The local paper for the Upper er East Side
OURTOWNNY.COM
BACK ON THE STREETS, THIS TIME BY CHOICE
MARCH
12-18 2015
15 MINUTES, P.36 >
OurTownEastSide @OurTownNYC
HONORING THE BEST OF THE EAST SIDE
In Brief SENTENCE IN DEATH OF A 4-YEAR-OLD PEDESTRIAN
OTTY AWARDS Firefighters on the front lines of the Ebola crisis among the awardees
2015 OTTYS Our Town Thanks You
AWARDS FDNY Engine Company 44 and EMS Station 10
Chris Adams
Ellen Appleby
Caroline Baumann
Rob Byrnes
John Jay Park on E. 76th Street, among the Upper East Side parks mentioned in a city report on playground injuries. Neil Calman
Dimitres Pantelidis
Gregory Fryer
Daniel Ribaudo
Claudia Gould
Nancy Taylor
Julian Niccolini
John Tweddle
Arlene Virga
The groundskeeper at Carl Shurz Park. A principal in East Harlem. The director of the Jewish Museum. For more than a decade, Our Town has honored the people who make the Upper East Side work, through its annual OTTY Awards. This year’s crop of honorees is broader, and more impressive, than ever, ranging from cultural and business institutions to unsung heroes like the EMS and FDNY crews from the East Side who transported, at great personal risk, Ebola patient Dr. Craig Spencer to the hospital. We are proud to celebrate this year’s winners. Read their stories in this week’s special section, and join us in saluting an extraordinary group of neighbors. Our Town thanks them, and thanks you for reading. The Editors
SHARP JUMP IN PLAYGROUND INJURY CLAIMS NEWS Upper East Side playgrounds included in report from comptroller Playgrounds on the Upper East Side aren’t all fun and games. A new report from Comptroller Scott Stringer shows that playgroundrelated personal injury claims have risen sharply
over the past decade, including on the Upper East Side, even though the number of kids in the city over the same period has dropped. Stringer’s report tracks 577 claims against the city for playground injuries -- about one a week over the past decade. Annual claims have rosen 53% over the last 10 fiscal years -- from a low of 45 in 2005 to a high of 69 in 2014.
Most of those claims were settled, at a cost to the city of about $20.6 million. Causes for injuries to kids include defective or broken surfaces, including several claims where children burned their feet on matting in summer months; improper playground design; insufficient maintenance of equipment, including swings and slides; and protruding nails or other debris. In his report, Stringer urges the Parks Department to use the data to to fix problem areas. As an example, the report states that in 2013, at least five children suffered broken legs while playing on the same swing at Slope Park in Brooklyn. That swing apparently had been installed too close to the ground, and was ultimately removed
by the city. But if the data was more closely tracked, some of the injuries could have been prevented. “By analyzing claims in real time, we can identify potential weaknesses in our city’s playgrounds and fix problems before children are injured and taxpayers are held liable,” he wrote. On the Upper East Side, a number of local playgrounds have resulted in injury claims against the city, including Carl Shurz Park and John Jay Park. Stringer’s report sees little progress from the Parks Department. He notes that in the first four months of the current fiscal year, the percentage of play equipment rated as “acceptable” fell from 93% to 91% in the same period a year ago, and the percentage of safety surfaces also
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Three to nine years. That’s the prison sentence Franklin Reyes Jr. received in a plea bargain deal last week after fatally running down 4-year-old Ariel Russo with his car in June 2013 while she crossed the street holding her grandmother’s hand. While the sentence will be seen as progress by some traffic-safety advocates, who have grown frustrated by how few pedestrian deaths end up getting prosecuted at all, the fact that Reyes was able to strike a plea deal is remarkable. This, after all, is a driver who was driving without a license. Who dragged a cop 100 feet feet while fleeing a traffic stop – a year after Russo had been killed. Who was trying to avoid the police because he was out on bail after being accused of looting a dead woman’s Chelsea apartment in a building where his dad was the super. (A trial for that charge is slated for later this month.) Perhaps not surprising, Ariel’s parents said they felt little in the way of closure after the hearing. “Three to nine years is absolutely not enough for what he did,” her mother, Sofia Russo, told the Daily News. “His reckless actions killed my daughter, maimed my mother and has shattered our lives. We’re never going to be the same again. There has been no remorse, no apologies.” Three to nine years -- a moment in time in the long war against pedestrian deaths in New York.
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candle every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday March 13 – 6:42 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com.
2 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CITY SCHOOLS TO CLOSE FOR MUSLIM HOLIDAYS New York City public schools will close in observance of the two most sacred Muslim holy days, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, beginning next school year, The New York Times reported. In doing so, New York’s becomes by far the nation’s largest school district, with its 1.1 million schoolchildren, to close for the holidays, The Times said. Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the SacriďŹ ce, commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacriďŹ ce his son Ismail to God. Eid al-Fitr marks the
end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. Because the holidays are observed according to when they fall on the lunar calendar, the days on which schools are closed will vary each year “When these holidays are recognized, it’s a sign that Muslims have a role in the political and social fabric of America,� the paper quoted Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, as saying.
MASS HELD FOR CARDINAL EGAN A vigil Mass for Cardinal Edward M. Egan was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday, following a day when hundreds of mourners paid their respects to the ninth archbishop of New York. Egan died of a heart attack on March 5. The cardinal, who was 82, had retired from his post in 2009. He had presided over the Archdiocese of New York for nine years. Following his funeral Tuesday, his body was to be placed beneath the Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariùa announce that New York City will become the largest school district in the nation to recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as holidays on the official school calendar. The announcement was made at PS/IS 30 Mary White Ovington, in Brooklyn on March 4, 2015. Photo by Demetrius Freeman/Mayoral Photography Office.
cathedral’s high altar, where four other previous archbishops of New York are also entombed, The New York Times reported.
suggest that a narrow focus on the SHSAT is unlikely to solve the problem, the author of the report, Sean Corcoran, told the website.
DIVERSITY IN SPECIALIZED NYC HIGH SCHOOLS DWINDLE
WOMAN INVOLVED IN NEAR FATAL CAR ACCIDENT MAY NOT SEE $20 MILLION MONEY WON
New York City’s Specialized High schools are reported to have a high number of Asian and white students and but not much diversity otherwise, according to DNAinfo. Only 5 percent of blacks and 7 percent of latinos were admitted to these elite schools, a ďŹ xed number since last school year, according to numbers from the Department of Education. These unbalanced numbers has caused New York’s top high schools to reconsider the criteria in accepting students. Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech are among the schools that city and state officials hope will reconsider their criteria. Those schools choose students based on their Specialized High School Standardized Assessment Test scores rather of grades, attendance and test scores. Although these are ideas officials hope to enforce, a report from the Research Alliance for New York City Schools reports that this data may decrease the chances of black students’ acceptances. “While there is a clear pattern of unequal access at the specialized schools, our ďŹ ndings
A college student who suffered brain trauma as a result of a near fatal car crash may not see the $20.4 million she was recently awarded, the New York Post reported. Since the club responsible for serving the drunk driver is out of business and the driver himself is broke, victim Diana Tafur will have to ďŹ ght for her money. Tafar is currently wheelchair-bound and in the care of her parents in Lake Mary, Fla. The 23-year-old had hopes of becoming a doctor. She was ejected from the back seat of a taxi on 84th Street and First Avenue and spent six months in a coma, the Post said. In a decision issued last month, the driver of the BMW that slammed into the taxi, Harzem Sendogan, was made responsible for 60 percent of the $20 million judgment, according to the newspaper. The balance was to be paid by the club. Its former owner, Jon Bakshi, claims the responsibility belongs to the corporation that owned them A-1 Entertainment, LLC.
ISABELLA HOUSE Independent Living for Older Adults
A great way to live in New York. Join us at our THE MOST INNOVATIVE ITALIAN SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY
OPEN HOUSE
Learn to speak Italian!
and experience it for yourself. SATURDAY, March 21st, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM
Parliamo Italiano offers:
525 Audubon Avenue at 191st Street, New York, NY 10040
t 0SJHJOBM NBUFSJBMT t /BUJWF *UBMJBO UFBDIFST t ZFBST PG FYQFSJFODF t XFFL XPSLTIPQT t 1SJWBUF MFTTPOT
OUR AMENITIES INCLUDE: 5 Spacious studios and one-bedroom apartments starting at $2,400.00 per month 5 Complimentary Lunch and Dinner served buffet style 5 Basic Cable TV 5 All utilities included 5 24-Hour Security 5 Weekly linen service
5 5 5 5
Visitor parking Pastoral services A wealth of programs, activities and trips Conveniently located near medical, physical therapy, occupational therapy and psychiatric services 5 On-site beauty salon, library, gift shop, laundry, check-cashing facilities and visitor parking 5 Moderately priced lodging for overnight guests
4QSJOH DPVSTFT TUBSU .BSDI Join us at an Open House! .BSDI UI BOE UI
WE’VE THOUGHT OF EVERY THING TO ENR ICH AND ENHANCE YOUR LIFE. If you cannot attend our Open House or would like additional information on scheduling a private tour, please call 212-342-9539
5P RSVP DBMM PS FNBJM QBSMJBNP!IVOUFS DVOZ FEV
fb.com/IsabellaOrg twitter.com/IsabellaOrg youtube.com/IsabellaOrg
www.isabella.org 525 Audubon Avenue at 191st Street. New York, NY
www.hunter.cuny.edu/parliamo CU NY
Casa Lally, 132 East 65th Street b/w 3rd & Lex New York, NY 10065
/PIatHunter
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 3
CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
CITY ISSUES 10,000 TICKETS FOR FAILURE TO REMOVE SNOW, ICE New York City has issued more than 10,000 tickets this winter to property owners for failing to clear snow and ice from sidewalks. Under city law, businesses, homeowners and other property owners have four hours from the time the snow stops to clear pavements. A ďŹ rst offense ďŹ ne is $100 to $150
and up to $350 for multiple violations. The New York Times says its analysis of city data shows that since 2010, 42,000 tickets have been issued. Of 10,000 tickets issued, the Bronx had the most violations for its size. Brooklyn and Queens — both larger boroughs — had 14,000 tickets and 13,000 tickets, respectivelly. Manhattan had 1,800 tickets, 4 percent of the total issued.
FAKE TAKE A counterfeit credit card couldn’t buy the real thing. A 27-year-old woman
who bought expensive handbags and fragrance at a high-end Upper East Side department store on March 1 eventually drew the attention of store personnel, who found she was using a fraudulent credit card. Police were called and she was on charges of grand larceny.
COUPLE CAPER A thug wielding a knife was no match for police and store security during a recent shoplifting arrest. On March 2, a 50-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were seen taking items from a luxury department store and putting them in a purse. They then tried to leave the store without paying for the merchandise. Security personnel converged on the couple, and the man pulled a knife. Police arrived on the scene and arrested the pair, charging them with robbery. The recovered merchandize was priced at $600.
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th Precinct for Feb. 23 to March 1 Week to Date
Year to Date
2015 2014
% Change
2015
2014
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
0
0
n/a
Rape
0
0
n/a
1
1
0
Robbery
1
5
-80
14
15
-6.7
Felony Assault
5
0
n/a
21
19
10.5
Burglary
1
6
-83.3
22
48
-54.2
Grand Larceny
21
16
31.2
193
197
-2
Grand Larceny Auto
1
4
-75
5
9
-44.4
call an assigned telephone number. The woman complied and was swindled out of $7,000. A police investigation is ongoing.
possession of ďŹ rearms.
JIVE FIVE It is hard enough running a restaurant without fraudulent checks being written against your business account. At noon on March 4, a local restaurant employee received a call from Chase Bank alerting them that fraudulent activity had been discovered on their business account. In total ďŹ ve counterfeit checks had been written, totaling $7,000. Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
WRONG TURN
INTERNAL ROBBERY SERVICE A notorious IRS phone scam is back and 30-year-old woman was among its latest victims. On March 3, the woman received a call from a man who introduced himself as an agency representative. He told her she would be arrested unless she immediately paid taxes she purportedly owed. She was told to pay via prepaid cards and
One motorist probably wishes he had taken the subway. On March 3, police stopped a 26-year-old male motorist at 60th Street and Lexington Avenue for making an illegal turn at about 4 p.m. They then discovered that he was driving a rental vehicle without permission or authority and was also carrying a loaded .45 handgun. He was arrested and charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and illegal
At Country Bank the future of banking still includes personal service.
The Dignity MemorialÂŽ Personal Planning Guide, is a valuable tool that allows you to record financial and personal information that your family will need during and after your final arrangements.
New Flagship Branch coming soon to the neighborhood! 3rd Avenue between 41st & 42nd Street
Preplanning puts your family first by making your wishes known and removing the burden from loved ones. To receive a complimentary Personal Planning Guide or to learn more about preplanning options, call or visit us.
FRANK T H E
#3"/$) -0$"5*0/4
MAIN OFFICE 655 Third Ave. MAIN OFFICE New York, NY Ave. 655 Third New York, NY (212) 818-9090 (212) 818 -9090
LOCATIONS SCARSDALEBRANCH RIVERDALE WOODLAWN 80 Garth Road 583 West 235th St. 4349 Katonah Ave. SCARSDALE RIVERDALE WOODLAWN MANHATTAN Scarsdale, NY 583 WestBronx, NY 4349 Katonah Ave. Bronx, 80 Garth Road 235th St. 902NY Second Ave. Scarsdale, NY Bronx, NY 601-8300 Bronx, NY (718) 324-7100 New York, NY (914) 722-1500 (718) (914) 722-1500
(718) 601-8300
(718) 324-7100
(212) 829-9998
MANHATTAN 902 Second Ave. COMING 2015 New York, NY Flagship Branch 655 Third Ave. (212) 829-9998
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
New York, NY
&26"- 0110356/*5: -&/%&3 t $06/53:#"/,0/-*/& $0. t .&.#&3 /:$& 1-64
Owned by A Subsidiary of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019 (713) 522-5141
4 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
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 Second 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
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
State Senator Liz Krueger
1850 Second Ave.
212-490-9535
Assembly Member Dan Quart
360 E. 57th St.
212-605-0937
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
1365 First Ave.
212-288-4607
COMMUNITY BOARD 8
505 Park Ave. #620
212-758-4340
LIBRARIES Yorkville
222 E. 79th St.
212-744-5824
96th Street
112 E. 96th St.
212-289-0908
67th Street
328 E. 67th St.
212-734-1717
Webster Library
1465 York Ave.
212-288-5049
100 E. 77th St.
212-434-2000
HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell
525 E. 68th St.
212-746-5454
Mount Sinai
E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.
212-241-6500
NYU Langone
550 First Ave.
212-263-7300
CON EDISON
4 Irving Place
212-460-4600
POST OFFICES US Post Office
1283 First Ave.
212-517-8361
US Post Office
1617 Third Ave.
212-369-2747
A rendering of the proposed MSK-CUNY project.
ELEVENTH HOUR IN FIGHT OVER MSK PROJECT NEWS Yorkville residents still hoping to stop hospital project
HOW TO REACH US:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
212-868-0190 nyoffice@strausnews.com ourtownny.com
Include your full name, address and day and evening telephone numbers for verification. Letters that cannot be verified will not be published. We reserve the right to editor or condense letters for libel, good taste, grammar and punctuation. Send your letter to nyoffice@ strausnews.com
TO SUBSCRIBE: Our Town is available for free on the east side in select buildings, retail locations and news boxes. To get a copy of east side neighborhood news mailed to you weekly, you may subscribe to Our Town Eastsider for just $49 per year. Call 212868-0190 or go online to StrausNews. com and click on the photo of the paper or mail a check to Straus Media, 20 West Ave., Chester, NY 10918
NEWS ITEMS: To report a news story, call 212-8680190. News releases of general interest must be emailed to our offices by noon the Thursday prior to publication to be considered for the following week. Send to nyoffice@strausnews.com.
CALENDAR ITEMS: Information for inclusion in the Out and About section should be emailed to hoodhappenings@strausnews.com no later than two weeks before the event.
BLOG COMMENTS: We invite your comments on stories and issues at ourtownny.com. We do not edit those comments. We urge people to keep the discussion civil and the tone reflective of the best we each have to offer.
PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: Call 212-868-0190. Classified ads must be in our office by 12pm the Friday before publication, except on holidays. All classified ads are payable in advance.
PREVIOUS OWNERS: Tom Allon, Isis Ventures, Ed Kayatt, Russ Smith, Bob Trentlyon, Jerry Finkelstein
ABOUT US Our Town is published weekly by Straus Media-Manhattan, LLC. Please send inquiries to 20 West Ave., Chester, NY 10918.
BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
Some Yorkville residents are making a last-ditch effort to stop a major construction project they say was pushed through in the twilight hours of the Bloomberg administration with questionable oversight during the planning process. Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital’s joint project with CUNY Hunter College dates back to May 2011, when the city’s Economic Development Corporation issued a request for proposals to build a healthcare, educational or scientific research facility on city-owned land in Yorkville. MSK bid on the proposal jointly with CUNY Hunter College, and was awarded the contract in 2012. The deal will bring a cancer outpatient facility for the hospital and a health sciences building for the school on 74th Street between York Avenue and FDR Drive. The $160 million that the hospital and school paid for
the parcel will go towards replacing a city sanitation garage that was on the 74th Street site for four decades, which will be built in the Kips Bay neighborhood at 25th Street and 1st Avenue. Taken together, the hospital and school will occupy a 1,150,000 square-foot building with 60 percent of the space being used for the outpatient facility and the school occupying the remaining 403,000 square feet. According to MSK’s website on the project, preliminary site work was completed last year and work is set to begin in earnest this spring. But residents say the original proposal from 2011 was tailormade for the MSK/CUNY deal. They formed a community group called Residents for Reasonable Development to stop the project from becoming a reality. Last year they filed a suit in New York Supreme Court that alleged the state environmental review process was faultily completed and that the city engaged in spot zoning. “They adopted a special zone that only covered that property, they gave a lot of waivers only for that zone, then they adopted a zoning amendment that gave them 130,000 ad-
ditional square feet to build with,” said Albert Butzel, an attorney representing Residents for Reasonable Development. Yorkville residents believe the project will cause even more unsafe traffic conditions in an area that is already saturated with medical facilities. (The Dept. of Transportation announced last month that they’ll be targeting the area for pedestrian safety improvements.) The suit also accuses planners of illegally segmenting the two components of the deal – the hospital/school and the sanitation garage – during the environmental review process, which they claim must be considered together when reviewing the impact on the communities affected. Despite these arguments, New York Supreme Court Judge Alexander Hunter Jr. dismissed the suit last July. “The key reason Judge Hunter gave in his order dismissing our suit was a rejection of our claim that the sanitation garage and the MSK/CUNY projects were tied together,” said Bob Jackman, a Yorkville resident and member of RRD. “This would have required an environmental study on both
projects before proceeding. He ignored the fact that both the [proposal] and the current [Dept. of] Sanitation budget tie the projects together.” Butzel agreed with that assessment. “It was not a very well-reasoned opinion,” he said. RRD also takes issue with a deal MSK struck to build bigger than the site’s zoning code allows in exchange for their contribution to a park renewal project on 60th Street, over a half-mile away from residents who are directly affected by their project. There’s also a suspicion that the community board process was tainted by political influence (the board’s MSK/CUNY task force recommended disapproving the proposal but the full board later voted in favor of it). But despite these arguments, RRD is losing its fight. Their appeal is set to be heard this April. Pat Mulcahy, the Yorkville resident who founded RRD, said she first heard about the project in 2012 when Hunter College gave a presentation to the community about what they were planning. “It was then that I realized how tall and big it was,” said Mulcahy. “I got home and immediately reached out to the board in my building. We all sat around in my living room and I explained what the size and scope of the project was and they were like, ‘oh my God.’” Mulcahy said that in the first year of the Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration it was hard to gain any traction with elected officials. Now, she said, RRD is in talks with several offices, including that of the mayor. “I don’t ever give up, it’s not in my nature. I believe we put together a political, legal and [public relations] strategy that will hopefully get us to stop this project,” said Mulcahy. “We continue to meet with elected officials and the new administration even though we know it was approved by the former administration.” And despite the initial rejection of RRD’s suit, Butzel is also hopeful that an appeal will find some merit in their arguments. “I think that we have a stronger case than most of the appeals I handle,” said Butzel. “And I think that these cases are always uphill but I really believe the judge didn’t apply the law correctly.” Butzel said the appeal will be decided before the summer, and that he doesn’t anticipate MSK and CUNY will begin construction before a decision is made on the case.
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 5
THAT ORGANIC KALE? IT’S LOUDER THAN YOU THINK NEWS Residents comlain about idling Fresh Direct trucks, as company looks for quieter compressors BY PANYIN CONDUAH
The streets of New York have always been loud, but for residents like Julia Perez, this soundtrack has reached an alltime high. The trucks of Fresh Direct park across from her building, on 80th Street and Broadway, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., creating loud noises from the truck’s compressor. “The sound is like a 747 in your living room,” said Perez. Since January 2015, the truck has been around the area, parked outside as deliverymen from the organic food company unload their products to deliver to the neighborhood -potentially in violation of city rules.
SHARP JUMP IN PLAYGROUND INJURY CLAIMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 fell. Stringer blames the drop on what he calls the “poor record” of the Parks Department in completing capital projects on schedule. “It is imperative that the Parks Department redouble its efforts to finish capital projects -- including modernizing the city’s playgrounds -- on time,” he writes. In a statement, the Parks Department said it was reviewing Stringer’s report. “The safety of our children is our number one priority for our world-class playgrounds, and we continue to look for ways to improve our already high standards of safe design.”
More neighborhood news? neighborhood milestones? neighborhood events? neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? neighborhood concerns?
cluding to the elderly or other residents who do not have the means to reach organic grocery stores. Perez understands that the company is providing a positive service to the community; the problem for her is the way they are doing it. A Fresh Direct spokesperson said the company is aware of the issue in delivering to the community as it tries to find other ways to make both sides satisfied. Currently, the truck runs on a Biodiesel engine that generates power for the compressor. The company said it is working on getting electric refrigerated trucks, which would be fully charged in the morning and run throughout, eliminating the noise from the engine. Perez, along with other residents on the Upper West Side, have complained to local Councilmember Helen Rosenthal about the problem. “Fresh Direct has been very responsive to outreach from my office, and I appreciate that they’re parking the trucks instead of idling, and that they’re working to change the cooling motors on their trucks so that they don’t make noise,” she said. “But I’d like clarification on when that change is going to happen.”
According to the Department of Transportation, commercial trucks are not allowed to park in any area, including residential areas, for more than three hours. As early as 6:45 am, Perez, a retired senior citizen, can hear the noises from the compressor on the truck buzz outside her window that faces Broadway. “Some people are totally oblivious of the noise because it depends on where they are in the apartment building.” The trucks also block local businesses from view. iStyle Salon, a business around the corner from Perez at 225 W. 80th St., is one of the storefronts blocked by the commercial truck. Employees from the salon declined to comment. “Most people are afraid to deal with this kind of bigger than life authority figures,” said Perez. “They just come and take over.” Fresh Direct is known for delivering “the highest quality food from farm to table,” in-
INJURY CLAIMS AT U.E.S. PLAYGROUNDS Playground
Number of Claims
Ancient Playground
1
Carl Shurz Park
1
Catbird Playground
1
Cherry Tree Playground
1
East 110th Street Playground
1
East River Park Playground
1
John Jay Park
3
Mae Grant Playground
2
Playground 103
1
Poor Richards Playground
1
Samuel Seabury Playground
3
St. Catherine’s Park
1
Source: Office of the New York City Comptroller
BARRY LIEBMAN,
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Millions of dollars recovered on behalf of injured clients
Personal Injury Auto Accidents Slip, Trip & Fall Accidents
445 Park Avenue, 9th Floor New York, NY 10022
Medical Malpractice Construction Accidents Other legal matters
Free Consultation (212) 935-6535
Email: negligencelawyer@outlook.com
Attention NYC Medicare Beneficiaries
Are You New to Medicare? If so, call us. We provide free, current, impartial and expert information about Medicare. We can be reached at 311 Ask for HIICAP.
HIICAP offers monthly Medicare Orientation classes to individuals new to Medicare. If you are interested in attending, please contact our office for registration. Seating is limited, so call today. For more info visit: www.nyc.gov/aging
6 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to ourtownny.com
13 7TH ANNUAL REELABILITIES NY DISABILITIES FILM FESTIVAL: LEFT HAND 67th Street Library, 328 E. 67th St., between First and Second Aves. 3 p.m., free A screening of Jon Imber’s Left Hand, a movie which traces the life of an artist and how he adapts to doing work with ASL. First come, ďŹ rst serve event 212-734-1717, www.nypl.org/ events/calendar?location=4
MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY
Make That
Call
FOR COLON CANCER SCREENING This Call Can Save Your Life
s -AKE4HAT#ALL ORG #MakeThatCall to Prevent, Treat and Survive the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States
92nd Street Y- Buttenwieser Hall, 1395 Lexington Ave. between 91st and 92nd Streets 8 p.m., from $25 Explore the process of putting together an elaborate dance with Graham’s dance company. Graham will show her unique style of creating moves and how they inspired her previous shows. 212-415-5500, www.92y. org/Event/Martha-GrahamDance-Company
14 OPENING THE DOOR FOR ELIJAH: SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION IN JUDAISM
10 a.m.-6 p.m., free Curated by John ElderďŹ eld and Peter Galassi, In the Studio: Photographs illustrates various themes through the artists’ pieces both paintings and photographs. 212-744-2313, http://www. gagosian.com/
15 BECOME A PAPER BAG PLAYER The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd Street 2 p.m., Theater Workshop + Performance, $28 Adults; $20 Children; Members: $22 Adults; $18 Children Play games and create props with the Paper Bag Players, followed by their performance. 212-423-3200, www. thejewishmuseum.org
ACC PET ADOPTION EVENT AT MANHATTAN VETERINARY GROUP
Manhattan Veterinary Group, 240 E. 80th St. 12 p.m.-4 p.m., free to attend, Congregation Shaare Zedek, adoption fees 212 W. 93rd St. Animal Care and Control of 12:45 p.m., free NYC’s Mobile Adoption Center Efrem Epstein will discuss will be at the Manhattan how Jewish institutions can communicate about and support Veterinary Group with great mental health, using texts from cats and dogs looking for loving homes. Adoptions include the Tanach. 212-874-7005, www.sznyc. vaccinations, spay/neuter, a pre-registered microchip, an org identiďŹ cation tag, a collar, and a certiďŹ cate for a free initial exam IN THE STUDIO: at a participating veterinarian. PHOTOGRAPHS 212-788-4000, nycacc.org/ Events.htm Gagosian Gallery, 980 Madison Ave., between 76th and 77th St., Third oor
16
â–˛ LAURA LIPPMAN WITH KATE WHITE 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St, Warburg Lounge 7 p.m., from $30.00 Laura Lippman was a reporter for 20 years, including 12 at The Baltimore Sun. She began writing novels while working full-time and published seven books about “accidental PIâ€? Tess Monaghan before leaving daily journalism in 2001. Her work has been the recipient of EdgarÂŽ, Anthony, Agatha, Shamus, Nero Wolfe, Gumshoe and Barry Awards. 212-415-5500
EXHIBITION TOUR: SACRED TRADITIONS OF THE HIMALAYAS Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street 10:30 a.m.-11:30, free with museum admission Discover a range of art works from the Himalayas and the importance it had on its Buddhist Audience. 212-535-7710, www. metmuseum.org/
17 SOBER ST. PATRICK’S DAY Cathedral High School, 350 E. 56th St. 4 p.m.-8 p.m., $20; seniors
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 7
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST The local paper for the Upper West Side
Safety Advocates Want Harsher Penalties for New York’s Drivers
and students, $15, children, $10 The event, in its fourth year, is an alternative for those who want to celebrate the holiday in an alcohol-free atmosphere while still reveling in their, or others’ Irish cultural heritage. Emcee Colm O’Regan will be joined by Malachy McCourt, storytellers and musicians. www.soberstpatricksday. org ▲
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd St. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., suggestged $25 This 10-panel mural depicts America’s Jazz Age and was originally commissioned by New York’s New School of Social Research in 1930. 212-535-7710, metmuseum. org
couples discount. The Art of Parenting with special instructor Rabbi Michoel D. Shapiro, scholar and course author at the Rohr JLI, the International Jewish Adult Education Institute. 212-319-1770. http://www. chabadsutton.org/templates/ articlecco_cdo/aid/2836025/ jewish/JLI-Winter-Session. htm
BALLET EXERCISE CLASS FOR ADULTS
19
HELENA RUBINSTEIN: BEAUTY IS POWER ▼
67th Street Library, 328 East 67th Street, between First and Second Aves. 2 p.m.-3 p.m., free About the instructor: Jennifer Grambs, trained in both ballet and exercise for older adults, will show you how ballet helps us feel fit, not only in class, but everyday as we travel the sidewalks of New York City. No experience necessary. Register in-person at the 1st floor circulation desk. 212-734-1717, http:// www.nypl.org/events/ calendar?location=4
THE ART OF PARENTING The Chabad Preschool at Beekman Place, 336 East 53rd St. 8 p.m., 9:30 p.m., $99 (textbook included) $149
THE TRAGEDY AFTER INVESTIGATION As many as 260 pedestrians are expected to die this year on New York City streets. But almost none of the drivers involved in those cases will be prosecuted -- adding to the nightmare for the families of the victims.
see Reyes punished for Ariel’s death, now more than a year and a half ago, in June 2013. Russo said in an interview that she finds cruel irony in the fact that she teaches history to boys the same age as Reyes, who was 17 when he ran over Ariel and her grandmother in a Nissan Frontier SUV in front of the little girl’s preschool on the Upper West Side. This is why she initially sympa
sterdam Avenue in an attempt to flee from cops who had seen him driving erratically and ordered him to pull over. The chase ended with the fatal crash on 97th Street. Originally, by giving him bail and charging him as a minor, Judge Carro was giving Reyes a chance to avoid having a public criminal record. But on Sept. 3, Reyes was again stopped for driving recklessly, without a license This time in speeding
March 2, 2015
December 4, 2014 The local paper for the Upper East Side
The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave, at 92nd Street 11 a.m.-8 p.m., $15. This exhibit examines the career of Polish-born cosmetics mogul, Helena Rubenstein. Patrons can examine personal artifacts of the entrepreneur. 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org
November 5, 2014
April 17, 2014 The local paper for the Upper West Side
18 BRAVE GIRLS: RAISING YOUNG WOMEN WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE TO BECOME POWERFUL LEADERS Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th Street, 7 p.m., free After years of research as a psychologist, Stacey Radin brings us an empowering guide to cultivating confident, passionate and powerful young leaders during the most formative stage of life: the middle school years. 212-369-2180
THOMAS HART BENTON’S AMERICA TODAY MURAL REDISCOVERED
LOST DOG TALE, WITH A TWIST LOCAL NEWS
A family hopes that Upper West Siders will help bring their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel back home Upper West Side For the past week, Eva Zaghari and her three children from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, have been papering the Upper West Side with over 1,300 flyers asking for information on their beloved dog Cooper. ?We are devastated, please return our dog,? the sign implores. The catch though, is that Cooper didn?t technically get lost, or even stolen. He was given away. When she explains the story, sitting at Irving Farm coffee shop on West 79th Street before heading out to post more flyers around the neighborhood, Eva and her kids are visibly distraught. About a month ago, on September 5th, her husband Ray had arranged to give the dog away, via a Craigslist ad. He mistakenly thought that removing a source of stress from his wife and kids ? walking and feeding and caring for a dog, tasks which had fallen mostly to Eva ? would make everyone happier
October 2, 2014
October 8, 2014
FI R S T I N YOU R N E I G H BO R H O O D
(212) 868-0190 The local paper for the Upper East Side
The local paper for the Upper West Side
The local paper for Downtown
8 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
Voices
Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
CORRECTION
<KEEPING AN EYE ON BIKES In Bette Dewing’s recent column, I was so glad to read that she continues to address problems that our elected officials ignore. How can one ignore the problem of the inconsiderate bikers with the mind-set that they own the roads and no one can stop them from going through red lights,
against traffic and on the sidewalk? There must be others who feel as I do that the answer would be to license bikes and when they are fined their attitudes might change. Bunny Abraham Upper West Side
In a story published March 5, we misidentified which West Side city council member’s district is home to a marine transfer station that processes paper waste. The West 59th Street MTS is in council member Corey Johnson’s district, not Helen Rosenthal’s, according to city council district maps.
My Story
The need for a rescue on East End BY BETTE DEWING t can be done if enough of us try: save the heart of East End Avenue, the place which serves community needs from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 365 days a year. It’s where a diverse community comes together to shop for their “daily bread,” and where the staff led by Ellen and Joe, known so many by name and who go the extra mile to be helpful, and not only to vulnerable elders shopping alone. No matter the weather, it’s open, and yes, I’m talking about the Gristedes small supermarket located on the corner of East End Avenue and 81st Street since 1988. The bad news is that the landlord of this six-story rental 1906 apartment house hopes to sell, or has already sold, to, of course, “developers.” The corner of 80th and East End, which once housed the 1936 City University splendid building, is also being “developed.” The noise is horrific. While perhaps not yet a really done deal, Gristedes’ regular patrons could not be more distressed. But it’s also a significant loss to the com-
I
munity at large, which has lost numerous small stores and two moderately priced charming restaurants. Hey, is the mayor concerned with saving the small businesses which make for a more just and livable city – and on the lower part of the avenue where he now lives? Not a small business, but he should know that the luxury high rise condo opposite Gracie Mansion replaced a longtime beloved hospital. (It saved my life in 2000.) A Times story approvingly noted how the Second Avenue Subway is behind East End Avenue’s soaring real estate “values. It will make it more geographically accessible. My letter reporting the down side of this “accessibility” was not seen fit to print. But most thankfully, this paper has seen fit to print “save small business” letters and articles galore; indeed it’s at the forefront of a long overdue “save small business” movement. Just maybe it will support saving Gristedes and the really quite lovely 1906 building in which it is housed. Incidentally, except for the ground-floor commercial space, it has traditional red brick siding and very high and very wide gray-colored framed casement windows. It’s human-scaled and easy on the eyes and the psyche, qualities which deserve landmarking. Unfortunately, East Enders never sought Historic District status, nor had its own community group to protect its
rental housing and small businesses. Reportedly the East 79th Street Neighborhood Association is not involved in saving #40 and reportedly the tenants have engaged the same lawyer which helped save the City & Suburban Housing complex located at the foot of East End Avenue. Reportedly, tenants are not fighting eviction but rather want their rights protected in the buy-outs. Undoubtedly, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s address to the East Sixties Neighborhood Association’s annual meeting will stress the saving small business need, which really should be a major concern of every civic group. The sale of # 40 is likely, but an immediate dream of mine, is for John A. Catsimatidis, the owner of Gristedes supermarkets, to buy it whatever the cost. The building’s highceilinged, rent-stabilized studios would be preserved along with Gristedes market. So would the rather upscale East End Kitchen restaurant located in the two story attached building. Mr. Catsimatidis, you could be our next mayor if you ran on the “Save the Small Business” ticket. Incidentally, the message printed on Gristedes yellow shopping bag says: “Gristedes, Your Neighborhood Grocer Since 1988.” The bag, which asks to be recycled, also has a sketch of the World Trade Towers with the moving inscription, “Always on our minds, Forever in our hearts. Never forget what they did.”
We need that reminder surely, but given local real estate powers’ mass destruction of neighborhood businesses; we must also never forget and always keep fighting for these
places which meet everyday needs. By the way, Sloan’s supermarket occupied that # 40 space long before 1988 - if ever a tradition should be upheld… Ah, so much more to say
on this uphill but so critical battle - to talk and act about. And I will, and so will you, because, doggone it, it can be done - if enough of us try! dewingbetter@aol.com
STRAUS MEDIA-MANHATTAN President, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com
Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth
Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade Account Executive Fred Almonte, Susan Wynn
Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope editor.ot@strausnews.com Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine editor.dt@strausnews.com
Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons
Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 9
45 years and counting
MODERNIZING A 115-YEAR-OLD MAINSTAY Ottomanelliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has found to ways to stay current, while retaining its old-world appeal BY PANYIN CONDUAH
Every week for the rest of the year, Our Town will celebrate its 45th anniversary by proďŹ ling a neighborhood business that has been around longer than we have. Know of a local business that should be on our list? Email us at news@ strausnews.com. Judging from their collection of butcher shops, restaurants and mail-order condiments, the Ottomanelli brothers know as much about business as they do about meat. The Ottomanellis have been a household name to families on the Upper East side since 1900. Brothers Nick and Joe Ottomanelli currently run the business at York Avenue and 82nd Street, the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth generation to do so. Nick, who is president, recalls when his mother asked him to help his father with the shop after being discharged from the Marine Corps at age 21. His father welcomed him with open arms and a white apron. That apron is still with Nicolas 50 years later. The company has expanded beyond the East Side to Queens, and in the mid
1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, it began showcasing its products at Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Herald Square, selling steak sauce, BBQ sauce, and spices to all of Manhattan. Ottomanelli cousins and nephews run the other brands
of the company and make sure to help one another out. Customers are greeted by their ďŹ rst names by workers at the shop when they get meats and choose their favorite butchers to handle them. When
Going to the Airport?
customers canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it into the store they get their meat delivered by delivery boys on bikes. Nick said all of the expansion has its limits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You try to limit your exposure by not
getting out there and doing too much more than you could handle,â&#x20AC;? he said. As the company continues to grow and adjust to the times, Nick sees it the same way it was 50 years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always the same, the
Protect your world
1-212-666-6666
Auto Home Life Retirement
;V 1-2 ;V 5L^HYR ;V 3H.\HYKPH Tolls & gratuities not included. Prices subject to change without notice.
One Coupon per Trip. Expires12/31/13 12/31/15
53
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Be There For You!â&#x20AC;?
meat hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed,â&#x20AC;? he said. Like their family, the Ottomanelliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s try to keep a tight-knit relationship with their customers by providing them with the kind of experience that can be talked about through generations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are your neighborhood butcher shop, your neighborhood restaurant, your neighborhood grill,â&#x20AC;? said Nick.
Call me today to discuss your options. Some people think Allstate only protects your car. Truth is, Allstate can also protect your home or apartment, your boat, motorcycle - even your retirement and your life. And the more of your world you put in Good HandsÂŽ, the more you can save.
;/, >90./; (.,5*@
One Coupon per Trip. Expires12/31/13 12/31/15
Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel
51
www.CarmelLimo.com
Insurance subject to terms, qualiďŹ cations and availability. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co., Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Co. Life insurance and annuities issued by Lincoln BeneďŹ t Life Company, Lincoln, NE, Allstate Life Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL. In New York, Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York, Hauppauge, NY. Northbrook, IL. Š 2010 Allstate Insurance Co.
118894
X'-,0/07XccjkXk\%Zfd
10 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
RENAISSANCE MASTERWORKS FROM FLORENCE, ON BROADWAY Donatello’s “Squash Head” and more at the soon-to-move MOBIA BY VAL CASTRONOVO
Since last spring, there has been a flurry of notices heralding the arrival this winter of an “unprecedented” show from Florence at the Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA), a small, under-the-radar venue on the 2nd floor of the American Bible Society on the Upper West Side—where it resides until it has to vacate the premises by June 30, now that the Bible society has sold the building. Stay tuned. In the meantime, MOBIA, whose mission it is to explore the influence of the Bible on Western art, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a remarkable exhibit of 23 early Renaissance sculptures created for Florence’s famed Il Duomo (the Cathedral), most of which have never traveled outside Italy (some never outside Florence), and none of which have traveled to the U.S. The non-collecting museum is a modest one for works of this caliber. Sculptures by the likes of Donatello and Luca della Robbia keep company with Filippo Brunelleschi’s wooden models of the Cathedral’s iconic dome and lantern. When
Donatello St. John the Evangelist, 1408–15 Marble, 212 × 91 × 62 cm (83½ × 35¾ × 24½ in.) Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, inv. no 2005/113 © Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore / Antonio Quattrone
a number of major American museums were unable to accommodate the show’s schedule, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (the Cathedral’s museum, which is undergoing an expansion and will reopen in November) approached MOBIA, which seized the opportunity to host the historic exhibit until June 14. Rarely do Americans get to see a Donatello, let alone major ones (Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts has one marble relief, “Madonna of the Clouds,” in its permanent collection). The Cathedral complex that these 15th century masterworks were sculpted to adorn is massive, and what we see here is nothing more than a quick take, a mere glimpse of the larger, glorious whole. But the curators and exhibit designers have succeeded admirably in recreating a feeling of being in a spiritual realm, albeit in just one airy room on Broadway. Donatello (ca. 1386-1466) apprenticed with sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti, famous for the Gates of Paradise doors in the Baptistry, and was a hero to Michelangelo, who felt that it was his destiny to compete with the late master. Donatello dominates the show with more than half a dozen major sculptures (a number are attributions or collaborations)—some life-size, some larger-than-life, all aweinspiring. His “Prophet” (1435-36), nicknamed “Lo Zuccone” (“Squash Head”) and probably a depiction of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, is arguably the star of the show, with his bald pate, ghostly eyes, bulging neck muscles, and angsty expression. Wikipedia notes the figure’s “uncanny resemblance to ‘Harry Potter’ villain Lord Voldemort”—just look for Ralph Fiennes amidst the prophets and the saints. Carved from marble to occupy a niche in the third story of the Cathedral’s Bell Tower, Squash Head is notable for his realism and individuality (so much so that there was speculation that the figure was an actual portrait of a Florentine politician, Giovanni Cherichini, the catalog informs us). As Giorgio Vasari famously wrote in his encyclopedia of artists (1550), Donatello would often exclaim while carving the lifelike statue, “Speak then! Why wilt thou not speak?”
IF YOU GO WHAT: “Sculpture in the Age of Donatello: Renaissance Masterpieces from Florence Cathedral” WHERE: The Museum of Biblical Art, 1865 Broadway, at 61st Street WHEN: Now through June 14 www.mobia.org “Abraham and Isaac (The Sacrifice of Isaac)” (1421) represents a collaboration between Donatello and sculptor Nanni di Bartolo (“Rosso” for his red hair). It’s another showstopper and the only sculpture in the Bell Tower fashioned to tell a narrative. A marble screenshot, it captures the moment after Abraham heard the angel’s voice calling off the sacrifice— that moment when Abraham learned he had passed the test of faith and would be spared the agony of sacrificing his son. His head is inclined toward the voice of the heavenly messenger; the knife at Isaac’s neck appears to slip. The figure of Isaac is the “first life-size nude of the Renaissance,” the audio guide states. “St. John the Evangelist” (1408-15), an early triumph, was commissioned to decorate the Cathedral’s façade. Situated at the far end of the room at MOBIA, this monumental Gospel writer was meant to occupy a shallow niche flanking the main entrance to the Duomo and sit approximately 10 feet above the ground. As with all of Donatello’s carvings for the Cathedral, this was a site-specific work, with adjustments made to the figure’s proportions to take into account its elevation and the viewpoint of bystanders. Hence the artist sculpted an elongated torso—and carved deeply into the marble to create shadows, which provided emphasis and clear visibility of features from a distance. The figure holds a book and, according to a theory posited in the catalog, appears to be in the act of writing: “[H]is distant gaze indicates not the contemplation of previously recorded ideas but a search for inspiration in the heavens to guide the formation of new ones.” There is inspiration in abundance here. Look up.
Donatello Prophet (possibly Habbakuk), known as the Zuccone,1435–36 Marble, 195 × 54 × 38 cm (763/4 × 211/4 × 15 in.) Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, inv. no. 2005/374 © Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore / Antonio Quattrone
5 TOP
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 11
FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR
MUSEUMS
MASTERPIECES AND CURIOSITIES: “NICOLE EISENMAN’S SEDER” Painter Nicole Eisenman contemplates the range of emotions brought on during a traditional Passover meal in her illustrative “Seder,” an oil work commissioned by the Jewish Museum in 2010. Twenty-five portraits from the museum’s permanent collection accompany Eisenman’s work, along with a series of Seder plates, including a 19th-century relic produced by Hungarian porcelain company Herend that depicts Passover rituals. Masterpieces and Curiosities: “Nicole Eisenman’s Seder” March 13-Aug. 9 Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd Street Museum hours: Sunday-Tuesday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Wednesday. Admission $15
LEARN
BOOKS
HIGH SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN’S 9-HOUR DRAW-A-THON
LAURA J. SNYDER’S “EYE OF THE BEHOLDER”
Inaugurated last March, the High School of Art and Design, which boasts a roster of notable grads, including fashion designer Calvin Klein, cartoonist Art Spiegelman and singer Tony Bennett, invites students and professional artists to sketch, draw and paint during its biannual ninehour art marathon. Live models, both costumed and nude, pose throughout the day and night.
Historian Laura J. Snyder’s latest work explores the convergence of art and science in 17th-century Holland, when scientist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek started examining the natural world through a microscopic lens, while, in a studio nearby, painter Johannes Vermeer played with light with the aid of a camera obscura. Laura J. Snyder’s “Eye of the Beholder” Monday, March 16 Corner Bookstore 1313 Madison Ave., at 93rd Street 6 p.m. FREE
High School of Art and Design’s 9-Hour Drawa-thon Saturday, March 14 245 E. 56th St., between 2nd and 3rd 1 p.m.-10 p.m. In advance: students $10/adults $20 At the door: students $15/adults $25 www.artdesigndrawathon3.eventbrite.com
Now Get Real Time Bus, Subway & Alternate Side Parking Information Here
DANCE AILEY II AT THE JOYCE THEATER
KIDS DANNY WEINKAUF AND THE RED PANTS BAND The longtime bass player for alternative rock band They Might Be Giants recently released his first full-length album of children’s songs. The album “No School Today” includes lyrics about marsupials, archaeology, spelling bees, and, as the title suggests, the joys of playing hooky. Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band Saturday, March 14 Symphony Space 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street 11 a.m. Tickets: kids $14/adults $21 To purchase tickets, call 212-864-5400
Ailey II, a division of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dedicated to emerging choreographers and dancers, opens its new season on March 17 with a presentation of three original works, including the premiere of “breakthroughs,” a new piece featuring the full company. Ailey II at the Joyce Theater March 17-22 The Joyce Theater 74 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street Assorted show times Tickets $10-$69 For tickets, visit www.joyce.org To be included in the Top 5 go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
www.ourtownny.com Your Neighborhood News
12 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
Pride of New York
Y School of Law erson, Dean CUN Michelle And
o, P Lisa S. Coic
ty resident The Ci
College of New York/CUNY
y Honors College/CUNY r, Dean Macaula Ann Kirschne
Sarah Bartl ett, Dean
CUNY Gra duate Sch o
ol of Journa lism
Karen L. G ould, Pre sident Br ooklyn Co llege/CUNY
Gail O. Mello
w, Presid e
nt LaGua rdia Com m
unity Colle g
Celebrating Women’s History Month Visit www.cuny.edu 1-800-CUNY-YES CUNY-TV Channel 75
e/CUNY
ity Coll Diane B. Call, President Queensborough Commun
Y ege/CUN
Y llege/CUN Marcia V. Keizs, President York Co
r Col l Jennifer J. Raab, President Hunte
ege/CUNY
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 13
2015 OTTYS Our Town Thanks You
AWARDS FDNY Engine Company 44 and EMS Station 10
Neil Calman
Dimitres Pantelidis
Chris Adams
Ellen Appleby
Gregory Fryer
Daniel Ribaudo
Caroline Baumann
Claudia Gould
Nancy Taylor
Rob Byrnes
Julian Niccolini
John Tweddle
Arlene Virga
14 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
2015 OTTY WINNERS
A NOVICE LEARNS THE GRAPE TRADE Chris Adams of Sherry-Lehman got into the business after answering an ad for a holiday sales person.
CHRIS ADAMS BY MICKEY KRAMER
The Upper East Side fire and EMS workers who transported Dr. Craig Spencer, at a press conference led by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
STEPPING FORWARD AT A FEARFUL TIME FDNY ENGINE COMPANY 44 AND EMS STATION 10 BY KYLE POPE
When Dr. Craig Spencer, New York’s first Ebola patient, was transported to Bellevue Hospital Center on Oct. 23, fear gripped the city. Commmuters balked at taking the subway. The governors of New York and New Jersey moved to quarantine travelers from affected countries. No one knew how many more cases were coming. After Spencer’s fever hit 100.3 -- he had recently returned to New York from Guinea, where he had been treated Ebola patients for Doctors Without Borders -- it fell to specialized Fire Department and EMS teams to transport him from his uptown apartment to Bellevue downtown. That entire journey was tracked by news helicopters, and carried live on TV. Though the response to the Spencer case was part of a citywide effort that also included officials from the city Department of Health, the movement
of the patient was led by EMS Station 10 in Yorkville, and assisted by FDNY Engine Company 44 on E. 75th Street. According to Captain Paul Miano, commander of the city’s HazTac battalion, the EMS ambulance from Station 10 was the unit that carried Spencer to the hospital -- part of a small group throughout the city specially trained for such emergencies. After turning Spencer over to the hospital, firefighters from Engine Company 44 then decontaminated the ambulance, as well as the EMS technicians who handled Dr. Spencer’s body. “The ambulance was sprayed down with a high concentration of bleach,” Cpt. Miano said. The people, too, were sprayed with a decontaminant. “ We were sure that every single inch of space was covered.” Firefighters were not immune from the Ebola-related fears that were spreading throughout the city. To address those concerns, the FDNY convened a one-day Ebola training seminar immediately following news of the Spencer case, covering everything from equip-
The whole key was education. People’s fears came from a lack of knowledge.”
ment to cleaning protocols. “The whole key was education,” Cpt. Miano recalls. “People’s fears came from a lack of knowledge.” He recalls giving out his cell phone number, and encouraging people to call him at any time with their concerns. “I was getting calls at 3 o’clock in the morning,” he said. Clearly, the training sessions worked. Not a single firefighter or health-care worker in New York was infected by the disease, and Dr. Spencer was released after 19 days of treatment. “I was cautiously optimistic” that Spencer’s case would be the last, Miano said. “I am confident in our monitoring program.”
Chris Adams moved with his wife from Delaware to New York City during the fall of 1997. Since the school year had begun, Adams, a high school English teacher, had to look for other work. Thinking it might be fun, he answered a New York Times ad from Upper East Side institution, Sherry-Lehmann, that read: “Looking for holiday help. ... Learn more about wine.”
Part of what made me attractive at the time was that I wasn’t a wine ‘expert.’” And learn about wine, he did. In short order, after starting as a holiday sales person in 1997 and advancing to management in 1999, Adams became a partner in 2005, and was appointed chief executive officer in 2008. “Part of what made me attractive at the time was that I wasn’t a wine ‘expert.’ They, and now ‘we,’ look for wine enthusiasts we can teach.” After spending one semester at the Upper East Side’s Dalton School, Adams returned to Sherry-Lehmann full time as a sales person in the summer of 1998. “There’s no question that my ability to communicate both verbally and with the written word, taken from my experience as a teacher, helps a great deal.” Adams, 49, drinks a glass or two of wine every day, and considers wine from the Bordeaux region of France, “the ‘benchmark’ wines. All the best wines I’ve tasted have been ‘Bordeaux.’” But, he adds, “I love champagne and white burgundy, too.” When asked what the last bottle he opened for a special occasion, Adams, without hesitation, recalled a 1982 Cheval Blanc, which he called “amazing.”
Sherry Wine & Spirits was founded in 1934 with its first storefront on Madison Avenue and 62nd Street. The retail location later moved nearby, spending a 60-year stretch from 1948-2007 on Madison Avenue and 61st Street. In 1965, Sherry Wine & Spirits took over another nearby wine company, M. Lehmann, thus becoming Sherry-Lehmann. The company’s current locale, since 2007, is a three-floor, roughly 9,000-square foot space at 59th Street and Park Avenue. “We made every effort to replicate the charm and warmth of the old store,” Adams says. Regular customers have included Regis Philbin, Mel Brooks and Kim Cattrall. Matt Wong, 36, who also began his career as a holiday sales associate, has been SherryLehmann’s general manager for 10 years. “You get to experience the ‘wine world’ that is unmatched anywhere in the world,” he said. And of his boss of 13 years, Wong says, “He pushes for perfection. Nothing is ever impossible with Chris. He has taught me to read people so well.” When asked to put on his teaching cap, Adams recommends two wine-related books:
Lucky Jim, a 1954 novel by Kingsley Amis, which features a key chapter involving drinking and, later, a hangover, and Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, which Adams ensures is a great tool for all. Taking over as CEO in 2008 during the economic downturn was not ideal, Adams recalls, and notes one of the biggest changes to take place since 2008. “We began to focus more on the e-commerce aspect of the business. In our 81st year, to watch the store become an e-commerce destination … It’s been fascinating to say the least.” Adams also says that since every year brings new harvests, whether in France, Italy, California or others, each presents new challenges. Adams has lived in Westchester since 2002 with his wife and three children, but after 17 years also considers the Upper East Side “his neighborhood.” Favorite local businesses include Viand Coffee Shop, Bilboquet, a French bistro, and the leather goods shop, Berluti. “I found my calling and plan to stay at Sherry,” he said. “It’s an institution and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 15
Builder | Owner | Manager
Congratulates The OTTY 2015 Winners
16 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
2015 OTTY WINNER
REDESIGNING A RENEWED COOPER-HEWITT
The Y in a huge way has transformed this neighborhood, and my experience of living here, into a community,”
CAROLINE BAUMANN
Ellen Appleby has become a vital link between volunteers and staff at the Vanderbilt YMCA. Photo by Mary Newman
BY MARY NEWMAN
A VOLUNTEER WHO IS PART OF THE COMMUNITY ELLEN APPLEBY BY MARY NEWMAN
In kindergarten, Ellen Appleby remembers noticing a difference between her drawings and the many stick figures being drawn by her peers. Graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, she was the first of her family to pursue a career in art. Raised by doctors, Appleby has always placed importance on living a healthy lifestyle. She has been an Upper East Side resident since moving into her very first New York apartment in 1980, where she still lives today. Appleby knew she wanted to be in New York at the start of her career because as a freelance artist she wanted the energy Manhattan could provide. “If you work alone it’s really nice to be in a city,” she said. “Because when you step outside your door after hours and hours alone you are immediately surrounded people and inspiration.” Having lived on the same block for more than 20 years, Appleby attributes much of the neighborhood’s success to the Vanderbilt YMCA on East 47th Street. Despite never being an athlete, she has always made her physical fitness a priority. “I’m one of the last generations of women that graduated [high school] before Title 9 was introduced,” she said. “I had never lifted weights and never felt comfortable in a traditional gym setting. I found the Y to be an extremely accepting place for people at all levels of fit-
ness.” Appleby can be seen walking through the halls of the Y every single day, according to Mary Park, director of fund development and communications. “She’s extremely committed to her health, we’re so happy she has become a part of our community at the Y.” The two have gotten to know each other after Appleby began volunteering her time to improve several programs at the Y. After regularly attending fitness classes, Appleby became friendly with other members. She would communicate her ideas with different staff members, and it wasn’t long before they asked her to join their Quality Assurance Committee. Staff at the Y was impressed with her suggestions, and her ability to communicate with YMCA members so easily. “If I see someone more than once in a class, or in the elevator, it is just in my nature to introduce myself,” she said. Her calm demeanor is extremely inviting, and has allowed her to create an open path of communication between YMCA members and staff. Since joining her first committee two years ago, Appleby has since discovered all that the YMCA has to offer. Unaware of exactly how involved they were with community development, she now offers her voice to spread the word and raise money. She regularly brings friends and colleagues to meetings with staff so they can hear all the different ways the Y improves the neighborhood.
After being asked to visit the TAG School, where the Vanderbilt YMCA holds one of its many after-school programs, she was able to see the positive influence the Y has the community and knew she had to be a part of it. “During that first trip to the TAG School I brought two friends of mine along with me,” she said. “We had no idea that this kind of program was going on, and we spent the entire afternoon with the kids.” As Appleby learned more about everything the Y is involved with, she began telling her peers at the gym so they would be more likely to donate or volunteer themselves. Appleby is now planning several classes and workshops that will be offered to children taking part in different YMCA after school programs. This past week she taught a group of kids between the ages of 5-8 how to use geometric shapes to draw animals, something she will be doing much more regularly in coming months. “The Y in a huge way has transformed this neighborhood, and my experience of living here, into a community,” she said. For no reason other than wanting to help those around her, Ellen Appleby has chosen to commit so much of her time to improving the Vanderbilt YMCA. She shares her immense talent as an illustrator with the children at the Y, and helped promote an environment where community members and YMCA staff work together.
Since the Cooper-Hewitt unveiled its three-year renovation in December, it goes without question that museum director Caroline Baumann’s vision has set both herself and her museum apart from the rest of Museum Mile. It is rare for such a longstanding Manhattan museum to go through such a drastic change, but Baumann knew it was a risk worth taking. Baumann has been surrounded by creativity her entire life. Her father had a dark room and printing press in their basement, and encouraged Caroline and her brothers to create whenever they felt inspired. Baumann pokes fun at her younger self, explaining that she was making business cards from the age of five. “I see the time I spent in that basement as a real catalyst for my love of design,” she said. “Had I known in high school that I could have pursued a career in typography I probably wouldn’t be a museum director today.” Baumann’s love of design is evident as you walk through the new Cooper Hewitt. Many could have questioned her introduction of contemporary design elements into Andrew Carnegie’s historic mansion, but the two aesthetics blend to create one of city’s most inspiring museums. The redesign took three years because Baumann was committing to doing it right, especially since the Cooper Hewitt hasn’t always had a clear identity in the past. No detail was spared, including importing 110-year-old teak wood to restore the flooring. It is the same wood Carnegie used, and Baumann made sure to lay the flooring out exactly as it was done by the Carnegie family. Once the mansion was renewed, it was time to introduce the new design and technology necessary to make the museum relevant to younger generations. “The public was craving a place dedicated to design,” Baumann said. “I wanted to
Our mission is to inspire, educate, and empower people through design. The new space allows people to feel like a designer.” Caroline Baumann create a place where different demographics were interacting with one another.” Interaction plays an important part of the viewers experience at Cooper Hewitt, which Baumann and her staff have introduced by creating places like the Immersion Room. An interactive space, formerly Margaret Carnegie’s bedroom, offers viewers a chance to interact with the museum’s impressive collection of wallcoverings. By selecting or creating your own wallpaper design, you can see it projected throughout the entire room; many are paired with audio clips describing the design. Some of the unique wallpapers on view include a German sidewall from 1820 manufactured by J.C. Arnold, and the damask-styled sidewall “City Park” designed by Dan Funderburgh in 2007. The Immersion Room is an example of how Baumann has successfully blended historical and contemporary designs. “We didn’t just want to plop the new digital elements into the existing space,” she said. “It was important to me that we really try to weave the two together.” One of the most talked-about additions to the Cooper Hewitt goes beyond its renovation; its designers have developed the Pen, which has made them a leader in innovation and technology. The Pen was just launched this month, and it is an interactive stylus pen that will enhance the visitor experience. Baumann and her team have collaborated with GE, SistelNetworkds, Undercurrent to develop and execute its design.
Cooper-Hewitt’s Caroline Baumann has tapped a lifelong interest in design in rethinking the iconic museum. The Pen gives viewers the ability to collect and save information, and can be used to draw on several of the interactive screens throughout the museum. It is a handheld device, and to collect information, they just have to tap the pen to the object label. They can then go to the unique web address to review the entire collection. Viewers can create a museum account, allowing them to access and build their collections with each visit. “Our mission is to inspire, educate, and empower people through design,” she said. “The new space allows people to feel like a designer, no matter what their actual occupation is. I want this to be a place where people come to get inspiration, bounce ideas off one another, and truly interact with the exhibitions.”
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 17
Mount Sinai Health System Congratulates Neil Calman, M.D. Kenneth L. Davis, M.D. Chief Executive Officer and President, Mount Sinai Health System Dennis S. Charney, M.D. Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System Jeremy Boal, M.D. Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Mount Sinai Health System
18 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
2015 OTTY WINNER
ADVOCATING FOR EQUALITY IN HEALTH CARE
Since the beginning we’ve always used the philosophy that we can do very well by doing good for the community.”
NEIL CALMAN BY ANGELA BARBUTI
Rob Byrnes of the East Midtown Partnership has reinvigorated a neighborhood that had been seen as a ghost town at night.
OPENING UP EAST MIDTOWN ROB BYRNES BY MARY NEWMAN
Rob Byrnes has spent the past decade fighting for small businesses, cleaning up the streets, and making information easier to access by utilizing social media. Before moving to Manhattan in 1996, he struggled to find work after college. The only open position he could find was to work as a security officer at a gas and electric plant. Byrnes was given the night shift, working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. “It was either work or sit at home.” This kind of hard work has followed Byrnes throughout his career, and luckily he has chosen to apply his work ethic to improving the East Side community. Through an internship he received while attending Union College, Byrnes worked for former state Assemblymen Roger Robach in 1980. He continued working for Robach until his passing in 1991, also working for his son Joseph until 1996. “I was ready to take the next step,” he said. “New York was my chance to spread my wings.” He worked at a local development corporation in Staten Island at first, but quickly moved onto working for the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District. There he gained necessary experience on what it takes to help improve business
for communities in Manhattan. Byrnes has been with the East Midtown Partnership since the beginning, joining the team in January 2002. “I think my first desk was rented, and I didn’t get a paycheck for the first two months,” he said. The partnership hadn’t received funding when Byrnes was hired because they were still in the process of finalizing their contract with the city. “We started at a tricky time, it was right after 9/11 and every business throughout the entire city was suffering,” he said. “Since the beginning we’ve always used the philosophy that we can do very well by doing good for the community.” In addition to supporting businesses in the East Midtown community, Byrnes has also helped the neighborhood find its identity. The district runs between 49th and 63rd Streets, and Madison and Second Avenues. This area once had a reputation for being a ghost town after 6 p.m. The streets were lined with commercial buildings and lacked a sense of community. Byrnes and his staff focused on increasing foot traffic to benefit local stores and restaurants. They’ve introduced programs like The Great East Midtown Challenge, where dozens of teams compete in an evening of fun, trivia, and interactive activities spanning the neighborhood. Each year they also put on an annual Hol-
iday Concert Series, bringing together local singing groups to entertain lunchtime crowds throughout the area. “We try not to be myopic, something that increases community involvement will always increase business development,” he said. “We also know that our work is only one component of the larger success of the area.” Byrnes and his staff work closely with neighborhood associations, regularly collaborating with the Turtle Bay Neighborhood and East 60s Neighborhood associations to keep both residents and business owners informed on local news and events. Last fall, the partnership launched a new free mobile app giving users instant access to their business directory, map, and district news. In 2013, they introduced “The Passport Card,” which offers special benefits to almost 100 area businesses. More than 14,000 people are using the card, which is now compatible with the app. By thinking creatively, Rob Byrnes as been able to revitalize an East Side neighborhood that was often overlooked. By promoting community involvement he has increased the number of tourists visiting the area, reintroduced residents to the neighborhood through creative events, and cleaned up its streets by partnering with the Doe Fund.
Dr. Neil Calman has spent his career working to establish equality in health care. “Health is a fundamental right for people,” he said. “But unfortunately, the way we deliver health care in the United States, and even more so in New York, is that we create separate systems of care for people who are poor and people who have money. And the care is not equal in quality.”
“A lot of times these kids never get the kind of health care they should.” While on his rotations as a medical student in Chicago, he had already witnessed differences in levels of care. Although people in the medical field believed that everyone, regardless of economic status, should have access to health care, not all agreed that the quality of care needed to be the same, Calman said. “They believe that poor people should be happy with whatever they get because there’s no real obligation to care for them,” said Calman, who practiced family medicine in the Bronx and Manhattan for 35 years. Calman also started the Department of Family Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in 2012 and now serves as its chair. In 1983, he created the Institute for Family Health, a nonprofit organization that provides medical, dental and mental health care under the credo that “no one is turned away.” About 550,000 people are seen annually by a staff of 1,200 in 30 locations in the Bronx, Manhattan and Dutchess and Ulster Counties. People who are poor, uninsured or undocumented are taken care of at no charge. The institute gets its funding from the government, including from Medicaid and Medicare, and
from grants. One of the diseases on which the center focuses and educates is diabetes, as it sees a higher percentage of cases of the disease in low-income communities. Calman says some of the reasons for this as the lack of healthy food options, places to exercise and health education. “I just ran into a gym teacher who covers 11 schools in New York. One gym teacher for 11 schools, and these are big, inner city schools,” he said. The institute also cares for patients living with HIV/AIDS. “We help people with medication, housing, nutritional and family counseling,” he said. Through his guidance, the Institute for Family Health has opened five health centers in
schools in low-income areas, staffed with doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and social workers. Two are in Manhattan, at P.S. 57 on East 115th Street and at the High School of Fashion Industries on West 24th Street. “A lot of times these kids never get the kind of health care they should and when you deliver the health care inside the school, you up the access to kids who otherwise wouldn’t have it,” he said. “The goal of that department, largely, is to find young doctors in training who are interested in doing work for the future in primary health care,” he said. “We hope they will become family physicians and follow in our footsteps and work in underserved communities.”
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 19
NewYork-Presbyterian Salutes
Daniel Ribaudo Director of Emergency Medical Services NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
We salute Daniel and his fellow 2015 OTTY Award winners for their passion and dedication to helping others in their community.
20 Our Townâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;MARCH 12-18,2015
Ca r l Sc hu rz
2015 OTTY WINNER
SHAPING FAITH ON PARK Conservancy Salutes 2015 OTTY award winner,
John Tweddle, whose creative vision and devoted work has transformed Carl Schurz Park into a neighborhood oasis. We thank you for being a source of inspiration. encouragement and support to hundreds of Conservancy volunteers. Together we have moved mountains.
Congratulations. Round trip transportation 24 hrs / 7 days to all your medical appointments *ODMVEJOH CVU OPU MJNJUFE UP %JBMZTJT USFBUNFOU 3BEJBUJPO 1IZTJDBM UIFSBQZ SFHVMBS DIFDL VQT PS B USJQ UP UIF QIBSNBDZ r -JWF PQFSBUJPOT EVSJOH PVS FYUFOEFE PGGJDF IPVST r -JWF PQFSBUJPOT EVSJOH PVS FYUFOEFE PGGJDF IPVST r /PO TIBSFE SJEFT GPS ZPV BOE ZPVS DPNQBOJPO r 0O UJNF QJDL VQT r TIPSUFTU BWFSBHF XBJU UJNF GPS ZPVS SFUVSO USJQ CBDL IPNF SFUVSO USJQ CBDL IPNF r 1SPGFTTJPOBM ESJWFST NPEFSO DMFBO DBST r 1SPGFTTJPOBM ESJWFST NPEFSO DMFBO DBST r 5IJT TFSWJDF JT QBJE CZ ZPVS r 5IJT TFSWJDF JT QBJE CZ ZPVS JOTVSBODF QSPWJEFS BOE ZPV NVTU RVBMJGZ UP SFDFJWFE RVBMJGZ UP SFDFJWFE
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bringing your patients on time to each appointmentâ&#x20AC;? t BHBQFMVYVSZDBST DPN
THE EAST SIDE GREGORY FRYER BY ANGELA BARBUTI
Pastor Gregory Fryer has spent 23 years at Immanuel Lutheran Church on East 88th Street. Each morning, he prays for our city and the 100 people of his congregation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Children who were Catechism students years ago, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve now grown up and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done their marriages and even baptized some of their children,â&#x20AC;? he said.
I had never imagined that I would end up living in a city, but I have loved New York City from day one.â&#x20AC;? Fryer grew up in the church, as his father was also a pastor. However, he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ďŹ nd his calling right away, and studied philosophy and worked a day job until he was in his late 20s. Then a college friend told him he should enter the seminary to become a pastor, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;it was as if a light had gone off.â&#x20AC;? He attended Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he met his wife, Carol, who is also a Lutheran minister. They started their careers as co-pastors at Stewartstown Lutheran Parish in South York County, Pennsylvania, where their two sons were born. Now, Carol serves as the Director of Pastoral Care at the Wartburg, a Lutheran retirement community in Mount Vernon. A Maryland native from a small town, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had never imagined that I would end up living in a city, but I have loved New York City from day one.â&#x20AC;? When he ďŹ rst got to the parish, he noticed one difference from his days in the countryside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was a little unnerved by how quiet and focused the congregation was,â&#x20AC;? he explained. Then a parishioner shed light on this behavior, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pastor, you have to understand, in
Gregory Freyer, whose father also was a pastor, never imagined he would feel so at home in New York City. New York City, we live in a sea of words. By the time Sunday comes around, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hungering and thirsting for a few sane words.â&#x20AC;? The church holds two services per week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I try to address their hopes, needs and fears,â&#x20AC;? Fryer said of how he connects his sermons to the gathered community of faith. To prepare his homilies, the pastor weaves the Biblical text with the state of the world in which we live. When asked what changes heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s implemented since he joined the parish, which was started in the Civil War era, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;None. My ambition has been to try to maintain the level of faithfulness and excellence that I inherited from my predecessor, a great man named Raymond Schulze.â&#x20AC;? Fryerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work goes way beyond his congregation. Besides his daily prayers for the police officers, ďŹ remen, ambulance driv-
ers and construction workers who serve our city, he works with Immanuelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meals on Heels program. The initiative, which was born even before he started there, has parishioners cooking and delivering food to the neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elderly every Saturday. Most of the recipients are not members of the congregation, but are recommended through a local social service agency, Search and Care. As far as Pastor Fryerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future plans go, the 63-year-old hopes to continue his work at Immanuel until he is 70. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a way, these last seven years can be our most exciting,â&#x20AC;? he said. One of his goals is to expand the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sunday school program from the now-15 children to a few hundred. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want them to be able to go through life with Jesus as their Good Shepherd and their reason for hope in this world,â&#x20AC;? he said.
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 21
2015 OTTY WINNER
CURATING AN ECLECTIC CAREER IN THE ARTS Claudia Gould has applied her vast experience in the art world to bring new energy to the Jewish Museum.
CLAUDIA GOULD BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
Claudia Gould’s career in the art world has spun its own logic. She’s promoted pioneering downtown New York sound art, conceived a compelling site-specific installation at an abandoned hospital on Roosevelt Island, and curated a celebrated exhibit of solely black and white fashion by internationally known designers.
With downtown-to-downtown service on the Northeast Regional SM, you can avoid the stress and hassles of traffic and get to the heart of Cubism, Expressionism, or any other “ism” that Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC have to offer.
AMTRAK.COM
BOOK 14 DAYS IN ADVANCE AND
SAVE 25% OR MORE ON ONE-WAY FARES FROM NEW YORK CITY BOSTON
$
52
BALTIMORE
$
I knew I wanted to work with my generation of artists. I wanted to be in the contemporary art world.” Following appointments as a curator at the Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in Buffalo, P.S. 1 on Long Island City and at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, Gould served as director at Artists Space, the downtown experimental art gallery, then took a similar post at Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art. A successful, 12-year tenure at ICA helped catalyze her latest incarnation, and a return to New York, as director of the Jewish Museum on Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile, where she has been since November 2011. Gould, 58, sees that trajectory — from an immersion in the immediacy and dynamism of early 1980s contemporary and progressive art to the directorship of one the world’s preeminent Jewish museums, inside a six-story Renaissance mansion with Gothic features off East 92nd Street — as, if not quite conventional, then certainly unexceptional. “I made a progression,” Gould said. “It’s another kind of departure but I don’t see it as anything radically different.” Gould, who grew up in New Haven, Conn., was emboldened toward a career in the
ARRIVE IN A BETTER FRAME OF MIND.
52
PROVIDENCE
$
48
WASHINGTON, DC
$
52
PHILADELPHIA
$
41
RICHMOND
$
69
This offer is valid for travel on the Northeast Regional train service only. Advance reservations are required a minimum of fourteen (14) days prior to travel. Once purchased, tickets are nonrefundable; exchanges are permitted within the ticket validity period. Blackouts apply on the following dates: 2/13/15, 2/16/15, 4/02/15– 4/03/15, 4/06/15, 5/22/15, 5/25/15, 07/02/15–07/03/15, 07/05/15, 9/04/15, 9/07/15, 10/12/2015, 11/24/15–11/25/15, 11/28/15–11/29/15, 12/19/15–12/23/15, 12/26/15–12/30/15, 01/02/16–01/03/16. Seating is limited; seats may not be available on all trains at all times. Fares are subject to availability. Up to 2 children ages 2–12 may accompany each adult at half the regular (full) adult rail fare. This offer is valid for Coach seats only; no upgrades permitted. This offer is not combinable with any other discount offer. In addition to the discount restrictions, this offer is also subject to any restrictions, blackouts, and refund rules that apply to the type of fare purchased. Fares, routes, and schedules are subject to change without notice. Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted. Other restrictions may apply. Amtrak and Northeast Regional are registered service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
arts in 1977, after seeing Robert Rauschenberg’s seminal “Monogram,” a mixed-medium work featuring a taxidermy goat and a rubber tire, then on view at the Whitney. “I knew I wanted to work with my generation of artists,” she said. “I wanted to be in the contemporary art world.” Even while she worked upstate, in Ohio and in Philadelphia, Gould has kept a home in the West Village since she started studying at New York University, from where she received a master’s in museum studies. “I always knew I was coming home,” she said. Although Gould’s primary task at the Jewish Museum is to lift the institution’s profile, which in large part means raising money, her work is still all about the art. If she’s meeting with a funder, for instance, the talk is still about the exhibits, she said. “We raise money for our mis-
sion, for what we want to get across,” she says. “It’s all intertwined. It’s all about the same thing.” She’s been successful: Since her arrival, the museum’s annual budget has grown about 25 percent, to just shy of $20 million. Raising “the cool factor,” in her words, is also on the agenda. A new website launched last year – engaging, informative and also humorous — has galvanized new interest. “It’s accessible and visually exciting and surprising,” she said. “That was a big turning point.” Next up for Gould and the museum’s staff of about 140 is giving the permanent collection of Judaica, which hasn’t changed in 20 years, more fluidity, and contemporaneity. “It’s all one big picture and it’s one big gigantic curation,” she said. “I feel like the possibilities are infinite.”
Congratulations to “Our Town Thanks You” Award recipients who make the East Side a better place to live and work. UPPER EAST SIDE
555 East 90th Street (AT YORK AVENUE)
asphaltgreen.org
22 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
2015 OTTY WINNERS
TURNING DATA INTO SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM DIMITRES PANTELIDIS BY MARY NEWMAN
Despite the urgency for many Manhattan parents to get their children into a top-tier private school, one New York native has found incredible success through public education. Dimitres Pantelidis attended public school in Queens, before earning both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Hunter College.
I am in the real hospitality business. I make people happy, that’s all.”
Giving everyone clear expectations allows us all to work together to achieve success.”
A MAN FOR FOUR SEASONS JULIAN NICCOLINI BY ANGELA BARBUTI
Not only is Julian Niccolini the co-owner of the iconic Four Seasons Restaurant, he’s also done everything from writing a weekly newspaper column, to creating a wine label, to making cameos in films. It’s his affable personality that makes him successful in the famed East Side dining haven and beyond. “I am in the real hospitality business. I make people happy, that’s all,” he said. One of his favorite parts of his day is greeting guests, and he has met quite a few notable ones over the years. When asked who has been the most interesting, he replied, “From President Clinton to Ronald Reagan to Henry Kissinger, you name them.” As far as requests he’s granted, he named bringing food to royalty’s planes as the most memorable. Niccolini has also befriended guests in the movie business, which resulted in him being cast as himself in two films, Inside Man and Arbitrage. “The first one to ask me to make a
movie was Spike Lee and the next one was Richard Gere,” he said. “If anybody asks me again, I’d be more than willing, but I’m not an actor.” Located on East 52nd Street, the Four Seasons was built in 1959, and Niccolini considers it to be “one of the most beautiful places in New York City.” If their lease ever expires, Niccolini has a plan for a grandiose event that is already generating buzz throughout Manhattan. To commemorate the year of its opening, there will be a special menu that will cost $1,959 per person, and include wine from the 1959 vintage. All the profits from the evening will be donated to a charity, which Niccolini predicted will be Citymeals-on-Wheels. “This is a very good charity that I think everybody should support,” he said. When he arrived at the restaurant in 1977, he made it his mission to make the dining experience there tantamount to being in someone’s home. He accomplished this by tailoring the menu to make it “more people friendly” and the wine list to be “absolutely acceptable to
everybody that doesn’t know too much about wine.” An Italian native, Niccolini grew up in a family where his father was also in the business and his mother cooked, so he gained first-hand culinary and oenology knowledge. This led him to start a wine label, Julian of the Seasons, which offers two selections, a Sauvignon Blanc from Italy and Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma. The line also includes tomato sauce and oil olive. A typical day for Niccolini starts when he arrives at the restaurant at 9 and can sometimes end at 10 o’clock at night or later, depending on the events taking place there. He admits that the hardest part of his job is spending so much time away from his family. He met his wife, Lisa, through the business, and they have two daughters, whom he hopes will never enter the hospitality industry. As for his future plans, he said he wants to “be happy and healthy, and develop a Four Seasons brand that is representative of their taste.”
As an extremely determined young man, Pantelidis was a double major in college and made the Dean’s list each semester, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in both elementary education, and human communication. He’s currently the principal at P.S. 171 in East Harlem, where he has been able to successfully prepare students for standardize testing and creative a nurturing environment for his teachers. Issues like the Common Core and increased standardized testing have frustrated educators across the country for years. But Principal Pantelidis knew he had to start approaching things differently from his colleagues. After being named principal of P.S. 171 more than a dozen years ago, he began to use his analytical skills to look at different areas of the school that needed the most attention. Almost immediately, he noticed that there wasn’t enough communication between administrators and teachers. He started training newly hired teachers more intensely, allowing him to both build trust and voice the high expectations he has of his staff. As education began stressing the importance of standardized testing, he wanted to prepare his students by giving them clear objectives.
Dimitres Pantelidis, the principal of P.S. 171, has brought success to the school by combining data analysis with one-on-one attention. Photo by Mary Newman. Throughout his tenure, Pantelidis has relied heavily on data analysis of each student throughout the school year. “Our main focus here is to provide clarity for both our staff and our students. Giving everyone clear expectations allows us all to work together to achieve success, “ he said. The entire school is run like a, efficient machine; dozens of posters line the walls with the most recent data collected from each classroom. Pantelidis meets with his teachers in weekly staff meetings, as well as in one-on-one meetings to get updates on how each student is progressing. “I can’t do my job if I don’t know what’s going on in the classrooms,” Pantelidis said.” “Communication with my staff is one of the most important parts of our success as a school.” Success has followed Pantelidis throughout his career, specifically with his work at P.S. 171. In the 2012-2013 school year, his students scored in the top 83rd percentile in all of New York State. In math, the school scored 19% higher than the state average, and 20% higher than the city average. Pantelidis has also created many academic partnerships,
creating an impressive science program with Mt. Sinai, and an opportunity for students to take summer classes and workshops at Yale, Vassar, and Princeton University. “We talk about perseverance a lot here, and ultimately it’s all about how we can support our students,” he said. While walking through the hallways with Principal Pantelidis, it becomes obvious he simply just wants every child to succeed. Not one student walks by him without a high five, or specific question regarding what is happening in their life. Much of his success is supported by the amount of funding P.S. 171 is given each year through various grants and donations. Many public schools struggle to educate on increasingly tight budgets, so Pantelidis and his team worked to raise more than $4.5 million dollars in grant money since 2008. He has put that money to good use by updating computer labs, encouraging field trips, and building brand new science labs for the middle school students. “The students get excited when we update the classrooms,” he said. “It motivates them and gives them a fighting chance to do well in their academics.”
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 23
Vanderbilt YMCA
Congratulates 2015 OTTY East Side Volunteer
Ellen Appleby
Your support enables us to continue Vanderbilt Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission of Healthy Living, Youth Development and Social Responsibility and your kindness helps many members of our community.
Thank you for all that you do ! Vanderbilt YMCA 224 East 47th Street, New York NY 10017 212.912.2500 ymcanyc.org/vanderbilt
24 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
2015 OTTY WINNERS Daniel Ribaudo’s work as coordinator of emergency responses for New York Presbyterian has put him on the front lines of crises ranging from 9/11 to the Ebola scare.
This is an amazing hospital and I am so proud to lead the department of the most talented and passionate medical professionals in the world.”
FIRST ON THE SCENE, LAST TO LEAVE DANIEL RIBAUDO BY MICKEY KRAMER
Daniel Ribaudo was driving to his job as a paramedic for New York-Presbyterian Hospital on that warm late summer morning. Shortly after he was deployed to what later became known as Ground Zero that September 11th, he heard that two New York-Presbyterian Hospital EMT colleagues, Keith Fairben and Mario Santuro, were missing. Fairben and Ribaudo were often partners in the field and it was Fairben who had convinced Ribaudo to go to paramedic school, which they attended together, starting two years prior. “I think about that day and Keith, every day,” Ribaudo says now. “Keith used to say to me: ‘You’re going to be my boss someday.’” Ribaudo, now 47, did become the boss, earning promotion in 2010 to director of emergency medical services. This followed stints starting in 1997 as a dispatcher, EMS-paramedic, department supervisor and, lastly, manager of operations. “I was inspired to serve by an uncle who was a volunteer firefighter and paramedic,” he says. From a shelf near Ribaudo’s work desk, portable two-way radios chirp and crackle, broadcasting chatter from New York City’s fire and police departments. Being portable means he takes his work home with him. “I have at least one on, and with me, at all times,” he says. Ribaudo oversees a staff of
350 and budget of $20 million. He makes sure shifts are fully staffed and trained, ensures that vehicles and equipment are in working order, and often communicates with his two managers of operations as well as with doctors. Along with his work the past 18 years with New YorkPresbyterian, Ribaudo was a volunteer firefighter with the Huntington, Long Island, fire department for 24 years. He’s now an honorary lifetime member. In the late 1990s, he received a Class I Gold Medal of Valor for his work in the rescue and treatment of a man who fell into a 60-foot deep cesspool. “I was lowered down via a crane into the hole to treat and stabilize the patient, who happened to be an off-duty NYC firefighter,” he says. “I was scared to death.” David Ramage, operations manager for EMS, has worked with and under Ribaudo for 16 years, says, “when the community faces a crisis, such as Sandy, blizzards, Ebola and power outages, Dan is at work, managing our response, for days and nights at a time. He is quick-thinking and -acting in a crisis. He sets the example for all of us.” There have been a few standout moments during Ribaudo’s tenure, including the blackout that crippled portions of the Northeast in the summer of 2003. “It may have been fun for many — lots of neighbors drinking and making friends — but for those who needed emergency medical service, it was dicey. The most dangerous part of that day and night
was that there were no traffic lights.” In 2006, a small plane crashed into a building on East 72nd street, killing the two-person plane’s pilot, former Major League pitcher Cory Lidle, and flight instructor Tyler Stanger. The initial broadcast of the crash was a scary reminder. “We [NY-Presbyterian units] and the NYPD were first on the scene, and what we all first thought about was 9/11,” he says. Hurricane Sandy kept Ribaudo at his job for 12 straight days. From evacuating New York-Presbyterian’s lower Manhattan hospital to preparing the special operations division, much was done in advance of the storm. As it turned out, though, the damage was extreme, and with many other hospitals, such as Bellevue and New York University, forced to close, “New York-Presbyterian became the beacon of light since we never lost power. We’ve never experienced anything like that, and hopefully, never will again,” he recalls. Ribaudo, lives on Long Island with his wife and two children, and will always have Keith Fairben close to his heart. “A partner is closer than a best friend ... someone who will always be there. That’s what I miss most,” he says. But he’s also got his continuing mission to think about. “This is an amazing hospital and I am so proud to lead the department of the most talented and passionate medical professionals in the world,” he says.
AN ANIMAL SANCTUARY ALONG THE F.D.R. NANCY TAYLOR BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO
For most kids, packing a lunch and riding off on horseback, not to return home until dinnertime, might seem like a fairy tale adventure or a pastime from another century. For Nancy Taylor, it was a regular day on her family farm. “It was sort of a veritable Noah’s Ark,” Taylor said of her childhood home near Lake George, New York, where her family raised chickens, pigs, horses, geese and a house-broken lamb that lived indoors. “My mother, she always had some wounded animal in the kitchen that she was nursing back to health.”
This is not a workplace where you have to worry whether or not the staff is going to show up when there’s bad weather.”
Now Taylor cares for more than a farm’s worth of animals. As the president of Bideawee, an animal welfare organization on E. 38th Street near FDR Drive, Taylor oversees the care of around 200 dogs and cats at a given time in Manhattan and at facilities in Wantagh and Westhampton in Long Island. In addition to offering shelter and adoption services for abandoned and rescued animals, Bideawee also provides veterinary care and has buried more than 65,000 animals in its pet cemeteries at its Long Island locations. In April, the Manhattan location will launch an athome veterinary care service for pet owners in nearby apartment buildings who can’t bring their pets to the clinic. Taylor doesn’t go the road alone, with a Manhattan staff of around 50 and about 150 volunteers. “This is not a workplace
Nancy Taylor of Bideawee, which provides pet care and has buried more than 65,000 animals. Photo - OWEN HOFFMANN/PatrickMcMullan.com where you have to worry whether or not the staff is going to show up when there’s bad weather,” said Taylor on a snowy Thursday morning. “And at a terrible time like we endured after Hurricane Sandy, our staff displayed a heroism in what they did to get to work to care for the animals.” The basement of the E. 38th Street location, which Bideawee has occupied for 106 years, flooded during the 2012 storm, putting its elevators out of commission and destroying all the pet food and cat litter. In anticipation of the hurricane, Taylor’s staff transferred all the dogs to Wantagh. Two staff members stayed overnight with the cats. An emergency generator powered the facility for three days before running out. At 4 a.m. on the third day, staff evacuated 50 cats and brought them to Wantagh, where Bide-
awee cared for both locations’ animals for 18 days without electricity. One veterinarian rode her bike from Queens to care for the animals. “The doctors did surgery with flashlights,” Taylor said. “It was incredible.” Bideawee’s adoption centers stay busy—last year, the organization placed 1,025 animals in homes—and provide many happy occasions for the staff, said Taylor, who adopted her gray cats, Squiggy and Kati, two years ago. One couple drove from Michigan for an Akita they saw on Petfinder. Another family from New Jersey comes back to visit Bideawee with their adopted dog Ezra, a pit bull that was found starving and tied to a pole in the dead of winter that took to the family’s young child immediately. “We all cry like babies when we see him,” Taylor said.
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 25
2015 OTTY WINNER
CULTIVATING PARKS, AND HIMSELF JOHN TWEDDLE BY MARY NEWMAN
Looking back, John Tweddle has made some interesting connections to his early life and his career in gardening. Growing up in Westchester, Tweddle and his brother would do the yard work to earn their weekly allowance. As they grew older, they spent weekends gardening around the community for extra cash. “It’s funny when you look back and make those connections,” he said. “I’ve been gardening from the start.” Born in Manhattan, Tweddle always felt a connection to the city and hoped to move back one day. He studied English literature at a small college in Iowa, where he was introduced to Quaker beliefs. After college he had the opportunity to move back to New York, and got his first job at the Gotham Book Mart. Tweddle started to fall in love with New York during this
There are a lot of really eager gardeners in this city,” Tweddle said. “People want to help improve the appearance of their community.” time; he was inspired by the people around him. Tweddle was soon hired to work with the grounds maintenance crew at a small Quaker cemetery in Prospect Park. It was around this time that he was introduced to Brenda Corbin at the Parks Department, and concluded that a small gardening job wasn’t a sustainable career. “In all honesty I realized that the amount of money you make gardening is not very high,” he said. “And although I was living nicely, it wasn’t a career that I
could retire from.” Thanks to Corbin’s suggestion, he got a job working for the city in 1989. Once Tweddle had a more secure job, working in Central Park, he was able to realize how happy working in parks made him. “It was just so nice because I was working alone and spending my time in the most beautiful parts of the city,” he said. “I became familiar with the regulars who spent time in the park every day.” It wasn’t long before Tweddle was promoted, when he was transferred to Prospect Park. There he worked under a supervisor who had an agriculture degree from Cornell University, and he really started to learn the science behind a healthy park or garden. Discussing his career, Tweddle regularly mentions his coworkers, former supervisors and anyone who has helped him a long the way. When Tweddle began his Prospect Park stint the crew was run by Tammy Thomas. “She was re-
ally incredible,” he said. “She was a major inspiration to me, she really pulled all of us together during that time.” Together, staff and volunteers, all worked to renovate Prospect Park. Tweddle and his team helped turn around the park in the early 1990s. His next career transition would be his last, and brought him into the position for which he is being recognized. Tweddle began working for the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy on September 1, 2001. After working in large parks for so many years, he was now hired to save a smaller park on the Upper East Side. The Carl Schurz Park runs along East End Avenue from 84th Street to 90th Street, and when Tweddle came on board most people in the area had no hope for its revival. He remembers a hill near 87th street that used to be constantly run down by dogs, and it was completely overlooked when Tweddle planted new flow-
ers to improve its appearance. “People used to tell me not to get my hopes up back then,” he said. “But in that first year we already had some willing volunteers.” Susan Burnstein and Judy Howard walked up to Tweddle as he was gardening one afternoon and asked how they could help. That was the beginning of the comprehensive Carl Schurz Conservancy volunteer program. “There are a lot of really eager gardeners in this city,” Tweddle said. “People want to help improve the appearance of their community.”
From that first meeting, Tweddle has been able to organize hundreds of volunteers since their first official meeting in 2003. Over the past 12 years, Tweddle and his team have turned Carl Schurz Park from a forgotten piece of land uptown to a beautiful destination for residents and tourists. Tweddle knows you can accomplish more with an enthusiastic team, and under his guidance he has been able to rally an entire community to save the Carl Schurz Park.
The Board of Directors of the East Midtown Partnership congratulates
Rob Byrnes and all of the other “Our Town Thanks You” Award Winners Our partners in improving the community! East Midtown Partnership // 875 Third Avenue, Mezzanine, New York, NY 10022 // 212-813-0030 info@eastmidtown.org // www.EastMidtown.org
26 Our Townâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;MARCH 12-18,2015
2015 OTTY WINNER Arlene Virga was inspired to start a youth sports association when she realized how few options there were for kids in Manhattan. Photo by Mary Newman
Congratulates Our Town and the winners of the 2015 OTTY Award. The Frick Collection 1 East 70th Street New York, NY 10021 t GSJDL PSH
More neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? neighborhood concerns?
Email us at news@strausnews.com
AN ADVOCATE FOR KIDS AND SPORTS ARLENE VIRGA BY MARY NEWMAN
Arlene Virga attributes her success as an adult to the skills she gained while playing youth sports as a child. As executive director of the Yorkville Youth Athletic Association, Virga has put that experience to good use. Born and raised in the Bronx, Virga played on volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball teams. Her spirited personality is one that translates well with kids, and from a very young age she knew that she wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be happy unless she was helping children. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I strongly believe that I am the person I am today because of sports,â&#x20AC;? Virga says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Healthy competition teaches kids important skills on how to handle the wins and losses they will face throughout life.â&#x20AC;? Before being named executive director at Yorkville, Virga worked as a physical education teacher, and athletic director for about 20 years in the Bronx. Most recently she was a teacher at the Park Avenue Christian Church Day School, which stresses the importance of a playful, child-centered atmosphere. Virga moved to Manhattan 30 years ago after marrying
Our motto is competition, comradery, and community, which is what we work to provide for any child who wants to play.â&#x20AC;? her husband. Once she began raising her three sons, she was looking to get her boys involved with sports from a very early age. She wanted to give them the same wonderful memories she had from playing sports in the Bronx, but at that time Manhattan had very little to offer. She met a man named Fred Stimler, who was running the organization which was then called the Yorkville Youth Council, who informed her that the earliest her sons could play was in sixth grade. Not satisfied with that option, Virga committed to bring her kids to Queens every week for a T-ball league. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was just so crazy to me that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any other options,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So I spoke with Fred and told him I wanted to help out in whatever way I could.â&#x20AC;? Virga started devel-
oping younger sports leagues in baseball and basketball. In their ďŹ rst year, about 200 kids played. The organization has since grown to accommodate 6,000 players. Virga and her small team of employees make sure kids are given the opportunity to play as many sports as possible each year. In addition to baseball and basketball, they now offer ďŹ&#x201A;ag football, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, track, tennis, seasonal conditioning, and afterschool programs. The volunteer coaches, referees, and umpires who offer their time each season are also a main component in the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Virga is a big advocate for parent coaches, and hopes it is a tradition that remains in youth athletics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I coached my own kids when they were younger,â&#x20AC;? Virga says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really think it offers a right of passage for parents to coach their own children. It creates a trusting relationship between players and parents, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anything quite like it.â&#x20AC;? Virga and her team have created a small campaign asking parents to consider coaching their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teams. She says that many youth athletics are becoming too much about performance, and losing the foundations of fun, teamwork, and child development that sports provide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to help families raise their children in a positive and fun environment,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our motto is competition, comradery, and community, which is what we work to provide for any child who wants to play.â&#x20AC;?
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 27
5th Ave at 92nd St, NYC TheJewishMuseum.org
Under the auspices of The Jewish Theological Seminary
The Board of Trustees and Staff congratulate
Claudia Gould Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director The Jewish Museum
and all the other 2015 OTTY award recipients
28 Our Townâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;MARCH 12-18,2015
The Congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church Congratulates Our Minister Pastor Gregory Fryer and all of the 2015 OTTY Award Recipientsâ&#x20AC;Ś
strengthen neighborhoods
WE PROUDLY SUPPORT THE
OTTY AWARDS AND CONGRATULATE THE 2015 HONOREES.
122 East 88th Street (at Lexington Avenue) Rev. Gregory P. Fryer, Pastor BhghC5hno7nghn5R51118#'' (/ &(3 8),!
More neighborhood news? neighborhood celebrations? neighborhood opinions? neighborhood ideas? neighborhood feedback? neighborhood concerns? Email us at news@strausnews.com
Congratulations Straus News & OTTY Winners Civitas Wall Street Walks Joyce Matz Associates EIS Housing Resource Center City and Suburban York Avenue Estate The Carter Burden Center for the Aging East 86th Street Merchants and Residents East 79th Street Neighborhood Association Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 29
30 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
Food & Drink
< TAVERN ON THE GREEN SLAMMED, AGAIN Since reopening last spring, Tavern on the Green hasn’t caught a break with food critics. Early reviews of the restaurant were tepid, and head chef Katy Sparks departed the Central Park institution in September. Now, storied West Coast chef Jeremiah Tower, who took over for Sparks, isn’t faring much
better with critics. New York Post’s Steve Cuozzo, who questioned the appointment of the 72-year-old pioneering chef in a Nov. 4 piece, vowed to never write about or patron the restaurant again in his two-star Feb. 26 review, writing that “main courses laid eggs unfit for Tavern’s upcoming Easter celebra-
In Brief
GETTING SCHOOLED ON HEALTHY FOODS
ANOTHER HAUTE FOOD COURT COMES TO MANHATTAN Following on the heels of Gansevoort Market in the Meatpacking District, Hudson Eats in Tribeca and trendsetters Chelsea Market and Smorgasburg, among others, Times Square’s City Kitchen is the newest multi-vendor dining hall to hit Manhattan. Located at the Row NYC hotel at 700 Eighth Avenue, near W. 45th Street, the latest grown up food court opened last week, Gothamist reported, with nine eateries inhabiting the 4,000 square foot space. Popular seafood chain Luke’s Lobster, Brooklyn-based donut shop Dough and Upper West Side Mexican restaurant Gabriela’s are among the permanent fixtures at City Kitchen, as is ramen joint Kuro Obi, an outpost from East Village hotspot Ippudo, and seasonal offerings will rotate in throughout the year. City Kitchen won’t be the newest kid on the block for long, though: French food market Le District, located in the Brookfield Place complex (which is also home to Hudson Eats), is slated to open by the end of the month, Eater reported.
Chef Jenny Gensterblum prepares healthy and kid-friendly food philosophy at Léman Manhattan BY VALENTINA CORDERO
FOOD WASTE POP-UP OPENS Chef Dan Barber, who operates farmto-table restaurant Blue Hill in Greenwich Village, will suspend service at his regular restaurant starting Friday, March 13 to run the pop-up Wasted, where chefs and restaurateurs from some of the city’s most notable eateries will prepare meals using food parts that are typically tossed, Eater reported. Cronut creator Dominique Ansel, Mission Chinese Food’s Danny Bowien and the Spotted Pig’s April Bloomfield are among the star chefs scheduled to plate cuisine made from rinds and stems, the New York Times reported, with Mario Batali and mixologist and Rainbow Room alum Dale DeGroff also scheduled to appear. According to Eater, kale stew made from the vegetable’s chewy stems will be served, along with veggie burgers assembled from the pulp leftover after juicing vegetables. Reservations can be made online for the Washington Place pop-up at wastedny.com/reservations, until Blue Hill service resumes in April.
tion,” despite enjoying his starters, including steak tartare with a chili cream and a pair of vegetable soups. New York Times critic Pete Wells didn’t reserve much praise for the entrees, either, writing in his March 3 review that “The braised short rib was dry, the filet mignon was tough, and the pork shoulder, rolled round a mix of mozzarella, pesto and prosciutto, was nearly raw inside.”
Leman Manhattan Preparatory School’s executive chef Jenny Gensterblum believes in healthy, well-balanced meals for studnets. Photo: Valentina Cordero
Students at Leman Manhattan Preparatory School in the Financial District are encouraged to eat healthy food that gives them energy throughout the school day. Photo: Michelle Andonian
At Léman Manhattan Preparatory School in the Financial District, students learn to think critically in the classroom—and in the cafeteria. Located near the New York Stock Exchange, the school serves prekindergarten through high school students on two campuses, and its high-caliber academics are matched by its progressive dining program. “What we try to do is make sure that the food is kid-friendly and accessible,” said Jenny Gensterblum, 33, the school’s executive chef for the last nine years, who, along with a staff of four feeds 600 students daily. Gensterblum grew up eating healthy food—her mother taught her the tenets of cooking and eating well—and trained at the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) in Soho. After spending time in restaurants and working as a private chef, Gensterblum came to Léman, where she found inspiring kids to eat well and avoid fast food more meaningful. Meals are included in the school’s tuition, which ranges from more than $28,000 for pre-K to third grade, to almost $44,000 for high school. Léman generally spends less than $4 per person per day on food, which includes an optional breakfast, two snacks, such as granola bars, cheese sticks or carrot sticks, and lunch. Students with healthy eating habits are better able to focus on learning and thriving in the classrooms, according to Sarah Polland, head of grades six through 12. A balanced meal at Léman includes yogurt,
fresh fruit and vegetables, with fish served two or three times a week and red meat once every other week. Whenever possible, Gensterblum sources local products. The options, which sometimes read as menu items at a Manhattan restaurant rather than a school lunch, vary each day. Some days students find eggplant casserole, Israeli couscous and tomato, cucumber and feta salad. Other afternoons, it’s vegetable ramen with a toppings bar that includes nori, soft-boiled eggs, scallions, greens and corn. “Healthy means a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, simple and something that you enjoy eating and not something that you feel like you have to eat,” Gensterblum said. Gensterblum encourages kids to try new foods and different ethnic cuisine (students from 50 different countries help make up the international student body at Léman) ranging from Indian to Mexican to Spanish, and offers six or seven varieties of dishes to accommodate food allergies. Chaz Vest, a tenth grade student, loves macaroni and cheese. For the most part, the school’s food program inspires him to eat healthy. “But when I leave, I tend to revert back to bad eating habits,” he said. Fried food and preservatives are never on the menu and Gensterblum seldom uses butter. Students can also sign up for cooking classes once a week. While Gensterblum does make the meals tasty and accessible to the students, one kid favorite is noticeably absent: dessert. “I feel like people are bombarded in New York City with all different kinds of treats that you can have,” Gensterblum said. “Kids don’t need to have them here.”
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 31
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS FEB 26 - MAR 6, 2015
The Milton
1754 2 Avenue
The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygieneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.
Maharaja Palace
Closed by Health Department (19) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
1350 Madison Avenue Grade Pending (46) Hot food item not held at or above 140Âş F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas. Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
Il Salumaio Wine Bar
1731 2Nd Ave
Oriental Cafe / Sunny
1580 1 Avenue
A
A
Luna Rossa
347 East 85 Street
A
Marco Polo Pizza & Deli
1289 Madison Avenue A
16 Handles
1569 2 Avenue
A
Le Pain Quotidien
A
East End Kitchen
539 East 81 Street
A
1309 Lexington Avenue
Oriental Cafe / Sunny
1580 1 Avenue
Grade Pending (3)
The Milton
1754 2 Avenue
A
Caledonia
1609 2Nd Ave
A
Love Cafe
283 Pleasant Avenue
A
The Mansion
1634 York Avenue
A
Ricardo Steak House
2145 2 Avenue
Starbucks Coffee (Store 11277)
1261 Lexington Avenue
A
Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tea Cup
220 East 81 Street
Grade Pending (26) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Grade Pending (17) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas.
El Paso Taqueria
64 East 97 Street
A
Lemon Life
255 East 110 Street
A
Bakery On 3Rd Eacafe
1885 3 Avenue
A
King Food
2036 2 Avenue
Grade Pending (19) Hot food item not held at or above 140Âş F. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Falafel Express Ii
1406 Madison Ave
Not Graded Yet (19) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140Âş F to 70Âş F or less within 2 hours, and from 70Âş F to 41Âş F or less within 4 additional hours. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Mojitoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
227 East 116 Street
Grade Pending (5)
Pro Thai
1575 Lexington Ave
A
Bagels & Co.
1428 York Avenue
Grade Pending (24) Hot food item not held at or above 140Âş F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas.
Six Happiness
1413 2nd Ave
Not Graded Yet (32) Cold food item held above 41Âş F (smoked ďŹ sh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ÂşF) except during necessary preparation.
Mee Noodle Shop & Grill
1643 2 Avenue
A
Lexington Candy Shop
1226 Lexington Avenue
A
Mimiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza
1248 Lexington Avenue
A
Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza
1827 2 Avenue
A
Corner Cafe & Bakery
1246 Madison Avenue A
Tarallucci E Vino At Cooper Hewitt
9 East 90Th Street
A
Bocado Cafe
1297 Lexington Avenue
A
Il Salumaio Wine Bar
1731 2Nd Ave
A
Marco Polo Pizza & Deli
1289 Madison Avenue A
Le Pain Quotidien
1309 Lexington Avenue
A
JOHN KRTIL FUNERAL HOME; YORKVILLE FUNERAL SERVICE, INC. Dignified, Affordable and Independently Owned Since 1885 WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 5 )/'&1 /'+$1)-,0 $2250 -+.*'1' 5 )/'&1 2/)$*0 $2850 5 4.'/1 /' *$,,),( 3$)*$%*'
1297 First Ave (69th & 70th & + # " $& )" $ " $ ) * "#( & " $ + ))) $& '" $ #! #! Each cremation service individually performed by fully licensed members of our staff. We use no outside agents or trade services in our cremation service. We exclusively use All Souls Chapel and Crematory at the prestigious St. Michael's Cemetery, Queens, NY for our cremations unless otherwise directed.
ADOPT A PET Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave. btwn 15th & 16th St. New York, NY
Photo by Ellen Dunn
IN OUR HANDS RESCUE & NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA
FOLLOW US ON
animalleague.org ' 516.883.757525 ' Davis Avenue ' Port Washington, NY
32 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
In Brief EAST 82ND STREET GREENMARKET Community Board 8’s monthly bulletin for March highlighted the East 82nd Street Greenmarket, a food market open year round at St. Stephen of Hungary churchyard, on 82nd Street between First Avenue and York Avenue. The market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The market features premier local produce, baked goods, seafood, free-range poultry and eggs, grass-fed beef, cheese and more. Residents can also bring household batteries, Brita filters, corks, printer cartridges and old eye glasses for recycling. For more information visit www. thisweekatthemarket.wordpress.com.
JEWELRY STORE BANDITS SOUGHT Police on the Upper East Side are on the lookout for three suspects who robbed a the Torino Jewelry store on Lexington Avenue at 60th Street. According to NY1, three masked men broke into the store just after 1 a.m. on Feb. 23. According to police, the bandits gained entry through a hole they created in a lobby adjacent to the store. Police did not specify how much the men made off with, but said they took several items from the store before fleeing. Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the crime stoppers hotline at 1-800-577TIPS or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
DE BLASIO CLAN NO-SHOW AT AREA BUSINESSES The New York Daily News polled over a dozen businesses in Yorkville where Mayor Bill de Blasio lives with his family, and the consensus is that the city’s first family are mostly no-shows at neighborhood haunts around Gracie Mansion. De Blasio and his family have lived at Gracie Mansion for the past six months, but local business owners and employees reported to the paper that they feel somewhat slighted by the mayor. The last mayor to live in Gracie Mansion, Rudy Guliani, was a regular at neighborhood restaurants like Arturo’s, an old-school Italian joint on York Avenue at 85th Street, said an employee there. “This is a real neighborhood,” bar manager Chris Balak told the News. “Giuliani used to come in all the time when he was mayor. He used to go downstairs and have private meetings. He’d come in and try different things. It’s definitely strange that we haven’t seen the mayor.” Of the 15 business interviewed by the News, only three said they’d served de Blasio or a member of his family. The paper said the mayor mostly remains faithful to his old Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, where he still works out at the local YMCA.
Business A BOOK SHOP FOR, BY BOOK LOVERS From advocacy to philanthropy, Friends of Webster Library have been a UES fixture for nearly 40 years
Friends of Webster Library members and Book Cellar volunteers Dorothy Reiss and Diane La Rue in the biography section of the basement shop. Photo: Gabrielle Alfiero
BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO
With e-readers, audiobooks and Amazon becoming more ubiquitous for modern day book lovers, afternoons spent scouring the stacks at the local bookstore may be fewer and farther between. But not for patrons of the Book Cellar, a not-for-profit used book store in the basement of Webster Library on York Avenue. The shop, which celebrates its 11th anniversary this month, sells donated used books and gifts all its earnings to the New York Public Library’s neighborhood branches. Each year, the donations top $100,000, a staggering amount for a shop where many books sell for little more than a dollar. “For bibliophiles, it’s heaven,” said Beth Thomas Kleinbart, president of Friends of Webster Library, the non-profit group that runs the Book Cellar. Open four days a week and run entirely by volunteers, the Book Cellar serves a mostly neighborhood clientele, though some customers travel from the outer boroughs and other parts of Manhattan, Kleinbart said, and grade school teachers in Brooklyn with tight budgets come searching for books for their classrooms. The shop’s healthy stock comes primarily from individual dona-
IF YOU GO: THE BOOK CELLAR What: A non-profit used book store run entirely by volunteers, with proceeds benefitting the NYPL branch locations. When: Tuesday and Wednesday, noon-5 p.m., Thursday 2-6:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Sunday, Monday and Friday Where: Basement of Webster Library, 1465 York Ave., at 78th Street For more information or to make a donation, visit http://home.earthlink. net/~thebookcellar/ or call the library at 212-288-5049
tions, with some literary agencies and publishers contributing their overstock. Donations are dependably frequent: on a recent busy Saturday, volunteers sorted 15 shopping bags worth of hardcovers and paperbacks that came in the day before. Sometimes, rare gems crop up. A signed copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender is the Night” was donated, as was a first edition of “The Great Gatsby,” which were sold at an auction. “There’s a conundrum in Manhattan,” said Kleinbart. “Everyone loves books and no one has space to keep them.” Many customers come regularly and the volunteers know their reading tastes. Ginny Shields likes mysteries and visits the shop almost every weekend. She reads about six to eight books a month, and carries a seven-page list of books with her when she visits. Bob Colton, a retired photographer, peruses art history books which often retail at $50 or more, but can be found at the Book Cellar for $8. He’s been hunting for Raymond Chandler novels, which the volunteers hold for him. “Even though I’ll thirst for a book when I see it, I don’t buy a lot of new books,” he said. “If you can wait long enough, it’ll show up here.”
The Book Cellar opened on March 2, 2004, but the catalyst for the store came decades earlier. Opened in 1906, with construction funded by a portion of Andrew Carnegie’s $5.2 million gift to build libraries in the city, Webster is one of the oldest facilities in the NYPL system, but by 1976, it was at risk of demolition. The grassroots Friends of Webster Library formed in an effort to keep the library open, amassing more than 10,000 signatures to a successful petition. The group remained active, and launched an annual three-day book sale each May to benefit the library. Every year, lines to get into the sale on the third floor of the building stretched down the block. “We started making quite a bit of money,” said Dorothy Reiss, who joined the organization in 1986 and is still an active member. “The idea [for the Book Cellar] started like, ‘Hey, if we can make in three days this amount of money, if we had a book shop we could make even more.’” The library was renovated in 2001, and the Book Cellar, with its low ceilings, exposed pipes and concrete floors retained some of the building’s original frosted chandeliers and scuffed, dark
wood book shelves and tables, which house the fiction and classics collections, philosophy, history and science books, and boxes of mass-market paperbacks. The Book Cellar dedicates an entire room to mysteries and thrillers, with some titles that are out of print and hard to find elsewhere. Larry Janos, who’s lived on East 81st Street for 60 years, visits the Book Cellar twice a week. A retired banker with J.P. Morgan, Janos jokes with Reiss and the rest of the staff. If he sits too long in a corner chair, they’ll start charging him, they tease. Janos often reads multiple books at a time. At present, it’s “A Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.” He’s 81 and on a fixed income, and the low prices at the Book Cellar allow him to satiate his voracious appetite for books. His latest find was a $3 hardcover copy of Robert Bernard Martin’s biography of the English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, which typically retails for $30. “It’s my home away from home,” said Janos as he stood in the literature section, sharply dressed in a navy toggle coat, checkered scarf and blue beret. “It’s a reader’s dream.”
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 33
Real Estate Sales Neighborhd
Address
Price
Bed Bath Agent
Upper E Side
205 E 77 St.
$335,000
0
1
Corcoran
Beekman
2 Beekman Place
$400,000
0.5 1
Douglas Elliman
Upper E Side
370 E 76 St.
$599,000
1
1
Corcoran
Beekman
400 E 52 St.
$2,295,000
3
3
Douglas Elliman
Upper E Side
170 E 79 St.
$2,650,000
3
2
Stribling
Carnegie Hill
170 E 92 St.
$496,100
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Upper E Side
161 E 79 St.
$2,280,000
3
2
Brown Harris Stevens
Carnegie Hill
50 E 89 St.
$3,995,000
3
3
Douglas Elliman
Upper E Side
530 E 76 St.
$1,510,000
2
2
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
210 E 63 St.
$390,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Upper E Side
515 E 72 St.
$2,580,000
2
2
Elegran
Lenox Hill
220 E 65 St.
$830,000
Upper E Side
255 E 74 St.
$3,763,573
Lenox Hill
21 E 61St St.
$5,043,587
2
2
Extell Development Company
Upper E Side
308 E 79 St.
$629,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
205 E 59 St.
$2,050,000
2
2
Douglas Elliman
Upper E Side
531 E 72 St.
$825,000
Lenox Hill
300 E 71 St.
$1,015,000
2
2
Corcoran
Upper E Side
334 E 77 St.
$305,000
1
1
Citi Habitats
Lenox Hill
301 E 64 St.
$381,000
0
1
Coldwell Banker Bellmarc
Upper E Side
210 E 73 St.
$1,380,000
2
2
Stribling
Lenox Hill
781 5 Ave.
$260,000
Upper E Side
460 E 79 St.
$580,000
1
1
Citi Habitats
Lenox Hill
250 E 65 St.
$2,300,000
3
3
Douglas Elliman
Upper E Side
300 E 77 St.
$3,411,105
Lenox Hill
205 E 63 St.
$405,000
1
1
Kleier Residential
Upper E Side
20 E 74 St.
$994,500
1
1
Corcoran
Lenox Hill
315 E 69 St.
$510,000
1
1
Sotheby’s
Upper E Side
175 E 79 St.
$1,798,800
2
2
Stribling
Lenox Hill
345 E 69 St.
$400,000
0
1
Coldwell Banker Bellmarc
Upper E Side
983 Park Ave.
$5,500,000
4
3
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
880 5 Ave.
$3,950,000
3
3
Brown Harris Stevens
Upper E Side
338 E 78 St.
$750,000
1
1
Corcoran
Lenox Hill
425 E 63 St.
$1,450,000
Yorkville
444 E 86 St.
$930,000
2
2
Rb Homes
Midtown
136 E 56 St.
$720,000
Yorkville
302 E 88 St.
$575,000
1
1
Corcoran
Midtown E
200 E 57 St.
$420,000
Yorkville
1760 2 Ave.
$2,200,000
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$946,972
1
1
Corcoran
Yorkville
500 E 83 St.
$365,000
0
1
Halstead Property
Midtown E
225 E 57 St.
$650,000
1
1
Corcoran
Yorkville
205 E 89 St.
$295,000
0
1
Corcoran
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$1,374,637
1
1
Corcoran
Yorkville
301 E 79 St.
$800,000
1
1
Nestseekers
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$1,313,542
1
1
Corcoran
Yorkville
327 E 93 St.
$550,000
2
1
Douglas Elliman
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$733,140
0
1
Corcoran
Yorkville
1623 3 Ave.
$1,300,000
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$2,494,712
2
2
Corcoran
Yorkville
525 E 82 St.
$1,576,000
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$850,238
0
1
Corcoran
Yorkville
455 E 86 St.
$2,550,000
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$702,592
0
1
Corcoran
Yorkville
80 E End Ave.
$1,390,000
2
2
Coldwell Banker Bellmarc
Midtown South
11 E 36 St.
$1,100,000
1
2
Compass
Yorkville
201 E 83 St.
$503,000
1
1
Brown Harris Stevens
Murray Hill
288 Lexington Ave.
$410,000
Yorkville
45 E End Ave.
$755,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Murray Hill
288 Lexington Ave.
$519,699
Yorkville
333 E 79 St.
$695,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Murray Hill
25 Tudor City Place
$875,000
Murray Hill
2 Tudor City Place
Murray Hill
1
1
Fenwick Keats Real Estate
1
Classic Marketing
Yorkville
1725 York Ave.
$999,000
2
2
Douglas Elliman
$520,000
1
1
John J. Grogan & Associates
Yorkville
235 E 87 St.
$1,275,000
2
2
Brown Harris Stevens
330 E 38 St.
$1,500,000
1
1
Park River
Yorkville
515 E 89 St.
$663,000
Sutton Place
400 E 56 St.
$475,000
Yorkville
229 E 79 St.
$895,000
2
1
Corcoran
Sutton Place
345 E 57 St.
$963,500
2
1
Keller Williams Nyc
Yorkville
200 E 89 St.
$750,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Sutton Place
300 E 59 St.
$1,355,000
2
2
Stribling
Yorkville
2 E End Ave.
$3,625,000
6
5
Corcoran
Sutton Place
45 Sutton Place South
$1,450,000
2
2
Douglas Elliman
Yorkville
519 E 86 St.
$515,000
1
1
Bond New York
Turtle Bay
345 E 52 St.
$360,000
0
1
Douglas Elliman
Yorkville
309 E 87 St.
$589,000
1
1
Charles Rutenberg
Turtle Bay
310 E 46 St.
$720,000
1
1
Aida Real Estate Sales
Yorkville
222 E 80 St.
$560,000
2
1
Keller Williams Nyc
Turtle Bay
845 United Nations Plaza
$1,530,000
1
1
Brown Harris Stevens
Yorkville
309 E 87 St.
$649,000
2
1
Citi Habitats
Turtle Bay
255 E 49 St.
$700,000
0
1
Barkin And Associates
Turtle Bay
310 E 46 St.
$687,000
1
1
Space Marketing Shop
Upper E Side
165 E 72 St.
$972,000
you You’d
us to
like
something
have
Do
look
into
1
?
St.Easy.com is New York’s most accurate and comprehensive real estate website, providing consumers detailed sales and rental information and the tools to manage that information to make educated decisions. The site has become the reference site for consumers, real estate professionals and the media and has been widely credited with bringing transparency to one of the world’s most important real estate markets.
I BUY OLD TRIBAL ART I buy old African, Oceanic, Indonesian and Native American art. Masks, figures, weapons etc.
Email us at news@strausnews.com
For a free appraisal: (917) 628-0031 daniel@jacarandatribal.com
50% OFF
YOUR PET’S INITIAL SPECIALTY CONSULTATION
Established in 1910, The Animal Medical Center is a leading non-profit veterinary healthcare center that promotes the health of companion animals through advanced treatment, research and education. Nearly 100 veterinarians utilize a team approach to care for pets 24/7/365. * LIMIT ONE COUPON PER CLIENT 510 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065 | 212-838-8100 | www.amcny.org
34 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
Sports A.G. SWIMMERS IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Thirteen swimmers from Asphalt Green’s AGUA team went to College Station, Tex., for the nationwide Speedo Sectional Championships. The swimmers entered the competition hoping to earn a top-10 finish, and focused on their collective goal rather than their individual times. The team tied for 10th place, with a great 5th place finish by Aaron Glas in the 1500-meter freestyle – an exciting way to end the season.
BOYS 15U MAKES CHAMPIONSHIP
Asphalt Green Wave’s 15U boys basketball team finished their season strong, making it to the championship game in their league. The team beat the Downtown Beatnicks in the quarterfinals, and was then led by Justin Fishman’s league-high 60 points in the semi-finals victory over the #1 seed BSNY. Unfortunately, the team fell short in the championship game to the Wizards, but did a great job of staying competitive and never giving up.
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 35
THE LOOMING SHADOW OF LUXURY South Street Initiative looking to become voice for Lower East Side residents BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
Victor Papa knew in the late-1990s that the Lower East Side was poised for change, and as a longtime community activist, that the neighborhood needed a platform to draw attention to the needs of residents who live in the many public housing developments nestled along the East River. Then 9/11 happened. And his plans, like those of so many others, were put on hold. What did not change was a need to insure that those who have lived on the Lower East Side for decades did not get squeezed out of the discussion over its future. “There’s been incredible changes, new neighborhoods, the whole gentrification thing,” said Papa, now the chair of Two Bridges Neighborhood Association. “The Lower East Side is probably more sought after than Lower Manhattan, and that’s part of the problem.” Those changes are best illustrated in a plan that Extell Development - one of the city’s largest property owners and developers - has to erect a 68-story luxury residential tower at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge. The development will include 790 units of market rate housing and feature amenities like a Turkish bath, bowling alley and golf simulator. Even more to the point, the high-rise is being built on top of what was a local supermarket. Residents in the neighborhood now have to travel to find affordable groceries. During a September meeting that was first reported in this newspaper, two dozen concerned community members met at one of the public houses to talk about the neighborhood’s changing face. Six months later, that group, now known as the South Street Initiative, is still striving to find its place among the many organizations, government agencies and political forces that operate on the Lower East Side. “It’s not easy,” said Papa. “This is a matter of persuasion, making people believe in your dream that it is possible.” It’s slow going with all the interests that are involved, but the last six months have seen progress. SSI has moved forward with endeavors more in keeping with their purpose than their operation, such as commissioning pilot studies on green infrastructure and community programs from schools like the Pratt Institute and Columbia University. SSI takes as its territory the southern end of East River Park down to Fletcher Street, just south of the South Street Seaport, which is itself about to undergo change. The Howard Hughes Corp. is turning Pier 17 into an upscale shopping and dining destination, and has plans to redevelop the seaport with a luxury residential tower at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. The group decided to move forward as a community development corporation, one of the many legal designations needed to operate in any official capacity. Gina Pollara, a consultant hired by Two Bridges to bring SSI into existence, said a CDC designation is attractive in part because such entities can operate within the city’s affordable housing infrastructure. “How that actually gets dealt with here re-
mains to be seen, but obviously that’s an issue down here,” said Pollara. Pollara said SSI is now focused on the makeup of its board, which is hard because so many groups are involved, and the honing of its mission statement. An equally important component to staking SSI’s place in the community is securing legitimacy from local elected officials and community boards 1 and 3. “Obviously we need the buy-in of our elected officials,” said Pollara, who also noted the many government entities that do business on the Lower East Side, including the parks department, the city and state Departments of Environmental Conservation, and the city’s Economic Development Corp. “There are so many city and state agencies that have jurisdictional skin in this game.” Pollara said the initiative received a positive reaction from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Lower East Side Council Member Margaret Chin. “They’re all very supportive of this idea and they’re encouraging,” said Pollara. “But obviously it’s still so unformed at this point. We don’t have a specific role at this point for anyone to play.” Community Board 1 chair Catherine McVay Hughes told Our Town Downtown that the board is interested in working with Two Bridges and the initiative on proposals to develop the seaport. “We look forward to continuing discussions with them on this subject and the restoration of the park areas underneath the Brooklyn Bridge as that major infrastructure project is completed,” said McVay Hughes. “Whatever gets built needs to be beneficial to those that live and work in both Manhattan Community Board 1 and our neighbors north in Community Board 3.” Pollara said CB1 was less enthusiastic, and that some members voiced support while others felt SSI would “add another layer of bureaucracy” and questioned the need for it. CB1 officials did not return a request for comment. Obstacles like that were expected, though, and are part of an approach that is predicated upon the involvement of everyone with a stake on the Lower East Side. “We want this to be an organization that has some teeth, and in order to do that we need to involve all the stakeholders, including the property owners, developers and residents, because they have a stake in this, too,” said Pollara. Papa said bringing CB3 into the fold will take some persuasion from Lower East Side residents as well as pressure from elected officials. “This is a task that includes such a complex puzzle: developers, owners, NYCHA residents, seniors, resident associations, and city and state agencies.” He said SSI’s ultimate goal is to provide uninterrupted access to the waterfront for residents on the Lower East Side and to stand as an advocate for those residents in the face of powerful and monied interests. “The Lower East Side has a huge concentration of low income families,” said Papa. “If we don’t stand up for those families, they’re going to be buried in the shadow of those luxury towers, like Extell’s.”
The East River waterfront looking south at the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. A 68-story luxury tower is being built at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons
The luxury tower that Howard Hughes Corp. is looking to build at the South Street Seaport.
36 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes
FROM LOW BOTTOM TO A HIGHER CALLING NEWS Craig Trotta, once a homeless addict, on why he is giving back BY NANCY PLOEGER
I met Craig Trotta several years ago when he had been involved with The Doe Fund for a few years. He always impressed me with his professionalism and the way he carried himself. Little did I know how much he had been through in his life to bring him to this level of confidence and his sense of responsibility. At a meeting of the East Midtown Partnership earlier this year, I ran into Craig after not seeing him for at least 10 years. He came up to me and re-introduced himself, saying he remembered me from earlier days working on the Upper East Side around 86th Street. He told me he now worked for The Doe Fund and has been working for them for many years. He is in charge of the hundreds of The Doe Fund’s “men in blue,” who clean over 170 miles of city streets and sidewalks every day. It was so amazing to see him and to see how he has turned his life around. I wanted to know his story so I asked him if he would talk with me so that I could write his story. So on a cold,
Doe Fund workers on street-cleaning duty.
wintry day, we met at the Doe Fund Harlem facility and sat down. When he came to The Doe Fund, he had been sleeping in a doorway in East New York, Brooklyn, eating out of garbage cans and washing up in fire hydrants. He was 37 years old at the time and had been getting high since the age of 15. He hung out with a group of guys who were making money stealing cars, buying shiny jewelry and attracting all the girls they wanted. He thought, “This is the life for me.” He dropped out of school in the tenth grade and set up his own drug ring, at first selling marijuana and after that cocaine. He also began using and that became a problem for his supplier and for other crews in the neighborhood. A guy from another crew got into a fight with him and he was stabbed and shot and left for dead in a vacant lot. Someone found him and took him to a hospital where he was on a respirator for two months and had three major surgeries. After six months, he was released, hobbling his 90-pound frame on a cane, away from the hospital and right into the arms of “angel dust.” For years, Craig was in and out of drug rehab centers and in and out of prison. He stole anything he could to feed his habit including his own family’s possessions. They didn’t want anything to do with him and he spent
his nights sleeping on the grass in his backyard as he had nowhere else to go. His mother was diagnosed with cancer and said to him, “Craig, just do good. I am going to die and that is all I ask of you.” He continued his drug use and crime spree and was in prison when she died. He spent five more years in prison and when he got out, he had lost the heart to keep robbing and running. He started begging in the streets and wound up in the East New York doorway with his bag of clothes. Craig decided to go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting-not because he wanted to stop getting high but because he thought someone there would feel sorry for him and give him $5 for another bottle of crack. He ran into a man who had been one of his counselors in a rehab unit in 1981. He did not give him any money but gave Craig his business card and said he was working at a place called The Doe Fund—a nonprofit organization that could get him clean, working, and earning his way back to society. A couple of days later, Craig called. Craig moved into the Doe Fund’s Harlem Center for Opportunity and, as he had learned to buff floors in prison, he immediately began working around the facility doing maintenance. After that, he was sent into the field as part of the Ready, Willing & Able street
cleaning teams. His route was Lexington Avenue and he liked sweeping the streets because it made him “feel like somebody again” when he had just come from such a dark world. He was getting paid at the end of the week but he wasn’t buying drugs. Soon after, The Doe Fund bought a bus to transport the trainees back and forth to their routes. Craig had obtained his CDL license back at one of the rehab centers and they asked him if he would drive the bus. He was amazed that they would trust him to drive the bus and be responsible for all those lives. For years no one had trusted him with anything. This made him realize that he had a lot of people believing in him and giving him a chance. Craig found a mentor in one of the directors-the dispatcher, Nazerine Griffin. Whatever Nazerine did, Craig did, too. He followed Nazerine all around the building as he wanted to be like him. When Nazerine moved to a director position in the Brooklyn facility, Craig took over his job as dispatcher in Harlem. In January 2003, he was put in charge of the entire street cleaning operation. He couldn’t believe it. “I was a guy
who didn’t even know how to have a conversation,” he recalled. “All I knew how to say was ‘who’s got the drugs?’” Today he meets with city council members, community associations and representatives from the business community. He comes to work at 5 a.m. every day. “It’s not for the money, it’s for the gratitude I have to The Doe fund for helping me get where I am today and it’s because I love to see the guys in blue get there, too.” Craig is married and has a son whom he is very proud of. He has a place to live and pays rent. He owns a car and he has repaired his relationship with his family. His father is 85 years old and couldn’t be more proud of Craig. He knows his mother is looking down and smiling because he pulled himself together and answered her dying wish: “Just do good.” Nancy Ploeger is the president of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
38 Our Town MARCH 12-18,2015
IWantToBeRecycled.org
MARCH 12-18,2015 Our Town 39
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: Monday 12 noon for same weeks’ issue ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL SERVICES ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL SERVICES LOMTO Federal Credit Union It’s hard to beat our great rates! Deposits federally insured to at least $250K (212)947-3380 ext.3144
CLEANING CLEANING SERVICES/LAUNDRY SERVICES/LAUNDRY CLEANING SERVICES Residential & Commercial Exp., Bonded & Insured. See manhattanwash.com for info, or call 212-410-3200
ADOPTION
EMPLOYMENT
A childless young married couple, hands-on mom/devoted dad (she-31/he-37) seeks to adopt. Financial security. Expenses paid. Call/text. Mary & Adam. 1-800-790-5260.
AVON Career or pocket money you decide Call Brandie (Ind Sls rep) 1-800-305-3911 Or sign up online: www.startavon.com Reference code:gsim For award winning support
A dream is a wish your heart makes, our wish is a baby to love. We’re loving, educated, close family. Expenses paid. Danny/Lorraine 1-866-9977171 ANIMALS & PETS
Certified Dog Training in your home. Vet recommended. Bonded & Insured. Excellent References. Alex Himel, 516767-0747 or 516-633-3384. North Shore Animal League AnimalLeague.org 1-877-4-SAVE-PET Facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague ANNOUNCEMENTS
GrowNYC.org Recycle@GrowNYC.org 212-788-0225 ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES
Antique, Flea & Farmers Market, East 67 St Market (bet. First & York Ave). Open every Saturday, 6am-5pm, rain or shine. Indoor & Outdoor, Free Admission. Call Bob 718-8975992. Proceeds benefit PS 183. AUCTIONS
AUCTION CHEMUNG COUNTY REAL PROPERTY TAX FORECLOSURES- 100+ Properties March 25 @11AM. Holiday Inn, Elmira, NY. 800-243-0061 HAR, Inc. & AAR, Inc. Free brochure: www.NYSAUCTIONS.com
CAMPS/SCHOOLS Alexander Robertson School Independent School for Pre-K through Grade 5, 212-663-2844, 3 West 95th St. www.AlexanderRobertson.com Loyola School 646-346-8132 www.loyolanyc.org admissions@loyolanyc.org River Park Nursery School 212-663-1205, www.river parknurseryschool.com York Preparatory School 212-362-0400 ext 133 www.yorkprep.org admissions@yorkprep.org
CARS & TRUCKS & RV’S Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-AWish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call (855) 376-9474
ENTERTAINMENT
LIPS The Ultimate in Drag Dining & Best Place in NYC to Celebrate Your Birthday! 227 E 56th St., 212-675-7710 www.LipsUSA.com Mohegan Sun Why Drive? For info call Academy: 1-800-442-7272 ext. 2353 - www.academybus.com HEALTH SERVICES
Carnegie Hill Endoscopy 212-860-6300 www.carnegiehillendo.com Columbia Doctors of Ophthalmology - Our newest location at 15 West 65th Street (Broadway) is now open. www.ColumbiaEye.org 212.305.9535 High Colonic By Rachel helps w/ constipation, bloating & more.24 yrs exp. 212-317-0467 Lenox Hill Hospital Lenox Hill Orthopaedics (855) 434-1800 www.Lenoxhillhospital.org/ ortho Mount Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital University Medical Practice Associates 212-523-UMPA(8672) www.umpa.com
HELP WANTED
AIRLINE CAREERS begin here Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance Technician training. Financial aid for qualified students – Housing available. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 866-296-7093 HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Beautify your home with custom radiator covers, nightstands & more. www.licrc.com
LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ALLSTATE INSURANCE Anthony Pomponio 212-769-2899 125 West 72nd St. 5R, NYC apomponio@allstate.com
Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787 MERCHANDISE FOR SALE
Fresh California Organic Walnuts, home grown, hand picked. Reduces the risk of heart disease. One of the best plant source of protein, Omega 3 and E &B vitamins. $12 a pound shelled, $5 a pound in shell, plus shipping. Perry Creek Walnuts 530-503-9705 perrycreekwalnuts.com perrycreekwalnuts@hotmail.com Pandora Jewelry Unforgettable Moments 412 W Broadway - Soho, NYC 212-226-3414 PUBLIC NOTICES
WELDING CAREERS- Hands on training for career opportunities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing and more. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. CALL AIM 855-325-0399 Can You Dig It? Heavy Equipment Operator Career! Receive Hands On Training And National Certifications Operating Bulldozers, Backhoes & Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement. Veteran Benefits Eligible! 1-866-968-2577
OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com
NYU Langone Medical Center Introduces the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. 555 Madison Ave bet. 55th & 56th, 646-754-2000 HELP WANTED
SERVICES OFFERED
REAL ESTATE - SALE
ABSOLUTE LAND SELL OFF! March 14th & 15th! Cooperstown NY! 60-70% below market prices from $19,000 or $254/month! 26 Tracts! Waterfront! Views! Woods! 6 miles from Village, low taxes, town rd, utils, 100% g’tee! Call: 888905-8847 to register! NewYorkLandandLakes.com SERVICES OFFERED
Allstate - The Wright Agency Anthony Wright 718 671 8000 Ao65989@allstate.com Auto.home.life.retirement
MASSAGE BODYWORK by young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 01, 2015 AT 2:00 P.M. AT 66 JOHN STREET, 11TH FLOOR, ON A PETITION FOR THREE STAR ON FIRST, INC. TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE AN ENCLOSED SIDEWALK CAFE AT 1462 FIRST AVENUE IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN FOR A TERM OF FOUR YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004
New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital www.nyp.org/lowermanhattan
POLICY NOTICE: We make every effort to avoid mistakes in your classified ads. Check your ad the first week it runs. We will only accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion. Manhattan Media Classifieds assumes no financial responsibility for errors or omissions. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or re-classify any ad. Contact your sales rep directly for copy changes. All classified ads are pre-paid.
REAL ESTATE - RENT
CARMEL Car & Limousine Service To JFK… $52 To Newark… $51 To LaGuardia… $34 1-212-666-6666 Toll Free 1-800-9-Carmel Frank E. Campbell The Funeral Chapel Known for excellence since 1898 - 1076 Madison Ave, at 81st St., 212-288-3500 Hudson Valley Public Relations Optimizing connections. Building reputations. 24 Merrit Ave Millbrook, NY 12545, (845) 702-6226 John Krtil Funeral Home; Yorkville Funeral Service, INC. Independently Owned Since 1885. WE SERVE ALL FAITHS AND COMMUNITIES 212-744-3084 Marble Collegiate Church Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister, 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001, (212) 689-2770. www.MarbleChurch.org Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers NYC’s Coolest Place to Skate! ChelseaPiers.com/sr 212-336-6100 WANTED TO BUY
ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800-530-0006. I Buy Old Tribal Art Free Appraisal 917-628-0031 Daniel@jacarandatribal.com WE BUY-TOP DOLLAR PAID Fine & Costume Jewelry Gems-Silver-Gold-Jade Antiques-Art-Rugs Call Gregory@718 608 5854 Certified GIA Gemologist
Directory of Business & Services PUBLIC NOTICES
To advertise in this directory Call Susan (212)-868-0190 ext.417 Classified2@strausnews.com
Antique, Flea & Farmers Market SINCE 1979
East 67th Street Market
(between First & York Avenues) Open EVERY Saturday 6am-5pm Rain or Shine Indoor & Outdoor FREE Admission Questions? Bob 718.897.5992 Proceeds Benefit PS 183
CLEANING SERVICES
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL - Experienced - Bonded & Insured -
SEE W W W.MANHATTANWASH.COM FOR INFO OR CALL 212.410.3200
DOG TRAINING
&HUWL¿HG 'RJ 7UDLQLQJ ,Q <RXU +RPH Vet Recommended Bonded & Insured Excellent References
Alex Himel
(H) 516.767.0747 (C) 516.633.3384
ways to re-use
your #
old
newspaper
11
Make your own cat litter by shredding newspaper, soaking it in dish detergent & baking soda, and letting it dry.
40 Our Townâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;MARCH 12-18,2015
COME HOME TO GLENWOOD
MANHATTANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FINEST LUXURY RENTALS
453*,*/(-: *.13&44*7& ".&/*5*&4 "/% 4&37*$&4 */$-6%*/( '6-- 4*;& 8"4)&3 %3:&3 */ ."/: 3&4*%&/$&4
UPPER EAST SIDE #3 #"5) '30. t $0/7&35*#-& #34 #"5)4 '30. t $0/7&35*#-& #34 #"5)4 '30.
MIDTOWN & UPPER WEST SIDE #3 #"5) '30. t #34 #"5)4 '30. t $0/7&35*#-& #34 #"5)4 '30.
TRIBECA & FINANCIAL DISTRICT #3 #"5) '30. t $0/7&35*#-& #34 #"5) '30. t #34 #"5)4 '30. '3&& 1"3,*/( 8)*-& 7*&8*/( "1"35.&/54 01&/ %":4 ". 1. t /0 '&& 61508/ -&"4*/( 0''*$& %08/508/ -&"4*/( 0''*$&
GLENWOODNYC.COM
Builder | Owner | Manager
Equal Housing Opportunity.