The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 15, NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 2019 $1.00 The Nicest Jewel Thief Drops In... By George Capsis day. She calls across the street to our jewel thief for some inconsequential reason, as Carol Yost sent an article from the Post Dusty is wont to do, and he springs for- about an international jewel thief who ward with a soft smile as if he were talk- lived, until he was arrested on October ing to old friends and we sort-of become 24th, in a “$10 million dollar townhouse instant old friends. on West 4th Street.” Wait—West 4th is But more coincidence—my acupunctur- just up the corner from 69 Charles; so I e- ist and massage-giver Michael Kahn lives mail our photographer, Joel, to take a pic- right across the street and knows Damir ture and he instantly and expectedly emails and his wife very well. He told us that back with, “what’s the address?” I tell him Damir had once spent an hour help- to check with the NYPD press office. ing him carry a very heavy leather couch Then, I get a call from a very agitated down four flights of stairs. Pulling so much woman with a hard New York accent, weight around the landings caused Damir wanting to know if I am George Capsis of considerable agony and by the time they’d WestView and do I intend to do a story finished he was soaking in perspiration. “I about her husband—whom I immediately kept offering a tip or to take him out for assumed was the jewel thief (she had dis- dinner but he became hurt and flustered covered Joel taking shots and demanded and refused,” offered Michael. I asked, answers and an intimidated Joel quickly “Did he appear rich?” Michael replied, proffered my name as a shield). She had “No, he said his wife had all the money.” heard I was “a nice guy,” and she had two JEWEL THIEF ON WEST 4TH: International jewel thief Damir Pejcinovic was arrested by the Michael also told us that Damir is Alba- FBI on October 24, 2018 from his brownstone on West 4th Street. Neighbors knew him as “a kids, and it was not true, and her husband nian. His last name is Pejcinovic (and all very nice guy.” Photo credits: (left) NYPD, (right) © Joel Gordon 2019 - All rights reserved. had a lawyer and was going to sue. I ex- the other members of his gang have simi- plained that we were just a small commu- Dusty comes in and I begin telling her ing the kitchen of 69 Charles Street—our larly unpronounceable names). nity paper and the Post had already done the story and she jumps. “That’s the hair headquarters).” But now, Damir is in jail in Brooklyn. the story, and she came back with “not ev- salon on West 4th, the guy we met after a OK, it all starts to come together... Dusty Michael gave us his downstairs neighbor’s erybody reads the Post.” rafter fell on him. He’s been here (mean- and I were walking on West 4th Street one continued on page 3 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Seeks to Eliminate Serious Conflicts of Interest By Carol Yost profit companies that manufacture doctors’ tering and possibly other institutions. Bi- tering employees representing it on corpo- tools of trade—medicines and medical ases could also arise from this compensation rate boards are prohibited from accepting In an article on Friday, January 11th, pub- equipment—and provide healthcare. when these doctors conduct medical studies any personal compensation for this, such as lished in collaboration with the nonprofit High-level executives at the cancer cen- and write articles for medical journals. stock options in these companies. journalism publication ProPublica, the ter—all doctors in their own right—had Now these top executives are barred A 2014 study found that about 40 per- New York Times reported that the nonprofit also been serving on the corporate boards from serving on corporate boards of the cent of the largest publicly traded drug Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, of drug and healthcare companies which drug and healthcare companies. They also, companies had leaders of academic medi- after being dogged by scandal, is officially in some cases had paid them hundreds of along with leading researchers, will be lim- cal centers on their boards. taking steps to eliminate possible conflicts thousands of dollars for their “service.” ited in the ways they can profit from work Sloan-Kettering’s chief medical officer, of interest. Earlier reports by the Times and These companies clearly hoped, not just for developed by the cancer center. In addi- Dr. José Baselga, resigned days after it was ProPublica had generated the scandal by medical advice (if at all), but for immense tion, they are prohibited from investing in reported that he had neglected to disclose uncovering the ways staff members of the profits from business facilitated by these start-up companies that Memorial Sloan- millions of dollars in payments from drug hospital had made lucrative deals with for- doctors’ recommendations to Sloan-Ket- Kettering has helped to found. Sloan-Ket- continued on page 5

Cornelia St. Café History in Focus Mendelssohn WestView received an The recent rush of and Dvorak unprecedented four ar- analytical devices allows ticles on the closing of the us to put history in sharp WestView concerts continue beloved Cornelia St. Café. focus. at St. John’s in the Village

Saturday, February 23 at 3 p.m. SEE PAGE 24 SEE PAGE 29 2 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org WestView WestViews Published by WestView, Inc. by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections

Publisher Buyer Beware haven’t had one since 1976 when I moved I hope it goes away. I’m sure I’m not the Executive Editor Dear in. Again, it’s a repair that does not merit a only resident who hates it! George Capsis WestView News: Andrew Cook’s letter in January should charge or rent increase at any time or under — Linda Mann Managing Editor encourage everyone to do some research any circumstances, tenant or no tenant. Kim Plosia Dear Linda, before they need health care—i.e., locate Secondly, a new stove or refrigerator, if Thankfully not everyone shares your opinion... Associate Editors the landlord provides it, gives him/her the Andrew Buemi, Justin Matthews, the nearest facilities their providers cover, The good news is it’s a bus and it can travel. Anne Olshansky know their hours, and find out if they are right to tack on a rent increase of $5 per Everyone I talk to is happy to hear the tiles month per appliance, figured into all rent Art Director an urgent care center or an emergency de- have returned and we just got a great write Kim Plosia partment (which costs more). increases, until the end of time. I’m going up in the NY Post! to provide my own new stove and refrig- Advertising Manager and Designer I recently came close to being misled; in The origin of the Tiles goes back to Lor- Stephanie Phelan November, I had a splinter in my foot, in erator, which I have a legal right to do. He rie Veasy’s paint your own pottery shop, Our won’t be able to charge anything. Photo Editor a spot I couldn’t see or reach. I visited an Name is Mudd on Greenwich Ave. and Perry Darielle Smolian urgent care center my insurance recom- The only way the landlord could possi- which originated the idea of having Villagers mended. The doctor who examined me bly raise my rent to $3,000, which he stated express their emotions about the most trau- Traffic Manager he would do in the eviction papers he filed Liza Whiting said I needed an x-ray and biopsy, and tried matic incident in New York history, 9/11. to send me to another facility. I confirmed three years ago (actually the landlord’s son, The tiles were painted by Villagers, children Photographers with my provider that that place was out of although he claimed to be landlord), would in public school and by tourists and everyday Maggie Berkvist be in a three-step process: Joel Gordon network, and went instead to a care cen- well wishers from around the world to express ter in midtown I had already checked out. 1) He gets me evicted on some grounds their emotions. Comptroller The doctor used a needle and tweezers to or other. The surviving tiles are fragile and need Jolanta Meckauskaite remove the splinter. Since I hadn’t met my 2) He then gets an automatic 20% va- protection. The 9/11 mobile gallery allows the Architecture Editor deductible, I was happy to pay the reason- cancy increase, called by critics a vacancy community as well as tourists to see some of Brian Pape able bill, and my foot is fine. bonus. At my current rent, it would be ex- these historic tiles at the location where they actly $122.058 per month tacked on to that Film, Media and Music Editor I was lucky to know about the facility I were first created. Jim Fouratt finally went to, and equally lucky to be in rent. That’s a total of exactly $732.348, The 9/11 Tiles for America collection are minimal discomfort. Had I been in greater rounded to $732.49. Now, to a lot of peo- an important part of West Village history and Food Editor ple that’s still a low rent for a Chelsea stu- David Porat distress, I might not have double-checked, although a retired library bus may not be the and I might have been stuck with substan- dio. I say not! But looking at current rents ideal solution, it does allow the tiles to remain Distribution Manager tial bills for unnecessary procedures. it certainly would appear that way. here in the Village across the street from the Timothy Jambeck I urge my fellow readers to do some 3) He then does a major refurb job, a former St Vincent’s Hospital where people Regular Contributors investigating before a health issue arises. complete redo, on my apartment, tearing came to look for their loved ones and where the Barry Benepe, Caroline Benveniste, Unfortunately, a facility might not inform out the walls, etc., which I could not legally grass roots collection began. Charles Caruso, Jim Fouratt, you they are an emergency center and not ask for as a tenant, but now that l’d be safely There has been so much lost in the Village John Gilman, Mark. M. Green, Robert out on the street he could do it on his own Heide, Thomas Lamia, Keith Michael, an urgent care center, and a doctor might that we will never be able to get back, and for Michael D. Minichiello, Penny Mintz, try to send you to an out of network care initiative. He files paperwork on that re- now the bus provides us with an opportunity Brian J. Pape, Joy Pape, Alec Pruchnicki, center. It’s up to you to take any possible furb job and asks for what I think is called a to preserve one of the most important 9/11 Christina Raccuia, Catherine Revland, capital increase, a large permanent rent hike. Joseph Salas, Martica Sawin, Donna precautions you can, by checking with your treasures here in the community for the people Schaper, Arthur Z. Schwartz, Gary To- provider: what are the nearest covered fa- He’ll come up with enough expense claims who take comfort in their messages. mei, Joseph Turco, Esq., Stanley Wlodyka cilities, what are their hours, and are they to get the apartment up to $3,000, with that You will be happy to know that our long 20% vacancy increase included. Any rent We endeavor to publish all letters received, urgent care centers or emergency depart- term plan is to create an indoor home for the including those with which we disagree. ments. It’s not fair to have to know all this over 2,377.65 this year (it can change every tiles here in the Village and preserve our 9/11 The opinions put forth by contributors yourself, but it’s the way things are. year) is now off rent stabilization. Village treasure for generations to come. to WestView do not necessarily reflect the —Alice Connorton The New York City Council this year is —Dusty Berke views of the publisher or editor. going to try to plug up many loopholes that WestView welcomes your correspondence, comments, and corrections: More than a Coat of Paint allow landlords to harass tenants out of An Open Letter To www.westviewnews.org and a New Stove their homes in order to get those increases Speaker Johnson Contact Us (see my article, “City Council Proposes 18 Tenant Protection Regulations,” WestView, (212) 924-5718 George, your statement, “My guess—her As we have argued since the first announce- January, 2019). Meanwhile, Albany is [email protected] studio apartment with a coat of paint and ment of the L Train tunnel repair plans, a new stove would get $3,000” (“If Only talking about eliminating those vacancy- thanks to innovative, out of the box think- God Had Money,” George Capsis, West- related increases. ing by Governor Cuomo and his team of View News, January, 2019), was based on Even now, he’d need to do more than experts, there is a much more intelligent old business principles, but not accurate that coat of paint and a new stove! method for the Canarsie Tunnel repairs that about housing. There are many things, —Carol F. Yost keeps the L train running and that does not worn out and practically worthless, that disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands you could spiff up a bit and charge a high 9/11 Bus of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan com- price for. An apartment is not one of Dear George, muters, residents and businesses that would them. Tenants have far more legal protec- I was sorry to learn that the 9/11 Tiles for have been devastated by the MTA/DOT tions than that, thank goodness. No land- America bus is actually a permanent thing! Plan. Coupled with new technology, the lord in his/her wildest dreams could simply I kept hoping it would move. tried and true method of either nights and freshen up my apartment and nearly quin- The 9/11 tiles should be displayed in a weekends only or closing one tube at a time tuple the rent (which as you noted in your more dignified way, preferably outdoors (both things that had been successfully done article is now $610.29 and rent stabilized): as they were originally, and, ideally, some- with other NYC Tunnel repairs) had always First, a coat of paint is a repair for which where near the new World Trade Center seemed the better, intelligent and more con- the landlord cannot charge, whether I’m complex itself. siderate all around approach. MIA SAYS: You can only receive love if you still there or not. I think tenants are due For the West Village, the 9/11 Tiles for However, as we feared from the outset, offer it. Photo by Dusty Berke. a new coat of paint every 3 years, and I America bus is an unwanted eyesore, and continued on page 3 www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 3

Letters continued from page 2 actly what Lenox Health is, someone as well equality, and every development project I am glad to learn that reproductive rights it now appears that there is a lot of noise that has visited the site on multiple occasions brings some sort of controversy, so I don’t bills have passed. by outside interests to keep the 14th Street and have been a patient here, I simply cannot think the problem is Google. I’m happy to However, I’m very surprised to learn some- Alternative Service Plan, as well as newly understand why you continually incorrectly see them in New York! thing about the reproductive rights legislation installed protected bicycle lanes, perma- characterize us as an Urgent Care Center —Anonymous I had never imagined—namely that it covers nently in place, despite the elimination of over and over. We even advertise in your pa- The digital world cannot always replace the abortion only within 24 weeks, and only for their underlying justification. DOT Com- per! We have a legal designation as an Emer- face to face. Of course I do look to them with fetal nonviability or serious risk to a woman’s missioner, Polly Trottenberg, appears hell gency Center, which you continue to ignore all their smarts to be able to work with com- life or health. In other words, if a woman bent on staying the course, despite her as- and erroneously describe us as an Urgent munities to meet the local needs that arise as a finds she is pregnant but feels she cannot surances that all the changes were “tempo- Care Center. This is completely inappropri- result of their expansion—not only good pay- handle childbearing at this time emotionally rary,” which had also given her cover to ar- ate and you are misleading your readers. ing jobs and keeping NYC on the innovation or financially, and that is the only drawback, gue that as such none of the normal review Your story is also inaccurate as usual. The map, but also to deal with gentrification, in- she is not covered. That to me means she and approvals were necessary. patient did not go to Lenox Hill Hospital. come inequality, and the every day lives of those still does not have the right to choose at all. We now look to our elected officials and —Alex Hellinger, Executive Director, left behind. I realize this sounds idealistic and What is covered by the Reproductive Health local Community Boards to hold Trotten- Lenox Health Greenwich Village it is, but it also needs to become realistic and be Act is such an obviously necessary thing I berg and Byford to their words that all the Dear Alex, implemented. can’t understand why there was ever a debate changes to 14th Street, as well as the pro- We regret the error, and sincerely hope Joy —Judith Benepe about it, why for years there was so much tected bike lanes on 12th Street and 13th Pape’s article on page 4 lends clarity to those resistance on any side at all. All the hoopla Street, along with bus route changes that confused by the different types of medical fa- Hero of the Month always seemed to be about a woman’s right eliminated the 14th Street and Sixth Av- cilities now available in the changed landscape to choose whether to carry an unborn child enue bus-stop and its 14th Street crosstown of the West Village. George, to term or not, and only that. I thought Roe route, etc., etc., be rolled back immediately— —George I have noticed a trend in TV-speak about v. Wade was about that. Now I find out it as the entire premise upon which the need which no one informed me. Typical. No wasn’t. I’m very surprised indeed. There still for them was argued has been rendered moot. In Defense of Google one even sent me an email. Or anything. has to be a debate about the meaning of an We will not tolerate doublespeak from People being interviewed now say, for unborn child, and whether or not an abortion Trottenberg and Byford, or anyone else Dear Editors: whatever reason(s) I have not yet been able to should be a matter of choice. We STILL for that matter, who openly advocated for I don’t agree with the sentiment that Google fathom, to begin responding, “So (blah blah)”. have that matter to resolve. their permanence but promised, at every employees work online (WestView, January That being the case, I must jump onto the But another issue has never seriously even juncture, that it would be up to the down- 2019) and on the phone and therefore don’t bandwagon for fear of being left behind. been raised at all. It should always have been town community (not nonresident inter- need a large office space—that is totally out So I’m walking from my apartment to included in any discussion of women’s repro- lopers) to decide whether to keep them. of touch. Google is a premier global employer my dental appointment at 14th Street. So ductive healthcare rights. Dick Gottfried, I Our electeds were just handed a gift by the and offers jobs to thousands of people in New on the way I happen to look at a garbage think I’ve written you about this before: un- Governor, a second bite at the apple, if you York that leave an impressive and lasting im- can—alright, alright, poubelle—and what necessary hysterectomies. Almost all hyster- will. This time around, however, we expect pression on their resumes, fueling their future should I see but several discarded copies of ectomies are unnecessary, and they all cause them to forcefully advocate for the sanctity career growth. They use huge engineering this month’s WestView News. Being one of lifelong harm that should be borne only when and safety of the neighborhoods and com- teams that work in collaborative environ- your typical WVN supporters on Charles necessary to save women’s lives. Very many munities that they represent and not repeat ments. I’ve been to their office in Chelsea Street, I “adopted” them. At the dentist’s tragedies and anguish have been caused by the mistake of accepting the representa- Market many times. It is a dream workplace, office, I count 17, each and every one this. Doctors lie about this, and push hyster- tions of DOT and MTA that there was no bustling with activity, the latest in workplace seemingly just off the press, and in pristine ectomies at women. I recall vividly the lies other choice, as was done throughout the ergonomics and technology, and offering high condition. Upon leaving, I gave two copies doctors told me years agowhen I had a serious “so-called” public outreach process. paying jobs with amazing benefits. They host to staff. fibroid problem. Finally I had the alternative If not for the L train shutdown none of thought leaders, advertisers and corporate So now I have 15 copies. So what do I do surgery they never suggested as a possibility. this would have been forced upon us. Com- executives from around the world, provid- with them? Well, I am putting them near I’m grateful I still have my uterus and ovaries. I mon sense dictates that absent the shutdown ing a lot of business education and driving our mailboxes. could celebrate that any time. premise, all these burdensome changes have innovation. Many of their visitors are people This being a world where one often Politicians (that includes the two of you) been rendered moot and should be imme- that run local advertising/marketing agencies expects to get something back for good and women’s groups are completely silent diately restored back to the way it was. The across the country that help small businesses deedsdone, I want to see my name in next about it. I’ve written about this to politi- premature implementation of aspects of the on Main Streets harness the power of Google month’s “Hero of the Month”, and/or may- cians and women’s groups so many times. 14th Street ASP and installation of pro- to acquire customers and drive their bottom be even Whatever. For more information, please see www. tected bicycle lanes on the side streets has lines. My visits to Google have been both on So I am waiting. hersfoundation.org. choked and disfigured our neighborhoods the corporate and small business side, and al- —John Early, Charles Street So—what are you going to do for real jus- and communities, threatened the health and ways the same amazing experience. tice to women, after the champagne corks safety of its residents and cast a blight on the In order to be a world class city, a city Letter to Assemblymembers have been popped and the elegant celebra- aesthetic of our streetscapes. needs world class employers, job opportu- tory spreads of cheese and strawberries have As a businessman and taxpayer, I can- nities and workplaces. If New York doesn’t Dear Assembly Speaker Carl B. Heastie and been savored? What is your path ahead? not help but be appalled at all the finan- foster such projects how will it stay competi- Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried, —Carol F. Yost cial waste committed by DOT/MTA to tive on the global stage? I personally think effect all these changes well before they New York has lost some of its luster, and were needed; something we also tried to needs projects like this. The onus should Jewel Thief continued from page 1 postpone but failed to accomplish be- be on the city to do a better job of meeting account of the arrest in October. “Five FBI the robberies were committed by tech- cause no one in power would say “NO.” community needs with regard to these types cars lined the street and guys got out with nically advanced thieves who very, very My Credits: West Village resident, Board of developments and in general for quality drawn weapons.” As I was writing these carefully planned their international hits Member Cambridge Owners Corp and A of life for all New Yorkers. We simply do words Dusty called Damir to say she’d and brought in specialists to overcome Founder of the 14th Street Coalition. not have the type of innovation in New York talked to the wife and asked if she might unique entry problems. Damir was the —David R. Marcus, CPA, MBA, JD that you see in other cities and it’s time to go to the prison to interview him. She of- mastermind and did not go out on every catch up. I realize we can’t depend on cor- fered that the wife could arrange it. job but plotted and monitored from his Northwell porations to always be sympathetic to exist- If you get the Post article you can read cell phone. The article also reports that George, ing structures and neighborhoods, which is in detail about many of the robberies and Damir had separated from his wife after I just read your “Somebody Just Shot My why it’s really important for the community how they were carried out (evidently the a “violent” domestic incident to which he Neighbor” article in the January issue. As and city powers that be to have an innova- FBI is very free in providing details). In pleaded guilty. the editor of this paper, the person who tive, collaborative and forward thinking ap- true jewel thief fashion these heists took So, last month Nelly called to say her wrote this story, someone who has been well proach. New York will always be expensive, place around the world, not only on Fifth neighbor was shot, and this month an in- informed on numerous occasions about ex- will always have a struggle with economic Avenue. The article makes a case that ternational jewel thief was in my kitchen! 4 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org What You Need to Know About Emergency Rooms and Urgent Care Facilities By Joy Pape In addition, should you not have a primary Many people have some confusion about the care physician, or they are not available to difference between an emergency room and an see you, these facilities are very useful. They urgent care facility. Even I, a health care pro- can treat a host of acute conditions includ- vider, wanted to clear up some confusion. So ing minor fractures, stitches, back pain, mild once again, I reached out to Dr. Warren Licht, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, minor head- Vice President of Ambulatory Operations for aches, fever, ear or sinus pain, cough or sore the Western Region of Northwell Health and throat, burning with urination, sprains and Director of Medical Affairs for Lenox Health strains, rashes and minor burns. Greenwich Village (LHGV). Lenox Health Greenwich Village, located at 30 7th Av- Joy Pape: What are the differences be- enue, is home to Manhattan’s first freestand- tween emergency centers and urgent cares? ing emergency room. In addition, Northwell Dr. Licht: The major differences between Health, as part of a joint venture with Go- emergency centers and urgent cares is that Health, operates five urgent care facilities in emergency centers like the one at Lenox Manhattan, two of which are located below Health Greenwich Village (LHGV) are 23rd Street. (See Northwell Returns Doctors open 24/7 and are staffed by emergency to St. Vincent Site, WestView News, Novem- medicine certified physicians and nurses and ber 2018, Volume 14, Number 11). other specialized staff. Urgent cares have limited hours and different staffing models. Joy Pape: Dr. Licht, before we begin, Emergency centers receive 911 activated what’s with the names? What are the dif- ambulances. Many emergency centers, like ferences between emergency rooms, emer- LHGV are disaster-prepared with certified gency departments and emergency centers? decontamination units. Emergency centers Dr. Licht: (He chuckles.) Nothing. They are can treat major trauma. Specialists are avail- all ERs. ERs in the United States are called able for care coordination, and there is spe- what they are by those who are speaking cialized imaging (x-ray) equipment. All are about them. Traditionally, patients, clini- welcome at emergency centers regardless of cians, hospital administrators, and insurance insurance type or ability to pay up front. company representatives all have their own choice of word following “emergency” in Joy Pape: Speaking of cost, there is a lot of cut your hand with a knife while preparing their vernacular. And then, of course, there confusion about cost. Is there a difference dinner. It’s 7:00 pm. You quickly wash the are the Hollywood television dramas. between the cost of going to an emergency Emergency Centers wound, inspect it, and attempt to stop the In simple terms, the New York State De- center or an urgent care facility? bleeding by applying pressure. Your hand and Urgent Cares in partment of Health and the Federal Centers Dr. Licht: Yes. Urgent cares require the abil- otherwise appears to be intact. You decide the West Village for Medicare and Medicaid Services defines ity of the patient to pay before being seen. you do not need to call 911. Do you go to emergency centers as locations accredited to Emergency centers will provide and treat an urgent care or an emergency room? Since provide emergency medical care and treat- patients regardless of the ability to demon- you already know where your closest urgent EMERGENCY CENTER ment to all persons in need of such care, who strate that they can pay. This does not mean care is located and their business hours (if arrive at the entrance of the facility whether treated patients will not eventually get a bill Lenox Health Greenwich Village not, use the internet), you head to urgent by ambulance or by walking in, regardless for services received. There is more price 30 7th Ave care. The cost of care is likely to be as low of the ability to pay before services are ren- transparency in an urgent care setting than an (646) 665-6000 as a $40 co-pay. Care will likely be deliv- dered. The facilities are typically accredited emergency center due to the limited services ered and completed within the hour. If you to receive ambulances via the local 911 call provided and personnel available in an urgent go to an emergency room, your minimum system. At Northwell Health’s Greenwich care. This can be a complicated discussion. URGENT CARE CENTERS co-pay may likely be $200, that’s if the facil- Village, the ER is truly a center, a facility that And, in anxious situations patients are not ity participates in your insurance plan. Pa- Northwell Health-GoHealth provides emergency care, with various certifi- necessarily thinking calmly. Clearly if a pa- tients with graver illnesses are going to be Urgent Care cations that span many departments, provid- tient activates EMS by calling 911 they will seen first. And if you electively request to 41 E 8th St ed in many specialized rooms throughout the be taken to an emergency center. Before they be stitched up by an on-call board certified (212) 897-1991 facility. Care for acute heart attack, acute psy- have even entered an ER, cost has already plastic surgeon, the bill you may incur, per chiatric illness, sexual assault, and acute trau- been incurred by calling for an ambulance. stitch, will obviously be more expensive. New York Doctors Urgent Care ma are just a few of the emergency conditions We all need to consider that expense. 65 W 13th St that are treated by a team of multidisciplinary If you are medically insured, not unlike Joy Pape: Again, thank you Dr. Licht for (212) 414-2800 professionals from multiple departments in having life insurance and car insurance, you enlightening us, and to Northwell Health specialized areas (rooms) of the center. need to know what your plan covers. What for the services you provide to the residents CityMD West Village out of pocket expenses should I expect with of the West Village. 331 6th Ave Joy Pape: What is an urgent care? Are different types of medical services used? (Please read the letter to the editor on page 2 from (212) 219-2659 they called centers, departments, or what? What does my plan consider urgent, emer- Alice Connorton.We hope this will be helpful too.) Dr. Licht: (He chuckles again.) All the gent, and routine? Do I have a co-pay, coin- UMD Urgent Care above. I think as these facilities have become surance, or a deductible? Many of us don’t Joy Pape is an internationally known board 110 W 14th St more common in the continuum of medical know these answers. Know before a situa- certified family nurse practitioner, author, (212) 242-4333 care, I believe most people refer to them as tion arises. Know this as part of a disaster writer, and presenter. She believes every simply urgent cares. Urgent cares are ideal plan for you and/or your family. If you don’t, person is an individual and deserves person- CityMD Union Square West for most non-emergency medical situations, and a heath situation arises and you have the alized integrative medical care and hope for 14 W 14th St especially when acute illness occurs outside time during a situation, I recommend call- a healthy and full life. She can be reached at (212) 390-0558 of normal business hours or on weekends. ing your insurer first. As an example, you 212-933-1756 or at [email protected] www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 5

Corey asks Subway Riders to Representing buyers, sellers, Fund Race to Mayor investors and landlords

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Don’t forget to support local mom and pops this winter! Contact me for a no pressure consultation. See you around the neighborhood! “Your local West Village broker and long time resident.“ COREY JOHNSON SHUTS DOOR ON INFLUENCE BUYERS. Photo courtesy of Corey Johnson.

I'm writing to share some exciting news: I • I will not accept contributions from am thinking about running for Mayor of anyone employed at a lobbying firm. New York City. • I will not accept contributions from It's a big decision, I know, but I love this corporate PACs. Scotty Elyanow City and am committed to making it a bet- Are you with me? Chip in something ter place for all. Licensed Associate RE Broker today to let me know. Visit https://secure. m 917.678.6010 | [email protected] www.westvillagebroker.com As much as I love New York, we are ca- actblue.com/donate/c4nyc. pable of so much more. @villagescotty The New York Times wrote about my Real estate agents affiliated with The Corcoran Group are independent contractor sales And New Yorkers are fed up with our associates and are not employees of The Corcoran Group. The Corcoran Group is a pledge, saying it went "further than any licensed real estate broker located at 660 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10065 pay-to-play political system. They know candidate ever to run for Mayor in restrict- that real estate developers and lobbyists ing" donations. have had too much sway for too long. Every dollar you give sends the mes- That's why I am pledging the following sage that New York City is not for sale. to you: And thanks to our City's public campaign • I will only accept a maximum of $250 financing program, every donation up to in contributions per individual, even $250 will be matched 8 to 1. though NYC allows individuals to So if you give $25, it becomes $225! contribute up to $2,000. Thank you for your friendship and part- • I will not accept contributions from nership. Together, we can make New York real estate developers or anyone em- City a place for all of us. ployed at their firms. —Corey Johnson

serving on the boards of for-profit compa- continued from page 1 Sloan nies, but this number may decrease. It has and healthcare companies in dozens of ar- already gone from 14 to 9. ticles he had written for medical journals. He The hospital itself is not above making also resigned from the boards of Bristol My- lucrative arrangements with for-profit com- ers Squibb and of Varian Medical Systems (a panies, as when it made a deal with an arti- radiation equipment manufacturer). He then ficial intelligence company founded by three got a job with AstraZeneca to run its oncol- doctors employed in various capacities by the ogy department. hospital; it licensed images of 25 million pa- An executive vice president of the hos- tient tissue slides. Of course the doctors must pital received $1.4 million for representing also have profited. This could be explained Memorial Sloan-Kettering on the board of away as a means of meeting any hospital’s a newly public company. enormous expenses, but anywhere profit Hospital chief executive Craig B. lurks, there is the danger of corruption. Thompson also got into trouble for con- The hospital is currently reviewing the flicts of interest. He has stepped down different ways its staff members are linked from the boards of Merck (which makes to for-profit companies and deciding what an important cancer drug, and in 2017 had additional steps to take. So are other prom- paid him about $300,000), and Charles inent cancer centers that are alarmed at the River Laboratories, which assists in drug revelations about Sloan-Kettering. They development. Even so, some doctors have also have member doctors serving on for- called for his ouster as a leader who has not profit boards. guided the cancer center down an ethical Surely all for-profit arrangements at a path. They feel the for-profit ties of nu- hospital should be stopped because of the merous hospital executives could be cor- ethically compromising situations they rupting the hospital’s mission. create, but Memorial Sloan-Kettering is There are still doctors at the hospital studying the matter. 6 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org Why I Am Voting for Jacques Benveniste, 1928-2019 12 days and finally arrived at Bergen-Belsen, a con- Jumaane Williams centration camp near Hanover. Bergen-Belsen was not an extermination camp, but many people died of February 26th typhus there (including Anne Frank). Food was in on short supply, and body lice were common. My father By Arthur Schwartz and other teens tried to learn or improve their Eng- lish—my father found a copy of Arrowsmith by Sin- To date, the fact that on February 26 the voters of NYC will clair Lewis and worked his way through it, looking get to vote for the person first in line to succeed the Mayor up hundreds of words in a dictionary. It was not until hasn’t broken through most people’s consciousness. In fact, April 1945, after over a year in the camp that they on Tuesday February 26th NYC voters get to go to the polls were put on a train that travelled east. They never to choose a replacement for Tish James, who was Public found out here they were going, because a few days Advocate, and is now Attorney General for all of NY State. later the train stopped and the locomotive and most What does the Public Advocate do? of the SS guards disappeared. Soon a tank appeared, First, he/she is an ombudsman, the person in government and it was an American tank! After that, the family that you can call if you have a problem with someone in was repatriated to Greece through Magdeburg, Brus- City government. The Public Advocate’s staff are supposed sels, Marseilles and Bari. In Brussels they were able to be problem solvers. Sometimes that means bringing a to communicate with Athens and found out that my lawsuit. (I am proud to say that I represented Tish James in father’s eldest sister had died but that the youngest six different lawsuits where she successfully addressed im- sister was well. In looking through the train that took portant issues.) them from Bergen-Belsen, they found a collective The Public Advocate chairs City Council meetings and has passport issued by the Portuguese government. My the right to propose legislation for Council consideration. father felt this document had saved their lives. The Public Advocate chooses a member of the City Plan- My father had a great talent and love for math- ning Commission, which has the final say on most land use ematics: his trajectory in this field was impressive issues. and brilliant. In spite of the disruption in his studies And, as I said earlier, if the Mayor moves on, the Public caused by the war, he finished high school on sched- Advocate is next in line. ule and enrolled in the National Polytechnic Institute The election on February 26 is a “non-partisan” election. of Greece (think Greece’s MIT), having taken second No one runs as a Democrat or a Republican. No one must WESTVIEW COLUMNIST CAROLINE BENVENISTE place in the entire country on the national entrance surpass 40% of the vote to win (which is the rule in regu- being escorted by her father, Jacques Benveniste, exam. (“And why not first place?” his father is said to lar City elections). And since 23 candidates have submitted at her wedding in 1989. Photo courtesy of Caroline have commented sardonically.) While he would have petitions to be on the ballot, every vote will count. The can- Benveniste. liked to pursue a degree in mathematics, he felt that didate who hits 20% could win. post-war Greece would need engineers more than A lot of us have heard of Jumaane Williams. He is a City By Caroline Benveniste mathematicians, and so he followed what seemed to Council Member from Brooklyn who ran for Lieutenant him a more prudent course in studying engineering. Governor against the incumbent in last year’s Democratic My father, Jacques Benveniste, a longtime Village His superb performance in college earned him a Ful- Primary, and with the NY Times’ endorsement received 47% resident, died unexpectedly on January 7, 2019. He bright scholarship to study civil engineering at the of the vote. His opponent spent $34 million—he spent was 90 years old. He was found unresponsive at home University of Minnesota, where he earned his Ph.D. $300,000. Around the state people who met him were im- and transported by ambulance to Lenox Health, in three years. After returning briefly to Greece, he pressed. Greenwich Village, but the paramedics and doctors received offers of professorships at Columbia Uni- I had the pleasure of being his (pro bono) lawyer in that were unable to revive him. My father was born in versity and the City College of New York. He chose election. I got to know him well. In my almost 30 years of Athens, Greece on October 7, 1928. His teen years City College, where he taught until his retirement working with elected officials, I have never met a candidate were mostly consumed by the Second World War. four decades later, eventually becoming Dean of the who was more down to earth. He isn’t full of himself, he isn’t He was Jewish, and in the fall of 1943, a few months Engineering School. arrogant, he thinks strategically but he is straightforward. He after Athens came under German occupation, all I had often wondered how my parents had gotten has no fear about putting himself on the line. For a Caribbean- Jews were required to register with the German au- together. After the war my mother lived in Paris, her American guy who until a year ago wore dreadlocks, he puts thorities. Initially my father and his parents went into family having moved there from Greece. It was not people of all colors and nationalities at ease. I have sat with him hiding at the house of a trusted employee of his fa- until my father’s memorial service that my mother at meetings where someone screams at him about a statement ther’s store. His oldest sister, who was ill with tuber- related the whole story: en route from Greece to he once made, or a vote he took, and he has calmly responded, culous spondylitis, was admitted to a hospital under New York to start his job at City College, my father sometimes explaining and sometimes apologizing. a Greek-sounding name and his younger sister ac- stopped in Paris. He had a letter of introduction to He seems tireless. Last year he drove back and forth from companied her, using fake papers. My father’s father, my mother’s family, as the two families had known one side of the state to another. And he overcomes a disability, Elie Benveniste, had at one point been a Portuguese each other before the war, and had lived in the same Tourette’s Syndrome, which would scare others off the stage. citizen (after the first Balkan war many of the Jews part of Athens. My father and mother went out to Jumaane went to Brooklyn Tech and Brooklyn College. in Salonika had decided to assume Portuguese citi- the theater where they saw a play by Tennessee Wil- He wanted to be an actor but got out of college and got a zenship) and while in hiding, the family heard that liams. My parents corresponded for a few months af- job as Executive Director of the advocacy group Tenants and that the honorary Consul for Portugal was willing to ter my father arrived in New York, and he then pro- Neighbors. Jumaane ran on the Working Families Party line issue a certificate stating that Elie Benveniste’s name posed in a letter. My mother accepted, and moved to against the Democratic nominee and won. In the 2017 elec- appeared in the archives of the Portuguese consul- New York in November of 1959, and they were mar- tion he got 99% of the vote in his district against his oppo- ate in Salonika. Since Portugal was a neutral country, ried on January 14, 1960. They would have celebrated nent. His constituents love him. the family believed that the worst that could happen their 59th wedding anniversary this year. My father He has become well known for getting arrested, five times to them was a deportation to Germany followed by is survived by his wife, Isa Benveniste, his children, in all, most recently when he blocked a vehicle which an Im- repatriation to Portugal. my brother Jerome Benveniste and I, and his three migration Movement activist had been placed into by Immi- In March, 1944, the family was picked up and tak- grandchildren, Amelie Ya Deau, and Eleanor and Ari gration Police after he went to do his monthly check in. Hav- en to a prison near Athens, and then to a train station Benveniste. He will be missed by all of them and by ing experienced mistreatment by police himself, he was at the where they were put in freight cars that travelled for many others as well. forefront of a successful fight against former Mayor Bloom- continued on page 7 www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 7 Can Words Repair a Broken City?

CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE WILLIAMS believes NYCHA “should be put on the Worst Landlords List.” Photo: © Joel Gordon 2019 - All rights reserved.

By George Capsis “and acting” (he had planned to be an actor Attorney Arthur Schwartz sent me an and is very good at leading a crowd). e-mail offering an interview with Ju- The written platform offered “I would maane Williams who is running, along stand up for low income renters across New with 22 others, for the post of Public Ad- York City for real, scalable policies that vocate. With election day fast approach- preserve affordability, and protect families ing (Tuesday February 26th), I ask Arthur from predatory landlords right now.” “does he have a chance,” and Arthur replied As I keyed this I thought about his back “sure, he is number one.” phrase “protect families from predatory Public Advocate is a curious and at times landlords.” Here in the West Village we controversial post—he or she supposedly don’t have families who are threatened by speaks for all of us to make sure the city landlords, but only single aged men and government does what we really want it to women in rent stabilized apartments, like do. Obviously he or she has to single out Mitch Donian, whose article appears in the big issues like affordable housing, and this issue and was in the other room wait- when I asked Arthur to send me his plat- ing for dinner as I conducted the interview. form—I received “My Platform For Hous- I asked about “gentrification” which his ing Justice.” He has several other issues, platform document warned “was sweeping but as he said, “this is the big one.” through every corner of the city” and Ju- Before I sat down to write I took a look maane quickly came back with “yes, it was at a video of Jumaane addressing an African causing reverse migration.” American crowd in Brooklyn, which is his His platform offers that “2.5 million political turf and home, and was bemused New Yorkers are rent stabilized—and to see him do a Martin Luther King re- these rights will expire altogether in 2019” sponse chant and wondered, how biased (oh wow, this must have been written last would his housing plans be? year—I gotta ask Arthur about this, but He came in from the icy cold with his no way is rent control going to end—the nice young lady handler, peeled off two streets would be flooded with protesters layers and sat in my “reading the New York and landlords and the mayor would be Times” chair. We began with his bio—his hung in effigy). father came from Grenada to study medi- Jumaane does a job on NYCHA and cine and become a doctor. Jumaane went ends with “they should be put on the Worst to Brooklyn Tech HS, then Brooklyn Col- Landlords List.” lege, and studied Political Science. “Is poli- This morning I heard on the radio that tics a science?” I challenged. He hesitated Corey Johnson wants to tear NYCHA before he offered “yes” and added, (I think) down. I like that...

Jumaane continued from page 6 just last month, Mayor de Blasio adopted berg’s “Stop and Frisk” policy. That policy led Jumaane’s 2014 bill requiring, at the mini- VIEWS BY SUZE to one in four Black men being stopped in mum, a week of paid vacation no matter 50 + years in Greenwich Village any given year by the NYPD. And, as he pre- where someone works. See Views by Suze dicted, even with the arrests stopped, NYC Jumaane is a special man, running in a at Bonsignour Café has become safer. Special Election. We will be a proud, well- Jane Street But Jumaane hasn’t just been opposi- served City if we elect him. and Eighth Avenue tional. In his first eight years on the City Vote on Tuesday February 26th. 917-686-6542 Council he authored 58 bills which passed, [email protected] which means that he knows how to work Arthur Schwartz is the Male Democratic with colleagues to get things done. And District Leader for Greenwich Village. East Village Mural 8 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org Judge Block for Dinner By George Capsis district court judge, has written a magnifi- a prosecutor’s role is to secure justice, they cent book which describes the experience of see sentencing from their own perspec- Some months ago, Nelly—the former chef and a human being punishing other human be- tive. It is far better to have sentencing de- owner of the rent-rendered Lima’s Choice restau- ings. Judge Block does this by telling the sto- cisions in the hands of judges, but that is rant—asked us to host a dinner for Judge Frederic ries of some of the cases that he has handled very much lessened when the prosecutor’s Block because of our larger eating area. But before since coming on the bench in 1994. Each charging decisions make all the difference we bought the lobsters, she’d found another loca- of the cases is compelling and Judge Block in terms of the punishment imposed. tion for the event where, unfortunately, there was is a great story-teller. Each evokes impor- Third, Judge Block describes the enor- not enough room for Dusty and me. So, we put the tant issues concerning our criminal justice mously disturbing reality that defendants can good wine back on the rack, regretting, of course, system. Judge Block is candid in sharing his be sentenced for crimes for which they are the historic conversation we would miss just be- thinking and his feelings as he approached not convicted and even for crimes for which cause somebody had a larger dining area. imposing punishments in these instances. they were acquitted. This is reflected in the But Judge Block did come to dinner on his He is remarkably self-reflective, often de- first two chapters of Judge Block’s book, one own, after our Vivaldi concert, and it proved scribing his concerns that his religion or the involving a case that he heard while sitting to be a very unique performance. unfounded accusations against him or his by designation in the United States Court of recent reading might be unduly influencing Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the other As the judge is in his early eighties, I asked NOT WEARING HIS ROBE: Federal Judge if he was considering retirement. He offered a the sentences he is imposing. Along the way, Frederic Block comments over dinner on he handled as a district court judge. set piece—one is made a federal judge for life— he tells us a lot about the workings of the his book that may become a TV series. The law is clear that a judge in sentenc- and, “What else would I do?” federal courts and also about his life. Photo by Maggie Berkvist. ing may impose punishments for crimes for Well, he is doing a lot. He has written two What comes across most clearly is how which the defendant was acquitted. In United books. One of them is moving toward a TV series Judge Block is trying mightily to follow the seems clearly excessive. As a conscientious States v. Watts, 1997, the Supreme Court held in which an African American attorney identi- law, even when it leads to results he feels judge following the law, Judge Block im- that a jury’s verdict of acquittal does not pre- fies and saves unjustly convicted prisoners. This are unjust, but also to use his discretion to posed this punishment even though he vent a sentencing court from considering a mirrors just what Judge Block accomplished for do what he feels is right: imposing signifi- thought it was excessive under the cir- defendant’s conduct underlying the acquit- an African American man unjustly imprisoned cant penalties when that seems appropriate, cumstances. It made me think about being ted charge, so long as that conduct has been for 15 years, and is, in fictional form, the subject but also acting with compassion when that a judge when the law requires an unjust, proved by a preponderance of the evidence. of his first book. seems warranted. This is a book that can be though constitutional result. Laws like The rationale is that a conclusion of guilt re- During the dinner and throughout the rest of enjoyed simply for its stories and its human- “mandatory minimums” and “three strikes” quires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, but the evening we proffered questions that he ac- ity. It is about the crimes people commit and often require this of our judges. The “tough a sentencing factor need be proven only by cepted like after dinner-treats. He reviewed his what a judge considers in punishing them. on crime” mentality of the last half century preponderance of the evidence. accomplishments and then, holding his iPhone, It therefore is a book that deserves a wide has led to legislatures, and sometimes vot- I always have felt that it unjust for a per- played us country and western songs he’d com- audience. It is beautifully written and acces- ers, sometimes creating punishments that son to be punished for a crime for which posed and even sang (we were speechless); the sible to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. are far too harsh for the crimes involved. he or she has been acquitted. Imagine a lyrics were brilliant. But there also is an underlying dimen- No politician wants to seem soft on crime. defendant is charged with 12 counts, 11 I could not suppress my jealousy of this man’s sion to the book that should be part of a Judge Block tells what it is like to be a for very serious offenses and one for some- accomplishments, but even more so, of his ob- larger conversation about the problems judge having to apply these laws. thing minor. If the defendant is acquitted viously unique intelligence and active engage- with our current sentencing system. I Second, laws like these—such as man- on the 11 serious counts, he or she can still ment in life though he is over 80 years old. can identify several important issues that datory minimums and three strikes—have be punished for them if convicted of the Judge Block was overwhelmed by the preface to emerge from reading Judge Block’s book. meant a significant shift of power in sen- minor crime. his book Race to Judgement (which is more fulsome First, there is the problem of draconian tencing from judges to prosecutors. In the This is exactly what happened in the cases in praise than any review I have ever read). The punishments and the point at which they John Doe case, it was the prosecutor’s choice that Judge Block describes. The law allows it, book will be released and available to the public become cruel and unusual in violation of the to charge and try the case under a statute but I hope the Supreme Court will reverse within the next few months. Eighth Amendment. In fact, Judge Block that required a mandatory minimum penalty its earlier opinion and find that it is uncon- Read Professor Erwin Chemerinsky’s pref- expressly poses the question of when sen- that tied Judge Block’s hands. In Lockyer v. stitutional to punish someone for a crime for ace to Race to Judgement that follows. tences are so disproportionate to the crime as Andrade, the prosecutor could have charged which he or she has been acquitted. to violate the Eighth Amendment. The first Leandro Andrade with one misdemeanor Fourth, throughout the book, Judge Preface to Race to Judgement case I ever argued in the Supreme Court was count of petty theft, with a maximum sen- Block refers to the Sentencing Guidelines. Lockyer v. Andrade, where my client received tence of six months in jail; or two counts of These were adopted over 30 years ago to By Professor Erwin Chemerinsky a sentence of 50 years to life, with no possi- petty theft, with a maximum sentence of create more uniformity in sentencing. As The government has no power greater than bility of parole for 50 years, for stealing $153 one year in jail; or one count of the felony Judge Block explains, they create a sys- to take away a person’s freedom or even life. worth of videotapes from K-Mart stores in of “petty theft with a prior,” with a maxi- tem that requires that a judge consider a We trust our judges to balance justice and San Bernardino, California. He received this mum sentence of three years in prison; or number of prescribed factors and it yields mercy to arrive at an appropriate sentence sentence even though he had never com- two counts of petty theft with a prior, with a range for the permissible sentence. The when a person has been convicted of a mitted a violent crime and even though no a maximum sentence of three years, eight United States Supreme Court in United States crime. Yet to a large extent, how a judge one in the history of the United States had months in prison; or one count under the v. Booker (2005), held the Guidelines are goes about this process is invisible to the received a life sentence for shoplifting until three strikes law, with a maximum sentence advisory, not mandatory. Judges though, lawyers in a case, the public, and even to California’s “three strikes law.” of 25 years to life in prison; or two counts must still justify departures from what the the criminal defendant being sentenced. To The United States Court of Appeals under the three strikes law, with a maximum Guidelines prescribe. be sure, judges often give reasons for their for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the sen- sentence of 50 years in prison. The charging As I read Judge Block referring repeatedly sentences, such as explaining when their tence was unconstitutional cruel and un- decision was left entirely to the prosecutor to the “Guidelines range,” I was interested sentence is dictated by a statute requiring usual punishment, but the Supreme Court and he choose the maximum possible. The in knowing more about his thinking about a mandatory minimum sentence or how reversed in a 5-4 decision. In Lockyer v. judge was helpless to prevent this and the the Sentencing Guidelines. Many, including the punishment fits under the Sentencing Andrade and a companion case, Ewing v. jury that convicted had no idea as to the judges I have spoken to, believe that they are Guidelines. But the human dimension of California, the Court made clear that the consequences of their verdicts. too harsh. Some think they went too far in this—how a judge actually balances jus- government has enormous discretion in I am troubled by the great shift in the substituting uniformity for individualized tice and mercy, what a judge feels in put- imposing punishments, even very lengthy power to determine sentences from judges sentencing. But others think that Booker’s ting a person in prison for a long time or sentences for minor crimes. to prosecutors. This change in the law has making the Guidelines advisory has helped condemning a person to death—is rarely In the story of “John Doe,” Judge Block not received nearly enough attention. Pros- to cure this problem. After more than 30 publicly explored. tells of imposing a mandatory minimum ecutors are partisans in our criminal justice years’ experience with the Guidelines, and Judge Frederic Block, a long-time federal sentence of 15 years in a case where that system. No matter how much it is said that continued on page 11 www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 9 Mayor de Blasio Waves His Baton Over New York City for by the city, who stop illegal evictions. sonal time, and when landlords cheat their and bail reform. Avoiding the details of the horrific prob- tenants they will lose their buildings under His number one concern is education, lems in NYCHA, he promised “new every- a new agency. Marijuana will be legalized, and he announced the expansion of the things” for 1785 public housing residents but “grassroots” not large corporations will partnership with Warby Parker for free from roofs to kitchens and bathrooms. He run the businesses (pun intended?). eye exams and glasses for every Kindergar- moved 2,000 homeless off the streets into With bravura, De Blasio announced tener and first grader. Withappassionato he “permanent situations to get the help they a universal retirement system for those ended his performance, extolling his uto- need”, while closing 180 shelters that did who have worked for decades and earned pian vision for every working person, ask- not meet standards. the right to retire in peace. New Yorkers ing us to imagine a city where everyday life His recitativo of achievements included deserve to live in the “fairest big city in becomes more fair and where “people can full-day Pre-K for all four year olds to help America and that is what we are going live their lives more fully” where “work is each child reach their full potential. A re- to deliver.” People across the country are rewarded and all this prosperity is shared.” cord number are also being provided with working longer hours, and those working These goals are not unreachable but free 3-K. His announcement that they set the hardest often earn the least and have achievable. With bravura he intoned the the all-time record for graduation rates in no benefits or protections. Thus he is ex- refrain we should “never underestimate the DE BLASIO CATALOGS ACHIEVEMENTS: His NYC received a thunderous standing ova- panding the Dept. of Consumer Affairs to change we can make together.” near perfect score may not win the game. tion. Three-quarters of students graduated add Worker Protection. Since nearly half Dissonant commentary criticized his Photo by J. Taylor Basker. on time; previously it was under 50%. Over of workers in the city do not have worker- failure to collaborate with business on his half, 59%, went on to higher education. sponsored retirement plans, the city will plans to provide paid leave and raises, of- By J. Taylor Basker To fulfill his promise to provide more provide plans for them. fering no tax breaks in return. Some Coun- jobs, he doubled awards to women and Con brio, he affirmed that happiness is cil members felt his establishment of a At Symphony Space, punctuated by ca- minority businesses with over 10 billion part of our right in the Declaration of In- landlord watchdog agency was redundant, dences of applause, our Mayor revealed his dollars in city contracts. He declared for- dependence and living in this city should although the NYC Dept. of Housing and new orchestration of the citizens of NYC. tissimo that NYC is now a world tech hub be more than just surviving. He asserted Development in over two-thirds of cases In his sixth State of the City speech, Bill due to his groundwork, bragging that Am- that “come hell or high water” Albany will against landlords settled for less than 15% de Blasio promised New Yorkers a bet- azon and Google want to be here. How- fix our subways. To make it easier to get of penalties under the law. Scott Stringer ter life. NYC should be a model for the ever, there was a noticeable silence about around he added two ferries in August to was concerned about details not discussed rest of the country that is descending into the controversial deal with Amazon in the Lower East Side and Soundview and re: solving record homelessness and the ap- servitude to the 1%. He claimed the city LIC. Now there are over 4.5 million jobs is extending service to Staten Island and palling problems of NYCHA. Where will under his administration had reversed this in NYC for the first time, paid sick days Coney Island, cutting some commut- the money come from? Ignored was the by giving back to workers “the prosperity extended, unemployment down and wages ers’ time to work in half. Changes to bus crisis in commercial real estate whose es- they have earned.” Declaring himself to be risen, with $15 minimum wage under his routes should speed them up. On April 1, calating greed causes stores to shut down a contemporary Robin Hood, he attacked progressive policies. the fate of NYC transit will be decided in in rapid staccato in some neighborhoods. greedy landlords, big business and income De Blasio reported he made NYC more the new state budget, and it is vital for all to Will the wealthy be willing to part with inequality. He urged policies designed sustainable by banning Styrofoam cups af- pressure Albany. He believes a millionaire’s their money to make life better for ordinary to increase finances and improve of the ter winning court battles with business, and tax is the fairest way to fund the improve- New Yorkers and the poor? A few years ago quality of life for struggling New Yorkers. warned that plastic bags and straws are next. ments we need, while other ideas such as there was a federal inquiry into wealthy do- Thanking his wife for her initiative helping The city is divesting from fossil fuel com- marijuana revenue, congestion pricing, or nors to his campaign who received favors. New Yorkers who struggle with mental ill- panies and investing billions into renewable a new transportation bond act are under How far will they let him go? ness and depression in the THRIVE NYC energy. It sued pharmaceutical companies consideration. This year Albany should The Mayor plans to take his progressive program, he praised all there who helped for their role in the loss of life in the opioid make needed reforms with Democrats in vision to the nation, as part of a possible make the city great. He acknowledged this crisis, and plans to open controversial over- the majority including rent regulation re- presidential campaign strategy. However, year’s heroes including civilians, police, and dose prevention centers to save lives. newal, repeal of vacancy decontrol, voting he may need to turn his baton into a magic firefighters, and re-told their stories, re- Lamenting the loss of democratic values reforms to make it easier to vote, and trial wand to achieve it. minding us of their great compassion and in Wash. DC, he sees the need for the city courage in our city, and why we are grateful to strengthen our democracy and protect Doris Diether’s Birthday Celebration to be New Yorkers. rights through new participatory budget- Life has improved in New York where ing and candidates who run for office with- crime is at an all-time low, reduced more out big money. The city sent lawyers to the than under either Bloomberg or Giuliani. border to fight “the inhumane detention This has made it the safest big city in Amer- of children”, and when Trump tried to ica, with the fewest homicides since 1951. It take away law enforcement money because defied the conventional wisdom that many NYC refused to report the immigration arrests equal safety, since the NYPD made status of residents, it won in court. 140,000 fewer arrests. Neighborhood polic- De Blasio emphasized that these suc- ing is working. The prison population has cessful ideas were considered too radical, dropped below 8,000 for the first time in 40 expensive, “or shudder, too progressive.” years. De Blasio emphasized that “the era He proclaimed that we must go further to of mass-incarceration did not begin in New improve the quality of our lives despite the York City, but it will end in New York City”, agenda of the rich and powerful that has promising to close Rikers Island to a cre- dominated our politics from Reaganomics scendo of applause. Safety has also extended to the Trump tax giveaway. He quipped, to the roads; under his Vision Zero program “There is plenty of money in the world, there were the fewest accidents since 1910. in the city, it’s just in the wrong hands.” In addition to being the safest city, de Working people have become more pro- Blasio wants to make NY the fairest. In ductive but have received a smaller share 2018 he built the most affordable apart- of the wealth they create. Thus this year he CELEBRATING DORIS DIETHER: Doris' many families, friends, fellow preservationists, ments ever in NYC. He thanked the City wants health care for all, including undoc- activists and her many boyfriends merrily drank, danced and celebrated the Grande Council for passing the Access to Counsel umented immigrants. NYC will be the first Dame, the recognized Queen of Washington Square Park, with thanks for all that she Law, helping tenants obtain lawyers paid in the nation to require two weeks paid per- has done for us! Marionette by Ricky Syers, Photo by Allan Baillie. 10 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org Storefont Billboards Then&Now: The Last One Left By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP

THEN: The city allowed gas stations like this to proliffer- NOW: The last gas station now in the West Village; do you ate throughout residential neighborhoods as cars owners know it? Photo credit: Brian J. Pape, AIA. demanded these services near them. Credit: NYC Municipal Archives, 1940 Tax Photos, http://nycma.lunaimaging.com/ luna/servlet

Greenwich Village has been challenged on many fronts, enue down to Bank Street, tying into Hudson Street. but the car-centric culture has been one of the biggest. These remnant lots were seldom economically feasible for You may already be aware that when the early civic major buildings, so small one- and two-story service build- leaders decided Manhattan needed a simple, logical street ings sprang up in their place. The timing was right for the layout for the city to grow north of Chambers Street, The new demand for car “service stations,” which could fit their Village was already well established, with influential Vil- underground fuel tanks and driveways into tight corners. lage property owners who would not allow their buildings By the 1940 Tax Photo records made of every lot in the to be wiped out. City fathers instead laid out The Grid to city, we see gas stations at nearly every corner, much like go around the Village. towns all over America. Space constrains us from showing That plan held until the early 1900s, when transpor- all the gas station photos, but you can go to NYC Munici- Storefront billboards are the spreading garish shrouds tation needs grew so critical, in the rapidly expanding pal Archives, 1940 Tax Photos, http://nycma.lunaimag- for dead retail shops that continually elude retail leases northward thrust, that subterranean railroads had to be ing.com/luna/servlet, to see for yourself. for months and even years. It is hoped that the City considered for north-south travel. The early 1900s also Here is a sampling from that record; it is not an exhaus- Council will enact legislation to end this new unique saw the proliferation of private automobiles and metered tive list. I challenge you to keep an eye out for these for- commercial blight; but landlords who despair of rent- als are rapidly succumbing to the obvious attractive cabs, as well as delivery trucks and surface trolleys and mer service station locations: 20-22 7th Avenue South, 29 fees and Bleecker Street may soon become an ad freight railroads. Elevated railroads for commuters had 7th Avenue South, 48 7th Avenue South, 56 7th Avenue alley. Photo above is the storefront billboard on the been erected in as many places as feasible, but people South, 76 7th Avenue South, 85 7th Avenue South @ 20 old Riviera cafe for “Team Coco” which is the brand hated them, and heavy storms could still bring travel to Barrow, 115-125 7th Avenue South @ 170 W. 10th, 137- name owned by Conan O’Brien’s production com- a standstill. This led to decisions to create main avenues 141 7th Avenue South, 162-170 7th Avenue South @ 20 pany. © Joel Gordon 2019 - All rights reserved through neighborhoods where they had formerly been Perry, 157-159 7th Avenue South, 173 7th Avenue South blocked, many with subways tunneling underneath them. @ 5 Perry, 177 7th Avenue South @ 61-65 Greenwich Today the scars of these avenue right-of-ways are still Ave., 538-544 Hudson St. @ Charles (NE), 532-536 evident some 100 years later. Many buildings were either Hudson St. @ Charles (SE), 627 Hudson St. @ 43 Hora- demolished entirely or a new, angled wall patched up the tio, 22-26 Little West 12th St., 39 Little West 12th St., amputation, leaving the odd triangular lots and corners 404 W. 13th St., and 300 W. 13th St. @ 64 8th Avenue & that result when a wide avenue is cut at an angle to the 1 Horatio. Only the last one remains today. established layout. In Greenwich Village, 6th Avenue was plowed through Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP, is an architectural consul- from The Village to SOHO and Tribeca; 7th Avenue tant in private practice, serves on the Community Board South forever modified The Village from Greenwich Av- 2 in Manhattan, is Co-chair of the American Institute of enue down to Houston Street where it tied into Varick; Architects NY Design for Aging Committee, and is West- and 8th Avenue was bulldozed in from Greenwich Av- ViewNews.org Architectural Editor.

70 GREENWICH AVE. • WEST VILLAGE • NYC • • good design = great sales Hourly Handyman Services Professional Painting Projects Whether you’re selling your product or your services, we can Electrical & Carpentry Work help you with stunning logos, ads, collateral and publications and a well-designed, easy-to-navigate website. MICHAEL RUSSO, PROPRIETOR 917.476.4146 • [email protected] View the website at phelandesignworks.com Serving the West Village for 11 Years [email protected] • 212-620-0652 www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 11 Jonas Mekas Was Frozen History Dada gang and selected me to work on his filmDreams that Money Can Buy and I met Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray on the set the first night. Dick and I got the idea to gather together all the people making art films, as they were also called, and we made a list and on it was the name of Jonas Mekas and his brother Adolphus, who we discovered lived on Or- chard Street, which was THE street on the Lower East Side of Jewish retail shops (it was always flooded with shoppers). They lived in what they called “old law tenement” and they shared the toilet with JONAS MEKAS, guru of the Avant-Garde film the tenant on the other side of the wall. movement, has passed away at the age of 96. There was no bath or shower, so they drove Photo courtesy of Roger Paradiso. an ice pick into a cold water pipe in the ceiling and would step into a porcelain By George Capsis pan and pull the pick when they wanted to bathe (their tenement is now the Tene- Dina Andriotis, Chris Tsiamis, and Nikitas Andriotis (from left to right). 66 years ago I was invited by Dick Brum- ment Museum). mer to his top floor apartment on Perry Jonas showed me a draft of a film maga- 77 Christopher Street Street for an small evening party and I zine he was putting together with the name Between Seventh Avenue and Bleecker Street found myself glancing down from the Film Culture and I quickly said “no, no, that’s rear window at a garden across the way Pharmacy Hours: not right you gotta give it a better name.” I Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM on Charles Street that became the house wrongly assumed since he was from Lithu- I bought for my family and in which I am ania and was new to English he would ac- Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM keying this right now. cept my suggestions. Not Jonas—and I dis- Sunday 11:00 AM- 5:00 PM Dick’s family owned the Brummer Gal- covered his granite stubbornness, which he lery on 57th Street which, if you Google never lost—it stayed Film Culture. Telephone: 212-255-2525 • Fax: 212-255-2524 them, was a famous institution. They sold Some months ago I invited Jonas to 69 email: [email protected] many things, from Egyptian relics to avant Charles and he came with his son since, www.newyorkchemists.com garde art from Paris, and a big hunk of in his 90s, he was frail and walking was what they brought over is now at the Met. treacherous. At one point he stopped and Dick was interested in what we called pulled out some typewritten sheets and ex- art films and I had gone to City College plained that these were notes of my visit to at night to study films under Hans Rich- his apartment 66 years ago written by his ter who did nutty things in Paris with the brother Adolfus.

Judge Block continued from page 8 more than a decade since Booker, it is time Guidelines range. It also caused Judge COPPELIA for a careful examination of how they func- Block to instruct the Probation Depart- 207 West 14th Street • NY, NY 10011 tion and whether they are desirable. ment to include a collateral consequences 212-858-5001 • coppelianyc.com Finally, Judge Block’s book forces us to section in all future presentence reports. continue to think carefully about the role Hopefully, other judges will copy this prac- Where Downtown New York of race in the criminal justice system. This tice. It should be part of a larger consider- Celebrates Latin Cuisine 24/7 especially comes up in the last chapter ation of race in the criminal justice system. about Chevelle Nesbeth, a young woman These, of course, are just some of the is- West Village … Chelsea … Meatpacking District who was convicted of attempting to smug- sues and some of the stories in this wonder- gle cocaine in the United States. ful book. Most of all, in reading the book I Judge Block describes focusing on the col- came away with the sense that regardless of lateral consequences of her conviction, all of whether I was a prosecutor or a defense law- the ways in which Nesbeth would be harmed yer, I would want Judge Block to be hear- by a criminal conviction. A felony convic- ing my cases. I hope it never happens, but tion often is a lifetime disqualification from if I or someone I love committed a crime, occupational licenses; in some places, it pre- I would want Judge Block to decide the vents people from being able to vote. In tell- sentence. I came away from the book with ing the story of Nesbeth’s sentencing, Judge a strong sense that Judge Block does all that Block examined whether these consequences a human being possibly can to be conscien- should be taken into account in deciding her tious, thoughtful, and fair in imposing pun- punishment. In one of the more powerful ishment. And that is all, as lawyers and as passages, Judge Block describes having just citizens, we can expect of our judges. I am read Michelle Alexander’s book, The New so glad that he wrote this book and gave us Jim Crow. Professor Alexander powerfully the chance to understand his thinking in details the collateral consequences of crimi- making the profoundly important decisions nal convictions, especially in terms of their about how to punish people for their crimes. effects on defendants of color. MEET ME AT COPPELIA This caused Judge Block to write a 42- Erwin Chemerinsky is the Dean and Jesse H. The Latin Diner with the Old Fashioned Flavor page opinion and to impose a sentence Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, Uni- substantially lower than the Sentence versity of California, Berkeley School of Law. 12 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org

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we can take him at his word, which surely we can, as he’s president. Why should Trump have all that money when It’s My Turn some writer is eating cornflakes for breakfast, especially when he has to pour ginger ale on his cornflakes because By James Lincoln Collier Trump has put a tariff on milk (I think that’s right)? Don’t put off taking off In the recent rather rambling chase for the presidency, Why isn’t it the writer’s turn to have a million billion those extra pounds – and there seemed to be a good deal of feeling abroad that it dollars? If that isn’t unfair, I don’t know what is. keeping them off! was Hillary’s turn. Bill had had his innings, and despite What about the Native Americans? They got to Please allow me a small misstep—if that’s the appropriate term—came America before anyone else did, invented scalping, cul- to help you on your out of it pretty well. The Bushes believed that it was Jeb’s tivated corn successfully, and made Custer wish he’d weight management journey turn—it seemed only fair, as the other male members of stayed home to hoe his tomatoes that day. How come his family had been president at one time or another. Trump can be president when the natives were here Joy Pape, Family Nurse Practitioner Applying this principle more widely means that Earl first? Surely it’s their turn. Geronimo would have made [email protected] Browder ought to have become president. He ran for a better president than a lot of those we’ve had recently. 917-806-1945 the office pretty often and never even got close—for He’d have sorted out the Clintons and Bushes mighty example: 80,000 votes in 1936 while Roosevelt got 28 quick, I can tell you, to say nothing of Donald Trump. million. Of course, one of Browder’s problems was that I’d like to see Trump complain to Geronimo about Con- he was running on the Communist ticket, which put off gress. What a hoot Geronimo would have gotten out of a lot of Americans. At that time Communism was more that. If he were in the White House we could get rid of popular than it is today but there was, nonetheless, some that Easter Egg Roll on the front lawn and have scalp- feeling in America that Uncle Joe Stalin ought not to ing practice instead. I’d love to see the look on Putin’s have shot quite so many of his friends as he did. face when Geronimo handed him a tomahawk and gave Or take the St. Louis Browns. The only time they him a choice of senators. That would put a stop to a lot won a pennant was in 1944. Most of the best baseball of loose talk about sanctions. players were in the military service, but the Browns had Or take the Nobel Prize. As far as I can see, it always a lot of players the U.S. government thought unfit for goes to somebody from a country whose name is spelled military duty. The Brownies had a very good pitcher entirely with consonants, mostly “l”s. Surely it’s the turn named Bobo Newsome who won twenty games for the of somebody from a country like Sierra Leone which has hapless Brownies one year, but had to lose twenty to do plenty of vowels in it. I’m not sure that Sierra Leone is a it, principally because too many of the Browns’ hitters country or what, but it ought to be because it has plenty didn’t remember—or had never learned—that you had of vowels. True, it’s hard to spell, but most people will to score runs to win. Finally, the Browns had to slink get close enough. The name of my country isn’t so easy away shamefacedly and become the Baltimore Orioles. to spell either. A lot of people end up with the “Untied Surely, the Brownies ought to have been given a turn at States.” Actually, at the present moment Untied seems winning a pennant. about right. Any country that can have a whole family Or take money. Not long ago I read in the newspa- for president is pretty untied, if you ask me. per that a thousand Americans own half the country’s However, you may not have asked me. All I mean wealth (something like that, anyway). What would is that the Clintons, the Trumps and the rest have had Abraham Lincoln have thought of that? Or George their turn. I’d like to see how the Trumps would handle Washington? Or George Bush? The Bushes have a lot Geronimo. That’d be a test of presidential savvy all right. of money, but nothing like what Donald Trump has—if Especially for someone who’s never handled a tomahawk. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 13 Depressed About Trump? Go on Jury Duty By J. Taylor Basker I received the dreaded letter demanding that I show up for grand jury duty right after the New Year. I had misplaced my response to their questionnaire that probably would have dis- qualified me, so I received a jury duty notice. I could have got- ten out of it, but since it was a grand jury, which I had never been on, I was interested due to all the critical issues being considered by grand juries in today’s current political crisis. I had been on several jury cases in my life and actually received a lifetime exemption after a long case related to Lyndon Larouche for which I was sequestered in a minus- one-star hotel at JFK for a week. However I couldn’t find any of the court letters to prove I didn’t need to go, so I went. I am not a fan of courts, both reading about their injus- tices and personally experiencing how unfair they can be. I arrived with my usual rebellious, leftist attitude and entered a large room at 80 Centre Street filled with nearly every ex- tant specimen of New Yorker. It was like a Petri dish social experiment combining species that would interact negative- ly, even destructively, with each other in normal conditions. But here we all sat obediently in silence. New York City courts represent everything Trump hates: racial and immigrant diversity, rich and poor together with equal rights and responsibilities. No preferences. Your money and prestige mean nothing. Dior and Dollar Store GRAND JURIES NOT SO GRAND: They listen to evidence and make a decision to try or not try a case. Illustration by J. couture sit side by side with equal value and vote. Taylor Basker. What was shocking to learn was that out of 500 notices sent, only 80 people showed up! New Yorkers are passing 16 votes out of 23 jurors. trial for a felony and they prevent bogus accusations from up a wonderful opportunity to understand how our courts What I found fascinating during this Trump era was the going to court. can save our democracy! This experience has helped me defined role in law of a grand jury. It examines, not only At this writing Mueller’s grand jury indicted about 37 regain hope in “the system.” evidence concerning criminal offenses, but “...misconduct, individuals and several entities. This grand jury experience Recently Mueller’s grand jury was extended for six nonfeasance & neglect in public office, whether criminal helps me realize how serious these indictments are—they months, but I never understood what grand juries actu- or otherwise...” indicate that there is convincing evidence that a crime has ally did, although we hear about them daily. Indictments Grand juries have been in existence for over 800 years. been committed. Sheldon Whitehouse, Democratic Sena- are continually announced. But for me, and I think most Beginning around 1215 AD both trial juries (also called tor from Rhode Island, said on a TV interview “I do not Americans, what exactly this means is unclear. petit juries) and grand juries were used in England. The at all subscribe to the theory that a president cannot be The grand jury decides if there is enough evidence to grand jury examined the evidence and made a formal accu- indicted.” Yet the courts have forced the government to suggest that a crime has been committed. If not, the case sation known as “bill of indictment” or “presentment “and reunite 2,500 families separated at the border. The Ameri- gets thrown out. This is a fair and efficient way to avoid the trial jury decided if the accusation was proven. can court system is slow and cumbersome and imperfect. bogus accusations and trials. If there is enough evidence Only one out of 20 jurors is a grand juror. Their respon- Yet Justice is advancing on Trump and ordinary American they vote to issue an accusation or indictment. You need sibility is great. They decide if a person can be brought to citizens are sealing his fate on grand juries.

Don’t Just Sit There, Resist – Part IX: Impeach, Indict, or Both? By Alec Pruchnicki tion indictment while in office one way or the other. was no limit, and nobody knew that George Washington Although many politicians, especially liberals, believe was only going to be elected for two terms. A president could The road to impeachment is clear. A combination of public that the Constitution is a living document that should be have been elected term after term indefinitely, so waiting for scandals, congressional investigations, and Mueller findings interpreted in relation to modern times, many conserva- him to leave office would have been useless. They could have will result in a long list of potentially impeachable offenses; tives are Originalists, like the late Justice Scalia, who be- waited for him to be impeached, but that would assume that the House will impeach; and the Senate will either develop a lieve that the original intent of the Founding Fathers takes he was unable to undermine impeachment by illegal means. backbone and decide on the evidence whether or not Presi- precedence. So what was their intent? If you remember President John Kennedy, Senator Rob- dent Trump should be removed, or it will continue to enable Congressman Nadler has pointed out that according to ert Kennedy, or Martin Luther King Jr., you know that his excesses. But impeachment is only removal from office, the Constitution, congressional members cannot be arrest- political assassinations are not unheard of in the United not punishment for crimes. If anyone from a bank teller to a ed while going to Congress or be subject to libel laws for States. An internet conspiracy follower shot up a pizza CEO were to embezzle money from a firm, the person would what is said during legislative debates. If Congress wanted parlor because he believed it was a front for a child abuse lose his or her job and be liable for criminal prosecution. to give similar protections to the president, they could ring. If Republicans in Congress are frightened into obedi- The question of whether a president can be indicted have put it in, but they didn’t. Every one of the Founding ence by threat of a primary election challenge, what would while in office is still a matter of contention. The Depart- Fathers knew that in 1649 King Charles I of England was happen if their lives were at stake? Calling a president to ment of Justice has guidelines that prevent this, but there executed for high treason, but they still didn’t put in any account for his actions with an indictment is just as neces- are many arguments on the other side. Members of Con- protection for the president. sary as waiting for an impeachment. gress have been indicted during their terms and have often Why not indict after the president is removed, or after he Once all the evidence is in from congressional investiga- stayed in office until actually convicted. The Constitution leaves office after serving his term? According to the Twenty- tions, state investigations, and Mueller’s work, all options specifically says that someone who has been impeached Second Amendment ratified in 1951, presidents may only should be available to resist this president. Impeach? Indict? can be subjected to indictment afterward, but doesn’t men- serve for two terms. But in the original Constitution there No, both—and as soon as possible. 14 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org Elizabeth Street Gardens: A Classic Double-Cross? Spring Street, and all the other neighbors, the Garden is a godsend, as they have repeatedly testified at hearings. The double-cross isn’t over yet. In 2012, the councilper- son for the Essex Crossing Redevelopment area, in a differ- ent district, made a backroom deal ear-marking the ESG site for affordable housing. The neighbors and CB2 were not informed about this until a year after the deed was done. Once this double-cross was discovered a concerted effort was made to return it to “exclusively for recreational use.” For WestView News readers, several previous articles have presented opposing viewpoints about this site. At nu- merous public meetings advocates have presented impas- sioned pleas for their causes. Mayor de Blasio is looking for more affordable housing, emphasizing that the need is great—especially for the local senior population—and no one disagrees with that. The community board has studied the various issues for years, reported their findings at the open meetings, and strongly advocated for much-needed park space as well as more consideration of better sites for affordable housing blocks close to community and recreational centers, public libraries and parks, but their findings seem to go unheeded. CHILDREN AND MOTHERS VS. SENIOR HOUSING: A prolonged battle between saving the Elizabeth Street Garden for fami- lies’ seasonal recreation vs. apartments continues. Credit: Brian J. Pape, AIA. Friends of ESG want the park-like atmosphere preserved as a public neighborhood park forever, as promised by the city. By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP In 1981 the city sold the southern part of the school site, This impasse seems to beg the question: can we get both which was then used for a 151-unit Section 8 affordable affordable housing and more park space, rather than ei- Neighbors of the Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG), in the housing building at 21 Spring Street, reserving the northern ther/or? The city needs both to survive. NOHO and Special Little Italy District (SLID), have ex- part (the ESG site) “exclusively for recreational use.” Why The Haven Green proposal is an affordable senior hous- pressed their concern that years of promises and being ig- was there no controversy in changing from educational to ing development for this site. In November 2018, the pub- nored have brought about a fiasco of controversy. CB2 joined residential use? Well, in those days, neglect and crime tested lic got its first preview of a potential development plan in recapping the disingenuous way the city has mistreated this the resolve of all who lived there. from Philip Habib & Associates for Penrose LLC and the district at its public board meeting on January 24th. Instead of abiding by the deed restrictions, or even abid- NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Develop- To focus on the current status of this beautifully deco- ing by its obligation to keep the lot as recreation space, the ment (HPD). The Environmental Assessment Statement rated lot, privately rented from the city by the antique store city allowed the site to deteriorate, trying to pass off the use (EAS) responds to a Request for Proposals (RFP) from next door to it and managed by ESG Inc., a non-profit of the site to the 21 Spring Street tenants who could not the HPD. The proposed work requires the City Planning group that offers free year-round public programs, really afford to maintain it. Into this morass stepped a neighbor- Commission (CPC) to approve the real estate disposition, misses the point. hood business, Elizabeth Street Gallery, a store selling an- as well as multiple other approvals. The ESG site was part of the Free School Society’s P.S. 5, tiques and architectural decorations (and some large sculp- The proposed development is a seven-story, 74-foot tall, built in 1822, then donated to the city in 1853 for other edu- tures too), that rented the weedy, fenced lot from the city. 92,761 GSF (gross square feet) mixed-use building contain- cational use according to the deed restrictions. The 1940 tax The city made the Gallery owner promise to clean up the ing 123 units of affordable senior housing, 4,454 GSF of photos show the ornate P.S. 21 school, rebuilt in 1903, with a garbage and he did that and so much more. Since 2013, the ground floor local retail, 12,885 GSF of community facil- basketball court fenced next to 209 Elizabeth Street. The city lot has been opened by neighbors, similar to many other ity space for Habitat for Humanity offices, and 6,700 GSF demolished the school in 1971, and the double-cross began. downtown open garden plots. For the seniors living at 21 continued on page 15

Kill the Zombie Park Already, Part VI: site, there are sacrifices they will impose on others. Half of the Haven Green apartments are to go to residents of Little Italy “I support affordable housing, but…” who presumably want to stay in their area. They must sacrifice their neighborhood and move a mile away to Hudson Street, By Alec Pruchnicki The city was even willing to sacrifice a third of the site for which is significantly different from Little Italy. They must also open garden space, rather than about 60 additional apart- sacrifice the time it would take to build something there in- As the process to build the affordable and low-income ments, in a futile attempt to placate garden supporters who stead of Haven Green, which could be up in a few years. housing called Haven Green on Elizabeth Street contin- wouldn’t budge an inch. I think that affordable housing in the far West Village, ues, Community Board 2 has held several public hearings. Residents of the Two Bridges neighborhood might have including the Hudson Street site, is needed and should be At the most recent one, I noticed something new. Virtually to sacrifice the nature of their area to some level of gen- done. But would residents of that area living in luxury con- every speaker who supported keeping the Elizabeth Street trification in the form of thousands of market rate and dos or townhouses be willing to have a massive (maybe 25- Garden intact started with a phrase like “I support afford- luxury apartments in order to get 700 units of affordable 30 stories) high-rise of racially integrated affordable and able housing, but…” before giving reasons why it should not housing. New York City Housing Authority residents, in low-income housing built within a block of their homes in be built on this site. None of these speakers admit to others order to get badly needed additional money for their aging, one of the whitest and richest neighborhoods in Manhat- or to themselves what really gets affordable housing built in underfunded buildings, might have to sacrifice open lawns, tan? It only takes one person with enough money, of which Manhattan. Affordable housing requires sacrifice, and not parking lots, and maybe even playgrounds. The neighbor- there are plenty, to hire a lawyer and stop the whole project just an empty phrase that will accomplish nothing. hood south of the 14th Street tech center might have to in its tracks. Or would they all be willing to change the Councilwoman Chin spent years of contentious nego- sacrifice neighborhood preservation to get new condos— nature of their neighborhood so that the gentry of Little tiations and budget fights to get the massive SPURA site and the affordable housing they will bring—in their area. Italy can have their beautiful little garden? on the east end of Delancey street built, but she didn’t stop The entire city would have to sacrifice height restrictions When we change our position to “I support affordable there. She spent more time, including a last-minute deal to comply with Mayor DeBlasio’s effort to increase hous- housing and this is what we, including myself, should sac- in the middle of the night and even a Democratic primary ing by relaxing height zoning. rifice,” then we can actually get it built, starting with Ha- challenge, to get additional housing on Elizabeth Street. Although garden supporters are not willing to sacrifice their ven Green. Build housing on Elizabeth Street already. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 15

selves (they have experience in this area as they were doing It now appears that BLKSQ Pizza is the latest closure at 44 painting and other odd jobs to raise money when they first 9th Avenue (at 14th Street). A yellow “Closed by order of the opened the butcher shop.) Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene” appeared in their window at the end of December, and now their website IN is down and the reservation site is not accepting reservations. Ever since The Diner closed two years ago, the restaurants and that have opened there have closed in record time (Fatbird OUT Southern Kitchen, Chubby Slim’s Joyful Nosh). The Russian by Caroline Benveniste restaurant Onegin (391 Avenue of the Americas near Wa- verly Place) has been dark for the past few weeks, and Yelpers report it closed. A few months ago it also went dark, but then January was a quiet month for openings and closings. One re-opened, and the website for the restaurant is still active, so trend we observed was that a number of shops that opened in it is possible that it is not the end for Onegin. challenging locations closed just as quickly. Coming Soon Chelsea Market/Gansevoort Market Italian luxury leather goods purveyor Il Bisonte will be open- Update ing a location at 381 Bleecker Street (near Perry Street). Il Big Mozz took over the Very Fresh Noodles spot in Chelsea Fiaschetteria Pistoia - 114 Christopher Street between Bisonte was founded in 1970 in Florence, and has expanded Market (Very Fresh Noodles moved in to the larger space Bedford and Bleecker Streets. There is/was a Fiaschet- worldwide with stores in Europe, the US and Asia. The old vacated by Dizengoff). First appearing at Smogasburg in teria Pistoia in the East Village which was opened by Ital- Croman-owned Taste of Lima space which has been empty Brooklyn, Big Mozz hand stretches fresh mozzarella made ians who also have a restaurant in Tuscany. Unfortunately, since mid-2016 has signage in the window indicating that with milk from local, grass-fed cows. The mozzarella is fea- the East Village location has been closed since the end a restaurant called Northfork will be opening there. Avena tured in the “Mozz Bomb” as well as in Mozz Sticks (fried of December due to a fire (it is apparently going to open Downtown will be opening at 260 Sixth Avenue (between mozzarella sticks), chicken parm bites and other salads again soon). The new location is in the spot where the pet Bleecker and West Houston Streets) in the large space where and sandwiches. Duchess Cookies replaces Chip NYC store Pet’s Kitchen used to be. The restaurants are known Da Silvano used to be. The chef, Roberto Deiaco, also runs in Gansevoort Market, and Noodle Culture has set up a for their pastas, and locals who are very picky about their a midtown Avena, and used to be the Executive Chef at Ar- stand there as well. The chef, Alonso Guzman Arellano is Italian restaurants have been quite positive about this one. mani Ristrorante 5th Avenue and Cipriani. Mexican but his cooking is traditional Taiwanese. The scal- lion pancakes are filled with beef and jalapeno, and various Also Open Moved/Other dumplings, soups and noodles are also on the menu. Asian restaurants continue to open at a fast pace in the Vil- Baked goods return to 298 Bleecker Street (near Barrow): a lage: Kogane Ramen (337 West 14th Street between 8th reader reminds us that the old-fashioned French bakery La- Open and 9th Avenues) now occupies the downstairs space where fayette used to occupy this space years ago, and now a sign TOP OPENINGS: Mulino a Vino used to be. The owners also have a restaurant on the door announces the imminent arrival of Chip NYC, of the same name in Brooklyn. In addition to the usual ra- the freshly baked cookie spot that used to have a stand in men soups, you can find sautéed ramen and a ramen burger. Gansevoort Market. In a pattern we’ve seen repeated more Catmint Wheel Cake has replaced Mr. Panzerotto at 124 frequently in the past year, a pop-up morphs into a perma- Macdougal Street (near Minetta Lane). A wheel cake is a nent store: The Citizenry Bunkhouse (379 Bleecker Street Taiwanese specialty with a cakey exterior and flavored fill- between Charles and Perry Streets) opened a pop-up during ings. Catmint started at street fairs like the Queens Night the holiday season, and closed on December 22nd. Howev- Market, and this is their first brick and mortar location. er, a sign in the window indicates they will be re-opening on Most of the cakes are sweet (red bean is a standard filling) January 23rd. The store features bedding, pillows and other but there is also a tuna, corn and cheese cake available. decorative items from artisans around the world.

Closed/Closing CORRECTION: We want to make sure our readers know that Hudson and Charles Dinette – 522 Hudson Street be- Vivi Bubble Tea (65 West 8th Street at 6th Avenue), the bub- Cafe Loup is open for business: in our October issue we reported tween Charles and West 10th Streets. The butcher shop, ble tea and Chinese fast food chain of shops has closed this that Cafe Loup had closed, but fortunately, a week later it had Hudson and Charles, has taken over part of the space for- location. Fava Bistro (74 7th Ave South at Barrow Street) re-opened (something we reported in the November issue.) merly occupied by The Quarter. The meats are grass-fed seems to have fallen victim to its cursed location: there have and pasture raised (like at the butcher shop). One of the been at least 4 restaurants there in the last 10 years, maybe With the colder weather we are less inclined to walk around most popular items is the KFC, Korean Fried Chicken. more (Some of the ones I remember are Centro Vinoteca, looking for openings and closings, so we are relying more There is a Steak of the Day, a selection of burgers, and Duet, and Maison de Makoto.) Also open but a short while than ever on your help! Don’t let us down: please email us tallow fries. So far the Yelp reviews have been largely posi- was Nightingale (407 Greenwich Avenue between Bank your observations at [email protected]. Photos by tive. The owners did much of the renovation work them- and West 12th Streets) which replaced the beloved Good. Darielle Smolian.

building, none will remain, and the small remnant of land facade needs to be modified in recognition of the historic Elizabeth Street continued from page 14 will not accommodate the educational and recreational district’s goal of retaining neighborhood character within the of publicly accessible private open space—out of the entire programs and events required. Thus, the ground floor NOHO and SLID boundaries and in accordance with the val- site’s 20,265 square foot area. building coverage needs to be much smaller. ues and standards of the National Register of Historic Places. At this stage of the double-cross, the city and mayor Loss of daylight in the park: concerns were raised that the Lack of true community space and essential amenities: con- have ignored pleas to consider better sites, and the devel- seven-story development, and the seven-story adjacent cern that the large amount of square footage being turned opers have not bothered to engage with the community in building, would cast shadows over the remaining sliver of over to one of the development partners, Habitat for Hu- any meaningful way nor integrated any of the community’s the park for most of the day. manity, will limit the providing of residential amenities. recommendations to improve the proposal (according to Lack of accessibility: if the open space is to serve the com- Lack of thorough planning for alternatives: those who want meeting comments). munity, then an easement for the entire open area will need to save the open space for the public point to other neigh- Nevertheless, here are some of the public comments and to be given to the Parks Department for the purpose of borhood sites that have greater potential to provide more concerns regarding how it can be improved, mainly based building a public park—to be overseen by the Parks De- affordable units; they reported that some previous poten- on the premise the city may still build here. partment, not the developers. tially affordable sites have already missed the opportunity Loss of park space: This RFP requires that public open Design of apartment sizes: the design of the units is in- for development. space should, to the greatest extent possible, re-create cur- efficient use of space—comprised of only small efficiency The public is welcome at these public meetings, and we rent features such as lawns, trees, and seating areas with a studios—with no accommodation for pets, companions, will continue to report noteworthy news about developments. variety of sun and shade conditions, and provide for con- or care-givers. At least 30% of the units should be one- tinuation of current educational and recreational programs bedroom apartments. Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP, is an architectural consul- and events. Since all the mature trees will be dug up for Lack of neighborhood character: The design of the building’s tant in private practice. 16 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org

in the breakfast and lunch sandwiches), pizza Eating the Brand and desserts. Most of the items are quite good, and many are available at a number of the dif- By David Porat ferent stations in this fascinating space.

Lexus, Starbucks and Restoration Hardware Restoration Hardware, or RH as it has been (RH) are all trying to make friends by tickling renamed, has the grandest store. The entire your taste buds and satiating your tummy. All five story building is dedicated to the brand three have opened up impressive, or shall I say which now features very high end home dé- grand, temples to their brands in the Meat- cor, and which looks like a not overly urbane packing and Chelsea Market Neighborhood. I furniture superstore. Food can be obtained have enjoyed in curious ways visiting all three on the 3rd and 5th floors. The 3rd floor has and yes, they do satisfy your hunger amongst a barista and cocktail bar—you can get your other things. beverages to go and stroll through the store, shopping for your new living space. The 5th Intersect by Lexus is maybe my favorite of floor restaurant does not take reservations, the three: it is the least impressive physically, but once you have put your name on the list and yet, the décor is very tasteful. The res- they will take your cell phone number and taurant has a relatively unassuming storefront text you when your table is ready. This also on the south side of 14th Street between 9th gives you the opportunity to walk around the Avenue and Washington Street. It is man- store looking at the furniture on display. The aged by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hos- food portion of the store is run by the Hog- pitality Group, with the premise that it will salt Restaurant group from Chicago which feature rotating chefs from well-known res- also operates 4 Charles Prime Rib in the Vil- taurants. The Global Chefs-In-Residence, as lage. The chef, Brendan Sodikoff is famous DOWNSTAIRS AT INTERSECT BY LEXUS, A PLACE FOR COFFEE AND LIGHT FOOD. Photo they are called, develop the menu and dishes, for his Au Cheval Hamburger, and the RH by David Porat. and will change every 4-6 months. I hap- burger is a delicious facsimile. (While dining pened to wander upon it after reading about (a signed copy!) on one of my subsequent that includes a large and small coffee roaster, there, one of the waiters confided to me that it online and have been back three times to visits. The book includes chapters on New a restaurant, a bar area, a few shopping areas, a Au Cheval will also be coming to New York eat in the upstairs restaurant (there is also York (where Marchard worked at Gramercy bakery and a take home area. The whole is very soon.) The food I had during my one visit a café on the ground floor and a cocktail Tavern), London and Paris. The restaurant visually appealing: it has a wood, cooper, and seemed good—not overly special—but with lounge which features a round bar upstairs has a lunch menu, a larger and slightly more leather theme and it appears that no expense attentive service. The experience is a good bit across from the restaurant). Currently, the expensive dinner menu and a bar menu, all was spared in creating an environment that about meat and meeting in the Meatpacking space is a platform for Frenchie, a restaurant of which are thoughtfully done. The food, will attract tourists and locals who are looking district not to mention the social media pos- owned by Chef Gregory Marchand. The whether it be his interpretation of a Lobster for a lifestyle experience rather than a quick sibilities for the brand! original Frenchie is in Paris, but Marchand Roll, Fried Chicken, or more classic French cup of coffee. A quick cup of coffee can still INTERSECT BY LEXUS —412 West 14th recently opened a new branch in the Covent items was impressive and I would recom- be obtained across the street at a ‘regular’ Star- Street, between Ninth Ave. and Washington St. Garden neighborhood in London. The chef mend going before the next gig starts. The bucks, which has a completely different feel has a book that came out in 2017 which I prices include service and were, in my mind, from the new store (and having the two across STARBUCKS RESERVE ROASTERY— almost bought on my first visit (I hesitated very reasonable for the quality. the street from each other makes it seem that 61 9th Ave. between 14th and 15th Streets because I thought I would get it on Amazon, Starbucks is saturating the area). Starbucks ac- but I was pleasantly surprised that it was not Starbucks Reserve Roastery, which opened quired an Italian bakery called Princi and they RH (RESTORATION HARDWARE)— available there) and then later actually bought in December, is a 26,000 square foot space bake breakfast pastries, bread (which is used 9 9th Avenue at 13th Street Changes Coming to West 8th Street and MacDougal Street Buildings By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP porting an overhung soffit, which seemed too simple for this district. Other questions about The public was treated to presentations for the penthouse height and surface treatments new building proposals at recent LPC and were heard. CB2 meetings. This first offering seems to Although the retail space on the ground be a welcomed addition to a rather neglect- floor is designed for small local shops, with ed spot on the once thriving “Positively 8th at least two entrance doors shown, there were Street” section near Jimi Hendrix’s former still questions about window sizes and how Electric Lady recording studios. This corner the storefronts appear to continue around in previous years was occupied by a four- the corner, lacking the distinct look of sepa- story hotel (similar to the hotel at the other rate buildings. Further consideration may be corner down at MacDougal and Waverly CORNER OF MACDOUGAL ST. & WEST 8TH ST. Left: existing commercial/retail buildings given to these details in future presentations. Place), but has now been reduced to one-sto- and apartment buildings adjacent to it. Right: rendering of new mixed-use buildings as The consultants have appeared before in proposed in recent public hearings. Credit: Straus Group/ Morris Adjmi Architects. ry “taxpayers,” and the tenement to the left public hearings with their designs for his- of it is heavily modified and well-worn. Two toric neighborhoods, and their firms’ expe- doors further left at 171-173 MacDougal is many exterior details and market-rate apart- Village Historic District, and apropos of the rience include many successful buildings. a beautifully repurposed six-story factory/ ment interiors, then add a new ground-up public presentations, comments from those Their efforts to design the new buildings bindery building built in 1891, with red brick mixed-use (market-rate apartments above in attendance were offered to the presenters, to fit in with the streetscape will go a long and bold cornices, remodeled in 1966 as a retail) building on the other two lots. As who seemed to be attentive to them. Some way to achieving approvals. Christian Science church facility. Washing- presented, it is an as-of-right design con- comments were critical of the large 8th Street ton Square Park starts at the Waverly corner. forming to zoning laws, building codes, and façade that, despite careful light-colored brick Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP, is an archi- The proposal by Morris Adjmi Architects height and area requirements, meaning that detailing, still seemed too immense to some, tectural consultant in private practice, serves and Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, for if it weren’t in a historic district, it would be who wonder if more differentiating could on the Community Board 2 in Manhattan, is their client Straus Group, incorporates three approved at the city staff level and permitted be added as on the MacDougal side. Other Co-chair of the American Institute of Archi- building lots on MacDougal, so they propose without any public hearings. comments focused on the corner chamfered tects NY Design for Aging Committee, and is to renovate the tenement building to restore But it is in the original 1969 Greenwich entry treatment, with a simple column sup- WestViewNews.org Architectural Editor. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 17

By Mitchell Donian In my attempts at employment during the was a maid on one sitcom. All the networks Eisenhower recession I proofread for the turned it down, even start-up HBO. They Uprooted I have been uprooted. After living in Green- Village Voice and later for the Jewish Standard. didn’t like Foxx and turned down Flip Wil- wich Village for sixty years I am homeless. I also built and ran a coffee shop restaurant, son and Bill Cosby, saying they were “has- In an effort to regain a place in the commu- The Iron Cat, in Brooklyn Heights. I am beens.” Six months later—The Cosby Show. nity my good friend and publisher George an excellent cook...Armenian..Chinese... The way I laid out the series it would still be Capsis of WestView News suggested I write Italian...name it, and an accomplished mas- viable today. I gave up my producer credit my story with some biographical detail. seur. Eventually I got in the film business as for a time to Clint Eastwood at the request I had a rent controlled apartment, was be- a technician, working on documentaries all of Warner Brothers because Clint was pro- ing harassed and badly served by my land- over the country, South America and Africa. moting a Charlie Parker movie and needed lord, and was offered what appeared to be After a few years experience and friendship a connection with jazz. I could use his help lovely living quarters upstate with my niece with the late Gordon Parks Jr., I worked now in getting the Blue Devils project going. and her husband. I took the jump, settled as Director of Photography for the feature One last biographical note. While on a for a small buyout and made the move. Super Fly. We started shooting at Boomer’s, visit to my mother in LA a few years back Turns out the husband is a pot smoker 24/7 a restaurant/bar between 10th and Christo- I was offered a try-out for the role of a Pal- and a kleptomaniac. He rifled through my pher. Bobby Timmons played some mean estinian for an Aaron Spelling project. At belongings, took everything of value that piano there. The producer floated a rubber the time I could not accept. I believe the suited him, and a month later threw me out. check for the equipment. My footage with project is still viable and am seeking agent My name is Mitchell Donian. I moved Curtis Mayfield served to raise the initial representation to re-open the deal. Since to 204 West 10 St. in 1958 shortly after money which brought the film into being. then, I have written book and lyrics for two attending Columbia University. I attended One of my big accomplishments was to musicals, one of them complete with music on the GI Bill, having served in the Korean serve as Executive Producer for Last of the from some very talented composers. War. Most of my service was as a journalist Blue Devils, a documentary about Kansas So much for biography. Right now, for the military newspaper Stars & Stripes. City jazz. In an effort to make it pay off to thanks to a friend, I am a guest. But being I was a good student at Columbia and even the backers I created a television series, writ- a guest has its limits. I am looking for a lectured a class on Mary Shelley when my ing the book and 13 episode outlines. Redd permanent place in Manhattan, preferably professor asked me to cover for him when Fox signed on and Edgar Sherrick, a leading in the Village. Buy or rent, I can pay. If you I WANT TO COME TO THE VILLAGE: Uproot- he left early on summer sabbatical. I earned Hollywood producer, agreed to be the um- can help please call George or email me, ed 60 year resident asks to return. Photo: © 184 credits but never graduated, having brella producer. This was in 1983. The only [email protected]. If there is a lit- Joel Gordon 2019 - All rights reserved. unfinished language requirements. black presence on television at that time tle studio in Westbeth, that would be ideal.

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE Jefferson Market Library Offers visit.westviewnews.org Environmental Justice Course and join our email list for alerts to late breaking news! Mark your calendars and sign laws and regulations. The course up for the new (free) Environ- expands on this knowledge by mental Justice and Community establishing a direct relation- Action course brought to you ship of America’s segregation by Jefferson Market Library history and its connections to University Programs of the environmental pollution. By the New York City Public Library. end of the class, students will be Do You Need Home Care? Registration opens to the pub- equipped to articulate why race, lic on January 29 at 10:00 am class and gender matter in envi- and closes on February 11 at ronmental justice and how these Continuity Home Health Care 8:00 pm. Students may register socioeconomic factors map out online, in person at the second- closely with pollution, unequal floor information desk, or by phone by call- protection and vulnerability. ing 212-243-4334. The Library is located The Professor is José Gálvez Contre- Where Healing Continues... at 425 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011. The ras. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Public and A licensed home care agency providing class will run on Tuesdays from 6-7:30 pm Urban Policy at Milano School of Policy, health care services, both professional for five weeks, starting February 12. Management and Environment of The and paraprofessional, for individuals Environmental Justice and Neighbor- New School. He has extensive background living at home since 1996. hood Action is a class that will be taught in community organizing, small business seminar style. It will introduce students to planning, and political engagement. His the history, concept and movement of envi- dissertation focuses on the intersection of ronmental justice. Students will learn about environmental justice and green jobs. He environmental justice from the perspective has earned two master’s degrees, one in Call Tim Ferguson at (212) 625-2547 of race, class and gender. They will study public and urban policy, and one in envi- the role and types of community actions in ronmental law and policy. If you have any or drop in to 121 West 11th Street opposite PS 41 achieving environmental justice principles. questions about the course contact him at Students will also put theory into practice [email protected] We accept most private through teamwork, collaborations and plan- ning. As part of the course, students will The Jefferson Market Library is commit- insurances identify projects involving collaborations ted to diversity and social inclusion. This and private pay. in putting environmental justice principles course is designed for people of all ages and into neighborhood action. backgrounds. No prior experience with the The concept of environmental justice em- topic is necessary. No textbooks are required. [email protected] braces the principle that all people and com- Readings are available online. Space is lim- munities have a right to equal protection ited, so register now and share this informa- and equal enforcement of environmental tion with a friend.

St. John’s in the Village Enjoy these arts events in the fully-heated and ADA accessible St John’s (corner of W 11th St and Waverly Place) All concerts have an allocation of tickets free to seniors, but booking is essential ([email protected] or 212 243 6192) All bookings through stjvny.org

Sunday February 3, 3 pm Saturday February 16, 7:30 pm Dvorak Romances Let My People Sing Acclaimed pianist Margarita Rovenskaya and friends perform romantic (Marking Black History Month) works for pianoand strings. St John’s celebrates Black History Month 2019 with a concert of diverse César Franck - Piano Quintet in F minor music features three African-American vocalists. Antonín Dvoák - Romance in F minor, Op. 11. Tickets $10-$20. Join singers Lindell Carter, Jonathan Green, and Kofti Hayward i celebrating the rich repetoire of the American spiritual alongside Tuesday February 5, 7:30 pm opera favorites and songs of Cole Porter. A Stitch in Time: Quilts by Cindy Beal Tickets $20 Award-winning quilter Cindy Beal is a Sunday February 17, 3 pm: Greenwich Village artist whose career Francesca Khalifa has spanned four decades. The quilts Italian pianist Francesca Khalifa presents presented in this exhibition range • J. S. Bach-Concerto nach Italienischen Gusto from the 1980s to the present day. • L. van Beethoven - Sonata No. 31 Op. 110 Join the artist and friends for drinks • J. Brahms - Variations on a Theme of R. Schumann Op. 9 and opening of the exhibtion on the- Tickets $10 - $20 first Tueday in February.The show runs until late February. Free, but registra- tion is necessary. Mondays February 18 and 25, 7 pm Chant Workshops Learn the performance practice of the music medieval West with Friday February 8, 7:30 pm Professor Lawrence Harris. Ideal for choir directors, choral scholars, and Pop Stars: Art Songs Re-imagined music students. Previous knowledge of chant notation is not necessary. (Marking Black History Month) A 7pm preliminary session helps thos less experienced in preparation James Dargan, baritone, and Amir Farid, piano, will take you on a journey for the workshop. Free but registration is advised. Email chantproject@ through some of the tunes of Gabriel Fauré and Franz Schubert, high- stjvny.org stating attendance from either 7pm or 7:30 pm. lighting the connections between their songs and some of the music we’ve come to consider ‘popular’ music. The concert also features some Saturday February 23, 3 pm Dargan arrangements of popular current classics. Music for Piano and Strings Tickets start at $20. Jack Kulowitsch and the Strathmere Ensemble present some of the best-lover Saturday February 9, 7:30 pm: repertoire of the string quartet oeuvre. Bolero, Tango and Romance! • Mendelssohn—String Quartet An Evening of Spanish Dance & Song in Revelation Gallery. no 2 in A minor Come celebrate Valenttine’s Day early in this soirée full of love and romance. Be ready to dance! Mozart—Sonata for Violin and Oiano. Tickets $20 t$20 (Free to seniors but booking is essential) Sunday January10, 3 pm Concert:—Maryam Kheirbek Sunday February 24, 3 pm PROGRAM: Beethoven Sonata, Op. 90, Op. 110, Chopin Ballad #3 and 4 Music of a Sunday Afternoon Pianist Maryam Kheirbek is internationally recognized for her dynamic Join St John’s Honorary Assistant Organist, Jonathan DePeri (pianist, organ- stage presence and creative versatility. She gave her first public recital at ists, harpsichordist) and friends in a Sunday afternoon of chamber music. the age of nine, and made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of sixteen. Tickets $10 - $20 Tickets $10 - $20

Thursday February 14, 7:30 pm Tuesday February 26, 7 pm Valentine’s Jazz Concert: The Music of Love (Revelation Gallery) Join the internationally-acclaimed Charu Suri Trio on Valentine’s Day, as Carnival of the Animals they perform original music as well as jazz renditions of timeless love Opening of “The Carnival of the Animals”: works by Lisa Kaiser. songs. Suri’s first album, “Lollipops for Breakfast,” won a Global Music Join artist Lisa Kaiser in an evening of music and drinks in the Award. She and her trio perform regularly in the New York City area and presence of many animals! are planning to tour various cities in the U.S. in 2019. The Opening Night is free but registration is essential. Tickets $25 The exhibition runs until late March. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 19 Notes From Away Winter Thoughts VILLAGE By Tom Lamia struggles to survive and prosper. It is cold in South Bristol, Maine. Of course, it LePage served two four-year terms and is midwinter and this land lies east and north never reconciled his views with those of his po- APOTHECARY of all but Alaska among our states. There is litical enemies. He started his administration by snow on the ground and ice on the ponds and ordering the removal of a New Deal era frieze THE COMMUNITY PHARMACY THAT CARES roads. One might say the landscape is bleak depicting Frances Perkins and others from the and the seascape forbidding, but not I. I say Maine Department of Labor building, saying the worm, though frozen, has turned. its message, being pro-labor, was antithetical to Maine has a new governor, a woman and Maine’s new pro-business policies. Throughout Come in the first of her kind in this state. Last year his governorship he fought in the courts to sus- for your fREE I wrote about a remarkable Maine woman, tain his controversial policies. After the voters of Frances Perkins, whose conditions for ac- Maine approved Medicaid expansion, LePage cepting FDR’s invitation to become labor went to court to prevent it. He and Mills, his secretary became the blueprint for the New attorney general, regularly presented their dif- WELCOmE Deal. Perkins is buried nearby in Newcastle fering views on constitutionality to the courts. in a small cemetery adjacent to the fam- Now that is done. ily’s 17th century brickyard on the Damar- Mills is the other side of the LePage coin, iscotta River. Maine women of note include a bright-eyed and sparkling person of energy, KIT! Senators Margaret Chase Smith, Olympia wit and accomplishment. Like LePage, she Snowe and Susan Collins. Janet Mills, the is an unalloyed product of Maine. If life has retiring attorney general and the new gover- been hard on her (as it surely has been), she BRInG THIs CARd In And RECEIVE $10 off nor, will be added to this distinguished list. does not show any scars. She is a talker and a O n A n Y P u RCHAs E O f $25 OR m ORE The preceding paragraph appears in this laugher, proud of her rural heritage and eager “Winter Thoughts” essay for a hopeful rea- to get to work on her new duties and to turn son: As it is often darkest before the dawn, that work into a new day for Maine. Mon - Fri 8aM - 8pM • Sat 9aM - 6pM • Sun 10aM - 5pM so may it be coldest before spring brings new The Mills administration will test my theo- Store HourS: life to Maine. The former Governor, Paul ry of government (shared by a majority of hu- 346 Bleecker St • Greenwich VillaGe, nY 10014 • VillaGeapothecarY.com LePage, about whom I wrote last year, manity) that a smile, a wave and an embrace brought a tough, often surly attitude to of those who need encouragement is the first 212.807.7566 Maine’s government, calling himself “Trump step to forming and executing policies that before Trump” and showing little compassion make us do better and feel good about it. for those who have trouble making it in the These thoughts are among my Winter and bleak of winter, mean-spiritedness and with smiles on their faces and the people’s struggle for a comfortable life. Unlike Trump, Thoughts in large part because I see a popu- government by dictatorial fiat to a new sea- interest in their hearts. Oh, yes, and with ef- however, LePage could legitimately claim to lace, here in Maine and throughout our coun- son in which elected representatives and their ficiency and without corruption. This is what have had his attitudes formed by his own try, eager to turn the corner from the cold appointed officials work to make lives better, I expect of our new governor’s administration.

and getting public venues to stop privileg- The Women’s Rest Room and Abortion ing men in bathroom lines. Things could be different beyond New By Dr. Donna Schaper Not all women want to have an abortion This kind of unconscious sexism remains York State’s good news. Pay us the same even in a complex or inconvenient preg- widespread. It’s not just men in the 1950s. as you pay men and we’ll do twice the Call me a drama queen or call me a woman. nancy. But the great majority of women DO Many who would like to have unprotected sex job. With Ginger Rogers, we will do ev- At least call me focused: I have one thing I want to have that choice. These women are with us, especially when we are all younger, is erything Fred Astaire did, in high heels, want changed. It is the lines at the theaters overwhelmingly supported by those women another version of this unconscious sexism. and backwards. This larger issue will come in which women stand while men do not. who want the justice of choosing. Poll after Why don’t men see their own interests in as- when women unite around not putting up Unisex bathrooms don’t only help people poll shows that the American public over- suring the right to reproductive technologies? with stupid stuff anymore, like long lines with “non-conforming” gender identities, whelming supports the right to choose an Because condoms are “uncomfortable?” at the theater, that not only waste our time they help women in general too. abortion, even if the person being polled Just let me say one word, JUDGEKA- but also insult our humanity. The right to choose an abortion may would not choose one themselves. VANAUGH to show you the size of the Our religious freedom joins our sexual and be directly akin to the way we stand in We have often quipped that “if men need- problem, both personally for women and reproductive freedom in being unimportant. line, while a few men go in and out. Little ed abortions, abortion would be a sacrament.” publicly for the country. Kavanaugh’s he- We are supposed to think the way Roman things mean a lot. Yes, there are marvelous Why do we say snarky things like that? Men roic challenger got a third of the airtime Catholicism and punishmentalist Christi- exceptions to the intermission sexism. don’t even “need” all the bathrooms they get. he did, if that. What is her name again??? anity think about us. They know better and But they are exceptions. This annoying That’s one sign of what can only be under- Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, that’s her name. have controlled the airwaves and the public and relatively minor problem is emblem- stood as blindness to fundamental inequality. Fortunately, New York State has found policies for too long. Many of us think differ- atic of the major problems we face. You might have seen episode one of season its senses recently and its governor has de- ently about God and think God loves and re- Women have a lot in common—and not two of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The title cided to become abortion cheerleader in spects women as much as HE/SHE/THEY just the right to manage our sexual and re- character’s father doesn’t even realize his wife, chief. Our laws will once again become the respect men. We also think that women are productive lives. A lot of people waste our Rose Weissman, has left him for a couple of best in the nation—and abortion will move equal “humans” to the idolatrous superiority time. The women’s marches of January 19th days. When he does, he responds with out- out of the “criminal” code (!) and later term of men. Once God and laws get on your side, gave us a lot to think about. As one sign said rage. How could she do that to him? A bet- abortions will be possible. even the Mrs. Weissmans of the world will at one of the rallies I attended (I attended all ter version of male supremacy could not have There is actually good news about abor- stop putting up with certain kinds of men. three), “If you are in a broad coalition where been written. First, he doesn’t get it. And tion for people in the West Village and there aren’t divisions, then you are not yet then when he gets it, he thinks it’s all about beyond. These essential rights to reproduc- The Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper is Senior in a broad enough coalition.” Bernice John- him. Whatever suffering she might have ex- tive justice, once legally guaranteed, will let Minister at Judson Memorial Church in New son Regan of Sweet Honey in the Rock was perienced is invisible to him, so imprisoned is us get back to the long-term work of earn- York City. She is the author of Grass Roots listed as the author. I liked that sign a lot. he in his own hyper self-consciousness. ing more than 85 cents on the man’s dollar Gardening: Rituals to Sustain Activists. 20 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org

Understand the Essentials of Eczema —Your Skin Will Thank You! Slogging Through By Dr. Peter Saitta acerbate atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is rarely cured, but it Our city during the holiday season is a Winter, Part Two can easily be managed under the care of an very special place. Streets are filled with experienced dermatologist. Dr. Brancaccio Christmas cheer, Santa is on his sleigh, and By Jane Heil Usyk Now it is February, the Chinese New suggests the following guidelines that may shop windows are magnificently dressed for Year (you can go to Chinatown and watch help you deal with the condition at home: the occasion. But the freezing cold air and I’ve already pushed through December and the parade and eat Chinese things). And (1) Steer clear of harsh soaps and use un- bitter winds of our famous New York win- January. Now there are only three months after that I’m looking forward to Valen- scented Dove soap for best results. (2) Wear ters can sting, irritate, and dry your skin, all left to go until beautiful (or mostly beauti- tine’s Day. I know a lot of people really hate breathable fabrics such as 100% cotton, and of which will make your atopic dermatitis ful) May. it because you need an other to celebrate it steer clear of scratchy, heavy materials like much more of a problem. Three months. What can you do with right. But, alternatively, why not change it a wool. (3) Do your best to limit stress. Few Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema three months? Once I wrote a book in three little and make it a day to love yourself? Af- of us could live, or even imagine, a stress- or atopic eczema, is a complex, complicat- months. I don’t feel like doing that again, ter all, you are the one who’s always there, free life, but if you have atopic dermatitis, ed, and very common problem. It can be though. Three dark, depressing months. birth to death. Treat yourself really well. an increase in stress is likely to trigger a affected by genetics, geography, your body’s What can one do to counteract that? Take yourself out to lunch or dinner. Or new episode or worsen an existing one. (4) immune system, and a cold, windy climate Well, not too much jumps up at me; you both! Go to a concert or a show. Practice Moisturize your skin daily with a moistur- like the one in which we live. It rarely can go to the movies, which I do, several being happy and content by yourself; be- izer that contains petrolatum, glycerin, and appears for the first time in adulthood; times a week. And you can celebrate at every cause even under the best of circumstances, some ceramide. I enthusiastically recom- rather, it most commonly manifests within opportunity, to brighten the day, put yourself you will probably spend some years alone. mend CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. Find it the first five years of life. A great deal is in touch with other like-minded, depressed Also, February is my husband’s birthday over the counter in the white and blue jar known about the condition in all its forms, folks like yourself, and provide a forum for month, so I’m going to really do it up big. We and use it often. (5) Keep a journal of the however, no one really knows why some sharing observations on the current season usually go to Spain (the restaurant on 13th things that trigger your atopic dermatitis people outgrow it while others do not. Ap- and anything else you’d like to share. Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, not the and avoid those things when possible. If proximately 20% of children and 3% of Here are my plans for this winter (some country). He has been going to Spain for these suggestions aren’t enough, my col- adults will contend with atopic dermatitis have already occurred). In December: well, many, many years, since before he met me. league, Dr. Anna Karp, and I are here in for a lifetime. for thousands of years people have recog- In our early years, we were both work- our Perry Street office to help you with Recently, I had the privilege of discuss- nized the problem of less and less sunlight ing, so I had no problem inviting ten of his various types of medication, light and laser ing the condition with one of our city’s and worked on it, coming up with yule logs, friends to come to a dinner party in Spain’s phototherapy, and other simple and pain- most prominent dermatologists, Dr. Ron- Christmas celebrations, Hanukah, Kwan- back room. It would cost $300 for dinner less methods of successfully controlling ald Brancaccio. Our offices are located in zaa, candles, singing, gifts, trees, et cetera. (usually paella), and it was a lot of fun. Then atopic dermatitis. Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and on our very own In our senior center we have a Spanish the parties got smaller. Now there aren’t any Drs. Brancaccio, Karp, and I hope Perry Street. We explain to our patients class, and our class always has a Christmas parties, just us, drinking away and chewing you had a happy holiday and will have that atopic dermatitis is definitely not an party. Everyone brought their signature on those little broiled lamb things they have. a healthy new year. Make controlling allergy, although it is frequently seen in in- dish, and we shared all the food and chat- But that’s all right. One year it was snow- your atopic dermatitis one of your New dividuals with a family history of asthma, ted each other up. Some years we’ve had a ing as we left the restaurant, and the walk Year’s resolutions. It’s the doctor’s order hay fever, and other allergies. It is impor- musician, but not this year. Some years we down 6th Avenue and through Washington and your skin will thank you! tant to note that food cannot cause or ex- sing, but this year we didn’t. So it was just Square Park was just magical. a lot of conversation, and friendliness, and In March, there are at least three holidays food and wine. It was a celebration, some- I think are worthy of celebration. The first, thing out of the ordinary. on the 10th, is the return of Daylight Sav- In January my friend Joan, whom I met ings Time. For us it means an extra hour Caruso’s Quips at Lucca on Father Demo Square almost of daylight in the late afternoon. There’s By Charles Caruso forty years ago, had a big party—and this St. Patrick’s Day, which you might want to was after the brunch my husband and I had mark with a special toast or an Irish coffee, It’s impossible to carry a pizza home with dignity. with John and Margaret on New Year’s Day. or go to the parade or watch it on television. Tom Brady is Jack Kennedy. He’s a winner, rich and famous, Irish from They were both fun, but Joan’s was terrific! And on March 20th of this year, spring of- Her apartment is big enough for a separate ficially returns. Definitely a day to celebrate! New England, handsome with a beautiful wife. smoking area in the back, so people were April has two special days in it. On Pass- The truest test of friends is how they act when you’re broke. back there smoking. There was also lots to over, Jews celebrate their liberation from eat: lox, olives, cheese, hummus, shrimp. slavery in Egypt, usually with a major cel- There’s so much walking in Hemingway’s Paris memoir that it could be Turkey chili. Ten kinds of dessert. And a ebratory dinner and a lot of relatives. And titled ‘Moveable Feets’ LOT of wine. Plus, I knew nearly everyone on April 21st, Christians celebrate Easter, who was there—about twenty nice people, when Christ rose from the dead. Also an By their books shall ye know them. some I hadn’t seen in years and years. I es- occasion for a big, delicious family dinner. pecially enjoyed talking with one of Joan’s Then you will be looking at warmer Time slips away at the hinges. cousins, an old lawyer named Max. weather, and you can take a big breath and So that was helpful in January. Also, relax; you got through the winter. Until Would we have loved Che so much if he had looked like Woody Allen? there is Three Kings Day, January 6th, then, enjoy the crisp air, the cold sunlight, A light blowing out is an augury. which happens to be our anniversary. We the ever-lengthening days, the magical did something but I don’t remember what. snowfalls. After all the dreaming and planning, after all the reading and research, after all the speaking and listening, we end up obsessed with the most ridiculous part of our decaying treacherous bodies. IF THIS PAPER MAKES YOU THINK Few people met Anthony Bourdain, but millions miss him. We will print your thoughts in the next issue People who are always using the word ‘class’ never have any. [email protected] • 69 Charles Street • New York NY 10014 Too sweet is as bad as too sour. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 21 The Michael Smith Book and in the fifties enrolled in Stella Adler’s of Lady Bright by Lanford Wilson, Robert monses for operating a cabaret without a two-year course in New York City, which Patrick’s The Haunted Host, Tom Eyen’s license, and financially couldn’t sustain it. included instruction in dance, singing and The White Whore and the Bit Player with Diana Di Prima’s Monuments was the last speech. Adler had emerged from the Group Mari Claire Charba and Helen Hanft, and play there in 1968. Theatre, studied with Stanislavski in Rus- plays by many others. Joe Cino was a love- Michael included my play Moon in an sia, also bringing her family’s Yiddish God, almost an Italian Saint, nurturing anthology he edited entitled The Best of Off Theater origins to her teaching. I myself his playwrights and Cino regulars called Off Broadway. He then switched from gay was in Stella’s fascinating classes. There, I ‘Cinoites’ like resident artist Kenny Bur- to straight and met a woman in Denver first met Michael, and we became lifelong gess, chief lighting man Johnny Dodd and named Michelle with whom he fathered friends. Our classmates included movie ac- costumer Magi Dominic who told me that two boys. Michelle, alas, ran off to Paris tress Rita Gam, actor Warren Beatty and when a regular show was cancelled they with another woman. Later, he lived at director Peter Bogdanovitch. Somehow, went to Lamston’s Five and Dime on 6th Westbeth while serving as an aide to May- suddenly, Michael quit to the disappoint- Avenue, bought a comic book like Disney’s or Koch. Twenty five years ago, Michael ment of his father who withdrew financial Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and used reunited with Carol Storke in California, support. Michael continued dance classes it as a script. Magi starred as Snow White, having originally met in their college days, for several years in New York with his and one night I got to enact the part of he at Yale, she at Smith. After living to- uncle Alfred Munt and aunt Maxine, who Grumpy. Before each show, Joe played gether for several years in Santa Barbara later opened a theater called The Changing his favorite music over the sound system, they moved to Silverton Oregon, where he Scene in Denver. At one point they com- including God Bless America and When writes, publishes, and edits in a refurbished missioned me to write a new play entitled the Moon Comes Over the Mountain sung chicken coop, and she, an equestrienne, Split Level and produced it on a double bill by Kate Smith. Michael fell in love with cares for and rides her horses. They have with my play Moon following its successful Johnny Dodd, living with him for over found true love and deep respect for each run at Caffe Cino. In New York, Michael seven years in an apartment at 5 Corne- other. met agent-photographer Helen Merrill lia Street. Later in 1967, Michael discov- A YOUTHFUL PORTRAIT OF MICHAEL who introduced him to Tony Perkins. The ered Joe Cino in his Caffe high on drugs Me and Others author Michael Smith, TOWNSEND SMITH. Photo courtesy of two became friends. Michael first devel- in a bloodbath stabbing himself multiple editor and publisher of Fast Books (P.O. Robert Heide. oped a stage door crush on the famous star times with a kitchen knife despondent over Box 1268, Silverton, OR 97381) fastbook- after seeing Tea and Sympathy on Broadway the death of his lover John Torrey, who spress.com published last year Robert Heide By Robert Heide where Perkins played a troubled gay man. had electrocuted himself one year before. 25 Plays which is on sale at the Whitney Later through Merrill, Michael be- Smith and his friend, harpsichord musi- Museum bookstore on Gansevoort Street, Michael Smith, who for many years wrote gan proofreading and copywriting for Ed cian Wolfgang Zuckerman, took over the the Drama Book Shop, Three Lives and on a column for the Village Voice called The- Fancher, Dan Wolf and Norman Mailer theater, but received too many police sum- Amazon. atre Journal and was chief drama critic at at the Village Voice where he wrote ‘Hub that now shuttered newspaper, has writ- Caps’, a column about cars. Jerry Tallmer, ten a detailed account of his life as a man chief critic at the Voice, invented the term of many guises, editor, writer, playwright, off-off Broadway and founded the ‘Obie’ poet, director, mayoral aide, musician, Awards. Michael met and worked with Ju- and publisher of Fast Books Press which dith Malina and Julian Beck at their Living published his 520 page memoir entitled Theatre on 14th Street and 6th Avenue, Michael Townsend Smith—Me and Oth- where the jazz play The Connection was a ers—An American Life wherein are found big hit and drugs were everywhere—mari- adventures coupled with direct, sometimes juana, cocaine, crystal meth, dexadrine and piercing, insights into what might be called heroin, the last being the play’s subject. the Naked Truth. I found it a great read In 1962 when Jerry Tallmer left the Voice and recommend it highly. for the New York Post (for more money), The first chapter ‘Holy Memories’ Michael graduated to full-time chief the- (1935-1956) covers his life from birth in ater critic, writing his influential The- Kansas City, Missouri, through the War, ater Journal column, and taking over the remembering FDR and the Pearl Harbor Obie Awards. Then Michael had found a attack. His parents, Lewis and Dorothy, a home base at the Caffe Cino at 31 Corne- well-heeled and glamorous couple remind- lia Street where he wrote his play I Like It ed young Michael of 1940s movie idols and directed and lit many shows there and Betty Grable and Tyrone Power. Lewis at LaMama, Theater Genesis, the Living owned a chain of department stores, and Theater and the Open Theater with Joe after opening one in Santa Barbara, the Chaikin and Jean Claude Van Italie. family moved into a big house with a pool I myself was running between Andy Michael liked to jump into stark naked. He Warhol’s Factory where drugs were plenti- attended Pembroke Country Day School ful—Andy put me in his movie Batman/ and Hotchkis in Connecticut, both pri- Dracula, and Camp with Jack Smith—and vate boys’ schools. After three years at Yale, to Caffe Cino where Andy also came to see where both his grandfathers had gone, he my play The Bed which he filmed and pre- dropped out bored with his studies, and in miered on a split-screen at the Filmmakers search of his true identity went to the Aus- Cinemateque. The longest running show ten Riggs Center, a Freudian Sanatoriom at Cino was 1930s style musical Dames in Massachusetts. There he decided to be- at Sea, based on the Busby Berkley mov- come a theater director. ies, and directed by Robert Dahdah with Section two, which he calls ‘When I Bernadette Peters in her first stage perfor- Was Gay’, spans 1956-1974. To become mance. The Cino had many hit plays like a director he was advised to study acting, This Is The Rill Speaking and The Madness 22 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org L Train—14th Street Project Update and Aftermath pated daily 84,000 commuters above ground Regarding signalization improvement, By- on 14th Street will not occur. Using the clo- ford said the L and 7 lines have been re-sig- sure as an excuse for a “testing ground” for naled. In answer to a question about installing radical alternatives that changes our safety is disabled access, an elevator on 14th Street & still being fought, with these criteria: 6th Ave. will be installed now, plus 36 more 1. Abandon the 14th Street “busway” accessible stations in five years spaced to al- which includes an ‘unstated’ vehicle low accessible stops closer to each other. ban on 14th Street, diverting excessive The big question remains of how do we traffic throughout the Village, Chelsea, pay for all these repairs and improvements? and Flatiron, threatening their safety; Congestion Pricing could generate up 2. Restore four-lane vehicular traffic on to 1.7 billion dollars per year to help fund 14th Street; MTA NYC Transit’s Fast Forward Plan. 3. Cancel the 14th Street sidewalk expan- CB2 fully supports the creation of a Conges- sions and bring back dedicated bus stops; tion Pricing plan that will implement charges 4. Reconsider the bike lanes on 12th & on vehicles entering the Central Business 13th & 14th Streets. District (CBD), including tolls on the East Andy Byford, President of NYC Transit, River Bridges and added surcharges to Taxis THE 14TH STREET SHUTDOWN would have forced bikes to side streets, like this one, but came to Community Board meetings to and For-Hire-Vehicles, especially a trawling can now be reconsidered since MTA’s non-shutdown plan was announced. Credit: DOT discuss the new plans in January. He said charge on unoccupied For-Hire-Vehicles, Vision Zero website. 95% of the MTA project is exactly the same, subject to reserving all of the monies being but they don’t yet have the full alternative collected going into a ‘locked-box’ dedicated By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP Jan. 2017, without many details. Elected of- service plan. They’re working this through to MTA NYC Transit upgrades and repairs. ficials were caught off-guard, saying the plan with Polly Trottenberg, DOT Commis- Concerned citizens have taken it upon After months of valiant and sustained ef- differed from earlier discussions of changes. sioner, e.g., bus lanes, bike lanes, bus service, themselves to start a new Initiative to forts to save their neighborhoods from an The community then had to scramble etc. They need a few weeks to look at the monitor the impact of the changes already ill-advised MTA/DOT scheme for an L to learn more about the plan, and appeal engineering challenges, and that they’ll get felt within the neighborhood, and have Train shutdown planned to start April 2019, for better solutions. The appeals most of- back as soon as they know. Responding to a launched ltrainwatch.org. The site is cap- local citizens persuaded Governor Cuomo ten seemed to fall on deaf ears. Given the question for more electric buses, Byford said turing issues and incidents, photos and vid- to seek a 3rd opinion from engineers. Engi- difficulty of volunteer groups to muster the NYCT is buying 60 electric buses, includ- eos to highlight the negative and perhaps neers recommended alternate plans, which resources to counter such a mammoth bu- ing 15 articulated electric buses, and look- dangerous changes to streets. do not require full shut-downs. reaucracy, how can one not be grateful that ing for a proper depot and on-street charg- It is not Zero Hour; there is still time to Since the Oct. 2012 Superstorm Sandy citizens’ voices are now being taken seriously, ing where buses lay over. The Fast Forward adjust; it ain’t over til it’s over, folks! that caused the damage to the L train tunnels evidenced by Gov. Cuomo’s interventions? plan, he said, includes buses, not only the (and many others), MTA worked on a repair With MTA’s acceptance of the L Train subway, and bus routes are being revised to Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP, is an archi- strategy, announcing one on their website non-closure repair plan, the DOT’s antici- meet demographic changes. tectural consultant in private practice. L Train Not Shutting Down—But Will 14th Street? By Arthur Z. Schwartz could be two bike lanes and any room for all sorts of weird traffic lanes, banned all left used to take away the vibrancy of localized vehicles. Every Block Association in South turns all the way across 14th Street, closed self-planning in Chelsea and the Village. Back in 2016 the MTA did an Environ- Chelsea and North Greenwich Village/ Union Square West, changed the direction Wanting to regain community control, I mental Assessment of its now abandoned West Village, united as the 14th Street Co- of University Place between 14th and 13th went to DOT and said, “now that your plan plan to shut the L Train down for 15 alition. It organized meetings, demanded Street, and created one-way, 16 ft. bike lanes isn’t needed, let’s put things back the way months, so that it could do electrical repairs changes from the DOT, MTA, and public all the way across 12th and 13th Streets. they were, and our lawsuit will go away.” But in the Canarsie Tunnel. That 200-page re- officials, and then filed a Federal Lawsuit And then the Governor pulls the plug on the DOT’s response has been: “we are studying port had a half page about mitigation. It alleging violation of Federal environmental 15-month shutdown and says work will go on, the issue, we have to assess the impact of the said to add some more trains going north laws, and the Americans with Disabilities one tube at a time, on nights and weekends. reduced service between 10pm and 5am.” and south in Brooklyn and add “a few more Act (ADA) because of the plan’s lack of at- Our community is the great place it Total malarkey (that’s an old Yiddish term.) busses on 14th Street in Manhattan.” tention to the disabled and the elderly. is because 60 years ago Jane Jacobs led a What is really going on is that Commis- Then in 2017, the bike rider advocacy That lawsuit got settled, after the MTA fight against another DOT Commissioner, sioner Trottenberg wants to implement her group, Transportation Alternatives (TA for agreed to add four elevators at 14th Street Robert Moses, who wanted to run a high- busway anyway. (I call it “Polly’s Folly”) And short) announced a contest. “Let’s use the and 6th Avenue, and the Feds required a way down 5th Avenue. Jane believed in although her bike lanes are largely unlawful closure of the L Train as an opportunity to new Environmental Assessment (EA) ad- community planning. In her classic book truck parking zones, which Mayor de Blasio change the face of 14th Street.” They got dressed to the Mitigation Plan. But that about city planning, she said: “We shall says he can’t police, she wants to keep the dozens of design entries and gave the prize EA, though 1000 pages longs, was a fraud, have something solid to chew on if we largely unused/blocked bike lanes too. The to someone who proposed a “Busway” in part because it didn’t consider doing think of City neighborhoods as mundane Coalition, in Court, proposed a new round which also included cross-14th Street bike work on weekends and at night, and in organs of self-government. Our failures of statistical study, by an independent expert, paths, where all vehicles would be barred. part because it threw out a bunch of statis- with city neighborhoods are, ultimately, real consultation between the DOT and the Department of Transportation (DOT) tics about increased bus and bike demand failures in localized self-government. And four affected community boards AND with Commissioner Polly Trottenberg is a big fan which were created out of very thin air. Part our successes are successes at localized the block associations, and a 45-day warning of TA. Somehow, six months later, DOT of what was presented was that the changes self-government… There exists no incon- before DOT takes one step further. announced a far more extensive Mitigation were “temporary,” and would be rethought ceivably energetic and all wise “They” to As WestView goes to press, DOT’s re- Plan, which included a 14th Street Busway once the shutdown was over. So, we went take over and substitute for localized self- sponse has been silence… and a two-way cross-town bike path on back to Court, arguing that the State En- management.” Then she addressed the dif- Anyone up for a mass purchase of Yellow 13th Street. Our community was broadly vironmental Law was being violated. (Your ficulty in standing up to City Hall: “It is Vests???? united against the plan, because it was go- author is the Coalition’s lawyer.) not easy for uncredentialed people to stand ing to throw cross-town traffic on 12th Flash forward to January 2019. DOT has up to the credentialed, even when the so- Arthur Schwartz is the Village Democratic Street, 13th Street and 15th to 20th Streets. moved bus stops on 14th Street, added SBS called expertise is grounded in ignorance District Leader and President of Advocates On 13th it was impossible to see how there bus equipment (for faster boarding), painted and folly.” The shutdown crisis was being for Justice. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 23 The Strand Bookstore Landmarking Debate bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble have 1950 there were 368 bookstores in New had to cut back. Nancy Bass Wyden, who York City. That eroded to 249 bookstores and its neighbors are historically significant is the third generation in the Bass family to in 1981, and today, there are only a pre- and worthy of designation. However, there own the bookstore—founded by her grand- cious 79 bookstores to serve Manhattan’s is also no denying that they are the tip of father more than 90 years ago—wants her 8.5 million inhabitants. Many of those the iceberg of the buildings which warrant store to be left alone. She fears that land- bookstores only sell specialty genres like consideration in this area, and unlike many marking, with its restrictions, would make Christian books, cookbooks, and mysteries. of the other buildings in the area, none of it more difficult to make changes she feels Our margins are small and wages are only these seven are endangered currently, or are necessary. She worries that landmark- increasing. We operate in a fragile environ- likely to be anytime soon. We are urging ing could lead to the demise of the Strand, ment. After working here all of my life, I know the Commission to take a step back and which her grandfather and father kept run- what it takes to keep the store continuing. We consider this area in its entirety, which is ning through thick and thin. are at a point where we cannot absorb any un- facing ever-increasing development pres- Andrew Berman, Executive Director of necessary expenses. This designation will rob sure due to, among other factors, the City GVSHP, thinks she has nothing to worry us of the flexibility we need to change with the Council’s recent approval of the mayor’s about, and says he can prove it; he believes needs of our customers in the Village. upzoning on 14th Street for a “Tech Hub,” that landmarking would help stop high- Unlike Amazon, we have never asked and to prioritize those buildings which do rise building and soaring rents. for taxpayer-funded subsidies, tax breaks or face a more immediate danger. Wyden and Berman testified at a recent special favors. We do want the government The concerns expressed about the impact hearing on the matter. There will be anoth- to spare us new changes to our business of landmarking upon a business are not re- ally borne out by the facts. Literally thou- DEBATE: Does landmarking decrease com- er one on Tuesday, February 19th, at 9:30 that already operates on tight margins. I’ve mercial value? GVSHP exchanges views am, at 1 Centre Street, 9th floor, and any- reached out non-stop to the mayor’s office, sands of small businesses not only survive with Strand Bookstore owner. Photo by body who cares should go and try to testify. to this committee, to Councilwoman Ri- but thrive within historic districts. In fact, Darielle Smolian. Look at what Wyden and Berman say in vera; yet when the richest man in the world a recent survey we conducted found lower the statements that follow. and the Strand’s main competitor asks for a rates of retail vacancies in historic districts By Carol Yost tax break in New York, he gets handed $3 than in their non-landmarked surround- STRAND OWNER NANCY BASS WYDEN billion dollars. Maybe I’m naïve, but I re- ings. I understand the natural trepidation There has been a proposal to landmark STATEMENT ally hope that is not the way the world re- about an additional layer of bureaucracy some buildings near where the 14th Street The Strand has been in business in the Vil- ally works. Landmarking our building will that a landmarked property must deal with, Tech Hub is going to be. The Greenwich lage for over 91 years. It was my grandfa- only—and let me repeat—only make it and certainly agree with the sentiment Village Society for Historic Preservation ther’s, my dad’s and now mine. My dad and harder to for us to survive and pass our trea- that cherry-picking these seven buildings, (GVSHP) would actually like to include my grandfather both worked until they died, sured family-owned business down to my as Councilmember Rivera and the mayor far, far more buildings than the ones now working six days a week for most of their children and hopefully, to theirs. agreed to as part of their Tech Hub deal, under consideration. In any case, the threat lives. During the Depression, my grandfa- We’ve been told that no one wins against is not the way to go. Were 828 Broadway of gentrification arising from the imminent ther slept on a cot in the basement of the the Landmarks Preservation Commission, not to be landmarked now, it would likely creation of the Tech Hub is cause for alarm, store and sent his two kids into foster care but the Strand will not go down without a survive for quite some time to come. But and the landmarking is one effort to prevent because his wife died and he had no money. fight. We need your help. Please join us at that is not guaranteed. And for it to not be it so that developers won’t swoop in, demol- We’ve been at our current location on the next public hearing on Tuesday, Febru- landmarked due to misinformation about ish old buildings and put up luxury condo Broadway for 62 years. My dad, who started ary 19th, at 1 Centre Street, 9th floor, at landmarking’s impact upon businesses concoctions at great heights (now allowed working here at age 13, saved up his money 9:30 am, and support us in this fight. You would be a shame. because of the recent upzoning). The con- for 68 years to buy the building that the store can learn more about the hearing and other What we hope the Landmarks Preserva- cern is to preserve historic architecture and occupies 20 years ago. He knew, even at the updates by following @strandbookstore on tion Commission will do is drop the deal the old neighborhood feel, along with not young age of 13, that if he did not, there would social media, or by emailing us at nancy- they made with Councilmember Rivera to letting housing and retail prices skyrocket soon come a time after he inherited the busi- [email protected]. only consider these seven buildings, look at along with giant new buildings. ness when he would not be able to afford the —Nancy Bass Wyden the endangered area south of Union Square Included for consideration is the Strand rent and would be forced out, much like he in its entirety, and consider all of its worthy Bookstore at 828 Broadway (corner of East saw in the late 1960s with the 47 neighboring ANDREW BERMAN OF GREENWICH historic resources for potential landmark 12th Street), a longstanding neighborhood bookstores of 4th Avenue’s Book Row. VILLAGE SOCIETY FOR HISTORIC designation, prioritizing those buildings and icon in a city of rapidly disappearing inde- My dad had seen that story play out time PRESERVATION STATEMENT areas which face the most immediate threats. pendent bookstores, and where even huge and time again outside the Village, too. In There is no denying that 828 Broadway —Andrew Berman

at the door by young, bright, attractive serv- ers with in-depth knowledge of the products Everything Old Is New Again on Bleecker St. being offered? They could, as we used to say By Gordon T. Hughes the spaces vacated by quirky village haunts. talk about something that will give anyone in the dark ages, “feel the goods.” Shoppers Peter Allen co-wrote a song titled “Every- Then about a year ago, maybe more, I was over 45 a smile on their face. could even try on the goods they were look- thing Old Is New Again.” The song was walking home one evening and realized that I won’t name the stores which I visited ing at. Can you imagine that? What a revela- a hit and used in a show which made it to a large number of stores were vacant. It wasn’t nor the people I spoke to, but all shared the tion to the 20-somethings. What would Mr. Broadway when Hugh Jackman played Pe- long after my walk that the New York Times same basic premise. All the stores/brands Macy or Mr. Bloomingdale or even Mr. Saks ter Allen in The Boy from Oz. and other media outlets were telling the story were about 10 years old and not from NYC. think of that concept? Today it’s called brick But let me get to the subject at hand, of Bleecker Street’s demise. Well, around All had a remarkable online presence—some and mortar. Well, yes, that’s another way to Bleecker Street. I have lived on Bleecker this past November while walking down the with blogs—rich websites that had driven the say retail store. Well, I say who cares what you Street (and also on Perry Street) for the same street I noticed some new—and I must brands to real success. So now is where you call it. All I can tell you and them is, welcome past 20 years. I witnessed Bleecker as a fun say, exciting—businesses were filling up those 45-year-olds will begin to smile knowingly, to the West Village and welcome to Bleecker Village street with a variety of stores and vacancies. Now, being the snoop that I am, I maybe even giggle a bit. I was told at each and Street. You make the neighborhood look just restaurants over those years. Businesses started poking my nose into those new retail every store, proudly as could be, about why a little bit better. And, from what I hear from such as Condomania, August, and Miracle stores and asking questions. Well, did I get they had picked NYC—and, in particular, the 20-year-olds, these stores were just com- Grill (a favorite of mine) are now gone. As an earful. Since I am more a chronicler than the West Village—and why Bleecker Street, ing in for the holidays but now most, if not the neighborhood took off, with the advent a reporter I’m not going to do a column that to open (OMG) a store. Yes, a store! It was all, are looking at the Village for a long haul. of the Magnolia Bakery, brands such as the New York Times has done a lot better than a kind of new concept for these young folks. So, Peter Allen would be very happy, Mark Jacobs and Ralph Lauren moved into I could do about “Better Bleecker,” but rather Can you imagine that customers could be met very happy indeed. 24 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org A Sad Farewell to Beloved Cornelia Street Café By Karen Rempel always checking in on us. And always up for a drink after the show. MC-ing a show that On January 1, 2019, hundreds of patrons supports emerging writers and performers and performers from every decade of the to a full house at The Cornelia Street Cafe Cornelia Street Café’s 41 years of creative is something I’ll cherish. It’s heartbreaking explosion gathered for a final burst of cel- that it’s gone. I kept thinking the cavalry ebration and communion. would arrive and the café would somehow Many took the stage on the final evening, stay open. But alas, no cavalry can beat New including the luminary award-winning York City landlords.” recording artist Suzanne Vega. She sang The cafe is indeed closing due to the hos- “Tom’s Diner,” which she wrote in 1981 and tile actions of the landlords, who charged first performed at the CSC. The crowd sang an enormous monthly rent of $33,000 and along to “La Vie en rose,” and the café’s co- burdened the café with trumped-up law- founder Robin Hirsch gave an emotional suits in an effort to drive the owner out. speech, lauding “the tangible physical com- Robin finally gave up fighting the landlords, munity of being in the same space, of par- Mitchell Rothken and Mark Scharfman, ticipating in the same communal event, that after spending thousands of dollars in legal we participated in tonight and this after- fees. “They have threatened to evict me five noon. I am extremely grateful for all of you, times in recent years on spurious grounds,” and very proud of what we’ve collectively he told Tablet Magazine in December. Ac- accomplished, and I hope that we will tiptoe cording to an August 2018 Village Voice off into some other physical space, but in the article, “Scharfman… landed a spot on the mean time, hold us in your hearts, and we New York Press’ ‘50 Most Loathsome New will find each other.” Yorkers’ in 2003 for his ‘Dickensian tales Author and ceaseless raconteur Robin of tenant abuse.’” The Housing Rights Ini- Hirsch opened the cafe with actor Charles tiative filed a class action suit against the McKenna and artist Raphaela Pivetta on Scharfman Organization in October 2018 July 4, 1977. The rent was $450 per month. for allegedly defrauding tenants. Rothken is They ran the café together for about 20 even worse. He was jailed in 2001 for em- CORNELIA STREET CAFÉ CLOSES DOORS BUT NOT MEMORIES: Owner Robin Hirsch re- years. Since then, Robin, the self-titled grets the loss of his Café after 41 years of operation, seeks new site or reincarnation. Photo bezzling 2.6 million from his clients’ escrow Minister of Culture, Wine Czar, and Dean by Karen Rempel. accounts. of Faculty of the café, has been the cohesive The café’s former space at 29 Cornelia glue and guiding force of nature of the café. In 2002, the café also won a world record was so wildly popular that the café’s Enter- Street is listed on LoopNet for $27,400 The café has been a part of every West for the longest ever solo piano performance taining Science monthly program was born. per month, which is considerably less than Villager’s life, and every one of us has our (52 hours), which occurred downstairs in The program continued until the café’s dy- the $33,000 Robin was paying. Perhaps the own stories and memories of time well spent the aforementioned pit. Jon Conte played ing breath, with speakers as varied as Cha- landlords’ rapaciousness outran the market, there, dining, drinking, and daring to de- more than 1,000 musical pieces, from Bach nel’s chief parfumier and fractal geometrist and they had to lower the rent after forcing scend into the pit of avant-garde weirdness to the Beatles, and on the morning of the Benoit Mandelbrot. Robin to leave. going on in the basement. Personally, I’ve third day, triumphed. Robin quips that the Pat Duffy, author, leading expert on syn- A week after the closing, Robin said “I’m been there for jazz, experimental musical CSC should also have a world record for esthesia, NYU professor, and UN trainer, exhausted, because in addition to the emo- events, first dates, a job interview, a fashion being the café with the most world records. recalls bringing her students to the café to tional toll, the last 5 days were spent clean- photo shoot, and a memorable brunch on The café has won numerous awards for its attend the Artists Salon. “I feel so bad about ing out everything from the store, every- the café’s last day. Friends poured in to say food and entertainment, and received a may- the Cornelia Street Café! It was a Village thing we’ve put in from 41 years, the intense farewell to Robin and the staff. Seated on oral proclamation from Ed Koch on the oc- icon and we are losing too many of them... sweat equity. The bars had to be destroyed, either side of me were a cabaret singer and casion of its 10th anniversary, in 1987. The CSC was always up for artists to be who the kitchens had to be destroyed, the walk- a performer in Toronto’s Come from Away. mayor called the café “a culinary as well as a they were. Last summer, I took my Explor- in refrigerators had to be destroyed, every- There was an excitement in the air about cultural landmark.” In his letter of proclama- ing NYC class to the Artists Salon where thing had to go… I kept the tables. The being present for the final moments of this tion, Koch joked that the fabled toaster oven regular performers at the café get to try out tables were unique, hand-made from wine Village institution—the sense of expecta- caused the New York City blackout of 1977. new work for their peers and whoever else crates... And my sign I saved.” He added tion that anything could happen, mixed The café has launched and nurtured the wanders in to listen. It was such a great expe- that they were crying on the final day, but with sadness for the pending loss. Crowds careers of hundreds of songwriters, includ- rience for my students, newcomers to New it’s been even harder since then, “As we’ve lined up in the street hours in advance of the ing Cliff Eberhardt and David Massengill York, to watch the poets, musicians, and smashed the walls, throwing out two entire 3 pm show. (who both returned for the last concert), as also mix and chat with them… Robin even kitchens – people are weeping.” From its modest beginning, with a fabled well as musicians and performers of every stopped the proceedings to welcome our In the midst of the wreckage, there’s still toaster oven and espresso machine, the café genre. Eve Ensler debuted several of her group and explain how the Salon worked! a glimmer of hope. Robin is exploring other eventually expanded to the neighboring busi- one-woman shows at the café, including I remember he also told everyone how he potential locations, and considering open- ness, built two kitchens and bars, and moved the politically ground-breaking play The Va- hoped the café could stay afloat as the rent ing a performance space and bar with the the performance space down into the base- gina Monologues. The café has hosted poets had increased exponentially since the CSC more humble fare of the café’s early days. ment. Often the merriment spilled out into speaking in 14 languages and renowned ac- had first opened. At the time I thought, of In closing, Robin said “I will spend some the street, with music performances, stilt tors including members of Monty Python course the café will go on, as I just couldn’t time coming to terms with this. I’m very walkers, and an astonishing 2013 Guinness and the Royal Shakespeare Company. imagine the Village without it! I still can’t!” proud of what we collectively accomplished world-record-garnering event of the most Entertaining Science began in 2001, Comedian, author, podcaster (The Naked over a very long period, of the number of keyboards playing a song at once. On this when author and neurologist Oliver Sacks Novelist), and writing coach Nelsie Spen- people whose careers began here, and of the occasion, the entire block of Cornelia Street joined Roald Hoffmann, a Nobel-laureate cer recalls co-hosting the Imperfect Perfect legends who came to call this place home.” between Bleecker and W. 4th Street was chemist, and K. C. Cole, a science writer, to Show with Terry Moore. “I felt so lucky to Much more than bricks and mortar, wher- filled with 175 keyboards. Musicians from all launch her book A Hole in the Universe. The be able to perform in this iconic, NYC ven- ever it might be located, it will always be over New York played Pachelbel’s Canon in evening of readings and talks about “the ue! And introduce the charming and leg- the Cornelia Street Café. May the café’s ex- D and a piece Jed Distler composed for the concept of nothing, the void, the Buddhist endary place to others who might not have traordinary creative fire continue to inspire occasion, called “Broken Record.” idea of emptiness, in art, science, physics,” been aware of it. Robin was always there, us even as we mourn this loss. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 25 Villagers Speak as Cornelia Street Café Curtain Comes Down Gone But Not Forgotten: A Tearful Farewell to a Venerated West Village Institution Bittersweet though it was, I’m deeply and my new journalistic collaborators at grateful for the experience of participating WestView News. in one of the two final shows at Cornelia Last July I was introduced to Father Street Café, whose legacy includes 41 years Graeme Napier, an Episcopal rector at of presenting world class songwriters, spo- St. John’s in the Village on 11th Street ken word, poetry, theatrical readings, sto- and Waverly Place. Father Graeme is a rytelling, adventurous jazz, contemporary gifted concert producer and art gallery di- classical programming and great cuisine. rector. We had a fundraiser and bought a Over 20 songwriters gathered on the first professional sound system for songwriters day of 2019 to perform their last songs at and amplified acts like mine and my col- Cornelia. The lovely Suzanne Vega and her leagues’. I hired engineers and administra- colleagues David Massengill and Cliff Eb- tive assistants to be available for shows. We MEDICAL DERMATOLOGY | COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY erhardt, who were part of the Songwriter’s decided to put my Steinway 7-foot-4-inch MOHS SURGERY | LASER SURGERY Exchange at Cornelia in the early 1980s, grand piano in the Revelation Gallery at began the afternoon recounting stories and St. John’s to complement the Yamaha singing songs, some very memorable and grand piano that is used in the sanctuary. Bay Ridge West Village famous (Vega’s “Tom’s Restaurant”), some We are planning a St. John’s Songwriters 7901 4th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11209 67 Perry Street, NY NY 10014 more recent (“Washington Square” by Mas- Exchange at the gallery, a private event 718-491-5800 (t) 212-675-5847 (t) sengill) and some that Eberhardt tours with that we’ll share more about and that, hope- 718748-2151 (f) 212-675-7976 (f) regularly. The Songwriter’s Exchange grew fully, will expand on the excellent example out of a songwriter’s workshop created by of Mr. Hirsch and his community. songwriter Carolyn Mas, who was a wait- We’ll keep you posted about other future Ronald R. Brancaccio, M.D | Peter Saitta, D.O. ress at the café when it first opened in 1977. events and hope you’ll support local arts Robin Hirsch, the highly respected, per- in the Village. And if anyone knows of a Sherry H. Hsiung, M.D. | Lisa Gruson,M.D. | Anna Karp, D.O. sonable owner and curator at the café, is an new home for Cornelia Street Café, please artist and director with a far-reaching vision. reach out to us and we’ll connect you to He invited these artists to perform decades Robin Hirsch. ago. Over the years, they fostered a tradi- —Hannah Reimann tion at once curiously competitive, endear- ing and nurturing. At this final event, they Hannah Reimann is a singer-songwriter, well as the long, narrow room with tables cians like David Amran and other enter- joked about their times together and how pianist, composer, actor and music educa- and chairs and a bar at its entrance. Sitting tainers. The Obie Award winning produc- special it was to have the community that tor whose concerts of her original music comfortably was easier if one were small or ing team Peculiar Works Project led by contributed to their growth as songwriters. and the early music of Joni Mitchell have thin. The cement walls were blue, and a red Barry Rowell, Catherine Porter and Ralph There were a London constituency, touch- been presented at Cornelia Street Café, The curtain hung behind the stage in front. Lewis staged play readings including my ing and hilarious cabaret numbers, and par- Bitter End, The Cutting Room and other A capacity audience of about 50 filled play Moon which was originally performed ticipants who traveled from California and such venues, and whose songs have been in the room. Several writers/performers gave at the groundbreaking Caffe Cino in the New England to pay tribute to Mr. Hirsch radio rotation for over 15 years. She was the presentations. My favorites: Mindy Mati- mid-60s. Last year I was on a panel held and the café. Several wrote songs especially Sunday house pianist at Caffè Vivaldi from jasevic’s “Comedy for Grown Folks” and there with the Playwrights John Guare and for the occasion; others recalled times when 2003 to 2005, and has produced concerts drummer Fred Simpson’s musical offer- Jean Claude Van Italie hosted by Times they were able to turn a corner regarding a for 25 years in Manhattan and Brooklyn. ings entitled “Kindness” and “Goodbye, critic Charles Isherwood. personal crisis or release a cathartic libretto Reimann Music is located on Charles Street CSC” a tribute to the café. Su Polo gave The panel focused on the Caffe Cino about their New York lives. Christine Lavin, where she teaches and rehearses. www.han- an outstanding performance of her essay, years (1958-1968) which was two doors dubbed the “Patron Saint of Songwriters” nahreimann.com “A Walk into Christmas” about a possibly away at 31 Cornelia Street. Sam Shepard, by her colleagues, sang a humorous number lonely pre-holiday evening, walking her Lanford Wilson, Tom Eyen, Robert Pat- inviting others to test their psychic abilities, Ghost City Cabaret dog uptown from 27th Street to Rockefell- rick, Billy Hoffman and H. M. Koutou- with spoken mathematical formulas woven Friday night, December 21, 2018, 50 or er Center, and being suddenly surrounded kas found a home where they could work into the song. so poetry and Cornelia Street Café lovers by carolers (her dog in the center of their freely and develop new plays. Paul Foster Tears came to all eyes including those of turned to the light for winter solstice and circle) and then being invited to sing car- who founded LaMama ETC with Ellen Mr. Hirsch as he announced the auction of a final evening at the café, due to close in ols: a festive, inclusive evening after all. Stewart had his works done there as did every single piece of furniture, every cook- several days. Years ago, when I wrote po- After an intermission, open mic perform- many, many others. For several years on ing pot and lamp, that would take place the etry regularly, I attended and read at open ers raced the clock to give everyone a chance a monthly basis Foster with myself, John following day—the landlord had ordered mics at the Cornelia Street Café. It was a to perform, as the café was hosting another Gilman and the Obie Award winning Ac- that the facility be completely bare on Jan- wonderful space for people to gather, ex- event shortly. Ghost City Cabaret has been tress Mari-Claire Charba had ‘round-table’ uary 3rd. We were beside ourselves. How- press opinions and make friends. In her in- at Cornelia St. Café for four years. It will re- brunch discussions in the excellent res- ever, more than one performer reminded us troduction to this solstice evening, Ghost vive, K said. “To be continued … in another taurant with the owner/proprietor Robin that the café would not completely disap- City Cabaret’s Katherine Adisman (“K”), dimension” the evening’s flyer assured. Hirsch joining in usually serving us a glass pear, at least not in spirit. It was an inspir- verbalized the concerns of many in atten- — Sarah Dowson of his best wine. Alas, as the rent insanely ing afternoon. dance about the closings of reasonably- jumped to over $30,000 a month what After hearing about the closing of Caffè priced gathering spaces in Manhattan. The Last Bohemian Enclave might be called the last Bohemian enclave Vivaldi on Jones Street last June after its 35 Once inside after a wait in the bar/res- The Cornelia Street Café shut its doors in the Village had to close. All who were years of live music, I had heard rumors that taurant at street level, and finding a seat for the last time on January 1 after decades there were filled with sadness after the final the same might happen to Cornelia. This downstairs, I passed two tiny gender- in business. The performance space in the curtain shows on New Year’s Eve and New warning encouraged me to seek the guid- neutral restrooms at right angles to each basement became legendary, attracting folk Year’s Day. ance of my artistic friends of many years other, painted red. I remembered these, as singers, poets, comedians, singers, musi- —Robert Heide 26 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org

WEST VILLAGE IMAGES BY JOEL GORDON

Art Illusions and Fantasies The Motivation for Photographic series of digital computer art, illusions or fantasy Political Paintings featuring close up details taken from architecture and design elements of buildings.

ANTI-TRUMP POLITICAL PAINTINGS BY PHIL LEVINE: the “toxic political environment and the corrupt human beings in charge of it are his inspiration. They are expressing the ram- pant immorality and corruption that exists in this administration.” © Joel Gordon 2019—All rights reserved.

By Phil Levine abled me to create more interesting canvases with multiple figures using the camera. But if When I turned 40 years old (34 years ago) I was going to be painting the figure I damn and living in Denver, I had this conversa- well wanted the figures to be convincing. tion with myself. “Philip, you think you’ve When there was a weakness in my art been given the gifts of music and art but you I dove head first into overcoming those haven’t yet opened those gifts.” From that weaknesses. I read books and experimented day on I committed myself to doing just with color theory. I went to museums and that and began taking local art classes. Soon sketched the paintings to understand con- after, it occurred to me that maybe Denver cepts of composition. I studied anatomy for could have a version of the renowned Art artists and threw myself into instructed life Students League of New York, and maybe, drawing. And kept painting. just maybe, I could be the catalyst to bring Early on, I thought the only valid art was that to Denver. My background was in fun- representational. That changed when I hap- draising and organizing so why not me? pened to see a Joan Mitchell exhibition in I spent a week in NY at the League Paris and was moved emotionally by her working with Rosina Florio—then League paintings. I even tried my own hand at ab- Executive Director gathering information stract expressionism. It didn’t satisfy me and about starting a League in Denver. One just pulled me back once again to the figure. year after returning to Colorado, the Art I’ve painted New York City street scenes, Students League of Denver opened its boxing (I boxed years ago), the Civil War, doors and is now celebrating its 32nd year. the Indian Wars and a series of imaginary They even have a bronze bust of me there! scenes inside museums. The Civil War My own journey into art was just begin- paintings were particularly challenging be- ning. It became apparent that the figure cause I wanted to get a sense of physical was of greatest interest to me. I tried land- movement in those paintings. scape painting but that never worked. One All that was a prelude to what I’m paint- time I got on a flight to Phoenix, put 1000 ing now—political commentary. I see how miles on a rented car driving around the our country is being destroyed from within great Southwest and still couldn’t find one by a corrupt administration and my inspi- thing I wanted to paint. At the same time I ration for these paintings comes from what saw artists tripping over each other to find I see happening. Making these paintings is the newest and latest ‘gimmick’ that would better than throwing a brick through the get them fame and fortune—or recogni- TV when I see Trump lying and bloviating. tion. I wondered what the hell was going I started this series of “anti-Trump” paint- on here? What is this crap that people are ings six months ago and have about 20 of calling art? What happened to the figure? them completed. Other examples can be found on my website www.joelgordon.com. Was it dead in art? Hell no! Photo credit © Joel Gordon 2019—All rights reserved. Because I’ve spent well over a thousand To view more of the artist’s works, vis- hours painting the figure from life, it’s en- it www.phillevine.com music• at St. John’s in the Village WestView Concert Saturday February 23, 3:00 pm

Jack Kulowitsch and the Strathmore Ensemble Performing Mendelssohn: String Quartet #2 Op 13 in A minor Mozart: Sonata for Violin and Pianor Musicians: Mitsuru Tsubota, Mayuki Fukuhara, Louise Schulman, Daire Fitzgerald, John Kulowitsch Tickets $20 Free to Seniors and Children Booking is essential at: stjvny.org or (212) 243-6192

St. John’s in the Village at the corner of West 11th and Waverly Place St. John’s in the Village is fully heated and ADA accessible. 28 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org

Maggie B’s Quick Clicks Wintry Mix

THE ART OF THE DEAL

A RED-TAILED HAWK KEEPS A BIRD’S EYE VIEW ON BREAKFAST. Photo by Keith Michael.

By Keith Michael Sparrows to be heard clicking, whistling, chor- tling, and wheezing. Something’s up. “Baby, it’s cold outside.” As we head west, Millie paces out every I’ve used that as a title before, but it’s ap- inch of cobblestone real estate along the way ropos this morning. I’m holding the front while I survey every inch of roofline real es- door open to the street and Millie is stand- tate. There, on the pinnacle corner of that pink ing on the landing, procrastinating, glanc- bombshell, Palazzo Chupi, sits the source of ing back at the now closed inner door, feel- the neighborhood’s sudden silence: a young ing the chill, damp air on her nose. After Red-tailed Hawk. (It’s breakfast time and the repeated encouragement her foreshortened avian fellowship of these streets knows it.) corgi legs brave the two-step “ba-dum, ba- I know it’s a young hawk, not an adult, dum” plummet down to sidewalk level. because it hasn’t yet molted into its name- “Good girl.” We’re out! At least it’s not sake reddish orange tail feathers. But this raining. Yet. one is likely hungry, nonetheless. Having to Once again, Millie just stops. She squints catch one’s morning meal rather than glean into the wind toward Greenwich Street, it from a tree requires a different strategy then scans her domain toward Washing- from the hyperactivity of Titmice, Juncos, ton Street. What goes on in her head dur- Chickadees, or Kinglets. The phrase “hawk- ing these lengthy pauses, and what logic eyed” can be discerned even from this dis- guides her decision to venture left or right? tance. It looks intensely in one direction, The cheerful scolding chatter of a Tufted then swivels its gaze to another. Other than Titmouse pulls me (instead) forward to the the wind ruffling the dark V of feathers on center of the street for a better look. Win- its chest, it is completely still. ter birds tend to move quickly, which keeps I’ve seen this adolescent hawk on various their body temperatures up. They are also other perches for weeks now: the cornice frequently small, which seems counterintui- of Westbeth, a lamppost in Hudson River tive to me in comparison to mammals that Park, the edge of a Richard Meier tower, a increase the thickness of their fur in winter tree in Abingdon Square, an upper railing to keep warm—look at Millie. Fast and tiny of the Liberty Storage & Moving build- makes them difficult to find even among bare ing on Hudson Street. Up high is the key: winter branches. Ah, there are one, two, three “The better to see you with, my dear.” of the gray-crested marauders stripping the Something wet touches my face (the Chinese scholar tree beans high above my only part of me not bundled against the head. I wonder—does eating the beans make wind). A few snowflakes linger in the air, them smarter or make their head tufts stand not certain whether they’ll gather enough up perkier? Suddenly, as if on a silent cue, the friends together to make a flurry. Millie trio bounds into the air, and wings east. gives her entire coat a shake. Now the street is quiet. Wintering Robins I look back up just as the hawk plum- have long since gleaned the last of the freeze- mets to take cover or look for breakfast dried Callery pear fruits on the block, so they elsewhere. A few wing flaps and it’s gone. must have moved on to other neighborhoods. “Millie, show’s over. Let’s go home.” Most mornings, I’ll usually hear a Blue Jay ar- gument somewhere within a few streets away, Visit keithmichaelnyc.com for the latest sched- or a Cardinal’s “cheer cheer cheer” call. There ule of New York City WILD! urban-adven- are no mournful Mourning Doves cooing, tures-in-nature outings throughout the five All photos by Maggie Berkvist. and no pigeon battalions circling. There is not boroughs, and visit his Instagram @newyork- even a warm-up orchestration of Starlings and citywild for photos from around NYC. www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 29

Earth’s most recent catastrophic event was the last ice age during which a kilome- Life on Earth in Perspective ter-thick sheet of ice covered large areas of the Northern Hemisphere. When the ice By Josef Eisinger © melted, a mere 90 seconds ago (i.e. 12,000 years ago) it caused the oceans to rise dra- In 1930, during the early days of radio matically and ushered in Earth’s present broadcasting, Albert Einstein admonished Holocene period. This is the era in which a radio audience in Berlin not to consume humans invented agriculture and vinicul- the fruits of science with as little intel- ture, discovered how to smelt metals, in- lectual curiosity as a cow chewing its cud vented the art of writing, built great cities, devotes to botany. Since that time almost and forged vast empires; Julius Caesar was a century of astonishing scientific and assassinated just fifteen seconds ago. Mod- technological advances have come to pass ern science began to bloom about two sec- and I wonder if a comment similar to Ein- onds ago (ca. 18th century) and, in time, stein’s could not be made today regarding allowed humans to discover the bumpy the general public’s attitude toward science history of our planet and the astonishing and its achievements. story of how life evolved on it. That is un- I, however, am one of those who rel- questionably an intellectual achievement ish belonging to the first generation that that deserves to be celebrated—if Earth knows the age of our universe and its his- was not, even now, careening toward an- tory—even the physical laws that govern other extinction event. This one, unlike the it—though gaps remain; and I am thrilled STROMATOLITES IN SHARK BAY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA: These fossilized layered mounds many that preceded it, is of our own mak- to belong to one of the earliest generations were formed by the growth of layer upon layer of photosynthesizing bacteria. Photo credit: ing and must be attributed to the inability that can be aware of the checkered past Paul Harrison, 2005 / Wikipedia. of humans to co-operate in curbing climate of our planet and, specifically, of how life change—while there is still time. evolved on it. It is a story that was sketched Sometime in August an event occurred sustaining dissolved oxygen. with remarkable insight by Charles Dar- that eventually altered all future life in a dra- But life went on. Beginning in mid- win; but subsequent scientific advances, matic fashion: certain bacteria incorporated, December, numerous species of dinosaurs particularly radioactivity-based dating of within their cell walls, a pigmented protein evolved and roamed over Earth’s land and fossils and sophisticated DNA sequence complex (now known as the photosynthetic seas for some two hundred million years— analysis, have provided us with a far more reaction center or PRC) which was capable until disaster struck once again. On De- detailed account of the heritage of Earth’s of converting radiant energy into useful cember 26th (66 million years ago) another species, including our own. chemical energy and, in the process, gener- extinction event occurred, possibly because To envisage a vast span of time like the ated oxygen molecules. Sustained by the of the impact of a large meteorite. It wiped 4.54 billion years of our planet’s existence abundant sunlight on Earth these photo- out 50 percent of all species including all it is helpful to suppose that Earth was cre- synthesizing bacteria flourished and, in time, the dinosaurs except the avian ones whose ated just one year ago, on January 1st, and generated enough oxygen to constitute one descendants—we call them birds—remain to look back on the year’s events from the fifth of Earth’s atmosphere. Since oxygen with us still. vantage point of midnight on December was poisonous to most of the then-existing During the last five quiescent days of our 31. This allows the evolution of life to be life forms the so-called Great Oxygenation retrospective year a great array of new spe- Josef Eisinger is a physicist and molecular displayed in its proper perspective. In that Event (also called the Oxygen Catastrophe) cies evolved, including mammals—those biologist, and is professor emeritus at the make-believe time domain, it took until led to the extinction of numerous species. warm-blooded animals that had acquired Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New the middle of January (or about 200 mil- The bacterial PRC that accomplished this the knack of bearing live offspring. The York. Born in Vienna, he is the author of lion years) for the newly formed planet to remarkable feat is, apart from cosmetic dif- fossil record tells us that by December over 150 scholarly articles ranging from cool sufficiently for its surface to retain liq- ferences, identical to the PRCs that inhabit 29th (20 million years ago) many famil- nuclear physics to the history of science. He uid water—the essential solvent of all life green leaves and sustain plants. iar mammals—bears, giraffes, hyenas, is also the author of “Einstein on the Road” as we know it. There exists strong fossil Early in September another develop- and apes—populated Earth’s forests while which is based on Einstein’s travel diaries, evidence that by the beginning of February ment took place that had far-reaching con- Homo habilis and several other humanoid and “Einstein at Home” which draws on the single-celled life forms (prokaryotes, e.g. sequences for life on Earth. Some of the species were living some four hours ago. recollections of the Einstein family’s house- bacteria) were already thriving in Earth’s single-cell organisms acquired a membrane- And about half an hour ago modern hu- keeper in Berlin (Prometheus Books 2011, oceans, although the antecedents of these enclosed nucleus in which its genetic infor- mans, optimistically named Homo sapiens, 2016), as well as Eisinger’s own memoir early denizens of the ocean are not known mation was conveniently packaged. This made the scene in Africa and, before long, “Flight and Refuge: Reminiscences of a and are subject to various hypotheses. They innovation of eukaryotes, as these nucleated populated all the continents. Motley Youth” (Amazon 2016). had plenty of time (some two billion years) cells are called, provided many advantages, to evolve in complexity. the most important one being that it fa- The DNA analysis of a large number of cilitated the emergence of multi-cellular today’s species suggests that LUCA (last uni- life forms whose individual cells shared a versal common ancestor) was alive in March. common genetic master plan. All through The genome of this hypothetical organism the fall a vast number of multi-cellular spe- included the 355 genes that every living cies proliferated in what is known as the "You forgot to leave thing on Earth has in common with it, be Cambrian explosion and by December 1st it a microbe, a tree, a flower, or an elephant. the first vertebrates had evolved; fishes and Knowing the functions of the proteins that tetrapods populated the oceans, and the first these 355 genes encode, we can even paint a land plants made their appearance. crude portrait of LUCA: it was a single-cell Then, on December 10th (251.4 mil- my paper!" anaerobic microbe whose DNA, composed lion years ago) disaster struck. The so- of the same four bases as ours, floated freely called Permian-Triassic extinction event $12 BUCKS WILL GUARANTEE DELIVERY! in its cytoplasm—which was enclosed in a caused the demise of some 90 percent of __ Yes, I want my copy of WestView. Here is $12 for a one year subscription. lipid bilayer membrane, as in a bacterium. the species dwelling in the oceans, pos- __ Yes, here is $24 for 2 years. Some of LUCA’s genes suggest that it lived sibly because something caused Earth’s in a high temperature environment, not un- temperature to rise and thereby deprived Mail to WestView News, 69 Charles Street, New York, NY 10014 like those near deep sea vents. its ocean-dwelling creatures of their life- 30 WestView News February 2019 www.westviewnews.org

ing After his 16-year-old daughter goes featuring the Charu Suri Trio at St. John’s missing, a desperate father breaks into her in the Village, 11th Street and Waverly FEBRUARY laptop to look for clues to find her. Place. Admission $$25. For information EVENTS Starring John Cho, Debra Messing, and Jo- and booking go to www.stjvny.org. by Stephanie Phelan of seph Lee. Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy n Friday February 16, 7:30 pm: Caroline Davis’s Alula w/ Matt Mitchell & Dan westvillageword.com Street. Free. n Thursday February 28, 2 pm: Mission Weiss A double bill at Greenwich House Impossible—Fallout A 2018 Movie star- Music, 46 Barrow Street. Tickets at the ring Tom Cruise about a dangerous assign- door $20, $15 for students and seniors. wv ment to recover stolen plutonium. Hudson n Saturday February 16, 7:30 pm: Black w Park Library, 66 Leroy Street. Free. History Month A concert of diverse music for featuring three African-American vocalists MUSIC with a repetoire of the American spiritual WestView News n Sunday February 3, 3 pm: Dvorak alongside opera favorites and songs of Cole Romances Acclaimed pianist Margarita Porter. St. John’s in the Village, 11th Street © Stephanie Phelan 2013 Rovenskaya and friends perform romantic and Waverly Place. Admission $$20. For in- works for piano quintet at St. John’s in the formation and booking go to www.stjvny.org. Village. corner of West 11th and Waverly n Sunday February 17, 3 pm: CITYWIDE Place. Admission $10-$20. For informtion Francesca Khalifa The Italian pianist will SPECIAL EVENTS and booking, go to www.stjvny.org. play the music of Domenico Scarlatti, n Saturday February 3, 12-3 pm: Stop n Thursday February 7, 7:30 pm: J. S. Bach, L. van Beethoven, and J. Brahms. HAPPY NEW YEAR! ‘N’ Swap Bring clean, reusable, portable Mackenzie Melemed The young pianist Admission $10 - $20. St. John’s in the Village, Bring a splash of color into your dreary items such as clothing, books, toys, electronics, will perform as part of the Stecher & 11th Street and Waverly Place. For informa- February days by watching the Chi- household appliances to Westbeth Commu- Horowitz Young Artist Series, a competi- tion and booking go to www.stjvny.org. nese New Year Parade and Festival on nity Room, 155 Bank Street.You don’t have to tion featuring prize winners and finalists of n Friday February 22, 7:30 pm: Baroque February 17. Photo credit @ JoelGor- bring something to take something. the New York International Piano Compe- Piano Concert The Ferrara International don 2018—All rights reserved. n Monday and Tuesday February tition. Greenwich House Music, 46 Barrow Piano Festival presents pianist Sohyun Ahn 11-February 12: Westminster Kennel Street. Free. in a concert of baroque and classical works Tango and Romance! Celebrate Valen- Club Dog Show Root for your favorit!es! n Friday February 8, 7:30 pm: for solo piano. St. John’s in the Village, tines Day with an evening of Spanish dance The breeds are judged during the day, at Concerts-Pop Songs—Art Songs 11th Street and Waverly Place. For details, and song, at Revelation Gallery, St. John’s Piers 92-94 at 55th Street and the West Reimagined James Dargan, baritone, and go to www.stjvny.org. in the Village, 11th Street and Waverly Side Highway from 8 am-4:30 pm, and the Amir Farid, piano, play some of the tunes n Saturday February 23, 3 pm: Strings Place. Admission $20. For information and Best in Show is judged at Madison Square of Gabriel Fauré and Franz Schubert. The in the Afternoon Jack Kulovitsch and the booking, go to www.stjvny.org. Garden from 7-11:30 pm on Tuesday Feb- concert also features some Dargan arrange- Strathmere Ensemble present some of the ruary 12. For details on all the events, go to ments of popular current classics.St. John’s in best-loved repertoire of the string quartet KIDS www. westminsterkennelclub.org. the Village, 11th Street and Waverly Place. oeuvre at St. John’s in the Village, 11th n Saturday February 2, 4 pm: Mozart for n Sunday February 17, 1 pm: Chinese Admission from $20. For information and Street and Waverly Place. Admission $20, Munchkins—Jazz for Juniors Matthew New Year Parade and Festival Celebrate booking go to www.stjvny.org. but free to seniors. For information and Rybicki and his swinging band will entertain the Year of the Pig with the colorful parade n Friday February 9, 7:30 pm: Frank booking go to www.stjvny.org. in this interactive program for families. starting at Mott and Hester Streets.Sug- Kimbrough & Masa Kamaguchi The n Saturday February 23, 7 pm: A Winter Greenwich House Music, 46 Barrow Street. gested viewing locations: East Broadway or pianist and double bass artists will perform Night at the Opera 4 singers + 1 pianist = Tickets $30 for adults, kids free. by Grand Street / Sara Roosevelt Park. at Greenwich House Music, 46 Barrow an evening of operatic arias, duets and en- n Friday February 8, 3:30 pm: Knit a Street, as part of the Sound it Out series. sembles—Verdi, Rossini, Strauss, Mozart... Heart! Kids 9-12 years old can learn how SCREENINGS Tickets $20 at the door. at St. John’s in the Village, 11th Street and to knit a heart ornament at Jefferson Mar- n Thursday February 7, 2 pm: n Sunday February 10, 3 pm: Maryam Waverly Place. For information and book- ket Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. Pre-regis- Skyscraper A 2018 movie about a Kheirbek Internationally recognized pia- ing go to www.stjvny.org. tration required, by phone (212) 243-4334 security expert who has to rescue his family, nist Maryam Kheirbek will play Beethoven n Sunday February 24, 3 pm: Cham- or in-person. All materials provided. Free. who are being held by criminals, from a Sonata, Op. 90, Op. 110, and Chopin ber Music Pianist Jonathan DePeri and 225-story building. Hudson Park Library, Ballad #3 and 4 at St. John’s in the Village, friends will perform at St. John’s in the LITERATURE 66 Leroy Street. Free. 11th Street and Waverly Place. Admission Village, 11th Street and Waverly Place. For n Saturday February 9, 10:30 am: A n Friday February 8, 7 pm: Isle of Dogs $10 - $20. For information and booking go details, go to www.stjvny.org. Really Good Day Ayelet Waldman’s An animated sci-fi film about a boy who to www.stjvny.org. book will be discussed at Hudson Park tries to rescue his dog after the species is n Thursday February 14, 7:30 pm: The DANCE Library, 66 Leroy Street. banished to an island following the out- Music of Love A Valentine’s Jazz Concert n Saturday February 9, 7:30 pm: Bolero, n Saturday, February 9, 3 pm: Black break of a canine flu. Westbeth Commu- History Month Poetry Reading Bernard nity Room 155 Bank Street. Free. A BOY AND HIS DOG Block and three prominent poets: Erica n Thursday February 14, 2 pm: Top A young boy’s dog was taken away from him and sent to a an island where all Mapp, Barbara Newsome and Terry Ed- Hat A Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie dogs had been exiled because of a deadly canine flu. Naturally, the boy couldn’t monds will be presenting their own poetry from 1935 starring Fred, Ginger, and live without his dog, so he ran off to the island in search for his dog. The Isle of at this Spoken Word Event. Jefferson Mar- Edward Everett Horton. Hudson Park Dogs will be screened at Westbeth Community Center on February 8. ket Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. Free. Library, 66 Leroy Street. Free. n Thursday February 14, 6 pm: The n Saturday February 16, 2 pm: A Boni Salon — François Proulx, Caroline Simple Favor A comedy-thriller in Szylowicz, and Françoise Leriche Spend which a mommy vlogger seeks to uncover the evening exploring Proust’s letters and the truth behind her best friend’s sudden learning about the new, open-access digital disappearance. Starring Anna Kendrick, edition of Proust’s correspondence. The Blake Lively and Henry Golding. Hudson Proust Center at Jefferson Market Library, Park Library, 66 Leroy Street. Free. 425 Sixth Avenue. Free, but online registra- February 18- February 24 tion required. n Thursday February 21. 2 pm: n Wednesday February 20, 6 pm: Anchors Aweigh A 1945 film starring Meet the Agent Let agent Ber- Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Kathryn nadette Baker-Baughman of the Grayson, about two sailors on leave in Los Victoria Sanders Agency give you Angeles. Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy the scoop on what it takes to sell your work. Street. Free. Bring your questions and find out what she n Saturday February 23, 2 pm: Search- looks for. Jefferson Market Library, 425 www.westviewnews.org February 2019 WestView News 31

Sixth Avenue. Free. TALKS n Through February 23: The Big dren ages 2-5 at Jefferson Market Library, n Thursday February 28, 4:30 pm: Con- n Saturday February 9, 1 pm: Artist Easy New work by New Orleans based 425 Sixth Avenue. venience Store Woman Sayaka Murata’s Talk—Robert Bunkin Mr. Bunkin will artist Keith Duncan at Fort Gansevoort, 5 n Kids Wednesdays at 4 pm: St. book will be discussed at Jefferson Market give a short, illustrated presentation about Ninth Avenue. John’s Choristers Free Musical Educa- Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. his paintings at 1pm, before the opening n Through March 3: Angels The paint- tion Training in music fundamentals and reception of his exhibition. The talk will ings of Margrit Lewczuk are being shown vocal technique for children 8 and up. The LEARNING contextualize the Sculpture Series within at New York Studio School, 8 West 8th program is open to kids from all over the Street. n Tuesday February 12, 19, March 5, the framework of his other figurative city, but is made up primarily of neighbor- n Through April 6: Fritz Ascher— March 12, March 19, 6 pm: Environmen- paintings. Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy hood children. As part of the program, they tal Justice and Neighborhood Action Street. Free. Expressionist An exhibit of the German- sing once a month at a Sunday Eucharist. St. John’s in The Village, 224 Waverly A Five-session course where students will Jewish artist wo lived through the Weimar Place. learn about environmental justice from the HEALTH AND WELLNESS Republic and the Nazi Regime, will be on n n Health and Wellness First and Third perspective of race and gender, and study the Wednesdays February 13 and 27, 6 exhibit at Grey Gallery, 100 Washington Wednesdays of Every Month, 5:30-7:30 role of community action in achieving envi- pm: Artists Anonymous Based on the Square East. n pm: Northwell Health Caregivers Sup- ronmental justice. Registration required— concept of a 12-step program, this is an February 8-February 28: A Stitch in port Group online or in person, or by calling 212-243- open meeting for artists to discuss the Time Quilts by Greenwich Village artist 200 West 13th Street. Free, n Arts First Wednesday of Every Month: 4334. Jefferson Market Library, 425 Sixth troubles of maintaining a creative life and Cindy Beale will be shown at Revelation Bailout Theater Avenue. Free. career and other issues they face as art- Gallery, St. John’s in the Village, West 11th Free potluck-style meal n Thursday February 14, 21 and 28, ists. Jefferson Market Library, 425 Sixth and Waverly Place. served at 7:15pm, followed by a free music, March 7, at 6 pm: The Political Economy Avenue. Free. n February 2-February 23: Is How We dance, or spoken word performance on the of Gender This course will present eco- Walk Who We Are? An exhibit of Meeting Room or in The Judson Memorial nomic concepts from a feminist perspective Marilynn Grant Barr’s exhibit features Church, 55 Washington Square South. n and allow students to assess some economic life-sized ceramic shoes that merge utility, Arts Second Wednesday of Every statements and understand the gender bias history, and creativity, at Westbeth Gallery, Month: Dead Darlings Writers’ favor- that they carry. Space Limited, so registration 55 Bethune Street ite work is often edited out or unpublished; required—in person or by phone. Jefferson n February 5-March 5: Endollenations a chance to showcase that play, Market Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. Free. An exhibit of Thedra Cullar-Ledford’s novel, story or song at Judson Memorial n Friday February 15, 2 pm: Introduc- works. These are photographs of models pos- Church, 55 Washington Square South. n Learning Second Thursday of Every tion to Ancestry Database A genealogy ing like dolls, then she paints on the prints to Month 7 pm: New York Amateur Com- class at Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy make them as doll-like as possible.Ivy Brown puter Club (NYACC) meets at NYU Silver Street. Free. Gallery, 675 Hudson Street, 4th floor. n Saturdays February 16 and 23, March n February 26, 7 pm: Opening Night of Building, 32 Waverly Place. Please see NY- 2 and 9 at 3 pm: New York City Food Carnivval of the Animals Join artist Lisa ACC.ORG for details. Free. n Kids Thursdays at 3:30 pm: Arts and History This course covers the stories of Kaiser in an evening of music and drinks in Crafts the edible goods produced, consumed, and the presence of many animals! St. John’s in Simple craft projects for ages 3 and venerated in homes and restaurants within the Village, West 11th and Waverly Place. up at Jefferson Market Library, 425 Sixth the five boroughs. Jefferson Market Library, Free but registration is essential—go to Avenue n Kids Thursdays 3:45 pm: Owls and 425 Sixth Avenue. Free, but online registra- www.stjvny.org. Otters Storytime A read aloud and craft tion is required. n Mondays February 18 and 25, 7 pm: ONGOING EVENTS program for ages 5 and 6 at Jefferson Mar- n ket Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. Chant Workshop Ideal for choir direc- Kids Mondays, 11 am: Toddler Story n Kids Thursday, 4 pm: Toddler Story- tors, choral scholars, and music students. Time A baby’s introduction to books with time Interactive stories, action songs, finger Previous knowledge of chant notation is not songs, rhymes and playtime, for ages 18-36 plays and more at Hudson Park Library, 66 necessary. A 7pm preliminary session helps months. Jefferson Market Library, 425 Leroy Street. those less experienced in preparation for the Sixth Avenue. n n Games Thursdays, 3 pm: Jigsaw workshop. Free but registration is advised. Kids Mondays at 4 pm: Family Puzzle Night Hudson Park Library, 66 Email [email protected] stating Storytime and Craft Children 4 and up Leroy Street. attendance from either 7pm or 7:30 pm. get to make simple crafts and hear favorite n Kids Fridays, 11 am: Art Time Simple St. John’s in the Village, 11th Street and WHAT A DOLL !! stories at Hudson Park Library, 425 Sixth arts and crafts for babies, toddlers and pre- Waverly Place. Free. Thedra Cullar-Ledford’s art interprets the Avenue. n Kids Tuesdays at 11:15 am: schoolers at Jefferson Market Library, 425 n Monday February 25, 2 pm: Ancestry doll-ness of gallery owner Ivy Brown, giv- Baby Storytime Sixth Avenue. Free. Database Open Lab If you’ve attended ing her doll-like features. Her show will be Books, songs, rhymes, and n Kids Fridays at 3:30 pm: Board an ancestry database lecture and now want on at Ivy Brown Gallery until March 5. playtime for children 0-18 months. Jeffer- Games For ages 4 and up at Jefferson to spend some time searching for your son Market Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. Kids Tuesdays, 3:30 pm: Arts and Market Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. Free. ancestors, this is your chance. Hudson Park MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, Crafts Simple crafts for ages 3 and up. Jef- n Music Fridays 4:30-5:30: Sing Time Library, 66 Leroy Street. Free. EXHIBITS. ferson Market Library, 425 Sixth Avenue. Sessions Eve Zanni, Somatic Voice teach- n Through February 2: Self Portraits n Health and Wellness Wednesdays, er will help you to sing out with live piano COMMUNITY AFFAIRS A self-portrait exhibition of nine artists 10 am: Movement Speaks Celebrating accompaniment, rhythmic body movement n Wednesday February 13, 6:30-8:30 working in different media at Westbeth, 55 moving in strong and creative ways with n and more. No Experience Necessary. West- pm: Community Resource Fair Coun- Bethune Street. Dance Dances for a Variable Popula- beth Community Room, 55 Bethune Street. cil Speaker Corey Johnson and Council n Through February 8: Souvenir Sculp- tion. All sessions recommended, but not n Trade-Ins Book Swap Saturdays at Member Helen Rosenthal are hosting a fair ture by Lindsay Pichaske, of animals that required. For adults and seniors of all ages 11 am, Hudson Park Library, 66 Leroy where you’ll receieve information on what blur the line between the real and the fan- and abilities.Tony Dapolito Recreation Street. services and resources are available to City tastic, the animal and the human. Made out Center,1 Clarkson Street. residents. Free blood pressure and vision of clay and covered with surprising materials n Kids Wednesdays, 11:15 am: •••••••••••••••• testa as well as free flu shots for all. John Jay like string, sticks, nails, sequins or feath- Toddler Storytime Interactive stories, ac- Please contact College, First Floor Commons, 524 West ers. Jane Hartsook Gallery, 16 Jones Street. tion songs, finger plays and more at Hudson Stephanie Phelan at 59th Street. Free. n Through February 14: The Moon, the Park Library, 66 Leroy Street. [email protected] if you n Wednesday February 27, 7:30 pm: 6th Earth and Us Childrens’ book artist and n Crafts Wednesdays, 12 pm: have any new events or Precinct Community Council Meeting A author Oliver Jeffers’ installation is inspired by Knitting Circle All created items will have further information on some- dialogue between the 6th Precinct and the the first photo of our planet in its entiretytaken benefit a local charity—some experience community, discussing serious issues facing 50 years ago during the Apollo 8 mission, necessary. Hudson Park Library. 66 Leroy thing I’ve listed here or on westvil- the neighborhood. Our Lady of Pompeii, which showed the earth in its entirety, without Street. lageword.com. Father Demo Hal, Bleecker and Carmine the manmade borders seen on maps. The n Kids Wednesdays 3:30 pm: Preschool Streets. All are welcome. Storyime High Line between 15th and 16th Streets. Stories, songs and crafts for chil- •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••• Modernism lives in Tribeca.

A collaboration of design visionaries. KPF. David Rockwell. David Mann. Edmund Hollander.