The local paper for the Upper er East Side
JULY 30-5,2015
A LACK OF ACCESS, UNDERGROUND OR ABOVE P. 9
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WEEK OF JULY-AUGUST
30-5 2015
CROSSTOWN BLUES M86 bus service should return to Second Avenue and 86th Street in 3 months BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
GRADING RESTAURANTS (ON A CURVE)
Yorkville residents who use the crosstown M86 bus to get to the West Side were miffed last week when a popular stop, at Second Avenue and 86th Street, was nowhere to be found. It turns out the MTA closed the westbound bus stop at Second Avenue due to a temporary boiler trailer that’s been installed outside of 241 East 86th St. The closest stops going westbound are now at First Avenue and Third Avenue. The eastbound stop at Second Avenue has been closed for the past two years because of subway construction. Adding to the confusion is that the stops at Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue in both directions were moved from the west side of the avenues to the east side to make way for bus bulbs that are being installed at both locations. “These temporary stops will remain until the construction of the bus bulbs are complete, at which point the stops, along with the fare machines, will return where they were previously,” an MTA spokeswoman, Marisa Baldeo, said. But the shakeup could hardly come at a more inconvenient time as the MTA is rolling out its Select Bus Service, a new transportation program with faster fare collection and travel times and increased comfort for passengers. As Select Bus Service takes shape, the New York City Transit Authority and the city’s Department of Transportation teamed up on an “Ambassador program” to assist passengers curbside with the new fare machines and any questions they might have.
Are 95% of New York City’s restaurants really squeaky clean? The Department of Health recently touted that fact that 95% of the 24,000 restaurants in the city now receive an A inspection grade, up from 38% four years ago. While health department officials credit more frequent inspections and better communication for the higher marks, restaurateurs, inspection consultants -- and even some diners -- aren’t so convinced. “I think the numbers are pretty skewed,” said Adolfo Velasquez, whose NYC Grade Fixers is part of a cottage industry that helps restaurants navigate the health department’s inspection process through mock run-throughs adminis-
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NEWS The health department says the vast majority of city restaurants are now getting A grades. Industry experts aren’t so sure. BY LOGAN HENDRIX
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Our Take A WAGE TO LIVE BY The state’s roughly 200,000 fast-food workers — about 50,000 of them in the city — are on their way to earning a fair wage. A state panel appointed by the governor last week recommended that workers at the state’s McDonalds, Taco Bells and other fast-food outlets that number more than 30 deserve better pay. It’s a correct decision -- and a courageous one. And, following decisions to boost the minimum wage in Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C., it amounts to an endorsement that service industry employees have for too long borne an often onerous burden, particularly in this city, which has seen incredible wealth pour in during the last few decades. According to a report released last year, 87 percent of fast-food workers to do not receive health benefits through their employer and more than half of those working full time in the industry are enrolled in at least one public benefit program. A nearly anonymous threemember board in the state capital has made a significant decision. The deserved hope — and expectation — now is that the marquee names in a nascent presidential campaign will back them up.
Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday July 31 – 7:54 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com.
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL MAY BE OUT, BUT THE LAW IS ALWAYS IN Capitalizing off of the success of the police department’s summer programs, the de Blasio administration announced at 10-point proposal to cut down on the number of student arrests, suspensions and summonses. The mayor’s office, the department of education and the police have come together to supervise and track the success of the program, which is largely in response to a 63 percent increase in school suspensions that occurred between 2000 and 2010. Overall, the recommendations support an emphasized focus on interactions between school staff, the students and their families with community supports to help stabilize the learning environment. Another goal that was highlighted was the reduction of disparities in disciplinary practices between students of different ethnicities, race and students with special needs and students with general education, through greater transparency, consistency, and information sharing between schools. The proposals aim to lay the groundwork for a healthier relationship between the city’s students and the police.
CITI BIKE TO OPEN FEWER STATIONS The de Blasio administration has compiled a 10-component proposal to reduce the number of student arrests, suspensions and summonses. Photo: Kevin Case, via Flickr
Despite initial reports that Citi Bike would expand its locations by the end of the year, jut 27 new stations are on tap for the
Upper East Side, rather than the previously reported 39, Curbed NY reports. In total, the city will have 139 stations by September. Many residents have complained about the expansion, because they hate being bombarded by the blue bikes when they walk out of their houses. Although many officials have stated that that is an exaggeration, StreetsBlog pointed out that the expansion could in fact actually be a disaster for the entire system. It stated that if the Department of Transportation isn’t able to “maintain a sufficient density of stations� in the new zones, the reliability of the bike-sharing program will heavily decrease.
LUXE LIVING PLANNED FOR SENIORS ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE A full-service hospitality company, Merchants Hospitality, has bouight ďŹ ve buildings on the Upper East Side and plans to co-develop them into one luxurious facility, the New York Post reports. Maplewood Senior Living facility, a projected 213,000-square-foot tower, was designed by Handel Architects. It will be built on the footprint of properties at Second Avenue and 93rd Street. Five properties there were bought for a total of $111 million in an all-cash deal, the paper reports. The facility will include large gardens and an indoor pool. Maplewood is a Westport, Connecticut-based company, and this is its ďŹ rst ever New York project.
The only dedicated Assisted Living Facility in New York City specializing in Enhanced Memory Care.
Ensconced in the landmark neighborhood of the Upper East Side, Residents continue to enjoy the heart and soul of this incomparable city they have always loved. • Beautiful Upper East Side Environment • Each floor a “Neighborhoodâ€? with Family Style Dining & Living Room • 24-hour Licensed Nurses & Attendants specially trained in dementia care • Medication Management • Around the clock personal care, as needed • Housekeeping, Linen & Personal Laundry • Courtyard & Atrium Rooftop Garden • Chef prepared Meals Nation’s first recipient of AFA’s Excellence in Care distinction.
80th Street Residents in Central Park with the Essex House Hotel peeking from behind.
430 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075 Tel. 212-717-8888 www.80thstreetresidence.com
Resident Manager of The 80th Street Residence Recognized for Expertise The only licensed Assisted Living Residence in New York City Entirely Devoted to Enhanced Memory Care The 80th Street Residence is proud to announce that their Resident Manager, Leah Gallagher, LMSW, has completed the “Positive Approach to Care (PAC)� Consultant Training and has been awarded with a “Certificate of Expertise.� The PAC program was created by dementia-care education specialist Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, an occupational therapist with over 30 years in clinical practice. Ms. Gallagher completed pre-requisite training work, a multi-modal classroom training and participated in weekly post-classroom calls with a coach to further exemplify her knowledge and skills. Clare Shanley, Executive Director says, “Leah Gallagher walked in the door 6 years ago and immediately immersed herself in supporting our Residents, Families and Staff. When we learned of the opportunity to train with Ms. Snow, who has long been known as the dementia-care guru, it was clear that this was an opportunity that just couldn’t be passed up. Leah’s unbridled enthusiasm for continued education is a perfect example of how she strives to provide the best support that she can for those navigating the difficult terrain of dementia. We couldn’t be more proud of her successful completion of the training and receiving a ‘Certificate of Expertise’.� With the highest level of Assisted Living Residence licensure by the New York State Department of Health, The 80th Street Residence is the only dedicated assisted living community in New York City Specializing in Memory Care. In their boutique setting, 80th Street offers unique neighborhoods, each, composed of no more than eight to ten Residents with similar cognitive abilities. All neighborhoods have cozy and homelike dining and living rooms and are staffed 24 hours a day with personal care attendants. The intimate setting allows for an environment that is conducive to relaxation, socialization and participation in varied activities. A true jewel of care on the Upper East Side.
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG
Silver Loses Bid To Dismiss Charges Former New York state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver lost a bid to toss out corruption charges against him. U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan last week dismissed the Democrat’s efforts to portray behavior that earned him millions of dollars over the last decade as innocent conduct that, at most, stretched the limits of ethics rules. “None of Silver’s arguments is persuasive,” the judge wrote. “Evidence that Silver went to lengths to conceal his allegedly ill-gotten gains is evidence both of Silver’s knowledge that the money that he received constituted ‘criminally derived property’ ... and evidence of Silver’s consciousness of guilt regarding his allegedly fraudulent and extortionate activities.” Silver is free on bail after his January arrest on charges that he collected $4 million in kickbacks by abusing his powerful legislative position. The 71-year-old Silver faces a Nov. 2 trial, where he has vowed to be vindicated.
His lawyers said in a statement Friday that they were studying Caproni’s decision. “We look forward to a trial of this case in which Mr. Silver will clear his name,” they said. Caproni noted that prosecutors plan to prove that Silver used his power and influence to obtain millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. “The fact that the payments Silver allegedly received as ‘bribes’ or ‘kickbacks’ were funneled through entities in which he had an undisclosed interest does not transform the bribery or kickback schemes into ‘undisclosed conflict-of-interest’ schemes,” she wrote. In court papers, defense attorneys had argued that the indictment made allegations that weren’t crimes, but instead constituted “longstanding features of New York state government that the U.S. attorney finds distasteful.” Silver, a Manhattan resident, resigned from his Senate leadership post after his arrest but retained his Assembly seat. First elected in 1976, he represents a district on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where he was born and raised.
MOTORCYCLE STOLEN
19TH PRECINCT
A motorcycle was taken from its parking spot on Central Park West near 107th Street sometime in the early morning of July 14, police reported. A 24-year-old woman parked the black 2013 Kawasaki, which belongs to a friend who was out of the country, about 11:30 p.m. the night before and found it was gone the following morning. The bike was last seen crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge heading outbound on July 14 at 3:02 a.m. The Kawasaki, with New York plates 16SP82, is valued at $5,000.
Reported crimes from the 19th Precinct for July 13 to July 19
WIRE MIRE At 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, a 45-year-old man got a phone call stating that one of his relatives needed money to pay a penalty for entering Mexico with cash exceeding a certain limit. The man sent out four wire transfers of money at Western Union facilities totaling $3,237 before he discovered that the call was indeed a scam.
DINER SHOOTING A man suffered minor injuries when gun violence rocked a local diner on July 16. A man said to be in his early 20s walked into the City Diner at 2441 Broadway and fired multiple rounds at a 24-year-old man. The victim suffered gunshot wounds to his neck area. According to a witness,
Week to Date
Year to Date
2015 2014
% Change
2015
2014
% Change
Murder
0
0
n/a
1
0
n/a
Rape
1
0
n/a
6
5
20.0
Robbery
0
1
-100.0
52
46
13.0
Felony Assault
1
1
0.0
64
59
8.5
Burglary
4
3
33.3
84
106
-20.8
Grand Larceny
30
24
25.0
699
701
-0.3
Grand Larceny Auto
3
7
-57.1
37
43
-14.0
the shooter fled on foot, heading west on 89th Street. Two shell cases were found, one under a diner seat and another at the southwest corner of 90th Street and Broadway.
unauthorized charges on a fraudulent or compromised card. The false charges, for which the man was not held responsible, included an ATM withdrawal from an unknown location in Queens.
MINED AND DECLINED
CHECK HECK
A resident of West 88th Street reported to police that he had unauthorized charges of $5,788 made to his credit card. The 29-year-old man tried to use his debit card on July 10, but was declined. The man spoke with the P&N Bank fraud department and was told that a stop had been put on his card due to multiple
At midnight on Sunday, May 10, a West 86th Street resident was checking his bank account and noticed seven unauthorized checks cashed in his name totaling $11,000. He notified his bank, and the money was credited back to his account. Police have identified a Queens man, Jason Constentino, 29, as a suspect.
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME TUESDAY, AUGUST 4th, 5:30PM-8:30PM CARL SCHURZ PARK: 86th STREET, AND EAST END AVENUE PRESENTED BY THE 19th PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEET WITH POLICE OFFICERS TO DISCUSS CRIME PREVENTION AND NEIGHBORHOOD CRIMES.
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Live Music, Refreshments, Face Painting, Board Games, Sports Equipment, Arts and Crafts. Featuring French Cookin’ Blues Band Food donated by Maz Mescal, Butterfield Market, Gotham Pizza and an Ice Cream Truck! WEATHER PERMITTING (cancelled if it rains) NO RAIN DATE. For more information call: Community Affairs Office: 212-452-0613 Email address: info_19th_Pct@aol.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/19thpctcc
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Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct
153 E. 67th St.
212-452-0600
159 E. 85th St.
311
FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13 FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16
157 E. 67th St.
311
FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43
1836 Third Ave.
311
FDNY Engine 44
221 E. 75th St.
311
CULTURAL CENTER MIGRATING LOCALLY
CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick
211 E. 43rd St. #1205
212-818-0580
Councilmember Ben Kallos
244 E. 93rd St.
212-860-1950
STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
State Senator Liz Krueger
1850 Second Ave.
212-490-9535
Assembly Member Dan Quart
360 E. 57th St.
212-605-0937
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
1365 First Ave.
212-288-4607
COMMUNITY BOARD 8
505 Park Ave. #620
212-758-4340
LIBRARIES Yorkville
222 E. 79th St.
212-744-5824
96th Street
112 E. 96th St.
212-289-0908
67th Street
328 E. 67th St.
212-734-1717
Webster Library
1465 York Ave.
212-288-5049
100 E. 77th St.
212-434-2000
HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell
525 E. 68th St.
212-746-5454
Mount Sinai
E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.
212-241-6500
NYU Langone
550 First Ave.
212-263-7300
CON EDISON
4 Irving Place
212-460-4600
POST OFFICES US Post Office
1283 First Ave.
212-517-8361
US Post Office
1617 Third Ave.
212-369-2747
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
Artspace P.S. 109, at 215 East 99th Street in East Harlem. Credit: Artspace.org.
After 19 years on the Upper West Side, El Taller set to move across park BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
El Taller Latino Americano, the language school and cultural center that for two decades has been located on the Upper West Side, is moving in August to East Harlem. After searching for over a year for a new location, the center will open in September in the basement of Artspace P.S. 109, an affordable housing enclave for artists and their families. The move follows many months of uncertainty after El Taller lost their home of 19 years on West 104th Street to a steep rent hike last summer. For the past year, El Taller has been running Spanish language classes out of St. Michael’s Church at 99th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. But that uncertainty plays into the immigrant narrative familiar to many who find their way to El Taller, said Bernardo Palombo, the organization’s founder and artistic director. “For me, it’s going back to where I started in 1969,” said Palombo, who is originally from Argentina. “I’m an immigrant. But my first approach of connection to the Spanish-speaking world (in New York) was in El Barrio.” El Taller (pronounced el tie-year), in addition to offering Spanish language classes, also functions as an art gallery, music venue and community center. For more than 35 years the organization has been located in a half-dozen different locations in several Manhattan neighborhoods such as the Lower East Side, Chelsea and the Upper West Side. “In some ways it’s the history of gentrification,” said Palombo.
Artspace, based in Minnesota, is a 35-year-old nonprofit whose mission is to create, develop and maintain permanently affordable housing for artists and their families. According to vice president of asset management Bill Mague, the organization has 38 projects in 14 states, which each have, on average, 50 units of affordable housing and 5,000 to 10,000 square feet of arts related space. Artspace P.S. 109 is a converted public school with 90 affordable apartments, for which the organization received over 53,000 applications from artists, according to Mague. Competition was also fierce for the arts-related space that the organization set aside in the basement of P.S. 109, which is located on 99th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Why did El Taller make the cut? “From an anchor-tenant perspective, El Taller was one of the only organizations that presented a need to move, they wanted to remain geographically relevant, and they had a 30-year track record of activity in a space of comparable size,” said Mague. Palombo said in addition to similar artistic visions, El Taller is an attractive tenant simply because they’re able to pay rent. “A lot of organizations applied, but when they came to the interview they said they basically depend on grants,” said Palombo, who noted El Taller earns the vast majority of its funds from tuition fees for their language classes. “For the last two years we were on a list of many organizations waiting for the space. Then they called us and said we got it.” That call concluded a months-long search for a new home fraught with uncertainty. “There have been so many emotions at the same time, from being scared about losing our space, to fear about moving to
a new community, but we couldn’t believe how good this is,” Palombo said. “I think it’s incredibly exciting for us. We’re going to celebrate 37 years this March, it was time for us for a change that way.” But will El Taller’s established West Side community trek across the park to the new location? Palombo said his organization’s artistic model is built on diversity, attracting musicians and artists from a wide array of locales both foreign and domestic. And while West Siders may not cross the park for language classes, Palombo is confident they will for art showings and concerts. “Well, remember, Taller is an open space. It’s made by the programming. We have musicians that come in from everywhere, the painters are the same,” Palombo said. “I think that they will cross the tracks — the park — for some activities we’re going to have there.” And El Taller will still maintain a footprint on the Upper West Side as they’re continuing to offer language classes out of St. Michael’s. “We were very lucky because we kept functioning in St. Michael’s church,” Palombo said of El Taller’s itinerant year. “It was amazing for us, the perfect refuge.” The new digs, however, are certainly an upgrade. The new home will feature a recording studio, performance and workshop space, and a 120-person capacity theater, among other amenities. El Taller will also benefit from Artspace’s built-in public relations team, who help spread the word about events and expand the profile of their artists via social media and their network of arts patrons and organizations. “We run a very empowered model,” said Mague, “we’re always seeking strong, local partners.” Palombo added that El Taller events will have a built-in potential audience of 90 artists and their families living right upstairs. “For me, it’s really exciting,” he said. But not everyone is thrilled with the move. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who attempted to negotiate with El Taller’s old landlord to keep them in the neighborhood, said she’s sad to see them leave the Upper West Side yet pleased the organization will survive. “Losing El Taller is a loss for the West Side, because it was an art space, a gathering space, and a unique space,” said Brewer, who lives on the Upper West Side and represented the neighborhood for many years on the city council. “It’s a loss. It was our version of historic. It was part of our history. I am glad (Palombo) found a space and his talent and creativity and the people that follow him have a place to go. He curates amazing things in music and art.” Brewer does plan on visiting El Taller at Artspace P.S. 109, and has no doubt that the organization’s audience will follow wherever Palombo leads. “He has a big following, high quality,” she said. “I think it’s great for them to stay in Manhattan. It’s not just West Siders that went to El Taller, they came from all over. People came from all over to go to El Taller.”
JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
East side, west side, all around the town, there’s a Mount Sinai. Because the new Mount Sinai Health System provides exemplary care throughout the entirety of the city. In fact, our footprint even extends into Long Island, Westchester, and Florida. The system includes seven hospitals. Approximately 6,100 primary care and specialty physicians. More than 140 ambulatory practices and 31 affiliated community health centers. In addition, it maintains more than 40 clinical and academic relationships with local care organizations and physicians serving patients in over 200 community locations throughout the region. Talk about a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Ironically, Mount Sinai’s number one mission is to keep people out of the hospital. We are moving away from
traditional fee-for-service medicine towards population health management. So instead of receiving care that’s isolated and intermittent, patients receive care that’s continuous and coordinated. Thus the tremendous emphasis on wellness programs designed to help people stop smoking, lose weight and battle obesity, lower their blood pressure, and reduce the risk of a heart attack. Across the street, down the block, around the corner, and without peer. It’s why Mount Sinai is for you, for life.
1 - 8 0 0 - MD-SINAI mountsinai.org/myhealth
MOST NEW YORK NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE A DELI, A DRY CLEANERS, A CHINESE RESTAURANT AND A MOUNT SINAI.
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FOXMAN RETIRES AS HEAD OF ADL Exit from Anti-Defamation League marks shift for US Jews BY RACHEL ZOLL
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
Over 28 years as head of the Anti-Defamation League, Abe Foxman emerged as a forceful torchbearer for American Jews. He counseled presidents and diplomats, CEOs and celebrities. He took on prominent ďŹ gures over anti-Semitic remarks or representations — actor Mel Gibson among them — and accepted any ensuing apologies on behalf of an entire community. No other U.S. Jewish leader has wielded as much influence with policymakers, faith leaders and U.S. Jews. Foxman retired last week as national director, a major moment of transition in American Jewish life that raises questions about the future of the organization known as the ADL. Foxman, 75, spoke to The Associated Press earlier this month amid the partially
packed file boxes and memorabilia in his Manhattan office. He talked anti-Semitism and Israel, took on his critics, and reflected on the past and future of an organization he helped mold. ANTI-SEMITISM IN AMERICA There’s both good news and bad in how far efforts to ďŹ ght anti-Semitism have come since Foxman started with the ADL as a staff lawyer a half-century ago. The organization, which tracks anti-Semitic attitudes and incidents in the U.S. and overseas, has seen a decline in such problems here but a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic views in Europe while pervasive stereotypes persist elsewhere overseas. The Internet has given bigots a way to spread their beliefs “not only anonymously but at the speed of light,â€? said Foxman. Internet searches for “Holocaust,â€? for example, yield results that include numerous
denial websites. “This is, today, where antiSemitism lives and spreads,â€? he said. On the positive side, he said no effort has had a greater impact at fighting anti-Jewish prejudice than the 1965 declaration “Nostra Aetateâ€? from the Roman Catholic Church, which stripped away any theological justification for anti-Semitic beliefs. Pope John Paul II furthered that message during his tenure, becoming the ďŹ rst pope to visit a synagogue (in Rome in 1986) and later praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. “It hasn’t changed everything,â€? Foxman said, “but it has been the most dramatic change.â€? JEWISH ENOUGH? The ADL was founded in 1913 with a mandate to fight antiSemitism and all bias. But the emphasis differed over time depending on who was in charge and the issues of the day. Foxman has faced criticism
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
NYC’S STARTUP PARTNER
%QNL CDCHB@SDC @BBNTMS QDOR @MC kM@MBHMF RNKTSHNMR SN R@LD C@X CDKHUDQX @MC TMHPTD RDQUHBD ONQS@KR VD UD ADDM GDKOHMF -DV 8NQJ "HSX R RS@QSTOR @MC RL@KK ATRHMDRRDR VHSG SDBGMNKNFX RNKTSHNMR ENQ NUDQ XD@QR ÷ Unique, self-ticketing service portal Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman at the centennial dinner for the AntiDefamation League in New York City in October 2013. Photo: Ash Carter, via Flickr that the ADL puts too many resources into non-Jewish issues. Under him, the organization built a formidable research arm into white supremacists and other extremists, advocated for immigrant and gay rights, conducted diversity training for law enforcement and developed programs for schools on issues ranging from the Holocaust to the 1964 Civil Rights Act to the impact of bullying. And though Foxman opposed a planned mosque near ground zero in New York, his organization formed an interfaith coalition to defend mosque construction elsewhere in the U.S. The complaints about the ADL’s direction are part of a wider American Jewish debate about whether Jewish organizations should keep a strict Jewish focus or have a broader reach, according to Sarah Benor, a Jewish studies professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. Foxman said such critics are usually uncomfortable with the ADL’s positions on gay rights, Latino immigration or other issues. In response, he quoted the Jewish sage Hillel: “But if I am only for myself, who am I?” Said Foxman: “We have always believed you can’t fight one kind of defamation without fighting the other.” Foxman long endured objections that he overreacted to perceived slights against the Jews and was too quick to condemn. Yet he was also chided
for too easily forgiving and embracing those who repented their anti-Jewish remarks. The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s relationship with the Jewish community was left tattered after anti-Semitic remarks he made during a 1984 presidential bid. Yet Jackson emerged in the 1990s as an opponent of anti-Semitism, in part because of Foxman’s counsel, according to J.J. Goldberg, editor-atlarge of the Jewish newspaper The Forward. At a retirement dinner last month for Foxman at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, a video tribute included a photo of Jackson with one arm around Foxman and the other around Henry Kissinger. Foxman said it was essential to accept apologies, especially from those who can serve as prominent allies for Jews. “If you don’t let them change, then you become the bigot.” ON ISRAEL Foxman has taken the position that criticism of Israel is not inherently anti-Jewish. But he said the condemnation often crosses the line into bigotry when it fixates on the wrongdoings of Israel, and ignores positive developments. Foxman said the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is “99 percent of the time” anti-Semitic. (BDS leaders say their battle is against Israel, not Jews, and they deny any bias.) The ADL
has developed a list of “Top Ten Anti-Israel Groups” in the U.S., and provides training and resources on college campuses to combat anti-Semitism amid anti-Israel protests. LOOKING AHEAD Foxman’s successor is Jonathan Greenblatt, 44, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor who interned with the ADL in college and worked in the Obama administration shaping national service and civic engagement programs. He joins an organization with a big budget ($60 million annually) and big bully pulpit, yet he takes over at a time when the American Jewish community is splintering. Fewer U.S. Jews formally affiliate with a synagogue or religious movement and the DIY ethos pervading American philanthropy has led to a proliferation of small Jewish nonprofits focused on very specific concerns. Foxman said the multi-issue ADL can still play a critical role in Jewish life. “I believe our mission is, unfortunately, even more credible than when we started.” He plans to still work with the ADL as a consultant, but Foxman demurred when asked what advice he’s shared with Greenblatt. “People keep telling him, ‘You have big shoes to fill,’” Foxman said. “They said the same thing when I came in.”
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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.
Letter
JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
OP-ED
THE UNRAVELING OF TIMES SQUARE To the Editor: Reading Janet Nonamaker’s “The Disgust of Times Square,” I have one word to say: BRAVA. She has said what I have been thinking for years. They could have rid Times Square of the pimps and prostitutes by cleaning up 42nd Street, Broadway all the way to the west, and left the rest of that area alone. What it has been turned into is a honky tonk area which Manhattan never was. Neon flashing lights one on top of the other trying to outdo each other. What a mess. I have no hope that we will ever again see that classy area. And the D.O.T. really thinks those tables and chairs are charming? These foolish people sitting for hours, do they not know they are inhaling the toxic fumes ofall the vehicles going past? As for the tourists, yes we love them here but why are they always in the way? I was trying to cross the street and there was a couple with two children all holding hands and it was hard to get through. Did they think someone would kidnap one of their children in broad daylight in NYC? If yes, what must they think of this evil city and why are they here? And to walk along the street needing to get somewhere and the person in front stops short to take a picture. I understand they want to enjoy their stay with memories but have a little consideration. And to allow these people wearing uniforms of TV puppets such as Elmo harass many people for money, this is not what we are known for and Mayor deBlasio and Commissioner Bratton, please wake up and do something about it. As one who has known the real beautiful Times Square for many years, it saddens me to see this. Bunny Abraham
STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source
Photo: empty007, via flickr
ENDING THE SCOURGE OF COPTER NOISE BY HELEN ROSENTHAL
Helicopter noise is a relentless burden, and now there’s a chance things will get quieter. Tourist helicopters flying over New York City takeoff from the Downtown Manhattan Helipad near Wall Street, and they fly up and down the Hudson River and around the bay. They operate 7 days a week, 8-10 hours a day. Tourist helicopter noise impacts everyone who lives, works, attends school, or enjoys public parks along their flight path. Last Thursday I joined Council Members Carlos Menchaca of southeast Brooklyn and Margaret Chin of lower Manhattan to introduce legislation to limit tourist helicopters based on noise. The Federal Aviation Administration categorizes helicopters by noise from Stage 1, the loudest, to Stage 3. The five helicopter tourist
Vice President/CFO Otilia Bertolotti Vice President/CRO Vincent A. Gardino advertising@strausnews.com
companies that operate in New York City all use Stage 2 helicopters. We have jurisdiction to ban Stages 1 and 2 on our own, but we need approval from the US Secretary of Transportation to limit the least noisy category of helicopters, Stage 3. At our press conference announcing the legislation, people came from all over the City to explain how helicopter noise impacted them. Murray Fisher, Founder of the Harbor School, a public school with marine-focused Career and Technical Education programs based on Governor’s Island, explained how helicopter noise affects teachers’ ability to teach and students’ ability to learn. Paul Rieckhoff, Founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and resident of Battery Park City, said helicopter noise in his neighborhood is worse than he experienced in Baghdad. Representatives
Associate Publishers, Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth Sr. Account Executive, Tania Cade
from Weehawken, New Jersey and the office of New Jersey Congressman Albio Sires attended to show their support. Delia Von Neuschatz, who felt so fed up with helicopter noise that she founded a non-profit, Stop the Chop NY NJ, noted that no other major city -- London, Paris, D.C. -- has helicopter tours. Cheré Campbell, an Upper West Sider, echoed what I’ve heard from many of you: helicopter noise is too frequent and too loud and warrants relief. I particularly appreciate Council Member Paul Vallone from Bayside speaking out in support of our efforts. The tourist helicopter industry launched a coalition, named “Helicopters Matter”, and ran a full-page ad in Friday’s issue of the New York Daily News. They argue the industry creates 219 jobs and adds about $33 million to the city’s economy. They note that calls made to 311
President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com Account Executive Editor In Chief, Kyle Pope Fred Almonte, Susan Wynn editor.ot@strausnews.com Director of Partnership Development Deputy Editor, Richard Khavkine Barry Lewis editor.dt@strausnews.com
regarding noisy helicopters have diminished over time and are far fewer than 311 complaints noise from loud parties. I’m looking forward to our first hearing about these bills, when we can tease out critical issues around the impact of noise on residents’ quality of life, and whether removing tourist helicopters would have a meaningful impact on New York City’s economy. I’m also curious as to why 311 helicopter noise complaints have decreased. Are residents fed up with getting no response from government about their complaints? If this issue matters to you and you experience helicopter noise, please call 311 to issue a complaint. The City -- and the tourist helicopter industry -- is listening. Helen Rosenthal represents the Upper West Side on the City Council
Staff Reporters, Gabrielle Alfiero, Daniel Fitzsimmons
Block Mayors, Ann Morris, Upper West Side Jennifer Peterson, Upper East Side Gail Dubov, Upper West Side Edith Marks, Upper West Side
JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
A LACK OF ACCESS, UNDERGROUND OR ABOVE 25 years after the American Disabilities Act, just 103 of 490 subway stations are accessible to the disabled BY WILLIAM ENGEL
If you’ve been in New York for any length of time, the subway has likely been part of your daily routine at some point. That’s not the case for Todd Kreisler. Kreisler, 57, has been in a wheelchair his entire life and for him, navigating the subway system is more of a chore than a convenience. “I use the subway about six times a year, basically,� the Upper East Side resident said. He said that, in general, he only uses the subway when he has
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to travel out of the borough. And for good reason: Where he lives, the closest accessible subway station is a 15-minute bus ride away. Earlier this year, blogger Matthew Ahn drew up and posted online a subway map that only included stops that were accessible to the disabled. Of the 490 stops around New York City, just 103 appeared on the map (including those on Staten Island). Ahn has been infatuated with subway culture since he moved to New York from Cleveland. Earlier this year, he set a Guinness World Record when he traveled through every subway stop in the city within 22 hours. Over the course of his travels,
he noticed a trend — the rarity of handicap accessibility. After being posted online in early June, Ahn’s map went viral. “Some people posted some really good insights,â€? he said. “They’re a whole subset of the population that we don’t think of as having mobility issues, like people who have trouble climbing up more than one ight of stairs.â€? Most of the country’s major cities with subways don’t have this shortcoming. In Washington, D.C., all of the city’s metro stations are accessible via elevator. Chicago’s Metropolitan Rail Corporation lists 173 of its
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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Research Opportunity for Healthy Volunteers Who is able to participate? Males and females ages 70-80 Healthy participants (no significant disease; not taking any significant medications)
Participation in the study involves: Taking cognitive tests Taking an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) Undergoing general anesthesia
Study Purpose: To find out how quickly cognitive functions (for example memory and working with numbers) return after general anesthesia with sevoflurane
Length of participation: 3-4 sessions in a 7 day period and phone call follow-ups for up to 1 year Compensation and Transportation will be provided.
Contact Information: Call the Anesthesia Research Team at 212-241-0840 with inquiries Study Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Silverstein, MD Location: Hess Center for Science and Medicine, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029 GCO #13-0359 MSSM; IRB approved 4/28.16
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Matthew Ahn’s subway map, which shows only those stations accessible to the disabled, or 103 of 490 stops in the ďŹ ve boroughs.
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
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Fri
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Sat
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LEARN TO PLAY CHESS START WITH ART AT AT WEBSTER ▲ THE MET Webster Library Auditorium, 1465 York Ave. 3 p.m. Free but registration is required: phone or in-person Whether you’re a chess champion or a beginner, come join the board game Friday fun! You will either practice your chess skills by playing casual games or learn how to play it from an experienced instructor. 212-288-5049. www.nypl. org
NY THROUGH THE DECADES: SHORT STORIES OF MANHATTAN
Carson Family Hall, Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, 1000 Fifth Avenue 11 a.m.-Noon Free with museum admission; admission is free for children under 12 with an adult This month’s theme at the Met is Friends and Family. So, bring your friends and family and come share ideas and enjoy stories, sketching and other activities that bring works of art to life. www.metmuseum.org
IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AN ALLIGATOR A classroom in 92Y, Lexington TO SCHOOL, DON’T! STORYTIME ► Avenue at 92nd Street 10 a.m. From $30 This is the final part of the 10week film series, which screens a representative movie for each decade, starting with the 1920s and ending in 2010. This week, they are wrapping it up with film segments and clips that take a look back at Manhattan in the 2000s. www.92y.org
Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St 11 a.m. Free Join Barnes & Noble for Storytime featuring the best picture book of the month! In this story, nothing will stop Magnolia from being the best show-and-tell of all to school. 212-369-2180. http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ event/4870589-0
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SUNDAY STUDIO Gallery 700 (The Charles Engelhard Court), 1000 Fifth Ave. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Free with museum admission; admission is free for children under 12 with an adult Drop in to the Sunday studio for a go at creating works of art on your own. You’ll get to focus on a different art form each session with family-friendly activities led by an artist. www.metmuseum.org
JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
STORYTIME IN NOLEN LIBRARY Children’s Reading Room in Nolen Library, Uris Center for Education, 1000 Fifth Ave. 2 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Free; Museum admission not required Gather around for this fun family program as children will listen, sing and have fun with picture books. Later, the whole family can enjoy an adventure through a self-guided gallery hunt in the Museum. www.metmuseum.org
Mon
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MET ESCAPES — GALLERY TOUR
LAUREN HOLMES IN CONVERSATION WITH NATHAN ENGLANDERâ–ź Barnes & Noble, 150 East 86th St. 7 p.m. Free Although a newcomer, Lauren Holmes writes like a master. Come enjoy her book “Barbara the Slut and Other People,â€? a story about the troubles that the most hopeful generation goes through – the Millennials. 212-369-2180. http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ event/87126-0
Wed
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CURTAIN UP: THE Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center SCHOOL OF AMERICAN for Education, 1000 Fifth Ave. BALLET WORKSHOP 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Free; PERFORMANCES reservations are required Individuals living with dementia, together with their family members, friends or partners are invited to participate in discussions, art-making sessions and other interactive multisensory activities. 212-650-2010. www. metmuseum.org
67th Street Library, 328 East 67th St. 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Free For the ďŹ rst time ever, go behind the scenes to experience the intensive training of ballet’s future stars, as they prepare for their vital end-of-year performances. 212-734-1717. www.nypl.org
now releasing music as a solo artist. Come watch his scenerychewing live show of his new pop debuts. 212-360-2777. www. timeout.com
Thu
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CB8 SPEAKS Manhattan Neighborhood Network, 505 Park Ave (Time Warner Ch. 34/ RCN Ch. 82/ FiOS Ch. 33) 9:30 p.m. Free As part of the communications committee meeting, moderator Ellen Polivy will discuss constituent services with the key staff of local electeds. 212-758-4340. www.cb8m. com
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ANIMAL ADVENTURE Yorkville Library, 222 East 79th St. 2:30 p.m. Free but registration is required: phone or in-person During this unique program, children ages three to ďŹ ve years will have the opportunity to interact with live animals and discover how to be kind and gentle towards animals and the environment. 212-744-5824. www.nypl.org
Huge Selection of Bibles Fiction/Non-Fiction Children’s Books Greeting Cards .VTJD t (JGUT Original Art Events and More! )PVST . ' BN QN t 4BU BN QN $MPTFE PO 4VOEBZT +VMZ "VHVTU
:PSL "WF #UXO SE UI 4U t www.logosbookstorenyc.com
BEFORE SHE CAN LIGHT UP THE STAGE, WE HAVE TO.
MEMBERS’ THURSDAY NEUE GALLERIE NEW YORK MUSEUM FOR GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN ART, 1048 FIFTH AVE.
6 p.m.-8 p.m. Free with membership This event is a chance for members of the museum to QUIET STUDY ROOM bring along guests and enjoy the CENTRAL PARK “Russian Modernism: Cross67th Street Library, 32 East SUMMERSTAGE Currents of German and Russian 67th St. MAINSTAGE Art, 1907-1917â€? and “Gustav Noon. Free For adults, senior citizens, Rumsey PlayďŹ eld, Central Park Klimt and Adele Bloch-Bauer: The Woman in Goldâ€? exhibitions book lovers and even at Fifth Ave and 72nd St in a more reserved environment businesspeople, if you are 6 p.m. $35 than usual. interested in having a completely Father John Misty extends 212-628-6200. www. quiet space with no talking, no beyond his past life as a neuegalerie.org cellphones and no noise at all to member of Fleet Foxes and is focus on some work, then the quiet study room is the place to be. 212-734-1717. www.nypl.org
Tue
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Everyone depends on electricity. So if you ever need to report a loss of power, now you can text OUT to OUTAGE (688243) and follow the prompts. Also, check our outage map to get estimated restoration times at conEd.com/OutageMap.
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
THE PORTRAIT KING John Singer Sargent paints his bohemian and high-society friends in a blockbuster show at the Met BY VALENICE CASTRONOVO
John Singer Sargent (18561925), the Gilded Age, American expat artist, may be best known for his formal portraits of the one percent. But he had a freer, looser style on display when painting family and friends. Those friends — many of them writers, artists, actors, and musicians — form the core of a dazzling summer show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that casts a spotlight on the artist’s more informal paintings and sketches. These works were typically not commissioned, but tokens of — and tributes to — friendship and, as such, were gifted to his subjects or kept by the artist. The curators have produced a blockbuster show, with some 90 paintings and drawings on parade, on view through Oc-
tober 4. It is a paean to the creative class, with a healthy helping of high-society thrown in because, after all, this is John Singer Sargent and the rich and influential were his bread and butter — his patrons, his benefactors, the grist for his art. Scan the walls and be impressed by the company he kept. Literary giants Henry James, Robert Louis Stevenson and William Butler Yeats are represented alongside composer Gabriel Fauré, actor Edwin Booth (founder of The Players Club in Gramercy Park), dancer La Carmencita and art world greats Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, William Merritt Chase and Carolus-Duran — the latter Sargent’s mentor and celebrated society portraitist. Sargent went to Paris in 1874 and joined Carolus-Duran’s atelier, quickly becoming his star student. His masterful portrait of his teacher, dated 1879, fittingly kicks off the show, with a seated Carolus-Duran holding his left
Pailleron Children, 1880. Oil on canvas, 60 × 69 in. Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Purchased with funds from the Edith M. Usry Bequest, in memory of her parents Mr. and Mrs. George Franklin Usry, the Dr. and Mrs. Peder T. Madsen Fund, and the Anna K. Meredith Endowment Fund
hand on his thigh and exuding confidence and charisma. But in a room framed by Carolus-Duran at one end and the provocative “Madame X” at the other, there is a showstopper of another sort at the exhibit’s entrance, featuring one of Sargent’s pet subjects: his friends’ children. “Portraits of Édouard and Marie-Louise Pailleron” (1881) may not be as well known as “The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit” (1882), which resides at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and is not part of the current show. But it has an intensity that stops you in your tracks. The artist’s first formal double portrait, the picture portrays the children of playwright Édouard Pailleron and wife, Marie. It shines a literal light on Marie-Louise, making her and her white, frilly dress the ghostly focus (her brother wears black and recedes in the background). The young girl claimed to have endured 83 sittings for the portrait, a brilliant character study and testament to Sargent’s Impressionistic obsession with light, especially light on fabric and light on white — or “white on white,” in the words of curator Richard Ormond, Sargent’s grand-nephew, at a recent lecture at the Met. Glide past portraits of the elegantly attired Madame Ramón Subercaseaux, wife of the Chilean consul, and the spectacled Vernon Lee, Sargent’s childhood writer-friend, until you see the commanding, fulllength figure of doctor SamuelJean Pozzi. The renowned Parisian gynecologist is portrayed here in a crimson-red dressing gown and embroidered slippers (“Dr. Pozzi at Home,” 1881). As Sargent scholar Elaine Kilmurray writes in the catalog, the glamorous Pozzi was “famous for his love affairs,” including one of long standing
Carolus-Duran, 1879. Oil on canvas, 46 × 37–3/4 in. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts. Photo © Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. Photo by Michael Agee
with actress Sarah Bernhardt. Kilmurray also writes that Pozzi “founded the League of the Rose, a society devoted to the confession and acting out of sexual experiences.” Sargent was clearly cognizant of Pozzi’s inclinations when he composed this red-on-red masterwork, which ironically was influenced by Old Master paintings of ecclesiastical figures. In 1907, he dispensed with painting oil portraits and switched to charcoal drawings. He completed 600 portraits in this medium — a select few on exhibit here — including a dashing likeness of Yeats in 1908 for the frontispiece of a new volume of poems. He had embraced landscape painting some years earlier, reveling in watercolors and the new freedom they afforded. Using both oils and watercolors, he traveled to Venice, the Alps and southern Europe and experimented with plein air compositions of the kind forged by the Impressionists. Case in point: “The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy” (1907), which portrays American artist Jane de Glehn in the act of painting outdoors, with her artist-husband Wilfrid looking on. Sargent was a lifelong friend of Monet, but he was often called the heir to Manet because of “his urbanity and feeling for light,” Ormond said in his talk, adding that he gives a “realistic feeling of real people
The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy, 1907 Oil on canvas, 28–1/8 × 22–1/4 in. The Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection in real space.” He also noted that the painter’s style was “rooted in French Aestheticism ... [he had] a feeling for art for art’s sake, beauty for beauty’s sake.” This exhibit hails from London’s National Portrait Gallery, minus Sargent’s beau-
teous “Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose” (1885-86), which couldn’t travel. A preparatory study in oil for this charming tableau of young girls (modeled after the daughters of a friend) lighting paper lanterns in a garden will have to suffice. It does. And then some.
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO OUR ARTS EDITOR
THEATER
“PIMM’S MISSION” In playwright Christopher Stetson Boal’s new show, an explosion at a New York base of a pharmaceutical company leads an FBI agent to the sole witness of the attack, a man named Robert Pimm, who, along with an employee of the company, comes under suspicion. “Pimm’s Mission” July 30-Aug. 16 59E59 Theaters 59 E. 59th St., between Park and Madison Avenues Assorted show times Tickets $25 For more information, visit 59e59.org or call 212-279-4200
“RAMONA” This story from Georgian company Gabriadze Theatre, chronicles the love affair of two trains. Told with marionettes, the tale follows the titular Ramona as she waits for the return of Ermon, a locomotive traversing Russia. Through Saturday, August 1 Clark Studio Theater at Lincoln Center 165 W. 65th St., near Amsterdam Avenue Assorted show times Tickets $85 For more information, visit lincolncenterfestival.org or call 212-275-5000
FILM “THE FRENCH CONNECTION” AND “THE BRINK’S JOB” Film Forum’s true crime series continues with a double feature of films from director William Friedkin: the 1971 film “The French Connection” and 1978’s “The Brink’s Job.” Friday, July 31 Film Forum 209 W. Houston St., near Varick Street Assorted show times Two films for $13 (available at the box office only) For more information, visit filmforum.org or call 212-727-8110
W. 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue 1 p.m. FREE For more information, visit lcoutofdoors.org or call 212-875-6500
GALLERIES ELIZABETH LIVINGSTON’S “NIGHT FELL” Painter Elizabeth Livingston’s realistic scenes capture moments of suburban domesticity, from a lone evening swimmer treading water in a backyard pool to the glow of an upstairs window in an otherwise dark house. Aug. 5-Sept. 6 Opening reception: Aug. 5, 7-9 p.m. The Lodge Gallery 131 Chrystie St., between Delancey and Broome Streets Gallery hours: Wednesday-Friday, 2 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon-10 p.m. FREE For more information, visit thelodgegallery. com or call 212-627-7221
MUSIC OPENING DOORS: CELEBRATING IMMIGRANT NEW YORK This free day of music, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, highlight’s the art and music of some of the city’s immigrant communities. Queens-born musician Ryan Ali plays high-octane percussion inspired by music from Trinidad and Tobago with his Boodoosingh Tassa Drummers, and Calpulli Mexican Dance Company performs traditional Aztec dances. Sunday, Aug. 2 Hearst Plaza at Lincoln Center
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Elizabeth Livingston, “Before I could Answer”, oil on canvas 72” x 84”
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thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Hearst Fellows Symposium
FRIDAY, JULY 31ST, 2PM Mount Vernon Hotel | 421 E. 61st St. | 212-838-6878 | mvhm.org One of the oldest buildings in Manhattan hosts a series of talks based on original research on topics like the opening of the Erie Canal and its impact on NYC, and Andrew Jackson’s 1828 election to the presidency. (Free with museum admission)
Eye of the Beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and the Reinvention of Seeing
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 6:30PM Mid-Manhattan Library | 455 Fifth Ave. | 212-340-0863 | nypl.org A Fulbright scholar speaks about the creative ferment of 17th-century Holland, where innovations in optical devices led to immortal works of art and a new mode of seeing. (Free)
Just Announced: Richard Dawkins in Conversation with Robert Krulwich
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 7:30PM 92nd Street Y | 1395 Lexington Ave. | 212-415-5500 | 92y.org English ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins will champion reason over religion in a talk with the co-host of Radiolab. ($32)
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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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
Food & Drink TOP CHEFS IN SMALL TOQUES Cooking programs teach city kids food preparation techniques while emphasizing nutrition and eating well BY LIZ NEUMARK
Bring a child into the kitchen and imagine what happens? There is excitement and engagement around the various tasks of food preparation. Children are motivated to experiment and explore, and that is only the beginning of food magic. In speaking with chef educators who specialize in cooking with inner-city children, the consensus is unanimous: our at-risk children, those in communities with the highest incidents of diet related disease, can — and want — to learn about healthy eating. Although their food preferences might not resemble mine, they too want to enjoy delicious and well-prepared foods. The Sylvia Center, a culinary focused non-profit operating in city public housing community centers and other afterschool location) as well as at Katchkie Farm upstate, engages more than 3,000 children, teenagers and their parents and caregivers each year. Their motto is Inspiring Children to Eat Well. The cooking curriculum involves a six-week program and upstate farm visits are daylong. Nina Simmons, senior chef instructor, sees children on both sides of the spectrum: those who have families active in the kitchen with varying cultural traditions around food and those dependent on frozen meal and fast-food options. And though it is alarming for her to discover how few children cook with adults at home, it is a sign of the times that their first reaction to being taught basic kitchen skills is the ubiquitous and joyful statement: “I’m going to be a Top Chef,” she shares. (“Have you been on TV?” they all ask her.) The first steps are simple, especially for the younger groups starting at age 7 with mixing, assembling and learning basic knife skills. The bear claw (with arched fingers), holding the food while the other hand works the knife, is practiced over and over as small
hands take big strides. The next level involves learning how to use peelers and graters. Favorite tasks include whisking vinaigrettes, squeezing citrus or mashing avocado for guacamole. Cracking eggs is a learning experience as many children think they require squeezing. The instructors take this loss factor into consideration when calculating egg quantities! Then they are ready to move closer to the stove, stirring a pot, tending a skillet, learning about the oven’s thermostat and checking the progress of baked or roasted food. There are generalizations about likes/dislikes that seem to be consistent at different cooking programs. Zucchini, potatoes, carrots and cucumbers get “likes.” Cauliflower, broccoli, kale (even in chip form) merit “meh.” “Weird” is reserved for beets, eggplant and green beans. Salads are not a consistent part of home meals – neither leafy greens nor veggie salads. There are few fruit desserts, and neither blueberries nor peaches are familiar items. Herbs, like basil, are new. Learning that a bulb of garlic is broken into cloves and then chopped is new. Within six weeks, young children show enthusiasm for trying new foods spurred by new flavors, textures and colors. “I want the recipe so I can take it home and cook with my mother” is heard frequently. Teresa Morelli, a Sylvia Center chef instructor, has been working with youth and teens for five years. Conducting classes at the Red Hook community center the students take advantage of the community garden, which adds a deeper dimension to the exploration of food. Basil becomes pesto and the hand-picked tomatoes and cucumbers make a salad. Teresa reflected on the sense of privilege she feels being in the kitchen with her students. “They take it seriously and learn more than they realize. There are wonderful conversations despite getting them to eat green things. I sneak in food advice and encourage them in new ways.” It is in this environment that the students share stories about food, family and their lives. She describes the eaters who pick the
veggies out of the pasta dish and celebrate the young girl who made the asparagus and feta frittata for Mother’s Day – and then posted the photo on Instagram. The most popular class dishes are muffins, frittata and smoothies. Less beloved are the butternut squash and beans. Leafy greens find their way into her pasta dishes, notably lasagna, and get eaten. The rule – the two-bite test: after two bites, you can pass on a new food. Just Food, another city-based foodfocused non-profit directs its efforts at supporting capacity building community-based food projects. Known also for deep relationships with regional farmers and pioneering CSA’s in the city for over 15 years, bringing fresh food to local pantries and being a leading voice in food advocacy, Just Food ran community chef programs for several years, training youth to lead cooking demos in community centers, gardens and markets. Heather Horgan is the markets and outreach coordinator for East NY Farms in Brooklyn and continues the work of the program. Reminiscing about her pathway to food advocacy, she recalled lessons from her Southern grandmother and the small garden where they grew peas and beans. Though she slipped into a diet style of fast food, she reconnected as an adult via a job with the Food Bank of New York. “Decolonizing our tastebuds” is how Horgan
described the process of getting back to “natural, culturally relevant food.” The program is rooted in the principle of “We Do” — ‘we grow the food, we pick it, and we cook it’ so the children see and taste with heightened senses and new appreciation. The garden is the catalyst for cooking as well as community work. The youth program is tiered with first year interns (middle-school age), returning interns and finally externs (high school seniors and college students) who work in the East New York farm as well as other communities throughout the city. A weekly four-hour cooking class for interns and staff yields lunch for 40 or more. Knife safety, sanitary habits – including the washing of produce – and basic nutrition guidelines permeate the lesson. They are at an age where they can start to cook and make their own food choices. Many of them are intrigued by the work and aspire to be chefs. In short order, they are leading cooking demos for even younger children — in the market, at day care — and mentoring the next group. Nina Simmons, a lead chef instructor for a pilot program funded by the After School Corporation and The Pinkerton Foundation, conducted an apprenticeship program for 25 selected Bronx high school students from TASC affiliated schools. The program titled TSC Teen Chef: Skills for Life, was 60 hours long over the course of 16 weeks. Most
of the participants had “no clue about eating healthy food or being in the kitchen,” she said. In addition to learning culinary skills, the students were given reading assignments, learned about food justice, the industrial food system and how to teach. With ongoing guidance and mentorship, they are currently in summer internships at community centers across the city, instructing two youth classes a week in the art of cooking! The goal is multifaceted. Creating lifelong healthy eaters is a goal as is teaching skills that can lead to employment, a critical factor in initiating lasting lifestyle changes. The takeaway: Everyone wants to eat better food. If the message is dogmatic, the lesson will be lost. Kids learn by doing — and cooking very much is doing. Stuffing empanadas or dumplings is a favorite. The media can be our friend — kids think cooking can be cool. Teens quickly latch on to the professional possibilities cooking can offer. Seeing food in its natural context is mind blowing. Baking is amazing — and delicious. Seeing spinach reduce during cooking is an ‘aha’ moment. The precision of measuring cups is new and a completed task is a proud moment. Liz Neumark is the CEO of Great Performances catering and the author of the cookbook Sylvia’s Table.
JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS JUL 8 - 24 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our
neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/ html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml.
Crusty & Tasty Bagel
1323 2Nd Ave
A
Bagels & Co
500 E 76Th St
Not Graded Yet (34) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Equinox 74Th Street Juice Bar
1429 2Nd Ave
A
Bounce Restaurant&Sports 1403 2 Avenue Lounge
Grade Pending (16) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
E.J Luncheonette
Grade Pending (20) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
1271 Third Avenue
Good Health Natural Cafe
1435 1 Avenue
A
La Crosta Restaurant
436 East 72 Street
Grade Pending (18) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
Cafe Con Leche
2026 2Nd Ave
A
Evergreen Asian Cuisine
1571 Lexington Avenue
A
Lechonera Tropical & Grill
172 East 103 Street
Grade Pending (20) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Megasun Restaurant
1773 Lexington Avenue
A
Da Capo
1392 Madison Ave
A
Cucina Bene Pizzeria
1505 Lexington Ave
A
El Paso Taqueria
64 East 97 Street
Grade Pending (4)
Noodle Fun
1744 1St Ave
A
Pic Up Stix
1372 Lexington Ave
A
Il Salumaio Wine Bar
1731 2Nd Ave
A
Go Cups
1838 2Nd Ave
A
look
$15 an Hour for Fast Food Workers Shows us the Way By Stuart Appelbaum, President Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, RWDSU, UFCW
T
he proposal by Governor Cuomo’s wage board to raise the wages of fast food workers throughout New York to $15 an hour means a chance at a better life for many working people in the state. But more importantly, it establishes two principles in addressing the growing wage inequality that has made life a struggle for low-wage workers. First, the wage board’s decision declares, once and for all, that the state’s current minimum hourly wage of $8.75 is far too low, and it’s inadequate for working New Yorkers who are trying to survive. We need to take action. Second, by raising fast food wages in New York City more quickly than the rest of the state, the wage board proposal acknowledges that the cost of living in the city is higher than throughout the rest of the state. Worker advocates have argued for years that it’s important to recognize that wages that may be appropriate in the rest of the state aren’t sufficient in New York City. We applaud the decision of Governor Cuomo to convene the wage board and address the issue of economic inequality head on. In announcing the wage board’s decision, he said nobody can “live and support a family on $18,000 per year in the State of New York,” and he’s right. For many low-wage workers, life is a daily struggle to get by. Even when they are fortunate enough to have full-time jobs, parents grapple with choosing between paying the bills or buying food. For these workers, keeping their families out of poverty is an uphill battle. And, by allowing business to pay poverty wages, we force taxpayers to pick up the slack since so many workers have no choice but to seek out public assistance. The cost of these poverty wage jobs on our society and our state is tremendous. Raising the wages of fast food workers shows us there is a path we must follow to raise worker standards in New York. We call If $8.75 isn’t enough upon the state legislature to for fast food workers, raise the minimum wage for it isn’t enough for reeveryone. If $8.75 isn’t enough for fast food workers, it isn’t tail workers or any of enough for retail workers, the other hardworkcar wash workers, or airport ing New Yorkers who workers, or home health care still find themselves workers, or any of the other in poverty. hardworking New Yorkers who still find themselves in poverty.
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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com
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Low-wage workers need more in New York, and raising the fast food workers’ wage to $15 sets a precedent. The bar has been set, and it’s our responsibility to fight for at least $15 an hour for all working people in New York.
Email us at news@strausnews.com
For more information, visit
www.rwdsu.org
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
Business
< FOUR SEASONS SPACE GETS NEW RESIDENTS The iconic space that served as home to the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building on E. 52nd Street for decades will soon make way for a new operation, the New York Times reported, from chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi and partner Jeff Zalaznick. The trio operates some of Manhattan’s
most coveted downtown hot spots, including Carbone and Dirty French, along with casual eatery Parm, which has grown to include an Upper West Side branch at Columbus Avenue and W. 71st Street and an outpost in Battery Park City’s Brookfield Place in addition to its original Mulberry Street location. Aby Rosen,
who owns the building, will step in as the stillunnamed restaurant’s co-owner. The shakeup follows the rejection of Rosen’s proposed renovations to the dining room by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission earlier this year, and after Rosen informed the Four Seasons’ owners that he would not renew their lease when it runs out next year, the Times reported.
FAST-FOOD WORKERS TO MAKE $15 Raises will be phased in over 3 years in NYC, and in six years elsewhere in the state BY DAVID KLEPPER AND DEEPTI HAJELA
Fast-food workers in New York state heralded a proposal to raise their minimum wage to $15 even as restaurant owners vowed to fight what they said would be an arbitrary and damaging increase. The minimum wage would increase gradually to $15 an hour — but only for workers in fast-food restaurants with 30 or more locations — under a plan endorsed last week by a state Wage Board. The proposal now goes to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s labor commissioner, who is expected to approve the increase. Cuomo said he supports the move. An estimated 200,000 workers would be impacted by the increase, which would be phased in over three years in New York City and over six years elsewhere in the state. Fifteen dollars represents a significant victory for workers who argue fast-food wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living in one of the country’s most expensive states. “If I made $15, I could pay my rent on time, I could put food on the table, I could hold my head up,” said Rebecca Cornick, a 60-year-old grandmother who makes $9 an hour at a Wendy’s in Brooklyn. “We have worked so hard to make this happen.” But restaurant owners say the increase will backfire by forcing them to consider higher menu prices, reduced hours for workers and even automated fast-food counters that use computers to take a customer’s order. “We’re being singled out for an unknown reason,” said David Sutz, who along with his partners owns four Burger Kings in Westchester and Dutchess counties. “Unfortunately, I can turn one of my registers into a ki-
osk and eliminate a position,” he said. “Labor is your second most expensive cost in this industry after the product.” San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles have approved gradual increases to $15 an hour, and the huge University of California system said Wednesday that it would raise its minimum to $15 for all hourly workers. That group includes students and full-time employees working in dining halls, dorms and bookstores or as gardeners, housekeepers and custodians at campuses and hospitals. With a large concentration of lowwage workers, the fast-food industry has become a popular target for labor activists who say inexpensive chain restaurants haven’t kept up with the cost of living. Fast-food employees themselves have emerged as a potent political force in New York and around the nation. “You cannot live and support a family on $18,000 a year in the state of New York — period,” Cuomo, a Democrat, said at a Manhattan rally celebrating the proposal. “This is just the beginning. We will not stop until we reach true economic justice.” Franchise owners are now considering whether they could fight the increase in court. Carolyn Richmond, an attorney with New York City-based Fox Rothschild LLP, said she can’t see the legal justification for focusing on a single industry. “This is certainly ripe for challenge,” said Richmond, who represents many hospitality businesses including fastfood companies. “It’s what legally we call ‘arbitrary and capricious.’” The fast-food industry employs a greater number of minimum-wage workers than other sectors of the economy, according to Michael Reich, a University of California-Berkeley economics professor who has studied the minimum wage.
Fast-food workers and members of other organisations advocating for for a living wage rallying in Union Square in August 2013. Photo: The All-Nite Images, via Flickr Entry-level fast-food workers make an average of $16,920 a year, according to state labor statistics. They are twice as likely to receive some type of public assistance. Cuomo said the annual cost of that assistance to taxpayers is $700 million in New York state. “It accounts for more low-wage employment than any other,” Reich said of the industry. “If you’re going to pick one sector, it’s a strategic one.”
The increase now goes to Cuomo’s labor commissioner for a final authorization. It does not require legislative approval. Cuomo called for the creation of the Wage Board after proposals to increase the minimum wage for all workers failed in the Legislature. The three-member panel was led by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. Labor groups held rallies around the
state to celebrate the board’s vote to endorse the increase. But not all attendees were pleased that the increase will be implemented gradually. “We have to wait six years for this to happen and we need it now,” said Stacey Ellis, who works at an Albany McDonalds. “By the time six years goes by it won’t need to be $15. It will need to be something even higher.”
JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
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Todd Kreisler boards a subway train. Photo: William Engel.
A LACK OF ACCESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 241 stations as â&#x20AC;&#x153;accessible.â&#x20AC;? The Municipal Transportation Agency in San Francisco offers accessible boarding for wheelchair users at all stations. But New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subway is almost 100 years old, which can present engineers with sometimes massive obstacles â&#x20AC;&#x201D; both physical and ďŹ nancial â&#x20AC;&#x201D; when the authority looks to ameliorate access for the disabled. Still, Sid Wolinsky, the cofounder of Disability Rights Advocates, said New York is lagging when it comes to disability access, especially on a global scale. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Seoul, which is a 1000-year-old city, every single subway stop in the far-ďŹ&#x201A;ung subway system is completely wheelchair accessible,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New York should be ashamed of itself.â&#x20AC;? According to the MTA, the relative lack of accessible stations is a matter of engineering limitations. Nonetheless, the MTA is working to increase the number of stations accessible to the disabled. According to the authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capital Program Report for 2015-19, $561 million has been earmarked for accessibility. The plan includes the installation of elevators at several â&#x20AC;&#x153;keyâ&#x20AC;? stations, including Times Square-42nd Street and Chambers Street/Nassau
in Manhattan. An additional $436 million has been earmarked to replace 46 elevators and 35 escalators. By Kreislerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s account, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress with regard to accessibility for the disabled has been slow, but steady. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen changes,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was young, I hated Manhattan because I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t navigate it. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not perfect, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot better.â&#x20AC;? This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Similar in design to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, religion, sex and sexual orientation among other attributes, the ADA also included provisions to ensure that public structures would provide reasonable accommodations to disabled persons. This, naturally, included the subway system. But Title II of the ADA includes the following clause: â&#x20AC;&#x153;public entities are not required to take actions that would result in undue ďŹ nancial and administrative burdens.â&#x20AC;? Wolinsky, though, said that the city is taking advantage of this passage to dodge its responsibility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no absolute requirement that older stations which are not now accessible be immediately made fully accessible,â&#x20AC;? he said. But he said, there is a requirement that renovation projects at subway station include a 20
percent outlay to create access. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is federal law,â&#x20AC;? Wolinsky said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This has been largely ignored by New York for 20 years.â&#x20AC;? Ahn, the blogger who composed the map, is more hopeful. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do think that, MTA leadership really believes that this is something that needs to happen,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just not clear that, with the priorities they have, that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be anything other than just individual stations, one at a time.â&#x20AC;? A spokesman for the MTA, Kevin Ortiz, said handicap accessibility is one of the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top priorities, even if he says that full accessibility just isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feasible, at least for now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Given the configuration of certain stations and the age of the system, it is simply impossible or cost prohibitive to make every station accessible,â&#x20AC;? he said. To his disappointment, Kreisler agrees with that assessment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re never gonna see 100 percent accessibility in New York,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never see it in my lifetime, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll tell you that much.â&#x20AC;? But although heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resigned, Kreisler said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also reconciled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like the subways to be better, but, you know, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not, and I doubt they ever will be,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But you deal with what you have.â&#x20AC;?
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JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
GRADING RESTAURANTS ON A CURVE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Photo: MTA, via Flckr
CROSSTOWN BLUES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Baldeo said confusion is lessening as time goes on. “DOT and NYCT Customer Ambassadors have reported that the initial confusion about the temporary moving of these stops has lessened,” she said. “However, we will continue to work to ensure signage is in place once the Ambassador program has concluded.” But Yorkville residents say they were left in the dark. David Rosenstein, a Community Board 8 member, sent an alarmed email to fellow board members, elected officials and NYC Transit criticizing the lack of notice regarding the closure of the westbound 2nd Avenue stop. But a member of NYC Transit’s community relations team told him they had in fact notified the community board. “Who dropped the ball? I can’t say,” said Rosenstein, who questioned why the MTA couldn’t install temporary kiosks closer to the original site of the bus stop on Second Avenue and 86th Street. “But the bottom line is the MTA doesn’t seem to be flexible,
and can’t think outside the box.” It’s unclear where the fault lies. Scott Falk, chair of the board’s transportation committee, said the committee would look at its communication procedures. “I guess we’ll have to review what notification methods are appropriate for this type of situation and we’ll take a look at that,” Falk said. Baldeo said the westbound 2nd Avenue stop should return in about three months, but Falk takes issue with the boiler trailer displacing it in the first place. “I don’t think that private construction should need to result in the suspension of a bus stop,” Falk said. “But I don’t have full information at this time on the policies of when these suspensions are seen as necessary. It does seem the boiler placement is going to make it impossible to accommodate the stop where it’s located.” What that means at the moment is riders walking a full avenue block, something many elderly and disabled Upper East Siders find difficult to do. Rosenstein said the Second Avenue and 86th Street stop had been eliminated for a number of years before the community board got it back.
“Before my back surgery, I was in terrible pain and fought for myself and other disabled riders to get the westbound stop re-opened. I may be able to walk the extra distance now, but how many elderly and disabled will be hurt by this penny-wise, pound foolish decision?” he asked. Falk said he’s heard complaints from at least one disabled board member about having to schlep to Third Avenue. “That would indicate that that’s just the tip of the iceberg of people that are affected by this,” Falk said. Elaine Walsh, another CB8 member and president of the East 86th Street Neighborhood Association, was incensed that her organization and the community at large weren’t made aware of the bus stop relocation. “For an administration that believes and ran on the premise of community involvement, they have totally missed the boat on this one because they didn’t involve us at all,” Walsh said. “I don’t care what they’re saying about the community board, I did not get an email, nor did the board. This is a total shock. I’m very angry.”
trative hearings. Velasquez and others say the high overall grades in the city may have less to do with the quality of food, and more to do with restaurants’ success in court appealing their grades. Before the letter grades, restaurants were inspected once per year, twice if the initial inspection was lower than an A. Today, consultants are saying while the price per fine has remained the same, health inspectors are doling out fines more frequently. The first inspection of the year, two if a restaurant receives less than an A initially, determines a restaurant’s grade for the entire year. Consultants and restaurants believe additional visits are made simply to cash in on minor food safety violations. “It’s not that restaurants were ever that bad and needed improvement,” said Mark Nealon, president and founder of S.A.F.E Restaurant Consulting. “If health inspectors are coming more than twice a year they’re making more money.” Restaurants receive an A or a warning rather than a B or C on their first inspection of the year. If a restaurant does not earn an A during the second visit, restaurant owners can choose to post their grade and pay the fines, or a grade pending card until heard by the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Health Tribunal. Consultants say those so-called OATH hearings have become the avenue used by restaurants to upgrade their grades. “Now everybody says, ‘I don’t care what happens as long as you can get me the A in court,’” Nealon said. When graded, a restaurant receives a certain amount of points for each health code violation. An A inspection grade ranges from 0 to 13 points. A score of 14 to 27 points results in a B and 28 or more points earns a C. If a restaurant receives an A inspection grade, it does not have to pay a fine for any violations. More severe violations, which threaten human health, such as a rat infestation, receive higher points. Michael Forrest, an owner of Italian restaurant Galli, with locations in the Lower East Side and Soho, said customers shouldn’t assume a restaurant with an A is cleaner than restaurants with Bs or Cs. “The letter grade in itself doesn’t really tell the full picture, it’s a way of simplifying it,” he said. “As an owner I see that the system has flaws, and some points you can receive have nothing to do with food quality,” Forrest said, Violations such as dishwashers without a hairnet, ice building up on the ice machine or shipment boxes on the floor are not considered immediate health hazards. However, minor violations can add up resulting in a B or C inspection grade. Romel Tovar, assistant to the owner of Grandaisy Bakery, said the Upper West side establishment received points when the only staff member with a food handling certificate was absent on the day of inspection. “That’s a 10-point violation automatically, so it’s kind of hard to come back from that and score under 13,” said Tovar. Since 2014, about 80% of Grandaisy Bakery employees take the free online food handler’s class to avoid a repeat violation. The bakery pays for each test and staff members are given a $200 bonus for completing the course. “It’s been a useful lesson that we learned,” said Tovar. On the other hand, some restaurants with major health code violations can receive As. “A place that has two rats sitting on a cutting board in the kitchen, which is a 10-point violation, gets an A,” said Nealon. “The place across the street that has cracked floor tiles, a dripping air-conditioning unit and a missing thermometer gets a B. So which one would you rather go to, the place with an A on it or a B?” he said. Max Falkowtiz, senior features editor for Serious Eats, said he never considers restaurant inspection grades when writing a review of a restaurant. “Most home kitchens would get points knocked off on a DOH health inspection. Most homes are not charging people for their food, but if you’re comfortable eating out of your own kitchen the risks of eating out in the city are minimal to marginal,” he said. Falkowitz, who eats in restaurants more than he eats at home, said the DOH rules are extremely cautious and outdated. “There are a lot of kitchens right now that are experimenting with fermented and aged foods as well as these very long established traditions and techniques of preparing foods that have been safe for hundreds and thousands of years,” said Falkowitz. “But because they don’t fall within the strict references of what the DOH protocols are, DOH employees have a hard time keeping up with restaurants,” he said.
JULY 30-AUGUST 5,2015
Central Park
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PARK? Smorgasburg is returning to Central Park! After a successful trial run last fall, the renowned Brooklyn food market is back for one summer night only. Choose from among offerings from 25 food vendors, grab a beer or sip from a glass of wine, and enjoy some outdoor tunes under the stars in the greatest park in the world. Smorgasburg has operated the foodand-beverage concession at SummerStage since 2010, where four food vendors set up for all 50+ shows every summer. Tickets are $10, which includes a $5 food voucher at the door. Friday, July 31 at SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. This is a first-come, first-served event. More info at centralpark.com/events Shakespeare Summer Slam: A group of professional independent theatre artists who
bring the spontaneity and fun of Shakespeare’s plays to modern audiences. By using Elizabethan performance techniques, which involve limited to no rehearsal and the ability to instantly bring the Bard’s words to physical and entertaining heights, they give their audiences a historical taste of how Shakespeare’s plays would have originally been performed. The shows at Summit Rock off 81st Street and Central Park West are free to the public. Scheduled performances are as follows: Romeo & Juliet — 2 p.m. on Saturdays August 1 and 8 As You Like It — 2 p.m. Sundays August 2 and 9 Bring blankets and chairs for picnic-style seating; there are also benches. More info at centralpark.com/events
COMING UP THIS WEEK BAGEL BARKS AT CHERRY HILL Hosted by Central Park Paws, Bagel Barks, a free program of Central Park Conservancy, takes take place in dog-friendly areas all over the Park. This one is on Saturday, August 1 from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. at Cherry Hill. More info at centralpark. com/events
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28TH ANNUAL YORK CENTRAL PARK TRIATHLON: Come out and cheer on the participants as they swim, bike and run. When: Sunday, August 2 from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. More info at centralpark. com/events Event listings and Where in Central Park? brought to you by CentralPark.com.
WHERE IN CENTRAL PARK? Do you know where in Central Park this photo was taken? To submit your answer, visit www. centralpark.com/where-incentral-park. The answers and names of the people who guess right will appear in the paper and online in two weeks.
ANSWER FROM TWO WEEKS AGO Belvedere Castle was once an open-air structure, with no doors or windows. This changed in 1919 when the United States Weather Bureau moved the Central Park Observatory to the castle. The Weather Bureau took over the operation in 1911, and moved it here eight years later, enclosing the castle and altering the turret’s shape to accommodate their scientific instruments. Congratulations to Anthony J. Yearwood, Peter Denicola, Randy Bishop, Michael Patrick, Jeanne Locker, Marisa Lohse, Gregory Holman, Sherrie Nagin and Bill Ferrarini for answering correctly
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YOUR 15 MINUTES
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PLEASING PEOPLE ONE AT A TIME Restauranteur Matthew Glazier on the family business BY ANGELA BARBUTI
The president of the Glazier Group, which has owned and operated successful restaurants in the city for decades, talks about his career As a kid, Matthew Glazier could always be found at the restaurants his parents owned. “You can almost say my family dinner table was in the restaurant business,” he said. His father, Peter Glazier, started The Glazier Group in 1985 and his mother, Penny, serves as the director of communications. Matthew now serves as president, which means he’s been in charge of such places as Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C., Strip House, event spaces Twenty Four Fifth and Bridgewaters, The Westminster Hotel in New Jersey and The Reach Resort in Key West. Upon graduation from Fordham University’s School of Law, he joined the family business and has taken on every job from bartending at Monkey Bar to managing Strip House. “I think it’s important that if you’re going to be running a restaurant, you have to be able to step in and at least know everybody’s position and see everything from everyone’s point of view,” he said. Glazier, who will still clear tables on a busy night, loves that restaurants are so hands-on in an era where most industries are moving away from that personal connection. When asked what his favorite part of the business is, he said, “Every day you get to try to wow people, and if you fail, you get another chance right away.” Since many of his restaurants serve steak, we felt compelled to ask what his favorite order is. “I really like a good strip steak. For me, it has a nice balance; not too fatty, not too lean.”
Did you know from a young age that you wanted to work in the family business? The restaurant business is very hands on. I think it’s very good for families. If your father or mother is in the restaurant business, they can bring you to work. There’s always something to do. It’s one of those things where we always had dinner in the restaurant. So I was always exposed to it. I went to law school and, especially nowadays, a legal education definitely helps you out in this business. But it was
always my creative love, the restaurant business, and trying to please people. Achieving success by pleasing customers one at a time. I guess in law you can please your clients one at a time. But I think it’s a much different animal.
In your early twenties you bartended at Monkey Bar. What was that experience like? When it opened, Monkey Bar had 25 people waiting in line to get in. We had 150 seats in the dining room, so it was really crazy. It was a small bar, but we had to do service for the dining room as well. I learned how to bartend on the job. It was my parents’ restaurant; I definitely would not have gotten that job any other way. Also, we had a catering facility back then. I thought it was the best thing ever, during my summers, to get paid good money to wait tables and I could pick and choose when I wanted to work.
One of your Strip House locations was in Planet Hollywood in Vegas. What’s the difference between having one there versus in New York? The thing is Vegas is that you’re not trying to culture a repeat customer. The local community, most of them work on The Strip, and when they’re not working, they don’t want to be there. But in New York, your business is regulars. So it’s two competing mindsets. Vegas is more glitzy glamour. Everybody was dressed up. A lot of it was atrocious the way they were dressed, but they were in Vegas and they were gonna have the most wonderful night of their life. It was fun there because everybody was charged up all the time. Holly Madison had a show literally right next door to us for a while. There were nightclubs in the hotel and they always had guest hosts. The celebrities was always exciting and interesting. We were in the Planet Hollywood Hotel so you’d see Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone a lot.
How did the partnership with Michael Jordan come about? How much involvement does he have in the restaurant? My father had friends who were close with Michael and they were looking to do something in New York. He’s more involved than you think. Unfortunately for us, he’s not in New York often. It’s very important to everyone, including him, for
it to be about what he’d want when he went out for a great dinner, instead of a tourist trap. If you’ve been, there’s really no pictures of him. There are four pictures of him in one private dining room.
You’re also on the board of Citymeals-on-Wheels. I’ve been on the board there for about 10 years which is very, very rewarding. It’s one of those very complicated charities and it took me about a year-and-a-half to really figure out what they do. The city delivers meals to homebound elderly, but they only do it five days a week and they only do it for the amount of people that they can afford to do it for. What happens is you get a waitlist of people who have the need, but there aren’t resources to feed them. So City Meals comes on and takes the waitlist and also feeds people on the weekends and holidays. The charity steps in and feeds the elderly and the homebound when the government is not able to do it.
What are the pros and cons to working with your parents? Pros are we have the same goal. No one’s trying to screw you under the table. Sometimes it’s tough because the line between personal and business gets mixed. It will be Saturday, and we’ll be talking about business. I’m very close with my mother and father. Sure, sometimes we don’t see eye-to-eye on everything. But like I said, there’s no doubt we have a common goal, which is a good thing.
How do you deal with negative reviews? I used to take feedback very personally. Like, “I remember that table. Their steak was overcooked and we brought them a new one right away!” And the review was “Nobody cared.” I used to take it really personally and be angry, and then I realized that’s somebody’s perception. No matter what, that’s the way the customer perceived it, so you gotta try and learn from it. There are some people who can’t be pleased. www.theglaziergroup.com
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