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14-20 2015
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LAST TUMBLE FOR GYMNASTS AT ASPHALT GREEN NEWS Parents put up a fight as the administration of the sports complex cuts the program BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO
When one of the coaches with Asphalt Green’s youth gymnastics program called a parents meeting in the final week of April to discuss changes for the upcoming season, nothing about the meeting seemed alarming. “I didn’t even come because I didn’t need to hear exciting, happy news,” said Beth Barron, whose 12-year-old son Robbie is on the boys team. But the following morning, an email from one of the team’s coaches made
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the cause of the meeting plain: Asphalt Green was eliminating the gymnastics program, making the current spring session the last for both the boys’ and girls’ teams. “We waited a day (to tell our children),” said Ilene Moore, whose son Myles has been with the program for eight years. Her daughter Ruby also takes gymnastics lessons at the facility. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I think he’s still crying. He normally goes to bed at 9:30. He was up until midnight crying. Just sobbing. We couldn’t stop it.” When the news settled in that the entire gymnastics program at Asphalt Green’s George and Annette Murphy
An Asphalt Green boys gymnastics team at the New York state championships earlier this year.
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ARTISTS DECRY FRICK’S EXPANSION PLAN In a letter to de Blasio, they say a proposal to expand the museum would compromise its intimatcy BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
The skirmish over the Frick Collection’s expansion proposal entered a new front last week when dozens of artists, architects, journalists, gallerists and others signed a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio and the chairman of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission urging them to deny the
plan. The letter, which was signed by Frank Stella, Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons and Chuck Close, among others, says that the museum’s proposal would effectively destroy one of the collection’s most precious elements — its intimacy. “The Frick is revered for its wise curatorial and architectural decisions, and we hope that your guidance will ensure that it does not break with this tradition,” the letter, dated May
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6, says. The letter is the latest salvo in a yearlong tussle between Frick officials, who say the expansion is needed to meet the museum’s need for more space, and those opposed, notably the umbrella group United to Save the Frick, which counts among its roster architects, artists, authors, preservationists, art and museum critics, and members of the museum. The Frick, on the corner of 70th Street and Fifth Avenue, last year un-
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veiled an expansion proposal whose centerpiece addition would rise to the height of a six-story building. It would be built on the 70th Street side on the site of what’s now a decorative garden. The museum says the extension would add 42,000 square feet and comprise an expanded reception hall, conservation laboratories, auditorium, classrooms as well as a rooftop garden terrace accessible to museum visitors. All told, it would add about 24 percent more square footage, which museum officials call “a measured — yet crucial — gain.”
There’s something maddening about Bill de Blasio’s wanderlust. Our mayor, in office barely 16 months, has spent more time in national political speeches outside the city than he has on the Upper East Side. In recent weeks, he’s traveled to D.C., to Iowa, and to Silicon Valley. According to a tally in The New York Times, de Blasio has spent a third of the months of April and May on the road. His body language is that of the glad-hander at the cocktail party, the guy always looking over your shoulder, an eye out for the next, more interesting person, to talk to. The thing is, there’s more than enough for him to do at home, if only he’d engage. Tensions with the police are at a boiling part. City schools are creaking from too many kids. Small business owners are begging the mayor for help as their rents soar. Yet de Blasio often seems bored with the business at hand. Mayor Michael Bloomberg understood that running a city this big meant paying close attention to the guts of government. He dove into budgets and spent hundreds of hours understanding the government jobs that make the city work. de Blasio apparently has more important things on his agenda. The problem is, the mayor has a day job. For the city’s sake, now might be a good time to get back to work. Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday May 15– 7:48 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
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WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ‘ECO-FRIENDLY’ FOOD CARTS COMING Street food’s going green. A pilot program will bring 500 sleek, eco-friendly food carts to the city streets within the next few months, according to the City Council. Move System’s MRV100 cart includes a restaurant-grade kitchen with refrigeration that runs on solar power, alternative fuel and hybrid technology. The carts are modeled after stationary kitchens and will include a sink. “Our pilot program will allow mobile food vendors to save money on fuel, increase their revenues, and have the most advanced cart on the street at no upfront cost,” the company says on its website. The company quoted an energy research company as saying that compared to traditional food carts, which use propane, the MRV100 reduces smog-causing nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide pollution by 95 percent. Move Systems, based in Long Island City, said it would provide the carts free to the first 500 vendors who sign up for the new cart. About 8,000 food carts and trucks operate on city streets and conduct about 1.2
In the coming months, traditional food carts will be supplemented by “eco-friendly” carts on city streets. Photo: Susan Sermoneta, via Flickr
million food transactions each day, according to a release from the City Council.
HOMELESS INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS SHELTER SHORTCOMINGS A consortium of city agencies will deploy more than 100 workers to homeless shelters citywide to address and correct code violations, Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier this week. The announcement follows a report by the City’s Department
of Investigation detailing 621 violations at hundreds of shelters, nearly half of them outstanding. Although almost all of the outstanding violations have been corrected, a release from the mayor’s office said, the rest and any new ones will be “will be addressed ... within 7 days of identification.” Major capital repairs at the 500 or so shelters will start within 30 days and conclude by year’s end, the release said. The so-called Shelter
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Repair Squad — comprising of employees from the Department of Homeless Services, the Fire Department, the Department of Buildings, the Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — has been given an initial outlay of $12.5 million through Fiscal Year 2016. The release said the administration would budget additional money “as needed.” “Being homeless is tough enough — no one in shelters, particularly children, should have to endure poor or unsafe living conditions,” de Blasio said in the release. “Our shelter system is old, and has endured decades of neglect and bad policies from every level of government, but we are working aggressively to correct dangerous conditions, and to make sure that people have a decent place to stay while they need it.” There has been a surge in the number of homeless people in the city since 2010, when about 37,000 were homeless. As of March, 60,067 people, including nearly 25,000 children, were sleeping in homeless shelters in the city, just below a record high of 60,939 people in December,
according to city statistics compiled by the city-based Coalition for the Homeless.
GUGGENHEIM ACCUSED OF RACISM AFTER KICKING OUT STUDENTS A Brooklyn high school has been permanently banned from the Guggenheim Museum after a group of 80 students were kicked out of the museum while on a field trip. The New York Post reported that kids from Science Skills Center High School were said to have spit on the lobby floor and thrown a penny from the museum’s famed Spiral balconies. The penny supposedly hit a security guard who then forced the group to leave the museum, the Post reported. Students who were on the trip say there were only a few troublemakers among the group of 80 and that they were given no warning before being asked to leave. When asked, some Guggenheim staff members suggested the group’s removal and subsequent permanent ban may have been a hasty reaction in part due to racial stereotypes,
the newspaper reported. The incident comes after First Lady Michelle Obama urged the art museums of New York to be more open to members of all races at the recent opening of the new Whitney Museum.
SPIKE LEE SEEKS $32 MILLION FOR HOUSE Film director Spike Lee, of Brooklyn fame, has put his East 63rd Street townhouse up for sale, with an asking price $32 million, DNAInfo reported. Lee and his wife, Tonya, bought the house in 1998 for $16.6 million. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 8,838-squarefoot house was originally built by William Vanderbilt’s wife in 1916, for $85,000. The house was given as a wedding gift to her daughter before being sold to a Broadway producer. The house has also been owned by Lanier Lawrance, an avionics engineer who worked with the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earheart. The burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee also reportedly owned the house from the 1940s to the ‘70s The Lees bought the home from artist Jasper Johns.
MAY 14-20,2015
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
WEEKEND MARCH FOR TOUGHER GUNS LAWS BY VERENA DOBNIK
Hundreds of men, women and children, including fashion designer Donna Karan, marched across the Brooklyn Bridge demanding stricter gun laws and offering a litany of violent
stories to show why such laws are needed. Held on the eve of Mother’s Day, the third annual march from Brooklyn to Manhattan was organized by the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Progress is being made, one day at a time,’’ said Abbey Clements, a teacher from the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults in December 2012. Clements said about 40 percent of all gun sales are completed without a background check. She accused Congress of lacking the courage ``to vote
on their conscience instead of allowing themselves to be bullied by the gun lobby.’’ But she noted that some states have tightened background check requirements. Connecticut already has strong gun laws, with relatively fewer gun deaths, she said. The National Rifle Association, the nation’s largest gun rights lobbying group, opposes expanding background checks. The organization says many people sent to prison because of gun crimes get their guns through theft or the black market, and no amount of background checks can stop those criminals. Legislation that sought to
expand background checks to all commercial ďŹ rearms sales failed to get a hearing in the U.S. House last session. With Republicans expanding their House majority and winning control of the Senate, prospects for the bill may be even more unlikely this session. Under the current system, cashiers at stores selling guns call in to check with the FBI or other designated agencies to ensure the customer doesn’t have a criminal background. Some lawmakers want to expand such checks to sales at gun shows and purchases made through the Internet. The U.S. averages more than 80 gun deaths each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We have more gun-related deaths than any other developed country. Gun deaths now outpace traffic fatalities in our country,’’ said U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney. ``It may take years, it may take decades, but the tens of thousands who senselessly lost their lives at the barrel of a gun will not be forgotten.’’ As they crossed the bridge, participants yelled, ``Not one
STATS FOR THE WEEK Reported crimes from the 19th Precinct for April 27 to May 3 Week to Date
Year to Date
2015 2014
% Change
2015
2014
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
1
0
n/a
Rape
0
0
n/a
1
3
-66.7
Robbery
1
1
0
37
31
19.4
Felony Assault
3
3
0
41
34
20.6
Burglary
2
3
-33.3
43
72
-40.3
Grand Larceny
24
22
9.1
403
423
-4.7
Grand Larceny Auto
3
1
200
15
17
-11.8
more!’’ The march ended with a rally outside City Hall in lower Manhattan. Christopher Underwood, 8, addressed the crowd three years after losing his 14-yearold brother to gunďŹ re in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. “It made me sad, because he was the only one who dropped me off at school, and I miss him,’’ said the boy, whose brother was killed when a bullet ripped through his brain. ``I’m still scared.’’ Edwin Guzman sat behind the stage holding a poster with
photos of his daughter. Samantha Guzman was 18 when she left a Bronx party in 2006 with friends on Mother’s Day and was shot to death in the street _ a week before her high school prom. “New York has come a long way; the gun laws have gotten stronger,’’ Guzman said. However, he noted, many of the guns used in New York are smuggled from out of state, including the one that took the life of Officer Brian Moore last Saturday. Police traced the Taurus Model 85 revolver to a pawn shop in Georgia where it was stolen.
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COUNTRY BANK CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF NEW FLAGSHIP LOCATION ON 3RD AVENUE
Country Bank, one of only a handful of family controlled banks in the New York area, expanded its footprint April 27th with the opening of a new flagship branch on Third Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets. US Marine Corps. Vietnam Veteran Edmond J. Boran cut the ribbon in honor of National Military Appreciation Month in May and to recognize that Country Bank employs several Veterans throughout its branches .
Country Bank Chairman Joseph Murphy said the opening of the flagship branch expands the bank’s “personalized style into the heart of New York City. Our number one goal is to retain our core value of being an easy bank to do business with so that we can grow right alongside our commercial clients as well as our individual depositors.�
Country Bank is known for making quick decisions with regard to lending for its commercial and consumer customers based on personal relationships and discussions. “We are family controlled like 70% of American businesses, that’s an essential and significant difference – we understand our clients in a way that commercial bankers can’t,� said Joseph Murphy. Rated one of the top 200 Community Banks in the country for the past four years, Country Bank was founded in 1988. They offer products and services for commercial banking and lending customers, small business customers and individual consumers. They are FDIC Insured with over $525 million in assets and over $42 million in capital. For more information go to www.countrybankonline. PAID ADVERTISEMENT com or call 212-292-5254.
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MAY 14-20,2015
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SCHOOL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN ENDS IN ACRIMONY Local offical says community was ‘steamrolled’ into accepting Collegiate School offer BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
Collegiate School’s affordable housing deal with the Upper West Side community has evolved from the school building 55 units at Riverside Center to providing $50 million for the creation of affordable housing elsewhere in the district, a shift that some in the community equate with the school being allowed to back out of a longanticipated promise. “I do have serious concerns with how Collegiate has absolved themselves of the responsibility to build 55 units at Riverside Center,” said Community Board 7 housing committee chairman Nick Prigo. “We were steamrolled by the timetable that New York City Planning and Collegiate forced us to work under.” Under the terms of a previous land use deal, 12 percent of all residential building units at Riverside South — a 56-acre apartment complex along the Hudson River between 59th Street and 72nd Street — had to be set aside for affordable housing. Collegiate’s proposal was to fulfill that requirement by building the remaining 55 units of affordable housing at Riverside Center, a residential tower in Riverside South that had not yet been built. As a backup in the event the affordable housing on Riverside Center couldn’t be found,
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according to Prigo, Collegiate would purchase 55 market rate units at Riverside South and convert them to affordable housing. The board, said Prigo, agreed to this. But earlier this year Collegiate informed the board and the city that they were having trouble finding space to build the affordable units, and that it wasn’t financially possible to buy 55 market-rate units at Riverside South and convert them into affordable housing. Collegiate also said their partner in the land deal to build their school at Riverside South could well back out if an alternative solution — the $50 million for affordable housing somewhere else in the district — wasn’t agreed to by the end of March. The board’s position was that they had already fought and secured an affordable housing win for the community when the original deal with Collegiate was struck years before, and the purpose of building the housing on Riverside South was to create more economic diversity in more expensive part of the Upper West Side.
The board also wanted time to consider the new deal, and said specific proposals to build the affordable housing at other sites in the district were premature. Collegiate said there was no time, and that a vote had to occur at the end of March or they’d lose the land for their school at Riverside South and would incur a steep, six-figure penalty if they were forced to remain in their current building on West 78th Street. City Planning sided with the school, and approved the $50 million plan. The fund would be administered by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development with input on how to use the money to further affordable housing in the district coming from CB7. As for the board, Prigo said questions over whether Collegiate is legally bound to build the affordable housing at Riverside South have been rendered moot. “We’re past the point where that really matters as the deal has already been made,” said Prigo. “CB7 is now focused on getting the most affordable
SCHOOLS’ GREEN PROJECTS GET FUNDED Participatory budget process winners
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Community Board 7 Land Use Committee cochairwoman Page Cowley discussing the Collegiate School’s affordable housing deal at a board meeting in March. Photo by Daniel Fitzsimmons.
housing we can placed as close to the original site as possible.” The board met recently to discuss options for the affordable housing fund. One of their biggest concerns, said Prigo, is that the affordable housing be located as close as possible to Riverside South, in accordance with the original plan. The board’s first preference is to buy land at the southwest corner of 100th Street and Amsterdam Avenue at St. Michael’s Church and convert the parcel into affordable housing. Another option is to establish a community land and environmental trust that would facilitate the purchase of distressed properties in the neighborhood to preserve or build affordable housing. The trust would also provide loans to building owners to make energy efficient upgrades, the savings from which would be used to either provide affordable units in those buildings or repay the loans into the fund to facilitate future purchases of distressed properties. Another option that received traction at CB7’s meeting was to make a contribution to the New York City Housing Authority for the preservation of existing affordable housing at the Amsterdam Houses, which are located near Riverside South at 61st Street and Freedom Place South. “Each of the proposals have pros and cons. The St. Michael’s plot is a great option for development, it is just located further north in the district then we want,” said Prigo. “Conversely, the Amsterdam Houses option is located close to the original location, it just doesn’t provide new units of affordable housing and is more of an investment in preservation.”
BY CODY GERARD
Two schools will each receive $500,000 in city funds to kickstart rooftop projects, according to results from participatory budget votes. The winning plan at PS 151 on East 88th Street envisions the construction of outdoor play space and with the opportunity to add a greenhouse and “Edible School Yard.” PS/IS 217 on Roosevelt Is-
land’s Main Street will also build, in this case a green roof for environmental education. The projects come courtesy of $1 million in city funds. The allocations to the schools came following a voting period in the so-called participatory budget process, which happens citywide. District 5 Councilman Ben Kalos’ office said that both projects could require more than the allotted amount to see through to completion and as such would likely return to the
ballot next year. The project at PS/IS 217, a prek through eighth-grade school for international students had 845 votes, nearly 100 more than anyone else. PS 151, an elementary school, barely beat out a bid new audio and visual equipment for the study of sight and sound at the Roosevelt Island Public Library. PS/IS 217 were given a large boost by the campaigning of their Parent/ Teacher Association. The PTA used the school’s blog and YouTube channel as well as more
traditional boots on the ground tactics such as flyers. PS 151, also known as Yorkville Community School made good use of the mobile voting site offered to all projects on the ballot, as their mobile site was the single most used voting location. “Congratulations to the winners of participatory budgeting, who worked hard to mobilize their neighbors in support of the green roofs that will make a big difference in the lives of our students,” Kalos said in a statement. “
MAY 14-20,2015
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LANDMARKS COMMISSION CLOSER TO ADDRESSING BACKLOG NEWS Agency to determine what to do about properties sitting on its books for years BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
The Landmarks Preservation Commission recently closed a public comment period on what to do about the backlog of properties that have been languishing - in some cases for decades - on the agency’s hearing calendar. In December, after fervent pushback from the preservation community and elected officials, the agency abandoned a plan to simply remove the properties from their calendar altogether. For a building to be designated a historic landmark it has to be nominated to the LPC for consideration and placed on the agency’s calendar. However, an actual hearing date does not have to be set. Being on the commission’s calendar gives a potential landmark some measure of protection because the Dept. of Buildings notifies the LPC if a demolition permit has been filed for a site that’s under consideration. In this way, close to 100 potential landmarks and two potential historic districts have stagnated on the calendar for more than five years, and were the target of the LPC’s “decalendaring” initiative, as the process is called. Of the 95 sites that were set to be decalendared, more than 30 have been on the calendar for over 40 years. Twenty-five have been on the calendar for 30 to 40 years, and 24 have been under consideration for 20-30 years, according to the LPC. The remainder of the items have been on the calendar for between five and 20 years. After the LPC backed off the bulk decalendaring plan, they opened the problem up to suggestions from the community. According to a LPC spokesperson, the agency is now evaluating the ideas that came in from the public. “Currently we’re reviewing the feedback and we hope to develop a plan to address the issue by this summer,” said the spokesperson.
Several elected officials in Manhattan have asked the LPC that any hearing include a 60day public notice and comment period prior to a public hearing for any property on the backlog. “Most of these properties were calendared before the technology existed for public outreach and dissemination of information existed,” said Upper East Side Councilmember Ben Kallos in a letter to the LPC. “Now, the LPC can and must make available to the public the extensive research compiled on these landmarks, including initial hearings’ files and statements of significance. Once the information is disseminated, 60 days of public input and testimony must be taken before any decisions on these landmarks are made behind closed doors.” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer also has her name on that proposal, and
said the LPC’s backlog of items should be heard in geographic chunks. “Items for consideration should be grouped geographically, at a number set to be reasonable by the LPC,” said Brewer’s office in a letter to the LPC. “It is recommended that a minimum of two hearings be held for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens given the density and geographic spread of items within these boroughs.” Brewer’s office proposed three outcomes of these geographically-grouped hearings. According to her office, the LPC must vote on record to: designate an item, keep an item on the calendar for a maximum period of one year, at which point a decision should be made whether to designate, or, given the summary presentation on the merits submitted by the public, the LPC should make a decision to either not designate or issue a no action letter. The public comment period ended May 1, according to the LPC. The spokesperson said it’s unlikely that the agency will propose bulk decalendaring again. “I do believe it’ll be a more nuanced approach,” said the spokesperson.
BE THE NEW YORKER WHO REALLY DOES KNOW IT ALL.
A LECTURE SERIES PRESENTED BY NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER. REDUCING YOUR RISK: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND STROKE. Join an expert from the Comprehensive Stroke Care Center to learn more about the ties between heart disease and stroke, preventative measures that minimize your risk, and how to recognize and address warning signs. Date: Tuesday, May 19, 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Presenter: Koto Ishida, MD, Stroke Neurologist. Location: NYU Langone Medical Center. 550 First Avenue. Alumni Hall B. RSVP: To attend, call the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at 212.263.5162 or email cvdprevention@nyumc.org.
ADVANCEMENTS IN STROKE REHABILITATION. Geared towards stroke survivors, their families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, this event features Rusk Rehabilitation researchers who are making exciting discoveries about restoring eye-hand coordination and arm and hand function after stroke. Date: Thursday, May 21, 5:30pm – 7:00pm. Presenters: Stroke Rehabilitation Researchers J.R. Rizzo, MD, and The LPC plan was designed to clean up a backlog that includes projects on its calendar for decades.
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MAY 14-20,2015
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Neighborhood Scrapbook ST. JEAN 10TH GRADER WINS LETTERS CONTEST
AN EARLY, AND SAD, CENTENNIAL FOR OUR LADY OF PEACE
Aissatou Toure, a tenth grader at St. Jean Baptiste High School, was recently named winner of the high school level New York State Letters About Literature contest. The Letters About Literature program, sponsored by the Empire State Center for the Book and the Library of Congress, is a national reading and writing promotion contest. To enter, readers write personal letters to an author, living or dead, explaining how that author’s work changed their way of thinking about the world or themselves. Toure wrote a letter to author Rick Riordan regarding his book Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. St. Jean Baptiste, an all-female Catholic school, is located on E. 75th Street.
The Church of Our Lady of Peace on E. 62nd Street would have celebrated its centennial in April of 2019. But the Archdiocese of New York has announced plans to close the church on August 1. So the congregation decided to move up its Founders Day, celebrating its centennial April 26 with a ceremony and march. Attendees included parishioners, elected officials, and descendants of the church’s founding families.
Share your news and what’s going on in your life. Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
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Are YOU up to the Challenge? Register Today for The Great East Midtown Challenge Wednesday, June 10
An evening of fun, trivia, and interactive activities around the district for teams of between 2 and 5 people. As a Challenge participant, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn more about this community, meet your neighbors at a post-event reception... and have a lot of fun while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at it!
Visit www.EastMidtown.org/Challenge for details The Great East Midtown Challenge 2015 will raise funds and awareness for The Doe Fund, Inc.
East Midtown Partnership 875 Third Avenue, Mezzanine, New York, NY 10022 212-813-0030 info@eastmidtown.org www.EastMidtown.org
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Voices
Write to us: To share your thoughts and comments go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a letter to the editor.
OP-EDS
DUELING SOLUTIONS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS CRISIS The SBJSA can’t pass; let’s focus on something that can BY GALE BREWER
Three decades ago, our city faced a growing crisis: momand-pop stores were being driven out by skyrocketing commercial rents. During that era, when I served as a city council staffer, a piece of legislation emerged that has languished in the council ever since. Perpetually reintroduced and now called the “Small Business Jobs Survival Act” (SBJSA), this legislation has been spinning its wheels for more than 30 years, even as the mom-and-pop crisis has instensified with a fury. When I became a council member, I helped pass zoning protection for storefront businesses in my West Side district as new construction and the expansion of national chains— particularly banks and drugstores—conspired to dominate many consecutive blocks of streetscape along Broadway, Amsterdam Avenue, and Columbus Avenue. As Manhattan Borough President, my passion to help small businesses has only intensified with the position’s expanded constituency. Small businesses can provide a good living not only for immigrants who are willing to work hard for a better life but also for any New Yorker with a unique, marketable idea and the perseverance to pull it off. Street-level spaces provide neighborhood necessities—dry cleaners, shoe repair shops, small restaurants—in addition to more one-of-a-kind shops providing the diversity that helps make New York City the tourist magnet that it is. By drawing like-minded customers from all over, unique stores often prove that a market exists and can be rolled out onto a larger regional or national stage. No tourist needs—or
wants—to travel to New York City to see a chain store he or she could patronize at home. Last year, I directed my staff to conduct a study of what we can do right now to help small businesses with street-level locations (we call them “storefronters”). That study formed the basis of a report issued this past March— ”Small Business, Big Impact.” Among the many recommendations is an outline of an innovative bill (which I will introduce in the City Council soon in cooperation with Brooklyn Councilmember Robert Cornegy) that would require landlords and small commercial tenants to come to the negotiating table earlier (with a mediator if desired); if no agreement can be reached, an automatic one-year lease extension at a 15% higher rent would be imposed, giving tenants more time—longer than the typical 30 days’ notice of lease expiration—to find a new location. This safety valve would promote marketplace fairness, predictability, and stability for small stores whose economics can rarely support the kinds of five- and ten-fold rent increases now being demanded. My proposal has drawn criticism from some advocates for doing too little when compared to SBJSA. But a bill that hasn’t passed for decades does no good for anyone. And let me be blunt: SBJSA cannot pass, for several reasons: * It raises serious constitutional issues about contract and property rights. * SBJSA’s “mandatory” arbitration system applies only to
Don’t fall for the lie that doing a little is doing enough BY SUNG SOO KIM
landlords via a right-of-firstrefusal for existing tenants. If an arbitrator doesn’t construct lease terms to a tenant’s liking, the tenant can reject the arbitration and suffer no consequences—they stay in the storefront until and unless a new potential tenant can negotiate terms that the current tenant then refuses to meet! This mechanism is wildly inefficient, and will have the additional result of tightening the market for newer small businesses seeking space. * SBJSA applies to all business tenants, not just the “small” businesses in its title. So a large bank could object to lease terms and stay in its current premises—along with the local bagel shop. I’m proposing achievable, practical steps on lease renewals that will help change the nature of commercial lease negotiations without unduly burdening basic property rights. The crisis of New York small businesses will continue until the forces of reform can unite behind a common vehicle—as well as our common goal—that can pass the City Council and be signed into law. Gale Brewer is the Manhattan Borough President
A debate that started in the mid 1980’s continues today: What is the solution to stopping the closing of long-established businesses by speculators who have highjacked the commercial marketplace? The city’s greatest advocate for small business was Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. When speculators drove up rents during the early years of WWII, he joined with Governor Dewey to form a Joint Legislative Committee to study commercial rents in NYC. Their findings could apply to any neighborhood in the city today: an emergency existed characterized by oppressive rents and rent increases unrelated to actual costs, as well as the absence of freedom to negotiate contracts due to the unequal bargaining power between landlord and tenant. A Commercial Rent Control law was promptly passed, which gave rights to business owners and was successful in driving the speculators out of the marketplace, and kept them out for the next eighteen years until the law expired in 1963. But instead of using this successful law as a foundation to create a real solution, thenMayor Edward Koch and Speaker Peter Vallone ignored good government action and instead established a bias commission. Mayor Koch and Speaker Vallone created the Small Retail Business Study Commission. The city’s business community called it the “Limousine Commission” because most of its members arrived at meetings in limousines. This handpicked commission was comprised of heads of banks, Wall Street, real estate, and big business. The predictable findings of this commission were the opposite of Mayor LaGuardia’s: no regulation of commercial landlords and no rights for the tenants. This commission had one purpose, to stop the Arbitration Bill presented by Councilmember Ruth Messinger. The Limousine Commission’s primary recommendation, mediation only with one year to move, once rejected by all, is being brought up today as the best proposal to save our small businesses. This proposal is an insult to the city’s desper-
ate business owners. City Hall has rejected the Arbitration bill for 30 years, not even allowing a vote. Now the crisis has worsened, and they have put forth a solution that was rejected decades ago as being nothing more than a scheme of the real estate lobby to stop a real solution from being passed. “At least the mediation bill can pass, something is better than nothing.” This was exposed decades ago as nothing. It is a landlord’s bill which offers no rights to tenants, mediation without arbitration, one year to move. To every business owner, it is not better than nothing, it is nothing. Compare this to the Small Business Jobs Survival Act: rights to tenants, mediation with Arbitration,10 years and STAY PUT. Mayor LaGuardia did it right, he understood that for any legislation to be successful and save businesses, it must give rights to the commercial owners to protect them from either a breakdown or manipulation of the free market. Without these rights to negotiate equally with landlords for fair lease terms, then the city will lose all of its independent small businesses. The claim that the mediation- only bill will be easier to pass is true. At City Hall any bill that benefits big real estate is easy to pass. Given their campaign contributions and high-paying private jobs, the real estate lobby controls economic policy at City Hall. At the same time, any bill that regulates landlords will be hard to pass. After the city went into the major recession of 2008, Small Business Committee Chairman David Yassky said, “We have to do something to help small businesses, It’s not an option to do nothing. We cannot allow them to be pushed to the point of disappearance, The cornerstone foundation for stopping the closing of our small businesses is the Small Business Survival Act”. The majority of council members followed that pledge and were ready to “easily” pass the SBJSA. Instead, behind the Speaker’s closed doors a disingenuous claim was made that the bill could not be voted on because of legal issues. Time is running out for our government to do the right thing and pass the SBJSA, the best and only real solution to save our small businesses. Otherwise these business owners who have become endangered species will become extinct in the near future. Sung Soo Kim founded the Korean American Small Business Service Center, the oldest small business service center in NYC; co-founding the New York City Small Business Congress and Coalition to Save New York City Small Businesses; and was chairman of the Mayor’s First Small Business Advisory Board, appointed by Mayors Dinkins and Giuliani.
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Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
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Op-Ed
How the East Side is Spending $1 Million
BY BEN KALLOS ne million dollars of city funds were recently distributed through participatory budgeting, a process through which residents vote on where taxpayer dollars should go. Over the course of 10 days, 2,140 residents turned out to vote 6,963 times on 16 projects selected by members of the
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community. I am pleased to announce the top vote getters for the $1 million: PS/IS 217 and PS 151 for green roofs on their schools. These projects uniquely mobilized the community in support, bringing many more New Yorkers into the budget process. Participatory budgeting—now occurring in two dozen Council Districts—has taken the budget out of the backrooms and into the community. Our winners represent what is best and most inclusive about participatory budgeting. PS 151 worked with the PTA, the school community and students’ neighbors, while PS/IS 217 mobilized much of the Roosevelt Island community, including Girl Scout troops 3001 and 3244. Both Principals, Samantha Kaplan and Mandana Beckman, acknowledged that it would take multiple years to complete the projects, but expressed joy at the big difference the play spaces will make for their students. To learn more about the results, including the total votes for each project as well as paper ballot results by project and poll site, please visit BenKallos.com/pb/re-
sults/2015 This fall, the process will start over again. We will begin with assemblies to spread the word, recruit delegates and come up with projects as a community. The delegates will be in charge of working with our office to determine what will be voted on. Then, we will hold an expo to share the projects on the ballot with our neighbors. Voting will take place in the spring, and we hope to get thousands of members of the community out to vote again. If you are interested in becoming a delegate next year or simply becoming more engaged in the process, please contact 212-860-1950 or bkallos@benkallos.com. Though it is my honor to congratulate the winners, I also want to congratulate the community on selecting our worthy winners, as well as choosing other wonderful projects to be put on the ballot. Our process has underscored to me that when the community comes together, we make decisions for the good of our neighborhoods and cooperate to achieve results. Ben Kallos represents the Upper East Side on the New York City Council
Frank E. Campbell – The Funeral Chapel Hosts Annual Bus Trip to Calverton National Cemetery As the seasons change and Memorial Day approaches, we find ourselves thinking about the men and women who are serving our country around the world. We also remember those who gave of themselves when our freedom was threatened, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation. We here at Frank E. Campbell, “The Funeral Chapel” are sponsoring a trip to Calverton National Cemetery for those individuals who do not get an opportunity to visit their loved one who served our country. This FREE trip will take place on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. The bus will leave from 81st Street and Madison Avenue at 8:30am and will return approximately 4:30pm. A continental breakfast will be served at Frank E. Campbell between 7:30 am – 8:15 am. A box lunch will be provided on the bus at Calverton National Cemetery. If you are interested in joining us, please call 212-288-3500 by May 22, 2015, to reserve your place. Please have your section and grave information available when you call.
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CAMP OUT THE BEST SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS Camps run June 22 - September 4 Ages 3 to 17 years
Fri 15 MARK SHAPIRO, ARTIST â&#x2013;˛ Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street, Gallery 534 (VĂŠlez Blanco Patio) 6:30-7:30 p.m., free with museum admission The founder of Stonepool Pottery in western Massachusetts, where he has made wood-ďŹ red functional pots for twenty-ďŹ ve years, discusses his work. 212-535-7710. www. metmuseum.org/events/ďŹ ndevents
16 Sports Camps to choose from!
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MONIR â&#x2013;ź Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Ave., at 89th Street 1 p.m., Free with museum admission Directed by Bahman Kiarostami and produced by Leyla Fakhr, the documentary looks at the life and work of Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, who pioneered new forms of geometric mirror works in the 1970s. Farsi and English. 212-423-3500. http:// www.guggenheim.org
Sat 16 â&#x20AC;&#x153;A TONE POEM OF KNIGHTLY CHARACTER,â&#x20AC;? FIRST MUSE CHAMBER MUSIC The Frick Museum, 1 E. 70th Street, at Fifth Avenue, Music Room 6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30 p.m., $40 ($35 for Members). First Muse Chamber Music performs Laszlo Vargaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rarely performed version of Richard Straussâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tone poem Don Quixote, Op. 35, Fantastic Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character. Questions: edevents@frick. org
ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MY PARK DAY 90th Street and Second Avenue. 10am-2pm Friends of Ruppert Park Cleanup Day. Volunteers welcome! projects@manhattancc.org
Sun 17 SENSES OF SPRINGTIME: CELEBRATE INDIA! Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Free with museum admission Performances, storytelling, a scent demonstration, artistled workshops, and other interactive gallery activities for
visitors of all ages in conjunction with the exhibition â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sultans of Deccan India, 1500â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1700: Opulence and Fantasy.â&#x20AC;? 212-535-7710. www. metmuseum.org/events/ programs/festivals-andspecial-programs/senses
IMPRESSIONISM AND POST-IMPRESSIONISM Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street, Great Hall The tour introduces visitors to the origins of Impressionism and its ďŹ&#x201A;ourishing in the following decades at the hands of CĂŠzanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. 212-535-7710
Mon 18 THE SPIRIT OF HELEN KELLER GALA The New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. 6:30-10 p.m. Helen Keller International (HKI) will celebrate its Centennial Anniversary and will honor Bill and Melinda Gates as well as Dr. David Nabarro. 646-472-0347. http://www. hki.org/how-can-i-help/attendan-event#.VT_73yFVhBc
SALSA @ SESSION 73 Session 73, 1359 First Ave @ 73rd St. 5 p.m.-1 a.m., $10. Featuring top Salsa bands. Beginner Salsa Lesson 7:308:30 Band: 9 and 10:30 First 15 guests receive a free drink. 212-517-4445. www.facebook.com/ events/454850731358244
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Russell Braun for a reading and performance. 212-415-5500. http:// www.92y.org/Event/TheMusic-of-McEwan.aspx
BELLE DE JOUR French Institute Alliance Francaise, 22 E. 60th St. Luis Buñuel’s film about about a Parisian housewife turned prostitute, with Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel and Michel Piccoli. In French with English subtitles. 212-355-6100
ROBERT M. GATES IN CONVERSATION WITH CHARLIE ROSE 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street, Kaufmann Concert Hall 7:30 pm, $45 The former secretary of defense discusses his tenure with Rose. 212-415-5500. http:// www.92y.org/Event/RobertM-Gates-in-Conversation
COMMUNITY BOARD 8 FULL BOARD MEETING New York Blood Center, 310 E. 67th St., between First and Second Avenues 6:30pm http://cb8m.com/events/ full-board-meeting-41
UNCOVERING FASHION WITH GARANCE DORÉ French Institute Alliance Francaise, 55 E. 59th St. 7 p.m., $25 Blogger Garance Doré and a panel of her closest collaborators answer questions about how to cover fashion. 212-355-6100. http://www. fiaf.org/fashion/2015/201505-21-dore.shtml
Thu 21 FOUR DAUGHTERS 96th Street Library, 112 E. 96th St. 2 p.m., Free Michael Curtiz’s 1938 film about the domestic and romantic adventures of a smalltown family, starring Claude Rains, John Garfield, May Robson and Gale Page. 212-289-0908
Wed
20 THE MUSIC OF MCEWAN ▼ 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street, Kaufmann Concert Hall 8 p.m., from $28 Ian McEwan looks at the role that music plays in his novels. He’s joined by pianist Angela Hewitt and baritone
FOUNDED IN 1964, JOHN JAY COLLEGE has evolved into the preeminent international leader in educating for justice in its many dimensions. We offer a rich liberal arts curriculum that prepares our students to serve the public interest as ethical leaders and engaged citizens. Our community of over 15,000 students— undergraduate and graduate—is the most diverse among the City University of New York’s senior colleges. Our faculty, with Pulitzer Prize winners and nationally recognized experts, are exceptional teachers, researchers and scholars. Our alumni—54,000 and growing—have long held leadership roles in public-sector agencies and private companies in the U.S. and worldwide. We educate fierce advocates for justice.
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A PLAY AT HOME IN A CHURCH Local church opens doors for a play with religious themes BY MEGAN MCGIBNEY
When Sara Florence Fellini wrote the script for her play “In Vestments,” she hadn’t yet thought about where to stage the story about a church in need of restoration. But when she teamed up with theater director Isaac Byrne to further develop her story, it was clear it would need a specific, less conventional space for its performances, preferably an actual church. “Isaac said this play lives in a space that is not in a standard space,” said Fellini, who also appears in the show. “There’s a lot of movement and unorthodox scene changes.” The two learned about West Park Presbyterian Church, on 86th Street near Amsterdam Avenue. The church allowed plays to be produced there in the past, and is in need of repairs as well. “In Vestments,” which runs through May 30, focuses on deep emotional and psychological issues involving the Roman Catholic Church, and Fellini and Byrne were a bit worried the church would be hesitant to stage the show within its walls, but West Park readily accepted Fellini’s script. The play focuses on four priests and a sacristan who live and work in the fictional church of Our Lady of Infinite Space, which is in need repair. The title of the show, a reference to the priests’ attire during mass, also nods to the financial investments required to maintain the church, and the devotion to the religion and the people in the organization, which doesn’t always yield positive results. As the characters seek to find ways to restore their decaying church, they also face painful secrets. And while some scenes are light-hearted, others are dark and haunting, such as a scene in which Fellini’s character, a sacristan named Maeve, prays and reveals that she was sexually abused. Father Yves, who was sexually abused by a cantor when he was an altar boy, observes her confession, which has emotionally traumatic results for the
priest, who hasn’t confronted his own past. “I hope what people get out of that is dealing with that is what helps you the most,” said actor Pierre Marais, who plays a demon named Jakamo. “You watch these people who haven’t dealt with it and how it really overtakes who they are and their lives.” Still, Adam Belvo, who plays a priest named Nate who once struggled with heroin addiction, assures “In Vestments” is not a wholly dark, intense experience. “It explores how people get caught in a system of doing things in a particular way,” Belvo said during a rehearsal break at New York Film Academy near Battery Park. “It’s a loving look at the people who make up the church. It’s about personal human issues and certain systems that keep people doing the same things in circles, and each of the characters suffer from their own failures.” Fellini grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, attended a Catholic high school and worked for the church for a few years, experiences that inspired the play. “The play was written with a lot of love,” she said. “It’s critical, but it’s human. If you watch it with an open heart and mind, you’ll see that these are real people with flaws, and the Catholic Church is filled with people with flaws.”
IF YOU GO What:A new, site-specific play by Sara Florence Fellini, directed by Isaac Byrne, about rebuilding a church in decay. When: Now through May 30, with performances Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Where: West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W. 86th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue Tickets: FREE, with suggested $20 donation at the door For advance reservations, visit http://www.infinitesighs.com/
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FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR
FOOD
A NIGHT OF FILM AND FOOD: EL BULLI New Wave, Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 40-and-under membership program, partners with the James Beard Foundation’s branch for young food lovers to present the film “El Bulli: Cooking in Progress,” about acclaimed Spanish chef Ferran Adrià’s six-month preparation of the his restaurant El Bulli’s new menu. The film is paired with a food-filled reception, with dishes from Huertas’ Jonah Miller, Boqueria’s Marc Vidal, and others. A Night of Film and Food: El Bulli Thursday, May 14 Film Society of Lincoln Center Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center 144 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue 6 p.m. Membership to New Wave required; membership fee $300 For more information on New Wave, email newwave@filmlinc.com, or call 212-875-5668
DANCE SOAKING WET SERIES, CURATED BY DAVID PARKER
MUSIC BANG ON A CAN: REVOLUTION OF THE EYE Bang on a Can All-Stars, a New York-based, genre-bending electric chamber ensemble, performs in connection with the Jewish Museum’s current exhibition, “Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television.” Thursday, May 14 Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd Street 7:30 p.m. Tickets $18 To purchase tickets, visit thejewishmuseum. org or call 212-423-3337
KIDS “THE GOONIES” Richard Donner’s 1985 adventure classic “The Goonies” comes to Film Forum’s kids repertory series. Co-written by Steven Spielberg, the film, about a motley crew of kids on a treasure hunt, stars Corey Feldman, Sean Astin and Josh Brolin. Sunday, May 17 Film Forum 209 W. Houston St., near Varick Street 11 a.m. Tickets $7.50 filmforum.org or call 212-727-8110
Soaking WET dance series returns to West End Theater at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, with new works by female choreographers. The program includes an improvisational work by choreographer Maura Nguyen Donohue called “The Tides Project: North Pacific Gyre” that explores her fascination with oceans that puts the audience in the center of perpetual, wavelike movement. May 21-24 West End Theater (at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew) 263 W. 86th St., second floor, at the corner of W. 86th Street and West End Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Tickets $18 To purchase tickets, visit http://www. brownpapertickets.com/event/1556429 or call 800-838-3006
GALLERIES “PANORAMA” The artists in this outdoor sculpture exhibition, located throughout the High Line, play with scale and perspective. Denmark’s Olafur Eliasson constructed an imagined city from two tons of white Legos, and Japanese artist Yutaka Sone put the city in meticulous miniature. Now through March 2016 Hours through May 31: 7:00 a.m.-10 p.m. daily FREE For more information, visit thehighline.org To be included in the Top 5 go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
MOCATALKS: Tyrus Wong at the Disney Studio (1938-1941)
THURSDAY, MAY 14TH, 7PM Museum of Chinese in America | 215 Centre St. | 212-619-4785 | mocanyc.org Enjoy an illustrated talk on the Chinese-born painter Tyrus Wong, who was behind the lush art of the movie Bambi. ($15)
Discovering and Valuing Cuban Art
SUNDAY, MAY 17TH, 2:30PM The National Arts Club | 15 Gramercy Park S. | 212-475-3424 | nationalartsclub.org Celebrate the opening of Cuba with a Sunday Salon session that explores the leading talents in the island’s current artistic renaissance. (Free)
Yoko Ono Morning Peace 2015
SUNDAY, JUNE 21ST, 4:30AM Museum of Modern Art | 11 W. 53rd St. | 212-708-9400 | moma.org Gather at sunrise on the solstice for music and art in the Sculpture Garden in celebration of the current MoMA exhibit Yoko Ono: One Woman Show 1960–1971. ($25)
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
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Food & Drink
<QUEENS COMPANY ROLLS OUT SOLAR-POWERED FOOD CARTS Around 500 eco-friendly food carts, powered by solar panels, rechargeable batteries and alternative fuel, will soon hit the streets of New York, the Wall Street Journal reported. Queens company MOVE Systems developed the carts, and has partnered with the City Council to disperse them to food vendors throughout the city at no charge, thanks to private dona-
In Brief CHIPOTLE GRILL CATCHES FIRE IN MIDTOWN Hungry aft fternoon diners got more heat than they hey expected from a midtown Chipotle location when one of the restaurant’ss grills caughtt fire on Monday, day, DNAinfo reported. The fire started at the restaurant on 235 W. 56th St. at around 3:15 p.m., causing diners and kitchen employees out of the eatery and onto the street. Some witnesses to the blaze documented the incident on social media. Six fire trucks arrived at the restaurant, which is located on the first floor of a 40-story building, and fire fighters were able to extinguish the flames in 15 minutes. The cause of the fire and the reopening date of the location are still unknown.
JONATHAN WAXMAN EYES NEW PARTNERS, NEW VENTURE Jonathan Waxman, chef and owner of West Village staple Barbuto, plans to open a new restaurant in New York city with chefs Preston Madson and Ginger Pierce, a husband and wife pair who once worked for Waxman and recently left their posts at Freemans and Isa, Eater reported. The new venture comes at a time when Waxman is busy growing both outside New York—he recently opened eateries in Nashville and Toronto—and in Manhattan, as his reboot of his 1980s restaurant Jams will open shortly in the new 1 Hotel Central Park. He’ll also likely relocate neighborhood favorite Barbuto, currently located on Washington and W. 12th Streets. The building was purchased by a developer earlier this year, Eater reported, though a closing date for the location has yet to be announced.
tions and partnerships. MOVE Systems CEO James Meeks announced the program on Monday, along with City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and council member Donovan Richards, who chairs the Committee on Environmental Protection. The carts will roll onto the city’s sidewalks around May 25, and can adapt to various types of cooking, the Wall
Street Journal reported. Each cart is complete with refrigerators and sinks, and some food vendors are already eager to get cooking in the new carts. According to the MOVE website, this pilot program will allow participating vendors to save on fuel, and the eco-friendly units eliminate propane tanks and generators, which will cut down on air pollution.
SPRING’S FLEETING FLAVORS ARRIVE THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN Ramps, asparagus and fiddleheads herald the start of growing season BY LIZ NEUMARK
While spring heralds outdoor fun and skimpy attire, for me it’s about one thing: The start of the growing season. Early every Saturday morning, I race down to the Union Square Greenmarket eager to see what is back. It started in late April this year with ramps and spring garlic. Last week asparagus and fiddleheads joined the lineup. In a flash, spring pea shoots, radishes and rhubarb will appear, followed by strawberries, tender field greens, chamomile (a personal favorite) and herbs and the rest of the early harvest bounty. The spring trifecta of ramps, asparagus and fiddleheads are a fleeting trio of intense flavors with true “terroir.” Their flavors evoke earthy tones of northeast woods and robust profiles of signature tastes. I enjoy them with a little bit of guilt, as they are pricey if you are not lucky enough to forage or grow your own. What I truly love about them, aside from their beauty and being the couriers of spring, is that they are independent of us. As perennials, they have their own schedule, emerging when Mother Nature decides it’s time. I celebrate these three almost slavishly, exploring every possible method of cooking and
RAMP PESTO: 1 packed cup of chopped ramp leaves and stem (about 8 ounces or 2 bunches) ¾ cup of chopped walnuts ¾ cups grated parmesan/ romano cheese ½+ cup olive oil A squeeze of fresh lemon juice Salt or fresh pepper according to your palate Put first ramps, walnuts and cheese ingredients in a food processor, then add the oil in a slow drizzle and finish with 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Remove when chopped but still with some pasty consistency. Use within three weeks or freeze in small containers. I like mine ‘garlicky’ so feel free to adjust proportions to your preference.
SPRING RADISH SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND BLOOD ORANGES From Sylvia’s Table Cookbook 1 bunch Easter Egg or other radishes 12 slender green asparagus spears Salt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 blood oranges, peeled and pith removed, sectioned preservation to enhance and extend my enjoyment of them. And when they are gone, it’s over till next year. They are a glorious connection to humanity and nature, encompassing passion, discipline and the ephemeral character of life itself. Ramps grow unculti-
1/2 cup raw pistachios Freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons blood orange juice 1 teaspoon champagne or white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon minced shallot 1 cup micro arugula Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and trim the radishes, cutting off the tail ends and leaves but retaining a little of the green tops. Cut each radish into four wedges and set aside. Trim the ends of the asparagus and peel the lower half. Blanch the asparagus in salted water for about 3 minutes, then quickly transfer to an ice bath. Drain and set the asparagus aside. Meanwhile, spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 4 minutes. Whisk together the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of oil. Combine the radishes, oranges, and pistachios in a bowl and toss with the oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together the blood orange juice, vinegar, shallot and a pinch of salt; slowly whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil and season to taste with pepper and additional salt as needed. Gently toss the asparagus with the dressing and divide them among four plates. Spoon the radish mixture over the asparagus and top with arugula. vated in eastern American woodland environments. They have smooth green leaves that look like lilies of the valley, and a white bulb root. Successful foraging requires cutting the leaves and leaving some of the bulbs — otherwise the plants will not grow back the following year. Their
Fiddleheads, ramps and asparagus are a fleeting trio of intense flavors with true “terroir.” garlic- and onion-like flavor is distinctive. Ramps don’t need a lot of cooking, just a gentle sauté in olive oil with some salt and pepper. They’re perfect in a scant few minutes. They are wonderful with farm fresh eggs, scrambled, fried or omelet style with added cheese or meats. I adore making pesto with the leaves and red stems, leaving the bulbs for pickling. Trust me, a holiday gift of pickled ramps or ramp pesto should be reserved for those you truly love. They are wicked good in grilled cheese sandwiches or a panini. There are so many ways to enjoy asparagus, starting with simply sautéing them in olive oil or butter with salt and pepper for a few minutes; roasting for 10 minutes in a hot oven with olive oil, salt and pepper; or steaming them. Asparagus are great in pasta, salads, omelets or soup. Fiddleheads truly fascinate me. Their season is the briefest – sometimes just three or four weeks long. They grow wild in the
Northeast, typically the New England and Canada regions. Cook ing f idd leheads involves cleaning them well and removing the paper-like brown husks and then boiling in water for 10 minutes. After that, they can be sautéed with salt and pepper, some garlic and devoured alone or added to pasta, chicken or fish dishes. I endorse pickling fiddleheads in a gentle brine, as there is nothing like opening up a jar of them in the wintertime and feeling special. (I never share my preserved fiddleheads.) And then, they disappear. I am always a little brokenhearted the day I get to the market and there are no more ramps or asparagus. I am consoled with the first stalks of rhubarb, crisp and vibrant radishes and the knowledge that tomatoes are in the pipeline. It is the lesson of truly savoring the moment, which though trite, is true. Liz Neumark is CEO of Great Performances Catering and author of the cookbook Sylvia’s Table, on Twitter @SylviasTable
MAY 14-20,2015
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAY 4 - 9, 2015
Knish Nosh (Conservatory Water)
0 5Th Ave/Central Park
A
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.
Yorkafe
50112 East 83 Street
A
Bonjour Crepes & Wine
1585 2 Avenue
A
Tal Bagels
1228 Lexington Avenue
A
Barking Dog Luncheonette
1678 3 Avenue
A
Peri Ela
1361 Lexington Avenue
A
Lupita Restaurant
2049 2 Avenue
A
Crown Fried
362 East 112 Street
A
New Nyc Yoan Ming Garden 1407 Madison Avenue Grade Pending (21) Hot food item not held at or above 140Âş F. Cold food item held above 41Âş F (smoked ďŹ sh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ÂşF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and/or non-food areas.
Koito Japanese Restaurant 310 East 93 Street
A
Frere De Lys
1685 1 Avenue
A
Neapolitan Express
232 E 111Th St
Not Graded Yet (5)
Biddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pub
301 East 91 Street
A
R & J Lounge
109 E 116Th St
A
Proposito De Vida
180 E 104Th St
A
Amor Cubano
2018 3 Avenue
Grade Pending (23) Cold food item held above 41Âş F (smoked ďŹ sh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ÂşF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Maoz Vegetarian
0 106 Street & 5 Avenue
Grade Pending (22) Food Protection CertiďŹ cate not held by supervisor of food operations. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
Cafe On 5Th/Sterling Affair
1216 5 Avenue
A
Salud Y Esperanza
2135 2Nd Ave
A
Moniqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge 108
181 East 108 Street
A
Adar Lounge
1637 Park Ave
A
Judyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spanish Restaurant
1505 Lexington Ave
A
Rise And Grind
2167 2 Avenue
A
The Stumble Inn
1454 2 Avenue
A
Le Charlot
19 East 69 Street
A
Subway
1411 2 Avenue
A
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MAY 14-20,2015
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Business
< NEW LEGISLATION BARS EMPLOYER CREDIT CHECKS Mayor de Blasio recently signed into law a bill that prohibits employers, labor organizations, and employment agencies from using or requesting an applicant’s consumer credit history, and prevents them from discriminating against an applicant or employee based on their credit history. Using credit checks during the hiring pro-
In Brief AIRBNB WINS ONE IN COURT In a recent court ruling that many are seeing as friendly to the controversial apartment-sharing startup Air BnB, a state Supreme Court judge said an Upper West Side landlord could legally rent units in his building for stays as short as seven days, according to the New York Post. And while the decision only applies to the Imperial Court Hotel, an SRO (single room occupancy) on West 79th Street, it could be used by other SRO landlords to rent out apartments as hotel rooms through services like Air BnB. Air BnB has been locked in a regulatory battle with State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and several state lawmakers over its website, which enables users to book short term rentals in the homes of private individuals. In New York City, say the company’s detractors, such practices threaten rent stabilized apartments and lead to unsafe conditions for tenants in buildings where Air BnB is being used. “This decision is a huge setback for affordable housing in the city,” Marti Weithman, president of the SRO Law Project at Goddard Riverside Center, told the Post. “It allows landlords of permanent residential buildings to rent rooms out to tourists instead of New Yorkers.” Upper West Side Councilmember Helen Rosenthal called the ruling a “disaster,” and said she hopes the city council appeals the decision.
OUR TOWN’S EAST MIDTOWN TRIVIA CHALLENGE As part of the Great East Midtown Challenge on June 10, Our Town will be holding a trivia contest! Starting this week, we’ll pose a question that can be answered by looking elsewhere in this week’s paper. Find all the answers over the next four weeks and you’ll have a leg up on the other teams in next month’s challenge. This week’s question: What is the name of the author that award-winning tenth grader Aissatou Toure wrote her letter to? For more info on the challenge, go to http:// eastmidtown.org/ challenge
GREAT EAST MIDTOWN
CHALLENGE
cess to screen applicants disproportionately affects low-income applicants and applicants of color, according to the mayor’s office, and this legislation prevents the vast majority of employers from doing so. Intro. 261-A, as the bill is known, also applies to city agencies, most of which are prohibited from requesting or using the consumer credit history of an ap-
plicant, licensee or permittee for licensing and permitting processes. “Every New Yorker applying for a job deserves a fair shot – and we are committed to protecting the rights of our workers and making sure that every New Yorker has the opportunity to succeed,” said de Blasio in a statement. “This bill will remove a barrier to employment and ensure that people are judged on their merits and ability, rather than unrelated factors.”
MACY’S TO TEST DISCOUNT STORES RETAIL Move comes as Bloomingdale’s plans to open an “off-price” store on the Upper West Side BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
The outlet wars are heating up. Macy’s Inc. has named its new discount stores Macy’s Backstage, and says the first four test stores will open this fall in New York City and the surrounding area. Macy’s move comes four months after the department store chain announced it was exploring an “off-price” retailing business, throwing down the gauntlet with the likes of T.J. Maxx, Ross and a Nordstrom Rack. This would mark the first offprice business for the Macy’s brand. Meanwhile, the parent company is opening its 14th outlet store for its upscale chain Bloomingdale’s this fall on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It will mark the first outlet store for Bloomingdale’s in an urban location. Macy’s, which has headquarters in New York and Cincinnati, Ohio, has been a standout among its peers throughout the economic recovery. But it faces challenges to drive sales growth amid shifting shopper behavior.
The company, which generated annual sales of $28.1 billion in the latest fiscal year, expects total sales growth of just one percent this year. That’s because shoppers are increasingly researching and buying online. Moreover, since the Great Recession, shoppers’ fixation with deals on namebrand items has only gotten stronger. That obsession with fat discounts has helped drive sales growth at off-price retailers like Ross Stores Inc. and TJX Cos., which operates T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods. Macy’s has picked the fiercely competitive New York City area as its first battleground. The new Macy’s Backstage test stores will be located in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn; Queens Place in Elmhurst, Queens; Lake Success Shopping Center in New Hyde Park, New York. and Melville Mall in Huntington, New York. The stores will measure about 30,000 square feet, about the same size as a T.J. Maxx and one fifth of a regular Macy’s store. They will offer products ranging from women’s, men’s and children’s clothing to home furnishings. The merchandise will include clearance goods from its 800 Macy’s stores as well as special buys from name brands at 20 percent to 80 percent off original and comparable prices for similar items.
Each Macy’s Backstage store will also include amenities like a suite of large fitting rooms. One location will test a cafe concept. Macy’s spokesman Jim Sluzewski, declined to comment on future locations for Macy’s Backstage for competi-
tive reasons. “As with all of Macy’s innovations, we will test and learn to see what resonates most with customers so we can adjust before rolling out additional locations,” said Peter Sachse, Macy’s chief innovation and business development officer.
MAY 14-20,2015
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Real Estate Sales Neighborhd
Address
Price
Beekman
870 United Nations Pla $1,698,500
2
2
Brown Harris Stevens
Carnegie Hill
1060 Park Ave.
$1,775,000
2
2
Brown Harris Stevens
Carnegie Hill
1088 Park Ave.
$1,900,000
2
2
Stribling
Carnegie Hill
120 E 90 St.
$1,412,775
2
2
Warburg
Lenox Hill
420 E 72 St.
$560,000
1
1
Corcoran
Lenox Hill
150 E 61 St.
$1,325,000
2
2
William B. May
Lenox Hill
200 E 66Th St.
$3,360,225
Lenox Hill
188 E 64 St.
$1,375,000
1
2
Owner
Lenox Hill
333 E 68 St.
$2,387,000
3
3
Corcoran
Lenox Hill
11 E 68 St.
$21,082,866
Lenox Hill
785 5 Ave.
$2,700,000
Lenox Hill
530 E 72 St.
$4,927,500
4
4
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
440 E 62 St.
$415,000
0
1
Bellmarc Realty
Lenox Hill
340 E 64 St.
$2,160,000
2
2
Town Residential
Lenox Hill
301 E 63 St.
$300,000
1
1
Brown Harris Stevens
Lenox Hill
530 Park Ave.
$8,858,775
Lenox Hill
188 E 64 St.
$2,380,000 2
2
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
315 E 70 St.
$590,000
1
1
Stribling
Lenox Hill
750 Park Ave.
$687,500
Lenox Hill
230 E 63 St.
$5,802,468
Lenox Hill
340 E 64 St.
$2,550,000 2
2
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
304 E 65 St.
$830,000
1
1
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
36 E 64 St.
$10,000,000
Lenox Hill
350 E 62 St.
$487,000
0
1
Core
Lenox Hill
176 E 71 St.
$2,050,000 2
2
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
26 E 63 St.
$695,000
0
1
Douglas Elliman
Lenox Hill
524 E 72 St.
$1,325,000
2
2
Town Residential
Midtown
33 E 42 St.
$5,625,000
Midtown
641 5 Ave.
$2,750,000
Midtown E
325 Lexington Ave.
$1,099,710
1
1
Corcoran
Midtown South
7 E 35 St.
$2,660,000 4
3
Halstead Property
Murray Hill
137 E 36 St.
$1,033,000
2
2
Stribling
Murray Hill
201 E 36 St.
$875,000
2
1
Douglas Elliman
Murray Hill
201 E 36 St.
$855,000
1
1
Next Stop Ny
Murray Hill
137 E 36 St.
$880,000
1
1
Stribling
Murray Hill
2 Tudor City Place
$700,000
1
1
John J. Grogan & Associates
Murray Hill
305 E 40 St.
$630,000
1
1
Corcoran
Murray Hill
245 E 35 St.
$405,000
1
1
Halstead Property
Murray Hill
132 E 35 St.
$620,000
1
1
Level Group
Murray Hill
311 E 38 St.
$620,000
0
1
Noble Realty
Murray Hill
25 Tudor City Place
$275,000
0
1
Halstead Property
Murray Hill
7 Park Ave.
$310,000
0
1
Space Marketing Shop
Murray Hill
333 E 34 St.
$675,000
1
1
Halstead Property
Murray Hill
300 E 40 St.
$752,500
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MAY 14-20,2015
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
Sports ASPHALT GREEN BASEBALL CONTINUES STREAK Asphalt Green’s 8U travel baseball team is off to a hot start this season with a 4-1 record in the New York Premier Travel League. The team has been clicking on both offense and defense, coming from behind in the last inning to win two of its last three games.
NURSES: CORNERSTONES OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH Eyes and ears of physicians, nurses are essential members of the medical system BY MAURICE HALL
Lower East Side seniors learn how to prevent falls at a recent workshop held in partnership with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, Educational Alliance and the Co-Op Village NORC. Photo: VNSNY
Registered Nurse, with the not-forprofit Visiting Nurse Service of New York Last week marked National Nurses Week, but they are of course indispensable at all times. With so many changes in our healthcare landscape stemming from the Affordable Care Act, nurses today are truly essential members of medical system. Homecare nurses are often the unsung heroes who keep our aging population living safely and independently at home — avoiding unnecessary trips to the hospital. Nurses are skilled and dedicated professionals who work tirelessly on the frontlines of our communities, helping our most vulnerable New Yorkers stay safe and healthy as they age, or are returning to health. As a registered nurse with the notfor-profit Visiting Nurse Service of New York, I’ve discovered that many people are surprised when their experience gives them insight into the care that a skilled home or community-based care nurse provides. If you or a loved one are looking to get aid from a nurse, it’s important to know
what exactly the role of a nurse encompasses. Here are five things that you might not know about nurses: • Nurses are educated, but they also educate. Nurses go above and beyond their standard job description to help their patients and caregivers navigate all sorts of healthcare needs. Many are as skilled with technology as they are with a stethoscope — using mobile cameras, lightweight tablet computers to keep their patients “in the know” about their own health and in turn, help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. • Nurses are tough as nails and immune to bad smells. Nurses are often in and out of homes and hospitals and have gotten used to virtually every smell you can think of — good or bad! Nurses are also often required to adapt to a variety of stressful situations. Whether it’s dealing with an emergency surgery in the operating room or quickly treating a grisly wound, nurses can be some of the toughest people you know. • Nurses are the “eyes” and “ears” of physicians. While patients may only see their doctors for a quick visit in the office or at the hospital, home-care nurses coordinate care with their patients on an ongoing basis to form trusting (and often lasting) relationships that support their care. They are a helpful re-
source for physicians because they monitor patients outside the office and can inform doctors about health changes in real time to help patients stay healthy and avoid unnecessary hospital readmissions. • Nurses aren’t just people you see in hospitals. Many nurses, like myself, often visit patients at home or in community settings. By assisting with care at home, home-care nurses can help aging or homebound individuals stay engaged in their communities and live a safe and independent life for many years — without having to admit into a hospital or a nursing home. • Nurses are there with calm and care. At some point in our lives, we all connect with a nurse. Maybe it’s someone who was there when we were born, or gave birth to our own children. Maybe it’s the hospice nurse who brought peace and calm in a loved one’s final months, weeks or days. Maybe it’s the steady skill of an RN who supervised care and helped coach new lifestyle changes after surgery. Nurses are there when we need them — they are there for the care. Maurice Hall is a registered nurse with the not-for-profit Visiting Nurse Service of New York. To learn more about how to find a visiting nurse that can help you or someone you love, visit www.VNSNY.org and call 1-800-675-0391.
MAY 14-20,2015
LAST TUMBLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Center on E. 90th Street, near East End Avenue, was cut, parents acted swiftly, sending emails to the program’s administration and calling Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s office, in hopes of reinstating the program. Parents said they were puzzled, especially since the teams medaled at a recent statewide meet. Others expressed concern that they weren’t involved in the conversations about the future of the program their children have dedicated themselves to for years. “It feels in complete contradiction to their warm and fuzzy branding,” said Diana Correa-Cintron, whose sons Andres and Diego are on the team. “They’re really a corporate machine, so if it’s not convenient or they have another idea of what they want to do, they’ll just get rid of the program.” Jeff Ward, chief program officer for Asphalt Green, said that the elimination of the program has been discussed by the administration and board of directors for years. “It’s a space challenge more than anything else,” said Ward, sitting on a picnic bench outside the sports complex. “We think we can use the space to serve more kids and to serve kids in a better way.” Gymnastics has been a staple of Asphalt Green’s youth sports offerings for many years, with about 300 kids currently in the entire program, and 36 members of the boys’ and girls’ competitive travel teams. But executive director Maggy Siegel said that participation in the program, unlike soccer and martial arts, has dwindled in recent years, a trend that mirrors national interest in the sport, she said. “I know it’s the right decision for Asphalt Green,” said Siegel, whose own children, now in their 20s, took gymnastics at the facility. “That doesn’t make it any less painful.” Gy m n a st ic s, Wa rd e xplained, requires a large amount of space for the hefty equipment, and currently takes up a whole room on the second floor of the facility, which is filled with Crayoncolored mats, balance beams, bars and rings. A 44-squarefoot movable tumbling floor for the girls’ team goes down on top of the fourth-floor basketball courts twice a week. “It’s very limiting,” he added.
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com “When you have the gymnastics equipment down, largely you can only use that space for gymnastics.” In August, Asphalt Green will convert the fourth-floor gym into a multi-sport indoor turf field, which Ward said may allow Asphalt Green to double its programming in that space. The facility partnered with the nearby Convent of the Sacred Heart girls school to use its gym for the basketball program; similar attempts were made to move the gymnastics program to a nearby school gym, Ward said, but he couldn’t find a space to accommodate the large equipment. Asphalt Green will work with children and coaches to find alternative programs, and donate the gymnastics equipment, some of it newly purchased in the fall, to the teams, should they find a facility to host them. The second-floor space, occupied entirely by gymnastics equipment, will become a multi-purpose, mostly open floor for training and various activities, such as martial arts, which, though it doesn’t have many more participants than Asphalt Green’s gymnastics program, has tripled in size since 2012. Ward expects to install a balcony in the secondfloor room for weight training. Though he’s not yet sure of the exact cost of the project, he expects that some support will come from fundraising efforts, along with funds from Asphalt Green’s capital operations budget. Ward said that, though these changes will maximize the use of the space, the decision to eliminate the gymnastics program was not revenue-driven at its core. “My guess is in the first year it’s probably revenue-neutral,” he said. “I think down the line we may make more money, but that is not what we’re trying to do. We’re going to be able to serve a lot more people.” But that explanation has done little to assuage the disappointment felt by young gymnasts and their parents,
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who worry that alternatives will be too costly or too far away. Chelsea Piers has a boys gymnastics team, but for most Upper East Side residents, the commute to far west Chelsea is arduous and time-consuming, especially when practices take place four days a week, for two hours each. (For girls, options are more available, with the 92nd Street Y and Elite NYC offering programs on the Upper East Side). “You have children here now,” said Barron. “Why don’t you take care of the children you have, instead of wondering about some imaginary group of people who may or may not exist, who want to use your facility? That doesn’t make any sense to me.” For the children who have spent years training at Asphalt Green, traveling with their coaches to meets and sharing hotel rooms with teammates, their bonds with one another might be tested. “I was heartbroken because I’ve been going here for so long that (my coach) is like almost my second father,” said Robbie Custodio, 12, who has been with the program for six years. “He’s basically been there with me my whole life, so when I found out the gymnastics program was being cancelled I thought I would never see him again.” And the young athletes who have spent years honing their skills aren’t interested in soccer, baseball or another sport they’ve never tried. “I’ve been working really hard,” said Andrew Shaz, 10, after a recent evening practice. “Before I go to another gym and while I have these people helping me I want to be able to do something and improve a lot.” And for many, the thought of joining another group and leaving behind their teammates of many years isn’t very appealing. “Those banners and those medals wouldn’t mean anything,” said Myles Moore, 11, “if it wasn’t for the team.”
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ARTISTS DECRY FRICK’S EXPANSION PLAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Museum officials and the architects, Davis Brody Bond, say the addition would match the character of the original Gilded Age mansion, built by Carrère and Hastings just over a century ago for the industrialist Henry Clay Frick, and a 1934 expansion by John Russell Pope. The proposal, though, quickly galvanized opposition, some of it pronounced, with United to Save the Frick saying the proposal would obliterate the Frick’s “residential scale” and, consequently, its intimacy. “The ensemble the Frick wishes to raze, composed of the Reception Hall Pavilion and the Russell Page-designed Viewing Garden on East 70th Street, is a masterstroke of the evolving museum’s design,
positioning the mansion in counterpoint to the Manhattan street grid, and optimizing the ‘house museum’ experience,” the letter reads. As conceptualized, the group says, the plan includes minimal exhibit space and instead adds offices, a café, a larger gift shop and programming space. It suggests numerous alternative design schemes, most of them below below-grade, that it says would allow the museum to expand while retaining its character, and the garden. In a response to the letter, the Frick issued a statement saying that the planned expansion would “not compromise the Frick’s intimacy but will enhance it.” The artists’ letter last week received an endorsement of sorts from The Municipal Art Society of New York, a planning and preservation organization, in the form of a letter from its director, Margaret Newman, to her counterpart at the Frick, Ian Wardropper,
which also voiced opposition to the planned expansion, particularly since it would eliminate the 70th Street garden. The Frick, though, has emphasized that the addition of a rooftop garden would leave the museum three gardens, including the one facing Fifth Avenue and the interior Garden Court. A museum spokeswoman, Heidi Rosenau, said the Frick’s proposal, which she called “conceptual,” is still being fine-tuned, such that it was too early to discuss any changes to the proposal since it was first made public. “The idea as we approach (the Landmark’s Commission) hearing is that we have to present a very detailed plan,” she said. “We need a really polished plan. So it’s been evolving.” The commission must approve the expansion proposal for it to go ahead. That presentation has not yet been scheduled.
M A R B L E C O L L E G I AT E C H U RC H
Wednesday Worship Service
Your Worship. Your Way. Every Wednesday at 6:15pm Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001 (212) 686-2770 www.MarbleChurch.org
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MAY 14-20,2015
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes
A MAVERICK SUPERINTENDENT TAKES FLIGHT A West Side super is leaving his job to pursue a passion BY CARLA CURTSINGER
Top Gun, the 1986 Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster about an elite naval flying school, made Tom Cruise a star, aviator sunglasses a musthave, and “Highway to the Danger Zone” the rock anthem of the skies. It made Jefferson Vicente passionate about flying. “After I saw that movie, I knew I had to learn to fly an airplane,” said Vicente, 42, the superintendent at 107-111 West 82nd Street on the Upper West Side. “I was determined to become a pilot.” A native of Brazil, Vicente came to New York City on a two-month vacation in 1989 and never left. After working a variety of jobs in the restaurant industry and building maintenance, he obtained his current position with Marin Manage-
Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny. com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
ment Company in 2000. “I thought I would work at the co-op for two or three years,” said Vicente. “Fifteen years later, I’m still here.” But not for long. Vicente is leaving his job and Manhattan in May because he made his dream come true: he’s a pilot now, and he’s going to pursue that high-flying profession fulltime. After seeing the movie, Vicente researched flying lessons and found them to be cost-prohibitive. Not deterred, he saved for over 10 years, eventually taking lessons in the evening and on weekends at airports in upstate New York, California and New Jersey. But his dream took a turn after a friend and fellow pilot took him on a demo flight in a helicopter. “I loved the view, the ability to hover,” said Vicente. “I decided then and there to get my helicopter pilot’s license instead.” And he did – his private helicopter pilot’s license in 2007; commercial license in 2008; and his instructor’s license in 2010. But the high cost of flying cropped up again. If Vicente ever wanted to be hired by a commercial helicopter company, he had to earn a minimum of
1,000 hours of flying time. So he got creative. “I leased a helicopter, which I’m sure they only agreed to do because business was slow,” said Vicente. “Then, through a combination of word of mouth and coupons I offered on Groupon and Living Social, I gave flying lessons. So I was able to get paid while I earned the hours of flying time that I needed.” Way more hours than he needed, in fact – over 1,800 hours all told – and now Vicente’s dream of being a full-time commercial helicopter pilot is being realized with New York Helicopter, which offers charter flights and city tours ranging from 15 to 25 minutes in length. “I fly a large six-passenger helicopter now,” said Vicente. “On one of the routes that I fly up the Hudson River, I go right past my building on 82nd Street – I can usually see our roof deck.” He admits that it took “luck, and a lot of hard work” to get him to this point in his new career, and he recommends patience and persistence to anyone who might be contemplating pursuing their own
dream job. “It’s not easy,” said Vicente. “It may take one year, or two years, or like me, eight years [after he got his flying instructor’s license]. It took me a very long time to finally realize my dream to fly the Hudson River.”
After he leaves 107-111 West 82nd Street in May, Vicente will be moving to New Jersey and, for the first time in 15 years, will not be responsible for anyone’s apartment but his own. “I am so grateful to all the residents of 82nd Street for all the opportunities that they
made possible for me,” said Vicente. “But as a super, you carry the building on your shoulders wherever you go. Your phone is on 24-hours-a-day, and you can never be more than 30 minutes away. For the first time in a very long time, I’ll be free. I feel lighter already.”
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CLASSIFIEDS
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 ANIMALS & PETS
North Shore Animal League AnimalLeague.org 1-877-4-SAVE-PET Facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague 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
Friendly Neighborhood Auction Antiques & Collectibles, Paintings, Decorative Objects, Costume Jewelry. Sat May 16, 3pm. 1157 Lex Ave @ 80th St (garden ent next to All Souls) Prev & Reg 11am-3pm. Martine’s Auctions, 212-772-0900, martine-auctions@outlook.com Online Auction w/Bid Center, Historic Stewart-Hawley-Malloy House and 5.17+/-Acres & All Personal Prop., Laurinburg, NC in Scotland Co., Real Estate Sale Ends May 27th at 2pm, Bid Center: Hampton Inn, Laurinburg, NC, Personal Property Sale Ends June 4th at 3pm Online Only, 800.997.2248, NCAL3936, ironhorseauction.com AUCTIONS
SULLIVAN COUNTY REAL PROPERTY TAX FORECLOSURE AUCTION- 350+/- Properties June10+11 @10AM. Held at “The Sullivan” Route 17 Exit:109. 800-243-0061 AAR Inc. & HAR 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
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
Breathing Techniques for Severe Asthmatics By Appointment 201-640-7501 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 Relieve constipation & bloating 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 New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital www.nyp.org/lowermanhattan HEALTH SERVICES
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
$8,000 COMPENSATION. EGG DONORS NEEDED. Women 21-31. Help Couples Become Families using Physicians from the BEST DOCTOR’S LIST. Personalized Care. 100% Confidential. 1-877-9-DONATE; 1-877-936-6283; www.longislandivf.com ATTEND AVIATION COLLEGE– Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance training. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information 866296-7093
LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ALLSTATE INSURANCE Anthony Pomponio 212-769-2899 125 West 72nd St. 5R, NYC apomponio@allstate.com
MASSAGE
Massage by Melissa (917)620-2787
MASSAGE
BODYWORK by young, handsome, smooth, athletic Asian. InCall/OutCall. Phillip. 212-787-9116 Therapeutic massage, $75/Hr. Lic., 20+ yrs exp. 917-734-7448 tonydif.massage@gmail.com MERCHANDISE FOR SALE
Billie Holiday - 2 Early 78 Albums - Perfect Condition 212-751-2247 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 MUSIC
GUITAR LESSONS Quick Results. Acoustic, Electric, Songwriting. NYC Loc. or your home. Get started now! Call Howie Scher at 646-2569676, or email schershot24@ aol.com for rates and hours. REAL ESTATE - RENT
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 REAL ESTATE - SALE
Spectacular 3 to 22 acre lots with deepwater access- Located in an exclusive development on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Amenities include community pier, boat ramp, paved roads and private sandy beach. May remind you of the Jersey Shore from days long past. Great climate, boating, fishing, clamming and National Seashore beaches nearby. Absolute buy of a lifetime, recent FDIC bank failure makes these 25 lots available at a fraction of their original price. Priced at only $55,000 to $124,000. For info call (757) 442-2171, e-mail: oceanlandtrust@ yahoo.com, pictures on website: http://Wibiti.com/5KQN UPSTATE NY ABSOLUTE LAND LIQUIDATION! MAY 16TH! 19 Tracts from 3 to 35 acres starting at $12,900. Examples: 9 acres -$19,900. 20 acres - $29,900. 35 acresFarmhouse- $169,900 Foreclosures, estates, abandoned farms! Waterfront, trout streams, farmhouses, views! Clear title, 100% g’teed! Terms available! Call: 888-905-8847 to register or go to: NewYorkLandandlakes.com
Telephone: 212-868-0190 Fax: 212-868-0198 Email: classified2@strausnews.com
POLICY NOTICE: We make every effort to avoid mistakes in your classified ads. Check your ad the first week it runs. The publication will only accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion. The publication 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 any copy changes. All classified ads are pre-paid. SERVICES OFFERED
Allstate - The Wright Agency Anthony Wright 718 671 8000 Ao65989@allstate.com Auto.home.life.retirement 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 SITUATION WANTED
Reliable lady seeks job to care for elderly. Excellent ref. upon request. Flo 646-245-7896 WANTED TO BUY
ANTIQUES WANTED Top Prices Paid. Chinese Objects, Paintings, Jewelry, Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased. 800-530-0006. CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps, Paper Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NY: 1-800959-3419 I Buy Old Tribal Art Free Appraisal 917-628-0031 Daniel@jacarandatribal.com TOP DOLLAR PAID FOR Fine & Costume Jewelry Gems-Silver-Gold-Jade Antiques-Art-Rugs Certified GIA Gemologist Estatements 718 608 5854
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Directory of Business & Services To advertise in this directory Call Susan (212)-868-0190 ext.417 Classified2@strausnews.com
Antique, Flea & Farmers Market
ANTIQUES WANTED
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
TOP PRICES PAID
Chinese Objects Paintings, Jewelry Silver, Furniture, Etc. Entire Estates Purchased
800.530.0006
AUCTION Antiques & Collectibles, Paintings, Decorative Objects, Costume Jewelry
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD AUCTION
Saturday, May 16, 3pm 1157 Lexington Ave @ East 80th St (Garden entrance next to All Souls) Preview & Registration 11am-3pm
Martine’s Auctions, 212 772 0900 martine-auctions@outlook.com Martine’s Auctions, Lic. #2006090-DCA
Stephen Feldman, Lic. #1440856-DCA
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462 Broadway MFG No Retail/Food +/- 9,000 sf Ground Floor - $90 psf +/- 16,000 sf Cellar - $75 psf Call Farrell @ Meringoff Properties 646.306.0299
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