Chelsea Now, August 22, 2012

Human statue breaks his silence, p. 22

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 52

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

AUGUST 22 - SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Redistricting could impact City Council race

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON There are three expected candidates for the Third District City Council race in 2013: Corey Johnson, Yetta Kurland and Andrew Berman.

But redistricting could affect whether one of them — prominent preservationist Berman — ultimately runs or not.

Berman has not yet opened a campaign account, and a large factor behind this is reportedly

Photo by Meryl Meisler

L to R: Penn South Ceramics Studio members Edrie Cote, Gloria Sukenick, Ava McNamee, Susan Kornhauser and Mikiko Nakayama pose in front of “Chelsea in Clay” — on view in the front window of Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried’s office (242 W. 27th St., btw. 7th & 8th Aves.) through Sept. 7.

Hoylman, longest on specifics, repeatedly a target in debate with broad agreement

BY DUNCAN OSBORNE There were moments during the August 20 debate among the three candidates for the State Senate seat currently held by Thomas Duane when it looked like a debate might break out.

“I don’t fill shoes,” said Tom Greco, the straight owner of the Ritz Bar and Lounge, a popular Hell’s Kitchen gay bar. “I wear my own.”

Moments before, Brad Hoylman — the presumptive front runner in the race — told a crowd of roughly 100 that had gathered at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center that “A lot of people tell me that Tom Duane is a hard act to follow.”

For the past 14 years, Duane, who is openly gay, has represented the district that runs from 72nd Street to the West Village and from river to river in its Lower Manhattan portion.

He is a legendary liberal Democrat.

Hoylman never fails to salute Duane when he campaigns. The fact that Hoylman appears to have been selected as the incumbent’s heir was an issue.

“How are you supposed to get new ideas?” said Greco. “You need new ideas, fresh ideas, fresh people.”

The 90-minute debate, which was sponsored by Citizens Union

(a non-partisan civic group) and NYC Community Media (the parent of Gay City News, The Villager, the East Villager & Lower East Sider, Chelsea Now and Downtown Express) did showcase Hoylman’s better grasp on solutions to problems facing the district, New York City and the state — but it also demonstrated the extent to which the candidates agree.

Tanika Inlaw, a public school teacher, identified her top three priorities if elected as defending and improving public education, building and protecting affordable

the redistricting question.

Meanwhile, Johnson has “maxed out,” raising about $170,000, the maximum eligible to receive public matching funds under the city’s campaign finance law. Kurland has raised more than $70,000.

Every 10 years, following the Census, New York City Council districts are adjusted to ensure

Continued on page 4

National Night Out Against Crime comes to Penn South Park

BY MAYA PHILLIPS In the midst of a summer punctuated by shocking acts of gun violence (many of them involving innocent bystanders), an event held in Penn South Park reaffirmed the need for cooperation between area residents, electeds and police officers.

August 7 marked the 10th Precinct’s 29th year of participation in the National Night Out Against Crime (NNO).

Before the evening was over, six people would be shot throughout Manhattan and the Bronx.

The ironic timing of those incidents — symptomatic of other

recent tragedies — inspired the current “Occupy the Corner” movement, which seeks to take back the streets from those whose reckless use of firearms have claimed the lives of victims as young as four.

The National Association of Town Watch (NATW) introduced the first NNO in early 1984. NATW Executive Director Matt A. Peskin spearheaded the event, in an effort to raise crime awareness, strengthen anti-crime programs and increase community involve-

Continued on page 5

EDITORIAL, LETTERS PAGE 8

PONDERING PrEP PAGE 11

Continued on page 3

5 1 5 C A N A L STREET • N YC 10013 • C OPYRIG H T © 2012 N YC COMMU NITY M ED IA , LLC

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August 22 - September 4, 2012

That sinking feeling: Trust warns Pier 40 may face closure

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON “Unfortunately, it seems a bit like the Euro crises — where people don’t understand the problem until the pier is closed down,” board member Michael Novogratz commented at the Hudson River Park Trust’s July 24 meeting.

His analogy referred to Pier 40, the crumbling and cash-consuming pier that is the Trust’s biggest concern and challenge.

“If it was my decision, I would say, cut it off — not one more dime goes into it — and we shut it down as necessary,” Diana Taylor, the Trust’s board chairperson, said of the problem pier. “I have no problem with that decision — I just want to put it on the table.”

Taylor and Novogratz made their remarks after Trust President Madelyn Wils had opened the meeting with her report to the board. Wils said she felt she had to “take an aggressive approach” toward Pier 40 a few months ago, by making a push to change the Hudson River Park Act before the state legislative session ended in June.

“I felt it was necessary, given that now there is no path forward on Pier 40,” Wils said, adding that if nothing is done to address the pier, the Trust may be forced to shut it down.

The massive 14.5-acre West Houston Street pier would likely be taken offline in phases.

Pier 40’s stairwells are currently falling apart; one of its three stairwells recently had to be closed for safety reasons, Wils noted. The Trust now has to decide if it has the funds to fix it.

Over the next 10 years, the 5-mile-long Hudson Continued on page 10

Photo by Chris Bishop

Pier 40’s fields are heavily used by youth leagues. The leagues commissioned a study, which found residential use on the pier would have a low impact with high revenue.

August 22 - September 4, 2012

3

At debate, actual debate breaks out among candidates Continued from page 1 housing and campaign finance reform.

Hoylman and Greco certainly support those goals. All three agreed that hydrofracking must be stopped, that public pensions must be sustained and that the police practice of stop-and-frisk must end.

Ultimately, the winner of the September 13 Democratic primary (held on a Thursday in deference to the September 11 anniversary), which will decide who takes the seat, may be determined by more practical matters.

Hoylman has far more money and far more political infrastructure behind him. In his most recent filing with the state Board of Elections, Hoylman had an opening balance of roughly $171,000.

He raised more than $80,000 since his previous filing just weeks before and had $209,416.45 in cash on hand. His money has come from the gay community, unions, Wall Street and real estate interests.

Greco had an opening balance of $13,600. He raised $8,775 since the earlier report and had $16,875 in cash on hand.

Inlaw, who has filed one campaign finance report but not the most recently required follow-up, has loaned her campaign $1,403 and received a single donation of $150. She has debts, including her loan, of $2,748. As of July 17, she had $353 in cash on hand.

Like Greco, Inlaw took a poke at Hoylman’s backers.

“Unlike my opponent, I don’t have any special interests groups behind me,” she said. “I’m a public school teacher, I’m an ordinary American.”

Hoylman’s 12 years at the Partnership for New York City, a major business lobby, also came up. William C. Rudin, the chief executive officer of the real estate firm Rudin Management Company, is affiliated with the partnership and with New York University.

The Rudin company is taking over the St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center property in the West Village to turn it into condominiums. The university just won city permission for a major expansion.

Both plans are very controversial.

Hoylman said, “Absolutely” when Greco asked him if he had done everything he could to save the hospital “given your day job.” Hoylman added, “St. Vincent’s closed partly because of mismanagement.

This was its second bankruptcy.”

Hoylman differentiated himself by pressing for specific solutions. Rather than cutting in the face of expected multi-billion state budget gaps, he wants new revenue sources. He noted that 20 percent of New York City residents are living in poverty.

“It’s this growing gap between the rich and the poor that really undermines our society,” he said. “We need a real millionaires’ tax. The governor cut our millionaires’ tax in half.”

When discussing funding for the

Photo by Duncan Osborne

Potential successors to Senator Duane debate their relative merits.

Hudson River Park Trust, the agency that administers the West Side’s Hudson River Park, Hoylman suggested using money from lawsuit settlements won by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation or from a state bank regulator that just collected $340 million.

“We need to identify more revenue sources,” Hoylman said.

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August 22 - September 4, 2012

For City Council race, redistricting could change the map

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fair representation and equal population distribution among all the city’s 51 districts. No more than a 10 percent population differential is allowed between the largest and smallest district.

While New York City’s population as a whole grew by only two percent from 2000 to 2010, areas like Chelsea and Lower Manhattan saw their number of residents surge. The Third Council District grew by more than 14 percent, while the number of people living in Lower Manhattan’s District 1 spiked 13 percent.

Currently represented by Council Speaker Christine Quinn, District 3 covers the West Side from Canal to 55th Street, taking in most of Greenwich Village, as well as Chelsea, and stretching east as far as Park Avenue at some points.

Facing term limits, Quinn is running for mayor in 2013 — which opens up the Council’s so-called “gay seat” for a new representative. Quinn is openly gay, as are Kurland, Berman and Johnson.

District 1, currently represented by Margaret Chin, extends up from the Battery through Tribeca, Chinatown, the Lower East Side and Soho, also taking in the area around Washington Square.

Meanwhile, District 2, represented by Rosie Mendez and covering the East Village, Union Square area and part of the Lower East Side,

only saw a two percent population growth.

In short, both Districts 1 and 3 are likely to “shed territory” due to their population booms.

Some have speculated that Chin’s District 1 will lose the NYU superblocks — between Houston and West Third Streets and Mercer Street and LaGuardia Place — and possibly also Soho, with these being ceded to either District 3 or 2. That would mean District 3 could add areas at its southern edge — losing territory at its northern end, which is where Berman currently lives, on West 47th Street, to be exact. But, if he is able to stay in the district while the superblocks are added to District 3, it could be a powerful incentive for Berman to enter the race — since he has a very strong following there: His organization, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), has allied with NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan to oppose the NYU 2031 expansion scheme, and they are poised to file a joint lawsuit against the mega-project.

“Andrew Berman is our champion,” said Sara Jones, of the LaGuardia Corner Gardens, which is located on the southern NYU superblock. The gardeners fear their green oasis will be destroyed by the university’s desire to wedge two million square feet of new development space into the superblocks.

Asked last week if he would move, if necessary, to stay in District 3, Berman declined comment. Assuming he owns his apartment, that could make the decision harder.

Asked if he has made up his mind wheth-

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er he’ll throw his hat in the ring, Berman said, “I don’t have any updates to give you at the moment.”

The election is still a ways off, so he has some time to decide.

“It’s 14 months out. There are some very important things that are still yet to happen,” he said.

Johnson and Kurland both live in Chelsea, in the heart of District 3, so don’t face the possibility that their homes would be shifted into a neighboring district.

Another consideration for Berman is that, were he to campaign for office, he would have to leave his position as executive director at GVSHP. Not only would this mean he’d lose his income, but it would be a major blow to GVSHP, which has become a force to be reckoned with under Berman’s active leadership.

The New York City Districting Commission kicked off its first round of public hearings on redistricting on Thursday, August 16 — and the first maps by the commission of proposed new district boundaries should be out by September 5. The Council is expected to adopt the new boundaries in November.

Berman has often been at odds with Quinn on development issues, and some speculate, as a result, the Council speaker might try to get back at him by redistricting the preservationist right out of District 3.

Insiders think Quinn would favor Johnson over Berman or Kurland; the latter criticized the Council speaker for not doing more to save the financially doomed St. Vincent’s Hospital from closing or from advocating for a replacement hospital. Nevertheless, Quinn is said to have strongly backed Joe Restuccia, executive director of the Clinton Housing Development Company affordable housing organization in Clinton, over Corey Johnson for Community Board 4 chairperson two years ago, and was reportedly shocked that the 30-year-old upstart pulled off the victory.

However, spokespersons stressed that the redistricting process is being done by an independent commission.

Responding to the idea that Quinn might take a hand in the process and try to block Berman from running in District 3, Council spokesperson Jamie McShane retorted, “That’s ridiculous. The commission is nonpartisan, independent and decisions about lines are

made with input from the community at a series of public hearings that begin this week.”

McShane added that Quinn has “other things” she’s focusing on right now, apparently referring to her responsibilities as speaker and her own bid for mayor.

Shirley Limongi, a spokesperson for the Districting Commission, echoed McShane, saying, “The commission is an independent commission with no political agenda.

Neither the Council speaker nor the mayor controls this process, nor are they involved.

Granted, the Council has to approve the final redistricting map, but the process is entirely done by the commission.”

Meanwhile, Johnson appears to have taken on the mantle of frontrunner. Earlier this month, he slammed out an e-mail blast, titled “Boom!” announcing that nearly 600 local leaders, activists and advocates are supporting him. His endorsers range from block association leaders and PTA presidents to Rory O’Malley, the star of “Book of Mormon.”

“Our campaign is moving into a new phase of excitement,” said Johnson. “The support from grassroots leaders and activists is overwhelming. Together, we can work for more affordable housing, stronger schools with smaller class sizes, economic and social justice, and the intangible quality-of-life elements that are so essential to the city we love.”

Asked about redistricting’s impact, Johnson said, “I think it’s a total unknown how the district’s going to change — but I think however it changes, I’m going to campaign hard and talk about my track record and accomplishments as community board chairperson and also my vision for the district.”

As for activist Kurland, a close political ally of hers, Dodge Landesman, said, “I doubt the district will change too dramatically, so she’s not really thinking about it too seriously.” However, he added, “Her activism on the West Side has also impacted neighborhoods beyond those just lying in the current Third Council District area. For example, she wanted to save St. Vincent’s Hospital, not only to benefit residents of the Lower West Side, but to alleviate hospital overcrowding for people living near the various hospitals in Community Board 6. If her district goes east, north or south, residents of Manhattan in general recognize her efforts.”

August 22 - September 4, 2012

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10th Precinct, residents reaffirm commitment to public safety Continued from page 1 ment in prevention campaigns.

That first year, approximately 400 communities in 23 states participated. This year, over 15,000 communities from all 50 states were part of the effort.

“We try to bring the community together.

It’s a great night for people to sit and talk and kids can come and play. It’s all about crime prevention and getting the community to be a part of that,” said 10th Precinct Deputy Inspector Elisa Cokkinos.

Residents and officers ate together and conversed in the park, while neighborhood kids played on the playground and men played basketball on the courts a few feet away. Representatives of Hudson Guild Adult Services, the District Attorney’s Office and the NYC Office of Emergency Management’s Ready New York campaign set up tables and handed out pamphlets with information on crime prevention, safety and emergency situations. State Senator Tom Duane, Council Speaker Christine Quinn and State Senate candidate Brad Hoylman were also in attendance.

In her address, Quinn emphasized the importance of community events — especially in the wake of shootings at a Colorado movie theater and a Wisconsin Sikh temple.

“It’s really important that the police and community get to know each other, and these events help that happen. I think it’s a great annual event that we do in all five boroughs,” Quinn said, adding that the council has committed $5 million to fund community groups in the fight against gun violence.

Fortunately, violence is not the most frequent problem that the 10th Precinct faces — it’s property crimes. “Grand larcenies are an issue in this command,” noted Cokkinos.

“That’s what drives the crime in this command. Although it is a property crime, it’s something that really pushes our numbers.”

Grand larceny, the deputy inspector said, easily makes up the greatest percentage of crime throughout Chelsea.

According to NYPD crime statistics, the 10th Precinct received 635 complaints related to grand larceny, followed by 138 complaints of robbery. Still, the 10th Precinct’s numbers shrank in comparison to its neigh-

Photo by William Alatriste, New York City Council

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn lends her voice to the 10th Precinct’s National Night Out Against Crime.

bors, whose grand larceny reports ranged from 1,005 (Sixth Precinct) to 2,174 (14th Precinct) last year.

“A lot of identity crime is up,” said Cokkinos. “Somehow people get your personal identifying information, and they’re able to compromise your bank accounts. That’s just a difficult crime to fight, but I think if people are knowledgeable about it and they’re educated, maybe they won’t give their information away so easily.”

However, the Chelsea residents in attendance seemed to have only positive things to say about their neighborhood's crime force. “I thank them every time I see them in the street,” said Marilyn DiPaolo, a 38-year Chelsea resident. “We don’t have any problems,” noted DiPaolo. “If you call them, they’re there.”

“I love the area. I'm very happy here,” said Hilda Sevazzo, who moved from Cuba to

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Chelsea 50 years ago. She gave similar compliments to the vigilance and accessibility of area

police officers.

Like Sevazzo, many of the Chelsea residents in attendance were not new to the NNO. Vinny Pizzonia, an NNO participant for over two decades, was an officer at the 10th Precinct for 21 years. Since retirement, he’s been a familiar face at the precinct’s monthly Community Council Meeting (CCM).

Held on the last Wednesday of the month, and resuming on September 26 after summer hiatus, Cokkinos presides over the CCM. Following her opening remarks (during which she cites the latest area crime statistics), the meeting continues until every resident in attendance has had a chance to ask questions or voice concerns regarding specific crimes or quality of life issues. Cokkinos often responds to those comments by committing to specific actions and addressing the results at the following month’s CCM. As for Pizzonia, he has nothing but loyalty for the 10th Precinct, as well as enthusiasm for the potential good to come from more direct involvement between the police and the community they have sworn to serve.

“The cops in this command are very dedicated,” said Pizzonia, who relishes his role as a retired officer and active liaison. “I feel it because I was on the other side, and now I’m still helping the people that I used to help, by getting the attention of the police and having them work with us. It’s a great area and a great, great neighborhood.”

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August 22 - September 4, 2012

POLICE BLOTTER CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Front door damage A 45-year-old male reported to police that when he returned to his apartment (at 461 W. 21st St.) at 3pm on Sun., Aug. 5, another tenant told him that the building’s front door was damaged. Upon further inspection, gouges in the strike plate were discovered. The door was functional and secure, but the reporter noted that the damage would cost $100 to correct.

LOST PROPERTY: Cheap eats proved costly A customer of Chelsea Papaya (on 7th Ave. & W. 23rd St.) stopped in for a hamburger at 12pm on Wed., Aug. 8. When he left, he reached for his wallet and could not find it. The man told police that he could recall putting it in his back pants pocket, and thinks he may have dropped it — he could not recall being jostled in a manner which would indicate being pickpocketed.

The wallet contained a student ID card, a credit card, $100 in cash, a Korean driver’s license and 4,500 in won (U.S. currency value, $50).

LOST PROPERTY: Yellow cab loss makes passenger blue Shortly after exiting a yellow cab (on 10th Ave., at W. 36th St.) at approximately 2:10am on Tues., Aug. 14, a 61-year-old resi-

dent of Venice, CA, realized she had left her wallet inside of the vehicle. In her statement to police, the victim said that it is her belief that the wallet fell out of her pocketbook. She further stated that she had since cancelled all of the credit cards contained in the wallet. At the time of the cancellation, no unauthorized charges had been made. Also in the wallet (a black leather number valued at $75): $50 in cash and her CA driver’s license.

GRAND LARCENY: Sweepstakes scam: You may already be a victim An 83-year-old male reported to police that he was contacted on his home phone by a person claiming to be from Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. The caller told the man he’d just won 2.5 million dollars and a car — but needed to send money to cover the taxes. To do so, he was directed to purchase MoneyPak prepaid cards at specific CVS and RadioShack locations (totaling $4,500). The victim complied, then called the “Sweepstakes representative” back and read off the card numbers. Police noted that the victim of this scam was, at the time a report was filed on Aug. 4, still in contact with the perpetrator — who was still expecting to receive an additional $10,000 from the “lucky winner.”

GRAND LARCENY: While you were gone…

A 65-year-old male West Side resident of the Hell’s Kitchen area returned from

Keep on top of local crime every week in the

vacation to discover that his MacBook Pro (valued at $2,500) and his Sony SLR digital camera (also valued at $2,500) were no longer among his possessions. The victim told police that while he was away, a friend stayed in his apartment for two weeks along with his roommate. While there, the police report noted, the victim’s friend “did have full access to the apartment.” When told about the missing items, the roommate stated that he “did not see anyone take” the victim’s property.

GRAND LARCENY: Car window smash & grab I At 6am on Wed., Aug. 8, a 60-year-old female returned to her car (a 2009 fourdoor Hyundai Elantra sedan), which was parked in front of 449 W. 24th St. The driver’s side window had been broken, and two items were stolen: a Dell Latitude laptop valued at $2,200 and a Verizon MiFi valued at $300.

GRAND LARCENY: Gym rat’s locker got a real workout A male patron of David Barton Gym (215 W. 23rd St., btw. 7th & 8th Aves.) told police that on Mon., Aug. 13 — after working out and showering — he returned to his locker to discover that the lock was missing. Also gone: his silver Apple iPhone 4S (valued at $300) and his wallet (containing several credit cards, his driver’s license and $360 in cash). At the time he reported this incident to police, there had been no unauthorized activity on the credit cards.

PETTY LARCENY: Boyfriend was a real pill… and a pain At approximately 1am on Tues., Aug. 7, a 49-year-old male resident of West Chelsea awoke to discover three items missing: cash in the amount of $540, some Percocet pain pills and some Opana pain pills. The real pain turned out to be the victim’s boyfriend (also 49 years old) — who admitted to the theft when confronted by the victim over the phone.

PETTY LARCENY: Car window smash & grab II A 2009 4-door Honda Civic sedan was broken into, through the driver’s side back door, according to its 30-year-old male owner (a Brooklyn resident). The damage was discovered at 11pm on Fri., Aug. 10 — when the man returned to the vehicle (parked at 548 W. 22nd St). A laptop worth $500 had been stolen. The victim was not able to supply a serial number to police.

ROBBERY: Sandwich & all your cash…to go At an 8th Ave. Subway — the sandwich store, not the underground mode of transport — at 6pm on Wed., Aug. 8, a man (approximately 45 years old) came into the store, ordered a sandwich, displayed a handgun and demanded all the cash from the register. He then instructed the two employees on duty to go to the back of the store and lay down on the ground. They complied, and the perpetrator fled in an unknown direction. Police noted that no video of the incident was available.

—Scott Stiffler

CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.

CRIME STOPPERS If you have info regarding a crime committed or a wanted person, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, text “TIP577” (plus your message) to “CRIMES” (274637) or submit a tip online at nypdcrimestoppers.com.

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw.

7th & 8th Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Elisa Cokkinos. Main number: 212741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council Meeting normally takes place at 7pm on the last Wed. of the month — but the Council is on summer break until September 26.

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Ted Bernsted. Call 212-477-7411.

Community Affairs: 212-477-7427.

Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427.

Domestic Violence: 212-477-3863.

Youth Officer: 212-477-7411.

Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-4774380. Detective Squad: 212-4777444. The Community Council Meeting normally takes place at 6:30pm on the third Tues. of the month — but the Council is on summer break until September 18.

7

August 22 - September 4, 2012

Safe when smart: NYPD identifies trends, offers tips

GRAND LARCECY: SHE WALKED AWAY, AND SO DID HER WALLET At the 1 Oak bar/nightclub (453 W. 17th St.), at approximately 3:30am on Wed., Aug. 8, a 27-year-old female had her wallet on a seat, then walked away for a brief period. When she returned, the wallet was gone — and despite her best efforts, the victim was unable to locate her property (a $100 brown wallet and an iPhone 4S valued at $500).

Nobody at the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau has a crystal ball — and, to the best of our knowledge, they’re not employing the help of those precognatives from “Minority Report.” But they’ve seen it all before — and in an effort to prevent future incidents of larceny both petty and grand, their August 13 collection of crime prevention

Photo by Kaitlyn Meade

Turning her back on crime? At Chelsea Waterside Park, this benchwarmer’s belongings are vulnerable to thieves on the other side of the fence.

tips served to protect back to school shoppers. Many of these these tips are equally applicable to park visitors and club patrons:

it in your possession at all times and remember to activate all the security features your device has to offer (pin lock, find my iPhone, etc.).

• Unattended handbags placed on strollers or shopping carts are easy targets. Keep your bag on your person and securely fastened at all times.

• Remain alert, be aware. If you see suspicious activity, say something! Contact the police and security immediately.

• Unattended bags left hanging on the backs of chairs in restaurants are also quick scores for a thief.

Never leave your bags where you can’t see them.

• Bags or valuables left in parked vehicles are commonly stolen items. Ensure all electronics are removed from plain view and packages are locked in the trunk.

• Cell phones are the most commonly stolen type of electronics (and they are stolen more often than currency). Remain alert when using your device, keep

To receive information from the 10th Precinct, send a request to Community Affairs Officer Michael Petrillo (michaelpetrillo@nypd. org). He can be reached at 212-741-8226.

To access the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau’s weekly crime prevention tip, visit nypdcommunityaffairs.org and type in “Crime Prevention Weekly Tips” in the search box (located on the upper left corner of the home page).

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BY SCOTT STIFFLER While the kids play, those on the other side of the fence go to work.

A rash of incidents at Chelsea Waterside Park has prompted George Triantis — the 10th Precinct’s Crime Prevention Officer — to urge common sense precautions.

Preoccupied by their vigilant watch over members of the juice box set, distracted parents and guardians, says Triantis, are contributing to a spike in crime “involving items stolen from unattended handbags placed on strollers, while they play with the kids. They park the back of the strollers up against a fence, and anybody walking on the other side can just reach through and take things. We’ve been out there educating the public about moving the strollers forward a few feet so nobody can reach through and grab stuff.”

Cell phones are the most coveted items targeted by thieves, with pocketbooks coming in a close second — which brings Triantis to his next area of concern.

“Unattended bags on the back of chairs,” he says, “are always an issue.” As readers of the Chelsea Now Police Blotter know, grand larceny crimes (theft involving items over $1,000 in value) are far and away the most significantly cited category.

“What they do,” says Triantis regarding a common method of thieves who work the club, bar and restaurant circuit, “is to sit with their back to the victim, reach into the purse and remove a cell phone or an iPod. So the best thing to do is keep your handbag in front of you.”

Or better yet, take a cue from Waterside Park stroller jockeys, and don’t leave your valuables unattended. The following incident, culled from a recent visit to the 10th Precinct, is typical:

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8

August 22 - September 4, 2012

EDITORIAL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Districting: Help Wanted Every decade, following the U.S. Census, legislative boundaries are adjusted to reflect changes in the population. Nationally, this involves congressional districts, while statewide, it involves the Assembly and Senate districts.

For New York City, it will reshape the 51 City Council districts. The New York City Charter establishes a Districting Commission to carry out this important function, essential to the operation of our city’s government.

Over the next few months, the Districting Commission will undertake this important task. The Charter provides the commission with criteria it should use in creating the district lines. Applying the constitutional standard of “one person, one vote,” the districts must be of essentially equal population. And in compliance with the Federal Voting Rights Act, the districting plan must provide an opportunity for members of the “protected classes” (blacks, Hispanics and Asian-Americans) to elect candidates of their choice.

The charter also encourages consideration of socalled “communities of interest,” as well as the observation of certain technical features. For example, districts are to be compact and contiguous, not be twice as long as they are wide, or have many jagged lines. Districts should respect county boundaries.

In our coverage area, for example, one question might be whether or not — especially, after the recent contentious City Council vote to approve the NYU 2031 development plan on the superblocks — this area should be kept in Lower Manhattan’s District 1. Do the superblocks’ residents “share interests” to a greater degree with residents in District 3 (Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen) or possibly District 2 (the East Village)?

Also, should District 3’s eastern boundary be Fifth Avenue, or — as former Councilmember Carol Greitzer advocates — would it be better if Greenwich Village were “unified” by including the area all the way over to, say, Bowery/Fourth Avenue? This would mean District 2 would lose this area.

Should Soho be shifted out of District 1? Does opposition by many Soho residents to a proposed Soho Business Improvement District mean they have more in common with residents living in District 3?

Neighbors who have strong feelings on these issues are encouraged to turn up at the hearings to voice their feelings.

However, just testifying, for instance, that a particular district’s councilmember didn’t vote on a certain issue how residents would have liked won’t impress the commission. Residents must convey why adjacent blocks or neighborhoods share — or don’t share — common interests, why they should be united, or split off.

The commission’s districting plan will be subject to review by the City Council and, in final form, to approval by the U.S. Department of Justice (or the federal District Court in the District of Columbia).

The Districting Commission is slated to produce maps of proposed district lines by early September. A second round of public hearings will be held in October (following the one that took place on August 16).

The City Council will vote on the revised lines in early November. However, if the Council rejects the revisions, it will trigger another round of hearings to be held by March.

The commission’s 15 appointed members are drawn from all of the boroughs and reflect the city’s diverse population. All New Yorkers are eligible to give testimony at the districting hearings. Our democracy is enhanced by such participation — when people make their voices heard, and make their votes count.

Spotlight on film shoots had an impact Sad to see Amateau go To The Editor: I wanted to thank Chelsea Now and reporter Sam Spokony for bringing attention to the issue of townhouse owners constantly and flagrantly using their residences on 21st Street for commercial film shoots over the last few years which current zoning and the Department of Buildings do not allow. I, for one, take issue with any individual who claims “95 percent of neighbors are in favor of it.” I have spoken to many people on 21st Street who think this is outrageous and should be stopped! It was refreshing to finally see some attention paid to this issue, about which city agencies have been uniformly silent up to now. One of the owners (Ms. Morgan) apparently was so affected by this article that she immediately had her website “Down For Maintenance,” and when it returned a few days later, all references to property rental for film shoots had magically vanished (though other websites do continue to advertise her house being available for film shoot rental).

It seems Chelsea Now’s single article had more impact in this respect than years of neighbors' complaints to 311 and to other relevant agencies of the city, and for this we profoundly thank you. I personally doubt that most residents of Chelsea are of the opinion that all filming should be banned in the neighborhood, but it must be regulated, and those who profit from it must adhere to the provisions and requirements in the existing zoning regulations.

Nick Fritsch

Ch-ch-changes To The Editor: Re “Chelsea Now is sold to information technology executive” (news article, Aug. 8): Thanks to Mr. Sutter for his years of successfully publishing these vital community papers. Best wishes to Ms. Goodstein as she steers NYC Community Media for the next generation.

Kimberly Donahue

Thanks for a stellar job To The Editor: Re “Chelsea Now is sold to information technology executive” (news article, Aug. 8): John, you have done a stellar job leading a phenomenal team of journalists who so thoroughly, fairly and brilliantly have covered our neighborhoods.

You will be missed — but you leave behind a talented, award-winning team.

Good luck in pursuing new adventures, and we will see you in the neighborhood.

Corey Johnson

Way to go, sis!

To The Editor: Re “Chelsea Now is sold to information technology executive” (news article, Aug. 8): Congratulations to my sister-in-law, Jennifer, on her new business venture. Very proud of you.

Rochelle Spector

To The Editor: Re “A newsman looks back” (news article, July 25): So sorry to read Al will no longer be a regular fixture. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing his byline as often as possible.

Hoping the next chapter of life will be even more rewarding than the last!

Stacy Rosenstock

Honesty is the new policy To The Editor: I am the owner of a small, struggling independent bookstore on Carmine Street in Greenwich Village.

We have been on Carmine for 20 years, and now with the devastating economy we are having a hard time, like many other independent bookstores. I wanted to share with your readers a very positive New York story.

Today I was cleaning the store counter and I found on top of the pile of books, one of the store’s small bags with a note in it. The note was written “To Jim and Indiana,” and said the following. (I’ve taken the person’s name out for privacy’s sake.)

“Hello, My name is _____. I used to steal books (in 2001-2007) from the store and wish to pay for them. This is payment, estimated, in part.

Yours, ______” Inside the folded note, there were five $20 bills, a total of $100!

This is why I love New York: You never know what to expect.

Since I don’t know who this person is — because the note was left on top of the counter and I didn’t see who it was — I wanted to write something to him or her.

What I wanted to say is: Your gesture meant so much to us during these difficult times. Thank you so much for restoring our faith and hope in people.

Indiana Bervis Bervis is co-owner, Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books

Email letters, not longer than 300 words in length, to scott@chelseanow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York City, NY 10013.

Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.

August 22 - September 4, 2012

Community Contacts To be listed, email info to scott@chelseanow.com.

COMMUNITY BOARD 4 (CB4) CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Its boundaries are 14th St. on the south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on the west, 6th Ave. on the east (south of 26th St.) and 8th Ave. on the east (north of 26th St.). The board meeting, open to the public, is the first Wednesday of the month.

The next meeting is Wed., Sept.

5, 6:30pm at Roosevelt Hospital (1000 Tenth Ave., btw. 58th & 59th Sts.). Call 212-736-4536, visit nyc. gov/mcb4 or email them at info@ manhattanCB4.org.

COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (CB5) CB5 represents the central business district of New York City.

It includes midtown Manhattan, the Fashion, Flower, Flatiron and Diamond districts, as well as Bryant Park and Union Square Park. The district is at the center of New York’s tourism industry. The Theatre District, Times Square, Carnegie Hall, the Empire State Building and two of the region’s transportation hubs (Grand Central Station and Penn Station) fall within CB5. CB5’s board meeting, open to the public, happens on the second Thursday of the month.

The next meeting will be at 6pm on Thurs., Sept. 13 at Xavier High School (30 W. 16th St., btw. 5th and 6th Aves., 2nd fl.). Call 212465-0907, visit cb5.org or email them at office@cb5.org.

THE 300 WEST 23RD, 22ND & 21ST STREETS BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at 300westblockassoc@prodigy.net.

THE WEST 400 BLOCK ASSOCIATION Contact them at w400ba@gmail.com.

CHELSEA GARDEN CLUB Chelsea Garden Club cares for the bike lane tree pits in Chelsea. If you want to adopt a tree pit or join the group, please contact them at cgc.nyc@gmail. com or like them on Facebook. Also visit chelseagardenclub.blogspot.com.

LOWER CHELSEA ALLIANCE (LoCal) This group is committed to protecting the residential blocks of Chelsea from overscale development. Contact them at LowerChelseaAlliance@gmail.com.

THE GREENWICH VILLAGE-CHELSEA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Call 212-337-5912 or visit villagechelsea.com.

THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT INITIATIVE Visit meatpacking-district.com or call 212-633-0185.

THE BOWERY RESIDENTS’ COMMITTEE: HOMELESS HELPLINE If you know of anyone who is in need of their services, call the Homeless Helpline at 212-533-5151, and the BRC will send someone to make contact. This number is staffed by outreach team leaders 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous. For more info, visit brc.org.

THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER At 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Visit gaycenter.org or call 212-620-7310.

THE ALI FORNEY CENTER Their mission is to help homeless LGBT youth be safe and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. Main headquarters: 224 W. 35th St., Suite 1102.

Call 212-222-3427. The Ali Forney Day Center is located at 527 W. 22nd St., 1st floor. Call 212-206-0574 or visit aliforneycenter.org.

GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS (GMHC) At 446 W. 33rd St. btw. 9th & 10th Aves.

Visit gmhc.org. Call 212-367-1000.

Member of the New York Press Association

THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Published by NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC

Gay City

NEWS

TM

515 Canal St., Unit 1C, NY, NY 10013 Phone: (212) 229-1890 • Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.chelseanow.com E-mail: news@chelseanow.com © 2012 NYC Community Media, LLC

Member of the National Newspaper Association Chelsea Now is published biweekly by NYC Community Media LLC, 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York, N.Y. 10013 (212) 229-1890. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $75. Single copy price at office and newsstands is 50 cents. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2010 NYC Community Media LLC, Postmaster: Send address changes to Chelsea Now, 145 Sixth Ave., First Fl., New York, N.Y. 10013.

PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR

The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

HUDSON GUILD Founded in 1895, Hudson Guild is a multi-service, multi-generational community serving approximately 14,000 people annually with daycare, hot meals for senior citizens, low-cost professional counseling, community arts programs and recreational programming for teens. Visit them at hudsonguild.org. Email them at info@hudsonguild.org. For the John Lovejoy Elliott Center (441 W. 26th St.), call 212-7609800. For the Children’s Center (459 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9830. For the Education Center (447 W. 25th St.), call 212-760-9843. For the Fulton Center for Adult Services (119 9th Ave.), call 212-924-6710.

THE CARTER BURDEN CENTER FOR THE AGING This organization promotes the wellbeing of individuals 60 and older through direct social services and volunteer programs oriented to individual, family and community needs. Call 212-879-7400 or visit burdencenter.org.

PENN SOUTH The Penn South Program for Seniors provides recreation, education and social services — and welcomes volunteers. For info, call 212-243-3670 or visit pennsouth.com.

FULTON YOUTH OF THE FUTURE Email them at fultonyouth@gmail. com or contact Miguel Acevedo, 646-671-0310.

WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE Visit westsidenyc.org or call 212956-2573. Email them at wsna@ hcc-nyc.org.

CHELSEA COALITION ON HOUSING Tenant assistance every Thursday night at 7pm, at Hudson Guild (119 9th Ave.). Email them at chelseacoalition.cch@gmail.com.

FRIENDS OF HUDSON RIVER PARK Visit fohrp.org or call 212-757-0981.

HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUST Visit hudsonriverpark.org or call 212627-2020.

PUBLISHER Jennifer Goodstein PUBLISHER EMERITUS John W. Sutter ASSOCIATE EDITOR / ARTS EDITOR Scott Stiffler REPORTERS Lincoln Anderson Aline Reynolds EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Kaitlyn Meade Maya Phillips Bonnie Rosenstock

BUSINESS MANAGER/CONTROLLER

Vera Musa SR. V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING Francesco Regini RETAIL AD MANAGER Colin Gregory ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Russell Chen Allison Greaker Julius Harrison Gary Lacinski Alex Morris Julio Tumbaco

9

SAVE CHELSEA Contact them at savechelseanyc@ gmail.com.

MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT SCOTT STRINGER Call 212-669-8300 or visit mbpo.org.

CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRISTINE QUINN Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc. gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml.

STATE SENATOR TOM DUANE Call 212-633-8052 or visit tomduane.com.

ASSEMBLYMEMBER RICHARD GOTTFRIED Call 212-807-7900 or email GottfriedR@ assembly.state.ny.us.

CHELSEA REFORM DEMOCRATIC CLUB The CRDC (the home club of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, State Senator Tom Duane and Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried) meets monthly to exchange political ideas on protecting the rights and improving the lives of those residing in Chelsea. Visit crdcnyc.org or email them at info@crdcnyc.org.

At 147 W. 24th Street (btw. 6th & 7th Aves.)

THE SYLVIA RIVERA LAW PROJECT works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression without facing harassment, discrimination or violence. Visit srlp.org.

FIERCE (Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment) builds the leadership and power of bisexual, transgender and queer youth of color in NYC. Visit fiercenyc.org.

QUEERS FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE is a progressive organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. Visit q4ej.org.

THE AUDRE LORDE PROJECT is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people of color center for community organizing. Visit alp.org.

ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Troy Masters SENIOR DESIGNER Michael Shirey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Arnold Rozon CIRCULATION SALES MNGR. Marvin Rock DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Cheryl Williamson

CONTRIBUTORS Martin Denton Duncan Osborne Maya Phillips Bonnie Rosenstock Sam Spokony Jerry Tallmer Paul Schindler Trav S. D. Stephen Wolf PHOTOGRAPHERS Milo Hess J. B. Nicholas Jefferson Siegel

10

August 22 - September 4, 2012

Trust might have to shut down Pier 40 ‘STATE OF DENIAL’ Continued from page 2 River Park is expected to bring in $200 million in revenue but have expenses totaling $280 million — a deficit of at least $80 million. Yet the park is intended to be financially self-supporting.

Pier 40 alone needs about $100 million in repairs, for both its roof and metal support pilings, and has become a serious financial liability for the Trust. Even though Pier 40 pulls in $5 million annually in revenue from its parking operation, Wils and Trust officials say the cost of repairing the deteriorating pier has grown too costly — especially since Pier 40 ideally was supposed to have been redeveloped by now. The Trust has had to dip into its reserve fund to pay for a $6 million fix of the northeastern section of the pier’s roof, which is currently midway to completion.

‘A DIFFICULT DECISION’ “It’s a difficult decision to make — no one wants to make this decision — but we don’t have the money for these repairs,” Wils added of the pier shutdown scenario. “We’re going to do our best to keep it open.”

Not only would Pier 40 be lost, but were it to close, Hudson River Park as a result would also lose about 40 percent of its annual revenue.

Two previous attempts by the Trust in the past decade to find a developer for Pier 40 that would pay for the pier’s repairs were sunk in the face of community opposition, as well as developers’ need for a lease longer than 30 years, which is all that’s currently allowed under the park’s legislation.

However, earlier this year, a new study of Pier 40 commissioned by the local youth sports leagues that heavily use the pier’s playing fields found that high-end residential development on the pier would produce the least impact yet yield the highest revenue compared to other options. But residential use isn’t allowed under the 1998 park act, so a legislative modification would be needed.

A “Strategic Task Force” of select community leaders considered the consultants’ report as part of their brainstorming on how to improve the park’s finances.

Wils said the Trust is now assessing the cost of continuing to pour money into Pier 40 for repairs, but with the hope that in five to seven years there will be a longterm plan in place for the pier’s redevelopment.

But former state Senator Franz Leichter, another board member, noted that the Trust’s effort to change the park act to increase options for Pier 40 still faces opposition.

“A number of people got out of the state of denial and rejection — not everybody,” Leichter said. “Since the community is so dependent on the pier and cares about it so much, we have to make them understand that there’s a point at which that pier is going to have to be closed.”

In fact, Leichter — a co-author of the park act — said Pier 40 has always been a thorny issue. He said the park act would have been passed back in 1994, instead of 1998, if not for “all the turmoil around Pier 40.”

“We need legislative changes,” he stressed, “but the legislation that didn’t pass [this June] didn’t really include changes for Pier 40.”

‘A MANAGED SHUTDOWN’ Speaking later, Wils said, even with making some of the emergency fixes over the next few years, the Trust still is facing the possibility of having to do “a managed shutdown” of Pier 40 as it continues to decay.

“Because, even if we deal with all the repairs on the roof, we still have the piles,” she noted.

Asked if the Trust will continue to push for changes to the park act, she said, “Yes, I think that it’s imperative.”

As for the legislative changes, she said, the Trust would like to see those go farther than what was proposed this past June. Those proposed modifications did not include a provision for residential use at Pier 40. They did, however, include an allowance for a CUNY art gallery or museum, but it wasn’t clear if those uses weren’t already allowed under the existing legislation. Obviously, a CUNY gallery wouldn’t bring in anywhere near the revenue of 600 to 800 units of luxury rental housing.

“We would be looking for more revisions,” Wils said.

“We’re having internal discussions with the city and state. We have to put the park on firm financial footing, and Pier 40 is part of that mix.”

PRO SOCCER PUNTS Major League Soccer was also eyeing the West Houston Street pier earlier this year for a new soccer arena, but the plan lacked political support. Legislative changes also would have been needed to permit a soccer stadium. But after the state Legislature recessed in June without amending the park act, MLS shifted its focus to Flushing Meadows, in Queens.

GLICK KICKS HOUSING Asked about the Trust’s warning of a Pier 40 shutdown, Assemblymember Deborah Glick reiterated her opposition to the housing idea.

Glick slammed what she called the Trust’s “continuing attempt to stampede people into believing there’s only one solution — and that’s residential.”

Housing should not be built on scarce parkland, she insisted.

She said if the mayor has $260 million for Governors Island and money for other parks, Hudson River Park deserves public funds, too.

“The discussion [about Pier 40] has only been around since about May, and I don’t think the discussion has been sufficiently broad,” Glick said. “A task force with a handful of people is not enough.

“We want to find a solution — a joint solution,” Glick said, “but it has to begin with them giving up the residential idea.”

hadn’t been very enthusiastic about it. Glick, though, said she would have supported it.

“The bill was partly put in as a placeholder,” Gottfried explained, “partly to get a draft out in the public, so people could see it and comment on it. I don’t know if anyone thought it should become law.” He added, “It was a start.”

Gottfried loathes the pier’s three-story shed, calling it “the outrageous Pier 40 structure.” It’s unattractive and blocks river views, he said.

He’s hopeful a modified version of the legislative changes will pass when lawmakers reconvene.

“I’m optimistic that there will be strong community support and that a strong bill will be enacted,” Gottfried said. “Hopefully, things don’t come down to passing something over anybody’s objection,” he said, clearly referring to Glick.

A bill could possibly come up for a vote at a special session in Albany in November or December; otherwise it could be voted on with the state budget in March.

‘FIERCELY’ AGAINST RESIDENTIAL The group FIERCE, which advocates for gay and lesbian youth who flock to the Christopher Street Pier, also opposes residential use on Pier 40. They fear it would impact their nearby stomping ground, “gentrifying” the waterfront, pushing them out.

“I wouldn’t say FIERCE is necessarily opposed to opening up the park act,” said Krystal Portalatin, the group’s codirector. “But if you open up the act, it has to have community buy-in….We don’t want more private spaces, residential or a hotel. We don’t think it would be good for LGBT.”

PARK IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT One revenue-boosting idea, however, that seems to have general support is for a Neighborhood Improvement District that would include the park.

A.J. Pietrantone, executive director of Friends of Hudson River Park — the Trust’s private fundraising wing — said this district would extend east from the park seven-tenths of a mile, which in the Village would mean Hudson Street Residential property owners would be assessed 7 cents per square foot; a 1,000-square-foot apartment would be taxed $70 per year. About onethird of the property in the proposed district is residential, the rest commercial.

The assessment would be used to fund the park’s maintenance needs, tend the West Side Highway median and the plantings along the highway’s eastern edge and make the highway crossings safer. This funding district could generate from $8 million to $10 million per year, he said.

A steering committee of property owners would need to come up with a final plan, after which there would be feedback and an evaluation of whether the scheme had sufficient support. Then it would be presented to the City Planning Commission, followed by a vote by the City Council.

Pietrantone said there has been no “organized” opposition to the idea.

“Basically, we have to get 50 percent of the property owners and 50 percent of the assessed property value to go forward,” he explained. According to him, the improvement district could be operating within two years.

CHELSEA PIERS LOSES LAWSUIT CHANGING THE PARK ACT The Assembly bill that would have modified the 1998 park act never came up for a vote in June, and there was never a state Senate version of the bill.

Assemblymember Richard Gottfried, the original park act’s other co-author, put his name on the bill with the proposed legislative changes, but indicated he

The Trust had a big win last month when a State Supreme Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chelsea Piers Management that would have forced the Trust to pay $37 million to repair the sports complex’s wooden pier pilings, which are being eaten by marine borers. The Trust plans to countersue to ensure Chelsea Piers makes the repairs, and is currently assessing the cost.

August 22 - September 4, 2012

11

GMHC forum ponders next step for PrEP

BY SAM SPOKONY Weeks after federal approval of the first drug for HIV prevention, health advocates are divided over what the next step should be — and it is unclear whether access to the expensive pills will be paid for by government programs and private insurers.

Truvada, a pill combining the antiHIV drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine, was approved for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 16. The decision follows years of speculation in the medical and gay communities about whether PrEP, a once-daily regimen used

by HIV-negative individuals to decrease their risk of becoming infected, might slow the spread of the AIDS virus.

“Instead of just trying to distribute it in massive numbers, we need to understand how we’ll deliver PrEP, and to whom we’ll deliver PrEP, along with making a good case for whatever investment that will require,” said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.

Warren wants private insurers and Medicaid and Medicare, the governmentrun insurance plans, to cover PrEP costs.

Warren said he is looking forward to new demonstration projects — one funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and another by the California HIV/AIDS Research Program — that will focus on possible implementation strategies within different population groups.

Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, has continued his long and increasingly lonely fight against PrEP by vowing that his organization would oppose Medicare or Medicaid coverage of the drug.

“We believe this will lead to more infections,” he said, referring to the FDA approval.

Weinstein said that aside from any medical implications, he believes that paying for the drug through government programs would be a “bad use of public funds.”

PrEP is estimated to cost between $8,000 and $9,000 per person per year, according to a report released last month

by Fenway Health, a Boston-based gay clinic.

Dr. Marjorie Hill, CEO of the Chelseabased organization Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), acknowledged the difficulty of funding insurance coverage of the drug but argued that resources for HIV prevention need to be given greater priority than they have been in recent years, when compared to resources for HIV treatment.

“We’re not going to be able to treat our way out of the epidemic,” said Hill.

She also believes that there need to be more new partnerships between the public and private sector, especially in Chelsea and New York City as a whole, in order to place a greater social investment

Photo courtesy of GMHC

Dr. Roy Gulick of Weill Cornell Medical College attended a GMHC forum on August 2 to discuss his upcoming PrEP study.

into funding both prevention methods and safe sex education.

“We need more community groups involved,” Hill explained, “like faith communities, fraternal organizations, block associations or health entities, to really take on HIV and AIDS.” Many medical professionals and advocates currently agree that PrEP, in the US at least, will provide its most immediate benefit to men who have sex with men who are at high risk of becoming infect-

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ed. Whether Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers will pay for PrEP will be

integral to the drug’s success.

A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said that the agency could not comment on the possibility of PrEP coverage. But he noted that Truvada, as part of an antiretroviral treatment regimen for HIV-positive individuals, has been covered by Medicare Part D formularies for several years.

Private insurers also typically cover Truvada for HIV treatment — although most of those plans involve cost sharing — according to Susan Pisano, a spokesperson for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a national trade association.

Her organization does not make coverage recommendations. Pisano said that AHIP members generally use medical reviews, clinical trial reports and decisions from federal agencies such as the FDA and CMS when choosing whether or not to cover a drug. She said that it is too early to tell if insurers will decide to cover Truvada as PrEP. Truvada’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, did not respond to a request for comment.

Jeff Rindler, managing director of programs and evaluation at GMHC, noted that since it may be difficult for highrisk, low-income individuals to pay for

Continued on page 14

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August 22 - September 4, 2012

Foragers makes good on a triple threat to Chelsea

BY SCOTT STIFFLER Based on observable patterns, certain cynical assumptions can be forgiven. But that doesn’t mean each new event is in lock step with a distressing trend.

Sometimes, change leaves a good taste in your mouth.

“Thank you for not being a nail salon or a yogurt store or a bank,” says Foragers City Table floor manager Melissa Beck — citing an oft-repeated customer sentiment regarding the evolving face of ground floor businesses on Eighth Avenue, between 14th and 23rd Streets.

The unique new tenant at 22nd Street and Eighth is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and not just because it occupies that long-derelict eyesore below The GEM Chelsea Hotel.

Five months ago, Foragers City Grocer made its debut — joined next door by sister space Foragers City Wine. Foragers City Table restaurant soon followed, located in the back of the grocery space.

Husband and wife team Richard Lamb and Anna Castellani, along with co-owner Clifford Shikler, hope this evolved version of the DUMBO-based Foragers Market will serve as a business model for other locations throughout the city.

For now though, Beck (again citing customer feedback) says they’re content to offer “quality, so we don’t have to go to Chelsea Market.” That reasonable trek, mere blocks away, can nonetheless seem daunting when priority number one is quick access to morning coffee or the missing ingredient for a meal that’s already behind schedule.

Continued on page 16

Photos courtesy of Foragers

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August 22 - September 4, 2012

13

Dead wood on bucket list Your company insurance changed again?

Photo by Andra Gabrielle

August 16: From his crane bucket perch, Anthony Liso — a climber/pruner with Manhattan Forestry — is hard at work as traffic whizzes by. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s staff, working with the

Another reason to call.

300 West Block Association, arranged for dead tree limb removal to keep the south side of the 300 West 21st St. block (near 9th Ave.) safe, in anticipation of its fall role as a play area for PS 11 students.

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August 22 - September 4, 2012

After approval: Distributing, paying for HIV prophylaxis is next obstacle Continued from page 11 and remain adherent to a pill-per-day PrEP regimen, it may be worth exploring other methods of taking the drug.

“One conversation I’ve been having is whether we should maybe be developing a monthly Truvada patch,” said Rindler. “A pill every single day might not always be the best solution for people who are on low incomes or who have substance abuse issues.”

And as advocates and insurers began pondering a course of action for Truvada in its prevention role, a new clinical trial began last month to investigate the potential of a different PrEP drug.

Led by Dr. Roy Gulick of New York City’s Weill Cornell Medical College, the NEXT-PrEP Study will determine the efficacy and safety of using the drug maraviroc — which, like Truvada, is an antiretroviral first used in HIV treatment. Gulick was featured at a recent GMHC forum on August 2, at which he spoke about his upcoming work and his presence at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, from July 22 to 27.

The NEXT-PrEP Study is expected to yield results by mid-2014.

“We don’t like to put all our eggs in one basket,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the division of the NIH that is sponsoring the study. “Whether you’re talking about drugs for treatment or prevention, it makes good sense to keep alternatives at the ready.”

Fauci would not give an opinion on insurance coverage or other policy decisions, but stressed that the

Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.

distribution of PrEP requires prudence.

“It’s an important piece of the toolkit of combination preventions, but it’s not for everyone,” he said. “Rather than being widely used, it should only be taken by highrisk individuals.”

Although he supports the NEXT-PrEP Study, Rindler disagreed with Fauci’s assessment of how PrEP should be distributed.

“If you ignore risk populations that haven’t become high-risk yet, you’re just going to see infection rates go up in those ‘lower’-risk groups until they require more help or more medication,” Rindler explained. “It’s like pushing the springs down on a bed. You have to apply appropriate pressure to all areas, because you can’t just keep letting new springs pop up everywhere.”

He added that there must be more information on PrEP made available to Chelsea residents, regardless of their social class or demographic.

“I think if you walk down Eighth Avenue and ask people what the difference is between PEP [postexposure prophylaxis] and PrEP, I would say 20 percent would not have ever heard of either, and the other 80 percent wouldn’t know what the difference is,” said Rindler.

PEP is an intensive, month-long antiretroviral drug regimen that can be taken by HIV-negative individuals immediately after exposure to the virus, to prevent the risk of becoming infected.

Rindler also added that Chelsea men need more education about the safe sex practices they must follow even if they do choose to take PrEP, recalling, “I had a friend of a friend here who was with someone who actually said, ‘Don’t worry, we can fuck without a condom, because I’m taking Truvada.’ That’s a concern.”

August 22 - September 4, 2012

15

Albert Amateau retires after a lifetime in the news

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON After a career as a newsman spanning six decades, Albert Amateau has retired from Community Media.

Before doing so, he filed a fine profile of Peggy Friedman (director of the Washington Square Music Festival) for The Villager, our sister publication. That was his last story as a fulltime staffer.

Amateau, who just turned 80, said he plans to take a few weeks to acclimate to retirement, but then might want to cover precinct community council meetings or write obituaries for The Villager and the East Villager & Lower East Sider. Before he cleared out his desk, Amateau also indicated a willingness to accept freelance assignments from Chelsea Now. We’ll give him another week or two to relax, and then follow up on that verbal agreement.

As he wrote in a personal piece reflecting on his career (“A lifelong newsman looks back,” Chelsea Now, July 25), Amateau began his life in newspapers around 1952 as a copy boy at the World Telegram & Sun, down at 125 Barclay Street. Allen Ginsberg, fellow copy boy, advised him to ditch poetry after seeing a sample of his verse.

But it was the news industry’s gain. Amateau would go on to work for the Lafayette, Louisiana, Daily Advertiser, the Syracuse Post Standard and also Millinery Research, where he covered boxer Emile Griffith, who had a day job in the stockroom of a Sixth Avenue millinery house. He also reported for Women’s Wear Daily, The Westsider and Chelsea Clinton News before coming to The Villager and Downtown Express in 1997.

Amateau wrote most of The Villager’s obituaries and covered the full slate of community board meetings and City Council hearings — from St. Vincent’s Hospital to the NYU 2031 plan.

His obits annually won top honors in the New York Press Association’s newspaper contest, one judge once raving of Amateau’s pieces, “I didn’t want to miss a single, delicious word.”

Select items from The Villager’s Police Blotter, which Amateau

Photos by Tequila Minsky

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer declared it “Albert Amateau Day” but warned him not to try and use this to get out of a stop-and-frisk situation.

also penned, also appeared in Chelsea Now. Larry O’Connor, a former editor of his at the Chelsea Clinton News, respectfully dubbed Amateau “The Dean of Community Journalism.”

Amateau was feted at a party on August 2 at Phil Mouquinho’s P.J. Charlton bar and restaurant, at Greenwich and Charlton Streets. Borough President Scott Stringer presented Amateau with a proclamation declaring it “Albert Amateau Appreciation Day.” Stringer noted the veteran scribe had been covering him ever since he was a kid campaigning for his cousin Bella Abzug.

Assemblymember Richard Gottfried said Amateau made neighborhood news important, and was always reliable.

“When Amateau said it was so — it was so,” he stated.

Councilmember Gale Brewer also presented the career newsman a proclamation. She recalled how when she was an aide to former Borough President Ruth Messinger on the Upper West Side, she depended on Amateau’s reporting to help fight

for tenants’ rights.

Councilmember Margaret Chin said she hadn’t known Amateau that long, but that he was always a really nice guy.

Troy Masters, associate publisher of Gay City News, said that for a straight person, Amateau wrote very sensitively about gay issues.

“He just gets it,” Masters said, adding, “I love him.” Amateau gallantly kissed Masters’ hand.

Mouquinho said his first memory of Amateau was of him being “surrounded by 14 people” at a meeting. The restaurateur said he had no idea what actually went on at the meeting until he read Amateau’s incisive report.

Jere Hester, a former city editor at the New York Daily News who now works at CUNY’s graduate journalism department, cut his teeth at the Downtown Express with Amateau, during an earlier stint by Amateau at that paper.

“Al taught me how to curse like a devil,” Hester said, “and write like an angel.”

16

August 22 - September 4, 2012

Photos courtesy of Foragers

For Foragers, it’s three on Eighth Continued from page 12 Fresh, largely organic and light years away from the preservative-infused selections that line the shelves of nearby convenience stores and supermarkets, Foragers has curated its limited space with offbeat takes on typical grocery store offerings.

Cashew Utopia vegan ice cream (from a small upstate company), salt water taffy from across the river in Brooklyn and legume-based spreads from Sullivan Street’s own Peanut Butter & Co. are among the products whose manufacturers eschew aesthetic and nutritional compromises made by the demands of mass production. Twice a week, a delivery truck packed with meats and produce from Foragers Farm and any one of over a dozen other organic and free-range suppliers makes a delivery of fresh product that will be served in the restaurant, put under glass in the butcher’s section or be turned into prepared staples and comfort foods available in the Grab and Go case.

Patrons of the restaurant (55 table seats, five bar seats, three chef’s bar seats) are encouraged to visit City Wine before or shortly after ordering their meal.

Before diners reach the exit, items from the menu (soon to undergo an autumnal makeover) are available for purchase from store shelves. Currently, Saturday’s brunch crowd might walk out with the housemade toasted quinoa granola as well as the Maple Hill Creamery yogurt it’s served with. Add your own choice of fresh fruit, and the City Table experience can be duplicated at home on Sunday.

For a complete list of the farms supplying Foragers with their milk, eggs, cheese, meat, vegetables and spirits, see the web version of this article. Visit chelseanow.com and access “Foragers makes

good” from the home page or by entering that phrase into the search box.

Foragers is located at 300 W. 22nd St. (btw. Eighth & Ninth Avenues).

City Grocer is open daily, 7am-10pm.

Table: Mon.-Fri., 6pm-11pm; Sat. & Sun. brunch, 10:30am-2pm and dinner from 6pm-10pm. Wine: Mon.-Sat., 2pm-11pm; Sun., 2pm-9pm. For more info, call 212243-8888 or visit foragerscitygrocer.com.

August 22 - September 4, 2012

17

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19

CHELSEA: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Expect to get schooled!

After a summer’s worth of festivals, Downtown theater gets back to basics

BY TRAV S. D. Hello, and welcome to our special “Back to School” edition of the Downtown Theater Column. Many bargains here, but more importantly: Expect to get schooled!

August 30 through September 15, No Tea Productions will be presenting “SPACE CAPTAIN: Captain of Space,” a multimedia spoof of 1930s science fiction serials like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Though it sounds more than a little like “Spacemen from Space” (a multimedia spoof of 1930s science fiction serials which I performed in a couple of years ago), my mind is open to the possibility that it could pass muster, or even jet into uncharted territory. For example, the current production claims that it is entirely “in black and white” — which would be quite a feat for a live stage show. Just how they accomplish that trick is enough to intrigue me! I don’t know this company’s work, so I can’t promise that this show will be up to my high standards for low entertainment.

But at least it’s a chance to watch grown men run around in feety pajamas shooting toy ray guns at one another, and that’s not to be sneezed at. “Space Captain” will be playing at the Kraine Theater. More info can be found at noteaproductions.com.

August 31, the Bats (the resident company of The Flea Theater) will open “Job.” This version of the Old Testament story about the most put-upon man in history is written by controversial African-American playwright Thomas Bradshaw — who’s been raising the hackles of audiences and critics for years with provocative, politically incorrect plays like “Purity,” “Burning,” “Southern Promises” and “Strom Thurmond is Not a Racist.” While the marketing material promises that his take on “Job” is “honest” and “uncynical,” one still can’t help wondering what outrages he will commit upon it. And I mean that in a good way. “Job” will be playing through October 7. Info and tickets at theflea.org.

September 3 through October 1, the Origin Theatre Company will be presenting the fifth annual addition of First Irish, billed as the world’s only theater festival dedicated to Irish playwrights. The month-long festival features plays and musicals by 11 contemporary Irish playwrights (plus Eugene O’Neill), in productions from Belfast, Dublin, Boston and New York — as well as a number of scholarly panel discussions, readings and film screenings. First Irish will be taking place at several theaters throughout the city, including the Irish Rep, 59E59 Theaters, the Irish Arts Center, the National Arts Club and The Drilling Company Theatre. It runs through October 1.

More info at 1stirish.org.

Here’s a bit of welcome news. Circus Amok — the radical anarchist circus run by “woman with a beard” (never “bearded lady”) Jennifer Miller — returns after a long hiatus, with a four-borough tour of their new show, “Moo.” The 12-member troupe of clowns, acrobats and musicians mixes traditional big top feats of derring-do with some kind of crazy narrative about cops, creditors and a cow on the loose (hence the title). The citywide tour launches September 8, with the Downtown Manhattan shows taking place on September 23, at 1 and 4pm in Tompkins Square Park. Circusamok.org for more details.

September 11-16, an outfi t named Gobsmacked Productions is offering a revival of their 1996 show “Sicks: An Evening With Six of the Most Notorious

Photo by Jeremy Mather

The multimedia spoof “SPACE CAPTAIN: Captain of Space” promises a theater experience that’s strictly black and white.

Women in History.” The villainous sextet consists of Lizzie Borden, Bonnie Parker, Catherine the Great, Ma Barker, Queen Mary I and Squeaky Fromme. I think they left out a few notorious women, including some I know personally. Be that as it may, I look forward to spending an hour or two with such interesting conversationalists as these. The show promises to “walk you through life from their sick and twisted perspectives as they tell their own versions of what really happened to land them in the spotlight.” I’m so there! The limited run will be presented at Walkerspace, which also houses Soho Rep. Tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com or by calling 800838-3006.

September 12-22, the Workshop Theater Company is presenting a “Play-in-Progress” production of a musical adaptation of Mark Twain’s “Life on the Mississippi,” at the Jewel Box Theater. Anyone who knows the book will be highly curious as to how such a thing can be made stageworthy (it’s part memoir, part rambling tall tale, part travelogue, part history, part instructional manual and no “story”). Still, stranger things have happened. Both “Oh! Calcutta!” and “Cats!” ran for years. For more info, go to workshoptheater.org.

And if you haven’t been hearing enough about Ayn Rand lately, this show by Michael Yates Crowley and Michael Rau of the company Wolf 359 should put you over the top: “Song of a Convalescent Ayn Rand Giving Thanks to the Godhead (in the Lydian Mode).” Playing a myriad of characters, the team previously responsible for “The Ted Haggard Monologues” and “Righteous Money”

mash up comical songs, sketches and poems all revolving around the original evangelist of the church of selfishness.

The show runs at IRT September 15-29. Tickets are free or pay-what-you-can, and can be reserved at brownpapertickets.com.

September 21-30, a highly unique theatrical performance event will be taking place in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side. An entire four-walled, fully furnished and functional ranch house is being built inside the space — in which a trio of actors will be performing a 90-minute play on a loop all day, every day, from 1 to 9pm. The actors will be improvising their movement throughout the house. Spectators can watch the free event through the windows. The script, called “Habit” was written by Jason Grote, long a Downtown indie theater stalwart who has gone on to great success as a television writer. It’s all part of the Crossing the Line festival, co-presented by Performance Space 122 and The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF). For more info, fiaf.org/ctl.

September 22, 1-8pm look for a bevy of fine free performances along East Fourth Street, as Fourth Arts Block puts on its annual Fab! Festival. The schedule is not yet posted, but one thing I can promise you’ll see is a co-presentation by yours truly and the Innovative Theatre Awards Foundation. I’ll be hosting and presenting an afternoon of Freak Fiction featuring me, the Lady Aye, Dandy Darkly, Steve Bird, Bobby Oahu (aka Josh Hartung), et al.

Full schedule and locations TBA, at gabnyc.org.

See you there, I hope!

20

August 22 - September 4, 2012

See you in September Buhmann anticipates Chelsea, Tribeca fall gallery highlights

BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN

ROSEMARY LAING: “leak” In Laing’s new series, an upside-down, single-family home disturbs an otherwise harmonious pastoral landscape. The tension initiated by the aggressive manifestation of a manmade structure in the face of calm natural beauty serves as metaphor: the threat of suburbanization to the idyllic vistas of the Australian landscape. Throughout the past decade, on drives along the south coast of Australia, the artist has witnessed small country towns and farmlands become significantly altered through the socio-economic and environmental pressures of suburban development. Though “leak” focuses specifically on the Cooma-Monaro District in New South Wales, an area that has been the subject of many Australian landscape paintings, Laing's message easily relates to a broader world context.

Reception: Thurs., Sept. 6, 6-8pm.

Book signing: Sat., Sept. 8, 3pm. On view from Sept. 6-Oct. 20, at Galerie Lelong (528 W. 26th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Fall hours: Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. Call 212-315-0470 or visit galerielelong.com.

Image courtesy of Galerie Lelong, New York (© Rosemary Laing)

Rosemary Laing: “Eddie” (2010, C Type photograph, 43x101 inches/109.2x256.5 cm).

KWANG YOUNG CHUN Born in 1944 in Hongchun, Korea, Kwang Young Chun has exhibited internationally since 1966. He has gained international fame for his unique process of composing structures that consist of

thousands of small triangles, each individually hand molded in paper. Young Chun gathers mulberry paper from old books of important Korean texts and dyes the papers into various shades with the help of teas and flowers. The small, minimalist pieces of mulberry paper are then attached one by one to a two-dimensional surface, or built into free-standing sculptures that seem to tell of both distress and poetry.

Reception: Thurs., Sept. 6, 6-8pm.

On view from Sept. 6-Oct. 20, at Hasted

Kraeutler (537 W. 24th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves). Fall hours: Tues.-Sat., 11am6pm. Call 212-627-0006 or visit hastedkraeutler.com.

UNREST: REVOLT AGAINST REASON Organized by Natalie Musteata, this exhibition presents eight international contemporary artists whose works address issues of inequality, conflict and instability in recent history. Inspired by the recent wave of uprisings in Syria, Yemen,

Continued on page 21

© Kwang Young Chun, Courtesy of the artist & Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, NYC

Kwang Young Chun: “Aggregation 03-BJ001” (2003).

August 22 - September 4, 2012

Receptions, book signings are signs of new gallery season

Image courtesy of Kansas Gallery

Brendan Cass: “The Rhine River” (2009, Acrylic on canvas, 48x84 in/121.9x213.4 cm).

BRENDAN CASS Continued from page 20 Algeria, Iraq, Jordan and Morocco, as well as the Occupy Wall Street movement, this exhibition will illustrate how political unrest can quickly gain momentum, extending into streets, offices, schools and involving multiple cultural centers across the world. The selected works by Mounir Fatmi, Claire Fontaine, Shilpa Gupta, Iman Issa, Tala Madani, Ahmet Ögüt, Tomáš Rafa and Alexandre Singh will serve as a reminder that the intersection between creative practice and political activism is not only longstanding but also of the moment.

Reception: Wed., Sept. 12, 6-8pm. On view Sept. 12-Oct. 27, at apexart (291 Church St., btw. White & Walker Sts.).

Hours: Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm. Call 212431-5270 or visit apexart.org.

His paintings can be described as a pictorial discussion of the art of the past, of the here and now, and also of what is to come. His forms are organic, reflecting his belief in nature and living. In the past, he has stated: “Nature is what I'm ultimately giving people, something they already are. My work is a reminder to people, to live.” The sentiment evokes Jackson Pollock’s famous statement: “I am nature.” Cass’s process is rooted in drawing, the paint being applied later to flesh out the compositions. The results are vibrant, vividly brushed conglomerates of forms made from snippets of references to landscapes, human settlements and atmospheric weather patterns.

Sept. 14-Oct. 20, at Kansas Gallery (59 Franklin St., btw. Lafayette & Broadway).

Fall hours: Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm. Call 646-559-1423 or visit kansasgallery.com.

We have relocated our downtown Broadway store to more spacious quarters at 161 Hudson Street.

Image courtesy of the artist and apexart

Tomáš Rafa: “New Nationalism in the Heart of Europe” (single channel video, 2009-12).

TRIBECA 161 Hudson Street 212.777.0771

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August 22 - September 4, 2012

A Times Square busker breaks his silence Robot’s tell-all does more than go through the motions THEATER FROM BUSK TILL DAWN: THE LIFE OF A NYC STREET PERFORMER

Part of the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) Written & Performed by Tim Intravia Directed by Rebecca Yarsin Fri., Aug. 24, 5pm; Sat., Aug. 25, 4pm At the Gene Frankel Theatre 24 Bond St. (btw. Lafayette & Bowery) Tickets: $15 in advance, $18 at the box office To order, and for a full schedule of

Photo by Alexander Long

Tim Intravia will do the robot upon request…but only for cash.

FringeNYC events, visit fringenyc.org

BY SCOTT STIFFLER The next time you find yourself depressed or disappointed (or at least acutely aware)

that life has become a bit routine, just be glad you’re not that guy who spends his days standing on a soap box in the middle of Times Square, covered head to toe in silver and competing for dollar bills with the likes of Elmo, Buzz Lightyear and The Singing Cowboy.

You may feel like a robot, but Tim Intravia is actually expected to “do the robot” — that popular dance move meant to convey mechanical motion — again and again and again. Sure, each new request chips away at his dignity…but at least he has a FringeNYC gig to show for it.

As source material goes, there’s plenty to work with. Tourists who snap photos without making a cash donation, cops who want to bust you for loitering, cutthroat competition from fellow buskers, creepy groupies and silent longing for the unobtainable “Lotion Lady” who plies her trade in a nearby store: These are just a few of the nuggets Intravia draws from, as he recaps seven years of working as a living statue while killing time by daydreaming of better things to come.

That maddening existence (lonely, mute stillness punctuated by short bursts of activity and recognition) is a perfect metaphor for the hungry actor — and the irony is not lost on our man in silver.

Intravia’s a basically decent guy with an unusual day job that thrusts him into one absurd situation after another. That said, there’s one thing capable of making this soft-spoken Everyman fly into a furious, uncorked rage: a request to “do the robot.” Unfortunately, this happens about 100 times a day.

From curious onlookers, who want to see him break his motionless stance, to subway muggers to potential lovers, people just can’t get enough of that funky mechanical dance.

Even an arresting officer dangles “the robot” as a Get Out of Jail Free card (“Hey Carlo,” he asks his partner, “What do you say to a mime,

you have the right to speak?”).

A proud actor who learned those in-demand moves as a student at the Circle in the Square Theater School, Intravia plays his insecurity for laughs — wanting (practically begging) you to know that he’s more than the sum of his living statue skills. But you’ll never know, because his bit part as a waiter in Episode 13, Season 2 of “Blue Bloods” got cut. And that leading role in the big-budget movie inspired by a true story he told to a screenwriter? The powers that be decided there’s nobody better qualified to play Tim Intravia than Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Compared to these anecdotes, even the life of a NYC street performer pales in comparison — and that’s the notable shortcoming of this amiable but ultimately slight monologue.

The show’s best moments come from the trials and errors of the guy beneath all that silver makeup, and take place outside the confines of his Times Square workplace.

Although skilled indeed at doing the robot, Intravia’s most physically expressive scene involves a pantomime of time spent at the bank while the teller meticulously counts his tips (a massive stack of dollar bills). A retrieved memory of childhood trauma is hysterical (to the audience, at least). So too is the moment when Intravia wipes away his makeup and describes his domestic life, which involves a gay roommate with noisy paramours and a refrigerator stocked only with Silver Bullet beer.

These moments, so removed from the toooften-told confessions of an underemployed actor, are full of promise. Let’s hope Intravia, a sharp and subtle observational comedian, uses “From Busk Till Dawn” to move beyond monologue work and into the realm of writing for multiple characters.

That already seems to be happening. The press kit for “Busk” notes that an original web series (“Parker and Steve”) is in the can and on the way.

Visit timintravia.com for more info.

August 22 - September 4, 2012

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He’s no Magic Mike, but we like him Stripper’s tale bares enough, if not all THEATER REDlight

Part of the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) Written & Performed by Ryan Kipp Directed by Jennifer Tuttle & Marc Santa Maria Choreographed by Carol Johnson Sat., Aug. 25, 5pm Sun., Aug. 26, 4pm At the White Box at 440 440 Lafayette St. (at Astor Place) Tickets: $15 in advance, $18 at the box office To order, and for a full schedule of FringeNYC events, visit fringenyc.org

BY DAVID KENNERLEY If you come to see the inventively engaging “REDlight,” which offers a peek inside the seamy VIP rooms of a notorious gay strip club, with the aim of gleefully chowing down on beefcake, you’ll be disappointed. This is no gay parody of “Magic Mike.”

Rather, this solo show, written and performed by Ryan Kipp, offers an unblinking, intentionally fractured portrait of one man’s meditation on masculinity, desire and grief as he reconciles memories of an awful childhood.

Under the direction of Jennifer Tuttle and Marc Santa Maria, with dynamic choreography by Carol Johnson, this is one of the more heartfelt, unnervingly affecting pieces you’re likely to see at the Fringe this year.

Kipp presents loosely connected vignettes drawn from real life working as “the resident ginger” at a gay strip joint, selling the illusion of fantasy and desire.

At the onset, he admits he likes men — their power, grace and beauty — and in the next breath claims he’s straight with a beautiful wife. Remarkably, our skepticism melts away as he works hard to convince us why this just might make sense.

With only a trunkful of costumes, the exuberant Kipp morphs into a range of personas. He’s a cocky stripper welcoming a hairy newbie with a hygiene issue (that newbie was him). He’s a boy on a fishing trip with his dad, hungry for approval. He’s a strip-club patron, irate that Kipp is straight and refuses to find him desirable in the one place he expects (and pays) to be desired. “I don’t want you here,” the patron yells at Kipp.

Later, he’s a jarhead in the military mourning the loss of his secret boyfriend, devastated that he must lie to his buddies and refer to Alex as Alice.

Toward the end, he plays his mother, recounting a tragic incident involving his drunken dad that feels like a punch to the gut.

The piece is energized by projected images of male nudity, bathed in red light, and of his boyhood. A pulsating soundtrack blasts pop tunes from Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, Eminem and 50 Cent.

Sure, this piece is rough around the edges. The only major flaw is the climax, which comes early (after about 40 minutes) and awkwardly, muffling the impact of the final reveal.

Photo by Jennifer E. Koltun

Ryan Kipp in “REDlight.”

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August 22 - September 4, 2012