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VOLUME 32, NUMBER 23
NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 11, 2019
IT’S ALL THEIRS
New playground that students designed opened to public
Page 4 PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
Helping to open doors Page 3
MTA tells City Council: Give us funds first, then we’ll tell you work plans Page 8
Cutting the ribbon on a new school playground in Chinatown on Nov. 25.
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Downtown Express Advertorial – November 2019 The Downtown Alliance wishes the neighborhood a very happy holiday season.
At the Downtown Alliance, we believe that the best part of the holiday season is its power to bring people together.
given too many hints! Suffice it to say, this is our way of giving back to the people and businesses that help make this neighborhood so remarkable.
That’s why the Downtown Alliance is celebrating the season of giving through 350 acts of random kindness (and we’ll be giving our followers @ downtownnyc a special headsup before the gift-giving begins). During the first two weeks of December, keep an eye out for members of our public safety team in their iconic red jackets. All year round, these great people keep Lower Manhattan safe, clean, and welcoming for the thousands of people who wander its streets — and now they’ll be giving out 350 special red envelopes.
If you get one, you could be in for a treat from one of the fantastic businesses that offer up unique products and experiences here in New York’s most historic neighborhood. Maybe you’re in store for a private tour of the New York Stock Exchange,
free breakfast at Black Fox, groceries at Le District, a family trip to the Winterland skating rink at Pier 17, dinner at Delmonico’s, or simply a $100 giftcard to shop at Century 21.
So take a peaceful pause in this bustling district and admire the twinkle lights bedecking the trees between skyscrapers. No matter where you come from or what your traditions are, whether you’re setting the table for a delicious holiday feast, or trimming a freshly cut tree, or lighting darkest season’s first glowing cand les, t he D owntown Alliance wants to thank you for being part of this beautiful neighborhood.
We don’t want to spoil the Happy holidays from all of us surprise – and we’ve already here at the Downtown Alliance.
Celebrate the Season of Giving Follow @downtownnyc for surprise giveaways
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November 28, 2019
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Open house offers training for unemployed BY TODD MAISEL
R
epresentatives, participants, teachers and graduates from the nearly 60 Consortium for Worker Education partners gathered at Town Stages in Manhattan to celebrate and share their stories. The Consortium for Worker Education is a network of 35 unions and 45 community based organizations that foster worker protection, education and advancement. The Consortium offers job training and skills to become a carpenter or any number of skilled tradesmen. They also provide support services to prepare individuals with special trade education. Few had a better story to tell than Town Stages owner Robin Sokoloff, herself a graduate of CWE’s partner programs Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW). With a degree in sociology and passion for the arts, Sokoloff found herself learning carpentry. And now a member of Carpenters Local 157. Armed with her love of performing arts and her new skills, she built out and opened Town Stages. “You can’t put on a performance without a performance space. That space has to be up to code,” said Sokoloff. Now she is overseeing a business, hiring workers, paying wages and looking to replicate her successful model. “It started in a class with some 30 women, some with skills and some unskilled. All that was needed was a GED and willingness to learn.” All now had skills, and good jobs. NEW is only one of the nearly 60 programs and agencies which provide the educational and support services for workers, immigrants and the unemployed and the underemployed. CWE partners include Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, the Harlem Empowerment Project, Make Road New York, the Yemen American Merchants Association, Coalition for the Homeless, Edward J. Malloy Construct ion Skills, Inc., and the Actors Fund. Supporting those efforts are the more than dozen unions including Plumbers, Carpenters, Painters, Operating Engineers and Teamsters. The unions provide training and apprenticeships leading to careers paying union wages and providing advancement. “I remember when we started 35 years ago and Anthony Alvarado was our first director, and he said if we do this right we can help 3,000 workers,” recalled CWE Executive Director Joseph McDermott. “Today we have 30 union and 30 ComSchneps Media
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
Town Stages owner Robin Sokoloff directly benefited from training from the Consor tium.
munity partners and all in the same room.” According to McDermott this was the first time everyone joined to-
gether as one. “It was great to have all the providers together under one roof to talk about the challenges we face today with new technologies as
we move into the future.” The Consortium also provides legal services and directions for health to immigrants and others require it.
Download new amNY app on your phones today! amNewYork with Schneps Media is happy to announce that the new amNewYork app is now available for iOS and Android devices. The app lets users click between sections — news, politics, things to do, eat & drink, entertainment, real estate, transit, and opinion — and access the digital edition of the day’s newspaper, which you can swipe through. Articles can be saved and shared within the app by clicking the bookmark and share icons in the right-hand corner. There is also an option to subscribe to amNewYork’s email newsletter and search in the drop down menu found on the upper left side of the interface. Get the latest news and events by downloading the new app in the App Store by searching for amNewYork on apps.apple.com and in the Google Play (play.google.com) store under “Newsday.” November 28, 2019
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New Chinatown playground of, by & for kids BY TODD MAISEL
A
ribbon was cut on a new school playground that is both functional for the children and adds “neighborhood resiliency” to reduce storm flooding in the Two Bridges neighborhood, officials said Monday morning. The new $1.7 million playground, located in the rear of PS 184M Shuang Wen Public School at 327 Cherry St. (across from the East River), was completed this fall through a partnership between the Trust for Public Lands NYC Playgrounds program, the city’s Office of Resiliency, and the U.S. Department Housing and Urban Renewal. What makes the park special is its green infrastructure, including infiltration basins under the artificial turf that absorb rainfall and storm water during storm surges, a green roof gazebo, a garden for student use and trees. Aside from new play equipment, there’s also a yoga circle, a stage, and tennis and basketball courts. “There’s far more to this playground than meets the eye,” said Jainey Bavishi, director of the Mayor’s Office of Resiliency. “By leveraging the power of resilient design, it will prevent flooding and create a sanctuary against ris-
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
Children from P.S. 184 sit on the new ar tificial tur f field installed in their schoolyard and opened officially on Nov. 25.
ing temperatures while also providing new and improved recreational space for students and the surrounding community.” Previously, the park was made up of aging tennis courts — a concrete and asphalt surface. During Superstorm Sandy, the park was underwater. The area is now more user friend-
ly while being a “smart design,” officials said. School Principal Jeremy Kabinoff complimented the city for completing the park in a timely manner so that his students could have “more opportunity to be outdoors.” He said students 2-5 years old spent more than 32 hours a week in front of a screen and he
quoted one child who said, “I like to play indoors because that is where the electrical outlets are.” “Outdoor play promotes physical health, promotes cognitive and emotional development, improves sensory skills, increases attention span, and ultimately happiness and better immunity,” Principal Kabinoff said. “Here at Shuang Wen, we are committed to more outside play, promoting more opportunities to exercise, have fun, and support a healthier life style.” Student Daniel Zheng said students had a say in the design of the new school yard. “The new yard was picked through a democratic way — we had options for the design of the yard and we voted on the ones we like the most,” Zheng said. “We now have a new grass field for soccer and American football, new basketball courts, benches for people who want to take a rest. Most of the concrete has been replaced with soft mats to protect our young students from getting hurt. Our new yard represents and symbolizes a new beginning.” The Trust for Public Land’s NYC playgrounds program has designed and or built 209 school and community playground throughout the five boroughs.
Mayor inks foie gras ban, other animal rights bills BY ALEJANDR A O'CONNELLDOMENECH
F
oie gras will be “foie-gotten” now that Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the bill banning the sale of the French delicacy into law Monday, Nov. 25. Under the bill, restaurants caught selling dishes with the fattened goose and duck livers will be charged with a misdemeanor and fined between $500 and $2,000. Animal rights activists pushed for the ban arguing that practice is cruel to the animals. In order to fatten the fouls livers, farmers force feed geese and ducks grain via a metal tube multiple times a day. “Something can be a tradition and that does not make it healthy, it does not make it positive,” said Mayor De Blasio, in front of backdrop of sign waving animal rights activists at the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center. The bill received pushback earlier this year against restaurant owners and duck and geese farmers whose profits will be hurt when the law goes into effect in 2022. “We can still deliver an amazing dining experience in one of the culinary capitals of the world without it,” said Councilmember Carlina Rivera, sponsor of the foie gras ban bill. “There
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November 28, 2019
PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Mayor Bill de Blasio hands a pen to Allie Feldman Taylor, president and founder of Voters for Animal Rights, after signing a bill banning the sale of foie gras into law Monday, Nov. 25.
have been global cities and national cities that have put forward this ban and
they are still thriving in the restaurant industry.”
Today, New York City joins the state of California and countries like India, Israel and Great Britain that have also passed a ban on foie gras. “The humane concept of this kind of dawned on me, that this is about all of us and this is about everything,” said de Blasio, after recounting the multiple times animal rights activists pulled him aside on the steps of City Hall to the express their concern for the city’s animals. “If we allow cruelty in our midst, it’s a poison, a cancer that keeps growing.” “I needed to be educated, I needed to learn from this movement and I understand that now.” Other animal bills signed today included legislation that will prohibit horses from working when the temperature is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit or in 80-degree weather with an equine heat index of 150 degrees; that will require all dogs brought to kennels, offices and businesses to be vaccinated for bordetella; to ban the trafficking of wild birds; to require full-service animal shelters to post pictures of new adoptable animals online within three days; the creation of an Office of Animal Welfare; and the publication of a semi-annual public report by the NYPD of reports on animal cruelty complaints and arrests. Schneps Media
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Learn how at aarp.org/nyc November 28, 2019
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Police Blotter Thrift shop jewelry theft
With acquaintances like her... A man was robbed on Nov. 8 by a woman he had just met, according to police. Around 11:45 a.m., inside an apartment at 227 Cherry St., a 51-year-old man was with a woman he met earlier in the day, when the woman allegedly produced a knife and demanded his
bank card and PIN number. The male complied, officials said, and the woman left the location and then allegedly took $2,000 from an ATM at 183 Canal St. before fleeing. There were no reported injuries from the incident. — Gabe Herman
Burglar hits three eateries
Cashmere sweater haul from Brooks Brothers
A thrift shop had over $6,000 worth of merchandise stolen on Thursday, Nov. 14, police said. Around 2 p.m., a man entered the Cure Thrift Shop, at 111 E. 12 St., and allegedly took jewelry from over the counter while the store clerk was helping other customers, officials said. The man then allegedly fled with property valued around $6,375, according to police. There were no reported injuries. — Gabe Herman
Met at club, then robbed A man was robbed by a man he met at an East Village club, officials said. On Nov. 17, around 9:30 p.m., a 63year-old man met another man inside Club Cummings, at 505 E. 6 St. After some time, the two left the club together, police said, and were walking along the sidewalk, when the man allegedly reached into the victim’s bag and took his wallet, before fleeing. — Gabe Herman
A man stole several pieces of clothing from Brooks Brothers, at 346 Madison Ave., according to police. On Friday, Nov. 8, around 11:30 a.m., a man entered the store and allegedly removed nine cashmere sweaters from a rack and put them in a bag, officials said. The man then fled in an unknown direction with the merchandise, valued around $3,000. — Gabe Herman
Astor Place purchases with stolen card A stolen credit card was used to make several purchases near Astor Place on Saturday, Nov. 9, according to police. Around 4:15 a.m., a man allegedly used a Chase credit card, which belonged to a 23-year-old victim, at CVS, Walgreens and Duane Reade stores near 101 Astor Place. The card had previously been reported stolen, police said, and the unauthorized purchases totaled around $300.
A man is wanted in connection with three burglaries at Midtown restaurants, police said. All three occurred on Thursday, Nov. 21, and involved the man allegedly breaking the front door glass of each establishment. Around 1 a.m., at Vino Tapas at 201 E. 31 St., the thief allegedly took about $700 from the cash register. Then around 11:46, he allegedly broke the glass at Café Delectica, at 564 Third Ave., tripping the alarm. He fled before entering that location. The third incident was just minutes later, around 11:53 p.m., when he allegedly entered Nirvana Restaurant at 346 Lexington Ave. and stole the cash register which contained $150, according to police. — Gabe Herman
Woman robbed at Pier 84 A woman was robbed by a group of men on bicycles in front of Pier 84, at 555 12th Ave., according to police. On Friday, Nov. 15, around 6 p.m., six males on bicycles surrounded a 41year-old woman, officials said. One of the men allegedly displayed a handgun and demanded her property. The woman complied, officials said, and the group fled uptown on 12th Avenue on their bikes. Items in the purse included $60 in cash, the woman’s cellphone and three credit cards. An investigation found that later that evening, two of the males in the group allegedly used the victim’s credit cards to buy over $640 worth of merchandise at three CVS pharmacies and a smoke shop, according to police. — Gabe Herman
For more news & events happening now visit www.TheVillager.com 6
November 28, 2019
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MTA: Give us money, then we’ll tell you plans BY VINCENT BARONE
T
he MTA would happily provide more details on its massive $51.5 billion capital plan — but not until it’s approved and fully funded. The transit authority is currently looking for the city to contribute $3 billion toward its next capital plan, the five-year spending blueprint for megaprojects bringing the likes of new subway cars and buses, subway elevators and signaling technology. But at a City Council hearing Monday, MTA officials said they wouldn’t be able to outline timelines for projects until after the funding is committed and the plan is finally approved. “We barely have any details about this capital plan,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson, during a committee hearing on the MTA’s proposed 2020 to 2024 capital plan. “The council negotiates and approves the city’s announce budget we can’t make decisions on a $3 billion magnitude based on a few estimates and a Powerpoint presentation,” he continued. The MTA’s executive responsible for carrying out the plan, Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber, said the authority was still mapping out how to execute projects as efficiently as possible and that more details wouldn’t
FILE PHOTO
come until about 60 days after the plan is approved. Lieber reasoned that construction involving the installation of new subway signal equipment or certain maintenance in the system will likely require shutdowns of service, and that the
MTA wants to get as much work done as possible during those outages by “bundling” projects together. “We may have to do some shutdowns, some outages, and we must make sure that every time we do an outage in the transit system … that we get every piece
of work done that can be done during that outage,” Lieber said. The authority is currently putting together a bundling analysis — a new approach to capital plan work, Lieber said. “I’m completely willing to commit to transparency in how do we finalize that bundling process and most important from your standpoint, how do we track it going forward,” Lieber said. “Because we do want to be more transparent.” The MTA historically does not actually complete its five-year plans within five years and still has work to do from its last three plans. Advocates have worried that the 2020-2024 plan, the authority’s largest ever, wouldn’t be completed until years later. Lieber argued that the bundling and a greater use of design-build would speed construction, though he has stated that the MTA only aspires to allocate all project funding within five years—not actually complete all the work in that window. The authority also took heat for the exorbitant costs of capital construction, which studies have shown is far more expensive than work in peer cities. And Council members also grilled the MTA on its separate operating budget and how it relates to the policing of “quality of life” offenses in the subway.
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Put small businesses on your holiday shop list BY SHAYE WEAVER
B
lack Friday and its notorious crowds are back this week, but so is Small Business Saturday — a shopping movement that encourages making purchases from local and brick-and-mortar stores in the rush of your holiday shopping. The day, which was originally kicked off by American Express, aims to bolster community shops and the neighborhoods they’re in each Saturday after Thanksgiving. According to Amex’s 2018 Small Business Economic Impact Study, for every $1 spent at a small business, 67 cents stays in the community — and every cent counts, especially in New York City, which has
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November 28, 2019
seen its fair share of empty storefronts. The citywide commercial vacancy rate jumped by 45% between 2007 and 2017, going from 4% to 5.8%, with an increase of 5.2 million square-feet of empty retail space, according a report by Comptroller Scott Stringer this year. “Local communities feel vacancies every day,” Stringer said in September. That’s why some organizations have taken steps to recapture New Yorkers’ attention to small businesses in their neighborhoods, like nonprofit Union Settlement in East Harlem. With two years under its belt, Union Settlement’s Buy Local East Harlem initiative, which connects small businesses in East Harlem with new customers and hospitals, schools, and major cultural and
social service organizations, has led to an additional $553,000 in sales for participating small businesses, it says. “Buy Local East Harlem has created huge opportunities for businesses to increase sales, resulting in more hiring and in more resources retained inside of the neighborhood,” said David Nocenti, executive director of Union Settlement, of the initiative’s impact. This Saturday, many business improvement districts are making Small Business Saturday more festive — aside from just asking you to shop at your local gift shop. Lyft is also participating with many of the city’s BIDs by offering 20% off a Lyft ride to partnering Small Business Saturday locations around the five boroughs. Use its localized discount code found at blog.lyft.com. Amex is also partnering with NYC shops to offer freebies and specials including: Baz Bagels (corner of Lafayette and Houston) — Free blue marble bagels Happy Paws (316 Lafayette St.) — Free customized dog treats to the first 125 customers (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.) Oddfellows (55 East Houston St.) — For purchase: Blue cotton candy and sprinkles-themed menu (9 a.m. to 11 p.m.) The Jones Restaurant (54 Great Jones St.) — Special “Small Adds Up” menu offering three options to choose from including a Doughnut Project doughnut, special potato chips and non-alcoholic apple cider (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Gasoline Alley Coffee (325 Lafayette) — Free Shop Small-branded brownies to the first 200 customers who purchase a beverage (10 a.m. 7 p.m.) Check out americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small on where to find participating stores near you. Schneps Media
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Editorial
Supporting the small businesses of our city We’ve reached a “most wonderful time of the year,” where our minds turn to big Thanksgiving meals and Black Friday deals to fulfill our holiday wish lists. Everyone’s looking for a bargain, and thousands of shoppers across the city will head out to the malls or log on to find the best deals possible to please their families and friends next month. And let’s face it, that’s not a bad thing. People should always go bargain-hunting and maximize how they spend their hard-earned money. But in doing so, we should spend some of our money at the local small businesses near our homes and workplaces. Small businesses are no charity case, and we’re not here to make them sound like one. We all, however, need to be reminded of their importance to the city’s livelihood. Every small business in New York City is an employer — perhaps not to the scale of a big-box store, but they are job creators no less. According to the city’s Small Business Services department, 98 percent of the city’s 220,000 businesses have fewer than 100 employees; 89 percent have fewer than 20. These businesses employ millions of New Yorkers who are taxpayers and pump billions of dollars back into the local economy. This leads to a certain co-dependence on each other. When small businesses do well, the city does well; when small businesses struggle and fail, the city suffers economically. The late Art Buchwald wrote a column in 1975 about economics and small businesses, called “Squaring the Economic Circle.” Essentially, when one person stops using a small business, it causes a domino effect which impacts other businesses negatively, causing an economic downturn. Amidst all the challenges of New York — the high costs of living, the even higher rents, especially — every dollar counts, and small businesses are counting on every dollar they can to stay healthy. Part of the beauty of our city is that you don’t need to travel far or wait several days to get what you want and need — you can go right around the corner, or hop on a short subway or bus ride, to find it. We’re thankful for our small businesses, and we urge all of you to throw some extra business their way this holiday season.
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VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS ROBERT POZARYCKI GABE HERMAN ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL MARK HALLUM MICHELE HERMAN BOB KRASNER TEQUILA MINSKY MARY REINHOLZ PAUL SCHINDLER MARCOS RAMOS CLIFFORD LUSTER (718) 260-2504 CLUSTER@CNGLOCAL.COM GAYLE GREENBURG JIM STEELE JULIO TUMBACO ELIZABETH POLLY
Member of the New York Press Association
The Dec. 9, 1971 issue of The Villager featured a photo of past carolers at the Christmas tree in front of the Washington Square Arch. The caption read, “An old photo, a good old spirit.” The issue noted that the Village Christmas tree had been decorated by the Washington Square Association going back to 1924. Eleanor Roosevelt once visited the tree on a city tour in 1938 and said “it makes the city seem a friendlier place.” The Villager noted that the caroling tradition in the Village also went back to 1924, and it was “the first community to revive the Old World tradition of singing carols in the street at Christmas.” — Gabe Herman
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Op-Ed Finding hope on World AIDS Day
Letters to the Editor A PLEA FOR RELIEF My husband and I are retirees with Social Security as our income, living in New York City Housing, which is what we could afford. However, the rent still goes up every year and the cost of my husband’s most important medicines for his diabetes goes up too! You might as well put us to live under a bridge and die. What is a low-income family supposed to do to survive? I pray to God you would never have to face a situation like many of us! Irma Pereira
NEED TO KEEP CHARACTER BY DIANE DELPH-TINGLIN
I
vividly remember the day I was diagnosed with HIV. It was a normal trip to my doctor, and I felt fine — like a healthy 22-yearold. Then, I was called into the doctor’s office and my life suddenly took a drastic turn. I remember my doctor’s words as if they happened today: “We ran the test twice and the result was the same. I’m so sorry — you have HIV.” This seemed inconceivable. I had been with the same partner for the past three years. I had never injected drugs. I was so young. What happened? Would I have to spend the rest of my life in and out of hospitals? How much longer did I even have to live? Those first days, weeks, and months were filled with anger and frustration. I felt my life was over. I felt betrayed by my partner, who had concealed his HIV status. I moved out abruptly and was on my own. My entire world had collapsed in such a short period of time, and I felt completely, utterly alone, without anyone to lean on for support. That isolation was crippling, and even now I am unsure where I found the strength to take control of my life. It likely started when I had the realization that HIV did not have to be a death sentence, that I just needed to accept the fact that this would be with me for the rest of my life and that every decision I made moving ahead would affect my health and my wellbeing. I found compassion through Peer navigators from The Alliance for Positive Change. These were people who had experienced similar health challenges, and trained to fan out across New York City to connect with people like me and assure me that HIV was not the final chapter, but a new chapter. They helped me find a doctor, took me to appointments, and helped me develop a medication regimen.
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What I needed most—and which helped the most—was that they met me where I was on my journey. It has been a decade since I first spoke with a Peer. I became a Peer, too, serving as a source of comfort and knowledge to others with HIV. This is how I believe we are going to help end the HIV and AIDS epidemic, not just through medical advancements and preaching about safe sex, but through credible messengers such as Peers (which Alliance has been training for more than 25 years). These ambassadors work in communities throughout our city that need it most, and their work to connect vulnerable people to care is really helping to end this horrible epidemic. The advances are real. Our Governor recently announced that New York State has made significant strides towards ending the epidemic, and that is heartening to hear. If only this were happening uniformly throughout our communities, our country, and our world. I still worry about the stigma that prevents many people from coming forward to seek help, or, sadly, remaining off medication that could make the HIV virus undetectable and therefore untransmittable. As we approach World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, I consider how my life has changed, and the lives of those around me who committed to change. I am now happily married to a man who is HIV negative. I have a home, a career as a staff member at Alliance, and a community. It wasn’t easy to write this and be so public. But in doing so, I hope that this in some way helps to erase the stigma about HIV and motivates those who are now facing similar fears about their future to seek support.
Regarding the recent Manhattan Community Board 2 vote against the special hotel permits south of Union Square (Nov. 21): I’m against the proposal to allow large commercial buildings to replace older structures in our neighborhood and take away protections and in some cases eliminating rent regulated apartments in the process. We need to preserve the character of the neighborhood. Larry Barkin
MAKE IMPROVEMENTS NOW The most cost effective time to do any additional work along the L line in Manhattan would be when the stations are shut down during tunnel reconstruction. The contractor is already on site, mobilized with a staging area for workers, supplies and debris removal. There is little need for NYC Transit to provide expensive Force Account (track employees) Flagging protection for Third Party Construction Contractors workers. Third Rail power can be turned off and there is no active passenger train service. This work could be added as an optional clause, or as a change order to the base construction contract. MTA could exercise the option at a later date during construction when future funding could become available. Going back years or decades later to attempt any of this work west of 8th Avenue along 14th Street will be far more expensive and take many more years to complete. Any construction adjacent to 24/7 train service would require extensive expensive NYC Transit Force Account Flagging support. Larry Penner
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Diane Delph-Tinglin is a Lead Trainer at The Alliance for Positive Change. November 28, 2019
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A LW AY S F R E E . A LW AY S S M A R T.
Mourning a devoted Villager, ‘Evelio’ Alvarez
COURTESY SUSAN QUINBY
Alvarez at Union Square in 2005.
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November 28, 2019
BY SUSAN QUINBY
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evoted denizen of the Greenwich Village community for nearly a century, beloved member and spirited staffer of the Bagel Restaurant (“What’s good to eat?!�) for 32 years, lifelong bachelor and lover of his friends and family, the Plaza Hotel and all things Kardashian — Jose “Evelio� Alvarez died on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019 in New York City after a brief illness. Born in Cienfuegos, Cuba to Maria De Los Angeles Alvarez and Jose Alvarez, Evelio loved traveling, pop music, movies and theatre, making his acting debut in “The Night We Never Met� and enjoyed the many devoted regulars at The Bagel. He loved to talk about Ellen Barkin who waited tables (as well as the many movie stars he’d served over many years), serving French toast and eggs to Lauren Hutton, Robert De Niro, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Aiden Quinn, Julia Roberts and John F. Kennedy, Jr. Special friends for many years, Dr. Lawrence Ottaviano (and his staff) are among Evelio’s many devoted fans, with the two amigos sharing tea at The Plaza as well as trips to visit Evelio’s mother at a nearby cemetery. The viewing will take place on Thursday, December 5 from 9-10 a.m. at the Greenwich Village Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012. The Mass will follow, taking place at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Pompeii, 25 Carmine St., New York, NY 10014, with internment immediately following at the Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232. To honor Evelio’s memory, flowers may be sent to the Greenwich Village Funeral Home (by Wednesday, Dec. 4) or donations may be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 220 East 42 Street, New York, NY 10017. Schneps Media
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★
CELEBRATING LABOR IN THE BIG APPLE
THOUSANDS OF CSA MEMBERS RALLY FOR A NEW CONTRACT AT CITY HALL
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housands of CSA members rallied near City Hall last month for an overwhelming show of support by CSA members as President Mark Cannizzaro and his team continue their efforts to hash out a contract with a recalcitrant city government. Mr. Cannizzaro gave a thunderous speech in which he took the city to task for offering many platitudes about the great job that school leaders do, all the while holding up a family leave policy that would benefit some of CSA’s most vulnerable members. “Platitudes are nice, but it’s your support here today that fuels us,” he told the crowd. He hammered home the fact that the constant micromanaging of principals, combined with chronic underfunding of schools, ultimately leaves
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students unsafe. He cited some statistics from a recent survey of our members that CSA commissioned. “Seventy percent of you believe you are not given the resources you need to keep your students safe,” he said. “Twenty eight percent of those surveyed are satisfied with the direction the DOE is taking.” More than a dozen elected officials also spoke at the event, including City Council Education Chair Mark Treyger, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Council Member Treyger noted the casual way the Mayor and Department of education breed programs and initiatives, each one creating new supervisory demands on already bureaucrati-
cally burdened school leaders. He recited a litany of “for-all” programs, from Pre-K For All, to College Access For All, to Algebra for All, and after each one, said, “There’s a school leader for that.” “You cannot have equity and excellence for all without a fair and just contract for CSA members,” he said. “You cannot have a fair system if consultants are making more money than starting assistant principals. As a member of city council’s budget negotiation team, I know for a fact that there are resources in the budget right now to deliver a fair and just contract and the City Council does not work for the Mayor of New York. We work for you!” Comptroller Stringer also registered his disdain for the notion that budgetary constraints should hold up a contract for CSA
members. “We’re going to make sure this whole city understands that without you, we do not have a future,” he said. “We can afford this. I’ve got the books! There’s a whole lot of waste. Maybe we don’t have to invest in the bureaucracy — maybe we’ll invest in the people who invest in our kids. When
we invest in you, it’s a multiplier for our economy and our city and this is the best deal in town.” A host of labor leaders addressed the crowd, including CLC President Vinny Alvarez, DC 372 VP Donald Nesbitt and UFT VP LeRoy Barr and Janella Hinds, UFT’s VP for High Schools.
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TURN YOUR CONCERN INTO IMPACT. The New York Community Trust can help maximize your charitable giving. Contact Jane at (212) 686-0010 x363
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Poignant ‘63up’ doc debuted at Film Forum BY GABE HERMAN
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he latest installment of the “Up” documentary series, which has followed the lives of a group of English people from childhood into old age, opens this week in Greenwich Village. A new film in the series is made every seven years to update the subjects’ lives, and the latest one is “63 Up.” It debuted on Wednesday, Nov. 27, at the Film Forum, at 209 W. Houston St., and includes its typically poignant look at how people change, and remain the same, over time. The series follows the lives of 14 people. The original intent was to choose subjects from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, and with the assumption that the class a person is born into determines his or her future. The first film, “7 Up,” was made in 1964. Every film since then, starting with “14 Up,” has been directed by Michael Apted, who was a researcher on the original film and was involved in choosing the group of children. The film’s premise was taken from a Jesuit saying: “Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” Many movies try to tell the story of peoples’ lives over time, but in this film there is no need for special effects or creative storytelling: we see the people age, seven years at a time from 7 to 63 years old, as each person’ story is told and updated in 15-minute segments. There is Tony the London cabbie, Nick the university professor, and Lynn the children’s librarian. There are divorces, illnesses, family deaths, and marriages. Interviews along the way show worries at various stages of life, from daily concerns to bigger life issues,
The “Up” series follows the lives of 14 British people throughout their lives. COURTESY BRITBOX
and we then see how those lives have progressed and matured and taken unexpected turns. The series has received much acclaim over the years. Roger Ebert once included the series on his list of the ten best films of all time, and it was named the best documentary ever on a 2005 British list by Channel 4. The “Up” series has gained a following worldwide, including in America, but the British director Apted said the series seems to have extra significance for English audiences. “I think they possess it more than the Americans do,” said Apted, “because the language is fairly different about education, and lots of things.” Apted said he spends little time with the film subjects in between shooting ev-
ery seven years, as a way to get fresh reactions in the interviews. For the movie, each subject is filmed for about two days and the interview can take over six hours. But Apted tries not to get into a rhythm when making the films, despite having made the series through many decades. “That’s what you mustn’t do,” he said, and he added there are always new issues that appear in people’s lives to keep things fresh. Apted also tries to keep the subjects happy, by giving them the chance to take out parts that they’re uncomfortable with, out of respect and also to keep them coming back for the next installment. “I have to, it is a partnership,” he said. “On the whole, we come to an understanding.”
He said the nature versus nurture question is complicated, and sometimes you can see how a life event or situation affects a person over time. “Sometimes things stick out,” he said, like only having one parent, or other family issues. “You can see how their life is changing because of what’s happening.” Apted wants to keep making the series as long as possible. “I’d at least love to get them to 70,” he said. “Who knows, I might go on until I’m 100.” The unique nature of the series makes it uncharted territory for each new film and next step in the process, and Apted has noted that the series is linked with his own life. “I’m always amazed that it’s still going on,” he said. “No one’s ever tried it.”
ABC Carpet Santa making a one-day visit BY ALEJANDR A O'CONNELL-DOMENECH alejandra.oconnell@amny.com
A
BC Carpet & Home’s long-time Santa will return to the store this holiday season — albeit for one day only. “We’ve been in touch with Santa and he will indeed be visiting ABC Carpet & home,” said ABC marketing associate Katharine Boris in an email. Some parents worried that ABC’s long-time Santa Claus, who has listened to children’s Christmas wishes for nearly 30 years, would not be stopping by the store this year since the store had yet to post a visiting schedule
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November 28, 2019
ABC Carpet & Home is bringing back Santa Claus this holiday season – but just for a day. PHOTO BY KATHY VELEZ
on their website or social media platforms. A source told amNewYork that they had received an email from the home decor store stating that Santa would not be stopping by this year. Now, according to Boris’ email, Santa will be visiting on Dec. 8, but only 100 children will be able to sit on his lap, according to Boris. The store will host a lottery for the spots and will release details on how to enter in their newsletter and social media soon, she said. Children have traditionally been able to visit Santa and ABC Carpet & Home on Saturdays and Sundays starting in late November. Schneps Media
Eats
Chelsea’s Motel Morris brings family feel to area BY GABE HERMAN
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he Chelsea restaurant Motel Morris is family-owned and focuses on offering the same neighborhood feel as a nearby café that’s owned by the same people. The eatery is at Seventh Avenue and West 18 Street, and offers American food with slightly elevated versions of classic dishes, according to co-owner Sam Nidel. Nidel opened the restaurant in 2016, along with his brother and sister-inlaw. They all live upstairs in the same building, as do other family members, and cousins designed the restaurant. This family spirit led to the idea to give the place a family name, after Morris, one of Sam’s grandfathers. In 2009, Sam opened a small café on the High Line, and was the first place to sell food and beverages there. He worked there in the winter and at Pier 45 at Christopher Street during the summer. In 2011, rents at the park went up and that led to opening a coffee shop, The Commons Chelsea, which is just a few doors down on Seventh Ave. from where Motel Morris is now. Nidel said of the Chelsea area, “We knew it needed a coffee shop. And then in 2015, we knew it needed a restaurant.” The idea was to open a neighborhood restaurant, which meant not just good food but good service and a friendly environment. “A place that was more upscale but not too high end,” he said. “Our goal is to build a neighborhood restaurant that’s approachable and accessible to people,” Nidel said. That includes serving good food and cocktails. “We feel we’ve done that, and know we want to work to maintain that level of consistency we’ve gotten so far.” The owners wanted the restaurant to serve new American food, said Nidel, including a little bit of everything. He
PHOTO BY BRIANA BALDUCCI
Motel Morris ser ves American food in Chelsea.
said that consistency and reliability are key. “I think that’s so important to a neighborhood place,” he said. The menu, from executive chef Bill McDaniel, includes entrees like grilled marinated skirt steak, grilled Idaho brook trout, and oven roast chicken, which Nidel said is a favorite of his. Daily specials include baby back ribs, lobster pot pie, housemade pasta and buttermilk fried chicken. Nidel credits a great team and staff for the restaurant’s success, and said it makes a difference when there’s a happy workplace. “I think it permeates throughout the restaurant,” he said. There have been some challenges in running a restaurant, Nidel said. People have stolen items from the bathroom,
which is decorated with interesting items like posters and tchotchkes and a pink flamingo plunger. “We didn’t think people would have the nerve,” he said, and added that items have since been removed or fi xed in place so they can’t be taken. There is also the occasional difficult person to deal with, which comes with being in the customer service industry. But there are also good things like a person randomly leaving a big tip. And funny moments like people coming with a suitcase, thinking from the name that the place is an actual motel. “You definitely get to see the best of people and the worst of people,” Nidel said. He added that they have a good team, and “whatever comes our way we
seem to be able to figure out.” The family feel of Motel Morris extends beyond the vibes to the art inside, which was curated by Nidel’s sister-inlaw and includes a wall of family photos, including Grandpa Morris and Grandma Sylvia. The two businesses on the block have also been a good way to meet neighbors in the area, Nidel said. “It is a nice neighborhood, we’ve gotten to know a lot of local businesses in the area,” he said. “I feel like a lot of people in the neighborhood are an extension of my own family.” More information on Motel Morris can be found at motelmorris.com.
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Bread & Puppet by Peter Schumann December 5 - December 15, Tix $18 Thur - Sat 8PM, Sat & Sun 3PM
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Tree Lighting CORRECTION: THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019, 6:00 pm Children and adults are invited to gather by the arch in Washington Square Park for the lighting of the Christmas Tree presented by the Washington Square Association. The Rob Susman Brass Quartet will perform and there will be a special visit from Santa.
Winter Choral Concerts DECEMBER 14 & 15, 2019 Join NYU Steinhardt for the annual Winter Choral Concerts featuring the NYU A Cappella Choir, University Singers, and the Vocal Performance Chorale. The concert will take place at the Frederick Loewe Theatre at 35 West 4th Street. The concert on December 14th is at 8:00 pm and the concert on December 15th is at 3:00 pm.
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Manhattan Happenings
Plenty of amazing things to do, Nov. 28-Dec. 4 Thursday, Nov. 28 Morning Fitness at Fort Tryon Park Get your morning sweat in at Fort Tryon Park with exercises led by trained professionals. 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park, Cabrini Blvd. and Fort Washington Ave., www.nycgovparks.org. Free.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade See your favorite celebrities, unique balloons, and more at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Central Park West West 75th to West 59th Streets, www.macys.com. Free.
Friday, Nov. 29 Photos with Santa COURTESY LINCOLN SQUARE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
Walk in or reserve your spot ahead of time for a photo with Santa. 12 to 8 p.m. at Brookfield Place 230 Vesey St., www.bfplny.com . Starting at $29. Black Friday Hike: Central Park South to North Hike Hike the length of Central Park for a calmer alternative to more typical Black Friday activities. 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Doris Freedman Plaza 60th St. and 5th Ave., www.nycgovparks.org . Free.
Saturday, Nov. 30 Linda Loves Bingo Linda Simpson will lead this funfilled night of bingo with real prizes, like a cash jackpot and store discounts. There will be food and a full bar. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Gallery at Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., www.lpr. com. Free.
Yeti, Set, Snow! Come see this original story and marionnette show about a young girl who befriends a yeti! Yeti, Set, Snow! is perfect for children ages 3 to 8. 1 to 1:45 p.m. at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre W. 79th St., www.nySchneps Media
Get in the holiday spirit this Monday at ‘ Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square,’ which will feature a tree lighting as well as holiday-themed music and enter tainment.
cgovparks.org. $8 children/$12 adults.
nycgovparks.org. Free.
Sunday, Dec. 1
Monday, Dec. 2
Flatiron District Tour
Cosmos With Us
Follow professional guides on a 90minute walking tour of the Flatiron District to learn more about some of the city’s most notable landmarks. This walking tour will also have a holiday theme! 11 a.m. at Flatiron Building 23rd St., east of 5th Ave, www.flatirondistrict.nyc . Free.
Experience a performance that mixes VR, cinema, and music. Cosmos With Us will explore the connection between memory and the senses through the story of Aiken, a 60 year old man facing Alzheimer’s. 7 p.m. at New York Live Arts Theater 219 W 19th St., www. newyorklivearts.org . $35/$20.
Pineturn hike
Rockefeller Center Tree Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Lighting Ceremony Square
Urban Park Rangers will lead this hike which will highlight the Pinetum in Central Park. You will also learn about the other pine trees and evergreens in the park. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Central Park 85th St. and Central Park West, www.
Come to see the tree lighting in Dante Park, and stay for food tasting, free entertainment, and other activities. 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Dante Park Broadway, Columbus Ave., W 63rd St., www.nycgovparks.org . Free.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 Baby Storytime Provide your 18 month old or younger baby with early learning experiences through this interactive program. Please RSVP to attend. 11 a.m. at Grand Central Library 135 East 46th St., www. nypl.org . Free.
Wednesday, Dec. 4
Join in the holiday spirit with the lighting of the 2019 Rockefeller Center tree. The ceremony will include musical performances and more. 8 to 10 p.m. at Rockefeller Plaza (30 Rockefeller Plaza, www.rockefellercenter.com . Free.
What’s going on in your neighborhood? Tell us! Email your events for our calendar to news@thevillager.com November 28, 2019
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Local News Read all about it!
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Real Estate
Residents sign petition against Lenox Hill plan BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELL DOMENECH
RENDERING COURTESY OF NORTHWELL LENOX HILL HOSPITAL
O
ver a thousand Upper East Siders have signed an online petition calling for state and city lawmakers to oppose Northwell Health’s $2.5 million renovation plan of Lenox Hill Hospital. The petition comes a month after Manhattan Community Board 8 passed a resolution opposing the renovation plan which calls for the creation of a 490-foot-tall residential tower next door to a revamped 516-foot-tall Lenox Hill hospital. “The incredible momentum building around this campaign should send a clear message to our elected officials that Northwell Health’s plan is simply not viable,” wrote Andy Gaspar and Stephanie Reckler, members of the Committee to Protect Our Lenox Hill Neighborhood, in a statement. The community group has received a total of 1,569 signatures since the petition’s creation 11 days ago. Opponents of the plan have repeat-
edly said that they are not against upgrading the hospital, which is in need of an expanded emergency room and neonatal unit. Instead, opponents are afraid that Northwell wants to transform the hospital to a medical tourism destination. And, they worry about the impacts of construction on traffic, nearby businesses and air quality.
The proposed plan calls for the expanded emergency room, a new diagnostic and treatment center, an ambulance bay and a mother and baby center, which would be completed in phases over 10 years. The double rooms in the hospital would be changed to spacious single patient rooms where future patients would be able to receive food
prepared by a Michelin-star chef, as part of the hospital’s efforts to “promote wellness.” As medicine advances, the size of single-patient rooms is meant to accommodate equipment for bed-side procedures, according to a Lenox Hill representative. Representatives also said the space is meant to better accommodate visiting friends and family. Representatives from Lenox Hill Hospital and Northwell Health have said that they are open to working with the community before the project formally enters the land-use process. In order to start work on the plan, Northwell would have to obtain zoning variances. Current zoning law prevents new development from exceeding 170 on Lexington Avenue and 210 on Park Avenue. A week before the October community board meeting, both Brewer and Powers reached out to Northwell and requested that it examine the scale, planning and timeline of the project. Both elected officials have stated that they are open to listening to both sides on the project and take community input seriously.
The Villager Sales Guide Listings selected at random. Courtesy StreetEasy.com and Google Maps GREENWICH VILLAGE
East 11th Street
SOHO
LOWER EAST SIDE
Spring Street
Henr y Street
Under $1 million 69 West 9th Street #6A Price:$549,000 Beds: Studio Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Vanderborgh
Under $1 million 246 Spring Street #3503 Price:$685,000 Studio Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Corcoran
Under $1 million 473 FDR Drive Price:$850,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Loho
Under $3 million 56 E. 11th Street #4 Price: $2,475,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Broker: Corcoran
Under $3 million 2 King Street #4A Price: $1,395,000 Beds: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Douglas Elliman
Under $3 million 171 Henry Street #2D Price: $1,155,725 Beds: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Nest Seekers
Under $5 million 39 Great Jones Street #2 Price: $3,595,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 2.5 Broker: Corcoran
Under $5 million 46 Mercer Street #7W Price: 3,500,000 Beds: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Broker: Capital
Under $5 million 252 South Street #43C Price: $3,849,000 Beds: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Broker: Extell
26
November 28, 2019
CHELSEA
West 20th Street
Under $1 million 140 Seventh Avenue #7C Price:$899,000 Beds: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Dg Neary Under $3 million 129 West 20th Street #3A Price: $2,500,000 Beds: 1 Bathrooms: 2 Broker: Compass Under $5 million 35 Hudson Yards #5802 Price:$5,000,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 2.5 Broker: Corcoran Schneps Media
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November 28, 2019
27
ATTENTION
Were You In Lower Manhattan on 9/11 or During the 8 Months Following?
10
$
BILLION AVAILABLE FOR 9/11
CANCER VICTIMS 68 Cancers Linked to 9/11 Toxins
Join us for a FREE 9/11 Informational Seminar at United Federation of Teachers Know Your Rights: Monday, Dec 9 from 6-9pm 52 Broadway in Manhattan, 2nd ï¬&#x201A;oor Reserve FREE tickets: https://bit.ly/2Xt6JWr Or call 212-385-8000
Barasch McGarry
Lawyers for the 9/11 Community
212-385-8000 | www.911victims.com 28
November 28, 2019
Schneps Media
2-DAY DEALS
THURSDAY & FRIDAY ONLY Select Men’s Team Fleece Hoods
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