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THE September 26, 2019 Volume 89 • Number 38
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Street issues at first meet for G.V. civic
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Homeless, drug issues top first G.V. civic meet BY GABE HERMAN
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reenwich Village residents gathered at the inaugural meeting of the West Washington Place Block Association on Sept. 18 to discuss problems on the block, including higher drug use and homelessness in recent years. Nancy Bass Wyden, owner of the Strand Book Store at Broadway and E. 12 St., and Rosalind Resnick organized the event, which Resnick hosted at one of her townhouses on the block. Residents crowded into the townhouse, and Resnick said it was a much bigger crowd than she anticipated. While she expected around 13 people to come, there were several dozen there. Resnick credited a preview article in The Villager about the meeting, which officers from the Sixth Precinct also cited as their reason for attending. The residents of Washington Place, just west of Washington Square Park, voiced many of the same problems that Wyden and Resnick originally told The Villager were their driving reasons for forming the block association. Drug use on the street was out of control, many attendees said. One neighbor claimed that people shoot up under scaffolding on the block
Photo by Gabe Herman Neighbors crowded into a townhouse on Washington Place for the meeting.
that has poor lighting. A woman said she saw a group of four people smoking crack, and they wouldn’t let her into her house. She said there have been drugs in the area for a long time, but noted that lately, “It feels more dangerous.” “Our kids have seen too much already,” another woman said, “like in the morning on the way to school.” One resident suggested an education campaign for tourists who don’t seem to understand where that money is going when they give to a street beggar.
But many attendees said the real concern was with the drug dealers, and that they had compassion for users who needed help. Police Officer Nicholas Virgilio, a Neighborhood Coordination Officer (NCO) from the Sixth Precinct, said that in recent years, there were fewer cops on the streets. “If I was running the show, there would be cops on the beat again, walking,” Virgilio said. There used to be narcotics teams in each pre-
cinct, he noted, but now those teams are borough-wide. Police can’t search people for drugs unless they’re outwardly seen, according to state law, the officer said. Residents at the meeting said that a person may shoot up so fast, that by the time police arrive it’s too late. “I share your frustration,” one of the officers in attendance said. “It’s difficult with the time delay.” Another NCO, Police Officer Brian Garcia, said that police have been going through Washington Square Park and making drug arrests, usually nabbing around 15 people per sweep. “Unfortunately we can’t do that every day,” he said, and added they plan to do that once or twice a month. Police officers also said that surveillance cameras can help deter crime. Some residents asked about hiring private security. It would be costly, but officers said that it’s legal to do. A woman at the meeting said that cops are not equipped to deal with mental health issues, and that there is a need for mental health crisis units and people who can address needs of many users for rehabilitation. “I don’t think it’s going to be solved with just what’s been brought up so far,” she said.
East Side resiliency approved despite LES protests BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH
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he city’s $1.45 billion East Side flood protection plan is one step closer to becoming a reality after the New York City Planning Commission voted to approve the East Side Coastal Resiliency project (ESCR) on Sept. 23. “The ESCR project responds to one of the most pressing issues that the city and the globe is facing, seven years after Sandy parts of our city are still recovering from its devastation including areas that would be protected by this project,” said City Planning Commission Chair Marisa Lago. “This application is a pivotal step in protecting nearly 200,000 New Yorkers in Lower Manhattan and includes tens of thousands of residents living in public housing.” The ESCR was proposed after Hurricane Sandy and is an effort to protect lower Manhattan from flooding and rising sea-levels attributed to climate change. The plan calls for strengthening 2.4 miles of coastline from Montgomery to East 25th Streets by creating a series of flood walls, levies, reconstructing bridges at Delancey and 10th Streets, while also raising East River Park by 8 to 9 feet by placing piles of dirt on top Schneps Media
Rendering cour tesy of the NYC Depar tment of Cit y Planning
part in a fake burial of the ESCR plan to protest the park’s closure. Protesters also expressed concern about the impact that dropping tons of dirt to raise the park would have on neighboring community members. Other expressed outrage that hundreds of park trees would be destroyed as part of the plan. “Voting to approve the project with the understanding that it requires the still multi-year closure of the park is not a decision made lightly,” said Lago. “Parks and open space are es-
of the existing landscape. During the hear, members of East River Action, held signs reading “No!” and “Save our lungs, no landfills.” The East Village/Lower East Side community group has repeatedly opposed the plan since it would cause the park to temporarily close for three and half years. Although the group does support the city’s plan to use flood walls, levies and berms. The vote comes two days after hundreds of East River Park users took TVG
sential to the vibrancy and health of a community. East River Park is not only a place for active and passive recreation but also gathering space for the community.” For opponents, the park’s closure means a loss of community. As the plan heads towards the final stages of the ULURP process, it waits approval from City Council and then the Mayor. According to Curbed, construction on the ESCR is set to start in March of next year. September 26, 2019
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Stringer touts daycare proposal BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH
New push for 14th busway
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omptroller Scott Stringer and state Senator Brad Hoylman stopped by the Jacob Riis Early Childhood Learning Center in the East Village on Monday as part of a tour of the city’s daycare centers. After briefly playing with toddlers, both elected officials held a mini-round table discussion with parents and childcare workers — at a toddler-sized table with copies of the Comptroller’s NYC Under 3 plan fanned across it. “We think it’s a game changer,” said Stringer. “I always say, [Mayor] Bill de Blasio, job well done, but now we have to take it to the next level.” De Blasio made universal pre-K central to his 2013 campaign, and he Pre-K for All initiative in 2014, the first year of his administration. About 70,000 children are now enrolled in universal pre-K, according to The New York Times. That led to a second phase launched in 2017, including pre-K for three year olds. NYC Under 3, which Stringer proposed in May, is an effort to expand affordable childcare to families with young children up to age three. In the plan, families of four that make less
Photo by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech Photos by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech City Comptroller Scott Stringer and state Senator Brad Hoylman with some tots at the Jacob Riis Early Childhood Center in the East Village on Sept. 23
economy, as it would allow for 20,000 people, mostly women, to re-enter the workforce, and childcare providers. According to the report, the program will take six years to implement. Within the first five years, $500 million will be dedicated to the construction and renovation of childcare facilities. Read more at thevillager.com
than $25,750 a year would qualify for free childcare. Families making up to $103,000 would be able to have some of their childcare costs covered based on a sliding scale. During the tour, the comptroller emphasized that the plan was not only beneficial for the New York city’s children but also for the parents, the
Soho eatery feels heat over noise BY GABE HERMAN
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hile Soho residents have complained of excessive noise and crowds at the restaurant Piccola Cucina Estiatorio, as was recently reported in The Villager, locals have similar complaints against two sister locations of Piccola Cucina in the neighborhood. One of those other eateries — Piccola Cucina Enoteca, at 184 Prince St. — went before Community Board 2 this month for a review of its method of operation. At a September meeting of the State Liquor Authority (SLA) Licensing Committee, the manager of the Prince St. restaurant, along with an attorney for the owner, R & G Soho LLC, appeared at the committee’s request to discuss its daily operations and “negative impacts” on the surrounding community, according to a resolution passed at the meeting. Fed-up neighbors showed up to the meeting as well. “A large number of residents,” the resolution read, “including a building manager representing multiple residential buildings in the immediate area, were in attendance and their statements provided detailed examples of unwanted behavior that in some cases represented violations of their method of operation on their on-
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September 26, 2019
Photo by Tequila Minsk y On a weeknight in September at 75 Thompson St., crowds were on the sidewalk and windows were open.
Other issues raised included customers drinking alcohol outside on the street, with no effort to stop them, and the operation of an illegal sidewalk café. At the meeting, the restaurant manager, who manages all three locations, acknowledged the banging of pots and pans for birthday celebrations, but said the severity of complaints was exaggerated. The SLA Committee and the owner’s attorney agreed that the owner would appear in person at next month’s committee meeting. Read more at thevillager.com
premise license.” The most serious complaints included the 184 Prince St. location functioning more as a lounge than a restaurant, with up to ten loud parties and birthday celebrations per night. Along with the loud music — which, according to nearby residents, blasts out to the street and nearby residential buildings — patrons are allowed to dance on tables and chairs, and are encouraged to bang on pots and pans. Alcohol is sold past the allowed time by the liquor license, local residents complained, and the place never closes before 1 a.m. TVG
BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH
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wo days after the United Nations held its climate summit, representatives from the New York League of Conservation Voters called on Wednesday for the implementation of the 14th Street Busway, which was stalled for a second time in August. “Breaking car culture and fighting climate change start right here at home,” said Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director at Riders Alliance during the Sept. 25 press conference at the noisy intersection of 8th Avenue and 14th Street bordering Chelsea and Greenwich Village. The busway is the Department of Transportation’s 18-month pilot program that would only allow for buses and trucks to use 14th Street between 3rd and 9th Avenues with local cars able to make drop offs and deliveries. The transit and truck only throughway, was a means to mitigate the effects of the L-train shut down and increase transportation times along the Ave. With the busway, the DOT planned to turn the M14 bus route into a SBS route. The plan was put on hold after attorney Arthur Schwartz filed a lawsuit against the MTA arguing that eliminating 12 bus stops on the M14 route creates an unnecessary burden for disabled residents nearby dependent to the bus route. This was the second lawsuit filed to prevent the busway. The original lawsuit was filed by several Manhattan block associations, represented by Schwartz, arguing the DOT did not go through a comprehensive environmental review before deciding to implement the busway. Read more at thevillager.com
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September 26, 2019
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Police Blotter 6th Precinct Greenwich Village
Video game swiped
Firebug burns flag
then lit an American flag on fire that was hanging from the exterior gate of the business. The lower portion of the flag became engulfed in flames and the man fled the scene in an unknown direction on his bicycle, according to police. — Gabe Herman
A man is wanted by police after an arson incident earlier this month. Law enforcement sources said the person allegedly approached the front gate of a commercial storefront at 56 Seventh Ave. on a white bicycle. He
W. Village man takes fatal fall
Bank denies thief access to their funds
Photo via Google Maps A man apparently took a fatal fall while climbing down a fire escape in Greenwich Village on Sept. 24.
Police are still looking for a video game thief who broke into a Greenwich Village apartment recently. A man allegedly gained entry to a bedroom of an apartment in the area of Grove and Bedford Streets at around 1:45 a.m. on Aug. 31 and took a Nintendo Switch, a Superman game and a WYSE wireless camera that belonged to a 29-year-old man. The victim was not home at the time of the incident, police said. — Gabe Herman
Heel gets hostile A man threatened a store employee after trying to shoplift at DSW, police said. The incident occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 11 a.m. An employee of the store, which is at 40 East 14th St., told police that he saw a man put store merchandise in a white plastic bag, including Nike sneakers and five pairs of Nike socks, totaling $157 in value. Cops said the man tried to leave the store, and when the employee confronted him, the would-be thief allegedly displayed a sharp metal object and said, “I will stab you.” Edward Bullock, 32, was arrested for felony robbery, and all of the items were recovered. — Gabe Herman
There was an unsuccessful robbery attempt at an HSBC bank, police said. At the 769 Broadway location, on Monday, Sept. 16, a man allegedly approached a teller and passed a demand note, while also verbally demanding cash. The teller didn’t comply, and the man fled by foot south along Broadway. Police described the man as black, between 50 and 60 years old, and last seen wearing all dark clothing. — Gabe Herman
Louisiana man busted for local break-in A Louisiana man was arrested for forcing his way into two women’s homes in Manhattan and Brooklyn earlier this year. On July 26, at 1:45 a.m., 22-year-old Tyler Lockett, followed a 21-year-old woman home to her apartment between Avenue A and East 12th Street in the East Village. Once the woman arrived to her apartment, Lockett pushed his way into the young woman’s home, grabbed her, threw her to the ground and covered her mouth to muffle her screams shortly after telling her to “shut up.” Lockett fled the apartment after the young woman’s roommate, a 22-yearold woman, woke up and encountered him in the apartment, police said. According to police, Lockett was charged with burglary. — Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
Detectives are looking into the death of a senior man who apparently took a fatal fall on a West Village fire escape on Tuesday morning. Officers from the 6th Precinct and EMS units responded at 11:45 a.m. on Sept. 26 to a 911 call about an unconscious man at an apartment building on Bleecker Street between Morton and Cornelia Streets. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders found 71-year-old Gary English, who lived at the Bleecker Street home, unconscious and unresponsive on a rear fire escape overlooking the building’s courtyard. Sources familiar with the investigation stated that a maintenance worker at the building discovered English and called for help. English was found with injuries to head and neck, and law enforcement sources indicated that it appears he suffered them from a fall down the fire escape steps. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the location. English’s body was transported to the Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. No criminality is suspected at this time, police said. The investigation is ongoing. — Robert Pozarycki
The Villager (USPS 578930) ISSN 0042-6202 Copyright © 2019 by Schneps Media is published weekly by Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. 52 times a year. Business and Editorial Offices: One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Accounting and Circulation Offices: Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Call 718-260-2500 to subscribe. Periodicals postage prices is paid at New York, N.Y. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Villager, One Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $29 ($35 elsewhere). Single copy price at office and newsstands is $1. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2019 Schneps Media.
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Hours are 7 days a week from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Note: From April 1 to September 30, we may use alternate technologies on Weekends and Federal holidays. AgeWell New York, LLC is a HMO plan with a Medicare and Medicaid contract. Enrollment in AgeWell New York, LLC depends on contract renewal. ATTENTION: If you do not speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-718-696-0206 (TTY: 1-800-662-1220). ATENCIĂ“N: si habla espaĂąol, tiene a su disposiciĂłn servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingĂźĂstica. Llame al 1-718-696-0206(TTY: 1-800-662-1220). ŕĄ¨ŰžÍšâ€Ťŕ¤€Ň…Ű“ß§×˛â€ŹŕŚŻ ćŞĽĐ˜â€ŤŰ“Ţ†â€ŹŐ•Ń™Ň˛ĺś˛ä™ƒâ€ŤÚąâ€ŹĺŻ‰ŕŞˆâ€ŤÝ™â€ŹÔ‰ß†âĽ˝ćžžĺŻśŕ¨šćœ… 1-718-696-0206 (TTY: 1-800-662-1220). Assistance services for other languages are also available free of charge at the number above. AgeWell New York complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of races, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. AgeWell New York cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. AgeWell New York ŕŹ¸ŘŒćƒ¨ŕ¤€ŕ¤™ĺˆŚŕŹźŕĄ‡ ăş–ŕĄŁâ€ŤÚŻâ€ŹĺŤ…Ř”ÍŤĐ‰Öœäąˇâ€ŤŢ•â€Źćž?ĺŒťŕ¨Šćž?ŕĄ‡â€ŤŢ•â€ŹŕŠŚä˝ˇćž?‍ٜ‏柞ćž?ăź‘ŕŽžŰŞâ€ŤŰ…â€ŹâŁŤ ŕ§˛ŕ ˇĺŤŒŃ ŃžŃ‹ćžžH4922_YesMM4002_M Accepted 02162019 Schneps Media
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September 26, 2019
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M15 buses will help city enforce bus lane ban BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
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tarting next month, the MTA and New York City will be more ‘ABLE’ to make drivers pay fi nes for getting in the way of their buses on Manhattan’s M15 route. The MTA announced on Sept. 23 that all 51 buses on the M15 Select Bus Service route will be equipped with the Automated Bus Lane Enforcement (ABLE) system beginning on Oct. 7. The buses will be fitted with camera systems designed to capture license plate information of all vehicles obstructing bus lanes along the route, which primarily uses First and Second Avenues. Simply put, if you’re driving or stopped in a bus lane and an M15 bus goes by, the bus’s camera system will capture timestamped images of the offense. Soon after, you’ll get a ticket from the city’s Department of Finance notifying you of the violation and a $50 fine. “Automated bus lane enforcement is a critical part of our plan to increase bus speeds, because transit priority improvements do not work if motorists do not respect their purpose or abide by traffic laws,� MTA New York City Transit Presi-
Photo via Wikimedia Commons/MTA Buses running on the M15 Select Bus Ser vice line in Manhattan will soon be equipped with cameras to catch drivers who illegally block bus lanes.
for a bus lane infraction between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7 will receive a written warning. Once the grace period ends, motorists who block the bus lanes will be subject to a fine of $50 per violation, and a $25 late fee if they fail to pay the fine in a
dent Andy Byford said. “We need to give our buses every fighting chance to get through the city’s congested streets.� The ABLE program will be launched with a 60-day grace period, meaning that any driver caught
timely manner. Drivers who make legal turns from bus lanes, however, should not have to worry. The MTA indicated that the ABLE system will collect “multiple pieces of evidence to ensure that vehicles making permitted turns from bus lanes are not ticketed.� “For years, we have had overhead cameras along routes like the M15, but adding enforcement cameras to the buses themselves will now help us further keep bus lanes clear — allowing tens of thousands of commuters to keep moving,� city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg added. “And we know that improvement in bus travel times consistently lead to ridership increases.� As noted, the ABLE system is part of the Better Buses Action Plan that the de Blasio administration launched earlier this year to speed up bus service. Trottenberg said the plan’s goal is to achieve a 25 percent increase in average citywide bus speed by the end of 2020. The MTA plans to expand the ABLE system in November to include the M14 bus route along 14th Street, but that’s dependent upon ongoing litigation regarding the fate of the proposed M14 busway.
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September 26, 2019
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Small enough to know you. Large enough to help you.® Effective August 2, 2019. 1) Limit one (1) Starbucks gift card per new Complete Checking account, minimum opening balance of $1,000 or more required. Starbucks is not a sponsor or participant of this promotion. 2) New Complete Checking account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. A new checking account is defined as any new checking account that does not have any authorized signatures in common with any other existing Flushing Bank checking account(s). An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. 3) The Cash Bonus is limited to one (1) account credit per new Complete Checking account. To qualify for the Cash Bonus, a new Complete Checking account must be opened with a minimum opening balance of $1,000 or more. The Cash Bonus credit will be based on the monthly average account balance of the first three (3) full months after account opening. The monthly average account balance tiers and respective account credits are as follows: Tier 1: $1,000 - $4,999 a $10 account credit, Tier 2: $5,000 - $9,999 a $50 account credit, Tier 3: $10,000+ a $100 account credit. The Cash Bonus credit will be posted to the account on or about the end of the subsequent month following the account’s three (3) month anniversary. A 1099 will be issued in the amount of the account credit. The new Complete Checking account must remain open, active and in good standing for six months. If the account is closed prior to six months or prior to receiving the credit, the account credit will be forfeited. Other fees and restrictions may apply. Notwithstanding the Cash Bonus offer, a minimum deposit of $25 is required to open the Complete Checking account. 4) This offer is limited to one Complete Checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new Complete Checking account is $25. No minimum balance required to be eligible for the Bonus. Direct Deposit– You will receive $100 for signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit. Each direct deposit must be $250 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 90 days after the account is opened. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $50 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking bill payments – You will receive $50 for completing 5 online banking bill payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal. Each online bill pay must be $25 or more. Debit Card Purchases and Online Banking bill payments must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $200. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about the end of the month following the completion of the above qualifying transactions within the required time after account opening. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. The promotion and offer are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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September 26, 2019
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New School celebrates centennial with festival BY EMILY DAVENPORT
O
ne of Manhattan’s most progressive universities will be celebrating 100 years of education with a week-long festival. On Oct. 1-6, The New School will host The Festival of New to celebrate the school’s centennial anniversary with one-of-a-kind performances and discussions, as well as academic and cultural offerings with the change-makers who are shaping the century ahead. The festival will take place on The New School campus, located at 72 5th Ave., and at other locations throughout the city. Every part of the festival is free to the public. “The university has always had a special place in the hearts of New Yorkers and engaged innovators around the world,� said David Van Zandt, president of The New School. “We are excited to share this moment with our alumni, friends, supporters, and New School enthusiasts from NYC and beyond and welcome the public into our extraordinary community of artists, scholars, and activists.� The festival aims to celebrate 100 years of serving as the most spirited and unconventional universities in the country. After opening its doors as a co-ed
Photos cour tesy of The New School American composer Henr y Cowell teaching a course called “Music of the World’s Peoples� at The New School.
institution in 1919 (with an enrollment rate of 70 percent women and 30 percent men in its fi rst semester), The New School kept its focus on continuing education rather than offering formalized programs. The New School was the fi rst to offer
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classes in jazz history, African-American studies, women’s history course, psychoanalysis class, among many others. The school also was the fi rst to offer an international program. The New School’s alumni include visionary women like Hannah Arendt,
Martha Graham, Clara Mayer, Frieda Wunderlich, Maria Piscator, and many more. The New School has also hosted creators such as W.E.B. DuBois, John Cage, Anatole Broyard, Ai Weiwei, Donna Karan. “The New School opened its doors a century ago with the ambitious goal of creating a new kind of academic institution that would bring together scholars, creative practitioners, and citizens interested in questioning and debating the most important issues of the day,� said Van Zandt. “We continue to strive for that ideal today, and to push academic, creative, and cultural boundaries in bold and innovative ways.� Throughout the week, the festival will offer a number of events, many hosted by alumni of The New School. Highlights include Keeping it New in Fashion: A Talk Between Generations with Fern Mallis, Derek Lam, and Emily Bode (Oct. 2, 2:30 p.m.); At the Parsons Table with Anna Sui (‘72) (Oct. 4, 6 p.m.); The New School Comedy Special with Julio Torres (‘11) and Spike Einbinder (‘13) (Oct. 6, 6 p.m.); a screening of Ask Dr. Ruth with Dr. Ruth Westheimer (Class of 1959) and Bill Ritter (‘16) (Oct. 5, 2:30 p.m.); and so much more. For a full schedule, visit newschool. edu/festival-of-new.
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Editorial
Don’t just say ‘no’ to bus improvements
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or all the attention given to the myriad problems in the city’s subway system, not enough attention is paid to the equally woeful bus network citywide. Notoriously slow and off schedule, the buses nonetheless serve as a vital transit link for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each day. The MTA and city Transportation Department realize the problems facing the bus network and are doing things to try and speed them up. Unfortunately, in certain instances, these efforts are facing backlash from community merchants and residents who say the prescribed cures for slow buses and street congestion are worse than the ailments. With the MTA attempting to close 14th Street in Manhattan to all vehicular traffic except buses, and creating a bus lane along Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood, local groups have even taken the extreme measure of going to court to try and stop such plans. A judge dismissed the case against the Ridgewood bus lane on Sept. 23, which was based by the litigants on the perception that removing parking and traffic lanes from Fresh Pond Road to better accommodate buses would harm business. It’s the same argument made for opponents of the 14th Street busway in Manhattan, whose case is
ous reconstruction, and the streets of Manhattan fi lled with more cars and people than ever, more must be done to protect the street. In our view, during weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., 14th Street should be limited to bus traffic, emergency vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. Business deliveries ought to be
currently pending. Arthur Schwartz, who represents the 14th Street busway opponents, similarly represented the bus lane opponents in Queens. Knowing he and other opponents won’t back down, they might want to heed the words of Judge Joseph Esposito’s decision in the Queens case, in which he said that the detractors’ motive was primarily a fear of change. With the L train undergoing seri-
encouraged during late night and early morning hours when the street is least active. The transportation situation in the city, especially with regard to buses, is untenable. To their credit, the de Blasio Administration is working with the MTA to figure out ways to speed the buses up to serve more people, and reverse the troubling downward trend in ridership as frustrated commuters turn to ride-sharing as a faster alternative. Whether it’s the creation of restricted bus lanes, rerouting entire bus lines or expanding limited and Select Bus services, change needs to happen. We’re choking on our own traffic, and if we can’t get to where we need to go, we will harm way more businesses and families than those living on a single street in any given neighborhood. The city and MTA should always work with communities when implementing bus changes to make the transition process smooth. However, the time to just say “no” to every proposal needs to come to an end. The city is at a transit breaking point. We need to work together to keep moving.
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VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS LINCOLN ANDERSON ROBERT POZARYCKI GABE HERMAN ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL MICHELE HERMAN BOB KRASNER TEQUILA MINSKY MARY REINHOLZ PAUL SCHINDLER JOHN NAPOLI MARCOS RAMOS CLIFFORD LUSTER (718) 260-2504 CLUSTER@CNGLOCAL.COM GAYLE GREENBURG JIM STEELE JULIO TUMBACO ELIZABETH POLLY
The front-page illustration of the Sept. 15, 1955, issue of The Villager depicted Patchin Place, a gated cul-de-sac off of West 10th St., between Sixth and Greenwich Aves. The caption read: “Charming Patchin Place: Looking toward the entrance gates on 10th St. Former residents were poets and writers. Once inside the gates one gets away from the noise and turmoil of the street.” Among the famed scribes who have dwelled on the court are E.E. Cummings, Louise Bryant, Theodore Dreiser, Djuana Barnes and John Reed.
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Letters to the Editor
Listen to the kids on climate BY CONGRESSMAN JERRY NADLER
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very Friday, 14-year-old Manhattan resident Alexandria Villaseñor will wake up at 8:00 am and skip school to travel to the United Nations Headquarters. Here, she will sit on a bench, often alone, and picket to build awareness about the dangers of climate change. This week, Greta Thunberg, the 16-yearold founder of School Strike 4 Climate, and young people from across the globe have joined Alexandria for the “Global Climate Strike,” which saw students walk out of school to protest climate change inaction. Alexandria, like thousands of other young people, recognizes that her generation cannot afford to wait any longer to take meaningful action against climate change. Their advocacy is critical and admirable, but our children and grandchildren should not need to skip school and stage mass protests to stop climate change. Yet, the federal government has put them in this position by refusing to address the climate crisis. Climate change is real and threatens all of us, regardless of nationality, political party, or economic status. Extreme climate change has already arrived in the United States and impacts every congressional district across our country. In New York City, the potential for stronger storms and rising seas mean Sandy-level flooding could occur once every 23 years as opposed to once every 400. The 2018 National Climate Assessment, a report compiled by 13 federal scientific agencies, warns that we only have a small window of time to take meaningful action to cut carbon emissions if we are to avoid irreversible changes. Scientists warn that window could close within about a decade if the earth heats up by an average of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If that happens, shrinking glaciers in the poles could lead to a massive sea-level rise, harming the planet’s ability to recover from further warming. That metric may seem theoretical, but it’s not; according to the analysis from The Washington Post, 71 counties have already hit the 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit mark, including all five boroughs. At a time when America should be leading the global fight against climate change, the Trump Administration has taken our nation backward, recklessly withdrawing us from the Paris Agreement and rolling back countless environmental regulations designed to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. The Administration has even gone so far as to undermine the very science of climate change by blocking federal climate scientists from publishing data about the climate crisis and scrubbing all references to climate change from government websites. These actions are careless, and the consequences could be irreversible.
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In the face of the Administration’s dangerous retreat on environmental policy, the House has not been silent. As a critical first step, the House passed multiple bills that would require the United States to stay in the Paris Agreement. Additionally, the House passed legislation to block the Trump Administration’s dangerous plan to auction off up to 90 percent of our nation’s offshore waters for oil and gas drilling. Democratic Members of Congress have put forward bold proposals to combat this crisis. I am proud to support Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal Resolution, which challenges our federal government to address the changing climate now by bringing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions down to net-zero and meeting 100 percent of power demand in the country through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources by 2030. The Green New Deal addresses the urgency of the moment and is the start of a serious conversation we must be having in 2019. As I work tirelessly with my Democratic colleagues in Washington, I am proud that New York has become the national leader in the fight against climate change at the state level. I commend Governor Cuomo for signing into law the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the most ambitious state mandate for climate action in the country that includes a requirement for the state to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. It is my hope that New York will stay the course and reject wasteful projects that would take us backward like the Williams Pipeline. For the sake of future generations of young people, the federal government must move quickly to tackle the climate crisis head-on. We must also improve our climate resilience to protect Americans from the increasingly extreme weather and natural disasters that are being driven by climate change. The President must learn from young people like Alexandria Villaseñor, and act before it is too late. Congressman Jerry Nadler represents the 10th Congressional District of New York, which includes Manhattan and Brooklyn.
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PANNING ‘VENUS’ REVIEW Regarding the Aug. 22 article “Watermelon, wine and bird do” that appeared in the Arts and Entertainment section: Nancy Elsamanoudi reviewed Eloy Arribas’ paintings. She mentioned a “crudely drawn Venus of Willendorf-like figure.” I disagree with the description. This drawing is just like graffiti I see all over the place, and it is no Venus. It is a drawing degrading women as nothing but sexual servants of men. She is all giant breasts, spread legs and a smile. Your euphemistic description is not fooling anyone. S.D. Rosenbaum
DRIVING UP A HARD BARGAIN The year started with the MTA financial commitment for construction of Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 of $1,735 billion. This would support preliminary environmental, design, engineering and utility relocation work north from 96th Street to 125th Street. They needed $4.265 billion in total funding for actual construction of Phase 2. The MTA would have to find $2.265 billion in local dollars in the next MTA Five Year 2020 - 2024 Capital Program. This would bring the total local funding commitment up to $4 billion. In April, the MTA claimed they could save between $500 million to a $1 billion in costs for this project. This would have reduced the overall tab to $5 billion. Promised cost savings were based upon reduction in excavation for the 125th Street Station and building the 116th Street Station in space no longer needed for other project work. Under the $51 billion
2020 - 2024 Five Year Capital Plan, the overall cost has now increased by $1 billion. This raised the project price tag to $7 billion. The previous federal share of $2 billion or 33% has now been assumed to be 50% or $3.5 billion. No one has come forward to explain these changes. There is no guarantee (based upon future advancement of design and engineering, construction contractors responses to the procurement process for contract(s) award followed by change orders during construction due to unforeseen site conditions or last minute changes in scope) that the final cost could end up several hundred million to a billion or two more. A legal federal commitment to fund Second Ave Subway Phase 2 still remains an open question. All the Federal Transit Administration has provided to the MTA in 2018 was the FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) based upon completion of the NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) review process. The project still faces myriad hurdles. Larry Penner
Email letters to news @ thevillager.com, leave a comment to any story on our website at thevillager. com or write to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 MetroTech Center, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for verification. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published, but writers may request that their names be withheld from publication.
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CELEBRATING LABOR IN THE BIG APPLE
SCHNEPS MEDIA HONORS CHAMPIONS OF WORKER’S RIGHTS AT INAUGURAL LEADERS OF LABOR AWARDS
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he workers’ rights movement in New York has made great strides in the last several years -- the state has one of the highest rates of unionization in the country -and these triumphs provided the backdrop for the fi rst-ever Leaders of Labor Awards on September 4th at Terrace on the Park in Queens. Presented by Schneps Media and sponsored by New York State Nurses Association, UAW Region 9A, NYS Laborers, District Council 9, CSEA, Healthplex, Neurological Surgery P.C., and Cary Kane LLP, the dinner and awards
event featured labor leaders, delegates, partners, allies and supporters of the labor movement. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams delivered a powerful keynote address rallying the audience with “Union Town” chants. Guests also heard from Brooklyn Borough President, Eric L. Adams, Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Queens Borough President and future Queens District Attorney, Melinda Katz. New York Senator Diane Savino kept the evening flowing as the night’s emcee – building upon years of established relation-
ships from her past experience as a labor leader. In addition to celebrating, Schneps Media raised money to benefit the FealGood Foundation which supports workers suffering from 9/11 related cancer and illnesses. Due to the tremendous success of the event, Schneps Media is now opening nominations for the 2020 Leaders of Labor Awards slated for September 17, 2020. Nominate an outstanding union member or executive
who exemplifies dignity and respect for all working men and women; advances women to leadership roles or promotes apprenticeship, education and training programs by emailing Jasmin Freeman at jfreeman@schnepsmedia.com or call 718-260-4512.
Top Row(from left to right): Brian Casey, Local 806; Shaun D. Francois I, DC37 Local 372; Kyle Bragg, 32BJ SEIU; Beverley Brakeman, UAW Region 9A; Ed Christian, IUOE Local 14-14B; Jared Trujillo, UAW Local 2325 Schneps Media
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More than 50,000 people marched the 2019 New York City Labor Day Parade
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n Saturday, September 7th, more than 50,000 union members and their families turned out with the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO to march in the Labor Day Parade. The parade was led by Grand Marshal Elizabeth Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO and the highest ranking women in the U.S. Labor movement, and Parade Chair Ernest Logan, President of the American federation of School Administrators.
Tens of thousands of working men and women from 150 unions and labor groups across the city and region, including teachers, construction and building trades workers, garment workers, firefighters, actors, retail workers, and many more rallied at the parade. City and state elected officials including Gov. Cuomo, Senator Chuck Schumer, NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and dozens of others joined the march.
The event marked the 125th anniversary of Labor Day. Since its inception in 1882, the parade has become a signature event for the labor movement not only in the city, but across America. The parade was led by the Patriot Brass Ensemble, members of the American Federation of Musicians Local 802. The parade’s theme “Building Worker Power Together” was evident as members marched in unity and activism to show the world that they are working together to build worker power in New York.
SALUTE TO LABOR AWARDS
IS PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE WORKFORCE
September 17, 2020
New York City
Nominate an outstanding union representative for the 2020 Salute to Labor Awards. Schneps Media will honor the achievements of outstanding union members in our community and show our appreciation for all the years they’ve worked to promote and preserve the union movement in New York.
Nominees must exhibit one or more of the following criteria: • Exemplifies dignity and respect for all working men and women • Advances women to leadership roles • Promotes apprenticeship, education and training programs Submit your nominations to Jasmin Freeman at 718-260-4512 or email jfreeman@schnepsmedia.com
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Leaders must train future leaders Engaging Millennials in the labor movement
Our Perspective
Car Wash Bill Will Protect Workers From Injustices By Stuart Appelbaum, President Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, UFCW Twitter: @sappelbaum
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Shaun D. Francois I, President of Local 372 and DC37 BY SHAUN D. FRANCOIS I Throughout my 25 year career I have always been politically active and engaged in my union. However it wasn’t until AFSCME initiated Next Wave, a program that mentored union members under 40 years of age for leadership roles. I truly saw how important it was for leaders to engage and train our young future leaders. I realized early on that the future of the labor movement is linked to labor activism, organizing and mentoring. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to chair my unions first Next Wave Committee. Subsequently I am the first Next Waver to be elected an executive officer at District Council 37. We as leaders have a unique opportunity to grow and become stronger with the support of millennial workers. According to the Economic Policy Institute, workers age 35 and under are the main reason for the surge in union membership over the past two years. Nationwide in 2017, nearly 860,000 workers under age 35 got hired and nearly a quarter of those were union jobs. Let’s not forget young workers were instruSchneps Media
mental in the Fight for $15, #MeToo and living wage to just name a few. It is up to us to break from tradition and connect with the younger generation and encourage them not only to join, but also lead. My goal as President is to teach others to lead the fight. The Trump Administration seeks to destroy unions by attacking worker’s rights and by introducing laws and policies. We can’t just sit back and wait for new leaders to arrive. Working with our parent unions, we must identify those with leadership potential and then find ways to nurture and develop that potential. That is why I encourage my members to vote, become union organizers, join union committees, attend union meetings, rallies, protest and join Next Wave Committee. We need to remind the public that the five day work week, health benefits and safe working conditions are some of the things our predecessor union workers fought for and won on our behalves. We must stay vigilant so those gains we have made are not taken away. Stay Ready! TVG
he Car Wash Bill 2019, which would end subminimum wages and help eliminate wage theft for thousands of downstate New York car wash workers, was passed by the New York State Senate and Assembly in June. With car wash workers downstate still being underpaid and still vulnerable to potential wage theft, it is crucial that this bill becomes law as soon as possible. Labor activists, progressive elected officials, and workers aren’t the only ones who support car wash workers in their fight for better jobs and fair pay. In 2015, none other than Pope Francis met with car wash workers in Harlem to show his support, bringing worldwide Tip credit can even be used attention to a mostly-immigrant as a vehicle for wage theft, group of hardworking people who with disreputable business struggle to put food on their owners stealing tips and violating minimum wage laws. families’ tables due to underpayment and exploitation. Numerous New York elected officials including New York City’s mayor, New York City Council members and state officials have stood with car wash workers. And, last year, during a public teleconference town hall, Governor Cuomo acknowledged that tip credit can even be used as a vehicle for wage theft, with disreputable business owners stealing tips and violating minimum wage laws. Governor Cuomo was Banning the tip credit in the car right about how the current wash industry downstate would system shortchanges help lift up 5,000 mostly immigrant workers. The so-called “tip car wash workers in New York. credit” that allows employers downstate to pay car wash workers below minimum wage based upon the idea that customers will make up the difference in tips. But in reality, this often results in workers taking home below minimum wage, due to lack of tips, employers dipping into the tip jar, and a confusing web of 8 different possible sub-minimum wages in New York. That confusion often provides employers with an outrageous license to steal, and even well-meaning employers have sometimes run afoul of the law due to its complicated nature. Banning the so-called “tip credit” in the car wash industry downstate would help lift up 5,000 mostly immigrant car wash workers in New York. We applaud the actions of the state legislature this past summer to end this injustice, and we urge Governor Cuomo to sign the Car Wash Bill into law to protect car wash workers and their families from wage theft and underpayment.
www.rwdsu.org September 26, 2019
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TOBACCO FLAVORS HOOK NYC KIDS PROTECT NYC KIDS FROM ADDICTION Big Tobacco is tricking our kids into nicotine addiction. They've spent millions targeting youth with flavors like gummy bear, bubblegum and menthol. And it's working; 78% more high school students used e-cigarettes in 2018. Tobacco flavors are creating a new generation of addicts. Two new City Council bills will protect our kids — but we need your help. Join us and learn more at FlavorsHookKidsNYC.org.
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New Gov. Island art center open
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Photo by Alejandra Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell-Domenech The Upper Galler y of the Ar ts Center features the work of Yto Barrada and Bettina.
BY ALEJANDR A Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CONNELL-DOMENECH
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he Lower Manhattan Cultural Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (LMCC) Arts Center at Governors Island is now open to the public. The nonprofit, along with the Trust for Governors Island, spent $12 million to renovate the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1870s munitions warehouse to create dedicated space for exhibitions, public performances along with visual and performing art spaces. About $8 million of those funds came from city funding, according to a statement from LMCC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We invite the public into LMCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arts Center at Governors Island to reflect on the world we inhabit. How we can better care for ourselves, those around us and the planet as a whole?â&#x20AC;? said Lili Chopra, executive director of artistic programs at LMCC. The 40,000 square foot center features an upper and lower gallery along with open plan studios which will showcase work with focuses on ecology, sustainability and resilience related to Governors Island and the city. Schneps Media
The Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural exhibits are a piece about individual and collective reactions to disaster called The Power of Two Suns by Yto Barrada and guest artist Bettina in the Arts Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Upper Gallery. In the Lower Gallery, artist Michael Wang exhibits Extinct in New York, a collection of greenhouses filled with plants that no longer grow in the city due to urbanization. The Arts Center also has 17 artists in residents, who began their year-long stays the Arts Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official opening, Sept. 19. The first cohort consists of Yto Barrada, Colleen Billing, Baris Gokturk, Maya Jeffereis, Amy Koshbin, Hilary Lorenz, Brendan Kiely, Jillian MacDonald, Ander Mikalson, Lize Mogel, Aviva Rahmani, Leah Raintree, Aida Ĺ ehovi, Aaron Suggs, Asiya Wadud, Michael Wang and Hypocrit Theater Company. Throughout Governors Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public season, May 1 through Oct. 1, the Arts Center will also host cultural programming. The galleries are open and free to the public from Thursday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. until Oct. 31.
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Youth lead thousands in march to save climate BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH
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housands of young people filled the streets of Lower Manhattan to call on those in power to take action on climate change, before it’s too late. “This is an emergency; our house is on fire,” climate change activist Greta Thunberg told a crowd of strikers at Battery Park where the climate strike march ended. “We will not just stand aside and watch.” Strikers first gathered in a packed Foley Square; WABC-TV reported more than 60,000 people participated in the march. Last week, the New York City Department of Education announced that public school students would receive an excused absence for attending the strike. The plaza in front of nearby courthouses was a sea of signs Friday reading “protect our mother” and “there is no Planet B.” Young people chanted “This is what democracy looks like!” and “The sea is rising and so are we!” as they waited to hear from members of the Youth Climate Strike Coalition, which organized the protest. Members spoke to the crowd about the urgency to mitigate the effects of climate change, the importance of re-
Photos by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech Some climate strikers could not make their way into Foley Square but gathered on streets in front of nearby cour thouses.
onto my bed,” Rivera recalled. Five years later, when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, Dominica
you watch on TV,” said Rivera. “But the ugly reality is that the crisis will effect everyone.” Speakers also reiterated the strikers’ three demands: Ending fossil fuel consumption, prioritizing front line communities in fully transitioning to renewable energy, and holding government officials along with businesses and other institutions of power accountable for the effects of climate change. Chanting protesters then marched from Foley Square area down Broadway to the Battery. There, protesters heard other activists, songs and climate activists including Jaden and Willow Smith (the children of actor Will Smith) and most importantly Thunberg.
Many of the strikers cited Thunberg’s efforts in her native Sweden that catalyzed their own climate change activism. They say she made them believe in the power of the individual to enact change. At Battery Park, Thunberg called on the United Nations to listen to what young people, whose futures are more affected rising global temperatures, are demanding. According to Thunberg, global leaders have a chance during the climate summit to prove their solidarity with the young climate strikers rather than pay them lip service.
Climate change activist Greta Thunberg speaks to a crowd of thousands at Batter y Park days before the UN Climate Change Summit. Thunberg became a household name after she repeatedly skipped school to protest for more action on climate change mitigation outside of the Swedish parliament.
specting indigenous and front line communities, in the fight for climate justice. One of the speakers, 13-year-old Marisol Rivera, spoke about her journey to join the climate strike because of Hurricanes Sandy and Maria. Scientists say climate change increased the storms’ strength. Seven years ago, Rivera’s home in Brooklyn was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. “I remember turning around and seeing a huge amount of water fall
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and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Rivera was forced to relive that trauma again when family members’ homes were flooded and a close family friend died in the storm. As fate would have it, the strike took place on the two-year anniversary of Maria, which left 3,000 dead on the island. “You never think that you are going to be the type of person that is hit by all these disasters … it’s the kind of stuff
A human chain that was created by organizers to protect young protesters from the media and others.
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A tribute to beloved Soho poet Dalachinsky BY BONNY FINBERG Steve Dalachinsky was a consummate kvetcher, often unsure of how the world perceived him. A self-proclaimed “gormand,” he inevitably coveted whatever was on your plate rather than what was on his own. On a walk together in Paris, he was sure I got the better pick from a box of tossed records on the street, even though, knowing his proclivities, I let him go through it fully before picking through the remains. Ironically, he was beloved internationally, a recipient of awards and critical acclaim. He was a generous friend and published writers he felt were underappreciated, through Sisyphus Press, lovingly handmade chapbooks produced with his wife, poet and painter Yuko Otomo. He embraced young, aspiring poets and musicians, perhaps finding a spark that reminded him of his early encounters with older musicians and poets. At 15, walking past the Five Spot on St. Mark’s Place, sounds spilled onto the street. Underage, he snuck inside and saw Cecil Taylor playing the piano. This began a decades-long friendship. “The music went right inside me,” he said, “and my addiction to free jazz began.” Steve, who was 72, lived in Soho. He died early Monday morning, Sept. 15, from a stroke after reading his poetry with a jazz trumpeter in Long Island. He’d gone to a Sun Ra Arkestra concert with Yuko earlier in the day. Still able to speak as he was wheeled into the emergency room, he joked, “Maybe I overdosed on Sun Ra.” Yuko replied, smiling, “I told you so.” A shared joke, followed by a little teasing, their
Photo by Bonny Finberg Steve Dalachinsk y in Prague in 2011.
last verbal exchange. Aside from his wife of 40 years, he leaves behind his sister, Judy Orcinolo, and her son, Shaun. Matt Shipp, longtime friend and collaborator, describes their relationship as a “perfect intersection,” sharing a love for the same musical and literary icons, describing their conversations “almost as natural as breathing.” Their conversations and Steve’s poems in response to Shipp’s playing were published in 2006 as “Logos And Language: A Post-Jazz Metaphorical Dialogue,” by Michel Dor-
bon under his Paris-based RogueArt. Steve’s collection “The Final Nite & Other Poems: The Complete Notes From a Charles Gayle Notebook 1987-2006,” from Ugly Duckling Press (2006), won the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. He is also the recipient of the French Minister of Culture Award, as a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Steve received an Acker Award, given in recognition of significant contribution and achievement in the Lower East Side arts community. Steven Donald Dalachinsky was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 29, 1946, to Sylvia and Louis Dalachinsky, a house painter. As a young teen he was sent to a psychiatric hospital for behavior that would now be diagnosed as ADHD. There he met another patient, who, hearing Steve wrote poetry, gave him copies of Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “Coney Island of the Mind” and Allen Ginsburg’s “Howl.” From this point his focus took a sharp turn and he devoured the Beats, absorbing a broad range of influences beyond. In addition to his widely published poetry and critical writing on jazz, Dalachinsky was an accomplished collagist. His images reflect his love of surrealism, executed with seamless precision, textural complexity and absurdist humor. As Dorbon said, “He was hungry for everything — food, life — food for sure, all that he catches, all that he grabbed, he wanted to restitute to others. He could read his work with any musician.” Steve Dalachinsky took in everything and released a flood of consciousness forged into poetry in all he produced. Read more at thevillager.com
One more summer dance with seniors in Wash. Sq. BY TEQUIL A MINSK Y
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ancers spanning all different generations threw an incredible performance before a crowd of hundreds at Washington Square Park’s Garibaldi Plaza on Sept. 14. Naomi Goldberg Haas’ Dances for a Variable Population (DVP) delighted the Greenwich Village crowd with their program “Revival 3, It’s About Time,” at the same spot where she held dance classes every Tuesday morning during the summer. The dancers, mostly seniors, leaped, sashayed, and swung their hips with engaging choreography to nine different numbers in genres including pop music, funk and Latino. Whistles and cheers, especially to James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing!,” emanated from the audience. The dancers, aside from guest artists who participated, are all students in the classes of Naomi Goldberg Haas. Founded in 2005, DVP promotes strong and creative movement among adults of all ages and abilities. The organization holds “Movement Speaks and Dances for Seniors,” which provides free community-based programs for low-income, minority,
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Photo by Tequila Minsk y Seniors rocked out at Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village
and underserved older adults in four boroughs of New York City. As of Wednesday, Sept. 25, the 90-minute classes moved indoors to the Parks Department gym at the Dapolito Recreation Center, Clarkson Street and 7th Avenue South. The class is free with Parks Department Center membership, $25 for non-member seniors. It’s the only class among the 17 DVP sites TVG
in Greenwich Village. Haas has worked in concert dance, theatre, opera and film. Recently, she was awarded a prestigious DANCE USA 2019-20 Fellowship for Artists addressing Social Change. The performance at Washington Square Park was made possible with support from city and state agencies and the National Endowment of the Arts. Schneps Media
Eats
LES woman makes huge entry into cookie biz BY GABE HERMAN
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Lower East Side resident is starting a cookie company from scratch and trying to stand out from the competition with some uniquely flavored cookies that are truly homemade. Kerianne Cotray, 29, lives on Water Street and uses her apartment as her cookie headquarters, doing all the baking, wrapping and shipping from there. She named her company baKD – using the initials of her maiden name Kerianne DeSantis – and just shipped out her first orders on Sept. 8. The cookies are not only homemade — Cotray bakes four at a time on trays in her kitchen — but they’re also big, weighing around 6 ounces each. Cotray said that turned out to be the maximum size before they started falling apart. Flavors include The Lunch Box, with a peanut butter cookie base mixed with peanut butter chips and a strawberry jam filling; The Sandlot, with a Graham cookie base with chocolate chips and vanilla fluff filling, topped with marshmallows and chocolate; a classic chocolate chip cookie called The Chunk that includes walnuts; and It Takes Two, with a dark chocolate cookie base with sea salt and chocolate chips.
Cour tesy baKD Kerianne Cotray, the founder of baKD, at the Hester Street Fair.
The hefty cookies go for $5 each. Cotray’s business is so grassroots that she doesn’t even have a website, instead posting information and taking orders through an Instagram account, @bakd.bakery. “I really like it even though it’s a lot of manual labor,” Cotray said of her budding business. “I like the chemistry
of it, the experimentation of it. I just like it.” Cotray also recently got into bodybuilding, and entered a competition that ended in early May of this year. Afterward, she went on vacation and learned that she’d been laid off from her job in the tech industry. She then decided to do something
Great times brew at Queens beer fest
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Vegan eats at big fest on Randall’s BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH
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BY THE VILL AGER STAFF ake plans to cross the river next month, as the Queens Beer Festival returns to Long Island City on the weekend of Oct. 5-6. LIC Flea & Food, located at 5-25 46th Avenue in Long Island City at the corner of 46th Avenue and 5th Street, will once again host the Beer festival dedicated to local craft beer. This highly anticipated annual event was launched in 2016 as the first and only festival in Queens highlighting the exploding craft brewery scene in New York City and particularly Queens County. Over 2,000 attendees come out annually to meet, taste and discover the local breweries and seasonal craft beers offered. The event also includes activities and live music. The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m., and there are two sessions to choose from each day. The Queens Beer Festival will include approximately 50 beers from about 25 local craft breweries. Tickets include unlimited beer tastings and a souvenir mug. Breweries scheduled to be pour-
that she really wanted, and that turned out to be cookie-making. It happened to coincide with her craving for cookies after not being able to indulge while training for the competition. Her husband Jason designed the company’s logo, and helps with packaging. Cotray takes orders through Instagram and then bakes and ships the cookies within a few days. On her first day of taking orders, she got about 115 cookie requests, which is 60 percent of capacity right now. She had a stand at the Hester Street Fair on Sept. 14, which Cotray said was a big success. Cotray will be back at the Hester Street Fair, at 25 Essex St., on Sept. 28 and Oct. 26. Cotray said she feels good about taking the risk of starting a business. “At the end of the day,” she said, “if it fails I still took a chance and did it, and I think that’s pretty cool.” Read more at thevillager.com.
ing unlimited tastings include Queens Brewery, Big aLICe, LICBeer Project, Mikkeller Brewing NYC, Singlecut Brewery, Coney Island Brewery, Blue Point Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Gun Hill Brewing Company, Montauk Brewing Company and more! Festival attendees can also enjoy international cuisine from entrepreneurial chefs and shopping of handcrafted and vintage items offered by LIC Flea & Food vendors.
Tickets start at $39 offering unlimited tastings and are available online at queensbeerfest.com. Visit LICFlea.com for remaining dates. The LIC Flea and Food site is a short distance from the 7, N, Q, E, M and G trains, as well as the LIC East River Ferry stop and a parking garage on 5th Street. The market is easily accessible to people living throughout New York City.
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ver 150 vegan food and drink vendors from across the country will take part in Vegandale on Sept. 28 in Randall’s Island Park. A part from showcasing the best of vegan food and drink, the festival will also attempt to educate the public on veganism’s social justice roots. “People often think that veganism is a diet for white people eating only salads,” said Hellenic Vincent De Paul, president of Vegandale, a collection of Toronto-based vegan food and drink brands organizing the festival. “We’re out to prove that Veganism is rooted in justice for animals and that you can still enjoy all of your favorite comfort foods without exploiting animals.” Some of the dishes on the menu include: Fish and Chips from Oh My Cod, Cinnamon rolls from Cinnaholic and Southern Fried Chicknuns from V-Eats. The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit vegandalefest.com
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East Village’s Liza Colby wows crowd with wild sound BY BOB KR ASNER
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hree quarters of the Liza Colby Sound have gotten halfway through their opening number when the lead singer, in a leopard print bikini and stiletto heels, explodes onto the stage at Lola (formerly Coney Island Baby). Part Janis Joplin and part Iggy Pop, with a bit of Sheena of the Jungle and a stripper thrown in, Liza belts out the lines from an old Humble Pie tune, “I’m ready for you, I hope you’re ready for me!” Before the set of mostly original songs is over, she said, the audience comes to understand why she has been described as “Tina Turner backed by Led Zeppelin.” An longtime East Village resident, Colby has been writing songs since she was 15. Born into a musical family in Connecticut, her parents surrounded her with music but didn’t push her into it. Her dad, Grammy winning pianist and composer John Colby and her mom, R+B singer Bev Rohlehr, understood when their daughter dropped out of college to pursue her dreams. Her mom said, “If you can’t live without it, pursue it.”
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After a brief stint as a waitress in Rhode Island, Liza Colby was offered an apartment in n Harlem and she jumped at it. A series of odd jobs — hawking salon services in the street, telemarketing, marketing, bartender, receptionist, catering — gradually began to turn into gigs as a backup singer, including ng miscellaneous recording sessionss and tours with Denis Leary and Enrique nrique Iglesias. She found an apartment downtown and some occasional solo gigs, accompanying herself on piano and singing her own music — a bit, this reporter suggested, like Carole King. “Oh no!” she exclaimed. “I was nowhere near the level of Carole King!” Never t heless, her music came to the attention attent of guitarist Adam Roth, who of offered to put together ther a band around her. Featuring Roth h and his brother Charly C (on drums) and Alec Morton (bass), “The Liza Colby Sound ” (the name was Charly’s idea, Liza said) became be a vehicle 10 years ears ago for Liza to t express herself. Sadly, Ada Adam passed away in 2015 to cancer. H He has been replaced by Jay Shepard. “We’re a classic, c four-piece rock band,” Liza Colby said. “I love the process of rec recording, but our live performance is the t meat and potatoes of what we do.” Her com commitment to her stage show, wheth whether in a small bar or a huge festival, festiva is apparent every moment that she sh is in the spotlight. “I love pe performing, being in front of people,” she said. “Singing feels like a super superpower to me. It’s the highest privilege privil to sing my songs to people around aroun the world … The performance has been a natural progresssion si on as the ba band forced me to find my place onsta onstage.” One of the more obvious aspects of her stagecraft is the blatant sexuality se of her wardrobe and onstage o style. “It’s “ empowering for
L-R Jay Shepard, Liza Colby, Charly Roth, Alec Mor ton
me,” she explained. “I’m young, I’ve got a body and I like to use it. You can tell how real a person is by their body language. When I’m singing my songs, I want people to know it’s real. My body is an expression as well as my voice — it’s a whole package.” Colby loves hearing how her show has affected her audience. “If I can make someone feel something, I’ve done my job,” she said. “Besides,” she added, “rock-androll and sexuality have been intertwined since the beginning.” Poppler makes “Shitty T-Shirts” with a Sharpie which are sold at Liza’s shows. Colby credits a number of things for TVG
her success as an artist, including her parents, who gave her a “really openminded upbringing.” She “thrives on the NYC energy” and notes that the band is a group of “unbelievable musicians who are completely steadfast in what they do.” Then there is her own nature. “I’m just a seeker as an artist and a person,” she said. “You have to keep moving – stagnation is like death. I want to be in situations where I am constantly expanding myself.” After a three week residency at Lola, 169 Avenue A, the Liza Colby Sound takes off for Europe. Tour dates and more info at thelizacolbysound.com. Schneps Media
Manhattan Happenings
Your guide to Manhattan events, Sept. 26-Oct. 3 BY SAMANTHA WANDERER
THURSDAY, SEPT. 26 The Village Trip Enjoy four special days of music, culture and social justice during The Village Trip. The event kicks off with The Village Trip’s Hootenanny and Salute to Izzy Young at The Bitter End. The festival continues with an array of programs around Greenwich Village through Sunday, Sept. 29. The Sept. 26 concert is at 7 p.m. at The Bitter End, 147 Bleecker St. For more information, visit thevillagetrip.com. Jazz in Times Square Slow down in Times Square with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s last Thursday night jazz concert of the series. 5-7 pm at Times Square Plaza between 43rd and 44th Streets. Free. The Columbian Film Festival Come see Columbian stories and films on screen at the Columbian Film Festival. 6:30 p.m. at Cinépolis Chelsea, 260 West 23 St., www.colfilmny.com. $35
FRIDAY, SEPT. 27 Square Dance Dave Harvey will call for square dances throughout the night, and other free activities like mechanical bull rides and trick roping lessons will also be offered. 5 to 10 p.m. at Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues, www.bryantpark.org. Free.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 Hudson River Park’s Marine Science Festival Experience a day of interactive science at Hudson River Park as you enjoy kayaking, kid-friendly science entertainment and experiments, and catchand-release fishing. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84, off West 44 Street, hudsonriverpark.org. Free. Fort Tryon Kids: Pop-Up Playtime Children can come to the Imagination Playground to play with huge foam blocks, bean bag toss, and arts and crafts. If organized play isn’t their thing, though, they are welcomed to run, jump, and climb too. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fort Tryon Park, 190th Street Subway Terrace. www.nycgovparks.org. Free. Schneps Media
Photo cour tesy of Hudson River Park Trust Come out to Hudson River Park this Saturday, Sept. 28 for a fun Marine Science Festival for the whole family.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
MONDAY, SEPT. 30
35th Annual Medieval Festival Arrive in medieval costume and stay the whole day to experience the food, drink, and fun activities of the Medieval Festival. Jugglers, jesters, and minstrels will perform as authentic period music flows through Fort Tryon Park. 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Fort Tryon Park, off 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, www.nycgovparks.org. Free.
Open House Week at Pelham Fritz Recreation Center Participate in free fitness classes for Open House Week at Pelham Fritz Recreation Center. Join in on classes like Tabata workout, Hula Hoop Fitness, and Zumba. Please wear athletic clothes to participate in the activities. 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Pelham Fritz Recreation Center, 18 Mount Morris Park West, www.nycgovparks.org. Free.
Fall 2019 NY Handmade Collective NY Handmade Collective’s pop up at Grand Bazaar will feature products from NYC Etsy sellers. There will also be an opportunity to hear from the vendors about their stories. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 W 77 St., www. grandbazaarnyc.org. Free.
TUESDAY, OCT. 1 The Lions Lego Zone Children and their adult companion will have access to different sized LEGOs and creativity is encouraged while building. 10 a.m. at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Children’s Center, 476 5th Avenue, www.nypl.org. Free.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2 Central Park Tour: East Meadow Tree Walk Explore the greenery that makes Central Park unique with this walking tour through the East Meadow. 6-7:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt Gate, Fifth Avenue between 104th and 105th Streets, www.nycgovparks.org. $15 (members $10).
THURSDAY, OCT. 3 Atrium 360: 47Sou. And AfrotroniX Enjoy a double set of 47Soul’s Arabic Dabke dance music and AfrotroniX’s Afrofuturist funk. Seating is free, but available only on a first-come, firstserved basis. 7:30 p.m. at David Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets. Free.
What’s going on in your neighborhood? Tell us! Email your events for our calendar to news@thevillager.com TVG
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Beautiful mural offers a sea of color at Bowery & Houston
Photos by Tequila Minsk y The giant mural created at the corner of Bower y and Houston Street.
BY TEQUIL A MINSK Y
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o the applause of a few witnesses, Tomokazu Matsuyama finished up his wall art around noon, adding his name “Matsu 19” in the upper right corner of the 60-by-20 foot mural on the northwest corner of Houston and Bowery. It took the artist plus 10 assistants two weeks at 12 hours a day to complete. He wanted passersby to be a presence while the public art piece was being created. “I try to capture who we are in this digital age,” said the Greenpoint-based Matsuyama, whose colorful design incorporates many genres. When asked about his technique, Matsuyama responded, “This is where I categorize myself as a fine artist not some muralist.” He uses markers, stenciling, acrylic and oil paint creating fine details adding Japanese and American imagery as well as textile patterns and design. Matsuyama wanted to show the diversity of New York culture while referencing his own Japanese background. He has lived in New York for 17 years. The artist has been showcased internationally, and has also taught at the School of Visual Arts. He joined renowned artists Keith Haring and Banksy, who also painted the Houston and Bowery wall. Matsuyama’s next big project is to create a 24-foot-tall sculpture of stainless steel to be installed for the 2020 Summer Olympics at the JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.
Muralist Tomokaz y Matsuyama
Real Estate
Village Preservation held first town hall in 6 years BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELLDOMENECH
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illage Preservation held its first town hall since 2013 on Sept. 25. “Fifty years after the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District, it’s a smashing success in many ways but also faces many very real challenges,” said Andrew Berman, director of Village Preservation. According to Berman, the public forum will provide a great opportunity for residents to come together and discuss what should be preserved in the neighborhood and how preservation provisions should be enforced. It is also a chance to brainstorm about what needs to be done apart from landmarking to “protect, perpetrate and build upon the character of the neighborhood we love and call home.” Discussion topics were slated to include: Should the district be expanded? How well are its provisions being enforced? What kind of an environment
Cour tesy of Village Preser vation Director of Village Preser vation Andrew Berman leading a discussion at a 2010 town hall in the basement of Our Lady of Pompeii Church.
does a historic district create for small
like residents and property owners?
ganizations, local politicians, business
businesses and local institutions? How
and Are changes too easy to make or
groups, preservation organizations and
well does the Landmarks Preservation
too hard?
Community Board 2 were scheduled to
Representatives from community or-
Commission work with stakeholders
attend the town hall.
The Villager Sales Guide Listings selected at random. Courtesy StreetEasy.com and Google Maps CHELSEA
West 21st Street Under $2 million 231 West 21st St., Apt. 1B $770,000 3-room co-op 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom Listed by Sothebys International Realty Under $3 million 470 West 24th St., Unit 3D $1.025 million 3-bedroom co-op 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom Listed by Compass Under $4 million 133 West 22nd St., Apt. 9F $2.425 million 3-room condo 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Listed by Compass
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EAST VILLAGE
GREENWICH VILLAGE
East 1st Street
East 12th Street
Under $2 million 334 East 5th St., Apt. 1E $429,000 Studio condo 1 bathroom Listed by Stile Real Estate Under $3 million 115 East 9th St., Apt. 15A $2.75 million 5-room co-op 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Listed by Douglas Elliman Real Estate Under $4 million 62 East 1st St., Unit PHS $2.695 million 6-room condo 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Listed by Compass
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Wooster Street
Under $2 million 18 East 12th St., Apt. 2D $1.3 million 4-room condo 2 bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms Listed by Maltz Auctions
Under $2 million 11 Charlton St., Apt. 3D $1.2 million 3-room co-op 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom Listed by Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Under $3 million 46 Great Jones St., Unit 2 $2.875 million 4-room co-op 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom Listed by City Connections Realty
Under $3 million 41 Crosby St., Apt. 1R $2.65 million 5-room co-op 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Listed by Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Under $4 million 126 University Place, Unit 5 $3.25 million 5-room condo 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Listed by Nest Seekers LLC
Under $4 million 43 Wooster St., Apt. 3W $3.695 million 5-room condo 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Listed by Douglas Elliman Real Estate
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D O N AT E Y O U R C A R Wheels For Wishes
212 - 254 - 1109 | www.theaterforthenewcity.net | 155 First Ave. NY, NY 10003
Make-A-Wish ÂŽ Metro New York
Sept. 26 - Oct. 13, Tix $12 Thur, Fri, Sat 8PM, Sun 3PM
To Life by Eve Lederman
benefiting
Ludwig & Bertie by Douglas Lackey
* 100% Tax Deductible * Free Vehicle Pickup ANYWHERE * We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not * We Also Accept Boats, Motorcycles & RVs
Sept. 26 - Oct. 13, Tix $15 Thur, Fri, Sat 8PM, Sun 3PM
Singinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the E.R. by Ruby Lynn Reyner September 26 - 13, Tix $18 Thur, Fri, Sat 8PM
WheelsForWishes.org Call:(917)336-1254
Theater for the New Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Village Halloween Costume Ball
* Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or
Thursday, October 31, 2019, Tix $20
Donate A Boat or Car Today!
27th Annual Parade of Homes Oct 10-13 Corolla to Nags Head Tickets $10. Good for All 4 Days
â&#x20AC;&#x153;2-Night Free Vacation!â&#x20AC;?
800 - 700 - BOAT
TOUR 17 Select Outer Banks
(2628) (2628)
w w w.boatangel.com sponsored by boat angel outreach centers
STOP CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
Preview: obhomebuilders.org
DEMAND JUSTICE Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy or by authority figures at school have rights.
The Future of Health Care in New York: A Forum
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY LAW HAVE EXTENDED THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH TO FILE YOUR SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM. ACT NOW TO GET YOUR CLAIM TIMELY FILED.
The New York State Senate and Assembly will take up the New York Health Act, a bill sponsored by Assembly Member Dick Gottfried and Senator Gustavo Rivera. The New York Health Act would implement single-payer healthcare in New York, ensuring every New Yorker will have reliable health insurance coverage.
CLERGY ABUSE ATTORNEY HOTLINE 800-444-9112
Learn How This Bill Could Affect You and Your Family!
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Sunday, October 6, 2019 2:30pm Doors Open, 3pm-5pm Program, 5pm-6pm Q&A Elisabeth Irwin High School 40 Charlton Street
Free! RSVP encouraged: https://forms.gle/4UV8RfZyM3TvvnEm9 Featured Speakers: â&#x20AC;˘ State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chair, NYS Senate Committee on Health â&#x20AC;˘ Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, Chair, NYS Assembly Committee on Health
For more news & events happening now visit www.TheVillager.com
Additional elected officials and leading public health professionals will also participate. Sponsors (in formation): Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, Coalition for a District Alternative, Downtown Independent Democrats, Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen Democrats, Manhattan Democratic Party, Samuel J. Tilden Democratic, Club, United Democratic Organization, Village Independent Democrats.
For more information, contact president@villagedems.org or go to www.villagedems.org. Schneps Media
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ADDICTION Now in Creamsicle Flavor Big Tobacco is tricking our kids into nicotine addiction, marketing 15,000 flavors – like creamsicle – to hook underage users in NYC. Tell the City Council: Protect our kids. End the sale of all flavored tobacco products.
FlavorsHookKidsNYC.org
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