The local paper for the Upper er East Side BRINGING NEW THRILLS TO MILTON
WEEK OF JULY
17
Q&A, P. 21
2014
OURTOWNNY.COM
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ON THE EAST SIDE, A NEW POLITICAL FORCE NEWS
The secondfloor corridor in the former Frick residence, which will be open to visitors as part of a planned renovation. Photo by Michael Bodycomb
In Brief DE BLASIO RENEWS COMMITMENT TO BAN CARRIAGE HORSES
Rebecca Seawright, a relative newcomer to state politics, grabs an early endorsement lead BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
UPPER EAST SIDE Rebecca Seawright has emerged as the clear front runner in the race for the 76th Assembly District on the Upper East Side. She got a huge early endorsement from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who has a wealth of credibility in Upper Manhattan. And months before the race was on anyone’s radar, Seawright managed to round up a host of other big-name endorsements: in addition to Brewer, State Senator Liz Krueger, Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Tish James all have endorsed her, as well. She also has the support of a halfdozen Assembly members, including Dan Quart and Deborah Glick, and five City Council members, including Dan Garodnick, who first appointed her to CB8 in April 2013. The building workers union 32BJ and the Working Families Party have also endorsed her. The slew of endorsements represents an unusual consensus of political opinion very early on in the race -- all for a woman who until very recently was little-known in New York politics. Originally from Texas, Seawright got her start as a state delegate to the 1984 Democratic National Convention. She later became a fundraiser for Ann Richards when she was the Texas state treasurer running for governor, which is what eventually brought Seawright to New York. In Texas she was also the state director of the National Women’s Political Caucus, and served for five years as the chief of staff for central-Texas legislator Bob Melton. She later held positions with two Texas congressCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
ANOTHER MUSEUM EXPANSION, THIS TIME AT THE FRICK DEVELOPMENT The East Side gem plans a sixyear renovation project BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO
The intimate Frick Collection on East 70th Street, housed in the historic mansion built for Henry Clay Frick in 1914, has jumped on the museum expansion bandwagon. Last month, the Frick announced plans for an extensive expansion and renovation project that will take an estimated six years to complete and will increase the size of the museum by 42,000 square feet -- a massive project in an exclusive, residential part of the Upper East Side. It follows in the wake of other ambitious arts expansion efforts in the city -- including at the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Mod-
ern Art -- which have been dogged by controversy. In an interview, museum officials noted that early criticism of the project in the press and from the public wasn’t especially surprising, particularly the outcry against the planned demolition of a viewing garden built in 1977 by landscape architect Russell Page. “This is New York City, and people love gardens,” said Ian Wardropper, director of the Frick. “And we care about gardens, too. But in this instance, it was the most logical place to build.” The Frick, which boasts works by Old Masters, Italian Renaissance painters and sculptors and English portrait artists, plans to erect a new building on the site of the garden, which will house a larger entry wing, administrative offices, classrooms and conservation labs, and will also link the museum to
the Frick’s art reference library on East 71st Street, a structure that has always been physically separated from the museum. A landmark building since 1973— and part of a historic district—the Frick needs approval from the city before going forward with renovations, a process that includes presentations to the community board’s landmarks committee. The Frick plans for a lengthy approval process with the Landmarks Preservation Commission. In the meantime, museum officials said they expect to hear more from neighbors, community groups and concerned citizens, and Wardropper plans to spend much of the summer summer discussing the plans with interested parties. For a detailed look at the Frick’s plans, and the early reaction to them, go to CityArts, p.12.
At a press Q&A last week, Mayor de Blasio affirmed his commitment to enacting a ban on carriage horses in the city. In response to a question from a reporter following a press conference about improved security and safety measures at NYCHA buildings, the Mayor cited an intense legislative session occupied by other priorities, like the affordable housing initiatives his administration passed. “Certainly I’ve said many [times], and I’ll say it again, I think we need to ban horse carriages in New York City and we’re going to act accordingly,” de Blasio said. “We’re going to work with our City Council partners, there will be obviously a legislative process, and hearings, and a public process, but it’s something I believe we have to do.” Some animal rights activists have criticized the mayor and his administration for being slow to take up his campaign promise to end the tourist-driven industry of horse-drawn carriage operators. Proponents of the carriage operators hope that there is still time for the mayor and the city council to change course.
NEW STREETS CO-NAMED ON U.E.S. Last Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into legislation the conaming of 63 streets and public places in honor of individuals and entities that have made lasting contributions to New York City. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito introduced the co-naming of two Upper East Side locations after Reverend Norm Eddy and Reverend Peg Eddy. Reverend Norm Eddy was a minister in East Harlem. He and his wife, Peg, who was also a minister, helped start a drug treatment program, a tenants’ group, a housing project, a credit union and the myriad self-help organizations that have sustained his work there for over 60 years. The northeast and southeast corners of East 100th Street and Second Avenue will be conamed Revs. Norm and Peg Eddy Way.