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YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN

Photo by Stephen Wilkes, courtesy the artist and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

THE DAY TO NIGHT OF TIMES SQUARE Part of the “Day to Night” exhibit on view at Chelsea’s Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, fine art photographer Stephen Wilkes created this image by spending over a half-day in July of 2010 perched 50 feet above, staying put during a bomb scare to capture New York’s “emergent behavior.” See page 15. © CHELSEA NOW 2015 | NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

VOLUME 07, ISSUEVOLUME 39 | NOVEMBER 07, ISSUE 22 26 | - DECEMBER JULY 16 - 02, 22, 2015

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Sorry Tasha, they’ve already done casting for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular…but you can still be a star, at Paws in the City.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

PAWS IN THE CITY Wearing that intentionally horrendous sweater to the holiday party is fine for humans — but why subject a pet to such humiliation?

Scope out the latest catwalk-worthy, pooch-centric couture, at the weekend-long Paws in the City event. Four-legged fashion shows, raffles, adoptions, a pet costume contest, pet-centric vendors, tasty treats, and a photo op with Santa Paws are

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November 26 - December 02, 2015

among the activities (which vary daily). Free admission, $20 entrance fee for the contest. Raffle proceeds benefit Yorkie911 Rescue and Zani’s Furry Friends. Fri., Dec. 4, 5–7 p.m. (location TBA). Sat., Dec. 5, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at Spot Canine Club (145 W. 20th St., btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.) and Sun., Dec. 6, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Silver Towers Spot location (620 W. 42nd St., btw. 11th & 12th Aves.). For details, visit celebritycatwalk.com.

CHELSEA SYMPHONY HOLIDAY CONCERT New York City’s second highest-ranking elected offi cial joins the ranks of Charles Busch, Andrea Martin, Rachel Dratch and B.D. Wong — when Public Advocate Letitia James does narration duties for Chelsea Symphony resident composer Aaron Dai’s adaptation of “The Night Before Christmas.” The group’s annual holiday concert will also feature seasonal classics, including “Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” and Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.” Fri., Dec. 4, 8 p.m. at St. Paul’s German Lutheran Church (315 W. 22nd St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). Free admission (suggested donation of $20). For info on this concert and the 2016 schedule, visit chelseasymphony.org.

“HEART-RENDING RETROSPECTIVE” Inequality remains a fact of life in America. A century later, this New York master’s photos still explode with outrage.

Star bright: St. Peter’s Advent Fair concludes when the 2,000 lights on their pine tree get this season’s first jolt of juice.

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THE CHOIR OF ST. LUKE IN THE FIELDS “A French Baroque Christmas” is the theme, for a program representing

noël melodies and Christmas celebration “that became a preoccupation of French composers.” Selections include Charpentier’s 1694 “Messe de Minuit” and his dramatic oratorio “In Nativitatem Domini, H.416.” David Shuler directs this professional ensemble, whose most recent recording is “O Magnum Mysterium: Christmas in Iberia.” Thurs., Dec. 3, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. lecture by Dr. David Schulenberg), at The Church of St. Luke in the Fields (487 Hudson St., two blocks south of Christopher St.). Tickets ($35, $25 for students/seniors) at the door, or visit stlukeinthefields.org/store.

ST. PETER’S TREE LIGHTING & ADVENT FAIR Steeped in history and always brewing up a worthwhile cultural activity, St. Peter’s Chelsea — the Estate Church of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” author Clement Clarke Moore — will be selling a special limited edition of that iconic holiday poem, at their Advent Fair. Other items (from craft vendors and your Chelsea neighbors) include jewelry, handmade keepsakes, and items priced for children to give to parents. The Fair concludes outside, when the 2,000-light-strong tree is lit for the first time this season. Free. Sat., Dec. 5. Advent Fair, indoors, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and outdoor tree lighting at 5 p.m. At St. Peter’s Chelsea (346 W. 20th St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). For info, visit stpeterschelsea.com. .com

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CB4 Pedals Safety Features for Sixth Ave. Bike Lane

Representatives of the city Department of Transportation presented plans to CB4 on Nov. 18 for a protected bike lane that would boost traffic safety as part of the Vision Zero initiative.

BY ZACH WILLIAMS Four feet makes all the difference when it comes to installing a protected six-foot wide bike lane on Sixth Ave. between W. 14th and W. 33rd Sts. By shaving one foot off of three traffic lanes and another from parking, the city can squeeze the upcom-

ing bike route onto the west side of the avenue next year, representatives of the city Department of Transportation (DOT) said at a Nov. 18 meeting of the Community Board Four (CB4) Transportation Planning Committee. Though supportive of the new bike lane, board members expressed skepticism that the plan

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A protected bike lane with a design similar to one on Second Ave. will be installed on Sixth Ave. (seen above at the intersection of W. 21st St.).

provides enough infrastructure to boost pedestrian safety. The DOT intends to build the bike lane next year with an extension south to Canal St. possible in 2017, representatives said. Altogether, the city will add 12 miles of new bike lanes in 2016 as part of the ongoing Vision Zero initiative. Twenty-seven painted “pedestrian islands” would form at the tip of the “floating” parking lane at intersections, reducing the crossing distance by 17 feet, according to the DOT. But without a raised platform, these areas cannot protect pedestrians, according to Christine Berthet, CB4 Chair and co-founder of CHEKPEDS, a Hell’s Kitchen traffic safety colation. “The cars are going to go up over it. The bikes are going to go over it. It’s not a pedestrian refuge anymore,” she said at the meeting. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable being over there.” DOT representatives said that space is limited, but the proposed configuration would nonetheless boost safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. Slimmer traffic lanes of 10 feet would slow traffic, and the separation of bicyclists from moving cars reduces the possibility of crashes, according to the DOT. The same configuration was used on Second Ave., leading to a reduction of 46 percent in injuries, according to the DOT. Between 2009 and 2013, 623 people were injured in crashes on Sixth Ave. between W. 14th and W. 33rd Sts., with pedestrians accounting for half of the 52

serious injuries. While raised areas would be ideal, DOT representatives said that the lack of space disinclines department engineers from approving a narrow concrete pedestrian island. City requirements also limit the project in other ways, including keeping the bike lane functional at all hours. The plan would require the suspension of parking to allow street sweeping. The 11-foot wide clearance required by sanitation vehicles is not easily negotiated, DOT Director of Greenways Ted Wright said at the meeting. The nine-foot space between the curb and the parking lane presents other issues, said committee members. Garbage trucks have cans to empty throughout the day, and fire trucks and ambulances would not be able to use the bike lane as they do on Eighth and Ninth Aves., said committee member Walter Mankoff. “Whther or not you put concrete down or don’t put concrete down, it’s not an issue of moving the cars for two hours. It’s an issue of parking all day long and I think you’re way off in terms of what you’re thinking. I think you need to take another really serious look at it,” he said. Narrower street sweeping vehicles could fit within the nine-foot area, but the DOT officials pointed out that decision falls outside the purview of the department. But if the board wished to lobby the sanitation department, it ultimately could have a far-reaching effect, said Wright.

Continued on page 13 .com

Siblings Make the Cut for ‘Chopped Junior’ BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC For brother and sister chefs and Chelsea residents Marc and Rachel Hodorov — 12 and 10 years old, respectively — there is no ordering off the kiddie menu. The duo and their little sister order escargot when they dine at Le Grainne Café (183 Ninth Ave.), said their mom, Marina Levin. “My husband and I really insisted that we treat their palettes like they were adult palettes,” Levin said in a phone interview. “We never ordered from the kids’ menu for them. We really put an emphasis on food and trying new things and experimenting.” That stress on culinary adventures prompted both Hodorovs to vie for a spot on the first season of “Chopped Junior” — a cooking competition show hosted by Ted Allen on the Food Network. Four young people from the ages of nine to 15 compete for a $10,000 prize each episode. Like the adult version, four contestants must create dishes from whatever is inside the “mystery baskets.” Marc, a seventh grader at Lower

Manhattan Community Middle School, said that he and his sister first tried out for a different Food Network show called “Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off.” “We didn’t make it, and we decided that we would keep on trying,” Marc said in a phone interview. “[We tried] to get on ‘Chopped Junior’ once we heard about it.” He started cooking when he was around six, helping his parents by stirring pots or chopping vegetables up for salad. “As I grew, it progressed [to] more complicated things, until I started making full dishes by myself,” he said. Courtesy “Chopped Junior” Grilling and working with meat is “Chopped Junior” competitor and PS11 student Rachel Hodorov hopes to his forte. attend the Culinary Institute of America. “I also like making pretty much any type of steak. That’s one of my favoras well as seafood and sushi. ites,” he said. “When my mom started cooking I While Marc is focused on meat and would always walk around the kitchen Speaking like a pro, Marc said when it comes to seasoning, all a steak grilling, his sister Rachel is on the des- and say, ‘Can I help?’ or ‘What can I ert tip. She is really into cheesecake do?’ ” Rachel said. really needs is salt and pepper. “One of the family sayings is, and cupcakes. She counted grapes for salads, Rachel, a fifth grader at PS11, stirred in stuff for her mom, and, as ‘When you have a good piece of meat, said her interest began when she was she got older, began using a knife and you don’t dress it up,’ ” Marc said. He said he will pretty much eatT:8.75”around four and saw her mom cookanything, but he loves steak, of course, ing in the kitchen. Continued on page 13

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We’re All Offenders Who Haven’t Been Caught BY LENORE SKENAZY Are we all sex offenders? That’s the question posed to the audience of mostly college students by Galen Baughman, a Soros Justice Fellow and the final speaker at the City University of New York TEDx talks at the Borough of Manhattan Community College last week. TEDx talks are known for introducing new speakers with new ideas on everything from tech, to teaching, to society — but Baughman was the first TEDx presenter to address the issue of sex offenders from an unusual viewpoint: He is one. And he must register as a sex offender forever. His crime? He had consensual sex with a teen when he was a teen. He was 19, his boyfriend, 14. They had sex once. It was consensual. The younger teen did not want to prosecute, but his parents did. Had Baughman and his boyfriend slept together in another country — Canada, for instance — it would not have been considered a criminal act. But here, Baughman informed his audience, his crime resulted in a prison sentence. He served nine years. Four and half of those were in solitary. Just when he was about to be set free, well, that’s what Baughman came to talk about. “Three and a half years ago,” the 32-year-old told the audience, “I was sitting alone in a cell in Arlington, VA, waiting for a trial that would determine whether I would spend the rest of my life in prison.” See, Baughman had originally been handed a six-and-a-half year sentence. But when it was over and he was about to be released, the authorities informed him that they considered him a violent sexual predator too dan-

gerous to let go. As it turns out, the state can lock up “violent predators” indefinitely. The legal term for this is “civil commitment.” The person is kept behind bars to get “treatment” — except that treatment looks exactly like prison. Because it is. How does the state get away with keeping some people for years — sometimes decades — after their release dates? It plays on the public’s fear of sex offenders, Baughman explained. Politicians score points by keeping sex offenders locked up. It sounds so good: “It is for the sake of our children!” The problem is that once a person gets the label “sex offender,” the public ceases to consider that person a human. In most people’s minds, a sex offender is a monster out to rape little kids. The fact that the Department of Justice reports that sex offenders actually have the lowest recidivism rate of any criminals other than murderers is not well known. W hat’s worse, “T he label ‘sex offender’ is a made-up category,” Baughman continued. You can get labeled a sex offender for raping a toddler — or for sleeping with your freshman girlfriend when you’re a senior. T here are people on the sex offender registry for urinating in public. For visiting a prostitute. For streaking. Teens even get on it for sexting. “We brand all these people the same. And once they get that label we treat them all as if we know what they’re going to do next,” he said. We treat them as if they’re going to hide in the bushes and pounce on a kid walking home from school — even

if they never did anything remotely like that. T hat’s what the state decided about Baughman: Since he was officially a sex offender, he was automatically a menace to society. At his civil commitment trial, the state argued that he suffered from a horrible mental illness, which caused him to be attracted to sexually mature teens. At that, the audience of mostly college students burst out laughing — they probably suffered from the exact same thing. Luckily for Baughman, his jury concluded that this made-up disease (it isn’t in the psychiatric diagnostic manual) was ridiculous. Because our laws are so overly broad, and because so few people commit a new crime after release, Baughman told the crowd, a child is “more likely to be labeled a sex offender, than to be abused by a sex offender.” Baughman added that he is the only person in Virginia to have successfully fought indefinite detention via a jury trial, and won. Another 5,000 people nationwide are languishing past their release dates, most because they carry the label “sex offender.” But if all it takes to get that label is to be attracted to sexually mature teens, or to sext, or streak, maybe, indeed, we’re all sex offenders — who just haven’t been caught. Lenore Skenazy is host of the reality show “World’s Worst Mom” on the Discovery Life Channel. She is also a public speaker who authored the book, and founded the blog, Free-Range Kids (freerangekids.com).

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November 26 - December 02, 2015

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO SCOTT@CHELSEANOW.COM .com

POLICE BLOTTER GRAND LARCENY: New cab drivers A livery driver was left without a car of his own in the early morning of Sun., Nov. 22. The 57-year-old man picked up four twentysomethings at the corner of W. 13th and Hudson Sts. at about 5 a.m. He drove them a few blocks to the northwest corner of W. 15th St. and Eighth Ave. and told them to visit an ATM when a credit card failed to settle the fare. Three of the passengers went with the driver to get the cash, then commandeered his vehicle and fled the scene. Police later found the vehicle in the Lower East Side with the front seats and radio damaged. The only other sign of the perpetrators was a water bottle that they left behind, police said.

PETIT LARCENY: Smelly situation A 56-year-old man left his black backpack in a porta-potty in Chelsea Park on Fri., Nov. 20. He watched as another man left the facilities with a similar-looking backpack at about midnight. The slip of mind, and failure to confront the second man near the intersection of W. 23rd St. and Eleventh Ave. cost the Chelsea resident his NYC ID, $300 headphones and a pair of khakis, police said.

PETIT LARCENY: Mail intervention Maple-flavored sugar cookies, caramel corn and a record by Peter Pan were among the loot taken from a package delivered to a Chelsea woman while she was on vacation earlier this month. She told police that on Nov. 20, she returned to her W. 28th St. home, but could not find the package that the Post Office supposedly delivered on Nov. 2. She discovered that the thief had

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already used a $50 gift card that came with the package. A police report did not include any suspects in the heist.

GRAND LARCENY: A felonious way to get a lady’s attention Someone reached their hand into a 22-year-old woman’s purse on Sun., Nov. 22, as she left a bar at 355 W. 16th St. She felt the wallet being removed and turned around to confront the thief. A thirtysomething man said, “I didn’t take it,” then fled eastbound at about 3 a.m. Police have not been able to recover the maroon Marc Jacobs wallet, nor its contents. No charges were subsequently made on the credit card, according to a police report.

—ZACH WILLIAMS

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-7418216. Youth Officer: 212-7418211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-924-3377. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m., at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced. The next meeting is Dec. 30.

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: David Ehrenberg. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212-4773863. Youth Officer: 212-4777411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the 13th Precinct. The next meeting is Dec. 15.

November 26 - December 02, 2015

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‘Next Step’ Shelter is a Leap Back for Life on W. 45th Block

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Residents who share their block with the Aladdin say quality of life problems have spiraled out of control since the “Next Step” shelter opened in 2002.

BY WINNIE McCROY When people think back to the “bad old days” of Times Square, they remember the sex shops, perverts and criminal elements that once dominated the landscape. These days, people are more likely to envision battling Elmos or the risqué “desnudas” that pose with tourists for money. But the block of W. 45th St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves. is like a time warp that will shuttle you right back to the ’80s: criminals loiter on the street, drug dealers sling crack cocaine, and prostitutes have public sex. Neighbors say it’s all due to the presence of the Aladdin Hotel, a homeless shelter that opened in 2002. “This neighborhood has suffered serious security and quality of life issues in and around the Aladdin since it opened,” said Timothy Tanner, Co-Chair of the West 45th Street Block Association. “The Aladdin is a ‘Next Step’ shelter, which means that many, but not all, residents are people who have bro.com

ken rules at other shelters and therefore need ‘enhanced supervision.’ The irony is that the Aladdin has a reputation within the shelter community as a place where ‘anything goes.’ I suppose that’s one way to deal with people who break rules — send them to a place where there’s no rules, or where the rules aren’t really enforced.” The result has been quality of life disturbances that include breaking and entering, public urination, indecent exposure, street fights, drug dealing, open drug use, public sex acts, prostitution, violent crime, and the menacing of residents, business employees and pedestrians. “All right here on a ‘quiet’ residential block in the theatre district. My wife and I are raising two small children on this block,” said Tanner. He said it’s not NIMBY-ism, explaining, “I have a brother who has been homeless for long periods, living on the streets or in shelters, so I see the issues from both sides.” Residents of the block cross to

the other side of the street to avoid walking under the Aladdin’s windows, because shelter residents frequently throw furniture, empty beer cans and even bags of urine out the windows. A recent incident, says Tanner, involved “someone throwing something from a neighboring building. Two women from the Aladdin were having an argument, screaming at each other out on the sidewalk around midnight, loud enough that you could hear it up and down the block. It lasted about 20 minutes. At one point they were in front of the Whitby apartment building [325 W. 45th St.], and their security guard came out to see if he could put a lid on it [Aladdin security was nowhere in sight]. And a resident of the Whitby must have thrown water or something from an upper window to douse the disputants and it was the guard who ended up getting hit — he was looking up, trying to figure out where it came from.” Drugs are also a perpetual problem at the Aladdin. Whenever the cops and DHS move out one set of problem residents, another set of problem residents gets moved in. And it’s not just neighbors who are suffering from lax security at the Aladdin. Shelter residents and the few remaining SRO (Single Room Occupancy) residents at the Aladdin bear the brunt of the problems, living in the middle of it all. “I’ve had several shelter residents complain to me about poor living conditions and inadequate security inside the Aladdin,” said Tanner. “One told me he had trouble staying awake at his job because he couldn’t get a decent night’s sleep in the shelter because of people fighting, screaming ‘You smoked all my crack,’ domestic disturbances, loud music, etc.” And the problems are always worse in the summer, he said. Spikes in

temperature and humidity, combined with the lack of A/C and cramped conditions inside the Aladdin, force people outside to get relief from the heat. Because they have nowhere else to go, they congregate on the sidewalk outside — and that’s where problems often start. “A few summers ago there was an organized drug ring operating out of the Aladdin,” said Tanner. “A supplier would roll up in a car and the dealers would come out of the Aladdin. There would be these subtle but at the same time obvious handoffs, then the dealers would go back in the shelter or hang out on the sidewalk making sales. There were 10, 12 people involved. Eventually the cops pushed the operation over to 11th Avenue.” This summer was one of the worst in Tanner’s recent memory. He said he was personally menaced by people loitering outside the Aladdin several times as he was coming home late from work. He also said that he spoke with a watchman who told him that on the night of Tues., Aug. 18, from about 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., there was a large, unruly group gathered outside the Aladdin that was harassing pedestrians, chasing women down the sidewalk, drinking, and urinating on the sidewalk. “The watchman said Aladdin security did nothing during this time and at some point a NYPD squad car rolled by and also did nothing. This led to a 1 a.m. fight in front of the Broadway Dance Center [322 W. 45th St.]. Their employees had to clean up a pool of blood on their front steps the next morning, just before a children’s dance class,” reported Tanner. “The next afternoon there was a street fight in front of the Aladdin. One

Continued on page 12

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Courtesy Schiffer Publishing

“Grace Jones as Janis Joplin’s nurse in a reenactment for “Chelsea on the Rocks,” shot in my room, 914, 2007.”

Courtesy Schiffer Publishing Courtesy Schiffer Publishing

“Stanley Bard, Hotel Chelsea, 2008.”

“Self-Portrait, Zac Posen Dress, 2006.”

Troeller’s Photos Cast the Chelsea Hotel as BY PUMA PERL “Living in the Chelsea Hotel,” Linda Troeller’s recently published book, looks back — in words and photographs — at her two decades as a resident of the historic and cultural landmark. For Troeller, the Chelsea was both sanctuary and muse, guiding her through a spiritual journey she calls “art in the near” — where the boundaries between the artist’s life and a separate “regular” existence fade away, and where creative energy defines and shapes love and friendships. As per the

November 26 - December 02, 2015

late Herbert Huncke, “Live glory days, and if you have too many lost days, meet new people, swing around again and almost anything can happen here.” Troeller had already become a well-known visual artist when, in 1994, she was introduced to Stanley Bard, the manager of the Chelsea Hotel. She grew up in New Jersey and says she always knew she was headed for the arts, despite her mother’s early hopes that she would “enjoy the life of a wife and eventually have a child.” It was not until she watched a documentary

about Ansel Adams, who Troeller had assisted in workshops, that she began to support her daughter’s photographic dreams. She was the inspiration for one of Troeller’s most intimate works — 1988’s “TB-AIDS Diary,” a photo collage series that recalls her mother’s 1930s struggle with tuberculosis while recounting the story of another mother who lost her son to HIV-related illness. In an especially moving part of the “Chelsea Hotel” book, Troeller describes her depression after the loss of her mother, and the comfort she received .com

Courtesy Schiffer Publishing

“Gerald Busby, Composer, 2014.”

Courtesy Schiffer Publishing

“Victor Bockris, Writer, 2006.”

Courtesy Schiffer Publishing

“Living in Plastic, 2013.”

a Vital and Fluid Character when a staff housekeeper, in the midst of a chore, turned to her and warmly embraced her. Healing has been an ongoing theme of Troeller’s work — award-winning photographs are included in her book “Healing Waters,” an exploration of water therapy all around the world. Two of her other books, “The Erotic Lives of Women” and “Orgasm,” traverse the sexuality of women far beyond the usual acceptable borders. Writer and journalist Victor Bockris, in his foreword, describes the photographs as “emerging out .com

of darkness or flitting between shadow and visions.” As presented by Troeller, the hotel itself is as vital and fluid a character as its inhabitants. “Memory is also in the muscles,” she writes, “especially the heart muscles.” She coped with her eviction from the hotel by “falling into a daydream,” imagining a healer sprinkling her with lotion and twirling her in circles to find a new way. The saturated color and dreamlike images of the hotel, contrasting with the desolation as the building is vacated, evince the photographer’s

long journey to acceptance of the loss of her community and home. One feels both the communal spirit and the introspection of the subjects in the portraits — especially the self-portraits. Troeller describes the series as “reflecting the turmoil around me.” In a 2006 self-portrait, we see Troeller breezing through a hallway, wearing a Zac Posen dress that seems to be made of watercolors floating around her. A later photo, created in 2012 (and recently declared a finalist for the Magdalena exhibition), reveals only her eye, staring almost despairingly into the camera beside a portrait of Mary. “I believe in the power of cultural memory and that the creative ‘input and output’ that’s evolved at the historic Chelsea Hotel will emerge in a new way,” said Troeller. “These photographs of my visual journey are there to keep reminding us of the power of place, and social and physical borderlines. The Chelsea Hotel is where I have felt the most comfortable being an artist, and I hope many artists can utilize it in some way when it reemerges as a hotel.” One of Troeller’s first associates, when she moved into an eighth floor room shortly after meeting Bard, was Herbert Huncke, who lived across the hall. His first words to her, after noticing a Chanel jacket in her possession, were: “You look like you’re a divorcee. It would be nice to have someone rich on this floor.” Despite learning that his initial assessment was incorrect, they became fast friends, developing a ritual in which she’d spot him a few dollars to get to his daily methadone program, and he’d pay her back by reciting his poetry over coffee in his favorite diner

Continued on page 19 November 26 - December 02, 2015

Wishing for a Whole New World, Without Aladdin Hotel Problems Continued from page 9 combatant had a knife or box cutter and the other grabbed one of our ‘Do Not Litter’ signs from a tree bed and started swinging it. He got slashed, his torso cut open from waist to collarbone, and stumbled into a business on our block where he received life-saving first aid.” Tanner also noted that there was a noticeable drop in policing this summer after the public spat between the mayor and the NYPD. Officers told him that the resources had been relocated away from the Times Square area. So the block association went to both Midtown North and Midtown South police precinct Community Council meetings to voice their concerns. “To their credit, the commanding officers of both precincts immediately mobilized and dedicated resources to this block,” said Tanner. “We also helped organize a Community Action Board (CAB) specifically dedicated to Aladdin issues and have advocated over a period of years in that forum.” The CAB meets every few months and is comprised of representatives from the Department of Homeless Services, representatives of various elected officials, the police, Community Board 4 (CB4), the Aladdin landlord and shelter services provider, and the West 45th Street Block Association, representing the community. But Tanner said that several big problems remain, noting that a private security guard at the Aladdin admitted that there is a flourishing drug trade and rampant drug and alcohol use inside the facility, and that some of the security guards are partaking. “I can’t say anymore that our advocacy is ‘tireless’ because we’re frankly tired of the CAB. We’re tired of discussing the same problems over and over, we’re tired of broken promises from the landlord. We’re tired of listening to city agencies defend and justify their failures over a period of years, and recently we’ve seen the PR forces at DHS [Department of Homeless Services] seize control and impose restrictions on the CAB forum in an effort to control and limit their media exposure,” said Tanner. “Rather than treat it as a PR problem, DHS could do something productive, deal with an actual problem, like maybe get the guards to stop drinking with

Photo by Scott Stiffler

After a fight in front of the Broadway Dance Center (diagonal to the Aladdin), employees had to clean up blood on their front steps, just before a children’s dance class.

residents out on the sidewalk.” In the first few years after the shelter opened, said Tanner, there was a constant stream of sirens and lights flashing outside. More recently, there was a media furor over the woman who got slashed there in 2013, and the slashing outside the shelter this summer. “Things improved over time, but then you have a summer like this last one and you wonder when is it ever going to end? I think the answer is ‘never.’ Not so long as landlords like Alan Lapes and the Podolskys, and shelter service providers like Aguila are allowed to operate shelters all over the city, with minimal supervision and accountability,” said Tanner. He said that the problem is that the city needs shelter beds, to meet the law that ensures a bed to anyone who asks. There aren’t enough landlords willing to legally convert their buildings to shelter use. As Tanner quips, “New York City would do business with Satan if he could provide shelter beds.” But men like Lapes recognize that housing the homeless is hugely profitable. They warehouse people in small rooms that rent for more than $3,000 a month, and don’t worry about the fallout. Joe Restuccia, Co-chair of the Housing, Health & Human Services Committee of CB4, said the main problem is that Aguila, who are former employees of the DHS, are for-profit housing providers who are

November 26 - December 02, 2015

not providing good services. “We get it — the city is mandated under the law to provide shelter to the homeless, but not to provide for for-profits,” said Restuccia. “We need to get DHS to move ahead and get a solid not-for-profit in there to provide services, especially since Aguila doesn’t have a contract. So let’s go out there and see if we can get a good not-for-profit, because the Block Association is out of their mind over this, and rightly so.” A spokesperson at DHS told Chelsea Now, “DHS works closely with NYPD to ensure the safety and security of our clients, staff, and the surrounding community, and when necessary, transfers clients to other facilities.” But Tanner noted that the NYC Comptroller’s Office under John Liu audited Aguila in 2011 and found millions of dollars in unsupported, insuffi ciently supported and improper expenditures. The current Comptroller, Scott Stringer, refused to sign off on the Aladdin contract on May 11 of this year, citing a NYC Department of Investigations report highlighting deplorable conditions in our city shelters. As of Nov. 13, the contract had not been resubmitted. “With 57,000 people — including 23,000 children — sleeping in shelters, it’s undeniable that our city is in the midst of a homelessness crisis,” Stringer told Chelsea Now. “When my office returns a contract, it’s because

it’s missing important information, or doesn’t meet the city’s own standards.” City Councilmember Corey Johnson said he had real concerns about this shelter’s operator, Aguila, Inc. — not only over quality of life and public safety issues associated with the Aladdin Shelter, but the numerous Department of Buildings violations, and the fact that the shelter is still operating without a city contract. “My staff has been working closely with other local elected officials and the community, organizing Community Advisory Board meetings with the Midtown North and South Precincts and the Department of Homeless Services,” said Johnson. “After years of delays we succeeded at compelling the shelter to open its backyard space for clients to use during the warm weather months, giving them much needed outdoor space. Recently my office toured the shelter with representatives from the offices of Senator Brad Hoylman, Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Community Board 4, the Department of Homeless Services and residents of the block. The Midtown North and South Precincts have made progress in targeting drug dealers and forcing them out of the neighborhood. Our city’s top priority is ensuring the safety of all our residents, including the families who reside in the shelter.” Despite the many problems they’ve faced from the Aladdin Hotel (which advertises itself as a hotel to tourists on sites like TripAdvisor.com), the West 45th St. Block Association still doesn’t take a NIMBY approach to the situation. They believe that society has enough resources to keep people from sleeping on the street, and that most city residents share that belief. “The law that mandates NYC house the homeless is a reflection of societal values. But mandates aren’t enough. You’ve got to figure out how to do these things in a way that respects human dignity and protects taxpayer interests. And we can’t seem to do that in NYC,” said Tanner. “We need to create shelters that are safe, decent places for temporary housing. We have to replace the landlords and service providers who have terrible track records; they should not be in this business. And then we’ve got to transition people to permanent housing, which actually costs less.” .com

‘Sweeping’ Reforms Sought for Upcoming Bike Lane Continued from page 4 “They set the standard for the rest of the United States, apparently, so it would be a wonderful thing, and we have brought it up, but it’s a difficult conversation,” he said of convincing the sanitation department of adopting narrower vehicles. The FDNY approves of the proposed design, added Wright. The department has to balance the needs of other city agencies with bicyclists who regularly complain to the DOT about city vehicles blocking bike lanes.

The implementation of split phase traffic signals — which have separate lights for through and turning traffic — requires that bicyclists, pedestrians and turning vehicles share space at the intersections of W. 14th and W. 23rd Sts. in what are known as “mixing zones.” Requiring that vehicles queue for a turn would alleviate pressure from through traffic to drivers trying to make a turn, said Preston Johnson, the DOT project manager. Berthet asked the DOT why new signals would only be installed at the two intersections when injuries happen in large numbers throughout the bike route. Additional controls could

further minimize collisions between cars and pedestrians by giving the latter dedicated time before allowing vehicular turns through what are known as leading pedestrian intervals, she said. But such additional signaling could upset the balance the DOT seeks between safety and avoiding the potential gridlock, Johnson said. “If we could go through the city and make every single movement go on its own phase we could, but then it would be a bunch of 20-second movements and everyone would be waiting 90 seconds longer for every single light,” he said. “[But] New

Yorkers don’t like to be inconvenienced.” The committee requested that the department return in two months with an update on the project. In the meantime, Berthet urged the DOT officials to focus on “why yes” rather than “why not” in regards to committee members suggestions such as leading pedestrian interval signals.There is a department process to be followed, said Johnson, but he added that he would do what he can to satisfy the committee’s requests. “If it was up to me, I would give you guys the [signals] in a second,” he said.

From Culinary Adventures to TV Competition Continued from page 5 the stove. Rachel said her family always eats together. Levin, their mom, said, “We have always made them a part of our meals. The center of our family is the kitchen. Our life happens around the kitchen table.” Rachel and Marc watch a lot of “Chopped,” “MasterChef” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.” “ ‘Cutthroat Kitchen’ is very awesome because it’s very serious and it’s very competitive, and you can mess up easily,” Rachel said. Both were a little nervous to be on the show, which taped in the middle of August, and started airing Oct. 27. The brother and sister were not in the same episode. There are no dates yet for when their episodes will air. Rachel said she definitely wants

Action Changes Things

to be a chef when she grows up, and wants to attend the Culinary Institute of America. “That’s my dream college, and I want to open up a restaurant,” she said. Marc would love to have a food truck, but doesn’t know if he will go to culinary school. “One of my culinary dreams is a food truck,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to have one. I really like the idea that you get to travel around in a foodmobile.” If Rachel won the prize money, she would save it for her education. Marc said he would put it toward his truck — which would either be grilled foods or seafood — and give his parents some money as well. Marc enjoyed his time on “Chopped Junior.” “It was a good experience and I had a lot of fun,” he said. “And it’s definitely going to send my kitchen

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Courtesy “Chopped Junior”

“Chopped Junior” competitor Marc Hodorov specializes in grilling, and knows the value of keeping it simple when it comes to seasoning.

career to the moon.” Rachel agreed, saying, “I think that this was a very life defining experience because it really set me off on my

cooking career even though I’m 10. It’s something in myself that says I need to continue cooking. I can’t stop. I should not stop and I have to do it.”

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

When Day and Night Move as One Stephen Wilkes puts a face on time

Photo by Stephen Wilkes, courtesy the artist and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

“Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2015” is the result of 26 hours spent on an 18-foot high platform (minus two hours for lunch).

BY NORMAN BORDEN Imagine if you could actually see the passage of time — the transition from dawn to dark — in one photograph. Fine art photographer Stephen Wilkes has accomplished just that in his remarkable series of 18 large format images called “Day to Night.” For the past six years, Wilkes has been making panoramic photographs of iconic cityscapes, landscapes and historical events such as Times Square, Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and President Obama’s 2013 Inauguration, respectively. Normally perched 50 feet above the street in a cherry picker [crane], he takes up to 1,500 pictures from one camera angle over 12 to 15 consecutive hours. Then, back in his studio, he digitally blends about 50 of those pictures into a single image. The result: half of the picture shows .com

the scene in broad daylight while the other half shows it at night, with glimpses of life’s little moments throughout. For example, in the print of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it seems as if the Fireman, Spider-Man and SpongeBob balloons are on an improbable collision course in Columbus Circle. They’re heading toward oncoming cars and taxis that have their headlights on — because for them, it’s night. The other details, with Central Park and the skyline divided by day and night, are mesmerizing. Wilkes says, “I discovered that being 50 feet above the street is the point where you begin to see the energy of New York… it’s almost like when you scuba dive and put your hand into a school of fish. They react as if they’re a single unit rather than as individuals — it’s emergent behavior. I see the same thing when I get above New York and other cities…there’s an ebb and

flow of activity, a form of emergence. It’s an exciting thing to study and see how it translates all over the world.” The Times Square picture was one of the most challenging for Wilkes. He explains, “Whenever I do these pictures, I have to think about the transitions as time changes. Do I have all the visual material? For every moment with people, I need a moment without them. So when I’m shooting a place as busy as Times Square, I need to pay attention to what’s going on. But what happened on that July day was crazy. There’d been a bomb scare, so the police suddenly stopped traffic and cleared the streets within three minutes. I kept photographing because in closing the streets, the cops had given me the place where I had nobody in the scene, and that allowed me to create a checkerboard scene of time. Wherever you see shadow, it’s night, and where there’s light, it’s day.

If not for that bomb scare, the picture I would have gotten probably wouldn’t have been as exciting.” During the first five years that Wilkes spent photographing “Day to Night,” he concentrated mainly on taking pictures of well-known cityscapes. Lately, he’s gone back to nature to capture the magnificent beauty of landscapes. He’s done just that with his stunning image of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. After a threeweek vacation in Africa, Wilkes went to the Serengeti to photograph the largest migration of mammals in the world. Witnessing something like that, he says, was a life-changing experience. The photographer explains, “When my wife and I got there, we realized there was a five-week drought going on. It was interesting to see how it was affecting the ani-

Continued on page 16

November 26 - December 02, 2015

‘Day to Night’ Mesmerizes With Extremes and In-Betweens

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Photo by Stephen Wilkes, courtesy the artist and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York, 2013” finds Spider-Man, SpongeBob and others on an illusory collision course with nighttime taxis.

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Continued from page 15

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November 26 - December 02, 2015

mals…I found one watering hole along the river and after studying it for several days, got permission to go off-road and photograph it. I went in there at about 2 a.m. Using a flatbed truck, we built an 18-foot high platform attached to a crocodile blind that had a 20x24" window. I was in that space for 26 hours with my assistant, and took two hours for lunch. What we saw in those 26 hours was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.” Adding to the experience, Wilkes says that this was the first picture in the series that actually bridged many of the social issues most important to him: rising seas and climate change. And with water so scarce, it was amazing to spend 26 hours watching how these competitive species shared the water without so much as a grunt between them. He observes, “They’ll fight over a dead animal in the grass — but when it came to water, everybody had to share. The animals have it figured out.” The drought actually worked in Wilkes’s favor, since it forced the animals to drink in a specific area. “I was able to capture this very powerful narrative of animals during the day and night,” he says. “I think the fact that I was in a crocodile blind and had immersed myself there for a long time let the animals accept the fact that I was a fixture.” When asked why he spent 26 hours

instead of the usual 15-hour shift: “I stayed there because of the moonlight… that can be a one hour exposure in itself. We photographed the stars, but the main thing is to get the detail from the moonlight, and sometimes you have to wait till the moon gets to a certain height in the sky to get the beautiful light and details.” And there are amazing details, from the stars to the baby elephant and zebra, to the papa (or mama) elephant in the foreground, wildebeests in the background, and more. It’s quite a story. At this point in the series, Wilkes is excited that he is merging history into his work with the image of Obama’s inauguration and Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Now the pictures are also speaking to conservation and nature. “They do it in a way that is enlightening and that is very gratifying,” he says. Wilkes hopes to go to Brazil and Russia, and is scheduled to photograph the Brooklyn Bridge next spring. “One of the things I love about this project is that it’s essentially everything I love about the medium of photography and the things I’ve been drawn to since I was a kid. It’s exciting to be able to put a face on time.” “Day to Night” is on view through Jan. 9, 2016 at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery (505 W. 24th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Hours: Tues.–Sat., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Call 212-243-8830 or visit brycewolkowitz.com. Artist info at stephenwilkes.com. .com

Herbal Delights Fifty years ago, ‘Whipped Cream’ gave us a taste for ‘Honey’ BY JIM MELLOAN My parents picked up Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’s two 1965 albums, “Whipped Cream & Other Delights” and “Going Places,” sometime in the first year after their release. I would have been 10 years old. But I don’t recall being, shall we say, intrigued by their covers, especially “Whipped Cream,” until after I turned 11 in September of 1966 and we moved to London in November of that year. Then, the stimulation of pubescent hormones, combined with swinging England and its ads for burlesque shows in the back of “What’s On in London” — and skirt lengths shortening at a rate of approximately an inch per month — contributed to significant fascination with this album cover featuring model Delores Erickson wearing seemingly nothing but a pile of whipped cream, with a bit of it in her hair, and taking a lick off her finger. The cover was so iconic that Alpert used to tell the audience in concerts, “Sorry, we can’t play the cover for you.” “Going Places,” with the girl in a kind of Hispanic maid costume showing some fishnetted leg, wasn’t bad either. The liner notes for “Whipped Cream” were my first encounter with the word “hippie.” At the Brass’s first concert, “The teens were there, but so were the ‘hippies’ and the ‘squares,’ the ‘little old ladies’ and the screen starlets, the celebrities and those who make them celebrities.” Fifty years ago this week, “A Taste of Honey” from “Whipped Cream” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band’s popularity began to soar. In 1966, they sold more than 13 million recordings — more than The Beatles. In April of that year, four of their albums were in the Top 10, a feat last achieved by The Kingston Trio in 1959. Not one of the Tijuana Brass was Hispanic. Alpert used to say that his group had “four lasagnas, two bagels, and an American cheese.” Alpert was one of the bagels — his family were Jews from Ukraine and Romania. But he was born and grew up in the predominantly Mexican-American Boyle Heights section of Eastside Los Angeles. .com

Photo source: herbalpert.com

This iconic Herb Alpert cover piqued the interest of a young Jim Melloan just coming into his own.

Before the Brass existed, Alpert had success as a songwriter in the late ’50s, co-writing “Wonderful World” (first performed by Sam Cooke and later by Herman’s Hermits, and Art Garfunkel with Paul Simon and James Taylor), and “Alley Oop,” by the Hollywood Argyles. In the early ’60s, a pre-Beatles Ringo Starr was belting out “Alley Oop” in the special vocal spotlight his band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes gave him called “Starr Time” at a Butlin’s holiday camp in the UK. Getting back to short skirts and other sexy delights, the Brass will be forever associated with “The Dating Game,” which used a few of its songs, in particular, “Whipped Cream,” “Spanish Flea” and “Lollipops and Roses,” as incidental music throughout the show. In 1967, the band performed the Burt Bacharach-penned theme to the James Bond spoof “Casino Royale,” a bouncy and infectious earworm if ever there was one. My friend Jerry has said he would like this one to be played at his funeral. In the late ’60s, still in England, it became a favorite game for my sister

and I to put on some Tijuana Brass and look out the window at pedestrians walking by. We would select one, and as the person walked down the street, we would imagine that this person was the star of his or her own TV show, and we were watching the credits and this was the theme song. We found this hilarious, and I bet it still is. If you live in a place where you can look out the window and see pedestrians walking by, I suggest you try it now. Herb’s only No. 1 hit in the ’60s

featured him as a vocalist, with the Bacharach-David tune “This Guy’s In Love With You,” a favorite of my cousin Samia’s. The song was perfect for Alpert’s limited vocal range, and audiences fell in love with it. This was part of a 1968 CBS special called “Beat of the Brass,” in a paradisiacal sequence shot in Malibu in which he sings to his then-wife. It was not intended for release as a record, but CBS was flooded with thousands of calls asking about it, so it came out and spent four weeks at No. 1. The Brass split up in 1969, but reformed a few times and released records in the ’70s and ’80s. Alpert had a No. 1 hit with “Rise,” in 1979, and released the album “Keep Your Eye on Me” in 1987, which had two hits: “Diamonds,” featuring Janet Jackson, and “Making Love in the Rain,” featuring Lisa Keith with backup vocals by Janet Jackson. The title track was not a hit, but for whatever reason it’s the one I remember. The videos for both that and “Diamonds,” in a sign of the times, both slipped in “say no to drugs” messages. Alpert turned 80 this past March. In September he released “Come Fly With Me,” which went to No. 7 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart. Pretty good work for an old bagel from East LA. Jim Melloan is a writer, actor, musician, and editor. His radio show “50 Years Ago This Week” airs Tuesdays from 8–10 p.m. on RadioFreeBrooklyn.com.

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Hotel as Home, Where Creative Energy Defines and Shapes Life eventually due to the dust and toxins. She spent a year on this book, “a story about dear remembrance and photos of good times and bad times. Many of the residents that I met still live amid the renovation and have continued creative projects.” She is looking forward to co-hosting an upcoming party among friends celebrating the 80th birthday of composer Gerald Busby, a longtime resident. Included is a screening of Jessica Robinson’s film about his odyssey, “The Man on the Fifth Floor.” “We have to keep going,” Troeller told me the first time we spoke. “We have to keep going even if we don’t know where we are going to. There’s no reason something good can’t come out of this.”

Continued from page 11

when he returned. The relationships Troeller developed were multi-faceted, leading to lifelong friendships as well as creative collaborations and influences. And love — in a 2006 interview on the Hotel Chelsea blog, Troeller mentions “finding a snake and my husband” during her tenancy. One photo in the book reveals the man she would eventually marry, Lothan Troeller, lying in bed beneath an Andres Serrano portrait of Linda, one of many photos within a photo contained in the book. Another of the many artists whom she met and shared influences with was designer Alexander McQueen, who came to see her “Living in the Chelsea Hotel” (2015, photographs in the lobby and invited her to a show. “His use of partial nudity, the dark Schiffer Publishing, $34.99) is available colors of war, and the pale lace of peace at bookstores, from online retailers, or at inspired me,” she said. “I got away from schifferbooks.com. Linda Troeller will give a direct narrative string editing, and let photo- presentation and sign books on Wed., Dec. graphs talk more to each other in structure 16, 1–3 p.m. at B&H Event Space (420 and frame. Color, unusual color, any colors Ninth Ave., at W. 34th St.). Artist info at lindatroeller.com. Learn more about “The Man became exciting material.” MX_COMMED_LeslieLohman.pdf 1 10/21/2015 2:09:50 PM Troeller had to give up the eviction fight on the Fifth Floor” at busybusbyfilms.com.

Courtesy Schiffer Publishing

“Hot Chelsea, 2000.”

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Scenes of Everyday Queer Life Curated by James M. Saslow runs through December 6, 2015

STEVE MCCURRY: INDIA

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Saul Bolasni, Untitled (Portrait of man with book), Collection of Leslie-Lohman Museum. .com

26 Wooster St, NYC 10013 212-431-2609 LeslieLohman.org Tuesday - Sunday 12 - 6 pm Thursday 12 - 8 pm

November 18, 2015–April 4, 2016 150 WEST 17TH STREET NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10011 RUBINMUSEUM.ORG Steve McCurry (American, b. 1950); Boy in Mid-Flight, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 2007; © Steve McCurry

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