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The Paper of Record for East and West Villages, Lower East Side, Soho, Noho, Little Italy and Chinatown

March 31, 2016 • FREE Volume 5 • Number 29

2nd Ave. neighbors fear Chase demo damage BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

new tenant has not been found for the former Chase bank at 130 Second Ave. since the branch closed Nov. 13. Now, the two-story building, erected in 1952, might come down altogether. Owners of the site at the corner of St. Mark’s Place,

Icon Realty Management, filed permits for demolition on Feb. 19, and now residents at the adjacent 128 Second Ave., who have had long-term legal issues with the landlord, are worried that the razing of the former Chase branch might also lead to the condemnaDAMAGE continued on p. 14

Giuliani and G.O.P. going all out for Lester Chang BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

ernie Sanders isn’t the only one talking about a “political revolution.” A Republican first-time candidate, Lester Chang, thinks he has a shot at winning the special election next month for Lower Manhattan’s 65th Assembly District. And if he manages to pull it

off, he said, it would be nothing less than “a tsunami.” Chang, a businessman and Navy reservist, was born on Eldridge St. in Chinatown and has lived in Nolita more than 20 years. He also will be on the April 19 ballot on three other lines besides the G.O.P. CHANG continued on p. 20

PHOTO BY MILO HESS

There was no masking the fact that this guy took pride in his elaborate Easter getup at the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Ave. in Midtown on Sunday.

One year later: Rising from a tragedy’s ashes BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

o mark the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic gas explosion that killed two men and ignited a raging inferno that destroyed three East Village tenements, Councilmember Rosie Mendez and other local politicians and agency officials on Saturday held a “Day of Remembrance” press conference outside the tragic site. Reverend Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of Middle

Be a fool for April arts..................page 15 | May 14, 2014

Collegiate Church, gave the opening remarks and led the crowd in a moment of silence for the two victims, Moises Locón, 27, and Nicholas Figueroa, 23. In addition to individuals who were displaced after the calamity, also on hand were firefighters and other first responders — including Ladder Company 9, Engine Company 3 and local volunteer Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, team members — who rushed to the scene of the disaster one year ago.

“We can never forget the tragedies that were avoidable, and we vow to work to ensure that no one else has to suffer and endure what the families and our communities have,” Mendez said. Mendez said that many of the affected former tenants still remain homeless. “We hope they can find the place they need to continue on the path toward healing,” she said. In total, 30 families were displaced and six families EXPLOSION continued on p. 6

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POLE CAT: After last Saturday’s Day of Remembrance press conference for the Second Ave. explosion and its victims, we were admiring Jim Power’s new “fire pole” at the northwest corner of E. Seventh St. and Second Ave., at right, just outside the barren blast site. The base of the pole’s east side is inscribed with “Explosion” and “Great Fire.” Showing the “Mosaic Man” ’s craftsmanship and attention to detail is a small tile with a cat and the words “For a cat lover.” While many of the lost “catastrophe cats” were found after the explosion, a few of the felines are sadly still missing a year later. Power told us he was recently working on the pole when legendary singer Graham Nash and his girlfriend came walking by. Nash’s girlfriend admired it so much that before they left — telling Power to “carry on” — she gave him $100. SCHWARTZ FUNDRAISING: A rumor is going around that Village District Leader Arthur Schwartz is self-financing his upstart campaign against Assemblymember Deborah Glick. Not true, Schwartz told us. “I donated $20,000 to my campaign at the start,” he said. “I expect to raise the rest. I hope to raise $100,000. Jerry Delakas gave me $2,000!” he said, referring to the beloved Astor Place news vendor, who Schwartz championed, helping Delakas to retain his newsstand against the city’s efforts to shut him down. “The rumor is from someone who thinks I have piles of money lying around,” Schwartz said. “I had to reinvest most of the proceeds from the sale of my house to get out of a massive capital-gains tax bill. I still paid over $1 million. And I bought a new place to live without a mortgage, and did renovations — dug out the cellar, took off lead paint, put in a new boiler,

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March 31, 2016

Dennis Levy have been sending out online press releases. Niou recently blasted the city’s lifting of the deed restriction on the former AIDS residence on Rivington St. to allow it to be redeveloped as market-rate housing. Chang, among other things, has strongly called for keeping admissions tests for the city’s specialized high schools. Levy, in a press release this week, called for “another Moreland Commission to investigate New York’s multimillion-dollar medical marijuana program.” The commission, he said, would look at relationships between Albany politicians, lobbyists, medical marijuana company executives and New York’s Department of Health. “I believe the investigation will reveal the same type of corruption the Moreland Commission found in Albany,” pot-legalization advocate Levy said. “Pay to play is still the way business is conducted.” Honestly, we don’t think we’ve seen one press release from Cancel. “We are doing real grassroots [campaigning],” Quinn said. “I do what I can. Pedro [Cardi] handles literature and what he can. Monica [Guardiolia] does scheduling. My biggest job is to take care of Alice. She has tremendous support in the community. Also Rosie is a godsend,” he said of Councilmember Rosie Mendez, who has endorsed Cancel.

PHOTO BY SCOOPY

etc. Not much left. My investments will benefit my children.”

WEB OF INTRIGUE? It turns out that Alice Cancel does, in fact, have a Web site. The New York Post had reported that Cancel — the Democratic nominee in the April 19 special election to fill Shelly Silver’s former Assembly seat — did not have one. However, her husband and campaign manager, State Committeeman John Quinn, said the Web site went up about a month ago. “Yuh-Line’s people stole a couple of domain names,” he charged. “A friend of ours who is good at this set it up.” Quinn was referring to Yuh-Line Niou, who is also running in the special election under the Working Families Party line. In addition, responding to the rumblings that Cancel “has been in hiding,” Quinn said, she had to scale back her campaigning because she had a flareup of her type 1 diabetes. “She wasn’t eating,” he said. “She has to be careful what she eats.” Asked if Cancel could cope with the stress of being a state legislator, Quinn said, “Believe me, Alice can handle it!” As for why he was incommunicado himself for a while there, Quinn told us, “I was kind of under the weather myself.” Meanwhile, Niou, especially, Republican Lester Chang and Green candidate

A SIMPLE MISTAKE: Speaking of endorsements, Quinn recently found himself in hot water after the New York Observer reported that, in filling out an endorsement questionnaire from the 504 Democrats, whose members have physical disabilities, Quinn had listed a slew of politicians whom he claimed backed her candidacy, but who, in fact, have not weighed in on the race. Quinn wrote down that Cancel was being supported by Congressmembers Nydia Velazquez, Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, state Senator Daniel Squadron and Councilmember Margaret Chin, in addition to Mendez, under “key endorsements.” The Observer checked with all the pols, and it turned out only Mendez is actually publicly supporting Cancel. In his defense, Quinn said he simply misread the form and thought it was asking who Cancel supports. SPECIAL-ELECTION SPECIALS: In other Assembly special election scuttlebutt, we hear from a reliable local political source that the Working Families Party was actually set to give its ballot line to District Leader Paul Newell, but that at the last minute, Niou’s Assembly supporters “put the arm on” the party and swung it over to her. Newell is not running in the special election, but will be a candidate in the September open primary election. Also, Quinn said it’s true what people are saying — that Judy Rapfogel, Silver’s longtime chief of staff, was poised possibly to throw her support to Niou in the February County Committee vote, but that two hours before the vote, flipped to Cancel after it was determined Niou ultimately “didn’t have the votes” to win the nomination. That meant Rapfogel’s fellow Truman Democratic Club members, for the most part, followed suit and backed Cancel. Meanwhile, Quinn said Niou’s strategy of slamming Silver doesn’t jibe with the long-held position of her political patron, Virginia Kee, president emeritus of Chinatown’s United Democratic Organization. “They’re trying to brand Alice as the pick of Shelly,” Quinn said. “There is nobody that has been closer to Shelly than Virginia. Alice was out there speaking for SPURA,” he said, referring to the redevelopment of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, which Silver blocked for decades. “That’s ridiculous,” he said, “Shelly’s not picking anyone.” EastVillagerNews.com

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March 31, 2016

Named best weekly newspaper in New York State in 2001, 2004 and 2005 by New York Press Association Editorials, First Place, 2014 Overall Design Excellence, First Place, 2013 Best Column, First Place, 2012 Photographic Excellence, First Place, 2011 Spot News Coverage, First Place, 2010 Coverage of Environment, First Place, 2009

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March 31, 2016

Ackers pack ’em in at HOWL! BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

he third annual Acker Awards, honoring Downtown’s avant-garde artists and luminaries, did not disappoint at HOWL! Happening gallery last Thursday evening. Multi-format artist Phoebe Legere was the emcee. L.E.S. documentarian Clayton Patterson, the event’s co-founder, gave the intros of the many honorees, who included, among others, filmmaker Sara Driver, whose beau, Jim Jarmusch, was in the crowd. Accepting her award, Driver said she was glad to see the room filled with “people who color outside the lines.” Punk rock photographer Godlis thanked the late Hilly Kristal for giving him total freedom to document the music scene at C.B.G.B. Three Villager contributors were honored, including poet Puma Perl, photographer Q. Sakamaki and, belatedly, reporter Sarah Ferguson, who got an Acker last year, but was unable to make it then. Ferguson said radical attorney Stanley Cohen deserves an Acker. “He had our back on the Lower East Side for a long time — things that Clayton covered,” she told the crowd. “He was there to defend us. So, right on, Stanley.” Other honorees ranged from the likes of Chris Flash, publisher of The Shadow, and Yippie activist Alice Torbush to poet and Allen Ginsberg disciple Eliot Katz, Pyramid Club drag queen Brian “Hattie” Butterick, tattoo artist Nick Bubash and PUNK magazine’s John Holmstrom. Acker winner Zito this year helped add a new dimension by painting discarded coffee cups with portraits of greats who were recognized with Posthumous Acker Awards. These included a full roster of such legends as Vali Myers, John Evans, Dean Johnson, Mars Bar owner Hank Penza, Jack Smith, Hilly Kristal, Bill Rice, Allen Ginsberg, attorney Flo Kennedy (who defended Patterson in some of his cases against the police), Bimbo Rivas, Taylor Mead, Joey and Dee Dee Ramone, “major pot dealer” and gambling-chip manufacturer Linda Twigg, Holly Woodlawn and Quentin Crisp — plus comedian Rockets Redglare, who got a particularly warm round of applause. Dr. Dave Ores, also an Acker winner, praised Patterson to the crowd, saying, “Thank you, Clayton. Clayton is our greatest inspiration,” getting a big round of applause. Writer Alan Kaufman, a co-creator of the Ackers, related the awards’ origins. PEN America was looking to give an award to an editor, and Kaufman and Patterson thought to

PHOTOS BY CLAYTON PATTERSON

Phoebe Legere hit all the right notes as the emcee of the Acker Awards.

nominate Jim Feast of Unbearables fame. “Then we thought, why not just give him an award ourselves?” Kaufman recalled, and so the Ackers were born. Of course, there were a few critics taking pokes at the affair. Little Italy artist Sante Scardillo quipped, “This is like an ’80s high school reunion — the ’80s was the high school.” Another activist charged that the event lacked diversity. “I think they should call it the ‘Cracker Awards,’ ” he joked. But the sense of community and pride amid the close-knit Downtown arts crowd was strong, and the event is steadily building more prestige each year. As one honoree said, “I’d rather have one Acker than a bagful of Grammys.”

Filmmaker Sara Driver accepting her award poster and box at the Ackers. EastVillagerNews.com

City lifts stop-work orders against Extell tower BY LESLEY SUSSMAN

epresentatives from Extell Development Corporation — which is constructing the massive 80-story One Manhattan Square condo tower at 250 South St. — and its Lend Lease management company recently appeared before a Community Board 3 subcommittee and announced that sales will go online for domestic buyers beginning in September. The tower, with 815 proposed condo units, being developed on the former South St. Pathmark site, has, so far, been mainly marketed abroad, most notably in Asia. An additional 205-unit, 13-story affordable housing building to be located alongside the tower is slated for mid2018 completion. The project has come under sharp attack from nearby residents who have bitterly complained that the new Extell building is wrecking the neighborhood in many ways, from construction noise and structural damage to their dwellings to fears that the project may result in the gentrification of the neighborhood and force low-to-moderate-income residents to leave because of rising rents. At the Wed., March 9, meeting of C.B. 3’s Land Use, Zoning, Public and Private Housing Subcommittee, Ex-

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tell representatives heard a plea from Trever Holland, president of the tenants association at the nearby 82 Rutgers Slip, that they be given more upto-date information about goings-on at the construction site. “We need better communication between the owners and our tenant association,” he said. “A lot of stuff goes on that we don’t hear about. Please keep us informed. If there’s some kind of survey in our building, we don’t want our tenants to panic. We want to know what it’s all about and be able to reassure them.” Rainy Haas, Extell’s senior vice president for development, responded that George Arzt, the company’s P.R. spokesperson, would serve as a special liaison to the association. “He will make himself available to the tenant association and handle any requests or problems,” she said. Holland seemed satisfied by the reply. He said Extell, so far, had been “responsive to almost all our concerns.” Regarding cracks and other damage to apartments in his building from vibrations, Holland said he felt Extell would uphold its word to repair any such damage. “I’m confident all apartments will be repaired,” he said. “Most of the damage is just cracks in the walls and not very serious.” Haas and construction manager

Sharon Stern gave an update on the project. Hass added that a full stopwork order from the city has been lifted, and that a remaining partial stopwork order was expected to be lifted in “a few days.” “Work has been going on smoothly except in the limited area where the temporary work stoppage order is in effect,” she said. The partial stopwork, in fact, was lifted March 15. The stoppages were ordered by the Department of Buildings on Feb. 18 after inspectors found “immediately hazardous conditions” in the con-

struction area. The action stemmed from a Jan. 7 complaint made by a resident of 286 South St., who said the construction was causing cracks in her walls. When D.O.B. investigated a week later, the agency issued a stop-work order after inspectors observed that the construction was creating movement at this and other adjoining buildings. Work did not stop, however, according to a second complaint filed on Feb. 17, so D.O.B. slapped another violation on Extell and Lend Lease, along with a second partial stop-work order. A creative menu brought to you by Chef Franco Barrio with locally sourced produce serving New York style food in the heart of the West Village.

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One year later, rising from a tragedy’s ashes; EXPLOSION continued from p. 1

have since moved out of state. On that fateful day, Mildred Guy lost her home of 45 years at 119 Second Ave., which collapsed along with 121 and 123 Second Ave. At the press conference, Guy tearfully recalled the shock of learning her family’s home — which her kids fondly knew as “Mommy’s Place” — was gone. She had lived there for most of her life in a multigenerational household. Yet, Guy said, she also felt grateful that her elderly mother, who was wheelchair bound, had passed away before the explosion happened, and that her grandson was not asleep inside the apartment, since her son had moved out with his family only shortly before the blast. “I feel grateful and blessed,” Guy said. “So many people opened their arms, offered prayers, support and their homes.” “The empty lots behind me where three buildings once stood are a constant reminder of a fatal incident that could have been prevented,” Mendez said. “What appears to me to be a blatant disregard for human life was led by greed and brought a heightened awareness to the city of individuals putting the well-being of others in jeopardy.” This February, Maria Hrynenko, 56, who owns 121 Second Ave. where the blast occurred, her son Michael Hrynenko, 30, contractor Dilber Kukic, 40, and plumber Athanasios “Jerry” Ioannidis, 59, were all charged with criminally negligent homicide and assault in the second degree in connection with the gas explosion. In addition, Andrew Trombettas, 57, was charged with “renting” his master plumbing license to Ioannidis, so the latter could get work on the property approved, prosecutors said. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said the defendants set up an elaborate illegal gas line and hid the setup from inspectors, causing the explosion and subsequent fire. The court case was set to resume on Thurs., March 31. On March 26, 2015, Michael Hryenko and Kukic ran out of 121 Second Ave. when the basement filled with gas, never warning building residents or patrons at Sushi Park, where Figueroa was paying his bill and Locón worked as a busboy. The City Council introduced nine bills last month that, among other things, would increase inspections of gas pipe systems, require better and more informative notifications to tenants about gas-related issues, increase transparency about the cause of gas-related violations and mandate natural-gas alarms in resi-

March 31, 2016

PHOTO BY PATRICK J. EVES

Mildred Guy, right, a displaced tenant from the former 119 Second Ave., spoke about the apartment her family called “Mommy’s Home,” as from left, Councilmember Rosie Mendez and Public Advocate Letitia James listened.

PHOTO BY PATRICK J. EVES

Tenants from 57 Second Ave. who are part of the Icon Community Unit were heartened to hear the politicians say landlords won’t be allowed to put profits above people’s safety. The tenants say their landlord, Icon Realty Management, is hell-bent on maximizing profit in their buildings.

dential units. Mendez is the lead sponsor of Intro. 1093, which would require gas providers to notify the Department of Buildings of a gas service shutoff within 24 hours. “The city of New York is committed to preventing tragedies like this from happening again,” Mendez said. A hearing on the bills is set for June. “It sends a message to building owners who might be tempted to cut corners and find justice and is another step forward toward healing and closure that our neighbors need,” Mendez said. “One year ago, we lost two innocent individuals due to greed and

poor safety oversight,” said Assemblymember Deborah Glick. “This tragedy is a reminder that the pursuit of profits over people too often jeopardizes the safety of all New Yorkers.” State Senator Brad Hoylman said the community still has a long way to go, and that part of the redress of justice is ensuring that none of the property owners involved see any profit from the future sale of the now-vacant properties. He added that part of the problem is that LLCs that are, in fact, “shell corporations,” need to be exposed to civil suits tied to litigation. “You know how impressive a community is, how successful a community is when it comes together like it did one year ago,” Hoylman added.

Also speaking at the press conference were Public Advocate Letitia James; Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer; Damaris Reyes, chairperson of LES Ready and director at GOLES (Good Old Lower East Side); Gigi Li, chairperson of Community Board 3; and Tyesha Maddox, another displaced tenant, who had to vacate her apartment in the adjacent building at 125 Second Ave. Guy said it’s still difficult to walk past the empty lot where her building once stood. “It’s sad,” she said. “This was my home for 45 years.” For a while after the explosion, Guy would walk home toward her old building on Second Ave. after work. “It took me awhile to realize that this is not my home anymore,” she said. She is now living temporarily on E. Fourth St., thanks to the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association. And she is still working at the Neighborhood School on E. Third St., where she is a veteran of 20 years. Guy would like to see modestly sized affordable housing go up on the vacant lot, not market-rate condos. In the meantime, all she wants is to find a new place to call home permanently. “I want to be able to find an affordable apartment again where my family can come and visit,” she said, “like Mommy’s Place.” Later that afternoon, family members of the two men in their 20s who died in the disaster returned to the fenced-off lot for a memorial service for them. Joining them were local residents, business owners and anyone else who wanted to show support. Those in attendance were asked to write words of remembrance for Moises Locón and Nicholas Figueroa on small white paper bags. Inside each bag, a candle was placed, and then each bag was laid down on the rubble-strewn ground in the center of the vacant site, forming a glowing white cross in remembrance of the two men. Reverend Jacqui Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church returned to lead the vigil — along with Figueroa’s parents and Locón’s brothers — reading scripture and leading the crowd in singing “Amazing Grace.” In tears, Moises’ brother Alfredo, with his brother Zacharias beside him, shared his heartfelt remembrances about their lost sibling. Barely able to get her words out, Ana Figueroa spoke about her son. “When a child dies, a parent loses a part of themselves and a part of their being, becoming a shell of a person they once were,” she said. “Death EXPLOSION continued on p. 7 EastVillagerNews.com

Politicians warn not to put profits over people EXPLOSION continued from p. 6

leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves memories that no one can touch.” Before the vigil, The Villager spoke with Nicholas’s father, Nixon, who said that the day his son died, he died, too. He missed his father-toson talks with Nicholas and his smile and laughter, he said. The first firefighter up the building’s fire escape that day later cut one of the fire-escape ladders down to make two crosses with a base with the initials of Nicholas’s and Moises’ names. “It’s a piece of history,” Nicholas’s father said, as he gripped the two small iron crosses in his hands. “It’s something to keep the memories of my son and Moises. “Unfortunately we have to be here for this,” he said. “I wish it was me that day. If I had a sense that he was in here, I would have went into the building and died myself.” One year later, Figueroa’s parents still come down from the Upper East Side every Thursday to keep up the makeshift memorial to their son and Moises that festoons the gates around the fenced-in lot. Moises’ brothers regularly give them new photos to share for the memorial. “Sometimes death has to happen to get things done,” Figueroa reflected. “Hopefully, this never happens again.” For local residents, the disaster’s

PHOTO BY PATRICK J. EVES

The first firefighter that went up the fire escape at 121 Second Ave. on March 26, 2015, later used part of the fire-escape ladder to make commemorative crosses for the families of both victims. A friend of Nicholas Figueroa’s held his cross, with the soldered initials “NF” and a candle cup for the vigil. EastVillagerNews.com

PHOTO BY PATRICK J. EVES

Alfredo Locón, a brother of Moises Locón, one of the Second Ave. disaster’s victims, spoke emotionally at Saturday’s memorial service, as Reverend Jacqui Lewis held the microphone and his brother Zacharias stood beside him. At left are the parents of the other victim, Nicholas Figueroa.

one-year anniversary brought jarring memories flooding back of the tumultuous day that literally rocked the East Village. Shep Wahnon moved to the neigborhood — just a block away from the explosion site — in 1981. He remembered hearing the explosion last March, and how everything then changed. “It’s very sad,” he said. “You have this vacant spot. But restaurants and businesses were here, buildings with homes and people and a cat. All that is gone. It’s hard to believe. Memories are lost and what’s left behind is this big open sore that everyone sees when they pass by.” Steve Herrick, executive director of Cooper Square Committee, said of the explosion, “It tore a hole in the heart of the East Village.” Alex Gross, who lives nearby and moved to the neighborhood in 1959, didn’t want to come out to the oneyear anniversary but felt he needed to be there with his community. “I didn’t want to come today,” he admitted. “I’m touched by it and realized that I had to. It doesn’t look that doleful or sad.” For sometime, Whanon would walk around the site to avoid seeing it. On the anniversary, he was slowly making his way around the fence, looking at photos of Lócon and Figueroa. “It was because of the negligent landlord and could have been avoided,” he said. “I don’t know where the chain of command was but someone should have done something. Any one of these things can happen any day, anywhere in the city.” William Goodhart, also known as The Street Teacher, has been giving

PHOTO BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

A rose hung on the fence for the two young lives lost in the explosion.

tours of the East Village for 20 years. He related the Second Ave. explosion to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, which killed 146 garment workers on March 25, 1911. “I was thinking about this the other day, because it was the anniversary of the Triangle Fire,” he said. “How have we not caught up with all of this by now? This makes you wonder — it’s not just one building or these three buildings.” Jean Standish, vice chairperson of the Bowery Alliance of Neigh-

bors, vividly remembers the day last March when everything changed. “I heard the explosion,” she said. “All emergency personnel were there and the Bomb Squad. I saw a man sitting on the sidewalk, blood coming from his head. It was a senseless thing.” Whanon, like most residents, would like to see some type of memorial go up in the now-vacant lot. Standish, who has lived in the area since the 1960s, would be happy if a park filled the spot where the three buildings once stood. “I love that people are still putting things up on the fence,” she said. “I’d love to see a memorial park with benches, a place where people can go… . “I still love this neighborhood,” she said. “I didn’t realize how lucky I was when I first moved here.” It’s a last-ditch effort for Stuart Lipsky. When he heard the explosion a year ago, he rushed to his building at 125 Second Ave. Within 10 minutes, Lipsky, a retired New York City science teacher, made it up to his apartment and grabbed one of his cats, but could not find the other — when his windows suddenly blew in. He wasn’t sure if his building would come down around him. Luckily, it survived. A tenant at No. 125 for nearly four decades, Lipsky last Saturday was still putting up missing posters for his cat, Ryce — who would have turned one this April 15 — in a final attempt to be reunited with his missing pet. “It’s not an anniversary I’m looking forward to,” Lipsky said before the press conference. “I’ve been there 37 years and didn’t need this.” Most tenants in his building were reunited with their pets following the explosion. But Ryce, a Lynx Point Siamese cat, has never been found. “The empty site I can deal with if my family was complete,” he said. “My wife and my daughter and I survived, and one of the cats. I feel guilty because when the windows started crashing in…we had to evacuate, I grabbed the one cat but not the other and regret it every day.” Everything happened so fast, but Lipsky clearly remembers seeing Pommes Frites, the Belgian fries place, on fire and hearing smoke detectors going off everywhere. “All of a sudden normal turned into not-so-normal,” he said. “I didn’t think I had a few more minutes, I thought for sure this building was going to come down.” The building didn’t come down, but his life — and the lives of so many others who were affected — was changed forever. “Every time I wake up,” he said, “I check the locks, the smoke detector, make sure my daughter is O.K.” March 31, 2016

Her life’s ink-credible journey is all over her TATTOO TALES BY BOB KRASNER

ymbols of hope and perseverance. That’s what most of them are, says Elena Venetia, a model, hair stylist (Fox and Jane salon), actress and radio podcast host (“Dying Scene Radio”). She began recording the voyage of her life journey on her 18th birthday, with a simple nautical star tattoo — on her hip, so her parents wouldn’t notice. “It’s very traditional artwork, but it’s about the beginning of a journey — finding your way,” she notes of that first bit of body art. Although she admits that she has lost her way on occasion, she has nonetheless recorded the bad times along with the good. An ex-boyfriend is represented by a snarling wolf with the word “MERCY” below it, to remind her that you will get no mercy from the heart of a wolf. A former good friend whose actions left Venetia homeless has been noted with the image of a skeleton with its fingers crossed. Her conviction that it would not happen again is embodied with a hobo inked above the words “NEVER AGAIN.” “LOVE LOST” is what’s left of an abusive relationship that resulted in broken bones, as well as a broken heart. The first guy who broke her heart is represented by a tribute to the band Social Distortion. And her love affair with punk rock is further noted with images from bands Alkaline Trio, Misfits, Tiger Army and the Suicide Machines. The tats are each related to a song from each band that represents a certain time in her life. Skulls are everywhere and it would be easy to misinterpret the two that reside beneath a burning candle that represent her current relationship. “The skulls represent our past lives fused together as soul mates,” she explains. “The red candle represents honor and wisdom shedding light through dark times.” In addition, there is the French word “DEMONTER” — “to come apart,” or in slang, “to screw up” — which came to her in a dream. In the tattoo, there is a line through the word, as if to say, “Don’t.” Current states of flux show up in the two sets of images that have to

March 31, 2016

PHOTOS BY BOB KRASNER

Elena Venetia photographed outside the Fox & Jane salon, at 277 E. 10th St.

do with what she calls the “moments of decision that we face every day.” There are two sparrows on her stomach — one in fine shape and the other, damaged. The point being that you have a “choice whether or not you are going to let what has hurt you ruin you.” Stating the obvious as far as daily choices go, she sports an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. “It’s funny,” she notes. “All anyone sees is the devil.” Many of the images were inked by noted artist Jeff Madonna. “He taught me a lot about traditional American tattoo art,” she says. Many of the images were inspired by Madonna’s private collection of tattoo flash art and were produced using needles and colors from the ’50s. Although she has wanted to look like “the tattooed lady from the circus” since she was a little girl, her

family didn’t quite understand the appeal. Ironically, she says, “My grandfather was the one who got me.” His stint in the Merchant Marine is represented by a mermaid surrounded by the notes of the song “Amazing Grace.” Her most recent Thanksgiving was notable for her father’s acknowledgement that, despite her having veered from the path that he would have chosen for her, she has made her own way. In his honor there is a Kewpie doll with boxing gloves, accompanied by the slogan “DADDY’S GIRL,” because, she says, “Dad taught me to be a fighter.” Although Mom likes to pretend that all that ink just isn’t there, she still wanted to know, “Where’s my tattoo?” Venetia says that she hasn’t decided yet how to honor her, but then we notice the shamrock with the word “IRISH” underneath. “That’s my mother’s side of the family,” Venetia says. “Everyone

who is Irish should have that shamrock, as a warning.” So Mom is represented after all. Sadly, her most recent embellishment is a tribute to her good friend Aly who just passed away. A makeup artist, Aly’s memorial is a lipstick in her favorite color, put on her arm by Baz of Clash City Tattoo, at 273 E. 10th St. Not just symbols of hope and perseverance, the images that adorn Venetia’s body are the bits and pieces of a woman of great spirit and energy — and, like her, they add up to more than the sum of their parts. And what’s that cat on the palm of her hand? “A fierce pussy,” she laughs. No doubt. If you live or work in the Village, East Village or Downtown area and have a personal story about your tattoos that you would like to share, please contact Bob Krasner at thevillagertattoo@gmail.com . EastVillagerNews.com

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EastVillagerNews.com

Colton Daniel Hudson, 23; He loved E.V. and fashion

OBITUARY BY LINCOLN ANDERSON

olton Daniel Hudson, 23, died March 15 at home in the East Village, a neighborhood he had grown to love. Colton was raised in an idyllic small town near Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Old Trail School in Bath, Ohio, where his classmates chose him to give the commencement address. He went to high school at University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio. His senior year he served as Hawley House prefect, and received the Ian Miller Award in recognition of his special gift for sincerity and capacity for friendship. At the time of his death, he was attending Hunter College, studying French and Italian. His father, Dr. Robert Hudson, said Colton, who lived alone, died suddenly in his sleep in his apartment at 273 E. 10th St., between First Ave. and Avenue A, and was found two days later. His mother, Audrey DeLong, figured there might have been something wrong because she kept an eye on his credit card use

Colton Hudson.

and there had been no activity for three days. The medical examiner gave the cause of death as “undetermined,” and drugs have been ruled out, his father said. Colton was “exceedingly skinny” — tall but just 145 pounds — and his father speculates he might possibly have had an on-

set of type 1 diabetes, which runs in Colton’s mother’s side of the family, which could have left him in a coma. Also, the aortic valve in his heart was bicuspid instead of tricuspid — with two flaps instead of three — which his father thinks predisposed him to cardiac arrhythmia, though it had never troubled him before. “He had many, many friends in the East Village,” his dad said. “He went to France for a year after high school and loved it. He came back nattily dressed and had the fashion bug. He complained bitterly about how sloppily Americans dressed. He went to Kenyon College but couldn’t fit in.” But the East Village and Hunter were a perfect fit. “He talked about all his friends, all of his acquaintances you meet in a place like the East Village,” his father said. “He liked walking into the bagel store and they knew what his usual bagel was and they’d have his coffee. He liked his Russian Jewish Israeli barber. He liked catching some rays on his rooftop with friends, or on his friends’ rooftops, and would send us photos of the views. He liked jogging around the neighborhood — though more than once he stumbled on the [uneven] sidewalks.”

“He worked periodically at Luke’s Lobster,” his mother said. “E. 10th St. Finest was his favorite deli. He went almost daily. He loved Thirstea across from his building. He bought water from Molecule water store. He thought it was so great, he paid by the month. When he found Commodities Natural Market, he was so thrilled he called home to rave about it. He loved Juice Press for vitamins and fresh juice. And unlike most his age group, he preferred wine to beer and loved East Village Wines. The one favorite we have not been able to identify is his barber shop.” His father said when he visited his son’s building last week, “Everyone came out of their doors and said what a great guy Colton was.” Colton’s goal was to work in a fashion house in Europe. In addition to his parents, of Hudson, Ohio, Colton is survived by an older brother, Hunter, of Costa Mesa, California; his maternal grandparents and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins. A memorial service celebrating Colton’s life will be held at a later date. Friends wishing to honor his memory may send donations to any of the three learning institutions he loved.

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March 31, 2016

Fiery tragedy on 2nd Ave. galvanized a community

EDITORIAL

his past Saturday marked the anniversary of the horrific gas explosion that tore a hole in the heart of the East Village. This foreseeable and preventable disaster caused so much suffering. It took two young lives, leveled three residential buildings, displaced numerous people and slammed local businesses that were in the immediate blast zone and surrounding area. This February, the first step toward justice being served for this crime occurred when four people were indicted for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with the explosion and the raging inferno it sparked. Maria Hrynenko, who owns 121 Second Ave. where the blast occurred, her son Michael Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and plumber Athanasios “Jerry” Ioannidis were also charged with assault in the second degree. In addition, Andrew Trombettas was charged with “renting” his master plumbing license to Ioannidis, so that the latter could get work on the property approved, according to the Manhattan district attorney.

The defendants allegedly set up an elaborate illegal gas line to siphon gas to upstairs residential apartments. When the jury-rigged system was first discovered by inspectors, the gas was shut off. But the “Gas House Gang” then foolhardily and arrogantly allegedly set up a similar system — but this time hid it behind a closed door so that inspectors could not see it. We all know the results of March 26, 2015: Three empty lots surrounded by a chain-link fence on which hang photos of Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón, whose entire lives still lay ahead of them. On Saturday, local politicians, led by Councilmember Rosie Mendez, held a Day of Remembrance at the site, and noted that a package of nine bills is pending in the council that will tighten up notifications and regulations around gas shut-offs, among other things. In addition, state Senator Brad Hoylman noted that one of the lots is already on the market for $10 million. Hoylman said he plans to introduce legislation in Albany, similar to the Son of Sam Law, to block landlords from reaping profit from their property after perpetrating such crimes. As the politicians declared, cutting corners and “putting profits over people” will not be tolerated — nor financially rewarded.

Under current law, though, the three adjoining lots at the corner of Second Ave. and E. Seventh St. are now no longer under the rent-stabilization system — since the former buildings are gone — so new market-rate housing could be built there. Former tenants charged that Maria Hrynenko — like so many landlords in today’s red-hot Manhattan real estate market — clearly wanted rent-regulated tenants out, so that she could charge top dollar. The gas siphoning was just another way to shave off some money and increase profits — yet while ignoring the grave risk it posed to people’s lives. Of course, had the explosion occurred at a different time of day, the casualties could have been much worse. Out of the explosion’s ashes, however, the East Village community rallied to the victims’ aid. Early on, local restaurants pitched in with free meals. Immense thanks is due to LES Ready, a coalition of 40 groups ranging from the Red Cross to Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), which funneled at least $200,000 — much of that coming from the Mayor’s Fund — to the victims, and helped them in countless ways, such as providing gift cards to IKEA, Sleepy’s and Lowe’s, so that the victims could get

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dad, the black Bukowski To The Editor: Re “John Farris, bohemian poet who chronicled life on Lower East Side” (obituary, Feb. 11): As one of John Farris’s lesser-known daughters — that kind of thing can happen when you are the illegitimate child of two ’60s Afrobohemians consorting through a haze of “lids” of sensimilla — I read Ms. Ferguson’s article with ambivalence.

Ms. Ferguson did a bang-up job of capturing the essence of this, um, “difficult man” who seemed to be a black version of Bukowski. It was amusing to read all of these people’s accounts of this man who sired me, who knew him better than I ever did. The closest I ever came to meeting John was meeting his daughter Chinyelu “Bibi” Duxbury and her son, which was a lot like being a contestant on Jerry Springer. Stay tuned for that chapter in my up-and-coming memoir, LOL. My story regarding John is a bit more sad. I

IRA BLUTREICH

new beds and furnishings and try to rebuild their lives. Also stepping into the breach was writer Alan Kaufman, who organized a benefit concert at Lorcan Otway’s Theatre 80 on St. Mark’s Place, headlined by rock legends Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye, that raised $50,000. Kaufman gave the cash to LES Ready to disburse to the victims. According to Ayo Harrington, who coordinated the LES Ready effort, about one-third of the tenants displaced by the blast have moved out of Manhattan or out of state altogether. Another third — largely young professionals who were already living with roommates — have relocated around the Downtown area and are in similar living situations. Another third are still living nearby on E. Third and E. Fourth Sts. in temporary housing made available by Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association. In short, this catastrophe is a tragic symbol for what is happening on so many levels in the East Village and elsewhere, as landlords, blinded by their own greed, are literally wrecking lives. Justice must be served in this case. Too much damage and suffering was caused. Harsh sentences will put landlords on notice that they will be held accountable.

grew up longing to meet, know and understand this man, whom my single lesbian mother simultaneously praised, yet while also using me as a proxy to vent her rage against him. I was never sure, though, if it was his absence that made her so mad or if it was the fact that I looked and acted like a female mini-me version of him. My feelings toward John are thorny because we attempted to reconnect via phone when I was a 20-year-old peepshow “dancer.” His reaction to me was one of revulsion and rejection, which I found to be fantastically hypocritical and outrageous, considering that he was one of my mother’s teachers and a married man upon my conception. My mother’s father — a well-respected blue-collar man with middle-class aspirations and conservative Midwestern Christian values — was so scandalized that he only agreed to assist us if my mother agreed to a ruse that would convince people that she was merely my sister and my granddad was my father! Anyway, thank you for this article on this man. I am located in San Francisco and I have many traits of John’s, for better and worse. Nikki K

Future shock (of hair)? The “Donald-Do” trending. 12

March 31, 2016

E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published. EastVillagerNews.com

When Chinese state censorship reaches the L.E.S. GLOBAL (EAST) VILLAGE BY BILL WEINBERG

anhattan-based artist Joyce Yu-Jean Lee never guessed she was in for a bit of international intrigue and even global headlines when she launched a show and accompanying discussion panels in February at a couple of alternative venues on the Lower East Side. The installation, which lasted a month, was a pop-up Internet cafe dubbed “Firewall.” This is a reference to the “Great Firewall of China” (officially the “Golden Shield”) that filters the Internet in the People’s Republic. At Firewall Cafe, visitors got to input search terms of their choice into computers attached to split-screen monitors set up to display simultaneously the results from Google and Baidu — the state-approved Chinese alternative, operating from within the Great Firewall. The installation was hosted by a gallery with the appropriate name of Chinatown Soup. (Although it is actually on lower Orchard St., just where Chinatown is now starting to expand into the old Lower East Side). Baidu is the default search engine at all the Internet cafes in Chinatown, but in China it is practically mandatory. Google is blocked there — along with Facebook, Twitter and the Web sites of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. For the month that the Firewall installation was up, some 4,000 searches were logged, and eventually the results will all be browsable at the show’s Web site, Firewallcafe.com. The most obvious contrasts, you might imagine, come from the search “Tiananmen Square.” Google brings back iconic images from the 1989 protests and repression. There is of course not a trace of this on Baidu — strictly tourism shots. In a cross-fertilization between Chinatown and the L.E.S. art scene, Apex for Youth, a program for underserved Asian communities in the city, organized classes of schoolkids to come visit the exhibition. But what got Firewall Cafe into trouble was the pair of panel discussions that accompanied the installation, hosted by the Rivington St. tech collective Orbital. The first, held Feb. 19, was entitled “Networked Feminism in China,” and was to feature, in addition to Lee, three activists from the People’s Republic. One was Lu Pin, editor of the Beijing-based journal and social media platform Feminist Voices. Lu was a mentor figure for the “Feminist Five,” young women who were detained for weeks last year after performing a piece of public protest theater to oppose sexual harassment on the Beijing subway. Another was Xintong Liu, a designer and “social innovator” who organized the first L.G.B.T. group at Xiamen University. But the next one can’t be named. Lee will only say that this panelist works for women’s rights in China. After her name appeared on the announcement for the panel, her employer was pressured by government officials, in turn, to pressure her to cancel her participation in the panel. Lee and her co-organizers removed her name from the announcement, and tried to scrub the Internet of any mention of her name in the context EastVillagerNews.com

PHOTOS BY ISAAC JAMES

The pop-up Firewall Internet Cafe ran from Feb. 9 to March 6 at Chinatown Soup gallery, at 16 Orchard St., with roundtable discussions at Orbital, 155 Rivington St.

Dual-screen computer stations allowed users to do an Internet search, then see how the results varied on Google versus Baidu, China’s government-approved portal.

of the panel. This online purge didn’t help — the threats escalated. The decision was taken to drop her from the panel. “I felt very guilty,” Lee said. “Here I am trying to do something supportive, and I got one of the panelists into trouble, inadvertently. I was caught offguard. The panel was not even specifically related to censorship. It was about the role of the Internet in organizing support for the Feminist Five. To get this kind of backlash at an event about feminism was kind of shocking.” The incident sparked a reckoning about the lineup for the next panel.

“We made a decision: No more Chinese nationals were to participate in our panels,” said Lee. The second panel, on “Creative Hacktivism,” actually did touch on issues of censorship. One panelist was Jason Ng, author of “Blocked on Weibo” — a book examining what content gets suppressed on China’s answer to Twitter. Another was Josh Bronson, a stateside supporter of GreatFire.org, a group that documents the content-filtering of the Great Firewall — and attempts to circumvent it through technical creativity. But the panel was itself censored, in a way — the Chinese nationals initially invited to participate were dropped. It is unknowable how far up in the bureaucracy the decision to pressure the panelist emerged. And the pressure arguably backfired — the cancellation got Lee and her project written up in the Washington Post, certainly unwanted attention for Beijing. But the affair points to the fragility of freedom in a globalized age. “As Americans we take our free press rights completely for granted,” Lee said. “A fifth of the world’s population doesn’t have the freedom to see the world the way we see it, unfiltered.” However, Lee acknowledged that Google filters search results, as well — if in more subtle ways than Baidu. She says that the idea of her project was to take a “critical look at both Google and Baidu.” Lu Pin has continued to speak publicly in Lower Manhattan — most recently at a March 23 panel on “Chinese Queer/Feminist Activists” at Bluestockings bookstore on Allen St. Lee said she has to respect the decisions of Chinese nationals regarding how public they want to be in their activism. “I don’t take the same kind of risk,” she said. “I just run the risk of not getting a visa the next time I want to visit China. It’s not the same thing. If you want to be very vocal, I respect that. If you want to maintain your anonymity, I respect that, too.” Lee’s interest in China has a personal aspect. She grew up in Texas, but her parents fled the Communist takeover of China in 1949 — initially to Taiwan. Her 2012 film, “Unfolding Nai Nai,” is something of an oral history project, in which the family’s story is revealed through the memories of Lee’s grandmother — now 102 years old and still living in Taiwan. Lee’s eyes were also opened by her 2011 artist residency program in China, where she had to use a VPN device to access the Web freely. (That’s a “virtual private network” that works by connecting to the Web through a computer outside China.) One friend she made in China, a young gay artist, later committed suicide — which Lee attributes, at least in part, to the closed atmosphere for people such as himself. And things have hardly improved in China since then. “Under Xi Jinping, the political climate is much more tense and fraught than it’s been in a long time,” Lee said. She cited the findings of rights groups that China is now facing its harshest atmosphere since the repression of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and the closing of political space in the aftermath. And now that pressure was felt a world away on Rivington St. “Censorship doesn’t just happen online,” Lee said, summing up her take-away from the affair. “It happens in daily life through intimidation and coercion.” March 31, 2016

2nd Ave. neighbors fear Chase bank demo damage DAMAGE continued from p. 1

tion of their homes. “We’re concerned that they will ruin the foundation of our building,” said John Serdula, a 128 Second Ave. tenant since 1998, head of the building’s tenant association and member of the Icon Community Unit, a group of tenants who have been addressing landlord-related issues within the neighborhood. “We’re scared that they will say our building is condemned and tear down everything and build a high-rise,” he said. “When a building is damaged to such a degree, you can’t live there anymore. It’s frightening.” Serdula believes he has reason to be concerned. He and other tenants at No. 128 have been in an ongoing legal battle with Icon for years, which peaked following the Second Ave. gas explosion last March. Days after the explosion, an investigation in the basement of the building — which housed the now-closed Stage Restaurant on the ground floor — resulted in all the tenants being left without heat or hot water for several months. The residents took Icon to court, and while the heat and hot water has been restored, Serdula is

wary of the landlord’s plans with his building. However, an Icon representative told The Villager it’s too soon to tell what will be done with the site, but that they are covering all their bases. “We’re not set to demolish,” said Chris Coffey. “It takes forever to get permits to do certain things. Sometimes you like to keep your options open to figure out what you’re going to do. It’s general practice for developers to file the right paperwork for a variety of things.” Last fall, Chase closed two of its East Village branches, including 20 Avenue A., which merged with the bank at 106 Delancey St., and 130 Second Ave., now merged with the Chase two blocks north at 156 Second Ave. The St. Mark’s Place site is still listed by Icon as suitable for a restaurant, bar, office space, retail or gym, at about $73,000 a month, or $876,000 per year. The two-story space includes a 2,395-squarefoot basement, a 2,542-square-foot ground floor and a 2,649-squarefoot second floor, according to an Icon property listing. “We don’t have any plans at this point to drastically alter the character of the space,” Coffey said.

PHOTO BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES

Neighbors on Second Ave. fear the potential construction of a high-rise at this site could damage their own building.

“We’re looking at various options and will figure it out over the next few months.” Although construction of the Second Ave. subway in the East Village is a ways off — it’s part of Phase 3 of the project, stretching from 63rd St. to Houston St. — the original route included a station at St. Mark’s and Second Ave., halfway between the 14th St. and Houston St. stations. That station, though, is no longer part of the plan. But if the M.T.A. moves forward and adds back the St. Mark’s stop, Icon said it would work with the city to designate the proper space allotted to a possible subway station, according to its rep. “Icon routinely works with the city,” Coffey said. “It’s just part of the day in, day out of what we do. I really think that with the site, it’s too early in the process. There are no plans at this time. We’re looking at different things and will see what happens from there.”

Whether or not demolition, in fact, will take place is unclear. Serdula definitely expects to see a high-rise go up in place of the former bank. It might even happen at No. 128, too, according to Serdula. In December, Serdula said Icon hired individuals to survey the building. When asked what they were doing it for, they said it was to possibly “build up,” according to Serdula. “If you told me three to five years ago what I would have to deal with day to day, I would be like, you’re making this up,” Serdula said of his suspicions of the new construction. “It’s shocking.” Coffey said that there shouldn’t be any issues with tenants in the adjacent building. “The same way Icon works with the city and relevant agencies, they will obviously do so with the tenants on this site when we get to that point,” he said. “I think we’re putting the cart before the horse.”

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EastVillagerNews.com

Be a fool for April arts

Outside, the cruelest month…inside, pure entertainment! BY SCOTT STIFFLER

omplaining about the lingering cold, panicking about the looming IRS deadline, and dedicating the entirety of our arts section to the Tribeca Film Festival for three consecutive weeks: These are the days of our lives, every time April rolls around. And although there’s little to be done about Old Man Winter and Uncle Sam, we’re determined to provide you with a hardly-definitive-but-highly-worthy guide to cashing in on the wealth of A&E riches taking place before, during, and after we lavish attention on that Tribeca fest. A good place to start: three of our favorite silver screen destinations, year in and year out. Currently booked to screen through the seventh day of the month that shares its name with the title character, “April and the Extraordinary World” is garnering rave reviews for its stunning interpretation of steampunk visuals and themes. Set in an alternate universe’s 1941 Paris, the French/ Belgian/Canadian animated film (an adaptation of Jacques Tardi’s graphic novel) has a young girl getting an assist from her talking cat, as she peels back the layers of a far-reaching conspiracy behind the disappearance of her scientist parents. Screenings before 3 p.m. are in English; after, in the original French with English subtitles. At the IFC Center (323 Sixth Ave.; ifccenter.com). Anthology Film Archives (32 Second Ave.; anthologyfilmarchives. org) welcomes an encore event from the KGB Movie Friends, a group of gonzo pals with their own weekly EastVillagerNews.com

PHOTO BY AHRON R. FOSTER

A musical that makes waves, fit for the whole family: Atlantic Theater Company’s “The Pirate La Dee Da” is on deck through Apr. 17.

Sun. night screening series at the Kraine Theater (85 E. Fourth St.; text 917-251-4139 for info). On Apr. 14 at Anthology, the “Big Bowie Bash: A Tribute…Redux” features David Bowie clips, videos, performances, footage, interviews, and miscellaneous oddities (space and otherwise) culled from a recent four-plus-hour “Movie Friends” event. Sundays through June 26, the Film Forum Jr. series plants the seed of cinemania in little sprouts, with classics both undiscovered and

familiar. On Apr. 3, set the stage for a lifetime’s worth of debating the relative merits of our greatest silent film comedians, as Steve Sterner, live and at the piano, accompanies Charlie Chaplin in “The Immigrant” (1917), Harold Lloyd in “Get Out and Get Under” (1920), and Laurel & Hardy in “Two Tars” (1928). Other screenings include 1941’s “The Wolf Man” paired with a Bugs Bunny short (Apr. 17), 2001’s grumpy green ogre redemption tale “Shrek” (May 29), and a trio of Broadway shows adapted to

the big screen. On May 15, 1978’s “Grease” is a great companion piece (or antidote) for those still swooning to the live version on FOX. The series goes into hibernation after June 26’s “1776,” then picks back up on Sept. 11. All seats are $8, all screenings begin at 11 a.m., at Film Forum (209 W. Houston St.; filmforum.org). The Atlantic Theater ’s Atlantic for Kids series has extended its run of the new musical “The Pirate APRIL ARTS continued on p. 16 March 31, 2016

Aww, some April arts APRIL ARTS continued from p. 15

La Dee Da,” a loony tale about a princess who’s had it with the obligations of her royal role — so she runs off into the night, hops on a ship, and applies her gift for exceeding expectations to the goal of becoming “the most feared pirate on The Seven Seas.” Through Apr. 17, Sat. & Sun. at 10:30 a.m., at the Linda Gross Theater (336 W. 20th St.; atlantictheater.org). That’s not the only notable wave Atlantic is riding these days. The treasured Chelsea theater — which recently presented works by David Mamet (“Ghost Stories”) and Billie Joe Armstrong (“These Paper Bullets!”) — just announced they’ve commissioned new plays from an aesthetically diverse group of scrappy creative types. Some have longstanding ties to the Atlantic, and others will be making their maiden voyage: Jocelyn Bioh, Jennifer Haley, Paola Lázaro, Qui Nguyen, Heidi Schreck, and Simon Stephens and Mark Eitzel. We’re especially interested to see what Nguyen will cook up. A co-founder of the famed Vampire Cowboys troupe, his signature blend of comic and pop culture geekspeak, martial arts moves and weaponry, gallons of splattering hemoglobin, and sword-sharp satire has made him an enduring favorite of this publication (likeminded Nguyen connoisseurs should also be on tenterhooks for his play “Vietgone,” which begins previews Oct. 4 at Manhattan Theatre Club). Choreographer and director Mark DeGarmo’s transcultural dance/theater work, “Las Fridas: A Movement Installation and Offering,” is a “love letter to Mexico and an offering to Frida Kahlo” that weaves sun/moon, mother/ child, sacred/secular, and ancient/ current imagery throughout its Mesoamerican mandala structure. Educational theorist Maxine Greene and Living Theatre co-founder Judith Malina make appearances through ghostly video projections, while Kahlo’s gender fluidity is acknowledged by having her role played by Marie Baker-Lee and Luis Gabriel Zaragoza at, respectively, evening and matinee performances. Apr. 20–24 at The Flamboyán Theater, The Clemente (107 Suffolk St.; lasfridas.eventbrite.com and markdegarmodance.org). The bread and butter of Metropolitan Playhouse may be resurrecting largely forgotten

March 31, 2016

PHOTO BY LEON ANTHONY JAMES

Choreographer and director Mark DeGarmo’s transcultural dance/theater installation, “Las Fridas,” unfolds at The Flamboyán Theater, Apr. 20–24.

PHOTO BY JACOB J.GOLDBERG

Actor Jesse Hawkes (left) is multi-hyphenated artist Robert Hieger, in a monologue that’s part of Metropolitan Playhouse’s “East Side Stories,” Apr. 12–May 1.

works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but they’re also heavily invested in generating new material that will stand the test of time. One such effort is the annual “East Side Stories” series, which chronicles the life and lore of its East Village neighborhood. This year, installment #12 presents eight new plays and six new solo shows. Immigrant identity, xenophobia, authoritarianism, gentrification, and artistic freedom are among the themes touched upon (or tackled, as the case may be). Colorful characters of past and present are represented (Tammany Hall’s Boss Tweed, CBGB founder Hilly Kristal), along with historical events (the 1863 draft riots, the Great Rent Strike of 1908). The “Players” program has actors performing monologues culled from interviews with neighborhood residents, including Living Theatre collaborator Robert Hieger and improv comedian Athos Cakiades. Apr. 12– May 1, at Metropolitan Playhouse (220 E. Fourth St.; metropolitanplayhouse.org). Located on the western outskirts of Chelsea since 1971, The Kitchen has seen the neighborhood go from sketchy to trendy, then clubby to crowded with High Line traffic. One thing that hasn’t changed: The nonprofit performance space remains a wild and untamed destination for highly disciplined raw talent in the fields of dance, music, performance, theater, video, film, and art. The Kitchen’s Apr. 6–June 11 spring season kicks off with an Apr. 6–8 run of “They Come to Us Without a Word II.” Video footage of artist Joan Jonas’ work that appeared at last year’s 56th Venice Biennale will be accompanied by live performances of compositions by her longtime collaborator, jazz pianist Jason Moran. “My work involves the question of how the world is so rapidly and radically changing,” says Jonas, who implies those ideas travel “poetically through sound, light, and the juxtaposition of images of children, animals, and landscape.” Apr. 13–May 14, in The Kitchen’s gallery, artist Ed Atkins’ “Performance Capture” presents new work that uses live bodies and animated surrogates to explore “how contemporary technologies of representation mediate our lives.” The hypnotic music composed by Angelo Badalamenti to fill David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Pacific Northwest mill town with simmerAPRIL ARTS continued on p. 17 EastVillagerNews.com

Awesome April Arts! APRIL ARTS continued from p. 16

ing sexuality, existential dread, and supernatural possibility gets a fittingly surreal interpretation, when Jamie Stewart’s experimental band Xiu Xiu plays the music of “Twin Peaks” on Apr. 30. “Dance and Process,” May 6–7, features the results of a 10-week process during which choreographers Karen Bernard, Benjamin Van Buren, Niall Jones and Ander Mikalson helped one another develop new work. All events take place at The Kitchen (512 W. 19th St.; thekitchen.org). Ballet Hispanico celebrates its 45th season with a program that includes the New York premiere of Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s “Flabbergast,” and the troupe’s signature work: “Club Havana,” by Cuban-American choreographer Pedro Ruiz). A Sunday “En Familia” matinee takes kids on a fun-filled journey through Latin American dance and culture, via excerpts from the troupe’s diverse repertory (and a Q&A with the dancers). Apr. 5–10 at the Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Ave.; ballethispanico.org). NYC’s all-female classical theater troupe, The Queen’s Company, promises an “unexpected redemptive ending” to their take on Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” which calls into question the role of obedience in matters of courtship, love, and marriage. Founding Artistic Director Rebecca Patterson vows a celebration of “the poly-cultural American voice,” while maintaining the company’s unyielding approach to the classics, in which “male characters are performed as written — that is as Renaissance men, who move through the world quite differently from contemporary men — transcending gender. They are complete in their humanity and can be played equally well by either male or female actors.” Apr. 16–May 1, at the Wild Project (195 E. Third St.; queenscompany.org). Dysfunctional Theatre Company mines the pep (and percolating unease) of post-World War II America, in an evening of short plays, songs, and swing dancing. Their “Treasure Trove of Transmitted Theater” takes you behind the scenes, as the WDYS radio variety hour makes its very first (and possibly last?) broadcast on the new medium of television. Through Apr. 2 (no show Mar. 31), at the Thirteenth Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th St.; dysfunctionEastVillagerNews.com

PHOTO BY PAULA LOBO

Celebrating 45 seasons of great leaps, Ballet Hispanico touches down at the Joyce Theater, Apr. 5–10. Seen here, the signature work “Club Havana.”

altheatre.org). LABA, a creative forum that uses classic Jewish texts as the basis for performances, public events and gallery shows, is in the midst of a season whose commissioned works explore the intersection of beauty and equality. To that end, dancer Rebecca Margolick and composer/ graphic artist Maxx Berkowitz’s “Bird Sing a Pretty Song” uses movement and interactive media to explore how technology impacts states of being, such as solitude and chaos. Apr. 7 and 9 at the Theater at the 14th Street Y (344 E. 14th St.; labajournal.com/calendar). A fast-paced, streamlined production of “The Iceman Cometh,” from Hudson Guild Theatre Company, puts an emphasis on the plot’s comedic and heartbreaking elements, while drawing a connection to playwright Eugene O’Neill’s formative experiences and the 1895 origins of Hudson Guild, which began as a settlement house assisting those in economic need. Director Jim Furlong notes how the tale of skid row drinking buddies was “based on O’Neill’s real life experiences circa 1912 while spending many hours in a dive bar called Jimmy the Priests, located at Fulton and Church Streets.” The characters who fight addiction and poverty, notes Furlong, “were part of the same community for which the Guild was providing services at the time. Thus, the play connects directly with the history of Hudson Guild and its work of helping to improve the lives of people existing in difficult socioeconomic circumstancAPRIL ARTS continued on p. 18

PHOTO BY BOB PILEGGI

Fluid and flawless: Amy Driesler as Lucentio, left, and Little Sweetie Doll as Bianca in The Queen’s Company’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” Apr. 16–May 1 at the Wild Project. March 31, 2016

The April arts you need, come what may APRIL ARTS continued from p. 17

es.” Film actor Brian Poteat (“The Bourne Legacy”), as traveling salesman Hickey, heads the 14-member company — many of whom have appeared in previous Hudson Guild productions. Through Apr. 3, at Hudson Guild Theatre (441 W. 26th St.; hudsonguild.org). A “Spring Forward” program from the Greenwich Village Orchestra has Barbara Yahr conducting works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Bruch. Grammy-nominated violinist Andres Cardenes is the guest. A reception with the musicians follows the concert. Apr. 10, at the Church of the Incarnation (209 Madison Ave.; gvo.org.). Grammy-nominated pianist Fred Hersch, percussionist Rogério Boccato with vocalist Jean Rohe, singer/songwriter Becca Stevens, and the Afro-Colombian folkloric ensemble La Cumbiamba eNeYé will perform, at The Middle Collegiate Church and Buddhist Global Relief’s fifth annual “Concert To Feed The Hungry.” Proceeds will help support efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition, in NYC and around the world. Apr. 9, at Middle Collegiate Church (112 Second Ave.; concerttofeedthehungry.org). On view through Apr. 16, Ji-Wan Joo’s “Cardboard Room” installation uses reconfigured cardboard to create a labyrinth (a visual and thematic motif the artist has long explored). “I’m fascinated with harmonies, proportions, division of line and space,” she says of her room’s puzzle piece design. “I think that there is no more beauty than simplicity, and the plainness of geometric shape and line as time goes by.” Conduct your own search for meaning (or at least clarity) by interacting with the artist, and her work — at an Apr. 7 reception, 5–7 p.m., at Noho-M55 Gallery (530 W. 25th St.; nohogallery.net). Twisting paths that challenge one’s navigation skills also come to mind — always in name, and often in post-curtain conversation — when it comes to works by the Labyrinth Theater Company. Their spring benefit is built around a staged reading of “Texas Red,” company member Jonathan Marc Sherman’s adaptation of Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” Participating guest artists (subject to continuing availability) include Paul Dano, Peter Dinklage, and Laura Linney — alongside Labyrinth members including Bobby Cannavale, Chris Chalk, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Yul Vázquez, and Ethan Hawke.

March 31, 2016

PHOTO BY EARL DOUGLAS JR.

An all-star lineup will help raise funds for legendary keyboardist Bernie Worrell, at Apr. 4’s “All the WOO In The World” concert at Webster Hall.

Speaking of the project’s origins and possible future, Hawke recalls, “A few years ago, I did a production [of ‘Orchard’] as part of the Bridge Project, which Richard Linklater and Jonathan Marc Sherman came to see.” A conversation later that night found the trio proposing an adaptation “set in modern day Texas. So often in Chekhov, the issues of race and class are lost on audiences unable to fully grasp the nuances of Russian culture, and there is no play where Russia’s history of serfdom is more potent than in ‘The Cherry Orchard.’ Jonathan set about writing an adaptation that would make these themes come alive for a modern audience. Our dream is that one day this will be a film. We are inviting you to witness the beginning of our journey.” Earlier this week, Labyrinth

announced a continuation of the journey for its current production. Extended through Apr. 10, Mona Mansour’s “The Way West” finds two daughters staging a financial intervention when mom’s dysfunctional money management patterns keep snowballing long after she files for Chapter 11. The one-night-only “Texas Red” event happens at 5 p.m., Sun., Apr. 24, at Bank Street Theater (155 Bank St.; labtheater.org; $500 ticket includes post-reading talk back and reception with the cast). Patrons of the arts who enjoy an actual live performance in exchange for their generosity (as opposed to the fleeting endorphin rush one gets from making a crowdfunding donation) are in for a treat — several of them, in fact, in the form of these upcoming benefits:

Migrant youth, LGBT refugees, and survivors of gun violence are some of the marginalized communities whose stories are told in the Off-Broadway stage productions and post-performance discussions of Houses on the Moon Theater Company. Their fourth annual benefit, “AMPLIFY 2016,” will honor three philanthropic women: Laura Welch, whose Laura Welch & Associates connects social justice and youth development nonprofits with high-profile music artists, to produce fundraising events; Judy Sennesh, founder of the TransParents Project, a support group that serves families with transgender or gender variant loved ones, as a part of PFLAG NYC (Parents, Families and APRIL ARTS continued on p. 19 EastVillagerNews.com

What’s in store for April arts Bustling burlesque venue The Slipper Room is the jam-packed scene of intersecting passion projects and showbiz milestones — when this publication’s longtime theater columnist, Trav S.D., presents “The Night of 1,000 Vaudevillians,” a stellar collection of Downtown talent. The bill, far too packed to mention in its entirety, includes chameleonic chanteuse Tammy Faye Starlite; dynamic cabarettist Molly Pope; sound and mime vocal cartoonist Zero Boy; sweet, offbeat ventriloquist Carlo Rhodes and sassy, taffy-loving Cecil Sinclair; and the cast of “I’ll Say She Is.” The evening functions as a fundraiser for the upcoming revival of this lost Marx Brothers musical — lovingly restored with scholarly precision and screwball flair by Noah Diamond, whose impeccable Groucho gives the production (which had a 2014 FringeNYC run) its comedic glue. Joining Diamond will be longtime

Trav S.D. foil Robert Pinnock, a journeyman percussionist and firstrate physical comic who supplies “I’ll Say She Is” with a pitch-perfect Chico. As for the intersecting interests this write-up teased you with at its outset: many of the performers presented by Mr. S.D. are veterans of his American Vaudeville Theatre series, which is nearing its 20th year of hooking Downtown audiences on the densely packed variety show format that had Lower East Side audiences swooning, in the days before radio and television were all the rage. A final point of note: Trav is about to pen his 1,000th vaudevillian profile, on the Travalance blog (travsd.wordpress.com). The “I’ll Say” benefit happens on Wed., Apr. 20, 7:30 p.m., at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard St.; slipperroom.com). Tickets are $10 general, $25 for preferred seating. That’s all, folks. This Way to the Egress!

PHOTO BY DON SPIRO

Trav S.D. presents a benefit for the upcoming revival of the Marx Brothers musical, “I’ll Say She Is” — Apr. 20 at The Slipper Room. Pictured: Noah Diamond and Melody Jane. APRIL ARTS continued from p. 18

Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People); and law professor/litigator Lenni Benson, to be honored for her work as founder of the Safe Passage Project, which fights for the rights of indigent immigrant youth. Bookending the podium speeches and presentations are cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a dessert bar, live music by the Latin/jazz/ world music-influenced Juancho Herrera Trio, and a performance by Houses on the Moon artists. Tickets are $150–600. Mon., Apr. 18, 6:30 p.m. at Gotham Comedy Club (208 W. 23rd St.; housesonthemoon.org). Taking its name from the 1978 debut album from ParliamentEastVillagerNews.com

Funkadelic’s Bernie Worrell, an allstar roster of musicians will do their thing under the banner of “All the WOO In The World” — a benefit concert held to help defray health care and living expenses for legendary keyboardist Worrell, who is battling Stage 4 lung cancer, prostate, and liver cancer. So far, the list of talent includes Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Meryl Streep, Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band, and the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door, $100 for VIP. Mon., Apr. 4, 8 p.m. at Webster Hall (125 E. 11 St.; blackrockcoalition.org).

PHOTO BY JUSTIN PLOWMAN

Radio on TV: “A Dysfunctional Variety Hour” brings post-World War II pep, and dread, to the Thirteenth Street Repertory Theater, through Apr. 2. March 31, 2016

Giuliani and G.O.P. are going all out for Chang CHANG continued from p. 1

— the Reform, Independence and Clean Up the Mess party lines, the latter which he created for this election. Chang is being backed wholeheartedly and aggressively by the city and state’s Republican establishment, who see this as a historic opportunity to capitalize on former Speaker Sheldon Silver’s epic downfall and make a dent in solidly Democratic Manhattan, which hasn’t sent a Republican to Albany in nearly 20 years. Winning the district formerly held by one of New York’s most powerful Democrats would be a colossal coup. After representing the district for four decades, Silver was convicted at the end of last year on multiple federal corruption charges. Facing up to 130 years in prison, he is due to be sentenced next month. On Monday night, no less than former Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke at a Chang fundraiser in Chinatown at the 88 Palace dim sum banquet hall nestled beneath the Manhattan Bridge on ramp. Another G.O.P. heavy hitter, Ed Cox, the chairperson of the State Republican Committee, was also on hand and gave brief remarks. Speaking before Giuliani, Adele Malpass, the Manhattan chairperson of the Republican Party, told the crowd, “Imagine waking up on the 20th, when Sheldon Silver’s seat is held by a Republican. And when Lester wins, he will be the first Republican Asian-American elected in New York State. He believes in term limits, charter schools,” she said, to strong applause. “Yes, educational opportunity. It is just what we need.” Introducing Giuliani, Malpass praised him for leading the “transformation” of New York and showing leadership after the World Trade Center attack in September 2001. “He will always be America’s Mayor,” she said to a standing ovation and cheers of “Roo-dee! Roodee! Roo-dee!” as Giuliani took the microphone. The former mayor praised Chang, but actually spent most of his time repeatedly laying into Silver, slamming him as a “dishonest crook.” He also bemoaned what he called the sorry state of New York, Chicago, Detroit and other major American cities, solely blaming their current Democratic mayors for their problems. “On April 13, the guy who represented this district all the time that I was mayor is finally going to go to jail,” the former two-term mayor predicted. “In American politics, I never met a more dishonorable person than Sheldon Silver. This guy was a massive crook. “Shelly had two problems — he was a crook and he was dishonest,” he continued. “In politics, you actually have some crooks that are honest. Shelly would take the money and he would doublecross everybody — that’s why he’s going to jail. “He was completely in the pocket of the teachers union. They’re standing in the way of good education for our children,” Giuliani added of the United Federation of Teachers. “We need charter schools, we need pay for performance, we need to get rid of [teacher] tenure. I think we need vouchers.” Right now, Giuliani stressed, is a time when Republicans can make some real inroads, especially in urban areas. “If I read all the polls correctly, people are tired of career politicians,” he said, referencing the presidential election. “You elect Lester on April 19, it’s

March 31, 2016

PHOTO BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE

Lester Chang, sporting his Lieutenant Kimlau American Legion Post cap, posed for a photo with former Mayor Giuliani. Judging by the number of Kimlau caps in the crowd at his fundraiser, Chang appears to have strong support at the Chinatown post.

a statewide story, it’s a national story. You win here — I tell you — it sends a signal we can win cities.” Giuliani, who earned the moniker “America’s Mayor” after 9/11, bashed other American mayors — though only Democrats. “Why is Detroit the way it is? Why is Baltimore the way it is? Why did Chicago have 50 murders in March?” he went on. “You know why — they have been governed by Democratic mayors. Democrats have ruined America’s cities.” The way to improve cities is simple, Giuliani said: “Education and jobs will help people.” He added that it was “disgraceful” that the 65th Assembly District, which is about 45 percent Asian-American, has not had someone of that background represent it in the Assembly. “This is the most important Chinatown in America,” he said, to applause. Giuliani urged everyone to contribute dollars to Chang’s campaign. “If I said this better, maybe I could have been president!” he quipped of his own failed presidential bid. “He needs money. He’s not Donald Trump! He’s gotta raise money to get his message out.” Speaking of Trump, Giuliani said the high turnout in the Republican presidential race would likely help Chang at the polls. He said Ted Cruz and perhaps John Kasich, too, likely will still be in the running when the New York presidential primary is held April 19, the same day as the Assembly special election. “He’s going to win the race,” Giuliani predicted of Chang. “He’s got Democrats splitting the vote. I think the Republican [presidential] primary will still be going on when they come to New York.” Chang’s opponents include Alice Cancel, the Democratic nominee, who was selected by a closed County Committee vote; Yuh-Line Niou, a Democrat running on the Working Families Party line; and Dennis Levy, the Green Party candidate running on a marijuana-legalization platform. All Giuliani’s Chang cheerleading and Democrat bashing aside, however, the numbers defi-

nitely don’t favor a Republican candidate. Michael Zumbluskas, New York County chairperson of the Independence Party, provided The Villager with a breakdown of voters’ current party enrollment in the 65th A.D.: There are 49,604 registered Democrats and 7,675 registered Republicans — about a 6.5-to-1 ratio — as well as 2,256 voters registered with the Independence Party; 169 with the Green Party; 156 with the Conservative Party; 154 with the Working Families Party; 6 with the new Women’s Equality Party; 3 with the Reform Party. Another 17,169 voters are not registered with any party. There are a total of 77,248 eligible voters in the district, though 10,400 are considered “inactive” — not having voted recently — though still can vote if they show up at the polls. Zumbluskas acknowledged that many Manhattanites will never be able to bring themselves to pull the lever — or, rather, pencil in the oval — for a Republican, so the Independence line offers an alternative. Similarly, Chang, speaking earlier, said that people can also vote for him on the Clean Up the Mess line, since “Some people may not want to vote for me as G.O.P.” Zumbluskas initially had offered the Independence ballot line to Paul Newell and then to Jenifer Rajkumar. Both district leaders, however, declined the offer and are not running in the special election, but will run in the September Democratic primary for the Assembly seat. At any rate, although “America’s Mayor” may be a tough act to follow, he isn’t running for office — Chang is. Taking the mic, Chang called Giuliani “like a mentor to me,” praising him for his leadership after 9/11. “He gave us hope and he gave us steadiness,” he said. Picking up where Giuliani and Malpass had left off, he proceeded to pummel Silver a bit more. “For 40 years, Shelly Silver has held his residents CHANG continued on p. 23 EastVillagerNews.com

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Giuliani and G.O.P. going all out for Lester Chang CHANG continued from p. 20

of Manhattan captive,” he charged. “It was wrong. So now we have a chance to set things right.” When he was very young, Chang’s immigrant parents moved their growing family from a cramped one-bedroom apartment on Eldridge St. up to a larger place in public housing in East Harlem. Chang later grew up in Brooklyn and attended Midwood High School. Rocking Chang’s family, his father died when he was eight. To make ends meet, his mother bought a Chinese-food takeout place, and it was hard work, but all the kids helped run it. He went on to attend SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx. During his career, Chang worked first in business and finance, next for the U.S. Census, then went into international shipping. At age 35, he enlisted in the Navy and is now in the Navy Reserve. “Boot camp wasn’t easy. Everyone else was 18,” he quipped. After 9/11, he was called to duty, working for a Joint Intelligence Fusion Cell. In 2009, he worked as a military analyst for special ops in Afghanistan. For 25 years, he has been an election poll worker at Confucius Plaza. “I served the community, I served the state and I served the country,” he said of his varied history of service. “I’m a public servant.” His main planks are education, revitalizing Chinatown’s economy, opposing the push for a $15 minimum

wage — which is also a key plank of the state G.O.P. — and term limits in Albany. “I will vigorously fight against Mayor de Blasio’s dumbing down the specialized high schools,” he told the crowd on Monday, to applause. “It should be merit-based, nothing less.” Increased tourism is the best way to spark Chinatown’s business, in his view. “After 9/11, we lost sewing factories here. We need to gain it back, and tourism is the way,” he said of boosting the enclave’s economy. As for the “Fight for 15” campaign, he said, if elected, he would try to “slow down” the drive to boost the minimum wage from the current $9 because the higher rate would “hurt business.” Term limits are needed, he said, because “We can’t have career politicians.” Finally, he said, he is running because the district needs Asian-American representation. “This district is almost 50 percent Asian,” he stressed. Among Chang’s supporters at the event were prominent local businessman Charles Wang and Donald Hong, a former executive director and president, respectively, of the Chinatown Planning Council. Hong’s mother, Norma Chu, an early leader of C.P.C., was there, too. “He represents someone who hasn’t been tainted in the pockets of politicians — and that’s what we need,” Hong said of Chang.

Hello. It’s Adele... Oh, no! RHYMES WITH CRAZY BY LENORE SKENAZY

alk into the grocery and there she is. Shop for shoes, she’s shopping by your side. Need to cross a lobby? Drive to Jersey? Drink yourself into a stupor? My God — she is there, too: in the hotel, the car, the seedy bar’s seedy bathroom, seeping through the pipes. She is everywhere, always ready to start a conversation: “Hello. It’s me.” Of course it is. It always is. It is Adele. Now I know there must be some people — O.K., several — who can’t get enough of Adele. Her “Hello” video on YouTube has, well, lemme EastVillagerNews.com

check — 1,365,796,325 views so far. Not bad. But I was relieved to learn that it isn’t just me who is on the other side (as it were) of Adele-mania. “The only reason she’s popular is because Amy Winehouse is dead,” is how lifestyle blogger Amanda Lauren put it, rather bluntly, in a phone interview before using a very strong word. “I hate Adele.” Google those three little words and you will find a tsunami of similar sentiments, some laced with the kind of venom usually reserved for presidential frontrunners. “On behalf of the British nation, I apologize,” wrote one guy. “I can’t take it anymore!” another posted. A bit more thoughtfully, one blogger wrote, “Every Adele song is so damn formulaic, it is unbelievable. I can’t imagine any kind of emotional process that went on during the recording of any Adele song other

Another local businessman, Peter Lau, is also pulling for Chang. Eddie Chiu, of the Lin Sing Association, is a Democrat but is backing Chang in the special election. “He’s very clean — no [negative] background,” he said. Even if Cancel wins on April 19, Chiu predicted she will lose in the primary. “In September, I got another candidate — Paul Newell,” he added, with a smile. Wang gave opening remarks from the podium along with Long “Dragon” Deng, the G.O.P. finance co-chairperson for the metro region. Asked later what issues Chang could address, if elected, Deng cited two seafood regulations that are hurting Chinatown businesses. First, New York State is too strict in enforcing size limits on lobsters that can be sold, he said. Second, stores cannot display shellfish for sale in water because agencies fear it will lead to shellfish growing in municipal waterworks — which is a fallacy since the pipes are full of freshwater, not saltwater, Deng scoffed. Being caught violating these rules can bring a fine of $500 to $5,000, he said. Brian Kolb, the Assembly minority leader, was in town last week to boost Chang’s candidacy at a separate press event. “Lester Chang has the life experience needed to make a great assemblyman,” he said. “He understands the problems that affect this district and he knows how to fix them.” Kolb said Chang is on target about

not hiking the minimum wage. “It’s almost like you have to remind people, the minimum wage is not a living wage,” Kolb said. “It will put people out of work.” During the press conference with Kolb, Chang said he is taking inspiration from Trump, who is showing that a political outsider can shake things up, and that maybe he can follow suit. “I’m a fresh face. That’s maybe why Donald Trump is resonating,” he said. “Yes, he’s a reality TV star, but he’s a fresh face. So I hope that I can cut through.” Asked if he has endorsed Trump, he said, no, not as of now. However, Virginia Kee, president emeritus of Chinatown’s United Democratic Organization, which is backing Niou in the special election, downplayed the Chang hype and said he was picked because the G.O.P. was desperately scrambling to find a candidate, any candidate. “You know him, and you don’t know him,” she shrugged of Chang. “He’s just a nice, pleasant person. He’s not the only person the Republicans called. They called a lot of people. I know because people told me they were asked to run. I don’t know if he was on the short list or the long list. “We have a very capable candidate, not just someone nice. There are a lot of nice people walking on the street. Yuh-Line is capable. The Republicans put up another Chinese against a Chinese — they just want to split the Chinese vote.”

than, ‘Hey, remember that one song I wrote with the four sad piano chords and I belted the song title in the chorus? Let’s try that again.’ ” He’s anti-Adele for artistic reasons. But others are simply staggering under Adele Overload. “Today I heard it” — we know what song “it” is — “four different places,” Yvonne Lederer, a marketing director in Westport, sighed. “She’s an entertaining singer, but enough! I just feel like everywhere I’m going, she wants me to be really upset about a past lover, and I’m not going to go there.” In a desperate attempt to pare the Adele quotient down in her life, Lederer and her friends have actually stopped using the word “Hello.” Now, instead, they say, “’Sup?” Explains Lederer: “We’re protesting.” This can be an act of psychological self-preservation. When poet Erica Gerald Mason took her Toyota to the dealership for some warranty-required work, she had just settled into the waiting room, when you know who started singing in the background. The mechanic walked in and

Mason practically burst into tears. “This can’t be good news!” she cried. “You’re going to tell me you have to rebuild my engine, right?” Uh, no. He’d just come out to say…“Hello.” “He asked me why I had that reaction and I said, ‘Someone Like You’ is playing right now. This is not a song for good times. This is the song you hear when you need a new transmission. Play something else.” The problem is that that “something else” is likely to be something else by Adele. She’s not just popular, she has redefined popularity. So now I’m taking my cue from my pal Hannah Pazderka, whose family has turned Adelemania into a game. “Whenever we’re out shopping and Adele starts playing, it means we’ve probably been there long enough, so someone invokes the ‘Adele Rule’ and we have to leave,” she said. That one trick means spending less and actually heading out into the day, where it’s probably not nearly as gray and rainy as you thought it was. Hello to the outside. March 31, 2016

March 31, 2016

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