Manhattan Express - October 31, 2019

V isit us online a t w w w. M anha t t an E x pr e s s .co m

MIDTOWN, UPPER EAST & WEST SIDES

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 22

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 13, 2019

SPONSORED CONTENT

V isit us online a t w w w. M anha t t an E x pr e s s .co m

MIDTOWN, UPPER EAST & WEST SIDES

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 22

OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 13, 2019

SAVING LIVES

Local hospital hosts program to help cops battle mental illness Page 4

Faster trains on the 4/5/6 Page 3

Board turns down Lenox Hill plans Page 3

PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL

1 M E T R O T E C H • N YC 112 0 1 • © 2 0 19 S C H N E P S M E D I A

INJURED? WE WIN YOU $$$ CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

Have you been seriously injured through a fault of another party? s #AR !CCIDENT s )NJURED AT WORK s 5NSAFE 3IDEWALK s -EDICAL MALPRACTICE s 0OLICE MISCONDUCT s #ONSTRUCTION !CCIDENT s 3LIP AND FALL h7E HAVE BEEN HELPING INJURED Serving All Boros PEOPLE GET COMPENSATED FOR Hablamos Espanol WRONGFUL INJURIES SINCE v OfямБce is Handicapped Accessible HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS No fee unless we recover RECOVERED FOR OUR CLIENTS Free Consultation

Piergrossi & Peterman wewinyoucash.com 2

October 31, 2019

844-300-6648

Call our TOLL FREE hotline for your complimentary consultation

Schneps Media

UES board reject Lenox Hill expansion plan

BY ALEJANDR A O'CONNELL-DOMENECH

N

orthwell Health’s planned upgrades to Lenox Hill Hospital received further opposition from Upper East Siders Wednesday night when the local community board voted to rejected the $2.5 billion project.

Opponents, mostly from the Committee to Protect Our Lenox Hill Neighborhood, filled the auditorium of the New York Blood Center where the community board voted on a resolution and cheered when speakers criticized the project.

“Northwell’s project is not just damaging to our neighborhood but to the entire city,” said Andrew Sousslof, who then held up two renderings of the project which calls for building a 516-foot-tall hospital and 490-foot-tall apartment building on the block.

The proposed height of the buildings, which would sit between Park Avenue and Lexington from 76th to 77th Streets, is one of the main reasons that residents and neighborhood with a current height limit of 210feet for buildings are outraged.

According to Sousslof, the shadows created by the towers would be so large they would reach Central Park. Residents further criticized the project as being purely a means for Northwell Health to profit from selling luxury real estate and by creating a “medical tourism” destination that does not fit community needs.

Northwell plans to use revenue from the 41-story apartment complex to pay for the hospital’s renovations and upgrades which include changing double rooms to single-patient rooms, a new emergency

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH.

Rendering of Lenox Hill Hospital in the Upper East Side.

room, a new diagnostic and treatment center, a new ambulance bay and a mother and baby center. Work would also be done to expand the building’s surrounding sidewalks and would require moving the entrance of the 77th Street subway station.

Joshua Strugatz, vice president of Lenox Hill Hospital, assured attendees that the hospital and Northwell Health were listening to community concerns when it came to the hospital’s renovations.

“To maintain our future viability we need to make the necessary investments to meet your needs,” said Strugatz. The hospital and Northwell Health say they are planning on organizing a series of small meeting groups soon to further discuss community concerns.

But despite the community board’s vote in opposition to the project, the fight is far from over for opponents. Community boards are only advisory entities; the City Council has the final say on the matter.

Faster speeds set for 4/5/6 and M trains: MTA

BY VINCENT BARONE

T

he subway’s busiest line is about to get a little faster.

The MTA has increased speed limits along stretches of the Lexington Avenue line of the 4,5,6, according to internal documents obtained by amNewYork.

Sections of track near Canal Street, 14th Street-Union Square and stations north, including where the 4 and 6 stretch out into the Bronx, have received higher speed limits as of this Friday. Speeds are also going up at two portions along the M line in Queens and Brooklyn.

The changes are part of Transit President Andy Byford’s “Save Safe Seconds” campaign to review speed limits implemented in the subway system and replace those found to be overly restrictive. The MTA had increased limits at 150 sections of track in the subway system as of this September, according to officials.

That effort has played a large role in helping the subway system bounce back from a service crisis, with reliability rates hitting highs the MTA hasn’t seen in years.

By Union Square, the speed limit on one track has been increased from 20 to 28 mph; Near Canal Street, another limit of 20 mph was increased to 25 mph.

Along the M, the biggest change announced Friday was seen at the Fresh Pond Road station, where speeds on certain tracks entering and exiting the station were increased from 25 to 30 mph.

Besides just swapping signs, the MTA has to acclimate train operators to the new limits. The authority has also appointed new “Train Service Supervisors” as part of Byford’s campaign to ride along with operators and educate them of the changes.

Schneps Media

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ser vice is getting speedier on the 4 train in Manhattan, among other lines, according to the MTA . (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Paul McPhee, MTA Transit’s chief officer of field operations, wrote in one internal document dated this Friday that the campaign makes the subways more reliable and improves on how many people the system can move each day.

“By adhering to the guidelines and directions pro-

vided by these train service supervisors, train operators will greatly improve our ability to safely provide faster, more comfortable and more consistent service while maximizing system capacity,” he said.

The MTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

October 31, 2019

3

New program aims to stop NYPD suicide rash

BY TODD MAISEL

I

n the wake of an epidemic of suicides among NYPD officers this past year, a Manhattan hospital will now provide free confidential counseling and medication to New York’s finest completely detached from the department, it was announced Thursday.

The new program, “Finest Care,” will be offered free to all NYPD officers who need counseling and mental health services that could lead to suicidal thoughts and anything else that might endanger the officer or those around them.

NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center is offering the program at a cost of $1.2 million for the first 18 months of the program, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during his Oct. 24 visit to the hospital’s Upper East Side campus.

An additional $150,000 was provided by the Police Foundation in support of the program.

Ten police officers have taken their own lives this past year, the highest number in NYPD history. Officials say it is following a trend in departments around the country that are experiencing similar tragedies.

De Blasio said his own father committed suicide when he was a teen.

“When I was 18-year-old, my dad took his own life. He was a World War II hero and was so used to helping others that he found it difficult to accept for himself,” de Blasio said. “Too many

Mayor Bill de Blasio and members of the NYPD got together with New York Presby terian Hospital to announce Finest Care - offering counseling for free to police officers with complete privac y in light of recent spate of sucides of officers.

members of the NYPD family have had to watch their colleagues and loved ones succumb to mental health struggles.

We are launching a new partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian to eradicate stigma and get our officers the help they need.”

The program would be in addition to programs already in place that service police officers including the NYPD

medical office, Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance (POPPPA) an independent group of volunteers and professional offering support to officer and retirees; the chaplain’s unit which provides pastorial support completely confidential; and the employee assistance unit that provides counseling services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The difference here is that the hospital

will be providing services at no cost to the officer or someone with a connection to the department.

Dr. Steven Corwin, president and CEO of NY-Presbyterian recognized that police officers have been reluctant to seek out help with emotional and mental issues, but he said the new service will allow officers to get help “completely confidential.”

Climate protesters rally outside BlackRock HQ

BY ALEJANDR A O'CONNELL-DOMENECH

C

limate change activists blocked the entrance to BlackRock’s midtown headquarters early this morning during a protest of the investment management company’s ties to fossil fuel corporations and companies responsible for deforestation.

“We are here to send a message to BlackRock to clean up its dirty act,” said Pete Sikora, climate campaigns director for New York Communities for Change which organized the demonstration of roughly 150 people. “It’s time for them to become the solution and not the problem.”

Activists like the Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping chanted, sang and danced with allies from Extinction Rebellion, Friends of the Earth, the Sunrise Movement and Code Pink as they called the company in control of $6.52 trillion worth of assets to not only divest from fossil fuels and companies connected to deforestation but to invest those funds into clean energy.

4

October 31, 2019

PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

Climate activists called on BlackRock to invest in clean energy during a protest outside of the investment company’s midtown headquar ters. ( Photo by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech)

“We all know that burning fossil fuels and deforestation causes climate change,” said Krystal Ford, form the Sunrise Movement.” But we also know that greed causes climate change. There are people who are profiting right now off of this climate disaster.”

BlackRock has multi-billion worth of investments in some of the world’s largest oil companies like BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron and is the largest investor in the world in coal, according to The Guardian.

According to a report from Friends of the Earth US, Amazon Watch and Profundo, a Dutch research firm, BlackRock is one of the top three shareholders in 25 of the largest companies listed as “deforestation risks.” The protest occurred on the 7-year-anniversary of Hurricane Sandy’s touchdown in New York city, an event that activist said was “just a taste” of what was to come in climate pollution was not stopped world wide soon since last year the UN released a report that humanity only had 12 years to take mitigative steps towards preventing irreversable damage to the climate.

Schneps Media

Do you know THESE MEN?

If you care for someone with Alzheimer’s, we haven’t forgotten your needs.

We can connect you with local individual and group support, wellness and cultural activities, in-home assistance, and more.

Call Care NYC today, toll-free: 877-577-9337.

Edward Pipala

Francis Stinner

Gennaro “Jerry� Gentile

If you have information regarding alleged abuse or its cover-up involving these men, CONTACT US.

The NY Child Victims Act may be able to help you!

646-956-2754

52 Duane Street, 7th Floor New York, NY 10007

CARE NYC is a free service across the five boroughs. For more info, email CareNYC@scsny.org or call 877-577-9337.

CARE NYC is supported in part by a grant from the New York State Department of Health

“We got the ‌not the FLU

‘‘

flu vaccine

Schneps Media

October 31, 2019

5

Police Blotter School safety agent sprayed

Village office burglary There was a burglary in a real estate office at 21 Grove St., police said.

An employee said she closed the office on Oct. 2, at 6 p.m., and when she reopened the office the next morning, she noticed the office had been rummaged through and items were miss-

ing. The items included a handbag, a sweater and a laptop, with a total value of $2,540.

Azariah Brundage, 28, was arrested on Oct. 7, and Alvin Cruz, 18, was arrested on Oct. 21.

— Gabe Herman

Creep groped underage girl

East Village woman evades trespasser

A NYPD school safety agent was assaulted while trying to break up a fight, police said. On Sunday, Oct. 13, around 12:10 p.m., a 25-year-old agent was helping other agents break up a fight between students in front of 64 Essex St., officials said. During the altercation, one of the males allegedly sprayed an unknown substance in the agent’s face, then fled into the Essex Street/Delancey Street subway station.

The victim was taken in stable condition to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he was treated for burning and irritation in his eyes, police said.

— Gabe Herman

Arrests for imitation gun Two police officers were spooked by an imitation pistol that a group of men had at the corner of Mercer and Bleecker streets on Thursday, Oct. 24. Around 11 p.m. the officers came across what they thought was a black semi-automatic handgun, which made them fear for their safety, according to a police report. The officers determined that the firearm was an imitation pistol not authorized by the administrative code of New York City. Three men were arrested for menacing, a felony: Ahmed Elafify, 18; Samin Bashar, 18; and Sory Barry, 22.

— Gabe Herman

BY GABE HERMAN

A

woman was able to escape from an attack inside an East Village apartment building, according to police.

The incident occurred on Friday, Oct. 25, around 11 p.m. A man allegedly followed a 19-year-old woman into a residential building near East 7th Street and Avenue A. Once inside the building, they both entered the elevator.

When the woman got off the elevator and walked to her apartment door, officials say that the man approached her from behind and covered her mouth.

He then allegedly wrapped his other arm around her waist and demanded that she open the door to her apartment.

The woman refused and yelled out for help. A neighbor opened her door to see what was happening, and the attacker released the victim and ran to the elevator, police said. He fled out of the building in an unknown direction.

Police described the man, who is wanted for burglary in the 9th Precinct, as black, 20 to 25 years old and 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, a white hooded sweater, black shorts and black sneakers.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website, nypdcrimestoppers.com, or send a direct message on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

Intoxicated man has items stolen Intoxicated man has items stolen An intoxicated man had several items taken earlier this year without his knowledge, which led to a recent arrest, according to a police report. On April 5, a 34-year-old man left the Dominick Hotel at 246 Spring St., which he said was the last time he knew he had his possessions, and that he was highly intoxicated at the time. He said he started walking and when he reached Sixth Avenue and West Fourth Street, he realized he was missing several items, including his wallet, multiple credit and debit cards, and a smart phone. The man said he had no idea what happened to his property, and that there were later several unauthorized charges on his credit cards. On Oct. 17, Jeffrey Stevens, 53, was arrested for grand larceny.

— Gabe Herman

Cour tesy NYPD Sur veillance of the man wanted by police.

BY GABE HERMAN

P

olice are looking for a creep who groped an underage girl in the subway, officials said.

The incident occurred on Monday, Oct. 21, around 2:40 p.m. A man approached a 16-year-old girl on a staircase in the subway station at Eighth Avenue and West 44th Street, police said. The man then allegedly grabbed her buttocks, before fleeing on foot.

Police said there were no injuries from the incident. The man wanted for forcible touching in the Midtown South Precinct is described as being bald and wearing a two-tone coat, a lavender shirt, tan pants, glasses and was seen carrying a black bag.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website, nypdcrimestoppers.com, or send a direct message on Twitter @ NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

For more news & events happening now visit www.TheVillager.com 6

October 31, 2019

Schneps Media

! $ ! ! # ! $ "

! ! # $ " # ! ! $ " $ # ! !

!

$ ! ! ! % $ " $ ! ! ! $ ! ! " !

They count on you, Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Plans $0 or Low Cost Plan Premiums Health plan options for those with Medicare and those with both Medicare and Medicaid

So count on us to keep you going.

Call for eligibility and enrollment

agewellnewyork.com

718-696-0206 TTY/TDD

800-662-1220

AgeWell New York, LLC is a HMO plan with a Medicare and Medicaid contract. Enrollment in AgeWell New York, LLC depends on contract renewal. ATTENTION: If you do not speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-866-237-3210 (TTY/TDD: 1-800-662-1220). Hours are 7 days a week from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Note: From April 1 to September 30, we may use alternate technologies on Weekends and Federal holidays.

Assistance services for other languages are also available free of charge at the number above. AgeWell New York complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of races, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. AgeWell New York cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. AgeWell New York ŕŹ¸ŘŒćƒ¨ŕ¤€ŕ¤™ĺˆŚŕŹźŕĄ‡ ăş– ŕĄŁâ€ŤÚŻâ€ŹĺŤ…Ř”ÍŤĐ‰Öœäąˇâ€ŤŢ•â€Źćž?ĺŒťŕ¨Šćž?ŕĄ‡â€ŤŢ•â€ŹŕŠŚä˝ˇćž?‍ٜ‏柞ćž?ăź‘ŕŽžŰŞâ€ŤŰ…â€ŹâŁŤŕ§˛ŕ ˇĺŤŒŃ ŃžŃ‹ćžž H4922_Count4002_M Accepted 09082019 Schneps Media

October 31, 2019

7

Seward Park Liquors keeps serving strong

BY ALEJANDR A O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

I

t’s been one year since Seward Park Liquors grand reopening on Ludlow Street.

Store owner John DiBlasio relocated to the Lower East Side side street after 43 years on Grand Street, and just like at his old location, he said he is dedicated to providing neighborhood residents with a wide variety of wines and liquors at affordable prices.

During a tour of the store, DiBlasio pulled down a bottle of one of the many types of aperitifs from one of the ceiling-high shelves in the store’s narrow front hallway. In his hand he held a bottle of St. Germian, a popular brand of an elder flower liqueur that can be used to make cocktails like martinis or drunk before dinner to stimulate the appetite. He carries the nearly $40 brand along with its less expensive counter part, St. Elder, which can be purchased for around $19.

“So, that is what I try to

do,” said DiBlasio. “Give the customer an option.”

And there are options for everyone at Seward Park Liquors — DiBlasio boasts that he carries 1,000 different kinds of wine and liquors in the deceptively small store.

Sections of the store are designated for Kosher wines, sakes and sojus, some things not found everywhere. Once customers pass down the entrance hallway, where unique liquors like Bolivian whiskey lie, they walk into a large wine room. There, wine bottles from countries like Italy, France, Israel and Austria are stacked so tall that DiBlasio has installed rolling ladders along the walls to better reach the fermented delights.

“I have great connections and can get mostly anything,” said DiBlasio, a native of the Lower East Side.

At the end of the wine room, the back door to Seward Park Liquors leads to small patio that DiBlasio recently created. The space can provide visitors short respites from city during the store’s monthly wine-tastings.

PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH

John DiBlasio, owner of Seward Park Liquors, sits in front of a wall of wine. He carries wine from numerous regions and countries.

Great rates like ours are always in season.

6-Month

CD or IRA CD

% 00 2.

APY1

$5,000 minimum deposit

To qualify you must have or open any Flushing Bank Complete Checking account2 which provides you with access to over 55,000 ATMs, ATM fee rebates, mobile banking and mobile check deposit. Plus, you can qualify for additional cash bonuses of up to $300.3,4,5 For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 (855.540.2274 TTY/TDD) or visit www.FlushingBank.com.

Small enough to know you.

Large enough to help you.® 1) New money only. APY effective September 26, 2019. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. For new IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $5,000. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. 2) New money required for new checking accounts only. A Flushing Bank checking account with a $5,000 minimum balance is required to receive the advertised rate. Certain fees, minimum balance requirements and restrictions may apply. Fees may reduce earnings on these accounts. A checking account is not required for IRA accounts. 3) New Complete Checking account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. A new checking account is defined as any new checking account that does not have any authorized signatures in common with any other existing Flushing Bank checking account(s). An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. 4) The Cash Bonus is limited to one (1) account credit per new Complete Checking account. To qualify for the Cash Bonus, a new Complete Checking account must be opened with a minimum opening balance of $1,000 or more. The Cash Bonus credit will be based on the monthly average account balance of the first three (3) full months after account opening. The monthly average account balance tiers and respective account credits are as follows: Tier 1: $1,000 - $4,999 a $10 account credit, Tier 2: $5,000 - $9,999 a $50 account credit, Tier 3: $10,000+ a $100 account credit. The Cash Bonus credit will be posted to the account on or about the end of the subsequent month following the account’s three (3) month anniversary. A 1099 will be issued in the amount of the account credit. The new Complete Checking account must remain open, active and in good standing for six months. If the account is closed prior to six months or prior to receiving the credit, the account credit will be forfeited. Other fees and restrictions may apply. Notwithstanding the Cash Bonus offer, a minimum deposit of $25 is required to open the Complete Checking account. 5) This offer is limited to one Complete Checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new Complete Checking account is $25. No minimum balance required to be eligible for the Bonus. Direct Deposit– You will receive $100 for signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit. Each direct deposit must be $250 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 90 days after the account is opened.

Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $50 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking bill payments – You will receive $50 for completing 5 online banking bill payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal. Each online bill pay must be $25 or more. Debit Card Purchases and Online Banking bill payments must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $200. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about the end of the month following the completion of the above qualifying transactions within the required time after account opening. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. The promotion and offer are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark

8

October 31, 2019

Schneps Media

to Receive American Red Cross Award PORT JEFFERSON STATION, OCTOBER 11, 2019 MD, will be the 2019 American Red Cross Greater New York Region’s Humanitarian Award recipient. Dr. Vacirca will be honored on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019 at the 2019 Heroes Among Us Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan, along with several others being

which many families contending with cancer issues have relied and for his steadfast support of the Red Cross mission.

Before receiving this latest accolade, he was a recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt award for outstanding dedication to patient care and has been named in Newsday’s Top Doctors. Dr. Vacirca serves as a consulting physician for the Long Island Association for Aids Care (LIAAC) and He is the immediate past president of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), medical director for Amerisource Bergen specialty group, a medical board advisor for Flatiron Health, located in New York City.

Additionally, he is vice-chairman of the board for Odonate Therapeutics, a company he cofounded in 2016, which is dedicated to the development of best-in-class therapeutics that improve and extend the lives of patients with cancer.

Cancer Foundation has helped hundreds of patients and their families providing grants to pay non-medical expenses including rent, mortgage, utility bills and transportation to and from treatment.

Likewise, while leading the New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Dr. Vacirca has been passionate about providing the best cancer treatments the newest and best drugs to our patients. This is a proud moment for those dedicated to comprehensive cancer care,” said Dr. Vacirca, who remains committed to serving the community on all levels.

Tickets for the event are available online. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossNY.

York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Ogilvy, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo, Barclays, BNY Mellon, Citi, Marsh & McLennan Companies, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

About NYCBS New York Cancer & Blood Specialists is committed to our patients. We are dedicated to providing each patient with a unique path to treatment and unmatched support. We strive to make quality, community-based cancer care available in each and every New York community. We are proud to be a partner of OneOncology and a proud sponsor of the New York Cancer Foundation.

Schneps Media

October 31, 2019

9

What to know about this year’s general election

AP PHOTO/ALEXANDER F. YUAN, FILE

Voters fill out their forms as they prepare to vote at a polling station in Brooklyn.

V

10

October 31, 2019

oters will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Don’t be surprised when you get to your polling machine — here’s all you need to know before you go: When and where to vote: Vote from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you want to get it out of the way, early voting is in place this year now through Nov. 3. Hours vary and can be found on vote.nyc. Find your local polling station at nyc.pollsitelocator.com.

The Races Democratic Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams (who won a special election against 16 other candidates in February), will be running against Republican City Councilman Joseph C. Borelli, and Libertarian Devin Balkind for public advocate.

Democratic judges Martin Shulman, Shawn T. Kelly (incumbent), and Jennifer Schecter will be up for Supreme Court Justice for the 1st Judicial District (three seats); Democratic Judges Ashlee Crawford and Robert Rosenthal are after two seats on Judge of the Civil Court (County); Democratic Judge Anna Lewis is the only candidate up for Judge of the Civil Court (3rd Municipal Court District); Democratic Judge E. Grace Park is up for Judge of the Civil Court (4th Municipal Court District); and Democratic Judge Erik L. Gray is up for Judge of the Civil Court (9th Municipal Court District).

The Proposals: Question 1 (Elections) includes a proposal to establish ranked-choice voting for primary and special elections in the city.

Question 2 contains five proposals concerning the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), including proposals to provide for a minimum budget for the CCRB based on the number of NYPD officers, allow the Public Advocate to appoint one CCRB member, and authorize the city council to appoint members without confirmation from the mayor.

Question 4 includes a provision to set minimum public advocate and borough president budgets.

For full proposals and more information, visit ballotpedia.org Schneps Media

Lessons Learned While On The Beat

By Eric L. Adams, Jennifer Gunter, and Dr. David L. Katz

If you or someone you are caring for is living with breast cancer or other life-altering illness and has difficulty shopping or cooking, we can provide you or them with nutritious, delicious, home-delivered meals.

Visit glwd.org/booklets to download our nutrition booklets for breast cancer and other nutrition + illness information.

GET MEALS: G LW D.O R G/G E T M E A L S

godslovewedeliver

@godslovenyc

Do you have a Special Occasion?

Custom Designs at Competitive Pricing for 30 Years

Call for an appointment 917-447-7417

Designs By Shahin 2 locations 766 Madison Avenue & Roslyn, Long Island Schneps Media

When It Comes to the Health Dangers of Processed Meats, the Science is Settled Nutrition: why does it confuse us when the truth is simple and straightforward?

We are living in an age of information overload, where the

become increasingly blurry. The whirlwind of trendy nutrition claims can make us believe we don’t know anything about health-except, we do.

The most recent entry in the socalled debate around nutrition is the series of systematic reviews and metaanalyses on red meat consumption, just published in Annals of Internal Medicine. These papers conclude that there is “no need to reduce red and processed meat consumption for improved health outcomes.�

We believe the inaccurate

will set back many of the gains we have made in public health.

The researchers have not performed any new studies.

Despite the fanfare, there is no new information, and no new-found incongruences. These red meat reports simply re-evaluated studies that have already been peer-reviewed and published. But critically, they evaluated these studies using tools designed for pharmaceutical trials, which typically prioritize randomized control trials that tend to be very difficult and unethical as lifestyle medicine interventions.

Observational, cohort and longitudinal studies better measure lifestyle interventions, because they can study longer time periods, adherence and patterns.

As one of us has personally

as medicine, we understand the risks that come from reports designed to confound us. In the end, we are made to believe that the science is unsteady and the experts disagree.

This is simply not true. True Health Initiative, a global coalition of world-leading health specialists, includes experts from paleo to vegan who all agree on the fundamentals of healthy eating. There is pretty much unanimous agreement amongst the

The recommendations put forth by these reports are in direct contradiction to the data reported by the reports themselves. These studies provide no compelling reason to update guidelines, and they do not address the health detriments associated with eating red and processed meat in large quantities.

The problem isn’t that we don’t know what to eat. The problem is that we are constantly being fed a narrative that the jury is still deliberating on a number of health matters, when in many cases the verdict has already been rendered.

And this is a very, very big problem.

And let’s be clear: we have made a lot of progress. In New York, there has been a sea change in our approach to healthy eating. Responding to

Eric L. Adams the Borough President’s advocacy on meat reduction, New York City announced their visionary document, OneNYC this past April, committing to move away from processed meats and towards healthier options. In that document, branded as NYC’s Green New Deal, the City committed to a 50% decrease in beef purchasing via city contracts.

Meatless Mondays began in school cafeterias as a first step towards meat reduction and quickly expanded beyond schools, expanding to hospitals; other City agencies are considering implementing this policy as well.

These decisions were not made haphazardly; they were made because

supporting them. Reports like the Annals’ meta-analyses on red meat irresponsibly undermine nutrition science.

We often hear that shifting away from processed meats would be unpalatable to the broader public.

But there is a clear appetite for plant-based eating. The borough president recently took the lead on creating a plant-based nutrition clinic at Bellevue Hospital. In January 2018, the CEO of New York Health + Hospitals announced a $400,000 investment into this clinic. There is now a wait list of 650 people. We need more plant-based options, not fewer.

The Annals of Internal Medicine red meat meta-analyses and systematic reviews are not a revolution in dietary guidelines, they are simply a series of papers using

claims the papers make threaten to delay change with confusion. We are standing at a crossroads. Let us rely on sense before nonsense, and continue to evolve our communities towards better nutrition, sustainability and a culture that makes health the norm and not the exception.

Eric Adams is Brooklyn borough president.

Dr. David L. Katz and Jennifer Lutz are Founder and Director of True Health Initiative.

October 31, 2019

11

Editorial

You’ve got the time, now go out and vote!

Saturday marked a watershed moment in the history of New York state elections: For the first time, registered voters are able to cast their votes more than a week before the formal Election Day. The Empire State is finally on board with a voter participation program that other states have embraced for years.

It used to be that New Yorkers who knew they couldn’t get out and vote on Election Day had to jump through hoops to get absentee ballots in advance. Not anymore.

Now through this Sunday, Nov. 3, any registered New York voter can go to designated early voting sites and make their choices on both elected officials and ballot referendums.

Surely, most of us can find the time between now and 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, to head down to an early polling site and exercise our rights.

It’s no secret how abysmal turnouts have been in recent New York City elections. Just 23 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the 2017 municipal elections, nearly half of the turnout in the 2016 presidential election.

In the years to come, early voting can only help boost voter participation. It’ll be interesting to see what impact it will have on the turnout this year, a very quiet one in New York City politics.

The only main city-wide race is for public advocate, and incumbent Jumaane Williams — the popular Brooklyn Democrat who won the seat in a February special election — stands a solid chance of defeating his Republican rival, Staten Island City Councilman Joe Borelli.

Manhattan has a litany of judge seats on the ballot. Whoever wins these seats will make decisions from the bench that will have a lasting impact for years to come.

But there are five ballot questions affecting the City Charter which every registered voter should pay attention to, one of which includes another avenue of electoral reform: ranked voting, in which voters can number their preferences among a group of candidates running for city offices.

Regardless of who is (or who isn’t) on the ballot, it’s important for every registered New York voter to learn about the choices, and then go to the polls and vote every Election Day. With early voting, we have no more excuses for not doing so — but all the time in the world.

So, vote early!

Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now, Downtown Express and Manhattan Express PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER CEO & CO-PUBLISHER EDITOR IN CHIEF REPORTERS CONTRIBUTORS

ART DIRECTORS ADVERTISING

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for others errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

Published by Schneps Media One Metrotech North, 3rd floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: (718) 260-2500 Fax: (212) 229-2790 On-line: www.thevillager.com E-mail: news@thevillager.com © 2019 Schneps Media

12

October 31, 2019

VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS LINCOLN ANDERSON GABE HERMAN ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL MICHELE HERMAN BOB KRASNER TEQUILA MINSKY MARY REINHOLZ PAUL SCHINDLER MARCOS RAMOS CLIFFORD LUSTER (718) 260-2504 CLUSTER@CNGLOCAL.COM GAYLE GREENBURG JIM STEELE JULIO TUMBACO ELIZABETH POLLY

T

he front page of The Villager on June 1, 1972, featured photos of Greenwich Village kids at play. One of the captions read, “If you think the kids keep busy, imagine how this swing set felt. It never had a rest with youngsters utilizing the top, the bottom—and the air in between.”

Another caption read, “Over at the P.S. 41 playground, Michelle Patrick people-watches from her perch far from the madding crowd.”

And the third photo description was, “Holiday weather brought some curious moods to kids. Above Ericka, 1 ½, engages in some serious babystrolling at 6th Ave. and 13th St.” — Gabe Herman

Extra! Extra!

Local News Member of the New York Press Association

Read all about it!

Member of the National Newspaper Association

Member of the Minority Women Business Enterprise

www.TheVillager.com Schneps Media

Op-Ed

Letters to the Editor

The life and death of private NYC subways

FILE PHOTO/THE VILLAGER

BY L ARRY PENNER

R

iding the old 1904 subway cars between Times Square and 96th Street on Oct. 27 was a great way to celebrate the 115th Anniversary NYC Subway System.

It was a generation of people who respected authority and law. Previous generations of riders did not litter subway stations, trains, trolleys or buses, by leaving behind gum, candy wrappers, paper cups, bottles and newspapers.

On Oct. 27, 1904, the Interborough Rapid Transit company opened the first subway line.

It ran 9 miles from City Hall uptown on the eastside across 42nd Street (today’s 42nd Street Shuttle) to Times Square and proceeded uptown to 145th Street and included 28 stations. Over 150,000 riders paid a five-cent fare.

The original BMT (Brooklyn Manhattan Rapid Transit – today’s B,D,J,M, N,Q, R, W & Z lines) and IRT (Interboro Rapid Transit 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, Franklin Ave and Times Square shuttles) subway systems were constructed and managed by the private sector with no government operating subsidies. Financial viability was 100% dependent upon farebox revenues. They supported both development and economic growth of neighborhoods in the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens.

As part of the franchise agreement which owners had to sign, City Hall had direct control over the fare structure. For a time, owners actually made a profit with a five-cent fare. AfSchneps Media

ter two decades passed, the costs of salaries, maintenance, power, supplies and equipment would pressure owners to ask City Hall for permission to raise the fares. This additional revenue was needed to keep up with maintaining a good state of repair, increase the frequency of service, purchase new subway cars, pay employee salary increases and support planned system expansion.

Politicians more interested in the next reelection refused this request for over a decade.

Owners of both systems looked elsewhere to reduce costs and stay in business. They started curtailing basic maintenance, delayed purchases of new subway cars, postponed employee salary increases, canceled planned system expansion and cut corners to survive. (Does any of this sound familiar from the present?)

In 1932, NYC began building and financing the construction of the new IND (Independent Subway – today’s A,C,E,F & G lines). This new municipal system, subsidized by taxpayers dollars would provide direct competition to both the IRT and BMT. Municipal government forced them into economic ruin by denying them fare increases that would have provided access to additional needed revenues.

Big Brother, just like the Godfather, made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. The owners folded in 1940 and sold out to City Hall.

Larry Penner is a transportation historian, writer and advocate who previously worked 31 years for the United States Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.

Move forward with East River plan I have coached kids in the East River Park for 30 years, the last five years I have served with the New York Giants Youth Baseball Club, a baseball program with teams for kids ages 5 to 17. As a coach and a lifelong resident of the Lower East Side, I can attest that East River Park has been a haven for our neighborhood, offering our children and families a space to play, exercise and gather as a community.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, East River Park was one of the public parks that could not immediately be reopened due to the extensive damage to our ballfields and drainage system. As it stands now, the park’s existing drainage and sewage system does not have the capacity to handle localized flooding or heavy rainfall that we see throughout the year.

Kids in the community constantly lose time on the field due to massive water puddles that accumulate as a result of inadequate drainage. This has been the case at East River Park for at least 10 years.

Long term action needs to be taken to protect our community and upgrade our park and we must move forward with the East Coast Resiliency Project at the East River Park.

The plan has already been updated to address our biggest concern, phased construction, which will allow for nearly 50% of the park to remain open throughout the project.

While we are still working with the Parks Department to finalize schedules for our teams in the park and at other nearby fields our progress is a good sign of the city’s commitment to youth recreation and our community as a whole.

More important than any other feature, with the limited open space on the Lower East Side, the sports fields at East River Park are an invaluable resource to the thousands of children, many of them from NYCHA who rely on the fields for organized athletics and recreation.

With this plan, the children I coach and the rest of our community will get flood protec-

tion, construction phasing and a new park with new fields. I believe we should move forward with the East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan now that a good majority of our community’s concerns have been addressed.

Danny Ramirez

Remembering a great educator Regarding the memorial for Susan Korn (Oct. 24): Oh, how very sad. Susan was an amazing human being! So easy to be with, to talk with, to party with. I worked with her for ten years at PS 3 and would occasionally run into her on the M8 bus after I moved on to the Salk School. I will not be able to be at the memorial in body, but I will be thinking of Susan and all the wonderful memories of her and PS 3.

All my love to her friends and family.

Harriet Glassman

Honoring a beloved filmmaker On the death of NYU filmmaker Arnold Baskin (Oct. 24): Arnie gave me the encouragement to be myself as a filmmaker. He would laugh with us at our failures and he would not bullshit us and would not accept any either. He would look skeptical and move on. He would float when he moved. One day I was walking near University Place with my friend Greg, who was in Arnie’s class with me when Greg said “doesn’t Arnie Baskin live around here?” And like a Woody Allen Movie there he was right behind us and he greeted us both my name. He smiled, moved his scarf with his hand as if it was blown by the wind. Arnie taught us not just how to make movies, but how to be in our own lifemovie as he had created his.

We were special, we were filmmakers, Arnie’s auteurs.

Walter Pitt October 31, 2019

13

SAMANTHA SAPERSTEIN Head Of Women On The Move JPMorgan Chase

SERVING MANHATTAN AND THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA

HOUSE HOUSE CALLS CALLS

TURN YOUR CONCERN INTO IMPACT.

SAME DAY SAME DAY SERVICE SERVICE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

TOP $ PAID FOR JUDAICA COLLECTIBLES

ANTIQUES Q AND ESTATE BUYERS YERS R WE PAY $ CASH $ FOR W

ALL GOLD, GOLD & STERLING SILVER COSTUME JEWELRY, ALL COINS, PAPER MONEY & STAMP COLLECTIONS

The New York Community Trust can help maximize your charitable giving.

Contact Jane at (212) 686-0010 x363

14

October 31, 2019

ALL GOLD...BROKEN OR NOT PRE- 1960 FURNITURE, CLOCKS & WATCHES (WORKING OR NOT) TIFFANY, BACCARAT, LALIQUE

4OP 0AID FOR $IAMOND %STATE *EWLERY

MILITARY

3ILVER 'OLD #OINS s 4OP 0AID (ERREND -EISSEN

+0- %TC !NTIQUE #HINESE *APANESE !RT *ADE 4OP 0AID for Antique #ORAL 0OTTERY %TC "RONZE 3CULPTURE !LL -USICAL 3TERLING )NSTRUMENTS ,0 2ECORDS 6INTAGE 4OYS 0RE

0ERSIAN /RIENTAL 2UGS /IL 0AINTINGS #OMIC "OOKS

(UMMELS ,,ADRO The List is Endless

ted Collections Wan , es iv Kn , Swor ds c. et s, et lm He

SEE OUR AD IN THE SUNDAY POST

516-974-6528 ASK FOR CHRISTOPHER

www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com

ANTIQUE & ESTATE BUYERS WILL TRAVEL ENTIRE TRI-STATE!

We buy anything old. One piece or house full.

WILL TRAVEL. HOUSE CALLS. WILL WE HOUSE CALLS. WILLTRAVEL. TRAVEL. WE MAKE MAKE HOUSE CALLS.

37W 47TH ST, NYC 1029 WEST JERICHO TURNPIKE, SMITHTOWN, L.I.

FREE

Estimate Schneps Media

OBITUARIES Susan Leelike, 81,

Villager and community activist

BY LISA RAMACI

H

er name was Susan Leelike, and she was a city and neighborhood treasure.

She was born in 1938, into a very different New York City, to parents of Russian Jewish extraction; both of her parents were Communists, and she was a true Red Diaper baby who lived for the vast majority of her 81 years in either the West or the East Villages, the last 50 of them on our side of the island.

She co-founded GOLES (Good Old Lower East Side) in 1977 with her friend Floyd Feldman, with the objectives of providing tenant advocacy and shining an early spotlight on neighborhood preservation. Among other things, they envisioned the transformation of an underutilized Department of Sanitation facility, in one of Mayor LaGuardia’s old former city markets, as a perfect spot for a theater; without their creativity and tireless efforts, Theater for the New City would not today be calling East 10th Street and First Avenue home.

She was also a founding member of the Shelter Task Force, created in an attempt to block the city from overloading the East Village with homel e s s

shelters, and BASTA, formed to regulate and better conditions at the infamous Third Street Men’s Shelter, a processing shelter for the homeless, since the city was doing absolutely nothing about the horrific site they were supposed to be overseeing.

Through her – and others’ – yearslong efforts, the shelter was cleaned up and became a positive resource for the East Village rather than a nonstop source of thievery, drug-dealing, garbage, violence and menace.

In the 1990s Susan and her neighbors on 10th Street between 1st and 2nd took on the 24/7 drug dealers that infested so many streets of the East Village back then and won; this on top of helping to gut-rehab an abandoned, fire-ravaged tenement building that she had called home since 1982. Now a fully-functioning HDFC, it survived and thrived in no small part to her unceasing labors, and the success of her undertakings helped to turn that block into the thriving hotspot that it is today.

She was a founding member of the Democratic Action Club, formed to take on and eradicate the issue of the homeless encampment in Tompkins Square Park, another city-ignored

situation which turned one of the only green areas in the neighborhood into a filthy, drug-ridden haven for the homeless, while putting it off-limits to neighborhood residents. Anyone who utilizes the park today – its playgrounds, asphalt, dog run or lawns – can thank, among many others, Susan. She tried to fight for the preservation and renovation of the now-closed-andawaiting-demolition Essex Street

M a rket , one of only two instances I can recall of a battle in which she was vanquished.

I called her the East Village Jane Jacobs – her love of New York and its Schneps Media

historical significance, her knowledge of the neighborhood and its architectural and personal history, her memories of the things that used to be here that have vanished in the mists of time, were encyclopedic, and the loss of the memories she carried in her head is incalculable. She labored in obscurity and has passed into the shadows with no fanfare save for that given to her by those of us who loved her, her sense of humor, her stubbornness, her sharp laugh, her crankiness, her belief that a city’s history and the everyday people who made it mattered, and above all her fierceness in fighting for the things she believed were right.

Susan was my friend for 30 years, and on October 26. 2019, I was holding her hand as she lost that second battle, surrounded by the family and friends who cherished her, and whom she loved so much in return.

Her passing has ripped another hole in the every-evolving quilt that makes up New York; while to some it may seem tiny, to those of us who knew, put up with and adored her, it is a massive, gaping one that will never be filled. There aren’t many like her left today, and we have just lost one of the good ones.

October 31, 2019

15

VILLAGE SCARES at East Ninth Street Halloween display

BY TEQUIL A MINSK Y

I

t’s safe to say that the Village is fully in the Halloween spirit.

A garden of terror greets any passersby who happens upon the Brevoort East at East Ninth Street, between 5th Avenue and University Place.

Residents and staff have gone all out

16

October 31, 2019

for Halloween with a headless horseman riding past zombies and two welllit mummies in the spacious mid-block garden that is a veritable cemetery of horror. Skulls and skeletons are also scattered among the tombstones.

Halloween couldn’t be more fun for Villagers exulting in the spirits of the season.

Schneps Media

RETURNING TO CITI FIELD THIS WINTER theworldsfare.nyc

Take a Tasty Trip to Ecuador via LIC and Rincón Melania

BY JOE DISTEFANO

As the Culinary King of Queens, I’m so very fortunate to live in the most diverse and delicious destination in all of New York City. Really I’m not royalty though, I’m an ambassador, and a hungry one at that.

Today, we take a trip to Ecuador via the International Express—aka the 7 train—to savor the offerings at the family run Rincón Melania in Long Island City.

For decades the sum total of my knowledge of Ecuadorean cuisine in Queens was limited to the many food trucks that line Warren Street forming a Little Quito of sorts where one can enjoy such traditional specialties as seco de chivo, a hearty goat stew; various ceviches; and the sunny yellow potato and cheese croquettes known as yapingachos.

About year and a half ago though I started to hear my fellow Queens food nerds chattering about an Ecuadorean spot called Rincón Melania located some 3 miles away from Little Quito.

“How good can it be? There are no Ecuadoreans there,” I thought to myself practicing culinary contempt prior to investigation. Good enough to garner a glowing review from the Times it turns out. I’m a little late to the party, but I’m doing my best to eat my through the exquisite Ecuadorean cuisine that makes up the menu of this restaurant whose name means Melania’s corner.

The Melania in question is family matriarch, Lucila Melania Dutan, whose son Nestor Jazmani Dutan and his siblings Jennifer, Alex and, GiGi run the place. Nestor takes care of the front of the house and is also responsible for the decor in the cozy modern dining room, which features at least a half dozen stuffed alpacas, which have become the restaurant’s de facto mascot.

Bolon mixto—a golden deep fried orb of plantain filled with mozzarella and chicharrón— hailing from Guayaquil in the Costa, or Pacific Coastal region, is a great way to start off. It is a revelation: The golden mantled crust yielding to

The potato croquettes called Yapingachos, a specialty of the Ecuador's mountainous Sierra region, here filled with mozzarella are also excellent. an interior studded with bits of fried pork and filaments of mozzarella. The secret, Nestor says, is that it’s made fresh and fried twice. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare, but is well worth the wait. Yapingachos, a specialty of the country’s mountainous Sierra region, here filled with mozzarella are also excellent.

While you’re waiting for your bolon, munch on tostado, crunchy salty kernels of pan fried corn that are a popular snack in the Sierra region.

Should you choose to order Ecuador’s national dish encebollado—a ruddy, fortifying stew of generous hunks of tuna, yucca, and tomatoes topped with pickled onions from which it gets its name—save some of the kernels. They make for an excellent add-in as does a generous squeeze of fresh lime. Back home the dish is a popular hangover cure, says Dutan. “I’ve tested that a couple of times. It does work it makes you full the day after when you’re super hungry. It immediately cures it,” he says.

Mariscos mixtos, also a renowned hangover cure, a ceviche comprised of octopus, shrimp, and bass cooked in lime is excellent and has been a family favorite for decades. It’s served Costa style, with tostones, thick planks of fried plantains, that can be used to make an Ecuadorean seafood bruschetta of sorts.

Rincón Melania's vibrant ceviche mixto, featuring shrimp and octopus, and the mighty bolon filled with pork, plantains, and mozzarella.

“I would refuse to like fight about that because it doesn’t make any sense. At one time we were all one country. People like to fight about it,” Dutan says with a laugh when asked whether ceviche was invented in Peru or Ecuador. His Mom may be responsible for the mariscos mixtos, but he and his half sister GiGi take the credit for ceviche vegetariano, a surprisingly delicious combination of quinoa, garbanzo beans, and cherry tomatoes.

Many of the restaurant’s best dishes, including seco de chivo a dish from the Costa region, are found on the Tradicionales section of the menu.

It’s a rich earthy goat stew cooked with Cerveza Pilsener—an Ecuadorean beer—and passion fruit pulp, which tempers the goat’s muskiness. “People eat it over there at 7 a.m.,” Dutan says. “It’s not a breakfast dish, but it’s a hearty dish that will keep you full during almost the whole day.”

Dutan who lives in Flushing these days grew up splitting his time between Ecuador and Queens, and his passion for his heritage shows in Rincón Melania’s décor. Several large tapestries featuring indigenous women known as Otavaleñas wearing tradtional hats line the dining room. A wall of photos, including one of people enjoying almuerzo—or midday meal—in his cousin’s hometown of Azoguez lines one wall. “Almuerzo is really popular here Monday through Friday, so I wanted to express that,” Dutan says. The photo on the bottom featuring folkloric dancers in native dress may look like it was taken in Ecuador, but Dutan confrims that is was shot in Queens. “That was our grand opening,” he says proudly.

Rincón Melania

Encebollado—a hearty fish stew that is Ecuador’s national dish—takes well to a few squeezes of lime.

Schneps Media

35-19 Queens Boulevard, Long Island City 718-361-1905 https://www.rinconmelanianyc.com/

October 31, 2019

17

Center on the Square Art exhibition is about ‘inclusion,’ curator says

BY TEQUILA MINSKY

V

isual artists and members of Center on the Square, the Greenwich House Senior Center, are showcasing their photos, collages, drawings and paintings in a three-week exhibition that opens November 7.

It’s the third art exhibition this year with 35 works of art from 18 people.

For curator Desiree Rodriguez, “inclusion” is the operative word.

“I don’t want anyone who wants to take part to be excluded,” she said. “I want everyone to get a chance to show work. And, the group exhibition expands the sense of community. It’s inspiring to see the increasing interest in these shows from both the public and exhibiting artists” The mezzanine floor’s parlor room, its all-purpose space that screens films, hosts chair yoga among its classes, as well as all sorts of lectures and other presentations, is where the shows are mounted.

18

October 31, 2019

“The space lends itself to exhibiting art,” Rodriguez said, also noting re North is how 20 Washington Square a historical building. The works are ubject from categorized by genre and subject e. abstracts to people to nature. ut to her Rodriguez gave a shout out grapher husband, (retired) photographer xperiHector Rodriguez, whose experience in installing art shows iss put o into use — he’s been drafted to stall these exhibitions. He helps with the flow and ordering the ins. work aesthetically, she explains.

“He’s a master installer and has a great eye,” she said. Hector is also exhibiting a photograph and Desiree will be showing two watercolors and one collage.

Center member and volunteer Eunice DeTrani, whose deceased husband painted and whose son is an artist, has eagerly embraced the role of chair of the center’s art committee.

“Members are so enthusiastic when they are submitting their work, and participation is growing,” she beamed.

“I’m particularly impressed by the quality of the work.”

“There were several planning meetings that put the show together, managed and curated by volunteers,” explained Laura Marceca, who directs Center on the Square with the much appreciated assistance of 50 volunteers.

“It’s important to empower our senior volunteers. It gives them a purpose and helps make the center strong,” she said.

The idea of exhibitions came from center member and photographer Joan Silinsh who has previously shown work.

“I am grateful she brought this idea to the attention of the Advisory Council, that has implemented this into an ongoing part of our programming,” she said.

The show’s opening reception with refreshments is Nov. 7, from 2:30 to 4:40 p.m. The exhibition can be seen Mondays through Fridays during center hours, which are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the parlor is not being used for classes or presentations.

Schneps Media

Eats

HYUN offers high-end Korean barbecue in Midtown

BY GABE HERMAN

H

YUN, a Korean barbecue restaurant that opened this March at 10 E. 33 St., specializes in giving diners a unique and personalized experience with their own grill masters and imported A5 Wagyu beef from Japan.

The servers grill at the table on traditional Korean cast iron pans, which use electric induction instead of gas for less smoke and a shortened grilling time so that more flavor is given to the Wagyu, according to the restaurant.

The eatery was founded by Jae Kim, a business entrepreneur and restauranteur.

When he moved from Korea to New York City three years ago, he became homesick and decided to open a Korean restaurant that included traditional elements in the food.

The menu features many sharable dishes, including Chawanmushi, a steamed egg custard decorated with sea urchin and truffle mushrooms. There is also Kimchi Biji-Jeon, a pancake with soybean curd and stuffed with kimchi. The Galbi Mandoo are leaf mustard kimchi, tofu that is made in-house, and dumplings wrapped in thin slices of Wagyu short rib.

For the barbecue, HYUN offers over

30 cuts of the Wagyu meat. The server starts the grilling by placing a cube of Wagyu fat, rosemary and garlic in the cast-iron pan on the grill and then adds a salt preparation, which there are several to choose from and change weekly, including truffle mushroom salt, Pinot Noir salt and wasabi salt.

The menu also includes soup and rice dishes, and several desserts, including homemade ice creams and sorbets. Another dessert is Hodo Gwaja, a small walnut-shaped pastry filled with red bean paste and a large chunk of walnut.

The restaurant has mostly good reviews on Yelp, getting four out of five stars overall. The general consensus is that the food and service is good, though pricey. The cost of the Wagyu dishes is generally in the $44-$59 range. Sharable plates can range from $12 up to $46. “Yes, it’s expensive,� one man wrote on Yelp, “but it’s expected for this quality. Very much worth it for a special occasion with clients or with a date.�

HYUN is open Tuesdays through Sundays, from 5 p.m. to midnight. More information can be found at hyun-nyc. com.

COURTESY HYUN

HYUN diners get personalized ser vers, who grill the food at the table.

D O N AT E Y O U R C A R Wheels For Wishes benefiting

Make-A-Wish ÂŽ Metro New York * 100% Tax Deductible * Free Vehicle Pickup ANYWHERE * We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not * We Also Accept Boats, Motorcycles & RVs

WheelsForWishes.org Call:(917)336-1254 * Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or

H8=C:EH B:9>6 I]Z WZhi ^c adXVa cZlh! eda^i^Xh! ZkZcih! de^c^dc! eda^XZ$Xg^bZ! Vgih! e]did\gVe]n### ZVX] lZZ` ^c eg^ci VcY ZkZgnYVn dca^cZ Vi lll#I]ZK^aaV\Zg#Xdb

www.TheVillager.com Schneps Media

Village g Halloween Costume Ball

CABARET ALL EVENING!

Penny Arcade, Allesandra Belloni, Bina Sharif, Billi Shakes and the New Libertines, Ben Harburg & Friends, Carol Tandava, Dawoud Kringle, Dr. Sue Sss Witch, Ellen Steier, Eve Packer, George Billeci, Jiggers is King Acoustic, Joe Bendik, John Grimaldi, Kitsch, Larraine Goodman and her Mad Tappers, Lei Zhou, Lorcan Otway, Lissa Moira Scream Contest, Ian Gordon, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 Loretta Auditorium, Matt Angel, Peter Dizzoza, 3:30PM Outside on East 10th Street Rhonda Hansome, Richard Weber, Robert Musso, (Outside Performances FREE!!!)

Stan Baker, The Amazing Amy, Jimmy Corcoran 7:30PM Inside - Tickets $20 Wise Guise, Von DuVois Dance Collective, Wycherly Sisters, Rocco Nicholas, Keppers of the Pot, COME TO THE MOST FABULOUS NIGHT Zero Boy, Michael Sanders (BlackLight), OF YOUR LIFE! Jennifer Blowdryer, Izzy Church, Norman Savitt Camilo Sanchez Lobo, Vincent Manus, ART LILLIARD’s HEAVENLY BIG BAND Projections by Terri Ferrari, Basma Sheea, MAQUINA MONO Cancion Franklin and Jon D’angelo FIDDLER & the CROSSROADS Sarah and Scott Lilly, Arthur Abrams MICHAEL DAVID GORDON BAND Richard West and Susan Mitchell, Elizabeth Ruf

COBU & STAR ‘69 BILLI SHAKES and the NEW LIBERTINES Hot Food and Hot Entertainment!

Come See and Be seen And Celebrate the Night of Nights!!!

COSTUMES OR FORMAL WEAR A MUST! CATHARSIS YOUR GHOSTS! TOAST YOUR LOVE LIFE! DANCE AWAY YOUR TROUBLES! MYTHIC CREATURES ABOUND! CELEBRITY JUDGES PHOEBE LEGERE, DAVID WILLINGER, BINA SHARIF, MIGUEL MALDONADO, ROBERT HEIDE, CHINO GARCIA JON JILER, ROME NEIL, ROBERT GONZALES SABURA RASHID, TOM ATTEA, JOHN GILMAN, LORCAN OTWAY STILT DANCERS, JUGGLERS, FIRE-EATERS, THEATER, VAUDEVILLE, PLAYLETS,BURLESQUE

See our 2-Story, 4-Theater Cultural Center

sculptors and designers!

Jon Weber, Bill Bradford Adriano Moraes, Al Waks, Barnaby Ruhe & Gallatin, Carla Cubit, Desiree Conston, Elliot Berke, J. Kathleen White, Judy Sky, Marcus Glitteris, Lola Saenz, Scott Terban, Micha Lazare, Rochelle Pashkin, Scott Terban, Audrey banks Owen Cobey, Cozmik Slop I - Ching by Phyllis Yampolsky Palm & Tarot Reading by Penny Diora Featuring ARTHUR SAINER’S THE RED AND BLACK MASQUE Directed by CRYSTAL FIELD Music by DAVID TICE For Reservations & Info.

Call (212) 254 - 1109 / brownpapertickets.com www.theaterforthenewcity.net

October 31, 2019

19

IF YOUR

TELL THEM

I need a $150 application fee for your new lease.

Brokers can’t charge more than $20 and must itemize any fees.

BROKER SAYS:

THE LAW SAYS:

Renting in New York?

New laws make for stronger tenants and stronger tenant-landlord relationships.

Learn more at nyc.gov/tenantprotection.

Mayor

#RentersRights

In Partnership with:

The Everything Autism & conference and resource fair will be a guiding map to inform parents, educators and caregivers with resources they may not have access to.

REGISTER NOW:

Fair & Conference Monday, November 18, 2019 9:30am - 5:30pm

+RWHO 3HQQV\OYDQLD Ť 6HYHQWK $YH 1HZ <RUN 1<

www.newyorkfamily.com/everythingautism Hear from our experts discussing:

Communication & Mindfulness Health, Science & Environment Parent Journeys What are my childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational rights?

A legal perspective 20

October 31, 2019

Integrating Methods of Learning Navigating Independence, Self Direction, & Financial Planning

Schneps Media

Manhattan Happenings

Ten great things to do in Manhattan, Oct. 31-Nov. 6

FILE PHOTO/THE VILLAGER

The Village Halloween Parade marches on tonight, Oct. 31, with thousands of ghouls and goblins hitting the streets and having fun.

Thursday, Oct. 31

Saturday, Nov. 2

Village Halloween Parade Walk with the 46th Annual Parade dressed in your own costume, or opt to watch from the sidewalk as puppets, bands, dancers, and artists walk down the street. You can also choose to buy a ticket to participate in special sections of the parade. Starts at 7 p.m. at Canal Street and 6th Avenue. www. halloween-nyc.com. Free.

Chamber Music Series 2 Listen to readings from Beethoven’s favorite book, Reflections On the Works of God, and His Providence Throughout All Nature. Then, hear how he used the themes from this book to inspire his quartet no. 13 with “Grosse Fuge” as The New York Classical Players perform this work. 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Bruno Walter Auditorium, 111 Amsterdam Ave., www.nycpmusic. org. Free.

Halloween Fashion Parade Infants to pre-K children are welcome to come dance to Halloweenthemed music in their costumes. 10:15 a.m. at 58th Street Library, 127 East 58th St., www.nypl.org. Free.

Friday, Nov. 1 NYC Craft Beer Fest Halloweekend Harvest Taste 150 craft beers from 75 breweries, shop food and vendors, and receive unlimited spirits, cider, and craft beer tastings. 10:30 p.m. at Union West, 535 West 28th St., nyccraftbeerfest.com. $55-$85.

Schneps Media

Design a Flower Centerpiece Learn about flowers and useful tips for designing your own centerpiece in this first come, first served interactive workshop! Leave with your own piece to take home! 12 p.m. at Webster Library Auditorium, 1465 York Ave., www.nypl.org. Free.

Sunday, Nov. 3

New York City Marathon: New Balance Mile 16 Block Party Cheer on the New York City Marathon runners with performers like DJ Corey Townes and the Brooklyn United Drumline. 9 a.m. at First Avenue at 62nd Street, www.nypl.org. Free.

New York City Public Markets Festival Head down to the Seaport District to celebrate the public markets and local producers of New York City. Experience the variety of food and culture of the public markets. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pier 17, 89 South St., www.fultonstallmarket.org. Free.

Monday, Nov. 4 Juggling Join in on juggling fun with The Bryant Park Jugglers. You can jump in as a drop-in and learn with the provided equipment, or choose to just watch! 12

to 1 p.m. at Bryant Park, Upper Terrace or Lawn, www.bryantpark.org. Free

Tuesday, Nov. 5 Morning Fitness at Fort Tryon Park Trained professionals will lead this morning hour of exercise, focusing on stretching, strengthening muscles, and walking. 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park, Cabrini Blvd. and Fort Washington Ave.., www. nycgovparks.org. Free.

Wednesday, Nov. 6 Narcissus (Live Feed In-Process) Come see Christopher Williams’s choreographed portrayal of the original Greek myth of Narcissus, but through a modern, queer lens. The piece is set to Nikolai Tcherepnin’s ballet score Narcisse et Echo. 8 p.m. at New York Live Arts Studios, 219 W 19th St., www. newyorklivearts.org. Starting at $10.

What’s going on in your neighborhood? Tell us!

Email your events for our calendar to news@thevillager.com October 31, 2019

21

DA: Throw book at bad motorists n e c b. c o m

S I M P LY FREE CHECKING

FILE PHOTO

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance is pushing for stricter punishments for â&#x20AC;&#x153;dangerous drivers.â&#x20AC;?

Business or personal.

BY VINCENT BARONE

No minimums, no service charges.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not complicated.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our kind of community banking.

To get free checking, open an NECB checking account with a $5 opening balance.

ÂŽ

LENOX HILL: 1355 1 ST !6% s 4 ADDITIONAL OFFICES IN: CHELSEA: 7 RD 34 s 4 FORDHAM (Little Italy): % TH 34 s 4 MONDAY-THURSDAY s &2)$!9 s 3!452$!9 FORDHAM: SATURDAY 9-1 FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF LOCATIONS AND HOURS, GO TO NECB.COM

necb.com

22

October 31, 2019

Drivers involved in crashes causing deaths and serious injuries could face stiffer penalties under newly announced legislation.

State lawmakers and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance unveiled the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vehicular Violence Accountability Actâ&#x20AC;? Tuesday, which would create four new offenses under state law relating to the most serious traffic serious crashes and tweak existing laws with the intent on filling loopholes that allow for dangerous motorists to avoid punishment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have an epidemic of vehicular violence in the city todayâ&#x20AC;Ś a New Yorker or a visitor today is as likely to be killed by a car as they are to be murdered with a knife or a gun,â&#x20AC;? said Vance, who oversaw the drafting of the legislation based on a report from a state Grand Jury he empaneled.

The act would establish a new class A misdemeanor for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Death by Vehicleâ&#x20AC;? when a driver fails to exercise â&#x20AC;&#x153;due careâ&#x20AC;? while also committing another traffic infraction leading to the death of another person. It would also create a class B misdemeanor under the same circumstances for a driver who seriously injures another person.

Those two charges would be upgraded to a class E felony and a class A misdemeanor, respectively, under a series of other circumstances, including if the driver knows their license is suspended; has a string of recent vehicular convictions; was driving more than 20 mph above the posted speed limit or violates more than one moving violation.

The legislation comes as the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traffic safety program, Vision Zero, has experienced a tragic uptick in cycling and pedestrian deaths in 2019 after several years of continually dropping fatalities.

Buffalo State Senator Timothy Kennedy, a sponsor of the legislation and the Transportation Committee chair, said the act would complement the design and educational elements of Vision Zero. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also all need to make sure law enforcement officials have the resources and tools they need at their disposal in order to effectively prosecute those who fail to follow traffic laws designed to keep people safe,â&#x20AC;? said Kennedy.

Advocates and the de Blasio administration supported the effort, arguing that state laws have led to low arrest rates in fatal crashes.

Schneps Media

NYCBS Welcomes Dr. Keith Brunckhorst to its Oncology Team Keith R. Brunckhorst, MD is a talented physician who is board-certied in medical oncology and hematology. He is experienced and well versed in the most cuttingedge cancer technology, with an impeccable work history and education. For Dr. Brunckhorst, patients come rst. He pledges to treat each patient with the utmost care and compassion. He will be practicing at 112 East 83rd Street, New York.

Dr. Brunckhorst earned his medical degree from New York Medical College, where he received the Mosby Scholarship Award for his scholastic effort. Dr. Brunckhorst then completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Stamford Hospital. He also completed his fellowships in hematology and oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Brunckhorst has been employed at Lenox Hill Hospital, most recently serving in the esteemed position as Associate Chief and Associate Program Director of Oncology.

In addition, Dr. Brunckhorst has served as an investigator for multiple research projects and also worked on two publications. He was appointed as a clinical instructor of medicine at Cornell Medical School.

To make an appointment with Dr. Brunckhorst, please call 212-583-2858. For more information, please visit www.NYcancer.com.

About NYCBS New York Cancer & Blood Specialists is committed to our patients. We are dedicated to providing each patient with a unique path to treatment and unmatched support. We strive to make quality, community-based cancer care available in each and every New York community.

Schneps Media

October 31, 2019

23

24

October 31, 2019

Schneps Media

Extra!

Extra!

Local News Read all about it!

www.TheVillager.com

H8=C:EH B:9>6 I]Z WZhi ^c adXVa cZlh! eda^i^Xh! ZkZcih! de^c^dc! eda^XZ$Xg^bZ! Vgih! e]did\gVe]n###

ZVX] lZZ` ^c eg^ci VcY ZkZgnYVn dca^cZ Vi lll#I]ZK^aaV\Zg#Xdb

Schneps Media

October 31, 2019

25

Real Estate

Living on the ‘Edge’ with new Hudson Yards deck

BY SHAYE WEAVER

S

tarting next March, New Yorkers can get the highest outdoor view of their city at Hudson Yards’ “Edge.”

The soon-to-open attraction is on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, a new building reminiscent of the Avengers’ tower with its landing pad-like observation deck, and will be the western hemisphere’s highest outdoor viewing observatory.

Guests will actually be able to inch their way out onto the glassbottomed deck, which will be 1,131 feet high with views of the city, Western New Jersey and the rest of New York up to 80 miles, according to Related Companies, its developer. Photos and video released by the company show renderings of people taking their photos laying down on the glass or in front of its angled glass walls with views of Downtown Manhattan and New Jersey.

Not only will people get to take photos up there, but they’ll be able

RENDERING COURTESY OF RELATED-OXFORD

Hudson Yards’ Edge is the highest outdoor sk y deck in the Western Hemisphere.

to sip champagne at a bar by Rhubarb, a London-based restaurant that will also operate Peak, a restau-

rant, bar, café and event space on the 101st floor.

Tickets just to get up to Edge are

$36 online or $38 on-site. Tickets for kids are $31 online or $33 onsite. New York City residents can get a two dollars off ($34) online.

They’re available for purchase now at edgenyc.com with access beginning on March 11.

The observation deck itself extends 80 feet from the building, which Related has called “a marvel of modern engineering and structural design.”

The 765,000-pound deck was assembled from 15 sections that have been bolted together and anchored to the sides of the building. Each glass panel surrounding it weighs 1,400 pounds.

Edge is the latest in announced openings for Hudson Yards, which officially opened its Shops & Restaurants to the public in March. Already, the area has been deemed the “most expensive neighborhood in New York City” by Property Shark with a median average sales price of $4,994,792.

The Villager Sales Guide Listings selected at random. Courtesy StreetEasy.com and Google Maps GREENWICH VILLAGE

LaGuardia Place

SOHO

Greenwich Street

LOWER EAST SIDE

Rivington Street

CHELSEA

West 25th Street

Under $1 million 125 West 12th Street #1F Price: $980,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Compass

Under $1 million 11 Charlton Street #2D Price: $899,005 Beds: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Corcoran Group

Under $1 million 455 FDR Drive #B702 Price: $825,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Loho Realty Inc

Under $1 million 225 West 25th Street #5E Price: $883,000 Beds: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Broker: Compass

Under $3 million 542 Laguardia Place #4B Price: $2,845,000 Beds: 3 Bathrooms: 2 1/2 Broker: Halstead Property

Under $3 million 110 Charlton Street #9B Price: $2,775,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Broker: Corcoran Group

Under $3 million 150 Rivington Street #5G* Price: $2,237,000 Beds: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Broker: Compass

Under $3 million 300 West 23rd Street #4ED Price: $2,495,000 Beds: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Broker: Compass

Under $5 million 59 West 12th Street #4EF Price: $4,500,000 Beds: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Broker: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Under $5 million 487 Greenwich Street #5A Price: $4,295,000 Beds: 3 Bathrooms: 3 1/2 Broker: Sothebys International Realty

Under $5 million 252 South Street #72C Price: $4,326,000 Beds: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Broker: Extell Marketing Group

Under $5 million 252 Seventh Avenue #7QT Price: $4,545,000 Beds: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Broker: Brown Harris Stevens

26

October 31, 2019

Schneps Media

THE LARGEST LANTERN FESTIVAL IN NORTH AMERICA l

LANTERNS

l

FOOD

l

ARTS

l

PERFORMANCES

l

THE WORLDS FARE APPLY TO BE A FOOD VENDOR EMAIL ROSALIA@FESTIVALMEDIAGROUP.COM LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

CITI FIELD, NY

@HELLOPANDAFEST

Schneps Media

October 31, 2019

27

28

October 31, 2019

Schneps Media

SPONSORED CONTENT