomo to the left. He’s backtracked on school choice and educational reform, and cozied up to the powerful teachers unions he once vowed to tame.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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AUGUST 23-29,2018
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WELCOME
BIENVENIDOS
Bilingual. Multi-Cultural. Diverse. ! ! $&# % " '
Barely three weeks into his new post, the city’s schools chancellor, Richard A. Carranza, center, thrust himself into a contentious debate about school diversity taking place within the Upper West Side. Photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Out on the hustings, at least thus far, Nixon’s signature issue has failed to translate into political momentum. But by blasting Cuomo for “blocking fair funding of public schoolsâ€? — and demanding sky-high taxes to “reverse chronic underfundingâ€? — she’s put the too-little-cash-for-ourkids formulation on the map in a big way, increasing the likelihood that more monies will ow into the system under the next governor. For his part, Cuomo has sought to defang any political liability. School funding has shot up significantly on his watch, to $26.5 billion in the current fiscal year from the $20.5 billion school budget he inherited when he ďŹ rst took ofďŹ ce in 2011, he often points out on the stump. Meanwhile, Bill de Blasio’s reelection last year — and the exit in April this year of Carmen FariĂąa, his first-term chancellor — paved the way for a new push by the mayor to shake up the municipal school system, the world’s largest. His deďŹ ning accomplishment to date had been the kickoff in September 2015 of free, universal, full-day, pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-olds. Now, he was determined to build on that legacy by making the schools more diverse — and opening up the city’s eight specialized high schools to more students from disadvantaged backgrounds. But ďŹ rst came a spectacular fiasco: His first pick for chancellor, Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of schools in Miami-Dade County, turned down the job on live television, a day after accepting it, and opted to remain in Florida.
The goal is to open doors for black and Hispanic students in the schoolhouses where they’ve historically been underrepresented. It was hugely embarrassing. Barely 24 hours earlier, de Blasio had called him the “best person to lead the nation’s biggest school system into the future.â€? It would have been humorous, too — except that the chancellor oversees 1.1 million students, 75,000 teachers, 1,800-plus schools and a budget of roughly $25 billion. So the mayor turned to his No. 2 choice, Richard Carranza, grandson of Mexican immigrants and the son of a hairdresser and a sheet-metal worker. After a mere three weeks on the job, the new chancellor on April 27 plunged into a racial mineďŹ eld. A plan to bolster school diversity in the Upper West Side’s District 3 — by earmarking 25 percent of seats for sixth-grade students assessed at lower proďŹ ciency levels on English and math exams — had been assailed by parents who argued it would result in students with higher test scores being shut out of their preferred schools. They spoke up at a contentious meeting, about overhauling the middle-school admissions process to boost diversity, at P.S. 199 on West 70th Street. It was captured in a video that aired on NY1. And shortly after, Carranza tweeted an article about the event that characterized the dynamics in stark racial terms. “WATCH: Wealthy white Manhattan parents angrily rant against plan to bring more
black kids to their schools,â€? he tweeted, linking to a piece on the site Raw Story that had run under the same headline. Carranza later backed away from the tweet. But he didn’t back away from the fray. Or the administration’s pro-diversity pitch. “Let’s stop talking about a tweet, and start talking about the issue,â€? he said a few days later. “And the issue is segregated schools.â€? For some people, segregation may conjure up bulldogs and ďŹ re hoses and racist violence to keep blacks out of the schools of the Deep South in the 1960s. For others, it accurately conveys the de facto separation of the races in public education through legal if abhorrent means that must be reversed by governmental policy. It is that latter deďŹ nition that the de Blasio administration embraces. The goal is to open doors for black and Hispanic students in the schoolhouses where they’ve historically been underrepresented. And absent any more gaffes from Carranza, that is the policy that City Hall has been forcibly advocating ever since. Bottom line: Every single twist and turn of educational politics, policies and polemics at the city, state and federal levels ultimately impacts the schools and school children of New York City. invreporter@strausnews.com
AUGUST 23-29,2018
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Understanding and Addressing Vision Loss Online continuing education that helps social workers meet the needs of patients with vision loss
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Learn about the impact of vision loss on patients’ health, mental health, daily activities, social participation and overall quality of life
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Learn strategies to help patients address vision loss and improve their ability to accomplish daily activities
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Learn how to identify patients with vision loss, talk with patients about vision loss, and conduct psychosocial assessments
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Learn about vision rehabilitation services, including tips for running a vision loss support group
Register at lighthouseguild.org/ce Learn more about this course and other Vision Rehabilitation eLearning programs and resources: 800-539-4845 I sightcare@lighthouseguild.org I lighthouseguild.org/ce
This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886774618-6037) for 2 continuing education contact hours. 7KLV SURJUDP KDV EHHQ SUH DSSURYHG E\ 7KH &RPPLVVLRQ IRU &DVH 0DQDJHU &HUWLĆFDWLRQ WR SURYLGH FRQWLQXLQJ HGXFDWLRQ FUHGLW WR &&0p ERDUG FHUWLĆHG FDVH PDQDJHUV IRU &( FRQWDFW KRXUV $FWLYLW\ FRGH , $SSURYDO 1XPEHU 7R FODLP WKHVH &(V ORJ LQWR \RXU &&0& 'DVKERDUG DW ZZZ FFPFHUWLĆFDWLRQ RUJ
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AUGUST 23-29,2018
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ESTABLISHED 1789 A NURTURING, SMALL, JUNIOR-K THROUGH 5th GRADE CO-ED SCHOOL On 95th Street at Central Park West
Where Empowerment and Education go hand-in-hand.
Sign Up for An Open House Tour at alexanderrobertson.org/admissions or call 212-663-2844 to make an appointment for your visit.
BACK TO SCHOOL BACKPACKS Homeless children around the city will receive supplies ranging from glue sticks to dictionaries BY NATASHA ROY
FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL
faith, scholarship, service
OPEN HOUSE Sunday, October 28 1-4 pm
60%
GRADUATES WHO ATTEND COLLEGES RATED BY BARRON’S AS
Registration Required
140
STUDENTS WHO WERE NAMED AP SCHOLARS IN 2018
MOST SELECTIVE
fordhamprep.org/admissions
For more information: www.fordhamprep.org/admissions admissions@fordhamprep.org 718-584-8367 Fordham Prep is located in the Bronx on the Rose Hill campus adjacent to Fordham University. JESUIT EDUCATION
6 36
CONTINENTS VISITED BY OUR STUDENTS AS PART OF OUR GLOBAL ED PROGRAM
CITY AND STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 2010
To combat the lack of resources homeless children face when beginning the academic year, the Coalition for the Homeless is holding its 11th annual Project: Back to School. Students in all grade levels will receive backpacks filled with school supplies, and the Coalition — an organization that partners with homeless shelters to provide food, job training and advocacy for homeless New Yorkers — is asking for a wide variety of donated items, from glue sticks to small dictionaries. “If things don’t change, we’re looking this year at having every one in seven public school kids being homeless at one point in time,” said Sarah Murphy, the Coalition’s director of development. According to the Coalition, over 111,500 students in the city were homeless at some point during the 2017-2018 academic year. This year, the Coalition is partnering with the Huntington Learning Center, Manhattan Mini Storage and the United Federation of Teachers to collect thousands of backpacks. “The reasoning behind that is something that we saw that still happens is that kids will go into school, and it’s very sad, but they’ll have their pencils and maybe a notebook or something in something as simple as a shopping bag and be walking around [with] that instead of a backpack,” Murphy
said. “So you can imagine what that does to a kid’s psyche when they’re already feeling the shame and trauma that comes with becoming homeless, and now to almost be called out for not having enough to be able to provide.” To organize the drive, the Coalition coordinates drop-off locations for supplies and works with volunteers to sort items and fill backpacks. When they run short on supplies, the Coalition buys them to fill in the gaps and make sure every student has the same resources. Murphy said that homeless children are more prone to fall behind in school. To apply for a shelter, homeless families must show up together, leading students to miss school. They can also be transferred to various shelters, and the uprooting can be chaotic. “Sometimes they’re transferred to shelters up to two hours away from where their school is,” Murphy said. “So you have the ability to stay in your own school when you become homeless, even if it’s outside of that range, but that means that it’s on the kids and the parents to get them there on time.” Murphy said that by being able to give children school supplies, the Coalition relieves the pressure on parents to provide while simultaneously giving kids more confidence going into their first day of school. The Coalition further supports parents in homeless shelters by providing a year-round program for children in the shelters called Bound for Success. During the school year, children can get one-on-one tutoring and finish their homework
All packed up and ready to distribute. Photo courtesy of Coalition for the Homeless
through Bound for Success, as shelter rooms don’t often have a table or space for kids to sit and do their work. “This gives them sort of a little oasis in the middle of their shelter where they can come after school,” Murphy said. “They can do it every day, they can get their homework done and then we do another recreational activity — whether it’s reading time, some sort of creative thing, some sort of creative outlet or sports or things like that — so they can have both the education component and then just have fun and be kids, because after a long school day they just need to decompress.” The Coalition’s programming and backpack drive make an impact on the families and shelters they serve. “I think any little thing you can do to try and give them that confidence makes such a difference,” Murphy said.
Donations of backpacks and other school supplies can be made at the following locations: Coalition for the Homeless 129 Fulton St. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon-Fri And at these Manhattan Mini Storage properties: ■ 520 West 17th St. ■ 510-520 West 21st St. ■ 524 West 23rd St. ■ 541 West 29th St. ■ 520 Eighth Ave., 19th Fl. (37th Street) ■ 420 East 62nd St. ■ 108-110 West 107th St. ■ 401 East 110th St.
AUGUST 23-29,2018
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Who Says You Can’t Remain Informed, Engaged, and Inspired?
The NYU School of Professional Studies offers a wide array of nondegree courses that many older adults will find of interest in their desire to continue the lifelong learning process. From remaining current on world politics; to exploring art, great literature, theatre, and history; to gaining the skills to write a short story or your memoir, you will find a wealth of options from which to choose. Courses are taught by experts in their respective fields, who guide you through the content, while encouraging lively classroom discussion. You’ll meet and mingle with classmates who share your interests in a supportive and stimulating learning environment. Reduced Rates for Older Adults The NYU School of Professional Studies offers many courses to older adults at reduced rates. If you are 65 years of age or older, you can receive a 25 percent discount on most non-degree courses, except where otherwise indicated.
To Register: Online: If you have previously taken a course at NYUSPS, visit our website sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways, locate the course in which you are interested, click on it, and follow the prompts for registration. If you have NEVER taken a course at NYUSPS, visit sps.nyu.edu/login.htm and create a noncredit portal account. Then, register for the course following the directions above. You will need to provide your proof of age at a future time. By Phone: Call 212-998-7150, register and ask for the older adult discount. You will need to provide your proof of age at a future time. Mon.–Thurs., 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.–5 p.m; and Sun., Closed In Person: Visit the Office of Noncredit Student Services at 7 East 12th Street. You can provide your proof of age onsite. Mon.–Thurs., 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.–5 p.m; and Sun., Closed
New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2018 NYU School of Professional Studies.
List of Courses GLOBAL AFFAIRS Daytime Courses A Holistic Look at Iran: Economics, Religion, Politics, and More Comparative Political Systems Critical Issues Fighting Fake News Global Corporate Social Responsibility Midterm Election Snapshot: Trump Foreign Policy, Politics, and the Global Stage The Raging Conflicts of the Middle East US Foreign Policy in the Western Hemisphere During the Age of Trump World Politics: The Struggle for Global Leadership taught by Ralph Buultjens Weekend Courses Emerging Economies in the International Financial System Facilitating Intergroup Dialogue Foundations of Transnational Security Urbanization and Food Security
HUMANITIES Weekend Courses The Joy of Improv Daytime Courses 1985: Literature Goes Global A Guide to the 21st-Century Universe: Particles, Quarks, and Strings Brilliant Minds Capital Cities of Ancient Mexico: Teotihuacan, Tula, and Tenochtitlan* City-States of Ancient Northern America: Chaco and Cahokia* Comparative Religion: From Christianity to Confucianism Contemporary Irish Short Fiction Democracy: Past and Future Demons in the Ancient Near East* Discovering French Language and Culture Discovering Spanish Language and Culture England’s Lake District: Poets, Painters, and an Idyllic Paradise Fighting for the Right to Vote* France on Film: A Historic Perspective From France’s Great Film Directors
HUMANITIES (continued) From Hippocrates to Cognitive Neuropsychology: A History of the Study of the Mind Hammerstein as Mentor to Sondheim Hannah Arendt: A Philosopher in Dark Times Hitchcock’s Villains Introduction to the Hebrew Bible: The Five Books of Moses (Torah) Johannes Brahms: Classical Romanticist Making a Murderer: Novels, Documentaries, and Stories of True Crime Music She Wrote: Women Composers of the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries* Norse and Finnish Mythology in Classical Music Novels with a Social Conscience New York Behind the Scenes New York City Real Estate: A Social and Architectural History Reading the World: Selections From Today’s Newsstand Rewriting the War: The Civil War and Its Aftermath in American Cultural Memory Shakespeare: The Roman Works Southern Italy: The Roads Less Traveled Splendors of the Royal Courts of the Classic Maya: Copan, Tikal, and Palenque* Strange Awakenings: Characters In Search of Themselves The American White Working Class And Modern Conservatism* The City and The Book: A History of New York Book Culture The Evolution of the Right to Privacy* The Greatest Journey of Them All: Reading Homer’s Odyssey The Historical Background of Current Major Supreme Court Cases The Historical Novel The War Film: From the Battlefield to the Home Front US Religion and Politics Virginia Woolf’s London Visions of America on Film Women Fiction Writers *Not eligible for discount
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AUGUST 23-29,2018
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
THE SCHOOL FOR STRINGS â—† EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM W E D N E S D AY O R T H U R S D AY MORNINGS
FOR CHILDREN AGES 1-4 YEARS
NO APs, NO PROBLEM A high schooler’s take on Advanced Placement courses BY ARIANA GIULIA REICHLER
Live
Sing
Music
Move
Dance
â—† Explore instruments â—†
The School for Strings has been a national leader in Suzuki-based instrumental instruction for more than 47 years. The Early Childhood Music Program is designed to introduce children to the fundamentals of classical music. Children explore instruments, play rhythmic games and learn to move to live music. Our 10-week Fall session begins September 26th & 27th. This music program, meets 1 time a week, (Wednesdays or Thursdays). The children are taught by 2 professional musicians. The cost of the 10-week
,
session is $400, plus a one-time only $25 registration fee. If interested, please call 212-315-0915 or sfs_info@schoolforstrings.org to register.
Sundays at JASA Fall 2018 Semester Explore the catalog and register today: www.jasa.org/community/nextact What is Sundays at JASA? Sundays at JASA is a one of a kind, college level continuing education program for adults 55+ that offers a wide range of courses and lectures. Our instructors include luminaries from the worlds of politics, the arts, media and more. The program is designed for those who want to explore interesting topics, meet peers, and become engaged. Courses include American History, Masterpieces in Art, Film, Opera, Creative Writing, Current Events, Crossword Construction, and much more.
We create the adventure and all you need to do is show up! Want to learn more? Attend the Sundays at JASA Open House 4VOEBZ 4FQUFNCFS r BN m QN John Jay College 524 West 59th Street, 2nd Floor, New York City 'BMM 4FNFTUFS %BUFT 4VOEBZT 4FQUFNCFS m %FDFNCFS r OFYUBDU!KBTB PSH 'PVOEFE JO +"4" JT POF PG /FX :PSL T MBSHFTU BOE NPTU USVTUFE BHFODJFT TFSWJOH older adults in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Long Island. +"4" T NJTTJPO JT UP TVTUBJO BOE FOSJDI UIF MJWFT PG UIF BHJOH JO UIF /FX :PSL metropolitan area so that they can remain in the community with dignity and autonomy.
Sure, I felt the panic at ďŹ rst. There was that moment before freshman year when I found out that, unlike my Stuyvesant or Hunter counterparts, I wouldn’t be able to take AP courses in high school. There was alarm, concern about college applications. How would I compete against students taking “AP U.S. Historyâ€? when my transcript simply read “U.S. History?â€? What good did my ‘A’ in “Intensive Biologyâ€? — whatever that meant — do when compared to a ‘5’ on the “AP Biologyâ€? exam? It took me three years and a whole lot of testing to realize that the lack of AP courses is one of the best things about my school’s curriculum. I attend the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, a private institution with an emphasis on independent thinking and “ethical citizenry.â€? In an attempt to better fulďŹ ll its mission, the school dropped all AP courses in 2001, a decision heavily inuenced by students and faculty. Before graduating in 1998, student Matthew Spigelman wrote an essay for his English class encouraging the school to eliminate APs. “While the goal of AP courses is to prepare students for the AP test, the goal of FieldstonspeciďŹ c courses is to learn for learning’s sake,â€? he wrote. “Courses speciďŹ c to Fieldston have curricula generated by Fieldston teachers. Thus, Fieldston teachers bring enthusiasm to the Fieldston-generated courses not generally found in AP courses.â€? Spigelman’s proposal quickly gained support from teachers, and the program was eliminated within three years. Fieldston’s teachers took their expanded intellectual freedom and ran with it; students now enjoy a host of classes that many would not have been able to select with the pressure to enroll in AP courses. Instead of signing up for “AP English Language and Compositionâ€? simply for the AP credit, students choose from an extensive list of English courses including “Literature of War,â€? “Coming of Age Literatureâ€? and “Silence and Noise: The Politics of Storytelling.â€? Instead of “AP
It took me three years and a whole lot of testing to realize that the lack of AP courses is one of the best things about my school’s curriculum. European History,â€? students can take “Contemporary Black Society,â€? “The Kennedy Legacyâ€? or “The Ancient Greeks and Their Rivals.â€? This fall, I will be taking “RevoluciĂłn,â€? a class that explores the effects of the CIA’s presence in Latin American countries. Several of my friends will take “Hamilton: A Musical Inquiry,â€? designed by a history teacher after the sensational success of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway show. Without the rigid structure of AP curricula, teachers can design niche courses that prioritize in-depth intellectual exploration and analysis, which many AP teachers have to sacrifice to cover the breadth of topics assessed on the AP tests. Some of my favorite and most effective teachers have been those who constantly adapt their syllabi to best meet the needs of their students, who allow students’ questions to direct class and who don’t mind devoting a period here and there to a classroom discussion on current events. What is gained from these lessons is not information that will be tested on an exam, but knowledge that is relevant to our everyday lives and critical skills that will guide us through our future education. Rather than have students cram for the College Board’s exams and forget the material, these focused and flexible courses facilitate deep learning. My classmates and I are lucky to attend a school that values students’ curiosity and teachers’ intellectual freedom so highly. We are even more lucky to have teachers who are so creative and devoted to giving us the best possible education that
they generate relevant and engaging material year after year. But, of course, students still want to be able to attend their top choice colleges. The administration also wants this. Before implementing the new policy in 2001, Rachel Friis Stettler, Fieldston’s Upper School principal at the time, and faculty contacted selective colleges en sure that it would not harm students’ chances for acceptance. The response was unanimous and clear: We support your decision, and your students’ applications will not be affected. Sure enough, when the Class of 2002, the first to graduate without taking any AP classes, sent out applications in the fall, Fieldston saw its highest early acceptance rate in many years. Since 2001, several other New York City schools, such as Dalton, Riverdale and Spence, have followed Fieldston’s example. This is not to say that replacing AP classes with teacherdesigned ones is a viable option for all schools; many have neither the resources nor the teachers to effectively do so. So, my argument extends only to schools that have this option. For these, I urge the shift away from APs toward focused classes centered on student learning, not test taking. And, finally, for those students (and parents) who are worried about missing out on standardized testing experience, be assured that the SAT, ACT and Subject Tests are enough to make you pray to never see a multiple choice bubble sheet again in your life. Trust me on that one.
A few of the novels that make up the reading list for the course “English throughout the 19th and 20th centuries� at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx. Photo: Ariana Giulia Reichler
AUGUST 23-29,2018
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THE SCHOOL FOR STRINGS â—† START UP MUSIC PROGRAM
STARTING COLLEGE, ESCAPING THE COLLEGE BOARD APPRAISAL A first person account of the College Board’s grip on the path to higher education BY OSCAR KIM BAUMAN
Anyone my age — 18 — would be imminently familiar with the name “College Board.� As my classmates and I traversed the convoluted path to college over the last two years, the organization was omnipresent. At every step of the way, the College Board was there to remind us to register and pay our fees, lest we risk our futures. Looking back on the college application process, getting ready to go off to college and never again think about the SATs or APs, I’ve come to see the true face of the College Board, the high-profit “not-for-profit� with a stranglehold over admissions to higher education. To an uninformed student, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume that the College Board is a government institution, or some kind of philanthropic organization at the least. Their online presence, full of language about educational opportunity, suggests an organization out to help students. That facade begins to fade as you begin to add up how much money you have to pay to the College Board. Taking the SAT, its subject tests, and a few AP exams alone cost my family hundreds of dollars, plus additional fees to send the results of those tests to colleges. That’s not even taking into consideration the hundreds to thousands of dollars families can spend studying for the College Board’s trademarked
exams. According to a 2015 Washington Post article, the College Board, despite its legal standing as a not-for-proďŹ t, operates at a budget surplus of around $44 million each year. This chunk of money, drawn from hopeful students, appears to go largely towards paying its executives. According to a 2011 Bloomberg article, executives at the College Board make upwards of $300,000 each year. College Board CEO David Coleman reportedly makes around $700,000 a year, although his predecessor, former West Virginia governor Gaston Caperton, made much more, a reported $1.3 million in 2009. A spokesman for the College Board, Zachary Goldberg, said the organization is geared toward student achievement. “For us, success is measured by the opportunities we deliver to students, not by proďŹ ts. All revenue is reinvested into programs aimed at expanding educational opportunities for all students, including exam fee reductions for low-income students,â€? he said in an email. He said the Board waives more than $114 million in student fees each year. But money-making aside, the ethics of the College Board’s testing practices have come under serious question over the years. Although the past few years have seen a much-hyped overhaul of the SAT in an attempt to remove cultural biases, scores still correlate highly with income — the test is still best prepared for in expensive prep classes, as it barely resembles typical classroom work. Perhaps most disturbing is the Board’s sale of student’s
data. Although the Board has pledged not to sell students’ information for purposes of advertising, the institutions that buy this information may share it with “partners.â€? A 2013 suit brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union brought to light the use of student data from the College Board by military recruitment programs, including data on race that allowed the Department of Defense to heavily target low-income black and Latino students in recruitment efforts. A New York Times article in July revealed. Goldberg, the Board spokesman, said “students and their families have complete discretion as to how much information they disclose beyond the minimum information required to complete such actions as registering for an exam or saving college lists.â€? The College Board, he said, carefully monitors the use of student information through the terms of a license agreement. “We have terminated accounts previously when we have identiďŹ ed users that violated our authorized use policies. After a ďŹ ve year term, the institutions must permanently destroy the data,â€? Goldberg wrote. Still, students are given little warning that their data is used like this, scrolling past the ďŹ ne print when they’re signing up to take the SAT. At this point in my life, I’m entering college, while leaving the College Board behind. Soon, my sister, a rising sophomore in high school, will get to know the College Board.
CELLO ◆ PIANO ◆ VIOLIN ◆ FOR CHILDREN AGES 3-5 YEARS Limited number of spaces are available in The School for Strings Start Up Program this fall. This music program, meets 1 evening a week, (Mondays— Violin, Piano & Thursdays—Cello). The children are taught by 2nd year studentteachers in the Suzuki certification program under the supervision of the Director of the program. The cost for the entire year (32 weeks) is $500, a significant savings over the cost of the regular program at SFS. The Start Up Program is a gentle and fun way to see if Suzuki-style education is right for your family. Within 3 years, students have the opportunity to join the Regular Program.
Start Up students joining the Regular Program are eligible to apply for financial assistance. If interested, please contact Pat or Kerry at 212-315-0915 or sfs_info@schoolforstrings.org to set up an interview. Interviews are being held September 5th through 7th. SchoolforStrings.org
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Students taking a test. Photo: Kurt Forstner via Wikimedia Commons
To an uninformed student, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume that the College Board is a government institution, or some kind of philanthropic organization.
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CRAFTING OPPORTUNITIES AT ART SCHOOLS Lincoln Center, city partner to secure spots for poorer students BY MARK NIMAR
For every artist, auditioning is a reality. If you want to land a desired role in a production, or nab a spot in a prestigious arts conservatory, you have to sing, dance or act alone on a stage before a group of judges and show them what you got. But when it comes to auditioning for a top arts high school in New York City, not every student has the tools to succeed. Voice coaches and private tutors who might provide the necessary instruction to win a spot in a top arts high school lie just out of reach for many of New York City’s Title 1 middle-schoolers, who are often living below the poverty line. A lack of money and access to private instruction prevents
Title 1 students from shining in the audition room and winning spots in prestigious arts high schools. As a result, many deserving students fall through the cracks. Predominantly white, upper-middle-class students end up taking the lion’s share of coveted spots at top arts high school, which leads to a serious lack of diversity in the schools’ student bodies. Lincoln Center and the city’s Department of Education have joined forces to address this issue. The two institutions have started Middle School Arts Audition Boot Camp, a tuitionfree arts education program that prepares middle school students for the high school audition process. For the first two weeks in August, middleschoolers come from as far as the Bronx and Staten Island to the Lincoln Center campus to hone their skills in theatre, ballet, music and design to prepare for the audition room and have
a better chance at the school of their choice. The Boot Camp covers the obvious and not-so-obvious ways to impress a panel of judges. “We teach them ... the nuts and bolts of auditioning ... how to walk into a room, what to wear, how their resume should look, [and we] make sure they have the right [repertoire],” says Russell Granet, the acting president of Lincoln Center. “We also make sure they are following the schools’ guidelines. If [a student has] a great talent, but start[s] with a Beyoncé song, you can’t get them into the school.... These are kids with something inside them.” The program, he said, gives them “the resources to see that through.” The training appears to be working. In the program’s first year, “we had 90 kids, and 90 percent of those ninety kids got into the school of their choice,” notes Granet. Now in its fifth
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Students in the Middle School Arts Audition Boot Camp Dance Division in rehearsal. Photo: Christopher St. Clair year, the program is “up to 260 kids, and 97 percent of kids got into their first choice school, [and took up] 67 spots at Laguardia,” the city’s leading arts high school and the setting of the classic movie “Fame.” The city’s top arts high schools are becoming more diverse as a result, and Title I students get access to a better education than they would have had otherwise. The program’s benefits for students of the boot camp, however, are not just edu-
cational. Granet notes that among the students participating, “you have kids who have never been out of their [home] borough before. They’re being opened up to Lincoln Center. The idea that Lincoln Center is a resource for them is impactful. That’s a great thing that an eighth grader has ownership of a performing arts center in their hometown.” Granet is also proud of the passion and seriousness with which Lincoln Center treats the program. “There’s something
significant about a cultural institution of Lincoln Center’s magnitude focusing on eighth graders,” he said. “It’s a very positive message that Lincoln Center takes this work as seriously as the work we do on our stages.” And because of the rigorous training the camp provides, students will leave with the conviction that any stage, whether it be a two thousand seat Broadway house, or a high school auditorium, is well within their reach.
Students in the Middle School Arts Audition Boot Camp’s Music Division in rehearsal. The boot camp is a cooperative venture between Lincoln Center and the city’s Department of Education. Photo: Christopher St. Clair
AUGUST 23-29,2018
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GO BACK TO SCHOOL — AND LEARN SOME HUMILITY! What educators can gain from becoming students again BY JON FRIEDMAN
Is anyone more insufferable than a know-it-all teacher? You can recognize one a mile away: quick to offer an opinion and outshout any naysayer. Well, as an unwitting member of the species, I can happily propose a four-word cure for what Bob Dylan once characterized in a song title as the Disease of Conceit: Go back to school! You bet, every teacher should make the effort to sit in a classroom at least as often as, say, her or his car needs to get a tune-up at a garage, just as a doctor should try being a patient now and then. By transforming yourself from instructor to instructed, this experience is bound to keep even the most self-satisfied professor — or any kind
of educator — humble. Sure, you can attend seminars and read learned op-eds and pick up some tools of the trade. But you’ll get the best education from experiencing the world from a student’s seat. Just ask me. I recently spent 12 hours, spread over four days, attending a workshop in memoir writing at the Southampton Writers Conference out on eastern Long Island. A dozen or so of us gathered to be students again and learn how to tap into our personal mysteries while figuring out how to communicate them in a coherent and captivating manner. It was our good fortune that Roger Rosenblatt, the acclaimed essayist and best-selling author, was our captain. We couldn’t have asked for a better multitasker, for Roger proved to be brilliantly analytical and refreshingly direct. He always remained constructive (and
highly entertaining). Like the best teachers, he was part drill sergeant and part cheerleader. Above all, he encouraged us all to keep writing. Being a student again means, to turn on its head the catchphrase in the book and movie “Love Story,” always having to say you’re sorry — and acknowledge your shortcomings. Heck yes, it was humbling for me to nod stoically while Roger and the well-intentioned members of the class critiqued my work. Out loud. To my face. In loving detail. And in the immortal words of Robin Williams’ Mrs. Doubtfire: Blunt as a spoon. Hey, didn’t they know I’ve had two books published by “serious” New York publishers? Does the name Penguin ring a bell? And don’t forget my 14,000-word e-book. In the eyes of the Southampton class, those credits and $2.75 would get me a strap to hang on to
Author Roger Rosenblatt (left) shares a laugh at his memoir workshop at the Southampton Writers Conference. Photo courtesy of Southampton Writers Conference aboard the F train — as they should have! I’m pleased to report that, yes, I got over my oh-so-impressive CV to settle in and re-learn a thing or two about good writing: focusing on storytelling, shedding a writer’s natural self-consciousness, checking your insecurities at the door, understanding the essential difference between humor and comedy, and supplying ample amounts of details, descriptions and anecdotes. And, of course: SHOW — don’t merely tell.
Just as much, I appreciate, I was reminded what it takes to be a successful educator. You see, I am lucky enough to have a second act after spending decades as a dedicated reporter, columnist, editor and team leader in mainstream journalism. These days, I am an adjunct professor at Hunter College and Stony Brook University, teaching subjects as varied as journalism, diversity and leadership. I’d like to think I’m getting good at it by now. I suspect that nobody exactly
masters teaching because, wonderfully, every day is different and each student presents his or her own particular education challenge. But I remembered at Southampton the essence of being a good teacher: communication. We all seek approval and encouragement, even on our worst days. Every student deserves that. Jon Friedman, who teaches at the New School and Stony Brook University, writes the Public Eye column for The West Side Spirit.
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BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY Academic program at an UES school guides low-income students from middle school through college BY CHRISTINA CARDONA
Mariamu Conteh, 13, is an eighth-grade student at P.S. 123 in Harlem. When she was in sixth grade, the dean of her school encouraged her to apply to a high school prep program. One day during lunch, he told Conteh that he had found a program for her: Breakthrough New York. She applied and got in. Now she feels confident in her future because of the options she has, which she says is because of this program. When Conteh goes to college, she wants to study human anatomy and science, with the hope of becoming a neurosurgeon. Breakthrough New York is a nonprofit organization that provides educational support to kids from low-income backgrounds from middle school through college and into their careers. Students from all over New York City apply when they’re in sixth grade and commit to the program for 10 years.
Phillip Raymond, 13, an eighth grade student participating in Breakthrough New York. His favorite electives are digital music, which is about music production, and chess. Photo: Christina Cardona “We aim to provide opportunities to really talented and motivated students from lowincome families through access to educational opportunities so that they can achieve their goals,” said Beth Onofry, executive director of Breakthrough New York. “Our goal is to break the cycle of poverty and have an impact on the communities our students and teaching fellows come from.” Breakthrough New York was founded 19 years ago at The Town School, located on 76th Street on the Upper East Side.
That is now one of three sites for the program today. Breakthrough started off as a program called Summerbridge, which supported a small group of students from low-income families to get into good high schools. In 2007, the organization expanded into a six-year commitment, aiming to help students from middle school to the start of college. Then in 2015 Breakthrough New York expanded to a 10-year commitment, to help the students through college. Students admitted to the pro-
Laura Habian, teaching fellow and a junior at Vanderbilt University, teaches eighth grade writing at Breakthrough New York. Photo: Christina Cardona gram begin the summer after sixth grade. During their first two summers, the students participate in a five-week summer academic program. They take math, science, writing and literature as well as electives such as basketball, choir, soccer and drama. The classes are taught by the program’s teaching fellows, college students from top universities across the country. Breakthrough New York uses a students-teaching-students model. The teaching fellows are selected based on academic
Mariamu Conteh (left), 13, is an eighth grade student at P.S. 123. She’s a participant at Breakthrough New York and wants to be a neurosurgeon when she grows up. Photo: Christina Cardona
accomplishment and an ability to learn teaching techniques taught during the interview process. Each fellow teaches one academic class and one elective. Ninety percent of the program’s past summer instructors have pursued careers in education. “If it wasn’t for Breakthrough I wouldn’t have applied to a college with an education major, so it definitely directed my path in that sense. Now that I’m in school I think I definitely want to be a teacher after college,” said Laura Habian, a teaching fellow and junior at Vanderbilt University. Habian teaches eighth grade writing, where the students are currently working on high school application essays. Ella Scholz, another teaching fellow, is a junior at Brown University and teaches ninth grade geometry. She said her students are the most dedicated and motivated kids she’s met in her life. “It’s really fun, I love math and the kids are just so brilliant,” Scholz said. “Sometimes I think I don’t explain things well, and they get it. They’re amazing.” In middle school students also receive after-school tutoring and high school placement guidance. “I wanted to join because at first I was unsure about what high school I wanted to go to,” said Phillip Raymond, 13, an eighth-grade student and Breakthrough New York participant. “Breakthrough has a specific course that helped me choose what high schools are good for me. And I learned
more about what high schools I like, and it opened my eyes and got me to question what I want to be.” Once they start high school, students receive tutoring, mentorship, SAT prep, internship placement and college admissions guidance. A full 100 percent of Breakthrough New York’s students have gone on to four-year colleges. And once in college, Breakthrough New York participants get counseling, financial advice and workshops when they return to New York City during school. “Breakthrough is life-changing for young sixth graders because you get to open your doors and get to socialize with people that have the same mentality as you for the future, so I’d recommend it to incoming sixth graders,” Conteh said. This past year, the organization selected 86 new students from more than 300 applicants. Students must be U.S. citizens or green card holders, their grades need to be 80 percent or higher and they must score at least three out of five on the fifth grade New York State ELA and math tests. “We’ve grown a lot. Our population has grown. We’re excited to reach out to more bright, motivated students around the city,” Onofry said. “Our Manhattan site is most popular. My vision for the program is really to increase that support, to increase spreading the word around the city and around the borough for students about this amazing opportunity and to continue to build our community and strengthen it for the future.”
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AUGUST 23-29,2018
You want the best for your child. So do we. Our students, ages 2-14, succeed, thrive, and love learning in our international school community located in Downtown Manhattan.
Join us for an upcoming Open House and explore our award winning school, our personalized curriculum and learn how our collaborations with MIT, Juilliard and UNICEF inspire and prepare our students to become future, independent, global citizens. September 25, 9:30 ‒ 10:00 am (Juilliard Performance) September 27, 6:00 ‒ 7:00 pm October 10, 9:00 ‒ 10:00 am (MIT WOW presentation) October 13, 10:00 am ‒ 12:00 pm October 18, 9:00 ‒ 10:00 am RSVP at 212.600.2010 or info@ny.nae.school www.naisny.com
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1050 2nd Ave. bt. 55th & 56th Sts. Cyclists traveled along Central Park West Aug. 17 for a memorial ride in honor of Madison Jane Lyden, a 23-year-old Australian tourist who was struck and killed by a truck as she biked on the avenue one week earlier. Photo: Michael Garofalo
CALL FOR GREATER BIKE SAFETY ON CPW STREETS In wake of cyclist’s death, bike advocates push for protected lane on Central Park West BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
Bicycle safety advocates are calling for Central Park West to be redesigned to include a twoway protected bike lane following a recent collision that left a young cyclist dead. Madison Jane Lyden, a 23-year-old tourist visiting New York City from Australia,
was cycling north on Central Park West near West 67th Street Aug. 10 when a livery vehicle pulled into the painted bike lane, police said. With the bike lane blocked, Lyden was forced to swerve into the adjacent traffic lane, where she was struck and killed by a private sanitation truck. The truck’s driver, Felipe D. Chairez, was later arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. A protected bike lane, in which cyclists are separated from vehicle traffic by a row of parked cars, almost certainly would have prevented Lyden’s death, supporters say.
“There’s no question that this was a preventable death,� said Helen Rosenthal, who represents much of the Upper West Side on the City Council. “Had there been a protected bike lane here, Madison Lyden would not have had to interact with traffic at all and this tragedy would have been avoided.� Rosenthal formally requested that the city’s Department of Transportation install a twoway protected lane on Central Park West soon after the collision, and said that the agency had already informed her office
CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
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FERRY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Meet Kenny Barrett
stairs, or 37 steps more, back down to reach the landing at sea-level. During a two-hour period in the evening rush hour last week, at least three dozen baby carriages and bicycles, plus scores of strollers and skateboards, were hauled on the narrow path over precipitous terrain. “It is outrageous that there is still no accessible path to the 90th Street ferry,� said state Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, whose district covers the East Side and Roosevelt Island. “This is not only an urgent need but a basic requirement,� she added. It is actually possible, though not very practical, to get a wheelchair to the mooring. Assuming 90th Street is the starting point, it’s a 0.75-mile route. A person would have to be wheeled up York or First Avenues to the heavily trafficked intersection at 96th Street; cross under the FDR Drive;
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Your Neighborhood Store 888 Lexington Ave @ 66th St | 212-772-1400
continue six blocks south along the Esplanade; thread past the Marine Transfer Station at 91st Street, where the city’s Dept. of Sanitation is rebuilding the walkway; and finally, arrive at the point of embarkation, which itself is accessible. On the day the new ferry line debuted last week, Seawright boarded the boat, and as she joined James Patchett, president of the Economic Development Corp., the lead city agency overseeing ferry operations, she said she stressed the critical importance of access for the disabled. “We will continue to press for a fully accessible path until this matter is rectified,� she said later.
THE MISSION AHEAD: COMPLY WITH ADA EDC says it is endeavoring to do exactly that. Its task was complicated by the collapse of a chunk of seawall on the East River Esplanade near 89th Street in Carl Schurz Park in May 2017, which necessitated the ongoing reconstruction of
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (“Parksâ€?) is issuing a signiďŹ cant Request for Proposals (“RFPâ€?) for the renovation, operation and maintenance of a waterfront restaurant at The Battery, Manhattan. All proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be submitted no later than Mon-day, October 1, 2018 at 3:00 PM. There will be a recommended on-site proposer meet-ing and site tour on Friday, September 7, 2018 at 11:00 AM. A second on-site proposer meeting and site tour will be offered on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 at 11:00 AM. We will be meeting at the proposed concession site (Block #3 & Lot #1), which is located at The Battery and is accessible via South Street or State Street & Water Street. We will meet in front of the concession’s main entrance at the northwest side of the building. If you are considering responding to this RFP, please make every effort to attend one of these recommended meetings and site tours. Hard copies of the RFP can be obtained, at no cost, commencing on August 21, 2018 through October 1, 2018 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., excluding week-ends and holidays, at the Revenue Division of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, which is located at 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 407, New York, NY 10065. The RFP is also available for download, on August 21, 2018 through October 1, 2018 on Parks’ website. To download the RFP, visit http://www.nyc.gov/parks/businessop-portunities and click on the “Concessions Opportunities at Parksâ€? link. Once you have logged in, click on the “downloadâ€? link that appears adjacent to the RFP’s description. For more information or to request to receive a copy of the RFP by mail, prospective proposers may contact Jocelyn Lee, Project Manager, at (212) 360-3407 or at jocelyn.lee@parks.nyc.gov. TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD) 212-504-4115
Wide selection of 25% discounted 100% OFF Cotton Nightgowns Discontinued Olga Secret Hug panties in full stock. Expert bra ďŹ tting
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the area’s promenades. As the city’s Dept. of Parks presses forward with that project, EDC built what it terms a “temporary accessâ€? footpath in order to open up the waterfront, where it estimates 400,000-plus ferry passengers a year will either board, disembark or transit to points north and south. Once seawall repairs are wrapped up, the short-term route will close and full access via an easier approach through the park, probably at 87th or 88th Street, will be provided, officials familiar with the project said. Permanent ADA upgrades planned for the park will also bolster access to the jetty. “We understand the difficulty the temporary path poses for seniors and disabled individuals,â€? an EDC spokesperson said. “We are working closely with NYC Parks and Sanitation to remedy the situation as soon as possible and open an ADAaccessible pathway to the East 90th Street ferry landing.â€? Both the Parks Dept. and NYC Ferry, the private company which operates the riverboat lines under contract with the city, referred questions to EDC. Access to the 90th Street landing for the disabled isn’t going to happen overnight. Community Board 8 and local elected officials have been told the permanent route will be completed by the end of this year or the beginning of 2019, depending on the severity of the winter, which could make it tough to seed and sod the area. That means the pitched passage could remain in place for four to six months. “While we’re very excited about the opening of the ferry, nobody’s thrilled with 96th Street being the only accessible entrance,â€? said Tricia Shimamura, co-chair of CB8’s Parks Committee. “Right now, it certainly doesn’t provide equal access, and it’s absolutely unfair that it is not accessible,â€? she added. But Shimamura credited the city agencies with keeping the lines of communication open, brieďŹ ng the board throughout the process and providing appropriate signage to the temporary path when requested. She noted that no trees were taken down when the path was built, and that before long, it will be returned to its historic communal use: “We’ll eventually get the sled hill back,â€? she said. “It is so beloved by our community ... We’re hoping it gets done sooner rather than later as the park area becomes more accessible.â€? invreporter@strausnews.com
AUGUST 23-29,2018
25
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS AUG 8 - 14, 2018 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. Elsa Cafe and Restaurant
903 Columbus Ave
A
Szechuan Garden
239 W 105th St
Not Yet Graded (28) 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 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Lion’s Head Tavern
995 Amsterdam Ave
A
Famous Famiglia Pizzeria
2859 Broadway
A
Mokja
852 Amsterdam
A
Shiny Tea New York
2667 Broadway
A
The Williams Memorial Residence
720 West End Avenue A
Vive La Crepe
532 Columbus Ave
A
Chop’t
345 Amsterdam Ave
A
Levain Bakery
351 Amsterdam Ave
A
Sidewalk Cafe
160 Columbus Ave
A
Cafe 125
125 W End Ave
Not Yet Graded (39) 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Cafe 47
47 W 66th St
Not Yet Graded (52) 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. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewageassociated (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.
Sapphire Indian Cuisine
1845 Broadway
Grade Pending (35) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Mcdonald’s
2049 Broadway
A
Bonmi
150 W 62nd St
A
Wok City
153-155 Amsterdam Ave
A
The Empire Rooftop
44 W 63rd St
A
Cafe Bee
239 W 72nd St
A
A cyclist, right, navigates around a taxi stopped in the bike lane on Central Park West at 67th Street, near a memorial to Madison Jane Lyden, a cyclist who was struck and killed nearby by a sanitation truck Aug. 10 after swerving around a livery vehicle stopped in the bike lane. Photo: Michael Garofalo
BIKE SAFETY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 that its street engineers would analyze the corridor for improvements. A DOT spokesperson confirmed that the agency is studying the area. “It’s disheartening that it would take a crisis to bring a protected bike lane to fruition, but I’m confident this will be a good solution,” Rosenthal said. She suggested a two-way lane on Central Park West would also lessen bike traffic on Broadway, which does not have a bike lane and is the Upper West Side’s most dangerous street for cyclists. Cyclists and members of the bike advocacy group Transportation Alternatives gathered on Aug. 17 near the site of the Aug. 10 accident for a memorial ride in Lyden’s honor. “Madison,” read a handwritten sign posted to a tree along the curb, “We are sorry that New York City failed you.” Paul Steely White, Transportation Alternatives’ executive director, criticized police for consistently failing to ticket vehicles that block bike lanes. “Our mayor and NYPD are failing to keep cars and trucks out of our bike lanes,” he said. “This is a rampant safety hazard that we see all over the city. It’s illegal to idle or drop-off in bike
lanes, and yet we see it every day.” “NYPD is more concerned about harassing delivery cyclists than it is with enforcing against this deadly behavior,” White said. A cab stopped nearby as White made his remarks, partially blocking the bike path and forcing a passing cyclist into the traffic lane. The NYPD’s 20th Precinct, which patrols the Upper West Side between 59th and 86th Streets, had issued four bike lane violations in 2018 through July. The 24th Precinct, which covers the northern half of the neighborhood from 86th Street to 110th Street, issued just one bike lane violation over the same seven-month period. “Our first focus is on the protected lanes, because even in the absence of good enforcement those protected lanes by design can help keep motorists out,” White said, adding, “The evidence is so clear that protected lanes are so much safer, and that applies to pedestrians and motorists as well as cyclists.” Redesigning Central Park West to include a two-way protected bike lane would likely require the elimination of a travel lane or parking along the east side of the street. “Some people will cry foul, but that’s the public policy conversation we need to have,” White said. “Our con-
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tention is that people’s safety is more important than vehicle storage.” “The leading edge on these projects is always political, despite our best efforts to make it otherwise, so the fact that Council Member Rosenthal has already stood up in support of a protected lane and the DOT has signaled its intention to look at this is encouraging,” he added. A two-way bike lane on Central Park West would provide another southbound route for cyclists along the heavily trafficked thoroughfare. Currently, cyclists heading south must travel a block west to use the protected lane on Columbus Avenue. Getting to Columbus from the neighborhood’s other avenues, however, is an issue unto itself given the dearth of crosstown bike routes on the Upper West Side, where there are only three pairs of unprotected east-west lanes. Upper West Sider Jay Kauffman said he regularly bikes in and around Central Park but usually steers clear of Central Park West. “I try to avoid it when I can, because it’s dangerous,” Kauffman said. The area around the park presents “all these quirks” making it difficult to navigate even for experienced cyclists, Kauffman said. “If you’re not familiar with it, forget it.”
26
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Business
UP, UP AND AWAY? After bans on plastic bags and straws, environmentalists focus on balloons
animals, which can also get entangled in balloon strings. Chelsea Rochman, an assistant professor of ecology at the University of Toronto, says people should think sysBY CANDICE CHOI temically about waste and pollution, Now that plastic straws may be head- but that efforts to bring attention to ed for extinction, could Americans’ specific products shouldn’t be dismissed as too minor. love of balloons be deflated? “If we said that about everything, we The joyous celebration of releasing balloons into the air has long bothered wouldn’t get anything done,” she says. Already, a few states restrict balloon environmentalists, who say the pieces that fall back to earth can be deadly releases to some extent, according to to seabirds and turtles that eat them. the Balloon Council, which represents So as companies vow to banish plas- the industry and advocates for the responsible handling tic straws, there are of its products to signs balloons will be “uphold the integrity among the products of the professional to get more scrutiny, balloon community.” even though they’re That means never rea very small part of The issue of straws has leasing them into the environmental polreally broadened the air, and ensuring the lution. strings have a weight This year, college marine debris issue.” tied to them so the football powerhouse Emma Tonge, National balloons don’t acciClemson University Oceanic and Atmospheric dentally float away. is ending its tradiAdministration Lorna O’Hara, extion of releasing ecutive director of 10,000 balloons into the air before games, a move that’s the Balloon Council, doesn’t dispute part of its sustainability efforts. In Vir- that marine creatures might mistake ginia, a campaign that urges alterna- balloons for jellyfish and eat them. But tives to balloon releases at weddings she says that doesn’t mean balloons is expanding. And a town in Rhode are necessarily causing their deaths. Clean Virginia Waterways still Island outright banned the sale of all balloons earlier this year, citing the thinks balloons can be harmful. Included in its report last year: A photo harm to marine life. “There are all kinds of alternatives of a soaring bird with a deflated balto balloons, a lot of ways to express loon trailing behind it. The report addresses the “rising conyourself,” says Kenneth Lacoste, first warden of New Shoreham, Rhode Is- cern” of balloons, which also often use land, who cites posters, pinatas and helium, a non-renewable resource. It notes the difficulty of changing a sodecorated paper. Following efforts to limit plastic bags, cial norm and that even typing “conthe push by environmentalists against grats” in a Facebook post results in an straws has gained traction in recent animation of balloons. It even claims months, partly because they’re seen the media play a role and that some as unnecessary for most. Companies groups conduct balloon releases “just including Starbucks and Disney are so reporters will cover the event.” “We don’t want to say don’t use them promising to phase out plastic straws, which can be difficult to recycle be- at all. We’re saying just don’t release cause of their size and often end up as them,” says Laura McKay of the Virtrash in the ocean. A handful of U.S. cit- ginia Coastal Zone Management Proies recently passed or are considering gram. Some states such as California ban bans. And the push may bring attention to other items people may not have con- balloon releases for other reasons. Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves sidered — like festive balloons. “The issue of straws has really broad- northern and central California, says ened the marine debris issue,” says metallic balloons caused 203 power Emma Tonge of the National Oceanic outages in the first five months of this and Atmospheric Administration. year, up 22 percent from a year ago. Lacoste thinks other towns, particuPeople might not realize balloons are a danger, she says, because of their larly those along the coasts, will also ban balloons as people become more “light and whimsical” image. Balloons are not among the top 10 aware of environmental issues. He kinds of debris found in coastal clean- notes that plastic bags were once seen ups, but Tongue says they’re common as harmless, but many places now ban and especially hazardous to marine them.
AUGUST 23-29,2018
Photo: Mike Beales, via flickr
Photo: Tina Leggio, via flickr
AUGUST 23-29,2018
27
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
DELICACY AND HARMONY At The Met, 1,000 years of Japanese painting and poetry BY MARY GREGORY
The word museum comes from the ancient Greeks. Mouseion was a house of the muses. Sometimes, the museum itself becomes the muse. Temper a hot summer day in a cool, shaded gallery at The Met Fifth Avenue filled with delightful reflections of nature. In a time of record heat, blazing wildfires and torrential storms, it’s a subject we all need think more about. The Arts of Japan galleries are filled with poetry, art, moonrises, birds in flight, grazing deer and exquisite calligraphy. “The Poetry of Nature: Edo Paintings from the Fishbein-Bender Collection” presents a distant time and place, but through a local connection. The exhibition features some 40 paintings from the collection of New Yorkers, Dr. Estelle P. Bender and her late husband, T. Richard Fishbein. Most have never been publicly displayed before, and most are promised gifts to the museum. They’re joined by earlier works from The Met’s collections as well as contemporary ceramics and photography, to give a sense of tori-awase, or connoisseurial arrangement, a traditional Japanese practice
to heighten awareness and let objects communicate not just with the viewer, but with one another as well. The exhibition fills several galleries with works that span from the 10th to the 21st centuries, though the focus is on the Edo period. From 1615 to 1868 Japanese artists came in contact with China and the West, finding new ways of seeing and creating. The FishbeinBender collection features those who broke from tradition. There’s a rare scroll by a 17th century female artist, Kiyohara Yukinobu. Her painting of waxwings, a small sparrow-like bird, may hold a secret message. The affectionate birds symbolized marital harmony; Yukinobu and her husband were both artists. Harmony is a key theme of the exhibition. Poetry and painting are married, too, in many of the works. Verses tumble down the sides of scrolls; gorgeous lines of ink convey gorgeous lines of poetry. A delicately painted glazed tile, where calligraphy and the currents in a river mimic each other’s movements, contains a message from a 10th century poet: “Taking a tally of ripples on the face of the water, glimmering in the moonlight, we know that this night, tonight, the peak of autumn has arrived.” The texts of all poems incorporated into artworks are translated, making for a rich experience.
“Mynah Birds,” by an unknown artist from the Momoyama (1573–1615) or Edo (1615–1868) period in Japan. Photo: Adel Gorgy
AUGUST 23-29,2018
IF YOU GO WHAT: “The Poetry of Nature: Edo Paintings from the Fishbein-Bender Collection” WHERE: The Met Fifth Avenue WHEN: through Jan. 21, 2019 www.metmuseum.org
“Hollyhocks and Prince’s-Feather Flowers” a small scroll painted by Sakai Ōho (1808–1841), looks like a tidy corner of someone’s backyard garden. In reality, it’s a masterpiece of positive/negative space, minimalist line and pure color. With the left side empty, balanced by only a few dark green leaves, a smattering of red spots, white blossoms and a tiny orange butterfly, it’s a yin-yang of nostalgia and transcendence. Nature and artistic nurture join to create a poetic perfection. A pair of towering folding six-panel screens presents flowering cherry and red-leafed maple trees. Their gnarled trunks have seen many years, yet their blossoms and leaves speak of rebirth. It’s an expression of wisdom and innocence, a moment and eternity, joined symbolically by Sakai Hōitsu, the artist. Myriad myna birds, fat frogs, gangly grasshoppers, swirling snails, plumed phoenix and plump monks are among the charming creatures depicted in paintings, sculptures, woodblock prints, embroidered robes, ceramics and basketry. Perhaps the most delightful is a pair of scrolls depicting three cranes. Posed against a soft, featureless background, they stand, two on one scroll, the other alone. Nagasawa Rosetsu painted them in the 1780s. It’s as though the artist wanted to paint every crane, capture every nuance, show the very essence of them. In one panel, two birds are depicted, one facing sideways, tall and elegant, the other with its back to the viewer. On the second panel, the bird gazes at the viewer head-on. The round body tapers to a comical nub of a head, all skinny neck and bulging eyes. It’s impossible not to smile, not to fall in love with her. And that’s the point of the show — to get us to cherish the beauty in nature. Be inspired by a muse. Consider works by artists who understood that their survival depended on harmony with nature. Because, despite air conditioning, pavement and the wonders of plumbing and mass transit, ours does, too.
Alternate views of “Cranes” by Nagasawa Rosetsu. Photo: Adel Gorgy
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, one of the masters of Meiji woodblock prints, depicts a magical realm in “Fudo Myoo Threatening a Novice.” Photo: Adel Gorgy
AUGUST 23-29,2018
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes
BROADWAY’S CHAPERONE Richard Ponce is no stranger to Broadway. Over the last 32 years, he has worked as both a house manager and an assistant house manager at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, The Westside Theatre, The Manhattan Theatre Club, and is currently the house manager at the newly opened Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway. During his decades-long career, Ponce has been Broadway’s “fly on the wall,” having watched luminaries like Uta Hagen, Cynthia Nixon and Frances McDormand light up Broadway’s stages night after night. After a Wednesday evening performance of Second Stage Theater’s “Straight White Men” (currently playing at the Hayes, the company’s new home on Broadway), Ponce, 50, sat down with us to chitchat about bizarre audience behavior, his dream of dancing in the musical CATS, and the joys of having spent a life in the theater.
How long have you been working in the New York theater scene? I started at the Lortel [Theatre] in 1986, so I have been in the theater in New York for 32 years. Which is kind of amazing since I am only 30. I don’t know how I did it.
How did you get your start? I remember when my brother and I moved here when we were really young. I was 17. He was 18. I wanted to be a dancer. I wanted to be in “CATS,” I wanted to be in “A Chorus Line.” I wanted to take Broadway by storm. The problem was that I did not have the talent, but it didn’t stop me from taking lessons at STEPS. I didn’t think house manager would
be a career. But when I graduated, I did an internship at Playwrights Horizons. I worked in casting for a year, did house managing at the Lortel, and did house managing for the Wednesday matinées at the Westside. I also worked in several press offices ... For David Rothenberg, Philip Rinaldi, Tony Origlio and David Gersten.
What does a house manager do? I’m responsible for the house [of the theater], that no one is interrupted, that everyone gets the best experience possible. That the AC isn’t too cold or too hot. and that everyone is safe. It’s the one aspect of the show that people don’t see. You’re protecting the show.... You’re doing the best that you can to make the experience as wonderful as you’d want it to be for yourself. If people leave not seeing how well the house was managed, then I’ve done my job.
What’s the best part of the job? You’re connected to it. You’re connected to the ebb and flow of the show. I inevitably have a relationship with the audience. Sometimes it’s challenging, sometimes it leads to an argument, sometimes it can be profoundly life changing. When I was working on “Wit” (on
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It’s like being on crew, being a stage manager. You’re part of the show.... I love my part of it. I love being a host, if you will. I love making people feel comfortable, making people feel welcome.
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BY MARK NIMAR
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Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Cub), my mother had [just] passed away in 2009. I had gone through that hospital experience of watching my mother die, and I didn’t want to share that with anyone. I didn’t talk about it for three years until “Wit,” but because the nature of the show, people would come up to me, saying “my brother died of cancer, my father died of cancer.” And I’d respond about how my mother had died of cancer. And that exchange healed me in so many ways, and in some way I hope I healed them. We had a shared experience, and a shared experience of the play as well. We were both moved by the play, because of our loss. That’s part of the experience of the job. Another part of the job is watching the play develop. You get to be there from the beginning. I got to watch “The Assembled Parties” develop at MTC. I got to be the fly on the wall and see Lynne Meadow work, and Hal Prince work, and be that support and be a part of the experience. How many times have I heard these wonderful plays.... I hear them over and over [every night], and I learn so much. And a work like “Wit”.... That literally changes you. I remember seeing that show, and it made me decide to be a better person.
What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve seen an audience member do? An audience member once carried a gun into the theater, and shot their partner in the foot. It happened at the Lucille Lortel in 1990. Toward the end of the run of “Steel Magnolias.” It was during the show, and for some reason, there was a married couple, and one of them had a gun, and was passing the gun around. It dropped to the floor, and shot this person in the foot. We had to stop the show, and call an ambulance. That was the most bizarre.
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The Helen Hayes Theatre’s house manager reflects on his three decades on the Great White Way
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Richard Ponce, the house manager at the Helen Hayes Theatre, has worked in Broadway theaters for more than 30 years. Photo:
How have audiences changed over the last 20 years? Just the immediacy of turning things on and off has affected the audience. There’s less patience for shows that are longer than two hours. People can’t seem to wait to use the rest room, people go in and out of the theater.... But, you know, it really depends on the show. If you have a great show, all of that stuff doesn’t seem to matter. Do you have a lot of people walking out of “Hamilton” to use the restroom? I don’t think so. If you have a good product, none of the other stuff should really matter.
Why have you done house managing all these years? What motivates you to get up every morning and do it? It’s the adrenaline of the running of the show. It’s like being on crew, being a stage manager. You’re part of the
show.... I love my part of it. I love being a host, if you will. I love making people feel comfortable, making people feel welcome. I love engaging in conversation with people. I’ve talked to old people who have seen the original production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” you can learn so much from people. You’re the person that they yell at if they’re too cold, too hot, if their seat is uncomfortable. But that’s part of it. If there’s a way you can make it easier for them, great. I wanna be that person. That’s what keeps me going. It’s really rewarding. I have never missed a day of work. I just love being there.
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30
AUGUST 23-29,2018
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Eastsider COLOR THE EAST SIDE
SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller
Scan or take a picture of your work and send it grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each by Jake Rose to molly.colgan@strausnews.com. of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Temple Emanu-El Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll publish some of them. Level: Medium Established in 1845 at a gathering of 33 German Jews, To purchase a coloring book of Upper East Side Temple Emanu-El held its ďŹ rst services in a loft at the venues, go to colorourtown.com/ues corner of Grand and Clinton streets on the Lower East Side.
6
6 5
3
5 9
4 2
6
9
3
7 8
7
4
1
9
8 9
5 8 1
8 6
2 WORD SEARCH
9
4
7
3
7
6
3
by Myles Mellor
The puzzle contains the following words. They may be diagonal, across, or up and down in the grid in any direction.
U N I T E D S T A T E S F B S
Q E N Y E F V P O A I S E J I
K B G E R M A N Y N G M E W S
T S O A K H H I D M O N A C O
C O N L J Q N I M S G D T H U
C C G V I B A X P L A I X I T
E Z O M R V M A A O S T D N H
J L E A D Y I N U S Q Y Y A A
O K Z I Z N D A S T E R R O F
Q I Q K C D O N T W S K U B R
L C G S V A S N R M G A S H I
A R G E N T I N A P Y M S K C
X H Q Z H K K E L P C F I V A
M E X I C O P U I K F X A J Z
Argentina Australia Bolivia Brazil China England France Germany India Mexico Monaco Russia South Africa Spain United States
A V C E C D Z P A R D L T A L
ANSWERS U N I T E D S T A T E S F B S
Q E N Y E F V P O A I S E J I
K B G E R M A N Y N G M E W S
T S O A K H H I D M O N A C O
C O N L J Q N I M S G D T H U
C C G V I B A X P L A I X I T
E Z O M R V M A A O S T D N H
J L E A D Y I N U S Q Y Y A A
O K Z I Z N D A S T E R R O F
Q I Q K C D O N T W S K U B R
L C G S V A S N R M G A S H I
A R G E N T I N A P Y M S K C
X H Q Z H K K E L P C F I V A
M E X I C O P U I K F X A J Z
A V C E C D Z P A R D L T A L
4 3
1 7
8
5
2 7
4 8
9
6
6 5
9 3
1
2
9 2 6 3 1 5 8 7 4
8 6 2 1 3 4 5 9 7
3 1 9 6 5 7 4 2 8
7 5 4 9 2 8 3 1 6
5 8 1 7 6 3 2 4 9
6 9 7 5 4 2 1 8 3
2 4 3 8 9 1 7 6 5
AUGUST 23-29,2018
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Dear Sam, I thought we were in this together, but apparently I was wrong. You’ve been ignoring me for a while. We don’t go for walks as often as we used to. You barely eat anything green anymore. And you don’t realize the daily pressure you put me under. It’s just too much.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
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LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL
Your Heart Don’t let your heart quit on you. If you are living with high blood pressure, just knowing and doing the minimum isn’t enough. Uncontrolled high blood pressure could lead to stroke, heart attack or death. Get yours to a healthy range before it’s too late.
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