Our Town - December 5, 2019

The local paper for the Upper East Side WOMEN’S WORK AT MOMA

◄ CITY ARTS, P.12

A BUSWAY PLAN FOR 125TH STREET? TRANSPORTATION

Borough President Gale Brewer pushes DOT for better service for uptown riders

BY JASON COHEN

Old Navy on 86th Street and Lexington Ave. Photo: Lorraine Duffy Merkl

After seeing the success of the 14th St. Busway, Manhat-

tan Borough President Gale Brewer is advocating for more bus lanes along 125th St. to improve public transportation uptown.

The 14th St. Transit and Truck Priority went into effect on Oct. 3. From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, only buses and trucks are allowed on 14th St. between

Third and Ninth Aves. All other vehicles may make local trips, but must leave 14th at the next available right turn.

(From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., all cars may make through trips along the corridor.) The plan has increased weekday ridership on the M14 A and D

Proximity is destiny for the new UES superstore

BY LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL

“I wouldn’t shop at Old Navy if they gave me the stuff for free.”

That has been my credo for the past two decades.

Then, a month ago, the clothing superstore opened on 86th Street and Lexing-

OURTOWNNY.COM @OurTownNYC

SUNSCREEN IS FOR WINTER, TOO Skin cancer is a year-round risk. What you need to know. p. 2

An assault on the UWS spotlights attacks by groups of young teens. p. 7

‘SHE SANG THROUGH IT’

Jessye Norman recalled as a force of nature at Met Opera memorial. p. 13

The busway transformed 14th St., seen here on a weekday morning in October. Photo: Emily Higginbotham

WEEK OF AUGUST

08-14

Your personal edition of Our Town Eastsider Since 1972

OurTownEastSide

INSIDE

A NEW PATTERN OF CRIME

ton, four blocks from my house. The staff is about to start greeting me by name.

In the early 90s, Old Navy became part of my shopping landscape. The stores were designed like supermarkets, replete with shopping carts, impulse purchases by the checkout counters, and aisles so overflowing one couldn’t always distinguish the merchandise. Very basic, but the retailer met

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5-11 2019

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THE TEMPTATION OF OLD NAVY ON THE TOWN

WEEK OF DECEMBER

Crime Watch Voices NYC Now City Arts

3 8 10 12

Restaurant Ratings 14 Business 16 Real Estate 17 15 Minutes 21

2019

‘MY HANDS ARE OUTSTRETCHED’ P. 19

f d h e s, p gs ng st ts alng ish ass eel

◄ 15 MINUTES,

Eastsider INSIDE

SUTTON PARK,

AT LAST

just For East Side residents, major having access is a accomplishment. p.5

chair of the City Ydanis Rodriguez, committee, Council’s transportation street s afety on speaks at a rally for steps of City Hall legislation on the McCarten/NYC May 8. Photo: John Council

IS VISION ZERO WORKING? SAFETY

has seen a surge Five years in, NYC fluctuating and in cyclist deaths – and motorist numbers of pedestrian fatalities

BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM

year that saw 299 In 2014, after a traffic-related incipeople killed in Mayor Bill de Bladents in the city, eliminate all traffic sio set out to

CONTINUED ON PAGE

6

WOODSTOCK SOJOURN an NYPD judge recommend at City Hall after Photography Office holds a press conference Appleton/Mayoral Mayor Bill de Blasio 2019. Photo: Michael Friday, August 2,

firing Officer Daniel

Pantaleo on

THE BILLY AND GILLY SHOW

Kamala HarWarren, Cory Booker, and Bernie debates,” longris, Amy Klobuchar for the September Pete strategist George Sanders, South Bend Mayor time Democratic doesn’t have former Texas Rep. Artz says. “De Blasioare way down Buttigieg and both Beto O’Rourke. the donors, and close, but none of A few others are in the polls.”

Hank Sheinde Blasio or GilliPolitical consultant that either them are named kopf says it’s “50-50” “Any- brand. returned reBY STUART MARQUES will make the next round: Neither campaign but they’re not quests for comment. thing can happen, agree that Warde Blasio faced to qualify.”

Pundits generally When Mayor Bill held off the more Gillibrand – likely a minimum of Candidates need to ren and Sanderson the first night. off with Sen. Kirsten Democratic presi- 130,000 unique donors and have moderate field and eight other in four qualigot high marks on – on July 31, it Booker and Yang and hit at least 2 percent dential hopefuls the last Billy candidates have the second night, but Biden a might have marked presidential fying polls. Eight the polls. and are assured at the are still ahead in hit those marks and Gilly Show largely igon Sept. 12 Harris Gillibrand Houston and in De Blasio debates. ei- spot onstage Presiawful tough for are former Vice 18 “It’s going to be and and 13. They Senators Elizabeth CONTINUED ON PAGE get the donors dent Joe Biden, ther of them to needed to qualify polling numbers”

POLITICS

dim for Presidential prospects Democratic New Yorkers on the debate stage

C i e Watch

Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset.

Friday, December 6 – 4:11 pm.

For more information visit www.chabbaduppereastside.com.

3

14 Restaurant Ratings 16

day Jon Friedman on a 8 love and music. p.

of peace,

SURVIVNG YOUR SUMMER COLD

seasonal How to deal with thefeel worse virus that makes usp. 2 than a winter bug.

We deliver! Get Our Town Eastsider sent directly to your mailbox for $49 per year. Go to OurTownNY.com or call 212-868-0190

2

SUNSCREEN IS FOR WINTER, TOO HEALTH

Skin cancer is a year-round risk. What you need to know.

BY ANGELA J. LAMB, M.D.

As winter approaches and the days grow shorter, you may be ready to forgo the summer sunscreen, but don’t toss it yet. Protecting your skin is a year-round commitment. Although the sun’s rays may not be quite as direct in the colder months, ultraviolet (UV) rays are still strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and there can be significant UV reflection that causes sunburn, skin cancers, and other forms of skin damage. So if you need more motivation to keep applying the SPF, know this: skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and one in five Ameri-

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

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cans will develop some form of skin cancer before the age of 70, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Appealing to the vanity factor, wearing sunscreen can also slow the effects of age on your skin by nearly 25 percent.

So what are the skin cancers?

The two most common types of skin cancer are the non-melanoma basal cell and the squamous cell carcinomas, and both are curable as long as they are found early.

Melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more lethal, as it is more aggressive and can spread to other organs.

What are the signs?

With skin cancer, regardless of the season, it is important to stay vigilant. Know

Photo: Geoff Stearns via Flickr

your skin, your freckles, lumps and bumps and learn to recognize the signs, such as any changes in mole or freckle asymmetry, borders, color, diameter, or anything that looks like it is evolving.

A dysplastic nevus is an example of an unusual mole. It does not have the symmetric round or oval shape of a common mole. It is normally larger (wider than a pencil eraser), contains a mixture of colors from pink or red to tan or dark brown, and may contain an irregular edge. Some are flat, but may be slightly scaly, or have a rough surface.

People with many dysplastic nevi have an increased chance of developing melanoma.

What are the risk factors and treatments?

Skin cancers affect people of all colors and races, although it is more common in people who are light-skinned and sunburn easily, who have multiple atypical moles or had an overexposure to Xrays, or a compromised immune system.

Research shows that indoor tanning beds and sun lamps increase the risk for skin cancers, as well as a personal or family history of skin cancer.The good news is that skin cancer has a high cure rate if it you catch it early and get the best possible treatment from a team of skin cancer specialists.

Even melanoma, which in some cases can be fatal, has a cure rate of almost 100 percent

when treated early. Otherwise, the skin cancer can grow deep into body tissue at its original site and then surgery may involve cutting out muscle and even bone. If left untreated, skin cancer can spread to other parts of body and vital organs.

Preferred skin cancer treatment starts with excision, in which the surgeon numbs the skin, then cuts out the skin cancer and a section of surrounding skin that looks normal. Most excisions can be performed in a physician’s office. Specimens of the tumor are then sent to a dermatopathologist for analysis.

What else can you do?

Prevention is key. Do your best to avoid direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Use sunscreen year round, or, as the cold weather arrives, use a moisturizer with SPF. Products with SPF from 30 to 50 are recommended, and make sure to reapply if you are going to be in direct sunlight for several hours, even if it is cold outside.

There are currently no recommended guidelines issued by the American Academy of

Dermatology for screening for the average person without a personal or strong family history of skin cancer. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, the governing body that establishes the screening guidelines along with national academies, does not have enough evidence to support yearly skin cancer screenings for the average adult. With this in mind, they provide a caveat that you should determine with your primary care physician your personal risk factors, which then dictate whether you should get a baseline screening and at what age.

You can also regularly check the skin all over your body for any abnormalities that last two weeks or longer and are either growing, changing shape, bleeding, or itching. If you detect any change, make an appointment with a dermatologist for a skin cancer check. And make sure to avoid known risks for skin cancer such as sun and tanning beds, for example.

Angela J. Lamb, M.Dd is an Associate Professor of Dermatology for the Mount Sinai Health System

2019 Advent & Christmas Events at The Brick Presbyterian Church TREE LIGHTING & CAROL SING

CHORAL SERVICE

CHRISTMAS EVE

CHRISTMAS DAY

SUNDAY, DEC. 8

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Carol Sing: 6:30 p.m.

Open House: 7:30 p.m.

Lessons and Carols: 4 p.m.

Children’s Pageant: 4 p.m.

Candlelight Service: 10 p.m.

Worship: 11 a.m.

Sunday Worship at 11 a.m.

1140 Park Avenue at 91st Street ‡ 212-289-4400 ‡ www.brickchurch.org

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CRIME WATCH BY JERRY DANZIG STATS FOR THE WEEK

HERO COPS SAVE WOULDBE JUMPER Some of New York’s Finest rescued an emotionally disturbed man. At 1:56 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25, officers from the 19th precinct responded to a report of a possible jumper on the East River Promenade at East 76th St. When the officers arrived on the scene they observed a man crouching on a concrete slab jutting out over the river. The officers engaged in a dialogue with the man, who disclosed that he had not been taking his medications for about three weeks and that he suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The officers convinced the man to come down off the slab and back to safety on the promenade. The man was transported via a Fire Department ambulance to Metropolitan Hospital for psychological evaluation.

MIDDAY STABBING ON EAST 79TH ST. A 55-year-old man was attacked by a man who stabbed him with a broken bottle at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, a in front of 135 East 79th St., police said. The victim sustained three lacerations to his head and a stab wound to his left hand that

Reported crimes from the 19th precinct for the week ending Nov 24.

Week to Date

Year to Date

2019

2018 % Change

2019

2018 % Change

0 0

0 0

n/a n/a

0 17

1 12

4 4

1 1

300.0 300.0

155 130

130 137

Grand Larceny

4 45

5 26

-20.0 73.1

190 210 -9.5 1,479 1,290 14.7

Grand Larceny Auto

0

0

n/a

58

Murder Rape Robbery Felony Assault Burglary Photo by Tony Webster, via Flickr

exposed the bone, police said. The victim was taken to New York Hospital for treatment. Police arrested Jonah Parsoff, 40, and charged him with assault.

CABBIE ROBBED Police said two men robbed a cabbie on Friday evening, Nov. 22, at the corner of East 62nd St. and Madison Ave. According to the police report, one of the suspects got in the front seat of the vehicle from the passenger side and the other suspect knocked on the driver’s-side window, police said. When the driver

turned to the man at the window, the man in the cab grabbed items from the vehicle’s cup holder and both men fled in an unknown direction.

The cabbie later told police that unauthorized charges in the amount of $24 had turned up on one of his debit cards. The items stolen included $80 in cash, a New York State driver’s license, a Mali ID card, food stamps, a Chase card and a PC Richards card, making a total stolen of $184.

A PAIR OF E-BIKE THEFTS E-bikes continue to attract

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unwanted attention. At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, police said, an 18year-old woman was on an e-bike in front of 125 East 74th St. when a man she did not know threatened her with a spray bottle containing an unknown substance, grabbed her keys, pushed her to the ground and rode away. The stolen two-wheeler was valued at $1,400.

At 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov.26, a 39-year-old man left his bike outside 1167 Second Ave. between 61st St. and 62nd Sts. to pick up a delivery.

He told police that when he returned

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five minutes later his bike was gone.

As it happened, the bike was equipped with GPS, the victim called 911 and was able to track his bike to 1774 Amsterdam Ave. Police went to the location and discovered that the bike was getting the ignition key replaced and the suspect was waiting for the repair to be completed. Drammeh Oasma, 23, was arrested and charged with grand larceny. The recovered bike was valued at $1,730.

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

HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Mount Sinai NYU Langone

CON EDISON POST OFFICES US Post Office US Post Office

1283 First Ave. 1617 Third Ave.

212-517-8361 212-369-2747

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212-645-0327 212-267-1543 212-254-1390

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Free Flu Shots at Lenox Hill Hospital

When: Thursday, December 5th 1:00 – 4:00pm Tuesday, December 10th 4:00 – 7:00pm Where: Hearth Room 130 E 77th Street New York, NY 10075

This event is funded by Lenox Hill Hospital and co-hosted by the following: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney

Assemblymember Dan Quart

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Senator Liz Krueger

City Council Member Ben Kallos

Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright

For more information, please contact: (212) 434-2751 Must be 18+ years old.

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TEENS TAKE CHARGE AT BEACON ACTIVISM

Students walk out to advocate for more integration in NYC’s public high schools

BY JEREMY WEINE

At 10 a.m. during Monday’s cold drizzle, about 400 Beacon High School students walked out of the building before the start of the day’s third period. Beacon students who are members of Teens Take Charge, a teen-led group advocating for integration measures in New York City’s public high schools, unwound a large banner reading “STRIKE FOR INTEGRA-

TION” and set up wooden blocks for speakers to stand on.

Activists from Beacon, as well as representatives of Teens Take Charge from other schools, took turns addressing the group, saying that the opportunities available to Beacon students are unavailable to the majority of New York City students.

Chants of “End Jim Crow!” and “Integrate! Now!” broke out.

While New York is one of the nation’s most diverse cities, the NYC public-school system is the country’s most segregated. Teens Take Charge cites the top high schools’ practice of screening applicants as a major reason

From left to right: Taylor McGraw (an adult advisor for Teens Take Charge), Beacon student leader Toby Paperno with Marcus Alston and Cameron Leo discussing plans for the rest of the walkout.

Paperno, Alston, and Leo all spoke during the strike.

for this segregation — of the 30 most academically

screened high schools in the city, the group’s website says, 27 are majority-white and Asian, in a system that is less than one-third white and Asian.

Beacon is one of the most selective public high schools in the city. To even be considered a spot at Beacon, students are required to clear a threshold for grades and state test scores. Applicants must submit graded work from middle school and two 500word essays written just for Beacon. Beacon is forty-seven percent white, while the entire New York City school system is just over fifteen percent white.

No Screening Plan

Hundreds of Beacon students stood behind and around a banner that read “STRIKE FOR INTEGRATION” in front of the school’s entrance. Photos: Jeremy Weine

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Teens Take Charge has come out against this type of screening for the highestscoring students. The group proposes an equitable admissions system targeting aca-

Marcus Alston and Cameron Leo introduce Teens Take Charge’s mission and the importance of school integration.

demic diversity, which because of the school system’s inequities, strongly correlates with racial and socioeconomic diversity.

They propose that high schools use admissions policies which balance incoming classes with high-, middle-, and low-scoring students.

Toby Paperno, a white junior at Beacon and a leader of Teens Take Charge, shared his experience in New York City’s school system. After going to one of the city’s most diverse middle schools, Paperno assumed that his admission to Beacon reflected his hard work and inherent intellect.

However, he told the strikers, he now attributes his successful navigation of the system to his race and class — and the privilege that came along with it. In particular, his sup-

portive parents who possess college degrees and had free time to help him played a significant role in his ability to create a strong application to Beacon and get in.

After several students shared their stories, the crowd filed back into school and students returned to class just forty minutes after the strike’s beginning. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza have both expressed interest in plans to integrate New York’s de facto segregated schools, but both have yet to back up their words with substantial commitment to policy changes.

Teens Take Charge plans to continue campaigning for their no-screening plan, aiming to put it into effect by the 2020 high school admissions process.

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A NEW PATTERN OF CRIME LAW ENFORCEMENT

An attack on an Upper West Side resident spotlights robberies by groups of young teens that have become an issue throughout Manhattan

BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM

Robberies have been on the rise this year on the Upper West Side, and police are now dealing with a common culprit for these crimes: groups of young teens.

Deputy Inspector Timothy Malin of the New York Police Department’s 20th precinct said it’s a recent phenomenon that’s become an issue in neighborhoods all over Manhattan.

“I don’t know specifically what is driving it,” Malin said in an interview this week. In the 20th precinct, groups of up to 10 teenagers, typically ages 13 to 16, will gang up on another teen and take their electronics. These incidents have typically occurred after school or in the early evening hours between 6 and 8 p.m.

“It’s packs of kids,” Malin said.

“They’ll surround other kids with their

phone and then take it.”

This pattern of crime has received a lot of attention from neighborhood residents after several high-profile crimes took place on the UWS last month, including two violent robberies and a shooting at playground outside the Amsterdam houses.

“Say Sorry To My Friend” Sam Vassallo, 51, who has lived on the Upper West Side for 30 years, was recently attacked by a group of teens on West End Ave. Vassallo had left his building on Nov. 23 around 6:30 p.m. on Riverside Drive to get his car when he crossed paths with a group of six male teenagers, who police said were between the ages of 13 and 15. One of teens told Vassallo to “Say sorry to my friend,” which confused him.

He was punched twice by two different teens.

“Out of nowhere, I got two punches,” Vassallo told the West Side Spirit. “One in my left ear, one in my right ear.”

Another teen pulled a knife with a blue handle out of his front pocket, ac20th Precinct Commander Timothy Malin addresses community residents at a meeting on Oct. 28. Photo: Courtesy of 20th Precinct via Twitter

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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LED STREETLIGHTS HAVE GOT TO GO!

BY BETTE DEWING

But first, some more thoughts about Thanksgiving, this so inclusive American tradition, about thankfulness, and faith groups which provide the community Thanksgiving dinner event, especially for those who might be alone.

Thank you again, St. Monica’s, and for sending dinners to those unable to leave home.

And thanks to volunteers from Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, for example, who share those holiday meals.

That ‘s what Thanksgiving is all about, Charlie Brown, and not really so much about whether the balloons will fly.

But most on the minds of East End Avenue residents was the LED streetlight appearance at the northern end of this quiet and peaceful place. If ever we needed a “First, do no harm” governmental and environmental creed, it’s converting sodium street lights to the LED light kind. Yes, they reduce the carbon footprint, and cost a little less to operate, but they do incalculable harm to the homes they invade. They turn night into day, especially for lowerfloor homes. Street trees and other plant life also suffer – they need that cycle of relative darkness the sodiums provide. So do we all. So do we all.

Blackout Curtains Are Not the Answer Reportedly, they do not reduce crime – indeed some re

search finds it may well increase it in low-crime areas So does noise as more people stay out later – like skateboarders.

And government tells those who lament their homes being flooded by this unnatural light, “Use blackout curtains!” Some recall how in WWII such curtains were used in western European cities to help hide their existence from enemy bombers.

Now, it seems, the enemy is within. As for blackout curtains, besides being unsightly, they block air from open windows – more air conditioner use is needed, costly to both homeowners and the environment.

This residential light pollution, of course, mostly attacks lower floor residents. That’s a form of discrimination – which not only reduces the quality, the health of life, but the resale value of co-ops and condos.

Streetlight Blight But, above all, it’s the overall devastating effect, not only on the quality, but, again on the health of homes directly in the line of fire.

Most unfortunately, protests from other LED streetlight-blighted areas didn’t persist. And media turned a blind eye after only a few distressed accounts in the city’s five boroughs. Consciousness just has not been raised about light pollution, and worldwide, these invasive LED street lamps wreak their nighttime havoc. Yes, even when the lights are properly adjusted, they still

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

Voices

destroy the nighttime ambience. And only a few of the many worldwide protests now remain online.

Again, even when they’re adjusted, unlike the sodiums, LEDs still blight the night the natural night-time ambience - a very real but too unrecognized need,

Save Energy, Feel Better and Look Better So many ways exist to save electrical energy safely, above all reduce the excess light wattage that has become de rigeur this last half-century.

Super bright light lights in public places, including hospitals and emergency rooms where patients ask for dark glasses. Forget the phenomenal over-the-top entertainment venue lighting. Again, so many, “First, do no harm,” ways to save electric light energy which actually make us feel better, and look better – make everything look better.

Fighting Back But back to fighting the LED Streetlight blight, here’s to East End Avenue residents leading this “Not on our avenue or any avenue!“ protest.

While they need to open the windows and holler “We’re damn mad and not going to take these lights that oppress us!,” but right now keep calling our elected officials and community boards listed in this paper’s Useful Contact column – repeatedly. Contact International Dark Sky group for help Pressure media – go on social media – big time. So much is at stake, above all for lower floor home health, but in general, to save the city’s night time peace and quiet.

To save the night! It can be done if enough of us try. dewingbetter@aol.com

As the media looked on last month, Michael Bloomberg filed for the Arizona Democratic presidential primary. Photo: Courtesy mikebloomberg2020 via Twitter

BLOOMBERG’S UNFORCED ERROR

PUBLIC EYE

The former mayor is catching heat for his plan to limit the coverage of his presidential campaign by the journalists who work for him

BY JOHN FRIEDMAN

Not long after billionaire and former mayor Michael Bloomberg entered the White House sweepstakes, Bloomberg News’s top editor, John Micklethwait, made

a stunning announcement.

He declared that the news entity, a unit of the parent Bloomberg company, would cover his boss’s campaign, including policies, polls and other day-to-day aspects, but it would not scrutinize Bloomberg himself and would keep its hands off his charitable work, business practices and family. The politics-only plan would extend to the other Democratic candidates as well This proclamation, which flies in the face of traditional journalistic practice for cov-

ering a politician, never mind a candidate for president, prompted a swift and highly critical outcry from the journalism establishment.

Many journalists questioned whether Bloomberg’s reporters and editors could remain objective. Some were furious about the policy and saw the 77-year-old candidate’s footprints. There is no question that Bloomberg is in charge of the company that bears his name. He is the largest shareholder in the media and financial-information behemoth.

President & Publisher, Jeanne Straus nyoffice@strausnews.com

STRAUS MEDIA your neighborhood news source nyoffice@strausnews.com 212-868-0190

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Account Executives Fred Almonte, David Dallon Director of Partnership Development Barry Lewis

Editor-In-Chief Alexis Gelber Deputy Editor David Noonan

Senior Reporter Doug Feiden Staff Reporter Emily Higginbotham

Director of Digital Pete Pinto Director of Design Christina Scotti

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Bloomberg, campaigning for president in Norfolk, VA, has declared his family off-limits to reporters from his own media company. Photo: Courtesy mikebloomberg2020.com

Ignoring the Rules of Democracy Washington Post media critic Margaret Sullivan wrote: “It’s the news-side issues that raise the most vexing ethical questions. Built into good journalism is independence.”

As Sullivan observed: “We already have a rich-guy president who thinks the tried-andtrue rules that underpin our democracy aren’t made for him and who doesn’t exhibit a core understanding of the accountability role of an independent press.” (That rich-guy president's re-election campaign announced on Monday that the the Bloomberg News plan was biased against the incumbent and therefore Bloomberg reporters would be barred from covering its events.)

Covering every aspect of a presidential candidate’s life is by now standard operating procedure. Gary Hart had a messy private life, which sank his campaign. Howard Dean’s shout of “Yeah!” proved highly damaging. Bill Clinton’s complicated personal world caused him and his campaign tsuris.

Who knows what diligent investigative reporters might uncover about Michael Bloomberg, who has led a remarkable life. His accomplishments include Harvard Business School, stardom as a Wall Street trader, huge success as the founder of the Bloomberg media empire and his reign as mayor of New York. He now has a net worth of an estimated $53 billion.

In recent years, he has won wide support and admiration because of his public and financial commitment to such causes as gun control.

Making it Tough For now, Bloomberg is making it tough for his journalists to remain objective.

“It will be an enormous challenge – much bigger than when he was mayor,” noted Keith

Kelly, the media columnist for The New York Post. “I think the only way for it to work is for Mike Bloomberg to step away entirely, which would mean either a sale -- which is highly unlikely -- or a complete blind trust with an outsider running his company.”

The controversy deepened when Bloomberg plucked Tim O’Brien, who was leading Bloomberg Views, the opinion section of Bloomberg News, to join the campaign as a senior advisor.

O’Brien, who has written a major book about Trump is an understandable choice.

Still, some suggested that the O’Brien addition further blurred the line between Bloomberg’s fledgling presidential campaign and his company. Bloomberg created Bloomberg News in 1990 as a way to make the flagship Bloomberg Terminal, a Wall Street staple, more appealing to the company’s current and future customers.

Full disclosure: I worked for Bloomberg News in New York, covering Wall Street, from 1993 to 1999. I enjoyed working for the man (most of the time). He was an accessible boss and seemed to enjoy the give and take that came with interacting with his staff. For the most part, he stayed out of the newsroom and didn’t publicly try to influence any story that I ever wrote for him.

Bloomberg is interested in one thing: success. He will do (legally) whatever it takes to achieve his goals. The collateral damage he has caused in this nascent campaign probably won’t cause him to lose any sleep. He may see his controversial practice of limiting the efforts of his staff as something he has to do.

But he may well be dogged by the decision throughout his underdog campaign, however long it lasts, and beyond.

9

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Calendar NYCNOW

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Fri 6, Sat 7 Tunisian Souk Holiday Pop-Up Market FIAF 22 East 60th St 4:00 - 10:00 p.m. Free ďŹ af.org 212-355-6100 This two-day pop-up market in the FIAF Skyroom features a curated collection of men’s, women’s and children’s ready-to-wear, accessories, beauty, home dĂŠcor, books, and food.

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Mount Vernon Hotel Museum 421 East 61st St 6:15 & 7:30 p.m. $20 Step into the holiday season of 1830 with a magical tour of the museum by candlelight. Enjoy popular refreshments and confections of the time while listening to classical and holiday music. mvhm.org 212-838-6878

Chashama 340 East 64th St 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. Free Progressive Transition is part of the 2019 Latin American Art Triennial organized by the Bronx Hispanic Festival Inc. The project highlights cultural exchange and, at its core, examines the implications of transition on an evolving Latin American culture. chashama.org 212-391-8151

92nd Street Y 1395 Lexington Ave 7:30 p.m. $28 Zadie Smith’s new collection of stories, her ďŹ rst book of short ďŹ ction, is “Grand Union.â€? The author will be introduced and interviewed by Jennifer Egan.

Purchase $15 tickets to this event by signing up for XYZ when you check out.

92y.org 212-415-5500

DECEMBER 5-11,2019

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Photo: Chanticleersf via wikimedia commons

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Mon 9

Tue 10

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Church of St Ignatius Loyola 980 Park Ave 4:00 p.m. $30 and up Founded in San Francisco in 1978, Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for the seamless blend of its twelve male voices ranging from countertenor to bass and its original interpretations of vocal literature. ignatius.nyc 212-288-2520

Arsenal in Central Park 830 FIFth Ave 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Free View wreaths by more than 40 artists, designers, and creative individuals of all ages who have used a variety of unexpected materials to reinterpret the traditional holiday symbol, often with a touch of humor and lighthearted fun. nycgovparks.org 212-360-8114

Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Ave 7:30 p.m. $35 and up A dutiful train station master (Emmy Award-winner Luke Kirby) is momentarily distracted and a tragic train crash results. Ödön von Horváth’s play is an intriguing hybrid of theatrical genres: part moral fable, part sociopolitical commentary, part noirish thriller. armoryonpark.org 212-616-3930

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Wed 11 ◄DODGEBALL & BINGO St Stephen School 408 East 82nd St 7:00 p.m. Free A fun-filled night of dodgeball and bingo! Kind of like you’re going straight from middle school to the retirement home. All skill levels welcome and feel free to bring friends. Don’t be discouraged if you’re a newbie and/or if you bring a newbie! sandlotsportsnyc.com 212-787-9026

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DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

WOMEN’S WORK AT MOMA MUSEUMS

IF YOU GO

The permanent collection now spotlights female artists

BY MARY GREGORY

Amidst all the blockbusters at the new MoMA, Mary Beth Edelson’s “Some Living American Women Artists” a 1972 mixed media collage, could be overlooked, but it’s extraordinary. Edelson, (now in her 80s and still making art) was a mid-century feminist, activist, gallerist, artist, and nonconformist of a high order.

In “Some Living American Women Artists” she appropriated Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper,“ an icon of multiple kinds of power, and replaced all the figures with female artists – Georgia O’Keeffe taking the center seat at the table. Around the edges are names and snapshots of 82 other women artists. Any artwork that incorporates Alma Thomas, Yoko Ono, Agnes Martin, Alice Neel, Marisol, Helen Frankenthaler, and Yayoi Kusama was bound to rock my world.

Close to 50 years ago, Edelson, like all women artists of the time – and today – understood the unequal representation of women in museums and galleries, and made a statement about it. Now, in 2019, the Museum of Modern Art has lent its formidable voice to that chorus. One of the most outstanding changes at the museum, which reopened in October, is a noticeable increase in the number of women artists, artists of color, and non-Western artists presented. The stars of Cubism, Modernism, Abstract Expressionism and other isms were established long ago. Almost all were American or European men. But, there were plenty of women artists working alongside them, creating master-

What: More Women’s Art at MoMA Where: The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd St. When: Through spring 2020 and beyond works that have gone largely unnoticed.

Equal Billing and “Aha Moments” Inspiration is a two-way transaction. “You have to see it to be it,“ says Sarah Suzuki, MoMA’s curator who directed the opening of the new museum. She and the curatorial team placed at least twice as many works by women in the permanent collection galleries and two major solo exhibitions by women dominate the contemporary floor: “Handles” by Haegue Yang and Betye Saar’s “Legends of Black Girl’s Window.”

But, Suzuki notes, it’s not just about numbers. Faith Ringgold’s “American People Series #20: Die” is a monumental painting from 1967 that now hangs adjacent to Pablo Picasso’s 1907 “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,“ one of the most visited works in the museum. “The impact of Faith Ringgold’s painting in a Picasso gallery reverberates more that can be reflected in the idea that it’s one work by a female artist,“ she says. Suzuki is also the curatorial leader for MoMA’s “Modern Women’s Fund,“ founded by philanthropist Sarah Peter. Its mission, she explains, is “to think about how to improve the lives of women that work at the museum and better celebrate the achievements of women across everything we do here.”

Marcel Duchamp Had a Sister!

Whether the discovery of Suzanne Duchamp, who worked in the shadow of her brother, Marcel

Remedios Varo. The Juggler (The Magician). 1956. Oil and inlaid mother of pearl on board. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photo: Heidi Bohnenkamp Duchamp, or the chance to consider and interest of one curator who was Lee Krasner’s work hanging next to like looking into a window, in a way, able to spark an interest in their cola painting by her husband, Jackson because of the transparency. Every leagues in a way that almost kind of Pollock, or noticing the harmonies side of the cube has a different catches fire and gains traction. What between Louise Bourgeois’ “Sleep- image, so you get the sense of layer- you see is a way for us to try to live ing Figure” and Wifredo Lam’s “The ing that’s really incredible. Idelle who we are as curators, and exhibiJungle,“ the galleries are filled with Weber, I’m sure, was the visual ref- tion makers, and catalogers, and col“aha” moments. My whole sense of erence for the opening credits of lection specialists. It feels great to be Surrealism was redefined by women ‘Mad Men,‘ and I don’t think she’s in those galleries with the women like Remedios Vara, Kay Sage and ever been credited for that. But this who came before, and helped to pave Leonora Carrington, and their non- is the work of a woman who, in the the way for artists today and for all 1960s, is totally critiquing that kind of us who work in this field.” threatening dream worlds.

Suzuki hopes visitors will find sur- of macho, ad man, businessman, When I was a girl, MoMA’s lobby prising treasures in every gallery, boardroom culture in a way that’s was dominated by Joan Miró’s and mentions a trio of sculptures. wildly appealing and super engag- bronze “Moonbird” and Jackson “It’s in a gallery called ‘From Soup ing. I’m absolutely delighted that Pollock’s massive, “One: Number 31, Cans to Flying Saucers’ that’s cir- they are they are side-by-side with 1950.” I loved visiting the museum, cling around Pop Art … So there are the Warhol ‘Soup Cans’ and the in part because I was so proud that artists who were using the materials Lichtenstein ‘Drowning Girl.’” a woman’s artwork held court equal of the world around them - all those to a man’s. Some years later I mass media sources, and this kind of Much More to Come learned that Joan is the Catalan Every six months MoMA’s perma- spelling of John, and Miró was a sense of what city culture and visual culture looked like at the moment. nent collection will rotate, providing man. Today’s girls and women, and There’s a stack of three small acrylic endless opportunities to see more those for years to come, will find all cubes made by the artist Idelle work by women artists. Says Suzuki, kinds of inspiration thanks to Suzuki “The makeup of the curatorial body and her MoMA colleagues and all the Weber,“ Suzuki notes.

“Each of the sides of this clear here is predominantly women, and women artists who were putting acrylic cube is screen printed with there’s a sense of having the galler- their vision, passion and work out the silhouette of this kind of classic ies reflect who we are. There’s an there, even before anyone was pay1960s ad man. So, there are guys in idea that the institution is a voice ing attention. You have to see it to be suits kind of comfortably slouching, from on high. It’s not. Every one of it. gesticulating to their cohorts. It’s those galleries, every one of those acquisitions comes from the passion

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

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‘SHE SANG THROUGH IT’ NEIGHBORHOOD’S BEST LIVES

Jessye Norman recalled as a force of nature at Met Opera memorial

BY RONALD BLUM, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jessye Norman was remembered as a force of nature as thousands filled the Metropolitan Opera House on Sunday, Nov. 24 for a celebration of the soprano, who died Sept. 30 at age 74.

Sopranos Renee Fleming, Latonia Moore, Lise Davidsen and Leah Hawkins sang tributes along with mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges and bass-baritone Eric Owens that were mixed among remembrances of family and friends, dance performances of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and video of Norman’s career.

“Yankee Stadium is the house that Babe Ruth built and welcome to this house that Jessye Norman built,“ Met general manager Peter Gelb said. “Of course Jessye wasn’t alone in filling this hallowed hall with her glorious voice. She was joined by rather important voices, from Leontyne Price to Luciano Pavarotti, but in her operatic prime in the ‘80s and the 90s, her majestic vocal chords reigned supreme in the dramatic soprano and the mezzo range. Like Babe Ruth, who swung for the fences, Jessye swung for standing room in the family circle, and she always connected.”

Norman’s celebration took place shortly after a memorial to actress Diahann Carroll at the Helen Hayes Theater, about a mile south. On Thursday, author Toni Morrison was memorialized at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, a trio of black Americans who were leaders in their fields.

“Three monumental women who carried through and offered a bounty of gifts to the world,“ actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith said.

Program for the Metropolitan Opera tribute to Jessye Norman.

Photo: Alexis Gelber

Travel with Jessye Smith recalled signing letters “Little Sis” to Norman’s “Big Sis.” She remembered traveling to Norman’s performances around the world, focusing on one at the Festival de Musique de Menton on the French Riviera, near the Italian border. Organizers had arranged to stop traffic to clear the air for Norman but fretted over a train, asking whether Norman preferred they slow it down to lower the noise level in exchange for a lengthier time the noise would be audible.

“When the train came through Menton and Jessye was hitting the high note, I heard Jessye. She sang through it,“ Smith said. “Until this morning, this very morning, I thought Jessye’s voice simply overrode that train. I don’t think so anymore. Now I understand that Jessye Norman had the ear, the timing, the love of song, the risk to share and the will to sing through - and with - the roaring train. In the same way, she integrated several musical histories to grace the world with the power of her voice.”

Speakers included Ford Foundation president Darren Walker and Gloria Steinem.

Younger sister Elaine Norman Sturkey and brother James Howard Norman told stories of their youth in Augusta, Georgia, and later travels together.

“Travel with Jessye was no small feat,“ Norman Sturkey said with humor in her voice.

“These Louis Vuittons that she bought were so heavy before you could even put anything in them. Then she would pack them to capacity, so that when we got to the airport, they were all going to be too heavy. We’re not going to have two maybe big suitcases or even three, we were going to have 10. And she’s not lifting anything. That’s somebody else’s problem. And she’s carrying everything from a humidifier to a teapot.

And we’re going to be back in less than two weeks, sometimes a week.”

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“Marseillaise” Controversy Carnegie Hall executive director Clive Gillinson spoke of summoning the courage to ask Norman to curate a festival, which she readily agreed to and became “Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy” in March 2009.

“Clive, this is the project I’ve been waiting my entire life to do,“ he quoted her as responding.

Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang spoke of the controversy over his decision to hire Norman rather than a French singer to perform “La Marseillaise” at the Place de la Concorde in 1989 to mark the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.

His remembrance was followed by a video of Norman’s iconic, blazing rendition.

Fleming received a huge ovation after “Beim Schlafengehen (When Falling Asleep)” from Strauss’ “Four Last Songs,‘ accompanied by pianist Gerald Martin Moore and Met concertmaster David Chan. Hawkins and Moore began and ended the program with traditionals, “Great Day” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand.” Bridges sang Duke Ellington’s “Heaven” and Owen performed Wotan’s farewell from “Die Walkuere.” Davidson, who was to make her Met debut Friday, sang Strauss’ “Morgen!”

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DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS NOVEMBER 20 - 26, 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.

Neil’s Coffee Shop

961 Lexington Ave

A

Kobeyaki

215 E 86th St

Grade Pending (3)

Starbucks

1542 3rd Ave

A

Las Panteras Negras Restaurant

2130 2nd Avenue

A

R & J Lounge

109 E 116th St

A

Burritos Y Mas

1571 Lexington Ave

A

Au Jus Harlem

1569 Lexington Ave

A

The Guthrie Inn

1259 Park Ave

A

Kfc

1922 3rd Avenue

A

El Paso Restaurant

123 E 110th St

A

Sabor Borinqueno

172 E 106th St

A

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OLD NAVY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

my needs.

Although I shopped in the “better” stores if I needed something for a work or social reason, my day-to-day uniform was jeans, a t-shirt or button down often paired with a v-neck sweater. I was a vision.

As I got older and more successful, I wanted to dress the part.

Of The Gap, Inc. companies, Banana Republic was Marcia Brady, The Gap was Jan, and Old Navy was Cindy — cute, but easy to ignore. Besides, it was nowhere near my life anymore and not worth the pre-Q train trip. It fell to the wayside. (The Gap didn’t fair too well either, even though it was in my neighborhood.)

I still frequented Banana, along with J.Crew, but grew to become a 3-Bs gal: Bergdorfs, Bloomies, and Bendels (may it rest), with the occasional appearance at Saks. I headed to the lower priced H&M only when I wanted to jump on a trend that I knew wouldn’t be around for more than a season: Chartreuse is the new black! Harem pants replace skinny jeans!

In fact, H&M and I have had quite a good relationship. Hence, I now feel like I’m cheating every time I slip through the double doors of its rival looming large across the street.

Last week alone I was at Old Navy three times.

Truth be told, as lovely as the items are, I would have never traveled to the store’s 34th Street location, even in our current post-Q

train world, or purchased online to get what I now own. I go, “Because it’s there,” the words immortalized in 1923 by George Mallory, when he was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.

Donuts in the Break Room We all know this way of thinking goes beyond impulse shopping, which ends up with us examining items and wondering aloud, “What possessed me?”

You get the heads up that there are donuts, which you don’t really like, in the break room.

Next thing you know you’re smacking sugar off your lips.

A super friendly person has moved in next door. Even though they’re not really your type, you figure it’s good to know your neighbor.

At the holiday party, you reluctantly drink the fun and fruity mystery concoction being passed out.

Allowing Because it’s there to be your decision-making tool isn’t just impulsive, but lazy, ultimately resulting in regret.

Not thinking things through — as in, do you really like/want/need what a store/job/person is offering — can lead to a closet full of clothes that end up at Goodwill, toxic relationships, or a compromising photo on social media.

Old Navy is a great addition to the UES’s collection of mall-stores, but before I shop again, I think I need to come up with a better reason than proximity.

Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novels “Fat Chick” and “Back to Work She Goes.”

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

15

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A BOOST FOR CITY ANIMALS New package of legislation promotes shelter adoptions and cruelty reporting - and bans sale of foie gras Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a new package of legislation into law last Monday to protect and promote animal welfare.

The bills support the welfare of dogs, horses, and birds, specifically. In addition to establishing an Office of Animal Welfare, increasing animal

Affordable Housing for Rent WEST END TOWERS LOTTERY IS OPEN FOR PLACEMENT ON RE-RENTAL WAITING LIST AT 55-75 West End Avenue New York, NY 10023 UPPER WEST SIDE Amenities: Concierge, complimentary shuttle bus, fitness room, children’s playground, laundry facilities*, garage*, NY Sports Club*, children’s playroom* (*additional fees apply) Transit: Trains: 1; Bus: M57

The building is approved to receive a Tax Exemption through the 421-a (17) Extended Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Individuals or households who meet the income and household size requirements listed in the table below may apply. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria.

Who Should Apply?

Completed applications will only be accepted either by mail or online. 200 selected applications will be placed on a waiting list for future vacancies.

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work with elected officials and communities to protect animals and build on New York City’s leadership in animal rights.”

NYC is the first city in the nation to appoint a designated animal rights liaison to work with animal advocates.

The administration has also invested $98 million in the development and renovation of full-service animal shelters in all five boroughs and has boosted placement rates at municipal shelters run by Animal Care Centers of NYC.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio signs a new package of legislation to promote animal welfare at the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center in Manhattan on November 25, 2019. Photos: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

cruelty reporting, and promoting animal shelter adoptions and kennel cough vaccinations, the animal welfare package prevents the trafficking of wild birds, improves working conditions for carriage horses and bans the sale of foie gras, which generated headlines for several days.

“I’m proud to sign this legislation that further solidifies our commitment to the humane and fair treatment of animals across our city,“ said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I look forward to continuing our

53

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$69,469 - $111,020

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$76,252 - $97,110

2 people

$76,252 - $111,020

3 people

$76,252 - $124,930

Tenant pays Electricity; Rent includes gas for cooking.

Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria.

Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income. Income guidelines subject to change.

Minimum income for each available unit will be determined by the actual rent of that unit. Asset limits also apply.

How Do You Apply?

Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to nyc.gov/housingconnect. To request an application addressed envelope to: . .O. 4010 . Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than . Late applications will not be considered.

Applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If yours is selected and you appear to qualify, you will be invited to an appointment to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Appointments are usually scheduled from 2 to 10 months after the application deadline. You will be asked to bring documents that verify your household size, identity of members of your household, and your household income.

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Presente una solicitud en línea en nyc.gov/housingconnect. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la dirección a: . .O. 4010 New York, . En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes 31 de diciembre 2019.

䬨ỻᷕ㔯

䇯䰞 nyc.gov/housingconnect ൘㓯⭣䈧DŽྲ㾱㧧ਆᵜᒯ੺৺Җ䶒⭣䈧㺘Ⲵㆰփѝ᮷⡸ˈ䈧ሶᛘⲴഎ䛞ؑሱᇴ䘱㠣˖WEST END TOWERS . .O. 4010 New York, NY 10023 ؑሱ㛼䶒䈧⭘㤡䈝⌘᰾ĀCHINESEāDŽᗵ享൘ԕлᰕᵏѻࡽ൘㓯ᨀӔ ⭣䈧ᡆ䛞ᇴҖ䶒⭣䈧 ᒤ ᴸ ᰕDŽ

Русский

Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: nyc.gov/housingconnect. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу . .O. 4010 New York, NY 10023. На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее 31 декабрь 2019.

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Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb nyc.gov/housingconnect. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: . .O. 4010 New York, NY 10023. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan dat 31 desanm 2019.

‫اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ‬

‫ أرﺳل ﻣظروف ﯾﺣﻣل اﺳﻣك وﻋﻧواﻧك‬،‫ ﻟﻠﺣﺻول ﻋﻠﻰ ﺗرﺟﻣﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ ﻟﮭذا اﻹﻋﻼن وﻟﻧﻣوذج اﻟطﻠب اﻟورﻗﻲ‬.nyc.gov/housingconnect ‫ﺗﻘدم ﺑطﻠب ﻋن طرﯾﻖ اﻹﻧﺗرﻧت ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻣوﻗﻊ اﻹﻟﻛﺗروﻧﻲ‬ ‫ اﻛﺗب ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻹﻧﺟﻠﯾزﯾﺔ ﻛﻠﻣﺔ‬،‫ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺟﮭﺔ اﻟﺧﻠﻔﯾﺔ ﻟﻠﻣظروف‬ . .O. 4010 New York, NY 10023. :‫إﻟﻰ‬ .2019 ،‫ دﯾﺳﻣﺑر‬31 ‫ ﯾﺟب إرﺳﺎل ﻧﻣﺎذج اﻟطﻠﺑﺎت ﻋن طرﯾﻖ اﻹﻧﺗرﻧت أو ﺧﺗﻣﮭﺎ ﺑﺧﺗم اﻟﺑرﯾد ﻗﺑل‬. ARABIC"

Mayor Bill de Blasio • HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll

Adoptions are up at ACC shelters.

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DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Business

HOLIDAY PRESSURES RETAIL

Amazon and other companies are under the gun for one-day delivery adding to traffic and congestion in city streets

BY JOSEPH PISANI, ASSOCIATED PRESS

This year, holiday stress may take on a whole new meaning for online retailers.

Amazon, Walmart and others have promised to deliver more of their orders within 24 hours of customers clicking on “Buy.’’ The coming weeks will be the first test of whether they can make that happen during the busy holiday shopping season, when onslaughts of orders and bad weather can lay waste to even the best delivery plans.

It’s an expensive feat that requires not just additional planes and vehicles, but more workers and reams of data to help retailers prepare and predict what shoppers may buy.

And the stakes to deliver on time are high. A late package can damage a retailer’s reputation, since shoppers tend to blame them, even if the late arrival is the fault of the delivery company.

“The store made the promise,‘’ said Suketu Gandhi, partner in the digital transformation practice at consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

More Control Amazon learned that six years ago, when UPS and FedEx were crippled by bad weather and last-minute online shopping, causing millions of packages to be late for Christmas. Since then, the online shopping giant has been building its own delivery network to give it more control over when and how its packages are delivered. It has leased jets, built package-sorting hubs at airports and launched a program that lets contractors start businesses delivering packages in vans.

Others are feeling the pressure to keep up with Amazon. When the company introduced two-day shipping about 14 years ago, shoppers expected

Photo: Michael Garofalo

the same from other stores. That appears to be happening again.

“Customers love two-day delivery,‘’ said Mark Cohen, a retail studies professor at New York’s Columbia Business School. “But they like one day better.’’

Smaller retailers, however, will probably be hurt trying to pay for quicker shipping, said Cohen, who used to be an executive at Sears Canada.

The push for even speedier delivery comes after Amazon announced in April that it would cut its delivery for Prime members to one day from two. Walmart and Best Buy followed with their own announcements. Many smaller retailers are also trying to deliver quicker, according to UPS, which said it will have 11 more jets flying this year to keep up.

But many eyes will be on Amazon this holiday season and whether it will keep its delivery promises. That’s because 42% of all online sales this holiday season is expected to go to the Seattle company, according consulting firm Bain & Co. It says it’s up to the challenge.

“We deliver for our customers every day and are confident in our ability to serve customers this holiday season,‘’ Amazon said in a statement.

Spending to Move Items Amazon already had a chance to test out one-day shipping during its Prime Day event in July, which has become one of the company’s busiest shopping events.

It has another advantage: lots of cash.

Amazon expects to spend about $1.5 billion during the holiday season, partly to

move items closer to customers and pay for more worker shifts. It says the cost is worth it, since it’s already seeing customers spend more because of the switch to one-day delivery.

The spending starts even before a package hits the road. Retailers are using machine learning technology to predict what shoppers may buy and then placing those items in stores and warehouses closer to them, said Anne Goodchild, the director of the Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center at the University of Washington.

Amazon has more than 100 warehouses around the country to store, pack and ship goods. Walmart is using warehouses and stores near customers to pack next-day orders. Best Buy has opened warehouses near the heavily populated cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Target says more than 90% of online orders are packed at stores.

While Target doesn’t promise nextday delivery, it says that half of its twoday deliveries are showing up at customers’ doorsteps the next day. It’s also offering same-day delivery from stores for an extra fee and, like other retailers, it offers an option for customers to buy online and pick up from a store.

Shippers say they are ready for the influx of packages. UPS, which says nextday air shipments jumped 24% in the most recent quarter, has built more package sortation hubs that will help it process an additional 400,000 pieces per hour. FedEx will again be offering online retailers a way to ship next day or in two days when orders come in late afternoon or night. And the U.S. Postal Service says it will be delivering packages in more cities on Sunday, a change it typically does during the holidays.

But cities may not be prepared for the rushed deliveries. Goodchild said places like New York and Seattle are not built to deal with the vans and cars stopping to deliver, causing traffic and congestion.

“That’s where we see pressure,‘’ she said.

AP Business Writers Anne D’Innocenzio in New York and David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.

MERRY CLICKMAS SHOPPING Black Friday online sales hit record $7.4 billion

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

This year’s Black Friday was the biggest ever for online sales, as fewer people hit the stores and shoppers rang up $7.4 billion in transactions from their phones, computers and tablets.

That’s just behind the $7.9 billion haul of last year’s Cyber Monday, which holds the one-day record for online sales, according to Adobe Analytics. Adobe measures sales at 80 of the top 100 U.S. online retailers.

Adobe expects online sales to jump to another record this Cyber Monday with an estimated total of $9.4 billion.

Much of the shopping is happening on people’s phones, which accounted for 39% of all online sales Friday and 61% of online traffic.

Shoppers have been looking for “Frozen 2’’ toys in particular. Other top purchases included sports video games and Apple laptops.

All the online shopping may have helped thin the crowd at malls on Black Friday.

Traffic at stores fell 2.1% on Black Friday from a year ago, according to preliminary figures from RetailNext. It tracks in-store activity at tens of thousands of locations, including specialty apparel retailers, big-box stores and mall-based stores. The drop in traffic helped lead to a 1.6% dip in sales.

Online and in-store shopping aren’t always completely separate, though. Many people buy things online, only to head to the store to pick them up. Such sales surged 43.2% on Black Friday from a year ago, according to Adobe.

This holiday shopping season may be the most harried in years because it’s the shortest since 2013. Thanksgiving this year fell on the last Thursday in November - the latest possible date it could be.

Much is riding on the success of the holiday season’s sales. The U.S. economy is still growing steadily, but gains have slowed since its sizzling start to the year. Economists say strong spending by households is helping to bolster growth and make up for weak confidence among businesses given all the uncertainties about the U.S.-China trade war and other factors.

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

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DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

125TH ST. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 routes 20 percent, and travel times are down 30 percent.

On Nov. 21, Brewer sent a letter to Commissioner New York City Department of Transportation Polly Trottenberg asking that the agency look into the potential for a busway — or other initiatives, such as center-running bus lanes along 125thStreet.

“I am proud to have been the first elected official to publicly support this innovative idea and believe the successes realized for the M14 routes should be viewed as a model going forward as we look to further improve bus service,” Brewer said in the letter. “The nine main bus routes that traverse the 125th Street and 181st Street corridors are perfect places to provide similar aid.”

Room for Improvement Brewer told Trottenberg that 125th St. received a poor rating by the Bus Turnaround Coalition – made up of the Riders Alliance, TransitCenter, the Straphanger’s Campaign and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign – for slow bus speeds and poor reliability. She pointed out that about

75,000 riders use 125th St. daily, which is much higher than ridership on 14th St., which totals around 30,000 commuters.

“As your agency embarks on both the Bronx Bus Network Redesign and the Better Buses Action Plan, it should give the 125th Street and 181st Street corridors a hard look for strong bus priority measures,” Brewer wrote. “It is vital that we not only apply proven methods for bus service at a time when ridership continues to fall, but that we ensure equity as we do so. Northern Manhattan bus riders deserve to reap the same potential benefits that riders in Lower Manhattan have seen.”

Ben Fried, a spokesman for TransitCenter supports the borough president’s plan to improve bus lanes on 125th St. He said that people park and drive in the bus lanes, which creates a problem for traffic and buses.

“The bus lanes aren’t respected by drivers,” Fried said. “A lot of people ride buses on those streets, so the more the city can do to really clear a path for buses, the more it’s going to help tens of thousands of people every day. The bus lane isn’t as clear as it needs to be in order for buses to travel unobstructed.”

Photo: Eric Fischer via Flickr

FRANK E. CAMPBELL THE FUNERAL CHAPEL IS PROUD TO HOST THE SECOND ANNUAL

WINTER EVENING OF MUSIC Saturday, December 7, 2019, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

1076 Madison Avenue at 81st Street All are welcome to attend this free concert performed by World-Class Musicians.

Refreshments will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m.

TO BE A PERFECT PARENT.

FRANK E. CAMPBELL THE FUNERAL CHAPEL 1076 Madison Avenue at 81st Street www.frankecampbell.com

212-288-3500

Owned by a subsidiary of Service Corp. International 1929 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019, 713-522-5141

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Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

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TURN YOUR CONCERN INTO IMPACT. The New York Community Trust can help maximize your charitable giving.

Contact Jane at (212) 686-0010 x363 or giving@nyct-cfi.org for a consultation.

www.giveto.nyc

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

A recent community meeting at the 20th Precinct. Photo: Courtesy of 20th Precinct via Twitter

PATTERN OF CRIME CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 cording to Vassallo, before the group started to leave, heading south on West End Ave. Vassallo took out his phone and took pictures of the teenagers, but one of them returned and punched him again before finally retreating without taking anything from him.

“They did not ask for money. They did not take anything for me,” Vassallo said.

Vassallo called 911 and police were able to apprehend five of the six alleged attackers between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues.

Vassallo was able to identify the suspects and police recovered the knife Vassallo described.

All five of the teens were released and the sixth, who had initiated the assault, has not been apprehended.

Key Issue in the Precinct The physical pain from the incident has subsided, Vassallo said, but the psychological damage will be more lasting. He said he’s now more nervous walking around the neighborhood and is more aware of his surroundings.

“If I see any type of, you know, these teenag-

If I see any type of, you know, these teenagers walking towards me, I’m just gonna turn back, cross the street or enter a building. I won’t trust them anymore.”

Sam Vassello, victim of an attack on the UWS ers walking towards me, I’m just gonna turn back, cross the street or enter a building,” he said. “I won’t trust them anymore.”

Vassallo, who came to New York from Malta in 1989, said the neighborhood feels more unsafe now than in past decades. He said these crimes seem to be accumulating and he said the city should step in to help.

For his part, Malin said he has been prioritizing juvenile robberies with his staff and that incidents have been limited since they’ve been identified as a key issue in the precinct.

“It’s my number one focus right now in terms of my deployment strategy,” said Malin.

DECEMBER 5-11, 2019

RUNNING FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM

SPORTS

The president of the West Side Runners’ Club helps immigrants from all over

BY JAKE SEINER, ASSOCIATED PRESS

A no-name entrant at this month’s New York City Marathon - literally, he didn’t even qualify to have his name printed on his bib - Girma Bekele Gebre crashed the elite field and finished third in the largest 26.2mile race in the world.

A week later, the Ethiopian runner sat in Bill Staab’s Upper West Side apartment, smiling and nodding while Staab recounted details from his stunning podium finish.

“It’s a life-changer,‘’ Staab said.

Staab, the 80-year-old president of the West Side Runners’ Club, has helped numerous careers during his 42-year term, making the American dream possible for immigrants from all over. A longtime running enthusiast who is retired from his career in steel sales and administration, Staab has become an indispensable organizer for runners from South America and Africa. He’s written hundreds of letters to support visaseeking athletes, and he says he’s spent nearly $1 million of his own money on entry fees and memberships for West Side runners like Girma.

He doesn’t pocket the winnings like the $61,000 earned by Girma, or the $10,000 that countryman Diriba Degefa Yigezu got for winning last weekend’s Philadelphia Marathon.

Staab helps the athletes cash those checks and use the money to fund their travels or support others back home.

“When I came here, I didn’t have any family,‘’ Diriba said. ``This person helped me. That’s why I run for him.’’

Stunning Time Girma’s success is a new level for West Side Runners. Prior to his breakthrough, he was “just another one of our runners,‘’ Staab said - one of his “basically minor league racers.’’ Girma came to the U.S for three to four months at a time, and Staab

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would arrange near-weekly races for him across the country. He’d make $500 here, $1,000 there - his biggest payday was $8,000 - and he would send some of that back to his family, which is helping raise his 4-yearold daughter on their farm.

The routine was interrupted this year when one of Girma’s six brothers died. He cut short his spring U.S. trip and returned to Ethiopia. Instead of grinding through half-marathons and 10Ks, he trained at altitude in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

New York was Girma’s first race back in the U.S., and he posted a stunning time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 38 seconds - more than five minutes faster than his previous personal best.

“If he had said, ‘I’m going to run 2:08,‘ I would have said, ‘That’s crazy,‘’’ Staab said.

Girma is thinking about putting the prize money into a house in Ethiopia. He’s been contacted by agents and sponsors about potential deals, and Staab is hopeful Girma will be approved for a green card _ an important step up from his P1 athlete visa that will make living and competing in the U.S. easier. He’s eyeing the Boston Marathon for his next race, although it’s uncertain if he’ll crack the smaller field there.

For now, he plans to spend time back home weighing his options. Among his goals: he wants to shave another few minutes off his personal best marathon time.

“Maybe 2:03,‘’ he said.

Staab hardly envisioned a success story like that when he took over West Side Runners. Originally a small club of local athletes from the West Side YMCA, the team first went international in 1980 when Staab helped three Colombian runners enter the NYC Marathon. Word spread that Staab could connect international runners to U.S. races, and athletes from Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American countries followed. West Side Runners became a powerhouse at local competitions - and a strikingly diverse one racing against mostly white teams stocked with post-collegiate runners.

“The other teams laughed at us,‘’

YOUR 15 MINUTES

To read about other people who have had their “15 Minutes” go to ourtownny.com/15 minutes

NYC Marathon star Girma Bekele Gebre (left) with Bill Staab (center) of the West Side Runners’ Club Runners after a workout at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on Nov. 26, 2019. Photo: AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Staab said. “And then we began to beat them. Then they didn’t laugh quite so much.’’

Letters to Immigration Staab, a former Peace Corps volunteer, turned managing West Side Runners into a full-time endeavor after retiring a decade ago. His commitment and capability struck some Ethiopian runners seeking a new team around that time, and now Ethiopians make up roughly a third of the club’s roughly 350 members.

Some come to the U.S. for a few months at a time, and some longer.

Staab used to let runners stay in his apartment, but his co-op board recently outlawed that. Many runners have friends to stay with elsewhere in the city, and some share small apartments in the Bronx.

They’re almost all full-time runners, with athlete visas that preclude them from taking on other jobs. Although they aren’t world-renowned, they can earn enough to cover expenses and send money home, mostly because Staab can get them into nearly any mid-tier race in the country.

It’s not a luxurious lifestyle. Diriba will end up running about 20 races this season - he might have completed more if not for an injury over

the summer - and estimates he’ll make about $26,000. Barely enough to make rent in his shared Bronx apartment, but in Ethiopia, he says, “it’s a lot of money.’’

Staab also uses the club to help runners get visas, estimating he writes about 100 letters per year to immigration vouching for potential racers.

One of those runners is Nuhamin Bogale Ashame. Formerly a junior world champion at 1,500 meters, Nuhamin fell off the international competitive scene due to injury but is trying to make her way back at longer distances. With Staab’s help, she’s raced everything from one mile to half-marathons in her first year in the U.S. The 26-year-old heard good things from other athletes about West Side Runners while she was in Ethiopia, and she hasn’t been disappointed by Staab.

“For Ethiopian runners, he’s like a father,‘’ she said. ``We love him.’’

That much became clear to Staab last year, when 15 Ethiopian runners accompanied him to the hospital when he had to have a tumor removed from his bladder. Staab doesn’t have any family in New York, so his runners remained with him overnight.

“When I went back for another op-

eration, the nurses didn’t remember me, but they remembered the Ethiopians,‘’ he said.

Staab bemoans that the immigration process has become more difficult since Donald Trump’s election.

He’s stopped trying to get visas for Mexican runners ``because you’re not going to get them.’’ Even for the Ethiopians, Staab has had a harder time since Girma got his P1 visa in 2013.

“They’re from a shithole country, you know?’’ he said, wryly referencing Trump’s reported comments from last year about some African nations.

Still, most of Staab’s team members are immigrants. Their success is on display at his apartment, where dozens of trophies sit on a table in the entry. Runners often leave those prizes for him - they’d rather save room in their luggage for clothes, shoes and souvenirs, anyway.

“We’ve done well, but it’s a lot of work,‘’ Staab said. “I’m kind of obsessed with it.’’

Know somebody who deserves their 15 Minutes of fame? Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

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S E G R B B F L C Y D U S Q T

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E D T E S T T I A D N X L S H

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Across 1. Angelina’s beau 5. Automated teller 8. Detailed description 12. Referring to Christmas 13. Geologic time period 14. Starch source 15. Sushi supplies 16. L. ___ Hubbard, author of “Dianetics the Modern Scince of Mental Health” 17. Twisted 18. Self-importance 21. Solar ____ 24. Minted 28. Trouble 29. Zinger 31. Insinuating 32. ___ coffee 34. Brine-cured salmon 36. ___ you didn’t know!

37. Orion star 39. Many a time 41. Approximate arrival time 42. Trends 44. Form of Greek verb

1

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1

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U B U R E T R M X C M J N N C

50

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M L X Y K I U X I O I X W I N

49

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B C A J Y H E J B B Y N O A E

48

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F R U I T E Z O Z R V M J R R

46

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G R A N O L A I F M I O D G F

43

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39

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38

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31

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30

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29

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20

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21

19

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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.

57

14

11

60

13

10

I

12

9

C

8

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7

A

6

Y

5

C

4

S

3

SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

by Myles Mellor

A

2

CROSSWORD

56

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