The local paper for Downtown ntown WHAT’S A MASTERPIECE WORTH?
◄ CITY ARTS, P.12
WEEK OF WEEKAUGUST OF AUG. - SEPT.
29-4 292019
THE BRAWL OVER THE BUSWAY
INSIDE
TRANSPORTATION
Battling about the 14th Street corridor moves into issues of class and race
BRINGING TECH TO SENIORS
BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
Police and a demonstrator at a July rally protesting the death of Eric Garner. Photo: Margaret Barnsley
‘A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ANGER’ LAW ENFORCEMENT
As rank and file members of the NYPD continue to seethe over the firing of Daniel Pantaleo, it could affect the way they do their jobs BY STUART MARQUES
Police unions cannot legally call for a work slowdown, but the firing of former NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo for his role in the death of Eric Garner could result in fewer arrests, especially for lowlevel misdemeanors. The firing, coupled with police outrage over recent incidents of people dumping buckets of water on officers in various parts of the city -and other disrespectful acts -- has led to increasing anger among rank-and-file cops, law enforcement officials say. “There’s a tremendous amount of anger over the Pantaleo firing and the lack of civility toward police officers,” one source said. “It’s a new era” the source said. “If you’re going to put your hands on someone to make an arrest,
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The fight over the 14th Street busway has boiled down to an issue of class and privilege as transit advocates have painted the opponents of the program as wealthy elites who don’t ride the bus. Before holding a rally in support of the long-awaited bus corridor, which would ban most private vehicles and prioritize bus riders, and against the lawsuit that has been holding it up for over a month, the group Transportation Alternatives released a study that found poor-performing transit disproportionately affects low income people and people of color. As a contrast, at the rally on Aug. 21, speakers said that Arthur Schwartz, the lawyer representing the Chelsea and West Village neighborhood block associations in the suit against the city’s Department of Transportation, was an elite plaintiff who wants to protect his mansion on 12th Street. “Bus riders earn a quarter of what people who live in Chelsea and the West Village earn. There’s a crisis of inequality on our streets,” said Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director of Riders Alliance, at Wednesday’s rally before about 25 supporters. “There’s also a crisis of inequality in the halls of our government and the
Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts
3 8 10 12
A pilot program aims to enhance quality of life for older Roosevelt Island residents. p. 9
SISTERHOOD, FROM MANHATTAN TO ISRAEL A life-changing trip for 19 Jewish mothers p. 8 Community Board 6 member Richard Mintz speaks about riding the M14 bus during a rally advocating for the bus-only corridor that’s being held up in a lawsuit now. Photo: Emily Higginbotham
WHEN EXERCISE BECOMES AN ADDICTION
halls of our legal system, which is why wealthy, powerful people from these neighborhoods have gone into court to waste bus riders’ time.” The study is an analysis of travel pattern data, demographic data and of facility data of areas accessible to the M14 route, and it found that the poorest bus service occurs in areas where median incomes are $10,000 less than the
How much of a good thing is too much? p. 2
Restaurant Ratings 14 Business 16 Real Estate 17 15 Minutes 21
Manhattan median income. The M14 route itself has the secondhighest ridership of any route on the island, carrying about 27,000 riders daily, but moves at an average pace of 4.3 miles per hour — the slowest of any route, according to advocates. In a statement, the city’s comptroller, Scott Stringer, provided
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
WHAT IS NYC’S VERSION OF ‘ABBEY ROAD’? A remix of the Beatles’ final album on its 50th anniversary sounds fresh and urgent. p. 13
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WHEN EXERCISE BECOMES AN ADDICTION HEALTH
How much of a good thing is too much? BY CAROL ANN RINZLER
You don’t smoke or vape. You have maybe one drink a week. Okay, two. But the only meds you take are the ones your doctor prescribed, exactly as she prescribed them. But are you addicted to exercise? “All doctors recommend exercise to their patients,” says Lenox Hill Hospital family medicine physician Eric Ascher. “But when your body feels tired, your bones and muscles feel achy and fatigued, that is when your body is telling you it is ready for a break. Not taking that break is when it becomes an unhealthy addiction.” There are as many definitions of addiction as there are addicts, but what seems com-
Photo: Steven Strasser
mon to all is doing something to the point where it actually harms you. As Ian Cockerill, a sports psychologist at the University of Birmingham in England puts it: “Healthy exercisers organize their exercise around their lives, whereas dependents organize their lives round their exercise.” He’s right, says University of Hawaii psychiatrist Alayna Yates, who told readers of WebMd that she’s had overexerciser patients who in-
sisted on running during thunderstorms and working out at inappropriate times, including one “who had to have a run while his wife was in labor.” Exercise addicts like that tend to think that treating each day as a training session for some mythical ultramarathon makes them healthier. It doesn’t. Your fitness and ability to exercise involves oxygen and adrenal hormones. When you breathe in, the oxygen in the
air goes to your lungs where it attaches to the hemoglobin in red blood cells which flow out to your muscles. The American College of Sports Medicine says how much oxygen you take in and then send out is a standard measure strongly associated with performance and health. Common wisdom has always been that men are better than women at processing oxygen, but two years ago when researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada decided to test the theory with active healthy young adults, they found that women outperformed men by 30 percent in their muscles’ ability to pull oxygen from the blood, indicating a “superior aerobic system.” Individuals are obviously individual, but sorry guys, in group terms, no amount of huffing and puffing will alter that. As for hormones, your adre-
nal glands release three important ones: epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. The first two make your heart beat faster and tighten blood vessels not being used by your exercising muscles. The third hormone, cortisol, breaks down fats and proteins to make glucose which fuels your body. You make more cortisol when you’re stressed or working out. If you’re really stressed or if you stretch your exercise out too long, the higher levels of cortisol will start to pull protein out of your muscles just as starving people ultimately may begin to digest their own tissues. So much for the bad news. The good news is that there’s a standard of safe and effective exercising for those of us who do not plan to hop a plane to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. Modern research suggests that moderate regular exer-
cise for about half an hour a day is good for everybody and just enough to help ward off such unpleasantries as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. In Manhattan, the best part is you don’t have to pay gym fees to do it. East Side, West Side, plain walking works. It works even better if you include hills like the one from 40th to 41st Street on Madison Avenue or up and down the steps into Morningside Park. And if that isn’t enough to send you on a reasonable walk, consider this: If you run with a young puppy by your side, the authoritative vet-approved PetMD.com says that too much exercise too soon can damage her bones. Woof.
Carol Ann Rinzler is the author of more than 20 books on health including the best-selling “Nutrition for Dummies” and the award-winning “Estrogen and Breast Cancer: A warning to women.”
ORCHESTRA MODERNE NYC AMY ANDERSSON, CONDUCTOR
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FERTILE MIND
thoughtgallery.org NEW YORK CITY
Screening and Q&A: The Miracle of the Little Prince | Director/Writer Marjoleine Boonstra in Person
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30TH, 6:15PM Film Forum | 209 W. Houston St. | 212-727-8110 | filmforum.org Explore a literary masterpiece and what it means to struggle to preserve a language and culture on the cusp of extinction; moderated by Daniel Kaufman of The Endangered Language Alliance ($15).
PEN Out Loud: Salman Rushdie and Marlon James
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 7PM The Cooper Union | 7 E. 7th St. | 212-353-4100 | cooper.edu Salman Rushdie presents his new novel, Quichotte, a modern retelling of Don Quixote. He’s joined by Man Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James (A Brief History of Seven Killings) for a reading and a discussion of literary interpretation and satirical commentary ($20; $35 with book).
Just Announced | “Priced Out: The Economic and Ethical Costs of American Health Care”
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH, 6PM NY Academy of Medicine | 1216 Fifth Ave. | 212-822-7200 | nyam.org Nobel laureate Paul Krugman joins health policy research analyst Tsung-Mei Cheng to talk about the last book from Cheng’s husband, Uwe Reinhardt, a giant in the health policy field (free).
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC,
sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
Women Warriors: THE VOICES OF CHANGE
Concert celebrating women activists fighting for social justice
• TICKETS: lincolncenter.org FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 • 8PM
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG BRICKED
STATS FOR THE WEEK
Another victim fell prey to an apparent random act of violence. At 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 14, a 20-year-old woman was walking southbound on Wooster St. toward Canal St. As she passed in front of 2 Wooster, an unknown man allegedly threw a brick at her, causing a hematoma on the back of her head. The suspect then fled westbound on Canal.
Reported crimes from the 1st precinct for the week ending Aug 11
SNEAKER BUYERS MUGGED New sneakers proved especially costly for five teenagers recently. At 4:22 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, five male youths ages 14, 15 and 16 were standing in front of the Lady Foot Locker store at 523 Broadway at Spring St. waiting for the release of some keenly anticipated new sneakers. Four men, two of them 20 years old, approached the quintet. One of the men threw a bottle in their direction and when he got their attention told them he had a gun and demanded that they hand over their belongings. The alleged muggers then grabbed items from the teens before fleeing southbound on Broadway. Stolen items included a black wallet, $200 in cash, a North Face book bag and two pairs of
The local paper for Downtown
Murder Rape Robbery Felony Assault Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr
Week to Date
Year to Date
2019
2018 % Change
2019
2018 % Change
0 0
0 1
n/a -100.0
1 10
1 17
0.0 -41.2
0 0
2 2
-100.0 -100.0
39 61
44 36
-11.4 69.4
4 22
-50.0 -22.7
80 572
45 616
77.8 -7.1
0
n/a
10
13
-23.1
AirPods each worth $170.
clothing worth $350.
Grand Larceny
2 17
GAP FLAP
VALUABLES STOLEN FROM CAR
Grand Larceny Auto
1
At 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, a 29-year-old female employee inside the Gap store at 172 Broadway at Maiden Lane observed a 50-year-old man select and then conceal store merchandise for which he had not paid. As the man attempted to leave, the employee asked him to stop and return the merchandise, but he responded, “No -- I’ll cut you!” and brandished a metal box cutter. The man took off, heading northbound on Broadway. Stolen merchandise included a jeans jacket, jeans, black pants, and a black hoodie for a total haul of
Burglary
A suburbanite learned a tough lesson about leaving costly items in an unattended car in Manhattan. At 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 15, a 29-year-old woman from Montclair, NJ parked her blue 2017 BMW M3 at the southeast corner of Spring St. and Avenue of the Americas. When she returned just an hour later, she found that someone had smashed one of the car’s windows and removed property. Stolen items included a laptop valued at $1,500, a wallet worth $1,000, clothes totaling $300 and a pair of
headphones priced at $250. Total stolen: $3,300.
STREET CRIME A street thief took advantage of two street vendors. At 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 18, a 53-year-old woman parked her vehicle opposite 120 Wooster St. at Prince St. A 70year-old male colleague met up with her to sell clothing at that location. The man left his phone on the car’s front passenger seat and last saw the phone at 11:30. When he
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checked again at 12:30 he found that the phone was missing. The woman went to check her purse at that time and discovered that it was no longer inside the car’s center console. Unauthorized usage soon appeared on two of the stolen bank cards in the form of four transactions of $126 each at Manhattan MTA stations. The other items stolen included a Stella McCartney handbag valued at $1,000, a Chloé wallet worth $400 and a pair of Tom Ford prescription glasses selling for $500.
WE ARE HIRING! The Board of Elections in the City of New York is hiring Poll Workers to serve at poll sites across New York City. Become an Election Day Worker and you can earn up to $2,800 for completing the training course, passing the exam and working ten Election Days.
ELECTION INSPECTOR
INTERPRETER
REQUIREMENTS
REQUIREMENTS
• Registered voter residing in the City of New York
• A permanent U.S. resident over 18 years of age and a resident of New York City
• Enrolled in the Democratic or Republican party • Able to read and write English
• Fluent in English and the interpreter’s language • Spanish interpreters needed in all boroughs
DUTIES • Prepare the poll site for voters • Assist voters during the voting process • Close the poll site
• Chinese interpreters needed in Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens • Korean, Hindi and Bengali interpreters needed in Queens For Hindi Interpreters: Please note on your application if you can also speak Punjabi.
• Canvass and report election results
• Does not have to be a registered voter
• Assist other poll workers as needed
DUTIES
TRAINING
• Assist non-English speaking voters by translating voting information into covered languages during the voting process
• All Inspectors must attend a training class and pass the exam
TRAINING • All Interpreters must attend a training class and pass the exam
HOURS/LOCATION FOR PRIMARY/GENERAL ELECTION • 5:00 a.m. until the polls are closed and results reported, which will be after 9:00 p.m. • Must be willing to travel within the borough for assignment to a poll site
9 EARLY VOTING DAYS • Please visit website for detailed hours and dates • Must be willing to travel within the borough for assignment to a poll site
otdowntown.com
HOW TO APPLY Visit nyc.electiondayworker.com to apply. If you have any questions, please call: 866-VOTE-NYC (866-868-3692). TTY Number 212-487-5496
4 POLICE
Useful Contacts
NYPD 19th Precinct
Drawing Board
153 E. 67th St.
212-452-0600
159 E. 85th St. 157 E. 67th St.
311
FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13 FDNY Engine 39/ Ladder 16 FDNY Engine 53/ Ladder 43 FDNY Engine 44
1836 Third Ave.
311 311
221 E. 75th St.
311
CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Keith Powers Councilmember Ben Kallos
211 E. 43rd St. #1205
212-818-0580
244 E. 93rd St.
212-860-1950
1916 Park Ave. #202
212-828-5829
1850 Second Ave. 360 E. 57th St.
212-490-9535 212-605-0937
1485 York Ave.
212-288-4607
COMMUNITY BOARD 8F LIBRARIES
505 Park Ave. #620
212-758-4340
Yorkville 96th Street 67th Street Webster Library
222 E. 79th St. 112 E. 96th St. 328 E. 67th St. 1465 York Ave.
212-744-5824 212-289-0908 212-734-1717 212-288-5049
100 E. 77th St. 525 E. 68th St.
212-434-2000 212-746-5454
E. 99th St. & Madison Ave. 550 First Ave. 4 Irving Place
212-241-6500 212-263-7300 212-460-4600
STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano State Senator Liz Krueger Assembly Member Dan Quart Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright
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BY PETER PEREIRA
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QUESTIONS FOLLOW FATAL ELEVATOR ACCIDENT
BUILDING SAFETY
The death of a man crushed in a Kips Bay building sparks a city investigation BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
The city is investigating the death of a 30year-old man who was crushed by an elevator in Kips Bay apartment building last Thursday morning. Samuel Waisbren had attempted to follow another resident out of the elevator of the 23story Manhattan Promenade when the car began to fall toward the basement, trapping and killing Waisbren, according to the New York Fire Department. At 8:27 a.m., police received a 911 call requesting an elevator rescue at 344 Third Ave. near East 26th St. When officers arrived, they found an unconscious and unresponsive Waisbren at the building’s elevator. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene. There were five other passengers in the elevator at the time of the incident. In a video captured by surveillance cameras, the elevators open and a man wearing a backpack exits the elevator. As Waisbren moves to exit, the lift drops suddenly and Waisbren puts
out his arm to stop the elevator doors from closing, but it continues to drop and Waisbren is caught. He attempts to escape, but it brought down by the lift and crushed between the shaft wall and elevator. The witnesses in the lobby turn away from the elevator covering their faces in horror. The New York Times reported Thursday that the apartment building had recently been fined nearly $1,300 after inspectors found that a safety feature on one of the building’s two elevators was not functioning correctly. The city approved of the feature’s repair on May 31 and its operation was restored. However, it was not the same elevator that was involved during Thursday’s incident. The Department of Buildings is conducting an ongoing investigation of the incident. “DOB is investigating this incident aggressively and will take all appropriate enforcement actions,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement. “Elevators are the safest form of travel in New York, due to the city’s stringent inspection and safety requirements. We’re determined to find out what went wrong at this building and seek ways to prevent incidents like this in the future.” Waisbren was a Wisconsin native and worked for the tech company CB Insights.
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FDNY emergency personnel at the scene of the accident that killled 30-year-old Samuel Waisbren. Photo: Courtesy FDNY via Twitter
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HEARTLESS ATTACK ON HEART OF NEW YORK PHILANTHROPY
Scores of nonprofits – and the multitude of donors who support them – lost hundreds of thousands of dollars when the credit card processor they depended on suddenly went dark. BY DOUGLAS FEIDEN
An online fundraising platform that enabled charities to receive donations from the public abruptly ended operations, cut off all communications – and stopped disbursing the funds it owed to its nonprofit clients, a dozen of them told Straus News. The alleged victims include dance companies, theater troupes, opera companies, arts groups, preservation groups, PTAs, immigrant support groups, senior groups, educational advocacy groups and organizations affiliated with churches and synagogues. All of them had relied on NYCharities.org, a nonprofit egiving web site headquartered at 50 Broadway and founded in 2004 by Cristine Cronin, its president, mostly to help small-sized charities with modest budgets and staffs manage their philanthropic giving. While there were a few glitches along the way, that’s basically what it did for 15 years, most of the nonprofits agreed. Then in May and June, the portal continued to process the donations it received, but those funds never reached their intended recipients, those groups allege. Now, they are telling their stories to at least two sets of investigators: State Attorney General Letitia James launched a probe on July 31. Separately, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau has also been gathering facts and taking statements from dozens of the nonprofits. In a statement, James said NYCharities.org had “failed to distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to New York charities over the past several
State Attorney General Letitia (Tish) James (left) with Leonie Haimson, founder and executive director of Class Size Matters, at a June 19 fundraiser. The educational advocacy group says it lost $7,000 on the bash because NYCharities, the online funding platform it used, never handed over the funds. Now, James is investigating the matter. Photo: Patrick Nevada / Class Size Matters
months … inexcusably depriving charities of their donors’ generosity.” “Leaving New York’s charitable organizations high and dry by denying them what they are owed is unacceptable,” she added. “My office is launching this investigation because we remain committed to the protection of New York’s charitable sector, and those who contribute to it.” James said the probe, conducted by the AG’s Charities Bureau, is based on over 100 complaints from nonprofits and individuals. The claims of unpaid contributions range from $200 to more than $100,000, she said. Vance’s office declined to comment. No one was reachable at NYCharities. Phone calls on Aug. 23 and 26 went immediately to voice mail, and three messages left by Straus News were not returned. Cronin also didn’t respond to two emails sent to the last known address she maintained at the platform, whose website was offline.
Even a Beer-Tasting Was Impacted It’s hard to overstate the corrosive impact of the scandal on so many of Manhattan’s tiny jewel-box nonprofits, like Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, which advocates to preserve the neighborhood’s architectural legacy, livability and sense of place. “It’s incredibly disconcert-
ing for a small organization like Friends,” said Rachel Levy, the group’s executive director. “It has the potential to have a real destabilizing effect on our ability to keep our essential functions going, and it has certainly shaken our organization, from the board leadership to the staff to the donors. “… It’s incredibly scary,” she added.
It has been devastating, simply devastating.” Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters, which lost $7,000 Friends relied on the stream of donor cash that flowed from its givers through NYCharities for general fundraising that “kept the doors open and the lights on and supported our mission and core advocacy work,” Levy said. In addition, it used the portal to process credit card payments for specific events, like lectures, walking tours and tickets for galas. But between May 1 and June 30, Friends received none of the intended gifts. Big-ticket items were impacted. The run-up to the annual autumn fundraising gala the nonprofit holds at the Metropolitan Club, at $750 per person, got
State Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa (center), flanked by sisters and educators Audrey (left) and Geraldine Baker, at the June 19 fundraiser for Class Size Matters. Photo: Patrick Nevada / Class Size Matters
underway in the spring. And small-ticket items were affected, too. On June 20, for instance, at Ryan’s Daughter on East 85th Street, Friends sponsored “Step in, Stand Clear, Drink Up!” Members paid $15 via NYCharities for the beer-tasting-cum-lecture, in which the architectural historian Francis Morrone discussed public transportation in Yorkville. They lost their money. And Friends never saw a dime. “Our constituency of donors who support Friends rely on having a consistent secure method of sending their support to us, and so from a donor perspective, it sends a cloudy message about the ability and competence of the organization,” Levy said. Indeed, adds Friends member Kathleen Steed, who bought a ticket to the Morrone lecture, “When donors are bilked of their funds, it influences public perception of charities, which almost always leads to diminished donations.” Steed, an Upper East Side senior who lives alone and donates modest sums to charities that support older people, recently checked her bank statements and discovered that two other gifts she made, to Health Advocates for Older People, at 708 Third Ave., and the Radical Age Movement, 1 East 53rd St., had also been processed through NYCharities. “It is despicable that NYCharities appears to have
been siphoning funds meant to help thousands of people in need,” she said.
“Fraud Alert!” “It’s a terrible breach of fiduciary trust,” said Andra Moss, the programs director at Landmark West! “Nonprofits entrusted them with certain back-office elements of their jobs so their time and resources could be better spent on their missions – and it appears that trust was taken advantage of.” The Upper West Side advocacy group had only minimal exposure itself, just a pair of donations and a couple of hundred dollars in the pipeline, Moss said. But when she realized something was amiss, she sprang into action. She started Googling NYCharities and cross-checked the group with the language used in standard donor appeals. Moss then fired off 98 emails – entitled “NYCharities Fraud Alert” – to arts groups, dance groups, church groups, PTAs, immigrant advocates and others to give them a heads-up that they could well have been victimized. Now, like many philanthropic experts, she’s worried about the fallout yet to come. “Nonprofits may not have the backstops in place to recoup these loses,” Moss said. “Do they have insurance in place to replace these loses? Some may, and some may not.”
AMONG THE OTHER NONPROFITS LEFT REELING: ■ Class Size Matters, at 124 Waverly Pl., which advocates for smaller classes for atrisk children in the city’s public schools and has been using NYCharities since it was awarded nonprofit status by the IRS in 2004. The group lost $7,000, most of it from its annual fundraiser at the Casa la Femme restaurant on Charles Street on June 19, where roughly 80 people bought tickets in the $125-to-$200 range. “When you do a big fundraiser you don’t expect to lose a lot of money,” said executive director Leonie Haimson. “It has been devastating for us, simply devastating.” ■ Little Essentials, at 15 Warren St., which provides strollers, diapers, blankets, bassinets, baby wipes and baby carriers to needy children under the age of five, often shipping the urgently needed supplies to 22 partner agencies around the city from its warehouse in Tribeca. “We lost a little over $2,600, and that goes a really long way for us,” said Wendy Moore, the nonprofit’s executive director. “It basically pays to transport donated items from around the city for close to half a year.” Can the transport still be provided? Can the gap be closed? “It’s been tough,” Moore said. “People are busy, and they’re in summer vacation mode now. “And we’re continuing to lose money through lost donations that would still be coming in – if we hadn’t lost the recurring donations that we’d been getting through NYCharities,” she added. “People set up those donations once, but they haven’t been ready to do it a second time yet.”
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
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Gallery-quality art for your home or office. The 47th Gracie Square Outdoor
Art Show
East End Avenue from 84th to 88th Streets
Saturday, September 7th Free Admission Sunday, September 8th www.graciesquareartshow.info
keaway?...
212.459.4455 10:00am – 5:00pm Rain or Shine Free Admission
Marco Conner, co-deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, said his group would continue to advocate for as long as it takes to get the program up and running. Photo: Emily Higginbotham
BUSWAY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 additional statistics on Manhattan bus ridership. “Over 55 percent of Manhattan bus commuters are people of color, over 35 percent are foreign born, and over 60 percent are women,” Stringer said. “These riders are entitled to high-quality transit — period. The 14th Street Busway is an important step towards fairer and more equitable streets and a fairer and more equitable city.”
Who Takes the Bus The characterization of his clients, and of himself, as wealthy elites, according to Schwartz, is not accurate. He said that he represents 18 block associations in the group, including the Fulton Houses Tenants Association, a NYCHA group. “Most of the active members of the block associations are elderly (over 50) people who live in rent regulated apartments. Most of them take the bus frequently due to the lack of elevators (to access the subway),” Schwartz said. In kind, he was skeptical of whether or not the people who showed up to the rally
would be affected by the bus corridor. “I daresay that few of the people at their tiny ‘rally’ take the bus or live on the Lower East Side,” Schwartz said. “Throwing around phrases like ‘wealthy West-Villagers’ is hyperbole. Just isn’t true.” Much has been made of Schwartz’s own net worth, which advocates estimate to be $20 million dollars, and the brawl over the buses has gotten personal. Transit activists recently gathered outside of Schwartz’s home to protest his suit, to which Schwartz reacted by likening the protesters to “white hooded zealots” in a statement he gave to Gothamist. Schwartz said his own finances have nothing to do with his work, and claimed that the leaders of Transportation Alternatives make more money than he does. “The fact that I bought a house 38 years ago, and recently sold it for a lot of money, bears no relationship to what I do or who I care about,” Schwartz said. “ I am a lawyer for the poor and working people. I represent the bus drivers who drive those buses. I represent the elderly whose landlords, on
212.459.4455 www.graciesquareartshow.info
e Square Outdoor
both sides of 14th Street, are trying to evict them. I represent Black, Hispanic and other minority employees who are discriminated against at work.”
Appellate Panel Decision Schwartz and his clients have been battling the city in court for months, stalling the plan that was scheduled to rollout on July 1 with a lawsuit. At the beginning of August, a judge dismissed the lawsuit and lifted the restraining order that had been holding up the plan’s implementation. But not long after, another judge granted Schwartz’s side an appeal, stalling the busway yet again. Schwartz and the DOT will submit their arguments to an appellate panel, which will decide whether the stay on the bus corridor should remain in place. Marco Conner, the co-deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, said at the rally that his group will keep fighting Schwartz on this issue for as long as it takes to get the program in motion. “Arthur represents the past,” said Conner. “We are here to look forward; we’re looking forward to a city with world class transportation.”
tober 1st ber 2nd 5:00 p.m. on
Presented by
Proceeds fund the restoration and maintenance of Carl Schurz Park
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12-STEP HELP FOR SEXAHOLICS BY BETTE DEWING
Yes, dear readers, there is such a group as Sexaholics Anonymous, a 12-step group which needs to be part of the vast coverage of the now late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and the sexual lust that led to his abominable abuse of underage girls. Indeed, one such group used to meet monthly on the Jan Hus church premises, along with Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, which also need infinitely more public awareness. This is surely not to excuse or reduce any blame, but that its existence needs to be widely and generally known. While money is rightly said to be at the root of all evil, doesn’t sexual lust run a close second? And they are often connected, along with alcohol and other mind-altering drugs. So much that needs to be widely considered in the prevention of these sexual lust-related abuses which are
also criminal offenses, A 2017 column of mine titled “A Sickness” needs remembering. Woody Allen said Harvey Weinstein was “a very sick, sad man.” Allen may not have been the right one to say it, but surely Weinstein’s decades of alleged sexual assaults against women do indicate a sickness. And surely he was “sad” to be outed, and maybe also sad that he relapsed from the related treatment he reportedly received abroad. An internet search finds Sexaholics Anonymous meetings are held worldwide but this “sickness” Is far more complicated than “not taking that first drink,” one credo of Alcoholic Anonymous upon whose principles S.A. is founded. This search found numerous related treatment groups but they get little or no coverage – nor does Alcoholics Anonymous, with less stigma attached, although a more universal problem. And again, the misuse and abuse of
sexuality often occurs “under the influence.” And before I forget, Alcoholics Anonymous can be reached at 212-647-1680. Sexaholics Anonymous can be reached at 212-4594044. And now especially isn’t this something faith groups should address about these 12-step groups which often meet on faith group premises? The public at large especially needs to hear it in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein crimes – preventing and treating the possible sickness involved must be a significant part of the vast ongoing discussion. Ah, and this ongoing discussion must surely include the entertainment world - big time -, where even the once G- rated soaps have R-rated and adulterous scenes. Faithful couple, family, friendship, all platonic loves must again be lauded, featured and sought. Say that again please.
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
Voices
The Gift of Grandparents
And this surely relates to Grandparents Day on September 8, always the first Sunday after Labor Day. But why don’t all calendars list it?Most obviously, consciousness needs to be raised that grandparents matter – as do great-grandparents. Too little was said about President Obama being raised by grandparents and that Michelle Obama’s mother lived in the White House to help care for the First Daughters. And Queen Elizabeth is a grandmother whose Christmas letter once urged Britons to bring grandparents and grandchildren closer to together all year So did the late, great sociologist Margaret Mead, who in one of her last public talks implored the American Bar Association to work to bring grandparents into the lives of their grandchildren because the nuclear family urgently needed extended family support. Incidentally, the highly political
blog of Manhattan author and playwright Sherman Yellen often includes the joy of having his grandchildren nearby. We urge this eloquent writer to also address this often unfulfilled general need, remembering those without grandchildren and those whose grandchildren are far away. Also an informal Adopt-a-Grandparent movement is an absolute must. Of course, all the above must be stressed online, where so importantly, elders often need the younger generation to enable this indispensable access. And oh how we need elected officials and wannabees who really believe “It takes a village”, for a society to be truly great – and, of course, that means responsible drinking, drug free and of course, G-rated. It’s not an impossible dream if enough of us share it. A lot is at stake. dewingbetter@aol.com
SISTERHOOD, FROM MANHATTAN TO ISRAEL BY TANIA CADE
I recently had the great fortune to visit Israel for the first time. Thanks to the international organization Momentum and its local partner, JInspire Manhattan, I joined 19 other Jewish mothers from Manhattan on an eight day, lifechanging trip. Led by three amazing moms from the Upper West Side, what began as a group of diverse strangers varying in ages, marital status, careers and backgrounds became a united sisterhood. Since 2009 Momentum has made it possible for over 17,000 Jewish women from 28 countries, 100 of them from Manhattan, to make this journey through this subsidized trip and following programming. It is their mission to empower women to change the world through Jewish values by transforming themselves, their families and their communities. Unity, not politics, is a primary focus, especially with the current political climates in both the U.S. and Israel. Every day began with inspirational speakers on a wide range of topics from parenting and
relationships to why Israel has produced the most tech startups outside of Silicon Valley. Of course we hit all the sites: Tel Aviv, the mystical city of Tzfat, Yad Vashem the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, Mount Herzl National Cemetery, the Old City in Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Masada. I felt the most meaningful experiences were our private meetings that fostered dialogue with Israelis from many walks of life: philanthropists, soldiers, a movie director and a “Trail Angel” -- a private citizen who has welcomed hundreds of hikers along The National Trail into her home for food and lodging. Some highlights for me personally were receiving my Hebrew name, Neshama, which translates to Soul and dancing at the Kotel. Yes, there was so much dancing and music and I can’t forget the food. Shakshuka everyday for breakfast, roasted eggplant Sabich sandwiches for lunch, and sampling teas and spices at the Arab souk bazaar delighted this foodie! I was amazed at the attention paid to every detail beginning with the elaborate itinerary, thoughtful roommate assignments and exten-
The author (right) in Israel. Photo courtesy of Tania Cade
sive suggested packing list lovingly compiled by our local leaders to the Trip Journal provided to record our experience to help us re-
late it to our loved ones upon returning home. I had never felt so cared for on so many levels. The best part is what I have brought home with me. Although I was sent to a yeshiva from kindergarten through third grade and learned how to read, write and speak Hebrew fluently, there was little religious practice when I came home. As an adult I married a Roman Catholic and we raised our two boys as interfaith. In Israel I was re-connected with the spiritual side of Judaism. Nuggets of gold like the daily blessing given to us by educator Nili Couzens - “May today be your best day ever, until tomorrow!” - and the bracelet we were given that reminds us to “See Good, Say Good” are now tools I can use daily. Thanks to the ongoing work of JInspire Manhattan I will see my 22 new “achoti” on a monthly basis throughout the next year for continued learning, Shabbat dinners and holiday parties that will involve our families. More information can be found at momentumunlimited.org or email JInspire Manhattan directly at JInspiremanhattan@gmail.com.
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AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
BRINGING TECH TO SENIORS INNOVATION
On Roosevelt Island, a new pilot program aims to enhance social connections and quality of life for older residents BY ALICE TECOTZKY
When asked to envision a technology junkie, most people might imagine a lanky young man sitting at a computer, fingers dancing across keys at the speed of light. But on Roosevelt Island, innovative tech users will soon take a different shape: homebound and disabled members of the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center. The Carter Burden Network is an organization that offers social services to aging New Yorkers and has established four senior centers around the city, one of which is on Roosevelt Island. Recently, network proposed the installation of voice-controlled Amazon Echo Show video-streaming devices in the homes of individuals with compromised mobility in an attempt to combat loneliness. Speaking on behalf of William Dionne, Carter Burden Network’s executive director, the organization’s Grant and Foundations Officer Rina Desai said, “The goal of the project is to enhance independence, connectedness, and quality of life for the [participants].” Roosevelt Island was chosen as the location for the pilot program due to its relative geographical isolation, as its remoteness magnifies many of the issues faced by those who are homebound. Approximately 100 applicants were screened for the project, but only 40 will be chosen, and the selected individuals will have to meet eligibility requirements. The project stipulated that participants had to either be homebound seniors over 60 or disabled adults, have both Wi-Fi and a phone with SMS capabilities in order to accommodate the Amazon Echo Show’s needs, and agree to data collection by Cornell Tech Graduate School. Participants will receive technological assistance provided by the Roosevelt Island Senior Center’s technology instructor, have access to features meant to improve quality of life such as healthy cooking videos, guided meditations, and podcasts, and be able to watch live streams of educational presentations being done at the center.
Helping Older Adults Socialize Funding for the project, which amounted to $55,000, was provided by the New York Community Trust, a public charity and grant-making foundation committed to bettering the lives of New Yorkers. Individuals, many of whom are New Yorkers, can establish charitable funds with the Trust, some of which are permanent. When asked why one would choose to be philanthropic through the Trust rather than individually, Senior Communications Officer Amy Wolf emphasized the power of collective
Working in the computer lab at the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center. Photo: Beatrice Hunt
“We really see this as a replicable project,” Desai said. “We want to share the instructional manual we’ve created, we want to share the blueprint ... with other organizations to see if they might be interested as well.”
“Technology alone can’t fully combat isolation, but if we use technology in conjunction with community-based programming ... then we can be successful.” Rina Desai, Carter Burden Network’s grant and foundations officer giving and the Trust’s ability to ensure that donations will be spent in a manner that adapts to the city’s changing needs. The grant for the senior center emblemizes the Trust’s devotion to imaginative spending, as the money used was donated by Katherine Park in 1982, whose fund was specifically designed to help older adults socialize. “In 1982, Katherine Park may have given that money to go to social programs, but she never would have known what could have happened,” explained Rachel Pardoe, the Trust’s program officer for Healthy Lives: Older Adults, People with Disabilities and Animal Welfare. “Because she gave [her money] to the Trust, we were able to be innovative with that funding and program in a way that makes the most sense in this time period.” Once the project has been launched and its efficacy determined, the Carter Burden Network hopes to spread it to other areas and organizations, as the institution considers smart-screens the next logical step in associating seniors with technology.
Health Effects of Isolation Social isolation, which has alarming health implications, is endemic in older populations and is particularly prevalent among the homebound. According to a University of California, San Francisco study, over 40 percent of seniors regularly experience loneliness. StoneGate Senior Living underscored the consequences of such alienation, asserting that it increases one’s chance of death by 26 percentand makes one more susceptible to clinical dementia. When tasked with combating loneliness, technology seems a compelling
solution, but some question its viability. Pardoe is an advocate of utilizing technology’s power in certain scenarios, but doesn’t believe it is an appropriate tool to use in all situations. “Some people, because of their financial situation, don’t have computers or internet access, so it’s going to be very challenging for any community-based organization to rely on technology to be able to serve those individuals,” she explained. “But for many people, [technology] works.” Echoing a similar sentiment, Desai said that technology cannot entirely solve the problem, but identified different reasoning. “Technology alone can’t fully combat isolation, but if we use technology in conjunction with community-based programming that creates a welcoming virtual community, then we can be successful.”
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EDITOR’S PICK
Thu 29 EGGHEAD: THE GENIUS OF BIRDS Caveat 21A Clinton St 7:00 p.m. $15 sciencefriday.com 212-840-2244 Birds have gotten a bad rap: Nut brained. Pigeon heads. Lame duck. The SciFri Book Club is gathering to set the record straight with some local bird brained experts (that’s a compliment). Bring your binoculars and get ready for an indoor birding adventure!
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Thu 29 THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF "BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID" Pop International Galleries 195 Bowery 7:00 p.m. Free (RSVP required) See photographs taken by Lawrence Schiller during the filming of this iconic movie – which also launched the award-winning photographer’s career as a director, when he was given the opportunity to direct the New York sequence at the heart of the film. popinternational.com 212-533-4262
Fri 30
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Sat 31
THE FREEDOM PARTY
JAPAN PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL
Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker St 5:00 p.m. $10 NYC’s most legendary oldschool dance party fills its dance floor with people from all walks of life, all ethnicities, races, creeds and colors, from all over the world, looking to have fun, celebrate life, make new friends and be free. lpr.com 212-505-3474
Governors Island Nolan Park and Outlook Hill 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Free During the Obon summer holiday every August, people dance Bon Odori at festivals all over Japan. Governors Island visitors will have hands-on Bon Odori dance sessions and more Japanese summer festival experiences right here in New York. japanperformingarts.org 212-262-0234
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
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Our Town Tow |Downtowner otdowntown.com
Sun 1► 10TH ANNUAL NYC UNICYCLE E FESTIVAL Governors Island Castle Williams’ Parking Lott This festival has something for everyone, from long-time time thrill-seekers, from extreme unicycle enthusiasts to first-time sports adventurers to circuss fans, from avid bicyclists to families looking for the best way to spend a summer’s day in the Big Apple. nycunifest.com 212-440-2200
NEIGHBORHOOD’S BEST To place an ad in this directory, Call Douglas at 212-868-0190 ext. 352.
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FILM: MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL (2019) Film Forum 209 West Houston St 12:20 p.m. - 9:40 p.m. $15 Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, studio outtakes, and rare photos, this documentary tells the story of a truly singular talent and unpacks the man behind the horn. filmforum.org 212-727-8110
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COMMUNION MUSIC RESIDENCY
SEAPORT FIT: TROOPER FITNESS BOOTCAMP
Rockwood Music Hall 196 Allen St 7:00 p.m. $10 The artist-led Communion seeks to introduce emergent and established artists in a creative environment known for embracing collaboration and mutual support. Featuring Jay Warren, Native Sun, Casey Conroy, Lady Moon & The Eclipse, and All The Rest. rockwoodmusichall.com 212-477-4155
The Rooftop at Pier 17 89 South St 4:00 p.m. Free A team-oriented conditioning session that involves cardio and strength training methods, where each trooper is responsible for their fellow troopers’ success. This class is built to challenge you in a way that empowers both your mind and body. seaportdistrict.nyc 212-732-8257
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AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
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WHAT’S A MASTERPIECE WORTH? An exhibit at the Met offers a wise and witty answer to an age-old question
BY MARY GREGORY
What’s the value of beauty? What even constitutes beauty? Who says? What gets handed down? What gets tossed onto history’s trash heap? What price fame? How does it change the worth of something? These are questions the art world has wrestled with since the first crafted object changed hands. Many people don’t realize that tapestries were once far more prized than paintings. And yet, who stops to look at them on the way to galleries filled with Rembrandts? A painting is made of pigment applied to a flat surface. If the materials cost $100 dollars, how can it sell for $100 million? With a piece of jewelry, if you weigh the metal, count the gems and find the current price of each, you might have a starting point. But what if it was made by Fabergé? What if it belonged to Nefertiti? What if it fulfilled a religious purpose or holds the relics of a saint? They say that if you lined up every art critic in the world, they still couldn’t reach a conclusion. The Metropolitan Museum’s exhibition “ Relative Values: The Cost of Art in the Northern Renaissance” offers some thoughts that might help viewers find a way around that. Curator, Eliza-
IF YOU GO
What: “Relative Values: The Cost of Art in the Northern Renaissance” Where: The Met 1000 Fifth Ave When: Through February 28, 2021 beth Cleland, selected 62 masterworks of 16th century Northern European decorative arts. Gold and silver, jewels and pearls sparkle inside cases, and immediately whisper of their worth. But what of stained glass, leather, stone or shell? And how did functionality either increase or decrease value?
A Currency That Moos A German gilded sandglass, finely wrought in about 1500 with curves and arches recalling Gothic cathedrals, is both decorative and functional. The timepiece was probably used to measure the length of prayers. It’s a gorgeous object. The wall label tells us that when it was made, it would have been worth the price of one cow. Let the bidding begin. Cleland went back to accounting records, including farm inventories, artists’ guild price lists, and appraisals of the property of nobles, to arrive at a valuation model that was independent of borders or currency exchanges. Rather than guilders or florins, she chose things like loaves of bread or the daily wage of an
A Flemish painting from about 1540, “Rest on the Flight into Egypt,“ reveals much about tastes, values, and how they change. Photo: Adel Gorgy
unskilled laborer, then scaled those to something universal and easy to imagine: the value of a cow. Spending time in the gallery can feel a bit like “The Price is Right.” While the objects are exquisite in design and craftsmanship, peeking at the price tag on each label is irresistible. What you find will surprise you.
Unfathomable Skill A portable shrine by German master metalsmith Matthias Walbaum, including painted panels by Anton Mozart, made in about 1600, stopped us in our tracks. Tall and slender, the work stands 17 inches high. It’s covered in incredibly fine details, with tiny architectural flourishes and entire carved panels depicting figures that are smaller than a thumbnail. Two gilded, sculpted vases of flowers top the hinges, surmounted by towers with angels. Folding
panels open to reveal three miniature paintings. The largest is about the size of a matchbook cover, the side panels half as big. Within these scant square inches are worlds of wonder. Any painter might have fit a tiny face into the larger central panel. Mozart included a Nativity scene with the Holy Family, infinitesimal livestock, three wise men, row upon row of devoted onlookers, a barn and winter landscape, topped by a moonlit sky. The side panels show Biblical scenes similarly packed with figures, and below it all, on a strip no wider than a pencil, maybe an inch or so long, is a depiction of the Holy Family, complete with Mary riding a donkey. It’s absolutely breathtaking. The skill involved is unfathomable. It “cost” 21 cows. A tapestry of Saint Veronica hangs at the center of the gallery, claiming pride of place. A
Dirck Vellert’s “Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabee Brothers and Their Mother” from the Met’s “Relative Values.”Photo: Adel Gorgy
similar piece belonged to Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal, niece of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, King of England. Though the value at the time was a respectable 52 cows, a brush with fame like that ensured it landed in a famous museum’s collection.
A Bird Worth a Herd The painting, “The Rest on the Flight to Egypt” was created by two Flemish artists, one an expert in landscape, the other known for figures. It’s a large panel, with a carefully modeled representation of Mary and Jesus, richly attired in sumptuous colors, trimmed with gold and jewels. A still life is included – a bowl of grapes and fruits – and the scene takes place within a crowded landscape filled with trees, mountains and fluffy
clouds. It’s a beautiful painting that once belonged to a German baron. A visitor nearby wondered aloud, “Only five cows?” Some of the works, like a whimsical ceramic drinking tankard, might be worth a quarter or half a cow. Surprisingly, a Dürer woodcut could be had for a fractional bovine. A bird figurine, delicately carved from rock crystal with ruby eyes, tops the price list at a whole dairy farm’s worth, or 275 cows. A Google search finds cows costing somewhere around $2000 to $5000 today; even cows are variable. Tastes change, fame fades, and there may never be an explanation for what people treasure and value. It’s fascinating to ponder, but, as the show reminds us, it’s all relative.
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
ABBEY ROAD: WHAT IS NYC’S VERSION? PUBLIC EYE
A remix of the Beatles’ final album on its 50th anniversary sounds fresh, exciting and urgent BY JON FRIEDMAN
The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” is one of the two most revered album covers in rock and roll history. The spectacle of John, Paul, George and Ringo sauntering across that infamous zebra crossing in London has captivated fans and journalists since the band’s final work together came out 50 years ago. Attending a media event to unveil the new remix of “Abbey Road” gave me two instant thoughts: The album sounds even better now than it did upon its release in September 1969. Producer Giles Martin - whose father, George, presided over the production of the original recordings - has done yet another sterling job at making a Beatles album sound fresh, exciting and urgent. George’s vocals on “Here Comes the Sun” and Ringo’s powerful drumming throughout are genuine revelations. If you’re a Beatles fan, go out and buy the album and be thrilled all over again.
Iconic New York My other reaction was the product of my living in Manhattan for most of my adult life. I started to wonder: What are the classic streets and intersections that define New York? If a band wanted to pay an homage to the shot in Abbey Road, where would it go? Here are a few proposals. Feel free to email us back with your ideas. Strawberry Fields, on the Upper West Side. But, of course. John Lennon was murdered on Dec. 8, 1980, and to this day young people carrying acoustic guitars can be heard strumming “Imagine,“ “Give Peace a Chance,“ “In My Life” and, to John’s ever-lasting chagrin, Paul’s classic “Yesterday.” Broadway and West 42nd Street, aka Times Square, first comes to mind. It was the setting for many heartwarming pictures capturing the end of World War II. When people think of New York, Times Square usually comes up at the top of the list.
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Photo via Amazon.com
The entrance to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. The arch, especially at night, screams NEW YORK in all its glory and reminds us of everyone from the beat poets to the folkies of the 1960s, the loose-joints purveyors of the later years and the vaping-heads of today. Just about anywhere in Grand Central Station would fit neatly. Unlike Penn Station, which continues to look like an eyesore and smell like one, Grand Central is a magnificent testimony to creativity, commerce and utility all rolled into one. The intersection at Columbia University. There used to be a saying, “Who owns New York? We own New York!” Columbia students felt that way, even if they were too Ivy cool to proclaim it.
Special Status Of course, we’d need to find one heck of a rock and roll band - or any other kind - to make it earn the iconic status of parroting “Abbey Road.” Could any group today create magical music, which would last for half a century? “Abbey Road,“ the final album that The Beatles made together, in 1969, stands out for a number of reasons. The guys sound happy to be back in the studio - named, of course, Abbey Road - after struggling through an acrimonious 1968 and an unhappy adventure making the “Let It Be” collection in January 1969. You can hear clearly on the remix that they’re having fun. John’s wisecracks are evident, and that’s always fun to hear. Giles Martin has managed to move Ringo’s drumming up front without taking away any of the elements that we have come to love. Paul’s vocal on “Golden Slumber” -- my favorite of his, on any album, sounds like it was recorded yesterday. Modern technology! Oh, and what is my other favorite album cover, you may ask? “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,“ featuring The Beatles dressing up in those colorful clothes and sharing the cover with some of their favorite people. I don’t know if any band could re-create “Sgt. Pepper.” I’m just thrilled to be able to enjoy a remix of “Abbey Road.”
SURE, AT FIRST I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK BY THE WHOLE PEEING STANDING UP THING. BUT I TAUGHT HIM TO THROW A STICK AND NOW HANGING OUT WITH HIM IS THE BEST PART OF MY DAY. — EINSTEIN adopted 12-09-10
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS
Shopsins
88 Essex St
Not Yet Graded(41) Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Hawa Smoothies
181 East Broadway
A
AUGUST 14 - 20, 2019
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. Bagel Belly
114 3Rd Ave
A
Benson’s NYC
181 Essex St
A
Tim Ho Wan
85 4Th Ave
Grade Pending(9) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
Izzies Cheesesteaks 47 Clinton St
A
Balvanera
152 Stanton St
A
Grade Pending(19) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.
Russian Turkish Baths
268 East 10 Street
A
Ess-A-Bagel
324 1St Ave
A
Khiladi
175 Avenue B
Not Yet Graded(5)
Jing Fong Restaurant
20 Elizabeth Street
Grade Pending(7) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Green Garden Village
216 Grand St
Not Yet Graded(29) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including inuse food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Le Pain Quotidien
100 Grand Street
A
Hoy Wong Restaurant
81 Mott Street
A
Chikarashi
227 Canal St
A
The Wonder
174 Hudson St
Not Yet Graded(22) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Malaysia Beef Jerky 95 Elizabeth St
Grade Pending(30) No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment.
Nyonya
199 Grand St
Not Yet Graded(29) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Amici Ristorante
165 Mulberry St
Not Yet Graded(41) Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used. Tobacco use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area observed. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
Matchaful
359 Canal St
Not Yet Graded(31) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room.
Mcsorley’S Old Ale House
15 East 7 Street
Swift
34 East 4 Street
Grade Pending(26) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, crosscontaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
Ihop
235237 East 14 Street
A
Mighty Quinn’S Barbeque
103 2 Avenue
A
The Nugget Spot
230 East 14 Street
Grade Pending(19) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. 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/sewageassociated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
Ogawa Cafe
36 E 4Th St
A
Abraco
81 E 7Th St
A
New Wong Restaurant
103 East Broadway
A
J J Noodle
19 Henry Street
Grade Pending(35) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas. 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. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
88 Essex St
A
Top Hops Beer Shop 88 Essex St
A
Zerza Mediterrano
Davidovich Bakery
88 Essex St
Not Yet Graded(55) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding. Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
A DARING DEBUT NOVEL BOOKS
Stephanie Jimenez’s “They Could Have Named Her Anything” focuses on class, race and friendship at an elite UES school
Blue and White Collar Families Long ago, I was almost a Maria, as one of my mother’s unrealized desires was to have me travel from the Bronx to Manhattan to attend private school. Although I hate the idea that she had to endure a dashed dream, it was probably for the best. The last thing I would have needed, especially as an insecure adolescent, was to feel marginalized over material goods, where I came from, and who my family was, or more accurately, wasn’t. I ended up at my borough’s equivalent of a posh all-girls preparatory school — in fact, its nickname was Snob Hill, because at its inception only wealthy Bronx and Westchester girls went there. By the time I enrolled, most parents’ collars skewed more blue than white. There were some families with deeper pockets than mine, but others who had less. The economic gaps were not that great and we all saw each other as basically the same; our uniform being the great equalizer. In a time when mommy-lit, as well as IRL scandals, revolve around parents going to great, and sometimes scurrilous, lengths to get their students into “the best” schools, Jime-
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BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKLL
Back-to-school for some means keeping up p with more than one’s grades. If you’re a low-income student going to a rich kid school, you end up competing not only for class rank, but who’s carrying the classier designer book bag. Add teen angst to the mix as well as racial tension, female friendship, plus familial expectations and you end up with “They Could Have Named Her Anything.” In the daring debut novel of Stephanie Jimenez, seventeen-year-old Maria Rosario attends a private Upper East Side high school with a wealthy and mostly white student body, where her name is pronounced in that lockjaw way one would enunciate it if her surname were “Shriver.” Back home in Queens among her family and boyfriend, Andres, she is the accented María a la “West Side Story.” Her split personality that allows her to move between both worlds cracks wide open when Maria is befriended by the well-off and rebellious Rachelle “Rocky” Albrecht, who gives her an up close and personal tour of how the other half lives. (“Who is Martha and where is her vineyard?”) Maria is both exhilarated and demoralized by her new BFF’s Fifth Avenue, multi-bedroom apartment with a panoramic view of Central Park. Paling in comparison is her closet-free, two-family home off Queens Boulevard that boasts backyard cookouts and a clothesline.
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nez takes us to the other side and shows us what happens to kids from financially struggling homes once they’ve arrived. As Maria’s experience is described: “What a struggle it would be to be who she was.” Quite frankly though, who she “was” is a good girl, who’s also a bit of a hustler, looking for a better life than the modest one provided by her suddenly unemployed maintenance worker father and housekeeper mother. (Mrs. Rosario cleans in the UES buildings of Maria’s peers.) Back in Queens, where she’s accused of trying to be “a white girl,” Maria is hardly tough, but she’s assumed to be by classmates because of her Latino last name and outer borough roots. So, she lets them think what they want and likes that they’re scared of her. When Rocky first invites her out for overpriced restaurant lunches with the popular crowd, Maria resists proudly the generous scion’s offer to “spot” her, but eventually succumbs, not only to free meals, but a lavish trip to Las Vegas, sleepovers at Fifth Avenue, and shopping Rocky’s designer closet. So carried away does Maria get by the luster of her new circle, that some disturbing line-crossing takes place with the naïve belief that money will be part of the deal. The book’s message is hardly to stay-in-yourown-lane or never acquaint yourself with those who are different, economically or otherwise. It’s more a cautionary tale about how unequal relationships can breed self-doubt and resentments, making it hard to remember the good things one’s own, perhaps smaller, life has to give. Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back to Work She Goes.”
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AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
Business
Five businesses to close at 1167 Madison Avenue. From left to right: H.L. Purdy Opticians, Chuckies, Ristorante Morini, Premier Cru Wine Merchants, and Prestige Cleaners. Photo: Ema Schumer
FAREWELL TO RISTORANTE MORINI
A neighborhood favorite is the first of five businesses to shut down on Madison Avenue near 86th Street
BY EMA SCHUMER
Ristorante Morini was the first of five businesses along Madison Avenue between 85th and 86th Streets to close on Friday, August 16, allegedly at the behest of the real estate investment trust that owns the property located at 1167 Madison Avenue. The four other stores — H.L. Purdy Opticians, shoe seller Chuckies, Premier Cru Wine Merchants, and Prestige Cleaners — will follow suit in the near future, representatives at the stores said. In December 2015, Vornado Realty Trust purchased 1167 Madison Avenue and the adjoining property at 50 East 86th Street, The Real Deal reported. The real estate investment trust boasts a vast portfolio of com-
“It breaks my heart ... The neighborhood — it’s empty.” UES resident Heidi Volk mercial, retail, and residential property, including the 950-foot tall condominium tower under construction at 220 Central Park South. Sometime in July, Vornado gave the five businesses on Madison notice that they must evacuate their storefronts, according to owners and employees at the stores. French bistro Demarchelier, at 50 East 86th Street, has not received notice that it must close, the restaurant’s manager said. The four residential floors atop the restaurant are all vacant, the building’s superinten-
dent said. Vornado Realty Trust did not respond to multiple requests for comment. On August 16, Ristorante Morini, which opened in 2013, served patrons for the last time. The restaurant is owned by Michelin-star winning chef Michael White’s Altamarea Group, which operates five other restaurants in New York City. Altamarea Group spokesperson Jonna Gerlich reflected fondly on the close relationships Ristorante Morini forged with Upper East Siders who were regulars at the restaurant. “It was a cool thing to be a part of — such a neighborhood feel in such a big city,“ Gerlich said. “It was such a pleasure.” She added that the restaurant group is interested in reopening Ristorante Morini on the Upper East Side if a desirable space becomes available.
Looking for space to relocate
Two of the other stores that must close — H.L. Purdy and Chuckies — have additional locations on the Upper East Side. Prestige Cleaners owner Woochul Lee said that he is moving his business, which he opened at 1167 Madison Avenue 20 years ago, to a location on 82nd Street, where, he noted, rent is high and the space is small. “In New York City, we [small business owners] don’t have any power. Nothing we can do,” he lamented. Premier Cru Wine Merchants owner Michael Eigen said that he is still looking for a space to relocate his boutique, which sources wine and spirits from small producers. Searching for a new location is not new to him; eight years ago, he was forced out of a space on 87th Street and Madison Avenue, where he had operated his store for 17 years. “Mom and pop retail is kind of
dead,” he said. Longtime Upper East Side resident Heidi Volk, who was walking a dog along Madison Avenue between 85th and 86th Streets the afternoon before Ristorante Morini’s closure, reacted to the news that five stores on the block would be closing. “It breaks my heart ... The neighborhood — it’s empty,” she said. A couple of blocks north of where Volk stood, at 1228 Madison Avenue, a 17-story condominium building with retail space is under construction to replace a series of brownstones that once housed residents, a diner, deli, hair salon and nail salon. Michael Bacal, who said he has lived on 80th Street and Second Avenue for over 20 years, bemoaned a trend of development on the Upper East Side. “It’s causing the neighborhood to be more generic; [we’re] losing some of the local character,” he said.
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
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AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
Protestors march in downtown New York five years after Eric Garner’s death at the hands of the NYPD. Photo: Margaret Barnsley
ANGER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 you have to be very aware that you could very well get in trouble for it.” Since the firing, trustees of the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association (PBA), the largest police union in the city, have been visiting police precincts to urge officers to be careful and to follow the police patrol guide, which lays out procedures. “They are being told to do their jobs; to pay attention to the patrol guide and to do everything they are supposed to do,” the law enforcement source said. There is some evidence that the Pantaleo decision may be having an impact on police activity. Figures obtained by the New York Post show that arrests dropped 27% between Aug. 19 — the day Pantaleo was fired — and Aug. 25 compared to the same period in 2018, with police making 3,508 arrests compared to 4,827.
The NYPD replied to Straus News’s request for comment with a statement from Deputy Commissioner Philip T. Walzak: “The brave women and men who joined the NYPD did so with a solemn promise to help people, to fight crime, and to keep New York City safe. It’s a sacred oath that NYPD cops will always uphold in service of New Yorkers in every neighborhood across our city. These dedicated officers practice precision policing - focusing on the offenders who commit crimes, not the accumulation of raw numbers.” In 2014 a slowdown after the ambush murders in Brooklyn of police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos led to a situation in which cops stopped giving out summonses and went strictly by the book in doing their jobs. That led to longer response times and fewer arrests for several months. But according to the Daily News, it did not lead to substantial increases in the crime rate across the city.
Unintended Consequences Anger has rippled through the NYPD ranks since Aug. 19, when Police Commissioner James O’Neill fired Pantaleo for his involvement in the 2014 death of Eric Garner, who cops said resisted arrest on Staten Island after they responded to a civilian complaint that he was selling loose cigarettes on the street. Deputy Police Commissioner for trials Rosemarie Maldonado, recommended Pantaleo be fired for using an illegal chokehold to subdue Garner. In her 46-page opinion, Maldonado said Pantaleo’s chokehold “fell so far short of objective reasonableness that this tribunal found it to be reckless -- a gross deviation from the standard of conduct established for a New York City police officer.” The death of Garner, who repeatedly cried out “I can’t breathe” while being subdued, sparked widespread outrage across the city and became a rallying cry for police accountability.
In announcing his decision to fire the officer, O’Neill, an active duty cop for 34 years, said terminating Pantaleo was a “very difficult decision ... (but) the unintended consequences of Garner’s death must have a consequence of its own. It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City police officer.” A Political Football On the day of the firing, PBA president Pat Lynch angrily declared: “We have no confidence that when we do our job, when we do as instructed, when we follow the law, that at the end of the day we won’t lose our job or lose our life. We have no confidence in both City Hall and the Police Commissioner’s Office. Today proved it — the job is dead.” Edward Mullins, head of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, told reporters “The NYPD is falling apart.” A sergeant who was supervising the arrest of Garner was reprimanded and lost 20 vacation days. In remarks aimed directly at
O’Neill, Mullins said, “the members of the NYPD do not respect you. They have no faith in your leadership, nor do they trust you.” He added; “For the good of this department, I urge you to do what’s right and resign immediately.” “Police are empowered to use necessary force in making an arrest, but since Pantaleo, we’re seeing necessary force being used as a political football,” the law enforcement source said. Incidents where people have dumped water on cops as they tried to make arrest is only making things worse – and can lead to officers being reluctant to issue summonses for minor offenses, which often don’t get prosecuted. “It’s a very serious problem,” the source added. “Every time they encounter someone doing something wrong, it becomes a fight … There’s a great deal of anger and I don’t think that’s going away anytime soon.”
AUGUST 29- SEPTEMBER 4,2019
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Our Town|Downtowner otdowntown.com
Council Member Carlina Rivera speaks at a City Hall rally in support of the Office of the Patient Advocate. Photo: Courtesy Office of Council Member Carlina Rivera
RIVERA: NYC NEEDS A PATIENT ADVOCATE OFFICE POLICY
Council Member introduces bill to help New Yorkers secure better medical care BY JASON COHEN
Navigating New York City’s health care system can be a challenge. Council Member Carlina Rivera hopes to change that. Earlier this month Rivera, the chair of the Council Committee on Hospitals, introduced a bill that would create the Office of the Patient Advocate within the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The office’s responsibilities would include responding to patient complaints and inquiries related to medical care; collecting, analyzing
and reporting on comments, questions, and complaints from patients; and recommending solutions to problems faced by the public in obtaining medical care. The bill will also help identify systemic trends in medicine and in certain neighborhoods.
Support and Oversight “New York City’s health care system is an incredibly complex and difficult system for even a well-seasoned veteran of bureaucracy to navigate, let alone an ordinary New Yorker,” Rivera said. “And when you have problems in accessing care, from poor treatment, customer service, or issues with insurance, it often feels the only place you can go is to the same institution creating those problems.” As chair of the hospitals commit-
tee, Rivera has visited hospitals and met with doctors and patients. She’s found that there are numerous issues, including discrimination in treatment, billing and insurance. “The Office of the Patient Advocate will not only help New Yorkers on an issue-to-issue basis,” she said, “it will also provide critical oversight, investigations, and policy recommendations for our city’s hospital industry, particularly when they make service changes that can impact local communities.” The Patient Advocate Office will help establish oversight for the state “Certificate of Need” system that any medical facility must go through when closing or changing the level of care available at a health care facility. Rivera said she plans to hold a
hearing in the near future to address the funding and staffing of the office. “We need to have people who understand policy recommendations, who understand the health care industry and who are great at administration,” she said. She hopes to see the bill passed within a year.
An Important Step Max Hadler, director of health policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, believes the proposed office will benefit immigrants. “We’re really excited that Council Member Rivera introduced the bill, and we’re very supportive of it,” he said. “It’s an important step and hopefully it will be implemented. Having a centralized office that is monitoring the types of complaints and concerns that patients have across the board, and specifically
immigrants, is really a positive development.” Elisabeth Benjamin has been in the health care field for 30 years. She is the vice president of health initiatives at the Community Service Society, where she supervises health policy, health advocacy, and consumer health assistance programs. Like Hadler, she fully supports the bill. “I think consumers are really confused about how to get good and high quality information about hospitals,” Benjamin said. “It’s not easy to know where to go if you think a hospital is discriminating against you because of race, nationality or any other factor. To have a city agency focusing on hospitals will be helpful to consumers.”
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125 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY HISTORY
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Founding and Mission
As the National Council of Jewish Women New York celebrates another milestone it remains dedicated to helping New Yorkers in need BY EMA SCHUMER
In 1894, a group of women held a meeting inside Temple Emanu-El at 1 East 65th Street. That gathering marked the beginning of the National Council of Jewish Women New York, which has spent the last 125 years advocating for New Yorkers of all backgrounds. As NCJW NY grew, volunteers extended the areas of their outreach. In the early 20th century, the organization helped immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island settle into their new lives. Today, the organization runs a variety of programs, including a food pantry for the hungry, a back-to-school shop for low income children and classes for senior citizens. Inspired by Jewish values with a belief in female leadership, the nonprofit works for social justice through service to underprivileged populations and advocacy to address inequality in the city.
The founding members of NCJW NY shared several traits: they were Jewish, affluent, progressive, and had a desire to improve the lives of others. Andrea Salwen Kopel, who has headed NCJW NY as Executive Director for the past five years, provided context for the world in which these women founded the organization. “It’s really important to keep in mind that in that era there was no other place to go if you were a woman and you were Jewish. There were a lot of other avenues that were closed to you: professional opportunity, working, but also other organizations where Jewish women in the late 1800s were not yet welcomed,” she said. Thus, for Jewish women, NCJW NY served as an institution: “This was the focus of everyday and everything that they did,” Kopel said. In 2019, many more opportunities exist for women who are Jewish. Consequently, NYCJW NY’s greatest purpose is no longer to serve as a salon (in the historical sense) for affluent Jewish women. Amidst a changing world, Kopel shared what connects the NCJW NY of the past with the NCJW NY of the present: the organization’s mission. “We are what we’ve always been, which is a
Volunteers preparing sandwiches at the opening day of the Hunger Program in 1983. Photo courtesy of NCJW NY
place to go for progressive Jewish women and their families and their allies to make change happen in the city,” she said. Across the park from the location of its first chapter meeting, NCJW NY today operates out of its Council House at 241 West 72nd Street. Employing only ten staff, NCJW NY is volunteer-heavy: 400 volunteers create and execute programming covering a vast array of topics. Kopel explained that the typical volunteer is a middle-aged, progressive Jewish woman living on the Upper West Side. NCJW NY is the third largest chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, the national federation that was founded a year before the NY chapter and is headquartered in Washington D.C. In a partnership with the national organization, the NYC chapter is a separately incorporated non-profit that spent $1.6 million in 2018, according to financial statements. Kopel said that the New York chapter is featured prominently in the accomplishments of the federation throughout its history.
Highlights of the 125 Years
Former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton (right) cutting the ribbon at the dedication ceremony of the Katharine Engel Center for Older People in 1957. Photo courtesy of American Jewish Historical Society Archives
Following NCJW NY’s founding, America received a wave of immigration at the start of the 20th century. Much of the organization’s initial service centered around helping these immigrants, many of whom were Jewish, who arrived in
America on ships destined for Ellis Island. The women of NCJW NY assisted these newcomers; for decades, volunteers helped to reunite families, find them settlement, and provide them with education and job training. Kopel explained that the people NCJW NY has served over the years have changed in parallel with the city’s changing demographics. In the early years of NCJW NY’s advocacy, the organization’s services bettered the lives of many Jewish people. “More immigrants were Jewish and there were more Jewish people really in financial need,” she said. Programming NCJW NY pursues over the years reflect the pertinent needs of New Yorkers. “As the needs changed in the city we changed our focus,” she said. NCJW NY’s dedication to the causes it serves is evident through its continuation of various programs, which in many cases were created decades ago. For instance, NCJW NY dedicates much of its programming to improve the lives of senior citizens. In 1946, the organization opened the first full-day senior center in Manhattan. Today, NCJW NY continues to assist this population through the Council Lifetime Learning, which fosters community among seniors by bringing them together to engage through arts and culture. Another veteran
program of the NCJW NY that continues today is the Pregnancy Loss Support Program, which was started in 1982. Through the program, professionally-trained volunteers who have experienced loss themselves offer counseling and support to grieving families. The following year, the organization created the Hunger Program to feed hungry New Yorkers. Nearing its fourth decade, the program offers food supplies through the Monday Food Pantry and hot meals through the Community Kitchen, which serves nearly 200,000 hot meals per year to over 30,000 New Yorkers. NCJW NY continues to launch new programs. In 2015, the organization organized the Back 2 School Store, which provides elementary school kids from low-income families an authentic shopping experience every August, free of charge. Most recently, in 2018 NCJW NY led the creation of Pro-Truth, a coalition of reproductive rights advocates. The coalition is united to raise awareness about and fight fake abortion clinics that exist throughout New York. As NCJW NY celebrates 125 years, Kopel thinks about the robust past of the organization that she will now lead into the future. She thinks about ways to revamp decades-old programs in addition to creating new programs to meet the ever-changing needs of the city.
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L M V E X O K P N O F E T M O
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WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor
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8 1
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Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult.
N
14
11
54
13
10
57
12
9
L
8
Y
7
E
6
N
5
B
4
A
3
SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
by Myles Mellor
M A
2
CROSSWORD
53
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