DOWNTOWN EXPRESS 12-8-10

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BY ALINE REYNOLDSTo say some Downtown educators,

parents and elected ofcials are unhap-py about Cathy Black being appointedthe Department of Education’s newchancellor is an understatement. Theymade their opinion loud and clear on

the steps of Tweed Courthouse lastThursday, arguing that Black has nei-ther the qualications nor the experi-ence the job requires. And some aretaking their argument all the way to thestate supreme court.

Parent and teacher groups in Lower

Manhattan and around the city arenow preparing to le lawsuits againstthe state for what they consider to be afaulty hiring process.

Members of the Deny the Waiver

Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron led the anti-Black rally on the steps of Tweed Courthouse last Thursday

BY ALINE REYNOLDSThose who thought the

myriad protests againstImam Feisal Abdul Rauf’splan to build an Islamiccommunity center blocksfrom Ground Zero wouldcreate a movement of oppo-sition, instead sparked

another kind of movementaltogether.The result of the media

frenzy surrounding the proj-ect has lead to a new web-site, cordobamovement.org,which just launched yester-day. It will include an onlineforum in which membersof the public can engage indialogue about the CordobaHouse at Park51 as well aslearn about the program-ming that will be offered.

More importantly, thecontroversy that began herein the Lower Manhattanproved to be a springboardfor a larger initiative, onethat includes the possibilityof similar community cen-ters popping up all over theworld.

The Imam, who has per-formed services at a mosqueon West Broadway for

the last 25 years, said themovement is an outgrowthof an abstract vision dat-ing back to the 1990s. Themovement’s objective, Rauf explained, is to reclaim thediscourse from extremistsand radicals that capturedthe media’s attention over

the summer, creating whathe calls a “downward spi-ral.”

Yet the stark oppositionthat Cordoba at Park51incurred from Pamela Gellerand others, Rauf said, ironi-cally gave the proposedcommunity center globalrecognition that it wouldn’thave otherwise received.

While on a trip to theMiddle East over the sum-mer, the Imam was surprised

when he was approached byofcials in Turkey, Slovenia,Indonesia, and other MiddleEastern countries. The ensu-ing conversations ultimatelyswayed the Imam to beginthinking more broadly, bothideologically and geographi-cally.

The goal of opening thesecenters, he added, wouldbe to strengthen moderate

Summer’s protests

positive for Cordobaand Imam

Waiver for Black promptsprotests and lawsuits

Continued on page 17 Continued on page 19

do w nto w n express ®

VOLUME 23, NUMBER 30 THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2010

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December 8 - 14, 20102 downtown express

Nadler says country in troubleBY TERESE LOEB KREUZER

There was little good news and no optimism inCongressman Jerrold Nadler’s talk to the Downtown-Lower

Manhattan Association on December 6. Nadler, a Democratrepresenting New York’s 8 th Congressional District, hasserved in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1992 andwas just elected to his 10 th term.

“I think the country’s in a lot of trouble,” he said,“and I think things are going to get worse.” He calledthe recent election “a catastrophe, not only to theDemocratic Party, which is obvious, but I think for anyhope of economic recovery or any cooperation in govern-ment.”

He said he could only think of two eras in Americanhistory when the two parties were as ideologically farapart as they are today — the decade of the 1790s, whenthe party system was first taking shape. “It’s difficult to

see too much cooperation,” Nadler said, “because theyreally have views that are diametrically opposite.”Nadler said there was a possibility that the lame duck

session of Congress might still pass the “Don’t Ask, Don’tTell” bill, which would free gays from the current subter-fuges necessary if they serve in the military. He also saidthere is a possibility that the James Zadroga 9/11 Healthand Compensation Act would pass the Senate.

The Zadroga bill recently passed the House of Representativeswith almost no Republican support. “In the Senate, they needone more Republican,” Nadler said. “They’re working very hardto get it, and I think they’ll get it.”

The gravest is sue facing this country, according to Nadler,is the economy. “It is, in my view, not a recession,” he said.

“It’s a depression. A recession is when you have a cyclicaldownturn in the business cycle. A depression is caused bymajor failures of institutions.

Nadler continued, “We had a major crisis on Wall Street

that burst the housing bubble… It wiped out about eight-and-a-half trillion dollars in wealth in the country, plus itthrew a few million people out of work. So that leads to a

consumption crisis. A consumption crisis is when there isn’t

enough aggregate demand — when there isn’t enough abilityand want to buy things — to consume the products that weproduce.”

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Congressman Jerrold Nadler speaking at the Downtown –Lower Manhattan Association breakfast on Monday.



downtown express December 8 - 14, 2010 3

NEW LUXURY HOTEL OPENING DOWNTOWNA new Four Seasons hotel is scheduled to open Downtown

in the coming years.Real estate developer Larry Silverstein announced recently

he is condent that plans for a hotel and condominium com-plex will be funded, and that he expects to break ground at99 Church Street in 2012. The 80-story complex will contain175 hotel rooms on the rst 22 oors and 143 luxury con-dos above, some of which may stretch to 6,500 square feet.Renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern designed the plans.

The Four Seasons would be Downtown’s rst ve-starhotel, according to Silverstein’s web site. Elizabeth Berger,

president of the Downtown Alliance, said in a statement,“Larry’s on-going development of the World Trade Centersite and his exciting new Four Seasons project are reasonswhy Lower Manhattan’s dynamic live [and] work communityis a global model for urban centers of the 21st century.”

PARK51 OPPONENTS HAVE IT OUT ONLINEFacebook has become the new digital forum for Park51

opponents to voice their concerns about the project. Last week,Crain’s New York reported on a page called “Boycott companieswho support Ground Zero Mosque.”

“WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS! Ground Zero issacred ground and always will be,” reads the Facebook pagedescription, which also lists potential boycott targets for

those opposed to the construction of the community center.Crain’s New York Business interviewed construction fore-man Andy Sullivan, the founder of the page, who is asking

other construction workers to pledge not to help build themosque at the proposed site.

As of press time, the page had 329 members, whilePark51’s Facebook page had 5,709 members. The page reads,“As Americans, New Yorkers and people of faith, we - themen and women behind the controversial project some havedeemed the “Ground Zero mosque” - deeply appreciate andendorse the mayor’s principled defense of American rights andfreedoms. We know, however, that many New Yorkers andother Americans still have real questions and concerns aboutour project, and we hope to address them.”

DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATIONS HONOREDTwo Downtown organizations have won the prestigious

Union Square Award along with much-needed funds to con-tinue their work. Chinatown’s Hester Street Collaborative, anon-prot organization that improves neglected public spacesin under-served N.Y.C. neighborhoods, received $35,000 forits efforts. And the New York Community Media Alliance, anethnic media advocacy group, will receive $50,000.

The Union Square awards were created in 1998 to rec-ognize and encourage New York City community initiatives.According to the organization’s web site, “The Union SquareAward is a signier of exceptional work and demonstratedcommitment.” Eleven other citywide groups were recognizedin 2010, in addition to the two Downtown groups, totaling

$545,000 in awards.Award recipients will be recognized at a ceremony atRiverside Church.

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NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9, 12-21

EDITORIAL PAGES . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-27

CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

C.B. 1M E E T I N G S

The upcoming week’s schedule of Community

Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless other-wise noted, all committee meetings are held at theboard ofce, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room709 at 6 p.m.

ON WED., DEC 8: C.B. 1’s Tribeca Transportationand Parking Subcommittee will meet at IndependencePlaza Community Room, 310 Greenwich Street at5:00 p.m.

ON WED., DEC 8: C.B. 1’s Tribeca Committeewill meet at Independence Plaza Community Room,310 Greenwich Street at 5:30 p.m.

ON THURS, DEC 9: C.B. 1’s Landmarks CommitteeMeeting will meet.




Sentence in WTC theft

Emmanuel Reyes, who pleaded guilty in Septemberto stealing a total of $12,700 from the cash register of the Tribute World Trade Center Visitor Center while heworked at the Center, was sentenced last week to sixmonths in jail followed by ve years probation. Reyes wasalso sentenced to repaying all the money to the TributeCenter, a not-for-prot living memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11 attack. Visitors’ donations are intended forstudent education, volunteer programs and the historicalpreservation of the Tribute Center.

Fulton St. muggers

A man bought a six-pack of beer at a convenience storeon the northeast corner of Broadway and Fulton St. around11 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 2 when three men approached him onthe sidewalk. “Can I have a beer,” asked one of them and thethree punched him, knocked him to the pavement and stole$20 and his iPhone and ed, police said. One of the rob-bers let his cell phone fall during the attack and the victimmanaged to tuck it under his body while he was lying on thepavement, police said.

Sullivan St. hold-up

A man who walked out of the Blue Ribbon Bar at 97Sullivan St., at Spring St. around 12:45 a.m. Sat., Dec.4 felt someone grab his jacket and turned to nd a manashing a handgun and saying, “I’m hungry. Give me yourmoney,” police said. The victim handed over about $80 andthe robber ed along with an accomplice who was actingas a look-out.

Subway sleeper

A Queens man who fell asleep on an E Train during the earlyhours of Sat. Dec. 4 woke up at Canal St. at 3:30 a.m. and dis-covered his left front pants pocket slashed and his wallet missing,police said. He lost his credit cards, New York driver’s license andhis Dominican Republic private aviation license.

Left his laptop

A Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. man went to Tauro, 284 HudsonSt. in Hudson Sq. for lunch shortly after noon Fri., Nov. 19and left with a friend in deep conversation. He remembered

a short time later that he had left his laptop computer and acamera in his backpack under his chair and returned to therestaurant at 1:30 p.m. but the backpack was gone.

Lost in the crowd

A woman visiting from Argentina told police she wasbumped and pushed as she got out of a crowded subway atPrince St. around 2:40 p.m. Sun., Dec. 5. She discoveredthat a pocket of her handbag was open and her wallet withcredit cards and $30 in cash had been stolen.

Car break-in

A woman parked her car in front of the FEGS Health andHuman Services agency at 80 Vandam St. between Hudson andGreenwich Sts. shortly after 11 a.m. Sun., Nov. 28 and wentup to her ofce there for two minutes. When she returned shediscovered that her backpack with some costume jewelry, herwallet and two checks totaling $1,210 was gone.

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Ten years old and changing the worldALINE REYNOLDS

Last week, ten-year-old Battery Park Cityresident Tyler Rose and his family had pizza

for dinner. When they nished up around 8p.m., Tyler had some free time to kill.Rather than watch T.V. or play a video

game, Tyler grabbed some colored markersand sketched a diagram of a solar-paneledstreet light on the back of the pizza box.

Tyler began brainstorming about theinteraction between natural and articialenergy sources two years ago, after poweringan alternative energy car with a ashlight.

“I saw it run on articial light andI thought, ‘how could light power itself through articial light?’” he said.

A fth grader at the Independence School

(P.S. 234), Tyler started drawing illustrationsof alternative-energy street lights in art classlast spring. A few weeks later, he contactedJason Miller, a family friend and hardwareengineer, for advice. Miller, having neverbefore heard of the concept, was intriguedby the prospect that light energy could berecycled.

“It seems to me this is a really good idea,that you could have a street light that wouldbe powered not only by the sun, but actuallybring some of the power it uses to light thestreet and re-circulate it back into the light,”said Miller.

The system, he explained, would includesolar panels and would eliminate the need

for external sources of electricity.The two then began corresponding via

e-mail once every few weeks to discuss thelogistics of the project.

“We had a 20-minute conference call inSeptember, the day before the rst day of

school,” Tyler recalled.His friend and “colleague”, fth grader

Louis Guillemain, sat in on the phone con-versation. The team settled on using light-

emitting diode lights rather than uorescentor sodium vapor lights for the future model

of their design.“He was kind of using me as a sanity

check as he was proceeding,” said Miller.

Tyler’s precociousness, he added, aston-ishes him. While their classmates play outdoors dur-

ing recess, Tyler and Louis toil away at theproject on a nearby bench, drawing diagramafter diagram. The youths are about to begincrafting a model of the design using copperpipes and wood.

“I sort of thought it would be, oh, just apassing thought,” said Miller. “What blewme away is, he never gave up.”

Tyler said he is determined to see theproject to completion – both to aid theenvironment and prove wrong his friends

who say it can’t work. His goal is to converta street light and to “actually see it workingon the street.”

Tyler spouted words like “transistors” and“integrated circuits” as he navigated his moth-er’s iPad during recess last Thursday, showingoff some digital designs of his invention.

And until they copyright their design, theduo is cautious about merely talking aboutthe project with others.

“Anyone we tell, we’re worried they maycopy it… we just want to be careful with theidea,” said Tyler.

He said his sole source of inspiration for

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Downtown Express photo Aline Reynolds

Tyler Rose (right), a fth grader at P.S. 234, discusses his pizza box diagram of asolar panel powered streetlight that recycles energy.




On a mission to make room for everyoneBY HELAINA N. HOVITZ

On September 11th, 2001, homelessmen taking refuge at the NYC RescueMission became first responders, hand-ing out food and other supplies to hun-dreds of dust-covered workers streaminguptown. They lead throngs of men andwomen in tailored suits to shelter andgave them food, and even a hot shower.

Nine years later, the mission, located at90 Lafayette Street, is calling on the com-munity for help, as its need for additionalspace grows more pressing by the day.

The mission began planning a majorexpansion project in 1999, but in 2001had to put it on the back burner. Thenin 2008 they received a gift of six mil-

lion dollars from an estate. A year later,John Heuss House at 42 Beaver Streetclosed its doors for good, and the NYCRescue Mission saw a 20 percent increasein people looking for food, clothing, andshelter. That number increased another 10percent this year. Currently the shelter isforced to refer at least 20 people to othershelters every night; it expects to have toturn even more men away once wintersets in and the temperatures drop.

Tom Hall, director of operations, saidthe mission is about halfway to reachingtheir goal of $11 million, the projected

construction cost of adding three floorsand 180 beds, expanding the capacity of

the chapel, and acquiring 75 emergencysleep mats.

The mission also wants to launch apilot program for women that wouldmean adding roughly a dozen emergencybeds.

The mission is not applying for federalfunding due to the stipulations and con-straints placed on religious-nonprofits,guidelines that would limit the mission’sability to provide services. Accordingto Executive Director Jim VarnHagen,because they teach a Christian doctrine,they must seek private funds rather thanpublic ones.

“Many funds don’t allow you to con-duct religious services, even though orga-

nizations that hold religious services arestatistically proven to be the most effec-tive,” said VarnHagen.

The campaign is currently relying onindividual gifts to raise the rest of thefunds needed.

Hall said the city once encouragedhomeless New Yorkers to visit drop-incenters during the day and refer peopleto churches and shelters at night. Now, hesaid the city’s focus has moved from drop-in centers to a housing-first philosophywhere service providers would be chargedwith finding permanent housing for their

clients.“The city has cut their budget and

changed its strategy,” said Hall. “Thisputs an enormous amount of pressure on

us now. We need to increase in size.”The mission’s staff tries its best to pre-vent lines from forming outside by keep-ing their chapel open to the public untilthe mission doors open at 3 p.m.

“We try to be good neighbors,” saidJoe Little, community relations manager.“Nobody wants a long line of homelesspeople outside, especially with the NYUdorms around the corner.”

The mission serves an average of fourhundred people each day, and unlike mostmen’s recovery missions, it doubles as adrop-in center for women and children.

Anybody can eat, obtain clothes, or takea shower at the mission, but the beds arereserved for men only. Twenty-five bedsare reserved for the men in the mission’stwelve-step recovery program, whichincludes educational and vocational class-es as well as spiritual counseling.

Men who are willing to make a one-

year commitment to the program areassisted in their job search when they

graduate, and given the skills they need tostart and maintain a new life.If the mission can raise enough money

to follow through with its expansionplan, it will be able to give more menthe opportunity to get their lives back ontrack and become self-sufficient. Lastyear, fifteen men graduated from theprogram, up from an average of ten inprevious years.

“We used to have to reach out to getenough people in the program,” explainedVarnHagen. “Now there’s a waiting listfor men who want to join, and new candi-

dates every day.”Everyone from school teacher to stockbroker appear on that list, men who’veslept in cars and storage closets sincetheir companies went broke.

“Nobody has chosen to become home-less,” said VarnHagen. “But everyone isworthy of being rescued.”

Assemblyman Shelly SilverI you need assistance, please contact my ofce at(212) 312-1420 or email [email protected].

Fighting to makeLower Manhattanthe greatest placeto live, work, andraise a amily.

Downtown Express photo by Helaina N. Hovitz

NYC Rescue Mission Executive Director Jim VarnHagen (above) is trying to raisefunds to provide beds for women in addition to men.




Holidays providelesson on givingBY ALINE REYNOLDS

It’s that time of year again, whenschools all around Lower Manhattan areholding gift drives, coin drives and otherprograms aimed at ensuring everyone hasa holiday to remember. From shopping fortoys to dropping change in buckets, thestudents are spending their free time help-ing out children and teens less fortunatethan they are.

Geoff Chang, assistant principal of the Lower Manhattan Community MiddleSchool, pointed out that the w ord “commu-nity” is in his school’s name. “Communityservice is something we think is impor-tant,” said Chang.

The students, he said, learn aboutaltruism during morning meeting, a coreclass that begins the school day. ButChang saw the need for a coin drive to gettheir kids more actively involved in theschool’s toy drive.

The grade that collects the most pen-nies is declared the winner of the coindrive. “Right now it looks to be kind of even,” said the school’s parent coordina-tor, Maria Ouranitsas, while eyeing the

load of all three jars that were perched to

DOWNTOWN DIALOGUUSE THIS CODE FOR A GREAT HOLIDAY

BY LIZ BERGER

If you’re like me, you’re always savingthose little scraps of paper you ripped out of amagazine or catalog or brochure—remindersof the restaurant you want to try, the gift youhope to buy or the event you mean to attend.The trouble is, you can never find the rightscrap at the right time, and the problem growsexponentially during the holidays.

Well, the Downtown Alliance has a solution.We are the f i r s t Bus iness ImprovementDistrict in the city to use Scanbuy 2D barco de

technology to guide Lower Manhat tan’sshoppers, diners, workers, residents andvisitors through the holiday season.

What’s a 2D barcode? It’s a data storagedevice that looks like a cross between anempty crossword puzzle and a Space Invader which links our shopping, dining and holidayguides to your smart-phone browser with aclick of your phone’s camera. It’s technologymade easy, placing all you need to know aboutwhat’s happening this holiday season in Lower Manhattan at your fingertips. Never tried it?Follow the directions in the illustration, or dowhat I do: Ask your kids. (To find our holidayinformation on your computer, go to http://www.downtownny.com/holiday.)

Want to know where in Lower ManhattanSanta is presiding this holiday season? (Inthe Winter Garden of the World FinancialCenter.) Hear Handel’s Messiah at TrinityChurch? Find out when the Museum of Jewish Heritage is celebratin g Hanukah? 2Dbarcodes give you times and dates and other salie nt information.

Looking for a warm and cozy restaurant? Agreat toy store? The perfect patisserie? A top-of-the-line car or motorcycle? We’ll serve asyour guide to more than 1,000 retailers andrestaurateurs—all within walking distance.Whether you’re a resident, worker or visitor,Downtown has something special for everypocketbook.

But of course, holiday shopping still takestime, a precious commodity for most of us.So the Downtown Alliance has mapped out aseries of convenient lunchtime excursions for the time-challenged shopper:

Wall Street Luxury:Tiffany & Co. at 37Wall Street, Thomas Pink at 63 Wall S treet,Tumi at 67 Wall Street, La Maison du Chocolatat 63 Wall Street, BMW at 67 Wall Street, andHermes at 15 Broad Street.

Extraordinary Value:J&R Music World at23 Park Row, Century 21 Departm ent Store at

22 Cortlandt Street, Borders at 100 Broadway,The Bag Shoppe at 63 Nassau Street, andMen’s Wearhouse at 115 Broadway.

By-the-Bull:Centered around BowlingGreen Park . Nine West a t 2 Broadway,Daffy’s at 50 Broadway, Christopher NormanChocolates at 60 New Street, and CaliforniaWine Merchants at 15 Bridge Street.

Fabulous Front Street: Centered aroundhistoric Front Street and the South StreetSeaport. J. Crew at 203 Front Street, Coach at193 Front Street, Provisions at 150 BeekmanStreet, Toys “R” Us at Fulton and South streets,and Abercrombie & Fitch at 199 Water Street.

O n e - S t o p S h o p p i n g : C e n t u r y 2 1Department Store at 22 Cortlandt Street,Fine Leather Collection at 99 Nassau Street,Modell’s Sporting Goods at 150 Broadway,Sephora at 150 Broadway, and DowntownCellars (formerly the Greene Grape) at 55Liberty Street.

Northern Exposure: Shops reachableo n t h e n e w n o r t h e r n e x t e n s i o n o f t h eDowntown Alliance’s free bus service, theDowntown Connection. Babesta Cribz at 66West Broadway, Mysterious Bookshop at 58Warren Street, Korin at 57 Warren Street,

Barnes & Noble at 97 Warren Street, BedBath & Beyond and Whole Foods, both at 270Greenwich Street.

I’m going to try all six. See you at the giftwrap table!

— L i z B e rg e r i s P r e s i d e n t o f t h eDowntown Alliance

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Continued on page 20Sixth grader Ethan Reese has a gameplan to win his grade the coin drive com-petition

BY ALINE REYNOLDS

The Chinatown Working Group is twosteps closer to its goal of meeting with city-wide agencies to implement its infrastruc-ture plans for the community.

Four of the C.W.G.’s six preliminaryaction plans addressing youth and educa-tion, parks and open space, transportationand safety, and immigration and social ser-vices have now been approved.

Chinatown Working Group Co-chairsGigi Li and Mae Lee presented the latter twoplans to Community Board 1’s Planning andCommunity Infrastructure committee lastThursday. After hearing the proposals, the

board voted unanimously in favor of bothplans. The resolutions deemed C.W.G.’s twoplans as “part of a precise, comprehensive,meaningful timely and broadly supportedcommunity-based plan to improve the great-er Chinatown community.” They will be pre-sented to the full board on December 16.

Once all six plans are adopted, theC.W.G. will reach out to the Departmentof Transportation and other city agencies todiscuss the logistics of the various projects.The organization will then present its entireplan to City Planning next spring, once itgains the community board’s approval.

“The beauty of [the plans] is they encom-

pass what the community feels it should beaddressing,” said Michael Levine, directorof land use and planning for C.B. 1. “It canencompass any area we feel needs to beaddressed.”

Sub-groups within the C.W.G. didresearch to come up with more job train-ing, police enforcement, affordable housing,health care and domestic abuse preventionprograms for the neighborhood.

The group’s transportation proposalincludes a redesign of Chatham Square, anintersection that is deemed by many as dan-gerous to walkers and bikers alike.

“It’s just a very complicated intersection,”said Li. “We’re suggesting… a redesign thatlooks at pedestrian safety and cyclist safety,especially now with a lot of the trafc chang-es that are going on along the Bowery.”

The C.W.G. is also hoping to increasepublic transportation for Chinatown resi-dents. “We’re discussing the possibility of there being some sort of trafc hub or drop-off and pick-up center,” said Li.

She and her colleagues plan to researchthe idea further and then propose it to the

C.B.1 gives thumbs up to the C.W.G.





A go-to chef shareshis successBY ROWANN GILMAN

If you’re looking for information aboutthe food business in New York City,Bernard Ros is your go-to guy. But if it’sgood food, easy-going neighborhood-yfeeling and recession-proof prices you’reafter, his restaurant, Meli-Melo, is theplace to be.

Meli-Melo roughly translates as“mélange,” in this case, a mix of Frenchand Italian cuisines that combines thebest of both, with a few flourishes tuckedin. The restaurant’s hand-painted wallmural said it all: maps of France, Italy,China, and England accompanied by por-traits of native fish swimming in the sur-rounding ‘seas.’

Ros arrived in the U.S. a little morethan 40 years ago to see the 1967 World’sFair, and decided to stay. Immediately, hisinnovative cooking style caught on and hewas able to start the first of five restau-rants that he has, at one time or another,created all over town. East side, west side,upper west down to Tribeca and now theMadison Park area, Ros has gentrified hischosen neighborhoods with his unclut-tered, flavor-centric menus.

As executive chef and exclusive pastrychef, Ros is a believer in letting the tasteof the main ingredient shine through,without the interference of heaps andfoams of cover-up flavors. Consideredto be one of the most creative chefs inthe city, he is also known to be amongthe most good-hearted people in a hard-driving business.

At night, Meli-Melo turns into a hir-ing hall for anyone looking for a job,recommendations, referrals, gossip, andindustry news. Out comes the Rolodex;phone calls are made, appointments set.

What’s more, before Ros places a chef,he trains him in his own kitchen, sharinghis recipes, teaching the prospective chef how to prepare them, and offering soundbusiness advice. He will even train thewait-staff. Most executive chefs guardtheir recipes with their lives, but Rosbelieves that no one is in the businessto do a bad job. Well-trained employeescarry that message with them.

“The eyes eat first,” Ros said. In otherwords, food must be appealing to the eyeas well as the palate, and for that reason,he emphasizes plating and presentation.In the old days, when service was per-formed tableside, often in the form of showy flambés and individual carvers,food didn’t have the same appeal on theplate. When composed for presentationin the kitchen, it comes to the table as acomplete visual experience.

“People aren’t interested in elegantdining the way they used to be,” saidRos. “They don’t want to get dressed upfor dinner. The hardships of the economypush change, and you must adapt withyour pocket, not your palate,” he added.

“You’ll notice that the places opening noware burger restaurants and tacquerias thatoffer low-cost, casual, homey food. Beforethe recession, restaurants in need of apick-me-up might count on changing thechef, moving to a new location, or check-ing out what the competition is up to.

“These days, you have to be more flex-ible—develop new, less-expensive menus,offer comfort foods. We serve a $22 three-course lunch and a $24 complete dinner,and our menu lists six or seven appetiz-ers and entrées that include wild-caughtsalmon, hanger steak, cod, strip steaks,and half-a-dozen pasta dishes,” as well asother familiar and comfortable foods forwhich his customers make repeat visits.There is always a Special of the Day anda Vegetarian option.

Part of the way Ros keeps his costsdown is by visiting the Hunt’s PointMarket every day to stock up on his pre-ferred ingredients, rather than order themfrom an industry service. As a result of Ros’s’ savvy, the 40-plus years he’s beenin business, he’s accumulated customerswho are now like family. “The idea is tobe able to feel that anyone can walk inand find something they’d like to eat,”he said.

How does Ros, who is 65, stay asebullient and active as anyone in therestaurant business has to be? “You haveto eat your cake and enjoy it,” he saidmetaphorically. Ros feels that it’s all inyour head: “It is very stressful to have arestaurant and you have to be up on yourgame. Don’t aim to project plans on yourneighborhood. Instead, switch your riflefrom your left hand to your right hand. Beflexible. I’m always waiting for sunshineto walk through the door,” he said, “sogive your local restaurant a chance.”

Meli-Melo is located at 110 Madison Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets.

Photo by Chris Oliver

Chef Bernard Ros in front of Meli-Melo.



December 8 - 14, 20101 0 downtown express

Published by COMMUNITY MEDIA , LLC

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PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERRORThe Publisher shall not be liable for slightchanges or typographical errors that do notlessen the value of an advertisement. Thepublisher’s liability for other errors or omissionsin connection with an advertisement is strictlylimited to publication of the advertisement in anysubsequent issue.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOREDITORIAL Time to sunset the L.M.D.C.

On Friday David Emil announced he would no longerbe able to serve as the president of the Lower ManhattanDevelopment Corporation. He will however remain with thecorporation, in a part time role with the sole responsibility of seeing the demolition of 130 Liberty, the former DeutscheBank building, through to completion.

His departure presents an opportunity to take stock as itpertains to the agency’s future. David personally told us heindeed believed the agency was very close to being able wavethe “mission accomplished” banner, and we wholeheartedlyagree. David’s decision is a signal for the city and the state todevise a plan that would allow the L.M.D.C. to close up shop.Now is the time to begin planning for the future, or in otherwords, to develop a sunset timeline for an agency whoseimpact will go down in history.

The rebuilding of Lower Manhattan after the attacks of September 11 th would have been much more dif cult withoutthe focus, guidance, leadership of the L.M.D.C., particularlyin its earliest phases. Their task was nearly impossible tocomprehend when then Governor George Pataki and NYCMayor Rudolph Giuliani conceived of the city/state agencyshortly after 9/11. The L.M.D.C. was invested with nearly $3billion of federal money to aid Manhattan south of 14th St.,thus tying much of Lower Manhattan’s successful recovery tothe success of the agency.

Today, the L.M.D.C.’s mission is almost complete, minusthe allocation of a small portion of the original funds and thedemolition of a single building. We do not believe DavidEmil should be replaced. We believe there is no longer aneed for the position. Once the remaining funds are allocated,most importantly the $17 million slated for the cultural andcommunity enhancement grant program, the L.M.D.C. andits board should dissolve.

We are grateful to the board members who served on avolunteer basis, who put in countless hours to make sure thecommunity’s needs were met and who kept a watchful eyeover the nearly $3 billion allocated by the federal govern-ment. Their service to the Lower Manhattan community, thecity, and the nation, and the hard work of the L.M.D.C. staff,should be commended.

True, there will still be some funds remaining, moneyallocated but not yet spent, and there are legal and compli-ance issues that must be acknowledged. But those factorsalone are not reason enough to keep the L.M.D.C. staffed atthe present level. Such responsibilities could be absorbed byeither city or state agencies that already exist. A small staff can be retained to implement city and state decisions.

The L.M.D.C. has done an admirable and commendable job navigating the choppy waters of political change bothhere in New York City and in Albany.

What remains of L.M.D.C.’s mission can be accom-plished before the leaves return to trees in Zuccotti Park. Weurge the city and state to be transparent in this winding downprocess, to give the community a thorough accounting of howmuch money is remaining, where it is going, and how it willserve Lower Manhattan. That would only be a tting tributeto the legacy the L.M.D.C. will leave behind.

P UBLISHER & E DITOR

John W. Sutter

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

John Bayles

ARTS EDITOR

Scott Stifer

Wrong on resolution

To the Editor:I would like to respond to the article in

your last issue, “C.B. 1 says park solutionis a doggone shame” (December 1-7, 2010issue).

The headline mischaracterizes the resolu-tion passed by the full board. In fact, theboard modied its original resolution to takeinto account the Parks Department’s posi-tion that off-leash dogs are not allowed onthe lawn in Battery Park. The board simplycalled upon Parks to consider establishing atrial period of off-leash activities in a desig-nated area of the park, without specifyingthat this area should be the lawn.

In response to the request from theDowntown Dog Owners Association, wehave offered to change our policy and cre-ate a temporary dog run where dogs can get

exercise from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily. Since itis neither appropriate nor even feasible toallow dogs on the central lawn, we proposedthat a path be utilized instead.

We would set up the dog run each day,and we hope that the D.D.O.A. would agreeto help maintain it, as dog owner groups doin other parks.

This offer is consistent with the letterand the spirit of the resolution passed byCommunity Board 1, contrary to the tone of your headline and story.

We are trying to meet the needs of thedog owners as well as the general public thatuses and enjoys the park. We hope that theD.D.O.A. will accept our proposal and givethis dog run a chance to work during thetrial period that it suggested.

William CastroManhattan Borough Commissioner City of New York Parks & Recreation

SEND YOUR

Letter to the EditorNEWS@D OWNTOWNE XPRESS.COM

145 S IXTHAVENUE, NYC, NY 10013

Please include your phone numberfor conrmation purposes only

Photos by Milo Hess

‘If these walls could talk’A new mural, above, by Kenny Scharf, went up on the “grafti wall” at East HoustonSt. and the Bowery last week. The man pictured is an assistant, not Scharf. Thejuxtaposition of a heap of garbage and the Monopoly game’s Rich Uncle Pennybagscharacter, below, at Cleveland Place in Nolita could certainly be viewed as an ironiccommentary on our current economy.



downtown express December 8 - 14, 2010 1 1

TALKING POINT

True confessions of a Trader Joe’s shopaholicBY MICHELE HERMAN

In the spring of 2006, when my cost-con-scious Manhattan mom cohort learned thatTrader Joe’s — the national chain known forhigh-quality food at rock-bottom prices —would nally establish a Manhattan beach-head, we were primed. One friend plasteredherself against the front window to monitorthe store’s progress like one of those stuffedanimals with suction cups on its paws. Onopening morning, another mom arrived atP.S. 3 with Trader Joe’s malted milk ballsalready in hand. Here, take one, she said,practically pushing them into our mouths,as over the moon as a new dad with a boxof cigars.

I fell hard myself. Among recent life-altering borough improvements, I rankthe arrival of Trader Joe’s right up therewith the new cantilevered segment of theRiverside Park bike path and the parentcoordinators in the public schools — thedeparting chancellor’s one, indisputablygreat contribution to the system.

This is not to say it’s been easy — shop-ping at the mini-Manhattan version of anormal Trader Joe’s can be something of a hero’s journey, complete with the callto adventure, the supreme ordeal of theline, and the triumphant crosstown returnacross 14th St. with the elixir (32 ouncesof maple syrup for the price of 16 at theGreenmarket!) strapped onto my bike.

I know I’ve fallen smack dab into ademographic and I know I’m straight outof the book “Stuff White People Like.”But really — what’s not to applaud about astore full of fresh and affordable good food(but not scary upper-echelon-foodie good,like that new store on Hudson St. that spe-cializes in salt)? What’s wrong with a storewhere, even when the line follows the entireperiphery of the store and spills onto E.14th St., the staff never grows surly? Whowouldn’t want to pay the same amount butget twice as much vanilla extract, holisticdog food, grape tomatoes, Irish breakfasttea, eggs?

I could go on. For quite a while. Thedirt-cheap salsa autentico tastes almostas fresh as my favorite, Tortilla Flat’s; thecitrus shampoo makes my kids smell like agrapefruit orchard; the hummus comes inalmost as many varieties as white paint atJanovic Plaza. The cheap cartons of M.S.G.-free chicken broth. The big ziploc bags of brown sugar that never hardens; the milkthat stays fresh for a week; the bran cereala third the price of All-Bran; the Hanukkahgelt.

Not everyone shares my ardor. Myhusband, for one, isn’t buying. I think he’s

jealous. The more demented I grow aboutTrader Joe’s the more he defends WesternBeef, which he used to spend half histime maligning. He started to notice theTrader Joe’s bills on our shared credit-cardaccount. Of course, I explained. What younever saw was the even greater amountsof cash I used to dispense to other local

merchants — a 20 here to the drug store, a20 there to various health-food stores withtheir various loss leaders, an occasional 10to Gourmet Garage and D’Ag’s.

Actually, I’m lying. It’s what we addictsdo to protect our habit. I do buy moreat Trader Joe’s, all kinds of goodiesI would never consider anywhere else.

Why? Because they’re under one roof andthey’re cheap and good and I have a good

warm feeling because I always run into anold friend or two. So I bring home apple-cured bacon, brickle-like grahams thatmake Nabisco’s seem like particle board,palmiers, candied ginger, sorbet, frozenbake-yourself mini-croissants, brioche,sweet-crunchy-salty trail mix, chocolate.My old life had room for two kinds of nutstaples: walnuts and peanuts. Now I keeptoasted almond slices, shelled pistachiosand mixed nuts so fancy they have nopeanuts at all in the freezer alongside thespare bag of chocolate chips and t he extrapound of butter. And, though we tend toeschew prepackaged dinners, I do sneakthe coconut curry Thai chicken sticks andthe pleasingly slippery pot stickers intoour regular menu rotation.

Anyway, my husband talks out of bothsides of his mouth. I see him there on thesofa when 10 p.m. rolls around. When acommercial comes on NY1, he moseys tothe kitchen. We both know he’s hopingto find a nice puffy bag of thick, ridgedpotato chips, or white cheddar corn puffs,or at the very least some restaurant-styletortilla chips. There’s an unasked ques-tion on his lips, the same hopeful one thekids ask regularly: “Going to Trader Joe’ssoon?” And let’s not kid ourselves — onthe day I make the trek, they love mebetter.

Not all the products (as he is quick topoint out) are first rate. The peanut but-ter is weirdly runny. At the bottom of thecheddar twists there can be an alarmingamount of oil; the cereals are too sweet.But Trader Joe’s keeps prices low andexcitement high by instantly discontinu-ing anything that doesn’t pull its weightin sales to make way for new products.I understand — it’s the same systemI developed at Christmas and birthdaytime when the kids were young: Beforeanything new came in, something old hadto go out.

The policy is adhered to without mercy,

providing a fine lesson in the Buddhistart of nonattachment. Goodbye choco-late-hazelnut spread that was cheaperand slightly more pleasingly filberty thanNutella! Goodbye sun-dried tomato pesto,Parisian twist Danish, pierogis, pack of eight colored candles for $1.50!

In the four years I’ve been braving traf-fic to get to the E. 14th St. Trader Joe’s, Iharbored one dream: a bigger store on the

West Side. Last summer it arrived withno fanfare whatsoever, in half the formerBarnes & Noble space on Sixth Ave. and

W. 21st St. It’s much like a Trader Joe’sin Anywhere But Manhattan, U.S.A.: big,roomy, deep, wi th an enormous panhandlein the back just for the dairy cases.

At the East Village store, by the timeI got to the checkout, the other peopleon line felt like the guys in my platoon.I knew the faces and piercings of all theemployees. Now a funny thing has hap-pened. I zip to the Chelsea store middaymidweek when there’s no line. It’s so bigthat it’s possible not to touch a single c us-tomer. The staff hover on the horizon likefigures in a Brueghel painting. It’s almosttoo easy, and I no longer feel heroic on theride home. It’s also impersonal and a littlesuburban. But I can live with that.

The thing that worries me is the but-ter. The price has gone up from $2.49to $3.29 a pound, and the sticks havesuddenly become short and squat likeEuropean butter. I’m waiting for an e-mailreply to my query, which I know willcome, because Trader Joe’s is the kind of company that sends chummy e-mails. Atleast so far.

There are few things I love more thanTrader Joe’s chewy bocconcini, but one of them is the hope the company gives mefor that elusive third way. Usually, youhave to pay a price to get a bargain. Atthe Burlington Coat Factory on the nextblock, you have to sift through a hundredof last season’s crappy, unloved acrylicremainders. H&M is cheap, but that’sin part because the fabric is so thin andsomeone is no doubt getting exploited.

Five years into its Manhattan run,Trader Joe’s is still occupying the per-fect niche between the little hippie-dippyCalifornia convenience chain it once wasand the mega-corporate, upscale sell-out Ihope it will never become. The companywins and the consumer wins. I have onlyone remaining wish: that it find its wayinto neighborhoods in far more desperateneed than mine for good, fresh food.

I know I’ve fallen smack

dab into a demographic straight out of ‘Stuff WhitePeople Like.’

To Advertise, Please ContactFRANCESCO REGINI

We Know Our Community Like No One Else

We Have Downtown Covered




Dear Transit Sam,My daughter’s driver’s license is coming

up for renewal soon. I understand that anew face photo recognition system is nowin place. My concern, in addition to privacyand identity theft issues, is where is thisinformation going to be sent or stored orhow will the information be used? Do youhave any idea who is doing this for DMV?

John via e-mail, Lower Manhattan

Dear John,Yes I do. DMV has a unit called the

Division of Field Investigation, which iscomprised of sworn law enforcement per-sonnel that operate the technology. Here’show it works:

When applying for a New York driver’slicense or renewing the old one with a newphoto, image (facial) measurements are cap-tured and used to create an algorithm. Thesystem then makes an analysis looking fora specic code match against the 16 mil-lion plus photos stored in a secure databaseas well as a one-to-one search based onan individual’s previous photo. This helpsprevent fraud and identity theft. Since itsinception in February of this year, there havebeen more than 2,000 fraudulent documentcases, including one individual who had fourillegal licenses and was also on the federal“no-y” list.

The DMV does not share your personalinformation, which is also protected by theDrivers’ Privacy Protection Act of 1994

(DPPA). The DPPA only allows the distri-bution of personal information under veryspecic circumstances. While identity theftis more prevalent across the country thanever before, the number of reported cases inNew York State has actually gone down. SoJohn, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Ibelieve the system in place will continue tohelp make identity theft even less prevalent.

Transit Sam

Dear readers,Adding to the gridlock this holiday season

is the 24/7 closure of one lane on northbound West St., just a few blocks south of Canal St.In addition, Canal St. is also in the process of

being resurfaced. The Canal St. approach tothe Holland Tunnel via a right turn on WestSt. has been the more favorable approachsince the Hudson St. entrance was closedabout two and a half months ago. The laneclosure on West St. will last till at least the endof May 2011. This makes Broome St. the bestapproach which is terrible to begin with. So,you can only imagine how bad the others are.

Transit Sam

Have a question about upcoming Gridlock Alert Days, transit problems, parking tickets, or to get my new parking calendar? Send me ane-mail at [email protected] write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite415, New York, NY 10012. Happy holidays!

Transit SamThe Answer man

BY ALBERT AMATEAUThe New York State Assembly voted 93 to

43 shortly after midnight on Monday in favorof a six-month moratorium on hydrofracturegas drilling in the state.

The vote during the last minutes of thelegislative session this year, follows a similarmoratorium passed by the state Senate in thesummer. The resolution needs the signature of Governor Paterson to ban the process knownas fracking until May 15 of next year.

Paterson is expected to sign the morato-rium soon.

“Even with the tremendous revenues itwould bring in, we’re not going to risk publicsafety or water quality,” Paterson said lastweek in an interview on fracking.

Welcomed by city ofcials and environ-mental advocates as an important but stop-gap measure that protects New York City’sDelaware-Catskill watershed from poten-tially toxic chemicals, the moratorium wasdenounced by gas and oil companies as “a jobkiller, an Upstate business killer and potentiallyan industry killer.”

But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver saidon last Tuesday, “I will not let anything stand inthe way of making sure all New Yorkers haveclean, safe water. By preventing hydrofrackingfrom moving ahead without careful study, wehave protected our water supply and servednotice to the industry that the health and safetyof New Yorkers is our top priority.”

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn saidin a joint statement with James Gennaro, chair-person of the City Council’s EnvironmentalCommittee, that the moratorium was animportant step forwarding protecting NewYork City’s drinking water. The Council lastyear called for a ban on fracking in the water-shed area, which supplies 90 percent of thecity’s drinking water, all of this unltered. Theother 10 percent of the city’s drinking waterpasses through a Bronx ltration plant. Thetemporary moratorium goes further and bans

the drilling process throughout the state.Fracking involves horizontal drilling into

the Marcellus shale formation, which lies morethan 5,000 feet beneath New York State’s 27Southern Tier counties near the Pennsylvaniaborder, including the six counties that includeNew York City’s watershed.

The process calls for injecting millions of gallons of water laced with a cocktail of toxicchemicals under high pressure to fracturethe formation, releasing natural gas trappedin the shale.

“It is the rst time any state in the countryhas passed any kind of moratorium on this gasdrilling technique,” Quinn said. “As accounts of contaminated water, soil and air due to hydrau-lic fracturing come in from across the country,New York is in a unique position to show much-needed leadership on this issue,” Quinn said.

But the Independent Oil and GasAssociation of New York on Tuesday called onGovernor Paterson to veto the moratorium,which could halt all fracking for natural gas inthe state, not just in the Marcellus formation.

“It could result in the potential loss of 5,000industry jobs, threaten the future of more than300 businesses and temporarily eliminate $1million in annual revenue that the state collectsfrom traditional drilling permit fees,” the associa-tion said in a statement. “Hundreds of millions inlease payments and royalties to landowners andtens of millions in tax revenues to local townsand counties in the state also will be lost duringthis moratorium,” the association said.

However, Ling Tsou, a Lower Manhattanresident for 40 years, said she became con-vinced in the summer of 2009 that frackingwas a public health danger and not the eco-nomic boon that supporters claim it is.

“It’s not an Upstate-Downstate issue,” shesaid on Wednesday. “If you count the expenseof cleaning up after accidents and repairing theroads that will be damaged by heavy truck traf-c, and add up all the other costs, it’s not sucha great economic benet. We should explore

more sustainable and environmentally safeenergy,” she added.

While oil and gas advocates say that drillinghas been done safely for years in the state, Silversaid, “When it comes to keeping pollution anddangerous chemicals out of our water, thereis simply no acceptable level of risk.” Silverthanked Assemblymember Robert Sweeney of Long Island for sponsoring the moratorium andorganizing its passage this week.

Assemblymember Deborah Glick wasamong the co-sponsors of the bill, whichalso had the support of Manhattan BoroughPresident Scott Stringer.

In September 2009 the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued for reviewan 809-page draft supplemental generic envi-ronmental impact statement on hydrofrack-ing rules. But New York City ofcials andenvironmental advocates protested that theguidelines were largely written by gas drilling

companies.Last April, D.E.C. decided to remove the

New York City watershed and the Syracusewatershed from the generic fracking reviewand required gas drillers in those watershedsto undertake supplemental environmentalreviews for each well.

Environmental advocates acknowledgedthat although the D.E.C. decision would dis-courage fracking in the two watersheds, therewas nothing to stop the agency from issuinga subsequent executive decision including thewatersheds in the review once it is nal.

The federal Environmental ProtectionAgency has been holding hearings over thepast year preparing for a nationwide reportassessing the safety of hydrofracking. A sci-ence panel is expected to draft the report earlynext year and complete it in 2012. Silver hassaid that he favors a statewide ban on frackinguntil the E.P.A. issues the nal report.

Assembly backs stopgap moratorium against fracking

Photos by J.B. Nicholas

Dimock Township residents with a plastic jug of gas-polluted, yellow water drawnfrom a formerly clean well, the result of nearby hydrofracking.




DOWNTOWNNY.COM/HOLIDAY




Downtown Express photos by Milo Hess

Chanukah on ice!Last Sunday, P.S. 89 in Battery Park City hosted the Fire and Ice Chanukah Party.

The crowd witnessed the chiseling and sculpting of a giant block of ice into aMenora, which was then lit.

Catch the Magicthis Holiday Season.

Are you ready for the Holidays?

Open for Lunch & DinnerMon. - Fri., Lunch: 12 - 3 PMDinner: 5 - 10:30 PM, Sat: 5 - 10 PM

Sunday: 5 - 10 PM

visit us at: www.acapella-restaurant.com

To Advertise In This Section CallFrancesco Regini 646-452-2496 ore-mail [email protected]

Now accepting reservations for

New Years Eve Dinner Friday 12/31!Book your holiday party now!




Downtown Express photos by Joseph Calisi

A rare ceremonyLast Sunday a religious ceremony was held at the site of the former Greek Orthodox

Church at Ground Zero. The ‘vespers’ rite is in itself not rare, but the fact that itwas conducted on the site of a church that no longer exists, was.

Santa’s Winter G arden C reate Photo Memories with Old Saint Nick!

Saturday, December 11Sunday, December 12

Monday, December 13




BY TERESE LOEB KREUZERWREATH-MAKING WORKSHOP: On

Saturday, Dec. 11 the Battery Park CityParks Conservancy is sponsoring what it callsa “Wreath-Making Workshop” — but it’sreally a “wreath-decorating workshop” saidthe Parks Conservancy’s executive directorTessa Huxley . “We don’t really have enoughgreens to make our own.” The wreathswill come from the same source that sup-plies owers for the Conservancy’s annualSwedish Midsummer Festival, where — astradition dictates — women weave wreathsof owers to crown their heads.

On Saturday, the Conservancy will sup-ply dried owers, seeds, pinecones, ribbons,cinnamon sticks and other objects withwhich to decorate the wreaths. Some of the materials will have been gathered fromBattery Park City’s parks and gardens. “Thisis to show that people can do things forthemselves,” said Huxley. “They don’t haveto buy everything pre-made.”

This is the rst year for the holidaywreath workshop. “We think this will be anice activity for families,” said Huxley, “butyou don’t have to have a child to partici-pate!”

The workshop, which will be led bypersonnel from the Parks Conservancy’sprogramming and horticultural depart-ments, will be held at the Battery ParkCity Parks Conservancy ofces, 75 BatteryPlace, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The costis $20 for adults and $10 for students andseniors. Space is limited and pre-registrationis required. To register, call 212-627-9700,ext. 348 or 366.

CHARLES OLSON AT POETS HOUSE: To students of poetry, Charles Olson (1910-1970) was a monumental man not just instature (he was 6’8” tall) but in his vision.The Beat poets (Allen Ginsberg, GregoryCorso, Amiri Baraka and others), the poets of the San Francisco Renaissance and the poetsof the New York School of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s(such as Kenneth Koch and Frank O’Hara),acknowledged his inuence. In honor of thecentenary of Olson’s birth, through Jan. 29,2011 visitors to Poets House at 10 RiverTerrace will have a chance to look at some of his work, which was conceived as visual andauditory rather than being bound by conven-tions of logic and syntax.

“Olson wrote a seminal essay called

‘Projective Verse,’” said Suzanne Wise, aspokesperson for Poets House. ”He had thisidea of writing poetry that was not driven bytraditional forms… hcalled it ‘an open eldpoetics.’”

The Poets House exhibit includes booksby and about Olson and broadsides of somepages from Olson’s best-known work, “TheMaximus Poems.” The broadsides show howOlson arranged words on a page — withphrases curving around each other andintersecting.

Olson was born in Worcester, Mass., said Wise, and lived in the last years of his lifein the seaside town of Gloucester, Mass.,about which he wrote in “The MaximusPoems,” published between 1960 and 1975.“The Maximus Poems” are really one longpoem with many parts about the history of America,” she said.

A board member of Poets House, AndréSpears, owns The Maximus Poems broad-sides and has loaned them to Poets Housefor the exhibition.

One of the broadsides has two lines on it.“My shore, my sounds, my earth, my place,”says one of the lines. Intersecting that lineare these words: “afterwards, in between,and since” — from which the exhibit aboutOlson takes its name.

The exhibition is on view during regularPoets House hours: Tuesday through Friday,11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.For more information about Poets House, goto www.poetshouse.org.

HOLIDAY PARTY: You don’t have tobe a Battery Park City resident to attendthe annual Battery Park City NeighborsAssociation Holiday Party, which takes placethis year on Sunday, December 12 at theDowntown Community Center, 120 WarrenSt., from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will beactivities for kids and families with enter-tainment by the Church Street School of Music and Art and refreshments from PanLatin Catering. Sandy Kraehling of PanLatin says that she will be serving hot mulledapple cider, hot chocolate, organic, all-beef hot dogs and an assortment of Pan Latin

sweets and savories, including some of hersignature bread puddings. Admission to theholiday party is free.

Those who remember Pan Latin Café,formerly at 400 Chambers St. in BatteryPark City, will be glad to know thatKraehling now has a catering business andis selling a full line of bread puddings,both sweet and savory. The sweets includeguava cream cheese, caramelized applesand plums and chocolate chunk marshmal-low. Among the savories are winter roastvegetable and mushroom herb manchego. Aloaf, which feeds seven to 10 people, costs$30, including delivery. For more informa-tion call Kraehling at 917-710-1279 or go towww.panlatincafe.com.

CHOPPED: Battery Park City now has itsown celebrity chef — Wade Burch . Burch,executive chef for all of the MerchantsHospitality restaurants, including SouthwestNY and Steamers Landing in Battery ParkCity and Merchants Café just across WestStreet at 90 Washington St., was on theFood Network’s show, Chopped, where hecompeted against three other chefs for a$10,000 prize. Each chef was given a bas-ket containing four ingredients from whicheach had to fashion an appetizer. After thatround, one chef was “chopped” while theothers went on to make an entrée. In thenal round, the two remaining chefs made adessert. Chef Burch’s appetizer basket con-tained oysters, red Swiss chard, a pomegran-ate and gingerbread cookie dough. Burchimmediately thought of making a version of Oysters Rockefeller and had 30 minutes inwhich to concoct this dish and present it tothe judges. They were impressed and let himgo on to the next round where he was pre-sented with a goose, blue cheese, Irish creamliqueur and maraschino cherries. Again, hepassed and went on to the nal round wherehe fashioned a dessert from boniato pota-toes, pasilla chiles, sour cream and pepper-mint patties. Tune in to the Food Network tond out how he did this. The show on whichChef Burch appeared rst ran on Nov. 28 butwill be repeated throughout December.

Wade Burch, executive chef for the Merchants Hospitality restaurants, placed rston the Food Network’s show “Chopped”, where he went up against three otherchefs.

Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer.

Poets House in Battery Park City is presenting an exhibit of books by andabout poet Charles Olson along with broadsides of pages from Olson’sbest-known work, “The Maximus Poems.”




Opposition helped the cause

groups worldwide, to bridge cultural andreligious gaps, and to encourage peace.

“We need to build a coalition of mod-erates of all faiths and traditions and tostrengthen that coalition, amplify thatrelationship, and we will [shine] the lighton the voices of moderation,” Rauf said.

Many of them, he said, seemed toreadily embrace the concept. Rauf saidhe plans to periodically follow up withthe leaders to discuss the logistics of theprojects.

Rauf’s intent, he said, is to clarify themisconceptions associated with the name“Cordoba,” which has fueled the opposi-tion to the center. The protestors associatethe term with Islamic imperialism startingin eighth century A.D., when Muslimserected a mosque in Cordoba, Spain.

What some don’t realize, he said, isthat Cordoba became a thriving, bustlingcity in the centuries that followed, whereMuslims, Christians and Jews lived inharmony.

“People are afraid of what they don’tknow,” Rauf said. “When people know[about the Cordoba movement], thisknowledge breeds friendship and trust,good relationships.”

Rauf is continuing to meet behind

closed doors with 9/11 families from thevarious support groups to give them a bet-ter understanding of Cordoba’s missionboth in Lower Manhattan and abroad.

Those, he said, who are angered by the

concept of Park51 containing a Muslimprayer space are still reeling from theirlosses, and he relates to their feelings.

“I understand very much the feeling of pain – I understand it personally,” Rauf said.

He too, lost community members thatattended Masjid al-Farah, his mosque on

West Broadway.

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Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf in his Upper West Side ofce.

Continued from page 1


1 8 d t




Opposition helped the cause

“We’ve lived with this community, we’ve died with thiscommunity,” he said. “What we want to do is serve the needsof our community.”

Cordoba House at Park51 will be a separate entity fromthe Cordoba Initiative. Regardless, the community centerstill has a long way to go. The board must still secure thefunds for the estimated $100 million in construction costs.An informed source said they’re hoping to get the majorityof the funds from federal sources. Rauf, however, wouldn’tcomment, since is not involved in the fundraising aspect of the project.

He will, however, play a role in deciding on the specicparts of the space. In addition to a Muslim prayer space, thefuture community center, as planned, will include a memorialfor 9/11 victims, an auditorium, a gym, prayer space, cafete-ria, and a restaurant.

When asked whether it would include separate prayerspaces for other religions, something he is considering forsimilar centers in other countries, the Imam replied, “It’s apossibility.”

One oor, he added, will be parceled out for people of dif-ferent religions to use for “interfaith dialogue.” But the build-ing’s interior layout is still a work in progress.

Rauf emphasized that the he seeks to localize the move-ment he hopes to proliferate overseas.

“We want to somehow take that concept of the spacewhere we assert religious freedoms, encourage people topray, and have religious activities to bond us as a com-munity,” he said.



“Eid Mubarak” translates into “Blessed Festival.” This poster (above) hangs in the Cordoba Initiative’s front ofce.

downtown express D b 8 14 2010 1 9




Waiver issue not over

Coalition, formed in part by CommunityEducation Council District 1 President LisaDonlan and C.E.C. District 2 member ShinoTanikawa, led suit Tuesday challengingBlack’s appointment. The coalition claimsMayor Bloomberg’s decision is “arbitrary”and “capricious,” according to Donlan, whois privy to the case. Civil rights attorneyNorman Siegel, the lead prosecutor in thecase, did not respond by press time.

The former publishing executive hasneither a master’s degree nor three years’worth of teaching, two of the state require-ments to become chancellor. New YorkState Education Commissioner DavidSteiner granted Black a waiver, but onlyafter the mayor agreed to a compromise.To make up for Black’s lack of educationalexperience the mayor appointed a second-in-command, 38-year-old Shael Polakow-Suransky, a former teacher and a memberof the former chancellor Joel Klein’s admin-istration. Bloomberg maintains, however,that Black’s vast managerial experience aschairwoman of the Hearst Corporation putsher in good stead to lead New York City’spublic school system.

“[Black’s] innovations are criticallyimportant to success in the 21st century,”the waiver reads, “including success inthe learning environment.”

But according to Lower Manhattanattorney Peter Herb, the argument forgranting the waiver likely wouldn’t passmuster in state supreme court.

“There’s a reason the regulations werewritten this way – because an educatoris supposed to be in charge,” said Herb,who sent his two children to P.S. 3 and isa former member of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association. “I believe that if [Steiner] is found to have acted contraryto the [state Department of Education]regulations, the court would void theimproper grant of the waiver.”

A waiver can be granted to thosewhose “exceptional training and experi-ence are the substantial equivalent of suchrequirements and qualify such persons forthe duties of a superintendent of schools,”

according to the regulations.Herb noted that these “substitutes,”

however, are not clearly defined. Thewaiver would likely be deemed inap-propriate in state court, he added, sinceBlack has none of the qualifications.

“If she didn’t have teaching experi-ence, and never completed her [edu-cational leadership] certificate, but shetaught for a while, that might be one,”Herb said. “But she doesn’t meet any of the criteria.”

“It’s called, in layman’s terms, cheat-ing,” said State Senator Bill Perkins toa group of citywide protestors of Black— and of mayoral control, as a whole —that demonstrated on the steps of CityHall last Thursday. “We’re teaching ourchildren that cheating counts.”

Others at the rally said that Black’sappointment is an example of the auto-cratic nature of mayoral control, imple-mented by Bloomberg shortly after takingoffice in 2002.

“She has no clue about educationalvalues,” said Corinna Lindenberg, a mem-ber of C.E.C. District One and a LowerEast Side parent. She and others at therally were worried that Bloomberg sim-ply hired her because of her prestige incorporate publishing, and because she isa friend of Bloomberg’s girlfriend, DianaTaylor.

But Downtown educators are dissatis-fied with this move as well.

“If we have a hiring freeze, how canwe afford to have two people do one posi-tion? Just because the mayor wants it thatway?” said protestor and Spruce StreetSchool parent Maria Muentes.

“Having him by her side is not a solu-tion to her not having [education] cre-dentials,” said Donlan. And despite whatthe waiver suggests, she and others areskeptical that Polakow-Suransky will haveany pedagogical authority over Black.

“When push comes to shove, it’s goingto be Cathie Black calling all the shots,”said Tanikawa.

“I can’t imagine anything the chancel-lor would disagree with would stand,”echoed Herb. “The person who’s got thepower — Black — will say, ‘no.’”

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The steps of the Tweed Courthouse on Chambers Street were packed as commu-

nity members protested Cathy Black’s appointment as the new chancellor for theDepartment of Education.


December 8 - 14 20102 0 downtown express




the right of the stairwell on the school’supper floor. “I hope we get these thingsfilled up at least halfway.”

Students from the winning grade, whichwill be announced on Friday, are awardeda eld trip to the Toys ‘R’ Us at UnionSquare.

The toys will be delivered to the Coalitionfor the Homeless, a nationwide housing andsocial services organization based in LowerManhattan, and Toys for Tots New YorkCity.

Last Thursday, day four of the coin drive,11-year-old Yasmine Lu eagerly dropped afew pennies into the sixth grade jar. She feltgrateful to be able to help homeless NewYorkers. “I never helped out with charitybefore,” she said.

Elizabeth Ribauda, who teachers sixthgrade math and science, said her studentsoften lose to the upper classmen in sportsand other school competitions.

“They usually get the short end of thestick. I think they have a way to knock outthe older kids and win this,” said Ribauda.

The grade’s winning strategy is to dumpscores of silver coins into the seventh andeighth grade jars on the nal day of the coindrive on Friday; since the rules of the drivestate that only pennies allowed, the silvercoins would disqualify the other grades.Sixth grader Ethan Reese, a seasoned coindrive competitor, came up with the strategy.

The winning grade will be allowed to pickthe hair color of the school’s music teacher,Jude Traxler. “He just wanted to take thecompetition up a notch,”, said Ouranitsas onTraxler’s behalf.

But in the end, the drive is about giving,not winning. Reese already sabotaged theother grades by dropping $25 in quartersinto heir jars. “I always like helping out,” hesaid. Last year, he helped raise money for anevent at the Harvest Christian FellowshipChurch in midtown.

“I like buying gifts for people,” saideighth grader Eve Cosper. She and herfriend, Mazzy Leinbach, emptied their pock-ets of loose change, mainly quarters anddimes, to throw into the sixth and seventhgrade jars.

Cosper was headed to Duane Reade dur-

ing lunch break to buy a few Barbie dolls forthe toy drive. “I feel like it’s a good thing togive to others who don’t have as much as youdo,” she said.

“People don’t realize how privileged theyare,” said Leinbach. Last year, she made atrip to a nearby bookstore to purchase a fewof her favorite childhood reads. “It’s likesharing a connection with people you don’tknow about,” she said.

Schools elsewhere around LowerManhattan are also integrating holiday char-ity projects into their December schedules. Ahandful of Chinatown’s Emma Lazarus HighSchool students, for example, are volunteer-ing at a local Barnes and Noble to gift-wrapnon-perishable gifts that will be delivered toimpoverished families.

“The kids are really excited to do this,

especially for poorer kids who don’t normal-ly get Christmas gifts,” said Debra Cardenas,Emma Lazarus’ community service coor-dinator. “They know the families and kidswho the donated gifts are going to wouldn’tget gifts otherwise, because they couldn’tafford it.”

Emma Lazarus tenth grader JenesisAlnanvar, who recently emigrated with herfamily from the Dominican Republic, ispsyched to help prepare the presents for theshelter families. She herself comes from ahumble background. “I kind of know whatit feels like [to be underprivileged],” saidAlnavar.

A separate group of Emma Lazarus stu-dents will help seniors at Henry StreetSettlement, a nonprot social services orga-nization on the Lower East Side.

“We wanted them to do something moreone-on-one, people-related, so they couldactually see the impact they’re having,”Cardenas said.

In Battery Park City, I.S. 89 is also orga-nizing a gift drive to benet Henry StreetSettlement, shopping for presents and giftcards for children temporarily residing at itsshelter and attending its after-school pro-gram. They’ll be delivering the gifts to thecenter on Friday.

“It’s hopeful, but in a way it’s kind of sad,” said eighth grader Laszlo Horvath,who got his peers involved this week byhanding out “Dear Santa” letters from theshelter children to his classmates.

“There are kids just like us… they’reso close, but we’re much more privilegedthan they are,” said Horvath.

A secret worth keepingthe project is his physical surroundings. “I think about ourenvironmental issues… and I was thinking about how muchelectricity [N.Y.C. street lights] use being on for 12 hours atnight. I was thinking about a way for there to be no wires inthe ground going to an external source.”

He sent a description of his proposal to Mayor MichaelBloomberg in July. The mayor wrote back, thanking him forhis letter and his desire to help the environment. The letterread, “I am always happy to hear from young New Yorkers,

especially when you write about the issues that are importantto you, your family and your community.” Tyler plans onapproaching the mayor again once he and Louis completethe model.

Tyler has been unusually inquisitive since his toddleryears. He showed interest in technology and electronicsstarting at age four, teaching himself the basics throughreading and practice. By age eight, he was fixing com-puters.

He recalls the rst time he took apart a computer, spend-ing seven hours xing his father’s broken laptop after soccerpractice. By the end of the day, it was working.

“He’s the kid that while everybody else is running around, jumping on each other, he’s sitting in the corner doing hishomework,” said Tyler’s mother, Yvette Rose. Tyler designedher health and tness company’s website using the softwareprogram Adobe Dreamweaver.

In his spare time, Tyler is also learning how to y planes,accumulating hours towards earning a junior pilot licensewhen he turns 14. And he plays lead guitar, performing withhis rock band at bars like the Bell House in Brooklyn.

When asked what he wants to be when he grows up,Tyler replied, “That’s hard.” He paused. “Probably a businessowner or a hardware engineer.”


Sixth grader Yasmine Lu drops pennies into the sixth grade coin jug


Life lessons via giving




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city Department of Transportation in the

New Year.“We don’t know that every proposal will

make it to the nal plan,” Levine explained.It will be up to the city agencies to determinewhether certain proposals are t for the naldraft of the plans that will be presented toCity Council.

Board members had questions aboutthe affordable housing category. Levineresponded by saying that he would arrangefor Richard Lee from Asian Americans for

Equality or another affordable housing expertto present more concrete plans to the boardat Community Planning and Infrastructure’snext committee meeting on January 6.

Despite a few unanswered questions,board members praised the C.W.G. plans.“I’d support this in full,” said CommitteeCo-chair Anthony Notaro. Ro Sheffe, anoth-er committee member, said that the C.W.G.has done a “great job” thus far in researchingand presenting its proposals to the board.

“[Chinatown] is a great community tocome and be a part of,” said committee mem-ber Tom Goodkind. “An integration of thecommunity,” he added, “is very important.”


Photos by Tequila Minsky

On the rst evening of Hanukkah, youngsters at My Little School, a preschool atGymboree, at 100 Reade St. in Tribeca, used olive oil they made to light the meno-rah. Michoel Albekurk, above right, led the spellbound children through the oil-making process. Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of one day’s supply of oil thatmiraculously lasted not one but eight nights.




TRINITY YOUTH CHORUS: HOLIDAY CAROLING CON-CERT The choirs of the Trinity Youth Chorus and the ISO-Trinity-Florentine Youth Orchestra (PS 89, PS 315, Chinatown-Florentine,Peppercorn, Junior and Senior Choristers) invite you to an informalconcert of holiday music — with a reception in the Parish Hall afterthe concert. FREE. Fri., Dec. 17, 7-8pm at Trinity Church (Broadway atWall St.). For info, call 212-602-0800 or visit www.trinitywallstreet.org.

PENNY JONES & CO. PUPPETS Penny Jones & Co. Pup-pets present their own friendly, funny take on two classic tales.“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” tells the familiar tale of an apprentice

whose attempts to have others do his work results in predictablechaos when he tries magic instead of muscle. “The Fisherman &the Genie” has a humble fisherman catching a genie who grants awish that soon finds the fisherman and his wife missing their fru-gal, simple life. There will also be a participatory Whale Game — inkeeping with the nautical theme! Sun., Dec. 12, 11am & 1pm at theWestbeth Community Room (155 Bank St. btw. Washington andWest Sts.). For tickets ($5), call 212-924-0525. Visit www.pennypup-pets.org.

SEVEN IN ONE BLOW, OR THE BRAVE LITTLE KID It’s notexactly a state secret: Kids, ever mindful that Santa is watching,are on their best behavior throughout December — or at least up tobedtime on the 24th. But a lesson on the value of being true to your-

self, and sticking to the facts, never hurts. You’ll get that, and more,

at Axis Theatre Company ‘s annual presentation of “Seven in OneBlow, or The Brave Little Kid.” Adapted from the classic fairy tale by

The Brothers Grimm, this interactive winter play for kids blends tech-nology, music and live performance to tell the tale set just before theholidays on a snowy winter day. That’s when a kid who killed sevenflies with a single swat lets others believe he’s a tough guy who’sfelled seven people — which leads them to assume he’s up to thechallenge of more difficult tasks. In the end, after a surprise twist,the kid discovers that a parent’s love and care has no limits. Runningtime: 50 minutes. Appropriate for ages 4 and up. Fridays at 7pm,Sat./Sun. at 2pm. Through Dec. 19. At Axis Theatre (One SheridanSquare, just off Seventh Ave.). For tickets ($12 for adults, $6 for kids),call 212-352-3101 or www.AxisCompany.org.

THE NUTCRACKER This hour-long version of the classic holi-day event is made especially for the attention span of kids ages

2 through 12. Keith Michael’s “The Nutcracker” is presented by

New York Theatre Ballet and promises to make its young audi-ence feel like they’re part of the show — from the moment Uncle

Drosselmeyer steps on stage and greets them to the grand finale(complete with professional baton twirler Diana Reed, who keepseveryone on the edge of their seats). This production is the firstballet in NYTB’s “Once Upon A Ballet” series — which continuesin 2011 with “Cinderella” (Feb. 12 & 13), “Exquisite Little Ballets”featuring dances by Agnes de Mille, Lotte Goslar and Antony Tudor(April 9 &10), and “Sleeping Beauty” (May 14 & 15). A subscriptionto all four performances is $112 per child, and $140 per adult. A sub-scription to any three ballets is $87 per child, $108 per adult. “TheNutcracker” will be performed Dec. 11 through Dec. 19, at FlorenceGould Hall (55 E. 59th St. btw. Madison & Park Aves.). Sat., Dec. 11,18 and Sun., Dec. 12, 19 at 11am, 1pm and 3:30pm. Tickets are $35for children and $40 for adults (includes a $1 per ticket facility fee)and can be purchased at www.nytb.org, through Ticketmaster (800-

982-2787) or at the box office (55 East 59th St., 212-355-6160).

MANHATTAN CHILDREN’S THEATRE Imagination reignssupreme in the productions of this theater company’s ninth sea-son — which is dedicated to classic stories and characters (witha twist!). Through Jan. 2, it’s the world premiere of Chris Alonzo’s“Lula Belle in Search of Santa.” Then, in 2011, the season contin-ues with “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”and “The Complete Works of the Brothers Grimm (Abridged).” Pe r-formances are every Sat. and Sun., 12 pm and 2 pm. At ManhattanChildren’s Theatre (52 White St., btw. Broadway & Church Streets;2 blocks south of Canal St.). For tickets ($20 general, $50 front row),call 212-352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com. For school,group and birthday party rate info, call 212-226-4085. Visit www.

mctny.org.

MIMI & GUSTAV IN LOVE AND PIRATES! This new family-friendly theater experience is based on Denis Woychuk’s belovedpicture books about a hippopotamus (Mimi) and a mouse (Gustav)who get what they wish for: adventure, excitement & each other.Along the way, they learn that everyone, big and little, has a special

gift. Woychuk adapted his stories for the stage with new lyrics &dialogue. Stephen Brennan directs. Original music by Caitlin Rod-gers. FREE GIFTS FOR THE KIDS! Sat. and Sun., through Dec. 19, atThe Kraine Theater (85 E. 4th St. btw, 2nd Ave. and Bowery). Satur-days at 1 pm and Sundays at noon. For tickets ($20, and $15 for kids,students, & seniors), call 212-868-4444 or visit www.horseTRADE.info.

THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE MUSEUM The “Junior OfficersDiscovery Zone” is an exhibit designed for ages 3-10. It’s dividedinto four areas: the Police Academy; the Park and Precinct; theEmergency Services Unit; and a Multi-Purpose Area for program-ming. Each area has interactive and imaginary play experiences forchildren to understand the role of Police Officers in our community— by, among other things, driving and taking care of a Police car.For older children, there’s a crime scene observation activity that willchallenge them to remember relevant parts of city street scenes;a physical challenge similar to those at the Police Academy; and amodel Emergency Services Unit vehicle where children can climb in,use the steering wheel and lights, hear radio calls with Police codesand see some of the actual equipment carried by The EmergencyServices Unit. At 100 Old Slip. For info, call 212-480-3100 or visit

www.nycpm.org. Hours: Mon. though Sat., 10am to 5pm and Sun.,12pm to 5pm. Admission: $8 ($5 for students, seniors and children.Free for children under 2.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ART Explore painting, collageand sculpture through self-guided arts projects. Open art stationsare ongoing throughout the afternoon — giving children the oppor-tunity to experiment with materials such as paint, clay, fabric, paperand found objects. From Dec. 27-30, 10am-4pm, “Claymation withJoe Vena” gives students the opportunity to create their own shortfilms, using stop-motion animation. Regular museum hours: Wed-Sun, 12-5pm; Thurs, 12-6pm (Pay as You Wish, from 4-6pm). Admis-sion: $10. At the Children’s Museum of the Arts (182 Lafayette St.btw. Broome & Grand). Call 212- 274-0986 or visit www.cmany.org.

DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER Youth afterschool pro-grams are happening NOW! For information on swim lessons, bas-ketball, gym class, Karate and more, call 212-766-1104. Visit www.manhattanyouth.org. The Downtown Community Center is locatedat 120 Warren St.

POETS HOUSE The Poets House “Tiny Poets Time” programoffers children ages 1-3 and their parents a chance to enter theworld of rhyme — through readings, group activities and inter-active performances. Thursdays at 10am (at 10 River Terrace, atMurray St.). Call 212-431-7920 or visit www.poetshouse.org.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR EVENT LISTED IN THE

DOWNTOWN EXPRESS? Listing requests may be sent [email protected]. Please provide the date, time,location, price and a description of the event. Information mayalso be mailed to 145 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY10013. Requests must be received three weeks before the eventis to be published. Questions? Call 646-452-2497.

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FDNY PHOTO EXHIBITIONThe FDNY is showcased through the work of New Orleans native, and photographer, Lilli M. Albin — whose exhibition “Selec-tions from ‘On The Job’ ” features pieces focusing on the public and private space within NYC’s firehouses. As for the sponsoringvenue: The New York City Fire Museum (the official museum of the FDNY) is located in a 1904 firehouse which has been repur-posed to house over 10,000 artifacts from NYC’s rich heritage of firefighting. The Museum is open Tue. through Sat., 10am–5pm and Sundays 10am – 4pm. Suggested admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children, students and seniors. The exhibit runsthrough Jan. 30. At the New York City Fire Museum (278 Spring St.) For info, call 212-691-1303 or visit www.nycfiremuseum.org.




COMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

THE WEST AT SUNSETThe Abrons Arts Center presents “The

West at Sunset” — a multidisciplinary groupexhibition in response to a masterwork of spiritual literature: Rene Daumal’s 1952novel “Mount Analogue.” The title of theexhibition refers to the particular alignmentof the travelers’ ship that allows it to accessthe mountain, bridging the invisible andmaterial worlds. Multiple installations in theexhibition are likewise modied by the shad-ows and the light created by the changingposition of the sun, forging a living environ-

ment that shifts from day to night and backagain. As for the novel the exhibit is based on,“Mount Analogue” is a surrealist allegory of an expedition to the top of a holy mountain.It garnered Daumal considerable recognitionin France as a poet and student of mysticism.Unnished due to his death from tuberculo-sis, the text notably provided the premise forAlejandro Jodorowsky’s 1973 lm “The HolyMountain.” Dec. 9 through Feb. 20. Openingreception: Thurs., Dec. 9, 6-8pm at AbronsArts Center, Henry Street Settlement (466Grand St. at Pitt). Visit www.abronsartscen-ter.org or call 212-598-0400.

FUNDRAISER: “CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR”

It’s a match made, if not in Heaven,

then definitely for a good cause. New

York artists are banding together withthe Episcopal Church of the HolyApostles for the first annual “ChristmasSpectacular” — a fundraiser for the HolyApostles Soup Kitchen. Featured artistsinclude funny lady and actress SusanCampanaro (seen on “The Sopranos”),Thomas Cahill (author of “How the IrishSaved Civilization,” reading from a select-ed work) and Broadway actor MichaelCumpsty (recently seen as Richard IIIin the Classic Stage Company’s produc-tion). He’ll be presenting W.H. Auden’sclassic Christmas poem, “For the Time

Being: A Christmas Oratorio.” Jazz artistEddie Allen and his band will play their“Jazzy Brass for the Holidays” — originalarrangements of holiday favorites. Tohelp make your donation (also known asyour purchased ticket) go further, HolyApostles has received a matching grantfrom the Peter J. Sharp Foundation — soevery dollar raised will double in valueto the Soup Kitchen. Thurs., Dec. 16,6:30pm at the Episcopal Church of theHoly Apostles (Ninth Ave. & 28th St.).For tickets ($20), order online at www.tinyurl.com/spectacular1 or purchase at

the door. Reserved tables are $1,000.Yeah, that’s a little steep — but unless youskimmed through this listing, you knowit’s for a good cause!

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Photo courtesy of Trinity Wall Street

Here’s one way to get somewhere while walking in circles. See “Labyrinth Walk.”

LABYRINTH WALK AT ST. PAUL’S CHAPELOn the third Thurs. of every month (from 2-6pm), the labyrinth at St. Paul’s Chapel

is open to the public for walking, prayers and meditation. A labyrinth walk is a symbolicpilgrimage — a cathartic act that (if done with sincerity?) leads to salvation, enlightenmentor consolation. Free. At St. Paul’s Chapel (Broadway and Fulton St.). For info, call 212-602-0800 or visit www.trinitywallstreet.org.

Suitable for ContemplationExhibits & Events Sure to Conjure Up Questions & Inspire Answers

PAINTING THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVEThis exhibition of oil paintings, created

by John Bradford from 2009-2010, marks areturn for the artist to the Bowery Gallery (of which he was a founding member in 1969).“Painting the Biblical Narrative” is said by theartist to be neither irreverent nor pious — butthey do imply a political intent “by celebrat-ing the radically unadorned, disconcertingHebrew Bible as a foundational ethos ontowhich we continue to cling, however precari-ously.” Bradford accomplishes that missionstatement by creating images inspired by the

Old Testament through a process of rework-ing each painting’s surface with a full brush“until composition and interpretation emergeas one.” Through Dec. 31, at Bowery Gallery(532 W. 25th St., 4th oor). Gallery Hours:Tues.-Sat., 11am-6pm. For info, call 646-230-6655 or visit www.bowerygallery.org.

Photo by Leo Sorel

The Trinity Choir: In demand, December and beyond.

THE TRINITY CHOIRThe 2010-2011 concert season is distinguished by the debut of Julian Wachner — prin-

cipal conductor of the Trinity Choir and Trinity Baroque Orchestra. The Choir’s annualdestination event, on Dec. 12 and 13, is a presentation of Handel’s “Messiah.” On Feb. 3,European contemporary choral music is performed under the direction of guest conductorGrete Pedersen (Artistic Director of the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir). For Easter, JohannSebastian Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” is performed on April 14. The season concludeson May 19. With the exception of the April event, concerts will be presented on Thurs.evenings.

Can’t make it? They’ll also be available for viewing via live webcast at www.trinitywall-street.org. The Trinity Choir will also perform free preview concerts at 1pm on most showdays. Concerts begin at 7:30pm, (except for “Messiah” on Dec. 12, which starts at 3pm).At Trinity Church (Broadway, at Wall St.). Season tickets are $100. For individual concerts,$20 general admission. $10 student/senior tickets are available only at the door. Tickets for“Messiah” range from $30 to $50. To purchase, visit www.trinitywallstreet.org/tickets orcall 212-602-0800.

Image courtesy of the artist

John Bradford’s “The Drunkenness ofNoah” (2009; oil 30x40 in.)




Just Do Art!COMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

SAINT MISBEHAVIN’: THE WAVYGRAVY MOVIE

Those who aren’t children of the 60smay not know the name “Wavy Gravy.”Heck, they might not even remember hisnamesake Ben & Jerry’s ice cream avor(retired in 2001). The documentary “SaintMisbehavin’ ” is a cool, breezy way for theuninitiated to learn about — and cometo appreciate — the Woodstock emcee,peace activist, shameless jester and aginghippie. After spending 88 minutes cruis-ing the highlights of his life, you’ll under-stand why Gravy’s still ghting the goodght and turning folks on to the notionthat humor and compassion are the best

ways to get through the day and sleepwell at night. Archival footage from thecounterculture movement — juxtaposedwith contemporary testimonials from theera’s surviving participants — are whatmakes the lm click and tick. Directedby Michelle Esrick. Unrated. December8-14, at the IFC Center (323 Sixth Ave.,at W. Third St.). For screening times, call

212-924-7771 or visit www.ifccenter.com.Wavy Gravy & director Michelle Esrickwill appear, in person, Dec. 8 & 9 — atthe 6:25pm & 8:30pm screenings.

18TH ANNUAL AFRICAN DIASPORAINTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Through Dec. 14, this film fest pres-ents an eclectic mix of foreign, indepen-dent, classic and urban films representingthe global Black experience — through anextraordinary range of subjects and artis-tic approaches.

Sun., Dec. 12 at 4pm & 8:30pm — andat 8pm on Tues., Dec. 14, it’s the NY pre-mier of Yousry Nasrallah’s “Scheherazade,Tell me Story.” A box office hit in Egypt,

the plot concerns a female talk showhost researches and discusses women’sstories that reveal the human condi-tion of women in Egypt. Sun., Dec. 12at 6:45pm and Tues., Dec. 14 at 6pm,it’s “Josephine Baker, Black Diva in a

White Man’s World.” Both “Baker” and“Scheherazade” screen at the SymphonySpace Thalia Theatre (2537 Broadway, at

95th St.).Fri., Dec. 10, 6pm it’s the panel discus-

sion “A Conversation with Ingrid Sinclair.”At 8pm, same venue, a panel of indepen-dent African American Filmmakers asks“Is making a film easier today?” — andon Sat., Dec. 11, 2pm, it’s a “SubtitledCinema Panel Discussion.” The panelseries concludes Sat., Dec. 11, 4pm,with the topic “The Future of African

Film Distribution in the US.” For a com-plete schedule and list of venues, visitwww.AfricanDiasporaDVD.com, www.AfricanFilm.com and www.NYADIFF.org.Follow NYADIFF at: www.twitter.com/NYADFF.

CITY WINERYEvery Sunday, the Klezmer Brunch

Series pairs top tier musicians with toptier lox and bagels. At 155 Varick St. atVandam. Call 212-608-0555 or, for a fullschedule of upcoming events, visit www.citywinery.com.

HOUSING WORKS BOOKSTORE CAFÉProceeds pay for Housing Works’ services

for homeless and low-income New Yorkersliving with HIV and AIDS. Housing WorksBookstore Café is located at 126 Crosby St.For info, call 212-966-0466, x1104 or visitwww.housingworksbookstore.org.

POETS HOUSETheir Battery Park City home has a

50,000-volume poetry library, a children’sroom, a multimedia archive, a program-

ming hall and a reading room. Most eventsare $10, $7 for students/seniors and free toPoets House members. At 10 River Terrace,at Murray St. Call 212-431-7920 or visitwww.poetshouse.org.

THE MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGEAt this unique museum, a series of con-

templative exhibits and talks educate andenlighten people of all backgrounds — by

giving them a glimpse of Jewish life before,during and after the Holocaust. On viewthrough Sept., 2011: “The Morgenthaus:A Legacy of Service” and through Feb. 27,“Project Mah Jongg.” At the Museum of Jewish Heritage (at Edmond J. Safra Plaza,36 Battery Place). For general museum info,call 646-437-4200. For ticket info, 646-437-4202. Hours: Sun.-Tues. and Thurs.: 10amto 5:45pm. Wed., 10am to 8pm. Fri.: 10amto 3pm. Eve of Jewish Holidays: 10am to3pm. For a complete schedule of events, visitwww.mjhnyc.org.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUREVENT LISTED IN THE DOWNTOWNEXPRESS?

Listing requests may be sent to [email protected]. Please provide thedate, time, location, price and a descriptionof the event (at least three weeks in advanceof the event date). Information may alsobe mailed to 145 Avenue of the Americas,New York, NY 10013-1548. Requests mustbe received three weeks before the event isto be published. Questions? Call 646-452-2497.

RANA SANTACRUZ: MEXICAN BLUEGRASSRana Santacruz — a Mexican musician steeped in the Brooklyn music scene — is the

originator of “Mexican Bluegrass” (also known as “Irish Mariachi”). Santacruz says it’s asound originating in Ireland, running through Appalachia, swinging through New Orleansand careening across most of Mexico. The acoustic instrumentation includes the cajon,upright bass, accordion, guitar, banjo, jarana, violin and trumpet. Hear it for yourself when Santacruz returns Downtown with an 8pm performance at BMCC Tribeca PAC (199Chambers St.) on Fri., Dec. 17 at 8pm. Tickets are $15 (with a Spotlight FIVE subscrip-tion, patrons receive ve tickets for $50). Use the tickets all at once or spread out over the

remaining Tribeca Spotlight events during the 2010-11 season. To order, call 212-220-1460.Visit www.tribecapac.org.

Image courtesy of Ripple Effect Films

The man, the legend, the retired Ben & Jerry’s ice cream avor: “Wavy Gravy.”

Photo by Mauri Forsblom

Foreground: Rana Santacruz.




The ListingsKATHRYN LYNCH: CHOPPY WATERS

Whether oating on tranquil watersagainst a brilliant orange sky or strugglingamidst a blue-hued storm, the new oil on

canvas works which comprise Tribeca art-ist Kathryn Lynch’s third solo exhibition atSears-Peyton Gallery are intimate contempla-tions of the bliss and danger we court whenventuring into uncharted territory. “Choppy

Waters” features compositions centered ona small sailboat navigating stormy watersand charged climates. Lynch describes hercreative experience as “getting to go onan adventure.” Go on one of your own —through Dec. 18, at Sears-Peyton Gallery, 21011th Ave., Suite 802 (btw. 24th and 25th Sts.Suite 802). Hours: Tues. – Fri., 10am-6 pmand Sat., 11am–6pm. Call 212-966-7469 or

visit www.searspeyton.com. TRIBECA GREENMARKET

Located on Greenwich St. betweenChambers and Duane, this greenmarket isopen every Sat., from 8am to 3pm (yearround), and every Wed., 8am to 3 pmthrough Dec. Cooking demonstrations, raf-es, and educational activities make themarket a hands-on experience for all ages.

ADVENTURE THEATER!This annual interactive theatrical adven-

ture for heroes of all ages is brought to you

by The Metropolitan Playhouse. The dynam-

ic improv company Freestyle RepertoryTheatre (which has been known to bringaudience members on stage to become partof the action) leads this family-friendly

experience in which you invent the plot,provide sound effects, become the sceneryand play important characters. “AdventureTheater” is perfect for children ages 5-13.The details differ every time, but here’sthe plot in a nutshell: The inhabitants of amagical land desperately need your help. Awicked leader has risen to power, and anemissary is sent to the mortal world to seeka hero powerful enough to return peace,happiness and prosperity to the inhabitants.Our Hero — played by a child chosen fromthe audience — travels to the magical land,meets fabulous creatures, makes powerful

friends and faces great dangers. Meanwhile,the wicked leader is all too aware of ourHero’s presence and is gleefully makingplans for their ultimate meeting! ThroughDec. 12, at 11am. Saturdays and Sundays,at Metropolitan Playhouse (220 E. 4th St.btw. Aves. A & B). Tickets are $10 forchildren twelve, $12 for adults. To order,call 212-995-5302 or visit www. metropoli-tanplayhouse.org.

DEAR EDWINAAfter debuting in 2008, scoring two

Drama Desk nominations and enjoying a

successful 2009 holiday season run, the

musical “Dear Edwina” is fast becominga seasonal family-friendly tradition inleague with visiting the Macy’s windowsand presenting a long wish list to a cer-

tain jolly fellow on temporary leave fromthe North Pole. This heartwarming showabout the joys and frustrations of growingup. Has our spunky heroine, (advice-giverextraordinaire Edwina Spoonable) shar-ing he wisdom on everything from settingthe table to making new friends. That it’sdone through clever, catchy and poignantsongs makes the experience enjoyableand engaging for kids who know whatEdwina’s going through as well as adultswho remember what it was like. Dec. 17through Feb. 25 at the DR2 Theatre (103E. 15th St.). For tickets ($39), call 212-

239-6200. For groups of 10 or more, call646-747-7400. Visit www.dearedwina.com for additional details and full playingschedule.

SENIOR AEROBICS AND SWIMSeniors 65 and up who live downtown can

swim free in the Downtown Community Center’svery warm, very beautiful pool (after you ll out

a no-hassle registration form). Mondays throughFridays, noon to 1:30 pm. If swimming on yourown isn’t your cup of tea, their Water Aerobicsclass is offered Tues. and Fri., 12:45-1:20 pm. Atthe Downtown Community Center, 120 WarrenSt. For more information, call 212-766-1104 orvisit www.manhattanyouth.org.\

Would You Like to See Your Event listed inthe Downtown Express? Listing requests maybe sent to [email protected]. Please

provide the date, time, location, price and adescription of the event (at least three weeks inadvance of the event date). Information may

also be mailed to 145 Avenue of the Americas,New York, NY 10013-1548. Requests must bereceived three weeks before the event is to be

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Holiday events that’ll deck your hallsCOMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

LOOKING AT CHRISTMASSteven Banks, head writer of SpongeBob

SquarePants, is the creator of this holi-day-themed tale — but leave the kids athome, because its self-proclaimed “offbeat”(Dirty? Dark? Sexy?) nature makes thisone suitable only for those ages 15 andover. Set on Christmas Eve, “Looking atChristmas” nds an unemployed writer anda struggling actress meeting while lookingat the famous holiday windows along FifthAvenue. What they don’t realize is that thewindows are looking back. This produc-tion features The Bats (The Flea’s residentcompany of actors). Through Dec. 30 atThe Flea Theater (41 White St. btw. Church

& Broadway, three blocks south of Canal).Tues.–Sun. at 7pm, Sat/Sun at 3pm, Fri.at 10pm (added show Dec. 27, 7pm; Noperformances Dec. 23-26). For tickets, call212-352-3101 or visit www.theea.org. AllTues. performances are Pay-What-You-Can,subject to availability at the door (1 ticketper person).

HOLIDAY SEASON AT THE WORLDFINANCIAL CENTER

You’ll never be bored this December — i f it’s holiday activities you’re in the market,and mood, for. The World Financial Center

has all the Yuletide bases covered with avariety of events. Dec. 13, 14, 15, 17 & 22from 12:30pm to 1:30pm — and Dec. 18 &19 from 12-2pm — The Big Apple Chorusperforms a cappella versions of holidaytunes. On Thurs., Dec. 16 at 12:30pm, theNiall O’Leary Irish Dance Troupe performs“Celtic Christmas.” Holly and mistletoe getthe thistle-and-shamrock interpretation,when O’Leary and his dancers blend Irishand American inuences to create a uniquetake on holiday songs and tunes. Tues. Dec.21 at 7pm, America’s premiere postclas-sical string quartet — “Ethel” — is joined

by vocal legend Ron Kunene and his SouthAfrican choral group (“Themba”). CelebrateKwanzaa with a performance illustratingThe Seven Principles — presented by Forcesof Nature Dance Theatre. It takes place

Wed., Dec. 29, at 12:30pm. All events arefree and can be found at the World FinancialCenter Winter Garden (200 Vesey St.). Forinfo, call 212-417-7000 or visit www.world-nancialcenter.com.

THE SABBATH VARIATIONS: THE SPLENDOR OF SPACE

24/6 — New York’s rst Jewish theater

company dedicated to Sabbath-observantartists — presents a workshop perfor-mance of this diversity-minded brave newinterpretation of what the Hanukkah sea-son means to Jews, gentiles, ladies, gentle-man and every possible permutation of human one can imagine. Inspired by thewriting of theologian and civil rights activ-ist Abraham Joshua Heschel. “The SabbathVariations” explores the concept of workby rifng on the premise of a mystic whoemerges from a cave after more than adecade in hiding, and nds himself con-

founded by the worldly realm. 24/6 drawson this ancient story to create six radicallynew, 10-minute pieces inuenced by every-one from Samuel Beckett to Lady Gaga.

What do a Japanese salaryman and a fam-

ily drama played out in a hospital have todo with the true meaning of Hanukkah?There’s only one way to nd out. Sat.,Dec. 11 and Sun., Dec. 12, 6pm, at TheSixth Street Community Synagogue (325E. Sixth St.) in the East Village. Suggesteddonation, $10. For reservations, email:[email protected]. Include yourname, number of tickets and date of per-formance.

ELEANOR REISSA CELEBRATESHANUKKAH

Humor, pathos and inclusiveness get equal

sharing on a bill headlined by Tony nomineeand international artist Eleanor Reissa — inher only NYC appearance this season. Hailedas one of the world’s most gifted interpretersof Yiddish song, Reissa is accompanied by aband of musical luminaries under the direc-tion of Frank London (of the Klezmatics).Marty Confurius on the upright bass, RexBenincasa on percussion and drums, slidetrombone player Brian Drye and pianist/accordion player Patrick Farrell bring theirtalents to the table, as Reissa breezes throughan afternoon of Hanukkah songs and musicalgems from the Yiddish theater — including

Abe Ellstein’s “Abi Gezint” and “Oy MamaAm I in Love.” Those who aren’t uent inYiddish (and aren’t even Jewish) won’t be leftin the dark: Reissa will intersperse Yiddishselections with songs like “Que Sera, Sera,”“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and even“Yankee Doodle.” Sun., Dec. 12, 2:30pm,at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (EdmondJ. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place). Tickets are$18 ($15 for Museum and National YiddishBook Center Members). To order, call thebox ofce at 646-437-4202 or visit www.mjhnyc.org.

HOLIDAY RECORD & CD SALEThe ARChive of Contemporary Music’s

Holiday Record & CD sale helps support theARChive — a not-for-prot music librarywhich collects, preserves and provides infor-mation on popular music from 1950 to thepresent (ARC keeps two copies of all record-ings released in America, and their collectionnumbers over two million sound recordings).There will be over 20,000 items for sale — butdon’t worry about depleting the permanentcollection. The items are new donations from

record companies and collectors, and there’snot a used, returned or defective product inthe bunch. What you will nd, though, willbe mostly pop and rock recordings, collectibleLPs priced below book value, hundreds of CDs priced at $1 to $5 each and cassettes 4 for$1.00. Not enough? There will also be manyhard to nd 7” singles, shelves of new musicbooks, African, reggae & world-music releases,classical LPs (most for 50¢ or LESS), videos,60s psychedelic posters, and Sony Yule logDVDs (just released by Johnny Cash, MariahCarey and Kenny Chesney, for $5 each). For

the dis-en-vinyled, ARChive’s newly-departedfood stylist neighbors left behind “TONS of high-end and everyday kitchenware.” Supportthe ARChive mission by becoming a member,

and you’ll shop the sale before the generalpublic and be welcomed at their Dec. 9 cock-tail party. For membership details and otherinfo, call 212-226-6967, visit www.arcmusic.org and check out their blog (arcmusic.word-press.com). The sale takes place Sat., Dec. 11through Sun., Dec. 19, daily from 11am to6pm. At 54 White St. (3 blocks south of Canal,btw. Broadway & Church. Take the 1 train toFranklin, or any train to Canal).

HOLIDAY EVENTS AT THEMERCHANT’S HOUSE MUSEUM

Do you pine for a holiday experience that

harks back to those days of old — as in, say, themid-19th century? If so, look no further thanthe Merchant’s House Museum. Built in 1832,MHM exists year-round as a lovingly curatedtime capsule offering a glimpse into the lives— and mindset — of the prosperous merchant-class Tredwell family (whose various membersoccupied the house for nearly a century).

Through Jan. 10, the exhibition “ChristmasComes to Old New York” uses recreated scenesof holiday preparation to reveal how modernholiday customs came to be. Included withregular museum admission ($10, $5 for stu-dents/seniors). On Fri., Dec 10 at 7pm, “To All,

Wassail: A Concert of 19th-Century HolidaySongs & Stories” features The Bond StreetEuterpean Singing Society (MHM artists-in-residence) in a concert of vocal quartets, solos,holiday readings and sing-alongs ($25, $15 forMHM members). Reservations required. OnDec. 17, 18 & 19, “An Old Fashioned Christmasin New York: Tours by Candlelight” offers toursbeginning every 20 minutes, Fri., 6-9pm, Sat. &Sun., 4-8pm. The halls will be decked and therooms lit by ickering candlelight as costumedactors relate the Christmas tradition of mid-19thcentury New York ($20, $15 for children 12 &under, $10 MHM members). All events take

place at the Merchant’s House Museum (29 E.Fourth St. btw. Lafayette & Bowery). For infoand reservations, call 212-777-1089 or visitwww.merchantshouse.org.

A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES AT THE IRISH REP

The Irish Repertory Theatre continues its23rd season with Dylan Thomas’s holiday clas-sic. Adapted and directed by Charlotte Moore,this re-invention of Dylan Thomas’s iconictale features both Irish Repertory favoritesand Broadway veterans, and both traditionaland contemporary Christmas music interwoven

within the classic story of that famous snowyday. Kerry Conte and Ashley Robinson staralong with Broadway favorites Victoria Mallory,Martin Vidnovic and Simon Jones. Musicaldirection is by John Bell. Through Jan. 2 at TheIrish Repertory Theatre (132 W. 22nd St. btw.Sixth & Seventh Aves.)Wed.-Sat., at 8pm; 3pmmatinees on Wed., Sat. & Sun. (exceptions:added 8pm performances on Tues., Dec. 21and 28; 3pm matinee on Fri., Dec. 24; no 8pmon Christmas Eve; no December 25; no 3pm onSat., Jan. 1). For tickets ($55 and $65), call 212-727-2737 or online at www.irishrep.org.

Photo by Stephen Kunken

See “Eleanor Reissa celebrates Hanukkah.”

Photo by Joan Marcus

Christian Adam Jacobs & Betsy Lippitt — as a randy elf and Mrs. Claus. See“Looking at Christmas.”




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