Manhattan Express

Where’s the Holiday Rush?

04 Carriage Stables Recall Old Hell's Kitchen

Expensive Proposals to Curb UWS Skateboards

For One Tony Winner, It's A Dog's Life

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December 03 - 16, 2015 | Vol. 01 No. 04

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On Trendy West Side, Stables Are Reminders of Old Hell’s Kitchen

BY YANNIC RACK

O

n Midtown’s bustling West Side, a lot of things are changing. Longtime residents routinely rattle off familiar complaints about rising rents and overzealous development in neighborhoods once characterized by seedy tenement buildings and an industrial waterfront.

But in Hell’s Kitchen, one traditional piece of the neighborhood’s fabric is holding on stubbornly: the carriage stables that have called the area home for gener ations and still delight tourists and New Yorkers alike with rides through Central Park.

Today, there are only four carriage stables left in the city, all privately owned and located within a 15-block stretch of the same neighborhood, between 37th and 52nd Streets off of 11th Avenue.

“It’s very much a Hell’s Kitchen business,” said Conor McHugh, a carriage driver and the stable manager at Clinton Park Stables, which occupies a three-story gray brick building across from DeWitt Clinton Park on 52nd Street.

“A lot of carriage drivers used to live in the neighborhood back when I started,” he recalled. “This business, probably because it’s been around for 150 years, is part of the soul of New York.”

The largest of the four stables, Clinton Park is home to 78 horses that pull 39 carriages, out of only 68 that are licensed to operate in the city.

Like many of the men and women still working in the carriage industry, McHugh, an immigrant from Ireland and a 29-year veteran of the trade, reflects the history of the area as an ethnically diverse, working-class neighborhood.

A relative newcomer in contrast, Christina Hansen only came to the city three years ago. She grew up on a dairy farm in Kentucky but fell into the carriage business in Philadelphia more or less by accident, after breaking off her PhD studies in history.

Her background has proven to be a blessing, though; while showing visitors around Clinton Park

YANNIC RACK

Conor McHugh (center), a carriage driver and the stable manager at Clinton Park Stables, during a pause on West 59th Street opposite the Plaza Hotel.

Stables, she readily shares historical facts about New York’s carriage industry.

The current Clinton Park Stables, for example, were built in the 1860s for the city’s sanitation department, housing the horses that pulled street sweepers and garbage wagons.

The other three stables have been continuously used as such since they were built in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

“Hell’s Kitchen, for a long time, has had lots of stables,” said Hansen, who steers a carriage around the scenic slopes of the park for five to six days every week. “I found an old picture of the 37th Street stable when it was the new building on the block, and it had stables all around it.”

Although they’ve been a part of city life for what seems like forever, the carriages have been in the spotlight ever since Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to drive them out of New York, supported by animal rights activists who have long pushed for a ban on the industry.

After a prolonged back and forth — with allegations of animal cruelty on the one side and charges of a political agenda driven and financed by real estate interests on the other — the

ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

YANNIC RACK

The interior of the Clinton Park Stables.

mayor admitted this past summer that he didn’t have sufficient support for a ban in the City Council and the carriages were too popular anyway.

“This is something that we could have told him years ago, and it could have saved him and us a lot of trouble,” said McHugh.

The mayor has now signaled that he would rather aim to scale down the number of carriages on the street, which have already been limited to 68 since the 1960s.

Horse-drawn carriages, like motor-

ized cabs, began being licensed under a medallion system when Fiorello La Guardia was mayor.

Asked about the administration’s current position on horsedrawn carriages, Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for the mayor's office, wrote in an email that the city was continuing to work on “legislation that represents a humane and equitable solution that moves the horses off our streets, safeguards the animals, and protects the live-

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CARRIAGES, continued on p.16

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Where’s the Holiday Rush?

BY JACKSON CHEN

W

hipsawed by the door-busting madness of Black Friday and the customer comforts of online shopping on Cyber Monday, local businesses on the Upper East and West Sides are trying to figure out where they belong in the mix.

As part of a worldwide trend, Black Friday numbers have been on the decline, with customers opting for online sales and month-long in-store promotions leading up to Christmas. According to ShopperTrak, a global consumer analytics company, Black Friday 2015 brought in $10.2 billion in sales, which is an estimated 11.9 percent decrease from 2014’s $11.6 billion.

Away from the Midtown crowds of eager shoppers, the quieter neighborhoods uptown have reluctantly joined in of fering Black Friday deals. But as the big day’s numbers are slowly shrinking, local businesses are quick to point out that the post-Thanksgiving shopping holiday has never had a huge impact on them.

And with a newer shopping holiday dedicated to them — Small Business Saturday — many local store owners have a dismissive view, saying the day is more of a token gesture than an impactful driver of sales.

“Saturday was actually way down,” said Jennifer Bergman, owner of West Side Kids on Amsterdam Avenue, of sales. “It didn’t seem like Small Business Saturday had as much of an effect as it did in the last couple of years.”

Bergman acknowledged that the store didn’t actively promote the day this year, explaining that Amex’s credit card rates are the most expensive brunt for the store to bear. With more Small Business Saturday promotion come more Amex shoppers, which can have a meaningful negative impact for Bergman’s family-owned toy store.

Outside of Small Business Saturday, the owner said the toy store wasn’t really busy during the Thanksgiving weekend, including Black Friday. Being a

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West Side Kids on Amsterdam Avenue at 84th Street.

FACEBOOK.COM

The Town Shop on Broadway at 82nd Street.

local store, Bergman said they don’t offer the type of drastic deals offered in mall stores nationwide.

Instead, West Side Kids enjoys the largest volume of customers in the weekends leading up to Christmas, with Saturday, December 19 expected to be the busiest, according to Bergman.

Despite what stor e owners describe as the minimal benefits of the small business push, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce still works to promote the “Shop Local, Shop Small” mantra.

According to the chamber’s projects coordinator Kevin Dinh, about a dozen local businesses reached out to the chamber to be included in Amex’s Small Business Saturday for 2015. On top of that number, Dinh said, another 30 to 35 stores owners on the Upper East and West Sides had voiced receptiveness to the idea when the chamber surveyed the area.

Dinh acknowledged that results have proved something of a mixed bag, with some past participants explaining they had higher expectations for the initiative than they achieved and have become hesi-

tant to re-up for another year.

Small Business Saturday’s ho-hum reception in Manhattan seems out of step with the national trend. Amex and the National Federation of Independent Business released statistics showing that spending across the US hit $16.2 billion on Saturday, a 14 percent increase from 2014’s $14.3 billion.

(Comparing these numbers to the Black Friday figures above should be done with a measure of caution, since the two tallies come from different sources.)

The picture looks a lot different on the sales floors of local stores.

For Town Shop, a lingerie store on the Upper West Side, Small Business Saturday gave them a modest bump in sales.

“I don’t think it’s hugely different,” said Danny Koch, owner of Town Shop, of the Saturday sales.

“It seems to me that we actually did a little bit better with Amex [customers] this year than last, maybe 10 percent better.”

In 2012, Amex offered a statement credit for the first $25 in Small Business Saturday pur chases; last year the incentive was

up to three credits of $10 each on separate purchases. There was no similar offer this year. Instead, Amex focused more on offering marketing resources to the store owners that participated, according to Amex’s Small Business Saturday spokesperson Nicole Leinbach Reyhle.

Despite pulling the customer credit program, Reyhle said Amex had the most successful Small Business Saturday yet by providing marketing support to participating businesses and increasing the visibility and branding of the day generally.

Koch didn’t think that the lack of customer statement credits necessarily deterred shoppers, but he acknowledged that offering the credit again could have increased store revenues.

Koch explained he was originally prompted to introduce Black Friday discounts in response to customer expectations that they would be available. Over the several years the lingerie store has taken that approach, he said, the store has seen a “nice bump in business.”

The store’s main cash cow this year, however, has been its website, Koch said.

“We’re a little aggressive on our website, too,” he said of the store’s newly redesigned site. “It’s very exciting to see the newer website we just built work so effectively and see so many customers visit.”

The updated website, Koch said, is linked to his iPad, which repeatedly chimed out that much sought-after “ka-ching” sound effect as sales mounted over the weekend.

Koch chalks the increased web sales up to the convenience of the Internet in helping his customers not miss a weekend deal. Thanksgiving weekend is not the make or break moment for the Town Shop that it is typically described as in retail, but Koch said, “It’s certainly a way we start to take the temperature of what’s going to happen over the next year.”

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HOLIDAY RUSH, continued on p.17

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

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On P.S. 199 Overcrowding, DOE Kicks Can Down the Road

JACKSON CHEN

An October 17 public hearing on rezoning options for P.S. 199 showed the exasperation that any of the alternatives prompted.

BY JOSH ROGERS

T

he city last month rejected any chance to reduce the long waiting lists at P.S. 199 next September, but hasn’t given up on helping three-year -olds on the Upper West Side who will be applying to kinder garten in 2017.

The District 3 Community Education Council, which had been debating rezoning ideas for months, had asked for a new plan that would reduce at least some of the large waiting lists at the West 70th Street school in the coming school year, but on November 18, the day before the Department of Education was scheduled to present a new proposal, the department announced it would not propose any change.

Attendance was sparse at the November19 CEC meeting since word had already spread that there’d be nothing much to discuss, but a few of the P.S. 199 parents who did attend were angry that the overcrowded school was not going to get relief.

Eric Shuffler expressed outrage that the Education Department was effectively saying “we’re not going to get what we want, so we’re not going to try anything... There is no other way as a parent we can walk out of this process thinking anything but the mayor and DOE does not care, and if you’re a high-per for ming school in New York City, you are not part of the DOE and the mayor’s agenda.”

Earlier in the evening, the DOE’s Sarah Turchin said that officials hoped to set up meetings with incoming parents zoned for P.S. 199 to stress the importance of listing more than one school on their applications,

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but she appeared to nod in agreement when PTA member Wendy Hutter said, “What’s more disappointing is that you have initiatives coming up in a couple of weeks, and there’s no communications plan, no strategic outreach…. We can keep talking but nothing is getting done, and we’re kind of like where’s the accountability in the system from the DOE?” This week, a DOE spokesperson did not say whether any specific meetings or communication plans were in place for par ents likely to begin applying to PS 199 next week.

Turchin acknowledged it will not be easy getting the message out, but said officials would be working with local politicians.

“It’s obviously a little more tough because you don’t have those families in the system yet,” she said of parents just now having their first child ready for kindergarten.

Last year about 100 families were initially placed on the P.S. 199 waiting list, and many of them did not list a second choice on their applications, which meant they did not get offers to enroll anywhere until the summer, adding to the angst.

The hope is that families rejected at P.S. 199 will list other choices so they will get an acceptance letter somewhere in March while remaining on the P.S. 199 waiting list. Siblings of existing students have the first priority, and then zoned students are selected at random for the remaining slots.

The system’s computer program makes an of fer to a family’s highest ranked choice where there is space.

The DOE originally proposed eliminating the waiting list by shifting some of the P.S.

199 zone to P.S. 191 to the south and P.S. 452 to the north. P.S. 191 is considered by just about all observers to be a struggling but improving school, and the CEC balked at adding to its zone. The state has designated it as “persistently dangerous,” and although there is consensus that the label is not based on reality, it does complicate this year’s kindergarten applications.

The CEC, a par ents gr oup elected by school PTA leaders, had expected to see a new plan with just a larger P.S. 452 zone, but Turchin said, “This would not have had a significant dent on the 199 waitlist.”

The city estimated the original 452 change would have reduced the waiting list by about 25 students, enough to accommodate one kindergarten class, but CEC members had suggested the number was an underestimate and asked for fewer blocks to be added to the zone, which potentially could have been the reduction DOE was striving for.

Turchin said since there was not consensus on how much to increase the zone a n d t h e r e c o u l d b e a n e e d f o r a l a rg e r rezoning within a few years, it was better to do nothing.

“We wanted to make sure that we were not derailing the longer term conversations that had to happen,” she said.

CEC member Noah Gotbaum pointed out that it was only after the DOE decided not to make a change that he and his colleagues got some of the additional data they requested.

“I think for the first time an hour and a half ago we got a little bit of what we have been asking for for months and... it doesn’t compare to what [the DOE] has sent us in the past,” he said.

“Not all of us sitting here were just ready to vote this thing down,” said Nan Eileen Mead, the CEC’s first vice president. “I would have voted for whatever rezoned 452 would have been put to us.”

Joe Fiordaliso, the CEC’s president, said he didn’t know for certain but thought there were enough votes to reduce this year’s waiting list, and he wanted a chance to see.

Turchin also said the DOE was rejecting three of the CEC’s other requests. Two would have reduced the overcrowding — by not including three new residential buildings in the PS 199 zone and by suspending the “right of return,” which allows students rejected for kindergarten to enroll there in later grades. The third CEC request, admit-

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ZONING, continued on p.20

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

Private School’s Proposed Rooftop Greenhouse Lightning Rod for UES Critics

BY JACKSON CHEN

A

The West Side Tradition

ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL

A rendering of the gut rebuilding of 126 and 128 East 78th Street, showing the rooftop greenhouse that has drawn the ire of neighborhood critics.

ROOFTOP, continued on p.17

LUNCH

ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

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DINNER

new buildings to align with the school’s adjacent main building and connect to its current configuration of floors. The overall expansion, in all its components, according to the plans, would increase classroom size by nearly 4,000 square feet, or 20 percent.

According to David Trower, the school’s headmaster, the expansion would address the school’s growing needs for better arts and athletic spaces.

“What we have at Allen-Stevenson is extreme pressure on our visual arts facilities,” Trower said.

“There’s a shortfall of available and appropriate space.”

Trower explained that the proposed expansion included designs for a fifth floor studio that would allow for a larger collaborative space for painting, ceramics, sculpture, and 3-D printing.

“We’re not simply trying to stay stuck in the 19th century where we started,” Trower said. “We are trying to respond to the needs of the future.”

But as a private school expansion faces off yet again with historic preservation efforts, neighbors said they felt the school’s plan was inappropriate, especially being located within the Upper East Side Historic District.

Next-door neighbor Bryan Verona said the school’s proposed glass greenhouse structure on its roof would contrast with the neighborhood’s vibe, alter the cityscape,

BREAKFAST

n all-boys private school is planning to tear down two townhouses within its campus as part of a larger expansion project that Upper East Side critics charge would create a “glass tower” in their historic neighborhood.

In its most recent application to the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals, the Allen-Stevenson School is aiming to construct two new buildings at 126 and 128 East 78th Street that would reach 66 feet in a district zoned for a 60-feet height limit.

While not part of the BSA application filed on September 25, the school is also looking to build an 18-feet rooftop greenhouse on top of the two buildings, bringing their total height to nearly 85 feet. The school can proceed with the greenhouse as of right, as it can with the rest of the project, which includes adding 36 feet to the height of its main building at 130-134 East 78th Street — so that it would top out at 116 feet — and building a rear extension in a courtyard behind the 126 East 78th structure.

During a recent Community Board 8 meeting, the proposed greenhouse addition captured the greatest heat from residents for its round-the-clock illumination and for not fitting into the character of the block.

Anne Namm, an East 78th Street resident, said she moved into the area 25 years ago because it was a preserved historic district.

“I didn’t really want to live near glass towers or I would’ve moved to Midtown,” Namm explained of her move to the Upper East Side. An advocate for preservation, Namm said the community has an “obligation to really preserve the residential, turn-of-the-century beauty of our neighborhood.”

While the application calls for the demolition of the two current historic townhouses, the school would be preserving the facades of both and constructing replacement buildings behind them.

According to the plans, the expansion project would allow the

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As Support for Crosstown Bike Lanes Grows, Upper East Side Residents, CB8 Look to DOT

JACKSON CHEN

East 90th Street, at Park Avenue, where an unprotected eastbound bike lane is painted onto the pavement, with a westbound lane running on 91st Street.

JACKSON CHEN

East 72nd Street, shown here at Third Avenue, has generated a buzz for creating east and west bike lanes, despite the corridor's heavy traffic.

BY JACKSON CHEN

W

ith calls for crosstown bike lanes rapidly growing on the Upper East Side, advocates for moving forward are looking to the city’s Department of Transportation to provide leadership.

In response to a swell of safety concerns from riders, Community Board 8, on November 12, passed a resolution acknowledging a need for crosstown bike lanes and requesting that the DOT assess the neighborhood to come up with some formal options.

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For the short term, CB8 recommended that the DOT create painted crosstown bike lanes. The board also recommended that the department put together a longer-term plan for a network of crosstown bicycle routes on the Upper East Side that use the safest appropriate design.

While residents can traverse north and south with the First Avenue protected bike lane, their crosstown options are limited to painted, unprotected bike lanes on 90th and 91st Streets.

“As somebody who’s been

cycling for many years, I’ve seen cycling go from extremely dangerous to being much less danger ous as protected bike lanes have increased,” said Hindy Schachter.

“But if you want to go from east to west, there are no protected bike lanes.”

She said that such lanes would benefit everyone who uses the road because they provide clear visual border indications for both cars and bicycles. Schachter, whose husband was killed by a cyclist in August 2014, said the reallocation of space would promote safety for cyclists and pedestrians and ultimately lead to a more tranquil streetscape all around.

“I’m a cyclist, I’m a pedestrian, I’m a motorist,” she said. “In all three roles, I hope we will get protected bike lanes east to west.”

Following Schachter’s recounting of her personal experience, many cyclists echoed her call for a safe crosstown bike route for the neighborhood.

Lisa Cristal, an Upper East Sider who frequently bikes to the New School, said there is always a dreaded point in her commute where she has to decide which risky street to ride through when headed crosstown.

“When I have to go crosstown, I have to make a decision,” Cristal said, adding she frequently chooses Central Park South as her crosstown route. “But once I hit Fifth Avenue, it’s such a crowded corner and I’m just holding my breath until I get home.”

While most of CB8 and many residents in attendance were in favor of crosstown bike lanes, the minority opposition wanted more cyclist accountability and better police enforcement.

“I am vehemently, absolutely, unequivocally opposed to any bike lane whatsoever,” said CB8 Member Edward Hartzog. “The reason being is that until and when either this community board or this city or this mayor or somebody with some guts stands up and says

where are the cops because there’s no enforcement.”

Despite six nay votes, the CB8 resolution passed handily with 32 votes in favor, but did not specify any streets in particular for the crosstown routes.

With few safe options for traveling east to the west or back, some community members have taken the task upon themselves to explore several streets for their feasibility in hosting a protected crosstown bike lane, including 72nd Street.

For Upper East Siders, the twoway street would allow access into Central Park and from there to the West Side. However, a 72nd Street bike lane caught criticism because of that street’s habitual state of congestion.

“I think crosstown bike lanes are a necessity, but having experienced a loved one having a horrific bike accident, the quieter one-way side streets are a much better option than a major street like 72nd,” said Merryl Sherman.

On top of the typical traffic of taxis and buses, Sherman said, Con Edison is constantly ripping up the street and leaving it in poor condition for everyone.

Besides 72nd Street, two bicyclist advocacy groups — Transportation Alternatives and Bike New York — conducted a “street scan” on October 17 where, with the assistance of volunteers, they surveyed two other sets of options: 61st and 62nd Streets and 67th and 68th Streets.

The survey results were submitted to local decision-makers and the DOT, according to the two non-profit groups. With enough community interest in creating protected crosstown bike lanes, the next step is for the DOT to come up with a proposal.

Officials from the department have indicated they are inter ested in creating crosstown bike lanes on the Upper East Side and will work with the community on a proposal in the coming months. n

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

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The development and presence of blood clots in the veins is called deep vein thrombosis or DVT. The most common site for their formation is in the lower extremities, since the blood in our legs is the most stagnant and needs to climb all the way up to the heart. It is extremely rare for blood clots to appear in the arteries, where the prevailing process contributing to blockages involves atherosclerosis, or the deposit of complex calcified plaque on the wall of the blood vessel.

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ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

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BY JACKSON CHEN

T

he Metropolitan Transportation Authority has proposed preliminary plans to split up the route of the chronically delayed M5 bus into northern and southern legs at West 37th and 38th Streets.

The M5 route, which stretches 12 miles from Washington Heights to Lower Manhattan — along Broadway, Riverside Drive, and Fifth Avenue southbound and Sixth Avenue, Riverside, and Broadway northbound — has frequent delays due to traffic, construction, and other operational issues, according to Laura Azze-Singh, an MTA associate staff analyst.

The combination of stressors for the bus route causes bottlenecking hotspots that range from the M5’s Midtown stops, portions of lower Broadway, and higher up at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, she said.

“What happens with these bottlenecks is a cascading effect of delays,” Azze-Singh explained.

“The later a bus arrives to its terminal, the later it is leaving that terminal, so customers are impacted in both directions.”

For the MTA, the root of the M5’s problems lies with the length of the route, which is the longest in Manhattan. The M5, which serves an average of 11,700 daily riders, has a concentrated ridership in Upper Manhattan and both of its end stops are public transportation hubs — the South Ferry Terminal and the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal.

Joined by the agency’s assistant director of government and community affairs Zach Campbell, Singh presented the MTA’s initial plans to address the problematic route at a November 5 meeting of Community Board 5. The changes would split the M5 into northern and southern routes.

“The stats on this route show

JACKSON CHEN

The M5 bus in Midtown, heading north.

that it’s frequently one of the poorest performers in Manhattan,” Campbell said. “We think that this is a very practical way to improve bus service for the nearly 12,000 daily riders.”

According to the plans, the eight-mile M5 North route would start from the George Washington Bridge’s bus terminal and head southbound into Midtown. The M5 North, which is expected to serve 7,300 riders, would terminate at West 37th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, before looping back north.

The shorter four -mile M5 South route would start from the Staten Island Ferry and continue northbound until West 38th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, according to the plan.

The M5 South, which is expected to serve around 2,800 riders, would then loop around back down to the ferry.

Supplementing the route split with more service on lower Broadway, the MTA also proposed a onemile extension of the nearby M1 line — which runs southbound on Fifth Avenue and northbound on Fourth, Park, and Madison Avenues — south to Worth Street, before looping back to its current terminus at Astor Place. That additional M1 service, the MTA proj-

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M5, continued on p.11

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

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M5, from p.10

ects, would pick up 1,600 or more riders currently among the 11,700 passengers using the full M5 route.

Since the plans would chop the current M5 route, the MTA calculated that 14 percent of riders would have to transfer if they wanted to continue their M5 trip past the proposed split point.

Proposing an alternative split point MTA for the MTA to conThe MTA’s proposed split in the M5 bus route at 37th and 38th Streets. sider, CB5 member Daly Reville suggested Columbus Cir cle, which she said was “a natural schedule,” said Marc Phillips, who transit hub” and could connect uses the route to commute daily from the Upper West Side to Midbus riders to the subway.

Azze-Singh said Columbus Cir- town South. For Phillips, the route cle was one of the original locations split at 37th and 38th Streets studied but after researching the gives him an option to either options, the 37th Street area was transfer to the M5 South or walk deemed to have the least overall down to his workplace at West 26th Street. impact on riders.

Overall, Phillips said his expe“By cutting it at Columbus Circle, you’d be forcing a lot of people rience with the line has been posto get off the bus,” Azze-Singh said. itive and that the split would be “There are going to be customers beneficial to the majority of riders.

“If it would improve reliability inconvenienced, but the balance for us becomes what can we oper- and frequency of service, I’d be up ate well and try to minimize the for it,” Phillips said.

John Bacon, the director of inconvenience.

Among the 14 percent of riders planned giving for the New York who would face a Midtown trans- Public Library, however, raised fer, Upper West Sider Paul Duck- safety concerns about the proett, said the full length of the M5 posed split point for the route’s is needed and that the city should two legs. Working in Midtown, he said, he commutes by Citibike consider alternatives.

“Trying to get across the city from the Village.

“That’s my bike stop where the on these half-routed buses is difficult,” said Duckett, who rides buses [would] turn on 37th Street,” the M5 several times a week. As Bacon said. “It’s a mess every a longtime city resident, Duckett morning and there’s usually traffic added that he believes transit in backed up into Fifth Avenue.”

Bacon said he would prefer the city has become unkind to its overlapping other bus routes onto passengers.

“Some of the routes in the City of the Midtown section of the M5 to New York should be the full length reduce the stress on that route, of the territory,” Duckett said. “The but the MTA contended that overnumber 5 should stay the way it is; laps are limited by operational conthey should return the number 10 straints and budgeting.

Since the proposed route split to its original routing.”

Other residents said the incon- is still a preliminary proposal, the venience for long-distance riders MTA is continuing to gather more input from community boards. are worth it for an improved M5.

“I’ve come to expect that the Ultimately, the proposal goes to [M5] will run 5 to 10 minutes off the MTA Board for a final vote. n ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

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11

Costly UWS Plaza Modifications Proposed to Deter Skateboarding

JACKSON CHEN

Skaters’ use of the raised blocks within Frederick Douglass Circle has caused concern among the plaza’s Friends.

BY JACKSON CHEN

A

n Upper West Side neighborhood group is proposing expensive design changes to the Frederick Douglass Circle to deter the continued “abuse” from skateboarders, and their effort has now won the support of the local community board.

The circle opened in 2010 in honor of the famous African-American abolitionist. In tribute to Douglass’ career of fighting for an end to slavery through his writings, the circle is designed with a wall inscribed with quotes from him and a plaza style that is based on African-American quilt designs.

However, the plaza’s smooth ground, low-height blocks and mellow stair drops have attracted skateboarders from around the city and nearby suburbs. With a growing numbers of skaters practicing their craft in the plaza, neighbors — led by the Friends of Frederick Douglass Circle — began to complain about the dangers skateboarding could create for the circle.

Besides safety concerns, residents also noted the damage to the plaza’s design when skateboarders use wax so they can grind and slide smoothly. After repeated use, the wax stains black and the granite blocks can sometimes lose small chunks off the edge. Neighbors also complain

12

about noise from late-night skate sessions in the circle.

But for lifelong skaters like Alex Corporan, the circle provides a sweet spot to hang out for a couple of hours.

“It’s just an attractive spot for everyone to chill out,” Corporan said, adding that the ledges and stairs were highlights for skaters.

“It’s open ground and it’s a nice area to hang out.”

The Frederick Douglass Circle itself is a plaza island surrounded by the traffic roundabout that forms from the convergence of West 110th Street, Central Park West, and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

“My initial response to the skateboarders was a mother’s response: this is a dangerous place to skateboard,” said Anne Simmons, secretary of the Friends of Frederick Douglass Circle.

“They end up in traffic. Either they start in traffic or they end up in traffic chasing their board.”

With many skaters riding down the wall and grinding on the granite blocks, the Friends group, appearing before Community Board 7, presented two design changes to the plaza that they now consider a “magnet of abuse” for skaters.

Simmons said the design’s texturing was proposed by Algernon Miller, the artist behind the circle’s design, and Gabriel Koren,

the sculptor of the bronze Frederick Douglass.

According to the draft plans, the edges of the most frequently skated blocks would be textured in a zigzag pattern that would stop the skaters. The edge texturing of the blocks would cost approximately $4,000, according to discussions the neighborhood group had with a granite craftsman. However, the group recommended that a budget range of $2,500 to $20,000 be considered for the improvement.

Instead of the typical metal “skateboard stops” used to curb activity throughout downtown sk a teb oar d i ng hotsp ots, the Friends recommended that the texturing not compromise the character of the plaza. Additionally, they were worried that the metal stops would “entice ardent skateboarders to attempt removal… which could potentially cause irreparable damage.”

The neighborhood group’s onetwo punch to deter skateboarding in the circle also includes a proposed re-texturing of the plaza’s pavement. The smooth greenish pavement would be treated with a rippled surface that would be too rough to ride on, according to the plans. While there’s no estimated cost for the surface re-texturing, the Friends also pointed to the alternative of removing the current pavement and replacing it with granite cobbles. Being a much more intensive process, the cobbling would run up a bill of $20,000 to $80,000, the according to the group’s plans.

The Friends also considered pursuing a more “whimsical texture” for the surface pavement that would match the design of the blocks and the wall within the plaza, but that the idea may be considered an artistic change that would trigger r eview by city agencies, according to the group’s plans.

From Corporan’s perspective, there are better uses of money and effort than preventing skateboarding on the plaza, like cleaning up the city’s litter problem. The longtime skater, whose career revolves around the sport, explained that the circle is a real gem for skateboarders because of its location and design that fosters skating “street,” instead in city-designated skate parks.

“Skate parks are cool, but it takes away from the energy of skating,” Corporan explained.

“It doesn’t make it as intimate as when you skate around with your friends and find a new spot to chill out and have a good time.”

Despite concer ns raised by skaters, the draft plans presented by the Friends group, which were first approved by Community Board 7’s Parks and Environment Committee, were approved by the full board on December 1, though specific costs and how they would be covered were not spelled out. According to CB7’s district manager Penny R yan, the community board and the Friends group will continue advocating for the circle, but the next step is currently unclear.

With the fate of the circle seemingly sealed, skaters appear destined to lose what they consider a prime spot even in the winter months, Corporan said.

FRIENDS OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS CIRCLE

The texture of block edges within Riverside Park that could be employed to discourage skaters in Frederick Douglass Circle.

“Skatestopping something for no reason is just lame,” Corporan said. “They’re always trying to stop us from doing what we love.”

While the neighborhood group is glad the skateboarding problem at the circle is being addressed, Simmons said it was just one of many items in the group’s mission. Simmons said the group also focuses on tree lighting in the plaza as well as showings of the city’s traveling PuppetMobile.

“We really feel strongly that skateboarding is a good thing, but it needs to be done in a place that’s reasonably engineered for it,” Simmons said. “This is not engineered for it.” n

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

Police Blotter OVERALL CRIME DOWN 2.5 PERCENT THIS YEAR Crime in New York City went down 2.5 percent — nearly 2,500 fewer crimes — to date in 2015, according to the New York City Police Department’s latest numbers.

According to the department’s statistics, shootings were down 2.8 percent, or 30 incidents, for the year to date. In the month of November alone, the police department reported there was a 10 percent reduction, or nine less shooting incidents.

Similarly, assault numbers were down 2.4 percent, with 39 fewer incidents, and the burglary count dropped 3.6 percent, or 48 incidents less.

Also in November, the department reported that transit crime was down 21 percent, or 43 less crimes systemwide, and housing crime saw a slight drop of 1.6 percent.

“We are proud that we are pushing crime even lower, despite our record low last year in murder,” said Commissioner William J. Bratton.

Despite the drop in overall crimes, grand larceny numbers for the year jumped up 6.6 percent, or by 235 crimes. Also, rape numbers in November jumped 15 percent, while the month’s robbery incidents also increased by 3.7 percent.

The crime statistics released were still preliminary, according to the department, and subject to further analysis, revisions, or change.

ROBBERY: TAXI TROUBLES (19TH PRECINCT)

ROBBERY: BANK ROBBER BLUNDER (28TH PRECINCT) Police are on the lookout for a 25-to-35-yearold dark-skinned male suspect weighing 250 pounds who attempted to rob a Capital One Bank on November 28 at around 11:30 a.m. According to police, the suspect entered the bank at 301 West 125th Street and demanded money from a teller.

While making gestures suggestive of a weapon in his coat, the suspect demanded money in the form of $100 and $50 bills, police said. The suspect never displayed a weapon, despite the gestures, and eventually took off

LOCAL POLICE CONTACTS: Midtown North Precinct 306 West 54th Street 212-767-8400

Midtown South Precinct 357 West 35th Street 212-239-9811

17th Precinct 167 East 51st Street 212-826-3211

19th Precinct 153 East 67th Street 212-452-0600

ROBBERY: PARK AVE BANKS HIT TWICE (MIDTOWN SOUTH PRECINCT) Police said a suspect is wanted for two Park Avenue bank robberies on November 17 and November 20. According to police, a male suspect attempted to rob Valley National Bank at 100 Park Avenue at around 9 a.m. on November 17. Despite being threatened by a gun, the teller didn’t comply with the request and the suspect fled empty handed.

In a second incident, the suspect tried Chase Bank at 2 Park Avenue South on November 20 at around noon. With the same technique of threatening the teller, the suspect made off with an undetermined amount of money.

The suspect is described as a black male, 5’7” and weighing 140 pounds.

In both cases, police said there were no reported injuries. However, the NYPD-FBI Joint Violent Crimes Task Force is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that would help put the suspect behind bars.

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ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

13

Stepped Up Security Calms Concerns At Thanksgiving Day Parade

YANNIC RACK

Security set up in front of the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle.

BY YANNIC RACK

O

n the evening before the crowds for this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade started pressing up against the barriers, Mayor Bill de Blasio was addressing New Yorkers at another annual tradition: the inflation of the balloons.

“This begins a season of appreciation, a season to focus on family and all our loved ones,” the mayor said on Central Park West near the American Museum of Natural History. “And yet, at the same time, there are some in this world who are trying to stir fear. They’re trying to make us afraid.”

De Blasio, together with NYPD

Commissioner Bill Bratton, was responding to concerns raised over the previous days about spectators staying away from the parade out of fear of a terrorist attack similar to the ones that recently struck Paris.

Even though officials emphasized that there had been no credible threats against the city, the gruesome attacks were still fresh in many minds. Last week, a propaganda video by the Islamic State — which claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks — seemed to imply New York as a future target, showing street scenes from the city that included Herald Square.

But the mayor urged people

A father and daughter enjoy the spectacle.

Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.”

to com e d ow n to the p a r a d e nonetheless.

“They’r e trying to make us change our lifestyle and change our values, lose our spirit, lose our values,” he said. “We refuse to do that.”

De Blasio pointed to the city’s increased effort to provide security at the parade, with around 2,500 officers assigned to the event — the largest number to ever line the parade route from Central Park West to Herald Square.

In addition to helicopters, plainclothes cops, specially trained dogs, and counterterrorism officers carrying radiation detectors, the NYPD dispatched around 200 officers from its newly formed Critical Response Command.

Talking to parade-goers and families on Thanksgiving, it seemed the extra security was having the desired effect.

“I definitely felt it was gonna be safe,” said Renée Simmons, 45, who had come up from Brooklyn to watch the parade with her five-yearold son Gregory at Columbus Circle.

“We’re New Yorkers — we picked today to come because it’s probably the safest that it’s ever been,” she added, gesturing toward a pair of heavily ar med of ficers standing nearby.

And not only the locals felt protected. Ambre Laplace and Gwla-

Snoopy and Woodstock.

‘Twas the Night Before…

PHOTO ESSAY BY DONNA ACETO

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a New York tradition — indeed, an American tradition — for nearly nine decades. Crowds of up to 3.5 million turn out for it in Midtown — and an estimated 50 million tune in on television. But one of the real local delights of the event is watching the giant balloons being inflated on Central Park West on Thanksgiving Eve.

14

dys Maloma, both 27, were visiting from Paris and said they felt “totally safe” at the parade — even though they had both lived through the recent attacks in the French capital.

“In New York it’s very good, police is everywhere. In France, it’s not the same,” said Laplace, as the colorful parade floats were bobbing down Central Park West.

DONNA ACETO

Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton on Wednesday evening as the parade balloons were inflated on Central Park West.

The event ended up running smoothly and trouble-free, save for one father-son duo from Russia who reportedly flew a drone over the parade route at Central Park West and were subsequently slapped with a summons.

The air of defiance against fear stretched all the way down to Herald Square, where the parade reached its climax in front of the Macy’s flagship store.

Jeff Zeta, 37, said he arrived with a group of family and friends from Toronto the day before.

Despite the security concerns, they had travelled 10 hours to witness the spectacle.

“It was a thought I had, with the family, because my young child is here,” Zeta said, nodding toward his wife and four-year-old son, Niam. “But I’m not afraid of that stuff.”

He added the beefed up security had certainly calmed minds but was hardly the decisive point for making the trip.

“The ladies all wanted Black Friday, so that wasn’t gonna stop them,” he joked. n

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

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lu season in the United States is most common from December until April, which means the time has arrived for the annual flu shot. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), that is particularly true for several categories within the general population — those 65 and older, anyone living in a nursing home or other care facility, children under five and those who live with or care for them, pregnant women, people with respiratory or other chronic conditions that make them more susceptible to the flu, all health care workers, and Native Americans.

But everybody should be on the lookout for the flu, which in some years can spread widely throughout the population. According to DOHMH, in every year from 2003 through 2012 (the most recent year for which data was available), deaths from influenza and pneumonia in the city numbered at least 2,245, with mortality topping 3,000 in 2004. Only cancer and

heart disease were bigger killers.

Flu shots are administered on an annual basis to respond to the changing nature of virus strains that strike from one season to the next. Injectable vaccines use killed virus, while newer nasal vaccines employ live, but weakened virus unable to invade the respiratory tract. The nasal vaccine is not recommended for children under two, pregnant women, or those with compromised respiratory systems, but a primary care physician or a flu shot clinic nurse should be able to make a specific recommendation on the advisability of each approach. Doctors or nurses should be informed of a serious allergy to eggs, any past serious allergic reaction to a flu shot, any past experience with paralysis from Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or any moderate or severe illness.

Typical side effects, which could last a day or two, involve soreness at the site of an injection, mild fever, and achiness.

DOHMH’s directory of locations where flu shots are available in the five boroughs can be found at: https://goo.gl/aAcDTF. n

ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

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15

YANNIC RACK

Gloria McGill, who bought the Chateau Stables with her late husband Buster in 1967.

c

CARRIAGES, from p.3

lihoods of the men and women who provide carriage rides.”

“The thing is that, for 150 plus years, really almost 400 years now, the city has been very friendly to horses,” said Hansen. “It’s just this mayor has not been, and that’s a new thing.”

Not everyone is as concerned by the political situation, however. At Chateau Stables on West 48th Street, where the McGill family has owned and operated the smallest stable in the neighborhood since 1967, nobody takes the whole debate seriously enough to lose any sleep over it.

“We just sit it out, and we never worry. We don’t even give it a second thought,” said Anita Gerami, who runs the stable with her husband Alex and her mother, Gloria McGill.

“It’s an icon, I don’t think we’ll ever go away,” added her mom, who at 83 still comes down from her home in the Bronx to help out on weekends.

A small woman with wisps of white hair, McGill started working for the stable’s previous owner in the 1950s, when it was still located on West 98th Street and housed horses used by fruit peddlers and the like, who sold their wares off wagons.

The stable moved south in 1961, and six years later McGill and her husband, Buster, took over.

“It was very convenient in Midtown, because we got calls for Broadway shows, we got calls for film work,” she said. “We could just walk over with our horses, and we still do.”

The film and theater work later dried up, so next to carriage rides the stable now specializes in horse riding and pony parties.

It is also the only location in New York City for horse-drawn hearses used in weddings and funerals. A Chateau hearse brought James Brown’s body to a Harlem memorial service at the Apollo Theater, and Gerami said they also get a call every time a well-known rapper passes away.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, a birthday party was in full swing on the stable’s ground floor. RnB music blasted from the speakers and girls took turns riding on the ponies, while Anita’s husband and one of the stablemen pre-

16

pared a coach for a hayride around the block.

In the crammed office room next door, McGill, sitting under framed pictures collected over six decades, reflected on the changes in her adopted neighborhood.

Back in the ‘60s, the street was still cobblestoned and lined with small businesses — a glass store, a radiator salesman, several auto repair shops. Now there’s a nightclub across the street and hotels all around.

“Still, I feel like we’re a big part of the neighborhood. It’s a little piece of old Hell’s Kitchen that’s still here,” Gerami said.

For 33 years, in addition to working as a stableman at Chateau, her father — the very image of a carriage driver, always dressed in tuxedo and top hat — took care of police horses as a hostler for the NYPD’s Mounted Unit at Pelham Bay in the Bronx.

The force once employed around 800 horses, and today the NYPD still keeps more than 100 of them in the city, according to a spokesperson for the department. The animals are housed at four different stables in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, where the unit’s new citywide headquarters opened this year on West 53rd Street — only a block away from Clinton Park Stables.

In a sign of the times on the trendy West Side, the new police stable occupies the ground floor of a luxury apartment building, a location that’s out of reach for the private stables in the area.

Like McHugh and the McGills, the owners of West Side Livery on 38th Street are used to turning down offers to buy their property.

The stable, sitting on a barren block dotted with auto repair shops not far from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, has been in the hands of the same family for almost half a century.

Just a few blocks south, the first tower of the Hudson Yards development is looming in the sky. Although the most prominent, it is by far not the only redevelopment project in the area.

“A blind man can see what’s going on down there,” said McHugh, who bought the Clinton Park Stables in 2003 with roughly a dozen of his fellow carriage drivers. They all felt their livelihood would forever be threatened unless they were independent from a landlord or leasehold. The stable is now operated as a co-op.

“We thought that the West Side was rapidly changing, and we would eventually end up with nowhere to keep the horses because the properties were getting developed right, left, and center,” he said.

Next to West Side Livery on West 38th Street, four buildings are currently being demolished to make way for two 60-story residential towers.

Tony Salerno, the stable manager there, said the owners are not interested in selling but he worries about the future anyway.

“Right now there’s a lot of pressure. They

wanna build really bad,” he said. “In the meantime we worry about where we go. We’re trying to stay as long as possible. Right now, we’re looking at the possibility of finding another building. But it’s not easy.”

Salerno originally came to New York as a cabinetmaker almost 40 years ago. It was one of two trades his family practiced in his native Sicily — the other was driving carriages.

“And that time, we’re talking about 45 years ago, they used it for transportation, like a taxi,” he said, with an Italian accent so thick he might as well have stepped off a boat last week.

At 14 years old, his grandma would send him out to look for his grandpa, a carriage driver.

He’d usually find him drunk at the local tavern, so he would load him into the back of the carriage and drive it home himself.

When he arrived in New York City, Saler no worked five days a week making furniture on the East Side, then came over to the stable on the weekends to drive a carriage in the park.

The mayor, reviving his seemingly lost cause to rein in the 220 horses still trotting the

YANNIC RACK

Anita Gerami, with one of the horses at the Chateau Stables.

streets of New York City, now reportedly proposes to house a smaller number of them in a new stable in Central Park.

Asked about his take on that proposal, Salerno quickly did the math on how much room the carriages and horses, with all their feed and hay, would need. After a minute, he dismissed the idea as too complex and space-consuming.

“There’s more chance he’s gonna get out of the city before the horses,” Salerno said of the mayor.

Like the other stables still holding on, he said West Side Livery won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. And like every other carriage driver, he feels like that won’t just preserve a big part of New York’s history, but also the best job in the city.

“Maybe if I stuck with my old job, I would be rich today,” Salerno said. “But my passion was here…When I jump in the carriage and drive my horse to Tenth Avenue, I feel like the richest man in the world.” n December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

Will Central Park Stable End Horse Carriage Stalemate?

BY JOSH ROGERS

B

ill de Blasio had been mayor just over a month when Jon Stewart asked him if banning the Central Park horse carriages would turn out to be his Guantanamo — referring to President Barack Obama’s unfulfilled campaign promise to close the US detention camp there.

The mayor was willing to engage the joke from “The Daily Show” host during that February 2014 appearance, before saying, “Horses do not belong in the middle of traffic in New York City.”

The Daily News, by its own account, “raised a hue and cry” in its campaign to save the carriage industry and the City Council opposed the mayor’s plan, which looked to be dead until last week, when reports surfaced the mayor was quietly pursuing a plan to get the horses off city streets by building a stable in Central Park large enough to accommodate about 70 horses, roughly one third of the current number.

De Blasio acknowledged to r eporters

c

HOLIDAY RUSH, from p.4

Other stores reported more disappointing omens in the first big weekend of holiday shopping. “ We ’ v e d o n e t h i s f r o m the beginning,” said Robert Schwartz, said of Small Business Saturday. “Last year was extremely disappointing.”

Schwartz is CEO of Eneslow, a footwear company that employs pedorthists, experts in custom-fitting shoes and insoles for therapeutic benefits. Of Eneslow’s two Manhattan and one Queens locations, Schwartz said, the Satur day reports showed his Upper East Side branch on Second Avenue had steady traf fic and decent sales. His main store in Midt o w n , h o w e v e r, h a d a “ v e r y mediocre day, to say the least, from looking at numbers.”

Schwartz said retail’s Thanksgiving weekend focus on super sales has always been a burden for small business owners. Even though Schwartz offered a $20 gift card for every $150 spent in his stores, he couldn’t compete with the big-box businesses that, he said, were “giving away

last week that he was talking to individual Council members about legislation that could pass. The New York Times, which first broke the story, reported that at least three unnamed members spoke to the mayor about the new idea.

Three who appear likely to be part of the group speaking to de Blasio are Councilmembers Dan Garodnick, Ben Kallos, and Corey Johnson. All have previously been reported to be undecided on the issue and have districts that either border the park or are close to it. They and their spokespersons did not return calls seeking comment. Presumably, the mayor would only float the plan to members who agreed to keep it quiet.

Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, whose district includes the park, sounded a little annoyed that she had not heard from the mayor, but she told Manhattan Express that it is something she potentially could support depending on the details.

She backs an outright ban, and the mayor may be calculating that she and her

their stores” with the large price markdowns.

“The reality is Small Business Saturday in New York City does not embrace, support, advocate [small businesses], Schwartz said. “This is an epidemic that’s not going to go away.”

Schwartz is fortunate, however, that his custom business is needs-based, so he has a loyal following among about 80 per cent of his shoppers. Beyond t h a t , h o w e v e r, h i s c u s t o m e r traffic is focused on ready-made solutions for people with foot problems. There, he said, he faces a lot of competition from online alternatives.

“New Yorkers are not loyal to their local merchants at all,” Schwartz said. “They’re happy to stay in their underwear and shop online and never leave their apartments.”

But for owners like Bergman, the quietness on Thanksgiving weekend was nothing new and the fact that Black Friday “was not a busy day for us at all” was not a concern.

She expects to be swamped with customers starting this coming weekend, with the start of

ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

like-minded colleagues would end up supporting any limit that has more support.

Wiley Norvell, a de Blasio spokesperson, said in a statement, “We continue to work for legislation that represents a humane and equitable solution that moves the horses off our streets, safeguards the animals, and protects the livelihoods of the men and women who provide carriage rides.”

The compromise plan has been ridiculed by the News, the Post, and leaders of the carriage industry. NYCLASS, the advocacy group pushing for a ban, issued a more positive statement last week saying, “We need to see more details, and frankly, we need to see action and not just promises. But we will continue to work with the mayor and city leaders to protect the horses."

De Blasio’s ride into City Hall two years ago was helped by the carriage opponents, who were the major backers of a PAC that ran ads against Christine Quinn, a carriage industry supporter who began the Democratic mayoral primary race as the clear frontrunner. n

Chanukah on December 6 coupled with the swelling flood of Christmas shopping.

“This weekend will be very

c

ROOFTOP, from p.7

and act as an unwelcome beacon of light.

In the end, CB8, on November 18, approved the school’s plan, but with a stipulation that it would be presenting written recommended guidelines for the school to act a “good neighbor.”

A year earlier, CB8 approved the school’s preliminary plan, which it was then taking to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, with a 24 to 17 vote.

LPC subsequently approved the proposal unanimously.

Verona, who also spoke in opposition to the plan in 2014, charged that the school is neglecting a formerly well-kept courtyard garden behind the 126 East 78th Street location, where one portion of the school’s expansion is proposed to be located.

Shelly Friedman, the school’s land-use attorney, challenged Verona's assertion that the court-

crazy because Chanukah starts,” Bergman said. “Then the Saturday before Christmas is always the busiest day of the year.” n

yard constitutes a “garden,” but said that the expansion there — to build a performance arts space — complies with all zoning requirements and would sacrifice only one tree.

The 36-foot increase in height at 130-134 East 78th Street, allowed given the building’s location at the corner of Lexington Avenue, will accommodate a new regulation-size gym and an outdoor play space.

While other residents expressed approval of the school trying to address its limited space and resources, those East Siders in opposition focused on the impact of greater heights mid-block in the neighborhood.

“We all live in this limited height district and believe we’re afforded the right that protection gives us,” said Verona. “Everyone should do with their property as they see fit, so long as it doesn’t encroach on other people’s rights.” n

17

EXPRESS OURSELVES

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18

T

his week’s conviction of former State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on seven counts of public corruption — in steering public funds to a university research center on asbestos-related lung disease and in guaranteeing real estate interests tax breaks, all in return for roughly $4 million in personal enrichment — should be a sobering moment for anyone who cares about clean government in New York State.

Earlier this year, the New York Public Interest Group Fund (NYPIRG) labeled the state’s recent era of corruption indictments and convictions New York’s “Watergate moment.” The New York City Bar Association and Common Cause New York noted that since 2010, 13 members of the State Assembly and Senate have been convicted on corruption or related charges — that before Silver’s downfall and not accounting for what might happen in the current trial of former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

Some would argue that Silver’s conviction proves that the system is working, but let’s bear in mind how close a call any conviction is and also recall how audacious the disgraced former speaker’s schemes were. Silver’s attorneys harped on the lack of explicit quid pro quos between him and those with whom he exchanged favors, and tried to characterize the transactions under investigation as accommodations common in government, especially among parties on friendly terms… as though we would ever strive to create a government that functioned that way.

Silver was successful for a time in pursuing his schemes due to several serious shortcomings in the system — including his ability to appropriate $500,000 to the asbestos health research center without line-item accountability as well as the lack of meaningful reporting requirements on the substantial outside earnings he enjoyed even as he was paid to serve the public.

Silver was convicted because a determined federal prosecutor, Preet Bharara, was incensed at the half-assed efforts by Governor Andrew Cuomo to probe public corruption in Albany and the milquetoast reforms the Legislature enacted as the governor was making a show of cleaning up the state capital.

Now, a broad range of reform groups — including NYPIRG, Common Cause, Citizens Union, the League of Women Voters of New York State, and Reinvent Albany — are demanding that Cuomo and the Legislature do the heavy lifting of real reform.

The time is long overdue.

The reforms the groups are pressing for fall into four major areas — legislators’ compensation and financial disclosure, campaign finance reform, strengthening independent oversight, and standardizing and streamlining lobbying disclosure.

All of these areas are important.

One key goal is imposing limits on outside income, the same way it’s done for members of Congress. Being a state legislator is a full-time job, and each has a staff that works full time. But as the longtime leader of one of the two chambers of the Legislature, Silver was able to earn handsome outside income with very little in the way of reporting constraints. Some suggestions would limit outside income to $20,000 or less, while Upper West Side Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell is calling for a ban on any outside income, coupled with a raise from the current base pay of $79,500.

The details of how to approach this can be debated, but for anyone who doubts the practicality of asking legislators to limit their incomes in this way, it’s worth noting that fully two-thirds of state senators and 73 percent of Assembly members reported no outside income or income

amounting to less than $20,000, according to NYPIRG, Common Cause, and Reinvent Albany.

Outside income is a problem limited to a relatively small number of legislators but the potential for mayhem is significant.

Related to limiting outside income is the goal of curbing what are known as “lulus,” additional pay awarded to certain legislators for committee and other leadership posts which ensures their loyalty to the Assembly speaker and the Senate majority leader.

And what outside income legislators are allowed to earn ought still be held to strict reporting requirements.

On the campaign finance side, one clear goal of reformers is the closing of what is called the LLC loophole, which evades the requirement that campaign contributors disclose their employers and allows campaigns to be funded by “dark money.” More ambitiously, advocates call for a public financing system similar to the one that has worked very well in New York City.

Reformers also focus considerable attention on strengthening the structure, span of authority, independence, and transparency of the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics, the body charged with overseeing questions of honesty in government. If a body like this is expected to reverse the troubled state of public integrity here, it needs professional resources and freedom from political influence, but it also must be willing to come clean with the public, because it’s there that confidence in government must be restored.

New York is a state rich in talent, compassion, creativity, and innovation, yet it is also one whose government recently was graded D – by the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity. The situation will only change if we the voters demand it. n

WRITE US: Address letters to the editor, story ideas or tips, and proposals for writing an Express Yourselves op-ed to Editor@ManhattanExpressNews.nyc.

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

EXPRESS YOURSELVES

Are We All Sex Offenders?

BY LENORE SKENAZY

T

hat’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 a few weeks back.

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, Virginia, 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 dangerous 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 Department of Justice reports that sex offenders actually have the lowest recidivism rate of any criminals other than murderers is not well known.

What’s worse, “The 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. There 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.

That’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 a speaker, author. and founder of the book and blog “Free-Range Kids.” n

City Must Reform Street Vending Regulations, Not Raise Cap on Permits

BY JOHN CATSIMATIDIS

N

ew York City should not move forward with proposals to raise or eliminate the cap on the number of street vendor permits until we reform the current regulations. In addition, officials must have a full understanding of the impact that these mobile vendors have on brick and mortar businesses and the union employees that work in many of them, as well as the impact that street vendors have on the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Sadly today in too many neighborhoods, our business owners, including many of the “mom and pop” stores we all grew up with, are facing unfair competition from street vendors. Brick and mortar business owners are being asked to pay higher rents and insurance premiums, and are burdened with excessive regulations, fines, and taxes. They are also competing with street vendors who are parked just a few feet away from their locations, selling similar products for much less because they sim-

ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

ply do not have these same overhead costs and intense scrutiny by city agencies. It is time that our city create comprehensive and clear guidelines governing all street vendors, which include preventing them from operating within at least 200 feet of an established business, and work with local community boards to ensure that the quality of life on our streets are not negatively affected by their presence.

It is the brick and mortar businesses that are the backbone of our communities and

that provide jobs to local residents. It is also the men and women who own these businesses who get involved with our community boards, civic organizations, and business improvement districts (BIDs) to enhance the communities where they often live and work. These are also the same businesses that are least able to afford the unfair competition from street vendors with little overhead, selling cheaper products.

c

CATSIMATIDIS, continued on p.20

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c

CATSIMATIDIS, from p.19

For smaller mom and pop stores, losing customers to a street vendor means losing much needed revenue, making it extremely difficult to stay afloat. For larger businesses, including supermarkets, losing sales due to a fruit cart right outside their front door can cause layoffs or the reduction of hours of union employees in the produce department.

I started my first business from scratch when I was in my 20s.

I know firsthand the incredible hard work, long hours, and personal and financial investment involved in opening and running a neighborhood store. I remember the constant worry in those early years about making a payroll and paying the bills because I knew my employees were counting on me each week for their paycheck so they could pay the rent and feed their families. These concerns still exist today for business owners, and city officials must take them into account as they consider proposals that would benefit street vendors at the expense of other businesses.

In addition to what many small business owners see as an unfair advantage, street vendors, especially mobile food carts, are often responsible for increased litter on our sidewalks. As Manhattan Community Board 8’s Street Vendor Committee recently noted as they urged the City Council not to increase the number of permits to street vendors, increased litter and sidewalk congestion are often associated with these unregulated vendors. Ironically however, when there is litter on the sidewalk, it is usually the local brick and mortar storeowners who receive the fine from the Sanitation Department for

c

ZONING, from p.6

ting five instead of six kinder garten classes, would have increased the waiting list. CEC members said there is a need to reduce the number of students, particularly in light of a recent fire drill where older students were forced to linger inside before they exited.

Turchin pledged to talk with leaders and parents at both P.S. 191 and 199 to see what

the trash on “their” sidewalk.

In fact, several years ago in southwest Brooklyn, Community Boards 10 and 11, the 86th street BID, and officials of both political parties united in a request to the New York City Department of Small Business Services to include mobile food carts as part of the BID’s street vendor-free zone. This zone in Bay Ridge, between Fourth Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway on 86th Street, was created by the city decades ago because of the high volume of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

There have been and continue to be tensions between street vendors, local community members, and business owners throughout New York City that must be comprehensively addressed. Street vendors have every right to make a living and follow their American Dream, as I followed mine; however, this should not be at the expense of small businesses and should not interfere with the quality of life in our communities.

We must enact policies that promote fairness amongst all types of entrepreneurs. New York City has to ensure a level playing field between all business owners from “mom and pop” stores and supermarkets to mobile food carts, and implement city policies that allow businesses of all kinds to open, grow, and expand to create more jobs. Blindly permitting the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs to increase or eliminate the cap on the number of street vendor permits is not a prudent action for our City Council.

John Catsimatidis is the owner of Gristedes Foods and the Red Apple Group and was a 2013 candidate for mayor. n

steps can be taken to prepare for next September.

Fiordaliso said CEC has worked on outreach to parents of prospective kindergarteners, but acknowledged that some par ents ar e going to be sur prised that nothing has been done to improve the waiting listing problem.

“They’re going to walk in and realize, ‘Holy crap there’s a huge waitlist and I didn’t realize up until now,’” he said. n

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

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21

For This Tony-Winner, It’s a Dog’s Life

BY DAVID NOH

T

MATT MURPHY

Annaleigh Ashford returns to 54 Below on New Year’s Eve for a reprise and refresh of her lauded cabaret show there.

JOAN MARCUS

Annaleigh Ashford in A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia.”

22

here is no better demonstration of ace comic timing on the New York stage now than Annaleigh Ashford playing a dog, in the titular role of A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia.” It’s the kind of twee whimsy that rises or falls on the casting of this central role and one almost shudders to think what it would be like without her. Added to her arresting presence are the kind of huge-eyed, waifish adorableness Al Hirschfeld would have killed to caricature and a lovely singing voice which gets a brief chance to glow here on Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.”

I’ve been a devoted fan of Ashford’s ever since “Kinky Boots.” As a British blue collar working girl, she took a peripheral role and, again using that distinctive, cannily gauged, slightly delayed comic performance rhythm (as original in its way as the technique of Jean Arthur or Judy Holliday), stole the show and was by far the best and freshest thing in it.

Consolidating my adoration of her was her debut act at Feinstein’s/ 54 Below. Cabaret is not as easy as it looks, and I’ve seen talent like Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Lena Hall, and Alexander Gemignani be less than brilliant in their attempts at it. But Ashford, clad in an outfit that resembled a glittering silver disco ball, got it down perfectly, slyly paying homage to the club’s infamous past, with the entire performance like the most delicious in-joke, possibly the most purely festive act I had seen since the early, greatest days of Bette Midler live.

She’s returning to 54 for the New Year’s show, and I snatched the chance to chat with this very busy, white-hot star on the skies-the-limit ascendant. I asked her what we could look forward to on New Year’s 2016 and she said, “We are giving you a couple of the favorites from the first time around, but exploring some new material. It wouldn’t be a New Year’s show without looking back on the year, so we will be celebrating some of the highlights of 2015!”

Regarding the “Sylvia” revival, Ashford said that producers “Daryl Roth and Jeffrey Richards are great dog lovers and have wanted to produce this play for quite a while. The stars aligned for it to happen this year, and I was lucky enough to be invited to help tell the story. My dog, Gracie, has served as a great inspiration! And, for my costume, [designer] Ann Roth was so brilliant and generous! She made sure that we found a wonderful organic hybrid of pup and person.

“Julie White and Matthew Broderick make

ANNALEIGH ASHFORD Feinstein’s/ 54 Below 254 W. 54th St. Dec. 31, 11 p.m. $339-$425; 54below.com Includes dinner, dessert, open bar, tax & tip

SYLVIA Cort Theatre 138 W. 48th St. Through Jan. 3 Tue.-Thu. at 7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat at 8 p.m.

Wed., Sat. at 2 p.m.; Sun. at 3 p.m. $37-$147; telecharge.com Or 212-239-6200 90 mins., no intermission

me laugh every night. They are both such wonderful, dynamic, organic actors, so it has been such a joy to work with them. It only works if it’s organic.

“You ask about my timing — where it comes from? It comes from a childhood of watching and appreciating comedy that stemmed from vaudeville like ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ and ‘Saturday Night Live.’”

Ashford took home the Tony for her hilarious performance as Essie, the worst — but most instantly lovable — ballerina in the universe in the delightful Roundabout revival of “You Can’t Take It With You.” She described that award evening as “an overwhelming dream come true.

For Essie, like every character I create, I started with the clues from the playwright and shaped her with the director. I was so lucky to work with such a brilliant company of actors who took care of me so beautifully. James Earl Jones is everything you want him to be and more. I want to be him when I grow up. I did see the [1938 Frank Capra] film of the play. I love Ann Miller! And I love what she did with Essie in the film.”

Ashford confided that her dream role is “Sweet Charity,” and the mind fairly reels at what comedy and pathos she could mine there, beyond, of course, nailing the singing and dancing. “Lost in the Stars: Live at 54 Below,” her album of her cabaret act was just released, and you can also catch her on the fourth season of Showtime’s “Masters of Sex.” n December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

Jacob a. Riis Revealing New York’s Other Half Inequality remains a fact of life in America. A century later, this New York master’s photos still explode with outrage.

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23

Manhattan Treasures CYNDI LAUPER’S KIDS

a revelation by audiences and critics alike. Kissin performs Bloch’s “Piano Sonata,” Veprik’s “Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 5,” and Krein’s “Suite dansée,” and reads poetry by Yitzhak Leybush Peretz. Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, 881 Seventh Ave. at 57th St. Dec. 16, 8 p.m. Tickets are $32.50-$250 at carnegiehall.org.

T h e Tr u e Co l o rs Fu n d presents “Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays,” a benefit concert to raise awareness about LGBT youth homelessness as well as funds to combat it. Lauper will be joined by Boy George, Cam, Judy Gold, Ledisi, Keb’ Mo’, Sharon Osbourne, JorCYNDILAYPER.COM dan Pundik, Richie Sambora & Orianthi, Valerie Simpson, Anne Steele, Joey Taranto, Justin Tranter, Kurt Vile, and host Carson Kressley. Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway at 74th St. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. Tickets are $50-$150 at beacontheatre.com.

WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION WITH PAUL WINTER

STARS OF DAVID: A MUSICAL Based on the bestseller by Abigail Pogrebin and conceived her and Aaron Harnick, “Stars of David: A Musical” is a celebration of Jewish identity, heritage, interests, and memories, with portrayals of prominent Jewish Americans, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Fran Drescher, Andy Cohen, Tony Kushner, Leonard Nimoy, Joan Rivers, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Aaron Sorkin. The musical explores intimate thoughts and experiences about being Jewish, from the ugliness of anti-Semitism to achievements of pure joy. The show features original songs by some of Broadway’s top composers and lyricists, including Marvin Hamlisch (“A Chorus Line”), Sheldon Harnick (“Fiddler on the Roof”), and David Shire (“Baby.”) 92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, Lexington Ave. at 92nd St. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. Tickets are $46-$57 at 92y.org.

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ALL MARIAH WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS Mariah Carey returns to the Beacon Theatre for her second annual “All I Want for Christmas” concert series named for her first Christmas single released 21 years ago. Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway at 74th St. Dec. 8-9, 11-12, 14-15, 17-18, 8 p.m. Tickets are $59.50-$255 at beacontheatre.com.

NAVIDAD EN LATINOAMÉRICA As part of its 41st season, Early Music New York presents “New World Christmas: Navidad en Latinoamérica.”

Religious vocal creations inspired by Spain's and Mexico’s ornate cathedrals are interspersed with instrumental and vocal chanzonetas, villancicos, coloquios, and ensaladas, with guitar tablatures of indigenous dances by Santiago de Murcia. Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Amsterdam Ave. at 112th St. Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 6, 20 & 25, 2 p.m.; Dec. 25, 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 at stjohndivine. org or 212-280-0330; $50 for 2 p.m. show on Dec. 25; $20 for students at the door.

NIGHTLY COMMUNAL CHANUKAH CANDLE LIGHTING The 92nd Street Y hosts six gatherings for the community to come together in lighting the Chanukah Candles. The candle services include performances by the School of Music, Harkness School of Dance, 92Y Shababa, and other ensembles. 92nd Street Y lobby, Lexington Ave. at 92nd St. Dec. 6, 2 p.m. & Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 8-11, 4:30 p.m.

AN IRISH CHRISTMAS Ireland’s Keith and Kristyn Getty, writers of modern hymns and carols, are celebrating Christmas with their fourth annual tour of “Joy — An Irish Christmas.” The Gettys are joined by their band, which fuses Celtic, bluegrass, Americana, and classical music. Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, 881 Seventh Ave. at 57th St. Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$150 at carnegiehall.org.

24

THE 12 DIVAS OF CHRISTMAS Christine Pedi, known for her turns in “Chicago,” “Forbidden Broadway,” and “Newsical the Musical,” as well as her daily “On Broadway” show on SiriusXM Radio, conjures the 12 Divas of Christmas — Barbra Streisand, Patti Lupone, Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Carol Channing… and all the rest.

54BELOW.COM Feinstein’s/ 54 Below, 254 W. 54th St. Dec. 12, 9:30 p.m.; Dec. 26, 11:30 p.m. The cover charge is $20-$75 at 54below.com, with an additional $5 at the door, and there’s a $25 food & drink minimum.

IN CONCERT: VIENNA BOYS CHOIR For six centuries, the Vienna Boys Choir has captivated audiences with a purity of tone, charm, and a crowd-pleasing repertoire. “Christmas in Vienna” showcases these child musicians in a show featuring Austrian folks songs, classical masterpieces, and holiday favorites. Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, 881 Seventh Ave. at 57th St. Dec. 13, 2 p.m. Tickets are $10-$90 at carnegiehall.org.

JEWISH MUSIC & POETRY Evgeny Kissin’s 2014 performance of rarely heard piano works by lesser-known Jewish composers and recited Yiddish poetry at the Kennedy Center in Washington was greeted as

New age musician Paul Winter gathers his Consort — himself on soprano saxophone, cellist Eugene Friesen, double-reed player Paul McCandless, keyboardist Paul Sullivan, guitarist Paul Meyers, bassist Eliot Wadopian, drummer Jamey Haddad, Brazilian percussionist Café da Silva, organist Tim Brumfield, and sun-gong maestro Scott Sloan — for his 36th annual Winter Solstice Celebration.

The Consort is joined by emerging voices from Brazil: Fabiana Cozza, making her New York debut, and singer/ guitarist Renato Braz. The 25 dancers and drummers of the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, led by artistic director Abdel Salaam, will premiere a new piece choreographed especially for this celebration. Dec. 17-18, 8 p.m.; Dec. 19, 2 & 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55-$90 at stjohndivine.org or web. ovationtix.com/trs/pe/10036004.

IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME IN THE CITY Broadway favorites Brian d’Arcy James (“Something Rotten,” “Shrek The Musical”) and Stephanie J. Block (“The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Wicked”) join the New York Pops, under the direction of Steven Reineke, and Judith Clurman’s Essential Voices USA in a program of holiday BRIANDARCYJAMES.COM favorites, “It’s Christmas Time in the City.” Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium/ Perelman Stage, 881 Seventh Ave. at 57th St. Dec. 18, 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $122 at carnegiehall.org.

CRAFTS AT THE CATHEDRAL The 20th annual Crafts at the Cathedral is a juried show that brings together 60 artisans, primarily from the Northeast. Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Amsterdam Ave. at 112th St. Dec. 4, 5-8 p.m.; Dec. 5, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Dec. 6, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Entrance fee is $6; $7 for the whole weekend. For more information, visit craftsatthecathedral.org.

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MANHATTAN TREASURES, continued on p.27

December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

Kids Count A THREE BEARS HOLIDAY “The Three Bears Holiday Bash” is a variety show celebrating the holiday season in song, dance, and puppetry, drawing from the stories of Chanukah, “The Night Before Christmas”, and Kwanzaa. Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, Central Park, 79th St. Transverse at West Dr., near the Delacorte Theater. Through Dec. 30: Mon.-Fri., 10:30 a.m., noon, plus Wed., 2:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun., 1 p.m. Tickets are $7 for children (who must be accompanied by an adult); $10 for adults at cityparksfoundation. org/arts/swedish-cottage-marionette-theatre.

YELENA YEVA

SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES Symphony Space’s Dance Conservatory Performance Project presents “Nutcracker Winter Suite,” the classic Tchaikovsky ballet with joyous music and superb dancing by performers that include award and medal winners from last May's VKIBC International Ballet Competition. This performance is a special treat for all ages. Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, 2537 Broadway at 95th St. Dec. 5, 3 & 5:30 p.m. The run time is 75 mins. Tickets are $40; $20 for children & seniors at symphonyspace.org.

JUST KIDDING

SYMPHONYSPACE.ORG

Conceived in 2007, Rennie Harris Awe-inspiring Works (RHAW) is a youth organization driven by community outreach, education, classes, and mentorship among young people interested in joining his internationally renowned hip hop dance company, Rennie Harris Puremovement. “Just Kidding” is a fierce and fun morning of visually stunning hip hop dance, featuring a program filled with RHAW’s very best choreographed works!

And that’s no kidding. Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th St. Dec 12, 11 a.m. Tickets are $18 at symphonyspace.org.

DECEMBER MUSLIM ARTS FESTIVALS During the weekend of Dec. 5-6, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan celebrates Muslim arts in events focused on Arabic and Persian cultures. Yekibood Children, a program for bilingual and multilingual families of Persian descent, presents a series of programs celebrating the Winter Solstice. In “The Story of Yalda,” the group’s teaching artists introduce Persian culture through interactive music, dance, and storytelling performances.

December 5, 2 & 3:30 p.m. Yekibood Children,

making use of special pens and ink, offers an introduction to the elegant art of Persian calligraphy for ages six and older. Dec. 6, 2-4 p.m. On Dec. 6, 2:30 & 3:30 p.m., Yekibood Children focuses on Winter Solstice as a time when friends and family gather together to eat, drink, and read poetry. Fruits such as pomegranates are eaten and have significant meaning during this time, and participants will learn how to make a delicious pomegranate salad and yogurt deserts.

“How Many Donkeys? An Arabic Counting

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KIDS COUNT, continued on p.27

TheArt StudentsLeague of NewYork

The Holiday Show & Sale: December 8-22 Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery 215 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 212-247-4510 info@artstudentsleague.org www.theartstudentsleague.com

Art Book Sale &

Remarkable Work in All Media

Starting at $100

Gallery and Sale Hours Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–8:00 PM Saturday–Sunday, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM ManhattanExpressNews.nyc | December 03 - 16, 2015

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December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc

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MANHATTAN TREASURES, from p.24

craft, as well. Draesel Hall at Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 E. 88th St. Dec. 11, 5-8 p.m. opening reception, with complimentary wine and snacks. Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Details at yohoex.weebly.com.

GRAND CENTRAL’S 15TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY FAIR Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal is turned into a craft fair and gift bazaar daily through Dec. 24. 89 E, 42nd St. Mon.Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Closes 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. FACEBOOK.COM

Susan Bogen’s pottery will be at the Yorkville Holiday Exhibit & Sale.

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

The fourth annual Yorkville Holiday Exhibit & Sale includes handcrafted gifts made by local artisans, including ceramics, jewelry, textiles, accessories, photography, home décor, and edibles. Most of the artists have decades of studio experience, and many teach their

Shop for gifts from 100 vendors selling handmade wooden puzzles, artisan chocolates and truffles, clothing and accessories, and more, while enjoying a hot beverage and a meal. Columbus Circle Holiday Market, Central Park W. & 59th St. Daily through Dec. 24: Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

For more information, visit urbanspacenyc. com/columbus-circle-holiday-market.

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HOLIDAY ON THE HUDSON

HOLIDAY FAIR IN YORKVILLE

KIDS COUNT, from p.25

Tale, written by Nadia Jameel Taibah and Margaret Read MacDonald, offers youngsters of all ages an interactive storytelling experience where they can learn how to count in Arabic as Jouha travels to the market. Dec. 5-6, 12:30 p.m.

Join in offering wishes for the whole world, by contributing to an evolving sculpture by artists Saks Afridi and Qinza Najm of the Artist Collaborative Bolo. Appropriate for all ages. Dec. 5-6, 10 a.m.-noon.

The Tisch Building, 212 W. 83rd St. Museum admission is $12; $ 8 for seniors; free for infants under a year. Information at cmom.org.

The Riverside Park Conservancy hosts its annual holiday tree lighti n g p a r ty, w i t h live music and the o p p o r t u n i ty to make ornaments and decorations.

West Harlem Piers RIVERSIDEPARKNYC.ORG Park, W. 125th St. & Marginal St. Dec. 12, 4-6 p.m. If the weather is looking iffy, check out nyc.gov/parks/soh to find out if they party is on. More information at 212-408-0219.

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Children and their families can brighten up their winter with a reading of Nancy Luenn’s “Celebrations of Light,” learning about winter festivities from around the world, followed by a tour of the many sources of light — stained glass included — in the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. Participants then join a workshop to learn about rolling beeswax candles, cutting Chinese and Taiwanese paper lanterns, and sculpting clay candelabras inspired by Hindu floating lamps, Jewish menorahs, and Kwanzaa kinaras. Recommended for children ages four to eight years old. Space is limited so advance purchase of tickets — $10 per child, with an accompanying adult — is recommended at web.ovationtix.com/ trs/pe/10038298. 1047 Amsterdam Ave. at 112th St. Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-noon. More information at stjohndivine.org.

EIGHT NIGHTS, EIGHT LIGHTS: CHANUKKAH CALENDAR In a program co-sponsored by the 92nd Street Y, youngsters six and over can design a banner with pockets to hold tiny Chanukah treasures and sing songs along with TADA!'s Resident Youth Ensemble. Children's Museum of Manhattan, the Tisch Building, 212 W. 83rd St. Dec. 13, 2-4 p.m. Museum admission is $12; $ 8 for seniors; free for infants under a year.

Information at cmom.org.

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Francisco J. Núñez leads the Young People’s Chorus of New York City in “A New York City Holiday,” celebrating seasonal favorites from all over the world. 92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, Lexington Ave. at 92nd St. Dec. 13, 2 p.m. (with a wait list for the 5:30 p.m. performance). Tickets are $20-$60 at 92y.org.

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December 03 - 16, 2015 | ManhattanExpressNews.nyc