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

Ailing Vet Assisted by New Awareness of Benefits BY COLIN MIXSON Until recently, longtime Chelsea resident Malcolm LaPrade lived what many would consider the good life. He made millions in the stock market, and spent it in the pursuit of pleasure — which, in his case, meant worldwide travel. LaPrade’s small one bedroom apartment on W. 16th St. is stuffed with the novelty relics of innumerable far-flung adventures. His Continued on page 5

Show Folk Show Up in Force at CB4 BY WINNIE McCROY Nightclub entertainers, theater producers, dancers and their advocates gathered on the evening of Wed., Mar. 2 at Mt. Sinai Hospital for the monthly full board meeting of Community Board 4 (CB4). The topic of discussion was Variety Worldwide’s liquor license transfer for their new venue, located at the former Providence nightclub (311 W. 57th St., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.). Although CB4 and local residents were largely supportive of the more upscale tenant, some voiced concerns. “We hope to replace the existing nightclub Continued on page 6

INDIA

AT THE RUBIN

Steve McCurry’s stunning, supersaturated photos of a subcontinent are on display at the Rubin Museum of Art, through April 4. See page 19.

Photo by Yannic Rack

A crater now looms next to this tree pit at the south side of Ninth Ave. and W. 30th St.

Water Main Work Wreaks Havoc on Volunteer’s Tree Pits BY YANNIC RACK Since he moved to his apartment on W. 30th St. four years ago, nothing has given Mark Razum the feeling of belonging to the neighborhood more than taking care of the three pedestrian island tree pits that line nearby Ninth Ave. It was a shock then, when he left his home one morning last week and saw that the largest of his carefully tended tree pits, at the north side of W. 29th St. — where he waters flowers, pulls weeds and plants perennials all through the summer months — was gone. “I was walking my dog and I saw workers digging a hole with a backhoe sitting on top of my garden,” said Razum, a Chelsea Garden Club member and professional landscaper who also takes care of tree pits on the south side of W. 29th St. and at W. 30th St. “When I came back from my walk around the block, my whole garden was dug up,” he said. “Everything I

had planted was in a dump truck.” He later found out that the tree pit had become the victim of a city construction project, for which workers are installing new trunk water mains throughout the area — and that his two other tree pits would soon be paved over as well. Fellow members of the Chelsea Garden Club, the volunteer group that takes care of the planted pedestrian islands along Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Aves. in the neighborhood, were outraged that the city had not notified them of the plans. “It’s more than heartbreaking. How are we ever going to get volunteers if this stuff happens?” asked Missy Adams, who lives on Ninth Ave. and has taken care of a tree pit there for the past six years. “I don’t even know what to do. It’s a waste of money

Continued on page 2 VOLUME 08, ISSUE 09 | MARCH 10 - 16, 2016

City Paves Planters on Ninth Ave., to Garden Club’s Dismay

Photos by Mark Razum

Mark Razum’s blooming tree pit in front of Billymark’s West on the north side of Ninth Ave. and W. 29th St., in a photograph taken last summer.

Continued from page 1

What the site of the tree pit looked like, as city construction workers bulldozed it without warning as part of a water main replacement.

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if they’re just going to pave it over willy-nilly, without telling anyone,” she said. The Garden Club has tended to around 40 islands in Chelsea since 2010, when then-State Senator Tom Duane reached a loose agreement with city agencies on the volunteers’ behalf. A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the lead agency on the water main replacement, said the project was scheduled to run until early 2019, and includes work on W. 29th, W. 30th and W. 31st Sts., as well as Ninth and 10th Aves. “We’re working very closely with the Garden Club right now in assisting them with the transplanting from the two remaining islands that we will work on,” said DDC spokesperson Shavone Williams. “They will be rebuilt at the end of the project,” she added. An on-site construction liaison for the project told the volunteers that the workers had to divert traffic over the tree beds between W. 29th and W. 30th Sts. in order to have space to access the water mains without closing off Ninth Ave. Razum confirmed that the workers had offered him time to rescue the remaining plants from his other pits,

and said a few people had come to adopt dozens of his plants over the weekend — including yucca, Japanese anemones, pink turtleheads, and sunflowers. Nevertheless, he was devastated by the loss of his longtime hobby. “I’m crestfallen. I planted thousands of bulbs there in the fall. They’re all going to be lost,” he said, adding that he estimates to have spent around $1,000 on the tree pits over the last couple of years. This year was also when he hoped his perennials would finally come into full bloom. “Last year, I was committed to planting nothing but native perennials. It kind of does nothing for the first year, but the second and third year it takes off,” he said. “So I was really excited this year for all my hard work to finally take form. And now it’s all gone.” Phyllis Waisman, another Garden Club member, said the destruction was worrisome, since volunteers were hard to come by. A new bike lane coming to Sixth Ave. this year will include more than 30 pedestrian islands that will need to be tended in the future, and the Chelsea Garden Club already has its hands full with the current crop of tree beds. “I hope Mark is not giving up, because he’s been doing such a good job. It’s hard to find people who live all the way west on 29th and 30th Streets, which is kind of out of Chelsea,” Waisman said. “We understand the city has problems and needs to do street work and so on. But it’s hard if we don’t have any idea about it,” she added. Adams had stronger feelings about the whole episode. “Why bother gardening? This is expensive and time-consuming. It’s such a hassle, if we can’t even find out who’s accountable and how to prevent this,” she said, adding, “There is no reason to plant a single stinking tree if they’re not cared for.” For his part, Razum said he might look for another tree pit to take care of until his own are rebuilt — even if it takes three years. “It makes me feel like I’m really part of the community; it’s been a terrific experience for me. So I look forward to continuing once I’m over my grief,” he said. “Once they put it back, I’ll have a blank canvas and I’ll go from there.” .com

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GMHC Ponders a Post-Epidemic Future

Photo courtesy Gay City News

GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie.

BY DUNCAN OSBORNE In the 20 months since Kelsey Louie took the reins at Gay Men’s Health Crisis in June 2014, he has consolidated operations from two floors to one in the W. 33rd St. building where the AIDS agency is headquartered, cutting its annual rent by 25%. GMHC is looking for a new space, as its current lease ends in 2018. Louie has “equipped the board and senior leadership teams with improved systems to ensure tighter management and efficiencies,” according to a memo

he sent to the agency’s board that was shared with our sister publication, Gay City News, in advance of an interview with Louie. In addition to continuing to serve its HIV-positive clients, GMHC has expanded its HIV prevention efforts to promote pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), anti-HIV drugs used by HIVnegative people preventively to keep them uninfected. And by the end of 2016, it will open two clinics — one for mental health and another for substance use — because “untreated mental health and substance abuse are major drivers in the epidemic,” the memo said. Further down the road, GMHC’s future lies in delivering healthcare services to HIV-positive and HIV-negative clients. “This may be the continuation of reaching out to the non-HIV population,” Louie told Gay City News on Feb. 19. “What are we doing to keep ourselves relevant and sustainable as AIDS goes away?” When he took over GMHC, the agency had seen its revenues decline from 2007 through 2011. The move

from Chelsea to W. 33rd St. was controversial and expensive, as the agency was paying a high rent for space that it was not fully using. In its 2014 fiscal year, 54% of GMHC’s dollars came from government contracts. That reliance on government cash can be dangerous because that money can be cut by politicians who are hostile to public health spending, or government priorities can change. The ideal is a third from the government, a third from private donations, and a third from private insurers or Medicaid, the government insurance plan for the poor. “We need to diversify our funding,” Louie said. “If we can really move to what I think is that sweet spot of a third, a third, a third, then any of these changes will impact a third of the funding versus 75 percent of the funding.” GMHC was on the 63-member task force that drafted the Plan to End AIDS, an ambitious effort that aims to reduce new HIV infections in New York from the current roughly 3,000 a year to 750 annually by 2020. GMHC was founded in 1981 during the worst years of the AIDS epidemic, and the

end of the epidemic means it must either close or change its mission. Delivering healthcare services to more than HIV-positive people is that new mission. “Creating a new clinic with an HIV specialty doesn’t make sense if new infections are going down,” Louie said. Currently, GMHC serves 9,000 clients annually and has a staff of 160. The agency has an onsite pharmacy, a hotline, hot meals, counseling and support services, financial management services, a mobile testing van that operates four days a week, and a clinic that does sexually transmitted disease and HIV testing. Those who test HIV-positive are walked to Mt. Sinai Hospital, GMHC’s partner, for treatment. Ninety percent of the clients of the two entities are virally suppressed, meaning they are healthy and cannot infect others. “I would like to think that with our own healthcare, instead of saying ‘Go four blocks,’ we can go down the hall or go down the stairs and we can capture some of that 10 percent that isn’t

Continued on page 12

Right now, the New York City Council has the opportunity to support a commonsense affordable housing plan that will help more aging adults live independently in their homes in the city they love. Taking action on Mayor de Blasio’s Affordable Housing plan will create 200,000 affordable housing units over the next 10 years for low- and moderate-income residents, including seniors and people of all ages. Today, there are 200,000 seniors on waiting lists for affordable housing in our city. This sensible plan will help right this wrong and give all New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet a chance to live and thrive in the city we all call home.

Pass the Mayor’s affordable housing plan.

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Neighbor and Vigilant Allies Help Vet Stave Off Debt Continued from page 1

.com

Photos by Yannic Rack

Former jet-setter LaPrade peruses one of the many photo albums that document his years of traveling the globe — and collecting globes.

States, began his career, and didn’t think too much about his wartime service — until last summer. Broke and living off a social security pension of $620 a month, LaPrade reached out in desperation to Groncki, who eventually would come to assume power of attorney over his ailing neighbor and, more importantly, started making phone calls to local elected officials — including City Councilmember Corey Johnson, whose area of representation includes Chelsea. Johnson reached out to Councilmember Eric Ulrich, chair of the Committee on Veterans, who in turn made a call to David Michael Falcon, a staff attorney at the New York Legal

Assistance Group (nylag.org), working on the Veterans Assistance Project. After meeting with LaPrade and discussing the details of his service in the army, Falcon discovered that the ailing veteran — thanks to his wartime service — was eligible for state aid through an

obscure act of Congress referred to as the Non-Service Connected Disability Pension. With that, LaPrade began receiving an additional $1,100 on top of his social

Continued on page 17

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shelves are lined with delicate flowers of Italian porcelain. Scattered across the floor, gemstone seas gleam off a dozen bejeweled globes. Stuffed behind his television, there’s a bookshelf brimming with meticulously curated photo albums, which feature thousands of snapshots and postcards from exotic locales across Europe, along with many tropical islands and the luxurious cruises that bore him there. Taken as a whole, the splendid knickknacks and posh mementos tell the story of a man who was not overly concerned with saving his money — preferring instead to enjoy it. “He was a little extravagant with his spending,” said Paul Groncki, LaPrade’s friend and neighbor. These days, however, LaPrade doesn’t do much traveling. In fact, he doesn’t move much at all. At 85 years old, his wanderlust been quelled by a terrible affliction of the knee, which has left him bedridden and in constant need of care. More than that, it’s left him broke. The cost of a lifetime of travel, it would seem, is nothing compared to a few medical bills paid out of pocket. “I was a millionaire a year ago,” said LaPrade, “and that’s how much I spent on three round-the-clock nurses.” LaPrade’s career as a self-employed stockbroker left him with great wealth, but no security. He had no savings plan and little in the way of social security. In fact, things would still be very bleak for the ailing jet-setter if not for one thing: He was a war veteran — legally speaking. LaPrade never actually saw combat. He did, however, serve during a war. As a young man, he was drafted amidst the Korean War into the army on Aug. 10, 1951. He received his basic training at Fort Dix, NJ, before Uncle Sam sent him to Baltimore, where he was trained for intelligence work. From there he was sent to Munich, Germany, where he was responsible for editing intelligence reports sent in from American agents concerning the activity of the Soviet Union and its spies. LaPrade called the work “thrilling,” and “extremely interesting,” even though “most of it was nonsense. The Russians were not doing very much, despite the fact that we were wasting our time being terribly worried about them.” He served for two years, and, once his term was up, he set sail back for the

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Variety Worldwide Makes a Case for Dominion Over ‘Providence’ Continued from page 1 with our novel form of entertainment,” said Alexander Victor, the attorney for Variety Worldwide, a global entertainment and hospitality management company responsible for staging such spectacles as the interactive theater event “Queen of the Night” (which ran at the Diamond Horseshoe space in W. 46 St.’s Paramount Hotel) and The Box (a 5,000 square foot, three-level space on the Lower East Side’s Chrystie St.). As professional dancer/actor David Terry noted, “Shows like ‘Queen of the Night’ bring a great scene to the area.” Producer Randy Weiner, a co-owner of The Box who produced the immensely popular immersive show “Sleep No More” at Chelsea’s McKittrick Hotel (W. 27th St.), said they had proven themselves good neighbors in a residential area when they staged “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” in a tent in the Theater District in 2013 (the show moves to Broadway in Sept., starring Josh Groban). “We are committed to the neighborhood and to the highest level of

Photo by Sean Egan

Variety Worldwide made the case to CB4, for transferring their liquor license to a new space: the former Providence nightclub (311 W. 57th St., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.).

artistic work. We hope to be very good neighbors,” said Weiner. “We have been working diligently for several months to create something worthwhile,” echoed producer Jennie Willinik, of “Blue Man Group” fame. To wit, the new owners recently sat down with CB4’s Business Licenses and

HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUST Contract ID# D034634 Category: 03

PIN No. X773.15 - Bloomfield to West 14th St. – Bikeway & Layby Construction

Description: The Hudson River Park Trust ("HRPT") is seeking proposals from qualified site / roadway contracting firms (“Bidders”) interested in performing site construction within the Hudson River Park, extending from Bloomfield to West 14th Street along the Hudson River on Manhattan’s west side. Typical construction operations would include but not be limited to: Protection of existing structures, utilities, and features to remain; Maintenance of existing construction fencing and gates, and other temporary protection measures to facilitate project mobilization and access; Excavation, earthwork, and grading; Cast-in-place and pre-cast concrete; Site utility systems (including site electrical, plumbing, and civil work); Roadway pavement systems (incl. unit paving, asphalt paving, and cast-in-place concrete paving); Site improvements and appurtenances; Removal of temporary protections and controls; and other finish work as may be required. Price for bid documents $150.00 per set. All payments must be made by check, and must be payable to the Hudson River Park Trust and must include the contractor’s Federal Identification Number. Document availability date Friday March 4, 2016. Documents including required submission materials for this solicitation may be obtained by the following means: Mail: Mail your requests and a check to the Hudson River Park Trust – Project Management Office, 353 West Street, Pier 40 – 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014. In Person: Directly from the Hudson River Park Trust located at Pier 40. Hours 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, except holidays. Overnight delivery via Fed Ex is available by providing your account information. Criteria for determining the lowest qualified bidder will include but is not limited to an analysis of: 1. Bidder’s site / roadway construction experience (minimum 5 years) on similar projects, including the name, location, and construction cost of the projects (include projects within the NYC metropolitan area); 2. Bidder’s complete team (prime contractor or joint venture partners and/or sub-contractors) that it would commit to the project, including an analysis of the percentage of subcontracting; 3. Any NYS DOL, OSHA, ACOE, or NYS DEC violations issued to Bidder or any of its principals in the last five years; 4. Bidder’s proposed land surveyor, electric, plumber and other specialty contractors required by the contract; 5. Qualifications of the personnel to be utilized for this project; 6. Detailed financial statements of Bidder or, in the case of a joint venture, the detailed financial statements of the joint venture partners or principals; 7. Any debarments, litigation, and/or bankruptcy filings by Bidder or its principals in the last five years; 8. Completed and certified “Vendex” questionnaires completed within the last three years; and 9. Bidder’s EEO policy statement and DBE Utilization Plan. Submissions will be evaluated to assess the proposer’s responsibility, project specific and general marine and/or waterfront construction experience construction experience, project management personnel, percentage of subcontracting, and financial stability. Any resulting contracts will include provisions mandating compliance with Executive Order 11246 and the policies of the Secretary of Labor including 41 CFR 60, and 29 CFR 1625-1627. The Trust and the FHWA have the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with Title 23 USC Section 140, the Rehabilitation Act 1973, as amended (29 USC 794), and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and related regulations including CFR Parts 21, 26, and 27; and 23 CFR Parts 200, 230, and 633 and the regulations promulgated there under. HRPT is an equal opportunity contracting agency.

DBE Sub-Contracting Goal: 14% Proposal Due: 04/07/2016, 1:00 p.m. Contract Term: Not Applicable Contact: Lupe Frattini Hudson River Park Trust - Project Management Field Office 353 West Street, Pier 40 – 2nd Floor New York, NY 10014 (917) 661 8740 phone/ (917) 661 8787 fax Submit To: Same As Above

March 10 - 16, 2016

Permits Committee (BLP) for a give-andtake conversation. “We ended up with a bunch of stipulations,” said First Vice Chair Burt Lazarin. “The new capacity, including employees, is capped at 599. For events with over 300 people, there is a minimum of one security guard per 75 guests. The applicant agrees no steel barricades will be used, unless the NYPD specifically requests it, and they won’t remain on the street. And the new hours are closing Sun. and Mon. at 1 a.m., and Thursday through Saturday at 4 a.m., with the possibility of 20 ‘4 a.m. Exemptions’ per year, with prior notice to the board.” Alex Picken of Picken Real Estate said they’d also been working with the current landlord, who had received multiple offers to turn the place into a concert venue or adult entertainment establishment, which he rejected. “Now, the number one candidate is Variety Worldwide, merging theater arts and fine dining,” said Picken. “We hope to have your support, because this will be a great addition to the neighborhood, and after much due diligence, is the tenant that the landlord agreed to have in this venue.” CB4’s Walter Mankoff asked if they accepted the stipulations as drafted by the BLP committee; the new tenants said they did. But some were conflicted about the proposal. Anita McDonagh of W. 66th St. said, “Although I don’t approve of the 4 a.m. closing time, the venue is fantastic and I wish them luck. I would prefer a 2 a.m. closing, because of problems.” Referencing reports of a recent subway mugging, she warned, “You have to

be careful. Things happen late at night.” And Susan, who lives on W. 58th St., said that while she wishes that the BLP had made a longer list of stipulations to avoid future problems, she was “kind of happy that a theater club was coming to the Providence nightclub space, because for many years we had very bad issues.” She foresees problems with people leaving early in the morning in taxis, cars, limousines, and party buses. Some members, including Quality of Life (QOL) Co-Chair David Pincus, argued owners should be required to meet with QOL early to mandate additional security after closing, and nightly sidewalk cleaning. Others, like CB4 Chair Delores Rubin, disagreed, saying the new tenants were battling the “ghosts of the establishment before” and were already doing outreach to tenants. “What issues would you even bring to QOL, because they haven’t started operating yet?” asked Lazarin. “There has to be some sense of trust; you can’t negotiate from a place of no trust. Some operators earn no trust because of their track record, but these operators don’t have that track record in this space.” “Any issues we have had are many years in the past, in a different place,” said Victor. “But we endeavor to be as accommodating as possible. We are agreeing to many stipulations, and the consensus seems to be that this will be a better use of the space than past tenants. We’ve presented our plans to the BLP committee, the residents of the building are in support, and we hope to have your support as well.”

CB4 BATTLES THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS Another recurring issue that came to light was CB4’s continued pressure on the Department of Buildings (DOB) to fairly advocate for tenants’ rights issues, especially regarding what CB4 member JD Noland referred to as “a plague of false filings” over whether building were truly vacant before being renovated or demolished. A recent meeting between the DOB, CB4, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and other elected officials tackled the demolition of buildings in protected Special District areas, including buildings on Seventh Ave., W. 23rd St. and W. 49th St., and the threat of demolition of 500-504 W. 22nd St. “Although we are supposed to have

Continued on page 15 .com

NEW STORE POLICY: Photo by Jackson Chen

Juan Arroyo, a resident of the Woodstock Senior Center on W. 43rd St., has a look at the borough president’s resource guide.

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Beep Brewer Offers New Printed Resource Directory for Seniors BY JACKSON CHEN Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer released an 80-page resource guide for senior citizens that will be distributed by the thousands throughout Manhattan. To kick-start the circulation of her info packets, Brewer visited three senior centers on Fri., Mar. 4 and offered about a hundred copies of “Age-Smart Manhattan” to residents just prior to their lunch hour. While many city dwellers take to the web to search for whatever services they need, senior citizens have a tougher time locating certain resources, she explained. “The issue is senior information is often hard to come by,” Brewer said. “We have to make sure these books get out to seniors who don’t go on the web.” The resource guide acts as both a crash course in understanding what benefits — like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid — are available to seniors, and a modern phonebook of relevant city agencies, senior centers, and physicians that are available throughout the borough. “It lists all the senior centers in Manhattan, the services they provide, do they have meals,” Brewer said. “The kinds of stuff that [we] would Google.” However, for the senior community, some with limited tech capabilities, Brewer said, she wants her guide to fill in any gaps that exist. The BP’s first stop of the tour .com

brought her to Project FIND, a nonprofit senior services provider, and its Woodstock Senior Center at 127 W. 43rd St. Joined by the group’s Executive Director David Gillcrist and MetroPlus Health Plan’s Director of Intergovernmental relations, Ron Law, Brewer greeted dozens of residents with packets both in English and Spanish. According to the borough president, one of the bigger issues with the senior population was the lack of affordable dental care. While there are many programs for children and their teeth, Brewer said there weren’t many options for seniors. Juan Arroyo, an eight-year resident of the Woodstock center, agreed that dental service was particularly tough for him to find. Equipped with the new resource guide, Arroyo said, it would come in handy for any service he needed. “It’s better than a phonebook,” Arroyo, 80, said. “This here gives you the information you need.” Leaving the Woodstock residents to comb through the guide, Brewer headed north to drop off more of her “Age-Smart Manhattan” booklets at senior centers in East and Central Harlem. In addition to her guide, Brewer will be holding a seniors’ informational expo focused on brain health, called “Up With Aging,” on Sun., Mar. 20, from 12:30–5 p.m., at the CUNY Graduate Center (365 Fifth Avenue at 34th St.). For more info, visit upwithaging.eventbrite.com.

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THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Publisher

Jennifer Goodstein

Editor Scott Stiffler

Editorial Assistant Sean Egan

Art Director Michael Shirey

Graphic Designers Rhiannon Hsu Chris Ortiz

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Barneys bad for authentic hippies To The Editor: Re: “Barneys Bargain Table: When Neighborhood Activism and CB4 Scrutiny Made a Retail Behemoth Blink” (news, Feb. 25, 2016): My first objection to the new Barneys is its ugly storefront, the clumsy metal (aluminum?) overhang, and whatever that large black structure is for, whose girders partially block the sidewalk. I also object to the advertising for the new store that features a group of seemingly authentic hippies who today would very likely be followed around by security guards should they decide to investigate the displays of handbags and jewelry spread over the very corporate-looking ground floor. Judith Childs

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The large bar, as you entered, had seats, and patrons also stood. The drinks were strong and the bartender at night was very busy. I myself usually had an apricot brandy on the rocks when I met friends and we sat in the back to chat. The small open kitchen opposite the bar, with its one short order cook, served hamburgers and french fries cooked to order. Conversations drowned out the music from the jukebox. Paul Mazursky immortalized Julius’ in his semiautobiographical 1976 movie “Next Stop, Greenwich Village.” His alter ego, Lenny in the movie, moves to the Village in 1953 and frequents the bar, which at that time got a clientele of straight and gay people who did not appear to mingle. That the building is from 1826 and a bar from 1864 are two more good reasons for Landmark status.

Raise a glass (of apricot brandy) to Julius’ To The Editor: Re: “Landmark Status Sought for Sight of ’66 Sip-In” (news, Feb. 25, 2016): I was glad to read Andy Humm’s article. I well remember Julius’ bar in Greenwich Village when I first came to live and work in NYC in the ’70s. In my living room now, I have a framed 12-month 1984 calendar from Julius’ showing an etching of the exterior by Don Nute, which he did in 1977. The exterior looks the same today.

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Paul L. Marsolini

E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to Scott@ChelseaNow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, NYC Community Media, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.

and have watched with pleasure as his career blossomed. Stay well, Fyvush, and keep on playing for many more years. Paul Golden

Re “Formerly of ‘Fiddler,’ Finkel, 93, Far From Final Act” (arts, Mar. 3, 2016): What a joy to see Fyvush still performing. I worked with him in the Catskills

Re “Water Can’t Dampen Drama Book Shop’s Prospects” (news, Mar. 3, 2016): The first time I went to the Drama Book Shop, I was about 10. I studied

at the Neighborhood Playhouse when I was 13. I was obsessed with theatre. I was a theatre major at BU and I must have owned every play ever written — and they all came from the Drama Book Shop. I haven’t been there in a long time. Wonderful memories! You were a wonderful part of my life. I’m so glad you are still there. See you soon! Carol Schneider

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March 10 - 16, 2016

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POLICE BLOTTER GRAND LARCENY AUTO: Septuagenarian’s sedan stolen When a 77-year-old man left his red 2003 Nissan Altima parked outside of his W. 25th St. residence on Fri., Mar. 4, and went inside to watch TV for a few hours, he had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary would happen to the sturdy, steadfast sedan. But at 10:40 p.m., upon returning to where the vehicle was parked, he discovered it was gone without a trace. A canvas was conducted to negative results, and no indicators of theft (such as broken glass) were found at the scene.

GRAND LARCENY: Gucci grabbed at Gilded Lily One criminal was presented with a genuinely golden opportunity at the Gilded Lily (408 W. 15th St., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.) on Sun., Mar. 6, when a preoccupied patron failed to keep a close eye on her purse. The victim, a 34-yearold woman, arrived at the club with her friends at around 1 a.m., and placed her purse under a table next to the DJ booth in the downstairs area of the club. She told police that she left the purse unattended throughout the night while “drinking with friends,” in order to use the bathroom and “avoid multiple bar fights.” At 3:30 a.m., upon returning to the place where she stashed her stuff, the $1,100 Gucci purse was gone — along with the victim’s $500 iPhone 6, $100 cash, and various ID and credit cards.

CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE: Dopey Driver Lawbreakers (the smart ones, at least) do all they can to lay low and avoid trouble — but one dangerous driver did quite a lot to draw attention to himself on Fri., Mar. 4. At around 2:45 a.m., the conspicuous criminal made an

unsafe U-turn across a set of double yellow lines, attracting the attention of an observant officer, who also noticed the vehicle had a broken brake light. When the officer stopped the vehicle on the 300 block of W. 14th St., he discovered that the 27-year-old Queens resident had a suspended license, an outstanding warrant, and was in possession of “alleged cocaine.” Unsurprisingly, the individual was promptly arrested.

GRAND LARCENY: Scammer’s staggering shopping spree A thief at PH-D Lounge (355 W. 16th St., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.) didn’t need doctorate-level intellect to execute an effective criminal plan. At about midnight on Sun., Mar. 6, a 23-year-old woman placed her purse down next to her at the rooftop lounge of the Dream Hotel, and later (at about 2 a.m.) noticed that someone had taken the $450 Rag & Bone wallet from her purse, along with its contents — which included a number of gift cards valued at $350, and $100 cash. To further compound problems, within hours, the thief had racked up charges in excess of $26,625 on her credit cards.

GRAND LARCENY: Brit in a bind, with handbag held hostage While most would revel in the chance to go the Good Samaritan route, one couple of crooks rejected the opportunity by demanding a hefty ransom from an unfortunate tourist. The victim, a woman visiting from London, told police she lost her $200 bag while riding on the subway on Sun., Mar. 6. Soon thereafter, she received an email from a party claiming to have found her bag, whose contents included her passport and a $1,400 MacBook Air. The email went on to request $600 in

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exchange for the property. Meeting at the northwest corner of Eighth Ave. and W. 14th St. at around 8:30 p.m., the woman provided her cash for the bag — while an officer on hand bore witness to the troubling transaction, and arrested the 28-year-old man and 29-year-old woman responsible for the exchange.

—SEAN EGAN

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

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

THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: David Ehrenberg. Call212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212-4773863. Youth Officer: 212-4777411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the 13th Precinct. The next meeting is Mar. 15.

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Finding Context in Cruising: Millennials and Dating Apps BY GRANT ROTH I have been on SCRUFF for a little over a year now. In this period, I have met not only guys to hook up with, but also good friends and confidants. The dating app was where I first learned about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP; a daily pill that has proven effective in protecting HIV-negative individuals from acquiring the disease). SCRUFF has also enabled me to chat with guys all across the world about common interests, HIV/AIDS advocacy, and LGBTQ history. I am a member of the Millennial generation. For us, finding information via the Internet, and by chatting with other gay men, is the norm. Of course, things have not always been this way. My older friends talk about how they found out information about HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ history and culture from their friends, the news media, and their own personal experiences. When they were my age (20), they did not have the same interconnectedness that I have always known. This piqued my interest when I started looking through profiles of SCRUFF. I noticed a stark difference in how Millennials portrayed themselves, compared to the “AIDS Generation” — a term coined by my mentor, Dr. Perry N. Halkitis, to describe the men who came of age during the AIDS crisis (today, these men are in their 50s or older). I wondered how the context from which these two generations of men came influences their online presence. I could have looked at income, upbringing, hometown, and family dynamics — but this would have involved speaking with many individuals. Instead, I decided to look at characteristics I would be able to glean from a profile without having to do too much digging: age, location, and HIV status. I saw all of these as a crucial part of a SCRUFF user’s identity (on and off of the application), as well as a good way to organize the profiles I came across. What I found was interesting. For the most part, men of the AIDS Generation tended to be more explicit in terms of sexual preference (e.g., top, bottom, versatile), as well as communicating what they looked for in a partner. They also tended to use more straightforward language, curse words, etc. Millennials, on the other hand, tended to mention sexual preferences less, and put more information about who they are — likes and dislikes, their jobs, etc. In terms of HIV status, those from the AIDS Generation who were pos-

March 10 - 16, 2016

scruff.com

How do you quickly distinguish Millennials from other generations? Look at their dating app profiles.

itive tended to mention they were undetectable, while those of my generation were less likely to do so. For the negative (or non-disclosed) members of both generational groups, they did not mention being on PrEP nearly as much as I would have expected, and there was even some PrEP-shaming on a few of the profiles. Besides seeing how SCRUFF and other geosocial dating apps can be a powerful tools for educating others about PrEP and TasP (Treatment as Prevention; the use of antiretroviral treatment, or ART, to bring the amount of HIV in the blood to undetectable, i.e. almost nontransferable levels), what I suspected regarding context was correct: C. Wright Mills, a pioneering sociologist, coined the term the “sociological imagination,” or the intersection of an individual’s biography with society’s history. This intersection can help us to understand why an individual might act a certain way, given the context in which they grew up and came of age. Thus, the context in which the AIDS Generation grew up in was, of course, the AIDS crisis. Sex had to be on the down low because of the intense stigma associated with gay sex. Men had to be direct and to-the-point about if they were looking for a top or bottom, and any other sexual preferences. This contrasts significantly with the young men of my generation, who have grown up knowing that HIV is a per-

fectly manageable disease. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART, a combination of at least three drugs that suppress HIV replication) was introduced the year after I was born, and, for some Millennials, a couple of years before they were born. Managing to live with HIV has always been a reality — we have never known it as the death sentence it once was. This, I believe, has led to a great deal of complacency and, in some instances, apathy regarding HIV. You contract it? Okay, just take a pill every day and you will be fine. Therefore, sex, although “taboo” because it is between members of the same sex, has never been fueled with the additional stigma of AIDS that the members of the AIDS Generation felt. Sex, dating, and other romantic activities and interests have become normalized now that, 35 years later, HIV has thankfully become as manageable as it is. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised by what I found after looking at profiles on SCRUFF. The disparity in how the two groups of men presented themselves on social media mirrored their own sociological imaginations. The next question I looked at was a very simple one: So what? Why does this difference matter? My answer is rather anecdotal, but I believe other members of the gay community would agree. As aforementioned, there has been a lot of complacency and apathy regarding HIV in my generation. The

stories of loss, survival, and resilience that members of the AIDS Generation lived are not at the forefront of our minds anymore, as sad as that may be. Conversely, my generation is the future of the LGBTQ community. Its advances, its setbacks, its challenges — these are all things that now rest on us. Intergenerational dialogue is not only necessary, but also crucial as to not allow anything like the AIDS crisis to ever happen again, and to involve all members in the new fronts of the fight for equality in the post-marriage age. PrEP access is still vastly unequal, the murder rates of transgender women (especially trans women of color) are startling, and ageism still runs rampant in our community. There is much work to be done. SCRUFF, Grindr, and other geosocial dating applications are very powerful tools to help with these advances. These apps are where I have met members of the AIDS Generation — men whom I have since socialized with and learned so much from (and I would like to believe that they, in turn, learned something from me). We cannot rely on others for education and history lessons about our community. We must be the ones doing the educating ourselves.

Grant Roth is a student at New York University, concentrating in Media, Culture, and Communication. .com

.com

March 10 - 16, 2016

obituary

Robert Dahdah, 89, Early Off-Off Broadway Writer/Director

Robert Dahdah directed plays at Caffe Cino, and, in doing so, helped create what came to be known as Off-Off Broadway.

BY MAGIE DOMINIC Robert (Bob) Dahdah, a prolific writer and director who was a major contributor to the creation of Off-Off Broadway theater in the 1960s, and continued writing and directing for more than 50 years, died Feb. 6 at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, where he was under hospice care. He was 89. Dahdah was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Mar. 8, 1926, to Lebanese parents. The family moved to New York City when he was a child and lived in Washington Heights. By the early 1960s, Dahdah was writing and directing plays in New York City. In 1966, he directed what would become an iconic Off-Off Broadway work, starring a very young Bernadette Peters in her

first New York musical: “Dames at Sea.” “Dames at Sea” was first presented at the Caffe Cino on Cornelia St. A tiny cafe theater operated by Joe Cino, the Caffe Cino is considered the birthplace of Off-Off Broadway and lasted from 1958 to 1968. Dahdah wrote, directed, and starred in several productions there. “Dames at Sea” was about 40 minutes long and was a takeoff on everything pure and innocent. It ran for three months to overpacked houses (the room was officially full when two people were seated on top of the cigarette machine). It was the longest running show in Caffe Cino’s history and probably the longest running show in the history of Off-Off Broadway at that time. “He was a terrific director and basically got the show on at the Cino and imbued it with love that transported over the little postage-sized stage right into the audience’s hearts,” Peters told Broadway.com regarding Dahdah’s production of “Dames at Sea.” Earlier, in a July 15, 2006 interview for Legends of Broadway, Peters said, “My first summer away from home, I did summer stock in Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, and I met a choreographer there who worked at the Caffe Cino. When I got back to the city, he called me and said, ‘We’re doing this show at the Caffe Cino, and I think there’s a role you’d be right for. Will you come in?’ I remember thinking that I had to find the Caffe Cino. Because it was on Cornelia St., which is one block long, and I had to find that. When I got there, Helen Hanft was on the stage doing [Tom Eyen’s play] ‘Why Hanna’s Skirt Won’t Stay Down’ for her relatives who were in town that afternoon. That’s where I met the director, Bob Dahdah, and everybody else. I don’t remember if I sang — I must have. Anyway, I took on the role, and I had the best time in my whole life. The audience was so great I couldn’t wait to change and get back onstage to say my lines.” The following year, Dahdah collaborated with the writer and actress Mary Boylan, with whom he

frequently collaborated, and together they wrote the book and score for the musical “Curley McDimple,” a spoof of Shirley Temple movies. Dahdah also directed the production. “Curley McDimple” was produced Off-Broadway in 1967, with Peters again starring in the production. It ran for more than 900 performances. Dahdah directed plays by several New York playwrights, including early works by Lanford Wilson, Robert Patrick and Robert Heide. “I was very close to Robert Dahdah,” Heide said. “He directed my play ‘The Bed,’ which was a big thing at Caffe Cino. That was a year before he discovered Bernadette Peters. “He lived in Hell’s Kitchen, but he was always down here,” Heide said of Dahdah. “He worked at La MaMa. He was ‘Mr. Off-Broadway.’ ” Magie Dominic, a writer who was part of the 1960s Off-Broadway theater scene [and who authored this obituary] said, “I have many personal memories of my friend Bob Dahdah. But my most cherished memory is that he was forever a courteous and supportive friend, and an honorable and true gentleman in a business where those traits are not always a given.” Similar to Heide, Dominic noted, “Bob’s apartment was on 46th Street, but he spent his every waking hour on Cornelia Street, or at La MaMa or Theater for the New City.” In addition to writing and directing, Dahdah was also an actor and appeared in small roles in a number of major films, including “The Godfather” and “Three Days of the Condor.” Dahdah was a World War II veteran. He is survived by a nephew, Robert Dahdah, a niece, Rea McKay, and an extended family of friends. He was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret, and two brothers, Raymond and William. An April tribute is being planned in New York City. Details will be announced at a later date.

The Future of GMHC Continued from page 4 virally suppressed,” Louie said. Getting into the healthcare business would likely be pricey and the market in New York City is consolidating, with providers growing larger. GMHC, with an annual budget of $27 million, is small, but it is a recognizable brand with access to a population — gay and bisexual men — that few other institutions have. The agency performs

March 10 - 16, 2016

roughly 3,000 HIV tests every year, and about 2% of those tested are previously unidentified HIV-positive individuals. That means GMHC is testing the right people. GMHC could grow bigger or it could merge with another provider, which might be controversial. As evidenced by the 30,000 people who joined GMHC’s annual fundraiser, AIDS Walk, last year, the agency enjoys a loyal following, and those

people may object to the brand being changed. Louie said there were currently “no serious conversations” about a merger. A more immediate goal is getting the Plan to End AIDS funded. In the current fiscal year, the Cuomo administration has spent just $10 million on the plan. Charles King, the chief executive of Housing Works, an AIDS group, said last year that $104 million would be a “dream number.” For the state fiscal year that begins

on Apr. 1, the Cuomo administration at first seemed to say that it would spend $200 million, but when Governor Andrew Cuomo released the proposed budget that commitment was for $40 million a year for the next five years. The plan’s “ambitious goal” can be met “with the proper funding,” Louie said. “I think $104 million could be right,” he said. “I think $200 million sounds better. I think $40 million isn’t enough… More money needs to come upfront now.” .com

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THIS WEEKEND!

March 10 - 16, 2016

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CB4 Wants Audit of DOB Activities Continued from page 6 increased protection of these, three buildings in CB4’s Special District were given permits for construction or demolition,” resulting in the loss of 48 apartments this month alone, said Drew Lombardi, from the Borough President’s office. “We have been meeting with DOB to address this issue at large, and are waiting to hear back on that. Gale Brewer founded a construction safety group last fall, which has met four times, featuring experts, elected officials and more, discussing policy recommendations and reforms.” Lombardi said they must sit down again with DOB and get in front of these issues, noting they had met with Commissioner Rick Chandler several times in the past few months, with attention given to these inconsistencies. “Is the problem with DOB one of volume or competency — or worse?” asked former CB4 Chair and current board member Christine Berthet. “We don’t know where to turn to get an audit of their activities. And why do we have these people who are supposed to be professionals not doing their jobs? It’s having a major impact on our community and on individuals who are losing their apartments.” Furthered member Betty Mackintosh, “On a parallel effort, there is increasingly a clear need for tenant education so that people in these buildings are aware ahead of time that they have rights, that landlords can’t harass them by turning off their utilities, or intimidate them into leaving.” Brewer’s office currently hosts weekly Tenant Rights Clinics, in conjunction with Housing Conservation Coordinators. Call 212-531-1609 for more info.

REPORTS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS Although no elected officials attended the meeting, representatives shared their news. Jeffrey LaFrancois from US Congressman Jerrold Nadler’s office urged people to bring their old electronics, batteries, cell phones, and computers to a free E-Waste Recycling Event, from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on Fri., Mar. 18, at the corner of W. 14th St. & Eighth Ave. Congressman Jerrold Nadler has been busy tackling the government’s attempts to undermine encryption software on phones. Said Special Assistant Robert .com

Atterbury, “The congressman is concerned about their attempt to do an end-run around this, forcing back doors on companies.” Nadler has also worked to counter “the Republicans’ moral arrogance in insisting women are not informed and can’t make their own choices” around family planning issues, in several cases currently making their way through the courts. State Senator Brad Hoylman’s office helped secure a $32.5M budget funding Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. They are also working to increase funding for homeless and runaway youth, for which NYS budget currently earmarks only .003%. In addition, they believe the Hudson River Park Trust was bilked out of significant budgeting. They are working to increase funding from $800,000 to $3.5M. Finally, they are seeking to honor civic-minded women in their Women of Distinction project. New York State Assemblymember Dick Gottfried’s office expressed concerns about the FY17 budget, to be submitted on Fri., Apr. 1. Notably, the proposal that shifts responsibility for Medicaid costs from the state to the city, and could add a $656M burden to the city over the next few years. A similar proposal could shift responsibility for a third of CUNY’s budget to New York City. Gottfried is also seeking an increase in funding of $1.8B to the MTA, and proposals from the state on how the MTA can generate mechanisms to create new revenue. Gottfried’s office also noted that multiple locations are available throughout the city for residents to get free tax return preparation. State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal’s office urged for $30M in additional funds for their OASAS drug and alcohol program. Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office noted that cty spending on homeless services increased 46% since 2014, reaching $1.7B. A recent audit showed that more than 1,100 vacant city-owned lots could be used to build affordable housing, although none are in CB4’s area of coverage. A report by NYC’s land bank estimates that 57,000 units of affordable housing could come out of this. Matt Green, representing City Councilmember Corey Johnson, reminded residents that anyone over 14 years old who attends the Community Project Expo can help determine what propos-

During the public comment section of Mar. 2’s CB4 full board meeting, dancer/actor David Terry spoke in favor of Variety Worldwide’s quest for a new venue on W. 57th St.

“We have been working diligently for several months to create something worthwhile,” said producer Jennie Willinik of Variety Worldwide’s effort to establish a presence on the outskirts of Hell’s Kitchen.

als will be on the ballot for this year’s Participatory Budgeting process. The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Tues., Mar. 22, at PS340 (590 Sixth Ave., at W. 17th St.).

The next CB4 meeting will be held on Wed., Apr. 6, 6:30 p.m., at Fulton Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave., btw. W. 17th & W. 18th Sts.). Visit nyc.gov/mcb4.

Photos by Winnie McCroy

March 10 - 16, 2016

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March 10 - 16, 2016

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Photo by Yannic Rack

New benefits are helping LaPrade, and keeping him from the pawn shop — a good thing, given the soft buyer’s market for Italian porcelain.

Benefit Awareness and Acquisition Eludes Older Vets Continued from page 5 security. In addition to other aid Groncki was able to secure, including food stamps and a reduction on his electric bill, LaPrade has been able to continue living at his home. “If we couldn’t have found that $1,100 in his veterans pension, we wouldn’t be sitting down here today,” Groncki said. “I don’t know where he’d be. I know enough about caring for the aged [by caring for my own family] to know it’s less expensive to help someone survive at home than it is in ‘a home,’ and we really wanted to keep him here.” But what really surprised LaPrade and his de-facto benefactor, Groncki, was that they’d already been to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and nobody had ever mentioned anything about a wartime veterans assistance program.

“The VA don’t know anything about the other social benefits,” he said. “And that is a problem.” According to Falcon, the problem is especially acute among older veterans. “I’m seeing a split right now, so anyone from World War II, Korea, or Vietnam are somewhat oblivious to this,” said Falcon. “We’re finding that they’re just kind of oblivious that these benefits exist and of the process for acquiring them.” Thanks to Falcon, and his acute understanding of the benefits afforded to veterans such as LaPrade, the indisposed counterintelligence officer can spend his final years in the relative comfort of his own home. And, certainly, without his help, LaPrade and his neighbor would have had to fall back on a Plan B of dubious value: selling the Italian porcelain. “There may be gems in here, but the taste for Italian porcelain is not current,” said Groncki. “I don’t think we could have gotten very much.”

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CENTER PIECES Edible Arrangements 133-22 Springfield Blvd. 718-528-3344 158-18 Cross Bay Blvd. 718-848-3344 1357 Fulton St. 718-622-3344 1557 Ralph Ave. 718-451-3344 www.ediblearrangements.com/ stores/StoreLocator.aspx

CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts* Our Pocono Wedding Packages provide the perfect intimate celebration for 2, with as little or as much privacy and intimacy and as your hearts’ desire. Beside the backdrop of the beautiful Pocono Mountains, or from a candlelit indoor ceremony, a Wedding Concierge can help you plan a special day that’s uniquely customized for you in every way. Discover all the ways you can create a Wedding to remember. 800-972-3820 CoveHaven.com/Pride Edison Ballroom Delivering Happiness One Event at a Time. 240 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036 212.201.7650 info@edisonballroom.com Entertainment Cruises* Emilie Hagon • Wedding Specialist 646-358-3117 • ehagon@entertainmentcruises.com Erin Trinidad • Wedding Specialist 646-358-3116 • etrinidad@entertainmentcruises.com Grand Oaks Country Club Grand Oaks goes above and beyond when it comes to setting the standard for superiority in the industry. Award-winning chefs are dedicated to provide customized menus for the most selective tastes. 200 Huguenot Avenue, Staten Island. NY. 10312 718-356-2771 grandoaksnyc.com Highlands Country Club 955 Route 9D, Garrison, NY 10524 845-424-3254 The Highlands Country Club offers a unique blend of romance and elegance in a country setting, just one hour north of New York City. Established in 1898, the Highlands Country Club includes a grand ballroom and several indoor and outdoor spaces that blend old world elegance with the verdant surrounding landscape to accommodate up to 150 guests.

The Hotel Andrew 75 North Station Plaza, Great Neck, NY 516-482-2900 www.andrewhotel.com Leave the details in accommodat-

March 10 - 16, 2016

ing your friends and family the the professionals at The Andrew, Great Neck’s Boutique Hotel, where chic sophistication meets the timeless essence of Long Island’s Gold Coast.

La Marina 212-567-6300 La Marina, located in upper Manhattan, offers a variety of indoor and outdoor event spaces for parties of 50 -1,500, right on the shore of the Hudson River. Step into our extraordinary venue where the food, the scene and the music share a stage; where the George Washington Bridge consumes the panorama; Boasting unbeatable views and large open spaces, both indoors & outdoors La Marina can be your dream wedding. Landmark Venues 866.683.3586 LandmarkVenues.com Landmark Destination Weddings, Crave Caterers, The Boathouse At Mercer Lake, Stone House at Sterling Ridge, The Ryland Whitehouse Station, Celebrate At Sung Harbor, Hotel Du Village, Liberty House Restaurant & Catering For over 25 years, we have been celebrating beautiful weddings at our venues across News York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Marble Collegiate Church* Weddings at Marble Collegiate Church, renowned for our inclusiveness and diversity, we have many unique spaces to offer, from our elegant Sanctuary, to more intimate sacred venues. At Marble, your Wedding can be spiritual, beautiful and memorable. It’s a celebration of love. That’s what Marble Collegiate is all about. 1 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001 212-686-2770 www.MarbleChurch.org Plaza Athenee 37 East 64th Street at Madison Ave, New York 212-644-0202 plaza-athenee.com Le Trianon, our ceremony space is elegantly appointed in natural earth tones with ten windows overlooking the townhouses of East 64th Street. For your wedding reception, the venue’s dazzling, gold-domed Arabelle restaurant provides one of the most unique settings in Manhattan with its blend of murano glass and brass chandeliers, chiffon colored walls and murals of Asian pagodas. Russo’s on the Bay 162-45 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach, NY, 718-843-5055 russosonthebay.com Exemplary service and exquisite cuisine combined with professional attention to detail was the best way to achieve customer satisfaction. Sirico’s Caterers Sirico’s is a tasteful event planning and catering hall in Brooklyn, maintaining a beautiful facilities with top-notch event services. With three event halls accomodating 300 guests. They pride themselves on elegant wedding receptions and private events that are second to none. In The Heart Of Dyker Heights 8015/23 13th Avenue Bklyn, NY 11228 718-331-29008–331–2900 www.siricoscaterers.net Soleil Caterers 212-316-5000 Your wedding day is one of the most memorable days of your life and we at Soleil Caterers would love to be a part of it. No matter what your theme or food preferences are, we

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

“Rabari Tribal Elder, Rajasthan, 2010.”

Steve McCurry Sees India, in Spectacular Color Rubin Museum’s retrospective is an epic eye-opener BY NORMAN BORDEN Yes, “Steve McCurry: India” is a spectacular exhibition — but then again, Steve McCurry is a spectacular photographer. Best known for his iconic “Afghan Girl” image, which appeared on the cover of June 1985’s National Geographic, McCurry’s first exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) is an eye-opening retrospective of work from his more than 80 visits to the Indian subcontinent during the period of 1982–2014. The show, which includes other .com

iconic images as well as photographs never seen before by the public, coincides with the publication of McCurry’s new book, “India.” It’s also the museum’s first partnership with the International Center of Photography. McCurry says that the publication of “Afghan Girl” changed his life — but in my opinion, some of the photographs in this show are just as memorable, including some from two of his previous books, “Monsoon” and “India by Rail.”

When McCurry visited India for the first time in 1978, he had only planned to stay about six weeks, but ended up wandering around the subcontinent for two years. He said he had no comprehension of India “until I stepped off the plane. I wasn’t prepared for the feeling of magnificence that it evoked. It felt both chaotic and connected.” McCurry has kept returning over the years to a country that retains the capacity to “delight, charm and horrify” him. Many of the 37 photographs on

view at the RMA show why. His memorable images of crowded, chaotic cities, primitive rural areas, ancient prayer ceremonies and huge religious festivals, and intimate portraits of ordinary people looking directly at his camera, capture India’s unique charms and beauty as well as its economic and cultural extremes that both fascinate and infuriate. Explaining why he’s attracted to India, he says, “There is such an

Continued on page 20 March 10 - 16, 2016

The Indian Subcontinent, Supersaturated by McCurry

“Boy in Mid-flight, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 2007.”

“Tailor Carries His Sewing Machine through Monsoon Waters, Porbandar, Gujarat, 1983.”

Continued from page 19

extreme range of class: rich and poor, old and new, sacred and secular… There are Hindus and Muslims, Sikhs and Jains, Christians and Buddhists all living amongst one another.” Before his first trip to India, McCurry had always used black and white film. Realizing his India pictures should be in color, he brought along 300 rolls of Kodachrome. “Color is integral to the story of the Buddhist monasteries, the Hindu temples, and the Festival of Holi,” says McCurry, who seems both pleased with and committed to his transition to color. “That’s the world we live in…color makes the picture more important,” he notes. In 2010, Eastman Kodak recognized his superb use of color by asking him to shoot the very last roll (36 exposures) of Kodachrome they would ever manufacture. He

March 10 - 16, 2016

chose to shoot about 24 images in India; the spectacular 40 x 60 inch print “Rabari Tribal Elder, Rajasthan, 2010,” with its subject’s intense stare and McCurry’s supersaturated color, is a testament to both the photographer’s talent and the film. The importance of color in India is also beautifully illustrated by “Boy in Mid-flight, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 2007,” one of my favorites in the show. McCurry explains: “I’d been in Jodhpur many times, and I know the back streets well. There were always cows, people on bicycles, and workers in that narrow alley. I took a number of pictures, but I’m glad I waited for the moment the boy practically flew through the passageway.” In my view, I thought capturing the boy in mid-air at the end of the alley was fantastic, but framing it with the deep blue back wall, red painted hands and orange wall makes it a masterpiece. The picture’s impact is magnified by the large format print

“Dust Storm, Rajasthan, 1983.”

–– 40 x 60 inches. This image supports the artist’s belief that a still photograph “is something which you can always go back to. You can put it on your wall and look at it again and again because it is that frozen moment. I think it tends to burn into your psyche. It becomes ingrained in your mind. A powerful picture becomes iconic of a place or a time or a situation.” Well, this is certainly one of them. In 1983, McCurry returned to India to photograph a series for National Geographic about the monsoon, a season of heavy rainstorms that is synonymous with life, passion, and celebration. On view is “Dust Storm, Rajasthan, 1983,” an iconic image that also graces the cover of “India.” The picture has a mystical quality; the trees and cloud of dust contrast with the bright red saris the women are using to shield themselves from the dust clouds and wind. McCurry says, “I stopped and tried to

make pictures, but they didn’t even notice me, they sang and prayed. Life and death seemed to hang in precarious balance.” While shooting the “Monsoon” series, the photographer saw a tailor walking down the street carrying his sewing machine on his shoulder with water up to his neck. The machine was ruined — but when “Tailor Carries His Sewing Machine through Monsoon Waters, Porbandar, Gujarat, 1983” appeared on the cover of National Geographic, the manufacturer sent the tailor a new machine. In his decades-long search for “unguarded moments, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face,” McCurry has given us an incomparable look at the India that is on the cusp between modernity and ancient tradition: the well-dressed customer waiting for his shoes at the cobbler’s shop; a mother and child at a car window; a father and daughter on Dal Lake; a man covered with green powder carried by a crowd during the Holi Festival; huge crowds gathering for the Kimbh Mela Festival; Buddhist monks debating. Steve McCurry has seen it all. Now, through his eyes, you can too. “Steve McCurry: India” is on view through Mon., Apr. 4, at the Rubin Museum of Art (150 W. 17th St., btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.). Viewable with admission to the museum, Mon. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Wed. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Thurs. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Admission is $15, $10 for seniors/students, and free for children under 12 (or after 6 p.m. on Fri.). Visit rubinmuseum.org or call 212-620-5000 for more info. For artist info, visit stevemccurry.com. .com

Just Do Art

Photo courtesy Dixon Place

Photo by Nathan Hull

L–R: Cynthia Kaplan, Pat Candaras and Kathryn Rossetter are frequent guests of host Nancy Giles, at “The Mosquito” — a free monthly variety show at Dixon Place.

The Roman general Severo (Robert Garner) attempts to woo Paolina (Sara Beth Pearson), in Amore Opera’s production of “Poliuto” — through Mar. 20 at The Sheen Center.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

“THE MOSQUITO” AT DIXON PLACE A familiar face on the nighttime tube (“China Beach,” “Law & Order”) and, more recently, as a cultural commentator on “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Nancy Giles excels at dishing out droll observations whose spice and bite don’t come with the unpleasant aftertaste left by cynicism. The woman knows how to pick her battles, and how to shape her material — qualities that come in handy when Giles is booking talent for “The Mosquito,” a monthly showcase at Dixon Place that conjures visions of an insect whose bite has lasting consequences, while making a cheeky reference to “The Moth,” that 800-pound gorilla of the storytelling circuit. Variety is what sets Giles’ showcase apart, with the host performing alongside a rotating cast of regulars (Pat Candaras, Cynthia Kaplan, Peri Gaffney, Kathryn Rossetter, Sheila Head, Susan Burns, Sue Giles, Nancy Shayne) offering monologues, stand-up, and music. Free. Mon., Mar. 14, 7:30 p.m. in the cozy front lounge space at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie St., btw. Rivington & Delancey Sts.). Visit dixonplace.org or call 212-2190736. Giles on Twitter: @nancygilesnyc. .com

AMORE OPERA PRESENTS DONIZETTI’S “POLIUTO” AND “THE ELIXIR OF LOVE” Amore Opera continues its seventh season of presenting classic and overlooked operas, at prices well within the grasp of youth and senior members of the community. Directed by Nathan Hull and performed by multiple casts, this double bill of works by Gaetano Donizetti marks the first time “Poliuto” has been presented — in a full production, with full staging — in the United States, since 1859. The two-act tragic tale, based on Pierre Corneille’s 17th century play “Polyeucte,” dramatizes the life of Christian martyr Saint Polyeuctus. “The Elixir of Love,” aka Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore,” is based on the French comedy “Le Philtre” by Eugène Scribe, in which a con man convinces a poor peasant that the beautiful but indifferent object of his affection will come around, thanks to a magic potion (available for purchase, of course). Both productions, sung in Italian with English subtitles, have Italian conductor Daniele Tirilli holding the baton. In May, Amore Opera presents Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” as well a version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta “Iolanthe,” cast entirely with children. Fri., Mar. 11 through Sun., Mar. 20, at The Sheen Center (18 Bleecker

Photo by Michael Stever

Immersive and uninhibited: Faux-Real Theatre’s bawdy “The Bacchae” gives La MaMa some serious Greek, through Mar. 20.

St., at Elizabeth St.). For the schedule of performances and tickets ($45 general, $35 for seniors, students, children), visit sheencenter.org or call 212-925-2812. Artist info at amoreopera.org.

FAUX-REAL THEATRE’S “THE BACCHAE” Greek theatre performed with “immersive abandon that closely approximates how these plays were first experienced” is the specialty of New York’s avant-garde Faux-Real Theatre — whose interpretation of Euripides’ 5th century tragedy casts

its Greek chorus as a girl group, Dionysus as a “gender-bending and mercurial party god,” and its communal party as an uninhibited realm where nobody bats an eyelash at the sight of a titillating costume malfunction or a drunken goat dance. Through Sun., Mar. 20: Thurs., Fri., Sat. at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m., at La MaMa (First Floor Theatre; 74A E. Fourth St., btw. Bowery & Second Ave.). For tickets ($18 general, $13 for students/seniors), visit lamama.org or call 646-430-5374. Artist info at fauxreal.org. March 10 - 16, 2016

March 10 - 16, 2016

.com

Rhymes With Crazy

Cartoonist Charts Birth Control in Brownsville BY LENORE SKENAZY One hundred years ago in Brownsville, Brooklyn, our modern era began. In a squat building that no longer exists, a pretty and soft-spoken mom named Margaret opened an office where women could get something they’d never been allowed to obtain before. Birth control. The place wasn’t called Planned Parenthood in 1916. “It didn’t really have a name,” says Sabrina Jones, author of an upcoming graphic novel, “Our Lady of Birth Control: A Cartoonist’s Encounter with Margaret Sanger.” Back then, the idea of preventing unwanted pregnancies was so new and controversial, even Sanger herself didn’t expect to provide family planning to anyone other than…families. At the time, Brownsville’s population was predominantly Eastern European and Italian, so Sanger made her flyers in Italian, Yiddish, and English. “She assumed the clients would be mothers married with lots of children. Publicly, she never offered birth control to unmarried people — that was too far,” says Jones. Sanger didn’t even seem like a revolutionary. Delicate and poised, she had three children of her own and had, for a while, been living a quiet suburban life up in Hastings. Her husband, a draftsman, worked for the architect Sanford White. He’d urged young Margaret Byrne to marry him while she was still in nursing school, because he was afraid that she’d fall in love with a doctor. Sanger complied, but soon grew restless. As Jones put it, “She wanted a wider world.” Wilder, too. So in 1911 she moved to the Village and was soon mingling (and more) with the socialists and revolutionaries she met. Her new .com

comrade, Emma Goldman, was probably the person who introduced her to birth control, and did so with an economic argument: Why is it that poor people, who can’t afford more children, always have more of them, while the upper classes don’t? The wealthy had something the poor did not, and that something was contraception. Back then, family planning was still dicey and pricey. “Condoms were very expensive,” says Jones. They were made out of sheep gut. “People washed them and reused them.” Poor women rarely even knew about these. For them, the only birth control was abortion. Sanger worked as a nurse in the slums, where desperate women begged her to tell them the secret: How could they avoid having kids they couldn’t feed, or the abortions they despised? Legally, she wasn’t allowed to tell them. Nobody was. Discussing birth control was against the law, as was dispensing it. When she finally decided to open her clinic, it was “an act of civil disobedience,” Jones says. Sanger went a step further and actually alerted the district attorney to her deed, because she wanted to go to court and get those laws thrown out. The road to that goal was fraught with protest, prison, and a nearly lethal hunger strike on the part of Sanger’s sister. But in the end, the law cracked, and finally doctors were legally allowed to tell their clients about condoms. Jones’ graphic novel tells that whole story along with the reason she felt compelled to write it. She woke up one morning, turned on the radio, “and I heard the story of a young woman testifying before Congress about the need for contraceptive coverage in student health plans.” That woman, Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, was

immediately lambasted by Rush Limbaugh, who called her a slut and a prostitute. “She wants to be paid to have sex!” Limbaugh told his listeners. “She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception!” “I was horrified that in 2012 a woman could still be shamed for advocating birth control,” says Jones. “When I came of age, birth control was a done deal that had achieved near universal acceptance. All the battles were about abortion.” Realizing Sanger’s crusade was back in the crosshairs, Jones reached for her drawing board — literally. Creating “social justice comics” is her standard M.O. Her topics range from army recruitment wiles to Walt Whitman. My favorite is her book about mass incarceration — a graphic novel version of Marc Mauer’s “Race to Incarcerate,” which tells the story of how America came to imprison a bigger chunk of its population than any other country, including China and Iran. It is stunning in its clarity. Reading it feels like a punch in the gut. Graphic novels have a way of making problems present in a way that simple paragraphs (like these!) cannot. Margaret Sanger had her clinic, Jones has her paintbrush, but they share the same mission: freedom to live and to love. Lenore Skenazy is a keynote speaker who authored the book, and founded the blog, Free-Range Kids (freerangekids.com). March 10 - 16, 2016

Planned Service Changes

BDFM Mon to Fri Mar 7-11, Mar 14-18 10 PM to 5 AM No BDFM service at 6 Av stations: 14 St, 23 St, 34 St, 42 St, 47-50 Sts, and 57 St. D and F trains are rerouted to the 8 Av line. B and M service ends early in Manhattan. • Manhattan-bound service in Brooklyn and Queens ends at approximately 9:30 PM • Service in Manhattan is available until approximately 10 PM Stay Informed Call 511 and say “Current Service Status,” look for informational posters in stations, or visit mta.info – where you can access the latest Planned Service Changes information, use TripPlanner+, and sign up for free email and text alerts.

March 10 - 16, 2016

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