The local paper for the Upper East Side
WEEK OF OCTOBER THE BRESLINIZATION OF EAST 42ND STREET
25-31 2018
▲ P.5
Born-again Republican Pete Holmberg, a former Democrat, collects signatures at the corner of Madison Avenue and 87th Street in his long-shot bid to topple East Side Democratic state Senator Liz Krueger in the Nov. 6 general election.Photo: Courtesy of Holmberg for New York
THE HOLMBERG CONUNDRUM POLITICS Or how a diehard Republican became a true-blue Democrat — only to return to the party of his youth 25 years later to take on a liberal-left pillar of the state Senate
I got a lot less grief for coming out gay than I did for coming out as a Republican.” Pete Holmberg, state Senate candidate on the East Side
The Department of Education fielded nearly 130,000 complaints about bus service in the first month of the 2018 school year. Photo: Chris Sampson, via Flickr
COUNCIL TAKES AIM AT SCHOOL BUS WOES STUDENTS Bills under consideration would make real-time bus GPS location data available to parents, expand DOE disclosure requirements on delays
BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
The political odyssey of Pete Holmberg began when he was a 13-yearold Chicagoan who volunteered in the losing GOP primary campaign of George H.W. Bush in his race against Ronald Reagan in 1980. A dyed-in-the wool Republican, he hugely enjoyed the nitty-gritty of the electoral process — canvassing and phone-banking, knocking on doors, licking envelopes, even fetching drinks at the local sweet shop. It was also around this time that Holmberg first started to realize, as an eighth-grader, that he was gay.
By 1992, along with legions of other gays who trod the same path, he had become both a Democrat and a Manhattanite. “I was 25, and my friends told me, ‘If you want to be relevant in this town, you’ve got to be a Democrat,’” he recalled. “And I thought, ‘Well, if I had wanted to stay irrelevant, I would have stayed in Chicago.’” Of course, there was another pivotal factor that informed his political calculations: “If I hadn’t been gay, I
CONTINUED ON PAGE 33
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Following a bumpy start to the school year for the 150,000 NYC public school students who rely on buses to get to class each day, city legislators are pushing a package of bills intended to improve the struggling pupil transportation system. Complaints of no-show buses, late arrivals and drivers getting lost on their routes abounded during the opening weeks of the school year. In September alone, students experienced over 27,000 bus-related delays, according to Department of Education data, which cites heavy traffic and mechanical problems as the most common reasons
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for delays. The agency fielded nearly 130,000 complaints through its school bus helpline in September — 20,000 more than during the same period last year — many from worried parents in search of kids on tardy buses. The City Council is weighing a bill would address these concerns by requiring DOE to implement GPS tracking on each of the 9,000 yellow buses that transport public school students and giving parents access to real-time location data. The GPS legislation is one piece of a seven-bill bundle — known as the Student Transportation Oversight Package, or “STOP” — aimed at increasing the transparency and efficiency of the bus system. At an Oct. 16 hearing on the STOP bills, Council Speaker Corey Johnson noted that delays have been a chronic problem with the start of each school year and attributed recurring issues to DOE “mismanagement.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
NYC SCHOOL BUS DELAYS Students experienced
27,082 delays in September 2018
STOP
On average, delayed buses run
26.9 minutes late in Manhattan (Citywide, students on delayed buses arrive 28.1 minutes
behind schedule on average)
60 percent of delays are attributed to heavy traffic
71 percent of reported delays occur in the morning Sources: NYC DOE, NYC Council
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OCTOBER 25-31,2018
A HOWLIN’ HALLOWEEN PETS Carl Schurz’s Park annual canine costume competition gives new meaning to a dog day afternoon BY CHARMAINE P. RICE
Creativity and originality were on full display at Carl Schurz Park during Sunday’s Halloween Howl and Healthy Hound Fair. Photo: Charmaine P. Rice
Costumed canines proudly paraded their Halloween spirit during the Halloween Howl and Healthy Hound Fair held at Carl Schurz Park Sunday. “This annual event grows each year. There’s a larger crowd this year and more people registered to enter the competition,� noted Patrick McCluskey, director of operations at the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy. The park boasts two fenced-in dog runs. One run caters to large dogs, and the other to those of a more petite persuasion. The park’s conservancy relies on donations to maintain the dog runs. “The first year we held this event, there were eight entrants!� exclaimed Richard Myer, one of the Howl’s co-founders Myer and this year one of seven judges pronouncing on the canine contest.
“It just caught on. There are over 200 participants this year and this event just keeps growing.â€? So what do the judges look for? “We look for creativity and originality,â€? Myer explained. “We like homemade costumes versus store-bought costumes. More importantly, we look to see if the dog appears to be comfortable in the costume. That’s a big component in our decision-making.â€? Creativity and originality were certainly on display — the pooches and their proud owners cheerfully showed off their thematic costumes as they paraded in front of the judges, despite the onset of chilly weather. The competition featured four categories: Kids and Dogs, Group Costumes, Large Dogs and Small Dogs. An honorable mention, second runner-up, ďŹ rst runner-up and a ďŹ rst-place winner was selected in each category. Costume inspiration drew from Star Wars, the solar system, sea creatures and foodstuffs, including hot dogs, tacos, Starbucks drinks and banana split sundaes. On the “peopleâ€? front, the dashing doggies donned up as Su-
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preme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sherlock Holmes, Misty Copeland, the ‘Pink Ladies’ from Grease, the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland and Charlie from the Chocolate Factory. The event also featured the Healthy Hound Fair, where pet owners had the opportunity to learn about the latest wellness products and services. Representatives from the event’s sponsors manned tables along the park’s riverfront esplanade, and 25 volunteers assisted with everything from crowd control to photography to emceeing. A silent auction rounded out the festivities. “All of the proceeds from the Howl benefit the dog runs in the park,� McCluskey said. A $10 donation was requested to enter the costume competition. The Howl, sponsored this year by the Animal Medical Center, Animal Care Centers of NYC, Biscuits and Bath and Sotheby’s, among others, was conceived about 15 years ago by two area residents who walked their dogs in the park. Today, it is one of the park’s most popular events.
Among other criteria, judges tried to determine how comfortable a dog was in its costume. “That’s a big component in our decisionmaking,� one judge said. Photo: Charmaine P. Rice
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN HER WEST END AVE. HOME The New York Police Department is investigating the death of a woman found in her apartment with a cut to her neck. Authorities say officers responded to a 911 call shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday on West End Avenue in Manhattan. They found a 70-year-old woman unconscious and unresponsive in her apartment, with the laceration. She was identified as Susan Trott. Emergency services pronounced her dead at the scene. No arrests have been made, and an investigation is ongoing, police said. The Associated Press
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th precinct for the week ending Oct 14 Week to Date
Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
account. The man was taken to New York hospital by an EMS team after reporting the incident to police at the 19th Precinct station house.
BUS RIDER ASSAULTED
TAKIN’ A DUNKIN’
A bus rider was assaulted after boarding a bus at Fifth Avenue and 79th Street about 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16, police said. The 35-year-old man was sitting at the stop, when he was approached by two men who asked him for a dollar. The man declined, and the two men asked for his wallet. Fearing for his safety, the man got on the next bus, with the pair following him on board. Then the two attacked the victim, slashing him with an unknown sharp object, cutting his back and head, according to a police
Apparently, one burglar wasn’t content merely to score two breakfast sandwiches for $5 at a Dunkin’ Donuts. At 3:27 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14, a 55-year-old man entered the popular donut dispensary at 1482 First Ave. through an unlocked bulkhead cellar door. He then broke the door lock of a room in the basement and removed items. The items stolen included five pounds of coffee valued at $110, two boxes of bacon priced at $37 and an unspecified quantity of dark roast coffee worth $45.
OUTREACH SCORES INMATE At 6:05 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, an officer observed a 56-year-old man who he knew had an active bench warrant loitering in the stairwell of the public housing Holmes Towers at 1780 First Ave. Police said the man had no lawful reason to be in that building and had previously been warned to stay out of it. The suspect, Paul Coons, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, police said. He was also found to be in possession of a crack pipe containing residue. Police at the 19th Precinct said this is the first local arrest made under the department’s new Neighborhood Coordination Officer program, in which police get to know the neighborhoods they serve and protect.
Year to Date
2018 2017
% Change 2018
2017
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
n/a
Rape
0
1
-100.0 11
10
10.0
Robbery
1
2
-50.0
117
94
24.5
Felony Assault
1
0
n/a
115
104
10.6
Burglary
3
5
-40.0
175
171
2.3
Grand Larceny
25
32
-21.9
1,106 1,083 2.1
Grand Larceny Auto
3
3
0.0
63
1
43
46.5
CANNONDALE TRAVAIL
PURSE SNATCHER GANG
At 12:35 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16, a 57-year-old man was observed by a plainclothes officer using a bolt cutter to try and cut a bike lock and take a Cannondale bicycle secured to a rack in front of 126 East 86th St. Vincent Royal was arrested and charged with possession of burglar’s tools.
Thieves preyed on a restaurant customer recently. At 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, a 27-year-old woman put her purse on the table where she was seated inside DTUT at 1744 Second Ave. Three unknown men then entered the location, and one grabbed her purse from the table. All three then fled. The items stolen included an EpiPen valued at $100, the black purse worth $40, a yellow wallet, credit cards, a driver’s license, keys and $20, according to the police account.
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OCTOBER 25-31,2018
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BY PETER PEREIRA
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
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THE BRESLINIZATION OF EAST 42ND STREET MEDIA Fabled Daily News columnist was always a legend — now, with a street named in his honor, he becomes an immortal BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
He was an old-school, street-savvy, door-knocking, pavement-pounding journalist who championed the city’s disenfranchised, railed against its ruling classes and wrote for its masses. He was also a megalomaniac — he fancied himself as “J.B. No. 1,” the “greatest columnist in the history of the world” — who believed that his words were deathless, his name eternal. On that last score, he may have been proven right: On the morning of Oct. 17, a stretch of East 42nd Street near the landmark Daily News Building was permanently renamed “Jimmy Breslin Way.” As family, friends, pols and marquee names in journalism gathered, the new street sign was unveiled at the southeast corner of Third Avenue, a few steps away from another vanished symbol of a lost New York
— the site of the last Horn & Hardart Automat, where Breslin would repair to schmooze with sources before it finally closed in 1991. “His long legacy as a journalist is that he told the stories of those who seldom have their stories told,” said City Council Member Keith Powers, who sponsored legislation this summer at the request of the Breslin family co-naming the street, his first such bill since taking office in January. The idea was to “celebrate the role of journalism in society,” mark his towering accomplishments in columnwriting and educate New Yorkers and tourists as to who he was, what he did, what he meant to the city, and why it mattered, Powers added. But there was an unmistakable subtext, too. In a climate in which President Donald Trump can excoriate a free press as “fake news” and “the enemy of the people” — the Breslinization of a major city thoroughfare provides a healthy antidote. “Jimmy would be distraught to know that the press was under fire by the leader of our country,” Powers said.
GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC NEWS, NOT FAKE Born in Queens and educated in its
East Side City Council Member Keith Powers is flanked by James Breslin (at left) and his twin brother Kevin at the Oct. 17 unveiling of “Jimmy Breslin Way” on a stretch of East 42nd Street near the landmark Daily News Building. Photo: New York City Council Photographer John McCarten
SINCE
courtrooms, barrooms, poolrooms and anterooms of bookie parlors, bail bondsmen and mob social clubs, Breslin’s brand of two-fisted newspapering enlivened the pages of the long-gone Herald Tribune, as well as Newsday, the New York Post, and most memorably, the Daily News, where he won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1986. He left his beloved Queens Boulevard in 1982 to become a “reluctant Upper West Sider,” as he once put it, marrying the feminist politician and ex-City Council Member Ronnie Eldridge, his second wife, moving into her spread on Central Park West, and sharing the six children from his first marriage and three from hers. “The test of a good idea is its ability to last through a hangover,” Breslin liked to say. “Marrying Ronnie was a good idea.” It was there on CPW that the gritty stylist who could be angelic and profane, poetic and offensive, all at the same time, died of pneumonia on March 19, 2017. He was 88. “Even when you were mad at him, you still went out and bought the paper,” said former Daily News columnist Denis Hamill at the unveiling ceremony. “You had to get your fix of Breslin in the morning.”
Two of Breslin’s sons stood near their father’s old stomping grounds to memorialize his work. And so acute was the family resemblance that it seemed that the columnist was about to return to his old City Room one more time. Of course, The News had vacated its ancestral home in 1995. “No one — no one! — ever had a louder voice than my father,” said James Breslin, his namesake son and the sometime driver of a scribe who loved the city’s streets, but never learned how to drive upon them. “The words he pounded out on his typewriter were flooded with the human spirit,” he added. “And now, the sign ‘Jimmy Breslin Way’ will support that spirit — and help encourage lifetimes of truth and free speech.” Also paying homage was his twin brother, Kevin Breslin, who said the street sign was a crystalline reminder that the news is “honest and real, and people should never forget that.” “My father lived every day of his life for that,” he added. “This was a man who was no enemy of the people ... This was a man who was not fake news.” invreporter@strausnews.com
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OCTOBER 25-31,2018
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
TRY BA UN
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CHALLENGING NADLER
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8 8 - 20 18
Here we are Celebrating 30 Month CD
Marion Sobel Chelsea
LAMENTING MEGA-TOWERS I’m under the impression that when it comes to fighting the real estate lobby in this city, especially Extell, the little guy
has about as much chance of winning as a fart in a windstorm. And that has as much to do with their power as their willingness to grease the palm of those making decision about them. Consequently, I don’t think anyone can stop the proliferation of mega-towers in this city — as much for the above written, as for the fact that land costs in this city are now so high, developers have no choice but to build up instead of out. We’re going to see more and more mega-towers, and in places they really should not be. As a longtime Upper West Sider I hate to see it happen.
SIDEWALKS VS. STREETS Mr. Schwartz has forgotten one policy the mayor has put into effect — widening the sidewalks, creating even less space on the street (“Curbing Gridlock,” Sept. 27-Oct. 3). Sixth Ave. and 23rd Street is a good example. Everytime the traffic light changes, only a couple of vehicles can enter the intersection from 23rd St. The bus and bike lanes are strangling traffic. Pedestrians cross against the lights, forcing drivers to stand still, creating more gridlock. Name withheld Flushing, NY
John Elari Upper West Side
15 Month CD
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I wish Naomi Levin the best of luck and success in her attempt to oust the one of many Democratic obstructionists, Jerrold Nadler, blocking our President Trump (“Millennial Seeks to Dethrone Nadler,” Oct. 11-17). I know I will never see this note printed in any of your papers as it defies yours and the rest of the so-called media’s views. Just a note to tell you, we Republicans and President Trump supporters ARE out there.
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FOR A SMILEFUL, SOULFUL HALLOWEEN BY BETTE DEWING
First, about smiles and, oh how the world does need them now! Except no smiles from this October baseball fan to “fan interference” where the umpire call favored the Red Sox in the Astros-Red Sox playoff. Just had to say that although there are surely worse things to snarl about. Ah, sports are often a relief from all that — maybe too much so. Oh, to find that elusive balance — the game-of-life winning balance. And, yes, Halloween may be a too all-encompassing holiday, but not when it comes to the need for JackO-Lantern smiles. But please, no
snarly pumpkin faces — too many snarls on people’s faces these days. And let’s only welcome smiling good witches and no monsters need apply. Only shop brick-and-mortar for Halloween treats! Or anything else! Halloween-costumed doggies do make us smile, although isn’t it sort of like gilding the lily? And black cats are never evil — cats, in general, just don’t like to dress up, or go out very much. Of course, when trick or treating, never forget to say thanks or give a big smile. About that Halloween soul ... well, smiling and saying thanks is pretty soulful — and so needed to be seen and heard — and in the highest of places, setting ex-
amples and yes, bridging divisions — bridging divisions. And I so gratefully remember Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church’s Dr. David H.C. Read’s All Saints Day Sunday sermons, particularly the Litany of Commemoration prayer. While the sermons didn’t slight recognized saints and church martyrs, the message that close to Halloween Sunday was also closer to home. Remembered were those we knew, church members and others, who had departed this life the previous year and in other years too. The message was also about the promise of a heavenly hereafter and strength and guidance for the life journey at hand.
Voices
The Litany of Commemoration gave thanks for the lives of the departed and how we the living are still connected. Read aloud by the congregation, in part it said “We always give thanks for all the dear friends and kindred now ministering in the spiritual world whose faces we see no more, but whose love is with us forever… we give thanks for every hallowed memory and the abiding hope that where they are, we shall be also ...” Even unbelievers I know were moved by this Litany of Commemoration and Read’s sermons, which to my knowledge were not compiled in a book as were numerous others. My collection is available for
any publisher interested in these messages, which offer comfort for the bereaved, as well as a hope for a heaven, for which, again, even unbelievers may secretly yearn. And may this Litany of Commemoration be prayed again, perhaps on this closest to Halloween Sunday, October 28, by the senior minister, the Rev. Jenny McDevitt, and the associate minister, the Rev. Beverly Bartlett. And yes, I’ve requested it be prayed at any service which might be held for me. So, all Saints Day/Halloween blessings to one and to all — and of course, have fun and smile a whole lot. And, you kids and everyone else, don’t forget to say thanks!
THE MOST THANKLESS JOB ON BROADWAY PUBLIC EYE BY JON FRIEDMAN
Taylor Trensch has the most coveted — and thankless — gig on Broadway. He succeeded Tony winner Ben Platt as the lead character in the blockbuster “Dear Evan Hansen.” Platt was a sensation, the kind of star who graces the Great White Way in Halley’s Comet terms. If you even glimpsed him at the Tony Awards broadcast as Evan Hansen, the anxiety-tormented high school senior in Everytown USA — we’ve all either seen him or been him — you had to shake your head in admiration and possibly disbelief. It was a performance for the ages and only a snippet of what he did on stage in performance after performance. “On the two occasions I saw him in the role, I wanted to dose myself afterward with a cocktail of Zoloft and Mucinex,” Jesse Green wrote in The New York Times.” No doubt Trensch, who had con-
cluded a 10-month run as Barnaby Tucker in “Hello, Dolly!” before following Platt — also pondered Platt in wonderment. How could he hope to replace such a wunderkind. How could anyone? What audacity! I had the pleasure of watching Trensch on stage at the matinee on Oct. 17. He was terrific. And I especially appreciated his wise strategy of showing that less can be more. What’s the point of trying to be a carbon copy of Platt? That would be the most self-defeating notion of all. Instead, Trensch came at the challenge by not trying to duplicate Platt’s every anxious gesture. Trensch simply economized, staying true to the character but putting his own stamp on the role. That was a brilliant idea. As I enjoyed Trensch’s thoughtful performance, I couldn’t help look out at the big picture and consider that what he was doing was bigger than entertaining tourists from
Omaha and senior citizens from Queens. Clearly Trensch had the talent and grit to succeed on his own terms. We will no doubt hear from him again, after his run concludes in this celebrated show. But let’s step back and marvel at his risktaking flair. If he had flopped in this role or if critics and audiences alike had pigheadedly refused to accept anyone but Ben Platt? What would have become of Trensch? Could he have gone on in the theater show business at all? Would that kind of gut punch destroy his self-confidence and push him to a career as the finest vocalist at your local Progressive counter? Imagine having the task of succeeding Derek Jeter at shortstop of the Yankees or Steve Jobs as the visionary head of Apple or Shelley Long in the indelible role of the kooky, charismatic Diane Chambers on “Cheers” or Brian Jones in the Rolling Stones or —
dare I say it — even David Lee Roth as the lead singer and microphone twirler in Van Halen. Every succession carries with it unique strains. We’ve all experienced the situation in which we take the place of someone has who established herself or himself in a key position. It’s probably fair to say that Trensch’s greatest asset in this new starring role is courage. Call it toughness. Call it intestinal fortitude. Call it, even, grit. Talent alone does not guarantee success. Plus, he had the savvy to know that he had to re-create the role and tailor it to his special skill set. By reinventing the character of Evan Hansen, Trensch could fully innovate and make the part his own. Broadway can be an unforgiving place. People look for reasons to knock you down and leave it to someone else to clean up the debris. Ultimately, young Mr. Trensch’s greatest victory was remaining Taylor Trensch.
President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com
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OCTOBER 25-31,2018
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SINGULAR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MONEY IN REAL ESTATE THE NEW FRONTIER OF R.E. BROKERAGE TECHNOLOGY Brokers — Venture Capitalists — Investors LEVERAGE THE FUTURE OF BROKERAGE WITH THE 131 YEAR HISTORY OF
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New York Surrogate’s Court. Photo: Steve Guttman, via flickr
WHERE THERE’S A WILL AGING How to reduce the stress and financial burden on your heirs BY CAROL ANN RINZLER
Here’s some serious relationship advice: Don’t die. If you do, dealing with your departure won’t be a walk in the park for your heirs. In fact, it will be a marathon that starts with the dreaded probate, the process by which your executor gains the authority to run your estate. Depending on the complexity of your will, probate can take from one month to forever. Ditto for moving all your monetary assets into an estate account so your heirs can pay bills like that credit card with the balance you really meant to settle or the monthly maintenance and mortgage which continue until your apartment or other property is sold. So before death becomes your only choice, hire a trusted lawyer to walk you through the twist and turns of leaving. Other tips: Go pre-paid. Your spirit may have flown, but your remains remain and must be remaindered. To make sure they do it your way, pre-purchase a plan. You can chose a funeral plus burial or cremation or skip the formalities and go straight to
direct burial or cremation, the latter followed by ashes scattered in an appropriate manner (for New Yorkers, the ocean off Fire Island is common). The newest, greenest way is to place your ashes in a container with tree or plant seeds to grow — in permitted areas — a living reminder that you indeed were here (check it out at urnabios. com). Rana Huber, Director of Communications for the New York State Funeral Directors Association, explains that buying-while-living helps relieve stress and reduce the financial burden for those you leave behind because while the price of the cemetery or crematory services may rise, the price of the funeral stays frozen.
Remember, where there’s a will there’s a way... to keep it simple. One possibility is to give stuff away before you die which not only simplifies things but also allows you to see people enjoying your gifts while you can still see. Plus, if one of your giftees is an organized charity, you get a tax deduction. As for the will itself, choose your executor/executrix carefully. Wills are generally family affairs, so the usual choice is spouse, children and then out into the family tree. But funny things may happen when relatives and money or treasured items are involved, so you may decide to name a judicious and impartial
friend instead. Stay single... in your financial and legal life: One bank, one stock broker. You may hear that if you have tons of money (lucky you!), you can’t have just one bank because the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) only insures accounts up to $250,000. But in many cases, for those of you not zillionaire rich, your banker may propose divvying up the stash into separate-but-legal accounts, each one insured for that quarter million. Now for stocks and bonds: The paperwork involved in transferring assets from one brokerage to another can reduce your heirs to tears not of grief but of fury. At you. So, choose one and done. And yes, you should be a friend with benefits ... well, beneficiaries. Be sure every bank or stock account in your name is labeled with the name of a person to whom the asset goes when you do. Keep the list on file with your bank and other financial institutions, and keep it current. If Beneficiary A dies or just plain annoys you, pick another person and update the records. Finally, because you are an individual and special person to whom general rules may not apply, check everything not once but twice with your lawyer. Then sit back, and re-read that first sentence: Don’t die. At least not today.
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OCTOBER 25-31,2018
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
‡ 7KH )ULFN &ROOHFWLRQ ‡ SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS The Charterhouse of Bruges: Jan Van Eyck, Petrus Christus, and Jan Vos Much in the news has been our fall exhibition of Northern Renaissance paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. This small but substantive show reunites two panels of the Virgin and Child commissioned by the Carthusian monk Jan Vos and presents them with objects (including this stunning portrait) that offers a sense of the rich monastic context for which they were created.
Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com
EDITOR’S PICK Luigi Valadier: Splendor in Eighteenth-Century Rome Newly opened at the Frick is the first monographic exhibition in the United States on Luigi Valadier, the foremost eighteenth-century silversmith in Rome. His works in gold, silver, and bronze were admired by popes and monarchs across Europe. The show brings together sculptural figures and decorative arts objects, secular and non-secular works from major public and private collections. It also traces the artist’s stylistic evolution from Baroque to Rococo to neoclassical.
Masterpieces of French Faience: Selections from the Sidney R. Knafel Collection In our daylit Portico Gallery, visitors may also enjoy a new exhibition of colorful eighteenth-century French ceramics. The show of faience, tin-glazed earthenware, features works owned by Sidney R. Knafel, who has amassed one of the world’s finest such collections in private hands. The fine decoration found in these objects (platters, bowls, plates, and ewers) draws inspiration from multiple sources — Italian maiolica, Asian porcelain, and even contemporary engravings. This new show tells the fascinating and complex history of this art form.
Tue
30— Sat 3
FESTIVAL ALBERTINE Albertine, 972 Fifth Ave. 7 p.m. Free with RSVP 212-650–0070. albertine.com Curated by Russian-American journalist and author Masha Gessen, the ďŹ fth annual Festival Albertine will bring together thinkers, authors and artists from both sides of the Atlantic to ask not what a democracy is but what it could be. Participants will question and discuss our concept of borders, the future of gender and more.
FREE PUBLIC NIGHT Next Fridays Event: November 2 Museum admission and programs are free 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first Friday evening of the month. Visitors have access to the permanent collection and special exhibition galleries, talks and lectures by museum educators and curators, music and dance performances, and open sketching in the Garden Court (complimentary materials provided by the Frick.) For more information, visit frick.org/FirstFridays.
ARCHITECTURAL MODEL NOW ON VIEW The architectural model showing the proposed renovation and enhancement of our facilities by Selldorf Architects is on view now. The project will honor the historic architecture and character of the museum and library and preserve the unique visitor experience for which the Frick is known. Greater access to the original residence is central to the plan, along with critical upgrades to the building’s infrastructure. Learn more at frickfuture.org
Brought to you by
The Frick Collection &BTU UI 4U PO 'JGUI "WF t www.frick.org
DID YOU KNOW? What site in NYC was one of the key locations for the “Monuments Men� mapping of Europe during World War II, with the goal of preserving cultural treasures from Allied bombing raids? Hint: It’s a remarkable museum library at 10 East 71st Street. Today it’s much in the news as a center for research. Open to the public.
Thu 25 Fri 26
Sat 27
â–ş ON THE FAULT LINES: DECISION 2018
SOLO EXHIBITION: â–˛ OCTOBERFEST JEFFREY WASSERMAN P.S. 158, East 77th St.,
Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College, 695 Park Ave. 6 p.m. $10-$100 What issues will sway voters in the upcoming primary elections? In this discussion, moderated by CNN’s Gloria Borger, David Gergen, a former presidential advisor; Gerald Seib of The Wall Street Journal; Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight; and others will consider a few of the races that could play a pivotal role in next month’s midterms. 212-772-4000 hunter.cuny.edu
Rosenberg & Co. 19 East 66th St. Bringing together a number of important artworks, Wasserman’s latest exhibition traces the evolution of his distinctive form of abstraction through two critical decades in his career with works deďŹ ned by vibrant colors and cascading layers of paint washes. Through Dec. 22. 212-202-3270 rosenbergco.com
between York Avenue and John Jay Park Noon. Free Enjoy carnival rides, games and bouncy houses, plus food, arts and crafts, and a truly scary haunted house inside the Bayard Taylor school. The festival kicks off with a costume parade. Don’t miss a neighborhood favorite. 212-744-6562 ps158.org
Answer: Frick Art Reference Library
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
11
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Health & Wellness Seminar Series !t¥¥ ñïð÷
Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 ET IN TERRA PAX: A CONCERT FOR HOPE
VOCES8 NEW YORK PREMIERE
‘MY LIFE AS A SPY’: KATHERINE VERDERY
Saint Bart’s Church 325 Park Ave. 7 p.m. $35/$25 students and seniors Led by noted American conductor Jason C. Tramm, this concert will feature the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Chamber Orchestra, the Seton Hall University Chorus and accomplished guest soloists. The concert program will include Haydn’s “Missa in Angustiis” (Mass for Troubled Times), as well as works by Joseph Haydn, Ola Gjeilo and John Tavener. 212-378-0222 mmpaf.org
Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer 869 Lexington Ave. 7:30 p.m. $25-$40 British a cappella ensemble VOCES8 will make their New York debut, performing repertory ranging from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary commissions and arrangements. 212-744-2080 voces8.com
92nd Street Y 1395 Lexington Ave. Noon, $29 In 1973, Katherine Verdery began her doctoral fieldwork in the Transylvanian region of Romania, ruled at the time by communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. She returned several times over the next 25 years, during which time the secret police compiled a massive surveillance file on her, from which she learned that she was “actually” a spy. Hear her tell her fascinating story and discuss her new book. 212-415-5500 92Y.org
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Wed 31 ▲ FRANKENREADS The Morgan Library & Museum 3 p.m. Free with museum admission The Morgan joins many global institutions to celebrate Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” with a public reading of selections from the novel on Halloween. Presented in conjunction with the “It’s Alive! Frankenstein at 200” exhibition, commemorating this masterpiece of horror and tracing the origins and impact of Shelley’s novel in its myriad spinoffs, sequels, mashups, tributes and parodies. 212-685-0008 themorgan.org
Time 6:30–8:00 pm Place All seminars held at Uris Auditorium Meyer Research and Education Building Weill Cornell Medicine 1300 York Avenue (at 69th St.)
All seminars are FREE and open to the public. Seating is available for 250 people on a firstcome, first-served basis. For more information on the Health & Wellness Series please visit our website at: www.weill.cornell.edu/seminars/ American Sign Language interpretive services will be provided at all seminars.
If you require a disability-related accommodation please call 212-821-0888 and leave a message.
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
MAN ABOUT TOWN Dance and Broadway legend Jerome Robbins’s centennial year is celebrated at the Library for the Performing Arts with a major exhibit BY VAL CASTRONOVO
Close on the heels of the late Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday in August came collaborator Jerome Robbins’s 100th on October 11 (he died after suffering a stroke in 1998). The city marked the occasion with a string of performances of the choreographer’s iconic ballets at Lincoln Center and three male solo dances at the Guggenheim, featuring members of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, among other celebratory events. The Wright café at the Guggenheim even offered a prix fixe “Robbins Centennial Tribute Dinner” — think Steak à la Robbins and Birthday Pâté à la Tanaquil (after French ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq, who was married to George Balanchine and was a Robbins confidante). Delicious. Now, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is showcasing an exhibit of some 250 items in homage to Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz on the Lower East Side), the vast majority culled from the archives of its Jerome Robbins Dance Division. “Voice of My City: Jerome Robbins and New York” is curated by histo-
rian Julia Foulkes, author of “A Place for Us: ‘West Side Story’ and New York” (2016). She hopes visitors will be drawn to “the kind of things that he made that are not dances — because people already know them,” referring to legendary works such as “Fancy Free” (1944), his breakout ballet; “On the Town” (1944), the Broadway musical spin-off; “Fiddler on the Roof” (1964), which he both directed and choreographed; and “West Side Story” (stage, 1957; screen, 1961). The latter won 10 Oscars in 1962, with Robbins snagging two awards, one for Best Director with Robert Wise, and an honorary award for “brilliant” choreography on film. This dance master was a tireless observer of the city and its folkways, obsessively recording his impressions of ordinary things (sidewalks, walkers, rooftops, stoop dwellers, ferry riders, shoes, trash) in letters, diaries, journals, poems, drawings, paintings and films, all on abundant view here. He wrote volumes about everything he saw, heard or felt and saved everything. No experience, it seems, was left unexamined. He liked to hang out and watch people hang out, camera in hand. And it was these very random observations of a city in motion that fed the art and helped forge an American style. As Foulkes said: “I kind of love that the Library and his vast archive have allowed us to see the flip side of those
One of the accordion journals in the section devoted to Robbins’s diaries. There is a mirror underneath to reflect the reverse side. Photo: Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library
New York City Ballet in Robbins’ “Glass Pieces” (1983), a dance in three parts, with music by Philip Glass. It captures the rhythm of the city. Photo: Costas Cacaroukas. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts very polished, perfected visions [on] stage ... how he was kind of messing around in the city in general, figuring out how to put these things on display.” Some of the writings are quite endearing. Upon settling into his first apartment in Manhattan in 1940 on Seventh Avenue in midtown, he typed two pages describing his new digs — e.g., “The bathtub is half a tub long and a tub and a half high” — and made loopy sketches of himself scrunched up in the tub. But in a city where you’ve gotta be tough, he was tough — famously so. There’s a caricature from 1958 in the “West Side Story” section depicting Robbins as a taskmaster with a whip. “He may well have been the most hated man on Broadway. ‘Mean as a snake,’ said Helen Gallagher, a performer who worked with him on several shows,” Wendy Lesser writes in the opener of her new book, “Jerome Robbins: A Life in Dance.” “He felt he had to break everything down in order to build it up in a better form,” she continues. Foulkes agrees that Robbins did “treat people badly sometimes ... I don’t want to deny that.” One of the most novel parts of the exhibit is the display of diaries Robbins created from 1971 to 1984. All 24 are shown together for the first time, with mirrors underneath two long foldouts to reflect the reverse sides. “He meant them as aesthetic objects. He didn’t just choose a Woolworth scrapbook. He chose expensive, wellmade, paper accordion journals from Takashimaya, a high-end Japanese department store on Fifth Avenue. He was deliberately creating something here not only for himself, but also as a kind of legacy,” the curator said.
Jerome Robbins dancing in his living room in 1959. Silver gelatin print. Photo: Philippe Halsman. ©Halsman Archive The handwriting is tiny and, in some cases, awash with watercolor. The journals are bright collages riddled with ticket stubs, art photos, stamps, postmarks, pressed leaves and a cutout of Leo Tolstoy. These keepers are “incredibly intimate,” Foulkes said. “You get the sense of a person who is constantly on a quest.” From an early age, Robbins yearned to belong and to find his place in the world. He was bisexual and racked with anxiety and doubt throughout his life, always questioning his worth despite his immense success and tall ego. When he migrated to Manhattan from Weehawken, New Jersey, as a young adult, New York became his comfort and his muse. “The city is a meeting place between
the self and the world for him,” the curator said. “He’s somebody who was incredibly interior, incredibly reflective and analytic.... But he wasn’t just that. He was constantly going out and observing. And it’s this play between himself and the world that I think makes so much of his art work so rich.”
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Voice of My City: Jerome Robbins and New York” WHERE: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza (65th St and Columbus Ave) WHEN: through March 30 www.nypl.org/locations/lpa
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
13
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Your Neighborhood News Source
BEYOND BROADWAY - EAST SIDE The #1 online community for NYC theater:
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Through European carols and war-songs, “All Is Calm” recalls the remarkable World War I truce between Allied Forces and German soldiers in No Man’s Land on Christmas, 1914.
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OCTOBER 25-31,2018
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Free Community Seminar
HEALTHY BRAIN AGING, MEMORY LOSS, AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Opponents of the 200 Amsterdam Avenue development rallied in front of the construction site on Oct. 12. Photo: Municipal Art Society of New York
200 AMSTERDAM HEADS TO COURT BUILDINGS Please join us for our annual community seminar, presented by the NYU Langone Alzheimer’s Disease Center and the Center for Cognitive Neurology, where our clinicians will discuss insights gathered from their latest research.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018 3:00 pm-5:00 pm NYU Langone Health 550 First Avenue, Alumni Hall B New York, NY 10016 Refreshments will be served. To RSVP, e-mail info.aging@nyumc.org or visit https://bit.ly/2x1Rmrg
Funded by the National Institute of Aging: AG08051
Opponents of residential tower file legal challenge in effort to block project BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
More than two years after developer SJP properties first filed plans for its 55-story condominium tower at 200 Amsterdam Avenue — setting off opposition from neighbors and activists, who launched a lengthy but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to halt the project through the city’ zoning challenge and appeals process — two local groups are turning to the courts in their effort to block the controversial building. Construction is now underway on the planned 668foot tall tower. The Committee for Environmentally Sound Development, a local volunteer advocacy group, and the Municipal Art Society of New York, a prominent preservation and land use advocacy nonprofit, jointly filed a legal challenge to block the project in the state Supreme Court on Oct. 9. The Department of Buildings issued a building permit for the development in September 2017; the city’s Board of Stan-
dards and Appeals subsequently upheld the DOB’s determination in a July 2018 decision. The groups’ lawsuit requests that the court vacate the BSA’s decision and order the DOB to revoke the permit. The challenge focuses on 200 Amsterdam’s large and irregularly shaped zoning lot, from which the building derives its exceptional height. The zoning lot, which critics have likened to a gerrymandered political district, snakes its way across much of the block, encompassing parts of several tax lots. The plaintiffs argue that the 200 Amsterdam zoning lot violates the zoning resolution because it contains partial tax lots; a zoning lot, they argue, must consist of entire tax lots. “The zoning lot at 200 Amsterdam is an affront to both the letter and spirit of the Zoning Resolution, and defies common sense,” Elizabeth Goldstein, the president of the Municipal Art Society, said in a statement. “By refusing to revoke this illegal permit, BSA and DOB risk setting a dangerous precedent that will affect neighborhoods across the city.” The 200 Amsterdam case has coincided with a several other zoning controversies over luxury housing developments, including disputed towers on
West 66th Street and East 88th Street, in which critics claim developers have utilized zoning “loopholes” to build taller than the authors of the city’s 1961 zoning resolution ever envisioned. Public response to the developments has sparked broader debate over the permissiveness of city zoning regulations. Helen Rosenthal, who represents the Upper West Side in the City Council, has called for fundamental reform of city land use and zoning rules. “Over the last two years I have worked very hard to challenge developments like 200 Amsterdam through the existing framework established by the city’s Zoning Resolution,” Rosenthal said in a statement. “And the painful truth is that that framework is currently incapable of addressing the core problem that the Upper West Side and so many other communities in our city are having. Communities are being bombarded by projects that are supposedly ‘as of right,’ but they are often drastically out of context, do not actually comply with the spirit of special district and other local protections, and are not helping to address our affordable housing crisis.”
The local paper for the Upper per East Side
East Midtown Partnership
2018 ANNUAL REPORT to the Community
2
Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2018
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dear Friends: Our community is always changing. The East Midtown Partnership’s challenge is not to just change with the community, but to help lead the transformation.
Debra Fechter
Chair of the Board of Directors
Rob Byrnes President
Already we are starting to see the effects of last year’s rezoning of much of our district. New development will strengthen the local economy and bring more jobs to the area, but also presents new challenges to an area with little public space and a large daytime population. We are already proactively working with City agencies to ensure that public amenities and the pedestrian experience are enhanced as a modern building stock rises in East Midtown. Of course, the changing face of East Midtown didn’t begin in recent months. Over the past two decades, this district – once heavily populated with commercial offices – has become much more “mixed use,” as new residential developments and retail, culture, dining, and nightlife establishments have moved to and near the area. We have capitalized on these changes by introducing programming designed to attract members of the residential communities into the district… and bring them through the front doors of local businesses. In addition to major corporations and retailers, we are
fortunate to include numerous unique independent small businesses among our membership. For years, the unfortunate (and untrue) stereotype was that the sidewalks of East Midtown rolled up when the last commuter left the office. But although this community has always had a robust existence, it’s coming into its own as a diverse 24/7 neighborhood. We’ve been taking creative steps to beautify the streetscape, including planting more than 100 tree beds and preparing to place planters on district sidewalks. By enhancing the streetscape, we’re making East Midtown a more attractive place to visit, work, and live… and strengthening our commercial base, in the process. With a record number of tourists visiting the City, we’re tailoring programming to educate store owners and employees on how best to attract them to their business, and promoting cultural events designed to bring visitors – domestic and foreign alike - to our community. East Midtown Manhattan has always evolved. East Midtown will continue to evolve. The Board of Directors and staff of the East Midtown Partnership are excited to be part of that experience.
2018 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
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WE ARE CONNECTED Each week the East Midtown Partnership distributes information on district sales and promotions, community events, street closures, and more. When special circumstances arise – be it the United Nations General Assembly, Restaurant Week, or holiday programs – thousands of people turn to our bulletins, website, and social media posts for accurate, up to date information. Contact us at 212-813-0030 or info@ eastmidtown.org to find out how we can connect with you!
Join us for the
East Midtown Partnership’s 17th Annual Meeting
Thursday, December 6, 2018 8:00 AM City Cinemas 1 2 3 1001 Third Avenue (across from Bloomingdale’s)
Call 212-813-0030 or visit our website for more information.
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2018
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING
Lunar New Year Returns to Madison Avenue In February, 2018, we welcomed the Year of the Dog with our third annual event, “Madison Street to Madison Avenue: A Lunar New Year Celebration.” Once again we partnered with our friends at the Confucius Institute for Business at SUNY, the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District, the Chinatown Partnership, and the Grand Central Partnership to bring the rich culture of Chinatown to Midtown East and the Upper East Side.
“Trick-or-Treat with East Midtown” Doubles Attendance… Again! It’s not often that attendance at a special event increases exponentially, but that’s what has been happening with our signature Halloween event, “Trick-or-Treat with East Midtown.” After we were pleasantly surprised with 1,000 attendees in 2015, we drew 2,000 people in 2016… And that doubled again to 4,000 in 2017. Last year, trick-or-treaters and their parents (who largely came from East Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods) checked in at Tramway Plaza on Second Avenue, where they collected our branded Halloween bags and visited a themed photo booth and facepainters, enhancing the experience and capturing memories of the day. Then the costumed kids and their parents visited more than 90 area businesses which signed up to hand out treats.
The 2017 event drew over 16,500,000 media impressions and 77,784 unique East Midtown Partnership website and social media views. We’re already on track to top that in 2018. Will attendance grow again? We think so, based on overwhelming early interest. This year we’ll be Trick-or-Treating on Wednesday, October 31, with check-in at the plaza outside 919 Third Avenue (at East 56th Street), courtesy of our friends at SL Green. Join us for this fun, free, family-friendly event!
While a cold rain dampened our attendance, it didn’t dampen
enthusiasm. Hundreds of people “shopped with their dogs” as teams of lion dancers strolled along Madison Avenue, visiting 50 participating retailers and entertaining the crowds, and many more joined us for a series of cultural programming in the Harman store at 527 Madison Avenue (at East 54th Street), and in heated tents on the street. Best of all, proceeds from the event benefitted the Animal Medical Center on the Upper East Side. It was a great event for a great cause.
2018 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
Manhattanhenge Promotion Twice annually, thousands of people flock to East Midtown and Roosevelt Island for “Manhattanhenge,” when the setting sun lines up perfectly with the east-west street grid. This is one of the most “Instagramable” events in New York City. Recognizing that, in July we partnered with FDR Four Freedoms Park at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island (where more than 1,500 experience each Manhattanhenge) for a special Reverse Happy Hour promotion that offered belated drink specials for the evening once the sun had set.
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OTHER PROGRAMMING Our Marketing and Business Development Committee worked throughout the year to enhance existing programming and develop new events to bring visitors to the district and highlight local businesses. Among other highlights were:
Holiday Décor Once again, our unique red, yellow, blue and green lighted spheres help create a festive atmosphere in East Midtown during the dark winter months. For the past two holiday seasons, we’ve added street-pole banners with a similar design theme, which tie together the festive look throughout East Midtown.
The Passport Card Launched in April, 2013, the East Midtown Passport card offers special benefits to customers at more than 100 area businesses. More than 20,000 consumers now carry our Passport card in their purse or wallet. From Just Salad to Amali, from Harman to Extraordinary, the East Midtown Passport provides savings at a wide range of businesses with a wide range of price points.
Weekly e-Bulletins (and more) “Meet the Concierge” Events Educate Merchants Visitors to New York City account for a $40 billion travel market. In 201718, we joined with our colleagues at the Grand Central Partnership to host two “Meet the Concierge” events, providing our local businesses insight into how best to interest the city’s hotel concierges in their stores, restaurants, and services, and attract part of that trade. Scores of East Midtown businesses attended these events and praised the valuable information.
Each week more people subscribe to our popular e-Bulletins. Over the past 12 months, we’ve sent out more than 70 bulletins, which promote local businesses, highlight beneficial community and governmental programming, report major public events and street closures, and, of course, update readers on our activities.
Social Media Every day, we update thousands of followers with important information on East Midtown business promotions, community events, and transit and traffic through Facebook and Twitter. The Partnership also shares district images on Flickr and Instagram, and brings the professional community together on LinkedIn. With over 6,000 social media contacts, we’re one of the city’s most connected Business Improvement Districts.
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2018
BEAUTIFYING OUR COMMUNITY
Open public space is at a premium in East Midtown Manhattan, but we’re committed to finding new ways to enhance and expand streetscape beautification.
Tree Beds & Planters Brighten the Streetscape Few things enhance the pedestrian experience like colorful, well-maintained tree beds. That’s why we’ve installed three seasonal plantings in over 100 district tree beds for the past decade, many of which were previously neglected. And we’re thrilled that each year more properties join this program. The East Midtown Partnership is also responsible for planting and maintaining 7 large planters placed
at the corner of Third Avenue and East 60th Street by the New York City Department of Transportation. Those planters were installed as a pedestrian safety measure, but our greenery has made them an attractive addition to the streetscape. And in fall, 2018, we’ll be taking the first steps to place our own planters on district sidewalks! Watch for more information.
Support For the Park Avenue Malls The center malls on Park Avenue are one of the city’s treasures, featuring beautiful seasonal flowers, public sculpture exhibitions, and the traditional holiday tree lighting. The East Midtown Partnership is a financial sponsor of programming
53rd Street Corridor When East Midtown was rezoned last year, the governing group overseeing public realm improvements was charged specifically with improving East 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Third Avenue.
Although the corridor only touches on our district, we are taking an active role to ensure that any new amenities enhance the East Midtown streetscape and contribute to the vitality of the area.
developed by The Fund for Park Avenue, a privately funded notfor-profit organization. Fund for Park Avenue administrators also sit on our Board of Directors and help guide our community beautification efforts.
2018 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
THE CLEAN PATROL
Members of the East Midtown Clean Patrol, our sanitation crew, are on the streets from early morning until the early evening, aggressively tackling litter, graffiti, and illegal postering, painting street furniture several times each year, power-washing sidewalks when the weather permits it, sweeping out clogged catch basins when the weather requires it, and clearing crosswalks of snow and ice during winter storms. Keeping our streets and sidewalks clean has long been the East Midtown Partnership’s primary commitment, and since 2002 our contractor – The Doe Fund, Inc. – has removed over 20 million pounds of trash from our streets. The results are evident through cleaner streets and sidewalks, attracting visitors and shoppers and making busy East Midtown
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Keeping Midtown Clean & Green
Total Pounds of Trash Removed Total Pounds/Recyclable Paper Number of Trash Bags Collected No. of Recyclable Bags Collected Incidents of Graffiti Removed a comfortable place to live, work, and do business. We’re always looking for ways to improve the area’s appearance and redouble our efforts to enhance the streetscape. For example, in 2013 we were the first New York City Business Improvement District to launch a public recycling program, allowing pedestrians to properly dispose of their newspapers and paper items. Now 120 custom-designed, greencapped recycling units are located
FISCAL YEAR 2018 (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018)
CUMULATIVE (2002 – 2018)
1,120,803 331,580 110,103 32,916 406
20,702,830 1,643,424 1,663,875 165,705 4,651
on district sidewalks, side by side with 160 black East Midtown trash receptacles. What’s good for our community’s cleanliness is also good for the environment. The East Midtown Partnership has many reasons to appreciate our long-standing relationship with The Doe Fund. While the Clean Patrol keeps our streets and sidewalks clean and well-maintained with enthusiasm and a smile, the program is also widely acclaimed for its success in breaking
negative cycles and instilling in its trainees – most of whom have been incarcerated and many of whom have overcome substance abuse – a strong work ethic. Since 2002, more than 900 Clean Patrol “alumni” have graduated from The Doe Fund’s workforce training program and moved into full-time private sector employment… and more than a few of these men continue to work in and contribute to East Midtown Manhattan.
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2018
PUBLIC SAFETY
Assisting the Community and Keeping Midtown Safe
A week seldom passes when a resident or worker at a local business doesn’t take the time to praise an East Midtown security officer, and almost always they know his or her name. That’s a sign of how appreciated they are in the community. Our public safety patrol is small, but dedicated and knowledgeable. The seven men and women in our patrol force – six of whom have been with us for more than a decade – are seen throughout the district Mondays through Saturdays, offering directions and assistance to pedestrians, watching for safety hazards, monitoring street vendor conditions, providing a reassuring presence, assisting on special events, and responding to merchant concerns. They also make frequent visits to businesses, updating them on our programming, information from the NYPD, and other items. And each day, our Public Safety team checks in with every homeless individual and panhandler, offering them access to services… and occasionally bringing them off the streets. As our eyes and ears on the street, they’re invaluable to our organization. Through their professionalism and knowledge of the district, East Midtown security officers have cleared the area of illegal and noncompliant vendors, reported and followed up on countless public safety concerns, and earned the respect of the three local NYPD precincts – the 17th, 19th, and Midtown North – as well as the people who live and work in the area. If you need our public safety assistance, please call us at 212-813-0030.
HOMELESS OUTREACH Homelessness has been a chronic issue across the nation, but the East Midtown Partnership has been taking notice and acting since we opened our doors. Since November, 2002, we’ve contracted with BRC to provide homeless outreach services to those members of our community most in need. The terms of that contract are unique in specifying that BRC can – and should – work with homeless individuals not just within district boundaries, but
FISCAL YEAR 2018
CUMULATIVE (7/1/2017 – 6/30/2018) (2002 – 2018) Directions Given
18,814
339,440
Incidents Reported
37
1,408
Street Conditions Reported
65
1,052
Peddler Conditions
2
649
Working to help the most vulnerable New Yorkers
in adjacent areas. Our intention is not to drive the homeless away; it’s to provide a path to rehabilitation and recovery for the vulnerable men and women on our streets. Over the past 16 years, BRC outreach workers have had close to 55,000 one-on-one interactions with the homeless, getting to know their individual needs and building trust. That effort has paid off through hundreds of placements in recovery programs for men and
women who might otherwise still be living on city streets. And we never stop. BRC and the East Midtown Partnership continue that one-on-one interaction, working to bring some of the most chronic members of the homeless population into supportive housing and services. Convincing someone to come in from the streets can be a complex process entailing weeks or months – or even years – of interaction to build trust and understanding,
and the East Midtown Partnership remains committed to working with the BRC to reach the homeless individuals living in and passing through this community in an effort to meet their needs and integrate them back into productive livelihoods. The BRC is in East Midtown 40 hours each week, at all times of the day and night. If you are aware of a homelessness situation, please contact the BRC 24 Help Line at 212-533-5151.
2018 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
BUDGET FISCAL YEAR
FISCAL YEAR
(JULY 1, 2017 – JUNE 30, 2018)
(JULY 1, 2018 - JUNE 30, 2019)
Personnel
$530,000
$560,000
General Expenses
$230,000
$ 235,000
Insurance
$30,000
$40,000
Professional Fees
$30,000
$35,000
Subtotal
$820,000
$870,000
Sanitation
$925,000
$1,055,000
Security
$425,000
$470,000
Homeless Outreach
$120,000
$125,000
$1,470,000
$1,650,000
Business Promotion & Marketing
$225,000
$205,000
Beautification
$260,000
$275,000
Streetscape Improvements
$75,000
$90,000
$560,000
$615,000
Expenses
$2,850,000
$3,135,000
Revenues
$3,500,000
$3,500,000
Revenue Over Expense
$650,000*
$365,000*
2018
2019
Administration
Operations
Subtotal
Programming
Subtotal
* In keeping with Best Fiscal Practices for Not-for-Profit Organizations, the East Midtown Partnership maintains a reserve fund, held in insured investments.
Budget information and Audited Financial Statements are available on our website, and can also be obtained by contacting the East Midtown Partnership office, 875 Third Avenue, Mezzanine, New York, NY 10022. Phone: 212-813-0030 or e-mail info@eastmidtown.org.
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2018
Thanks to all the businesses, property owners, community organizations, cultural institutions, and others who have participated in our programming over the past 15 months, including: 59E59 Theaters
Boston Properties
Dylan’s Candy Bar
H. Lowy Cleaners & Tailors
A La Mode Shoppe
Breitling
Harman
All Saints Church
Bridge Community Playschool
East Sixties Neighborhood Association
Allen Edmonds
Carlyle Convertibles
Allure Day Spa & Hair Design
Carvi Hotel
Amali
Cassina
American Cut
CBRE
Animal Medical Center
Central Synagogue
Anka Grill
Charles P. Rogers
Anton Kern Gallery
Child Mind Institute
Apple Bank for Savings
Chinatown Partnership
Arris Property Group
Circle Realty Group
E. Braun Edible Arrangements Eileen Fisher Elaine Lane Antiques Elaine’s Fine Art Ess-A-Bagel Ethan Allen Extraordinary Eyes on the World Farinella Bakery
AT&T Mobileistic
Citibank
Dr. Anna Avaliani Cosmetic & Laser Surgery
City Cinemas 123
FDR Four Freedoms Park Conservancy
Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation
Fifty NYC Hotel
Avis Budget Group Baked by Melissa The Bar Room Barchi Bespoke Tailor & Shirt Maker Bareburger Beekman Financial Planning LLC The Benjamin Hotel Benson Law Firm LLC
Cohen’s Fashion Optical Community Board 5 Manhattan Community Board 6 Manhattan Community Board 8 Manhattan Confucius Institute for Business Consult Podiatry Copinette Corporate Suites
Best Western Plus Hospitality House
Crimson & Rye
Bianca Jewelers
Cucci Chiropractic
Big Apple Art Gallery & Custom Framing
Currency Exchange International
Bikram Yoga Grand Central
Daum-Haviland
Fig & Olive Filles et Garcons The Fitz Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel French Institute Alliance Francaise Fresh & Co. Friends of Art & Design The Fund for Park Avenue Garden Grille Bar & Restaurant Garden Suites Hotel George N Antiques GFP Real Estate Glaze
Bloom’s Tavern
Dentistry for Children & Orthodontics
Bloomberg
Digby Management Co. LLC
Dr. Cynthia Gomez, DDS
Bloomingdale’s/Macy’s
Dos Toros Taqueria
Grace’s Marketplace
Law Office of Harold A. Bollaci, PC
Dunhill
Grand Central Partnership
Duxiana
Greek Eats
Bon Vivant New York
Gloria Cabrera Salon
Hastens 58th Street Hastens Madison Avenue Health King The Health Nuts High School of Art & Design Hill Cleaners Hilton Garden Inn HJMT Public Relations Inc. illesteva Illume Lampshades & Lamp Repair In/Where New York Inform Fitness Studios Insomnia Cookies Instituto Cervantes InVite Health IWC Jack Resnick & Sons Jacques Torres Chocolates Jay Suites Grand Central Jay Suites Madison Avenue Jean Rousseau The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites Jersey Mike’s Subs Jonathan Adler Joseph Battisti Salon Just Bulbs Just Salad Kati Shop Koleksiyon Mobilya Kurant Wine Bar La Cava Wine Bar
2018 Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report
La Villetta Lapicida Le Pain Quotidien – Grand Central West
National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce - NY NYC Comptroller’s Office NYC Council
Dr. Deena Pegler, DMD
State Bank of India
Peoples Foreign Exchange Corp.
Sterling Optical
Perrine
Sunflower Salon
Pescatore
SUNY Global Center
NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
Philip Colleck Ltd.
Sutton Area Community
NYC Department of Sanitation
Physical Advantage
Sutton Place Chiropractic
NYC Department of Small Business Services
Piada Italian Food & Wine Bar
T-Mobile
Pick A Bagel
Talbots
NYC Department of Transportation
The Pierre Hotel
TD Bank
New York Police Department, 17th Precinct
Pig ‘N’ Whistle on 3rd
Tracy Anderson Method
Popular Community Bank
Treadwell Park
Potbelly
Trinity Baptist Church
New York Police Department, Midtown North Precinct
Power Pilates
Tufenkian Artisan Carpets
Regus
Turtle Bay Association
New York Public Library, 58th Street Branch
Rigby & Peller
Turtle Bay Music School
New York Public Library, Terence Cardinal Cooke Cathedral Branch
Rimowa
The Unforgettables Chorus
Roger Dubois
Untamed Sandwiches
The New York Resident
Rosen & Deutch DDS PC
NextStop NY Real Estate
The Ross Art Group
Upper East Side Dental Innovations
Ninth Street Espresso
Manhattan Borough President’s Office
Rouge Makeup Salons
Northwestern Mutual
Rudin Management
Manhattan Boutique Real Estate
Oak & Barrel
Saint Peter’s Church
Manhattan Espresso Café
Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP
Saks Off Fifth
Mark De Alwis Salon
One Lenox
Salon Amici
Maurice Badler Fine Jewelry
Orogold Cosmetics
Salon Ishi
MaxWell Medical
Our Town
Samuel and Sons
Metamorphosis Day Spa
OurHarvest
San Carlos Hotel
Midtown Restaurant
P. S. 59
Satori Laser
Miriam Silverberg Associates
Padoca Bakery
Sel et Poivre
Mon Petit Café
Palace Restaurant
Shakespeare & Co.
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden
The Paley Center for Media
Sherwin Williams
Paname French Restaurant
Skintology Manhattan Medspa
Muscle Maker Grill
The Paramount Group
Smiles Park Avenue Dental
Nare Sushi
Park Avenue Dental Medicine PC
Sofia Pizza Shoppe
The National Bar & Dining Rooms
The Partnership for Parks
Sprinkles
Learning Express Toys Lerebours Antiques Levy School Choir of All Saints Church Lexington Hardware Lillian Nassau Links of London Lips Living Proof Nutrition Strength Pilates Lladro MacArthur Management Madison Avenue Business Improvement District Madonna & Co. Madison Dental Group Manhattan Art & Antiques Center
New York Police Department, 19th Precinct
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Upper Story by Charlie Palmer Urbanspace @ 570 Lex Vanderbilt YMCA Verve Medical Cosmetics Vivienne Westwood Vornado Realty Trust The Walking Company Waterman Properties LLC Waterworks The Wellness Center of New York Whiskey & Wine Off 69 William Macklowe Company YMassage at Living Proof York Theatre Company Zales
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Our Town - East Midtown Partnership Annual Report 2018
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2018 Debra Fechter, Chair Digby Management Co., LLC
Hon. Alida Camp, Community Board 8 Represented by Will Sanchez and Gayle Baron
Karla Beth Kudatzky, William Macklowe Company
Steven Cherniak, Vice Chair Cohen Brothers Realty Corp.
Shane Cookman, Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel
James Mallios, Amali
George Kurth, Alternate
Viena Margulies, MacArthur Management
Robert Steinman, Treasurer Rudin Management Company, Inc.
Dorothy Cristani, Resident
Martin McGrath, GFP Real Estate
Terrence Donohue, Secretary Boston Properties
Hon. Bill de Blasio, Mayor, City of New York Barbara McLaughlin, Hon. Gregg Bishop, Commissioner, NYC The Fund for Park Avenue Department of Small Business Services Jo-Ann Polise, Alternate
Joseph DeGregorio, Alternate
Brian Steinwurtzel, Alternate
Represented by Teresa Garcia and Stephen Lee
Fran Delgorio, Jack Resnick & Sons
Charles Miller, Bloomingdale’s/Macy’s
Represented by E. J. Kalafarski
Marc Donohue, State Bank of India
Stephen Muller, Arris Property Group
Kathleen Bardolf, The State University of New York
Noel Donovan, Bloom’s Tavern
Hon. Keith Powers, New York City Council
Johanna Kendrick-Holmes, Alternate
Martin Dresner, Vornado Realty Trust Brad Leader, Alternate
M. Barry Schneider, East Sixties Neighborhood Association
Hon. Vikki Barbero, Community Board 5
Brian Beirne, 59E59 Theaters
Hon. Molly Hollister, Community Board 6
Hon. Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President
Represented by Kathy Thompson
Represented by Luisa Lopez
David Brooks, Just Bulbs
Andrew Jacobi, Untamed Sandwiches Michael Keaveney, Waterman Properties LLC
Represented by Benjamin Jacobs
David Gillespie, Alternate
Hon. Scott Stringer, New York City Comptroller Represented by Michael Stinson
E. Bingo Wyer, Resident
Jessica Kern, Alternate
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The East Midtown Partnership thanks the following vendors for their services over the past year:
BlenderBox, Website Design & Maintenance
DuMor Inc, Trash & Recycling Receptacles
Live XYZ, Information Management
Edward Post, Park Avenue Mall Sanitation
Method Group, Information Technology
BRC, Homeless Outreach Services
Electrical Illuminations by Arnold, Holiday Décor
Skody Scot & Company, Accounting & Auditing
Intersection, Banners
Sundberg & Associates, Graphic Design
City 1 Maintenance, Street Furniture Maintenance
Ron Jautz, Jautz Photography, Photography
Sunshine Sachs, Public Relations
Dennis Corsi, Videography
Landsite Group, Horticulture & Maintenance
U. S. Security Associates, Security Patrol Services
Citisense, Database and Information Management
The Doe Fund, Sanitation Services
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Rob Byrnes, President Sarah L. Hornung, Director of Marketing & Business Development Bob Iovino, Director of Operations
Susanne Gil, Bookkeeping
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Celebrate Halloween in East Midtown! We’re inviting children 12 and under & their families to trick-or-treat at East Midtown businesses from 3:00–7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 31th! Pick up your trick-or-treat bags, get your face painted, & snap a spooky photo on the plaza outside 919 3rd Ave (at East 56th St.) and then head out to collect treats at all of our participating businesses!
A huge thank you to our participating businesses! * a la mode * Allen Edmonds * Allure Day Spa * Amali * Amata * AT&T * AT&T * Baked by Melissa * The Bar Room * * The Benjamin * Best Western Plus Hospitality House * Blooms Tavern * Bridge Community Playschool * Calligaris * * Carvi Hotel * Charles P. Rogers * Child Mind Institute * Clarks * Cohen’s Fashion Optical * Cohens Fashion Optical * * Coppinette * Cucci Chiropractic * Currency Exchange International * Dentistry for Children and Orthodontics * * Dos Toros Taqueria * Edible Arrangements * Eileen Fisher * Ess-A-Bagel * Ethan Allen * Extraordinary * * Eyes on the World * Farinella Bakery * Filles et Garçons * Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel * * FDR Four Freedoms Park Conservancy * Gardens Suites Hotel * Grace’s Marketplace * Harman * illesteva * Innisfree * * Insomnia Cookies * InVite Health * Jacques Torres Chocolate * The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites * Jonathan Adler * * Just Bulbs * Kati Shop * Kurant Wine Bar * La Cava * Learning Express Toys * Madonna & Co * Manhattan Espresso Cafe * Mount Vernon Hotel Museum * Nare Sushi * NextStopNY Real Estate * One Lenox * * Padoca Bakery * Pescatore Restaurant * Phillips * Pick A Bagel * Pig n Whistle on 3rd * Power Pilates * Rigby & Peller * * Rimowa * Rouge Makeup Salons * Salon Amici * Salon Ishi * Samuel and Sons * Satori Laser * Sherwin Williams * * Skintology Manhattan Medspa by Dr. Jennifer Walden * Sofia Pizza Shoppe * Sprinkles * SUNY Global Center * * Super Stars Tennis * Sutton Place Physical Therapy * TD Bank * Tracy Anderson Method * Trinity Baptist Church * * Untamed Sandwiches * Urbanspace * Waterworks * Whiskey & Wine off 69 *
www.eastmidtown.org/halloween
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
Neighborhood Scrapbook
OCT 10 - 16, 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.
Rangoli Exquisite Indian Cuisine
1393A 2nd Ave
A
La Esquina
1402 2nd Ave
Grade Pending (22) 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.
Dunkin Donuts
1433 2nd Ave
Not Yet Graded (54) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
NYC Health Bar
1319 2nd Ave
A
Dylan Murphy’s
1453 3 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. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Sweetgreen
1500 3rd Ave
A
Taco Bell
1258 Lexington Ave
A
Dunkin’ Donuts
1248 Lexington Ave
A
Wahlburgers
1633 2nd Ave
CLOSED (53) Hot food item that has been cooked and refrigerated is being held for service without first being reheated to 1 65º F or above within 2 hours. Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. 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.
Cafe Maggio
555 East 90th St
A
Luigi Pizzeria & Ristorante
1701 1 Avenue
A
The Milton
1754 2nd Ave
A
Boxers NYC
1664 3rd Ave
A
La Fonda Restaurant and Tapas Bar
169 East 106 Street
Grade Pending (23) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/ sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Cafecito Del Arte
181 E 108th St
Not Yet Graded (19) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
Crepe Cafe
1642 Lexington Ave
CLOSED (44) Live roaches 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.
Burger King
1886 3rd Ave
A
Photo courtesy of Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
A BOOST FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney rang the opening bell at NASDAQ on Oct. 16 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and held a press conference to discuss the importance of funding research. Maloney was joined by the President and CEO of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) Myra Biblowit, BCRF Chair William Lauder, BCRF Scientific Director Dr. Larry Norton, President of the American Medical Women’s Association Dr. Connie B. Newman, breast cancer survivors, and leaders of women’s organizations to call attention to the issue and press for more funding for life-saving research. One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer over the course of their lifetime and it is the second
leading cause of cancer death in women. But mortality rates have dropped by nearly 40 percent over the past 25 years due to investments in research. The Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin helps raise private funds for breast cancer research. Coins are on sale at the US Mint’s website through the end of 2018. “When I first came to Congress, I wanted to double federal funding for breast cancer research and I am proud to say that we have actually more than tripled it,” said Maloney. “That’s why I authored, and President Obama signed into law the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act ... Together, with groups like BCRF, I know that we can find a cure.”
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
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GHOST STORIES NYC author journeys to the past in her latest novel BY CLAIRE LEADEN
Erin Lindsey began writing about 14 years ago when she was a foreign aid worker for UNICEF, delving immediately into the fantasy genre. Though she enjoyed it as a form of escapism from the more dangerous settings she lived and worked in, she also had a personal reason for crafting tales of adventure. “They say you write what you want to read, and after spending all day reading serious documents, I guess I just wanted to read something more fun,â€? the Brooklyn writer said with a grin. Writing what she wanted paid off, as her three-book fantasy series “Bloodboundâ€? was bought and published starting in 2014. Still, her most recent novel falls more in the historical mystery genre, without leaving out a little bit of magic, of course. “Murder on Millionaires’ Row,â€? published Oct. 2 by Minotaur Books, is the ďŹ rst in Lindsey’s new Rose Gallagher Mystery Series. “I don’t think about ‘genres’ when I’m writing,â€? she explained of the switch, “but something I’ve learned about myself is that I tend to write things that fall between genres. ‘Murder on Millionaires’ Row’ has quite a bit of fantasy in it as well.â€? The novel is set in Gilded Age Manhattan, following young Irish housemaid Rose Gallagher as she searches for her missing boss, Mr. Wiltshire. As ghostly apparitions start to appear, Rose realizes it may be more than just a typical missing persons’ case. Lindsey said one of the most difficult-and most fun — parts of writing the book was channeling historical New York, through buildings and architecture, social mores and even the speech of the day. “The historical research was challenging because it was very timeconsuming, but I loved every minute of it,â€? she said. She bought every book she could ďŹ nd on the subject, made frequent visits
to the Tenement Museum and to the New York Public Library, reviewed newspaper archives online (from the Library of Congress and others), and listened to one of her favorites: “The Bowery Boys New York History Podcast.â€? “That’s the beauty of New York,â€? she explained. “I feel like every “Murder on Millionaires’ Row,â€? detail of its history, no recently published by Minotaur matter how small, has Books, is the ďŹ rst instalment in been meticulously docu- Erin Lindsey’s Rose Gallagher mented by some enthu- Mystery Series. siast somewhere ...it’s all The New York Times. there for the ďŹ nding.â€? “As I worked, I realized The story travels all over 19th century Manhattan — from there were more than just the townhouses of the elite a few ghost stories in The on Fifth Avenue (where Rose Times and New-York Triworks), to Grand Central De- bune over the years,â€? she pot, to the elevated train lines, said. “I picked my favorto traipses through Washing- ites and decided to stitch ton and Tompkins Squares, to together a story.â€? Her author’s note exvisits to Bellevue Hospital, and to Rose’s home neighborhood plains all of the real life of Five Points, the immigrant- inspirations for her plot heavy and notorious “slumâ€? and characters. Lindsey goes back and occupying that is now Chinaforth between New York town. As she searched for eerie sto- and her hometown of ries in New York, she discov- Calgary in Canada, but ered the case of Matilda Meyer felt she was always “just — a New Yorker whose body a New York book waiting was found in the Long Island to happen.â€? “I really do love the city,â€? Sound near Hell Gate in 1884 — who became an apparition in she said. “This book, for the book. And that story led her me, is kind of a love letter to poke around the archives of to New York.â€?
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Business
2 RARE HEMINGWAY STORIES COMING OUT PUBLISHING A special reissue in 2019 of “For Whom the Bell Tolls” will include scarcely-seen fiction BY HILLEL ITALIE
Ernest Hemingway in Spain, circa 1959. Photo: Mary Hemingway, in the Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, via Wikimedia Commons
Two Ernest Hemingway stories written in the mid-1950s and rarely seen since will be published next year. The director of Hemingway’s literary estate, Michael Katakis, told The Associated Press recently that “The Monument” and “Indian Country and the White Army” will be included with a special reissue of the author’s classic “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The new edition also will include the story “A Room on the Garden Side,” which had been little known beyond the scholarly community before The Strand Magazine
published it over the summer. “For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Hemingway Library Edition” is scheduled for the summer of 2019. The celebrated novel, set during the Spanish Civil War, was in the news earlier this year. It was a favorite of Sen. John McCain, who died in August, and the title of an HBO documentary about the Arizona Republican and Vietnam War veteran. Katakis, whose “Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts from a Life” comes out this week, has overseen numerous posthumous projects. He has worked in coordination with the author’s son, Patrick Hemingway, on reissues of “A Moveable Feast,” “Green Hills of Africa” and other books, along with the controversial publication of “True at First Light,” which Ernest Hemingway had left unfinished when he killed himself in 1961. “I’ve been talking to Patrick for
a long time and we always ask the same question, ‘Is there a reason for this to be released?’” Katakis said during a telephone interview. He declined to comment further on why they had decided to publish the 1950s stories, part of the Ernest Hemingway Collection at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston. Hemingway wrote five pieces in 1956, reflecting upon his time as a correspondent and participant in World War II. He would tell his publisher, Charles Scribner Jr., the stories likely needed to come out after his death because they were “a little shocking” and dealt “with irregular troops and combat and with people who actually kill people.” One of those works, “Black Ass at the Crossroads,” was released years ago. Another story, “The Bubble Reputation,” will for now remain unpublished.
“Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts from a Life” also draws from the collection at the JFK library. It features photographs, letters and extensive annotations. In a brief foreword, Patrick Hemingway cites a memento not pictured in the book, or anywhere since he was a child: a trout fishing trunk used by the author on outings with his family. “That fishing trunk for me enhanced the elegant ritual of my mom and dad as they waded side by side six feet off each bank downstream, casting toward each other their terminal cluster of three wet flies, letting their lines drift and straighten out before raising their rods and casting again,” Patrick Hemingway wrote. But, he added, “even the finest bowl and bell will crack.” The marriage was over by 1940, the trunk was gone a few years later.
LITERARY ORGANIZATION SUES TRUMP LAWSUITS PEN America alleges president has failed to uphold Constitution, particularly the First Amendment BY HILLEL ITALIE
In the three years that Donald Trump rocketed from candidate to president, the PEN American Center has criticized him as a bully, an autocrat, a user of hate speech and an enemy of free expression. It has published studies, organized petitions and established a Press Freedom Incentive Fund. Now the literary and human rights organization, which includes thousands of authors and journalists, is taking a more direct step: PEN is suing the president. In a suit filed last week in federal court in Manhattan, the center, also known as PEN America, alleges that “official acts” by Trump have “violated the First Amendment and his oath to uphold the Constitution.” PEN cites such examples as reports that Trump was meddling in the proposed merger of AT&T and CNN, a frequent target of Trump’s anger (The Justice Department has sought to block the merger).
President Donald Trump talks to members of the press aboard Air Force One in January 2017. Photo: Shealah Craighead, chief official White House photographer The suit also notes Trump’s comments on Washington Post owner and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. Trump, unhappy with the Post’s coverage, has threatened antitrust action against Amazon and suggested raising its shipping costs. According to the Post, he has pressured U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan to double the rates. (Last week, the United States Postal Service proposed some hikes for 2019, among them increases which would affect Amazon. Shipping costs have been raised several times over the past decade). “President Trump has First Amendment rights and is free to criticize the press vehemently, but he is not free to use the power and authority of the United States government to punish and stifle it,” the complaint reads.
An email sent to a White House spokeswoman shortly before the suit was filed was not immediately returned. In an interview this week with The Associated Press, PEN chief executive officer Suzanne Nossel said that Trump had moved beyond harsh (and legally protected) rhetoric such as “fake news” and “enemy of the people.” “There is widespread concern that the president is actually extracting reprisals on the media for coverage he considers unfavorable,” she said. PEN is asking that Trump be enjoined from “directing or ordering any officer, employee, agency, or other agent or instrumentality of the United States government to take any action against any person or entity with intent to retaliate against, intimidate, or
otherwise constrain speech critical of him or his Administration.” The organization seeks no money beyond “costs, including attorneys’ fees,” and other “relief as the Court deems just and proper.” Trump has been sued thousands of times over past the few decades, and shortly before taking office agreed to pay $25 million in a settlement over fraud allegations against the now-defunct Trump University. He also has been sued as president, including on First Amendment grounds. Last month, a federal court in Cincinnati ruled that protesters at a Trump rally in March 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky, could not sue him for inciting violence, finding nothing incriminating in his remarks. Earlier this year, the Knight First Amendment Institute sued Trump and his communications team for blocking several people from the president’s Twitter account. A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where PEN’s suit was filed Tuesday, ruled in May that blocking Twitter critics violated the First Amendment. “We wouldn’t be filing this lawsuit if we didn’t think it would be meritorious,” said David A. Schulz, co-director of the Media Freedom and Information
Access Clinic, a Yale Law School program serving as co-counsel with the nonprofit, nonpartisan Protect Democracy on the lawsuit. “There is so much evidence of the president’s motives.” One issue for PEN might be how the organization and its members have been affected by President Trump, what is known as legal standing. Kristy Parker of Protect Democracy said that “PEN’s members, especially those who are journalists covering current affairs, are indeed directly affected by the President’s retaliatory acts and credible threats because they are forced to work in an atmosphere where they could be punished by the President for their speech.” Nossel added that PEN was not yet “actively asking” Bezos or CNN or other media outlets to join the lawsuit. “Media organizations are focused on covering the news objectively and providing the essential transparency and accountability that is the work of a free press,” she said. “Every organization has to make their own determination of how best to play their role in this environment. That media organizations might determine to focus on journalism should not mean that the President’s violations go unchallenged by those affected by them.”
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
Neighborhood Scrapbook
Photo courtesy of Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
“NE
A BOOST FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
OBLIVISCARIS”
The Board of Elections in the City of New York is hiring Poll Workers to serve at poll sites across New York City. Become an Election Day Worker and you can earn up to $500 for completing the training course, passing the exam and working two Election Days.
ELECTION INSPECTOR
INTERPRETER
REQUIREMENTS @ Registered voter residing in the City of New York
REQUIREMENTS @ A permanent U.S. resident over 18 years of age and a resident of New York City
@ Enrolled in the Democratic or Republican party @ Able to read and write English DUTIES @ Prepare the poll site for voters
@ Assist voters during the voting process @ Close the poll site @ Canvass and report election results @ Assist other poll workers as needed TRAINING @ All Inspectors must attend a training class and pass the exam SALARY @ Earn $200 per day
@ Earn $100 for training (Note: You will only be paid for Training if you pass the exam and work on Election Day.)
You can earn up to $500 for completing the training course, passing the exam and working two Election Days.
@ Fluent in English and the interpreter’s language @ Spanish interpreters needed in all boroughs @ Chinese interpreters needed in Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens @ Korean, Hindi and Bengali interpreters needed in Queens. For Hindi Interpreters: Please note on your application if you can also speak Punjabi.
@ Does not have to be a registered voter DUTIES @ Assist non-English speaking voters by translating voting information into covered languages during the voting process TRAINING @ All Interpreters must attend a training class and pass the exam SALARY @ Earn $200 per day
@ Earn $25 for training (Note: You will only be paid for Training if you pass the exam and work on Election Day.)
You can earn up to $425 for completing the training course, passing the exam and working two Election Days.
HOURS/LOCATION @ 5:00 a.m. until the polls are closed and results reported, which will be after 9:00 p.m. @ Must be willing to travel within the borough for assignment to a poll site
HOW TO APPLY Visit pollworker.nyc/2018 to apply. If you have any questions, call 866-VOTE-NYC (866-868-3692).
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney rang the opening bell at NASDAQ on Oct. 16 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and held a press conference to discuss the importance of funding research. Maloney was joined by the President and CEO of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) Myra Biblowit, BCRF Chair William Lauder, BCRF Scientific Director Dr. Larry Norton, President of the American Medical Women’s Association Dr. Connie B. Newman, breast cancer survivors, and leaders of women’s organizations to call attention to the issue and press for more funding for life-saving research. One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer over the course of their lifetime and it is the second
leading cause of cancer death in women. But mortality rates have dropped by nearly 40 percent over the past 25 years due to investments in research. The Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin helps raise private funds for breast cancer research. Coins are on sale at the US Mint’s website through the end of 2018. “When I first came to Congress, I wanted to double federal funding for breast cancer research and I am proud to say that we have actually more than tripled it,” said Maloney. “That’s why I authored, and President Obama signed into law the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act ... Together, with groups like BCRF, I know that we can find a cure.”
OCTOBER 25-31,2018
HOLMBERG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 probably would never have left the Republican Party, to be perfectly honest,â&#x20AC;? Holmberg said. But leave it he did. For a quarter-century. He voted for Bill Clinton. Not once, but twice. Then Al Gore, followed by John Kerry. Barack Obama in 2008. Obama again in 2012. And finally, Hillary Clinton in 2016. Now, at 52, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back in the GOP fold. Not only that, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seeking to topple Democratic state Senator Liz Krueger, one of the most liberal members of the state Legislature, in the Nov. 6 general election. Holmberg is challenging the incumbent, who ďŹ rst won election in 2002, in New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 28th Senate District, which takes in the Upper East Side, Murray Hill, Turtle Bay, Kips Bay, Tudor City, Flatiron, Union Square and Midtown East including Trump Tower. A licensed real estate sales agent with Keller Williams NYC, Holmberg, who lives in a rent-stabilized apartment in the East 30s, brands himself a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pro-rent-stabilization Republican.â&#x20AC;? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also worked in corporate communications and luxury hotel management at the New York Palace Hotel and the Plaza hotel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I never was an authentic Democrat,â&#x20AC;? he said, noting his votes for ex-Mayors Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg and ex-Gov. George Pataki. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You register as a Democrat, but inside that voting booth, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re holding your tongue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and secretly voting for a lot of Republicans.â&#x20AC;? The concealment of partisan identity, Holmberg contends, is akin in multiple ways to the masking of sexual identity: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If someone is pretending, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to be that effective, not that engaged and not that happy,â&#x20AC;? he said. Referring to closeted gay male friends who are married to women, he added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pretending to be something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sexually is not that different from pretending to be something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not politically.... I was never that much in the closet sexually â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but I was totally in the closet politically.â&#x20AC;? And he soon learned that coming out as a proud GOP standardbearer, in deep-blue Manhattan, during the hyper-polarization of the Trump era, can be especially trying. It started at 3:20 a.m. on the morning after Election Day in 2016. Shortly after the unexpected triumph of Donald Trump and the Clinton concession,
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JOHN KRTIL FUNERAL HOME; YORKVILLE FUNERAL SERVICE, INC.
A FEW OF PETE HOLMBERGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FAVORITE THINGS IN THE 28TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT Favorite restaurant: Mansion Diner on 86th Street and York Avenue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has the best chicken noodle soup in New York, and the burgers are incredible. But most importantly, the staff is amazingly friendly.â&#x20AC;? Favorite street corner: 52nd Street and Park Avenue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home of my favorite building in all of the world: The Seagram Building, designed by Mies van der Rohe.â&#x20AC;? Favorite bar: Dorrianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Red Hand, 1616 Second Ave. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drink alcohol anymore, but you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to drink in order to have a good time at Dorrianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.â&#x20AC;? Favorite religious institution: St. Monicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church at 79th Street and First Avenue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whenever Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in that building, I feel closer to God, and I know that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to be okay.â&#x20AC;? Holmberg took to Facebook, observed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;our democracy has spoken,â&#x20AC;? and posted a simple â&#x20AC;&#x153;congratulationsâ&#x20AC;? to Trump â&#x20AC;&#x153;on your hard-won victory.â&#x20AC;? He added that â&#x20AC;&#x153;you are my President, and you have my prayers and my support. God bless America!â&#x20AC;? Some response was positive. Some was muted. But some was â&#x20AC;&#x153;vicious,â&#x20AC;? he said. One old friend demanded to know how he could â&#x20AC;&#x153;possibly support someone so morally depraved.â&#x20AC;? Seconds after hanging up on him, she became the first of many ex-friends to block him on Facebook. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In order to be declared a good person by a certain group of people in our society today, you have to hate Donald Trump, and I simply reject that,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I rejected the hate and obstruction that was directed at Obama, and similarly, I reject the hate and obstruction that is directed at Trump.â&#x20AC;? The long journey back to his GOP roots had begun, Holmberg said. And he added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got a lot less grief for coming out gay than I did for coming out as a Republican, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a common experience for gay conservatives.â&#x20AC;? On that score, Krueger is quick to agree: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I actually think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a true reflection of the district, which is not particularly homophobic,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really not so surprising that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay and running for office,â&#x20AC;? the senator added, not-
Best subway stop in the district: 51st Street and Lexington Avenue. Worst subway stop in the district: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t complain about any of them!â&#x20AC;? Most hospitable part of the district to a Republican: Madison Square Park. Least hospitable part of the district to a Republican: Union Square Park. Favorite place in the district for entertainment: AMC Kips Bay Theater. Favorite place in the district for education and enlightenment: Carl Schurz Park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Specifically the John Finley Walk overlooking the East River.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Douglas Feiden
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10 Madison Square West btwn W. 24th & W. 25th Sts. New York, NY ing that many other gay officeseekers had vied in the political arena in recent years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more surprising is that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Trump-identified Republican running for office.â&#x20AC;? Krueger is an odds-on favorite to retain her seat. In her last reelection race in 2016, she trounced GOP opponent Michael Zumbluskas by a vote of 101,117 to 33,788. She also boasts a $145,960 campaign treasury, compared to the $5,680 closing balance Holmberg posted as of his most recent state Board of Elections ďŹ ling. Underdogs typically go on the attack. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect either candidate to savage the other. Holmberg first crossed paths with Krueger on First Avenue at 79th Street, and as he tells the story, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I ran into her when I was petitioning on a street corner to take her job, and she was nothing but gracious and respectful to me,â&#x20AC;? he said. His first words to his opponent: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Senator Kruger, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to guess that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not a registered Republican,â&#x20AC;? he said. Krueger confirms the incident. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He keeps being surprised that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m nice to him, and that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m nice,â&#x20AC;? she laughed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfectly pleasant gentleman, we had a very nice conversation, and I agree with him, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m nice!â&#x20AC;? invreporter@strausnews.com
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Transportation, which contracts with private vendors to provide bus school bus service. Special education and elementary school students make up the bulk of the population eligible for bus service. Moran explained that all buses serving special education students, accounting for roughly two-thirds of all buses, are already equipped with GPS. Moran said that he is â&#x20AC;&#x153;interested in exploringâ&#x20AC;? the expansion of the technology to all buses. Last summer, Moran said, DOE undertook a small-scale study to explore the viability of sharing location data with parents via a phone application. Moran said DOE plans to expand the study in the spring of 2019.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every year starts with a higher rate of delays caused by major traffic because the Department of Education has not equipped bus companies or drivers with information early enough for drivers to familiarize themselves with their route and map out their timing,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is unconscionable to me that year after year the Department of Educationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insufficient planning is exacerbating the stress felt by families starting a new school year.â&#x20AC;? Johnson is the sponsor of a bill that would expand DOE disclosure requirements of policies regarding complaints about bus drivers. Other STOP legislation would require DOE to establish a â&#x20AC;&#x153;school bus bill of rights,â&#x20AC;? make bus routes public at least one month before the start of the school year, and ďŹ le regular reports on transportation times, driver qualiďŹ cations and other topics. Ben Kallos, who represents much of the Upper East Side in the City Council, is the sponsor of the GPS bill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once parents are able to track their
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BEST OF MANHATTAN
Bike lanes interrupted by street work would become a thing of the past under a new bill before the City Council. Photo: Daniel Lobo, via flickr
BILL BACKS BIKE SAFETY AMID BUILDING BOOM STREETS Legislation would require preservation of bike lanes blocked by street construction BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
A bike lane is only safe as long as it remains intact. It’s a point so obvious as to be self-evident — but too often, cycling advocates say, street work interrupts the continuity of the city’s bike lane system, forcing bikers to abruptly veer into traffic to avoid construction barricades. A bill under consideration in the City Council seeks to address the problem by requiring that bike lane protections remain in place during street work. The legislation, introduced this month by East Side Council Member Carlina Rivera, would require Department of
Transportation work permit holders to create safe detours preserving bike lanes impacted by construction. Rivera said at an Oct. 17 press conference that the bill “is going to not just protect cyclists, it is going to protect pedestrians and the people of New York City.” Under the bill, permit holders doing work that impedes a bike lane would be required to create a detour lane at least four feet in width (or threequarters the width of the original lane, whichever is greater) that is separated from motor vehicle traffic by a barrier. The bill’s scope encompasses any marked bike lane, included painted lanes, protected lanes and standalone bike paths in parks. Detours would be communicated to cyclists through required disclosure on DOT’s website and notification to local community boards. “There are so many obstacles when it comes to construc-
tion,” Rivera said. “We want people to know that when you are building in this city [...] you have to respect the green infrastructure that is so important to cyclists.” Marco Conner, the deputy director of the bike advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives, hailed the bill as “a permanent solution” to “the unacceptable status quo” that imperils New Yorkers’ safety on a daily basis. “The safety of people who walk and bike is too often compromised when construction projects take up our limited public street space,” Conner said. “The city currently responds to construction projects by accommodating motor vehicles, while the vast majority of New Yorkers who do not drive bear the burden. Pedestrians lose precious sidewalk space, while bicyclists are pushed out into the street.”
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One Person’s Manhattan
SAVING LIVES EVERY DAY How one man went from cleaning emergency rooms to running them BY HARVEY COHEN
If you think your doctor’s office is busy, meet Dr. Robert Femia. His emergency departments see an average of 880 patients a day, 7 days a week, and 52 weeks a year — that’s over 320,000 patients a year. That’s because Femia is chair of the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, responsible for all the hospitals within NYU Langone Health, including the main hospital, Bellevue Hospital and other affiliated hospitals. In addition, NYU recently launched a Virtual Urgent Care Service, where patients make an advance appointment and are treated over their phone or computer p o eo co pute for o problems p ob e s like e infections, ect o s, rashes and other non-critical ailments. With all these patients, Femia actually maintains an average waiting time of just 10 minutes per patient. Of course, a child with a runny nose will wait longer than a patient with cardiac arrest. But with 325 doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and residents, plus the flexibility to staff up as needed, Femia is able to meet those goals. As a child, Femia dreamed of becoming a sports-
No one wakes up planning to go to an emergency room, so when it happens, they’re scared and their families are scared.” Dr. Robert Femia, chair of the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU Langone Health
caster. Then when he was 16, his aunt, who was a nurse, got him a part time job as an orderly in the emergency room at her hospital. In this job, he transported patients, made beds and spent many with a y hours ou s w t a mop o and a broom. a new world where But he also discovered discove he knew he belonged. belonge It was a world where quick decisions needed need to be accurate, where had to replace emostrength under pressure press right diagnosis with limited tion and where the rig information, could save sav lives. medical school at the UniverHe then went to med did his internship and resisity of Connecticut, di State University and before dency at Michigan Sta coming to NYU, was Chairman of Emergency Services at Lenox Hill Hospital. position he has three main reIn his current positi treating patients, training resisponsibilities; treatin dents and conducting research. The research includes finding new and better ways to deal demands of emergency room with the unique dema patients and their families. fam “No one wakes up planning to go to an emerpl when it happens, they’re gency room, so w and their families are scared,” scared andt Femia. That’s why undersays Fe standing and communication stand are ssuch critical skills and why he and a his staff are continually receiving new training that includes learning how tha to have difficult conversations under the most stresstio ful conditions. There is one difficult conT versation Femia had that ve does stand out. It was durdo ing the holiday season and in a young couple left their baby with grandparents ba who were babysitting. Afwh ter a while, the grandparents went to check on the ent child and found him unconchil scious in his crib. The child sciou was rrushed to the emergency where he was pronounced room w of SIDS (sudden indead, a victim v syndrome). fant disease dis As Femia was informing the Fe child’s parents, the mother in
Dr. R Rob Femia, chair of the Ronald O. Perelman De Department of Emergency Me Medicine at NYU Langone Health. Photo: Andrew Neary Heal
Dr. Rob Femia, chair of the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Health, discusses treatment with a patient in the emergency room. Photo: Andrew Neary
DR. ROBERT FEMIA’S SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO AVOID EMERGENCY MEDICINE: 1. ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH A PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR
3. EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES and teach
and get an annual checkup; catching something early before you become symptomatic will help you manage your condition and keep it in check before you end up in an emergency situation.
the same to your children early on.
2. KNOW YOUR SYMPTOMS IF YOU HAVE A CHRONIC CONDITION such as, asthma or diabetes. If symptoms start to worsen more than normal, get them checked out. an outburst of sadness and anger confronted Femia with words that still ring in his ears: “My baby isn’t dead. You’re supposed to save them. That’s why they gave you the white coat.” Of course, Femia has had many other conversations that are far more pleasant — with the heart attack victims brought back to life who just say thank you; with the stroke victims who regain their speech and say their first words to him; with the mother of a child whose broken leg is reset and the pain removed. One growing issue Femia now faces is the rise of opioid addiction in Manhattan. The problem is often compounded when patients can no longer afford their prescriptions and then turn to a less expensive but even more dangerous substitute for their pain, heroin. Femia is seeing more of these patients arrive by ambulance, barely breathing. Fortunately, they can be saved if Naloxone is given in time.
4. DON’T LET YOUR MEDICATION REFILLS LAPSE – if you are having trouble paying for medical care or prescriptions, reach out to social services. You may be eligible to get help! 5. FOCUS ON WELLNESS – keep your weight down, exercise regularly and don’t smoke.
Despite the pressure of his job, Femia loves it. “There are no bad days,” he says, “just busy days and it’s a privilege to do what I do.” He also points out, that unlike on TV, there isn’t a lot of romance going on in the ER, with most everybody just going home to relax with their families. Even with his intense work schedule, Femia does find time to enjoy Manhattan. He lives in Greenwich Village with his wife and three children and goes out with them to restaurants like Little Owl, Via Carota and Bar Pitti, all right in his neighborhood. He can also be found walking his dog Vella in Washington Square Park and he loves Broadway shows. The last show he saw was “Waitress” starring Sara Bareilles. He is a big fan of the New York Knicks and goes to several games a year at Madison Square Garden. So one might say, that even when he relaxes, he’s surrounded by pain and suffering.
Know someone we should profile in One Person’s Manhattan? Call 212-868-0190 or email nyoffice@strausnews.com
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Level: Medium
E U B E E K H D V F C X T A J
Y Z E G L D R Q X D P A C G L
B N T K R I K K D Z Z F X E Q
O Q C I V Q R C T O J W S O L
A L V E L H F A L A P T O P Y
R E A M V U Y P I M S H N R P
D Z Z E U O P A F J L G V K D
J H M M B Y P C A W T T I N V
R E S O L U T I O N F J Z J S
S T O R A G E T K E E M A I L
The puzzle contains the following words. They may be diagonal, across, or up and down in the grid in any direction.
C F E Y X J G Y E J Q W W B L
Capacity Computer Email Excel Flashdrive Harddrive Keyboard Laptop Memory Message Mouse Resolution Screen Storage Word
ANSWERS V
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K S H O R L T S D A E Y K S B
5 8
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V Z U H L C O C A R B Y K S N
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WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor
S T O R A G E T K E E M A I L
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R E S O L U T I O N F J Z J S
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B N T K R I K K D Z Z F X E Q
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3
41
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Y Z E G L D R Q X D P A C G L
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Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
54
14
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57
13
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8
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7
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SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
by Myles Mellor
S
2
CROSSWORD
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