Chelsea Now by Schneps Media

Imagine the Park, p. 16

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 32

NOVEMBER 16-29, 2011

‘Owner Occupancy’ loophole displaces 16th St. tenants BY SCOTT STIFFLER On the afternoon of Sunday, November 6, over three dozen concerned area residents gathered in front of 221 West 16 Street — in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to prevent residents of that building from being evicted. They were joined by Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried, State Senator Thomas K. Duane, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Community Board 4 Chair

Corey Johnson. Their collective efforts — along with those of representatives from Fulton Houses, the West Side Neighborhood Alliance and Housing Conservation Coordinators — were not enough to Gary Brown (president of Furnished Quarters) from forcing five Chelsea families from the building. Appeals to man’s better nature went

Continued on page 7

Photo by Walter Naegle

Judge rules in favor of BRC Shelter BY WINNIE McCROY After more than a year in court, the lawsuit between a group of Chelsea residents and business owners, the City of New York and a local homeless service provider has been resolved. In October, the judge denied a request by the Chelsea Flatiron Coalition (CFC) to close the Bowery Residents’ Committee

Change is good: The Penn South Senior Sandwich Brigade has morphed into “Enduring Endeavor” — a nod to the ever-changing Occupy Wall Street situation. See chelseanow.com on Nov. 18 for an update on EE’s latest project.

(BRC) 328-bed shelter on West 25th Street by ruling that the shelter was operating legally. She did not, however, rule on challenges to a local law limiting shelters to 200 beds. “On October 14, 2011, Judge Joan A. Madden issued a ruling on the case and denied CFC’s petition. The court did not strike

Continued on page 3

EDITORIAL, LETTERS PAGE 8

KID SHAMROCK PAGE 25

Community discusses Chelsea Market expansion BY WINNIE McCROY and SCOTT STIFFLER On the evening of November 10, about 75 Chelsea residents gathered at the Church of the Holy Apostles for a two-hour community forum on the proposed expansion of Chelsea Market by its owner, Jamestown Properties. The majority of those who spoke opposed plans to build office space and a business hotel atop the historic building. Hosted by Rev. Glenn B. Chalmers and moderated by former New York Supreme Court Justice Karen Smith, the panel consisted of Robert Benfatto, District Manager of Community Board 4 (CB4); Save Chelsea member David Holowka; and Fulton Houses Tenants Association President Miguel Acevedo. The forum began with a straw poll on 10 issues of importance to the community related to the pro-

posed expansion — including air and noise pollution, quality schools located in the neighborhood and safety. Receiving the most showing of hands: no overdevelopment, or when done, done in proportion to the community (19); less air and noise pollution (16); and affordable housing (15). Benfatto then presented his report on the status of the zoning proposal, noting that the actual proposal would only come after city certification (around January 2012). At that point, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process will began — with CB4 having 60 days to review the proposal. The committee will bring recommendations to the next full board meeting, and public hearings will be held. Benfatto encouraged the community to be vocal in all parts of this process. Presentations by Holowka and

Acevedo followed, with each having 15 minutes to argue their position, against and for, respectively. “Jamestown, the company behind Chelsea Market, says that they are interested in preserving the character of our neighborhood…but our research leads us to believe that may not be accurate,” said Holowka. Citing the company’s acquisition and resale of landmark structures like the GM building and 620 Sixth Avenue, Holowka said that Jamestown was primarily interested in profits. “I’m not against capitalism…but it’s time to put on the brakes,” said Holowka, citing overdevelopment, soaring rental prices, and congestion. Holowka also noted that the Caledonia (located on 16th Street across from Chelsea Market) was only allowed to reach 250 feet to build out

Continued on page 5

November 16 - 29, 2011

On her way to the November 10 community forum held to discuss the proposed expansion of Chelsea Market, Chelsea Now’s own Winnie McCroy somehow found time to enjoy the view. We’re glad she did.

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November 16 - 29, 2011

Electeds, CFC, BRC, weigh in on ruling Continued from page 1 down the local law, as BRC and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) had requested, and rejected their argument that the facility was three separate shelters,” wrote City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn in a November 3 email (addressed to “Dear Neighbor”). “However, the court held that BRC could proceed with the facility because DHS had properly invoked the Camp LaGuardia exception (which permits DHS to open two shelters of up to 400 beds). The court also held that the Board of Standards and Appeals had not acted arbitrarily with respect to the zoning issues raised by CFC.” In the case of Chelsea Business & Property Owners’ Association v. City of New York, the CFC had petitioned the

injunction filed by the Chelsea Flatiron Coalition challenging the shelter’s size, appropriate zoning, and the “transient hotel” classification that limits guests to a stay of no longer than 30 days. Her recent ruling upheld that decision. “This was the final decision on everything, the whole show,” said BRC Executive Director Muzzy Rosenblatt. “She had tipped her hand intentionally in her preliminary injunction decision, which was their attempt to get a temporary stop on operating the shelter until the final decision. She said then that the CFC had to show irreparable harm. The judge ruled that we haven’t caused irreparable harm. [Madden] also went back to the zoning argument and said that the Board of Standards and Appeals upheld it, so there was nothing really new, except that the Speaker’s office became involved, which she chose not to weigh in on.”

it is or isn’t,” said Rosenblatt. “But the law allows for a shelter to have up to 400 beds if it is a replacement for Camp LaGuardia. The city, in saying they were willing to have both the Jack Ryan

This was a city decision, and one we are comfortable with because that makes our shelter legal.” Currently, all 200 beds of the Jack Ryan Residence are full — and the

‘The city, in saying they were willing to have both the Jack Ryan Residence at 200 beds and the Reception Center at 96 beds, said that if necessary they would invoke Camp LaGuardia. The judge said that this was more than 200 beds at one site, so the city invoked Camp LaGuardia, and the judge said okay. This was a city decision, and one we are comfortable with because that makes our shelter legal.’ —BRC Executive Director Muzzy Rosenblatt

‘I am pleased that the opinion keeps intact Local Law 57 of 1998, which protects homeless adults from being placed in oversized shelters that have proven to be unsafe and unhealthy,’ wrote Quinn. ‘In addition, I am gratified that the court rejected the interpretation of the law advanced by DHS and BRC, which as Judge Madden wrote ‘would render the size limits of the Administrative Code meaningless, in violation of the basic principles of statutory construction.’ Finally, it is important that in response to the Council’s intervention, DHS was finally forced to disclose whether it had ever invoked the Camp LaGuardia provision before.’ —City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn

court to stop the BRC from opening a 328-bed “transient hotel” at 127 West 25 Street. “Obviously we’re disappointed with the court’s decision,” said CFC attorney Daniel Connolly. “We have an enormous amount of respect for the court, but nevertheless believe the decision is problematic. There is no question that the facility that BRC is operating is not a hotel — was never meant to be considered a hotel for purposes of the zoning resolution — and that procedures that the city and the BRC undertook from the beginning in connection with this were improper and unlawful. We are currently evaluating our options in terms of an appeal or other actions.” Madden initially denied the preliminary

Speaker Quinn had been vocal in her opposition to the size of the shelter since the project was introduced, citing the local law — but did not intervene until August 12, after city lawyers attempted to pre-empt this Administrative Code by noting a 1997 state law amending the 200-bed cap because of the city’s homeless crisis. Madden did not rule on this law. But by virtue of her decision, she seemed to force the city to declare that the BRC’s shelter would be viewed as one of the two shelters in excess of 200 beds allowed to exist to replace those beds lost in the closing of the Camp LaGuardia shelter. “The Speaker intervened, saying it was unconstitutional, but Judge Madden said she was not going to rule on whether

Residence at 200 beds and the Reception Center at 96 beds, said that if necessary they would invoke Camp LaGuardia. The judge said that this was more than 200 beds at one site, so the city invoked Camp LaGuardia, and the judge said okay.

96-bed Reception Center is still awaiting certification from the NYS Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA). “The Reception Center is still waiting for the

Continued on page 17

November 16 - 29, 2011

Redistricting, Hudson Yards, BRC among topics at CB4 meeting BY WINNIE McCROY The full board of Manhattan’s Community Board 4 (CB4) gathered at the Hudson Guild Auditorium at Fulton Houses (119 Ninth Avenue) on November 2 to discuss, and vote upon, issues of note in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. The meeting began with a presentation from Susan Marenoff-Zausner, President of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. To house the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the museum is seeking to build a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified exhibit hall on Pier 86 by the fall of 2014. Marenoff-Zausner said the educational center would bring $143 million in annual revenue to the city and state, and create 170 new jobs. A point of concern around this annex was confirming its proposed bus parking at 12th Avenue and 45th Street. Some also revisited the idea of creating bus parking at the James Farley Post Office, for the 263 buses that visit New York every day. Ellen Peterson-Lewis, Transportation Committee Chair of Our Streets Our Lives, noted that her group had been working with others on combating issues of bus parking, noise and emissions, saying, “CB4 has the third highest rate of asthma in New York. We don’t need more buses cruising aimlessly around.” About 25 people spoke at the public session, with 13 supporting the need for bus parking, six speaking in favor of Pieces Bar moving to Hell’s Kitchen, and others con-

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cerned about the proposed Greenwich Village gas line as well as the Living Wage Campaign to create jobs at Hudson Yards. Next, representatives for elected officials provided updates. Senator Tom Duane’s office announced the MTA would launch an offboard bus fare collection kiosk on 34th Street (which was slated to begin on November 13). Assemblymember Dick Gottfried’s office noted that crime was down in Chelsea, and the Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) was assimilating into the community. He also called for an independent commission to prevent political gerrymandering in Albany. Councilmember Gail Brewer’s office shared news of a November 21 Town Hall, and Speaker Christine Quinn’s office announced that Coach would be the first tenant of Hudson Yards. From Congressman Jerry Nadler came the announcement announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee would do their first mark-up for the Respect for Marriage Act, and against the National Rightto-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 (regarding concealed firearms). Following these updates from elected, the meeting continued with CB4 District Manager Robert Benfatto’s report that a judge had ruled in favor of the BRC shelter on West 25th Street. He encouraged all to attend their Community Advisory Committee meetings (held on first Tuesday of the month). CB4 Chair Corey Johnson announced that the board opposed plans by the Department of Education (DOE) for school redistricting.

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He spoke of the Mayor’s November 1 groundbreaking for Hudson Yards. Johnson noted an uptick in burglary and larceny in Chelsea, and

About 25 people spoke at the public session, with 13 supporting the need for bus parking, six speaking in favor of Pieces Bar moving to Hell’s Kitchen, and others concerned about the proposed Greenwich Village gas line as well as the Living Wage Campaign to create jobs at Hudson Yards. said that police had issued 600 summonses in new bike lanes. The board then discussed and voted on agenda items 1-17 — voting in favor of Congressman Nadler’s letter of opposition to the concealed gun permits act, the FY13 Capital and Expense Budget Requests and a letter to Speaker Quinn regarding a new filtration system for the Pier 84 fountain. They voted in favor of sending a letter to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in support of the new space shuttle museum annex, but against including language that would ask them to fund a feasibility study on bus parking. The board voted in favor of letters to the Department of Transportation for a Hell’s Kitchen traffic study and a sign change at Gristedes, and for letters to the Department of Consumer Affairs regarding newsstands (an approval for one at 10th Avenue and

West 47th Street, and a denial for one at West 42nd Street and Dyer Avenue). Citing danger to schoolchildren as well as a lack of transparency and data, CB4 voted to send a letter to the DOE opposing their redistricting plan. They approved letters to the State Liquor Authority for Giovanni’s Room, Manon and Physical Onion LLC, and to the Department of Consumer Affairs for Meridian 23. They also voted in favor of a letter to Hudson Yards in support of their new design, and to the Lantern Organization SRO. They also supported a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requesting that Chelsea be included in the Environmental Impact Statement for the planned gas pipeline.

ABOUT COMMUNITY BOARD 4 CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Its boundaries are 14th St. on the south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on the west, 6th Ave. on the east (south of 26th St.), and 8th Ave. on the east (north of 26th St.). Call 212-736-4536. Visit manhattancb4.org or email them at info@manhattanCB4.org. The board meeting, open to the public, happens on the first Wednesday of the month, at 6:30pm. The next one takes place on December 7, at Roosevelt Hospital; 59th St., btw. 9th & 10th Aves.

FOR INFO ON ORGANIZATIONS, ELECTEDS MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE: intrepidmuseum.org; hudsonguild.org; tomduane.com; gottfriedr@assembly.state. ny.us; council.nyc.gov (Speaker Quinn); galebrewer.com; nadler.house.gov; judiciary.senate.gov (Senate Judiciary Committee); brc.org (Bowery Resident’s Committee); ourstreetsourlives.org; piecesbar.com; livingwagenyc. org; coach.com; hydc.org (Hudson Yards Development Corporation); mta.info; schools. nyc.gov (NYC Dept. of Education); nyc.gov/ dot (NYC Dept. of Transportation); nyc.gov/ dca (NCY Dept. of Consumer Affairs); sla. ny.gov (NY State Liquor Authority); nyc. gov/dca (NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs); lanterngroup.org; ferc.gov (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission); and chpnyc.org (Roosevelt Hospital).

November 16 - 29, 2011

Community discusses Chelsea Market expansion pros, cons their hand to indicate the importance of jobs and job training. “One of the biggest things is to give jobs to the community, and Jamestown has given us job training, scholarships, youth Greenmarkets. They are the only corporation in the community that have not forgotten that Fulton Houses exists in this neighborhood,” he said. He urged the community to work together to find jobs for the youth of Fulton Houses, and to work with Jamestown to improve the community by providing affordable housing, improving parks such as the one on 17th Street, and installing public restrooms. “Why can’t we compromise?” asked Acevedo. “We have to ask them to work with us to keep this diverse community together. I need your help to help the poor people in Chelsea. I don’t believe Jamestown will move into this community and leave.”

Continued from page 1 all of their allowed area. “Jamestown’s proposal would make the deliberately sculpted and already-built form of the substantial Caledonia irrelevant, and the High Line would be plunged into a canyon where it passes between the two buildings,” said Holowka. “Jamestown’s 250-foot tower addition would stand due south of and cast shadows on key High Line features.” In a November 11 phone interview with Chelsea Now, Acevedo noted that Fulton residents are the ones most affected by changes to character, light and air. “Even those Caledonia residents, they weren’t worried about the lighting they took from us at Fulton Houses when they built that to 250 feet,” he said. “Their attitude was they paid for it. They gave no thought about us, and we didn’t get anything out of it. Now it’s as big as a high rise.” Holowka characterized Jamestown Properties’ required $17 million payment toward upkeep of the High Line as “just a bribe,” saying, “If Jamestown’s zoning proposal is approved, it will amount to the corruption of urban planning with money.” In a letter to sent via email on November 14, Save Chelsea further clarified their assertion — recalling a Q&A in the November 2 edition of Chelsea Now in which Phillips was asked what the project’s benefits to the community would be (other than a one-time $17 million donation to the High Line). “Mr. Phillips couldn’t name one besides increased tax revenue,” Save Chelsea noted, “which of course could come from new construction

Holowka characterized Jamestown Properties’ required $17 million payment toward upkeep of the High Line as ‘just a bribe,’ saying, ‘If Jamestown’s zoning proposal is approved, it will amount to the corruption of urban planning with money.’ anywhere else in the city, and as nearby as the vacant and underdeveloped lots right across 15th Street.” The group’s letter continued, noting that, “New construction elsewhere might have the great advantages of generating tax revenue without requiring a zoning change or detracting from the

Photo by Winnie McCroy

Seated, L to R: Former NY Supreme Court Justice Karen Smith, Rev. Glenn B. Chalmers, David Holowka, Robert Benfatto and Miguel Acevedo.

High Line or the historic Chelsea Market complex itself.” As for the statement by Phillips that “the funds don’t go to the High Line. They go to the City of New York,” Save Chelsea asserts, “The funds in fact go to a special High Line maintenance fund managed by the city.” Holowka closed his allotted time period by saying that, regardless of Jamestown’s renderings, a zoning change would allow them to demolish the entire complex — noting that “tearing down and building back new from the ground up is much cheaper than adding substantial construction on top of delicate and unpredictable historic construction, up through which new support structure, fire stairs, elevators and mechanical systems must be build from the ground.” When speaking with Jamestown Properties Managing Director Michael Phillips over the phone on the morning of November 11, he told Chelsea Now, “The ground floor concourse will not be directly impacted. The idea is to build a platform on top of the west end of the building and create a structure on the Ninth Avenue corner so it won’t negatively impact the structure of Chelsea Market. That’s why it has taken so long to get where we have, because it is a delicate building project.” In their November 14 letter to Chelsea Now, Save Chelsea countered: “Jamestown’s statement that it will ensure ‘that no development happens over historic portions of the market,’ is impossible, given that the whole block is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places…. Part of Jamestown’s proposed hotel would rise above William A. Boring’s elegant three-story 1906 Strasser stable fronting on 16th Street near Ninth Avenue. Chelsea Market’s State and National Register listing protects it only from publicly funded alteration. Using its own private funds, Jamestown is free to demolish Chelsea Market.” Directly following Holowka’s remarks,

Acevedo then took the podium to argue in favor of the expansion. “The saddest part is that we’re not here to be divided and conquered. Until the paperwork is submitted, there is no real proposal, so to hold up [the rendering] is a disservice, ” said Acevedo — who noted that during the straw poll, only two members (both Fulton Houses residents) raised

Community voices grievances The open forum portion of the evening brought a dozen speakers before the crowd, all opposed to the expansion. Although Jamestown Properties was not invited to this forum (despite their request to attend), Chelsea Now brought these concerns to them for comment. Carol Demech cited the “devastating environmental impact,” including gridlock,

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Coach is anchor tenant for Hudson Yards BY WINNIE McCROY On November 1, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Related Companies, Oxford Properties Group and Coach, Inc. at the corner of 11th Avenue and 30th Street to announce that Coachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new global corporate headquarters would be the anchor tenant for the initial tower of the Eastern Rail Yards site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What this says is that the market has spoken, that big tenants recognize this is a space for future growth of class-A office space,â&#x20AC;? said Joanna Rose, Vice-President of Communications for Related Companies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one of the largest and most prominent privately-owned real estate developers in the U.S. (with real estate assets valued in excess of $15 billion). Also present at the press conference were Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel, MTA President Tom Prendergast, Hudson Yards Development Corporation President Ann Weisbrod and NYC Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. Coach announced that they were committed to take over 600,000 square feet (more than one-third of available commercial space) of the 26-acre mixed-use Hudson Yards development site. The Coach tower is the south tower of a planned 5.5 million square foot â&#x20AC;&#x153;superblock building complexâ&#x20AC;? bound by 10th Avenue, 33rd Street, Hudson Boulevard, and 30th Street. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 1941, Coach was founded as a maker of fine leather goods in a New York City loft

and we are honored to be the cornerstone of New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next great neighborhood,â&#x20AC;? said Lew Frankfort, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coach Inc. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The city is part of our DNA and its spirit is central to all that we do.â&#x20AC;? Rose noted that other potential tenants have already come forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have seen tremendous interest from corporate tenants, and we are in talks with nine other tenants searching for a million square feet or more,â&#x20AC;? said Rose. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The project will bring to the neighborhood 12 acres of public space, a million square feet of restaurants and retail space, and on the residential side, affordable houses. It will really knit together Chelsea and Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen where before there was an empty site.â&#x20AC;? Together with the completion of the #7 subway line of and the new Hudson Boulevard Park, this commitment will kick-start the historic development of the Hudson Yards area, a 60-block, 300-acre neighborhood. Construction on the first 1.7 million square-foot, 51-story tower is set to commence in mid-2012 and will be ready for occupancy in 2015. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified building will be located on the corner of 30th Street and 10th Avenue â&#x20AC;&#x201D; bridging the Chelsea and Hudson Yards. Because the area is unoccupied, the impact of construction will be minimal, said Related Companies.

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Coach announced that they were committed to take over 600,000 square feet (more than one-third of available commercial space) of the 26-acre mixed-use Hudson Yards development site. The Coach tower is the south tower of a planned 5.5 million square foot â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;superblock building complexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bound by 10th Avenue, 33rd Street, Hudson Boulevard, and 30th Street. Accommodating more than 13 million square feet of commercial and residential space, development at the Rail Yards will transform the landscape of Manhattan, alter the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skyline, and attract millions of visitors a year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opening up the far West Side of

to come,â&#x20AC;? said Mayor Bloomberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coach, a quintessential New York brand and major employer in the city, has been part of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy for 70 years, and now they

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November 16 - 29, 2011

Despite rally, tenants displaced Continued from page 1 unheard, when the tenants were evicted the following day (a full 24 hours before what they thought was the deadline to vacate). Invoking his right under the “owner occupancy” eviction loophole in the Rent Laws, Brown compelled the tenants to abandon their residences so that he can proceed with plans to create a luxury duplex apartment that would serve as his primary residence. “Gary Brown,” pointed out Assemblymember Gottfried in a press release, “who has the means to live almost anywhere in Manhattan, is choosing to evict five households of low-income New Yorkers.” “We all know what this is about,” declared Gottfried at the start of the rally. “Landlords are taking advantage of this loophole to get low-income tenants out of affordable housing. Whether he [Brown] intends to live here or not, I think it is wrong.”

“This loophole is a prime example of the many inequities tenants face under the current laws,” said Senator Duane in a press release. “When unscrupulous landlords exploit technicalities to empty buildings, our communities lose. I immediately call on Mr. Brown to have the decency and compassion to allow these tenants to stay in their homes.” Duane had even stronger words when speaking at the rally, stating, “To throw out five families is just plain wrong. For him to play a part in [the neighborhood’s] destruction is unconscionable. To take advantage of this loophole is just a disgrace.” The senator then drew laughs and applause when he pointed out — with a comic’s sharp timing and sad sense of irony — that Brown may want to rethink becoming a Chelsea resident under such conditions. “We will know where he lives,” he pointed out. Speaker Quinn noted how the impending loss of these particular tenants heralded ongoing changes in the neighborhood that are unlikely to be reversed. “We love

Chelsea,” she declared. “And we’re gong to do all we can to make sure Chelsea remains economically diverse. “It may be legally right,” said Quinn of Brown’s determination to invoke owner

In a November 15 phone interview with Chelsea Now, attorney Robert A. Katz (who represents Robards and other evicted tenants) noted that since the evictions, he’s been in touch with each tenant

‘When unscrupulous landlords exploit technicalities to empty buildings, our communities lose. I immediately call on Mr. Brown to have the decency and compassion to allow these tenants to stay in their homes.’ —State Senator Tom Duane occupancy despite public outcry, “But it is not morally right. He has made a decision to put his own needs and greed above those of five families. We have a clear message for the landlord: Do the right thing.” Although many of those who would soon be displaced attended the rally, the only tenant that spoke was David Robards. “A lot of good things have happened to me in this building,” he said — recalling his emergence from the alcoholism of his 20s. Out of work for 11 months (as a result of the OTB shutdown), Robards said the loss of his apartment would be, “a double whammy that a person like me, in my fifties, would not be able to recover from.”

who was forced from the building. In every case, he says, “There’s absolutely no question in my mind that this has lowered their standard of living. One is living out of state.” Another, he said, is temporarily living in the Bronx. With the help of Senator Duane’s office, David Robards is living in a Clinton Housing Development Company SRO. Both Katz and Senator Duane are concerned about the remaining tenants at 221 West 16 Street — as well as the building’s status as a transient hotel. Tenants remain in three units (on the second and third

Continued on page 11

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November 16 - 29, 2011

EDITORIAL Park is needed more Greenwich Village is starved for public open space. Indeed, Community Board 2 (CB2) — from 14th Street to Canal Street west of Bowery/Fourth Avenue — ranks among the lowest in green space per capita of all the city’s community board districts. That’s why when the opportunity arises to create a new park, it’s special. Such a moment is now upon us. Rudin Management, as part of its redevelopment of the former St. Vincent’s Hospital eastern campus into 450 new luxury condo units, has pledged to provide a park on the open-space triangle across the street. At the same time, the Queer History Alliance (QHA) has come forward, saying the triangle presents a unique chance to create an AIDS Memorial Park with a learning center. The Village was an epicenter of the 1980s AIDS crisis and St. Vincent’s was where the disease was first confronted and treated in a humane way, QHA rightly says. The Alliance strongly feels that the basement below the triangle should be used as a learning center that could pay tribute to local healthcare providers — such as St. Vincent’s and others — that met the challenge of the disease. An AIDS Memorial Park is certainly a very worthy project. But many community members who actually live around the location are concerned — and justifiedly so — that such a memorial could well turn into a tourist and tour bus destination. Already tour buses pause at the 9/11 Tiles for America memorial just across Mulry Square from the triangle so their tourist passengers can snap photos. Were an AIDS Memorial added kitty-corner across the square, it’s easy to imagine this becoming a point where tour buses would actually stop and drop their passengers off for a while so they could walk around and check out both the 9/11 tiles and the AIDS memorial. But this sort of memorial nexus isn’t what local residents want at all, and it doesn’t seem to be what CB2 — as a reflection of the community’s will — is calling for, either. CB2 will be making its final recommendation for the triangle next Thursday. That recommendation will, in turn, be added to the board’s input on the city’s ULURP review for the entire Rudin project. We agree that, above all, what is needed here is a true community park — unencumbered by major memorials or features that would detract from its being a place to relax and enjoy a respite of natural beauty and tranquility amid the world’s most hectic city. Memorials to St. Vincent’s history and AIDS could be incorporated somehow — but certainly not dominating the park. Whether the triangle’s basement can or should be used as a learning center, or would interfere with the park, remains to be seen. Better yet — why not find an airy and uplifting space, with some windows? Plus, the Village does, in fact, already have an AIDS memorial. Dedicated three years ago at Bank Street in Hudson River Park, it was the first AIDS memorial on public property in the entire state. The AIDS Memorial Committee spent 14 years working to create this tasteful monument, at a cost of $88,000. A long, bench-like structure of Canadian black granite overlooks the former Pier 49’s wooden pilings — which are “sort of a metaphor for lives cut short,” as the committee’s Lawrence Swehla put it. In addition, the park that Rudin creates at Greenwich and Seventh Avenues should not be privately owned. Rather, when done, it should be turned over to the Parks Department. Again, this is in line with keeping this welcome new green space as open and publicly accessible as possible.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Save Chelsea responds to Jamestown articles To The Editor: This letter is Save Chelsea’s response to two articles on the proposed Chelsea Market expansion that appeared in the November 2nd edition of Chelsea Now, about Jamestown Properties efforts to expand Chelsea Market by way of having it included in the Special West Chelsea District. “Jamestown Properties: Chelsea Market Q&A” was an interview with Jamestown’s Michael Phillips. Phillips said Chelsea Market wasn’t originally excluded from the Special West Chelsea District “because the city or the neighborhood deemed we shouldn’t be.” Not according to Ed Kirkland of Community Board 4’s Chelsea Planning and Preservation Committee — who recalls that the Community Board itself prevailed in keeping Chelsea Market’s zoning unchanged. Phillips touted Jamestown’s “conventional wisdom” zoning of building tall at the ends of the block to protect “light in the air” at mid-block — justifying Jamestown’s plan for lucrative tower views from right above the High Line. This conflicts with the Special District’s aim to transfer bulk away from the High Line “and thereby permit light and air to penetrate to the High Line and preserve and create view corridors from the High Line bed.” The Special District zoning even requires that “the High Line shall remain open and unobstructed from the High Line bed to the sky,” the very zone into which Jamestown would insert its grotesque tower addition. Phillips wrongly described the 5-to7.5 FAR (floor area ratio) change that Jamestown seeks as 5:1 to 7:2. He also wrongly stated that Jamestown’s $17 million zoning bonus contribution wouldn’t go to the High Line, and even wrongly described the shape of the building west of Chelsea Market as a “cylinder.” So much for credibility. But he could have been talking about a different Chelsea Market.

“Study estimates job, tax benefits of Chelsea Market,” doesn’t mention that the report, by Appleseed, was commissioned by Jamestown. Appleseed’s website says: “Many of our assignments also involve the preparation and production of reports aimed at helping clients achieve specific public policy, community or business objectives.” Also known as paid lobbying. Appleseed’s study counts the influx of tourists the project will bring, even though Jamestown says it’s only planning office space and a business hotel. Appleseed’s projection “that the project will create 1,200 construction jobs,” doesn’t note that such jobs would be created if Jamestown built on vacant lots across 15th Street that don’t require a zoning change. Construction jobs were invoked to justify demolishing Penn Station — what a bargain that was! Appleseed’s projections don’t include the positive impact of not building Jamestown’s proposal, from benefiting overbuilt Ground Zero office development to protecting Chelsea Market and the High Line. The piece ends: “Jamestown has said that the zoning changes will conform to requirements that restrict development to the avenues and preserve mid-block views, ensuring that no development happens over the historic portions of the market.” This let’s no one know that the self-serving “requirements” Jamestown would “conform to” are its own, or that it’s impossible to avoid building “over historic portions of the market,” when the entire complex is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. In this, and in the full version of our letter, we’ve tried to set the record straight, by refuting the many misleading and/or inaccurate statements in both the Q&A and the Appleseed Report. SAVE CHELSEA Editor’s Note: The full version of Save Chelsea’s letter can be accessed in the “Readers’ Letters” section of chelseanow.com (found on the right side of the home page).

Bus situation is source of frustration To The Editor: I live in Penn South, and am very frustrated about the bus situation on 28th Street and Seventh Avenue. There are many times I have to stand in the street to see if my city bus is coming. The out of town buses park at the bus stop, sometimes two and three at a time. It is a dangerous situation for myself and others. I was once hemmed in between a city bus and out of town bus. The buses idle and emit fumes. If it is inclement weather, I can’t use the bus shelter, and I have to stand in the street for the city bus. I have phoned elected officials office. They’re very nice, but there has been no solution to this problem. I understand the buses bring in business. However, as a tax payer (and as a woman of a “certain” age), I deserve a safe place to await the city bus. There have been other people waiting for the city bus who have agreed with me, but felt nothing would come out of phone calls. On the l4th of November, as a third bus was coming in to park, I actually stood in front of it — not allowing it to enter the third space. I guess I am getting angry enough to fight back in any way that is legal, and that makes me feel somewhat empowered. The situation did not escalate, as my bus came along at that moment. I hope this letter creates more awareness of the problem, and that we begin to look at solutions. Rabbi Marcia Rappaport E-mail letters, not longer than 300 words in length, to scott@chelseanow. com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C New York City, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.

November 16 - 29, 2011

As for Chelsea, goodbye to all that BY MICHAEL CAROSONE AND JOSEPH LOGIUDICE Three strikes and you’re out, Chelsea. After being called “faggot” three times during the past summer while walking in the once predominantly gay neighborhood of Chelsea, we decided to move. We loved Chelsea, but we had to leave her because she is not the same gay neighborhood that we remember. The iconic gay neighborhood of the past has been changed for the worse by the neo-hetero-homophobic-heterosexist transplants, who have relocated to New York City from small towns throughout the United States, bringing with them their small minds. This drastic and dramatic change started slowly in 2000 and has advanced more quickly since about 2009. Throughout recent years, gay men and women have been evict-

Do the heterosexuals who relocate to Chelsea even know that it was once a gay neighborhood or do their heterosexist and heteronormative thinking and behavior make them egocentrically oblivious? ed from Chelsea and have been replaced by heterosexual women and men, whether single or coupled, younger or older, college students or working professionals, most of whom are not gay-friendly

but, ironically, chose to move to a well-known, distinctively gay neighborhood because they wanted to live in a trendy, pretty, clean, and safe area with a lot of wonderful shopping opportunities. The old, wise saying that the gays beautify a neighborhood for the straights to invade and occupy is so very true and real. An important question to ask is: do the heterosexuals who relocate to Chelsea even know that it was once a gay neighborhood or do their heterosexist and heteronormative thinking and behavior make them egocentrically oblivious? In 2005 we moved to Chelsea from Brooklyn because we wanted to feel welcomed, accepted, comfortable and safe in a gay neighborhood. We longed for the sense of community that so many other minority groups have been fortunate enough to experience. So, we crossed the East River from one borough to another. As native New Yorkers, our transition was easy. Michael, 36, was born and raised in the Kings Bay/Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, while Joseph, 31, grew up in Bath Beach/Bensonhurst. We were familiar with Chelsea because, like so many other gay men, we were regular visitors since the mid-1990s, escaping our largely heterosexual and heterosexist — and often homophobic — neighborhoods in Brooklyn for a taste of gay life. So, in 2005, we decided to be residents of Chelsea, no longer visitors; however, it is no longer the same neighborhood of which we once so enthusiastically wanted to be a part. Years ago, it was a place where we were allowed and able to be our gay selves, without being embarrassed, ashamed, uncomfortable, ostracized, hated and judged. We were free to be who we were and who we wanted to be. We were open-minded, evolved, progressive and liberal. We did not feel oppressed, repressed, margin-

Photo by Jeffrey Hornstein

Michael Carosone and Joseph LoGiudice recently moved from Chelsea to Astoria.

alized, stigmatized and discriminated against. We gays were once the majority in Chelsea, and it was empowering. Now, we are the minority, feeling powerless, discarded and disrespected. Sadly, we are outcasts once again in a neighborhood that we made our own. In the past, when we walked down the streets in Chelsea, we did not receive scornful stares and hateful comments. We were able to wear our tight pink shorts and our tight lavender tank tops without the looks of disdain and ridicule. We were able to walk along the Hudson River Park shirtless without looks of contempt and horror. We were able to hold hands and hug and kiss in public without the looks of disgust and intolerance. But not now. Obviously, most of the new heterosexist, homophobic, straight transplants in Chelsea have never Member of the New York Press Association

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seen real live gay men and women. We are like wild animals in a zoo whom they are observing for their own pleasure or displeasure. Whether we are caged or uncaged does not make a difference. Contrary to what some individuals believe, a gay ghetto was never a bad thing. And a gay diaspora is not necessarily a good thing. Are the new heterosexuals in Chelsea trying to divide and conquer us? We gays have been forced to disperse, which makes it more difficult for us to unite and fight for our rights and equality. Is this what they want? So, who is to blame for this destructive change to Chelsea? Well, here are the culprits — realtors, business owners, corporations, colleges and universities, the media, Mayor Bloomberg and the local politicians. Nowadays, Chelsea is one big theme park and tourist attraction. It has been

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glamorized, romanticized and gentrified for the new heterosexuals and their bigotry. Chelsea is dead. What is the next gay neighborhood? This month, we moved to Astoria, Queens in order to be around more native New Yorkers and more gay men. Will Astoria be the new Chelsea? Maybe. Maybe not. At least we have not noticed the neo-heterohomophobes in Astoria. Finally, here are new names for our once-beloved Chelsea — Hetero-sea, Straight-singlessea, Straight-couples-sea, West Gramercy, Gramercy West, Transplant-sea, Tourist-sea, Spoiled-brat-sea, Trust-fund-babysea, Sorority-girl-sea, Frat-boysea, Entitled-sea, Small-town-sea, Wanna-be-sea, Get-a-life-sea, Stroller-sea, Prudish-sea, Luxurybuilding-sea, Shopping-sea, Heterosexist-sea, Homophobia-sea, and Not-home-for-us-anymore-sea!

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November 16 - 29, 2011

Drill the message: No fracking! BY ALBERT AMATEAU Environmental advocates and elected officials rallied in Manhattan last week to mobilize opposition to hydraulic-fracture gas drilling in New York State The process, known as fracking, involves drilling horizontally a mile or more below the surface and injecting high volumes of water laced with toxic chemicals and sand to fracture the shale and release gas trapped in the rock. United for Action, an umbrella advocacy group, sponsored anti-fracking rallies in the Village and the Upper West Side last week with local state assemblymembers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think fracking is the most important environmental issue of our time,â&#x20AC;? said Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal of the Upper West Side at the November 3 rally at the LGBT Community Center on West 13th Street. Assemblymember Richard Gottfried, who represents Chelsea, noted that natural gas drilling has been going on in the state for 100 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The difference is that instead of drilling straight down they now can go down a mile or more and then drill horizontally for thousands of feet, and pump 400,000 gallons of water laced with chemicals, including known carcinogens.â&#x20AC;? While gas companies insist that the process can be done safely, Governor Cuomo

has agreed to prohibit the process in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds. Gas companies stress the economic benefits of gas fracking for property owners, the state tax rolls and employment. The Marcellus Shale formation has been called an energy source for decades to come, â&#x20AC;&#x153;like Saudi Arabia right under our feet.â&#x20AC;? While it is true that natural gas burns cleaner and is less polluting than coal or oil, the environmental cost of trucking huge amounts of water and chemicals to wellheads must be figured in. Environmental damage from accidents and leaks of toxic wastewater is another problem, Gottfried added. New York State is conducting hearings on a draft supplemental generic environmental impact statement that would govern fracking in the Marcellus Shale in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southern tier counties along the Pennsylvania border. On Wednesday, November 30, the state Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a hearing on the draft EIS at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers St., from 1 pm to 4 pm and from 6 pm to 9 pm Braun said that United for Action and other coalition partners will hold a press event on Monday, November 14, at noon in front of Governor Cuomoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Manhattan office, 633 Third Avenue, to urge him to vote no.

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Angered by loophole, electeds vow to change law Continued from page 7 floors) because their status as senior citizens prevents eviction. “There are four in all,” says Katz — who notes that one tenant, “lives outside of the curtain of the problem because he lives in the basement.” That tenant, Katz maintains, will suffer undue

will supposedly serve as Brown’s primary residence. “These people will have to live with jackhammers, with soot,” says Katz. “And here’s the very important part. For 37 weeks, they’re going to be virtual prisoners in their apartment, because there is no way to put a [debris] shoot at the street level because of the fire escapes. You can’t get a truck in the back because there

‘It may be legally right,’ said Quinn of Brown’s determination to invoke owner occupancy despite public outcry, ‘But it is not morally right. He has made a decision to put his own needs and greed above those of five families. We have a clear message for the landlord: Do the right thing.’

stress along with the others: “These people are going to face 37 weeks of demolition,” notes Katz — referencing the approximate period of construction required to turn the fourth and fifth floors into a duplex which

are impediments, fences and things. So anything they demolish, they’ll have to take down the staircase — and for all we know, there could be asbestos.” Once construction is done,

Senator Duane has his doubts that Gary Brown will become a resident of Chelsea. “I remain skeptical that the landlord is going to move from Connecticut to live on the top two floors of a walk-up on 16th Street,” says Duane — who expressed concern at the fact that, “We know they’re renting out hotel rooms, which is extremely problematic. So both loopholes, owner occupancy and illegal hotel use, are being advanced by this particularly unscrupulous landlord, who has displaced people who’ve lived there for 40 years….I’m very concerned about the remaining tenants, and we’re going to monitor their situation very carefully.” Pending in Albany, a bill that would end the owner occupancy loophole is being sponsored by Assembly Housing Committee chair Vito Lopez and Senators Daniel Squadron and Adriano Espaillat. If approved, it would require a landlord to demonstrate “a compelling, immediate need for the housing, and limit the landlord to only one unit for personal use, among other restrictions.” Assembleymember Gottfried is sponsoring another bill that would do away entirely with owner occupancy. As for the present situation, Senator Duane characterizes it as, “a tragedy. But the fight is not over.”

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At forum, warnings that division will conquer Continued from page 5 pollution and noise. She questioned their motive for building a hotel she felt was not needed, adding that job claims were inflated. “The millions of dollars to the High Line I see as a bribe,” she said.

‘Why can’t we compromise?’ asked Acevedo. ‘We have to ask them to work with us to keep this diverse community together. I need your help to help the poor people in Chelsea. I don’t believe Jamestown will move into this community and leave.’

Photo by Winnie McCroy

A lone voice in support of Jamestown: Miguel Acevedo (at podium).

In their November 11 phone interview, Jamestown refuted this characterization — noting that they had no participation in the calculation of the amount of the capital contribution required to increase their FAR (floor area ratio) — which they say was overbuilt in the course of 100 years, and under their calculations was still lower than their neighboring buildings. “This capital contribution

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goes to the City of New York, and is earmarked for the maintenance of the High Line,” added Phillips. Speaking during the open forum, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Executive Director Andrew Berman took Jamestown’s claims of altruism to task, maintaining, “It’s about greed, not need. They are asking for the rules to change to make more money. There is very little benefit to the neighborhood…and once they

get the permits from the city, they can sell it the next day.” “I would reiterate that our new financing in this building would prohibit us from selling in the next seven years, so we’re here for certainly a long time,” countered Phillips. “But also we see Chelsea Market as seminal to our company’s identity moving forward. In no way do we have an interest in selling the building.” Robert Trentlyon said that Pier 57, the art district and the Chelsea Historic District had enhanced the neighborhood — and that nine out of ten people he had spoken to

‘Eventually, there will be a meeting with Jamestown, and we need to get our stuff together. They are the ones who divided us, because they went to Miguel and started offering him things, not realizing there was going to be an opposition, so they’re the enemy,’ said Smith. ‘I didn’t want them here for this. Their talking would not have helped us at this point.’ were “repulsed” by the proposed addition. He also challenged the issue of job creation. “I think we all appreciate the few scholarships that Jamestown has given, but let us not forget that the landlord doesn’t tell his tenants whom to hire,” said Trentlyon. “These jobs would be for experienced programmers,

Continued on page 20

November 16 - 29, 2011

“Every part of a child’s life is important. If you are successful in lower school, feeling conﬁdent about yourself as an effective member of a larger group, the sky’s the limit.” LIBBY HIXSON HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL, AVENUES Former Middle School Head, The Dalton School

WHAT MAKES A GREAT LOWER SCHOOL? A commitment from Avenues: The World School. At Avenues, our starting point for Lower School is emotional safety, because only when students feel safe do they welcome new ideas and new people into their lives. This is the time when our children begin to shift from living in the protective bubble of their parents to a growing awareness of the world outside. Introducing Lower School students to the world. “The World Course is the soul of our school,” explains Libby Hixson, head of Lower School at Avenues. “At the very start, we will pick up the threads that spiral up through-out the years at Avenues. We will connect social studies, science, art, math, music and literature to a child’s growing awareness of the world.”

Gaining proficiency and cultural sensitivity. “As a world school, Avenues places an emphasis on gaining proficiency in a second language and on an appreciation for other cultures,” says Hixson. “Immersion in a second language begins in the earliest grades. This isn’t merely language instruction; it’s learning subject matter like science, math or art, in Chinese or Spanish. This type of curriculum gives students the best foundation for succeeding in higher grades and beyond.” Building on human values. Our Lower School students will first look inward to learn about themselves, then look outward to better understand the world around them. We’re here to build a community where children can look at each other with respect and affection.

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TO LEARN MORE, OR TO SIGN UP FOR OUR PARENT INFORMATION EVENTS, VISIT AVENUES.ORG OR CALL 212.935.5000.

November 16 - 29, 2011

Photos by Carlye Waxman RD

Three sweet potatoes with pure maple syrup will save you enough calories to eat a slice of pie!

Calorie-conscious Thanksgiving eats for ‘beginner’ chefs BY CARLYE WAXMAN, RD As the holidays approach, our mouths are watering at the thought of all that good food. It’s safe to say that during this time of the year, we made decisions with our growling bellies instead of our heads — even though we can feel our skinny jeans expanding at the very thought of turkey, stuffing, marshmallow sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. If you have control over a dish or two that’s being your usual high-calorie offerings with some of my favorite side dishes and desserts. As always, these recipes are intended for those “beginner” chefs who have three tools in their two by two kitchens.

MAPLE SWEET POTATOES (12 servings) 6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup 1 tbsp of melted butter ½ orange juiced ½ tsp salt 1 tsp turmeric Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange sweet potatoes in a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Combine maple syrup, butter, orange juice, salt, pepper and turmeric in small bowl, pour over sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Cover and bake potatoes for 15 minutes. Uncover and stir every 15 minutes (for approximately the next 45 minutes, until they brown). Calories: 100-110 Calories Saved: 350 (based on

traditional mashed maple sweet potatoes) What you can do with 350 calories: Have a large slice of hot apple pie!

ORANGE GINGER CRAN-RASPBERRY SAUCE (Serving: 1 cup) Make this sauce 2 days before the big day so the flavor and sweetness enhances. Add extra to your turkey instead of high sodium/ caloric gravy. 1 package of frozen raspberries 1 (10oz) package of cranberries ½ cup of sugar 1 cup of water 1 orange squeezed 1 orange rind 3 crystallized ginger cubes chopped 3 clove 1 cinnamon stick

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until cranberries pop and mixture thickens. Open frozen raspberries and add to bowl you will be refrigerating. Remove the cloves and the cinnamon stick, transfer to the raspberry bowl; refrigerate until ready to use. Calories: 120 Calories Saved: 90 (This is based on canned cranberry sauce). What you can do with 90 calories: Have a truffle at dessert time.

CARLYE’S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE (10 servings) 1 ½ lbs of frozen French cut green beans 1 ½ tbsp butter 2 cups sliced yellow onion 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

This tarter variation on traditional cranberry sauce is easy to make — and not loaded with sugar.

Stuffing, cranberry sauce and potatoes: A healthy Thanksgiving trio.

8oz packaged button mushrooms pre-sliced 8oz Portobello mushrooms pre-sliced 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth 2 tbsp of whole wheat flour Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup Parmesan cheese ½ cup reduced fat sour cream Directions: Cook beans in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and place in large bowl, then set aside. In a skillet, over medium high heat, add butter to coat. Add onion and thyme for 4 minutes until tender. Add mushrooms for 10 minutes (try not to crowd them). Stir in salt, pepper and flour (when adding flour, you MUST stir constantly). After about one minute, gradually stir in broth. Add this mixture to the green beans, and toss well. Add sour cream and toss. Place in ceramic baking dish, with Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (for about 15-20 minutes, until the top is browned). Calories: 78 Calories saved: 100 What you can do with 100 calories: Make that hot apple pie a la mode!

CARLYE’S SWEET WALNUT STUFFING (12 servings) 14oz ciabatta bread (cut into one inch cubes) 2 tbsp butter 1 ½ cups chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped carrots (Hint: These items can be found pre-chopped at Whole Foods!) 1 tsp cinnamon 2 whole cloves ½cup chopped walnuts 1 cup peeled diced apples ¼ cup raisins 3 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1 large egg Salt and pepper to taste Cooking spray Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake bread on a baking sheet for 25 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter to pan; swirl to coat. Add celery, onions and carrots to pan; cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and clove. Add celery mixture, walnuts, apples and raisins to bread in a large bowl; toss well. Combine broth and egg,

Continued on page 16

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November 16 - 29, 2011

Full…of health: On Thanksgiving! Continued from page 14 stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to bread mixture, tossing gently to combine. Spoon bread mixture into a 13x9 inch glass dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Calories: 168 Calories saved: 100 What you can do with 100 calories: Have seconds.

PUMPKIN GINGER CUPCAKES WITH A COCONUT CREAM (makes 24 cupcakes) 2 ¼ cup of all-purpose flour 1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree) 1 tbsp pumpkin spice (or 1 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg) 1 tsp ginger ¾ cup skim milk ½ tsp baking soda 1 tbsp baking powder ½ cup of applesauce 1 cup of sugar 3 egg whites Frosting: 2 (8 oz) package of low fat cream cheese 2 (8 oz) tub of cool whip free topping 1 cup of Splenda

1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup of shaved coconut Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Mix applesauce and sugar in a large bowl. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (if you overmix, the cupcakes will fall flat). Pour the batter into the muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Frost when cooled. Directions for Frosting: Add all contents into a medium mixing bowl and beat until desired consistency. This needs to be refrigerated to keep with its consistency. Calories: 160 Calories Saved: 122 (based on traditional pumpkin pie) What you can do with these calories: Save them! You may want a short stack of pancakes for breakfast.

TOTAL CALORIES SAVED: 800

Dream it, draw it, do it If you build it, they will come. But first, you have to create an accurate rendering. To that end, over 100 young artists submitted their ideas for what a park at 136 West 20th Street might look like. On November 13, hundreds gathered to see many of those drawings on display. “Imagine the Park” was a one-of-a-kind art show where visions of a park yet to be built, on what’s now a vacant lot, got the gallery treatment they deserved (courtesy of J. Klaynberg Gallery, at 19th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues). These are two of our favorites. For more — and for more information about the effort give Chelsea a little more green space — visit 20thstreetpark.org.

Step1: Cut Ciabatta into 1-inch cubes and toast for 20 minutes. Step 2: Sautee celery, onion and carrots in olive oil for approximately 5 minutes.

Step 3: 3 cups of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth with one egg and beat with fork. Step 4: Spray glass dish, add bread first, then celery mixture. Add broth mixture apples and raisins. Evenly coat this dish by mixing with your hands.

November 16 - 29, 2011

Concerned parties ponder BRC’s LaGuardia exception Continued from page 3 OTDA permit,” said Rosenblatt. “We’ve given them everything they’ve asked for. There is nothing more they need from BRC, but it’s a process. We are confident it will be issued in due course.” Quinn disagreed with the court’s decision to allow the DHS to invoke the Camp LaGuardia exception four

law advanced by DHS and BRC, which as Judge Madden wrote ‘would render the size limits of the administrative code meaningless, in violation of the basic principles of statutory construction.’ Finally, it is important that in response to the Council’s intervention, DHS was finally forced to disclose whether it had ever invoked the Camp LaGuardia provision before.” Connolly was less sure that Madden’s decision had caused the Camp LaGuardia exemption to be invoked,

‘The purpose behind the Camp LaGuardia exemption is not so you can get around the zoning resolution in a clever way, but in the event that the city had suffered a significant lack of capacity because of the closing of Camp LaGuardia in 2007. It didn’t happen then, and we’re not in that situation now.’—CFC attorney Daniel Connolly

years after that shelter closed. But she was glad to find that the law that limits shelters to 200 beds was not overturned. “I am pleased that the opinion keeps intact Local Law 57 of 1998, which protects homeless adults from being placed in oversized shelters that have proven to be unsafe and unhealthy,” wrote Quinn. “In addition, I am gratified that the court rejected the interpretation of the

but pleased that the case had definitively indicated that the BRC shelter was meant to be one of these two replacement shelters. “If you read Madden’s decision, she has essentially deemed them to have invoked that. Obviously we are troubled by that, because we don’t think that’s how it’s supposed to work. We have never seen a representation that they’ve invoked it before, and they only get two

exemptions,” said Connolly. “They were never asked to invoke it, or to say whether it’s the first, or second, or 15th time they have done so.” “There is no question now that the City of New York cannot say they still have two exemptions,” he continued. “Madden has indicated she believes it’s invoked, but she sort of invoked it for them. The purpose behind the Camp LaGuardia exemption is not so you can get around the zoning resolution in a clever way, but in the event that the city had suffered a significant lack of capacity because of the closing of Camp LaGuardia in 2007. It didn’t happen then, and we’re not in that situation now.” Other elected officials maintain that 328 beds is still too large. A representative from Assemblymember Dick Gottfried’s office noted (at a November 2 CB4 meeting) that, “Yes, the facility is too big, but I hope they will assimilate into the community and be placed into permanent homes.” Quinn encouraged residents to attend monthly Community Council meetings of the 10th or 13th Precincts, as well as the BRC’s monthly Community Advisory Committee (CAC). She encouraged Chelsea residents to contact her office if they witness “untowardly behavior or acts” from BRC clients. CB4 District Manger Robert Benfatto noted that he was a regular attendee at CAC meetings, and similarly urged those Chelsea residents with concerns or complaints to voice them in this forum. “No agencies can address issues or complaints if people don’t go to meetings and share them,” said Benfatto. The CAC meets on the first Tuesday of the month, on the 5th floor of the BRC (at 127 W. 25th St., btw 6th & 7th Aves.).

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November 16 - 29, 2011

Hudson Yards project has first tenant Continued from page 6 are leading the way to a vibrant future for Hudson Yards.” Coach’s new global headquarters will occupy the lower third of the first tower building, where they will create a vertical campus with a vast atrium serving as the visual anchor for the High Line. The atrium will be the heart of Coach’s space, and is reflective of the company’s collective and community-focused environment. “We’re delighted to be staying in the area we have called home for more than 50 years, and the fact that our global corporate headquarters will be adjacent to the top of the High Line is particularly exciting,” said Frankfort. “The 10th Avenue spur, which will border our building, is the widest portion of the High Line and will become a focal point for cultural events.” “I just think that the growth on West Side and prominence of the High Line are incredible attributes,” said Rose. “In linking the High Line as it comes from the south to Hudson Yards and 12 acres of public space will provide an incredible amenity to tenants and residential clients.” It is estimated that building the Coach headquarters will create more than 20,000 construction jobs. The development of the Eastern Rail Yard will generate another 80,000 direct (and 100,000 related) construction jobs. When both yards are completed,

‘We’re delighted to be staying in the area we have called home for more than 50 years, and the fact that our global corporate headquarters will be adjacent to the top of the Image courtesy of Hudson Yards

The Hudson Yards Site Plan.

they will generate more than 10,000 new permanent jobs, and house a total of 30,000 office workers. “We rezoned this parcel in 2005 because we saw its incredible potential, and for Coach to move in during these tough economic times is a testament to how attractive the Hudson Yards area is for businesses,” said City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “While the MTA will reap the benefits of the lease payments, the city will benefit with more construction jobs, the development of a currently underutilized area and the presence of Coach in the neighborhood.” The master plan for the Rail Yards com-

prises approximately 5,000 residences in nine residential buildings, 6 million square feet of commercial office space, one million square feet of retail complex, a 150-room five-star hotel, a cultural facility, and a new 750-seat public school. “We think Hudson Yards and the West Side is an ideal location for not only corporate tenancy, but residential growth,” said Rose. “The High Line and this 42nd Street corridor are the last undeveloped areas in Manhattan. They are ideal locations for the future growth of our city.” For more information, visit hudsonyardsnewyork.com.

High Line is particularly exciting,’ said Frankfort. ‘The 10th Avenue spur, which will border our building, is the widest portion of the High Line and will become a focal point for cultural events.’

November 16 - 29, 2011

Triangle park talk sinks to new level: Use of basement BY ALBERT AMATEAU The focus of attention shifted beneath the surface last week at a hearing on the proposed new triangle park on the west side of the former St. Vincent’s Hospital campus. The existing triangle, bounded by Seventh and Greenwich Avenues and West 12th Street, includes an inaccessible green space several feet above sidewalk level, with a 10,000-square-foot basement beneath it that formerly served the now-shuttered hospital. Several neighborhood advocates at the November 2 joint meeting of Community Board 2’s St. Vincent’s Omnibus and Parks Committees urged that the basement space be saved as part of the proposed park. The board, however, has been calling for an accessible public park at sidewalk level on the triangle for 30 years and the plea seemed close to being answered. Last week, Rudin Management presented its revised preliminary plans to build the park as part of its residential redevelopment of the hospital’s east campus and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System’s creation of a community health center and emergency room in the O’Toole Building on the west side of Seventh Avenue. Rick Parisi, of MPFP landscape architects, told the November 2 meeting that the City Planning Department has indicated it would approve a plan to remove the basement, allowing an accessible park at sidewalk level. Parisi also said City Planning indicated that the existing low-rise, materials-handling building on the triangle that used to serve the hospital could also be demolished. The removal of the basement and the materials-handling building would allow a 16,000-square-foot park with 7,400 square feet of plantings covering virtually the entire triangle. An earlier plan with the materialshandling building in place would result in a park half the size. The plans presented on November 2 did not include the basement as part of the park. But people in attendance, including members of the Queen History Alliance who are advocating for an AIDS memorial in the triangle, said the 10,000-square-foot underground space was a potential community resource that should not be destroyed. Michael Seltzer, a Baruch College professor and a member of the alliance, said the triangle was the right place for a tribute to St. Vincent’s pioneering response to the AIDS health crisis. “Our intent is to create a fitting tribute to the indomitable spirit of our neighbors,” Seltzer said later. He said that Sister Patrice of St. Vincent’s, who ran the first bereavement groups for people who lost loved ones to AIDS, should be among those honored. Reverend Mead Miner Bailey, a founder of the country’s first congregate residence for people living with AIDS/HIV — Bailey House on Christopher St. — should also have a tribute in the triangle, he said. Seltzer added that Reverend John Dyson Canon, priest at St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church from 1975 to 1987, should also be honored in the triangle park, along with the late Congresswoman Bella Abzug

A rendering of Rudin Management’s design for a park at the open-space triangle at Greenwich and Seventh Avenues and West 12th Street. The view is of an entrance that would be at the park’s southern corner.

for her fearless neighborhood advocacy. Christopher Tepper, a founder of the Queer History Alliance, urged Rudin, which has agreed to pay for building and maintaining the triangle park, to “keep an open mind” about including the basement in the park design. Community board member Steve Ashkenazi was also concerned about preserving the basement under the triangle. “To destroy that underground space makes no sense,” Ashkenazi said, citing the shortage of meeting places in the district. Robert Woodworth, operations manager of the LGBT Community Center on West 13th Street, said that 10,000 square feet of usable space should be preserved for the public as a teaching center. Gil Horowitz, of the Washington SquareLower Fifth Avenue Block Association, and Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, called on Rudin and MPFP to determine the cost and feasibility of a triangle park with a basement. But Kenneth Winslow, a Bank Street resident, presented a petition signed by scores of neighbors reaffirming the desire for a triangle park at sidewalk level, which would not be likely if the basement is preserved. Jo Hamilton, CB2 chairperson, said she was concerned that the park be visible from the outside. Visibility was one of the main reasons the board has been calling for the park to be at sidewalk level. Albert Bennett, a public member of the board’s Parks Committee, was concerned that the roots of shade trees planned for the triangle park would not have room to grow if the basement remains. Tobi Bergman, chairperson of the CB2 Parks Committee, reminded the audience that the Queer History Alliance was sched-

uled to present an alternative plan for preserving the underground space at Board 2’s Parks Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 16. Nevertheless, the proposal for

a sidewalk-level park was the only one being considered last week. The triangle park is to be part of the uniform land use review procedure, or ULURP, for Rudin’s residential redevelopment of the former St. Vincent’s property on Seventh Ave.’s east side. The entire project, including the park and how it would be maintained and administered, must win the approval of the City Council at the end of the ninemonth review procedure. Although Board 2 has called for the triangle to become a city Parks Department property, Melanie Meyers, Rudin’s land-use lawyer, said the developer would be responsible for the construction and maintenance of the park in perpetuity. In the future, the residential condo owners in the new Rudin project would fund the park’s maintenance, according to Meyers. Meyers said each condo owner would be required to agree to pay for the park’s maintenance and the city would have the power to enforce the maintenance agreement. The city Parks Department standard of maintenance would be the standard for the triangle park, Meyers said. She suggested that a Triangle Park Alliance — representing local elected officials, the community board, neighborhood park advocates and representatives of the condo owners — could be designated as responsible for the park. The entity would be included as part of the review for the residential project, she added.

November 16 - 29, 2011

To build, or not to build Continued from page 12 not jobs available for residents of Fulton Houses…. The great irony is that all these programmers, who would be making over $100,000, would want to move into Chelsea and either go into new high rise luxury buildings or end up displacing long-time residents.” Michael Levine, a Chelsea resident since 1992, held up a stack of petitions, saying that 2,000 Chelsea people were against the expansion. He also noted that there was no way to predict the number of jobs the project would create. Jamestown said that the expansion would, “bring more year-round employment at all skill and technical levels. I maintain that media and tech are the most open platforms in terms of the level of education in the market, as are culinary arts and hospitality in terms of being able to provide jobs,” said Phillips. “We are proposing all

‘The ground floor concourse will not be directly impacted. The

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idea is to build a platform on top of the west end of the building and create a structure on the Ninth Avenue corner so it won’t negatively impact the structure of Chelsea Market. That’s why it has taken so long to get where we have, because it is a delicate building project.’ —Jamestown Properties Managing Director Michael Phillips

uses: jobs through construction projects, ancillary jobs created through the Market, plus related jobs within the community.” Save Chelsea Treasurer Judy Richheimer said that she was a volunteer for the High Line, but became hesitant when they asked her to give tours. “I was beginning to feel like the growing success was a pyrrhic victory. Too many accommodations were made, and the lovely view that you get

from walking on an elevated train line was destroyed,” said Richheimer. Of those buildings included in the Special West Chelsea Zoning District, she said, “Deals have to be respected. We gave up a lot for the High Line deal…and we need to stand together and show that we’re not going to be pushed any further.” The final speaker, longtime Fulton Houses resident Lenny Rosado, said he was conflicted about his decision, and that “I think we need to sit down with Jamestown and see what they have for us. Our kids need jobs to look forward to. We need to listen to both sides, and work as a community here…to see what we can get out of this.”

Smith bemoans lack of consensus Representatives from Jamestown Properties were asked not to attend the event. “We were just asking to listen, not to participate in presentations, but to be spectators, attendees, because we want to continue our dialogue,” Phillips told Chelsea Now. Speaking with Chelsea Now directly following the conclusion of the forum, Smith explained that in her past arbitration work, it was valuable to have the community gather to discuss the issue and come to consensus before engaging the opponent. “Eventually, there will be a meeting with Jamestown, and we need to get our stuff together. They are the ones who divided us, because they went to Miguel and started offering him things, not realizing there was going to be an opposition, so they’re the enemy,” said Smith. “I didn’t want them here for this. Their talking would not have helped us at this point. In the future, that will be great. I’m an arbitrator/ negotiator/ judge. You never have the enemy in the room. You have them come in later on.” Smith pointed to the current struggle between West Harlem and Columbia University as an example of what the process could devolve into if community consensus was not achieved. “The worst thing that can come out of this is divide and conquer,” said Smith, echoing Acevedo’s remarks. “People came in here with their minds made up. I’m disappointed personally,” and disappointed in this meeting, she said. Smith indicated that in the future, she would not invest her time toward moderating similar events if participants were hostile toward her, and unwilling to seek compromise. “Save Chelsea seems to be so rabid, if you don’t totally agree with them then you’re on the other side,” said Smith. “I’m not. I think what I said: both sides are going to hurt as a result of not coming together.” Acevedo reiterated this in a phone interview the day after the meeting, telling Chelsea Now, “I thought we had the goal to create some kind of relationship with the developer, for better or worse. It just seemed like the usual opposition to it, with Save Chelsea and Bob Trentlyon always coming with negativity. They don’t see how the lives at Fulton Houses are impacted.”

November 16 - 29, 2011

Does a pill a day keeps HIV away? HEALTH BY PERRY N. HALKITIS, PH.D., M.S. Despite our best attempts over the last 30 years, the HIV epidemic continues unabated. There are 1.2 million identified infections in the United States, with another several hundred thousand likely undiagnosed. The impact of this ongoing health challenge is noted most dramatically and definitively evidenced among gay men, who represent somewhere in the vicinity of two to five percent of the population â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but constitute 50 percent of all AIDS-related deaths, over 50 percent of all infections and over 50 percent of newly diagnosed infections. With millions and millions of dollars spent on HIV prevention and research â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and despite the best attempts of behavioral researchers and leading AIDS service organizations to modify our risk behaviors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the epidemic continues. Initial campaigns focusing on using a condom have, over time, morphed into programs underscoring the importance of efficacy, temptation and motivation to help shape behavior. But the infections continue to spread. So what has

Many behavioral programs have oversimplified a very complex behavior, and the programs we have developed or the research we have enacted has ultimately failed to translate to real lives. I often wonder if the folks developing these programs actually have sex themselves.

gone wrong? Some, including myself at times, have pointed the finger at behavioral change programs that are overly simplistic, focusing on sex as an act free of emotion or passion (and in many cases, drugs). But sex is more than simple logic, or rational decision-making. Many behavioral programs have oversimplified a very complex behavior â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the programs we have developed or the research we have enacted has ultimately failed to translate to real lives. I often wonder if the folks developing these programs actually have sex themselves. Some may argue that we have contained the disease. But how true is that when

young gay men, especially Blacks and Latinos, are seroconverting at such high rates? Even among White men, there is an uptick in the incidence of new infections as this group navigates its 30s. We simply havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gotten it right. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) might beg to differ. For the last several years they have documented programs they refer to as DEBIS (Demonstrated Effective Behavioral Interventions) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which have demonstrated some feasibility in research trails for changing risk behaviors. Small subsets of these were developed for gay men. At a lunch a few years ago, a colleague asked me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What do you think is the best DEBIS?â&#x20AC;? My answer was quite simply, â&#x20AC;&#x153;None of them. We still have an HIV epidemic, so nothing is clearly working that well.â&#x20AC;? For me, these interventions are like a topical ointment or a Band-Aid used to treat a deep skin infection â&#x20AC;&#x201D; when what is really needed is a powerful oral antibiotic. With no effective behavioral change programs in sight, newly developed and tested biomedical interventions have captured the attention of the public, of our leading community-based agencies and of policy makers at all levels of government. These biomedical interventions have taken many forms, but three have garnered the most attention. The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 052 study has shown that treating HIV-positive individuals with antiviral treatments reduces the transmission of HIV to their sexual trails. The CAPRISA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of a Tenofovir gel (Tenofovir, also known as Truvada, an HIV antiviral medication) may reduce the acquisition of HIV by women form their sexual partners. And for gay men, the iPrEx trial has clearly indicated the protective effects of a once a day dose of Tenofovir in prevention the acquisition of HIV. The findings of the iPrEx trial released last year show that beneficial effects of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that medicating with a once-a-day dose of Tenofovir (Truvada) may reduce the acquisition of the virus by HIV-negative men and transgender women who engage in unprotected anal intercourse. Simply put, daily use of Truvada decreased the likelihood of contracting HIV from â&#x20AC;&#x153;fucking without a condom.â&#x20AC;? In the iPrEx trial, those receiving PrEP (daily usage of Truvada) were about two times less likely to acquire HIV than those in the placebo (control) group. The likelihood of acquiring HIV was 44 percent less for those on PrEP as compared to those not taking PrEP. These findings are game-changing, and have radically shifted the conversation of HIV prevention from one that is behavioral focused to one that is biomedical focused. But is this radical shift from the behavioral to the biomedical the right course of action for all of us? In the last six months, I have served on no less than three panels convened to discuss this question â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the latest of which was organized by my esteemed colleagues Rafael Ponce, Blayne Culter and

Monica Sweeney of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for Gay Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National HIV Awareness Day. At the same time the impact and rollout of PrEP as an HIV prevention strategy is being heavily considered and hotly debated by my colleagues and I who serve on the Committee on Psychology and AIDS at the American Psychological Association (as well as policy makers at the CDC who are engaged in conversations about how such a prevention program would actually be brought to scale). Central to these conversations are considerations of how to make PrEP available to all (including those who remain uninsured), how we educate those who are using these approaches to prevent the acquisition of HIV and whether PrEP is a lifelong of a short-term intervention. All of these questions remain answered. For me there are two bigger issues â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one which I will fully address here, and the other to which I will allude. First, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consider the findings of the iPrEx trial in some more depth. Use of PrEP did indeed reduce the likelihood of HIV reconversions. But there are other interesting, lesser-known findings. Not everyone who was on PrEP remained HIV-negative. In fact, a subset of them did acquire HIV. More importantly those who did acquire HIV were more likely to miss doses of their once-a-day medication that those who did not. Those who stuck to their PrEP treat-

ment, were about six times less likely to acquire HIV than those with haphazard dosing. Susan Buchbinder, one of the iPrEx investigators indicated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It does look like people who were able to take their drug more regularly were more likely to be protected.â&#x20AC;? Obviously. But this still leaves open the question of adherence. This finding points to one critical fact: Even an effective biomedical intervention must be informed by behavioral components. People are not machines like a coffee pot, which can be programmed to brew every morning at 7am. We are all imperfect and life circumstances interfere with the daily courses of our lives, the very reason why some of the men in the iPrEx trial missed doses of their medications. Why this surprised anyone is beyond me. How many HIV-positive gay men miss doses of their HIV meds even though they know very clearly that 95 percent or greater adherence is required to most effective combat the infection. Very few individuals are 100 percent adherent to their medications, meaning that they take them every day, and at the correct time, and in its fully prescribed dose. My own research at New York Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center for Health identity Behavior and Prevention studies has studied adherence behavior for a decade. Our studies have shown that adherence

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November 16 - 29, 2011

The facts, and fiction, about PrEP Continued from page 21 rates fluctuate wildly. Some gay men are highly adherent, others are poorly adherent and most are somewhere in between. These complications of adherence are not confined to HIV. The struggle with adherence has been noted for the last several decades in the treatment of numerous chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes. So too these struggles are evident even in those without chronic disease. How many of you have stopped taking a regimen of antibiotics for an infection you started feeling better despite the fact that your physician has taken you to take the full course? How many of you have missed or chosen to purposely skip a work-out breaking your gym regimen. In short, who among us is fully adherent to our treatments 100 percent of the time. The answer is quite obviously very few. So how effective will biomedical approaches to HIV prevention truly be in the absence of effective behavioral programming? At the recent New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) panel, my colleagues and I argued quite clearly in favor of a multi-pronged approach to HIV prevention for gay men that marries the best of biomedical innovation, like PrEP, with behavioral support. Taking PrEP may be effective, only if those using this approach to staying negative also continue to engage in

safer sex, adhere to their daily doses of the treatment and fully understand what PrEP is and how it works. Motivated by this current discourse in HIV prevention, my research team and I are currently undertaking a study of what they know about PrEP, how it works, its shortcomings and how willing they are to use it. The answers are all over the map. Therein lies one of the major the complications of PrEP rollout — sustainability and effectiveness in the absence of timely and critical education. Perhaps we need to learn form the lessons of birth control to avoid pregnancy, which itself has not proven to be 100 percent effective, and is never used singly without behavioral programming and education. I am not dismissing PrEP as an incredible breakthrough. In fact, I herald it. But how we roll out this approach to HIV prevention must be thoughtful and methodical. Let’s face it “take your pill ever day” will work as well as “use a condom every time.” At this critical moment biomedical and behavioral scientists must come together to create effective and informed approaches to rolling out a bio-behavioral approach to HIV prevention. Biomedical strategies alone are not enough, and despite potentially being viewed as a traitor to my tribe (i.e., the psychologists), I say behavioral approaches alone are simply not good enough. Frankly, I will pull my hair out if I read about some multi-million dollar funded research study to test the efficacy of a

behavioral HIV prevention program with some silly, supposedly catchy, but ultimately offensive name like “Positive Love” or “Loving Brothers.” Fueled by two decades of these interventions, my good friend and fellow psychologist Ramani Durvasala —

People are not machines like a coffee pot, which can be programmed to brew every morning at 7am. We are all imperfect and life circumstances interfere with the daily courses of our lives, the very reason why some of the men in the iPrEx trial missed doses of their medications. Why this surprised anyone is beyond me.

who many of you may know as Dr. Ramani from her TV appearances — spend hours giggling about our own fictitious program: “Hoes and Bros.” Wake-up call to program officers at the National Institutes of Health: Stop funding the same ole nonsense to the same ole tired researchers who haven’t had an original idea since 1992! The epidemic has changed. This generation of gay men is different than those before us. Biomedical advances offer us a new opportunity, so let’s move forward. Some of colleagues seem to believe that by combining the best of behavioral with biomedical programming the elimination of HIV is within our grasp. Knowing what I do about infectious disease eradication efforts that have not always worked, I am a much more pessimistic. However, I also think that bio-behavioral combination approaches are an excellent first step, in a similar manner to which combination antiviral treatments changed the course of the AIDS in 1996. But, unless we address the homophobia, discrimination and the social stressors and inequalities gay men face, the HIV epidemic will always be among us. But I will save these ideas for another day. Perry N. Halkitis, Ph.D., M.S. is Professor of Applied Psychology, Public Health, and Medicine and Director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies at New York University. He is currently working on a new book (“The AIDS Generation”).

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November 16 - 29, 2011

Drama of an Orchard St. cantor’s son returns Metropolitan’s ‘Jazz Singer’ first NYC production since 1925 BY JERRY TALLMER On April 25, 1917, a college student named Samson Raphaelson went to see a show called “Robinson Crusoe” at a theater in Champaign, Illinois. Nineteen days earlier, the United States had entered World War I — but what more immediately stunned young Raphaelson (a Jew from the Lower East Side of New York) was, as he would later recall, the astonishingly passionate “velocity” and “fluidity” of an unknown performer also from the Lower East Side of New York. It was as if a cantor in a synagogue had put on blackface to dig into the soul of a congregation during the High Holy Days. The unknown actor/singer was Asa Yoselson, born in Russia on or about (by his own later guesstimate), May 25, 1886 — brought at age 6, along with mama and the three other surviving kids, to that same Lower East Side (where papa served as a cantor and occasional rabbi). Asa Yoselson grew up to be Al Jolson. And since the show that Raphaelson saw in Champaign, Illinois, had been “Robinson Crusoe” — and Jolson had appeared in it in blackface — one hazards that the role was that of “Friday,” the dark-skinned native who becomes castaway Crusoe’s savior, protector and manservant. This is not irrelevant. In 1922, five years after seeing “Robinson Crusoe,” Sam Raphaelson wrote a short story about an up-and-coming young Lower Eastsider named Jakie Rabinowitz who as “Jack Robins” is on his way toward stardom on the musical-comedy stage — much to the fury of his father, an aging and ailing Orchard Street cantor who would have his son abandon such low class junk and follow in papa’s footsteps. After the story appeared in a national magazine, Raphaelson was encouraged to turn it into a play called “The Jazz Singer,” in which the climax has Jack/Jakie torn between his makeor-break opening night on Broadway and his father’s simultaneous deathbed. It is this all but forgotten 1925 play that became the 1927 Warner Bros. talking (and singing) motion picture that — making a worldwide star of Al Jolson — put to rest the silent-film era. It is this same stage play that is now back in being at the Lower East Side’s Metropolitan Playhouse. It is also this city’s first professional production since the 1920s of Raphaelson’s original script. The prime mover at Metropolitan Playhouse is founder, lead producer, artistic director, “and everything else” Alex Roe — a Harvard graduate who from time to time had seen fragments of the Warner Bros. movie but had never heard of Raphaelson’s play until a friend told him about it last summer. Laura Livingston, who had done some

REVIVAL THE JAZZ SINGER Written by Samson Raphaelson Directed by Laura Livingston Through Dec. 11 Wed.-Sat., 8pm; Sun., 3pm through Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm Pay-What-You-Will performance on Mon., Nov. 14, at 7:30pm Additional 3pm matinees: Sat., Nov. 26, Dec. 3 & 10 No performance on Wed./Thurs., Nov. 23/24 At the Metropolitan Playhouse (220 E. 4th St., btw. Aves. A & B) Tickets: $22; $18 for students, seniors; $10 for those under 18 For reservations: 212-995-5302 or metropolitanplayhouse.org

Photo by Alex Roe

Christine Bullen as Mary Dale and Justin Flagg as Jack Robin — in “The Jazz Singer” (at Metropolitan Playhouse).

acting as well as directing at Metropolitan Playhouse, had never heard of this play either, much less the short story that had preceded it. It is not every script that has a Jew putting on blackface to sing “Mammy” songs that deeply stir an audience’s mixed emotions. One imperiled minority doubling as another. And not easy to cast. Ms. Livingston: “I had some people say to me: ‘I can’t audition for that. It’s too distasteful.’ ” Mr. Roe: “I had people saying the same thing when I did ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ last year. So I had a little trepidation this year.”

It might be noticed, says this noticer, that some white actors have been putting on blackface for upwards of five hundred years. To play Othello. Neither Roe nor Laura Livingston are, if that matters, Jewish. There are three moments in the play when, with the actors’ backs to the audience, we hear the offstage voice of Jack Robin (Justin Flagg) raised in wrenching song — the movie’s big production numbers. (If we hadn’t seen Jolson and Co. doing those numbers, Hollywood would still be in the silent era.) What’s in the short story but not in the play is, in Ms. Livingston’s words, that “Jakie’s

father has thrown him out of the house when Jakie reveals his engagement to a shiksa.” Jack Robin’s relationship with his costar, Mary Dale (Christine Claiborne Bullen) is a good bit more tentative than that. “The story, the play and the movie are three different things,” says director Livingston, whose “day job,” as she puts it, is improvisational theater. A native of Oak Park, Illinois, she was waiting tables at Second City, Chicago, when her admission to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School came through and whisked her off to England, leaving the unknown awestruck Second City improvisers (Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Candy, et al.) gaping in astonishment. “Went to England, studied at the Bristol Old Vic, came back, turned on the television — and there they all were.” Nowadays, she lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband, Michael Durkin, the actor who plays Jack Robin’s no-nonsense Broadway producer in the Metropolitan’s “The Jazz Singer.” Jakie Rabinowitz’s mama and cantor papa are played by Nona Pipes and Charles Gerber, Al Jolson left us in 1950, but his excitement carries on. One incidental: When young Judy Garland wanted to break away from Louis B. Mayer and strike out on her own as a singer, she went to her beloved Oscar Levant and asked him what should she sing. The acerbic Oscar uttered two words: “Sing Jolson.” And that’s just what she did. Oh Judy. Oh Swanee. Oh Mammy. Oy, oy. oy….

November 16 - 29, 2011

Poised to offer free potpourri: Michael Earl (in back row, with glasses).

Photo courtesy of Alix Smith and Morgan Lehman Gal

Alix Smith, “States of Union 11” (2009, c-print).

Just Do Art! COMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

PUPPET SCHOOL PREVIEW You may not know Michael Earl’s name or face. But you’ve probably seen the Emmy Award-winner’s work. That’s him, as Big Bird, in the last scene of 1979’s “The Muppet Movie.” Earl also lent a hand, literally, to Jim Henson’s portrayal of Ernie — and for years, he walked down Sesame Street as Mr. Snuffleupagus. Inspired by the renewed interest in Muppet-style puppetry sure to snowball after Disney’s November 23 release of “The Muppets,” Earl’s Los Angeles-based Puppet School is expanding its occasional presence in NYC — by offering 6-week courses in television puppetry and professional puppet making (beginning on January 5, 2012). Get a taste of

things to come at “Puppetry Potpourri” — an evening of demonstrations by Earl and his NYC Puppet School faculty. Randy Carfagno will talk about his professional puppet making class, and Scott Biski will preview his 6-week Beginning TV Puppetry Workshop. They’ll be joined by Roberto Ferreira (filmmaker and Puppet School co-founder) as well as “Avenue Q” veteran Christian Anderson. Free. Mon., Nov. 21, 6:30pm. At Simple Studios (134 W. 29th St., btw. 6th & 7th Aves.; 2nd floor). For info, email michael@ puppetschool.com.

ART: “BEING AMERICAN” The School of Visual Arts (SVA) gives America’s patchwork quilt of hot-button concerns the Chelsea gallery treatment — with

over 85 works on display offering everything from same-gender family scenes (Alix Smith’s photo series “States of Union”) to truth-telling caricatures of Obama and the cast of “The Jersey Shore” (courtesy of illustrator Steve Brodner). SVA Gallery Director Francis Di Tommaso — the curator of “Being American” — notes that the 20 participating artists, “have twenty stories to tell about the experience of being American today. Though many would not normally exhibit in the same venue — the work of some is almost never seen outside of the printed page — they all have immediately accessible and also exquisitely nuanced commentaries to make on American culture.” Nov. 22–Dec. 21. Reception: Thurs., Dec. 1, 6-8pm. At the Visual Arts Gallery (601 W. 26 St., 15th floor; btw. 11th & 12th Aves.).

Photo by Chris Cassidy

Director Michael Bentt (third from left) and actors/boxers Richie Neves, Tommy Rainone and Mike Brooks during a rehearsal at Gleason’s Gym.

Gallery hours: Mon.-Sat., 10am-6pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. Closed at 1pm on Nov. 23, then closed Nov. 24-27. The gallery is accessible by wheelchair. For info, call 212-592-2145 or visit sva.edu.

KID SHAMROCK Only on YouTube — or ringside in Vegas or possible at a charity event — will you find a more impressively credentialed roster of boxing legends in the same room. What makes this event different is the fact that the athletes in question happen to be on the stage and working behind the scenes. “Kid Shamrock” is playwright/sportswriter Bobby Cassidy Jr.’s telling of middleweight contender “Irish” Bobby Cassidy’s epic battles of defeat and triumph — in the ring, and with the bottle. London-born, Queens-raised former WBO world heavyweight champion Michael Bentt (who turned in a dynamic performance as Sonny Liston in the film “Ali”) makes his directorial debut. Veteran actors Vinny Vella (“Casino”) and Patrick Joseph Connolly (“The Sopranos”) are joined by a cast of accomplished boxers — including Olympic gold medallist Mark Breland, Ireland’s John Duddy, Wayne Kelly, Seamus McDonagh and Bobby Cassidy himself. Actors and boxers both train long and hard so they can tap into that moment of charismatic excellence when the bell rings or the curtain rises — so the collective intensity on display here should be well worth the time of theater geeks and sports fans alike. Fri., Nov. 25 through Sun., Dec. 4. At the TADA Theater (15 W. 28th St., btw. Broadway & Fifth Ave.; handicapped accessible). For tickets ($40), visit bronwpapertickets.com or call 800-838-3006. For more info on the play, email kidshamrockplay@gmail.com. For Twitter: @ KidShamrockplay. For Facebook: Facebook. com/KidShamrock.

Continued on page 25

November 16 - 29, 2011

Just Do Art! Continued from page 24

MANHATTAN CHILDREN’S THEATRE: A CHIRSTMAS CAROL George C Scott, Bill Murray, Susan Lucci and dozens of others have put their spin on the evergreen tale of a miser who finds redemption thanks to a visit from three very persuasive ghosts — but none of them sang and danced and did it all live on stage in a production fit for ages 5 and up. For that, you’ll have to travel to the new location of Manhattan Children’s Theatre (in the gallery space at The Access

Theatre). Once there, you’ll be treated to the first main stage production of their 2011-2012 season. This adaptation of the Charles Dickens holiday classic (adapted and directed by MCT Artistic Director Bruce Merrill) features original music by Eric V. Hachikian. Through Dec. 24. Sat./Sun., at 12pm and 2pm; also on Fri., Dec. 23, at 12pm and 2pm. At Manhattan Children’s Theatre (380 Broadway, 4th floor; two blocks south of Canal St., at Broadway & White). Tickets are sold online for $18 (adults) and $16 (children). At the door, $20. For reservations and info, call 212-352-3101 or visit mctny.org.

Photo by Mark Osberger

Adam Kee as Scrooge and Liz Tancredi as Marley.

November 16 - 29, 2011

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November 16 - 29, 2011

Klingbiel creates ‘language for an era that lacks clarity’ Northridge, Native Americans also resonate investigation of the subject matter. But more importantly, it translates as the inspired attempt to create a map for contemporary reality. Through Dec. 17, at Kansas Gallery (59 Franklin St., btw. Lafayette & Broadway). Call 646-559-1423 or visit kansasgallery.com.

ART BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN

KARL KLINGBIEL: THE GATES OF EDEN Klingbiel’s abstract paintings and large-scale woodblocks are characterized by vivid gestural strokes that are densely layered. Much of his aesthetic is rooted in the New York School (Willem de Kooning being a strong reference here) — but other sources of inspiration include Mayan cartographic pattern-making, Dutch tapestries, 18th century British engravings, comic books and computer models of the universe. Despite these diverse and often historic citations, Klingbiel’s overall contemplation is determinedly contemporary. He employs abstraction as a means to process the overwhelming amount of information we face on a daily basis. His compositions strive for complexity. His forms are energetically interwoven — assembling, at times, into solid clusters before breaking apart to let light penetrate. They are rhythmic and confidently fluent and devoid of any notion of stagnancy. While things appear to be morphing constantly, Klingbiel still succeeds in establishing a sense of structure. His visuals translate as elaborate networks, serving as metaphors for various information outlets. One gathers that Klingbiel is significantly inspired by how the layering of news channels and digital media co-exist and are often co-dependent. Despite this implication, his paintings are intuitive and spontaneous. Klingbiel runs on instinct rather than calculation. He is not concerned with analyzing contemporary existence, but rather to create a language for an era that lacks clarity. His ambition is to develop and follow a steady stream of consciousness — a stark contrast to a world that increas-

KINDRED SPIRITS: NATIVE AMERICAN INFLUENCES ON 20TH CENTURY ART

Courtesy of Masters & Pelavin

From Karl Klingbiel: The Gates of Eden (2011; Oil and wax on panel; 48 × 48 in. Signed by artist on reverse).

ingly faces fragmentation, quick shifts and a general lack of depth. To achieve this goal, Klingbiel ponders what the common denominator of a shared language could look like. He states: “I am after the idea of relationships, or the ghosts of relationships as different histories that veil and unveil themselves at points of demarcation, points of transition that are themselves in transit.” At first glance, these energetic compositions produce much noise. Upon closer inspection, they become increasingly calming — and, at times, even meditative. Through Dec. 17, at Masters & Pelavin (13 Jay St., btw. Hudson & Greenwich Sts.). Call 212-925-9424 or visit masterspelavin.com.

MATTHEW NORTHRIDGE: PICTURES BY WIRE AND WIRELESS

Courtesy of Kansas Gallery, NY

Matthew Northridge’s “12 Ladders or How I Planned My Escape” (2009; Wood and found image; 30 x 22 x 9 in / 76.2 x 55.9 x 22.9 cm).

The diverse works featured in Northridge’s first solo exhibition with this gallery navigate between play and order. They range from elaborate constructs and larger installations to rather intimate works on paper. His archive of magazines, maps, advertisements and everyday packaging (as well as the inherent practices of collecting and cataloging), mark key sources of inspiration. When incorporating these materials into his work, Northridge edits and rearranges them to the extent that they become disassociated from their original context. Whereas they once provided glimpses of contemporary culture, they now become part of a new landscape. In fact, Northridge’s works frequently evoke architectural structures, models and maps. Characterized by precision but without lacking humor, Northridge is less interested in improvisational freedom than clarity of thought. His process involves self-established rules that are to be followed, which occasionally can be altered. His works appear to be both completed thoughts and beginnings of larger ideas. They are at once realization and inspiration. In the back gallery, an installation of an ongoing series of collage works stands out. Named after a popular 1950s reference book published by Time Life, “The World We Live In” was begun in 2006 and currently involves over 165 pieces (each measuring 8 x 10 inches). The project is sparked by Northridge’s ambition to create a comprehensive account of today’s world — a concept that involves the natural and manmade. Employing found imagery, collage, photography, text and drawing, it translates as a thorough

Much has been written about the impact of African sculptures and Japanese printmaking on Western 19th century and 20th century art. Meanwhile, American art of the period is usually examined in relation to concurrent European movements. In particular, the influence of Cubism and Surrealism on Abstract Expressionism is a well-covered subject. But as much as scholars have focused on far away influences, they have overlooked the inspirational potential this continent’s cultural heritage has to offer. “Kindred Spirits” is a rare and overdue attempt to examine how Native American cultures of the Southwest and the surrounding desert landscape have resonated with Western (and especially American) artists for decades. The exhibition features works of indigenous peoples from the Southwest region of the United States — including funerary vessels, paintings, pottery, weavings and baskets from 14 tribes (among them, the Apache, Hopi, Mimbres, Navajo and Zuni). Arranged in elegant display cases or installed on the wall, these precious objects are shown alongside modern and contemporary works by artists such as Josef Albers, Max Ernst, Helmut Federle, Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman and Charles Simonds. Particular treasures include a Sioux parfleche box from circa 1900, two works on paper by Jackson Pollock and a stunning canvas by Georgia O’Keeffe. The latter’s “Blue, Black, and White Abstraction # 12” (1959) — which translates as an abstraction of a large black bird sweeping skyward — finds a beautiful counterpart in a Navajo drawing made in the early 20th century. Meanwhile, a collection of iconic landscape and portrait photographs by Ansel Adams, Edward Curtis, Sumner Matteson, Paul Strand and Adam Clark Vroman establish an appropriate sense of grandeur. It is when viewing the six-volume set of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s legendary “Historical and Statistical Information, Respecting the History, Conditions and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States” (published between 1847 and 1857) that one gets to ponder how Western civilization has viewed and analyzed Native American cultures in the past. In art, scientific analysis and the reliance on statistics are void. Instead, while browsing the examples of Western works assembled here, we witness how personal and diverse the emotional and aesthetic impact of Native American art can be (and has been). A different voice is offered through works by the contemporary artist Nicolas Galanin (a Tlingit Aleut who comes from a long line of Northwest Coast artists). When entering the gallery, one has to step over his “Indians” — a sidewalk carving of the Cleveland Indians baseball team logo. Aiming to balance his origins with his contemporary practice, Galanin has noted: “In the business of this ‘Indian Art World,’ I have become impatient with the institutional prescription and its monolithic attempt to define culture as it unfolds.” Culture is unfolding constantly, but “Kindred Spirits” is an avid reminder that inspiration is without boundaries and therefore timeless. Through Jan. 14, at Peter Blum SoHo (99 Wooster St., btw. Prince & Spring Sts.). Call 212-343-0441 or visit peterblumgallery.com.

November 16 - 29, 2011