Our Town December 18th, 2014

Page 1

The local paper for the Upper er East Side A SPECIAL REPORT ON EDUCATION < P. 14

WEEK OF DECEMBER

18-24 2014

OURTOWNNY.COM

OurTownEastSide urTo urT ur Tow @OurTownNYC

HISTORY MUSEUM OUTLINES EXPANSION ALONG CENTRAL PARK Museum plans new facility by 2020, early focus is on Roosevelt park BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO AND DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

The American Museum of Natural History announced plans for a new, $325 million addition to its Central Park West campus, a project that will likely receive close scrutiny from neighborhood groups.

In Brief ANTI-CARRIAGE ADVOCACY GROUP FINED

The new Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation will focus on education and scientific research, and will aim to integrate the two with learning facilities and exhibition galleries. “We feel very passionately that we need to enhance science literacy in this country,” said museum president Ellen V. Futter. “So many of the most

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

The museum as it now stands, facing Central Park West

SHOPPING LOCAL We asked longtime Upper East Side residents where they shop for holiday gifts in their neighborhood

FOR GOURMET GOODIES Agata and Valentina Their store stocks over 5,500 staple and gourmet food items, many sourced directly from Italy from artisanal producers. 1505 First Ave. btwn 78th & 79th St. 212-452-0690 www.agatavalentina.com Daily 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

FOR THE BOOKWORM

A food demonstration at Agata and Valentina on First Avenue.

Logos Bookstore This independent bookstore specializes in religious texts but also carries all the latest best-sellers as well as fiction and non-fiction favorites, a well-curated selection of children’s books, as well as cards and gifts. 1575 York Ave. btwn 83rd & 84th St. 212-517-7292 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

The main advocacy group behind a proposed ban on carriage horses was fined $26,054 for making illegal contributions to two City Council candidates last year. The Campaign Finance Board imposed the penalty against the group, New Yorkers for Clean Livable and Safe Streets, or NYCLASS, following a nearly yearlong investigation, according to The Daily News. The penalty is the result of mailings NYCLASS sent to voters touting Democratic Council candidates Laurie Cumbo of Brooklyn and Mark Levine of Manhattan. Both won their races. The animal-rights group reported the assistance as “independent” — but the Campaign Finance Board called that a misrepresentation because NYCLASS, Levine and Cumbo shared the same political consultant, the Advance Group.

DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE M79 If you’re waiting for the M79 bus, it’s not your imagination: you really are waiting too long. The M79, which travels across 79th and 81st streets between East End Avenue and the 79th Street Boat Basin, crawls along at an average pace of 3.2 mph, slower than the average human walking speed. The pace help the line win the nototrious Pokey Award for 2014, bestowed on the slowest bus route in the city. According to the Straphangers Campaign and Transportation Alternatives, the fastest recorded Hawaiian lava flow was clocked at a blistering 6 mph. Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday December 19 - first light the Chanukah candles. 4:13 pm - light the Shabbat candles. Wishing you a happy Chanukah. For more information visit h b d id

2 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS CHECK

THOUSANDS MARCH IN N.Y. AGAINST POLICE KILLINGS Chanting “I can’t breathe” and carrying signs saying “black lives matter,” tens of thousands of people marched up Fifth Avenue and down Broadway as part of a day of protest centered in the nation’s capital over the deaths of unarmed black men by police. Saturday’s outpouring of demonstrators followed a series of protests over the last several weeks since grand juries decided against bringing charges against white police officers in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and chokehold death of Eric Garner in Staten Island. The noisy march through the heart of Manhattan swelled to at least 25,000 people, police said. It remained mostly peaceful until violence broke out as protesters marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, blocking traffic. NYPD Chief of Department James O’Neil said two lieutenants were injured by protesters as the officers tried to arrest a man who had attempted to throw a garbage can from the bridge onto other officers below. No arrests had been made late Saturday. The man was able to flee, O’Neil said. The officers were treated for bumps

Thousands joined Saturday’s march for justice for victims of police violence. Photo by The All-Nite Images via Flickr and bruises, including a broken nose. Deputy Commissioner John Miller said officers recovered a backpack, which they believe belongs to the man, containing three hammers and a black face mask. Police were able to find the man, later identified as 29-year-old CUNY professor Eric Linsker, and arrested him on charges of seconddegree assault, resisting arrest, firstdegree rioting, unlawful possession of marijuana and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon. In a separate incident on the bridge, a person was arrested for disorderly conduct, and earlier Saturday the rear window of an NYPD traffic agent’s car was smashed, police said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the violence, saying in a statement it “marks an ugly and unacceptable departure from the demonstrations thus far.” Members of the Brown and Garner families participated in a march in Washington on Saturday. They joined the Rev. Al Sharpton and thousands of others who marched down Pennsylvania Avenue. In New York, Rich Alexandro, 47, carried a handmade sign with dozens of names of people who died in encounters with police who were never charged. “It just seems like the cops are Teflon,” Alexandro said. “There’s no jus-

tice.” Police in Garner’s death say he was resisting arrest and was put in a legal arm-hold before he fell to the ground and began complaining “I can’t breathe.” The officer in Brown’s death said that Brown was combative and tried to get his gun; he said he feared for his life when he shot the 18-yearold teenager who some witnesses say was raising his hands apparently in response to the officer’s commands. Donna Carter, 54, marched with her boyfriend, whose teenage son was shot and killed by police in the 1990s while carrying a toy gun. “It’s good to see people of all colors here to say enough is enough,” said Carter, who is black. “I’m a parent and every child that’s killed feels like my child.” Family members of people killed in New York City police encounters going back decades also were among the demonstrators. They included Iris Baez, whose son Anthony Baez died after he apparently was placed in a chokehold in 1994. Protesters started in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village and headed toward midtown. They circled back downtown and ended the march at police headquarters in lower Manhattan where they were kept at a distance from the entrance by barricades and hundreds of police officers.

JOAN RIVERS’ WILL LEAVES MONEY FOR CHARITIES Joan Rivers’ left her daughter, Melissa, in charge of her fortune and left money for some of her favorite charities, including Guide Dogs for the Blind, Jewish Guild Healthcare and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. According to Rivers’ 2014 will, which was filed in New York State Surrogate’s Court, the late comedian made Melissa Rivers her will’s executor with “the broadest and most absolute permissible direction” over a fortune that has been estimated as high as $150 million. Other charities she singled out were the New York-based food pantry God’s Love We Deliver, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Jewish Home and Hospital Foundation in Manhattan. Rivers died Sept. 4 at 81 of brain damage due to lack of oxygen. She’d stopped breathing during an endoscopy days earlier. The late comedian asked that her business manager Michael D. Karlin and interior designer Robert Higdon be named co-executors of the living trust. Specifics of her assets and how they will be divided haven’t been disclosed. Bequests were made to her assistants, Sabrina Lott and Jocelyn Pickett, her friend Scott Currie, and Rivers’ niece and nephew, Caroline Waxler and Andrew Waxler. AP

CHRISTMAS SERVICES Christmas Eve, December 24th 10:00 pm Christmas Music & Carols 10:30 pm Festive Eucharist Christmas Day, December 25th 10:00 am Holy Eucharist

Please join us for the season of hope and joy! A Church Close to You www.allsaintsnyc.org (212) 758-0447

All Saints Episcopal Church 230 E. 60 St (betw. 2nd & 3rd Ave)., New York, NY 10022 th

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 3

CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG

MADOFF’S EX-SECRETARY, PROGRAMMER GET REDUCED JAIL TIME

66-year-old woman’s testimony that she merely did as Madoff instructed for 40 years, unaware her deeds were supporting history’s biggest Ponzi scheme and costing thousands of investors billions of dollars. For Bongiorno, the judge even

A Manhattan judge found plenty of reasons for leniency Tuesday as she ordered prison stints for ďŹ nancier Bernard Madoff’s former secretary and a computer programmer that fell well short of the double-digit prison terms the government had sought.

19TH PRECINCT

U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain sentenced ex-Madoff secretary Annette Bongiorno to 6 years in prison and programmer Jerome O’Hara to 2 1/2 years in prison. Swain called Bongiorno “a pampered, compliant and grossly overcompensated clerical worker who supervised other clerical workers with a ferocious enthusiasm.� She said O’Hara was “not a morally corrupt conniver who set out to hurt anyone� but instead had displayed concern, responsibility and empathy since his arrest. In Bongiorno’s case, Swain largely agreed w ith the

noted her lack of height and age as she ignored federal sentencing guidelines that called for a life sentence and the recommendation of prosecutors that she serve significantly more than 20 years in prison. Bongiorno and O’Hara were

among ďŹ ve Madoff employees convicted earlier this year after a six-month trial. Madoff’s former director of operations was sentenced to a decade in prison Monday. Two others, another computer programmer and an office manager, await sentenc-

Report covering the week 12/1/2014 through 12/7/2014

Murder

Week to Date

Year to Date

2014 2013 % Change

2014 2013 % Change

0

0

n/a

0

0

n/a

Rape

1

0

n/a

11

6

83.3

Robbery

3

5

-40

83

101

-17.8

Felony Assault

3

1

200

96

90

6.7

Burglary

1

11

-90.9

205

221

-7.2

Grand Larceny

31

33

-6.1

1,300 1,444 -10

Grand Larceny Auto

2

0

n/a

76

The Dignity MemorialÂŽ Personal Planning Guide, is a valuable tool that allows you to record financial and personal information that your family will need during and after your final arrangements. Preplanning puts your family first by making your wishes known and removing the burden from loved ones. To receive a complimentary Personal Planning Guide or to learn more about preplanning options, call or visit us.

52

46.2

ing. Prosecutors said Madoff could not have carried out the fraud without them.

CRAIGSSCAM An apartment seeker got scammed on craigslist. On Friday, November 28, a 38-year-old woman realized that the apartment to which she been attempting to obtain keys after answering a craigslist ad did not in fact exist. She had wired ďŹ ve payments to the fraudulent apartment owner totaling $3,400.

TIME TO GET ROBBED Be careful when someone asks you for the time! At 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, a 66-year-old woman was walking on the street talking on her phone when a 40-year-old man approached and asked her what time it was. She replied, “I do not know,â€? to which he responded, “Look at your phone!â€? When she complied, he grabbed the phone and ed eastbound on East 89th Street. The snatched cell was an Android valued at $400.

BLACK AND BLUE Yet more bicycle-born cell snatching on the Upper East Side! At 11:20 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, a 34-year-old woman was walking eastbound on 87th Street between Second and Third Avenues, when an unknown perpetrator, wearing a blue top and riding a black bicycle, swooped up from behind and snatched her cell phone before heading off in an unknown direction. The stolen cell was an iPhone 5 valued at $600.

OVERSEAS AND UNDER INVESTIGATION It pays to scrutinize your bank account statements these days. At 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 28, a 72-year-old man was reviewing a bank account receipt he had printed out at an ATM machine, when he saw a withdrawal listed in the amount of $13,750 that he had not executed. He talked to the bank manager at the branch and discovered that a wire transfer had been made to an overseas account without his permission or authority. Police said there is an ongoing investigation into the incident.

JAMES LENOX HOUSE, INC. 49 EAST 73RD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021 www.JLHAinc.org James Lenox House, Inc., a Mitchell-Lama Rental Housing Company supervised by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, will be selecting a limited number of applications by lottery for placement on their waiting lists as follows: Studio Apartment – 100 Applications to be accepted 6HOHFWHG DSSOLFDQWV ZKR TXDOLI\ DV YHWHUDQV SXUVXDQW WR VHFWLRQ HLJKW\ À YH RI WKH FLYLO VHUYLFH ODZ RU WKHLU surviving spouses, will be given preference in admission. Minimum age requirements, monthly rental charges, household composition and maximum income limit are as follows:

Apt. Size Studio

Minimum Age Requirement*

Monthly Rental Charge**

Household Composition***

Maximum Income Limit***

55 Years

$1,026.00

1 to 2 persons

$86,184.00

* All individuals on the application must be age 55 or older. ** Monthly rental charges are subject to change without notice. In some cases, rent surcharges may be applicable. *** Household members must be residing together and meet the household composition requirements at the time of application and at the time of apartment availability. **** Based on the total household income for the prior calendar year, less $1,000 for each personal and dependent exemption, and less $20,000 (or actual earnings if less) for each secondary wage earner. Household income must be within the allowable income limit at time of application and at time of apartment availability. DIRECTIONS FOR REQUESTING LOTTERY APPLICATION AND INSTRUCTIONS To request a lottery application and instructions you must send a STAMPED SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE, no smaller than 9 by 4 inches, by FIRST-CLASS MAIL to: -DPHV /HQR[ +RXVH ,QF &KHURNHH 3RVW 2IĂ€ FH 32 %R[ 1HZ <RUN 1< &HUWLĂ€ HG UHJLVWHUHG RU RYHUQLJKW PDLO DQG ZDON LQ RU WHOHSKRQHG UHTXHVWV ZLOO not be accepted. Your request must be postmarked by 5 pm on January 9, 2015. Application requests postmarked after that deadline will not be honored. On January 19, 2015, a lottery application and instructions will be mailed to persons whose requests were received by the aforementioned deadline.

FRANK T H E

E. C A M P B EL L

F U N E R A L

C H A P E L

K n o w n for Ex c e l l en c e since 18 9 8

1 0 7 6 M a d i s o n A ve n u e

at

81s t S t re e t

212 . 2 8 8 . 3 5 0 0

www.frankecampbell.com Owned by A Subsidiary of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019 (713) 522-5141

Note: This is a two step process. First, follow the directions above to obtain a lottery application and instructions. Second, when you receive the application, follow the instructions and submit your completed application with a processing fee of $75. If your application is not selected in the lottery, the processing fee will be returned.

4 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct

153 E. 67th St.

212-452-0600

FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13

159 E. 85th St.

311

FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16

157 E. 67th St.

311

FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43

1836 2nd Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 44

221 E. 75th St

311

FIRE

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

157 E. 104 St.

212-828-5829

State Senator Liz Krueger

1850 2nd Ave.

212-490-9535

Assembly Member Dan Quart

360 E. 57th St.

212-605-0937

Assembly Member Micah Kellner

1365 1st Ave.

212-860-4906

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.

Webster Library

1465 York Avenue

212-734-1717 212-288-5049

HOSPITALS Lenox Hill

100 E. 77th St.

212-434-2000

NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell

525 E. 68th St.

212-746-5454

Mount Sinai

E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.

212-241-6500

NYU Langone

550 1st Ave.

212-263-7300

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

US Post Office

1283 1st Ave.

212-517-8361

US Post Office

1617 3rd Ave.

212-369-2747

SHOP LOCAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

www.logosbookstorenyc.com Mon-Fri: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sat: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sun: 12 - 7 p.m.

TO BRING HOLIDAY CHEER

Eva’s Garden Plants & Flowers A Yorkville shop that does holiday arrangements, fruit baskets, balloons and any kind of oral design and decoration. 1506 First Ave, btwn 78th & 79th St. 212-744-8710 evasgarden.com Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

212-868-0190 nyoffice@strausnews.com ourtownny.com

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ABOUT US Our Town is published weekly by Straus Media-Manhattan. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Straus Media-Manhattan, 20 West Ave., Chester, NY 10918.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

PREVIOUS OWNERS HAVE INCLUDED:

Include your full name, address and day and evening telephone numbers

Tom Allon, Isis Ventures, Ed Kayatt, Russ Smith, Bob Trentlyon, Jerry Finkelstein

Maz Mezcal This local favorite features an extensive menu of Mexican food classics, and plenty of space for private parties or large groups. Owner Eduardo Silva proudly continues his family’s tradition of operating Mexican restaurants on the Upper East Side, which began in 1948. 316 East 86th St. btwn Second & First Ave. 212-472-1599 www.mazmezcal.com Mon-Thurs: 5 - 11 p.m. Fri: 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. Sat: 12 p.m. - 12 a.m Sun: 12 - 11 p.m.

FOR ONE-OF-A-KIND KIDS

POST OFFICES

HOW TO REACH US:

A PLACE TO PARTY

The Children’s General Store This tiny shop contains multitudes, with toys, games, arts-and-crafts projects, stuffed animals and all kinds of

presents for children of all ages. They also offer complimentary gift wrapping and are happy to make suggestions for bewildered relatives. 168 East 91st St. btwn Lexington & Third Ave. 212-426-4479 Mon-Sat: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sun: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

TO DAZZLE GUESTS Lucy’s Whey Artisanal Cheese Whether you need to pick up a selection for a cheese board for your holiday party or a gift to go with that bottle of wine, this local cheese shop has you covered. They also do catering, and there’s a cafe and wine bar attached so you can sample before buying for others. 1417 Lexington Ave. at 93rd St. 212-289-8900 www.lucyswhey.com

EARLY HOLIDAY DEADLINE NOTICE DISPLAY ADVERTISING %FD r QN EDITORIAL %FD r QN CLASSIFIED %FD r /PPO

I BUY OLD TRIBAL ART I buy old African, Oceanic, Indonesian and Native American art. Masks, ďŹ gures, weapons etc. For a free appraisal: (917) 628-0031 daniel@jacarandatribal.com

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 5

Jewelers since 1936

Fine Jewelry, Watches and Giftware Designing Holiday Scrap gold layaways purchased Remodeling now being or taken accepted in trade! Repairing Our acclaimed work shop now accepting holiday orders for one of a kind custom designed items. ALL WORK DONE ON PREMISES.

Celebrating Our 78th Year!!! Batteries Done While You Wait. On Site Same Day Engraving DCA License #1089294

1395 Third Avenue Btwn 79th and 80th Sts

212.879.3690

We Will Gladly Steam Clean Your Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands At No Charge While You Wait.

6 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

Central Park

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PARK? The holidays are just around the corner and it’s the perfect time for spending time in Central Park with a cup of hot chocolate and your loved ones. Take a walk through the Ramble, bike around the 6.1 mile loop, do some ice skating at Wollman Rink, or sit back and relax in a pedicab or horse and carriage ride as you take in the sights and enjoy. Most of the leaves have fallen already, but @ NYCRobyn shared a beautiful photo with us of one of the last trees in Central Park that’s still holding on to its fall foliage. The many species of birds in the park right now are quite active, and last weekend showed a Veery, several House Finches and a Downy Woodpecker near the Boathouse. There were also spottings of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Carolina Wrens and Red-tailed and Red-shouldered hawks. Try out a birding walk with Birding Bob this weekend and get to experience many of Central Park’s most famous landmarks as well. More info at www.birdingbob.com.

COMING UP THIS WEEK www.centralpark.com/ events

HOLIDAY SIGHTS WALKING TOUR ICE SKATING AT WOLLMAN RINK Mon/Tue: 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Wed/Thu: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Fri/Sat: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Daily at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Get your cameras ready and get in the holiday spirit on this fun and festive walking tour covering Central Park, Rockefeller Center and more. Now through January 5th. www.centralpark.com/ guide/tours

HIDDEN SECRETS OF CENTRAL PARK WALKING TOUR Daily at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Take a guided walk through the lesser known and often missed parts of the park. Contact info@centralpark. com for reservations www.centralpark.com/ guide/tours

Event listings and Where in Central Park? brought to you by CentralPark.com.

WHERE IN CENTRAL PARK? Do you know where in Central Park this photo was taken? To submit your answer, go to centralpark.com/ where-in-centralpark. The answers and names of the people who guessed right will appear in next week’s paper.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWER Media Sponsor: Straus Media

Central Park’s Ladies Pavilion is a secluded spot located near 75th Street on the west side of the park, next to The Lake. The Pavilion’s antique-style construction, location, and beauty have made it one of the most sought-after park locations for special events, especially weddings ceremonies and photo shoots. Congratulations to our Robyn Roth-Moise for our only correct guess!

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 7

Where in New York State?

Do you know where this is? It’s just one of the great sites in New York State

Tell us and you could win

$1,000 It’s as easy as this: Go to ILoveNYcontest.com or via email to: contests@strausnews.com or via postal service mail to: 20 West Ave., Chester, NY 10918. © stumccullum/Bigstock.com

Your answer must arrive electronically or be postmarked by December 22, 2014 to be eligible.

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years and older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends 12/22/14. To enter by e-mail or mail, send us your answer along with your full name, address, e-mail address and telephone number. For official rules, prize descriptions and odds disclosure, visit ILoveNYcontest.com. Sponsor: Straus Newspapers, Inc., 20 West Avenue, Chester, NY 10918.

Niagara Falls is just one of the fabulous places to visit in New York State.

Last Week’s Answer: Niagara Falls

To learn about more places go to ILoveNY.com © Curioso Travel Photography/Bigstock.com

Niagara Falls is the collective name of the three waterfalls that straddle the border between Ontario and the state of New York. The combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 165 feet. The Niagara Falls are renowned for their beauty and as a source of hydroelectric power.

8 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

Voices

A LESSON IN CRIME WATCH MATH To the Editor: I am intrigued by how you arrive at the percent change in your weekly Crime Watch Report. One cannot mathematically arrive at a true % change when a numerator or denominator is 0.

The fact that you report both a week-to-date decrease from 2 to 0 for felony assault, and a yearto-date decrease from 1 to 0 for murder as 100% (December 4-10 issue) demonstrates this point. Using such math, a hypothetical

Feedback

decrease from 1,000 to 0 would also be 100%, whereas a smaller decrease from 1,000 to 1 would be 1,000% (10 times higher, even though the number of incidents was greater!) The term “percent” really has

limited application when the total sum being evaluated is extremely small. “Percent” actually translates as “from a hundred,” and serves to remind one, when looking at statistics, that the size of the populations being

evaluated is significant. Though both 1 out of 2 and 1,000,000 out of 2,000,000 calculate as 50%, the difference in the validity of the “50%’s” should be obvious. Carl N. Steeg, MD

MY STORY

SUPPORT FOR THE FRICK To The Editor: Thank you for your courageous stand supporting the Frick Museum’s expansion plans. I would add two brief things. Opponents of the plan seem focused primarily on the loss of the small, inaccessible garden on 70th Street. But this is shortsighted. If the Frick lives up to its promises, not only will there be an accessible roof garden on the new building, but the far larger garden on Fifth Avenue will be open for the first time in decades. This would seem a more than acceptable trade-off. As well, the new building would also allow the opening up of the second floor of the original building, which is currently used for offices, but would then be used as exhibition space. Finally, opponents seem to be choosing an arbitrary moment in time in determining what they might accept. No one has put this better than Christopher Gray in The New York Times: “Is the 1970s garden, given its recent vintage, important enough to be protected? Would the loss of the garden harm the townhouse character of the street — which historically had no such gardens? A really correct restoration would replace the three townhouses – why isn’t that on the table? Will the new wing overpower the original Frick, even though the original Frick long ago disappeared?...With foresight the Frick has never made the [70th Street] garden public, and it’s ‘don’t touch’ aspect is part of its considerable charm. But is it ‘charm preservation’ we’re after?” As a former co-chair of the Landmarks Committee of Community Board 7, and an active member of the West End Preservation Society, I am very familiar with the subject, and not one to simply accept a plan of this kind without first looking into it as deeply as I can. Having done so, I am convinced that it is a good, respectful plan, and I personally cannot wait to see the new Frick Museum in all its expanded glory. Ian Alterman

A HOLIDAY REASON TO SMILE BY BETTE DEWING “And when you walk down the street, say hello to friends you know, and everyone you meet.” Yup, that’s from a Christmas song played on 106.7 FM and while we wish some Chanukah songs were included, most songs played there are about peace and good will to all people. So is saying “hello” to “everyone you meet” (within reason,) or just giving a smile. But give special smiles and maybe assistance to those who need a wheelchair or walker to get down that street. As for smiling, research galore and personal experience find even the physical act of smiling reduces stress. Smiles help overcome the worrisome widening gaps between races, and most sadly, even in families. One woman attended St. Stephen of Hungary’s Thanksgiving dinner for the community because she was estranged from her mother. And shouldn’t faith groups be as involved in overcoming such painful and primal divides as they often are in overcoming the racial kind? About smiles, I’m dismayed how few smiles greet a visitor or even regular member in faith group settings. Even at the special standing room-only mass to honor Franciscan monks for their 80-year service to St. Stephen of Hungary and its beloved retired priest, Father Angelo,

when this visitor smiled and said hello to a man and his 10 or 12-year-old daughter in the nearby pew, the man looked surprised, but managed a smile and a nod. The girl only returned a blank stare. And this was a service to also show how this generally “friendlier” than most churches, could be standing room-only so that the Archdiocese would change its mind about merging it with St. Monica’s next summer. But this general failure to smile and acknowledge is everywhere, including my official home church, Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, where the “door greeters” smile and say hello, but you rarely get a nod or a smile from those sharing your pew. Ah, but don’t get me wrong, I critique faith groups because they do so much good for the community-at-large as well as the congregation, and their survival and their growth is so critical to society’s general wellbeing. Ah, but they could do so much more. Yes, even if their leaders just got their congregations acknowledging others gathered in church for a service or event. The pews might not be so achingly empty then. And this applies to civic groups, too, which also do so much good, there’s no concerted effort to create a community where, for example, the able-bodied enable attendance at meetings for those who cannot travel alone. And when regular group members do not show up, too often there’s no concerned action. That’s not what Christmas and Chanukah is all about. That’s the everyday type caring we hear too little about, but caregiving for dependent elders is a major societal concern. But even at Senator Liz Krueger’s invaluable forums on Boomer /Senior needs, not that many attended the first meeting of the current series on caregiving issues. And shouldn’t religious and community groups, not to mention elected officals, be there, to learn, first of all, how incredibly unaffordable professional care-giving can be even when families are very involved? And shouldn’t there be active concern when families are not – or when the care-giving is not shared? And above all, intervention is needed when care is inadequate – or worse. If he’s not in Albany, Assemblyman Daniel

Quart vows to attend the next forum. Now Quart is not only a husband and daddy, but has a close extended family all living on the Upper East Side. And this natural support system needs all-out encouragement and enabling in this all too mobile and age-segregated society. It can be done, yes even long distance - if enough of us try. Thankfully, Madison Ave. Presbterian Church’s Rev. Beverly Bartlett said she’d alert the church deacons about the series. Again, those pews might not be so empty if churches were as involved with caregiving in their own congregation, as they are with helping “the homeless.” (Awful label.) The Krueger forum is from 8:30 to 10 AM, Thursday December 18 at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House located on 70th Street between First and Second Avenues. There’s coffee. And these forums are surely what Chanukah and Christmas are all about. So is the E. 79th Street Neighborhood Association which meets from 6 to 8pm that evening, but nobody has told this columnist, who often chronicles its concerns, just where the meeting is held this month. Which reminds me, to overcome being overlooked, however unintentional, you can’t be silent. And no smiling. dewingbetter@aol.com

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

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 9

6th Borough

I

t’s been four years now since I said it. My head was deep in a bag of clothes from a Goodwill in Colorado Springs. I had just scored gray wool slacks, pink striped disco pants, two sweaters, a long paisley skirt and pea green corduroys for under $20. I’m never buying new clothes again,� I proclaimed, riing through my booty. It took a few seconds for the words to sink in. Then there they hung, irretrievable.

“

something

have

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us to

drawers apart in a frantic search for something to wear to work, making a mess and making myself late and hating every piece of clothing I own. There have been days I’ve felt like a schlub, or like I’m Amish, or 15 years old, or 70, or egregiously out of sync with the place and time in a way I couldn’t quite pin down. Then again, there were days like that before I stopped buying new clothes, too. Fashion has never been my forte. Still, for three and a half years, I stuck to my guns. I even grew partial to my wardrobe, partly because it was an eclectic mishmash of styles that is in itself a sort of style, but mostly because on any given day I could look down and, starting at my shoes and working my way up, tick off a list of friends, cousins, and thrift stores I’ve visited on various travels. For three and a half years, I was such a good girl. And then‌ It was at an airport, on an inhumanly long – like eight hour – layover in Munich, on the way home from Israel, where I’d spent the last two weeks wearing a few stinky tshirts. I have a thing for non-American pants, and there on a mannequin in the window of a store right next to our gate was a pair of parachute jeans, the MC Hammer style with the low crotch. They were embroidered with colorful script on the legs and

?

into

BY BECCA TUCKER

like

A pledge and a pair of party pants

Life is long. Two of my greatgrandmothers lived to 103. The next three quarters of a century would see me progress through increasingly threadbare states, deteriorating eventually into skin and bones wrapped in a potato sack. I started tacking on asterisks. I could still buy *shoes. *Socks. *Underwear. *Team gear (I play ultimate Frisbee, and need to wear my team jersey and shorts). *Other people could buy clothes for me (the holidays were coming up and I didn’t want to be a scrooge). *I could buy clothes for other people (ditto on the rationale). It wasn’t as if husband Joe, the sole witness to my proclamation, was paying any attention. I could have kept gabbing and no one would have been the wiser. Except I couldn’t. I had dared myself, and I couldn’t back down. Those clothes from H&M and Forever 21 were too cheap. Something seemed amiss about going on a shopping binge on a whim, tossing the clothes when the seams gave way six months later, and doing it again. This felt not only doable, but necessary. I’m not going to pretend life after new clothes has been all peaches and puppies. There have been mornings since that day when I’ve torn my

you You’d look

topped by a belt of shredded ribbon. Desperate for kiddie entertainment, I brought my toddler daughter, Kai, into the store. Just to look! The prices would have been silly if they’d been in dollars; they were of course in Euros. I tried on the pants. There, checking out her body in the full-length mirror, was a new woman. I’d gone into the dressing room with sand in my ears and airplane smell in my pores. All of a sudden I felt casual, but ready for a beach party. Relaxed, but if I happened to get bumped up to ďŹ rst class I’d be right at home. I felt famous. Kai agreed. I wore them out of the store. When we walked back Joe, and he looked at us over the top of the newspaper, I had my excuse ready. I’m adding another asterisk, I said: I can buy new clothes in other countries. I didn’t tell him how much I’d spent. I never really allowed myself to do the Euros-to-dollars conversion in my head, so in writing this I looked up my credit card statement. The truth will set you free. At $122.05, they are the most expensive pair of pants I hope ever to own. A few weeks later, the pants had their stateside premier when I wore them to the setting for which they seemed destined: a beach party at an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Florida. I walked out of my motel

room into a group of teammates sitting in the hall. “Whoa, Tucker,â€? one teammate said. “What’s with the pants?â€? “They’re my party pants,â€? I shrugged, attempting to sound blasĂŠ. I could feel my temperature rising as all eyes turned to my lower half. I’ve worn plenty of absurd get-ups to play Frisbee – a Smurf costume, a deerskin, a red unitard – and never managed to embarrass myself. Now I felt my face getting red. My pants haven’t looked the same to me since then. I catch sight of them hanging in my closet (they’re so expensive that they get the hanger treatment) and I wince. They are garish and imsy. They already have a little hole! I will wear my clown pants again, yes, brace yourselves, but they hang there mostly as a reminder. Seriously, Becca: do not buy new clothes, and do not invent stupid new asterisks to enable yourself to break your own rule. You’ve got enough shopaholic friends to keep your drawers bursting with last year’s designer clothes for the rest of your life. And those pants won’t make you famous. Becca Tucker is a former Manhattanite who now lives on a farm upstate and writes about the rural life.

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10 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

M A R BLE C O LLEG I AT E C HU RCH

Christmas Eve Wednesday, December 24 4:00pm - Family Friendly Service 6:30pm & 8:30pm (Live Streaming of the 6:30pm service) New Year’s Eve Jazz Revelation Wednesday, December 31, 7:30pm Followed by a Festive Reception

For our full calendar of events, visit www.MarbleChurch.org Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001 (212) 686-2770 www.MarbleChurch.org

Now Get Real Time Bus, Subway & Alternate Side Parking Information Here

HOLIDAY SERVICES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service 11:00 p.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve Service December 25, Christmas Day 8:00 p.m. Christmas Dinner

A selection of local services for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on the Upper East Side

SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE CATHOLIC CHURCH

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 135 East 96th Street at Lexington Avenue 212-289-0425 December 25, Christmas Day 11:00 Christmas Day Mass

ZION ST. MARK’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN 339 East 84th Street at 1st Avenue 212-288-0600 December 24, Christmas Eve: 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service rvice December 25, Christmas Day: 11:00 1:00 a.m. Christmas Day

ST. T. JOSEPH’S CHURCH 404 East 87th Street at 1st Avenue enue 212-289-6030 December 21: Directly following 6:00 p.m Mass, ss, Carols by Candlelight andd Christmas Party

UNITARIAN NITARIAN CHURCH HURCH OF ALL SOULS OULS 1157 157 Lexington Avenue enue at East 80th Street eet 212-535-5530 December 24, Christmas ristmas Eve 4:00 p.m. Family mily Christmas ristmas Evee Service 8:00 p.m.

184 East 76th Street between Lexington Avenue and 3rd Avenue 212-288-5082 December 24, Christmas Eve 5:30 p.m. Christmas Vigil Mass 11:30 p.m. Choral Carols 12:00 a.m. Christmas Midnight Choral Liturgy

CHRIST CHURCH UNITED METHODIST 524 Park Avenue at East 60th Street 212-838-3036 December 19: 7:00 p.m. Youth Christmas Party (RSVP recommended) December 21: 12:15 p.m. Christmas Feast and Pageant (RSVP recommended)

ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 230 East 60th Street between 3rd and 2nd Avenues 212-758-0447 December 24, Christmas Eve: 10:00 p.m. Christmas Music & Carols Celebration 10:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve Eucharist

CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF PEACE 237 East 62nd Street at 2nd Avenue 212-838-3189 December 24, Christmas Eve: 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass 12:00 a.m. Midnight Mass December 25, Christmas Day 8:30 & 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. Mass 5:00 p.m. Christmas Carols 11:15 p.m. Christmas Carols before Midnight Mass

FIRST REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH 317 East 50th Street at 2nd Avenue 212-755-0995 December 24, Christmas Eve 7:00 p.m. The Festival of Lessons and Carols for Christmas

CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY 1393 York Avenue between 139 East 74th 7 and 75th Streets 212-737-2720 212 December 24, Christmas Eve Dec 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve 4:0 Family Service 10:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist 10:0 December 25, Christmas Day Dec 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist 10:0 with Soloist S

TRIN BAPTIST TRINITY CHURCH CHU 250 East 61st Street at 2nd Avenue Avenu 212-838-6844 212 December 24, Christmas Eve Dec 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve 6:0 Family Service December 25, Christmas Day Dec 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. Morning 9:3 Service Servic

THE CHURCH OF OUR SAV SAVIOUR 59 Park Avenue between East 3 38th and East 39th Streets Street 212-679-8166 212 December 20 De 7:30 p.m. Christmas 7: Concert with the Choir Con

MA MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH www.ourtownny.com Your Neighborhood News The local paper for the Upper East Side

1 West 29th St. 212-686-2770 December 24, Christmas Eve 4 p.m. Family Friendly Service Servic 6:30 6:3 p.m. Service 8:30 8:3 p.m. with Holy Communion Comm

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 11

Out & About 22 CHILDREN’S PLAYTIME 96th Street Library, 112 East 96th St. 4 p.m., Free. Young children make crafts and read and listen to stories together in the library. The group is capped at 30 kids. 212-289-0908. nypl.org

20 GILDED ORNAMENTS HOLIDAY WORKSHOP

19 ‘NARROW MARGIN’ SCREENING 58th Street Library btwn Park and Lexington Avenue, 127 East 58th St. 2-3:30 p.m., Free. In this low budget, black and white film, a cop is assigned to protect a gangster’s wife on her travels from Chicago to L.A. 212-759-7358. nypl.org

Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. btwn 103rd and 104th St.s. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Free. Make a handmade ornament inspired by the 19th century jewelry exhibit “Gilded New York” to brighten up your Christmas tree. 212-534-1672. mcny.org

OPUS PERFORMS ‘NEW THREAD TO AN OLD CLOTH’ 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd St. 8 p.m., $20. Opus Dance Theatre

Company puts on a show that weaves together contemporary and traditional dances from different cultures. 212-415-5500. 92y.org

21 HANUKKAH FAMILY TIES CELEBRATION

HANUKKAH SOIRÉE The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd St. 6:30-9 p.m., $36-40. An evening of an open wine and vodka bar, latkes, jelly doughnuts, noshes and tours of featured exhibitions makes for the perfect Hanukkah celebration. 212-423-3200. thejewishmuseum.org

admission. A screening of three short artist documentaries that explore Zero, a group of artists, and its members’ creative inspiration. 212-423-3500. guggenheim.org

24

Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. btwn 103rd and 104th St.s. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Free for museum members. Celebrate by eating jelly doughnuts and making picture frames for your family photos. View the “Letters from Afar” installation of home movies from the 1920s. 212-534-1672. mcny.org

DROP-IN DRAWING SESSION Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Free with admission. With a pencil, sketchbook and help from museum educators, draw renditions of historical African art pieces. 212-535-7710. metmuseum. org

ORAN ETKIN’S TIMBALOOLOO CONCERT The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd St. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $1320. Internationally acclaimed jazz artist Oran Etkins welcomes families to an eclectic performance of jazz, African music and klezmer. 212-423-3200. thejewishmuseum.org

‘THE SEARCH FOR GENERAL TSO’ JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave at W 76th. 12 p.m., $25. View the enticing documentary, “The Search for General Tso” and learn about the origin of American Chinese food. 646-505-5708. www. jccmanhattan.com

SUNDAY ART DISCOVERIES: A RUSSIAN-AMERICAN QUILT The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. btwn 92nd and 93rd St. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Free with admission. Take your family to a gallery tour that features activities for each new museum installation. 212-423-3200. thejewishmuseum.org

25

23 ‘ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914’ PERFORMANCE Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. 6 p.m., $65. Men’s vocal ensemble “Cantus” performs the true story of a truce held during World War I on Christmas night in 1914. 212-535-7710. metmuseum. org

ZERO FILM PROGRAM Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th St. 3 p.m., Free with museum

DAVID BROZA CHRISTMAS EVE CONCERT 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd St. 7:30 p.m., $55. Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza returns to 92nd Street Y for his 19th annual “Not Exactly Christmas Eve Concert.” 212-415-5500. 92y.org

WINTER BREAK FAMILY PROGRAM Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Free with museum admission. Discover the exhibits throughout the met with your children during their time off from school this holiday season. For children ages 3 to 11. 212-535-7710. metmuseum. org

12 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

A GATHERING OF MASTERS (AND A COUPLE OF SCOTS) AT THE FRICK COLLECTION EXHIBITIONS A stunning show from the Scottish National Gallery graces the East Gallery BY VAL CASTRONOVO

Despite the billing, there are few masterpieces here by Scottish artists (two, to be precise, by Sir Henry Raeburn and Allan Ramsay). Most of the 10 paintings on display in the East Gallery are the work of English and continental European masters—think Reynolds, Constable, Gainsborough, Velázquez, El Greco, Watteau, and Botticelli, whose serene “The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child” is making its American debut at Henry Clay Frick’s mansion on the Upper East Side. The exhibit is a veritable top ten of Western art, culled from the collection of the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh — “a mini-anthology,” spanning the 15th to 19th centuries. Yet even with all the Old Master star power, it is an American artist whose work arguably steals the show: John Singer Sargent, the Gilded Age expatriate painter who was anointed “the Van Dyck of our times” by Rodin for his realistic portraits of society figures. His “Lady Agnew of Lochnaw” (1892) was offered to Helen Clay Frick, Mr. Frick’s daughter, in 1922, but she nixed the purchase. The Frick, a museum devoted to the exhibition of European art in a Gilded Age setting, never acquired any paintings by this American expat, but it has one now until Feb. 1. The presentation of a female portrait of such rare beauty and mystery calls to mind the Frick’s recent showcasing of Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (c. 1665) and, later, Parmigianino’s “Schiava Turca” (Turkish

Slave, c. 1531-1534). But unlike these other icons that were given star treatment in the Oval Room (“Girl” was displayed on its own, and “Schiava Turca” was grouped with just four other Renaissance portraits), “Lady Agnew of Lochnaw” is thrown into an eclectic mix of portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes in the East Gallery, yet still commands our attention at the end of the room. Perhaps it’s her clothing, a white, free-flowing tea gown, with lilac sash and trim. Or her pose, which is noticeably off-center in the chintz-covered chair. Or the directness of her gaze. Sargent was commissioned to paint the 27-year-old Gertrude Vernon by her Scottish husband, Sir Andrew Noel Agnew, 9th Baron of Lochnaw. The figure is bathed in light, with light bouncing off billowing white satin and chiffon. Light on white and light on fabric is a hallmark of the master. He completed this ravishing oil after only six sittings. In 1893, it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and made him a rock star. The elegant “Lady Agnew of Lochnaw” may take the prize in the East Gallery, but the runner-up is perhaps not surprisingly a painting by Sargent’s realist hero Diego Velázquez, “An Old Woman Cooking Eggs” (1618), painted when the Spanish artist was just 18 or 19 years old. The hyper-real domestic scene featuring a woman in a headscarf and a young boy holding a melon kicks off the show and is another riveting tribute to light. The faces, the headscarf, the ceramics, and the whites of the eggs are illuminated, as if under spotlights, against a blackened background. Velázquez’s genius is in capturing the texture of materials— brass, pottery, cloth, cooking oil, egg yolks—and illustrating the extent to which the items reflect or absorb light.

IF YOU GO WHAT: “Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery” at The Frick Collection WHERE: 1 E. 70th St., at Fifth Ave. WHEN: Now through Feb. 1, 2015 www.frick.org Take a few steps away from this humble scene and enter the ethereal realm of Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli. “The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child” (c. 1485) is the earliest painting on exhibit here and the first display of a Botticelli at the Frick. Mary is ensconced in a garden with pink rosebushes minus the thorns, a “reference to the Virgin as the ‘rose without thorns’ because of her freedom from the taint of original sin,” an essay in the catalog states. The enclosed garden of roses and sheltering rocks symbolizes her purity, the imagery sourced from the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament. The essay adds that the sleeping infant is an unusual feature in 15th century depictions of the Christ Child, “presumably…a premonition of his future Passion.” But an exhibit of this nature would not be complete without a man in kilts, and the show does not disappoint. On the wall opposite Botticelli’s quiet devotional painting hangs a monumental portrait of a Highland chief, “Colonel Alastair Ranaldson Macdonell, 15th Chief of Glengarry” (1812), by Sir Henry Raeburn, Scotland’s preeminent portraitist. Macdonell looks the part. He is grasping a hunting rifle and sporting his clan’s tartan and the “Glengarry bonnet.” He is a splendid anachronism, “the very emblem of feudalism,” according to his obituary in The Scotsman newspaper. See for yourself.

John Singer Sargent Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892 Oil on canvas 49 ½ x 39 ½ inches Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh © Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland

Sandro Botticelli The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child, c. 1485 Tempera, oil, and gold on canvas 48 x 31 ¾ inches Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh © Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland

5 TOP

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 13

FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

THEATER

“HERE’S HOOVER!” Known for its comedic interpretations of historical events and figures—its 2010 production “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” at the Public Theater reimagined the founding of the Democratic Party as a rock and roll musical—local theater company Les Freres Corbusier takes on 31st president Herbert Hoover, who, inspired by Elvis Presley, sets out to rehab his image with a comeback concert. Through Dec. 21st Underground Theater at Abrons Art Center 466 Grand St., near Pitt Street Assorted show times Tickets $18

“MANHATTAN PARISIENNE” This new work by Alain Boublil, the librettist and lyricist of “Les Miserables” and “Miss Saigon,” follows the relationship between a French singer in New York and the local musician she meets, who dreams of his own Parisian days. Directed by Graciela Daniele, the production stars Randy Redd and Marie Zamora, who played Cosette in Paris’ Mogador Theatre presentation of “Les Miserables.” Dec. 18-Jan. 4 59E59 Theaters 59 E. 59th St., between Park and Madison Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $30

more space to exhibit its permanent collection of design pieces. The museum, in the one-time mansion of Andrew Carnegie, ushers in a new era with 10 inaugural exhibits, including a showcase of tools that covers 1.85 million years, including a hand chopper carved from volcanic rock that dates to the Paleolithic period, in the museum’s new 6,000-square-foot third floor gallery space. Through May 25 2 East 91st St., on Fifth Avenue Museum hours: Sunday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Admission $18

OUR BUS IS YOUR BEST BET.

MUSIC STARING AT SOUND: TIGUE

MUSEUMS COOPER HEWITT, SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM, REOPENS The Cooper Hewitt on Museum Mile reopened on Dec. 12 after an extensive three-year renovation that gave the museum 60 percent

Staring at Sound, an ongoing series from Film Society at Lincoln Center that examines the relationship between music and film, presents a concert by Brooklyn-based percussion trio Tigue. The outfit will be joined by visual artist and musician Alejandro T. Acierto, who will pair manipulated live video footage with the band’s original compositions. Thursday, Dec. 18 Film Center Amphitheater 144 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue 8 p.m. Tickets $10

FILM “WHITE CHRISTMAS”

Installation view of “Tools: Extending Our Reach,î featuring “Controller of the Universe” by Dami·n Ortega and the Solar Wall. Photo by Matt Flynn © 2014 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

This screening of the 1954 holiday classic, in which Bing Crosby croons the Irving Berlin title song, marks the 60th- anniversary of the film that finds Crosby and Danny Kaye, a pair of war veterans and performers, spending Christmas in Vermont with singers Betty and Judy Haynes, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. Saturday, Dec. 20 IFC Center 323 Sixth Ave., at W. 3rd Street 1:30 p.m. Tickets $14

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14 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

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DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 15

Photo by @TKeuntjes

Photo by @MadyBixby

Photo by @LeHungerGamez

A NEW APPROACH TO SCHOOL LUNCHES, FOR BETTER OR WORSE BY MICHELE MUNZ

During their lunch period, a group of senior boys had various complaints: One often goes to his next class hungry; one just paid $7 to get three orders of toasted ravioli to barely satisfy him; and another likened the baked french fries to cardboard. Lines used to be out the door for sandwiches brought in from fast-food chains such as Chick-fil-A or Arby’s, they said. But with federal nutrition guidelines this year extending beyond the basic tray of food to the popular a la carte items, lines rarely run more than a dozen deep. “It’s basically tree bark now,” said senior Stone Ramatowski. “That’s all you can eat.” Health advocates applauded new federal school nutrition guidelines that began taking effect two years ago, but students are grumbling, mainly older students long used to their hamburgers and nachos. Disgruntled teens are sharing unappetizing pictures of

Photo by @anapper2

their lunches on social media under the hashtag #ThanksMichelleObama -- a sarcastic nod to the first lady, who championed the changes. Healthy habits may be changing, however. Younger students are more accepting of the changes, school officials report. And some studies show kids are eating healthier. “The little guys are eating more fruits and vegetables than they were three years ago,” said Marlene Pfeiffer, director of food services for the Parkway School District outside St. Louis. “It takes a few years to get the palate turned around, and that’s harder for older students.” Sweeping changes to food sold in schools were prompted by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Act passed in 2010. The legislation aimed to reduce America’s childhood obesity epidemic and lifelong health risks by improving access to nutritional meals. New rules increased the servings of fruits and vegetables and set requirements on

the amount of whole grains, calories, fat and sodium in food. Schools must follow the rules to receive access to lower-priced food and federal meal subsidies, as well as a 6-cent bonus per meal for meeting the new standards. The legislation took effect in the 2012-13 school year, with only the free and reduced-price meals for low-income children having to meet the nutritional guidelines. This school year, the requirements extended to everything sold in schools -- including the snack or a la carte lines. Vending machines are now filled with granola bars, baked chips and zero-calorie juice drinks. Gone are parent organization fundraisers like doughnut days and Valentine candy grams (five fundraisers can be held a year, but must only last one day and be closely documented). Baked sweet potato tater tots and whole-grain breaded chicken breasts on wheat buns have replaced french

Photo by @ashlynnpriest12

fries and chicken nuggets. Pizza has whole-grain crust, low-fat cheese and reduced-sodium tomato sauce. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported this summer that 90 percent of schools have met the new standards, and only 0.15 percent dropped out of the program because of struggles. Despite concerns about the impact on participation and costs, the USDA said in the first year of the new rules, schools saw a nationwide increase in revenue of about $200 million from school lunches. Participation increased in many districts in Los Angeles, Dallas and cities in Florida, the agency reported. Principal Jeremy Mitchell of Parkway West High said parents of athletes complain the food is not enough to satisfy their active children. “The parents say they need more calories,” Mitchell said. “They are running three miles a day. They are wrestling. They are here for practice until 6:30 p.m.” The USDA has made some conces-

Photo by @jlarivee24

sion on pasta, allowing waivers of the whole-grain requirement. School food service directors are hoping that the last change to come -- a further reduction in sodium content -- will be dropped. “We can’t reduce the sodium content any more,” Pfeiffer said. “The palatability is just not there.” Schools are trying to make the healthy food as appealing as possible. Parkway hired a chef, Dan Flick, who created a popular Southwest chicken salad, used black beans to make brownies and put mashed sweet potatoes into a spice cake. “Chef Dan” has taken different recipes of hummus (which he calls bean dip), salsa and other items for taste tests with students. A recent Harvard study found that under the new rules, kids are eating 16 percent more vegetables and 23 percent more fruit at lunch. Even senior Will Clark at Parkway West admits he’s eating more vegetables, and they actually fill him up. “I’m hungry, so I’m going to eat whatever they throw up there,” he said. The study also showed the new standards did not increase food waste. But area school officials report they see kids not touching the fruit or vegetable on their tray. Instead of throwing produce away, students are encouraged to place the unwanted fruit in a bowl to share with others. The directors say they are hopeful the downward trend of students not taking advantage of the nutritious meals at school will reverse.

16 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

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DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 17

LEARNING TO APPLY THE RULES OF BUSINESS TO THE PHILANTHROPIC WORLD To create leaders who not only want to do good but also know how to do so in the real world, Fordham University’s Center for Nonprofit Leaders is offering a Master’s of Science in Nonprofit Leadership. The new one-year graduate degree program, currently in the midst of its first trimester, integrates business management with social justice studies through a unique arrangement between the Fordham Graduate School of Business Administration and the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service. What unifies the inaugural class is the fact that each student has the ideas, the drive and the passion to make a difference yet was seeking to advance the practical and theoretical aspects of their ambitions -- the skills, strategies and savvy. Student David Schmidt Chapman, by day a Program Coordinator for Nathans Cummings Foundation, has a vision for how theater can serve social justice; Lyrica Fils-Aime, Life Coach for the Children’s Aid Society, wants to create a resource center for immigrants; and a third student, Judith Douglas, who is Director for Regional Volunteerism at The Volunteer Center of United Way, wants to establish the Professionals with Purpose Corps to guide successful professionals ready for nonprofit careers, board service or philanthropy. The Urban Institute reports that growth in the nonprofit sector, in both wages and employees, has outpaced the government and business sectors. This growth, coupled with the recent economic crisis, has posed significant challenges. According to a 2014 survey by the Nonprofit Finance Fund, 80% of nonprofits reported an increase in demand for services in 2013; 56% were unable to meet that demand; and 28% ended the year with a deficit. How can organizations provide more services with less money? By hiring nonprofit leaders with strong business management skills and training in advocacy. With over 300,000 public service organizations in the nonprofit sector looking to

fulfill their missions and serve the growing demands of their constituencies, Fordham’s new program will position its graduates to be competitive, effective, innovative leaders. The dual focus of the program, supported by the Graduate School of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Social Service, prepares students to address the complex issues that face society and gives them the essential knowledge and skills to be savvy, successful managers of efficient and effective nonprofit organizations. The one-year program, designed for working professionals, brings the “real world” into the classroom. Students gain business acumen and strong leadership skills while learning how to readily apply these skills in their fields of endeavor. In addition to the coursework, the program offers ongoing lectures by notable experts (who address pivotal issues challenging the changing nonprofit world.) The program also gives students full-year access to a mentor who is or was a CEO of a nonprofit organization. “I have witnessed how the lack of professional, competent management and clear direction provided by strong leadership can derail the objectives and mission of even the best intentioned nonprofit,” said Malachy Fallon. “To me, these observations underscore the need for this program and have reinforced my enthusiasm for being part of the inaugural class.” Fallon’s career at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, which spans 30 years and where he is a Managing Director, has provided him with a clear understanding of the short-term and long-term strategies critical for the success of complex organizations in always-evolving environments. Training Coordinator for the Foundation Center of NYC and Fordham MS student Luz Rodriquez remarks, “Those who have chosen to be the first cohort of this program are leaders in their own right. They recognize the extraordinary challenges facing our world

Left to right, Fordham’s Francis Petit, Elaine P. Congress and Allan Luks today, and they know that for social justice to be realized, a new type of visionary and innovative leadership is required. We’re seeking to achieve excellence in nonprofit management and leadership so that we can forge ahead as champions for justice.” Allan Luks, director of the Fordham Center for Nonprofit Leaders, said “students who graduate with a Master’s of Science from our new program will be able to bring a level of insight and expertise to their nonprofit work that has never been seen on this scale. Their leadership will also have a domino effect on the nonprofits and staff they encounter.” The Fordham Center for Nonprofit Leaders, founded four years ago, offers executive education and seminars. It is supported uniquely by the Graduate Schools of Social Service and Business Administration, with each student receiving a mentor who is or recently was the CEO of a nonprofit organization. In September 2014, the Center introduced the Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership program, which integrates social change and social justice into the teaching of management excellence.

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18 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

THE LOOMING DEBATE OVER CHARTERS State legislators will look at raising the current cap on the number of charter schools BY DAVID KLEPPER

Charter school supporters and critics are preparing for what they say will be a big debate over whether to allow more of the privately run, but publicly funded schools. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Republicans who lead the state Senate support more charter schools. But teachers unions and many of the Democrats in the state Assembly say they weaken public schools. The conict is expected to be one of the top issues facing lawmakers when they begin their 2015 session next month. The state restricts the number of charter schools both statewide and within New York City. There’s plenty of room to

grow statewide: 285 charters have been approved, far below the cap of 460. But it’s a different situation in the city, which has 231 charter schools either open or expected to open soon. That would leave only 25 slots for additional schools under the current cap. Advocates of charter schools say the caps are arbitrary and discourage groups from even beginning the yearslong process of winning approval to open a school. “I’m not just talking about lifting the cap, I think it’s time to eliminate it,� said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center, an organization that advocates for charters. “Charters are not a virus that needs to be contained. They’re something to be encouraged.� Critics of charters are vowing to defend against these efforts.

They accuse Cuomo and Senate Republicans of doing the bidding of wealthy donors who want to privatize education. “These are truly the masters of inequality and they have an agenda, ideologically driven, to bust up our public schools,� said Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education. It’s possible the debate could come this month if lawmakers call a special lame-duck session. Lawmakers floated the idea of returning to Albany in December to vote on legislative pay raises. The charter cap was one of several issues also suggested, but talk of a special session has waned as the new year approaches. Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos said last month that he supports charters -- particularly as a way to help minority students.

Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz, who is at the heart of the debate over expanding charter schools

Cuomo also backs charters, which he said encourage innovation in public education, and along with teacher evaluations and rigorous standards, he said, will change a system that has “done the same thing the same way for 40 years.� “As governor I probably spend more of my time trying to change the education system than anything else,� Cuomo said at a school appearance in October. “When you think about it, it is probably the single largest public monopoly in the United States of America. Change is hard in general. Change is hard personally.�

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio supports the current cap, as do his allies at the Working Families Party, a coalition of organized labor and liberal activists. The WFP, which endorsed Cuomo’s re-election, has joined with his primary opponent Zephyr Teachout, to ďŹ ght efforts to raise the cap. Teachout, a Fordham University law professor, vowed to ďŹ ght what she says is an effort to take control of state education policy. She identiďŹ ed a list of several wealthy hedge fund managers who spent heavily in the campaign to support Cuomo and Senate Republicans.

“One of the things that concerns me is that we see Andrew Cuomo make this more and more of a priority over the years, and it seems to follow the money,â€? she said. Charter supporters counter by noting the significant political influence of teachers’ unions, who spent $8 million on the 2014 elections. “For years the state teachers union has been the biggest force in shaping those politics,â€? said Kyle Rosenkrans of the Northeast Charter Schools Network. “Now the playing ďŹ eld has been leveled.â€?

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DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 19

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY PLANS NEW BUILDING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 pressing issues of our time are predicated on science. Many, many of the issues that folks are voting on really require not that they be scientists but that they have a layman’s working knowledge and understanding of these issues.” Anne Canty, senior vice president of communications and marketing at the museum, said the institution’s board of trustees voted in favor of the addition on Dec. 10. The new, 218,000-squarefoot building will sit on the museum’s Columbus Avenue side, at 79th Street. As the museum is a city-owned landmark located on the public Theodore Roosevelt Park, approval from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, Department of Cultural Affairs and Parks Department are required, processes that allow for public review and comment. A spokesperson for the Landmarks Preservation Commission said the agency has not yet received an application for the project, but that any expansion at the museum would require the commission’s approval. A spokesperson at the Parks Department confirmed the project would need the department’s approval due to the planned expansion into Theodore Roosevelt Park. “We have been briefed on the American Museum of Natural History’s proposed addition, and we will further review it with the board in the near future,” said the department’s Manhattan Borough Commissioner Bill Castro in a statement. The use of Theodore Roosevelt Park for the new addition has triggered quick attention from park advocates, preservationists and community members, with some raising concerns about the museum’s takeover of public open space. Kate Wood, the incoming executive director of the preservation organization Landmark West, said news of the expansion is not surprising, but that her organization has concerns about the museum building on top of parkland. “In light of the general post-recession uptick in development activity around the city, especially institutional expansion projects, the museum’s plan comes as no surprise. Once the full details of the plan are revealed, Landmark West will review them carefully and formulate a response,” said Wood. “We do have serious concerns about the museum’s publicly stated intent to encroach on the surrounding park, an amenity historically enjoyed and maintained by the public.” Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates, said details regarding how much of the park the institution hopes to develop have not yet been released, and that any use of the land for non-park purposes is subject to approval from the state legislature. “We have seen time and time again public parklands being used inappropriately, which must stop,” Croft said. Following the board’s approval, the project is now moving into its design phase, with Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects slated to design the addition. The museum selected Gang for the project due in part to her firm’s focus on sustainability and outdoor spaces: her work includes the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo and the Ford Calumet Environmental Center, both in Chicago. Though the new building must occupy a portion of Theodore Roosevelt Park, museum officials stressed that the addition will be sensitive to the park’s atmosphere and not overwhelm the open space.

“She displayed—and has in her work for some time—a great sensitivity to nature and the idea of a museum that lives in a park, and to the relationship between nature and the built environment, particularly in an urban setting,” Futter said of the museum’s selection of Gang. Of the estimated $325 million needed to finance the project, more than $100 million has already been raised, thanks in large part to a $50 million gift from museum trustee Richard Gilder, who also championed the creation of the Rose Center for Earth and Space, which opened in 2000. Gilder’s lifelong contributions to the institution now total over $125 million, making him the museum’s single largest donor to date. The city also allocated more than $15 million for the project. The museum hopes to open the new building in 2019 or 2020, marking the institution’s 150th anniversary, though museum officials don’t yet know when presentations to Community Board 7 and the requisite city agencies will occur. The new building will integrate the institution’s active scientific research and education offerings, museum officials said, which have grown significantly in the past two decades to include programs such as Urban Advantage, a science education initiative through the museum and other city institutions for middle school students and teachers, and the Science Research Mentoring Program, which immerses high school students in research projects led by museum scientists. Around 5,300 teachers, most from the city’s public schools, receive science education training at the museum, Futter said. Museum attendance has also grown to around 5 million annually, up from approximately 3 million a year in the mid-1990s. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who was influential in the implementation of Urban Advantage as a city councilmember, noted that the addition will enhance the museum’s research and education offerings. “It will help meet what has always been the museum’s mission: to discover, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe,” said Brewer, who also noted that community input is key. “I will ask that the museum consult the community regarding building design, sustainability issues and support for the museum park.” Ralph Appelbaum, who has created exhibits for the museum previously, including its Hall of Biodiversity, will design the exhibitions. The new facility will allow visitors to engage with new sci-

REACTION TO THE MUSEUM’S EXPANSION PLAN Kate Wood, incoming executive director, Landmark West “In light of the general postrecession uptick in development activity around the city, especially institutional expansion projects, the museum’s plan comes as no surprise. Once the full details of the plan are revealed, Landmark West will review them carefully and formulate a response,” said Wood. “We do have serious concerns about the museum’s publicly stated intent to encroach on the

The museum’s Hayden Planetarium

entific findings by some of the institution’s 200 working scientists that have only come to light in recent years, Canty said, through new tools and technologies. The museum also hopes to weave mobile capabilities the exhibits. “This is the first facility that we’ll have added or constructed since the mobile revolution,” said Futter. “We really want to use this opportunity to bring together the museum experience as it exists on site and online, and to enable our visitors whether they be right here in New York on the west side or on the far reaches of the globe to be able to understand and enjoy the museum experience, and flow back and forth on site and online the way people really function today.” Elizabeth Caputo, chair of Community Board 7, said the project is exciting in prospect, and that the board looks forward to being included in the planning. “This is clearly going to be an ongoing process

surrounding park, an amenity historically enjoyed and maintained by the public.” Elizabeth Caputo, chair of Community Board 7 “This is clearly going to be an ongoing process and discussion with the museum and stakeholders in the community,” said Caputo. “We want Community Board 7 to have a real seat at the table, and I have every belief at this point that that will happen.” Helen Rosenthal, City Councilmember, Upper West Side “The Museum briefed me on their needs and goals for this new facility, which are largely based on the

and discussion with the museum and stakeholders in the community,” said Caputo. “We want Community Board 7 to have a real seat at the table, and I have every belief at this point that that will happen.” Caputo said that while there has been controversy in the past whenever the museum has expanded, the institution has historically been well-attuned to the community’s concerns. Caputo said the museum reached out to CB7 and “is very interested in working with us.” Of immediate concern she said is how much of Theodore Roosevelt Park the museum is looking to build on. Caputo said she’ll be raising the issue of whether it’s possible to save any trees that are threatened by construction. “Maybe there’s a way for them to incorporate elements of the park,” she said. “Our real hope is that we can mitigate the loss of parkland.”

extension of their educational and scientific mission. I know that the Museum has already begun consultations with the community, and once there is a design, I know that the Museum will take concerns about conserving the park very seriously.” Geoffrey Croft, President, NYC Park Advocates “Details regarding how much parkland they hope to seize to build the addition have not yet been released,” Croft said. “Any use of Theodore Roosevelt Park for this non-park purpose would require NY State alienation approval. We have seen time and time again public parklands being used inappropriately which must stop. “

Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President “It’s definitely a significant expansion. It will help meet what has always been the museum’s mission: to discover, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe,” said Brewer. “In particular, this addition will help expand their extensive work with public school students and teachers: offering comprehensive STEM education, providing graduate degree programs for science teachers, and expanding the wildly successful Urban Advantage science program for middle schoolers that I initiated years ago. I will ask that the museum consult the community regarding building design and sustainability issues.”

20 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

Food & Drink

< RISE IN RESTAURANT ‘A’ GRADES More New York eateries are making the grade. amNewYork reported that, of the nearly 24,000 restaurants inspected by the health department, around 85 percent receive A grades, up about 20 percent since the city implemented the grading program in 2010. Restaurants in Midtown West and Hell’s Kitchen receive the most high marks,

with 583 A’s awarded. Only 1.6 percent of all grades given throughout the five boroughs are C’s; the Lower East Side earned the most with 14. Some notable establishments have earned less than stellar reviews from the Health Department, including the cronut confectioner Dominque Ansel Bakery, which closed for four

days earlier this year to address a rodent issue in the kitchen, amNewYork noted. The city has made efforts to make the grading system more transparent—an app called ABCEats allows users to find restaurant grades and inspection reports on any of the inspected dining spots—and now grants ungraded inspections.

In Brief ELI’S TABLE OPENS Eli Zabar, brother of the owners of Upper West Side institution Zabar’s, recently opened a high-end eatery on the Upper East Side, DNAinfo reported. The Third Avenue and 80th Street spot is located next to Zabar’s flagship grocery, Eli’s Manhattan, and his beverage shop Eli’s List Wine & Spirits Shop, where the restaurant will source much of its seasonal ingredients and all its wine pairings. A recent dinner menu for the 75-seat restaurant included a selection of cheese and charcuterie, homemade tagliatelle with Dungeness crab and New York venison with roasted carrots and oyster mushrooms. A weekend brunch offers bagels with smoked salmon and meatloaf sandwiches among other items. Eli’s Table is located at 1413 Third Avenue, between 80th and 81st Streets, and is open for dinner daily at 5:30 p.m. and for weekend brunch from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

5 NAPKIN BURGER COMING TO U.E.S. American eatery 5 Napkin Burger is heading to the Upper East Side, the New York Post reported. The restaurant, which already has locations in Hell’s Kitchen, Union Square and the Upper West Side, in addition to Boston and Miami outposts, adds its fourth New York locale when it opens on Second Avenue and 70th Street in April 2015. Owned by Simon Oren, who also operates Nice Matin, Maison and other eateries throughout the city, the bistro-style restaurant offers 10 different burgers, from the 10 oz. original ground beef variety with gruyere cheese and caramelized onions to a lamb and ground beef patty with tahini sauce, cucumber, tomato and peppers, as well as a selection of salads, sandwiches, tacos, and, oddly enough, sushi.

ELEVATING THE LATKE FOOD Food fest inspires chefs to create unique versions of a Jewish culinary favorite STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAT LONG

Potato fritters slathered with crème fraiche and pickled ginger. Delicate medallions dressed with winebraised oxtail, horseradish sunchoke cream and crispy kale. Croquettes topped with sausage and tangy mustard. Latkes, the simple potato pancakes synonymous with Hanukkah celebrations, have come a long way since ancient times. At the sixth annual Latke Festival, on December 15 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, New York-based chefs showed off an array of succulent pancakes that put new twists on a revered culinary tradition.

From classic potato-and-onion to extravagant stacks of starch, sauce and spices, the latkes symbolized the Jewish festival of Hanukkah with nods to New York City’s multiethnic melting pot. “We want to push people’s expectations about what Jewish food is,” said Peter Shelsky, the owner, founder and executive chef of Shelsky’s of Brooklyn Smoked Fish and Appetizing. Presiding over a table laden with small plates, he presented decadent sweet potato and celeriac latkes fried in schmaltz, dressed with chopped liver and a horseradish, cranberry and apple relish. Even with the autumnal garnishes, he said the pancake was the foundation of the dish. “The latke itself is going to shine,” he said. Shelsky’s creation highlighted the long tradition of

adding cross-cultural touches to the basic latke recipe. Joan Nathan, an authority on Jewish cooking and a judge for Latkefest’s competition, said that latkes have been made out of matzoh meal, wheat, kasha or shredded vegetables for centuries. Some cooks added fruit, meat or sweeteners. Potatoes were a more recent innovation, introduced in Ukraine and Lithuania and brought to America by Jewish immigrants in the late 19th and 20th centuries. At another cluster of serving tables, Calvin Nguyen, the chef de cuisine at Garden Court Café at the Asia Society, dabbed each latke with a dot of sauce. His vegetarian recipe was inspired by Chinese dim sum—which wasn’t such a big leap, he said. Instead of the traditional potato and onion, his toothsome patties contained shredded daikon and scallion. The spicy slice of

pickled pear on top played on applesauce, a common latke garnish. Jim McDuffee, chef and partner at the French-influenced American restaurant Joseph Leonard, said he’d never made a latke until he moved to New York about 10 years ago. But he had learned to adapt the hash brown recipes of his native Michigan for East Coast palates, evident in his festival offering. The “Tailgate Sunday” comprised a caraway-spiked fritter topped with circles of bratwurst, a dollop of beer mustard and crisp-fried onions. “It’s what I’d serve at a football-viewing party in my apartment,” McDuffee said. In contrast, Mae Mae Café’s chef, Batya Goldberg, said she likened the combination of flavors in her latkes to a symphony. “There has to be a balance. The crispy potato with the creamy crème fraiche, the sweetness of the apple with the brightness of pickled ginger, it’s all there,” Goldberg said. Jodi Katz, a diner sampling Goldberg’s bite-size cro-

quettes, said the Katchkie Farms pickled ginger was the key. “There’s a burst of flavor that you don’t get with regular latkes and canned applesauce,” Katz said. Latke fans made the rounds of more than 24 participating restaurants and beverage companies invited by Great Performances, the event’s organizer. Latkefest raised money for The Sylvia Center, a nonprofit organization that teaches kids about healthy eating, in addition to showcasing mouthwatering food. Most attendees carried a plate in one hand and a ballot, for recording their favorite latkes, in the other. After tallying the ballots, a panel of judges chose the critics’ picks. The latke competition ended in a tie between PRINT Restaurant’s “Okinawa Latke,” a Japanese sweet potato and crispy chestnut cake in duck fat with miso crème fraiche and yuzu, and Mae Mae Café’s pickled ginger-topped fritter. Shelsky’s walked away with the audience prize.

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 21

Neighborhood Scrapbook

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS DEC 8 - 12, 2014 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Finestra

1370 York Avenue

A

Hotel Carlyle Employee Cafeteria

35 East 76 Street

A

Sotheby’s

1334 York Avenue

A

Mad River Bar & Grille

1442 3 Avenue

A

Cascabel Taqueria

1556 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (21) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas. 2) Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Pascalou

1308 Madison Avenue Grade Pending (19) Food from unapproved or unknown source or home canned. Reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing; or ROP foods prepared on premises transported to another site. 2) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas.

Sarabeth’s Kitchen

1295 Madison Avenue Grade Pending (21) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 2) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas. 3) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

Heavenly Rest Stop

2 East 90 Street

A

Shorty’s

1678 1 Avenue

A

Ichiro

1694 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (22) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. 2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. 3) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

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The Sheep Meadow, before it was cleaned up by the Central Park Conservancy in 1980

TOASTING 35 YEARS FOR CENTRAL PARK Leaders of the Central Park Conservancy gathered at Tavern on the Green to toast the group’s 35th anniversary. The sheep meadow, pictured above, was the group’s fi rst big maintenance project in 1980. Since then, the Conservancy has successfully transformed the 843acre park from an emblem of urban neglect into the crown jewel of New York

City, attracting more than 40 million visitors a year. Over 35 years, the Conservancy has invested nearly $750 million into every corner of the vast park: lawns, trees, gardens, water bodies and woodlands, fountains, playgrounds and monuments—including a 3,500 year old Egyptian obelisk-all maintained by the Conservancy. The Conservancy’s found-

ing president, Betsy Barlow Rogers, reminisced about the early days of the nonprofit when it was just a small band of citizens hoping to reclaim their park. “When we held our first board meeting on December 3, 1980 we had no idea what to expect,” Rogers said. “We certainly never could have imagined that Central Park could look like it does today.”

More neighborhood news? neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? neighborhood concerns?

The Sheep Meadow today, as the Conservancy celebrates its 35th birthday

Email us at news@strausnews.com

22 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

Business < SNAPCHAT APP TAKES TWO FLOORS IN OLD TIMES BUILDING Snapchat, the photo-sharing app company, is taking over two floors in the building that once housed The New York Times. According to Crain’s, California-based Snapchat is taking about 27,000 square

In Brief BIKE SHARE AUDIT REVEALS PROBLEMS An audit of New York’s bike share program reveals spotty maintenance, poor cleanliness and defective parking stations. That’s what city Comptroller Scott Stringer reported Thursday in his review of New York City Bike Share — the largest such program in the country. Its 6,000 two-wheelers are seen all over Manhattan each day. As of last August, Citi Bike riders took about 34,000 rides per day, making the program what Stringer calls a “critical component of our transportation network.” However, the comptroller said improvements must be made to comply with the New York City Department of Transportation. In addition to problems with maintenance, cleanliness and docking stations, Stringer said the bikes are not adequately inspected. “New York City Bike Share’s management of Citi Bike left too many New Yorkers in the lurch,” Stringer said. “While Citi Bike has become part of our urban landscape, auditors found that the bike sharing program’s spotty maintenance, poorly-cleaned bikes and substandard docking stations inconvenienced riders and discouraged growth in the system.” According to maintenance data, 54 percent of the bikes were inspected last March, and 73 percent in April; the contract with the city requires a 100 percent maintenance check at least once a month. “With every missed maintenance check, the safety risk of undisclosed bike defects increases,” Stringer said. In addition, the audit showed that of 29 stations sampled in February 2014, only 11 were inspected as required and the remaining 18 were inspected less than twice a week or not at all. And while the contract requires a response to cleanliness complaints within 48 hours for stations, and 96 hours for bikes, the audit found only 60 percent of the sampled complaints for stations were completed within the required time frame. Of the bike cleanliness complaints, 83 percent remained open for an average of 79 days. The private program is named for Citigroup, which spent $41 million to be its lead sponsor. The Bikeshare Holdings company recently announced its plan to purchase Alta Bicycle Share, the parent company of New York City Bike Share — promising an infusion of capital for improvements. In addition, plans are in the works to expand the City Bike

feet at the top of 229 W. 43rd St., the Times’ home before iot moved to Eighth Avenue in 2007. Snapchat has rented the entire 15th and 16th floors of the tower, which is owned by a private-equity giant the Blackstone

Group. A team from Newmark Grubb Knight Frank handles leasing there. The Snapchat move is symbolic, given that the company is worth about $10 billion and is growing aggresively, even as the Times is cutting staff.

HARPER’S MAGAZINE INVESTS IN NEW BOOK CULTURE STORE SMALL BUSINESS Harper’s magazine publisher John “Rick” MacArthur is investing in Book Culture’s new branch on Columbus Avenue BY AARON FISHER

Book Culture co-owner Chris Doeblin hopes his new Upper West Side branch will help address declining sales at the two Morningside Heights locations—and Harper’s Magazine is giving him a hand. Harper’s Publisher John “Rick” MacArthur is investing in the new store on Columbus Avenue as part of what both sides hope will be a mutually beneficial partnership. Doeblin said that business at Book Culture’s two Morningside Heights stores has been in decline as students increasingly buy textbooks online. His solution was a new bookstore with strong ties to the local neighborhood. “There’s a different bookstore model which is prospering and growing, and that’s this one,” Doeblin said, referring to his new store. When he decided to expand, Doeblin said he sent handwritten letters to potential investors for the Upper West Side store. MacArthur wrote back. “I was trying to get someone to do this for a long time,” MacArthur said. “I just think that the Upper West Side desperately needs an independent book-

store... I think that it would be good for Harper’s, too. It seems to be a good fit.” As part of the partnership, Book Culture will promote Harper’s authors and host events at the new location. MacArthur’s investment will help get the store, which officially opened on Wednesday night, off the ground. As Doeblin hopes the new store will shore up revenues lost to websites like Amazon. com, it is perhaps fitting that Book Culture is working with MacArthur, an outspoken critic of the internet. MacArthur was on Spectator’s board of trustees until resigning this spring after the newspaper moved to an onlineoriented model and reduced the print issue to once a week. There’s also a more communal connection—both MacArthur and Doeblin live on the Upper West Side. In a speech during Wednesday’s grand opening, MacArthur said he felt a connection to the area because his French mother learned to speak English in the neighborhood. Doeblin said there was a poetic justice to the fact that the Upper West Side branch, located at 450 Columbus Ave., used to be home to Endicott Booksellers, another independent store that closed in 1995. The partnership is Harper’s first investment in an independent bookstore, according to Giulia Melucci, vice president of public relations for the magazine. MacArthur said he

first started talking to Doeblin about the project about six months ago. Melucci also said that MacArthur waited until after this Book Culture’s labor dispute this past summer, in which Doeblin fired and later rehired five employees after a unionization vote. “He was not interested in getting involved until that was settled,” Melucci said. “He didn’t want to be involved in a bookstore that was having problems with the unions.” Customers at the grand opening were hopeful about the new store’s future. Dorothy Kauffman, who lives near Lincoln Center, was a frequent customer at Book Culture’s Morningside Heights stores and is excited about the

new store. “I think symbolically, it’s a step in the right direction to make up for the tragic loss of independent bookstores — what’s supposed to be the nexus of intellectual activity in Manhattan,” Kauffman said. Neighborhood resident Meg Parsont remembered shopping at Endicott’s closing sale years ago. “The fact that these guys have opened in the same site — it’s actually quite poignant,” she said. “I’ve been catching these snippets of conversation that you don’t hear at Barnes and Noble.” This story originally appeared the Columbia Spectator; reprinted with permission. www. columbiaspectator.com

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 23

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd

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Bed Bath Agent

Upper E Side

181 E 73 St.

$1,200,000

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Beekman

420 E 51 St.

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Upper E Side

350 E 77 St.

$525,000

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Beekman

400 E 51 St.

$4,350,000

Upper E Side

400 E 77 St.

$671,125

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CitiSuites International Realty

Carnegie Hill

1349 LEXINGTON Ave.

$1,700,000

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2

Corcoran

Upper E Side

444 E 75 St.

$410,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

Carnegie Hill

11 E 87 St.

$890,000

1

1

JGR Property Group

Upper E Side

136 E 76 St.

$2,750,000

Lenox Hill

118 E 61 St.

$5,118,500

Upper E Side

175 E 74 St.

$1,123,000

Lenox Hill

310 E 70 St.

$810,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

Upper E Side

399 E 78 St.

$320,000

Lenox Hill

139 E 63 St.

$1,775,000

2

2

Stribling

Upper E Side

370 E 76 St.

$425,000

1

1

Douglas Elliman

Lenox Hill

21 E 61st St.

$3,312,562

2

2

Extell Development Company

Upper E Side

304 E 73 St.

$325,000

0

1

Urban Compass

Lenox Hill

116 E 68 St.

$1,175,000

Upper E Side

255 E 74 St.

$1,722,879

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Owner

Lenox Hill

200 E 66th St.

$3,563,875

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Corcoran

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$1,540,000

Lenox Hill

21 E 61st St.

$4,636,287

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2

Extell Development Company

Upper E Side

240 E 76 St.

$535,000

0

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Rose Associates, Inc.

Lenox Hill

304 E 65 St.

$2,200,000

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Spire Group

Upper E Side

404 E 76 St.

$1,700,000

2

2

Corcoran

Lenox Hill

311 E 71 St.

$335,000

0

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Brown Harris Stevens

Yorkville

515 E 79 St.

$1,075,000

2

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Lenox Hill

188 E 70 St.

$600,000

Yorkville

225 E 86 St.

$810,000

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Midtown

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Yorkville

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$345,000

Midtown E

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$700,000

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Yorkville

201 E 79 St.

$2,100,000

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Midtown E

209 E 56 St.

$426,000

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435 E 87 St.

$8,900,000

6

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Midtown South

425 5 Ave.

$1,750,000

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250 E 87 St.

$580,000

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Murray Hill

415 E 37 St.

$2,199,000

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Yorkville

1760 2 Ave.

$800,000

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Murray Hill

200 E 36 St.

$649,000

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Yorkville

340 E 80 St.

$1,130,000

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Murray Hill

250 E 40 St.

$985,000

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Yorkville

500 E 83 St.

$435,000

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235 E 40 St.

$853,500

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333 E 91st St.

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345 E 56 St.

$2,200,000

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435 E 86 St.

$549,835

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303 E 57 St.

$1,050,000

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401 E 84 St.

$1,308,000

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350 E 82 St.

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24 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

www.ourtownny.com Your Neighborhood News

er East Side The local paper for the Upper

DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014 Our Town 25

YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES

RUNNING A THEATER, AND A FAMILY Q&A East Village residents Craig Smith and Elise Stone balance their theater company with raising their three children and many pets

three teenagers, three rescued pets, and for Smith, a fulltime job at a publishing company, where I met them over a decade ago. Hectic schedules aside, Smith, Stone, and I discuss some of their great passions: family, theater, and animal rights:

BY MICKEY KRAMER

Craig Smith and Elise Stone have age theater scene graced the East Village for more than three decades, first at the ory Theatre for 50 Jean Cocteau Repertory fore founding the combined years, before semble in 2004. Phoenix Theatre Ensemble rs of marriage this Celebrating 25 years one make time for month, Smith and Stone

Elise Stone and Craig Smith performing in the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble’s recent performance of August Strindberg’s Creditors.

What was the genesis of the decision to leave the Cocteau, and start your own theater company? Craig Smith: 2004 was a time of choice for Elise and me. We had recently adopted children and a life in the arts is not always kind or supportive to families. We had cumulatively acted in over 250 productions, maybe it was

enough? I guess it wasn’t! We and three other colleagues decided to start a new theater company with no assets but wanted an organization run by artists which would hold up artists first and foremost. We had our eyes wide open, as we knew the challenges of nonprofit arts. And, not surprisingly, it has not been easy, but we have marshalled on.

Now, 10 years later, how’s it going? Elise Stone: Phoenix is in its eleventh season and we are really proud of the high caliber work. In addition to live performance, we

have provided semester-long programs in NYC public schools for the past nine years and also do outreach programs for seniors. We have a continued commitment to make high quality theater accessible to ALL people regardless of their ability to afford a $25 ticket. We have no lack of talented theatre artists and communities that need to be served by our programs. What we do lack — constantly — is the kind of support that makes the work we do possible. Every day is filled with anxiety that there won’t be enough donations to get us through the next semester — the next production — the next workshop for seniors. Craig and I have spent our lives making theater. We don’t walk in the kind of circles where we have powerful friends with money, influence or star power. We are very dependent on the generosity of our individual donors and audience members.

In 2002, you adopted two children, ages 3 and 5, from Ethiopia. What were those first moments like? Craig Smith: When our first two children came home in 2002, it was completely insane. We had been preparing for their adoption since well before 9/11 – we were fingerprinted, home studied, submitted reams of documents, taken crash courses in Amharic (the language of Ethiopia), and looked forward to the arrival with great excitement. When they arrived at Newark Airport, it was intense, exhilarating, and very challenging. They spoke no English – we knew about 25 words in Amharic, and we were all striving mightily to adjust to totally new surroundings and new lives. I so admired their bravery, fortitude, and zest for life. We later discovered that our daughter had a biological brother in Ethiopia and after a very long and exhausting process, our third child, already 11 years old, came home to us in 2005. We, as a family made it work, and it is, as it was supposed to be. We are so very happy.

Craig, soon after adopting your son Tesfahun and daughter Hakima, you donated a kidney to your brother. Craig Smith: My brother, who was six years older than me, had chronic kidney disease. I knew that I would be an appropriate donor for him, and this was confirmed shortly before the children arrived in 2002. The pre-op was somewhat time consuming in a not-too-challenging overall process. I had to take tests here in NYC for the operation, which would take place in Minneapolis. The actual donation was really very easy – a laparoscopic procedure and I was out of the hospital two days later, driving the car and having a beer at my high school reunion!

Elise, you are the organizer of the NYC Vegan Spirituality Meet-up and have a home filled with adopted dogs and cats. Tell us a bit about your compassionate life choices. Elise Stone: My kids (and anyone else

eating at my house) are all vegan when they eat at the family table because I only cook vegan food — they actually prefer my veganized versions of all their favorites, and sometimes even admit it! The kids aren’t fully vegan, but perhaps when they are older, I hope they will be; but of course they are all their own people. Craig, on the other hand, has pretty much become vegan by this point and I see more and more people who are vegan or pre-vegan joining us at the weekly Vegan Spirituality Meet-up. A few years ago we just felt called upon to open our home to another fourlegged family member (to join the cats). We began fostering a blind, diabetic terrier. It soon became obvious that we should adopt Merlin, and we did. Then, one of our rescue friends had an urgent situation with a very sick rat terrier. I carried him in a sling across my body to keep him warm and nursed him back to health. And of course we fell in love with him — that was our sweet Mr. Button — he had a couple of happy years with us and then he passed. He was the sweetest gentlest creature I have ever met and I still miss him terribly. Currently, we have Merlin and the cats, Charlie and Twinkle Toes.

In four decades of living, and working, in the East Village, what changes have you seen? Craig Smith: The East Village has changed dramatically and it is not going in the right direction. We have 7-Elevens and IHOP, for God’s sake and enough gyms to service a small country. The independent stores are disappearing. I blame zoning laws that allow developers to increase retail rents which force out the small business. We have lost our character, we have lost our culture. I mean do we really want a Bowery and St. Mark’s strip mall? I keep hearing Joni Mitchell singing “You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.”

The Phoenix recently performed August Strindberg’s Creditors. What’s next? Elise Stone: On December 28th we have a benefit staged reading of Dylan Thomas’s “Under Milk Wood.” 2014 is the Centennial of Thomas’s birth, so this is an excellent celebration of one of the most beautiful works of the Welsh/ English language. In February 2015, we’ll have a staged reading of Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of our Teeth” with much more planned for the spring and beyond. Craig Smith: Keeping all the balls in the air is a workout. We have three teenagers at home with the oldest going to college next year and a sophomore and a junior right after that, a full season of theater which employs hundreds of artists, an audience to keep happy, sets to build, plays to read, students to teach, and stories to tell. It is just about always stressful but never dull. For tickets, information on future events,go to: phoenixtheatreensemble.org

26 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

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New York City Department of Transportation Notice of Public Hearing The New York City Department of Transportation will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, December 24, 2014 at 2:00 P.M., at 55 Water St., 9th Floor Room 945, on the following petitions for revocable consent, all in the Borough of Manhattan: #1 Goyard NY, LLC – to construct, maintain and use a fenced-in area on the south sidewalk of E 63rd St., west of Madison Ave #2 St. Regis New York Operating LLC. – to continue to maintain and use planters, together with conduits on the east sidewalk of Fifth Ave., south of E 55th St., and on the south sidewalk of E 55th St., east of Fifth Ave. Interested parties can obtain copies of proposed agreements or request sign-language interpreters (with at least seven days prior notice) at 55 Water St., 9th Fl. SW New York, NY 10041, or by calling (212) 839-6550.

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CLASSIFIEDS Classified Advertising Department Information Telephone: 212-868-0190 | Fax: 212-2868-0190 Email: classified2@strausnews.com Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Deadline: 12pm the Friday before publication ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL SERVICES ALLSTATE INSURANCE Anthony Pomponio 212-769-2899 125 West 72nd St. 5R, NYC apomponio@allstate.com LOMTO Federal Credit Union It’s hard to beat our great rates! Deposits federally insured to at least $250K (212)947-3380 ext.3144

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REAL ESTATE - RENT

GLENWOOD - Manhattan’s Finest Luxury Rentals Uptown office 212-535-0500 Downtown office 212-4305900. glenwoodNYC.com

Riverside Memorial Chapel Leaders in funeral pre-planning. 180 W 76th St (212) 362-6600

Now Leasing! SHARED OFFICES Park Avenue 212-231-8500 www.410park.com REAL ESTATE - SALE

Sebastian, Florida Beautiful 55+ manufactured home community. 4.4 miles to the beach, Close to riverfront district. New models from $99,000. 772-581-0080, www.beach-cove.com SERVICES OFFERED

CARMEL Car & Limousine Service To JFK… $52 To Newark… $51 To LaGuardia… $34 1-212-666-6666 Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel Known for excellence since 1898 - 1076 Madison Ave, at 81st St., 212-288-3500 Hudson Valley Public Relations Optimizing connections. Building reputations. 24 Merrit Ave Millbrook, NY 12545, (845) 702-6226 John Krtil Funeral Home; Yorkville Funeral Service, INC. Independently Owned Since 1885. WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 212-744-3084

MASSAGE BODYWORK by young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116

Vamoose Bus Providing premium bus service between: NYC|MD|VA www.vamoosebus.com VACATIONS

Dutchess County Tourism Make plans for an easy weekend escape at www.DutchessTourism.com, 800-445-3131 Interlaken Inn A resort getaway in the hills of CT. Lodging, Dining, Spa and More! 800-222-2909 www.InterlakenInn.com WANTED TO BUY

ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800-530-0006. CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps & Paper Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NJ: 1-800488-4175 I Buy Old Tribal Art Free Appraisal 917-628-0031 Daniel@jacarandatribal.com

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MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

Pandora Jewelry -Unforgettable Moments412 W. Broadway · Soho, NYC 212-226-3414

SPORTS CENTER at Chelsea Piers ChelseaPiers.com/SC 212-336-6000

Marble Collegiate Church Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister, 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001, (212) 689-2770. www.MarbleChurch.org

Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787 Imperial Fine Books & Oriental Art - Rare & fine books, Chinese ceramics and art from the Ming to Qing Dynasties. 790 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, New York 10065 (212)861-6620 www.imperialfinebooks.com

SERVICES OFFERED

New-York Historical Society Making history matter! 170 Central Park West www.nyhistory.org (212) 873-3400

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28 Our Town DECEMBER 18-24 ,2014

COME HOME TO GLENWOOD

MANHATTAN’S FINEST LUXURY RENTALS

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GLENWOODNYC.COM

Builder | Owner | Manager

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