March GLADNESS! FILMING on City ISLAND: NICE Or NOT?
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Second Class Permit Paid at Bronx, N.Y. USPS 114-590 Volume 38 Number 3 April 2009 One Dollar Clam Digger Attempts to FILMING ON CITY ISLAND: Survive ‘Alaska Experiment’ NICE OR NOT? By KAREN NANI By BARBARA DOLENSEK Photos by KAREN NANI and courtesy of DISCOV- ERY CHANNEL City Island became a film set on Monday and Tuesday, March 9 and 10, 2009, for the John Ulmer Jr. participated in a Discov- final episode of the television program “Life on Mars.” For two days, no parking was ery Channel adventure called “Out of allowed from Ditmars to Centre Street, and streets were blocked, including Bridge the Wild: The Alaska Experiment.” The Street on Monday and City Island Avenue on Tuesday. ABC-TV would not allow the first episode of the eight-week survival stars to be filmed or interviewed, but Jason O’Mara, the show’s star, was kind enough show is scheduled to air on April 14 at 9 to have his photograph taken with resident Emily Leni. p.m. on the Discovery Channel. Shown above are (back row, right) John and the City Island has been a popular location visited City Island on Friday morning and had other participants, and back home with for making movies for nearly a century (foot- signs removed from Centre to Horton. his parents, Linda and John, and sisters, age for the oldest existing feature film, “Rich- It was not until Friday afternoon that Com- John Ulmer Jr., who was raised on Ear- Kristin and Debra (left photo). ard III,” was made here in 1912 by Harry Car- munity Board 10 was informed of the shoot, ley Street, enjoys watching shows about the ey), and television programs from “Car 54, which was within the 48-hour period required rugged outdoors and surviving in the wild. Where Are You?” to “Law and Order” have by the permit. However, in spite of the fact that Their occupations and experiences var- been routine for decades. But the most recent Kenneth Kearns, district manager of the board, So last September, he answered a call for ied greatly, including a police officer from shoot, for the television series “Life on Mars,” quickly e-mailed the Civic Association and the applications to participate in a new Discov- New Jersey, a personal trainer from Califor- caused unusual frustration for Island residents Chamber, the entire community could not be ery Channel show called “Out of the Wild: nia, a customer service rep from Illinois, a and businesses when much of City Island Av- informed except by e-mail before the event. The Alaska Experiment.” landlord from Kentucky and a horse trainer enue was taken over for two days, on March 9 Although the parking signs were in place John was one of thousands of appli- from Maryland. John is the Assistant Direc- and 10, 2009. Sunday night along City Island Avenue indi- cants, but the producers liked what they saw tor of Housing for Rockefeller University in The director of “Life of Mars” decided cating that there could be no parking all day in his video introduction and his City Island Manhattan. that for the final episode (the series was re- Monday, filming activity actually took place experiences, including Boy Scouts, camp- cently canceled) he wanted to clear City Is- on Bridge Street, which was closed to traffic So why did an administrator like John, for much of the day. ing and fishing. So they flew him to Los land Avenue of all cars so that he could make who manages five residential buildings on it look like 1973, an important feature of the Because of the disruption caused by the Angeles in July 2008 for an audition, and the East Side for faculty and researchers, show. He also planned to stop traffic altogeth- filming, Ken Kearns of Community Board 10 in September he was selected as one of 11 think he can survive in the wild? “I stay in er during the filming of a 360-degree view of and Barbara Dolensek of the Civic Association participants to try to survive in the Alaskan shape by running, hiking and rock climbing. the Avenue at some point on Tuesday. called for a meeting with the Office of Film on wilderness. I’ve also completed some small triathlons,” Signs were put up on Thursday, March 5, Tuesday, March 24. They learned that because The first episode of the eight-week show he explained. from Ditmars to Horton Street calling for no film companies often do not submit permit re- is scheduled to air on April 14 at 9 p.m. on John needed all his strength and training parking along City Island Avenue from 7 a.m. quests until the last minute, the office has little the Discovery Channel (cable channel 27, to 9 p.m. on the following Monday and Tues- time to inform community boards of their pre- for the adventure, described by the produc- cise plans. The city requires that notices about but check your provider’s listing for chan- day, and many Islanders were upset enough to ers as follows: “nine amateur hikers, camp- call both the location manager for the show no parking be put in place at least 24 hours nel and times). John agreed to an interview ers and outdoor enthusiasts are flown into and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and before shooting is schedule. with The Current and provided a preview of the rugged Alaska interior, given part of a Broadcasting to complain. As a result of these Deputy Commissioner Battista noted that the show’s first episode. map and some basic tools and told to hike to calls, Deputy Commissioner John Battista Continued on page 12 The show is uniquely different from civilization—ideally before harsh and poten- other survivor shows in that no one is vot- tially deadly winter weather sets in.” ed off, nor is there a winner. According to They started out from Lake Tsusena, MARCH GLADNESS! the show’s press release: “The participants 100 miles from the nearest town, with a map signed on, not for a million-dollar prize and a large pile of gear. They were literally (there isn’t one), but simply for the chance stripped of all their own possessions, includ- of a lifetime to challenge themselves in ing cell phones, camera, money, food, toilet- tough yet breathtakingly beautiful terrain.” ries, clothes, lighters and so on, and each one “I never regretted my decision to join was given weatherproof clothing, boots and the experiment,” John told The Current, de- a backpack. They were allowed to keep one spite the fact that for six weeks he was cold, personal keepsake, so John carried a photo of wet, tired and hungry. He was so hungry, in his nieces and nephews, Emma, John, Luke, fact, that he lost 45 pounds during his at- Allison and Cameron. (John is single but has tempt at the 60-mile journey, to the shock three sisters, Debra, Kristin and Karen). of his parents, Islanders Linda and John Ul- First, they had to decide which gear from mer. the original pile to take and how to pack it The group experiment began with a into individual backpacks. Then the journey flight to Anchorage, Alaska, for John and began with a five-mile hike to the first shelter 10 other candidates from around the United on the map and the first night in the wilder- States. The group took a three-day survival ness. The “shelter” was an open air lean-to training course called “Learn to Return” that had to be covered to protect them from given by former U.S. Army Rangers and Photo by CONCEPTION PHOTOGRAPHY the elements. The first morning, they awoke It was an exciting season for the St. Mary, Star of the Sea 2008–2009 basketball pro- Coast Guard members. The course included to a 32-degree rainy day. gram, especially for the Girls Varsity Team, who were the Bronx-Manhattan A Divi- navigation training and other tests so severe For the next six weeks, the group was sion champions. The girls were only the second team in the organization’s history to that at the end of the three days, two people followed by a camera crew, who filmed them compete in the City championship round. Shown above are the champs and their very were eliminated, leaving a group of nine for but did not provide any assistance or support proud coaches (top row, l. to r.): Coach Carlo Volpe, Vittoria Volpe, Jennifer Branley, the actual experiment—five men and four in their efforts to survive (the crew actually Paige O’Donnell, Kylie Negron, Victoria Strazzera and coach Frank Strazzera; bottom women. row: Birla Storm Gonzalez, Nicole Dammacco, Gabrielle Vitiello, Brianna Saunders Continued on page 7 and Amber Tudor. For more St. Mary’s basketball results, see article on page 5. Page Two The Island Current April 2009 vestigating an assault by four unknown males BRIEFLY... 45 BLOTTER who attacked another off-Island male and caused visible swelling. BARTOW-PELL ANNUAL SPRING EGG HUNT: Saturday, April 4, Complaints reported from City Island to the 3/7 – Police arrested a suspect at 421 Min- is one day when it is okay to put all your eggs in one basket. From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., let your 45th Precinct during February and March neford Avenue as the result of a fight inside the children discover the joy of a spring egg hunt in the elegant formal garden at the Bartow-Pell 2009.