downtown
chinese action history, pg. 27
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Volume 24, Number 18
express
The Newspaper of Lower Manhattan September 14 - 20, 2011
9/11 Memorial has smooth, somber opening
Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
BY Terese Loeb Kreuzer Reservations can be made online. A visitor pass can be printed at home specifying a date and a time. “Please do not arrive more than 30 minutes prior to your reservation,” the pass says. But the cynical visitor to the National September 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site, which opened to the public at 10 a.m. on Sept. 12, might still wonder what awaits at the Albany and Greenwich Street entrance gate. Long lines, perhaps? Chaos? Surly there would be secu-
On Monday, the National 9/11 Memorial opened to the public. Visitors created rubbings of victims’ names and left behind mementoes such as flowers, photos, notes and flags.
rity guards? Actually none of the above is true. At 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 12, two people stood in line, waiting to be admitted. The guards smiled. They asked several times during the route from the street entrance to the actual entrance to the memorial to see the visitor’s pass but though valid photo ID was also required, no one checked it. The airport-style screening of body and possessions (no bags are allowed that are more than 8” x 17” x 19”) went quickly and the woman behind the scanning machine was pleasant.
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Latest batch of L.M.D.C. grants Holding and lending hands to remember receives mixed reviews BY Aline Reynolds Some Downtown organizations have been on pins and needles since last September, waiting to find out whether they would receive a chunk of the $17 million in cultural and community enhancement grants from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. The suspense is over now that the L.M.D.C. has announced the list of recipients. Last week, the agency announced the 38 groups that were approved for funding. The approvals were made by a six-member advisory committee that was assigned the task of sifting through 266 applications that amounted to a total of $191 million in funding requests. Members of the advisory committee were not available for interviews. The goal of the grant program was to spur long-term revitalization in Lower Manhattan, build audiences, encour-
age collaborations, enhance existing infrastructure or create new infrastructure and sustain jobs, according to the L.M.D.C.’s Request for Proposals. “I think we’re very happy with the wide range of institutions that were funded,” said L.M.D.C. Chairman Avi Schick, who approved the allocations at the agency’s Sept. 7 board of directors meeting. As for the final decisions, Schick said, “The [panel] wanted to make sure they dealt with every segment, and that the organizations were financially and fiscally viable — so that if we grant them money, they can use it properly and provide new services that the community so desperately wants and needs.” When asked when exactly the funds would be released, Schick said it is “a process” the L.M.D.C. hopes to start “soon.” He did not disclose a specific timeline. “We want to make sure we get this
money out the door and work with the institutions to get the money programmed and spent,” said Schick. Groups that received funding were excited to hear the news. Grand Street Settlement received $1 million in funds to replace a narrow elevator in a New York City Housing Authority apartment building they jointly operate at 80 Pitt Street on the Lower East Side. The organization previously received $1.5 million from the L.M.D.C. to replace the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. “We think it’ll help us serve our constituents more effectively,” said Grand Street Settlement Executive Director Margarita Rosa. “We know that, to bring this building up to the level where we could serve constituents in the best way possible, we needed to
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BY Aline Reynolds The nation mourned, in a variety of ways, last Sunday as it commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Lower Manhattan was jampacked with thousands of tourists and victims’ family members from all over the country, many of them anxious to visit a memorial that was a decade in the waiting. For Downtown residents, the hoards of out-of-towners, media and police that crowd the streets around Ground Zero every year on the anniversary can be taxing. So rather than join the masses, many of them decided
to observe the anniversary in a more serene, intimate fashion on Saturday, starting by holding hands. It was a gesture to indicate that, 10 years later, they were still there, living or working Downtown, and as united as ever. Approximately 5,000 people partook in the “Hand in Hand, Remembering 9/11” event, hosted by Community Board 1, on Saturday morning and formed a human chain along the Hudson River that stretched from south of Battery Park’s Castle Clinton all the way up to Chambers Street. Among the participants
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Hands come together to remember and honor Continued from page 1 were Lower East Side resident Lillian Ng, her husband and their two kids. “I don’t plan on doing anything special tomorrow. This is the day,” said Lillian minutes before the ceremony. “We thought it was a good way for our young children to experience the [anniversary] without it being overwhelming to them.” “I’m slowly trying to accept what happened,” said Lillian’s husband, Sherman Ng, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower. Partaking in the Hands event, he said, “is my [way of] giving back respect for my friends and co-workers who passed away that day.” Financial District resident Joanne Fernando came with her husband, Quentin English and their six-year-old daughter, Chloe, for similar reasons. “I just thought [the Hands ceremony] was the right thing to do, ‘cause tomorrow is going to be kind of chaotic,” said Fernando. “Being down here with this kind of event… just made it more local.” “The physical thing of joining hands is literally coming together as a community,” said English. Like the Ng family, the English family had nothing special planned for the actual anniversary.
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
Howard Sadowsky (left) with his sons, Walter and Ezra, and their friend, Gabe Conley (right) at C.B. 1’s “Hand in Hand” event on Saturday morning.
“I think we’re probably just going to stay put and let [the families] have their day tomorrow,” said English. Former Battery Park City resident Aparna
Khera, who was volunteering at the event, retold the story of how she found herself assisting other evacuees at a shelter in Jersey City on 9/11.
“No matter what culture, race or religion you are, we’re all part of the same human kind, and that’s sort of what a human chain should represent,” Khera said. “[Holding hands] is to show that we still believe in each other.” When the clock struck 8:41 a.m., Khera and other volunteers ushered the participants into a line along the Hudson River waterfront. As they found a spot in the chain, some chatted with strangers about their 9/11 experiences, while others embraced friends and family members. “This is an opportunity for us to come together so my kids can have these freedoms and not be scared and feel what we felt that day,” said B.P.C. resident Liz Sadowsky, tearing up as she clutched the hand of her sevenyear-old son, Walter. “It lets everyone know that we were standing strong, we will band together and we’re not going to run.” “I’m here today to remember the Twin Towers,” interjected Walter, who wore matching American flag bandanas with his younger brother, Ezra and their nine-yearold friend, Gabe Conley. Seconds later, the bell rang again to mark 8:46 a.m. — the exact time American Airlines Flight 11 tore a large hole into the North Tower on Sept. 11, 2001. On this Saturday, it marked the time to take the hand of the person next to you. As several seconds
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owntown digest
9/11 Memorial misspells name
There was seemingly only a single glitch with the opening of the National 9/11 Memorial on Sunday; it was discovered that a victim’s name was misspelled on one of the bronze panels that surround the two waterfalls marking the footprints of the Twin Towers. Jeffrey Schreier was working in Cantor Fitzgerald’s mailroom on the day of the attack. On Sunday, his sister, Janice Hart, located his name only to see that it had been misspelled. Michael Frazier, a spokesperson for the memorial, said in a statement, “We regret an error was made by reversing two letters in Jeffrey H. Schreier’s name while entering it into our verification database, and we are extremely sorry for the pain this mistake has caused Jeffrey’s family. As soon as we found out about this error we began working on how to make it right, and we’re engaged with our fabricators, contractors and the architect to do so.� Another memorial spokesperson for the memorial said on Tuesday that the error would be corrected by the end of the week.
Recycle those old electronics
On Sunday Sept. 18, Lower Manhattan residents will have the chance to toss out their old calculators, computer monitors and cell phones, in an environmentally friendly way, at Delancey Street between Chrystie and Forsyth Streets.
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Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the Lower East Side Ecology center are sponsoring the E-waste Recycling event, in accordance with the New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act sponsored by Assemblyman Silver. Items that can be disposed of including T.V.s, fax machines, video game consoles and cable or satellite receivers. Drop-off hours are between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information on the free event, call Assemblyman Silver’s office at 212-312-1420.
Second hearing on Chinatown B.I.D.
More than 100 people presented testimonies for and against the proposed Business Improvement District in Chinatown at a second hearing held at the Emigrant Savings Bank in the Financial District last Wed., Sept. 7. Last week’s four-hour-long hearing was convened due to a shortage of space at the May 26 hearing, at which dozens of Chinatown property owners, tenants and business owners were not allowed in. At last week’s hearing, staff from the city’s Department of Small Business Services discussed how B.I.D.’s work, followed by speeches by testifiers from both sides of the debate, according to Council Member Margaret Chin’s office. The City Council’s Finance Committee is expected to vote on the B.I.D. before the month’s end, after which it will undergo a full City Council vote before it is signed into law by the Mayor.
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C.B. 1 ee ting s
A schedule of this week’s upcoming Community Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless otherwise noted, all committee meetings are held at the board office, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709 at 6 p.m. ON WED., SEPT. 14: The Tribeca Committee will meet. ON MON., SEPT. 19: The Waterfront Committee will meet. ON TUES., SEPT. 20: The Seaport/Civic Center Committee will meet.
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September 14 - 20, 2011
police blotter Pimp arrest Jason Itzler, who served two years in jail for promoting prostitution through his New York Confidential Services at 79 Worth St., was arrested again on W. 14th St. on Thurs., Sept 8 for the same crime plus money-laundering and sale of cocaine. His new venture has been running since the summer, according to District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. At his arraignment Fri. Sept. 9 he denied the charges.
Seek Bergtraum killer Police are seeking two suspects in the shooting death Sun., Sept. 11, of Tayshana Murphy, 18, the Murry Bergtraum High School senior who was killed in the Grant Houses project in Morningside Heights where she lived. Murphy was a star on the Bergtraum girl’s basketball squad. A person of interest in the case, Terique Collins, 24 was arrested Monday and police are seeking Robert Cartagena, 20 and Tyshaawn Brockington, 21. The shooting is believed to be connected to rival gangs in the Grant Houses and another nearby New York City Housing Authority development.
Robbery arrest Five suspects attacked a Brooklyn man, 20, who was walking up Broadway from the Staten Island Ferry terminal at 2:15 a.m. Wed., Sept. 7.and made off with his two cell phones, police said. A canvass of the area led
to the arrest of the suspects, Ernesto Remirez, Garsan Melancon, Andrew Robles and Brandon Gonzalez, all 17 years old, and Steven Altruz, 18. The victim identified them and was then taken to Bellevue Hospital for cuts on the left side of his face.
South St. bag snatch
42, who was found murdered in an elevator of the Baruch Houses where she lived on the Lower East Side February 2011, has filed a lawsuit against the New York City Housing Authority recently. Markeece Dunning, 19, a Baruch Houses tenant, is charged with second degree murder in the case. The lawsuit for unspecified damages charges that the Housing Authority failed to evict tenants “with vicious properties [drug dens], violent outbreaks and prior violent acts, criminal backgrounds, gang affiliations and criminal behavior.”
She needed makeup
A Brooklyn woman, 20, was walking east on Dover St. to the South St. Seaport at 5:50 p.m. Sun., Sept.11 when an unknown suspect grabbed her bag, police said. She resisted but the thief wrested the bag away and fled south on South St.
An employee of Sephora, 555 Broadway near Prince St. spotted a woman taking 23 cosmetic items from the shelves and stuffing them into a shopping bag, police said. Kim More, 23, was charged with larceny when she tried to leave without paying for the items, valued at $1,618.
Subway victims
Grabs taxi fare
A woman walking up the stairs from No. 2 subway station at William and Fulton Sts. around 6 p.m. Thurs., Sept 8 felt someone behind her pull at her bag. She discovered a short time later that her wallet, with her drive’s license, credit cars and $60 in cash had been stolen from the bag. A man grabbed a cell phone from a Bronx woman, 22, while she was standing on the northbound No.5 train platform at Broadway and Fulton St. around 5:30 a.m. Sun., Sept. 11, police said.
Police spotted a man who tried to make off with a $20 bill that he snatched from the carb driver who let him off in front of 124 Sullivan St., near Prince St. around 10:30p.m. Thurs., Sept. 8. Jefferson Moore, 35, whom police described as drunk at the time was soon arrested and charged with larceny.
Bar bashing A visitor from Florida was in Maguire’s Bar, 28 Cliff St. around 4a.m. Tues., Sept. 6 when an argument between two women patrons attracted his attention. A male patron demanded of him “What are you looking at?” and then punched the visitor in the face, police said. After a witness broke up the altercation, the victim left the bar but the suspect followed and began punching him again. The suspect fled before police arrived.
Car theft A man who parked his car in front of 261 Water St. at Peck Slip at 10 a.m. Thurs., Sept. 8 returned an hour later to find that his white 2011 Hundai sedan had been stolen, police said.
Baruch Houses suit Petra Montanez, 70, the mother of Jomali Morales,
Broad St. shoplift An employee of Canali, the clothing boutique at 25 Broad St., looked at the store surveillance tape for Aug.24 and spotted a man walking out with a jacket valued at $16,125 without paying for it. Deshawn Davis, 36, was arrested for the theft on Fri., Sept.2 and charged with larceny.
Nasty shutterbug An employee of Century 21 at Cortlandt and Church Sts. spotted a man snapping cellphone pictures under the skirt of a woman shopper around 3 p.m. Fri., Sept 9.and arrested him. Darryl Williamson, 46, was charged with unlawful surveillance.
Seek Allen St. mugger Police are seeking two men who accosted a victim, 53, around 9:45 a.m. Tues., Aug. 30 on Allen St. near Grand St., rifled the victim’s pockets and fled with an undetermined sum of cash, according to published reports.
— Albert Amateau
www. downtownexpress .com
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DOWNTOWN DIALOGUE THE POST-9/11 TRIUMPH OF LOWER MANHATTAN BY LIZ BERGER
Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
To mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, on Sept. 10, 2011 Poets House, Trinity Church and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council presented a poetry reading at Trinity Church. Seven prominent poets participated, reading their own work and that of others.
Trinity offers week’s worth of remembrance BY Terese Loeb Kreuzer With music, poetry and meditative silence as well as with the Episcopalian liturgy, Trinity Church at the head of Wall Street and its satellite, St. Paul’s Chapel at Broadway and Fulton Street, observed the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attack. From Sunday, Sept. 4 to Monday, Sept. 12,
days and nights were packed with events. “What we’ve tried to do this week at Trinity is get not so much at the facts as at the truth,” said the Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, vicar of Trinity, “the truth of the meaning we make out of what happened 10 years ago, the
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City saves Seaport Museum BY Aline Reynolds For maritime buffs hoping for a miraculous recovery by the Seaport Museum, recently on the brink of closure, help is now on the way. The Museum of the City of New York will be overseeing the management and budgetary operations of struggling museum, in the heart of the South Street Seaport, on an interim basis. The decision is the result of months of talks with the city Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Cultural Affairs. The City Museum’s Board of Trustees officially approved the $3 million deal last Thurs., Sept. 8 — two million of which is being supplied by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in the form of a cultural enhancement grant. The oversight is expected to last 12-to-18 months. After that, the Seaport museum could then branch off again as a separate nonprofit, transform into a different, independent nonprofit or merge with the City Museum, according to Susan Henshaw Jones, the City Museum’s president and director. The acquisition followed a tumultuous period during which the Seaport laid off most of its paid staff and shuttered all its galleries. “There was some urgency about this consideration, because the Seaport’s financial position had deteriorated,” said Jones. “We respect the Seaport’s mission, we admire it, and we want to keep it going.” The City Museum is in solid financial shape, having raised close to $80 million for a $90 million worth of capital improvements to renovate
its own space at 5th Ave. and 103rd St. “That, in a sense, enables us to breathe and see how we can be helpful at the Seaport Museum, because we’ve gotten so much behind us up here,” said Jones.
“There was some urgency about this consideration, because the Seaport’s financial position had deteriorated.” — Susan Henshaw Jones
When asked about the recipe for success at the Seaport Museum, Jones said there was not a predetermined formula. “If you provide meaningful programming that people want to come to and participate in, then you can solve your problems to a large degree just as long as you’re watching your income and expenses,” said Jones. In the case of the Seaport, Jones noted, the “expenses were exceeding the income,” there-
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Lower Manhattan is back—and better than ever. O n September 11, 20 01, t he wor st terrorist at tack ever on A mer ic an soil took 2,752 lives in Lower Manhat tan. Fourteen million square feet of commercial office space were damaged or destroyed. Sixty-five thousand jobs were lost or relocated. More t h a n 2 0 , 0 0 0 r e s i d e nt s w e r e a t l e a s t temporarily displaced. The stor y of 9/11 is global, but it is also personal. Ten years ago, I was standing in front of PS 234 talking to J.C. Chmiel, another parent, when all of a sudden I looked up, thinking, “Do planes usually fly that low?” Forty-five seconds later, all of us ran into the school. It was the end of life as we knew it, although we didn’t know that until later. But, even in those first incomprehensible minutes, before the scope and the depth of the horror became clear, the b est of t he c ommunit y — and quic k ly, of New York City—was there: parents, teachers, neighbors in the school to vote (it was Primar y Election Day), and the incomparable Principal Anna Switzer, all supporting each other and our kids. Outside, passersby directed traf f ic when the signals failed, merchants welcomed pedestrians into their storefronts, neighbors and colleagues ban d e d to g et h e r as t h ey d ete r m in e d where to go and what to do. It was months—in some cases, years — before many of us returned home. But we did, determined to join with Lower M anhat t an’s proper t y o w n e r s , b u s i n e s s e s , m e r c h a nt s a n d elected leadership to rebuild what we had lost. A decade later, September 11th was a day of mour ning and remembranc e, but there is solace and joy in our community’s recovery and resurgence. Ten years ago, many doubted that Lower Manhattan had a future, but today, those doubts have been replaced by enthusiasm and excitement. Lower M anhat t an is one of N ew Yor k Cit y ’s hottest commercial, residential and tourism destinations, a whole new kind of plac e in whic h to live, wor k, study and visit. To mark the 10th anniversary, the Downtown A llianc e has produc ed
a c o m p r eh ensi ve r ev i ew of all t hat ’s happened, The State of Lower Manhattan 2011, and I urge you to take a look at this report online. T h e p r o o f o f L o w e r M a n h a t t a n ’s asc endanc e is as c lear as t he r ising ste e l of 1 Wo r l d Tr a d e C e nte r a n d 4 World Trade Center, which have already transfor med our c it y ’s sk yline. W hen these architectural ic ons open within the next three years, they will become part of a business district that has more brand-new, high-tech, green commercial and residential of f ic e spac e than any other in the country. B u s i n e s s a n d f a m i l y, h i s t o r y a n d innovation, global and local, the biggest buildings on the smallest streets – t he s e are t he exc it ing c o nt r ast s t hat make Lower M anhat t an uni que. Add t r iple t he number of hotels t hat were here on September 10, 20 01, six new primary and secondary schools in the last t wo years alone, and 307 new companies in a rapidly and happily diversifying economy, and it’s clear that w hi l e t h e r e’s st i ll m uc h to d o, Lowe r M anhat t an w ill c o nt inue to gr ow an d flourish. Liz Berger is President of the Downtown Alliance. To download a copy of The State of Lower Manhattan 2011, go to http://www.downtownny.com/solm.
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Delightful opening for new Spruce St. School
Following the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital, many physicians came to New York Downtown Hospital so they could continue to serve their patients on the West Side. With the opening of a new Center on 40 Worth Street, we are pleased to welcome two exceptional physicians back to the community. They will be working in collaboration with physicians from Weill Cornell Medical Associates. Dr. Zhanna Fridel and Dr. Vanessa Pena are board certified obstetricians and gynecologists utilizing leading diagnostic and treatment methodologies across a broad spectrum of women's health issues.
BY Aline Reynolds P.S. 397 children eagerly made a red carpet entrance into their brand new building on the first day of school last Thursday. Nearly 300 Spruce Street school youngsters, pre-kindergarten through second grade, were greeted into the new Frank Gehry building last week by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and local elected officials. The politicians welcomed the wide-eyed children with hand-shakes and high-fives as they made their way through the school’s main entrance and proceeded to their classrooms. The 630-seat school, which occupies the first four stories of Beekman Tower, will house both Spruce Street and P.S. 94, a special education school for kids with autism. It’s the second new public school that has opened in the last two years, including P.S. 276 in Battery Park City, noted Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin. “Obviously this is a school that the community board had pushed for some time, so we’re delighted that it is finally now open,� said Menin. “The creation of this new school, and what it symbolizes in terms of all the residents that have moved Downtown, is
something the whole community can be proud of.â€? Parents, many of whom already had a chance to walk through the facility, were very impressed with what they saw, and with the Mayor’s appearance on opening day. “There aren’t a lot of schools in New York that have these kinds of facilities,â€? said Ingrid Bernstein, who toured the school the week prior. “I think it’s cool to be in the sort of density of Downtown‌ but still have this incredible, huge open space.â€? Bernstein’s second grader, Jackson Sanders, got to shake hands with Mayor Bloomberg. “He was very excited to meet the Mayor,â€? said Jackson’s father, James Sanders. “The Mayor was very, very friendly. He looked at [my daughter] and he said, ‘how about a high-five?’â€? said Tribeca resident Frances Janisch, whose five-year-old, Julia Fanning, just entered the Spruce Street School. The family, Janisch said, couldn’t be happier with the new space in the Gehry building. “The parents look nice, the kids all look nice, the teachers are amazing, and it [has] brand new state-of-the-art facilities.â€?
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C.B.1 happy with MTA, not with L.M.D.C. BY Cynthia Magnus “It’s important to support the organizations that support us,” said Elizabeth Williams, a member of the Community Board 1 World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee. The committee’s September 12 meeting included an update from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, as well as an update from the MTA on the Fulton Street Transit Center. Several board members called for greater transparency from the L.M.D.C. in terms of its grant selection process to Downtown non-profits and the overall management of its remaining funds. Angela Rossi, L.M.D.C. director of projects and programs, spoke about the $17 million in funding for community and cultural enhancement grants for programs, services, and facilities to aid the continuing transformation of Lower Manhattan. Williams questioned whether financial need was a consideration in grant awards. Some of the grantees, said board members, are organizations that are already well-funded. Among the grantees are the Museum of American Finance and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. “L.M.D.C. money is not usually used to
fund a fundraising gap,” said Rossi. “The projects and institutions that we fund do need to have some sort of track record, there has to be a community need for the service that they’re providing.” Among the applicants denied were the Church Street School for Music and Art, the New York City Police Museum, and the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy. Board member Tom Goodkind said, “Choices were not as community-based as they were presented. The L.M.D.C. was severely lacking in sensitivity to the community.” There will be no further grant allocations by the L.M.D.C. for cultural and community enhancements at this time said Rossi. Committee Chair Catherine McVay Hughes expressed concern that the L.M.D.C. and Bovis Lend Lease have been in court for over a year for disputed funds related to the 130 Liberty Street site, and questioned whether a time frame exists in which a settlement would be reached. She asked L.M.D.C. spokesman John De Libero to clarify whether Bovis has put a lien on the 130 Liberty Street site. De Libero declined to comment
Continued on page 12
We want to acknowledge and thank all of the members of our community who have joined together in the last decade to renew the vitality and viability of our businesses and community. Lower Manhattan is a shining example of resilience and economic recovery. Lower Manhattan Marketing Association P.O. Box 121 Peck Slip Station New York, NY 10272 info@lowermanhattanmarketing.com
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September 14 - 20, 2011
downtown express
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Photo by Lincoln Anderson
Something fishy going on
A young parkgoer demonstrated how to use East River Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new table for cleaning fish, chopping up bait â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and (very important after all that fishy business) washing hands. She said her father told her the table was used for cleaning fish. The water is controlled by foot pedals, and the table has a special groove leading to a drain.
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Rudin Management Company, Inc.
Learn to Sail! Manhattan Sailing School is now the largest adult sailing school in the country. Find out why and join the people who have discovered sailing!
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www.sailmanhattan.com Basic Sailing ranges from $390 to $590.
downtown express
9
September 14 - 20, 2011
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Cortlandt St. R-stop reopens (Left to right) NYS Senator Daniel Squadron; Congressman Jerrold Nadler; MTA Chairman Jay H. Walder; NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver; and NYC Council Member Margaret Chin re-opened the southbound platform of the Cortlandt St. R subway station last Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Fighting to make Lower Manhattan the greatest place to live, work, and raise a family.
Assemblyman Shelly Silver If you need assistance, please contact my office at (212) 312-1420 or email silver@assembly.state.ny.us.
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downtown express
September 14 - 20, 2011
editorial Publisher & Editor John W. Sutter
Memorial is open, let’s keep it that way
Associate Editor John Bayles Arts Editor Scott Stiffler Reporters Aline Reynolds Albert Amateau Lincoln Anderson Sr. V.P. of Sales and Marketing Francesco Regini Sr. Marketing Consultant Jason Sherwood Advertising Sales Allison Greaker Michael Slagle Julio Tumbaco Retail Ad Manager Colin Gregory Business Manager / Controller Vera Musa Art / Production Director Troy Masters Art Director Mark Hasselberger Graphic Designer Jamie Paakkonen Contributors Terese Loeb Kreuzer • David Stanke • Jerry Tallmer Photographers Milo Hess • Jefferson Siegel • Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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The past few days have been full of gratitude and grief, happiness and sadness, remembrance and regret. This year’s anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001 was a milestone unlike any of the nine anniversaries that preceded it. At the center of the emotion that was broadcast all over the world was the opening of the National September 11 Memorial. We would like to applaud the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for making sure the opening even happened. Many forget that at one time the opening was slated for 2013 and not 2011. But the Port and the construction workers it employs altered that timeline, noting the importance of the passing of a decade. As members of the press we were lucky to have been afforded the opportunity to tour the site on multiple occasions over the past years. And it is because of that fact that we can attest to just how much progress has been made in just the last few months. The effort involved in pulling this opening off in time should make all New Yorkers and all Americans proud. But as we did in the immediate days following 9/11, we must continue to live our lives. And while heeding William Faulkner’s words “The past is never dead, it’s not even past,” we must look to the future. Last Friday, Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Democrat from Hawaii, introduced legislation that would provide annual funding in the amount of $20 million to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum. All federal funds appropriated would need to be matched by non-federal sources, such as admissions fees, gifts, and fundraising. Sen. Inouye is more than familiar with the significance of funding an institution like the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum. His home state has a similar institution, the Pearl Harbor Memorial, that has also benefited from federal funding. This legislation is supported by Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Mayor Bloomberg, and Governor Cuomo, and we support it as well. The attacks of September 11 were clearly an attack on America, and supporting the site is at least partly a national responsibility. There have been reports that Sen. Inouye’s bill would immediately place the 9/11 Memorial and Museum under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the Interior and therefore be designated a U.S. National Park. That however is not the case, but the federal support needs to obtain a number of approvals and overcome some complex issues of titling and ownership of the site.The federal contribution of $20 million would cover approximately a third of the annual cost of operation and maintenance of the Memorial and Museum. While entrance to the Memorial will remain free, hopefully this federal support would shave some of the “suggested admission fees,” in the range of $20-25, which are envisioned when the Museum formally opens. While the Museum is not yet open, we believe that it is wise and prudent to take action now to ensure that when it does open it will remain and exist as a source of education and inspiration for future generations.
Letters policy Downtown Express welcomes letters to The Editor. They must include the writer’s first and last name, a phone number for confirmation purposes only, and any affiliation that relates directly to the letter’s subject matter. Letters should be less than 300 words. Downtown Express reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity, civility or libel reasons. Letters should be e-mailed to news@DowntownExpress.com or can be mailed to 511 Canal St., N.Y., N.Y. 10013.
letters to the editor This BID could be BAD To the Editor: Re: “Support the Chinatown B.I.D.” (Downtown Express editorial, July 20) Years of the L.M.D.C.-funded Chinatown Partnership has not made business better in Chinatown. Within blocks of Councilmember Margaret Chin’s and the Chinatown Partnership’s offices, there are still vacant storefronts since the post-9/11 closure of Park Row. The same leadership would be at the helm of the Chinatown B.I.D. In total, the area’s already-financially burdened small property owners and businesses would have to pay at least $1.3 million per year for the B.I.D. The bad economy will probably put some out of the businesses, but adding a B.I.D. could be the lethal blow for even more. So, ironically, putting a Business Improvement District in Chinatown will not improve business. The B.I.D. will employ some people to tie up and replace bags at the corner garbage cans and perhaps pay for some frilly features like “window dressing.” Sadly, the Chinatown B.I.D.’s budget of $1 million for sanitation costs, which comes to almost $3,000 per day, will not improve business anywhere close to what the B.I.D. will cost. Meanwhile, the B.I.D. will pay more than $200,000 a year in administrative costs. Will Wellington Chen continue to benefit with the lion’s share of this cost in salary? Will the cost of a Chinatown B.I.D. mean not only higher prices in Chinatown, but more storefront vacancies? Sandy Goldstein
Fashion’s Night Out of Control To the Editor: I didn’t go by the Kardashians’ event, but I heard from residents it was a zoo. Paulie D. spinning for those two is East Coast reality T.V. trash famous for doing absolutely nothing of worth, entertaining West Coast reality T.V. trash famous for doing absolutely nothing of worth. DJ’ing is a talent, and I have yet to see Paulie display any talent as I channelsurf, so doubt his qualifications as a D.J. I was involved in the 1970s and ’80s club scene in Soho and knew lots of the famous D.J.s, and those guys had talent and creativity. Fashion’s Night Out is getting progressively worse and more disruptive. By 9 p.m., I could hear hordes of young men on West Broadway, two blocks away, hollering in unison, like soccer fans at the World Cup. Then at 10:30 it got real bad on Prince and Greene Streets. Apparently, Kanye West, the rapper who lives in Soho, was spotted, a flash mob of underage kids appeared and chaos reigned as people were screaming, hooting and blocking traffic. The problem is the stores freely offer free booze, unlimited, without a license from the
State Liquor Authority to anyone who enters a store, regardless of age, never ID’ing. Visit a few stores, and you get drunk. Police vans were called to Prince Street, which was closed at Mercer Street to westbound traffic. It is a disgrace. No N.Y.P.D. presence before the event — then, too little, too late. Packs of young, drunk kids roaming around. It didn’t end till midnight. It was like Fort Lauderdale spring break, but at least in Fort Lauderdale, there are police present. Mayor Bloomberg and Anna Wintour, whose dumb idea this was, need to end this nonsense before someone gets hurt. The S.L.A. needs to send enforcement agents that night to bust anyone distributing alcohol to minors. I heard the scene was even worse in the Meat Market. Coincidentally, I walked past Anna Wintour’s home in Greenwich Village on Sullivan Street and it was quiet. She wouldn’t pull this crap in front of her home, nor would Bloomie allow it on the Upper East Side. Those dowagers would be up in arms. But they pull this nonsense year after year. Who cleans up all the garbage left behind on the streets after this event? Will Wintour? Will the city not fine the residents if they get a ticket? It’s time to end Fashion’s Night Out. Sean Sweeney
SoHo BID battle To the Editor: Re: Revised BID prop still hot” (Downtown Express news article, Aug. 3) I see from recent “letters to the editor” that the B.I.D. has finally “recruited” some supporters after SoHo residents have been challenging it for months. These supporters neglect to see that the “inclusiveness” in decision-making that the B.I.D. board promises is not at all “inclusive,” as votes are weighted by property value. To have the B.I.D. in SoHo would destroy the one person-one vote policy which is a staple of democracy. At one of the indoctrination sessions that the B.I.D. held to try to win over us residents. Brian Steinwurtzel admitted that. For the B.S. B.I.D. (and why is it NOW called the Broadway SoHo BID?) to take over SoHo would lead to homogenization of the area — and not to the “different sort of place altogether” that Councilwoman Chin envisioned at the City Planning Commission in January. Between the work of the city (as required by law) and the efforts of individual storefronts (also required by law), SoHo can be kept as clean as it was with A.C.E. And how does one “control” the tourists, Mr. Steinwurtzel? To let this B.I.D. into SoHo is to take a step toward ending our democracy. Sally Lindsay
this headline becomes marbles in your mouth
downtown express
September 14 - 20, 2011
downtown notebook
11
Amid remembrance, London’s post-9/11 cultural tensions remain BY Sam Spokony As I waited in line outside St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on Sunday morning, I realized that, although I’ve always lived in New York, never once had I attended a 9/11-anniversary ceremony. And, ten years later, I knew I wasn’t attending the ceremony in London to grieve — it was curiosity more than anything else that drew me in. What I wanted to learn over the course of the day was what affects the ubiquitous aftershocks of Manhattan’s darkest moment might still have on one of our closest international allies (not to mention a nation that lost 67 of its own citizens in the attacks). What I actually did learn was that, even amid the genuine unity that arises in moments of great symbolic gravity, the rifts opened between Islam and the West after 9/11 still exist far from the Middle East — and, at least in London, the voices of extremists on both sides are still virulent enough to, if only for a moment, cut through the feelings of quiet and dignified remembrance we might seek. The emotional service at St. Paul’s came after a private gathering at the 9/11 Memorial Garden in Grosvenor Square, and allowed locals and tourists to join in a spirit of brotherhood with high ranking officials, many of whom shared similar pain. The American flag, as well as that of the U.S. Marines, stood squarely next to the Union Jack throughout the proceedings. A Member of Parliament spoke, but no one worried about electioneering by opportunistic politicians, then or later. It seemed as if the only thing on anyone’s mind was what I heard from Russell Pearson, a British fire officer. “It think it goes back a long way, to when there was a significant join between our two countries,” Pearson said. “We feel very protective of the United States, so we’ve got to make sure those bonds are still in place. And, thinking back to 9/11, it still seems as if any attack on that country is an attack on the entire civilized world.” But it became increasingly difficult to remember that sentiment as I stood outside Grosvenor Square several hours later. Whole blocks had been cordoned off to contain the presence of two rival groups who were demonstrating en masse — Muslims Against Crusaders, a radical Islamic organization, and the English Defence League, a growing
Downtown Express photo by Sam Spokony
In London, on Sunday, at the 9/11 Memorial Garden in Grosvenor Square, people observed the tenth anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
team of far-right nationalists that is fiercely opposed to the continuation of the U.K.’s multicultural society. The protests never erupted into full-scale violence (although I read that two men were stabbed later that night in a related brawl), but the ease with which two of the most maniacal groups in existence took virtual control of a central city district was disturbing. And they weren’t doing it from scratch; both sides held 9/11 up proudly in support of their own cause. The M.A.C. waved signs that celebrated the attacks, mocked the victims and promoted worldwide jihad. The E.D.L. carried elaborate memo-
rial wreaths and proclaimed to be sympathetic with Americans everywhere — but it didn’t take an ambassador to know that they were only chanting “USA” in order to start a fight. “We’re standin’ up for you Yanks,” one of them told me. “Standin’ up fo’ everyone in the free world!” chimed in another. I know I really should not have been shocked by any of this. But ten years after the fact, on what was really my first observance of a 9/11 anniversary, I guess I just expected something else.
Transit Sam
The Answer man
Dear readers, We’ve been through this before, and we will get through the next two weeks as well. Checkpoints will continue at Canal St., meaning back-ups north of Canal. The U.N. General Assembly will be in full bloom starting Sept. 19, and I am expecting some, if not most of the 80 world leaders to head Downtown to visit the 9/11 National Memorial. This means traffic jams as their motorcades wind their way through Lower Manhattan’s narrow streets. President Obama will be in the Big Apple from Mon., Sept. 19 through Wednesday to attend a series of fundraisers, meet with world leaders and to address the world body. In addition to Downtown, the F.D.R. Drive below 63rd St. and East Midtown will be the most affected. Port Authority toll hikes take effect 3
a.m. Sunday morning, Sept. 18th, with fares for passenger vehicles at the six Hudson River crossings rising from $8 to $9.50 for E-Z Pass users during peak hours (from $6 to $7.50 off-peak). Drivers paying cash will pay $12 at all hours. The one-way fare for the PATH will also rise from $1.75 to $2. From the mailbag: Dear Transit Sam, Can you clarify the status of E-Z Pass discounts now that NJ has eliminated the discount on the NJ Turnpike unless you have an NJ-issued tag? We relocated to NJ from Lower Manhattan two years ago and have enjoyed all the off-peak discounts on the Outerbridge Crossing, Holland Tunnel and Verrazano Bridge. We also applied for and received NY tags on the plan, but
we’re still not clear as to which one goes with which crossing. Robert via e-mail Dear Robert, You’re not the only one who’s confused. E-Z Pass was intended to be all for one and one for all. Ever since the MTA decided to only honor the discount for NY-issued E-Z Passes (then the NJ Turnpike Authority recently followed suit only honoring discounts for NJ-issued E-Z Passes), many tristate area drivers have been opting to open two E-Z Pass accounts, one for NY and one for NJ, in order to maximize the discount they receive. So here’s the breakdown for you: When you cross the Outerbridge, Holland Tunnel or one of the other four Hudson River crossings, either E-Z Pass will work
since the Port Authority of NY and NJ recognizes E-Z Passes issued from both states. At the Verrazano Bridge along with the other eight MTA crossings, only an NY-issued E-Z Pass will net you the discount (you’ll pay $9.60 at the Verrazano as opposed to $13 with a NJ E-Z Pass). I’d encourage all readers to write both Governor Cuomo (NY) and Governor Christie (NJ) and ask them to help put this silliness and confusion to rest. Transit Sam Need to know when the President’s in town? Confused about ever-changing traffic regulations and transit operations? Need help navigating around Lower Manhattan? If so, send me an e-mail at TransitSam@downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, NY 10012
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September 14 - 20, 2011
downtown express
C.B.1 happy with MTA, not L.M.D.C. Continued from page 7 on what he called â&#x20AC;&#x153;ongoing litigation.â&#x20AC;? Hughes worried that money intended for the community will be decimated by legal costs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The money is evaporating as we speak,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;L.M.D.C. is taxpayer money,â&#x20AC;? continued Hughes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposed to be a transparent process. We need a detailed update on how much money L.M.D.C. has remaining, specifically allocated-versus-dispersed funds.â&#x20AC;? Board member Joel Kopel said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My feeling at this point is that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see better accountability.â&#x20AC;? Concerning the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remaining funds, Kopel said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The federal government through taxpayers has given the L.M.D.C. that money. Taxpayers deserve to know where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being spent.â&#x20AC;? Hughes asked the L.M.D.C. to give an accounting of its finances at the committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s October 17 meeting. Uday Durg, program executive for Lower Manhattan Projects, delivered the MTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
www.
third-quarter update to the committee. He said the Fulton Street Transit Center reconstruction is proceeding according to schedule with an expected completion date of 2014. Hughes said â&#x20AC;&#x153;the past year has been a big step forwardâ&#x20AC;? with the MTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening of the 135 William Street subway entrance. The Sept. 6 opening of the southbound Cortland Street entrance is â&#x20AC;&#x153;very helpful for the people who work and live and visit down here,â&#x20AC;? said Hughes. She is also pleased that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hubâ&#x20AC;? will be a L.E.E.D. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified structure. Approximately 60 percent of the project has been completed so far. Hughes said of the MTA project, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had timetables and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve met them.â&#x20AC;? Kopel said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very pleased. I think they set some reasonable deadlines and met those.â&#x20AC;? Retail space will become available through the MTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real estate agency by the third quarter of 2012. Hughes called the progress made by the MTA a â&#x20AC;&#x153;huge win for the areaâ&#x20AC;? and a welcome improvement to Downtownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure.
downtownexpress
.com
One wheel is enough
Photo by Jefferson Siegel
The second annual New York Unicycle Festival started off last Friday with Brooklyn Unicycle Day, consisting of a long-distance ride from City Hall to Coney Island. Several dozen unicycle enthusiasts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including one on a uni-pony, above â&#x20AC;&#x201D; rode across the Brooklyn Bridge in perfect weather. Other events during the three-day festival included games, relays, hockey and basketball on Governors Island on Saturday. Sunday included a gathering at their traditional meeting ground, Grantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tomb.
#ONCERTS AT /NE 3EASON
TRINITYWALLSTREET ORG
4(523$!93 0- | Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street Concerts at One returns to Trinity Wall Street for its 44th season, offering baroque, classical, jazz, and contemporary music by renowned and new professional musicians. Take a mid-day break and hear incredible performances every Thursday at Trinity Church. Upcoming Concerts:
3%04%-"%2 September 15: neoLIT ensemble September 22: Molly Carr, viola September 29: West Point Woodwind Quintet /#4/"%2 October 6: Eric Clark, piano October 13: Alice Parker preview concert October 20: Marie-Eve Munger, soprano October 27: David Lisker and Bela Horvath, violin duo
All Are Welcome
Free and open to the public s TRINITYWALLSTREET ORG CAO
an Episcopal parish in the city of New York
downtown express
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September 14 - 20, 2011
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September 14 - 20, 2011
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
downtown express
Photo courtesy of Congressman Jerrold Nadler’s office
Planting trees of remembrance here and in D.C. The life of a tree tends to be longer than a human’s. Perhaps that is why ceremonial tree plantings are common when it comes to commemorating the lives lost. On Monday, Community Board 1 hosted a tree-planting ceremony in Battery Park, where a pin oak tree was planted near Castle Clinton. It is the first of numerous trees that will line a bike path connecting the city’s west and east sides. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler,
NYC Comptroller John Liu, Councilmember Margaret Chin, NYS Sen. Daniel Squadron and C.B. l Chair Julie Menin all got their hands dirty as they put shovels in the ground. Then on Tuesday, another tree was planted at the nation’s capitol in Washington D.C. Congressman Nadler was joined by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and NY Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Nydia Velázquez, Eliot Engel, Michael Grimm, and New Jersey Representative Steve
Rothman and Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, as they planted a swamp white oak in Capitol Square. “Thank you to Congressman Nadler and my colleagues for giving us this opportunity for renewal,” said Pelosi. “This will be an inspiration to us to remember those we have lost and also an inspiration for the heroism and bravery and courage that we all saw that day.”
— John Bayles
Smooth, somber public opening for 9/11 Memorial Continued on page 14 A wait of perhaps 10 minutes to actually enter the memorial grounds was accompanied by affable chatter among the strangers in line. Then, with a few more steps to the other side of a barricade blocking the view, the memorial was there — an expanse of grass and trees and blue sky with two huge pools on the footprints of the destroyed Twin Towers. One World Trade Center rose above them, gleaming in the sun. The sound of 30-foot-tall waterfalls flowing down the sides of the pools overpowered the sounds of the city and even the noise of construction as work on the National September 11 Museum and 1 and 4 World Trade Center continued. In the weeks prior to the opening, construction crews worked 24 hours a day to prepare, complicated by intrusions from Tropical Storm Irene. By September 12, when the gates opened to the public, no one who hadn’t seen the plaza in the previous weeks could have guessed what it took to make it look as though it had been there for years. It would be possible to see the whole memorial in 20 minutes. It wouldn’t take longer than that to walk briskly around the two pools. But most people didn’t walk briskly. They lingered, reading the names that have been incised into metal on the edges of the pools, looking at the tributes left behind by family and friends of the nearly 3,000 victims: flowers, notes, a photo of a little boy and his dad, American flags held erect by the spaces inside the letters. The letters have been designed so that people can place paper on top of them and take rubbings with soft crayons as they might on a headstone in a cemetery. Many people did just that. Others took photographs, trying to capture something tangible to take home. One of the names is “Jennifer L. Howley and her unborn child.” A woman snapped a picture. “Did you know her?”
Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
The National 9/11 Memorial opened to the public on Sept. 12, 2011. Two pools with 30-foot-tall waterfalls occupy the footprints of the Twin Towers, each surrounded with metal ledges on which victims’ names are incised.
the two women asked. Turns out she was the niece of one of the women and the cousin of the other. They were from Lincoln, Nebraska. Howley worked as a manager for Aon in the South Tower. She was 34 years old, five months pregnant. “We didn’t find anything afterward except her security badge,” said the older woman, Deb. “We don’t know what happened. There are things that we can live with and things that we can’t. Maybe she was waiting for the elevator when the plane struck the floor she was on. We can live with that — that she died instantly.” The women said they had made a rubbing of Jennifer’s name to take back to her grandmother in Nebraska. Former Vice President Dick Cheney passed by with his
entourage. “He’s from Lincoln, Nebraska,” Deb said. “We don’t talk about that much.” Deb and her daughter said they had last come to New York five years ago, and felt they had to come for the 10th anniversary. “We like the waterfalls,” Deb said. “It’s peaceful here.” Though the National September 11 Museum won’t open until September 2012, the exterior has been fitted with electronic boxes that people can use to search for names and their locations on the walls. Many families have provided photos and biographical information about the victims. The names are arranged on the ledges according to how they died: a section for each of the towers, for first responders, for firefighters, for policemen, for people in United Flight 175 and so on. The electronic boxes have maps of the site, showing where to look. The plaza around the pools has been planted with swamp white oak trees that grow quickly and are known for their longevity. Acorns had fallen from some of the trees onto the plush grass between granite paths. A metal scaffold and sturdy bands supported one tree, larger than the rest. A callery pear, it is called the “survivor tree.” It was the only tree from the first World Trade Center to survive the attack. Charred but alive, it was taken to a nursery in the Bronx where it was carefully tended. Then it was struck by lightning, but it survived that, too. It is now 35 feet tall. People have placed flowers in the branches of the tree and left bouquets around it. People are coming to see the memorial from all over the world. Led by a woman with a shaved head wearing a saffron robe, a group approached the entrance. “Who is she?” a passerby asked. One of the group replied in halting English, “She is our master — a Buddhist nun. We are from Taiwan. We are going to pray for the souls of the dead — that they find peace.” “Thank you,” was the passerby’s reply.
downtown express
September 14 - 20, 2011
Downtown Express photos by Milo Hess
Images, 10 years in the making On Sunday New York, the country and the world honored the 10th anniversary of 9/11. While a decade has passed since the attacks on the Twin Towers, time refuses to heal some wounds. Painted hardhats worn by construction workers at the World Trade Center site, a vessel made entirely of steel from the fallen towers, tying ribbons around trees in Battery Park and the rising of the 1 W.T.C. building are all images that remind and give reason to reflect on the importance of the day.
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September 14 - 20, 2011
Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
BY Terese Loeb Kreuzer September 11 sunrise: It was still dark on the morning of Sept.11 when dozens of Battery Park City residents gathered on the esplanade at Rector Place and walked to Wagner Park for what Battery Park City resident Rosalie Joseph, who organized the event, hoped would be an “uplifting” way to start a difficult day. Joseph had pulled together quotations for people to read on the themes of love and courage and renewal, though some readers selected their own. They were interspersed with songs such as “Morning Has Broken,” “Lean on Me,” and “What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love.” Jena Tumbleson, Rosalie Joseph’s
niece, who had spent many of her growingup years with her Battery Park City aunt, and Leticia Remauro, spokesperson for the Battery Park City Authority, led the singing accompanied by T. Fleischer, the B.P.C. Parks Conservancy’s head horticulturalist, on guitar. Readers included Bill Thompson, chairman of the Battery Park City Authority, and many B.P.C. residents ranging in age from Jane Godiner, 10, to seniors. As the sun rose over the harbor, the Statue of Liberty glowed orange. In counterpoint to the readings about peace, the Coast Guard’s armed orange boats scuttled back and forth and then, as the formal proceedings of the sunrise observance ended, the massive
William C. Thompson, Jr., chairman of the Battery Park City Authority and Anne Fenton, special assistant to the B.P.C.A. President Gayle Horwitz, joined B.P.C. residents at sunrise on Sept. 11, 2011 for a special commemoration.
battleship U.S.S. New York appeared and headed toward North Cove Marina, where it anchored. As he held up his phone to photograph the ship, Thompson remarked to a woman standing next to him that his father had served during World War II and that strength is needed to preserve the peace. Joseph had provided yellow and white daisies along with song sheets, and she said it would be O.K. to keep the flowers or to cast them into the river with a thought and a prayer. That’s what many people did. As the battleship passed by, the daisies floated on the water between the ship and the seawall. Then there was a breakfast of coffee, tea and pastries, and a chance to look at the
“gratitude scroll” that many people still in the community had signed in 2002. Joseph had kept it, rolled up in her apartment. “We the residents of Battery Park City would like to express our deepest gratitude for the innumerable acts of kindness and compassion shown to our community by the people of the United States of America and the world on Sept. 11th and the days that followed,” the scroll said. “What happened on Sept. 11 was a tragedy but it was also a blessing,” said Veronica Kelly, wife of N.Y.P.D. Commissioner Ray Kelly. (The Kellys have lived in Battery Park
Continued on page 17
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B.P.C. Beat Continued from page 16 City for 20 years.) “A lot of goodness came from it. So much kindness was shown.”
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and “Latin diva” Krisny Kenton, airbrush tattoos and feather hair extensions. Smith sent them home with gift bags containing hair products and $10 gift certificates for services.
Ball fields opening for seaFashion’s Night Out: Vince Smith son: Decked out in new artificial turf, the has been involved in New York Fashion Week ball fields north of Murray Street between for several years doing hair and makeup for North End Avenue and West Street will fashion shows throughout Manhattan and open for the season on Saturday, Sept. 17 Brooklyn, but this year, for the first time, he after all. Bill Bialosky, president of the brought the party home with “Fashion’s Night Downtown Soccer League, said he was “very Out” on Sept. 8 at his hair salon on South End happy to hear this.” Between torrential rain Avenue near Rector Place. “I think it will be and 9/11 observances, it had looked for a fun to have a party to celebrate our clients and while as though the soccer season would our neighbors in Lower Manhattan, especially be delayed and 1,200 kids would be disapat a time when a heavy cloud of sadness and pointed. But calamity was averted. anticipation rolls in over downtown in prepaBlock party: The 10th annual Battery ration for the anniversary of 9/11,” he said a Park City Block Party is scheduled for Saturday, few days before the party. He said that this year was the third Annual Sept. 17 (rain date, Sunday, Sept. 18) from “Fashion’s Night Out,” which he described as a 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Esplanade Plaza next “global initiative created in 2009 in a partner- to North Cove Marina. Rosalie Joseph, one of ship between American Vogue, the Council the principal organizers of the party, said, “We of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & still need volunteers and we still have a few Company and the City of New York to cel- family tables left.” She also mentioned that, ebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence, “You can bake an apple pie for the bake off or boost the industry’s economy, and put the fun join the Lady Gaga dress-up contest.” Email back in shopping.” info@bpcblockparty for more information. Over the course of the evening, scores of To comment on Battery Park City Beat or people visited Smith’s salon for Champagne and margaritas (courtesy of West Street Wine to suggest article ideas, email TereseLoeb@ GC-2012OpeningAd-Villager-Hor-p1*:Layout 1 9/6/11 4:31 PM Page 1 and spirits), musical performances by Smith mac.com
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Trinityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s week of remembrance
We educate students to:
Continued from page 5
Think deeply
Speak confidently
Act with purpose and heart
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meaning of what it is to be alive.â&#x20AC;? Mallonee was introducing a poetry reading at Trinity Church that took place on Sept. 10. Seven prominent poets read their own work and that of others, inspired by and reflecting on the World Trade Center attack. They ended with a poem read jointly, Galway Kinnellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the Towers Fellâ&#x20AC;? with its precise, graphic images of what happened, the search for the missing and ending with the imprint left on those who survived. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Poetry had such an incredibly deep place around 9/11,â&#x20AC;? said Lee Briccetti, executive director of Poets House in Battery Park City, which co-sponsored the poetry reading along with Trinity Wall Street and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People were stunned into silence. They needed words to help them understand how they were feeling. Some things are so big that they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be expressed. [People needed] help trying to express the depth and nuance of their feeling.â&#x20AC;? A series of musical programs at Trinity and St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s served the same purpose. On Friday, Sept. 9, six professional choirs sang non-stop from noon until well past 10:30 at night, with performances alternating between the two venues and culminating in Trinity with around 300 choristers performing work by Brahms, Bach, FaurĂŠ, and others. On the evening of Sept. 10, St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stayed open all night for meditation and a vigil. A labyrinth printed on canvas and modeled on one at Chartres Cathedral was spread out in the middle of the sanctuary, which is surrounded by artifacts from 9/11: notes and photographs and cots such as the rescue workers slept on and teddy bears like the ones they hugged for comfort. Though only a block from Ground Zero, St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was structurally unscathed by the attack and was used by rescue workers as a place to recuperate. All night at St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people walked the paths of the labyrinth, which leads circuitously to a center of awareness and out again like the passage from birth to death. The lights in the crystal chandeliers were dim, the church lit with candles. On the morning of Sept. 11 at 8:46 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the time when the first plane struck the first tower â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a bell in St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s churchyard was
rung. It is called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bell of Hopeâ&#x20AC;? and was a gift in September 2002 from the Lord Mayor of the City of London. It has been rung on many occasions of stress and crisis â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the bombings in London, Madrid, Mumbai and Moscow among them. At 1:30 p.m., bell ringers in Trinityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steeple began to ring the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12 change bells in an intricate peal that lasted for three hours in memory of the victims of 9/11. Trinity is the only church in the United States with a set of 12 change ringing bells, each of which rotates a full 360 degrees with each stroke. That night, the Bell of Hope was rung again, this time by Dr. James H. Cooper, rector of Trinity Wall Street, Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein, Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue and Imam Al-Hajj Talib â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Abdur-Rashidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood. Then people who were watching and had some grief they wanted to express were invited to ring the bell, and its clang went on for a long time. To end the day, some went back inside St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the Compline service. The church was dark except for candlelight and suffused with incense. Some people sat or lay down on the floor. Under the direction of Julian Wachner, Trinityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Director of Music and the Arts, the Trinity Choir sang â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lux aeternaâ&#x20AC;? by GyĂśrgy SĂĄndor Ligeti, who came from a Hungarian Jewish family and whose music was used by Stanley Kubrick in films such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;2001: A Space Odyssey,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Shiningâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eyes Wide Shut.â&#x20AC;? The music sounded both ancient and timeless, like a cosmic wind. And so at St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, September 11, 2011 came to an end. The candles were snuffed out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our theme this week is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Remember to love,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Anne Mallonee had said in introducing the poetry reading at Trinity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moving forward, we seek compassion, we seek to choose what is best about being human, to be able to reach out to one another, together to create a better world.â&#x20AC;? All week long, white ribbons printed with the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;Remember to Loveâ&#x20AC;? had been distributed to people who visited St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. They were invited to write their own messages on the ribbons and to tie them to the fence surrounding the church, to the Bell of Hope or to the front of St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memorial altar with its photos and mementoes of the 9/11 victims. By the end of the week, St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fence was white with ribbons. They looked like the wings of a dove.
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Mixed reviews over grants Continued from page 1 make some structural changes and improvements.â&#x20AC;? The Flea Theater also received $1 million from the L.M.D.C. for a three-theater performing arts complex the organization is building on Thomas Street in Tribeca. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel terrific about having received additional funds,â&#x20AC;? said Carol Ostrow, the Fleaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s producing director. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the L.M.D.C. recognizes that there needs to be a home for the performing arts in Lower Manhattan.â&#x20AC;? Arts organizations that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t receive funding felt there was a disproportionate amount of funds granted to capital projects and larger institutions, such as the Seaport Museum New York and Pace University. Approximately half of the 16 cultural projects entail construction or renovations to existing spaces, amounting to between 40 and 50 percent of the total funds in this category. Less than one-fifth of the projects involve programming or exhibitions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was quite clear the projects that were funded were, for the most part, major capital projects,â&#x20AC;? said Kim Whitener, producing director of Here Arts Center, a theatre, dance and music group based in Hudson Square that was not among the list of grant recipients. The allocation of funds, Whitener said, should have been more balanced between HalfPageAd_10-11.pdf 8/12/2011 11:15:52 AM capital projects and programming.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;From our perspective, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about them being more clear as to what the guidelines are, and what they expect to be funding,â&#x20AC;? said Whitener. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I saw the list of who was awarded, it certainly seems that construction projects and renovations were the ones that were considered,â&#x20AC;? echoed Catherine Porter, development director of Dixon Place, an experimental theater group that also didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t receive funds. The organization is seeking financial assistance to undertake an archival project in celebration of its 25th anniversary and provide its commissioned artists more resources to help hone their craft. Since Dixon Place didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t receive the L.M.D.C. grant it was hoping for, Porter said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d begin soliciting help from universities. Dance New Amsterdam, a 27-year-old contemporary dance organization, was also denied funding, some of which would have been directed toward the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s academic and artistic development and performance programming. The organization is still recuperating from a rough financial period in which it accumulated more than $500,000 in rent arrears. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disappointing, because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the only public contemporary dance program Downtown that is open to everybody,â&#x20AC;? said D.N.A.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Director Catherine Peila. Not being awarded funds, Peila added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;questions oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faith in the L.M.D.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to the field of American contemporary dance.â&#x20AC;?
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Lending a hand in remembrance of 9/11 the day’s significance. “I want my kids to grow up being involved in events that promote awareness and understanding, the sensitivity of 9/11 and other tragedies and difficulties people have to go through,” said Nell’s mother, B.P.C. resident Basia Tov. While her eight-year-old son grasps certain aspects of the attacks, Nell, she said, isn’t quite there yet. “I think it’s nice to have activities for [the kids], regardless,” said Tribeca resident Netta Levy. “If they can make a connection between some of these activities and what’s happening outside, that’s even better.”
Continued from page 2 passed, all one heard besides one’s inner thoughts were a East River ferryboat and a plane flying overhead. U.S. Congressman Carolyn Maloney and dozens of other “Hands” participants scribbled poignant messages onto a “wall of remembrance” that was mounted in Battery Park. A portion of the wall will be included in the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum’s permanent collection. In the background, the 3,000 flags memorializing the 9/11 victims waved in the wind. Duane Malott, who trekked all the way from Pennsylvania to attend the ceremony, wrote a message for the wall about how he developed a special connection with Downtown while taking night classes in the Woolworth building a few years back. “It’s sad, but at the same time, it’s nice to be at an event like this to think of the people who were lost and the friends and family who are struggling to this day,” said Malott. Standing next to Malott was Dorothy Bardin, who was contemplating what to write on the colored index card she was holding. “You relive so many things in your memory from that day,” said Bardin, who witnessed the bedlam at the World Trade Center from four blocks away. “We all need healing. Even 10 years later.”
Painting to heal and remember
Neighborhood parents and youths fought off the intermittent rain on Saturday afternoon and schlepped to Pier 25 to contribute to a mural project organized by Manhattan Youth. The goal of the program, dubbed “Art Shack,” was to create a series of murals that would cover the rail along Pier 25 and other sections of the Hudson River Park waterfront. The end goal was to create enough artwork that would be longer than the height of the future 1776-foottall One W.T.C., according to Manhattan Youth executive director Bob Townley. As Townley watched the kids and parents paint, he spoke about the evolution of the Downtown Community Center since 2001. “We’ve expanded tremendously, by thousands of members. If you asked me the day after 9/11 how I think we would have come
Saying ‘thank you’
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
Community Board 1’s “Hand in Hand” event on Saturday included a “wall of remembrance,” a portion of which will go into the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum’s permanent collection. Above is a sample of some of the notes that were posted on the wall.
back…” said Townley, pausing in mid-thought. “I think 9/11 for me is about thanks and caring, as opposed to developments.” Tribeca parent Jean Nizalowski, stopped by Pier 25 with her 15-year-old son, Joshua Lorberblatt. “He was in kindergarten at P.S. 234 when [the terrorist attacks] happened,” said Nizalowski, glancing at her son as he painted a teardrop falling into a plant. Coming together as a community to create a mural, Nizalowski said, “is a way to heal some of the old wounds that are still there. It’s tears from [9/11] receding into a tree, which symbolizes life,” said Nizalowski as her son finished his painting. “I wanted to show how sadness kind of turns into life and a new beginning,” said Joshua. SoHo resident Giulia Alimonti’s 12-year-old daughter, Sarah, who attends P.S. 89, was too young to recall the chaos that day. “Today, I wanted her to be here to help her form some sort of memory,” said the mother. “[9/11] was the first day of nursery school,”
said Sarah as she sketched out a butterfly on the canvas. “I thought, if I came here today, I can remember 9/11, Manhattan Youth and how this community has bloomed.” United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew also stopped by the pier to paint with the youths. “It’s giving the right ideas about recognizing what happened on 9/11, but also at the same time saying, we’re children, we’re growing, we’re creative, we respect that, and we all have to learn from it,” Mulgrew said of the project. Painting alongside the children, Mulgrew said, made him realize that many of them comprehended the sanctity of the weekend. “If you look at what they’re painting, it’s clear that some of them do understand it,” said Mulgrew.
Crafting symbols of peace
Over at the B.P.C. Library, a group of about 40 neighborhood children and their parents came in to celebrate the branch’s “Peace Crane Day” by crafting hundreds of paper cranes, an international symbol of peace. While some of the trinkets, attached by beads and string, already hung at the library’s entrance and along the walls of its adult and children rooms, the ones the children were making on Saturday afternoon would get their own dedicated space in the library, according to branch manager Billy Parrott. “The idea was that, starting four months ago, we were going to make 1,000 paper cranes [to commemorate 9/11],” said Parrott. “Today probably bumped us over 1,000.” A couple of volunteers on hand, such as Eileen Colleran, guided the kids through the steps of folding the pieces of paper into the shape of a crane. “I think the kids are happy to partake in crafts project,” said Colleran while assisting sixyear-old P.S. 150 student, Nell Tov. Colleran said some of the kids were aware of
At New York Downtown Hospital, a group of 32 youths banded together to write cards, make ribbon pins, fold “Hands” t-shirts and craft colorful stars they used to fill miniature replicas of the Twin Towers. Later that afternoon, the group walked through the hospital’s five floors, handing out the mementos to the nurses and doctors on duty that couldn’t attend the “Hands” event that morning. “I think we just wanted to get together and do something good for 9/11,” said volunteer Lisa Isoldi, a B.P.C. resident. “We’ve been sitting and talking about it for a while. I thought the best way to do it would be at Downtown Hospital.” “It’s been heavy on my heart that [the 9/11 victims] went to work just like every other day, and it was the last day they ever went. I think about it every day I go to work,” said volunteer Danielle Thibault, who moved to New York City earlier this year. On one of the floors, Thibault handed staff housekeeper Jose Menez a ribbon and t-shirt. The employee thanked her and began recollecting the days and weeks after the attacks. “I remember those hard days when we worked too hard,” said Menez.” It was very hard to breathe, and we were wearing masks.” Steven Vince, a registered nurse at Downtown Hospital for 21 years, then took the volunteers on a tour of the hospital’s emergency room. He was teaching a class on the 17th floor of the adjacent building when the attacks occurred. “I walked across and heard all of the sirens going off, but I never thought to look up,” Vince told the volunteers. “As I’m speaking to you, I can actually see the image of the tower, and all these little pieces of paper coming out of the building.” On a more positive note, Vince said, “It’s amazing I’m still here, 10 years later. It was great the way that the community and so many New Yorkers came together [on 9/11] and were willing to help.” Stuart Klein, who joined his co-workers in the volunteer effort that day, noticed the gratitude of the staff when they were given the trinkets. “It seems like all the nurses and staff here are actually enjoying and appreciating the fact that we’re handing these things out,” Klein said as he walked down to the second floor of the building. “It’s important to come together and try to turn a tragedy into something decent, I guess.”
downtown express
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September 14 - 20, 2011
Seaport Museum saved; City Museum to oversee management Continued from page 5 fore the museum was â&#x20AC;&#x153;unsustainable.â&#x20AC;? Jones and her team have already begun to map out programming for the Seaport Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indoor exhibit space, including a 22-minute multimedia presentation on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history that will be on display this fall. The City Museum will also be re-activating the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school programs, re-organizing its archival material, accepting new members and launching a new fundraising campaign. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we have to do there is, we have to educate and entertain New Yorkers as we introduce them to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and to the history of our status at the Seaport,â&#x20AC;? said Jones. In the next month, Jones and her colleagues will decide whether to keep or let go the Seaport Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chairman, Frank Sciame, and its president, Mary Pelzer, who have both been under fire for the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troubles. The City Museum, Jones added, is committed to retaining the connection between the Seaportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eight ships and its exhibition space. The historic vessels, which are tightly stacked
around Pier 16, will promptly reopen to the public and be periodically rented out to interested parties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no [docking] room down here. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very problematic,â&#x20AC;? said Jones. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we know is, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to have to look at the subject of ships, and planning for the ships, as soon as possible.â&#x20AC;? Many Seaport Museum advocates were thrilled to hear about the new development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wonderful news that the Museum of the City of New York is considering [taking] a crack at running the Seaport Museum,â&#x20AC;? said Peter Stanford, who co-founded the maritime museum and is a founding member of Save Our Seaport, a grassroots group that has been advocating for its restoration. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to hope that a better picture of the potential of the museum will reach them.â&#x20AC;? The City Museum has an â&#x20AC;&#x153;excellent reputation,â&#x20AC;? Stanford added, having worked with former director Ralph Miller in the creation of the Seaport Museum in 1967. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For us, we see it as a possibility for reengaging with the Seaport,â&#x20AC;? said Murray Fisher, founder and program director of the Harbor School on Governors Island.
The school, once an active partner with the Seaport Museum, has not had any programming for its students there since June. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re eager to get out students back on the Seaportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ships,â&#x20AC;? said Fisher. John Fratta, co-chair of the Community Board 1 Seaport-Civic Center Committee, said he was happy another organization finally stepped up to the plate to salvage the dying institution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We knew it was in dire financial straights, and we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to lose that commodity in our community,â&#x20AC;? said Fratta. To succeed, Fratta said, the City Museum would have to â&#x20AC;&#x153;find a way to attract more people to the museum with different types of exhibitions they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had.â&#x20AC;? Fratta is hoping Jones or another City Museum official will accept his invitation to the next Seaport-Civic Center Committee meeting on Sept. 20 to discuss the specifics of the takeover. Fratta also hopes the Seaport Museum will become more transparent in general as it comes back to life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were always kept in the dark as to what was happening,â&#x20AC;? said Fratta. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every time we questioned rumors, we really werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting
answers as to what happened.â&#x20AC;? Others were cautiously content upon hearing the news. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly positive, but we have to wait and see what happens,â&#x20AC;? said Michael Kramer, another member of Save Our Seaport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope it comes to pass.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would just feel better if I knew [the Council of American Maritime Museums] was doing consulting for the Seaport,â&#x20AC;? said a source familiar with the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent problems and who requested anonymity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am sad and worried that an obviously willfully incompetent management is being maintained.â&#x20AC;? However, while Sciame gave no indication that he was resigning, he said he is confident there will be a smooth transition to â&#x20AC;&#x153;new leadership.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Seaport Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board of trustees and I are extremely pleased about this outcome,â&#x20AC;? said Sciame. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the challenging financial environment our city and country are facing, and the fact that our two institutions already share compatible missions, this is a relationship that makes good sense.â&#x20AC;? The shared goal, Sciame continued, is â&#x20AC;&#x153;to see the museum thrive once again.â&#x20AC;?
Harris. The youngsters, Harris said, were experiencing a surplus of first-day jitters due to the presence of elected officials and media. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The first day can be exciting and overwhelming under typical circumstances,â&#x20AC;? said Harris. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is definitely an exceptional circumstance.â&#x20AC;? The youngsters were all smiles when asked about their new home away from home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really like the Gehry building. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like wiggly and has a crack, which is kind of cool,â&#x20AC;? said second grader Kyle Falls, who was decked out in a tuxedo for the special day. The space is a lot nicer than the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incubator space in the Tweed Courthouse, according to youngster Natalie Boettle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was kind of dark [there]. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shiny here,â&#x20AC;? said Boettle. The elected officials also complimented the new space.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a beautiful place â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have a cafeteria when I was going to school!â&#x20AC;? said NYC Councilmember Margaret Chin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the kids will really enjoy themselves and learn there.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The school is just another reminder of how great Lower Manhattan is doing,â&#x20AC;? said State Senator Daniel Squadron, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and that we need to stay ahead as our community grows.â&#x20AC;? The facility is â&#x20AC;&#x153;magnificent,â&#x20AC;? and reaffirms the revitalization of the neighborhood, echoed Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who received a preview tour of the school last June. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not learning math by counting rain drops coming through the ceiling or paint peeling off the walls,â&#x20AC;? the Assembly Speaker said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has the latest, high-tech [amenities], and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the environment we have to put our children in.â&#x20AC;?
Spruce St. School gets a thumbs-up Continued from page 6 South Street Seaport parent Francesco Rulli was more enthusiastic about the new school than about meeting the Mayor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of normal. You see him walking around [Downtown] anyway,â&#x20AC;? said Rulli. As for the facility, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably a bit too much. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York City. At the end of the day, if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get this here, where are you going to get it?â&#x20AC;?
While describing the classrooms as spacious, organized and clean, Financial District parent Sara Chokshi agreed that the building is a bit over the top. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a requirement for a good education, but [modern] facilities can only help,â&#x20AC;? said Chokshi. Teachers and staff were also glowing, happy to see the children about to put the new facility to use. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty thrilled that the kids have gone in smoothly,â&#x20AC;? said principal Nancy
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NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Mayor Michael Bloomberg greet students at the opening of the new Spruce Street School last Thursday.
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Bringing the Arts to Life Since 1894
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downtown express
September 14 - 20, 2011
youth Activities THE FIELD HOUSE AT CHELSEA PIERS The Little Athletes Program (for children 12 months to 5 years old) and the Youth Sports Development Program (for kids 5-16 years old) offer classes in soccer, gymnastics, rock climbing, baseball, basketball, flag football and dance. At Friday morning “Mandarin Classes” (10:30-11:30am), young ones ages 3-5 can start to develop an ear for the language through songs, games, art, movement and stories (parents or caregivers are asked to come along). All sports and classes begin during the week of Sept. 8-14 and end in the week of Jan. 16-22. For prices, or to enroll, call 212-336-6520 or visit chelseapiers.com/fh. New this year is the Field House’s “CP-After-3” after-school program for grades K-3. Staff will pick up children from school (P.S. 11, Corlears, P.S. 33 and others) to participate in sports classes, enjoy exciting projects and receive homework help. Choose two, three or five days per week — with parent pick-up from 5:45-6:15pm. For more info and pricing, call 212-336-6500, ext. 6564. SATURDAY AFTERNOONS AT THE SCHOLASTIC STORE Every Saturday at 3pm, Scholastic’s in-store activities are designed to get kids reading, thinking, talking, creating and moving. At 557 Broadway (btw. Prince and Spring Sts.). Store hours are Mon.-Sat., 10am-7pm and Sun., 11am6pm. For info, call 212-343-6166 or visit scholastic.com/ sohostore. POETS HOUSE The Poets House Children’s Room gives
children and their parents a gateway to enter the world of rhyme — through readings, group activities and interactive performances. For children ages 1-3, the Children’s Room offers “Tiny Poets Time” readings on Thursdays at 10am; for those ages 4-10, “Weekly Poetry Readings” on Saturdays at 11am. Filled with poetry books, old-fashioned typewriters and a card catalogue packed with poetic objects to trigger inspiration, the Children’s Room is open Thurs.-Sat., 11am5pm (at 10 River Terrace and Murray St.). Call 212-4317920 or visit poetshouse.org. TRINITY CHURCH FAMILY FRIDAY Bring the whole family to Charlotte’s Place (109 Greenwich St.) for Trinity Church’s monthly “Family Friday Pizza and Movie Night.” No need to worry about dinner — pizza will be served. Family Fridays are free, and all are invited — 6-7:30pm, on the third Friday of the month. Look forward to “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” on Sept. 16. For info on this or other Charlotte’s Place events, visit trinitywallstreet.org, call 212-602-0800 or follow Charlotte’s place on Twitter (@charlottesplc) and Facebook (facebook.com/charlottesplacenyc). CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS Explore painting, collage and sculpture through self-guided arts projects at this museum dedicated to inspiring the artist within. Open art stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon — giving children the opportunity to experiment with materials such as paint, clay, fabric, paper and found objects. Drop in with
Moving Visions’ Murray Street Studio A Wise Choice for your child’s dance education!
Dance for Children and Teens • Modern Ballet (ages 5-18) • Choreography (ages 8 & up) • Creative Movement/Pre-Ballet (ages 3-5)
ADULT CLASSES
Yoga - Tai Chi • Chi/Dance/Exercise for Women
19 Murray St., 3rd Fl. (Bet. Broadway and Church)
212-608-7681 (day)
www.murraystreetdance.com
wee-ones (ages 10 months to 3½ years) for the museum’s “Wee-Arts” program every Wed., Thurs. and Fri., 10:45am12pm. Start the morning with Playdough, paints, glue and drawing — in an intimate and stimulating environment where experimentation, exploration and creative thinking are encouraged. Each session ($22 per family of three) ends with music and story time. Museum hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-5pm; Thurs., 12-6pm. Admission: $10; Pay as you wish on Thurs., 4-6pm. At 182 Lafayette St., btw. Broome and Grand Sts. Call 212- 274-0986 or visit cmany.org. For group tours, call 212274-0986, ext. 31. The Children’s Museum of the Arts will be open at a new location — 345 Hudson St., btw. King and Charlton Sts. — beginning October 1. HOW DID DINOSAURS GET SO HUGE? Walk inside the giant body of a 60-foot-long, 11-foot-tall Mamenchisaurus at this exhibit about some of the biggest creatures to ever roam the planet. Long-necked and long-tailed sauropods could grow to be 150 feet — but what made them so huge? “The Largest Dinosaurs” explores this question with up-close views of how the extinct giants moved, ate and breathed — and offers insight into why these functions are linked to the creatures’ size. At the end of the exhibit, learn how dinosaur fossils are discovered in an interactive replication of a dig site. Until Jan. 2, 2012. At the American Museum of Natural History (79th St. and Central Park West). Museum hours: 10am-5:45pm, daily. For museum and dino-exhibit admission: $25 for adults, $19 for seniors & students, $14.50 for children ages 2-12. Call 212-769-5100 or visit amnh.org. JIM HENSON’S FANTASTIC WORLD Meet Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Bert & Ernie at an exhibit dedicated to creative genius Jim Henson — creator of The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street. Puppets, drawings, storyboards, props and many other Henson artifacts are on display. Even more fantastic is the program of events. Screenings of favorite Muppet movies begin on Aug. 20 (and run every Sat. and Sun. at 1pm, through Sept. 11). At family workshops (on Sept. 17 and 18, at 3pm) kids will learn the art of puppet making from professional puppeteer Noel MacNeal (ages 8 and up). At the Museum of the Moving Image (3601 35th Ave., Astoria). Until Jan. 16, 2012. Museum hours: Tues.-Thurs., 10:30am-5pm. Fri., 10:30am-8pm. Sat. & Sun.,
10:30am-7pm. Admission: $10 adults, $7.50 college students and seniors, $5 children under 18 (free for members and children under three). Free admission for all on Fri., 4-8pm. For info and a full schedule of events, visit movingimage.us or call 718-777-6888. NEW YORK CITY FIRE MUSEUM Kids will learn about fire prevention and safety through group tours, led by former NYC firefighters. The program — which lasts approximately 75 minutes — includes classroom training and a simulated event in a mock apartment, where a firefighter shows how fires can start in different rooms in the home. Finally, students are guided on a tour of the museum’s first floor. Tours (for groups of 20 or more) are offered Tuesdays through Fridays at 10:30am, 11:30am and 12:30pm. Tickets are $3 for children and $5 per adult — but for every 10 kids, admission is free for one adult. The museum offers a $700 Junior Firefighter Birthday Party package, for children 3-6 years old. The birthday child and 15 of their guests will be treated to story time, show and tell, a coloring activity, a scavenger hunt and the opportunity to speak to a real firefighter (the museum provides a fire-themed birthday cake, juice boxes and other favors and decorations). The NYC Fire Museum is located at 278 Spring St. (btw. Varick and Hudson). For info and reservations, call 212-691-1303. THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE MUSEUM The Junior Officers Discovery Zone is an exhibit designed for ages 3-10. It’s divided into four areas (Police Academy, Park and Precinct, Emergency Services Unit, and a Multi-Purpose Area), each with interactive and imaginary play experiences for children to understand the role of police officers in our community — by, among other things, driving and taking care of a police car. For older children, there’s a crime scene observation activity that will challenge them to remember relevant parts of city street scenes, a physical challenge similar to those at the Police Academy and a model Emergency Services Unit vehicle where children can climb in, use the steering wheel and lights, hear radio calls with police codes and see some of the actual equipment carried by The Emergency Services Unit. At 100 Old Slip. For info, call 212-480-3100 or visit nycpm.org. Hours: Mon. through Sat., 10am-5pm and Sun., 12-5pm. Admission: $8 ($5 for students, seniors and children; free for children under 2). Would You Like to See Your Event listed in the Downtown Express? Listing requests may be sent to scott@downtownexpress.com. Please provide the date, time, location, price and a description of the event. Information may also be mailed to 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York City, NY 10013. Requests must be received at least three weeks before the event. Questions? Call 646-452-2497.
www. downtownexpress .com
The Downtown Little School
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15 Dutch Street (2 blocks east of B’way, off Fulton)
Hirshel Kahn, MD Helen Radoszycki, MD Terri Raymond, PA-C
15 Dutch Street
Offering: Nursery School & Kindergarten (ages 2-5) (2 blocks east of B’dway, off Fulton) Parent/Caregiver Workshop Series
Downtown Little School is now an elementary school too! NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The Downtown Little School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity or gender. We actively seek a population that reflects the cultural diversity of our neighborhood.
5 Harrison Street New York, NY 10013 212-619-0666
2627 Hylan Blvd. - Bldg C Staten Island, NY 10306 718-351-8101
www.kahndermatology.com
For tours and info call 212-791-1300 Come hear about our program. or visit www.downtownlittleschool.org Elementary School Open House
downtown express
23
September 14 - 20, 2011
downtownexpressarts&entertainment
Back on Broadway, far from folly Baker’s daughter Bernadette, on roles theater BY JERRY TALLMER A very young woman — a teenaged hick from the stix, as Variety would put it — comes down the aisle from the rear of the theater toward the stage, lugging a suitcase that will turn out to contain not much more than a pair of tap shoes. Halfway to the stage she stops and looks around with wonder — or worship — in her eyes. This is New York, the big time, a real live theater with real live people — actors! dancers! singers! — putting a show together, up there on that stage, and here she is, daring to try to become one of them, if only as a standby for a standby. Her name is Ruby. Well, no it isn’t, really. Ruby is the name of the character, that wide-eyed pure-voiced newcomer she plays in “Dames at Sea” — a little smash-hit OffOff-Broadway parody of old Ruby Keeler Hollywood musicals — and this, back there in what must have been 1968, is the very first time I have laid my own wide eyes on Bernadette Peters (star-to-be of Broadway stage, big screen, small screen, concert hall, recording studio, a couple of children’s books and a canine cause called Broadway Barks). Her name isn’t Bernadette Peters either. It is or was, Bernadette Lazzara — the baker Peter Lazzara’s daughter. “He went at 99,” she says with quiet pride — and those stix, or sticks, were all the way out in Ozone Park, Queens, 20 minutes on the subway. Mama Marge (Marguerite) Lazzara had daughter Bernadette going on television at 3 1/2. The kid got her Equity card at nine. Ms. Peters has appeared in some 15 Broadway musicals, winning two Tony Awards, since “The Most Happy Fella” of 1959 (when she was all of 11) and is now back with her most inspired and inspiring collaborator, Stephen Sondheim — creator among much else of the music and lyrics of “Follies,” the wrenching counterromantic 1971 work of art that in a sense takes us right back to little Ruby of “Dames at Sea,” walking down the aisle of that theater with her dreams, her suitcase, her tap shoes and her illusions. More yet, “Follies” takes us back deeper and earlier into the cold reality behind the whole nostalgic Tinseltown era of sweet/ sad 1930s showbiz movies best epitomized by Louise Rainer weeping (beautifully) into her telephone in “The Great Ziegfeld” and winning an Oscar in the process. “I once sat next to Louise Rainer at the Oscars,” says Bernadette Peters over a somewhat more recent telephone. “My mouth just fell open.” It also fell open, she says, “when Cary Grant sat two feet
FOLLIES Book by James Goldman Score by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Eric Schaeffer Choreographed by Warren Carlyle Music direction by James Moore At the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway) For tickets ($45-$135), call 800-745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com Visit folliesbroadway.com away from me at the opening of ‘Annie’ ” a movie in which she herself co-starred. Oh, sure, she’s seen “The Great Ziegfeld,” which was made a dozen years before she was born. “That’s what I used to do — run home from school to watch the 4 o’clock movies on television. That’s why I know about Ruby Keeler.” Bittersweet is one word for the four Stephen Sondheim musicals she’s done to date on Broadway. Unsparing is another word. Or somewhere in between. They are — working backward — “Follies.” “A Little Night Music” (derived from the great Ingmar Bergman film), “Into the Woods” (from Grimm’s Fairy Tales) and, derived from genius and thin air, “Sunday in the Park With George.” As perhaps a reader can guess, the one that comes closest to sublime, for my money, is — was — 1984’s “Sunday in the Park With George.” (George being Paris pointillist Georges Seurat — and the park being the Grande Jatte that hung on my wall in reproduction all through college). Bernadette Peters herself was almost ethereal as Dot — Seurat’s model-musemistress, and had the glowing, angelic voice to go with it? It was her first show with Sondheim. How had that come to be? “I was doing my nightclub act at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. (Her nightclub act, “Song and Dance,” was presently to win her a Tony Award.) Got a call from James Lapine (writer of the book of “Sunday in the Park.”) He said they were doing a workshop of it. I first met Stephen at rehearsal. “He gave me some books about Seurat. Showed me the pictures. Told me where the paintings were — in Paris, in London, at the Tate, first room on the right….” Later she went abroad and saw them for herself.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Tripping down Memory Lane. Foreground: Ron Raines as Benjamin Stone; Bernadette Peters as Sally Durant Plummer. Background: Lora Lee Gayer, Nick Verina as their younger selves.
Did she and Sondheim ever fight? A laugh. “No.” A pause. “If I had a question, he always had a very good answer.” Pause. “It was the beginning of a fantastic relationship, a great creative journey.” She never saw the original (1971) Broadway production of “Follies,” though she’s been to a couple of reincarnations. Her character, Sally Durant Plummer, is a onetime star who’s come back to a reunion “to see if the guy she’s really loved over all these years can respond to her.” Bernadette Peters, who lost a husband to a helicopter crash and a boyfriend, Steve Martin, to the erosions of time and space, knows something about that.
It isn’t Sally Durant Plummer who has the great song in “Follies” that starts like this: Good times and bum times, I’ve seen them all and, my dear, I’m still here. Plush velvet sometimes, Sometimes just pretzels and beer, But I’m here…. Yes indeed, still here. “I’m now at a point in my life,” says Ruby-Sally-Bernadette Peters, “I understand what those lyrics are all about.”
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downtown express
September 14 - 20, 2011
A good return for your investment Playwright Rothstein crafts timely, prophetic tale theater
Photo by Carol Rosegg
L to R: Judith Hawking and Christina Haag.
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BY JERRY TALLMER Money, money, money, money, money, moneyâ&#x20AC;Ś. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I came out of Vassar in 2003,â&#x20AC;? THE INVESTED says Sharyn Rothstein, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a lot of people were going to work on Wall Street. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, but I Written by Sharyn Rothstein had two friends who did â&#x20AC;&#x201D; men friends â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Directed by Ron Canada and I would talk with them about it.â&#x20AC;? What fascinated her â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and still does â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Through September 24 was that â&#x20AC;&#x153;before everything went to pot on At the 4th Street Theater (83 E. 4th St., btw. Wall Street, you could go to work there and 2nd Ave. & Bowery) come away with lots and lots of money â&#x20AC;&#x201D; almost for free.â&#x20AC;? For tickets ($18), brownpapertickes.com or Instead of going to Wall Street, start writpurchase at the box office ing plays â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one of which, now to the in the East Village, deserves to have a snappier title Visit TheInvested.com than its â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Invested.â&#x20AC;? Indeed, as surprises go, you may find yourself gasping at a plot that hinges on where Sharyn Rothstein was born and bred. Standard & Poorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downgrading the credit â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up in money,â&#x20AC;? she says, not meanstatus of a world-famous investment bank ing wealth but that her father was and is a from AAA to AA+â&#x20AC;Śin a drama written financial adviser â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;and chief consultant on many months before S&P did exactly the this play.â&#x20AC;? same thing, not to a bank but to a whole At the center of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Investedâ&#x20AC;? are two people: Catherine Murdoch nation. Our nation. And through our nation (of all things), to the whole bloody financially imperiled who wanted to have been made CEO of world. the huge, world-embracing Metrobank, Money had in fact been a chief topic but wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and a slick, sharp-shooting of dinner-table conversation at homes in Avon, Connecticut, just outside Hartford, Continued on page 25
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25
September 14 - 20, 2011
The Invested Continued from page 24 male named William Enoch (actor Thomas Hildreth), who was. At issue is a certain very large special fund administered by Ms. Murdoch (Christina Haag) for the beneficial investments of her own special clients, among them a shrewd old father figure named Sid Simon (Bill Cwikowski). What Catherine doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, but will soon find out â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thanks to the S&P
Indeed, as surprises go, you may find yourself gasping at a plot that hinges on Standard & Poorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downgrading the credit status of a worldfamous investment bank from AAA to AA+â&#x20AC;Śin a drama written many months before S&P did exactly the same thing, not to a bank but to a whole nation. Our nation. And through our nation to the whole bloody financially imperiled world. downgrade â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is that Bill Enoch, CEO, has invaded her fund and chopped it up into thousands of little hunks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; junk bonds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he can peddle here, there and everywhere. When Catherine, and then Sid Simon, find this out, dear old Sid suddenly stops being a kindly father figure â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and Catherine goes to the SEC. Yes, of course, there is a certain feminist quotient in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Invested,â&#x20AC;? underscored by a supporting character â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Catherineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young assistant, Madeline (Turna Mete), who sleeps with a schnook she dislikes named Henry (Michael Daniel Anderson) to get him to reveal why Bill Enoch is furi-
ously shredding all sorts of memoranda. But Enochâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most dangerous opponent is a rich bitch board member named Jane Giffin (Judith Hawkins), at whom he directs his wickedest barbs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I started writing the play in 2008,â&#x20AC;? says the playwright, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it seemed as if more and more female executives on Wall Street were quitting or losing their jobs. And women also tend to be whistle-blowers.â&#x20AC;? No, Ms. Rothstein says, she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know any Wall Street Bill Enochs directly, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but I know the elements. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a composite of three or four of them, and I knew that at least some of these characters had to be incredibly charming.â&#x20AC;? Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seen other women experience sexism, but she herself has only experienced some subtle sexism in the workplace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it has moved underground. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not there, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there.â&#x20AC;? She has â&#x20AC;&#x153;always been interested in politics,â&#x20AC;? and her earlier plays include one about illegal immigration and one called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Neglectâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; about a heat wave that killed a lot of people in Chicago. Its staging at the Ensemble Studio Theater was her first manifestation in New York. Her eyes widen when I say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catherine Murdoch, how did that happen?â&#x20AC;? With a laugh, she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I guess I just liked the sound of the name. This play was written well before Rupert Murdoch and his son went before Parliament. How about that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yâ&#x20AC;? in Sharyn? â&#x20AC;&#x153;My parentsâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Alan and Marilyn Rothstein â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;did that to me.â&#x20AC;? Speaking of names, the director of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Investedâ&#x20AC;? is a gentleman named Ron Canada. It was the collapse of Lehman Bros., well before S&P pulled the rug out from under everything that had started â&#x20AC;&#x153;a baby playgerm percolating in my brain.â&#x20AC;? Now she and her husband, William Morris agent Jeff Lesh â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how we met; I was working at William Morrisâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; have a real live three-month-old baby Lucien to supply the theatrics at home. As for mama Sharyn, no, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never acted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the courage.â&#x20AC;? Had she foreseen the S&P downgrading of the USA? â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;tâ&#x20AC;Ś. And just two days ago I saw in the Times that Lloyd Blankfein, head of Goldman Sachs, had hired a well known criminal attorney.â&#x20AC;? When Sharyn Rothstein came down from Vassar to go for her MFA at NYU, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was young to New York, and it seemed like there was money everywhere. A Gilded Age.â&#x20AC;? And then the bubble burst. Wall Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss is East 4th Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gain.
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downtown express
27
September 14 - 20, 2011
Class conflict at Ground Zero
Exploring the aftermath, without excessive immersion in sorrow theater BY ALINE REYNOLDS Scores of 9/11-themed plays have been written in the decade since the attacks, several of which have been performed in New York in recent weeks. Stephen Girasuolo’s “Orange Alert” — while not exceptional — is captivating and well worth seeing. The two-act play provides candid snapshots of construction workers and restaurant employees in and around Ground Zero. Unlike many other 9/11 plays, “Orange Alert” portrays the aftermath without immersing the audience in unrelieved sadness (many of the scenes are, in fact, comical). The play sheds light on the restoration of the World Trade Center while highlighting tensions between people of different social classes that partook in the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. Bobby, a restaurant delivery boy, is mesmerized by the interior of a new area hotel — telling co-worker Layla it made him feel as if he was “in another world.” Layla, in turn, refers to the tourists as “animals,” and mocks their visit to the “big hole” at Ground Zero. While he does succeed in offering the perspectives of construction workers, cooks and delivery boys with wit and realism, Girasuolo doesn’t introduce us to a single financial trader or tourist. It’s strange not to have introduced April’s husband — a former trader at the Twin Towers who like W.T.C. construction worker Al, gets laid off from his job
ORANGE ALERT Written by Stephen Girasuolo Directed by Leslie Silva Through September 18, 7pm At the Algonquin Seaport Theater Pier 17 (89 South St.) For tickets and info, call 212-265-2142 and takes a stab at suicide. Having not taken this road, the playwright misses his chance to make a more unique contribution to the post-9/11 discussion by exploring how the event, and its ensuing economic downturn, created a bond between people of different social strata. The play does, however, provide tantalizing glimpses into class distinctions. As construction workers Al and Pete marvel at the view from the 27th floor of Tower One, they point out that they’ll never be able to enjoy their own creation. “I’m going to miss this floor,” Al tells his co-worker, Pete — who replies, “Probably someone here will be making a lot of money in this room.”
Photo by Bobby Friedel
L to R: P.J. Sosko (as Pete) and Jimmie James (as Al), on the 27th floor of the Freedom Tower.
Peppered with chilling allusions to 9/11, the second act takes some shocking turns. Girasuolo effectively connects the characters toward the end, including those who were previously strangers. As Al, distraught over being fired when he had anticipated a promotion, presumably jumps out of the 27th floor of
Tower One, Layla — who witnesses his suicide — relives the horror of watching office workers leap to their deaths from the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. She and Bobby then share vivid flashbacks of where they were that morning, only to discover that they were trapped in the same bank.
Reimagined history: Chinese action style! Detective flick tells epic tale on appropriately grand scale BY SCOTT STIFFLER You won’t get much of a history lesson by watching this self-proclaimed “fantastical steampunk version of ancient China.” But Tsui Hark’s popcorn-friendly epic does deliver a damn fine sprint through the intrigue-infused time when the country feverishly prepared for the coronation of its first empress. Lost to the history books, it seems, is the part where that Tang dynasty celebration was nearly foiled by a series of assassinations (victims were mysteriously consumed, from the inside out, by phantom flames). Our titular hero is a brilliant former lawman who emerges from years of exile. Skillfully riffing on everything from film noir to westerns to wronged cop revenge tales, capable sleuth Detective Dee (scorned by his peers, of course) proceeds to methodically crack the case by virtue of his superior skills and, well, superior virtue. When the future empress welcomes a long-bearded Dee back from years of bleak prison labor, it’s not long before the freshlyshorn Sherlock-like detective (sporting his old signature duds, badge and one-of-a-kind “dragon-taming mace” weapon) is joined by a pair of ass-kicking Watsons (a royal court confidant and an albino policeman) who literally move heaven and earth to discover
film DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME Directed by Tsui Hark Rated PG-13 122 minutes In Mandarin, with English subtitles At Angelika Film Center (18 W. Houston St.) For info, angelikafilmcenter.com and releasing. indomina.com
Photo courtesy of the Tribeca Film Festival and Indomina Media
Martial artsy: Any Lau, as the titular character of “Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.”
who’s been immolating those tasked with constructing a 600-foot Buddha statue that simply must be finished before coronation day arrives. Each time we’re told how indestructible that statue is (earthquakes and hurricanes
won’t even smudge it), we become more and more certain that sturdy old Buddha’s gonna crumble by the time the credits roll. It does, of course — spectacularly. “Dee” wears its telegraphed plot points and Asian cinema action tropes like shiny,
defiant badges of honor. Director Hark crafts his witches brew of gravity-defying fights, secret identities and obscure clues with self-awareness and conviction. The result is a confident genre romp that makes you want to pump your fists when you should be rolling your eyes. It’s no spoiler to reveal that after our hero’s redemption, duty obligates him to retreat back into exile — with, of course, the implied possibility of a sequel. A trilogy wouldn’t be a bad idea.
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September 14 - 20, 2011
downtown express
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 Joseph Amatuccio
Officer David P. Lemagne
Officer Christopher C. Amoroso
Officer John J. Lennon
Jean A. Andrucki
Officer John D. Levi
Richard A. Aronow
Executive Director Neil D. Levin
Ezra Aviles
Margaret S. Lewis
Arlene T. Babakitis
Officer James F. Lynch
James W. Barbella
Robert H. Lynch
Officer Maurice V. Barry
Myrna Maldonado
Margaret L. Benson
Captain Kathy Mazza
Daniel D. Bergstein
Officer Walter A. McNeil
Edward Calderon
Deborah A. Merrick
Officer Liam Callahan
Officer Donald J. McIntyre
Lieutenant Robert D. Cirri
Susan Miszkowicz
Carlos DaCosta
Dir./Supt. of Police Fred V. Morrone
Dwight D. Darcy
Nancy Muniz
Niurka Davila
Officer Joseph M. Navas
Officer Clinton Davis
Pete Negron
Frank A. De Martini
Officer James Nelson
William F. Fallon
Officer Alfonse J. Niedermeyer
Stephen J. Fiorelli
David Ortiz
John Fisher
Pablo Ortiz
Officer Donald A. Foreman
Officer James W. Parham
Officer Gregg J. Froehner
Nancy E. Perez
Barry H. Glick
Officer Dominick A. Pezzulo
Rosa Gonzalez
Eugene J. Raggio
Officer Thomas E. Gorman
Judith Reese
Joseph F. Grillo
Officer Bruce A. Reynolds
Ken G. Grouzalis
Francis S. Riccardelli
Patrick A. Hoey
Officer Antonio J. Rodrigues
Officer Uhuru G. Houston
Officer Richard Rodriguez
Officer George G. Howard
Chief James A. Romito
Officer Stephen Huczko
Kalyan K. Sarkar
Inspector Anthony P. Infante Jr
Anthony Savas
Prem N. Jerath
Officer John P. Skala
Mary S. Jones
Edward T. Strauss
Officer Paul W. Jurgens
Officer Walwyn W. Stuart
Deborah H. Kaplan
Officer Kenneth F. Tietjen
Douglas G. Karpiloff
Lisa L. Trerotola
Sergeant Robert M. Kaulfers
Officer Nathaniel Webb
Edward T. Keane
Simon Weiser
Frank Lalama
Officer Michael T. Wholey
Officer Paul Laszczynski
Louie Williams
FEBRUARY 26, 1993 Robert Kirkpatrick Stephen Knapp
Monica Rodriguez Smith and her unborn child
William Macko
Wilfredo Mercado John DiGiovanni
Remembrance Resilience Renewal The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey remembers our colleagues, friends and family who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, and as the 10th anniversary arrives, the region â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the world â&#x20AC;&#x201D; can now visit, remember, and reflect. We remain committed to building, in their honor, a space shared by everyone forever.
DOWNTOWN EXPRESS AD - 9/11/2011