Our Town May 28th, 2015 by Our Town

The local paper for the Upper er East Side A CLOSER READING OF FIDDLER < 15 MINUTES, P.25

WEEK OF MAY-JUNE

28-3 2015

Our Take

DRAWING A LINE AT SUTTON PLACE

THE SUMMER BUCKET LIST

NEWS Community rallies unusually speedy fight against a proposed mega-tower in the neighborhood

Photo courtesy Eileen F. Gould

BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

A proposed development by the Bauhouse Group to build a 900-foot tall residential tower in the historic Sutton Place neighborhood shocked many when it was revealed by Our Town in April. Since then, according to Community Board 6 and Councilmember Ben Kallos, residents who live in the area have joined forces in a plan to stop, or at least limit, the scope of the project. Bauhouse began years ago to build an assemblage allowing for a 268,000-square-foot tower that would be the one of the tallest in the city and the second-tallest on the Upper East Side, behind the in-progress 1,400foot 432 Park Avenue. The development includes 58,000 square feet of inclusionary housing rights, and consists of four building lots totaling 80 feet of frontage on East 58th Street between 1st Avenue and Sutton Place. According to sources with knowledge of the development, Bauhouse is actually looking to unload the parcel to another developer. In response to the proposal, CB6 passed a resolution that could serve to limit how high a buyer can build on Sutton Place. “The community expressed strong opinions that the proposed construction will ruin the scale and character

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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O OURTOWNNY.COM @OurTownNYC

YORK AVENUE DUCKLINGS MOVE TO THE SUBURBS NEWS Eight ducks moved to Long Island, ahead of the traffic BY CODY GERARD

The ducklings of the Upper East Side are no more. The eight newborn ducks had captivated the neighborhood, after taking up residence in a fountain outside of 1385 York Ave., between 73rd and 74th streets. Neighbors set up a nest box in the fountain and the ducks, believed to be only a few weeks old, attracted a stream of gawkers and admirers. Eileen Gould, who lives in the building next door, said the ducklings were relocated by wildlife officials, and su-

pers at the building said the ducks were taken to Long Island to live in the wild. A sign was posted at the fountain stating simply, “Moved To Long Island!” “Hopefully, it’s to give them a better life than living in a driveway,” Gould said. “People were very disappointed to see them leave.” Gould had set up what she took to calling a Duck-cam on Facebook, providing regular updates. The ducklings, of course, may have had the last quack: The animals ﬂed the city early in the week, well ahead of the Memorial Day weekend crawl to the beach.

Newscheck Crime Watch Voices Out & About

2 3 8 10

City Arts Top 5 Business 15 Minutes

12 13 18 25

Memorial Day is behind us, and this year’s was glorious. New Yorkers, still traumatized by a dreadful winter, turned out en masse last weekened to claim their place on every available patch of grass, park bench and beach towel. There was joy to be found outside, and we were right there in it. It’s more than just the weather. The coming summer also gives us all a chance to exhale, after what has been an exhausting, draining few months: The continuing tension with the police, the frustration over a New York economy wishboning in opposite directions, the rise of petty crime and homelessness on the streets. They are all real issues and won’t fade away in the sunshine; indeed, some of them may get worse. But these months nevertheless give us all a chance to take a breather, a moment to refresh. And it is in that spirit that next month kicks off our ﬁrst annual Summer Bucket List series. Beginning in June, look for stories about New Yorkers spending their summer in ways they’ve always dreamed about, but never pulled off: napping in Bryant Park, taking up bocce ball, ﬁshing in New York harbor. Your bucket list can be grandiose or simple, pricey or free. The only requirement is that it can only happen in summer -- and only in New York. So what’s on your list? Send us your stories and ideas at news@ strausnews.com, post them on our Facebook page, or tweet us at #summerbucketlist. Now go outside.

Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset. Friday May 29 – 8:00 pm. For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com.

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MAKING NEWS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SPEAKER, MAYOR DISAGREE ABOUT HIRING MORE COPS City Council Speaker Melissa MarkViverito and Mayor Bill de Blasio are at odds about the hiring of additional police officers, The New York Times reported. While de Blasioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive budget included no money for additional police, Mark-Viverito has pledged to continue her demand for 1,000 more cops. Although the two Democrats are political allies, the issue has for the ďŹ rst time split the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership on a potentially contentious issue, The Times reports.

Although allies of both say the disagreement is not bad-tempered, the dispute highlights policy differences in the crime justice realm. The speaker and mayor are also in disagreement about Mark-Viveritoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal to decriminalize some minor crimes, such as fare beating, public consumption of alcohol and being in parks after dark. Both de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton have spoken out against the plan, with Bratton in particular opposed, saying that decriminalization of what are some of the most common criminal offenses would lead people to increasingly ďŹ&#x201A;out laws. Mark-Viveritoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very public stances

on those issues has prompted discussion about her political future. She must leave the Council in 2017 because of term limits. The Times said she has discussed running for mayor at some point, or perhaps even for governor of her native Puerto Rico.

70th Street, said the tax is a ďŹ nancial obligation that could become all the more onerous if the minimum wage climbs citywide, as it has in other cities, and rents continue to climb. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Commercial rents are at the highest level I can ever remember,â&#x20AC;? the Post quotes Goodside as saying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The small-business person in New York is struggling.â&#x20AC;?

RENT TAX BURDENS BUSINESSES Owners of some small businesses in Manhattan, already battling rising rents to stay open, are additionally burdened by a so-called commercial rent tax, the New York Post reported. The tax, established in the 1960s as the city careened toward insolvency, was later abolished, except for about 6,700 businesses in a swath of Manhattan below 96th Street, the paper reports. Businesses paying $250,000 a year in rents are billed a commercial rent tax of about 6 percent. The city collects about $687 million annually through the tax, the Post reports The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and some in the City Council want to cap rent amounts subject to the CRT at $500,000, according to the newspaper, which says that roughly 2,600 businesses would then pay less David Goodside, the owner of the Beach CafĂŠ, at Second Avenue and

Frank E. Campbell â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Funeral Chapel Hosts Annual Bus Trip to Calverton National Cemetery

DAVID KOCH DONATES $150 MILLION TO CANCER CENTER Billionaire David Koch has donated $150 million to the Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The money will go towards the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care, a 23-story outpatient facility being built between East 73rd and 74th Streets overlooking the FDR Drive. In a statement, the hospital said the donation is the single largest made by Koch, a longtime member of the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board. Koch, who found out he had prostate cancer in 1991 but appears to be free of the disease, lives in New York. Koch, 75, a billionaire, libertarian and backer of tea party causes, has contributed about $1.3 billion to a range of organizations in the city, including to the New York City Ballet, the American Museum of Natural History, New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, all of which now have a portion of their buildings named after him. Memorial-Sloan Kettering said the center â&#x20AC;&#x153;will provide the most advanced cancer treatments in a dynamic space designed with the needs of patients ďŹ rmly in mind.â&#x20AC;? The center is scheduled to open in 2019

THE SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY LINE IS ABOUT 80 PERCENT COMPLETE. With tunneling work from 63rd to 96th Streets ďŹ nished, the ďŹ rst phase of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst major expansion of its subway system in 50 years is on track for on-time completion in December 2016. When it opens late next year, the L train line will stop at new stations at 96th, 86th and 72nd Streets, as well as at the existing 63rd Street station, which is being expanded. The ďŹ rst phase will have cost about $4.5 billion to build. The T train line will eventually cover 8.5 miles, mostly along East Side, from 125th Street, and available transfers to the 4, 5, 6 and Q trains, to Hanover Square in the Financial District. In between, it will have stations at 116th, 106th, 96th, 86th, 72nd and 63rd Streets and transfers to the Q train and to the F train at 63rd Street. C

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

As the seasons change and Memorial Day approaches, we find ourselves thinking about the men and women who are serving our country around the world. We also remember those who gave of themselves when our freedom was threatened, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation. We here at Frank E. Campbell, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Funeral Chapelâ&#x20AC;? are sponsoring a trip to Calverton National Cemetery for those individuals who do not get an opportunity to visit their loved one who served our country. This FREE trip will take place on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. The bus will leave from 81st Street and Madison Avenue at 8:30am and will return approximately 4:30pm. A continental breakfast will be served at Frank E. Campbell between 7:30 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:15 am. A box lunch will be provided on the bus at Calverton National Cemetery. If you are interested in joining us, please call 212-288-3500 by May 22, 2015, to reserve your place. Please have your section and grave information available when you call.

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MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

CRIME WATCH BY WILLIAM MATHIS

THREE ARRESTED IN MANHATTAN MATTRESS DEATH

GRAND LARCENY

STATS FOR THE WEEK

The International Lottery named an Upper East Side resident the winner of its big prize. The woman, 86, received a call from someone on May 13 claiming to be the lottery to inform her of her big win. They told her she just had to ﬁrst pay $9,000 in taxes to receive her big payout. She sent the money via Western Union. The police are investigating.

Reported crimes from the 19th Precinct for May 11 to May 17

Three people have been arrested in the death of a New Jersey man found dead under a mattress at a Manhattan hotel. Twenty-eight-year-old Roderick Goodwin of Bridgeton, New Jersey was found dead at the Hilton Garden Inn early Monday. Police say 31-year-old Christine O’Brien of West New York, New Jersey was arrested Thursday. Twenty-seven-year-old Gabriel Pena and 28-year-old Jennifer Rodriguez, both of Brooklyn, were arrested Friday. All face charges of second-degree murder in Goodwin’s death. In addition, Rodriguez faces a ﬁrst-degree robbery charge. Police said earlier they believed the killing was linked to prostitution. It wasn’t clear if the three had attorneys who could comment on the charges. The hotel is on West 35th Street near Penn Station in a part of Manhattan bustling with tourists and business travelers.

CHEAP EATS A Lexington Avenue restaurant thought it had a ﬁne customer, until the bill came. A woman enjoyed a lavish meal, wine and after-dinner espresso on May 14. But when the bill came, she refused to pay. The restaurant called the police and they recognized the woman. She had been arrested for the same crime just a few days before. Police arrested her again and charged her with theft of service.

FUNNY MONEY Money talks, but sometimes it’s a lie. The proprietor of a news stand/ deli on Lexington Avenue and East 84th Street thought a 21-year-old man’s $20 bill was a fake when the

Week to Date

Year to Date

2015 2014

% Change

2015

2014

% Change

Murder

n/a

Rape

n/a

-66.7

Robbery

17.6

Felony Assault

-33.3

Burglary

100

-35.5

Grand Larceny

-16

451

475

-5.1

Grand Larceny Auto

tried to buy merchandise there on May 15. When the clerk confronted the customer, two plainclothes policemen, who were also in line, overheard the accusation. The officers stepped in and placed the would-be customer under arrest for forgery. After a search, police also found that the man had ﬁve fake $10 bills and another fake $20 bill.

BREAK-IN

CAR TROUBLE

A 33-year-old woman stepped out for lunch and someone stepped into her apartment. The woman left her East 78th Street apartment around noon on May 15. When she came back just a few hours later, a burglar had broken a window to enter her apartment. She reported over $8,000 in missing property, mostly electronics. The police are continuing their investigation.

A man is feeling lost after someone stole his Garmin GPS out of his car recently. The man, 29, had parked overnight on East 93rd Street near 5th Avenue on May 15. When he came to move his car the next morning he found the rear passenger window broken. Inside the car, both his window-mounted GPS and laptop were taken. Police are investigating.

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Useful Contacts POLICE NYPD 19th Precinct

153 E. 67th St.

212-452-0600

159 E. 85th St.

311

FIRE FDNY 22 Ladder Co 13 FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16

157 E. 67th St.

311

FDNY Engine 53/Ladder 43

1836 Third Ave.

311

FDNY Engine 44

221 E. 75th St.

311

CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Daniel Garodnick

211 E. 43rd St. #1205

212-818-0580

Councilmember Ben Kallos

244 E. 93rd St.

212-860-1950

STATE LEGISLATORS State Sen. Jose M. Serrano

1916 Park Ave. #202

212-828-5829

State Senator Liz Krueger

1850 Second Ave.

212-490-9535

Assembly Member Dan Quart

360 E. 57th St.

212-605-0937

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright

1365 First Ave.

212-288-4607

COMMUNITY BOARD 8

505 Park Ave. #620

212-758-4340

LIBRARIES Yorkville

222 E. 79th St.

212-744-5824

96th Street

112 E. 96th St.

212-289-0908

67th Street

328 E. 67th St.

212-734-1717

Webster Library

1465 York Ave.

212-288-5049

100 E. 77th St.

212-434-2000

HOSPITALS Lenox Hill NY-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell

525 E. 68th St.

212-746-5454

Mount Sinai

E. 99th St. & Madison Ave.

212-241-6500

NYU Langone

550 First Ave.

212-263-7300

CON EDISON

4 Irving Place

212-460-4600

POST OFFICES US Post Office

1283 First Ave.

212-517-8361

US Post Office

1617 Third Ave.

212-369-2747

HOW TO REACH US:

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TO SUBSCRIBE: Our Town is available for free on the east side in select buildings, retail locations and news boxes. To get a copy of east side neighborhood news mailed to you weekly, you may subscribe to Our Town Eastsider for just $49 per year. Call 212868-0190 or go online to StrausNews. com and click on the photo of the paper or mail a check to Straus Media, 20 West Ave., Chester, NY 10918.

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END IN SIGHT FOR MET FOOD-CART GRIDLOCK NEWS Court ruling clears the way for a crackdown at the museum BY ZACH WILLIAMS

The food-cart gridlock in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art may ﬁnally be coming to an end. More than two dozen food carts regularly set up shop there, resulting in a congestion of hot dog, halal and pretzel offerings beyond the permitted levels of two per block. An NYPD officer has told vendors of an impending crackdown, vendors say, leaving many to lament an ambiguous regulatory system determining just who can sling the ubiquitous NYC street cuisine in front of the iconic museum. An April 9 ruling by a state appellate court held that the sidewalk in front of the museum should be governed by the same two-per-block rule that applies to the rest of the city. A spokesperson for the city Law Department said on May 26 that a crackdown on vendors violating that limit could well come in the near future. However, the city is currently focusing on outreach to vendors so as not to surprise them when action comes. A recent meeting at a neighborhood police precinct was one example cited by a Law Department spokesperson of the ample warning and education offered to the vendors. Most of the street carts in front of the museum are operated through food licenses issued to military veterans, who lease them to cart owners. That arrangement particularly irks one longtime vendor who secured the legal victory which allowed veteran-owned businesses to operate in front of the museum. “I opened up the streets,” said Dan Rossi, a disabled Vietnam War veteran who has fought the city and museum for years to keep his vending space in front of the museum. “The problem is the veterans that I worked so hard to help have leased their permits to street vendors and those street ven-

dors are using that permits as if they are veterans.” Business can be lucrative in front of the museum, not least because of the dearth of food options across Fifth Avenue from the museum. The competition has prompted vendors like Rossi to regularly sleep in his cart in order to guard his position, he said. Air Force veteran Vincent Luckett, who sat behind one food cart on May 21 as another man did the cooking, said the city rules are almost impossible to decipher. “This whole thing is shot. It’s too confusing, he said. But he added that a crackdown could triple profits for the remaining carts. “A bad day here is like a good day somewhere else,” he said. A museum spokesperson declined to comment, referring questions to the city. The Parks Department and NYPD did not respond to requests for comment. A 19th-century state law mandates that military veterans be allowed to sell “goods”

on the street. While there had been no limit on general vending, permits issued by the city Department of Consumer Affairs, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — which oversees the sale of food on city streets — had limited the overall number of veteran food vending licenses until Rossi prevailed in court more than a year ago. About ten military veterans were operated in the vicinity of the museum on a recent weekday. Some of them would not speak on the record but acknowledged the practice of leasing their licenses for undisclosed daily prices. Some veterans await calls from food cart bosses who might employ them on a day-to-day basis, some said. But their greatest utility resides in remaining on-scene in case police or inspectors demand to see a valid license. Rossi said he was ready to combat yet another attempt to dislodge him from the space where he has operated for years. His two carts were the only ones in front of the mu-

seum which appeared to have bona fide veterans working. Barbara Morris toiled away at one of them. She is currently ﬁghting the city to have the license of her deceased husband, a Navy veteran, transferred to her name, she said. The intent of giving food licenses to military veterans was to benefit those who served their country and their family, according to Morris. Yet, the current city attitude to enforcing relevant regulations on food carts can have the opposite result, she said in an email. “There’s no connection between the vendor and the permit. The leaser of the permit who hires the vendor at less than minimum wage is the operator of a shadow business. That person has absolutely no accountability to the governmental agencies involved with taxes, violations, insurance, etc. it’s nothing more than racketeering and it’s being done with the city’s permission,” she said.

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Neighborhood Scrapbook BREWER OPENS NORTHERN MANHATTAN OFFICE

Are YOU up to the Challenge? Register Today for The Great East Midtown Challenge Wednesday, June 10

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer hosted an open house and grand opening for her new Northern Manhattan Office. The location, at 431 W. 125 St., is the ﬁrst street-level storefront office operated by a Manhattan Borough President. Staff at the Northern Manhattan Office will be available to provide community members with a variety of constituent services, including but not limited to housing, healthcare, public beneﬁts, and

assistance in interactions with city agencies. In the photograph, Brewer cuts the ribbon, ﬂanked by, left to right, Northern Manhattan Office Director Athena Moore, Monica Rich of the Dept. of Citywide Administrative Services, East Side Councilmember Ben Kallos, CB11 Chair Matthew Washington, Former Borough President C. Virginia Fields. CB10 Chair Henrietta Lyle.

CLEAN-UP AT RUPPERT PARK

An evening of fun, trivia, and interactive activities around the district for teams of between 2 and 5 people. As a Challenge participant, you’ll learn more about this community, meet your neighbors at a post-event reception... and have a lot of fun while you’re at it!

Visit www.EastMidtown.org/Challenge for details The Great East Midtown Challenge 2015 will raise funds and awareness for The Doe Fund, Inc.

Friends of Ruppert Park participated in NYC’s annual “It’s My Park Day” on May 16. More than 60 volunteers gathered at the park to plant ﬂowers, clean up, spread mulch and scrape fences and railings in the park in preparation for

painting. Individuals and groups such as Muslim Volunteers New York, Cross Church and Mission Impossible (veterans from around the city) joined in to help improve the park.

Share your news and what’s going on in your life. Go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

East Midtown Partnership 875 Third Avenue, Mezzanine, New York, NY 10022 212-813-0030 info@eastmidtown.org www.EastMidtown.org

MAY 28-3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Our Perspective We Need Better Pay for ALL Low-Wage Workers Stuart Appelbaum, President Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

e are pleased that a state wage board has been called by Governor Cuomo to examine the impact of low pay in the fast food industry. The move may result in wage increases for fast food workers in New York.

Over 100,000 people in New York work in fast food; and with 60 percent of them on government assistance, it’s clear that pay in the fast food sector is astonishingly too low. We hope that the board will recommend a higher minimum wage for fast food workers. While this would be a good first step, there are hundreds of thousands of other workers throughout New York who need a raise as well. Retail workers, home health aides, car wash workers, food service workers, and many in other industries – all of these people are in dire need of higher pay. Even when these workers in the Empire State hold full time jobs, they still don’t earn enough to support themselves and their families. For these New Yorkers, it is a struggle just to survive. And low wages in these industries will continue to hurt many fast food workers as well, because most fast food workers are not full time and must work two or even three jobs to get by - often at other low wage jobs in industries not being considered by the wage board. Government action to raise low wages is a powerful move to help working people. We must support and expand efforts to raise the minimum wage for ALL workers in the state. This would put more money in our economy and reduce the amount of public assistance that low wage workers and their families require to survive.

“

The discussion about While this would wage rates is an important one, but we shouldn’t be a good first step, lose sight of the fact there are hundreds that the best solution to of thousands of income inequality is still other workers unionization. Workers face throughout New many issues on the job York who need a besides low wage rates – they need control over raise as well. scheduling, better benefits, and representation in the workplace. What we need are government policies that encourage and protect collective bargaining, so that workers have a voice on the job and the ability to address issues beyond just wage rates.

“

Visit us on the web at:

www.rwdsu.org

SUTTON PLACE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of their neighborhood,” said CB6 in its resolution, referring to a meeting this month at which more than 100 people voiced their concerns about the project. The board said it invited Bauhouse to the meeting and were told that company was not yet prepared to make a presentation. The resolution, citing Our Town’s story in April, supports rezoning mid-block areas in CB6’s territory to a lower density than the current R10 zoning allows for, which is the highest residential zoning designation in the city. It also proposes government action such as a Department of Buildings delay upon receiving an application for approval of plans. Other government action could include a moratorium on super-high towers, according to the resolution. The board’s position is that the long-term impact of megatowers on surrounding neighborhoods, which they call a “recent innovation,” cannot be fairly and completely assessed since the technology that made them possible was not around in 1961 when the city’s zoning districts were created. These impacts include those on infrastructure, traffic, parking, waste removal, and fire and ambulance services, according to the board. “Thus further investigation and study is needed, especially since this development…appears to be as of right,” said the board in its resolution. When asked to comment on the board’s resolution, a spokesperson for the Bauhouse Group said the company “is aware of the community’s concerns, as laid out by Community Board 6’s resolution. We respect and are open to hearing the viewpoints of community members and we look forward to a productive dialogue.” Councilmember Kallos said of the three options put forth by the community board, he be-

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lieves down-zoning midblock areas is the most viable. “I do support the community call for a moratorium, but that would be completely up to the mayor,” said Kallos. “The ultimate thing we need to look at is contextual zoning for a height cap.” Kallos said he was struck by the speed at which the community moved to block the Sutton Place development. “In less than 45 days, from the ﬁrst publication [about the Sutton Place development], the issue went to the community board land use committee, was heard, voted on, went to the full board for a vote, passed, and has been sent to City Planning,” said Kallos. The resolution was sent to City Planning on May 15. Kallos said his office and CB6 will be starting an environmental assessment study, which would be included in their forthcoming City Planning application to down zone mid-block areas in the district. “We’re working with the Sutton area community and we’ve already begun starting work on the EAS,” said Kallos, who has been raising awareness about the development and collecting funds from area residents to pay for the study. “Interest in this issue has been tremendous.” Kallos said just because a development is as of right does not mean the community cannot push back against a project they’re opposed to. A zoning change by City Planning would trump a developer’s right to build as large as they want in an R10 area. “We are redefining their rights and trying to change the law,” said Kallos. The plan, said Kallos, is to get the zoning change through the ULURP process before a developer, whoever it may be, breaks ground on the lot. Whoever buys the development from Bauhouse would still need to file designs with DOB. Once approved, a developer can begin excavating the base, but that can only be done

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in warmer months. In total, the process could take six months to a year to complete before any ground can be broken. “We’re moving full steam ahead in a way that hasn’t happened with any of the other

mega-towers we’re seeing crop up across the city,” said Kallos. “We have to draw the line when it comes to residential areas. “They’re just going to keep creeping up throughout the city.”

A rendering of the proposed Sutton Place tower, which would be among the tallest in Manhattan.

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MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Why waste a billion dollars on a white elephant?

Mayor de Blasio is proposing a plan to reduce NYCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trash by 90%. This makes the East 91st Street Garbage Station - The Billion Dollar Boondoggle - obsolete. THAT deďŹ nes white elephant.

Tell Mayor de Blasio to STOP the East 91st Street garbage station. Call: (212) 788-3000 Tweet: @billdeblasio pledge2protectnyc.org

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

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Sixth Borough

OP-ED

WATER WORLD: ON PEEING OUTSIDE

BY BECCA TUCKER

y toddler was horriﬁed and delighted at once. “Mama! You’re going peepee on the stwawbewies! Don’t

do yat!” She hurried over to attempt to put a stop to the situation, but alas, too late. Pointing to the wet soil in the planter, she screeched and giggled. Whenever possible, I pee outside. A day you pee outside, I’ve decided, is unlikely to be a bad day. When I’m home, I try to locate a plant or tree that looks like it could use a drink. But I realize that since we’re coming off of winter, my daughter hasn’t seen me do this in a while — plus straddling a planter looks weirder than squatting next to a tree. I encourage my husband and male visitors who seem like outside-peeing types to pee on the compost, since urine contains the water and nitrogen that are usually the limiting factors in an active compost heap. But really, wherever. Pick a tree any tree. Just don’t use a gallon and a half of drinking water to flush your pee down the toilet. That amount of water — which is what a new toilet uses; old ones use as much as seven gallons — is enough to quench the thirst of one person for three days. To use it to usher your liquid minerals out of sight strikes me as so wasteful that, with what’s going down on the West Coast, it feels little short of criminal. I do it too. At work, every day. At other people’s houses (anyone other than my former roommates, who share the same philosophy regarding flushing). When guests are coming over to our house, we try to make sure there’s not a lot of piss and toilet paper stagnating in a bowl — which admittedly can get a little stinky at the height of summer. But every pee does not warrant its own flush.

You’re in the city, though, reader, which is a different story. I know it’s harder to pee outside in tight quarters (especially for girls), not to mention illegal. There are too many people living on top of each other — so many, really, that it’s astounding it all works so well — to go around pissing on any lamppost you feel like. The city is one of the few places in the world where the profligacy of our modern sanitation system actually makes sense. But there are moments. Anytime you find yourself out in anything like the country, or in the car on the highway, or even in an out-of-the-way park or alley, instead of booking it to the nearest gas station or Starbucks, think about giving a little of the good stuff back to the earth. For instance: my ultimate Frisbee team practices on Randall’s Island, an hour and change drive from my house, which time I spend cursing the traffic and hydrating. Lateness, by the way, earns sprints, and I am getting old for this game — to tack additional sprints onto an already grueling practice leaves me near tears. So when I pop out of the car, wriggling into my cleats, more often than not I duck behind one of the massive pillars that holds up the RFK Bridge and squat. By the smell, I’m not the only one. The weeds there, coming up through dusty gravel, seem to appreciate the frequent watering. There are a couple Port-o-Potties at these fields, but they are already overfilled and disgusting and usually there’s a line. Those chemical-filled cesspools should be reserved for the copious amounts of number two generated by us and the soccer and touch football and baseball players and their families who come to make a day of it. We should all be peeing in the desolate strip under the bridge while the subway rumbles by overhead, and maybe we’ll be rewarded with a moment to marvel at a pair of mating dragonflies hovering, weightless. When I hear about water cuts in California, and all the outrage they’re causing, I find myself wondering how many people are still flushing their pee. It’s such low-hanging fruit, for them, for us, for anyone with any common sense. Just let it mellow, or if the scene is right, step outside and irrigate. Becca Tucker is a former Manhattanite now living on a farm upstate and writing about the rural life.

WHY DO RENT-STABILIZED OWNERS DESERVE A BREAK? BY EDWARD MALONEY

n his recent op-ed, “Memo to de Blasio: Give a Break to Rent-Stabilized Owners” (April 30), the underlying theme of Mr. Strasburg’s argument for the real estate industry that he lobbies for is simply industry greed over human need. Even he seems to admit that rent-stabilized apartments are the single greatest, if not the only, main preserver of affordable housing for New York’s middle and working classes and number approximately a million rental units. From there Mr. Strasburg’s logic and claims get distinctly one-sided and profit- driven. He ignores the rampant vacancy deregulation by owners who will conjure any investment costs for vacancies to raise monthly rents beyond the $2,500 threshold to deregulate them. He omits the fact that thousands of apartments have been arrogantly removed or simply unlisted by owners from regulation (stabilization), while new tenants risk their tenancies if they inquire why or complain that a building with over five units is NOT regulated. Mr. Strasburg also spins the old disingenuous and discredited “trickle down” economics to promise jobs and “improved” housing stock, if only owners are given more perks, writeoffs, incentives and tax breaks at the public’s expense. He wants corporate welfare and government largesse on the scale of another rich, profitable and powerful industry, the petroleum industry! He ignores that landlords regularly use the MCI route (Major Capital Improvements)

to increase rents far beyond annual guidelines. Owners having real financial trouble can get hardship relief, but they want to avoid the bureaucratic application headache that tenants must regularly endure, and by letting maintenance lag so that problems add up and can be called an MCI project, landlords get rents raised ever more towards the deregulation threshold. MCIs are regularly and routinely rubber-stamped by the compliant and complacent rent regulatory office, the DHCR or HCR, which has become a “captured” agency, that is, a regulatory office that is infiltrated, influenced and corrupted by the very industry interests that it is meant to regulate, trumping public interest and regulatory responsibilities. The DHCR employs an industry-supported de minimis list for tenant complaints that they consider beneath its concern or interest —so that landlords can get away with further reduced or eliminated services. In converted buildings landlords avoid their regulatory responsibilities by allowing newly installed condo boards of sold units to abuse and restrict remaining tenants, doing landlord bidding against tenants’ rights and services. Industry-wide surveys have shown the average landlord makes $600 profit per month on every regulated unit. My landlord, who owns some 70 buildings, 11 or 12 of which have been converted, averages $800 profit per month on our regulated units. For decades the annual rent increases have been far in

excess of owner’s costs, yet industry greed only grows and landlord demands multiply. The most ridiculous doublespeak Mr. Strasburg makes on behalf of his industry is that “owners of rent-stabilized apartments contribute greatly to preserving and protecting existing affordable housing,” when in fact, they do everything in their power to eliminate, destroy and deregulate “affordable housing.” Meanwhile, democratically speaking, tenants are locally disenfranchised, the City Council is made impotent, and Mayor de Blasio has his hands tied concerning fair rental regulatory issues all because the Urstadt Law keeps authority in dysfunctional Albany, which is conveniently inﬂuenced by big-contributing landlords, developers and real estate industry interests (which Governor Cuomo doesn’t seem to mind at all). We should only be so very lucky as to have the city’s housing stock “back to the bad old days of the late 1970s and 1980s,” when Mr. Strasburg’s Stabilization Association and its Conciliation and Appeals Board were actually held accountable for regulatory practices and were not able to buy off Albany politicians and inﬂuence DHCR regulators to promote rapacious practices and parasitical greed against the public necessity and human need for housing in our city. Edward Maloney, a resident of the Upper East Side, has been active in tenant issues in Washington, D.C. and New York for more than 40 years. He is the co-chair of his tenant association.

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An Errant Pitch, Then Nothing BY TAD CRAWFORD

y the middle of the afternoon, the rain turned to heavy downpours and I doubted the 4 p.m. high school baseball game could even be played. If I knew what was about to happen, I would have been happy for a postponement. As an assistant coach for the School of the Future team, I never imagined that death might visit the ďŹ eld of dreams. The umpires, seeing light gleaming in the corners of the cloud-covered sky, started the contest between Future and the Institute for Collaborative Education right on time. Surprisingly, by 4:30 the clouds had vanished and a golden sunlight poured over the North Meadow in Central Park. All of the other ďŹ elds were empty, the games postponed, so we had the vast expanse of green to ourselves. A tense game unfolded, a pitching duel with neither our right hander nor the Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left hander giving any ground. After four innings, the teams were locked in a scoreless tie. In the top of the ďŹ fth inning, our pitcher gave up a single to the ďŹ rst batter. Then an errant pitch hit the next batter in the chest, which should have put runners on ďŹ rst and second with no outs. But the Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s batter never reached ďŹ rst base. Instead, he took four or ďŹ ve steps and collapsed. For a few moments no one understood what had happened. Then the head coaches, Chris McCloud for Future and Mark Mazzone for the

Institute, ran to the boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side and turned him face up. He had no pulse. He was in cardiac arrest. Calling for the AED (automatic external deďŹ brillator), the two coaches immediately began to try and save the playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. I called 911, begging the police operator to rush an ambulance to the scene. Within two minutes of his collapse, a life-saving shock from the AED brought back his pulse. Chest compression and mouth-tomouth resuscitation were used as the coaches and players pleaded with the boy to stay with them. After another minute or two, he regained consciousness. He couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see. He asked where he was. He sat up and wanted to rise. His sight returned, but he was still unaware of what had just happened. I believe the ambulance arrived within six minutes, but it might have been ten. By that time the boy had returned to himself and to the rest of us. Strapped to a stretcher, he was taken by ambulance to the closest hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Mount Sinai. When the ambulance had gone, the coaches gathered the two teams on the ďŹ eld to offer words of comfort. Coach McCloud spoke of the delicacy of life, how â&#x20AC;&#x153;one moment weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing a baseball game and in the very next moment weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re saving a life.â&#x20AC;? He also told the teams to consider getting CPR/AED certiďŹ ed as adults as there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many adults who are and they had all just witnessed the beneďŹ ts of having that training. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You never know when a moment like this may call upon you. Be ready.â&#x20AC;? Together, we bowed our

heads in a silent prayer. Two days later Coach McCloud, our pitcher, and another teammate visited the player at Mount Sinai. Numerous tests had been done. He was well and likely to have no long-term damage from the cardiac arrest. But the long life ahead of him was made possible by several factors. Public School Athletic League rules require that both teams have an AED on the ďŹ eld before any game is allowed to begin. Both coaches must be trained in CPR, including use of the AED. These safety rules, along with the coachesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to use their training immediately after the player fell, saved his life. A week later, the teams from Future and the Institute happened to play on adjacent ďŹ elds. After the games ended, the teams came together. The player who had been hit by the baseball was in uniform, although he hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t played in the game. He was greeted like an old friend. He assured us that he was ďŹ ne. Not long after that, the teams met to ďŹ nish their suspended game. On the pitcherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mound was the young man whose pitch had nearly taken a life. On ďŹ rst base, ready to run, was the player who survived the stopping of his heart. On this ďŹ eld of dreams, the resumed game echoed and celebrated the miraculous resumption of the life of the youth extending his lead off ďŹ rst base. Tad Crawford, the publisher for Allworth Press in New York City, is the author of many books, including A Floating Life: A Novel and The Secret Life of Money.

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MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

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Out & About More Events. Add Your Own: Go to ourtownny.com

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PARTNERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND An educational series, sponsored by Coloplast Corp., designed to inform and empower. www.ColoplastMensHealth.com

THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IF YOU THINK YOU SMELL A GAS LEAK IS NOTHING. Smell gas. Act fast. Don’t assume someone else will call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED (26633). Leave the area immediately and make the call yourself. You can report a gas-related emergency anonymously, and not even be there when help arrives. For more gas safety information, visit conEd.com and take safety into your own hands.

Fri 29 RUSSIAN MODERNISM: CROSS- CURRENTS OF GERMAN AND RUSSIAN ART, 1907-1017 Neue Galerie, Fifth Avenue and 86th Street 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $20 With the migrating back and forth from Germany to Russia, artists brought back ideas that inﬂuence 20th-century art. Come check out the pieces made during this period. 212-628-6200. www. neuegalerie.org

CRAFT TIME AT YORKVILLE Yorkville Library, 1465 York Ave., at 78th Street 3:30 p.m., Free Stop by for an afternoon of crafting. Children ages 3 and older are welcome. 212-288-5049. www.nypl. org/events/calendar

Sat 30 DRIFTING DAYLIGHT Central Park, Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, East 110th Street and Fifth Avenue 12 p.m., Free An exhibit described as a “dreamy springtime pathway of art winding through the world’s most iconic park.” Check out these interactive installments with the whole family. 212-860-1370. www. centralparknyc.org

KILL YOUR TV READING GROUP — EAST OF EDEN Logos Bookstore , 1575 York Ave., between 83rd and 84th Streets Ditch your TV for the night and come to Logos Bookstore and read John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. 212-517-7292. www. logosbookstorenyc.com

Sun

LYRICS AND LYRICISTS: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF ▲ 92nd Street Y, Kaufmann concert hall, Lexington Avenue and 92nd Street 2 p.m., $60 Celebrate 50 years of Fiddler on the Roof with Lyricist Sheldon Harnick as he takes you behind the history and landmarks of this creative play. 212-415-5500. www.92y. org/Event/L-L-Fiddler-on-theRoof

REPETITION AND DIFFERENCE ▼ The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd Street

11 a.m.-5:45 p.m., Adults/$15, Seniors/$12, Students/$7.50, 18 and under/free Both pieces from the past and the present collide in this exhibit to show the ideas of differences within repetition. 212-423-3200. www. thejewishmuseum.org

Mon 1 TODDLER STORY TIME AT NOLAN LIBRARY Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street 10:30-11:00 a.m., Free Children can enjoy picture books and songs followed by a self- guided gallery hunt in the museum. Space is limited; ﬁrst come, ﬁrst serve. 212-535-7710. www. metmuseum.org/events

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

19TH PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING 19th Precinct, 153 East 67th St., at Third Avenue 7 p.m., Free Learn how to reduce crime in your neighborhood as well as updates at the 19th Precinct. 212-452-0615. www.nyc. gov/html/nypd/html/precincts/ precinct_019.shtml

▲ HEUREUX ANNIVERSAIRE & THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE FIAF, Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street between Park and Madison Avenues 7:30 p.m., non-members/$13, Students with ID/$7 Enjoy the Oscar- winning comic short about an anniversary that goes awry.

MONIR SHAHROUDY FARMANFARMAIAN: INFINITE POSSIBILITY: MIRROR WORKS AND DRAWINGS Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Ave., between 88th and 89th Streets 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Catch the ﬁnal day of this exhibit of mirror works and drawings from 1974- 2014 by Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. 212-423-3500. www. guggenheim.org/new-york/ exhibitions

Thur

THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL

Tues

▲ AN EVENING WITH JUDY BLUME MODERATED BY SAMANTHA BEE

92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, Lexington Avenue and 92nd Street 8 p.m., From $30 Join author Judy Blume and Samantha Bee as they discuss Blume’s latest novel In the Unlikely Event, about characters who cope with loss and remember the good times. 212-415-5500. www.92y. org/Event/An-Evening-withJudy-Blume.aspx

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212-355-6100. www.ﬁaf. org/events/spring2015/201506-02-cs-charm.shtml

Wed

ERIN MCHUGH — LIKE MY FATHER ALWAYS SAYS Barnes and Noble, 150 East 86th St. and Lexington Avenue 7 p.m., Free Learn about the weird and humorous advice author Erin McHugh received from dads in his new book. 212-369-2180. www.storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ event/87083

REGENTS EXAMS

96th Street Library, 112 East 96th St., at Park Avenue 2 p.m., Free Find out what happens in Busby Berkeley’s short ﬁlm They Made me a Criminal (1939) when a man thinks he killed his boxing opponent and runs west to escape. 212-289-0908. www.nypl. org/events/calendar?location=5

BEGIN

ALEXANDER CALDER, “MULTUM IN PARVO” Dominique Lévy Gallery, 909 Madison Ave., at 73rd Street 10 a.m.-6 p.m. These small, colorful mobiles by artist Alexander Calder will impress with pieces from the 1930s to 1960s standing each at one-inch tall. 212-772-2004. www. dominique-levy.com

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MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

VISIONS OF THE EAST A stunning costume exhibition at the Met fuses Chinese costumes and art with Western couture BY MARY GREGORY

“China: Through the Looking Glass,” a dazzling exhibition at The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, presents not so much a vision of China, the curators state, but a reflection of a collective fantasy of it. And fantastical, it is. The exhibition is beautiful, fanciful, simultaneously decorative and thought-provoking, and absolutely stunning. The show carries from the Anna Wintour Costume Center’s galleries, up through the first floor and into the second floor galleries of Chinese art in an incredibly imaginative, brilliant installation. Costume shows get to bend the rules and push the boundaries that sometimes apply to serious museum exhibitions. How exciting can they get? Under the artistic direction of acclaimed Chinese film director Wong Kar Wai, “China: Through the Looking Glass” is astounding. The mannequins have been staged like actors in complex, theatrical sets, bringing the both the designs themselves and the adjacent works of art to a whole new level. Lighting, backgrounds, music and films complete the magic. The Anna Wintour Costume Center on the museum’s ground floor presents garments of historical and artistic importance from the imperial courts. Most were actually worn by emperors, and several are on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing. Mixing with them are couture creations by some of the world’s best fashion designers. Mirrored moon gates, both evocative and reflective, hold the real thing; mannequins stand in front, modeling modern designers’ responses. A Coco Chanel embroidered blue jacket reconfigures a cut-up historical garment, while John Galliano’s gowns use the colors and de-

signs as a jumping-off point. The gallery is dramatically lit by huge screens playing clips from Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film, “The Last Emperor,” and a tunnel of monitors leads directly to a display holding a child’s semiformal robe from China made in 1909-11 just like the one the young emperor, Puyi, wore in the movie. It’s dramatic, but also brings to a vivid reality how special these rare garments are. Inspired, wildly creative head treatments designed by the renowned British milliner, Stephen Jones, bring a crowning touch to the mannequins throughout. Jones carefully and cleverly responded to each setting. In the section dedicated to Chinese fashion in Western movies, headdresses are composed of film strips, and in the galleries where court robes are presented, each figure is topped by an image signifying imperial rank — from dragons and rabbits to celestial bodies and flames. The exhibition’s subtitle, “Through the Looking Glass,” was chosen to give a sense of how the vision most Western designers hold of China is a blend of fantasy and romanticism, an imaginary universe, often bearing no resemblance to reality. The phrase also translates into Chinese as “moon in the water,” suggesting something that cannot be grasped. And yet, the exhibition manages to catch and present just that in the Astor Court gallery. The floor has been transformed to a reflective, dark surface. The ceiling has become the sky, with an image of a full, golden moon projected onto it, and then mirrored on the floor below. It’s magnificent. The dresses, bathed in a nocturnal light, casting mystifying shadows, are by Galliano for Christian Dior, and Maison Martin Margiela, inspired by Beijing opera. There are some 140 examples of haute couture and avant-garde fashion, from early 20th century masters such as Paul Poiret to

classic creations by Yves Saint Laurent, to today’s most cuttingedge designers. Dresses, gowns, jackets, hats, shawls and shoes are shown side-by-side with masterpieces of Chinese painting, calligraphy and sculpture dating from thefifthcenturyBCtothepresent. To enhance the experience, three of the five senses are engaged. No touching or tasting, naturally, but film clips and music can be heard in many of the galleries, and in a room devoted to the influence of Chinese perfumes, a delicate scent fills the air. Of course, the eyes have the greatest treats, and those are truly extraordinary. It’s not possible for each piece to be a show stopper, but when you’re sure you’ve seen the most spectacular installation possible, the next one, almost invariably, tops it. Priceless, ancient blue and white ceramics line a shelf across from gowns inspired by them. In a gallery filled with religious sculptures, a full golden gown by Guo Pei that mimics the shape of a lotus is worn by a mannequin topped by a headdress of a lotus of enlightenment. The effect is breathtaking. Representations of enlightened individuals are mirrored as they reflect in timeless space. In the next installation, an entire bamboo forest has been simulated with arching, elegant poles of bottom-lit acrylic. Through them, glimpses of stark black suits and an ethereal white wedding ensemble by Jean Paul Gaultier can be seen. “China: Through the Looking Glass” is an engaging, involving and thoroughly enchanting exhibition — providing a feast for the senses and food for thought. If you go looking for a history lesson or political realities, you may be disappointed. If you’re looking for gorgeous fashion inspired by China, displayed amid rare and incomparable works of art, prepare to be dazzled. It’s truly spectacular in every sense of the word — a remarkable, glorious exhibition.

Evening Gown by Guo Pei. Photo: Adel Gorgy

IF YOU GO WHAT: “China: Through the Looking Glass” WHERE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art,

1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street WHEN: Now through August 16.

TOP5

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

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FOR THE WEEK BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

THEATER

OUR ARTS EDITOR

to his suicide. The performance includes music by Schubert, Brahms, Liszt, and other composers.

“THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER” Ensemble for the Romantic Century turns Goethe’s 18thcentury novella “Sorrows of Young Werther,” into a musical production. The semiautobiographical tale follows a young romantic, played by Bobby Steggert, whose obsessive infatuation with a woman leads

“The Sorrows of Young Werther” June 3-4 Symphony Space 2537 Broadway at 95th Street 8 p.m. Tickets $49 To purchase tickets, visit symphonyspace.org or call 212864-5400

GALLERIES

MUSIC

NY GALLERY TOURS-CHELSEA “BEST EXHIBITS” TOUR

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF”

With more than 300 galleries, Chelsea remains the city’s leading gallery district and global art destination. Tour seven of the neighborhood’s top current exhibitions with Rafael Risemberg, who’s been leading gallery tours since 2002. Rain or shine.

Sheldon Harnick, who, along with composer Jerry Bock, wrote “Fiddler on the Roof,” joins artistic director Rob Fisher to discuss the origins of the iconic musical. Vocalists, led by Fisher, perform some of the lesser known musical numbers from the show, as well as songs cut from the ﬁnal version.

NY Gallery Tours- Chelsea “Best Exhibits” Tour Saturday, May 30 Tour begins at 526 W. 26th St., between 10th and 11th Avenues 1 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Tickets $25 For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nygallerytours.com or call 212-946-1548

Celebrating 50 Years of “Fiddler on the Roof” May 30-June 1 92nd Street Y 1395 Lexington Ave., at 92nd Street Assorted show times Tickets $55-$75 To purchase tickets, visit 92y.org or call 212415-5500

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: THE EXHIBITION

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III: “SURVIVING TWIN”

An immersive exhibition in celebration of Saturday Night Live’s 40th anniversary brings guests on a tour of the weekly behind-the-scenes activities at 30 Rock’s studio 8H. The exhibit takes guests into a replica of the theater’s lobby and through the history of the show with some of SNL’s iconic props, costumes, set pieces, and original scripts.

Folk musician and actor Loudon Wainwright III pays tribute to his late father, LIFE Magazine columnist Loudon Wainwright, Jr. The younger Wainwright, whose own children have followed in his creative footsteps, merges some of his songs with his father’s magazine columns from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition Opens May 30 Premier Exhibitions 5th Avenue 417 Fifth Ave., between W. 37th and W. 38th Streets Open daily, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Tickets $29 To purchase tickets, visit snltheexhibition.com or call 212-707-8181 for more information

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Loudon Wainwright III: “Surviving Twin” June 3, 10th, 17th and 24th Subculture 45 Bleecker St., near Lafayette Street 7:30 p.m. Tickets $35 To purchase tickets, visit subculturenewyork. com or call 212-533-5470 To be included in the Top 5 go to ourtownny.com and click on submit a press release or announcement.

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Theater company introduces new one-on-one plays BY GABRIELLE ALFIERO

Join us for the 5th Season of

The Puzzle: Marble Collegiate Church’s Theatre Festival

An Inspiring Week of Exciting New Theatre

June 15-21, 2015 For more information, visit us at MarbleChurch.org

Dr. Michael B. Brown, Senior Minister 1 West 29th St. NYC, NY 10001 (212) 686-2770

For some New York theaters, the bigger the audience, the better. Director Christine Jones just wants to fill one seat. The latest project for her company Theatre for One, “I’m Not the Stranger You Think I Am,” a series of one-act plays written especially for an audience of one, debuted on May 18 in Brookfield Place’s Winter Garden. Each performance, about five minutes long and presented by one actor, takes place inside a custom mobile theater that measures only about 4 feet long by 8 feet high, with just a few feet separating the actor from the lone audience member. “In a normal setting, the audience member feels that they can sit back, pay attention if they want to, it’s easier for them to have their mind wander,” Jones said on a recent afternoon, sitting at a table next to the mobile theater in the bustling, sunny atrium. “In this setting, the value of their presence and their attention is so clear and apparent that I think they feel more compelled to be the most considerate, attentive audience member that they can be.” Seven playwrights contributed work commissioned specifically for this production, including Thomas Bradshaw and Craig Lucas, who penned “An American in Paris,” each performed by a different actor. The performances, all free, run through June 6 at three public spaces in Manhattan, and are a far cry from Jones’ other current production, the extravagant “Queen of the Night,” an immersive dinner theater circus at a nightclub in midtown’s posh Paramount Hotel, with tickets starting at $140 each and topping off at $450 for the most exclusive access. Theatre for One, as intimate as “Queen of the Night” is lavish, does share some production elements with the over-the-top experience, Jones said. “Queen of the Night” performers are en-

couraged to make eye contact and interact with audience members one-on-one, crafting individual experiences in the midst of a grand spectacle. “Both projects seek to achieve that connection between the audience member and the performer,” said Jones, who also works as a set designer and won a Tony Award for her work on Broadway’s “American Idiot.” “We were always experimenting with ways to dissolve the typical boundaries that a proscenium theater necessitates.” For the audience, this means solo entry into the closet-sized theater, custom built by architecture firm LOT-EK to resemble a black travel case for musical instruments, the interior lined with plush, red velvet. Once inside and the door shut by a jumpsuit-clad staffer, the swarm of the office building atrium quiets. A wall no more than a few feet from the audience’s seat pulls away, revealing an actor seated on a stool, almost within arm’s length. The performers’ physical features, from eye color to forearm tattoos and red nail polish, seem like set pieces in the mostly bare space. “The first time we sat down to rehearse it, it was like, ‘this is so foreign,’” Carmen Zilles said during a brief break from her rapid-fire performance of a piece by playwright Emily Schwend. “I’ve never looked an audience member in the face like this. Usually you’re with another actor so they’re in on the game that you’re playing together.” Zilles, a recent graduate of the Yale School of Drama, said the proximity to the audience can make her worry about food stuck in her teeth, or if her makeup is in place. Sometimes, the audience member is the first person she’s spoken to that day. But it also means every performance is unique, a happy occasion for an actor who’s reciting the same lines several times a day. Zilles imagines different connections between her character, a young woman ruminating on a lost relationship, and the audience. Sometimes she sees the character’s sister in the chair across from her. Sometimes the audience member cries. Once, a man came in with his 11-year-old daughter, who sat on his lap. Zilles pictured the girl was her own child, whom she’d never met. “I was a mess,” Zilles said. “I felt really bad for those poor people because I think they were like, ‘this girl’s crazy.’ But your mind just goes to these places.”

Director Christine Jones chats with actor Carmen Zilles inside the custom mobile theater for Theatre for One’s intimate performances. Photo: Darial Sneed.

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

AreYou Looking for Full-Time Work? José Aguilera inside the storage locker that holds the West Side Little League’s gear. Much of what’s pictured is headed to Cuba and that country’s baseball ﬁelds. Photo: Steve Malley.

CUBA OPENS UP, AND BEISBOL MAKES A WEST SIDE LINK West Side Little League’s Cuba connection BY RICHARD KHAVKINE

José Aguilera and Steve Malley, friends from their respective affiliations with the West Side Little League, are playing it forward. Earlier this year, Malley, whose son played in the league until the family moved to Bronxville three years, was looking “for something to do, and to give back.” With Bronxville generally without need, he was unsure of what to take up. But when President Obama announced in December that the United States would restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, “a light went off,” said Malley, 62, a former editor with ESPN. The connections were as evident as an Orlando Hernández leg kick. Malley would collect baseball gear and, through the proper channels, get it to residents of the Caribbean island nation, whose passion for baseball is matched only by that in this country. There would be a need, and certainly a want. With that Beisbol Across Cuba had legs. Malley reached out to Aguilera — the West Side Little League’s vice president and de facto equipment manager — asking if he could spare some gear. Sure, Aguilera responded, he had a few helmets and bats. A few days later, Aguilera and Malley met at the league’s equipment locker uptown. “It took me two truckloads to move it all,” Malley said. “There were maybe 15 team bags in that locker.” Aguilera, 53, said the gear — gloves, bats, catchers’ kits, bases and uniforms — was outdated. “It was nice to part with the old and make way for new,”

he said. But there was another, more elusive reason for his generosity. Aguilera, who owns and runs a food shop on West 72nd Street, near West End Avenue, has lived his entire life on the Upper West Side. But, as he tells it, he was “manufactured there” — meaning Cuba. “My father escaped from Cuba around July of ’61,” said Aguilera, who was born in February 1962. His dad worked in management for Caterpillar and company executives arranged for him to leave for the United States for a kidney operation, which was as much pretext as a necessity. He and they knew he would likely not return to nowcommunist Cuba. Aguilera’s mother, a professor of art, and his sister, then 13, and brother, 9, flew out in December of that year. “As an adult I did the math,” said Aguilera, who along with his wife raised three sons on the Upper West Side. “I had to have been a passion baby.” The Aguileras had lived comfortably in Cuba. But Castro’s revolution stripped them of nearly everything, including land, and the family initially had a difficult time in this country. With help from The Church of the Blessed Sacrament on West 71st, the Aguileras settled first with a neighborhood family and then found an apartment at the Sherman Square Hotel nearby. But the Upper West Side of the early 1960s barely resembled what it looks like today. Aguilera said that among his earliest memories were the “constant” fires. The Aguileras eventually secured their footing, his mother becoming a public school teacher uptown and his father working in human resources.

But Cuba and the family’s personal legacy remained, and remains, a hard topic to parse. Aguilera’s older sister has sworn never to set foot in her native country so long as the Castros are in power. Aguilera is more conciliatory, and curious. “What happened, happened,” said Aguilera, who has never visited Cuba. “It was terrible what happened to our family, but that was ﬁve decades ago. ... I want to see my heritage and I want to share that with my children.” And baseball, he said, is one antidote to the antipathy, antagonism and even hostility. For Aguilera, the game is also a means to a precious end. “I was hoping to get to Cuba through West Side Little League,” he said. He might yet do so. Malley said he, his wife and his 14-year-old son, will travel to Cuba this summer as part of a delegation from Christ Church in Bronxville, which, as a religious institution, is exempt from most of the still extant blockade’s restrictions. They’ll bring as much of 15 equipment bags of West Side baseball gear as they can carry. Malley characterizes the trip as “a fact-ﬁnding mission.” “We want to continue this going forward,” he said. Eventually, he said, he hopes to establish a lasting relationship with the baseball community in the country. “We have a completely open book,” he said. “As barriers come down, perhaps we can take a team down or have a team come up.” Malley won’t have to look far for a collaborator. “My dream is to take a team out there and play,” Aguilera said. “I’m all for going. I’m all for going.”

BACK TO WORK 50+ at Borough of Manhattan Community College can help you learn new networking strategies, target your job search, get job leads, enroll in free short-term Medical Assistant training with full scholarships for qualiﬁed applicants and ﬁnd resources that can help you stay strong while you are looking for your next job.

CALL TOLL FREE (855) 850–2525 to get a free job search guide and register for a local BACK TO WORK 50+ Information Session.

To learn more, visit: www.aarp.org/backtowork50plus Funded in part by Walmart Foundation. Next Information Session: June 4th, 2015.

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

RESTAURANT INSPECTION RATINGS MAY 16 - 22, 2015

Wok 88

1570 3 Avenue

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.

Little Luzzo’s

119 East 96 Street

Cafe Maggio

1750 York Avenue

New Sunny East 88 Restaurant

1680 1 Avenue

Third Avenue Ale House

1644 3 Avenue

Grade Pending (40) 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. 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. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas.

Pinocchio Ristorante

1748 1 Avenue

Grade Pending (4)

Bareburger

1681 1St Ave

Timmy’s By The River

1737 York Avenue

Il Vino City Wine Bar

1728 2 Avenue

Chef Ho’s

1720 2 Avenue

Lolita’s Kitchen

1364 Lexington Avenue

Kinsale Tavern

1672 3 Avenue

Barking Dog Luncheonette

1678 3 Avenue

Peri Ela

1361 Lexington Avenue

T-Bar Steak & Lounge

1278 3 Avenue

Petaluma

1356 1 Avenue

Chipotle Mexican Grill#1766

1288-1290 1St Avenue

Sette Mezzo

969 Lexington Avenue A

Iggy’s

1452 2 Avenue

Caravaggio

23 East 74 Street

Cafe Luka

1319 1 Avenue

Dunkin Donuts

1433 2Nd Ave

Yuka Japanese Restaurant

1557 2 Avenue

Grade Pending (27) 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 contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

Meadows Snacks

0 North Meadow Recreaton Ctr

Eli’s Essentials

1291 Lexington Avenue

Grade Pending (20) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. 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.

Five Mile Stone

1640 2Nd Ave

Grade Pending (57) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. 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/ 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. Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Subway

1205 Lexington Avenue

Tokubei 86

314 East 86 Street

Arturo’s

1617 York Avenue

East Side Billard

163 East 86 Street

Grade Pending (27) Food Protection Certiﬁcate not held by supervisor of food operations. Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Koito Japanese Restaurant 310 East 93 Street

Frere De Lys

1685 1 Avenue

Biddy’s Pub

301 East 91 Street

Yummy Sushi

1758 1 Avenue

Starbucks Coffee

1642 3 Avenue

Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins

1760 2 Avenue

Akami Sushi

1771 1 Avenue

Ichiro

1694 2Nd Ave

Papa John’s

301 East 90 Street

Grade Pending (19) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or nonfood areas. Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Naruto Ramen

1596 3 Avenue

Franklin Hotel

164 East 87 Street

Effys At The 92Y

1395 Lexington Ave

Wa Jeal

1588 2 Avenue

Thai @ Lex

1244 Lexington Avenue

Grade Pending (22) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F. Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

151 East 82 Street

Noche De Margaritas Restaurant

1726 2 Avenue

The Simone Pizza Beach

1426 3Rd Ave

Butterﬁeld Catering

346 East 92 Street

3 Guys Resturant

1232 Madison Avenue A

Wing Gong Restaurant

2109 1St Ave

Chinatown Restaurant

1650 3 Avenue

Thai Gusto Restaurant

2028 2Nd Ave

Indo-Pak Halal Restaurant

2173 2 Avenue

Pure Food

1396 Madison Avenue

Grade Pending (18) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked ﬁsh and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

TABLE FOR FOUR (PAWS) NEWS New York lawmakers could clear the way for dogs at open-air restaurants BY JENNIFER PELTZ

Never mind the doggie bag: Spot wants a seat at the outdoor table, or rather under it. New York is considering whether to join a growing number of states that give pet dogs legal entree, if not actual entrees, at open-air eateries. Dog lovers and restaurateurs say the proposal would safely accommodate people who want to dine out with man’s best friend in places from Manhattan sidewalk cafes to country ice cream stands. But a statewide health officials’ group is against it, and at least one lawmaker is raising questions, and some restaurant-goers fear an onslaught of begging, barking, biting and other doggie don’ts -- or, worse, doggie dos. Owners like Michelle Vargas feel the estimated 500,000 dogs in the nation’s biggest city have a place in al fresco dining and it’s not on the pavement outside a patio railing, where the current law would have them. “For me, there’s nothing better than

being with -- I don’t even call them my dogs. They’re my boys,” Vargas said while relaxing this past week with her poodle mixes, Luigi and Carmine, and a friend’s wire fox terrier at an outdoor Manhattan park cafe. American public health officials have long banned pet dogs from eateries, out of concerns including potential biting or transmitting germs to people’s food. A 2013 study in the Journal of Environmental Health found such risks haven’t been clearly quantiﬁed amid slim research. Aﬁcionados counter that dogs hang out safely in home kitchens and even make hospital visits. California, Florida, Maryland, New Mexico and some other states and communities around the country have opened restaurant patios to dogs within the last decade; North Carolina even approved cats, too. After getting a unanimous OK from New York’s Senate, advocates are pressing its Assembly to sign on this spring. New York City’s 83,000 restaurant inspections per year yield only about 170 tickets for letting pets in. But furry

faces often can be seen while inspectors are elsewhere. Dougie the poodle peeked discreetly from beneath owner Marni Turner’s chair at a Manhattan sidewalk cafe table one recent day. If he could be a legit guest, “it would make my life a lot easier,” Turner said. State Sen. Kemp Hannon and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal say their proposed law would do that, while protecting people’s safety by barring servers from petting dogs and banning dogs from the furniture, among other provisions. The lawmakers, who don’t have dogs, stress that restaurants could decide whether and how to host Fido outdoors. Options could include special sections. The American Kennel Club cheers the proposal as good for owners and dogs. Restaurateurs are generally supportive, state restaurant association President Melissa Fleishschut says. Albany pub manager Tess Collins would welcome having permission for patio dogs, since many patrons already bring them along. “It’s created a camaraderie” among

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customers, she says. But the idea gives some New Yorkers pause. “Who wants somebody’s dog next to them, begging, when they’re trying to eat?” says Erik Galloway, of Shoreham, on Long Island. He likes dogs generally but notes diners can’t be sure how healthy another patron’s dog is. The state Association of County Health Officials voted Friday to oppose the measure, amid concerns including cleanliness, bites and whether local governments could enforce tougher rules, executive director Linda Wagner said. Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried said this week he was exploring the proposal’s ramiﬁcations. To be sure, there are some cautionary tales. Moon Under Water was the ﬁrst St.

Petersburg, Florida, restaurant to seek a permit to welcome dogs on its patio after a 2006 state law opened the door. But the pub banned them after three months. They sometimes yapped at each other and patrons and, in one case, vomited after being fed mashed potatoes, recalls manager Mark Logan, a dog owner. “It kind of got overwhelming,” said Logan, who also worried about insurance liability if someone got bitten. Yet canines have been guests of honor for nearly a quarter-century at the Barking Dog Cafe, a Manhattan restaurant that promotes its patio’s dog-friendliness. “Actually, sometimes a dog is more behaved than we are,” general manager Fokol Kaci says. “You can tell it, `Sit down,’ and it will sit down.”

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Business

< HEPATITIS BILL NOW LAW Mayor Bill de Blasio recently signed into law legislation that requires the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to issue a comprehensive annual report on hepatitis B and C.

The annual report will focus on efforts by DOHMH to identify and prevent the spread of hepatitis B and C during the preceding calendar year. Council Members Margaret Chin, Corey Johnson and

In Brief BREWER: DON’T TAKE RENT LAWS HOSTAGE Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer recently responded to a Daily News report indicating some upstate Republican legislators favor holding New York City’s rent laws hostage to win changes to the NYSAFE Act. “I was shocked and disturbed to read in today’s Daily News that some upstate Republican legislators are so obsessed with watering down our state’s gun laws, they are willing to hold a gun to New York City tenants’ heads by holding our rent laws hostage,” said Brewer in a statement. According to her office, there are roughly 285,000 rent-regulated apartments in Manhattan alone, and more than a million citywide. “It is preposterous to threaten to throw these New Yorkers out on the street because elements of one party’s political

base feel inconvenienced by a new law,” said Brewer. “On behalf of Manhattan’s 1.6 million residents, I call on Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan to reject this kind of hostage-taking and negotiate the renewal of our rent laws in good faith.” Brewer recently issued a policy paper outlining her office’s priorities for changes in the rent laws currently under negotiation in Albany, which includes eliminating vacancy deregulation, eliminating “bonus” vacancy rent increases, and ﬁxing the “often-abused and wasteful” 421-a affordable housing tax abatement program, among other measures. “We should be having a rational conversation about what we can ﬁx and improve in our rent laws, but Albany’s grown-ups need to get this conversation back on track,” said Brewer.

KOCH GIFTS $150 MILLION TO NEW MSK CENTER Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recently announced that it has received the largest gift in its history, a commitment of $150 million from long-time MSK board member David H. Koch. The high-proﬁle cancer hospital said the contribution will transform cancer care with a state-of-the-art outpatient medical

facility to be known as The David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care. The 23-story building is currently in development between East 73rd and 74th Streets overlooking the FDR Drive. According to MSK, the gift is the largest single donation ever made by David Koch.

OUR TOWN’S EAST MIDTOWN TRIVIA CHALLENGE As part of the Great East Midtown Challenge on June 10, Our Town will be holding a trivia contest! We’ll pose a question that can be answered by looking elsewhere in this week’s paper. Find all the answers over the next few weeks and you’ll have a leg up on the other teams in next month’s challenge. GREAT EAST MIDTOWN This week’s question: What is the height of the controversial new CHALLENGE tower at Sutton Place? For more info on the challenge, go to http:// eastmidtown.org/challenge

Peter Koo introduced the legislation in February 2014 in an effort to increase public awareness around hepatitis B and C, and to help the city focus funding and resources to more effectively combat these diseases, according to a joint press release. According to Chin, Johnson

and Koo, it’s estimated that at least 250,000 people in New York City live with hepatitis B and C and are at risk for developing complications related to the disease. Many individuals who are infected are unaware of their status, they say, and viral hepatitis remains a leading

cause of liver cancer and related complications, which presents a major public health challenge. According to the CDC, 1 in 12 Asian-Americans have hepatitis B, and as many as two-thirds do not know they are infected.

RENT OVERHAUL SEEMS HEADED FOR A TRUCE NEWS Albany may have too much on its place to tackle the issue for now BY DAVID KLEPPER

With Albany still reeling from corruption scandals and time running out on the legislative session, it’s looking less likely state lawmakers will overhaul New York City’s longstanding rent regulations or a tax break for real estate developers. Changes have been proposed for both laws, which expire next month, but many lawmakers say the most practical option may be to simply renew the laws essentially as-is, with only minor tweaks. “We’re probably just going to have an extension,” Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick, RLong Island, said this past week during debate on rent control. That reflects an emerging consensus among lawmakers interviewed by The Associated Press and comments made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said “at a minimum” both laws must be extended. “Albany has a lot going on right now,” the Democratic governor said late last month. “To have these finer negotiations on these delicate points is going to be problematic this year.” Rent control and the tax break have huge impacts on the New York City housing market, and they’re touchy for lawmakers in any year because the real estate industry is one of the biggest political donors in Albany. On the

other side, tenant advocates and liberal groups have organized big rallies in New York and Albany to denounce the tax break and urge lawmakers to strengthen rent control. The tax break was created decades ago during a much different real estate climate in New York City as a way to spur redevelopment. In exchange for the incentive, developers building in certain areas must incorporate affordable units. Critics say the tax break, which cost New York City more than $1 billion last year, is no longer needed. The real estate industry argues the tax break is essential to efforts to keep New York affordable. The rent rules regulate the rents paid by more than 2 million New York City residents. Landlords chafe under the rules, but supporters say they ensure that low- and middle-income residents can afford to live in the city. Keeping both measures essentially the same started to become an appealing option following the arrest of former Senate Leader Dean Skelos this month. Skelos, a Long Island Republican, is ﬁghting charges that he extorted payments for his son from an environmental technology company and a major real estate ﬁrm in New York City. In January, former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, was arrested on charges that he accepted

nearly $4 million in bribes. Both men say they’re innocent, but the charges forced them to step down from leadership at a critical time. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for stronger rent control laws and the extension of the tax break -- though he wants to require that any developer receiving the incentive set aside 25 percent to 30 percent of a project for affordable units -- compared with the current requirement of 20 percent, which only applies in certain areas. “No more tax breaks without building affordable housing in return -- period,” de Blasio said. The mayor’s proposal has the support of some top lawmakers and, notably, the Real Estate Board of New York. “There is an enormous opportunity in the next month for state lawmakers to put a plan into action that will create more affordable housing ... in every borough,” REBNY President Steven Spinola said. Critics who want the tax break abolished said the mayor’s changes don’t go far enough. “It’s a tax break that benefits billionaire real estate developers who don’t need the help,” said Karen Scharff, executive director of Citizen Action of New York. The tax break on new construction can last as long as 25 years. Last year, about 150,000 apartments in the city were under the tax break.

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

Going to the Airport?

Real Estate Sales Neighborhd

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

Address

Price

Bed Bath Agent

Beekman

1 BEEKMAN PLACE

$528,010

Beekman

400 E 52 St.

$335,000

Douglas Elliman

Carnegie Hill

166 E 96 St.

$980,000

Stribling

Carnegie Hill

181 E 90 St.

$2,499,000

Corcoran

Carnegie Hill

140 E 95 St.

$625,000

Carnegie Hill

1075 PARK Ave.

$3,100,000

Douglas Elliman

Carnegie Hill

14 E 96 St.

$1,700,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Carnegie Hill

181 E 90 St.

$2,750,000

Corcoran

Carnegie Hill

1199 PARK Ave.

$899,000

Corcoran

Carnegie Hill

1065 PARK Ave.

$620,000

Corcoran

Carnegie Hill

50 E 89 St.

$1,500,000

Sotheby's International Realty

Carnegie Hill

170 E 94 St.

$450,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Carnegie Hill

153 E 87 St.

$588,000

Citywise Real Estate

Carnegie Hill

1326 MADISON Ave.

$620,000

Sotheby's International Realty

Carnegie Hill

11 E 86 St.

$1,365,000

Warburg

Lenox Hill

181 E 65 St.

$3,475,000

Corcoran

Lenox Hill

11 E 68 St.

$15,273,750

Lenox Hill

131 E 66 St.

$7,500,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Lenox Hill

30 E 65 St.

$2,665,000

Lenox Hill

530 PARK Ave.

$9,250,000

Lenox Hill

44 E 67 St.

$4,500,000

Stribling

Lenox Hill

425 E 63 St.

$639,999

Lenox Hill

160 E 65 St.

$1,731,025

Lenox Hill

333 E 68 St.

$1,525,000

Stribling

Lenox Hill

300 E 71 St.

$725,000

Brown Harris Stevens

Lenox Hill

315 E 68 St.

$410,000

Midtown E

325 LEXINGTON Ave.

$931,698

Corcoran

Midtown E

325 LEXINGTON Ave.

$2,489,621

Corcoran

Midtown E

325 LEXINGTON Ave.

$1,226,991

Corcoran

Midtown E

325 LEXINGTON Ave.

$753,505

Corcoran

Midtown E

250 E 54 St.

$920,000

Halstead Property

Midtown E

227 E 57 St.

$680,000

Nestseekers

Midtown South

244 MADISON Ave.

$450,000

Barkoff Residential

Murray Hill

320 E 42 St.

$275,000

Halstead Property

Murray Hill

245 E 35 St.

$485,000

Douglas Elliman

Murray Hill

200 E 36 St.

$335,000

Level Group

Murray Hill

235 E 40 St.

$465,000

Murray Hill

35 E 38 St.

$725,000

Keller Williams NYC

Murray Hill

2 TUDOR CITY PLACE

$390,000

Owner

Murray Hill

235 E 40 St.

$520,000

Douglas Elliman

Murray Hill

222 E 35 St.

$353,000

Douglas Elliman

Murray Hill

77 PARK Ave.

$2,150,000

Douglas Elliman

Sutton Place

420 E 55 St.

$1,850,000

Sotheby's International Realty

Sutton Place

313 E 56 St.

$292,500

Century 21 Metropolitan

Sutton Place

303 E 57 St.

$545,000

Halstead Property

Sutton Place

303 E 57 St.

$425,000

Corcoran

Sutton Place

50 SUTTON PLACE SOUTH

$1,285,000

Halstead Property

1-212-666-6666 ;V 1-2 ;V 5L^HYR ;V 3H.\HYKPH Tolls & gratuities not included. Prices subject to change without notice.

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Martha Stewart (Saturday)

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One Coupon per Trip. Expires12/31/13 12/31/15

Sara Moulton (Saturday and Sunday)

Mohonk Mountain House | 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, New York 12561 International Wine Masters Presents

May 29â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2015 at Mohonk Mountain House

OVER 700 WINES AND SPECIALTY FOODS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Grand Tasting | Red Carpet Cru Tasting | Wine and Food Seminars Celebrity Chef Demonstrations | International Wine Competition Fashion Show Organic Wines and Slow Foods | Mixology Demonstration | Gala Wine Dinner Vintners Dinners | VIP Celebrities | Medal and Awards | Silent and Live Auction* *All proceeds from the Silent and Live Auction will benefit The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation For more information or tickets visit us at www.newpaltzwineandfoodfestival.com or call 646-527-9500. Overnight reservations for Mohonk Mountain House 888-976-0785

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MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

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Sports

The local paper for Chelsea

SOLID START FOR ASPHALT GREEN BASEBALL

Art

the

Future of CHELSEA a community forum Few neighborhoods have changed as quickly, or as dramatically, as Chelsea.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FREE. Come join us and the discussion When: Monday, June 8 6-8pm Where: The Rubin Museum 150 West 17th St. RSVP: rsvp@strausnews.com or call 212-868-0190 Seating is ďŹ rst come ďŹ rst served

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something

part of an Asphalt Green travel baseball team in the fall, note that tryouts start June 2nd.

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and 10U teams are looking forward to showing off what they are made of come playoff time. To make sure your player doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss out on being a

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Save the Date â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Asphalt Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s travel baseball teams start playoffs as early as this weekend. The 8U team locked in the #1 seed in their division, and the 9U

have

This community forum will bring together artists, gallery owners, elected ofďŹ cials and industry leaders to dissect what has happened to Chelsea and outline the very delicate balance it now needs to strike: Can it continue to grow as a leading-edge art center while retaining the feel of a neighborhood? What can be done to keep the artists who helped put it on the map? How will the arrival of the Whitney Museum and, soon, the Hudson Yards project transform the neighborhood?

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MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

THE FRIENDS OF THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER host

ADVOCATES TRY TO STOP DEMOLITION OF SEAPORT BUILDINGS Community mobilizes after EDC decision to take down portions of Tin and New Market structures BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS

An environmental lawyer for Save Our Seaport and the City Club of New York recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economic Development Corporation following indications that the agency was preparing to demolish portions of the Tin and New Market buildings on the South Street Seaport. The letter, dated May 13, was sent the same day Our Town Downtown published a story about the EDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans: the dismantlement of the rear â&#x20AC;&#x153;cooler areasâ&#x20AC;? on both buildings. The agency said these areas, which stored fish when the Seaport was an active market, are supported by deteriorating pilings and in danger of imminent collapse. The EDC said they assessed the site in April and that the demolition, characterized as emergency work, should begin in July or August. Michael Gerrard, a lawyer with Arnold and Porter LLP, said the letter was sent while there was still some confusion over what exactly the EDC planned to do. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the time we wrote this, there was ambiguity,â&#x20AC;? he said. Rumors swirled earlier this month after local residents noticed jersey barriers being pushed back and other activity on the Seaport, including the relocation of a bike lane. One resident said parking attendants on South Street had heard that the New Market Building was set to be demolished. The preservation apparatus at the Seaport, led mainly by Save Our Seaport and other groups ďŹ ghting a comprehensive redevelopment plan by the Howard Hughes Corporation, kicked into gear. The developer wants to build a 494-foot luxury residential tower on a swath of land occupied by the New Market Building. Bringing down the New Market Building would essentially remove a rallying point for

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those opposed to the tower, which is the most contentious piece of Howard Hughesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; proposal. The letter claims the demolition would be in violation of city and state environmental review laws that require all components of a proposed project to be looked at collectively during an environmental impact review. Separating them is known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;segmentationâ&#x20AC;? in development parlance, and is not permissible. In the letter, Gerrard wrote that because Howard Hughesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; development project would require the demolition of the building, â&#x20AC;&#x153;any effort to demolish the New Market Building now constitutes an impermissible segmentation of the [state and city] review process, and an attempt to segregate the demolition of the New Market Building from the proposal to replace it without undergoing the full environmental review that the entire [Howard Hughes project] requires.â&#x20AC;? Save Our Seaport and the City Club of New York will be revaluating their position now that EDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan concerning the cooler areas is known, said Gerrard, who used freedom of information laws to request the engineering report that serves as the basis for demolishing the cooler areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to take a look at the engineering reports, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to withhold judgement until we see them,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We certainly do not want to stand in the way of anything that is necessary to protect public safety.â&#x20AC;? But EDC did not rule out fully demolishing the Tin and New Market buildings after removing the cooler areas this summer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The demolition of the cooler area is a ďŹ rst step and will allow EDC and the other agencies to more fully evaluate the remaining portions of the structure and determine if additional measures are needed, which may include full or partial demolition,â&#x20AC;? said an EDC spokesperson on May 13. Gerrard said he has not yet received a response from the EDC. An EDC spokesperson

2015

said the agency had received the letter and that it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;under review.â&#x20AC;? O pp onent s of Howa rd Hughesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plan are uncomfortable with how the EDC has allowed the Tin and New Market buildings to fall so far into disrepair that their dismatlement is necessary. The EDC, as stewards of the South Street Seaport Historic District, is responsible for maintaining historic sites regardless of future development plans, they say. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primarily that we see demolition as a prerequisite to construction,â&#x20AC;? said Gerrard. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The City Club and Save Our Seaport are extremely concerned about Howard Hughesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plan, and want to make sure it undergoes a full environmental land-use review. We want to make sure nothing happens prematurely without that review.â&#x20AC;? The New Market Building falls just outside the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic district but is considered a historic site by state and federal agencies. The Tin Building is included within the South Street Seaport Historic District. Changes to either site, including Howard Hughesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; redevelopment proposal, are subject to state and city environmental review, as well as the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public review known as ULURP. Howard Hughes holds a 60-year lease on the Seaport with the EDC and has already received approval to develop Pier 17 into a shopping and dining destination. On May 20, Save Our Seaport sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio on behalf of eight community groups criticizing the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partnership with Howard Hughes as it relates to preservation of the Seaport. The letter cited â&#x20AC;&#x153;an egregious absence of transparency and public review of the plans for the Seaport.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stewardship is being entrusted to a developer who has not adequately demonstrated capacity, experience or desire to create a sustainable plan linking the interests of preservation to the economic vitality of the area,â&#x20AC;? the letter reads.

PAW Day Pet And Wellness fun

A health fair for families and their pets

Saturday, May 30th 10am - 1pm Furry friends are invited! Carl Schurz Park (84th St. and East End Ave.) Featuring: AMC veterinarians, information RQ SUHYHQWDWLYH FDUH DQG SHW VDIHW\ SHW Âż UVW DLG tips, dog licensing, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activity area, face painting, pet portraits, Clifford the Big Red Dog, stuffed animal vet clinic, and much more! Special thanks to our sponsors: Angel On A Leash, Best Pet Rx, The Honest Kitchen, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City OfďŹ ce of Emergency Management, New York City Veterinary Emergency Response Team, Society of Illustrators

For more information or to make a contribution, please call 212-329-8668 or visit www.amcny.org 2015 FRIENDS OF THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER Travis Acquavella, Cass Adelman, Kristin Fisher Allen, David Burns, Merrill Curtis, Susan Lazarus, Lily Maddock, Kay Nordeman, Robin Regan

Our Town|Eastsider ourtownny.com

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

SERVING UP FUN AND COMPETITION Working Out With an Olympian at the Wang Chen Table Tennis Club BY MICKEY KRAMER

Photo: Wang Chen Table Tennis Club

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Here’s a New York City landlord-tenant relationship we don’t often hear about. The Wang Chen Table Tennis Club has been operating on West 100th Street since 2004, with building owner and pingpong aficionado Jerry Wartski offering Wang a discount on the rent. “Business wouldn’t survive without Jerry,” Wang said. Wang came to the United States from Beijing in 2000, and began coaching Wartski two years later. Wang said that Wartski, now in his 80s, generously sponsors table tennis players, herself included, when she trained for — and made — the 2008 US Olympic team. Wang began playing table tennis at 7 years old and became junior national singles champion by age 14. After just missing representing China in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, she moved to the United States. She’s been living on the Upper West Side since 2001. After becoming a citizen in 2006, Wang began two years of extensive training, with financial and personal support from Wartski. At the advanced age (for competitive table tennis) of 34, she qualified for the 2008 Games — held in her hometown of Beijing. “Of course, that was most special representing the U.S. in my old hometown in front of so many friends and family,” she said. Wang became the first U.S. table tennis player to reach the quarter-finals, and, with that, retired from competitive table tennis. “I wanted a family and the preparation is so very hard,” she said. “I didn’t want to play competitively if my level dropped.” She now has a 4-year-old son, Ryan. On a recent Saturday morning, the sport’s unmistakable clicks, pops and squeaks are audible as soon as you walk in to the club, which is between Broadway and West End Avenue. The club features regulars of all ages. Players that Saturday morning included pairs of fathers and sons, and Wanying Lu, 25 and her boyfriend, Chang Peng. Chang, celebrating his 26th birthday, has been taking lessons for a few months and considers Wang’s vast international experience a huge advantage. Wanying, with shirt drenched in perspiration, said she has “improved a lot these few months.” “If I get a big enough apartment, I’d love to get a table for my living room,” she said.

Steve Magid, 65, ventured over from the Upper East Side. He, too, was soaked in sweat after his weekly lesson. Magid has been playing for 18 years and calls table tennis a “cross between chess and race car driving.” He’s “still getting better,” he said. The small waiting area features a changing closet, small couch and pictures of Wang with Olympic teammates Kobe Bryant and LeBron James among photos with Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. A signed paddle hangs on a wall. “Wang, thanks for kicking my ..., John McEnroe,” it reads. There are three tables on the main ﬂoor, four in the basement. The club has experienced great growth the few past years, attributable in part to the club’s lowering the monthly membership rate from $75 to $20. People can also play for an hourly rate of $8 or day rate of $15. Wang said one of her main goals is to “raise the level of interest in the junior level.” She does so with after school programs, weeklong camp sessions and all-day sessions during the summer. Wang offers free

Photo: Wang Chen Table Tennis Club

table time to any of the children in her son’s pre-K class. “Some of the kids, ages 3 and 4, come and hit, and Ryan plays a little bit, too,” she said. George Paltakis, 43, often treks up and across town from his post at the United Nations on 42nd Street for after-work Monday evening lessons with Wang before heading home to Brooklyn Heights. “I was invited to play a few months ago and it awakened all these memories from when I was young,” he said. “She’s the best there is, and when you ﬁnd the best, you stick with it.” Mark Engelmann, 60, “wandered by” the club about a year ago and now takes lessons up to twice a week. He thinks he’s getting “semi-good,” which means he’s getting a workout. Wang notes that for seniors, table tennis is a great for “hand-eye coordination, the brain,” but that they don’t “have to move as much” as, for instance, they might playing tennis or other sports. But, she added, it’s a sport for people of all ages. “It’s just such a fun game and you can make many new friends. You’ll never be lonely here,” she said. “It’s like a family.”

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

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CATHOLIC NUNS FIND A COMMUNITY AT A JEWISH NURSING HOME SENIOR LIVING The older sisters move into Jewish Home Lifecare BY JIM FITZGERALD

For 98-year-old Sister Angela Rooney, it was one of the most jarring moves of her life. She always thought she would live out her days as she had for decades, in a convent under the time-honored Roman Catholic tradition of younger nuns dutifully caring for their older sisters. But with few young women choosing religious life, her church superiors were forced to look elsewhere for care, and in the past year have sent Rooney and dozens of other nuns to Jewish Home Lifecare, a geriatric-care complex in the Bronx founded as a nursing home for elderly Jews. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted my convent, my great big chapel, my Stations of the Cross,â&#x20AC;? Rooney said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The very name `Jewish Homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; turned me off. ... I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think anyone came here with a heavier heart

than me.â&#x20AC;? Rooney and 57 other sisters, ages 73 to 98, have since adjusted nicely to their new accommodations and neighbors, becoming an active part of classes and continuing their ministry with good deeds like holding the hands of dying patients on the hospice ďŹ&#x201A;oor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is home now,â&#x20AC;? said 83-year-old Sister Grace Henke. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we first came, we were ďŹ sh out of water.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an unusual situation that reďŹ&#x201A;ects a reality of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic nuns in the 21st century: Fewer young women are devoting their lives to religious orders, and those who are already nuns are aging and facing escalating health care needs. There are now more sisters over age 90 than under age 60, said Mary Gautier, a researcher at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. The centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2009 study found that 80 percent of the nuns in the country were over 60. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Their model of caring for their older

sisters is no longer sustainable,â&#x20AC;? said Robin Eggert, president of the Realm consulting group, which has worked with several nunsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; orders to find solutions. Eggert said a number of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s religious orders have partnered w ith outside organizations offering skilled nursing, assisted living and other levels of care, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never done Jewish before.â&#x20AC;? The Sisters of Charity of New York has seen its numbers decline from a 1960s peak of 1,350 to 270 today, and no new sisters had joined in the U.S. in 20 years. It was the ďŹ rst order to put out a request for proposals that was answered by the nonproďŹ t Jewish Home Lifecare. Two other orders based in Manhattan, the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary and the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, followed. Several of the nuns now living at Jewish Home, including retired teachers, social workers and nurses, said they were very happy after some

original hesitation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve almost all, 95 percent, accepted and acclimated. Those who were resistant have kind of calmed down,â&#x20AC;? said 92-year-old Sister Rosemarie Bittermann. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It certainly ďŹ t our needs,â&#x20AC;? said Sister Loretta Theresa Richards, 86. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can stay together, we have our own little chapel. They went out of their way to ďŹ nd a space for us to have Mass. I have to say it was so nice I was a little reluctant, because I took a vow of poverty.â&#x20AC;? Some things are different, however. While Jewish Home Lifecare is now nondenominational -- most residents are Christian -- its Jewish heritage remains apparent, with a resident rabbi and kosher-style meals in the independent living residences. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I miss the bacon,â&#x20AC;? Richards said. Added Sister Maria Goretti Mannix, 83: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I notice that we never get ham or pork chops. The food is good, though.â&#x20AC;? The nunsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; care is funded through a combination of Medicaid, Medicare,

the New York archdiocesan health plan, payments from the order itself and the individual sistersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; scant assets. While the nuns were allowed to room near one another -- most are on the same ďŹ&#x201A;oor as several colleagues -they were also encouraged to join the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open-to-all activities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I saw a sign for `Play Reading,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Sister Connie Brennan, 78. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ďŹ rst week I just listened. The second week I had a part. I think I might be a murderer.â&#x20AC;? Regina Melly, a senior vice president at Jewish Home Lifecare, said the sisters have greatly beneďŹ ted the Bronx campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This has succeeded more that we could have imagined,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the beginning, they talked about continuing their ministry here, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve touched the other residents and staff from the day they arrived. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see, in the dining room, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit all together, they sit with the other residents. The people here love them.â&#x20AC;? Nuns have been learning Spanish, teaching English and packing medical packages for overseas. Eggert said the sisters, â&#x20AC;&#x153;since they feel they are one big family,â&#x20AC;? have been especially attentive to residents who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get regular visits from relatives. As the oldest nun to make the move, the once-skeptical Rooney said she has, in a sense, been â&#x20AC;&#x153;convertedâ&#x20AC;? by the kind welcome the nuns received. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now I go to the Jewish services as well as the Mass.â&#x20AC;?

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Resident Manager of The 80th Street Residence Recognized for Expertise

Ensconced in the landmark neighborhood of the Upper East Side, Residents continue to enjoy the heart and soul of this incomparable city they have always loved.

The only licensed Assisted Living Residence in New York City Entirely Devoted to Enhanced Memory Care The 80th Street Residence is proud to announce that their Resident Manager, Leah Gallagher, LMSW, has completed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Positive Approach to Care (PAC)â&#x20AC;? Consultant Training and has been awarded with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Certificate of Expertise.â&#x20AC;? The PAC program was created by dementia-care education specialist Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, an occupational therapist with over 30 years in clinical practice. Ms. Gallagher completed pre-requisite training work, a multi-modal classroom training and participated in weekly post-classroom calls with a coach to further exemplify her knowledge and skills.

â&#x20AC;˘ Beautiful Upper East Side Environment â&#x20AC;˘ Each floor a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;? with Family Style Dining & Living Room â&#x20AC;˘ 24-hour Licensed Nurses & Attendants specially trained in dementia care â&#x20AC;˘ Medication Management â&#x20AC;˘ Around the clock personal care, as needed â&#x20AC;˘ Housekeeping, Linen & Personal Laundry â&#x20AC;˘ Courtyard & Atrium Rooftop Garden â&#x20AC;˘ Chef prepared Meals

Clare Shanley, Executive Director says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leah Gallagher walked in the door 6 years ago and immediately immersed herself in supporting our Residents, Families and Staff. When we learned of the opportunity to train with Ms. Snow, who has long been known as the dementia-care guru, it was clear that this was an opportunity that just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be passed up. Leahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unbridled enthusiasm for continued education is a perfect example of how she strives to provide the best support that she can for those navigating the difficult terrain of dementia. We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more proud of her successful completion of the training and receiving a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Certificate of Expertiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.â&#x20AC;? With the highest level of Assisted Living Residence licensure by the New York State Department of Health, The 80th Street Residence is the only dedicated assisted living community in New York City Specializing in Memory Care. In their boutique setting, 80th Street offers unique neighborhoods, each, composed of no more than eight to ten Residents with similar cognitive abilities. All neighborhoods have cozy and homelike dining and living rooms and are staffed 24 hours a day with personal care attendants. The intimate setting allows for an environment that is conducive to relaxation, socialization and participation in varied activities. A true jewel of care on the Upper East Side.

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80th Street Residents in Central Park with the Essex House Hotel peeking from behind.

430 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075 Tel. 212-717-8888 www.80thstreetresidence.com

MAY 28-JUNE 3,2015

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Fiddler on the Roof has proved to be one of the stage’s most beloved musicals, produced the world over including, above, at the Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn, Lancashire, United Kingdom.

FIDDLER TURNS 50, STILL IN TUNE Sheldon Harnick revisits one of the stage’s most storied musicals BY LEIDA SNOW

You’ll typically find Sheldon Harnick behind the scenes. But the lyricist of Fiddler on the Roof will step center stage later this month to discuss the creation and legacy of one of the stage’s most enduring musicals in the golden anniversary year of its original Broadway production. Harnick, 91, who is also celebrating the 50th year of his marriage, penned the program’s script and will host five performances at the 92nd Street Y starting May 30. Like tens of thousands of others, this journalist identified with the show’s

family and thought it was because of her Russian Jewish roots. But Fiddler won nine Tony Awards and played in two dozen countries within a decade of its Broadway debut. Its characters have endeared themselves to audiences the world over, including in Japan, where the musical has played to devoted audiences since 1967. The show’s most precious lyrics, from “If I Were a Rich Man,” have been recorded in several languages, including French (“Ah, si j’étais riche”) and Finnish (“Rikas mies jobs oison”). Harnick suggests that Fiddler has endured because its protagonist, Tevye, “is everyman.” “Tevye suffers. He loves his children, but they are breaking away,” Harnick

said over lunch at an Upper West Side restaurant, where he and his wife, Margery, have lived for decades. “He has to change. There are few Jews in Japan but they understand the family elements, the universality of the stories.” To mention the song titles is to summon up the lyrics — and composer Jerry Bock’s melodies: “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “To Life,” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” which remains a wedding staple and for which Harnick modified the words in 2011 to accommodate same-sex unions. Harnick didn’t start out intending to be a lyricist. Brought up in Chicago, he considered becoming a rabbi because he loved the man who prepared him for his bar mitzvah. He studied violin but had to stop playing when he was drafted during World War II. But he picked it up again when he returned, practicing up to six hours a day. “I was a pretty good violinist,” he said, “but knew I’d never be first-rank. I would have been a happy second-rate fiddler in some middle-rung orchestra.” An unexpected gift changed his life. In 1947, he was given a record album of the then-new Broadway musical, Finian’s Rainbow. Mixing romance, leprechauns and political satire, E. Y. (Yip) Harburg’s lyrics meshed seamlessly with Burton Lane’s music. “I was dazzled by what Yip was doing,” Harnick said, “saying important and controversial things so playfully that you have to listen with delight. I

knew then what I wanted to do.” In his spacious living room, anchored by a piano, Harnick said a great lyric is more than leaving final vowels open and not having hard consonants bump up against each other. “You have to have something to say,” he explained. “When Tevye asks Golda if she loves him — in a world in which people didn’t marry for love. I wrote this conversation between them and was delighted that Jerry Bock found a way to make it musical, and yet it’s still a little scene. The third time I saw it in the show, I sobbed. I realized it was about my feelings about my parents. Oddly, the more personal one is, the more universal it may be.” Harnick chooses his words carefully. “I prefer lyrics that sound like conversation,” he said, “but using words that have some inherent poetic quality.” At the Y, Harnick will also talk about lyrics that didn’t make it into the original show. “Certain songs, even ones we all liked, had to go. Either they weren’t right for a scene or the range didn’t fit the singer.” One mazurka became the haunting “Sunrise Sunset.” Another song found new lyrics and became “Anatevka,” the poignant anthem of the Jews forced to leave their homes. Harnick, whose Jewish background is Austro-Hungarian, spent long hours researching the Russian Jews that would become Fiddler’s mainstays. “Most important were the Sholem Aleichem stories,” he said, “but also this wonderful book, Life Is With People.” Another resource was Wonder of Wonders, by Alicia Solomon. “And once Jerry Robbins was involved as director and choreographer, he was totally obsessed” about bringing back the Eastern European world destroyed during World War II. Other Harnick partnerships with Bock include Fiorello!, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and She Loves Me. Fiddler has seen four Broadway revivals and a major film. It has given Harnick the freedom to choose his projects based on what he wants to do, like feeding his love for classical music by working on translations for the Bach Society. Fiddler returns to Broadway this winter. A revival of She Loves Me is set for Spring 2016. Harnick is involved with every revival of his works, even going to open calls, when hopefuls not represented by agents can audition. “Every once in a while,” he said, “you find a gem.”

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WWE Superstar Roman Reigns and daughter Joelle

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Research Associate, Talk Programming at SiriusXM Radio: Research and write bits and other post-production work that can apply to interesting topics. Apply at: https://careers-siriusxm.icims.com/ jobs/10375/research-associate%2c-talk-programming/job

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