Our Town - September 1, 2016

Page 1

The local paper for the Upper East Side FINDING FAITH IN FURNITURE,

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER

< P. 12

1-7 2016

Our Take

CREATING CITY SPACES FOR ARTISTS Legislation would allow performers to rent municipal buildings afterhours

BY JENNIFER GOODNOW

Perhaps more than ever, artists trying to make it in New York City are up against the financial wall. Besides having to pay ever-increasing residential rents, they must also dole out for rehearsal, performance and exhibition spaces — and are often getting priced out. “I know lots of artists, actors and singers who are frustrated about how hard it is to create anything due to cost of space,” said Michael Rider, a musician who lives in northern Manhattan. Rider said securing rehearsal space can quickly sap a performer’s budget. “Unfortunately, affordable spaces are getting harder and harder to find. Re-

hearsal spaces can cost as much $75100 an hour, often making it impossible for artists to hone their craft and share their talents in the city,” he said. City officials are trying to address at least one aspect of the problem. Councilman Ben Kallos, along with several colleagues, including Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, have introduced legislation that would permit artists or art groups to rent, at a reduced rate, city-owned or city-run spaces for after-hours rehearsals or performances. The venues could include Beaux-Arts spaces such as Manhattan’s Surrogate’s Court lobby, which rises three stories and whose marble staircase and other features recall Paris’ Palais Garnier Opera House. The Tweed Courthouse on Chambers Street and the Marriage Bureau in the Louis Lefkowitz Building on Centre Street could also become available.

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LOCAL NEWS IN A WORLD CAPITAL

The Louis J. Lefkowitz State Office Building on Centre Street could be rented out after-hours for rehearsals, performances or concerts, according to legislation now in a City Council committee. Photo: Beyond My Ken, via Wikimedia

MEMORIES ARE NOT A CLOSED CHAPTER Coliseum Books anchored the West Side’s once thriving bookshop culture

knowledge. At least for this writer, no trip to the Columbus Circle area, or even to Lincoln Center, was complete without a visit to Coliseum Books. The store was opened in 1974 by George Leibson (a former manager at Bookmaster’s), Sy Rubin and Irwin Hersch. Eventually, Rubin died, leaving Leibson and Hersch as co-owners. Since the West Side was known for its intellectuals, it had a ready-made audience. According to a 2006 article in the “New York Sun,” (also since shuttered) by Gary Shapiro, among the famous people who shopped in the store were

BY RAANAN GEBERER

The West Side was once known for its independent bookstores. There were quite a few — the New Yorker, Shakespeare & Co., Endicott Booksellers and Murder Ink. Today, we’ll focus on one — Coliseum Books, on Columbus Avenue at Columbus Circle. Coliseum Books at 1775 Broadway at 57th Street was a huge store — with about 110,000 books spread over two floors. Not only were there books on every conceivable subject, but the staffers were also known for their literary

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Crime Watch Voices Out & About City Arts

3 8 10 12

Restaurants Real Estate 15 Minutes

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Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday September 2 – 7:19 pm. For more information visit chabaduppereastside.com.

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Coliseum Books’ West 42nd Street location. Photo: Barry Solow, via flickr

OurTownEastSide

“I thought nobody reads newspapers anymore,” an Upper West Sider told me last week. Except you, reading this column. You’re not alone, and you’re not a dinosaur. Across the country, including here on the Upper East Side, within the media capital of the world, local news — news about neighbors and the neighborhood — continues to flourish. Deliver a newspaper full of really local news into peoples’ homes and it gets read. Yes, even here in Manhattan. That’s why we’re delivered to more than 3,000 apartment buildings each week. (The paper, by the way, is also available for mail delivery for a very reasonable $49 per year). Local news in print gets read. Of course we’re also on the web for those who prefer their news online, at ourtownny.com. But even local news sites that started as online-only entities have jumped on the bandwagon and recognized that they also need a printed product. In June, the leading news trade publication Editor and Publisher wrote, “Community newspapers across the country are not just surviving, but — in many cases — actually thriving.” Not convinced?

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We deliver! Get Our Town Eastsider sent directly to your mailbox for $ $49 per year. Go to OurTownNY.com or call 212-868-0190

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FOR CABBIES, ENGLISH GOES THE WAY OF THE CHECKER Language test no longer required for city taxi drivers BY DEEPTI HAJELA AND EZRA KAPLAN

People who hope to drive New York City’s famous yellow cabs must pass tests on such details as driving rules and where they can pick up passengers. But one test they no longer have to take? Whether they have a grasp of English. A new law that streamlines licensing requirements for different kind of drivers has done away with the longstanding English proficiency test for taxi drivers, which supporters say will eliminate a barrier to the profession for immigrants, who make up 96 percent of the 144,000 cabbies in the city. It’s also a recognition of how technology has transformed the business. Many drivers now rely on computer navigation programs, rather than verbal directions, to reach a destination. For-hire drivers for app-based services such as Uber, for example, never had to take an English test. But critics, including some drivers, are giving a side-eye to the idea that a good command of English is no longer

considered a basic requirement for a job that involves communicating with passengers and reading street signs. “If you’re going to work in this country serving the population which is majority made up of American citizens that speak English, you probably should learn how to speak English,” said Tanya Crespo, who was visiting Manhattan from Newport, North Carolina. New York City’s taxi and for-hire drivers are already an international bunch, hailing from 167 countries, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which currently offers its licensing tests in English, Spanish, Bengali and Urdu. Hacks formerly went through one of two licensing processes, depending on what class of car they drove. One was for the yellow cabs that passengers can hail on the street. Drivers of those vehicles, which mostly operate in Manhattan and at the airports, had to take an education course and an English proficiency test. The other licensing process covered drivers of for-hire cars, the dominant form of taxi in the “outer boroughs” of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Stat-

Photo: Dustin Gaffke, via flickr en Island. Those rides are dispatched by telephone, or, in recent years, by mobile phone app. For those drivers, an English test wasn’t required. Drivers for the different types of cars not only took different types of tests, but they also tended to come from different countries. Among yellow cab drivers, 24 percent were born in Bangladesh, 10 percent in Pakistan and 8 percent in India, according to city statistics. English is widely spoken as a second language in all three places, all formerly part of the British Empire. But among the traditional for-hire livery car drivers, 50 percent were born in the Dominican Republic, where people speak Spanish. Some foreign-born taxi drivers said taking, and passing, the English test was once a successful rite of passage.

“You had to really learn to get it,” said Michael Osei-Antwi, a driver originally from Ghana, who took the English exam 17 years ago. “If somebody tells you they are going to Gansevoort Hotel and you don’t know English, how are you going to be able to get there?” Back then, the city also required a geography test, which has also been dropped in recent years. Cab driver Kwaku Atuahene was glad to see the English test go. “A guy might not be able to speak English but he is still a good driver. He could take you where you want to go,” he said. “There are a lot of ways to communicate.” There’s now an education course that both yellow cab and livery drivers will take. Taxi regulators said they are working with other city departments to create an English-language compo-

nent for that course. New York City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, who sponsored the legislation, said the driving jobs are “a step into the middle class for many, and we should be removing barriers to entry, rather than keeping them in place.” In certain ethnic neighborhoods in New York City, he pointed out, not speaking English isn’t a problem since the drivers and those using their services all speak the same language. Melquisedc Abreu, a 45-year-old livery car and Uber driver born in the Dominican Republic, agreed, saying it wouldn’t matter to most of his passengers if he didn’t speak English. “They never talk to me,” he said. “They just get in the car, I got the destination, drop them off, thank you, have a good day, and that’s it.”

THE MANHATTAN CHAMBER’S BIANNUAL STREET FAIR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11 2016 10am - 6pm Third Avenue from 66th to 86th Streets The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization that provides advocacy, resources and networking opportunities to help businesses grow and professionals advance their careers. The Chamber runs two of the oldest and largest street fairs in New York City.

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SEPTEMBER 1-7,2016

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

CITY MAN ADMITS TO DEFRAUDING INVESTORS OF $15 MILLION A New York City man has pleaded guilty to defrauding at least 100 investors of over $15 million after serving a decade in prison for another ďŹ nancial fraud. Edward Durante entered the plea to securities fraud and other charges in Manhattan federal court last week. The 64-year-old man was extradited from Germany in December. Sentencing guidelines called for a prison term of between 24 and 30 years. Durante’s attorney, Jennifer Willis, did not immediately comment. Prosecutors said Durante funneled over $9 million from investors to himself, his family and co-conspirators. They said he recruited investors nationwide, including from California, the Midwest, New York and Boston. Prosecutors said he was convicted of similar charges in 2001. He was released from prison in 2009.

FRIED FOR FRAUD

STATS FOR THE WEEK

Police arrested a young man who tried to commit a fraud. At 5:42 p.m. on Aug. 24, an 18-year-old man tried to open an account in Bloomingdale’s to buy 10 pairs of sunglasses for nearly at $2,200 at the Sunglass Hut shop. Loss prevention personnel at the store determined that his identiďŹ cation was fraudulent and contacted police, who arrested the young man and charged him with grand larceny.

Reported crimes from the 19th precinct

GIVENCHY-AND-TAKE

Tony Webster, via ickr

MATCHTAKER A small safe held a big payoff for a burglar recently. Shortly before 4 a.m. on Aug. 24, a man removed a side window at the Match 65 Brasserie shop at 29 East 65th St. and climbed in. He took a shoe-box safe containing $33,000 in cash and exited the location. Anyone with information is asked to call the Detective Bureau Manhattan North at 212-694-1093.

Another teenager was arrested for shoplifting at another premium department store. At 2 p.m. on Aug. 20, an 18-year-old man from the Bronx entered the Barneys New York store at 660 Madison Ave. and was seen by a store employee taking a T-shirt off a rack and hiding it in a shopping bag he was carrying. He did the same with another T-shirt and then left the store, bypassing the registers. Store personnel stopped him on 60th Street, where he was arrested for grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. The two T-shirts from Givenchy were tagged at an eyeopening $555 and $685 respectively.

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Week to Date

Year to Date

2016 2015

% Change

2016

2015

% Change

Murder

0

0

n/a

2

1

100.0

Rape

0

0

n/a

3

7

-57.1

Robbery

2

2

0.0

55

63

-12.7

Felony Assault

0

2

-100.0

72

83

-13.3

Burglary

4

6

-33.3

126

99

27.3

Grand Larceny

39

30

30.0

859

836

2.8

Grand Larceny Auto

0

2

-100.0

58

52

11.5

PILFERING PAIR

TARGETED

Two store employees who were stealing in the same manner were arrested the same afternoon. At 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, an 18-year-old woman working at the Bed Bath & Beyond store at 410 East 61st St. was seen pocketing cash from the register. In the same store, another employee, a 17-year-old woman, was also seen pocketing money from the register. The total amount the two young women stole came to $600, and both were arrested Aug. 25 on charges of petty larceny.

At 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 21, a 44-year-old male Upper East Side resident received a phone call from someone claiming to represent the IRS, demanding immediate payment of back taxes. The victim wired $18,000 to the bad guys and also read redemption numbers to them of two Target gift cards, each valued at $2,000.

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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct

153 E. 67th St.

212-452-0600

159 E. 85th St.

311

FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16

157 E. 67th St.

311

FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43

1836 Third Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 44

221 E. 75th St.

311

FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13

CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick

211 E. 43rd St. #1205

212-818-0580

Councilmember Ben Kallos

244 E. 93rd St.

212-860-1950

STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano

1916 Park Ave. #202

212-828-5829

State Senator Liz Krueger

1850 Second Ave.

212-490-9535

Assembly Member Dan Quart

360 E. 57th St.

212-605-0937

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright

1365 First Ave.

212-288-4607

COMMUNITY BOARD 8

505 Park Ave. #620

212-758-4340

LIBRARIES Yorkville

222 E. 79th St.

212-744-5824

96th Street

112 E. 96th St.

212-289-0908

67th Street

328 E. 67th St.

212-734-1717

Webster Library

1465 York Ave.

212-288-5049

100 E. 77th St.

212-434-2000

HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell

525 E. 68th St.

212-746-5454

Mount Sinai

E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.

212-241-6500

NYU Langone

550 First Ave.

212-263-7300

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

POST OFFICES US Post Office

1283 First Ave.

212-517-8361

US Post Office

1617 Third Ave.

212-369-2747

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EMPIRE STATE BUILDING NETS NEW QATAR INVESTMENT $622 million investment comes amid oil-price woes in Arabian peninsula BY JON GAMBRELL

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has made an iconic purchase in America — a stake in the Empire State Building. The $622-million purchase by the Qatar Investment Authority comes as the fund increases its U.S. investments and the small country on the Arabian Peninsula copes with low global oil and gas prices. The Empire State Realty Trust Inc., which manages the 102-story, 1,454-foot (443-meter) -tall building, announced the Qatari purchase late week, saying the fund would gain a 9.9-percent stake in the com-

pany. The trust owns a total of 14 office properties and six retail properties in the New York area. The Qatar Investment Authority did not respond to a request for comment. The Art Deco-style Empire State Building remains a major tourist attraction and has been the centerpiece of major American films, from “King Kong” to “Sleepless in Seattle.” Tiny Qatar is an OPEC member, a strong regional ally for the U.S. and hosts American bombers and the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command at its vast al-Udeid air base. Aircraft and personnel there are involved in the ongoing U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Qatar has been on a building

boom, mirroring on a smaller scale the one that gripped the United Arab Emirates’ citystate of Dubai. However, Qatar’s government coffers have been hard hit by the drop of global oil prices, which have fallen from over $100 a barrel in the summer of 2014 to around $50 now. The nation’s investment authority, estimated to be worth some $335 billion by the Las Vegas-based Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, has been increasingly eyeing American opportunities. Last September, the fund announced plans to open an office in New York and committed to investing $35 billion in the U.S. over the next five years. The fund’s existing American holdings include a more than 10-percent stake in New York-

based luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. It sold its share of the American film studio Miramax to a Qatar-based media group in March for an undisclosed sum. Government-backed Qatar Airways, meanwhile, has been rapidly expanding its operations in the U.S., provoking a backlash from American carriers. Also among the Qatari fund’s interests in America: a 44-percent stake in the $8.6 billion redevelopment project known as Manhattan West, which includes remodeling the building that’s now home to the global headquarters of The Associated Press. The AP announced in August 2015 it planned to move from that building to another near the World Trade Center.

SEPTEMBER 1-7,2016

OUR TAKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Warren Buffett, the oracle of Omaha, bought up dozens of local newspapers a few years ago and in his letter to shareholders explained that “Newspapers continue to reign supreme ... in the delivery of local news. If you want to know what’s going on in your town ... there is no substitute for a local newspaper that is doing its job. A reader’s eyes may glaze over after they take in a couple of paragraphs about Canadian tariffs or political developments in Pakistan; a story about the reader himself or his neighbors

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will be read to the end. Wherever there is a pervasive sense of community, a paper that serves the special informational needs of that community will remain indispensable to a signiďŹ cant portion of its residents.â€? That’s what this paper is all about: nurturing the sense of community that exists, even thrives, within Manhattan’s distinct neighborhoods. To do local news in a way that resonates takes hard work, talent and people who are willing to get out of their chairs and go walk around a neighborhood. It’s not something that can be assigned to people rewriting copy in the Philippines or India. Here at Straus News, we’re

fortunate to have a sensational team of dedicated New Yorkers putting the paper together for you each week. In the three and a half years since we acquired the papers, we’re proud to have broken a number of important stories, including a piece about how drivers that kill pedestrians are rarely prosecuted, an in-depth analysis which found that Manhattan private schools are more ethnically and economically diverse than public schools, a rundown of locally owned neighborhood establishments shuttering (which The New York Times reprised just last Saturday), and a year-long look at independently owned

businesses that have thrived for 50 years. Some of our stories were later picked up by The Times and other media outlets, others were simply too local to interest people outside the neighborhood. We turn to you to help us continue to report what’s happening in the neighborhood and nurture our reviving sense of community. Call or write us with your neighborhood story ideas, or simply to ask, “What’s up with that?� We can be reached at nyoffice@strausnews.com or 212-868-0190. Jeanne Straus

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ARTISTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The idea is to keep artists in the city, said Kallos, who is chairman of the Committee on Governmental Operations, which has oversight over the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “We can better serve our New Yorkers if we make government property open to them for community meeting and performance spaces to invest in our communities and the arts,” Kallos said in a statement, “Performance and meeting spaces are in high demand as the few that remain get displaced with new development, eliminating opportunities for artists and communities to congregate.” A few decades ago, artists could find and flock to low-rent neighborhoods, whether in SoHo, the Lower East Side and even, for a time, Greenwich Village in Manhattan. There was also Brooklyn. The irony, though, was that their presence would then help turn undesirable and even derelict neighborhoods into acceptable and, in time, cool, trendy — and expensive — destinations. Now, as with the rest of the city, outer borough neighborhoods that were once affordable are swiftly pricing out of the marketplace for struggling artists. The city used to be a thriving

arts mecca, but high rents are driving away the creative class. Some artists are leaving the city for upstate towns such as Woodstock and Kingston. Others leave the state and even the country in search of places amenable to artists both culturally and financially. Edson Scheid, a Juilliard graduate and classical violinist, is hopeful the legislation could make it easier for performers to live, and make a living, in New York. “What a great way to make use of city spaces during after-hours! As artists, we always look for opportunities to perform and share the music that we love with audiences,” he said. “This initiative would be a wonderful resource for us, and would offer audience members additional opportunities to attend cultural events.” Kallos conferred with the League of Independent Theaters of New York to help come up with the legislation, which has been introduced to the Committee on Governmental Operations. Should it be enacted, the Citywide Administrative Services Department would then be tasked with coming up with a pricing scheme. Other considerations, such as security, would also be reviewed. “New York City is home to a vibrant community of artists and performers,” Rosenthal said in a statement. “By giving them access to City spaces at an affordable rate, we can help the creative community thrive.”

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If the City Council adopts legislation, now in committee, that would allow artists or art groups to rent city-owned or city-run spaces for rehearsals and performances, concerts could take place in the Tweed Courthouse’s rotunda and inside several other stately buildings. Photo: Walter Snalling Jr., via Wikimedia

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Philip Roth and Liza Minelli. Shapiro also wrote, “Playwright Tony Kushner was once quoted in The New York Times saying that when the [original] store closed, he and his partner ‘practically wore black armbands.’ Pete Hamill listed the store as one of the reasons worth living in New York.” Leibson, interviews point to, was very pleased with his enterprise — except for the fact that some customers tended to ”walk off with” the books without paying, and others spilled coffee or got peanut butter on the books. He once bragged that he “stuck to basics” — he didn’t need to install a café like Barnes & Noble to get people to buy books. However, around that time, the store began to have financial trouble. The problem wasn’t the Internet — at that time, buying and selling on the web was still in its infancy. The problem was the constant expansion of chains like the aforementioned Barnes & Noble and Borders. In the ‘90s, new branches seemed to be opening everywhere in the city. Rising rents in Manhattan didn’t help the financial situation of independent bookstores, either. The original bookstore closed in 2002. The following year, Coliseum opened in a new location at 11 West 42nd Street — and this store had a cafe. Here, too, Coliseum continued to have its admirers. Still, by then, the Internet, particularly Amazon, was a serious competitor. In September 2006, the store filed for bankruptcy. Book-lovers rushed to buy books discounted at 20 percent or 40 percent off. In the end, a slogan that was printed on Coliseum T-shirts might serve as an epitaph: So Many Books, So Little Time.

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PLAYERS TRY THEIR HAND AT HANDBALL Chelsea courts renovated for ‘quintessential’ city game BY MADELEINE THOMPSON

The thwacking of the ball provided the perfect soundtrack to a summer day. And for David Rojas, who grew up here, it was a handball homecoming. A coach who has won three world championships, Rojas was part of a group gathered Tuesday morning to celebrate the renovation of the courts in Chelsea Park on West 27th Street. “I grew up in this neighborhood,� Rojas said. “So seeing these courts come to an optimal level right now is great.� Rojas recently became enshrined in the Handball Hall of Fame. “I played organized sports as a kid,� he said. “So when you came out here, it was like a whole new world. Everybody’s such a close-knit family.� The morning was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new handball courts, which were renovated by the Fairway Community Foundation at a cost of $77,500. According to Council Member Corey Johnson’s office, the renovations included “stripping, patching, and painting of six walls, restriping of the

walls in accordance with Parks Department standards, the relining of court pavement and repairs to the mesh on the eastern side of the courts.� The Fairway foundation also renovated a handball court in Brooklyn. Parks Department Commissioner Michael Silver expressed his delight to the small gathering of community members and kids. After the ceremony, youngsters participated in a clinic with the St. Albans Handball Association. Alissa Silverstein, director of the Fairway Community Foundation, said the market was connecting with the community. “Here we are, celebrating the completion of a project that has allowed us to give back in a tangible way,� Silverstein said. “This is just the beginning.� She also announced that next spring the foundation will host a citywide handball tournament in collaboration with St. Albans. State Senator Brad Hoylman touted the ease of the sport and its health benefits as reasons the new courts would surely see a lot of action. “Talk about a pickup game,� he said. “I mean, you can go anywhere. It’s a sport that I think is often neglected, but it really is the backdrop for so much activity in New York City life.�

State Senator Brad Hoylman, white shirt, and Parks Department Commissioner Michael Silver, blue shirt, have a go on new handball courts in Chelsea Park. Photo: Madeleine Thompson Silver, the parks commissioner, joked at first that he was just there to observe. But he and Hoylman later tried their hands at handball. For a more experienced star of the

game, the occasion mixed memories with excitement for the future. “I did play handball at P.S. 92 when I was a kid,� Rojas said. “These courts look amazing ... Fairway was look-

ing to refurbish a part of a park that is quintessential to the New York City experience. And what ďŹ ts better than handball?â€?

Intensive Workshops Private Lessons www.hunter.cuny.edu/parliamo

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Join us at an Open House August 25th, September 7th or 8th.

Learn the Italian Language and Culture at the Most Innovative Italian Language Program in NYC! Fall Courses Start September 12th. Hunter College, 68th Street & Lexington Ave, East Building1022, New York, NY 10065 parliamo@hunter.cuny.edu | 212-396-6653

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Voices

Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments, go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.

LET’S REDUCE GARBAGE TRUCK TRAFFIC

lem when we closed Fresh Kills Landfill, but the truth is we just moved the problem to the South Bronx, North Brooklyn, and other low-income communities where private waste transfer stations set up shop. Under Mayor Bloomberg, the Sanitation Department began construction of new, state-of-the-art waste transfer stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to more fairly share the trash burden around the city. Mayor de Blasio is continuing that work, and taking the next step by addressing commercial trash too. I hope that these reforms can ensure that commercial trash, just like residential trash, will no longer be dumped on just a few communities. This is not a “Not In My Backyard” issue. We will always have trash, but if we dedicate ourselves to expanding recycling, supporting the workers who work in sanitation, and distributing the trucks and facilities in a smart and fair way, we can have a sanitation system that we are proud of. It will be complicated to remake this system, but I know my community is ready to get to work.

traffic and pollution. The new system will also protect small businesses by requiring sanita-

tion companies to bid for the right to collect in each zone. Currently, small businesses pay a whopping 38 percent more than big business to get their trash picked up. When other cities have moved to this “waste zone system,” they have seen prices go down for most customers. The new system has also empowered these other cities to achieve commercial recycling rates three times higher than New York. Workers would fare better as well. Not only is sanitation one of the nation’s most dangerous jobs, but the Sanitation Department report found that companies pay many of these workers off the books, so they don’t have the protection of workers compensation when they get hurt. The mayor’s plan would set wage and safety standards to protect commercial sanitation workers. The waste zone plan has already garnered a lot of support. I have joined with other council members from across the city to endorse the new system. It also has the backing of a diverse coalition of labor unions, environmental justice organizations, small businesses, and community groups. It’s not easy cleaning up after eight million people and our city has long struggled with sanitation issues. Many thought we had fixed the prob-

Can you ever really forgive if you can’t forget? Do we need distance to get close? Is a relationship a relationship without the zsa zsa zsu? In its heyday, “Sex And The City” just made Manhattan seem more alive. People became more observant about what was going on and how they could relate it to the antics of Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda. Young women started looking for their own Mr. Big (and believing they would find him). The fact that all four women were never wanting for dates also seemed to send a mixed message, since most single women I knew were always saying there were no men out there. And the city rose to the status of “fifth friend.” More than any other TV

drama/comedy before or even after it, SATC really did showcase our borough as where the action is. Because of the out-and-about BFFs, the same ol’ neighborhood haunts didn’t seem enough anymore. Those women were all over the place, giving the rest of us the impetus to get in a cab and go across or downtown “... to eat at that place, then go shopping at that store.” The show had such an effect that New York women’s self-esteem rose and fell with what was going on in Carrie’s life; watching her retch on the beach after seeing Big with Natasha in the Hamptons was truly a downer for days; but when Carrie introduced Berger to her friends and brought his male perspective to their dating tales of woe,

the very next morning everyone was shrugging off the guy who got away with the phrase, He’s just not that into you. So much a part of us did Carrie become, that The Harvard Crimson ran an article that coined the phrase Carrie Bradshaw Syndrome: When you act like you’re in this movie about your perfect life. To which I say, isn’t being the leading lady in your own life what living in New York City is supposed to be like? I think we need a third movie so Manhattan can get back its own zsa zsa zsu.

OP-ED BY COUNCILMAN MARK LEVINE

I hear all the time from constituents about garbage truck traffic in our community. So I was unsurprised when a new study last month confirmed what many of us have experienced: Upper Manhattan has one of the highest levels of private sanitation traffic in the city. A simple change could make a world of difference. The study, commissioned by the Department of Sanitation, finds that the private sanitation industry is needlessly adding millions of miles of truck traffic to our streets and diesel exhaust to our air. The de Blasio administration announced plans to reduce this traffic by two-thirds — and even more in Manhattan — through a new waste zone system that will ensure only one private sanitation company is operating in each neighborhood, rather than dozens. Rationalizing this industry has been a long time coming. Unlike residential trash, which is picked up by one Department of Sanitation truck stopping at every building on the block, small business owners have to find their own private trash company. Each com-

Photo: Peter Burka, via flickr pany brings its own truck to pick up trash from one business, and our community is left to deal with increased

DESIRING MORE ZSA ZSA ZSU BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL

Eighteen years ago this summer, we were introduced to Carrie Bradshaw — the Upper East side writer of the column “Sex And The City,” which appeared in the paper none of us read because it was made up. (In fact, by this time in 1998, the HBO series had already reached cult status.) I must confess, I miss the show if only because, for six seasons, the program really energized New York. The two movies rejuvenated us, of course, and the internet keeps SATC alive as well.

STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source

On any given female-directed website, you will now and again find an article referencing the telecast or one its characters, because even though it stopped airing in 2004, “the girls” are still part of the zeitgeist. But, the weekly booster shot of Cosmopolitanfueled wisdom was what really kept us going. Carrie & Co. brought into polite conversation topics that can’t be mentioned in a family newspaper, and the questions that she posed at the beginning of each column (and episode) had many of us going in search of answers:

Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com

Associate Publishers Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Regional Sales Manager Tania Cade

President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Deputy Editors Richard Khavkine Fred Almonte editor.dt@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Christopher Moore Barry Lewis editor.ot@strausnews.com

Mark D. Levine is a New York City councilman representing Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley, and the Upper West Side

Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back To Work She Goes.”

Staff Reporter Madeleine Thompson newsreporter@strausnews.com Director of Digital Pete Pinto

Block Mayors Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side

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FRIENDSHIP CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE GRAYING NEW YORK BY MARCIA EPSTEIN

Last week I attended an ice cream social at DOROT, a social services organization headquartered on the Upper West Side. My aim was maybe to meet some new people and possibly join one of the organization’s groups. No, it’s not that I don’t have friends. But I know that friendship, new and old, is vital for senior citizens. Indeed it’s been shown that loneliness is linked to reduced life-span and health issues. Most of us have friends who are specific to our life stage. Friends from our youth (if we’re lucky), friends from college, from our children’s childhoods, and friends we made as adults. But as we get older, friends get sick, move or die. So it’s important to keep on trying to meet new people and

make fresh connections. We have friends that we feel close to and friends with whom we do things of mutual interest. Recent research found that older people with a large network of friends outlived those with fewer friends by more than 20 percent. Senior Planet asked some experts to share tips for making new friends later in life. They recommended getting involved in activities you enjoy and staying open to making new friends as you participate. You may not feel close to every new person you meet, but all you need is one or two really close friends — and others with whom to stay active and involved in the world. Loneliness is a health risk. The Nurses’ Health Study from Harvard Medical School found that the more friends women had, the less likely they were to develop health problems as they aged. It’s an effort to keep on meet-

ing new people, staying open to new friendships, being vulnerable to rejection, but it’s worth it. It’s so easy to get stuck, to stay at home and to become depressed and ill. Some studies show that friendships are linked to good health in the elderly even more than family ties. All of this is the reason I went to the DOROT social and also a Lunch in the Neighborhood through BAiP (Bloomingdale Aging in Place), a neighborhood naturally occuring retirement community, or NORC. Both events were pleasant, fun ways to meet new people and perhaps create friendships. The JCC on 76th and Amsterdam has many excellent programs for seniors, including discussion groups, support groups, bereavement groups and caregiver support groups. It also continues to run a “Walking on Eggshells� group for parents of estranged adult children, which is a more pervasive problem than most people know. The JCC has excellent exercise programs and a large indoor pool. For those who don’t know the JCC, email info@jccmanhattan.org or call 646-505-5716. You can also simply walk in and pick up a catalogue.

The cat was fed ten times today

The UJA-Federation of New York Resource Line supplies information and referrals to the health and human service agencies in the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies network. They provide assistance to older adults and caregivers; ďŹ nancial and employment services; mental health services; end of life care and other programs. Here’s to friendship and new beginnings. But even with flourishing friendships, life has its annoyances. Here’s one of mine: Amazon, which has a real nerve. The lesson here is never to let a monopoly get too full of itself. Instead, create more competition. Lately, almost everything of interest on Amazon has become Prime, which means that you have to pay extra each year to be a Prime member. Without that, you are shut out of most new books, as well as many items on their site. Prime really used to be optional (and it still is ... sort of). It used to mean that orders would be shipped more quickly, but you could still order everything from the site. Now, no way. If you’re not a Prime member, you’re not even able to order most of the good stuff.

As a senior citizen on a budget, I don’t appreciate being bulldozed into this new policy. If people would protest, maybe they’d open eyes to the unfairness of this. But here’s the kicker. I joined Prime. I gave in to reality. I order a lot of books

and other things from Amazon. What am I supposed to do, cut off my nose to spite my face? I’m angry at myself for giving in, but I stretched my budget and joined. Phooey!

In accordance with Section 1-13 of the Concession Rules of the City of New York, the Department of Parks and Recreation (“Parks�) has issued a Request for Proposals (�RFP�) for the renovation, operation and maintenance of a parking lot, snack bar, beach shop and three (3) mobile food units at Manhattan Beach Park, Brooklyn. There will be a recommended on-site proposer meeting and site tour on Friday, September 16, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. We will be meeting in front of the parking lot of the proposed concession site, which is located at Oriental Boulevard and Irwin Street. If you are considering responding to this RFP, please make every effort to attend this recommended meeting and site tour. All proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be submitted by no later than Friday, September 30, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Hard copies of the RFP can be obtained, at no cost, commencing Thursday, August 25, 2016 through Friday, September 30, 2016, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays, at the Revenue Division of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, which is located at The Arsenal, 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 407, New York, NY 10065. The RFP is also available for download commencing Thursday, August 25, 2016 through Friday, September 30, 2016 on Parks’ website. To download the RFP, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/businessopportunities, click on the link for “Concessions Opportunities at Parks� and, after logging in, click on the “download� link that appears adjacent to the RFP’s description. For more information, contact Glenn Kaalund, Revenue Project Manager, at (212) 360-1397. You can also email him at Glenn.Kaalund@parks.nyc.gov. TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD) 212-504-4115

It’s never too early (or too late) to talk about Alzheimer’s support. Call our 24-hour Helpline. We’re here anytime you need to talk.

(646) 744–2900 Free | ConďŹ dential | Se habla espaĂąol | ᥇‍ه‏䅑ѣᎽ ɸɝɾ̴:³ĕÆĂ?žÞãĂ?Ě´ Ä?ÂłĂ?Ä‚³˾̴ɚÞĂƒĚ´"Ă–ããò̴̴˳̴̴AÂłÄ?Ě´xãòĂ”˾̴Ax̴ɜɾɾɜɟ̴̴ "ãòĂœ³òĂ–Ä–Ě´8Ă?ĂŁÄ?Ă?Ě´ÂœÜ̴ÞĂƒ³̴ Ă–Ä›ĂƒÂłĂ†Ăœ³ò˞Ü̴ ÜÜãŠĂ†ÂœĂžĂ†ĂŁĂ?˾̴Ax Ě´ ĂƒÂœïÞ³ò "Ä‚Ă?¯³¯̴¨Ä–Ě´Âœ̴žòÂœĂ?Þ̴½òãĂœĚ´ĂžĂƒ³̴AÂłÄ?Ě´xãòÔ̴ZĂžÂœÞ³̴ ³ïÂœòÞĂœÂłĂ?Þ̴ã½̴(ÂłÂœĂ–ĂžĂƒ

www.caringkindnyc.org

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MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH Sunday Worship at 11:00am

Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to ourtownny.com

Sunday Worship, led by Dr. Michael Brown, is the heart of the Marble Church community. It is where we all gather to sing, pray, and be changed by an encounter with God. Marble is known throughout the world for the practical, powerful, life-changing messages and where one can hear world class music from our choirs that make every heart sing. Busy? Live stream Sunday Worship with us at 11:00am at MarbleChurch.org.

WeWo: Wednesday Worship at 6:15pm Marble's weekly Wednesday Worship, lovingly nicknamed WeWo, is a service that blends traditional and contemporary worship styles, taking the best of both, creating a mixture that is informal and reverent, often humorous and always Spirit-filled.

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Elizabeth Gilbert Thursday, September 29 at 7:00pm

WATER’S EDGE GARDEN TOUR

GMA CONCERT JASON DERULO

GALLERY EXHIBITION: RABIN MONDAL

Join us for a lecture and Q&A at Marble Collegiate Church with the immensely popular author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat Pray Love), who will draw from her newest book, Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear. Her fiction and non-fiction have inspired and empowered countless readers of all ages and walks of life. Register at OpenCenter.org

Randall’s Island, base of 103rd Street Bridge 11 a.m. Free Join an experienced member of the Horticulture Department and learn about the flowers growing along the water’s edge. Enjoy breathtaking views of Manhattan. 212-860-1899

Central Park, Rumsey Playfield at 69th Street 7 a.m. Free, tickets required Hailing from Florida, R&B hitmaker, singer, songwriter and dancer—hits include: “Wiggle,” “Talk Dirty,” “In My Head” and “Whatcha Say.” www.centralpark.com

Dag Modern Gallery, 41 East 57th St. Noon-2 p.m. Free Last day to view “Kingdom Of Exile - A Rabin Mondal Retrospective.” 212-457-9037. www. dagmodern.com

CONVERSATION WITH MET EDUCATOR▲

Event listings brought to you by Marble Collegiate Church. 1 West 29th Street / New York, New York 10001 212 686 2770 / MarbleChurch.org

Metropolitan Museum, 1000 Fifth Ave. 11-11:30 a.m. Free with museum admission Look at a 16th century painting, “Fish Market” by Joachim Beuckelaer, in new ways through an interactive dialogue with Maria Rhor, educator at The Met. 212-535-7710. www. metmuseum.org

Fri

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The Open Center presents:

POETRY AND DEVOTION IN INDIAN PAINTING Metropolitan Museum, 1000 Fifth Ave. 10:30–11:30 a.m. Free with museum admission In this Met exhibition and tour, delve into Hindu regional schools of painting between the 16th and 19th century and see how they gave form to courtly interests in poetry and music. 212-535-7710. www. metmuseum.org

Sat

VISIONS OF CONFINEMENT Hunter East Harlem Gallery, 2180 Third Ave. 3 p.m. Free Photographic exhibition: “A Lens on Women in the United States Prison System.” 212-772-4000. www.hunter. cuny.edu

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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com Kids of every age love the LEARNING at Or L’Atid, Or Zarua’s innovative center of Jewish education & cultural programming. We provide exciting, engaging K-12 experiences, blending Jewish learning and Hebrew language with science, the arts, and cultural activities. B’nai Mitzvah Scholars (6-8) dive deeply into Judaic studies, history and sacred texts. High School students enjoy programs including Rock-‍רק‏-Ivrit, Sushi & Study with Rabbi Bolton, and a brand new Megillah Reading course! For more information, visit orzarua-orlatid.org, or contact Sigal Hirsch, Director of Youth Education & Programming, at shirsch@orzarua.org. CONGREGATION

LEARN ‹ PRAY ‹ PARTICIPATE ‹ CONNECT

Huge Selection of

Sun

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PIANO IN BRYANT PARK PA Bryant Park, between the Bryant Park Grill and Bryant Park Cafe 12:30-2:30 p.m. Free Swing on by for toetappin’ performances by New York’s ďŹ nest, playing ragtime, ragti stride and jazz to your and My M Heart’s Delight. 212-768-4242 www. 212 urbanmgt.com urban

ELECTRIC ZOO FESTIVAL ▲ Randall’s Island Park Annual electronic music festival (Sept 2-Sept 4) features music’s leading lights ts and superstars-in-the-making. ng. Get on your dancing shoes. Buy tickets at electriczoofestival. com

COLLOQUY ON WORK New York Society For Ethical Culture, 112 West 64th Street 11 a.m. Monica Weiss leads a discussion about that word — labor — its importance in our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. An exploration of how labor, in its broadest sense, can elevate or undermine our humanity. 212-874-5210. http://www. nysec.org/

Mon

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HEART OF THE PARK TOUR Central Park, 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue 11 a.m. Free Walking tour through the heart of Central Park. Enjoy a great variety of its scenic, sculptural, and architectural elements. Register in advance for easiest check-in. Meet: Samuel F. B. Morse statue. 212-310-6600. centralparknyc.org

ART IN THE ROUND PUBLIC TOURS Guggenheim Museum, Fifth Avenue and 88th Streetg 2 p.m. Free with museum admission Kandinsky and Moholy-Nagy with Ellen Edelman, gallery educator. Explore the artistic visions of two Bauhaus masters. www.guggenheim.org/

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BIOGRAPHER JEAN EDWARD SMITH: ‘BUSH’ Roosevelt House, 47-49 East 65th St. 6 p.m. Free Distinguished presidential biographer discusses his new book, Bush, about the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush. www.roosevelthouse.hunter. cuny.edu

AUTHOR EVENT: AMOR TOWLES

‘ADHD NATION’

Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St. 7 p.m. Free NYT bestselling author of “Rules of Civility,� presents his transporting new novel, “A Gentleman in Moscow,� — an unrepentant aristocratic count is sentenced to house arrest inside a luxury hotel across from the Kremlin. 212-369-2180. www. barnesandnoble.com

Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St. 7 p.m. Free New York Times reporter Alan Schwarz offers a groundbreaking and deďŹ nitive account of the widespread misdiagnosis of Attention DeďŹ cit Hyperactivity Disorder and its serious effects on children, adults and society 212-369-2180. Stores. Barnesandnoble.com

Bibles Fiction/Non-Fiction Children’s Books Greeting Cards .VTJD t (JGUT Original Art Events and More! )PVST . 5I BN QN t 'SJ BN QN 4BU BN QN t 4VO QN QN

:PSL "WF #UXO SE UI 4U t www.logosbookstorenyc.com

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FINDING FAITH IN FURNITURE At the Met Fifth Avenue, Shaker designs of simple lines, clean form are aspects of the divine, and of some lovely objects too

BY MARY GREGORY

Art has the power to communicate. Meaningful works can cross centuries and cultures to do so. The chairs, boxes, chests, samplers and clothing in “Simple Gifts: Shaker at the Met” give voice to the practices and beliefs of those who made them, while also imparting a simple yet profound message to a future society that needs to hear it. Every culture finds ways to feed, shelter, inform, heal and entertain its people. Shakers made all of those part of something bigger. These works carry the message that life and all its myriad facets can be prayer — not lead to prayer or reflect prayer, but be prayer. When visitors to upstate New York came upon the communities of The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing in the late 1700s, many commented that it felt as if they had entered a gathering of angels. The congregants sang and danced — in fact they shook with fervor. They became known as the Shakers. Shakers were committed to a short list of principles including self-sufficiency, communal life, pacifism, the equality of genders and races, and strict celibacy. Celibacy was their downfall. But equality and self-sufficiency never go out of style, and are part of what has drawn modern minds to them and their works. Simple lines, clean forms, respect for materials and effortless functionality could be the playbook for any contemporary designer. For the Shakers, they were much more. An elder of Mount Lebanon, Frederick Evans, once said, “The divine man has no right to waste money upon what you call beauty in his house or his daily life, while there are people living in misery.” And yet, the objects in the exhibition are beau-

tiful. Their classical lines, elegant proportions, and unadorned material probably furnished the dreams of designers like Charles and Ray Eames and Frank Lloyd Wright. They influenced the Bauhaus, modern Scandinavian design and Isamu Noguchi, whose set designs are present in a film of “Appalachian Spring” that’s included in the exhibition. Simplicity is part of what makes these works special. But it’s not what makes them extraordinary. There were plenty of pine tables, ladder back chairs and wooden boxes in Colonial America. It was the desire to imbue a table with the ability to speak of God’s grace that made Shaker craftsmen and women strive and struggle to find just the right tapering for a table leg, or the cleanest, most esthetically elegant way to fasten a piece of wood. Ingenuity joined with earnestness. Reverence is reflected in every element — primarily for the Creator, but also for the material, the user, the crafter and the process. The journey is the aim. It’s an approach not unlike the Zen tea ceremony. A full sense of Shaker style is found in the “North Family Retiring Room,” a reconstructed space down the hall from the exhibition. Hopefully, when you go it will be empty. The stillness of the room transports you to some sun-baked afternoon in farmland. You can almost smell the cut grass, hear the screech of a blue jay, and taste the baking bread. There’s so little in the room — a scrubbed pine floor, a mat, a bed, a basin, a chair, a stove — and yet, it’s enough. In fact, it’s perfect. There are endless marvels to be found in the New York art world, and that’s wonderful. “Simple Gifts” is a kind of antidote to the blockbuster, and it’s wonderful too. With a few dozen objects spread through a few rooms in the American Wing, it’s a small, quiet, humble show — sort of like the Shakers, themselves. And like them, it invites us to consider the beauty in the ordinary, in appreciation, in contentment, in the simplicity and profundity of every moment.

Quietude fills a room made by Shakers who gave “hands to work, hearts to God.” Photo: Adel Gorgy

Shakers made, used and sold oval bentwood boxes. Their ingenious swallowtail bindings allowed wood to swell and shrink without danger of splitting. Photo: Adel Gorgy

“Beauty rests on utility,” a Shaker aphorism, is embodied in a pine cupboard from 1800-1850. Photo: Adel Gorgy

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An Our Town Cartoon THE

P EGGY

R OCK EFELLER CONC E RTS

2016–2017 SEASON The Rockefeller University :: Caspary Auditorium CHRISTOPHER O’RILEY and the NY Chamber Soloist Piano, violin, viola, cello, bass

WED SEPT 21 7:30 PM

WEISS-KAPLAN-STUMPF TRIO

THURS NOV 3 7:30 PM

MIRO QUARTET

Violins, viola, cello

TUES NOV 29 7:30 PM

CHARLIE ALBRIGHT Piano

WED FEB 8 7:30 PM

POULENC TRIO

WED MAR 8 7:30 PM

ELLIOT MADORE

THURS APR 6 7:30 PM

Piano, violin, cello

Oboe, bassoon, piano

Baritone

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ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Frackopoly: The Battle for the Future of Energy and the Environment

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 6:30PM Mid-Manhattan Library | 455 Fifth Ave. | 212-340-0863 | nypl.org Get some insight into a hot button topic impacting the habitability of our planet at this illustrated lecture. With Wenonah Hauter, founder and Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. (Free)

Daniel J. Levitin: A Field Guide to Lies

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 7:30PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org Neuroscientist and author Daniel J. Levitin discusses his new book, and how skewed stats and statements are keeping the truth from you. Levitin will also cover the power of critical thinking in ďŹ ghting the inux of distortion. (Free)

Just Announced | LIVE From the NYPL: Tim Wu/Douglas Rushkoff

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 7PM Stephen A. Schwarzman Building | 476 Fifth Ave. | 917-275-6975 | nypl.org Join the new LIVE From the NYPL season for a conversation between digital media expert Douglas Rushkoff and Tim Wu, who coined the term “net neutrality.� They’ll look at attention, and how scarce and precious a commodity it is. ($25)

For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,

sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.

By Peter Pereira

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14

SEPTEMBER 1-7,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS

City Swiggers

320 East 86 Street

A

AUG 4 - 26, 2016

Demarchelier Restaurant

50 East 86 Street

A

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.

Jaques Brasserie

204 E 85th St

A

Saba’s Pizza

1376 Lexington Avenue

Grade Pending (34) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

East Garden

1685 1st Ave

A

Reif’s Tavern

302 East 92 Street

A

Pascalou

1308 Madison Avenue A

Corner Cafe And Bakery

1645-1651 Third Avenue

Grade Pending (27) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Three Decker Restaurant

1746 2 Avenue

A

Mariella Pizza

965 Lexington Avenue A

Eats

1055 Lexington Avenue

A

Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin Robbins

1225 1 Avenue

A

Cafe Boulud/Bar Pleiades

20 East 76 Street

A

Per Lei

1347 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (19) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Trend Diner

1382 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (20) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas.

Nick’s Restaurant Pizzeria

1814 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (19) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Casimir & Co

1022 Lexington Ave

Grade Pending (21) Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. 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.

Naruto Ramen

1596 3 Avenue

Grade Pending (16) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Juice Press @ Equinox

1429 2nd Ave

A

Dtut

1744 2nd Ave

A

Hanabi

1450 2nd Ave

A

Thai Peppercorn

1750 1st Ave

A

Szechuan Gourmet

1395 2nd Ave

A

Akami Sushi

1771 1st Ave

A

Mel’s Burger

1450 2nd Ave

Grade Pending (21) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Superior Cafe

1490 Madison Ave

Grade Pending (23) 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/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.

Alex Cafe & Deli

1018 Lexington Avenue

Grade Pending (21) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

New Fa Shing Chinese Restaurant

2107 3rd Ave

A

Steak And Hoagies

1657 Madison Ave

Grade Pending (20) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Papa John’s

2119 1st Ave

A

Halah Kitchen

2135 2nd Ave

A

La Isla Restaurant

1883 Third Avenue

Grade Pending (38) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Seattle Cafe

1411 Madison Ave

Grade Pending (26) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Perk Kafe

1867 2nd Ave

A

Subway

1873 2nd Ave

A

Tang’s Garden

1328 3rd Ave

A

Just Salad

1471 Third Ave

A

Peng’s Noodle Folk

1659 1st Ave

Not Yet Graded (36) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. 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. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Burger King

226 East 86 Street

A

Tasti D-Lite

1276 Lexington Avenue

A

Sushi Suki

1577 York Ave

Grade Pending (27) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. 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.

SEPTEMBER 1-7,2016

15

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

WOLFE, CHOMSKY HAVE WORDS ABOUT LANGUAGE New Journalist pens work that mines MIT linguist BY HILLEL ITALIE

After satirizing everything from “radical chic” to 20th century architecture, Tom Wolfe is now mining the mystery of language and the reputation of the most influential linguist of our time, Noam Chomsky. Chomsky, in turn, has some thoughts about Wolfe, the celebrated New Journalist and author of such classics as “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and “The Right Stuff.” In his new book, “The Kingdom of Speech,” Wolfe examines how scholars have attempted to discern the roots of verbal communication. He reviews the debates between Charles Darwin, who likened speech to the “sounds uttered by birds,” and other 19th century evolutionists. He notes how modern understanding centers on Chomsky’s revolutionary theory that humans have an innate knowledge of language. Wolfe duly acknowledges Chomsky’s breakthrough, but sees a man so used to dominance in his field that he scorns or evades those who challenge his research. He also suggests his stature as a linguist is tied to his years as an activist and left-wing thinker. He cites Chomsky’s 1967 publication “The Responsibility of Intellectuals,” a landmark essay in The New York Review of Books that assailed the Vietnam War and accused intellectuals of failing “to speak the truth and to expose lies.” The timing was absolutely perfect, according to Wolfe. “Chomsky’s audacity and his Old World, Eastern European slant on life were things most intellectuals found charming, since by then, 1967, opposition to the war in Vietnam had become something stronger than a passion ... namely, a fashion, a certification that one had risen above the herd,’” he writes. “Chomsky’s politics enhanced his reputation as a great linguist, and his reputation as a great linguist enhanced his reputation as a political solon, and his reputation as a political solon inflated his reputation from great linguist to an all-

Noam Chomsky. Photo: jeanbaptisteparis, via flickr around genius, and the genius inflated the solon into a veritable Voltaire, and the veritable Voltaire inflated the genius of geniuses into a philosophical giant ... Noam Chomsky.” Chomsky, a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says that that he read an excerpt of the book in Harper’s magazine and found “egregious errors.” He dismissed Wolfe’s portrait of himself and other MIT faculty members as captives of air-conditioned campus buildings, uninterested in field work or new ideas. He strongly questioned Wolfe’s grasp of linguistics. And he objected to Wolfe’s suggestion that he was an activist who “arranges to get arrested in the morning so that he can get out in time to make it to New York nightspots to show off his bravery,” Chomsky told the AP. “I’m sure Wolfe would very much enjoy a few days in the Washington cell block or facing a likely long prison sentence, not to speak of constant demonstrations, half a dozen or more talks a day to all sorts of groups, meetings to plan serious resistance activities, extensive travel for talks and demonstrations, enjoying the pleasures of tear-gassing and

mace, organizing national tax resistance, and a lot more that constitutes real activism,” Chomsky said. Wolfe, who interviewed Chomsky by phone for his book, declined to respond. He did say that Chomsky’s opposition to the war was “very sincere.” Winner of the National Book Award and numerous other honors, Wolfe has angered his subjects before. His mockery of avant-garde art in “The Painted Word” hit the “the art world like a really bad, MSGheadache-producing, Chinese lunch,” Critic Rosalind E. Krauss wrote at the time. His book on architecture, “From Bauhaus to Our House,” led Time reviewer Robert Hughes to conclude that Wolfe held “a kind of supercilious rancor and a free-floating hostility toward the intelligentsia.” During a recent interview in his spacious apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where he wore his customary white suit, the 85-year-old Wolfe said he wrote “Kingdom of Speech” out of “real curiosity” because no one “has ever been able to explain (human) language.” Wolfe himself doesn’t have the answer, but calls speech the greatest gift of civilization. “Bango!” he writes in his book. “There is a cardinal distinction between man and animal, a sheerly dividing line as abrupt and immovable as a cliff: namely, speech.” Speech is the book’s primary subject, but status has been the running theme of Wolfe’s work from the astronauts in “The Right Stuff” to campus life in “I Am Charlotte Simmons,” and it’s a subplot for “Kingdom of Speech.” He doesn’t only take on Chomsky, but portrays Darwin as a competitive, would-be aristocrat striving for “honor as a Gentleman and a scholar.” “Kingdom of Speech” is a short work, under 200 pages, more on par with “The Painted Word” than the 19th century scale of “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and “A Man in Full.” His books have sold millions of copies, but Wolfe reasons that “if you write more than 150 pages about anything that says ‘evolution’ you’re in for it. Nobody’s going to stick with you.”

The Original Teachings of

Theosophy as recorded by H.P. Blavatsky & William Q. Judge

PROGRAM FOR SEPTEMBER 2016 SUNDAY EVENINGS 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m.

TALKS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS September 11 What is Theosophy? 25 Mind In Nature and Man

WEDNESDAY EVENINGS 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m. STUDY CLASS -

ASTRAL, PSYCHIC, AND SPIRITUAL MAN

All Meetings Free No Dues No Collections TV Channel 3 Fri @ 9:30PM

Studies in a selection of articles by H.P. Blavatsky; Queries & Answers; Intro-Version of Mental Vision; Hypnotism & It’s Relations to Other Modes of Fascination; A Case of Obsession; Practical Occultism; Nature’s Human Magnets; A Psychic Warning; An Astral Prophet; Memory in the Dying.

For full program contact:

The United Lodge of Theosophists Theosophy Hall Phone (212) 535- 2230

347 East 72nd St., New York www.ULT.org

16

SEPTEMBER 1-7,2016

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

In Brief TRUMP CAMPAIGN PAYING MORE RENT — TO TRUMP TOWER CORP. Donald Trump’s campaign is taking up more space inside Trump Tower in New York — and paying a lot more in rent. The Republican presidential nominee’s campaign paid $35,457 per month for rent and utilities to Trump Tower Commercial LLC between last August and this April, Federal Election Commission reports show. The payment began increasing in May and hit $169,758 last month. The rent hike at the Manhattan skyscraper came as the Trump team expanded from using only the fifth floor to add two additional levels, according to a statement from the campaign. “We calculated the rent based on the average rent per square foot in the area,” the statement says. It also notes that Trump made a $2 million personal donation in July, which more than covers the rent. The Huffington Post first noted the bigger payments. The Trump campaign tripled its rented space even though it has maintained only about 70 people on payroll, as well as a few dozen consultants, for the past several months. “The expansion is in anticipation of more staff,” said Steven Cheung, director of Trump’s rapid response. Cheung himself is a recent hire whose salary wasn’t noted in the July reports. Trump paid for most of his primary campaign out of his own pocket, and only began soliciting contributions in late May. Some, including Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, noted that Trump’s switch to using donor money coincided with the campaign’s increased rental payments. “Once donors were writing checks to the campaign, Trump said, ‘Wow, I can get more money personally out of this,’” Kaine said at a campaign stop in Denver. He said Trump has a “what-can-the-campaign-do-for-me” ethos. Julie Bykowicz

HASIDIC REAL ESTATE INVESTORS DOMINATE IN BROOKLYN A study by real estate news website The Real Deal has found that Hasidic investors have spent more than $2.5 billion in acquisitions in the Brooklyn area in the last decade. Despite their cultural dissimilarities with the so-called “hipster” aesthetic, Hasidic real estate moguls have had a significant hand in turning Brooklyn into the booming millennial destination it is now. “From the second quarter of 2008 to the second quarter of 2016, the average apartment sales price in Williamsburg doubled — from $668,956 to $1.3 million,” the publication reported. “The Hasidic community helped create the frenzy [in Brooklyn] we have today,” Pinnacle Realty’s David Junik told The Real Deal. “They let the market explode after that.” Mark Mauer, an editor at The Real Deal, told WNYC that he looked at buildings purchased in Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, Greenpoint and Borough Park, between January 2006 and January 2016 and discovered that most of the purchases were associated with one of 10 addresses leading back to Hasidic real estate companies. 199 Lee Avenue topped the charts at 423 deals for an estimated $583.5 million. A certain air of mystery surrounds these Hasidic investors because many do not have websites and are linked to complicated webs of LLCs. 199 Lee Avenue is associated with a stunning 1,400 of them.

ARTISTS ORGANIZE TO SAVE LANGSTON HUGHES’ HOME Writer Langston Hughes’ home on 127th Street in Harlem has sat empty for many years and is in a state of disrepair, but some artists are trying to change that. Hughes occupied the Harlem brownstone during the 1950s and ‘60s until he died in 1967. Its owner put the house on the market a few years ago for $1 million, but it didn’t sell. Real estate experts told CNN it is worth around $3 million. Renee Watson, a writer who lives nearby, told CNN that she has started on online campaign to raise $150,000 to rent the home and convert it into a cultural center. “The more Harlem changes, the more I’m motivated to do something,” she said. “I feel a sense of urgency.” So far the campaign has raised half of its funding goal. Though the current, unidentified owner would not comment, they have said they will wait to see how Watson’s efforts play out. According to CNN, Watson wants to host readings, events and classes in the home in order to preserve an important symbol of African-American cultural history. She hopes to be able to raise enough for a three-year lease on the building.

Business

REAL ESTATE’S BUSY SUMMER Sales of very high-end condos in the city increased, as did some cheaper properties

BY FREDERICK PETERS

It has been a season of recalibration, in every way; Brexit, the two political conventions — no one quite knows what to expect. In this environment, our real estate market in New York continues to experience its complex and uneven price contraction. In the ultra high-end condominium market, the willingness on the part of many sponsors and sellers to negotiate has brought about a resurgence in sales. While the days of buyers paying full price PLUS lawyers’ fees and transfer taxes are definitely behind us, properties with strong design and good bones trade now between 5 percent and 10 percent below their asking prices, with negotiated fees on transfer or flip taxes. These units continue to appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers because they are move-in ready; many of these purchasers, owning two or three homes or more, lack the appetite to renovate a property they may occupy for only a month or two during the year. We continue to see very high-end neutral finishes as those which sell the best. Once the color palette veers away from white or beige stone and cabinetry, and light floors, the sale becomes more challenging. The summer has also been busy for properties under $2 million, in every borough. This segment of the market, which appeals to firsttime buyers, young professional couples and investors, still experiences more demand than supply. Good properties all over town sell quickly, and have exhibited little to no reduction in value during the past six months. There is no summer slowdown for these units, since the buyer pool either flies in to purchase regardless of the time of year (the investors) or remains at work in the city during the summers. These mostly younger buyers are accommodated by weekday evening Open Houses, rather than just the traditional Sunday. Otherwise, this market slows not at all as the dog days of August set in. The greatest challenges for sellers and agents alike remain in the

The Blue condominum building on the Lower East Side. Photo: Jules Antonio, via flickr mid-market and upper mid-market. Properties between $3 million and $8 million, particularly co-ops, often linger for months and sometimes years. Sellers play broker roulette, replacing one for another when, more often than not, the broker is not the problem. The primary issue here reflects seller expectations: unlike sponsors, who must make price adjustments to facilitate sales for business reasons, individual sellers easily become emotionally attached to a price which represents validation of their choices and their taste. And not all agents give good advice. I have viewed several properties recently which, during their first six months on the market, were both unrealistically priced and not staged: a lose/lose situation. I have read a number of articles recently lambasting the bland conformity of staged units, and I have only one response: it works! A wellstaged, well-priced property WILL sell — maybe not in a week, or even a month, but within a reasonable period of time. Remove either the

staging or proper pricing from the equation and all bets are off. I don’t anticipate a dramatically different market in the fall. More inventory will arrive on the market, although not too much. No one lists their property speculatively in a market like this one. Real sellers, acknowledging market realities and pricing accordingly, will sell their properties, although rarely any more with multiple bids or aggressive competition. Some buyers will try to time the market, holding off for maximum purchasing power (and thereby missing the market!) Transaction volume will continue lower than at the same time last year. The election will come and go; more certainty will raise buyer spirits, and January of 2017 should bring a busy, balanced market environment to the city. Frederick Peters is CEO of Warburg Realty.

SEPTEMBER 1-7,2016

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SEPTEMBER 1-7,2016

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KEEPING YOUR DOG HAPPY BY NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA

Separation Anxiety Is your dog anxious? The answer is virtually any dog will at some time show some anxiety. However, some dogs have extreme anxiety that is triggered when the guardian leaves, this is called “separation anxiety.â€? Whether your dog has severe anxiety or not, it is important to try to make your dog as happy as possible. Signs of Separation Anxiety: • Does your dog whine, cry or pace when you go to leave the house or when you come home? • Can your dog let you out of his sight when you are home or does he follow you around and become anxious if he cannot see you? • Does your dog constantly whine and bark when you are not home? • Does your dog scratch at the door when you are not home or only become destructive when you are not around? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your dog will beneďŹ t from these suggestions. If your dog has not shown any of these signs, they can still beneďŹ t. • First, you do not want to do anything that will reinforce anxiety. If you act calmly in situations, your dog will be more likely to act calmly. • When entering or leaving the house, do not make a big deal. Totally ignore the dog. You need to act like nothing happened. Your dog will take the cue from you not to get over-excited. Dogs learn by association.

• Simulate situations that would make your dog think you are leaving. For example: put on your coat, grab the car keys, etc. Be nonchalant about it. • When your dog does not react to these cues, go out the door and come back quickly. Repeat this over and over. Think about your individual dog and what he can handle. All dogs learn at different paces. Be creative! Think of what gets your dog anxious and work on steps to get them through it. Remember: the key is to have successful interactions with your dog. Be patient and do not expect them to change right away. Do not go too fast to more difficult steps unless your dog is totally comfortable. These are suggestions that can help with any dog. Basic obedience training is very important to give dogs with anxiety structure and conďŹ dence. If they are taught appropriate behaviors, they will know how to get attention in a calm manner. For example, the “sitâ€? and the “downâ€? commands help dogs relax. The stay command builds up the duration they can learn to focus when you leave a room, for example. You will then be able to praise your dog more often and both you and your dog will be happier. Remember: if your dog is anxious there is a lot you can do to help your dog. To learn more about keeping your pets safe and healthy at all times, visit animalleague. org.

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YOUR 15 MINUTES

To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes

KIDS’ PEACEFUL SUMMER ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE Executive director of Kids Creative on his arts programming

animal. He became an animal and then realized he really just wanted to go back to his family, so he went back to his family. The older kids created an entire land called Sumria where there were mermaid people who got sucked into a portal and got to meet this underground world where they were free. But there was a corporate interest that wanted to sell the animals at the aquarium. So they had to go back and forth where they convinced the corporate interest that they should have the right to be free.

Adam Jacobs fosters an atmosphere of peace at his summer camps. “We have a rule that if you’re on the playground and somebody is sitting out, you have to go ask them if they want to join you and play,” he explained. His nonprofit, Kids Creative, came about in 2000, when he and his brother Stephen started a camp in a studio apartment in Murray Hill. Because of popular demand from parents, they expanded to a theater on the Upper West Side and also introduced an afterschool program and free monthly workshops. The summer camp runs in two-week sessions where children brainstorm to create an original musical and perform it on stage. With a master’s degree in Peace Education from Teachers’ College, Jacobs said his goal is to use the arts as a vehicle to establish a peaceful community without fighting and bullying. As for his future plans, he hopes to launch a Kids Creative school centered on peace.

How do you encourage the children to act peacefully? We encourage them to use language where if someone is teasing them, they say, ‘Hey, I didn’t like that.’ Or even what we call fake teasing, when somebody says, ‘I’m just kidding.’ That’s not allowed at Kids Creative. We do see kids use that language and our teachers use it with each other. We have one kid who started the camp when he was 5 and is now in seventh grade. He comes to our Creative Saturday workshops and does an amazing job when somebody new comes in. He goes up and says, “Hey, welcome. What’s your name?’

How did Kids Creative start? When he came to New York many years ago, my brother Stephen got a job in P.S. 116 in Murray Hill and was doing afterschool. He is a musician so would play with kids. He called me up and said, ‘Hey, would you want to start a summer camp?’ And he found a friend’s vacant studio apartment at the time. So we had 12 kids in a studio apartment around Murray Hill. And over the course of two weeks, wrote an original musical. One of the parents was a recording engineer, so to get the kids to remember their words, he recorded the music. And then all his friends who are musicians joined in too and gave them CDs so they could remember them. It became really popular and parents were like, ‘We love the music and the kids keep playing the CDs over and over even after the shows are done. We want more.’ So we started having afterschool programs and then we realized that running a camp out of a studio apartment is absolutely insane, so we moved to a theater the next year and eventually moved the whole summer program to the Upper West Side and then it expanded from there.

There are a lot of projects that have come out of that. Kids Creative runs summer camps, afterschool programs and free monthly workshops throughout the year. We’re a nonprofit organization. We also started a rock band for kids called the Dirty Sock Funtime Band. We played all over the world. We were on Nick Jr. for a while and that was pretty awesome. And a couple

You run free workshops on Saturdays. Why is it important for you to provide those? It’s important because it’s a preview to the summer camp if they want to know more about what they’re getting into. It’s a chance for somebody to check it out. There are not that many free offerings, especially on the Upper West Side, for kids. There are a lot of classes, but we think this is a great opportunity to see what we do regardless of price.

You also helped found a public school in the Bronx. How did you get involved with that? We helped start P.S. 536. Somebody I met at P.S. 191 said she wanted to start a school and got a principal’s license. The process is really interesting and quite intense. I came in as an advisor for afterschool. We looked at everything from what the curriculum would be, to what the daily schedule would be. And now we run a 550-kid program there now, 350 in the afterschool program and 200 during the summer.

Stephen Jacobs, left, and Adam Jacobs. Photo: Hank Jacobs of years ago, Stephen used a similar philosophy of education and started an instrumental program in Midtown called Come Join the Band. And that is now our summer camp instrumental music program.

What does a day look like at your summer camp? There are two-week sessions. Every two weeks, we write an original musical and perform it. They’re broken into different age groups. On day one we

ask, ‘What do you want to do a story about?’ We brainstorm using our motto that all ideas are good. And each day they build on that until they’ve gotten a show. So they add music, theater, art, staging and we put the shows on stage. They spend mornings creating their play and then run around in the park and sprinklers in the afternoon. Once a week, they go on a field trip to see theater, a concert, to the zoo or the Museum of Natural History.

Give us examples of the plays they’ve created. Each show day has five shows per day since each age group creates their own show. There was one the little kids did where all the stories were either in or around an aquarium. They had a kid who went to an aquarium. He got really interested and excited about the animals and ended up meeting them and having a conversation with them and decided he wanted to become an

To learn more, visit www.kidscreative.

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