The local paper for the Upper West Side
CHARCOAL BEAUTY ◄ CITY ARTS, P.12
WEEK OF OCTOBER
2424-30 2019
MANHATTAN GENIUS
INSIDE
SCIENCE
A product of New York’s top schools nabs a prestigious MacArthur Foundation grant
WAIT (ALAS) ‘TIL NEXT YEAR
BY DAVID NOONAN
At a City Hall press conference held by Mayor Bill de Blasio after the jail vote. Photos: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
CITY COUNCIL APPROVES JAIL PLAN JUSTICE
“The era of mass incarceration is over,“ Mayor de Blasio says, but critics doubt Rikers will close by 2026 BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
The City Council voted to move forward with an ambitious $8.7 billion plan to build four boroughbased jails and replace the Rikers Island complex, which is set to be closed by 2026 – a feat many wrote off as unrealistic just a few years ago. Of the 49 council members who cast a ballot last week, 36 voted in favor of the land use plan, which has
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Forging a world-class career in science takes focus, discipline, years of hard work and, in Vanessa Ruta’s case, a Metrocard. Ruta is an award-winning neuroscientist at Rockefeller University on the Upper East Side, where her colleagues hail from California, China, Brazil, Denmark and other places around the U.S. and the globe. But Ruta has found success in her hypercompetitive field right here on her home island of Manhattan. A graduate of Stuyvesant High School, where she was introduced to “the elegant principles of the periodic table” by chemistry teacher Matthew Litwin, Ruta, now 45, earned a B.A. in chemistry at Hunter College, followed by a Ph.D. at Rockefeller. She capped off her education doing post-doctoral research at Columbia University. To confirm her Manhattan bona fides, Ruta boasts another achievement, or should we say, non-achievement. “I feel like a true New Yorker,” she says, “because I never learned to drive.” While she has spent most of her time between the Hudson and East rivers, Ruta’s research – she uses fruit flies to study how the brain is modified by experience – has been recognized around the world for its originality and importance. In September she received a five-year, $625,000 “genius grant” from the
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Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts
Yankee fans mourn end of team’s season. p. 8
MARCUS WELBY VS. DOOGIE HOWSER Is your doc’s age only a number? p. 2
RELIGION AND RIGHTS
Vanessa Ruta in her lab at Rockefeller University, where she is an associate professor. Photo: David Noonan
MacArthur Foundation, which noted her “imaginative deployment” of the advanced technology and techniques available to 21st century neuroscientists. Ruta uses those tools to explore the neural circuits involved in a variety of fruit fly behaviors, including courtship, when males respond to certain
3 8 10 12
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pheromones to identify potential mates. The fruit fly nervous system, while simple, is well-established as a useful model for more complicated systems, including human. Ruta was “overwhelmed and very humbled” by the award, but she is quick to dodge the genius appellation,
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Three women who’ve left restrictive communities share insights and warnings about life outside the mainstream. p. 6
A ‘DEEPLY RAW SPACE’ ON BROADWAY
Playwright Jeremy O. Harris on his groundbreaking “Slave Play.” p. 13
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
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MARCUS WELBY VS. DOOGIE HOWSER HEALTH
Is your doctor’s age only a number? BY CAROL ANN RINZLER
As you slide towards your Golden Years, three things are certain: Death, taxes, and the fact that when your own familiar doctor retires, his replacement will likely be 30 or 40 years younger than you. The median age for American primary care physician retirement is 65, and the number of doctors reaching that mark is rising. In 2010, the Federation of State Medical Boards’ counted about 16 percent of our doctors in their 60s and 9 percent in their 70s. By 2016, it was 19 and 10 percent, suggesting that a lot of patients will be soon looking
for new and likely younger MDs. How will that affect patient care? Depends on whose study you read. First up, Vanderbilt School of Medicine pediatrician and health policy expert William Cooper. His 2017 survey of more than 1,300 ophthalmologists at 20 different hospitals and groups found that as the age of the doctors crept upwards the number of complaints went down. Maybe, says Johns Hopkins ophthalmologist Michael Repka, age brings experience and a better ability to deal with patient problems. On the other hand, younger doctors may be more up-todate with current medical practice, and they do seem to keep their-hospital patients alive longer. Two years ago, Harvard researchers col-
Does a doctor you’ve known for many years suddenly confuse you with another patient? Does she forget to do basic stuff such as suggesting a pertinent test? lected data on nearly 750,000 seniors treated by nearly 19,000 different doctors at a whole slew of different hospitals. Their conclusion, published in the British Medical Journal, showed that for every 77 patients treated over a period of three months, doctors age 60+ lost one more than did 40-year-old MDs. To be fair, there were caveats. Elderly patients treated by female doctors fared better than those treated by males, and older doctors who saw lots of patients – more than 200 a year – delivered the same quality of care as their younger colleagues.
“Red Flags” to Watch For How to judge who’s on game and who isn’t? Certifying specialty groups such as the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) require their guys to pass Maintenance of Certification exams every 10 years to keep their board-certified status, and some hospitals have come up with testing programs for older physicians. But studies of thousands of doctors don’t necessarily say anything about individual doctors, like yours. How to tell
if you need to look for a new one? Jonathan Maltz is a family physician with a 40-year practice in Olney, Maryland. Last march he published an op-ed in The Washington Post with a few “red flags” to watch for: Does a doctor you’ve known for many years suddenly confuse you with another patient? Does she forget to do basic stuff such as suggesting a pertinent test? When you ask a question, do you get a sensible answer? More alarming, does his hand
shake when he picks up an instrument? Of course, even younger doctors can make mistakes and drop an instrument now and then, so Arthur Caplan, Director of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Health, says age alone is not a reliable indicator as to who’s right. His advice? Look for a doctor who comes highly recommended, has trained at strong schools, is board certified and associated with a hospital or academic medical center where expertise is readily available should you need it. And finally there’s this to complicate the picture: In Manhattan, many older established physicians now run “boutique” practices which do not accept any insurance, including Medicare. Age may be only a number, but so is your medical bill, which is why an increasing number of New Yorkers opt for the new urgent care centers staffed primarily with younger doctors that are pleased to honor your insurance. But that’s a story for another day.
VOTE EARLY OR VOTE ON ELECTION DAY. Pick the day that works best for you! From October 26, 2019 to November 3, 2019 you can vote at your assigned early voting poll site.
Visit
nyc.pollsitelocator.com to find your Early Voting poll site or General Election Day poll site location and hours of operation
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG KES MESS
STATS FOR THE WEEK
Local shoplifting suspects have been on a tear in early October. At 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 3, a 38-year-old female employee at the KES boutique at 463 Amsterdam Ave. at 82nd St. was assisting a 40year-old male shopper. She later told police that the last time she saw a certain valuable ring was when she was helping that customer, but she did not see him take the ring nor did she notice it was missing until she helped the next customer at 11:30 a.m. The stolen ring was valued at $3,180.
Reported crimes from the 24th precinct for the week ending Oct. 13
BANANA APPEAL One suspected shoplifter might have been preparing for sunny coldweather days. At 12:40 p.m. on
Year to Date
2019
2018 % Change
2019
2018 % Change
1 0
0 0
n/a n/a
2 8
2 11
0.0 -27.3
8 5
2 2
300.0 150.0
133 114
109 99
22.0 15.2
Grand Larceny
5 7
3 8
66.7 -12.5
73 407
101 479
-27.7 -15.0
Grand Larceny Auto
2
2
0.0
27
54
-50.0
Murder Rape Robbery Felony Assault Burglary
FACE OFF At 5:23 a.m. on Saturday, October 5, police said, two men entered the CVS store at 200 West End Ave. between 69th and 70th Streets, put numerous items in a bag and left the store without paying. No employees suffered injuries, nor were any weapons displayed. The stolen items were 103 Cetaphil, Neutrogena and Ponds facial products totaling $1,495.
Week to Date
October 9, police said, an unknown individual entered the Joie store at 201 Columbus Ave. at West 69th St., took items from a front table and left without paying. The stolen items were four pairs of black pants totaling $912.
Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
Monday, October 7, a man entered the Banana Republic store at 1976 Broadway at 67th St. and took merchandise from a display that he put in a plastic bag. He then walked out of the store, bypassing all points of sale. The stolen items included
three pairs of sunglasses, five men’s denim garments and four sweaters; the total haul was worth $1,144.
JOYLESS AT JOIE At 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday,
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MARSHALL OUTLAWS Police ask for the public’s help in locating a man wanted in a shoplifting incident. At 10:10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9, a 45-yearold man known to police as Robert
Kellam, accompanied by a 30-yearold female, allegedly entered the Marshalls store at 2182 Broadway at 77th St. and removed items before leaving the store without paying. The suspects were last seen heading northbound on Broadway toward the 79th St. subway station. The items stolen included a Michael Kors women’s coat, two pairs of Michael Kors women’s boots, one pair of Timberland women’s boots and two pairs of Timberland men’s boots totaling $600.
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POLICE
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
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Drawing Board
Useful Contacts
BY MARC BILGREY
NYPD 20th Precinct
120 W. 82nd St.
NYPD 24th Precinct
151 W. 100th St.
212-580-6411 212-678-1811
NYPD Midtown North Precinct
306 W. 54th St.
212-767-8400
FDNY Engine 76/Ladder 22
145 W. 100th St.
311
FDNY Engine 40/Ladder 35
W.66th &Amsterdam
311
FDNY Engine 74
120 W. 83rd St.
311
Ladder 25 Fire House
205 W. 77th St.
311
FIRE
CITY COUNCIL City Council Councilmember Helen Rosenthal 563 Columbus Ave.
212-873-0282
Councilmember Mark Levine
212-928-6814
500 West 141st St.
STATE LEGISLATORS State Senator Brad Hoylman
322 Eighth Ave. #1700
212-633-8052
State Sen. Jose M. Serrano
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal
230 W. 72nd St. #2F
212-873-6368
Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell 245 W. 104th St.
212-866-3970
COMMUNITY BOARD 7 LIBRARIES
250 W. 87th St. #2
212-362-4008
St. Agnes
444 Amsterdam Ave.
Bloomingdale
150 W. 100th St.
212-222-8030
Performing Arts
40 Lincoln Center
917-275-6975
212-621-0619
HOSPITALS Mt. Sinai – Roosevelt
1000 10th Ave.
Mt. Sinai - St. Luke’s
1090 Amsterdam Ave.
CON EDISON 4 Irving Place TIME WARNER CABLE 2554 Broadway POST OFFICES
212-523-4000 212-523-5898 212-460-4600 212-358-0900
US Post Office
1283 First Ave.
212-517-8361
US Post Office
1617 Third Ave.
212-369-2747
US Post Office
215 W. 104th St.
212-662-0355
US Post Office
700 Columbus Ave.
212-866-1981
US Post Office
127 W. 83rd St.
212-873-3991
Ansonia Post Office
178 Columbus Ave.
212-362-1697
POST OFFICES
HOW TO REACH US: 212-868-0190 nyoffice@strausnews.com westsidespirit.com
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
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Kumiko Takeshita and her son found the perfect little pumpkin. Photo: Susanne Schweitzer
FALL FUN AT THE HARVEST FEST COMMUNITY
There was something for everyone at the annual event in the Meatpacking District BY SUSANNE SCHWEITZER
Fall in New York is all about sweater-weather, pumpkin spice, the colors changing, fall foods and of course, the fun activities that take place all over the city. And one of the best is the annual Meatpacking District’s Harvest Fest, held Saturday October 12th at Hudson River Park in Chelsea. The event, partnered with The Chelsea Local, brought together 25 vendors, from the restaurant sector to Google and the beauty brand Sephora, offering something of interest to everyone. This year’s fest started at eleven and within an hour the park was filled with people of all varieties - families with children, young people with their friends, seniors, dog lovers and more. Besides food, drinks, clothing, jewelry and beauty products, there were live performances, such as the Drag Queen Story Hour, as well as fun activities for kids, like mini pumpkin decorating and a coloring book station. There was even a special event for dog owners - a dog blessing ceremony.
An Annual Tradition for Many Everyone I interviewed emphasized that is was an event for all generations, which is
probably the reason so many people have made it an annual tradition. Many of the vendors were also back for more. In some cases, visitors loved it so much in previous years that they decided to have their own booths this year. That was the case with Joanne LeFrancois and her husband, who come down from Connecticut every year to join the fest. This year they had a booth with plants and florals. “I think Harvest Fest is wonderful,” LeFrancois said, “with all the people around and there’s so much activity. Plus, I am a huge animal person. I love the dogs and all the costumes, it’s a lot of fun.” Jen Goodman, who visited the fest with her husband and twin daughters, Mia and Kate, said it was the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon in the fall in New York. “It is fantastic, great booths with lots of fun for the kids. It is a nice way to use public space and a fantastic event for families with all the arts and crafts. Everyone is having fun,” Goodman said.
Fun and Relevant By no means, however, was it families only. Gabby Lennon and Margaret Yannopoulos, both in their twenties, have made it a tradition to go to the festival every year. “It is an interesting event for New York, because we don’t have a lot of outdoor events. There is no community sense really, so this is a nice chance to have that,” Yannopoulos said. In addition to the fun, some
vendor had more serious messages to pass on. Tessa Edick and the FarmOn! Foundation partnered with Google to “keep farmers farming” and to make sure people buy local apples during the month of October. “You can support your local family farm just by biting into an apple!” Edick said. Edick and her team want to raise awareness and re-establish the cultural value of farming, but also provide children with healthier school lunches. In line with the ongoing climate crisis, the folks from The Economist wanted to call attention to “the unknowns of plastic pollution,” and encouraged people to bring any piece of plastic to its cart in exchange for a cup of coffee and a lesson about the economic dangers of plastic pollution.
A Sense of Community After an afternoon at the festival, there was no way I couldn’t feel as enthusiastic about the event, as the people I interviewed. All the vendors were friendly and gave away free, delicious snacks, such as spicy meatballs, tomato and squash soup, mini tacos and other, mostly fall-themed, things. Everything was beautifully decorated - even the trash cans were wrapped in cloth. Not only do you come home from Harvest Fest with a bag of goodies and a full stomach, but also with a sense of community and locality, something you don’t experience every day in a big city like New York.
TURN YOUR CONCERN INTO IMPACT. The New York Community Trust can help maximize your charitable giving. Contact Jane at (212) 686-0010 x363 or giving@nyct-cfi.org for a consultation.
www.giveto.nyc
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
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SEEKING FREEDOM FROM RELIGION SOCIETY
Three women who left restrictive communities share insights and warnings about life outside the mainstream BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
In the years since Malkie Schwartz, Sarah Haider and Torah Bontrager left the insular religious communities in which they were raised, the women founded organizations that support others who wish to leave or have left such communities. Through that work, the three became connected and were propelled into conversations about the tension between personal freedom and restrictive religious traditions. From those conversations came “When Rights and Religion Collide,” a conference that took place last Saturday at Westside Loft in Chelsea. The women brought together researchers, advocates and other people raised inside these communities to speak on issues such as religious liberty vs. secular rights, the psychological impact of joining and leaving religious groups, as well as personal stories from people who left
their faith tradition behind.
Three Women, Three Escapes Early on in the day, Schwartz, Haider and Bontrager joined together for a panel discussion to talk about their backgrounds and what inspired them to organize the conference. Bontrager, who escaped her Amish community in the middle of the night when she was 15 years old, founded the Amish Heritage Foundation in 2018 to advocate for Amish people and assist those who want to leave the community. Haider, who left Islam in her late teens, founded Ex-Muslims of North America in 2013 to promote secular values, the acceptance of religious dissent and to help those leaving the religion. Schwartz, who grew up in the ultra Orthodox Hasidic community, founded her organization, Footsteps, in 2000 to give people still inside the community a link to “mainstream society.” Bontrager said that when they found each other, they no longer felt “siloed” off. “We realized, especially as activists, that the three of us, as people who are organizing within these communities, that we faced a lot of the same social issues and restrictions
From left, Sarah Haider, Malkie Schwartz, and Torah Bontrager. Photo: Tonja Fabritz
and difficulties,” said Bontrager. There are some misconceptions about insular religious communities that make it more difficult for those who leave to feel welcomed in the outside world, the three said during the discussion. One is how these communities are fetishized. “We’re viewed in
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this strange way as pure and exotic, as living an enchanting way of life,” said Haider. “There’s a sense in which we are not viewed as individuals who may have the same kinds of specific struggles as anyone else, but that we belong to this culture or faith tradition.”
“Dark Energies” This fetishizing of the Amish serves those in power in the community, allowing them to oppress others, Bontrager said. “There’s an image of the Amish, that we’re this peaceable, gentle group. People think we commit no crimes, and it’s perpetuated by reality television. And it really serves them to maintain this peaceful, gentle image.” Haider said these fetishizations lead people to think of these communities as more “authentic.” She said people are thought to be authentic when they’re “true to their roots.” Growing up as Muslim, that meant she adopted a modesty-oriented dress code, abstained from certain foods and stayed away from the opposite sex. But she said this idea of authenticity can be-
come dangerous when taken to the extreme. “History, I think, shows us that this romanticism with an authentic life, whatever it is, can be exploited for a lot of dark energies, and I think that this is something to pay attention to,” Haider said. “Nationalists and ethnocentric groups all across time have frequently centered authenticity in their picture of this ideal, this purified society. In my work, I’ve seen many people fall into truly deep religious traditionalism, even fanaticism, in search for the simpler and pure way of life that is free from the taint of the secular world.”
The Obligations of “Outsiders” Schwartz noted that while society fetishizes these groups, they also take an approach of “live and let live” that can be dangerous. “The one thing that we talked so much about is this idea of living insularly, and how for all of our communities, the insularity of it leads to the rest of the world saying, ‘You know what, as long as they’re not bothering us, we’re not going
to bother them and we’re not going to intrude on their lifestyle.’” But when a community impacts the outside world, Schwartz said, the feeling toward these groups changes. “When there was a measles outbreak in Brooklyn, and there was a crisis around that, I was so enraged by the conversation that was going on,” said Schwartz. “What was upsetting was that the only reason attention was being paid to those kids who were not vaccinated was because the rest of the world was all of a sudden being threatened.” It’s not enough for outsiders to act on problems inside the communities only when it benefits them, Schwartz said. More aggressive steps, she said, should be taken to ensure that the children inside are just as safe as those who don’t live in such communities. “There’s a convenience here, as to when we’re willing to call out religious practices. And it actually jeopardizes the lives and the liberty and the pursuit of happiness of the young people who grow up in these situations.”
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
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A PASSION FOR CYCLING
Free Community Seminar
NEIGHBORHOODS
The manager for an UES locksmith on work and biking throughout the city
HEALTHY BRAIN AGING, MEMORY LOSS, AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
BY JASON COHEN
Fixing things and repairing locks help pay the bills, but cycling is the passion for Upper East Side resident Brandon Sauer. Sauer, 35, is the office manager at Sky Locksmith and Hardware at 1547 First Ave. He conveniently lives above his job. While Sauer studied international relations and politics at SUNY New Paltz, he always envisioned himself doing something in the hardware industry. “I like to see how things work,” Sauer said. “I don’t look back and wish that I had done things differently.” Sauer explained that the job has its ups and downs. There are technicians on call 24/7 at Sky Hardware and often people contact him late at night. Whether they dropped their keys down the elevator shaft or simply are locked out of the house, someone is always there to help.
“Stress from the Job” He noted that it is gratifying when they set up someone’s locks on their home and make them feel safe. “I really enjoy the interaction,” he said. “I like the satisfaction that people get. After we finish a project they’re happy and feel safe.” According to Sauer, freelance locksmiths have made
Brandon Sauer at work.
the job a bit difficult. About 10 or 15 years ago they began popping up all over. However, they are often not licensed, do shoddy jobs and overcharge. The next morning customers call Sky Hardware to fix their mess. He pointed out that it can be challenging when they are setting up someone’s locks and they receive a frantic call about another person being locked out. Essentially, he has to coordinate that new job while still finishing the current one. “The stress from the job comes from trying to handle the time for all of this,” he said.
Triathlons in Texas Born and raised in the Catskills, Sauer moved to NYC 10 years ago. Prior to living on the UES, he resided in Harlem. He commuted to a job in Brooklyn and quickly realized
The shop on First Avenue. Photos: Jason Cohen
owning a bicycle would be more practical and cheaper than the subway. So he got a bike and fell in love with it. He does triathlons across the country, bikes all over the city and in New Jersey and Long Island. From riding through Central Park and biking all the way out to Montauk in Long Island he has seen it all in New York. In fact, he has even done triathlons in Texas and this weekend is doing one in North Carolina. Being on a bike is a feeling like no other, he said. “Riding a bike in the city gives you freedom that other forms of our transportation don’t give you,” he noted. With the 25 cyclists deaths so far this year in the city, Sauer said he feels safe riding, but it definitely is an issue. He explained that two years ago the city had a “love affair” with cyclists, but officials are not doing much to ensure the riders’ safety. Sauer feels the city needs to do more to educate its residents and tourists about the guidelines of riding a bike in the city. Yes, he acknowledges, automobiles cause accidents, but cyclists should wear helmets, pay close attention, know where to turn and follow the bike rules. “I don’t know if it’s safer or not safer,” he said. “I feel safer because I’m a more experienced rider. I know what to look for.”
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm NYU Langone Health 550 First Avenue, Alumni Hall B, New York, NY 10016
Please join us for our annual community seminar, presented by the NYU Langone Health Alzheimer’s Disease Center and the Center for Cognitive Neurology, where our clinicians will discuss insights gathered from their latest research. Alzheimer’s disease: What we have learned from epidemiological studies like the one that you are part of Ricardo Osorio, MD Director, Center for Sleep and Brain Health Body and mind: The impact of healthy living on the biology of memory Arjun Masurkar, MD, PhD Neurologist, Clinical Core Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Center New directions for developing effective preventative measures and treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease Thomas Wisniewski, MD Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Center To RSVP, e-mail info.aging@nyumc.org or visit https://is.gd/CCN_EVENTS_RSVP Refreshments will be served.
Funded by the National Institute of Aging: AG08051
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WAIT (ALAS) ‘TIL NEXT YEAR PUBLIC EYE
BY JON FRIEDMAN
I always feel so sad and disjointed at the very end of an unfulfilling New York Yankees baseball season. You see, like millions of New Yorkers, I love the Yankees. I bleed Yankees blue. And, as with any romance (or, in the parlance of our times, bromance), breaking up is hard to do. The Yankees’ 2019 season ended with a crushing loss to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. It lasted for six excruciating games. The season ended on Oct. 19 and – damn it – I miss the good guys already. I’ve had plenty of practice lately, though, at this sort of despair. This season marks the first decade since the 1910s that the Bronx Bombers
will not make an appearance in the World Series. Let that factoid sink in.
No More Shouting Now, there will be no more shouting at the Big Ballpark in the Bronx. No more chants of “All Rise,” whenever right fielder Aaron Judge hits one halfway to Yonkers. Radio announcer John Sterling won’t exclaim, “The Yankeeeees Wiiiin” until next season. No more of Sterling’s witty home run calls celebrating a “Gardy Party!” for venerable Brett Gardner or “It’s Gleyber Day!!” to honor infielder Gleyber Torres, the team’s best player this season. On the surface, it is illogical and downright stupid to be a fan of a sports team. No less of a New York treasure than comedian Jerry Seinfeld puts it all into perspective when he correctly points out that we are all merely cheering “for the laundry” – the team uni-
form, that is. I revered Derek Jeter when he starred for the Yankees. But now he is a partowner of the Florida Marlins and I could not care less about his new allegiance. Does Aaron Judge send me a congratulatory email for a particularly sharp turn of phrase? Yet, I root for him. Players can do the most awful things off the playing field and still we look the other way and pull for them to succeed, help our team win and make us happy. I still have to do my laundry and buy groceries, whether or not the Yankees or the Giants or the Rangers win a game. I could go for a long walk or see a movie or sit outside at a café for hours and read the Times. But on most niceweather days and nights, I’m perched in front of my television set, watching the Yankees.
SAVE THE NABES FROM BUSWAY INVASION! BY BETTE DEWING
We are talking about, no, railing against, the tunnel vision that turned 14th Street into a busway. The tunnel vision that makes having a faster commute the priority, no matter how it harms the community at large. “Getting there as fast as possible” is all that matters to the MTA and the Dept. of Transportation – and city leaders just go along, forgetting about “the community good.” That’s where people live. Say that again, please. And to have limited access now to
these homes is not only an inconvenience, but for many a hardship and a danger!
Now is the Time to Protest And of course the elders and others with mobility problems who depend on buses especially suffer, and are ignored. Disability advocates are suing to restore the 12 bus stops removed from 14th Street. Human rights groups are involved and if ever protest marches were needed, now is the time – marches with wheelchairs and others needing assistive devices, and very visible and very angry at
long last. The whole community matters! That includes the small businesses, who also suffer, and are already an endangered species due to failure to pass any commercial rent controls. Indeed, every lane that blocks access to the sidewalk hurts access to these stores and eateries which meet the community needs. As for small biz drastically affected by the busway, a call to Coppella’s restaurant on 14th street brought a very worried response. “Yes, this busway will hurt business a lot – more than we can af-
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
Voices
Photo: Achim Hepp via Flickr
A Splendid 2019 The Yankees had a splendid 2019 season, winning a total of 108 games. They just didn’t win when it counted against the Houston Astros, one of the most complete teams in baseball history. As any serious baseball fan knows, pitching is almost everything, especially in a
ford!” And I recall when the First Avenue bus lane was first installed, Nick the manager son of family-owned Eva’s Garden florist on First between 78th and 79th, said angrily “Our business is down 30 - 40 percent now!” Unlike too many bus lane-affected small stores, this popular florist has managed to survive.
Commuters Favored at the Expense of Neighborhoods Of course, traffic must move better, but there’s too much of it surely – too many people too, maybe? But there is an inordinate concern for commuters at the expense of the neighborhoods. And the Second Avenue Subway wreaked havoc with the stores, restau-
short, post-season playoff season. Houston traded, during the last few seasons, for three of the best pitchers in the entire sport, while the Yankees were acquiring the likes of serviceable hurlers Sonny Gray, Michael Pineda and J.A. Happ. The Yankees’ brain trust convinced themselves that
rants and homes when the rejected design ( for aboveground light rail) would have taken only a few years to build, at a fraction of the cost, and immeasurably less community disruption. It was rejected because it wouldn’t serve as many commuters and riders. But should there be so many riders? Oregon once pushed for zero population growth. A place can become too crowded not only for comfort, but for health and safety. And speaking of safety, speeding up the buses now also makes them potentially less safe, says this longtime safe traffic and public transit advocate. The big picture is being
boasting a powerful bullpen could overcome the frail starting pitchers. It didn’t turn out quite that way. Plus, the Yankees didn’t hit in the clutch, spelling a disaster in the making. Next year, the Yankees will again be formidable. For the past three seasons, they have emerged as one of the sport’s best teams. The pressure will be on the Yankees management to obtain a “stopper,” a pitcher who can lead a staff and ride his reputation to strike fear into the hearts of opposing batters. The Yankees may well be that one elusive starting pitcher away from a championship. Players come and go. And I’ll be cheering for the laundry again next season. Opening Day is on March 26, in Baltimore. And spring training is right around the corner – and we’ll have an opportunity to cheer as ours is the last team standing at the end of the season. Or, we’ll suffer through more heartbreak. Wait ‘til next year!
ignored, and when starting this column I had no idea busways might be the future of other crosstown routes and other street lanes, adversely affecting the community. Surely the neighborhoods, the places we live, stores that meet everyday needs, are a foremost concern. Now it seems “getting there” is government’s number one priority. That has to change. “Getting there” must always be secondary, to the health and welfare of the neighborhoods they pass. And tunnelvisioned policymakers unable or unwilling to see that have got to go! And we must see that they do. dewingbetter@aol.com
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
JAIL PLAN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 received criticism and skepticism from people across the political spectrum. Mayor Bill de Blasio, though, framed the bill’s passage as a major step forward for criminal justice reform in New York. “The era of mass incarceration is over,” de Blasio said during a press conference after the vote. “I want everyone to understand what this is about, it’s about valuing our people, no longer condemning people and sending them on a pathway that only made their lives worse and worse, but believing that our people do not ever need to end up behind bars to begin with – never.” Supporters of this plan have led with the argument that it is the best path forward to close Rikers – an institution with a long record of abuse – and begin to breakdown the systemic racism upon which the prison-industrial complex was built.
Fewer Beds, Reduced Height The new plan aims to tackle that in part by cutting down the inmate population by limiting the jails’ capacity. Currently, New York City’s inmate population sits at 7,400. Officials have said that the new jails would house 3,300 detainees collectively, which is a number that has decreased from an original goal set at 4,000 total beds for inmates as the de Blasio administration negotiated with council members who were concerned about the height of the projects. The design for each of the four new jails has decreased in height, with 155 feet lopped off from the Manhattan jail that’s planned to be constructed at 125 White Street. The original height of 45 stories had been a major sticking point for Council Member Margaret Chin, who represents the district in which the jail is being built. Chin voted in favor of the plan after the height reduction. When asked during the press conference what the administration conceded in the project in order to decrease the height of the buildings, de Blasio did not directly answer. Instead, he pointed to there
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7,400
Current NYC inmate population
4,000
Original total goal for new jails
being 150,000 fewer arrests in 2018 than 2013 and expected that trend to continue in the future, meaning there would be even fewer incarcerated people in the city by 2026. As part of the plan, the council has earmarked $391 million to fund restorative justice programs, school-based programs, mental health services and housing initiatives. Much of the money is expected to b implemented over the next three years. Additionally, the new facilities, according to administration officials, would also be safer for detainees and provide a better quality of life by offering direct outdoor access from housing units, among other design elements aimed to improve the system. By operating facilities in each borough (except for Staten Island whose prison population is too small to warrant its own facility) the city hopes to cut down on expensive transportation of inmates to court.
3,300
Revised total number of jail beds
“Universally-failed Strategy” While many found the bill’s passage as cause for celebration, the group No New Jails, which has been the most vocal opponent of the plan, said they were disgusted by the council’s vote. “With an opportunity to take a stand against the centuries-old and universallyfailed strategy of fixing jails by building jails, the council fell miserably short of the mark,” said a statement the group posted to Twitter Thursday. In response to those dubious that Rikers will be closed in 2026, and that the culture of the system will change, de Blasio told reporters he appreciated the group’s position and hoped this step would be a move toward that end. “We should strive for a day where we don’t need any jails,” he said. “We’ve never known that day in human history. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for it. But based on everything we’ve all known and lived, this is an extraordinary step in the right direction.”
Health & Wellness Seminar Series Fall 2019
October
29
Saad Mir, MD Cinthia Holland, RN
November
12
19
Fear Abandonment? Painful Feelings of Emptiness? Rocky Relationships? “Black and White” Thinking?
We are interested in studying people with different types of personalities. Participants must be between 18-55 and medically healthy. Reimbursement will be provided. For more information, please call (212) 241-9775 to speak with a member of our staff. GCO #88-244
Headache Matters: When Should I Worry & How Do I Get Control? Susan W. Broner, MD Alina Masters-Israilov, MD
Emotional “Rollercoaster?” Impulsive Behavior? Overwhelming Anger?
Do these terms describe how you feel? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a personality study at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
ACT FAST: How to Identify & Treat Stroke
Digestive Health and Weight Management: Keeping Your Liver & Gut Happy Carolyn Newberry, MD Sonal Kumar, MD, MPH
Time 6:30–8:00 pm Place All seminars held at Uris Auditorium Meyer Research and Education Building Weill Cornell Medicine 1300 York Avenue (at 69th St.)
All seminars are FREE and open to the public. Seating is available for 250 people on a firstcome, first-served basis. American Sign Language interpretive services will be provided at all seminars.
If you require a disability-related accommodation please call 212-821-0888 and leave a message.
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OCTOBER 24-30,2019
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AFFORDABLE SMALL GROUP CLASSES FOR CHILDREN! • • • • •
W W W. B S M N Y. O R G
YOUR UPPER WEST SIDE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY MUSIC EDUCATION SINCE 1964
Calendar NYCNOW
Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com
EDITOR’S PICK
KEYBOARD VIOLIN UKULELE GUITAR FLUTE
Tue 29 EGYPTOMANIA!
Group classes at Bloomingdale School of Music Offer an exciting way for children to begin music study. With a focus on fundamentals. These classes present material to beginners in an enjoyable and supportive environment. Helping students make an easy transition to private study.
Macaulay Honors College 35 West 67th Street 6:30 p.m. $20 landmarkwest.org 212-496-8110 Dr. Bob Brier, one of the world's foremost experts on mummies and Egyptology, excavates the Photo: citypeek events that fanned the flames of Egyptomania, digging deep into New York’s own “Nile style” in fashion, art, film and design.
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Advertise with The West Side Spirit today! Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190
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Thu 24
Fri 25
Sat 26
▲MUSEUM-WIDE GHOST HUNT
2019 FLAMENCO CERTAMEN USA
DISCOVER SENECA VILLAGE
Children’s Museum of Manhattan 212 West 83rd St 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Free with admission Spot some spooks and banish some banshees at CMOM’s first annual Ghost Hunt, happening all month in October. Craft your ghostcatcher to capture these Caspers and create a set of spook-detecting goggles to help you decode their secret messages hidden across the museum. cmom.org 212-721-1223
Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center 111 Amsterdam Ave 7:00 p.m. $30 The only competition of its kind in the United States, the Flamenco Certamen USA provides a spotlight for emerging talent while fostering the continued development and exposure of the flamenco art form. flamenco-vivo.org 212-736-4499
Central Park 85th St and Central Park West 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00 p.m. Free Learn about the history of Seneca Village, the predominantly AfricanAmerican community that existed in the West 80s before Central Park, through a new exhibit of interpretative signs installed throughout the area. Space is limited, so registration is recommended. centralparknyc.org 212-310-6600
OCTOBER 24-30,2019
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T H E VA L L E Y TA B L E P R E S E N T S
Sun 27
Mon 28
Tue 29
▼SCARY BAZAAR HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
TRANSFORMING MEDICINE THROUGH COMPARATIVE GENOMICS
▲OPERA GALA
Grand Bazaar 100 West 77th St 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Free Don’t be afraid to visit NYC’s biggest and scariest weekly market as Grand Bazaar transforms for Halloween. Expect to be greeted by creepy crawly and ghostly decorations, and explore the 140+ spooky vendors – many in costume – indoors and outdoors. grandbazaarnyc.org 212-239-3025
American Museum of Natural History 200 Central Park West 6:30 p.m. $15 Just like species, genes evolve over time. Discover the latest research on human genomes and the genomes of animals across the tree of life—and the profound implications this work has for the study of human genetics and health. amnh.org 212-769-5100
Trinity Lutheran Church 164 West 100th St 7:00 p.m. $20 suggested donation Founded in 1981, the West Side Opera Society presents semi-staged and in-concert operas at Trinity Lutheran Church. This gala celebration features scenes and arias from several famous operas. facebook.com/WestSideOp eraSocietyNYC 212-222-7045
november 4–17, 2019 $22.95 LUNCH • $32.95 DINNER
Don’t miss the most anticipated culinary event in the region. Discover why the Hudson Valley has become New York’s premier culinary destination. Get out of the city to dine this restaurant week. MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!
HudsonValleyRestaurantWeek.com
#HVRW
Photos: Liberty Street Bistro, Yard House, Butterfield, Heritage Food + Drink
Wed 30 ONE YEAR AFTER PITTSBURGH: THE STATE OF ANTISEMITISM IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY Congregation Rodeph Sholom 7 West 83rd St 6:30 p.m. Free. Space limited, please RSVP Few topics are more upsetting than the rise of anti-Semitism and the danger of allowing hatred and intolerance to grow unchecked. What do we do about this troubling situation? What should our level of concern be? Joining Rabbi Robert Levine for this important conversation will be a panel of experts including John Miller, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism of the NYPD, and Evan Bernstein, Anti-Defamation League Regional Director for New York/New Jersey. Moderated by CRS congregant Kai Falkenberg. This community event is open to members and non-members. rodephsholom.org 212-362-8800
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Evolution & Revolution: Transforming Medicine Through Comparative Genomics
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, 6:30PM Am. Museum of Nat. History | CPW at 79th St. | 212-769-5100 | amnh.org What can genetic evolution—both in our species and between different species—teach us about our own health? Discover the latest research with a panel of experts ($15).
EgyptOmania! With “Mr. Mummy” Dr. Bob Brier
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 6:30PM Landmark West! | 45 W. 67th St. | 212-496-8110 | landmarkwest.org Hear from one of the world’s foremost Egyptology experts as he looks at the events that led to a New York craze for Egyptian design, and the way “Nile style” manifested in fashion, art, and film. (Cleopatra’s Needle and 1920’s gilded movie palaces, for example.) ($20).
Just Announced | ScreenTimes: “Harriet”—Screening & Talk
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, 7PM FIAF Florence Gould Hall | 55 E. 59th St. | 212-355-6160 | timestalks.com Melena Ryzik, culture reporter for the Times, hosts a prerelease screening of Harriet, the new biopic of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. A conversation the film’s Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) follows ($50).
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
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CHARCOAL BEAUTY
MUSEUMS
John Singer Sargent’s portrait drawings at the Morgan offer a rare look into a lesser-known part of the American ex-pat’s practice
John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925). Ernest Schelling, 1910. Charcoal on paper. Morgan Library & Museum. Gift of Mrs. Janos Scholz.
IF YOU GO
What: John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal Where: The Morgan Library & Museum 225 Madison Avenue (between 36th and 37th Streets) When: Through January 12 themorgan.org enormously important to the production of these portraits. The majority of Sargent’s sitters already knew him or at least knew someone who did,” she said.
BY VAL CASTRONOVO
For Sargent freaks, the wait is over. It’s been more than four years since the city has seen a major show dedicated to the work of the legendary portraitist. In 2015, The Met hosted a sprawling exhibit of his paintings, “Portraits of Artists and Friends,” which showcased the notorious “Madame X” from its collection, along with a memorable portrait of Sargent’s mentor, Carolus-Duran, and more. Now the Morgan Library & Museum is spotlighting the artist’s work in charcoal, a medium he turned to in 1907 after he quit painting portraits. “No more paughtraits ... I abhor and abjure them and hope never to do another especially of the Upper Classe [sic],” John Singer Sargent (18561925) wrote in a letter to a friend. But his services were in demand, and there was no way to say “No” to the torrent of commissions from these upper classes and others. “I won’t paint you, but I’ll draw you,” he said, according to his grandnephew Richard Ormand, 80, at a recent lecture. He swapped out his paints for char-
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
The Revelation of Essential Character
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). Ethel Barrymore, 1903. Charcoal on paper. Museum of the City of New York. Gift of Mr. Samuel Colt.
coal, producing over 750 portraits in black and white, more than he made in oils. Ormond, guest curator and a leading Sargent scholar, selected 55 to hang at the Morgan.
Early 20th Century Social Networks Working in charcoal was less onerous than using paint. As co-curator Laurel Peterson said at a fall preview: “Unlike an oil painting, which typically required 6 sittings — or in the case of [Mrs. J.P. Morgan, Jr.], 13 — these drawings could be completed in only one sitting of two to three hours. They, too, catch the lively likenesses for which Sargent is known.” The usual cast of characters is here — the upper echelons of society on both sides of the Atlantic — with a healthy helping of artists, writers, musicians and actors, an impressive cross-section of the leading figures of the day. The subjects ran the gamut, Peterson said, “from nobles with long pedigrees to newly prominent businessmen, from society hostesses to suffragettes. They included Bostonians, such as the Greenes [philanthropist Charlotte and son Stephen] and New Yorkers, such as John Lampert Cadwalader, president of the New York Public Library, and the British elite.” The sitters were typically patrons, friends and relatives of friends— they were known to the artist, if only tangentially. “Social networks were
The works, almost all head-andshoulder views, were not just commissions. Some were given away to treasured associates or to people he admired from afar, like Ethel Barrymore and others in the creative community. “In 1903, Sargent had written to the American actress, asking her if he might make a picture. He presented the portrait to her as a gift afterwards, and the portrait became one of her most treasured possessions,” the curator said. By all accounts, sitting to Sargent was not dull. He moved around quite a bit, breaking to play the piano if he felt like it and muttering “Demons” under his breath if the results didn’t suit. He sometimes invited friends to these sessions to engage the sitters and “keep their features animated,” Peterson said. He demanded as much of his subjects as he did of himself. “He’s performing, and he expects you to perform,” Ormond said. In 1901, Ethel Smyth, a British composer, singer and feminist, was encouraged to sit at the piano in her cottage and literally perform—sing the most exciting songs she knew. She was game, and the result was a priceless “singing portrait” that captured her true spirit. Because that’s what Sargent was going for in these drawings, which he called “mugs”—the revelation of a person’s essential character and expression. He had a genius for making figures come alive in his art.
Yeats’s Velvet Coat and Floppy Hair The tools he used were relatively simple, but the results were anything but. His portrait of American
John Singer Sargent (1856–1925). Sybil Sassoon, 1912. Charcoal on paper. Photo: Christopher Calnan
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). William Butler Yeats, 1908. Charcoal on paper. Anne Peretz.
pianist and composer Ernest Schelling (1910), like many here, emerges from a dark background. “We can see Sargent’s mastery of the layering of lights and darks. Look at the bold lines of charcoal in the hair. It’s easy to imagine Sargent sketching them in quick, constant strokes. To create those striking areas of light
on the nose and forehead, he would use a mere crust of bread to remove areas of charcoal,” Peterson said. One of the many standouts here is the breathtakingly handsome portrait of Irish poet William Butler Yeats. The drawing was commissioned for the frontispiece of the first volume of his “Collected Poems” (1908). According to Ormond, “He told Sargent that he wore a velvet coat so people would see how important he was. And you can see that he was quite pleased with himself with the coat and floppy hair.” The exhibit’s signature image is a picture of London banking heiress Sybil Sassoon (1912), the daughter of close friend Aline de Rothschild. Sybil was just 18 when her brother, an MP, commissioned the piece. She remembered playing piano duets with Sargent as a child. He would later say that Sybil was the most beautiful woman he had ever drawn. A shimmering opera cloak frames her features and draws us into his rarefied world.
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
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NEIGHBORHOOD’S BEST To place an ad in this directory, Call Douglas at 212-868-0190 ext. 352.
ART INSTRUCTION
HEBREW SCHOOL
LEARN DECORATIVE PAINTING
From the Best School Of Faux Finishing
Traditional • Egalitarian A warm community for sacred, social and educational events & experiences.
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ISABEL O’NEIL STUDIO 315 East 91st St., NYC 212-348-4464 • isabeloneil.org
PERSONALIZED HOME CARE
A ‘DEEPLY RAW SPACE’ ON BROADWAY Playwright Jeremy O. Harris on his groundbreaking “Slave Play” BY MARK KENNEDY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Playwright Jeremy O. Harris has a rule that he doesn’t cry in public. He broke that rule the night Rihanna attended his Broadway debut. Harris uses the singer’s 2017 hit single “Work’’ throughout his searing, raw “Slave Play’’ and the pop star had promised to stop by one day. Harris wasn’t sure that would ever happen. When it did, he wept. “I don’t cry in front of people, but I cried in front of her that night. It was as though my spirit left my body and I was an empty shell for a day,‘’ he said. The meeting was no routine Broadway celebrity smoochfest. Harris considers Rihanna “the patron saint’’ of the play. “Work’’ was playing in his head as he was coming up with the idea for it, triggering in him thoughts about women’s labor. Her lyrics even adorn the play’s set design. “So seeing Rihanna see the play, hear the play, understand the play and fully endorse it meant everything,‘’
said Harris. “Everything.’’ What Rihanna saw is a groundbreaking, bracing work that mixes race, sex, taboo desires and class. It features a sex toy, a whip, the Nword and boot licking - a play hysterical in parts, and horrific in others. The set design borrows from “Cabaret’’ to feature mirrors, making the audience complicit in a work that painfully rips off the polite BandAids we use to talk about race, revealing the legacy of chattel slavery. “The play leaves you in a space that’s raw because the play is raw. The play is honest and the play is rough-hewn and harrowing. And that rough-hewn, harrowing, deeply raw space the play leaves you in is the space I want you to leave in,‘’ Harris said.
Online Backlash “Slave Play’’ premiered late last year at off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop. It sparked an online backlash, particularly after a production photo was released showing an actress dressed as a slave twerking for her white overseer. A petition to shut it down drew almost 6,000 signatures. “If the things inside of this play are not for you then don’t
come because I’m someone who’s very interested in my own trauma and my own psyche and processing that in public,‘’ he said. “And some people think that processing is something you have to do in private. And I think it should be done communally because if you don’t talk about it communally, you’ll never talk about it.’’ Harris is explicit about leaning into the issues. In a script note to the actors, he instructs: “You should not work to make the audience comfortable with what they are witnessing at all.’’ Asked about the note, Harris argues that art has a responsibility to engage and spark discussion. “I don’t know that it’s my responsibility as a black queer person to make environments or spaces that are comfortable for other people.’’ Joaquina Kalukango, who plays a woman named Kaneisha in “Slave Play,‘’ said some fans approached her three weeks after seeing the play, eager to talk after finally processing it. “Sometimes we see a piece and forget it. It’s easily forgettable. You never discuss it. It’s like, ‘Oh, that happened,‘’’ she said. “People don’t do that with ‘Slave Play.’’’
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
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Joaquina Kalukango and Paul Alexander Nolan in “Slave Play.” Photo: Matthew Murphy
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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2019 The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Pearls
794 Amsterdam Ave
A
Sweetgreen
600 W 115Th St
A
Hex & Company
2871 Broadway
A
Opai Thai
722 Amsterdam Ave
Grade Pending (10) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave
Closed (51)
Tacombi
377 Amsterdam Ave
A
Mimi Japanese Restaurant
566 Amsterdam Ave
A
Tessa
349 Amsterdam Ave
A
Uptown Poke
506 Amsterdam Ave
A
Francesco Pizzeria
186 Columbus Ave
A Grade Pending (18) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Juicy Cube
166 W 72Nd St
A
My Pie Pizzeria
166 W 72Nd St
A
Floating Mountain
239 W 72Nd St
A
Joe & The Juice
247 Columbus Ave
A
us to
like
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something
Playwright Jeremy O. Harris. Photo: Quil Lemons
you You’d
look
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into
113 W 60Th St Fordham U- Ram Cafe At Lowenstein Hall
Email us at news@strausnews.com
‘DEEPLY RAW SPACE’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
Writing Complex Plays The play - composed of three acts called "Work,‘’ "Process’’ and "Exorcise’’ was first performed at Yale School of Drama, where Harris graduated. The first act was written in two days, the middle over a month a half and the last over a single night. The dialogue is beautifully crafted to sit naturally in each character. “I’ve always been someone who like absorbed and listened really well. So much so that some of my friends are like, ‘Jeremy, stop looking at me like that. I can tell you’re already writing this down.’’’ He grew up in Virginia with a mother who put two kids through private school by working at a hair salon, a tire
factory and off and on at different temp jobs. “The ways in which she was discarded by the world in different ways and yet still stood strong and made space for herself consistently, told me so much about labor,‘’ he said. He thought of her while listening to Rihanna’s “Work.’’ Harris finds it odd to have “Slave Play’’ on Broadway alongside such commercial behemoths as “The Lion King’’ and “Wicked.’’ He has never chased commercial success, previously writing complex plays without stage directions or character names. He thought he’d be an underground artist, never produced but admired by the curious. “In my mind that meant you were a more legitimate writer if people didn’t produce you,‘’ he said. “Slave Play,‘’ which he
wrote after being challenged at Yale to write something less avant-garde, is his most “boring’’ play. “It’s a pop song now,‘’ he laughs. That’s not to say he doesn’t enjoy a good musical. He loved “Dear Evan Hansen’’ and saw The Temptations’ show “Ain’t Too Proud’’ three times, even as he readies his next work, which he calls a “Jacobean revenge tragedy.’’ “In the same way I don’t want anyone to dictate to me what my work should be doing for them, I don’t want to dictate to anyone else what kind of work they should be making,‘’ he said. “This time I made an uncomfortable space for everyone else, and I feel like I was very well within my right to do so. But who knows what kind of space I’ll make next.’’
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
The Spirit|Westsider westsidespirit.com
15
The Benefits of an Immersion Education at HudsonWay Immersion School There’s so much more to bilingual education than just learning a second language. HudsonWay Immersion School is founded on the understanding that students develop advanced cognitive skills, superior social skills and emotional intelligence, and an enhanced awareness of other cultures in addition to second language proficiency through immersion. HudsonWay Immersion School (HWIS), founded in 2005 by local mom Sharon Huang, has grown in reputation as one of the premier language immersion schools in the United States. HWIS has two campuses: a brand new bright and airy facility in Midtown West that just opened for the start of the 2019-20 school year, and one in the education wing of the newly renovated St. Vincent de Paul Church’s school in Stirling, NJ. HWIS offers both Mandarin and Spanish immersion for 200+ students, from little ones as young as 2 years old, eventually through to Grade 8 in 2021. Starting with the 2’s program at HWIS, children experience 100% of the instructional time in either Spanish or Mandarin, and then as children progress through the upper grades English is added. By middle school 50% of the time is in the target language, 45% of time is in English and 5% is in a third language! Students without a prior background in a language can be successful as 80% of HWIS families do not speak the target language at home. The benefits of learning subjects in a second language are significant and assessed yearly. Each year HWIS students outscore “monolinguals” nationwide in language arts and math standardized tests. Students enrolled in the HWIS program for four or more years test as above average or gifted in cognitive ability. Sue Ha, HWIS’s Head of School says about their program, “I’ve seen that immersion students think differently and interact with knowledge differently than monolingual students. When the students learn two or more languages at a young age, they have more courage to take risks. Attributes such as risk taking, persistence, confidence and social emotional IQ are important in the 21st century. HWIS is helping to prepare the next generation of global citizens.”
“We knew we were going to be really busy here,“ said Store Director Anthony Rodriguez. Photo: Jason Cohen
TARGET OPENS ON UES BUSINESS
Atmosphere in the new superstore on Third Avenue was electric BY JASON COHEN
As winds howled and rain poured down on the city last Wednesday, Oct. 16, Target was welcomed by the Upper East Side community. Located at 1201 Third Ave., at 70th Street, the superstore is 23,000 square feet, two floors and in the mid-1900s was formerly an FBI headquarters. The Upper East Side store offers an assortment of apparel and essentials, health, personal care and beauty products, home décor, graband-go groceries and fresh produce. Services will include Order Pickup – which allows customers to order items online and pick up in the store within an hour. The atmosphere in the UES store was electric. Target was filled with customers,
whether purchasing groceries, clothes or other items. Store Director Anthony Rodriguez, who has been with Target for 14 years, said the store has been jam-packed in a little more than a week of being open. “We knew were going to be really busy here - we expected that,” Rodriguez said. Target was originally only found in the suburbs. Now, with stores in Hell’s Kitchen, Harlem, Herald Square and Kips Bay, Rodriguez said the Upper East Side was a perfect spot for a new location. He added that the neighborhood has embraced the box store and it will be a valuable addition for years to come. “We knew there was still a market here that we wanted to get to,” he said. “The community has been great.”
Adapting to Changing Markets Among the customers there were friends Jenny Ahmed and Jazzy Bustos. Ahmed, who goes to Marymount
Manhattan College on East 71st, likes how close it is to school. “I came here because it’s right down the street from my school and it’s super convenient,” Ahmed said. “And I live in the East Village and I don’t have a Target by me.” Bustos was doing her grocery shopping. “They offer a lot of products that Trader Joe’s doesn’t,” she said. Targets were originally all 130,000 square feet, but the company has adapted to changing markets. “Nationwide, Target is reaching new guests by opening small-format stores in urban areas and dense suburban neighborhoods and near college campuses,” said Target spokesperson Liz Hancock. “These stores offer an easy and convenient shopping experience in communities where a traditional-sized Target might not fit.” By the end of the year Target will be coming to Columbus Circle on the UWS.
HWIS offers after school language programs, language immersion summer camps and enrichment classes such as chess, robotics and soccer. The second phase of construction in the midtown facility open in 2020 will include a Maker Space, a 1,500 square foot Indoor Gym, a Media Center and Music and Art studios. To learn more about whether HudsonWay Immersion School might be a great fit for your family, visit HWIS.org to attend one of their upcoming information sessions or to schedule a private tour.
Mandarin & Spanish Immersion School Preschool 2’s through Grade 8 Bilingual Students Make Brilliant Adults Tours Every Wednesday at 9am @525 W. 52nd Street Register at www.hwis.org
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
The Spirit|Westsider westsidespirit.com
Business
VAPING FALLOUT ON SMALL STORES SHOPS
Businesses suffer as vapers turn away BY JOYCE M. ROSENBERG, ASSOCIATED PRESS
The thousands of shops that sprang up in cities and towns across the country over the past decade to sell vaping products have seen a stunning reversal of fortune, with their sales plunging in just two months amid news reports that vaping has sickened nearly 1,300 people and killed 26. People who turned to vaping products to help them quit smoking have been turning away, even teenagers who used the products illegally, although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says most of the people who suffered lung
injuries from vaping were using products containing THC, a component of marijuana. One estimate says 200 vaping stores have closed, while some owners report the loss of nearly three-quarters of their revenue. Some vape shops have been forced to lay off staff. Many owners, former smokers themselves, fear customers will go back to smoking cigarettes. Spike Babaian says business is down as much as 70 percent at her three New York vaping shops since reports about people being sickened by vaping products began appearing in August. Babaian just closed a fourth store rather than take a chance on renewing her lease. She worries about not being able to recoup the lost revenue. “We can never undo the gov-
ernment going on the news and saying it’s not safe to vape. The damage has been done,‘’ says Babaian, who has been in business for eight years.
“Things Aren’t Looking Good” Federal health officials have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of the illnesses and deaths. While they search, they are advising Americans to refrain from using any vaping products. Steve Nair has had to lay off five of the 40 employees at his eight vaping stores in four states; his sales are down by half. “I had to meet with them a few weeks ago and say, ‘things aren’t looking good,‘’’ Nair says. The stories are similar at the estimated 15,000 to 19,000 small businesses across the country that sell vaporizers and vaping fluids used as a substitute for smoking. Sales dropped precipitously as customers were frightened away by the first government reports of people sickened or dying after vaping. The CDC has since said most of the nearly 1,300 illnesses reported were due to liquids containing THC, which gives users the high they’re seeking from marijuana. Those products are sold illegally on the black market, not in neighborhood stores. Many people are still shying away from mainstream vaping products and the impact on the industry is pronounced. Greg Conley, a spokesman for the American Vaping Association, an industry group, says 200 stores closed since Aug. 1, a number he calls “a conservative estimate.’’
Vaping to Quit Cigarettes
An e-cigarette display in a convenience store. Photo: David Noonan
Calls by government officials including President Donald Trump and the governors of states including Massachusetts, Michigan and New York
A store at Eighth Avenue and 40th Street. Photo: David Noonan
for bans on sales of vaping products are increasing owners’ anxiety. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to ban sales of flavored vaping liquids. Those products are targeted because of their appeal to youthful vapers, but they account for the majority of sales to all users, including adults. “That would probably put us out of business pretty quickly. We sell only these products; there’s nothing else to fall back on,‘’ says Nair, whose stores include one in Buffalo, New York. The CDC reported in 2017 that nearly 7 million adults, or 2.8 percent of the country’s adult population, used vaping products. Last year, it counted 3.6 million middle and high school students who were using vaping products. Under Food and Drug Administration regulations, retailers cannot sell vaping products to people under 18, and more than a third of the states have
higher minimum ages. Store owners are required to verify a customer’s age when they enter a store. While the industry might not elicit much sympathy because of criticism that it sells nicotine products to minors, industry groups warn of the potential consequences of any ban for the many smokers who used vaping products to quit cigarettes. Indeed, some owners are hearing from some former customers that they’ve gone back to cigarettes. Owners fear they’ve lost that business forever, but they also worry about the health of people who they’ve gotten to know well.
Word of Mouth As they fight to survive, owners of vaping stores are relying on loyalty and the hope that people will come to realize that the products they sell are safe. Nair says customers who
have been vaping safely for years are still coming in. “Some have been with us for 10 years,‘’ Nair says. “They’re still confident in the product and are still shopping with us.’’ Owners are hoping that as more people hear the CDC’s determination that the majority of illnesses weren’t caused by products sold in vaping shops customers will return. In the meantime, owners will use websites and word of mouth to tell the public their products are safe, says Jarvis, who is head of the Ohio Vapor Trade Association. Most owners, whose stores sell only vaping goods, aren’t going to try to sell other products or turn themselves into convenience store operators, Jarvis says. “We don’t want to muddy the waters. We want to be dedicated specialists for people who want to get off smoking,‘’ he says.
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
The Spirit|Westsider westsidespirit.com
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
MANHATTAN GENIUS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
noting that the MacArthur folks don’t use the term. “Genius comes in so many forms that it’s hard to put that label on yourself,” she says. “It’s good for some humor and it’s good to impress my son. And it’s always nice to be acknowledged for the work that you do and the work my lab has done.”
A Dancer First Had things gone differently for Ruta in the 1990s, however, she might have ended up doing a very different kind of work, over on the West Side perhaps, at Lincoln Center. After graduating from Stuyvesant, she spent the next four years pursuing a career as a ballet dancer. She was as serious about it as she is about science today. “If you want to be a professional dancer when you are 17 or 18, you have to have a full commitment,” says Ruta. “It’s highly competitive, it is a hard life.” When she was 21, after
“The scientists I deeply admire are people who are constantly pushing themselves into a place where they are a little bit uncomfortable. “ Vanessa Ruta years of classes, auditions and performances, she realized that she was not likely to achieve her goal – a fulltime contract with American Ballet Theater or the New York City Ballet. To get some balance in her life, as she puts it, she took a chemistry class at Hunter College. It turned out to be just what she needed. “After being in the subjective ballet world, there was something really beautiful about the objective principles of basic chemistry,” she says.
Mentors and Artists She aced the class and enrolled at Hunter full time as a chemistry
Before she shifted to science, Ruta spent four years after high school pursuing a career as a ballet dancer. Photo: Courtesy of Vanessa Ruta
Serving as a mentor to young scientists is an important part of Ruta’s job as head of her own lab. Photo: Courtesy of Rockefeller University
major, under the guidance of Professor Charles Michael Drain. She found life as a scientist much easier than life as a dancer. “Vanessa was an exceptional student who wanted to understand the broader impacts of chemistry on the sciences and society,“ says Drain, who, like Ruta, transitioned in his undergraduate years from the arts to science. Her research in his lab, on methods to discover new phototherapeutic compounds, was published in a top journal in the field. “She brought to her research the same focus, discipline, and creativity that she had learned in the art of dance. Since we had similar experiences, we share a deep appreciation for the link between the arts and the sciences, which I think is an important part of her success.” After graduating from Hunter in 2000 Ruta moved on to Rockefeller as a Ph.D. student in the lab of Dr. Rod MacKinnon, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003. Ruta’s next mentor was another Nobel laureate, Columbia University scientist Richard Axel, also a Stuyvesant grad, who shared the 2004 award for medicine. Ruta did postdoctoral research in Axel’s lab. It was there that she decided to pursue neuroscience. “I think most of us are deeply fascinated by the function of our own brains and how we perceive the world around us,” she says. Spending the early years of her career with such accomplished role models left Ruta with a sure sense of the way forward. “The scientists I deeply admire are people who have
pushed themselves into new directions and are constantly pushing themselves into a place where they are a little bit uncomfortable,” she says. “They don’t settle in on one idea and just go with the easy thing.” Science is so fast moving, she adds, that “none of us really know right now what we’ll need to know in five years.” Ruta also credits her success as a scientist to growing up surrounded by creative people. Her father was a painter, her mother a writer. During her teenage and college years the family lived in the Westbeth Artists Housing complex in Greenwich Village. “I came from a family or artists,” Ruta says. “I thought I would be an artist of some sort, and I realize that the profession I ended up in has a similar kind of process. My father painted basically every day of my life. He was such a dedicated and passionate artist. And that kind of passion and commitment is something you can obviously see in scientists. Honing your craft gives you the freedom to be very creative and expansive in your thinking.”
Life as a Woman in Science Intellectual prowess is only one part of being a scientist, Ruta says, and she wants young people to have a better understanding of what science really involves – passion and creativity – and what the life of a scientist is like. “That would capture a broader diversity of young people interested in pursuing it,” she says. Including young women, of course, who, even today, face unique challenges in science, which has been
dominated by men for so long. And still is. Ruta was pregnant with her first child (she has a son and a daughter) when she started working with Axel in 2005. She recalls him telling her at the time that he had never had a student or post-doc who had a baby while working in his lab. Ruta points out that the male/female ratio among science Ph.D. students is about 50-50, but that changes dramatically during the post-doc years, when many women are deciding to start families. By the time the post-docs start applying for faculty positions, she says, the male/female ratio is more like 75/25, or worse. One simple step to address the imbalance is for academic research centers to provide subsidized childcare, says Ruta, whose entire postdoc salary went to pay for baby sitters. (Rockefeller, where women make up around 20 percent of the faculty, does subsidize childcare.) Adding to the stress of the postdoc period for women is the professional uncertainty all young scientists experience, worrying that they may not be good enough to make it. Not even Ruta was immune to moments of doubt. “I will tell you,” she says, “I seriously considered leaving science, especially after my second child was born.” Fortunately for all the people who will work with and be inspired by Ruta in the coming years, not to mention everyone with a brain, she decided to stay.
OCTOBER 24-30, 2019
YOUR 15 MINUTES
DEADLINE NYC BOOKS
R.G. Belsky decamped from the high-stakes world of big media to write suspense novels offering a behind-the-scenes look at – you guessed it – the high-stakes world of big media. BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN It was 1989 when Dick Belsky was fired as metro editor of the New York Post. I know: I walked him out the door that day. Then in 2005, he left his post as Daily News managing editor. I had changed newspapers, too, there was a tradition to uphold, so again, I walked him out. That’s by way of saying he’s a great friend, mentor, editor, ex-boss and commanding newsroom presence. Still, I never could have predicted that after a career that also took him to Star Magazine and NBC News, he’d reinvent himself as R.G. Belsky, award-winning mystery novelist.
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His ripped-from-the-headlines style, however, shows he never really left the business he’s loved since 1970, when he was discharged from Army intelligence, left Vietnam and walked into the Post City Room. Belsky is the author most recently of “Below the Fold,” newspaper lingo for a story not juicy enough to merit Page 1 play atop the page. The thriller, which dissects a homeless woman’s seemingly obscure murder, is the second in a planned trilogy featuring hard-driving, thrice-divorced TV news director and newspaper veteran Clare Carlson, who debuted in “Yesterday’s News,” winner of Deadly Ink’s David Award for best mystery of 2018. With Clare set to return in May in Belsky’s 14th novel, “The Last Scoop,” we chatted about media, murder, news, novels, and the most famous headline in tabloid history.
You switched from covering real-life crime to creating fictional crime mysteries. Any cultural shock? The biggest problem I had was unlearning many of the things I’d done as a tabloid journalist who has to tell the story in a hurry. Get the main facts up high, put the five W’s – who,
bed for a nap. So I leave my home every morning just like I was going to an office and write out in the city. Seems strange for some people, but it works for me.
What’s with the yellow-lined legal pads? You don’t really write books in longhand, do you?
In R.G. Belsky’s latest thriller, “Below the Fold,“ the murder of a seemingly obscure homeless woman has huge consequences for some of the city’s most elite and powerful. Cover: Oceanview Publishing. Photo courtesy of the author. what, where, when and why – in the first paragraph. But you can’t put all the facts on the first page of a mystery! I was getting from A to B too fast when I started writing crime fiction. That’s great for a journalist. Not so great for a mystery author.
What was the transition like? And why did editor Dick Belsky rebrand as mystery writer R.G. Belsky? Messy and seamless both, I guess. I started writing my first mystery novel in 1978 – but didn’t get it published until 1985. Since then though I’ve published 12 more. The early ones actually do use the name “Dick Belsky.” But at one point in the ‘90s, a publisher decided to rebrand me as “R.G. Belsky.” The reasoning was the reader wouldn’t know if I was a woman or a man who was writing a woman’s character. But this cleverly thought-out plan fell apart when they included a picture of me on the book jacket! Nevertheless, I’ve been R.G. Belsky as an author since then.
You moved from writing in newsrooms to writing in ... Well, where do you write? Everywhere. In New York City coffee shops, subways, bars, park benches, pretty much everywhere else you can think of. I also write at The Writers Room in the East Village and the main New York Public Library. I need to be around people when I’m writing. I love the noise and the chaos of the city, it inspires me. Probably because I’ve spent much of my life writing in loud and chaotic news rooms.
You’ve lived in Gramercy Park since 1973. Why not simply write from home like most fellow authors? Former journalist-turned-suspense novelist R.G. Belsky winning Deadly Ink’s David Award for “Yesterday’s News,“ which was honored as the best mystery of 2018. Photo: Deadly Ink
To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to westsidespirit.com/15minutes
My apartment is the only place where I never write. Too many distractions. TV, household tasks, the
I do. And I’m not sure why. All the years I was writing news stories I did them on a computer in the newsroom. But there’s something about writing fiction that feels more comfortable for me to create that imaginary world with a pen and a legal pad. I write very quickly, and then edit it once I put it onto my computer or iPad. Just for the record, Ernest Hemingway used to write descriptive passages in longhand too, then used a typewriter for the dialogue. Not comparing myself to Hemingway, but he’s not a bad writer to emulate, right?
Tell me about Clare Carlson, the protagonist and first-person narrator of “Below the Fold.” Clare is a compilation of a lot of terrific journalists, many of them women, I’ve worked with in my career. Talented, outspoken, gets herself in trouble and pushes the boundaries of right and wrong a lot. But also brings an admirable integrity to her job, like many of my favorite fictional mystery characters, Philip Marlowe, Harry Bosch or Kinsey Millhone.
She’s got three busted marriages, a stormy personal life, plenty of flaws. Why does the reader care? Would you want to read a story about a character who was perfect in every way – happy marriage, wonderful children, successful in every aspect of life? I wouldn’t …We love “flawed” characters, and Clare has lots of flaws. Basically, she’s a terrific journalist – the rest of her life is a train wreck. I’ve known a lot of people like that in the pressure-packed, fastmoving media world. I think her flaws make Clare more likable and keep people turning the pages.
One of your themes is the inequality of murder, the “Blonde White Female Syndrome.” Does Clare shatter that paradigm? I deal in this book with the perception that the media usually focuses on high-profile crimes involving sex, money and celebrity – O.J., JonBenet, Casey Anthony – ignoring the majority of other murders. Which is absolutely true. Clare breaks the rules this one time and investigates the seemingly unimportant murder of a homeless woman on the streets of New York. “Everyone has a life,” she reasons, “let’s find out what this woman’s life was all about.” The results turn into a sensational story.
Clare tells her story as a first-person female narrator and eight of your 13 novels use similar artistic genderbending. Why? I wish I could say it was a well thought-out plan. It isn’t. I find it more interesting to write women characters … I also prefer writing books in the first person to get into the main character’s head. The Clare Carlson character started out with me writing her in the third person, but I found it more powerful when I changed Clare to first person.
Spectacular killings – Etan Patz, Son of Sam, John Lennon – seem to inspire your books. Made-for-tabloid murders are still in your blood? Of course. I’ve covered so many high-profile crimes like that in my tabloid journalism career. People always ask mystery authors where they get their plot ideas. My answer is: “Hey, I just went to work in the newsroom every day.”
Which offers the greater thrill: Ripped-from-the-headlines fiction or covering the blood-soaked stories behind the headlines? I love them both … To me the two jobs were completely different. As a journalist, much of my day was consumed by getting facts, checking facts, making absolutely sure everything I put into print was totally accurate. As a mystery novelist, I get to make up the facts! Now that’s fun!
Finally, “HEADLESS BODY IN TOPLESS BAR,” the greatest tabloid headline ever written. What was your role in that 1983 Post story? It’s probably the thing I’m most famous for in my journalism career (Google me with that headline). I didn’t write it, but I played a key part in the events of that day. My boss Vincent Musetto came up with the idea after a man was decapitated during a robbery of a Queens bar. Great headline, but no one was sure if it was topless or not. I had to confirm that before we could run the headline. I assigned a team of reporters in a desperate effort to find out before our deadline. One of them, a woman reporter named Maralyn Matlick, eventually crawled up onto a garbage can, peered in a back window of the place and saw a sign: “Topless dancing tonight.” And just like that, tabloid history was made. It’s become the most famous tabloid headline ever, “The Night of the Living Dead” of newspaper headlines. invreporter@strausnews.com
Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to westsidespirit.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.
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WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor
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Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
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SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
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53
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