The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 17, NUMBER 4 APRIL 2021 $2.00 The End of Graffiti? By George Capsis lice Chief of Department Rodney Harri- son, speaking in front of a gaggle of police I hate graffiti and perhaps that is why West- commanders all the way down to the Police View News has done several front page ar- Athletic League to demonstrate, at last, an ticles on the subject. all-out collective war on graffiti. With the pandemic and the closing of of- But wait, this is very important—they fices we now have an ever-ready young crowd were not just going to hang cameras on that poured into Washington Square during lamp posts to catch the spray can artists the Black Lives Matter demonstrations and in the wee hours of dawn, but they were then marched down Broadway, spray cans in inviting citizens to report new spray can hand and even smashed shop windows. murals and then join with them (the po- Right here on Bleecker Street, somebody lice) to roll paint over them—and make sprayed “shit on god “ on a restaurant’s ply- them disappear. wood cover window and they did a 40-foot Yes, you got that right. You and I can nonsense “TEXAS” on the back of a build- now join with the police to not just report ing facing 7th Avenue. these visual crimes, or try vainly to find the I called DCPI, the police press office, to perpetrators who might be hunkered down see if I could discover a person in charge in Brooklyn, but to eliminate their crimes of the fight against graffiti but never found with a generous gift of paint from Home him or her (the mostly young officers Depot or your local store. who staff DCPI got to know me and my OUR POLICE ERASE CRIME: Starting Saturday, April 10th, under a new program an- The program invites us to collectively persistence but nobody ever said “I am in nounced by Police Chief of Department Rodney Harrison, the New York police will join with bury the graffiti crimes behind a block of the community to paint out graffiti. Photo by Paul Vlachos. charge”). But then on March 3rd, NYPD freshly painted gleaming enamel. All vol- Police Commissioner Dermot Shea issued Department was about to do a city-wide fiti.” Oh wow —I called and they sent me unteers will also get a t-shirt, from the a press release that the New York Police “Spring Clean Up: Combating Graf- a video press release showing the new Po- continued on page 3 The Great Race: Vaccines vs Mutants By Alec Pruchnicki, MD crease, these rates may continue to drop. strains of the virus from England, South But (and you knew there would be a Africa and, most recently, Brazil. They are It is hard to predict the future, but with “but”), these trends have certain weaknesses believed to be more infectious than the COVID it is even more difficult. There is a as indicators. There are parts of the country, original strain, and possibly more lethal. If race going on between the factors that will like Texas and Florida, where precautions these strains spread more rapidly than the improve our situation and other factors that have been relaxed and there is a potential for present vaccines neutralize them, then all can make it a lot worse, and right now it’s a worsening statistics and spread of the virus the recent positive statistics could worsen. toss-up as to which trend will win. to the relatively safe areas throughout the Since these are strains that have developed First, the good news. From the start of rest of the country. If COVID is still pres- only within the last year, there is no telling January to the end of February there was ent in these areas, not to mention among what strains will develop within the next a dramatic drop in cases of COVID in the the population of Europe and the billions six to twelve months. U.S. In March this drop leveled off for a of unvaccinated people in underdeveloped What should we do while waiting to see while but has recently started again. Even countries, it could continue to mutate and whether vaccines or mutants win this race? better, the death rate from the end of Janu- produce more virulent strains that could The most important thing is to get vaccinat- ary to March 20th has gradually, but per- overwhelm or evade the present vaccines. ed as quickly as possible with whatever vac- THEN: Dr. Alec Pruchnicki, MD, prior to sistently, decreased. If vaccination rates in- Speaking of mutants, there are various continued on page 22 COVID. Photo by Maggie Berkvist. Greek Easter Ray McGuire Village Jazz Scene We delve into what sets WestView News spent Jazz is still alive in Greenwich Greek Easter apart from time with Ray McGuire Village! other Easter celebrations. talking about his candidacy for Mayor.

SEE PAGE 8 SEE PAGE 4 SEE PAGE 29 2 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org WestView WestViews Published by WestView, Inc. by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections Publisher / Executive Editor Garcia's Livable Streets seats in our neighborhood restaurants and east side of 7th Ave. at 10th Street sporting George Capsis Nice to read Frank Quinn's piece in the engage every demographic including our se- ‘you go girl’ on one side and ‘magic trick’ on Managing Editor / Art Director niors, children and adults. Look for the three the other; the West 11th Street wall of the Kim Plosia March issue of WestView News on Kathryn day launch coming late spring. former Philip Marie restaurant on Hud- Advertising Manager Garcia's run for mayor. It is a nice comple- Karen Rempel ment to Mara Gay's piece in the March 8 —Marjorie Dienstag son Street completely covered in big, ugly Advertising Designer Times in which Ms. Garcia picks up on my Charles Street Association President lettering; the nightmare that is the former Stephanie Phelan series on Livable Streets in WestView News. McDonalds building on West 3rd Street Traffic Manager Ms. Gay states, "Ms Garcia wants to cre- Christine McLaughlin and 6th Avenue; the former GNC location Liza Whiting ate "green belts," expanding tree canopies, on the west side of 6th Ave. at Carmine Street, an unsightly mess! And the list Photo Editor getting waste spewing trucks off the road Darielle Smolian and making sidewalks safer, healthier, more goes on. But what really hit me was walk- Photographers relaxing places to spend time." I couldn't ing west on Bleecker towards 7th Ave. and Maggie Berkvist, have said it better. seeing the newest graffiti installation above Chris Manis, Bob Cooley —Barry Benepe the 5 Guys restaurant at 7th and Barrow. Associate Editors Ugly and overbearing! Justin Matthews, Anne Olshansky Magnificent Bouboulina I have called the West Village home for Comptroller While reading Anastasia Kaliabakos’ ar- nearly 30 years, and we West Villagers have Jolanta Meckauskaite ticle “Celebrating the Bicentennial of the had to put up with our fair share of non- Architecture Editor sense by some bad actors outside of this Brian Pape Greek War of Independence,” I caught myself wanting to be Greek. community. Graffiti taggers scarring up Business Editor Thank you, Ms. Kaliabakos, for yet an- our neighborhood are among this group, Caroline Benveniste other fascinating article. and some are even bold enough to sign Fashion Director Those of us who did not go to Greek their work. A lot of these creations were Karilyn Prisco school often first started learning some- clearly not painted in five minutes; it took Music and Eldercare Editor thing about Greece from survey courses in time. Why is nobody catching them in the Hannah Reimann act? They are hurting our neighborhood. English Lit that included a chapter about Photo by Callie Chardonnay. Science and LGBTQ Editor Lord Byron, one of the "Freedom fighters Where is the 6th precinct? Where is the Kambiz Shekdar, PhD who changed the Course of History.” This Christine McLaughlin, a Villager, died this leadership from our mayor? Regular Contributors article, however, was the first I had ever March of cardiac arrest. Christine was born The proliferation of graffiti is a quality J. Taylor Basker, Barry Benepe, heard of the magnificent Bouboulina. in New York City and spent her whole life of life issue that needs to be addressed im- Caroline Benveniste, Mark. M. Green, Might I suggest that one of the many here. She and her late husband, Harvey mediately by our elected representatives. Robert Heide, Anastasia Kaliabakos, statues of Byron—himself arguably a mi- McLaughlin, worked at and managed some I’m happy to report that I sent an email Bob Kroll, Thomas Lamia, sogynist—be pulled down, and replaced by of the legendary clubs on Bleecker Street directly to Council Speaker Corey Johnson Kieran Loughney, Keith Michael, and received a phone call right away from Michael D. Minichiello, Penny Mintz, one of Bouboulina? in the 1970s and 1980s, among them The Brian J. Pape, Anthony Paradiso, At this point, I very much doubt that Bitter End and The Other End. Christine a member of his staff, who agreed with my Roger Paradiso, Bruce Poli, Lord Byron or even his heirs would mind. eventually became active in local politics concerns and promised to relay them to Alec Pruchnicki, Christina Raccuia, —John F. Early and worked for many years in the Office of the 6th precinct to see what they can do to Hannah Reimann, Karen Rempel, the City Council for New York City, serv- try and stop these violators in the act. But Catherine Revland, Ede Rothaus, help and leadership are clearly needed by Donna Schaper, Stanley Wlodyka Charles Street Association ing under Christine Quinn and others. She retired from the Council as Director, Com- all our elected reps. I ask neighbors who We endeavor to publish all letters received, Spring Planting munications and Client Services, in 2019. are as concerned as I am to send emails and including those with which we disagree. To Our Neighbors Who Have Stayed, and She was also a long-time member of the letters, make phone calls; reach out and tell The opinions put forth by contributors Those Making Their Way Back, Village Independent Democrats. Christine our reps and the police that this growing to WestView do not necessarily reflect the scourge must end. Let’s stand together and views of the publisher or editor. It’s been quite a long year, but while we cared deeply about New York City and her WestView welcomes your correspondence, were all hibernating, we never let go of the beloved Greenwich Village. She fought the say enough! comments, and corrections: Charles Street Association and are always good fight and helped many friends and —John McGarvie www.westviewnews.org looking at ways to revive it. As spring rolls neighbors. She lived for decades on West Contact Us in, and vaccines roll out, we look forward 10th Street. (212) 924-5718 to a more eventful and joyous time in the [email protected] West Village. We hope everyone will be Graffiti Scarring the West able to safely join us for a full and fun series Village: A Call to Action HAPPY EASTER of post pandemic activities, old traditions, Like so many residents who live in the and new events. beautiful West Village I’ve noticed with The Charles Street Association is excit- growing alarm over the past year or more ed to announce their annual Spring plant- the increasing scarring of the neighbor- ing, which will also signify the mark of sev- hood by graffiti. It’s everywhere, it’s out of eral other exciting CSA events. Please stay control and getting worse. tuned for more information. Between the graffiti, the dozens of empty For other events, our long time neighbor store fronts, and the overflowing trash cans, and founder of “Welcome Back West Vil- I nearly cried by the time I returned home lage” (WBWV) Rema Sayge hopes to usher from running errands the first weekend of SWIMMER IN ST BARTS FROM THE EXHI- the renewal and the spirit of the West Village Spring. My beloved West Village is under BITION NOTHING COMPARES… Images by filling seats in our restaurants with vari- assault, and I felt my own personal call to from Rose Hartman’s Archives in Revela- ous pop up events, including live theater, an action, especially about the graffiti. Some- tion Gallery (224 Waverly Place) throughout April. Opening reception: Tuesday 6 April MIA SAYS: The faults in others are crystal interactive dating game, panels and installa- thing needs to be done. Graffiti scrawled clear. The faults in ourselves deeply ob- tions throughout our beloved village. “Our on building walls above Christopher and from 6pm. To book contact admin@stjvny. org or phone 212 243 6192. scure. Photo credit: Friends of Liza Whiting. goal to engage the community, fill empty 7th Avenue; the residential building on the www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 3 As Vaccines are Administered at Rapid Just Listed! Pace, Hope Blooms in the Spring 350 Bleecker Street, Unit 2D

Large Corner Studio Fully and Thoroughly Renovated with exposed brick, SHOBA HILL, RN, DIRECTS PATIENTS to one of the 20 nurses stations at the new Lenox Health Greenwich Village vaccination center. Photo by Bob Cooley. spacious studio with recessed lighting, modern kitchen and spa shower. Sits in one of the premier West Village cooperatives with amazing amenities such as By Bob Cooley her experience was “very efficient and an expansive planted roofdeck, full time doorman and staff, garage, and smooth…” at Lenox Health Greenwich renovated fitness center. It was precisely 13 months ago (on March Village “…they just lowered the age to 60+, 1, 2020) from this publishing date when and I was able to get an appointment right Scotty is a long time West Village resident, broker, and neighborhood the first official case of COVID-19 was re- away. It’s wonderful, the signup was easy, advocate and enthusiast. Go to www.westvillagebroker.com for detailed info ported in Manhattan. and everything here is so organized.” About on buying/selling/renting and to support local. Just over a year later, the toll has been hor- getting the vaccine, she said, “I feel so ex- Let's keep our mom and pop businesses alive! rendous: 29.8M cases and 542,000 deaths cited and relieved. Medical science is amaz- in the US, with 794,027 cases and 30,564 ing.” The first thing she looks forward to is Scotty Elyanow deaths in NYC. The cost in human life, our visiting with her stepfather indoors. Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker mental health, financial stability, and social The importance of getting vaccinated can- Manhattan & Brooklyn Market Expert structures will likely never be fully measured. not be overstated. Depending on the vac- [email protected] But in these first days of spring, hope ap- cine you get (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson M: 917.678.6010 pears to be on the horizon. & Johnson), the efficacy of preventing severe @villagescotty In a December 8th speech, then President- illness from COVID-19 ranges from 80%- elect Biden promised that 100 million vac- 95%. More importantly, it reduces the chanc- cines would be administered within his first graffiti shrouds in the hope it will make es of hospitalization and death to 0% (based Graffiti continued from page 1 100 days of office. That number was passed on extensive testing and current public data). the next graffiti artist hesitate, knowing only 59 days into his term, and the rate of vac- It’s also important to remember that the that his work will not make its way to a cinations has been accelerating ever since. As vaccination does not take full effect until two museum when the building is demolished. of March 20th, 1.9M doses were administered weeks after your final shot. So it’s still essential But there is a better way in the case of with 962,056 fully vaccinated in NYC (121M to wear masks and socially distance unless you old patina of the historic buildings: paint doses / 43M fully vaccinated nationwide). are with people who are also fully vaccinated. remover, similar to what is used to remove In Greenwich Village, Lenox Health’s And with the new variants (B.1.1.7), paint from the stone monument at Wash- (LHGV’s) new vaccination center has (B.1.351), and (P.1), little is known about the ington Park Arch. Yes, it is more expensive been administering over 800 shots every efficacy of the vaccines against these strains. and delicate to apply, but with community day, with a streamlined check-in system So in the meantime, the CDC recommends support, the work of the police could be and 20 nurse’s stations working non-stop precautions (masks and distancing) until made even more effective. to get the vaccine distributed locally. more information is known about how the The NYPD has established a new email RN Michelle De Jong-Quinn, a mater- current vaccines protect against them. address, [email protected], that will be nity nurse who is helping administer shots POLICE COMMISSIONER DERMOT SHEA monitored around the clock by a dedicated in Greenwich Village, said of her experi- RESOURCES: announces Graffiti Initiative. Photo courtesy police officer, to donate or offer support. ence, “This is my commitment to support- • To sign up for vaccine at Lenox Health of NYPD. A graffiti coordinating officer will distrib- ing the COVID relief effort. It’s so hopeful Greenwich Village (and other NYC lo- ute tips from the public to the precincts, and positive—it’s as exciting as being with cations): vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/locations Chief of Community Affairs. Police Service Areas and Transit Districts a newborn baby which is where my regular • Who is eligible to get the vaccine: Now this is unique in the history of polic- throughout New York City, where com- nursing duties are.” tinyurl.com/nyc-vax-info ing: we do not seek to apprehend the offender manders will oversee clean-up and edu- Alex Hellinger, Executive Director of • If you are homebound: You can make an (too expensive) but rather to bury their crime. cation efforts in close collaboration with Lenox Health, said of their efforts at LHGV, appointment to have the vaccine admin- community partners. Preventative ideas “When the need arose. Northwell really istered in your home. To sign up: forms. WESTVIEW GETS A FIRST LOOK will also be shared, such as increasing the stepped up. As soon as we needed to, we built cityofnewyork.us/f/homebound or call At about this time photographer Paul overall lighting of an area or installing this vaccination center. We started to distrib- 877-VAX-4NYC Vlachos sent me an email identifying, motion-sensor lights or sprinklers to dis- ute vaccines to patients as quickly as possible with contained outrage, a series of graf- courage vandals—particularly in elevated to whoever was in the appropriate criteria to Bob Cooley is a photojournalist and communi- fiti explosions around his apartment house or out-of-reach spaces. Hate graffiti—or receive them. The more we can do to pro- cations strategist who lives in the West Village. in the Village and we invited him to take graffiti that includes offensive slogans or tect the community and protect everyone, He’s spent over 30 years creating photography the historic photos of the very first graffiti symbols—will be prioritized for cleanup. the better. The staff and nurses are ecstatic. and stories for publications including LIFE ‘internment’. For our 6th Precinct station on West We’ve heard that some patients cried (with Magazine, Forbes, The Economist, Sports The block of fresh paint is visually as- 10th Street, please contact Evrim Can, joy)—they’re so happy that they have the Illustrated, The Associated Press, and many sertive but it is much too expensive to re- Community Affairs at 212-741-4826, or shot. It’s a wonderful feeling for the patients, others. You can see more of Bob’s work at www. move the graffiti and restore the decades Graffiti Officer Pete Plessa. Captain Ste- the nurses, and everybody in the center.” bobcooleyphoto.com and new photography daily old patina of the historic buildings. But I phen Spatero is the Commanding Officer West Village resident Michelle said on Instagram @bobcooley am willing to accept the large patches of of the 6th Precinct. 4 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org An Interview With The Fight to Restore All Subway Service and Reduce the Fares Mayoral Candidate By Arthur Schwartz days when NYCTA was a city authority. It is I am going to start by using numbers, not required, under the Public Authorities Law, rhetoric. Forty percent of all commutes to to notify the Mayor of any permanent cuts in Ray McGuire work are done by subway or bus. Another service, and to ask the “Board of Estimate” (a 40% are done by walking (yes, walking). city governing agency replaced by a revamped Two percent are accomplished by bicycle. City Council in 1989) whether it wants pub- Walking and taking the subway and bus (if lic hearings. The NYCTA hadn’t done that. it is an electric bus) are sustainable modes We went to court and asked Judge Franc of transportation. But bikes and bike lanes Perry to issue a restraining order stopping get a lot more talk from politicians. an employee job changeover which would Here are some more numbers. Until have cemented the cuts to the F and the C. 1970, when I graduated high school, the On March 18, Judge Perry did that, but just fare was 20 cents. In 1980, it was 50 cents. for five days. On the fourth day, NYCTA In 1990, it was still only 80 cents. Now, a asked to extend the temporary restraining one way MetroCard fare is $3.00. order for another two weeks so they could Another interesting fact. Why is the sub- reconsider the question. Politicians perked way system called the NYC Transit Author- up their heads, and on March 23, the City ity? Because until 1978, it was a city agency, Council held an emergency hearing. I pre- not part of a state agency. The system was sented our facts and figures there. My law- created under the NYC Board of Transpor- yers’ hunch is that since we exposed the per- tation in 1940, when it bought several pri- manent nature of the cuts—and reminded vate subway lines (the BMT, the IND, and everyone that the City Council could de- the BMT), and then in 1953 the Board of mand public hearings about the cuts—the Transportation became an authority. Some- NYCTA and the MTA will back down. time in the 1970s, when NYC teetered on How can they invite the public back to the the brink of bankruptcy, funding and con- subway, and then tell people that there is less trol of the NYC Transit Authority (NYC- service and more crowding? Stay tuned. MAYORAL CANDIDATE RAY MCGUIRE, above, says he is "fluent in the language of the TA) shifted to the state, and city funding of And Judge Perry went on to issue a sec- streets and the suites." Photo credit: Ray for Mayor. day-to-day operations (the operating bud- ond injunction, in a second lawsuit, prohib- By Frank Quinn and Bob Cooley thoughts about Penn South and Manhat- get) began to decline. Transit funding essen- iting NYCTA from locking station booths tan Plaza, suggesting these are examples tially disappeared under Mayor Bloomberg, during booth clerks’ lunch hours, instead Ray McGuire and his two brothers didn’t of the kind of subsidized housing solu- and transit fares began their steep rise. Last of providing lunch relief. NYCTA was not have much growing up. “I never knew my tions that can lift-up neighborhoods and week, the New York Times described the only trying to skimp on service, but it was father. He never acknowledged me, a sor- bring communities back. McGuire con- NYC subway system as the most rider-sub- also skimping on safety. row I share with far too many.” His mother curred it was the kind of creative think- sidized transit system in the United States. worked as a social worker, his grandfather ing to address the housing dilemma. “In THE FARES SHOULD BE LOWER—AIDED BY in a factory during the week and as a jani- the early 2000s we built 2.2 units of new THE PANDEMIC AND RIDERSHIP NYC MONEY tor on weekends. Through them he ab- housing for every new private sector job. Just prior to the pandemic hitting, rider- When the fares were low, and NYCTA was sorbed the values of working hard. Today we build .5 units for every job. The ship on the subway system had increased part of city government, most of its operat- McGuire went to Harvard, and after demand has so exceeded the supply that to record numbers: 5.1 million rides per ing budget came from the City of New York, earning degrees in law and business began it’s become way too expensive, and those day. And NYCTA bus ridership had risen not from passengers. Trains and buses are key a 36-year career on Wall Street, the last people who make New York what it is are to over 3 million trips per day. This was government services, up there with public 13 as head of global corporate and invest- being displaced.” despite only an 80% on-time record for safety, schools, health care, and sanitation. ment banking at Citigroup. He’s now a As one might expect from a Wall Street subways, and who knows what metric for But over the years, with the opportunity to candidate for Mayor and recently finished executive, McGuire has a command of buses, despite bus lanes on many major say to the Governor and the State Legisla- first in aCrain’s poll of readers likely to details. He often cites arcane statistics to streets. After the pandemic hit, by mid- ture, “You fund the subways, they are your vote in the Democratic mayoral primary make his points, but also weaves a nar- April 2020, subway ridership was down to problem,” the city has cut its contribution to on June 22nd. rative that considers the underserved 300,000 per day. Bus ridership fell from 2.4 the operating budget to almost nothing. WestView News spent time with Ray when addressing the city’s challenges. million trips a day to 600,000. Until Sep- Subway and bus fares are too damn high. McGuire talking about his candidacy. When asked if New York’s bail reform is tember 2020, no fares were collected on Someone who rides the subway or takes a bus Readers can see our interview at west- associated with the prevalence of repeat buses. (I held a press conference on Labor to and from work pays almost $1,200 per year viewnews.org. offenders as claimed by the police, Mc- Day last year demanding that this remain for that ride. If the city put one percent of When George Capsis mentioned the Guire talks about root causes. “It starts the policy; at the time, no one listened). its budget into NYC Transit—about $1 bil- success of Mayor de Blasio’s Pre-K initia- with education. 80% of those on Rikers As the city recovers, subway and bus rider- lion—we could return to free buses, like we tive, McGuire responded with an educa- Island don’t have a GED, and one third ship has moved up. Subway ridership is now had in 2020, and lower the subway fares. One tion plan he calls Cradle to Career. “Pre- are reading at the 5th grade level. These about 1.9 million rides per day and bus rid- percent! What better year than this, when the K is fine, but often many of our children are offenders that come from disadvan- ership is 1.3 million. NYCTA has restored federal government gave the MTA $14.6 bil- arrive there already behind. We need to taged backgrounds and have no job or subway service to pre-pandemic levels, except lion in the COVID-19 stimulus package to invest in affordable child care so children financial literacy. It’s not an excuse, it’s on the F and C lines, both of which service aid its operating budget? and their parents arrive at Pre-K ready an explanation, and we need to address our community. Those lines were cut by 30%, I made this proposal when I testified before to begin learning.” McGuire went on systemic problems before we reach con- and were seeing crowded (unsafe) cars, and City Council, and got lots of nods. This issue the detail a step by step education plan clusions about bail reform.” crowded (unsafe) platforms with longer wait- is high on my agenda, and I will make a lot of to increase graduation rates and prepare McGuire says he’s fluent in the “lan- ing times. The Transport Workers Union, my noise to make sure it is on their agenda too. students for a job they’ve been exposed to guage of the streets and the suites,” and client, wanted that service—and the jobs— through school, or ready to attend a 2 or 4 contributor Roberta Russell points out restored. So, they united with the Fulton Arthur Schwartz is Special Assistant to the year college program. she saw this quality in McGuire when Houses Tenants Association and took the F President of the Transport Workers Union of On the topic of housing, contributor doing her own research in preparation for and C lines’ service issue to court. Greater New York, and Greenwich Village Roger Paradiso asked McGuire for his the interview. Turns out that we are going back to the Democratic District Leader. Why is my son ARTHUR SCHWARTZ running for CITY COUNCIL?

My son, Arthur Schwartz, is running for City Council in your neighborhood this June 22nd. Since he was a little boy he has been a fighter. He had an older brother who was disabled, and he worked with me, as a kid, to fight for his brother’s dignity. As he grew he continued to fight—against the War in Vietnam, against the spread of nuclear power plants, for workers seeking democratic unions, against racial and sex-based discrimination and injustice, and for the rights of his gay and lesbian neighbors

When he had his first child in 1987 and “settled down” in Greenwich Village, he became a fighter for our community. Bleecker Playground, Abingdon Square Park, JJ Walker Park, and Hudson River Park wouldn’t be what they are without him. For the last 30 years he has fought—as a volunteer—for his neighbors, especially for seniors like me. In a city which needs rebuilding, we need fighters like him to demand that what is wrong be turned around.

I will turn 99 years old in April. What a joy it would be, in my 100th year, to have my hero, who should be your hero, elected to the City Council. -- Ros Schwartz

Donate or Volunteer: ArthurforNYC.Com 6 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org

to elementary, middle and high schools to dark since March 15th, 2020. The Day the Village Stood Still: assist with safe reopening” (CBS News). Jamal from Village Music World on The Biden plan provides an additional Bleecker Street has not had much suc- The COVID Relief Bill 2021 $300 billion in unemployment benefits cess with his bank or the Cares Act. He through September, a $3,600 tax credit per received a very small PPP loan that lasted child and, very importantly, subsidies to about two months of the full year we have purchase insurance through the Affordable been in some form of lockdown. So far, the Care Act for millions of eligible citizens. Care’s Act has failed him, along with other This is also an important bill for our business owners in the Village. As he can’t mom-and-pops in the Village; $50 billion seem to get a loan from his bank or any dollars will be distributed to the “real” small government program, he has hired a lawyer businesses of the country. And through the to help him. He is six months behind in Paycheck Protection Plan they will receive rent and owes thousands for utilities. He $7 billion to cover their employees. In the has been floating money in from personal next issue, we will discuss the $25 billion loans and savings and now must add the relief for small and mid-sized restaurants, expense of a retainer for a lawyer. which are the size of most of our restau- “The street is much better than before,” rants in the Village. Jamal says. There are some weekdays he Almost a year ago, the Village stood makes money, but usually only on week- still as we were being invaded by a virus. ends. It does not cover his expenses. This is No one knew whether COVD-19 was go- a family business and his only income. He ing to be this deadly. As we go to press, is there every day trying to sell CDs and 540,000 citizens have died and more than vintage Vinyl records. 30,000,000 have been infected. All is not hopeless in the Village, how- JIM DROUGAS, who opened Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books 30 years ago. It’s Everyone knew that somehow our lives ever. The beauty of Washington Square one of many historic Greenwich Village businesses that have come upon hard times during were going to be changed. I never dreamed Park still brings a crowd on a sunny day. the pandemic. Photo by Bob Cooley. that I would be covering the stories of five of Half the crowd wear masks; the other half our mom-and-pops in the West Village for doesn’t, despite the warnings from medical By Roger Paradiso what we Americans will get is much-need- 12 long months. Their struggle to survive has experts around the world. This being the ed COVID relief. “The American Rescue been inspiring, though at times, depressing. Village, you can still find a wannabe expert President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Plan provides $1,400 direct payments to I checked in with Nick the Greek who who thinks COVID has been a govern- Act passed in the Senate 51-50. No Repub- individuals making up to $75,000 annually, is the owner of the Cinema Village on ment plot or hoax. Some even think that licans voted for the bill in the House or the $350 billion in aid to state and local gov- East 12th Street. Nick said he was scared the vaccines are part of a plot by Bill Gates Senate. So much for the bipartisan support ernments and $14 billion for vaccine distri- that he would lose his theater during the to have Microsoft take over the world. that the president was hoping to get. But bution. The bill also provides $130 billion Christmas season when movie theaters I run into James Drougas of Unoppres- were not allowed to open. “Opening is the sive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books and key thing. Even at 25 percent, which I can’t he says, “Almost every week or two a young Big Win! Lawsuit Brings Elevators to 14th Street make any money at. It’s just the thought person comes into my bookshop asking to be Subway Stops! Schumer Demands Funding that I would be open, like many other busi- of help or for a regular job. The hunger of nesses like restaurants and gyms.” young people to be around books is nothing Nick has been generally positive. He has new. After 30 years in business, I hear the kept some of his staff on through most of same stories, but they are now more poignant the year, with and without the Payroll Pro- than ever. A young lawyer from China who tection Plan assistance. They continue to recently passed her bar exam here quit her work at the Cinema Village; there will be a job because she considered the firm unethi- new lobby and restrooms. The air handlers cal. She offered to help out but refuses to ac- have been upgraded with increased fresh cept pay in any form, on principle. A Parsons air flow and HEPA filters. These are all graduate, who is living in a shelter now, offers expenses that he has paid for mostly from to help out. She gets lots of work done every his own money. Although he has also had time she comes in.” some help from the grants and loans of the Jim has adjusted his hours and spends Cares Act, it was not nearly enough. There less time in his bookstore on weekdays. He is great hope the Biden bill will help. Nick is always ordering rare books. “One source says that his ticket prices will stay the same even alerted me (before he puts the list out as before. “Twelve dollars general admis- to the other shops) that 25 copies of the sion. Eight dollars for seniors and children. Complete Works of William Blake is avail- I believe I have the lowest ticket prices in able—so I can grab them all.” Manhattan.” He is several months behind in rent, as Nick is hanging in with his 90-year-old are most of the mom-and-pops in the Vil- friend who brought him into the movie lage. Thank God Governor Cuomo and business. His biggest concern now is getting Mayor di Blasio have put in place a rent this friend the vaccine. “I’m on the phone moratorium. for hours to get him an appointment,” he Time will tell if our Villagers are going says. The computerized vaccination system to get the aid they were promised regard- is a disaster in New York and other large cit- ing the Cares Act. As we know, the banks ies. Many hope they can get a shot in the made a lot of money and the big companies arm before COVID kills them. with hundreds of thousands of employees ON SATURDAY, MARCH 27, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHARLES SCHUMER paid Nick and I talk about our fondness for made out. Our mom-and-pop shops in the a visit to the West Village. Standing with Arthur Schwartz, candidate for City Council, the analog world. “I remember when mov- Village were cut short on the Cares aid. Borough President Gale Brewer, and disability rights advocates, he demanded full funding not only for elevators the MTA has agreed to at 6th and 7th Avenue at 14th ies would be on film,” he recalls. Before I The Biden bill is targeted to small busi- Street, but for elevators Citywide. To read more about the elevators, visit west- leave, he says he will open up in mid-April. nesses. It is time the Village gets some re- viewnews.org. Photo by Jason Coniglione. It will be a happy day for Nick as his theater, lief from the terrible damage done by this and many of the others in the city, have been killer virus. www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 7 City Council Candidate Finds mmmmmmmmmmmmm New Way to Shop Local By Leslie Boghosian Murphy district. We all want to support our local businesses, we just needed the tools. This Local businesses have long been the eco- platform would allow residents in the West nomic heartbeat of our neighborhoods in Village, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen to go New York City. How many of us have been online and receive the same convenient and saved by a 24-hour deli when we suddenly speedy experience as Amazon but purchas- discovered we’d run out of milk, diapers ing from their local shops. or ice cream? Or experienced the joy of “Early during our Manhattan expansion, finding a perfect anniversary card for that Leslie contacted us,” said Maya Komerov, special someone at a neighborhood Mom- ShopIN’s founder. “She was quick to un- and-Pop card store? Or the triumph of dis- derstand that we’ve started a movement in covering a one-of-a-kind top at the local NYC to empower New Yorkers and she act- vintage shop you can’t find online? ed right away to enlist the power of ShopIN These businesses don’t just offer great lo- to help her district strengthen their neigh- cal shopping experiences, they add to the borhoods through local commerce.” character of our area and help break down After many meetings and discussions I a big, anonymous city into cozy, familiar am proud to say ShopIN.NYC’s first move neighborhoods. I am the daughter of small into Manhattan is in our neighborhood To All Our Friends and Neighbors business owners. My parents, aunt and and our residents and businesses will have From Our Family uncle opened “Mainly Cheese” when I was direct benefits. Our local shops are the young and I remember my mom waking up places that help create healthy and vibrant Welcome Back! before dawn to start making the Armenian neighborhoods and we depend on their to Yours, cheese for the day and my dad returning survival. We have to fight to save them. Summer’s Over way after dark. I would do my homework My campaign for NY City Council has We hope and pray behind the counter and help out at the reg- a dedicated business outreach team and ister. It was a true family-owned shop and we are working with local stores Theto help Fall Cooking Season is Here! I know the sweat equity that went into it. weather the COVID storm and onboard to that everyone It is why I am so strongly concentrating on ShopIN.NYC, if they feel the model will Visit us Soon for the effort to bring back our businesses. help them. West Village favorite, Li-Lac COVID has shuttered many of our West Chocolates and Chelsea’s Kidding Around Our Dailyin and your Weekly life Specials! Village favorites but, truth be told, local are the latest locals to join the platform. businesses were struggling even before the “It’s hitting three birds with one stone. It’s pandemic. The “Amazon effect” has made it helping local businesses, local customers, and is healthy and difficult for shops to compete with the ease local delivery people,” says Christina Clark and convenience of one-stop, online shop- of Kidding Around, a family-owned Chelsea O. OTTOMANELLIfeeling well! ping that arrives at your door before you toy store. “It’s important to have politicians even remember you ordered something. realize that we have to do something. Leslie NEW YORK’S MEAT MARKET Many electeds and candidates have been came along and said ‘What can we do? How offering relief plans and tax strategies, which can I help?’ Leslie is rolling up her sleeves. 285 BleeckerSHOP Street, IN New STORE: York, NY 10014 are valid, but we have to think broader. We That’s what she’s done, and I’m grateful.” have to reimagine how we shop local. ShopIN.NYC was founded by a female Tel. (212)Monday 675-4217 Thru Saturday • Fax (212) 8 am-5 620-7286 pm Looking for innovative solutions I dis- entrepreneur, pays their delivery drivers covered a new, local e-commerce platform $20-$25 an hour and hires all local New Top QualityORDER Poultry ON andLINE: Provisions in Brooklyn, ShopIN.NYC. Yorkers, facts I believe arem important. m m m m m m m m m m m m ShopIN.NYC provides New York City “We don’t deal with candidates or politi- Through Mercato.com shoppers the ease of one-stop shopping cians often but it was encouragingm to workm m m m m m m m m m m m and same-day delivery from their local with Leslie and her team,”m added Komerov.m m m ORDERm m FOR m IN m STORE m PICKUP:m m m m businesses. The platform is run by locals, “She cares about her neighborhood.” and helps neighborhoods empower them- “New York is a group of small commu- 212-675-4217 selves to keep money in the community. nities,” said Clark. “It’s nice to see someone I saw the success ShopIN was hav- with a public policy vision,” referring to Bog- Thank you for being our loyal customer ing in Brooklyn and immediately knew I hosian Murphy. “And to stick it to Amazon.” and supporting us had to get it across the river and into my Leslie Boghosian Murphy is a candidate for NY City Council for District 3 cover- ADVERTISE IN ing the West Village, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. The work with ShopIN.NYC is OTTOMANELLI’s WESTVIEW NEWS part of a larger initiative that Boghosian Imagine your ad on these pages, Murphy will be promoting for small busi- PRIME MEAT MARKET reaching residents throughout the nesses in her District. West Village. The best deal in town: Effective immediately, residents in Your first ad free! 10001, 10011, 10012, 10013, 10014, 285 BLEECKER STREET Then 3 months at 10% off! 10018, 10019, 10023, 10024, 10025 and Contact our advertising manager: 10036 zip codes will have access to order Thank You Karen Rempel and get same-day delivery from ShopIN’s (347) 362-5677 full list of stores on their site, including all [email protected] the stores in Brooklyn. Boghosian Murphy All Frontline Workers See westviewnews.org/rates for details. is continuing to help interested businesses

in District 3 join the platform. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm 8 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org Observing Pascha: The Traditions and History of Greek Orthodox Easter By Anastasia Kaliabakos icon shows the crucified dead body of Jesus upright in the tomb, along with the cross in the background. It com- Easter is arguably the most important holiday in the bines the two main events of Great Friday: the crucifix- Christian tradition, no matter what denomination you ion and the burial of Christ. Additionally, a ritual lament belong to. The Western world uses the Gregorian cal- known as the Epitaphios follows the church services. The endar to mark the dates of many festivities each year, in- Procession of the Epitaphios of Christ symbolizes his cluding Easter. In 2021, the holiday is taking place on burial. A coffin, or the Epitaph, is decorated with flowers April 4th for most Christians; however, for those of the and is followed around the block of the church by a sol- Orthodox faith (including Greek Orthodox), Easter will emn procession of parishioners. I do not think I have ever not come until May 2nd. Why is this? The date of Or- made it through a Good Friday service without crying. thodox Easter is based upon a modified Julian calendar, Easter Saturday’s service takes place late at night and so the festivities do not always occur simultaneously with is often the most crowded service of the whole week. The other Christian Easter celebrations. This year is the first resurrection of Christ is celebrated precisely at midnight, time in my recent memory that my Easter celebration— when the priest proclaims “Christos Anesti” (which Greek Orthodox—is taking place so long after the more means “Christ has risen”), with bells ringing throughout commonly recognized Easter. Since there is such a large the church. People shake hands and greet each other with gap between the two holiday celebrations, I thought it “Christos Anesti” and its reply “Alithos Anesti” (“He has would be worthwhile to delve into what sets Greek Eas- truly risen”), lighting their candles as well. After mid- ter apart from other Easter celebrations, besides the dif- night, some people break their fast with a traditional ference in date. soup called “magiritsa,” which is made from lamb offal. Greeks follow Lent in a similar fashion to other de- Easter Sunday is the culmination of the 46-day fasting nominations that celebrate Easter; however, Orthodox period, and is celebrated with an all-out feast. Typically, Lent is 46 days in contrast with the more well-known the main course consists of a whole lamb (traditionally 40. Orthodox Lent is traditionally quite strict: the faith- roasted on a spit)—to symbolize Jesus, the Lamb of God. ful are expected to abstain from meat, meat by-products, The tradition of “Tsougrisma,” or the egg cracking game, poultry, eggs, and dairy products for the entire duration can also take place on Easter Sunday. This game is fun of Lent. The most important time in the Lent season is for both children and adults and symbolizes the resurrec- Holy Week (and is, in my opinion, a time when church tion of the Lord. The rules are simple: everyone chooses a services are the most beautiful and moving). It all begins hard-boiled egg, which has been dyed red, and taps it on with Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. This is THE ICON OF THE RESURRECTION. top of another person’s egg. The contestant who ends up when Christians celebrate the day Jesus came to Jerusa- with a cracked egg is the loser. The game continues until lem on the back of a donkey. Upon his arrival, the peo- there is only one winner, who is then said to have been ple tossed palm fronds in his path, declaring he was the sin. This service honors the time when Mary Magdalene blessed with good luck for the whole year! Messiah. In the Greek Orthodox tradition, people attend anointed Jesus’ feet with oil and myrrh before he was No matter how you are celebrating Easter this year (or the Sunday Divine liturgy as usual, but there is typically arrested and is often viewed as a preparation for Jesus’ even if you do not celebrate it at all), I wish you all a a special service at the end to celebrate Palm Sunday. burial, as he would be crucified in a matter of days. blessed Pascha, and health and safety to you and your People are even given palm crosses to commemorate the Holy Thursday is traditionally the day when Jesus and families throughout the year. special day. his disciples had the Last Supper, during which Jesus For any WestView readers interested in learning more During Holy Monday and Tuesday, Christ’s Parable of gave his disciples bread and wine, which symbolized his about Pascha, there is a Greek Orthodox church called the Ten Virgins (or Ten Bridesmaids) is commemorated. body and blood. St. Eleftherios located at 359 West 24th Street, New In the parable, he talked about ten women who were sup- The practice of Holy Communion arose from the Last York, NY 10011. Feel free to pay them a visit or contact posed to accompany a bridegroom to his wedding. Five Supper. In modern times there are several traditions that Fr. Nicolas ([email protected]) this Easter of the women brought oil for their lamps, but the other take place on Holy Thursday outside of the church ser- season! five only brought their lamps. When it was time to at- vice. It is a day when the preparation of Tsoureki bread tend the wedding, the five without oil asked the others takes place. This sweet brioche bread is typically braided Anastasia Kaliabakos is a graduate of the Brearley School to borrow some. However, the five “wise” women refused, with three pieces of dough, which represent the Holy and is currently a Presidential Scholar in the Honors telling the other “foolish” women to buy their own. The Trinity, and is spiced with Greek mahlab. It is baked with Program at the College of the Holy Cross majoring in clas- fools were too late, and were excluded from the party. a red hard-boiled egg in the middle. The tradition of sics. She is a features editor for Holy Cross’ newspaper, The The story was used as an allegory to show people that boiling and dyeing eggs red symbolizes the rebirth and Spire, associate editor of the Parnassus Classical Journal, they should be prepared for the Son of God at any time. blood of Christ. author of Milkshake: A Very Special Pony, and recipient of During Holy Wednesday, Orthodox Christians are Two services take place on Good Friday, which is a day the 2019 NYC Scholastic Writing Award. She has contrib- able to receive the Sacrament of Holy Unction, which of mourning. Orthodox churches display the icon known uted to WestView News since 2018. is offered for the healing of the soul and forgiveness of as the “Axra Tapeinosis” (“The Extreme Humility”). This

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512 HUDSON STREET • NYC 10014 WWW.SEAGRAPEWINES.COM • 212-463-7688 www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 9 Housing that Heals By Kathryn Garcia is that the city added 100,000 units of housing to accom- modate 500,000 new inhabitants. This was a huge prob- Over the last year, COVID-19 has exposed deep vulner- lem before the pandemic. It’s now a full-blown crisis, and abilities and worsened a crisis that has long plagued our we need to get to work to ensure that all New Yorkers can city: affordable housing. Even before COVID-19, more live and thrive in our city and are not priced out or strug- than half of New Yorkers were “rent-burdened.” During gling to find a home. the last eight years, our current mayor has stood by and We must make it faster, easier, and legal for our private allowed homelessness to increase by an unconscionable 23 partners to build, by accelerating approvals for new hous- percent. ing construction. Under my administration, we will com- With so many at risk of losing their homes, and many prehensively zone for more affordable housing citywide, others still struggling with homelessness, New York City end apartment bans and discriminatory zoning, and allow 70 GREENWICH AVE. • WEST VILLAGE • NYC needs a mayor who will treat homelessness like the crisis duplexes and triplexes to create more options for families. • • it is. As the former interim chair of NYCHA, I am the When it comes to NYCHA, we need to cut the “plan- candidate with the hands-on housing management expe- ning” and start delivering. NYCHA doesn’t need anoth- Hourly Handyman Services rience in New York City who knows how to put a com- er plan—residents have seen plan after plan after plan, Professional Painting Projects prehensive plan into action. including three under the de Blasio administration. We Electrical & Carpentry Work Safe, secure housing is a right and we must address know what needs to be done—install new boilers, hire MICHAEL RUSSO, PROPRIETOR homelessness with equal parts compassion and urgency. more plumbers, fix broken elevators, eliminate mold— 917.476.4146 • [email protected] The city spends $3 billion annually on shelters and rent- and my focus will be on executing. We will leverage sub- ing hotel rooms that fail to adequately serve our families stantial federal money to fix units—available in Section 8, Serving the West Village for 11 Years and neighborhoods. To solve the problems of homeless- RAD, and other programs—so NYCHA residents can be ness we must move away from a shelter strategy toward a proud of their homes. permanent housing strategy. The truth is, I never planned on running for mayor. But As mayor, I will end street homelessness. We’ll start by a crisis of this scale calls for a leader with proven experi- opening new drop-in centers with bathrooms and critical ence and tested management skills. New Yorkers, particu- services, allowing social workers to reach people experi- larly those experiencing housing insecurity, can’t afford encing street homelessness and begin the process of get- another four years of vague platitudes and failed promises. ting people housed and the services they need. We’ll also We need a mayor who can dig in and do the work that will convert dormitory-style shelters, which are often danger- deliver. We need a mayor who will get it done. ous unstable environments, into specialized “stabilization bed” facilities with private or shared rooms. We must ensure that we are confronting the root of the Kathryn Garcia is a Democratic candidate for mayor of issue and create more affordable housing. The simple fact New York City. Free Virtual Event Takes You Inside the World of Integral Yoga be moved, impressed, and inspired by the many contri- A modern approach to real estate with butions Integral Yoga has made to our community, our old-fashioned professionalism and two city, and our world. Integral Yoga helped give birth to the decades of top-notch customer modern yoga movement and remains dedicated to acces- service to our community.

sible, easy, welcoming and nonjudgmental yoga for all. Call Charlie Summers, proud West Village resident since 1985.

Preserving Peace is the name of this one-hour event. Charles Summers Please view the trailer for the inspiring film and RSVP for Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker [email protected] the event at peace.iyiny.org 917.376.1648 At the virtual event, you’ll learn how you can help this Charles Summers is an individual real estate agent affiliated with Compass. Compass is a licensed real Greenwich Village treasure survive in the wake of terrible estate broker and abides by equal housing opportunity laws. losses due to COVID. The Integral Yoga building was purchased in 1970 when West 13th Street was very different from what it is today. The Center was an abandoned school. Jackson Square Park was filled with drug abuse and there was high crime ADVERTISE IN in the neighborhood. Integral Yoga needed a bigger build- ing after spending its first four years in an apartment on WESTVIEW NEWS the Upper West Side because interest in yoga was growing Imagine your ad on these pages, THE INTEGRAL YOGA BUILDING on West 13th Street. reaching residents throughout the Photo courtesy of Chandra/Jo Sgammato. every day. The down payment was raised through bake West Village. sales and other fundraising efforts. The final donation that The best deal in town: By Chandra/Jo Sgammato enabled the purchase was provided by musician Alice Col- Your first ad free! trane, widow of jazz great John Coltrane. She was a stu- Then 3 months at 10% off! On Saturday, April 10 at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, dent of Integral Yoga founder Swami Satchidananda and went on in later years to become a Swami herself. Contact our advertising manager: April 11 at 12 noon, you are invited to explore the mean- Karen Rempel ing of one of Greenwich Village’s most beloved and lon- During COVID, Integral Yoga pivoted to online offer- ings but the organization is still losing money each month. (347) 362-5677 gest standing institutions. [email protected] Whether you have attended yoga classes and programs Donations in any amount will support its continuing work inside the beautiful building at 227 West 13th Street or but it is your presence we are most eager to have at the simply appreciate the presence of this nonprofit organiza- event. See westviewnews.org/rates for details. tion in our neighborhood for more than 50 years, you will Please sign up today at peace.iyiny.org 10 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org SoHo-NoHo Rezoning Could Be Applied to The West Village By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP proposed upzoning pushing out people of central business districts, but the expected fers constructive alternatives. Who will benefit from the Envision SoHo/ lower incomes or leading to the elimina- developments were never realized. Prior • Allow for as-of-right residential develop- NoHo Neighborhood Plan’s rezoning and tion of existing affordable housing. (False.) to the rezoning, Long Island City (LIC) ment at the same five FAR (floor area -ra housing proposals? Premise no. 5: the rezoning plan will had retained its industrial character, largely tio) currently allowable, with inclusionary make for a more racially diverse and equi- consisting of factories, warehouses and art affordable housing mandates, but with no table neighborhood. (Doubtful.) studios, with some low-scale, affordable upzoning. Premise no. 6: the proposed upzoning residential units. The Final Environmental • Expand inclusion and diversity through won’t negatively impact adjacent areas like Impact Statement (FEIS) for LIC rezon- deeper and broader affordability require- Chinatown and the Lower East Side. (False.) ing predicted just 300,000 square feet in ments than currently proposed by the All of these assumptions are faulty at best, 300 new residential units; in fact, 8.74 mil- city, such as lower income levels required and the characterizations of the neighbor- lion square feet for more than 10,000 new for the affordable housing, rather than hood are simply inaccurate factually, accord- units of residential development was built. the up-to-130 percent of AMI (area me- ing to the VP report; the DCP has drafted a The FEIS for downtown Brooklyn’s re- dian income), and ask for a higher per- plan that undermines the core concepts that zoning predicted an addition of 979 resi- centage of residential developments to be built our historic neighborhoods: creativity, dential units by the build year of 2013; in reserved for affordable housing instead of preservation and adaptive re-use. In fact, there fact, there were more than 3,000 new units the 30 percent currently proposed. is a good chance that the rezoning will result by 2013, with an additional 5,000 units • Legalize and protect current residen- in a net reduction in the amount of afford- built since then. tial occupancies, and lower conversion able housing in the neighborhood, and in the The LIC FEIS estimated that the al- restrictions to allow for new residential number of low-to-moderate income residents. ready-overcrowded Queens Community opportunities, including affordable hous- The proposed upzoning will create tremen- School District 30 would need only 99 ing, through adaptive re-use. Allow legal- dous economic incentives to demolish many additional school seats by the build year ization of current non-artist residential four-six story buildings in the neighborhood 2010; as of 2018, the zoning changes have spaces, providing a clear mechanism by that house residents of more modest income brought more than 3,200 new students to which the pathway to legalization will levels, and which contain a significant amount the neighborhood, where seven of nine take place. (The current city proposal of- of remaining affordable housing. schools are now overcrowded and one el- fers no specifics.) The city’s SoHo/NoHo upzoning plan ementary school in particular operates at • Retain, reinforce, and perpetuate the LIKELY SCENARIO under the proposed will make these neighborhoods richer and over 200 percent capacity. creative and arts character of SoHo and upzoning: 4-6 story walk up residential whiter, make housing prices overall much The Downtown Brooklyn FEIS expected NoHo in new developments, conversions, buildings with rent regulated units are de- more expensive than they are now—likely 446 new students in their school district; it and street level spaces. Continue loft law molished to make way for new residential to destroy a considerable amount of afford- has, in fact, resulted in nearly 4,400 school- and JLQWA protections to enable artists high-rises with mostly super-luxury apart- able housing, and create about 80 percent age children being added, with no adequate to work in their homes and not be dimin- ments, or for commercial developments less affordable housing than projected. (See mitigation plan for adding school seats. ished in any way so artist residents can with no housing, affordable or otherwise. the historical examples below.) It will al- Similarly, the Cooper Square Committee work and produce without harassment. Credit: Village Preservation, VillagePreser- low grossly out-of-scale development and a issued a May 2019 report, In Context; Out of • Permit appropriately scaled as-of-right vation.org. flood of super-luxury condos at prices aver- Reach, about the rezoning of the East Vil- retail without opening the floodgates to aging over $6 million, as well as large new lage/Lower East Side by the City of New giant big box chain stores or oversized The Department of City Planning (DCP), office buildings and big box chain stores. York, enacted in November, 2008. The goal eating and drinking establishments. as a sponsor of the project, made a com- The city is ignoring the clear evidence of stopping out-of-scale development by Neighborhood residents do not object mitment to the community when it started of the impact which this plan would have, imposing height caps was successful, but the to a reasonable loosening of ground floor the process on Feb. 11, 2019. More than not just on SoHo and NoHo but adjacent encouragement of affordable housing was a retail regulations if they allow retail uses 250 people attended the meeting held at neighborhoods like Chinatown and the disappointment. A total of 1,004 residen- which are compatible in the size and char- P.S.130, and wrote 211 comments: (we) Lower East Side (and eventually others), tial units were created since the rezoning, acter of the neighborhood. are committed to continuing community continuing a pattern of wildly inaccurate with 814 market rate units (81 percent) and The AIANY (American Institute of Ar- involvement and transparency, preceding projections and prognostications about 190 (19 percent) “affordable” housing units. chitects New York) held a webinar, Adapt- any future implementation of recommen- what their rezonings would do. Those 190 units are just 55 percent of the ing Historic Districts for an Equitable Fu- dations (for rezoning). If anyone doubts the possibility of such worst-case target number of 348 units. The ture: SoHo/NoHo Case Study, on March The city has said the rezoning method- contrary results despite what the city proj- city’s current policy is that MIH (Manda- 19th. Distinguished panelists in architec- ology will be applied to other “under-de- ects, just look at these examples. tory Inclusionary Housing) rezonings are ture, city planning, and affordable housing veloped” neighborhoods, which of course In an MAS (Municipal Arts Society) only done in communities being upzoned. development discussed SoHo-NoHo, as includes our West Village, so what happens 2018 report, A Tale of Two Rezonings: Taking On top of all the misguided changes the introduced by a city DCP representative. in SoHo may happen here too. Let’s look at a Harder Look at CEQR, one of the key rec- city is promoting, disregarding so many pri- The panelists showed examples in his- what that means for SoHo/NoHo and us. ommendations called for strengthening the orities that the community has put forward, toric city districts, in New York and around This past month, VP (Village Preser- flawed City Environmental Quality Review Community Board 2 has also reported the world, of medium to low scale new de- vation) followed up on an earlier report, (CEQR) process that frequently underes- many shortcomings in the DCP report. In velopment buildings that never exceeded Community Alternative Rezoning Plan for timates the scale of developments, leaving the CB2 Report to CPC (December, 2020) the maximum height of the historic build- SoHo and NoHo, with further research and decision-makers with incomplete informa- it pointed out that projected historic district ings, even though some were taller than reporting. The DCP’s proposed rezoning is tion. CEQR is the process by which poten- sites have distinctions not reflected in the some of their one or two-story neighbors. contrasted with actual data and histories. tial adverse environmental effects of discre- draft scope, and potential development sites Height limit was a key feature that made First, the DCP’s stated premises: tionary land use actions under consideration have distinctions not reflected in the draft the newer, denser, mixed use, and afford- Premise no. 1: the current neighborhood by the City Planning Commission (CPC) scope. It mentions that all three proposed able housing buildings good neighbors, is not socio-economically diverse. (False.) or other authorized city agencies are identi- “representative examples” of prototype con- without exception, so no building stood Premise no. 2: the current neighborhood fied and evaluated for their significance, and versions are landmarked, and all are with- out-of-scale among the others. And these contains little or no affordable housing, and to systematically balance social, economic, in a stone’s throw of each other (154 Grand limitations allowed for creative design fea- the new housing being introduced would be and environmental factors early in the plan- Street, 75 Spring Street, 324 Lafayette tures that made the cityscape dynamic, and more affordable than current housing. (False.) ning stages and require project modification Street). These and many other aspects of existing and historic buildings adaptable Premise no. 3: the city’s upzoning plan as needed to avoid adverse impacts. the DCP report need to be further studied. to new or continuing uses. This approach will create a significant amount of new af- Two city-sponsored rezonings, in Long So, what can we hope for SoHo-NoHo can lead to the best of both worlds, not the fordable housing. (Doubtful.) Island City (2001) and downtown Brook- as the city continues to push this rezoning? end of SoHo-NoHo (or West Village) as Premise no. 4: there is no danger of the lyn (2004), were intended to create two new VP does not just condemn bad ideas, it of- we know it. www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 11 Mount Sinai on Beth Israel: Damn the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead currently occupied by COVID patients. Space, Brad 2 said, had been “readily reopenable.” That is an understatement, because about 550 beds had been moth- balled but not removed. Mount Sinai had not yet received authorization to tear down and sell the mostly empty building that had been a fully functioning hospital a few short years earlier. Once the hospital is closed, along with the 20 other hospitals in the city and another 20 statewide, there will be no “readily reopenable” space avail- ON MARCH 19, 2020, three days before Gover- able for the next health crisis. nor Cuomo recognized the need for more hos- Brad 2 added that the extra capacity had Dina Andriotis, Chris Tsiamis, and Nikitas Andriotis (from left to right). pital beds, Arthur Schwartz held a press confer- been “offered up to the city and the state,” 77 Christopher Street ence outside of Beth Israel Hospital and called implying that Mount Sinai made those beds on Mount Sinai to reopen 400 vacant beds for available in an excess of generosity rather Between Seventh Avenue and Bleecker Street COVID patients. Photo by Penny Mintz. than in response to an order by the governor. Pharmacy Hours: By Penny Mintz There may be a pause in effect at present, Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM said Brad 1, but “everything remains on the According to Mount Sinai’s Brad Korn, table, except never closing the hospital.” Saturday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mount Sinai has been “taking a pause” in The only question remaining is the timing Closed Sunday its plan to close Beth Israel Hospital. “The of the start of construction for the 72-bed pandemic has changed the world,” Korn replacement of the hospital. According to Telephone: 212-255-2525 • Fax: 212-255-2524 acknowledged last month at a Community Brad 2, no final decision has been made on email: [email protected] Board 3 Health Committee meeting. But that issue. However, he also said that con- www.newyorkchemists.com the pandemic, which is unquestionably a struction on the 72-bed replacement facil- world-altering cataclysm, has not ultimately ity will start in a few months. altered Mount Sinai’s goal. As Mount Sinai Judy Wessler, who is a retired director spokespersons Brad Korn and Brad Beck- of the Commission on the Public’s Health strom made clear at the CB3 meeting, the System, expressed concern about the lack corporate medical-dispensing conglomerate of community involvement in the deci- that is Mount Sinai is back on track with its sions about Beth Israel Hospital. Brad 2 “Third Reef” Beachfront home in Harbour Island, The Bahamas plan to dismantle Beth Israel Hospital and asserted that they had had a very transpar- sell the property to the highest bidder. ent process. Wessler disagreed. “What you When Mount Sinai took over Beth Is- did was report, not plan together.” rael in November of 2013, it promised to Brad 2 did not respond directly to upgrade and modernize the 16th Street Wessler’s point. He assured everyone, in- building. Less than one year later, in Octo- stead, that the process would move forward ber of 2014, Mount Sinai announced that it after the pandemic is over. He added that would be “transforming” the 800-bed full- the hospital census “has substantially gone service hospital into a new 70-bed facility down ever since the pandemic, especially on with scattered out-patient offices. That plan an in-patient basis. Where we really need to was stopped in its tracks by COVID. Early do the expansion is on out-patient services. in the pandemic, Governor Cuomo ordered In the continuum, there will be more avail- all hospitals to double their number of beds. able slots for care as a result of those added A few weeks later, Mount Sinai announced services.” He was not asked about, nor did that it had reopened 400 of Beth Israel’s he explain, how in-patient beds would ma- beds, beds which were desperately needed terialize for critically ill patients should an- at a time when freezer cars were parked other pandemic occur. outside of hospitals throughout the state in Despite demonstrations and public fo- order to store the dead bodies. rums and petitions opposing the closure At the CB3 meeting, Mark Hannay, ex- of Beth Israel; despite a lawsuit filed by ecutive director of Metro New York Health Arthur Schwartz grounded on the lack of Care for All, asked what happened at Beth review before the state approved the clo- For bookings and additional information contact: Israel after the “radical downsizing” had sure of Beth Israel’s cardiac surgery, mater- Spencer Laidley at LX Bahamas been approved. Brad 1 (Korn) and Brad 2 nity, neonatal, and pediatric-intensive-care [email protected] +1 (242) 702 8788 (Beckstrom) were either unaware that 400 units; despite the still-raging pandemic beds had been restored at Beth Israel, or which has made the need for hospital beds Tell him you saw the ad in WestView News! they were deliberately downplaying the now and in the future glaringly apparent, critical need for the hospital in the throes of Mount Sinai will close Beth Israel Hospi- https://www.lxbahamas.com/view/Harbour+Island/Third+Reef/4080/ the pandemic. In response to Hannay, Brad tal, and the 16th Street buildings will be 2 asserted that only about 200 Beth Israel sold at the highest price possible. Brad 1 Pictures on Facebook: Third Reef – Harbour Island Bahamas beds had been brought on line for COVID and Brad 2 made that abundantly clear in For more info and pictures: VRBO #1968167 patients and only 70 to 80 beds a day were their appearance at CB3. 12 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org

GREENWICH VILLAGE LEGENDS James Baldwin, la Vie de la Village By Bruce Poli Street with the Swiss painter Lucien Hap- the Lion’s Head, the Sazerac House, the persberger (the street is named for a family Minetta Tavern, Joe’s Diner and the White James Baldwin, writer, philosopher, gay that once lived there and is NOT associated Horse Tavern. According to legend, James African American activist (new acronym with LGBT history). It was a classic Village Baldwin and the West Village became a GAAA) from Paris to Harlem, is one of setting inspiring openness and self-reflection. marriage and a tour unto itself. He appears the most celebrated creative figures of The characters in his novels, such as his to have been the most consistent figure to the 20th century. He was born in Harlem second novel Giovanni’s Room written in bring Harlem, Paris, and Greenwich Vil- Hospital and lived in Harlem during his 1956, well before the gay liberation move- lage together in an unending series of sto- childhood, however his frequent home and ment began, often face internal and exter- ried encounters and events. visitations later were in Greenwich Village. nal obstacles in their search for personal Many of his essays are notoriously book- It was here that he made much of his indel- and social acceptance. length, including The Fire Next Time ible mark on the American consciousness. It seems that over the years, reports of (1963), No Name in the Street (1972), and In 1943 Baldwin moved from Harlem to Baldwin meetings and conversations spring The Devil Finds Work (1976). An unfin- 181 Greene Street to live with his mod- up everywhere. Julianne Moore, in a short ished manuscript, Remember This House, ernist painter friend Beaufort Delaney, by video about her home on Horatio Street, was expanded and adapted for cinema as whom he was introduced to the creative ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED CREATIVE mentions that James Baldwin was rumored the Academy Award-nominated docu- world, particularly jazz and art—much of FIGURES OF THE 20TH CENTURY, James to have lived in her apartment. In fact, he mentary filmI Am Not Your Negro (2016) it in the Village—and the arc of his ascen- Baldwin, above. Photo credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 lived at 81 Horatio from 1958-1961, where which you can easily find on Netflix as a dancy began. Five years later he left for he worked on his acclaimed novel Another Black History Month classic. His novel If lage—representing so many aspects of why Paris to escape the racism of the city. Country, pointing out “There were a couple Beale Street Could Talk was adapted for an we live here and love here. He is an Ameri- His dynamic influence as a civil rights of Negroes in the building already.” Academy Award-winning film in 2018. can presence who will be living forever. leader and artistic spokesperson led to a con- Veteran cultured New Yorkers had pub- I like to think of James Baldwin as the And he is ours. stant fan presence outside the many build- licly celebrated conversations with him at ever-present symbol of Greenwich Vil- Even though we’ll always have Paris. ings where he lived. In 1955 he lived on Gay Fauci’s Division at NIH Accepts Grant Applications to Cure HIV/AIDS By Kambiz Shekdar, Ph.D. brain barrier and effectively target CNS cent solicitation, which I successfully submit- instance, those known as CRISPR, and cells that harbor latent virus such as mac- ted on behalf of RFTCA on March 17, 2021, Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) or oligo- Fifty percent of people living with HIV/ rophages, microglia, and astrocytes with the deadline for submissions. nucleotide-mediated triplex recombination AIDS have HIV-associated neurocogni- limited brain toxicity.” CNS refers to the Organizations like mine require research (oligos). The various methods have already tive disorders (HAND). Today’s powerful central nervous system, which includes the funding from the NIH to advance our generated promising results in the labora- anti-HIV drugs do not eliminate HIV-as- brain, and “blood-brain barrier” refers to work in the laboratory. The leading edge of tory, however, they have side effects and/or sociated mental decline, even in individu- the impediment that blocks standard HIV medical philanthropy is often driven by pa- too few optimally engineered cells for use in als who achieve undetectable viral levels medications from reaching this exclusive tients and their families. However, severe subsequent cell therapy to cure HIV/AIDS. in their blood. On October 20, 2020, the site of continuing mental disease. persisting feelings of shame and stigma Chromovert is a validated biotechnology NIH issued a call soliciting proposals to The first major announcement by the associated with HIV/AIDS continue to that has the potential to detect and enrich develop methods to cure HIV infection, NIH in support of efforts to find a cure for cause many people living with the disease even rare, optimally engineered cells, en- including in infected human brain cell HIV was issued on October 23, 2019 when to keep their HIV status a closely guarded abling the creation of sufficient quantities of types. My organization, Research Founda- the NIH and Bill & Melinda Gates Founda- secret, hampering the ability to raise aware- therapeutic cells for use in cell therapy cures. tion to Cure AIDS (RFTCA), is among tion announced that $200 million in funding ness and support for new and urgent work During early work on this method, my col- those that submitted applications. would be provided to focus on curing HIV/ to develop a cure. Additionally, almost all leagues and I uncovered several findings that “The purpose of this funding opportuni- AIDS and sickle cell disease. This announce- HIV/AIDS organizations, including be- allow multiple pathways to develop a cure. ty announcement (FOA) is to support re- ment came just six weeks before the corona- loved groups such as the Elton John AIDS Anyone interested in the details of the search on the development and validation virus would alter priorities. Ironically, the first Foundation and Broadway Cares, expressly Chromovert cellular engineering method of innovative strategies to deliver anti-HIV cases of the interfering coronavirus epidemic exclude any funding for research from their may find them in the first scientific -pub gene therapies efficiently to specific target have, by now, been traced to December 1, mandates and missions. Broadway Cares lication on the technology, March 8, 2021, cells [in the body],” states the solicitation 2019, which is World AIDS Day. provides care for people living with HIV/ in the Springer Nature journal Biotechnol- issued jointly by the National Institute of I contacted Tony Fauci and his team to AIDS; “Broadway Cures” does not exist. ogy Letters, available at this link: https:// Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), share our preliminary data and results in re- RFTCA’s particular approaches to de- link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10529- the division commandeered by Dr. Fau- sponse to the recent NIH solicitation. With- veloping a cure for HIV/AIDS—and we 021-03101-5. I invented Chromovert dur- ci, and the National Institute of Mental in an hour, the program officer in charge got have several inter-related technologies— ing my time as a graduate student, at The Health (NIMH). back to schedule a call. During that discus- derive from work done in connection with Rockefeller University, in the laboratory of “NIMH will support research to develop sion she encouraged me to submit at least a biotechnology, originating from a Nobel the late Nobel laureate Professor Gunter and evaluate novel techniques to deliver three separate grant applications for funding, prize-winning laboratory at The Rock- Blobel, M.D., Ph.D., where the lightbulb anti-HIV gene therapies across the blood- including one in connection with its most re- efeller University, termed Chromovert® that became Chromovert lit up. Gunter Technology. Chromovert is a method of and I co-founded Chromocell Corporation VIEWS BY SUZE cellular engineering. with our business partner Christian Kop- Suzanne McAndrews The application of the Chromovert pro- fli as a biotech spin-out of Rockefeller in 50 + years in Greenwich Village cess to cure HIV/AIDS would look like order to pioneer the use of Chromovert in this: First, blood is drawn from a patient. unrelated commercial applications which See Views by Suze Stem cells of the body’s immune system, include a novel, non-addictive clinical- at Bonsignour Café called hematopoietic stem cells, are then stage pain blocker fast-tracked by the FDA. Jane Street isolated from the blood. Next, genetic sur- The first known cure of a patient with and Eighth Avenue gery is performed on the stem cells to ren- AIDS made me realize that the technology der them resistant to infection by HIV. The I invented might one day yield a broadly-ap- 646-689-3475 genetic surgery can be performed using any plicable global cure. With pro bono support [email protected] one of a variety of methods, including, for continued on page 13 www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 13 Big Trouble for New York Daily News By Carol Yost tioned the Tribune to voluntarily recognize The parent company for the New York Daily the union as the bargaining agent for the News and the Chicago Tribune has agreed remaining journalists at the tabloid. to be acquired by Alden Global Capital, its Tribune board chairman Philip Franklin, largest shareholder—a hedge fund. Tribune who is also a member of the committee ne- Publishing, formerly publicly traded, will gotiating the sale, tried to defend the deal now be private; the deal is valued at $630 with Alden as the best available under to- million in a transaction that is expected to day’s challenging circumstances, including close in the second quarter of 2021. the impact of COVID-19. Alden has a history of slashing staffs and The New York Daily News was founded is a menace to any newspaper. This isn’t the in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the first time theDaily News has had trouble; Illustrated Daily News, and was the first in 2018, half its newsroom staff was cut. American daily printed in tabloid format. What is happening to the Daily News is At its peak circulation in 1947, it sold 2.4 part of the crisis occurring at newsrooms million copies a day. It had the slogan “New everywhere. At times in the past, the paper York’s Picture Newspaper,” and has always came close to going out of business—in had a camera as part of its logo. It later be- 1982 and in the early 1990s. came known as “New York’s Hometown According to the New York Post, “Alden, Newspaper,” and at another time, “The a private equity firm, is known as a vicious Eyes, the Ears, the Honest Voice of New cost cutter that will take over newspapers York.” According to Wikipedia, “the Daily and sell off the coveted real estate in down- News continues to include large and prom- town cities to finance its debt. In the latest inent photographs for news, entertainment deal, much of the real estate for the seven- and sports, as well as intense city news newspaper chain has already been sold off.” coverage, celebrity gossip, classified ads, National News Guild president Jon comics, a sports section, and an opinion Schleuss told the Post, “Alden has a history section.” Interestingly, Wikipedia classifies of running newspapers into the ground. the paper as left-wing. At different times it This isn’t good for workers, the company, has endorsed Republican and Democratic shareholders or the communities.” candidates for president. It has been quite Continues the Post, “Many of the papers assertive in denouncing, even ridiculing, that vacated their offices in the face of the Donald Trump, despite objections from pandemic have been told that they will some readers. never be returning to a newsroom. That Staff originally used two-way radios to includes the Daily News, the Hartford Cou- communicate with the assignment desk, rant, the Morning Call in Allentown, PA, and rode in a fleet of “radio cars.” The pa- and the Capital Gazette, which was the site per has featured famous writers on its staff Do You Need Home Care? of a deranged gunman attack in June 2018 and has won awards for reporting that that resulted in five people being killed in- ripped the lid off citywide corruption. side the Annapolis, MD, newsroom.” Alan Feuer of the New York Times cited Continuity Home Health Care The Daily News’ New York City office at the News for its “deep sourcing and door- 4 New York Plaza is being closed perma- step reporting; crime reportage and hard- nently, but plans to keep a print edition alive. hitting reportage of public issues; speaking Currently staffers are working remotely. to and for the city’s working class; crusades Where Healing Continues... Recently, about 70 Daily News employ- against municipal misconduct.” A licensed home care agency providing ees expressed the desire to unionize with If the Daily News is gobbled up by the health care services, both professional the News Guild, a representative of several Alden monster, a unique and important and paraprofessional, for individuals other papers in the chain. They have peti- part of New York City history will be gone. living at home since 1996.

Fauci continued from page 12 RFTCA has its own cutting-edge bio- technologies. As a result, to my knowledge from the law firm Morrison & Foerster, LLP RFTCA is the only group that is develop- I created RFTCA as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit ing a cure for HIV/AIDS on a pro bono Call Tim Ferguson at (212) 625-2547 organization to develop a truly global and so- basis such that it can be made available cially responsible cure, establish the best char- to all those in need, regardless of ability or drop in to 198 Avenue of The Americas itable use of the technology, and leverage to pay. The recent support of organiza- it to shake complacency, give hope, and raise tions like the NIH and Gates Foundation the funds that are needed to end AIDS, for efforts to cure is a welcome and vitally We accept most private worldwide. In 2019, Chromocell granted a needed ingredient to develop a worldwide, insurances worldwide, royalty-free license to its biotech- global cure for HIV/AIDS. and private pay. nology in the field of curing HIV/AIDS to RFTCA, including the right to research, de- Rockefeller University alumnus and biotech velop, and implement a global cure for HIV/ inventor Kambiz Shekdar, Ph.D., is the [email protected] AIDS on a pro bono basis. founder and president of Research Founda- Unlike organizations which fund re- tion to Cure AIDS. Contact Kambiz at search and development, such as amfAR, [email protected]. 14 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org Greece’s Best Kept Secret I immediately thought: “They make alcohol from this?! This is F&#%!*@ delicious… It would be phenomenal in cocktails… Why on earth don’t we have this in the States? I’m going to be the one to make this happen!” Eureka. The more research I did on mastiha, the more obsessed I became. Mastiha is the ancient Greek superfood: a res- in from the skinos tree, which grows in only 24 villages (mastiho-horia) in the southern part of the Greek island of Chios. It is a PDO, Protected Designation of Origin ingredient, protected by the EU, as indeed it only grows Native Manhattanite and West Village resident here. They have tried to plant the trees on the northern for the past 42 years. part of the island, and the trees grow, but they don’t ex- Licensed in Real Estate for the past 21. crete the same aromatic resin, with its myriad uses (cook- Board Certified New York Residential Specialist (NYRS®). Here to help you and yours find your next perch or move on ing, oral hygiene, skin care, herbal medicine) and scien- whether in New York or elsewhere, when the time comes again. tifically documented healing properties for the gut. Alexander de Bordes Mastiha is primarily known as the world’s first chewing 917-640-3707 gum (hence the word masticate). It was first referenced in [email protected] 500 BC by Herodotus, the Greek father of history, and first prescribed for medicinal purposes by Hippocrates, the Greek father of medicine. It is anti-bacterial, anti- microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant. There are hundreds of modern published medical studies proving it KLEOS FOUNDER EFFIE PANAGOPOULOS harvesting mastiha resin from a skinos tree on the Greek island of kills h. pylori, the bacteria that causes peptic ulcers, gastric Chios. Photo courtesy of Effie Panagopoulos. cancer, and acid reflux. One of the most popular things you can buy from the mastiha shop is toothpaste and mouth- By Effie Panagopoulos wash, since it also prevents gingivitis. It is used as an ingre- dient in surgical thread, as it has healing and regenerative It all started in 2008, when I was working as National properties for the skin. Apparently brands like Chanel and Brand Ambassador for Metaxa, the old school Greek Tata Harper have caught on since it’s now being used in brandy that you’ll find in many a Greek liquor cabinet. anti-aging skin care. A work trip to Greece turned into a mini vacation, and I And I make alcohol with it. With 20 years of experi- found myself in Mykonos, at a beach bar. Like clockwork ence in fitness and marketing spirits, I discovered an elixir at 3 PM, the well-to-do tourists popped up on top of that has been a peasant spirit in Greece for over 3,000 their tables, dancing a gloriously drunk version of Sirtaki years, and created the first luxury version of a mastiha VI LLA GE VI N TN ER to some house music remix of the infamous track from liqueur. Because who doesn’t want something that smells Zorba the Greek. of eucalyptus, tastes like cucumbers, carrots, and a spring Home to the Real Women of Booze But it wasn’t the champagne that got them drunk. The garden, and is good for digestion? nectar from the gods feverishly being passed around was 448 6th Ave. between W. 10th and W. 11 th They say good things take time. It was ten years, 17 mastiha (mas-tee-hah). A friend handed me a shot. Upon formulas, six distilleries, and more than 180 investor (212) 477-0538 villagevintnernyc.com tasting it, I had this Proustian rush that brought me back pitches before I launched KLEOS Mastiha Spirit in villagevint [email protected] to being five years old in my mother’s village, Kaparelli March 2018, in my hometown of Boston, MA. outside of Tripoli, and my grandmother handing us the There isn’t space here to describe the Sisyphean saga it PRESEN T THI S A D FO R 1 0 % O FF YO UR N EXT PURCHA SE* spoon dessert known as “vanilia” or “ypovrihio” (subma- was and continues to be to get KLEOS off the ground, *On regular priced/ regular vintage items. Some restrictions apply. rine). It looked like fluff, and you swirled it around in wa- but I’d be happy to meet at Dante here in the Village, and ter, and sucked on it like a lollipop. I knew this flavor. And tell the tales over KLEOS cocktails. Cheers!

for a drink. Once a guy started hassling me from the back seat and I asked, “You wanna drive?” He retorted, “You bet I do!” Off the Meter So I hopped in the back with his wife and he drove us home. By Jeff Hodges Every night was a vertiginous adventure. In those days the city was peopled with a lively demimonde whose mem- In 1971, when I took the New York City taxi driver test, bers always seemed to end up in my back seat, drinking and I didn’t know whether Fifth Avenue traffic ran uptown or smoking, laughing and crying, and praying and cursing as I downtown. But I knew where the Empire State Building drove to the far reaches of the outer boroughs or the worst was, and that got me my hack license. parts of the inner city. I discussed literature with prosti- I attended college during the day and drove at night. tutes, religion with revolutionaries, poetry with gangsters; My teenage years had been spent fishtailing on dirt roads I escorted staggering drunks into hotel lobbies and drove KILL THE METER to offset unpaid fares and to take joyrides and spinning doughnuts on frozen lakes, so I was an ex- with friends. Photo by Tommy Herson. burglars back to the Bronx. I’ve always said I learned more perienced driver. Our cars served as portable bars, living from driving a cab than I did in four years of college. rooms, and bedrooms throughout the endless New Eng- ter to the light on the roof. At the beginning of my shift One night in Spanish Harlem I picked up a kid who’d land winters, so spending long hours behind the wheel I’d unwrap the electrical tape and install a kill switch so I taken a bullet. Every time I hit a pothole he screamed, but wasn’t much of an issue either. could turn off the roof light and make it look like the me- his friends called him a pussy and told him to shut up. I My main problem was passengers not paying their fares ter was running. As long as your receipts were respectable turned around and said, “I hope he’s not bleeding all over at the end of their rides. Kids would open the doors and at the end of the night, you could spend part of your shift my back seat,” but he just had a small hole in his thigh scatter to the four corners of Brooklyn; guys in suits would working for yourself by offering a flat rate to your passen- with a big round bloodstain. When we got to Metropoli- plead forgetfulness and run upstairs to get their wallets, gers and pocketing the money. tan Hospital they dragged him out of the cab, dumped never to return. I loved driving a cab. I had my own set of wheels in New him on the curb, and took off. I had to walk him in and Some of this was offset by going “off the meter.” Almost York City and I could kill the meter and take joyrides with my hand him over to an orderly. every fleet cab had a doctored wire running from the me- friends. A number of times I parked the cab and joined a fare I didn’t bother trying to collect the fare. www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 15 Village Vintner Salutes the Real Women of Booze

KLEOS MASTIHA SPIRIT FOUNDER EFFIE PANAGOPOULOS AND VILLAGE VINTNER OWNER SOJIN SONG celebrate the Real Women of Booze—female founders of premium distilleries. Photo by Karen Rempel. By Karen Rempel lives in the neighborhood and I see him at the gym all the time. And so, the layout is As you walk past Village Vintner on Sixth inspired by real housewives from the Bev- Avenue between West 10th and West 11th, erly Hills show. That’s where the tagline ‘The you might do a double-take. An eye-catch- Real Women of Booze’ comes from.” These ing display proclaims “The Real Women of ladies are legit, but Effie said, “Some of the Booze,” with a magnetic layout of women larger companies, the big spirit conglomer- and bottles of alcohol on pedestals—two of ates, are trying to pander to the women audi- our favorite things! ence, but they’re really creating brands that To celebrate Women’s History Month in don’t have that same level of authenticity and WE’RE OPEN—FREE ON DEMAND DELIVERY March, Village Vintner owner Sojin Song legitimacy. They’re not truly women-owned, wanted to put the spotlight on pioneering they’re just figments of a marketer’s imagina- women who have founded their own liquor tion. There’s a lot of this make it pink stuff brands that are representative of women today. that I find to be really off-putting and not VILLAGE Sojin recalls, “A lot of people did not visit well researched. It just shows a lack of being during the pandemic. But Pomp & Whim- in touch with the modern woman consumer. sy’s Nicola Nice has her agent Kendra here Whereas I think our brands are more rep- in New York, and I’ve been seeing Effie; resentative of what women are looking for she’s been coming quite a bit because she nowadays.” Effie knows that women want APOTHECARY lives in NYC.” He got to know Effie espe- something different—healthy, low cal if cially well, and featured her KLEOS Mas- possible, but delicious and exciting. She ap- THE COMMUNITY PHARMACY THAT CARES tiha Spirit in its own display for a while. preciates working with Sojin. “He’s one of a Effie Panagopoulos is the first Greek minority of buyers that are really into things woman in history to start a liquor brand that are different and unique.” Stop by Vil- Come in and she works with Greece’s first female lage Vintner to check out the display and try distiller. She and Sojin were talking about the inspiring offerings. for your fREE the window display for Women’s History Month. Effie noticed that Sojin put red stickers on product labels, marking all the Village Vintner, 448 6th Avenue women-owned brands. (212) 477-0538, villagevintnernyc.com. WELCOmE She said, “I saw Pomp & Whimsy on the shelf, which is another woman-owned Meet the Real Women of Booze! brand.” Pomp & Whimsy founder Nicola DR. NICOLA NICE, THE SOCIOLOGIST: KIT! Nice and Effie are both in a group that Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur. It’s gin. Nicola started, called the Women’s Cock- Reimagined. tail Collective—a group of female found- EFFIE PANAGOPOULOS, THE SPAR- BRInG THIs CARd In And RECEIVE $10 off ers. Effie started looking around at all the TAN: KLEOS, The Mastiha Spirit. It’s your Greek vacation in a glass. O n A n Y P u RCHAs E O f $25 OR m ORE red dots that Sojin had placed around the ALLISON EVANOW, THE OG (Organic store. “And we both immediately thought, or Original Gangster—your choice!): maybe we should do a female-founded Square One Organic Vodka. From the Store HourS: Mon - Fri 8aM - 8pM • Sat 9aM - 6pM • Sun 10aM - 5pM window!” She thought, “That’s great, let Farm to the Bottle. 346 Bleecker St • Greenwich VillaGe, nY 10014 • VillaGeapothecarY.com me round up all these ladies.” SONYA VEGA, THE PR MAVEN: Doña A fitness fanatic, Effie decided, “I wanted Vega Mezcal. The boldness of mezcal, to spoof the real housewives. Andy Cohen refined. 212.807.7566 16 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org

lously elaborated upon as to where to find them “if they’re out.” Each owl has involved Cuteness multiple excursions in pursuit of a sighting. “Stand here, not here.” “Oh, it was just out before you got here!” “It’s usually there in the morning.” “It’s often there right before Squared dusk.” And on and on. By Keith Michael Part of being a star bird among the NYC glitterati is maintaining the balance be- It’s Millie’s Birthday! She’s twelve. tween staying both “elusive” AND show- Of course, Millie’s resting up for later ing up for your photoshoot! This Screech festivities in the day with corgi-shaped Owl, probably the femme fatale, fulfills candles in a cream cheese cake studded both prerequisites: MOSTLY she is in her with kibble amid celebratory clinking of prominent boudoir visible to all, but only flutes poured to the brim with Corgi gin. OCCASSIONALLY is she joined by her (I’m kidding.) It’s a normal day and she’s paramour cuddling in her same apartment napping. Normally. window, and more intriguingly (as I saw But I AM waiting for Jerry, her faith- them,) enjoying “the morning after” from ful dog-walker, to arrive to take her out on their adjacent balconies. a mid-day jaunt before really launching into What a New York real estate flourish: writing this month’s article. The peer pressure an exclusive, secluded high-rise apartment, of her doggo compatriots inspires Millie to cozy sunken living room, children’s play- more athletic walks in the neighborhood—a SINGLE FAMILY OCCUPANCY, two entrances. Screech Owls welcome. Photo by Keith Michael. room, stunning views—with separate en- curtailment to her spreading figure. most magical of Manhattan parks. man’s Breeches, whose blossoms resemble trances! One of the several days I’ve rushed My constructed fantasy is that Millie is First of all, if you haven’t been to Inwood its namesake hanging out on a clothesline up to Inwood to catch a few moments of offended by mentions of cuteness in any Hill Park, walk yourself to the uptown A to dry in the wind. primetime, she was placidly napping in form other than about her own formidable Train (now), take it to the last stop, exit But I DO digress. A Screech Owl is a the morning sun, occasionally opening one self. Whew, Jerry has arrived and whisked from the 211th Street end of the plat- tiny owl, about the size of a Robin, a few wary eye. Naturally, I was willing her wee Millie out of earshot as well as out of range form (walk a block north to marvel at the inches taller than your phone, but shaped suitor to snuggle into her window when a of her indefatigable ability to interpret my magnificent Inwood Ginkgo Tree, an of- more like an over-stuffed pain au choco- compatriot celebrant birder let me know keystrokes relating to extra-Millie cuteness! ficial NYC Great Tree) then walk west to lat. They boast spectacular camouflage that that “he” was right around the corner on the We are alone. Inwood Hill Park. Welcoming you is the undoubtedly has been studied by militaries. adjacent knothole balcony. Shazam! Two for Last month I wrote about the celebrity oldest forest in Manhattan, and the Shor- During the day these owls bask in the sun, one. Twice as nice. Double the pleasure. Snowy Owl in Central Park. In true Mary akkopoch Rock marking the traditional often from discreet tree crevices match- I hear the shuffle of tiny feet approach- Poppins fashion, the spring winds changed site of the “transfer” of Manhattan from ing their feathers. At night, they’re fierce ing outside the door and the turn of the and with her business in order, the Snowy the Lenape to Peter Minuit in 1626. Pre- silent hunters. Conversationally, Screech key in the lock. Nevertheless, seeing that Owl whisked off to fairer seasonal locales. dating Central Park, many trees have been Owls don’t really screech though they have owl duo was a surfeit of cuteness. I hope Leaving a vacuum for NYC avian news, ascending skyward since the Revolutionary an impressive vocal repertoire of whinnies that a few weeks from now there will be the fulfilling power couple is now a pair War when Continental soldiers hunkered and trills. They come in two fetching color tiny fluffballs of toddler Screech Owls to of diminutive Screech Owls in northern down in this northern valley. Stately Tulip morphs: gray and red. be ogled over in northern Manhattan. Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park. and Red Oak trees are the dominant grand Disappointingly, I have never spotted a “Hi Millie! Aren’t you the best girl!? It all started more than a month ago when trees, the understory is Spicebush (catch Screech Owl on my own. The four previ- Who could be cuter?” a single gray owl was reported regularly sun- it in its spring yellow-veiled finery), and ous Screech Owl celebrities that I have ning himself/herself in a more than usually hugging the ground is a sprawling carpet seen in my bird-watching career have all Visit keithmichaelnyc.com or follow @newy- accessible knothole high in a tree in this of an eccentric spring wildflower, Dutch- been found by others first, then meticu- orkcitywild on Instagram.

Nazis, and then the Russians, overran her where one-bedroom apartments can easily Smiling is Contagious native Latvia, which hadn’t a large popula- fetch over $3,000 a month today. Opening tion to begin with. And thus began a life- in 1970, Westbeth should have celebrated It takes a dozen muscles to smile, but only long journey as a refugee, first in Austria its 50th anniversary last year to much fan- 11 to frown. Thus, it’s a matter of fact that where she learned to dance, then down un- fare, but, as you can imagine, things did it’s easier to be a pessimist than an opti- der in Australia where her skills were tried not go as planned. Awarded the prestigious mist, but it’s not the higher Truth. in fire, putting on a command performance honor of becoming a Westbeth Icon, Vija After more than a year of wearing masks, for a young Queen Elizabeth II, who at 94 in many ways represents the soul of that in- you’d be forgiven for not remembering how is four years Vija’s junior. Eventually, Vija stitution. Indeed, her hopes were dashed by to smile. “Use it or lose it” is a hard les- found herself in India, honing her craft in the pandemic, as she was looking forward son learned by anyone who has been bed- Indian classical dance, for which she re- to traveling to her native Latvia where she bound for any extended period of time. ceived great acclaim. The Indians accepted is regarded as a national treasure and per- FEW HAVE ATTAINED THE WEALTH OF YEARS The muscles begin to atrophy and patients her as one of their own, not only because forms annually for an audience filled with that 98-year-old dancer Vija Vetra has. Photo: often have to slog through months of phys- she carried on the tradition of one of the some of her most respected and influential Courtesy of the Archive of Vija Vetra. ical therapy to get the momentum moving world’s oldest dance forms, but also be- countrymen, including the president of the in the right direction. As more and more cause her name had a ring of familiarity. country. Unsure of when she’ll next make By Stanly Wlodyka Jiménez folks get their vaccines, and the number of In Hindi, Vija Vetra means “garland of vic- the trip, it’s all Vija can do to keep from COVID infections continues to drop, so, tory,” a fitting namesake for someone who “sinking into desperate loneliness, without This past year, there’s been no short- too, will the masks. In the interest of avoid- would eventually dance for their legendary any family or relative alive.” Hamlet’s fa- age of reasons to feel glum, but common ing the oncoming pandemic of “resting Prime Minister Indira Ghandi. mous soliloquy that meditates on the wis- wisdom tells us that we ought to accentu- bitch face” (do yourself a favor and Google Vija Vetra lived as a refugee on five con- dom of committing the unspeakable has, ate the positive, look at the glass half full, that), Vija Vetra has been practicing. tinents, ultimately landing in New York despite her best intentions, been echoing and smile though our hearts are breaking. At 98-years-young, Vija Vetra has had an and finding a home as one of the first ten- inside the halls of her mind. Common wisdom also tells us that “it takes abundant life, both in terms of positive and ants of Westbeth Artists Housing, the larg- However, you don’t survive a Nazi oc- 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile,” negative experiences. Hundreds of thou- est artist housing in the world, with 380 cupation at such a young age as Vija did but science has proven that last bit wrong. sands of her countrymen died when the subsidized apartments in the West Village continued on page 25 CARING FOR THE VILLAGE TAKES A VILLAGE

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Northwell_w560005_LHGV_Print Ad_West View News_10x12.75 Size: 10” x 12.75”, FP Publication: West View News 18 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org New Delivery Service Empowers Small Businesses By Anthony Valencia know, the same customers for thirty or With many businesses closed down or re- forty years, but the Village is in constant covering from the devastating effects of change, always changing, and you adapt the global pandemic, a new service aims to and change with it. The one thing that our empower small businesses and encourage customers have always wanted is quality, consumers to shop locally. so we stay with that—and variety. People’s Pyazza was started in the West Village tastes, they change. They travel, and when by a group of neighbors who decided to they come back, they want to cook what take action late last year after seeing many they had abroad, like game meat, and so we empty store fronts. The group made it their adapt to that too. mission to do something about the count- “Our customers’ wishes are our command. less shops struggling to stay afloat as a re- What they want, we’ll do. We don’t have sult of the pandemic. meat already pre-cut—everything is cut to The adaptations forced upon businesses order. We grind the hamburger meat fresh to and consumers by COVID-19 put local mer- the customers’ specifications, you know, we chants at risk. People practicing social dis- don’t pre-grind it. Even though it’s the mod- tancing couldn’t conveniently shop in person ern age, we still do it the old-fashioned way. in their local neighborhoods. Instead, they We try and keep in touch with the people. THE OLDEST OF THE OTTOMANELLI BROTHERS, Frankie, hands Pyazza an order for deliv- turned to large online retail chain stores and ery. Photo: courtesy of Pyazza’s Instagram page@pyazzalocal. “I think Pyazza is a great service. Espe- established national delivery services. cially now. People can’t get out and they As an unintended consequence, neigh- want to be able to order from their lo- borhood boutiques and markets have found make it down to Union Square. It’s been an was like a nice family neighborhood, you cal stores rather than big trucking firms, themselves severely disadvantaged. The enormous help for me.” know, a big Italian family working here, which is basically what [the retail chain “heart and soul” of the local community is One of the merchants benefitting from and many locals shopping here. Then he stores] are. And for Pyazza to pick it up also at risk of dying from COVID-19 be- the new Pyazza delivery service is O. Ot- opened another store and became success- and deliver, I think that’s fantastic. I think cause of the social changes it has engendered. tomanelli & Sons. Gerry and his brothers ful on Bleecker Street. It was a very com- Pyazza is doing a great job and I hope they Pyazza hopes to connect the community Frankie and Joe run the acclaimed butcher petitive place, so we always had high qual- grow. Like we grew from 70 years ago, I and its many valued shops. Debra Cam- shop on Bleecker Street. Mr. Ottomanelli ity. That’s how he did his business. hope they grow also. You’ve got to give the eros, a Pyazza customer, is a real estate described his background and his view of “Bleecker Street, at the time, was a mec- customers quality, give them service, which agent who enjoys the convenience of hav- Pyazza as follows: ca for food. There were six butcher shops, Pyazza provides. They go hand in hand— ing her produce delivered to her door. “My “My father started on Bleecker Street three fish markets, and three bread stores, quality and service.” schedule can be unpredictable, and Pyazza about 70 years ago. It was a small one-man and open-air markets also ran from Sixth gives me the opportunity to have my pro- shop when he started. At the time there Avenue to Seventh Avenue. Pyazza can be contacted through its website at duce delivered when I don’t have time to were a number of other butchers here. It “We have some customers that are, you Pyazza.com or via email at [email protected]. Pill Bottle Recycling By Ede Rothaus pretations are to act with compassion to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, Want to contribute to reducing New imprisoned or poor. York City’s carbon footprint? Improve medical care in developing countries Acceptable collection items: while caring for the environment? • Prescription and over the counter Recycling your pill bottles is one small pill bottles step in the right direction. Cincinnati • Large and small pill bottles -based Matthew:25 Ministries, accepts • Pill bottles with and without secure donations of empty plastic pill bottles for caps (child-resistant) inclusion in shipments of medical sup- plies and for shredding and recycling. Pill bottles for shipments of medical Matthew:25 Ministries started in 1991 supplies guidelines: when Reverend Wendell Mettey returned • Bottles must have an all plastic lid from a trip to Nicaragua with doctors and • Sort bottles by color and type nurses carrying supplies in their suitcases. • Remove labels, leaving no gum or Seeing so much poverty and suffering, he residue promised himself to find a way to help not • Wash bottles in very hot water with only the people of Nicaragua but others in dish soap need. Today, his system of recovering ex- • Rinse and dry thoroughly cess products which are deemed no longer • Replace lids on clean, dry bottles useful by US corporations, has grown into • Place clean, recapped bottles in an international relief organization send- largeplastic bags marked “Clean ing more than 15 million pounds of prod- Bottles” ucts each year across the United States and more than 60 countries worldwide. Send pill bottles to: The name of the organization refers Matthew 25: Ministries to sections of the New Testament Mat- 11060 Kenwood Road thew 25:31-46. Contemporary inter- Cincinnati, OH 445242 www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 19

A View from the Kitchen Pyazza.com By Isa Covo ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 large clove of garlic, minced Six weeks fully vaccinated. It is a relief, but 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce there is little change in the game: I am still 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg Same Day Delivery wearing masks in the street, I keep social 1 tablespoon grappa, or vodka, or gin, or distance with some unvaccinated acquain- lemon juice, if preferred tances, but now I can visit my healthy fam- in Less Than 2 Hours Salt and pepper ily and be able to hug my grandchildren. 12 mixed fresh parsley leaves and dill I even had lunch outdoors with the occa- fronds, chopped sional friend. Life feels somewhat normal, Raining? Snowing? Or just wanna stay cozy in bed? 4 heaping tablespoons salmon caviar at and soon we will be able to see movies in room temperature Pyazza can shop for you! the theater. That said we still mourn the more than DIRECTIONS half a million dead from COVID-19 here, Put the pistachios inside a folded kitch- Get fast delivery from a friendly neighbor for just $8.00. and although the numbers have decreased, en towel or a paper towel, place on a flat more will still die. And then there is the surface, and crush with a rolling pin into plight and the unimaginable suffering and coarse pieces. Set aside. deaths of migrants, on our southern border In a large skillet, melt the butter over Visit Pyazza.com to have items from Union Square coming from South and Central America, very low heat. Add the garlic and cook and those from the Middle Eastern coun- stirring for about three to four minutes, Greenmarket delivered to you during market hours. tries, eager to escape eternal wars, brutal until the garlic softens and becomes fra- The list of vendors selling at the market governments, and poverty, risking their grant. Turn the heat off but leave the skil- lives to reach countries around the Medi- let on the stove. is updated daily. terranean as a portal to the west. In a large saucepan bring to boil 3 quarts I also have a dream, that once the pan- of water and a tablespoon of salt. Add the demic is controlled, the richer and devel- pasta. As soon as it softens slightly, stir, oped countries will form a coalition to and cook for about five more minutes study solutions that would establish order Turn off the burner and remove two in those countries where the more vulner- cups of the pasta water. able citizens try to escape. Add the nutmeg and the Worcestershire (917) 924-2495 [email protected] Peace and Love. sauce to the skillet and set the heat to me- At this time we only deliver in our West Village, SoHo and TriBeCa communities.

Photo by Isa Covo.

Pasta in Butter and Red dium high. Add the pasta cooking water Caviar Sauce and boil the mixture stirring with a wood- en spoon until the mixture emulsifies and This recipe was inspired by the cuisine of is slightly reduced. Drain the pasta and Northern Italy where butter and lardo, rather add it to the skillet. Toss the pasta in the than olive oil, are used as fats. A cold white butter sauce and cook an additional two to wine makes an excellent accompaniment. A three minutes, adding more cooking water green and radicchio salad seasoned with a by the tablespoon as the liquid in the skil- light oil and balsamic vinegar dressing can be let evaporates, until the pasta is cooked al served on the side. A gelato or a sorbetto of dente. All the water may not be needed. your choice completes the meal. Turn the heat all the way down, add the grappa, season the pasta to taste with salt INGREDIENTS and pepper, mix in the herbs, then very ½ cup of roasted unsalted pistachios, gently add the caviar. lightly crushed Serve in plates or bowls and sprinkle 12 oz long Italian pasta, bucatini, spa- with the crushed pistachios. ghetti, or tagliatelle Yield: 4 to 5 servings 20 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org

Closed Lingua Franca, a store that sold sustainably-sourced, fair trade luxury cashmere sweaters, hand-stitched by women in NYC, has closed. In June 2019, the window display housed IN the “Tiny Pricks Project,” a series of needlepoint pieces cre- ated by contributors from around the world where tweets and and quotes from former President Trump were showcased. OUT A reader noticed a sign on the window of 27 Morton (27½ by Caroline Benveniste Morton Street at 7th Avenue South) which read “Dear friends and patrons, after two happy years we will be perma- Just over a year ago New York City shut down. All non-es- nently closing our doors at our current location at 11PM on sential businesses were required to close, and restaurants were March 27th. Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with limited to take-out and delivery. Given how difficult the last our next location.” 27 Morton replaced Doma Na Rohu, year has been for most businesses, it is not surprising that many and offered some of the same Central and Eastern Euro- restaurants and shops have shuttered permanently. One theme pean dishes. Another reader writes: “Sad to see that The we’ve heard over and over is that landlords were not willing to CHEF / OWNER OF LA CONTENTA OESTE, Luis Arce Mota, Upper Rust antique shop at 143 Seventh Avenue South work with businesses, further exacerbating the situation. Re- above. Photo courtesy of La Contenta Restaurants. (between 10th and Charles Streets) has closed. Last day was cently we spoke with Luis Arce Mota, the chef/owner of La ways keep a neighborhood watch for us and our streets are Feb. 21. They’re updating their website for online shopping: Contenta Oeste, who had a very different story. He told us always cleaner and safer when you’re open.” www.theupperrust.com” how his landlord has been great, and was willing to work with Once outdoor dining started, Luis added the job of car- them to help keep the business going. penter to his resume. Three different structures now sur- Other round the restaurant. Luis has named them El Camión (in Murray’s Mac and Cheese (264 Bleecker Street between the street on 11th), Los Cubitos (along the building on Cornelia and Morton Streets), which was located in the 11th), and Las Casitas (on 6th Avenue). old Murray’s Cheese Bar space, has relocated to the origi- The restaurant still faces challenges: they are doing nal location of Murray’s Mac & Cheese (250 Bleecker about 45% of the business they used to. But because of Street at Leroy Street). The Junzi Kitchen location at 190 their understanding landlord and the help of their build- Sullivan Street (at Bleecker Street) morphed into Nice ing manager they have been able to continue operating Day Chinese Takeout last November. Now, the Junzi and employing their staff, and they recently signed a lease folks have decided to do the same thing at the Columbia through December. Hopefully things will continue to im- University/Morningside Heights Junzi Kitchen. In addi- prove and La Contenta will remain a neighborhood fixture tion, they also started a “Love Our Food Love Our People” for a long time. campaign on social media to encourage everyone to join the fight against racism and violence towards the AAPI community. Open Chaz Dean Studio NYC We heard from a number of you this month, and we really 59 Greenwich Avenue between 7th Avenue South and appreciate your help. Please keep the emails coming. You can LA CONTENTA OESTE on 6th Avenue. Photo courtesy of West 11th Street reach us at [email protected] La Contenta Restaurants. Chaz Dean is a Los Angeles stylist who boasts of a celeb- rity clientele there. The original opening was scheduled for La Contenta Oeste (78 West 11th at 6th Avenue) opened mid to late 2019. Chaz Dean is also the creator of WEN®, in 2017. French Roast had been in that location for years, a hair and self-bronzing product line that is sold online, but when the owner, Simon Oren decided to close it, he at his salons, and on QVC. He believes that shampoo is I like WestView News, thought of Luis who had worked at French Roast in the harmful to hair, so he instead promotes a cleansing condi- 90’s. Luis came to the US from Mexico. He met his wife tioner that is sodium laurel sulfate-free. The salon occupies but I never give a dime when she was on vacation there in 1990, and after they the space that used to house Canine Styles Downtown, became engaged and he received his visa, he arrived here a store which sold fancy accoutrements for dogs and had and started working in the food industry. His first job groomers on-site. The storefront had been empty for at for anything ... was at Carmine’s in Times Square. He helped with the least six years. opening in 1992. He worked as a dishwasher for the first Thank you for subscribing and making donations! two weeks, and then moved on to food prep. In 1993 he Re-Opened started working at French Roast as a garde-manger, the ❑ 6 month subscription for $12 Hud- chef in charge of cold food. He has fond memories of We were delighted to see that popular Irish pub ❑ 1 year subscription for $24 French Roast in the 90’s: it was a place with regulars, and son Hound (575 Hudson Street between West 11th and the regulars were a mix of Village denizens and celebri- Bank Streets) re-opened, fittingly, on St. Patrick’s Day. For ❑ 2 year subscription for $48 ties (some of whom also lived in the Village). A partial a while, its future was uncertain: it had closed in March ❑ Make George smile $______donation list includes: Mel Brooks, Mo Rocca, Uma Thurman and 2020, reopened in October, then closed in the winter once Sean Lennon. Luis particularly remembers visit by David indoor dining was banned again. In the February 2021 is- Bowie. Eventually Luis moved on from there to a number sue of WestView News, Maggie Berkvist, in her “Working Name______of other spots (Coffee Shop in Union Square, Windows to Save West Village Restaurants” reported on her discus- on the World, Jefferson on West 10th Street, Café Conde- sion with Hudson Hound owner Lou Rudy. At the time Address______sa and Ofrenda), often working two jobs at a time, until he said: “Basically, at Hudson Hound, West Village, we finally, in 2015, he opened his own spot, La Contenta on are just hanging on. Our landlord has been amazing about ______the Lower East Side. working with us but unless there is financial support from Once Luis decided to take over the French Roast loca- the government we will have to make some hard deci- email address ______tion, it took him two months to get La Contenta Oeste up sions. We cannot survive on 25 percent occupancy and no and running. He has worked hard to tailor the restaurant outside seating. We are going to stay closed for a bit and to serve the neighborhood. He has volunteered at PS 41, see what is happening in the spring.” Clay Pot NYC (270 Mail check to WestView News doing guacamole demonstrations for three years (pre-pan- Bleecker Street at Morton Street), which serves Bao Zai Subscription Department, 108 Perry Street, Apt 4A, New York, NY 10014 demic). On Nextdoor, one poster wrote of Luis and the Fan, a Hong-Kong style rice dish cooked in a clay pot has You may also subscribe online by visiting restaurant: “You and your staff make our neighborhood so re-opened after a winter hibernation. The original East westviewnews.org proud and feel like home. You’re always so generous and Village location is still closed. The IFC Center (323 6th and clicking SUBSCRIBE supportive to our public schools. Your and your staff al- Avenue at West 3rd Street) has re-opened. www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 21 The Fruitman Returns!

FRESH FRUIT ON WEST 12TH & SEVENTH AVENUE IS AVAILABLE AGAIN after a 16-month absence. Photo by Harry Almendar.

By Harry Almendar He called the Parks Department to com- plain; he was told they weren’t issuing I have worked the corner of 7th Avenue permits. A Change.org petition followed, and 12th Street with my amazing fruit cart which Arthur forwarded to the Parks De- for over 20 years. The last few have been partment, which then agreed to let me work quite rocky, but on March 23rd, after a the corner without a permit until they is- 16-month absence, I returned to my space sued a Request for Proposals (RFP). in front of the AIDS Memorial Park! Things went ok until Halloween 2019, Until 2018 I’d worked that corner, which when, as part of the parade preparation was adjacent to a utility building run by the NYPD came by while the cart was be- St. Vincent’s Hospital. I served hospital ing worked by one of my assistants; they workers, visitors, and hundreds of people towed the cart away. Several days later Ar- each day on their way to and from the sub- thur and I went to the Office of Admin- way station at West 12th Street and Sev- istrative Trials and Hearings. We got the enth Avenue. When St. Vincent’s closed, ticket dismissed, and Arthur helped me and the zoning deal allowed luxury condos get my merchandise and cart back. to be built, the supervision of the whole Shortly after that, the Parks Depart- triangle bordered by Greenwich Avenue, ment issued an RFP, and Arthur worked West 12th Street and Seventh Avenue was with me to set up a corporation, get insur- assigned to the NYC Parks Department. ance, and complete my application. With community input, and cooperation In March 2020, a week before the pan- from the Parks Department and others, a demic closed NYC down, I was notified memorial to the thousands of AIDS pa- that I had been the top bidder. But a week tients treated at St. Vincent’s Hospital was later, not only was the city closed, the created. Parks Department was too. I had gotten always gotten my permit Earlier this month, after the Parks from the Department of Consumer Af- Department had been stalling (they had fairs. One day in October, 2018 I received a awarded me the wrong kind of permit) summons, and had my merchandise seized, Arthur wrote to Commissioner Silver and because I didn’t have a Parks Department I got permission to open. permit. On the advice of George Capsis at A little bit of Greenwich Village—my MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 10 AM-7 PM WestView News I called Arthur Schwartz. second home—saved! SUNDAY 11 AM-5 PM Maximum of four people allowed in the store at one time Masks Required 212-242-5351 22 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org Looking for Love? LIFETALK with Roberta Russell I live in the shadow of COVID-19, devoid of touching, or kisses, or any kind of physical intimacy. Living is useless without loving. The vitality and constant presence of Lex- ie, my unmasked, honed-in, snugly, white fluffy standard poodle, helps to remind me there is love. Not surprisingly, there is now an unprecedented demand for dogs. Widowed after 27 years of life with my darling daring husband, Harold Krieger, I Margot Weinshel, LCSW have now become a reluctant heart hunter. Experienced compassionate psychotherapy We were devoted to each other. Now I do Image courtesy of Roberta Russell. not belong. Just the suggestion of mutual belief that empathy and the feeling of alliance for individuals or couples comprehension and intimacy, real or imag- between a client and therapist are the active l ined, turns me on like a light switch. forces in therapeutic change, and motivated Clinical faculty member But I soon adjust to a harsh lonely reality. by my desire to help R.D. Laing increase his For COVID-wary people, outside emotion- income, I suggested that he write a book tell- NYU Langone Medical Center al exploration is often tempered by reason ing readers how to have a therapeutic rela- l and dread. Many still have their families, tionship with a carefully selected person out- Accepts Medicare Part B as full payment their communal meals and mutual commit- side the confines of therapy. Like the heroine ments, and their ever-present COVID fears. in the movie Pretty Woman, he saved me right For now, sessions are by Telemedicine only At best, they share affection and attend to back by counter-proposing that I join him in each other, affirming their identities. New London to write such a book. By doing so, For extensive details visit margotweinshel.com relationships are limited by more than just we could try to create a successful “how-to” the diminishing odds of supply and demand. book, and increase our personal options as Or phone 212 353 2476 Nevertheless, because I was fully Mod- one does in successful therapy. That is the Margot Weinshel, LCSW erna-vaccinated weeks ago, along with an way R.D. Laing & Me: Lessons in Love, which increasing swath of people, the prospects for is a true love story, began. a more moored life are looking up for me. I have found that fantasies can come Vaccines continued from page 1 With just a bit of encouragement, I spin true—tempered by an evolving reality. I am cine is available. Significant side effects are strain of COVID, to others. One unan- a promising saga for myself. If there is working on a formative one now. “Reason is present but are very rare, possibly affecting as swered question during this entire pan- nothing out there, why not make it up and and ought to be a slave of the passions,” said few as one in 500,000 recipients. The virus demic is whether there is a slight chance act accordingly anyway? When I look back, David Hume, the 18th century philosopher. has caused a mortality of one in 100, so there that individuals who are immune to the doing just that, even in starker times, suc- If you want to find out how this inten- is an overwhelming benefit from vaccination. virus, due to vaccination or previous infec- ceeded miraculously. tionally therapeutic alliance evolved, you can Continue using non-pharmacological tion, might be able to carry it and infect For instance, I met R.D. Laing, the late download the book, free, from scholargoogle. interventions (NPIs) like masks, social others with a sneeze, a cough, or just con- famed Scottish psychiatrist and author, at a com. Then, you may wish to create and exam- distancing, testing and tracing, and, when versation. NPIs are annoying and some- European Association for Humanistic Psy- ine your own therapeutic alliance. Laing cau- necessary, quarantine. Not only will these times uncomfortable, but so are emergency chology Congress in Zaragoza, Spain in tioned, in his contraindications to the reader, measures prevent your contracting one of rooms, hospitals and ventilators. 1980. I found his subtle awareness intoxi- “…one’s heart has got to be in the right place, the potentially lethal mutants if they ac- This virus is new. There’s no telling what cating. Months later, in Rome, where Laing or one will inevitably get the wrong end of tually spread, but NPIs will prevent your permutations will occur in the future. Be as was also the featured speaker, we moved up the stick.” I’d love to hear how you do. transmitting them, or even the original careful as possible. This race isn’t over. a notch. I had been invited there to pres- You can follow my current reverberating ent my findings on effective psychotherapy, adventures in my quest for post-COVID and also to run an original self-marketing community through publisher George workshop which was simultaneously trans- Capsis’ WestView News and my new col- lated into Italian. Framed by the sunshine umn, Lifetalk with Roberta Russell. at the entrance of the pensione, he greeted me with a transformative hug and invited Roberta Russell is the author of R.D. Laing me to join him and his entourage. & Me: Lessons in Love with R.D. Laing, Long after that, alone in my Manhat- Report on Effective Psychotherapy: Legisla- tan apartment ruminating about my lack tive Testimony, and Report on Permanent of purpose, I bucked up to calling Laing, Weight Loss. She has also been a contribu- who was in Hampstead London immersed tor to various international magazines in his own sadness. I had been told by a and journals including: Psychologie Heute mutual friend, conference organizer Knut (Germany), Japan Times, The Psychologist Pflughaupt, that Laing was deeply troubled. (U.K.), Human Potential Magazine (U.K.), Dr. Laing could truly “see” me. Many oth- Changes (U.K.), Clinical Psychology Forum ers felt that he knew them better than anyone (U.K.), Psychoanalytic Studies (U.K.), and else did, even after a brief acquaintance. He Bottom Line (USA). Occasionally she hosts had described my Report on Effective Psycho- a New York City cable television show called therapy: Legislative Testimony as: “Illuminat- Lifetalk which has featured interviews with ing and interesting. A useful piece of work. movers and shakers in controversial areas of NOW: Dr. Alec Pruchnicki in full state-mandated protective equipment, with his patient, retired Well put together and very instructive.” psychology, weight loss, nutrition, medicine, artist Avi Farin (see his work on the Internet or Facebook). Photo courtesy of Dr. Alec Pruchnicki. Thus, guided by the research-supported environment, and population growth. www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 23 No Greater Challenge CB2 Nabs Community By Tom Lamia In 1966, I arrived in Lagos, Nigeria, bound for a position as Lecturer in Law at Rehearsal Space How is this impasse among us to be re- a Nigerian university. On the day of my ar- solved? When and by what means can we rival, a military coup was underway. From expect to resume civility in our politics and the nation’s founding in 1960, the three in our daily lives? Will it come through pol- principal ethnic groups within Nigeria icy persuasion? Or, from an erosion of cul- had shared political power, but that ended tural differences effected through birth rates, in 1966. Within six months of my arrival, immigration rates, and education rates? the Eastern Region of Nigeria seceded, Putting it more plainly, can we expect that as Biafra, and a civil war began. Military what has become a venomous set of social superiority and international support for and political animosities will eventually dis- Nigeria put an end to Biafra’s dream of appear by a reversion to the mean? Should independence. Nigeria’s victory came at a we trust the “melting pot” theory of Ameri- high cost: coups, military rule, corruption, can history (“E Pluribus Unum”) to bring us new constitutions, new ethnic regions, a together? Will “American Exceptionalism” new capital city. Insuperable differences (like Adam Smith’s invisible hand of capital- were ultimately set aside as the price to be ism) see us through our current head in the paid for co-existence. No one of the coun- sand partisanship? Maybe, but my personal try’s hundreds of ethnic peoples could co- history suggests more is needed. erce peace, so all had to be accommodated, I was a student at the University of Mis- finally. It may not be over, but a lesson in sissippi, in Oxford, in 1957. There, a fel- the limits of power and the need for coop- low “Yankee” student and friend, Frank eration seems to have prevailed. Wolf (later a long-time Congressman Being a freshman and a “Yankee” at Ole from Northern Virginia) led me on a visit Miss put me in the distinct minority. I to William Faulkner’s house on Oxford’s knew that and was prepared for it. Still, town square. Frank, a serious Christian it was a shock when the Dean of Students THE MANHATTAN COMMUNITY BOARD 2 (CB2) Arts Advisory Panel is facilitating a new com- then and now, had been befriended at invited a group of us to meet with him. munity rehearsal space and is seeking an organization to administer the program (with build- ing ownership for more than 1500 sq. ft.) at 60-74 Gansevoort Street. Credit: Brian J. Pape. church by a Faulkner relative who was He spoke of his concern that we might not looking after the house while the owner feel welcome at Ole Miss. We should un- was away teaching at the University of derstand, he said, that it was not personal; By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP any potential qualifying tenants or master Virginia. Frank had an open invitation to that Southern values and traditions were tenants who may wish to apply. A qualify- visit the house and invited me along on difficult to share with outsiders. He was The Community Board Two of Manhat- ing tenant, with a track record of stability one of his visits. At the time, I knew from not making an apology, just stating the tan (CB2) has announced the creation of and solvency, will actually be the umbrella cool responses to any mention of Faulkner hard facts. This was years before Ole Miss an Arts Advisory Panel Task Force to orga- organization to administer the program within the Ole Miss community, that his was integrated. In our case the cause for a nize new community rehearsal space. Rec- and sign the lease (for more than 1,500 sq. personal esteem in the wider world was cool reception was cultural, not racial. A ognizing the pressing need for these spaces ft.) with the building ownership. not shared in his hometown. He was an similar cause seems now to divide us into for theater, dance, music, and other arts It’s envisioned that this ML (“master outrageous fabulist in his novels of life in rural and urban social cells, ripe for exploi- groups, CB2 has negotiated very low-cost, tenant”) will in turn sublet to small theater Yoknapatawpha County, a thinly disguised tation by political actors. nearly free, rehearsal space at the Aurora and performing arts groups that typically version of his own Lafayette County, a lit- In Nigeria, the social and cultural gaps Capital Group’s property at 60-74 Gan- create/produce in spaces with no more erary device that so outraged his Oxford were of chasmic proportions, but the dis- sevoort Street. than 99 seats, for short- term rehearsal use, neighbors that not even his Nobel Prize abling ones were ethnic (tribal) differences The first organizational Zoom meeting, at a very nominal fee. for literature could make them proud. At pre-dating colonialism. It took a civil war on March 22nd, was led by David Gruber, The space will be available for 24/7 use. UVA, however, another set of Southerners and years of social and economic chaos for the task force chair. He acknowledged the It will not be intended as a backup rehears- was honored by his presence. The differ- these differences to be put aside for the efforts and leadership of CB2 Chair Carter al space for a single theater entity or as a ence? There was no mistaking Jefferson’s sake of survival. Booth and Erik Bottcher of Cory John- performance venue, but to a roster of in- Charlottesville for Faulkner’s Yoknapa- Our Civil War and the failure of Recon- son’s city council office, and the long-term dependent theatre groups and/or indepen- tawpha. In Oxford, Mississippi, there was struction have led to where we are today. efforts for CB2 of the late Elaine Young. dent performing artists, with priority for just too much local truth in the work of The problem is not irreparable, but serious The Gansevoort Benefit Space was de- those already located within CB2, or with their resident genius for hometown com- action must be taken. We cannot accept scribed by developer partner Jared Ep- a history of service in and to CB2. fort. He wrote of its past, which in 1957 Jim Crow attitudes as legitimate simply stein of Aurora Capital Group. Hopefully, The selection process will be transparent was not dead, nor even past (as he put it). because they represent hallowed tradition this program will hopefully serve as a mod- and open to the public, with appropriately Today Oxford, like most Southern small somewhere among us. Civil rights, vot- el of public/private cooperation on a true advertised notices. towns, has changed. A Supreme Court deci- ing rights, and constitutional government, local neighborhood basis in the interest of The Gansevoort space is projected to be sion (Brown v. Board of Education) in 1954, with its constituent institutions, are not the performing arts. ready in the early fall of 2021. This excit- a federal Civil Rights Law (1964), followed optional notions. We have a government Explaining what the program might look ing prospect comes at a propitious time, by a federal Voting Rights Law (1965) of laws that must be protected by the pur- like at the outset, and the roles of the mas- when our arts organizations are looking brought about that change. Unfortunately, suit of established avenues of redress in ter leaseholder (ML) and CB2 in the pro- to refresh their previous activities after another Supreme Court decision (Shelby the courts and at the ballot box. Defend- cess, the community board and task force more than a year of pandemic lockdowns. County v. Holder) found, in 2013, that citi- ing the constitution means suppressing will be selecting a “qualifying tenant” or an zens of Mississippi and ten other Southern rebellious conduct by such means. This ML. While the ML need not be located or Brian J. Pape is a LEED-AP “green” ar- states no longer needed federal protection takes resolve. So long as threats of violence headquartered in the confines of CB2, the chitect consulting in private practice, serves under the Voting Rights Act to protect their are allowed to influence our elections or clear preference is to have the theater groups on the Manhattan District 2 Community voting rights. Today it seems clear that this the administration of government, at any that avail themselves of the rehearsal spaces Board Landmarks Committee and Quality of protection is as necessary as ever. level, our strength as one nation is diluted. perform in theaters in and immediate- Life Committee, is co-chair of the American ly around our CB2 community. Institute of Architects NY Design for Aging To get this process started, an RFP Committee, is a member of the AIANY His- Subscribe online www.westviewnews.org/subscribe (request for proposal) will be created and toric Buildings Committee, and is a journalist posted on the CB2 website and also sent to who specializes in architecture subjects. 24 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org Refugees Fleeing Terror Face Prejudice in America

FOR MANY EMIGRATING TO THE US, particularly from war-torn countries like Afghanistan, the road is fraught with many bureaucratic obstacles and challenges. Under the Biden adminis- tration, those hoping to find refuge here may finally be free of the threat of deportation imposed by the previous administration. Photo Illustration by Bob Cooley.

By Kieran Loughney happened. The window where I stood ex- the menu. I asked what kind of food she en- that would await them there. As is often ploded inward, all over the kitchen. Glass joyed. She replied with one word, “Spicy.” I the case in social work, upon her daughter’s Scenes of missile attacks, reports of girls was everywhere but God protected me. I suggested chili con carne. After I described successful completion of treatment Fati- denied an education, stories of people flee- did not have a scratch, but I knew a bomb it she chose a bowl, relishing the flavors. ma’s family no longer required the services ing violence or being trained to engage in had gone off in the market and thought my While looking over the dessert menu, she we provided and our agency closed her combat. Gleaned from news reports, this husband must be hurt.” asked what à la mode meant. “It just means case. In a way, Fatima became just another was all I knew of the life of citizens in Af- Since coming to the United States just with a scoop of ice cream. You know, like pie image related to Afghanistan. But her story ghanistan. Then I met Fatima. one year before the so-called Muslim travel and ice cream,” I replied. Fatima had never and her struggle remain with me. Unfortu- As a child welfare worker, I had first en- ban was imposed by the Trump adminis- eaten pie, so I recommended apple. “There nately, I will likely never know what ulti- countered Fatima’s daughter Farah (both tration, Fatima and her kids had endured isn’t a more American food,” I joked. She mately became of her and her children. their names are fictionalized) when assigned their share of hardships: rent and other ex- ordered a slice and grinned at me as she told Once again, my job revealed to me the to drive her from northeastern Pennsylvania penses were always so much greater than the waitress, “à la mode.” travails of those outside my family and to a psychiatric facility in a Pittsburgh sub- Fatima’s wages could cover; the children Fatima disclosed more about her depar- friends. My encounter with Fatima ex- urb, a trip that took more than five hours. faced challenges fitting in at school, aca- ture from Afghanistan. “I had been secretly panded my understanding of the world- Farah, after repeatedly skipping school, had demic struggles, and finding stable friend- planning to take the children and leave wide scope of the inequities people experi- been arrested for her second shoplifting of- ships. When I asked her if it was a difficult my husband. His violent outbursts were ence. I could now understand more clearly fense. Her behavior had become unstable decision to leave Afghanistan, she told me, getting worse. We didn’t feel safe with the struggles of my own Irish ancestors enough to convince the court that a stay in “I had no choice.” him anymore.” She had little to say of the fleeing famine in the mid-1800s. a psychiatric facility would be beneficial. A “My husband was a mean, controlling details of her escape, only adding, “God Now, in 2021, the Biden Administra- week later, Fatima and I took the same route man,” Fatima revealed. “He often became helped us get away from him.” Returning tion has begun to roll back the unjust re- again to visit her daughter. violent with me and the children. On the to Afghanistan, she made clear, was not an strictions and inhumane policies imposed During our trip, Fatima spoke of life morning of the blast, instead of going to option. “My husband will certainly find us upon immigrants and refugees during the in her former home in halting but easily- work at his stall in the market he chose to and kill us if we ever go back.” For Fatima past four years. The United States currently understood English. “Each spring there is help a friend feed the pilgrims along the and her children, America, they hoped, faces a surge of immigrants (many of them a pilgrimage in our region,” she told me. route. His one rare act of charity,” she said would provide a safe space. unaccompanied minors) at our southern “As the crowds pass by, it’s our tradition to with a rueful chuckle, “was enough to con- But rapidly changing circumstances border, a clear indication of the desire for give pilgrims food to help them on their vince God his life should be spared.” posed a new threat for the family. The same a better life shared by many who risk ev- journey. My husband went out to work at We stopped at a diner for lunch and I of- month we met, January of 2017, the newly erything to get here. Much of the world his stall in the market that morning,” she fered to pay for her meal. Her reaction was formed Trump Administration announced knows America as a place where one might continued. “I was washing breakfast dishes one of surprise and gratitude. “It’s no big sweeping changes to America’s immigra- prosper, find justice, and realize one’s full and looking out the kitchen window when deal Fatima,” I reassured her. “The agency tion policy. For Fatima and her family, this potential. In truth, those coming here from the blast came. Until I saw the broken glass will reimburse me. Order whatever you meant that they faced possible deportation around the world become the transforma- on the floor, I did not realize what had want.” She struggled to make a choice from back to Afghanistan and the mortal danger tive force of life in this country. www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 25

Smiling continued from page 16 New York Mets 2021 Season Preview without learning a thing or two about life By Anthony Paradiso and living. Survival is what she does best, and to that end she’s developed a com- On March 19th New York’s governor an- pletely uncommon perspective. For one, nounced that Mets and Yankees fans will rather than running away from aging, she be allowed to attend games at 20 percent embraces it. The minute she reaches a capacity by opening day of the 2021 Ma- birthday, she starts counting towards the jor League Baseball (MLB) season. This is next one, viewing each successive year as music to the ears of baseball fans everywhere another milestone and accomplishment. who appreciate the sights and sounds of the Sentenced to solitude this past year, but game and have been shut in their homes for ever the artist, Vija has gotten creative and a year due to the ongoing pandemic. made friends out of the inanimate objects Since I am covering the New York Mets in her studio apartment, each with its own and have had the chance to attend Zoom character and personality: there’s a Pessi- meetings with the Mets manager and mist, an Optimist, a Dreamer, a Screamer, players during spring training, I thought I two Dancers, and Nosey Twins. would give our readership a fresh look at Her primary coping strategy has been what the new Mets will look like when the wearing a “smile-mask,” which she puts on season begins on April 1st. while sitting alone in her room and while drifting off to sleep. She repeats the man- New Faces at Mets Spring Training tra given to her by a Tibetan monk who From the get-go, the new owner of the told her to keep on smiling no matter the Mets, Steve Cohen said, “I don’t just want to circumstances, and points to the Dalai make the playoffs, I want a championship.” Lama, the Mona Lisa, and the Buddha, When Cohen was asked if he was willing to who are never without that warmest and dip into the Mets’ new $184 million payroll AT HIS THIRD MLB SPRING TRAINING, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso looks cool heading most welcoming of expressions. For good for the best players in the game this past off- into the Mets Florida facilities. Photo courtesy of the New York Mets Baseball. reason! It’s worth putting in a little extra season, Steve from Great Neck said, “Are we effort by activating a whole extra muscle going to act like drunken sailors? No.” ments in the team’s history, the Mets have to-back-to-back in their lineup! The new and turn that frown upside down to get a Cohen gave Mets fans a big gift on not won a World Series in 35 years, which guy, Franky Lindor has made his presence whole bevy of benefits: studies have shown January 7, 2021, when he traded for all- is a long time even if it is not the longest known at Spring Training when he hit four that, whether genuine or slapped on, smil- star shortstop Francisco Lindor and vet- drought in baseball. That distinction be- home runs during a five-game stretch. With ing can release endorphins in as little as 10 eran starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. longs to the Cleveland Indians who have Lindor’s added pop and good contact hit- seconds, which will lower blood pressure, All through the winter the 32-year-old gone 73 years without a championship. ters, Michael Conforto and second base- relieves stress, elevate mood, strengthen Carrasco battled leukemia. One of my best Schwartz commented on Cohen: “It’s man, Jeff McNeil in the Met lineup, they the immune system, and ease pain. friends has also struggled with leukemia about time. The last time an owner had that could score a lot more runs this season. Vija adores Saint Mother Teresa’s cer- this year. I have wished him the best of luck attitude was when they traded for Mike The big question surrounding the Mets tainty that a smile is the autograph of God while he battles the disease, and certainly Piazza in 1998—and it worked.” In 1999 in 2021 regards their bullpen. Young closer upon the human face. So she urges West- Carrasco has been through a tough fight and 2000 Piazza helped the Mets make the Edwin Diaz struck out 50 batters in just 25 View readers to put on a stupid grin, even of his own. At a presser with the media in playoffs, and led them to the World Series innings of work in the shortened 2020 sea- if they don’t feel like it. Just as you wear a early March, however, when Carrasco was in 2000, which they lost to their crosstown son—an improvement over his first season cloth mask, not so much to prevent catch- asked if he will be ready to pitch to begin rivals the New York Yankees. in Queens. Manager Rojas told reporters ing COVID yourself, but to keep from the season, he responded, “I’m ready to go.” Piazza is still revered for all that he ac- that he thinks Diaz has matured this spring. passing it on to someone else, put on the While Mets players have worked hard complished during his seven seasons with He explained, “Edwin is so young and his smile-mask, when that veil inevitably lifts, at their spring training facilities in Port St. the Mets. He was enshrined in the Baseball abilities are special. I think last year was for the sake of others. After nearly a cen- Lucie, Florida, fans like WestView News Hall of Fame in 2016 and had his number another stepping stone in his career, so he’s tury of a life that has brought her in contact writer Arthur Schwartz have been wonder- retired by the Mets that same year. more mature, more experienced, Diaz has with every type of person imaginable, Vija ing, could this be the year? My dad sent me Luis Rojas is beginning his second year slowed the game down a bit, so he can work Vetra still marvels at the potential that a this quote about his memories of watching as the Mets’ manager. Rojas will have a on the things he needs to get better at.” simple smile can have for an unsuspecting the Mets, which he has done since 1969: solid roster that will include a healthy mix While there are still question marks stranger: “That smile could be passed on “Who could forget the Miracle Mets in of veterans and young studs to work with. around this year’s team, such as, do they and on and travel around the globe!” ’69, beating the favored Baltimore Orioles. Starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard un- have enough to win in a competitive Na- Stars were born in New York: Tom Seaver, derwent Tommy John surgery during the tional League East division? The team has Jerry Koosman, and Cleon Jones. Three off-season. According to MLB.com’s An- been showing signs of improvement. Im- ADVERTISE IN New York Teams won championships in thony DiComo, “Thor” may not be ready provement that will take place because the that magical season of 1969!” to pitch until June. The Mets brought in players, coaches, and team staff are excited WESTVIEW NEWS Schwartz has been a Mets fan since veteran pitchers Marcus Stroman and Car- to start competing for the name on the “day one” when the team joined the ma- los Carrasco to help their pitching rotation front of their jerseys, not the name on the jor league in 1962. Schwartz remembers while “Thor” recovers from his surgery. back, in 2021. Imagine your ad on these pages, the Mets’ first World Series champion- During spring training, there has been It smelled like team-spirit when the reaching residents throughout the ship in 1969. He also remembers the 1986 an open competition for the back-end of Mets dugout erupted with cheers after West Village. World Series and Mookie Wilson hitting a the rotation between starters: Joey Luc- back-up shortstop Luis Guillorme earned The best deal in town: ground ball that went through Bill Buck- chesi, David Peterson, and Taijuan Walker. a walk during a spring training game. The Your first ad free! ner’s legs. The Mets went on to win games Walker, who has more experience at the team already seems to believe in themselves Then 3 months at 10% off! six and seven of the ’86 series and bring the big-league level, will likely be the front- a little more this year and that is great news Contact our advertising manager: fans the franchise’s second World Series ti- runner to be the Mets’ fourth starter when for Mets fans. Karen Rempel tle. More recently, Schwartz watched every camp breaks. The Mets’ first game this season will be (347) 362-5677 one of first baseman Pete Alonso’s 53 home The Mets are entering the 2021 MLB on the road against the Washington Na- [email protected] runs during the 2019 season. season with an improved batting order. The tionals on Thursday, April 1st at 7:00 PM. While Schwartz has always been a big Mets could have Pete Alonso, Francisco On behalf of everyone at WestView News, I Mets fan and has seen a lot of special mo- Lindor, and Michael Conforto hit back- say, “Play ball!” See westviewnews.org/rates for details. 26 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org

she followed the words, circling in and in to read the entire poem. Like a Sufi mystic, she Karen’s dizzied herself combining movement with poetry. Have you done this too? Quirky Style With its magical healing powers, the cen- tral disc is a stand-in medicine wheel for me. By Karen Rempel Glistening black in the night, precisely ori- ented to the four directions, it’s the urban Stop this day and night with me and you shall equivalent of walking the wheel in the desert possess the origin of all poems… or forest. I come here when I need guidance, Do you recognize this geometric structure? I am and ask the spirits of the four directions to sure every West Villager does—it is instantly rec- help me. Clarity emerges after emptying my ognizable! It is of course the New York City AIDS mind and listening to the stillness within the Memorial at Seventh Avenue and West 12th Street. sounds of New York. I wonder if the 100,000 Unveiled for World AIDS Day on December souls lost to AIDS whom this memorial 1, 2016, this unique landmark is part of “my New commemorates have combined their voices York.” After visiting for lengthy periods during into the spirits of this land. What powerful 2015 and 2016, I moved to New York and the Vil- earth, water, air, and fire is New York spirit! lage a mere month after the memorial’s unveiling, Missing me one place search another, on January 1, 2017. This is a new piece of New I stop somewhere waiting for you. York, connected to history but built after I first set —Walt Whitman, foot here. As a newcomer myself, these striking “Song of Myself ” from Leaves of Grass angled white lines give me a sense of place. I live This issue begins the third year of Karen’s just a block away, and whenever I pass by my heart Quirky Style. Thanks to Andrea Thurlow wells up, touched by the spirit of New York that for kicking it off in style with this stunning this memorial embodies. dress from her new collection. You were right St. Vincent’s Hospital was at the forefront of about the boots! And thanks to Photographer AIDS care in New York City. Founded in 1849, Phil—he has taken his photographic arts to a the Catholic hospital opened the first AIDS ward new level with this image. on the East Coast in 1984. I missed the drama of the loss of St. Vincent’s Hospital, which closed in STYLE NOTES 2010, and which eventually led to the creation of BLACK TUXEDO DRESS WITH PINK SATIN- this triangular park and memorial. But now the LINED KIMONO SLEEVES. Engineered by memorial is part of my personal history. Andrea T. 147 West 35th Street (by appoint- The entire memorial is a cohesive combination ment only). of elements, integrating artistry and poetry that PLEASER PATENT LEATHER THIGH-HIGH infuse the site with meaning. Artist Jenny Holzer BOOTS WITH SILVER HEELS. Fetishwear trade chose and inscribed passages from Walt Whit- show, Vancouver. man’s Song of Myself into paving stones: 8,992 BLACK-DIAMOND-CHIP RECTANGLE DROP words etched in granite spiral around the memo- EARRINGS. Earrings Plaza. 1204 Broadway. rial’s central, water-shimmered black granite disc. WEST VILLAGE MODEL KAREN REMPEL flaunts her style in Engineered by SILVER BRACELETS. Street Fair on Bleecker When my mom visited me from BC, she discov- Andrea T’s latest creation, framed by a famous West Village sculpture. Photo Street. ered the memorial on a Village walk. Entranced, by Philip Maier. Catch and Release: Chapter 4 | The Christmas Date Part 1 By Karen Rempel handed me off to Lew, who was waiting at I like having a few men around, so that Have I mentioned that I don’t like to the foot of the steps. “Good evening.” They one doesn’t become too important. What be smothered? Over the next few days, George called me the other morning and eyed each other, nodded, and Keith strode usually happens is that the leader eventu- Keith’s texting pace hit warp speed. He said he had thought about me when he away. I felt like a tag-team princess as Lew ally edges the others out of the picture. Not texted me every day to wish me a good woke up. “You’re like a steel cube. You only and I went up the steps and into one of the yet! The following week, I had a lot on my morning. He needed information to book do what you want to do.” I quite liked this most elegant restaurants in New York. mind and Keith was just part of the jumble. our flight to London. He wanted to know image. “I think you should marry a rich Lew and I had a sublime dégustation I had a co-op board interview on Tues- if I’d like to stay at the Bloomsbury Hotel. man and bump him off.” Impressive—he’s with wine pairings, ensconced ten feet from day, which required a great deal of strate- It was all a bit much for a single woman really starting to get me! But his brainstorm the other white-draped tables, Central gizing with my best friend Sally. After a hi- who hasn’t been in a relationship for ten presents a few difficulties. How does a steel Park greenery filling the windows. We had larious interview with the board of another years. A bit clingy. A bit cloying… I began cube attract a husband? And how will I get never been attended by so many servers in co-op a few months ago, which involved to feel quite irritated each morning when my hands on arsenic? Besides which, I don’t a single meal. The constant water-pouring gorgonzola cheese, lopsided lipstick, a red- I took my phone out of airplane mode and fancy spending the rest of my life in prison. was a bit disruptive, but our conversation wine stained David Bowie t-shirt, and a heard the tinkling chime of his text. But I As much as I love a good Agatha Christie was consumed by course after course of coke-sticky handshake, I was ready to play reminded myself of his good points. That novel, I’d rather write about crimes than incredible flavors, from wasabi-and-yuzu- this one straight. I dressed in a nice navy smile! His feet! That hair! A romantic trip commit one. These days, it’s crimes of pas- topped sashimi to molten lava cake. I was business suit and black four-inch pumps. to the UK. We were going to spend a few sion that are on my mind. In this realm, I glad my little red suede dress had an empire I met three members of the board in the days in London, and then he was going am quite the hardened criminal. Let’s pick waistline, as I was truly puffed by the end president’s home at the Mark Twain, and I to visit his brother for Christmas. I de- up where we left off last month… of the feast. Lew hailed a yellow cab and complimented her beautiful new hardwood cided to extend my trip to spend Christ- Keith escorted me down the escalator we groaned down to the Vanguard. Apple- floors. The three of us had a very pleas- mas in Barcelona, so I did some whirlwind from Ascent, stealing kisses, electricity siz- tinis and Ravi Coltrane blew our minds, ant conversation in her living room, and Googling and made reservations for my zling between us. Our arms linked and steps and from there I stumbled home, feeling I managed not to mention my drumming flight and hotel. all’s right with the world. I hardly thought circle at all. Two days later, I was approved! in sync, we spiraled a quarter turn around For the rest of this month’s chapter of Catch about Keith at all. Wow, lightning struck fast. Columbus Circle to Jean-Georges, and he and Release, go to westviewnews.org. www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 27 Style on the Street: Pretty in Prints

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Maggie B’s Quick Clicks Transgender, The Facts Abstracted from “A Scientist’s View of after conception and then further along at "ONE YEAR LATER...ALMOST LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS?!" Almost Everything” by Mark M Green puberty. The male genitalia in other words arise from an action, the production of a In the Science and Technology section of male hormone. Inaction arising from the The Economist, February 20, 2021 issue, absence of the Y chromosome leads to the is an article, which talks about gender dys- female genitalia phoria, described as “the miserable feeling However the brain, in contrast to the of being at odds with one’s sex.” A statistic physical genitalia, does not receive infor- follows: America had one pediatric gender mation from testosterone to take on male clinic in 2007 and now has at least fifty. In characteristics until later months of preg- England and Wales there is reported to be nancy. A brain not receiving this hormonal a single clinic but which has seen a 30-fold information because of the absence of the increase in referrals in a decade. These clin- Y chromosome proceeds to female char- ics often give out puberty blocking drugs, acteristics. The fact that the information consistent with the title of the article “Ar- about genital characteristics and those of rested Development.” the brain occur at different times in the fe- It is clear that a segment of young people tal growth, and can be influenced indepen- are increasingly expressing discomfort with dently of each other, allows the possibility their biological sex and finding themselves of gender dysphoria leading to the trans- estranged from the world they live in. And gender state. that world does not respond well to these The description above about testosterone young people’s discomfort, sometimes and the Y chromosome describes a person with fatal results, as occurred, for just one with male genitals but a brain structure example among many in the world, to a corresponding to the female state, so called murdered soldier rejected recently from the MtF. The biological details of, on the other South Korean army. Politicians, especially hand, FtM, transgender with female geni- Democrats have become involved. The tals and a male brain structure, such as the Equality Act passed the House of Repre- murdered Korean soldier, although less un- sentatives for the second time on February derstood in detail, likewise arises from the 25, the first in 2019, with not much chance fact that sexual differentiation of the brain again to pass the Senate considering the takes place at a much later stage in devel- necessity of 60 votes even though the Sen- opment than sexual differentiation of the ate this time is controlled by Democrats. genitals. These two processes, development The Senate, happily, just rejected a Repub- of genital sexual characteristics and brain lican-offered so-called anti-trans bill of- structure can therefore be influenced inde- fered as an amendment to the 1.9 trillion pendently of each other either in an MtF COVID relief package. or an FtM transgender person. The world is not an easy place for be- Although male or female genitals are ob- ing as odds with one’s sex. However, it’s vious, requiring no scientific study of the not unreasonable to see that understanding individual, considerable research in several the “other” is a path to greater acceptance. laboratories was necessary to demonstrate Understanding comes from science, and that MtF transgender people have certain biological studies teach us that the physi- characteristics of the female brain struc- cal characteristics of one or the other sex ture while FtM have male brain structure are not always in line with an individual’s therefore giving rise in both situations to perception (gender identity) of being male gender identity independent of the person’s or female. genitals. Independent of the sex our genes call for, The scientific facts as expressed by the XX for female and XY for male, we arise Dutch expert, Dick F. Swaab follow: from a fertilized egg that is structurally “There is no evidence that one’s postnatal .... A WELCOME SPLASH OF COLOR sexually undifferentiated, a state we remain social environment plays a crucial role in in for a considerable time. It takes almost gender identity or sexual orientation… In two months after conception for this ge- fact, all current data indicate that gender netic information to arise from dormancy identity and sexual orientation arise in the to begin to call for the changes that will, womb.” Experts in this field now generally over time, fully distinguish the physical accept that sexual identity is fixed in the characteristics that distinguish male from womb and is not possible to change. female. In summary of a proper attitude toward This male/female distinction arises from transgender people one could quote Chas the Y chromosome, which activates bio- Bono (formerly Chastity): “There’s a gen- logical mechanisms to produce androgens, der in your brain and a gender in your body. that is male hormones such as testosterone For 99 percent of people, those things are and dihydrotestosterone, which begin the in alignment. For transgender people, path to the body’s physical changes that they’re mismatched. That’s all it is. It’s not distinguish us around the second month complicated. It’s not a neurosis.” IF THIS PAPER MAKES YOU THINK We will print your thoughts in the next issue All photos by Maggie Berkvist. Send your letter to [email protected] www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 29 The Village Jazz Scene Crystal Visions By Dana Jean Costantino always feel the love. A larger chunk of Rose Oh, how I love crystals! It seems I’ve always Quartz is perfect to place in the home and got a few in my pocket, in bowls around my to sit near when you meditate or do yoga or apartment, I meditate with them and I love just need a moment to re-center yourself. walking into a crystal shop and seeing and Clear Quartz: Clarity. This is something feeling the energy they provide. Crystals have that we all need during these times. Clear become so much more a part of the conver- Quartz is one of the best crystals to start off sation within the wellness community. They with because it is all about removing negative are being used during massages and spa treat- energy and bringing in clarity and, peace of ments, they are part of yoga and meditation mind. Now that we are a year deep into pan- classes and they have become much more demic life, Clear Quartz can help to make common as a decoration around the home. you feel more balanced during the pandemic With all of that said, many are still unsure fatigue that we are all feeling. It can also help of what the healing properties are and how to you to make decisions if you are feeling stuck. begin a crystal collection. Well, I am here to Selenite: Since so many of us are working help! In this article I will share with you three from home now, Selenite is a perfect home of my favorite crystals and what they are best office cleanser. Place a Selenite on your desk used for. I hope that you find peace and joy as and it will bring in calm and enhances clar- you start your journey into the magical world ity. Selenite also helps with focus, which of crystals and if you are already a crystal lov- we can all use a healthy dose of right now. TOM DEMPSEY/TIM FERGUSON QUARTET PERFORMING AT SMALLS, PRE-PANDEMIC. er, may you continue to enjoy the ride. In times when you can’t be out and about Left to right: Tom Dempsey-guitar, Tim Ferguson-bass, Joel Frahm-saxophone, Eliot Zigmund-drums. Photo by Dennis Connors. Rose Quartz: Love. The main purpose as much or do not have as many options of the Rose Quartz crystal is to channel in to change your scenery, it is a best practice love. Love for oneself, love for others and to find calm and take steps towards mental By Tim Ferguson been at the forefront of livestreaming, as an energy of love within your living area or clarity. Selenite also helps to enhance the well as creating the SmallsLIVE Foun- your office. Rose Quartz is a great crystal energy of other crystals that you have. Jazz is still alive in Greenwich Village. Al- dation, a not-for-profit endeavor to sup- to meditate with because during medita- I hope you enjoy your new crystal adven- though the COVID-19 pandemic has been port the music, musicians, and the venue. tion one of the most centering feelings we tures and that you find some good energy incredibly challenging for presenters and Livestreams of live shows are free to mem- want to bring in is love. Everything we do from Rose Quartz, Clear Quartz and Sel- musicians, we may be starting to see some bers (no cost to join), and archived shows in this life starts with love. I recommend enite. If you have any questions about these hope as we begin to emerge from our col- can be streamed for a small fee. getting a small Rose Quartz that you can crystals or others, I would love to hear from lective nightmare. Zinc Bar (82 West 3rd Street) has opened place in your coat pocket or purse or pants you: [email protected] or Insta- While many jazz musicians have lost all a sidewalk café for drinks and snacks, with pocket and keep it with you so that you can gram @citydoorways or most of their incomes this year, and jazz musical performances by duos on Sundays, venues have been forced to shut their doors and word is they hope to reopen their stage and have lost all revenue, the music persists. by early May. Individual musicians and bands have found The fate of other favorite local jazz spots creative ways to perform, from parks and is less clear—like popular game room and street corners to virtual concerts, and a few jazz venue Fat Cat (75 Christopher Street) of the most prominent clubs in the village and beloved neighborhood music institu- have continued to present the music online. tions 55 bar (55 Christopher Street) and The legendary Village Vanguard (178 Arthur’s Tavern (57 Grove Street)—all of Seventh Avenue), probably the most impor- which are closed although rumored to have tant jazz club in the world, is offering free plans to reopen. content including interviews and selected Jazz is tenacious—a music born of the performances on its website (villagevan- African diaspora and its many struggles; guard.com/) as well as livestreaming perfor- this is not the first time it has been threat- mances for a $10 fee. Opened in 1935 by ened and will undoubtedly not be the last. Max Gordon, the intimate listening room Jazz will continue, but many individual has been the center of New York’s jazz since musicians and numerous venues are at risk. the 1950s. Now operated by Gordon’s wife As the new administration in Washington Lorraine and daughter Deborah, the club begins sending out financial aid to indi- has invested heavily in streaming, to keep viduals, localities, and businesses, there is musicians playing and maintain a presence some hope that the Village jazz scene will on the scene during the pandemic, but is in be back in full force soon. Until then, how a precarious position like so many local busi- about watching a livestream from the Van- nesses. There is no word as of this writing guard? Or maybe enjoying a cocktail and on when they will be able to resume present- a set of world-class music at Mezzrow or ing live performances. Smalls? The musicians and clubs could use Smalls (183 West 10th Street) and the help and the music is the best in the its sister club Mezzrow (163 West 10th world! Street), both destinations for jazz lovers from around the world, have been present- Author Tim Ferguson is a professional ing livestreaming performances at small- jazz bassist and educator who has lived slive.com/ and, when possible, live shows in Greenwich Village since 1994. He has throughout the year. Currently, both ven- recorded numerous albums, both as a leader ues offer nightly performances to socially and bandmember, and can be heard in local distanced audiences of maximum 35 per- jazz venues, and in concerts and jazz clubs cent capacity. Owner Spike Wilner has around the world. 30 WestView News April 2021 www.westviewnews.org Catching Up With Our Oldest Oscar Winner

Brando. She was content being a Broadway Saint lives independently in her beautiful patient. I waited a long time for the mask to actress and a pioneer in the new medium Westwood, LA duplex condominium. Ev- fall and there is no mask. There is only love. of live television. The film, however, won ery day she still climbs the stairs, reads the I would recommend to so many people that her an Academy Award as well as one for LA Times and grows tomatoes on her ter- a stay by her side for a few months is better Brando and one for Best Picture of the year race resulting in a friendly competition and than any hospital for setting the neutrons in and eventually led her and her husband to rivalry with her daughter. They often get order.” The two had gotten to know each move to Hollywood. That decision turned into lively debates as to whose vegetables other when Eva Marie portrayed Alma in out quite well leading to long successful ca- are bigger and more delicious. With two Summer and Smoke at The Kennedy Center reers for both of them. They both, however, grown children and four grandchildren not and all across the country. always retained a soft spot for New York too far away, she is lovingly and protec- In a recent email I told her that many of and returned whenever possible to attend tively watched over and assisted with gro- her fans had written to me expressing their as many Broadway plays as they could fit cery deliveries and walks in the park, always concern and wondering if she had been in during one visit and often to direct and masked and with as much social distancing vaccinated yet. perform in theater productions themselves. as possible. She told me in a February email: “I’ll re- With a career stretching 75 years in radio, When my husband, Michael Anastasio, ceive my second Moderna vaccination on theater, television, film and most recently, and I talk to Eva Marie on the phone, it is March 7th. Tell my dear fans I am so happy podcasts, few actresses have the need for an as if we are talking to a 40-year-old. She is they think of me and tell them to take good EVA MARIE SAINT'S publicity shot for "A official archivist, but Miss Saint is certainly sharp as a tack, witty, feisty, positive, and care of themselves.” Hatful of Rain," 1957. the exception. So that’s where I come in. always living in the present. Her motto is Someone recently suggested that I write a By Richard Eric Weigle A long time resident of Greenwich Village “just keep moving” and she does so physi- book about Miss Saint entitled The Golden and a fan of Miss Saint’s since I saw her in cally, creatively and mentally every day of Girl Who Had It All. I quickly had to answer In July of 2020, film legend, EVA MARIE Raintree County with Elizabeth Taylor in her life. Reading good books and going that Miss Saint would not like that title, es- SAINT, became our oldest living Academy 1957, I got to meet her when she played through personal papers and fan mail also pecially the word “had’ which denotes the Award winner and our earliest winner for Mary Todd Lincoln on Broadway in 1972. keep her busy, and she recently told me that past. No, Eva Marie Saint is very much an 1954’s On The Waterfront, after the death She is a very private person, but I slowly she would like to live to be 100. She is opti- “in the moment” kind of person which makes of Olivia de Havilland in Paris. She also became her friend, archivist and later a mistic about the new direction our country her one of the most captivating, inspirational happens to be our oldest living Hitchcock producer of three documentaries about is taking and would like to continue work- and exciting women I have ever met. Blonde having portrayed the mysterious Broadway and Greenwich Village in which ing, which is an archivist’s dream and will If you are interested in personally Eve Kendal in North By Northwest. As she appeared. So far Miss Saint has over 35 certainly make her many fans happy. catching up with Eva Marie Saint, in ad- close to Hollywood royalty as one can get, volumes of The Eva Marie Saint Archives Tennessee Williams once wrote: “I mar- dition to On The Waterfront and North By she is also one of the last surviving stars of that I have put together for her made up of vel at and envy happy people. I have met Northwest, check out All Fall Down, 36 the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. reviews, photos and articles about her il- very few in my life: intelligent, sensitive Hours, Exodus, A Hatful Of Rain, The Rus- In 1953, happily living on West 9th Street lustrious career. people who are able to meet life in a positive sians Are Coming, Grand Prix, Superman in Greenwich Village, Eva Marie cried as Currently, at the age of 96 and having and giving manner. Eva Marie Saint is the Returns and many of her other wonder- she left her apartment for her first day of recently survived the death of her husband epitome of this person. Glowing with hu- ful film and television shows available on filming On The Waterfront with Marlon of 65 years, director, Jeffrey Hayden, Miss mor and talent and health and so kind and various streaming services.

had worked with Hemingway and Faulkner, Edith Stephen: From Sound into Silence discovered his enormous talent and pub- lished the book in 1944. Kapelner and Edith By J. Taylor Basker color, forms, movement, and experiences. were married for 48 years; they supported What made her break away from the con- We lost our Westbeth icon, the dancer/ each other’s careers and creative challenges ventional life she was born into? How can choreographer/filmmaker Edith Stephen, to conventional society. Their marriage was we explain the mystery of the human who on March 18th at 6:55 p.m. Her friend and unique—each was independent and free to discovers their inner creativity and freedom neighbor, jazz guitarist Steve Berger, was pursue their individual creative paths. Edith, and flies out of the box she was expected to holding her hand; there were six of us with a butterfly traveling on tours, attending in- remain in? Edith Stephen represented one her. My dog put his head and body flat, ternational dance festivals (including the of these anomalies; her entire life and career across from her—he knew she was gone. She First Women’s Conference in Beijing in the was one of exploration, combining conflict- was surrounded by love in her studio, with ‘60s), seldom stayed in one place for long, ing paradigms, reaching for the impossible, EDITH STEPHEN, 101 years young. Photo friends and family, as she wished. I had just while Alan, stationary in his apartment, sur- and evading the nets meant to restrain her. by Donald Pollock. shown her the latest version of her new film, rounded in clouds of cigarette smoke, wrote Dance became Edith’s wings and her work as social commentary, where dance Sound into Silence, that Don Pollock, Maia his novels and seldom ventured out. passion from childhood. She worked with became a mirror presenting a dramatic and Buljeta, and I were working on with her, Edith’s last film,Sound into Silence, is a the most famous dancers of the modern provocative picture of humanity in the uni- just before she passed on into silence. Edith meditation on improvisation in music and age including Martha Graham, Doris verse. This dramatic theatrical approach would be 102 in two weeks. Her life spanned nature ending with John Cage’s silent con- Humphrey, Merce Cunningham, and Jose to performance later helped her become a great cultural, social, and political changes in cert performance “4:33.” We are still edit- Limon. She formed her own dance com- filmmaker, when hip replacements made it our world. World Wars, the Great Depres- ing it and will be presenting it this spring. pany, Electric Currents, and travelled the difficult for her to continue to dance and sion, the cultural revolutions of post WWII She was directing it until the end, when world with her unique multimedia ap- choreograph. She produced her first film, and the ‘60s, politicians great and venal. She she entered the silence she loved. proach to choreography that included the Split/Screen: A Saga of Westbeth Artist Hous- was born during Woodrow Wilson’s presi- Edith had a “take no prisoners” personal- effective use of props such as rubber pipes, ing, when she was 91, which won an award dency, and 18 presidents later she happily ity, with an acidic wit and sharp insight into gas masks, curtains, fishing nets and plas- from the New York International Film saw Biden defeat Trump, although she was a society and politics. As a communist in her tic tubes, as well as special lighting effects. Festival. devout Bernie fan. twenties, she reported that she was rejected Previously, she had formed the distinc- Two years ago Edith made an extraordi- One of Edith’s favorite creatures was the by the political party because she refused to tive dance company Dance Innovation, nary film,The Invisible Writer Becomes Visible, butterfly—and this describes her amazing be restricted by what she perceived as its ide- which engaged an early exploration of the about her husband Alan Kapelner. It inspired life and career. Emerging from the confin- ological confines, just as she had challenged use of multimedia, which she continued a Massachusetts publisher to issue a new edi- ing cocoon of an Orthodox Jewish fam- the orthodox training of her childhood. She to expand upon. She was in the vanguard tion of Kapelner’s landmark book Lonely Boy ily in Buffalo, New York, Edith soared to combed the New York Times daily. At the great heights, exploring vast fields of diverse of new frontiers in the arts, and used her Blues. Kapelner’s editor, Seymour Krim, who continued on page 31 www.westviewnews.org April 2021 WestView News 31 Two Plays and a Journal by Julian Beck By Robert Heide night I was chatting with the glamorous and stunning Stella when the playwright Edward In the summer of 1957 the founders of the Albee, who was a good friend of mine came Living Theatre Julian Beck and his wife Ju- up to us. After introducing them, Miss Adler dith Malina went to jail with members of the reached out, touching him on both sides of Catholic Worker including Dorothy Day. his head with her hands, then stepped back, They were protesting civil defense drills in and exclaimed, “Isn’t he beautiful?” She asked New York City that they believed were held Edward, “Tell me dahling, do you like the as a preparation for (nuclear) war that the theater?” Edward, who could sometimes be Catholic Worker and the Living Theatre very shy, just grinned, blushed, and walked were both opposed to. The women served away. The Living Theatre toured The Con- their sentences at the House of Detention for nection and The Brig, two of its most influ- Women on Greenwich Avenue in Green- ential productions all over Europe. In 2006 wich Village. Other ‘celebrity’ inmates, there Peculiar Works Project, a site-specific Obie at different times, were the redheaded cock- Award winning theater company staged a re- tail lounge hostess/murderess Alice Crim- enactment of Judith Malina’s incarceration mins (she killed her two children and buried on the site of the notorious Women’s House them nearby her apartment on Long Island) of Detention and also presented segments and the ‘wanted’ outlaw and activist Angela from The Brig and other off Broadway hits all Davis—a graduate of the Little Red School- over the Village, including my play The Bed, house on Bleecker Street. Also the famed which had the two actors playing their parts TWO PAPERBACKS PUBLISHED IN 2020 AND 2021 by Fast Books Press. Back cover quote: actress Mae West served a short time in the in a large wooden bed on wheels that was be- "Julian Beck was a wise man, actor, brilliant, social-revolutionary, theatric genius." —Allen mid 1920s for ‘indecency’ related to her play Ginsberg. Photo credit: John Gilman. ing pulled by ropes up 7th Avenue. Sex although it was actually in a previous prison on the same spot. That building was Sleep has a forward by Walker who per- by Tudor. Called Indeterminacy, each of the Fast Books Press (fastbookspress.com) published torn down and replaced in 1928 by an Art formed in both plays which had successful stories were read by Cage in one minute. The Julian Beck’s Prometheus/The Archaeology of Deco style skyscraper prison, itself demol- tours in Europe. In 1983 Archaeology of Sleep original boxed set of 33 rpm records has since Sleep—two plays and How Happy We Were— ished in 1973. Today the space is occupied by premiered in New York at the Joyce Theater. been re-mastered and is now available on a a prison journal. Fast Books also published the beautiful Jefferson Market Garden. The last time I saw Julian Beck was in 1985. two-disc CD set. Another of my favorite Robert Heide—25 Plays. Heide’s collection While Judith was sent to the Village, Ju- It was in the Village at the historic Bigelow Cage performances, this one in the lobby of includes new essays and over 50 photos. The lian went to Chinatown to the Tombs. Later Drugstore on Sixth Avenue. At that time Bi- the Living Theatre with the audience seated three books can be ordered from the publisher he was transferred to Harts Island where he gelow’s had a substantial lunch counter and inside, had John dragging a wired-up live and are also all available on Amazon. served his sentence of 30 days. In 2020 Beck’s there was always in view a large fresh roasted mike loudly scraping along the tiled floor. journal of his time there, entitled How Happy turkey on a big platter. I was sitting on a stool Some ran out of the theater that night. Edith continued from page 30 We Were—A Prison Journal was published by savoring a vanilla ice-cream soda when Julian I first met the Living Theatre actor Warren end, she asked me to read her the headlines Michael Smith—former theater critic for rushed in, seemingly in some kind of panic, Finnerty through Linda Eskenas who starred and still had hilarious biting comments on The Village Voice and a close friend and sup- and sat down two seats from me. He stared in my play Moon at the Caffe Cino. Warren them. She said she had seen it all in her long porter of the Becks and now the editor and at me for a time, blankly, and I said “Hello.” liked to drink at an unending series of Village life—nothing surprised her. Yet she remind- publisher of Fast Books Press. It has a For- Surprisingly he said nothing even though I watering holes. In July, 1959 Jack Gelber’s ed us that the past is over and the future has ward by Living Theatre actor and archivist had known him for years when I was a part The Connection, a play that utilized live jazz not yet come, “so the only thing we have is Tom Walker and an Afterword by Garrick of the Living Theatre. When the waiter ap- music opened at the Living Theatre. Warren, the moment, so seize the moment.” And she Beck, Julian and Judith’s son who was eight peared and asked him what he would like as Leach, played a drug addict who in a terri- exhorted us all to “never stop dancing!” years old at the time of their arrest. He was in to order he repeated haltingly, “what would fying scene shoots up with such accuracy that She had been planning her 102nd birthday summer camp and they were, of course, un- I like?”, then blurted out, “I think I’d like a it was as if it was really happening. For his party on April 2nd and told me she wanted to able to see him on ‘parent visitor day’ which lettuce and tomato sandwich [pronouncing it shattering performance in a play where every wear pink and get a new outfit with her stimu- he says made him wonder at the time what as ‘tomahto’] on rye bread.” When his order character is turned on by drugs—yes, listless- lus check. So, we will honor her request and good might have come from their protest. He was served he looked at it, threw some cash ly waiting to make a drug connection—War- hold a Zoom birthday party memorial! Con- writes that he now realizes that their yearly on the counter, and dashed out leaving the ren won a Best Actor ‘Obie’ Award. Later, tact me at WestView News if you would like acts of civil disobedience helped form much sandwich untouched. The waiter asked me, in 1963 he appeared in another spectacular the link to join. Her last month was spent of the next generation of anti-Vietnam pro- “What’s wrong with him?” I later learned Living Theatre production, Kenneth Brown’s conducting a frustrating ongoing battle with tests and that the shelter drill protests of the that Julian was suffering from a form of free- The Brig. Warren appeared in a number of health care agencies, and I became her pri- 1950s morphed into the women’s, gay, and floating dementia. He died that same year, of movies including the filmed version of The mary caregiver when she was discharged from civil rights groups of the 60s and 70s. cancer, at the age of 60. Connection, directed by Shirley Clark, Panic the hospital without the 24/7 care that she The brilliant social revolutionary and ar- The Living Theatre’s opening production in Needle Park, the film debut of Al Pacino, needed. It was difficult but I was grateful to tistic leader Julian Beck wrote in his journal, at their first permanent home on 14th Street Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman and the be able to kiss her good night every evening. a minutely observed personal account never was a play by William Carlos Williams called 1969 motorcycle movie Easy Rider with Pe- I know that she is happy now, flying with the before published, about his humbling expe- Many Loves,which I attended. At the time I ter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hop- spirits and choreographing cherubic dancers. rience working as an inmate in New York had a personal involvement with the hand- per. Many say, including this writer, we lost a Her flyer from the Rotunda Arts Festival City’s cemetery for unwanted or unidenti- some Jimmy Spicer who ran the theater’s great actor when Warren Finnerty died of a at Riverside Park, probably in the ‘70s, fell out fied or simply unclaimed bodies on an iso- box-office and he also functioned as a general sudden heart attack in 1974 at age 49. of a box that a relative was going through to- lated island off the eastern end of the Bronx manager. He was a lot of fun until he got into Back in 1959 The Connection was originally day as we prepare to clear out her studio and in Long Island Sound which he said helped heroin and later became addicted to the drug panned by the seven critics, but when world- archive her materials. I rescued it, noting that him to examine his role as an artist, activ- that finally did him in. I remember mostly famed theater critics Kenneth Tynan and it described Edith Stephen’s work as “some- ist, and humanist and set him in his purpose many great times at the Living Theatre with Robert Brustein both raved about its unique times confusing, sometimes amusing, but al- to commit his life and art to nonviolent an- people like the collagist Ray Johnson and qualities, it became a sensation. I remember ways original and profound.” She is survived archist revolution. In 2021 Michael Smith the avant-garde composer John Cage and just after their reviews there was a night at by her niece Alison Welles and husband Sasha published two plays by Julian Beck—Pro- his sidekick steady pal David Tudor. They the theatre where everyone who was in on of Munich, Germany, her niece Susan Gra- metheus and Archaeology of Sleep. Prometheus, collaborated on a super collection of 90 things theatrical attended including Lee ziano and her husband Tim of Manhattan, which has an introduction by Tom Walker, wild short absurdist stories that were later Strasberg, Kim Stanley and a lady I studied many other nieces and nephews, and William premiered in Italy in 1978. Archaeology of recorded with chance compositions chosen with for two years—Miss Stella Adler. That Weintraub and his wife Susan of Brooklyn. Keep Your Local Favorites Alive by Ordering Takeout Enter your email at PleaseOrderTakeout.com and receive a daily notice for a special item from one of these Village restaurants

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