DOWNTOWN EXPRESS, OCTOBER 12 - 18, 2011

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LADY LIBERTY MUSEUM, PG. 6

®

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 22

express THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN

OCTOBER 12 - 18, 2011

Residents, Stringer focus on dangerous Tribeca intersection

Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

Occupy Wall Street protestors at last week’s rally in Foley Square. Now entering its fourth week, the group is trying to work with the local community on certain issues.

BY ALINE REYNOLDS Three-year-old Tribeca youngster Ozzie Carty was riding his scooter to Washington Market park on Friday, Sept. 30, when a cab hit him and knocked him down at the intersection of Greenwich and Duane Streets.

The accident resulted in a concussion, even though Ozzie was wearing a helmet, as well as internal bleeding, according to the toddler’s shaken parents, Richard and Sonia Carty. Last week the Tribeca couple joined elected officials and other neighborhood families to call for a traffic light or additional signage to be installed at the intersection, which is notoriously known as a danger zone for pedestrians.

“Last Friday was a very traumatic day for us.

If [Ozzie] wasn’t wearing the helmet, this would be a very different discussion,” said Richard Carty at a press conference held

by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer at the corner of Greenwich and Duane Streets on Thursday, Oct. 6.

Carty said he would be willing to purchase a stop sign himself for the intersection on eBay but acknowledged that the city would have to approve the installation.

“This is gross negligence,” said the angry parent. “There will be a stop sign. There will be more safety at this intersection. Period. There are

Continued on page 12

Tensions rise as ‘occupiers’ try and work with community

BY CYNTHIA MAGNUS More visitors continued to flock to Zuccotti Park, and Community Board 1 continued to try to liaise with the protestors that are camping out there, as Occupy Wall Street entered its fourth week on Saturday.

Over a thousand protesters gathered on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Washington Square Park to hold a general assembly meeting before returning peacefully to Zuccotti Park. Earlier in the week the protesters joined thousands of labor union members at a rally in Foley Square on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Several were arrested as they clashed with the NYPD Downtown following the rally.

At the C.B. 1 Financial District Committee meeting on Oct. 5, the possibility of the occupiers making space in Zuccotti available to neighbors and local workers to use again was raised.

Committee Chair Ro Sheffe said that the perception is that the park has been taken over. Justin Wedes, an occupier with the group’s community relations working group (comparable to a committee), said that the park is public and that anyone is welcome to use it.

Sheffe asked Wedes to convey to the general assembly the committee’s concerns about park space, pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the park,

sanitation, and the noise from the drum circle that is active for up to twelve hours daily.

Pat Moore, chair of the C.B.1 Quality of Life Committee, said of the protesters who attended the Oct. 5 meeting, “They are not communicating with us. We’ve gotten no response from anyone saying, ‘I’ve brought this back to the body and this was their response.’”

One drummer, John, who said he is an unemployed computer programmer, comes from New Jersey, sleeps in Zuccotti Park on weekends, and drums

Continued on page 2

Racing on the water Classic Harbor Line’s new schooner America 2.0 was launched just over three weeks ago. Over the weekend, she participated in the annual Classic Yacht races organized by the New York Harbor Sailing Foundation.

Turn to page 16.

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October 12 - 18, 2011

Protestors, C.B.1 try to sort out differences Continued from page 1 daily from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. “Drumming creates a space for people to come and feel a connection,” said John.

Brian, a protestor that serves on the facilitation working group, called the drummers “feckless” and said they were disruptive to the occupier community. As for the wider community, some of whom have complained about the noise, Brian said, “It’s just one of those things that you just gotta eat. I have no sympathy for that.”

Occupy Wall Street activist Helena said, “Having the drummers stop would make [the general assemblies] sane.”

When asked if he was concerned about disrupting the general assembly, where people gather nightly to discuss matters related to the community, John said, “I really don’t want to talk.”

Another drummer, Blackfeather, 19, explained that the drum circle is not a formal group that could easily agree to pause while the general assembly was in session.

Participants come and go throughout the day, and include trumpet, tambourine, and guitar players. The drumming takes place from about 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., when it is required to stop.

Blackfeather, who says he has lived in the park for three weeks and attends the most of

Downtown Express photo by Cynthia Magnus

One of the most contentious issues for the local community surrounding the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park is the drum circle that goes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

the time, said, “I’m here for the movement, not the drumming. I really wish more people would be at the [general assembly], not the drum circle.”

“We want to be good neighbors,” said

Wedes, who added that some of the park residents could possibly volunteer in area businesses, and now that the nurse’s union has voiced support for Occupy Wall Street, perhaps nurses could offer childcare train-

ing to the occupiers of Zuccotti Park. The occupiers could then offer babysitting to neighborhood residents.

“We have a lot of people here who have a lot of time,” said Wedes.

When asked how the baby-sitting would work and how parents could check credentials, Wedes said, “They could go to the homes. There’s an element of trust [that would be] involved.”

Mike, a manager at O’Hara’s restaurant on Cedar Street, said that protesters come to use the toilet, driving up the cost of supplies like paper and soap. He also said that the sink in the women’s restroom was separated from the wall “when apparently someone tried to bathe in it.”

Asked if the occupiers would be welcome if the group reimbursed the restaurant for supplies, Mike said, “I don’t want to know about it. That time has come and gone,” citing an incident in which a protester shattered a glass by throwing it against a wall.

Among the many conditions that plague the Zuccotti occupier community and concern C.B. 1 committee members is sanitation in the park.

Jordan, 22, originally from New Hampshire, is a member of the occupation’s sanitation working group. A traveler for the past two years, she has experience as a

Continued on page 27

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NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9, 12-21

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OWNTOWN

EDITORIAL PAGES . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

DIGEST

SEAPORT PRINTING CO. REOPENS The Seaport Museum New York’s famed printing shop, Bowne & Co., Stationers, is reopening its doors to the public on Fri., Oct. 14, according to Susan Henshaw Jones, director of the Museum of the City of New York, the entity that has temporarily assumed control of the struggling maritime museum.

M.C.N.Y. has rehired master printer Robert Warner to run the shop. “We’re thrilled to get [Warner] back and to be operating the presses again, making orders in the store and getting ready for taking orders,” said Jones.

The print shop, she noted, will be open five-to-six days per week.

Meanwhile, Jones has appointed Jerry Gallagher, M.C.N.Y.’s former vice president of facilities, as the Seaport Museum’s general manager. “I’ve worked with him here at M.C.N.Y. for five or six years. I know his capabilities — they are broad,” said Jones. “He’s got lots of managerial background.”

Gallagher wasn’t immediately available for comment.

VACANCY RATES DIMINISH DOWNTOWN The summer months are typically the slowest for the office market in Manhattan. But even in a slower leasing environment, Downtown saw a decrease in vacancy rates for all building classes for the third consecutive quarter, according to Jones Lang Lasalle, a financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate.

Class A vacancy rates dropped to 8.9 percent this quarter, a decrease of 2.3 percent from the previous quarter.

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Downtown’s Class B vacancy rates fell to 12.2 percent in the third quarter of the year — a drop of 18.1 percent.

While the vacancy rates declined, the average asking price for rental space increased. James Delmonte, vice president and director of research for Jones Lang LaSalle’s New York office, attributed the increase in rent to two factors.

“Higher-priced space at Seven World Trade Center was leased up, while space priced above average came to the market at One World Financial Center,” said Delmonte.

“The Downtown market is likely to experience both higher vacancy rates and higher rents in the near-term as quality space is anticipated to come to market.”

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C.B. 1 EE TING S

A schedule of this week’s upcoming Community Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless otherwise noted, all committee meetings are held at the board office, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709 at 6 p.m.

CHINATOWN TEEN KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN Nineteen-year-old U.S. Army Private Danny Chen, who was sent to combat in Aghanistan two months ago, was reportedly killed early last week. Officials are still investigating the cause of his death, though media reports allege Chen might have been the victim of racial discrimination by fellow soldiers.

Chen, who was raised in Chinatown, attended Chinatown Head Start preschool, P.S. 130 elementary school and Pace High School before enlisting in the army earlier this year.

Renny Fong, a computer teacher at P.S. 130, said he remembers his former student very fondly.

“He was a little goofy, but he was a really great kid who made everyone smile,” said Fong.

ON WED., OCT. 12: The Tribeca Committee will meet.

ON THURS., OCT. Committee will meet.

13:

The Landmarks

ON MON., OCT. 17: The World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee will meet at 250 Broadway (19th floor).

ON TUES., OCT. 18: The Seaport/Civic Center Committee will meet.

Continued on page 4

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between Grant and Manhattanville Houses groups, but he said neither he nor Cartagena killed the woman, according to a Daily News item. Brockington also said that neither he nor Cartagena were carrying guns.

POLICE BLOTTER Dapper robber A man in a dark suit and a white button-down shirt walked up to a teller into the Capital One branch at 277 Broadway at Chambers St. around 12:30 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 6, opened his jacket to reveal a gun tucked into his waistband and demanded money, police said. He fled with an undetermined sum. The same suspect is believed to have robbed a Capital One branch on W. 57th St. on Sept. 21.

Nab phone thief suspect Police arrested Isiah Coley, 22, around 2 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 29 and charged him with stealing two Verizon cell phones earlier that day from a Verizon store at 102 Fulton St. Coley and an unnamed accomplice cut the wires from the phones and made off with them around 10:10 a.m. but they were recorded on a surveillance tape. Coley was arrested in Brooklyn later and one of the phones was recovered.

Attempted bank scam Police arrested Ricardo Hoyte, 20, and Gary Burns, 44, at the Chase Bank branch at 80 Broadway on Friday afternoon, Oct. 7 and charged them with trying to steal a bank account with over $50,000 using a false driver’s license and a fake credit card.

The two suspects asked a Chase banker to link Burn’s account with the $50,000 account of someone else and presented Hoyte as the other person. Hoyte showed a false Rhode Island driver’s license bearing his photo and the other name and presented a false credit card in the other person’s name, police said.

On Saturday, Sept. 24, four of the suspects approached three men entering the Broadway/Lafayette St. station at 7:10 p.m., displayed a gun and robbed the victims.

On Mon., Aug. 15, four of the suspects approached four men walking on a staircase in the Broadway/E. Houston St. station, displayed box cutters, and robbed them.

The suspects include a black woman between 18 and 20, 5’4”, 120 lbs. with the word “Hated,” a picture of a rose and the word “Loved” tattooed on her arm. A Hispanic man, 17-20, between 5’10” and 6’1” 190 pounds with a piercing in his right eyebrow was present in one of the incidents.

Another suspect is a Hispanic man, 17-20, 5’10”-6’ with braided hair, an Eye of Horus tattoo on his neck and a spider web tattoo on his left arm. Another suspect, a black man, 17-20, 5’9”, 180 lbs. has earrings in both ears. Another suspect is described as a black man, 17-20, 5’7”-5’10”, 190 lbs. with an unknown tattoo on his right arm.

Anyone with information should phone Crime Stoppers at 800:577-TIPS (8477) or on line at www.crimestoppers. com or text 274637 (crimes) and enter TIPS577.

Fulton St. grabs

Fake ID? Two Upper West Side women, 19, told police they went down to Soho to buy fake IDs and approached a likely looking black man on Thompson St. between Houston and Prince Sts. and asked if he could accommodate them. They gave him $110 and he took it, along with their bags with watches and jewelry and fled, police said.

Wooster motorcycles A man, 60, who chained his motorcycle to a bike mount outside his residence at 135 Wooster St. on Wed., Oct. 5, looked out at 7:30 a.m. the next day and found the bike, a Kawasaki valued at $4,000 was gone.

A man who parked his 2009 Kawasaki valued at $6,000 across the street at 132 Wooster St. on Wednesday evening Oct. 5, discovered it was gone the next morning along with his helmet and helmet carrier, police said.

Bicycle theft A woman, 53, told police that she discovered at noon on Fri., Oct. 7 that two $500 bicycles. that she had locked to a pole on the northwest corner of Prince Street. and Broadway had been stolen.

Store security guards stopped Cynthia Perez, 21, at J & R Music World, 23 Park Row on Saturday evening Oct. 8 for trying to pay for two iPads with a couple of fake Mastercards.

She was charged with attempted larceny and possession of forged instruments.

A Brooklyn woman, 32, was about to pay for her diner and drinks at the bar in The Fulton, 121 Fulton St., at 9 p.m.

Mon. Oct. 10 when a stranger grabbed her bag from her hand a fled, police said. She lost $120 in cash and discovered later that an unauthorized charge of $16.90 had been made on a credit card.

A woman patron of Liam’s, 90 Fulton St., told police she discovered at 11 p.m. Sat., Oct. 8 that her bag which she draped on the back of her chair, with $40 in cash and a medical prescription for which she paid $100, had been stolen.

A woman shopping at Mr. Clothes Out, 145 Fulton St., forgot her wallet after she paid for her purchases at 4:21 p.m. Sat., Oct. 8, police said. She phoned the store two hours later and asked the same cashier if her wallet was still there. The cashier checked the surveillance video and told the victim the tape showed a woman in a white dress had picked up the wallet.

Subway robberies

Bergtraum hoopster’s shooting

Did the shoe fit?

Police are looking for five young suspects, one of them a woman, in connection with a series of robberies at Fifth Precinct subway stations. On Sat., Oct. 1, five of the gang approached three men at 7 p.m. on the southbound platform of the Broadway/Lafayette St. station, simulated possession of a knife, threatened to cut the victims, robbed them and fled.

One of two men arrested for killing Tayshana Murphy, 18, a Murry Bergtraum High School senior and women’s basketball star, in the Sept. 11 shooting in the Grant Houses in Harlem, denied the charge last week.

Tyshawn Brockington, arrested with Robert Cartagena in South Carolina on Sept. 21, admitted he went to Murphy’s building on Sept. 11 to see if he could settle a conflict

A woman shopping at Steve Madden Shoes, 529 Broadway at Spring St. around 5:30 p.m. Sun., Sept. 9 put her bag on the floor while she went to a mirror and returned a moment later to find that the bag with $60 in cash, a cellphone and credit cards had been stolen.

Fake credit cards

Painting gone An employee of an art gallery at 64 Grand St., near W. Broadway told police on Mon., Sept. 26 that a painting by Anabel Lind valued at $8,000 had been stolen from a wall in the gallery sometime during the previous two weeks. The report was made “for insurance purposes,” police said.

Phone snatch A Queens woman, 17, was looking at a map on her cell phone while walking on the northeast corner of Watts Street, and Sixth Avenue on Friday night, Oct. 10 when a stranger grabbed the phone and fled on foot south on Sixth Ave., police said.

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Continued on page 4 Fong and many others will commemorate Chen at his funeral, scheduled for Thurs., Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Wing Wah Sang funeral home on Mulberry Street.

Copter crash spurs pols Following the helicopter accident in the East River on Tuesday, Oct. 4, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Congressman Jerrold Nadler are calling for a complete ban on all tourist helicopters entering Manhattan’s air corridor, including above the city’s rivers and harbors.

The politicians are also demanding an overhaul of the city’s

helicopter policy, whose current version they deem is flawed.

“Last week’s tragedy is another clear sign: tourist helicopters in Manhattan don’t make sense for passengers, pilots, or local residents,” said Squadron in a written statement. “My colleagues and I have long called for better regulation of helicopters in New York. Simply put, tourist flights in and out of Manhattan, official or not, pose too great a risk.”

“Sightseeing and nonessential helicopters are dangerous, unnecessary and not worth it,” echoed Nadler. “We have been calling for more oversight of our air corridors for years, with only modest improvements to assuage our fears.”

The Congressman continued, “Let us once and for all ban these helicopters from Manhattan’s and Brooklyn’s dangerous air corridors. It shouldn’t take more senseless tragedy to come to this obvious conclusion.”

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October 12 - 18, 2011

Rift between B.P.C. C.E.R.T. and city

BY ALINE REYNOLDS When Mayor Bloomberg ordered a mandatory evacuation of Battery Park City and parts of Tribeca in anticipation of Hurricane Irene, members of Tribeca’s Community Emergency Response Team pulled 24-hour shifts to assist local residents.

The Battery Park City C.E.R.T. members, however, were nowhere to be seen.

Sid Baumgarten, the B.P.C. C.E.R.T. chief, said he decided to disband the volunteers the weekend of the hurricane after various city agencies informed him in a meeting that they had no intention of deploying the team in the event of an emergency.

Baumgarten said he was dissatisfied with the city’s response.

“They could have said, ‘fine, we can use you to do A, B and C,’” said Baumgarten.

“Instead, they came back to me and said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t use you. You’re not credentialed.’ It’s absurd — this is our area here.”

According to the NYC Office of Emergency Management, the B.P.C. group is not officially a C.E.R.T. team, since its members haven’t received the necessary training.

“Over the course of the years, we’ve undergone numerous efforts to try to incorporate them into the C.E.R.T. program, and they’ve chosen not to join,” said O.E.M. Press Secretary Chris Gilbride. “We recognize they have value to add, and we want them to be a part of the program. But at this point, they haven’t met the requirements to

be certified.”

In the mid-2000s, Baumgarten and other B.P.C. volunteers submitted applications to become certified, but the process was never completed.

Baumgarten and other volunteers allege that O.E.M. lost their applications, but one O.E.M. official denied this claim. “I have them — they were shown to me 10 minutes ago,” said Deputy Press Secretary Seth Andrews on Friday, Oct. 7.

The B.P.C. C.E.R.T. members that were certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the early 2000s had the chance to be grandfathered into O.E.M.’s program, which launched in 2004, but that never happened, according to Herman Schaffer, director of community outreach at O.E.M. “I’m not exactly sure what happened with that, but it’s my understanding that at some point in time, they weren’t necessarily thrilled with having so much oversight [by] us, since they were used to working under their own auspices,” said Schaffer.

Now, Schaffer said, it’s too late for the B.P.C. volunteers to be grandfathered into the system, so O.E.M. is requiring that they undergo the agency’s 30-hour training session and update their contact and other personal information from the previous applications.

Baumgarten, however, contends that the volunteers who were previously trained and

Fighting to make Lower Manhattan the greatest place to live, work, and raise a family.

Assemblyman Shelly Silver If you need assistance, please contact my office at (212) 312-1420 or email silver@assembly.state.ny.us.

certified by F.E.M.A. should be automatically certified by O.E.M. “We’re anxious to be part of the program — but when you’re told you can’t certify

‘They should see this as an opportunity to get extra training, not as something that is penalizing them.’

— Herman Schaffer

people if they don’t train them, it makes no sense to me,” Baumgarten said. “The concept of community emergency response is that you train people to respond within the community. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether O.E.M., the Fire Department or the Police Department says, ‘activate.’”

“These are not green recruits — they’ve already gone through F.E.M.A. training,” echoed Jean Grillo, who leads the Tribeca C.E.R.T. team. “I think they should be immediately recertified and work out the retraining [after]. I’m very concerned that we have millions of people coming Downtown in the next year, and that the Tribeca and B.P.C.

C.E.R.T.s need to work together.”

Baumgarten believes members that are F.E.M.A.-certified shouldn’t need retraining.

“Sixty-seven people were trained by 2003, and that was before O.E.M. was training anybody,” Baumgarten said.

He and the other volunteers, Baumgarten noted, received additional training at prestigious agencies such as the Connecticut Fire Academy and were taught fire suppression tactics by the New York State Fire Academy.

The volunteers that aren’t F.E.M.A.-certified, Baumgarten said, would be willing to take the O.E.M. class — so long as the group’s experienced volunteers can pitch in their expertise.

However, Schaffer from O.E.M. insisted that, in order for the team to be certified, all of the volunteers would have to be trained

by O.E.M. staff. The current training lasts 10 weeks and teaches volunteers about disaster medical operations, police science, traffic control and fire safety.

“The program has changed significantly, and to have them join us from the program six years ago isn’t fair to our current membership,” said Schaffer. “They should see this as an opportunity to get extra training, not as something that is penalizing them.”

Grillo said she hopes a compromise can be worked out.

“I think at some point,” said Grillo, “O.E.M. has got to understand that it makes no sense to not try to find a middle ground.”

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Lady Liberty museum to close for a year

BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER The Statue of Liberty, whose exterior is one of the most familiar sights in the world, has a remarkable interior, which is visited by relatively few people compared with the hundreds of thousands a year who set foot on Liberty Island or see it as they enter and leave New York harbor. There are just a few more days to glimpse the statue’s interior before it closes to the public for a year.

The Statue of Liberty (formally known as “Liberty Enlightening the World,”) a gift from France to the United States, was supposed to open in 1876 to celebrate the United States’ first hundred years. However, there were problems with funding and also political squabbles. Finally, on Oct. 28, 1886, U.S. President Grover Cleveland unveiled the statue amid a flotilla of three hundred boats in the harbor. The day was declared a holiday and around a million people lined the streets of New York to witness a parade of soldiers, firemen and marching bands. Downtown Manhattan’s first ticker tape parade took place that day.

This year, on Oct. 28, there will again be a celebration with music, speeches and fireworks and then the next day the pedestal will close in order to update the statue’s mechanical and electrical systems, to install new elevators and to reconfigure the interior staircases to make them safer. The $27.25 million refurbishment is expected to take a year to complete. During this time, Liberty Island itself will remain open with tours led by National Park Rangers, an audio guide available in nine languages, stunning vistas of the statue and of New York harbor, a restaurant with good, well-priced food and a gift shop.

But the interior of the pedestal of the statue really is special.

On the ground floor, vsitors are greeted by the lady’s original torch dating from 1886. On the second floor are most of the museum’s artifacts and photos. A gigantic, copper-clad face and foot from the time of the 1986 restoration, fabricated in the same way as the original with copper sheathing, show the dimensions of the statue next to puny humans.

Photos depict the genesis of the statue from the time it was proposed by French scholar Edouard de Laboulaye, who wanted to recognize the affinity of France and the United States in the quest for liberty, through the years that sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi mused on the project. The exhibit includes his drawings and models and a record of Bartholdi’s visit to New York harbor in 1871 where he saw what was then called Bedloe’s Island for the

Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Visitors to the museum beneath the Statue of Liberty are greeted by the lady’s original torch, dating from 1886, and the flame, which was altered from its original design.

first time and said that’s where his statue should be placed.

Bartholdi was taken with the immensity of the United States and wanted to make something equally immense. His passion and tenacity are recorded in photos and words as is the genius of the engineer who made Bartholdi’s vision possible. Gustave Eiffel, best known for the Eiffel Tower in Paris, came up with a method for making the 151-foot-tall statue strong but flexible enough to withstand New York harbor’s biting winds. “It will stand,” he said simply of his extraordinary design.

Visitors can currently ascend to the top of the pedestal (whose architecture, funding and fabrication are also described in the exhibit) and peer through portals in the ceil-

ing to Eiffel’s support structure. A narrow, spiral staircase goes even further up to the statue’s crown. Special tickets were required to ascend the stairs. No more are available until the statue reopens in around a year.

A walkway on the exterior of the pedestal affords panoramic views of Manhattan and of New York harbor.

Entry to the monument pedestal is by Pedestal/Museum ticket only, available with the purchase of a reserved ticket online from Statue Cruises at www.statuecruises.com or by calling (201) 604-2800.

Only 3,000 pedestal tickets are available a day. There are just a few chances left.

Millennium High’s gymnasium hopes are fading

BY ALINE REYNOLDS After years of fighting for a school gymnasium, parents and administrators at Millennium High School have lost hope.

The school and community began to fiercely rally around the cause in the early 2000s and have since managed to raise $2.5 million for the gym. Kathleen Grimm, the Department of Education’s Deputy Chancellor of Operations, pledged to supplement the funds with an additional $4 million if the Department found a suitable site for the facility.

But none of the possible gym sites the D.O.E. has looked at — including a space on the school building’s 34th floor — were deemed viable options, and a chunk of the $2.5 million was reallocated to other schools.

The promised sum of $4 million fell through as well.

“At this time, due to the city’s economic situation, the Department can no longer set aside additional funding when projects relating to more basic city needs,

Photo courtesy of Angela Benfield

Millennium High students on the school’s fencing team are forced to practice in the cafeteria because they do not have a gymnasium.

such as building more seats and upgrading our aging buildings, are being deferred,” Lorraine Grillo, president and chief executive officer of the School Construction Authority, wrote to the school’s Parent Association last spring.

“We were a little surprised and very disappointed,” said Millennium’s parent coordinator, Angela Benfield, of the news.

“When we didn’t take [the funds] in a timely manner, they went to other expenses for other schools.”

What remains from the original pot of money is a sum of $350,000 secured by former District One Councilmember Alan Gerson; and $750,000 from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s office.

Despite the setbacks, Community Board 1 is vowing not to stop its lobbying efforts on behalf of Millennium and is crafting another resolution this month in support of the gym.

Continued on page 18

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October 12 - 18, 2011

Ward talks infrastructure; applauds Downtown

BY ALINE REYNOLDS Chris Ward delivered one of his last public speeches as chief of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the Lower Manhattan Marketing Association’s breakfast meeting Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Ward, who has served as the agency’s executive director since 2008, will be leaving the Port Authority at the end of October. Rather than focus on his imminent departure, however, he spoke to the importance of sustaining and enhancing infrastructure throughout the Tri-state area — including a needed reconstruction of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

“The Tappan Zee Bridge has reached the end of its useful life,” he said. Today it is sitting on what can be called a “bowl of oatmeal.” Reconstruction costs are $5 billion at the low end, and up to $14 billion at the high end, which would include passenger rail and heavy rail to further connect the critical region to the rest of the country.

While Ward defended the Port Authority’s recent hike in tolls at Tri-state bridges and tunnels, the additional payments, he said, aren’t enough subsidize such costly infrastructure upgrades.

“What I’m arguing is that there is a level of economic expansion and growth which has fueled the region, and we haven’t found a way to reinvest in the infrastructure that created the wealth,”

Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, at last Wednesday’s Lower Manhattan Marketing Association breakfast.

said Ward. “You can’t raise tolls to the level anymore of what they’d have to be to self-sustain.”

Regional airports, Ward said, also need significant makeovers.

“We need to tear LaGuardia down,” said Ward.

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Both LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International, Ward continued, need to be rebuilt.

“We need to make [the airports] bigger, faster, more convenient and beautiful, but mostly we need to make them more efficient,” said Ward.

Finally, Ward said, the Tri-state’s bus network could benefit from a high-efficiency bus garage in Midtown. He described how buses to the Port Authority bus terminal come in with commuters in the morning and head to New Jersey empty during the day for warehousing, only to return empty to Manhattan at evening rush hour to take the commuters home. The existing bus terminal, he said, needs vast improvement. “[Buses] have to be part of an infrastructure system – otherwise, we’re stuck with the type of congestion and environmental problems the current network operates under,” said Ward.

He also noted that the recent scaling back of the tolls from the original proposal meant that Midtown bus improvements were taken off the table. He reiterated that there has yet to be an understanding or consensus on how to fund infrastructure in the process of creating wealth in the region. Unless that dialogue happens, Ward said, there will continue to be traffic congestion on the George Washington Bridge, at the Holland Tunnel and at JFK. Ward then turned his attention to Downtown, which he said is “a remarkable example of what can get done when a lot of hard work goes into tough decisions.”

The National Sept. 11 Memorial, Ward noted, is proof alone that such sizable

Continued on page 20

downtown express

October 12 - 18, 2011

8

Taste of Seaport twice as successful as last year

BY HELAINA N. HOVITZ Last Sunday’s Taste of the Seaport was even more successful than last year’s, selling over 550 tickets to raise money for the Spruce Street School Parent Teacher Association. It was twice the amount of tickets sold last year.

Some participating restaurants were sold out of their signature dishes early, like the Beef Bourguignon from Les Halles on John Street. Made Fresh Daily was busy serving mini cupcakes and other sweets, and Table Tales served up one of the biggest hits again this year, its “Macaroni with Sunday Gravy.”

Especially popular with the little ones was Seaport newcomer Johnny Rockets’ vanilla milkshakes.

“I didn’t expect so many children to come out. It looks like the entire school showed up,” said Johnny Rockets manager Eric Liang. “We’re hoping parents will bring their kids by now that they know we’re here.”

After some fun at the new Imagination Playground on South Street, Jason and Kristin Makowski, and their sons Luca, 2, and Spruce Street kindergartner Noah, sat down to sample some of the local restaurants’ food. The Tribeca couple has always attended the Taste of Tribeca, even before they had kids. Now, they are happy to see that there is a fundraiser for their son’s east side school, and that they’ve discovered some new local spots to grab a bite. Kristin

Photo courtesy of Maggie Lava

The annual Taste of the Seaport, which raises funds for the Spruce Street School, sold over 550 tickets last Sunday.

especially liked SuiteSushi’s calamari salad, and was surprised by the overall number of booths.

“As a New Yorker, you think of the Seaport as touristy,” said Kristin. “There are so many more local restaurants here than we thought.”

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This year’s event saw some new additions, like the Beer Garden sponsored by Radenberger Beer, strategically located across from the bandstand. The Wisconsin Dells provided crowd-pleasing musical fun, keeping everyone around and fundraising through the event’s 4 p.m. end time.

After being chased around by her friends all afternoon, Carson Lava, 4, who just started pre-k at the Spruce Street School, stopped to chow down on a candy apple from Bridgewaters.

“I’m having so much fun, I’ve been dancing all day and I love the music,” Carson said. “I got a butterfly tattoo with extra sparkles, and I also made this button,” as she showed off her artwork.

Carson was joined by her mother, parent volunteer and Taste of the Seaport Committee member Maggie Lava.

“Everyone’s having such a good time,” said Maggie. “That’s the goal, to be part of something without feeling it’s a chore. Today has been a wonderful expression of everyone coming together to show love for our com-

munity.”

The Beekman Beer Garden, formerly Water Taxi Beach, will be trying something new this year — staying open through December, as opposed to shutting down by October. After seeing many repeat customers on Sunday, they seem to have cause to stick around. In fact, Pam Sheppard of Pearl Street came back for second and third helpings of Bratwurst.

“This has been absolutely fantastic,” said Sheppard. “The fundraising aspect is so important. That’s a big drive for us coming out.”

In addition to the food, the Spruce Street School booth offered Nerf Target Practice, while Manhattan Youth provided Trick-Or-Treat bags for decorating. The Church Street School of Music and Art, The Quad Manhattan, and NY Kids Club also manned activity booths.

The event took place mainly on Seaport property because, due to the construction on Peck Slip, the city did not grant a permit for Historic Front Street between Peck Slip and Beekman Place.

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downtown express

9

October 12 - 18, 2011

‘Yay’ to bike-sharing, ‘nay’ to Walmart being designed for safety and stability rather than for speed.

‘As the largest private retailer in suburban and rural markets, Walmart is desperate to expand into urban markets.’

— Stephanie Yazgi The D.O.T. will also be working with the operating company on a system to track the bikes in order to prevent thefts. “In the case of thefts, the company would have to replace them,” said Orcutt.

Installations of the racks, Orcutt said, will be quick and easy. They will be solarpowered and wireless, he said, and will require no digging or roadwork. The bike share operator will be responsible for monitoring the cleanliness of the racks and the upkeep of the bikes.

While the stations will have computerized systems with instructions in 20 different languages, the bikes themselves will be equipped with navigation devices and wire-

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less systems to allow users with Smartphone applications to find nearby stations. A 24-hour service line will be established for bike users with additional questions.

The program, once fully launched, will make available 10,000 bikes at 600 stations situated on every couple of blocks in the city. “We’re now in the process of mapping what we think are qualified sites,” said Orcutt.

The initiative will also serve as a revenue generator: the D.O.T. anticipates the program will rake in a $26 million profit in the first five years alone, half of which will go to the operator; and the other half, to the city.

Annual passes will cost between $90 and $95; weeklong passes, $20-25; and day passes, between $8 and $10. The program will be up and running starting next July.

KEEPING WALMART OUT OF NYC Representatives from Walmart Free NYC also appeared at the committee meeting to rail against the opening of the national chain in Lower Manhattan and elsewhere around the city out of fear that the stores will jeopardize the existence of local mom-and-pop shops. In the coming months, the group is hoping to start a “shop local” campaign Downtown and elsewhere to assist the local businesses.

“As the largest private retailer in suburban and rural markets, Walmart is desperate to

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expand into urban markets, and is definitely focused on marketing efforts in New York City,” according to Stephanie Yazgi, the organization’s director. “We need to prove to investors that they’re a growth company and not a mature stock, and that it constrains consumer choice when all the small business go out.”

The arrival of big box stores such as Walmart in New York could also create more pollution and traffic, according to Maritza Silva-Farrell, a senior organizer at the Alliance for a Greater New York.

“Our interest is in keeping local communities, jobs and the economy safe, with the goal of protecting the quality of life in New York City,” said Silva-Farrell.

Galloway said he doesn’t believe Downtown is particularly threatened by big box stores due to the relatively small size of its commercial spaces.

That said, Galloway pointed out the benefits of neighborhood shops and said he would share the coalition’s goal in limiting the invasion of Walmarts and even Duane Reades Downtown.

“One of the things that defines New York is the relatively small number of chain stores that you find and the diversity of the small mom-and-pop retailers,” said Galloway.

While Walmart and other chains might sell soap bars and other staple items for less money, Galloway said, “I think many of us would prefer a store you feel like is in your neighborhood.”

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BY ALINE REYNOLDS Starting next summer, cyclists Downtown and citywide will be able to rent bicycles at their leisure from racks installed at various locations around the city.

The bike-sharing program, initiated by the city Department of Transportation, will facilitate intercity travel and encourage the use of public transit, according to D.O.T. Policy Director Jon Orcutt, who presented the idea to Community Board 1 last week.

“We think this system will send a range of mass transit in the city, defeat barriers to bike use in the city… and that it’ll have a pretty strong demand,” Orcutt told the board’s planning and community infrastructure committee on Thursday, Oct. 6.

Up to 40 percent of cyclists that participate in bike sharing in other cities such as Washington, D.C. and Montreal use it in conjunction with another form of public transportation to arrive at their final destination, Orcutt said.

And, contrary to what some might believe, he added, the program has made cycling safer in metropolitan areas. “More bike lanes and cyclists have created a lot more riders, but the good news is that we’re not seeing a lot more crashes,” said Orcutt, noting lower rates of crashes among bike share users in London and Washington, D.C. than among the general cycling population. Part of the reason, he said, is that the bikes, which will be fitted with heavy, durable wheels, are

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downtown express

October 12 - 18, 2011

10

EDITORIAL PUBLISHER & EDITOR John W. Sutter

Can’t Deny Occupy

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The Occupy Wall Street movement, which officially began on September 17th in Zuccotti Park and that has since captured the eye of the country and the world, is picking up steam with each passing day.

Whether one is dismissive of the protestors’ cause or in support of it, there is no denying the passion that has been evident since day one.

One thing is certain: politicians and politically affiliated groups, on both the left and the right, are now trying to use and co-opt the movement and its energy in order to develop a policy platform. The problem lies in the fact that these people and groups did not need a crystal ball in order to see this coming. The anger, frustration and determination on display in Zuccotti Park and now in cities all over the country, is nothing new.

For anyone who has taken the time to walk Downtown and observe firsthand exactly what is happening, the message is clear: the United States of America is not stronger, not healthier, when the country’s wealth is more and more unequally distributed. For the last 40 years America’s middle class has remained stagnant. For those college graduates that needed financial aid in order to get their degrees, living in debt and worrying about a job has been a deeply painful reality. For those mothers and fathers who had to work two jobs in order to make ends meet, security seemed like an abstract notion and an unattainable dream.

In short, the last three weeks have been four decades in the making. But the last four years of recession and stalled recovery have been the real catalyst for what could be a real revolution. While the financial service industry responsible for driving this country over the cliff received bailouts, while the wealthiest one percent held onto and even increased their share of national wealth, jobs were being eliminated, dreams were being put on hold and, for the middle class, hope has been eroded.

Mayor Bloomberg was right to say on Monday that the protestors could remain in Zuccotti Park. The one sign that has always been in the park, even before Occupy Wall Street came along, was a silver plaque with the words “public space.” The mayor should be applauded for not suppressing free speech. And Brookfield Properties, who actually owns the park, has made a wise decision in not playing the “privately owned” card they hold.

But now we are at the point where in order for this movement to continue to have its sprawling outdoor headquarters in the heart of our neighborhood, there has to be a modus operandi moving forward. We were pleased to see that members from the O.W.S. group willingly showed up at Community Board 1’s full board meeting last month. They must recognize this pivotal moment as it pertains to the advancement of their cause: with many in the community and some elected officials offering support, working with the community is the only way to ensure that support in the future.

There needs to be a framework to address critical quality of life issues in the neighborhood such as park access, noise levels, sanitation (!), limiting effects on the area’s small businesses, and simply being good neighbors. We also believe that the N.Y.P.D has overreacted in blocking off key Lower Manhattan intersections and choke points.

A one-time olive branch, or a singular, symbolic gesture will not solve these issues. An ongoing process needs to be set up by both sides where these issues can be diligently vetted, addressed and then consistently reappraised. Let’s work together to grow this movement on solid local footing. If these local issues are not addressed quickly, pressure will build up to clear the park.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR N.Y.U. not listening To the editor: Re: “C.B. 2 angered after N.Y.U. goes to the media first” (news article, Oct. 5) The informative article about Community Board 2’s anger with N.Y.U. contains a statement from university V.P. Alicia Hurley: “It is hard for us not to notice the lack of civility with which we are treated when we do go before the community board.”

Civility? Civility has nothing whatsoever to do with N.Y.U.’s inviolate intentions to bring to fruition a community-destroying project, involving 2 million square feet of construction, which will effectively bulldoze the available light and air in the area. All the while, the university has been conducting a series of meetings with the community members — a sort of listening tour — at which N.Y.U. listens to no community concerns at all and reports otherwise to the media. Does it come as any surprise that these meetings are frequently headed by the eye-rolling, pseudo-civil Ms. Hurley? Puh-lease!

June Tennyson

Give everyone a choice To the editor: It was disappointing to learn that New York City may only allow mini-Walmarts to open. If Home Depot, Ikea, BJ’s, Costco, Best Buy and Target can open full size box stores, why not Walmart as well? Too many elected officials, including New York City Comptroller Liu, Public Advocate de Blasio, Council Speaker Quinn and many of her Council colleagues are continuing to stand

in the way. Walmart coming to NYC and perhaps Downtown Manhattan would provide work for construction contractors, their employees and thousands of the nine percent of New Yorkers currently out of work. The city would benefit by several hundred million dollars in new sales, payroll and real estate tax-generated revenues.

Walmart is the nation’s largest private sector employer with over 1.2 million employees and growing each year. Tens of millions of Americans, including many fellow New Yorkers own stock in Walmart. The same is true for the various retirement and pension plans many people participate in.

The starting pay at Walmart is between several dollars more and double the minimum wage for new employees around the nation. Promotional opportunities including training for higher paying managerial positions are common, and they offer health care and other benefits. Walmart may actually pay higher salaries and offer more benefits than some of their competitors.

Walmart consumers get a better bang for their buck, and many New Yorkers can’t afford to pay extra. They need the great prices, quality merchandise, and the affordable food and drug options that Walmart offers.

Several hundred thousand New Yorkers work off the books, full- and part-time, with no benefits or insurance. Many existing retailers pay minimum wage with no benefits, but public officials who oppose Walmart never talk about these abuses.

Consumers have voted with their feet all over America making Walmart the number one retail merchant success story it is today.

Why not allow Walmart the opportunity to compete in the NYC marketplace as well?

For those opposed, don’t shop there, but give everyone else a choice.

Larry Penner

Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

Pilots with a cause

While the protests at Zuccotti Park are grabbing all the media attention, a group of 700 pilots from Continental and United Airlines held their on rally on Wednesday, Sept.

28 on Broad Street next to the New York Stock Exchange. Their focus was stalled contract negotiations resulting from the merger of the two airlines.

downtown express

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October 12 - 18, 2011

TALKING POINT Enough wake-up calls; D.O.T. should step up

BY MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT SCOTT STRINGER Recently, at the intersection of Greenwich and Duane in Tribeca, a three-year old boy was struck by a cab while crossing the street with his mother and older brother in the crosswalk. Luckily, the boy was wearing a helmet, and he escaped serious injury. But the incident underscored an alarming traffic problem that has been a hot issue in this community for many years — and the fact that it hasn’t been solved yet is unacceptable.

Simply put, the corner of Greenwich and Duane is too dangerous for pedestrians. We need to install a stop sign, traffic light or other ameliorating measures to make it safer.

And we need to do it now.

On a typical day or night, cars and trucks driving down this narrow, two-lane thoroughfare consistently fail to yield to pedestrians. People in the crosswalks have come to feel they’re in the crosshairs every time they cross the street. We know that there have been at least ten pedestrian accidents at this site since 2000. The question is: How many more wake-up calls do we need before we take action?

I joined with other community members in 2008 to demand action from New York City’s Department of Transportation. But the answer we got then, and continue to

get now, is that the city says its hands are tied. Traffic lights or stop signs cannot be installed on a corner unless they meet strict federal criteria, which are part of uniform national standards. According to these stan-

There is no longer any excuse for inaction by New York City D.O.T., and the federal Department of Transportation. dards, the intersection of Greenwich and Duane doesn’t have a large enough volume of cars or pedestrians to warrant such safety measures, despite the clear dangers it poses to people crossing the street.

Hard as it may seem to believe, we are back to where we started three years ago.

This past week I stood at this intersection with residents, advocates, representatives of other elected officials and the parents of the little boy who was hit by the cab, and we spoke with one voice: There

is no longer any excuse for inaction by the city D.O.T., and the federal Department of Transportation. No one who was present at this event will ever forget the anger expressed by Richard Carty, father of the three-year-old boy, as he talked about his frustration with the lack of a governmental response.

To spur action, my office has sent a letter to both the city D.O.T., and the federal Secretary of Transportation, asking them to do whatever is necessary to make this intersection safer as soon as possible. I pointed out that previous measurements of traffic flow at the intersection may be seriously outdated, since the Tribeca neighborhood is undergoing significant growth in traffic patterns due to World Trade Center construction and increases in pedestrian traffic. We need to recognize that Tribeca is an evolving place when it comes to traffic, and as it changes the guidelines measuring its traffic patterns must also change.

Specifically, I’ve asked the city D.O.T. and the U.S. D.O.T. to see if the federal guidelines can be amended on this block to pave the way for stop signs, traffic signals or any other appropriate traffic calming measures. Just as important, I have urged our city’s D.O.T. to play a vigorous role in pushing for such changes. They have a fundamental responsibility to protect pedestri-

ans—not simply interpret or enforce federal regulations.

Even without federal action, I believe the city can take a variety of immediate steps to boost safety at this dangerous intersection, including increased pedestrian signage and speed bumps. The D.O.T., for example, should consider whether Greenwich between Duane and Chambers should be designated a “slow street.” This refers to a local street which discourages vehicular through-traffic, reduces vehicle speeds and creates a comfortable environment for bicycling and walking. The city should also consider installing “raised crossings,” which are marked pedestrian crosswalks at an intersection or a mid-block location constructed at a higher elevation than the adjacent roadway. In this case, it would be the crosswalk on Greenwich, preventing fast left turns onto Duane.

Finally, the city should consider installing a “raised intersection,” where an entire intersection is raised above the level of surrounding roadways. A raised intersection at Slocum Place and Stratford Road in Brooklyn has had profound benefits for the residential neighborhood of Prospect Park South.

We need to act now. Let’s put our heads together and find a solution that is long overdue.

OPINION ‘Occupy’ movement should be signal to D.C.

BY MARGARET S. CHIN Last week, politicians from every level of government weighed in on the Occupy Wall Street Movement. From Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the movement, which began in New York on Sept.

17, captured the attention of mainstream America. Help from powerful backers, like the New York State United Teachers, SEIU, AFL-CIO, and the Transport Workers Union, to name a few, added a new dimension to the protests. Now 1,000 cities strong, the “Occupy” movement has officially arrived.

What this will mean, however, is less clear. It seems, at least, most people can agree that the “Occupy” movement was brought about by the frustration that Americans feel in their everyday lives. For those who have lost their home, who are unemployed, or who labor under crushing school debt, the anger is palpable. No one begrudges them for that.

But when assigning blame, or for that matter, asking what should be done, the “Occupy” movement offers few answers. In this case, Wall Street takes the brunt of the blame. Wall Street has become synonymous with big business. It is the poster child for corporate greed, foreclosures, the recession, and according to the recently released, “Declaration of the Occupation of New York City,” as far down the line as workplace discrimination, oil spills, and animal cruelty. The “Occupy” movement does not take aim solely at Wall Street – elected officials, the Obama administration, and federal policy makers, are also on the chopping

block. Summed up, “Occupy” is protesting the status quo; business “as usual;” and politics, “as usual.” Surely then, the responsibility does not lie solely with Wall Street, but should be spread among us all.

This is a wake up call.

The core demands of the “Occupy” movement, however hazily defined, are not altogether radical: more transparency in government; more accountability on the part of employers; a fairer economic system; and more opportunities for our youth, to name a few. In fact, this is “Occupy’s” greatest strength. A message and a mission that all of us in the 99 percent can get behind. This is personal.

Social activists and organizers have already drawn similarities between “Occupy” and the awakening that led to the anti-war and civil rights protests of the 1960s and 1970s. Even President Obama has weighed in, noting that the same financial institutions that wrecked havoc on our economy continue to fight any reforms meant to stem off these abuses in the future. Taxpayers should take offense.

Right now, commentators suggest, widespread frustration and dissatisfaction are enough to keep the movement going, and growing. As of late, “Occupy” has begun to more fully outline its demands, and with help pouring in from labor unions, community organizers, and even elected officials, the future of the movement appears bright. The challenge that remains is channeling this frustration into positive change. To fail in this regard would only serve to increase the number of disillusioned young Americans and

weaken faith in our democracy.

There are solutions out there. There is a host of progressive bills that, if enacted, would prove to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have joined this protest: your government is listening. But first, we have to pass President Obama’s American Jobs Act and overhaul the federal tax code to include a Millionaire’s tax on those making over $1 million annually. At the state and city level, we must support legislation that promotes responsible banking and ensures that banks reinvest in our local communities. We must provide for our workers. This means re-examining living wage legislation and fighting for paid sick leave for low-wage workers. These are just a few examples of the many pieces of good legislation that need our support to succeed.

We must provide for our workers. This means reexamining Living Wage legislation and fighting for paid sick leave for low-wage workers. These are just a few of the pieces of legislation that would make our society more equitable.

Americans want to see progress. They want their government to work for them, not against them. They want a fairer shake. If nothing more, Occupy Wall Street and the support for the movement across our country signals that Americans will not sit idly by. It is time for the political will in Washington to rise to the occasion.

Margaret S. Chin is the New York City Council representative for District 1.

12

downtown express

October 12 - 18, 2011

Stringer focuses on unsafe Tribeca intersection Continued from page 1 no exceptions.”

The accident is one of at least five pedestrian injuries reported at the intersection over the last decade, prompting Stringer and local community advocates to make another big push to enhance safety at the crosswalk.

“This wonderful three-year-old child came one helmet and three inches away from a terrible tragedy,” said Stringer at the press conference. “I find it absolutely incredible that we’re still at a place where, while the neighborhood grows and the children multiply, the Department of Transportation sits back with a laissezfaire attitude and thinks it’s okay for our parents to be forced to play hit-or-miss with their children.”

“Just as [Stringer] was speaking, I actually saw a taxi cab whiz down the street, and it really exemplifies what the problem is,” said Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin. “With all the kids who go to this park, it is absolutely inexcusable to have this problem.”

Hudson Street resident Nicki Francis, who attended the press conference, insists on holding the hand of her nine-year-old son when crossing the street during the family’s daily commute to P.S. 234.

In the last year alone, Francis said she herself was nearly hit twice there by traffic cops.

“It’s just a dangerous intersection… the taxis come here full force,” said Francis. “Nobody honors the fact that it is a crosswalk and you’re supposed to slow down.”

Neighborhood seniors such as Independence Plaza North resident June Grancio also fear being struck by a car while crossing Greenwich Street.

“You have to really be very careful and step out on the street a little to check if the traffic isn’t coming fast,” said Grancio.

Stringer is urging the federal and city D.O.T.s to conduct a series of safety-related studies along the Greenwich Street corridor. In an Oct. 6 letter addressed to U.S. D.O.T. Secretary Ray LaHood and to city D.O.T. Commissioner Janette SadikKhan, the borough president asked that Greenwich Street between Duane and Chambers Streets be considered for designation as a “slow street” — defined as a local street that uses traffic-calming measures to discourage vehicular throughtraffic, reduce vehicle speeds and create a comfortable environment for bicycling and walking.

Stringer also requested that the city D.O.T. evaluate a number of traffic-speed controls for the intersection such as a speed bump, an elevated pedestrian crosswalk and enacting a reduced school speed zone due to the intersection’s proximity to P.S. 150 and P.S. 234.

Responding to the community’s concerns, D.O.T. spokesperson Seth

Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer held a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 6 to call attention to the intersection of Greenwich and Duane Streets in Tribeca.

Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds

Above, a pedestrian crosses the dangerous intersection at Duane and Greenwich Street in Tribeca while a taxi drives by.

Solomonow assured that safety is the D.O.T.’s first priority. Since the Sept. 30 incident, the agency has set up an automatic traffic recorder at the intersection and is now performing manual pedestrian and vehicle counts there, he said.

“We have set in a motion a thorough examination of this location to see what safety enhancements may be implemented,” said Solomonow. “We have already made site visits to the intersection, which will be studied and examined repeatedly in the coming weeks as we develop a traffic calming solution that works for this crossing.”

Local residents have been advocating for traffic mitigation devices for the

intersection since the early 2000s. By 2005, the Friends of Washington Market Park had formed the Tribeca Kids’ Safety Zone Initiative to lobby the city D.O.T. for increased signage, police enforcement and other ways to heighten safety at the intersection. In subsequent years, however, the D.O.T. concluded that the crosswalk didn’t qualify for these measures based on two separate studies that proved the intersection did not meet the criteria based on pedestrian-vehicle volume.

“Essentially, it’s a mathematical formula,” explained Nelle Fortenberry, former president of the Friends of Washington Market Park. “We unfortunately have a T-intersection here, since a portion of the

traffic along Greenwich Street turns left onto Duane — therefore we’ve never had enough cars versus the number of pedestrians who wait to cross that would result in the number required to give us a stop sign or traffic light.”

As a means of placating the community, in 2009 the D.O.T. added a pedestrian crosswalk sign and altered a truckloading zone in front of the nearby Food Emporium such that delivery trucks would park horizontally, rather than diagonally, to the curb adjacent the intersection.

Fortenberry and others, however, are still dissatisfied with the conditions.

“I’d say they were band-aids, at best,” said Fortenberry. “Certainly, the fact that the pedestrians continue to have to basically dodge traffic instead of traffic waiting for them [to cross] is a growing concern.”

Fortenberry is confident the intersection will get a traffic light once the section of Greenwich Street around the World Trade Center becomes accessible to vehicles in a few years’ time. Until then, though, local residents believe something needs to be done to make the intersection safer.

“The traffic light is the holy grail for us, in that it absolutely forces traffic to stop and wait, and gives pedestrians a clear indication of when they should cross,” said Fortenberry. “At that point, vehicle traffic will increase so dramatically that we’ll absolutely qualify. [But] we don’t want to wait until that occurs and continue to put children and other pedestrians in harm’s way.”

As an interim measure, Fortenberry is hoping for a stop sign or some additional signage at the intersection.

“I’d like there to be a sign both above and in the middle of the crosswalk, with a yellow caution cone [indicating that] traffic must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk,” said Fortenberry.

Council Member Margaret Chin is calling for immediate action by the D.O.T. to install a stop sign or traffic light there, claiming it is “unacceptable” that a child was injured.

“Despite pressure from the community, elected officials, and studies by the D.O.T., the measures to slow traffic on Greenwich have not made the street safer for the hundreds of mothers, children, and families who live and work in the area,” Chin said in an Oct. 6 letter to Sadik-Khan.

The Councilmember said she is “extremely disappointed” in the delay of addressing the issue, having advocated for a stop sign at the site since last year.

“This is my top priority and will take precedence over any of the D.O.T.’s activities in Lower Manhattan,” said Chin.

Representatives of the Friends of W.M.P. are meeting with Stringer next week to brainstorm advocacy strategies moving forward. Stringer, meanwhile, has plans to meet with Sadik-Khan later this month to follow up.

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downtown express

WTCProgress world trade center news and updates

One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in Lower Manhattan. Steel for the building has risen to the 82nd floor.

T

he Port Authority of NY and NJ is coordinating the redevelopment of the World Trade Center and is building the tallest of the towers, One World Trade Center. Designed by the architect David Childs, 1 WTC will feature 3.5 million square feet, comprised of offices, an observation deck, a worldclass event space, parking as well as a telecommunications mast. When completed, 1 WTC will contain 104 floors and reach 1,776 feet in height.

This iconic building is already changing the New York City skyline. With steel erection climbing to the 82th floor and aluminum and glass curtain wall panel installation progressing through the 60th floor, the rising skyscraper is visible from all over New York City and New Jersey. The concrete floor slab has been poured to the 78th floor.

The building’s amenities, coupled with below grade access to the PATH and New York City Transit subways, will continue to attract world-class tenants, such as anchor tenant and publishing giant Condé Nast, who signed a lease for the 21st through 40th floors in May 2011, and Vantone Industrial Co., Ltd., who signed a lease for the China Center to occupy the 64th through 69th floors in March 2009.

Top of Spire, 1,776’

Downtown Express photo by Cynthia Magnus

Celebs helping the cause Numerous celebrities have showed up at Zuccotti Park over the last few weeks to lend their support to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Malachy McCourt (above), writer, actor, and 2006 New York State Green Party candidate for governor visited on Saturday, Oct.8.

“It seems to me the purpose here is to start thinking,” said McCourt. “Something is going on that is not going stop.”

Other celebrities that have stopped the encampment include Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Russell Simmons, Tim Robbins and Kayne West.

Tower Roofline, 1,368’

82nd floor, 1,021’

64th - 69th floor, Vantone/China Center

21st - 40th floor, Condé Nast

Photo by Lincoln Anderson

For more information about the redevelopment of The World Trade Center visit the Port Authority’s Web site at WTCProgress.com. 쏆 www.WTCProgress.com paid advertisement

Street Level

Avenue A mourns blogger On Saturday, Oct. 1, the first additions to the memorial to blogger Bob Arihood at Ray’s Candy Store included paper plates from “Mosaic Man” Jim Power and his canine companion Jesse Jane and from Chris Flash and Amy Sanchez. The photo of Arihood was taken by his friend Handsome Dick Manitoba, lead singer of the legendary punk rock group The Dictators. Blogger Shawn Chittle also left a sign. In addition to Power’s plaque in Ray’s window, graffiti artist Chico said he’s painting an Arihood memorial mural on Ray’s canopy.

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October 12 - 18, 2011

Transit Sam

The Answer man WWW POLYPREP ORG

Visit Poly Prep! ,EARN (OW 9OUR #HILD 7ILL 'ROW IN -IND "ODY AND #HARACTER

Photo courtesy of Joshua Knoller

The checkpoint at Broadway and Cedar Street (above) has been in place since 9/11 and is only for trucks, not general traffic.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no rest for Occupy Wall Street, which keeps growing each passing day.

Drivers should be extra vigilant around Liberty Street and Broadway as the protests and surprise demos continue daily.

Hubert St. (which normally runs eastbound) from Collister to Hudson Streets is now closed through June 2012 as part of NYC DDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water main construction along Hudson. Drivers on Hubert coming from West Street should turn left on Washington Street and right on Vestry Street to get back onto Hudson or use Harrison Street over Hubert Street.

The South Inner Roadway to Brooklyn on the Williamsburg Bridge is closed 4 a.m. to noon weekends in October.

From the mailbag: Dear Transit Sam, I worked in NJ some years ago and when returning to lower Manhattan around 3 p.m. one day, I took the Harlem River Drive/FDR downtown. Around 125th Street by the RFK-Triborough Bridge, traffic always backs up. With the opening of the East River Plaza shopping center in Harlem on 116th Street and no reported major changes to the roadways, I am curious to know if traffic has worsened in that area?

backs up. The Harlem River Drive southbound is a bit worse now because of ongoing construction on the Harlem River Driveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southbound exit ramp to the RFKTriborough Bridge.

Transit Sam

Dear Transit Sam, What is the purpose of the police checkpoint at Broadway and Cedar Street?

Anyone that sees the checkpoint and does not want to be stopped could make a left on Liberty Street, a right on Pearl Street, a right on Pine Street and end up on the other side of the check point without being checked. Is it just for show? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m curious.

Dave, via e-mail

Dear Dave, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there for the screening of trucks heading to Wall Street and has been in place since the September 11th attacks.

All trucks must be verified as legitimate, have a bill of lading and be subject to inspection of their load and undercarriage. It is not a checkpoint for general traffic.

John, Pearl St. Transit Sam Dear John, I have no evidence that traffic has worsened. Historically, the back-up at the FDR Drive southbound starts at 63rd Street and works its way back north.

Once you pass 63rd St., itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually smooth sailing until south of Grand Street as the Brooklyn Bridge/Civic Center exit

Confused about ever changing traffic regulations and transit operations? Need help navigating around lower Manhattan?

If so, send me an e-mail at TransitSam@ downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, NY 10012

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BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER CLASSIC YACHT RACE: Under the brilliant sun of Columbus Day weekend, seven classic vessels plied New York harbor in a dazzling display of tall masts and sails. On each of the three days, they were to have raced each other up and down the harbor, but said Michael Fortenbaugh, commodore of the North Cove Marina, “The high pressure system that brought the sunshine and warm temperatures also meant light winds.

There was also strong current because of the approaching full moon.”

The course for Saturday’s race from North Cove to the Verrazano Narrows bridge “was altered to be a one-way race that finished at the bridge,” said Fortenbaugh. “America II crossed the finish line first but Black Watch won on corrected time. What that means is

October 12 - 18, 2011

that each boat has a rating that reflects its theoretical speed. After the finish times are recorded, they are adjusted based on the rating to see which boat actually performed best in that race.”

On Sunday, the boats were supposed to race to the Statue of Liberty. The race started but light winds caused the race to be abandoned after two hours. On Monday, the boats were slated to race around Governors Island and back, but because of the light winds and strong currents, the course was again changed to a one-way race. “Salty won this race on corrected time, beating America II by two seconds,” said Fortenbaugh.

If the guests aboard the vessels minded that the racing didn’t materialize as planned, no one seemed to mind too much. The weather was gorgeous. The harbor looked beautiful. Aboard Classic Harbor Line’s new

Downtown Express photos by Tereses Loeb Kreuzer

Passengers aboard Classic Harbor Line’s new schooner, America 2.0, watched the annual Classic Yacht Race in New York harbor last weekend.

schooner, America 2.0, which was launched just three weeks ago, champagne and beer were poured and the crew brought out box lunches.

The Pride of Baltimore II, a reproduction of an 1812-era topsail schooner privateer, preened and posed as she scooted around the harbor. Commissioned by the city of Baltimore as a goodwill ambassador, she evokes the days of the famed early 19th-century Baltimore clippers, whose speed helped to win the war of 1812 against the British.

“This regatta will be held at North Cove again next year over Columbus Day weekend,” said Fortenbaugh. “The public can participate by buying a ticket to race on one of the boats. This year, America II offered six tickets at $390 per race and sold out.

The Pride of Baltimore II offered 35 tickets at $90 for each race and sold out as well.”

Tickets for America 2.0, whose design is based on a vessel called “America” that was built in 1851 and won the first America’s Cup, were $125. The Columbus Day regatta marked her last appearance in New York harbor until May. She will be sailing in Key West for the winter.

BATTERY PARK CITY IN BLOOM: The ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) that are currently stopping in Wagner Park on their way to Mexico and Central America for the winter find welcome sustenance in the “firecracker” plant, socalled because of its long, red blooms, well suited to a hummingbird’s slender bill and taste for nectar. Cuphea “David Verity” was hybridized by botanists at the University of California (U.C.L.A.) from two species of cuphea native to the parts of the world for which the hummingbirds are bound. Unlike

downtown express Battery Park City’s specimens, few members of the genus “cuphea,” which has 260 species, are used for ornamental purposes.

Most are raised for their seeds, which can be turned into oil.

Hummingbirds have good color vision and prefer red or orange flowers. They can see parts of the ultra-violet spectrum that are invisible to humans.

The hummingbirds now in Wagner Park are all female. The males migrate south several weeks before the females, and return earlier in the spring. These remarkable birds that are around three-and-a-half inches long and weigh one-eighth of an ounce are fueling up to fly thousands of miles, including a non-stop journey of around 500 miles over the Gulf of Mexico that will take them 18 to 20 hours.

PIER A UPDATE: At the meeting of Community Board 1’s Battery Park City Committee on Oct. 4, Anne Fenton, assistant to Gayle Horwitz, president of the Battery Park City Authority, had some news about Pier A. “We’re still working on the core and shell,” she said, but added that the restoration was taking somewhat longer than planned because of “the delicate nature of working with a historic building on the water.”

Pier A, which was completed in 1886 for New York City’s Department of Docks & Ferries, is the last surviving 19th-century pier on the Hudson River in Manhattan. It is expected to reopen in 2013 with restaurants and a visitor’s center. “That plan has not changed,” Fenton said.

To comment on Battery Park City Beat or to suggest article ideas, email TereseLoeb@ mac.com.

A female ruby-throated hummingbird fattens herself up in Wagner Park in preparation for her migration thousands of miles to Mexico or Central America, where she will spend the winter.

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October 12 - 18, 2011

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October 12 - 18, 2011

18

Community will continue fighting for gym Continued from page 6 “I don’t blame the school for being tired with it, but the school needs a gym,” said Paul Hovitz, chair of the C.B. 1’s Youth and Education Committee. “We respect that the S.C.A. has rules and regulations to follow, but point of fact: there has to be some space in Lower Manhattan, with all the empty vacant commercial space down here, that would be accomplishable.”

Assembly Speaker Silver is also holding out hope for the gym.

“I strongly encourage the S.C.A. to explore all possible options for building Millennium High School a long-overdue gymnasium,” said Silver. “I am disappointed that this gym, for which I secured funding four years ago, has still not been built.”

Rather than continue to fight what they see is a losing battle, however, school administrators and parents are hoping to salvage the remaining monies for other school-related expenses, such as student lockers, technology upgrades and proper maintenance of equipment in the fitness center.

“We’re not getting anywhere with [the gym]. We’ve spent enough time on it,” said Millennium H.S. Principal Robert Rhodes. “We’ve moved on to focusing on

spending money on the school.”

“If the community board would find us a space and get the S.C.A. to build a gym for us, we would love that,” said Benfield.

“As far as the school administration and the parent association, we just can’t dedicate any more time to it. We can’t keep working on an issue when we keep getting stonewalled.”

The school’s decision to abandon its plea for a gym is a matter of pragmatism rather than satisfaction, according to former P.A. President Tom Moore.

“We’ve got other fish to fry,” Moore said. “The parents and administration need to put our energy into things that’ll yield benefits for the school. You can only beat your head against the wall so many times.”

For example, the school needs more laptops, which students use during and after school to do research and homework.

Now, there are only 80 laptops available for a student body of 650. There is also a locker shortage, forcing the students to share compartments with one another.

And the fitness center’s treadmills and bike machines, which are abused from overuse, require maintenance work.

But the school’s team sports program would continue to suffer without a gym, according to Millennium’s athletic director, Aaron Silverman. Ironically,

Silverman said, the school’s athletics are growing, not diminishing, in popularity.

The program now offers basketball, baseball, soccer, cross-country and fencing to its students.

“Every year, we’ve been adding a team or two teams to meet the demand, and the sad reality is we’ve been forced to make really difficult choices as far as where and when to have practices,” said Silverman.

“The fitness center is very nice, but it’s not adequate for the quantity of students and what we’d like them to be doing athletically.”

Lacking a gym forces the various teams to practice at a range of locations around the city, including East Side Middle School on the Upper East Side, the Y.M.C.A. in Chinatown and Millennium’s other campus in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Due to scheduling conflicts at the different venues, Millennium teams must begin practice as early as 6:45 a.m. and as late as 7 p.m. on weekdays.

“It’s very annoying,” said Millennium junior Alisa Allen, who has been on the basketball team since freshman year.

“Last year, I’d have to leave my house at 6 [a.m.] in order to get [to practice] at the right time.”

On nights of evening practices, Allen said she wouldn’t get home until 9 p.m.

“I’d have to start my homework then…

and it’s a lot of work,” she said.

The team’s demanding practice schedule was a deal breaker for Allen’s classmate, Taneice Williams and her family.

“My dad wasn’t comfortable with me traveling that early in the morning or that late at night to practice,” Williams explained.

Williams, now 16 years old, is going to give sports a try this year, but she feels she’s at a disadvantage by joining the team as a junior. “I was upset — I really wanted to be able to come to high school and play on a team,” she said. “It just feels like I missed out, ‘cause I’m starting in 11th grade.”

Not having a gym also eliminates the possibility of introducing indoor sports to the school such as volleyball; and moving last-minute scrimmages indoors during bad weather, Silverman said.

“For the baseball team, if it rains, we’re done. There’s no practice,” said Silverman. “Same goes with soccer.”

Despite the inconveniences, however, Silverman backed Rhodes and the others in their decision to let go of the prospect of a gym.

“I’d love to keep fighting, but it really appears as though the gym is not going to happen for whatever reason,” said Silverman. “There’s no shortage of space where the money could be put to really good use.”

A Strong Voice The Downtown Express Difference CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLISHING THE NEWS OF DOWNTOWN. We believe that a good community newspaper does make a difference.

How a child learns to learn will impact his or her life forever.

Progressive Education for Two-Year-Olds – 8th Grade

Open House | City and Country Wednesday, November 9, 2011 from 6-8pm Please visit www.cityandcountry.org for information and application materials.

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Our readers tell us we cover the news they find nowhere else, weekly.

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October 12 - 18, 2011

Marie Mirisola, 84, fashion designer OBITUARY

BY ALBERT AMATEAU Marie Mirisola, a fashion designer who with her husband, Charles, made and sold womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothes in Greenwich Village for many years, died in Beth Israel Hospital on Fri., Sept. 23, at age 84.

She had heart problems and was in ill health for the past several years, said her son Michael.

The daughter of Anthony and Elizabeth LaSalle, she was born in East Harlem. By the time she was ready for elementary school, the family had moved to Brooklyn and moved again to the Lower East Side. Marie went to P.S. 1 on Henry St. Displaying artistic talent at an early age, she went to Music and Art High School and then entered Fashion Institute of Technology, which had just been formed then. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She was in the first graduating class at F.I.T.,â&#x20AC;? Michael said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She was teaching art to children in Sara Roosevelt Park when she met my father, a college student who was studying in the park.â&#x20AC;?

Marie LaSalle started her clothing business in a loft at 177 W. Fourth St. near Jones St. in 1948 with a girlfriend from F.I.T. The next year she married Charles Mirisola, a Villager, who bought out the girlfriendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They did all the cutting on W. Fourth St.,â&#x20AC;?

Michael said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My father took the cuttings to my aunt in Brooklyn, who did the sewing, and he brought them back to the shop in Manhattan.â&#x20AC;?

Marie and Charles next moved the business to a tiny shop on Cornelia St. But some neighbors complained, so they had to move again, this time to a factory loft above the Purple Onion, a stripper bar on W. Third St. near Sixth Ave. next to The Blue Note.

In 1951, the business grew exponentially when Lord & Taylor became a client and other major department stores began buying. The cutting had moved to a loft at 29 W. Eighth St. and then to Seventh Ave. and Bleecker St. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of the sewing was done by contractors on Spring St.,â&#x20AC;? said Michael.

The business had a loft on 57th St. and one

Marie Mirisola.

on 38th St. near Lord & Taylor. The last location was on Sixth Ave. near Eighth St. above Bigelow Pharmacy, Michael said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She was doing all this and raising five kids,â&#x20AC;? he said.

In 1960, Marie began importing womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoes from Italy and selling them in the Etcetera Shop on Eighth St. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She would visit the factory in Italy and kept asking, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Can you do it this way or that way,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and they finally said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Signora, why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you design them yourself?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? Michael said.

In the late 1970s, Marie and Charles sold the manufacturing business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But my father kept the retail shop on Eighth St. and my mother designed coats for Braefair,â&#x20AC;? he said.

She continued designing coats until 10 years ago when her health declined, said Michael, who for several years ran the shop on Christopher St. He also served on Community Board 2, covering Greenwich Village, and for the past 11 years has been project support manager for the city School Construction Authority.

In addition to Michael, her husband, Charles, survives. Also surviving are another son, Charles, and two daughters, Mary Ronk of Westfield, N.J., and Elizabeth Desmond of Westchester, and 11 grandchildren. The eldest son, Joseph, died nine years ago.

Perazzo Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker St., was in charge of arrangements. The Mass of Christian Burial was at Our Lady of Pompei Church on Carmine St. on Wed., Sept. 28, and burial was in St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cemetery in Queens.

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October 12 - 18, 2011

downtown express

Ward applauds Downtown Continued from page 7 projects can be seen to completion. The Memorial, Ward said, is poised to become a vital public amenity for the city and will define New York the same way Central Park does now.

“It’s not temporal in the sense that it’s [just] telling you what happened on 9/11… it’s public space that’ll be your space,” said Ward. “It will become a democratic mixing bowl of this town — that’s what it’ll be.

A hundred years from now, 20 years from now, that’ll be in your D.N.A. as a New Yorker.”

The completion of the Memorial Plaza in time for the 10-year anniversary, Ward continued, was critical to maintaining the structural and emotional integrity of Lower Manhattan.

“I don’t think people would have tolerated [not having] a place for people to gather and reflect. We would have been vilified,” said Ward. “After all the debate… people are left with a soaringly beautiful piece of public space.”

As to the commercial real estate part of the Ground Zero equation, Ward said the essential understanding the Port Authority reached with Larry Silverstein is that, “the real estate will rise when we need it to,” and that it will prosper in

due time.

“Downtown will be realized,” said Ward, “[as] a truly remarkable achievement.”

‘The [9/11] Memorial is poised to become a vital public amenity for the city and will define New York the same way Central Park does now.’

— Chris Ward

A person in the audience inquired about St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, whose new location has yet to be determined. Its former structure at 155 Cedar St. was destroyed on 9/11, and church authorities have since demanded that the Port Authority allow them to rebuild at 130 Liberty St. Ward vaguely replied, “We have to evaluate all options for the siting of the church.”

downtown express

COMPILED BY NIKKI TUCKER AND SCOTT STIFFLER

STONE SOUP Literally Alive Children’s Theatre presents this musical by Michael Sgouros and Brenda Bell. It includes a pre-show arts workshop one hour prior to every performance. Appropriate for all ages, but recommended for ages 3 and up. Sat. and Sun., through Nov. 5. The workshop begins at 10am; show is at 11am. The Players Theatre is located at 115 MacDougal St. (btw. 3rd & Bleecker Sts.).

Tickets are $40 for first 3 rows, $35 for second 3 rows and $25 for all other seats (price includes pre-show arts workshop). Purchase through ovationtix.com or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office (on the days of the show only). For more info, visit soupinthevillage.com.

CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHING & ART Join BPCPC’s Master Anglers and drop a line for some of the 30-plus species of fish that live in the New York Bay (the Hudson River’s estuary). GO FISH Barbless hooks minimize injuries to both fish and participants.

Fish are placed in saltwater tanks for observation and identification before being released back into the Hudson. Live demonstrations and displays teach fish anatomy and heighten awareness of the ecology, flourishing marine life and current state of good health of the Hudson River and its estuary. Drop in on fish-related art projects. Rods, reels and bait are provided for those who don’t bring their own. Free. Sat., Oct. 15, 10am-2pm. Art projects from 11am2pm. At Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park (Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan Battery Place). THE LITTLE MERMAID Galli Theater’s original, interactive adaptation of the classic fairy tale is at once humorous, exciting and philosophical, but never grim! Children will not have to sit quietly during this enchanting tale, because — as in every Galli Theater production — the actors invite children onto the stage in order to become part of the story. Sat., Oct. 15, 12:30-1:30pm. Free.

At Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park (Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan).

BRING YOUR OWN KID Every Sunday at 11am, 92YTribeca’s Bring Your Own Kid (B.Y.O.K.) series features live performances by children’s bands and entertainers (recommended especially for ages 6 and under). Be sure to come in a very strange and super weird costume! Then, Randy Kaplan plays kid-friendly (but not kid-exclusive) country blues and ragtime numbers at the “Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie” CD release party on Oct. 16. On Oct. 23, folk musician Alastair Moock debuts his second children’s album, “These Are My Friends.”

At 92YTribeca (200 Hudson St.) For tickets ($15, free for children under 2), call 212-601-1000 or visit 92y.org/tribeca/byok.

SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE This beloved children’s story by William Steig — about Sylvester the donkey, and the tribulations that come along with his discovery of a magic pebble — is brought to life in a play presented by Tribeca Performing Arts Cen-

Read the Archives

ter’s Family Series. Recommended for ages 3 to 9. On Sat., Oct.15, at 1:30pm. At 199 Chambers St. For tickets ($25) call 212-220-1460.

For more info on this and other Family Series productions this 20112012 season, visit tribecapac.org/children.htm.

BMCC TRIBECA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Highlights of the 2011-2012 family season include family favorites such as Clifford, the Big Red Dog (celebrating its 50th Anniversary), The Magic Schoolbus (celebrating its 25th Anniversary) and will continue its partnership with Theatreworks USA with four productions (including The Yellow Brick Road). Single tickets are $25 (10Club members enjoy $14 tickets). A 10Club Membership enables you to purchase 10 admissions for $140 (parents save more than 40 percent off the cost of each ticket). To purchase a 10Club membership, call 212-2201460 or visit Ticketing Services (office hours: Tues.-Sat., noon–6pm) located in the lobby of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers St. Visit tribecapac.org for single tickets.

BATTERY PARK CITY PARK CONSERVANCY’S STORIES & SONGS This multi-week program of participatory music and stories is for young children accompanied by an adult. By introducing musical performance and creative storytelling to children, “Stories & Songs” develops active listening, socializing and cultural literacy in a joyous, warm environment. Space is limited and registration is required. To pre-register, call 212-267-9700 ext. 366 or visit BPCPC’s office at 75 Battery Place. Payment can be made by check to BPCPC, or by Visa or Master Card. Battery Park City Parks Conservancy offers 20 percent discounts to siblings enrolled in “Stories & Songs.” Mondays, through Dec. 12 or Wednesdays, through Dec. 7. It will cost $214 for 13 sessions. Located at 6 River Terrace (South end of River Terrace by the Irish Hunger Memorial).

PRENATAL YOGA Enjoy yoga in a supportive environment while learning postures and exercises specifically suited for pregnant women.

Learn how to feel centered and strong during labor and delivery. All levels of yoga and all stages of pregnancy are welcome. Thursdays, through Oct. 27, 9:30–10:45am. PARENT & BABY YOGA is a multi-level class is designed to strengthen the body after giving birth, and allows new parents to practice yoga with their babies (newborns through crawlers). Learn to regain the strength in the abdominal muscles, develop inner and outer strength, and meet other parents and babies.

Mondays, through Oct. 31 (no class Oct. 10), 1-2:15pm; 2:30–3:45pm.

Thursdays, 11am–12:15pm. At 6 River Terrace (off North End Ave.).

Both classes are $140 for seven weeks (pre-registration required). See mayoganyc.com and yogafortwo.com for more info. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required for all classes. Contact Ellen at 212-2679700 ext 366 or email emccarthy@bpcparks.org.

The Downtown Little School 15 Dutch Street (2 blocks east of B’way, off Fulton)

www.

DOWNTOWNEXPRESS .com

21

October 12 - 18, 2011

Serving children ages 2 - 5 years.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES SATURDAY AFTERNOONS AT THE SCHOLASTIC STORE Every Saturday at 3pm, Scholastic’s in-store activities are designed to get kids reading, thinking, talking, creating and moving. At 557 Broadway (btw. Prince and Spring Sts.). Store hours are Mon.-Sat., 10am-7pm and Sun., 11am-6pm. For info, call 212-3436166 or visit scholastic.com/sohostore.

POETS HOUSE The Poets House Children’s Room gives children and their parents a gateway to enter the world of rhyme — through readings, group activities and interactive performances. For children ages 1-3, the Children’s Room offers “Tiny Poets Time” readings on Thursdays at 10am; for those ages 4-10, “Weekly Poetry Readings” on Saturdays at 11am. Filled with poetry books, old-fashioned typewriters and a card catalogue packed with poetic objects to trigger inspiration, the Children’s Room is open Thurs.-Sat., 11am-5pm (at 10 River Terrace and Murray St.). Call 212-431-7920 or visit poetshouse.org.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS Explore painting, collage and sculpture through self-guided arts projects at this museum dedicated to inspiring the artist within. Open art stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon — giving children the opportunity to experiment with materials such as paint, clay, fabric, paper and found objects. Drop in with wee-ones (ages 10 months to 3½ years) for the museum’s “Wee-Arts” program every Wed., Thurs. and Fri., 10:45am-12pm. Start the morning with Playdough, paints, glue and drawing — in an intimate and stimulating environment where experimentation, exploration and creative thinking are encouraged.

Each session ($22 per family of three) ends with music and story time. Museum hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-5pm; Thurs., 12-6pm. Admission: $10; Pay as you wish on Thurs., 4-6pm. At 1345 Hudson St., btw. King and Charlton Sts. Call 212-274-0986 or visit cmany.org. For group tours, call 212-274-0986 ext. 31.

NEW YORK CITY FIRE MUSEUM Kids will learn about fire prevention and safety through group tours, led by former NYC firefighters. The program — which lasts approximately 75 minutes — includes classroom training and a simulated event in a mock apartment, where a firefighter shows how fires can start in different rooms in the home. Finally, students are guided on a tour of the museum’s first floor. Tours (for groups of 20 or more) are offered Tuesdays through Fridays at 10:30am, 11:30am and 12:30pm. Tickets are $3 for children and $5 per adult — but for every 10 kids, admission is free for one adult. The museum offers a $700 Junior Firefighter Birthday Party package, for children 3-6 years old. The birthday child and 15 of their guests will be treated to story time, show and tell, a coloring activity, a scavenger hunt and the opportu-

Photo courtesy of the New York City Police Museum

For kids, fun and slimy activities galore at The NYC Police Museum’s Halloween party.

POLICE MUSEUM HALLOWEEN PARTY The New York City Police Museum guarantees “a howling good time” to be had by all, at their annual Halloween Party. Come in costume, decorate a treat bag, and then, partake in trick or treating on the premises.

There will also be fun and slimy activities (appropriate for kids ages 3-11). Museum staff will provide tips on how to stay safe this Halloween and every child will receive a free Halloween wrist reflector. This event is free, with regular admission ($8; $5 for students, seniors and children; free for children under 2). Sat., Oct. 22, 11am-2pm. At The New York City Police Museum (100 Old Slip). For info, 212-480-3100 or visit nycpm.org. Regular Hours: Mon. through Sat., 10am-5pm and Sun., 12-5pm.

nity to speak to a real firefighter (the museum provides a fire-themed birthday cake, juice boxes and other favors and decorations). The NYC Fire Museum is located at 278 Spring St. (btw. Varick and Hudson). For info and reservations, call 212-691-1303.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR EVENT LISTED IN THE DOWNTOWN EXPRESS Listing requests may be sent to scott@ chelseanow.com. Please provide the date, time, location, price and a description of the event. Information may also be mailed to 515 Canal Street, Unit 1C, New York City, NY 10013. Requests must be received at least three weeks before the event. Questions? Call 646452-2497.

Moving Visions’ Murray Street Studio A Wise Choice for your child’s dance education!

Dance for Children and Teens • Modern Ballet (ages 5-18) • Choreography (ages 8 & up) • Creative Movement/Pre-Ballet (ages 3-5)

ADULT CLASSES

Yoga - Tai Chi • Chi/Dance/Exercise for Women

For tours and information call (212)791-1300 or visit

www.downtownlittleschool.org

19 Murray St., 3rd Fl.

212-608-7681 (day)

(Bet. Broadway and Church)

www.murraystreetdance.com

22

downtown express

October 12 - 18, 2011

DOWNTOWNEXPRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Stop it, you’re scaring me Horrifying Halloween events worth embracing that, by monologue’s end, has been thoroughly perverted in the service of scaring the living hell out of you. Expect to be traumatized well into the Christmas season. This year’s fall PPS (“Lovey Dovey”) tells macabre tales of romance gone rancid. “Michelle” features a man who recounts leading the search party for his next-door neighbor’s missing teenage daughter. In “Ascending the Stairway,” seventh graders are taken through a step-by-step process of making out to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Also (based on a true story), “Condo Lothario” concerns an outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases spreading throughout a retirement community. Helping the overdose of medicine go down: music and lyrics from Obie Award winner Kyle Jarrow, as performed by the husband and wife duo Sky-Pony.

Oct. 13-29, Thurs.-Sat., 8pm. At UNDER St. Marks, (94 St. Marks Place, btw. 1st Ave. & Ave. A). For tickets ($18, $15 for students/seniors), call 212-868-4444. For info, visit horsetrade.info and pumpkinpieshow.com.

COMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

THE MEETING: ROCKY HORROR TRIBUTE “The Meeting” is a monthly gathering hosted by the I.O.S. — who you probably know better as the International Order of Sodomites (that cheeky “centuries-old secret organization of homosexuals and their friends”). Much more droll and far less threatening than their name lets on, the I.O.S. is about to launch their third season of their gay comedy/variety show at The Duplex with this seasonally appropriate tribute to the gay iconography of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Well packed, so to speak, among the “Rocky” references will be the usual gay old romp through politics (sexual and otherwise), social news, music, comedy skits and other matters of earthshaking importance. Your host, as always, is writer, comedian and actor Justin Sayre. Be afraid, Mary. Be very afraid.

At The Duplex (61 Christopher St., at 7th Ave.). Thurs, Oct. 20, 9:30pm $10 cover charge, two-drink minimum. You must be 21+ to attend. For reservations, call visit theduplex.com. For info on The Meeting, visit themeetingpodcast.blogspot.com.

Photo by Hal Hirshorn

HALLOWEEN AT HOUSING WORKS BOOKSTORE CAFE The frightening folks who book events at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe are stirring up a lit-centric witch’s brew of terrifying events sure to prove that the pen is bloodier than the sword. On Mon., Oct. 17 at 7pm, “Around the Campfire” is a fright-inducing installment of Storychord’s regular every other Monday gig at Housing Works (at which one story, one image and a one-song “soundtrack” is offered up — each by underexposed talent). This time around, it’s all about eerie campfire-themed fun: Miles Klee and Tim Mucci will read ghost stories, and musical guests Will Stratton and Katie Mullins will perform spooky sets. On Tues., Oct. 25 at 7pm, “The Coffin Factory: A Reading to Celebrate the First Issue” has Bonnie Nadzam, John Reed, Fred Reynolds and Steve Danziger reading their featured pieces from that new literary magazine, The Coffin Factory (a “magazine for people who love books”). On Mon., Oct. 31 at 7pm, “The Housing Works Horror: A Literary Halloween Party with Granta Magazine” encourages you to don a literary-themed costume, and then be thoroughly traumatized by tales of horrors real and imagined (including a reading of a new, never-before-published Stephen King story).

All events take place at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby St., btw.

Houston and Prince). For info, call 212966-0466 or visit housingworksbookstore. org. For Facebook: facebook.com/housingworksbookstore.

Spirit photography, 1800s-style: See “The Merchant’s House.”

Photo courtesy of Housing Works and Granta Photo by Christian Coulson

Your haunted, haunting host: Justin Sayre. See “The Meeting.”

THE PUMPKIN PIE SHOW: LOVEY DOVEY A good amount of time before people paraded through the streets dressed up as Anthony Weiner or Snookie, real and lasting terror came from the simple act of storytelling. That ritual is what gave the longrunning “Pumpkin Pie Show” its name (spe-

Literary-themed costumes are encouraged, at Granta’s horrifying party. See “Halloween at Housing Works.”

cifically referring to the Southern tradition of good old boys sitting in a field spinning tall, bloody tales). Getting your spine tingled and your sense of security shattered by PPS creator Clay McLeod Chapman and Hanna Cheek has become a LES October tradition.

Both are charismatic and skilled performers who project a sense of calm and likeability

THE MERCHANT’S HOUS MUSEUM: SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY, GHOST TOUR As haunted houses go, you can’t make this stuff up. Currently celebrating its 75th year of providing a frozen-in-time glimpse of NYC domestic life as lived from 1835-1865, the Merchant’s House Museum long ago staked its claim as “Manhattan’s most haunted house.” Dozens of unexplained events and spectral sightings have taken place over the years (the most recent just a few weeks ago, on two successive nights during public events). The brave and curious will get a great history lesson — and maybe even a playful prod from a friendly spirit — at any one of the upcoming paranormal-themed events.

Through November 28, “In the Spirit — Modern Photographers Channel the 19thCentury” is an exhibit of historic and modern images, including 19th century spirit photographs (considered to be proof of communication with the spirits of departed loved ones). You’ll also see photos taken by visitor to the Merchant’s House (including the eerie profile of a man in a mirror, as well as two strange glowing white forms taken at the exact same place in the house at different times). The exhibit is free, with regular admission to the museum.

Hear true tales of unexplained encounters (some of them told by the people who experienced them) and learn about the servants and Tredwell family members said to have stuck around after their deaths — during the “Candlelight Ghost Tours.” They happen Fri.-Sat., Oct. 22/23; and Thurs.-Sat., Oct.

Continued on page 23

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October 12 - 18, 2011

Photo by Leland Brewster

Aspen Lee Jordan and Peter Drivas in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ghost in the Machine.â&#x20AC;?

Photo courtesy of Jefferson Market Garden

Decorate pumpkins, at the Jefferson Market Garden Harvest Festival.

Horrifying Halloween events Continued from page 22 27-29. The 50-minute tours begin every half hour. The 6, 6:30, 7 and 7:30pm tours are $25. The 8, 8:30 and 9pm tours are $30. The 9:30pm tour, for $40, includes a trip to the fourth floor servantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarters.

On Sun., Oct. 30, 3-5pm, â&#x20AC;&#x153;From Parlor to Grave: 1865 Funeral Reenactmentâ&#x20AC;? finds the Merchantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House parlors draped in black crape, for this recreation of the 1865 funeral of Seabury Tredwell. After the service, mourners will follow the coffin to nearby New York City Marble Cemetery for a tour ($30; $10 for graveside service and cemetery tour only).

On Mon., Oct. 31 (at 7 and 8:30pm), â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spine Tingling and True: Ghost Stories of the Merchantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House Museumâ&#x20AC;? is presided over by Merchantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House ghost-storytellers

Anthony Bellov and Dayle Vander Sande â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll read 19th-century horror classics interspersed with true tales of the supernatural, as experienced by Merchantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House visitors and staff (cost: $25). Bellov and Vander Sande return at 7pm on Fri., Nov. 18 as two of the four-member Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society. The latest program from this gifted vocal ensemble (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chant Macabre: Songs of Death & Enchantmentâ&#x20AC;?) offers an atmospheric concert featuring 19th-century songs and classical arias ($25).

All events take place at the Merchantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House Museum (29 E. Fourth St., btw.

Lafayette & Bowery). Museum Hours: Thurs.-Mon., 12-5pm. Admission: $10 ($5 for students/seniors). For info, call 212-7771089 or visit merchantshouse.org.

22-year-old Queens-based playwright Mike Leon marks his latest collaboration with Nathaniel Basch-Gould. The Williams College alums are like minds who bonded over mythology, as well as four plays written by Leon and directed by Basch-Gould. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ghost in the Machineâ&#x20AC;? is, as described

by Leon, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;tragedy with jokes.â&#x20AC;? The

four-character drama concerns a dead girl named Rachel (victim of a drunk driver) and her lover. Grief-stricken James canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to let go. Through flashbacks, and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sort of enhanced-dreamâ&#x20AC;? disorder, he replays the relationship. Assisted by every-

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October 12 - 18, 2011

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Halloween events Continued from page 23

Experience...

Thursday Late Night Exclusive service, wine & light fare, complimentary conditioning treatments, visit our â&#x20AC;&#x153;refuge roomâ&#x20AC;?

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thing from old voice mails from Rachel to a dose of Ambien, the trip down memory lane soon becomes more intense than he bargained for â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as the flashbacks lock James into a nowhere zone between dreaming and memory, in which he must re-enact his role playing with Rachel in a perfect playback or lose her forever.

Thurs., Oct. 13 through Sat, Oct. 15, at 8pm; Sun., Oct. 16 at 2pm; Mon., Oct. 17 through Sat., Oct. 22 at 8pm; Sun., Oct. 23 at 2pm. At Theater for the New City (155 First Ave., btw. 9th & 10th Sts.). For tickets ( $18), call 212-868-4444 or visit smarttix.com. For info visit theaterforthenewcity.net.

JEFFERSON MARKET GARDEN HARVEST FESTIVAL Free kid-sized pumpkins and supplies to decorate, entertainment sponsored by the New York Public Library, seasonal autumn crafts, goodies and the rare opportunity for city kids to commune with big bales of straw are what makes this event an essential part of your fall calendar.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also one of your last chances to enjoy that Greenwich Village urban oasis â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Jefferson Market Garden. One of NYCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beautiful and enduring community gardens, this treasured oasis of flowering plants and shrubs is open to the public Tues.-Sun. afternoons through October (then returns anew in May).

The Harvest Festival is a free event. Sat., Oct. 15, 11am-2pm (rain date: Sun., Oct. 16). At the junction of Greenwich Ave., Sixth Ave. and W. 10th St. For more info, visit jeffersonmarketgarden.org.

Photo courtesy of the New York City Police Museum

For kids, fun and slimy activities galore.

Seeâ&#x20AC;? Police Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Halloween party.â&#x20AC;?

POLICE MUSEUM HALLOWEEN PARTY The New York City Police Museum guarantees â&#x20AC;&#x153;a howling good timeâ&#x20AC;? to be had by all, at their annual Halloween Party. Come in costume, decorate a treat bag, and then, partake in trick or treating on the premises. There will also be fun and slimy activities (appropriate for kids ages 3-11). Museum staff will provide tips on how to stay safe this Halloween and every child will receive a free Halloween wrist reflector. This event is free, with regular admission ($8; $5 for students, seniors and children; free for children under 2). Sat., Oct. 22, 11am-2pm. At The New York City Police Museum (100 Old Slip).

For info, 212-480-3100 or visit nycpm. org. Regular Hours: Mon. through Sat., 10am-5pm and Sun., 12-5pm.

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Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t envy Ellen Bradshaw for working in the Village and watching the seasons change from the window of her studio. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be better off just enjoying the view. Bradshawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;4 Seasons in the Villageâ&#x20AC;? allows you to contemplate a collection of new oil paintings documents the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite streets, haunts and corners of the West Village. Painted in each of the four seasons, Bradshawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite West 4th Street view is the centerpiece of this show. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brilliant rays casting shadows or snow covering the sidewalk outside of Village Cigars, the artist depicts the Village as the ultimate small town â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;a refuge from the rest of the city,â&#x20AC;? as she puts it. Solitary amblers, shop owners, bench-sitters, dog walkers, delivery trucks and bicycles propped against street signs convey a sense of routine and serenity.

Artist Receptions on Thurs., Oct. 6, 5-8pm and Sat., Oct. 8, 3-6pm. The exhibit runs from Oct. 4-29. Gallery Hours: Tues.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sat, 11am-6pm or by appointment. At Pleiades Gallery (530 W. 25th St., 4th floor, btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). For info, call 646-230-0056 or visit pleiadesgallery.com. For info on the artist, visit ellenbradshaw.com.

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October 12 - 18, 2011

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downtown express

October 12 - 18, 2011

Four galleries offer food for thought At Cheim & Reade, New York School is back in session

BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN

MILTON RESNICK: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM In the afterglow of MoMA’s recent Abstract Expressionism survey (Oct. 3, 2010–April 25, 2011), several city galleries have recently hosted shows that were sparked by the topic. In fact, since last year, the New York School has undeniably regained its status as the most popular local art movement. The current and widely cherished retrospective of Willem de Kooning’s work, again organized by MoMA (Sept. 18, 2011–Jan. 9, 2012), only aids in strengthening this claim. For those seeking to discover the subject on a more intimate scale, Cheim & Read marks a good destination. Through the end of October, the gallery is making a case for one of the movement’s last true followers, Milton Resnick — whose estate the gallery has managed since 2006.

By focusing exclusively on Resnick’s works from the 1960s to the 1980s, the selection at Cheim & Read invites the audience to assess the late chapters of the artist’s oeuvre.

Born in Bratslav, Ukraine in 1917, Resnick — as so many American artists of that generation — immigrated to the United States as a child. In his case, the family arrived in 1922, escaping a civil war that ravaged their homeland. A decade later, he studied commercial art at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn before transferring to the American Artists School to concentrate on painting. He graduated in 1937, but soon had to serve in the US Army (1940-1945). When he returned to New York, he found himself a witness to the rise of Abstract Expressionism. He became a passionate follower and until his death, he remained strictly committed to non-representational painting.

By focusing exclusively on Resnick’s works from the 1960s to the 1980s, the selection at Cheim & Read invites the audience to assess the late chapters of the artist’s oeuvre. Whereas Resnick’s paintings from the 1940s and 1950s, the decades that marked the height of Abstract Expressionism, are characterized by gesture and movement, these compositions appear tranquil. They are monochrome, rendered in grays, gray-blues or gray-greens, for example, and heavily impasto-ed. It is this meditative restriction to light and texture that provides these paintings with a strangely organic quality. Their

Courtesy of I-20 Gallery

Karen Heagle’s “Weedburner” (Acrylic, ink and collage on paper; 64 x 64 inches (162.6 x 162.6 cm).

surfaces seem to reference nature, evoking moss beds, lava fields or rock formations. In this later body of work, Resnick became less interested in projecting himself, his emotions and convictions onto the picture plane. They are less concrete and therefore more universal. It seems that towards the end of his life, he longed to create a space where he could slowly dissolve his identity and could truly become one with painting.

Through Oct. 29, at Cheim & Reade (547 W. 25th St.). Call 212-242-7727 or visit cheimread.com.

KAREN HEAGLE: LET NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE AND HOPE IT PASSES Heagle’s third solo exhibition with the gallery features a new series of largescale acrylic and mixed media paintings on paper. Rendered in a palette that in its vibrancy evokes Indian miniatures (Matisse and Mexican pottery painting for example), Heagle’s imagery is rooted in the tradition of the still life genre. Jan Brueghel the Elder, Francisco de Zurbarán and Jean-BaptiseSiméon Chardin are justifiable references here. Even some of her recurring ingredients, such as fish, game or kitchen utensils — all assembled into complex compositions — evoke the content of Northern European vanitas paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries. Despite this affinity, Heagle’s paint handling differs drastically. Her touch is distinctly loose and her embrace of gestural expressionism links her more to abstractionists than to traditional realists. In that sense,

she has much in common with the American modernist Charles Burchfield, whose seductive works were recently featured at the Whitney Museum.

In “Weedburner,” Heagle depicts burning brush in a barrel that itself sits on a barrow.

While a leaning pitchfork and the contained fire suggest a human presence, the scene nevertheless feels remote if not abandoned.

We are witnessing the aftermath of a human interaction with nature. Framed by working tools and industrial materials, the brush is smoldering in the center of the picture plane.

The fact that the surrounding land appears to be made of rather dry grass adds tension (this fire could easily spill over and cause devastation). While some of Heagle’s objects of fascination, such as a taxidermy deer head and a lava lamp, indicate that she finds much inspiration in her domestic environment, others reveal an interest in the exotic. One striking composition shows a tiger wading in water. Illuminated by the sheen of a full moon, we find the regal creature radiant in its orange coat while a feast of colors sparkles on the liquid surface. Heagle’s quest is to draw us in and hold us close.

The Brooklyn-based artist does this through combining intriguing subject matter with a refreshingly indulgent palette.

Through Oct. 29, at I-20 (557 W. 23rd St.). Call 212-645-1100 or visit i–20.com.

JOHANNES KAHRS At first glimpse, several of the paintings by the Berlin-based artist Johannes Kahrs

evoke the slightly out-of-focus pornographic photographs by Thomas Ruff. They are explicit and yet veiled in a haze that allows for the subject matter to become obscured and hence, secondary. Like Ruff, Kahrs harvests his subjects from newspapers, magazines, films, advertisements and his personal archives. Both artists also embrace a similar technique. They derive at their final image by means of alteration. The latter can entail the blurring, cropping, or abstracting of the source material. However, Kahrs’s medium is painting and it is indeed his exquisite handling of paint that makes this show worthwhile. In this particular selection, he has captured moments that are rich in implicit drama. They either fall before or after a significant event. In “Untitled (man sitting)” for instance, we encounter an anonymous individual as he sits bandaged and bruised. Other than the shocking extent of his injuries, no further context is provided. As the subject’s head has been cropped, we can only speculate about his age and race. Because of this abstraction, Kahrs consciously denies us any emotional response or access to the victim. We might be stunned by the brutality of the scene, but the lack of information voids any true sensation of sympathy. Kahrs plays with this notion of detachment.

By numbing us, he comments on society’s progressing desensitization at large, which is largely due to the overwhelming amount of omnipresent scandalizing images. Like today’s mass media, Kahrs consciously provides us with ominous vagueness rather than clear facts. However, it is upon close inspection, when the image slowly gives way to intriguing layers of color, that we encounter a painter, whose appeal resides as much in his skill as it does in his message.

Through Oct. 22, at Luhring Augustine (31 W. 24th St.). Call 212-206-9100 or visit luhringaugustine.com.

SCRUFFY: CHIP HUGHES, SADIE LASKA, JOCKO WEYLAND This small group exhibition focuses on three artists, who embrace an un-manicured vision. Their creative process involves the degenerative, decidedly unfinished re-processing of images. Their paintings are devoid of any sense of slickness or polish. Instead, they appear casual and somewhat laissezfaire. When asked to comment about works featured in the show Chip Hughes stated that he thought of his paintings as a kind of “T-shirt or a TV or monitor twisted offering something that is clear and unclear...images, words, symbols that have been altered, corrupted, destructed, inverted, reversed, confused, misused.” However, to assume that all is based on nonchalance is deceiving. Brilliantly selected by Kerry Schuss, SCRUFFY astonishes us as it transforms something seemingly vague into concrete works of art.

Through Nov. 5, at KS Art/Kerry Schuss (73 Leonard St.). Call 212-219-9918 or visit kerryschuss.com.

downtown express

Concerns over ‘occupation’ Continued from page 2 migratory farmer, and with sanitation work at festivals, and joined the occupation in its third week.

Asked about two initiatives the occupier community recently approved to enhance sanitation, Jordan spoke unofficially about current efforts the protester-residents are making to have the park be a cleaner and healthier place to live. One involves requiring inhabitants to consolidate their belongings daily to allow for cleaning the park.

This is not necessarily meant to create space for other park users, like neighborhood residents and workers, but could aid sanitation efforts.

The other measure is to spend $2000 from the O.W.S. budget on plastic bins to keep items clean and dry. Jordan said it is a health issue.

“People have been sleeping on the same cardboard since day one,” said Jordan, who noted the fact that current conditions present a bad image in the press and that, “cleaner places are safer places,” citing depression and irritability as “horrible effects on the entire community” that can result from poor living conditions.

Currently they have a recycling program that separates cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass, with daily collection by a non-profit.

The NYC Department of Sanitation takes

27

October 12 - 18, 2011

the regular trash from collection points at the four corners of the park.

Moore said that the neighborhood has been under stress for a decade and that, “Zuccotti is only one part of our problem.”

With the opening of the National Sept.

11th Memorial the issues faced by neighbors in the vicinity of Zuccotti Park include tourists who block the entrance to buildings, a police sky watch tower which faces at least one resident’s window, and the drumming.

“It’s bad enough that we had twenty-one hours a day for thirty days of a hoe ram,” said Moore.

City Councilmember Margaret Chin said, “Many residents support the right to protest, but this is an occupation, not a passing march. The protesters must take visible steps to lessen the burden on the community or risk losing the support they have enjoyed so far. This means that the drumming needs to stop. No one should have to listen to drumming all day and all night. This is a neighborhood of working families and young children. The protesters need to show some respect for the residents and history of Lower Manhattan.”

Moore said, “I think it’s insensitive that the Mayor [in his Oct. 10 comment that the protestors could stay] didn’t acknowledge the impact the demonstration has on the residents who live in close proximity to Zuccotti Park, especially with the opening of the 9/11 Memorial.”

INSIDETrack with President Stephen J. Friedman

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 7:00 p.m.

Pace University Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts 3 Spruce Street New York, NY 10038

Creative Destruction: Innovation in America and China

Please join bestselling author and management consultant Richard Foster in a compelling discussion about creative destruction—industrial evolution driven by the rise of new innovations and the downfall of old technologies.

Downtown Express photo by Cynthia Magnus

The Occupy Wall Street encampment has started its own trash collecting and recycling programs and has started meeting with local community members to establish a dialogue.

Free and open to the public.

RSVP at www.pace.edu/insidetrack.

28

October 12 - 18, 2011

downtown express

THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION, PART TWO.

AVENUES NYC CAMPUS ON THE HIGH LINE

WWW.AVENUES.ORG