The Villager Express - September 12, 2019

V i s i t u s o n l i n e a t w w w .T h e V i l l a g e r. c o m

THE

S S E R P X E

September 12, 2019 Volume 4 • Number 19

The Paper of Record for East and West Villages, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Soho, Noho, and Chinatown

18 YEARS LATER

Tears and strong words at 9/11 ceremony Page 3

City Planning O.K.’s new high-rise jail Page 6 PHOTO BY MILO HESS

A family member of a firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001, placed her hand on his name at the World Trade Center Memorial on Wednesday.

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September 12, 2019

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On 9/11, memories, tears, defiant words

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

O

n another mild, blue-sky day, just as that fateful morning 18 years ago, the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack was marked in a solemn ceremony at the World Trade Center.

There were moments of silence and the tolling of bells to commemorate the times that the first jet and then the second slammed into the Twin Towers, and again for when each enormous building bell.

More than 2,600 people — including 343 firefighters — were killed in the W.T.C. and surrounding area. Including the third hijacked plan that crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the fourth that was downed, after passengers fought back, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a total of 3,000 people perished.

Following the annual tradition, at the memorial event, family members read the names of the victims in bunches.

But a few deviated from the script this year to offer personal remarks.

One of them, Nicholas Haros, Jr., whose mother died in the attack, called out freshman Congressmember Ilhan Omar for describing the attacks as “some people did something.”

He sported a black T-shirt with “SOME PEOPLE DID SOMETHING?” written on it in large white italic letters.

“Today I am here to respond to you exactly who did what to whom,” he said, addressing his remarks to Omar, who, along with Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, is a member of “The Squad.”

“Madam, objectively speaking, we

PHOTO BY MILO HESS

Flowers were left at the 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Center for Rober t Clinton Kennedy, 55. A senior vice president at Marsh & McClennan, he was working on the 100th floor of the Nor th Tower when the first plane hit on Sept. 11, 2001.

know who and what was done,” he said. “There is no uncertainty about that. … On that day, 19 Islamic terrorist members of al Qaeda killed over 3,000 people and caused billions of dollars of economic damage.”

The New York Post reported that it wasn’t the first time Haros has used the ceremony to make a statement. Last year, he blasted elected officials for using the 9/11 terror victims as “props for your political theater.”

Bleecker St. resident Charles Wolf, who lost his wife in the W.T.C. attack,

PHOTO BY MILO HESS

Firefighters who lost their lives responding to the World Trade Center disaster — 343 in all — are listed in a separate section of the memorial.

appeared on “Fox & Friends First” in the morning to talk about 9/11 and his thoughts about today’s political situation.

Wolf was part of the former Family Advisory Council that nudged along the rebuilding process and gave constant input to ensure things the families felt were important were included in the plans. He said he saw George Pataki on Wednesday and the former governor gave him a big hug, which Wolf — a “socially liberal Republican” who likes Pataki personally — really enjoyed.

Wolf also saw Michael Arad, who

PHOTO BY MILO HESS

The Tribute in Light once again shone up to the night sk y on Sept. 10.

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designed the 9/11 memorial, with its twin pools, and was overcome with emotion.

“I spoke with Michael Arad and I was crying,” he said. “I was really, really crying. He’s a good man.”

The Village activist said that, over these past two weeks, a lot of emotions have come up related to 9/11 and his wife’s loss. This anniversary was no easier for him than the rest.

“It’s a good day,” he said, “but it’s a hard day.”

September 12, 2019

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Police Blotter FIFTH PRECINCT

NINTH PRECINCT

Subway group attack

Bowery bank robbery

A man was victimized in a group attack on the subway on Sept. 7, according to police. At 3:40 a.m., a 38-year-old man was on an Uptown D train, when five people approached and demanded his money. The victim refused, and two of the men then started to punch him.

When the victim resisted, a third man asked one of the women in the group to give him his knife, which he used to stab the victim in the head and torso area. The group fled the train when it arrived at the Grand St. station. E.M.S. medics took the victim to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.

There was a robbery inside the Chase bank at 305 Bowery, at E. First St., last week, police said. On Fri., Sept.

6, around 11:40 a.m., a man entered the branch and approached a teller. He passed a note while verbally demanding cash. The teller complied and the robber grabbed about $1,000 and fled.

SIXTH PRECINCT

5th Ave. purse snatch A woman was robbed earlier this summer at Fifth Ave. and 10th St., according to a police report. On July 9, around 3:10 p.m., a 31-year-old woman was at the location when two males snatched her purse from her hand and fled in an unknown direction. The purse contained $40 and credit cards.

25, inside an apartment building near Seventh Ave. and W. 21st St., police said. Around 12:30 a.m., a woman approached the 30-year-old victim in a stairwell and struck up a conversation.

The perp then dragged the victim down the stairs to the third-floor landing.

The attacker took the victim’s iPhone X and wallet case, containing a credit card. The mugger then fled outside, with a man. E.M.S. took the victim to an area hospital for head pain, a cut on her tongue and bruising.

Rings theft

Restaurant burglary

There was a jewelry theft in the East Village on Aug. 23, police said.

At 8 p.m., two people reportedly entered Still House, at 307 E. Ninth St., between First and Second Aves., and tried on jewelry at the counter. When the store employee was distracted, they took two rings, valued at around $2,980. The perps also used a counterfeit $100 bill to buy two $25 gift cards, before leaving the store, police said.

A burglar seeking bills and booze broke into a Chelsea eatery on Sat., Aug. 24, according to police. It was around 6:50 a.m. at Chelsea Ristorante Italiano, at 108 Eighth Ave., between W. 15th and 16th Sts., when the suspect entered the place through a broken window. Once inside, he swiped a bottle of liquor and $370 from the register. He then fled north on Eighth Ave. and ducked into the A/C/E/L subway station at W. 16th St.

10TH PRECINCT

Pizza d’oh!

Residential robbery

between 17th and 18th Sts., early last Saturday, according to a police report. On Sept. 7, around 12:05 a.m., a 28-year-old man was out with friends getting food, when an unknown man bumped him and asked if he wanted to fight. A physical altercation flared and the stranger picked up a chair and hit the victim with it. The victim lost consciousness, and when he awoke, he ordered an Uber to go home. He later walked into Booth Memorial Hospital in Flushing, where he was treated for a broken cheekbone, a closed black eye and cuts on his nose.

Gummy fingers There was a shoplifting incident inside the Duane Reade at 131 Eighth Ave., between W. 16th and 17th Sts., last Saturday, police said. Around 4 p.m., a store employee saw a man take several items, including six-packs of Wrigley’s gum and 5 Infiniti charging cables, with a total value of $91.

Lonnie Brown, 58, was arrested the same day for petit larceny, a misdemeanor.

Gabriel Herman

There was a late-night assault at Gotham Pizzeria, at 114 Ninth Ave.,

A woman was robbed Sun., Aug.

Wash. Pl. group targets drugs, crime, trash

BY GABE HERMAN

A

new Village group, the West Washington Place Block Association, plans to address local crime and other issues like excessive garbage and beautifying the area.

The new block association was coorganized by two Washington Place residents, Nancy Bass Wyden, owner of the Strand Book Store, and Rosalind Resnick, who owns and rents out eight townhouses in the Village, including three on Washington Place.

Wyden and Resnick have been friends for many years and were on their coop board for 12 years when they lived together at 39 Fifth Ave., after which they separately both wound up living on Washington Place.

Recently, Resnick was in the Strand when Wyden suggested forming a block association, since they work well together and both have a business background, Wyden said.

The group’s first meeting, titled “Save Our Street,” will be Wed., Sept.

18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 122 Washington Place, between Sixth Ave. and Sheridan Square.

On the west side of Washington Square Park, Washington Place is two blocks long, running from the park to Sheridan Square and Sixth Ave. This group will only focus on the western-

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September 12, 2019

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

Washington Place and Six th Ave. looking west.

“They feel very unsafe,” she said of her children, “as do I.” Wyden said a friend just bought a townhouse around the corner and it has already been broken into, forcing the owner to board up the windows.

She said she has also seen people looking through flower beds on the block, presumably for drugs.

Resnick said that trash boxes on the block have been used as drop-off points for drug deals, as well.

On election night in 2016, Resnick said, she woke up at 2 a.m. and heard someone outside grabbing the door handle and trying to get into the house.

most block, as there is already another block association for the eastern half.

Wyden and Resnick said the pressing issues for the new group include crime and homelessness, which they said have gotten worse in recent years.

Wyden noted she has young children and that the scene across the street from her home is concerning.

“It’s just a continuous loop of people sitting on those steps and smoking crack,” she said.

She added that there is scaffolding on a New York University building next door, under which up to eight homeless people camp out.

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She said it was a homeless drug addict, and that it took three 911 calls before police finally arrived. When they did, they found the man sprawled by the front gate, and the officers remarked that they knew the guy. Resnick said she’s never seen police on the block.

“That’s why we as neighbors are getting together to form the block association,” she said, “to get our voices heard as a community.”

The women hope a group voice can make a difference. They said that individually they have reached out about various issues to N.Y.U., the police and the community board, but those groups have largely been unresponsive.

Other local issues they would like to address through the new group include excessive trash on the streets and adding flower boxes.

“I know we can beautify it,” Wyden declared of the block. She said a grassroots group could have an impact locally, plus would be a fun way to get to know neighbors.

Wyden and Resnick said they are trying to learn from other local block associations, such as the ones on Charles St., E. 11th St. and W. Ninth St. And the president of the eastern side of Washington Place has been very supportive of their effort, they said.

People can RSVP for the first meeting at WestWPBA@gmail.com.

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September 12, 2019

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Planning O.K.’s borough jails plan

BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

T

he City Planning Commission voted 9 to 3 in favor of Mayor de Blasio’s borough-based jail system on Sept.

3 despite vocal opposition from members of prison-abolition group No New Jails NYC. The City Council now has 50 days to vote on the plan.

Under the scheme, Rikers Island’s jail complex would be closed, to be replaced by the creation of four new jails in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

The City Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses next held a public hearing on the boroughbased jails system plan on Sept.

5 at City Hall.

“Today’s vote is so much more than a vote on site selections and special permits,” said Marisa Lago, the City Planning Commission chairperson. “It’s a vote to end a bleak era in New York City history.”

Two years ago, de Blasio announced his plan to close Rikers and move detainees closer to courts and families in almost every borough. Jails are slated to open next to court houses within four of the city’s five boroughs.

Inmates in Staten Island will be shipped to the Brooklyn facility.

In Manhattan and Brooklyn, facilities will open where there are already existing detention centers: at 125 White St. near City Hall and at 275 Atlantic Ave. in Boerum Hill, respectively. However, inmates at the Brooklyn detention center would have to be sent to Rikers at the end of the year as the new facility is built, according to THE CITY. In Queens, a facility in Kew Gardens will be torn down and rebuilt. The Bronx facility in Mott Haven would be built on the site of current New York Police Department tow pound.

Retooling the prison system is a part of de Blasio’s larger plan to shrink the city’s jail population from 7,000 inmates to 4,000 by 2026.

During the vote, members of No New Jails NYC shouted, “There is no justice with this plan!” and “You have blood on your hands!” at the City Planning commissioners who supported the idea.

Others shouted that commissioners did not care about black and brown lives and equated

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September 12, 2019

PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

Activists suppor ting the mayor’s plan, as well as those decr ying it, raised a din at the raucous Sept. 3 vote on the borough-based jails.

PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

On Sept. 3, the Cit y Planning Commission voted 9 to 3 in favor of Mayor de Blasio’s borough-based jail system.

PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

Activist Kei Williams, left, and Brittany Williams, right, with No New Jails NYC, reacted as they heard the City Planning commissioners’ vote on the boroughbased jail system. They shouted the commissioners had “blood on their hands.”

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supporting the plan to supporting white supremacy.

Opponents of the boroughbased jail system argue that the city needs to look at other ways to put an end to incarceration.

Other shouts of “Close Rikers now!” could be heard between cries of “No more jails!”

Activists from Close Rikers Now, who support the mayor’s plan, also crowded into the jampacked hearing room.

Harvey Murphy, a member of Just Leadership to End Rikers Island, said he was formerly incarcerated at the jail complex and was damaged by the experience.

“Rikers Island has harmed a lot of people, it’s harmed me,” Murphy said. “I don’t think I’ll be alive to see abolition but I’m alive to see reform; we have to start within there.”

“When you are voting to build these new jails, you are voting to continue to incarcerate 90 percent black and brown folks,” said Kei Williams, a member of No New Jails NYC. Opponents of the plan argue that the substitute jails would only continue to hurt New Yorkers and that the city should find ways to end incarceration completely.

After the vote, the City Planning Commission released modifications made to the proposed jails’ designs.

All four facilities have had “setbacks” added — moving them back from the street wall — intended to increase light and air in the surrounding neighborhoods.

For the Manhattan jail facility, the height of the White St. arcade walkway has been increased from the previous 29 feet to a minimum height of 55 feet, which would allow more light to pass through the arcade, according to a statement.

For the Brooklyn facility, C.P.C. called for the removal of the State St. skybridge and an increased transparency requirement for retail and community spaces from 30 percent to 50 percent near the new jail. This was done to ensure “active and inviting streetscapes for pedestrians.”

C.P.C. also voted to reduce the heights of all the planned new Manhattan, Queens, Bronx and Brooklyn jails — to 450 feet, 270 feet, 245 feet and 395 feet, respectively.

Initially, the jails were going to be 495, 310, 275 and 430 feet tall. Each jail’s floor area ratio, or F.A.R., has also been lowered a bit, which would reduce the maximum square footage that could be built.

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September 12, 2019

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Obituary

Robert Frank, 94, ‘Americans’ photographer “People would see him at Overthrow all the time,” Patterson said, “because he lived right next door. He would often be sitting outside.”

Patterson said, in addition to Kerouac and Ginsberg, Frank was also close with Harry Smith, the underground experimental filmmaker. He said Frank would regularly summer in Canada.

“He recently did this series of Downtown Jewish photographers — David Sandler, Goldis,” Patterson said. “He was slow — I mean, he’s a big guy.

Very friendly, quiet and unassuming.

Dressed very not flashy, low key. You wouldn’t guess him to be the worldfamous photographer that he is.”

Amram, 88, recalled Frank and making “Pull My Daisy.”

“He was the one who filmed that and really took 50 hours of clowning around, and somehow with his great photography and patience, made it into a film,” he said.

“He had a 16-millimeter simple camera and a wooden tripod. It was a silent movie, and we would try to see if we could make him laugh so hard the tripod would shake. He had tears rolling down his face. Jack came in and did a spoken narration after it all happened.

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

R

obert Frank, the legendary photographer whose gritty, snapshot images showed the United States to itself through a new lens, died Monday at age 94. The New York Times reported that he was in Inverness, Nova Scotia, at the time of his death.

A Jewish immigrant from Switzerland, Frank achieved fame with his photo book “The Americans,” a collection of his black-and-white pictures gathered during trips across the country.

The stark images were seen as a form of social criticism by some, as well as a break with the formalized, stiff photographic norms of the day.

Frank, who was friends with Beat writer and icon Jack Kerouac, also directed the iconic 1959 film “Pull My Daisy,” which featured Kerouac, poet Allen Ginsberg, musician David Amram and other art luminaries.

Frank and his second wife, June Leaf, lived on Bleecker St. between the Bowery and Elizabeth St. Lower East Side documentarian Clayton Patterson often saw the couple hanging out in

PHOTO BY CLAYTON PATTERSON

Rober t Frank in front of his home on Bleecker St. t wo years ago.

front of their building, which is next to the Overthrow hipster boxing gym, at 9 Bleecker St., the former Yippie headquarters.

At first, Frank was leery of the new place, but turned out liking it.

Turning 65 and ready for Medicare, or eligible for Medicare and Medicaid?

We were just kidding around and having a huge party.”

As for Frank personally, Amram said, “He was kind of shy. People thought he was kind of standoffish, but he was actually shy. He was very intelligent and warm. He would get very upset when he thought people were pretentious or imperious. He was very much an antisnob. He never expected that level of success. So he was uncomfortable with people who would grovel.

“He came to New York to escape what he felt was a stuffy, uptight society in Switzerland,” Amram continued.

“When he saw snobbery here or any kind of elitism, he was very upset. He liked it when people treated each other with respect and were real.”

As for the powerful impact of Frank’s photography on its times, Amram noted, “The New York of the 1950s and America in general then was a much more stratified society.”

According to the Times, Frank’s two children, Pablo and Andrea, predeceased him.

In addition to June Leaf, he is also survived by his first wife, Mary Frank.

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The 1980s are remembered more for Reagan reaction and Ed Koch conservatism than radical ecological politics. But they were a time when, below the surface, the consciousness shift that began with the counterculture upheaval of the 1960s and continued through the environmental movement of the 1970s was ripening, getting serious about manifesting its vision in concrete alternatives.

At the center of that ripening in New York City was Carl Hultberg. Hippie and bohemian, photographer and pamphleteer, free spirit and resourceful organizer, Carl jumpstarted recycling in New York and also helped rebirth NYC bicycle activism. Carl’s special project in the 1980s and early 1990s was the Village Green Recycling Team, one of the ďŹ rst efforts at a recycling program in the city, and, with its giant utility tricycles, the most eye-popping. He was also a key ďŹ gure in the New York Greens, a nascent attempt at a Green Party here. This became the incubator for the revival of Transportation Alternatives and an alliance with bicycle messengers that rocked NYC and propelled cycling to the forefront of environmental activism.

Community gardens . . . human-powered vehicles . . . recycling and urban composting . . .

Critical Mass bike rides and demands for livable streets. All have touched or reached the mainstream, and all were nurtured by Carl.

Carl died this spring in New England, but his work and spirit live on in campaigns for cycling and recycling, and in the new forms of community and activism that animate the mounting movements for an ecological city and world.

Please join us on Saturday, Sept 21, for an evening of Carl’s poetry and photography and our reminiscences. Event is free, but come prepared to put down a few bucks for Carl’s magniďŹ cent ďŹ ve-volume set of photography from the era, Garden of Eden: The

Eco Eighties in New York City.

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September 12, 2019

9

Gov backs serial subway sex-abuser ban

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

L

ast Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo publicly called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board to slap repeat subway sex offenders with a lifetime ban.

But shortly afterward, a leading transit-advocacy group said everyone has the right to ride the rails — even

incorrigible perverts. Two days earlier, Transit police busted Santiago Gonzalez, 71, a Level 3 sex offender, for trying to pickpocket a man on the 4/5/6 line, the New York Post reported.

According to the newspaper, Gonzalez had 27 prior arrests, 24 of those in the subway system, and had just finished a 97-day stint behind bars in June. His most recent subway sex-abuse

bust was in March, when he targeted a woman. Cuomo cited the Post’s article — which noted that Edward Delatorre, the Transit police chief, backs the ban.

“I applaud the N.Y.P.D.’s successful investigation and arrest of one of the worst serial sex offenders on the New York City subway, and support their efforts to ban this individual from the system,” Cuomo said.

Warren to speak in Wash. Square While tickets are not required, they are strongly encouraged, according to the event page, indicating a big crowd might be expected. In April 2016, during the Democratic primary season, Bernie Sanders held a campaign rally in Washington Square that filled up the park, plus had overflow crowds listening on the surrounding Village streets.

Warren’s Village rally will be four days after the third Democratic primary debate, which will be held Thurs., Sept. 12, in Houston, Texas.

Admission to the park event will be first-come, first-served. People can RSVP at https://my.elizabethwarren. com/page/s/join-elizabeth-in-nyc.

BY GABE HERMAN

E

lizabeth Warren has been steadily rising through the Democratic primary season to become one of the front runners for the party’s nomination. This month she’ll be riding her momentum into Greenwich Village.

Warren will speak at a campaign rally in Washington Square Park on Mon., Sept. 16., at the park’s Arch.

“Elizabeth will deliver a speech on how corruption in Washington has allowed the rich and powerful to grow richer and more powerful,” said a Facebook page that has been created for the rally.

People will be let into the event space starting at 4 p.m., with things scheduled to run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is listed as free and open to the public.

COURTESY U.S. SENATE

Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren will speak in Washington Square Park on Sept. 16.

“This is a commonsense issue,” he continued, “which is why I am calling on the M.T.A. board to end the repeated victimization of riders on our subways and buses and enact a lifetime ban on any individual who engages in such abhorrent behavior.

“The definition of insanity would be to allow this conduct to continue unabated and somehow expect our transit system to improve,” the governor added. “The N.Y.P.D. is right to seek this ban, and now it is the M.T.A.’s responsibility to [take] action against these repeat offenders once and for all.”

Albany can pass legislation to banish individuals from the subway system, but the M.T.A. can also implement its own ban, according to the Post. In June, the state Senate voted to approve such a ban, but not the Assembly.

However, two hours after Cuomo issued his press release, Riders Alliance issued its own, objecting to preventing anyone — including repeat subway sex offenders — from using the system.

“Government shouldn’t ban New Yorkers from public spaces like our subways and buses,” said Danny Pearlstein, the group’s policy and communications director. “Blaming riders for problems with transit distracts from Governor Cuomo’s responsibility to deliver an M.T.A. capital plan that puts reliable and accessible subways first.”

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September 12, 2019

11

Guest Editorial

Jail plan threatens Chinatown food equity

BY VALERIE IMBRUCE

F

ood is a fundamental human right. And lawmakers in New York City agree — but will they consider food equity when proposing new development?

Earlier this month, Council Speaker Corey Johnson unveiled a plan to combat food inequity in New York City. Consequently, Councilmember Margaret Chin introduced legislation to develop a plan to combat food insecurity for seniors in New York City, asserting that “food justice is for everyone.”

The food industry cluster in Chinatown — the restaurants, retail markets, supply shops and food manufacturers — provide up to one-quarter of all jobs in Chinatown. It is a cultural and economic jewel worth preserving.

I urge the City Council to consider the effect of any new development on a community’s food environment. This issue should be folded into the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process. The most pressing case we are currently facing in Chinatown is Mayor de Blasio’s borough-based jails proposal, which is headed to a final vote by the New York City Council, where Councilmember Chin, who represents Chinatown, holds the pivotal vote. The mayor’s $11-billion taxpayer-funded plan to close Rikers Island includes building a 490-foot-tall detention center in the heart of Chinatown, an undertaking that will take roughly 10 years.

The 40-plus grocers in Chinatown work on a micro basis. They buy from wholesale distributors that reside near Chinatown, and the distributors purchase from small- to medium-sized, often immigrant-run farms that grow Asian vegetables and fruits along the East Coast, as well as from farmers in Mexico and Honduras.

The proximity between wholesalers and retailers means the retailers can bypass expensive and timely trucking and do so without outstanding investments in onsite storage, in turn avoiding large overhead costs. That’s why the produce is in Chinatown so cheap. And so fresh.

We need Johnson and Chin’s help to save Chinatown’s food system, one of the city’s historically richest, most vibrant food hubs, from this jail plan’s impacts.

A photo of the Outdoor Art Show on Fifth Ave. was on the front page of The Villager on June 8, 1972. The caption noted that the show had drawn thousands of visitors to Greenwich Village the previous weekend.

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Imbruce is an economic botanist and director of external scholarships, fellowships and awards at SUNY Binghamton’s Environmental Studies Department.

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Op-Ed

Letters to The Editor

Rivera must listen to us on park plan

BY PAT ARNOW

E

ast River Park ACTION has been urging people to call City Councilmember Carlina Rivera to voice opposition to the plan to close and demolish East River Park.

A few who did have reported that Rivera’s office staff is trying to talk them out of their position on this destructive floodcontrol plan. It sounds like the councilmember has made up her mind to support the plan and has instructed staffers to convince callers to change their minds —rather than being open to changing her mind when presented with passionate, well-informed positions from your constituents.

One person who opposes the plan said that a Rivera staffer “spent 15 minutes trying to convince me of how great the plan is, how much community input was taken and kind of brushing me off because I haven’t been in all the community board meetings to appreciate the scope and breadth of that consultation with the community.”

It is inaccurate to imply that the community supports this plan. The caller might not have been at meetings, but I sure have, and if Rivera was listening, she heard a resounding No. At the Community Board 3 meeting in June, for instance, 70 people testified, and 67 were against the flood-control plan in whole or in part — in large part! Testimony at that meeting was passionate, heartfelt and cogent. It touched on everything, from losing recreation for our kids, who might then get into mischief, to losing biodiversity, shade, a place to exercise, a route for biking and walking, a shady picnic area, and a place to cleanse the air and soothe the soul.

From our canvassing in the park and around the neighborhood, we’ve learned that most residents don’t know about the plan to demolish the park, and when they hear details, they are horrified. What “community” is Rivera listening to?

The person who called the councilmember’s office went on, regarding her call with the staffer: “She told me several times that there were ‘factions in the neighborhood spreading misinformation.’”

However, is it misinformation to say that the park will be closed for years? That the park will be completely demolished? That the city has not promised one inch of phased construction? That even if it did, phased construction would still destroy the entire park? That the alternate parks and recreation spaces that the city has offered are paltry, sad and cruel: Take away the skateboard area of Tompkins Square Park!

Take away the hockey field in Two Bridges! Hey, bikers, just go over to First and Second Aves., which are already crowded.

Timelines? “We’re working on them,” we are told.

Another caller who talked to a different Rivera staffer said, “She basically spent an hour trying to make Alternative 4 [what the city calls the ‘Preferred Plan’] palatable to me. I kept telling her how destroying the park and raising it up 10 feet would offer no additional flood protection than a barrier wall along the F.D.R. She just would not listen to any of my talking points and kept trying to find a concession that ‘would make me happier about the project.’”

Councilmember Rivera, please tell us you won’t support a plan that hasn’t publicly given you a single meaningful concession almost a year after the city announced it, even though you yourself have repeatedly demanded accommodations.

You can be a hero of the New Green Deal rather than the politician who will oversee a vast mud pit for years. Please listen to your constituents.

Arnow is a member, East River Park ACTION (eastriverparkaction.org)

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PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

Its trees set Minetta Lane apar t from the surrounding “honk y tonk,” a letter writer says. Sadly, the street’s trees are being destroyed by trucks — plus, a healthy tree was chopped down by the Parks Depar tment.

Stuy Highpocrisy To The Editor: Re “Stuy H.S. Christian case irked students, parents” (news article, Sept. 5): Let me get this straight. The people complaining have issues with the public school mixing with the Christian religion but have no problem mixing with the Muslim religion by having a longtime Muslim prayer section there?

Such hypocrisy.

Either allow both or none at all, if you want to be consistent.

Will Danielle Filson, the Department of Education offical quoted in the article, remove the Muslim prayer posters as well?

Luis Gomez

Woe is Petrosino To The Editor: Re “W. Village isn’t pining for street trees, unlike Little Italy” (news article, Sept. 5): A dearth of trees in Little Italy is sad and too true.

As the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation increasingly subcontracts out its work, including the planting and maintenance of trees, standards plummet.

In Petrosino Square, the only park in Little Italy, we discovered that one peripheral gingko died because the contractor failed to remove the thick metal wire from around the tree ball, so as the tree grew, it

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strangled itself.

Another tree was sheared to a stump by one of the ubiquitous film trucks. Other trees were planted in improperly prepared tree pits, which caused water to run off into the street instead of to the roots of the trees.

A fi x, an agreement by Parks to expand the tree pits, was abandoned halfway unfinished, years ago now. Many appeals were made to 311 and Parks — all the way up to Parks Manhattan Borough Commissioner Bill Castro and Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver.

But the upshot is that, of the dozen peripheral trees in Petrosino, one tree has been missing for close to a decade, and two standing gingkos have been dead for two years; that is, one-quarter of the peripheral trees in Petrosino are missing or dead.

Through gross mismanagement, the city of New York is failing to husband our precious public resources, and Little Italy suffers, especially.

Georgette Fleischer Fleischer is president, Friends of Petrosino Square

Trees tragedy To The Editor: Re “W. Village isn’t pining for street trees, unlike Little Italy” (news article, Sept. 5): Our home on Minetta Lane was designed around the very concept of the relatively unique way the trees formed an almost gothic arch crossing Minetta

St. and was represented in the facade of our building.

Well, after an incredible debacle of the Parks Department marking the wrong tree for removal — and then cutting it down, despite its being perfectly healthy — it’s no longer a supportive concept.

But more than that, it was one of the very things that made our neighborhood unique, interesting and a lush respite from the honky tonk of MacDougal St. and Sixth Ave. The trees getting hit and subsequently destroyed by wayward construction trucks — or theater-set trucks moving in equipment and scenery for the Minetta Lane Theater — has become unfortunately commonplace.

The installation of tree guards — paid for by the community — still cannot sustain keeping these trees alive.

It’s a very unfortunate situation that really does demand a more substantive response than to continue to plant new trees without accounting for protecting them for future enjoyment.

Adam Kushner

End tracking To The Editor: Re “Don’t cut Gifted programs” (editorial, Sept. 5): I must dissent from this.

The whole notion of a twotrack education system where the “sharpest” are groomed for “success” and the presumably duller majority relegated to the proletariat (or joblessness) is repugnant.

We should be demanding a better education system for all, one that expands the sphere of the “sharpest,” rather than leaving the rest behind.

Bill Weinberg E-mail letters, maximum 250 words, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-2292790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 MetroTech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel.

Anonymous letters will not be published.

September 12, 2019

13

Eats

Feting ‘forbidden’ mushroom in NoMad

BY GABE HERMAN

W

ith all the competition in the New York restaurant business, the NoMad Italian eatery Cardoncello diVino is trying to stand out by being the only restaurant to offer the Cardoncello mushroom, which has unique features and a storied history.

The restaurant, at 43 W. 27th St., between Broadway and Sixth Ave., opened last July. Several menu items include the Cardoncello mushroom, which grows in southern Italy and has a rich flavor and thick, meaty texture.

The restaurant notes on its menu the mushroom’s long history. Ancient Roman poet Horace was apparently smitten with the ’shroom after tasting it, declaring, “This mushroom is so fleshy, so compact, so flavorful! It must certainly be the gods’ food!”

The fungal food would later be banned by the Vatican in the belief that consuming it would lead to sins of the flesh and distract from atonement.

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

Cardoncelli, a star ter with roasted Cardoncello mushrooms, potato, caciocavallo cheese and truffle tor tino.

tured on its menu.

But there are plenty of other options for those who aren’t mushroom lovers.

Starters include a sardine dish, tuna

But the Cardoncello is still going strong, and apparently is rather hard to come by in America. The restaurant imports it from southern Italy to be fea-

tartare, and chickpeas polenta with goat cheese and sautéed shrimps. Prices range from $15 to $18.

All breads are made in house, as are pasta dishes, which include fettuccine with Cardoncello mushrooms, linguine with clams, and crab-filled tortelli.

Main dishes, running from $26 to $35, include seared halibut filet, goldseared sea scallops, veal tenderloin, and slow-braised Wagyu beef cheek with Cardoncello mushrooms.

There is also a dessert menu that includes several cheeses, drinks and dishes like a coffee crème brulee, and panzerotti, which are small pastries filled with Nutella, honey and almonds.

The restaurant is in a small space on a block in NoMad (a.k.a. “Madison Square North”) that still feels industrial over all. Inside, the space is nicely decorated and creates a pleasant atmosphere, including friendly staff and artwork related to the Cardoncello mushroom theme. More information can be found at cardoncellodivino.com.

THE HISTORIC

MESERITZ SYNAGOGUE invites you to the upcoming

High Holiday season Services will be led by renowned Lower East Side cantor Mandel Kaplan, Rabbi Kalman Nochlin, and Yaakov Faitelewicz.

Please help us plan appropriately by contacting us before September 27th.

Donations are welcome.

Rosh Hashona is celebrated on the evening of September 29th.

Services on September 30th & Oct.1st start at 8:30am Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre) services begin on the evening of Oct. 8th at 6:15pm Yom Kippur services on Oct. 9th start at 8:30am Afternoon services 4:45pm Neilah at 6:15pm

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year.

415 E. 6th Street 212-505-5264 thenewmeseritz@gmail.com Look for us on Facebook at Meseritz Synagogue

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September 12, 2019

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COURTESY AROQA

Restaurant aRoqa, on Ninth Ave. between 22nd and 23rd Sts., ser ves Indian food in smaller, tapas-style por tions.

Indian food, tapas style in Chelsea

BY GABE HERMAN

F

or owner Monica Saxena, her Indian restaurant aRoqa is more than just another local place to eat in Chelsea.

“I dreamt of this for 20 years,” Saxena said recently while sitting at a table at aRoqa. “I look at it as a dream, and a dreamer.”

Saxena lived in New York in the 1990s and would moonlight as a restaurant hostess. She said she was always interested in the food industry, and wanted to understand how restaurants differentiate themselves.

“I had wanted to open an Indian restaurant since I’m in my 20s,” she said, “because I love feeding people and entertaining people.”

But that thought was put on the back burner for many years. She moved to California in the late ’90s, working in the technology industry for 14 years at Qualcomm.

She moved back to New York in 2013, and that was when the restaurant idea started to become reality.

But Saxena didn’t want to open just another Indian restaurant. She felt the market was saturated with curry houses that served big portions.

“I love tapas and I love the appetizer portions of menus,” she said. “For me, it was, why can’t Indian food be served in a tapas-plate concept? And with

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good cocktails.”

She felt smaller portions would also be better for people going out on a date, and wanted to create a place that was fun, plus with a “nice, warm, welcoming environment,” she said.

The restaurant’s name comes from the Indian “roka” ceremony, where family and friends celebrate the engagement of a couple.

The menu includes dinner plates, including shared-plate options, along with lunch specials and weekend brunch.

Saxena found the location at 206 Ninth Ave., between W. 22nd and 23rd Sts. It was a burnt-out space, formerly a Chinese restaurant. She started to implement her vision of it, decorating in a modern chic style. She found a local Chelsea artist, Anthony Gaugler, whose work lines the walls. The restaurant opened for business in June 2017.

Chelsea was a great fit for aRoqa, Saxena thought, because it had very few Indian restaurants and it was an artistic and creative neighborhood that would be more open to the new concept of combining Indian food and tapas.

“There’s no better place than the Chelsea people, who I feel are adventurous,” she said. “The neighborhood has really taken to us.”

There were some early struggles for aRoqa, however. A year into opening the restaurant as an investor, circumstances led Saxena to get involved full TVG

time in running and managing the operation personally. This included building relationships with local customers, and ultimately turning the business around.

She remembered thinking at the time, “I’m 53 and I want to run one last race of my life.”

After taking over operations, Saxena didn’t sleep for the first week. The second week, she said she cried. But then she decided to learn the restaurant business inside and out.

The city’s restaurant industry is competitive and very difficult, she noted. There are high rents and steep food prices, a higher minimum wage, and now paid sick leave in the city, plus the mayor’s push for two weeks’ paid vacation for workers, which Saxena recently wrote about in an op-ed in this paper.

Yet, her business is doing well, she said, and continues to increase every month. And she noted that the success of any small business comes with a close team that works together. Saxena cited the chef Manni, mixologist Prasad and floor captain Ashish, “who helped us pull together to create a success story.”

She remains determined to continue making her dream restaurant work.

“I’m running that race now,” she said, “and not ready to give up.”

More information on aRoqa can be found at aroqanyc.com.

September 12, 2019

15

Opinion

Lawmakers, stop stalling: Save our stores small business closings due to skyrocketing rents and the unfair lease-renewal process. It was disappointing to learn that five weak bills that do very little were fast-tracked and passed in four short months, while the strong bill — the S.B.J.S.A. — is being neglected.

Given the long history of City Hall blocking this bill, TakeBackNYC is apprehensive about the current long delay in making changes to it. The S.B.J.S.A.’s prime sponsor, Councilmember Ydanis Rodriquez, stated at the hearing last October, “I am open to listening to any changes to the bill, as long as it makes the bill better and does not take away any rights of the business owners.”

After speaking to Councilmember Rodriguez, he confirmed to us that he hasn’t been included in any of the talks with the Speaker’s Office on fine-tuning the S.B.J.S.A. TakeBackNYC asked Speaker Johnson why he is delaying in making changes to the S.B.J.S.A., when it only took four months to pass five weaker bills, and why Rodriguez apparently was not part of any meetings regarding such changes. The speaker did not respond to these questions.

TakeBackNYC is also disappointed to learn Councilmember Carlina Rive-

BY KIRSTEN THEODOS

F

or almost five years, TakeBackNYC has been advocating for a vote on the best legislation that would stop the closing of small businesses, the Small Business Jobs Survival Act (S.B.J.S.A.).

Last October, we applauded Speaker Corey Johnson for keeping his campaign pledge and giving the S.B.J.S.A. a hearing in the City Council. We had confidence that a fair hearing would show that giving rights to small business owners when their leases expire was the best solution to save them. During the hearing, Speaker Johnson emphasized the bill needed to be changed in order to move forward. TakeBackNYC testified that the S.B.J.S.A. has already been changed seven times over the course of 11 Council hearings.

Unlike his predecessors, the speaker rightfully acknowledged there’s a small business crisis and pledged to work with the Council to move the S.B.J.S.A. Small business advocates left City Hall with optimism that the S.B.J.S.A. was finally going to be passed.

After patiently waiting 10 months and watching businesses continue to close, that optimism is fading. Five

COURTESY KIRSTEN THEODOS

Kirsten Theodos BackNYC.

of

Take-

bills touted as helping small businesses were recently passed by the City Council. TakeBackNYC has sponsored small business forums in four boroughs but has never heard a small business owner express a need for what those bills provide. That’s because the bills don’t address the larger picture — the crisis of

ra — who campaigned for office advocating for the S.B.J.S.A. — was unwillingly removed from the City Council’s Small Business Committee. Her absence leaves businesses in her district, which includes the East Village, unrepresented and their fate in the hands of the committee’s chairperson, Mark Gjonaj, who at last year’s hearing stated he opposes the S.B.J.S.A. When asked who was responsible for removing Rivera from the Small Business Committee and if she fought to remain on it, her office replied: “Councilwoman Rivera did not remove herself from the Committee… . [She] did voice her concerns regarding not being able to serve on the Committee.”

Her office added that the change in her committee assignment came from the Rules Committee. Multiple inquiries about this to Karen Koslowitz, the Rules Committee chairperson, and Speaker Johnson, who sits on the Rules Committee, went unanswered.

If our lawmakers are sincere in passing progressive legislation to save our economic backbone, they will quickly make the needed changes to the S.B.J.S.A. and pass it.

Theodos is founder, TakeBackNYC.

Council is acting to save small businesses

BY HELEN ROSENTHAL

T

he debate on how to help our small businesses conjures strong emotions, for good reason. They are the heart and soul of New York City. They are the reason why many New Yorkers have chosen to live here.

They are the keystone of our economy.

For decades, there has been endless debate about this issue. But as the years passed and empty storefronts proliferated, nothing truly significant happened on a policy level. Previous administrations tinkered around the edges.

This City Council is different. We are taking action to help small businesses — and we’re just getting started.

Over the past several months, the Council has been working closely with groups like the Association for Neighborhood Housing & Development (ANHD) on this issue. A coalition of grassroots progressive community groups, ANHD includes the Cooper Square Committee, Goddard Riverside Community Center and Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), and has been a progressive force since 1974.

Working with advocates and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer,

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September 12, 2019

the Council crafted a package of important small business legislation that was passed last month, including my “Storefront Tracker” bill. For the first time, landlords will be required to register their vacant storefronts with the city, or face penalties. They’ll have to report the previous and asking rents, the length of time a property has and has not been leased, and other information. The city will be required to maintain a public searchable database.

Real data and information are key to passing informed legislation, especially legislation that has never been passed anywhere else and has the potential to alter the dynamics of our commercial economy in unknown ways.

The Storefront Tracker legislation will finally allow community members, advocates and policymakers to follow vacancy trends citywide and in specific neighborhoods. The city’s Department of Small Business Services will know where leases will come due within two years, so it can reach out to offer its services, like help with lease renewals and access to credit.

Various other options are under discussion, like commercial rent control or a vacancy tax on empty storefronts.

PHOTO BY EMIL COHEN/NYC COUNCIL

Cit y Councilmember Helen Rosenthal.

A vacancy tax would have to be passed in Albany. State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Deborah Glick introduced a bill on this in the spring.

I am a co-sponsor of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act and have been for years. It would make all commercial leases subject to binding arbitration if TVG

the landlord and tenant cannot agree on a renewal rent. Yet there are complex issues with this bill.

For example, the S.B.J.S.A. would apply to all commercial leases in the city, even office space on the top floor of a commercial tower, or chain stores like Chase bank. It’s questionable if that would withstand legal challenge.

But if you limit the bill to benefit only independent merchants in storefronts, how to do you it without creating a strong disincentive for landlords to rent to them? Could this further benefit corporate chain stores? These are among the questions that we are currently working through.

We must redouble our commitment to saving brick-and-mortar, independent businesses. They are our neighborhoods’ lifeblood, immigrants gateway to opportunity. They enliven our streetscapes, add color to our lives.

We can do this. We will set an example for municipalities everywhere.

Our city’s future depends on it.

Rosenthal represents City Council District 6 (Upper West Side and Central Park) and chairs the Committee on Women and Gender Equity.

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For more news & events happening now visit www.TheVillager.com

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September 12, 2019

17

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

A look at “Machine Hallucination,” an immersive experience featuring constantly changing digital ar t, at Chelsea Market.

Enter Chelsea Market’s ‘Matrix’

BY GABE HERMAN

A

new digital art space has opened in Chelsea Market. The space is in the Market’s Boiler Room, which is 6,000 square feet and located beneath the main concourse.

The space is being run by ARTECHOUSE, an American company that presents digital artworks.

The first piece, “Machine Hallucination,” by Refik Anadol, a Turkish artist based in Los Angeles, debuted Fri., Sept. 6.

“Machine Hallucination” creates an immersive experience for visitors by projecting computer-generated images on the walls and floor all around the big open room. The images are constantly changing and morph into each other, including recreated images of New York City, along with random futuristic-looking geometric patterns.

As spectators stand or sit in the room, images swirl all around and change, as loud ambient music plays.

The effect is mesmerizing and may be a little disorienting at times, especially for those prone to dizziness or vertigo.

The created images of the city come from more than 3 million New York archival images that were fed into machines and algorithms, to create images that seem like real New York landscapes but are actually just a close facsimile. The idea is to create a

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September 12, 2019

PHOTO BY GABE HERMAN

Inside the constantly changing “Machine Hallucination” immersive-ar t experience.

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dreamlike effect reminiscent of New York, and also to show the changing city over time, and how changes affect our memories of the city.

“I feel privileged to be chosen as the inaugural artist for ARTECHOUSE’s newest space,” said Anadol, the artist. “I’m especially proud to be the first to reimagine this historic building, which is more than 100 years old.

“By employing machine intelligence to help narrate the hybrid relationship between architecture and our perception of time and space, ‘Machine Hallucination’ offers the audience a glimpse into the future of architecture itself,” he added.

“We are excited to introduce this first-generation space for such an engaging, dynamic concept,” said Michael Phillips, president of Jamestown, a real estate company. “Rooted in art and technology, ARTECHOUSE is a welcome addition to the integrated culture of Chelsea Market and the local community.”

Jamestown sold the Chelsea Market building to Google last year but it continues to manage the Chelsea Market food hall.

The “Machine Hallucination” exhibition will run until Dec. 1. Tickets are $24 for adults, $17 for children and $20 for students, seniors and members of the military. The entrance for the exhibit is along the side of the Chelsea Market building, at 439 W. 15th St., between Ninth and 10th Aves.

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PHOTO BY GODLIS

PHOTO BY BOB KRASNER

Madonna shooting a scene for the film “Desperately Seeking Susan,” in 1984, at Gem Spa, at St. Mark’s Place and Second Ave. The photographer Godlis recently sold autographed prints of the shot to help raise money for the cash-strapped corner store.

Godlis signing his photo of Madonna taken in front of the Gem Spa in the ’80s. All profits from sale of the prints goes to the struggling East Village business. Prints of the photo are still available for sale at Gem Spa.

‘Desperately Seeking’ funds for Gem Spa

BY BOB KR ASNER

G

em Spa’s got problems, but local support is not one of them. The classic East Village corner store is facing an existential financial crisis, as this paper reported last month.

In response, store manager Parul Patel has found a new stream of income selling store-related merchandise. The instantly recognizable Gem Spa logo is only on TSchneps Media

He spent a couple of hours signing prints and regaling happy customers with tales of the neighborhood back in the day, when he was hanging out at CBGB shooting the images that are now collected in his monograph “History Is Made at Night.”

Though, at the moment, the shop is not selling cigarettes or lottery tickets — formerly steady revenue streams — you can still (and should) get an

shirts now, but they have proved to be so popular that Patel is branching out: Hats, tote bags, coffee mugs, sweatpants, hoodies, egg cream glasses and more will be available in the coming weeks.

In addition, artists are stepping up, as well. Noted East Village photographer Godlis pitched in recently by donating prints of Madonna pictured in front of the iconic bodega in 1984 filming “Desperately Seeking Susan.”

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egg cream. The traditional vanilla and chocolate are available, as well as newer flavors, such as mango, creamsicle, nutella and blueberry, to name a few. And if you’re a vegan, they are happy to make yours with almond milk.

The store’s new Web site is not up yet, but you can look for announcements on their Instagram, @besteggcream, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gemspabesteggcream/.

September 12, 2019

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(or virtually anywhere else worldwide)

necb.com

From NorthEast to Far East

Mayor mulls Citi Biker helmets and bike licenses

BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

D

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September 12, 2019

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uring a monthly crime-stats press conference last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he was considering making Citi Bike riders wear helmets and requiring all cyclists to get licenses.

The comments were made after CBS2 reporter Marcia Kramer asked if the mayor had considered forcing Citi Bike users to wear helmets given the high number of cyclist deaths in the city this year, according to Streetsblog. “I have thought about that,� de Blasio responded.

Later, during the press conference, de Blasio stated that he he was also considering requiring cyclists in New York City to have licenses.

But some cycling activists think that both measures would do more harm than good. “It’s just a bad idea,â€? said Bill Di Paola, director of Time’s Up, an environmental organization that promotes bicycling as a greener transportation alternative. “It’s such a tight city and every day people think about how they are going to move around and the idea that they would have to carry a helmet around‌ they would probably not use a bicycle,â€? he said.

It would be a slippery slope from implementing a helmet law and license requirement, to decreasing bicycling safety in the city, Di Paola argues. A helmet law would deter ridership, decreasing the number of cyclists on the streets, and so car drivers would become less accustomed to safely sharing the road, the activist said.

According to City Lab, helmet laws played a major role in dismantling some bike-share programs in Seattle and Melbourne, while bicycle licensing laws implemented in cities like Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles across the country also have failed.

But in Honolulu, a bicycle license law has been successful. But its success lies in obtaining the fee at the point of purchase. When residents buy a bike, they pay an additional $15 fee for a license, which is then delivered to their home.

Just four days before the press conference, a 47-year-old man was killed after an enraged SUV driver in Bushwick, Brooklyn, intentionally plowed into him, making him the 21st cyclist killed in New York City this year, more than doubling last year’s total.

After the city’s 17th bicyclist death of the year in July, the mayor declared a bicycling “emergency� and announced a new $58.4 million “Green Wave� plan to add new bike lanes, redesign intersections and increase enforcement of traffic laws over the next five years.

The Department of Transportation did not respond to comment by press time about the mayor’s statements on helmets for Citi Bike riders and licenses for all New York City cyclists.

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Manhattan Happenings on “The Sopranos.” For more information, visit cititour.com/NYC_Events.

BY GABE HERMAN AND ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH

THEATER COMMUNITY Building the Block: The Fifth Police Precinct will hold a “Build The Block” meeting on Thurs., Sept. 12, at the St. Patrick’s Youth Center, at 268 Mulberry St. Ask local police about crime and quality-of-life issues and hear about what police are doing about it. Doors open at 6 p.m. with refreshments, and the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Everyone in the Broadway/Soho/Chinatown community is welcome.

On Broadway: It’s NYC Broadway Week, and Mon., Sept. 16 is the last day to get 2-for-1 tickets to see Broadway hits like “Wicked,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Mean Girls” and “The Lion King.” For more information about shows and to purchase tickets visit nycgo.com/broadway-week.

FILE PHOTO

Actor Chazz Palminteri was the grand marshal at the San Gennaro Festival t wo years ago.

HEALTH

POLITICS

9/11 health and benefits info: A free 9/11 informational seminar will be held Mon., Sept. 16, at 6 p.m., at Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Theater 1, at 199 Chambers St. Were you living, working or a student in Lower Manhattan on 9/11, or any time during the eight months that followed?

Congress has extended the free World Trade Center Health Program and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for 72 years. Barasch & McGarry attorneys, Lila Nordstrom of Studentsof911.org, John Feal of the FealGood Foundation, and WTC Health Program doctors will answer audience questions. Tickets are available at tickets.tribecapac.org.

Warren in Washington Square: Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren will speak in Washington Square on Mon., Sept. 16. Entry to the space starts at 4 p.m. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. According to the event’s Facebook page: “Elizabeth will deliver a speech on how corruption in Washington has allowed the rich and powerful to grow richer and more powerful.” RSVP’ing, at my.elizabethwarren.com, is advised.

tivities start at 7:30 p.m. every night.

The festival, which takes place between Canal and Houston Sts., features food, live music, parades and food-eating contests. The event started in 1926 to honor the Naples patron saint on Sept.

19. Although the festival still has religious roots, it has grown into 11 days of food, drink and free entertainment.

Crowds will be blessed by Monsignor David Cassato on Thurs., Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. The solemn High Mass celebrating the patron saint of Naples will take place Thurs., Sept. 19, at 6 p.m., at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood, followed by a procession with the statue of San Gennaro. The grand procession will take place Sat., Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. This year’s festival grand marshal is actor Steve Schirripa, known for his role as Bobby “Bacala”

EVENTS San Gennaro: The Feast of San Gennaro will enliven Mulberry St. from Thurs., Sept. 12, to Sun., Sept. 22. Fes-

EXHIBITS Mai, oui, FIT: The Museum at FIT, will host the exhibit “Paris, Capital of Fashion” from Fri. Sept. 6, through Jan. 4, 2020. This special gallery exhibition features roughly 100 objects dating from the 18th century to the present that explore how the City of Light gained its reputation as the most glamorous and competitive fashion capital of the world. For more information, see fitnyc.educ/museum/exhibitions.

Underground art: “Graffiti Warriors: Bama and Pistol, Pioneers of Subway Art,” will be on exhibit at City Lore, at 56 E. First St., through Fri., Sept. 13.

The free exhibit celebrates the past and current work of graffiti artists Richard Admiral Jr. and Lonnie Heller a.k.a.

Bama and Pistol. The pair helped pioneer the art form of subway graffiti before it was chronicled by photographers Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper in the late 1970s. For more information visit citylore.org.

Cornelia stars’ free Meatpacking concert

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

C

ornelia Street in Exile returns Downtown as Cornelia Meatpacking with an end-of-summer celebration — a free outdoor concert in the Meatpacking District on Sun., Sept. 15.

The event is a collaboration between Cornelia Street and Aurora Capital, William Gottlieb Real Estate and the Meatpacking Business Improvement District. Aurora and Gottlieb are partners on the “Gansevoort Row” redevelopment project that is rebuilding — and raising building heights, to neighbors’ chagrin — along the south side of landmarked Gansevoort St. Gansevoort Plaza, at Ninth Ave. and Gansevoort St., will be the venue from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Host will be Robin Hirsch, the former owner of the Cornelia Street Cafe, the landmark West Village bistro and performance space that

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mainstay of the downtown scene for decades.”

Hirsch has taken the lead in curating the event. Renowned composer David Amram, whose connection to the Village extends back to the Beats, will kick off the festivities with his personable blend of musical improvisation, spoken word and scat.

Also on hand will be Arturo O’Farrill — six-time Grammy-winning pianist, composer and music educator — and his trio, bringing their brand of AfroLatin-influenced jazz to the plaza.

In addition, the Bond Street Theater’s Shinbone Alley Stilt Band, an eclectic group of musicians, will entertain with a unique brand of swing, jazz and Dixieland music — all while towering over the crowd, on stilts.

And fans of Brazilian jazz will enjoy the smooth stylings of Rogerio Souza and the Billy Newman Quarteto.

Hirsch has also called on a list of gifted artists and performers who

closed its doors this past January after 41 years in business.

The afternoon will feature music, poetry and performances by an array of distinguished performers from the café’s long history — plus surprise guests.

Jared Epstein, principal at Aurora Capital Associates, is credited with pushing the idea to create the Meatpacking District outdoor festival, along with helping broker the partnership between Hirsch and William Gottlieb Real Estate, with the backing of Jeffrey LeFrancois, the Meatpacking BID’s executive director.

“This event is dedicated to the incredible community that frequents the Meatpacking District and the patrons of the beloved Cornelia Street Cafe,” Epstein said. “The Meatpacking District has become a thriving hub for business, retail and tourism, and we want to pay homage to the Cornelia Street Cafe, which was an important TVG

called Cornelia St. Cafe home to drop in throughout the afternoon and surprise the audience with their artistry, including poets, singers, violinists, possibly dancers and more.

In April, Cornelia Street did six shows at Brooklyn Commons, on Atlantic Ave. “Jared Epstein has been very, very supportive of this,” Hirsch said. “He approached me initially. The outdoor festival may have been my idea. We’re Cornelia Street in Exile. There’s no idea where we’ll pop up next.”

“Last month, the Meatpacking District opened three new public plazas in the neighborhood after many years of construction,” said the BID’s LeFrancois. “These plazas will bring dynamic programming into the community, and we’re thrilled to be launching with Cornelia Street in Exile, and their amazing roster of musicians and performers.”

The concert’s organizers hope it becomes an annual tradition.

September 12, 2019

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New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB) New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project Final Notice and Public Explanation of a Proposed Activity in a 100-Year Floodplain or Wetland To: All Interested Agencies, Groups, and Individuals: This is to give notice that the City of New York (the City) has conducted an evaluation as required by Executive Orders (EOs) 11988 and 11990, and as implemented by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban (HUD) Regulations found at 24 CFR 55.20, to determine the potential affect that its activity in the floodplain and wetland would have on the human environment, for the proposed East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project, in New York County, New York City. HUD has allocated Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, which would be dispersed through the New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the Responsible Entity (RE) for the proposed project; therefore, OMB is the Lead Agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review. The proposed project is also primarily located in City parkland and requires approvals from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (Parks); therefore, Parks is the Lead Agency pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and New York City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR).

This document pertains to proposed project activities in the 100-year floodplain (AE Zone) and mapped wetlands, as identified on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preliminary (2015) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) 1974 Tidal Wetland Mapping (Map ID 586_506 and 586_508), respectively. According to the FEMA Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) ID 360497, the proposed project is located within the 100-year floodplain, designated as Zone AE, as well as the 500-year floodplain, designated as Zone X. The Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is 10 feet (NGVD 1929). The proposed project area intersects with approximately 78 acres of the 100-year floodplain.

The NYSDEC 1974 Tidal Wetland Mapping (Map ID 586_506 and 586_508) indicates that certain project elements – relocation of existing embayments, installation of support structures for a new shared used flyover bridge, installation of cofferdams for outfall construction, and temporary placement of mooring spuds for construction barges – would be located within unvegetated Littoral Zone, a NYSDEC tidal wetland. Additionally, the East River is mapped as estuarine subtidal wetlands with an unconsolidated bottom (E1UBL) on United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) maps. The proposed project would involve 1.02 acres of temporary disturbance, and 0.69 acres of permanent disturbance to these wetlands.

The City has considered the following alternatives and mitigation measures to be taken to minimize adverse effects on the floodplain and / or wetlands and to restore and preserve the natural and beneficial values they offer: No Action Alternative: The project purpose and need would not be met with the No Action alternative. The No Action alternative assumes that no new comprehensive coastal protection system is installed in the proposed project area. In the absence of this system, the existing neighborhoods within the protected area would remain at risk to coastal flooding during design storm events.

Proposed Action Alternatives: The Flood Protection System with a Raised East River Park Alternative (Preferred Alternative) proposes to move the line of flood protection further into East River Park, thereby protecting both the community and the park from design storm events, as well as increased tidal inundation resulting from sea level rise. The Preferred Alternative would raise the majority of East River Park. This plan would reduce the length of wall between the community and the waterfront to provide for enhanced neighborhood connectivity and integration. Between the park amphitheater and East 13th Street, the park would be raised by approximately eight feet to meet the design flood elevation criteria, with the floodwall installed below-grade. The park’s underground water and drainage infrastructure, bulkhead and esplanade, and existing park structures and recreational features, including the amphitheater, track facility and tennis house, would be reconstructed as part of the raised park. Relocation of two existing embayments along the East River Park esplanade is also proposed under this plan to facilitate direct connection to the water and allow for siting of active recreation fields within the park. This alternative would include drainage components to reduce the risk of interior flooding and construction of the foundations for the shared-use flyover bridge to address the narrowed pathway (pinch point) near the Con Edison facility between East 13th Street and East 15th Street, substantially improving the City’s greenway network and north-south connectivity in the project area. The Preferred Alternative would also include reconstruction of 10 outfalls located along the park shoreline that discharge to the East River, as well as wastewater and water supply piping and associated features such as manholes and regulators.

The Flood Protection System on the West Side of East River Park – Baseline Alternative (Alternative 2) would provide flood protection using a combination of floodwalls, levees, and closure structures (i.e., deployable gates) from Montgomery Street to East 25th Street. As the line of protection would generally be located on the western side of East River Park in a portion of the project area, the park would not be protected from the design storm event under this alternative. The neighborhoods to the west of the line of protection would be protected from the design storm event under this alternative. This alternative also includes modifications of the existing sewer system. A shared-used flyover bridge would be built cantilevered over the northbound FDR Drive to address the Con Edison pinch point.

The Flood Protection System on the West Side of East River Park – Enhanced Park & Access Alternative (Alternative 3) provides flood protection using a combination of floodwalls, levees, and closure structures. As with Alternative 2, the line of protection would generally be located on the western side of East River Park in a portion of the project area, and the neighborhoods to the west of this line would be protected from the design storm event under this alternative. However, under this alternative, there would be more extensive use of berms and other earthwork in association with the flood protection along the FDR Drive to provide for more integrated access, soften the visual effect of the floodwall on park users, and introduce new types of park experience. The landscape would generally gradually slope down from high points along the FDR Drive towards the existing at-grade esplanade at the water’s edge. Due to the extent of the construction of the flood protection system, this alternative would include a more extensive reconfiguration and reconstruction of the bulk of East River Park and its programming, including landscapes, recreational fields, playgrounds, and amenities. Even with these East River Park enhancements, the park itself would not be protected from the design storm event under this alternative. As proposed in Alternative 2, this alternative would include drainage components to reduce the risk of interior flooding and the shared-use flyover bridge to address the Con Edison pinch point.

The Flood Protection System East of FDR Drive (Alternative 5) proposes a flood protection alignment similar to the Preferred Alternative, except for the approach between East 13th Street and Avenue C. This alternative would raise the northbound lanes of the FDR Drive in this area by approximately six feet to meet the design flood elevation, then connect to closure structures at the south end of Stuyvesant Cove Park. This alternative would include drainage components to reduce the risk of interior flooding and the construction of the shared-use flyover bridge to address the Con Edison pinch point.

It has been determined that the Preferred Alternative would provide flood protection for vulnerable populations and critical city infrastructure and amenities located within the floodplain, including East River Park and existing neighborhoods adjacent to the park, which are all currently at risk to coastal flooding during design storm events. While the Preferred Alternative would change the elevation of the floodplain in the vicinity of the proposed project, it would not change the occupancy of the floodplain and would not have effects on flood velocities upstream or downstream. Once implemented, the flood protection system is designed to withstand storm surge velocities and wave action for the 100-year-storm event assuming sea level rise to the 2050s. The Preferred Alternative would therefore minimize the potential effects that could be expected to occur within the floodplain. While there would be adverse effects to regulated tidal wetlands resulting from construction of the proposed project, the Preferred Alternative would not significantly adversely affect tidal wetland resources in the area. Furthermore, the project area is already highly developed, and the implementation of the Preferred Alternative would not encourage new development within the floodplain or wetlands in the proposed project area.

Therefore, the City determines that the proposed project complies with EOs 11988 and 11990, and 44 CFR 60.3(a)(4-6). Environmental files that document compliance with steps 3 through 6 of EO 11988 are available for public review with Mr. Calvin Johnson, Assistant Director, CDBG Disaster Recovery, New York City Office of Management and Budget, 255 Greenwich Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10007, (212) 788-6024, and may be examined or copied on weekdays between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The documents may also be found at http://www1.nyc.gov/site/cdbgdr/documents/environmental-records.page PUBLIC COMMENTS Pursuant to 24 CFR Part 55, an Early Notice and Public Review of a Proposed Activity in a 100-Year Floodplain and Wetland, was published on February 22, 2019. Publication of this notice was followed by a 28 day comment period, in which several public comments were received. Many of these comments did not substantively address the proposed use of federal funds to support the construction of the proposed project in a floodplain and / or wetland, but primarily referred to alternatives within the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). These comments will be included as an appendix to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

All interested persons, groups and agencies are invited to submit written comments to OMB, regarding the proposed use of federal funds to support the construction of the proposed project in a floodplain and / or wetland, at the following email address: CDBGDR-Enviro@omb.nyc.gov or the address listed above. OMB will consider all comments received by close of business on September 23, 2019.

City of New York: Bill de Blasio, Mayor New York City Office of Management and Budget: Melanie Hartzog, Director

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September 12, 2019

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project in the City of New York, New York AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD. ACTION: Notice of Availability.

SUMMARY: The New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), announce the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project (Proposed Project).

The Proposed Project was developed from a concept conceived through Rebuild by Design (RBD), a design competition to promote the development of resiliency in the Sandy-affected region and has been allocated United States (US) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant funds. CDBG–DR funding requires compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as stated in HUD’s regulations outlined in 24 CFR Part 58. The Proposed Project is also subject to the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations at 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508. On behalf of HUD through the City of New York, as the recipient of HUD grant funds, OMB is the “Responsible Entity,” as defined by HUD regulations at 24 CFR § 58.2(a)(7)(i), for the Proposed Project. In accordance with criteria in 40 CFR § 1501.5(c) and NEPA (42 USC §§ 4321 et seq.), HUD has designated OMB as the Lead Agency to prepare the EIS for the Proposed Project. NYC Parks has been designated as the Lead Agency in accordance with the New York State Environmental Quality Act (SEQR) and New York City Environmental Quality Act (CEQR).

The Proposed Project is located along the east side of Manhattan and includes portions of the Lower East Side and East Village neighborhoods, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, as well as East River Park and Stuyvesant Cove Park, New York City.

FEIS: OMB and NYC Parks have prepared a FEIS for the Proposed Project.

The FEIS includes a detailed project description and describes environmental impacts, including direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts, associated with No Action Alternative, the Preferred Alternative, and three other With Action Alternatives, described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

AVAILABILITY OF THE FEIS: The FEIS is available for public comment for a period of 30 days ending on October 14, 2019 by 5:00 PM. Electronic copies of the FEIS are available for public review on the following websites: http://www.nyc.gov/cdbgdr or http://www.nyc.gov/parks/escr. Paper copies of the FEIS will also be available for review at the following locations during regular business hours: • OMB, 255 Greenwich Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10007 • NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, The Arsenal, Central Park, 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 401, New York, NY 10065 • New York Public Library – Seward Park Branch, 192 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002 • New York Public Library – Epiphany Branch, 228 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010 DATES AND PUBLIC COMMENT: The FEIS will be available at the locations identified in the AVAILABILITY OF THE FEIS section starting on September 13, 2019. This date is the beginning of the public comment period. Any person wishing to comment on the FEIS may do so. The public comment period will be 30 days. All comments and related material must be submitted on or before October 14, 2019 by 5:00 PM, using one of the methods in the ADDRESSES section of this NOA. Additional comments received on the FEIS will be addressed in the Record of Decision (ROD).

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments using any of the following methods: (1) Email: CDBGDR-Enviro@omb.nyc.gov (2) Online at http://www.nyc.gov/cdbgdr (3) Mail: New York City Office of Management and Budget, c/o Calvin Johnson, Assistant Director CDBG-DR, 255 Greenwich Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10007 (4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, except Federal and State holidays.

To avoid duplication, please use only one of these methods.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions regarding this notice, write or e-mail Calvin Johnson, Assistant Director CDBG-DR, New York Office of Management and Budget, 255 Greenwich Street, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10007, email CDBGDR-Enviro@omb.nyc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Project Description: The Proposed Project would occur on the East Side of the Borough of Manhattan, New York County, NY. The Project Area begins at Montgomery Street to the south and extends north along the waterfront to East 25th Street and is composed of two sub-areas: Project Area One and Project Area Two for environmental review and design purposes. Project Area One extends from Montgomery Street on the south to the north end of John V. Lindsay East River Park (East River Park) at about East 13th Street. Project Area One is approximately 61 acres and consists primarily of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt East River Drive (the FDR Drive) right-of-way, a portion of Pier 42 and Corlears Hook Park as well as East River Park. The majority of Project Area One is within East River Park and includes four existing pedestrian bridges across the FDR Drive to East River Park (Corlears Hook, Delancey Street, East 6th Street, and East 10th Street Bridges) and the Houston Street overpass. Project Area Two is approximately 21 acres and extends north and east from Project Area One, from East 13th Street to East 25th Street. In addition to the FDR Drive right-of-way, Project Area Two includes the Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) East 13th Street Substation and the East River Generating Station, Murphy Brothers Playground, Stuyvesant Cove Park, Asser Levy Recreational Center and Playground, the VA Medical Center, and in-street segments along East 20th Street, East 25th Street, and along and under the FDR Drive.

The Proposed Project was developed as a concept through the RBD competition to respond to Hurricane Sandy’s devastation and promote resiliency in the Sandy-affected region. Hurricane Sandy underscored the City’s need to bolster its resiliency efforts to protect property, vulnerable populations, and critical infrastructure during design storm events. The need to protect the area is magnified by the potential for more frequent flooding events and would align with resiliency planning goals described in OneNYC and A Stronger, More Resilient New York. To that end, the purpose of the Proposed Project is to address this coastal flooding vulnerability in a manner that reduces the flooding risk while enhancing waterfront open spaces and access to the waterfront. Specifically, the Proposed Project includes the construction of flood risk reduction measures to address the impacts of inland and coastal flooding on the quality of the natural and human environment due to both storm hazards and sea level rise within the Project Area. The principal objectives of the Proposed Project are as follows: (1) provide a reliable coastal flood protection system against the design storm event for the protected area; (2) improve access to, and enhance open space resources along, the waterfront, including East River Park and Stuyvesant Cove Park; (3) respond quickly to the urgent need for flood protection and resiliency, particularly for communities that have a large concentration of residents in affordable and public housing units along the proposed Project Area; and (4) achieve implementation milestones and comply with the conditions attached to funding allocations as established by HUD, including scheduling milestones. Additionally, design considerations for the proposed project include: (1) reliability of the proposed coastal flood protection system; (2) urban design compatibility and enhancements; (3) improving the ecology and resiliency of East River Park; (4) minimizing environmental effects, including construction-related effects, and disruptions to public right of way; (5) constructability; (6) operational needs; (7) maintenance needs; (8) minimizing use of pre-storm event deployable structures; (9) FEMA accreditation; (10) scheduling that meets HUD milestones; and (11) cost effectiveness.

Preferred Alternative (Alternative 4): Flood Protection System with a Raised East River Park The Preferred Alternative is a flood protection system comprised of a combination of floodwalls, 18 closure structures (i.e., swing and roller floodgates), and supporting infrastructure improvements that together would reduce risk of damage from coastal storms in the area proposed for protection. The inland limits of the proposed protection area are generally along First Avenue, Avenue B, Avenue C, Avenue D, and Columbia Street and includes private and public properties and streets within the Lower East Side, East Village, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village and Kips Bay communities that are currently in the East River coastal flood hazard area. The design flood elevation for the project is 16.5 feet NAVD88, which is generally 8 to 9 feet above the existing land surface along the project alignment but diminishes in height along the inland alignments (e.g., along Montgomery Street). This design elevation was developed based on the 100-year Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood level and adding to that wave effects and the 90th percentile projection for sea level rise through to the 2050s (30 inches).

A key element of the Preferred Alternative is elevating and reconstructing East River Park to make it more resilient to coastal storms. The Preferred Alternative also includes integrating flood protection with open space improvements at other parks along the flood protection alignment including Murphy Brothers Playground, Stuyvesant Cove Park, and Asser Levy Playground, with an improved shared use path (bikeway/walkway) along the entire project length (from East 23rd Street to Montgomery Street), and a new shared-use flyover bridge to address the narrow and substandard waterfront public access along the segment at the Con Edison facility (on the east side of the FDR Drive) known as the “pinch point”.

Also proposed are redesigned and enhanced connections to the waterfront and East River Park, with the reconstruction of the Corlears Hook Bridge, the replacement of the Delancey and East 10th Street bridges, and the above-mentioned flyover bridge. These proposed bridge improvements would create more inviting and accessible crossings over the FDR Drive to the reconstructed East River Park and the East River waterfront, including the waterfront shared-use path.

With the proposed project, the reconstructed bridges at Delancey and East 10th Street have also been designed to provide more community-oriented access that supports and encourages public access to the waterfront with gentler grades that are consistent with the principle of universal access. Within the park, the bridge landings would provide an elevated gateway with expanded views of the reconstructed park and the river.

The park’s underground water and sewer infrastructure, some of which is reaching the end of its serviceable life, bulkhead, and esplanade would be reconstructed, along with existing park structures and recreational features, including the amphitheater, track facility, and tennis house, as part of the raised park. Two existing embayments along the East River Park esplanade would be relocated within the East River Park shoreline to maximize park user access to the water’s edge and to allow for siting of active recreation fields within the park.

The flood protection system, raised East River Park, and support structures for the shared-use flyover bridge proposed under the Preferred Alternative would be constructed in 3.5-years and completed in 2023. The superstructure for the shared-use flyover bridge would be completed in 2025.

Other Alternative (Alternative 2): Flood Protection System on the West Side of East River Park – Baseline.

Alternative 2 would provide flood protection in Project Areas One and Two using a combination of floodwalls, levees, and closure structures (i.e., deployable gates) from Montgomery Street to East 25th Street. In Project Area One, the line of flood protection would generally be located on the west side of East River Park. Protection would be provided by a concrete floodwall starting at Montgomery Street within the sidewalk adjacent to the Gouverneur Gardens Cooperative Village. The floodwall would then cross under the FDR Drive with closure structures across the FDR Drive’s South Street off- and on-ramps. A combination of floodwalls and levees would then run along the west side of East River Park for the length of the entire park. The park-side landings for the Delancey Street and East 10th Street bridges would be rebuilt within East River Park to accommodate the flood protection system. As with the Proposed Alternative, a shareduse flyover bridge linking East River Park and Captain Brown Walk would be constructed. In Project Area Two, the flood protection alignment would be similar to that proposed under the Preferred Alternative. However, the potions of Murphy Brothers Playground and Asser Levy Playground that are affected by construction of the floodwall would be replaced in kind rather than redesigned and reconstructed. Similar to the Preferred Alternative as described above, this alternative also includes modifications of the existing sewer system.

The flood protection alignment proposed in Alternative 2 would require that the majority of flood protection construction be performed during night-time single-lane closures of the FDR Drive and in close proximity to sensitive Con Edison transmission lines. Given the related construction complexities and logistical considerations, the flood protection system and associated components under this alternative are assumed to be constructed in 5 years and completed in 2025.

Other Alternative (Alternative 3): Flood Protection System on the West Side of East River Park - Enhanced Park and Access Alternative Alternative 3 provides flood protection using a combination of floodwalls, levees, and closures structures in Project Areas One and Two. As with Alternative 2, the line of protection in Project Area One would be generally located on the western side of East River Park. However, compared to Alternative 2, there would be more extensive use of berms and other earthwork in association with the flood protection along the FDR Drive to provide for more integrated access, soften the visual effect of the floodwall on park users, and introduce new types of park experience. Due to the extent of the construction of the flood protection system, compared to Alternative 2, this alternative would include a more extensive reconfiguration and reconstruction of the bulk of East River Park and its programming, including landscapes, recreational fields, playgrounds, and amenities. In addition, the existing pedestrian bridges and bridge landings at Delancey and East 10th Streets would be completely reconstructed to provide universal access, and a new raised and landscaped park-side plaza landing would be created at the entrance to the park from the East Houston Street overpass. As with the Proposed Alternative, a shared-use flyover bridge linking East River Park and Captain Brown Walk would be constructed. In Project Area Two, the flood protection alignment would be similar to that proposed in the Preferred Alternative and would include reconstruction of Murphy Brothers Playground and Asser Levy Playground. Similar to the Preferred Alternative as described above, this alternative also includes modifications of the existing sewer system.

As with Alternative 2, Alternative 3 would involve construction of the flood protection system alignment along the FDR Drive and in close proximity to sensitive Con Edison transmission lines. Given the associated complexities and logistical considerations involved when working in and around these facilities, a 5-year construction duration is assumed, with the Proposed Project estimated to be completed in 2025.

Other Alternative (Alternative 5): Flood Protection System East of FDR Drive Alternative 5 proposes a flood protection alignment similar to the Preferred Alignment except for the approach in Project Area Two between East 13th Street and Avenue C. This alternative would raise the northbound lanes of the FDR Drive in this area by approximately six feet to meet the design flood elevation then connect to closure structures at the south end of Stuyvesant Cove Park. Maintaining the flood protection alignment along the east side of the FDR Drive would eliminate the need for gates crossing the FDR Drive near East 13th Street as well as the need to install floodwalls adjacent to NYCHA Jacob Riis Houses, Con Edison property and Murphy Brothers Playground. As with the Preferred Alternative, this alternative would also include the construction of the shared-use flyover bridge to address the Con Edison pinch point. Similar to the Preferred Alternative as described above, this alternative also includes modifications of the existing sewer system, reconstruction of the water and sewer infrastructure within East River Park.

Alternative 5 is anticipated to be constructed in 5 years and completed in 2025 and this duration is driven by construction of the raised northbound lanes of the FDR Drive and the adjacent shared-use flyover bridge in this same footprint.

CHANGES SINCE RELEASE OF DEIS: The FEIS addresses all substantive comments made on the DEIS since its publication, during the public hearing, and in the subsequent comment period. Those comments are summarized and responded to in the FEIS. Changes to the text and graphics from the DEIS have been made in the FEIS, as necessary, in response to those comments. In addition to the response to comments chapter, the principal changes between the DEIS and FEIS include the following: • Since the issuance of the DEIS, the City has been evaluating and refining the design for the proposed project. Where appropriate, the FEIS has been updated to reflect the design and programmatic changes to the proposed project, including advanced design of relocated embayments and the bulkhead; • Project Area One boundary has been extended to include the East River Park Compost Yard. All relevant figures included in the FEIS have been updated to reflect this change; • Chapter 3.0, “Process, Coordination, and Public Participation” has been revised to include community engagement meetings held since the publication of the DEIS; • Chapter 5.5, “Urban Design and Visual Resources,” has been revised to included updated renderings of the proposed project; • Chapter 5.6, “Natural Resources,” has been revised to include a description of the additional ecological benefits related to embayment relocation and updates to terrestrial resources based on advanced design; • Chapter 5.7, “Hazardous Materials,” has been revised to summarize the additional supplemental investigations performed for the Preferred Alternative; • Chapter 6.0, “Construction Overview,” has been revised to include language on soil sources and the potential for the FDR Drive near Houston Street as a second access/egress point to East River Park during construction; • Chapter 6.2, “Construction—Open Space,” has been revised to account for further commitments made by NYC Parks regarding mitigation measures; • Chapter 6.9, “Construction—Transportation,” has been revised to include additional details on the potential bicyclist/pedestrian rerouting plan during construction; • Chapter 6.11, “Construction – Greenhouse Gas,” has been revised to include details about the ENVISION process and an expanded discussion on construction waste; • Chapter 6.12, “Construction—Noise and Vibration,” has been revised to incorporate mitigation measures developed after publication of the DEIS; • Chapter 6.13, “Construction – Public Health,” has been revised to include an expanded discussion on Executive Order 13045 (Protection of Children from Environmental Health and Safety Risks) • Appendix C has been updated to replace the conceptual design drawings with preliminary design drawings; • Appendix E has been updated to include a draft Programmatic Agreement under the Section 106 process; • Appendix G has been updated to include additional National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) consultation; • Appendix I has been updated to include additional tree inventory gathered due to minor changes in the project boundaries; • Appendix M has been created to include the comments received during the public comment period for the DEIS. • Appendix N has been created to include the consultation letter from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

The FEIS identifies several potential environmental impacts associated with the Preferred Alternative including but not limited to, the following: urban design and visual resources, natural resources, temporary construction effects on the availability of open space resources, and noise and vibration effects related to construction of the proposed project.

In compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, OMB and NYC Parks has consulted with the NY State Historic Preservation Office and The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to develop a Programmatic Agreement (PA), which outlines measures to document the presence or absence of Historic Properties within the project’s area of potential effect (APE). The PA defines avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures and the development of a cultural resources management protection plan to manage and protect affected cultural resources. In addition, monitoring of construction activities may be conducted to document the project’s potential impact to archaeological resources.

A consultation with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA NMFS) was reinitiated to reflect the Preferred Alternative as required by the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA), Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act. A response letter dated August 15, 2019 indicated NOAA NMFS's concurrence that the project would not result in substantial impacts to essential fish habitat (EFH) and FWCA species with the implementation of conservation measures. Due to these conservation measures, in addition to the limited extent of adverse effects within the East River and the proposed mitigation strategy, the Preferred Alternative is unlikely to result in significant adverse effects to wetland resources, threatened, endangered or special concern species, EFH, FWCA trust resources managed by NOAA NMFS, or surface water resources. No significant adverse effects to other existing natural resources are anticipated.

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Real Estate

PHOTO BY SUSAN DE VRIES

The sprawling green rooftop on the Brooklyn Grange at the Brooklyn Nav y Yard.

Dig this before installing a green roof

BY LIZ SADLER CRYAN

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t’s hard to miss the soaring 3-acre meadow that graces the top of Barclays Center in Downtown Brooklyn. But green roofs — or living roofs, as they are also known — are also branching into residential neighborhoods, where homeowners with sturdy-enough roofs can enjoy their environmental and financial benefits.

“Not only are green roofs really beautiful, nice places to hang out and good for the environment, but they save the building on energy costs and make it a lot cooler,” said Inger Yancey of Brooklyn Green Roof. “The top floor will be 5 to 7 degrees cooler than outside, if it has a green roof. It also cuts down on sound, and in winter it keeps more of the heat inside.”

Green roofs can also extend the life of a roof by 50 years or more by adding a layer of protection from the sun and other elements.

If you’re considering a green roof on your brownstone rooftop, here’s what you need to know: “The place to start is with the structural integrity of the roof,” said Eric Dalski of Highview Creations.

A structural engineer can provide an assessment by reviewing architectural drawings or drilling into the ceiling to

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Yancey often uses a combination of sedum and perennials.

“Sedum never needs to be replanted,” she said. “It goes dormant in winter, is drought-tolerant and low- maintenance, and doesn’t need to be pruned or mowed. I typically use sedum as a kind of a base because it’s so resilient.

And I use native perennial plants because, as an environmentalist, I want to be creating a kind of ecosystem up there that’s going to be useful to the birds and bees and butterflies that are going to populate it.”

Installation can take less than a week or up to a month, depending on the scope of the project. The first step is usually to lay down a coat of heavy plastic or rubberlike material to keep the roots from penetrating the roof and to separate the green roof from the roof membrane. That is then covered by a drainage layer or mat. A layer of fabric is often used beneath the soil to prevent it from seeping into the drainage.

An irrigation system is usually recommended for the hottest months.

“One thing that’s really important in designing a green roof is making sure you’re placing the plants in a way that is not going to encourage leaks,” Yancey said. “You want to make sure roots can’t reach any portion of the roof

see the joists.

“What is a problem is when the weight is too much and you can have cracking,” Dalski said. “I recommend a leak-detection test or new roof that is certified by a roofer, so it’s good to go.”

Though steel joists are preferable to support the weight of a green roof, most brownstones and row houses have wood ceiling beams.

“But the narrow span means wood is usually not a problem,” said Gwen Schantz of Brooklyn Grange. “Most brownstones you can generally put a shallow green roof with 4 to 5 inches of soil. Or you can put in a smaller green roof, too, and just cover part of the roof.”

The design of the green roof will depend on the strength of the roof: A stronger roof will allow for deeper soil and more diverse plantings, such as wildflowers and vegetables.

“For rooftops that can’t hold a lot of weight, we put in plantings called sedum that do a good job of capturing storm water and are also low maintenance,” Dalski said. “If the roof allows it, we love to make a deeper soil profile and throw in native plantings — what we see in fields and forests, pollinators that will attract birds and bees.”

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where water might collect. On a roof, it would be where vertical meets horizontal — a skylight, cornice, parapet or vent — and it’s likely to crack over time. Anyplace that there’s a crack is a place where, if the crack is worsened, water can start coming in.”

Prices start at $25 to $35 per square foot for a basic green roof, and $35 and up for a more elaborate system. A city tax-abatement program for green roofs expired last year, but is likely to be renewed.

Green roofs don’t typically need to be watered because the plantings are drought-tolerant. But they do require some maintenance, such as weeding and trimming back at the end of the season.

“I think green roofs are just kind of coming onto the scene right now,” Yancey said. “It seems like a new technology, and an exciting new architectural element that you can add to your building. But the reality is they’re not very different from good old-fashioned planter boxes. They’re just a little more intelligently engineered.”

This article first ran in Brownstoner, a sister Schneps Media publication of The Villager.

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RETURNING TO CITI FIELD THIS WINTER theworldsfare.nyc

Nood Dishes Up Secret Super Premium Thai Beef Noodles

BY JOE DISTEFANO

As the Culinary King of Queens, I’m so very fortunate to live in the most diverse and delicious destination in all of New York City. Really I’m not royalty though, I’m an ambassador, and a hungry one at that.

Today, we visit Thailand via Elmhurst at Nood in the neighborhood’s newest culinary wonderland HK Food Court.

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casual appraisal of the more than two dozen offerings at Elmhurst’s HK Food Court, which opened earlier this spring in a former supermarket, reveals there are four Thai stands, offering everything from pork over rice to dessert. And then there’s Nood with its happy cow logo munching on a bowl of noodles. The first thing you might notice is the prices, $11.99 seems to be a bit steep for a bowl of noodles in a food court. The next thing you might take note of is that the photo of that $11.99 bowl of noodle soup contains a gigantic slice of premium Black Angus brisket.

The very last thing, you might notice about Nood, whose sign bears the legend “Asian Noodle Bar by Mama Dee,” is that it is in fact, Thai. If you’ve been around Thai restaurants long enough the quartet of fish sauce, sugar, chilies in vinegar, and red chili powder should tip you off.

The specialty at this family run operation— named for the matriarch Bungon “Wondee”Sudchit—is Thai style beef noodle soup. Elmhurst has long been home to places to get pho, the Vietnamese style beef noodle soup, as well as Taiwanese beef noodle soup, but Nood is the hood’s first spot for kuay teow neua, or Thai style beef noodle soup.

And what soup it is! Whole Black Angus brisket is boiled for 10 hours along with a pantry’s worth of

aromatics and spices, including galangal,star anise, five spice powder, white pepper, and lemongrass, resulting in a super beefy broth.

Nood offers six varieties of meaty toppings for its soups, including the aforementioned gigantic slab of brisket and a mixed meat bowl, which features cubed brisket, thinly sliced beef, chewy tendon, tripe, and creamy liver. The brisket version is literally over the top, the gigantic slab of meat— comprising both the flat and point cuts as well as a generous bit of wobbly fat— overlaps the edges

of the bowl. Offal lovers and the hungry alike will delight in the mixed meat bowl. Whichever one you order, be sure to take some fish sauce, sugar, chili powder, and chilies in vinegar to adjust the flavor of your bowl. The eminently slurpable noodles are of the springy fresh Japanese variety.

There’s also a bit of greenery, shredded lettuce of all things, almost an afterthought, because let’s face it the focus here is the beef.

Despite the matriarchal reference in the name, Nood is actually the brainchild of Wondee’s son, Gai, who spent six months in Thailand eating his through some of his home country’s best spots for kuay teow neua, or Thai beef noodle soup, including Bangkok’s Wattana Panich.

Gai grew up eating noodle soup at home—typically pork or chicken—and his recipe is also partly inspired by his Mom’s broth. “To be honest my family doesn’t really eat beef, but I wanted to sell beef,” he said, adding that he is partial to Korean BBQ at Flushing’s Picnic Garden.

The young chef ’s personal favorite is the brisket, but he’s quick to point that the No. 5, mixed meat in broth with rice on the side is a very Thai way to eat. Should you choose to exercise this option, make a dipping sauce.

Only in Queens, in a neighborhood like Elmhurst, can one find a super premium secret Thai beef noodle stand.

Nood, Asian Noodle Bar by Mamadee, No. 21, HK Food Court, HK Food Court, 82-02 45th Ave., Elmhurst

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