Our Town Downtown - January 9, 2020 by OurTown Downtown

The local paper for Downtown FREE AND AFFORDABLE PERFORMANCES ◄ CITY ARTS, P.12

BLOWBACK TO BAIL REFORM

WEEK OF JANUARY

9-15 2020 INSIDE

To take away the judge’s discretion, I think, is ridiculous.” Inspector Kathleen Walsh, commanding ofﬁcer of the 19th precinct on the UES

CRIME Mayor Bill de Blasio and other New York politicians joined thousands of participants in the March Against Anti-Semitism on the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday, January 5. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

TAKING ACTION AGAINST HATE SOCIETY

Anti-Semitic attacks through the holiday season bring tens of thousands out to a rally – and spur calls for greater protection BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN

“No Hate. No Fear.” “#JewishANDProud.” “America 2020 Not Germany 1933.” The signs were everywhere on a cold, clear day in Lower Manhattan. After a series of brutal attacks on Jews in and around New York City, an estimated

25,000 people gathered at Foley Square on Sunday, Jan. 5, then marched across the Brooklyn Bridge. The crowd was joined by an array of New York politicians, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, NY Attorney General Letitia James, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Member Mark Levine.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Law enforcement and elected ofﬁcials worry new law will mean an increase in crime as repeat offenders let go after arrests

DON’T STIFLE THAT SNEEZE!

Let your body do its thing to get rid of irritants. p. 2

BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM

The new year has ushered in the end of cash bail for many nonviolent defendants in New York, which advocates say will also end the practice of jailing people awaiting trial because they can’t afford to pay bail. But in the first few days of its implementation, local law enforcement officials are concerned that the new law will allow repeat offenders back out onto the streets and that arrests will no longer serve as a deterrence. Last spring, the state legislature passed these reforms, which now limits the charges for which bail can be set. The law mandates that individuals be released on their own recognizance unless more restrictive conditions are needed to ensure they will return for their court date, and require judges to take the defendant’s ability to pay bail when applicable.

FRANCE COMES TO MANHATTAN

Via Micro-Folie, a digital platform for the arts on view from Jan. 14. p. 13

Inspector Kathleen Walsh, commander of the 19th precinct, expects bail reform to contribute to an increase in larceny and robbery on the Upper East Side in 2020. Photo: David Noonan

The reforms also take away a judge’s discretion to set bail on a range of misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, which has not sat well with Republicans and moderate Democrats. Just a few days into the new rules, legislators

are looking to revise the law, according the New York Post. The updated law would allow judges to consider whether a defendant poses a threat to the community when decid-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

STERN AND LARSEN: TWO GREATS GONE

Jon Friedman reflects on a pair New York sportsmen. p. 8

A VISION FOR 2020

20 glimpses of how NYC could shape up in the new decade. p. 9

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Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts

3 8 10 12

Restaurant Ratings 14 Business 16 Real Estate 17 15 Minutes 21

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW

WEEK OF APRIL

< CITYARTS, P.12

FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL

presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE

is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration a lay point of view,” lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He ﬁrst writes about post, renders separate a in and then, how he arrived his decision, detailing Visitors to the blog at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want unthey whether really want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereﬂect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiArbitration Man, suc in 1985, settling vidual practice

9-16

MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20

2015

In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in actions the owners, policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s quantitative give us the first with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step problem. the xing fi of deformality for To really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout lives on who problem. Angelo, vexing most said Mildred construction permits gauge what Buildings one of the Ruppert said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She on the Over the past is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever Every New Yorker clang, tion Act tangible signs go as they please. work between early, and some come metal-on-metal can construction any small sound: the or on the weekend, have no respect.” the piercing of progress. For many can’t come p.m. and 7 a.m., the hollow boom, issuance of these business owners, that moving in reverse. as after-hours. The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits

SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS

A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311

Newscheck

for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced

City Arts

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CONTINUED ON PAGE

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DON’T STIFLE THAT SNEEZE! HEALTH

Let your body do its thing to get rid of irritants The next time you get the urge to stifle a window-rattling sneeze, you might want to reconsider. It could be harmful to your health. Clamping your nostrils and mouth shut might avoid disturbing others. But it could damage your eardrums or sinuses or cause an ear infection. Sneezes are surprisingly forceful. The sudden, powerful expulsion of air can propel mucous droplets at rates of up to 100 miles per hour. Some people start to sneeze with the arrival of warm weather and allergies. A hallmark of allergy-related sneezes is sneezing two to three times in a row. Allergist Rachel Szekely, MD, says to let those serial ah-choos roll.

“Occasionally, people will cause some damage to their eardrums or their sinuses if they stifle a very violent sneeze.” Dr. Rachel Szekely, immunologist at Cleveland Clinic “Occasionally, people will cause some damage to their eardrums or their sinuses if they stifle a very violent sneeze,” says Dr. Szekely, an immunologist in the Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Some people sneeze because of colds. Colds may produce a yellowish nasal discharge that signals an infection.

FUN FACTS ABOUT SNEEZES:

It’s best for that discharge to move out of the body. Stifling a sneeze only keeps it in the body — and could move it further inside. “By stifling a sneeze, you could push infected mucus through the eustachian tube and back into the middle ear,” Dr. Szekely says. “You can get middle ear infections because of that.” Sneezing is a protective reflex. It means an irritant has gotten into your nose that your body wants to keep from getting to your sinuses or lungs. When you sneeze, your body is trying to rid itself of the intruder. Some myths have grown up around stifling a violent sneeze. It won’t cause a stroke or blow out a kidney. All the same, Dr. Szekely says, let your body do its thing and sneeze. Just cover your mouth and nose. Source: Cleveland Clinic: health.clevelandclinic.org

Woman in lace dressing waving a hankerchief, c. 1900 Photo: Library of Congress

■ Sneezes are an automatic reflex that can’t be stopped once sneezing starts. ■ Sneezes can travel at a speed of 100 miles per hour and the wet spray can radiate five feet. ■ People don’t sneeze when they are asleep because the nerves involved in nerve reflex are also resting. ■ Between 18 and 35 percent of the population sneezes when exposed to sudden bright light. ■ Some people sneeze when plucking their eyebrows because the nerve endings in the face are irritated and then fire an impulse that reaches the nasal nerve. ■ Donna Griffiths from Worcestershire, England sneezed for 978 days, sneezing once every minute at the beginning. This is the longest sneezing episode on record. Source: Library of Congress: loc.gov

Sign up for low or no-cost health insurance today! The annual Open Enrollment Period is from November 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020. GetCoveredNYC is the City of New York’s ofﬁcial health insurance outreach and enrollment program. Get free in-person assistance in your language to help you ﬁnd and sign up for the coverage that’s right for you!

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CRIME WATCH BY MARIA ROCHA-BUSCHEL STATS FOR THE WEEK

MAN ROBBED INSIDE HIS HELL’S KITCHEN OFFICE A 36-year-old man told police that he was robbed inside the office where he works at 538 West 38th St. on Thursday, Dec. 26 at 6:40 a.m. The victim said that as he entered he was assaulted by a man who was hiding behind the office door. The suspect punched the victim multiple times, knocking him to the ground, and took $400 in cash and the victim’s ID card before fleeing east on West 38th St. and turning north on Tenth Ave. The victim said that he lost sight of the suspect after he went inside the Superior Gourmet Deli at the corner of West 41st St. and Tenth Ave. No arrests were made. Police said that the suspect got inside the office through a window or the fire escape.

DEBIT CARD SNATCHED Police have not made any arrests after a 24-year-old man reported that his debit card was snatched in front of the Artichoke Basille Pizza at 114 Tenth Ave. and West 17th St. on Friday, Dec. 27 at 1:30 a.m. The victim told police that he was using the ATM in front of the pizzeria when an unknown man followed him and snatched his debit card out of his

Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending Dec 29 Week to Date

Year to Date

2019

2018 % Change

2019

2018 % Change

0 0

n/a n/a

1 14

1 23

0.0 -39.1

3 1

0 2

n/a -50.0

77 97

80 61

-3.8 59.0

Grand Larceny

1 20

1 14

0.0 42.9

131 85 54.1 1,034 1,086 -4.8

Grand Larceny Auto

n/a

Murder Rape Robbery Felony Assault Burglary

Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr

hand. The victim said that the man ﬂed into the pizza parlor but he could not spot the man who had taken his card. He later found that there had been four cash withdrawals from his savings account in the amount of 929 Canadian dollars.

CPAP MACHINE STOLEN FROM BUS DRIVER DORMITORY Police reported that a CPAP

26, the machine was gone.

BANK ACCOUNT LOOTED

machine was stolen from a bus dormitory inside 525 West 40th St. sometime between 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 23 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 26. The 57year-old victim said that he left the dorm at 1:30 a.m. on Monday, which was the last time he used the machine, which police said was valued at $900. He said that he left the machine in the storage room with the other drivers’ possessions and when he returned on December

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A 34-year-old woman told police that money was removed from her account while she was working inside Fuku at 20 Hudson Yards on Tuesday, Dec. 24 around midnight. The victim told police that a charge of almost $350 was made against her checking account. After contacting her bank, she learned that the charge was attached to an exemployee of the restaurant. The SERVING BROOKLYN AND THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA

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IN THE SHADOW OF THE ANSONIA VIEWPOINT

A homeless encampment on a busy Upper West Side corner challenges the idea that the city’s streets are for everyone BY MICHAEL ORESKES

Below the surface of the Great City a delicate and generally tolerable balance of rules and laws and social norms allows us all to coexist. But now and again, the delicate balance fails and the Great City feels as if it is spinning out of control. That is what happened this holiday season on the northwest corner of 73rd Street and Broadway. It’s both a busy and a historic corner. To the south, Broadway and Amsterdam cross, forming two triangles, remembered by some of us as Needle Park, where drug-fueled panic marked an earlier time that balance in the Great City failed. Above the corner of 73rd Street looms the legendary Ansonia, a faux Parisian pas-

tiche three times the typical height and far more adorned than most Paris buildings, now enmeshed in netting, with scaffolding ringing its base. These additions to the original vision of the Ansonia comply with local law 11, which counters the singular New York threat that bits of building will crumble off and plunge down on us. None of us in the neighborhood need reminding why this is necessary. Five years ago a piece of building crumbled off the Esplanade nursing home two blocks away and fatally injured two-year-old Greta Greene as she sat on a bench with her grandmother. We can expect to see much more of this scaffolding in the years ahead, the unsought legacy of a New York architect, Erica L. Tishman, who was struck dead by a plunging piece of building while walking along west 49th street last month.

An Intractable Challenge Many New Yorkers offer a surprising fondness for how this scaffolding lets them stay out of the rain on nasty days,

like an unbeautiful version of the enclosed passages of Paris. The glory of New York of course is that something available on our streets to one New Yorker is there for all New Yorkers to share. Which is no doubt why a group of homeless people decided to encamp at the corner of 73rd Street and Broadway, under the scaffolding, along the edge of the faux Parisian Ansonia, in front of the North Face store. Even after booming development and gentrification, the West Side of Manhattan remains one of America’s more liberal enclaves, or progressive, as they now say. Which is why the appearance of these unsheltered New Yorkers, as they are now called, created such angst. If not quite existential, this angst has been both robust and dramatizing of one of the Great City’s most intractable challenges. “I’ve lived on the Upper West Side for 15 years,” says Elizabeth Carr, organizer of NYC Moms for Safer Streets. “Never, until this year, did we

have people sleeping on the street in groups, defecating on the side of buildings, and openly doing drugs.” Carr is clear-eyed about the mix of people, mostly men, camped by the Ansonia and otherwise living on the streets. Some, she notes, “were on the margin and pushed into homelessness.” But others suffer mental illness, often blended with substance abuse. They “refuse services,” she notes, “flout the norms that keep society functioning, create public health hazards via drug use and open defecation, shout obscenities at passers by, call out to moms like me with strollers saying ‘Give me $1,000 or I’ll punch you’.” The encampment featured a sign which read “give us $7000 and we will move.”

Layers of Urban Complexity Being homeless is not a crime, the mayor regularly points out. Threatening a mom with her child might be. Swinging a lock on a chain in the lobby of the Ansonia and smashing a window, as one

Scaffolding provides some shelter for the homeless at the corner of Broadway and 73rd St. Photo: Emily Higginbotham

resident of the encampment reportedly did after police tried

Never, until this year, did we have people sleeping on the street in groups, defecating on the side of buildings, and openly doing drugs.” Elizabeth Carr, organizer of NYC Moms for Safer Streets to move them, certainly is. Last summer the Governor and the Mayor launched efforts, announced separately, to move the homeless out of the subways. The transit authority, run by the governor, emphasized the need to protect transit riders from harassment. The city’s announcements, by the same token (pun for older New Yorkers), stressed that homelessness was not a crime. The push to push the homeless out of the subways added just one more layer to the urban complexity that created the encampment on 73rd Street in the first place. Several of the homeless on 73rd Street said they had lived in the subways but now found it harder to sleep there. Others said they had moved to 73rd Street because their shoes or

other possessions had been stolen when they tried to sleep in the notorious 30th Street men’s shelter. “I don’t feel we’ve gotten a good answer from any elected official regarding why the conditions on our streets are changing or what they plan to do about it,” Carr said. “There’s lots of ‘Well, it’s not illegal to sleep on the street.’” In the middle of December the mayor announced a renewed effort to move homeless off the streets. This has been greeted with both hope and skepticism. “Clearly,” Carr said, “there needs to be both policy and legal changes and they should be compassionate and effective. The current posture on behalf of the city of allowing these encampments to settle into neighborhoods, make them feel less safe, and really disturb residents, is simply not okay.” Meanwhile, police and their partners from city agencies and aid groups have managed to move the homeless encampment from the corner to a strip along 73rd Street between the wall of the Ansonia and a wrought iron fence. The sign seeking money to move has been replaced by one asking for hot food.

JANUARY 9-15, 2020

BAIL REFORM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ing whether bail is an appropriate condition of release. While in Manhattan on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo admitted that the reforms may have gone too far. “Changing the system, which we started to do ... is complicated and then has a number of ramifications,“ Cuomo said in a speech. “There’s no doubt this is still a work in progress and there are other changes that have to be made.” The pushback on the reforms comes after a woman was released twice without bail after she allegedly slapped three Hasidic women, screaming “F-U Jews” at them. The next day, the woman, identified as Tiffany Harris, of Brooklyn, allegedly punched another woman. The alleged assaults on the Hasidic women are now being investigated as a hate crime, but, as of Monday, Harris, who is being held for a mental health evaluation, has only been charged with misdemeanors, which are not subject to monetary bail under the reforms.

Sex Offenses and Violent Felonies In addition to misdemeanors, a number of nonviolent felonies — including stalking, assault without serious injury, burglary, a variety of drug offenses, and, in some cases, some charges of arson and robbery — are not subject to cash bail. Judges may release the defendants before trial, order supervision or, in some cases, mandate electronic monitoring to ensure they will return to court. Sex offenses, felony charges of domestic violence, criminal contempt, witness tampering and terrorism-related charges are excluded from the statute and judges may set monetary bail. Judges are also required to consider a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail for violent felonies. Judges must also offer bail in an unsecured or partially secured bond, where the defendant is not required to deposit any money up front or only deposit 10 percent of the bail amount in order to be released. In 2018, according to an

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Tired of Hunting for Chelsea News? Subscribe today to Clinton In Manhattan on Jan. 6, Governor Andrew Cuomo said there are “changes that have to be made” to the new law. Photo: Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo, via flickr

analysis conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, judges opted to release defendants without imposing monetary bail in 105,161 cases out of a total of 138,387 cases that continued beyond arraignment. In the 31,609 cases in which bail was set, 27,235 defendants did not post bail and were detained before their trial. If the 2020 bail reforms had been in place in 2018, 20,349 of the 31,609 cases where bail was set would have resulted in release without bail. In total, 125,510 people would have been released without bail under the reforms — meaning 90 percent of defendants would not have been jailed before their trial.

Challenges for Police Some law enforcement officials are worries about bail reform means for their own neighborhoods. Deputy Inspector Timothy Malin, who is the commanding officer of the 20th precinct on the Upper West Side, said the changes will present challenges for police and prosecutors. “If you ask me if I have concerns about the potential for negative impacts on neighborhood safety? Absolutely,” said Malin. “So I think it is critical that we pay close attention to crime statistics and court data in the coming months to assess the outcomes of these changes.” Inspector Kathleen Walsh, who commands the 19th precinct on the Upper East Side, said her biggest concern is the

potential of repeat offenders being released continuously. “To take away the judge’s discretion, I think, is ridiculous,” said Inspector Kathleen Walsh, who serves as the commanding officer of the 19th precinct on the Upper East Side. “We’re not allowed to take into consideration that they’ve been arrested numerous times for the same crime.” Walsh said 75 percent of the index crime in her precinct is grand larceny, and those numbers have increased over the past year. “I get a lot of the same folks committing these crimes … and I’m not talking about somebody who’s already committed a crime once or twice,” said Walsh. Officers in the 19th precinct arrested a man last week for robbery — it was his 131st arrest, 94 of which had all been in the 19th precinct. The man punched a store employee during the robbery, Walsh said, but the crime now isn’t subject to bail, and he’s been released and is back on the streets. “He’s a career criminal. He doesn’t care if he gets arrested again,” said Walsh. “He loves to hit my Duane Reads, my CVS’s … he’ll take packages from the lobby of buildings. So what’s to stop him from going out and doing that again?” Under the bail reform, Walsh expects larceny and robbery crimes to continue to increase in 2020.

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FEEDING THE HUNGRY ON THE UES EAST SIDE OBSERVER

BY ARLENE KAYATT

The gift of giving - Talk about giving and gifting and re-gifting, it’s what we do at this time of year. The best gift to welcome the new decade is Victor Rivera’s Bronx Parent Housing Network’s (BPHN) Soup Kitchen, which opened on New Year’s Day on the Upper East Side on First Ave. between 85th and 86th Sts. and is funded by an anonymous donor. Deep cuts looming to federal food programs will inevitably mean more and more people will be going with less or no food. And as Rivera, BPHN’s CEO, observed, “Wall Street may be breaking records, but there are hungry people in New York, and the situation is threatening to get worse.” Rivera, who has personally experienced the misfortunes of being homeless and hungry, went back to school and earned a master’s degree in public administration. And it’s not only the homeless who avail themselves of the soup kitchen. It’s New Yorkers who have lost their jobs and have to contend with the high cost of living, and health and other expenses which may force them to choose between cutting down on eating or paying for other necessities. The food at the soup kitchen is prepared off premises, in ac-

cordance with prescribed dietary guidelines, by Havana Express, a restaurant in the Bronx. On hand at the New Year’s Day opening, Council Member Ben Kallos joined Rivera and BPHN and, while thanking the anonymous donor, noted that “No community, including the Upper East Side, is immune to the sad reality of families facing hunger during the holiday season.” And he cautioned that, “As a City, we must prepare for looming cuts to SNAP benefits and bolster outreach to the homeless whenever and wherever possible.” Puppy Un-love - Several alerts came through during December about small pet shops on the UES where shivering puppies were on display in the store windows. It’s heart-rending enough to see the ASPCA’s TV ads showing shivering pets standing out in the cold or in cages waiting for someone to take them indoors. But then to see them in our midst by proprietors who have a duty to protect pets in their care, OMG! I can’t imagine the motivation of any pet shop owner, or staffer, who would stand by and allow that to happen. I’ve been told that reports of the abuse were made to the local police precinct, but shivering pups remain on display. There ought to be a law. Movin’ on up - East Side favorite, Sable’s, where you go

to get the best smoked fish, herring, caviar, sandwiches, homemade salads, rugelach and more, will be leaving its location on Second Ave and 78th St. this May and moving to Third Ave in the 70’s. Not happy about empty storefront, but happy that Sable’s is still in business and staying on the UES. Bye bye Beygolu - One of my favorite go-to restaurants over the years has been Beygolu, an upscale Mediterranean spot on the corner of 81st St. and Third, even though they don’t take reservations and won’t seat you until all diners arrive. You complain at first, then get with the program - until you find out that they no longer have taramasalata (that briny meze made from salted and cured roe of carp, cod or mullet) on the menu, that there’s no more seating downstairs and that you’ll have to hike the steep stairs to the upper level, and that, after making the trek, they won’t give you separate checks. End of an error. Guess I’ll have to find a taverna with tarama on the menu, seating for the stair challenged, and a server who will give us separate checks. A tall order that goes great with Turkish wine or a Greek retsina. Anyway, Happy New Year (USA), Mutlu yillar (”Happy Years” in Turkey). And sayonora, Beygolu.

JANUARY 9-15, 2020

Voices

STERN & LARSEN: TWO GREATS GONE PUBLIC EYE

BY JON FRIEDMAN

Chances are, David Stern and Don Larsen crossed paths over the years. New York sports icons have a way of understanding the secret handshake of famous people in our little town. After all, Stern, a child of New York who grew up to be a successful corporate lawyer and then the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, was a sports fan throughout his life. And the legend of Larsen, as the only pitcher to hurl a perfect game in the World Series, is passed down and taught to baseball diehards as soon as they can walk. Larsen and Stern made us think again last week when they died on the same day, January 1, the first day of a new decade. Larsen, who was 90, had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Stern, 77, suffered a brain hemorrhage on Dec. 12.

One Game vs. Thirty Years Our deep appreciation of what they accomplished reveals a lot about our society as well, and the elusive definition of success. Larsen, a journeyman pitcher, finished his 15-year, Major League career with a 81-91 record. Stern, by contrast, led the NBA with a visionary touch and an iron fist for 30 years. He took a damaged business property that had been turning off fans for years, what with its petulant athletes, and lifted it to become a $5 billion asset. Stern wisely realized that

David Stern transformed the NBA from a struggling business to a global sports empire. Photo: Taki Lau via Flickr

his best bet was to focus the NBA in the 1980s and beyond on the great, charismatic athletes of the day. His tenure saw the rise of the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry and the explosion of Michael Jordan. Larsen achieved unforgettable success based on a single game he pitched – the fifth contest of the 1956 World Series. Stern made his mark over three decades. Whose fame now will transcend the times? Adam Silver, who succeeded Stern as the commissioner in 2014, has already built on Stern’s foundation, taking the NBA all over the world aggressively. Larsen’s feat still has not been equaled. Perhaps, someday, a pitcher will come along and match it. If and when some pitcher does, will Larsen’s feat begin to fade away, since it will no longer stand alone in the annals of the sport? And, as Adam Silver continues to make the NBA even richer and more globally famous, will his success eclipse

that of his mentor? Society can be cruel and play tricks on us mere mortals. Which is more noteworthy, a one-day Herculean feat or a career of unparalleled achievements?

Room for Both It’s sad, perhaps, too, that their fame may turn out to be generational. As baseball lore has had less glitter over the years because of steroids scandals and the like, all of the game’s glorious past is tarnished. But as sports becomes recognized more and more a s a business, someone like Stern will be lauded as a great achiever. Larsen never cashed in on his fame. You seldom recognized him in television commercials and personal appearances. Stern proved to be the most powerful behind-thescenes driving force on the modern NBA, until his retirement. Fortunately, there is room for both icons in our hearts. Rest in peace, gents.

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

Cyclists would no longer view themselves as participants in the Tour de France. Photos: Steven Strasser

A VISION FOR 2020 ON THE TOWN

20 glimpses of how NYC could shape up in the new decade BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL

I had, not quite a dream, but a vivid image of how the new year — actually new decade — could shape up for the better in our beloved NYC.

1.break.UESSince moms catch a literary “The Nanny Diaries” reared its head, the market has been flooded with tales of “‘normal’ mom moves to Manhattan where everyone in Louboutins kicks her, figuratively.” Did it, done it, read it, been there.

2.tropeThefinally “New Yorkers are rude” fades away. Rejuvenated by a recent Business Insider poll, the truth is the only rude people you meet are the transplants out to prove they’re tough enough to make it here (so they can make it anywhere.) Those of us born and bred here may have a rough veneer, but we also have manners.

3. We slow our smart phone roll. Staring at your cell while walking on a crowded Manhattan street, then getting annoyed when someone

bumps into you, is, dare I say, stupid.

stuff falls off buildings under construction.

18. Cyclists in bike lanes, and 16. Citizens think twice elsewhere, no longer fancy before they douse with milk or sucker punch police officers.

themselves participants in the Tour de France.

9. We stop attacking people 4.celebrity “Housewives” lose their cachet. By now, we all who practice a religion different 17. We become more 19. Co-op board members discerning about “cancelling.” than our own. know reality TV is as genuine refrain from acting like they’re Some people do terrible things as the WWF, and these and must be held accountable; running Amazon. programs have become mere infomercials for cheap clothing 10. At least one campaigning others do dumb stuff, especially when they’re young 2021 mayoral candidate can lines, downtown restaurants, 20. NYC school mania dies when everything “seemed like fix our city’s current situation. liquor concoctions and down. I am the mother of adult a good idea at the time.” whatever other entrepreneurial junk these attention seekers 11. We start seeing social can hawk. media for what it is: people’s highlight reels, not documentation of their 5.considered Pro/con Trump gear is a fashion don’t. You problem-free lives. talk incessantly about how he’s either not your president or he’s the second coming. We got it. Visual aids no longer necessary.

12. We don’t take for granted our NYC icons, so they don’t go

the way of Lord & Taylor, Bendels and Barneys.

“Miscommunication” drops from our collective vocabulary. The word implies nothing — in a city of 8 million — is anyone’s fault, yet the person at the short end of the transgression always ends up dealing with a lingering mess created by someone else.

7.areEmpty storefronts no longer the norm, putting an end to streets and avenues feeling like a walk down depression-era lane.

8.avoidWescaffolding, cross the street to because

13.

An emphasis on customer service has a resurgence, so more businesses don’t go the way of Lord & Taylor, Bendels and Barneys.

14.

Starbucks and Duane Reade acquiesce that a store on every city block is overkill.

15. Madison Avenue salespeople rethink the sidewalk hustle of using a complimentary packet of hand cream as bait. Empty storefronts would no longer be the norm.

children who can’t believe that in 25 years nothing has changed on the applicationfrenzy front. Here’s some insight: your student can go to the “right” pre-K, yet still not get into Harvard — or end up not wanting to go to college at all. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back to Work She Goes.”

JANUARY 9-15,2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND

thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY

Calendar NYCNOW

Marino Marini and Henry Moore: An Italian Friendship

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 6PM Center for Italian Modern Art | 421 Broome St. | 646-370-3596 | italianmodernart.org

Discover the world around the corner. Find community events, gallery openings, book launches and much more: Go to nycnow.com

Sebastiano Barassi, Head of Collections & Exhibitions at the Henry Moore Foundation in the U.K., speaks on the friendship between two of the most celebrated sculptors of the 20th century ($10).

The New Republic: Salon at the Strand (with Anna Wiener)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 7PM The Strand | 828 Broadway | 212-473-1452 | strandbooks.com The New Republic sits down with author Anna Wiener to talk about her new book, Uncanny Valley: A Memoir, which provides a rare ﬁrst-person look Silicon Valley. She’ll share insight into an industry “that enriched itself at the expense of the idyllic future it claimed to be building” (free).

Just Announced | Dillahunty vs D’Souza

SUNDAY, MARCH 1ST, 7PM The Town Hall | 123 W. 43rd St. | 212-997-1003 | thetownhall.org Enjoy a two-philosopher throwdown, toe to toe without moderator tempering. Trump superfan Dinesh D’Souza will test his wits against atheist and skeptic Matt Dillahunty—who recently got the best of Jordan Peterson in Toronto ($41 and up).

For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,

The local paper for Chelsea

EDITOR’S PICK

Tue 14 BROOKLYN: THE ONCE AND FUTURE CITY Skyscraper Museum 39 Battery Pl 6:30 p.m. Free with admission Skyscraper.org 212-945-6324 Author Tom Campanella unearths long-lost threads of the borough’s past. He recounts the creation of places familiar and forgotten, built and never realized, bringing life to the individuals whose dreams, visions, rackets, and schemes forged the city we know today. Photo: Gary Bembridge via Flickr

Advertise with Chelsea News today! Call Vincent Gardino at 212-868-0190

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Thu 9

Fri 10

Sat 11

▲TO THE MOON

FILM: PUTNEY SWOPE (1969)

KICK: THE INXS EXPERIENCE

Battery Park 6 River Terrace 6:00 p.m. Free Robert Downey Sr made his name with this biting satire about a black advertising executive. The ﬁlm satirizes the advertising world, the portrayal of race in Hollywood ﬁlms, the white power structure, and the nature of corporate corruption. Bpca.ny.gov 212-417-2000

The Cutting Room 10:30 p.m. $25-35 Formed in 2014, two years after INXS stopped touring, KICK - The INXS Experience has beautifully managed to capture the spirit of the Australian rock icons in both its sound and live performance. Thecuttingroomnyc.com 212-691-1900

The Public Theater 425 Lafayette St 12:00 – 10:00 p.m. $15 In this 15-minute VR experience by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang, the viewer is shot out from Earth, walks on the surface of the Moon, glides through space debris, ﬂies through DNA skeletons, and is lifted up a lunar mountain. Publictheater.org 212-967-7555

JANUARY 9-15,2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

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▲FILM: SUNRISE (1927)

HER/MUSIC: HER/STORY

Anthology Film Archives 32 Second Ave 7:30 p.m. $9 German director FW Murnau’s first American film is an allegory about a country man who is temporarily overruled by his passions, inflamed by the power of evil as personified by his urban mistress. One of the crowning achievements of the silent era. anthologyfilmarchives.org 212-505-5181

National Arts Club 15 Gramercy Park South 7:30 p.m. Free (RSVP required) This program shines a light on the music and stories of great women composers, including rediscovered masterpieces by women composers of the past, as well as dynamic new works. Nationalartsclub.eventbrite. com 212-475-3424

IMAGINARY MUSEUMS: NICOLETTE POLEK McNally Jackson 4 Fulton St 7:30 p.m. Free Twenty-six surreal miniatures about displacement, mystery, and transformation from the winner of a 2019 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award. Nicolette Polek discusses her new book in conversation with Christine Schutt, Precious Okoyomon and Mary South. Mcnallyjackson.com 646-964-4232

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Wed 15 ▲BILLION OYSTER SOCIAL Canal Street Oysters 380 Canal St 6:00 p.m. $30 During this intimate tasting, guests will enjoy a half-dozen oysters from The Lobster Place, prepared in three different ways by Chef Charlene Santiago, and paired with a dram or signature cocktail from Talisker whisky. Billionoysterproject.org 646-448-4032

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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

RICH PERFORMANCES, AFFORDABLE (OR FREE) TICKETS PERFORMING ARTS

‘Tis the season of high art and low prices. Take your pick. BY MARY GREGORY

Just because the weather turned colder, it doesn’t mean all the great free music, dance and performance options in New York drop off the calendar. They just move indoors. Recent medical studies say that attending cultural events lengthens lives. Here are some suggestions – free or around $10 and under – to keep you going strong. ■ Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium series celebrates its 10th year of free, live performances Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. through the spring. With eclectic, accomplished artists that range from Brooklyn composer/guitarist Kaki King, to 2019 Latin Grammy winners C4 Trío, to

tropical dance rhythms by Los Cumpleaños, and a new interpretation of the Gershwins’ classic – “Porgy & Bess The AstroBlack Trapfish Row Variations” – by Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, to Endea Owens, Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist of 2019, there are plenty of new and exciting sounds.

lincolncenter.org/atrium ■ See tomorrow’s stars of classical music now at the 2020 Julliard Chamberfest. From January 13th through the 15th, seven concerts featuring 131 Juilliard musicians fresh from an intensive winter-break rehearsal schedule will be presented. Tickets are $10, with the exception of the free “Wednesday at One” concert in Alice Tully Hall on January 15.

juilliard.edu/event/140211/ chamberfest-2020 ■ Lots of musicians are singing praise and making joyful sounds this season. The renowned Yale Schola Canto-

rum returns to the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola for “Christ is Born” with music by Tallis, Poulenc, Howells, Bax, and Tavener in a program celebrating Epiphany on Saturday, January 25th at 2:00 p.m.. It’s free and no tickets are needed.

ignatius.nyc/cs-event/ yale-schola-cantorum/ ■ Mames Babegenush, awardwinners at the International Jewish Music Festival, fuse jazz, klezmer and dance music at Mehanata Bulgarian Bar on Ludlow Street on Saturday, January 11 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $5.

mehanatanyc.com/event/m ames-babegenush-livemusic-dance-party-atmehanata/ ■ The Harlem Gospel Choir’s Martin Luther King Day Celebration takes place at Sony Hall on January 20th. Tickets start at $12.50 for what’s described as a foot-stomping, hand-clapping gospel show by a legendary choir that’s performed internationally for royalty, as well as at home, for President Obama.

goldstar.com/events/newyork-ny/the-harlem-gospelchoirs-martin-luther-king-d ay-celebration-tickets

Amanda Selwyn dancers. Photo: Christopher Duggan

■ The Guggenheim’s Works and Process new season opened with a gala on January 6th, but regular performances start on January 13th with two commissioned premieres by Les Ballet Afrik and Ephrat Asherie Dance. This year, for the first time, to make the shows more accessible, a digital lottery for up to two $10 tickets per person will be held. Look for offer-

JANUARY 9-15, 2020

ings that range from The Metropolitan Opera’s “Agrippina” by Handel to insider insights on cutting-edge ballet and theater.

guggenheim.org/event/event_s eries/works-process ■ Be the first to see Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre’s “Hindsight” before its world premiere in March. Their open rehearsal offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a new work and the artistic process that goes into it. In “Hindsight,“ choreographer Selwyn draws from memory, reflections, and thoughts on history and the future. Meet the troupe at a reception that follows. January 15th at 6:3o p.m. at The Ailey Studios, free with RSVP.

amandaselwyndance.org/op enrehearsal-winter2020/ ■ Women of Color on Broadway is an organization just over a year old, dedicated to supporting and celebrating women of African, Latin, and Asian descent who work in musical theatre. Tony winners LaChanze (The Color Purple) and Melba Moore (Purlie) will be honored with awards on February 10th at The Cooper Union’s Great Hall. The event is free with RSVP (first come, first served) and will include performances by Amber Gray (Hadestown), Celia Gooding (Jagged Little Pill), Kayla Davion (The Tina Turner Musical), Aléna Watters (The CHER Show), Shoba Narayan (Wicked), Darlesia Cearcy (Once On This Island), Linah Sta. Ana (Miss Saigon), Kuhoo Verma (Medusa the Musical), Genesis Collado (Over Here!), Barbara Douglas, and Vanisha Gould.

Works and Process, Les Ballet Afrik featuring Omari Wiles. Photo: Robert Altman

www.eventbrite.com/e/wo men-of-color-on-broadwaylive-from-the-cooperunions-great-hall-tickets-8 6393989749#tickets Yale Schola Cantorum will perform at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. Photo: Courtesy: Yale Schola Cantorum

JANUARY 9-15, 2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

At a sneak preview for students. Photo: Elena Olivo (FIAF)

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FRANCE COMES TO MANHATTAN CULTURE

Via Micro-Folie, a digital platform for the arts on view from Jan. 14 BY LEIDA SNOW

Do you miss the Louvre and the Musée D’Orsay? Can’t get to Paris or don’t want to risk the manifestations (strikes)? Well, the great Paris cultural institutions can be yours in New York beginning January 14. That’s when the French Institute/Alliance Française (FIAF) is inaugurating MicroFolie at its midtown Manhattan home. Micro-Folie is a high definition, digital platform for the arts. Using a computer tablet, you can experience the fountains at the Palais de Versailles or a ballet or opera at the Palais Garnier. Or you can analyze any one of several thousand masterpieces from numerous museums and institutions. FIAF’s president, Marie-Monique Steckel, is aware that most museums and cultural institutions offer some digital access. She said those others are “too complicated.” In FIAF’s Gallery, a large screen will display a series of artworks, historic monuments and performances in high definition. There will be tablets and headphones so visitors can follow the presentations closely. Or they can browse on their own, following the handy instructions or talking to a trained guide. For now, there are no virtual tours

but, according to Artistic Director Courtney Geraghty, they may be added in the future. Geraghty said that FIAF will be reaching out to schools. “Last year, our young audience program brought in 2,300 students throughout the tri-state area,” she said. In a phone call, Geraghty emphasized that FIAF’s young audience outreach is free for all New York public schools, with minimal charges for private schools. At a sneak preview, youngsters easily took to the tablets, while the adults with them seemed equally intrigued.

What’s In a Name The name “Micro-Folie” doesn’t mean what you may think it does. It translates literally to something like “tiny insanity.” But folie doesn’t mean madness in French. The naming of Micro-Folie is a nod to the Parc de la Villette, Paris’ multi-disciplinary arts and culture venue. The extravagant country houses built around Paris in the 18th century were called folies. In architecture, a folly is a decorative construction that is wildly overdone. The architect for La Villette created 26 folies scattered throughout the 137 acre park. They’re nothing like what you’d expect in a garden ornament. They are boisterous, fire-engine red metal structures that boldly contrast with the vast green lawns. Some ten million visitors show up every year to this huge playground, each folie

devoted to a different cultural or leisure activity. The name Micro-Folie seems somehow apt for the park director’s vision of a cultural digital platform for local development. In partnership with La Villette, the French Ministry of Culture intends to bring access to the arts that transcends geographic and economic inequalities. Already reaching communities throughout France, as well as cities in Belgium, Myanmar, Egypt, Peru, and Turkey, the program is designed to be in some 1,000 locations over the world within three years. The recorded guides are available in several languages, depending on location. In New York, they will be in English and French. Steckel sees Micro-Folie as a democratization of culture. “At the smaller places throughout France and elsewhere, this reaches people who don’t have access to museums and other cultural institutions,” she said. Steckel said she sees Micro-Folie as another way to teach French. FIAF is planning a six month test. “If people like it, we’ll continue,” she said. Her goals are to outreach to youngsters who don’t have access to the arts, and to reach a larger population of adults, beyond those who go to museums or performances. Steckel said Micro-Folie experiences are digital excursions or trips. She said she hopes to “titillate” visitors so they’ll want to dive deeper into the wonder of culture and the arts on their own.

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

The following listings were collected from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and include the most recent inspection and grade reports listed. We have included every restaurant listed during this time within the zip codes of our neighborhoods. Some reports list numbers with their explanations; these are the number of violation points a restaurant has received. To see more information on restaurant grades, visit www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml. Dunkin, Baskins Robbins

140 Delancy St

Fresh White Swan Bakery

88 E Broadway

Remedy Diner

245 East Houston Street

Madman’s Expresso 54 University Pl

Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque

Not Yet Graded(9) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

103 2 Avenue

National Arts Club

15 Gramercy Park South

Village Taverna Greek Grill

81 University Place

Dunkin’ Baskin Robbins

542E 14th St

East Village Tavern /Day Tripper

158 Avenue C

Not Yet Graded(39) Thawing procedures improper. Food, food preparation area, food storage area, area used by employees or patrons, contaminated by sewage or liquid waste. Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

Ess-A-Bagel

324 1st Ave

Civic Deli

111 Worth St

Carmine Street Beer

52 Carmine St

Davidstea

275Bleaker Street

Feb-30

110 Macdougal St

Hirohisa

73 Thompson St

Le Souk

510 Laguardia Place

Not Yet Graded(20) Proper sanitization not provided for utensil ware washing operation. Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; antisiphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist. Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

The Musket Room

265 Elizabeth St

Urban Backyard

180 Mulberry St

295 Greenwich St A

New Shun Wei Restaurant

45 Catherine Street

Not Yet Graded(44) Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backﬂow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or ﬂoor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

U Tea

139 Fulton St

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DECEMBER 26, 2019 - JANUARY 2, 2020

Joe & The Juice Greenwich St

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RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

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Neighborhood Scrapbook

Everything you like about Our Town Downtown is now available to be delivered to your mailbox every week in the Downtowner From the very local news of your neighborhood to information about upcoming events and activities, the new home delivered edition of the Downtowner will keep you in-the-know.

And best of all you won’t have to go outside to grab a copy from the street box every week.

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Chuck Bowman (left), president of the National Funeral Directors Association, with William Villanova, president of Frank E. Campbell. Photo courtesy of Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel

AN AWARD FOR FRANK E. CAMPBELL The Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel received the National Funeral Directors Association 2019 Pursuit of Excellence Award and the 2019 Best of the Best Award. These awards recognize Frank E. Campbell for their unwavering commitment to the fu-

neral profession and their dedication to service excellence. Only five funeral homes in the world received the 2019 Best of the Best Award. “I am honored to receive this award on behalf of Frank E. Campbell – The Funeral Chapel,“ said William Villanova, president of

Frank E. Campbell. “For over 120 years our funeral directors and professional staff have been known for excellence and we remain dedicated to providing our client families with the highest quality funerals, exceptional service and premier hospitality.”

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

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Business

TACKLING YOUR HOLIDAY CREDIT CARD DEBT PERSONAL FINANCE

From the “snowball” method to paying off small balances ﬁrst: how consumers can pay for their year-end gifts BY KEN SWEET, ASSOCIATED PRESS

The children are playing with their gifts, the new TV is up on the wall, and that puppy has a brand-new cashmerelined bed, when another gift arrives in the mail. This one isn’t from Santa. It’s your statement from your friendly credit card company. They want to know how you’re gonna pay for all this. The average American consumer will have spent more than $1,000 on gifts this season, according to the National Retail Federation. And with

six out of 10 Americans not having at least $1,000 in savings in the first place, that money for gifts has to come from somewhere, and that “somewhere’’ is typically a credit card or a personal loan. Credit card balances typically shoot up in December, soon to be followed by a noticeable tick-up in credit card delinquencies in January and February, as many Americans borrow too much to pay for gifts and then struggle to figure out how to pay off the debt. While delinquencies remain far below what they were in the Great Recession, there are still millions of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck and additional debt can become a big problem quickly. The first thing you need to do is create a list of all credit cards you have, the balances

Photo:Mighty Travels via Flickr

on them, the interest rates and when each credit card payment is due. Now that you know what the damage is and where it’s coming from, there are typically two ways to pay it off. One is the “snowball’’ method made popular by radio host and financial advice giver Dave Ramsey, which is to pay off your highest interest rate credit cards first. Then transfer the funds you’ve been using to pay off those high balances, once paid off, to then aggressively pay off the smaller balances. Sometimes you need a bit of a boost of self-confidence to help encourage you to tackle the bigger challenges. The other option is to pay off several small balances first, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. This option isn’t as financially efficient, but it might be better for your menAfter the gifts come the statements.

tal well-being. “Oftentimes paying off a few small balances reinforces your need to make sacrifices and puts a bit of wind in your sails,‘’ he said. But paying off small balances should not cause you to neglect aggressively paying of the higher balances once they are all you have left, McBride said. Another common method to pay off holiday gifts is to use your upcoming tax refund. But personal finance experts recommend trying to plan ahead so you’re not having to rely on Uncle Sam (and the whims of the United States Congress) to make sure you can cover your expenses. Using your emergency fund, if you have one, is not recommended to pay off holiday debt. Unless you have an explicit plan to rebuild those savings, and not touch them in the future, it’s best to leave

The first thing you need to do is create a list of all credit cards you have, the balances on them, the interest rates and when each credit card payment is due. those funds for true financial emergencies. One long-term suggestion McBride and other financial experts recommend is try to plan ahead for next year’s holidays. Add up all the money you spent on gifts and vacations for the family this year, and then divide by 12. That gives you a monthly amount to set aside that will help you not end up in the same situation a year from now.

JANUARY 9-15, 2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

JANUARY 9-15, 2020

Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com

THE ‘FRED ASTAIRE OF EDITING’ LIVES

Sonny Mehta, visionary head of Alfred A. Knopf, dies at 77 BY HILLEL ITALIE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sonny Mehta, the urbane and astute head of Alfred A. Knopf who guided one of the book world’s most esteemed imprints to new heights through a blend of prize-winning literature by Toni Morrison and Cormac McCarthy among others and blockbusters such as “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,“ died at age 77. Mehta, the husband of author Gita Mehta, died last Monday at his home in Manhattan. According to Knopf, the cause was complications from pneumonia. The bearded, chain-smoking Mehta spoke carefully and chose wisely, helping Knopf thrive even as the industry faced the jarring changes of corporate consolidation, the demise of thousands of independent stores and the rise of e-books. An accomplished publisher and editor since his mid-20s, he succeeded the revered Robert Gottlieb in 1987 as just the third Knopf editorin-chief in its 72-year history and over the following decades fashioned his own record of critical and commercial success. He continued to publish celebrated authors signed on by Gottlieb, including Morrison and Robert Caro, while adding newer talent such as Tommy Orange, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Karen Russell. Knopf also was home to some of the bestselling works in recent times. In 2008, Mehta acquired U.S. rights to a trilogy of crime fiction by a dead Swedish journalist, Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium’’ series, which went on to sell tens

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Photo: Michael Lionstar

of millions of copies. In 2012, the paperback imprint Vintage won a bidding war for an explicit erotic trilogy that at the time could only be read digitally, E L James’ “Fifty Shades” novels. Other top sellers released during Mehta’s reign included Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In,“ Bill Clinton’s “My Life” and Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild.’’ When the Center for Fiction honored Mehta in 2018 with a lifetime achievement award, tributes were written by Joan Didion, Haruki Murakami and Anne Tyler, who praised “his precision’’ and “deft assurance’’ and called him the “Fred Astaire of editing.’’ Knopf’s catalog often reflected Mehta’s own broad curiosity. In a single season, the publisher might release new fiction by Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, crime novels by P.D. James and James Ellroy, poetry by Anne Carson and Philip Levine, history by John Keegan and Joseph Ellis, humor by Nora Ephron and memoirs by Bill Clinton or Katharine Hepburn or Andre Agassi. Knopf also appreciated the rewards of patience, allowing Caro to spend years between each installment of his Lyndon Johnson biographies, a decades-long project that sold hundreds of thousands of copies and brought Caro numerous awards.

An Impact in London

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Mehta was born Ajai Singh Mehta, the bookish son of Indian diplomat Amrik Singh Mehta. He lived everywhere from Geneva to Nepal as a child and graduated from Cambridge University with degrees in history and English literature. Choosing book publishing over his parents’ wishes he become a diplomat, Mehta needed little time to make an impact in London, helping to launch the literary career of his col-

I probably encouraged people to market a lot more than they were in the habit of doing.” Sonny Mehta lege friend Germaine Greer and introducing British readers to the profane Americana of Hunter S. Thompson. With Pan Books, he released works by rising authors such as Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie, while signing up Jackie Collins, Douglas Adams and other bestsellers. He was Gottlieb’s personal choice to take over at Knopf, but still faced initial wariness from the staff. “People ... had the terrible fear that I was going to suddenly publish Jackie Collins over here and really sort of lower the tone of the place,“ Mehta told Publishers Weekly in 2015. “I think the difference was that I probably encouraged people to market a lot more than they were in the habit of doing. I encouraged them to look at a certain type of literary fiction and see it wasn’t necessarily intended for some kind of ghetto, that there was a bigger market for it.” Mehta survived numerous transformations at Knopf, notably the 1999 acquisition by the German conglomerate Bertelsmann AG and the 2012 merger with Penguin Group, and outlasted company rivals such as Random House President Ann Godoff and Bantam Dell publisher Irwyn Applebaum. He was widely credited for expanding the company’s international

reach and acquiring Vintage and making it one of publishing’s most successful paperback imprints, becoming so involved he even redesigned the covers. He also helped keep Knopf, now the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a stable and desired place to work. Authors from Caro to John Updike remained with the publisher for decades and so did top editors such as Judith Jones, who helped discover Julia Child and other cookbook writers; Ashbel Green, who edited nonfiction authors such as Ellis and former President George H.W. Bush; and Carol Brown Janeway, who acquired English-language editions for fiction by Nobel laureates Heinrich Boll and Imre Kertesz. Mehta himself edited Don Winslow’s acclaimed crime novel “The Cartel`` and numerous other works. “On a good day, I am still convinced I have the best job in the world,‘’ Mehta told Vanity Fair in 2016, explaining that he had recently finished a novella by Graham Swift. “I opened it and didn’t know what to expect, and I read it in one sitting right here in the office, utterly mesmerized. Sometimes you find something new and you just say ‘Wow.’’’

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

A single march is not going to end anti-Semitism in NYC. But the size-and diversity--of this outpouring of support for the Jewish community is unprecedented.” Mark Levine, City Council Member three counts of first-degree attempted assault and two counts of first-degree burglary. The charges carry a potential penalty of 25 years in prison.

A Crisis, by the Numbers

At the rally at Foley Square. Photo via Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer’s Twitter

TAKING ACTION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “A single march is not going to end anti-Semitism in NYC,” Levine tweeted. “But the size--and diversity--of this outpouring of support for the Jewish community is unprecedented.” The march capped a grim holiday season. In the 22 days between Dec. 10, when three people were massacred in a Jersey City kosher grocery, and New Year’s Day, when an observant Jew was punched in the throat in Brooklyn, there have been at least 18 anti-Semitic incidents in New York. And 14 of those hate crimes took place in the 10 days leading up to Jan. 1, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s Tracker of Anti-Se-

mitic Incidents, which compiles recent cases of anti-Jewish vandalism, harassment and assault reported to or detected by the group. The most violent incident was a machete attack at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, NY on Dec. 28, during a Hanukkah celebration. Five people were wounded, including Josef Neumann, who suffered serious head injuries and has been unconscious since the attack. “The doctors do not have high hopes for him,‘’ said Neumann’s daughter Nicky Kohen, who spoke to reporters on Jan. 2 with her six siblings. “We hope he wakes to a changed world with peace, unity and love for all.’’ The alleged attacker, Grafton Thomas, was indicted on six counts of second-degree attempted murder, three counts of first-degree assault,

According to the NYPD, anti-Semitic incidents are the most common hate crimes reported in the city, comprising 53.7 percent of all reported hate crimes from January to September 2019. There were 234 anti-Semitic incidents in all of 2019, compared to 186 in 2018, a 26 percent increase, NYPD stats show. On Friday Dec. 27, the day before the attack in Monsey, de Blasio announced that Borough Park, Crown Heights and Williamsburg — three neighborhoods with heavy concentrations of Orthodox Jews — would be provided at least temporarily with beefed-up police patrols. Two days later, he held a press conference to announce further new steps to try to end what he called the

OTHER CITY LEADERS OFFERED A UNITED FRONT AGAINST HATE, AND A VARIETY OF INITIATIVES. ■ In a “Dear Friends” letter to his congregants on Dec. 29, Rabbi Joshua Davidson, the senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El on Fifth Avenue, stressed interfaith outreach as a critical means of combating the “scourge of hate.” He told of getting calls from several Christian friends offering consolation and support, among them the Rev. Calvin Butts from the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. “I firmly believe interfaith partnership and education to be our two most important tools in this battle,” Davidson said. “Much work lies before us as the New Year begins.”

Police at the march on Sunday. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

■ UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council unveiled a joint $4 million program to build a robust security infrastructure at over 2,000 schools, synagogues, camps, community centers and other Jewish institutions in the New York area.

“Two weeks ago Lihi Aharon was slashed in the face in an Anti-Semitic attack on the subway,“ tweeted Council Member Mark Levine. “Today she’s out marching against hate.” Photo via Council Member Mark Levine’s Twitter

city’s anti-Semitism “crisis.” Effective immediately, more police would be sent into Brooklyn’s Jewish neighborhoods, and additional lighting and cameras would be installed. “We have great faith in God and we have great faith in the NYPD,” Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, told reporters at the press conference after the new measures were announced.

Congress allocated the funding in December as religious institutions and congregants seemed increasingly under siege – and members said they’ll host grant workshops around the city in the coming weeks and months to educate nonprofits about the grants and help them apply for funding.

Faced with unprecedented public safety challenges, the Community Security Initiative, operational since October, will provide training for guards and worshippers, upgrade physical security at shuls, develop enhanced communications, tap government funding and staff up with six security professionals.

defense. While the need for a minority to provide for its own defense is unfortunate, Silber said in a speech, “The Jewish community must now be proactive in protecting itself.”

■ Mitchell Silber, the NYPD’s former director of intelligence analysis and head of the department’s cyber intelligence unit, was named executive director of the new protection initiative on Dec. 30. An expert on risks and threats facing European Jewish communities, he is the author of “Terrorist Attacks against Jewish Targets in the West: The Atlantic Divide between European and American Attackers.” In addition to calling for increased police patrols and establishing fixed NYPD posts, Silber said that undercover cops, dressed as observant Jews, should be deployed “for the foreseeable future.” And he brought up a controversial concept that was on full display in Monsey, when an Orthodox congregant ended the assault when he threw a table at Thomas – self-

With reporting from the Associated Press

■ Upper East Side Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Upper West Side Rep. Jerrold Nadler joined eight other Democratic members of the city’s Congressional delegation at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Jan. 2 to unveil a steep boost in federal security funding for houses of worship. “New York is experiencing historic lows in crime, but a big increase in hate crimes,” Maloney said. “Since government’s first responsibility is to keep our people safe, that’s just unacceptable.” The 10 lawmakers said high-risk synagogues and community centers, as well as churches and mosques, can now tap a $90 million security grant program, up from $50 million in 2019, to hire and train guards and buy state-of-the-art protection – like surveillance cameras that can face into a shul and out onto the street at the same time.

JANUARY 9-15, 2020

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REBUILDING ST. NICHOLAS RELIGION

Construction of the Greek Orthodox Church at the World Trade Center resumes BY JOSEPH M. CALISI

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo officially welcomed Archbishop Elpidophoros of America to New York City on Jan. 2, 2020 while announcing plans to resume the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center. The original St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, located at 155 Cedar Street, was destroyed on September, 11, 2001 when the South Tower of the World Trade Center Collapsed. This was the Governor’s first meeting with His Eminence since the Archbishop

Governor Cuomo ofﬁcially welcomed Archbishop Elpidophoros of America to New York on Jan. 2, 2020 and announced plans to resume the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center. Photo: Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo, via flickr

was elected by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as Archbishop of America to succeed Arch-

bishop Demetrios in May. The project will be driven by a new nonprofit organization with an independent, 13member board - the Friends of St. Nicholas, which has been formed to ensure that the sacred space is completed as expeditiously as possible and can begin welcoming visitors from around the world. A previous effort to rebuild St. Nicholas stopped when the money ran out and was later discovered to have been stolen. The complex, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and modeled after Byzantine churches of Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior in Istanbul, was designed to glow in the evening hours, an ever-present beacon of hope on the World Trade Center campus. The Friends of St. Nicholas will be responsible for the timely rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine within two years. The new organization will raise money for the re-building of St. Nicholas, oversee construction of the site and conduct appropriate audits.

“We Will Be Ready” In May 2017, plywood covered St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center, to replace the original St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church located at 155 Cedar Street, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001. Photo: Rex Hammock, via flickr

The 13-member board will be chaired by Dennis Mehiel, Chairman of US Corrugated and former Chairman of the

The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at 130 Liberty Street, Oct. 26, 2018. Photo: Joseph M. Calisi

The rebuilding of St. Nicholas Church ... is a moment of coming together and healing not only for the Greek Orthodox community but for all New Yorkers who lived through that horrific day.” Governor Andrew Cuomo Battery Park City Authority. Richard Browne, Managing Partner of Sterling Project Development Group, will serve as COO of construction. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will be the Honorary Chairman on behalf of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. “The rebuilding of St. Nicholas Church that was destroyed on September 11 is a moment of coming together and healing not only for the Greek Orthodox community but for all New Yorkers who lived through that horrific day,“ Governor Cuomo said. “This house of worship will serve as a reminder that our collective faith is something we can always count on to move past our painful memories and build a better tomorrow.” Archbishop Elpidophoros said, “On behalf of the Greek

Orthodox Faithful, we have made a commitment to open the doors of this National Shrine by September 11, 2021, the twentieth anniversary of that fateful day. I pledge to you, Governor Cuomo, and to all the people of New York, that we will be ready; we will be on time; and we will be open to all women and men of good will who wish to honor the memory of all who perished on September eleventh.” The original St. Nicholas Church at 155 Cedar Street was the only place of worship that was completely destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. When Governor Cuomo took office, he made the restora-

tion of St. Nicholas Church a top priority, working with the Archdiocese and the Port Authority to reach agreement on a larger, more accessible site for the rebuilding of the Church and National Shrine and personally raising donations for the privately funded complex. When completed, the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at 130 Liberty Street just south of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza will serve as a place of prayer and silent reflection and also house a nondenominational bereavement center for anyone seeking solace and strength at a time of loss.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine on Jan. 29, 2018. Photo: Joseph M. Calisi

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by Myles Mellor

CROSSWORD

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

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JANUARY 9-15, 2020

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