The local paper for the Upper er East Side SUM SUMMER OF FUN WITH DEBUT AUTHOR Q&A, P. 21
WEEK OF JUNE
12 2014
OURTOWNNY.COM
OurTownEastSide @OurTownNYC
Summer in the City
GEARING UP FOR AN EAST SIDE RACE
In Brief WORLD’S OLDEST MAN DIES IN MANHATTAN
POLITICS Running for the 76th Assembly District on the Upper East Side BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
The race for the 76th Assembly District seat currently occupied by Micah Kellner, who announced in February that he would not seek re-election, is heating up ahead of Primary Day on Sept. 9. Our Town asked the five candidates – one Republican and four Democrats– to introduce themselves to readers who aren’t yet in the know. The 76th Assembly District covers the Upper East Side east of Third Avenue between 61st Street and 92nd Street, as well as the entirety of Roosevelt Island. Kellner cited an ongoing probe into sexual harassment allegations against him, which he denies, as the reason he isn’t seeking reelection. He’s since announced his intention to run for a post as state committeeman, a position that, despite being unpaid, would still carry with it a certain measure of influence in the district, such as a say on who to nominate for a judgeship. Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of people looking to replace him in the Assembly.
GUS CHRISTENSEN DEMOCRAT
THE JOYS OF SUMMER IN CENTRAL PARK
BY RIKKI IEMAN
What is the biggest issue facing the 76th Assembly District? If you were elected, in what way would you address this issue? Our community’s biggest local issue is the 91st Street Marine Transfer Station. I have been an active leader in the fight against it, and I took the extreme step of being arrested in protest last week at Asphalt Green. Why? Because the facts are on our side: the MTS will be an environmental nightmare, raising air pollution levels dramatically and risking complete di-
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RIKKI KLIEMAN ow that June is here, it is finally gloriously warm and sunny after the longest unceasing winter that
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seemed to eat up spring. A perfect summer day beckons me to be outdoors and experience the joy and energy of New York City. I am an avid runner (or jogger at this stage of my life) and that means leaving those indoor cardio routines behind and heading to Central Park. There is nothing like a morning run around the reservoir followed by a leisurely walk home on another path. If I am short on time, I run along the path on the East River since it is closer to my apartment. Either way, the entire day seems different and more alive than when I am at the gym
on a treadmill or an elliptical machine. Runners in the park smile at one another, acknowledge each other with a wave or a nod, and I am transformed as I glide while listening to my programmed “Gym Tunes” on my iPod. If the music stops, I stop too. I am simply wired that way. Central Park is my source of joy and renewal all year round but it is particularly vital in the summertime. My husband and I often walk on new journeys. I believe that we have covered every inch by now, but it always seems new
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The world’ss oldest man, a retired chemist st and parapsychologist, gist, has died in New York City. y. Alexander Imich ch was 111. His niece, iece, Karen Bogen of Providence, Rhode Island, says Imich died Sunday at his home on the Upper West Side. Bogen says she had visited Imich a day earlier. She says his health declined about two weeks ago and he didn’t recognize her. Imich was born in 1903 in a town in Poland that was then part of Russia. He and his wife fled after the Nazis invaded in 1939. They eventually moved to the United States in 1951. His wife died in 1986. In news reports, Imich said his good genes and a general healthy lifestyle contributed to his longevity. Guinness is investigating the claim that 111-year-old Sakari Momoi of Japan is now the world’s oldest man. The world’s oldest person is a woman, 116-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan.
NY ROAD RUNNER H.Q. FOR SALE The Wall Street Journal reported that the Upper East Side townhouse at 9 E. 89th Street owned by the New York Road Runners has gone on sale with a price tag of $24.8 million. The New York Road Runners, most famous for hosting the NYC Marathon as well as other running events, sent an e-mail to staffers saying that the company had outgrown the building and would be going on sale. The Beaux-Arts style building, which is across the street from the Guggenheim Museum, was built in 1902 and has hosted New York Road Runners for close to 30 years.