The local paper for the Upper East Side
WEEK OF DECEMBER TREASURES FROM JERUSALEM < P. 12
22-28 2016
Participants during a bird count in Central Park on Dec. 18. Photo: Gail Eisenberg
UP WITH — AND FOR — THE BIRDS NYC Audubon holds the 117th annual Christmas Bird Count BY GAIL EISENBERG
The weather outside looked frightful, but that didn’t stop the nearly 100 birders and nature enthusiasts who got up with — and for — the birds on Sunday morning to participate in the 117th annual Christmas Bird Count, the longest running wildlife census on the planet. “The count happens rain or shine or snow,” said Debra Kriensky, Conservation Biologist, NYC Audubon, who coordinated the Central Park event on Sunday, Dec. 18. “Rain is not ideal for birding, but our job is just to count whatever is there!” The longstanding winter tradition to count birds during the holidays rather than to hunt them was ornithologist Frank M. Chapman’s idea. Rachel Goldberg, Gerald Slevin and their daughter, Sparrow, who, at just fourteen months old, was on her second Count, drove in from Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, to help with the national conservation effort. Arriving at a name for their newborn came naturally for the bird lovers. Gerald, a musician, “would sing Simon &
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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GRADING TAKEOUT’S DELIVERY Neighborhood association tracks restaurants, bicyclists’ adherence to regulations BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Unsatisfied with the regulation of commercial cyclists, a group of Upper East Side residents took matters into their own hands. For a few evenings last month, members of the East 72nd Street Neighborhood Association stood in the lobbies of
Crime Watch Voices Out & About City Arts
3 8 10 12
five Upper East Side buildings, monitoring the bike delivery persons that came and went. After evaluating the information they collected, they compiled a report card rating restaurants by their messengers’ adherence to laws and regulations. “Commercial cycling has been a real problem on the Upper East Side,” Valerie Mason, the association’s president, said. “There’s a real density of population. People do a lot of takeout, so these guys are very visible.” The neighborhood associa-
Real Estate Property 15 Minutes
16 17 21
tion’s survey took place on the evenings of Nov. 15-17, with the group noting whether delivery riders wore reflective vests, displayed identification or used electric bicycles. Delivery riders using electric bikes, which are illegal but nonetheless common, merited their restaurants an automatic F. In all, nearly half — 29 out of 64 restaurants — failed. Just four restaurants got A grades. Their delivery persons were wearing vests with proper identification and were using
bikes without motors. Riders lacking vests and other safety features earned their affiliated restaurants B and C grades.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday, December 23 – 4:15 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY TO OPEN JAN. 1 Nearly decade-long, $4.4 billion project is first of four planned phases on East Side BY JAKE PEARSON
New Yorkers have become accustomed to waiting on the subway. But nearly 45 years? That’s how long it’s been since construction began on a much-needed subway line beneath Manhattan’s east side. But the completion of the project’s first phase is now on the near horizon: Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that the line would open Jan. 1. Cuomo has been pushing the end-ofthe-year deadline set by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hard in recent weeks, saying it’s become about more than the long-delayed Second Avenue subway — it’s about the faith people have in government. “Nobody believes it’s going to be done on time, nobody,” the Democratic governor said in a radio interview last week. But, he added, “if we can get it done on time. ... if we can open
that thing up at the beginning of the year, maybe people will start to say once again, “Wow. Maybe we can do something.” On Monday morning, Cuomo tweeted “We’re going to restore credibility,” in announcing the opening. The Second Avenue subway, seen as crucial to alleviating traffic on one of the world’s busiest transit systems, has been star-crossed since it was first envisioned by the city’s transportation board in 1929. Those plans were derailed by the stock market crash a few months later. It wasn’t until 1972 that ground was finally broken on the project. But again, a financial crisis in the nation’s most populous city in the 1970s put to a halt to work. In the 1990s, two powerful U.S. senators from New York were able to secure vital federal funds. But then there were years of bureaucratic hurdles: zoning changes, environmental studies and pre-construction work to clear the city’s underground of pipes and cables. In 2007, the major tunneling work began on the $4.4 billion project that’s
A rendering of the Second Avenue subway’s 86th Street station mezzanine. Courtesy of the MTA now set to open: a four-station, nearly 2-mile expansion of an existing subway line from Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street to 96th Street, with stops at 72nd and 86th streets in between. . It was supposed to be completed in 2013. “Quite frankly, it’s way overdue,” said Richard Barone, of the Regional Plan Association, a transportation research and advocacy group. “In the long run, does it matter if it’s a little late by weeks or months? No as long as it opens. But if the government says they’re going to do it at this time, people should have a reasonable expectation that they do.” Delays were due, at least in part, on
the fact that construction is much different today than it was when most of the city’s subways were built. At the beginning of the 1900s, before certain worker safety protections were codified into law, New York subway construction was championed by the efficient so-called “cut and cover” method, where workers stopped traffic to dig up the streets, lay track and then covered up the holes again. During the Second Avenue subway construction, officials employed a 485ton, 450-foot-long machine that bored through 50 feet of bedrock daily. But the pace was slowed, in part, because of political concerns about noise from the work.
About 5.6 million riders take New York City’s subways on weekdays, according to the MTA, the state entity that controls the transit system. Ridership on Manhattan’s only northsouth subway line on the east side has been surging, with overcrowded trains straining the system and causing delays that ripple throughout the city’s underground. Officials estimate about 200,000 daily commuters will take advantage of the new Second Avenue line, which is slated to expand north into Harlem. But officials haven’t yet set a date for when that phase of construction will begin.
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Small enough to know you. Large enough to help you. 1. New Complete Checking Plus account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. This offer is limited to one Complete Checking Plus account per household. The APY is effective October 17, 2016. The APY for Complete Checking Plus is 0.15% for daily account balances between $0 to $4,999. The blended annual percentage yield (APY) for Complete Checking Plus is 0.51% for daily account balances between $5,000 to $49,999 and 0.59% for daily account balances of $50,000 or greater. The guaranteed rate of 1.00% will remain in effect for 90 days after account opening. At the end of this 90 day period the annual percentage yield will revert to 0.35% for daily account balances between $5,000 to $49,999 and 0.45% for daily account balances of $50,000 or greater. Rates may change at any time without notice. You must maintain a daily balance of $5,000 for the statement cycle to receive the disclosed yield. If your daily account balance is less than $5,000 the interest rate paid on the entire balance in your account will be 0.15% APY. You must deposit a minimum of $100 to open the Complete Checking Plus account. A minimum balance of $5,000 is required to avoid a monthly maintenance fee. Fees may reduce the earnings on the account. The rate and offer are subject to change and early termination without prior notice at any time. 2. New Complete Checking or Complete Checking Plus account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. This offer is limited to one Complete Checking or Complete Checking Plus account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new Complete Checking account is $25 and a new Complete Checking Plus account is $100. No minimum balance required to be eligible for the Bonus. Direct Deposit – You will receive $100 for signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 90 days after the account is opened. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $50 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments – You will receive $50 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Debit Card Purchases and Online Bill-payments must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $200. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about the end of the month following the completion of the above qualifying transactions within the required time after account opening. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. All offers are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th precinct Week to Date
Year to Date
2016 2015
% Change
2016
2015
% Change
Murder
0
0
0
2
1
100.0
Rape
0
0
0
5
8
-37.5
Robbery
6
2
200.0
91
98
-7.1
Felony Assault
1
4
-75.0
120
120
0.0
Burglary
1
2
-50.0
193
161
19.9
Grand Larceny
18
37
-51.4
1,336
1,317
1.4
Grand Larceny Auto
1
0
0
70
73
-4.1
Tony Webster, via ďŹ&#x201A;ickr
CHANEL HELL
NO LUCK AT STARBUCKS
GOOSED
ROLLED ROLEX
UNFAIRWAY
Painting the town red put an area resident in the red. At 11 p.m. on Dec. 11, a 45-year-old woman was enjoying a night out at The Smith Restaurant at 1900 Broadway when she left her property unattended. When she next looked for her belongings they were nowhere to be found, including a Chanel wallet, credit cards, and other items totaling $4,700.
Hang your bag on a chair, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d better beware! At 10 p.m. on Dec. 12, a 51-year-old woman hung her bag on the back of her seat at the Starbucks store at 1841 Broadway. When she next checked on her stuff it was gone, including the bag, credit cards and other belongings. The police report gave no value for the missing items.
One restaurant might need to check the security in its coat check room. At 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 10, a 30-year-old man left a coat and sweater in the check room at a restaurant located at 226 West 79th St. The items â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Canadian goose coat valued at $950 and a cashmere sweater worth $100 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; were missing when he went to fetch them.
At 8 p.m. on Dec. 9, a 37-year-old man left his watch and wallet in a locker at the Equinox Sports Club at 160 Columbus Ave. When he returned after his workout, he found that his watch had vanished. It was a Rolex Datejust valued at $6,000.
More than fruit and produce were getting squeezed in a local Fairway store recently. At 11 a.m. on Dec. 10, a 39-year-old woman placed her purse in her shopping cart in the Fairway store at 2131 Broadway. When she next checked for the bag, she found that it had disappeared, along with her wallet, driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, credit cards and cash. Police put the value of the missing items and cash at $640.
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct
153 E. 67th St.
212-452-0600
159 E. 85th St.
311
FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13 FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16
157 E. 67th St.
311
FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43
1836 Third Ave.
311
FDNY Engine 44
221 E. 75th St.
311
CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick
211 E. 43rd St. #1205
212-818-0580
Councilmember Ben Kallos
244 E. 93rd St.
212-860-1950
STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
State Senator Liz Krueger
1850 Second Ave.
212-490-9535
Assembly Member Dan Quart
360 E. 57th St.
212-605-0937
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
1365 First Ave.
212-288-4607
COMMUNITY BOARD 8
505 Park Ave. #620
212-758-4340
LIBRARIES Yorkville
222 E. 79th St.
212-744-5824
96th Street
112 E. 96th St.
212-289-0908
67th Street
328 E. 67th St.
212-734-1717
Webster Library
1465 York Ave.
212-288-5049
100 E. 77th St.
212-434-2000
HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell
525 E. 68th St.
212-746-5454
Mount Sinai
E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.
212-241-6500
NYU Langone
550 First Ave.
212-263-7300
CON EDISON
4 Irving Place
212-460-4600
POST OFFICES US Post Office
1283 First Ave.
212-517-8361
US Post Office
1617 Third Ave.
212-369-2747
The Hells Angels clubhouse at 77 East Third Street in 2011. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
ANGELS-ONLY PARKING Shooting outside bikers’ East Third Street clubhouse follows argument over traffic cones BY TOM HAYS
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It’s conventional wisdom on a block in the East Village that the Hells Angels bikers at a notorious local headquarters there aren’t necessarily horrible neighbors — but just don’t do anything to disturb the bikes parked outside. A man from upstate New York learned that lesson the hard way last week when he tried to move one of the orange traffic cones the bikers used to hold curbside parking spots. The outsider ended up in the hospital with a gunshot wound, setting off the latest dust up between police and the motorcycle club. With the secretive group refusing to help investigators identify the shooter, patrol officers swept onto the mostly residential block last week and ticketed the tenement building it owns for petty offenses that had previously been ignored: installing an unauthorized bench, planters and a motorcycle ramp on the sidewalk out-
side the front door. All were removed the same day, with the New York Police Department saying it was merely responding to civilian complaints. And the cones? They were taken, too, tossed into the back of a police cruiser. “I don’t know how they got away with the parking thing in the first place,” Megan McNally, a 26-year-old paralegal from Brooklyn who once lived in the neighborhood, said a couple of days later as she walked by the club. “And then somebody has to get shot over it?” On this day, six motorcycles — three on each side — were parked in rows in front of the clubhouse, apparently legally. A “No Parking, Except for Authorized Hells Angels” sign remained posted on its red brick facade. Asked about the shooting, three merchants along the block mostly shrugged it off. They said that the Hells Angels kept to themselves and that their claim on one of New York’s rarest commodities — parking — had been quietly accepted for years. “It’s all about staying away from the bikes,” one said.
Still, all spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of running afoul of their neighbors at 77 East Third St. A reporter’s knocks on the door went unanswered at the apartment building the Hells Angels have occupied since 1969, an era when the East Village’s future as a high-rent district was unthinkable. Over the years, the tattooed, Harleyriding members gained a reputation for being the bullies of the block — hosting rowdy parties, harassing passers-by and clashing with authorities who tried to put it to a stop. In 1985, police raided the clubhouse, making 15 arrests on drug and other charges. The city used the case to try to seize the building in the early 1990s in a federal lawsuit, but a jury sided with the bikers. The Hells Angels countered with their own litigation, accusing police of illegally searching the headquarters in 1999 and again in 2000. The city agreed to settle the lawsuit by paying the club more than $800,000. Any mayhem that crops up these days is typically instigat-
ed by people who consider the clubhouse a tourist attraction instead of a private property, said attorney Ron Kuby, who’s represented the Hell Angels in multiple cases over the years. Some are “drunk or stupid or drunk and stupid and from out of town,” said Kuby, whose latest client is a biker accused of chasing someone down the block with a bat. In the shooting, police say 25-year-old David Martinez, of Spring Valley, was riding with some friends in a MercedesBenz at around 1 a.m. Dec. 11 when he got out to move a cone to get through some traffic. After a man believed to be with Hells Angels objected, a street fight broke out between Martinez and other men from the car and bikers, police said. Someone drew a gun and shot Martinez in the stomach, then vanished in what remains an unsolved case. Kuby said any lack of cooperation from the Hells Angels is consistent with their credo of not calling police for help — nor offering any to them. The Hells Angels, he said, “just want to be left alone.”
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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New legislation aims to regulate the Board of Standards and Appeals BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
A package of 10 zoningrelated bills could give communities more power to fight decisions made by the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA). Variances that exempt developers from the zoning code and permits for things like after-hours construction are granted through the agency, sometimes despite vocal opposition from local residents and the community board. On Wednesday, Dec. 14, the City Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Committee on Governmental Operations discussed legislation that would, for example, slow the approval process for new developments in the BSA. Sponsored by Council Members Ben Kallos, James Van Bramer, Karen Koslowitz, Steven Matteo, Donovan Richards and Rosie Mendez, the legislation proposes to give communities more time and weight in BSA decisions. According to BSA executive director Ryan Singer, the board has only 21 employees who use a â&#x20AC;&#x153;rigorous standardâ&#x20AC;? to handle between 300 and 500 applications per year.
Steep ďŹ nes for lying Sponsored by Kallos, Int. 1392-2016 would impose a $25,000 fine on anyone â&#x20AC;&#x153;who makes a materially false statement or causes a materially false statement to be made in connection with a zoning application.â&#x20AC;? Singer said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the applicant community is by and large honest and careful, but we think having these additional tools would be helpful.â&#x20AC;? Kallos said he was most proud of this bill, which is one of ďŹ ve he sponsors in the package. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an error, an omission or an intentional misrepresentation in any part of the BSA application,â&#x20AC;? he said, adding this is something he has experienced before. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Currently it is not illegal to have drawings and other representations that the community may rely on in making decisions that may be inaccurate because they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been sworn to. This would change that. In addition, this would also set speciďŹ c pieces of information that the community would have to know.â&#x20AC;? For example, he said, that would include if hardships claimed by developers have
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Added accountability If passed, Int. 418-2014 would hold the BSA more accountable to communities when it makes decisions they disagree with. Sponsored by Koslowitz, this bill proposes that the BSA be required to submit a written explanation of decisions that are made contrary to the local community board. The board already issues decisions, Kallos said, though they are very brief. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not writing judicial-style decisions that provide ďŹ ndings of fact or issues of law,â&#x20AC;? Kallos said. More detailed decisions would be easier for communities to appeal.
Directly addressing community concerns Int. 282-2014, sponsored by Van Bramer, would force the BSA to â&#x20AC;&#x153;establish rules for the consideration of arguments and evidence submitted by parties, and to refer to such arguments and evidence in ďŹ nal determinations.â&#x20AC;? Simply put, anything submitted by elected officials and community boards with regard to a speciďŹ c application would have to be addressed in the BSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s written decisions. At the hearing, Singer said he was concerned
that â&#x20AC;&#x153;because of the volume of comments received, we believe the result would be a resolution that is unwieldy and less straightforward and would require signiďŹ cant resources to exhaustively address.â&#x20AC;?
Mapping variances online Another bill by Kallos, Int. 1394-2016 proposes that the BSA create an interactive online map of all variants and special permits approved by the agency since Jan. 1, 1996. Allowing users to ďŹ lter by multiple categories like borough, date and permit status, Kallos hopes the law will open up information to residents and communities affected by BSA decisions. The upper East 60s and lower East 70s in Kallosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s district particularly inspired this, as they have slowly been rezoned out of residential use almost exclusively for hospital use. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That would be reflected on the map, so people could actually say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wait, look, this entire area used to be one thing but BSA variances turned it into something else,â&#x20AC;? he said. Singer, however, told the committee that such a map would be â&#x20AC;&#x153;expensive and challenging to maintain. Therefore, we do not support this bill but would be happy to sit down and discuss how we can best address these issues with the Council.â&#x20AC;?
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
A ‘VICTORIOUS’ HUNTER STUDENT Faiza Masood is the college’s first winner of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship BY ILGIN YORULMAZ
One of the questions Faiza Masood was asked during her application for the Marshall Scholarship, a post-graduate program to study in the United Kingdom, was how much she appreciated the needs and concerns of others. The admissions committee could not have found a better candidate than the 21-year-old Hunter College senior. Faiza, a practicing Muslim and president of the campus Interfaith Club that she founded in September this year, had just held an event titled “Why is My Neighbor Scared of Me?” in support of those who face bias every day because they are immigrants, or of a certain faith or sexual orientation. She became the first Hunter student in the school’s history to win the scholarship. More than 800 over-achieving college seniors across the nation typically compete for the Marshall program, which is akin to the Rhodes Scholarship in prestige and selectivity. Apart from Faiza, only one other student from New York State made it to this year’s Marshall cohort. With its approximately 5 percent overall acceptance rate, Marshall puts even Harvard College’s current 5.9 percent, a record low, to shame. Faiza means “victorious” in Arabic and the grant she won will allow her to study for a master’s degree in Islamic Law at London’s world famous School of Oriental and African Studies starting in Fall 2017. Faiza says she took a class in Islamic Law in her earlier years at Hunter and was instantly captivated by it. She also observed diverse interpretations of the law during her recent travels in Jordan, Morocco and Pakistan. These experiences convinced her that Islamic Law can take “very different shapes” in different contexts and is not “inflexible” as most would think. After getting a master’s degree in London, Faiza wants to continue with her studies further and to eventually get a Ph.D. in Islamic Law in the future. Donning a hijab over her petite frame and a constant smile on her delicate face, the newest Marshall Scholar comes from a Pakistani immigrant family with four daughters. Masood sisters are no different from girls their age: They like putting make up on each other, watching movies, and gossiping. Contrary to the stereotypical view in the West that Islam suppresses women, girls in the Masood family are given every opportunity to be educated. Faiza, who is the youngest of the four, has an older sister, Hajara, who also studies religion at Hunter, and is
A pair of cardinals in Central Park thickets on Dec. 18. The male, with deeper red plumage, is the background. Photo: Gail Eisenberg
THE BIRDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Faiza Masood at the British Consulate in New York. Courtesy of Faiza Masood. graduating soon. Faiza’s father, Gulraiz, 62, and her homemaker mother, Kalsoom, 55, came to this country as immigrants and worked hard. Before Hunter, Faiza studied at Razi School, a small religious Pre K-12 school in Woodside, Queens. Her graduating class had only 10 boys and girls. Faiza credits the rigorous academic program at Razi for preparing her for Hunter College. At Hunter, Faiza majored in religion with double minors in Arabic and Asian American Studies. As a native Urdu speaker, she studied Arabic abroad through summer fellowships offered by the State Department and Columbia University. Last year, she spent time at the Harvard Divinity School’s Diversity and Explorations Program. Faiza draws attention to the parallels in the U.K. and the U.S. when it comes to the increase in anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric. In the aftermath of first the Brexit vote in June and later during the bitter U.S. presidential campaign, Faiza sensed the anxiety and discomfort among her immigrant classmates and neighbors. “Hunter [College] said they’d be a sanctuary campus, and that means a lot for these vulnerable students,” she says. Hunter is CUNY’s most diverse cam-
pus; 50 percent of its students have at least one parent born outside of the U.S. Noting that Faiza is the seventh CUNY student to be awarded a Marshall Scholarship, Chancellor James B. Milliken said in a statement, “Faiza…is an example of the gifts [immigrants] bring to our campuses. Immigrants and their families have always been among our most outstanding students and they go on to make great contributions to New York.” So, what does Gulraiz, Faiza’s father and the patriarch of a Muslim family with five women in it, think of his youngest daughter moving all alone across the pond? Faiza beams when revealing her father’s reaction: “’She can do it; she’s an independent girl,’ said my father.” The Marshall Scholarship is a postgraduate program that supports American university students to pursue graduate studies in British colleges and universities. Founded in 1953, it was named after U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall, whose namesake plan helped rebuild Europe after World War II. Every year, as many as 40 scholars are selected based on academic merit (GPA above 3.7), leadership potential, and ambassadorial qualities to promote U.S.-U.K. relations.
Garfunkel’s ‘Sparrow’ to me while I was pregnant,” said Goldberg. “At some point, we both thought ‘of course, that’s the baby’s name.’” The three were reunited with friends from previous Counts: Abby Goldstein and her daughter, Sadie, 12, who traveled uptown from Tribeca. Sadie, wearing owl socks for the occasion, got the birding bug after studying them in second-grade at P.S. 234—a class her older brother, who had to miss this year’s Count because of a hockey game commitment, had also taken. Expert and novice birders who assembled at the South Pump Station of the Reservoir chose one of seven sectors covering the park’s terrain, and each group designated someone to compile the numbers. For the Ramble, that was Goldstein. “You can’t spot and keep count at the same time, and they’re all better at birding than I am,” she said. Through the light drizzle and lifting fog, with Goldberg holding the wide-eyed baby Sparrow on what she knows will be a “fun treasure hunt,” the Ramble crew showed off their knowledge — exactly what the day called for. “Three titmice!” “One chickadee!” “One female hairy woodpecker!” “Two northern cardinals!” “Got it, got it.” Abby assured the gang that their sightings were noted. “OMG, it’s a Fox Sparrow! It’s really cool. Wait, there are two!” Slevin yelled, and then directed Sadie to where he’d spotted them. This time of year is the only time you’ll see them, so you want to see them, explained Sgt. Jessica Correa, the group’s Urban Park Ranger escort. Four-plus hours, one perched juvenile hawk, and many tufted titmice and house sparrows later, the Ramble
sector met up with the others at the Central Park Arsenal — one of two buildings that predate the park itself — for hot soup and even hotter data. Among comparisons to last year’s Count, there appeared to be nearly double the number of northern cardinals, about fifty additional blue jays, significantly more titmice, and way fewer house finches. “Changes from year to year are pretty common, so increases and decreases should be taken with a grain of salt,” said Kriensky. “What is more important are trends over the long term, which National Audubon is analyzing across the range of the Christmas Bird Count, and we keep track of for our Central Park Count.” And then, perhaps the crème de la crème of bragging rights — rare sightings not on the list. Those unexpected visitors, as Kriensky called them, that people love to hear about and like to find even more. Mentions of the Killdeer, Iceland Gull, and American Wigeon elicited oohs and aahs that could rival those at a bridal shower. Our election process should be so organized. Go to http://www.nycaudubon. org/christmas-bird-count for more information about NYC Audubon and the Christmas Bird Count. The Christmas Bird Count continues through January 5, 2017.
A route check during the 117th annual Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, Dec. 18. Photo: Gail Eisenberg
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
ANGEL RAMOS: SERVING UP ECLECTIC, VEGAN EATS ON THE UES You’re the head chef at Candle 79. What kind of food do you serve here? Everything is vegan and organic. We use wheat proteins, things like seitan and tofu to replace meat. Some of our seasonal dishes include a chickpea crepe, seitan picatta, and a grilled kale salad. We work a lot with local farmers, and learn about how the food grows and where it’s coming from. I go out myself to get fresh, local produce. We change the menu three or four times a year to keep seasonal produce. When did you get started cooking? I started at the café. We have
three restaurants: one on 75th and 3rd, one on the West Side, and this one on 79th and Lexington. So I started over there at the café as a runner, and I really liked cooking, so I started working on the line in the back. That was 19 years ago when I first got hired, and I’ve been with the company ever since. I was about 23 years old when I started. I really love what I do, and it’s reflected in the cuisine here. Are you vegan? I try different types of cuisines, but I eat mostly vegan—I’m here six days a week. Most of our customers, about 80% of them, aren’t vegan. They just like to try out different things.
What kind of food do you like to cook at home? I like to keep it light and simple: soups, salads, that sort of thing. When you’re cooking at work every day, it’s nice to go home and just relax. You’ve been with Candle 79 for so long. What has been the highlight of your career thus far? We’ve made three cook books, where we’re able to show people how to make traditional recipes vegan. A lot of the dishes in the second book and the holiday cooking one are my own recipes. Check out what Angel is serving up at The Art of Food by purchasing tickets at: artoffoodny.com
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
Voices Forget yoga, mindfulness, spinning, meditation, sweaty workouts and follow me. Take a comfy pillow or baby blanket, place it on the nearest window sill, lean on your elbows, and look out. (If you don’t have windows, forget this article — I can’t help you.) Look out at the sky, rain or snow, people walking, baby carriages or strollers being maneuvered, dog walkers with assorted charges, tired buses which should be retired. While you are in your relaxed position you may have noticed that your heartbeat has slowed and you are breathing on a regular basis. You may also become sleepy and decide to take a little nap. During my interlude staring out the window onto Second Avenue, I notice we have newly constructed little islands at intersections which the city has kindly installed. Is it to give us a rest while crossing the street? On closer look, I may have an answer. The little islands have space where I see black earth. I’m sure the city will plant either lilac bushes or trees, like what happened in that familiar book, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” So look out your window and see what happens when you feel stressed. If you get too relaxed and don’t do what is on your list, please don’t check Second Avenue windows looking for me.
IS THERE STRESS IN YOUR LIFE? BY MELITTA ANDERMAN
This is a question requiring no logical answer, especially this time of year. Look around you, wherever you may be: stress is your shadow, following you around as you attempt to entangle yourself from holiday input such as guests you haven’t heard from in ages but now remember you exist; buying gifts for grownups and kids who don’t need anything (you know I’m right); taking care of household and building staff; buying lavish wrapping paper and ribbons (I have it from a reliable source that Moscow has the most gorgeous paper). Need I continue? Yes, because I haven’t mentioned providing food. The choices really are the same from year to year, but oh that shopping, cooking, table-setting and cleanup. So you are probably wondering, where is this madwoman going with her stress? Not to worry.
Photo: Brad Clinesmith, via flickr
SPREADING LIGHT, AND CHEER BY BETTE DEWING
More than ever we talk about “bringing people together,” and we need to hear more, infinitely more, about one city Yuletide tradition which does just that, and so much more. It’s those balsam trees which magically light up Park Avenue every year from the first Sunday in December through Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. But many don’t know they are called The Park Avenue Memorial Trees and are there to honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in this nation’s wars. Imagine not knowing that! Or that this sacred tradition was begun in December of 1945 by Mrs. Stephen C. Clarke and several other Park Avenue Gold Star mothers who channeled their grief into planting and illuminating first just eight fir trees on the Park Avenue island, to honor their sons and all who gave their lives in World War II. And of course, in all this nation’s wars which so tragically continue. And the opening tree-lighting ceremony (Hawthorne bushes are there to honor Chanukkah,) has long been held in front of Brick Church, which celebrates its 250th birthday this year (A subject for another column). The Memorial Trees, however, are sponsored and arranged by the Park Avenue Fund citizens group, with
Brick Church planning the program of tributes and music that now attracts crowds, including families with children, with nearby blocks designated no-traffic zones for the occasion. The only problem is more elder and disabled people need help getting there and managing the crowded conditions (For yet another column). But about uniting people, Brick church’s minister, the Rev. Michael Lindvall, had this to say — and about the state of the city and world: “We gather together as a wonderful mix of God’s children — Christians of many denominations, Jews, Muslims, those who believe and those who struggle with belief, and those who cannot believe – know that all are welcome.” He spoke most, of course, about the meaning of the Memorial Trees, but also how “these lights celebrate the great city of New York, its neighborhoods, and our will to become a community in the anonymity and diversity of a huge city. Our gathering here defies all the forces of darkness which would divide us.” Not surprisingly, perhaps, I think of “community” lost, as local businesses (even supermarkets) that meet everyday needs and rent-regulated homes are driven out by luxury condo and business towers. And yes, healing and schools’ expansions also. So many
losses this past year and we must protest future losses of these community lifelines — big time! Shouldn’t faith groups get involved? I might add their own survival prospects might increase if they challenged these, dare I say, powers of darkness? But back to the Memorial Tree-lighting program. For me the most joyful and inclusive part is the carol-singing led by Brick’s music director, Keith Toth. Ah, singing together, rather than listening to professionals is one of so many drums I’ve been figuratively banging for a very long time. But, surely the most poignant part of the tree-lighting event is the playing of taps by trumpeter, Thomas Hoyt, to remind us of the Memorial Trees’ true meaning. Related are words from Reverend Lindvail’s concluding prayer: “Be with all this world’s leaders that at last we must beat all those spears into pruning hooks and swords into plowshares.” It’s up to us to remind them! Ah, but do experience Park Avenue after sundown this holiday/holy-day season. And may the able-bodied take along those who are not able to get there alone. Take them along wherever – also what the season is all about — all year. dewingbetter@aol.com
Photo: New York Social Diary
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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SEASON’S BEST WISHES BY PETER PEREIRA
Sixth Avenue and West 31st Street. Photo: Fraser Mummery, via flickr
BIG HEARTS AND HARD TIMES Enriching encounters with the homeless in Chelsea BY MANUEL MARTIN
On the way to the local library to write about my experiences with the homeless in Chelsea, I receive an enthusiastic holiday greeting from an unfamiliar man walking by. “Heeyyy! Merry Christmas,” he shouts. I think he is the person I gave new sneakers to a few months ago. I answer his greeting with the same as we turn around smiling and waving at each other. He remembered me! The Coalition for the Homeless reports that “homelessness in NYC had reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s.” On an August morning as I read the newspaper at a local shop, a tall man sat outdoors on the sidewalk with no shoes or socks and a ripped shirt. I inquired if he would like some breakfast. He asked for a croissant with egg and bacon and a black coffee with three sugars. As I gave this to him I asked if he would wait for me to return. I came back with a pair of shoes, socks, a shirt and a jacket. He hugged me so tightly I was nearly lifted from the ground, not an easy task as I am six feet five inches tall. With a tear in his eye he said, “I have some problems. Thank you, my brother.” Four months later I felt a familiar tight hug from behind. He remembered me with appreciation. In October 2016, there were 62,306 homeless people sleeping each night in a NYC municipal shelter.
For years an elderly lady “lived” across 25th street on a sidewalk in Chelsea. She was surrounded by her belongings covered by a tarp at the foot of a luxury condo building. A few days each week I handed her money, to which she always said, “Thank you very much.” When Thanksgiving Day came I reached over to give her some money. She said, “No, today it’s my turn. Happy Thanksgiving.” She gave me a gift-wrapped new black wallet. I said, “It’s my turn to say thank you very much.” I called and visited churches to see if there was help available. Soon after, she was gone. I was told she was taken away by ambulance with her belongings. I’m glad I was able to assist a bit and felt privileged to know her. I hope she’s ok. Over City Fiscal year 2016, more than 127,652 homeless men, women and children slept in NYC municipal shelters. The number of New Yorkers sleeping each night in shelters is 83 percent higher than it was ten years ago. Nearly each day there is a man standing in front of the bagel store I frequent with an empty coffee cup in his hand. He seems invisible to those who walk past him. When asked if he would like breakfast, he says he doesn’t want to take advantage. I tell him he’s not taking advantage, but he says no. I wish him well and he says, “I’ll buy you breakfast one day.” I answer, “We’ll have it together.” Research shows that the primary cause of homelessness, particularly among families, is lack of afford-
able housing. Each night thousands of people sleep on streets, the subway system and other public places. One morning several months ago I was having coffee and reading the newspaper. A large man approached and asked if I knew where he could get some dry socks. He said he had walked miles in the rain and passed out asleep for a while. I gave him coffee and an egg on a bagel and some dry clothes to change into. As I did with others, I told him there was a nearby soup kitchen where he could get a warm meal and beverage. He was grateful for the food and clothes; we said goodbye. As I walked away he called out, “Hey man, I love you man!” About 58 percent of NYC homeless shelter residents are African-American, 31 percent are Latino, 7 percent white, 1 percent AsianAmerican and 3 percent of unknown race/ethnicity. These enriching encounters are but a few that this writer has experienced in the past few years. Each time I was rewarded by the appreciation that was shown. Each homeless person remembered me, in some cases months later. It was a pleasure to have known these good people with big hearts who have fallen on hard times. May each one find better times ahead and enrich the people they meet as they did with me. The information and statistics come from The Coalition for the Homeless. New York City Homelessness: The Basic Facts
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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Thu 22 CHALLAH BREADBAKING DEMO Bloomingdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 1000 Third Ave. 6-8 p.m. Free. Sara Briman, culinary critic, bakes Challah bread, a special braided bread eaten on Sabbath and Jewish holidays. 212-705-2000. bloomingdales.com
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Cooper Hewitt, 2 East 91st St. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.$18. Nearly 70 rarely seen ornament prints and drawings from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, part of Cooper Hewittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s permanent collection. 212-849-8400. cooperhewitt.org
MOZART, FRANCK, BRAHMS Carnegie Hall, 154 West 57th St. 8 p.m. $30. A program of inspired piano and violin works by classical composers. 212-247-7800. carnegiehall. com
STORY TIME
stmarystmarkmanhattan.com
Yorkville Library, 222 East 79th St. 4-4:30 p.m.Free. Meet your friends at the library and listen to some of your favorite picture books. Ages 3+. 212-744-5824. nypl.com
PEDICAB TOURS
THE IMBIBLE: CHRISTMAS CAROL COCKTAILS The Producersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Club, 358 W 44th St. 8-10 p.m.$65. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the morning after Scroogeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spectral visits, and our hero is determined to celebrate Christmas by throwing a party â&#x20AC;&#x153;just like old Fezziwigâ&#x20AC;?. 844-446-2425. http:// imbible.nyc
Fri 23
Central Park, 58th Street @ Fifth Avenue. 9-12 a.m.$120 hour. Enjoy a pedicab tour with a Central Park expert, visit well-known attractions and landmarksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;1, 2, 3, or 4 hours. Seats 2-3. 917-405-1303. centralparkpedicabs.com
SANTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORNER Bryant Park, Le Carrousel, 40th Street and Fifth Avenue. 8 a.m.Free. The big man himself stops by Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park for free photo opportunities. 917-304-6213. bryantpark. org
â&#x20AC;&#x153;AGNES MARTINâ&#x20AC;? RETROSPECTIVE Guggenheim Museum, 1071
CHRISTMAS CAROLING Fifth Ave. Mary Manning Walsh â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Medical and Nursing Care, 1339 York Ave. 6:30 p.m.Free. St. Mary and St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church present Christmas caroling program for local community nursing home. All welcome. 646-475-4800.
1 p.m.Free with admission. Documentary on the renowned painter, intercut with shots of her at work in her studio in Taos, N.M., photographs and archival footage. 917-304-6213
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
Sat 24 CAROLING AND SERVICE Church of the Resurrection, 119 East 74th St. 5 p.m.Free. Church service, Christmas caroling featuring church’s professional choir. 212-879-4320. resurrectionnyc.org
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES Church of the Advent Hope, 111 East 87th St. 5-6 p.m. Free. Church of the Advent Hope and Christ Church nyc host carols and Christmas celebration. 212-534-8245. adventhope.org
SEA LION FEED Central Park Zoo, 830 Fifth Ave. 11:30 a.m.$12 adults; $7 kids. Sea lions are curious and intelligent. In winter, the animals eat more than usual, maintaining insulation for the cold weather. 212-439-6500. centralparkzoo.com
YOUTH GROUP Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 263 W 86th St. 1-2:30 p.m.free. Youth group at Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew. 212-362-3179 www. stpaulandstandre
Mon 26
GAY HISTORY OF CENTRAL PARK TOUR
HINDU AND BUDDHIST VISION TOUR
Central Park, 5th Avenue at 72nd Street. 1-2:30 p.m.$25. Visit more than a dozen of Central Park’s most storied locations on this eye-opening journey that yanks the veil off untold accounts of trailblazing gays and lesbians. 917-399-8717. http://www. centralpark.com/guide/tours/ walking/gay-history.html
Met Museum, 1000 Fifth Ave. 1-2 p.m. Free with admission. Arts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet represented through archaeological finds, sculpture, painting, and decorative art. 212-535-7710. metmuseum.org
GRAND HOLIDAY BAZAAR Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 West 77th St. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.$0. Come explore NYC’s largest curated weekly market. Over 200 top merchants will participate, selling the finest goods both indoors and outdoors. Guaranteed to find your perfect holiday gift. 212-239-3025
Sun 25 FAMILY CONCERT The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.$16. Featuring klezmer, jazz, and music of Africa—Oran Etkin’s performances weave global melodies and rhythms. Ages 2-7. 917-304-6213. thejewishmuseum.org
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HOLIDAY LIGHTS TOUR Free Tours by Foot, Schwartzman Library steps @ 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. 7 p.m.Free. Mechanical window displays, synchronized light and sound shows, Santa Claus and toy soldiers await in this winter wonderland. freetoursbyfood-com. freetoursbyfood.com
GRINEVA CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS Carnegie Hall, 57th Street/7th Avenue. 8-10 p.m.$35 and Up. Celebrating her 16th annual solo appearance at Carnegie Hall, classical pianist Katya Grineva presents an evening of holiday music and virtuoso romantic masterpieces for one night only. 212-247-7800. www. carnegiehall.org
WINTER WINDOWS: STAINED GLASS Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. 7 p.m.Free with admission. Explore the museum’s collection of stained glass windows, then design your own winter window decoration Registration suggested. 212-534-1672. mcny.org
Wed 28 ARMS AND SHINING ARMOR TOUR Met Museum, 1000 Fifth Ave. 12-1 p.m.Free with admission. Treasures on display dating from the early Middle Ages through 19th century from Europe, America, the Middle East, China, and Japan. 212-535-7710. metmuseum.org
STORY TIME FOR GROWN-UPS Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave. 1 p.m. Free. Love a good story? Sit back and relax as they read you a story or two. 917-275-6975. nypl.org
Tue 27 Ongoing NEW YEAR’S EVE WISHING WALL
Times Square Alliance, Duffy Square. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.Free. Place wishes on Times Square New Year’s Eve confetti turning them into Wishfetti Wishes float down at midnight onto New Year’s revelers. 212-768-1560. timessquarenyc.org
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THE IMBIBLE: A SPIRITED HISTORY OF DRINKING Every Mon, Thu, Fri & Sat Beginning Thursday, Dec. 22 Saturday, Nov. 04. New World Stages, 340 W 50th St. 8-10 p.m.$65. The hit musical comedy… with cocktails -- now in its third smash year. 800-447-7400. http:// imbible.nyc
The hottest ticket in daytime TV can be yours. To reserve FREE audience tickets & for more information, please visit www.doctoroz.com/tickets Mention ‘NY PRINT’ (as your special offer code)
Taping schedule: Select Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays at 10:00am and 3:00pm. Studio address: 320 W. 66th Street, NYC No payment necessary for reservations or tickets. No one under 18 will be permitted in the studio. Government-issued ID required.
Christmas at Jan Hus Travelers’ Christmas Eve Worship Thursday, December 22nd
Lessons and Carols by Candlelight 7:00 p.m.
Gloria! Christmas Day Worship Sunday, December 25th
Scripture, Song and a Brief Reflection 10:00 a.m. Jan Hus Presbyterian Church 351 E 74TH ST ~ www.JanHus.org ~ @OneHopeNYC
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
JERUSALEM, THROUGH CURATORS’ EYES Treasures secular and sacred at The Met Fifth Avenue
votional works, sculptures, historical objects and architectural elements all reference and paint a picture of Jerusalem close to a 1,000 years ago, when BY MARY GREGORY it was considered by many the spiritual, commercial and cultural center “Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every People of the world. How can we, in the technology drivUnder Heaven” on view through Jan. 8 at The Met Fifth Avenue is filled with en 21st century, relate to these works treasures both secular and sacred, from a distant past? In surprisingly ways, if along of history, o g with explorations e po o so s o y, simple s p e and d straightforward s g evocations of mystery and an undeni- we have the keys. The curators, Barbara Drake Boehm, able sense of awe. The Ba the Paul and Jill Ruddock Senior Cuexquisite exhibition R rator for The Met Cloisters, and Melapresents 200 works nie Holcomb, cur curator, Department of gathered over the Medieval Art and The Cloisters, who course of six years. know these works The manuscripts, dework on a deeply personal level, graci graciously provide their insights int into two remarkable works, hoping you’ll see in ho them the same wonders they do. “I think thin the language that art works wor in is often things that t at we th w can completely still stil understand today — materials and color and emotion and stoan ries,” Holcomb said. ri “Something that was “S attempting to dazzle att back ba then, still dazzles today. tod And something that’s tha trying to take you yo into a quiet and reflective place back re then th can still do that today. I would love to tod say to people don’t worry. ... peo You can see a mother and child and not have hav to understand any of the theological implications theol of that. Just look at the way that that mother interacts with that baby or the way w that that finger kind of presses into the plump skin of the baby. Th That’s something you can connect with now.” “I don’t think a anybody needs any training to fall in love with these objects,” agreed Boehm. An illustrated Bo page of the “Gospel Book of Queen “Gos Mariun” from 1346 134 depicts the Nativity it as well ll as a much more every“Jewish Wedding Ring,” gold, first half of day experience. “It’s a beautiful the 14th century, Rhine River valley. On book that belonged to an Armenian loan from the Thüringisches Landesamt für queen, Queen Mariun, and we have Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Weimar it open to that page that shows the
The Virgin and Apostle Capital. Early 1170s. Limestone. a. 24½× 28 ?× 13 ?in. (62 × 72 × 34 cm). b. 16? × 21 ¼× 18½in., 355 lb. (42 × 54 × 47 cm, 161 kg). Terra Sancta Museum, Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth. Image: © Marie-Armelle Beaulieu / Custodia Terræ Sanctæ birth of Jesus. In one of those amazing medieval time travels, Queen Mariun, the owner of the book, the woman for whom the book was made, is present at the birth of Jesus. “In the same way that people go to a holy places to have that deeper experience, this image is like that kind of armchair travel. The page is an image of the birth of Jesus. She may not be in Bethlehem but she transports herself in her mind,” Boehm said. “In this particular bit of the subject the baby Jesus is about to have a bath and she, the queen, is pouring the water from a ewer into the little bathtub. The midwife is holding the baby, and she’s reaching out and touching the water. It’s quite clear she’s not entirely sure that that royal person has checked to make sure that the water isn’t too hot or too cold for the baby. It’s just a very human kind of moment. You don’t even have to know who that baby is. You just see that one woman is checking up on the other to make sure she got it right with the water. Anyone can understand that. If you don’t know the stories,” she suggests,
“you look for things like that.” Holcomb pointed out a group of Jewish Wedding Rings made in the first half of the 14th century in the Rhine River valley. “They are among the rarest of the rare. Precious things in gold and silver from this period ... some people estimate only 1 percent of it survives. Jewish art is also the rarest of the rare — a minority community — we have so very, very little.” “There are a half dozen of these that still survive, and we have three of them in the exhibition,” she added. “It truly does make them one of the stars of the exhibition.” “I thought they were so appealing because people got married then, and they get married now, and what was a beautiful and rare thing then, is similarly the case now,” she said. “Part of often what I find most dazzling is not necessarily lots of sparkles ... but that it’s this kind of miniature wonder. It’s as though you’re pulled into a little building that you just want to find a way to shrink yourself and get inside. It has that same marvelous quality of anything teeny tiny. It seems like
a wonder, a miracle. There are also wonderful and poignant ideas about the loss temple and the temple as the home, but the thing, in and of itself, is such a marvel. ... They represent little, tiny fluted columns, these little narrow apertures that make up the windows, the spires that kind of soar in their own little miniature worlds. They’re full of these details you can find on a grand cathedral, but they’re represented in such a way that you can hold it in the palm of your hand.” Though they were made near the Rhine, “We brought them to the show because,” Holcomb said, “we wanted to also get at the idea that the city was an inspiration for works of art even for those who might never get there, who have to imagine it from afar, who feel its emotional and spiritual tug even though it’s so far away.” To make them even more accessible to today’s audience, she added, “On one, there’s a little inscription on the roof that says ‘mazal tov.’ Talk about being able to jump between then and now. It’s right there. Isn’t that great?”
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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GA $105 - 1st 100 receive Geoffrey Zakarian’s new Pro For Home 15-piece storage container system
A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO
Geoffrey Zakarian Star of Food Network’s Chopped, The Kitchen, Cooks vs. Cons, author of “My Perfect Pantry,” restaurateur behind The Lambs Club, The National in NYC, The National in Greenwich, The Water Club at Borgata in Atlantic City, Georgie and The Garden Bar at Montage Beverly Hills and, coming soon, Point Royal at The Diplomat Beach Resort and co-creator of Pro For Home food storage container system, Margaret Zakarian President of Zakarian Hospitality, co-author of “My Perfect Pantry” and co-creator of Pro For Home food storage container system.
AMERICAN CUT Daniel Eardley ATLANTIC GRILL Joyce Rivera BLAKE LANE Kevin Wilson BOHEMIAN SPIRIT RESTAURANT Lukas Pol CAFE D’ALSACE Philippe Roussel CANDLE 79 Angel Ramos CRAVE FISHBAR Todd Mitgang
EAST POLE Joseph CapozzI EASTFIELDS KITCHEN & BAR Joseph Capozzi FREDS AT BARNEYS NEW YORK Mark Strausman FLEX MUSSELS Rebecca Richards JONES WOOD FOUNDRY Jason Hicks LUSARDI’S Claudio Meneghini
MAGNOLIA BAKERY Bobbie Lloyd MAYA Richard Sandoval MIGHTY QUINN’S BARBEQUE Hugh Mangum NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN Ross Posmentier 5 NAPKIN BURGER Andy D’Amico ORWASHERS BAKERY Keith Cohen PAOLA’S Stefano Marracino
SANT AMBROEUS MADISON AVENUE Andrea Bucciarelli SEAMSTRESS Jordy Lavenderos SHAKE SHACK Mark Rosati T-BAR STEAK Benjamin Zwicker THE MEATBALL SHOP Daniel Holzman THE PENROSE Nick Testa VAUCLUSE Michael White
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS OCT 29 - DEC 12, 2016
Grain Bowl
1594 2Nd Ave
Not Yet Graded
The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/restaurant-grades.page
Putawn
1584 1St Ave
Not Yet Graded (9)
Sistina
24 E 81St St
Not Yet Graded (21) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Tasti D Lite
300 E 86Th St
Not Yet Graded
Grill Time
1764 1St Ave
B
Ma’s Noodle Fun
1744 1St Ave
A
Oita Sushi
1317A 2Nd Ave
A
Candle Cafe
1307 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (24) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
BRB Cafe
413 E 69Th St
A
Koito Japanese Restaurant 310 East 93 Street
B
Shanghai Chinese Restaurant
1388 2 Avenue
A
Enthaice
1598 3 Avenue
B
The Pony Bar
1444 1 Avenue
A
Zesty Pizza & Salumeria
1670 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (16) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
Maison Kayser
1294 3 Avenue
A
3 Guys Resturant
1232 Madison Avenue A
Mckeown's
1303 3 Avenue
A
Au Jus
1762 1St Ave
A
Bottega Restaurant
1331 2 Avenue
A
Bareburger
1681 1St Ave
A
Vanguard Wine Bar
1372 1St Ave
A
Tarallucci E Vino
9 East 90Th Street
A
The Penrose
1590 2 Avenue
A
G&J’s Pizzeria
1797 1St Ave
A
The Simone
151 East 82 Street
A
Grill Time
1764 1St Ave
B
The Supply House
1647 2 Avenue
A
The York Social
1529 York Ave
A
Ma’s Noodle Fun
1744 1St Ave
A
Tiramisu Restaurant
1410 3 Avenue
A
Tisane Pharmacy
340 East 86 Street
A
Toloache
166 East 82 Street
Treat House
Koito Japanese Restaurant 310 East 93 Street
B
Enthaice
1598 3 Avenue
B
A
Zesty Pizza & Salumeria
1670 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (16) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
1566 2Nd Ave
A
Il Salumaio Wine Bar
1731 2Nd Ave
B
Trinity Pub
229 East 84 Street
A
Bonjour Crepes & Wine
1442 Lexington Ave
A
Two Boots
1617 2 Avenue
A
Angela’s Montana Table
1750 2Nd Ave
A
Uno Pizzeria And Grill
220 East 86 Street
A
89 Tenzan
1714 2Nd Ave
A
Va Bene
1589 Second Avenue
A
Bagel Mill
1700 1St Ave
A
Vinnie’s Pizzeria
1603 2Nd Ave
A
Starbucks
245 E 93Rd St
A
Wa Jeal
1588 2 Avenue
A
William Greenberg Jr Desserts
1100 Madison Avenue A
Big Bowl
1764 1St Ave
Not Yet Graded (9) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Yorkafe
50112 East 83 Street
A
Isohama
1666 3 Avenue
A
Asian 83
1605 2Nd Ave
B
Le Paris Bistrot Francais
1312 Madison Avenue
A
Cascabel Taqueria
1556 2Nd Ave
B
Maroo
1640 3Rd Ave
A
Crepes And Delices
222 E 86Th St
B
Feta
1436 Lexington Ave
H & H Midtown Bagels East 1551 2 Avenue
B
Jaiya Thai & Oriental Restaurant
1553 2 Avenue
B
Not Yet Graded (25) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Om Indian Restaurant
1593 2 Avenue
B
Dig Inn
1297 Lexington Ave
Subway
1661 1 Avenue
B
Suhsi Suki
1577 York Ave
B
Not Yet Graded (16) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Sushi Para Manhattan
1461 3Rd Ave
B
Two Doors
1576 3 Avenue
A
Yuka Restaurant
1557 2Nd Ave
B
Cafe D’alsace
1695 2 Avenue
A
Blake Lane
1429 3Rd Ave
Not Yet Graded (5)
Jj Brown Cup
1707 2Nd Ave
A
Enginar
1606 1St Ave
Not Yet Graded
Noche De Margaritas Restaurant
1726 2 Avenue
A
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
MARK STRAUSMAN: MAKING THE FOOD AT FREDS AS GOOD AS THE CLOTHES AT BARNEYS
Eastsider
Dining Information, plus crime news, real estate prices - all about your part of town
Cultural Events in and around where you live (not Brooklyn, not Westchester)
Now get your personal copy delivered by US Mail for just
Tell me about Freds at Barneys.
I have a degree in hotel management from New York City Tech in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. It’s something I always wanted to do--to be a chef. And back then, there were much less chefs, so it was an opportune time to come into the business. I started here in ‘96, I got
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We were. We had a great time. It was really cool standing next to our art piece: Pablo Picasso’s Tête de Femme. It was a great evening of food and art. I used to be a partner in the restaurant in the Hamptons in the late ‘80s that had a lot of famous artists coming in. Artists really appreciate good food, and if you look at the history of art, especially the impressionists, they were hanging out in cafes and trading artwork for food. So there is this sympatico relationship between food and artists.
How did you get started?
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You were at the Art of Food last year.
It’s on the 9th floor of Barneys and we’ve been her for about 20 years. We try to make it the food mecca of the store: what Barney’s does in clothes, we do in food. We bring in the best ingredients, we do a lot of local, farm-to-table here. I mean, you can see it--the place is packed on a Friday at 3:30 in the afternoon.
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$ Mark Strausman at the 2015 Art of Food event
picked to do this by the original family members. It seemed like a great fit. I’ve always been a fan of Barneys, I love their clothes, and the whole Barneys style and how they host things. What are some of your signature dishes? We were the first ones to do Belgium pomme-frites back in ‘96, I brought that to the menu. We were also one of the first ones to bring spaghetti and meatballs to our menu
back in the early 90’s. Our spaghetti and meatballs We are also famous for our chopped salads: The Madison Avenue Salad, Freds Chopped Salad. What’s your favorite thing to cook outside of Freds? Outside of work, my favorite thing is to be cooked for. See what Freds is serving up at The Art of Food this year by purchasing tickets at: www. artoffoodny.com
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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Property ASK A BROKER I just lost out on an apartment to an all-cash buyer. Are there any strategies I should be aware of when I make my next offer? Great question! This one is paramount, especially in today’s robust under-$1 million segment of the market. “Making an offer is one thing, landing the apartment is another,” and that’s where having a good broker makes all the difference. First, all buyers that will be obtaining financing need to: • Obtain a mortgage preapproval letter (not a prequalification letter) from their lender • Make sure their finances are in order (pay off/reduce credit card loans) • Have a completed and up-
Photo: Spencer Means, via flickr
to-date financial statement handy • Make copies of your last two years of tax returns to have on hand If you currently own property that you’ll need the proceeds from to make your next purchase, this property needs to be in contract before you seriously start looking. When offers start coming in, no seller is going to be willing to wait and/or gamble with a buyer in this situation, would you? Once you have all your ducks in a row, the excitement begins! You need to take a deep breath and be prepared to either make an over asking price offer (I always recommend an odd number, such as $827,000, which will beat any offers of $825,000) and/or waive your mortgage contingency ... yikes! (In essence you’re striking the clause in the contract of sale
that releases the buyer from the deal if they’re unable to secure a mortgage). This step will trump another buyer obtaining financing that is unwilling to take the risk. Keep in mind that once you “lock-in this position”, you’ll have a good 7-10 days — during the time your attorney does their due diligence — to obtain absolute certainty from your lender that securing your mortgage is air tight. If not, you don’t sign the contract and they move on to the next buyer ... nothing lost. I’ve worked with several buyers, who were not in a position to lose their 10% deposit, who wound up putting themselves in the lead position and ended up with the property by implementing this strategy. Fast forward…years later when they’re ready to sell, they’ll tell you it was the best gamble they ever took!
WHERE THE HEART IS BY FREDERICK PETERS
What can a home do for us? Home can be the place where we begin our relationship with the world: increasing numbers of couples are bringing their babies home the day they are born, choosing in so doing to bring serenity and comfort into their post-partum experiences. Home can literally help us live longer: there is increasing evidence that gravely ill patients who return from hospitals to hospice care at home often live weeks or months longer than their prognosis would suggest. Home can enhance our mood, as anyone who returns there at the end of a difficult day can attest. And home is a shelter from the storm, the cradle to which we entrust our most authentic selves in the knowledge that we are safe to be who we truly are once we walk through that door. One of our Warburg agents, confronted recently with the loss of a beloved parent, confided to me that her father’s return home a few days before he died made a huge difference in that experience, changing it from an institutional into a spiritual departure. She suggested to me that the enormous resonance surrounding the concept of “home” deserves more
attention and should be the topic of another blog, and acknowledged that she herself felt a new appreciation for how important connection to place is during her recent experience. For this agent, it created an inspiring moment of rededication to her work and her industry. While I have written extensively on this topic in the past, I was inspired to revisit it in terms of its importance to many of life’s significant moments and transitions. For myself, I am never home more than a few minutes before I have changed out of my work clothes and into a T-shirt, flip flops, and sweatpants (preferably brightly colored); it signals the shedding out my “outside” persona to relax, cook things, chat with my family, listen to contemporary classical music on YouTube, and watch (bad) TV. Each evening is a little vacation between my long days at the office, a time when I can sit in my spot (does everyone have a particular perch to which they gravitate in their own home?) and review the day with my wife, open my mail, look at my art, or browse through a book I have picked up from the always overflowing bookshelves which seem to have crept into every nook and cranny of the place.
Photo: Eric Gross, via flickr Whatever your relaxation rituals may be, chances are they rely on feeling anchored in a sense of place. The job the best residential agents do, business details aside for the moment, requires a sort of channeling, enabling us to intuit what will work for a particular buyer. We need to hear the real story, often not fully understood or
acknowledged even by the buyer who is trying to impart it, as to where he or she will truly feel at home. Then we get to work sorting the different priorities, both articulated and not, into a coherent picture of where this person, or this family, will feel most at home. Where they can experience life’s joys and sorrows, which then somehow im-
bue the spaces with resonance which lingers like a patina in the memories of everyone who has lived there, no matter where they may go next. Frederick Peters is chief executive officer of Warburg Realty Partnership.
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DECEMBER 22-28,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com The local paper for the Upper East Side
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DELIVERY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Christmas Day in Rockefeller Center
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25TH, 10AM Municipal Art Society | Rockefeller Center | 212-935-2075 | mas.org Have a Merry Christmas at a New York icon on this tour of Rockefeller Center with architectural historian Anthony W. Robins. ($30)
Reading Genesis: A Panel Discussion
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28TH, 6:30PM Mid-Manhattan Library | 455 Fifth Ave. | 212-340-0863 | nypl.org Get a new read on The Good Book at a conversation that looks at the beginning—and its beginnings. (Free)
Just Announced | Nobel Prize-Winner Eric R. Kandel Discusses Art and the Brain
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19TH, 6:30PM The Cooper Union | 7 E. 7th St. | 212-353-4100 | cooper.edu Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Eric R. Kandel speaks on reductionism, applying his work with the neurobiological underpinnings of learning and memory to the world of art. (Free)
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
Mason said the survey’s goal was to “come up with something that will make these cyclists obey the law.” The group also canvassed from 68th to 78th Streets between York and Third Avenues, noting restaurants that had electric bicycles stationed nearby. Mason said that residents in her Upper East Side neighborhood often complain that commercial cyclists are riding in the wrong direction and breaking other road rules. Because police can only dedicate so much time and manpower to ticketing lawbreakers, the neighborhood association decided to take on this project “to see if what we were seeing anecdotally we could really see analytically,” Mason said. The city’s Department of Transportation declined to comment for this article. Cafe Evergreen received an F grade, but its owner, Frank Moy, denied that his First Avenue establishment employs delivery messengers who use electric bikes. “I have no idea what kind of a statement people make, but we’ve always been trying to comply with regulations,” Moy said, adding that his cyclists also have vests with proper identification. “We
do the best we can.” Sophie’s Cuban, on East 68th Street, also received a failing grade, but its owner, Mike Mendoza, said he is careful to abide by the rules. “All my delivery guys have vests and have numbers,” Mendoza said. He acknowledged that two of his messengers have electric bikes, but said he has asked them both to remove the battery that powers the illegal motor. “I think one of them actually got pulled over by a cop and he came and told me what happened,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to follow up with the precinct, but I said if that’s what the cop told you to, make sure that you do that. Both the folks with e-bikes don’t have the battery pack on the bike, so it’s essentially like a regular bike.” Mendoza and Moy said they have had their messengers attend workshops held by the Department of Transportation on proper commercial cyclist conduct. Council Member Ben Kallos, who represents the area, said some restaurants may count fines for e-bikes as part of the cost of doing business. “I’ve made a very simple request going on two years now saying ‘I’d like [residents] to no longer accept deliveries from people who show up with e-bikes,” he said. “Ultimately I think that if a restaurant gets fined $100, that’s the cost of doing busi-
ness but if they lose 100 customers in a night, that has an impact.” While his office did not assist in the data collection of data, Kallos said he fully supports the idea of the survey and would suggest it to other communities that feel they have a commercial cycling problem. “Hopefully other neighborhood associations in this district, as well as around the city, will see this as a model and start working so that instead of just complaining about e-bikes people are actually empowered to do something about it,” he said. Mason said her organization isn’t “against cyclists,” and was quick to say she didn’t want to resort to ending her patronage at the poorer scoring restaurants. Mason was recently hit by an electric bike in Queens, and wants everything possible to be done to increase her neighborhood’s safety. Ideally, Mason would like to see the Department of Health include adherence to commercial cycling rules in their letter grades for restaurants. “We’re hoping that the restaurant community will be responsive,” she said. “We want to keep the restaurants in business.” Madeleine Thompson can be reached at newsreporter@ strausnews
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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ASPHALT GREEN TAKES TO WATER
Seventh Avenue at Stonewall Place on June 13 during a commemoration of the lives lost in the mass shooting in Orlando. Photo: Isodro Camacho
NEW YORK AFTER THE ORLANDO SHOOTING A reporter reflects on the city’s vibrant LGBT communities BY ALEXANDRA ZUCCARO
When I first visited the West Village and Chelsea a few years ago, I stopped by the chic cafés, strolled along the cobblestone streets, and admired all the fantastic local artisans and galleries. I also walked through some iconic tourist destinations such as the High Line, the Whitney Museum, and Chelsea Market. Although I was impressed by these magnificent sites, when I stuck around for a little longer, I realized that there was so much more to these neighborhoods that I didn’t initially see. Chelsea and the West Village have historically been pivotal neighborhoods for the LGBT civil rights movement. Important gathering spots include the Chelsea Hotel and the LGBT Community Center. On Christopher Street, you can find Julius, one of the city’s oldest gay bars, and George Segal’s Gay Liberation installation is in Sheridan Square. The most significant location, however, has become the Stonewall Inn, which was officially named as a national landmark by President Obama last June. Over the years, this community and these landmarks
have continued to be crucial elements of New York City’s vibrant culture. Right after the Orlando nightclub shooting in June, I stopped by the Stonewall Inn, where I saw something truly incredible. Masses of people were crowding around the landmark and leaving brightly colored bouquets and rainbow flags. The site was so impressive that I barely noticed all the NYPD officers in their anti-terrorism vests surrounding the crowd. Most of the people there didn’t seem to notice the officers either, even though they had every reason to be concerned about another possible attack. According to data collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, LGBT individuals are more likely to be the target of hate crimes than any other minority group. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that between 2003 and 2015, there were 399 hate crime incidents affecting members of the LGBT community. Despite these statistics, during the week after the Orlando shooting, it wasn’t uncommon to see family members, friends, and couples out on the streets, embracing each other in solidarity. The longer I stayed, the more people I saw come and go on Christopher Street, fearlessly showing their support. This past fall during my time
at Our Town, I had the opportunity to go back to these neighborhoods and write about their stories. Most recently, I reported on a proposal to turn Chelsea and Meatpacking into an Arts District, and state Senator Hoylman’s vandalized apartment building. Perhaps the most interesting story I reported on, though, was the fight for LGBT veterans to get their state benefits. As I delved into this story and talked to advocates and veterans about how they’ve come together to fight for LGBT vets who have been dishonorably discharged based solely on their sexual orientation, I was reminded of the LGBT community that showed up at the Stonewall Inn to stand up for their rights after the Orlando shooting. The burden of being singled out based on sexual orientation for LGBT veterans brought people together who felt passionate about an issue they wanted to fight for. Although I had visited New York plenty of times with my family when I was younger, I had not spent much time with people in Chelsea and the West Village. But my reporting helped me get to know a spectacular community full of individuals who care about each other. Now, whenever I go back to these neighborhoods, I’m confident that this is what I’ll see.
Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics — AGUA — traveled to College Park, Maryland,, to compete in the Nation’s Capital Swim Club Invitational on Dec. 9-11. One of the most competitive meets on the East Coast, the threeday competition hosted 1,600 swimmers. Asphalt Green dove to the challenge with its swimmers delivering top performances in multiple age groups, including three — Isabel Gormley, Alex MacLennan, and Adell Sabovic — who set team records in individual events. AGUA recently received two prestigious honors that combine to place the club in its highest standing in the history of the program. The team was named a Silver Medal Club in USA Swimming’s Club Excellence Program, and achieved a Level IV Club rec-
ognition team by USA Swimming — the highest possible ranking. These distinctions are a great honor for the club,
and is a testament to the hard work of the athletes, coaches and entire AGUA family.
The Pastor Is In!
Pastor Gregory Fryer of Immanuel Lutheran Church shares coffee and counsel, as he does on occasional Tuesday mornings outside the East 88th Street church. Photo: Rick Sayers.
Share your news and what’s going on in your life. Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes
USING THE CITY AS A CLASSROOM Science teacher Diana Lennon was recognized for her engaging teaching style BY ANGELA BARBUTI
This year, Diana Lennon was honored with a Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics, given to seven New York City public high school teachers who foster a love of learning with creative lessons. Lennon teaches ninth grade biology and 12th grade environmental science at Columbia Secondary School, on 123rd Street in Harlem. The college preparatory school, which specializes in math, science and engineering, partners with Columbia University, and serves sixth through 12th grade students.
To keep students engaged, the Long Island-native uses a blended learning approach, which includes using New York City as her classroom. Trips to Morningside Park and the Bronx Zoo enhance ecology lessons, which Lennon finds extremely rewarding. “It’s kind of enlightening because you don’t realize that city kids don’t really have that experience with nature,” she explained. “Getting them to see that, even within the city, there is a natural landscape and a natural world that they can be part of and they can actually see, is really important to me.”
How did you get into teaching and why did you choose science as your subject? I’ve always been interested in science ever since I was a kid. I thought about being a vet. I always pursued science; I got a degree in biology. I decided to go into teaching after thinking about
what it was I wanted to do and feeling like I wanted to do something that was somewhat giving back to society. And I had said before that I owe it to my mom, because she’s the one who suggested that I go into teaching.
Tell us about CSS. What is the atmosphere like and how did you get your start there? I have been teaching there for six years. I was teaching on Long Island and basically got excessed during that economic downturn. I ended up looking for a job there and I really liked the atmosphere and what they were promoting. And it was a new school, so at the time when I got there, it was actually only about to have a tenth grade level. It started with sixth grade and added a grade level each year. When I started, it added tenth grade. So I thought it was really great to be getting in at a new school at the ground level and being able to actually influence policy, organization and how things are done.
As a science teacher, explain how you use the city in your lessons. It’s just great to have a park like Morningside across the way. Being from Long Island, I spent all my summers at the beach and went to school for biology out east in South Hampton. One of my favorite courses was field biology, where we would go out into the forest and our professor would identify trees and tell us their scientific name. And I loved it. So with my students, I take them out to Morningside Park and I do a little bit of that. We do ecology lessons out there, so we’ll talk about food chains and food webs and energy levels. And on the way, we’re always identifying the trees and animals.
You are known for your blended learning approach. What is meant by that?
Diana Lennon’s college environmental science class at the High Line. Courtesy Diana Lennon
In my mind, it just means you’re doing lots of different modes of instruction to reach as many kids as possible. We’ll do computer stuff. Right now, my environmental students are doing research into a particular country. Students are using Gapminder to create graphs with different variables about populations for various countries. And then we do project-based learning. In my ninth grade class, they have to do projects for every unit.
Diana Lennon, 2016 winner of a Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics. Photo: Sarah Shatz So in the ecology unit, they had to design a zoo habitat. The twist is that it’s supposed to be real, like the animals really are supposed to eat each other, so you get through all the concepts of ecology. Right now, we’re doing body systems and they have to create a mini “House M.D.” episode. I give them a mystery illness and symptoms as we go. And they have to use the platform of “House” episodes. I got it from a colleague and it’s just worked. And going outside, of course. Like for the students who do the zoo projects, we go to the Bronx Zoo, so that they get to experience and see what the exhibits actually look like. And then hands-on labs, where we follow through with writing a lab report.
What are some of the challenges that you face in your job? The challenge is that the school is collocated right now with three other schools, so every single room is used. So the challenge is if you want to offer extra help, there’s no room that’s not being used, so it’s very difficult to do that. Class size is always an issue for teachers. And I’ve taught as packed a class as 34 kids. Like on Long Island, this was never the class size. There’s 34 kids in a class, and that’s even in a science lab. And that’s what New York City allows, but I wouldn’t say that it’s really sustainable. That’s 68 hands and I only have two eyes and two hands. To me, that’s probably one of the biggest challenges and obviously, the resources. And yet, we get by and do really great work, but that’s not to say it should be okay because of the
amazing work we do. The question is, “What could our children be doing if we had the equipment and the right class size?” Imagine what else. What could be the possibilities if we didn’t have these constraints?
What are the best parts of teaching? The best parts are the students, always. They just do amazing things and come through for you. Like when they do projects, you’ll be pleasantly surprised sometimes and be like, “Wow, I’ve never thought of that.” And even in the speech I gave at the award ceremony, one of the things I said was that I learn from them when they’re allowed to choose their topics. Like one group decided to do the Zika virus last year and we learned a lot from them. The other great thing is because I teach high school, the kids will come back from college or they’ll email and say that something that we did in class was so helpful for them. I have another student, the young woman who spoke for me at the Sloan Awards, who wrote me a letter and said, “I wouldn’t be going into my major without the things that you did in your class and how you inspired me with your trips and talks about your travels around the world.”
Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
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Quick | Easy | Economical HOME IMPROVEMENTS
23
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Call Barry Lewis Today: 212-868-0190
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HELP THAT HOMELESS MAN.â&#x20AC;?
Directory of Business & Services To advertise in this directory Call #BSSZ (212)-868-0190 ext.4 CBSSZ MFXJT@strausnews.com
Antiques Wanted
Antique, Flea & Farmers Market
TOP PRICES PAID t 1SFDJPVT $PTUVNF +FXFMSZ (PME t 4JMWFS 1BJOUJOHT t .PEFSO t &UD
(between First & York Avenues) Open EVERY Saturday 6am-5pm Rain or Shine
Entire Estates Purchased
212.751.0009
SINCE 1979
East 67th Street Market
Indoor & Outdoor FREE Admission Questions? Bob 718.897.5992 Proceeds BeneďŹ t PS 183
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Â&#x17D;Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?Čą Â&#x2DC;Â&#x;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?Čą Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x152;Â&#x17D;ČąĹ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x;Ĺ&#x;Ĺ&#x153;Čą ZZZ PRYLQJPHQWRU FRP
BE THE SOMEONE. Sam New York Cares Volunteer
SOHO LT MFG
462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food
Every day, we think to ourselves that someone should really help make this city a better place. Visit newyorkcares.org to learn about the countless ways you can volunteer and make a difference in your community.
+/- 9,000 SF Ground Floor - $90 psf +/- 16,000 SF Cellar - $75 psf Divisible Call David @ Meringoff Properties 212-645-7575
24
DECEMBER 22-28,2016
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
COME HOME TO GLENWOOD MANHATTANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FINEST LUXURY RENTALS
3 3 3
3
3 3
3 3 3 UPPER EAST SIDE 1 BEDROOMS FROM $2,995 2 BEDROOMS FROM $4,395 3 BEDROOMS FROM $5,795
MIDTOWN & UPPER WEST SIDE STUDIO FROM $3,295 2 BEDROOMS FROM $5,395 3 BEDROOMS FROM $7,495
TRIBECA & FINANCIAL DISTRICT 1 BEDROOMS FROM $3,795 2 BEDROOMS FROM $5,995
UPTOWN LEASING OFFICE 212-535-0500 DOWNTOWN LEASING OFFICE 212-430-5900 ! " " All the units include features for persons with disabilities required by the FHA.
Equal Housing Opportunity
GLENWOOD BUILDER OWNER MANAGER
GLENWOODNYC.COM